I won't lie… did not expect a lot of people to actually like the story so much. Honestly, this makes me happy. Yes, there may be some original characters here and there, but I really do wanna focus mainly on the characters of Bleach and A Certain Magical Index. I hope you guys can understand that from here on.
Still, we can focus on that stuff later. TO THE REVIEWS!
Ikusatsunagi: Thank you.
SolSparda369: At what? Two admittedly handsome guys hanging out? Yeah, I say she has every right to be worried.
Matemeo3: Considering the Thousand Year Blood War arc will be animated soon, I wanna put out some chapters. As a guy who's read too many Fairy Tail and Naruto stories, this is a breath of fresh air.
Dragon Rider 66: Originally, I was gonna have Ichigo intervene when Touma and Mikoto fight, but this felt somewhat realistic. Trust me when I say Kuroko will be… cautious around Ichigo lol.
Bloodyguy: Dude, my buddy TheExcadrilComics hates Kuroko too. I'm… on the fence about her since she's kinda like a female version of Minoru Mineta from My Hero.
Guest: *Sees your comment and closes laptop.* Nope… nopenopenopenopenope *leaves the room.*
Zatil Hidayah Spensa: I love how you compared Ichigo and Touma. That's why I think they're a perfect fit for a friendly duo.
Haruka001: Thanks for the support, my friend.
Athrick: *Cracks knuckles* So, we're throwing down, huh?
To recap: Ichigo was finally prepared to start his first day at his new job. However, his first customers turned out to be Ruiko Saten and Kazari Uiharu, with the former being interested in the way he fought the other day. Unfortunately, Ichigo's first day was cut short when a power outage occurred. Given a break, Ichigo decided to explore his surroundings, only to encounter a teenage boy attempting to help a tired-looking woman. After the teen ran off, Ichigo was forced to help the woman, who was known as Harumi Kiyama. The two discussed the properties of Espers and Ichigo even saved a student, who was being mugged by several teens. Once he helped Kiyama find her car, Ichigo encountered the other teenager, who was named Touma Kamijou. The two had a discussion before Ichigo rushed back to his job.
Will Ichigo be spared from his boss' wrath? And what craziness will he encounter now that he has grown somewhat accustomed to Academy City? Let's find out…
'Green Mart, afternoon'
"We're with Judgment. I need everyone to leave the store at once!" A female teenager wearing a school uniform told everyone with a serious tone, her left hand holding what looked like a riot shield. Behind her was another student, this one being a male who was wearing a somewhat different school uniform. However, both seemed to wear the same armband Kuroko wore sometime ago.
"What's happening to my store?" The shopkeeper of the Green Mart asked in a confused tone, wondering why Judgment needed everyone evacuated.
"Sir, we detected accelerated gravitons here." The female told him, earning an even more confused look from him. "I'm sorry, but we think there may be a bomb here." Her words caused everyone to realize how dire the situation was as they all quickly ran out the store, leaving the two Judgement members alone. They started examining everyone: throwing products off the shelf, looking under everything, but they were having no luck.
"Owww…" The male Judgment member heard someone fall, which turned out to be a lone female student, who seemed to have hurt her leg.
"Are you alright?" The Judgment member asked as he rushed to her aid. He quickly put her arm over his shoulders and started carrying her out, unaware of what was under the magazine racket. However, he then started to hear someone shaking, prompting him to look down and find something odd.
It was a pink toy rabbit with a red bowtie and for some reason, it was shaking. Much to the Judgement member's horror, it seemed to be getting sucked into space.
"NO! NOT YE-!"
*BOOM*
Unfortunately, he was unable to finish as a large explosion erupted from where the rabbit stood. The female officer was able to use her riot shield to block the explosion and protect a nearby civilian.
But the same could not be said for her ally, who laid on the ground, unmoving.
Yet another Judgment member was severely injured by the Graviton Bomber.
'Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant, the next day'
"Okay: one raspberry ice tea, one cola, easy on the ice, a turkey sandwich combo with no tomatoes, and a veggie sandwich with avocado." Ichigo listed off as he placed the items on the table in front of him. He pulled back and gave his customers a slight smile. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Oh no. That's enough. Thank you." One of his customers, who was a female student who looked about a year younger than him, said with her own smile.
"Have a nice lunch, ladies." Ichigo gave them a small bow before he walked away, allowing them to enjoy their food.
"Wow, did you see how cute he was?" The female customer whispered to her friend.
"I know. His hair's a bit weird, but his smile… I think I almost fainted." Her friend responded with a giggle.
"Well, you're getting popular, aren't you?" One of Ichigo's fellow hosts teasingly said to the orange-haired teen as he cleaned a nearby table.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Haru. Just doing what they taught me to do." Ichigo shrugged, not seeing a problem with what the girls were saying. People judged him about his hair color all the time, so this wasn't anything new.
Then again, not many people complimented him on his looks since he was always considered a delinquent.
"You hear about what happened yesterday?" Haru questioned in a serious tone, making Ichigo raise a brow.
"What? You see another girl who's out of your league?" Ichigo asked in a surprised tone.
"Not that, smartass." Haru nudged Ichigo good-heartedly for his little jab. "I meant about the Graviton Bombing."
"Gravi-what?" Ichigo's attention was fully on his co-worker, wanting to know what he was talking about.
"Oh yeah. You did just get here." Haru realized while giving Ichigo an apologetic look. "Anyways, the Graviton Bomber is someone who uses Gravitons to make bombs in public places. The newest one was in a mart close to here."
"Was anyone hurt?" Ichigo asked with narrowed eyes.
"Only one Judgment member was hurt, apparently. Everyone else is fine." Haru answered to ease up Ichigo. "Still, hearing about that stuff isn't easy. Then again, in a city full of young Espers, there's bound to be a few bad eggs." With that, Haru went off to another table, leaving Ichigo to his thoughts.
'Great. Can't get a normal day around here, can I?' Ichigo throat while letting out a mental sigh. Then again, he should be used to crazy shit happening after all the time he spent as a Substitute Soul Reaper. 'Still, I hope it doesn't happen here.' However, Ichigo realized that tomorrow, he wouldn't have work, which meant he could explore more of Academy City. 'I hope I don't get anyone else dumped on me like before. Haruka was enough.' Just thinking about the exhibitionist researcher made Ichigo sweatdrop.
"Thinking about a cute girl, Kurosaki?" Ichigo was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar teasing voice. Turning around, Ichigo found his co-worker and trainer Mami, who looked at him with a curious look.
"Not really. Just thinking." Ichigo answered with a shrug. "Looks like everything's getting busy."
"Yup. Hope it isn't too much for you~" Mami teasingly said. However, a thought soon came to mind. "Say, do you work tomorrow?"
"Nah. The boss said I have tomorrow off. Why?" Ichigo asked curiously, making Mami smile.
