"Ichi-chan!"
Ichigo threw her backpack over her shoulder as she turned around and saw the Mitsuya sisters running up behind her with Takashi trailing in the back.
"Good morning, girls. Heading over to school?" She asked as Mana ran up and hugged her waist. "Yep! Are you also going to school, Ichi-chan?" Ichigo smiled and nodded her head as Luna came up and grabbed her hand, swinging her arm back and forth, "Yep, got my backpack and everything."
Mana smiled as she bounced up, grabbing onto Ichigo's other hand, "Yay! that means you can walk with us to school. Taka said our school is on the way to his school."
Takashi rolled his eyes as he walked up behind the girls and ruffed up their hair, " Hey now. You girls just can't go around and demand people to do whatever you want. Ichigo's probably busy."
The girls looked up at their brother and then back at Ichigo. "Sorry, Ichi-chan," they pouted.
Ichigo smiled as she bent down and bopped the girls on their noses, "You know if you ask nicely, I might be able to make some time for y'all."
Both the girls perked up and looked up at her with sparkling eyes. "Ichi-chan, will you walk with us to school? Pleaseeeee!" They begged, voices high pitched and cutely.
Ichigo couldn't help but laugh as she pinched their cheeks, earning giggles from them. She nodded her head and stood up, patting the girls on their heads. "Alright, alright, I'll walk with y'all since you asked so nicely," she teased
The girls smiled and cheered as they took off down the stairs. Takashi chuckled as he walked up to Ichigo, nudging her with his elbow, "You know you can always tell them no."
Ichigo shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, they're cute, and they did ask nicely," she joked.
Takashi snorted playfully, "They have you wrapped around their little fingers. Who would have thought that the great Poison Strawberry could be bossed around by two tiny children."
Ichigo narrowed her eyes as she smacked him upside his head. "Watch it, Pretty Boy, or do you want to get your ass kicked in front of your sisters," she threatened.
Takashi chuckled as he rubbed the side of his head. "Alright, alright," he laughed as he held his hands up. Ichigo rolled her eyes before walking to catch up with the girls. "So you going to Yuzuha's softball game this weekend?" He asked her.
Ichigo nodded her head, "Yeah, I try to go to every home game. To support her, you know."
Takashi smiled as he brought his hands up behind his head, telling the girls to wait for them at the stop sign. "You know I didn't take you for someone that likes sports."
Ichigo shrugged her shoulders, "Sports really aren't my thing. To be honest, they kind of bore me, but it means a lot to Yuzuha, so I try to go to all of them if I'm not working."
Takashi hummed, "That's cool. So if you don't like sports, what do you enjoy doing then? Like if you had the choice to go to something, what would you do?"
She cocked her head, "What is this, 20 questions?"
He gently rolled his head back, casually looking over at her, "Just curious is all."
Ichigo hummed, thinking about what she likes to do. "I like going to the theater plays, and I love the art gallery they do every winter," she paused. She didn't understand why she was telling him this. It really wasn't his business what she liked and didn't like. But it was kind of nice to talk about herself to someone that actually wanted to listen.
"So you're the artistry type then," Takashi confirmed.
Ichigo shrugged her shoulders again, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."
He smiled at her, "You know, with your reputation and everything, I figured you like doing things like setting cars on fire and doing things like parkour. You know an adrenaline junky."
Ichigo scoffed, "Far from it."
They reached the stop sign signaling for the two youngest of the group to stop and wait for them. As they crossed the street, Ichigo let out a deep breath as she felt her body relax. She then glanced over at Takashi. While he looked like a dainty preppy princess, with his soft indigo eyes and pretty face, there was something in the back of her head that told her he was far from one.
The slight scars on his arms and the calluses on his hands were proof enough for her. And then there was the way he held himself. He held himself with pride. Not to mention the way his tone would change from childish and joking to stern and authoritative. It was a tone that demanded respect.
"So what about you, Pretty Boy?" She raised her eyebrows as she rocked herself, "I have a feeling you're not a sports fan or captain of the chess team."
Takashi raised one brow and smirked slightly, "Would you believe me if I told you I'm a captain in the Tokyo Manji Gang and president of the sewing club?"
Ichigo raised a brow and cocked her head to the side as she smirked at him, "Haha, very funny."
He hummed as he put his hands in the pockets of his pants, strolling behind his sisters. "I'm a lot of things, but a liar is not one of them," he winked as he flashed her his signature grin.
Ichigo rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever you say, Captain," she mocked.
"You don't believe me?" He teased. "Well, if you don't believe me, then ask Hakkai. He's my lieutenant."
Ichigo stopped walking as she bent over laughing. Now she knew he was fucking with her. "Hakkai? Like Hakkai Shiba? Oh, now I know you're lying," she wiped her tears away from laughing too hard. Ichigo stood back up, looking him dead in the eyes, "You expect me to believe that Hakkai Shiba is some fierce member of a gang? He's the least intimidating guy I've ever met."
