{ ICHIGO'S POV }
In his room, enlighten by dimmed lights from the streets, Ichigo couldn't stop staring at Rukia's improved drawing of her and the Kagami triplets alive and well at the Yokai festival. Renji and Shikamaru were among this drawing as well. He felt at eased, knowing that Ichitarō is in a safe place as long as Rukia is there to protect them. Even when he's not around at the moment.
With a big smile plastered across his face, his fear and insecurity began eroding into almost nothing, yet Ichitaro's mysterious disappearance remained a priority. Then, his bedroom door was unlocked and opened as he turned to it. He saw his father peeping through the door and broke silent by asking:
" Umm, Ichigo? Is everything okay?"
" Well... good, I guess." Ichigo answered in a half truth, as he knew himself what's going on in his mind.
" Dinner will be ready about an hour. Your aunt is cooking for tonight. Permanently." Isshin stated, which unexpectedly confused Ichigo.
" Wait, I thought Yuzu will cook tonight, what happened?" He asked.
" She's too busy with her homework, so she can't just juggle both things at the same time. And since Lizumi is here to help, I don't know if it'll be awkward with you." He explained, but his son simply brushed it off.
" I should check on Tanjirō to see if he's alright. " He sighed, before standing up and getting some change of winter clothes. When Isshin left, Ichigo went to the wardrobe and by the time he opened it, his fond memories of Rukia began flooding in.
It only took him time to realised he's a mile away from restoring his soul reaper powers and might not see her again or thought so. He, then grabbed his jumpsuit and his warm sneakers.
~~~~~~~~~
It hadn't took Ichigo minutes to reach to the Kagami household. His hope to find Tanjirō and ask for help was almost easier said than done due to his stubbornness, yet it could work, he thought. To his surprise, he saw a silver van outside of the cold night and the door was slightly opened. He wondered if it's one of Tanjirō's friends and may have a single clue leading to Ichitarō. Or maybe something bad happened to their parents.
Without wasting anymore minutes, he opened the door and discovered in the sitting room Neji was covering his face with both hands, weeping in sadness and his wife struggled to comfort him, as if death had occurred in the family again. On their left side of the sofa, Kisuke and Captain Sōi Fon were there, placing a letter from Head Captain Yamamoto.
Ichigo questioned if something happend to Rukia, the triplets or worse. With his heart pounding and without any words, he simply walked away and no one seemed to have noticed his existence. Not quite.
Ichigo immediately shut the door and ran away like a coward during a battlefield. Seemingly, he couldn't figure out the entire news of the Soul society. From street corners covered by small chunks of sleets to black icy roads, he feared it could be bad news. That's when he saw a young man in his 20's, standing at the bridge with binoculars between his eyes.
Wearing his warm Eskimo styled olive green puffed hooded jacket and trousers, with ghost white furred boots. On the other hand, Ichigo can tell if it's Tanjirō by his frequent visit and the locks of his bright yellow hair with red streak peeping through. He went to him and stood right beside him. He called his name:
" Tanjirō?"
The young man looked at him and almost got a fright.
" Ginger?! What the hell are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be playing tea time with your Kon or something?" He asked, which annoyed Ichigo.
" Seriously, do you have to call me like that? And no, I don't play tea time with Kon!" He shouted.
" Then, why are you stalking me like a fucking creep?! I would have killed you!" Tanjirō exclaimed, before calming himself down and continued, " You want to see me, just get on with it."
As their tone began to change, Ichigo took a deep breath and sighed softly, releasing smoky steam from his breath.
" A moment ago, I saw Kisuke and Sōi Fon in your house. Did something happen to the Soul society?" Ichigo asked. Tanjirō sighed when he was asked a difficult question. Yet he did remember both of them talking to his parents, which caused his father to bursted into tears. He headed out before he could hear their communications even further.
As soon as he answered Ichigo's questions, a tail caught his aquamarine eyes with a hint of brown. He used the binoculars and saw a mermaid with a golden tail with red fringe swimming through the icy river.
" Sorry, Ginger. I'll answer you later, right now I have something fishy business to do." Tanjirō responded and quickly placed it on his bag before he ran. Ichigo was confused and followed him. There are so many unanswered questions and the only person he could turn to, apart from Uryuu and Rukia, was Tanjirō. And since he can't get an answer to him, he might as well never give up until he finds out.