"Well, since you're still new here, I can show you around." Ichigo was actually surprised by her proposal. They barely knew each other for a few days, yet now she was offering to be his guide.
"Okay… but why?" Ichigo couldn't help but ask, wanting to know the reason.
"Just thought you needed a guide around here since you're new and I'd feel bad if I didn't help." She admitted in an honest tone. "Think of it as a date, okay?" Of course, she ended it in a very teasing manner.
"I mean… sure, if you want. I'd appreciate it. But it's not a date." Ichigo told her bluntly, making Mami giggle a bit.
"Okay." Reaching into her pocket, Mami pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Ichigo. "My number. Call me tomorrow and we can meet up. That fine?"
"Sure…" Ichigo pocketed the number before he noticed another group of customers. "Gotta get back to it."
"See ya tomorrow, Ichi~" With that, Mami left for the kitchen, leaving a blank-looking Ichigo.
'What did I just agree to?'
'With Mikoto and Kuroko'
The two Tokiwadai students were currently strolling through the streets, having finished yet another day of school. However, Kuroko's yawn caught Mikoto's attention.
"You sure you're feeling alright?" Mikoto asked her roommate in concern. "You've been up again, investigating those serial attacks."
"It's the only thing I can think to do." Kuroko answered tiredly. "The search is still turning up nothing. For now, I'm just checking to make sure we didn't miss anything." If there was one thing Mikoto respected about Kuroko, it's her dedication.
"Well, it's good you wanna help. But don't push yourself too hard." Mikoto reminded her wisely, snapping Kuroko out of her tired state.
"Awww! It warms my heart to know how concerned you are for me!" Kuroko said in a happy tone. "I think what would really help is if me and you slept in the same bed tonight. That would make me feel better~"
However, rather than rebut, Mikoto simply continued to walk forward, leaving Kuroko behind. "Hey! You don't need to be so coy about it!"
However, as the two girls were continuing down the sideway, a bus drove by them.
Inside the bus stood a certain student. One that looked as normal as every other student… though, he had a much darker thought than most.
He ignored everyone around him as he listened to his headphones. However, rather than playing any normal music, the headphones were emitting a rather eardrum-shattering sound that would annoy most people.
'Not enough… it's not enough…' The teen thought as he continued to listen to the sound. He wanted revenge on those bastards who beat him. But moreover… he wanted to make Judgment pay for all the times they ignored his abuse. 'I'll make them all pay… ALL OF THEM…'
'Ichigo's apartment, late afternoon'
Ichigo turned the doorknob to his apartment before opening it, letting out a tired sigh. "I'm home." Ichigo announced as he entered the room. However, rather than hear a response, he could hear the television playing something. "Ririn?"
"Sssshhhhh!" Came a response from the Mod Soul, making Ichigo curious as he walked into the living room, only to find her watching a show. "Magical Powered Kanamin is playing a new episode and I don't wanna miss it."
"... Magical what?" Ichigo asked in a confused tone.
"Magical Powered Kanamin. It's a show that Academy City broadcasts and it's actually really good." Ririn explained as she watched the lead of the show blast several evil people with her wand. "I heard one of the neighbors watching it, so I decided to watch an episode."
"Okay… never thought you of all people would watch that stuff, but I'm not judging." Ichigo shrugged as he put down his bag, sitting next to Ririn.
"So, how was work? Did you get in another fight?" Ririn teasingly asked, much to Ichigo's annoyance.
"You really think I'm the kind of guy who fights any-" Ririn gave Ichigo a look, making him sigh. "No, I didn't. It was just a normal day, alright? Though…"
"Though what?" Ririn looked at Ichigo curiously.
"I guess… I have plans with a coworker tomorrow." Ichigo confessed while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh. Is he a new friend?" Ririn asked.
"Well… it's a she." Ichigo connected her, though this proved to be a mistake.
"... You have a date?!" Ririn shouted while looking at him with wide eyes. Of all people, she never expected Ichigo "the punk' Kurosaki to find a date, much less in less than a week.
"What? No! She's just helping me get used to the city. Nothing else." Ichigo tried to explain, though he did recall what Mami said earlier. "It's not a date!"
"Suuuuurrrrrreeeeeee." Ririn skeptically said before she turned off the tv, looking at Ichigo with her hands on her hips. "Well, if you are going out with her, you need to look your best!"
"Ririn, it isn't a date." Ichigo argued, only for Ririn to wave her hand to silence him.
"No buts! If you can't even impress one girl, how can you ever get a girlfriend?!" The Bount doll questioned, making Ichigo narrow his eyes.
"... My dad told you to do this if I ever met a girl, didn't he?" Ichigo bluntly asked, making Ririn freeze up.
"Ummmm… no?" She meekly said.
"You're a bad liar." Not wanting to argue with her anymore, Ichigo went to grab a snack. 'Please, PLEASE just let tomorrow be normal. No crazy Espers. No strippers. Just a normal hangout with Mami.'
This would not come to pass for Ichigo.
'The next morning'
'So much for being normal.' Ichigo thought as he looked at the person in front of him with a blank expression.
"What? Is there a problem with the way I look?" Standing in front of Ichigo with a curious expression was his coworker, Mami. However, rather than wear her hostess attire, she chose to wear something much more casual.
She wore a red long-sleeved crop top that showed a bit of her belly button, dark pants, brown sandals and her hair was tied in a small ponytail.
"No… it's not that." Ichigo muttered while rubbing the back of his neck. He opted to wear a black button-down shirt, with a dark violet shirt underneath, white pants and black shoes. "You look…"
"Hmmm? Don't tell me you're shy about complimenting a girl, Kurosaki~" Mami teasingly asked while leaning in, making Ichigo turn away. Seeing his face made her giggle as she backed up. "Okay, I'll stop torturing you for now."
'For now, she says.' Ichigo thought skeptically, not believing a word she said.
"But as for you…" Mami took a moment to look over Ichigo with a thoughtful expression, making the strawberry rather unnerved. "I like it. I don't know what it is, but it suits you."
"Thanks, I guess. So, what do you wanna do?" Ichigo questioned curiously.
"Well, is there anywhere you wanna check out first? Anything in particular?" Mami asked with a cute head tilt.
"As long as I get to know everything, it doesn't matter." Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly.
"Okay… how about I show you some of the shopping districts? That's where I usually go whenever I have some free time." Mami suggested, making Ichigo nod as the two began to walk down the street. "So, you like the job so far?"
"It's a lot better than my old one. I'll tell you that." Ichigo admitted. "Back in Karakura, I would take some odd jobs here and there. Since it didn't pay much, I took some part-time club jobs after school." He then began to recall all the club offers he got and how he would 'discuss' his payment per week.
"Wow. Guess you're really handy, aren't you? No wonder the boss likes you." Mami giggled as Ichigo rolled his eyes. "By the way, I'm surprised you didn't get in trouble yesterday."
