"You're leaving tonight?" Yuzu asked in shock. She was not sure why she was surprised anyways. He had a life to get back to.
"I'm not abandoning anyone, okay?" Ichigo huffed, catching the possible implication that that was what he was suggesting. "Everything we have gathered so far points to leads in Tokyo. Renji and Rukia will stay here for the meantime but I have to go back and check in with a lead we found."
"And what lead is that?" Yuzu asked
"It isn't important." Ichigo said and Yuzu narrowed her eyes at him. "It isn't important for you to know." He clarified and Yuzu hissed at him, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "You focus on school and keep an eye on Karin."
"Yeah... I guess." She huffed
"She still hasn't said a word to you?"
"She talked to Gina oba-san." Yuzu said.
"Well... that's good." Ichigo said
"But she isn't talking to the rest of us." Yuzu sighed. "I wish she would trust me more."
"She's in a bad space, you can't force it." Ichigo said and Yuzu felt regret over her words
"You're right." She said. "I'm being really selfish."
Now Ichigo was confused. "What do you mean?"
Yuzu let out a breath. "Sometimes, I feel like I only involved myself this much because... I want Karin to depend on me sometimes."
"What do you mean? We all depend on you..."
"Not like that, Ichigo." Yuzu said. "I'm the weak one of the family. All I can do is menial chores. Karin has always been better than me, stronger than me, smarter than me. In some sick, twisted way, I'm relieved that I had to be the one to help her."
"Yuzu!" Ichigo huffed, somewhat disappointed.
"I know but..." Yuzu sighed. "It's selfish, I know. I love Karin and she's important to me. But for once, I wasn't the burden and it made me feel good." Yuzu knew that Ichigo was disappointed in her but she needed to let it out somehow. She hated keeping it pent up.
"Look, I'll be back in town next week to check in." He said. "Keep an eye on Karin and please take care of her. Okay? She comes first... for now." Yuzu nodded and Ichigo ruffled her hair before picking up his duffel and walking through the hall and down the stairs. Yuzu sighed, deciding that she should go to bed as she slipped into her room. Unbeknownst to both of them, Karin was in the bathroom right opposite the Yuzu's bedroom the entire time and heard their conversation loud and clear.
The fourth was quiet at nights. So Mashiro would use that as an opportunity to sneak out and get some fresh air. She couldn't wait to be back at home with Lisa, Shiyori, Love and Hachi. She missed them all dearly. She was pretty sure that they outwardly announced that they don't miss her but missed her the same.
"Your hair is green again." Mashiro looked to see Kensei joining her on the bench. She didn't even see him appear but then again, captains took joy in sneaking up on people. "... you didn't tell the kid the truth."
Mashiro rolled her eyes. "So now you care?"
"I shouldn't have stayed quiet... but you didn't tell the whole truth either." He said. "About how dangerous this case may be."
"No one knows what corruption looks like outside my family and you of course, especially with Unohana dead." She scoffed. "It's similar and we needed a solution to stop her."
He nodded. "I hear ya." Mashiro stood up to try and walk away but Kensei held her back. "It's long over due but... we really need to talk shit out."
Ichigo was driving with Sado in the passenger's seat. He looked in the rear view mirror and Tatsuki was sleeping at the back of the car. She had a scrunched look on her face... that was a sleeping face he had never seen before. It was not odd or creepy that he knew what she normally looked like when she slept. They grew up together. They attended the same kindergarten and during nap time, her face looked angry as if she was fighting people in her dreams. In fact, that was a running joke between them amongst many. This face was new... in fact it was rare.
He remembered she made that face once or twice but it had to do with her father. Something was bothering her and Ichigo knew it was this case. "Eyes on the road." Sado cautioned Ichigo and he tsked, realising he was staring too long.
"What are you? My driving instructor?" Ichigo grumbled at him. They carried on in silence. Silence was a normal thing between the middle school friends but Ichigo found this one off. "What?" Ichigo asked.
"Are you sure you want to do this with her?" Chad asked
"Who else can I do this with?" Ichigo asked. "Rukia? Renji? The shit stain?" Chad chose to ignore his nickname for Byakuya and sighed, looking out the window. "I'm not thrilled about the options either, alright? We shouldn't even have to be doing this at all."
"Well, having to do it or not doesn't change anything..." Chad said. "I know how much she means to you, even if you don't want to admit it."
"I'm not having this conversation." Ichigo said.
"You have every right not to... with me at least." He said. "Not so much with her. She's good at dragging the truth out of you."
