Chapter 17 - Sebas-kun's Betrayal
(A/N: I tried writing dialogue in that different style for a few chapters, and while it works decently, I feel like the usual way flows better overall, so I'll return to it from here on.)
—
Inside the classroom, Ren noticed Orihime's group chatting while circling her's and Tatsuki's chairs. Since he already had the opportunity to have lunch with them before, he felt closer to them, in a way. Deciding to get a few laughs from the girls, he approached and greeted "Morning, m'ladies!".
He did an overly elegant bow and said in a subservient manner "This humble one feels overjoyed to be graced by your esteemed selves in this beautiful morning.", much like a butler working for some random noble from anime and manga.
Seeing his antics, they laughed as Orihime greeted back "Good morning, Ashikawa-kun" and Tatsuki commented "Morning. What's with the servant act?".
"Good morning, Inoue-sama. To you as well, Arisawa-sama. As for your question, of course it is my show of gratitude after being invited to eat with you guys before. I'm but a peasant, yet I was allowed such an honor." He smirked as he kept it going.
"Very well, Sebastian. You shouldn't criticize Sebas-kun too much, Tatsuki-dono. It is also my responsibility to cover for my subordinates." 'Inoue-sama' bought into it as well.
Tatsuki was annoyed, however, interrupting them "You can stop it now. Look, Orihime is getting carried away."
Suddenly, a red streak flashed by and Chizuru was found hugging Orihime while rubbing cheeks and squealing "Aaah, Hime! You're too cute! Let me be your maid as well~"
She was soon kicked away by Tatsuki, quite literally, who stated "She already has Sebas-kun, apparently, so you're not needed."
Michiru, who was also laughing previously, said to Orihime, "Isn't that good, Orihime-chan? Sebas-kun got accepted."
"Umu." Orihime crossed her arms and nodded with her eyes closed, still into the act as a stoic expression made its way to her face. "'Tis a good attitude from ye, Tatsuki-dono." Her long orange hair bobbed along as she looked at Tatsuki with an expression of approval.
"I don't care anymore. Just do whatever you want." Tatsuki sighed and sat down, slouching in her chair, drained.
"Good for you, Sebas-kun. She broke." Ryou commented, standing among them while reading a book.
"Yep." Mahana added, leaning on a desk behind her with her thighs.
"Hehe, apparently yes. Good morning, Kunieda-san, Natsui-san." Finally dropping the act, Ren greeted them.
They greeted back as well before Mahana said "Y'know, since we had lunch together and got along, it's okay to drop the honorifics, Ashikawa."
"I don't mind either." Ryou added.
"Is that so? Okay, Natsui and Kunieda it is, then." Ren raised his eyebrows in surprise but didn't mind, since he himself preferred it too. He then turned to Michiru and greeted with a smile, "Good morning, Ogawa-chan." They hadn't specified that they spoke for themselves, and Ren ended up dropping the honorifics for everyone in his mind. (A/N: Bro misunderstood the assignment.)
She blushed a bit and answered "Good morning, Ashikawa-kun.".
Ryou whispered to Mahana, "He doesn't waste time, huh?", and she nodded.
Ren didn't hear that, as he was making his way to the last person. Chizuru was lying on the ground nearby, so he extended a hand towards her and said "Good morning, Honsho-chan. Are you okay?". The image he got from her prompted him to use a 'chan', despite the way she acts in the anime.
Chizuru, who was enjoying the angle from below, suddenly noticed a hand in front of her and heard Ren's voice. After grabbing it unconsciously, she blushed slightly when hearing his words as he pulled her up.
She coughed to clear her throat and adjusted her glasses, "Thanks. Good morning too.", and proceeded to take out a bag with cookies and put in Ren's hands, "Here, tomo-choco.".
"Ah, that's right, we didn't give Ashikawa-kun's yet!" Orihime seemed to remember something and took out two small bags from underneath her desk, "Here you go, mine and Tatsuki-chan's". It seemed she forgot the act somewhere along the way.
Mahana, Michiru and Ryou also gave him some, and now finding his arms with 6 different bags with chocolates, Ren started to sweat coldly.
'Wow, is this… the legendary harem?!' This was something he never imagined in his previous life. 'Isekais are awesome! I knew the world of Bleach had great girls, but this is something else! I didn't have this type of luck before.' He even felt like thanking Truck-kun for the help.
"Heh, your thoughts are written on your face." Mahana commented with a smirk.
"Sorry, but it's not a harem. These are store-bought." Ryou ended Ren's fantasies brutally, but then added, "Well, maybe Chizuru's are handmade, who knows?". Behind her book, she had a slight smirk.
"Wha- Of course they are store-bought too!" Chizuru rebutted, but her blush deepened.
At that moment, Ichigo, Mizuiro and Keigo entered the classroom. They had apparently met Chad along the way, which delayed their arrival.
Keigo saw Ren among the girls and practically flew over to his side. "Reeen, why did you leave us behind? Are you friends with them? If you are, put a good word for me, please?"
Ren was a little bummed after his delusion was destroyed and answered absentmindedly "I think we are, since I got a bunch of chocolate just now." He turned towards Keigo, when the latter saw what he was holding and became stunned.
Mahana took the initiative to answer, "I invited Ashikawa to have lunch with us yesterday, and we got along well." She dropped the bomb.
After understanding what was just said, Keigo pointed at Ren in disbelief, "Ren, you traitor! Why didn't you invite us? You were just playing with our feelings earlier saying you never got chocolate before!"
He then looked at the girls and asked "C-can we join next time?" with puppy eyes.
"No." One of them answered.
"Sorry." Another one contributed.
"No can do." The finishing blow.
Keigo gasped, before running in tears to Ichigo, "Ichigo, it's bad, Ren has fallen to the dark side and must be stopped! If we join forces, with my brain and your brawn we can end his reign of tyranny and bring him back to the light!"
"It's like a rpg plotline, all of a sudden." Mizuiro commented.
"What brain, you idiot?" Ichigo was annoyed, but before he beat Keigo away, he had a realization, smiling evilly "Yoosh, I'll help you out. Hold him for me and I'll do the rest. I still have a debt to collect." He bumped his fists together.
Chad said from the side "Should I help?". His towering body casting a shadow over Ichigo.
'This is bad. I'll have to use my hidden card.' Ren felt danger from the look in Ichigo and Keigo's eyes. 'As long as I deal with Ichigo, it will be fine.'
He turned towards the desk beside Orihime's and said "Tatsuki! I choose you! Beat them for me!" He pointed at her and then at the group near the door.
"Huh, what are you talking about? Am I a pokemon now?! I'm more inclined to beat YOU! Besides, did you just call me by my first name?" Tatsuki rose from her seat, now also cracking her knuckles with a smirk.
"That's not important right now! Look there! Use 'Tackle'!" Ren rushed her as the opponent approached.
"'Not important'…"A vein popped on her forehead, but she still looked. Seeing Ichigo, she seemed to remember something and reached underneath her desk, taking out another bag of cookies similar to the one Ren got.
