Keigo?' Ichigo called out, and the brunette teen turned his head to look at his friend and, to the shinigami's dismay, saw that the fullbringer, even when he was wearing his torn-up xcuation shirt on. He was covered in bandages wrapped around his arms, chest, neck, face, and head.

Yet, despite all the injuries he suffered. Keigo still had his usual goofy cheeky smile on his face.

'Yo, Ichigo, how's it going?' He asked, and Ichigo felt unable to answer but forced himself to anyway.

'Asano…' the troubled shingmai began to say while gathering his breath and courage. 'There is…something I want to talk to you about…privately.'

Keigo then raised his eyebrows in confusion.

'Private?' He questioned…before busting out laughing.

'Oh, you mean you want to talk about that massive gigaton blast you unleashed on the 8th Espada? Why would you want to talk privity about that!?' Keigo then let another short giggle. 'I mean, everyone knows about that.'

Ichigo then felt his heart turn as he wants to play along with the teen's false assumptions.

But he could...not anymore.

'That is not…urgh…that is not what I want to talk about, and I rather discuss this in private,' Ichigo urged, and Keigo hummed in approval as if taking a hit.

'Alright, if you want to talk to the man to man, I know where we can go,' the agent said and got into a running stance.

'Race ya!' He challenged, and then, before Ichigo could say anything, Keigo disappeared in a flash of bringer light.

'Hey, wait up!' Ichigo shouted back and immediately used flash steps to follow the spending teen.

Which resulted in both Ichigo and Keigo running across the rooftops of skyscrapers to a low subway tunnel that led right out of Tokyo. The shinigami struggled to track down his friends' movements or even find out where they were heading.

Finally, however, Keigo stops at the place he is racing to. With Ichigo falling right behind him.

'Oh, Ichigo, you should be faster than that!' Keigo teased, which made the orange-haired youth growled in impatience.

'I would have been faster had I known where we were going in the first place!' He yelled back in frustration, but Keigo laughed.

'Well, that's silly since we've been to this place all the time when we visit Tokyo,' He mocked Ichigo, which made him groan in heartache. 'So, what it is that you want to talk about?'

Ichigo saw that that hyperactive teen was finally taking him seriously. Then readjusted himself and cleared out his throat.

'Keigo…look,' the shinigami spoke clearly and carefully. 'I know that the Ichigo you know is your best friend and is close to you…and I am sorry for lying to you, but…I am not the Ichigo that you know.'

Keigo remained silent and let out a chuckle though it felt forced.

'W-what do you mean you are not the Ichigo I know?' He asked in his still cheerful tone. 'You always have been the Ichigo I known. Sure, you have different powers, abilities, and act completely unlike him…but that's because you have a crummy day, and by tomorrow, when we both go to the soul society, you be back as good as new.'

Ichigo's heart then aches as he listens to what Keigo said, and he honestly wishes he would remain in denial and oblivious to avoid hurting him...But continuing to lie would be far worse.

'…Keigo, you must have some clue I was an imposter from the start. Having a crummy day would not excuse having a 180 change in the way I fight or my personality' Ichigo challenged Keigo, then got nervous.

'I…well, you said that you were trying some new techniques and some people always turn into completely different people when they are cranky,' teen tried to defend, but Ichigo just shook his head.

'Asano…when have you ever recall…me acting completely differently when I had a bad day?' he asked, making Keigo frown.

'Well, you usually act more antisocial than usual and take your frustrations out by going out on hollow fighting in the wastelands…or just getting wasted drinking at our local bar.'

Ichigo then spasmed at hearing that.

'I was an underage drinker!' he screamed in disbelief.

'You never really cared about laws like that …especially since your privileges as the black prince allow you to bypass that type of stuff. Keigo shrugged. While Ichigo just shook his head in disproval.

'Well, that just further proves I am not him. Since I never displayed any of those traits at all! Ichigo shouted, then sighed. 'I mean, what do you want me to prove that I am not your Ichigo!?'

Keigo remained silent as his smiling face faltered, and tears began to fall from his eyes, and Ichigo feared he may have pushed him too far.

'I…I know Ichigo, I just...' his voice began to crack as he wiped away the tears. 'I just…thought you…that he...wouldn't leave so soon.'

Ichigo's eyes then shoot open.

'Wait, so you know I wasn't him since the beginning ?' Ichigo questioned, but Keigo just shook his head.

'It wasn't that I knew…I was just in denial of it ever happening…in fact, I was still in denial even when…my Ichigo told me alongside his mother that he was going to leave' Keigo then closed his eyes and then turned his head away from Ichigo.

'But who could ever guess…that he was going to be replaced by an imposter who acts nothing like him…' he spat bitterly, and Ichigo looked away in guilt.

Keigo then turned his head and looked over the ruined playground. 'And when I realized you didn't know the way…or even recognized this place…' he took a deep breath. 'I knew it was pointless to deny it anymore.'

Ichigo then remained silent as he looked around the playground itself and realized it was a battleground site. But one that was made years ago, with broken swing sets covered in rust and moss, pieces of earth and cement tore apart, covered in grass, and several craters filled up with puddles of water.

Seeing the sorry state Keigo was in. Ichigo could not help but feel remorse for him.

'Look, Asano I…I'm sorry for how all of this turned out for you. I am, but-'

'But what!?' Keigo snapped harshly at Ichigo, and his voice became cold and cruel. 'That you lied to me, pretended to be my friend, played me like a fool, and only feel sorry that you have been caught!'

The teen shouted and turned to face Ichigo with a hurtful and furious expression, making the shinigami back away.

'Or that an identical stranger had replaced my best friend and that everyone else is okay with it!?'

He then looked. 'If you are sorry…whoever you are. Then how about stay the hell away from me. At least then you don't worry about maintaining your stupid cover or whatever.'

Seeing that he was not wanted, Ichigo turned his back on the hurtful boy and began to exit the playground.

But before he did. Ichigo then turns to face Keigo once more.

'For what it is worth, Asano, I may have lied about being who I am…but I never pretended to be your friend…and if anything, it made me appreciate the Keigo that I know a lot more…in knowing that he could become someone as strong and as determine as you' Ichigo replied and then left.

Then when the shinigami was gone. Keigo looked at regret open hearing those words and then left out a sad, defeated chuckle.

'Well...Isn't this embarrassing, huh?' Keigo talked to himself while continuing to laugh.

'I always kept telling you that you shouldn't be mean to others. It would help if you were more willing to care about people and not assume the worse in everyone…' tears then fell down his face. 'Yet here I am…acting no better than you. Just because I couldn't get my way…like the child I have always been.'

Keigo then let out a breath and stared at the full moon in the night sky. Its pale light shone down upon him, and while boy gave it a broken smile.

'Maybe it's about time…for this child to finally grow up.'