I would like everyone to know that I'm cross-posting the story here. It is already on AO3 under the same name.
"It's so fucking cold." Jason shivers. He, Cherī, Ryoko and Ichigo were making their way to the local shrine.
"Whaddya think yer luck will be?" Cherī asks, swinging her and Ichigo's joined hands.
"Hopefully good concerning my studies," Ryoko answers, stuffing her glove-covered hands deep in her pockets. "Chemistry and Physics are kicking my ass." They laugh.
"Jason?"
"I think we all want good blessings." He says neutrality.
"Ichigo?"
"A small blessing will be enough for me."
"Shoot for the stars, aim for the moon." Jason says in English.
The greenette smiles, "The moon is enough for me. Earth is enough for me." That receives boo's from the other three.
"What does Mr Tophat think?" The brunette looks to the side, eyes squinted as though to see the hollow better. Ichigo turns as well, eyes trying to find some sort of hint for the cat's presence.
"He says that there is no point in him bothering to get an o-mikuji when he is not human." Jason says after a moment. "He also says that he won't be joining us since there will be Shinigami patrolling."
"Wat!" Cherī squawks, "Yer tellin' me those fuckers actually work?"
"They're always working, but are more serious around important holidays since hollow activity increases. He says he'll meet us back at the house."
They say their goodbyes and continue on, conspiring to get one for him as well before agreeing that an omamori would be better.
During the visit, Jason would drag him away, citing that he needs to use the toilet and he willingly follows, ducking down when told and taking being shoved into crevices with grace.
It was a good thing the girls saved them spots.
"What did you get?" Ryoko tries to peak at his paper, allowing Jason and Cherī to look at hers.
"Middle blessing." At that, all three gather around him.
"Things may look bad for the moment, but the problems will disappear from your eyes soon enough. Wait patiently."
"Love: there are many who will give their hearts to you."
"Money: spend wisely."
"Academy: it would be best if you took a break."
"Travel: an important trip awaits you." The teen read. "Moving: a rainy climate would be beneficial to your health."
They stood there, digestion the information.
"Hey," Cherī pulls back to look at Ichigo and Jason better, face unreadable. "How accurate are dese given da'..." She waves her hand around, and for extra effect juts her chin at her cousin.
"...I've never wondered." the brunette looks at the older teen, silently asking him for his opinion. Before he could share his lack of knowledge, Ryoko interrupts.
"I think it would be best if we have this conversation back home."
Ichigo feels as if he is standing trial as the adults read his fortune, acknowledging Cherī's concern.
"You mentioned that there was a god?" Michael starts, brows furrowed.
"The Soul King."
"An' wat does he do?" Saki looks as if she is preparing to don on a helmet and sword and wage war against said god if the answer does not satisfy her.
Ichigo tries thinking back to any information given. "...He's supposed to regulate the flow of souls into Soul Society. Without him, the balance is lost and the three worlds will collapse into one."
They look at the paper again, trying to find a connection with the supernatural.
"There's definitely a connection." Noriko growls, seconds away from joining Saki on her crusade. "Look at money, travel and moving. Something is coming and he needs to leave soon."
"Academy may also be connected. It could mean that he'll have to leave before graduation." Nagi points out.
"Love is da odd one out." Haru mutters, mirroring his father's expression.
The teen stays silent as they discuss, biting his lip and picking at his palms. He jumps when a hand is placed on his shoulder.
"It's okay," Cherī says, giving him a smile, but he can see just how worried she is for him. "It will be okay."
"Thanks." He covers her hand with his, squeezing it in hopes of hiding the tremors.
A few days later, there is a letter in the mailbox addressed to him. In it is a debit card under the name Yoshino Ichigo (spelt as strawberry) with enough money in it to make his head spin. When she sees it, Nagi takes him to a bank a few towns over and they open an account under the name of Aizen Ichigo. At work, she starts giving him more tasks, telling him that he could consider it a promotion.
He nods, accepting it for what it truly is – insurance that he will have enough money.
Ichigo returns to Isshin's house on 1st February with Sōsuke and Yhwach in tow. He has not brought with himself a bag with clothes, the ones in his closet will be enough.
The only one to greet them is Yuzu, who hugs him as tightly as her arms would allow and who he does not quite hug back, but simply wraps his arms around without squeezing. She tells him that Karin is at soccer practice (he doubts that) and that Goat-face has been called to the hospital.
He nods impassively.
The girl stares at him expectantly, growing sad when he does not do whatever she expects him to. She looks around, searching for a topic of conversation. "Is that a new cat?"
He follows her gaze to Yhwach by his feet. "Yes."
She waits. When he does not continue, she asks, "And their name?"
"Romeo." He lies.
"Oh," She says, happy for a possible conversation, "Like Romeo and Juliet?"
"Yes."
She laughs, "That's so like you, Ichi-nii. Naming your pet after a Shakespearean character."
He hums.
He lets Yhwach familiarise himself with the house, Sōsuke passing by him easily to check the dishes. A moment later he is meowing in discontent when he sees that there is no food even though he had already eaten at home.
Home
Ichigo's lips twist.
It has barely been an hour since he left the Akao household but he already misses it.
Karin does not greet him like her sister.
Torn between being happy and glad that he is back, but still feeling angry and sad and hurt and betrayed for leaving again. She stands still and nods stiffly.
Ichigo inclines his head in return.
Yhwach, who is on his lap, bites and licks his fingers, jaw still too weak to put enough force to puncture the skin. His claws on the other hand...
Nagi lets him study German during work when he has no tasks. It would have probably been better if he were to sign up for a language academy but he is on an unknown timeframe and also doesn't want any more attention from the Shinigami.
He keeps his text and notebooks with Nagi – either in the company building or at home.
He and Yuzu are watching a movie when Yhwach makes his way to her from his lap. He watches him step over his legs and walk the short distance to the girl. She hasn't noticed yet.
The kitten presses a paw and she jumps, eyes wide. He doesn't let her fright bother him and boldly climbs onto her lap.
The two humans wait, but the feline only circles and lies down.
A minute passes. Two.
"He likes you." The greenette states.
Yuzu does not react, too shocked.
Ichigo on the other hand, thinks.
After that he starts paying more attention to the cats and how they react to the –Kurosaki– Shiba family (they don't deserve the name Kurosaki; he is the only Kurosaki here).
Sōsuke dislikes everyone and does all sorts of tricks to show his disapproval of them.
Yhwach tolerates only Yuzu but will claw her if she tries to force him into being friendly with Karin.
He voices his observation to Cherī in an unoccupied classroom, Sōsuke who has refused to leave the male's side outside of the Akao household keeping guard.
