Gestuga Corp Cafeteria... 6:45PM
Even though Senna got the job, she was still miserable. She was told she can start today and she did. She was unfortunately never given a chance at all. She was mocked and bullied around by the other staff members and had to endure it for the rest of the day, while she did meagre tasks like cleaning the dishes.
There was also another major issue... She didn't have anywhere to sleep. The time was around 6PM and it was quickly getting dark. She knew she couldn't stay in the cafeteria for too long.
"Perhaps Mr Kurosaki can find something for me. Though I feel like I've asked too much from him right?." She thought in fear. But then she remembered something else which gave her a bit of hope.
"Mr Kurosaki did say in the ad he's willing to help the orphanage in any way, and guess what? I'm from the exact place. Yes! This'll definitely work..."
Parking lot, 8PM.
She was ecstatic when saw Ichigo come down the stairs of the underground parking as she leaned one of the pillars next to his car. Security has been keeping a watchful eye on her lest should she try something funny with Ichigo's car. They've long given up on trying to evict the crazy girl from the area, when she set her sights on something nothing could stop the petite girl. She saw Ichigo visibly frown when he noticed her presence.
"You again." he said monotonously as he made his way to his car."You do know that you're asking for trouble right? What's your problem this time?"
"Pleasant evening isn't it Mr Kurosaki." she greeted. "So uhm... are you going home or..."
"Yes." he simply replied and opened the door to his seat. She had to act fast.
"Gr-great! That's great!" She exclaimed in fake enthusiasm. "Do you live alone or with someone else?" She asked.
"I live alo- What kind of fucking question is that! Just what the hell are you up to!?" He yelled as he immediately sat in the driver seat. He was about to close the door but found out he couldn't because the girl was holding the handle fiercely.
"Wait don't go! Okay I apologise for that question. It's just... I don't have a place to stay for the night."
"And how is that my problem?" He replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Well... I am your employee after all. Isn't it the boss's job to take care of his worker's needs?" she defended.
"No! Where'd you get that nonsense from! You're lucky I even hired you in the first place!" he replied "And get your hand off the door!"
"Mr Kurosaki please! Don't you get lonely? I'm very good company ya know- EEP!" She let out a scream when Ichigo forcefully slammed the door shut and started his engine.
"Wait! Please just hear me out!" she pleaded. "You said you'd help out the orphans and orphanage in anyway possible! Wouldn't you be doing that by helping me out?"
Ichigo scoffed. "Hmp, so what if I said that?"
Senna's heart stopped.
He let out a small chuckle "Wait, you actually thought I was serious. Haha. You're one naive girl."
"S-so... you mean... you l-lied? Was it all a lie?" she asked in disbelief, her eyes widening in horror.
"Welcome to the business world." he replied.
"Y-you don't mean that, right? You made a promise..." Tears were threatening to spill out. Is this still Ichigo Kurosaki? Her hero? Is this really the same kind-hearted and prince charming she saw on the screens? Was he doing all that just for his reputation? His status? Was he fake? One thing's for sure, the saying is true; never meet your idols.
"I was... so wrong about you. You're not the man I thought you were."
"Sorry to break ya out of lala land crazy girl. This is reality." he said as he slowly began driving away.
"So you're just gonna leave me here?!" she yelled as she watched the car drive away. "Fine! You liair! I'll tell every living soul that your campaign was nothing but a big fat lie! You'll be exposed as nothing but the fraud you are! And you know what. You're no different than the hollows who care for nothing but themselves!" she panted after finishing her rant.
To her surprise the car slowed to a halt. She took that as a sign of approval and ran over to it.
She took a seat in the back, Ichigo showing no real hostility towards her presence which meant he accepted her request somewhat. He drove off into the night supposedly to his house, an awkward silence enveloping the two.
"Thanks." she broke the silence. "For everything. And don't worry, I wasn't actually going to say those mean things about you. I'm sorry for ranting on like that." She said. Ichigo still remained quiet.
"Wow, the city looks beautiful during the night." She posted as Ichigo refused to say a word. "Aren't you going to say something?"
"You talk too much." He replied, making Senna blush a little.
"I mean can you blame me? I'm in the same car with Ichigo Kurosaki!Many would die for an opportunity like this!" She stated.
"Hmp, they're not very intelligent now are they?"
She let out a small laugh "Hehe, yeah I guess." The ride continued for a while in silence, though much less awkward this time around. Ichigo watched Senna through the mirror as she stared outside the window, in awe of the beautiful streets at night.
"The town looks gorgeous at night don't you think Mr Kurosaki?" she commented. To her surprise Ichigo answered.
"Maybe."
She let out a small smile.
"What's your name again crazy chick?" He asked.
"I'm not a crazy girl! My name is Senna!" She exclaimed and pouted.
"Senna who?"
"Senna. Just Senna." She replied in a sad tone.
"So what? No surname?" He asked with his eyebrow raised.
