Ichigo's POV
I arrived way too early compared to my usual timing. There were really few classmates in the classroom, so I just slurred out a quick „Morning." and sat down. We never really talk much anyways, why should I start ruining my image now? I started watching the school yard through the window. Slowly the classroom filled with loud and brain-killing people, and my calmness fleed away in no time. My head shot up as Tatsuki banged her hand on my desk.
„What is wrong, Ichigo? I've been calling out to you for a minute here!"
„Oh. My bad, Tatsuki. Morning."
„THAT'S ALL?" She shrieked. „Why are you like this, Ichigo? Didn't we use to be best buddies? Why did you have to change now? Just tell me your secrets like in the good old times!"
„I'm sorry." I replied after a short pause. „I really can't tell you this. It's private."
I could see that instead of anger she was getting sad. I kind of started to actually feel sorry for her. But there was no way I'd tell her what was going on. Nor did I want to lie to her. She should just appreciate that.
„I see…" She whispered, while nodding with killing eyes. Not really the angry-killing eyes, but the heart-aching kiling eyes. She emotionlessly walked away and sat down to her desk, not even talking to Inoue.
„Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue chirped ever so cheerfully when she noticed I was already in class. „You're sure early this morning, aren't you?" She asked from the other corner of the classroom in a shout. I gulped.
„…Yeah. Morning."
She furrowed her brows as she quickly sneaked over to Tatsuki. „Hey, hey, is it the anniversary today?" Even though she was whispering, I could clearly read her mouth. I sighed as I turned away, gazing out the window again.
The day passed slowly and quickly. I sometimes found myself in the classroom even in the breaks, just wondering, thinking, and getting lost in thought. And there were times I just wished it would be break already, so I could clear my head. I didn't take any notes today, nor did I pay any attention. I acted like I did, so thanks God the teachers didn't pick on me much.
Keigo invited me to go and have fun in town, but I turned it down. No way was I going to be laughing and feeling good at a time like this. It'd feel wrong, right?
So I headed home. I passed by Urahara's shop and stopped. I don't know what has gotten to me, but suddenly I felt like eating sweets. Who knew what this old perverted guy could be selling labeled as candy, but I didn't care much. Maybe it was some drug that could finally take my mind off of certain things. I hesitantly opened the door and stepped in. The little girl greeted me - I think her name was Ururu. She bowed politely and asked if she could help. I opened my mouth to answer but Urahara popped up out of nowhere with a grin on his face.
„If it isn't Kurosaki-san! Wooow, this depressed aura you're having gives me the chills!" - He said while acting like he actually was having the chills. What an idiot. „Now, cheer up, cheer up!" He started making funny faces and dancing around me. It felt so embarrassing and lame, but for some reason a smile crept onto my face. I sure act weird lately. „Ah! That's a smile! A SMILE! Let's celebrate - take anything worth 500 yen for FREE!" And he acted all banzai and yay. I shortly nodded as a thank you and asked for whatever he had.
Urahara sent Ururu to wrap the candy and do some other stuff - like I cared enough to remember what he asked from her. However, when she left the room, Urahara turned serious like a cheer-switch was turned off.
„Say, can I help you with anything for real now, Kurosaki-san?"
„Wow. That was a quick change. But no thanks, I'll just need my candy."
„Hmm…" He said as he started stroking his jaw like he had a beard or something. I think he did it to act all wise, but it only made him look foolish. „Do you really think there is anything this Urahara Kisuke Wonderful Man can not take care of?"
I rolled my eyes in response, but actually, it drew my attention. He did have a solution for everything usually.
„Nah, maybe some other time. I'm going home." I said as I turned to leave. I didn't want to stay any longer.
„And the candy?" Urahara asked in a low voice, like he was threatening me, as he grabbed my arm. It wasn't painful, but it was strong enough to stop me. I turned back with a frown on my face.
„Keep it."
„No can do, sir." He looked up at me from behind his hat, giving off a real evil look. I gulped as I tried to free myself, but he wouldn't let go. „Kurosaki-san, I know something's wrong. If you don't get help in this state, you might never recover. And you'll just hurt the people around you… You don't want to hurt them, do you?"
Ururu returned and Urahara switched back to his happy self.
„Well then, here you are! Take care, Kurosaki-san!" He waved to me with a white handkerchief - where'd he get one from so quickly? - but leaned closer to me. Almost close enough to enter my private space. „8 o'clock. I have free time." Then he roughly pushed me outside and slammed the door behind me. I blinked a few in surprise, then shrugged it off, starting to devour the sweets.
The sugar kind of took my mind off of the whole situation with Kon, so when I came home, I could actually act all natural when saying hi to my family. Dad came right at me with a thousand of apologies for not being home last night. Secretly, I was thanking him for that. Whooh if he would have come in my room last night…! Maybe he could have saved me from this all, but then it'd just happen at an other time, wouldn't it? So I patted his shoulder reassuringly while saying „It's okay, old man!". It made him so happy he started crying under mom's poster. Wow. Why do I have to be surrounded by idiots?
Yuzu made me lunch as well. I didn't want to be a party-pooper, so even though having eaten lots of candy and sweets, I sat down and ate it all. Heh, Urahara, you were wrong. I'm making everyone happy around me. Yuzu watched me eating like it granted her a wish or something.
So after finishing every family matter, I dragged myself up into my room. Tiredness striked at me quickly and mercilessly, I could barely keep myself up on my feet while getting there. The room was surprisingly calm, silent and lonely. No Rukia, no Kon. At first I felt happiness, you know, at least here I don't have to deal with idiots, but it gets pretty boring after a while. Taking a look at my watch, I realized it was already 6 o'clock. Maybe I could finish homework before meeting Urahara. Wait, was I really going there? When have I decided on this…?