"So, if we take what ma' said as true, an' given your life, Ichi, it may be, we can assume, dat da' names dictate wat deir characters will be like. Sōsuke hates Shinigami and Yuzu. Yhwach hates Shinigami but likes Yuzu, or is at least tolerant of 'er." She writes it down. "Could it be cuz she's Quincy? Or has da' potential ta' be?"
He sighs, "At this point I wouldn't be surprised. I know she can't see any spiritual so she isn't actively a Quincy but has the potential to be one."
She hums, brows furrowed and chewing the pencil's end. It feels like a standstill – they have information, an idea, an assumption, yet couldn't do anything. At this point, they are simply biding their time as Ichigo's runs out.
"What even are we trying to do, Cherī?" His voice sounds exhausted. He stares at her, in a way hoping that she has a clue as to what to do.
She exhales, dropping the pencil and leaning back. "No clue. Just pretendin' to be useful, Ah guess."
Ichigo scrubs his face. This all feels like a waste of time.
Haru is keeping a list of locations with a cooler climate.
"It's for when the summer heat gets too much," He tells him, a smile on his lips and winking playfully. But Ichigo can see the falsehood in it all.
Or maybe it won't be. Lies about the future can become plans and truths.
(He adds Germany to the list, right below Norway. The next time he sees the list it's on a new page and his addition is missing.)
"What are you doing?" Ishida demands when he sees the greenette.
"Reading." His answer is lacklustre, more focused on Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded.
He huffs, "Orihime is upset that you've avoiding her." Ichigo can hear the jealousy.
"That's strange, I don't remember intentionally ever doing that." He tries for a more airy tone.
"You have," The Quincy clips, "And you've been doing the same to Chad as well."
"Huh, well, my apologies if they felt that way. I didn't think that me having a life outside of them made it seem as if I were avoiding them." At the other's glare, he tries to sound nicer. "Tell you what, we can have a little get-together this Saturday. I know a good cafe that serves food as well. You pick the time."
The noirette narrows his eyes.
"Ya sure this is a good idea?" Cherī asks as they wait at the table with three vacant chairs.
"No, but it will get them off my back." She makes a sound at that.
The three appear at the agreed-upon time and sit down, throwing the redhead looks.
"What is she doing here." Ishida doesn't even bother phrasing it as a question, "I thought we agreed it will be just us four."
"No, we didn't." He thanks the waitress for the menus. "We just said we'll have a get-together; never mentioned who the participants would be." He ignores the glare, carefully reading the menu and aiming a question to his friend. "I though you said it's a cafe, looks more like a restaurant to me."
"Ain't they da same thing?" She point at a dish with cheese and potatoes. "Wanna share?"
"Sure, but I also want something else."
"Kurosaki-kun," Inoue starts, throwing Cherī wary looks.
"Yes, have you chosen?" He does not look up but Cherī does, which steals away whatever courage the girl had.
"...How have you been?" Chad ventures, menu open and at least pretending to read.
"Pretty good. I got a new cat."
"From where." It seemed that Ishida wasn't planning on using the intonation for questions.
"Wouldn't ya like ta' know, archer boy." Cherī retorts.
Ishida slams his menu close, glaring at the two of them with suspicion. "What did you call me."
"Archer boy."
"And why would you call me that." His eyes don't hold betrayal, but something. He ignores him, focusing on what to get for dessert.
"'Cuz yer part of da archery club, duh."
The answer settles him down a bit. "You seem to know a lot about me."
"Hard not ta' when Ah see yer face 'round every corner, trynna get Ichigo's attention."
"I do not." Ichigo wonders how long they can keep things calm and if they will be kicked out before they can even order.
"I'll get the Beef curry." Chad interrupts the two's budding argument.
"I'll have the chicken katsu curry don!" Inoue quickly follows along.
"Ishida?"
"...Fried rice."
They order and wait. He can see Cherī weighing whether to continue her conversation with the Quincy before discarding the thought and choosing her next victim.
"Heard yer part of da Handicrafts club."
Inoue startles, looking at both Ishida and Chad before facing the redhead. "...That's correct."
She nods, face a mask of boredom. "Cool. That means da two of ya must be close." She nods to Ishida. The statement flusters them, each trying to deny it. It's somewhat entertaining. "Sure," she draws out, giving the impression that she doesn't believe them, "Ah've actually been thinkin' of joinin'. Do ya do embroidery or should Ah go to the sewin' club fer dat?"
"Well, while we do embroider, it's not always. Every meeting there's a plan for what we will create – one time we did paper flowers, the following we did pincushions. It's differed every time." Inoue explains.
Cherī nods then returns her sight on Ishida. "What do ya do in yer club?"
"We shoot arrows, as you are well aware."
"Not dat one, Ah mean the sewin' club. Heard dey wanted ta' make ya da president but ya declined."
He clenches his hand. Oh, dear. "Again, it appears you know a lot about me."
"Hard not to." She shrugs unapologetically. "Ranked in da top 10, father is da director of da hospital, good in sewing, perfect in archery, class president, cold an' aloof personality. Ya may not know it, but people notice an' like ta' gossip. Ah've heard quite a few rumours 'bout ya."
"What sort of rumours."
Cherī raises her brows and slowly, deliberately, looks at Inoue, "Ya sure ya want me repeatin' them in from of company? But at least da one 'bout da hair colour is correct."
He glares at her coldly, ears red.
Cherī smiles back, smug as the cat that ate the canary. She looks at her next victim. "An' Ah heard that yer part of a band. Bass."
Chad nods, guard up.
She leans forward, resting her chin on her head palm. "Nice. Is it like a hobby or do ya do gigs?"
"Occasionally."
"Cool. Do ya do covers or originals?"
"Originals. Covers are for warm-up."
They hold eye contact.
"Ah heard," The girl starts slowly but stops when the food arrives.
"What did you hear?" Even Ichigo was getting curious about what her plan for Chad was. The others don't seem to appreciate it much.
She throws him an amused look, "Ah heard that ya personally wrote some of da songs."
Though it may have not been voiced, there was definitely a sigh of relief.
Chad nods.
"Love songs."
There was a momentary pause in the teen's movements. Her smile turns predatory. A shark catching the scent of blood.
"There's nothing wrong with writing love songs!" Inoue interrupts, but she doesn't let it affect her, even holds up her hands in mocking surrender.
"Never said dere was. Ah'm just repeatin' da rumours. Ain't that what Ishida wanted?"
His expression pinches.
"And what about these love songs?" The greenette asks. Since starting his job at the firm he has gained a healthy taste for gossip and drama.
"Nothin' much." She cuts her dish with a delight that is not aimed at it. "Just that, apparently, some of da words may cause problems by bringin' da wrong attention an' 'ave ta' be changed."
"Oh? How so?" It may turn out that he is also a shark.
