Chapter Eleven

If anyone had asked the twins of who they thought believed less in love and attraction, the obvious answer would have been Karin to many because of how boyish and rowdy she could be. Many believed Karin to be incapable of loving another man and even speculated that she was a lesbian. Karin did admit to her that she found women attractive but the only person who Yuzu had seen her with was Hitsugaya and whatever happened between the two of them set her back by a lot. She had no interest in dating afterwards.

Yuzu on the other hand, was surprisingly more practical in regard to love and emotion. She did have a few crushes in her youth (one of the more embarrassing ones being another one of Karin's guy friends, Ryohei) but she got over it as soon as he gained interest in her. Yuzu knew she had a pretty face but at the same time, she knew that men simply liked her because she fit every single stereotype of a petite, soft spoken and family oriented woman. People didn't like the idea of her… They liked the idea of exercising their authority on her and that was one thing she would never take down. In the same sense that men liked Karin because she looked older and alluring, giving them the idea of taming or dominating her.

In a nutshell, men scared her.

Which is why Kei was easy for her to be around. Kei's family moved to Japan when he was seven. His dad was Japanese American and his mom was African American. He had two older siblings and two younger siblings. Yuzu never really paid mind to him because he was Karin's soccer friend with big hair who spoke poor Japanese as a child but they started to get along when he became President of the student council and she was Vice President. He was extremely respectful and refreshing and Yuzu would never admit that she found him handsome because his ego was big enough.

Kei's dark skin, big nose, plump lips and gravity defying hair only made it so obvious. Kei, much like Sado, had to deal with being mistreated on the daily but unlike Sado, Kei was much more vibrant, outgoing and outspoken so people just levitated towards him instead. Their relationship was a complicated one. Yuzu thought Kei was kind, charming, responsible and mature. She did like him a lot and she did find him incredibly attractive — she would be surprised if no one did. He was pretty popular at school as well. But something about having a relationship scared her. It wasn't as if she was seeing other people... she just felt odd admit being in one.

"You're way too quiet." Kei noted as he shuffled through his computer as Yuzu simply looked up and shook her head. She wondered what Karin would think of her messing around with one of her best friends.

"I don't want to distract you." Yuzu said.

"You won't. My notes are in my drawer by the way… I think you missed three days worth of class." He said.

"You think? You obviously didn't miss me." Yuzu teased.

"Of course I did… But I miss your sister. Sachiko does too." Yuzu's smile fell. It was difficult keeping people like Kei in the dark about things. She wishes she could tell him, primarily because he doesn't believe her excuses at all and wishes not to pry. He is incredibly understanding and sweet, Yuzu wondered why she did not even like him like that even though he was the perfect guy in a way.

"She'll be home soon." It sounded like she was convincing herself. "Where is Sachiko?" Yuzu asked. Sachiko was his younger sister. Sachiko was friends with Karin despite being two years younger — not so much Yuzu because the two never gelled together. She played soccer with Karin whereas Kei quit a couple years back to play basketball. Even though only Ryohei and Karin played soccer, their group didn't disintegrate and in fact, Yuzu and their other friend, Midori were part of the friends group.

"A classmate's house for a sleepover." Kei rotated in his chair and his eyes caught hers. He stood up from his chair and walked over to when Yuzu was seated before kneeling in front of her.

"What?" Yuzu asked, trying to avoid the scrutiny of his gaze and he chuckled.

"You can at least talk to me about how much you miss her and I'll listen." He said. "Even if you won't tell me where exactly she is because I know you're lying to me."

"I don't owe you the truth." Yuzu stated

"I know you don't..." He said. "But talking could ease your burdens a bit."

Yuzu sighed before playing with the hair at his nape. It was always fun playing around with his hair, there was just something about the densely curly texture that made her want to stroke it. Luckily for her, he didn't mind. Kei hated it when people touched his hair unless they had his permission and Yuzu was glad to say that she earned that trust to do so. "I'll talk... give me a sec, alright?" Kei nodded before her leaned forward and pressed his lips against the base of her neck. Yuzu let out a hum at the feeling. "What about the comp—"

"It's backlogged." Kei explained in between kisses. "It's still loading results so we may as well keep ourselves busy until it's done."

