Chapter 11: Reunions Part 2: Veracious Muse
Ichigo awoke from a long sleep, not entirely sure what had happened to him. Blinking blearily at his surroundings, he found that he was lying on the couch in his living room. He tried sitting up, but clutched his chest at the sharp pain this elicited.
"I wouldn't get up anytime soon Ichigo," his father said, popping up from behind the couch and leaning in a bit too close to his son's face.
Ichigo growled and shoved Isshin's face out of his proximity. He sighed, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to stop its pounding.
"What happened? How did I get here?"
"From what I can tell, you took quite the tumble down one of the hills in the cemetery. Luckily that man you work with, Tessai-san, was there visiting a grave. He found you and patched you up pretty well. He must've been a doctor in a former life…"
Something like that, I'm sure…Ichigo thought.
"And your sisters must've seen you all torn up because they were both passed out. Fainted, I'm sure of it! Now, you rest up son! Can't have you missing any more school now can we?"
Ichigo merely nodded and tried to get back to sleep.
Ichigo spent the next several days on the couch, which meant that, unfortunately for him, he couldn't leave the room when his father and sister's favorite program came on.
"Bohahahaha!" his family members chorused, making the appropriate hand gesture to accompany their outburst.
He rolled his eyes exasperatedly as the man on the TV spouted yet another catchphrase.
"Do we have to watch this? I'm injured, why don't I get to pick what to watch?"
"Aha!" Isshin answered, wagging a finger at him, "Because even if you are hurt, you only get two votes! And so, against Yuzu and I, you tie and since Karin is apathetic, she yields her vote to her sister, who votes for: Bura-Rei! Bohahahaha!"
Looking over to his darker-haired sister for support and finding none, Ichigo resigned himself to an evening of "ghosts."
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The orange haired teenager was glad, therefore, to return to school a few days later, if only to escape his family's incessant quoting of the irritating show's catchwords.
"Bohahahaha!"
His friends sorely disappointed him on that count.
"I'm not in the mood Keigo."
"Bohahahaha!"
"I said I'm not in the mood Mizuiro!"
"I thought you meant just Keigo…"
"I meant that noise, not who's doing it."
"Bohahahaha!"
Ichigo spun around angrily, looking for the perpetrator.
"I-Inoue?!" he stuttered, his anger disappearing.
If she were anyone else, I'd pound them into the floor. Well, maybe not Tatsuki or Chado…I'd still be mad at them. It's impossible to be mad at Inoue though…
"C'mon Kurosaki-kun! Say it with me: Bohaha-"
"Enough!" Tatsuki interrupted, leading her friend away and whispering to her, "Ichigo doesn't like those ghost shows…I thought I told you that…"
"Are you at least going to the live thing tomorrow at the old hospital?" Mizuiro asked his orange-haired friend.
"No."
"Why???" Keigo cried, "You have to go! Everyone in Karakura is going! If you don't go, you'll be ostracized! You'll be 'the guy who didn't go' and everyone will make fun of you!"
"How creative of them…"
"But, even that Ishida guy is going!"
"No way," Ichigo said confidently, glancing at their spectacled classmate, "He wouldn't be into this kind of…"
He trailed off, as he saw Ishida turn to look at him, his arms crossed in front of his chest and a smirk on his lips.
Bastard!
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The following night found the classmates of Class Three and the Kurosaki family crossing paths on their way to the abandoned hospital.
"You came!" Mizuiro and Keigo grinned, pointing and laughing at their sour friend.
"Quiet! I'll kick your asses!" Ichigo snapped at them.
"So fierce!" the duo whispered, clutching each other in mock terror.
As the group made their way down the street, Orihime turned to Ichigo.
"Kurosaki-kun…I'm sorry about before…I didn't know you don't like these shows."
"Don't worry about it. You didn't know. Unlike these two bozos," he said, gesturing at Keigo and Mizuiro, who were flashing him the signature Bura-Rei gesture and sticking their tongues out.
"But…you still came?"
"Yeah, well…Yuzu and my oyaji are huge fans. And I couldn't leave Karin to suffer through it alone…"
Not after she threatened me the last time I left her alone with Beardo…
"That's so kind of you…" Orihime smiled.
