hellooo! im back with another chapter of this fic :)

and yeah... i took so long because i am still are much to busy =.= (for details, see my profile)

and, well.. there is another slight ichime here.. but same like always, its probably for nothing... (confusing? don't blame me! blame my brain! who knows what my head is up to...)

anyways, lets move on to the story..

DISCLAIMER: i am not the owner of bleach, it was rightfully owned by the epic tite kubo

Chapter 3, Housemates

Humans are social being. They always need to socialize and depend on one another. Such is the case of friends. A person can't live alone, in the least, the person has to have someone that he could talk to, to depend on, to back him up. This, however, such a case of true friendship is rarely seen, as most people cares themselves more than any other people. To care someone as good as caring oneself is hard indeed. As such, most people longed for that kind of relationship, to find someone that care for them, and caring them back. To share their pain with one another, to divide their burden with each other, to understand each other, to be with them till the very end, never betraying the trust they each have. To chase the other even if he was on the other side of the earth.

Unfortunately, such is not the case for ichiru.

He got a friend that did chase him across the world, but he is not happy. And the blossoming stomachache didn't help with his mood as well.

Needless to say, the day..., no, the evening is going to be a long one.

Ichiru sighed as he walked on the fine pavement beside the crimson river. He gazed to the street ahead as he thought of how his new and old friends keep on insisting they come to his home. Tatsuki, inoue, chad, keigo and mizuiro claimed that they still had to help him un pack. The other, though... Well... Let's rewind the time a little.

-o-o-o-o- A few minutes earlier.

After the initial shock on his old friend's idiocy, ichiru decided that it would be best to take his bag and went home. After all the things happening today, he should deserve some rest, especially with his current awful condition. He really is hoping that he could just get home and get the day over with. He slung his bag on his shoulder as usual, and walk out of class in usual manner, he is ready to get home.

"ichiru"

As his name was called, he turned only to meet his pestering friend with a smile planted on his face. Inwardly, he groaned. When he did that so called sweet smile of his, usually, he has something to ask, a favor to ask.

Ichiru huffed. "what do you want" he asked with an annoyed edge to his tone. He just wanted to get home as fast as he could, is that so much to ask?

"so, you're going back right? I'll come with you" he said

Ichiru crooked an eyebrow, looking at him suspiciously. Great, what is he up to now... he thought. Whatever it is, it was guaranteed to be troublesome. "what for?" he asked again

With his smile plastered to his face, he answers. "well, my friend, I think I'll be crashing at your place while we're on Japan, after all, you live alone" he said as if it was nothing. Well, for him it might be nothing, but for ichiru though... He nearly choked on thin air as he heard what his friend said.

"you WHAT!" he exclaimed as the realization dawned on him, the reason of those question he asked this morning... But either way, ichiru has no intention to let him got his way. "NO WAY! go live on your own house!"

Ray wasn't surprised on his friend's cold reply, in fact, he thought he will said something like that, well, fortunately though, he knows how to force ichiru into this. "oh, come on" he pleaded "I have told my father that I'm going to live with you, so I had nowhere to go! How can you be so cold to me! And after all I've done for you.." he said in quite a dramatic way, giving more stares and whispers more than ichiru would like.

Ichiru is so damn frustrated by his dear friend's act, he always have. those stupid acts of him really got on his nerves. In times of these, Ichiru just resist the urge to kill him and throw him to the dumpster somewhere and live on his live. Ok, that might be too much, so ichiru just accept that stupid request of his and get it over with. But this time though... It will be one hell of a predicament.

Ichiru sighed as he made his choice. "fine" he said frustratingly. The blonde smirked, He knew that will always get to him. "but" ichiru continued as he glared at Ray "i wont be your personal maid, you have to take care of your self" ichiru stopped in preparation for his next condition, the most important one "and, more importantly, do not cause any unnecessary trouble, understood?"

"sir, yes, sir" he replied in affirmative.