~~~~~~~~
After spending half an hour of following a mermaid, a light snow fell from the night sky. Ichigo wasn't sure what's wrong with Tanjirō and why was he following a mermaid. Once the mermaid stopped for a few hours, so do them as they hide themselves against another building and waited. The moment a mysterious mermaid appeared from the river, her fish tail disappeared into a beautiful tan skinned legs and a golden dress along with her dark green jacket.
Both Tanjirō and Ichigo monitored the mermaid and also spotted a familiar figure approaching her. They saw her laughing at his jokes before standing up and headed to the bar, before he spanked her bottom.
" Hey, Ginger. Have you heard of `spot the mermaid from Thailand` going in and out with that guy?" Tanjirō asked.
" What? No." Ichigo answered and later asked, " Why would Ginjō hang out with her?"
" The same way the Soul society accepted a war with a petty demon. But with no motive whatsoever." Tanjirō answered and Ichigo became baffled.
' How can a mermaid and the Soul society be getting involved or something?' he wondered. Just as he's about to ask Tanjirō that question, three audible footsteps was heard from the distance but neither Tanjirō nor Ichigo noticed their present. Without a warning, a pink spirit energy, shaped like a bullet, pierced between and none of them were injured - just to give them attention.
When they turned, Ichigo was surprised that Jackie, Riruka and Yukio were there and weren't unhappy with their presence. Ichigo wanted to apologise, but he fumbled with some words. As for Tanjirō, he simply greeted to the three of them and they chose to ignore him.
" Jackie, I- I can explain. I wasn't spying on Ginjō, I swear." He stammered.
" You know very well what you're doing here. What if Tsukishima attacked us again? You almost lost your own Goddam life." Jackie fumed.
" Come on, we should to get inside. Save your anger for later. I don't like attention." Said Riruka, then pointed her gun on Tanjirō "And you, Mutt. You're coming with us."
" Did-did she just ____?" He snapped, but Ichigo stopped him. Three of them stood back, letting both boys standing up, as they all headed back inside.
~~~~~~~~~
Inside the bar, remaining members of the Xcution were gathering around the bar table as Jackie slammed her hand on the table after Ichigo explained.
[ BANG!! ]
" Bull shit, Ichigo! You are supposed to stay in your house because your training is over. Now you're dragging some puny jerk here?! " She shouted.
" Look, Jackie, I know it's my fault, but this has nothing to do with Tanjirō. He, somehow, must've found that mermaid a minute ago. He was supposed to tell me on the incident that occurred in the Soul society." Ichigo explained.
Like a fog in the middle of the night, some doubt for believing in Ichigo's story. But Yukio remained curious. He placed his controller and asked:
" If you're saying about that Tanjirō person, you mean...?"
Ichigo nodded with an answer and turned his head, noticing he's gone.
" Wait a minute. Where is he?" Ichigo asked.
" You mean that friend of yours? In the male bathroom, probably doing his manly business. " The barman answered.
" Kutsuzawa, did he say he's going number 1 or number 2?" Riruka asked. The barman giggled.
" Well...." He shrugged and sighed.
MEANWHILE....
Tanjirō kept glancing in the next restroom door on a rather perky, but astoundingly sexy discovery. He witnessed Ginjō lifted the mermaid's legs spread between his hips as he continued to penetrate her sensitive `feminine vaginal peach`, as if they were hugging next to the basin. Her eyes were shut in both pain and pleasure, lost in her own world.
With her lilac panty on her left foot waving like a little flag and her melodic, passionate moan meet his strong muscular groan, he lifted her buttocks from her dress and increased his rhythmic thrust, giving her a tiny yelp and landed her against the wall, brushing her wavy amber hair. Tanjirō gaped the moment he watched, but was instantly pulled out of the restroom and brought back to the bar table, almost screamed and both halted for a second.
" Did you hear that, Ginjō?" She panted.
" Nothing. Let's keep fucking." He answered, before resuming their sexual activity.
In the meantime, Tanjirō was pulled by one of Riruka's stuffed animals and placed him on a tall stool. He looked around the Xcution members, Ichigo included, and was mortified by their anger onto his `duty` . He nervously laughed and asked cheerfully:
" Uhhh...did I do something wrong? Have you guys ever heard of curiosity kills the cat? "
" Cut the crap, you punk. You know what you said to Ichigo about something! " Jackie demanded.
" About what exactly? If it's about Ginger, then it's not my problem he lost his powers. I mean, you're too damn pretty to be angry by my_____." Tanjirō lied, but Jackie cut down his words by slamming the table again.
