Time passed, and life settled into a routine.
School was normal. After classes, I went straight home and started cooking bento to sell. I only took orders from school, and my small takeout shop operated out of my parents' garage. My bento always sold out, and the store's hours depended entirely on me.
Living alone was fine—I could handle everything myself, from cleaning to cooking. Ichigo sometimes bought my bento and even admitted it was good.
I played games occasionally, but nothing too frustrating—definitely not Battletoads. I figured I'd wait until the PS3 or PS4 or a decent PC game came out before seriously getting back into gaming. That would take a while, but I could wait.
Ichigo had plenty of friends, but I didn't talk to most of them. Take Orihime, for example—the orange-haired girl. I had a rough conversation with her back when her brother died in the clinic. Then there was Chad—well, Sado. But seriously, why was his name Chad? Probably because of his looks. It made sense, though—he had that manly aura, even back in Mashiba Junior High. Still, I was stronger, even if I wasn't as tall as him. My muscles were thicker, denser—like iron.
Ichigo used to get into fights a lot because of his hair color. Now that I think about it, what's so unusual about it? There are plenty of people with colored hair here. But in my old world, natural hair was always black. Then again, this is a world where ghosts exist, and it's set in Japan, so yeah… definitely an anime or manga world.
At least the brand names of everything were the same as in my original world.
I often felt the urge to sing songs from the future, but I held back. I didn't want to mess with the timeline or take credit for something I didn't create. So, I only sang when I was completely alone.
Anyway, back to what I was saying—Chad once saved Ichigo when he got into a fight with some thugs. When the thugs turned on Chad, Ichigo saved him in return, and they became friends. I never bothered to ask for the full story. It didn't matter to me. I didn't step in—I wasn't interested in getting involved. We were friends, but not that close. Ichigo understood my nature, so he never pushed it.
There were also two of Ichigo's friends whose names I never bothered to remember. For some reason, they were terrified of me. Meh, whatever.
Then there was Tatsuki. Back in Mashiba Junior High, after I quit gaming, she always took the chance to spar with me. And she always lost. I never let her win—not even once. But she never got discouraged. If anything, she was just happy to have a sparring partner stronger than her.
Weird. If I were in her position, I'd be pissed.
Maybe that's what it means to be truly mature.
...
Time passed.
One day, I decided to walk to school with Ichigo, carrying a ridiculous amount of stuff.
Ichigo glanced at me and frowned. "What the hell are you carrying? That looks heavy."
"Bento," I replied casually. "I'm selling them now. I even take orders at school."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Wait, does the teacher even allow that?"
"He sure does," I smirked. "My bento is delicious. He even orders from me sometimes. The ones I sell are way better than the ones from the supermarket."
"Wow," Ichigo said, impressed. "That must be tough."
"Not really. I enjoy it. Someday soon, I'll own my own restaurant. I won't just sell bento—I'll sell much more than that."
Ichigo gave me a small nod. "Well, I hope your dream comes true."
As we walked, I noticed the yellow flower in his bag. "Say… why are you carrying that? Got a date? Let me guess—Orihime?"
"What? No! No way!" Ichigo quickly denied. "This is for the ghost girl I saw yesterday."
I let out a chuckle. "Looks like I'm not the only one with a job. You're an exorcist now? So, how's the pay?"
"It's not a job," Ichigo muttered. "I do it for myself. And obviously, I don't get paid for it."
"Man, I don't get why you always do this kind of thing," I shrugged. "I can see them too, but I'd rather not get involved. The dead are dead. I'd rather not mix with the living."
"Like I said, I do it for myself."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."
Ichigo's gaze shifted toward my neck. "Hey, do you always carry that camera around?"
"Of course," I said. "You never know when you'll capture an amazing moment."
"You know, that's actually crazy," Ichigo said. "When I take a picture, ghosts don't show up in the photo. But when you take one, they do. Man, I'm jealous of that ability."
I smirked. "Well, too bad. Nothing you can do about it."
"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo sighed. "Anyway, here we are. This is where I saw the ghost girl before."
Ichigo stepped forward and called out, "Hey! I'm here!"
Before I could question him, a sharp scream rang through the air. Ichigo's expression changed instantly.
"I know that voice!" he shouted before sprinting toward the sound.
"Hey! You don't know if it's dangerous!" I yelled, but he didn't stop.
