Author's Note 1: Hey, I'm finally back with a new chapter. This one is mostly revolving around Tatsuki, but I made sure to add a few twists, turns, and surprises. Like I say, it's hard to keep a character's personality in tact within the story's context while also exploring their emotions. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Especially the TatsukixIchigo fans out there.
Ch. 5: A Walk to Remember
"Hey, Ichigo! Wake up!" a loud, obnoxious voice called early in the morning. It belong to the stuffed animal inhabiting gikongan, Kon. He stood on Ichigo's chest, waiting for a reaction. However, his yells fell on deaf ears as Ichigo was still sleeping his Sunday morning away. Infuriated by the teen ignoring him, the stuffed lion yelled once more. "Rise and shine, you idiot!" Again, there was no answer from the slumbering teen. He sighed in defeat, noting how the substitute shinigami slept like a rock. "Fine then. So be it! Don't say I didn't warn you!" With that said, Kon decided to wake him up the only way he knew how: by kicking him relentlessly in the face.
After a few moments of "punishment," Ichigo's eyes started to open. The light taps from the mod soul's beating woke him up. The teen knew something was going on, but his vision was too blurry. After a few more blinks, the boy saw Kon pummeling his face. Annoyed and groggy, Ichigo snatched Kon from his chest with a tight grip. He sat up and stared down at his uninvited guest. "What did I tell you about doing that early in the morning?" the strawberry-haired shinigami asked.
"Hey, let me go!" Kon ordered. "I mean it!" Ichigo decided to grant the little lion his wish. However, he did it by tossing him across the room. The mod soul crashed hard into the closet doors and slid down to the ground. Though feeling the sting from his collision, Kon quickly recovered. "Damn you, Ichigo!" he shouted, pointing at the boy with a malevolent finger.
"Would you shut up already?" Ichigo asked.
"Screw you!" Kon snapped back. "I still have a bone to pick with you for having me stay in Yuzu's room!" Ichigo raised a brow as he watched his aggravated house guest. At first, the teen had no idea about what Kon was talking about. Then he remembered about the incident a few days earlier when Yuzu found the little lion lying on the couch. Turns out, the gikongan was trying to order adult content on the cable again. However, the little girl managed to grab the lion before he could make his purchase and has been kept in her room ever since.
"No wonder it's been relatively quiet in here for the past three days," Ichigo thought as he gave an indifferent shrug. "Serves you right, pervert," Ichigo said as he stretched his arms. "I told you to stop going downstairs and ordering porn. It's not my fault you don't listen."
"Sometimes a lady-killer like me needs a little entertainment every once in a while. What's wrong with that?"
"You mean besides the fact you're depraved and are risking the chance of getting caught by my family every time you make your trips? Maybe it's everyone in this house thinking I'm the one doing this. Especially my dad, who using me as a scapegoat for the stuff he's already ordered."
"Oh man, you seriously need to live a little," Kon replied as he turned around and dug in his ear. "Maybe a little 'adult contemporary material' would do a guy like you some good."
"And maybe I should send you to Uryu's for an extreme makeover," the substitute countered.
Hearing this, Kon froze in horror. The last thing he wanted was to be dressed as Queen Elizabeth III once again. "Y-You wouldn't dare…" the plushie stuttered.
"What's wrong, lady-killer? I thought you said it'd be good to live a little?" Ichigo replied with a sardonic smile.
Suddenly, a knock came at his door. "Big brother!" Yuzu's voice called from the other side. "There's someone on the phone for you?"
"Well, well," Kon said. "It looks like you have been busy after all, huh?" The lion crossed his arms as Ichigo got off his bed. "Maybe it's about time the great and almighty romance extraordinaire Kon gave you some advise."
"Just shut up already," the teen said as he walked to his door. Kon quickly fell to the ground and pretended to be inanimate. Ichigo opened the door and saw Yuzu standing with the phone in hand. Her hand was cupped over the bottom speaker of the communication device. "Thanks, Yuzu," Ichigo said as he took the phone.
The teen walked back to his bed with Yuzu trailing close behind. The young girl scanned around, checking to see if his room needed cleaning. Her eyes stopped as she spotted Kon's cotton-filled body lying on the ground. "Bosco?" she thought, confused as to why the stuffed animal would be here of all places. However, it didn't matter as long as she had her favorite toy with her.
