Karakura Town — At a quiet family restaurant near the city center.
The lights were warm, and the place was filled with soft laughter and the clinking of spoons against plates. Isshin sat at a round table near the window, dressed in a simple shirt and dark pants, glancing every now and then at the main door with a hint of nervousness, while Karin and Yuzu sat across from him.
"Dad, are you nervous?" — Yuzu asked curiously as she set her spoon down, her wide eyes fixed on him.
"Huh? No, no… just thinking about something." — Isshin replied with a smile, though he failed to fully mask the tension in his voice.
Yuzu gave him a puzzled look, while Karin lazily rested her arm behind her head and said:
"If you're about to tell us you're getting married or something, do it before the food arrives."
Isshin stared at her in surprise for a moment before chuckling nervously.
"Hahaha… You always hit the mark, Karin."
Yuzu raised her eyebrows. "Wait, you're… joking, right?"
"Actually, no." — Isshin said more calmly this time. He sat up straight and took a deep breath — "I've been thinking about this for a long time. It's not because I've forgotten your mother… but because I want to live in the present, and give you as balanced a family as possible."
A moment of silence followed.
Karin stared at her glass of water without speaking, while Yuzu looked at her father with a mix of surprise and unease.
"Do we… know her?" — Yuzu mumbled.
"You might not remember her well, but you met her once when you were little. Her name is Tsukiko… She worked in the medical field, just like your mother always cared for people."
"Is she nice?" — Karin finally asked, her voice notably softer.
Isshin smiled gently.
"She's someone who's been through hard times, like us. She has children of her own, and she understands what loss means. And most importantly… she's not trying to replace your mother."
Yuzu lowered her head, sighed softly, and said:
"I'm… not against the idea. It's been years, and you've worked so hard for us. I think you deserve a new chance."
Even though Isshin always acted like a fool and didn't seem like a responsible person, everyone knew how much effort he'd put into raising four children and making up for the loss of their mother — all while silently grieving his wife himself.
As for Karin, she finally gave a faint smile and said in a calm but firm voice:
"As long as she's not trying to be Masaki… I don't mind."
Before Isshin could respond, the restaurant door opened with a soft chime, and their eyes instinctively turned toward it.
A woman stood at the entrance, dressed modestly and simply. Her dark-blonde hair was tied in a small ponytail resting on her shoulder, and her calm green eyes searched for something — or someone.
"Hah, I think… she's here." — Isshin muttered as he stood up.
Tsukiko approached with quiet steps, a soft smile playing on her lips. As she neared the table, she gave a small bow and said:
"Good evening, Karin-chan… Yuzu-chan. You've both grown so much."
Yuzu responded with a shy smile, while Karin replied in a neutral tone:
"Good evening… Tsukiko-san."
They all sat down.
They sat quietly, as if trying to adjust to this new configuration of the family table.
Tsukiko spoke gently, asking about school, what Yuzu liked about her classes lately, and posed light questions to Karin about her football training, while Isshin observed the interactions with eyes filled with both anticipation and hope.
Despite Karin's reserved demeanor, her answers weren't sharp or hostile — just brief. Yuzu seemed more willing to talk, though her words were cautious… as if testing Tsukiko with every sentence.
While Tsukiko chuckled softly at one of Karin's sarcastic comments—
The doorbell rang again gently, and Ichigo and Ren entered quietly.
Ichigo gave a quick glance at the table, and his steps paused for a second when his eyes landed on the woman sitting beside Isshin. Then he offered a faint, tense smile and walked forward.
Ren lingered at the entrance for a moment, his eyes calmly moving between Tsukiko and Isshin before silently following his brother.
"You're here!" — Yuzu said with soft excitement, waving at them.
Ichigo sat beside Karin, while Ren sat next to Yuzu without saying a word, only casting a brief glance toward Tsukiko before turning his face to the side and slowly taking off his jacket.
"Tsukiko-san, these are Ichigo and Ren." — Isshin said with a calm smile that carried a touch of restrained tension.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both again." — Tsukiko said softly, then added with a gentle smile — "You've grown a lot…"
Ichigo nodded with a slight polite smile and said:
"Yeah… it's been a while."
Ren remained silent, only giving a barely noticeable nod.
Conversation slowly resumed its natural flow. They exchanged surface-level questions about school, sports, the weather — and even a few light-hearted jokes from Isshin that earned a trademark sigh from Karin, which helped ease some of the tension.
But beneath the soft laughter, something hidden lingered.
There were no questions. No objections.
Yet Ren was listening closely. And every time Tsukiko laughed or spoke kindly about some detail of family life, he turned his gaze to the window — as if something inside him was trying to adapt to what was happening… without resistance, but not quite accepting it either.
Ichigo, on the other hand, would occasionally glance at his father in silence, then at Tsukiko — as though trying to form his opinion without rushing.
And they all realized — without needing to say it — that this wasn't the end of something, but merely the beginning.
"I'll go to the restroom for a bit." — Ren said as he stood up. He wasn't too comfortable with the now-warming atmosphere. Luckily, he wore a blindfold that concealed the complex emotions in his eyes.
"Don't take too long. Tsukiko-san's daughters will be arriving soon — I want to introduce them to you." — Isshin said, staring knowingly at his son. It was clear Ren was lying — he was heading out to get some fresh air and clear his mind.
"Alright." — Ren nodded indifferently as he walked away from the table. He wasn't against Isshin's decision to remarry, but he needed some time to organize his thoughts properly.
As he walked out, he passed by two other tables going through similarly complex situations. At the first table sat a boy with brown hair and green eyes and a scar under his right eye, along with a man who resembled him but was older, had two facial scars, wore glasses, and smoked with indifference.
The other table was made up of a beautiful woman and a girl who resembled her, alongside a man and a teenage boy. Ren recognized one of them — the woman was Ayase Akiko, owner of a small café where he worked part-time. Her daughter, Ayase Saki, was his classmate.
"…" — As he glanced at the table with the mother and daughter, his (emotionally implied) gaze met Saki's violet eyes — even though his own were hidden behind the blindfold.
Ren didn't stop. He nodded politely and kept walking — he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone he knew right now, even if the other party was going through something similar.
...
To get more chapters please visit my p@treon :
p@treon.com/Akasaki_Ryujin
For support :
https://ko-fi.com/akasaki_ryujin