Chapter Seven: The Prince's Sweetheart

Saturday, 9:00 am

Yuzu watched Karin as the latter nestled herself on the couch of their living room.

"Neh, Karin-chan, there's a newly opened coffee shop near here and I am planning to go. Do you want to come with me?"

"Nuh-uh, I am not in the mood."

With her sister's unusual behavior, Yuzu shook her head. "You've been like that since you woke up. What's the matter with you? Did you and Hitsugaya-senpai get into a lovers' quarrel?"

"Haha," Karin mocked-laugh, "very funny, Yuzu." She covered her head with the cushion, muffling her next words in the process, "So much for avoiding to hear his name."

Since she couldn't make a head or tail of why her twin was acting like that, Yuzu just decided to leave her alone. "Okay. If you want to sulk here all day, then I'll let you be."

Karin peeked from the pillow. "Uh, just make sure to come back before lunch."

"Hai, hai." Yuzu smiled and walked for the door.

"Take care," Karin told her before she could step out.

Few minutes after Yuzu left, Karin was still settled snugly on the couch. The moment she got tired of her position, she sat up, legs crossed, and the pillow fell in between her thighs.

'This day is awfully boring,' she thought, staring at the television. Sighing, she walked to the television and turned it on before she went back to her previous seat, remote on hand.

Switching channels,—weather forecasts, documentary reports, kiddy cartoons, daytime dramas, then back to cartoons—but there wasn't a single TV show which caught her interest.

"Even the TV programs are too boring," she grumbled and pressed the power button to turn off the TV. Carelessly, she threw the remote on the couch's corner.

There were still couples of homeworks that she needed to deal with, but she planned to save it for a later work before going to bed.

After another few minutes of aimlessly wondering and staring on nothing, Karin finally arrived into a thought that it was only going to be a waste of her weekend if she locked herself inside their house all day. With that, she stood up and picked her phone on the coffee table so she could message Yuzu, in case her twin would come back home earlier than her. Her plan was to do the usual—a nice walk in the park.

xx

Karin was too absorbed on watching the kids playing on slides and swings, and some other people in the park that she didn't notice the time. It was almost lunch time but she didn't feel like going back to their house yet.

She reached for her phone and started typing her message to Yuzu, telling she was not going to be home for lunch so no need to wait for her. She would just look for a good food stall around to grab something to eat.

Texting, while walking and not watching the way, wasn't surely the best thing to do at the park. But it was only until Karin's face bumped into something did she realize how wrong she was acting.

"Oh! I am sorry! I wasn't—"

"Watching your way?" too calm, the person offered, "Why am I not surprised?"

Upon recognizing the voice, Karin automatically felt like she wasn't sorry anymore. Of all the time and place where they could meet again, it had to be right here, right now. Could anyone believe her luck?

"I take back my apology," she said as her eyes finally found the person's face, "It was your fault that you were blocking my way."

"Hn, I am very sorry, Your Majesty," the guy shot back with contemptuous mirth, his sea-green eyes shamming regret for fault, "I do not know that you own this place. That and I don't have any right to stand here."

Giving repartees was one of Karin's mastered-skills, but compared to him, she still had a long way to go. And with that unacceptable knowledge, she gritted her teeth and curled her hand into a fist. 'Smart ass bastard!'

"Hitsugaya Toushirou." She smiled sarcastically. "Do you really want me to break that pretty face of yours?" That wasn't a sport reply, even she knew, but as far as she was concerned, threatening was a lot better than failing to present any counterargument.

"Ah, I like my face the way it is. Thank you very much," Toushirou answered but displayed no sign of aversion from Karin's warning.

Karin sighed, feeling jaded of their not-really-matured argument. Instead of continuing to act aloof around Toushirou and get annoyed further, she just decided to be civil to him for once. She went on changing the subject of their conversation (if anyone could call it that) and asked him, "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Offhandedly, her gaze went down, checking the way Toushirou was dressed. Gray jeans and black, plain shirt over a collared, azure long sleeves which were rolled above his elbows. The outfit alone was not very gaudy nor was it exaggerated. Either way, Hitsugaya Toushirou, being just himself, had given a different meaning to the word 'simplicity.'