"Afraid so. My parents were gone by the time I was born. I don't know if I was abandoned or if they died. I was found all alone crying in the hospital." She explained in a sad, teary tone. "Therefore I was never given a surname. My family left me. Senna... just me, it's always how it's been. Even at the orphanage I was treated like I never existed save for my adoptive grandma. It still doesn't make it any less sad when I saw it destroyed. It was the only home I ever knew."
Ichigo remained quiet as she heard Senna sob a little in the back. He could feel the guilt weigh heavily on his heart. "I'm sorry." he spoke. "Sorry you had to experience all that."
Senna's eyes widened a little. 'I'm sorry... the way he said it... it sounded almost exactly like that hollow.' She thought. She shook her head out of those ridiculous thoughts. Still though, the hollow's apology was ringing in her ears.
"I just don't understand. How could those hollows stoop so low? How could they! And it's all that damned goat horned hollow's fault!" She spat in, all the while viewing the karakura streets through the window.
"And you know what's the worst part? All he could say was 'I'm sorry.' After all he did all he could say was sorry? All those lives, childhoods... and he compensates with a sorry? I know everyone is scared off him by I sure as hell am not! If I see him again I'll... I hope he rots in..."
"Okay I think that's enough." Ichigo interrupted in a serious tone, stopping Senna's rambling immediately. "Are you telling me you're planning on stopping this guy? What is a little girl like you gonna do to the town's- no, the country's most notorious criminal? Do you have some sort of strategy to combat the hollows?"
She stayed silent for a good half minute, unable to formulate an answer. "Well..." she began. "I don't know, but someone has to step up eventually. The hollows are going to ruin Japan! And if no one else will then it's up to me to do the honours. They'll pay for killing my family! And I know for a fact the soul reapers don't give a damn!"
"Can I give you a warning uhh... Senna?" he said and she nodded in response. "Stay away from them. Hollows are much more dangerous than you think and you'll be just playing with fire. You will burn, badly." He warned in a dangerous tone.
The way he spoke sent shivers down Senna's spine. She wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a warning. It sounded more like a threat to her than a warning. She remained quiet through the remainder of the journey.
After fifteen minutes of driving she took in her new surroundings and figured she was in the outskirts of the town, the road passing through a large pine forest. It was dark with lack of lighting and she was getting creeped out fast. There were a few houses here and there, presumably of the wealthy but ultimately the place was a little isolated.
'Weird... is this where Mr Kurosaki lives? But why here? Why so far away from where he works?' She pondered.
"Uhh, excuse me for asking but... where are we going?" She asked.
"My place, where else would I go?" He answered nonchalantly.
"This place is a little... sketchy, don't u think? Why would you wanna live here?"
"Several reasons... Besides I like the peace and quiet, and the trees. Well, looks like we have arrived." He said as the car slowed down towards a large silver gate.
Her eyes widened in surprise. On her left was a beautiful and fairly large white mansion surrounded by dense trees. She saw the gate being opened by two security officers as Ichigo drove towards the garage. She also saw a beautiful fountain at the entrance of the gate. She really wished she could live here forever. Maybe if she became really good friends with him or something more, get married, have kids, he could let her stay a little lo-
"Well, we've arrived. Don't get too comfortable crazy chick. I want your ass out of here as soon as possible." He said sternly. After parking the car in the garage, he got out of the car with Senna in tow and entered his domain.
Senna marveled at the rather luxurious interior of the mansion. They passed the living room which had a large flat screen TV and several couches and a coffee table. Even the kitchen looked very modern.
"Stop fooling around and follow me." He called out to Senna who stayed behind in the kitchen while he climbed up the stairs. He passed through the hall which led to many rooms and led Senna to her room for the night.
"I guess you can sleep here for tonight." He pointed to a medium sized bedroom. He got inside and turned on the light. She saw that the room didn't have much going on, just a red bed, cabinets, wardrobe and a window. Not much decoration. She expected as much since Ichigo said he lives alone. And it was dark better than the small room she had to share in the orphanage with the other kids.
"Where are you going?" she asked as she saw Ichigo leave and headed up the stairs in the corner.
"To sleep. Don't forget I still have work to do tomorrow including you so I advise you do the same." He replied as he disappeared from view, leaving Senna on her own. Still though Senna was over the moon with excitement.
'Am I dreaming?' She thought with a smile. 'If I am I hope I never wake up! This is amazing! I could live here forever! With Ichigo Kurosaki of all people!' She jumped on the bed and squealed on the pillows like a ten year old. She can finally sleep in a bed after so long. Needless to say she was very happy...
Next morning...
She woke up in the morning feeling well rested. She stretched and yawn and slid off her bed.
"Seven thirty." She said as she checked the clock on the wall. "I wonder what Mr Kurosaki is doing."
Fueled by mischief, she left her room and decided to pay her saviour a visit upstairs. 'Besides, he's probably asleep.'
Once she was on the higher floor, she noticed there were two doors on her left, two on her right and one large door all the way to the front which she guessed was his bedroom. She snooped around a bit.
The first one on her left seems to be some kind of office of some sort judging by the piles of paperwork lying around. The one on her right a storage room. There second one on the left was quite peculiar.
