19 My Name Is… (End)

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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After an extensive but enjoyable shopping session, the Kurosaki siblings found themselves in a family restaurant. They scoured through the menu and then chose the ones that picked their interest. Ichigo raised his hand, summoning one of the waitresses. Yuzu giggled when the waitress avoided Ichigo's gaze shyly whereas Karin scoffed.

The waitress left soon after, carrying their orders with her. Having nothing to do while waiting for their orders, Yuzu initiated a conversation. Ichigo reciprocated by engaging in the conversation. It was nothing new, but the perpetual smile on his face made Karin do a double take. It made her wonder if being a Shinigami made one happier.

"Ne, ne, Onii-chan, in the end, what is the secret you and Karin-chan are keeping from me? Is Shinigami a code for a game or something?" Yuzu inquired with a pout.

"Well, it's just the way my employer calls people who can see ghosts. It's nothing special," Ichigo answered calmly.

"Mou, I know there is more to it. Call it a female intuition!"

"That's scary," Ichigo chuckled.

Yuzu was not the brightest in the house, but she was not stupid. She should have an inkling of what Ichigo was. Of course, that was under the premise that Rukia didn't do anything to their memory before she left. Karin wasn't happy with the Shinigami's manipulation but still felt thankful. Yuzu didn't need to know about the world that she and Ichigo knew.

Their talk ceased when their orders came. The waitress put down the dishes on the table and then left after handing Ichigo a piece of paper. Karin rolled her eyes at the action. Yuzu missed it, so she didn't show any reaction. Relishing their dishes, they toned down the amount of chat they made. When they were done, they were left with a satisfied stomach.

The siblings chatted idly while waiting for their food to settle. When their food settled in their stomach, Ichigo picked up the bill and headed to the counter. Karin and Yuzu waited for him near the door. After he made the payment, they exited the restaurant together.

Before they could discuss where they should go next, Yuzu told them she needed to do a number one. Heading to the toilet, Ichigo waited outside as soon as they arrived there. Leaning on the wall, he idly watched people passing by. His mind involuntarily drifted to what he should do next. His life would be full of deadly challenges, at least, until the main villain in this world was dead.

"-igo. Hey, Ichigo!"

Blinking his eyes at the familiar name, which was his, Ichigo turned to the left and saw a black-haired young woman with a boyish charm. It was one of his classmates, Arisawa Tatsuki.

"Oh, hey, Tatsuki."

"You were so out of it. I called you five times until you responded," Tatsuki grumbled before assuming a curious look. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Hanging out with my sisters. What are you doing here?"

"Ate some desserts with Orihime. She is in the toilet now."

Ichigo nodded his head and then watched as Tatsuki leaned on the wall beside him. Silence descended upon them, but it was not an uncomfortable one.

"Your recent change makes people think differently, you know," Tatsuki said offhandedly. "The rest of the school is thrilled—I am glad too, don't get me wrong—but I feel like there is something a bit off. You feel out of this world."

Ichigo quirked an eyebrow and flashed her teasing smile, causing her face to turn crimson. "That's not what I mean! I mean… it's like, you are not part of this world. Like, you are here, but you are nothing more than a visitor. What is it called? Ah, right; detached! You feel so detached. It's like you feel you don't belong in this world." Tatsuki's mood became somber. "It's just like those years ago. Is something bothering you, Ichigo?"

"Chizuru bothers me with her casual sexual harassment activities," Ichigo answered honestly. 'Just because you are a girl, you can't get away with groping a girl's breast without consent!'

"Well, that also bothers me. Wait, let's be serious!" Tatsuki scowled.

"It's not a great place to have a deep talk, Tatsuki," Ichigo commented, losing the hint of playfulness that had always been present for the last two weeks.

Tatsuki eyed Ichigo carefully for a few seconds before bumping her fist into his shoulder. "Just know that you got a shoulder to lean on when you need it. Orihime and I will not hesitate to help you and neither will many others. You are not alone, Ichigo. You are one of us."

Ichigo turned to Tatsuki and gave her a neutral gaze. He couldn't accept some of Tatsuki's words. Tatsuki made it seem like he felt lonely in this world. He enjoyed the world he found himself in, so she was wrong. But for some reason, he couldn't deny her words. After all, he was part of this world but didn't feel he belonged in it. At least, that had been true for the past two weeks.

