Rukia lay on her back, staring at the ceiling of Ichigo Kurosaki's closet. The small, dark space felt even smaller tonight, but it wasn't the walls pressing in on her—it was her thoughts.

She couldn't stop thinking about her

Ichigo had scarred a Menos Grande.

That wasn't something just anyone could do.

Sooner or later, word would reach Soul Society. When it did, there would be consequences.

Rukia's fingers curled slightly against the blanket beneath her. Ichigo... you're walking a dangerous path.

But even though she was worried for her own sake, she was more worried about her.

Ichigo wasn't ready for what came next. She didn't even know what came next.

A quiet sigh left her lips as she closed her eyes.

Tomorrow, she'd have to act like nothing was wrong.

Morning came faster than expected.

Unfortunately for Ichigo, it didn't come peacefully.

"ICHIGO!!"

The loud, furious scream jolted her awake. Blinking blearily, Ichigo sat up, rubbing her eyes. "...What?"

Across the room, Kon stood dramatically on her desk, dressed in an absolutely ridiculous little suit and tie, looking furious.

"LOOK AT ME!!"

Ichigo squinted. "...What am I looking at?"

Kon let out an indignant huff before pointing to his ear.

Or more specifically, to the bright pink flower that was glued to it.

Ichigo stared.

Kon stomped his tiny foot. "This is the work of that demon, Yuzu!"

Ichigo suppressed a snort, immediately unimpressed. "Oh, come on, she probably just felt bad for you."

Kon crossed his arms. "I don't need pity! She gave me a bath, which was humiliating enough, but then she had the audacity to super-glue this thing to my ear!"

Ichigo yawned, stretching before standing up. "I dunno, I think it suits you."

"WHAT?!"

Ichigo leaned in slightly, inspecting the flower up close while Kon dramatically pulled at it to no avail.

"...Huh."

Kon grunted. "See?! It won't come off!"

With a thoughtful hum, Ichigo casually lifted him up by the flower.

Kon immediately shrieked in pain.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Ichigo tilted her head. "I thought maybe if I pulled on it hard enough—"

"MY EAR IS GONNA RIP OFF, YOU MORON!"

Ichigo sighed and dropped him. "Yeah, you're screwed."

Kon lay face-down on the floor, muttering curses. "I swear to god... I'm done with this household."

Ichigo was already heading for the door. "Alright, you have fun with that."

As she left, Kon clenched his tiny plush fist.

"This is it," he muttered. "I don't have to take this anymore! I'm going on an adventure. I'll find someone who appreciates me. Someone who sees me as an equal!"

He dramatically leapt out of the room... only to land face-first in the hallway.

Ichigo, already halfway down the stairs, didn't even glance back. "Have fun with that."

After a quick breakfast, Ichigo headed back upstairs and knocked on her closet door.

"Oi, Rukia. Get up. We're gonna be late for school."

Silence.

Ichigo frowned and knocked harder. "Rukia?"

Still nothing.

She scowled and raised her fist to knock again, but before she could—

The door snapped open, revealing an incredibly irritated Rukia.

"Lower your voice!" she snapped. "I can hear you just fine."

Ichigo blinked, surprised at her tone. "Jeez, what's up with you?"

Before Rukia could answer, another voice chimed in from behind Ichigo.

"You okay, Rukia?"

Ichigo turned just in time to see Y/N approaching.

Unlike her, he didn't immediately pester Rukia for answers. He just looked at her, his gaze softer than usual.

Rukia hesitated. "I'm fine," she said, but there was something off about the way she said it.

Y/N didn't look convinced.

"Really?" he asked. His voice wasn't pushing, just gentle. "You seem kinda tense."

Ichigo narrowed her eyes.

Since when was he this soft with Rukia?

Rukia glanced at him, and for a second, something in her expression wavered. But it was gone just as fast as it came.

"...It's nothing," she said finally.

Y/N didn't push further. He just gave a small nod. "Alright. Let me know if it becomes something."

Ichigo scowled. What the hell was that?

Rukia had been weird since last night, but when she asked, all she got was irritation. But when Y/N asked—all softly and concerned and whatever—Rukia actually hesitated?

Ichigo hated that.

"Tch," she muttered, crossing her arms. "Whatever. If you're fine, let's go."