It was locked with heavy chains. On top of the door was a sculptured head of a deer with long horns. It didn't help that the door was painted red all over, and the door itself was hard as steel.
'I wonder what this room is for?' She pondered. She was getting an uneasy feeling and left the scene immediately. On the opposite door was a bathroom she confirmed as she heard the shower running.
'I always wondered how Mr Kurosaki looks with his shirt off.' she thought with a dreamy look. She was about to head to his room when she suddenly heard a voice.
"And where do you think you're going?" She spun around and her jaw hung. Her wish was fulfilled as Ichigo stood in front of her in nothing but a towel around his waist. She drooled as stared as his bare chiseled chest and abs drenched in water and his lean muscular arms.
"Oh! M-Mr Kurosaki! I didn't see you there uhm... great morning isn't it?" She laughed nervously. Ichigo didn't seem to appreciate her greeting and scowled harder.
"You didn't answer my question. Why were you going in my room?"
"N-nothing! I was actually looking for you and you were bathing and I thought I should look around a bit and I was looking for a shower and... I wasn't gonna do anything I swear!"
"Hmp. Fine." He replied as he went to his room. He paused at the doorway with his back facing her before saying"There are plenty of showers downstairs, don't use mine! And I don't ever want you in my room or this floor for that matter unless I give you permission understand?" She nodded in response. She wasn't paying him much attention as she stared at his enticing back muscles.
"How long are you gonna be a pain around here?" He asked.
"A week! Give me a week and I'll be off your hair!" She replied.
He turned around and gazed her up and down with a frown, causing Senna to blush. "It would be smart of you to get dressed for work. If you're late you're fired."
"Well... I didn't bring clothes with me yesterday. I forgot I left them at the restaurant hehe..." She replied sheepishly.
"And even those I doubt they are any decent. Fine, I'll lend you some money. I'm not gonna let you embarrass my company with that trash you're wearing."
"Thank-" She was interrupted by the door slamming shut behind him.
'Can't he learn to be a bit nicer than this?'
To Ichigo's surprise, it turns out Senna was more valuable to the business than he thought. Most employees enjoyed her company but most importantly her food. She was an excellent cook. The whole mood inside Getsuga changed when workers have a full satisfied belly. The cafeteria was turning into a restaurant because of more customers from outside the business. And because of that Getsuga grew in popularity.
Ichigo, although rarely home, had to admit her food was excellent. He made an effort to stay home more often just to taste her cooking. Plus, it was nice to not be alone in this rather large house. He did bring girls here and there for one night stands but they never stayed for more than one or two nights.
Because of that, it's now almost her fourth week in the mansion
"Who would have thought all it took to change Mr Kurosaki's mind is food." Keigo commented.
"Yep, no one can survive my godly cooking." Senna giggled.
"There is a saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach after all." Ryo said.
"It was pretty nice of him to let you stay. There is some goodness in him under all that rudeness." said Mizuiro
"I've been saying that for years but you guys wouldn't believe me." Senna added while folding her arms.
"You're really lucky Senna, you get to live with him in the mansion whenever you want. I wish I was in your shoes." said Orihime in a sad tone.
Mahana rolled her eyes "Oh please, she's not the only one who's been there."
"And YOU have been there?" said Tatsuki with a hint of sarcasm.
"You can count me in as well." Ryo added while her and Mahana giggled mischievously.
"Pst. As if." Senna huffee.
Rukia remained quiet, processing all the info she heard.
"I wonder what's in the locked room Senna mentioned." She pondered. "And he sleeps with Ryo and Mahana like I guessed. He is definitely not going to get in my pants anytime soon or ever."
"Oh, I forgot. As I lived in the mansion, something strange was happening with him..."
8:00 PM.
"Hm hm hm...hm hm hm hm.." Senna hummed a song as she prepared supper in the kitchen should Ichigo show up tonight. He's usually home three or four times a week but she hasn't seen him for the past five days, and she was getting worried.
"I'm so stupid." She said to herself. "I don't know why I'm so worried about him. He will never feel the same way I do for him. It's evident from the amount of girls he keeps bringing here."
Occasionally Ichigo would bring unknown females to his mansion for a rendezvous night. She didn't know why but it offended her greatly. Those women didn't care about Ichigo but she did. She wished Ichigo would start noticing her as more than an employee or a housemate. She was still determined to prove to her idol that she alone was all he needed. She felt she could relate to his previous situation and could tell he was bottling up his emotions.
There was also something creepy about her housemate she just couldn't wrap a finger around. Other than the creepy room near Ichigo's, he would never even let her in his room. She just wanted to check that's all, perhaps she could find portraits of his family or his previous life. Another locked room was the basement though Senna never paid much attention to that since most basements are smelly and locked till use.
"Eep!" She yelled out in fright as she heard the main door suddenly open. She turned around and saw Ichigo enter the house. She rushed over to greet him.
"Mr Kurosaki! Oh you have no idea how much I was-" She stopped midsentence when she saw his disheveled appearance.
Ichigo was dressed informally which was rare for her to see. His white jacket was torn and so was his shirt and white pants, exposing a deep cut on his chest which bled furiously. Blood was also coming out of his mouth. He fell forward from exhaustion and used Senna for support.