"Well… I wouldn't say that." Ichigo muttered as he began to recall what happened after he returned to Joseph's.
'Flashback, a few days ago'
"Boss! Boss!" Ichigo shouted as he ran into Kagura's office, panting a bit from the run. He noticed the power at Joseph's had returned, which only made him even more nervous.
"Oh, hi there." Sitting behind the desk was Kagura Unigaya, who was typing on the computer while wearing a pair of glasses. "I was wondering if you would come back."From the sound of her voice, she seemed to be rather distant from him.
"Yeah… sorry about that." Ichigo responded while rubbing his neck. "I had to help someone who lost her car, then there was a kid who was getting-"
"You realize hundreds of people make that excuse whenever they're late, right?" Kagura cut him off as she continued to type.
"But it's… no, you're right." Ichigo relented with a sigh as he gave her a bow. "I'm sorry for coming back so late. Even if there was a blackout, I should've come back to check on you. If you're mad-"
"Oh, I'm not mad." Ichigo blinked in surprise as he looked up, this time, seeing Kagura give him an amused smile. "The blackout was unexpected and I didn't think you would show up today. You aren't in any trouble."
"If I wasn't, then why-"
"Because I wanted to have a little fun." Kagura chuckled to herself, making Ichigo sweatdrop. "My sister told me you were serious all the time, so I had to see for myself. Just promise to come back tomorrow and everything will be fine, okay?" Ichigo gave her a nod. "Then go home. It's a little late for training."
"Got it. Thanks, boss." Ichigo thanked her as he turned around.
"But Ichigo." The orange haired teen looked back, only to see a surprisingly dark aura around Kagura as she smiled sweetly at him. "If you decide to skip work too many times, I'll have to tell my sister about you. And we BOTH know how serious she is about work. Okay, dear?"
"Ummmm… y-yeah." Ichigo stuttered, feeling rather unsettled by her Unohana-like smile.
Not to self: NEVER piss off an Unigaya woman. EVER.
'Flashback end'
By the time Ichigo finished his story, Mami was still giggling in amusement.
"Glad to know that made you laugh." Ichigo bluntly told her with an annoyed frown. Why did some women feel the need to laugh at his misery? He would never know.
"Sorry, sorry. I can just picture you bowing to the boss, begging her not to punish you." Mami confessed as she ceased with her laughter. "But you got off lucky, actually. Usually, the boss is surprisingly strict when it comes to attendance. Then again, you're a new recruit, so she went easy on you. Just try not to be late."
"Sounds like you know from experience." Ichigo pointed out, making Mami shiver.
"You have no idea…" Was all the brunette said as her expression changed to a rather mortified one. "A-Anyways, up ahead is-"
"NO WAY!" The two stopped when they heard a voice behind them. Turning around, the duo were surprised to see Ruiko Saten behind them, with the level 5, Mikoto Misaka next to her, as well as the timid, but polite Kazari Uiharu. "We just keep bumping into each other, huh?" Saten asked with a grin.
"Oh, hey. Ruiko, right? And you're… Kazari." Ichigo asked as he looked at the two young girls.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Kurosaki." Uiharu greeted him with a smile.
"Do you know him?" Mikoto questioned her two friends.
"Sure do. Remember when we were supposed to meet at Joseph's before that blackout?" Saten asked the electromaster, who jumped a bit. "Well, before that happened, me and Uiharu were inside and guess who was our host?" It was obvious she was referring to Ichigo. "So, how's it going, Kurosaki?"
"I'm fine." Ichigo shrugged before gesturing to his co-worker. "By the way, this is my co-worker, Mami."
"Hello, miss." Uiharu, of course, gave Ichigo's co-worker a polite bow.
"Hey there. It's nice to meet you too." Mami then turned towards Mikoto. "But to meet one of the seven level 5 Espers in person is a shock." The brunette then leaned in slightly closer to Mikoto, much to her confusion. "You're a lot cuter in person."
"Oh. Thank you." Mikoto chuckled a bit at the slight praise before looking at Ichigo. "Are you two on a date?"
"Wait, what?!" Ichigo looked at the young girl in shock. But before he could tell her no…
"Oops. You caught us!" Mami suddenly hugged Ichigo's arm while giving the girls a smile. "Looks like the secret's out, Ichi~"
"Ichi~?" There were various reactions to this: Ichigo looked utterly mortified by Mami's words, Mikoto had her eyes widened, Uiharu covered her mouth with her hands to show her surprise, and Saten…
"Dang, Kurosaki. Not even a week in Academy City and you're already dating. Nice one." Saten told him with a wink and a thumbs up.
"S-Saten! We shouldn't tease them." Uiharu quickly told her friend.
"That's right. Me and Ichi were planning this date ever since we laid eyes on each other. It was like destiny that we would work in the same place!" Mami dramatically declared while putting her free hand over her forehead. "But alas, you caught us. Our relationship will never flourish!"
"Okay, what the hell are you even talking about?! And let go!" Ichigo tried to free himself from Mami's grip, though she was surprisingly resilient.
"Isn't it a problem if co-workers date? What if your boss found out?" Mikoto questioned with a raised brow. "You could get fired."
"Are you done messing around?!" Ichigo practically growled in annoyance at his co-worker, making Mami giggle.
"Okay, okay. I'm done." Mami released Ichigo from his grip, much to Ichigo's relief. "I was just playing a joke. We're just co-workers and I wanted to show him around since he's new."
"Awww. And here I thought we'd have some romance here." Saten whined in disappointment.
"What are you girls up to? Going on a little shopping trip or something?" Mami asked the girls politely.
"Actually, yeah. Saten and I planned on going to Seventh Mist and we invited Misaka and Shirai, though Shirai was busy." Uiharu thoroughly explained.
"Funny. I was gonna show Ichi the same thing." Mami admitted, giggling at the annoyed scowl Ichigo gave her for using such a dumb nickname. "Wanna come with us? I'm sure he could use some extra guides."
"Come on. We shouldn't bother them." Ichigo countered her.
"I don't mind." Saten quickly answered with her hands behind her back. "Besides, I still have some questions I wanna ask him. Uiharu? Misaka?"
"Well… I don't have an issue with it." Uiharu replied.
"Same here. It wouldn't be a bad idea." Mikoto added with a mild shrug.
"Then it's settled then!" Mami told them before she started to walk ahead, with Saten and Uiharu next to her. "So, what grade are you girls in?"
"Sorry about that. I didn't think she'd be so… hyper." Ichigo said to Mikoto as the two walked at the same pace.
"It's not a problem. Saten's kinda the same way." Mikoto confessed with a small chuckle. "So, how are things after that whole sword incident?"
"Oh yeah… I still have to register the thing." Ichigo admitted while looking away. Given that he was mainly focused on his new job, he didn't really think about the blade. 'Come to think of it, I haven't really looked into that thing Kisuke wanted me to find. Should probably do it before the next semester.'
