Standard disclaimers apply to the fictional characters of BLEACH used in this story. They are the property of the esteemed Kubo Tite-sensei, and I have no claim over them. Please don't sue.
-.-
"Masaki-sama." Katagiri held out a large towel to the Kurosaki teenager. Masaki smiled sheepishly as she accepted it to dry her hair.
"Is Auntie asleep?" Masaki asked.
"Yes, she went to bed an hour ago," she answered.
They both walked to the second floor and passed by Ryuuken's door. The light peeked through the gap of the threshold. Once they entered the privacy of Masaki's bedroom, Katagiri went to draw a bath.
"Masaki-sama, maybe you should not see Shiba-san too often," Kanae said tentatively as she closed the door to keep the heat in.
Masaki squirmed out of her wet uniform blouse and skirt. "Isshin? Why not?"
Kanae collected the discarded clothing. "You're still engaged to Ryuuken-sama. It wouldn't be too good to give Shiba-san the wrong impression…"
"Oh, Kanae-chan." Masaki smiled faintly at her friend. "You're too considerate. Sometimes, I wish I can be just as selfless. Thanks for helping me out. You should go sleep now, it's late."
"I will, Masaki-sama. Have a good night," Katagiri said. As she stepped out of the bedroom, she turned over Masaki's words in her head.
"I am hardly selfless," she whispered.
-.-
AN: To my readers and reviewers, thank you for our continuous support. I just wanted to let everyone know that while I do want to write more to each chapter, a lot of these chapters come out in random bursts of inspiration. Also, scene-by-scene chapters make updating a lot quicker. If the chapters get any longer, the time between updates will become longer, and I'm sure many of you don't want that. Thank you for understanding and I hope you keep reading!
Thank you to my wonderful reviewers cheesyfreezy, Alimakk, Amulet Misty, AaviyanTage, Isame Kuroda, AnuHit, and Nessie910.