Takashi chuckled, "Don't tell him that. You'll hurt his feelings."
Ichigo laughed as she thought about Hakkai trying to fight someone, "Exactly my point. Bean Pole doesn't look like he could hurt a fly."
Takashi smirked as they walked up to the girls' elementary school, remembering all the times Hakkai's held his own in a fight, "Trust me, he can be a real badass sometimes."
Luna and Mana ran back over to Takashi and Ichigo. Giving each of them one last hug. Ichigo smirked as she watched Takashi bend down to fix the girls' hair and brush their uniforms off. Making sure that they looked presentable. "Now you girls have fun, okay," Takashi told them. "I'm hanging out with my friends today, so Hana-San is going to pick y'all up. Got it?"
Both girls nodded their heads before looking over at Ichigo. "Ichi-chan, are you going to walk with us to school again tomorrow?" Mana asked. Ichigo watched as both girls squealed and clapped their hands, waiting for her to answer them.
Ichigo then looked over at Takashi as if asking for his permission. Takashi looked over between his sisters and Ichigo. He shrugged his shoulders. He wanted to tell them that this was a one-time thing and that Ichigo probably didn't want to hang out with them. But the way Ichigo looked at him. It was almost like she was begging him to say yes. If she wanted to be bossed around by a seven and four year old who was he to stop her. "Up to you," he told her.
Ichigo tried not to hop up with joy as she looked down at the girls and smiled softly as she bent down and poked them both on their noses, "Sounds like a plan then."
Luna and Mana grinned while holding each other tightly. "Yay! By Taka. Bye, Ichi-chan!" They yelled as they ran off to class.
Takashi laughed as he and Ichigo turned around and started walking to school. As they walked down the street, he couldn't help but let his mind wander back over to Ichigo. There was something about her that he liked, but at the same time, still made him weary of her. "Why do you let them do that?" He asked as he slowed down so that he was walking right next to her.
Ichigo looked over at him, confused as he wasn't looking at her, but looking ahead with a solemn expression. "What are you talking about?"
He put his hands behind his head, still not looking down at her. "Why do you give in to everything they ask for. You know you can say no, right? Your not their sister or anything."
Ichigo sighed, shaking her head as she looked forward and started to walk behind him. "I never said I was," she told him quietly.
Takashi frowned as he looked back at her. "Then why?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Because…" she trailed off, looking down as she grabbed the end of her braid and started fiddling with it, "Because it just feels nice."
He cocked his brows as he glanced down at her, "What does?"
Ichigo shrugged her shoulder, "Being around them. I dunno... just being with them…they're just..." She started to get frustrated with herself as she struggled to find the words she was looking for. "Look, I don't expect you to understand," she snapped. "I just like being around them, okay? Or do you have a problem with it? Because if you do, you could have just told me you don't want me around anymore."
She was getting defensive with him, but Takashi was taking it seriously. He wanted to understand her, but she probably didn't even understand herself. He then shook his head and smiled at her. She tried to walk ahead of him, but he was able to match her pace.
"Hey, I don't care. I like having these quiet moments with you before we get to school, and you turn into the menacing Poison Strawberry," he smiled as he nudged her side teasingly as she glared at him.
"Fuck off!" She snapped at him, causing him to smile wider as he looked at her. He gave her a playful smirk before continuing to walk alongside her.
As they walked, Ichigo felt her stomach growl. That's right, she didn't get to stop by and get breakfast before she walked the girls to school. She looked around and saw a convenience store ahead of them. She stepped closer to Takashi and nudged his arm as she pointed to the store. "Hey, do you mind if we make a quick little detour? I need to grab something to eat."
Takashi nodded, giving her an understanding look as they continued down the road heading towards the convenience store. She entered the store and immediately spotted what she was looking for. There were all kinds of snacks in there, but the thing that caught her eye was the box of chocolate pocky.
She quickly made her way towards the shelf and grabbed a couple of boxes. She continued to walk down the aisle, grabbing some dry fruit and a few bags of chips. Takashi followed her as she walked through every aisle, making sure she got what she needed. He couldn't help but judge the bags of snacks in her hands. "Do you eat all of this for breakfast?"
Ichigo shook her head as she looked around for something to drink. "No, this is also for lunch," she answered as she kept scanning the shelves until she found what she needed. She grabbed two bottles of juice before making her way to the cashier.
"Do you eat this crap every day?" Takashi asked as she paid for her items and handed her the bag of junk as they headed out the door.
"Well yeah," Ichigo simply confirmed while opening the box of pocky.
"How do you live off this shit? It's nothing but junk food," Takashi wondered as he watched her pull out a couple of sticks of pocky.
Ichigo shrugged her shoulders as she placed the pocky sticks in her mouth. "I just do. When did you become my nutritionist?" She mocked.
Takashi rolled his eyes as he put his hands in his pockets. "I'm just saying I think the only time I've seen you eat something that wasn't crap was when you came over for dinner the other week," trying to make a point.