Kon, on the other hand, was horrified by being discovered. "Crap!" he thought as Yuzu approached, a smile on her face as her hand closed in on him. "Why didn't I hide in the closet!" She picked up the gikongan-inhabited lion and began playing with it.
"Hello, Kurosaki residents," Ichigo said once he took his seat.
"Hey, Ichigo!" a familiar voice rang on the line.
"Tatsuki!" Ichigo replied in a little surprise. Aside from the mostly school related calls, it had been so long since the teen last heard her voice on the phone. A part of him thought that she might have lost his number. "So what's up?"
"Nothing really," Tatsuki said. "So when are you free today? I hope you didn't forget about our appointment." Ichigo became silent from the young woman's reminder. After the heavy training he had yesterday, the substitute shinigami wanted to sleep in for the day. However, he couldn't just ask Tatsuki to take a rain check. Even if he is skilled in martial arts, the last thing he wanted was for Tatsuki to ground him for blowing her off. "Hello?" Tatsuki called, sounding unsure about whether or not Ichigo was still on the line. "Is anyone there?"
"Oh yeah, I'm still here," Ichigo quickly responded. "I'll come by your place in about an hour, alright?"
"Sounds good to me," the girl responded. "I'll see you then."
"Okay, later." Ichigo hung the phone up with a press of a button.
"That was Tatsuki, right?" Yuzu asked her brother. Ichigo turned to the little girl and saw her busy pulling and tugging at Kon. The stuffed animal had a pained expression on his face, but was trying his best to keep his true identity from being discovered. Seeing his agony, Ichigo couldn't help but take some pleasure inside. "What was that all about?"
"Oh, it was nothing," Ichigo said. "I'll just be hanging out with her for a bit."
"Really? I didn't think you two were dating?" Yuzu asked innocently.
"What! N-No, not like that!" Ichigo stammered from his little sister's accusation. "It's just two old friends killing some time? W-Why would you think I'm having a date?" The teen chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "What do you think I'm doing when I'm out with Keigo, Mizuiro, or Chad?"
"Well you have a point… I guess it was a misunderstanding," Yuzu said with a cheery smile, all while squeezing the life out of Kon against her chest.
A sweatdrop fell on the side of his head from the display. He wasn't entirely sure if Yuzu understood that it was only a small get-together. After all, she was still innocent and quite impressionable. "God, I hope my dad didn't put too much crap in her head," he thought with some concern. "That's great… I guess…" he said in an uncertain tone.
"Um, Ichigo. Why is Bosco in your room?"
"Bosco?" Ichigo asked. He then realized that the young girl was referring to Kon by his given pet name. "Oh right. Well, you accidentally left him here a while ago when you last came here."
"I did?" Yuzu asked as she tried to remember the event.
"It was so long and you dropped him without thinking," Ichigo replied.
"Oh, I guess I did. You don't mind if I take him back, do you?"
Ichigo turned his attention to Kon, whose face was plastered in fear. The gikongan was silently pleading for his shinigami comrade to help him out of the predicament. However, the possessed stuffed animal's pleas for mercy were ignored by the wrathful strawberry. "Not at all," the teen responded with a slick smile as he saw it as punishment for earlier.
"Damn you, Ichigo!" Kon mentally yelled. "You evil strawberry bastard!"
"Oh thank you, Ichigo!" Yuzu called out graciously. The girl embraced the little lion in a vice-like hug and ran out of the room. "Come on, Bosco! Let's go have a tea party!" she said in the hall before she entered her room.
"Have fun, you two," Ichigo thought coldly as he stood up from his bed and closed the door. Twenty minutes passed since Yuzu's visit and a fully dressed Ichigo left the room. With his '96' t-shirt and green pants, he went downstairs and to the front door. He also put on some of the 'scentless' cologne before he left his domain. "I'm leaving," he called out, slipping his feet into his sneakers.
"Not on my watch, son!" Isshin shouted as he fast approached his son from behind.
However, Ichigo only rose his foot off the ground until his father's face collided with his sneaker's out-sole. Isshin was promptly knocked out by the time he was done walking into the teen's track. Ichigo didn't turn back, let alone bat an eye from his unconscious parent. "As I said, I'm going out. I'll be back by daybreak."
"Yeah, sure," Karin said as she sat on a nearby chair drinking her juice. The raven-haired girl rested her feet on her fallen father. "I'll tell Yuzu that you left."