"Hey, orange!" She called out while throwing it up and down "For you." And proceeded to throw it across the class to Ichigo's face.
It was a perfect headshot.
Ichigo almost fell on his back but managed to keep his footing, screaming back "Tatsuki, you bastard! What was that for?!"
"Choco, you dumbass. I bought it." She crossed her arms. It was somewhere between friendship and obligation chocolate.
Before Ichigo could respond, Keigo's voice sounded behind, "Ichigo! Even you?! …B-but will you give me one?"
"Huh, why would I?" Ichigo was confused.
Keigo gasped once more, and went towards Chad and Mizuiro, "You guys didn't get any yet, right? You won't betray me, right?"
Mizuiro said, "Sorry, my neighbor's widowed mom gave me one."
Chad went silent for some time, "Got."
Keigo fell on his knees, screaming "Nooo!" as if the world was ending.
Watching the scene, Ren smiled, wiping some nonexistent sweat from his forehead. He turned around and said with a thumbs up, "Well done! That was more like a 'Rock Throw' instead of 'Tackle', but it was a good job nonetheless."
Suddenly, everything went black, and Ren woke up in his chair a few moments later. The teacher had already arrived and started the homeroom.
Ren made a mental note to not annoy Tatsuki too much in the future…
[...]
After the day's classes ended, Ren made his way to the infirmary.
He had already discovered who the black-haired ponytail girl that gave him chocolate in the morning was. She was from class 1-1 and apparently thought it was very cool the way he saved someone from harm by putting himself at risk. Ren felt a bit awkward since he couldn't tell her that it was just a misunderstanding, and decided to just give back something nice during white day.
Now, the only thing left to do in school was look for Aki-sensei in the infirmary and ask her to help change his bandages. He did learn how to do it from Isshin previously, but if there was an option to ask for someone more skilled to help, he didn't see a reason not to do it.
Arriving in front of the door, Ren excused himself and entered. Inside, a woman with light blonde hair sat by a desk, writing a few things on a form. Hearing the door opening, she stopped writing and looked at the visitor.
Noticing it was Ren, she smiled and teased, "Ara, did Mr. Hero have business with me?"
"Please don't call me that. I sent you a text, Aki-sensei." Ren answered, already resigning himself for what was to come. 'What's with blonde older women and teasing others? This is like the third one already.' He wondered.
"Did you?" She grabbed her phone, "Oh, you did. Sorry, I was a little busy finishing these and didn't notice it. But what's wrong with being a hero? I think it's cute." She asked back.
"Well, heroes don't get beaten up so much they fall unconscious in front of the class when they get there, right?" Ren explained.
"That's just part of the charm, Ren-chan. You did great, from what I heard, so there's no need to be so humble." She refuted his claim, also adding, "Besides, didn't you keep this a secret from me last time? I was very surprised to hear how it all went down when I turned on the news at home."
"Fair enough. Sorry, I didn't want to tell anyone, really, but it seems that would have never worked out." Ren relented.
"It's good to be honest." She smiled and asked teasingly "So, did you come here to get a hug from me so I could console you from a hero's troubles?"
"I know you saw the message just now. I came to ask for your help in changing bandages." He said, and in an attempt to get back at her, he started taking off his blazer and shirt, exposing his torso in front of her, including the bandages he was referring to. Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance seeing there was no noticeable effect.
Aki-sensei was unfazed, "Ara, to be so eager so soon, Ren-chan… Did you want a hug so bad?" She covered her mouth and chuckled, before getting up and looking at Ren's arm and the other injuries in his body. Her expression naturally became professional as she inspected them.
"Hm, there's a new one. Did you get into another fight today?" She asked while looking at the mark left by Tatsuki's punch in the morning.
"Not a fight, just an accident. Teased her too much." Ren responded nonchalantly.
"I see, hmm that makes me a little jealous~" She said as she prodded the bruise to determine how bad it was, making Ren wince in pain.
"Well, you should be fine, just remember to not do it again. A girl's feelings are fragile." Aki-sensei said, finishing her inspection. Ren wisely decided to not comment on that.
She started walking around grabbing various things and said to Ren, "I'll get the things ready, so sit on one of the beds and wait. There's no one here besides us."
"Okay" He answered, putting his bag down on one of them, and plopping down.
Chapter 18 - Not every plan is bound to work
"Okay, you're good to go." The school nurse said, tightening up his bandages.
After it was all done, Ren got up, a blush spread on his face.
'That was too much… Even for me…' He thought, cold sweat on his forehead.
See, it was not the process of changing the bandages, applying new medicine, or the pain involved that bothered him. It was the person herself —Hirase Aki.
'She's definitely doing it on purpose. I'll never believe otherwise.' Ren was sure of it, convinced that her actions were deliberate.
Aki-sensei had teased him a lot last time, but this time she raised it a notch. She was not wearing a pantyhose today, which made it even worse for Ren since she sat right in front of him during the whole process, her legs crossing over occasionally or back to normal, only the shadow cast by her skirt hiding any sight of the contents inside her thighs, but still making one's imagination race. His attempt to avert his eyes ended up directing his gaze at her chest, and since she was so close, he couldn't help but notice the cleavage being shown.
Even when he closed his eyes, there was still the sweet fragrance emanating from her, which he didn't know if it was perfume, shampoo, her choice of soap or whatever else, and thinking about it only made it harder to not notice it. Her soft voice too had a slight sensual undertone that was obviously being used on purpose, and even her touch ended up contributing to Ren's stressful situation.
By the end, he was trying very hard to not let his friend down below announce his presence to the world, since it had already done it halfway, and it was taking every ounce of concentration to keep it concealed and maintain his composure. It was sadly unsuccessful, because he heard an "Oh" coming from Aki-sensei. She had a smirk on her face as she noticed Ren's change in posture.
"Ara, would you look at that~" She covered her mouth and chuckled. "Ren-chan is a healthy young man, huh?"
Hearing her laugh at his predicament, Ren grit his teeth, feeling a vein throb in his forehead, 'This woman… Just because I'm not used to this younger body and its flaring hormones…'
Not able to take it anymore, Ren complained, "Aki-sensei, why do you enjoy teasing me so much? Don't you have a boyfriend or someone else?".
The question seemed to cut deep as her smile froze. After a moment, she pouted, crossing her arms, "How rude. I invested my time and effort to become more knowledgeable and develop my skills as a doctor, so there was no time for that. If I wanted to, I could be the chief surgeon in Karakura Hospital, maybe even becoming the director if I played my cards right, you know?"
"Yet you choose to be here, teasing young, innocent boys like me instead of finding someone…" Ren's words seemed to stab just as deep.
"I owe a lot to the director of this school, and the pay here is good while still leaving me a lot of free time." She explained, and after Ren was silent for a few seconds, added "Yeah, I don't have a boyfriend, happy now?"
"I see." Ren nodded, touching his chin while thinking about something. He was cooking up a plan to get back at her.
"What, got a problem?" There was an icy tone to her question as her brown eyes sharpened.
