Soul Dissociation

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Chapter 1: Fated Meeting

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Karakura Town

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One of the many supernatural crossroads in the living world, an area where spiritual activity had been a thriving leading force for the past few millennia.

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Nowadays, the city is considered to be the prime focus point of some of the strangest paranormal occurrences in all of modern-day Japan. Nowhere else is such a phenomenon so vividly present than it is here.

As such, numerous 'parahunters' from across the Globe come forth to try and crack down the mysteries behind these many abnormalities happening in our town, seeking tangible proofs and explanations behind their frequency in Karakura.

Noticeable events that prove these claims are the many landslides happening in the dry seasons all across the hillsides despite no heavy rainfall beforehand, the various and sudden demolitions of buildings which were proven to have had all construction permits up to date, following all current city regulations and, last but not least, the higher number of explosions said to have been caused by 'gas leaks', injuring more people each year.

Official statements discredit the true nature of these tragedies, many former public employees interviewed by our publication, who wish to remain anonymous, mention irregularities in the findings following these destructions. A lot of the evidence found cannot be fully explained scientifically, a few of the interviewed men having worked directly on such cases.

"It's almost – impossible. Unnatural. Due to the pressure from the public and higher ups, the conclusions of these investigations are always stretched out to accommodate a more logical reasoning. This route is much more preferred than the alternative – it shouldn't have been possible to occur in the first place! There is no foul play. No wrong-doings, yet people call for someone's head to pay for the loss of human lives and material damages."

Such revelations are astonishing! What is going on with our town? Only one true reason can lie behind these tragedies!

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The spirits are always with us! And they're angry.

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No official statements given to the public are enough to satisfy few of the townspeople who can feel it in their own hearts that something supernatural is taking over our lives, one day at a time, many elders especially attributing these events to the many vengeful spirits roaming our lands, their curses drawn upon us because of the troublesome younger generation. Their lost connections with our ancestors and the Gods have gradually angered them, especially with the growing number of desecrated totems and shrines attacked each year. The spirits' journey towards the Light and Peace is interrupted by such criminal activities. They lose their path to the otherworld and become wondering spirits, without any guidance towards their next destination – it's not far fetched to imagine how upset they are with the living who prevented them from reaching their final resting place.

Such tragedies mark the punishment humans receive for interrupting the natural flow of the spirits. And innocent by-standers get caught up in these calamities.

Thanks to this rising issue, a lot of people turn to spirit hunters and priests as a last resort to normalcy and softening the haunted and broken souls they can feel or sense around them or in their own homes. Despite initial backlash in the early 1990s, spirit hunting gradually turned to be the hottest career choice of the decade, even one of the main sources of entertainment in Japan, few notable figures in pop culture making a big difference and change in the perception of humans and bringing closer the boundaries between living and dead.

Many individuals have other goals as well. To be the first to finally prove with evidence recognized by the scientific community – once and for all – that there IS in fact another side to our world, a side which most people cannot see with their naked eye unless they carry 'the gift'. This world is one of legends, one which had enchanted people even throughout our lengthy history, the Unseen Lands, also known as the Ghost Realm, the Spirit World, the Plane of the Dead or, simply, the Land of the Almighty Gods, who are tasked with keeping the balance between life and death, harboring in its clutches an army of undead warriors called

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The Shinigami!

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No living being can escape the faith of meeting such a dark creature and when they do – it's game over. They linger around people close to death, quickening the process as they slowly suck away at our souls from our bodies. Day after day... It is said that the last image you will ever have of this world will be the image of Death.

Or so the tales imply! Hahaha!

Throughout the town's history there had been no specific evidence to prove their existence though, many considering these beings to be nothing more than fantasies of the people who had lost loved ones or who had been surrounded by so much death, they became delirious with grief and confusing souls with these beings of evil. Nevertheless, urban legends wonder about the issue, some individuals even claiming to hear sounds of steel clashing together in the depths of the nights, near hospitals or specialized institutions dealing with the elderly. It hasn't been proven yet, but do be careful everyone~!

Only one courageous man so far attempted to fight off the evil spirits and bring them back to the path of righteousness, only one is able to completely 'cleanse' the areas infested with troubled souls in all of Japan, soon to visit Karakura this season to film Drop-In Holy Ground Special -

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"BOHAHAHAHA!"

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The screeching pierced the once silent area and brought a sharp yelp from a student walking in close proximity. She had been so immersed in her reading that she didn't notice that classmate nearby, clutching the magazine to her chest as her body jolted. She nearly ended up tumbling as she tripped over her own two feet from that scream, her efforts to balance her body making the glasses fall flat onto the rocky path. The girl was slightly panting, touching the area above her racing heart, giving a sharp glare to the culprit, her eyes soon shifting to her frames on the ground.

She needed them. Quickly.

