Chapter 3

Home Sweet Home

A casually dressed Kana Mitarashi gazed at the small, unnoteworthy shop up ahead and nodded at finally arriving at her destination. The trip to Karakura Town from Hino had been mostly uneventful save for the scorching, hot weather today. She wiped her sweaty forehead clean using a cloth and was thankful the monorail that had brought her this far out was air conditioned.

"The wonders of the human world never cease to amaze me! Most of the doors here even slide open by themselves! Now if only they could do something about this heat! It's so ruining my hair!"

Her scarlet eyes moved themselves to a small, crumpled note in her grasp. It was moist from sitting in her skirt pocket but otherwise legible. The name at the top in Japanese characters read 'Urahara Store', the same as the ones on the white sign on top of the edifice in front of her.

"Is this really the right place? It looks so..." Frowning slightly, she decided not to finish her statement. "Jeez. Did anyone even try when they came up with that name?"

The store's owner might not have been imaginative, yet that wasn't why she was there. Keeping that in mind, she opened the sliding doors at the entrance and took a few cautious steps inside. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt an odd sensation buzzing through the air.

"Hello? Anyone home? I'm not selling magazines, I promise!"

Candy and other strange items for sale all over caught her attention. The name outside told her nothing about what wares this boutique specialized in, and she couldn't determine what on her own by searching around either. The shop just seemed to have a bit of everything. It would have been provocative if it also didn't weird her out.

"I wonder where everyone is. I saw a van outside, so there's gotta be someone here!"

The interior was poorly lit, so she didn't stumble upon anyone at first, feeling as blind as Sasune Ishida without his glasses. A cloud of dust found its way into her nose, inducing a number of raspy coughs out of her. She at first presumed the musty building hadn't been cleaned in ages yet then realized someone was attending to that presently. An incredibly large and beefy man, wearing an apron of all things, was sweeping. How she had missed a being of such immense proportions at first was beyond her.

"Whoa! I thought Soul Society was the only place with giants!"

He stopped his tidying up almost robotically when noticing Kana, and it took him less than a second to close the distance between them. Trembling in fear, Kana hadn't the foggiest idea what he wanted. All the bespectacled, tan-skinned man noiselessly did afterward was stare down at her. When he inhaled moments later, Kana strangely shrieked at the top of her voice.

"Welcome to our store," the giant said in an astonishingly calm manner. His bushy, black mustache twitched when he spoke.

Kana though was anything but calm, feeling her heart jump into her throat. "H-Hello there! Um...I don't mean to sound rude, but could you totally not just run up on me like that again?! I'm delicate, you know! Anyway, are you the Urahara that signed this note I have here?"

The man who apparently wasn't there to eat her shook his head. He then shifted his attention toward the back of the store and shouted, "Boss! She's here!"

He then faced Kana again, and his stern expression told her to remain put for the time being. Trying not to pee on herself, she feared the consequences of even breathing, so she simply nodded. Both she and her bladder relaxed when the behemoth left the room. Replacing him was someone Kana hadn't been expecting. The wispy, slightly hunching man that came to greet her wore green, loose fitting clothes, a bowl hat of the same color on his head, and traditional Japanese geta. This combined with his rather messy and almost pale-shaded hair made it easy for Kana to think up a name to describe him.

"Mister Hat and Clogs," she whispered. Indeed, the moniker fit almost too well, like she were destined to use it in this very instance.

Not hearing her, this new, far less terrifying person carefully took in Kana's every detail ahead of smiling and jubilantly stating, "Hello! Hello! Welcome to my humble store! I have been waiting for you, Miss Mitarashi!"

"So I've heard." Kana, raising an eyebrow, held up the piece of paper that had led her to this 'humble store.' "Shortly after I lost my Shinigami powers, I found a brand new Gigai and this note waiting for me. The latter said to come here. Some guy named Urahara signed it. I take it that's you?"

The man removed his hat and bowed. "That's right! Kisuke Urahara, at your service!"

"You're not another creepy stalker that's in love with me, right? I've already got enough of those harassing me as it is!"

Urahara took Kana's note and stroked the beard stubble on his chin while he inspected it. He made various 'ohs' and 'ahs' as if the parchment's contents were news to him. This made Kana pout her lips.

"Oh, come on! You totally wrote that thing and you know it!" she exclaimed. "Are you just teasing me or something? I'm a delicate girl, you know!"

Urahara replied, "Haha! Guilty as charged, I suppose!"

"I don't get it though. How does a guy like you get ahold of something like a Gigai?" Thinking the matter over, Kana suddenly gasped. "W-Wait, this isn't a scam or something, is it?! Are you just trying to get money outta me?!"

"Money? No, this isn't about..."

Tears welled in her eyelids. "There's no way I can afford a Gigai on my salary! Y-You meanie! How dare you take advantage of the innocence of a young, beautiful girl like me!"

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing!" Urahara politely pleaded.

Refusing to believe him, Kana went on with, "It's bad enough I lost my powers! Now some old creep is trying to rob me blind too! Waaaaaah!"

Urahara, chuckling nervously, wasn't precisely sure what to say to assure her his intentions were virtuous.

Just then, a crimson-haired boy stomped into the room to locate the individual threatening to shatter his eardrums.

"What's all the noise about?! Can't a guy take a nap in peace around here?!" he hollered.

Another child, this one a girl possessing black pigtails who appeared slightly older than the boy, popped up from behind him. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and then stared up at Urahara, inquiring, "Mister Urahara, did you do something wrong again?"

"Well, I suppose I did, didn't I?" he answered in the same pleasant tone he always spoke in. Kana didn't get it; most guys were groveling at her feet when she turned on the waterworks. Urahara had barely flinched. "Miss Mitarashi, I promise you that the reason I helped you and loaned you that Gigai you're currently occupying is because I just happened to hear about your little predicament and felt I couldn't just leave you to fend for yourself."

A sniffling Kana retorted, "Maybe you are stalking me then! How could you know I lost my powers otherwise?"

"That Gigai you're currently occupying is special. You'll slowly regain your Shinigami powers while inside it." Mister Hat and Clogs didn't even try to hide the fact he was skirting her question. "It should take a month or two, but you'll be a full fledged Shinigami again before you know it! Of course, the Gigai is absolutely free of charge, so no more crying! I also have some other items I believe you'll be interested in!"