"If you're coming, then come! If not, stay back!" he called over his shoulder.
I hesitated. Business or friend? Business or friend?
"FUCK IT." If there was something interesting to photograph, I wasn't going to miss it. I quickly stashed my bento in a safe spot and took off after Ichigo.
"HEY, WAIT FOR ME! IF THIS GETS TOO DANGEROUS AND I CAN'T HELP YOU, I'M ABANDONING YOU! NO HARD FEELINGS, RIGHT?"
Ichigo scoffed. "WHATEVER. YOU REALLY ARE THE WORST FRIEND."
Then—BOOM!
The ground shook from an explosion, and as we rounded the corner, we saw it.
A fucking giant monster.
Ichigo's eyes widened. "What the hell is that?!"
Grinning, I lifted my camera and snapped a picture. Click. "A giant monster. I knew I'd get something interesting today!"
"I wish you were wrong," Ichigo muttered. "But this time… you're actually right. And I gotta say, I'm impressed you still have time to take a damn picture."
"The monster hasn't noticed us yet," I pointed out. "Prime photography time."
Right on cue, the ghost girl we had been looking for ran past us, screaming.
Now the monster definitely noticed us.
"Shit," I muttered.
"Great!" I shouted as the monster roared and charged straight at us. "Now it's coming our way! I blame you if we die!"
"WHY ARE YOU BLAMING ME?!" Ichigo snapped. "YOU CAME ON YOUR OWN!"
"WHATEVER! JUST RUN!"
Ichigo quickly asked the ghost girl if she knew anything about the monster, but she was just as clueless as us.
I focused on running, but I still managed to snap one more picture before stuffing my camera away.
Then, just our luck—the ghost girl tripped and fell.
Ichigo skidded to a stop and rushed to help her up.
I groaned. "WHY ARE YOU HELPING HER? AND WHY CAN'T SHE JUST FLY?!"
"I DON'T KNOW WHY SHE CAN'T FLY!" Ichigo shot back. "SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT EITHER! AND YOU KNOW I CAN'T ABANDON SOMEONE GOOD IN FRONT OF ME!"
"MAN, YOUR STUPID HERO COMPLEX SHE'S A FREAKING GHOST FOR GOD SAKE!" I grumbled.
I ran back, grabbed both Ichigo and the ghost girl, and hoisted them up. "I don't even care about the logic of how I can hold a freaking ghost right now—LET'S GO!"
With both of them in my arms, my speed was significantly slower.
"Man, is carrying a ghost always this heavy, or is the girl just fat?"
"I am not fat!" the girl snapped.
The monster roared and swung its massive mantis-like arm down at us.
I glanced back, gritted my teeth, and braced for impact.
"I CURSE YOU, ICHIGO!"
Ichigo, still in my arms, shouted back, "WHY MEEEEEE?!"
Just as the attack was about to land, a figure in a black kimono suddenly soared through the air.
With a swift motion, she drew her sword, her blade flashing under the moonlight even though is still at day now. In two precise strike, she sliced clean through the monster.
The beast let out a final, gurgling screech before vanishing into nothing.
Silence filled the air.
I exhaled and quickly dropped Ichigo and the ghost girl.
"Ow! Damn it!" Ichigo groaned.
"Ouch!" the ghost girl yelped.
I didn't care. Instead, I grabbed my camera and snapped a picture of the mysterious swordswoman.
Ichigo shot me an incredulous look. "Man, I swear, your reaction speed when it comes to taking pictures is insane. And can you please stop blaming me for everything? Also, why the hell did you drop us like a sack of potatoes?"
I ignored him.
Ichigo stood up, turning toward the girl who had saved us, clearly about to ask something—
But before he could speak, she simply walked away.
I checked my camera. I got the shot. She didn't seem to care. If anything, she acted like we weren't even there—like she thought we couldn't see her.
And then she was gone.
"...This was not how I expected my morning to go."
...
After that, Ichigo pulled a yellow flower from his bag and handed it to the girl. I had no idea how she was even able to hold it.
She took it, nodded, and simply said, "Thank you," before walking away.
Ichigo watched her leave, then turned to me with a smirk. "Guess you didn't abandon me after all. Maybe you're not the worst friend I have."