"N-Not funny...!", she whined, feeling her blood rush while she plunged towards the glasses, which thankfully did not break in any way. She didn't want to go the entire day without them... never again. "You know I hate people sneaking up on me... stop doing it, please!" *puts frames back on*

"I called out your name several times... I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... ", the girl apologized almost instantly, coming closer to see if her classmate needed help with anything. She really was sorry, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt when her assistance proved unneeded and unnecessary. "Oh... okay then." Her brown hair was styled short, only part of her bangs pinned with some hair clips. She was accompanied by another, much fiercer in expression, currently frowning at this verbal exchange and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Michiru, don't apologize over something you didn't do! Really, pay attention to your surroundings more, Okita-san! You're a hazardous ditz when you're walking around reading those silly articles and it's not doing you any good at all in school.", the black haired said in a scolding manner, aggravating the mood the girl had as she put it away.

Her alone time was officially over, now that Michiru-chan and Kunieda had found her.

"Tch... not true... And they're not that silly, they're important research for my-!"

"Yes, yes. Anyway, have you thought up my proposal? Yes or no? I need an answer fast. And I hope it will not be a disappointing one, I am no longer in the mood for your delays.", she replied cutting the conversation short, once again showing how impatient she was a person, her eyes carrying a wild flare in them, which... looked quite intimidating even to Michiru, who just tried smiling and calming down this tense atmosphere forming between them.

The school's track field team and the upcoming championship next June was making Kunieda's heart beat anxiously and excitedly at the same time. However... she didn't want to settle with just participating. No, she aimed for first place. And achieving this could only be possible with the strongest candidates in her track team to keep her in constant challenge to better her racing time.

And Kunieda's eyes had been set on the one standing in front of her for over a month now, constantly trying to persuade her into helping her reach her dreams.

"Look. I keep mentioning to you, again and again... My schedule really does not fit the training hours at school. I would only hinder you if I joined-", she mumbled defensively, slowly backing away, but the problem was Kunieda didn't really buy her excuses. They were too feeble!

"Your record on the teacher's files is at 18 seconds, but I know for a fact that you don't run as fast as you are capable of! I've seen your true shine when you were trying to catch that train last minute. That speed was superb!", she passionately spoke, her eyes shining brighter by the second.

"W-Well, that's a f-funny thing!", the girl stuttered, trying to think of a different excuse, before it was too late-

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*DING DONG DING DONG*

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- however, that was no longer necessary for the time being, the bell saving her some time. But not much...

"We'll discuss matters after school, don't even think of skipping this! Understood, Okita-san?", Kunieda warned her in a stern tone, then left without allowing the girl to properly have a comeback. *deep sigh* She really didn't want to join any type of sports club... her body was sore enough.

"Ugh...", she exhaled deeply once more. It was no use though and she knew it.

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Okita Yuna

Not a day over 16 in appearance, her dark maroon hair was barely inching past her shoulders in length as it framed her youthful features. The glasses, though a tad too big for her small face, covered half her cheeks making her expressions comical at times. Sometimes she appeared too alien... If she had the means, she'd switch the frame a more modern model. She was drop dead poor. Also – Occhan was a cheap businessman.

'So cheap!'

Just thinking about this made her gloomy instantly. Ah well, not like she could do anything to change her situation... She wouldn't survive on her own.

Anyway...

The hallways were brimming with students left and right, heading towards their respective classes. Yuna spotted a few with panicked expressions, rushing through the corridor as they bickered loudly, bumping into her shoulder a bit painfully without even apologizing. 'Rude, I nearly dropped it again!' Their voices soon died out at the corner, looking like the entire world collapsed on their shoulders.

Kicked out of the classroom for being late and punished for everyone to see – some teachers were quite extreme about punctuality not being followed through. I mean, she should know... Yuna had so many ticked onto her record, one time being written off by a teacher despite being only half a minute late when she came into the class. 'Half. A. Minute. Late!' And she was still forced to sit through the entire lesson. Not that her attendance mattered that much, frankly... This school was just a means to make time not seem like such a burden to her existence anymore.

Walking at a slow pace, Yuna stopped for a minute to check the notice board, looking over the updates about the school clubs available to join or testing scores. She had to prepare for next month and calculate her points to remain in graphic. She wasn't seeking to be the best; and most certainly not the worst! A certain balance was her goal and, so far, she was reaching it monthly with success. Most students – unlike her – aimed for the Top 100 spots since it could open an easier path towards a more quality-driven education. A lot of families required the best results from their offspring and if they still loved having a roof over their heads – it was best that they listened properly and obeyed this simple objective. Parents don't like to spend their funds on deadweights fooling around with their education.

The expectations were so high, some couldn't take it anymore, preferring to drop out and take life by their own hands. Family ties were cut during the process.

Yuna was in the top 50% of the school. It wasn't as dramatic of a situation as it could have been... she assumed. She didn't really care much about her grades and there was no one pushing her to do well either.

No one was there to care about such trivialities.

Sliding the door, Yuna was thankful the teacher was running late. Her eyes briefly met darker ones.