Hearing the world 'free' was all it took for Kana's demeanor to brighten. "Wow! You're the best! I seriously didn't know what I was gonna do after I lost my powers, but you really saved my skin! Uh...just for the record, I really don't have that much money, so you better not go back on your word!"

"Hey, we're not running a charity around here, Boss!" the red headed boy bellowed Urahara's way. "We can't just keep giving out free stuff to freeloading Shinigami!"

Kana took great interest in this outburst. Apparently, this wasn't the first time Urahara had done something so generous. Did that mean there was another depowered Shinigami running around somewhere?

"Jinta, you shouldn't be so rude to customers," the pigtailed girl meekly stated. Kana couldn't help but note the constant blush on her cheeks was adorable.

"What was that, Ururu?!" Becoming upset, Jinta rushed over to her and proceeded to pull on her pigtails. "You shouldn't talk to your superiors like that!"

"That really hurts, Jinta..." she replied, speaking in hardly a whisper.

Pointing and laughing, Kana said, "I used to do that same kind of stuff with my younger brother back in the day! You're gripping her hair all wrong though, kid! If you really want to inflict some pain, you have to do it like this!"

Kana took Jinta's place as Ururu's bully and really began yanking at the girl's hair, threatening to rip it out even. Ururu's quiet complaints went unnoticed as she fought back tears.

"Hey, you're not so bad after all, lady!" a grinning Jinta informed Kana.

Ururu was finally saved when a rock hard fist crashed into the top of Kana's and Jinta's skulls.

"D-Did someone get the number on that bus?" Kana, seeing stars, muttered.

"W-What's the big idea, Tessai?!" Jinta roared at the large man now hovering over he and Kana. He back downed some when Tessai solely glowered back at him. "Y-You're gonna scramble my brains if you keep hitting me like that!"

"While I don't mind you discipling Jinta, Tessai, it's going to be a problem if you nearly kill my clientèle," said Urahara, humored.

"My apologies," was Tessai's response.

"And you, Miss Mitarashi. Please do not injure my valuable employees."

Kana stuck out her tongue. "Sorry! It won't happen again!"

"Now then, the reason I asked you here today was because I'm curious about that human you accidentally loaned your powers to."

The change in subject caused Kana's mood to foul, and she simply mumbled, "...Chocolate Thunder."

#

Aaron Higuchi, sitting at his desk at school and listening to music blare through his headphones, suddenly sneezed. He had no known allergens, and there wasn't any dust or other irritants flying about, so he had no idea where that had come from.

"There must be some pretty girl talking about you right now!" Sasune Ishida smiled like the lecherous idiot he was while he pointed at his best friend. "Lucky you!"

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Like I'd believe something like that."

The last bell of the day sounded throughout Hino Municipal High School. The student body responded by hastily departing their respective classrooms to spend the rest of day thinking about something other than school. Aaron was eager to join them as he began placing his belongings into his backpack.

"Don't forget to do your homework tonight, students!" His instructor informed the backs of his pupils. None were paying his advice much mind. "I don't want to see only half the class having actually done their assignment again tomorrow!"

Aaron supposed that was easy for the teacher to say. He considered himself on the other hand to have a lot more to fret over than mere algebra problems. What happened yesterday in Hino's forest had been replaying in his mind all day, ruining his concentration and causing a number of his teachers to call him out for slacking off. All of that was inconsequential in the face of one all consuming fact however: he was a Shinigami now. This had enabled him to destroy an actual Hollow, something he had only dreamed of in the past. Maybe the previous day in its entirety was nothing more than a dream.

"Or maybe a nightmare?" he murmured.

"You okay over there?" asked Sasune once he spotted his friend staring at his hand in silence. "You're not gonna black out on me again, right?"

The Quincy was bringing up Aaron having passed out shortly after he and Kana managed to dig the newly christened Shinigami out of the ground. Kana mentioned it as a side effect of his transformation and nothing to worry about when he awoke. Neither Sasune nor Aaron had seen her since.

"Hey, are you even listening?!" Sasune determined Aaron wasn't by the way the latter was tapping his finger against his leg to the beat of the song in his ears. In a very familiar scene, Sasune practically ripped Aaron's headphones away. "Are you listening to that techno garbage again?! You know, this is why our relationship expert told us we have communication issues! You never listen to a word I have to say!"

"...What in the world are you even talking about?!" Aaron shot back. "And stop before you break those damn things!"

"Whatever! Listen up this time! I was thinking we..."

"If you're suggesting we go back to that maid café, forget it. I was thinking about just going straight home and crawling in my bed. I'm honestly really tired for some reason."

Unacceptable. Sasune could hardly fathom how lame his so-called friend was acting today. He had been as lifeless as a corpse ever since he showed up for school this morning, and frankly, it was beginning to drive the Quincy nuts. Perhaps sensing this hostility, Aaron leered at Sasune cautiously.

"Come on! Miss Mitarashi might be there!" chimed Sasune.

Aaron believed so as well, hence his hesitation. "...She might come after me with a butcher's knife after what happened. Besides, I'm still trying to think of what I'm supposed to say to her. 'Sorry' doesn't exactly cut it."

"Huh? What in the world are you talking about? Kana said she wants to see you, man! In fact, it was the last thing she said to me before she went off wherever she is now! Man, you should've seen the look on her face! I think she really digs you, bro! W-Wait, that doesn't make any sense! She likes you but not me?! Blasphemy!"

Sasune continued to angrily rant to himself, whereas Aaron's face became as bright and red as a beet. Was Sasune just messing with him, or did Kana really say such a thing? It was hard for him to fathom, yet he couldn't stop a certain grin from spreading over his mouth at the prospect.

"Alright! Let's go back to the café!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, now you want to go?! I bet!" Sasune crossed his arms and wrinkled his features. "Whatever! Works for me! I'm hungry for some of that omelette rice we never got to snack on!"

"I'm pretty sure there's something else you want to snack on that café!"

Sasune let his perverted expression do the talking for him. As insufferable as his best friend was at times like this, Aaron was at least glad to see he hadn't been made the object of Sasune's hate because he was now a Shinigami. He understood how much his friend despised them for destroying the Quincy race over two hundred years ago. Nevertheless, Sasune hadn't really even brought up the subject.

"You comin' or what, Chocolate Thunder?" An eager Sasune was already standing at the exit to the classroom with his school bag in hand. "Those maids ain't gonna wait all day!"