She is stopped from gleefully answering by Chad, "What about you, Akao? What do you do?"
Cherī pouts at being interrupted, but plays along. "Ah like writin' an' paintin'."
"What sort of things." Ishida appeared to be looking for retribution.
"Writin' – whatever comes ta' mind. Paintin' – currently focusing on anatomy an' fabric. Ichi's da main model most of da time."
"You are?" Inoue looks at him, then flushes beet red.
He shrugs, taking a bite of the potato and cheese meal. "She needs a model and I have no problem with that."
"Wanna see?" The question is aimed at the girl who nods a bit too eagerly. The moment Cherī takes out the sketchbook with the dog cover, Ichigo immediately knows what her plan is and rearranges his face into a nonchalant expression. Inoue takes it, the other two moving closer, and her face flushes so quickly that she would have fallen if she weren't sitting. The boys react similarly with the addition of sputtering on Ishida's part.
"What is this!?" He tries to appear indignant, but his eyes keep returning to the sketch.
"A drawin'." Cherī replies slowly, her tone saying "isn't it obvious, you idiot". That makes him sputter even more. She bats her lashes at Chad, looking as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "Ain't he pretty?"
He seems to be hypnotised as he nods, eyes flickering all over the page.
"K-Kurosaki-kun, are you okay with this?" Inoue asks, trying to keep eye contact but giving up, too embarrassed.
"Of course. It's just a sketch, Inoue. There's nothing wrong with it." He makes sure to sound as if they're making a mountain out of a molehill.
"If ya like this one, then ya should see da one where he's archin' his back." Ishida and Inoue make dying animal sounds at that. "Lemme show ya." She bats away their hands and turns to the page Ichigo is certain was bookmarked in some way for quicker access. When their eyes fall on the very detailed sketch, Inoue presses a hand to her nose as if she would start bleeding like a pervert from an anime.
"There's no way he wore that." Ishida says, face entirely red and- holy shit, is that actual blood?
Cherī winks and he knows it's his turn. "Is there something wrong with men wearing lingerie, Ishida?"
He snaps his head towards him, "You actually wore that?" Chad looks up in surprise as well.
He shrugs. "It feels nice on my skin and is very comfortable."
"Ah'm just happy we managed ta' find one in yer size." To drive her point, she casually gropes his chest. Since her hand was rather small and he had gained a bit of weight, some spills over and in between her fingers.
Oh, they were definitely dying.
He bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling.
Maybe this meeting wasn't such a bad idea after all.
The lunch was a bad idea.
For some Soul King damned reason, the trio had taken it to mean that they're friends again. If they had acted like that a year previously, or better yet – never fucking abandoned him, Ichigo would have welcomed them with open arms; but as it stood, their presence made him antsy, what with their connection to the spiritual world and the prophecy (which hung over his head like the sword of Damocles).
What really pissed him off was how they tried pushing Cherī away from him.
With an animalistic grow, Ichigo shoves the Quincy away from the girl. He feels him tense momentarily, sees his eyes widen, fear taking over for a second, before everything smooths over. "What. Are you doing, Ishida?"
He feels Cherī wrap an arm around his waist, sharp nail pressing, showing the same amount of possessiveness as him.
The other's eyes are calculative, paying attention to their point of contact before meeting his eyes. "Nothing. I was merely telling Akao that you're busy and shouldn't bother waiting for you."
"Oh? And how exactly am I busy?"
"You have plans."
"Which are?" He rolls his wrist, mockingly giving him the stage.
The raven scowls, "It doesn't matter. You're busy and can't hang out with her."
He laughs. The sound is harsh with an undertone of anger. He feels his classmates' eyes on him, tastes the fear that is slowly building in Inoue from where she stands behind Ishida, next to Tatsuki. "Oh, but it does matter, especially when I'm involved in said plans, plans that I do not remember making with you or anyone else other than Cherī."
"Kurosaki-" The Quincy makes a step forward, a step too close.
"Watch it, Ishida." Snarls his wonderful, wonderful Cherī, teeth bared like a feral dog. "Keep acting pushy and someone will finally see you for the perverted stalker that you are."
Ishida flushes in anger, lips twisting. "How dare you!-"
"I'm not the one taking photos of Ichigo without his consent." She lies. He wonders why she chose this method, other that it humiliates the target, but then his eyes catch some of the girls whispering and pointing at the teen and he remembers her words in the cafe.
"-never done that!"
"Liar. I see you whenever he and I are hanging out. Hiding behind trees and buildings, following us a few meters away, phone always out. You disgust me."
Ishida tries to keep a cool head. "You've got a lot of nerve accusing me of such acts."
"I have nerve because I have proof!" And she whips out her phone. A crowd quickly forms at the prospect of said proof, and for a moment, Ishida looks ill.
Why?, he wants to ask.
"Isn't that you, Ishida?" Himejima Rinko, a girl who once screamed and fainted in science when the teacher brought out live frogs, calls out. That catches everyone's attention and they push and shove to see the picture.
"It's a coincidence." Ishida is quick to reply, but he looks shaken.
" 'Coincidence', ay? Then what about the other times?" And she changes the images – them in the park, in a cafe, in the cinema, a lone picture of Ishida hiding behind a tree, a video of him actively following and hiding from them – all on different days. Then, the most damning of all, a video of him outside of the Akao home, obviously waiting.
"What the hell were you doing there, Ishida." Ichigo looks at him, seconds away from launching himself and beating him black and blue.
"Kurosaki- I-I can explain." He raises his hands, palms facing him. "We were worried about you-"
Ichigo laughs uglily, "Worried? You were worried so you stalked me? Waited outside m- Cherī's house like a creep?"
He can feel the tide turning, people stepping away from the Quincy and looking at him in disgust. The other must sense it for his following words are, "Let's talk somewhere privately and I'll explain everything."
"I'm not going anywhere with you." He snarls, allowing Cherī to push him behind her as though to protect him, or maybe stop him from attacking.
"What is so important for you to stalk him? Did you miss him? Is that why? You could have just called him." She sneers, then says something unexpected, her face blank as though coming to the realisation, "He recently lost a shirt during PE, did you take it?"
Ishida reels back as if he were punched, the question going out like a shot through the crowd.
Then it becomes chaos.
Students yell, some pushing forward as a scare tactic. Ishida is afraid, that much is obvious, but Ichigo would do nothing to help, still in shock at the evidence of the stalking.
Their eyes meet.
One pair begging for help, the other – filled with resentment.
Inoue tries to protect him, standing in front of him, voice raising and attempting to explain away his actions but a few of the girls pull her away.