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Ishida Uryuu

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He was an unsettling presence whenever she passed by him. She couldn't pinpoint in what manner exactly, but he appeared... different. Not dangerous, just that there was something peculiar about Ishida, setting him apart from most of the other students with some exceptions to it. The few verbal exchanges they shared were... cold. His expression would always harden, piercing her eyes with an intense gaze like he could see through too many of her secrets just by being in close proximity.

It was quite intimidating, the girl always switching her gaze to her books, which he didn't fail to notice: their titles were always related to the supernatural.

"It's just a hobby, nothing more interests me~!", she answered too quickly... too suspiciously. No direct malice was ever shown though so she was happy about it... a bit.

He mostly kept to himself in breaks, not normally the one to first engage in a conversation. He had that kind of personality, one that made having friends quite an assiduous task. He didn't appear to have any close ones since he was alone most of the time, diligently reading for classes or doing various tailoring.

Ishida ranked the top spot, month after month, keeping his reign unchallenged. His scores were nearly perfect, making him both envied and respected in the student body. Unlike Yuna... She always had to check her desk for anything weird on it or under it. That gum incident shall not be repeated...

"..."

These school rankings had another effect for someone's reputation...

Many would be weary of those students who weren't particularly gifted in their studying or slacked a lot. They would become shunned, bullied or dumped into the same category as the thugs roaming in packs around the school district or parks at night. Not all of them sought to become violent or damaged property; nevertheless, there were numerous clashes resulting in injuries after each. There was a sense of pride in fighting for the honor of the companions you share meals with every day, even housing – it was like a new family, no matter how dysfunctional. Couldn't be worse than what they had before. So if opponents came and bad mouthed such bonds or simply disrespected the honor of an individual...

They should be prepared to face the consequences.

Every now and then, these conflicts would take place inside school grounds – rarely, but it happened, in the more secluded areas.

Some gangs had members which were mostly all-talk-no-action types picking on the weaker and more feeble students. Sometimes, they'd target the opposite, the strongest ones in order to validate their own power and strength, sparking even more fear after coming out victorious. It earned the member's upmost respect, so it wasn't far fetched that some people would end up becoming tempting targets to confront in battle. Trouble would come at every corner for such individuals, especially if you happened to be that one pesky guy with unusually bright orange hair, naturally carrying around a rather passive aggressive and grouchy expression.

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Kurosaki Ichigo

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He was the main topic of discussions before the teacher's arrival. Apparently, he was nearly suspended yet again after being caught in the middle of a match, fighting with folks from a senior class and wiping the floor with their battered bodies. A cut on his cheek was the only evidence marking the fierce altercation. He didn't care much about it – he would fight anyone who stood in his way. But today, Ichigo's mood did not fool anyone, affecting those nearby the most.

A heavy pressure floated above the classroom, the intensity quite suffocating.

The orange head was reminiscing the shit those assholes spat towards him when he entered the school grounds. They were aiming to stalk him to his house if he didn't accept their challenge. What made him flip his switch was the mentioning of his sisters, Yuzu and Karin. They had been following them in secret for weeks, throwing pictures of them to his face. It was one thing to threaten the boy, it was another aiming threats on the people he loved.

He hoped his message got through to them, his fists filled with his emotions.

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'Family was precious to him. He'll do anything to protect it, so be prepared!'

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It was a slow rhythm after the class began. Luckily, Yuna had a seat at the window so her eyes wondered to happier things... when the outside world held no more interest, she would resume to observe her classmates. She would steal secret glances towards Ichigo, even narrowing her eyes at times while chewing on her pencil. The boy wasn't like Ishida, but he wasn't normal either. 'Why was this...?' She was curious... could see strange things too?

'It wouldn't be unusual. Some were sensitive to spiritual activities, Karakura is especially gifted according to my research.', she thought at this hypothesis. Well... Yuna might also be mistaken though, it happened in the past. 'Bleh!' It was hard to tell these days, with all the changes going around in her life...*sigh* She was lacking energy.

She wanted the day to end and go home, but... *looks at Kunieda* the hard part of today hadn't yet begun for the girl. Moreover, she had the late shift at the store. She wished she could skip it once in a while, but the last time she did this *feel chills run down her spine* it wasn't pretty.

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*looks to the left .*

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*looks to the right .*

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*looks both ways multiple times .*

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*and now she's dizzy... . *

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"Okay... nothing out of the ordinary, which means... the plan actually worked, the coast is clear!", Yuna cheered happily, leaping outside in delight before she suddenly stopped, hesitantly taking more steps in front of her. Eyes squinted behind her glasses, the girl placed them higher on her nose bridge while she carefully examined her surroundings. She should not become careless now, Kunieda might be hiding somewhere, ready to jump at her and attack when she'd least expect it!

She needed to be smart about this! She needed to find a hiding spot first, Yuna instinctively rolling towards a bench with students... this... wasn't a smart idea...

"What the...!", one of the girls yelped, scooching closer to her friend nearby who was already sending menacing stares. "Go away, you freak!", she hissed, wanting to splash Yuna with her soda content, but the girl skillfully dodged it with remarkable ease.

She was left out into the open, vulnerable to preying eyes. 'It's not good! Danger!'