[ BANG!!! ]
" HEY! DON'T LIE TO EVERYONE!! YOU KNOW VERY WELL ABOUT THE INCIDENT REGARDING ON THE SOUL SOCIETY!!"
" Oh, the Soul society. It's a tragedy, isn't it? Well, I am not talking to anyone but Ginger because he's so nice, thanks to his girlfriend Chappy, he asked me about what happened there, I won't be singing like a bird unless there's a magic words that only a three year old can____." Tanjirō explained, but it didn't work when Jackie punched him in the face and stomach.
She grabbed his neck and began choking him, but the rest of the Xcution members stopped her and begging her to stop.
{ TIME TELLS NO LIES}
[ TICK!! ]
Almost immediately Kutsuzawa grabbed his pocket watch as he activated his fullbringer powers, freezing everyone without hesitation.
" You do know that I don't hesitate to end your lives in a matter of seconds, if you don't act in an irrational manner. " He said. All of them froze in terror as if they saw a ghost. Unable to move his own body with blood and bruises on his face, Tanjirō couldn't figure out how to escape.
Kutsuzawa went to Tanjirō, stiff as a rock, and coldly insisted straight to his face:
" Unless you want to see your brother or your parents again, you'll tell us what the Soul society are up to and why did they accept the war in the first place. If you don't, I guess your poor father will lose another child. "
Thinking about his father's situation and realising that it'll break his heart once again, Tanjirō had no other alternatives and lying to the Xcution was more suicidal. He'd no choice, but to confess. Kutsuzawa unfroze Tanjirō and sat on the bar table.
As he unfroze everyone else, Ginjō opened the restroom and left with the mermaid, almost irritated.
He looked at his teammates and was amazed too find Tanjirō there, but at the same time became baffled.
" Did I miss something?" He asked.
" Let's just say, the little birdie is ready to sing." Kutsuzawa answered.
" You don't say?"
Ginjō smirked at his response, letting Ichigo felt jittery with unease. While the stuffed animals set him free, Ichigo took out Tanjirō's phone and saw 10 missed call from his mother. When the mermaid noticed it's getting late, she simply whispered to Ginjō, telling him she's leaving. He nodded and announced his teammates they'll meet up for tomorrow.
" Hey, what about me? You can't leave me here! My parents will kill me if I skip curfew! Ginger, talk to your new friends!" He responded. But when he was standing up and got closer to Ichigo, Jackie instantly kicked him right through his stomach, sending him backwards to the wall.
" Sorry, kid. You'll be crashing in for a very long time. Tell your parents you're at your friend's house and you won't be home by dinner." Ginjō spoke, realising for Tanjirō, he might never see his family again. A minute and a half later, one by one, they all left, except Ichigo.
Sadly, Ichigo placed his phone back to his bag and placed it on the bar table before he retreated slowly and closed the bar shut. Tanjirō groaned in pain when he got up. Even though, he sweet talked Jackie and denied any possibility of speaking news about the Soul society, he soon realised it's best not to talk to Ichigo or anybody else. So, he took small steps towards his bag and found his phone. Then, he dialed his mother's phone and called her.
When his mother picked it up, he was rejoiced in the end.
« It's about you call, young man. Tanjirō, where are you? You're supposed to be home by dinner.» she said, in an angry but worrying tone.
« M...Mom. Can you come over? There's been an accident. » he whispered, trying his best not to hurt his stomach when he wrapped himself around.
~~~~~~~~~
After two hours passed by, They all went their separate ways from the bar. Only Ichigo and Ginjō were left behind and as soon as they've reached at Ichigo's home, he was fuming mad and gloomy at the same time.
" Ginjō, you do know you shouldn't have done that, right? Tanjirō's parents are in a crisis of their missing kids and now you're going to add that fucking burden?!" He thundered. Yet, Ginjō seemed chilled.
" You don't have to worry about that. He'll eventually tell us soon enough, then he'll go home." He chimed, making Ichigo nervous.
" Hey, don't worry too much. Once we've got the answers, we'll use it as our advantage and I'll give you a new set of powers - you might be a hero in your own story."
Ichigo grew calmer as Ginjō explained further; however his anxiety remained. He slowly sighed and said:
" Fine. I will have faith in whatever you're doing. For now. But please don't hurt him again. He's innocent at the end of the day."
" Good kid. Just remember, you're not recovered yet."
Ginjō spoke, rubbing his orange hair before he left. When he opened the door, he almost noticed that Karin was peeping through the window and decided to get inside anyway.
Nevertheless, it didn't take long before his next door neighbour noticed something wrong.