Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights of this series goes to Tite Kubo.
Author's Note: So much tension; people are on the edge of their seats. What the haywire happened to Hitsugaya? Well, you're going to find out after I say my thanks to lil'sayuri-chan, applestoapples, SMILES208, yumi-2121331, King of Heroes, Mei-tan, zx14ninja, AznInvasionGirl, BreathexFreely, Epoch95, Samantha, HoneyFlower15, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, cool!, icyangel27, KnowledgeandImagination, monkeywinz, RebelAngel91210, DestinedDuelist893 (x3), MoonLightView, Neko-cheung, athfdrizzle, becomeafan, Rinka Tokmiya, j cloud xD, Kaye. Shirogane, serenity095, chococat450, michiHitsugaya for your awesome reviews! Okay, I'm done what I need to say. You can now read on. Enjoy the early update!
LEGEND
"Talking." "Thinking."
The Healing Heart
Part II - Hardships and Love
Chapter Thirteen: The Jig's Up
Momo opened her shoe locker and took out her indoor shoes. Placing it on the floor, she swapped footwear and put her outdoor ones in the locker. After she closed it, the raven haired girl heard a familiar voice. "Ohayo Hinamori-kun."
She turned her body to the side to see her friends, Kira and Renji has just entered the school premises. "Good morning Kira-kun, Abarai-kun," she greeted back.
"Yo," the red head said.
"Did you come home safely yesterday?" Izuru asked with concern.
Hinamori gave him a smile and nodded with agreement. "Don't worry; I came back home safely."
"That's good to hear."
"Momo-chan!" called out a voice.
As Kira and Abarai raised their heads, Hinamori turned around to see her two female friends running up to her. "What's wrong you two?"
"Did you hear the news?"
The peach girl blinked while Izuru raised an eyebrow. Renji asked, "What news?"
"There is a new transfer student and he's going to be in your class!" the other girl said excitedly.
"Really?"
"That's interesting," Kira said. "The last time we had a transfer student was early last year."
"Wait until you meet him, he's quite the cute one!" the first girl exclaimed.
"Yeah," the other agreed. "We saw him entering the principal's office a while ago."
The red headed teenager raised an eyebrow. "C-Cute?"
"How do you know that he's going to be in class 2-1?" the peach girl asked.
"Isn't that obvious? We overheard the conversation between the transfer student and the principal from outside of the room."
"Oh..."
Suddenly, the bell started to ring. "Anyway, you have to tell us about him later at lunch, okay?"
Even though she doesn't quite understand why they want her to do them the favour, the peach girl slowly nodded with agreement. "Um, yeah..."
"Good, we'll see you later Momo-chan!"
Hinamori gave them a short wave of good bye. "Ja ne..."
"Well, let's head to class or else we're going to be late," Kira said after he and Renji changed their footwear.
With a nod of agreement, the three teenagers of Seireitei High School went to their homeroom, class 2-1, to find their fellow classmates sitting in the different parts of the room. They are talking about the same thing: the new transfer student. When they got to their seats, Renji commented, "This is definitely Rangiku-san's doing."
"She must have overheard from your friends and then she started spreading rumours about him," Izuru said to Momo.
She slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah, she must have..."
The front slide door suddenly opened. As a few students went to their desks while others stood up from their seats. Those people were expecting the new student to enter, but it was only their teacher who came into the room. Walking to her desk in the front center of the classroom, she placed her books on the flat surface and turned around. Picking up a piece of white chalk, she began writing a name down.
During this time, it is when the new transfer student walked into the room and stood next to the teacher's desk. Once they took a good look at him, most of the female students started awing him with delight. On the other hand, the boys had different expressions on their faces: from feeling jealous to feeling indifferent.
Renji, who had his chin resting on the palm of his hand while his elbow is on his desk, had a stern look on his face. "Hn, what's so special about him? He looks like some sort of nerd."
However, Kira and Hinamori recognized the new student who is wearing the exact same dark navy pants, white sleeveless collar shirt, and red tie as the other male students are wearing. It is because he has a unique feature of snowy white hair and emerald-teal eyes. Momo quickly stood up from her seat and called out his name, "H-H-Hitsugaya-kun!"