"Tch, keep your distance from us! Can you believe this one?"

"I know, at least you don't have to be in the same study hall with her!"

"I don't envy you, ha ha!"

"..."

Her reputation wasn't exactly favorable one in this school... she was odd to a lot of them. Some thought she was mentally ill and troubled and not many wanted being associated with her – it didn't garner popularity points. Plus, she was quite the dumb-dumb and she didn't have the looks to mask so many of these faults! Maybe if she added a bit of make-up, she could be keener to the eyes.

'I can still hear you...', Yuna would bit her lips, pouting by such extreme reactions. She made eye contact with many of the students who shuddered right afterwards, some even scolding her for doing so – "Don't look at us, witch!"

'It couldn't be helped! Where am I supposed to look? You're right in front of me!' And she tried not letting it bother her. 'Much...'

For now, she had to finish this stealth mission, to get away from Kunieda succesfully... the school gates were close by and there was still no sign of her long black hair. Yuna was proud of this plan... she purposely rushed out of the school building the moment the bell rang its last tune for the day. She faked the need to go to the toilet beforehand and didn't forget to publicly announce this, loud and clear, after the teacher had left. 'What's up with her...' If all went accordingly, Kunieda would be waiting for her at the ladies' room and when she realizes that Yuna is a no-show, she might finally take a hint of her true intentions.

And her answer...?

She wanted nothing to do with her club.

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"Man... Okita-san is really strange today and that's already saying a lot...", Tatsuki commented from afar, standing next to Orihime who was also peaking at the courtyard from their classroom's window. Yuna kept making weird tumbling movements on the ground whenever she was in close proximity to a pole or a bench or even a bush... like a ninja maybe? She was actually bringing herself more into the spotlight than before... What was in that head of hers?

'Really, who didn't hold her properly as a toddler and dropped-', Tatsuki thought disapprovingly, interrupted shortly.

"Ah! It looks like she's playing a fun game!", Orihime chirped quite excitedly, clapping her hands together. She wanted to join in the fun, rushing to her but Tatsuki caught her tightly, wearing an expression that screamed a terrified 'NO'. She was becoming frustrated with her friend, going for Orihime's head and shaking it good – she wanted to bring back some sense into her mind. 'This was not normal behavior!'

Orihime laughed because the grip was tickling her!

"Also, don't indulge yourself in such strange habits!", Tatsuki scolded her further. The last thing she wished for was for her friend to end up looking ridiculous and childish. If anything, it wouldn't surprise her if Yuna received such eccentric 'gaming' ideas from Orihime herself since they interacted quite a lot... to her despair. It wouldn't surprise Tatsuki one bit.

"Eeh?! But it really looks like so much fun... She's playing with other people now! Come on Tatsuki-chan!", she pointed out to Tatsuki who started yelling after her again but she wouldn't stop, her feet moving carelessly as her eyes remained fascinated by what was happening outside. So many people gathered there! But... in her ditziness, she had crashed right into Ichigo at full speed, who felt almost like a hard wall.

She had to be taken to the nurse's office, a head bump for a prize.

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A commotion started because of her weird action and it didn't take long for her cover to be blown for good. Yuna picked up the pace as she spotted the enemy rushing at her, full speed ahead and showing no apparent mercy towards her if she were caught.

She could painfully tell!

The objective here was clearly written into the enemy's eyes – capture Yuna at any cost and have her surrender her will to the greater cause of Karakura High!

It was a mad chase around the courtyard, the girl crying for her to stop this madness, it was too much already! It continued even after they swooshed out through the school gates, right into the busier streets of Karakura and nearby traffic. "JOIN THE TEAM!", Kunieda yelled, trying to shorten the distance between them, but finding it difficult to do so. The feeling of the championship cup in the palms of her hands was fueling her determination to recruit Yuna even more. They were undeniably on equal footing! It would be a shame not to make her a member of their team, they'll crush the competition without problems. They'd win the locals, regionals and maybe even international competitions – this could become something big!

Life changing.

ONLY GOOD THINGS AWAITED FOR THEM SO WHY WAS SHE RUNNING ANYWAY?!

"BECAUSE I'M FEARFUL FOR MY LIFE RIGHT NOW!", Yuna cried out, making a sudden turn to the left, jolting right, straight towards an area with narrow and twisted alleyways. Just when Kunieda thought she had her trapped in a dead end route – since she knew this area like the back of her hand – Okita immediately jumped right through another corner and-

"GOT YOU NOW- Huh...?"

- Kunieda lost track of the girl, nearly slamming into a massive brick wall marking the end of the chase... H-How was this p-possible...?! Did she take a wrong turn?! But... she, she was so certain Okita-san went through here. She could bet all her savings on this, so why... why wasn't she here?!

"OKITA-SAN!", Kunieda yelled at the top of her lungs.

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"I'LL RECRUIT YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I WILL EVER DO THIS SEMESTER!"