"I know, Tatsuki. It is just a phase," he said calmly, a smile adorning his face.

"Good. So, stop wearing the mask and show your true self already!" Tatsuki exclaimed with a grin. "I know you have been itching to act like a delinquent."

"I am not a delinquent, damn it!" Ichigo rebuked indignantly before smiling mischievously. "But I need to keep an appearance. If I become true to myself, you won't dare come near me. I am bad, you know."

At Ichigo's suggestive gaze, Tatsuki widened her eyes before madly blushing. "I knew you were a closeted pervert!"

"Ha-Ha-Ha!"

Tatsuki punched Ichigo playfully when she realized he was teasing her. She chuckled along with him. When their laughter ceased, they let silence engulf them. They didn't have anything to say anymore. Not long after, Orihime, Karin, and Yuzu got out of the toilet together. Karin grumbled about the crowded toilet meanwhile Yuzu and Orihime chuckled awkwardly at her grumble.

"Hello, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Yo, Orihime! Fancy seeing you here."

Orihime stood in front of Ichigo and then asked, "Do you mind if Tatsuki-chan and I join you guys?"

Ichigo turned to the girls and they immediately gave an affirming nod. "My sisters don't mind, so why not?"

Discussing their next destination for a while, they decided to go to the game center. A couple of minutes later, they arrived at the game center. Despite being Sunday, it was not crowded. Game consoles had become popular, so many youngsters preferred cooping themselves in their rooms to coming to the game center.

"Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan, let's play Dance Dance Revolution!"

As soon as they were inside, Orihime immediately took the lead.

"No, I am good," Karin instantly refused.

"I don't know how to dance," Yuzu said nervously.

"Just follow the signs and step on those buttons!" Orihime said cheerfully, oblivious to Yuzu's conflict.

Ichigo came to Yuzu's safe, saying that she was too embarrassed to dance in public, but she eventually decided to try. Surprisingly enough, Tatsuki joined them too. As such, Ichigo and Karin were left to watch the three females dance.

Humming to herself as she looked around, Karin's eyes landed on a punching machine, causing them to immediately light up. Turning to Ichigo, she found him looking at the same machine. Their eyes met and a grin appeared on their faces. Walking to the machine, they inserted the required coins and began to have fun.

Bam!

Karin tried first, kicking the cushioned apparatus of the machine. Her score kept going up until it stopped at 530. Ichigo blinked his eyes at the score. Karin was a petite grade schooler. He felt slightly bad for the kids who played soccer with her. But then again, the machine didn't only score you based on your power, sometimes.

Accepting that his sister was exceptionally strong, Ichigo reset the machine, letting the punching target down. Thinking about how he should go about it, he decided to hold back a little.

Boom!

Karin took a slight step back at the thunderous sound. Everyone else turned their heads their way because of it. Ichigo crossed his arms and watched as his score stopped at 999. He set the high score but barely felt glad. He knew he was strong, after all.

"That was a solid punch," someone commented before Karin could.

Quirking an eyebrow, Ichigo turned to face the owner of the feminine voice. He shouldn't have known her, but he recognized her from his knowledge of another universe.

"I am sensing a challenge."

"Damn, right." The woman grinned, punching her palm. "What is the bet?"

"A fine date with me if you can't match my score," Ichigo said with a smirk, already forgetting his oath.

"And if I can, you will have to be my employee. I need a strong man."

"I can be your strong man without being your employee," Ichigo pointed out with a seductive smile.

The woman blinked her eyes before chortling humorously. "Let's see how long you can keep that up."

Bam!

After the target was hit, Ichigo and the woman watched the score expectantly. Karin was looking at her brother weirdly from the side, irritated by his newfound flirtatious nature.

998.

When the score stopped blinking, the woman turned to Ichigo. "Well, a bet is a bet," she said with a shrug. "I am Unagiya Ikumi. What is your name?"

"My name is… Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo won the bet, but he couldn't bring himself to be glad. He just realized he was asking someone's mother for a date.

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Honorary Mention:

Venerable Immortal Adan Smith

Venerable Immortal Bigbowser

Venerable Immortal Haider Alkefaji

Venerable Immortal B0mbaCl0ckBob

Venerable Immortal Jack Wright

Venerable Immortal SilverWolf