She is eating ice cream the last time he sees her.
Karin didn't usually skip class (she thought that Karakura High School had suffered enough dealing with the absences of the Kurosaki family), but today was too good to pass up. The sky was a perfect blue, cloudless. The lightness spring had drifted to a slightly warmer season. It had rained a good part of the week, but the ground was dry now; perfect for soccer and Karin wasn't too stupid to pass it up.
The majority of the morning Karin spent on the green field, shooting at an empty goal with focused precision.
But then she got hungry and wandered into town, buying a sandwich and a cheap ice cream for lunch. Karin walked as she ate, ambling without purpose. She was not really surprised when she ended up on a small curve of road past her soccer field that had a great view of the sky.
Toshiro finds her as the afternoon is waning, her ice cream almost finished.
She doesn't look at him as he comes up beside her, leaning against the railing next to her.
Karin takes her time to address him, making Toshiro question if he should have come.
"Long time no see," Karin says eventually, licking the last of her ice cream away.
Toshiro doesn't offer her any excuses, because he knows she doesn't want them. They've always had a peculiar unspoken understanding between them. Neither gives more than the other wants, and the takings are simple and met with contentment.
Such is the relationship between a shinigami and a human girl.
"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Toshiro asks.
Karin shrugs, unconcerned.
"Mental health day," she answers.
"What's wrong with your mental health?" Toshiro inquires, eyebrows raising as he glances at her.
Karin smiles lazily.
"I have senioritis."
Toshiro, who was unfamiliar with human terms, asks for clarification.
"I'm graduating from high school in a week. I'm almost done with that part of my life, and I'm itching for it to be over."
Toshiro fingers the metal of the railing.
"Are you coming to my graduation, since you're here?"
"I don't know."
Karin's forehead puckers a little, as if in disappointment.
"I'm leaving tonight," Toshiro informs.
Karin's mouth tips into a frown.
"So soon?" she murmurs, dark eyes turning up to glance at the sky.
"Apparently my work here is done."
Karin's eyebrows draw together, still determined to not look at her friend.
"Says who?"
"My boss."
Karin knows she can't argue with that. She has never verbally expressed her distaste for the way shinigami interfere in human affairs. For her, it is a constant cycle of being pulled close to the Soul Society and its lifestyle, and then being pushed farther away. It is a life that Karin is accustomed to, but is not happy with.
"Know when you'll be back?" Karin questions, though she already knows his answer.
"No."
Karin nods. She did not want to have expectations where Toshiro was concerned, but they were there, nonetheless.
Truth be told, Toshiro has expectations for Karin as well, against his better judgment. He expects her to be there for him, always waiting with a joke or a soccer game. But this was an unfair expectation, and Toshiro knew it—not when he was the one always leaving.
"What will you do after graduation?"
"I'm going to Tokyo, for university. They want me on their soccer team."
Toshiro looks at her, feeling like his grip on reality is slipping.
"They have a pretty good team," Karin continues. "But their forwards could use some work. . ."
Karin prattles on about the finer points of the soccer team, but Toshiro tunes her out to deal with his conflicting emotions.
He has seen Karin grow up before his eyes. The Human World is cruel in that it steals time more quickly. And now, it is stealing more from him. It is taking away his friend.
"Toshiro?"
He looks at her, dark eyes meeting translucent blue-green.
Karin cocks her head to the side, picking apart the fragments of emotion in his expression.
"You're upset?" she guesses, surprise in the slight widening of her eyes and lines around her mouth.
Toshiro refuses to answer. He tries to roll his eyes to disprove her presumption, but he cannot bring himself to it.
A secret, soft smile that Toshiro has never seen before alights on Karin's face.
"You can visit me whenever you want, you know."
Toshiro puts his hands in his pockets and remains silent, glancing at the sky to find some relief.
And then, Karin is hugging him, her arms around his neck, and her chin jutting uncomfortably into his temple.
And then it is over and Karin's cheeks are slightly pink, but that mysterious smile is still in place.
"Wanna play a game?" Karin asks, easily shuffling the black and white ball between her feet.
Toshiro agrees and follows her up to the field, confused but pleased.
They waste the rest of the afternoon playing soccer, and Karin ultimately persuades Toshiro to go get more ice cream. It is one of the most blissful days of Toshiro's life.
When he gets back to Soul Society, Matsumoto sees the change.
"How was Karakura, Captain?" she asks, following him into his office.
"Fine," is Toshiro's short and unsatisfying answer.
Matsumoto considers him for a second.
"How was Karin-chan?"
Toshiro stiffens for a moment but then relaxes into his office chair, closing his eyes.
"She's moving to Tokyo."
"Ah! I'm sure that's very exciting! When are you going to visit her in Tokyo? Can I come?"
Toshiro looks at Matsumoto.
"I'm not going to visit her."
Matsumoto shoots him a puzzled look.
"What do you mean, Captain?"
Toshiro looks down at his hands and sighs.
"I'm not going back to see Karin. Ever."
Matsumoto waits for an explanation, stunned into silence.
"She deserves a life without my interference. She has enough of a fluctuating life with Ichigo and her father. She doesn't need me making it even more . . . unstable."
"Captain. . ."
Matsumoto's expression is forlorn and pitying.
"Don't you have paperwork to do?" Toshiro says, dismissing her.
Quietly, Matsumoto leaves.
Toshiro sighs again and thinks about Karin and the life she will now live without him.
Thanks for reading.