"Well, if you do plan on being a hero, you should probably do it soon. Then again, a level zero should be more careful." Mikoto warned him.
"Noted. Still, everything's been normal… except for that weird blackout." Ichigo spoke out loud, not seeing Mikoto's face flinch a bit.
"O-Oh. Really?" Mikoto asked with a sweatdrop.
"Yeah. I mean I just started training at the restaurant, and it just happened. Weird, right?" Ichigo then glanced over to Mikoto and finally noticed her face. "Something wrong?"
"No… nothing at all." She answered rather quickly. Ichigo wasn't a naive person and he could tell something was making her nervous. What did she have to be nervous about? It wasn't like she caused the-
"... You're a level 5, right?" Ichigo surprisingly asked, making her nod. "And you use electricity, right?" Again, she gave a wordless nod. "... You caused the blackout, didn't you?" This time, Mikoto didn't respond, though that was all he needed to know. "Okay then."
As the group were making their way to Seventh Mist, a certain person was looking at them from across the street, holding a frog doll in his hands.
"Judgment has never done anything to help me." The teen said to himself as the sound from his headphones grew even more intense, his attention solely focused on Uiharu's armband. "Who needs them? I'll show them what happens…"
'Inside Seventh Mist, a few minutes later'
"What do you think of this?"
"Hmmm, doesn't really seem like his style. How about this?"
"It does match his hair… add this to it."
"OOHHH! That's perfect, Mami!"
"Okay… when did I become a living dress up doll?" Ichigo bluntly asked with a small tick mark on his head as he was given yet another pair of clothes by Mami and Saten, who went back to find some more. Things seemed to be normal for a bit: they went inside, checked out a few stores, etc.
However… Saten found a shirt that she felt would fit the Karakura resident and Mami, being the tease she was, decided to voice her own opinion about his clothing. And before long, the two girls hit it off and made Ichigo their unfortunate model.
"Saten, don't you think Kurosaki has enough clothes?" Uiharu asked her friend, concerned about Ichigo.
"Come on, Uiharu. Don't you think he'd look cool in this?" Saten questioned while bringing up a Hawaiian shirt with a beach-like design on the back.
"And don't forget the trunks." Mami brought up an aqua blue pair of trunks. "Ichigo?"
"Look, I can't buy all of this. Can I just get two things and call it a day?" Ichigo asked, wanting to end this.
"Fine. Party pooper." Mami and Saten relented as they went to the store next door, which specialized in female undergarments.
'It's kinda like shopping with Yuzuru.' Ichigo thought as he began to put some of the clothes he was given back. Just thinking about his little sister made the young man smile a bit. 'I really should call her and Karin later.'
"Everything alright?" He was brought out of his thoughts when Mikoto spoke to him, a curious look on her face.
"Yeah. Just thinking about my sister." Ichigo admitted as he decided to keep a black pair of jeans and a blue button down shirt. "You find anything you like?"
"Not yet. Though…" Mikoto looked away, seemingly embarrassed by something.
"Okay. Well, I'll catch up with you guys." Ichigo, not wanting to look into it any further, decided to buy the clothes. Mikoto took this chance to go to the store with the other girls.
"Ui-Ha-Ru~! Check this out!" Saten cheerfully called her friend, who walked up to her.
"What is it?" Uiharu asked curiously… only to blush brightly at what her friend was showing her.
"These would be great for you!" Saten said while showing Uiharu a pair of red panties.
"Wow. Never knew you'd like those kinds of underwear, Uiharu." Mami joined in with a giggle.
"Nonono! I'd never wear something like that!" Uiharu quickly shouted while waving her hands, not wanting to wear such daring undergarments.
"Think of how stylish and mature they'd look. Come on and try it." Saten tried to convince her friend with a grin. "Plus, you can show them off whenever I flip your skirt."
"That's EXACTLY why I can't get them!" Uiharu shouted with a brighter blush.
"You two really are funny." Mami spoke up as she and Saten laughed, much to Uiharu's embarrassment. "I'm in the mood for some new pjs. What about you?"
"In that case!" Uiharu suddenly got over her embarrassment and gestured to the girls to follow her. "Then follow me!" The trio of girls began to move forward before they noticed something odd.
Mikito was at the store Uiharu was gesturing at, and she seemed to be focused on a pair of pajamas. They were pink with different colored flower patterns and a small skirt.
"Hey, check this out." Mikoto called out while gesturing to the others. "Aren't these cute?"
"Huh, can you remember the last time someone who wore something like this?" Saten suddenly questioned with a chuckle.
"I remember a girl in elementary school wearing this in a sleepover. They were really cute." Mami admitted with a fond smile.
"I had something similar in elementary school too. But that was so long ago." Uiharu chimed in, making Mikoto look away in embarrassment.
"W-Well, yeah! Now that we're in middle school, we can't wear this type of pajamas. And Mami is even older than we are, so she definitely can't wear it." Mikoto declared with a hand under her chin.
'She's really trying to hide it. Even if she's a level 5, she's still a kid at heart.' Mami inwardly laughed before she turned towards Saten and Uiharu. "Hey, I think I found some good perfume we can sample over there. Wanna check it out, girls?"
"Sure." Both girls answered as Mami began to guide them. However, she turned back to Mikoto and gave her a wink, much to her confusion.
"Okay… wait, does she-!" Mikoto shook the thought in her head and internally thanked Mami for this chance. She definitely wanted to try out these pajamas and with her friends occupied, she can do just that. "Now's my chance…" Quickly grabbing one of the many copies of the pajamas, Mikoto quickly brought them to a mirror so she could see how it looked on her…
"Huh. So you like those kinds of pajamas, huh?" Unfortunately, she failed to take Ichigo into account, who stood behind her with a shopping bag in hand.
"AHH!" The young electromaster turned towards Ichigo while hiding the pajamas behind her. "N-No! You got it all wrong! I was… just checking the size so I can get it for Kuroko!"
"Relax. I'm not gonna judge you." Ichigo waved her off, not caring about her pajama preferences. "Hell, my little sister likes those kinds of pajamas and she's around your age."
"Oh… so it isn't weird?" Mikoto asked in a slightly shy tone, somewhat embarrassed to be caught.
"Look, they're just pajamas. It's not like you're gonna wear them in public.'' Ichigo reasoned with a raised brow. "Unless you WANT to wear-"
"Of course not!" Mikoto quickly shouted, though she covered her mouth to hide the volume of her voice. However…
"I thought I heard something familiar." The two heard a voice behind Ichigo, prompting them to turn around…
And come face to face with the 'lucky' student, Touma Kamijou.
"Hey there, Zapper. You too, Strawberry." Touma greeted them with a casual wave of his hand.
"I'm not Zapper/I'm not a Strawberry!" Both Mikoto and Ichigo shouted at Touma at the same time, annoyed by the nicknames he gave them.