It's a teacher that saves the day. Shuu Akio, the philosophy teacher, a rather condescending man (who reminds him of Aizen with his air of superiority), intervenes before Momohara Tetsuo throws the first punch. "Alright, what's the reason for this disturbance?" Nearly twenty voices try to explain the situation, though some of them seem more intent on yelling abuse at Ishida. Shuu-sensei quiets them down again before pointing at a girl, Nogi something, to explain.
"Ishida and Kurosaki had a verbal disagreement before Akao from the neighbouring class showed evidence of Ishida stalking both her and Kurosaki outside of school."
The man's face spasms, brown gaze falling onto Cherī, hand held out. "May I see?"
Cherī nods and hands her phone but hovers near his elbow to show which pictures were the proof. The man's face is impassive as he carefully examines every photo. The classroom is silent, only the sounds of the videos are heard. Finally, he looks up, at Ishida, at Ichigo, and then at Cherī. "May I hold onto this, Akao-kun? I believe we may need to hold a meeting."
She agrees easily, "May I suggest taking Ishida Uryū's phone as well? Given that I distinctly remember him having it out whenever he stalked us."
The teacher nods and holds out his hand. "Ishida-kun, your phone."
"Sir!" He was flustered, that much was obvious.
"Shuu-sensei, Ishida-kun would never do such a thing!" Inoue is quick to defend, much to the displeasure of the girls who shush her.
"The photos here tell another story." The man patiently explains. "I still need to check Ishida-kun's phone."
"You don't." The teen in question interjects, "That's a breach of privacy."
"Then we'll go to the police and file a formal complaint." Ichigo says, anger still in his eyes. Ishida and Inoue look at him in betrayal. "We'll even get a warrant if we have to. Who knows what sort of photos you have there."
The crowd gets loud again, yelling at the Quincy. Ichigo can even pick out a slur or two thrown at the other.
"Enough." Shuu-sensei's voice rings out. He turns his eyes on the bespectacled teen, hand out. "Ishida, phone."
He hands it after a moment of hesitation.
"I'll talk to the principal and get your parents." He pauses for a moment, examining the crown, "You three follow me."
Ichigo spares the classroom a look, seeing the unfriendly looks thrown Ishida's way, and the way the girls are rapidly texting, he can understand why the three are being called. Arm wrapped around Cherī's, the two make their way out, ignoring Ishida being tripped.
Cherī squeezes his hand, It will be okay, she says.
He squeezes back, I know.
Ichigo exhales harshly, ignoring his vibrating phone.
"You okay, Aizen-kun?" Koko-san asks, elegant eyebrow quirked behind a red coffee mug.
"Fine."
"That doesn't sound like a good 'fine'." Kita-san says, fox-shaped eyes pointedly looking at the still vibrating device.
"It's not really important. Just some people annoying me." He admits, knowing that keeping any 'drama' hidden would be a lost cause.
"How annoying?" Koko-san, the firm's gossip queen, eagerly asks. In less than two hours the whole building will know so it would be best to tell the truth before imagination takes hold and words never said and actions never taken become part of the story.
"A year ago people who I thought were close friends started ignoring me – they stopped talking to me, any conversation ceased the moment I neared, they would even avert their eyes! The worst part is that I considered one of them a brother, someone who had had my back for years."
Koko-san makes a sympathetic noise.
"Recently – well, not really recently, more like ten months ago? – I made a new friend. She's – I don't know how to say it without it sounding like a cliché – she makes me feel alive again. I won't lie, during that time I was in a bad place, enhanced by the three leaving, so when she – Cherī – became my friend, it felt like I was alive again. She made me realise that it was okay to not be okay, it was okay for me to make choices that made me happy. I started living for myself."
"You weren't already?" Kita-san asks.
The teen sighs, rubbing his neck and averting his eyes. "I... I didn't grow up in a good household. After my mom left, dad started drinking heavily and... would occasionally get physical." Koko-san placed a well-manicured hand over his, lightly squeezing. "I'm pretty sure he blamed me for that. I have two sister whom I had to rise during that time, and even afterwards, so you could say most of my choices were made with them in mind."
"But it isn't like that now, right?"
"No, things started getting better after Cherī came. I had been living for others for so long that I completely forgot what it's like to take care of myself for a change. I took my name too seriously." He laughs lightly.
Koko-san's brows furrow for a second before smoothing out, "Ah, 'first protector'."
"My mom chose it." He shrugs.
"And now? They're trying to get back in your life?" Kita-san stirs them back to the main topic.
"Yeah. I guess they were expecting me to remain in that funk or something because the moment I started feeling better, they tried intimidating Cherī into leaving me or trying to change me to how I was before."
"They don't sound like good friends." Koko-san points out with a frown.
"They're good people." He tries defending.
"But not good friends." Kita-san states.
He exhales, but nods. "No, I don't suppose they are. Now they've remembered that I have a phone and have started calling me nonstop."
"And you don't want to meet with them again."
"Not really." He thinks for a second before adding. "Recently, Cherī has started feeling uncomfortable, paranoid, whenever we hang out. She says it feels like someone was watching us."
The two adults straighten at that. "And you think it's one of them?"
"Cherī does. She says she's seen one of them following us."
"Have you tried going to the police?"
He shakes his head, "No. Not yet, at least. Cherī's been gathering evidence, photos, but she's unsure if we would even be taken seriously since it's in public that she sees him. And it's not like it's happening every day. But it's definitely uncomfortable."
They stew in silence, drinking their coffee, each lost in their own thoughts.
"You know, I could tell you what my sister did with her stalker." Koko-san offers.
"She had a stalker?"
"Well, not stalker in the full sense, but a guy who made her uncomfortable and wouldn't take no for an answer."
"As long as it-" is legal? Please, look at his life. "-works. At this point I'm willing to do anything."
"Great!" She cheers, then shoos Kita-san, "Kita, go away, you need plausible deniability."
The man laughs lightly, "Alright, but you're washing my mug."
The woman pouts playfully as he drinks the last of his coffee, places the mug in the sink, and exits the room. She turns to him, eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Alright, listen up kid. Here's how we women deal with creeps. Remember, nothing leaves this room, you hear? Or we will do the same to you." She wags a finger, winking.
"Understandable. This is only hypothetical advice."
She laughs, "I like you. When my sister started noticing the guy everywhere, she went to the police to file a complaint, but they couldn't do anything as those were public places where she saw him and he is her coursemate so of course she will see him often. She started doing like your friend – started documenting and keeping photos of him stalking her. She went to the police again, but they said the same lines."
"Assholes." Growled Ichigo and Koko-san nodded in agreement.
