My eyes opened.
The ceiling.
…
…
I lay there.
Then I closed my eyes again.
Breathed in. Out.
And got up.
***
They'd come back early to rest. Now they were already leaving again.
Mom in the kitchen, bag half-packed. Dad pulling his shoes on by the door.
"Morning, Hikaru."
"Morning."
Dad straightened. Nodded toward the window.
"You hear all that last night?"
…
"…I did."
"Oh— were you over there?"
"No."
"…No?"
"I was home. Heard it through the wall."
"…Mm." He nodded slowly. "Loud enough through ours."
"Yeah."
"A truck went into the side of their house. Middle of the night."
"…I see."
"Whole wall's caved." He shook his head. "Anyone could've been hurt."
"…Anyone hurt?"
"Doesn't look like it. Lucky."
"Mm."
Mom slung the bag over her shoulder. Came over. Brushed the hair off my forehead.
"You look tired. Sleep tonight, okay?"
"Mm."
"And look in on the Kurosakis. Poor people, cleaning all that up."
"…I will."
"Bye, Hikaru."
"Bye, Hikaru."
I waved. "Drive safe."
Click.
…
I sat a while.
Then I put my plate in the sink.
Got my shoes.
And went out.
Click.
***
Morning air.
…
I stood at my gate a second.
…
Then I went over.
***
I knocked.
Yuzu opened it. Apron on. A little pale.
"…Hikaru-san?"
"Morning.
…Heard about the accident. Came to give a hand."
Her face eased a little.
She stepped back. "Come in, come in—"
***
Karin was in the front room. Sweeping plaster into a pile.
"…Neighbor."
"…Morning."
I picked up the dustpan before she reached for it. Crouched. Held it to the floor.
She swept into it.
"…You don't have to."
"…I know."
We did the next pile. Then the next.
…
"…Loud night, huh."
"Mm. Stupid truck."
I nodded.
…
I held the pan. She swept.
Piece by piece, we got it up.
…
Yuzu kept moving the whole time.
A cloth she kept folding. A chair she carried back and forth.
"…Are you hungry, Hikaru-san? I can make something—"
"I'm okay, Yuzu-san. Thank you."
"…Tea? I already have the water—"
"…That would be great."
She lit up. Hurried off to the kitchen.
…
We watched her go.
"…She's been like that since morning," Karin said. Quiet. "Can't sit still."
"…Yeah."
"If she stops moving she'll think about it."
I held the pan.
"…Then let's keep her busy."
"…Mm."
She swept the next pile in.
A thud from upstairs. The whole ceiling jumped.
"GOOOD MORNING, ICHIGOOOO!!"
"GHAAAGH—!"
A crash. Isshin's laugh.
"YOUR REFLEXES ARE SLIPPING, MY SON—"
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU—"
Karin didn't look up from the pile.
"…Every morning," she muttered.
Yuzu, from the kitchen, brightly: "Onii-chan's awake!"
"Mm."
***
Ichigo came down a few minutes later. Hair wrecked. A red mark on his cheek shaped like a foot.
He stopped when he saw me.
"…Why are you here."
"Helping clean up."
"…"
Yuzu pressed a cup into his hands. "Tea, Onii-chan! Sit!"
He didn't sit. He was looking past me — at the sheet over the hole.
"…What happened to the wall."
"Truck," Karin said. "Last night. Came right into the side of the house."
"…A truck."
"Middle of the night. Nobody even heard it."
Ichigo opened his mouth.
Closed it.
The sheet kept breathing in and out with the wind.
We cleaned.
***
Isshin hefted a chunk of broken wall onto his shoulder like it weighed nothing. "THE HOUSE GROWS STRONGER FROM ITS WOUNDS!"
"Dad, just carry it—"
"I AM CARRYING IT, KARIN! WITH SPIRIT!"
He hauled the load out toward the curb, where the rubble was piling up.
Came back. Grabbed another. "Good thing everyone was in bed."
"NOW— HINATA-KUN! TAKE THE OTHER END OF THIS ONE! BUILD THOSE ARMS!"
"Yes, Sensei."
I took the other end.
…
By the time it cleared, the morning was long gone.
"…School," Karin looked at the clock. "We're so late."
"You all go." Isshin waved a hammer. "I'll handle the rest when the repair fellow gets here!"
Yuzu was already pulling off her apron, scrambling for her bag. "Onii-chan, hurry—!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming—"
***
She pressed rice balls into our hands at the door. One each. Made while we weren't looking.
"Eat on the way! All of you!"
"…Thanks, Yuzu."
"…Thank you, Yuzu-san."
The four of us walked out together.
Karin and Yuzu peeled off at the corner toward the middle school.
"Bye, Onii-chan! Bye, Hikaru-san!" Yuzu waved.
Karin just nodded.
We waved too.
…
Then it was the two of us.
…
The sun already high. Past noon. The streets empty — everyone where they were supposed to be.
Except us.
…
Ichigo had his hands in his pockets. Rice ball gone in three bites. Hadn't said a word since the house.
"…Hikaru."
"Mm."
…
He didn't finish it.
…
So I did.
"It wasn't a truck."
He stopped walking.
…
…
…
"…You didn't come."
"No."
"…Why."
…
…
"…There was nothing I could've done."
…
"You don't know that."
"…I do."
…
It came out too fast.