"Thanks, Karin," Ichigo said as he left the house.
Once he left his house, the young man walked down the street and took a right turn on the next intersection. After passing a couple of houses, Ichigo stopped at the front of a two-story home. A small sigh escaped the strawberry-haired teen's lips as he looked the residence over, reminiscing over the past when he used to visit her home and play whatever games she had. "It's funny," he thought. "I haven't been to her house in almost three years. Yet, it still feels like it's my first time." Ichigo then decided to shake those thoughts from his mind. "It doesn't matter. Maybe I can stop by later on."
Without further to do, Ichigo opened the small gate and walked over to the door and rang the bell. A loud chime echoed through the inside of the home. "Be right there in a second," Tatsuki's voice called from the house. Ichigo stood with arms folded as the sounds of footsteps quickly came. The locks on the door were undone before it opened. On the other side of the doorway stood Tatsuki wearing green camouflage pants, a black shirt with a yellow star just below the neck, and a white jacket. "Well, look who showed up," the raven-haired young woman said.
"So, are you ready to go?" Ichigo asked.
"Of course I am," Tatsuki said as she closed the door and locked it behind her. "So where to first?"
"Why are you asking me?" Ichigo replied as he closed his eyes in thought. "I figured you had the day planned seeing this was your idea."
"Geez, you're such an idiot sometimes," Tatsuki replied as she shook her head. "Alright, why don't we go to the arcade. Unless you're afraid I'll whoop your ass again."
"Heh. Don't count on that happening," Ichigo scoffed.
Tatsuki gave a light chuckle, confident that she could beat the young man. She ran down the path and past the gate. "Come on! Think you can beat me to the bus stop?"
"You know I can!" Ichigo called as he ran to catch up with her. For the next four blocks, the two teens raced each other to the bus stop. Even though Tatsuki had the early lead, Ichigo was able to pass her. Tatsuki couldn't believe that he managed to do so with relative ease. A small smirk came on her face as she realized that Ichigo had once again beat her at something that would've been difficult to do a long time ago.
A few minutes had passed since the two arrived at the bus stop. Aside from a few pigeons, there was no one else there. Sitting on the bench, the two panted heavily as they tried catching their breaths. "Not bad, Ichigo," Tatsuki admitted. "You actually beat me in a race."
"Are you so surprised?" Ichigo asked. "This isn't the first time I've won."
"Oh please," the raven-haired fighter shot back. "You couldn't beat me when you tried."
"I couldn't beat you because you would always cheat, you mean," the strawberry-haired teen muttered.
"What was that?" Tatsuki asked in a warning tone and shrewd eyes.
Ichigo let out a small chortle, his face turning away to hide his small laugh. "Nothing," he replied. He then glanced down the street and saw the bus coming toward them. Both individuals stood up and dug in their pockets for bus fare. Once the large vehicle stopped in front of them, Ichigo and Tatsuki stepped inside and paid for their ride before taking a seat near the bus' back door.
A half hour passed and the two arrived in the shopping district of nearby Karakura Konso to the north. Known for its multiple stores and small shops, this was a well known area where people went for necessities or simply to hang out. "I hear that they have demos for the new Marvel vs. Capcom game," Tatsuki said as she led Ichigo to their destination. "I can't wait to play it!" However, Ichigo didn't respond to the girl's joy. Tatsuki turned around to see what was going on and saw Ichigo standing in front of a dojo called Furin Hall.
He knew all about this place. This was where Tatsuki was training in karate ever since she was a little girl and is currently the top student. It was also where Ichigo used to attend when he was a little boy. As he gazed through the windows of the closed gym, the teen remembered a practice match between himself and Tatsuki when they were both 4 years old. He tried to defeat her, but the young girl managed to win in less than 10 seconds. After the match, the young Ichigo cried loudly from his loss and the pain. However, that was before his mother came and comforted him. "Those were the days…" he thought as he watched the scene from his memories.
Seeing Ichigo in such deep thought, Tatsuki knew what was on his mind. The young man was still not over his mother's death and a place like this was filled with memories. "Ichigo…" she thought with a sigh before walking to his side. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?" she asked.
Ichigo turned to Tatsuki and saw her also looking through the glass. "Sorry about that," the strawberry-haired teen replied as he resumed walking. Tatsuki turned to the taller male, feeling guilty for interrupting his reminiscing. She felt that it was her who should apologize for bringing him here. "Come on. Let's go try that game before a big line grows."