"Oh god are you alright? W-what happened?" She asked in horror.
"D-do I look like... I'm okay?" he replied tiredly.
"Okay pardon me. B-but I uhh... what should I do? I mean you're all battered and bruised! Should I call the ambulance?" She said while trying to keep herself from panicking. as Ichigo leaned in her shoulder.
"No!" he managed to yell out. "Anything but that! G-get me to my... room. There is some first... aid kit I stored up..." replied the wounded up boss.
"Oh okay. R-right away sir." she replied as she supported him to his room.
Next morning, 6AM.
She was barely able to sleep the previous night as she watched and nursed Ichigo's wounds. She was confident she did a decent job despite her inexperience. She sat on Ichigo's king size bed while he slept peacefully next to her. She was alerted when he began opening his eyes slowly.
"You're finally waking up." she said with a smile. "You got me worried for a sec."
"Th-thank you. For you know, helping me." He replied hoarsely. He tried to sit up straight but came down immediately and clutched his chest in pain.
"No no no, don't get up just yet. You'll only hurt yourself and might reopen your wounds." she cautioned. He looked down himself and saw that he was covered in bandages on his his chest area.
She sighed before speaking again "Are you gonna tell me what happened?" He looked the other direction and she took that as a sign that it was a no. She sighed again "Aren't you tired Mr Kurosaki? Of always being quiet? Always being rude? Why do you keep pushing me away? I thought me and you could reach a deeper understanding of each other. We're not that different as you might think. You were on my shoes at one point. Abandoned, rejected..."
Silence.
"You can trust me. I mean I trusted you as a stranger to save me regardless of the consequences. Warming up to me a little wouldn't hurt you know. After all we live in the same roof and I'm thankful to you for that, but we can't just keep living like we're strangers." She said disappointedly.
"Do you really wanna know?" he spoke finally. She nodded in response. "Hollows."
Senna's brow raised"Hollows?"
"Hollows. I was attacked by a gang..."
"Okaaay but... where's your car then?" She asked.
"I was ambushed on one of my... business duties. And I was outside when it happened."
"You came all the way here on foot?!" she exclaimed in shock and concern.
"N-no, a friend of mine dropped me here." He replied while coughing a little from all the talking.
"I see. Who was this friend of yours? Is he from work?"
"Let's stop... with the questions alright? I told you all the important details you need to know." He replied in slight annoyance.
"Okay I'll stop. Still, you should be more careful Mr Kurosaki. You could have been seriously hurt or... Getsuga Corp cannot afford to lose you."
'And also me.'
"You're... over exaggerating... I'll be fine." he assured.
"Still, don't you think we should call a doctor? And perhaps open up a case at the Seretei force? We can't just let them get away with this!"
"No." He said with a frown.
"But..."
"I said no okay!" He yelled harshly, making Senna sadden a little. "Okay, sorry about that. Let's just drop it. I'll handle this... do not tell a soul about what happened okay?"
She hesitantly nodded.
"I'll need a few days to recover... tell everyone at work I was struck with a fever or something, you figure it out."
She sighed heavily "Alright then." she said. "Is this the first time you're-" she stopped when Ichigo glared at her furiously. "Okay okay! I won't say anything anymore."
"Good. And thanks... for everything." he sighed "And I guess I may have been a little too harsh on you. It's not you it's me alright? You're not bad company yourself... at least compared to the rest of my employees."
Senna blushed and smiled brightly "Thanks. You have no idea how much that means to me." Inwardly she was screaming with joy.
'He complimented me! Eep! I knew he would like me eventually! It's only a matter of time till I'm his.'
"From then on he was more open to me. We became friends, heck perhaps even more since that day." Senna said and everyone awwed in response except for Orihime and Tatsuki who were a little jealous and Rukia of course who's head was stuck in the clouds.
Rukia picked the opportunity to voice out her thoughts "So, did you ever find out why he got attacked and if it was truly hollows who did it? I find it strange that he at least didn't report to anyone as he is the boss of a large company."
"Nope." Senna replied. "And I never bothered him about it. And it wasn't the first time it happened, my job was simply to help patch him up. It bothered me a lot as sometimes he would come home with scary wounds."
"Hmm... Mr Kurosaki did stop the horned hollow eventually, maybe he was getting injured trying to stop them?" said Mahana.
"Yep. Told me so himself." Senna said.
"He was risking his own body just to save us from these fiends. Isn't he the greatest!?" exclaimed Keigo.
Hearing all this caused Orihime to love him even more. "He's done so much for us and me and I haven't even repaid him."
"Perhaps I should have left it alone because I eventually got sick and tired of what they were doing to him... so I hatched a plan to get back at them." Senna spoke.
"You mean, you were going for revenge?" Tatsuki asked.
"Yep, and let me tell ya, it failed miserably..."
Ichigo's mansion, Living room, 9PM
Senna lied on the couch and watched a news program while Ichigo rested upstairs after getting bruised again from his 'hollow attacks.' The hollows were the talk of the town again.
