Chapter 33: Familiar Faces Return

The Tengoku teahouse was bustling, chatter buzzed inside and out. Patrons piled into the building, reliving the experience of when Kenji ran the business by himself. Every table was occupied with guests and trays of sweets and tea. The pleasant aroma of confectionary goods lingered in the comfortable atmosphere. Conversations were livelier than normal.

Kenji rushed around tending to the needs of every guest. His efficiency was incredible, it was a spectacle for many of the children. His concentration and waltz of work stole the attention of plenty of women. Dreamy eyes and longing sighs were common among the female company.

Greetings were shared between the incoming guests and Kenji. And in turn, farewells were called out as the guests left for the day.

"Morning Tengoku-san!"

"I hope you have a good day, Tengoku-sama."

"Ooh! Ken-jiisan, how's it hanging! I brought my friends! See!"

"Here's my address Tengoku-sama, should you ever need a little… company. Fufu~."

"Aniki! Thank you for the hospitality! You don't needa worry bout my boys, I'll keep them in line!"

"This bag of bones is happy to be here again. It's hard to believe I've been coming here since I was just a young lad. Thank you, Kenji, for all the advice… for everything."

By midday, Kenji was greeted by another returning guest. Messy black hair tangled down her back in snarled twists and knots. Gloomy blue pupils reflected Kenji's tall stature. A ragged, stained blue kimono concealed her bountiful assets. Dirt and grime dusted her jade-like skin. Her overly calm expression carried an aura of confident composure.

Yachiru's right arm extended out toward Kenji. In her hand was a slip of paper she had written on. Kenji politely received the slip and unfolded it to read the contents.

His lips twitched as he browsed the messy writing.

[To the Fehdal Camillia]

[I think you are stronger than me, I would like to dual you necste.]

[To the False Prinsess]

[Thank you for evriething. I want to dual you furste.]

Kenji looked up at Yachiru. He saw a twinkle in her gloomy blue pupils. He wanted to comment on her spelling and vocabulary but refrained, illiteracy was a common deficiency in Rukongai's outer districts. Especially among the younger souls. Souls in their first century picked up the ability to write as they aged. In her case, it was a good sign that she could read and write to such a degree.

Instead, Kenji remarked on something else.

"You didn't list their names."

Yachiru's eyes suddenly flashed in realization. She bowed and spoke with a steady voice.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. My inability to recognize faces and names is a flaw I have yet to fix."

"Mmm. Best start working on that before you fight someone. It's common courtesy to remember an opponent's name."

"Is that so?"

"That's how it is."

"…"

Kenji's eyes darted down to her fidgeting fingers. His gaze rose to meet her eyes, there he saw a tiny flicker in her dim pupils. He threw some slack.

"Kenji. Tengoku Kenji. The nasty girl with one eye is Saitou Tengoku Furoufushi. The friendly dolt with glasses is Katori Tengoku Batsu'unsai. And you are?"

"Yachiru. Just Yachiru. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Kenji."

"Mmm. Likewise, Just Yachiru."

Her dim pupils flickered once more. Upon opening her lips, she paused for a second.

"… I meant my name is Yachiru."

"Mmm. I know. It was a joke."

"A joke?"

"Yes, a joke."

"Is that so? I suppose I should have laughed."

"No need. It was a bad joke. Shall I take you to a table?"

"Lead the way, if you please."

"Of course. Follow me."

Yachiru trailed behind him to the same seat she had the day before. The change in Tengoku's atmosphere wasn't lost on her. Her gaze wandered around the front house. The boisterous children chatted over fruit juice and dango. Groups of tattooed men talked business in a quiet manner, keeping disputes respectful. Young women giggled as they drank their afternoon tea. Senior citizens were people-watching and reminiscing.

"It's strange here."

Her passing comment caught Kenji's attention. With a playful smirk, he replied in turn.

"Yes, it is rather strange here, isn't it? Perfectly strange."

"Perfectly strange…"

Waking her from her daydreams, Kenji gestured to the vacant seat. Yachiru quickly sat down and peered up at him. He placed a small menu on the table and spoke.

"Do you already have something in mind?"

"What do you recommend?"

"Is there a certain flavor you're partial to?"

"I enjoy sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy foods."

"Then I'll bring something special."

"Thank you. I appreciate the consideration."

"No worries. I'll be back soon."

Yachiru's vision stayed rooted on his receding figure. She followed his back until he passed through the green curtains blocking the back hallway. Soon after, he emerged with a tray and walked in her direction.

Arriving at her tableside, he placed the tray down and spoke.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Yes. I was wondering if Furoufushi and Batsu'unsai were here."

"Mmm. Fu-chan's sleeping right now. She's probably not gonna wake up for a couple days. Batsu's outside training, she'd return in a few hours."

"I see. Is Furoufushi experiencing a coma?"

"Not exactly. But she's in a similar state."

"I see. Thank you."

"Of course. If you need anything just ask."

And with that, Kenji left to help the next customer. Yachiru turned her attention to the tray. Four skewers of varying colors rested on a small plate. Picking up a skewer with red-dusted dumplings, she took a small bite.

Tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear, she mumbled in delight.

"Spicy but delicious. I suppose I should come here every day until I have our duels and move on. What a shame. These treats are quite addicting."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three days passed in a flash. Batsu rarely showed her face around Kenji. With one spare day between them and the conference, the house became uncomfortably quiet. Furoufushi's profound state created a void of sound. Her noisiness and brash behavior had usually lifted everyone's spirits. Both Kenji and Batsu were deeply longing for her return.