"Right…" Tatsuki said. She turned back to the dojo one last time before catching up with him.
The two teens continued down the street, taking in the sights of nearby stores. Sales and items were on display behind windows while a few vendors advertised their own products in carts. A few of these deals even caught Ichigo's attention. However, he made a mental note to return on a later date when he had the money on him.
It wasn't long until the two made it to the arcade building at the center of the area. The loud sounds of electronic products and laughter could be heard just outside the entrance. Not wanting to waste any time, the two high schoolers entered the shop and found the demo for Marvel vs. Capcom 3. "There it is," Ichigo said as he watched the fight on a screen stationed above the players. "Not bad in the graphics department."
"So who are you gonna play as?" Tatsuki asked him.
"Like I'm gonna tell you," the strawberry-haired shinigami said. "The last time I did that, you wiped the floor with me by using crap that counters my moves!"
"It's not my fault you like to blab your strategy," Tatsuki replied. "Not that it matters considering you mostly suck at this type of game."
"I do not!" Ichigo retorted. Tatsuki only turned away with a smirk as she got a rise from her friend.
After the match with the previous players had ended, both Tatsuki and Ichigo walked up to the consoles. Grabbing the joystick and placing their hands on the buttons, the two selected their three-man teams. Ichigo had selected Dante, Deadpool, and Amaterasu while Tatsuki chose Ryu, Hulk, and Super-Skrull. "You really think you'll win with those guys?" Tatsuki asked. "You really haven't been playing these kind of games long. I could beat you with the Hulk alone."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't cry on me when I beat you." Ichigo replied.
Tatsuki scoffed. "Like that's going to happen." The match started and the two players fought intensely during the battle. Tatsuki's team was quite challenging considering that they had sheer power on their side. However, Ichigo had the advantage when it came to combo deliveries and speed. As they played, Ichigo began to see the fight as a simulation of his many battles. How he would have to rely on his skill and agility against threats that came at full force. As the fight raged on, a crowd of people were gathering behind them and watched in amazement as the two went at it. The customers (and even a couple staff members) began taking sides and cheering for whichever player they felt had the edge.
Tatsuki, was surprised that Ichigo had managed to survive after the first few minutes. Usually, she would have already killed him off (virtually speaking, of course) after three minutes with all team members surviving. Instead, she was only able to wipe out Amaterasu while her advesary had taken out Ryu and Super-Skrull. However, she still had the Hulk, a known bruiser and her last resort at full strength while Ichigo was using Dante. Ichigo's long-ranged tactics were enough to keep her distanced. However, she managed to pull off a special attack which took out a large chunk of the demon hunter's health before finishing off with a quick yet strong attack.
"Do you give up?" Tatsuki asked. She was confident that she could beat Ichigo, even if her character's health was in half. Still, there was nothing wrong with giving Ichigo a chance to back out from a defeat.
"Like hell I will!" Ichigo replied as Deadpool jumped on the screen. "What about you?"
"Tatsuki smash!" the raven-haired girl replied as she used a strong technique. However, the attack missed as Ichigo used Deadpool's teleport move to evade the strike. The red-and-black clad mercenary then appeared behind the green behemoth, punching and kicking multiple times before being tossed in the air with a shoryuken. However, Tatsuki quickly recovered and used Hulk's aerial attack to create distance. Ichigo retaliated by tossing Deadpool's grenade toward his foe, causing an explosion that sent the enemy airborne again. He then increased the pressure by firing at the larger character with a small flurry of bullets. "I'm not done yet!" Tatsuki said as she made Hulk run toward Deadpool in an attempt to use another quick attack.
"It's over!" Ichigo replied as he used Deadpool's hyper combo. With the massive damage brought on by the numerous hits, Tatsuki's remaining member fell and for the first time, she had been beaten by Ichigo. "I told you I'd win," Ichigo replied as the two of them left the booth.
"Ichigo… I…" Tatsuki was speechless. In all the times the two played against each other, never did he ever beat her in a video game. "Where did you learn to play like this?" she asked.
"Well, I've been playing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom for a while now and the gameplay is more or less the same," the strawberry-haired teen explained calmly. "I guess all that practice paid off."
"Right… That makes sense," Tatsuki said as she began putting on a smile. Ichigo raised an eyebrow in confusion. To him, the karate pupil seemed troubled for some reason. He was about to ask what was wrong before the girl said, "Why don't we go to the river? You know, where we used to hang out."