"good, go and get your bags"

Ray smiled, it's more like a crazy smile than anything really "oh, you don't have to worry about that, after all, it's on your house already" he said in a smooth mysterious notion.

Again, for too many times on that day, ichiru got a bombshell dropped on him "what? How? How do you know where live?"

"easy really, almost everything could be found on internet, just a little tinkering and poof! You got the data you need" again, Ray said it like it was a normal thing to do when you are searching for your friend's new addresses.

ichiru knows what he meant rather too well, this one friend of his does have a lot of special abilities of his own. Although, not all of them are good. And by the way he said it, he must have done it. "hacking? You fucking hack the government's server!" he exclaimed as he just can't get over with the blonde knack for causing trouble.

"i don't see the harm in that, its not like I changed anything... besides, I didn't hack the government server, it's too damn risky, so I settle with some Japanese real estate agency for karakura town"

Ichiru sweat dropped. Ok, maybe he isn't as bad as he thought but, it still is going to be a problem if he gets caught.

-o-o-o-o- And so, that was the epitome of his awfully bad mood.

ichiru sighed. He has long given up on this particular friend of his. At that time, when he was saving him from bullies, he never thought that his friendship will go this far...

"so, hikari-kun is from America as well?" asked inoue who was walking beside ray while the rest was following them from behind, minding their own businesses. Chad, just being Chad, keigo was pouting because he has to work himself again today, and mizuiro, he was locked on the phone as usual. Ray looked at them in a curious manner. Ichiru has made many friends in a spam of a day. He was impressed, considering that ichiru hardly had any friends back on America. Back to the question at hand..

"yes, I am, in fact, I am a good friend of ichiru's" he answered as politely as possible. Ichiru scoffed, a good friend he said, well, he is but, sometimes, he is just... Impossible... "ever since he saved me from some bullies back on grade school, we have been together, isn't that right, ichiru" he said again as he slapped ichiru on his back.

In reply to his friends notion, ichiru grunted and scowled, showing his unhappiness regarding the current situation while keep walking on a constant pace as he tried to get his thought off from this misfortune.

Ray sighed on ichiru's childishness. "really, you need to lighten up"

"whatever" he replied. Don't get him wrong, ichiru was glad that Ray was here to accompany him on this foreign land so far from home. He was thankful that he wont have to face every troubles alone. Even though his acts really annoyed him... For some reason though, he thought he did resemble someone who has an annoying act just like him... His scowl deepens, what's up with him really, ever since he arrived on Japan, he got this weird thoughts, thoughts that came out from nowhere and keep bugging him after wards. Sure he did shrug it off as 'just a felling' but, he got way to many of them and started to wonder if all this 'getting kicked out from school and move to Japan' has given him more stress that he had originally thought.

Ray took notice on ichiru's change of mood. He can't help but wonder what could be bothering him that much. Well, okay, him being here and crashing on his house uninvited may be one of the reasons but, seeing his scowl and that forlorn gaze he was making... Something is isn't right, that's for sure. Whatever it is, it was troubling his friend a lot. "look, I know that I came here uninvited, but come on, what's so bad about it" Ray said with a sigh. It's going to take a while before he shares his troubles, even with him...

"he's right yagari- kun, after all the more the merrier right?" inoue followed right after. "ah! I know! Now that we have yagari- kun and hikari- kun, there will be other transfers that will join us as well! Then more and more people are going to join us, we could open up a club together! Create a huge company and-" and inoue rambles on. Both ichiru and Ray gives her a blank look, half wondering of the meaning of her words and another half contemplating weather she was just joking around with incoherent words.

Tatsuki sighed. Here comes the randomness again. Inoue orihime's most unique strait other than her endowments. "alright" she said, stopping inoue on mid- sentence. "let's hurry, we need all the time we got if we want to unpack all those things"

"uh.. Do we have to" asked keigo who was finally speaking up after his long silence, with a groan.

"of course! We have to get it done today"

A groan escaped his mouth once again, not liking the prospect that he has to do jobs that are surprisingly, energy taking.

