There's no doubt in Yumichika's mind he has Hiromi wrapped around his finger.
Her friendliness towards him, along with her reconsidering his proposition, has him giddy. He could dance on his tippy toes from the excitement coursing through him. Charming Hiromi into trusting him may bite him in the ass if he is not careful, but Yumichika needs to figure out where she had hidden the arrancar from them. He won't make the mistake Ikkaku done and be direct. This requires finesse and patience. It might take him a while to gain Hiromi's trust, but it will be worth it in the end. At least he hopes.
Yumichika hurriedly ran down the sidewalk and towards Kisuke Urahara's shop. He can already sense anger emanating from the many walls, which made the knot in his stomach tighten more. Or maybe it's the fact he had to scarf down what was left of his breakfast Hiromi gave him. He probably shouldn't have stopped to eat, but it was hard running and eating at the same time. It made him much later than he wanted, but Yumichika didn't care at that point. He didn't want the scrumptious meal to go to waste, or the thawed daifuku he had in his pocket spoil. Maybe that's why his stomach is not feeling too good right now. It was his big breakfast.
He stumbled up a few steps to the porch, gasping for air, yet clung to his upset stomach.
"Oh god, I feel like I'm going to vomit," he mumbled.
Up ahead, he can hear the shinigami conversing and laughing. Yumichika doesn't doubt Kisuke Urahara is cracking jokes to make light of a situation. Yumichika running almost an hour late to the meeting possibly made several people mad, even annoyed. He doesn't doubt Captain Hitsugaya is. The goofball Urahara might be annoyed, maybe even Ikkaku. Hell, everyone must be irritated at him right now.
Someone yelling ahead certainly made their frustration known.
"It's been almost an hour already! Where the bloody hell is he? I'm tired of waiting!"
Yumichika's brow wrinkle despite his exhaustion.
Huh? Why the hell is Ichigo here? Damnit, I'm so freaking late!
Ever since Ikkaku arrived, he had wondered where his friend was. It's unlike Yumichika to be late. Maybe a few moments if he was priming his hair and making sure his stupid feathers were correctly placed, but not this late. He has no clue what Yumichika was up to. Or why he wasn't at the apartment when Ikkaku awoke. Maybe Yumichika wanted to talk with Hiromi again? He doubts that's the case. Although they seemed to hit it off pretty well. If Hiromi hadn't caught him carelessly looking around, Yumichika and the pretty woman would have talked longer. If he wasn't a dumbass and intimidated her for answers, Ikkaku might have had time to speak with Hiromi further.
Searching her apartment complex for a possible burglar also prevented that chance. He would have stayed longer to make sure Hiromi was safe and compliment her baking. He thoroughly enjoyed the ichigo daifuku. Ikkaku could have had several more. Except with the exchange he and Hiromi had, he wasn't sure if Hiromi wanted him to stick around much longer despite looking out for her. Hopefully, he will get that chance and apologize for his behavior. He is quite taken by her, especially when she dresses in bright raspberry-red clothing. She had greeted him in lounging wear when he came back to her apartment of his findings. He was so tongue-tied by how lovely she looked that he just stared briefly and told her what she needed to know before leaving in a rush. Ikkaku doesn't doubt that was a dumb move. Hiromi looked confused and disappointed, maybe even angry that he just left her like that. He would have to swing by after this to check in on her and apologize for his rudeness.
Ikkaku hopes she is alright and safe. He even wondered what she might be up to right now.
She's probably making more of those delicious daifuku of hers. Maybe I can ask her to make that matcha kind? She said it was her favorite.
A sound suddenly disturbed his thoughts … rushing footsteps.
Ikkaku won't announce Yumichika's rushing footsteps to anyone. He had a far better idea in mind to make the guy the center of attention. The conversation he had been listening to for the last ten minutes was getting on his nerves, anyway. A distraction would do well at this moment.
He listened carefully as Yumichika's feet came closer, fighting the urge to crack a devious smile.
The moment Yumichika made his presence known, Ikkaku made his move.
"I'm here! I'm here!" Yumichika shouted as he appeared from around the corner and started into the room.
Without hesitating, Ikkaku swiftly stuck his leg out, tripping Yumichika.