"Alright," Ichigo said with a nod before the two left the arcade.
The teen duo headed headed back to the bus stop once they left the game center. From there, they headed east to the grassy shoreline of the Karasu River. For about a couple hours, the two sat down on the soft grass near the bank and relaxed as the currents gently flow down the waterway. The bold orange light of the sun danced on the river body's surface. Ichigo laid back as he took in the fresh air. "Just like old times," he thought as he looked back about when he and Tatsuki would come here after karate practice.
Meanwhile, Tatsuki sat with her legs folded against her chest and a glum expression on her face. The black-haired girl was still thinking about her loss at the arcade. It wasn't so much that she lost the match. It was the fact that Ichigo won that troubled her. Whenever he beat her at anything, it would be the last time they competed in that activity.
She glanced up at the sky, remembering the past when they were virtually inseparable. Though everything changed since the death of Ichigo's mother. While she wouldn't admit it, Tatsuki felt that she and Ichigo were getting further apart over time. Especially since they've only seen each other sparsely between sixth grade to high school. And even then, their interactions were a rarity. "If this keeps up, we're gonna be back to acquaintances," the black-haired girl joked, though still feeling it may be a sad reality.
"Is something wrong, Tatsuki?" asked Ichigo. Tatsuki quickly turned to face her strawberry-haired comrade, who watched her with a quixotic gaze. She had been so quiet ever since they left the arcade. "Are you still upset about me beating you?"
Tatsuki turned away, letting out a small chortle. "Don't flatter yourself," she snorted. "It's just… You and I…"
"You and I… What?" the young male asked, wondering what was on her mind.
Tatsuki wanted to tell Ichigo what she was thinking. A part of her wanted to know where both her and the him stood in their relationship. As she was about to speak, the raven-haired girl was interrupted by someone shouting, "I knew it was you! You strawberry bastard!" The two teens turned their attention to the sidewalk and saw six young men standing nearby. "It's been a while, you son of a bitch!" replied the tall leader in front. He had tanned skin and black clothes with a dress shirt striped in lavender and black. His hair was fashioned in dreadlocks, sunglasses with rectangular lenses, and a gold chain connecting his left nose ring and left earring.
"You know this guy, Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked as she felt a bad vibe from him.
"Honestly… I have no clue," Ichigo said nonchalantly as he scratched the side of his face.
The man and his cohorts fell to the ground from the shinigami's announcement. At the same time, Tatsuki merely sighed. "I shouldn't be surprised. This dumbass is always getting himself in trouble."
"How dare you snub me like that!" the man said as he recovered. "I am Yokochini! My men and I are ready to get payback for what you did to us!"
"That's right!" replied one of the leader's friends behind him. "No one disrespects Weasel and gets away with it!"
"What the hell did I tell you!" Yokochini replied. "Stop calling me that name out in public! You're only supposed to call me Boss! You got that!"
"Yeah, sure Wea- I mean, Boss!" the friend replied.
"Oh, now I remember," Ichigo replied as he stood up from the grass. Tatsuki soon followed, still keeping her eyes on the new arrivals. "You were that gang who was messing with Chad a while ago."
"Wait," Tatsuki replied. "You and Chad?"
"Kinda," the orange-haired teen responded. "But I could've sworn I put them all in the hospital."
Tatsuki shook her head. "Like I said, this moron always gets himself in trouble," she thought.
"That may have happened before!" the boss replied. "But we're back! And this time, you're the one going to the clinic!"
"That's right!"
"You tell him, Boss!"
The leader then turned to Tatsuki and examined her carefully. The raven-haired girl knew what the stranger was doing and gave and deadly glare. "Well, well. Who is this supposed to be?" he asked. "Your sister? Or maybe your girlfriend?"
"What's it to you?" Tatsuki replied fiercely. "I figured with the thing on your face, you were more into guys." Ichigo blinked a few times from the quip. He knew Tatsuki was as fearless as they came, but was still surprised by the biting remark. The posse behind the boss were also shocked that a girl would snap at their fearless leader. The tanned male quickly regained his composure. "You're quite the spunky one. I kinda like that." He then placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a squeeze. "Though there are times having too much mouth could be a bad thing, little girl."
"Oh crap," Ichigo thought as he felt sorry for the naïve young man. "This idiot's really going to get it now."