Ren smiled, "No, I think your devotion to your profession is commendable. Not many people would be able to do that." He actually thought that, since he too delved too deep in his studies in the past, and could relate to her.
His words seemed to appease her as Aki-sensei smiled slightly. Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, Ren added with a smirk before she could say anything, "Well, since you're such a loner, I don't mind giving you something nice on white day, Aki-sensei. From what I've heard, I'm the only one getting teased so much by you here, so I trust you have already prepared some chocolate for me, right?"
'This is it! My revenge!' Ren was cackling maniacally in his mind.
Aki-sensei was silent for a few seconds, speechless, before a wide smile spread on her face, "Ara. Ara Ara~ So you wanted to become my boyfriend all this time, Ren-chan?" She covered her mouth and looked at him, her eyes narrowing teasingly.
It was now Ren's turn to be speechless, 'Shit, abort mission!'
"But we are teacher and student, it's taboo, you know?" Aki-sensei put a hand on her cheek with a sad expression, "While I appreciate your sincere feelings, it's better to be friends, at least for now."
'I got rejected… and friendzoned… it's just like high school…' Ren was stunned. His plan had completely backfired. (A/N: Well, it technically is high school all over again, so no luck there man.)
Seeing Ren's expression shifting, Aki-sensei smiled, while taking out a small chocolate bar and putting it in Ren's hands, "Don't be so sad. Have this. I'll leave you to figure out whether I cooked it myself or bought it, though~"
That was the nail in the coffin, the last straw on the camel's back. Ren gave up, "I concede defeat. It's my loss.". His shoulders slumped as he absentmindedly opened the wrap around the chocolate and chewed off a piece.
Aki smiled, "Is it good?"
"...It is." Ren nodded silently.
"Thank god, ah—" she slipped up, relief evident in her voice.
A moment of silence prevailed.
"Heh. How cute." He smirked smugly.
Feeling ever-so-slightly vindicated, Ren wrapped up the rest of the chocolate and put his clothes back, Aki-sensei pouting on the side.
After grabbing his things, he left through the door while waving it in the air, chuckling "Thanks, Aki-sensei, for the help and for the chocolate. I'll savor it back home and give you a handmade one as well when the time comes."
"Tch. Take care, boy." Aki-sensei was still pouting, a slight shade of pink on her face after her previous mistake.
As he walked through the corridors humming a tune, Ren didn't notice a figure looking at him from the corner, holding a small pink bag laced shut in her hands.
"Ren-sama…"
[...]
On the way home, Ren finally made the detour he intended yesterday. It was time to visit the shopping district and get the things he needed, mainly groceries and other things for home. As a guy who lived alone in his previous life, Ren knew his way around housework after getting used to it for years.
"Let's see, after getting enough supplies for a week, I should get a new watch and look for a music store." Ren confirmed his list from his phone.
Since he was now living in this world for the foreseeable future, Ren had a few plans to make some money and build a reserve should he ever need it. While he could ask for more from Ella, he felt bad to bother her with it since she was already working her ass off everyday for them. And besides, it didn't fit his style to leech off of others for too long. He wanted to pull his own weight.
"Okay, since there's that supermarket Hiroohyaku near home, I'll get the other things from here first." He decided. "First, a music store."
The shopping district was full of people, a romantic mood wafting through the air. Ren felt a bit embarrassed being alone while there were so many couples around him, but after searching on his phone and asking for directions a few times, he arrived in front of a store with various instruments behind the display windows.
The overboard sign read "Star Music Store - SMS". Thinking it was a funny abbreviation, Ren made his way inside, a bell ringing as he opened the door. The scent of wood and polished metal greeted him, and he could hear some smooth jazz in the background. Many instruments and equipment lined the walls, presented in a way that highlighted their appearance and design.
"Welcome!" A voice called out, drawing Ren's attention. A middle-aged man with glasses, short black hair, and an unkempt stubble stepped forward, with a friendly smile. "Name's Take. What brings a young lad like you to my humble store?"
'Tch, these teenagers don't know shit and don't buy shit, but they are still customers, so I have to treat them well.' Take had internalized the saying 'The customer is god' ages ago, so his face showed nothing going on in his mind.
Ren returned the smile. "I'm Ren. I came to get a few things, but I have to say, you've got a great selection here."
Take raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Well now, didn't expect someone your age to understand the value of this fine collection. A man of culture, I see."
Ren chuckled. "I know my stuff. Getting straight to the point, I'm looking for a digital piano or a MIDI controller that's easy to carry around. Something versatile but still high-quality. No need to worry about the price, just show me the best you have."
'A fat cow! The gods haven't forsaken me!' Take's eyes lit up. "Ah, I think I have just the thing. Come this way."
Ren followed him to a section of the store where several keyboards and MIDI controllers were displayed. Take pointed to a sleek, compact digital piano with a full range of keys. "This one's a popular choice among pros who need something portable. 88 Weighted keys, great sound samples, and it won't break your back carrying it. It also has a MIDI in/out and a separate USB connection if you need, so it doubles down as both your options."
Ren tested a few notes and compared with other ones around, nodding in approval. "This is perfect. I'll take it."
Take grinned, rubbing his hands. "Good choice. Anything else?"
"Yeah, I'm also looking for a small speaker —the portable type, a decent dynamic mic, and some headphones for my laptop. They should all be compatible with each other. Oh, and a flute—both traditional silver and, if you have any, a wooden or bamboo one." Ren's penchant for exotic instruments was starting to surface once again.
While his main instrument was a woodwind one in his previous life, Ren had a decent level of mastery in most wind instruments in general, the second place belonging to the flute family. He also got his hands on a few string ones such as the guitar, violin and cello, but didn't have the time to learn other ones since he was usually busy with many other things.
Take's grin widened. "Quite the setup you're going for, home studio, I believe, but also looking at some outdoor performances? I think I have everything you need here."
"That's right." Ren nodded, before smiling, "Lead the way."
As Take led Ren through the store, showing him the different options for each item, Ren was satisfied. It was a bit of a splurge, but he knew that having these would allow him to make a bit of money on the side while also making his stay in Karakura Town more enjoyable. It felt like he was building his collection once again, making him feel nostalgic.
They eventually made their way to the wind instruments section, closing in on the displays. Take carefully pulled out a sleek silver flute with intricate designs on the body, something quite rare for this type of instrument. "This is the best one here, in my humble opinion."
"Mind if I try?" Said Ren as he took it from Take's hands.
"Sure." Take nodded.
Ren positioned his fingers on the keys and aligned the mouthpiece properly. He put it to his mouth elegantly, completing an almost textbook posture, took a deep breath and started playing.
A warm sound filled the room, as he played a song out of an eastern movie's soundtrack he had listened to before. He admired the quality of the craftsmanship on the flute, 'It's very responsive and with little resistance. My fingers flow easily without using too much strength.'
'He is very good. Definitely at pro level.' Take thought as he observed Ren's technique and control.
Finishing the song, Ren smiled while looking at the instrument in his hands.
"What do you think?" Take asked with a smile.
"It's great, very responsive, almost no resistance on the keys, easy to play. This is a good flute." Ren commented on the experience, "I'll take it."