"I guess…just doing what brothers do."
"Right. Brothers…" she replied faintly.
As they neared the hospital, the crowd thickened and the group was separated.
Finding himself alone, Ichigo felt slightly relieved.
At least I won't have to deal with Mizuiro and Keigo for a while.
"I'm surprised to see you here Kurosaki!" a voice said to his left.
Turning, Ichigo frowned when he saw that the speaker was Ishida, who was wearing his usual smirk.
"Yeah, well…family. What're you gonna' do? I wouldn't have figured you'd enjoy this either. You can see spirits too, don't you know this guy's a hack?"
"Don Kan'onji-san is not a hack!" Uryū said emphatically, "He is an extraordinary human being, who helps spirits in ways far better than you shinigami. Were it another time, I'm sure he could've been a Quincy…"
"Have you ever actually seen him talking to a spirit on TV?" Ichigo asked, ignoring his companion's none too subtle dig.
Ishida began a harsh retort, but was interrupted by a loud voice that echoed over the crowd.
"Leave this place!"
"What the hell was that?!"
"An earthbound soul," a familiar voice answered from behind them.
Spinning around, Ichigo was shocked to find the entire staff of Urahara Shōten standing behind them.
"Good evening Kurosaki-san!" Urahara grinned
"What are you all doing here?!" Ichigo said, flabbergasted.
"Why, we came to see Don Kan'onji of course!"
Tessai nodded vigorously. "Bohahaha."
"Of course you did…" the shinigami in training muttered darkly.
"Who are these people Kurosaki?" Ishida asked, looking at the new arrivals with suspicion.
"They're people I work with," Ichigo said quickly, cutting off Urahara before he could say anything.
"In other words…shinigami…"
"How could you tell?"
"Not all of us have the sensory perception of an earthworm Kurosaki."
Asshole…Ichigo thought as he glared at his dark-haired companion.
"So what's an earthbound spirit?" he asked geta-loving mentor, "It sounds like a hollow's voice."
"Aha, yes, it is similar. An earthbound spirit is on its way to becoming a hollow. It's a plus which has bound itself to a place of regret as its heart slowly degrades into despair. Its chain of fate will dissolve and the hole in its chest will open."
"You mean like-" Ichigo started to say, but Urahara interrupted him.
"Correct! Just like that."
Ishida raised an eyebrow at their exchange. However, before he could remark on it, the announcer proclaimed that the broadcast was about to begin and that the much-loved host of the show had arrived.
"Please welcome, Hell's Messenger: Mister…Don Kan'onji!!!"
At that moment, an extravagantly dressed man jumped out of a helicopter above, yelling, "SPIRITS ARE ALWAYS WITH YOU!!!!"
Deploying a parachute, Kan'onji drifted down to land clumsily next to the announcer.
Well, Ishida was right about one thing…Ichigo thought, Kan'onji could definitely be a Quincy. He already wears a goofy costume…
Glancing at his self-proclaimed rival, Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle at seeing the proud Quincy gazing up at the ridiculous host with starry eyes.
"Greetings babies! Tonight I will help all of you hear the whispers of spirits. My nose is filled with the horrid scent of ghosts! It certainly-"
"SMELLS LIKE BAD SPIRITS!" the audience chorused, to Ichigo's annoyance.
Smoke filled the stage and a voice called out, "Go to commercial!"
"Yes, I can see now. He's riveting…" Ichigo muttered sarcastically to Ishida.
"I won't have you ruin this for me Kurosaki!" Ishida said, following everyone to next location.
Sighing, the exasperated teen turned to Urahara. "So do I need to perform konsō on this earthbound spirit?"
"Well…probably not…" the ex-captain said playfully as the crowd pushed them along, "It usually takes months for earthbound spirits to degenerate into hollows, unless their hole is enlarged. You can probably wait until these proceedings are over to send him on."
As they approached the next shooting location, the demi-hollow's voice became clearer.
"This hospital is mine! I should've inherited it! Get out! It's MINE!"
"Seems like a nice guy," Ichigo commented dryly.
"Do we have to be here?" Jinta whined, tugging at Tessai's apron.
