"Good grief, it can't be helped."
Toshiro sighed helplessly but still agreed to carry Karin home.
After all, it was getting late. If they delayed any longer, it would be dark. He couldn't just leave Karin there alone.
"Alright, get on."
Toshiro crouched down with his back to Karin.
"Yeah."
Karin softly agreed, then lay down on Toshiro's back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
To be honest, when Karin lay on his back, Toshiro felt a tiny bit disappointed.
Karin's chest was very flat, almost like an airport. Even lying on his back, Toshiro didn't feel any soft, bouncy sensation or anything.
Well, she was still an elementary schooler, after all. She hadn't started developing yet. Though, it seemed that even when Karin grew up, her bust wasn't particularly large.
"Here we go, Kurosaki."
Toshiro supported Karin's slender legs and stood up, heading towards the Kurosaki house.
"Hey, Toshiro, could you stop calling me 'Kurosaki'? Everyone in our family is a Kurosaki. If you call me Kurosaki, it gets confusing. So you can just call me 'Karin'."
Karin whispered softly against Toshiro's back. Her warm breath brushed against his neck, making his body tremble slightly.
"Alright. Karin."
Toshiro was silent for a moment, then said softly.
"Hee hee hee..."
Hearing Toshiro call her by her first name, Karin laughed happily.
"Toshiro, you're so nice."
Karin hugged Toshiro tightly, pressing her cheek against his back, murmuring softly.
"..."
Toshiro remained silent, simply carrying Karin towards the Kurosaki house without speaking again.
And Karin, like Toshiro, said nothing more.
But while Toshiro didn't know what to say, Karin was simply enjoying the warm atmosphere.
The sun was setting. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled down, stretching their shadows long and far...
The Kurosaki House.
"Ding dong."
The Kurosaki Family's doorbell suddenly rang.
"Coming, coming."
Yuzu heard the doorbell and hurried to open the door.
Click—
When Yuzu opened the door and saw Toshiro standing there, she said, "Um... I remember you. You're one of Ichigo's friends who came by last time, Hitsugaya Toshiro, right? What brings you here now? Ah ah ah ah!!!"
Before Yuzu could finish asking Toshiro why he was there, she suddenly noticed Karin on his back and screamed instinctively.
Bang—!
Yuzu suddenly slammed the door shut again, then ran inside shouting, "Dad! This is bad!! Karin brought her boyfriend home!!"
"What did you say?!"
Hearing Yuzu's voice, Isshin was thunderstruck. He immediately dropped what he was doing and stormed out, fuming with rage.
"Who is it?! Which brat dares to mess with my precious daughter's feelings?!"
Isshin's eyes blazed like a ferocious beast ready to devour someone as he ran towards the door.
"It's me."
Before Isshin reached the door, a figure walked in from outside.
"You! Which little b... To-Toshiro!"
Isshin hadn't even finished his insult when he saw that the person entering was Toshiro. He immediately choked back the rest of his words.
"Yeah, that's right. It's me."
Without any sense of being an outsider, Toshiro walked directly to the living room sofa and placed Karin, who was on his back, onto it.
"So it is you! Even if you are Ichigo's friend, you can't make a move on my precious daughter!"
Isshin demanded.
"That's not what happened. I just happened to run into Karin today. She hurt her leg playing soccer, so I had to bring her home. That's all. There's no 'boyfriend' or anything like that."
Toshiro explained with a frown.
"What! Karin is hurt?!"
Hearing Toshiro's words, Isshin forgot about the whole boyfriend issue and hurried over to Karin to check on her.
"Oh, you stupid dad. I just accidentally bumped my leg playing soccer. It's nothing serious. Don't worry so much!"
Karin didn't want her family to worry, so she didn't mention the match or encountering the Hollow.
"Hmm, it really is nothing serious."
Isshin ran his own clinic and was a pretty good doctor. A simple look told him it wasn't serious.
Even so, Isshin brought over a huge pile of medical supplies: sprays, ointments, bandages, a plaster cast... anyone would think Karin had broken her leg.
Then Isshin began treating Karin's injury with a serious, grave expression, as if performing major surgery.
"Hey, Karin, this Hitsugaya Toshiro guy is pretty handsome. And he was nice enough to carry you home. Even if he looks like a delinquent, he's surprisingly gentle. Are you sure he's not your boyfriend?"
Yuzu leaned close to Karin's ear and whispered.
"Karin, don't worry. If he's really your boyfriend, just admit it boldly. No matter what Dad thinks, I support you. He's handsome and Ichigo's friend, so he can't be a bad guy."
Yuzu added.
Although Yuzu thought she was whispering, everyone in the house was far from ordinary, and they all heard her.
Isshin, busy treating Karin, even perked up his ears, wanting to hear Karin's answer.
"No, there's nothing between Toshiro and me. He's not my boyfriend. We're just ordinary friends."
Karin glanced at Toshiro beside her and said, sounding a bit disappointed.
Seeing the disappointment and hopeful expectation in Karin's eyes, Toshiro felt a little guilty and turned his head away. He cleared his throat and said, "Well... since I've brought Karin home, I won't disturb you any further. Goodbye."
Without waiting for Karin or the others to say anything, Toshiro turned and walked out.
"Alright, Karin, I've taken care of your injury. As long as you don't overdo it, it should be better in a few days."
Isshin looked at Karin's leg, which he had wrapped in layer after layer of bandages until it looked like an elephant's leg, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Yuzu, Karin, you two stay here for a bit. I'll go see Toshiro out. It's late, and I'm a little worried about him walking home alone, him being a kid."
Isshin told his two daughters, then chased after Toshiro.
At a street corner near the Kurosaki house.
"Toshiro! You bastard! I treated you like a brother, and you still made a move on my precious daughter!!"
Isshin grabbed Toshiro's shoulders and shook him vigorously.
"That's not what happened. I told you, it was a misunderstanding!"
Toshiro said, looking helpless.
"Hmph! Maybe it was a misunderstanding this time, but I can see that Karin already has feelings for you, doesn't she?"
Isshin suddenly said, his expression turning serious.
Toshiro: "..."
Toshiro couldn't refute it, because Isshin was right. Karin definitely had strong feelings for Toshiro, she was clearly smitten. She showed it too obviously... anyone with eyes could see it.
Seeing his old friend remain silent, Isshin spoke up first: "Well, letting you be with Karin wouldn't be so bad. Daughters grow up and leave the nest eventually... they have to get married someday. We've been friends for decades. I know you well. Letting Karin be with you wouldn't be a bad choice. Besides, if you married Karin, you'd have to call me Dad! Ahahaha..."
Isshin seemed to imagine some wonderful scene and couldn't help but laugh maniacally.
"What did you say?! You think you can be my Dad? In your dreams!!"
Bang!
Toshiro punched Isshin hard in the gut, sending him crumpling to the ground, then turned and walked away.
"Hey—"
Isshin's voice came from behind Toshiro: "Toshiro, I don't know what's going on in your head, but if you ever hurt Karin, even though we're friends, I will never forgive you..."
Toshiro's footsteps paused for a moment, then he continued walking forward.