Ever since the orphanage attack, hollows attacks were next to none. And because of the attack, all of Japan were on the hunt for their hideout and to eliminate them for good. Even Japan was not enough for them as the hollows dealt with the country's force for years with relative ease. Things changed when the country received international help. Hollow numbers and attacks started dwindling for the past few months.
"If that's the case, how come Mr Kurosaki was always like this if there were next to none hollow invasions the past few months? He always says it's because of hollows but... I just don't get it." she pondered.
The town enjoyed relative peace... for a short while, because soon enough hollows fought back under the leadership of the infamous horned hollow. Karakura town turned into a battlefield as Senna watched the damage shown on the screens. She was surprised Getsuga Corp hasn't been turned into ruins at this point with just how popular and prosperous it is.
Everything going on was... strange to say the least.
Deciding she's had enough screen time, she removed herself from the couch and headed upstairs to Ichigo's room to check his condition.
As expected, he was still sound asleep. She sat at the edge of the bed and watched his bruised bandaged form with a sad expression. She caressed his hair lovingly.
'It hurts me so much to see you like this, Kurosaki.' she thought. 'Why do you have to sacrifice yourself? Is it really worth it? Is it when no one else appreciates what you do? Or even aware what you do? Everyone thinks you're rude and all that but deep inside you're a good man. You've changed my life and I'm grateful for that.' Her sad expression suddenly turned to anger.
'The hollows need to be stopped!' she thought with resolve in her eyes.' 'I cannot sit by and watch these crooks hurt you like this! I cannot let them get away with what they did to my home! To everyone! It's pretty obvious the Seretei is failing to do their job so I'll have to step up.'
"I'll bring an end to this once and for all, for you... Ichigo." She said. She never had the guts to call him by his name, or to tell him how she really felt about him, or to kiss him right now as he slept, but she definitely had the guts to protect him at all costs and that's exactly what she was going to do...
"So what did you do then?" Keigo asked.
Senna replied "Simple, I went to the Seretei headquarters and told them what happened during the orphanage massacre. I couldn't figure out the exact identities of the hollows as, of course, they were wearing masks. I noticed that a good majority were wearing leopard masks on their face and captain Kuchki told me they were adjuchas, a rank just below vasto lordes."
Rukia sat up in shock and asked out loudly "You spoke with Byakuren!? Byakuren kuchki?"
Senna blinked a few times, surprised by Rukia's little out burst as was everyone else "Uh yes. Of course I mean she's one of the best to do it after all. If anyone could put an end to the hollows it was her. Why what's wrong?"
"N-nothing nevermind." Rukia replied and sat back down.
"Oh now I get it! Byakuren Kuchki is your sister isn't she Rukia!?" exclaimed Keigo.
All the attention fell on her as they awaited her answer.
"Oh please" Chizuru began "If she was her sister then we would have kno-"
"Yes" Rukia interrupted. "She's my sister, unfortunately."
"Whaaaaaaat!" A majority of the group exclaimed in disbelief.
"Why didn't you tell us all this time!" Tatsuki said. "You're the sister or the great Byakuren Kuchki?"
"The surname explains a lot. I thought it was just a coincidence or that you're just part of the clan." Orihime said.
"Really?" Senna began. "You look nothing alike if you ask me."
"So you're like, FILTHY rich?" Mizuiro said. "Why even bother working here if you decent from such a prestigious and wealthy family?"
"Yeah it doesn't make sense." Mahana added.
"Enough okay!" Rukia exclaimed, calming everyone down. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you all to think I'm some princess or that I got this job because of that. I wanted you all to treat me like your friend that's all."
Everyone awwed in response.
"Besides, me and my sister aren't on good terms right now. Most of the time she acts like I... I don't exist. She doesn't pay any attention to me and I always disappointed her no matter what I did. I was adopted into the family and she makes me feel like I don't belong in there. That's why I got this job in the first place, to find my own identity and meet new people, away from my sister."
She looked away in shame, because she knew that wasn't the entire truth.
"Now I get it. We're sorry about... you know, bothering you like that. Maybe one day your sister will come around." Orihime said and rubbed her shoulder in a comforting gesture.
Rukia shrugged it off with a smile "It's alright. No big deal." She turned towards Senna and asked "What else happened? What else did you tell her?"
"Well..."
Following day
Seretei police headquarters
"Is this true? That hollow was there?" A beautiful black haitlred woman in her late twenties asked as she sat at her desk with the little Senna on the other side.
"Yes ma'am. And from what I saw he was heavily bruised, as if coming from another fight." Senna replied
"No doubt it was from our scuffle a bit earlier." Byakuren replied.
"So it was you he was talking about who almost got him killed. That makes more sense."
"So he did mention me." Byakuren said with glee "After all I did almost capture him and sent his little operation crashing down. Is that all girl? Your information doesn't provide much use to me."
"N-no, not really."
"Then talk. You're obviously hiding something. You will have to tell me everything if you want to put a stop to this war as you just said." she said with an intimidating glare.
