A/N: And after that fun little break, we're back with another chapter. :) More Toshirou/Karin fluff here, since I still love that couple. Enjoy!


One Year

Studying Sucks

Karin groaned and began hitting her head on the polished mahogany wood of the shinigami academy's fancy-schmancy library. Things were not going her way, and the stupid book lying open in front of her wasn't helping, contrary to popular belief.

"That's bad for the wood, you know," a familiar voice commented, and Karin looked up to see Toshirou standing beside her, arms folded, an amused smirk on his face. Her dark eyes trailed down to see that, for once, he was clad in normal clothes instead of his regular captain's outfit. She blinked.

"What are you doing here? You just checked up on me yesterday," Karin pointed out, leaning back in her chair.

The young captain scoffed at that and took a seat across from her, "I'm here on business this time."

"For once," she muttered.

His eyebrow twitched in annoyance at her interruption, but he continued as if he hadn't heard, "I was required to come down today and check out the students. Apparently I'm supposed to choose which ones I think would be right for 10th division recruits." He sighed, "Sifting through all the students is such a pain. I should have had Matsumoto come."

"You know the kind of people she'd pick," Karin pointed out.

Toshirou groaned at the thought.

"My life's not all fun and games either, you realize," Karin nodded towards the book in front of her. "I have a test coming up, and I'm screwed for it."

He blinked, "All the tests they give you are easy."

Karin snorted, "For a child prodigy, maybe."

"What's it on?" Toshirou was clearly resisting rolling his eyes at her comment, pulling the book closer to himself and flipping through the pages nonchalantly.

"The different sword forms. We're supposed to take a written test, and then go onto the field and show our instructors the first form."

"And you haven't achieved the first form yet," he supplied, raising an eyebrow.

Karin scowled, "I got that months ago. It's the written part I'm worried about."

Toshirou frowned, "You achieved shikai? Why didn't you tell me about it?"

She gave him a blank look.

He stared back, meeting her gaze easily.

She blinked twice, still confused, and he came to a realization.

"You don't know what shikai is, do you?"

Karin grinned, "Told you I needed to study."

Toshirou rubbed his temples in exasperation, "I don't think this has ever happened before. How can you not know the forms of your zanpakuto? There are only two!"

"No one taught me."

"You're lying. If you listen in your classes, they tell you at least three times a period."

"Then I wasn't listening when they said it."

He gaped at her, then cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his calm composure. Clearly Karin was enjoying this, though her face stayed deadly serious when she talked to him. He decided to try a different approach.

"You must have realized what shikai is when you achieved it."

Karin shrugged, "I know the stuff required for the physical part of the test. It's just the written part that I'm having trouble with."

Toshirou froze, thinking. Then he narrowed his sea-green eyes coldly, "The test is multiple choice. I remember it."

"Great!" Karin grinned. "You can tell me what's on it!"

"It's so easy, I shouldn't have to!"

"Well excuse me for being normal," she replied. "We can't all have a photographic memory."

He felt like hitting his head on the wood, as she had been doing when he approached. She always found a way to wear down his last nerve, "You don't need a photographic memory to take this test, Karin. It's multiple choice, and there are only two forms!"

Karin eyed him, "So you're not going to help me study then?"

"No!"

"Fine. When I fail, I'm blaming you." Karin reached over, grabbed the book, and walked off, somehow managing to keep more dignity than Toshirou had. He watched her go, then groaned as he buried his head in his arms. That girl would be the death of him, if she didn't get herself killed first.


A/N: Hope this update satisfies you for a while, cause once more I prolly won't update until Bleach again worms its way back into my busy busy life. (Senior year's coming to a close!) Thanks for reading!