The strange, giant man with the glasses and ponytail leads Haru down the alleyway and then around a corner. In a lot behind the buildings on the street stands a small building with a sign that says, "Urahara Shop."
"Wow, I never would have known that this was back here all along," Haru notes. The man turns to look at him.
"The person who has sent you here will be inside," he said. Haru follows him a bit more inside. In the first room he enters in the building, he sees shelves containing herbs, candy, and strange items that he has never seen before.
The stranger opens a door in the back and bids him in. Haru slowly goes through the door. He stands in front of a table that is in the room and sees there's no one else around.
"If you'll excuse me, I shall tell the manager that you're here and he'll be right with you," the guy says as he closes the door behind him. Haru slowly looks around the room and sees nothing but the bamboo screen walls and the low table that's in front of him. He takes a seat at it and waits for the person he is suppose to see.
His mouth then speaks out loud to the rest of him, "Well from what I understand of what that guy just told me, I think the manager of this joint is possibly the guy who told me to come here in the first place…" The door to the right then slides open, revealing the big guy who led Haru into the shop and another person, a man with shaggy blonde hair wearing green clothes, a dark coat on the outer layer of his clothes, a green and white striped bucket hat that hid part of his face, and he was wielding a fan in his hand. He grins at the sight of Haru.
"I knew you would come looking for me sooner or later," said the manager. "Tessai, you may leave us for now." The man next to him nods and leaves. Haru then takes to it that his real name is Tessai. The manager walks to the table and says, "Just to get introductions out of the way, I'll go first. My name is Kisuke Urahara and this is my shop. That site you were on is also mine as well. It was a recent business idea of mine and I think it's doing pretty good. "
Haru tells him, "I'm Haru Katsu."
"Well yes of course you are," said Urahara. He takes a seat at the table across from Haru. The door opens again and a girl with long pigtails enters with a tray holding a couple of cups.
She says, "Here's your tea Mr. Urahara."
"Why thank you Ururu!" Urahara replies with enthusiasm. Ururu puts the cups down on the table; one in front of Urahara and the other in front of Haru. She leaves and closes the door behind her. Urahara takes a sip of the brew. He speaks up, "She always makes good tea that goes good for any occasion."
Haru speaks back while holding his cup as it stays on the table, "Such as you answering the few questions that I need to ask?" Urahara takes a sip and puts his cup back down.
"Ah yes… that," he said. "From what I've understand from what you told me Mr. Katsu, you just recently achieved the sight to see the souls of the dead. Then you went on saying that you saw something in the park yesterday, correct?" Haru nods his head. Urahara asks, "Can you care to explain to me what it is that you have witnessed?" Haru looks at the tea in his cup, trying to word what he is going to tell him.
He tells Urahara, "Well… it was something I have never seen before in my whole life. I can remember the very sound it made when it screamed out. The cry it made almost felt like it was not a cry of pain, but a cry of anger. It came out of a bunch of trees and it was far from human… it was not from this world. All I recall is that it had black skin that looked like it was as strong as metal, a face that was reminiscent of a white mask, and the hole in its chest." Haru looks up at Urahara and sees he is a little bit concerned with what he was just told. Urahara puts away his fan and puts it on the table.
He says, "I now do indeed believe you that you can see the dead, Mr. Katsu. What you have just described was an evil spirit called a hollow." The word sparks curiosity in Haru.
"A hollow?" he asks.
"Hollows were once human souls themselves," Urahara answers to him. "They were human souls who lost all sense of sanity and a hole develops on their chest. When that happens, they morph into hollows. The only thing hollows live for is to feast on souls, whether they're dead or alive. And also when a soul is devoured by a hollow, it too becomes one of them as well." Haru felt a little sick to his stomach now since he realizes that that thing has stood within five feet of at the arcade was a human soul, but it now feeds on ghosts and living people.
"So that thing was truly a monster as I initially thought," Haru says after taking it all in.
Urahara sighs and says to him, "I wouldn't have told you right off the bat about the hollows, but you would have known sooner or later."
"Well why didn't you hold it off for a better time then Urahara?" Haru asks.
To this he replies, "It was better to tell you now than later on." There's a little pause between them. The cup Haru has in his hands goes up to his lips and Haru takes a sip. Haru then remembers another thing to tell him. He puts the cup down.
"One more thing before we're done here, there was also something else in the park that I saw that I thought of strange as well," he announces. Urahara looks up at him with interest. "When I saw the hollow was someone else there. That person got rid of the hollow in less than ten seconds at most. I figured it was her, but I didn't really see her do anything to it even when I had my eyes wide open. All I know was that she wore an orange coat and black pants and had long violet hair. She has got be very fast… incredibly fast…" Haru makes eye contact with Urahara, to see if he has an answer for who was that woman he saw. However, Urahara stands up and puts up his fan.
"Well I think we'll just save that tidbit for another time, Mr. Katsu," he says. Then he adds with enthusiasm, "For this one time only, our session will be a complimentary one. Free of charge."
"Wait!" Haru exclaims. "You mean you were going to be charging me for just getting straight answers from you?"
Urahara replies, "Well a man has got to make a living one way or another. Have a nice evening, Mr. Katsu." Before Haru has the chance to stand up and walk out the door, another door behind Urahara slides open. A woman voice calls out to Urahara and Haru instantly recognizes the voice from the only time he has heard it.
"Hey Kisuke I just got back," the voice calls out. Haru looks up to see the orange coat and purple hair he has seen from the park. This time he now also sees the woman's face which was hidden from him before. The face has golden yellow eyes that become wide when they see a person in the room that was not familiar to them. "Oh, I'm sorry Kisuke. I didn't know you had a guest here now," she says apologetically. Haru quickly opens his mouth and points his hand at her.
"It's you!" he yells.
Urahara sighs and says, "Yoruichi, this isn't exactly the best of times for you to be here now."