Rukia nodded and stepped out of the closet. As she passed Y/N, he gave her a small pat on the back, something barely noticeable.

Ichigo noticed it anyway.

Her scowl deepened.

Y/N, meanwhile, didn't even seem to realize how annoying he was being.

As they started walking toward the front door, Ichigo couldn't stop herself from snapping, "What, you gonna hold her hand too?"

Y/N blinked at her, confused. "Huh?"

Rukia gave Ichigo a look. "What's your problem?"

Ichigo scoffed. "No problem. Just didn't know Y/N was so sweet." She shot him a smirk, though there was a very clear edge to it. "Want me to grab you some chocolates so you can really confess your feelings?"

Y/N rolled his eyes. "You wish I had feelings for you."

Ichigo gasped dramatically. "Wow. Betrayal. My heart—"

"Hurry up and get to school," Rukia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Ichigo was still scowling when they left the house.

Rukia never acted like that when she asked about stuff.

But with Y/N?

She actually let him in.

Ichigo hated that

Orihime's face lit up. "Rukia-chan!"

Rukia turned her head just in time for Orihime to jog up beside her.

"Good morning, Inoue," Rukia greeted, giving her a polite nod.

Orihime beamed. "You're out early!"

Rukia tilted her head slightly, studying Orihime. "So are you."

The redhead giggled. "Yep! It's because summer vacation is so close! I couldn't sleep—I just kept thinking about all the things I want to do." She stretched her arms above her head before glancing at Rukia with wide, excited eyes. "Do you have any plans for summer break?"

Rukia hesitated. She hadn't even thought about summer break. Did Shinigami even have summer vacations? Her duties to Soul Society made it impossible to plan things as humans did.

"...I don't," she admitted.

Orihime gasped, horrified. "That's awful!"

Rukia blinked. "It is?"

"Of course! You can't just not have summer plans!" Orihime dramatically clutched her chest like this was the greatest tragedy she'd ever heard. "But don't worry—I have a solution! There's a fireworks festival in August! Tatsuki-chan and the others were planning to go, and I think you should come with us!"

Rukia frowned slightly. "Fireworks festival?"

Orihime nodded enthusiastically. "Mhm! It's so pretty! There are stalls with candy, games, yukatas—it's super fun! We should invite Ichigo too! Then it'll be just like when we all went to see Don Kanonji!"

Rukia exhaled through her nose. "That was... eventful, to say the least."

"Right?" Orihime giggled. "But it showed that Ichigo can be really nice sometimes. I mean, he did only go because his family wanted to."

Rukia smirked. "You sound surprised."

Orihime pouted slightly. "It's just... he always looks so serious. Like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders." She placed a finger on her lips in thought. "I mean, he has such a fun family! He should lighten up a little."

Rukia glanced at her with mild curiosity. "Huh. I thought you didn't like Y/N romantically?"

Orihime immediately turned red. "I-I don't!"

Rukia raised an eyebrow.

Denying it further, Orihime flailed slightly before puffing up her cheeks. "It's just that... Y/N has an interesting face when you really look at it closely, you know?"

Rukia couldn't help it. She let out a small laugh.

Orihime huffed and crossed her arms. "It's true!"

Shaking her head in amusement, Rukia changed the subject. "So, about this fireworks festival..."

Orihime immediately perked up. "You'll come?!"

Rukia looked away slightly. "I'll... think about it."

Orihime clasped her hands together. "Yay! That means yes!"

Rukia sighed. "That's not what I said."

Still, she didn't completely reject the idea.

Maybe, just for a little while, she could let herself be part of this human world.

At Karakura High School, the atmosphere was lively as students gathered for morning activities. The baseball field was buzzing with energy.

Orihime stood near the pitcher's mound, a baseball in her hands. Her sleeves were rolled up as she turned toward Tatsuki, who stood ready at home plate.

"Alright!" Orihime declared with determination. "I'm ready!"

Behind her, a small group of girls—Ryō, Michiru, and Chizuru—cheered.

Tatsuki smirked. "Let's see if you can actually throw straight this time."

Orihime inhaled deeply. This is it. This is my moment.

She pulled back her arm and threw the ball—

And it went straight up into the sky.

