Human World, Karakura Town.
"We're leaving!" Ichigo shouted as he walked out of the house with Ren.
The two of them had taken the day off and stayed home with the family, spending almost all their time playing video games.
"Don't forget, lunch is on you today," Ren said with a mocking smile, staring at Ichigo, who had lost their bet and therefore had to treat him to lunch.
"I know, no need to remind me every half hour," Ichigo grumbled. Not only had he failed to beat Ren in any game—whether fighting games, racing, or even soccer—but what frustrated him the most was losing the extra money he had painfully earned from the stingy old man due to the bet with Ren.
"... " Ichigo stared at the sky, feeling like crying without tears. It was clear he was treated the worst in the whole house, always receiving the least money and being the first to be assigned chores.
As for Ren, he always got the money he wanted, was rarely scolded, and was hardly ever asked to do heavy work except on rare occasions.
"Save your sad act for another time, Drama Queen," Ren said without hesitation, mocking Ichigo, and gave him a hard slap on the back of the head. "Remember, Inoue and the others are already waiting for us."
Everyone had agreed to go out and explore the city today, as it had been a long time since the atmosphere had been this calm.
The group going out included the Kurosaki twins (Ren and Ichigo), Inoue, Chad, Ishida, Rukia, Miko, Mizuiro, Keigo, Tatsuki, and Saki.
Ren had invited Ayase Saki and Yotsuya Miko to help them make friends, as the two girls were mostly alone and each had only one friend.
"I already know," Ichigo muttered, annoyed by the nickname, but he didn't say much, knowing that if he paid attention, Ren would never stop teasing him.
"By the way, how's it going with Zangetsu?" After feeling satisfied from mocking Ichigo, Ren asked something serious, genuinely curious. After helping Ichigo get rid of Yhwach's will, they hadn't really talked about it.
"It's fine. I don't reject him anymore like before, and it seems he's recognized me as the king, a little," Ichigo said with a sarcastic smile. In the end, he and Zangetsu were one person, meaning Zangetsu's annoying personality was also part of him. "I even came to an understanding with Old Zangetsu. For me, both of them are Zangetsu."
"You're really strange, man," Ren said with a weird look at Ichigo, as if staring at an alien, then decided to ignore it. Although Ichigo had rid himself of Yhwach's will, it wasn't entirely—he had removed Yhwach's identity but allowed him to remain as Zangetsu.
Or rather, it was Mikazuki who did it. According to her, Yhwach's will in Ichigo abandoned being the Quincy King and chose to stay with Ichigo, supporting him after the battle. This severed the link between Ichigo and Yhwach and allowed him to remain as Zangetsu.
However, Ren and Mikazuki did not fully trust Old Zangetsu, so they kept a safeguard in place. If at any moment he tried to obstruct or harm Ichigo, his consciousness would be destroyed irreversibly.
This was also a way to respect Ichigo's wishes, as he did not want to see Old Zangetsu, who had fought alongside him for so long, disappear—especially since the other party had never harmed him and had even saved him on several occasions.
"I don't want to hear that from you," Ichigo scoffed, glaring at Ren with an arrogant, nasty look. "At least you're not a womanizer going on dates even with your Zanpakutō Spirit like some people."
"Oh! I smell sour jealousy in the air," Ren replied, approaching Ichigo with a slightly contemptuous smile. "Could it be that you're jealous because my Zanpakutō Spirit is an incredibly beautiful woman while you're stuck with a middle-aged man, and a clone of yourself loves to hit you?"
"Who would be jealous of something like that! Keep dreaming!" Ichigo shouted in apparent annoyance, but his heart ached inside. Ren had hit the mark precisely—I also want my Zanpakutō Spirit to be an incredibly beautiful woman.
Despite these inner thoughts, Ichigo showed no expression, needing to maintain his dignity and unable to cry in front of his younger twin brother.
In truth, Ichigo had been jealous of Ren for a long time. Since childhood, Ren had been more handsome and popular, even though they were twins. As they grew older, many girls and women approached him only to get closer to Ren. After meeting Rukia and gaining Shinigami powers, Ren became even more handsome, causing more girls and women to shy away from Ichigo, who looked like a telephone pole beside the road, unnoticed.
"If you're feeling jealous, how about getting yourself one or two girlfriends?" Seeing Ichigo sulking, Ren stopped mocking him and put his arm around the other's neck, giving advice like an experienced man. "You're dense. It's obvious Inoue has feelings for you. She's beautiful, so why not try dating her? There are also other beautiful girls in our class and school."
"... " Ichigo was shocked to hear his twin's audacious words. He wanted to stop him but swallowed his words, taking Ren's advice seriously, as Ren was a veteran in this area, having dated at least dozens of women.
The twins walked toward the train station to meet their friends, with Ichigo listening to Ren explain the way to a woman's heart, taking mental notes.
"The most important thing with women is appearance. Look at me—many women come to me without me doing anything because of my looks," Ren said arrogantly. "And although you're not as handsome as me, you're not bad either. You're a first-class man in terms of face and overall appearance."
"... " Hearing his brother boast about his handsome appearance, Ichigo could only glare at him disgustedly. It stabbed at the place Ichigo hated most. They were twins, after all; Ren had been born by consuming Ichigo's flesh and blood, yet the difference between them was immense.
Could this bastard have stolen all the good genes when he stole my flesh and blood? Ichigo thought. It seemed entirely plausible—Ren could do that, smiling and laughing without feeling guilty.
...
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