213 Chapter 180 - Tag!

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[Adam. C. POV.]

Dragging my feet, I entered the confines of Urahara's shop. My head was throbbing from the absurdity that was high school, round two. Why Kisuke ever thought this would be a good idea was beyond me. I had managed to avoid most of the pitfalls of a typical high schooler, but dealing with the sheer energy of teenagers was mentally exhausting.

I didn't even know why I had agreed to this. 

Perhaps I just wanted something to distract me from my situation. 

I was in an unfamiliar place, with people I couldn't trust, dealing with problems that weren't my own, while my own family was out of reach.

As I loosened my tie and set my bag down, I heard a soft "meow" from behind me. Turning, I found Yoruichi, in her feline form, lounging on the counter.

"Rough day?" Her deep voice held a note of teasing.

I let out a deep sigh and crouched down to pet her fur. "You could say that," I muttered under my breath.

Her whiskers twitched in amusement. "Need a distraction? How about a game of tag?"

I raised an eyebrow at that, was the Flash Goddess really offering what I thought she was offering.

"A game of tag?" I replied.

Her tail flicked excitedly. "Nothing better to unwind."

I chuckled, I might as well. "Alright, you're on."

As I agreed, Yoruichi's form began to blur, her feline shape shifting and enlarging until it transformed into her human form. And there she was, in all her glory, her ebony skin—completely naked. She flashed a teasing grin, clearly expecting me to react.

I simply deadpanned, grabbing my jacket from the nearby chair and tossing it her way.

"Be decent, will ya."

I'm sorry Yoruichi, but I'm not ease to tease, I mean, I basically had to fight the women off me in Fiore, so a naked body mild in my books.

She caught the jacket mid-air and chuckled, wrapping it around her. "You're no fun."

I shrugged. "Meh, I've seen better. Besides, it's a public shop. Who knows who might walk in."

Slipping her arms through the sleeves, she smirked. "Fair enough. So, shall we begin our game?"

It seems she ignored my comment about seeing better, and here I thought I was going to get a rise out of her.

"Ready when you are," I nodded, mentally preparing myself for what I knew would be no ordinary game of tag. Yoruichi was fast, incredibly so, and if I had any hopes of tagging her, I'd need to bring my A-game.

She grinned, the thrill of the challenge lighting up her eyes. "Catch me if you can."

And with that, she vanished, a mere blur against the evening light filtering through the shop's windows.

As I darted after her, chasing her elusive form through the maze of Karakura Town, I couldn't help but smile. I was nowhere near catching her, but still, I was having fun. 

In a way, this was the closest to 'normal' I had felt since I arrived here—playing tag, training, it allowed me to forget, for a moment.

Every time I thought I had her, she'd slip away, always just a few steps ahead. The fact that she could keep ahead of me was impressive. I was no slouch when it came to speed, but she was the Flash Goddess for a reason.

Once or twice, I got close, my fingers grazing her arm or leg, but she'd pull away with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a laugh on her lips. 

She was enjoying this as much as I was, if not more.

"Is that all you got?" she called out, her voice teasing.

I couldn't help but grin. "You'll see!"

As we dashed over a canal, our reflections mirrored our movements on the water's surface, shimmering under the sunlight. I took a deep breath, centering myself, and decided to try a different tactic. 

She was faster than me. Her mastery of Shunpo was leagues beyond mine, I was good at it, but she was the best. So, instead of chasing her directly, I tried predicting where she might go next.

As we neared the outskirts of the town, there was a clearing up ahead. Thinking quickly, I veered to the right, circling around to try and intercept her. I saw her pause for a split second, taken off guard, and that's when I lunged.

But Yoruichi, true to her name, vanished just in the nick of time, reappearing on a rooftop several feet away. She saluted me with a cheeky smile. "Nice try, brat."

Catching my breath, I laughed, "Well, can't blame a guy for trying."

She hopped down from the rooftop, jacket billowing behind her, her hair a wild cascade of purple. "Not at all. It was fun, wasn't it?"

I nodded, still panting slightly from the exhilaration. "It was, it was, I almost won."

She winked. "Dream big, Adam."

I chuckled. 

Yoruichi leaned against a pillar. "You know, most people react quite differently when they first see my true form. Especially in... well, the state I was in. Why weren't you surprised, are ya gay or something?"

I shrugged. "Well, Yoruichi, in my life, I've met many who could change their forms. From mages who could take on the appearance of animals to spirits who could shift into human-like forms. Your transformation, while unique and impressive, isn't the first of its kind I've seen."

I then smirked a bit, "As for why I didn't react to your naked body as you imagined well, I told you, I've seen better."

Her eyes sparkled with humor. "Really?"

I chuckled, "Yeah, I've seen beings of unimaginable beauty, some even ethereal in nature."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge I sense? Should I be trying harder to impress you?"

I laughed, "Feel free to try, but I'm hard to impress."

I knew she had no real interest in anything with me, which is exactly why our interactions were so fun, there were no expectations, just fun.