Now, he expected Yumichika to faceplant onto the floor and gain a red mark. Instead, he became airborne … only slightly and for a second. Yumichika made a startled yelp as he fell forward and an inch off the ground. The last thing Ikkaku expected happened. His friend lands roughly on the freshly polished floorboards, then literally slides into the table, which is about five feet away. Yumichika grunts on impact, smashing his forehead against the hardwood, rattling the plates and bowls, and sloshing tea.
Ikkaku might have laughed at the hilarity of it, but that bash to the head looked painful.
"Oh, crap! You alright?"
Yumichika groans before he whirls on him, shooting Ikkaku a piercing glare, which makes Ikkaku visibly shrink.
Before Yumichika could scold Ikkaku, Captain Hitsugaya came forward and loomed above him.
"Where the bloody hell have you been? We've been waiting for almost an hour for you!" Captain Hitsugaya shouted at the top of his lungs.
Yumichika immediately turned and got onto his knees, bowing frantically while crying. Bad move on his part as he got dizzy, causing his nausea to strengthen. He ignores it, though.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Captain! I completely lost track of time!"
"Lost track? What the hell were you doing that you would lose track of time?"
Yumichika vigorously rubs the back of his neck.
"I uh, I went for a walk_."
"A walk!? Of all times to go for a walk, you choose today! You were supposed to meet us at Kurosaki's at eight to come here!"
"Hey! It's Ichigo, Tōshirō," Ichigo blurts from behind.
"And it's Captain Hitsugaya to you!"
"Will you stop shouting?" Kisuke asked although it came out as a mumble.
Captain Hitsugaya growled as he folded his arms, then opened his mouth to snap at Ichigo for calling him by name. Except Ikkaku talks over him.
"You don't go for walks, Yumichika. Why would you start now?"
Yumichika snapped a glare at his bald friend, glowering at him.
"If it weren't for the shouting last night, I wouldn't have to go on one!"
Ikkaku deadpans.
"Huh?"
"You and Mizuho talking through the wall. Oh, I'm sorry darling, did I wake you?" Yumichika imitated the sister. "It was freaking nauseating!"
Ikkaku's brow quirked.
"What the hell are you talking about? Mizuho and I were not talking through the wall. In fact, she was sawing logs. That's what Keigo, and I were shouting about."
Yumichika shrunk slightly, gulping.
Shit!
"What time did you leave this morning, anyway? It must have been early because you weren't even there when I woke up at six thirty."
Shit! I wasn't even up then, Yumichika says to himself.
He was quick to come up with a lie, though.
"I woke up fifteen minutes before you to get some tea somewhere or a decent cup of coffee. I walked around and had three, yes, three medium-sized coffees from three different cafes. So, I'm a jittery mess from walking for hours on end to keep myself awake and then having to scramble over here once I realized I was late. I actually got lost, of all things, and had some weird and ugly people staring at me from having a meltdown! I'm sure I looked ugly like all the other normal people!"
"Calm down, dude," Ikkaku urged. "Take a breath."
Yumichika tried the breathing exercise he learned from Hiromi. Except the run here, all the food he ate, including the mint and a bottle of water, made him hyper and sick to his stomach.
Oh, crap. I don't want to throw up; he says to himself.
"Um, you okay, there? You're looking a little green," Renji said with concern.
"No! I feel like my heart is about to burst out of my chest. Someone make it stop!"
Someone in the room groaned, then started walking up behind Yumichika like a silent predator. They towered over him, then kicked his butt roughly, causing the shinigami to fall forward and face plants into a bowl of rice and some egg.
"Will you shut up already? Your shouting is freaking obnoxious!" Ichigo says with his foot hovering where he had kicked Yumichika down.
"And yours isn't," Renji commented as he watched the two with boredom.
"Shut up, Renji. At least I'm not being overly dramatic, unlike this freaking girl here."
Yumichika pouted angrily, despite his queasiness.
"Who are you calling a girl?" Yumichika snapped before groaning.
"You apparently. If you're going to throw up, Yumichika, aim for Ichigo's bowl. (Ichigo shouts hey.) And don't tell me to shut up, Strawberry Patch!"
Both Ichigo and Renji glowered at one another with shark-like bared teeth, while Yumichika silently fumed as he picked out rice from his hair.
Kisuke just watched as the already uptight shinigami crew had a hissy fit, silently counting to ten.