"Anyways, what are YOU doing here, idiot?" The young girl questioned with a glare.
"Hang on, you know each other?" Ichigo had to ask in mild surprise. He never expected someone like Mikoto to know Touma. And judging by the way she reacted to him, they didn't have the best relationship.
"Y-You can say that." Touma stuttered with a chuckle while Mikoto glared at him more. "What about you? How do you know Zapper?"
"My name isn't ZAPPER!" Mikoto suddenly let out a small spark of electricity, making Touma and Ichigo jump back a bit. "It's Mikoto Misaka! How hard is it to understand?!"
"Sorry Zapper! Please don't cause another blackout!" Touma begged while putting his hands together and praying to her.
"Okay, let's take a breather. You're starting to get attention." Ichigo, being the mediator, told the two as he gestured to several onlookers. Mikoto, noticing this, blushed and shrunk a bit in embarrassment. "So what are you doing here, Touma?"
"Big brother!" However, Touma's answer didn't come from his mouth and instead, it came from a young girl who looked to be in middle school. She had brown hair tied in pigtails, matching colored eyes and a cute uniform. The little girl then turned around and noticed Mikoto, making her smile. "Hey, you're that nice lady from Tokiwadai!"
"Nice lady?" Mikoto looked at the girl for a few more moments before her eyes widened. "Wait, you're the girl with the bag."
"So you know her?" Ichigo asked before he glanced at Touma. "Didn't know you had a little sister, Touma."
"Actually, she's not." Touma confessed with a smile, much to their surprise. "This little girl asked me to help her find the clothing store, so she nicknamed me big brother."
"Now we're here and big brother picked out the perfect store!" The girl cheered with child-like innocence. "I'm gonna dress up real pretty and I'll look like the grownups on TV."
"There's no need to grow up too fast." Much to the other two's shock, Ichigo actually patted the little girl's head with a small, but brotherly smile. "I'm sure you'd look cute in anything. Make sure you stay close to your big brother, okay? And don't get lost."
'He's so… gentle with her.' Mikoto and Touma noted mentally, surprised to see someone as rough as Ichigo acting like a big brother. Then again, the former just found out he was a big brother, so it made sense.
"How did the two of you meet, anyways? I met Mikoto when she helped me against an Esper." Ichigo spoke up while looking at Touma, wanting to know about his and Mikoto's relationship.
"Well… I helped Zap-" One glare from Mikoto stopped Touma from using her nickname. "Misaka when she was being hit on by some thugs. I was trying to help her out, but then… she ruined my plan."
"Did you seriously think those guys were gonna fall for that lie? This idiot thought he could pretend I was his friend so we could get away." Mikoto chimed him with her arms crossed. "But he pissed me off when he started talking about how childish I was."
"I wasn't wrong…" Touma muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, Mikoto heard him.
"You know, we haven't had a rematch yet. Wanna go?" She asked while opening her hand.
"Seriously? In the middle of the mall? In front of all these people?" Touma questioned with a raised brow. However, he soon felt the little girl tug on his shirt.
"Big brother, I wanna go this way." The girl asked, making Touma smile.
"Sure. Sorry, Zapper. Maybe another time. See ya, Kurosaki." Touma told the level 5 before he allowed the little girl to lead him, leaving an annoyed Mikoto and a blank faced Ichigo.
"... You got mad that he called you childish? Really?" Ichigo bluntly asked, making her face heat up.
"S-Shut up!" Was all Mikoto said before she walked away.
'Judgment Branch 117'
Judgment had multiple offices around Academy City, each one consisting of several students who act as officers that protect those in danger.
Currently, Kuroko Shirai was inside Judgment Branch 117, though she was anything but relaxed at the moment.
"Hmmm… what if we're dealing with two culprits with the same M.O?" The person next to Kuruko suggested while snapping her fingers. She was a young and rather attractive young girl with shoulder length black hair, blue eyes that hid behind a pair of glasses and a fair skin complexion. She wore a black vest over a white shirt, a yellow tie, a patterned skirt, long socks, brown shoes and the Judgment armband on her right shoulder.
This young girl was Mii Konori, chief of Judgment Branch 117 and the superior of Kuroko Shirai and Kazari Uiharu.
"Don't be silly. That wouldn't make any sense." Kuroko countered as she sipped her tea, making Konori sigh.
"I'm grasping at straws at this point." Konori admitted with a defeated tone as she picked up one of the pieces from the last Graviton attack. Despite how long she and the others observed the remains of the bomb, they had little luck in actually finding a clue. "I just can't find a connection between the attacks."
"Well, if we don't find anything soon, we'll have another victim soon." Kuroko said out loud with a somber tone.
"If only we had one solid lead, then it wouldn't be so difficult." Konori admitted. "Nine of our colleagues have already been hospitalized."
Those words caused Kuroko to stop sipping halfway, her eyes widening a bit. "Hang on… nine?" Kuroko asked, much to Konori's confusion. "That seems like a high number for these bombings, don't you think?" It didn't take the two of them long to realize what this meant.
The Graviton Bomber wasn't trying to hurt everyone.
They were trying to hurt Judgment.
*BEEP*BEEP*
Just as they made this realization, the computer suddenly let out an alarm, followed by a map of the city. There was a big "ALERT" sign that appeared over one particular location…
Seventh Mist.
'Back with Ichigo's group'
The shopping trip wasn't as bad as Ichigo thought it was. At least once everything calmed down with Saten and Mami. Now that he wasn't being used as a dress up doll, he could now fully appreciate the clothing stores and even found a few he would consider buying when he got his next paycheck.
Currently, Ichigo leaned against the wall while looking through his phone, waiting for the others to finish their shopping.
*VRM*
"Hmm?" Ichigo raised a brow when he saw a message icon pop up with the name "Yuzu" on it. Dragging his thumb on the screen, Ichigo opened the message
Yuzuru: Hi big brother! How are you?
A smile grew on Ichigo as he texted back.
Ichigo: Fine. Sorry I didn't call.
Yuzu: It's okay! :) I know you must be excited! I heard a lot of smart people go to Academy City.
Ichigo: How's Karin and dad?
Yuzu: Karin is the same as usual, but dad said he isn't worried. He said 'Ichigo probably got into another fight! He better find a girlfriend soon, or else there won't be anymore Kurosakis!'
It was a good thing Yuzu wasn't there, or else she would've seen the tick mark on his head.
Ichigo: Glad to hear everything's okay back home. Hopefully, I can come back soon. Gotta get ready for school in a month.
Yuzu: That's great to hear! :) But please eat healthy. Don't eat too much fast food! It isn't good for you.
"Hehe. Same old Yuzu." Ichigo muttered with an amused shake of his head. No matter how old she was, Yuzu was still gonna be worried about him like a mother.
"Something funny, Ichi~?" His little moment was cut short when Mami appeared in front of him, a curious smile on her face.
