A sort-of sequel to Chapter 24: Untold. There's some kind of time skip.

Enjoy!

26. Sweet Whisper

Karin looks pointedly at Toushirou, crosses her arms, and frowns. The nerve of him to come here in her house, and then, just deprive her of the information that she badly wants to know. Some kind of boyfriend he is.

"C'mon, Toush, I won't tell Ichi-nii that you let me know about it. Just fill me in, will you?"

She grits her teeth when Toushirou, being cocksure of everything he does, just raises a brow at her. He may be one of her favorite people, but hell if she doesn't feel like strangling him right now.

"I'm not going to tell it to anyone, Toush, I promise. I'm good at keeping secrets, y'know?"

Rolling his eyes, Toushirou finally answers, "I'm not sure about that, Karin." He leans back to the couch as if he is in his own house. Undeterred by Karin's glare, he even has the audacity to cross his legs and look back at her daringly. "And why are you so interested to know?"

"Hello? It's all about Ichi-nii. I am supposed to be aware about that, aren't I?" Karin answers impatiently. She leans forward, as though to prepare herself to hear Toushirou whisper everything to her - which is completely useless, given they're three meters away from each other. "Now, c'mon, just tell it to me while no one's here to overhear."

"Why don't you just ask your brother about it? I'm pretty sure he knows more than I do," Toushirou says airily. It's obvious that giving in to Karin's request is the least of his concerns at the moment.

Karin looks at him like he just said something crazy. "That's pointless," she scoffs, "I'm sure you know that he won't tell me."

"Then, what makes you think that I'll tell you, huh?" Toushirou asks, bemused.

Karin grudgingly acknowledges the fact that her boyfriend, however annoying he can be, is great at many things. Indeed, he is.

Even at being an insufferable jerk.

Oh, how she badly wants to wipe that arrogant and taunting expression off of his face at this moment.

"Toushirou," Karin says again, putting in all the calmness (if she actually has, in the first place) that's still left to her, "Of course, I would think that you'll let me know, what with you being my boyfriend." Even she is surprised to hear herself say the last word easily. It's nowhere near from the awkwardness they felt when they first got together. And just imagine how ecstatic their mothers then. Actually, scratch that, it's totally unimaginable.

"But Ichigo is your brother, and he doesn't want to tell you." Karin doesn't need to look at Toushirou to know that he's smirking. His tone itself is enough.

Unable to keep her cool anymore, Karin grabs the throw pillow behind her and chucks it square on Toushirou's face. Hearing him just laugh at her action, she sighs. Why does she still let him get on her nerves even when she fully knows that he's doing it on purpose just to get a rise out of her?

Just because she is so cute when she's annoyed. His words not hers.

"I hate you," she huffs and makes an attempt to stomp away.

"I love you, too, Karin." The words are too sweet. Too sweet that Karin can't help but halt in her steps.

And glare at him.

He smiles, and she glares more.

Because she hates them. Those words. And that smile.

She hates them because he knows she loves them so much. So much that they always make her let him get away that easy.

"I'll tell you if you really want to know, Karin. Now, come here."

She also hates it when he's being infuriatingly charming. And he's so fucking aware of it.

"Come here, Karin," Toushirou says again when she doesn't move.

Slowly, reluctantly, Karin walks to him. She sits down on the couch but makes sure to put distance in between them to show Toushirou that she's still mad at him.

Toushirou shakes his head, amused smile notwithstanding. "Karin, you don't really expect me to tell it aloud to you, do you? Move closer, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that," Karin says, pouting, but scoots over nonetheless. Expectantly, she looks up at Toushirou.

Toushirou leans in. But not near her ear to quietly relate everything he knows about the thing her brother doesn't want to tell her.

Instead, Karin feels soft, warm lips against hers.

And then, Toushirou is already pulling away.

He smirks. "There," he says, ruffling her hair affectionately, "Let's have a dinner tonight. I'll get you at six."

Before Karin can reply, Toushirou's already gone.

She stares at the space, unblinking, until she finally understands everything that happened.

Toushirou has just outwitted her. Again.

By keeping her in the dark about her brother's secret.

And, by stealing a kiss from her.

Karin bites her bottom lip, refraining herself from shouting profanities out of frustration. Helplessly, she mutters, "Damnit, Toushirou. You're just lucky that I love you."