It is when heads turned to the raven haired girl including the thirteen year old teenager with emerald-teal eyes. He gave her a stern look. By the time she realized what is going on, she turned a few shades darker. She just embarrassed herself in front of the class. "Hinamori-kun, is there something wrong?" her teacher asked.
Momo shook her head. "Iie, it's nothing."
Once she sat back down on her seat, the teacher placed her chalk down and said, "Before we begin class, I would like to introduce a new student who will be joining us as of today."
With a short bow at his fellow classmates, he said, "My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Initially, Hitsugaya-kun was a student from North Rukon Junior High who did well in his academics and participates in extra curricular activities such as the soccer team. As a matter of fact, he did so well, the teachers at his former school began to wonder if getting him an education in a junior high school level is efficient. After some talk, they decided to enroll him into high school. As a result, he has chosen to attend this school and that's how the story goes."
It is when students started awing with amazement.
Suddenly, the teacher placed her hands on her hips. "However, just because he's quite intelligent and hard working, it doesn't mean you get to bully him. So, be sure to make him feel welcomed, okay everyone?"
"Hai sensei!" everyone exclaimed.
"So, it really is him..." Kira said.
"Oi oi, you guys know him?" Renji whispered.
"It's a long story," Momo quietly replied. "We'll explain about it after."
"Hitsugaya-kun, please take a seat right next to the girl that stood up a while ago," the teacher said.
With a short nod of agreement, the white haired prodigy walked over to his desk. After taking his seat, he placed an elbow on the flat surface so that he can rest his chin on the palm of his hand. He casually replied to the raven haired girl, "Nice first impression you gave me."
Momo quickly raised an eyebrow at him and pouted, "I was only surprised. I never thought you would be the one who transferred here. Why didn't you tell me last night?"
He showed her a grin on his face. "Then, it would just spoil my fun."
"Mou..."
When the school bell rung, it is time for students to relax and have lunch. As for most of the girls from class 2-1, the first thing they did was surround the new transfer student, asking many different questions. "Hitsugaya-kun, is it really true that you are a genius?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Can I have your number?"
"You're so cute and adorable! It makes me want to hug you!"
"S-Sugoi," Kira said as he and his two friends are watching him from nearby. "It's only his first day and he's already developing a fan club."
"Y-Yeah," Renji agreed.
"Maybe I should pull him out of there," Momo wondered. "He looks like he's struggling to get away from them."
"If you do that Hinamori, it's going to scar his pride."
She turned to the red head. "What?"
"It's a guy thing."
"Oh..."
"Thank you for all the compliments and offers, but I can't answer your questions right now," Toshiro replied politely. "I have a few things to do like getting someone to give me a tour of the school."
"Ou, I want to do it!"
"No, I want to!"
"No, let me!"
"Thank you for your consideration, but I have already talked to the teacher. She told me to ask Hinamori."
"Oh, okay then..."
"If you need us, don't be afraid to ask!"
"See you in class, Hitsugaya-sama!"
"Bye Hitsugaya-kun!"
"Love you, cutie!"
Once all the girls left, the thirteen year old teenager let out a sigh of relief. He has dealt with fan girls at North Rukon Junior High, but never to this extent. Now, he has to come up with a way to go around them. "Hitsugaya-kun, do you want to eat lunch with us?"
He turned his head to the side to see the raven haired girl. "I guess it's alright, but after that, you have to give me a tour of the school."
"Eh?"
"Don't eh me; the teacher said so."
"Oh okay..."
"Oi, is that how you're supposed to treat her?" asked a voice.
The two teenagers turned their attention to the red headed teenager and the pale blond haired one. Hitsugaya gave Renji a stern look. "And what if I said it is how I usually treat her?"
A smirk appeared on his face causing him to lean closer to the younger student. "Then, you just picked on the wrong person to mess with."
"Oi, that's enough Abarai-kun," Kira said, trying to settle him down. "Hitsugaya doesn't mean any harm to Hinamori-kun and it can't be helped that they treat each other the way they do. Besides, they've met before."
"Oh yeah, where did you meet her?"