Aaron quickly joined him, but the two stopped in their tracks, sensing a most foreboding presence approaching. It was Konoka Mitsumi, the Red-Haired Beast and resident delinquent on campus. Her eyes heightened at their presence; she immediately recalled them from yesterday. Just like before, she wordlessly informed them to get out of the way. They were more than happy to oblige, and they next watched her toss her backpack onto the ground as she angrily took a seat at the front most desk.

"Looks like she's got detention again," said Aaron, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"She might as well just bring her bed and all her other stuff here at this rate!" said Sasune, mirroring his friend's motions.

"What do you think she did to get in trouble this time?"

"I heard she broke a guy's nose this morning. Poor bastard made the mistake of actually trying to hit on her. Even I'm notthat stupid!"

"Honestly, I'm pretty sure you are, but what happened next? What she did to the guy actually seems kinda nice considering it's her."

"Yeah, but then she ruptured the guy's spleen when he still didn't give up! He definitely stopped though when she went after the family jewels. The doctors think he'll be in the hospital for weeks if not months! I'd get a transfer in the meantime if I was him."

The story made Aaron cringe. It was hard to feel sorry for Konoka's victim though when he was foolish enough to speak with The Red-Haired Beast by choice. Even the faculty there at Hino High knew to stay clear of her if it all possible.

Konoka peered up from the assignment the instructor had given as her punishment at hearing her name mentioned several times. She wasn't shocked to see Aaron and Sasune gossiping like old ladies for a second straight day, and she snapped her pencil while gazing into their very souls. They got the hint they were going to be that pencil if they didn't get lost, so they hightailed it out of the building at the speed of light.

"D-Dammit! She's gonna kill us now for sure!" said Aaron, who was out of breath.

Sasune was panting as well. "I say we change our names and buy a small, country home in Tijuana while we still have the chance!"

Aaron wasn't sure that would work. Someone like Konoka would possibly follow them that far in the name of revenge. Being a Shinigami with a rather sharp sword and supernatural powers didn't make him feel any safer strangely.

"So, what do you plan to do with your life now?" Sasune asked him.

"Huh? Where'd that come from? What do you mean?"

"You're a Shinigami now, right? It might only be temporary, but I think it's important you understand how serious the situation you're in is."

"I'm aware," Aaron answered in a hurried tone. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I'd rather just give Kana back her powers as soon as possible if it'd just make all this go away."

"Really now. I was under the impression you enjoyed destroying that Hollow yesterday."

"...You make me sound like some sort of masochist. I certainly didn't enjoy it nearly killing me a couple of times."

"That's not what I meant." Sasune stepped forward and swung his sights on the setting sun in the distance. "You've always wanted power, right? I can tell. I always could. You've always wanted to stop the Hollows, and now you can."

"...What exactly are you trying to say, Sasune?"

He never got the opportunity to find out. Their chat was derailed when they heard their names being shouted. Upon further inspection, Aaron saw none other than Kana Mitarashi barreling toward them. Instantly, butterflies began racing around in his stomach, and he felt his face get red hot.

"Well, I'll be damned!" declared Sasune. "If it isn't our little maid in the flesh!"

"Hi, you two!" Kana gave the two her signature wink, and Aaron sensed himself growing warmer, threatening to whistle like a tea kettle at this rate. "I figured you guys were getting out of school around this time! This place looks like so much fun! Way better than the Shinigami Academy back in Soul Society, that's for sure! Your uniforms are actually stylish for one!"

Sasune grinned. "We didn't think we'd be seeing you again so soon. Not that I'm complaining! You look as radiant as always, Miss Mitarashi."

"Oh, you always know just what to say, handsome!"

"...If you two are going to flirt with one another, at least do it while I'm not here," said Aaron. He hadn't meant to sound so resentful, but there it was. He ceased gawking at the concrete under his feet long enough to see the goofy look Kana was giving him.

"You almost sound jealous there, CT!"

"'CT?'" Aaron's eyes nearly rolled into the rear of his cranium after he worked out what those initials stood for. "Stop calling me that already! And I'm not...I'm not…!"

How could he say he wasn't envious when it was exactly the case? He bit his bottom lip, frustrated, and wished they were talking about something else.

"So, where have you been all this time?" Sasune glanced at Aaron ahead of communicating his inquisition to Kana. "We were actually just about to go to your place of employment to see if you were hanging around."

"Looks like she just cost you your reason to go," joked Aaron.

"A pity but excusable if it means we get to see Miss Mitarashi again."

"Oh, that's so sweet! Wait a sec! I nearly forgot!" Kana reached into her purse and found a fingerless, red glove with the image of a skull on the back. She then placed it on, smiled warmly, and told Aaron, "Don't move, alright?"

"What am I not moving for?"

Without warning, Kana drove her hand as hard as she could into Aaron's face. Sasune expected to see a broken nose yet was greeted rather by Aaron's Shinigami form flying straight out of his now lifeless body. The remaining husk topped over, whereas Aaron prodded his finger at it in sheer disbelief.

"What the hell was that?!" he exclaimed. "W-Why am I dressed like this now?! And how can I be over there and here?!"

"Whoa! It really does work!" Kana said, admiring her handiwork.

Aaron began tugging at her blouse. "Answer my questions! Did you just kill me or something?!"

"Okay, okay! Relax already! You're not dead! Killing my customers would be bad for business! I just forcibly extracted your soul from your body using this super awesome glove! It's called...uh...um...I forgot! The name was way too long and confusing!"

"...I seriously wouldn't have ever believed you were a Shinigami if I didn't have your powers to prove it." Aaron palmed his hand over his face. "Okay, so does that thing work the other way around? Can I get back into my body before someone decides to haul it off to the morgue?"

Kana, putting away the glove, nodded. "Sure! You just gotta hop back in when you're ready! It's kinda like putting on a suit! It's getting out that's always the hard part!"

Armed with that knowledge, Aaron wasted little time in diving back into his human form, just as a decent-sized crowd had formed around he and his associates to see what was happening. The instant he got to his feet and wiped his uniform down, everyone realized he was just fine. In turn, they lost interest and dispersed.

"That's right! Nothing to see here!" shouted Sasune. "They act like they've never seen a corpse before!"

"Could you please not refer to my body as a corpse? It's honestly kind of disturbing," mumbled Aaron.

"Looks like Urahara wasn't lying about all those special items he had and what they do!" hummed Kana. "Guess I can trust him now!"

