The Fractured Timeline

Chapter One

A Ghost Returns

The rooftop's tiled flooring felt warm against my back, peach-creamed face bathed in the dazzling sun overhead.

'Time sure flies.' I mused, arms pillowed beneath my head and a leg crossed over my raised knee. Somehow, I fought through my chronic laziness these past thirteen years and trained my ass off, gaining the power to rival maybe a young Kiryu with like 5% of his strength. (I wouldn't dare compare myself to a full-strength Kiryu. Man would decimate me with ease) but my other flaws remained. I was shy, though many wouldn't think it since I hid it behind a moody façade.

If this was an RPG, I basically dumped all of my stats into stamina, used that inexhaustible stamina to train tirelessly, and interacted with next to no one. I could count on one hand the number of kids I spoke to daily, two of those being the Kurosaki twins and I barely even chatted to them. Well, I treated Karin like "one of the lads" back then but ever since puberty hit I began to see her as a woman.

Thirteen-year-old Karin and Yuzu were something else.

Speaking of which I wonder when canon would start up. It felt like it was two to three years behind schedule. Oh, well. Not like it was any of my business. I was just a side character in this strange crossover world of two of my favorite franchises and I was just fine with that.

A small audible creak drew my attention to the rooftop's door, and two familiar lovely chestnut-brown eyes of unsullied purity appeared in the small crack she created.

"Um." Yuzu, sweet innocent Yuzu; just the sound of her adorable voice left gooseflesh on my skin. "Wei-kun, can I come in?"

Bewilderment must've shone on my face because she shuffled nervously in place behind her protective barrier, "O-Oh, yeah, of course." I leaned up, decorating my lips with my nicest smile. "It's a free rooftop."

She beamed, walking into view on white indoor shoes with red tips, "Thank you!" Kurosaki Yuzu, what an angel. I could see why child me liked her so much watching Bleach in the mid-2000s. She radiated purity and cute beauty, transforming into a goddess in my eyes at 13, with shapely, lovely peach-cream legs partly covered by her ankle socks and the short dark-blue skirt of her sailor fuku. They flowed neatly into a curvy waist I wanted to wrap my arms around and a developing chest surprisingly enough, concealed by her cloud-white long-sleeved cardigan contrasted by her dim blue collar and red tie.

She still maintained a picture of innocence styling her shoulder-length dark-blond hair in pigtails.

All in all, she was absolutely stunning. I gulped when I realized I was staring and averted my gaze aside, taking deep breaths, indistinct breaths in an attempt to try and calm my frantic heart rate.

'Calm down, g,' I mused, 'You know she's out of your league.' A brainy, sexy girl like her deserved an equally intelligent chad, like one of the top flaggers on the mid-terms, not some dumb delinquent like me who just wanted to get into fights with random scrubs to feel special.

I felt Yuzu shuffle down beside me and caught a glimpse of her radiant legs tucked beneath her bubbly ass out of the corner of my eye. A lump formed in my throat I did well to swallow, 'Say something, dumbass.' My brain berated me Homer Simpson-style. I've always historically been bad with girls. One time in college a fine year/grade 10 girl came over some internship kinda thing and I rambled, talking about anything and nothing all at once like Speedy Gonzales with one last minute to speak with his family before jetting off on a death mission.

I made such a fool out of myself that I didn't try chatting to her again.

And just being reborn doesn't fundamentally change who I was at the core of my being.

'C'mon, Wei. Didn't you vow to yourself that you would try, at least?'

I did. That was why I used my newfound energy and athleticism to train like crazy, pumping power I never dreamed of having in my previous life.

What did those years of training mean if I couldn't utter a word to my crush?

I breathed, and, with cheeks flaring red, turned to Yuzu.

"Listen/Um!"

Pause.

We spoke at the same time bizarrely enough.

Guess she was as shy as I was. Go figure.

I smiled, "You go first."

She smiled back, shifting her hands balled on her lap I struggled to keep my eyes peeled away from. "So, um." She took a breath. I resisted the urge to smirk. Maybe we weren't so different after all. "It's about yesterday."

The optimism I built abated in an instance, "Oh, that." I winced. Reuniting for the first time since summer break on our first day at Junior high, Yuzu asked me how she looked in her brand-new sailor fuku, and like the tranced lovestruck fool I was I blurted out she looked sexy like one of the Wayne brothers complimenting his female friend undercover in White Chicks. "Sorry, it, just." I grimaced. "Kinda slipped out."

She probably thought I was a horny creep now.

