"I-It wasn't on purpose! I swear!" Ichigo stammered, still frozen in place.
Tatsuki raised a brow, clearly unconvinced.
"Oh yeah? Then what's your hand doing right now?"
That's when Ichigo finally realized—his hand was still…
Firmly. Gripping.
With lightning speed, he leapt off her, face turning redder than a ripe tomato.
What the hell is happening today?!
But what caught him even more off guard…
Was that Tatsuki was stacked.
Short hair, tough exterior, boyish vibe—but underneath?
C+ at minimum.
(Note: Blame character sheet 98. Not the author. Tatsuki ≠ Rukia.)
Tatsuki, meanwhile, pretended like nothing happened. Calmly smoothing her wrinkled clothes, she sat at the far end of the bed.
Ichigo sat on the opposite edge. The air between them grew awkwardly quiet.
But inside, neither of them was calm.
After a long silence, Ichigo took a breath and sat up.
"…Tatsuki. That really was an accident. I swear."
Tatsuki sat up too and nodded.
"I believe you, Ichigo."
After all, they'd known each other for years. If there was anyone who truly understood Ichigo's character, it was her.
But then she added, a bit more seriously:
"Ichigo, if you keep calling me 'Tatsuki' like this… then you need to think carefully about what that means for us."
"If you're not sure… you can always go back to calling me by my name."
She stood up, heart pounding like crazy. For someone as direct and fearless as Tatsuki, those words held weight.
She turned to leave.
Ichigo instinctively reached out and caught her hand.
Tatsuki paused, staring into his eyes.
"Tatsuki… I've already made up my mind."
"I know exactly what I want."
Hearing his firm tone, her lips curled into a soft smile, eyes glittering with joy.
"I should get going." She gently pulled her hand away.
"Not staying a little longer?" Ichigo asked, a bit disappointed.
"Can't. I've got karate class, remember? I skipped just to check on you." She gave him a playful wink.
"Alright, let me walk you out."
They headed downstairs together, footsteps slow, as if reluctant to separate.
"Ichigo, if you keep walking me like this, we'll end up at karate class," she teased with a chuckle.
"…Right." Ichigo scratched his head, sheepish. I really do look like an NPC escort mission right now.
Then—Tatsuki leaned up, planted a quick kiss on his cheek, and whispered:
"Okay. Go back now, pervert. I'm leaving."
With hands behind her back and a little tune on her lips, she walked away like the sun had risen just for her.
Ichigo stood frozen, stunned.
"That girl… she doesn't play fair!"
He called after her, "I'll come find you tomorrow!"
"Got it!" Tatsuki waved without turning back.
That's the thing about childhood friends—once that step is taken,
the relationship changes fast.
Unless, of course, they both refuse to move at all.
Still grinning like an idiot, Ichigo returned home.
"Alright! Time to train hard today!"
(Zangetsu: "You mean… start training, right?")
...
Inner World
"Zangetsu-ossan! I'm back!" Ichigo shouted as he entered.
Zangetsu gave him a long look.
"You're in a good mood today."
Ichigo blinked. "Wait, you can see that?"
"This is your inner world. Its appearance shifts with your emotions. A sky like this—clear and bright—means your heart is light today."
"Whoa… that's kinda awesome!"
Zangetsu smirked. "Enough talk. Today, I'll teach you how to use the power within your body."
"I'm ready!" Ichigo said with a pumped fist.
But suddenly—
"Oi, oi, oi! You said I get first dibs!"
A cocky, snarling voice rang out.
White smoke spiraled at Zangetsu's feet—forming into a mirror-image Ichigo, completely white, eyes gleaming with madness.
White Ichigo.
Ichigo gasped. "Wha—who are you?!"
The doppelgänger grinned. "What's wrong, Ichigo? Don't recognize your old buddy?"
Ichigo frowned. "Am I… supposed to?"
That made White Ichigo burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
Ichigo blinked, brows furrowed. "Did I say something funny?"
"Nah… I just felt like laughing." He waved it off.
Then he leaned in closer, eyes sharp.
"I'm Zangetsu."
Ichigo tilted his head. "Oh. So you're Zangetsu too?"
"…Huh?"
White Ichigo froze.
Just like that? No questions? No resistance?
He wasn't expecting Ichigo to accept him so casually.
But hey—Ichigo didn't know any better. He hadn't seen the real form of Zangetsu yet. No lectures. No lectures on Zanpakutō only having one spirit. No Soul Society logic. Nothing.
So if someone looked like him and said "I'm Zangetsu,"
Ichigo saw no reason not to believe it.
Even OG Zangetsu was left speechless by how easygoing Ichigo was about the whole thing.
Finally, to break the awkward tension, OG Zangetsu gave his counterpart a nod.
"Fine. He's yours. Train him."
White Ichigo cracked his knuckles, grinning wide.
"I'll put him through hell, don't you worry."
Ichigo, however, looked thrilled.
"Then I'm counting on you, White Zangetsu!"
(End of Chapter)
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