He knew it was a joke but it was true nonetheless. "Sometimes, I don't know whether I'm a masochist or unhinged." Ichigo joked back.
"... both." Ichigo tsked at his friend's attempt to crack another joke but was amused anyways as he continued to drive.
"I failed at protecting so many people." Ichigo said. "Both of my sisters... Karin even hates me."
"I don't think she hates you." Chad admitted. "... she's been through a lot and she's trying to process it."
"No, Chad. I can't slide past responsibility like that." Ichigo said. "When I first lost my powers, I always told myself that Karin had everything going on with her reiryōku under control as if she wasn't only thirteen with zero understanding what's going on. I didn't protect them by keeping them in the dark, I made them ignorant and clueless and made them even more susceptible to danger. Urahara and Yoruichi did a better job at protecting my sisters than I did."
Chad stayed silent for a bit. "... then how is what you're doing now any different than what you did over five years ago?" That blew the socks off of Ichigo. "There are definitely things you've done right and there are things you've done wrong. One thing I can think of is how you brushed them off... and I'm not talking about keeping them in the dark."
Ichigo frowned. "Do I brush them off?"
"Your sisters adore you more than you think." Chad said. "I remember how they used to run after you when we were younger. But something changed... and I don't think it was them."
Ichigo sighed as he continued to drive, deep in thought. Now that he thought about... he knew next to nothing about his sisters. He didn't know that Karin was applying to schools overseas, he didn't know that Yuzu was fast and was even the best at track in their district. He used to think all of that was trivial. Whatever they did, he was proud of them regardless. But that was never the problem. He remembers Yuzu from middle school, enthusiastic to tell him about what happened to her through the day. It was annoying at the time but he can't even remember when she stopped. In fact it was rare for even Yuzu to call. The fact that when she willingly came to Tokyo was only to talk to Tatsuki spoke volumes. Karin was a worse case. She stopped talking to him on her own accord years ago... he only noticed now because of what happened.
His sisters didn't trust him.
Mashiro woke up the next moving with a groan as sunlight stung her eyes. Her eyes struggled to open and when she couldn't recognise the walls and woke with a start. "Oi! Do you have to be so loud?" Mashiro cringed at that voice and knew immediately that she made a terrible mistake. She could not see him until he walked back into the frame of the open doorway.
Mashiro got out of the futon and stood up, trying to make a beeline for the doorway but Kensei stopped her. "Hold on... would you just relax?"
"I'm not supposed to be here." She said. "Why am I even here?" She sighed, realising she made the decision of following him back to his place at the ninth barracks to talk more privately but nothing fruitful came up from that conversation except another argument. Then the effects of the antibiotics she took earlier last night kicked in and she fell asleep on his floor. "Never mind."
"It's fine, I'll explain to Isane." He insisted.
"I can do that myself." Mashiro tried to leave but Kensei blocked her path. "Muguruma, get out of my way."
"When did I become Muguruma to you?" He asked
"When did you prefer me calling you Kensei?" She asked and Kensei said nothing. "Why do you keep saying we need to talk things over but when I ask questions, you never answer? What do we possibly have to talk about if you can't say a thing?"
Kensei sighed. "I made breakfast." He offered and Mashiro glared at him. "Nizakana." He clarified and Mashiro shook her head before trying to move past him but he held onto her wrist. "We're going nowhere with this." He said
"Says the person who can't answer my questions." She said
"I just wanted to apologise." He said
"For what?" Mashiro bellowed, pulling her wrist out of his hold and he quietened. "Do you see what I'm talking about? You've always been on this crap! Tell me... what are you apologising for?"
"Everything." He said
"Everything?" She said. "You know what? I'm sorry too! For how pathetic you are." She finally got to the door.
"I want you to come back." Kensei admitted and Mashiro stopped in her tracks. "I want you to stay, here at the ninth."
Mashiro turned and looked baffled. "Have you lost the plot?" She hissed at him.
"You know how hard it is for me to express myself."
"Fine then, what am I going to do here?" She asked
"Be my lieutenant."
"You already have one."
"You can share the post."
"And be your glorified secretary again? No thanks." She scoffed. "You expressed yourself just fine over a century ago when you didn't want me here. Did you forget about that? How about the way you created your commando with the sole intention of shutting me out of missions and left me to do the admin work? What about how you made my life here miserable to try and make me leave? Now that I'm gone, you want me back? Is your division that boring that you miss having someone to berate for fun?"
