It was getting a tad bit annoying.
Or maybe immensely.
Every time I felt their presence near me, I started to feel drained of my energy for the day. In a way, they were like leeches.
My eyes looked up from my book to watch Haruki and Jun approach me. They were smiling at me as they greeted me politely. That didn't dissuade me from my feelings. Innocent outlooks are ineffective against me. In their case, it only served to make me feel even more annoyed.
"Hello, Katsuko. Enjoying the weather?"
Yes. Until you shat on it.
"The wind felt nice today. I suppose you came out for the same reason, Haruki, Jun?"
Haruki chuckled a little and shook his head. "I wish. But we have matters to attend to. You're needed back there."
Oh?
I bookmarked my book and gave them a curious look. "What for?"
Jun crossed his arms and tilted his head, his face appearing troubled… or just tired. I couldn't tell. "Not sure. I just know that Mayuka is involved."
Mayuka? That girl I've rarely seen or spoken to in my entire life? If she's there, then it must be some important discussion. It wouldn't just be me present there then. If that was the case, I really didn't want to more from here for the reason that I would be stuck enduring boring pointless talks. I'm not stupid. I know what's under it all. Pure animosity. And I don't care for it.
Alas, I had responsibilities.
"Alright, then." I shut my book and got up from my spot under the tree.
…
…
…
September 21
DAY 25
…
…
…
Ichigo was looking around the training room for Katsuko. He had two water bottles in his hands. One of them wasn't his. A few seconds ago, when his break started, Love told him she went off somewhere to rest behind one of the many rocks that was in this place when he wondered where she went. Every time he looked behind one and met nothing, he'd get a little annoyed. He felt like he was playing hide and seek with her. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to seek her out. A head of black poked up from behind a rock.
When he went around it, he found her rubbing her eye sleepily. She was sleeping, he realized. That was often happening now every time she took her breaks from training. Her feet would automatically go off somewhere to find herself a little isolated nest to just snooze away. Some times, he'd catch Kensei coming around from behind her little rock and pushing her forward with little effort to have her walk. Her face would look like she woke up from a night's sleep, one eye squinted and all. He once caught Love picking her up from under her arms like a little kid and just shake her awake when she wouldn't move.
"Yo."
"Oh… hey. Ichi-gooooh." Her sentence finished with a yawn. Her hands eagerly reached out for the water bottle when he presented it to her. Her throat was feeling a little thirsty.
"Had a nice nap?"
"I guess. Had a weird dream though."
"About?"
He stood next to her spot and sat on the rock while she stayed on the floor. She took little sips. "I don't know. I just remember reading under a tree and Jun and Haru just came over to bug me."
"That sounds like something they'd do." Ichigo chortled when he finished uncapping his bottle to drink up. She got up from the floor and went on the rock he was leaning on to sit the other way. Then she laid down, resting her head next to him, her eyes glued to the ceiling.
"How's your training? Still slow progress with your mask?"
They weren't always up to date with their training progress since their breaks wouldn't always overlap. Hiyori and Kensei were the ones deciding their breaks.
Ichigo sighed and shook his hair in the back with his hand. "Yeah. Slow. And sometimes," Ichigo looked around to make sure no one was around. "I can't tell if Hiyori is training me or just straight up beating me up." He spat in annoyance. Sure, he was grateful that they were helping him. But that girl could ease up on the slipper slaps and the kicks to his back!
Katsuko giggled. "Say it louder. I don't think Shibuya heard you."
"Shut up."
If Hiyori heard him complain. Oh. She knew there'd be something special in store for him next time.
"Progress, progress, prepare, training, training, war." Katsuko droned with a sigh. "I hate it."
"Nobody likes a war." Ichigo reminded. But then he back peddled when a certain fight loving Captain entered his mind. But that one was an exception. Him and his whole Squad. They were a whole different breed. "No one sane anyway." He specified with a grimace. Then he looked down at her when he felt her eyes on him. "Are you worrying a lot over it?"
"Uh… kinda… not as much as a few days ago…"
Ichigo's expression turned slightly serious. Of course, he'd be a little unconvinced with the way she answered. He's seen her stress and get anxious over things before. It's basically her favourite thing to do. He, Haru and Jun sometimes had to talk some sense into her. It rarely happens though.
He already knew she was hiding something.
And she knew she couldn't hide it.
Under his gaze, Katsuko stared back at him and slowly placed her hand on his arm.
"Rukia had to give me some advice because I was seriously overwhelmed."
"I knew it!" He turned to her properly while she looked away like someone busted as her hand flew off him. She wanted to roll on her side to avoid looking at his face.
"You can't expect me to not stress so much about war on the horizon!"
"But you like to overthink so much!"
"I can't help it!"
A frown marred his features while hers remained sheepish. Ichigo sighed in reluctance. At least she was able to talk to someone to lift the weight. His gaze softened. "But you're feeling better?"
"Better than before at least. But what about you? You don't look bothered at all by the war. It's almost annoying when you look all cool about it." She rolled onto her stomach to look at him properly. Not once did she see him have some sort of headache over this war. Not a single obvious worry. He was so busy training and getting stronger that he didn't have time to mull over it. It's different from her. She can't help but think about worrying things. It was impossible not to.
"I am." he admitted. "Of course, I am. At first, I couldn't wrap by head around all of it since it was basically information overload with the training. But now that I've had time to think, I'm even more serious about getting stronger. We have to win in the winter no matter what. There's no other choice but to win."
That's Ichigo.
"You just keep getting stronger no matter what."
He looked at her again.
She was looking at him with this look. A look that looked like a mix of surprise and knowing.
"Even if it's Aizen standing in your way?"
"Yeah. I'll stop him." He didn't say those words lightly. When he said something, it always carried weight that he did not think twice about. He always meant the things he said. When he said he'd save Rukia from her execution, he did it. Nothing was impossible for him.
"That sounds impossible." This time her face had an expression of placidity. Her eyes watched Mashiro that was sleeping on another rock meters away from them.
"Aizen Sousuke is a whole different animal. He's always been too good. And very few can actually reach his level. Some times people are just fortunate enough to admire him from below. His strength, his intellect, his abilities, his manipulation… it all traverses the line beyond just simple brilliance. Those who fail to understand this are just blighted by ignorance and pure overconfidence."
…
…
"Wanna write a poem about him? Because that just sounded like some wise shit just now."
"What?! I was just stating what I know."
"What Chisaki knows, you mean." The way she was talking, especially her tone, just now made it seem like she knew him personally. He knew that it was from Chisaki though.
"… Uh, yeah." Katsuko sheepishly averted her eyes. She forgot about that Chisaki part. But wasn't that the truth anyway? Aizen was too much of a problem.
"I'm not dumb. I know he's strong. But If I can't beat those Arrancars then there's no way I can take down Aizen with the way I am now." Ichigo stretched his arms over his head. "So the answer is to keep getting stronger. I know I can do it."
"Do suicides fights maybe."