Take nodded knowingly. "I see you really know your stuff, as you said. It's quite rare for someone like you to appear that I didn't hear about."
Ren explained briefly, before asking, "I moved in recently to the house next to the Kurosaki Clinic in Minamikawase district. Actually, I'll need you to deliver everything there for me, because I still have some business to solve today and need to leave now.".
"It's quite the list, so I get what you mean. I was going to offer it too. I know the place, so I'll make sure everything's there before six o'clock." Take nodded understandingly, thinking to himself 'Let's pray more from now on, so that more fat cows come.'.
He took out a business card and gave it to Ren, saying, "If you need someone to help setup a live performance or introduce some other musicians, give me a call. Of course, I'll also hit you up in case there's anything interesting you'd want in."
Ren accepted with a smirk, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Networking was always useful.
After finishing the payment and leaving the store, he couldn't help but smile. It had been a while since his last splurge, and good business always made him feel excited. He decided to get only the silver flute instead of both, since it was already a great bargain.
Ren passed by a few other stores and bought a sleek black watch that would match well with most outfits. Feeling satisfied with the loot acquired in this trip, he made his way to the supermarket in the neighboring district of Kasazaki.
Chapter 19 - Dangerous red bunny terrorizes high schooler
After walking for some time, Ren arrived at the Hirouhyaku supermarket. It was hard to miss the place, since there was a big sign with big letters writing its name in katakana, and there were many people entering and coming out with white plastic bags in their hands full of things.
Entering through the automatic doors, Ren quickly gathered the things he needed, piling them inside a cart. This encompassed various fresh ingredients and fruits, rice, frozen food and meat, various juices and bottles of soda, some personal hygiene and cleaning supplies, and other things he felt like grabbing on the way, mainly snacks. As he stood in line at the checkout, he soon realized a problem.
'How am I going to carry all of this home? I think I've gone a little overboard…' He noted, frowning slightly.
At that moment, as if sent by the heavens, a shadow was cast upon him, and as Ren turned his head to see what or who it was coming from, he found Chad behind him. He was carrying a basket with a lot of tomatoes and cheese, but also a small assortment of snacks and drinks.
Most people would be a little afraid when suddenly having such a huge guy towering above them, but Ren's eyes shone as if he had found water in the desert. He smiled, greeting, "Hey Chad! Fancy seeing you here!"
Chad nodded, "Hi, Ren." He was a man of few words.
He was wearing black pants and a blue short-sleeved shirt with many floral designs imprinted in white. It had an unbuttoned open collar that displayed his necklace in the shape of an antique mexican coin with no signs of rust. Compared to the school uniform, this outfit did not hide the lines accentuating Chad's muscles, visible on the dark skin of his arms and chest/collarbone.
"Say, I have a proposal for you." Ren smiled like a businessman, "You see, I gathered supplies for the next week or two, but in my injured state, as you can see, it's going to be a little troublesome to get everything home on my own…"
Chad listened quietly, before asking, "You want help to carry your things?"
Ren nodded, "That's right, but I'll make it worthwhile by paying for the stuff you have there. Not a bad deal, right?" He smiled, trying to convince his huge friend.
Not thinking much, Chad responded, "No need to pay, I'll help you. We're friends."
Ren's smile widened into a grin, "Thanks man, I knew I could count on you!"
After thinking a bit, he added, "Still, let me pay for your things. Money's not a problem for now, and I'd feel bad, as a friend."
Chad remained in silence for a moment, with his usual expressionless face, before nodding, "Okay."
Ren paid for both of their things, and with Chad carrying the majority of the groceries, they left in the direction of the former's house.
[...]
"Chad, once again, thanks a lot for the help. I don't think I would have made it home so fast if not for you." Ren said as they walked along the bank of Karasu river, making their way towards the bridge.
The guy was carrying almost everything Ren bought on top of his own things, but didn't even falter once. He responded after some silence, his deep voice not showing any sign of strain, "It's okay, this much is still light."
'I see why Ichigo often wonders what Chad's body is made of.' Ren didn't think he would find them as light to carry.
Not wanting to end the conversation, he asked, "Ichigo told me you got a bass guitar. Do you like music?"
Chad nodded, "Yes. I play with a few friends sometimes."
"That's cool. I'm a musician and used to be a teacher in my free time before moving to Karakura. If you want to, we could play together sometime." Ren told a bit more about himself, "I'm currently working on building a home studio, if you're familiar with the term. I finished getting the first batch of things a little while ago, and they should arrive today."
Chad listened to his words in silence as they walked, approaching the bridge over the river.
Ren decided to invite Chad, "Once I buy the rest of the equipment, it would be nice to have you guys there for a play session. It would make it easier to test everything too. After that we could just hang out or play some games, what do you think?". As he spoke, he was reflecting on his experiences a little since coming here a few days ago.
So far, Ren had enjoyed becoming friends with these young classmates of his. After the interactions he had with them, it was hard to think of them as only characters from a manga/anime series he liked. He could greet them every morning, eat together and talk about random things, and they reacted to his words and presence like any other friend he had in his previous life.
Ren now truly thought he wanted to be closer with them, and believed they would accept him if he was sincere.
"Sure, I think it would be nice. You're a good guy too." Chad answered.
Ren smiled, "Thanks. And another thing, once I'm all healed up, if you or Ichigo get into trouble or a fight, call me too. I know how to handle myself and could give you a hand."
"You can fight?" Chad asked, a hint of surprise in his usual monotonic voice.
"I sure can. Back in the day, my old man made me train on various martial arts and the use of weapons." Ren explained like it was a normal thing, but clicked his tongue once a few memories resurfaced, "Tch. That sadist scrooge made me suffer so much since I was a kid saying that it would make me a true man or something. Now I can't even get my revenge anymore…" He grumbled, muttering to himself.
"Are you a gangster?" Chad's voice sounded from his side, interrupting his thoughts.
"Huh? No, of course not. Didn't you guys train like that too? Apart from unarmed combat, I can handle anything from a spear to a dagger, and while I prefer automatic rifles and explosives, my aim with a pistol is pretty much on point- Wait, aren't you guys the same? I thought it was a pretty common thing?" Ren sounded genuinely confused.
In his previous life, Ren's father was a big, muscular guy with tanned skin, who came to his country after retiring. He always told him that where he came from, even the weakest kid would hand his ass to him in a fight, and a true man would be able to use anything as a weapon, even their own body, in order to protect himself and what he loved. He had settled down after meeting Ren's mother, marrying into her family and throwing away his previous name, but didn't let that be an excuse to stop training, or to not make Ren train too…
Actually, one of the reasons Ren got so invested in music to the point he made it a profession was because it helped him relax after the hell he went through on a daily basis. His mother was a well studied musician and composer herself, and was responsible for a lot of what he knew today, though she was also strict in a different way when it came to it. Even that hunk of a dad he had was meek like a little rabbit once she got angry.