"Just something from my sister. That's all." Ichigo replied as he pocketed his phone. "So, having fun?"
"Yup! The girls and I are having a blast." Mami answered before she adopted a slightly guilty expression. "Sorry it took so long. I was supposed to show you around, and I ended up wasting more time."
"Don't be. It's good to know some of the shops." Ichigo reassured her with a shrug. "You getting hungry? We can get a bite to eat or something."
"Thought you'd never ask." Mami giggled at this. "I know about a bakery that-"
"Kurosaki! Mami!" Before the brunette could finish, Uiharu suddenly called out their names as she ran over to them, with Saten and Mikoto following suit. "We have an emergency."
"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, catching the seriousness of the young girl's tone.
"You need to evacuate right now." Uiharu warned them, much to their confusion. "There's a situation going on and we need everyone here outside."
"What kind of situation?" Mami asked, surprisingly in her own serious tone.
"... There may be a bomb threat." Uiharu warned them, causing the two older teens to widen their eyes. "We believe the Graviton Bomber will strike here, so we need to evacuate."
"The Graviton Bomber? Here?" Ichigo understood the situation now. Since they were in a big location like Seventh Mist, it would be easy for someone to hide a bomb without anyone knowing. "What can I do to help?"
"You wanna help, Kurosaki?" Saten asked in a surprised tone. Not that it was all that surprising since he did step in to help that kid a few days.
"Well, I asked Misaka and Saten to help with the evacuation, but if you can help them, I would appreciate that." Uiharu told him with a grateful tone.
"What about you?" Mami couldn't help but join in, making Uiharu smile.
"I need to find where the bomb is so we can properly dispose of it." She responded, making Ichigo frown.
"No." He suddenly said with a serious tone, much to their surprise. "You aren't doing this alone. I can help find it too."
"You can't." This time, it was Mikoto who spoke up. "You're a level 0, so you wouldn't be able to help much. Besides…" She leaned in close so Mami wouldn't hear him. "You didn't bring that sword, did you?"
Her words made Ichigo widen his eyes before he scowled, annoyed with himself for forgetting the one weapon Kisuke gave him. Since he was just going out, it didn't feel right to bring it with him, so he left it in the apartment.
"I appreciate your concern, Kurosaki." Uiharu admitted with a smile. "But as a Judgment officer, it's my duty to ensure everyone's safety, including yours."
"Trust me, once Uiharu sets her mind on something, you can't convince her otherwise." Saten informed him before looking at her friend. "Just make sure you're safe, too." Giving her a nod, Uiharu then ran off to search for the bomb.
"Come on. Let's start getting everyone out of here." Mami informed the group, earning nods from the females as they split up to start the evacuation. Ichigo stood there for a moment before he went away as well.
'Don't get hurt, Kazari.' Was all he thought.
Thanks to their combined efforts, the four were able to start the evacuation of Seventh Mist, with the P.A system also instructing everyone to leave. Though they had to play it off as a simple electrical malfunction, it was more than enough to convince everyone outside.
"Good, it looks like everyone's out." Mikoto spoke up as she stood outside, with Ichigo next to her.
"Yeah…" Ichigo muttered with a frown.
"Look, I get you wanting to help, but try to be realistic." She told him with a hand on her hip. "I'm pretty sure she's scared about this, too. But if you went in-"
"I know. I know." Ichigo responded with a sigh. "It's just… I don't wanna feel useless." This made Mikoto raise a brow at his words.
"Zapper! Kurosaki!" The two then heard someone calling out to them, with the speaker being none other than Touma, who had a worried look on his face. "Have you seen that little girl anywhere?"
"Wait, I thought she was with you?" Mikoto asked with a concerned tone.
"She was. But when we went outside, I lost her." Touma explained before he looked back at Seventh Mist. "I think she might still be inside."
"Dammit." Much to the other two's shock, Ichigo suddenly ran back inside Seventh Mist, wanting to find the little girl.
"Hey! Wait up!" Mikoto, not wanting to be left out, ran after him.
"Wait! Don't go in!" Touma shouted before he too ran inside.
'With Uiharu'
With everyone outside, Kazari Uiharu could finally begin her mission: finding the Graviton bomb and alerting Judgment so they may be able to dispose of it.
The issue? She didn't know where the bomb was, nor did she know what it looked like.
'From the reports, the bombs were disguised as stuffed animals, so I need to find one that looks out of place.' The flower headband-wearing girl thought to herself as she looked around, trying to find something out of the ordinary. Reaching into her pocket, Uiharu took out her phone and dialed a certain person's number. After a minute, the person on the other end picked up.
"Uiharu! Are you alright?!" The person on the other end, who turned out to be Kuroko, asked in a hurried tone.
"I'm fine. Everyone's been evacuated and I'm currently looking for the bomb." Uiharu explained.
"But you need to get out of there!" Kuroko suddenly said, much to Uiharu's surprise. "Konori and I realized something. The Graviton Bomber's targets aren't civilians… it's Judgment officers."
"Judgment?" Uiharu muttered with wide eyes.
"In the last few attacks, the only human casualties were Judgment members. The suspect's actual target is any Judgment officer in the area, which means YOU'RE next." Hearing those words caused Uiharu to freeze up for a moment. Why would someone be targeting Judgment? Then again, there were quite a few people who could benefit with less officers around.
"Kazari!" Fortunately, she was snapped out when she heard someone call out her name. Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw Ichigo running towards her.
"Kurosaki?! What are you doing here?" Uiharu practically demanded as the older teen stopped in front of her.
"There's a kid who might still be in here. Mikoto, Touma and I went in to find her." Ichigo explained. "Have you seen a little girl with brown hair anywhere here?"
"No, I hav-"
"Hey lady! Mister orange head!" The two's conversation was cut short when they heard a young girl's voice call out to them. Looking back, they saw the little girl Touma was with running to them with a big smile.
However, she was carrying a small frog doll with her.
"There you are." Ichigo said as he and Uiharu waited for the girl to come closer. Kneeling down to her level, Ichigo looked at the girl. "Why did you come back inside?"
"I thought I saw something inside. And then, a strange man with glasses said to give you this as a present." The girl said to Uiharu innocently as she handed her the frog doll.
"Oh, did he?" Uiharu asked as she began to reach out for the doll.
However… a small sphere of energy formed in the mouth of the doll, making both Ichigo and Uiharu's eyes widen. The sphere started to absorb the doll, making it shrink.
"SHIT!" Acting quickly, Ichigo grabbed the doll and tossed it to the side as far away from him and the others as possible.
"Get down! That thing is a bomb!" Uiharu shouted as she quickly used her own body to shield the young girl. The doll continued to get absorbed by the gravitons, getting closer to detonation.
"Hang on!" Mikoto came in, reaching into her pocket to take out a coin. 'I'll Railgun it out of here!' However, the moment she took out the coin, it fell out of her fingers, bouncing on the floor. 'NO!"