"...'Like what you see?"

Karin's eyes darted back to his face. The other end of Toushirou's lips had playfully curved up.

"Egoistic jackass," Karin said, glaring. Oh, it was too impossible to be nice to him for a long time. Toushirou just always had a way of pissing her off. An artless, yet, dynamic way, at that. "I just wonder... I mean, you don't dress like the other rich kids in our school."

Toushirou chuckled good-naturedly. "Oh, you mean, designer clothes from head to toe? The truth is I have a couple of them. Even wear them most of the time." There was no sign of arrogance on those words, just certainty. "But, with or without name, does it matter? What matters is the person who wears them, right?"

"And you think you matter so much, don't you?" Karin said, trying to hide how she admired his latest statements.

Toushirou shrugged. "Your words, not mine."

"Tch. Anyway, you didn't already answer my question."

"What?" Toushirou asked, confused.

"What. Are you. Doing here." Karin said slowly, as though Toushirou was someone who couldn't understand their language.

"Oh that." Toushirou looked around before answering, "Waiting for my date."

There was no exact reason as to why his answer had initially reduced Karin into being speechless. When comprehension finally hit her, she said quietly, "Oh, Aimi's her name, I remember." And she wished she didn't.

"Right." Toushirou looked at her as if he was trying to read her mind.

Regaining her nature, Karin suddenly scoffed, "Your sweetheart, right? Seriously? How much sugar can it get?"

Anyone could call him childish now, but Toushirou could just care less about what other people would think. For all he cared, he was really having lots of fun with his new hobby of riling up Karin. And only Karin. Because he couldn't really imagine himself acting so careless and casual with other people but her.

"Someone is jealous," he said matter-of-factly, knowing it would get on her nerve more.

Karin snorted. "You wish, idiot."

"I do," he droned under his breath, not realizing how he truly meant it.

Karin was going to ask for an explanation of his statement, but stopped as a woman sauntered to them. Karin stared at her quizzically, silently asking her what she wanted. To which it was answered by the woman's greeting.

"Hello, Toushirou-kun."

Toushirou smiled at her. On the other hand, any kind of expression immediately slid off of Karin's face.

'So this is Aimi.'

Long, burnt orange hair. That was the first thing Karin noticed about her. And she was undeniably beautiful, no surprise there. Karin was, at least, expecting Aimi to be good-looking, what with her being Toushirou's type.

Moving her gaze from the woman's feature to her figure, a dark brow shot upward.

'Wow, 'got no idea that this smart ass bastard has a thing for a busty woman.'

Too engaged on carefully examining the woman, Karin became oblivious to the two amused pairs of eyes which were watching her reaction.

"Toushirou-kun," the woman suddenly said, "I hope you'll not mind introducing your pretty friend to me."

Karin blinked twice, realizing that the woman was talking about her. "Eh?" She pointed a finger to herself and said, "You mean me?"

The woman nodded eagerly and hummed in response.

"Oh, name's Kurosaki Karin." She put on a friendly expression. And before she could save her face from appearing stupid again, she blurted out, "And you're Aimi, Toushirou's girlfriend, right?"

Great. Just great. Was it possible for the ground to just crack open and swallow her whole? The orange-haired woman was wildly giggling, and Karin knew, she had just made a fool out of herself again.

"She is funny, Toushirou-kun," the woman said, as soon as she stopped laughing.

Rolling his eyes, Toushirou replied, "She is, isn't she?"

"That's good to know," Karin came aboard their exchange. At least, after everything, she could still manage to act like her usual self. "I am a beautiful clown then," she said sarcastically.

Unfazed by Karin's behavior, the woman smiled and offered her hand to Karin. "I am Inoue Orihime. It's nice to meet you, Karin-chan."

Karin accepted her hand and shook it gingerly. "Oh... I'm sorry, I thought—"

"She's my girlfriend?" Toushirou cut in, amused, "Oh, so that's why I could feel the hostility in the air earlier."

Karin scowled at him. "With you around, it's not really hard to be hostile."

Inoue looked at them curiously, then beamed, "You, two, are so cute!"

"No, we're not!" "Of course, we are."

Inoue giggled. "Neh, Karin-chan, you got it completely wrong. First, I had only known Toushirou-kun because of my cousin, Aimi-chan."