To my pleasant surprise, she offered me a gentle shake of the head, a smile warming like she knew what I was thinking. "You have it all wrong, Wei-kun." She murmured, unclenching a hand and reaching across to blanket mine. "It made me really happy."

I looked at her in awe. "Yuzu…" I struggled to find the words to describe the overflowing euphoria threatening to erupt through me. "So, then." Did I really have a chance here? I wanted to say, though my nerves got the better of me.

A nod. "I've wanted you to see me as a woman for so long now." The cutest blush colored her glowing cheeks. "The boy I've liked for as long as I can remember called me sexy. Can't I not be happy?" Wow, she was laying out her feelings in a full 1080p display, leaving no room for doubt. Even someone as negative as I couldn't assume she was only being nice.

I could only stare in wonder.

"So," She cupped my hand and raised them between us, looking hopefully into my eyes, "Can we, um?"

A smile curtained the astonishment threatening to blind my face. "Be boyfriend and girlfriend?" She adorably bulked and glanced down before nodding, drawing a warm chuckle from me. "I would like that."

Her expression froze for a brief second preceding her shoulders sagging and her head lowering.

"Y-Yuzu?"

"Thank goodness," She breathed in relief. "I was so nervous." She gazed back up at my concerned expression with a face radiating joy. "Wei-kun…" She cooed, squeezing my hands. "You've made me the happiest girl in all of Tokyo."

I stared, hypnotized by her lovely gaze filled with so much warmth, "Yuzu…" I murmured. I looked down lest I risk being blinded by her light. "You've liked me for a while, huh?"

I saw her chin rising up and down from the upper tips of my eyes. "Ever since I can remember." She answered softly, wrapping her soft hand around mine; mine, rough and calloused from years of intense training and hers, smooth and lovely like a newborn. "Your determination, your strength, and most of all, your kindness." A gentle smile caressed her face. "I just wish you could see yourself the same way I do."

I smiled, though it barely reached my eyes, "I'll try."

"Please do, Wei-kun." Yuzu squeezed my hands, "You mean a lot to me." A blush painted her cheeks a rosy red. "It hurts when I hear you beating yourself up."

There was always an underlying message in someone's self-deprecating humor, that the speaker didn't think very highly of themselves for one reason or another. Yuzu had clocked this because she was a perceptive girl.

I smiled affectionately at our conjoined hands, appreciating the moment before asking, "You busy, Yuzu?"

"I don't think so," She wandered. "How come?"

"Good enough." I stood, helping her to her feet. "Let's go hang out in Kamurocho."

Her entire face flashed red, "You mean like a date?"

"Yeah." I clarified, caressing the side of my neck self-consciously, "I know a tasty dessert joint I think you might like If you're up for it."

The smile returned, "I would like that."

My heart fluttered, "Right, sweet. Let's go." I said with a breathless exhale. She giggled behind her free hand, not letting go of mine as we made our way off the roof and down the stairwell leading to the fourth floor of our Junior High school.

"About time you two hooked up." A devilish tease spooked us from behind coming off of the last step.

"Karin-chan!" We spun as one, faces beet red, and found her unidentical twin sister leaning coolly up against the wall, long raven hair pulled back into her post-timeskip canon ponytail.

"Look at you two, perfectly in sync already," She smirked and the acknowledgment that we had turned at precisely the same time only increased our self-awareness. We averted our gazes for a hot minute.

"Whaddya mean about time?" I asked, swift subject change like a u-turn on the M6.

"Oh, please." She obliged. "The whole school practically knew you two had the hots for each other."

"Huh?" I made a confused face, though Yuzu blushed harder. "Since when?"

Karin looked at me like I was stupid, "Since you made it obvious you liked each other. Duh."

I waved a hand in dismissal, "C'mon. We weren't that obvious."

A pointed look. "Really? You weren't that obvious?"

My collar grew warmer, "…Well, maybe just a little."

"So, Yuzu bringing you stuff every day and you being super nervous around her isn't super obvious?"

I held a finger and opened my mouth, though my brain had nothing even as Karin shrugged.

"Well, anyway," I deflected, tugging Yuzu's hand who was completely red-faced by her sister's assertions, "We better get going, while the day's still young."

"Uh-huh." Yuzu squeaked in a small voice.

"Thought so." I did my best to ignore the smug smirk I could hear in Karin's voice and power-walked away to the shoe lockers with Yuzu. Karin wasn't letting us off easy, though, keeping pace and grilling us again. "So, where're the lovebirds off to on their first date?" She asked, following us down two flights of stairs.

'God. She just doesn't shut the fuck up.' I didn't verbalize my frustration aloud, but I wore it all across my surlier expression. Karin could always read me like a book.

