June 17th 1994
The dojo lesson had ended, and I was ready to go home—only to realize it was raining.
"Fuck," I muttered, annoyed. I hadn't even brought a raincoat.
"Language. Do you want me to tell your mother?"
I turned to see Masaki and Ichigo standing nearby.
Ichigo tilted his head. "Mom, what does 'fuck' mean?"
Masaki sighed. "You don't need to know. You're too young." Then, she gave me a sharp look. "If you become a bad influence on my son, I will tell your mother."
"Unfair! I'm an adult—I'm allowed to say it!" I protested.
Masaki raised an eyebrow. "You're not even ten."
I scoffed. "I can't believe you sound just like my mother. I'm an adult in mind, you know?"
Masaki smirked. "An 'adult in mind' who screamed so loud over losing a video game that the entire neighborhood heard it?"
I froze. Shit. She heard that.
"You heard that?" I asked hesitantly.
Ichigo nodded. "Not just her. Our entire family heard it. Yuzu even had nightmares because of your screaming."
"Shut up, crybaby," I shot back.
Ichigo crossed his arms. "At least I don't cry so loud that I disturb the neighbors."
And he's actually proud of that?
"So, are you guys just here to lecture me?" I asked, irritated. "It's annoying when someone other than my mother does it."
Ichigo shook his head. "What? No! We came to help you. You don't have a raincoat or umbrella, right? So why not walk home with us?"
After all that scolding? Yeah, no thanks.
"After everything you just said? No way. I'd rather get drenched." I turned on my heel and started running.
But before I could take another step, Masaki grabbed my wrist. "Wait! Not so fast, young man. You'll get sick if you—"
"Let go," I snapped, shaking her hand off.
Masaki winced, her arm turning red from the force.
Ichigo's eyes widened, then narrowed in anger. "What the heck?! You didn't have to do that! You even hit her with full force!"
I stood there, frozen, as realization hit me. I… did that?
Before I could react, Ichigo's fist slammed into my face, knocking me down onto the wet pavement. Rain poured over me, soaking my clothes.
"You didn't dodge?" Ichigo asked, surprised.
"I was shocked, idiot! How could I dodge?!" I shot back.
But I wasn't thinking about him anymore. My eyes drifted to Masaki.
"I'm… sorry," I muttered. Then, without another word, I turned and ran home.
Ichigo was about to chase after me, but Masaki stopped him. "Let's just walk calmly. It's raining. Besides, our houses are right across from each other—we can talk to him later. He'll be fine; he's used to going home alone in the rain." She sighed. "I guess I was a bit too harsh too. I should apologize as well."
Ichigo frowned. "You didn't do anything wrong, Mom. He was the one in the wrong."
Masaki simply smiled. "Come on. Let's go home."
As they walked off, I ran through the streets, my mind racing.
Why did I do that?
Did my mind reset because of reincarnation? I've never snapped like that before—not even when I was angry playing games. This is so childish. I thought I was an adult, but maybe… this new life really is affecting me.
As I ran, I saw something up ahead—a girl standing on the edge of a bridge, looking down at the river.
I slowed down. Just ignore it. It's not my problem. She's not anyone I know.
I kept running.
But just as I reached my house and placed my hand on the door handle, something inside me twisted.
For fuck's sake…
I clenched my jaw. Having a real family is new to me… maybe this feeling is part of it.
I turned around and ran back to the river.
She's probably already dead since I saw her jump, but… I should at least check.
As I got closer, my heart suddenly dropped.
It wasn't the girl's body in the river.
It was Masaki.
Bloodied.
Ichigo knelt beside her, shaking her motionless form.
"Mom… wake up… Please… wake up!"
I stood there, frozen.
Oh, shit.
I rushed toward Ichigo. "What happened?!"
Ichigo's breathing was shaky. "I-I don't know. I saw a girl about to jump, so I ran to stop her, and then—"
"What?" My stomach twisted. "Are you sure? I saw her already jump when I ran past earlier. You're sure you didn't see it wrong?"
Ichigo's eyes darted around. "No! I'm sure! I saw her standing there!"
Then what the hell did I see? A ghost? A fucking baiter?
I turned back to Masaki's body, scanning the wound.
This… isn't from hitting the river. This is a claw wound.
What the hell is that thing?
I frantically searched Masaki's pockets.
Ichigo looked at me, confused. "What are you doing?!"
I didn't even look up. "WELL DUH, LOOKING FOR HER PHONE TO CALL FOR HELP! WHY DIDN'T YOU?!"
Ichigo's face paled. "I… I don't know how to use a phone."
I stopped for a moment.
…Does an 8-year-old really not know how to use a phone?
Then it hit me.
Oh, right. This is the '90s. Makes sense.