"Yes, Jinta-dono."
The adults want to watch this instead of the kids? Ichigo wondered.
"Oi, Jinta! If you want, my sisters are around here. They're around your age, or at least your height, shorty."
Grabbing Ururu's hand, Jinta wasted no time in disappearing into the crowd.
"Don't eat any candy!" their enormous protector shouted after them, "You know how it upsets your tummies!"
"Why would they eat candy?" Ichigo asked.
"Jinta always looks for candy as soon as we leave him alone."
"Silence please!" the announcer called, "Camera rolling!"
"Spirits are always with you!" Don Kan'onji said, doing his trademark gesture.
"Bohahahaha!" the crowd said automatically, imitating him.
Tuning them and Kan'onji out, Ichigo turned to Urahara, "You obviously didn't come to see this bozo. What're you two really doing here?"
"We just wanted to check up on you. It's been a while since our last training session and we were wondering about your encounter at the graveyard."
Ichigo shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to tell them. I'm not telling them about Kaasan, that's for sure…
"If you must know, I fought a really strong hollow. He said he'd been pursued by shinigami for fifty years."
"Impressive," Tessai murmured.
"And I…I also learned the name of my zanpakutō."
"Really? What is it?"
"His name is-…what the HELL is that idiot doing?!"
Urahara frowned. "Not very imaginative…" he said, following Ichigo's gaze, "You would thi-…Oh! My my…that is unfortunate…"
At the head of the audience, Don Kan'onji had inserted a rod into the developing hole in the demi-hollow's chest and was attempting to pry it open.
That moron can actually see ghosts?! Ichigo thought.
"I've got to stop him!" he said aloud, reaching into his pocket for his gikongan. His fingers met only lint, however.
I really need to stop leaving it at home…he reprimanded himself.
Grinning at his frustrated expression, Urahara said, "Problems Kurosaki-san?"
"I…left my gikongan at home…" Ichigo admitted, exasperatedly.
"Well, let me-…oh my! It looks like your Quincy friend might beat you to it!"
Across the crowd, Ichigo could see the flash of Ishida's glasses moving through the sea of people.
"Quick!" he said urgently, "Knock me out of the gigai!"
Nodding almost lazily, Urahara pushed the end of his cane straight through Ichigo's head, sending his spirit form tumbling out of his fleshy imitation body, which was immediately caught by Tessai.
Leaping to his feet, Ichigo plowed through the crowd, knocking people aside with ease due to his unseen form.
Just as Ishida had reached the ropes separating the crowd from the stage area, Ichigo slapped a hand on his shoulder, spinning him around.
"What is it?!" the Quincy snapped, glaring at his classmate.
"Look! I realize you probably want to go in there and save your hero, but the fact is, I can't be seen by all these people and you can! Let me take care of this!"
Ishida processed this for a few seconds, before replying quickly, "Fine! But you owe me Kurosaki."
"Deal," Ichigo said, leaping over the barrier and tackling Don Kan'onji to the ground.
"Ohhhh!" the announcer cried dramatically, "Mister Kan'onji goes airborne!"
"What's the meaning of this boy?!" the garrulous performer spluttered, "You're just a ghost! I…I see! So you're a fan even in death?"
Seething in rage, Ichigo grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Argh! If you don't shut up, I'm gonna' kill you! Now stand back and-"
At that moment, however, the demi-hollow's howls had reached a fever pitch; its skin cracking as a bright light shone beneath its surface.
"I'm too late…" Ichigo muttered.
The earthbound spirit then proceeded to explode; seemingly vanishing in the process.
There's no way he actually did it…he thought, glancing sideways at Kan'onji who was taking the opportunity to enjoy his victory.
"Kurosaki!" Ishida shouted, leaning over the railing, "Look up! It's there!"
Whirling around, Ichigo felt his stomach drop as the hollow's body took shape. Finally, the former man's head sprouted from the sickly green torso, its mouth wide in an endless screech. Milky white bone matter flowed from its orifices, covering the spirit's face with a wide, gaping mask.
"Ah! What's this?" Kan'onji said excitedly, "A very strong smell of bad spirits! This must be the boss of the ghost from before!"