"Frustrated, she complained to her friend who has a brother who is very good with computers. The brother heard and said that they could falsify evidence, photos of her on his phone, forcing the police to take action. Anyway, they took photos of her acting unaware, some uncomfortably close, some how she was entering her home, etc. – you know, the kind you except from stalkers. They borrowed his phone, the brother working quickly to place the evidence and ensure that it looked legitimate, before returning it and storming to the police station. My sister shined like an actress on screen. Luckily, one of the higher-ups was there – a soft-hearted man with a daughter – and demanded that they at least check this man and his phone. Surprise, surprise! Multiple photos of my sister were revealed and they managed to get a restraining order on him, as well as a mark on his record."
Ichigo's face twists at the end. He is unsure if he wanted it to reach to that, knowing how important academics were for Ishida.
"If you want, I can ask for the guy's number." Koko-san offers.
He observed the meagre amount of coffee left in his cup. He nodded firmly. "I'd appreciate it. Thank you."
She laughs, patting his hand. "You can thank me by doing the dishes."
They're left to wait in the teacher's lounge with Natsui Dai, the physics teacher, keeping watch until their guardians appear.
Surprisingly, Ishida Ryūken is the first to arrive. His face is more severe than usual as he looks at his son, then at Ichigo and Cherī. The teen may not be a master at reading people, but he was certain that the doctor felt unsure about the situation. Out of his depth.
"I would like to speak to my son in private." He states. Natsui-sensei thinks for a moment and nods. Even if Ishida complained about his father's stance on their Quincy status, the man wouldn't think twice about helping his son.
Nagi arrives seven minutes later, eyes wide with worry.
"Mom!" Cherī is quick to embrace her.
"What happened?" Nagi demands, holding tightly their forearms.
When her daughter only looks away, biting her lip, and blinking away tears – a picture of a distressed victim – Nagi turns to Ichigo for answers.
"Ishida – he's been stalking Cherī for a while. Following her whenever she's out, staying outside your house." He tells the news rather awkwardly, with none of the finesse that may be needed in such a situation.
Nagi swears, "That bastard! I'll kill him."
"Please refrain from harming the students." Natsui-sensei calls.
Nagi whirls with all of the outrage a mother whose child has been hurt has, lips pulled back to show her teeth (like mother, like daughter). "That young man has been following my daughter for who knows how long, and you want me to remain calm?"
"Ma'am, I understand how you feel, and trust me when I say that Ishida Uryū will be punished appropriately for the distress he has caused your daughter. All I ask is for you to remain calm."
The mother exhales harshly through her nose, refocusing her attention on her daughter, whose tears are more visible.
They remain together for another half an hour before the vice principal calls them into the office. Ichigo is surprisingly held back by Ochi-sensei who explains that they will all take turns explaining the situation and their sides of the story. She then enters and leaves him to wait outside.
He is unsure how long he waits but knows that the bell for the last period sounds and the two are still inside. Nagai Asami, the art teacher, is kind enough to bring him a cup of water while he waits.
"You're doing the right thing." She tells him. "These things may seem like games in the beginning, but they quickly turn ugly."
"I just wish I could have stopped it before it came to this." He tells her mournfully.
She pats his bicep, smiling sadly. "Don't be harsh on yourself. You never expect such things to happen; not to you or the people close to you."
The door opens and Cherī's shaking figure wrapped in her mother's embrace exits. He pushes himself off the wall to stand in front of her, hands hovering, unsure whether to touch or not. "Cherī- Cher- What happened?"
The girl looks at him with her reddened eyes and he readily opens his arms for the hug, pressing his cheek to hers. He feels the sobs wracking her frame, her nails trying to grab purchase, her hot tears on his neck, her lips below his ear, her voice hiccupping.
"Kurosaki-kun," He looks up to see Ochi-sensei at the door. He's unsure what kind of face he's making but it upsets the woman even more. "Kurosaki-kun, please enter."
Cherī whines high, like a wounded animal, and his heart squeezes. "I'll be out soon." He says, promises, swears, yet she still tries to keep him with her. It's through the combined efforts of her mother and Nagai-sensei that she finally lets go of him.
Five people are waiting for him: the principal, vice principal, Ochi-sensei, Shuu-sensei, and Cherī's homeroom teacher, Yoshizawa Hana.
"Please, sit." The principal, an older man, gestures to the chair in front of his desk. There were four more chairs arranged in a semi-circle around him. "Kurosaki-kun, do you know why you're here?"
"Truthfully? No, not really. Because of my involvement with Cherī, I would guess, but not why I've been asked to come speak with you."
He nods. "Before we start, could you tell us what your relationships with Ishida Uryū and Akao Cherī are?"
He hunches his shoulders. "Ishida... Ishida and I became friends two years ago, around July, I believe. I won't lie, we didn't immediately get along at the beginning, but we grew on each other."
"How did you become friends?" Shuu-sensei asks, "I mean no offence, Kurosaki-kun, but the two of you aren't the type to run in the same circle."
"None taken, sensei. I can't say how exactly we became friends, but I think it all started with the term results. He was the one to seek me out first. Chad and Inoue's presence helped whenever we butted heads."
"But that didn't last long, did it?"
He shakes his head, "No, not really. By New Year we were strangers again."
"Can you tell us why?"
"I wish I could. Back then I tried keeping our friendship alive, but they would always either ignore me or say that they were busy. By April of last year I simply gave up."
"You said 'they', not 'he'." The vice principal, a woman probably around Noriko's age, notes. "Could you explain what you mean?"
He presses his lips in a thin lip, "Ishida wasn't the only one to stop talking to me. Inoue and Chad stopped as well."
"Their full names, please."
"Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasutora." Answers Ochi-sensei in his stead. "They're in my class."
"And Akao Cherī? How did the two of you meet?" Yoshizawa-sensei asks. Out of all of them, she was the one he was least familiar with; the only thing he knew about her was that she was a new teacher and that the guys had crushes on her.
"We met last year, at the start of first term. Truth be told, I was suspicious of her, didn't think she truly wanted to be my friend, not without something in return. In the first month, I lashed out. I-..." He swallows, wrinkling his pants with his hands. "I wasn't in a good place back then – emotionally or mentally."
The adults shift at the confession. "It's true. I had noticed a rapid decline during that time which got better after Akao Cherī came." Ochi-sensei says.
Ichigo lowers his head. He already knew she had noticed his state, she had told him that before winter break, but it still felt... strange to know that someone, an adult, would be worried about him.
"Ishida Uryū told us that he is worried about you. He says that Akao Cherī is a bad influence."
He shoots the man a glare, his signature scowl back in place. "I apologise if I come off as rude, sir, but I would prefer it if you took the words of the person who severed our friendship and had stonewalled me for months with a pinch of salt."
"He told us that after meeting Akao, you disappeared for a month without notifying anyone."