"well... I'll said this again... you don't have to, really" ichiru said nonchalantly, he make it seem that it doesn't really matter weather keigo was there or not. This thought of course, was one sided, only in keigo's opinion as he is quite the eccentric type.

The sentence stoned him in spot, comically. His mouth went gaping ridiculously and his back was hunched. if this situation was on a show, the spectator would see the color drained from him, leaving only the black line and white back color.

Mizuiro walked past him, "bye asano- San" he said, don't even give him a glance as he keep all of his attention texting on his I-phone.

After a few stunned silence, keigo regain himself "hey wait for me!" he screamed as he ran to his friends who was quite a long way in front of him.

As they arrived in the humble ex- kurosaki's abode that was owned by ichiru now, they stood on silence at the huge pile of things that they had to unpack. Ichiru was sure it was doubled in quantity. Ray did bring lots of things to Japan...

"look at that pile! There is no way that we can unpack all of them today!" exclaimed keigo who was, as always, didn't like the prospect of having a hard labor job.

"oh quit your whining, let's get this started" tatsuki said in reply to keigo's whining as she slaps the back of the said brunette.

Chad grunted, approving what tatsuki had just said. "I'll carry the heavy things" he said as he took three boxes at once and started to sort them out.

Ichiru sweat dropped, he can't help but amazed by the power that the Mexican had. Although, he hoped that none of his things will be destroyed in the process though.

"I'll go help unpack those things! It look like fun" inoue said, again, she said it in excitement, like doing this is just as fun as playing games. She took flight to the nearest boxes and started to rip duct tape that sealing the box. Ichiru started, to get to work as well, he took a small knife from the kitchen and proceed to open the boxes.

"then, I'll go get some plastic bags for the trash" mizuiro said as he put his phone back to the safety of his pocket and went on to his work

"eh? Then what should I do" keigo asked reluctantly as he saw everyone has went on to their own respective work.

As soon as he said that, an arm was placed on his shoulder, keigo was surprised as he felt something on his back, it was ray's chest. "you, my friend, shall have the most exiting job of all!" Ray said with a voice that could pass for the host on a game show. Keigo sweat dropped at the sight of ray's really big smile, hoping that he won't dupe him in any way. And with it, Ray leads him to an empty bedroom.

Then again, empty, was not a correct word to describe the place. Various types of unkempt and ruffled clothing with various colors lay before him. it was a jumble of colors piled together making quite a bump on the floor. T- shirts, jeans, short pants, boxers, long pants, jackets, shirts, gloves, and even socks, you name it, it's all there. Gathered on one spot, amassing quite a lump. Keigo was speechless on the staggering sight of complete mess.

"now, your duty is to sort this up" said the blonde. This time, he said it like it was the most important duty of all. "do your best. Were counting on you" he said as he walked out of the door with hand on the pocket as he let a mischievous smile that he was holding for sometime.

Keigo stood still on a stoned silence, still trying to comprehend all the mess in front of him, which he had to sort out. A few moments after, a loud scream along the lines of "you gotta be kidding me" could be heard through out the neighborhood.

Ichiru sighed as he heard the scream of agony as he momentarily stopped working on fixing the TV on top of the stand in front of the sofa. He had a felling that ray has done something, the cause of the scream he heard. Not even an hour and he has started making troubles. He foretells an ominous future in front of him.

Inoue was standing alone on ichiru's bedroom. She was asked to sort some things out over here and she couldn't help but blush as she completely aware that this is his room... It's his room, ichiru's... No.. This was ichigo's room, but not anymore. He was gone now, but replaced with someone that looks like him who also sleeps on this room. She couldn't help but wonder if all this is a coincidence. She started to look around the room. The more she sees, the more she thought of him. A slight sad smile appeared as she thought of that time when she confess to him while he was sleeping. Even now she still could remember his smile, his lithe body, his peaceful sleeping form... She shakes her head as she put on a determined look. This isn't the time to be reminiscing about him, she got work to do, and she better get to it.