When he was too tired to practice music or train, Ren would watch anime and play games, which were the only things making him not lose his sanity. After years growing up like that, he eventually got used to it, however, and with the help of his mom he was able to get that job as a private teacher during high school. It was only sometime after becoming an adult that Ren was deemed to have learnt everything they had to teach, and he was allowed to live alone in another city to attend college in the university he desired.
There was a little bit of sweat on Chad's forehead as he stuttered for the first time Ren ever heard, "N-no, I don't think that's very common… Also, guns and explosives aren't allowed in Japan, even blades and spears…" He seemed shocked. In his mind, it now made sense why the news claimed Ren sent over thirty gangsters to the hospital.
Ren was stunned seeing Chad's demeanor in front of him, which completely broke character. He made a mental note not to tell this easily to anyone here, else they would think of him as some sort of dangerous gangster. He preferred the hero treatment a lot better.
"Haha, well… cough-," Ren cleared his throat before continuing, "Anyway, my point is that, though I'm a little rusty, I can still help you guys if you ever need it, once I'm healed, of course."
'Rusty… even though he defeated that many men alone…' Chad was speechless — even more than normal, not knowing how to process Ren's words.
"I understand." Deciding not to think much about it, since Ren was his and Ichigo's friend, Chad answered.
Unaware of what just went on inside the other's head, Ren smiled and they continued walking to his home.
[...]
Chad and Ren arrived a dozen minutes later in front of Ren's house.
"Do you live alone too, Ren?" Chad asked.
Ren nodded as he grabbed his keys, "Yeah, pretty much. My only relative is an older sister, but she is working overseas and generally isn't able to visit very often or for long. You too?"
Chad responded, "Kinda, I moved back here after my grandfather passed away."
After getting inside, Ren told him to put the stuff on the table and he would organize it later.
"Do you want a cold drink? I only have water though, haha." Ren offered, grateful to Chad for lending a hand so promptly.
"It's okay." After finishing putting Ren's groceries on the table, Chad picked up his own, "I'll be going now."
'Seems he's got something to do.' Ren noticed, but didn't pry, "Okay. Thanks again, really."
"No problem. You already paid for my things too." Chad's deep voice sounded as he answered.
After sending Chad off, Ren went back inside. He organized everything he bought in the cabinets or in the fridge, and put the rest in their intended places. Some time later, the doorbell rang.
The SMS had delivered the things he bought earlier, just in time, since the clock was close to the evening.
'Now we're talking.' He smirked as he brought everything inside after signing the form from the delivery man.
It was a little bothersome to carry the things upstairs, but he put the digital piano and equipment in the study in front of his room, leaving the flute in the latter. He grabbed the guitar and started replacing the strings with the higher quality new ones he had bought.
"I got so caught up with the flute and the piano that I forgot to buy the strings. Thank god Take gave me his number." Ren had remembered somewhere along the way that he didn't get a new set of strings from the store, but thankfully was able to reach the man and ask him to include some in his order.
Take had easily agreed, since he hadn't sent the things yet at that time, and even gave them free of charge, saying that it was a gift from him as thanks for making such a large purchase earlier.
Testing the sound after finishing the replacements, Ren smiled. He felt more at home now, having a small collection of instruments he could use.
"Okay, let's take a bath and eat." He got up, going downstairs from his room.
[...]
A few hours later, Ren sat on the ground of his living room on top of a cushion. He was readying himself for a second meditation session.
'I call it meditation, but it's really more like concentration or focus.' He mused in his mind while taking deep breaths.
'Yesterday I was able to feel the spiritual power inside me, or I at least believe that's what it was.' Ren wasn't completely sure, but his gut instinct pointed him that way.
He smiled, 'I feel like it should be easier this time. I know what to look for, and my doubts about it are completely clear now.'
After a while, Ren's perception of time was getting warped, and he started to get into a daze similar to the last time. A song started echoing inside his head, the sound of a woman's voice softly humming a sweet melody. The tone was wondrous and yet full, making him feel soothed and calm.
'It's always a different one, it seems. This time, I think it's my mom humming a folklore song…' He noted, allowing his mind to travel back in time and remember. 'I wonder where it is coming from…'
He could feel her hand caressing the back of his head, the feeling of warmth coming from her thighs below his cheeks. He could hear the rustling of the grass, the chirping of the birds atop the tree, and the soft sound of his own breathing.
'These moments of calm and relaxation are great, but life is often so chaotic we don't value them nearly as much as we should. It's really a shame.' Ren's thoughts wandered as he appreciated the sensation of reliving such a pleasant memory.
Some time later, he started to feel something inside of him once again, but this time he forced himself to calm down. If he got excited and broke away from the trance, it would be all for naught. Ren focused on visualizing it better, engraving everything he felt in his memory.
'There it is… this energy. It's still leaking.' He could feel the existence of the same spots he found yesterday, where the energy inside himself could escape the suppression of whatever was holding it back.
'The leaks have definitely gotten smaller.' Ren noted. He tried to focus on them, attempting to influence the flow of energy with his mind.
He mused, 'If it's how they always say in games and anime, then everything is about the mind and mental images, meaning… imagination.'
The first thing he tried to do was to widen the opening, but it didn't work no matter how long he kept at it. He then decided to focus on the energy itself, imagining it rushing against that specific leak with every ounce of concentration he had.
At first, it made no difference at all, but Ren kept trying, focusing his intention on it while believing it would work.
An unknown amount of time later, although slightly, he could sense the amount of energy there increasing a little but the "hole" itself never budged.
'Okay, since this works, then let's try the opposite.' Feeling more hopeful, Ren now focused on imagining it slowing down, circling inside instead of rushing out.
This was apparently much harder, since even after trying for much longer, only a few wisps slightly changed directions, only to be swallowed by the currents around immediately after.
Ren started to feel tired, and stopped, bringing an end to his state of deep focus. He opened his eyes, looking around at the clock on the wall.
Noticing it was almost midnight, Ren sighed and got up, making his way upstairs to his room. He sat on bed, contemplating for a while what he just experienced, but his mind was feeling very heavy at that moment.
"Let's sleep. I'll think about it tomorrow." He said to himself, shaking his head as he lay down.
He slept peacefully that night, humming the same song in the memory of his childhood he just re-experienced.
Chapter 20 - Sebastian's struggles
Ren woke up with a start. The bloody alarm clock was so loud he felt like he was going to become deaf. He delivered a precise hit to the button on top, and a similarly loud sound echoed through the room.
"What is happ-" Ren muttered with a headache as he sat up, but his own voice was reverberating so much inside his head he felt like he was going to pass out.
Soon, more and more sounds started to fill his ears, a true cacophony so loud he could swear there was no way it was coming from inside his room. He could hear the sound of cars, the steps of hundreds if not thousands of people as their shoes hit the ground, and their conversations, so much talking and shouting it became a jumbled mess impossible to understand.
"AAAaagh" Ren covered his ears, trying to mute the chaos around, even if a little bit. He felt like he was going crazy.
It was starting to become annoying now. Even after he covered his ears, it seemed to make no difference at all, since he could somehow 'feel' the sound reverberating and resonating with his own body. It came through from the air, from the outside, from the ground, from the bed he was on, and even from his own body.
'JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO ME?!' He couldn't even scream, since it only made it worse.
He could hear the sound of his own organs working, his heartbeat being the loudest one, while the blood sloshed around everywhere inside his body.
'This is bad, I need to calm down. Focus… focus on anything that could help…' Ren restrained himself before things got worse.
He started humming the very same song he remembered yesterday, since it was the first thing that came to mind when he thought about calming down.
Some time later, the melody seemed to overwhelm everything else that was happening around, and soon it was the only thing on his mind. He concentrated his thoughts around it, a few moments later started singing it aloud in the hopes it would drown the chaos. When he did it, Ren started feeling an itch all over his body, but couldn't pay attention to it at that moment.
After what felt like hours later, Ren stopped singing, noticing his hearing had returned to normal.
He panted, opening his eyes. Everything looked perfectly fine as if nothing had happened and he just had a bout of craziness.
"W-what… hah… was that…" He said under his breath, trying to calm down and regulate his breathing.
Ren gulped, before removing his hands from his ears. Noting the previous jumbled mess of sounds was not there anymore, he let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall as he still sat on top of his bed.
"That was crazy, I felt like I was going insane." He took a moment to relax, trying to understand what had just happened.
*BEEP BEEP~
"Tch, annoying thing." Ren quickly silenced the alarm clock, but once he saw the time, his face went pale, "Shit, I have to go!"
[...]
Ren bolted out of his house after quickly locking the door. Getting out from the gate, he sprinted down the street in the direction of the bus station near Karasu river. That was his only hope.
Today's first class after homeroom was P.E. and he was already way past the time he usually left home. Only by getting a bus all the way to the school district would he be able to make it in time.
The slightly cold morning air brushed against his face as he ran, and Ren noticed his body felt a little lighter than usual. The soreness and discomfort from his wounds had lessened, even though his left arm still throbbed occasionally. He didn't feel like this yesterday, but right now was not the time to dwell on it.
After somehow making it just in time as the bus he intended to catch arrived, Ren got inside and, finally sitting down, let out a sigh of relief, "Whew, that was close."
Now that the rush had passed, his mind started to wander back at what had just happened when he woke up.
"What the hell was that?" He felt uncomfortable just remembering it, 'It was so loud, but didn't hurt. Maybe going to sleep too late after meditation did a number on my head.'
'Blocking my ears didn't do a damn thing, and it even came from inside as well.' It seemed impossible to escape the sounds no matter what he tried, but he had somehow managed to outlast whatever it was by focusing on the song.
As the streets passed by the windows, he replayed the incident in his mind, thinking about what could have been the cause and trying to make some sense of it.
'It's good to know it didn't last for long, but there's no way to be sure it won't happen again.' The uncertainty gnawed on his mind. He had way too little information, and could only hope for the best.
Ren felt alert, as if his overall senses had not returned to their previous state completely, but remained at a slightly heightened level after the ordeal. He hoped it was not a permanent thing, but had no way to be sure.
As the bus passed by the shopping district, he rested his head on the window, watching the scenes go by. The streets were already busy, stores were already open and seeing the first few customers of the day. He could hear the sounds of the bustling morning of Karakura, but this time they were muted and unclear, making Ren almost think what he heard earlier was just a product of his imagination.
'There's something going on with me, with my body. It's not the same, well, it already wasn't, but now it's different even from that.' Ren mused, noting the small changes compared to how it felt the previous day.
He felt an itch when he focused on the song, but didn't have the leeway to pay attention to it. His impression was that something reacted to it inside him, and was whatever caused these changes.
'Besides feeling lighter and the bruises and cuts not bothering me as much, I feel pretty much normal.' As he thought up to this point, having a sudden realization, Ren pulled back his sleeve and looked at a bandaid on his right forearm. He had a hunch, and needed to check it.
Removing it from one of the small cuts that were still healing, Ren saw that it wasn't there anymore, only a few fragments of what looked like scabs remaining.
The corner of his mouth rose, 'Yeah, If I'm right, then things are finally starting to go my way.'
As the bus made its way through the town, Ren had a smile on his mouth as he thought of various possibilities.
[...]
After getting out of the bus, Ren walked the rest of the way towards Karakura High School. After finally seeing the gates, he looked at the time on his phone, letting out a sigh of relief before making his way inside.
There were still a few students lingering around in the corridor, and a few others chatting as they opened their lockers to change shoes. Ren slowed down a little, taking a deep breath and composing himself before walking inside the main building.
Surprisingly enough, when he opened his shoe box in order to change into his indoor shoes, there was something there. A small box and a sealed letter. Opening the latter, it read:
—
'To Ren-sama,
I may not be worthy of your attention, but I am very grateful for the fact that you saved me and my little sister a few days ago, even if it was not your initial intention.
I was dismayed after you left before I was even able to thank you at the time. However, after seeing the news and learning we attended the same school, even more surprisingly being in the same class, I feel overjoyed, since now I have an opportunity to properly thank you.
Though I am not very good, I have prepared these as a show of gratitude. There is no need to give me anything back, I only hope they are to your liking.
Thank you very much for saving me.'
—
As Ren read the letter, cold sweat started accumulating on his forehead, his expression changing from initial curiosity, to disbelief and finally to deeply troubled.
"Great." He muttered sarcastically as he closed his eyes, rubbing the spot between them while trying to make sense of what he just read.
"The day's just gettin' better and better, ain't it?" He let out a self-deprecating laugh.
'To think the girl was actually from Karakura High School, and to make it even worse, from the same class…' Ren felt speechless.
This had shocked him more than the earlier incident. There was no way he could have imagined this.
'The worst part is that I don't know who it is, since she kindly decided to not leave a name. How am I supposed to act normally in class after learning this?' Ren was deeply troubled by this.
He picked up the small box in his hands. It had intricate floral designs in red and pink, which contrasted well with the black background on the rest of the metallic surface.
Opening it up, he saw various types of cookies, along with a few pieces of chocolate in different cuts and sizes. They looked to be clearly made by hand, since the shapes weren't exactly the same even when they shared the same style. Not knowing what to think, Ren grabbed a star shaped cookie and put it into his mouth, munching.
"It's actually good." He commented out loud, absentmindedly, and right after saw a shadow vanish from the corner of his eye, as footsteps echoed in increasing distance.
His instincts made him quickly rush over, but he didn't see anyone when he arrived at the corridor, looking in both directions.
"Was that the girl? S-she was waiting here for me until now?" Ren's gut was 99% sure that was the case.
Even so, it only confused him more, "Then why didn't she come over?"
He couldn't understand why she would just watch him eat the cookies instead of approaching and thanking him in person, if that was her intention. Ren knew he would, at the very least.
Noticing a few students looking at him while whispering, Ren understood he was probably behaving weirdly, so he went back to his shoe locker. After quickly changing, he made his way to the classroom, munching on his newly acquired cookies on the way as he held the small box in his hands.
[...]