I lay down on my bed, tugging at my hair. Every little problem seemed to bundle up into one killer headache. A little nap couldn't do me any wrong…
8:06 PM
Oh crap.
I rushed downstairs with the soul candy in pocket as fast as I could. While getting outside, I yelled that I'm meeting up with friends, so my family wouldn't get worried. They always get worried.
The road took way longer than usual. I couldn't use shunpou. It was really strange that I wasn't in my shinigami form now, but who knows - maybe my body will be needed.
I slammed the door of the shop open maybe a little too strongly. Urahara jumped in surprise, he was sitting next to a shelf on the floor.
„Wow. I felt you were coming, but I didn't think you'd want to scare me…!"
„Sorry, Urahara-san, I fell asleep!"
„Right, right." He said as he twirled his arm around my shoulder. I was almost as tall as him, despite the huuuuge difference in age. He then took me to a smaller room, with a little table in the middle, small pillows around it, tea already served. „Sit down, please."
I dropped myself down with a huff, scratching the back of my head. This will be a rough ride.
„So, tell me, what happened?"
„… Well, that is… umm… it all started with Kon, he was in the room and he came to me…" Damn. I felt my face was getting hotter. I wasn't blushing, right? I fumbled a bit before I could take out the little pill and placed it on the table, buying myself a little time to calm down. But it didn't work. „So he started… my arm… and then…" Gulps and 'umm's interrupted my speech, but man, this was really hard for me!
Urahara just slurped his tea meantime… that's right, tea! I drank off my tea quickly. It was a bit hot, but it calmed me down - a tiny little bit. „So, right! I went in, he was already inside, and then he started talking, I don't remember much, but then he stepped to me and started…t-touching me…" My bravery left me the moment I started getting on topic. I wanted to see Urahara's reaction so badly, but I just couldn't look up. I was staring at the floor all the time. I sighed deep.
I noticed the tea had a small bitter after-taste. Oh, come on, me. I'll just get done with it quickly. „He stepped to me and gave a kiss onto my face." Yeah. What was I afraid of? Just spit it out, man. „He totally made a move on me, you know? I don't know what has gotten into him, I mean, he always blabbers about his Nee-san, and big b-boobs and all that stuff. Then he suddenly comes at me. He did totally weird stuff to me but thanks God we didn't go that far." I paused, kind of running out of stuff to say. I finally brought up my gaze at him. Damn, his fan. It totally hid his face. I grunted shortly. Why was I speaking at length now?
He slowly pulled down the fan from his face, revealing a grin.
„I see. It's good you can tell me about this so easily. I expected you to be a bit more … shy. Almost as if you were… drunk."
„I know, right? I was surprised, too, but in the end-…" I stopped. It made sense now. The after-taste, the speaking, everything. „Whooooooa, you bastard! You put alcohol in my tea, didn't you?" I frowned at him, but he kept showing me his grin.
„At least I could finally understand your situation. You're tortured by those awful memories, right?"
„Well… not really me. I mean, look at Kon…!" I pointed at the soul candy, then facapalmed myself. „Nevermind." Seriously, how could I be this idiot? Since when do pills show feelings? - „So, last night he was really feeling down. He said something about … something that he planned this, but he was too much of a coward, if I recall clearly… then he told me not to put him in his plush body."
Urahara stood up from the small table. I followed with my eyes, but stayed sitting. „Well, it's really easy. If these memories torture him, he just has to forget them." He said simply as he started walking out of the room.
„W-What?" I blurted out. „You're joking, right?" I shouted angrily after him.
He was pulling my leg, right? What kind of help is that? Like he could forget it like that! However, Urahara came back a few moments after he left.
„What, you're not following me? Come on." He said as he nudged me to take the pill then grabbed my arm and dragged me.
„W-Wait! What do you mean?" I looked back at the room, then at him. Did I miss something? He led me into a darker room, full of machines and all kinda lab stuff.
„What do I mean?" He turned back to me, with a confused smile. „Of course, we're making him forget about it all!"
„Are you telling me you're gonna delete his memories?" I tugged my arm backwards. We were going in deep water.
„What else could I be saying?"
„Whoa-whoa, just hold it right there! That's dangerous you know!" He just rolled his eyes in response. „Besides, it's not really our decision, it's his, right?" I said as I lifted up the small green pill. Urahara shrugged. I narrowed my eyes as I slowly put it in my mouth and swallowed it down. I felt as our souls parted, and I was pushed forward. Man, Kon looked awful. Right after getting in my body, he stooped and had this really painful expression on his face. It hurt just looking at him.
„Good evening, Kon-san!" Urahara greeted him happily. It wouldn't even be him, if he wasn't all smiley in even a situation like this. The mod soul just grunted in response. „… You look really down… but! That can be changed!"
„I know." He sounded like a demon from the nether world.
„And? What's your response?" Kon stayed silent for a while. A really long while. Urahara turned a machine on in the meantime. What, he didn't even wait for his answer?
„Yeah… I'd be grateful, Urahara-san."
I was dumfounded. He really agreed to it? I mean, sure he looked like crap and I bet he felt like one, too, but did he really want to get his memories deleted? Was the situation that bad? What if he loses all his memory? I wanted to say something, but he was already sitting in a chair, surrounded by all kinda rays, lights, and everything. Did they realize he was in my body…?
I stepped forward and poked Urahara. „Hey, won't this affect my body?"
He turned to me, like he had forgotten about me. „Oh! No, it won't. It'll affect you." Before I could ask back, he pushed me into a chair next to Kon's. I didn't even notice it was there until I was in it. I quickly tried to stand back up and run away, but strong metal cuffs held me down.