Kensei stayed silent. "Muguruma Kensei, stop playing me for a fool. I want answers!"
Kensei sighed. "At the very least, let me explain while we eat." Mashiro shook her head. "I... thought I was forgiven."
"Forgiven?" Mashiro echoed in disbelief
"We were in the world of the living for so long and you never had a problem with me." He claimed
"Ever heard of making light of a bad situation?" Mashiro scoffed. "Had that never happened, I was going to resign."
Kensei shook his head. "You don't mean that."
"Yeah, I do." She refuted. "And you wouldn't have done anything. Have you forgotten what you were like a century ago?" Mashiro sighed. "Just because you bury hatchets empty doesn't mean I do."
The captain of the ninth looked conflicted. "Mashiro, it's hard for me to talk about what happened because I'm not proud of what happened. I know what I did and I want to fix things."
"Fix what?" She demanded. "You can't fix something you don't know. That's like me calling the plumber to fix the TV when there's a hole in the ceiling."
"I know what I did."
"Do you?" Mashiro knew she was wasting her time.
"You were a threat to my plans." Kensei admitted and Mashiro rolled her eyes. "I inherited the ninth in that state but I did nothing to change it because I personally believed it was fine and that you were just a distraction to the division that would slow us down. I ended up gaining a great amount of respect for you as the years went by. I know you were planning on resigning which is why I brought you out to Rukongai during that recon mission. I was going to solve the commando after that mission because I knew how harmful it was. I knew how harmful the ninth was and I didn't do anything about it. And I'm sorry."
Mashiro frowned. "I fostered a toxic environment and it is still there to this day. Women from Shinō Academy are not looking to join and less men join each year because of the reputation this division has garnered from Tōsen. I always want to tell myself that it isn't my fault, I inherited the ninth in this state but I didn't do anything to fix it. In fact, I only made it worse when you showed up. You were the most aggravating person I ever met. Annoying, loud, whiny but you didn't even need a zanpakutō to get to where so many of us had worked years to get to. It was worse when I found out you were a noble, thinking that you don't deserve what you have compared to those who worked out of the mud and I used that against you when I knew that had nothing to do with anything.
"I am ashamed of what I did... and the situation with exile convinced me that everything was past us. It's only now I realised that we were forced to forget the past and make do with the situation. I became complacent to a fault. It's fair that everyone we left back in the world of the living hates us... because we all had our differences before being forced to put it behind us. Otherwise, I haven't apologised... because I don't think an apology is enough. It's like putting a band aid on a fracture." Mashiro only stared at him, somewhat surprised at all he was saying. "And if I'm going to be honest, I have a confession..." Kensei sighed. "The reason why I refused to acknowledge your skill in sonshō because I didn't want you to risk your life."
Mashiro was utterly dumbfounded. "You know what? I'm going back to the fourth." She made a beeline for the door but Kensei was faster and blocked the door. "Muguruma, let me out."
"Mashiro, please calm down." He begged
"No! You're controlling me! And I'm not even your subordinate anymore!" She said
"I was just trying to protect you." He said
"Who? Me?" She scoffed. "How was that supposed to protect me? If anything, it's your fault I ended up in a coma because if only you vouched for me, I would have done it painlessly!"
She stepped on his foot and blew a raspberry in his face before going out the door as he swore and hopped around. "Fucking... Mashiro!" She heard him yell but she had no desire going back. She made her way to the stairwell but was stopped by two men coming up.
"Whoa, and who is this?" One of them whistled. "Coming from taichō's place?"
"Been a long time since he brought a broad home with him." The other smirked. "Exotic looking too. Think we can hit sometime?"
"If taichō already hit then its free game." The first one reached out to touch her head but Mashiro blocked his hand before angling him in an impressive yet painful lock and knocking his head against the wall.
"This bitc—" the other stopped when Mashiro held her hand in front of his face and he stared at the sonshō seal that glowed, feeling paralysed by the reiatsu from just her hand alone. "What... is this?"
"Mashiro!" The woman turned around to see Kensei catch up to her. "Mashiro, let them go."
"Mashi... Kuna Mashiro?" The man who was paralysed in fear murmured.
"So you do know me?" She pulled her hand away and he dropped to the floor. Mashiro turned to Kensei. "And you want me to come back to this, Kensei?" He had no words this time to excuse this. "You haven't changed. Why am I not surprised? This division hasn't changed either. It's just the way you like it, huh? Congratulations on your perfect division." She said sarcastically before stepping over the men on the floor and running down the stairs.