Hitsugaya folded his arms over his chest and answered his question, "We met at Seireitei Hospital three years ago. We were roommates in the same patient room."
He then turned to the other male. "And how did you meet him, Kira?"
"I met him during one of my visits to see Hinamori-kun," he replied. "At the time, Hitsugaya was a lot different than he is now."
Momo let out a small giggle. "Hitsugaya-kun was just a kid at the time."
The white haired teenager closed his eyes and then let out a sigh while shrugging his shoulders. "That was years ago..."
"Anyway, these are my friends," Momo said, introducing them to her former roommate. "You have already met Izuru Kira. The other person is Renji Abarai."
"If you dare try to hurt our friend, I won't hesitate to go after you," the red head warned.
"Well, same here," Hitsugaya replied. "I'll kill you if you do anything sneaky to her."
Hinamori gave them a hesitant laugh. Why do guys always have to act so tough? "Let's head upstairs to the roof. I'm sure the others are waiting for us."
"That's a good idea," Kira agreed. "We shouldn't keep Hisagi-san and Matsumoto-san waiting."
After a minor staring contest with one another, Renji changed his focus from the white haired teenager to the others. "Ah yeah..."
"Let's go Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said.
With a short nod of agreement, the four teenagers left the classroom and made their way to the school rooftop.
By the time they arrived at their destination, they found no one there. "Hn, I guess they're stuck in line in the cafeteria," Kira said.
"Who knows..." Renji replied as Hitsugaya and Hinamori took a seat on the ground next to the stairs.
"I'm sure they'll catch up with us later," the raven haired girl said. "In the meantime, let's eat."
"Oh yeah, I'm starving!"
Once Renji and Kira took a seat near their friends, Momo and Toshiro have already unpacked their lunches. Hinamori has a small bento while Hitsugaya has a regular bread, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. "Thanks for the food!" the peach girl exclaimed.
Just as she is about to take a bite out of her food, the staircase door slammed opened, surprising all the teenagers. "You guys, did you hear the latest breaking news?" the strawberry orange haired teenager with large bosoms questioned.
"Hey everyone," her short dark haired classmate greeted.
"Hisagi-san, Rangiku-san!" Momo said.
"There is a new transfer student in your class and according to sources, he's quite the genius!" she exclaimed.
"Y-Yeah, he's right her-"
"He skipped three grades just to keep him challenged!"
"R-Rangiku-san..."
"So, did he spark your interest?" the older woman asked the younger one.
"Oi Matsumoto, listen to what she has to say," Toshiro finally said.
She then turned to the white haired teenager and replied, "I'll listen to what she has to say later, Hitsugaya. Right now, I need to know about the new transfer student."
Rangiku resumed her attention to Hinamori, ignoring him.
"So Hinamori, what's your answer?"
There was a silent pause before the strawberry orange haired woman realized what she said a while ago. She turned her head to see Toshiro who is giving her a stern look. She turned to the sixteen year old girl again. She pointed a finger at him.
"Um Hinamori, why does this kid totally remind me of Hitsugaya in every single way?"
Letting out a sigh of defeat, the young prodigy commented, "I can see that your reputation as the gossip girl hasn't changed at all over the past three years."
The thirteen year old teenager took a bite out of his sandwich and swallowed his food.
"Also, to answer your question: I am the same Hitsugaya who used to live right next to you."
Finally, the realization dawned to her. Without any warning, the strawberry orange haired woman wrapped her arms around her old friend from the back and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, it really is you!"
"Ah Matsumoto, get off me!" Toshiro snapped, struggling to break free of her grasp.
Renji and Kira made strange faces. The pale blond haired teenager asked, "M-Matsumoto-san, you know him too?"
Once she let him go, allowing him to gasp for breath, she answered to her lower class men. "Of course I do know him; he's Toshiro Hitsugaya, around thirteen years old by now. Around these parts, he's known as the child genius. Even though it's only his first day at this school, he has already gotten the girls to create a Hitsugaya fan club. So far, there's only fifty members, but it will continue growing..."
As she continued to talk about him, Hitsugaya gave her a stern look. "Oi, enough with the biography about me, I think the others have already gotten the point."