"And that is?"

Kana was too busy punching something into the pink flip phone in her grasp to hear Aaron.

"What is that thing?" he asked.

"Chappy!" she replied, holding up the keychain depicting a bunny that was attached to the bottom of the phone. "He's really popular in Soul Society!"

"N-No! The cell phone! I didn't think Shinigami even used things like that."

"Oh! This is a Denreishinki! While it might look like your average, everyday phone, Shinigami such as myself actually use it to receive orders from Soul Society while we're here in the human world! It can also detect nearby Hollows! That's how I knew where the one from yesterday was!"

"Oh, I get it." Aaron nodded. "You must be using that thing to get in contact with your superiors in Soul Society then."

"Nope! Just texting my boss and telling him I can't make it to work! I'm not really feeling it today!"

The sides of Aaron's head started to throb. "...Why did I think you were actually doing something serious for once?"

"Heh. I guess that thing does work as a real phone too," said Sasune. "I might not be too fond of Shinigami, but I'll give them credit for adapting with the times. I assumed they were still using horses and giving out orders via birds or something."

"You said you had other 'special items' from whoever this Urahara is?" stated Aaron. He had to admit he was intrigued by what he had seen thus far.

"Yep! I'm currently inside a state of the art Gigai that will help me get my powers back! Er...allegedly! Basically, a Gigai is like an artificial body we Shinigami use while in the human world since our bodies are composed of spirit energy, not flesh and blood!" Kana responded. "There is other stuff, but you're just gonna have to strip search me if you really want to find out what!"

Gagging on his own spit, Aaron cleaned his ears out at what he moments ago heard, and he was forced to use his backpack to hide how flustered he was from a giggling Kana. It was clear she enjoyed making him so uncomfortable.

"Well, this conversation is getting a bit too hot. I say we take it somewhere else," suggested Sasune. "Besides, we don't want random people overhearing us. They'll likely try to call the police thinking we're crazy. I'd also like to get some shade from this hot sun. I'm baking like a potato over here!"

"Fair enough? Any ideas?" said Aaron.

"How about your place?!"

Sasune suggested this even before Aaron finished speaking. A sense of growing dread came over the latter. He knew exactly why his friend was so eager to go to his home, meaning he needed to think of somewhere else without delay.

"How about the library? They actually have air conditioning and..."

"Wait, I've never been to CT's house!" Kana exclaimed. "I wanna go! I wanna go!"

"Well, there you have it! Aaron's house it is!" cried Sasune.

Left with little choice in the matter, Aaron weakly replied, "...F-Fine."

Directing his finger toward the east, Sasune shouted, "To the monorail!"

"To the monorail!" Kana echoed.

"Idiots," Aaron murmured, breaking the chain. He wouldn't have minded breaking a few noses while he was at it. "I seriously hope the monorail is broken."

#

The three went on their merry way, having no idea someone had been spying on them the entire time. Standing on a branch belonging to the massive tree in front of Hino High, the individual frowned prior to pulling out a Denreishinki and dialing a number.

"Yes. It's me," they stated. "The target is presently heading toward a monorail station. They're with two others. I have no clue who they are." The person stopped to listen to the voice on the other end. "...No, I haven't been detected yet. I will continue my surveillance of the target." There was another, much longer pause this time. "...I see. Understood. Just leave it to me. They'll never even know I was here until it's much too late. I may have to change things up though due to some unforeseen circumstances though."

Hanging up, the mysterious person stretched their aching limbs, winded from having to do so much following around.

"...I don't get paid enough for this," they uttered, flicking the cigarette they were smoking away. They then vanished with a use of Shunpo. Some leaves from the branch they once occupied gently tumbled downward, landing right in front of two students who were sitting underneath the tree. Though perplexed at first, they dismissed it as the wind and went back to their discussion.

#

Aaron could best describe his neighborhood in the same manner as the rest of Hino: plain and uneventful. Apartment complexes like his were peppered all over, greatly contrasting with the hills and rolling meadows that made up the remainder of town. The community was in the initial stages of urbanization. Some, like Aaron, found the idea refreshing since Hino seemed stuck in a time capsule compared to the rest of the country. Others, more specifically the older resident that had lived their for decades, were far more resistant, advocating the status quo. The former opinion was the prevailing one however, so construction was well underway.

An interesting aspect of the numerous apartment buildings was that they all looked identical. That meant that even residents like Aaron who had lived in the community all their lives would often mix up which complex was theirs. Fortunately, today wasn't one of those days for the new Shinigami.

"That's where I live." Aaron moved a finger toward the fifth floor of his building. It was so high, Kana had to squint. "It's honestly not that big, so…"

"What?! We have to go all the way up there?!" she cried, horrified beyond belief. "Are you crazy?! I'm not sweating anymore today! It totally ruins my complexion!"

"It's...not as bad as it looks!" Sasune did a rather poor job of sounding persuasive.

Aaron shrugged. "Look, it wasn't my idea to come here! If you don't want to come up, don't. I'm gonna go on ahead though since I'm home anyway."

"Don't worry. I'm coming along!" said Sasune. A chill shot down Aaron's spine at his intonation. "I just need to...check in on something! Yeah! So..."

"…I have no idea if my sister is home, Sasune," related Aaron preemptively. "I didn't see her when I left for school this morning. Usually when that's the case, she isn't going to be home for quite a while."

Sasune's high spirits were crushed by this development. Kana thought he sort of resembled a sad puppy now.

"...What the hell was the point of coming here then?" he wondered. It was the first honest thing he had said all day in Aaron's belief.

"And that's what I was saying the whole monorail ride over here!" bellowed Aaron. "I'm hungry! I'm gonna go make myself something eat! I guess I'll see you two later!"

Kana observed him wave and then head up a spiraling staircase. This spurned her to shout, "W-Wait for me, CT! I forgot there was something I needed to discuss with you! And I'm hungry too! Hey, are you listening?!"

She dashed after him, leaving Sasune by himself. Following a crowd was never his style, so he circled back to head for his own apartment. However, he then recalled that he had nothing planned today except having the pest exterminator over to take care of a rat problem.

"...Yeah, I need to get a life. Wait for me, you two!"

#

The three eventually reached the fifth floor and a door bearing a nameplate that read 'Higuchi.' Aaron fumbled with his house keys, whereas Kana simply tried to remain conscious. She couldn't recall a time where she had been so worn-out, not even during her days at the Shinigami Academy. Then again, she skipped a lot of the hard labor back then, so maybe that explained things.