"That's not what it is," Ichigo muttered irritably, drawing his zanpakutō. Feeling something amiss, he looked down at it, only to discover that it was no longer in its sealed state, but in the large cleaver-like blade he had only recently unleashed.
Urahara's always goes back to normal when he's finished fighting…I'll have to ask him about that.
"It hurts!" the newborn hollow rasped, "It hurts so much! Devour…I'll devour your soul!!!"
As the fiend leapt from the roof, Ichigo raised Zangetsu, preparing to slice straight through its head. However, Kan'onji started toward him, trying to get between him and the hollow.
"What are y-"
"Leave this to me boy!" the self-described medium insisted, raising his stick.
Forget this! Ichigo thought, shifting his sword to his left hand and curling his right into a fist.
Kan'onji didn't know what hit him.
Ichigo had just enough time to grip his zanpakutō with both hands and swing at the frog hollow's midsection.
Twisting in midair, the beast only caught a glancing blow to its stomach.
All too aware of the many people at his back, Ichigo dove over the unconscious host of Bura-Rei and took off down one of the hospital's dank corridors, knowing that the hollow would be in hot pursuit.
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Back in the crowd, people were having varied reactions.
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"Was that…Ichi-nii?" Karin muttered to herself.
She was drowned out by her father who was shouting, "C'mon Mister Kan'onji! You're tougher than some ghost!"
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"Tatsuki-chan…did you see something up there?" Orihime murmured to her friend.
"Mmm hmm," she replied, frowning, "It looked like two big shapes…"
"I hope Kan'onji-san is okay…"
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What was that just now…Chad thought to himself. He turned to Keigo to see if his friend had seen anything as well, but found him too distracted.
"Why does Mizuiro have all the luck?!" Keigo wailed, watching his pal get fawned over by a pair of older women.
"Kan'onji-san is unconscious!" Mizuiro cried in mock terror, "What's going on?"
"Oh, you poor baby!" the women pouted, hugging him closer to them to his continued delight.
"WHY?!" Keigo practically sobbed, leaning on Chad.
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Kuso Kurosaki! Ishida Uryū seethed, You didn't have to knock him out like that…although…Kan'onji-san did create quite a problem…
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The long dimmed lights of the hospital offered no light to Ichigo as he fled deeper into its depths. When he felt he had put enough distance between himself and the crowd, he whirled around, bringing Zangetsu to bear.
To his shock, he found the corridor behind him completely devoid of the angry spirit out for this blood. In his haste to lead the hollow away, Ichigo hadn't noticed when the sounds of its pursuit died away.
Where'd it go?! he wondered, glancing about. Ichigo even tried reaching out and trying to detect the hollow's reiatsu as Urahara had instructed him. Although he was able to detect familiar presences some of the time, like the members of Urahara Shōten, unfamiliar things still eluded him.
At that moment the ceiling collapsed, as the hollow burst through the concrete above, its mouth spewing a deluge of green slime straight at Ichigo's face.
Caught off guard, the sludge struck his head, knocking him off his feet and clinging to his hair, as well as the floor under him; effectively trapping him.
"You smell gooooood..." the hollow leered, licking its lipless mouth with its reptilian tongue.
"I wish I could say the same…" Ichigo said through gritted teeth as he struggled to reach his zanpakutō, which he had dropped in his surprise.
Come on…he thought, as his fingers inched towards Zangetsu's hilt. Gotcha'!
Twisting to the side, Ichigo sliced through the gunk holding him to the floor; removing a few of his orange locks in the process.
Damnit! No time to worry about your hair now…
Rolling quickly out of the beast's clutches, Ichigo leapt to his feet, skidding backwards and lopping off a few of the hollow's advancing fingers.
Instead of recoiling in pain like any normal being, the hollow instead howled in fury, increasing its speed.
Oh, crap! Ichigo thought, beating a hasty retreat. There's no way I can get at it in here. I've gotta' get to the roof…
He bolted up the stairs, taking three or four at a time, the hollow crashing and careening behind him. He managed to gain some distance as the stairwell narrowed nearer the roof.
Bursting out into the night air, Ichigo gave the rooftop a cursory glance and tried to get his bearings.