The girls behind her groaned in unison.

Tatsuki sighed. "Yeah, that's about what I expected."

Meanwhile, elsewhere on campus, Y/N had already arrived at school much earlier than the others.

But he wasn't in class.

Instead, he was on the rooftop.

Sitting cross-legged near the edge, he stretched his arms lazily, watching the sky. The morning air was cool, a slight breeze ruffling his hair.

And beside him—

A small black cat.

Y/N reached out, scratching behind the cat's ear. "You've been missing lately," he muttered. "Did you go off and get into trouble again?"

The cat gave him a slow blink before rubbing its head against his hand.

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, yeah. I missed you too."

The cat purred, curling up next to him as he idly ran his fingers along its back. After a moment, he tilted his head. "You're a girl, aren't you?"

The cat suddenly perked up, jumping onto his lap as if confirming his guess.

Y/N smirked. "Hah. Knew it."

The cat pawed at his chest before settling down again, letting out a pleased mrrp.

Y/N sighed, gazing out over the schoolyard below.

He didn't know why, but something about this cat just felt... different. Like she wasn't just any ordinary stray.

Still, he wasn't complaining.

"Guess I'll call you something," he mused, running his fingers through her fur. "How about... Midnight?"

The cat blinked at him before tilting her head slightly.

"...No?" Y/N muttered. "Too edgy?"

The cat flicked her tail.

Y/N chuckled. "Fine. I'll figure it out later."

A light breeze swept through the quiet streets of Karakura Town as the night settled in. The neon glow of streetlights flickered against the pavement, and the sound of distant cicadas hummed through the warm air.

Yoruichi sat perched on the wooden crate outside Urahara's shop, her golden eyes half-lidded as she watched the sky.

Kisuke Urahara leaned against the doorframe, his ever-present fan fluttering lazily in his hand. "You've been unusually broody lately," he mused, peering down at her with an amused expression.

Yoruichi scoffed. "I don't brood."

Urahara chuckled. "Ah, my mistake. You're contemplative."

The black cat flicked her tail, unimpressed.

Urahara's smirk widened. "Or maybe you're just worried about him."

Yoruichi's ears twitched.

Kisuke grinned, taking her silence as confirmation. "Ahhh, so that's it! You're fretting over your little favorite."

Yoruichi huffed. "I don't play favorites."

"Oh? Because it sure seems like you have a particular soft spot for Y/N." He tapped his chin. "Maybe even a little too soft..."

The cat narrowed her eyes. "If you have a point, get to it."

Kisuke smiled innocently. "Oh, no point at all. Just curious why the ever-fearless Yoruichi-sama is so protective of one human boy."

Yoruichi twitched her whiskers. "He's more than just a human, and you know that."

Urahara's fan paused mid-motion. His expression remained light, but there was a brief flicker of something beneath it.

She continued. "He's reckless, but he learns quickly. Strong, but still doesn't know how strong he really is." Her golden eyes glowed faintly under the streetlamp. "I taught him to survive. And I'll be damned if I let him get killed before he figures out what he's really capable of."

Kisuke studied her for a moment before shaking his head with a knowing chuckle. "Ahhh, Yoruichi. You always were sentimental underneath all that sarcasm."

She scoffed. "Takes one to know one."

Kisuke waved her off with a dramatic sigh. "Well, well, it seems Y/N has his own little guardian angel, doesn't he?"

Yoruichi stretched lazily, then shot him a sly look. "And what about you? You act like you're just sitting back and watching, but I know you're keeping an eye on Ichigo."

Kisuke simply smiled. "Who, me? Why, I'm just a humble shopkeeper."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "Sure, and I'm a house cat."

Kisuke chuckled. "Well, whether you admit it or not, he is important to you."

Yoruichi said nothing.

Because she knew it was true.

And it wasn't just her who cared about him.

Ichigo sat at her desk, staring at the note in her hand for what felt like the hundredth time.

Thank you for everything.

That was all Rukia had written.

She had left.

No explanation. No warning.

Just gone.

Ichigo clenched her fist, crumpling the paper slightly.

She should have noticed something was off earlier. Rukia had been acting strange all day. Quieter than usual.

But why?

Why now?

A sharp knock interrupted her thoughts.