"D-Dying…! Dying…!" she wheezed, lying on Aaron's porch in total agony. Every inch of her body was drenched in sweat, and she was positive she would perish if she dared move. "H-How do you climb all those stairs every day?! I-I can't feel my legs!"

Aaron halted what he was doing and replied, "...I carried you up here! What the hell are you complaining about?! I'm the one who should be feeling like dying!"

"Yeah, but you were so rough while holding me! I'm delicate! Delicate!"

"Yeah! Don't you know how to treat a lady?!" added Sasune.

Sensing his last grip on sanity being wrenched away, Aaron chose to ignore the two half-wits beside him. His distracted mind struggled to recount which of his various keys even opened his door. He wasn't sure when or how, but he ultimately found the right one and almost ran into his residence for safety. He was then reminded Kana and Sasune were supposed to be accompanying him.

"Dammit," he grumbled, showing them in. "Please don't break anything again, Sasune. Mom still gives me crap for that one vase I had to take the wrap for."

"Huh? That was like eight years ago when I was practicing my archery!" replied the Quincy, mortified. "She still remembers that?"

"Man, she still remembers that time when you tried to peep in on her in the shower!"

"Okay, that one I'll admit was messed up! S-She's not here, right?"

Kana showed herself around Aaron's kitchen, finding it spacious yet compact. It had all the necessities: a refrigerator, a stove, a microwave on the counter, and a circular table in the center. Kana took a seat at said table, sighing in ecstasy at getting off of her stinging feet.

"...I'll have what she's having!" said Sasune, who grabbed the chair next to her.

"Please don't make strange sounds here. The walls are rather thin, so the neighbors can hear everything. They're going to get the wrong idea if they hear any more of that." Aaron dove into his refrigerator in pursuit of something to quiet his rumbling stomach. There wasn't much to chose from. His older sister had cleaned out most everything. "Dammit. She eats like a black hole."

"Say, what are those leftovers on the right there? Lasagna? Miso soup? Because I kinda got this thing with miso soup. It doesn't agree with my stomach! It's delicate!"

Aaron hadn't even heard Kana sneak up on him as she attempted to get a glimpse of the silver refrigerator's contents over his shoulder. The aroma of her peach-scented perfume greeted his nostrils, and he could even feel her breath against the back of his neck. He had a sinking suspicion she was invading his personal space on purpose, yet he couldn't call her out on it because his trembling mouth refused to move.

"Hey, you're rather cute from up close, CT!" she told him. Her remark was borderline flirtatious.

"Uh...er...um…!"

This is how an overloading computer must have felt, Aaron thought. His features weren't even red anymore. They were cycling between all the colors of the rainbow, being presently on purple.

"So, are you planning to eat that baking soda or something?" Sasune jovially asked when his friend retrieved an orange box of the mentioned product. Aaron, noticing his error, hastily put it back in its proper place and threw the fridge door shut. He couldn't say he was all that hungry anymore. Kana, fully aware of her conduct, snickered.

"It sure is quiet in here!" she then said. "You don't live here alone, right, CT?"

Aaron couldn't leer at Kana straight on, choosing to admire the flowers on the table instead while he talked. "No. I live here with my mother, but she should be at work right now."

"His mom works as a nurse at the local hospital," clarified Sasune. He helped himself to an apple from a close-at-hand bowl of fruit and made a crunching sound when he took a voracious bite out of it. "So, she's never really home. I actually haven't seen her in some time."

"Which is probably a good thing since she's always nervous when you're here."

"Come on! I already told her that she wasn't going to catch me going through her underwear drawer again! That was a one time deal!"

Aaron hardly bought that. "Even when she is home, she usually falls straight to sleep. To be honest, I haven't seen much of her either. I can't really complain though. She brings home the bread. I just eat it."

"What about your sister?" asked Kana.

"Yeah, what about her?!" asked Sasune eagerly.

Aaron seriously debated on just not saying anything. "...Like I said, Izumi should be here. It's her day off from her part-time job, but I guess she stepped out. And no, Sasune! That doesn't mean you can look through her room for stuff to take home!"

With his hopes dashed, Sasune retook his seat. At the same time, Aaron took heed of Kana essentially drooling over the fruit Sasune was enjoying.

"If you're hungry, I'll make you something to eat," he commented, taking pity on her.

"Really?! Oh, you're the best, CT!" an elated Kana squealed like a piggy.

"If I were really the best, you would stop calling me that!"

Grabbing a black skillet, Aaron fired up the oven, greased the pan, and readied to cook. It then hit him that this would be his first time making something for a girl other than his mother and sister. This inspired him not to screw it up.

"Aaron's a pretty decent cook actually," said Sasune.

"I have to be. I'm the only one here half the time, and I'd starve to death otherwise."

"You should have your sister cook for you!"

Aaron let loose an outburst of chortling. "You're kidding, right? The only thing Izumi is good at when it comes to food is eating it! I can believe she's still so skinny."

"Say, what are you making me?" asked Kana.

"It's a surprise," replied Aaron.

"Great! I love surprises! Just...not the one that happened yesterday!"

"Speaking of yesterday..." Sasune, pretending his devoured fruit was a basketball, aimed a shot for the trashcan. He missed by a wide margin, eliciting a sharp glare from Aaron for dirtying up his kitchen. "What do you plan to do now that CT here has your Shinigami powers?"

Kana reflected on the matter for a short while. "You know what, I have no idea!"

Aaron nearly burned himself against his scalding, hot skillet due to her being so easygoing about her very serious plight. On the other hand, there didn't seem to be much that soured her temperament. He sort of admired that aspect about her.

"I should probably go back to Soul Society," she added. Aaron and Sasune figured by her cracking voice that going back home was the last thing she pined for. "I'm just kinda terrified of what they're gonna do to me once they find out how bad I screwed up!"

"Why not take Aaron with you?" Sasune proposed.

Again, Aaron almost charbroiled himself. "W-Whoa! Wait a sec!"

"Listen," the Quincy added. "If the two of you can explain what happened and convince the Shinigami in Soul Society this whole mess was an accident, maybe they'll let you off easy."

Kana sulked. "I...doubt it. I think you of all people know how my superiors can get, handsome! They'd likely kill CT along with me!"