"I heard that." He gave her a pointed look. For that, her bangs got mussed up. She grabbed his wrist and held it away from her face. When he pulled away his hand, he gave her a confident look. "I'll get stronger and beat him." He swore. He still owed Aizen after what he did back in the Soul Society after all.
"I believe in you getting stronger." Katsuko pushed herself up on her knees. "As for the beating Aizen part," she hopped off the rock and sat down properly next to him, knocking his shoulder with hers playfully when she swayed slightly. "Well, you'll just have to prove it."
September 22
DAY 26
…
…
…
Katsuko's mask time reached three minutes. Nearly after a month, Katsuko's spiritual pressure was much stronger than before. She was growing stronger almost too fast. Her overall skills went up. This became unnerving, especially to Shinji who had been keeping his eye on her from the very beginning. Her mask, the lightning, her power level, and her Kido… Those factors were what led Shinji into bringing Katsuko over to Urahara's shop.
Katsuko tugged Shinji's sleeve when they got closer. "What are we doing here? You said we were going somewhere!"
"This place is somewhere, isn't it?" Shinji replied, pulling the door open without a care in the world. "Oiiii! Kisuke!" He called for the shop owner as if he was calling over a waiter. Katsuko sweat dropped at the carefree attitude Shinji had. Right now, she felt like a criminal for just barging in unannounced. In contrast to the reactions she had in mind, the person they were looking for poked his head around the corner with that goofy smile of his.
"Ohh! Hirako-san! And Hiragi-san~! Welcome!"
Shinji stepped aside to bring Katsuko out of his shadow.
"Go ahead."
Huh?
"What?"
Shinji placed his palm flat on her back and pushed her forward while she still had that dumb look of confusion on her face. Swiftly, she backed away and held up her hands in front of her as if to say 'what-the-hell'. "At least tell me why you're shipping me off to Urahara's Shop?!"
Urahara fully revealed himself after opening the door properly, his hands hidden inside the opposite sleeves. Katsuko and Shinji could see Ururu and Jinta poking their heads around a corner inside the sitting room. "Hirako-san dropped by here about almost a month ago. He had questions regarding your Hollow and the lightning that came with it."
Katsuko looked at Shinji with a quirked eyebrow. "Yeah? You snitched on me?" she joked.
"Excuse me for being concerned, mole face."
Katsuko covered the moles near her chin and mouth.
"Anyway, even I found it strange when he told me about it. So, I asked him to bring you over here the moment he felt like he needed to."
When he needed to?
Katsuko crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one leg. "But… I'm fine? I'm okay."
"Trustin' my gut doesn't have to necessarily be because somethin' bad happened." Shinji started. He lifted his hands and starting listing off his next words. "Your exponential growth, your lightnin', sudden use in Kido, your mask. Hell even your sudden nap times. Those could be red flags. I can't know everythin' just 'cause I'm a Vizard. Kisuke over here is an expert at stuff like that, so it's best to leave you to him."
His words took a few seconds to simmer. Not all good things could necessarily mean good. It could mean that something wrong was happening, something they couldn't see from the surface. Knowing this, Urahara created a little device some time after Shinji dropped by to inform him of what he knew about Katsuko. Its function was to just record spiritual pressure, specifically Katsuko's. He was able to take a piece of hers when he saved her from Yammy's blow. The device would record anything containing her spiritual pressure. He made it as precise as possible for the reason that it was a Hollow they were most likely dealing with.
And as Katsuko understood the gist of what Shinji meant, she couldn't help but feel like for a second that perhaps Chisaki should have avoided her to begin with.
But that would erase everything that happened thus far…
Katsuko sighed and dropped her head. She thought she avoided all this Hollow danger shit after she beat it in her Inner World. That uncomfortable fear that she used to feel about her Hollow was slowing coming back to her. And Shinji could basically feel that aura coming off her when she just fell silent for that one second.
It made him roll his eyes.
She let out a squawk-like sound when Shinji suddenly pinched her cheek. Her eyes looked him wide with bewilderment. His face almost looked grumpy when he moved closer. "Stop making this face. It's unsettlin' and creepin' me out. You're just here for some examination."
She blinked.
"This coming from the bowl-cut-rat?! You were the creepy one when you followed me around like a predator!"
A vein popped on his forehead. His other hand pinched her other cheek. "Shuddup! You know that's not it!" This girl always had some cheeky remark! "I bet my left eye you're grateful as hell I followed you around though! I can tell you were scared as shit about your Hollow!"
Shinji only let go the moment she grabbed his nose and made a move to twist it off like a screw. Urahara watched them stand by each other, one holding his nose while the other massaged her cheeks. The former Squad 12 Captain carried a grin on his face while waving her over to his side. Obediently she went while playfully sticking her tongue out at Shinji.
"Alright, Hirako-san, you can drop off your child at the daycare now!" Urahara said teasingly, patting Katsuko's head as she stepped further inside his place. The girl shot him a pointed look.
"Hah? Last time I checked, I didn't contribute to birthin' this cheeky girl." Shinji started making his way back to leave.
"I'll be back later." Katsuko added just before they were no longer in the same room.
"Yeah, yeah."
At least she looked less troubled.
He had chased away some extreme doubts before they fully formed.
Shinji came back to their little hideout and sat down near Kensei who was just conversing with Rose about some random topic.
"You left her?" Rose voiced when he noticed Katsuko was nowhere to be seen.
Shinji shrugged and plucked out a magazine from who knows where, laying it on his lap. "It's goin' to take a while. I wasn't goin' to sit there and wait. Besides, there was a Soul Reaper hangin' around. I'm not interested in interactin' with 'em." He wasn't even in the mood to put on his persona. Avoiding the trouble altogether was more efficient.
Like he told Katsuko in the beginning, his interest was piqued when he learned that Chisaki specifically chose her. He wondered if the reason being had to be because of what he listed earlier. He was aware of how fast Ichigo's gained his power. And now, he was watching someone else's exponential growth. He would have brushed it off if she had been growing stronger at this pace from the beginning. But her growth was starting to accumulate with haste after she successfully summoned her mask. He found that so strange.
As if she unlocked something with her Hollow.
And he couldn't figure it out on his own.
"Kensei," Shinji addressed. "Was there anythin' strange about her today?"
Kensei lifted a brow. His hands were in his pockets and he was watching Hiyori train Ichigo from his spot. "Nothing so far. The Hollow was controlled for sure." The only thing that could classified as strange was the fact that she was using her little improvised Kido attacks to fight. Nothing weird about that. There was really only positive things to say about her. She was getting stronger and getting the hang on Hollowfication.
Shinji hummed and also watched Ichigo thoughtfully. "And she doesn't remind you of Chisaki in the slightest?"
Kensei scoffed at that. "Aside from their looks, no way. They're completely different in terms of personality and fighting style." One way to differentiate them was that one of them was more trouble than the other. Katsuko was too cheeky and playful, lacking the seriousness that Chisaki carried. She's always got a comment for everything. And she lacks the certain grace that Chisaki fights with.
"Basically, she's a brat compared to Chisaki."
So nothing obvious on his end either.