"MIKOTO!" Faster than she expected, Mikoto felt Ichigo pull her into him, with his back facing the bomb in an effort to protect the level 5 Esper.
Just as the gravitons were ready to blow… someone else came in.
*BOOM*
Everyone outside of Seventh Mist screamed as a large explosion erupted from the building, blowing off one of its walls. Saten and Mami looked on in horror as the flames and smoke came out of the building.
"They got out… r-right?" Saten asked the older girl with a trembling tone, heavy concern for her friends. Mami reached out and grasped her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm sure they did, sweetie." Mami reassured her with a smile. However, she looked back at the explosion and frowned. 'Ichigo, you better not have gotten hurt.'
Among the chaos and the questions about what had happened… one person in the crowd was grinning as he began to walk away, heading into an alleyway.
'Awesome! That was perfect!' Kaitabi Hatsuya thought to himself in satisfaction. 'I'm controlling stronger and stronger power every time.' With his ego as high as a tower, he began to laugh out loud, not caring who might hear since no one was around. "I'm getting close. Just a few more attacks and I should be ready."
However, because his ears were covered by his headphones, Kaitabi was unable to hear a certain person walking behind him.
"I'll take on Judgement and all those punks at school. I'll blow every last one of-"
*Smack*
"AHHH!" His little rant was stopped when Mikoto kicked him from behind, causing him to fall into a nearby trash can. Kaitabi pushed himself up, a look of confusion on his face. "What happened?"
"Hi there." Mikoto greeted in a falsely sweet tone, getting his attention. "You know what this is all about, don't you? Mister mad bomber?"
"W-What? I don't know what you're t-talking about." Kaitabi asked in a fake surprised tone. 'Dammit! Why'd I have to run into her of all people?!'
"Well, there is a lot of property damage, I'll give you that." Mikoto commented while looking away, seemingly dropping her guard. "Too bad there wasn't a single casualty in that bombing. No one suffered even so much as a scratch."
"What?! Impossible! I was using the maximum power!" Kaitabi shouted before he covered his mouth, realizing what he just admitted to.
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Mikoto asked in a knowing tone.
"W-Well, I… I mean it looked like a huge explosion and all, so I just… guessed." Kaitabi replied while looking away, though it was clear his identity was busted. He then started reaching out for one of the utensils in his bag. "So I doubt anyone WOULD SURVIVE!" Quickly taking out a spoon, he prepared to use his ability on it…
*BANG*
Unfortunately, Mikoto was much faster as she fired a Railgun at the spoon, completely destroying it and sending Kaitabi flying from the shockwave.
"Oh right… so you're her." Kaitabi spoke up while slowly pushing himself up. "The Ace of Tokiwadai. Just my luck…"
"Mikoto! Are you okay?" Ichigo suddenly called out from the end of the alleyway, making Kaitabi's eyes widen.
'Wait… that voice…'
"I'm fine! Just needed to take out some trash." Mikoto called out as she looked over her shoulder, seeing the orange-haired teen run up to her. "Why are you here? I thought I told you I had this covered."
"Well, when you hear a big boom in an alleyway, you'd think something happened. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Ichigo answered honestly, making Mikoto look away with her cheeks slightly red. "So, this is the… guy?"
However, the moment Kaitabi turned his head, both his and Ichigo's eyes met.
"YOU/YOU?!" Both males shouted in unison, much to Mikoto's surprise.
"Hang on, you know him? Just how many people have you met, Kurosaki?" Mikoto couldn't help but ask. There were a lot of coincidences going on today, and she didn't like it.
"What the hell? YOU'RE the bomber?" Ichigo asked Kaitabi, not bothering with Mikoto's question.
"Why are you here? And… why are you talking to Mikoto Misaka?" Kaitabi questioned before his eyes widened. "Wait… you're friends! You're friends with a level 5!"
"I wouldn't call us friends, at least not yet." Ichigo said as he glanced at Mikoto before looking back at the bomber. "But why the hell did you do it? Why would you try to hurt people? Especially kids!"
"That little girl wasn't the target. It was that damn Judgment officer." Kaitabi answered with a scoff.
"But what did Kazari do to you? Tell me!" Ichigo shouted, feeling his patience grow thin.
Kaitabi let out a humorless chuckle at the question as he wiped his face. "Why? Because Judgment doesn't care." He answered, catching Mikoto and Ichigo off guard. "Espers that have strong power and the people of Judgment… they don't care about people like me. People who struggle to get by with what they have. I've been beaten down every single day, yet no one in Judgment even bothered to help me!" His expression made the tone of his voice: anger. "I'm gonna stop it… I'll kill them all." His words got Mikoto's attention as she began to walk towards him. "It's people like you who are the problem! Judgment and anyone with power is no different! All you ever do is abuse it!"
"Power, you say?" Mikoto asked as electricity sparked out of her head. She then reached out and grabbed Kaitabi by the collar, pulling him up as he looked on in fear. "I"ll show you power!" She reeled her fist back and prepared to punch him…
When Ichigo suddenly grabbed her wrist, preventing her from attacking.
"That's enough." Ichigo sternly said, much to Mikoto and even Kaitabi's shock.
"What do you mean? Didn't you hear what he said? He was gonna kill Uiharu!" Mikoto shouted at the Karakura resident, though his expression didn't change.
"Let him go. I wanna talk to him." Ichigo told the level 5 in a serious tone. She stared into his brown eyes and saw just how much he wanted to speak. Despite having more power than him, Mikoto did what Ichigo said and let Kaitabi go, allowing him to fall on his butt. Ichigo gave Mikoto a nod of appreciation before he kneeled down. "Remember when I helped you out? What happened after that?"
"Those guys… they… they left me alone for a day. But when they saw that you weren't coming back, they jumped me. They beat me up even harder." Kaitabi answered while looking down. "I was just… fed up. Why'd they have to keep attacking me? Why not someone else? Was it cause I was weak? WHY?!"
"Idiots like that don't need a reason. They just do it to do it. I would know." Ichigo told him, getting Kaitabi to look at him. "Back home, I had to deal with a bunch of jackasses too. They'd try to get the jump on me, but no matter how many people they brought, I dealt with them. I had to for a long time. Then… a friend of mine, a big guy who doesn't talk a lot, was ambushed. He was tied up and those bastards wanted to take away the one thing his grandpa gave him. So I jumped in to help. After that, I told him something." Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "I told him 'if you're gonna stake your life into not punching for yourself, then punch for me. You protect that belief, and I'll protect it too.'"
"So… what happened?" Kaitabi suddenly asked without realizing it, fully invested in Ichigo's story.
"We stuck by each other. No matter what came, we'd have each other's backs." Ichigo answered him. 'Then again, I shouldn't tell them about what else we had to deal with.' Shaking his head a bit, Ichigo looked into Kaitabi's eyes, this time adopting a calm expression. "If you have friends, go to them. If Judgment won't hear you out, then they might."