Damn, this is annoying as hell, Kisuke said to himself.
"Are you idiots done shouting?" Rangiku finally butted. "It's irritating. Now that Yumichika is finally here, can we have our meeting now?"
"Thank you for stepping in Rangiku. Now, calm yourselves down. I'll keep it short, anyway."
"Good, because I would like to do some clothes shopping."
"Like you need more," Renji glowered at Rangiku as she observed her tiny top with a cute pout.
How does she keep those sized knockers from not spilling out? Sheesh. Renji questioned himself.
Kisuke watched Rangiku as well before directing his attention on Yumichika, who still looks flustered and turning a pale shade of green. He got up from his spot and walked over to the doorway, where he caught sight of Ururu.
"Hey Ururu," Kisuke called to the girl.
"Yes, Mr. Urahara?"
"Would you bring Yumichika a can of ginger ale, please? The poor girl has an upset tummy."
He heard Yumichika lightly growl from behind him.
"If someone calls me a girl one more time, I will throw up on them."
Kisuke silently chuckled.
"Sure thing," the girl answered before disappearing.
She wasn't gone but a minute when she reappeared and handed Kisuke the canned beverage.
He flashed her a thankful smile, then meandered back into the room, handing Yumichika the can as he walked past. Yumichika graciously took it and took a small sip.
"Did you eat anything on the way here?"
Yumichika thought about it for a moment. He doesn't want to reveal he was with someone earlier, but certainly doesn't want to lie about not eating anything. It would at least be a little more convincing for them to believe that something other than coffee gave him an upset stomach.
"Yeah, some onigiri that tasted kind of funny," he half fibbed.
"I guess that explains your upset stomach. The three coffees just added onto it. That ginger ale will help. Now," Kisuke claps his hands. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
The point of the meeting was pretty obvious. An arrancar is amongst the living. And the fact preparations have been put on hold to find them. They should have found something out by now, considering it has only been a couple of weeks. Ichigo doesn't want to wait any longer when he is adamant about rescuing Orihime. The shinigami advised against it, including Kisuke. They want to gather as much information from the arrancar about why they had left, and what they could provide them. They don't even know who it was that abandoned their position. From what Kisuke told them, he got this information from a mole. They had leaked the information, but don't know whose side they were on. The shinigami wants to believe it is someone on their side. Ichigo believes it is the enemy. It could be anyone, honestly.
Yumichika didn't say much during the whole discussion. He concentrated more on calming his stomach while picking rice and egg out of his luscious hair. He wonders who the mole was and why they felt the need to leak information, but doesn't really care. Putting their plans on hold because they want to find the arrancar sounded absurd to him, but he won't voice his opinion. He would much rather get ready for the upcoming battle anyway, instead of waiting around here in the living world.
Although there could be a purpose behind their stalling. Meeting the beautiful woman Hiromi is one of them. The fact she was with the arrancar Grimmjow, at one point, proved she has some involvement in this. He just doesn't know what her role is in all of this or how significant it will be. Yumichika just hopes Hiromi is not too heavily involved. A woman like her shouldn't be caught in the middle of a war.
At some point, Yumichika had zoned out. He didn't hear most of the surrounding conversations. Especially when the shinigami is talking about the mole's identity. The only one that caught his attention is about the arrancar, which he grew nervous.
His fingers steadily removed a grain of rice, listening carefully.
"Do we have a clue of who this arrancar is? I mean, there must be something to identity them." Rangiku had asked.
Yumichika inwardly cringed.
"Well um, I didn't want to say anything earlier, but Yumichika and I know who the arrancar is," Ikkaku answered immediately.
Yumichika doesn't see it, but Captain Hitsugaya snapped his gaze on Ikkaku.
"You already know, and you didn't say anything? Why the hell not?" Captain Hitsugaya questioned.
"Mostly because I wanted to wait until Yumichika was here to back me up. You probably wouldn't believe me, anyway."
Yumichika stiffened suddenly and grew even more quiet. Chanting 'shit' in his head became a mantra.
"I might have. He's here now. Who are we looking for?"
"It's the one that punched Rukia in the stomach. The icy blue-haired guy who fought with Ichigo."
There was a growl, then the sound of feet standing abruptly.
"Grimmjow? That asshole is here?" Ichigo snarled.