I grabbed the phone and flipped it open. It was still on, with no lock. Thank god. I quickly searched for emergency contacts.
Then I froze.
Ichigo frowned. "What's wrong?"
I clenched my teeth.
I DON'T KNOW THE JAPANESE EMERGENCY NUMBER, MAN. HOW DID I FORGET SOMETHING SO BASIC?!
Shit.
I turned to Ichigo. "Do you know the hospital's emergency number?"
Ichigo blinked. "No."
WHY DID I EVEN ASK SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO USE A PHONE?!
I shook my head and dialed the only number I could—Ichigo's dad. I shoved the phone into Ichigo's hands. "Talk to your dad. Explain everything. I'll check Ms. Masaki's condition."
Ichigo nodded, voice trembling as he spoke. "Dad, Mom is—"
While he talked, I placed my fingers on Masaki's neck.
Cold.
I moved to her wrist.
Nothing.
No breathing. No pulse.
I swallowed hard. Even if I could call the hospital, it'd already be too late.
"Dad is on the way. He asked about Mom's condition. How is she?" Ichigo asked, his voice small.
I couldn't look at him. "She's… dead. No heartbeat. No breath."
Ichigo's fingers went slack. The phone dropped to the ground.
On the other end, Isshin's voice crackled. "I'm close by now. What did Kenjiro say? Ichigo? Hello? Ichigo?!"
Ichigo grabbed my collar, shaking me. "You're lying."
I didn't resist. "I'm not. That's the truth."
Tears blurred my vision.
Ichigo let go, stumbling to his mother's side. "No… No, she's not…" He clutched her, shaking her. "Wake up… Please… Wake up!"
I could only sit still.
Waiting for Isshin to arrive.
And when he did, silence followed.
...
Days passed after that.
When I arrived home, I called out, "I'm back."
"Welcome back! How was school today?" my mother asked.
"Good... maybe," I replied.
"Have some lunch. Your dad will be home tonight," she said.
I sat down and dug into my fried chicken, eating everything—even the bone. My mother frowned when she saw that.
"You shouldn't do that! It'll hurt your teeth and could get stuck in your throat."
Munching on the bone, I grinned. "Don't worry, Mom. You say that all the time, and I always tell you—I have strong teeth and a tough skull." To prove it, I opened my mouth. "See? All the bone is crushed to mush."
She sighed. "Well, it's been a while since you last did that. I suppose it's fine."
The first time I ate bones like this, Mom panicked. She forced me to spit it out and dragged me to Kurosaki Clinic. Isshin ran an X-ray and confirmed that all the bone I had eaten was completely crushed—no fragments left. He said I was fine, thanks to my strong jaw and bones. After that, I was free to go home. Mom told me never to do it again, but I didn't listen. I needed the bones for protein and collagen. Eventually, she gave up after seeing me do it so many times.
As I finished my meal, Mom spoke up. "How's Ichigo doing?"
"Still the same. Wandering along the riverbank as if searching for his mother. Squatting down when he's tired, then wandering some more."
"Shouldn't you comfort him?" she asked.
"By saying, 'It's okay, it's not your fault,' and expecting everything to be fine like in some cartoon? Come on, Mom, it doesn't work like that. I can't do anything. Only time will heal him…" Or break him.
After a pause, I added, "Besides, I was at fault too. I should've gone home with her that day, even though it was raining. But I was just so angry at her for lecturing me too much. I said I was sorry, but I'll never know if she forgave me."
Mom placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault. And don't worry—your apology was accepted. Masaki wasn't the type to hold grudges, you know. I miss her too... she was my friend back in high school."
I didn't say anything. Instead, I just stood up. "I'm going to sleep. Night, Mom."
As I passed by my brother's room, Kentaro called out, "Bro, are you really okay?"
I paused for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I'm fine. How about you? How's your studying?"
"Never been better," Kentaro said, then hesitated. "I don't know what to say to you, but... all I can do is tell you to cheer up."
I let out a small chuckle. "Thanks, bro. I think I feel a little better. Now, I need some sleep to clear my mind."
"Okay. Sleep well, bro."
With that, I went to my room and lay down, letting sleep take me.
Then time have passed again
Days blurred into weeks, then months. Seasons changed, but some things remained the same. Ichigo kept wandering the riverbank, searching for something—maybe closure, maybe a miracle. I stopped trying to talk to him about it. Some wounds don't heal with words.
I kept myself busy. School, training, gaming—anything to keep my mind occupied. I still couldn't beat Battletoads, and every time I lost, I screamed in frustration. Every time I screamed, Mom scolded me. Eventually, I learned to scream quieter, which at least stopped her from yelling at me as much.
Life kept moving forward, even if some of us were still stuck in the past.