Too sure.
…
His eyes narrowed.
"…How."
…
…
"…Sorry."
…
He held it.
Then walked. Half a step ahead.
I followed.
The half step stayed.
***
My legs were heavy.
They'd been heavy since the gate.
I kept the pace anyway.
…
The school came into view.
The yard was crowded. Lunch break.
Students gathered in the shades, eating and talking.
***
We reached our floor.
We were about to turn the corner when Ichigo walked straight into someone.
"A—aah—"
"Ttss—" She went down.
"…Oh. It's you, Inoue."
"Huh— I'm sorry!"
Ichigo…
"You bumped into her and that's all you say?"
"Oh, sorry. Are you all right?"
"Mhm." Inoue nodded once.
Ichigo held out a hand. "Here."
Her eyes went wide. She looked up at him —
then hopped to her feet on her own. "It's alright!"
She started backing away, facing us the whole time. Both hands waving.
"I— I have voby— bolley— bi— volley—"
She turned and ran.
"Oi— Orihime—"
We watched her go.
"…What's with her."
Tatsuki smiled. Scary. "It's that face you make."
"By the way. Why are you two so late? It's already—"
…
While they talked, I looked down the hall at our class.
The door. The desks through the window.
…
…
Ichigo started toward the room.
I raised a hand.
"…You go. I'll wash my face."
"…Mm."
He went in.
"Bye, Tatsuki."
She nodded.
…
I walked.
Don't know where.
***
I found him behind the school.
The quiet side. The patch by the old equipment shed, weeds through the concrete.
Ichigo. On the ground. Flat on his back.
Empty.
…
I crouched. Looked at his face.
Slack. Breathing. Nobody home.
…
I poked his cheek.
Nothing.
"…You'd hate this," I said to his empty face.
…
"Hinata."
I didn't turn.
I raised a hand. "Ishida-san."
…
He stopped a few steps off.
"…You were watching his body."
"…I happened to be passing."
"Mm."
"Don't misread it. I was just checking what that thing was doing."
"Hm."
…
"…You don't seem concerned."
…
"…I am."
I sat down. Next to the body. Back against the wall.
…
…
He didn't move for a second.
Then — glasses.
…
He didn't leave.
I didn't ask why.
…
The weeds moved a little. A window closed somewhere above us.
…
Then he went still. Eyes flicking past the shed.
"…I'm leaving."
And he was. Around the corner before I could answer.
…
I blinked.
…
Then I felt it too. Far off. Coming back.
…
"..."
…
It was a while before they came around the shed.
Ichigo first. Black robes. A sword longer than he was tall on his back.
Scowling, rolling a shoulder like something ached.
Rukia beside him.
…
I raised my hand.
"…Yo. You're back."
Ichigo stopped.
She stopped.
…
Her eyes went to me.
Then the body.
Then me.
…
"…How long have you been here," Ichigo said.
"…A while."
…
He looked at the body. At me sitting next to it.
His mouth opened.
…
He glanced at her.
Closed it.
…
I pushed up off the wall. Dusted my hands.
"…I'll head back first."
I started past them.
"Ah—" Rukia turned. Hands folded in front of her. Bright voice. "We haven't met! I'm Kuchiki Rukia. I transferred in today."
…
"…Hinata Hikaru."
"Nice to meet you, Hinata-kun!"
"…Mm."
I kept walking.
I felt her eyes the whole way to the corner.
***
Class.
The teacher waved me in without stopping.
I sat.
Two desks ahead, an empty seat. Ichigo's.
It stayed empty a while.
Then it didn't.
…
The teacher talked. I copied some of it down.
***
Break.
"HIKARUUU—"
"Mm."
"DID YOU SEE— there's a NEW GIRL— she came in this morning out of NOWHERE—"
"Yeah."
"AND she's sitting RIGHT NEXT TO ICHIGO— how is that FAIR—"
"Mm."
"AND— and—"
Keigo stopped.
…
"…You okay?"
"Yeah."
I smiled.
…
"…Okay…" He didn't sound sure.
Mizuiro looked up from his phone.
Looked at me.
Said nothing.
***
The bell rang five times.
I wrote things down. The teacher said things. I copied them.
Two desks ahead, Ichigo's chin was on his palm.
He didn't look back.
Not once.
***
End of day.
Bags. Chairs scraping.
Ichigo stood. Bag on shoulder.
Rukia was already at the door. Waiting.
He stopped by my desk.
"…Oi."
"Mm."
…
"…I'll see you."
"Mm. See you."
…
He went.
She fell in beside him.
The door slid shut.
A second of silence.
Then the room went off. "Who IS she—" "First day and she—" "KUROSAKI of all people—"
Keigo wailing somewhere in it.
I zipped my bag.
"…Sorry, Keigo-san. Tired today."
I was in the hall before he answered.
***
The street outside school was loud for two blocks.
Then it wasn't.
…
I walked.
The sun was low. Gold on the water.
My legs were heavy. My eyes were heavy.
…
…
…
…
Click.
"…I'm home."
…
…
I kicked off my shoes.
The stairs took a long time.
…
I sat on the bed.
I was going to change.
…
I didn't.
***
My eyes opened.
The ceiling.
…
Morning light through the curtains.
The house was quiet.
My stomach growled.
…
I looked at my hand.
…
"…What a joke."