Down on the first floor, ichiru was finally getting somewhere with 'setting up the TV' why in the world did he brought a TV that so damn difficult to set up again?

"yo, fixing the TV already?" asked the said blonde as he enters the living room. "I thought I could be the one to do that"

"don't worry, I got this" ichiru said without looking as he get back to fixing the TV's stand "why don't you help on putting some stuff up on the bedroom upstairs? I'm sure inoue wont mind some help"

"oh, great idea, be right back" Ray answered. He turned and started to take a leisure walk to the stairs. A moment before he leafs the room, ichiru asked him one last question that has been stuck on his mind.

"hey, what did you do to keigo?"

Ray smirked as he continued to walk away "let's just say that I give him some work to do"

Ichiru raised an eyebrow on his friend's retreating figure. But he did got the felling that whatever things he put keigo to do, he doesn't want to be the one to do it. All in all, he sympathizes for keigo as he fell victim for the blonde mischievous nature.

"ichiru, we got the shelves done" screamed tatsuki from the other side of the room "how do you want us to sort the pictures?"

"uh.. Yeah.. Be right there" ichiru replied. He sighed. There still so much to do... It will be a long while before he can catch any break.

Ray ascended to the second floor, where ichiru's room is. His every step creates a squeak out of the wooden floor. He couldn't help but think that the sound it makes was pretty annoying. Maybe he should change the creaking floorboards with tile instead? That should help. As he walked inside the small yet comfortable room, he spotted inoue, who was trying her best to sort out both his and ichiru's stack of comics and novels. He can't help but notice the smile on her face. It seems she did enjoy doing this kind of thing.

"hey, need some help?" he called as he stood beside the opened door Which has successfully took her attention from her current job.

"oh.. Hikari-kun!" inoue squeaked. She was pretty surprised to see him here, she didn't know him that much beside he's ichiru's friend from America. It made her a bit more fidgety somehow.

"ichiru said that you need some help up here" Said the blonde as he pick several books from the box beside inoue and proceed to sort them out into the shelves just beside the cupboard.

"uh.. Well, I could do this, really, but thanks for your help"

"nah, it was me who should be saying that, after all, it was us that need your help" he said, and again, as politely as possible.

"oh.. It's fine!... Really!.. I enjoyed doing this so... It's fine!" again, she fidget as she stutters on her word.

The blond gives a silent chuckle as he heard her stuttering the word. She probably didn't fell to comfortable with him right now, and it amuses him. He always had been weird that way, but still, watching people's various different reaction is pretty fun.

"nee, hikari-kun, could you tell me about yagari- kun?"

Ray was caught off guard with inoue sudden solemn demeanor and the question she has given him. "eh?" he asked, he need a double take.

"you had been with him for a long time right?" she asked again. This time, her voice is much stronger.

The blond stayed silent, not sure how he could start his life story. He took a breath in preparation of his story. "I was seven when I first met him" he started. His eyes soften as he started to reminiscing about the past.

-o-o-o-o- It's all started on that day.

As long as I could remember, I always get the top grade at school. The teachers were praising me for all of my scores. Many of the students envied me, thinking that I got the teacher attention to my self. Thinking that I am the luckiest person alive. But, they were wrong. Jealousy is one incredible force of darkness. It could even turn the most innocent student into a heartless being. Because of my grade, I was bullied. They say I am the teacher's pet. Ever since then, I kept thinking that I could only depend on myself. Out here no one is going to help you. Parents? Sadly, my parents are not that reliable. After all, they were busy with their work. They did not have time to look at me, to see me, or visit me.

For them, I was nothing but a burden.

All I have is myself.

After some time, I got used to it. At their cold treatment, at their constant bullying. Its funny how people tend to adapt at their surroundings. Then again, it was their survival instinct, to keep them from breaking themselves.

But one day, things get bad, really bad.

I was walking back from school. Alone, as always, walking trough the eerily empty alley. The silence was dreadful, however, that place has always been that way, nothing to be worried about. It was then that I realized was being followed. The footsteps behind me sound like a blaring alarm that echoes trough out the place, breaking the hold of silence upon the empty alley.