"I will not deny that, but will add some information. It was during summer vacation when I 'disappeared'. I had gone to the beach with Cherī for 3 weeks. Her parents were notified and we spoke nearly every night during our stay there."
"Had you notified your family?" Shuu-sensei asks. The others share looks of concern.
"No, I had not. But," He meets the man's eyes. "Neither had they called me or even contacted the police."
"Don't you think you should have notified them? They're your family, after all." Ichigo hated the man's condescending tone.
"That is true, but we do not choose our blood family, sir."
The raven purses his lips, clearly ready to argue but is intercepted by the vice principal. "That is enough, Shuu-san."
"I hate to be rude, Izumi-san, but these are clearly exaggerations-" He laughs slightly, trying to lighten the mood perhaps.
"Kurosaki-kun," the principal steamrolls the man, "Have you had any contact with Ishida after the end of your friendship?"
"Not on friendly terms at the start – after meeting Cherī, I mean. But we did recently have lunch together, after he had managed to successfully corner me."
"Could you elaborate on the entirety of your sentence?"
"Well, after meeting Cherī, I started dying my hair. Ishida first cornered me then to berate me about it. The following days, Inoue and Chad – Sado – also felt the need to talk to me after not speaking or looking at my general direction for over five months. That made a bad impression on Cherī and she took to whisking me away whenever it seemed that one of them was making their way towards me. As for the lunch, it was my idea. Ishida finally managed to talk to me, demanding a report on my mundane activities and I thought that it would be a good way for us to be friends again, and a great opportunity for them to meet Cherī. After that day, they have been calling me non-stop and have actively tried pushing Cherī away from me."
"What exactly is your relationship with her?"
He inhales and exhales slowly. "We still haven't made it official but we've been dating since winter break." He can feel Ochi-sensei's surprise. "I'm not sure dating is even the correct term. We've been taking things slow, just hand holding and kissing on the cheeks. Showing affection to each other."
"Ishida said that you've spent nights at her house. I think that's more than 'taking things slow'."
Ichigo does not look at the man for he might just punch him. Instead, he looks at Ochi-sensei and, by extension, Yoshizawa-sensei who sits next to her. "That is true, though it does not say what we were doing, and I find it rather revolting that someone whom I used to consider a friend and who has not been actively in my life for months now know this when neither I nor Cherī have shared her address."
"Your feelings are noted but not needed to answer the question."
The outrage he feels is not fake. "Sir, are you telling me I should ignore the fact that Ishida has stalked me and Cherī and has stayed long enough to know that I will spend the night at her house?"
"That is not what I am saying, Kurosaki-kun."
"But it certainly felt like it."
"We simply want you to answer the questions with as much clarity as possible and not let your emotions cloud your judgment."
"Cloud my judgement?!" He looks at the faces of the other adults and notes that they are also displeased by the man's words. "Shuu-sensei, I don't think you understand how serious this is."
"I understand perfectly fine, Kurosaki-kun. This is merely another instance where two friends have ended their friendship because of a girl."
"Because of a-!" He stands up so quickly that his chair falls. "You think this is normal?!"
"Kurosaki-kun, please control yourself." The vice orders, tense but ready to physically stop him if she had to.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I will not control myself! Not when this man thinks stalking a girl because she hangs out with your ex-friend is normal. Do you know just how paranoid Cherī has been these last few weeks? How unsafe she felt, even at home, because some guy thought that just because he could, he should follow and take pictures of her without her consent?"
"Akao is a strong-"
"I don't care that she's strong, that doesn't make it okay! What if it had escalated, huh? What then? What if at some point watching from a distance wasn't enough and he decided-"
"Ishida Uryū would never do such a thing!" Shuu-sensei jumps, face enraged.
"How do you know?" He challenges. "He doesn't look like the kind of guy to stalk either but we were wrong about that!"
"That's enough!" The principal slams his hands on the desk, face red. "Shuu-san, I believe it would be best if you went home."
"Sir!" The man was visibly surprised, "This is clearly-"
"Now, Shuu-san," He smoothed down his beard, a way to calm himself, "I believe we might need to talk about your future in this school if this is how you react to such upsetting situations."
The man stood frozen for a moment, then, through gritted teeth, nodded once sharply and made his way out, throwing the teen a glare. Once the door was closed, it felt as if the whole room sighed in relief.
"Kurosaki-kun," The greenette looked at the man, "I want you to know that what Shuu Akio said does not represent us educators, we take the current situation with the severity it deserves."
He nodded, "I understand, thank you for that."
The elder gestures to the fallen chair. "Please sit down so that we may continue."
"Kurosaki-kun," Yoshizawa-sensei starts delicately once he has settled, "I know this will sound like an odd question, but what makes you think that Ishida stalked Akao?"
He looks at her oddly, "Who else could he stalk? The pictures on his phone must show that, right?"
The adults share looks and the pity that the women look at him with mystifies him.
"Kurosaki-kun," the vice looks at him gravely, "While it is true that a number on photos on Ishida Uryū's phone were of Cherī," She pauses, whether to prepare him or herself for the following he does not know, "A vast majority were of you."
He stares, speechless and confused.
That's...not how things were supposed to go.
"I-... I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" He shakes his head. There's no way...right? "I think I misheard you."
"You did not." She tells him, the pity in her voice clearer. "We checked the phone and it is completely full of pictures of you, some dating back to your first year, most taken without your knowledge."
He sat there dumbfounded.
"That's why we were curious to know how long the two of you were friends." The principal continued when he remained mute. "And, given the time and places of some of them, it did not put Ishida in a good light."
"Places? Time?" He asked weakly.
A round of uncomfortable looks.
"Kurosaki-kun," Ochi-sensei called gently and he numbly turns to her, "Have you and Ishida-kun ever had sleepovers or slept in the same room during a trip?"
"I..." He shook his head, "I can't remember, I don't think so?"
"Has he ever been in your room?"
"Yeah? We would occasionally study or hang out during the day."
"And he never stayed the night?"
"No. Never. He would always leave, no matter how late it was."
The man leaned forward on the desk, hands clasped and face serious. "Does your house have a security system? Cameras? Doors locked at all times?"
"We don't have security or cameras, the neighbourhood is safe. We keep the doors locked but my sisters and I occasionally leave our bedroom windows open since we're on the second floor." He blinks, trying to awaken from this strange dream. "Why? Why do you ask?"
They did not answer.
"Kurosaki-kun, we have taken the liberty of contacting the police for you." The man says instead, which confuses him even more.
This wasn't part of the plan. All of this was supposed to make Ishida back off. Just what was on that phone?
A knock was heard and the principal invited them in. The door opened to reveal two police officers who nod and set their eyes on him.
"Is this Kurosaki Ichigo?" The one on the left asks, voice like a smoker's.