"We're going to Kamurocho," Yuzu answered brightly.

"Taking Yuzu to your favorite place already, huh?" Karin elbowed me.

I scowled harder, widening Karin's smirk. "How'd you know Kamurocho's my." Karin's finest deadpanned expression stopped my question in its tracks. "Oh, wait. Right, that's obvious."

"Just that?"

"Shaddup."

The girls laughed, warming my surly expression. We reached the shoe lockers, prompting Yuzu and I to separate hands and retrieve our outdoor footwear from their safe places.

"I like your shoes, Wei-kun." My princess complimented my white Air Jordans with red trim, sitting beside me on the elevated step. "They suit you."

"Thanks." I said, smiling lightly, "Your hair has always suited you, too." She beamed and leaned into me.

Tucking on our outdoor shoes, we put away indoor ones and headed to the front door, and being the gentleman Chad that I most certainly wasn't pretending I was, held the door open for my princess, and the glowing appreciative smile I received from her warmed my soul.

"Thank you, Wei-kun."

"You're welcome." I walked after Karin and took ahold of her sister's hand, walking atop cloud nine on the mostly deserted front yard of our Junior High, since I stayed ten minutes past the day's end staring up at the sky and listening to tunes from the comfort of my Walkman from atop the rooftop like some generic anime lead.

Oof.

And I said I was content being a side character.

Nah. My motherfucking dumbass had main-character syndrome plastered all over me.

Yuzu was an absolute angel and an absolute treasure any man would love to have. She was pretty, and shy, but determined all the same, pushing through her nerves to tell the boy she liked for so long how she felt. To top it all, girl could cook, inheriting her mother's role as housekeeper of her household. Traditional housewives like ChiChi (just without - you know - the obvious tsun-bitchiness and all of the dere-sweetness) were where it was at. A competent stay-at-home mom keeps her children off processed junk food with good, nutritious home-cooked meals, and in return keeps them from becoming fat.

If all girls were schooled on proper portion sizes and cooking techniques like in the old days, obesity rates would drop drastically in the UK and US.

There was also the very important fact that keeping your children home with your baby mama – the love of your life and the person you trust most in the world – was significantly safer than leaving them with a stranger and even a friend and relative. Plenty of poor children have been traumatized by family friends and relatives, leading them down a path of self-destruction if left untreated; be that becoming attracted to abusers or binge-eating into bedridden super-morbid obesity.

A loyal, trusted housewife prevents that.

"It's so cool how you know three languages, Wei-kun." Yuzu gushed when the topic of conversation shifted to my Walkman and most of the foreign tunes I tended to listen to. "I know it's weird because English is a subject I do well in but I still can't understand it." She looked sheepish admitting that.

"That's understandable." I comforted, "I mean, you're not learning anything from people who don't know the language themselves."

"You have a point." She hid a tiny laugh behind her free hand.

"Sure I do," I said, drawing shapes in the air, "Think of it this way, you wouldn't take fitness advice from some fat brudda or financial advice from someone dead broke and in debt. Course not if their methods actually worked neither of them would be fat and broke." I shrugged. "Same concept applies. Most kids leave school not knowing a lick of English despite spending six years studying the language because the people teaching them don't know it themselves."

She bounced, "Oh, I didn't think of it like that. That makes so much sense!" She beamed, "You're really smart, Wei-kun."

I grinned softly, "Not as smart as you, princess." She brightened and leaned back into me. An elderly gentleman sprinting with the last ounce of speed his aging body crippled with arthritis toward a bus close to taking off across the street paused our conversation. "Hold that thought a sec, babe." She blushed, but I bared it no mind. "Man's gotta help that guy."

I released Yuzu's hand and accelerated forward with all the speed of a top-tier electric bike in 2024, skipping off vehicles on the way to the other side before easily passing the elderly man and getting my foot on the vehicle's platform just as the last passenger boarded, "Just a minute, driver. That man wants to hop on." He exhaled, nodding in acknowledgment.

I turned my head toward the elder, smiling. He grinned in gratitude and resumed a slow walking speed, bowing slightly in appreciation upon reaching me. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," I said, stepping off the platform when he got on. He flashed the driver his senior bus pass and waved back at me through the closing door. Bidding him farewell, I ambled back to my beaming girlfriend. 'Good deed done for the day.'

"That was really kind of you, Wei-kun." She said, warmly wrapping her hands around mine.

I rubbed a finger underneath my nostrils, "People help others. It's what we do."

"It's not what I would do," Karin smirked, reminding us of her presence.