"Oh," was what Karin could only say.

"And, then, Aimi-chan's not actually Toushirou's girlfriend. Sweetheart, but not a girlfriend." Inoue knitted her brows and pouted, making an impression like she was trying to analyze something. "At least, that is what I know."

"Huh? How is that—"

"Shiro-niichan!" A young, girly voice cut Karin mid-sentence. The three of them turned to where the excited squeal came and was met by a sight of a little girl, smiling and running to their direction, and a raven-haired, bespectacled man who was walking after her.

Toushirou smiled and bent down when the kid was already near him. The girl jumped at him and wrapped her arms on his neck, giggling. Supporting her small frame with an arm, Toushirou brought her up with him as he stood up.

Still smiling, Toushirou asked, "Did you miss me?"

"Hai, hai, Shiro-niichan." The girl nodded vigorously.

Karin, witnessing the whole scene, gaped at them. She was very sure that she had already seen that kind of sweet and adorable Toushirou before. But as to when and where, she couldn't put a hand. Somehow, the kid was also familiar to her.

"You do not have any idea how many times she bothered us, saying she wanted to see her Shiro-niichan," said the raven-haired man while fixing his glasses. "I am already getting jealous that she likes being with you more than she does with me."

The young girl looked at the man, her small arms still hooked around Toushirou's neck. She poked her tongue, then said, "Uryuu-niichan, I often spend time with you and Hime-neechan so I do not miss you much."

"Is that so?" The man answered and looked around. When he noticed Karin, he paused and stared at her for a few seconds. "If it isn't Kurosaki's younger sister."

"Eh, you know me?" Karin asked.

"Not exactly. I'm Ishida Uryuu," the man introduced, "Orihime and I used to be your brother's classmates on middle school. I just saw you and another girl with Kurosaki, one time. I assumed you're his younger siblings, since I heard he has twin sisters. Fraternal twins, that is. So please, correct me if I am wrong."

Another Einstein. Karin wondered if it had something to do with the pair of glasses they wore. Toushirou also owned one, though he would only put it on every time he was on school and wearing his uniform.

'But, either he is wearing his glasses or not, he's still naturally attractive.' Karin suddenly went stiff, then blushed, realizing what'd come in her mind. She shook her head in the hope that she could get rid of the idea. It certainly was an involuntary thought.

"Uh, Kurosaki-san?"

"Uhm, no," Karin said immediately, "I mean, if you're talking about Kurosaki Ichigo, then you got it right. He's my brother."

"Kurosaki!" Inoue exclaimed, eyes widening. "Your last name's Kurosaki?! And you're Kurosaki-kun's younger sister?!"

Karin stared at Inoue as though the woman had just grown another head. "Uh... I believe, I already told you that my name's Kurosaki Karin."

"Ho!" Inoue thought for a moment, then smiled, "I didn't realize immediately."

Ishida sighed and shook his head. "That's just very much like you, Orihime-chan. Anyway, I think our groupmates are already waiting for us now."

"You're right, Uryuu-kun!" Inoue looked at Toushirou and the girl in his arm. "You'll be fine with Toushirou-kun, right Aimi-chan?"

The kid smiled widely and nodded. "Hai, Hime-neechan!"

"Sorry for bothering you, Toushirou-kun. We'll just get her at six."

Toushirou smiled and answered, "Don't worry, I'll take care of her."

"So we'll just see you later then, Hitsugaya-san," Uryuu said, then looked at Karin, "It's nice meeting you, Kurosaki-san."

Inoue also looked at Karin. "I would love to talk to you some other time, Karin-chan. Send our regards to Kurosaki-kun."

Karin grinned. "I will."

"We'll walk first." Inoue looped her arm on Ishida's and smiled, before the two of them walked away.

When they were already far, Karin turned to Toushirou and the kid. Placing her entwined fingers on the back of her head, she said, "So she's that kid, huh?"

"Yes. Aimi, my sweetheart." To prove his point, Toushirou gave a soft peck on Aimi's closer cheek. Aimi giggled and Toushirou smiled.

While the two appeared like they were enjoying their own, little show, Karin was obviously not entertained. She grimaced. "You're a pedophile, Toushirou."

