Switch of Choice

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kurosaki Ichigo prided himself to always cool headed in everything. But currently he need all the help and motivation from his zanpakuto and his hollow just for saying goodbye to his family, especially Yuzu. He still couldn't resist her tears. As Yuzu is the youngest.

"Nii-chan. What are you doing?" ask Yuzu, she watch his brother curiously. He never see her nii-chan so nervous before.

"It's nothing, Yuzu. Did everyone home?" Ichigo said while patting Yuzu head softly.

"Un. Everyone's home. What's wrong, nii-chan?" Yuzu knit her eyebrow, she somewhat feel like she would not like it at all.

"It's nothing. Just curious that's all. See you around Yuzu, don't call me to dinner tonight." Ichigo said while patting Yuzu.

Yuzu stare at her brother figure slowly ascending the stairs. Deep down she know the problem not in her brother, but she truly want everything could be like in the past before any this soul thing happen. Slowly her brother began to leave her and their family and Yuzu fear the day he truly leave for good.

Ichigo know that among his family, Yuzu is the most sensitive. She somehow know that he was going to leave and she tried do her best to let himself mingle on the crowd once again. But it couldn't be the same. Whatever they did, whatsoever their intention, they already betrayed him. This time, he will not be so forgiving. Being a trascended being has it's own up and downside. The upside is of course he could protect his precious persons, the downside is he couldn't be as naïve as he always be about forgiving someone.

Ichigo. You should end everything with them. It will bringing you down if you had something unfinished.

'I know, ossan. But I will not say that I got my power back to them. Everyone will know after that and Seireitei will know. I don't want that. Maybe a proper goodbye are in order but no more.'

That's a good thinking, Ichigo. Whatever you do you should know that we always be with you.

'Thanks, Ossan. Where's shiro?'

He's asleep. That stupid hollow...

Ichigo laugh to himself with his Zanpakuto rumble. If he notice a pair a shock eyes looking at him, he never show it.

***

It was a graduation day, Ichigo stand on his full body mirror and searching any fault on his appearance. When he found nothing wrong, he go to school without his family, he already told them that he need to go there early. When his ex-friends saw him, Ichigo just continue to walk away, sparing them just a slightest glance and a full nod only to Ishida. They watch his back in something like regret but more hard headness.

Ichigo was standing in front of his school principal with his jaw on the ground.

"... What?" he barely notice his question.

"Just as I said, Kurosaki-kun. Your grades is the best of the year, I hope you could give us your good speech. Not to mention it will change most of your mate parents. Someone with gangly appearance like yours could be a smart child!" the principal said while fanning himself while laughing the future shock look of his student parents.

It was a lie if Ichigo said he was not interested is the least. But watching a gleeful and smug smile on his principal, Ichigo felt a smirk found its ways to his face. The principal saw it, sprout another similar smile and we both claps our hands.

"Nice to do business with you Ichigo-san."

"Likewise Hiroto-san."

It was the start of beautiful friendship.

***

In Ichigo's mindscape

Shiro Kurosaki and Zangetsu Ossan, looking at the interaction between their partner and this Hiroto with forbid fascination.

Ossan... this two should never met. Somehow I felt like that.

Ahh... you are not alone on this, shiro. I felt the very same.

Oi oi oi! What do we do! They clap hands!

Calm your self! Theres nothing we could do!

...

...

...Ossan.

...Yes.

I'm so very happy that I on king's side. Very, very happy.

I know. Me too.

***

The graduate watch in silence as the principal called the best graduate in their year. They already speculate who is it but no one could hide their shock the moment that bright orange hair walking slowly to the podium. They shocked more the moment the principal saying that he had the best grade in all history.

Ichigo and his Principal, Sawa Hiroto, exchange a moment of mirth with their eyes before they claps their hands and nodding to each other. Ichigo hide his mirth when he found a shocked look of his fellow graduter, friends and family.

"Good Morning, everyone. Honestly, I never ever thought that I will be the one to giving a speech this day."

Ichigo said while smiling somewhat wryly.

"But, our headmaster over there, told me that I had the best grade ever and I need to give a speech." He pointed at a smiling Sawa Hiroto and nodded at him.

"Well, here we go," Ichigo took a deep breath, and look at all the spectactor below.

"We already finish our high school, we finish the last stage before we become adult. In this high school, we find our friends, our enemies, and maybe our lovers. In this high school, we shed almost all of our immaturity and began to cross road to the future.

Maybe someone misuderstood you based on your appearance, your personalities, your hobbies, and your intentions, and in the end, they hurt you. But what we could take from this. In every moment of life, there's always be such thing like that. Theres a greeting theres a good bye. Nothing free in this world but hey that world for you! We are the future of our world, someday, we will represent our city and maybe our country. Hurt now, humiliated now, lost now, but in the future we are the winner.

Don't let anyone distacted our future, our life. Because we are the one who walk in our life not them. Don't let others opinion of you, crumble you self believe, don't let other to crush your dream with their big pride and mouth!

Because this is us! No matter what we do, this is us! The future of Karakura! The future of Japan!

Don't let anyone else said otherwise!

Thank you."

Ichigo speech is closed with many anthusiatic clap and Ichigo bow his head slightly before go down from the platform.

He smile at his sister and nodded at his father. His friends look like want to say something to him but he ignore them and just giving attention to Uryuu Ishida.

"Ishida. Congrats on your graduation." he said with a smile.

"Huh, Of course I would graduated. It was you who surprised others." Ishida said while righting his glasses.

Ichigo just laugh a little and look at him with unreadable eyes. Noticing his gaze, Ishida look at him weirdly.

"What?"

"You know, if my mother still alive and my dad's not a jerk, we could be grown up together." Ichigo said quietly, just above whisper at Ishida. "Good bye, cousin." After that Ichigo vanish from his side.

****
I'm sorry about many grammatical error. English is not my mother tongue.