Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. This shows belongs to the creative mind of Tite Kubo.
Karin was walking in the park by the river and staring up at the clouds. Her book bag was slung over her back with a mesh bag of soccer balls slung over her right shoulder. The balls were knocking on her backside in rhythm with her leisurely pace. You see her soccer practice was canceled and she didn't know about it until she got out to the field.
Karin sighed deeply as she wandered beside the river.
'This stinks. First of all, no one tells me that soccer practice is canceled. Second of all, my math teacher just gave me my report card . . . dad is going to flip when he sees that grade. I've been warned about my grades but I just kept forgetting. Science is no problem, I have a blast. Same goes for chemistry, now Literature . . . could be better, but math, math is evil.' Karin's eyebrows furrowed in a scowl as she thought about her classes.
"MATH IS EVIL!" Karin screamed out for no reason at all. It had no purpose but at least it relieved some frustrations.
"Who says yelling isn't good for the soul." Karin smirked her bad mood leaving, only to come back with a vengeance when she felt her book bag on her back.
"Stupid math, if I don't get a good grade then dad said he would take away all my soccer balls and I wouldn't be able to play." Karin growled in frustration at her predicament, plopping on the grass looking down into the river.
Karin looked around her to make sure no one was watching her and continued to talk to her reflection in the water.
"Okay, so what if I don't do well in math. It's not like I have the time to study." Karin took a soccer ball out of the bag and rested her chin on the ball between her legs.
"I have soccer to practice and play. I know it's only an elementary team but it's still a team. I am going to make sure that our team does not fail no matter what. Of course, that would also mean passing math, ugh." Karin's face twisted in disgust, returning to neutral, "Then there's dad. I have to make sure he doesn't tear the house down with his crazy antics. I can't believe that I'm related to him, and Ichigo." Karin's face became thoughtful as she slowly tapped her fingers on the black and white ball.
"Then the problems outside of school, finding a place to practice and fighting off middle schoolers to get some field time. And if that wasn't bad enough there are also those monsters I have to beat the crap out of every now and then. Hm . . . " Karin stopped tapping her fingers choosing to let them rest as she thought about those monsters. Black masses with white masks on their faces and taking all types of monstrous forms, not only that but those headaches that erupt when they come around. No wonder she never had the chance to study and do well in math.
Thinking about those monsters made her think about that soul reaper that helped her out when playing those middle school students, Toshiro.
'Now that I think about it, he keeps saying he's in high school so he should know a lot of math. Maybe he'll help me.' Karin's face took on a somewhat evil grin as she thought of her homework, 'besides I helped him last week with his baby and I think it's time he return the favor of helping me.' Karin started laughing as she thought of the previous week and Toshiro's baby incident. When she finally got over her laughing fit, she threw the ball above her and jumped off the ground to catch it between her hands as it came down.
"That's just what I'll do then. That way I won't fail math and I won't get kicked off the soccer team!" Karin chuckled to herself as she replaced the soccer ball in her mesh bag with the other two and started running over to the street.
"Now, where is Toshiro staying?" Karin looked down both sides of the street as she realized she had no idea where he stayed at.
"Well, this is just great I don't know where he lives!" Karin stomped her foot on the ground as a wave of frustration hit her.
"Wait a minute, he knows Orihime so maybe she would know where to find him or at least get in touch with him." Karin nodded her head as she remembered the path to Orihime's house.
"THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO!" Karin shouted in glee ignoring the stares of the other pedestrians and how so many people were walking around her giving her at least five feet of private space. Karin turned into the direction of Orihime's house and started to jog until she reached Orihime's place. (A/N: So I don't know where Orihime lives, does anyone really?)
Karin raced up the steps and knocked on Orihime's door, bouncing on her toes in her excitement of her homework. She calmed down when she heard the door handle turn and the door open to reveal the one person she wanted to see. . .
"Toshiro!" Karin yelled making the white haired boy take a small step back.
"I didn't know you lived here." Karin said as she looked at him, she noticed he was wearing his school clothes but without the tie and he also had a white apron around his waist.
"Rangiku and I are only staying with Orihime for a short time we won't be here for too long." Toshiro answered as his teal eyes probed her black ones for this unexpected visit.
"How may I help you?"
"I need some help with some homework." Karin explained as a small blush colored his tan cheeks. He still remembered last week when she helped him with his home economics homework by showing him how to take care of a baby.
"What kind of homework is it?" Toshiro asked feeling relieved that she hadn't brought up the baby incident, yet.
"Well, it's nothing like your baby homework from last week." Karin teased and a large tick mark appeared over Toshiro's eye at being reminded and at Karin's pleasure of remembering that event.