"Yeah, I guess that's his name. Yumichika and I saw him earlier yesterday with a pretty lady."
Shit! Yumichika cursed.
He had hoped Ikkaku would have left Hiromi out of it, and speak about the arrancar, but apparently not.
"And you didn't confront him?"
"I wanted to, but Yumichika thought it was better if we waited."
For a reason, you dumbass! Yumichika wanted to scream.
"Why did you not want to confront the arrancar, Yumichika? What was the point?" The captain inquired to Yumichika.
He slowly counted to ten, heaved a sigh, then turned his attention to the white-haired captain.
"For one, confronting the arrancar when he was with his female companion would have made him retaliate in a more lethal manner." He answered.
"Eh, I doubt that. It looked like he didn't have his zanpakutō on him." Ikkaku argued.
"Precisely. Do you not remember what he did to Rukia? He may not have been armed, but he's apparently a master hand-to-hand combatant. He's quick and would have impaled the both of us."
"True. It would have been me fighting and you keeping an eye out on his companion."
Yumichika was glad Ikkaku kept Hiromi's name out of their discussion.
"Okay, so you saw the arrancar who abandoned his position but didn't confront him immediately. I think it was a smart move. What exactly were they doing, anyway?" Hitsugaya asked.
"They were heading somewhere. We could have followed, but again, Yumichika thought it would be better if we didn't. We hung around her place until they got back to approach them, but only the girl returned."
Yumichika glared at Ikkaku, who didn't catch his eye while tapping his finger on his knee. He didn't want to discuss Hiromi and her involvement.
Damnit, keep your mouth shut, Ikkaku, Yumichika thought to himself.
Hitsugaya glanced over at Yumichika, then back at Ikkaku.
"If she returned alone, then this girl knows someone who can help her. And apparently, she is the one that got Kaname to back off. She could also be the mole Kisuke Urahara told us about."
"Doubtful," Yumichika said out loud without thinking.
Oops.
"You don't think she's the mole?"
"Of course not."
"What are your reasons we shouldn't suspect her?"
Yumichika thought about it for a second. He can't reveal that he is interacting with her to gain the woman's trust and learn where she had taken the arrancar. Plus, with the conversations they had, along with her predicament, Hiromi knows nothing about them or their enemy. There's no way Hiromi could be the mole.
"I have a hunch."
"A hunch? We can't go on a hunch. We have to consider the time frame here. With Orihime's disappearance and this girl you two met not long after, we shouldn't rule her out. She could very well be an enemy."
"Now, that is very unlikely. I assure you, she is not the mole or the enemy."
Ikkaku glared at Yumichika, suspicion overwhelming his gaze.
Yumichika inwardly groans. He doesn't like the fact he is talking about Hiromi to the others. In fact, he doesn't understand why he is trying to deflect their attention off her. Like he is trying to protect her. But why would he?
"Can we please talk about something else?"
Captain Hitsugaya glares at him, even Ikkaku, while the others watched them in astonishment.
"No, we are not changing the subject," he said sternly.
"I think we are done for the day, no?" Kisuke chimes in suddenly with a flutter of his fan.
Captain Hitsugaya, along with Ikkaku and Yumichika glance at Kisuke, the others did as well.
They watched him from behind his fan, and scratching at his ear.
"We've discussed all that needed to be covered, anyway. Besides, talking about some stranger being the mole when we have little evidence to go on is extreme, don't you think? Unless we have substantial evidence if they are the mole, or even the enemy, we'll suspect them then. In the meantime, let's just focus on the information we have now."
Yumichika wanted to blurt a thank you towards the former shinigami captain, but refrained.
"So, wait. You don't want us investigating for other leads?" Renji questioned.
"I'm not saying that. You can sniff around. You just can't make yourself too obvious about what you're doing. We need to be discreet, after all."
And patient, Yumichika wanted to add.
He sat there silently, toning out the ending conversation as he pondered over Kisuke's statement. How can Yumichika make his aim in finding the arrancar not so apparent to Hiromi? She is an intelligent woman. He doesn't doubt Hiromi probably already knows he is up to something, but he needs to make it appear that he is not. How can he go about doing that? He can visit Hiromi and hopefully get her comfortable enough to reveal more about her history. Doing that might open up the possibility of her talking about her relationship with the arrancar, and gaining vital information. The thing is, what is a reasonable amount of visitation? He can't visit her daily as it would be a cause for suspicion, nor can he visit very little, either. There needs to be a happy medium.