"I am, aren't I?" Toushirou asked sarcastically.

Karin chose not to reply. Instead, she stared at Aimi. She was sure she had seen the kid before, but where?

After a while of racking her brain for the hidden memory, recognition finally hit her. Aimi was the little girl who'd got lost at the same park before. The one whom Toushirou had helped.

"Are you lost?"

"It's alright, hun. Onii-chan will help you so stop crying, hm?"

No wonder, Aimi liked Toushirou very much.

Karin gave a better look at the girl. Her dark-brown hair was tied up in two pigtail buns, giving her the real cuteness of a child. Her amber eyes stared back at Karin's dark onyx ones. They were so innocent and Karin found herself drowning into them.

Karin couldn't help but to smile tenderly at Aimi. She was really a sweet, young darling.

The silence was finally ended by Aimi's giggle. "Neh, neh, Shiro-niichan." She pulled on the collar of Toushirou's shirt. "I think your girlfriend is jealous of me."

On the second thought, the kid was a witch. A wicked, little witch with invisible flying broomstick.

"I am not jealous and I am not his girlfriend." Karin made a face and dropped her hands on her sides.

At Karin's reaction, Toushirou breathed out, "C'mon, Karin, don't tell me you're also going to put a fight with a kid."

Karin gave a humph which just made Toushirou shake his head. "Child," he soughed, but not quiet enough to escape from Karin's sharp hearing sense.

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

Knowing that he didn't stand a chance against Karin's stubbornness, Toushirou stopped and just turned to the young girl in his arm.

"By the way, Aimi, did you already take your lunch?"

Aimi shook her head no. "I just had a doughnut with Hime-neechan and Uryuu-niichan earlier."

"Let's get something to eat, then."

Aimi beamed. "I'll walk, Shiro-niichan."

Toushirou smiled and put Aimi down.

Karin was expecting that Toushirou would already leave with the young girl so she just stayed on her spot and didn't say anything. What she wasn't expecting was the warm feeling her hand suddenly felt. She looked down at it and saw Aimi holding her hand and looking up at her.

"Nee-chan, you'll go with me and Shiro-niichan, right?"

"Eh?" Karin was surprised and she suspected that Toushirou had instructed Aimi to do that. But when she looked up and found the mixed amusement and surprise on Toushirou's face while he stared at Aimi, Karin deduced that he wasn't liable with the little girl's action.

"But I can't..." she would refuse but when Aimi bowed her head and pouted in dismay, guilt immediately surfaced on her. She sighed, defeated. "Fine, fine, I'll go with you and your Shiro-niichan."

When Aimi looked back at her, the sad mood was no more there and it was replaced by that bright smile again.

"Yay!" Aimi cheered and tightened her hold on Karin's hand. "Shiro-niichan, Girlfriend-neechan is coming with us!"

Toushirou chuckled while Karin grunted and loured at the guy.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked, bemused.

He shrugged. "It's not that bad."

"Nii-chan, Nee-chan, are you quarreling?" Aimi asked innocently, looking alternately at Toushirou and Karin.

"We're not, don't worry." Toushirou bent down to the girl's level and ruffled her hair. "But, I think your Karin-nee is not happy with the way you are calling her."

"Eh, sorry. I'll just call you Karin-neechan, then," Aimi told Karin.

"Much better," Karin muttered, then turned to Toushirou, glaring, "And you didn't even bother to correct her that I'm not your girlfriend."

"Would be a waste of time," Toushirou said.

Waving her other hand at Toushirou, Aimi butted in, "Shiro-niichan, Shiro-niichan, hold my other hand."

Toushirou complied, smiling.

Having both Karin and Toushirou on her sides and holding their hands, Aimi cheerfully exclaimed, "Let's go!" She walked and pulled the two.

Toushirou's smile didn't leave his feature, seeing that his little sweetheart was having lots of fun. While, Karin, who was initially not glad with the idea , couldn't also help but to smile at Aimi's innocence and buoyancy.

xx

Tacos; Toushirou had discovered that Karin and Aimi could possibly become best of friends because of it.