"And your parents?" She asked. His parents were pretty strict and even though they liked her, they wouldn't like her being here this late.

"Work conference." He whispered against her ear. "No one here but us."

"Okay." Yuzu hummed as his lips slanted over hers and Yuzu responded in kind, feeling his fingers stroke against the small of her back, right underneath her shirt. Yuzu leaned backwards into the bed, pulling him with her until he hovered over her.

"I thought we were going to talk first." Kei said after pulling away with a chuckle as Yuzu reached for the hem of his shirt.

"And we will… But I need you to communicate with me in a different way for now." She said, pushing it up slowly, hoping he would catch the hint.

"Noted." He smirked, understanding her request and happy to comply with it.

Whether he believed his division could take care of itself for the day was completely out of his mind. He did not care whether they would set the place on fire nor did he care if Matsumoto turned the luncheon halls into brothels. While he didn't have a lot of trust in his division to be as productive as they are when he is around, he trusted them to at least get work finished first before going haywire. But for now, he has a mission to fulfil.

Hitsugaya arrived at the high gates of the Central 46 compound, embroidered with high, golden ivory fences. The Soul King was the one who declared a mandate over its elaborate construction. It's an eyesore, isn't it?

One would think the wisest men of the land would be in a more… Discrete location. Especially concerning the dangers. Hitsugaya told Hyōrinmaru who huffed and lied down on his heels. It was silly considering they beefed up security after the first massacre... but more secure measures could have been taken than just a few extra guards.

Indeed. Hyōrinmaru agreed. How are you going to enter?

Watch. Hitsugaya strided to the gate and offered a bow to the guards. "Zanpakutō on the floor." One of the guards instructed and Hitsugaya obliged. "Hands above your head." He followed. "Turn around slowly." Hitsugaya suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and followed instructions, making sure they catch sight of the sign on the back of his haori. "Full name?"

"Hitsugaya Tōshirō."

"Division?"

"Jūbantai."

"Insignia?"

"Daffodil."

"Role?"

"Captain."

"Zanpakutō; shikai and bankai."

"Hyōrinmaru. Daiguren Hyōrinmaru."

The point of these questions?

Lord knows...

"At ease." Hitsugaya put his hands down and picked up his zanpakutō. "What is your business here?"

"Undergoing investigation regarding the disappearance of former Captain and fugitive, Aizen Sōsuke." The two guards looked at each other briefly.

"We are bound to keep the investigation within the walls of the—"

"I have an executive order from the sōtaichō in order for mandatory and coordinated information flow between the two bodies." Hitsugaya reached into his haori and pulled out an envelope. "I was sent to conduct a thorough analysis and investigation of the escape site."

"But Central 46 is under the jurisdiction of—"

"And in times when a state of emergency and a total shutdown is declared, the sōtaichō has sovereignty over the entire military… That includes the war prisoners held by Central 46. Or would you prefer to take this up with our superiors?" A guard looked skeptical and grabbed the letter, opening it up and skimming through it.

You forged the sōtaichō's signature, didn't you?

I've had years of practice.

You will get into more trouble than usual.

I'm inclined not to give as much as a fuck right now. Hitsugaya brushed the spirit off and the dragon shook his head at his wielder. "You may enter. Be brief with your visit and leave so that you can not obstruct ongoing investigations."

"Very well." Hitsugaya kept a straight face but was he withheld a smug looking threatening to burst through as he walked onto the premises.

Yuzu was annoyed with herself, realising that she had fallen asleep at some point last night. While she can admit that nothing major happened this time between the two this time as they just ended up lying next to each other and talking while waiting —and admittedly forgetting — for Kei's dinosaur to boot up, she was upset that she had to lie to her dad again about where she spent the night.

What woke her up? Her cellphone vibrating in the pocket of the oversized hoodie she borrowed from Kei. She quietly untangled herself and walked out of the room, praying it wasn't her father before flipping her phone open. Haruki. She took the call. "Bitch!" The girl on the other side of the line hissed.

"Haru-chan, it's five in the morning." Yuzu said in a tired whisper.

"I don't care! How could you not tell us? Me and Mayaka are worried sick!" She yelled.

"So... otō-san finally told obaa-chan, huh?" Yuzu sighed.