He pondered over his dilemma for some time, oblivious to the fact everyone started moving and saying their goodbyes. Yumichika even failed to notice his comrades heading out of the room and past him. He didn't acknowledge them until a light jab to his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts.
Yumichika blinks, then glances upwards, his gaze landing on Ikkaku.
"You coming?"
He blinked again, then regarded the shinigami who were staring at him, and giving him dirty looks. Well, mostly Captain Hitsugaya. The others just looked bored and slightly irritated, but there was a tinge of sympathy. They all know what is going to happen to him.
Yumichika glances away from the others to Captain Hitsugaya, who stared at him and scowling deeply.
"Yumichika, you and I need to have a long discussion about your tardiness and your punishment."
Rangiku sighed beside him.
"You berated him enough, Captain. Just leave him be."
"No, I will not let this go. And don't tell me what to do either. Now, move it, Ayasegawa."
Yumichika internally shrinks, gulping tightly while trudging after his comrades.
Damnit, this is all Generous Beauty's fault, he says to himself.
Although, it really isn't, and he knows that. He just wants to blame her for the trouble he's in, which is foolish of him to do. He should hold himself accountable for his actions. Yumichika won't admit it out loud, but he feels a pang of guilt for even thinking of putting her at fault for making him late to a shinigami meeting. She didn't know. He simply forgot. He was enjoying her company and the delicious meal she provided him.
"Hey, Yumichika," Kisuke called from behind him, making Yumichika stop abruptly. "Hang back for a moment and help me clean this room up."
Yumichika turns, snapping Kisuke a 'you got to be kidding' look. Yet, he felt grateful.
"It won't be but a few minutes, maybe even five. I mean," Kisuke glances around at the mess. "You crashed into the table and made a bigger mess, after all."
Ikkaku grins at his friend and roughly slaps his back. Yumichika grunts from the impact, then glares at him.
"Ha! You got dish duty. You better wear an apron, buddy."
"Shut up. It's not my fault, you know."
Kisuke considers this for a second before regarding Ikkaku with a mischievous smile.
"Oh, that's right. You were tripped. In that case, why don't you help Ikkaku?"
"Like hell I am," Ikkaku snaps.
"Let me rephrase that. Help Yumichika clean up, Ikkaku. I mean, you helped make it."
"But," Ikkaku goes to argue, but quickly shuts his trap when Kisuke shoots him a glare.
Ikkaku deflates, mumbling under his breath.
Captain Hitsugaya glances from the two shinigami lieutenants, then settles his gaze on the mess. He gives a curt nod towards Kisuke before regarding Yumichika.
"Consider this as part of your punishment, Yumichika, since you arrived an hour late. We'll discuss more when you're done."
Great, he says to himself.
"As for you, Ikkaku. Helping Yumichika with dish duty should suffice as your punishment for tripping him and causing this disaster."
"What? Seriously!"
"Or would you rather tackle the laundry?"
Yumichika fought back a snicker from the mortified expression on Ikkaku's face.
"I figured so. Meet me at Kurosaki's once you are finished. And don't take your time either."
"Yes, Captain," Yumichika and Ikkaku replied in unison, and in the same defeated tone.
They waited until the short shinigami captain, along with the others, were out of sight to face the mess they caused. Yeah, it really is a mess. There are heaps of uneaten rice on the floor that are smothered in egg yolk. Yuck. Scrambled eggs are strewn about on the table, which smelled eggy and of stout soy sauce. Bits of crusts from stale toast sat like breadcrumbs waiting to be brushed off. There is even spilled coffee and sticky juice on the tabletop.
"You really did make a mess," Ikkaku said.
Yumichika scowls at him.
"You were the one that tripped me, you jerk. If it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't be here right now."
"How is it my fault? It's not like I planned on you going airborne like a freaking pigeon."
"That is on the lines of you admitting you're at fault."
"If you're looking for an apology, I already did that."
"No, you didn't."
"Ugh, fine. I'm sorry. Now, quit your bellyaching, and grab a towel and wipe the table off."
"Don't you tell me what to do!"
"Uh, I am ranked higher than you. So, that makes me your superior, buddy."
