Ch.2 Assembling Connection
Kibou was awaken by the alarm clock beside her bed. Sleepily, she turns of the alarm and stretches her hand while yawning loudly. "I guess it's time to school" she mumbled. She wakes up and took a bath. When she was using her clothes, both of her best friend, shidou and tsukiko are waiting for her in front of her house. She opened the window and shout "I'm sorry, could you wait for a moment?"
"Alright, just hurry up and get things done" said tsukiko standing beside shidou.
"I'm sorry…. Whoah!" said kibou as she fell down, tripped while putting her skirt. tsukiko who realize what happening up there could only give a sigh and a little smile.
Kibou was running franticly trough the stairs. She take the toast in her plate then she said "ittekimasu" before leaving the house. Ichigo who was cheking the medical supplies was really worried about his daughter goofy side but with tsukiko and shidou by her side he could relax, a little.
"Morning" said kibou as she met her friends. "Sorry for the wait"
"well, its nothing much. But, you should be more carefull" said tsukiko smiling while kibou did a little laugh.
on the busy school grounds, full of students come and go, ryuuki was walking toward the school while reading as usual, un aware of tanimoto reaching him from behind. "Hey, you!" tanimoto called "I hope you won't make any more crazy move, you're making me work over time yesterday "
"hmph.. I'm not the type to push things on when I'm putting other people on danger, but we will setle this" said ryuuki as he continue to walk away. Suddenly ryuuki spotted another reiatsu pulse.
"Ah! Good morning Tanimoto-San" said a girl
"Y...you are!" Said tanimoto surprised
At the school gate, kibou, tsukiko and shidou arrived at school. Kibou gasped when she saw the girl that was talking to tanimoto. She ran towards her.
"You!, you are that sninigami right" exclaimed kibou surprised
"Eh..., what the heck?" said tanimoto who didn't know what's going on, what the! she knows about us too! he thinked. Ryuuki who was in front of tanimoto also taken by surprise. He furrowed his eyes and thinked, another one?.
"Yes I am" said the girl with a polite smile.
"hitomi what are you doing here" said tanimoto
"Eh... Tanimoto, you know her... it can't be..." then kibou relized something. Kuchiki! That's why I ever heard of that name before, it's the name of a shinigami that my father told me! Tought kibou. "you are a shinigami!" exclaimed kibou while tsukiko and shidou were too surprised to say anything
"Uh..." mumbled tanimoto who didn't know what to say.
"Ah!, I believe I haven't yet introduced my self" said hitomi all polite and gentle "my name is ukitake hitomi pleased to meet you"
Kibou still loss for words. Tanimoto on the other hand, asked hitomi once more
"Hitomi!, really, what are you doing here?"
"Well, actually, the captains aren't sure that both of you could handle this alone, and Nero is a little hard to be told" said hitomi trying to make her words as less offending to Nero as she can.
"so, another shinigami posing as a student, I just can't understand you shinigami" said ryuuki as he walked back to confront hitomi and tanimoto.
"ryuuki, you know it too" said kibou preplexed
"of course, I am a Quincy, I could fell their reiatsu"
Then the bell rang. They decided to leave the topic for now and went to their class, which is class 1-3. kibou is felling quite ackward now that she has two shinigami on the class. As Ms. Ko enters the room, the boys are once again drooling over their teacher. As she started the roll kibou noticed something.
"Nero" she called which is off the tone since not that much people doesn't have a last name. Nero? Isn't he the other shinigami that they were talking about? So somehow all the shinigami ended up on the same class? thinked kibou
"Nero" the teacher called once more "so he's not here today either? Oh well... Next ukitake hitomi"
"Here!" answered hitomi as kibou were thinking hard.
"kojima tsukiko" the called the teacher
"Here" responded tsukiko
"kurosaki kibou " called the teacher, but kibou still on her own toughts. Uh... My brain isn't made for these things she tought as she hit her own head while calling her self stupid un aware of the look of her entire classmates is directed to her.
"ano... Kurosaki, what are you doing?" asked it's just then she relized that her teacher was calling her.
"Eh... Uh... I got a headache… Ahhahaha" laughed kibou as her classmates follow after her.
Kurosaki? I see, so that's why thinked hitomi.