"Lies!" I insisted, "Anyone would if they could."

"Key word is 'could'." I goggled, earning a trademark deadpan from my potential future sister-in-law. (Unless Yuzu leaves me – possible, considering she was amazing and I sucked – I was definitely putting a ring on her finger. There was no one else in the world I wanted to be with, Shirosaki Saori included) "You really think anyone could jet across the road at Mach 5 like you to stop a bus for a grandpa?"

I looked at Yuzu, blank hope shining in my gaze. She stiffened, averting her eyes.

"I mean, I would try," She tried and even that felt like a dagger. "But I don't think I could make it in time." She smiled. "Wei-kun's too kind."

"Regular goody-two-shoes this one." This bitch, I swear.

"What?" I said, offended. "Me? Goody-two-shoes? Hell no!"

"Oh, really. You're not a white knight?" Karin's smirk widened. She knew she had me on the ropes, I knew she had me on the ropes, and I absolutely despised it. Ugh. Only Karin could bully me like this. "Forgetting the time you ran to our rescue in all dressed like a hero when we were kids?"

I scowled, "I was fat at the time." I replied, like that really excused me running to the aid of two little girls being bullied by a group of older kids.

"And that makes you less of a good Samaritan how?" She let me know as much.

"We're not talking about this," I was stomping my authority or trying to, at least. "Let's roll, Yuzu."

"Okay," She was trying (and evidently failing) not to crack up, stifling her adorable giggles behind her hand.

"Oh, we definitely are. I still have many more examples of your good deeds, 'hero'. Like the time you ran to the teacher's aid in grade-."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" I demanded, plugging up my ears even with the one I held Yuzu's hand with.

"Karin-chan, stop teasing Wei-kun!"

"Why? It's fun."

Bitch.

A jeering commotion caught my ears. I could honestly say at this point that any such distraction from this shit was a blessing sent from the heavens.

"C'mon! A little higher!"

"Don't give up now!"

"You do want your bag back, don't you?"

Although the situation in question was anything but a blessing for the unfortunate victim. And he wouldn't be a victim for long if I had anything to say about it. "…The fuck?" I muttered, scowl darkening ever so slightly.

"What is it, Wei-kun?" Yuzu blinked. I gestured to the scene unfolding in a back alley we had approached, showing a trio of dickheads that looked like they belonged in high school picking on a grade-schooler, tossing his bag between them as the poor little guy desperately jumped to snatch it back. "How awful! How could they do such a mean thing?"

"Dunno. Don't care." I said, releasing her hand once more. "But it stops right now." I power-walked straight toward the cowardly douchebags with intent, hearing the playful smirk playing across Karin's jeer.

"Go get 'em… hero."

I flipped her the bird without looking.

The tallest douchebag standing at a grand height of five foot eight (which wasn't very tall by UK and US standards, but you know, this was Japan) grabbed ahold of the bag and glanced at me dismissively, "What do you want, kid? Can't you see we're busy?"

"You're gonna be busy getting your asses stomped if you don't cut this shit out, big man." I quipped, ice-cold like Mario Balotelli taking a penalty.

They turned and looked at me with expressions of annoyance and amusement.

"By who? You" They laughed.

"You said it, not me." A confident smirk curled my lips.

"Better wipe that smirk off your face if you know what's good for you." Alexa, insert the "Oh, sowwy, shiver my timbers" meme from social media. That retort had all the impact of a little cub growling at a lion. I expected nothing less from a couple of pussies that had to gang up on a little kid to feel tough.

"Try me, then," I replied simply.

They gesticulated threateningly, "Well, alright then. Looks like we got ourselves a hero, boys."

"We don't take kindly to kids playing hero," He tossed the kid's backpack aside, parroting my words with a snide tone. "Big man!" He threw the first punch as the largest dog and his buddies followed suit. I held up a hand, easily catching the strike behind my palm and sliding my body slightly, lifting my leg and curling my heel into the back of his bredan's head. Hard.

He soared forward and landed outside the alley on the unforgiving concrete.

"Bro!" The other guy backed away witnessing the force behind my blows.

"So you can throw hands, huh?" The big one surmised rightly. He tried to pull away from the crushing grip I had on his thrown hand but I only squeezed harder, damping my hand with his flowing blood. A soundless scream gasped flew out of his mouth. "Let go!" He threw his other hand in an attempt to free his bleeding one.

Second mistake. I caught that fist and viciously cross-shaped both of his arms over each other. Hearing his bones crack accompanied by his bitch-ass scream was like magic to my ears. I hopped up, stomping on his chest and flipping in the air, bringing my heel crashing down on top of his head like a Thor's hammer. Needlessly to say, he dropped like a ton of bricks, unconscious.