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"Huh... I wouldn't bet on it...", Yuna muttered slowly to herself, squinting her eyes and smirking cheekily while both her legs were dangling over the edge of the building she was resting on top of. She was really high above the ground now, observing Kunieda's desperate attempts to find her, going further and further away from her location. *deep sigh*

'Man... this was far too close for comfort', the girl thought, jumping down her hiding spot with a really soft sound, dashing towards her next destination while she checked her cell phone, pressing countless buttons on it.

In her rush, she didn't notice a figure lurking in the shadows having followed her up to this point.

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Her feet stopped the moment she reached a tiny store in the middle of a residential neighborhood, forcing herself to catch her breath. All this running... it was not easy on her.

Yuna studied the place, looking for the staff members working there and was happy not to see any around the back entrance. She didn't want to be spotted arriving at this late hour and hoped by some miracle of faith and life that no one inside had noticed her absence so far... She was deeply naive and flawed in her assessment!

"YOU'RE LATE!", a stern voice thundered behind the girl, quickly feeling pain. Her shoulders were squeezed hard, to the brink her bones clinked under the pressure. The gesture frightened the life out of her poor soul, her eyes tearing up from it. The deep claws of angst and fear were sinking into her soul, knowing fully well that yet another set of scolding was awaiting her... as per usual. Right in front of her, at nearly 2m in height, was none other than the manager of the store she was working at.

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Haida Makoto

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A man in his early 40s, he was in charge of the ESP Karakura Soul Shop, a store branch belonging to Occhan's main shop, the latter one much shabbier looking and old-styled than this new modernly furnished one.

Manager-san carried both the day and night shift, one has to wonder if he knew the definition of sleep or if he needed it. His energy levels always seemed so unbelievably high sometimes, surpassing even the levels of the younger generations. Makoto's body size was more terrifying thanks to his bigger volume and the pack of muscles he was sporting despite his chunkier figure. He could probably KO a person with just an accidental shove with his belly, that's how fearsome his strength was! Moreover, his lack of hair, trimmed to a really thin buzzcut – almost like a stubble or a puff – and countless tattoos sprouting all over his body made him appear that more menacing.

He was a softy though... but not with his employees whenever they were slacking off their duties. The girl included!

"I g-got sidetracked... this girl at s-school was chas-", she tried reasoning with the big guy, but he frowned, unwilling to take any excuses from her.

"Hurry up with the uniform, today is a busy one!", he crossed his arms, having no intention of listening to the rest of her rambling. Yuna was upset about this, wanting to protest! She was only late for like about... an hour... or so. Which was quite a lot of time, come to think of it... erm...

"... Yes.", she caved in and followed his demands. She lost this round.

"You're on cleaning duty. Do any messes and I'll personally inform the owner about your behavior as of lately. I'm sure he'll enjoy every d-e-t-a-i-l~!", Makoto-san changed his grouchy expression to an even frightening, sweeter version, these words being the last nice ones she'd hear from him all week.

"... Y-Yes TwT.", she answered trembling, dragging her feet to the staff area to change her clothing quickly while Manager-san went the opposite direction, right to the supply area to do some inventory check. Her school uniform was soon replaced with an old pair of jeans and white shirt carrying the ESP's shop emblem. She stored the glasses in her locker since she wouldn't need them anymore in this environment and, on the way outside the shop, she was greeted loudly by another one of her coworkers.

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Itagaki Akira

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The guy was responsible for restocking the shelves daily and doing inventory checks but today Manager assigned him to another post... her usual one.

Akira usually worked the first shift in the mornings, handling items between the branch store and the main one. His messy black hair was constantly hidden by beanies, having quite a variety in his collection. He was a rather short fellow for his age, barely reaching 1,56m in height whereas Yuna stood at least 8cms taller than him without wearing any heels. For a shrimp, he was pretty aggressive with people, carrying what he called a street attitude – whatever that meant – only one of the many reasons why it was not such a smart idea to make him interact with customers. He was almost never smiling and would frighten customers away too quickly with his poor communication skills and short temper. What's more, this lack of patience he had when dealing with people – who either mumbled their sentences to the point he needed a hearing device, or stuttered random words, or were too damn indecisive with the products they wanted to buy – all of this made him want to beat the crap out of them all and kick them from the store.

He wasn't paid well enough to handle these many stupid humans in one place! Not at all!

Anyway~!

His shitty job had some good parts as well, such as Yuna~! \(≧▽≦)/

She was his main source of entertainment whenever their shifts collided. Akira would always search for her in the shop whenever he felt bored, which simply drove her mad as he kept pressing all of her buttons, bothering her endlessly. Literally, he was trying to press her 'buttons' as well. *avoids a deathly kick* She obviously enjoyed their constant squabbles at work, she was just very shy in expressing her true feelings~!

"Not even a tiny bit! Stay away from me or I'm telling Occhan!"

Occhan was happy his employees were getting along so well together. "Traitor, you're no help!"