After two separate lessons the bell finally rings, its the sign that the break has come. The students are rushing to the canteen to get some bread before it finished. Meanwhile, kibou who bring her own bread and a pack of juice went directly to the roof. But was stopped before she even leave the class.
"Excuse me, Kurosaki-San was it?" asked hitomi.
"Yes? Is there something wrong?" kibou asked
"No... I just trying to make sure." said hitomi since she was intrigued with the name -kurosaki-
"um... ukitake-kun?" Said tsukiko as she but into the conversation
"Yup, and please, call me hitomi"
"Alright then, hitomi-chan would you come and eat with us?" asked tsukiko
"Yeah sure, if you don't mind"
"Then I'll go get ryuuki too, the more the merrier right?" kibou said as she walks towards ryuuki who was reading his books as usual.
"Then I'll go get tanimoto-San to join us" said hitomi happily, she finnaly makes friend here, back at the soul society the only one close to her is his father ukitake juushiro and her mother unohana retsu. Tanimoto also quite close to her because she used to go on a mission with him.
After a minute of persuasion, ryuuki and tanimoto agreed to come. Since the courtyard was full of students they decide to eat on the roof.
"Damn, why should I be here" said ryuuki irritated "with shinigami no less"
"It's fine right" said kibou cheerfully "the more the merrier after all". She opened her noodle bread and ate it.
"But you could ask someone else instead of shinigami"
"Drop it off already" said tsukiko without any hostile "they did save us from those hollow things yesterday."
Upon hearing that, ryuuki who felt partly to blame for the trouble can't complain any longer.
"What are those monsters anyway" added tsukiko
"Hollows" said hitomi as she grabs her juice pack. "kojima-kun, kurosaki-San, and sado-kun, was it?"
"yeah, but Just call us with first name, we usually go with it" said kibou followed with her friends nod of aproval
"then, kibou, tsukiko and shidou, Since you could see spiritual beings, you should have a high amount of reiatsu. you should be carefull, they are lost souls who act based on instinct alone and they were atracted by strong reiatsu such as yours."
"soul?" asked tsukiko
"When a person dies, their chain which bound them to their bodies has been served, and so, they are no longer belong to the world of the living, it is our job to guide them to soul society with konsou"
explained hitomi while she put the staw to her juice pack. Tanimoto who was having trouble with it tried to copy hitomi, but even so, he still has no idea how to drink his juice.
"But if they dwell in this world too long, their chain will rust and made a hole in their chest. Soon they will become hollows."
"Then, that was a human soul! Not just some random monster! And you guys cut it!"
"Cutting them isn't meant as destroying their soul, we cleansed their soul so they could pass on to soul society" said hitomi as she gulped her juice.
"soul society?"
"hm... I think in your term soul society is heaven, the final resting place for souls, they were sent there before be reincarnated"
"I.. Is that so..." said tsukiko reluctantly, she was quite perplexed with the whole thing, learning life after death is always shocking and confusing at the same time.
Tanimoto who was trying to find a way to drink his juice pack copied hitomi but he suck it so hard that the juice was sprouting everywhere and he cough.
"Tanimoto, what are you doing?" asked hitomi
Tanimoto blushed, "t..trying to drink" he said reluctantly
"Don't tell me…, you never drink in the real world?"
"Well, I never stay here that long" said tanimoto, blushing
Kibou who felt sorry for him tried to help him. She took the juice pack and opened the edge of the juice by cutting that part. "Here, try this" she said
At first Tanimoto was confused, with a few hint from kibou he finally be able to drink the juice pack.
"huah... This drink taste good" he said finally able to try the drink.
"Ho... So there is other way to drink the juice, I didn't know" said hitomi "these drinks is hard"
"I... Is that so..." said tsukiko again but with a different intonation.
As their merry group finished eating their food, the bell rang and they enter their class for the next lesson. After several introductions and lessons from the teacher, it's finally time to get home.
"hitomi, tanimoto, you want to spent some time with us?" kibou asked "I know some good spot, besides, tanimoto-san aren't here that often right, it maybe a good thing to show him around"
hitomi and tanimoto thinked for a second until they finally agreed.
"I see, then I'll happily take up that offer" said hitomi
"But hitomi.." said tanimoto worried
"Its fine, a little fun wouldn't hurt right" said hitomi before tanimoto has the chance to finished sentence.