"Maybe because it is. My dad and I can't cook for shit. The only reason why I'm able to pass Home Ec. is because Yuzuha makes the main meals. I just put the rice in the rice cooker," Ichigo informed him as she tilted the pocky box in her mouth, trying to eat the crumbs.
Takashi chuckled as he watched her lick her fingers before throwing the box away. "Man, is there anything you're good at?" He joked.
"I'm good at kicking your ass," Ichigo shot back at him as she punched his arm. She rolled her eyes as she watched him playfully nurse his arm, crying out about how bad it hurt.
They were almost at the school when Ichigo stopped and stared at the side of a brick building next to them. The building was old and dirty, as if it had been there for years. Her eyes went up slowly as she took in every part of the building, from the broken windows, to where a piece of the wall had been blown out, and the roof had collapsed. Her eyes then followed to the graffiti covering the part of the walls that hadn't been broken. Some of the letters seemed to be faded and had been removed. Others were still there, but they were written in different colors. A slight grin formed on her face as she reached out and traced the letters as if trying to read them. She was memorized by the different colors and styles.
"Hey, Pretty Boy, mind if we hang out here for a minute?" She turned toward him with a smile.
Takashi looked down at his watch and noticed that they had less than 15 minutes till class started, but he shrugged it off. He was pretty interested to see what had her so intrigued. "Sure, why not?" Takashi leaned against the light post as he watched her look around the wall tracing her finger across the paint.
She didn't say anything as she continued her exploration of the wall. He then watched as she walked back to her backpack and pulled out a smaller bag. She dug in the bag and gently pulled out a fancy camera. He watched curiously as she gently played with it. Twisting and turning the camera's settings. Ichigo held the camera up and aimed it towards the wall before snapping a picture. Takashi watched with interest. His eyes went from the camera to her face. He looked back down watching her as she walked closer to the wall and kneeled down, staring at her intently.
He then watched her start clicking the buttons, moving her finger across the lens as she moved the shutter. She was focused on the task, and it made him wonder as to what she was doing. Her movements and expression made him curious to know what she was thinking as she moved the camera around. Walking around the wall, trying to take pictures from different angles. She eventually stood up straight and put the camera back in her bag. She slung the bag over her shoulder and stood back up, facing him as she motioned for him to follow her.
Takashi smiled as he pushed himself off the pole and followed after her. His eyes shifted from the graffiti wall back to her. She seemed lost in thought. She would sometimes frown and shake her head as if she was having a conversation with her inner self. "What's going on in that big head of yours?" He asked, smiling as he tapped her head.
She glared over at him before shoving him off. "It's none of your damn business," she mumbled.
He laughed as they walked side by side, "I didn't know you had such an interest in photography."
Ichigo nodded her head as she kicked a rock she found. "Yeah, well… I guess there's a lot of stuff about me you don't know," she mumbled.
Takashi hummed slightly, glancing at her. "Like what?" He asked curiously, trying to bait her.
She sighed softly as she stared ahead, looking at the school before them. She shrugged her shoulders, "Everything, actually. Because guess what?" She looked over at him.
He raised his eyebrows with curiosity shining in his eyes, "What?"
She grinned mischievously at him, "You'll never find out cause…it's none of your business." She stuck her tongue out at him as she skipped ahead of him, leaving him behind, laughing as she heard him call out for her, chasing after her.
Ichigo walked beside Takashi as they made their way through the school grounds. As they walked inside the building, she noticed that some of her classmates were looking at them. Talking about them amongst themselves. Ichigo rolled her eyes lightly, knowing that some of her classmates were talking about how her, the Poison Strawberry, was walking alone with the Beautiful Takashi. She scoffed softly as she continued to walk along. She was used to the looks and comments her classmates would give her as she passed by. She wasn't really bothered by them. At least she tried to show them that she didn't care.
"Why is Mitsuya walking around with her?"
"Maybe they're dating."
"Nah, he wouldn't date a psycho like her."
"Would anyone date that crazy bitch?"
She pretended not to hear their comments as she clenched her fist tightly. Her nails digging into her palms. She wanted to punch someone. Maybe that will get them to shut their mouths. Or at least make sure they didn't talk about her when she was around. She gritted her teeth as she continued walking to her class. She felt someone grip her shoulder. She turned her head slightly to see Takashi giving her an encouraging smile. "Hey, don't let them get to you."
She glared back at him before pushing herself away from him. "I can handle myself," she growled as she looked ahead. "Why don't you do yourself a favor and get away from me before I spoil your stupid reputation!" She snapped at him, ignoring his confused and shocked expression before walking away from him.
She walked down the other end of the hall, pretending to need something from her locker so they wouldn't be walking next to each other going to class. Usually, she wouldn't feel this frustrated. Normally, when she and Yuzuha would walk together, she would just brush off the looks and comments, and they would just make fun of her classmates. But there was something about walking around alone with Takashi that made the comments hurt more than usual, and she hated it.