"I guess your right," Tatsuki said before grabbing the man's hand. "So why don't you shut up!" Before the gang leader could respond, Tatsuki yanked his fingers off her shoulders and bent them back. Yokochini screamed in agonizing pain as he was forced to the ground. By the time he was on one knee, the young man tried swinging a punch with his free hand, but the strike missed as the female fighter moved her head from the fist's path. Having enough of the yells, Tatsuki delivered a kick to the older teen's chest, sending him back a few feet.
"Holy crap!" one of the henchmen replied. "Are you alright, Boss!"
"You bitch…" Yokochini hissed as he held his possibly broken hand. "That's it! Both you and that Ichigo kid are going down!" He then turned to his men. "Get them! Make them pay!"
"Got it, Boss!" one of the henchmen replied as the five peons charged on the riverbank. Both Ichigo and Tatsuki took their offensive positions before flying at their foes with leaping kicks, taking out two of the members. Another foe tried to strike Ichigo from behind, but the strawberry-haired teen ducked from the attack, allowing Tatsuki to connect with a strong punch to his jaw. From below, Ichigo then drove an elbow into his kidney region, causing him to double over. Just then, one of the enemies ran at them with a metal baseball bat The crony swung his weapon when he was in range, but both teens sidestepped the swing.
Tatsuki was about to counter, but she was restrained from behind by an enemy. Tatsuki struggled to free herself, but the foe's grip was tight. Seeing the girl being held, the enemy with the bat closed in for another try. Tatsuki knew that one hit would cause serious injury and that she needed to be free the attack came. The karate fighter slammed the back of her head into her captor's face before kicking him in the shin. The man cried in pain from the strikes, releasing his grip in the process. Seeing her chance, the girl avoided the incoming bat, leaving the foe to take the blow. The batter was shocked by the accidental damage, leaving him open for Ichigo to kick him in the face. The fight was over and all the gang members were now writhing in pain from defeat. "Not bad, Ichigo," Tatsuki congratulated. "Looks like someone's been practicing."
"I could say the same about you," Ichigo replied.
"Well of course. I am the second strongest fighter in Japan. This was nothing."
"You don't have to tell me that."
Sitting a few feet away, Yokochini was shocked by the carnage the two high school students left in their wake. His five best men had dropped like flies while his opponents stood without a scratch. "There's no way…" he thought. "There's no way in hell this is happening!"
"So do you want to go home?" Ichigo asked Tatsuki.
"Yeah, why not," the girl said with a shrug. "I think it's about time I got back."
"Right," Ichigo nodded.
As the two were ready to leave, Yokochini used his free hand to grab a small gravity knife from his coat pocket. The boss pulled himself off the ground and flipped out the blade. Wanting revenge for his humiliation, the foe pushed himself off the ground and charged from behind. Hearing footsteps, Tatsuki turned and saw the knife's blade heading right for her. She was unable to react as the small melee weapon came closer. "It's over!" the leader shouted, already smelling his victim's blood.
Before the leader could complete stab and celebrate his victory, his wrist was caught in a strong grip. Tatsuki was stunned by how close the knife's edge was to her face while the gang leader was shocked by the fact his attack was caught. Both followed the hand up the arm and saw that it belong to Ichigo. His amber eyes were burning in fury as he focused his pent-up rage on the enemy. With his hidden strength, the shinigami squeezed the leader's wrist tightly, giving Tatsuki the chance the take a couple steps back before the boss dropped his weapon the ground. "So you think you were gonna get away with attacking someone from behind? Especially when they were unarmed?" Ichigo asked with venomous undertones. "It's bad enough you tried such a cowardly move. But it's worse when it's to one of my best friends!"
"L-Look man," the leader pleaded, trying to put on a friendly smile. "I-I'm sorry! I really am! Please d-don't hurt me! I promise to l-leave you alone. A-Alright, Ichigo ol' b-buddy?"
Ichigo wasn't buying his act. It was clear that this man was only sorry he was caught and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. "Take him out, King!" a sadistic version of his own voice called from deep within his subconscious. It was the Inner Hollow, goading and tempting his dominant self into fulfilling the deed. "Rip open this guy's guts with his own knife! Show these losers what it means when they mess with those closest to you! Give them a heaping serving of real hell!" Taking the voice's heed, Ichigo kicked the downed knife into the air and caught it with his other hand. The group boss' eyes darted between the weapon and the murderous intent on Ichigo's face. He knew his fate now rested in the vizard's hands. The strawberry-haired teen wanted to make him pay. Deep in his soul, he could sense his other half's excitement, pushing him to take revenge.