Kisuke clears his throat, causing both of them to shut up.
"You two aren't going to do anything."
Ikkaku's brow twitched.
"Huh?"
"What? You really thought you were going to clean this mess up?"
"Well, yeah? Why else did you let us hang back?"
"Oh, I just did that because I needed to talk with you two in private."
"You could have just said so!" Yumichika shouts.
"And have the others wonder what our discussion is about. Ha, I think not. Ururu will take care of this. Follow me, you two. We'll discuss in another room."
Both Yumichika and Ikkaku watched Kisuke turn towards an adjacent room, and slid the shoji door open.
"Right in here, gentlemen," he said while motioning them in.
They watched him with arms folded over in front of them, and soft frowns on their lips. Ikkaku glances at Yumichika before approaching, leaving his companion standing there slightly unnerved.
All Yumichika could think about at that moment is what Hiromi was up to right now. He doesn't doubt she is on a morning run since she informed him of her exercise routine. It is around that time, anyway. He also has to wonder what other things she has planned during the day. Shopping is certainly one of them. Yumichika won't think about it too much, though.
He sighs deeply from his pondering, then followed Ikkaku and Kisuke into a small room.
There is a tea table inside, but no beverage to sip on while conversing.
Ikkaku skillfully settles onto the floor crossed legged with arms folded over and a light scowl present.
"Alright, what do you want to talk to us about?" He asked.
Kisuke faintly smiles as he settled on his shins. He glances up at Yumichika, who has yet to sit down.
"I have a special and confidential assignment for you two."
Curious, Yumichika regards the former shinigami captain with intrigue and anticipation.
"A special assignment, huh? What does it entail?" Ikkaku asked while Yumichika remained silent.
Kisuke's smile widens then motions for Yumichika to sit. He quickly obliges while keeping his composure to not crack a smile. A special assignment can only mean one thing for him … something to do. He is craving some sort of task that didn't involve sitting around waiting for hollows or their enemy to drop out of the sky. Hanging around with the Asano's and Ikkaku gets boring and irritating after a while.
"An old friend of mine came to me earlier yesterday seeking some help about a problem they have."
"What sort of trouble?"
"Apparently, a hollow has been following them for a while. Thankfully, it hasn't attacked them yet."
An excited grin spreads across Ikkaku's lips.
"So, wait. You want us to get rid of a hollow? Don't worry, I'll take care of it! I could use some sort of distraction right about now anyway."
Kisuke softly chuckles at Ikkaku's enthusiasm.
"Unfortunately, that is not the case. It's keeping its distance most of the time."
Ikkaku's smile instantly drops.
"So, what do you want us to do then if we're not to fight it?"
"I really just need you to look after my dear friend, Ikkaku. No fighting necessary. At least not yet, at least. If it comes down to it, I give you my permission to eradicate it. You might have to get my friend's consent as well."
Yumichika blinks at the former captain with a confused frown.
"So, you want us to look after them as … bodyguards?"
"Yeah, something like that. I offered to get rid of the hollow myself, but they didn't want me to go through the trouble. I gave them something to protect them for the time being. It's a temporary solution until I can come up with something more permanent and not too noticeable."
Yumichika blinks. He thought back to Hiromi's situation of a hollow stalking her and made a move on her. There is also the weird medallion he saw on her right hip. It was pretty noticeable. Could this old friend of Kisuke's be the same person? Or is it just a coincidence? He's not exactly sure at this point. He would need some more information before he assumes anything.
"What did you give them?" Ikkaku asked.
"Does it matter?"
"Nah, I guess not. If you want us to check in on them, then we'll do so. I much rather fight a hollow, but whatever. How often should we visit and for how long?"
"Just every couple of days is fine. Everyday might be a little overbearing. And for how long is up in the air right now. So, until further notice, I guess."
"Seems reasonable. Plus, it's not like we have anything else going on except hanging around doing nothing and training."
Kisuke smirks.
"I'm sure it must be boring for you two."
Ikkaku scuffs. "That's an understatement."
"You have Mizuho to keep you entertained, Ikkaku," Yumichika said, with his nose wrinkling.
His friend groans as a tinge of pink swept along his nose.
"It's not like that. I'm not interested in her, anyway."
Yumichika could tell Ikkaku wanted to say more but refrained himself. He even noticed the faraway gaze.