I stopped on my tracks as I turned to meet my pursuers. Three raged children who were taller than me stood in front of me with their teasing smile. By the looks of them, they were supposed to be the upper classmen.

"so you're the one who took our prize huh? Damn brat" one of them said. I was about to retort, who the hell did they think they are, they had no right on calling me a brat. for all I knows, they too are brats.

Sadly, I was silenced as one of them grip hold my neck.

"this should teach you a lesson" another one of them said as he took my back pack. I panicked, I just won a competition back at school, the certificate along with the trophy i had earned. It's important to me, I worked hard on it, it's also my ticket for the scholarship I had striven to get, and they were taking it. I struggled, yet I can't stop them as I suffocate under the pressure of the death grip.

I thought I was done for, until something un expected happened. The one that was holding me, was losing his grip, releasing me as I sucked a handful of much needed air. I looked back, and i saw him.

Him, that guy who has the most shocking orange hair color, He has the same height as I do, albeit a little taller. He has a black backpack. Looks like he is a student just like I am. Still, his black jacket and long pants made him look older. I was stunned, that guy, he just incapacitated an upper classmen in a single blow, its a kick, actually, a really strong drop kick. The other two whimpers as they saw one of them lying on the stone cold floor of the alley. One look at his icy blue eyes and they knew they had just picked a wrong time to cause trouble.

I was transfixed at him, at his sharp glare. Even if his body was smaller than them, I could tell that he is stronger than them.

The two other ran, leaving with my bag on tow, however, it seems that the kid who got my back stumbled and fall which gives the orange kid time to get my bag pack from him, after inflicting a vicious kick of course.

Even now, I still could clearly remember what he said back then.

"leave my friend alone, or you will regret it!" he exclaimed confidently.

Yep, that one sentence is the one that started our entire friendship. Believe it or not, he was the first and the only person that I accepted as a best friend, hell, I've even thought of him as my brother now. I know our meeting was pretty much of a cliché, but hey, at least it was still much more awesome than most meetings out there...

-o-o-o-o- I guess that's how we both met, quite a story huh?

"was it long? I'm sorry if I bored you with it" Ray said as he holds the back of his neck, felling awkward. Actually he was felling like an old man now, with all the reminiscing and stuff...

inoue giggled. "it was fine, it was an amazing story!" she said with her usual cheerfulness.

The blonde smiled. Well, she is one energetic chick that's for sure. They had finally finished the sorting of the book and novels. Now they were getting the empty cupboard filled with clothes that keigo has painstakingly sorted out and neatly folded.

"ichiru and I.." he continued "we had always been together ever since, fighting gang members and bullies alike. He got into all kinds of trouble with how his hair attracted lots of attention and I got dragged into it, or sometimes it was the other way around... But one thing that I know from all of those times is, he got this need to help people, which really gain us lots of enemies"

Inoue twitched as she heard the sentence. She couldn't resist pinpoint at ' how ichiru's past is similar to ichigo's ' and that has left her in wonder. Is this also a coincidence, or was it something else...

Ray raised an eyebrow as he saw the girl zoning out while looking on a green t-shirt neatly folded on her lap. "hey, you okay?" Ray asked as he snapped his fingers, which effectively brings inoue back from her trance.

"ah! Yes! I'm fine! Fit as a fiddle" she said energetically as usual.

"look, we had been onto this for quite sometime, why don't we rest a bit, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt" ray suggested. After all, whose to say that sorting is not a tire some experience, they need at least a moment of reprieve before sorting the others. Besides, it well past sun down now.

inoue was reluctant, after all, she hasn't completed her task yet "but-"

"orihime! Here you are!"

Inoue was surprised at the sudden calling. Quickly, she turns her head to face tatsuki. Standing with her hand crossed.

"tatsuki chan!" inoue called back. She stood up so quickly that she lose her balance. When she was about to fall, a person held a strong grip on her arms, preventing her from falling to the hard wooden floor below.