"I will shut this door in your face if you speak another word of that incident." Toshiro threatened and moved away from the door but Karin held the door open with her right hand as her face became very serious.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to get you in trouble with my brother. But I really need your help, Toshiro." Toshiro Hitsugaya noted the serious expression on her face as he let her inside Orihime's house, shutting the door once she had entered and removed her shoes.
"What kind of help do you need?" Toshiro asked with all seriousness in his voice.
"I need help with my math homework." Karin explained as she stared at the floor and her socked feet.
"You don't do well in math?" Toshiro asked a little surprised at this revelation.
"No, I don't and my dad is going to kill me if I don't pass math." Karin complained as she looked him in the eyes, silently begging him to help her.
"Your dad wouldn't kill you. It's against his nature." Toshiro reasoned at her exaggeration.
"Yeah but if nothing else he's going to ground me, then I won't be able to play soccer for who knows how long." Karin shuffled over to the living room couch as she plopped into the cushions, throwing her book bag and bag of soccer balls at her feet.
"Why is soccer so important to you?" Toshiro asked as he remembered the day he helped her win that soccer game. Honestly, this girl would probably try to play with a broken leg.
"It's what I'm good at and it helps me do all kinds of stuff." Karin explained and laughed at his curious expression. "You know it helps me with my aim and kick strength so I can kick some monster butt." Karin fell silent as Toshiro glared at her.
"You shouldn't try to fight those," Toshiro paused to keep her from learning about hollows, "Monsters. It's dangerous." Karin glared back at him.
"Well if it's so dangerous why do you and Ichigo do it?" Karin and Toshiro proceeded with their glare contest, each one trying to out-glare the other.
"I have been trained to fight them and it's my job to do while I'm here." Toshiro calmly spoke as his glare became darker.
"Well, what do you expect me to do? Run away when I see one of those things?"
"YES. It's what a normal person would do."
"Well, I'm not a normal person, now am I?" Toshiro softened his glare a little, and Karin darkened hers.
"That's not the point! You are not able to fight those things and it's dangerous for you to try." Toshiro's glare darkened, as did Karin's.
"It's also dangerous to let so many people get killed since they can't see those things. I can see them so I don't see why I can't do what I can." Karin's glare was nearly shooting sparks.
"You can't because you don't know how." Toshiro's glare met hers in a shower of invisible sparks in the middle of the room.
"Then why don't you teach me?" Karin's face relaxed as she smelled the air.
"Do you smell something burning?" Toshiro sniffed the air and ran into the kitchen.
"THE BEEF!" Toshiro quickly moved a skillet of beef off a hot burner in the kitchen just as it started to spill out dark smoke. Karin ran in behind him where she saw two more pots on the stove cooking, one was a big and deep pot the second was a small sauce pot with some red stuff cooking in the middle. Karin stood still as she watched Toshiro.
He carefully drained the grease off of the skillet pan and poured the cooked pieces of beef into the sauce pan with red ooze. Stirring the pot to mix the beef in, Karin's nose was enticed with the strong smell of tomatoes, peppers and some spices she couldn't place. The one thing her nose knew was it smelled good!
"You're cooking?" Karin asked, Toshiro glanced over his shoulder trying to hide his small blush.
"Home Economics," Toshiro stated as he turned back to the sauce.
"Oh, I see." Karin smelled the air again, "You know you're good at this stuff." Toshiro glared at her over his shoulder.
"I'm serious the only person at my house who can cook is Yuzu. My dad doesn't know how to cook and I can burn water." Karin truthfully stated and Toshiro chuckled over the stove as he looked to the big pot and stirred its' contents.
"Well, then maybe you should take Home economics when you get into high school." Toshiro challenged her.
"And get stuck with that baby assignment again? No thank you." Toshiro's glare and point toward the door startled her.
"Hey, you brought it up!" Karin defended herself and Toshiro let it go.
"So what are you cooking for that class?" Toshiro ignored her other comment and continued what he was doing on the stove.
"It's an Italian dish called Spaghetti." Toshiro simply stated as he turned the heat off for the big pot and he let the sauce pot continue to simmer.
"Who's going to eat all of that?"
"Well, I'll obviously eat some of it, then Orihime and Rangiku when they get back." Toshiro stated as he turned back toward her.
"So, you mean no one else is here in this house? You're here by yourself?" Karin asked and Toshiro smirked.
"I'm here with you, aren't I? I wouldn't call that being by myself." This statement caused Karin to blush.
"So, do you want some?" Toshiro asked and Karin looked at him a little confused.
"Huh?" Toshiro sighed and tried again.