"Katsuko-chan is unique in her own way the same way Naogoma Chisaki is." Rose condensed while fiddling with his guitar. "She may look hard to approach but I can tell she has a good heart."
Shinji snorted and went back to looking at his magazine. "Some times I wonder about that."
Renji and Chad looked at the device in her hands.
Katsuko stared at them flatly.
Earlier, she learned that Renji and Chad were training down below, as if it wasn't obvious with their spiritual pressure flaring. Also, she found out that Urahara was creating his own Garganta, the door that could give them access to Aizen's base of operations. The Soul Society gave him around three months to create it. However, Urahara revealed that he was nearly done. He was going to finish it within a month. He still needed a week to add the finishing touches.
Impressive.
Her disbelief about him being the former Captain of the Research and Development was now withdrawn.
And so, because he was busy, he handed off the device to Katsuko and gave her the instructions. He was like a CEO just thrusting papers in her arms and saying 'alright, go ahead' with little explanation. Well, he did explain but she just felt that way.
Renji and Chad were willing to help out after she explained the situation. It was relatively easy. She was going to fight Renji with everything she had, Hollow mask and everything, while Chad carried around the device. Urahara said it would help his reflexes in dodging attacks and his mobility? Yeah, they were cool with that.
It's just that…
The device in Katsuko's hands had a peculiarly design.
It was like a small box.
But Urahara's face was on it with his hands making two peace signs.
Ridiculous.
"I swear, that man is so strange sometimes." Renji took the device from her hands. He had every right to say this since he was living under the same roof as him right now.
"He is… interesting." Chad added.
Katsuko scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, don't be shy. Say it loud and proud."
The taller of the three walked over to her and gingerly took the device from her Renji. Katsuko's eyes discreetly glanced at Renji and Chad. Her height never bothered her before… But this position made Katsuko hyperaware just how small she was compared to these two six-foot something poles.
"How the hell does this thing even work?" Renji inquired, a curious finger poking around the edges.
"He said to press this button when we start and uh… we'd know when it's done recording…"
She wouldn't be surprised if it spewed out confetti or something. That'd definitely be some Urahara type crap.
Renji heaved a sigh and scratched the back of his head while holding his Shikai. He was done wracking his brain over this strange device. He looked at Katsuko and nudged his head towards an open space. "Alright, let's just get this over with, Katsuko."
That tone of his voice made Katsuko laugh lightly as she followed after him with Chad. He just sounded over it. She grinned as she peered at his face from the side.
"What, your brain doesn't wanna do the mental gymnastics?"
"Nope."
After they finished the recording, they sat together upstairs in the sitting room with tea and snacks that Ururu served them. She fought Renji the same way she did with Kensei. It kind of took him by surprise, especially when she took out her mask and beamed lightning at him. They did Shikai and Bankai just so they wouldn't have to do it again if they were missing something. Their cue to stop was when the box lit up like a damn Christmas tree and said 'Requirements achieved! Requirements achieved!'. It wouldn't shut up on their way back up to give it to Urahara. Renji was actually this close to banging his fist on it as if to shut up an alarm clock.
But it was a good change of pace for Renji since he was fighting someone with a sword this time, which their enemy most likely carried.
"How did you learn to use Kido?" Chad wondered. Katsuko was staring at him and nibbling her butter cookie.
"I dunno. Just ended up doing after practicing randomly."
Chad tilted his head thoughtfully. Not exactly the answer he was expecting. He was just a little intrigued by the way she used Kido in her fight against Renji. Some times she would guard with her sword and keep Renji's Shikai in place before thrusting her hand towards his body to attack with Kido.
Renji squinted his eyes and averted them when she said that. "Weird… Shouldn't you at least have someone teach you some Kido… because that looks hard for a beginner."
Katsuko chortled and picked up her tea cup. "Why, you jealous because, and I quote, your Kido is sloppy?"
This had Renji cross his arms and roll his eyes grumpily. "Shut up." Katsuko turned to Chad and laughed silently, amused by his reaction. Renji picked up his teacup and took a good sip. "So, now, your roles are reversed." Renji realized, setting down his cup. "You ended up being the unfortunate one with the Hollow and everything while Naogoma-san was the fortunate one after her name was cleared and became Hollow free."
Katsuko and Chad paused mid bite when Renji said that.
She never thought of it that way.
He was right.
"Yeah, actually." Katsuko nodded softly. "But it's not so bad. I've learned to control it after getting some help. And I can use it in a fight, right? So… it's a double-edged sword."
Chad recalled the way her spiritual pressure became very Hollow-like the moment she swiped on her mask. Her movements became quicker and her strength increased significantly. The lightning around her blade sparked livelily while she practically danced around with it when she fought Renji. And that Kido she would do whenever she found an opening to attack. So much has changed within nearly a month.
Renji noted to himself the change. If the wind represented Katsuko, then the lightning was someone else when she put on her mask. A more or less accurate description of condition.
Renji rested his cheek in his palm, his eyes closed. "I'm still finding it strange that your Zanpakuto can use lightning. Because there can't be a Zanpakuto with more than one element."
"Yeah, I heard."
"Is it because of Naogoma Chisaki?" Chad guessed reasonably.
"Maybe." Renji opened his eyes and rapped his finger against the wooden table. "But her Zanpakuto doesn't use lightning. It's nowhere near that kind of element."
Katsuko blinked slowly while Renji rambled on some facts and knowledge he knew about Zanpakutos. It was happening again. The drowsiness that came after training hard. Her cheek found its way to rest on the table as she did her best to listen to Renji. Her eyes stayed glued to him while her mind willed them to stay open.
"Then it should belong to the Hollow inside her." Chad concluded. "If it's not hers or Naogoma Chisaki's, I can't think of any other reason for it being."
"Yeah, that's the only logical explanation I can think of— oi." Renji paused. His eyes focused on Katsuko who had her eyes closed, her breaths even as she let herself sleep. She was really sleeping? How'd she get tired so fast? He frowned and poked her in the middle of her brows, surprising her awake. Her dark brown eyes were revealed, innocently staring back at him.
"You're falling asleep." He stated flatly.
Katsuko frowned. Her head shifted enough to place her forehead against the table and then her body straightened itself into a better sitting position, groaning all the while. Katsuko spared Renji an innocent look.
"We're talking about your condition here." Renji reminded her with a quirked eyebrow. "You're not concerned over it?"
"The people I'm training with already made their guesses and came to the same conclusion as you guys." Katsuko replied with a soft little yawn behind her black sleeve. "Nothing new." She said before informing them of how tired she got recently after training a lot. Some times her sleep would carry dreams she barely remembered. When she could recall fragments of the dream, all she could think of was how odd they were. She understood that the short movies in her mind as she slept were some times influenced by events that happened when she was awake. But maybe just one or two dreams were actually about her time with the Vizards. Those she could remember just fine. But the ones involving her friends were always hazy when she woke. The reason why she dreamed about them wasn't evident. Was it perhaps because she missed them?
Renji smirked and leaned closer to Katsuko. "Maybe you just need nap time like a little kid."