"Alright, then let me drag ryuuki along too" said kibou as she went to ryuuki's table and drag him to go with them just like that.
"Not again!" screamed ryuuki as they walk trough the district.
At first ryuuki isn't pleased with this, but after several confrontations with tanimoto, and some randomness from kibou, ryuuki started to enjoy his time.
Kibou took them to the district where they go to malls, some parks and finnaly arcade.
"Alright, this is the best place to have fun!" said kibou with a very energetic voice
"What is this place?" asked tanimoto be bewildred since he never saw a place as loud and as flashy as an arcade and Hitomi was looking around the place.
"Its an arcade, you play all sort of games here, its really fun" said tsukiko as kibou went to buy some changes.
"Arcade?... what a weird place" said tanimoto as he begin to look around
"hmh… is shinigami really have that low civilization level" said ryuuki with a sinister tone
"What did you say!, let me tell you one thing, I'm the best with games, both in soul society and the real world" said tanimoto which was really getting on his nerve.
"Oh really…."
"That's it, lets settle the fight yesterday here"
"Sure, why not" said ryuuki who was getting quite fired up. After getting some coins from the counter, the both of them started charging the nearest arcade game.
"Really, those two are being hi-spec." sighed tsukiko with shidou staying silent without any comments
"So what do you want to try first" asked kibou to hitomi.
"Umm… that is…" she said as she walk towards the samurai arcade machine. And so kibou swipe the card and the game started. Having finished explaining how the game works, hitomi kicks but, she score a high score.
"Whoa… shinigami's sure are good with swords" said kibou
After they finished spending their credits, and after ryuuki won after tanimoto, badly, they went out of the arcade, it seems the sun is setting soon.
"Then we will take our leave" said hitomi
"Say, where did you stay anyway, its not like sninigami has a house in the real world right" asked kibou, curious
"Well, we use an apartment, I'm not sure who does it belongs to but whoever he is, he let us, shinigami, use the apartment so we will be living there for a while" said tanimoto.
"I see" said kibou who accepted the answer.
"But, i wonder if nero will be there? Although we are not that close, I'm still woried about it" said hitomi
"Should we look for him?" asked tsukiko
"No, you don't have too, I'll search the town after checking the apartment, beside, your parents will be worried if we keep you around for much longer" said tanimoto
"He got a point"
"Then see you tomorrow" said hitomi as she bowed politely.
Kibou, shidou and tsukiko went their separate ways, from the arcade, their home are on different route. And kibou choose to get back home trough the park. There she saw a high schooler using karakura high grey uniform, was sleeping on a bench with his student handbook covering his face. Curious, kibou went closer and realize that the name Nero was written in front. He is Nero? She thought. With that in mind, she tried to wake him up from his sleep.
"Um… Nero-san" said kibou as she move kakizen's body. "Nero-san!" not getting the response she wanted, she take the student book from his face. Kakizen who was blinded by the park lamps went awake instantly.
"Hey! Give that back!" screeched Nero
"You shouldn't sleep here you know, you will catch a cold" said kibou
"You got guts girl" said Nero as his eyes went dangerously blood shot
"You are a shinigami right"
"How do you know!" said Nero surprised, alarmed at the same time.
"I'm hitomi-chan and tanimoto-kun friend after all. besides, like I said, you will get cold if you sleep here, if you catch a cold, the one around you will catch it as well, then the whole world will catch a cold, there will be trouble in global scale" she started to get random again
"What the hell was that suppose to mean? if you have nothing to do with me then leave" kibou who has finished with the random rambling looked at Nero who snatched his book back.
"Hitomi-chan and Tanimoto-san are worried about you, you should go to the apartment"
"It has nothing to do with you, leave me alone" refused Nero as he lay down on the bench to get another sleep.
Kibou who isn't ready to give up yet did a more force full effort. She grabbed kakizen left hand and pull it hard which caused Nero to sit up right and eventually, he was walking trough the park as kibou dragged him on.
Kakizen frowned. "Let me go girl" said Nero ferociously
"I have a name you know" said Kibou as she was dragging him on "its Kurosaki Kibou"
Kurosaki? nero thought. He knows that name all to well. Zaraki Kenpachi, the 11th squad captain always comparing him to Kurosaki Ichigo during the practice fight, saying that he was nowhere on ichigo's level and how he didn't get a chance to get a rematch with him to settle their score. With that in mind Nero let kibou dragged him on, he wanted to see for himself about the kurosaki that his captain love to brag about.