"...from what I know, he's single. What I do hope is that he becomes a good boyfri-"
"MATSUMOTO!"
"Eek, what?" she finally asked.
"You talk too much."
"Fine, I'll shut up. Are you happy now?"
"Yes."
Rangiku then folded her arms over her chest. "You haven't changed one bit, Toshiro Hitsugaya."
"And neither have you, Rangiku Matsumoto."
"Well look what we have here, is that little Hitsugaya I'm seeing?" interrupted a voice.
When heads turned to the gray haired teenager, the girls jumped with surprise. "I-Ichimaru-san!" Momo exclaimed.
"Gin, don't scare us like that!" Rangiku complained.
Hitsugaya suddenly raised an eyebrow at the older prodigy. "You're enrolled into this school too?"
He smiled. "That's right; I'm your senpai."
Toshiro let out a sigh of defeat and then turned his eyes elsewhere. "Great..."
"Now, what does that supposed to mean?"
"It means nothing..."
"You're so mean."
"Uruse..."
"Even Ichimaru-san knows him too?" Kira asked.
"That's quite obvious," Gin replied. "Besides, I used to live with Ran-chan and her family back in the day too. Of course, I would know Hitsugaya-kun."
"By the way, I'm Shuhei Hisagi," the short haired teenager said. "I'm in the same class as Matsumoto and Ichimaru."
The white haired teenager gave him a short nod of agreement.
"Now, enough with all the talking!" Matsumoto declared. "Let's eat!"
After school is over for the day, the students of Seireitei High School have already left their classrooms and the premises to enjoy the rest of their time with their families or their friends. Just as Hitsugaya put his indoor shoes into closed his locker, he let out a sigh. Just as he is about to leave the premises, he is stopped by the familiar voice from his old neighbour. "Oi, where do you think you're going?"
Toshiro turned around to see Matsumoto and Hinamori. "Shouldn't you be walking home with Ichimaru?"
"He has business to take care of here. Anyway, want to hang out with us? It will be fun just like the old times."
"Sorry, but I have my own plans to take care of," he apologized. "So, I can't hang out with you guys."
"Ah, don't tell me your parents are the strict type and would want you go straight home."
It is when Hitsugaya turned his eyes away from his new and old companions. He mumbled in a very low voice, "If only that was the case..."
Momo noticed the changed expression on his face and began wondering if something's bothering him. Just as she is about to speak up, the strawberry orange haired teenager said, "Well, whatever the reason is you've got to do what you've got to do. So, run along now and we'll see you tomorrow."
Hitsugaya lowered his head so that his bangs could cover his eyes. He whispered, "Arigato Matsumoto..."
She blinked. "Hn, did you say something?"
With one glance at her, he gave her a stern look. "I said I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye!"
"Ja ne."
The thirteen year old prodigy gave them a short bow before turning around and begin leaving the premises. All Hinamori could do is watch him. Without any warning, she felt an elbow hit her gut. In response, she wrapped her arms around herself. Turning to the strawberry orange haired teenager, she asked, "Rangiku-san, why did you do that?"
"You're worried about him, right?" she asked.
She then noticed that her friend too is worried about his well-being. "Do...you think something's wrong with him?"
"Hitsugaya is the type of person who doesn't tell others of what he's thinking. Only those who know him well will notice his strange behaviour."
"Should we ask him?"
"Even if we tried, he'll just say that he's alright."
"Oh..."
She then put her hands together behind the back of her head. "Well, enough with worrying about the little guy, let's go out to have some fun!"
"About that, I think I'm going to pass this time," Momo admitted.
"Eh, why?"
"I just remembered I need to go home early today. I don't want to keep Obaa-san waiting."
She let go of her hands and folded them over her chest. Matsumoto let out a sigh of disappointment that no one is going to go out with her and said, "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. See you Hinamori."
With a short smile, the raven haired girl replied, "Bye Rangiku-san."
As she is walking home from school, thoughts about her white haired friend lingered in her thoughts. Everything seems good to be true; after three long years, Toshiro Hitsugaya has finally returned, but she wondered what made his family move here? Is it work or is it something else? Either way, something is causing the white haired teenager to act a little different than he usually does.