Katsuko huffed a laugh. "Maybe. I'm not complaining though. Sleep is wonderful. You forget about everything and just dream."
Chad grabbed another snack. "Or maybe it's all that lack of sleep catching up to you." He said bluntly.
Katsuko replied with another maybe before yawning a little and lowering herself on her side. Chad and Renji watched her make herself comfortable on the floor with her arm under her head while she lied on her side facing Chad. This girl was way too carefree right now. Chad watched her close her eyes and fall asleep again.
But her nap was cut short when Urahara announced that they were all set with the recording and examination. He was going to have to wait for the results now. The doctor permitted her to leave. Much like after a full period of sitting in class, her body stretched out like a cat, her limbs almost akimbo. She also made a pleased sound before she got back up and departed for the warehouse, thanking Renji and Chad for their help with a sleepy smile.
September 23
DAY 27
…
…
…
Katsuko was at school attending classes for once. It was the right choice to take a break. She consulted Shinji and Kensei and explained how she felt. Kensei agreed that it would be best for her to breathe like this instead of having her get distracted because there was only a few times before Rukia consoled her that Kensei noticed some clumsy moves. In exchange, Shinji asked her to buy some bread from the bakery later when she dropped by. Of course. Of course, he would.
Also, she took this as an opportunity to get herself updated. Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Yumichika, Ikkaku and Rukia were attending her school, so it made it easier to get informed. Which is why she was currently sitting in an empty club room before classes began, the one she reserved for secrecy, with everyone sitting around the table. Katsuko was sitting between Yumichika and Rukia when she listened to the small Captain.
She was glad that the Soul Society was trying to concocted a plan to protect her town.
Ikkaku was sitting back in his chair with hands locked behind his neck. "So basically, nothing new. Got it."
Katsuko rested her chin atop her knuckles and puffed out air. "All this war stuff is tiring and stressful." Her remark was the most obvious reality.
"It's not so bad." Yumichika voiced. "I for one am looking forward to a good fight."
Katsuko blinked when he said that. She moved her head to look at the beautiful man. "Really?"
"Of course."
"Katsuko-chan," Rangiku waved at her nonchalantly. "Don't be surprised. Yumichika and Ikkaku are part of Squad 11. Fighting is part of their biology. All members are rough, ill-mannered, crude and fighting maniacs." She said with distaste. Katsuko found this little fact interesting. She didn't know much about the Squads and their… themes?
Meanwhile, Yumichika's eye twitched. "You take that back." Ikkaku didn't seem bothered by it. He had to admit that there were some ugly faces in his squad. He just didn't think it was worth it to argue like his friend.
"What, it's true!"
"Are you blind?!"
Katsuko had an amused smile and pointed towards the man next to her. "He's different though."
Hitsugaya sighed in annoyance. "Aright, enough!" He dismissed their private discussion, and everyone was filing out of the room. Ikkaku, Yumichika and Katsuko were the first ones to leave since they were the closest to the door, but she ended up walking further ahead to head prepare for her the first class of the day. The punctual habits never stop.
As she rounded around a corner, she bumped into someone.
"Oof! Oh, Katsuko, good morning!"
It was Mizuiro. She could see Keigo in the back trying to catch up to him. He must have ditched him when he wasn't looking. Typical Mizuiro.
She was glad to see her friend after a long time. It made her brightened up a little for the day.
"Sorry about that. And good morning." Katsuko chuckled lightly, causing him to shake his head. It was fine. No harm done to both of them. Then he paused. For a second, he observed her with a curious eye, the screen of his phone resting against his chin. Her eyes watched his own as he quietly observed her. What's going on? Why was he looking at her like as if trying to spot a difference? Her mind didn't wonder about it for too long since he straightened up and smiled right away. "You look like your usual self today. That's good."
"My usual self?"
Soon Keigo caught up and didn't stop complaining about Mizuiro leaving him behind, calling him cruel and heartless. But he instantly stopped when he spotted his recent housemates reaching the hallway's halfway. Seeing his female friend in the way of Ikkaku's path, his arm coiled around Katsuko's neck as he brought her closer to whisper something urgently. He needed to warn her of the danger. She was baffled at how fast he got her like this. Now he was dragging her towards the windows to really make sure he was out of earshot.
"Katsuko…! Stay away from that bald guy! Like seriously!"
"Bald guy, huh?" she snickered.
"Why are you laughing? Never mind. Look, he's so freaking scary!"
"How do you know that? Did you fight him?" She gasped and looked at him worriedly. "Was that your boyfriend? Did he hurt you?"
Katsuko knew that Keigo didn't know she was already aware of who was living in his house at the moment. Seriously, when she found out today, she couldn't help but wheeze in that club room.
"What?! No! I like girls! He shrieked, giving her a light swift smack on her head. "Look, It's even worse! He basically held me at gun point—"
"Katsuko."
Keigo, Katsuko and Mizuiro looked behind them and found Jun and Haru approaching them. Haru looked a little worried as he kept following while Jun looked unusually serious. The way he was walking also gave them the impression that something was serious. He barely spoke to Keigo when he asked him to move nicely and then took hold of Katsuko's wrist so that they could speak in a corner nearby. Not somewhere private. He just needed to talk to her now.
Haru stood on the sides with Keigo and Mizuiro who looked confused and slightly concerned about Jun's demeanor.
"What?"
"You seriously have to tell us what's going on with you."
"Going on…? Be more specific?"
"Black clothes. A fucking sword. I've seen you run around in it once."
Katsuko stiffened.
He did? When?
Jun could read the questions on her face. He looked away for a second with a click of his tongue. "You're wearing those black clothes like those new transfer students. I've seen that short guy fight a monster in the soccer field. I saw Rukia kill a monster near my house. You're doing the same thing as them! I've seen you walk home in that garb the day before you dragged Ichigo in that club room."
That day?
Katsuko didn't say a thing. Her eyes just locked with Jun, her brain trying to piece together things while also conjuring up something to say. She had to say something because he wasn't going to just let this go.
They found out.
They found out what she doing.
He didn't see her fight.
But he already knew.
He saw enough.
He's not an idiot.
Haru interjected when she didn't say anything. "You spoke about it once. You were joking though. It was before summer vacation. You said that you were fighting a monster. That means you've been doing it for a few months now, right?"
This was happening so fast and so early.
Wait.
Jun frowned deeply. "We know you haven't been at school. You. Something else is." He paced a hand on his chest. "I can feel it. It's not you. You're not at school!"
"You wouldn't just skip out on school." Haru reminded her. "What are you doing?"
I can't.
Not yet.
"Look," Katsuko sighed heavily. What was the point of denying? They knew. She didn't have one of those memory replacers that Rukia used to carry.
But this is what she wanted.
The secret.
She wanted to tell them her secret.
Just not now…
"I can't tell you. Not yet at least." She made a move to walk away…
Only for Jun to slam his hand next to her head to stop her. And it did. Her eyes widened and she looked a bit scared when she saw his face twist with anger. She felt like a cornered rabbit.
