Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Not making any money here. A real shocker, I know.
Entry for round one of Full Shadow Alchemist's Bleach Romances Fanfiction Contest.
Pairing: Jinta / Yuzu
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By Big-Babidi
Over an hour invested in their search, and not a shred of progress made. Jinta sighed as he exited another building lacking what he pursued.
'What am I doin' here? I didn't even tell the boss I left.'
His answer came in the form of Kurosaki Yuzu jogging to his location. Stopping a couple feet across Jinta, she put her hands on her knees, catching her breath. Moments passed before regaining her composure.
"Have you found her yet, Jinta?"
Earlier that afternoon, a frantic, puffy-eyed Yuzu stumbled across Ururu and Jinta working hard at their usual task of cleaning the Urahara Shoten. Minutes of calming her down later, she explained her dilemma: Bostov had gone missing. Ordinary children may have laughed at her problem or deemed her reaction unnecessary, but such a label came nowhere close to describing the pair. While Ururu remained, the same couldn't be said for Jinta.
Once Yuzu asked for his help in a soft, helpless tone along with cute, innocent widened eyes and a quivering lip, the word "no" quickly left his vocabulary.
He shook his head. Back to the present.
"No. It… she's not in there."
He'd met Kon before, and the idea of referring to him as her never failed to make him burst into laughter. Fortunately, he kept his amusement within for Yuzu's sake. No need to give her an incredibly wrong idea.
She slumped with an obvious air of disappointment, "Oh. Okay."
Jinta winced. 'Come on. Cheer her up man. This is so wrong!'
"Don't even think about giving up yet! Let's split up again, and I'm sure we'll find her!"
She smiled, responding with an enthusiastic nod.
"Nee-chan!"
The school day recently ended, but Kon didn't care. No matter what, he had to find her. Rukia had been disappearing far too many times for his liking. It was time he placed his stuffed foot down once and for all as he'd finally had enough.
His confident voice wavered.
"Nee-chaaaaaan…"
Rukia's classroom was empty save for a few girls running late to join their respective club activities. To remain incognito, Kon observed while standing by the windows. A horrible idea considering the classroom's arrangement, but Kon was not known for housing a strategic mind.
"Hey Ryo, is it just me or is that doll really familiar?"
A problem arose when having horrible ideas.
They were horrible.
He turned his head slowly, as if that would fool whoever spotted him when said person was eyeing him the entire time. Kon recognized the girl. The redhead who appreciated the finest things in life: Orihime's enormous assets. Kon was no chick, and considering the two of them shared such common ideals, he felt certain this encounter wouldn't end badly.
"You!"
Another bad idea.
The other girl's identity made Kon's facial expression mirror a deer caught in headlights. A tall girl with long black hair and the speed of an Arrancar or so Kon told himself, he hadn't forgotten that face. He hadn't forgotten that day. Not only suffering from that demon-girl in human form's pursuit, but having that ogre Chad join in the chase… Kon shuddered. Some memories really should stay repressed.
Luckily, no one else paid attention to the trio by the windows. The freshman track star of Karakura High, Kunieda Ryo, wasted no time for words and charged the stuffed animal, intent on finishing what she started many months prior.
Without an alternative, Kon took a three story journey as he leaped out the window.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Vacating from school grounds after serving detention, Asano Keigo peered upwards in reaction to a scream. He staggered backwards in surprise as something latched onto his face.
"What the hell?"
Quickly removing the offending object, he took note of Ryo's heated glare from their classroom. Assuming the scream belonged to her; he rolled his eyes and turned around, 'Weird uptight bitch. She's like a female Ishida.' He chuckled at the thought, 'Now there's a match made in Hell.'
Finally giving the object a glance, Keigo was not amused, "All that drama for a doll? You gotta be kidding."
Lifting his arm, he prepared to throw Kon aside when he noticed Ogawa Michiru, another girl in his class, approaching him. Her eyes, fixated on the stuffed animal, seemed to have hearts in them. The doll seemed familiar to her, but she didn't concern herself over it. Michiru had seen plenty in her lifetime.
"Is that yours Keigo? I didn't think you were the kind of guy who liked that stuff. That's so cute!"
Keigo's eyes widened. "Really? You think so?"
"Yep!" She nodded, "It…um, takes a lot of courage for a guy to wonder around our high school with something like that. I-I… I like that." She finished with a blush on her cheeks.
"Michiru! Hurry up or we'll be late!"
Both turned to see yet another female in their class, Natsui Mahana, waving towards them.
"Oh, I um, have to go. Bye Keigo." She proceeded to join her friend.
Raising Kon so they were facing eye level, Asano Keigo smirked.
"Maybe I'll keep you around after all."
Time kept passing, and no Kon found. The aching fatigue made Yuzu need a break, so she and Jinta sat together in a grassy area near the Onese river. Fortunately, Jinta had to insight to buy Popsicles.
"Hey, don't be so down like this. I'm sure we'll find… her." He immediately shoved a Popsicle in his mouth as he finished.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Jinta," She paused, "Oh, you've got something on your face," She reached in her pocket, retrieving a handkerchief and softly placed it upon Jinta's cheek. Gently, she wiped a trail of Popsicle juice of his face originating from messy eating habits, but her hand remained far longer than needed.
Jinta's cheek sported a fierce crimson, and the color only intensified after noticing Yuzu blushing too. Despite rash denials, he'd always truly considered her incredibly cute. Did she share similar feelings for him?
The moment was soon interrupted as the ground began to rumble. Their Popsicles plummeting to the ground, Jinta stood up, his hand gently holding Yuzu's arm. His determined expression probably confused her, but if a nearby Hollow came their way, he'd protect her with all his might.
Asano Keigo appeared in their line of sight running for dear life and the mask-wearing monstrosity quickly followed pursuit. Luckily, the Hollow seemed rather primitive and basic, with no special characteristics.
His fear getting the best of him, Keigo tripped, a stuffed doll flying out of his hands high into the air. Kon screamed, but the two humans were far too frightened to take note. His shout stopped as a hand grasped him in mid-air. Eyes opened, Kon found himself face to face with that weird red-haired kid from the Urahara Shoten.
Never taking his eyes off the Hollow, Jinta smirked, passing Kon to Yuzu, "Be a good girl Bostov and let Yuzu take care of you. Time to see the baddest Grand Slam of your lives!"
His smirk erupted to a full blown grin.
One swing from his bat was all Jinta needed to destroy the Hollow. Turning around, he froze as Yuzu engulfed him in a one-armed hug and crashed her lips into his. The other arm continued holding Kon, who lacked the ability to even gasp from becoming the center of a Kon-Yuzu sandwich.
Jinta's thought process could be summed up in one word: Awesome!
"Hey, are you guys ok? I thought I saw a Holl…ow."
The substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo had arrived at the scene, Zangetsu held in an iron grip. A grip that tightened even further upon the sight playing out in front of him and a nasty scowl growing darker by the second.
Keigo, who had recently discovered his friend's alternate lifestyle, quickly found a nearby tree and assumed the fetal position. Even he failed to recall the last time the orange-haired shinigami appeared that angry.
'This… will not end well.'