Now that she thought about it, when she talked to him about his parents yesterday, he always seem to put things up in the air. Even though he says they're alright and everything, it doesn't sound like life has been like that. It is almost as if he has something to hide. Suddenly, the peach girl shook her head back and forth. "There is no point thinking about it. Just like what Rangiku-san said, whenever he feels like telling us, he'll tell us. Besides, he's not a kid anymore. He's a high school student now just like me."
By the time she arrived at her humble home, she took off her shoes.
"Obaa-san, I'm home!" Hearing no response, the sixteen year old teenager stepped deeper into the house and went to her grandmother's room to find her sleeping in bed. "She's taking her afternoon nap."
With a faint smile on her face, she silently closed the door, retreated to her room to get changed into her casual clothes and got started on tonight's homework.
After a few hours, the sixteen year old teenager got hungry and went to the kitchen to see if her grandmother has woken up yet. "Hello Momo," the elder greeted.
"Good evening Obaa-san," she replied.
"How's your day at school?"
"You wouldn't believe who transferred to my class today; it's Hitsugaya-kun!"
"Toshiro, really now?"
The raven haired girl nodded with agreement. "Yeah, the reason that he's transferred into high school is to keep him challenged. Probably staying in junior high isn't going to help him in the long run."
"I see; are you happy to see him more often now?"
"Of course, I'm happy! It has been a long time since we last saw each other. Wait a minute, Hitsugaya-kun transferring into the same school as me means that he and his parents are living somewhere close by."
"Why don't you ask him when you see him tomorrow?"
"Don't worry, I will!"
"Oh, can you do me a favour?" It is when she held out a folded piece of paper. Taking it, Momo unfolded it and read the contents inside. "I forgot to buy a few things from the grocery store. Can you get them for me?"
Raising her head to see her, Hinamori gave her a smile and replied, "I will, Obaa-san."
With a short nod, the elder handed her some money to purchase the ingredients she needed to buy. "If there is any change left, you can use it to buy whatever you like. Come back home before it gets too dark outside."
"Okay, I'll be back soon."
Quickly, she went to the front entrance of the house, put on her shoes, and opened the door. Taking a glance back at her relative, she gave her a happy smile.
"Itterashai!"
"Let's see I got lettuce, tomatoes, limes, garlic, and ginger. Yes, I've got everything," Momo said out loud after checking the ingredients in her plastic bag. After shopping for her grandmother, she is walking back home. Putting her hand into her pants pocket, she took out a handful of change and looked at it. "The rest of the money will be for me to spend."
The raven haired girl then noticed that she is approaching a small local shop which sells tea, coffee, and all kinds of desserts. Since she has started high school, Momo has been frequently passing by it. For once, she wanted to go inside and dine there. However, she never got the time or money to do so. She let out a content smile on her face.
"Obaa-san said to take my time. In that case, I shall."
When she entered the shop, she heard the light chiming sounds from the bell, signaling to the employees that a customer is here. After taking a seat next to the window, Momo took a moment to read the menu.
"Sugoi, there's so many desserts I want to try," she said. However, she remembered how much change she has now. She let out a sigh of defeat. "Unfortunately, I only can afford a cup of tea or coffee."
"Good evening, are you ready to order?" asked a voice.
But before she could say anything, the peach girl started questioning the identity of the waiter. "That voice sounds familiar."
It is as if destiny has decided to bring them together once more, their eyes met. "Hitsugaya-kun..."
"Hinamori..."
Japanese Word Translations
Ohayo - Good Morning, Ja ne - Good Bye (informal/casual), Iie - No, Hai - Yes, Sensei - Teacher/Doctor, Sugoi - Amazing, Bento - Boxed Lunch, Senpai - Upperclassman, Uruse - Shut Up, Arigato - Thank You, Obaa-san - Grandmother, Itterashai - I'll Be Back Soon
Author's Note: Karma must be really at work for Hitsugaya and Hinamori. xD Can you take a guess why Toshiro's working? If you guess it right, then you get a HitsuHina cookie. Yum! Anyway, please review. Thanks!