Akira's job resume also included him making delivery gigs, having to visit the clients' homes in order to drop-off of the products they requested online or through the phone. Many did prank orders though, a shop with a theme like theirs wasn't free of trolls – it invited them actually. Nevertheless, Akira could become very, very, very persuasive to make even the most resilient of men pay for their orders, no matter the intentions behind their actions.

They could not refuse.

Working at the ESP store was his part time job though. His main occupation was running a blog catering to dismiss all of the fake evidence of spirit sightings posted online on the Karakura Forums. He would back up his claims with his own proof and footage with actual gears and professional equipment he'd borrow from the Manager, disproving them all. He'd also borrow Yuna to help him, since these were all but too heavy to handle by himself~!

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"Why do I even have to carry so many?! You're the one who came up with the plan, take responsibility for everything! Be a man!"

"I am taking the responsibility of the leader. Also, it can't be helped, your arms are bigger and can carry more items than me. Plus, I need my brain to function, so move your legs faster, my sweetest of loves~!"

"I'll drop these on top of your head...", she growled, her eyes twitching profoundly, starting to chase him down the streets.

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It also came as free publicity to the shop, the blog always referencing the products used coming from the ESP Shop, which is why Makoto-san turned so many blind eyes to the boy's actions, sending the girl in these quests of his, despite her deep refusal!

The blog turned pretty popular amongst the youth, a lot of them considering Akira to be like a ghost himself, always in the best areas to catch new raw footage of actual genuine freaky things! Like a professional detective or a stalker~! Yuna could easily confirm that he was in fact a really perverted stalker with those abilities of his – if you were unlucky to be female. If you were even unluckier as to actually be the female named Yuna, it went even bloody further.

Akira viewed her like a best-bro/buddy-bud/ sister type whom he loved pushing towards the edge of her sanity. At the same time she was the one girl he would absolutely have ZERO issues in having a friends with benefit relationship with. Plus, he would actually love it, to the point he'd even consider staying over the night and not ditching her after their activities the following morning... that would be his ideal dream actually, having Yuna cook for him breakfast too! Maybe even give him a massage...? He had scented oils, he could find some aromas she liked too~!

"W-What kind of d-dreams are those?!"

Yuna was, after all, a girl pretty decent in terms of physical appeal ignoring those horrible glasses she'd sport on. "This is Occhan's fault! He won't fix me a pair with better frames!"

Also, she was ju~~~st at the bottom line of his beauty standard when she clothed those horrid shabby and unsexy outfits, making her chest seem flat as an ironing board. "These hoodies ARE for girls too! And I'm NOT flat!"

"Let me check-"

"Makoto-san!"

However, she would rank super high in his list if she ever wore like actual girly dresses, some push up support for her deflated chest and some make-up to hide those extensive panda eyes. She would look so incredibly hot, judging from the pictures he'd photo manipulate- "Wait... you did what to my pictures?! Erase! ERASE RIGHT NOW!"

"But you look so pretty~! Like a real angel!"

Of course, if his needs required a special type of scratching he'd rather rely on his trustworthy Hatsune Pillow lying on his bed. It was far less stressful than dealing with any girl in the flesh who could potentially shriek like a banshee and ruin his mood. He also didn't want to go to prison too since Yuna was still at high school age, or so they said. She was officially a minor, so... "I hate you so much..."

"It's the first step in accepting you love me-" *gets elbowed in the stomach*

Anyway.

Akira was in incredibly low spirits today, his darkened mood cheering up the girl tremendously. The moment he saw her, Akira jumped over the counter in a swift movement, grabbing her shirt and doing desperate push-pull motions on it, to cry out his pain and troubles. He even tried sneezing out his boogers on her chest area where her plush buttons were – on purpose. *gets kicked immediately in the shin!*

His butt hurt from the boring secretarial job, why did she betray him by being such a sloth today?!

"I'm willing to exchange your suffering with mine~!", with shiny eyes, she nearly pierced him her broom and dustpan, but he carried a blank expression, not amused at all. There were some things he wouldn't even do for his mother and cleaning was one of the tasks! "You say that about every single thing I ask from you!", she snapped back annoyed, trying to shove the broom at him, but he avoided it skillfully. What kind of a son was he for his mother anyway?! For someone who would always follow Yuna around at work, Akira sure backed away fast when it came to actually putting a muscle into helping her!

"It's called tough love, babe~! I'm just looking out for your best interest and I don't encourage your laziness and tendencies to be a sloth~!", he winked at her, making gun-fingers like a cool badass, grinning without any care in the world.

"You...", she gritted her teeth, wanting to bite his fingers off. *CHOMP CHOMP* but their banter swiftly ended when Makoto-san sneaked up behind them both, grabbing the girl by the shirt's collar and *SWOOSH* sending her flying outside the shop, quickly landing on her butt painfully after rolling on the pavement a few times, freaking out the passersby who started running away. The pain she felt was making her want to cry as she rubbed her aching rear end TwT. Akira had the same treatment, getting thrown behind the counter, hitting himself on the cupboard at the back, many items falling down from the shelves and landing on top of his head.

"Clean it up now!", Manager-san ordered the boy before leaving to his duties... Youths these days, always needing encouragements to do any kind of work.