"Do you want to eat before I start helping you study? I can't eat this all by myself and I want to know if it tastes good." Toshiro offered again and Karin grinned happily.
"I'd love to. I just need to call my dad to let him know where I'm at so they don't get worried." Toshiro indicated the phone on the wall in the kitchen as she dialed the number to her house.
……………
At the Kurosaki house, Yuzu was cooking dinner in the kitchen while Ichigo and Isshin were in the living room watching basketball. They were getting into the game when the phone rang and Yuzu asked one of them to get it. Isshin walked up and answered the phone.
"Kurosaki residence." Isshin stated and listened over the phone.
"Hey dad, listen I'm going to be over here at Orihime's house to eat with Toshiro." Karin simply stated.
"Why are you over there?" Isshin asked a little suspicion ringing in his tone.
"He's going to help me study after we eat dinner." Karin explained and she didn't see the big grin on her father's face.
"So, you're on a date with a boy?"
"NO DAD, I AM NOT!" Toshiro jumped a little at her screaming into the phone.
"Oh, it's alright. So you're going to eat dinner and then study." Isshin clarified Karin's plans.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Well, you make sure Toshiro walks you home, it's not a proper date unless the boy walks the girl home. See you later tonight, my darling Karin." Isshin sang out ignoring his daughter's protests and disagreements. Hanging the phone up, stars were dancing in his eyes before he ran over to the picture of his wife, Masaki, on the wall.
"Oh my dear, Masaki! It finally happened! Our dear Karin is growing up and on her first date tonight! Soon we will have a son-in-law and Karin will have a good life!" Ichigo listened to his father's tirade and watched him cling to the picture of his mother.
"D-d-date?" Ichigo sqeaked out, amazingly Isshin heard him speak.
"Yes, that's right. Karin is eating dinner with Toshiro at…" Ichigo ran out of the living room and started to go upstairs, ignoring his father's words.
"Wait, Ichigo, aren't you going to eat dinner?" Yuzu's plea stopped Ichigo at the base of the stairs as she looked up with tears shining in her eyes.
"I'll be right back down . . . I've just got to get something from my room."
"Alright, get down quick. Dinner's almost done." Yuzu let Ichigo run up the stairs. Isshin went over to Yuzu and shared the good news about Karin's "date" with her. Naturally, Yuzu was thrilled for her sister as well. Ichigo on the other hand was not.
"KON!!!" Ichigo yelled for the stuffed lion when he reached his room. The little lion crawled out from the closet as he looked up at Ichigo.
"Wha- AAAAHHH!" Ichigo tackled Kon and ripped the mod soul pill from the stuffed animal. Before Kon knew what was happening he was stuffed into Ichigo's body and staring at an angry Ichigo, again.
"You go eat dinner with my family." Ichigo quickly ordered and Kon stood up dusting the dust off his pants.
"Okay, I won't pass on a free meal." Kon didn't bother asking what wound up the substitute soul reaper because he had a pretty good idea.
Ichigo watched Kon walk out of the room and heard Yuzu's cries of happiness at seeing "Ichigo" again.
"Now for Toshiro," Ichigo growled again as he jumped out the window and jumped over a few roof tops to stop on the third roof top away from his house as he forgot something.
"I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS!" Ichigo yelled out to the sky.
"I know, Urahara will know where to find him." Ichigo stated in triumph, obviously forgetting Toshiro and Rangiku were staying with Orihime. Ichigo laughed madly for a few seconds before disappearing in shunpo to reappear in front of Urahara's store.
"Well Ichigo, it certainly is a surprise to see you. How may I help you this evening?" Urahara greeted him as the little group of Renji, Ururu, Jinta, Tessai, Ririn, Cloud, and Nova sat down to eat dinner.
"I need to find Toshiro." Ichigo grunted and the group looked at him with question marks flying all across the room.
'Did he forget that Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku are staying at Orihime's house?' Renji thought to himself, which was soon confirmed.
"Look I don't know where he is and I NEED to find him!"
"Why is this so important, Ichigo?" Urahara asked the panicking teen.
"Because, he's alone with my SISTER!" Ichigo growled and started to panic.
"Logic is panic's prey."(a) Urahara quipped as he and the others watched the teen panic.
"RENJI!! Will you help me find him?" Ichigo tackled Renji over the table, miraculously not disturbing any of the food.
"AFTER WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK?! HECK NO!!" Renji threw Ichigo off him and stood up to stare down at the substitute soul reaper sprawled on the floor.
"How many times does Captain Hitsugaya have to freeze you?" Renji asked. Ichigo's temper started to show as he growled and his power begin to increase.
"You know Ichigo, Ririn can help you find him?" Urahara volunteered as Ichigo and the stuffed bird stared at him.
