I'm glad I made some of you sniff a little for the boys!

Here goes…

Renji stood at the doorway of the dingy little room and stared. The room was bare except for a thin mattress that lay next to a wall with slightly peeling paint, and a dresser that was set against the wall across from it. Three years ago, he would've thrown a fit at the thought that he had to live in a space like this, but now, after sharing a cell with a stranger for so long, this might as well be the honeymoon suite in a five-star hotel. He held the sudden rush of emotions in check and walked inside slowly, noting the familiar texture of tatami mat beneath his bare feet. He placed his backpack on the floor, then crouched down and ran his fingers through the baby blue-colored bed sheet, savoring the softness of the fabric. It was well-used and not particularly of high quality, but it smelled of home - not his, but home nonetheless.

"Please forgive us for the state of the room, Abarai-san," the soft-spoken lady of the house said, then she took a step back and bowed.

Renji was at her side at once, wanting to hold her arms to stop her from bowing but too polite to do so. "Please, Unohana-san, I'm the one who should be apologizing for intruding," he said hastily.

The woman looked up at him and smiled. "Nonsense, Juushirou and I are happy to have you here," she said, resting her elegant fingers on Renji's forearm. Her blue eyes regarded him with genuine affection that made him melt a little inside, then she gave him a shallow bow anyway and said that she would be back when dinner was ready.

Once Unohana was out of sight, Renji went back into the room and sat down on the narrow bed.

He was finally here.

So much had changed in the past three years. As he had expected, his family had disowned him as soon as they found out that he'd been arrested and sent to jail. He knew that his stepbrother, Kuchiki Byakuya, had always wanted him out of the clan anyway, and he had just given him a convenient reason to do so. Byakuya had stopped his funding immediately, leaving only what he already had in his bank account in America. Renji had never been one for savings, so it was barely enough for him to hire a lawyer. Not that he really needed one for his defense - he had pleaded guilty, and never paid attention to what was worked out between the lawyer and the prosecutors. Starrk had helped him, of course, and had continued to do so through the years, visiting him every month, even remembering his birthday every year.

Renji certainly didn't miss his family a single bit. The only thing that he had been afraid of was letting his mother down by getting kicked out. Like Shuuhei had said, he was a stray. Kuchiki Sojun, Byakuya's father, had married Renji's mother after his first wife passed away, and Renji's mother had brought him into the family. He was only ten at the time, four years younger than Byakuya and the same age as Sojun's only daughter, Rukia. For reasons that Renji never understood, Byakuya had hated him for as long as he remembered. Perhaps the older man felt threatened by the presence of another son in the house; Renji never bothered to ask. Sojun had tried to smoothen the relationship between the two brothers, but he had never succeeded even up till his death.

Then, two years after Sojun's death, Renji's mother passed away as well, leaving Renji alone and vulnerable in a cold, detached family. Rukia was the only one who was kind to him, secretly sneaking into his room to give him her CDs, or books, and once, even her game console to cheer him up. Okay, so maybe he did miss one person in his former family.

The only reason Renji had the opportunity to study abroad was because Byakuya had no choice but to follow his father's will, which clearly stated that all his children - including his step-son - were to be granted the chance to do so. And he had blown that by being stupid.

After he was released from prison, he was immediately deported back to Japan. Now, he had no family, no friends, and no money. Luckily for him, Rukia extended her kindness once again. But there wasn't much she could do, given that she had to do it behind her brother's back. She was married now, to a man who worked for Byakuya, so she had to do it behind her husband's back as well. That left her little choice except to ask one of her old high school teachers for help.

Ukitake Juushirou had answered her call for help without hesitation. He had long since retired, and now lived with his wife, Unohana Retsu, in a small town called Karakura, a place that Renji had never heard of before. Ukitake offered Renji a place to stay, refusing to take a cent until Renji found a job and had a steady income.

So, now, here he was, after thousands of miles of traveling and hardship. Renji ran his fingers through his hair, which was still closely cropped. He'd gotten used to not having to worry about maintaining it like he had to when it was long, so he'd kept it this way. Maybe, maybe one day when he had a stable job and had a bit more time for himself, he might grow it out again.

He pulled his backpack closer and took out his meager belongings - the most basic of toiletries, a worn wallet containing his ID and some money that Rukia had insisted that he accept, and his most precious belonging of all: a small, wrinkled colored photo of an orange-haired young man.

Renji held the photo in his hand and gently dragged his thumb over the smiling face. This action had become somewhat of a ritual over the years, but he'd always had to be careful when he did it in his cell. He didn't want to ask for trouble, although most of the time the other inmates just left him alone. After staring at the photo for a few more seconds, he slipped it into his wallet and placed the wallet on the ground next to the head of the mattress.