"Okay, the kid can have the bag back!" The last guy hastily surrendered. Being the shortest one among them and by a significant margin mind you, it wasn't hard to see why he would have the least amount of spine between them. He assumed the position, groveling like a peasant in the presence of a gorilla king.

I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted his cowering face with mine. Jesus. Kid was even shorter than Yuzu.

"We're really sorry."

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up." I pronounced slowly. He zipped up. "If I ever see you mans picking on a little kid ever again," I rammed my forehead against his, paling him further, "I'm going to split your spinal cord in half." I gave him a moment to process the weight of my threat. Do you know what happens when your spinal cord is severed, right?"

He nodded shakily, "Y-Yeah. I-It means I end up in a wheelchair."

"Exactly," I wiped my bloody hand clean on his dirty shirt and threw his ass aside, walking over to the kid. "Unless you want to end up a paralytic, I suggest you stop throwing your weight around bullying little kids." My expression greatly softened when I glanced down at the little boy staring up at me in amazement. "C'mon, little one. I'll walk you home." I offered him my hand.

"Okay, oniichan." My smile warmed. He took hold of my hand and walked over to his backpack that I scooped up and passed over to him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I responded. 'Man, this takes me back. Elementary backpacks sure were heavy." Good way to build a bit of upper body strength if anything, though. The little one briefly let go of my hand to hook the straps of his backpack over his shoulders before we walked over to Yuzu and Karin, the former glowing in amazement and the latter giving me a slow clap.

"Wei-kun, that was amazing!" She exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Those mean high schoolers didn't know what hit them."

"Way to go, hero." Karin taunted, smirking.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I would tell her to suck a dick if the kid wasn't around.

Yuzu placed her hands on her bare knees and knelt at eye level to the brown-haired little boy by my side. "It's okay now, little one. Wei-kun taught the bad people a lesson they won't forget in a hurry." She smiled and the little boy smiled in spite of himself. "I'm Yuzu and this is Karin." She said, gesturing to herself and her sister. "And I'm sure you already know Wei-kun here."

"Yeah! Wei-niichan's my hero!" The grade-schooler lit up at me. I blushed, reminiscent of a certain prince of all Saiyans.

"Aww!" My girlfriend gushed.

Karin's smirk quirked up in ultra-satisfaction. "See? Even the kid thinks you're a hero, Yusuke."

Confused, the pre-schooler stated, "His name's not Yusuke. It's Wei. Yuzu-neechan said so."

"Aw, he called me neechan!" Yuzu held her palms over her mouth.

"It's just a reference to an anime we watched when we were younger," I explained and he exhaled in realization. "So, what's your name, little guy?"

"Oh, it's Yuichi." He grinned.

I smiled back, desperately trying not to do a double-take. 'Wait. This kid I saved's Yuichi, like the same kid whose spirit got trapped inside a bird by that asshole hollow? Damn. What kinda crazy timeline am I in right now?" Looking at him closely, though, he did really resemble the same little boy-turned-parakeet. He had the same wavy, unruly ear-length medium brown hair with a red tint with bangs covering his forehead. He even wore red shorts and a green jumper, too, just like his soul form in canon.

How didn't I recognize him?

"Assuming canon was only delayed, can I prevent him and his mama from being killed?"

"Yuichi-kun!" Yuzu beamed. "That's a nice name."

"Thanks." He glanced up at me. "My house is that way, Wei-niichan."

"Sweet. Lead the way."

He nodded and began guiding us to his house. (By his house, I'm sure he meant apartment complex but nah. I didn't need to sweat the details. He was only a pre-schooler. I doubt even knew the difference between a house and a flat really. Unless he did live in a house. Really, he was alive two to three years after the main story was supposed to kick off, so I should just get used to suspending my disbelief.)

"How'd you get so strong, Wei-niichan?" He asked, starry-eyed. Yuzu held his other hand, making us like a mini family.

"I eats me spinach and workout almost every day," I quipped.

"Like a sailor man." Karin bantered.

"Yes, Karin-chan, thanks for getting my obscure Popeye reference. Didn't think our 2000s kid here would." I said dryly.

Yuichi blinked, "I know Popeye."

"And that makes you based."

"Based?"

"It means you're a badass, bruv!"

"Oh? Yeah!"

It wasn't actually that based. Popeye was surprisingly extremely popular here in Japan. It was more accurate to say the country itself was based on falling in love with an obscure American cartoon like Popeye.

