When two dudes, who've known each other for a long while and hasn't spoken to each other for months, what would they do?
It was as if time had slowed down. The world turned unnaturally dark and dramatic. The wind stopped blowing. Even the birds went silent.
Both Zenkichi and Ichigo walked up to each other, their bangs hiding their eyes and overall expressions, radiating pure tension.
Seiko and Medaka looked at them with furrowed brows, sensing the strange, heavy atmosphere. Their fingers twitched, ready to intervene if things escalated.
Zenkichi stopped a few steps away.
Ichigo stopped as well.
'That guy...' Medaka tilted her head, feeling a sense of familiarity from the orange haired boy. 'Isn't he...?'
The air grew thicker.
Then, in perfect sync, both of them raised their right fists.
Dap!
A solid, manly dap, palm to palm, echoed through the quiet morning street.
The dramatic tension instantly shattered. Seiko and Medaka stared at the boys with a deadpanned expression.
They both shared a glance.
'Boys...'
"Yo, Ichigo. Long time no see." Zenkichi grinned.
Ichigo smirked back, "Yeah! I haven't seen you for a while... You look like shit, man. But then again, when have I ever seen you look clean?"
"Can't deny that! Hahaha!"
"So I wasn't wrong," Medaka said aloud, walking up to them with Rukia on her back. "I thought you looked familiar. You were one of Zenkichi's friends I've seen back in middle school."
Ichigo blinked, releasing the bro dap. "Yeah, that's right. Hold on, who are you? And what happened to Rukia?!"
"Well, to cut it short. Ichigo? Medaka. Medaka? Ichigo." Zenkichi said, gesturing between them casually.
"Ah, I remember you now. Nice to meet you again, Ichigo Kurosaki." Medaka gave Ichigo a polite, measured nod.
Ichigo's face was drained of all colors the moment he heard her name. But he quickly tried to calm himself when the others shot him a strange look.
"K-Kurokami, n-nice to meet you again," he gave a stiff reply, not meeting her eyes before glaring at Zenkichi.
'What's with this guy's response—ah.' Zenkichi was confused for a moment, before recalling his middle school days.
Ichigo was one of the first guys he befriended and recruited into his ambition of becoming the overlord of Japan. They went through hell and back, even hardened Yakuza bosses couldn't make them blink.
But the day Zenkichi and his bros fought against Medaka, when he wanted to get back at that bastard who had been hurting her, it didn't end very well.
Case in point—Ichigo's hands could be seen visibly shaking despite Medaka's calm demeanor.
"Well, this is unexpected. How do you guys know each other?" Seiko stepped in with a curious gaze though she momentarily glanced to the side, meeting Medaka's gaze as she looked at her with a suspicious look.
"We knew each other back in middle school." Zenkichi said, since it wasn't a secret. Ichigo nodded in agreement.
Seiko's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh. Condolences in your early passing," she said, pressing her hands together in a prayer.
The trio were shocked by her words.
"...Huh?" Zenkichi turned to Ichigo, dumbfounded.
Ichigo waved his hnads "Don't look at me! I have no idea what she's talking about either!"
"....You were a good person in life, Ichigo Kurosaki." Medaka could only bow her head towards Ichigo. "I'll be sure to visit your family and offer my condolences."
"Damn man, I..." Zenkichi covered his face with his hand, looking like he was about to cry. "You were one of my best friends..."
"I have to admit, you're quite a genius if you're already an active Shinigami in the Human World in less than a century of training. I haven't heard something like that ever happening," Seiko said, remaining nonchalant through it all and putting out her cigarette.
A popping vein appeared on Ichigo's forehead and he couldn't take it anymore, "I'M NOT FREAKING DEAD!!"
He then gave an explanation of how he became a Shinigami.
It started out simple; a hollow got into his house and as he was on the verge of death trying to stop its rampage, Rukia appeared to save his life but it ended up with her seriously injured and both surrounded with several Hollows. Left without a choice, she decided to give him half of her Shinigami temporarily to stop the Hollows.
But strangely, the moment he touched her blade, he suddenly became a Shinigami without even borrowing her powers yet!
"So yeah, that's what happened to me. Rukia had long since recovered but stayed around to help train me into a proper Shinigami before she goes back to Soul Society or whatever to report about my situation.
I really want to get into this whole mess, but these things keep appearing around my neighborhood and they'd one day attack one of sisters or friends. I want to have the power to protect them so... I'll keep on being a Shinigami." Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, feeling a tad embarassed of his reasoning to keep being a Shinigami.
"That..." Zenkichi and the others stared at Ichigo speechlessly.
Seiko shook her head and said, "That still doesn't explain how you became a Shinigami and trust me brat, becoming a Shinigami ain't that easy. Your situation is going to get a whole lot more difficult in the coming future."