Tomorrow, he would start looking for a job here. To be honest, he was worried. This was a small town, and he was an outsider in his late twenties without a college degree. All he had was his high school diploma and a criminal record. He didn't have high hopes, but he was determined to try his best.

Renji counted the bills in his hand and sighed. If he ate only two meals a day, his money would last him at most three more days. If he bought only the food on sale, the ones that were going to expire the next day, he could perhaps stretch it for another day.

He leaned against the wall outside the grocery store and carefully unwrapped the onigiri that he had just bought. It had been a tiring morning, and he was thirsty and hungry. It had been two days, and he hadn't had any luck so far. The first day, he had been disheartened when people shrank away from him just because of his tattoos and bright-colored hair. Storekeepers turned him away as soon as he asked about job vacancies. It was also very depressing, because every rejection reminded him that he could've been a computer engineer if he had completed his degree. Every time he found himself wandering down that line of thought, he would remind himself that it was his own fault. And then, whenever he thought of that, he would think of Ichigo, and that just made him feel even more depressed.

His disappointment must've shown on his face, because when he went back to Ukitake's house that night, the gentle, white-haired man gave him a letter and asked him to bring it with him the next time he went job-searching. Feeling curious, he had opened it when he went into his room, and had nearly teared up when he saw that it was a recommendation letter from Ukitake himself. It was short and simple, stating that Renji was the brother of one of Ukitake's brightest students, and that Ukitake vouched for him.

With that letter, the second day became a little better, but he still wasn't able to get a position anywhere. He was under-qualified for most, yet over-qualified for some. Even when he stated that he didn't care if he was over-qualified, employers were reluctant. They accepted his application, but he knew they were most likely going to throw it aside once he turned his back.

And so, here he was, on the third day of his job-hunting adventure, standing by the roadside under the sun, trying his best to finish his lunch without spilling it all over himself. When he finally wolfed down his meal, he stood up and wiped his brow, thinking about where he should look next. As he stretched his back, a piece of paper fluttered off of the cork board on the wall next to the grocery store. He knew that the board was filled with miscellaneous advertisements like job vacancies, yoga classes, and children's music lessons, so he pushed himself away from the wall and went to pick up the piece of paper so that he could stick it back onto the board.

"Tesshou Ramen Shop is looking for a handsome, brave, hardworking cook's helper! First come first serve, so come try your luck here now!" Renji read, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous candidate requirements.

He raised his hand to grab one of the push pins on the cork board, then he stopped. He may not be handsome or brave, but he could be hardworking. He didn't know anything about the workings of a restaurant and had close to no experience in the kitchen, but he could try. Noting down the name and address, Renji stuck the advertisement back onto the board and walked off in search of the shop.

When he found it, though, his face fell. In the kindest of terms, the ramen shop could be described as homely - it was wedged between two nicer-looking stores, making it look even dirtier and smaller. The green-white striped awning was a little lopsided and looked like it could crash down at any moment, while the words "Tesshou Ramen" was painted proudly above the wooden door. Renji would've walked away, but then came a whiff of the most mouth-watering aroma he'd smelled in a long time. He immediately salivated and then blushed in shame for acting like a hungry child. In truth, he was still hungry; that small onigiri did nothing to fill his stomach, especially with him walking around almost the entire day.

Renji brought out his wallet and counted his money again. He could buy a bowl of ramen now, but then he would have to settle for crackers the next day if he wanted the money to last through two more days. He hesitated, torn between giving into his hunger now or being practical and saving the money for the future. God knows he was going to need it, if his current job search luck was any indication.

Before he could decide, the wooden door burst open and a short, red-haired boy in his early teens jumped out, startling him so much that he dropped his wallet.

"Jinta! How many times do I have to tell you that that is not the right way to greet customers?" a deep booming voice bellowed from inside.

The kid scowled and bent down to pick up Renji's wallet for him. "Here," he said, almost pouting. He thrust the wallet into Renji's hands and said with a roll of his eyes, "Welcome to Tesshou Ramen Shop, where we have the most delicious ramen in the entire prefecture! Step in and smell for yourself! Let us impress your taste buds and steal your soul!" He flung his hands into the air dramatically at the very end, and then glared at Renji as if daring him to laugh.

Renji stared at the boy, trying to decide if the kid was just joking, or if that was the older man's idea of the "proper" way to greet customers. He felt the building pressure in his chest from his effort to hold back his laughter, but he was quickly failing. He bit his lip and held his breath, desperately willing his own body to swallow the laughter that was bubbling up his throat.

"Go on, laugh," Jinta said grudgingly. He gave the door a quick look and then leaned closer to Renji to whisper, "The old man's nuts."

The exasperation in the boy's eyes made Renji chuckle. "Steal my soul, eh?" he asked, amused. He held his wallet in his hand for a few more seconds, and then finally made up his mind.