Who is he thinking about? He won't ask, though.
"I'm sure it's not. She is the first woman to show affection towards you and has a thing for men with shaven heads. Given the fact our division is predominantly males, there are hardly any attractive females to fawn over. Which I couldn't care less. So, you're lucky there is someone remotely interested in you."
"Yeah, that's true, but Goldilocks expressing her attraction towards you is your first, too," he jabs with a disappointed frown. "She digs your feathers and has a thing for guys with dark hair. Who's lucky now?"
Yumichika bit his tongue and grew red in the cheeks.
She'll just be wasting her time, he said to himself almost bitterly, yet sadly.
"Did they provide an address so we can visit them?" Yumichika asked, choosing to end the discussion.
"Of course," Kisuke replies quickly as he pulled out a napkin with writing on it, smirking.
Ikkaku reached for the napkin, but his hand was slapped away.
"Hey!"
Yumichika ignored him. He gently took the napkin in his hand and peered at the address. He froze while trying not to tremble when he recognized the address.
What the hell? This is Generous Beauty's address, he said to himself.
He felt Ikkaku lean over to peer at the address they were given, but quickly hid it from his view.
"I'll designate myself as the person to look after them," he says calmly.
"Huh? Why should you do it?"
"I arrived much too late to the meeting. I'll consider this as punishment, since Captain Hitsugaya has something in mind for me."
"Yeah, night patrol," Ikkaku comments.
"Oh, how fun. Besides, Ikkaku, you might come across as intimidating to them since you have such a desirable personality. It would be better if someone like me who is fairer and approachable to look after a stranger."
Kisuke gaped at him.
"Um, that really isn't necessary, Yumichika."
"No, it is, Mr. Urahara, sir."
Ikkaku leans forward to get a better view of Yumichika's seriousness.
"Since when are you willing to take on a special assignment? Who does he want us to look after?"
Yumichika rolled his eyes.
"As Captain Zaraki would put it, I have nothing better to do. Tardiness is inexcusable and deserves a reprimand. Being a bodyguard for someone should be sufficient … along with night patrol. Furthermore, they didn't provide a name, just an address. So, their identity is unknown."
Taking this assignment alone will give me some time to figure out the connection between Urahara and Generous Beauty. And to figure out where she took the arrancar, he thought.
"Are you sure you want to take on the task on your own?" Kisuke asked.
"Of course," he replies momentarily, then stuffs the napkin in his pocket. "I'll visit them later this evening to introduce myself. Hopefully, I won't be there for too long."
"I'm sure they wouldn't want you around too long anyway, buddy. You can be a little much."
Yumichika made a sound through puckered lips and turned a shade of red.
"And wouldn't you want to exchange formalities after we're done here? Well, after reporting to Captain Hitsugaya."
Yumichika gives him a look.
"Duh, it is a workweek, Ikkaku. They're most likely at work right now. The best time to visit would be an hour or two after they return from an exhausting day. It's called common courtesy."
Ikkaku deadpans.
"When are you ever courteous?" He mumbled.
Yumichika stuck his tongue out at him.
Kisuke stares at Yumichika briefly before shooting him a soft smile.
"Thank you for taking on the task. I'm sure they'll be in excellent hands with you there. I mean, you are one of the strongest in the squad."
The fifth seat shinigami grinned.
"That I am. And don't worry, I'll try to be nice to them."
"Oh, you better. They may seem sweet and meek on the outside, but they have one hell of a temper."
Yumichika just grins, refusing to say anything because he knew better. He needs to keep his knowledge about Hiromi a secret. Ikkaku doesn't need to know that it is Hiromi they are assigned to look after. His friend doesn't even need to know he is working an angle, either. He'll may put on a show in front of the others to make them wonder why he is friendly with her, but they won't know his true motive.
The only thing is, Yumichika doesn't know how his plan will affect Hiromi and himself.
Updated 12/29/2023.
Chapter Rewrite with brand new content
A/N: Sorry it took me a bit to update. I was stuck on how to transition one scene to another. I had to split this up because I had too much going on in one chapter.
I should have chapter 12 updated by next week. Chapters 13 and 14 are pretty much done. I will be working on 15 since it's a complete revision.
Happy New Year!
Update 08/01/2024
Added and fixed a few things