Aimi was the one who pulled them on a taco stand, saying she really liked to eat tacos. Karin agreed immediately and she wasn't already able to conceal her delight from the very moment they ordered onwards .

Toushirou couldn't really complain for as long as the girls were pleased. He footed the whole bill, despite Karin's insistence to pay for her own. Toushirou's excuse was simple; Karin had come (albeit she obviously didn't want to) because of Aimi's persistency and as he was the one in-charge of the kid, everything she did was his responsibility. So it was only fair for him to bear the expense.

But the whole truth was Toushirou had his own plan to make Karin come with them earlier, and the young girl had just beaten him into it.

After filling their stomachs, the trio decided to take a stroll for a while.

"Shiro-niichan, Shiro-niichan." Aimi tugged at the sleeve of Toushirou who was holding her in his arm again. "Is Karin-neechan mad at you?"

Curious at Aimi's question, Toushirou asked back, "What made you think that?"

Aimi stared at Karin who was walking beside them, before looking back at her Nii-chan and answering, "Because she is not talking to you."

That guileless observation made him smile again. He looked at Karin and noted that she was indeed keeping herself quite. But, he knew that she was listening to them and just pretending to not care.

Messing with the young girl's hair with his hand, Toushirou decided to play along with Aimi's inquiries. "Really? Do you think your Karin-neechan is mad of me?"

"Hmm-Hmm." Aimi nodded.

"That is not good then." Toushirou feigned sad and boxed up his snicker when he heard Karin snort and grumble, "Fucking Best Actor for Kids' Shows Award."

Lucky for Toushirou, Aimi was still too naïve to see through his act. The kid pouted to show her sympathy for him. All of a sudden, her face lit up as though she had just come up with a good idea.

"I know what you need to do, Shiro-niichan!"

"I need to do? For what?"

Brightly smiling, Aimi answered, "I know what you need to do so that Karin-neechan will stop being mad at you."

Karin raised a dark brow and became interested on whatever the kid was thinking. On the other hand, Toushirou still went with the current. "Oh, yeah? Let Shiro-nii hear it then."

"Kiss her, Shiro-niichan!"

It would take only a person as collected as him to not drop the kid, after hearing that suggestion. While Toushirou managed to appear unaffected, Karin wasn't successful to hide her surprise and she suddenly exclaimed, "No way!"

In the wake of it, Aimi flinched and her eyes widened out of shock. She grabbed Toushirou's shirt collar tightly.

"I... I mean, no need for your Nii-chan to kiss me." Karin waved both hands in front of the kid. "I am not really mad at him. Right, Shi. Ro. Nii?" She smiled, looking at Toushirou, her expression was anything but genuine.

Obviously enjoying her act, Toushirou smirked. "Best Actress for Kids' Shows Award."

Forget about her desire of punching him in the face. Strangling him, until he was totally out of air, seemed to be more appealing. But before she could give a violent response, Aimi had already come in between.

"You're not really mad at Shiro-niichan?"

"Oh, no! I am not." Karin grinned at Aimi.

Aimi stared at Karin, long enough to unnerve the latter. "If you're not really mad at Shiro-niichan, kiss him then."

Karin's mouth hung agape. Just what the hell was running into this kid's little brain? "W-what..."

"Anyway, Aimi, didn't you say that you want to go to arcade and play?" Toushirou suddenly butted in, trying to bend Aimi's attention.

It seemed to work since Aimi's expression changed. "Hai! We'll play together with Karin-neechan!"

"Sorry. But I have to go home now," Karin said.

"B-but, Nee-"

"I think your Karin-nee doesn't want to go because she's afraid she'll lose to me."

Reverse psychology. It was very blatant. But being a person with too much pride, Karin easily bit Toushirou's bait.

"Is that a challenge?"

Toushirou's only response was to shrug.

"If that is so, then bring it on. I can surely run rings round against you, genius," Karin said before walking ahead of them.

Toushirou remained staring at Karin until Aimi called his attention.

"Shiro-niichan," the kid whispered as if making sure that Karin would not be able to hear what she was going to tell, "I think, I really like Karin-neechan."

Toushirou looked at her in surprise, before smiling and turning back his gaze in front where Karin was walking. Without a heed of his next words, he softly said, "Yeah, I like her, too."