"You think I could ever be as strong as you, Wei-niichan," Yuichi asked, gazing up at me with wondrous eyes.

"Probably. If you eat and train well." I instructed.

"And study karate, too!" Yuzu sung.

"And study karate, too." I smiled, immediately doing a double take. "Wait. How'd you know I studied karate?"

She giggled, "Onii-chan told me earlier today."

I palmed my forehead, sighing, "Ah, right. Tatsuki musta told him."

"Hm-mmm!" She glowed in content.

"Tatsuki?" Yuichi tilted his head.

"She's a friend I met back in karate school when I was your age," I explained. I never did see Ichigo there, though. I assume he left before I started attending and the reason why made my heart ache with melancholy for the Kurosaki family. I pushed Masaki out of my mind and pressed on, plating a breezy smile I didn't really feel just then. "We used to be something. Back then she always beat me."

Yuichi's eyes widened, "Whoa. Tatsuki-neesan beat you?"

I chuckled, reminiscing. "Yeah. I was nowhere near my peak back then. And I'm still not now." I gazed up, a gentle breeze rustling the bangs of my shoulder-length raven hair. "Take nothing away from Tatsuki, though. Strong, determined, and always ready for a challenge," I continued my stroll down memory lane. "We trained together, sparred together—she was like a sister to me. But you know, she had this fierce side. No one messed with her, and she made sure I kept up with her in our karate practices. Even though I've already surpassed her, since I'm a boy and boys are naturally stronger than girls, I still look up to her."

Yuichi listened intently, absorbing the stories of my childhood adventures. Karin walked beside us, occasionally chiming in with a comment or a playful nudge.

"I wish I could've met Tatsuki-neechan. She sounds amazing!" Yuichi exclaimed, his eyes shining with admiration.

"Wanna know how you can?" I grinned, playful, earning a blank stare from my new friend. "By going to karate." I chuckled.

"Oh, right!" He giggled. "Then I can grow to be as strong as you, Wei-niichan."

I grinned, a warmth spreading through me. "Of course, Yuichi-chan."

We resumed our conversation, with Yuichi asking more questions about my past and expressing his eagerness to become strong like me. I shared anecdotes and advice, creating something of a makeshift bond between us.

The journey neared its end, with Yuichi's modest apartment complex coming into view. "There it is, Wei-niichan!" He beamed, pointing. "That's where I live."

"Alright, lead the way, squirt."

He did, leading us past the doors and up a few flights of stairs to a blue door numbered 57 on a red-marbled balcony.

"Here we are!" He gushed and spiritedly knocked on his door. The door opened a few seconds later, revealing the beautiful face of his mother behind the white backdrop of her home. "Mama, I'm home!" He ran over to his side, hugging her leg.

"Yuichi-chan?" A puzzled tone left her red-painted pouty lips, curling into a warm smile. "Who are your friends?"

He snickered, "This is Wei-niichan. He's my hero!"

"Hero?"

I chuckled, scratching my neck awkwardly, "Sorry to you worry, madam but your little boy was being picked on by some high school jerks." I bowed.

"Oh dear!" She gasped, glancing down at her son. "is that true, Yuichi-chan?"

He nodded, excitement pouring from every pore of his body. "You should've seen him, Mom! Wei-niichan's so strong, the bad kids didn't stand a chance. He was all like bam," He tried mirroring my moves, "pow, boom! It was amazing!" He spread his arms.

"Oh, my, he does sound strong, doesn't he?" She glanced back at me like I had a heavenly aura shining around me. I chuckled sheepishly.

"Uh-huh!"

"Thank you, Wei-kun." She bowed. "Kids can be so cruel these days. It's comforting to know that there are kind ones like you around."

"Oh, no, it was nothing." I held up my palms, refusing in typical humble Japanese fashion. "Those guys were weak."

The mother smiled appreciatively, her gratitude evident in her eyes. "Well, thank you nonetheless, Wei-kun. I'm grateful that you were there for Yuichi."

Yuichi continued to regale his mother with the tale of my heroic intervention, mimicking the fight moves with enthusiastic gestures. His mother chuckled, clearly entertained by her son's animated storytelling.

"Wei-niichan even said I can go to karate and become strong like him!" Yuichi exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

The mother turned her attention to me, a curious expression on her face. "Karate, huh? Well, if my little hero wants to learn karate, I'm all for it. What do you think, Wei-kun?"

I nodded with a grin. "Absolutely! Karate's a great way to build strength, discipline, and self-confidence. If Yuichi-chan wants to give it a try, I'm more than happy to help him get started."

