"Excuse me." I said as I bumped into a girl. I looked into the classroom my paper told me that was my class. As I peered in, a smile spread across my face as my eyes found an orange-haired boy. Ichigo. I walked over slowly, noticing he was talking to a black haired girl.
"Get any sleep last night?" The girl asked Ichigo.
"Not much, lot o'Hollows last night." He replied.
"I can take tonight if you want." She told him.
"Well, looks like you got yourself a girlfriend Ichigo." Etsuko said, trying not to laugh. Ichigo turned around to face her, his face showed he was confused.
"Etsuko?" He asked.
"Hah! Don't tell me you forgot about me. I mean, it's only been six years." Etsuko grinned. Ichigo lightly punched her arm, and she returned with a light slap.
"Oh, and this isn't my girlfriend. This is my friend Rukia. Rukia, this is my cousin Etsuko . . . Rukia?" Ichigo noticed Rukia studying me.
"Saana? Saana Hitamo?" She asked Etsuko. She shook her head.
"No, Etsuko Ritsa. Um, I have met you before?" Etsuko questioned, but Rukia apologized and walked away.
"You might want to find a seat, the bells gonna-" There was an annoying ring that interrupted Ichigo. Etsuko smiled and found a seat in the back of the
class. the teacher walked in and introduced Etsuko. When the teacher began the lesson, Etsuko laid her head down on her desk, and fell asleep.
"Damn, that old lady can run," Saana thought as she clutched the loaf of bread that she had stolen. She hadn't taken anything from the old lady who makes bread in a while. Saana had reached the lake, and she darted to the left to head for the village.
"Come back here, ya little brat!" The old lady shouted behind Saana.
"No way you crazy kook!" Saana replied, looking back at the lady as she got slower and slower. Saana turned her head around to look in front of her and
bumped into someone, dropping the bread. Saana looked up, and stared at the Soul Reaper whom she had ran into. He looked down at her, with a serious
expression. He then looked up at the old woman who had caught up and grabbed the loaf of bread, and made her way back to her stand.
"Did you steal that?" The man questioned. Saana sat there for a moment, then stood up with an angry expression.
"Yeah, so what if I did! Thanks to you, I've lost my lunch."Saana kicked a rock into the lake, then crossed her arms over her chest. The man laughed.
"Come with me." He commanded, and began to walk away. Saana held her breath as she noticed that he wasn't just any Soul Reaper. He was a Captain.
Captain Kuro Hitamo.
Etsuko stretched next to Tatsuki, as their gym class got ready to run around the track. The coach blew the whistle, and Etsuko took off. She ignored the
slight pain that were in her feet, because she didn't wear her shoes. She was ahead most of the class when she stepped on something squishy and fell. She sat
up, waiting for a sting of pain from the fall.
"Well, that was a rather soft landing . . ." Etsuko looked up to a red haired boy and stared.
"Would ya get off of me." He said in an ungrateful tone. That was when Etsuko realized that she had landed on him. She jumped up and backed away with a mad blush.
" I'm so sorry!" She stammered.
"Hey Etsuko! You okay? Who are you talkin' to?" Tatsuki asked, jogging up behind her, stopping to help Etsuko up.
"Oh, I landed on this guy and-" Tatsuki interrupted her.
"What guy?" She asked. Etsuko looked around, and realized that the red haired boy was gone.
"But. . . he was here a second ago?!" Etsuko insisted. And he couldn't have been a spirit, he didn't have a chain on his chest, She added to herself.
"Whoa, okay. I believe you." Tatsuki replied, beginning to jog. Etsuko stood there for a moment, then joined Tatsuki.
"Ugh, why do they have to give us these big ass books?" Ichigo sighed. Then his face flew forward as a book hit the back of his head. Ichigo then looked
back to Rukia who sat on his bed glowering at him.
"You need to study for that test Ichigo. You don't wanna fail do you?" She questioned him.
"No, but that doesn't mean to throw a book at me!" Ichigo yelled. Then he heard a tap from his window, and glanced over. He fell back and yelped, as he realized Renji was sitting outside of his window. Rukia looked over as well, and then opened the window, letting him in.
"When did you get here?!" Ichigo questioned him. Renji smiled warmly to Rukia, then gave a harsh stare to Ichigo.
"This morning." He replied. He pulled out Ichigos' swivel chair and sat down.
"It would be nice if you came in the front door like a normal person for once." Ichigo complained, sitting back up. He glared at Renji for a moment, then
sighed.
"So whats up for the sudden visit? Any news from the Seireitei?" Ichigo asked, wondering what could have brought Renji back to Karakura.
"Nothing really, I was just sent here for Rukia to check back in at the Gotei. Didn't you also mention you wanted to talk about somethin' Rukia?" Renji turned
his attention to Rukia, who was still studying. She looked up.
"Oh yeah, I'll tell you later. I guess I better go then. . . " Rukia stretched her arms and paused as she heard a knock on Ichigos' door. Ichigo sighed and
stood up walking to the door.
"Karin, I said I am busy studyi-" Ichigo opened the door then was greeted with a foot in his face. He fell back, startling Rukia and Renji.
"Hah! Got ya, and I'm not Karin by the way!" Etsuko walked in pointing down at Ichigo laughing.
"What the hell's the matter with you?! What kind of hello is that?" Ichigo demanded. He had had enough of being hit today.
"Sorry, but a chance like that doesn't come around very often. . ." Etsuko noticed Renji and Rukia staring at them," I thought you said she wasn't your
girlfriend. And aren't you the guy I fell on earlier?" She stood there, waiting for an answer. Ichigo stood up, rubbing his face cursing to himself.
"No, Rukia is not my girlfriend, and this is Renji." Ichigo answered Etsuko.
"Nice to meet you." Renji said sarcastically, huffing. Etsuko stared at him for a second, then a grin broke on her face.
"Etsuko Ritsa, nice to meet you too, Ponytail." She kept a straight face as Renji obviously got angry. Then she turned back to Ichigo.
"So what is it you came over for Etsuko?" Ichigo asked, now ready for another kick if she decided to attack him again.
"Well, I was wanting to know if you guys could help me unpack. All my apartment is full of is boxes. But if you're busy I'll-"
"I was leaving anyway," Rukia cut in. "and I'm sure Renji wouldn't mind helping either." Rukia smiled, and Renji coughed.
"Me?! She wasn't even asking me-" Rukia slapped him on the arm, and gave him a look. Renji frowned then grumbled something about his gigai.
"It was nice to see you again Etsuko." Rukia nodded, and Etsuko returned with a salute like motion. Rukia looked back at Renji, and showed him her phone. He blinked, then nodded getting the message. "See ya later Ichigo." Rukia left, saying goodbyes to Yuzu and Karin, and even Isshin.
"So you want us to help you unpack? Sure, come on Renji." Ichigo closed his book that laid open on the floor, and put on his shoes. Renji looked at Ichigo with a death glare, but stood up anyway.
"That'll be great. Oh and dinner's on me too." Etsuko smiled walking towards the door, getting tackled by Karin, and Yuzu soon after. Renji stretched then reached for his phone as it rung in his pocket. It was Rukia and he answered with a polite hello.
"Hey Renji, about what I wanted to talk about. . ." Rukia paused.
"Yeah?" Renji waited for her to speak again.
"Does that Etsuko girl remind you of someone?" She asked him. Renji thought about it for a second, then replied, "Not really, why?"
"Do you remember her? Saana Hitamo?" She spoke quietly into the phone. Renji froze with the name, he hadn't heard it in a long time. Now that he thought about it, how could he forget her?