Senna looked scared for a moment. She took a deep breath before speaking "Well, there is someone I know and love who's also been fighting the hollows in secret. He always comes home with bruises, even though there were no hollow attacks in town. So I was thinking maybe he knows the base of operations of the hollows and is trying to stop them, getting hurt in the process. If you guys can follow and keep track of him you guys can protect him and in turn he will lead you to the hollows."
This piqued Byakuren's interest. "Oh. So you say. Who is this man exactly?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell. He told me not to tell anyone so..." Senna replied.
"You better speak up. Not only is this man taking the law into his own hands but also your association with him makes you an accomplice." She warned sternly. She stood up from her desk and walked over to her with such grace it intimidated the little girl.
"You do not want to see your boyfriend get hurt anymore do you? And you're too young to get arrested. Speak up and we can put a stop to this mess, to everything. Do you want to let that goat horned freak get away with killing your entire family?"
Senna lookes up at the tall woman and hesitated.
'I'm sorry Mr Kurosaki. I have to... for your sake.'
"It's Mr Kurosaki ma'am. Ichigo Kurosaki." she said as her heart beat rapidly.
Byakuren's eyes almost widened out of their sockets. "Kurosaki!? Thee Ichigo Kurosaki, head of Getsuga Corp?"
"All the more reason why you should not tell anyone about this! Do you promise not to tell?"
"You don't understand, this changes every-"
"Promise me! Promise me or I'll abandon this case entirely!" Senna threatened, shocking the older woman.
"Fine." she replied. She started pacing around the room in deep thought before speaking again "I've always suspected something was fishy about that man. I theorize that he may have some knowledge about the horned hollow's whereabouts. Tell me something, where is he now? When last was he injured?"
"Right now he's at home" Senna replied. "He's really beat up bad."
Byakuren was shocked yet again, Her heartbeat increasing.
"W-what? But... could it be? Listen girl, yesterday our forces clashed with quite a number of hollows, including our horned boy. I faced him personally along with my other crew. He's much stronger than we originally thought and got the best of us, but not before battering him up quite good before he escaped."
Senna's expression turned to horror.
'Is she saying that... that...'
"Wh-what are you implying ma'am? Are you saying Mr Kurosaki is..."
"No that's not what I'm saying." Byakuren replied. Senna let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. "I have my suspicions but I know better than to jump to conclusions. Do you live with him?"
"Yes, for now at least."
"Did he ever go to the hospital at one point during his injuries?"
"No ma'am. He utterly refused to go to any medical institute. Said it will attract too much attention and would interrupt his 'mission' of destroying the hollows."
"I see then. I have a solution. I will give you a small tracking device. You'll place it just underneath his car and it will stick. It will track his movements and whereabouts. There are two outcomes from this, either he will lead us into the hollows or he is the culprit himself or working with them. Have you searched his entire house for anything suspicious?"
"Yes. Even his room. There was nothing out of the ordinary from what I saw." Senna replied, but then she remembered something. "Oh I did except one weird locked room and the basement but otherwise nothing."
"Did he ever tell you what's in those rooms?"
Senna shook her head no.
"I see. I'll have to organise a search warrant sometime, but first I need you to put that tracker under the car. This has officially turned into a private investigation. I suggest being careful around Ichigo Kurosaki. There's something funny about him and Getsuga Corp as a whole."
Senna was very horrified at this point. Horrified at the implications and horrified that she's going behind
his back. She was doing this for him in her mind but now she wasn't so sure.
"How old are you?" Byakuren asked.
"Uh, sixteen. Why?"
"Because you said you loved this man. Are you in a relationship with him? Because if you are I'll have to arrest him because you're underage."
"What! I said that?" She exclaimed in embarrassment. "N-no we're not. I know he doesn't feel the same anyway."
Byakuren sighed "Stupid children. Anyways, let me get you the tracker. Do what I say and we just may put an end to the hollows. Don't get caught while placing it."
"Ahahaha" Everyone laughed except Senna, Rukia and Tatsuki.
"You guys actually thought Mr Kurosaki, our Ichigo, was the horned hollow? Come on!" Keigo said while laughing.
"Yeah that was actually dumb now that I think about it." said Senna while giggling a little. "We didn't know anything at the time so we just jumped to conclusions."
"It's quite rare for Byakuren to make an error. Though I don't blame her because that hollow was impossible to figure out." Mizuiro voiced his opinion.
Tatsuki and Rukia remained silent because they were very much aware of the implications from Senna's story. All of this confirmed to Tatsuki that it was indeed Ichigo behind all the attacks just as he confessed, and she knew deep down that he was the horned hollow although she liked to deny it.
"There's obviously no way it's Ichigo. My Ichigo is not a heartless murderer! Sure he has done some terrible but this is Ichigo we're talking about! Ichigo..."
Rukia though was unsure, a thoughtful expression on her face as she waited for Senna to continue her story.
"Did you eventually find out what was in that room?" Mahana asked.
"Actually yes. And it's not what you think..."
Two weeks later
Getsuga Corp, 6PM
Senna mindlessly washed some dishes in the cafeteria. Her mind was elsewhere.