"Fantastic," said Aaron sardonically. "I'd prefer a plan that doesn't involve me dying if at all possible!"

Sasune sighed. "Okay. Just...take your powers back then!"

"No, it doesn't work like that! Don't you think I would have already if I could? Since I screwed up and gave him basically all my powers, this whole thing is pretty much out of my hands! It would've been different if I had given him something like half. It's alright though! That's the part I'm not too worried about! This Gigai Mister Hat and Clogs gave should help me get my powers back in about a month!"

"...I'm gonna assume you're talking about that Urahara from before," said Aaron. "Yeah, you still haven't explained who or what he is."

"Beats me! He just some old dude that sells Shinigami stuff out in Karakura Town! I thought he was a stalker at first!"

"A random guy that sells stuff meant for Shinigami?" Sasune brushed his fingers against his chin inquisitively. "Yeah, you didn't think that was fishy at all? We should probably pay him a visit one of these days and find out who he is."

Aaron, flipping the food in his pan, asked, "You worried?"

"I wouldn't call it worry. Like I said, it's just a little fishy."

"Like Swedish Fish?" Kana merrily chimed, stuffing the confection she specified down her throat. "He even sells candy too! I got it really cheap because he said I was pretty!"

"Hey! Don't spoil your appetite with stuff like that!" Aaron cautioned her. "I'm not slaving over this hot stove for nothing!"

Saluting him and eating some more sweets, she answered, "You got it, CT!"

A grouchy Aaron asked himself why he even troubled himself with her. It wasn't like she listened to a thing he had to say, especially when it had to do with her using his actual name.

"Well, if you don't report back to Soul Society, they're gonna start to worry," stated Sasune. "The last thing I want is Shinigami swarming this town looking for you. I can't promise I won't shoot one of them in the balls or something."

"I know, I know! It's weird though! Remember when I showed you guys my Denreishinki earlier and told you how I can receive orders from Soul Society with it?" said Kana. The boys nodded. "Well, it hasn't been working properly ever since I lost my powers! Like, I can't get in contact with Soul Society at all! It's like something's jamming the signal or something! I can't even go back home the old-fashioned way because I can't open a Senkaimon without my powers!"

"A Senkai...wha?" said a noticeably puzzled Aaron.

"A Senkaimon. You can think of it as a portal or doorway that allows Shinigami like Kana to travel from Soul Society to the human world and visa versa," answered Sasune.

"Wow! You're like a Shinigami Encyclopedia!" proclaimed Kana.

"...Are you trying to make me sick? I just finished eating, you know!"

"So, if I understand correctly, you won't be able to get in contact with anyone or even go back to Soul Society until your powers are restored?" asked Aaron. He grabbed some salt and pepper to season his cuisine.

Kana shut her eyes and grinned. "Yep! Seems like it!"

"You...seem strangely okay with all of this. Can't say I wouldn't be freaking out myself."

"Why were you here in Hino to begin with? Were you assigned here?" inquired Sasune.

"Yep! I've actually been here for a couple of months! I could've gone back home anytime I wanted since this town doesn't attract a lot of Hollows, but I found out this place is amazing! The whole human world really! There's way more fun stuff to do here than the stuffy, old Seireitei!"

Considering how Aaron felt about his hometown, it was bewildering to him that anyone could honestly refer to it as enjoyable. The Soul Society and this Seireitei must have been beyond boring.

"What's the Seireitei?" he desired to know.

"What is this? A history lesson on Shinigami?" groaned Sasune. "...The Seireitei is the base of operations for the Shinigami. More specifically, it is the headquarters for the Gotei 13. They are basically like Soul Society's army, and they're divided into thirteen, distinct squads. I guess you could tell that much by the name."

Kana, astonished, said, "H-How in the world can you know all this?! You're just a human, right?! I could understand you having knowledge about Hollows and even Soul Society since you're a Quincy, but come on! Now you're just cheating!"

Using a toothpick to clean his teeth, Sasune leered at some birds chirping by an open window. "...My mother."

"Huh?"

"My mother. She's the one who told me all about this stuff."

"Your mother? Okay, how would she know? Was she a Shinigami or something?"

Sasune stayed tightlipped and simply continued to clear apple remnants from his teeth. That wouldn't do for Kana. He was hiding something, and she wasn't fond of people keeping secrets from her.

"I'd drop it if I were you, Kana," said Aaron sternly. "Like, right now."

"Oh, come on! I wanna know! I wanna know!" she whined.

"How'd you end up working at the maid café?" asked Sasune out of the blue.

"Huh? The maid café?" Kana smacked her lips at how forcibly the topic had been changed. "Well, I needed to kill time while I wasn't fighting Hollows in Hino. That's when I found that place! I didn't even have to go through an interview or anything! My boss just took one look at me and hired me on the spot!"

"I bet," Aaron and Sasune said simultaneously.

"It's a lot of fun save for the creepy old guys that try to feel you up! Plus, the money isn't bad either!"

Digging inside her cleavage, Kana pulled out a large wad of cash. Aaron, with his jaw lowered in awe, was pretty sure it was enough to buy a house or two if she desired. How anyone could make that much just working at a maid café, he hadn't the slightest clue.

"You...uh...got anything else down there?" Sasune inquired. Aaron knew that abnormal expression of his friend's well, and he also garnered Sasune wasn't asking what he was out of sheer curiosity. "I'd be happy to take a look down there myself, if you don't mind!"

"Ha! I'm not falling for that, handsome!" retorted Kana. She did the deed herself, this time retrieving a stick of gum. "Anyone want some? It's wintergreen!"

"Me! Me!" cried Sasune.

Aaron declined since he hated gum, yet he was transfixed to the place Kana had gotten in from. Her above average bust, as hypnotizing as it was, looked to be a portal to another dimension. His theory seemed validated when Kana grabbed some credit cards of all things from between them.

"Huh? Where'd these even come from?" she truthfully struggled to recall. "Oh, that's right! Old guys leave stuff like this behind all the time! Guess I was just holding them for safekeeping!"

Aaron's nose started to bleed, making him feel almost as lewd as Sasune. Thankfully, the food he was cooking was finished, allowing him to focus on something other than Kana's assets. He transferred the contents of his pan to a plate before placing the steaming meal in front of its recipient.

"Enjoy," he said to Kana.