"Thank you so much, Wei-kun!" The mother bowed again. "I appreciate your kindness towards Yuichi. It's not every day you find someone willing to stand up for a child."

As the conversation continued, I shared a few more words with Yuichi's mother, assuring her that he was always willing to lend a hand if needed. Yuichi, still buzzing with excitement, seemed eager to embark on his karate journey.

With final words of gratitude, we bid farewell to Yuichi and his mother, leaving the apartment complex with a sense of fulfillment. The day had taken an unexpected turn, but it had brought a new connection, a potential karate enthusiast in Yuichi, and the satisfaction of making a positive impact on someone's life.

'Maybe this fractured timeline won't be so bad after all.'


Yuzu's resolve

"Wei-kun…"

My world was like a shoujo-inspired fantasy, a sparkly pink world of floating see-through bubbles surrounding my gaping face.

"Princess…" Wei-kun murmured huskily with an uncharacteristic confident tone that made me swoon. Wei-kun was normally shy, so shy he couldn't even look at me sometimes and that made him so cute. Still, an assured Wei-kun hanging off my door, the collar of his cool suit open was so sexy. A cool, small smile lit his chiseled cheeks and my legs felt like jelly, "Kept you coming, didn't I?"

I tried to reply, but words escaped me. I settled for my shaking head and warmth reached his beautiful chestnut eyes. He pushed himself off my door and wandered to me, delicately caressing a pigtail of my hair in his hand, admiring. My face boiled, stream pooling from my ears.

"Lemme make it up to you." His cool, handsome face then neared mine in slow motion and my heart stalled, resuming at 200 miles per hour.

"…Wei-kun." I really couldn't say anything else, feeling my crush's warm lovely breath breezing over my hot face like an air-conditioner. My eyes closed, lips puckering instinctively. "This is everything I've ever wanted."

"Yuzu," he said, "Yuzu." And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Each time it got progressively louder until the voice morphed into my sister's, changing the world around me.

"YUZU!"

"Huh?" I blinked, greeted by Karin's deadpan face. "Karin-chan, why did you wake me up?" I pouted. "I was having the best dream ever!"

An eye-roll ensued from her, "Then make your dream a reality." She said, brow raising. "You're telling Wei how you feel about him today, right?"

My cheek inflated further, "Well you can at least let me dream a bit longer to prepare." I insisted. "And call him Wei-kun."

"Yeah, I'm not gonna do that," Another roll of the eyes. "And you shouldn't either. I mean, we've known the guy since we were kids."

"Yeah, but."

"But nothing." Karin didn't want any of my excuses and that's what they were; excuses. Karin told me as much. "Save the excuses and get it over with already."

Once more my cheek ballooned for what felt like the fifth time already, "Ooh. You don't have to be so mean about it."

"I'll be mean as I need if it gives you the kick up the butt you need to quit twiddling your thumbs." She deadpanned, turning and heading for the door. It opened and closed with a thud, sagging my shoulders and deflating.

"She has a point," I exhaled, throwing my covers off myself, "I made a vow I would tell Wei-kun how I felt about him when we got to middle school." I held up a fist as if to reinforce my determination. The prospect of starting a new chapter in our lives together thrilled me. I've cherished our friendship since grade school, and the thought of it evolving excited me.

Gathering my courage, I stood up and began to get ready for the day. Today was the day I would finally tell Wei-kun how I felt, and no amount of dreamy fantasies or teasing from my sister would hold me back. The image of the confident Wei-kun from my dream lingered in my mind, inspiring me to face the day with newfound determination.

As I prepared for the day, the dreamy remnants of my shoujo-inspired fantasy lingered in my mind. The encouragement from Karin, despite her usual deadpan delivery, echoed in my thoughts. Today was the day I would finally confess my feelings to Wei-kun, just as I had vowed to do when we entered middle school.

The prospect of revealing my emotions to Wei-kun filled me with a mix of excitement and nervousness. As I cooked breakfast and stared at my reflection in the window's reflective surface, I took a deep breath. "You can do this, Yuzu. Today is the day."

"Hey, Yuzu." My brother's tepid voice brought me out of my musings. I turned to face his eyes warming in concern as he sat down next to Karin-chan on the kitchen table in his school uniform. "You okay? You've been muttering to yourself all morning."

"She's fine." Karin answered. A gentle chuckle bubbled from her lips. "Yuzu's just getting ready to confess to her beloved 'Wei-kun' today."

"Wei-kun?"

"Karin-chan!" I blushed.

"What? It's true, isn't it?"

Well, yes, but you didn't have to tell onii-chan! I wanted to blurt out but couldn't. I settled for glaring at her stupid smirk.