Ren entered the classroom, holding the small, intricately designed box in his hand. The room was buzzing with the usual morning chatter, but no one seemed to pay much attention to him as he made his way to his desk, leaving his bag on the hook. He noticed Ichigo, Chad and Keigo had gathered near Mizuiro's desk and were chatting, and walked over.
"Morning." Ren greeted casually while munching, and they greeted back.
Keigo's eyes immediately locked onto the box, "Whoa, what's that, Ren? I don't remember you getting that one yesterday."
Ren nodded nonchalantly, "Yeah, just got it. The girl left it in my shoe box along with a letter, but there was no name." He explained, taking another one of the sweets from the box.
As he spoke, his eyes flickered around the room, scanning the faces of his classmates. Any one of them could be the girl in question, which made him feel a little troubled, 'Is she hiding in plain sight to watch my reactions?'
"Whew, that's crazy. Give me one?" Keigo tried to sound casual, but it didn't work.
Anticipating Keigo's reaction, Ren quickly grabbed another cookie from the box and popped it into his mouth. "Sorry, man," he said with a mischievous grin, chewing on the cookie. "That was the last one."
The former's face fell dramatically, "How can you be so cold this early in the morning? That's clearly Ichigo's bad influence."
"You're the bad influence." Ichigo snapped from the side, hitting the back of Keigo's head.
Ren showed him the empty box, shrugging, "See, not my fault." He then chuckled as he went back to his desk, slipping the box inside his bag.
Looking over at Keigo's antics, he shook his head with a smile, then turned to greet the rest of his classmates. As Ren made his way through the room, exchanging hellos and brief conversations, his mind kept drifting back to the letter. His gaze unintentionally lingered on a few girls who had their heads down, or were busy with their own conversations. 'Could it be one of them?' He wondered.
As he approached Orihime's group, Michiru called playfully, "Ah, it's Sebas-kun, Orihime-chan."
He was a little distracted, so when he heard her words, Ren tripped, almost falling, before he leaned on a nearby desk to get his footing. Looking back at them and seeing their laughing faces, he felt a little embarrassed, smiling wryly and rubbing the back of his head as he approached once again.
"You guys aren't thinking of using that as my nickname from now on, are you?" He asked doubtfully.
Chizuru adjusted her glasses, "Well, now that you said so…"
Mahana grinned, "Hehe, good morning, Sebas-kun."
"Oh my, if it isn't Sebastian, pleased to meet you in this fine morning." Ryou said with a smirk.
"Good morning, Sebastian, Ohohoho." Orihime faked an 'ojousama' laugh.
Ren was speechless, "Really? Girls, it was only a joke…"
"Heh, well served." Tatsuki chuckled from the side.
"I think Sebastian is a good nickname, don't you like it?" Orihime asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.
The moment she said it, Tatsuki and Chizuru eyed him like predators, daring Ren to say otherwise.
"O-of course I don't mind! You can use it whenever you like, Inoue, but I'll ask you to consider using my actual name too…" He reached for a compromise.
Orihime smiled, "Okay~"
Ren let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, 'Today things are really not going my way…'
Chapter 21 - Local tomato learns he has superpowers
"Not allowed! How many times do I have to say it?!"
A voice echoed inside the gymnasium of Karakura High School.
Some students of classroom 1-3 were playing volleyball and others football, while the others watched from the sidelines, cheering their friends or making jokes at their incapability. However, noticing something interesting was about to start, they paused, looking at the place their teacher, Kagine, was standing.
Kagine was a tall, muscular man with short black hair and a mustache. He was famous for being a serious and strict teacher that got angry very easily should any student go against his words. He was currently very angry, staring at a teenager with crimson hair and aquamarine eyes standing in front of him.
Even though Kagine was twice his size, the young man didn't back down, "Kagine-sensei, you have no reason to not let me at least try."
Ren was getting really annoyed at the current situation, "See? apart from my left arm, I can move just fine." He kicked the air and jumped a few times, trying to explain he was in a good enough condition to participate.
His day had already started on the wrong note. He got that weird as hell sound-based sensory overload in the morning, for reasons he couldn't even fathom yet. After somehow making it in time to school, he discovered the gift left by whoever was the girl he 'supposedly' saved, but no matter what he tried, he wasn't able to discern her identity. Everything he had was that she was apparently in his class, and had a little sister.
There was no way he could just start asking people he wasn't even close to about their private lives and their families, so Ren was stumped. All of this plus the fact that there were changes happening to his body that he wasn't completely privy to were making him feel stressed.
Once the time for P.E. class came, he thought it would help to move his body a bit and let out some steam. It would also help him understand more about what was changing inside him. But now, there was this hunk in front of him saying he was too weak and debilitated to participate in the games.
"Look, even if you are some hero who got on the news, I know for a fact wounds don't heal that fast, so don't lie to me, Ashikawa!" Kagine said sternly.
"What the- Can't you see what I'm showing you?! I'm saying I have recovered enough to play!" A vein bulged on his forehead as Ren raised his voice slightly.
"Hah! As far as I know, it could very well just be you putting up a front in order to look good. Don't think I am unaware of what goes through you boys' minds." Kagine huffed, not budging at all.
The vein seemed to pop, and Ren lost his cool, "F-Fine!" He almost swore but restrained himself, rubbing his temples as his mind raced.
"I suggest you obediently watch from the sides, else you'll be in deep trouble, Ashikawa!" Kagine said, but before he could react, Ren moved.
'I know it's childish, but I have to let it out somehow before I snap. Just this once.' He ran over to the volleyball court, grabbing one of the spare balls from the ground close to it as the classmates that were playing previously watched dumbfoundedly.
"You- What are you doing?" Kagine asked, approaching the court as well.
"Heh, watch this and try to tell me I can't play again!" Ren shouted and asked his classmates to open a bit of space, and then made a toss high up in the air, flying closer to the net. It flew a little higher than he originally intended, and he noted his body felt slightly stronger than a few minutes ago.
He almost winced a little when he used both his arms for the toss, but held it down, keeping his composure as he started accelerating his steps, approaching the net as well. Inside his mind, he imagined himself as one of those sports anime protagonists, their theme songs blasting everywhere as they reached a crucial moment in the match.
'I can do this. Just have to imagine it, very strongly.' As he focused, time seemed to decelerate, and he could actually hear some badass guitar solo playing inside his head.
Ren grinned, 'That's more like it!' He was getting more excited by the song, and his heartbeat accelerated even further with adrenaline.
Everyone watched closely as he looked up at the ball, timing his movements with precision and, approaching the net, compacted his body on a crouch before lunging into the air.
Ren focused on the ball's movements, not minding the fact that he had just jumped a little over two meters into the air, which was very close to the heights athletes would reach. He pulled back his right arm, and at the perfect moment, slapped the ball with all his might.
*PAH!
The sound of the strike seemed to come a little after they saw the actual hit, making the spectators gasp as they watched the ball whiz by and hitting inside the opposite area of the net. They could actually hear the sound of the ball cutting through the air and slamming into the ground, ricocheting in the direction of the wall.