"Easier said than done." Kaitabi scoffed. "I don't have any friends. Plus, I doubt they'd be willing to help me."
"... Then I'll be your friend." Ichigo suddenly spoke up, making Kaitabi look at him like he was insane. Even Mikoto couldn't believe what he said.
"W-What?"
"I said I'll be your friend." Ichigo told him. "I can't forgive you for what you did, but I can be your ear in case you need someone to talk to. I won't abandon you."
"Yeah right. Don't lie…" Kaitabi muttered as he looked down. Why should Ichigo be friends with him? There's no way it would work.
"I'm not lying. I'd never turn my back on a friend. Otherwise, I'd be worse scum than the guys who bully you." Ichigo confessed, his tone as strong as a sword. "By the way, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. What's your name?"
"..." Rather than say a word, Kaitabi felt tears run down his eyes, an immense amount of guilt growing in his chest. This guy… this orange haired guy who at one point helped him out… was willing to be his friend. A friend… it's been so long since he had one. It felt… nice to have someone he could talk to. "K-Kaitabi… Kaitabi Hatsuya. I'm… I'm sorry…" Ichigo just reached out and put a hand on Kaitabi's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
'Wow. I didn't think he could be this… nice.' Mikoto thought to herself as she stared at the two males. She knew Ichigo was nice to kids, but hearing about his past encounters with bullies and even befriending the Graviton Bomber.
She was right: Ichigo Kurosaki was an interesting guy.
'Late afternoon'
Judgment was able to help clear things up after Kaitabi was taken into custody. Everyone who was in Seventh Mist soon left, wanting to go on with their day(and to tell their friends and family what happened.)
"Wow, that was something, huh?" Mami said out loud while stretching her arms, feeling them pop a bit. "Still, I'm glad everyone's alright."
"Same. I felt my heart stop for a minute." Saten confessed while putting a hand over her heart. After everything was done, the group decided to take a little walk to relax.
"I'm grateful for your help, Misaka and Kurosaki. Though, maybe next time, you should warn me if you do something like that." Uiharu told Ichigo with a nervous smile.
"Sorry. Just acted on instinct." Ichigo admitted while rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment.
"At least we won't have to deal with the bomber again." Mikoto added with a small smile.
"Well, I need to get back home. This was fun." Saten told the group with a smile. "Hopefully, I can see the two of you at Joseph's."
"If you do, I'll try to get you our special milkshake." Mami told her with a wink, making her smile before Saten gave them a farewell wave and she went away. "I should probably go back too. I have an early shift tomorrow." She then looked back at Ichigo. "This was fun, right? If you want, we can go out again… hopefully in a better situation."
"Yeah. That sounds good. But do you want me to walk you home?" Ichigo offered, making Mami giggle.
"And they say chivalry is dead." She commented before giving a more calm smile. "Thanks, but I'm not too far away. Besides, with what you had to do, I say you need all the rest you can get, mister hero."
"Good point." Ichigo admitted before he and Mikoto gave their goodbyes to Mami as she too walked away, leaving them alone. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Why are you asking that?" Mikoto asked with a slightly annoyed tone before Ichigo pointed at her wrist.
"Cause I think I squeezed your wrist too hard." Ichigo pointed out at the slightly red outline of Mikoto's wrist. He then looked away out of slight embarrassment. "Sorry."
"It's… fine. You just wanted to talk with Hatsuya." Mikoto responded before she too looked away. "By the way… why did you… hug me earlier?"
"Huh?" Ichigo looked back at the younger girl in confusion. Since when did he and Mikoto-oh right. Back in Seventh Mist when she dropped her coin and was about to get hit. "Well, I was just… worried, I guess."
"Worried? You realize I'm a level 5, right? I can take care of myself." Mikoto said with a small glare.
"That doesn't matter." Ichigo suddenly told her in a serious tone. "You're younger than me, and even if you're stronger, I still had to try and protect you. That's why my mom named me Ichigo, alright? If you have a problem with it, then too bad." His words made Mikoto actually blush in embarrassment. Despite not having any powers(though his sword was impressive), he was still willing to help protect her from danger. It was embarrassing, but… also somewhat nice.
"D-Don't be an idiot." Was all Mikoto muttered, making Ichigo sweatdrop.
"Whatever. I'm heading home." Ichigo said with a wave of his hand. "Take care, Mikoto. I'll see you around."
"Why do you call us by our first name?" Mikoto couldn't help but ask.
"Ehh. I don't care for honorifics." Ichigo answered before he looked over his shoulder. "You can call me Ichigo, if you want. Or Kurosaki. Doesn't matter to me." Giving Mikoto one last farewell, Ichigo left the level 5 Esper alone.
Overall, today was unexpected. It had ups and downs, especially when it came to Kaitabi the bomber, but no one was hurt. And he had to admit, it was a fun day.
However… there was one more thing he didn't understand.
"MIKOTO!" Faster than she expected, Mikoto felt Ichigo pull her into him, with his back facing the bomb in an effort to protect the level 5 Esper.
Just as the gravitons were ready to blow… someone else came in.
"TOUMA?!" Ichigo shouted as he realized who it was that was protecting them. Not looking back, Touma Kamiijou raised his right hand just as the gravitons detonated…
*BOOM*
A large explosion erupted inside the store, a large burst of flames flying towards Touma.
However, instead of incinerating the young teen, the sound of glass shattering erupted in the air. Ichigo closed his eyes, bracing himself for the explosion as he tightened his grip around Mikoto, making the young girl blush. But the pain never came, much to his confusion.
'Huh? But… the thing exploded, right?' Ichigo thought as he and Mikoto turned back… only to find something none of them expected.
Touma was still standing… and the area he was standing on was completely safe. It was like there was a massive shield that protected them from harm. Everything else was destroyed due to the bomb, yet they were completely fine.
"Are you okay?" Touma asked as he looked back, lowering his arm.
'He stopped the bomb from hurting us.' Ichigo thought as he looked up in the air. 'What kind of power do you have, Touma?'
FINALLY! After days of writing and rewatching one of my favorite anime, I'm done with this chapter. Thank god! It's not like I hated the Graviton Bomber episode, but I just wanted to get things done before we get to the really spicy stuff.
Hope this was a nice, relaxing chapter for y'all. I really wanna try to make another chapter before the end of this year since I'm getting more days off at work. Plus… BLEACH IS COMING IN OCTOBER! You know what? Screw it, NEXT CHAPTER WILL COME BEFORE OCTOBER!
Okay, okay. Sorry about that. Got too excited. Anyways, I hope everyone is still health and happy. 2022 looks to be going in the right direction, but let's not get our hopes up. Also, please vote on the poll I have on my profile.
Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything.
Next time: Level Upper