"And when are you going to tell us?! When you're dead?!" He nearly shouted.
Rukia and the others were getting closer to the interrogation. Other students were also starting to pay attention since Jun was raising his voice. To Keigo and Mizuiro, seeing him like this was so unprecedented. They were used to him calmly cracking jokes and being funny. He was always the calmer of the trio.
They weren't used to seeing him like this.
Angry.
It was so rare to see Jun angry. The only times he got angry was during elementary school, the last year before middle school. He wasn't an angry kid. But he could get angry. One time, Haru and this old friend had to restrain him from kicking the other person as he swore that his older brother would also come after his ass if they kept getting him pissed off.
That was the only clear memory she had of him being angry.
So, seeing him like this now…
It made her feel guilty.
Katsuko bit her lip and she looked down. Haru, Keigo and Mizuiro stayed on standby to make sure it didn't go out of hand.
They always looked out for each other.
They would straighten out whoever needed it.
It was only natural that he would worry about her.
Because she would too.
She wanted nothing more than to tell him, to tell everyone the truth.
But…
No.
Not yet.
I just want to protect you so you don't do anything stupid.
I just can't!
"I don't want you associating with them if it'll just put you in danger." Jun spat. "You're going to get yourself killed and I'm not going to sit on my ass and let it happen!"
"I told you I'd tell you! Just not now!"
"You have to stop it now!"
"I can't!"
"Katsuko. What would your mom say? Did you even think about that?" Haru was equally concerned and a bit angry as well, he just didn't show it.
She didn't respond to Haru.
"Whatever you're doing with Ichigo in secret, you seriously have to stop it before it's too late." Haru clapped her shoulder to have her look at him properly.
"Oi, why don't you stop causing a scene already?" Ikkaku decided to step in since their voices were being carried far along the hallway now that students were watching. "She said she'd tell you, isn't that good enough?"
Jun glanced at the hairless man and then glared. "Why don't you mind your business? You're not even from here. You don't know her. You're just a stranger."
Ikkaku narrowed his eyes at the boy.
"Okay, guys, uh," Keigo stepped in nervously. He didn't want another reason to fear Ikkaku. "Let's just calm down, okay?"
Haru squinted his eyes and looked at the brunette. "You're seriously going to pretend you don't see Ichigo and Katsuko put themselves in danger and not saying a damn thing about it?"
They just wanted to protect her, that's all.
Jun turned away from Katsuko and pointed at the group of Soul Reapers watching them. "You're all trouble! Ever since you showed up, dangerous stuff's been going on! Stay the hell away from us!"
Enough.
All of a sudden, Katsuko harshly knocked off his hand from the wall and shrugged off Haru's hand, causing Jun to lose balance for a second. It was enough time for her to grasp the front of his shirt and hold him at arm's length. "You don't know anything." She said sharply. "You think you can just demand of me? Who do you think you are, my father, my warden? You're way out of your depth."
Everyone paused for a second.
"Katsuko, we're worried about you, you know that." Haru insisted. "Is that so hard to understand?!" Maybe finding somewhere more private was a better idea than confronting her right away.
Because now she looked positively glacial.
As if they wronged her.
"And you're both so short sighted. And too normal to understand and rise above it. I don't think granting you the truth will do you any good. It's not like you can do anything if you knew. You're powerless in the face of it." Jun's eyes widened when he was shoved away. Her hand was still in a pushing motion when she held out like she was presenting him something. "Rejoice, you get to keep your privilege of ignorant bliss."
You couldn't miss the arrogance enveloping her tone.
Nor the mocking smirk.
Jun clenched his fists in face of her words. He scowled at her and took step forward to say something. But the way she smiled and tipped her head as if daring him to say something else foolish made him back down.
She would never say that.
It didn't sound like her at all.
Why would she even say something like that?
Jun locked eyes with her one last time.
"Who are you even?"
Fuming, Jun walked off, leaving his friends to watch his back. He needed to leave before he said something harsh.
Meanwhile, Katsuko dropped her head and immediately bolted off the way she came, nearly running into Rukia, Inoue, who came out of the classroom when she heard the commotion, and Hitsugaya when she barely looked where she was going.
How did she ending up messing it up that bad?
Inoue and Rukia exchanged a look before running after her.
Yumichika watched her leave with the two girls following in suit. He then redirected his gaze towards the human boys. Only Mizuiro and Keigo were left behind after Haruki went after Jun. They both turned away from the Soul Reapers and followed after Haruki. Everyone in the hallway was now minding their own business after the spectacle concluded.
"Katsuko-chan doesn't seem like the type of person to be arrogant like that." Yumichika remarked, a thoughtful hand resting under his chin. "Strange."
Ikkaku shrugged and continued walking. He was going to head up to the roof instead of attending his supposed classes. "Pretending to be something you're not can be easier than being truthful."
…
…
…
Rukia and Inoue found Katsuko sitting alone in the same exact place where Ichigo talked with Shinji before. Her knees were pulled up and she buried her face in her arms. Sensing their presence, she looked up and gave them a weak smile.
"Yo… what's up?"
Inoue was the first one to make a move to approach her. She kneeled down next to Katsuko. "Are you okay?"
"Kind of? Maybe? I think?" She replied with a laugh. Rukia came over and crouched down near them. "I don't know. I didn't think I could say that to them. It just… came out."
"It was a bit harsh." Rukia admitted, causing the taller black haired girl to sigh. The petite Soul Reaper observed Katsuko's demeanor. The traces of anger from moments ago completely vanished. Now, she just looked hurt from her own words. "You could have tried saying it differently."
Katsuko sighed and scratched her forehead. "I told you it just came out…" She really didn't know what came over to say that much. All she knew was that she was beginning to feel irritated when he told Ikkaku and the others piss off. The next thing she knew, she was grabbing his shirt and telling him to basically mind his own business and not get involved. She was just going to tell him to stop and not get involved. Instead, all of that came out. Why? Why couldn't she have said that without the extra stuff while sounding so haughty.
"I blew it." Katsuko laughed in a self-deprecating manner. Her hands grasped her elbows tightly and her head dropped to stare at her arms. "I… I didn't mean to say all that… I don't like lying to everyone. I was just trying to protect them."
Inoue's gaze softened. Anyone from their class could tell she was very close with Jun and Haru. Jun's words were the very proof of their bond when he openly worried. Haruki and Jun just wanted to protect her from the things they couldn't understand but knew was dangerous. And she wanted to protect them from the world she was involved in.
"I think it'll be okay."
Katsuko looked up and saw Inoue smiling at her softly.
"You've been friends for a long time, right? You're so close. They were just worried about you." Then she held up a finger with a serious look. "Fights between friends is normal! Some times I fight with Tatsuki-chan, but I always make sure to apologize and make up with her because I always want to be on good terms with my best friend. And in the end, it all works out!" She finished with a bright smile.
But I've never fought with Jun and Haru after elementary school.
Can it be easy as saying sorry like back then?
"You just need to believe in the bond you three have. From what I've seen, it's not something that can easily break."