"How's Karin holding up?"

"I wish I knew." Yuzu shrugged. "They forbid me from seeing her."

"Soul society fucks." Yuzu snorted. Quincies really hate shinigami with a passion and it wasn't just limited to her mother's side of the family. Apparently, her dad marrying her mom was also a struggle but eventually, her grandparents approved of them. "Look, if you need us for anything..."

"I know and I'm sorry. I should have said something. I'll update you guys." Yuzu said.

"We're coming down to your place for a couple of days." Haruki said.

"... That's perfectly fine but I'm not sure if that will change anything." The blonde said.

"We just want to support you and Karin. If any Soul Society fucks —"

"I know Maya-chan will strike before either you and I say anything." The line cut and Yuzu sighed, shaking her head before walking back to the room. Kei was up and stretching before looking back at her coming in.

"Thought you disappeared." Kei teased and Yuzu rolled her eyes.

"Put on a shirt, you floozy." She joked and Kei feigned a look of shock before sniffling.

"Aw... I'm so sad because... you think I care." He snickered afterwards before flexing his muscles to show off.

"I have muscles too." Yuzu scoffed

"You're built like a twig, munchkin." Kei stepped over to her and looked over her head. "Shit! I lost her. Where's Yuzu?"

"I hate you." Yuzu laughed, pushing him and Kei snorted out a laugh before heading back to the computer.

"Where are you going to tell your dad you spent the night?"

"Midori-chan will just be to forgive me again." Yuzu said, knowing that her father probably already called her house to see if she's there and Midori most likely said yes. Kanzaki Midori was her and Karin's mutual female friend who they were very close to.

Kei chuckled. "You're lucky that your dad is so free with you."

"And your dad isn't?" She walked over to him.

"That man whoops my ass." Kei said in English, his American accent extremely prominent in his speech. Both his patents were raised in the United States and they practically only spoke English at home because it was easier for them. Kei and all his siblings were fluent in Japanese and bilingual. The parents got by but they still struggled sometimes.

Yuzu giggled. "Well… at least he isn't letting you go rogue. I can only imagine how much trouble you can cause on your own."

Kei winced. "Ooh… That hurt." Yuzu laughed. Kei was trying to reopen the computer. "This will take a few." Yuzu shook her head at him. "You wanted this." She rolled her eyes. Kei looked at her before taking her hand and pulling her onto his lap.

"Hey! Stop manhandling me!" Yuzu giggled as she fell into him.

"You didn't let me last night through." He claimed

"Pervert." Yuzu swore as she straddled him and leaned down to kiss him. He held her hips to keep her as steady and Yuzu let out a sound from the back of her throat. He pulled away from her.

"The data is done. We should stop here." He suggested before easing her to kneel completely so that his head could hover over her shoulder and he could use the computer. Yuzu knew it wasn't just the data but she let it slide. Yuzu was not offended by the abrupt stop to their intimacy. She wished things were easier. He made her feel safe and at peace with everything. She snuggled into him.

"I haven't slept that well in ages." Yuzu carelessly admitted, only realising afterwards that she had alluded to something. Sometimes, she wishes that she could tell their closest friends at the very least… But Karin was very firm about her stance with anyone outside of their family knowing. The only people who knew were her father and her cousins who lived in Kyōto and often came to visit; the Quincy side of her family, if you will. I haven't told them about Karin yet… She sighed, realising that the two sisters would be really sad if they heard this news.

Karin never wanted anyone who had nothing to do with Soul Society to know for their own safety. She attributed Ichigo's friends knowing to Ichigo's selfishness in not caring for anyone but himself. Ever since Karin was 13, her relationship with Ichigo hit the rocks. It pained her because she knew about his shinigami lifestyle the most and yet he still went out of his way to hide it and hightail to save people who didn't care about his existence instead of his family when they were actually in danger. The day she learned about Yuzu's field trip to hell when she was away on Rotary was the day she swore that Ichigo did not care about them and as a result, she would ensure that they were able to protect their own.

But Yuzu was less critical of Ichigo and could understand the reasoning as to why the likes of Orihime and Sadō knew about the challenges he faced at the time. She could understand wanting someone to be there just to take your burdens off of but she understood Karin's concerns as well, especially now that there was a possibility of a dangerous former Shinigami taking humans for something.