She turned as Y/N stepped into the room, his face shadowed with something unreadable.

"...She really left," he said, his voice lower than usual.

Ichigo didn't answer.

Y/N ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "I don't get it. She wouldn't just run like this. Not unless—"

He stopped himself, his jaw clenching.

Not unless she had to.

Ichigo set the note down, rubbing her temples. "It doesn't make sense."

Y/N hesitated before speaking again. "Does it matter why?"

Ichigo glanced up. "What?"

His hands curled into fists. "Does it matter why she left?" His voice was tight, controlled. "The only thing that matters is that we find her."

Ichigo felt something twist in her chest.

She had been thinking the same thing.

But something about the way Y/N said it—

The way his voice shook, just a little.

She suddenly felt... weird.

She scowled, pushing away whatever the hell that feeling was.

"Yeah," she muttered, standing up. "We need to find her."

But before either of them could move, something shifted in the air.

A deep, heavy pressure.

Like the sky itself had grown too heavy.

The reiryoku that crashed down on them was suffocating.

Y/N stiffened. "What the hell—"

Ichigo's heart pounded.

That spiritual pressure—

It wasn't just anyone's.

This was something far stronger.

Something deadly.

Renji lifted his zanpakutō from the cratered ground, resting the blade against his shoulder as he narrowed his eyes at Rukia.

"Enough running," he said, his voice sharp. "Tell me where the Human who stole your powers is."

Rukia clenched her fists. "You're making assumptions. Just because I'm in a Gigai doesn't mean I've lost my powers."

Renji scoffed. "Cut the crap, Rukia." He pointed his zanpakutō at her. "I know it was a Human. You wouldn't have such a pathetic Human expression on your face if it wasn't."

Rukia's breath caught for a moment.

Renji's gaze hardened. "What the hell happened to you? You came from Rukongai, just like me. Then the Kuchiki Clan took you in, spent all that time and money turning you into an elite Shinigami. And now?" He scowled. "Now you look like this."

He gestured toward her with irritation, as if just looking at her made his blood boil. "You're not even acting like a Shinigami anymore."

Rukia stared at him, silent.

Then, a breeze picked up.

Sakura petals floated through the air, twisting between them in the dim streetlights.

Renji didn't move, his expression unreadable. Then, almost as an afterthought, he turned his head slightly.

"...I'm right, aren't I, Captain?"

Rukia's stomach dropped.

She turned—

And found herself staring into the cold, impassive eyes of Byakuya Kuchiki.

Her body froze.

He stood behind her, still and composed, his noble robes unmoving even as the wind carried the scent of distant rain.

A car drove past in the distance, its headlights flashing briefly over his face before vanishing into the night.

Rukia's lips parted slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"...Brother."

Byakuya didn't react.

And before she could say anything else—

Renji moved.

Rukia barely saw it in time. She twisted her body at the last second—

A sharp sting bloomed across her cheek.

A thin cut, warm blood trickling down her skin.

She staggered back, heart pounding.

Renji gripped his zanpakutō tightly. "You do remember, don't you?" His voice was mocking. "Passing on your Shinigami powers to a Human is a grave crime."

Rukia swallowed, her hands curling at her sides.

Renji leveled his blade at her.

"And," he continued, "you should be grateful."

Rukia blinked. "What?"

"It's a kindness from Central 46," Renji said, eyes gleaming. "They sent us instead of the Keigun to deal with you."

Rukia's breath hitched.

The Keigun.

The secret enforcers of Soul Society. Ruthless. Efficient. Executioners.

If they had sent the Keigun instead—

She wouldn't even be standing here right now.

Renji took a step forward.

"Now, where is he?"

Rukia didn't answer.

Renji's fingers tightened around his zanpakutō. "We're going to take you back. And then we're going to kill him."

Rukia's body tensed.

Renji smirked. "And don't bother trying to protect him." His voice dropped slightly, almost taunting. "You know I've been letting you dodge my attacks up until now."

Rukia's fists clenched.

Renji's grin widened. "So let me make this clear." He took another step, his presence looming over her. "My next strike will be fatal."

Rukia instinctively stepped back.

Renji matched her, stepping forward at the same pace.

Byakuya remained silent, watching.

Then—

Renji moved.

His