She felt a huge sense of guilt ever since she decided to collaborate with Byakuren. She couldn't afford to lose Ichigo's trust, especially now when they just started to become more comfortable with each other. She was glad the police officer kept her word and didn't spill the beans.
'I'm sorry Mr Kurosaki. I'll tell you someday. You'll understand that I was doing this for you and everyone else. I-"
She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her cellphone ringing in her pocket. She retrieved it and became a little nervous when she saw Byakuren's number on the screen. Nevertheless she answered and placed it on her ear.
"Hello?"
"Senna." Byakuren replied. "Kurosaki is not at work today am I correct?"
"Yes ma'am, why'd you ask?"
"Because I've been noticing something peculiar about your boss. My tracker has located his car parked at a small shop and it's been there since yesterday. He also parked it there quite often for the past week."
"Well... I mean he could be visiting a friend. I don't see anything special he'd be going for there."
"Precisely. Why would such a popular figure like Ichigo Kurosaki be in a small peasant shop. Is it really that important that he'd skip work for it? Regardless, now we know his alibi. Next step is too figure out what he does in there and who he's meeting up with. You can ask him a few questions or engage in chatter to draw out answers from him. We'll keep in touch"
"Wait-" it was too late. Byakuren cut the call.
"Great." She sighed in dread. "Just what are you hiding from me Mr Kurosaki..."
Later, 10 PM.
Ichigo's mansion
She sat in the living room, waiting patiently for Ichigo's arrival. She heard the door open, signaling the arrival of none other than Ichigo.
"Sup Senna." He greeted as he lazily placed his suitcase on the coffee table. "Hmp, still refusing to go to sleep. I'm not gonna wake up your ass tomorrow just so you know." He said as he headed to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.
Senna smiled and replied "Oh you know you will. Without me all of Getsuga Corp will starve to death."
"Whatever. Good Lord I'm tired." He said in exhaustion.
Senna took a deep breath, knowing very well what she was about to say was stepping in dangerous territory.
"So uh, where were you today and yesterday?"
"... doing work stuff outside of work, had to take care of deliveries and other crap." He replied as he drank.
"You didn't see any hollows today? Because you seem fine today."
He visibly frowned at the question "...No not today."
"You aren't lying are you?" She asked though she was nervous inside.
"Why would I do that? I already revealed too much to you that I'm going undercover." He replied, feeling a little irritated.
"I guess you have a point." she said. She thought of something else to say without looking suspicious herself "Have you gone shopping anywhere recently?"
"Look Senna I'm not in the mood for questions right now. I'm tired as fuck and all I need is a fucking good night sleep. Please." He said as he climbed up the stairs to his room.
"Wait! Can I at least offer you a back massage?" she said fearing that she may have ruined things tonight.
"Oh that would be awesome Senna, thanks. Hurry up before I fall asleep on the floor."
Senna laughed and hurried to attend her roommate and friend.
Two days later, 9AM
It was Senna's day off today thankfully for her. She was at the garden tending to the plants, humming a tune. She chose to wear simple jeans and a white top for the day. Her singing was interrupted when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She happily took it out and her happiness vanished when she saw a familiar number.
"Ma'am." she replied.
"Senna. I have gathered some interesting information about Kurosaki. I can't discuss all of it by phone, text should be sufficient."
"Uh okay then. I'll... I'll see what you got. Send me your stuff and we'll see where we go from-" the call was cut. "-there." She sighed in response.
She opened a social media app and saw a video posted by the police officer.
"This is from a surveillance camera we placed near the shop." Byakuren texted.
In the video, she saw none other than Ichigo dressed in his suit, standing and leaning against his car, a frown on his face. Shortly three vans showed up and parked near his own.
Her eyes widened in horror. She recognized those vans.
She saw Ichigo get closer to one of them and engaged in an inaudible conversation. The windows were tinted, making it impossible to see the drivers. He proceeded to enter in one of them and they all drove off, leaving Ichigo's car behind.
She called Byakuren and spoke "I-I think I recognize those vans. They looked like the ones from the massacre months ago! No question about it!
"Indeed. I'm glad you noticed." Byakuren replied.
"But this could be a mere coincidence. It looks like business to me."
"This was recorded late at night, 12:00 AM. What kind of business is done so late at night? Regardless, A few hours later they returned..."
She cut the call and sent Senna another video. The three vans returned to the same spot and this time Ichigo and several men climbed out of the car. These men didn't wear hollow masks, thankfully for Senna, but their wethered clothing and unattractive appearances did make them look like thugs. They opened the back and took out several equipment consisting of Television sets, computers, furniture and suitcases which when opened showed loads of money. They took out this equipment and brought it inside the shop. Once they were done they each took the suitcases filled with money, including Ichigo as he tossed two of them in his car and drove off.
Senna called again. "So... what? I don't get it? A delivery for the shop?"
"I thought you were smarter than that. Didn't you see the news? There was a reported robbery on the same night in a warehouse just on the outskirts of Karakura and a small bank by supposedly hollows. I doubt it's a coincidence and I can bet that equipment was stolen."