Kibou dragged him to the city. She dragged him along trough the gleaming night of karakura town. They stopped on a shop that sell Japanese katana and they went to several interesting places as well. On their way, nero's stomach made a loud growl and he reluctantly accepted kibou's offer for a fast food burger. After the night is getting late, kibou decided to walk Nero home before she get back. At night Nero was laying on his futon in the apartment.
Kurosaki huh, she might not be much, but, its worth it thought Nero as he smiled while inducing himself to a deep slumber.
The next morning, kibou went to school as usual, She hang out with her freinds and her new shinigami friends. The time quickly passed, the time for students to breathe in the middle of their lesson has come. Kibou was planning to buy a bread from the school cafeteria since she has forgotten to bring her bread with her this morning. When she stand up from her seat, she saw tanimoto heading out before she did. Out of curiosity she followed him. It seems he's heading towards the roof.
"Kibou, we're going to the yard to eat lunch, you want to come" said tsukiko from behind. She also bring shidou and hitomi with her.
"Um... I got something to do so..." said kibou as she created an excuse since she can't tell them that she's going to follow tanimoto.
"Then, we will be in the yard okay" said tsukiko as she walk away. Then Kibou went up trough the stairs and into the roof. She found tanimoto eating his melon bread, all alone.
"tanimoto, what are you doing here, alone" asked kibou
Tanimoto choked and he imidiately drink his juice "how about you?, what are you doing here!"
"Well... at first I was about to buy some bread from the cafeteria, but i saw you going to the roof alone so i was wondering if something is up" said kibou as she walk to tanimoto's side and sit beside him.
"No... nothing is up, just trying to get some fresh air" said tanimonto reluctantly and took another bite of his melon bread
"I see, then why are you eating here alone, you could ask the other to come too, beside you could get some fresh air in the yard too"
"It's just that, I'm not used to hang out with friends like this." said tanimoto
"hm...Then you are one of those anti-social type"
"Anti-social?, well, it's not that... Nevermind"
"If you have something to say just say it, a friend is suppose to share, even their troubles" said kibou with a smile
tanimoto looked at kibou for a moment, then he started to divert his eyes from her and start talking "My family, the kuchiki clan is one of the noble house in soul society so I never hang out with friend that much, even on the academy, the only person that I hang out with is hitomi" said tanimoto as he stoped eating, not sure why he said all this to kibou whom he just met two days ago, but he get the urge to tell her.
"A noble huh, it sure is hard" said kibou who just aprove of it without asking to much question "but then, that's the more reason that you should come and eat with us, its true that you got your share of trouble but, eating alone isn't as much fun as eating together. The more the merrier after all. Come on!" said kibou as she pull him up and drag him to the yard as tanimoto clenched his melon bread and juice pack just before kibou's grab him.
On the yard, hitomi, tsukiko, shidou, even ryuuki was there, below the shade of a big tree, they eat together. hitomi spotted tsukiko looking at her rainbow colored braclet on her right wrist passionately.
"its a pretty braclet" said hitomi as she stop eating her noodle bread
"yeah, it is, this is my treasure after all" said tsukiko with a smile as she gazed her braclet.
"Hey!" called kibou, suddenly, to her friends as she ran towards them.
"kibou, tanimoto-San, where have you been?"
"Sorry about that, have to pick him up first"
"Hey! What do you mean pick me up!" said tanimoto who was trying to cover up his shyness. He sat on the grassy ground below the shade of the tree "really, you are..."
Kibou is standing beside tanimoto. "AH!" she exclaimed before tanimoto finished his sentence, which attracted everyone's attention "I forgot to buy the bread!"
"Hah…." Sighed tsukiko who got work up for no reason "you really need to get a grip" said tsukiko
"Then, I should hurry before…." said kibou who leave her sentence unfinished as tanimoto give her a packed melon bread.
"Here, I have another one so I'll give this one for you" said tanimoto
"But…" said kibou who was reluctant to take the offer
"Just take it, a friend is supposed to share, right?" then tanimoto took a bite of his bread.
"Thanks" responded Kibou with a smile as she took the bread.
As they spent a good time beneath the tree, tanimoto think to himself, I've made a good friends.