"Yes." Rukia smiled and held the back of her hand. "I think they'll forgive you if you talk to them and explain how you feel. If you want to tell them the truth, then it's your choice. No one will stop you from doing what you think is right."
Communication was always important.
... Post-war might be too far… she could tell them before the war starts.
She should tell them when she found a good time.
She would tell them everything that happened.
She needed to tell them and fix this.
Her friendship was too important.
It was part of her happy illusion.
September 24
DAY 28
WEEKEND
…
…
…
Ichigo spotted Katsuko sitting back against a rock and her head was tilted back to look at the sky, the fake ceiling. She wasn't napping this time. He tilted his head when he saw the forlorn look on her face. What was wrong with her this time? He looked back behind him and saw Hiyori barking something at Shinji. He didn't care for what though. His steps were almost soundless as he approached his friend, but she heard him coming and looked at him.
She smiled a little and waved. "Hey. On a break?"
"Yeah." He came closer and took the spot next to her on the floor. "You?"
Katsuko nodded. Kensei had to call for the break because he could tell the fight between her and Haru and Jun was on her mind. She admitted that she had a fight and just cracked a joke about having her head in the clouds for trying to formulate a master plan on how to make up with them. Black comedy didn't work this time. Kensei just told her to stop grinning and joking about it when she's hurting. Apparently, knowing how she felt and seeing her put on a mask just made it hard to watch. If she just kept her mouth shut and lied, he wouldn't have known.
"Did something happen recently?" Ichigo decided to ask when he noticed how her tone sounded off.
"Yeah. I had a fight with Jun and Haru at school. I beat them up with a stick. No, I'm kidding. Don't look at me like that."
She played with her fingers and gave him the summary of the conflict.
And after hearing how she felt about it, he sympathized with her.
"Can't really blame you for trying to not get them involved. I do it too."
Katsuko scoffed. "Yeah, I know. Karin told me."
Ichigo deadpanned at how casually she dropped that. Just as he was about to ask, Katsuko assured him that Karin didn't delve deeper into the subject when Katsuko asked if she wanted to. He decided to brush that off for now and continue. "But yeah, with Karin knowing and stuff, I feel like I should tell them one day too. Maybe after the war is over and when everyone is safe." Hiding it from people who were worried and leaving them in the dark didn't seem fair.
They just didn't want them to get involved in dangerous things.
"You guys will be fine. Don't worry about it." Ichigo waved his hands dismissively like it was no big deal. "Jun and Haru are protective of you. And unless I'm blind and deaf, I'm pretty sure they said all that because they care about you. Remember when they tried stopping you from being friends with me?"
Katsuko smiled a little at that. "They thought you were super dangerous and basically a hazard to be around." Ichigo remembered the way they showed up at his table during lunch after he and Katsuko made the decision to eat lunch in different places when those jerks started bothering her and her friends. She turned to Ichigo and grinned. "You remember when I was just there standing with my juice box and I slurped so loudly? After you were busy kicking butt, Jun and Haru took me away and was like 'Ichigo bad, Katsuko no'."
Ichigo put up a knee and propped his arm on it as he smirked. "And then those chuckleheads happily stuck around." There was a pregnant pause after their chuckles faded. And the first to break the silence was Ichigo. "Just say sorry and talk to them. I know you like to worry but you don't really need to for this. And whether or not you want to fight is your choice, not theirs."
Jun and Haru were going to have to understand that.
He knew that they saw her as family basically. It was only natural that they worried about each other.
But they needed to trust in what she was doing.
She wasn't as weak as she appeared to be to them.
Katsuko huddled her knees close to her chest, and then she took a deep breath while she clasped her knees and placed her chin between them. Absolute silence enveloped her, but her sad pouting and staring at the floor spoke volumes of her mood. Ichigo was staring at her from the corner of his eye. He didn't like it. She looked better looking cheeky while giving witty remarks. "Or you can wait until November like a pussy and apologize on your birthdays."
Katsuko snapped her head towards him. "Come on, I'm not that cowardly! I'll do it on Monday when I see them." She grumbled near the end. Her face still looked a little sad, less than before at least. She making an effort to hide it after realizing that Ichigo caught on earlier. But also because she was annoyed by his comment. She paused when she heard a chuckle come from him. When she looked at him and saw the expression on his face, she realized what he did. He purposely teased her. Her mouth pursed and she narrowed her eyes.
"I told you already, you look weird when you're being mopey. I don't like it." Ichigo reminded her. "Everything's going to be fine." She really had nothing to worry about. The subject just needed some thorough explaining to do.
Her bottom lip jutted out to blow her bangs away from her eye and her hand tucked a lock behind her ear.
"I hope so."
Soon, they heard Kensei calling her name and he was waving her over with his Zanpakuto in his other hand. Katsuko didn't dally. At least now her mind felt a bit less distracted after having some reassurance. Time to temporarily shelf her dilemma and concentrate. Ichigo followed in suit and walked with her since he was eager to jump right back into training as well.
"By the way, I'm going to the Soul Society with Rukia tomorrow since she thought it'd be a nice change of pace. I already told Shinji and Kensei. I figured I should hurry and tell you since…" she trailed off, slowly looking down at the ground. She was making good progress anyway. If that wasn't the case, she wouldn't have agreed to go.
"Since what?" Ichigo looked at her.
She furrowed her brows and stared at him in confusion.
"Since you'll sulk and throw a tantrum if I'm not there throwing remarks every time Hiyori kicks you in the face? Duh."
"You know what, how about we switch?" Ichigo deadpanned.
"Why?" She smirked. No way was she gonna switch with him. She preferred the military man.
"So you both can both duke it out at the same height. Then I'll get to laugh at you getting smacked around."
"I am not short! You're just a frigging tree!" She unsheathed her blade. "How about I cut off some centimeters, huh?!"
Ichigo quickly deflected her blade with his own. "Hey! Watch it! How the hell did this turn into a fight?!" He grabbed her wrist and stopped her when he saw her make a move that he thought was suspiciously dangerous. Now he understood why every time Haru feared her the moment she picked up some scissors to play around with. The innocent ignorance while invoking a fright amused her.
"Pfft. Oh please, I wasn't going to hit you." She pretended to move to swing, causing him to holder her wrist tighter. "Haha."
"Say that to me again when your sword wasn't aiming for my shoulder!" He shrieked.
"Katsuko!"
Immediately, she stopped and looked directly at Kensei. Ichigo deadpanned at the way she seemed like a puppy with how quick she responded. Shinji's comments about how she looked like a puppy when it came to Kensei suddenly made sense.
"Goody-two-shoes."
"Shut up, carrot."
That day, she retired home early. Her mood was better after talking with Ichigo and training with Kensei. She just hoped she didn't have to feel bad again any time soon.
She hopped into her room via window and easily made herself comfortable in house clothes she thought was comfier. The jeans and hoodie at home? What. Take it all off! Why couldn't Aiza throw on some loose t-shirt and stretchy loose pants that were appropriate for resting?