Okay…you were right behind me, so that means I know exactly where you'll-
The hollow interrupted his thought process, ripping the roof access door from its hinges and charging towards him.
As Ichigo swung his sword down to bisect its head, it raised its hands to block the blow.
The blade bit deep into the fiend's palms, but stopped short when it hit bone. Although the hollow howled, it did not let go.
Ichigo roared right back, his reiatsu pouring out and giving him strength. The zanpakutō slid through the hollow's makeshift guard with ease, neatly slicing its head as well.
He gave a sigh of relief as the hollow disintegrated in a haze. Stabbing his sword into the rooftop, he set about removing the muck from his hair.
"Stupid…hollow…slime…"
"Well done!" a voice behind him said approvingly.
What the-
It was her. The shinigami girl.
"You!" he said simultaneously with her.
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"You're…you're alive…" Rukia whispered, her lip quivering slightly.
"Well, yeah…sort of…" Ichigo said, shrugging and indicating his shinigami robes.
"Oh! You…you're a shinigami? How is this possible?" she wondered, staring at him as if he were about to disappear.
"That's…that's kind of a long story…" Ichigo said, scratching his head in discomfort, "I've gotta' take care of something f-"
"Kurosaki!" an angry voice interrupted him.
"Ishida?!"
"I sensed that you'd defeated the hollow and wanted to make s-"
He stopped upon seeing Rukia. "What is a shinigami doing here?!" he said coldly, his eyes narrowing as he advanced angrily on her, "You have no place being here!"
"Knock it off!" Ichigo barked, getting between them and stopping the advancing Quincy, "It doesn't matter why she's here. I trust her and that's that. Go back and watch Kan'onji lie on the ground, Ishida."
"I'm not going anywhere. And don't think I'll forgive you for ruining Bura-Rei. Kan'onji may have used…questionable tactics, but striking him was unjustified! They've started sending people home already."
"I'm devastated, really, Ishida, but why don't you join them? This doesn't concern you."
Rukia followed the exchange back and forth, puzzled by the human's attitude.
"Any shinigami in my town concerns me."
"Look…" Ichigo said, taking his classmate aside, "this shinigami is the one who saved my family. So why don't you drop this? I'll do that duel…contest…thing you wanted me to do…"
"When?"
"Saturday, 3 o'clock, the park."
"…Very well," Ishida conceded haughtily, "I will see you there. And Kurosaki: don't trust her. The first shinigami I met tried to save me too…"
Pondering his rival's parting words, Ichigo was brought out of his musings by Rukia, who coughed nervously.
"I hope I haven't caused you any more trouble…" she said, her eyes doing their best to avoid his.
"Huh? Trouble? What trouble?"
"Well…" she took a moment, "Your death…was my fault…you have every right to be angry."
"That's not true!" Ichigo protested, but Rukia continued on.
"I…you…you died because of ME!!!" she sobbed, tears pouring down her face, as all of her pent up guilt resurfaced, "I failed to protect you!"
Why is this happening now? Has all my training, all my hard work been for nothing, if this is all it takes for me to break down? I thought I was stronger than this…wasn't I getting-
Her insecure thoughts came to an end as she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Listen," Ichigo said firmly, "If it hadn't been for you, my family would be dead along with me."
"But, I-"
"And me dying was my own stupid fault!" Ichigo cut her off, "It was there because of me and I thought I could do something about it. So don't blame yourself."
Rukia wiped her eyes, nodding gratefully. "I…arigato…I still feel like I owe you something…um…"
"What?"
"I just realized…I don't know your name…"
"Oh. Right. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."
"Kuchiki Rukia," the black-haired shinigami replied, smiling.
"So…er…" Ichigo muttered, scratching his head, "I suppose you're wondering why I'm a shinigami, right?"
"Yes!" Rukia said eagerly, amazed she had "I did not think it was possible to become a shinigami so quickly without another's help. How did you manage it?"
"I helped him," a voice behind her said cheerfully.
"Yah!" Ichigo yelped, having not sensed his approach, "Baka! Quit sneaking up on people!"
"So sorry, Kurosaki-san, I didn't mean to star-…oh! Hello miss. And who might you be?" Urahara inquired, his eyes twinkling in their knowing way.