This time, Kensei didn't chase after her.
The first day back to school after the whole ordeal was a tough one. Karin was welcomed back from soccer camp, none the wiser and immediately during free period, people had approached her to ask questions. Luckily for her, she wasn't chatty in the slightest even in her optimum condition so when people got the hint that she didn't want to talk, they left her.
Her teachers were a mixed bag: some congratulated her over her accomplishments in soccer, some berated her for not taking school seriously even though she was one of the top students of the grade, but one disappeared: Wakita-san, the young math teacher who was popular amongst the students. He had only been there since they started high school and his sudden departure was confusing. He left for another school a few days after Karin went to soccer camp.
She was surprised by a box of pineapple juice dropping into her lap before a head of fluffy, curly brown hair dropped into Ryohei's seat in front of her. "I owe you." Sachiko said before pulling out a textbook from her bag and reading. No questions. No further interactions. Just silence. Karin was appreciative of it.
She really liked her friendship with Sachiko, it was a shame she was a year younger so they couldn't hang as often as she did with her other friends. Sachiko was a social butterfly the way Yuzu was but unlike Yuzu, Sachiko was better at reading people. She knew that Karin was not one for chit chat most of the time and didn't push for any. She also had this weird tendency of not greeting people in any scenario. People insisted it was the American in her because of how uncouth it was but she didn't care. She thought greetings were awkward and when they weren't awkward, it was chuck full of trauma dumping she didn't ask for. If someone was having a bad day to rant about, they'd talk about it if they wanted and wouldn't dump it on her prematurely.
Karin popped the box open and sipped, staring out the window as Sachiko read. "How was the team?" Karin decided to ask
"Good and no one slacked while you were gone." Sachiko reassured her and Karin nodded.
"Looks like you had fun." Karin noted
"I am going to be captain since you're officially off the team." Sachiko said with a smile before going back to her book.
"Neh, neh, neh, Chi-chan!" A boy with dyed blonde with overgrown roots crouched closer to the younger girl and Sachiko rolled her eyes.
"What is it, Ryohei-kun?" She asked
"I'd like to sit at my desk." He said
"Really?" She mused and he nodded. "But I'm sitting here."
"We can reach a compromise." Ryohei patted his thighs with both hands and Kei who showed up behind him smacked him upside the head. "Ow!"
"Stop hitting on my sister, pervert." Kei told him before pulling two chairs for them to sit on.
"I was just making space for all of us." Ryohei pouted
"Sure." Kazuya showed up lazily behind them with Heita in tow, pushing his glasses up his nose as he read a manga. He was the most disheveled of the boys present. They both sat on nearby desk tops. "Keep shooting your shot at a girl who will never go for you."
"We don't know that for sure." Ryohei complained
"... I'm gay." Sachiko pointed out.
"... are you sure?"
"... doesn't she have a girlfriend?" Kazuya mentioned in a matter-of-factly tone.
"The closet is made of air at this point." Sachiko replied and Ryohei's heart audibly broke as he rambled to himself about being single forever.
"Are you reading those weird harem mags?" Kei asked, trying to cran his head to see the cover of the book Kazuya was reading, changing the subject.
"So what if I am?" Kazuya scoffed
"Gross." Sachiko said.
"You're just jealous you're not one of my girlfriends." He said
"Eh?" Sachiko asked, her eyes shifting in confusion.
"Have you ever met your so called internet girlfriends?" Heita asked him.
"... what's your point?" Kazuya asked. "I don't like 3D girls anyways." The others all paled around him. Karin looked at her friends and shook her head. Puberty hit them all like a truck and in different ways. Kei was the tallest of all of them and he was the respectful one who kept everyone in line. Heita was the most focused and goal oriented one of the boys and tended to be more logical and less playful. Kazuya became a full blown otaku... but was the hottest of the four for some odd reason and attracted the most girls but it was futile regardless. Ryohei didn't change much... he was still cowardly and perverted — just taller and knew how to use box dye better.
"We brought sweets!" Midori announced as she rushed in excitedly, dumping the baked goods on the table. Yuzu and Kyōko were close behind but not nearly as excited.
"You shouldn't be eating this much candy, Midori-chan." Kazuya said and Midori pouted.
"But I brought candy for all of us." She said before sitting on Sachiko's lap. Sachiko welcomed the action and Ryohei looked offended.
"But—" He pointed to his vacant lap but Sachiko pointed her tongue at him, hugging Midori from behind.
"Just get a cat already." Heita teased.