I crossed my arms. "I did consider abandoning you, but I figured I could make it through while carrying both of you. We're still friends, so I was confident I could pull it off… but yeah, that was a mistake. Lucky for us, a mysterious swordswoman swooped in to save the day. Bet she's a real exorcist—y'know, one with an actual job, unlike you. I wonder if she's part of a group. If she is, and the pay's good… I might just sign up."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. Anyway, did you get the picture?"
I smirked. "Of course. Want a copy?"
"Yeah," Ichigo said. Then he hesitated. "But if you're planning to release that picture to the public—don't."
I scoffed. "I never planned to. Even if it'd make me a ton of money, I don't want any unnecessary problems. She'd probably hunt me down if I leaked it."
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, you're totally right. Forget it. Just keep the picture to yourself—making even one copy is already risky."
I sighed. "Agreed."
Then Ichigo suddenly frowned. "Wait a minute… where did you leave your bento?"
I blinked. Then it hit me. "Crap, I left it at the pole where you originally planned to meet the ghost girl. Damn, I hope some animal hasn't gotten to it."
"Want me to help you?" Ichigo offered.
"Nah, you just go to school. I'll catch up later." Before Ichigo could say anything else, I quickly turned and sprinted back toward the spot.
...
When I arrived, my bento was scattered across the ground. At first, I thought an animal had gotten to it—but no. It was a group of thugs skipping school, sitting around, laughing, and stuffing their faces with my food.
I approached them from behind and asked, "Hey, is the bento delicious?"
One of them, still chewing, answered without looking up. "Yup, this is the best bento I've ever eaten."
Without hesitation, I grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground. His friends froze, eyes wide in shock.
"The hell's your problem?!" one of them shouted, pulling out a weapon. "Who do you think you are, attacking us out of nowhere?!"
I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders. "The owner of that bento. Those were paid orders. So here's the deal—I'll let all of you walk away if you hand over all your cash as compensation."
"LIKE HELL WE WILL!" they yelled before charging at me.
I sighed, took off my jacket, and then proceeded to beat them into a bloody pulp. Nothing too serious—no broken bones, no permanent damage. Just enough to make sure they never tried this shit again.
After they were sprawled out groaning on the ground, I pocketed their money. "Consider this bento insurance." I grabbed a cigarette and lighter from one of the thugs, lit it, and took a slow drag before exhaling.
"Don't worry, I didn't cripple any of you," I said casually, flicking ash onto the ground. "Just remember—don't take someone else's stuff ever again."
One of the thugs, shaking with rage, glared at me. 'We'll get you for this—' was probably what he was thinking.
I grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up so our faces were inches apart. With a crazed grin, I whispered, "Oh? You wanna bring backup? Go ahead. I don't care how many of you come. At least you're not that monster from earlier… not that you'd even understand what I'm talking about."
His face paled.
"But just so we're clear," I continued, my grin widening, "if you do come after me… I'll make sure to send you to your grave."
The thug's eyes rolled back, and he pissed himself before passing out. His friends, now utterly terrified, abandoned any thoughts of revenge.
I dropped him, dusted myself off, wiped the blood from my hands, and put my jacket back on.
With that, I turned on my heel and made my way to school, as if nothing had happened.
Ichigo stood nearby, arms crossed, having watched the entire scene unfold.
"Oh, you're still here?" I asked.
"Yeah, I wanted to help, you know."
I smirked. "Didn't need it. I can handle a few thugs."
Ichigo sighed. "Not talking about them. I meant the bento. Too bad, though."
I patted my pocket. "Don't worry, I already got the money."
Ichigo studied me for a moment before shaking his head. "You know, I've never seen you smile like that before… It was creepy as hell. And you're smoking? I thought you were only gonna try it once and never touch it again."
I took another slow drag and exhaled. "I only do this when someone really pisses me off—mostly enemies." Then I raised a brow. "And I'm pretty sure this is the first time you've actually seen me smoke. Just… don't tell the teacher. Consider it compensation for saving your ass."
Ichigo sighed. "Fine, I won't snitch. But seriously, you always forget stuff. Remember when you slept over at our house? Though, honestly, it felt more like you were scheming something just to crash at our place."
I frowned. "Wait… I did? Don't tell me this is gonna be another short flashback."
Ichigo smirked. "Nope. This time, it's a long story."
And with that, he began explaining.