"Oh, yeah. That guy." Onii-chan's tone of recognition knocked my irritation away. "Sun Wei, right?"

"You know Wei-kun, onii-chan?" I blinked.

"Not directly," He admitted, leaning in his chair. "He went to the same karate class I used to go to way back went. Never met the guy, though. I ditched probably a week or two after he started." Memories of Mom rolled through my mind and I looked down. That must've been around the time when she died. "From what I heard, he and Tatsuki had a bit of a rivalry."

I perked up, "They did?"

A nod, "Yeah. Didn't last though. Tatsuki used to beat him all the time when he was little, but ever since he started growing he's blown past her in strength. Now she doesn't even get close to him." He scowled in a similar fashion to my beloved, "Which sucks for me because I get to hear her go on and on about how she can't beat the "twerp" for million times until school ends."

I giggled, "That sounds like Wei-kun. He's invincible." I felt bad for Tatsuki, but boys were just plain stronger than girls. No amount of extra training could make up for the testosterone advantage boys have over not just girls but women too. That was why teen boys usually become much stronger than their mothers by the time they hit puberty.

"Tell me about it." Poor onii-chan. It sounded like he had it rough listening to Tatsuki gripe on and on about Wei-kun's strength. "Anyway," he shook off his Tatsuki-annoyance, looking at me with an affectionate smile. "She seems cool with him, and if Tatsuki's cool with him I guess I'm too." I stared vacantly and he groused, caressing his neck. "Look, what I'm trying to say is, if Wei makes you happy, then don't hold back. Tell him how you feel."

"Onii-chan…"

"Real smooth, Ichi-nii." Karin quipped with a playful smirk.

He scowled at her, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, "Shut up."

My brother's advice resonated with me, and I couldn't help but smile at his attempt to be supportive. Karin's teasing only added to the lighthearted atmosphere in the kitchen.

I appreciated the sincerity in his words. It was clear that he cared about my happiness, and his encouragement gave me the boost I needed. As I prepared to serve breakfast, I turned to him with gratitude. "Thanks, onii-chan. I'll keep that in mind."

He nodded.

The sun was shining brightly outside, casting a warm glow on everything. I took a deep breath, reminding myself to be confident. No matter the outcome, I was grateful for the support of my brother and Karin. Today was the day I would take a chance on love, and who knows, maybe Wei-kun felt the same way.

The tension in the kitchen escalated with the sudden entrance of our dad, wearing his trademark orange Hawaiian shirt and surgeon coat. His innocent demeanor clashed with the impending confrontation as he questioned my brother's statement.

"Tell who how you feel?" Dad's voice held a mixture of curiosity and concern, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. My brother, never one to back down, shot back with a hostile retort.

"None of your business, that's who, goat-face," he snapped, and I couldn't help but appreciate the rare display of defiance, even though clashes between Dad and my brother were usually something I dreaded.

Dad, however, was not one to be easily brushed off. He turned his attention toward my brother with a stern expression, clicking his teeth. "Of course it's my business, boy! I just overheard my little girl say she's gonna confess to some boy! What loving father wouldn't want to intervene?"

"You can't shield her forever, old man!" Onii-chan slammed his hands on the table and stormed to his feet.

"Wanna bet, Ichigo?!" Dad didn't back down, meeting onii-chan's intense stare. "Daddy'll protect his little girls from anyone!"

"What about when she gets married? You're seriously gonna try and stop her wedding!?" He roared, shoving Dad's forehead.

"Hell yeah! Over my dead body, I'll let some boy take one of my little girls! The little shit is gonna have to pry Yuzu-chan from my cold, dead, lifeless fingers!" He shouted and pushed back.

"That can be arranged, then." Karin's cool voice halted another one of their fights. Both onii-chan and Dad blinked at her eerie smug composure. "If you want Wei to 'prove' himself to you in a manly duel, he can do that."

"Seriously?" Dad said dumbly.

"Seriously?!" Onii-chan said, annoyed.

"Seriously," Karin confirmed.

"Who even does duels in this day and age anyway?" My brother's gripes were hugely unheard by Dad, who pried himself from him like a spirited shounen main character.

"Me, that's who, Ichigo!" He chortled. "Hahahaha! This Wei-kun won't know what hit 'em once I get my hands on him! I'll let no one take my girls until they're at least twenty-five!"

"We'll be Christmas cakes by then!" I protested.

"Exactly!" Dad responded, seemingly unfazed.

"Ugh!" I sighed, realizing that navigating the path of love in my family was bound to be more complicated than I had ever imagined.