"Are you alright?" the voice asked.

Inoue gasped as she instantly recognize that voice. She looked up from her currently hunched position. That orange hair, and that sharp gaze... Not to mention the slight scowl on his face. She was so close... Her heart beats faster as a red hue blossoms on her cheeks. Her mind is racing as she just cant bring her self to let go.

In other hand, ichiru was on a fright of his own. The thing is, he just had no idea what to do after this. He thought that after she stood right back, he could just let go and everything will be fine. However, the girl has no intention other than fixing her eyes to his own. Inwardly, he sweat dropped, seeing that he was stuck on this awkward position.

"uh..." he voiced himself, trying to get some words that is able to break him out of this situation.

Hearing his voice again, she has finally break free from her trance, with lots of blushing involved. "oh! I'm sorry, I'm so.. so sorry, I'm really sorry... " She rambles on

ichiru was taken aback by inoue's sudden wave of 'sorry' and took him a while to convince her that it was fine, it was him who was touching her in the first place.

The two other occupants in the room was watching them with amusement. After all, it was like watching some kind of soap opera which was happening to both of their best friend.

Soon they all went down to the first floor. Set's of food was served on the dining table. It seems while both ray and inoue was sorting things out, their friends has taken the liberty to make dinner for all of them. They were exited to taste the alluring food in front of them. Especially Keigo, he stated that after all the work he put today he's going to dig in like there's no tomorrow. It was a lively dinner, they chat with each other, throwing random jokes just for the hell of it.

Needless to say that, this dinner was the liveliest dinner ichiru ever experienced. And so, that's how his day ended. It does turns out to be one hell of a day though.

What do you know, having so many friends around isn't that bad of an idea after all...

Quickly, the night has passed. It was dawn. The black glittering sky was slowly replaced with a lighter shade of blue. As the he bright glowing sun took a peek out on the horizon, an combination of orange and red hue started to decorate the sky. There, out on the lonely morning street of karakura town, someone was watching. Watching the peaceful change of day. Her black short hair flutters in the wind along with her black kimono. A blade, her zanpaktou, was strapped securely on her white sash. She looked into the horizon as she stood silently above an electric pole a few meter below the ground. Her violet eyes gazed the city that lays beneath her. The lone bangs which flows in the middle of her face seem does nothing to affect her.

She looked down as she couldn't bear the guilt that has arisen in her chest. Without lifting a glance, her gloved left hand clutched the lieutenant insignia on her right arm, just below her shoulder.

This town.. It reminds her too much of him. The one that was dead because of her carelessness. If only she did her job well from the start... Then, he wouldn't ha-... No, she can't keep on thinking of what if's, she needed to do her job well this time. She has to carry her job without fail. No one else have to get the same fate as he does. That fate that killed him because of her foolishness.

This time, she will not make any mistakes.

This time, she will not kill anyone, ever again.

She vowed upon her soul.

With that conviction in mind, she jumped gracefully to the town that will be her responsibilities for the time being.

And thus, the sword was brought down.

I apologize if the line break was a bit weird... since i'm not that good on making flash backs.. =.=...

well, at least now we had one shinigami in town. i would doubt my writing skills if you didn't manage to recognize her..

speaking of writing skills, i know my writing has many mistakes so, if you could, please tell me what should i change and give me the examples so that maybe i could fix some things. I cant make a perfect writing like the novelist but at least i am trying to improve myself...

P.S, i've heard lots of news that BLEACH is going big screen. warner bross is halting their recent AKIRA project due its budget and took BLEACH instead. it was to be (possibly) directed by peter segal (get smart director) and dan mazeau (wrath of the titans writer) to adapt the story. not to forget that masi oka (the actor of hiro on heroes (if im not mistaken))

actually, there are lots of controversy in this since most people was afraid it would turn out like dragonball evolution, but for me no matter how bad it is it will be good since its BLEACH!

so, bleach live-action hollywood movie? bring it on!

anyway.. sorry for the ramble.. anyone would like to review?