"Want to talk about it?" Kei offered in typical Kei fashion and she sighed shaking her head against his chest.

"We always talk. Just a little bit of insomnia is all." Yuzu brushed it off. She stood up and turned to look at him scrolling through the information. She looked through all the data collected and was shocked. "What the…"

"What is it?" Kei asked.

"Two thousand people were filed as missing around November 9th."

"Uh... I'm not sure if this sheet shows cumulative cases or daily but… Why November 9th?"

It was the day Karin went missing. The voice in her head affirmed.

Omake

Okikiba-yakuin had called a meeting for vice captains just to quickly fill them in on what was to happen next. Vice Captain meetings were not as frequent nor were they as serious as captain meetings. They only ever occurred when something serious was happening. The last this happened was years ago when Ichigo and his friends infiltrated into Soul Society to save Rukia. From there, Captains were tasked to disseminate the information accordingly to their divisions. Strangely enough, vice captain's meetings were handled by the 3rd seat of the first division and Sasakibe Chōjirō. He was more of a right hand to Yamamoto than a vice captain, he even had more power than most captains on the court.

Hinamori Momo remembered the last time things were this tense… and it was for the same man once more; Aizen Sōsuke, her former captain. The man who she would sacrifice her own friendships for, the man whom she idolised and adored, the man who had a kind smile and a gentle disposition… A man who she has barely recognised since he revealed his true colours and almost killed her.

But it has been years. Hinamori has grown greatly since then, has gotten support from her closest friends and family, has worked harder to prove her rank out of merit and is working under a captain whom she trusts but is weary to becoming too accustomed to. She is ready for Aizen this time and she would be useful no matter how hard it got.

She spotted Kira and Renji together on the other side of the room and wanted to head over but paused. Ever since the first affair with Aizen, her friendship with Kira had been on the rocks and out became harder and harder to be around him without feeling as though she had betrayed him. Her and Renji still talked and hung out but Kuchiki-taicho was known to work his underlings to the bone so whatever free time he had, he would either spend it on sleeping or spending time with his childhood best friend.

Of course she still had Tōshirō, who she once believed was her little brother but proved to be wiser far beyond his years. She would never tire of calling him her little brother because to her, he would still be baby Shiro with long, frizzy hair and big teal eyes that only held disdain. But him growing older was only proving to be hard for him especially when he realised that he is capable of harbouring emotions.

The shogi doors slid open loudly as the busty fukutaichō of the tenth division rushed in. "I'm sorry I'm late! What did I miss?"

"Everything!" Okikiba-yakuin huffed at her. "We are in a critical state of emergency and you are still dilly dallying like an insipid fool! I would like everyone to report to me as frequently as possible. I will design rosters, assigning which divisions to which sectors in patrol units on different days. From there, you will organise your men on which shifts to take. If there is any part of the meeting you missed, ask someone to bring you up to speed. Dismissed."

"Ho!" They all saluted and Okikiba left the room.

"Uh… Matsumoto-san? Are you okay?" Hinamori asked the late vice captain.

"Eh? Yes…" Rangiku huffed. "Your stupid brother had to disappear for the day and left me in charge of the division."

"Huh?" Momo mused in surprise. "That doesn't sound like something Shirō-chan would do. Is he alright?"

"This thing with Kurosaki's little sister is really getting to him." She said.

"Kurosaki…" She said slowly, deep in thought before it clicked. "Ah! You mean the soccer player, Kurosaki Karin! What happened?"

"Huh… what do you mean what happened?" Matsumoto asked in confusion by gōbantai's obliviousness. "Have you not heard what is going on in Soul Society?"

"Not much. Taichō never really talks about current affairs unless it affects us directly as a division." Hinamori shrugged.

"That idiot…" Matsumoto huffed. "I'll fill you in later. I just want to understand why he is so guilty. He said that Karin didn't want to talk to him but you delivered the message, didn't you?"

"Message?" Hinamori echoed.

"Yes… A year ago when you were sent to the land of the living? The letter?"

Hinamori tried to recall it then turned a blush pink with a dopey look on her face. "Oh… Um… funny story…hehe…"

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Matsumoto yelled.