It's time for everyone's favorite and latest whore. Thanks to anybody who alerted/reviewed my pitiful story which will somehow motivate me. Yes, woe is moe. Wait, that's not how that phrase went...

Chapter Three: Protecting Oneself ≪自分を守る≫

"If you put it that way, then I'll stay," Miyako replied sarcastically.

"Thank you."

She loosened the string on the drawstring bag and took out a white nagajuban. After standing there for a few seconds, she turned around.

"Where's your bathroom?"

–––

"Why are you just standing there staring at me?" Kisuke asked.

"Get out already, I'm trying to change," she said and held up a towel.

"What are you talking about? It's not like-"

"Fine," she noted softly.

Miyako took off the school uniform shirt, and long bruises along her back clothed her in its place. She drooped the towel over her shoulders before undressing anymore.

"What are those bruises from?" he asked calmly.

"Training."

"What kind of training involves injuries like that?!"

"The way I've always trained – sparring with wooden swords. The power inside of your zanpakutou is useless if you don't have any power yourself. Just because somebody is stronger than you in a hierarchy doesn't mean you can't defeat them. Your power should match that of your zanpakutou. Therefore, you must continue to improve your own, personal strength, if you wish for your zanpakutou to become stronger. You shouldn't rely on just your zanpakutou's power. If your own strength is greater than your opponent's, even if they have a zanpakutou more powerful than your own, you're more likely to beat them."

Miyako didn't hesitate in explaining her belief. She didn't voice any emotion during it either, for there was no need to. That was simply the way she had viewed a shinigami's strength since a long time ago. Similar to many children following their parents' religion, she had followed a belief she was introduced to as a child.

"Could you at least just let me bathe in privacy?"

"R-Right." Kisuke slid the door to the bathroom closed but sat down against it on the other side.

Miyako turned a knob and the tall bathtub began to fill with water. Likewise, the room slowly became filled with steam. After it was filled to a reasonable level, she hung the towel on a rack and slowly stepped in. Miyako allowed the tub to fill a bit more, and eventually turned the knob once more to stop the water flow. She settled down in the almost full tub and rested her arms on the side of the tub. Her head also took refuge, but on left arm. She sighed out of relief.

"How are you these days?"

The splashing of water echoed.

"Same as before, I guess."

"Then why won't you let me near you?"

Another echo.

She lifted up her head. "If everything goes as planned, I'll just have to leave eventually anyway. And then it really will be the same as before…"

"You don't have to protect yourself so much."

"But… I do. I don't want to get left behind again, nor leave somebody else behind. This is… for both of our sakes."

"Then… even just for now, let it exist for now."

Miyako sighed. "I wish it were that simple."

She put her head back down after the silence continued. Ripples were made in the water from the slight movement of her body as well.

"Good night." Kisuke's silhouette could be seen standing up on the other side of the door.

"Huh?" Miyako lifted her head up again. "Oh, night…"

He slid the door to the hall closed and walked back to where they came from. She rested her head again, but this time against the wall.

"Really… how did I get myself into this?" she asked herself while closing her eyes.

–––

A door challenging her stood before Miyako. Or was she standing before it, challenging it? Was the door trying to see if she would open it, or was she trying to see if the door would open itself? She raised a hand to knock on the door, but sighed and dropped it. She backed up to the wall opposite the door and leaned against it. The water still on the back of her hair escaped onto the wall, instead of dripping onto the towel around her shoulders like it had been. She was about to step forward again, but went back to the wall.

After a few minutes of standing against the wall, she approached the door again. She lifted her right arm, made a fist, and lightly rapped on the door slowly with hesitation three times. She looked down until the door slid open. Kisuke stood on the other side, his left hand still on the frame of the door.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"What do you want?"

"I-I'm coming to bed. What else does it look like?"

Kisuke smiled and moved back from the door. He picked up Miyako's bags and put them in the corner of the room. After she was in the room, he walked back over and closed the door. She took the towel around her shoulders and dried off her hair once more before sitting it on a table in the back of the room.

"Well then, where do you want me to stay?" He tried to maintain a kind expression.

Miyako kneeled near the futon, fixed the blanket, and finally lied down on her side. She stared blankly at the wall for a while.

"Stay… here," she said quietly.

"Where? There's not too much room in here, even though it's my own bedroom."

"I meant… stay here, next to me."

"Eh? But…"

"It's fine."

Kisuke walked over to the futon and lied down on his back, placing his hands under his head.

"Why are you going after him even though he was the one that left you behind, knowing how loyal you were to him? Why not just stay here and be happy?"

"My relationship with him is different than the one that was between us. When he left, it wasn't my heart that was broken - it was my soul. That's why-"

"You're so hopeless." He put an arm over her side and scooted closer.

She rolled over onto her other side and faced Kisuke. "You're the one that still puts up with me."

"True," he said with a laugh.

Miyako smiled and turned onto her back. She looked at the ceiling, trying to imagine the star filled sky and its moon. She blinked and when she opened her eyes, she saw a moon - a moon with scruffy blond hair and shaded eyes.

"Huh?"

"You told me to stay here yourself because you wanted to be with me, too."

"Mm… mhm."

"Then why are you acting like something like this is awkward?"

"B-Because. We haven't really been together for such a long time, so it is kind of awkward."

Kisuke sighed. "You really are hopeless, aren't you?" he asked and leaned down.