DISCLAIMER: Bleach and its characters are not mine. Tite Kubo has got all the credit.

A/N: I honestly didn't plan to write another story this soon, but there are just some ideas that would come to you, and wouldn't go away until you'd actually written them, yeah? So 'guess that's the reason why I'm dropping by to give you this.

I hope you'll have a good time reading!

Confection Confessions

Karin squinted her eyes, scrutinizing the rainbow-colored candies that the former shinigami captain and current shop owner had handed her.

"I don't see what's special with these, Urahara-san," she remarked, briefly tearing her gaze away from the sweets to spare the older man a glance, "They look exactly like the ordinary candies."

Urahara grinned behind his trademark fan, ever the carefree and cunning businessman he was. "Ah, but looks can be deceiving most of the times, Karin-san."

Karin raised an inquisitive brow, cuing Urahara to elaborate. Awareness was the best defense when it came to his experiments, she had learned.

"I call them 'Truth Candies'," Urahara said, lowering his fan to reveal the excitement on his face, "They make—if not force—a person to give the most honest answer to any question that anyone would ask. It works as soon the person had taken it, and the effectiveness lasts for an hour per candy."

"Oh yeah?" Karin said, not quite impressed. It wasn't that she didn't believe him,—Urahara had, after all, created a lot of remarkable things that had proven his shrewdness—but she had yet to subject the candies into trial. It wouldn't hurt to be one-hundred per cent certain about the stuffs. "Have you already tried it at someone, Urahara-san?"

"Ah, not yet, but why don't you do the honor of testing it to any person, young lady?" Urahara answered.

"And who might the lucky person be?" Karin asked, sounding interested for the first time.

As if on cue, the red-headed shop assistant entered the scene, carrying a box of merchandise and grumbling about God knows what. Karin grinned as she watched her friend drop the box at the corner of the shop, while Urahara offered her a knowing smile.

"Oi, Hanakari, it's been a while!" Karin greeted, her tone too enthusiastic to be genuine.

On hearing his name, Jinta turned around and opened his mouth in an attempt to reply. But before he could get the chance to say a word, Karin had already beaten him into it by unceremoniously shoving a piece of Truth candy down his throat. He choked, before he had managed to ask, gasping, "W-what was that for, Kurosaki?!"

Karin wasn't fazed on his demanding tone. In fact, a sly smile had just graced her lips. "I've learned that you've been in-like with my twin sister for quite a while now. So what exactly have you liked about her?"

Jinta blinked, looking at Karin like she'd just grown another head. "Are you kidding me, Kurosaki?" he asked, a hint of mockery on his tone. "I thought it's already obvious. I like your twin because she's pretty, sweet and caring. And she has a nice smile, and soft-looking hair, and flawless skin, and perfect curves, and strangely kissable lips." He stopped, looking very satisfied with his answer. But as soon as he had come back to his senses and realized what he had said, his eyes widened in disbelief whereas his face caught up to the color of his hair. "Oh damn! I d-didn't mean to s-s-say t-that!"

"I shall let Ichi-nii know about your perverted thoughts about our sister," Karin said, grimacing and ignoring Jinta's latest claim. Her brother would surely love to hear what Jinta had thought of Yuzu. Not.

"Y-you wouldn't dare! That carrot-top would surely bankai me into pieces!" Jinta exclaimed, horrified at the picture of his eventual death on the hands of a certain orange-haired shinigami.

Unfortunately, Karin didn't seem to care—so much for being a long time friend. She shrugged, saying, "That's the point."

Jinta should have known; Karin wasn't going to save him from her hot-headed of a brother. She would enjoy the idea of having Ichigo run after him, in fact. Hell, she might even bring a bucket of pop corn with her while watching him die hideously.

"B-b-but... It wasn't even my fault in the first place!" Jinta looked around until he saw Urahara watching them in amusement. There his last hope was. The red-head pleaded with his eyes, as if asking the older man for help. "Tenchoo, tell her!"

Far from Jinta's expectation though, Urahara had just looked away, whistling and feigning ignorance. Ah, the traitor.

"Jeez, I was just kidding, man." Karin lightly punched Jinta on the shoulder.

An expression of relief came over the guy. He heaved a sigh before glaring at Karin. "That wasn't funny."

Karin ignored him and walked back to Urahara. Examining the Truth candies one more time, she asked, "Hey, Urahara-san, 'mind if I'd take some of these with me?"

Urahara answered, smiling his laid-back smile, "Be my guest, Karin-san." Slightly tilting his head to the side, he then asked, "But are you returning to Soul Society now?"

"Nuh-uh, not yet," Karin answered offhandedly, "We'll still visit Orihime-chan and Ishida-san, but we're going to make it quick so that we can head back at Soul Society as soon as possible."

"Ah, what a shame. I wouldn't have minded having some coffee and talking with you for a while."

Karin scoffed, believing that he had only said that out of politeness. He didn't sound disappointed at the very least. "Too bad," Karin said, deciding to play along, "the division can't have two of their highest officers missing even just for one day. Actually, make that three of us, knowing Rangiku-san."

"I see," Urahara conceded, "And I bet Hitsugaya-taichou's already bored anyway." He nodded, looking past Karin's shoulder.

At the mention of the young captain's name, Karin whipped around and was met by the sight of none other than Hitsugaya Toushirou himself in a picturesque view. He had been there the whole time, patiently waiting for her. In all of his gigai's glory, he was leaning against the frame of the entrance, his arms were folded in front of his chest like usual, and his eyes were directed outside as if he was in deep thought—he probably was. The scowl was always expected. All in all, he was giving the impression of someone who was totally oblivious to everything around him.