.

.

.

.

It was night-time, hours after her shift officially ended, but she had only finished her duties now, Makoto not showing mercy until she was done with all her chores.

Yuna became dusty and dirty from all the tasks she had to do, but... it was worth it, the store had never looked so squeaky clean before under her care. She even brought some potted plants in front of the shop to make it more... human friendly in a way.

Maybe even ghost friendly – but hopefully, not too friendly for them.

"Okay... If this doesn't give me a pass then nothing will...", she muttered to herself, suddenly beginning to wonder with her eyes around the neighborhood.

All the while, a strange feeling enveloped Yuna... like she was being carefully observed by someone. And by someone, she didn't mean the obviously rude middle-aged individual dancing in front of her face, floating left and right and circling her all around, planting his invisible buttock too close for comfort, all through the last hour or so. He was incredibly suggestive in his actions, but she had to restrain herself and not cause a scene.

The shop was in a pretty highly travelled area unlike the main branch and she could not afford to make a scene and bring down the reputation of this place. She had to thank Akira's constant harassment for growing such a thick skin, otherwise... *feels vein pulsating in her forehead*

Otherwise...

.

.

"You can't see me, you can't see me~! AH! I wonder what a body of a young girl feels like. OOOH! If only I could touch you, what I'd do to you makes me go - OOOH! I touched you! But... I can't feel anything, OOOOH! The things I'd do if I could hug such a young girl again~! OOOH~!"

.

.

"Do kindly repeat those words again...", Yuna finally snapped, narrowing her eyes dangerously as she carried a pissed-off grin, looking straight into the eyes of the ghost with such vile intent it made him suddenly stop moving, his eyes becoming wider and expression more terrified. He was looking in the eyes of death itself!

"I DARE YOU, OLD GEEZER!", she shrieked, the air surrounding the girl changing drastically, freaking out the ghost so much while she smacked him away with the broom, shooing him away! If the man were still human, he was sure he'd require new sets of underwear and pants just about now. He had been caught! The coward was so scared, he practically darted away, the girl sighing heavily afterwards...

"S-Scary!"

"Don't look honey!"

"..."

There were still people on the sidewalk, looking at her confused, while she started giggling and scratching her head... moving along~! Ah! The flower pots-

"..."

Maybe she should have kept those glasses on after all, but they always ended up affecting her vision, itching her skin and leaving imprints on it. *deep sigh* Anyway... the strange aura she felt during the day... it suddenly vanished. It was too far away and hazy to distinguish it while at the shop and she couldn't skip it... Makoto-san dismissed her worries, scolding her to focus on her duties and to stop taking off her charms. "Leave the rest to the professionals.", would be his ending answer.

So the girl had to let go of her concerns. It could have been nothing.

Or trouble...

Or nothing~! Ah well... It wasn't an uncommon feeling though, she pondered while staying a few more minutes at the shop before exiting. The sensation of trouble really was gone for now, but just as she made a few steps, her phone started buzzing and just in time, giving her some really good news! Occhan didn't need her anymore tonight, so she'll rest in her own place for special matters intervened.

"Actually, have the week off work as well. Maybe even two weeks."

"Huh? Are you alrigh-"

.

*PHONE BUZZING*

.

"...", it was a very weird phone call, but she did not care actually. "Really good news~!", she grinned, not even bothering to question why this act of kindness from his part!

Her joints really couldn't have taken the extra hours of training or work, so she was blissful for this mini holiday~! Uwhaaaa~! So many extra hours of sleep! She needed to celebrate somehow... maybe she could start socializing more or look at afterschool clubs...? She was required to pick one – it was mandatory.

There were a few that seemed a bit interesting, but the shop hours were in the way of the schedules. Ahh!

"Happy, happy day~!", she talked to herself, her expression not leaving until she arrived in the neighborhood where her apartment building was.

.

*WHOOSH* *THUD*

.

Someone was in the middle of the road all of a sudden, appearing in front of her from thin air. "AH!" Before Yuna had a time to properly react and spot the individual's features... it vanished from her eyes just as quickly, spooking her out in the process.

And she was used to seeing spooks.

She didn't manage to sense the presence there or nearby. It was a rare occurrence to happen even as she took off the bracelet she used for a charm, trying to pick up reiatsu signals and risk exposure... but nothing.

...

Yuna was hesitant to go home... so she chose the next best route despite the call she had received.

She was a scaredy-cat... TwT

.

.

.

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"Why. Are. You. Closed...", she growled, scratching at the sliding door as she stood like a loner in the front of the shop, constantly watching over her back in case THAT shadowy figure popped again. Yuna called Akira wanting to know if he had another stupid prank made for her, but it wasn't him... and she believed him when he showed actual concern.

"Yuna, you ok man?"

"I'm not a man...", she mumbled, ending the phone call. She didn't like this...

She hated this feeling in her heart right now.