Before Ichigo could decide, he heard Tatsuki call out to him. "Ichigo…" she said gently as her hands rested on the taller male's arm. He turned to the raven-haired girl who was concerned over what her childhood friend would do. She had never seen Ichigo so incensed before. True, she knew he was very protective and loyal, but he had never been so threatening or… vicious before. As she gazed at her the teen's eyes, she could've sworn that his irises were gaining a gold tint to them.
"Do it, King! Let him have it!" the Inner Hollow shouted.
Ichigo lightly shook his head and reevaluated the situation. He saw that while Tatsuki was anxious, she was unharmed from the ordeal. He closed his eyes and mentally gathered himself. With a small breath, the strawberry-haired teen calmed down. He turned to the leader, who was sweating bullets from the threat of laceration. "Don't kid yourself," Ichigo said to Yokochini. "You're not worth the mess." Deciding to put everyone at ease, Ichigo tossed the dagger into the river where it began drifting downstream. Seeing the teen's choice, Tatsuki blew a sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank god!" the leader said. "Hey, sorry about that! I promise never, and I mean never, to bother you or your-"
"Just shut up!" Annoyed by the boss and the time he wasted on him, Ichigo punched the man square in his face. The gang boss' body dropped to the ground like a corpse. He was still alive, but the blow was more than enough to knock him out for some time. He then turned back to Tatsuki, rubbing the soreness he received from the strike. "Are you okay, Tatsuki?" he asked. "You didn't get cut, did you?"
"I'm alright, Ichigo," she said. "You stopped him before anything serious happened."
"Oh, good." Tatsuki inspected Ichigo's face again. Though he still had a scowl, it seemed more normal with little to no hate in them. The girl was more at ease knowing that the incident was over. "What? Is there something on my face?" he asked.
"Aside from that dumb grimace of yours? No." Ichigo cocked his brow as he wondered why she was checking his face when there was nothing there. "Well, let's get back home, Ichigo."
"Sure. Whatever." Ichigo clasped his hand together and began making his way to the bus stop. Tatsuki followed in toe, pulling out her phone to let her parents know that she would return shortly.
After returning to the bus stop and being driven back to their home district, the two teens took a silent walk down a few blocks. By the time they reached Tatsuki's home, it was already past four o'clock. Tatsuki stretched her back and turned to her friend. "Hey, thanks for spending the day with me," she said with a smile. "I had a really good time blowing off some steam."
"No big deal," the strawberry-haired male replied. "It gave me some time to relax also."
Tatsuki gave a nod and began to take a few steps forward. However, she stopped in the middle of the path, her head held low. Ichigo rose an eyebrow as he wondered what was on the girl's mind. The black-haired fighter thought back on the thoughts she wanted to share with Ichigo at the riverbank. How she feared that the two of them were growing apart and that he would eventually forget of their times together.
However, that was before Tatsuki saw how far Ichigo was willing to go for her. He called her his best friend and was willing to protect her just as much as she would for him. While they weren't as close-knit as they might have been, she knew that when things were grim, they would always have each other's backs. Tatsuki turned back around and walked back to the standing teen. Ichigo rose an eyebrow, wondering what was on the girl's mind. However, he didn't count on the smaller fighter resting her head against his chest. "T-Tatsuki…" he replied, speechless by the girl's actions.
"Don't change too much," Tatsuki said calmly. Ichigo regained his composure and instinctively rested a hand on the young woman's shoulder. The two stood like this for a few minutes, though for Tatsuki, it felt like hours. She then noticed a strange, yet familiar smell from the young male's body. However, she didn't mind the scent. All she cared about was that this moment would last forever.
Author's Note 2: Well, there you have it. Another chapter down and... more to go. And now for the many fans out there. Thank you all for the support and reviews. I know I've said this before, but I still can't believe how successful this tale. Anyway, I just want to address the people that are asking about the inclusion of female hollow characters. To answer your question, I have been thinking of adding the arrancar later on in the story. However, I'm still trying to figure out how to work them in the storyline (or even if it's possible). But never fear, for I never disappoint. Anyway, so long my great readers and be on the lookout for the next chapter coming soon.