"Kuchiki Rukia…" she answered cautiously, looking to Ichigo; still unsure of the man's intentions.
"Pleased to meet you! Urahara Kisuke," he introduced himself, bowing slightly.
"Ura…hara…Kisuke?" Rukia muttered suspiciously, "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Ah! And to think my humble business has spread so far! I am the owner and proprietor-"
Ichigo snorted. Like he ever does any work…
"-of Urahara Shōten!"
"No, that's not it," Rukia frowned, causing the blonde man to deflate slightly.
"You probably heard about how he got kicked out of Soul Society," Ichigo suggested, shrugging offhandedly.
"What? You are a shinigami?!"
Urahara shook his head. "Now now Kurosaki-san…you can't let secrets go like that…"
"I trust her."
"Urahara Kisuke! Of course! Exiled from Soul Society for creating an untraceable gigai," Rukia recalled, giving the man a more appraising look.
"Among other things…" the sandaled man smirked, filing his fingernails nonchalantly, "I have many talents."
"I see…and you taught Ichigo to be a shinigami?"
Ho, it's Ichigo already is it?
"Yes, it was I! Well, my loyal assistants at my shop helped of course. Say…you'll be here in the real world for a while, yes? Why don't I let you rent a gigai? I'll give you a real deal…" Urahara wheedled.
"I-"
"Excellent! Come with me and we'll take your measurements! Bye-bye Kurosaki-san!"
"Oi! Wait!" Ichigo called after him, but the eccentric man was already leaping across the rooftops.
"Trust me Kurosaki-san! This will be for the best in the long run!" he shouted back, hauling a very disturbed Rukia over his shoulder.
Ichigo tried following him with shunpo, but found it difficult to keep up. Urahara had only shown him the basics so far and it seemed as though he was delaying this specific aspect of the young shinigami's training for a reason.
Is he just trying to make a sale? He wondered, Or is he up to something? Ugh…I should really head home…there's a test tomorrow…but that girl…Rukia…
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Upon returning home, Ichigo had found Alfred on the couch with Yuzu asleep on his lap. Huh...Urahara must've put him in my gigai while I was fighting...
His youngest sister had insisted on staying up and watching the news for any word on Don Kan'onji's condition. After slipping back into his artificial body and coughing up Alfred's pill form, Ichigo had stayed with his sister for a while, before carefully and quietly taking her back to her room.
Now, he lay in bed thinking over the night's events.
It's going to be a real pain having to do that thing with Ishida. But, I've gotta' talk to Rukia again. It feels like there's some things left unfinished there.
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Meanwhile, in Ichigo's closet, Rukia observed the orange haired boy through a crack in the sliding doors.
After having a gigai thrust upon her by Urahara, Rukia had denied his offer for a place to stay as well.
Besides, this is much more comfortable than anything that strange man could've offered me.
Watching as Ichigo's eyes began to flutter, Rukia thought, He's so forgiving. I'm not sure if I really deserve it…but I'll do all I can to make sure I do. I will protect you. This I promise you.
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However, as Ichigo's eyes began to close, a dark film crept at their edges.
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Author's Note:
So that's Chapter 11! And I didn't even have to file for it! Yes, I'm starting this Author's Note with a lame joke.
Again, I apologize for the long gap between updates. I've had very little breathing room this quarter. Anyway, I've started displaying the progress of my stories on my profile, so you can see how far along I am, or at least a rough estimate. I'm listing how much space the word documents I use take up, but if you'd prefer I list a word count, I can easily switch. Let me know if you prefer one over the other.
I've also cut down the amount of Japanese in the entire fic. I've gotten several comments about it and I realized that the sheer amount of it could be alienating potential readers, so I've cut most of it and left the honorifics, titles and a few other common, well known phrases. I've also translated all the less common ones.
And this chapter is the penultimate (love that word) chapter of the first arc! One more chapter before arc 2 (hopefully)!
Finally, DO NOT ask/tell/suggest that I update. All that's liable to do is make me see it as something I have to do, instead of something I want to do. Don't make this into a chore. I don't want that, and you don't want that.