"He is still in shock and confused." Ochi-sensei jumps to explain when he remains silent, staring at the men.
The one on the right nods, "It would make anyone go into shock."
"Kurosaki-kun," Yoshizawa-sensei, the pretty teacher that all the boys like, is standing next to him and holding his shoulders, "You need to go with these men, they will explain everything to you."
"What about Cherī?" He asks because he promised to return to her.
"Akao Cherī is down at the station right now and giving her statement." Smoker voice says.
"Is she okay?" It comes out a bit desperately but no one holds it against him.
"You will see her with your own eyes in a few minutes." Right one says.
He nods and stands up to follow, feet like lead and throat sore as if he wanted to vomit.
The trip to the station and the questions he mindlessly answers are a blur, the only thing on his mind is Cherī.
"Thank you for your cooperation." The policeman, a different one, says as he arranges the papers.
"Where is Cherī?" He asks, voice rough. Was he thirsty? He drank when he came in but he hasn't stopped talking for a while now.
The man pauses, eyeing him with sympathy. "She is giving her statement in the other room."
"Can I see her?" He begs. This is all confusing and terrifying. Their plan has long gone off the tracks.
"I don't know if she's done, but you can wait outside." The man suggests. He is being so gentle with him, as if he would crack.
Maybe he will.
The teen nods and is led outside and to some seats. "Your friend is right behind that door," He points to the door barely two meters away, "You can wait here. There's a water dispenser just down the hall." He pats his shoulder and leaves, muttering a "poor kid".
He stays there as the minutes tick away, not moving a centimetre. Someone places a cup in his hand and they have to squeeze his fingers so that he doesn't drop it.
"Drink. It will do no one any good if you become dehydrated." A gruff older voice orders.
He sips a small mouthful and the other person sighs. There's movement and the chair next to him is now occupied.
"The boy will be punished." The other says, their tights touching and introducing a welcome heat into his cold limbs. "Maybe not with prison since he's a minor and his dad is very important, but we'll make sure it goes on his record and he spends at least a month in juvie. That kid managed to break into your house and take pictures of you when you slept. We'll be sure to tell the judge that you have younger sisters, that oughta light a fire under his ass."
His nod is the only reaction that he heard.
The man sighs heavily. "It will be okay," He grabs the teen's shoulder and pulls him into a sideways hug. "Trust the police just this once."
They wait together for a while until the man is called away, leaving the teen alone and cold.
When the door finally opens, he drops the full cup and stumbles forward, legs forced awake and paying him back with pins and needles. He nearly falls on his knees if not for the cop who had been interviewing Cherī catching him.
"Careful," The cop, the woman, says. He shakes his head, extracting his arms from her to wrap them around his Cherī. He feels her hands snake around him, nails hooking onto any fold or softness that they can find. She whines, not bothering to mould the sounds into words, and he answers with his own rumbles. They would have stayed like that for who knows how long (forever, they would have stayed like that forever) if not for the policewoman gently guiding them to the abandoned chairs. "You can hug as much as you like here. I'll bring your guardian."
The moment his thighs touch the seat, Cherī scrambles on top of him, knees bracketing him and arms attempting to strangle him with their embrace. He returns the favour by trying to break her lower ribs and spine.
"We're fine." She says with much conviction that he does not entirely believe. "We'll be fine an' we'll go home an' sleep cause this will all pass."
He answers with an okay, nose pressed against her shoulder taking in the scent of sweat and last traces of her vanilla and sandwood perfume.
They are released into Nagi's custody and promptly leave. He leaves his phone in the car, long turned off to stop Inoue's incoming calls.
Dinner is a somber affair. He can feel Nagi and Haru's anger, feel Cherī's fear and displeasure. He's not sure what he feels. What he's supposed to feel. He only feels fatigued and hollow – like the months after Aizen and before Cherī. The only thing he wants to do now is sleep —(and never wake up)—.
Sōsuke and Yhwach are in the Shiba household which saddens him greatly, their presence would have cheered him up a little.
"Ah hate him." Cherī tells him in the dark, legs tangled and hands held tight. "Ah despise him." She snarls and he is too tired to even attempt to rebuke her promise of killing him.
He's just so tired.
They skip the rest of the week, the teachers are notified by Nagi, and no doubt by the students and rumours, and give their words of comfort.
"We'll destroy him." Cherī tells him, eyes glued to her phone, fingers flying over the buttons, having multiple conversations and controlling the tides. He says nothing, face pressed against her chest and body curled against hers. "We'll make sure ev'ryone an' their grandmother knows 'bout wat he did."
He closes his eyes and tries to forget everything.
They return the following week to eyes watching their every move and whispers following their every step.
He notes Ishida's absence and tries not to think too much about him. At least Keigo and Mizuiro are acting as a wall, even against Chad.
"Ishida is suspended for the rest of the year." Mizuiro informs him during break. "Things got a bit dangerous after you guys left and Sato-senpai told everyone why you went to the police."
"He's related to one of the cops." Keigo explains. It's so odd to see the brunette so serious.
Mizuiro nods, "Yeah, and the girls from Akao's class filled in the gaps that Sato-senpai couldn't. Even the teachers couldn't entirely hide their disgust for Ishida's actions. His dad came and spoke with the principal about this and they agreed that it would be best for him not to show his face here for a while. He'll be switching classes next year."
"It would have been better if he just changed schools." Keigo crossed his arms. "It's not like anyone will forget what he did. I heard some of the guys planning to jump him."
They looked at Ichigo's listless figure with matching looks of sympathy.
"What was that?" The brunette asked.
"...He snuck into my room at night and took pictures of me..."
They freeze at his words, icy water filling their veins.
"What?" Keigo asks. Mizuiro had taken out his phone, no doubt to share this information with everyone.
"He snuck into my room, and I never knew. Cops said he had been doing it from before we were even friends." He felt nothing as he confessed – no guilt for adding oil to the fire, no horror at the knowledge. He just felt-
Hollow
He can hear multiple phones ping, people gasping, people raging, people turning to look at him with pity.
His two friends block their view but the eyes don't leave him for the rest of the day.
At least the girls are keeping Inoue away, though he can hear them admonishing her for still standing up for Ishida.
He only returns to the Shiba household to keep up appearances and hold onto the fraying connection that he still has with Yuzu and Karin.
"Ichi-nii," Yuzu sobs when he returns. The story had reached their school and many students, mostly the twins' friends, had sent their wishes.
"I'll never forgive him." Karin swears, blinking away tears as Yuzu weeps against his chest.
He stares at them but doesn't see them. He just wants his cats.
Goat-face doesn't react at all. Or maybe he does but chose to keep silent for fear of his beloved daughters exploding at him.
The threat of the cats attacking also helps.