Already, she could smell something sweet flooding her sense of smell…
Without even bothering to put Aiza in her plushy form, she dropped everything on her bed and scampered to the kitchen. In there she found her mom opening the oven and pulling out something. Katsuko's eyes seem to shine bright when she anticipated what could be inside.
They got even brighter when she saw what it was.
"Muffins!" Katsuko dramatically dropped on her knees.
Nozoko flatly stared at her daughter who was exaggerating her joy. She made a sound that indicated that Katsuko was being ridiculous before turning back to the muffins. "Get off the floor, I didn't dust it yet."
"You made muffins." Eagerly, Katsuko stood up and brushed off her hands and knees before going around her mom to peek into the over under the stove. "How come?"
Nozoko poked a knife into one of them to test whether or not they were ready. "I saw the cake mix up on the shelf and thought why not? Might as well use it before it expires." The knife was spotless. That meant it was alright to bring them out.
"Can I bring them out?"
"Okay, go ahead." Nozoko moved away from the oven picked up the oven gloves for her. Soon a tray of white muffins that tasted vanilla was set on the counter. The first three muffins they tried excavating ended up going through a disaster and couldn't be mended. Katsuko ended up just picking them off the tray and munching on it while her mother carefully pulled them out.
"How is it?"
Katsuko held up a small piece for her mom, grinning. "It's good. Try it."
The little joys of everyday life. The things that were nice, but were so common place that people stopped paying attention after a while. The things that Katsuko seemed to realize was much more important the more she stayed involved in affairs of the after life.
Even when her father came out of the bathroom and checked out was happening in the kitchen and take a bite when she offered one, it was a little joy. Even though her family was cracked but still together under the same roof, it was still her family.
And she wanted to protect this joy no matter what.
Because that's her selfishness.
If things were even more dire, she was willing to protect those who mattered to her… and turn a blind eye to the rest. But her moral compass was strong and she cared a lot about it. She would still fight to protect the entire town because it was the correct thing to do.
And with the power she possessed, it was almost scary to be self aware of her own selfishness.
September 25
DAY 29
WEEKEND
…
…
…
Katsuko didn't think she'd have a calm trip through the Dangai. Every time she thought of it, she'd only recall screaming and running like her life depended on it… because it did, so walking calmly had her on edge the whole time. Rukia had to talk some sense into her since she was getting all paranoid any second that she thought she saw the walls shift. When Rukia pointed out the other end, Katsuko straight up ran to the other side, leaving the two girls behind to watch her paranoia run wild.
Rukia sighed and kept her pace. "She really needs to calm down."
Inoue only laughed nervously.
…
…
…
About three hours ago, Ukitake greeted them at the gate. He had time to see Rukia come in with a new friend. He was definitely surprised to see Katsuko bolting out of the Dangai with a cautious expression that turned into surprise when she saw him and slammed on the breaks to avoid running into him. He still had to steady her since she stumbled a bit. He was aware that Katsuko was joining Inoue and Rukia since she asked him for permission ahead of time. He was more than happy to allow her through as well.
Now, Katsuko was taking a turn training with Inoue. When Rukia explained that they were working on strengthening Inoue's shields and mobility, she figured she could assist in building Inoue's reflexes to defend. It was a good idea. Rukia stayed on standby and gave feedback whenever she noticed something. It was always good to have another pair of eyes seeing something they couldn't.
The busty teen, clad in her casual clothes, got ready and watched Katsuko hold up her blade for wind. They'd been at it for a while so she could feel some exhaustion piling up. When she was too late, Katsuko would obviously stop her blade right in front of Inoue, too close for comfort, and advised her to be a little quicker.
Katsuko breathed sharply and swung her blade diagonally upwards towards her, quickly enveloping it in a coat of wind. Then she darted forward.
Inoue chanted and hastily put up her shield.
Katsuko aggressively swung her windless blade.
The blade made the shield and created a loud sound.
And then she swung the one with power, creating a noticeable friction.
The wind blade swirled powerfully as it continued pressing against the shield.
The shield resisted and stayed strong.
Katsuko swiveled around the shield and thrusted her sword. Inoue gasped when the tip of her sword stopped an inch away from her shoulder. Silence fell upon them. Katsuko stared at her quietly. Then she grinned as if playing innocent and made her wind vanish. "Always anticipate that they will still try to attack you from another side after you block them." It was better to always be ready for another attack than to assume that the shield was enough.
"Okay." Inoue nodded and put down her shield. Her body heaved out a sigh and she wiped her forehead with a smile. "Thank you for giving tips, Hiragi-san. I appreciate it."
Katsuko caught Rukia approaching them from the corner of her eye. Maybe now would be a good break for Inoue. She wasn't physically strong so it was probably easier for her to get tired from moving around so much. "It's no problem." Katsuko waved her hand dismissively and reverted her sword back to its sealed state.
"You're doing great, Inoue." Rukia said with a confident smile when she became within clear earshot.
"It's all thanks to you two that I'm getting good practice."
"You deserve to get stronger just like everyone else if you want to fight." Rukia held her arm. "And we're friends, so that's not a problem for us."
Katsuko pursed her lips and looked away. "Yeah, it's kinda fun. Maybe, if Rukia lets me, I can get a little evil and make you work harder."
Inoue sweat dropped at the evil grin on Katsuko's face. She was afraid that Katsuko might actually do it. She just didn't know that Katsuko kind of wanted to give her a taste of the hell she went through while training with the Vizards. This made Rukia turn her head and give her a pointed look before bonking her head.
"Don't be unreasonable!"
"It was a joke. Haha." Katsuko pretended to cower away from the little Soul Reaper when Rukia stepped closer. When Rukia could feel the playful air surrounding the teen, she sighed and dropped her arm, giving Katsuko a half dubious look before turning back to Inoue.
The healer started walking to the place where Rukia was once sitting. "I think I'll sit down for a bit to catch my breath. You guys can train too if you want." After being so productive, she felt like she deserved a good break. But before anyone could answer, Inoue suddenly exclaimed Katsuko's last name while looking away from her, confusing them. They just didn't notice a head of brown approaching them with a small box wrapped in a pink cloth. It took a second for Inoue too quickly rectify her mistake when she remembered who that was.
"Ah, Naogoma-san. Sorry."
Chisaki simple smiled at the young girl. "It's alright." She turned her attention to Rukia and Katsuko who were joining Inoue with haste. Rukia wanted to politely greet her while the Katsuko just wanted to see her. "I heard that you brought another friend, Kuchiki-san."
"Yes." Rukia nodded, suddenly slipping into a noble standing, respectfully speaking to another noble. Even though Rukia's house was clearly more reputable, Chisaki's house was still a respected high-ranking one.
Chisaki looked around when she just saw the three girls around. "That's odd. I thought someone else was here…"
Rukia blinked. She also turned to look around the training ground of her own division. "No, I don't think so. We were the only ones who came to the training grounds."
"Unless someone was spying on use… like those two Third Seats…" Katsuko muttered under her breath. They left quite the impression on her when they welcomed her as Rukia's friend.