"Really, Ririn," Ichigo begged, completely forgetting his anger. Ririn looked toward Urahara who gave a slight nod that would have gone unnoticed except for his sly grin that followed.
"Of course, I'll help you." Ririn hopped onto Ichigo's shoulder, resembling the duo Kenpachi and Yachiru, and started giving him "directions" outside of the store.
"Alright, let's go find Toshiro so I can pound him into the ground for dating my sister!" Ichigo yelled and Ririn pointed him to the left. Ichigo obediently followed all of Ririn's directions, completely believing she would lead him to the young captain.
……………………
"Thanks for walking me home, Toshiro." Karin stated as they walked toward her home.
"It's the least I could do. So, do you understand your math homework any better?" Toshiro asked after they spent the last two hours studying when they had finished dinner.
"I understand it a little better, but I might need some more help." Karin admitted and Toshiro smiled as they neared her house.
"I'll be around for a little longer if you run into any more problems." Toshiro offered his help making Karin blush a little.
"Thanks, and let me know when you have another cooking assignment. That dinner was amazing Yuzu would love to know the recipe." Karin complimented Toshiro making him blush a light cherry red as they stopped in front of her house.
"Maybe I'll come over and show your sister some of the cooking tips I learned in class." Toshiro stated to Karin as they looked at one another. They were startled out of their trance when the door burst open and "Ichigo" grabbed Karin and nearly threw her into the house slamming the door in Toshiro's face. He stared at the door for a few seconds with question marks floating over his head. He was pulled out of his confusion when a hollow appeared in downtown Karakura. Turning into a soul reaper, Toshiro ran off to take care of the hollow.
"Karin, what is going on?" Kon in Ichigo's body angrily asked the younger girl.
"I was studying with Toshiro and we ate dinner." Karin defended since she didn't realize Kon was in Ichigo's body.
"Is that all that happened?"
"Yes, he made dinner, we ate and studied. He then walked me home after you rudely slammed the door in his face!" Karin yelled at him, walking past him kicking him in the shin causing him to fall to the floor clutching his leg in pain. On her way to her room, she kicked her father in the face when he came running down the hall asking about her "date."
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT WASN'T A DATE? WE WERE STUDYING!" Karin yelled, Isshin looked up at his daughter and ran to Masaki's picture to cry to her. Karin sighed and walked into her room and collapsed on the bed.
"That was really nice of Toshiro to help me study and even better, he's an amazing cook." Karin smiled to herself as she fell asleep.
……………………………
Somewhere outside of Karakura in the forest, Ichigo is being led by a very Yachiru-like Ririn who is pointing him to go deeper into the woods. He doesn't realize he is leaving the city since his only focus is finding and beating up Toshiro. So, he continued to run following Ririn's misguided directions very well.
Omake
Ichigo: Are you sure you know where Toshiro is, Ririn? *Ichigo is running in a field approaching a small outdoor mall.*
Ririn: Of course, unless you know how to detect spirit energy?
Ichigo: You're right, you wouldn't lead me wrong. *Ririn starts looking slightly guilty*
Ichigo: HEY! There's Orihime and Rangiku! *Ichigo spots Orihime and Rangiku sitting in a convertible in the mall parking lot (A/N: here she knows how to drive.)*
Orihime: Hey Ichigo, what are you doing out here?
Ichigo: I'm looking for Toshiro. What are you doing out here. *Rangiku looks confused.*
Orihime: We're out here shopping.
Rangiku: Why are you looking for Captain Hitsugaya? *Sees Ririn start to sweat and shake her hands in front of her on top of Ichigo's head.*
Ichigo: I'm looking for him because he's on a date with my sister!
Orihime: Really, but he's . . .
Rangiku: LOOK ORIHIME, THAT STORE HAS A SALE ON HATS!!!!! *Orihime looks at store and runs in. Rangiku and Ririn sigh in relief.*
Ichigo: So do you know where he is? *Ririn sweats and Rangiku secretly winks.*
Rangiku: Of course, I always know where my Captain is. Just follow me. *Rangiku pops in a mod soul and leads Ichigo in her soul reaper form.*
Ichigo: Thanks, Rangiku. I've been running for over three hours.
Rangiku: No problem, Ichigo. I'm sure we can find my Captain in no time at all. *Rangiku runs in the wrong direction, Ichigo following her obediently.*
A/N: Well, how did you like this one?
If anyone can tell me what Anime this quote is from you get a free cookie. This has to be one of the funniest and best quotes from that series.
Please leave nice reviews. I might start a mini-series revolving around this theme of miscommunication. We'll see.