But Karin had been hanging out with him for a decent period of time to learn that he wasn't exactly as nonchalant as he appeared at the moment. He had been aware during the entire conversation at the Urahara Shop, was for sure.

That was proven right when he promptly leaned away from the doorframe, sighing, as Karin neared him. Then without further ado, he told her, "Let's go."

The very moment Toushirou shifted so that they were totally facing each other, Karin stopped taking a step forward and almost gaped, giving Toushirou a once-over. She was suddenly reminded of one irreversible, undeniable fact.

Hitsugaya Toushirou's physical appearance was lethal. End of discussion.

• нιтѕυкαяιи • ιcнιяυкι •

"You're not seriously going to use that at your brother, are you?" Toushirou wanted to know, scowling at the Truth candies on Karin's hand.

As soon as they'd arrived at Seireitei, Toushirou and Karin had decided to have a quick stroll before going back to their division. Apparently, they'd ended at the Kuchiki's, and seen Ichigo and Rukia sitting together near Byakuya's pond. The playful grins and glares, the half-hearted insults and hits— those simple yet meaningful gestures, that they were giving each other, were already enough for any person to see the obvious thing in between them...

They were in-love.

Her siblings' love lives really weren't any of Karin's business, (so long as it wasn't influencing them horridly, that is) but she was already sick of witnessing her brother lose his guts at every single time he had the chance to confess to the Kuchiki woman. There was a possibility that Rukia was just waiting for Ichigo to make the first move, being the big fan of fairy tales she was. But fat chance that it was going to happen, and Karin just wanted to help.

"I just want to help, Toush," she voiced out her thoughts. "I've got the answer in my hand. Literally, if I may add. So why would I still let this opportunity slip?"

"Karin, what you are doing is prying into people's personal lives," Toushirou pointed out like it wasn't already obvious, "Granted it is your brother this time, but it still isn't right. Let things happen the way they should happen."

Karin gave him a look like he'd just said something very strange. Well, he plausibly had.

"Toushirou-chan, my boy," Karin said, ignoring Toushirou's glare and patting his shoulder—she would have gone to his hair but since he'd already grown taller, she couldn't reach it anymore while they stood together. "It isn't as if I am asking about their darkest, deepest secrets like their criminal records or their sex lives. Besides, last time I checked, you were not the kind of person who would just go with the current. And I also am not. If I see the perfect chance to intervene with Fate, then I'll take advantage of it."

That was true, and even Toushirou knew it. However, Karin still had to do better than that for the young captain wouldn't let her go with such excuse. He narrowed his eyes, looking at Karin as though he knew something that she didn't. "Tell me the truth, Karin," he demanded, crossing his arms, "Do you really just want to help? Because I feel like you have an underlying intention."

Karin froze, looking like a deer caught in the headlight.

"Karin?" Toushirou pressed, raising a brow.

Karin smiled sheepishly. Rubbing the back of her head, she said, "Heh, guilty as charged." Yeah, he had caught her on that. "It's just... Well, I just think it's fun."

"I should have known." Toushirou shook his head. Only Kurosaki Karin would find an enjoyment on things which weren't exactly that fun. Or maybe, her own definition of it was different from his. "And here I thought you've already had an enough dosage of entertainment after embarrassing Ishida in front of Inoue by practically forcing him to say his feelings for her. Not to mention the other random humans who'd also been your victims with those things," he said, pointing at the Truth candies.

Karin huffed. "But I'm helping them, aren't I?" she reasoned out, "Don't worry, Toush, I'm sure Ichi-nii will thank me after this."

While he wasn't the type to just tolerate his best friend's wrong reasoning, Toushirou still was one of the few persons who knew just when to give up arguing to Karin.

"Suit yourself," he grumbled, before walking away.

"Oi!" Karin called out, watching him leave. "Where are you going?"

Without bothering to look back at her, Toushirou answered, "I still have a lot of works in the office, Karin. Come and help me as soon as you're done here. I really can't count on Matsumoto when it comes to those."

"But aren't you going to—" Karin wasn't already able to finish her question as Toushirou had disappeared with a single flash-step. "Seriously..." she muttered, frowning at the space where her best friend had vanished.

"Why did you do that, Rukia?!" Karin suddenly heard Ichigo exclaim. She looked back at where the couple was, just in time to see Rukia jump in the pond, joining Ichigo—Rukia had pushed him there, Karin assumed.

She watched in amusement, as her brother kicked an amount of water towards Rukia's face. Not the type to lose without giving a fight, the Kuchiki woman charged back. Now, Byakuya wouldn't be pleased with the scenario.

Karin, remembering the reason why she wasn't leaving yet, looked at the Truth candies on her hand, then back to the couple.

"I'm only trying to help Ichi-nii," she reminded herself, determination coming over her, then she started walking towards Ichigo and Rukia.

She knew Toushirou really needed her help in the office, but she still had a mission to complete.

And nothing or no one could already stop her.

• нιтѕυкαяιи • ιcнιяυкι •

A/N: It was supposed to be a short one-shot, but being the blabber I am, it had got longer than I'd originally expected it to turn out. That said, it's already going to be a two-part fic. I'll try to write the second part as soon as I'd recovered from this colds. ^^

I hope you've had fun reading this for now.