Fifteen minutes later, while Renji's soul was still intact, he had to admit that that was the best ramen he had ever had. That was saying a lot - Renji loved ramen with a passion and had tried almost every ramen shop in Tokyo, and this one beat them all hands down. When he told the shopkeeper, he was nearly crushed when the giant of a man pulled him into a hug.

"Ojisan! This is not how you treat a customer!" a soft, higher-pitched voice cried, then a little girl latched herself onto the shopkeeper and tried to untangle the two men.

When the older man finally let go, Renji slumped back into his seat, dazed and beyond surprised. The girl bowed repeatedly and rushed off to get him a fresh cup of green tea. "It's on the house!" she yelled as she disappeared behind the curtain that separated the seating area and the kitchen.

The shopkeeper seemed baffled at the girl's reaction, as he simply shrugged and pressed a large hand on Renji's shoulder. "You have to come here again!"

Renji couldn't help smiling, even though his shoulder was beginning to ache under the man's weight. This was the most fun he'd had in a very long time; these people were obnoxiously loud and weird, but they were nice and for some reason, made him feel warm and happy inside. Perhaps his soul had been stolen, Renji noted dryly. After thinking for a bit, he decided that he would ask about what he came here for after all.

"I read that you are, ah, hiring?" he asked.

The shopkeeper widened his eyes and stood up to his full height. Renji gulped, suddenly understanding why the applicant needed to be brave. This man was easily six and a half foot tall, and he was built like a football player, his biceps thick with muscle. If not for the large handlebar mustache and the cornrowed black hair on his head, he would cut an intimidating figure. As it was, he still looked kind of scary, but in a much gentler, harmless way.

"I say we hire him!" Jinta said, pulling up in front of Renji and sweeping his eyes up and down.

The little girl reappeared and placed a tea cup in front of Renji. She stuck her hands on her hips and chided the boy, "You're saying that only because he has red hair like you, isn't it?" Then, realizing that she came off rather offensive, she clasped her hands over her mouth and bowed again.

Renji's mouth twitched as he felt more laughter crawling up his throat, but he clamped his mouth shut to be polite. He held the girl's elbow and caught her mid-bow. "So, may I interview?" he asked the shopkeeper, feeling hopeful.

The man stared down at him with narrowed eyes, then, after a few seconds, he said firmly, "No."

Renji's face fell. Oh well, what was he expecting anyway? At least he'd tried. He had to smile, though, when the two children began shouting in his defense, chastising the older man for making the wrong decision.

To Renji's surprise, he was then suddenly grabbed by the shoulders, and the shopkeeper announced, "No, you may not interview, because you're hired!"

Renji gaped, unsure whether to laugh or cry at the sudden twist of events. If that was the man's sense of humor, it was lame in capital letters. The kids clearly thought so too, because they immediately booed. Then, the realization that he now had a job sank in, and Renji's face broke into the widest grin he'd given in many years.

Over the course of the next week, Renji met the other employees at the shop. There was a short, timid-looking high school kid called Yamada Hanatarou, who was the other cook's helper, and a waitress named Inoue Orihime. Even though Renji had no interest in women, he still had to work very hard not to look down at the girl's generous assets when he spoke to her. He didn't know if there was something in the ramen soup, but he liked both of them at first sight. In fact, there was nothing he didn't like in the store. Well, except the condition of the shop, he supposed.

Despite the quality of the food, the store didn't get a lot of customers. Renji secretly suspected that it was because of the shabby-looking exterior of the shop, but he had just started working there and didn't feel like it was his place to comment on it. Still, there was plenty for him to do, as making ramen broth daily was a lot of hard work. He had to get up early in the morning six days a week - he had Wednesdays off - but he didn't mind it one bit. He had gotten used to getting up early during his stint in jail anyway, and getting up to work at a restaurant was so much more pleasant that he actually looked forward to it every day.

Of course, he had also learned more about his employer, Tsukabishi Tessai. The man was a former wrestling coach who gave up his career to pursue his dreams. Renji thought that owning a ramen shop was a rather odd dream, but who was he to judge? At least Tessai had a dream. As for Renji, he was content just being able to feed himself. He was paying rent now; it didn't leave him much for himself, but it made him feel a little more dignified. He hated the feeling of freeloading off of the retired couple. He knew that Ukitake had health problems and, while they managed alright, whatever spare cash the couple had would be useful for medical expenses.

Renji had also learned that Ururu and Jinta were orphans taken in by Tessai when they were babies. Even though he was the father figure in their lives, he never officially adopted them as his children. Not that it mattered anyway. Renji could see the shine of affection in the children's eyes whenever they were around the man, and vice versa - as far as Renji was concerned, they were much, much more of a family than the Kuchiki clan would ever be.