"Hello!", the girl knocked harder onto the shop's door, waiting for someone to let her inside, but all she received in return were the sound of a howling dog and the smell of tasty food coming from inside the shop. She couldn't believe it... Situations like this one was why she kept demanding the shop's spare keys after she moved out, but noooo!

.

"You'll lose them! Misplace them! MULTIPLY THEM!

So it's far safer here with me~~!"

.

"For the love of-!"

She was causing quite a racket and normally, by this time, someone, anyone would have allowed her access... today was uncharacteristically different... not even the kids came out, the red head being the most vocal about any type of noise.

Yuna searched the entire perimeter and ended up with one final conclusion.

Either they were all in the back side of the shop where no living being could reach them from the outside OR... they were all damn gone somewhere else. *checks phone* without responding to any of her text messages...

"Just my own rotten luck...", she wondered what to do next. I mean... she could try and break down the door, but hahah... it was made to keep people out. It was no regular entrance, so without the proper keys – you couldn't set foot in it even if you were a experienced burglar.

"Please come back quicker...", she whispered, hugging her school jacket closer to her body, looking around tentatively for anything out of the ordinary.

...

The sky soon became the focus of her interest, the pretty stars and moon giving her a semblance of comfort...

.

.

~ 40 minutes later ~

.

.

The unsettling sensation had returned. She didn't want to explore the source behind it in the middle of the night despite her curiosity about what she had witnessed before... it shook her how in all her years, she had never sensed such a presence and all the warnings came flooding her mind. She was honestly quite foolish for these fears, considering her training and abilities...

Nothing could actually endanger her here in Karakura... ghosts surely couldn't so it was irrational.

...

But... she didn't want to push her luck...

"Ugh... Occhan..."

M-Maybe she could find some classmates to drop by at their place unannounced or... *shudders* go to Akira's house – as a last resort. She feared her remaining innocence in that scenario...

"!"

The air turned harsher and the presence's reiatsu grew so much stronger, a wheezing sound passing close by, echoing all around her. Yuna blocked her ears and dropped on her knees, shutting her eyes.

... So scary. TwT It wasn't a familiar reiatsu after all, what could she do now-

"Huh? What's that over there, owner? A stray?", a rasp voice shook her from her thoughts and suddenly.

"Hm?"

...

It didn't take long for her eyes to settle on the people gathering there, her mood shifting to 180 degrees.

It took even less time for Yuna to jump from her cowering position, slamming right into the front row kids. She used those two like a pair of cuddly plush toys she needed to hug in order to calm down her fears, enveloped by their familiar reiatsus, almost inhaling their power and giving her courage!

The boy tried biting off her arm, the only way he'd get away from her strong chokehold before he ran out of air and passed out. The girl was immobile and her eyes wide, shaking a bit too dangerously. The tallest of the group quickly went to break the hug, becoming the next of target of her temporarily stronghold.

Yuna didn't care though, mumbling about her scary moment!

She really was so incredibly happy to see them all-

.

*SQUISH*

.

"Eh...", she felt something soft and plump instead of a flat surface when she tried aiming for occhan... Oh, it was shorter than her? Wait... this wasn't occhan.

Wait...

THIS WASN'T OCCHAN?!

Eh... Since when... did they have another female in the group... oh wait...

OH WAIT!

D-Did they r-replace hher so q-quickly?!

"Unbelievable, Yuna-chan~~~!", his voice came from behind, his grin forever present. "Whatever brings you around this place~? Don't you have an apartment that I've been paying rent for these past few months? One I've even encouraged you to go to after work tonight so you WON'T show up here~~~~?!", he continued laughing about this unplanned coincidental meeting tonight with the girl. Ah~! It would have been really unpleasant if the moment he allowed Yuna some freedom and spare time away from his own home, was the moment she felt the absolute need to drop by for an unannounced visit that he purposely cancelled for he had another guest to attend to these weeks...

"A guest... from that place.", he giggled some more, the girl's expression shifting to a more dreadful one, color draining from her face as she stared at the other frozen girl. Black hair and small stature, quite thin framed... but her expression... it turned from shock to something more serious as she recovered her composure.

"Unbelievable..."

"Urahara-san.", the guest spoke, turning her head to him. Despite her own problems, she had no issues in sensing another's reiatsu, especially during the unexpected skin ship she had offered so shamelessly, pointing Yuna's out. A reiatsu that was supposed to be-

"There are many things to discuss Kuchiki-san, but let's leave it for after dinner~!", he interrupted her, the owner walking closer to Yuna and placing his hands onto her shoulders. It was preventing her to escape if she ever thought to do so. "We have some delicious curry rice and miso soup~!", he added, having the others lead her away while he remained behind with Yuna.

"..."

"Relax. She's not an enemy to you in her condition.", he spoke in a lower tone, the girl soon calming down. "And even if she were... not in my house~!", he ended with a smile, but still... he asked of her not to show her face tonight at dinner. There were things happening that were more important than the girl.

"Who is she...", she asked Urahara for information, but he just shook his head – not now.

"..."

.

.

Yuna was sent upstairs, with no further contact with the visitor that night or explanation.