Getting out of the Old Shell

Yoruichi arrived at the training ground, specifically, on the hot spring where the three girls are resting.

Aika looked up and around before returning her gaze to Yoruichi, "You alone?"

"Kisuke needs some time alone." Yoruichi removes her clothing and directly jumped down in the hot spring.

Aika wanted to say a dirty joke but noticed the gentle smile on Yoruichi's face and stopped, "What happened?"

Yoruichi gently wipes her body before answering, "Well... Sona confessed... Technically, I guess."

"What!?" Aika found the energy from her tired body to suddenly stand up, but she staggered soon after. Koneko was also shocked at Yoruichi's words and pointed her cat ears towards her direction to listen further while her tails slowly sway left and right and Kuroka started playing with it, ignoring their conversation entirely.

"Why are you surprised? Didn't you already know that this would happen sooner or later?" Yoruichi reclined on the rock and sigh.

"Oh... you're right." Aika sat back down, "They why isn't Kisuke here? Could it be that he accepted her and is now having a fun time with just the two of them!?"

Koneko's tails stood straight up when she heard this, hitting both of Kuroka's eyes, "Gyaahh!!!" Koneko didn't have to care about her though as she continued listening to them.

"... What do you think?"

"Right... That's impossible. If he can move that fast, then he would have eaten me whole long ago."

"See? Even you know Kisuke won't be accepting any of you."

"As of now."

"..."

"Then? What happened to Kaichou? If it's her, she could take this kind of set back easily."

"As it turns out... No. She ran away bawling."

"What!? At most, she'll cry a little then brush it off and try again next time. What happened, really?"

Yoruichi proceed to narrate the whole story to the three of them.

"... Is he an idiot?" Aika couldn't help but ask.

"He's an idiot." And Yoruichi didn't hesitate to answer.

"Laughing it off is one thing, but to deny Sona-Kaichou's feelings itself like that... It would have been better if he just outright rejected her... If he's not an idiot then he's a total jerk."

"Well... he's a big idiot and a little jerk." Yoruichi chuckled as it's too fitting for Kisuke.

"Then what's up with your creepily gentle smile from earlier?" Aika finally asks what has been bothering her since earlier.

"What creepy? Don't call a maiden's gentle smile creepy!" Yoruichi waved her right hand splashing the water around her. The splashes then hit Aika's face with great force.

"My eyes!!!" There are now two people wincing in pain as they cover their faces.

Yoruichi didn't my the noise the two created and answered Aika's question, "It's just that I'm happy."

"I know that you have the right to feel so, but couldn't you at least pretend to be sad for Kaichou?" Aika complained.

"That's not it, you idiot... I'm happy for Kisuke."

"That he rejected someone so mercilessly?"

"... Listen here, what do you think of me?"

"A Demon."

"..."

"So? Why are you happy for him?"

"Because this is the first time he experienced something like this."

"It's not a good experience though."

"You're right... But it also means that we're already living a different life from before. If it's the Kisuke in the past who is too busy with other things, he wouldn't even notice Sona's feelings and much less, care about it. He wouldn't have any time to contemplate love and much less, experience it. Kisuke and I wouldn't even be together now if we didn't 'escape' that 'place'. I'm just really happy that he's able to experience all of this."

"Hmmm... This is the first time he experienced something like this, huh? And you're really glad about it. Yoruichi-san, couldn't you tell us your past? I've been curious about it all this time. You would slip sometimes and it would sound like you two experienced something... not nice."

"I won't talk about our past, neither Kisuke would. And there is already no point it in."

"... Anyways, Is it fine to leave Kisuke alone? Don't you need to comfort him or something?" Aika knew that she wouldn't get anything out of her so she decided to switch the topic.

"He's not a kid anymore. And even though we already have a different life from before, he's still the Kisuke that I know. It's better for him to contemplate alone so that he could convince himself."

"Then what if he decided to chase after Kaichou and accept it?"

"... I'll think about it after that actually happens."

"Aren't you afraid that he would toss you aside for some other girls."

"Of course I'm afraid. This world, after all, has too many beautiful women, and my lover is a big pervert. But more than that fear, I trust and love him."

Few unconvincing words. But Aika can feel Yoruichi ease and confidence when she said those, 'So this is the woman he fell in love, huh? I still have a long way to go.'

"... My break is done. I still have a few more laps for today." With a sigh, Aika stood up and exited the hot spring. Within a minute, she dressed up and started sprinting away.

Yoruichi stared at her silhouette until she disappeared in the horizon, 'You don't actually have to try so hard to get his affection...'

.

.

.

The sun is already setting and Kisuke is walking slowly along the street where his house is located. His walk took a few hours to finish and his head felt a little bit clearer, 'It's my fault for avoiding it all this time.'

Sona's reaction from his words prompted him to think about the things he did, both in his old world and this new world.

"To think that something like this would become my problem... That's unthinkable if I'm still in my old world...

"I kept comparing the two so I got stuck at my old mindset... What a blunder...

"This isn't the old Earth where I have to plan a countermeasure to save Soul Society, nor the world where it is my responsibility to participate in the war to save the world.

"In here... Someone else could do that... Yoruichi and I are irregulars... We could just do what we want... We're already free of our responsibilities... Isn't that the reason I was able to get together with Yoruichi?

"My options aren't limited anymore. I don't have to confine myself in my old thinking. To think that I have to see something like that for me to think of my current lifestyle. How could I forget something basic like that?...

"Ahh... because Yoruichi suddenly appeared when I thought I was all alone..."

Kisuke helplessly chuckled to himself. Because of Yoruichi who is his partner, he unintentionally started planning ahead for unseen enemies and made himself too busy again. Although not as busy as his past life because he can still play around with the 'kids'. Leading him to the current situation.

"I should apologize to Sona-Kaichou after she calmed down sufficiently... And Yoruichi, for letting her stay in the dark for too long when she doesn't need to."

Kisuke was about to reach his home when he noticed a man in front of the house, "Excuse me~. Do you something from this place?"

The man turned around and said, "Ahh... I'm looking for a man called Kisuke Urahara."

"Why are you looking for him? And who are you, mister?"

"Oh... I'm sorry. I'm a delivery man from XXX Company and we have a letter for him that needed to be handled personally. But the sender didn't know his exact address so we were asked to look for him in Kuoh Town." The man took out his I.D. and introduces himself.

"I see. I'm the one you're looking for. Here's my I.D. Card." Kisuke took out his own.

"So you're the one. The client paid for a pretty hefty sum to look for you and hand this personally." The man took out a small envelope which is the letter he is referring to.

"Ah, thank you for your hard work." Kisuke took and inspected it. He didn't notice anything wrong with it aside from he can't think of anyone who would send him a letter and doesn't know his address.

"Please sign here."

The man left after Kisuke signed.

"From Cleria Belial? That's a very familiar name... Where have I heard it before?"