5 Chapter 5 At the riverside

Learning karate from a world champion proved to be very useful. Ichigo learned many tips from him, and it looked like he took a liking to him and wanted to accept him as his disciple. Unfortunately. Ichigo had another goal. So he refused.

He suggested to him that he should take Tatsuki in because her talent in karate was much greater than his, which was bullshit.

Everyone knew about that. but they thought that he wanted to give this opportunity to his little girlfriend.

How cute.

"Y-You don't have to do it for me, Ichi."

Tatsuki blushed very hard when she saw everyone looking at them with a smile. Girls grow up faster than boys. She started to understand this kind of thing. And she didn't refuse when they called them a "cute little couple".

"But I want you to be the next world champion. Isn't that your dream? Tatsuki."

Tatsuki's heart swelled with warmth as she listened to Ichigo's words. She had always dreamed of becoming a world champion, but hearing him say it out loud for her made her feel something funny inside her stomach.

Everybody watched how cute they were. They couldn't help but be impressed by their adorable chemistry.

*Ka-chick*

A sound of a shutter clicked as someone took a photo of Tatsuki and Ichigo, capturing the genuine happiness of the event.

"Ka-chan?"

"Ara, Ichigo-chan got a cute girlfriend already. Am I going to be thrown away? Ka-chan is really sad."

"M-Masaki-san...T-This..."

Tatsuki didn't know what to say in this situation. She was so embarrassed that her face and ears became red like tomatoes. She looked at Ichigo, hoping he would say something. However, Ichigo remained silent.

The awkward silence hung in the air, and Tatsuki couldn't help but wonder if this would affect their friendship.

"I am not going to throw you away, Ka-chan. And don't mind them, Tatsuki."

Ichigo smiled at her. He didn't smile much but always smiled when he wanted to ease people's worries. Tatsuki felt a sense of relief wash over her as Ichigo's words reassured her. She realized that their friendship was strong enough to withstand any awkward moments or misunderstandings.

But there was something inside her that told her that she was stupid.

Masaki, as usual, when she heard her cute son say that, couldn't help but shove him up and hug him tightly.

Ichigo was already used to it, so he let his mother do whatever she wanted with him.

"It's already late. We should go back home, Ka-Chan. Tatsuki, do you want to come with us?"

Ichigo spoke to his mother, then to his friend. Tatsuki shook her head.

"My dad is going to pick me up after this. You don't have to worry and go home with Masaki-san."

"Why don't you call me mom? You are going to be one of my daughters in the future, after all."

"M-Masaki-san, T-That is inappropriate!"

Tatsuki blushed and stammered, feeling a mix of embarrassment and surprise at Ichigo's mother's comment. She quickly looked away, unsure of how to respond. Ichigo's mother laughed lightly, brushing off Tatsuki's discomfort.

"Oh, don't be so shy, dear. I was just teasing you."

She said it with a warm smile. Tatsuki sighed. No matter how many times she teases her. She couldn't help but feel a bit flustered by Ichigo's mother's playful nature.

"We are going. Don't go anywhere until your dad comes, okay?"

Ichigo spoke, and Tatsuki nodded. She felt like she was younger than him, but it didn't feel bad, so she let it go and did as he asked her to.

After that, Masaki brought Ichigo home with her while Tatsuki waited for her father to pick her up.

They walked home because the club wasn't that far from their house. Masaki, while walking with Ichigo, talked with him about many things.

They were about to reach the riverside. The rain started to pour. Masaki had prepared for the weather because she always watched the TV weather forecast before going outside.

She took out an umbrella from her bag and held it over both of them to keep them dry. She also made sure that he stayed dry.

As they reached the riverside. Ichigo felt something. He noticed a strange sensation in the air, as if someone was watching them.

He glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. However, the feeling lingered, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

'What is this feeling?'

This was the first time he felt something like this. It was a familiar feeling, like when the ghost was close by. But it was a hundred times stronger and more intense.

He then heard someone calling for him in the river. If he were a normal human child. He would run there. But with his high resistance to the spiritual attack, he could resist it easily.

Masaki, who is holding Ichigo's hand right now, frowns. She could feel it.

"Hollow?"

It was a slip of her tongue, and Ichigo heard it clearly. So what he was experiencing right now was caused by a hollow.

Masaki pulled Ichigo closer to her. She wanted to leave this place as fast as possible. She could protect her son from Hollow, but the aftermatch might affect him, and she didn't want that. To her, he was just a normal child. If he were to be near Hollow, his mind might be destroyed.

"Let's walk faster. Ichigo-Chan. Ka-Chan, remember that Ka-Chan still has something very important to do."

Ichigo didn't answer because it wasn't a question but an order. He knew that his mother was trying to protect him, so he let her pull him away.

But who would have thought that it wasn't the right choice she should make? The hollow screamed loudly as its prey was about to go away. It came out of the riverside and tried to attack the two out of hunger.

As the hollow lunged towards them, Ichigo's mother instinctively shielded him. She tried to pull out her spiritual power in order to eliminate the hollow before it got any closer, but something unexpected happened. Her power was gone, leaving her vulnerable.

"Ka-chan"

Ichigo didn't expect that. He watched as his mother was sent flying by the force of the hollow's attack. And when he saw that. He felt something that he never felt before. A boundless anger came from within deep inside his soul.