And when Batsu entered the bedroom to sleep for the night, she found a welcome sight. A wide smile spread over her face as she raced across the bedroom floor to the sitting figure.

"NEE-SAN!"

*Thud*

"ACKK~! GET OFF, YOU STUPID BRAT! You're crushing my ribs with those useless piles of meat!"

Batsu had turned into a missile, tackling the half-awake Furoufushi to the ground. They rubbed cheeks, or rather Batsu rubbed her cheek on Furoufushi's. Grating teeth screeched from the peeved pink-haired senior.

"I said get off brat!"

*SMACK*

"YAOWW!"

It took Batsu's neck being compressed to stop the bear hug. Rubbing the top of her head with a wronged look, Batsu pouted and whined.

"How could you do something so mean? It's been four days."

"Huh?"

Furoufushi's face stiffened. Her mind worked in overdrive, though it quickly sputtered and stopped.

"How many days until the conference?"

"We leave the day after tomorrow, in the morning. You cut it pretty close Nee-san. Even Tenchou looked a little worried."

"Is he still up?"

"I don't know. I just came back from training."

"You were training outside, at night?"

An incredulous look rested on Furoufushi's face. With a raised eyebrow, she sensed Batsu's awkward behavior.

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

Batsu was baffled by the sudden question. Furoufushi pointed at Batsu's face. Her harsh words carried a concerned undertone.

"Your mug is ugly, like super ugly right now. What happened?"

Batsu wore a wry smile as she fixed her glasses and sheepishly chuckled.

"Hehe~. I've been trying to get my Shikai. Haven't had too much luck."

Furoufushi nodded in understanding before heaving a sigh.

"*sigh* Really, Zanpakutou are so troublesome. Four days. Four! So much work, ughhh."

"Did you get it?!"

"Yeah. It was a bitch to get. Don't even ask. But you said you're having a tough time?"

Batsu lowered her head, avoiding Furoufushi's narrowed eye.

"There's a little issue that might take a while."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Errr~. Well, all I know is that it'll take some time to solve. Don't worry, I can wait."

Waving her hands in dismissal and assurance, Batsu wasn't sure if she convinced Furoufushi. But she was relieved soon after.

"Gotcha, just make sure you don't make a mistake at this gathering thing. This is our chance to get inside Seireitei and see what it's like."

"Will do!"

Batsu fervently nodded in agreement and watched Furoufushi stand up. The one-eyed girl declared her intentions as she left the room.

"I'm gonna see Tenchou. I'll be back in a bit."

"Hn."

Exiting the room, Furoufushi's expression soured into a hard expression. She started down the hallway toward the kitchen. Entering the room, she found Kenji milling rice flour. He voiced his greeting before she could open her mouth.

"Welcome back Fu-chan. You want some dinner?"

"Yeah, four days. I'm fucking starving."

"*sigh* Language."

"Language, Smanguage."

Kenji scooped super-sized servings of rice, beef, and soup and placed them before the famished girl. She eyed the food like a voracious beast. Before she dug in, she expressed her concern with frowning lips.

"Something's wrong with my little sister."

Kenji nodded and continued working. Furoufushi glanced up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. A tone of skepticism laced in her question.

"You knew. But why aren't we doing anything?"

"Because she needs to face it alone."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Isn't it part of her soul though? Or is it just being moody?"

"You found out huh?"

"Of course. I figured it out with each piece. It still surprised me that it's actually a reflection of myself."

"That happens to a lot of Shinigami. A lot of people can't face themselves. This is exactly what Batsu's struggling with."

"Her reflection?"

"Imagine that you've lost everything. Then suddenly, you gain it all back, maybe even more. Wouldn't you feel suspicious?"

"That's bullshit though."

"*sigh* Lang-… forget it. But you gotta understand she's still young. Still impressionable. Pliable and flexible. She looks up to you. You'll have to guide her past the skepticism and suspicion."

Furoufushi smacked her chest with an open palm in a display of reliability.

*smack* *smack*

"No need to fear, Big sis is here. I got this."

"Good. Now eat up. Oh. I forgot to mention that girl you tried to bully has been coming back every day looking for a fight."

Kenji smirked in amusement as his eldest shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Scratching her head, she tried to make amends.

"Umm~. Sorry about all that. I was pretty stupid huh?"

"No, you weren't…"

She swung her head up, her face held noticeable confusion. Her silence asked Kenji to explain. He gently smiled and stopped his work to face her.

"You're a product of your own inherent nature and the environment. It's not silly that you ended up that way, but it was foolish not to question who'd you become far in the future. Besides, the girl is nothing but trouble. She'll probably hound you and Batsu as long as it takes. In fact, I think Batsu's been lucky enough to avoid her by training all day."

Kenji poured her some sake to pair with her meal. He told her his reasons.

"I just wanted you to be aware of the common people. The people who give you social and political power. Speaking of which, I may need to add lessons about politics. Now that I think about it, you've missed four days' worth of etiquette lessons. It seems I need to sit down here and review the proper uses of silverware with you."

"We use chopsticks! NO! Wait! Hold on! We can talk about this! It's my first day back! NO! NO! I'm too young to die of an aneurysm!"

After being forced to consume four days' amount of food, Furoufushi was subjected to unimaginable torture.

How to properly curtsy.

That night, she failed to stay asleep. The nightmares were too horrifying.