"Is that so? I guess I just imagined it." Chisaki held out the pink cloth towards Katsuko. It took a second for her to understand she was handing it to her. As Katsuko unwrapped the box, Rukia and Inoue came around to peer inside. Once she lifted the lid, she found six pieces of white Daifuku sitting inside.
Mouth already salivating.
"Oh! Daifuku!" Inoue exclaimed. The reason for this sudden excitement was because of the red bean paste inside, her favourite food. Anything with it was already a good time waiting to happen. Inoue beamed a giddy smile. "Thank you!"
"I made them this morning." Chisaki said. "I wanted to share something nice ever since your Captain said you were bringing a friend over." She explained while motioning her hand to Inoue.
Rukia was taken back by Chisaki's kindness. "You really didn't have to!"
"That's surprisingly nice." Katsuko blurted out. This made Chisaki stop and stare at Katsuko as if she had just offended her. The black haired teen couldn't help but smile at that look.
"And just what do you mean by that? Hm?"
"Just that I wasn't expecting you to go out of your way. That's all."
"Shall I take back two?"
"Nope. Thanks for the food."
Without even waiting to sit down, Katsuko balanced the box's lid on her and dipped her hand inside to snatch a Daifuku eagerly. She was actually craving for a snack just now. Seeing this, Inoue also went ahead to help herself. The two girls looked at each other and then smiled as they saw each other just munching, amused by how they both eagerly ate their snacks. Rukia and Chisaki let out soft laughs together.
"It's delicious!" Inoue's eyes shone with delight. "You really made this, Naogoma-san?"
Chisaki giggled at the enthusiasm radiating off of Inoue. She was glad she could make someone smile just from something so simple.
Rukia snatched the box away from Katsuko when she saw her hand reaching for a second after she stuck her current Daifuku in her mouth to hold it.
"Hold on! Don't eat it so fast! We should get some tea with it!"
"'here's thwoo foo evuywone."
Rukia pushed the Daifuku into her mouth. "And finish your food if you start talking."
"Mmmpff!"
Katsuko took two steps away from her and chewed with a childish grumpy look.
Rukia turned back to the fellow noble and bowed respectfully. "Thank you very much, Naogoma-san. I appreciate this."
"You're welcome." Chisaki began walking backwards and started waving at them. "Anyway, that's all. I just wanted to drop this off. I have to get back before my Lieutenant loses his mind from the overload of work."
That's right. It completely slipped her mind that Hisagi was a Lieutenant. If Renji said the positions were still vacant, then the poor man was probably balancing Captain and Lieutenant duties on his shoulders for a while now. Katsuko couldn't help but wish him her sympathies.
"So," Rukia looked at the two human girls when Chisaki turned her back. "When should we eat this, after or—"
"Now." Katsuko scoffed, saying it as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.
Inoue, who was still munching on her Daifuku with a delighted face, nodded. A piece stuck next to her mouth when she moved the treat away. "Kuchiki-san, you really have to try them. They're delicious!" Inoue said seriously, holding out her half eaten Daifuku as an example. Rukia leaned back, taken back by how serious she was being about a simple snack. Katsuko positioned herself behind Inoue and proceeded to nod with deadpan expression, making the scene look rather comical.
Rukia couldn't help but smile in amusement at the two.
She sighed in defeat.
"Alright. Let's have some tea prepared though."
Katsuko smirked victoriously and snatched the box back from Rukia before jogging away from them and towards Squad 13's barracks.
This is it.
This what I was missing.
A sunny day
A gentle breeze on her skin.
A tasty snack with friends.
Yeah. This is what she needed after having her head stuck in training for a whole month. She needed more of these little joys.
This is the kind of reprieve I needed.
No one could see Katsuko smile happily as she ran off with the box of Daifuku.
The skies were painted in orange soon to be pink and purple when Katsuko arrived back home with Inoue and Rukia. They all went different ways since their homes were in different directions.
She was leaping on top of buildings, humming a catchy tune.
You know, I never thought I'd enjoying hopping around the town like this…
The view was great.
The breeze was pleasant on this side as well.
On the bridge that stretched across the town, she landed on top of one of the beams supporting the structure and looked below. The height gave more access to the breeze to blow against her. It felt great. It must be because she was surrounded in her element.
Katsuko hopped off with a light step and landed on the rail. With another hop, she landed on the sidewalk part of the bridge and then rested her arms against the rail. Below, she could see her reflection. Almost as if witnessing reflections for the first time, she put out her hand and wiggled her fingers a bit to see the reflection.
Just then, two leaves fell upon the water and created a gentle ripple.
A yellowish leaf and a perfectly green leaf.
Yeah. It's almost October…
The instead of floating on the surface, the green leaf just sank into the water.
That left the yellow withered looking leaf to float above.
Her eyes trailed the path of the water in front of her and then captured the reflection of the clouds. The view was pretty. Her gaze then trailed away from the water to the ground next to where three people stood below the small hill of grass. Her eyes widened. Her body straightened up so fast and she took two steps to the side as if it would bring her closer to what she saw.
It was Jun with his older and young brother, Junya and Jin. They were walking their dog together. Jun was talking with Junya. Junya was the one holding the leash while Jin carried a plastic bag. They must have gone somewhere and bought something together.
The words she said to him were still fresh in her mind.
And she wanted nothing more than to apologize and explain herself. It was a desperate hope and wish.
Why wait?
Why not just do it now instead of making excuses?
Don't be a coward.
Just go talk to him.
He can see you anyway.
She jumped on top of the railing and walked in the air with haste to move closer to him.
I want to talk to you!
"JUN!"
The boy froze when he heard her voice. Then he could sense her. He paused mid sentence and turned around to find her standing in the sky. Jun was shocked at what he was seeing. He knew she was doing what was supposed to be impossible, but seeing it in person with no attempt to hide it just gave him another shock.
Katsuko waved at him awkwardly.
"I want to tell you everything."
Jun blinked dumbly. "You…"
Junya and Jin gave each other questioning looks when Jun just stared at nothing in the sky. They were wondering if their brother was alright. They wondered even more when he suddenly panicked and called the name of his best friend, his voice filled with alarm.
Katsuko gasped sharply when she felt a presence behind her. Quickly, she spun around with a hand on her hilt. But a hand shot towards her and coiled around her throat, cutting off any clear words she tried to speak. Dread filled her being when she saw a black backdrop further past the individual who grabbed her.
Dull dark green eyes stared back into panicked dark brown ones.
Ulquiorra dragged her straight into the Garganta.
And Jun could only watch in horror when it closed right in front of him.
There we go. Now, more secrets are going to be revealed in future chapters. How did Ulquiorra snatch Katsuko without anyone noticing? For the same reason no one sensed him appearing at night when he snatched up Inoue.
The plan was to actually have all of this in two chapters. But I thought, why? Just cram it all together and be done with it.
Also, Bleach coming back very soon... Damn, I really planned on being at least at the Fullbring Arc before it came back. But lack of inspiration and life itself just said nope.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you have a nice day/night.