She was shocked. Her fears were slowly coming true.
"I-I see... thanks for your effort Ms Kuchki. This is a lot to take in..."
"I'll investigate that shop soon enough. We'll keep in touch." the call ended afterwards.
Senna held the phone mindlessly for a few moments, a thoughtful expression on her face.
'Just what is going on here?' She pondered
She turned around and screamed in fright when she saw Ichigo standing at the door just a few feet away staring at her with a scary frown, wearing a vest and boxers.
"Oh. Mr Kurosaki!" she exclaimed panting and holding her rapid beating heart. "You scared me there hehe... how... how long were you there and how much did you hear..."
"Not very long and heard enough. Who were you talking to?" he asked with an intimidating glare.
"Oh. I was just talking to my friend..."
"About shops?"
"Yeah. I mean I can't stay here for too long or I'll be dead weight. I was thinking of starting a flower shop soon so..." she lied whilst not looking at Ichigo's questioning eyes.
"And vans and hollows? What about them?"
Inwardly Senna was having a panic attack. "Oh that. I was just talking to my friend about the massacre and what I saw, no big deal. It still hurts me that I couldn't find the culprits so..."
"Who is that friend of yours?"
"Uh... just nobody. It's no one important and I doubt you know her anyways."
"So it's a her then?"
"Uh... Aren't you hungry? What did you eat this morning? I know! I'll make you my famous pasta which you love! Come on let's get inside." She said and nervously dragged Ichigo inside the house.
'Whew! That was tense! I hope he didn't hear too much! I can't risk him ever knowing. It'll be a disaster!'
Three days later, 9:30 PM.
She lied on her bed and waited patiently for Byakuren's call just as she promised. Ten minutes passed and still she didn't call. She was eager to figure out this whole mystery but at the same time fearful. She was getting closer and closer to stopping the hollows and she knew it.
She was about to sleep and call it a day when suddenly she heard her phone ring on the nightstand. She quickly grabbed it and answered.
"What did you find out?"
"Hm. Unfortunately not much. I didn't find..." Silence.
"Hello? Hello! Ms Kuchki are you there? Hello?" still no response. Her screen was flickering about as if the signal is lost.
"... Can you hear me?"
"Yes, for now at least. Sorry I think I lost my signal... what were you saying?"
"The owner of the shop is... a former soul reaper... the fact that... hello?"
"Hello!? Damn what's with this phone!" she said angrily. Her screen turned black and white like an old 70s television. "Hello?" She was getting freaked out now.
She suddenly heard someone panting darkly on the phone.
"Youuuuu! *Pant* *Pant*."
"Hello? Byakuren?"
"You better stay away..." She heard a dark voice say. The voice was distorted, meaning the person was speaking through a speaker and low pitched his/her voice She was terrified now.
"Wh-what d' mean?" she asked cautiously.
"Stay away from other people's business *Pant*. You have no idea... Who you're messing with! *Pant*"
"Who the heck is this!" She said trying not to sound intimidated.
"Do you wish to live?"
"Uh what?"
"Answer the question damnit!"
She jolted up when the person shouted.
"Y-yes..." She answered with a. frightened voice.
"Then you better stop. I do not wish to harm you, but if you continue, I will... end youuuuu..."
"Excuse me is that a threat?" Are you threatening me? Cause if you are I'll call the police!"
"Police... Haha." He chuckled darkly."It's not a threat, it's a promise... Wasn't your family dying already enough? Or do you want a repeat?"
She gasped in shock. Was it...
"Who are you! You were there during the massacre weren't you!" she yelled "You bastard! Are you that hollow? The one with horns!" Answer me!"
"Hmp. Does it matter who I am?"
"Yes!"
"I'm not obligated to answer you. Heed my warning little girl, you wouldn't want anything to happen to Ichigo Kurosaki would you?"
"..." she was holding back tears because she was so frightened.
"Or even better. I'll mame your pretty little thing and then I'll show him as a surprise. He's been a thorn on our side for too long now. Heed my warning girl... heed..." he chuckled darkly afterwards.
He/she ended the call abruptly.
She stayed silent, her mind too terrified to even function. A small tear dropped from her eye. Her heart was beating three times as fast.
'This was a mistake, this was a mistake...' she repeated over and over in her mind. She needed to find Ichigo fast. She felt uncomfortable all alone now. Without a second thought she sprinted out of her room and headed straight to his.
She found him sound asleep just as she left him. Normally she wouldn't have the guts to do what she was about to do but right now she wasn't thinking straight. She climbed on the bed and slept next to Ichigo, hugging him tightly.
He woke up when he felt hands groping his bare torso and a head of purple lying on his chest. "Senna? What the... what are you doing he-"
"Please... I cannot stay alone. Please... hold me." She said while crying. Ichigo complied and held her as she cried out. They ended up falling asleep while holding each other tightly... well Senna did, gripping him as if he'll slip away.
In her mind she lost everything and everyone. She didn't want to lose the one person she had left.
'Ichigo...'
As he held her though, Senna failed to see the evil smirk on Ichigo's face...
To be continued.