"Pssh, as if you know what you're talking about." Ichigo crossed his arms at her.
She shrugged, "Hey, don't say I didn't warn ya."
"Dude...you're still the same as ever huh?!" Zenkichi bust out laughing, sneaking his arm around Ichigo's neck.
"S-Shut up! What about you! The hell happened to you?"
"Eh, same shit different day kinda thing."
Ichigo stared at him with a fish eye expression. "I'm pretty sure this goes beyond the usual shit we used to deal with back in middle school."
"You sure?" Zenkichi grinned, letting go of Ichigo as he turned towards a rooftop to see a small cursed spirit lurking around.
He picked up a rock, pulling on his lewd energy, he coated the rock with his energy and flung the rock at the cursed spirit. The rock shot out like a .50 cal bullet and obliterated cursed spirit in an instant.
"Cause these hollows, cursed spirits, kegare and whatever the fuck else there is that I faced just feels the usual thugs we dealt with."
Seiko whistled, Medaka's eyes lit up, and Ichigo sweatdropped. "I'm pretty sure that's not the same."
"They use fists, kicks, blades, clubs, and they smell like shit. What makes them different?"
"..." Ichigo opened his mouth and closed it after a moment of thought. "Huh. I've never thought about that."
"Alright brat, stop corrupting your friend." Seiko stepped in from behind Zenkichi, delivering a sharp chop on the back of his head. Ignoring his cry of pain, she turned to "So? What's going to happen to the unconscious squirt? You taking her, strawberry?"
"The name's Ichigo," his eyes twitched at the orange word. Zenkichi suppressed a laugh, knowing well how 'sensitive' he was to being called strawberry. Medaka slightly knew about it through rumors back in middle school and she looked at him amusedly.
"...I'll take her with me. I know the place she's staying at but I recommend you guys don't go to it."
"Is it that dangerous?" Zenkichi asked.
Ichigo shook his head, a strange look appeared in his eyes. "No, it... It isn't that dangerous. But the owner of the place is just weird."
Zenkichi and Medaka shared a look, trying to figure out if they knew a place with a weird guy owning it.
....Unfortunately, there were just too many places like that in the city. No, especially Japan.
Seiko raised an eyebrow, she had an inkling of who Ichigo was talking about and asked, "Does this "owner" you're talking about have a candy shop with two kids, large moustache looking guy, and a black usually around the place?"
Ichigo was surprised. "Wait, you know hat-and-clogs?!"
"As expected, it's that guy." Seiko sighed exasperatedly and turned to the others. "Don't worry. Despite the guy looking like he'd kidnap kids—"
'What?' Zenkichi and Medaka tilted their heads. While Ichigo nodded his head off, agreeing with every word being said about "hat-and-clogs".
"—he's capable and trustworthy. If there's anyone in this city I'd trust keeping a Shinigami safe, it's him."
Zenkichi nodded and gestured to Medaka to hand Rukia over to Ichigo, only for Seiko to cut in and grab Rukia into her arms in a princess carry.
"I'll bring her over to that guy's place. Coincidentally, I have some business with him." she walked up to Zenkichi leaned into his ear, slightly smirking as she whispered.
"We'll meet again kid. Hopefully, it'll just be you and me." she finished it off by lightly pecking his cheek, leaving a faint trace of lipstick and the smell of cigarettes. "Take care of yourself, brat."
Zenkichi froze, not because of the kiss she gave him, but because of the intense stare he was getting from Medaka.
As a bystander, Ichigo saw it all clearly and the drama unfolding. And as any true bro would do... he gave him a thumbs up with a annoying smirk on his face.
"See ya later bro! I gotta go check on Rukia and talk to hat-and-clogs as well!"
"Hey wait—!" Zenkichi had just raised his arm when a hand gripped his shoulder.
"Zenkichi. I have so many questions for you right now," Medaka said, leaning into his ear as he started sweating. "But there's something far more important that we have to do."
"A-And that is...?"
She smiled and reached out her hand down below, grabbing the slumbering dragon and stirred it back to life.
"We weren't done~"
Zenkichi trembled.
The mind was tired.
The body aches.
But his dragon was still roaring to go!
'Dear lord, let me rest—!!'
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AN: I have returned!!? I'm sorry for the late updates. Life just...got in the way.
Long story short, I'm back in school for the new term and...my schedule is fucking wacked, especially since it starts so early. Fyi, I am not a morning person. I need two cups of coffee to keep me awake.
Anyways, I'm just here to say that this isn't put in a hiatus or dropped. The updates would be sporadic and slow for a while. Thanks for keeping up with this story everyone!