"And you Kyōkō-chan?"
"Pass!" She drawled as she occupied a desk top next to Heita.
"Well, Yuzu-chan needs to sit." Ryohei wagged his eyebrows and Yuzu narrowed her eyes at him before pulling a chair and settling next to Kei. "Traitor! You had a crush on me first!"
"First?" Kei echoed in confusion
"Traitor?" Yuzu questioned before taking a bread from the table.
"... in middle school." Kyōko pointed out and Yuzu giggled.
"What flavour is that?" Kei asked.
Yuzu took a bite. "Watermelon, I think? Wanna taste?" She held it against his mouth and he took a bite.
"I think you're right." He thought about it.
"You're even sharing second hand kisses?" Ryohei noted in horror
"Toba-kun, did you grow past middle school?" Yuzu asked.
"You're dying alone." Heita laughed at him reaching out for a bag of bread on the table. "By the way, congrats on the US."
Karin looked up in confusion before looking at Yuzu who scratched her head, avoiding her gaze then turning back to Heita. "Hmm." She hummed
"Can't expect anything less from Ka-chan." Kyōko stated
"Then there is us who have to prepare for entrance exams." Kei complained.
"You're American yourself! You could have applied." Ryohei pointed out.
"Not interested." Kei explained. "It's cheaper here and I'm picking my citizenship anyways."
"But you can get scholarships." Heita pointed out. "And you have the loan system?"
"Not worth it." Kei shook his head.
"So you're going without Yuzu-chan?" Kazuya asked. "Odd since the two of you are a package deal."
"Well, I wanted to stay in Japan." Yuzu shrugged. Karin looked at her sister. She was lying... and Karin didn't like the reason why she was. "Ah! The printouts! I have to go get them before our next class." Yuzu noted before standing up and returning her chair to its rightful place.
"Eh?" Midori complained.
"We'll still have lunch together." Yuzu pointed out
"But we only have a few months left until March to hang out together." She frowned.
"Well, I have to do it, Mi-chan." Yuzu said before looking at Kei. "Uehara-kun, let's go."
"Eh? But... they're just print outs."
"You're the class captain though." Yuzu playfully kicked his knee. "If Ueno sensei isn't there then you can unlock his cupboard."
"... Or I could just give you the keys." He said.
"And get in trouble? Again?" Yuzu kicked his knee again. "Let's go!"
"Hai, hai..." Kei huffed in defeat before standing up and following Yuzu out of the class. Karin watched them suspiciously but turned back to looking outside the window as her friends chatted about something else completely random.
"You'll say just about anything to spend time with me, huh?" Yuzu doesn't even know why out of all that guys she could stomach being around... why him?
"Shut up..." Yuzu told him and he laughed.
"So... are you going to tell me where the two of you have really been?" Kei asked. "Karin doesn't look too good."
Yuzu sighed, deciding to change the subject. "Do you have cram school tonight?" She cranned her head upwards to look at him. She won't lie, their height difference was staggering. Kei was taller than her brother, standing at 6'2 while she was 5'3. She reached right underneath his shoulder at his armpit joint. Karin was only slightly taller than her at 5'6.
"Why do you ask?" Kei asked and Yuzu frowned.
"No reason." She said
"... I'm free after school today if that's what you wanted to know." Kei said. "What did you have in mind?"
"... just hanging out." She shrugged and Kei snickered. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." He said. "I just find it funny that you want girlfriend benefits without actually being my girlfriend."
"What benefits?" She asked. "Friends hang out all the time."
"Being available any time you need me." Kei said and Yuzu rolled her eyes.
"Good thing I'm not your girlfriend then." She said.
"Is that so?" He said before giving her the key and turning around, walking in the other direction.
"But... wait!" Yuzu turned to stop him.
"Go get the print outs." Kei said
"Come with me." Yuzu tugged at him
"But you have the keys." Kei pointed out
"It's not the same!" Yuzu jumped on his back and Kei had no option but to give her a piggyback ride.
"Fine, fine, you win." Kei said. "Spoilt brat."
"I always get my way." She giggled. "Now let's go."
Kei grudgingly gave up before huffing a 'yosh!' and carrying her through the halls, their antics attracting attention from other people. But they didn't care. "I wish you guys would be honest." Kei said and Yuzu frowned.
"It's hard to explain." She said.
"I don't like seeing her like that," Kei said. "Her eyes look... dead almost."
"... yeah." Yuzu admitted. "And I don't know what to do about it either."