Hitting the gymnasium wall, the ball bounced again and flew back in Ren's direction. It hit him squarely in the abdomen, making his eyes bulge as he gasped for air after landing.
"Ooof." He felt the full brunt of the impact, but still tried to regain his composure moments after, "See? I'm fine." He raised a thumbs up, but it didn't convince anyone.
Kagine, for one of the few times in his experience as a teacher, was exasperated, "Just sit by the sides, you've said your piece already." He felt tired.
Ren, having calmed down with the pain, smiled wryly while scratching his cheek, "Yes." In his mind, he vowed to try again next time, and do it cooler then.
[...]
After the P. E. class ended, Ren changed back and made his way to classroom 1-3. He sat down by his desk, contemplating what had just happened.
When he did something so flashy in front of his classmates, Ren's intention was to use the pressure of the situation to force himself. He had a theory he wanted to prove ever since he saw that scab on one of his wounds on the way to school.
'That actually worked.' He remembered the moment he imagined a song playing inside his mind, one that fit the moment and his intentions, and then he actually started hearing something.
'This is crazy. Even if it wasn't that much of a difference, I clearly felt stronger at that moment.' He mused.
Soon enough, the teacher arrived, announcing the start of the class, and Ren was interrupted from the flow of his thoughts.
'It's okay. I'll confirm this at home once classes end.' He focused on paying attention to the classes properly, eagerly waiting for the last period.
[...]
It was already past noon, and the day's classes had finished a while ago. The warm light of the sun shone on the school fields, as students of various backgrounds made their outside, either intending to go home or to partake in the various activities the town had to offer. There were also those that stayed, simply taking their time in the library or engaging in the extracurricular activities known as clubs.
These clubs, more often than not, were allowed the use of a specific classroom or spare room to serve as their clubroom, which, of course, required prior permission and the existence of a teacher that could supervise the club in question and vouch for the continuation of their activities. It was not an easy thing to arrange, and required the club leader to be a person the teacher's could trust, else it would never be granted permission.
Even so, the creation of student clubs would still happen from time to time, and inside a room in the third floor of the secondary school building, were precisely the members of a recently created club. They had only three people, which was the very minimum requirement, but their leader had been able to convince one of the teachers to vouch for them, and even managed to obtain one of the smaller spare rooms for their use.
"So, leader, how did it go?" A cloaked figure asked one of the two people present in the room, the black hood obscuring their facial details.
Silence ensued for a few moments, as tension lingered in the room. The windows and curtains were completely shut, creating a dark and ominous atmosphere. There was only a small candle on the table in their midst, ever-so-slightly illuminating the three as the flame flickers occasionally.
A few seconds later, a voice echoed in the room, "It was a success."
The cloaked figure gasped, then proceeded to ask cautiously, "Then… does the plan-"
"We will proceed as planned. It is unnecessary to let this victory affect our judgment of the matter." The cloaked person in the middle interrupted, stating as a matter of fact. With the flicker of the candle flame, a silver brooch reading '1st' sparkled slightly on their chest.
The remaining person, one who had a darker brooch reading '2nd' asked, "Are you sure about this? I believe we should carefully keep the stakes involved in mind, else everything will be for naught."
"There won't be any problems, our plan is correct. I am sure of it." The '1st' answered.
'3rd', who asked the first question, once again sought confirmation, "So what is our move now?"
"We wait." '1st' responded.
[...]
As soon as the classes had ended, Ren rushed home. He was eager to find out and experiment with the assumptions formulating in his head the whole morning, even calling a taxi to speed up his arrival. When the driver stopped in front of his house, he gave him a 10.000 yen note and left the car.
"Thanks for the ride, you can keep the change!" He shouted, already passing the gate and scrambling for his keys.
The taxi driver was speechless for a while, before going away while muttering something about the younger generation being more generous. Ren wasn't there to notice it, since he had already gotten in and was setting up an environment for him to enter the same state of focus as before. He felt that everytime he did it, it became very slightly easier to reach, but couldn't confirm.
After getting something to eat, Ren took a warm bath in an attempt to calm his nerves. He got changed into something more comfortable and sat in the living room, atop the same cushion he used yesterday.
"Okay, let's start. I have a good feeling about it this time." Ren said to himself. He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, trying to empty his mind of unnecessary thoughts.
He started taking deeper breaths as time went on, and just like the previous times, a while later he seemed to enter into a dazed state akin to a trance. A different song started playing this time, softly echoing inside his mind.
'I'm getting close. This song was something I used to play in my free time during the first years of piano practice.' Ren mused, allowing himself to experience it once again.
He noted that not every song that echoed would be accompanied by the same level of immersion in the memory, or even the same sentimental value. It was like they were almost completely random.
As the melody reverberated in his head, Ren started to feel the same energy once again, getting clearer as time went on. He saw that almost everything was contained inside what looked like a version of himself, which he believed to be his own soul. It was very fuzzy and blurry, but it was definitely possible to feel the power inside.
'The leaks are a little smaller, and one is closed now.' Ren observed the few small spots where the spiritual power — or what he believed it was — leaked out in extremely small amounts, which now were even lesser compared to yesterday.
'This is both a blessing and a curse, if my conjecture is correct. Once the leaks close, I should no longer need to worry about hollow attacks. Since I can still see spirits, I believe this part of the skillset won't be affected too.' This was a good thing, since it could grant him peace of mind until he voluntarily involved himself in the matters of the spiritual world once Ichigo's house gets attacked a few months from now. 'It's a shame that I don't have a clue on how to create and control these leaks. Even imagination won't save me here, it seems.'
He tried to enlarge or shrink them, but just like before it had absolutely no effect, much to his disappointment. Ren proceeded to practice the control of his energy, trying to suppress it this time, since this was the most pressing thing he needed to learn. He kept at it until he was woken out of the trance by the temporizer he prepared beforehand.
'6 hours have passed… This is enough.' Ren opened his eyes and looked at the time.
Before he needed to sleep, there was the last and most important thing he wanted to try. "Now let's get some music on." He smiled.
After making a small scratch on his arm, Ren started singing a calm and relaxing tune, forcing his mind to concentrate on the idea of healing and regeneration through comfort. He tried to channel his intentions more clearly this time, just like in the morning, trying to influence himself into it.
After sometime, he felt his own voice resonate inside his mind as the song started playing in his imagination as well. He started feeling an itch, and watched closely as the small scratch he had just made on his left forearm slowly vanished, his smile widening from a smirk to a toothy grin. Ren caressed the spot, but it felt perfectly normal, not even a shadow of the scratch remaining.
Ecstatic from his success and having his conjectures proven, Ren sat up happily grinning and shouted, "I have power! Hahaha!"
"I was right! Now I have an actual chance of succeeding here!" He felt the excitement boil inside his soul at the very thought. Ren had theorized a lot about it recently, and since he couldn't really count on surviving hollowfication, being a quincy or becoming a shinigami without having a clue about them, there was only one thing left: a bet. And he had won.
His thoughts raced, 'Now that I know this, I feel way more confident. My plan also has a better chance of working if it's like this… because…'
'I am a Fullbringer!'