"Wow!" The last thing Kana assumed she would be eating was omelette rice, yet there it was. Aaron even drew a smiley face in ketchup on top. "W-Why'd you make this though?"

"Just consider it an apology for me running out on you at the café yesterday."

"Okay! Thank you very much! You really are the best, CT!"

Blushing, Aaron nodded and went to wash the dishes.

"Hey! Aren't you gonna make me something?!" blurted Sasune.

"If you want something, just grab it out the fridge and zap it in the microwave," said Aaron plainly.

"What?! How come I gotta eat whatever I find, while Kana gets a home cooked meal?! I bet you would've made me something if I was as cute as her!"

"It probably would've helped if you were a girl too," replied a smirking Aaron.

Despite his friend having referred to Kana as a girl, Sasune felt she came off more like a wild beast the way she was tearing her food to shreds as she ate.

"Y-You must have been really hungry..." he stated in astonishment. "J-Just don't eat the fork and plate too, alright?"

When she tried to tell him something, she instead began to choke. Aaron came to her aid by giving her a glass of water. She chugged every last drop down and then gasped for oxygen.

"T-Thanks!" she said in between coughs. "T-That was a close one!"

"You wanna chew your food first?!" Aaron hollered. "Why are you eating like that anyway? You act like you haven't seen a bite to eat in days!"

"Sorry! I actually haven't had much to snack on, at least today anyway! I went straight to Urahara's shop the second I woke up! I guess I forgot to get something to eat before that!"

As dumb as that sounded, Aaron absolutely believed someone as airheaded as Kana would actually forget to feed themselves.

Kana snapped her fingers just then. "Wait a minute! That reminds me of something!"

"What could nearly dying possibly remind you of?" asked Aaron.

"No, silly! Not that! The whole Urahara thing! It reminded me of Shinigami, which reminded me that I had a proposition for you, CT!"

Skeptical, Aaron responded, "I'm listening."

He soon regretted saying that once Kana switched on all her charms. She loosed the buttons on her blouse, batted her long eyelashes, and puckered her lips as if she were getting fit to kiss him. All this was far too much for him; he shifted the opposite way in short order and began perspirating like he was standing in the middle of a desert.

"Well, as you know, I can't destroy any Hollows the way I am now. On the other hand, you can. You would be doing me a huge favor if you performed all my Shinigami duties until I got my powers back!"

"Yes. I had a feeling this is where the discussion was going," noted Sasune.

"Same here," said Aaron weakly. He dried his hands and dared to look at Kana once more. "Listen, I…"

"H-Hold on a sec!" Kana, seeing the dismay adoring his visage, got he required a bit more convincing. "Come on! Pretty please! I'm already in enough trouble as it is! It's only gonna get worse if Soul Society realizes I'm not taking care of the Hollows, not to mention the fact they're just gonna gobble people up if you don't help me!"

"If Hollows are your problem, then don't sweat it. Sasune here can just take care of them. He's been doing that all these years anyway."

"True, though I don't appreciate you saddling someone else's workload on me, especially a Shinigami's," said the Quincy.

"Well, that's true, but we have to remember the whole balance of the world thingy!" argued Kana.

"You didn't even know about that until I told you yesterday, sweetheart."

A scarlet-faced Kana responded, "S-Shut up! Anyway, you just gotta help me out here, CT! It's really gotta be a Shinigami that does most of the work!"

Aaron crossed his arms and chewed the matter over. Juggling being a Shinigami and a full time student sounded impossible if he were to go through with this whole ordeal, not to mention he would have to explain all his sudden disappearances to both his family and teachers at school. None of that even included he would be battling deadly creatures on a regular basis. It all just felt like more trouble than it was worth. Indeed, only a crazy person would agree to it.

"...Alright, I'll do it," he told Kana in spite of all his concerns. "You seem pretty desperate, and I don't want you to get executed because of some accident. Regardless of how I became a Shinigami, it happened, and like you said, someone needs to take care of the Hollows here in Hino until you're up on your feet again. I can't promise that I'll be as good as you or even that I won't die, but...I'll give it my best shot. You can count on me."

"Really now? I was positive you'd say no. I mean, I garnered you liked having power now, but you don't strike me as the kind of guy to put his life on the line for someone else. Then again, with a beautiful woman asking you, how could you say no?" Sasune, coming off a bit dejected, shrugged his shoulders. "I might not like it, but if that's what you've decided, I'll support you. This is only going to be on a temporary basis, right? If so, I think I can live with my best friend being a stinkin' Shinigami for a little while."

"Thanks. I know how much you hate Shinigami, so hearing that means a lot to me"

"Dangit. Don't start getting all mushy with me..."

"Don't worry, CT! Anything you need to know about how to be a badass Shinigami like me, I'll teach in due time!" A determined Kana nodded at her own words and suddenly stood, placing her face in proximity with Aaron's. "If all this goes well, I'll reward you with my body!"

Aaron, perhaps choosing the wrong time to pour himself a glass of apple juice, spat it out all over the kitchen counter. "H-Huh?! W-Wha…?! Y-Your…!"

"You gotta be kidding me! This loser gets your body, and I don't?!" roared Sasune.

Grabbing a towel, Aaron wiped himself off. "God dammit! No one's getting anyone's body, so calm down! I said I'd help you, Kana! You...you don't have to say or give me strange things! I'm not asking for anything in return!"

He might not have craved anything, yet Kana paid his comments no mind. She inched closer to him and then wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around him. The sensation of her skin against his was enough to make him worry he was going to melt into a puddle. However, he then noticed that rather than trying to work him up again, Kana seemed genuinely grateful for his kindness. Without even thinking about it, Aaron gathered the courage to try embracing her right back, not caring if an aghast Sasune bore witness.

"Am I...interrupting something here?"

Aaron, nearly biting his tongue, froze like a deer in headlights upon recognizing the taunting voice of his sister. There was no way he could mistake it for anyone else's considering how much she tended to nag him. She might have solely been two years older than him, but the way she spoke to him all the time made it seem like she was his mother.

In terms of appearance, she had brown skin, much like her brother, and flowing, medium-length hair the same color as his as well. While Aaron considered himself average at best in the looks department, Izumi was a true definition of the word 'beauty', often attracting a cavalcade of suitors. Sasune, who was salivating over her arrival, was just one of them.

"Oh, hi there!" said Kana. "Wow! You must be Aaron's sister! You two look just alike!"

