"Arrgh, I really reincarnated... but I'm still myself..."
Ichigo muttered to himself, still lying in bed.
Memories from a past life surfaced in his mind: recollections of a world where Ichigo Kurosaki was nothing more than a fictional character.
"…"
He sat up, taking in his neat and minimalist bedroom.
For the first time in years, Ichigo felt hopeful. A weight seemed to lift, not just from his heart, but from his soul.
Tears began to stream down his cheeks. He didn't hold them back, nor did he try to wipe them away. For the first time since that tragic day, he allowed himself to let it all out.
"I didn't kill my mom..."
Memories flooded his mind, numbing his self-perception wave after wave of information he barely had time to process.
Ichigo simply felt.
He sat back down on the bed, wiped his tears, and stared out the window.
'What should I do?'
Something brought Ichigo peace with himself, even after discovering he was merely a fictional character in another world, one destined to suffer and triumph for the sake of a story-loving audience.
"Unlike what my past self read... I only recovered my memories. I'm still me."
At that moment, the usual rhythm of his daily routine broke the silence.
"GOOD MORNING, ICHI—"
Isshin couldn't finish his dramatic entrance because his son suddenly hugged him—something he hadn't felt in a long time.
In a whisper, Ichigo confessed:
"Dad... I didn't kill Mom."
Isshin's eyes widened, shocked by his son's words. But more than anything: Ichigo seemed to have forgiven himself.
Returning the hug, the former 10th Division Captain smiled warmly.
"That's right, son… it was never your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault."
They stayed like that for several minutes without saying a word... until:
"DADDY, ICHI-NII, BREAKFAST IS READY!"
Yuzu shouted from the kitchen, her voice piercingly high.
Pulling away, Isshin patted Ichigo's shoulder.
"Come on, Ichigo! It's a beautiful day, and—"
"FLYING KICK!"
Cutting himself off, the Kurosaki patriarch launched a sudden dropkick at his son.
"You're way too predictable, Oyaji!"
Ichigo dodged skillfully, countering with a right jab to his father's solar plexus, sending him flying out of the room and bouncing down the hall like a crash test dummy.
"That's the spirit, Ichigooooooo!"
Isshin rolled down the stairs.
Alone again, Ichigo looked toward the window, watching the rising sun.
"You're wrong, Dad. There is someone to blame. And I know who it is."
An image of a shadowy figure flashed through his mind, along with a strange urge he couldn't quite define.
…
After a quick shower, Ichigo went down to the dining room, where his sisters and father were already waiting.
"Morning, Ichi-nii." Karin said coldly as she began to eat.
With a cheerful smile, Yuzu chimed in:
"Good morning! Did you sleep well, big brother?"
Ichigo looked at them, and at the scene around him. He reflected on things he used to overlook in his relationships. Suppressed feelings would no longer be ignored.
"Good morning, Karin. Good morning, Yuzu."
He smiled calmly, without his usual frown.
Karin widened her eyes.
"Yuzu, where's the thermometer? I think our brooding older brother might be sick."
In response, Yuzu puffed her cheeks.
"Karin-chan, big brother is finally becoming a normal teenager! We should support him!"
The two turned to look at their father, expecting some dumb comment.
Dodging the moment, Isshin exclaimed with exaggerated admiration:
"Oh! This meal looks amazing! Great job, Yuzu-chan!"
"…"
Ichigo let out a deep sigh.
"I want to apologize to you all."
Karin was about to say something, but Ichigo cut her off:
"I know that... ever since Mom died, it hasn't been easy on anyone, especially me. But from now on, I'll do my best to be the older brother you deserve."
He wasn't used to sentimental conversations.
"Sigh... Ichi-nii really isn't good at this sort of thing." Yuzu commented.
The hybrid felt as if an arrow had pierced his chest.
"Yuzu... you're being way too honest today."
After that, a comfortable silence settled over the table, and breakfast continued without further incidents.
…
'It's about time.'
Ichigo thought, checking the time on his flip phone. After a day of classes, he realized schoolwork had become even easier; his past life's memories included hundreds of exams, exercises, and study sessions across all levels.
Walking through the school corridors, he reflected on how fans viewed Ichigo Kurosaki and how weird it all felt.
His body shuddered.
'Having fans is fine, but… seriously? Ichigo x Aizen? The guy who caused half my trauma? These people are insane…'
Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, he focused on his goal: getting to Tatsuki's classroom.
Ichigo genuinely felt bad. Tatsuki had been one of the people most affected by his emotional shut-off. That would change today.
He scratched the back of his neck, remembering something important: she'd be with Orihime.
The teen with peculiar hair felt his face heat up as his mind recalled certain scenes.
"Maybe I shou—"
"Good afternoon, Kurosaki-kun!"
There she was, the girl he hadn't stopped thinking about all day. The one who would become the second sun in his life.
Orihime Inoue.
For Ichigo, no, to his future self, Orihime was his anchor. Someone he'd give his life, even his humanity, to protect. Someone he'd barely spoken to so far, but whom he deeply respected.
Just as he was about to respond, someone burst through the door and smacked into his chest.
Ichigo quickly helped the person up and stepped back.
"Hey, Tatsu—"
"What do you want, Kurosaki?"
Ichigo flinched. Her using his last name was a clear sign of how distant they'd become.
Taking a deep breath, he gestured toward the hallway.
"Can we talk... in private?"
Tatsuki huffed, glanced at Orihime, and said:
"Could you go on ahead, Orihime?"
With a bright smile, Orihime responded:
"Sure, Tatsuki-chan! But you'll have to eat my new sweet bean + Diablo 4 pepper + soy sauce + wasabi recipe later!"
Tatsuki froze in place.
"Inoue-san… are you sure that's edible?" Ichigo asked, his voice trembling.
"Of course!"
Feeling her impending death, Tatsuki grabbed Ichigo by the collar and bolted down the hallway.
"Why are you doing this?!"
"Shut up! You don't know what it's like to lose all feeling in your tongue!"
And that's how the little dragon dragged a 4-to-1 photo frame away from certain doom.