Today, just as he had been doing for the past few days, Renji got up at five and headed out for his daily morning jog. He had lost muscle mass when he served his sentence, but now he was determined to build it back up. He slipped out of the house silently so that he wouldn't wake his landlords, then he ran, circling the entire neighborhood. The chilly fresh air bit his skin, but he couldn't be happier.

Even after his run and a shower, he was still the first to arrive at the shop - besides Tessai and the children, of course, who didn't really count since they lived just upstairs. He changed into the simple white t-shirt that screamed "Tesshou Ramen Shop" on the front and wrapped an apron around his waist. Then, he set to work, taking out the marinated pork that was to be roasted and sliced, as well as green onion and bamboo shoots and countless other ingredients that needed to be washed, chopped, and diced.

Renji was laying out all the items on the large stainless steel table when Tessai and the kids came down from their rooms. Jinta was in his second year of junior high school, while Ururu was in her last year of elementary school. They were quieter and grouchy in the morning, especially Jinta, who practically growled at Renji when Renji greeted him. Renji didn't mind; it felt nice to be around them as they got ready for school, it almost felt like he belonged in a family.

Once the kids were gone, Tessai began to prepare the broth, and the two men fell into comfortable silence. Tessai rarely spoke when the children were not around, and that was perfectly fine with Renji. It wasn't like he had a lot to say either, and he was more than relieved not to have to answer more awkward questions about his life. Ururu had tried prodding just the day before, but he had skillfully diverted her attention to the gameshow that was showing on TV. He had told Tessai about his history in private on the day he was hired, deciding that he should get it out in the open. He'd rather lose the job now by being honest than losing it later when Tessai somehow found out on his own. To Renji's surprise, Tessai simply punched him lightly on his arm and told him to come to work the next day at six in the morning.

By about nine o'clock, Renji was done with the vegetables and began to check on the pork. And then at ten, Orihime waltzed in, her burnt-orange hair pulled up in a high ponytail. She shouted out her usual bubbly greeting, then went to the back to change and put on her apron. Renji's eyes lingered on her hair. Even though Orihime was easily the most cheerful person he'd ever known, he couldn't help feeling a little sad whenever he saw her. It was her hair - it reminded him of Ichigo, of what he had lost.

Before he knew it, she was back, flitting around the kitchen like a bee, humming as she peeked over their shoulders and offering her help. Renji put down the knife he was holding and raised his eyebrows.

"Did you win the lottery or something?" he asked curiously. The girl had always been energetic, but today she almost seemed like she was high on something with the way she was dancing around.

Orihime giggled and leaned over the table next to him. "No," she said, and then giggled again. She reached over and picked up a pair of chopsticks and began to poke at the pile of neatly-chopped green onion.

Her laughter was contagious, and Renji found himself smiling as he batted her chopsticks away before she could ruin his hard work. "Yeah? Then what is it?"

Orihime turned around and leaned her butt against the kitchen counter. "I'm just really excited!" she said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I'm meeting an old classmate this evening. It's been so long since I last saw him!"

"An old boyfriend?" Renji knew he was being nosy, but he couldn't resist asking. His grin widened when the girl blushed immediately.

"No!" Orihime crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, looking embarrassed.

Renji chuckled. He could so hear the "I wish" in the girl's voice, but he decided not to point it out.

"He's really nice," Orihime went on. "Super smart too, like, really really smart." Then, after a short pause, she added shyly, "He's cute, too."

"Ah."

Orihime nodded solemnly, oblivious to the smirk on Renji's face. "He went to America to study after high school, this will be the first time I'm seeing him since he went there. I wonder if he has changed?" she pondered out loud.

At the mention of America and college, Renji felt his mood slip, and his smile faltered slightly. Orihime didn't notice his reaction. "He just graduated, and he's coming back here to be a teacher at our old high school! Isn't that cool?" she continued excitedly.

When Renji didn't reply, Orihime turned and finally saw Renji's face. "Aww! Are you okay?"

Renji nodded, his good mood now dampened significantly. He knew he was being stupid. Lots of people came back with degrees from US universities, it wasn't a big deal. But he just couldn't help it - the memory was still too fresh. He was glad that Tessai had remained silent through the entire conversation. The man seemed to have picked up Renji's mood, though, because he suddenly called to Orihime and asked her to help him watch the fire for a bit.

Before Orihime left Renji's side, she promised him that she would make him a chocolate-green-tea-red-bean pudding later to cheer him up, then she skipped away, humming as she went. As Renji once again stared after her hair, he caught Tessai giving him a reassuring nod, and he couldn't help but smile back.

One step at a time, he told himself as he returned his attention to the chopping board. Piece by piece, he would rebuild his life.

To be continued…

"Tesshou" is a Hakudo move that Tessai excels at, which translates literally to "Metal Fists". Do you guys love the new characters? It's funny how I always manage to incorporate Tessai into my stories even though I don't particularly like him. XP

Till the next chapter, good night!