"Heh. Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Izumi retorted with a sly smile. Being the victim of her sharp tongue, Aaron merely growled under his breath. She always took shots at him like this, particularly when one of his friends was there to hear it. "I thought I was imagining things when I heard a woman's voice, but I guess I was wrong. Sasune, you must've brought her here, right?"

"Me? No! Of course not!" Sasune did his best impression of a bowling ball as he floored both Aaron and Kana to get to Izumi. "I'm...uh...really happy to see you, Izumi!"

"It's nice to see you too. Well, if you didn't bring this girl here, that must mean you're still having bad luck with the ladies!"

Sasune tensely laughed. "T-To a certain extent! You know me though! I won't stop until they throw me in a jail cell or something! Uh...Aaron mentioned something about you being off from work today?"

"Did he now?" Izumi shot her brother a reprimanding glance. He picked himself off the kitchen floor and returned the gesture. "Surely, he's got to have something better to do than gossip about me. Then again, maybe he doesn't!"

"Yeah, he's such a dork sometimes!" replied Sasune dreamily.

"What's...wrong with him?" Kana whispered to Aaron." Was there something in that apple he ate earlier?"

"...Just ignore him. He's always like that with my sister."

Indeed, Izumi was perhaps the one girl Sasune had never busted out any of his lecherous tricks on, at least not in front of her anyway. His obsession with her was more like a schoolboy crush.

"Wait a minute! If you didn't bring that girl here, who did?" said Izumi, now completely baffled.

Aaron answered, "Well, no one brought her here technically. She just sort of...came."

"Really now? And is she your…?"

"Girlfriend?! Absolutely! I'm Kana Mitarashi! Nice to meet ya!" exclaimed Kana. She flung her hands around Aaron's arm just to drive home the point. Aaron's jaw, meanwhile, half near fell off his head in shock.

Izumi's reaction was more or less the same. "S-Seriously?! I-I was only joking! You're telling me my kid brother can get a girl as good looking as you?!"

Aaron was far more irked by his dear sister constantly insulting him than Kana making up bold faced lies about the nature of their relationship. He might not have been a modern day Casanova, but he felt she could give him a little credit.

"W-Wait! What the hell am I saying?! Kana's even got me believing her now!"

"Did you say something, honey bunny?" the person in question playfully chimed.

Aaron was far too upset to dignify that with a response. Sasune, on the other hand, felt left out of this love fest.

"Uh...so, Izumi!" he started. "You...uh...doing anything this weekend?"

"Aw! You're so cute!" Izumi patted Sasune on the head like he were a dog. He certainly whimpered like one afterward. "While I'm flattered, I'm afraid I'm already taken."

"...'Taken?'" Sasune's left eyelid jerked violently. "...Who is he?! What's his name?! Just give me a picture! I'm gonna be on him like white on rice on a paper plate in a snowstorm!"

"Haha! I forgot you're funny too!" said Izumi, legitimately taking his psychotic threat as a joke. Aaron and Kana knew better, taking some cautious steps away from the Quincy for their own wellbeing. "Well, I'm gonna head back to my room and take a nap. I've got a late shift at work tonight. It was really nice meeting you, Kana!"

"You too!" Kana replied.

Izumi then pointed at Aaron, who jumped a bit. "I'm keeping my eye on you! I'll let you take your girlfriend upstairs if you want, but you two better remember to stay vertical!"

"W-Would you get outta here already?!" Aaron chucked a toaster at her as she dashed out of the kitchen cackling, though it missed. She sounded exactly like the Wicked Witch of the West to him.

"Wow! She was really nice!" voiced Kana.

"'N-Nice?!' W-Were we in the same room just now?!" cried Aaron. "And why did you have to start telling her strange things?!"

Innocently, Kana retorted, "What strange things?"

Aaron, throwing his hands up, simply gave up right then and there.

"Who…?! Who?!" Sasune paced the room and kept on muttering to himself like a mad scientist scheming in a lab. He spotted Aaron and made his way over to him, grabbing on his buddy's shirt to intimidate him. The gesture mostly creeped Aaron out instead. "Wait, you I know who it is, right?! Come on! I'm your best friend! You've gotta tell me! Who's the worm that dares to mislead the heart of my Izumi?!"

"Sorry. Not a clue. That's the first time I'm hearing about this too."

"But she's your sister!"

"Hey! It's not like I keep constant tabs on her! Believe it or not, I really don't talk about her all day! Now then, could you please let me go! My mother bought me this shirt and she's gonna be ticked off to see it ruined."

Grudgingly, Sasune did as he requested. "Dammit! I'm gonna get to the bottom of this myself! I moonlighted as a detective for a while, you know!"

"Really? How'd that work out?" asked Kana.

"My first, stupid client fired me because I wouldn't stop hitting on his wife! I couldn't believe it! It was totally unprofessional to get rid of me for such a dumb reason!"

"Well, unprofessional is the appropriate term to use here," muttered Aaron. He was pretty sure now that Izumi had been lying about having a significant other. She likely only said so to get Sasune off her case. "Better luck next time?"

Sasune opened his mouth to complain some more, but froze after he and his friends became aware of an immense spiritual energy that abruptly hit them like a ton of bricks. It decidedly belonged to a Hollow, one that was close-by.

"O-Okay, that one made me kind of dizzy!" proclaimed Kana, wobbling around.

"Impossible!" Having forgotten about his situation with Izumi, Sasune became totally serious as he tried to decipher what he was going on. "T-This is one of the strongest Hollows I've ever felt!"

Aaron agreed. "Then let's not stand around! We have to take care of it before someone gets hurt!"

"Aw...and I wanted to rest for the rest of the day too!" moaned Kana.

"Didn't you say you'd help me with this whole Shinigami thing? You're not gonna let me go out there alone, right?"

"H-Hey! You can't just guilt trip me like that! That's my one weakness! Well, that and hunky guys walking around shirtless!"

"...I don't think we're talking about the same thing anymore!"

"Huh? Oh! Right! Let's go then, boys!" she shouted with much more vigor. Her compatriots were more than happy to follow her lead, and the three raced out of Aaron's apartment, all praying they weren't too late to stop some tragedy.

"Hey, bro? This might sound kind of strange, but did you feel…?"

Izumi had returned to the kitchen, yet she was welcomed by absolutely no one other than the swinging, front door. She turned her head at this, wondering where her little brother and his friends could have gotten off to in such a hurry.

END