He pretends everything is normal.
He focuses on his studies and his job and tries not to think.
And he succeeds...
...
...for a while.
It's the start of spring break and Ichigo feels as if something is slowly wrapping around his heart and trying to strangle him.
"Time's running out." Noriko tells him over the phone.
"How can you be so sure?" He asks hidden inside the Akao household, away from any windows and guarded by both cats.
"Ryoko says Mr Tophat is getting antsy and says he recently felt strange individuals moving around."
"How strange?" It feels as if his heart rate has increased.
"Not shinigami. More hollow, but they're completely human. Any ideas?"
"No," His tone is clipped. "I only know of the Visored, but they're Shinigami." He can feel her displeasure.
"Time's running out little heart. Stay safe."
"You too."
"Maybe you should get a job, to fill up all this free time you have." Isshin says during diner.
He hums in reply.
"Are you leaving us again?" Yuzu asks him one day.
"What makes you think I'm leaving?" He asks and receives a shrug in return.
"Are you?" Her eyes are wide and distraught.
("Not-leaving:" Cherī, his darling Cherī will read to him years down the line from a book about a girl and her gravedigger manual, "An act of trust and love, often deciphered by children.")
"No, I'm not." He lies. Yuzu wraps her arms around him and tries with all the might in her body to turn his lie into the truth.
She doesn't succeed.
"Ya need ta' leave." Haru mournfully tells him one evening over a bottle of sweet wine, the same one they brought back from —where he fell in love— their vacation.
Ichigo does not reply.
He simply puts his head on the man's shoulder and lets the tears flow, not uttering a sound.
He lets the Akao and Yoshino and Kurosawa plan everything while he lies to the Shiba.
"You're leaving again?" Karin asks and he tries to shine like an actor.
"I need to leave." He tells them. "I need to get away from – this." He waves his hand and shows them a sight that he had always tried to keep hidden. "After-...after learning that about Ishida, it feels like he is always watching me – from the corners, through the windows, in shops, and in my room."
Karin looks away from his desperate face while Yuzu starts crying again.
—They say the best lies are those that hold a bit of truth in them. Then what about those that are entirely made out of truth?—
"Just the weekend." He says, pleads, and Karin cringes away while Yuzu is pulled towards him.
"Just a couple of days. I will bring you souvenirs." He offers. Karin turns her back and Yuzu wraps her arms around him.
"I'll be back at the start of the school year." Karin leaves. Yuzu stays.
He makes sure to finish up his work in the firm while Haru secretly takes away his —mother's— coffer and ships it somewhere.
"It's yers." He says, brushing his hair. "It's yers an' no one else's." He presses a kiss against his temple.
"Have either of you seen my notebook?" Nagi asks, as she searches through the TV stand.
"What does it look like?" Ichigo asks. He hasn't been speaking much these days so any time they hear his voice they count it as a win.
She stands up to gesture. "It's small, the size of my palm, with a beige cover and blue elastic keeping it closed."
"Haven't seen it." Haru doesn't bother getting up to help look. "Is it important?"
"Somewhat. It holds all of the contact information of people my parents and I know, and people who owe us favours."
"Sounds very important." The greenette comments.
"Yeah," She sighs. "But also not really? I had already copied everything down on another notebook, but I like knowing where everything is."
Everything is ready.
Ichigo looks at Nagi and Haru, both smiling as though they are just separating for the weekend, a short trip, before seeing each other again.
(How well they dance to this song.)
He smiles, ready to —speak the truth— joke about how long they won't be seeing each other. How "I might just settle down there and never return." and they laugh "If we see you back here it will be too soon!" and he laughs while pretending like he doesn't just want to break down and wail like a wounded beast. All smiles are a sideways step away from being happy.
Then there's Sōsuke and Yhwach.
Oh, oh no.
Because,
Because while Haru and Nagi know, Sōsuke and Yhwach know.
They know that this is a actual goodbye. Know that he won't return in a few hours. Won't return in two days with a souvenir. They know instinctively but don't understand what their sense are telling them.
And they-
They hate that.
They meow and claw at his feet, jump and cling to his clothes, trying to get him to stay, but he can't, he won't. Not when the Shinigami are trying to put back that collar on him, to chain him to them.
He had a taste of freedom and refuses to release it. He's already locked his jaw around it like a hyena.
They have to lock the cats in the bathroom so that they can leave with none the wiser.
"I'm sorry," He tells them, pressing his forehead to their bodies, allowing for a few tears to slip and wet their fur. "I'm sorry."
"Ichigo," Cherī calls. She's pretending to be strong, but has a death grip on her parents' hands.
He kisses them, whispering a dangerous phrase, "Come find me. Please."
He does not yet know just how dangerous those words are, but he will learn in the coming years.
Just give him some time.
It's funny how easy it is to leave. Though that may be because of the simple plan.
They leave their phones on silent in their rooms, hidden though not really in the desk drawers with a note saying 'Gone for a while, don't worry', took whatever money they could, fake identities (he is Yamato Takeshi this time around) and left.
They take the train to the town they said they would be visiting, walk around for a bit, then catch a different train to Tokyo to meet up with Ryoko.
She smiles when she sees them and leads them to her mother's hairdresser friend.
Ichigo watches as they grumble about his choice of hair dye as they snip away parts of it, making it short and spikey and then dye it and his brows black.
"You look just like me now!" Comments Ryoko and he looks at Cherī. Hers was also cut and dyed in the same style as her cousin's.
"Alright, I admit, brown isn't that bad." She says, moving her head this way and that. He smiles.
They meet up with another woman after that.
"She's practically our aunt." Ryoko introduces them to Kaneki Kana who smiles shyly. Kana is the one to drive them to Narita and wishes them a safe trip while handing them their tickets.
"Thank you." He tells her, and she balks at the sincerity behind that single word.
"It's fine." She waves away his gratitude. "Best hurry before the plane takes off without you." She meant it as a joke, but it made him tense and his heart beat louder.
Cherī – Izumi, it's Nanase Izumi now – finds the terminal easily, and they check-in. They go through security and he needs to take off his belt because the buckle makes the metal detectors go off, but there aren't any problems beyond that and they're dragging their bags away towards the gate and wait to be boarded.
A kind worker notices him and asks if everything is alright and Che–Izumi makes up a lie about how his mother recently passed and they're flying in for the funeral. They make the appropriate expression and express their condolences, offering him a window seat which he rejects, saying how he would rather pretend that none of this is happening. The worker thinks he is going through the denial phase of grief and walks away but does return to board them before the proper time. Izumi takes the window seat.
They hold hands as the plane lifts off and don't let go until they land eight hours later.
Izumi squeezes his hand, It will be okay
He squeezes back, I trust you