You know I read other author's HitsuKarin fanfiction and I cringe at how childish my writing style is compared to theirs.

Of course this isn't going to stop me from writing because its the only way for me to support this ship!

It's good to see Toushirou back in the manga but I cringed when Momo calls him "Shiro-chan" as if everything with Aizen didn't happen. Hey, maybe she did apologise to him or something but I really want some backstory on it.

Without further ado here's my new fanfiction, which is loosely based on hikari0907-sama's short but cute comic strip.

The sound of pen tapping on wood rang throughout the small bedroom, the culprit for this constant tapping? A girl with Raven hair pulled into high ponytail with a matching pair of iron-grey eyes. Her blank face stared at the jumble of words in front of her as she attempted to process the meaning of it. In her hand, a blue pen drilled a small dent in her wooden table. Grey eyes grew tired at the small characters and slowly drifted to the very appealing and tempting colourful magazine sitting on the edge of the table but immediately darted back to the book in front of her.

'No.' She willed herself. 'Concentrate Karin or you'll never pass the next test...' Yes, Kurosaki Karin is studying for the yearly exam that decides her future, however the magazine with famous sport players decorating the cover was rather distracting. The high schooler was walking home from school when she spotted the magazine displayed outside a convenience store. Upon recognising a particular player on the cover, she found herself purchasing the said magazine and has immediately regretted it right after.

Once again her eyes zoomed in on the bold title of the magazine, Gotei 13, a famous magazine covering everything and anything from modelling to entertainment to sport. On the cover is a full body shot of a white haired player in the middle of kicking a black and white ball. Seeing the familiar face provoke mixed feelings within her and her hand itched to stab the player with her pen while her heartbeat quickened at the sight of him. Karin's gaze then wandered to the small picture frames on her desk, each frame holding an image of her and a family member. Oddly enough, one was bigger than the others and was placed faced down and in doing so hid the image it held. Karin shifts her gaze between the picture frame and the magazine.

Taking a deep breath she tentatively reached out to the oddly placed picture frame and traced its edges. It has been years since she last touched it. Flipping the frame upwards a jolt of nostalgia ran up her spine upon seeing the image -or images- it held. Unlike the other picture frames, this one was a collage and the borders were decorated with small soccer balls. There were four pictures all in which features two children, a young girl with black hair and an albino boy with green-blue eyes.

The first picture was of a small adorable girl sitting on a swing. She donned a little blue dress, which matched well with her pale skin, and small Mary Jane shoes. Her eyes gleamed with youth and her lips were curved into a large grin. In her hair was a piece of red ribbon intertwined with a piece of her hair. Behind the little girl was a boy just taller than her by an inch. He had striking white, spiky hair and cool blue eyes that held knowledge a child shouldn't have. Although he does not display the same expression, the small smile on his face was enough to say he's content.

Karin scrutinised the picture and questioned her mother's fashion statement, there was no way she would be caught dead in something so… frilly. She doesn't mind the ribbon that her past self wore, she wore it all the time growing up but stopped after she entered high school. Pulling the draw of her desk out, she opened a black box containing small but memorial items. However, at the moment her eyes were focused solely on the red ribbon intertwining and knotting through the other objects. It's as if everything was in black and white and the ribbon was the only colour in the world. Delicately picking up her mother's gift with one hand, the other reached to pull out her ponytail. Her Raven hair fell to her shoulders and she tilted her head back before using the ribbon to secure the strands of hair into her usual hairstyle. It was only after she finished tying the knot did she become aware of her actions. 'Why am I even wearing it?' But she subconsciously knew it was to relive the memory.

The second picture also features the two children albeit a little older. The young girl, now looking 2 years older, was hugging a black and white ball to her chest as she leaned on the older boy next to her. Her clothes composed of a boy's shirt and a pair of shorts reaching her knees. What didn't change was the red ribbon attached to the right side of her head and the bright grin that was plastered on her face. The boy she was leaning on was about her height. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his green hoodie and his khaki shorts were smudged with dirt. His lips were curved into a satisfied smirk and his eyes gleamed with pride.

Karin let a small chuckle pass her lips. 'This was when he scored his first goal against Ichi-nii.' Realising her actions, she bit her lips to prevent the smile from spreading. Despite his appearance, the green eyed boy was in fact two years older than she is and two years younger than her brother, Ichigo.

The next photo was of the two children sitting on a railing with their legs dangling above the ground. The photo was shot at a side angle to capture their awed expression as they stared at the sun. The sky was a mixture of orange and yellow hinting towards a sunset and Karin subconsciously smiled at the memory that played in her mind. She almost lost her red ribbon that day. Taking a glance out her bedroom window she noticed the sky was the exact same colour as it was 10 years ago but the warmth it used to emit was somewhat colder. 'He really did love watching the sunset back then. I wonder if he still watches it.' And there she goes brooding over him as if she's crushing on him like a middle school girl, which she isn't.

Her eyes glazed over at the last photo. It didn't feature both of them this time, no; it was just of the boy with white hair and turquoise eyes. He donned a yellow soccer uniform with the number 10 printed on the front in green. His right foot rested on top of a worn out soccer ball. He wore a victorious smirk but his eyes held a hint of sadness that she wished she noticed years earlier. The photo was not complete. On the side of the photo was a rip that held his missing arm and her side of the incomplete photo.

Flashback

"Toushirou!" The voice of a young girl squealed. The said boy didn't have enough time to face the voice before he was tackled into a hug. The momentum the 10-year-old girl carried with her causing him to hit the ground face first with the weight of the girl sitting on his back.

"Karin! Get off me!"

With a giggle the girl now called Karin obeyed. Toushirou grumbled something about girls with supernatural strength before getting up as well. Dusting off the dirt covering his shorts he finally faced the girl who stood at the same height as him, which damages his manly pride. The red ribbon she's always worn was tied to her wrist.

"Congratulations on winning the game." Karin announced giving him one of her boyish grins.

Her contagious smile affected him like a disease and he ended up smiling back at her, albeit discreetly. It was his first game as a middle schooler but his parents couldn't make it. Having his best friend there filled half the hole left by his parents. Ever since he started playing soccer there was never a game she missed and she never failed to stroke his ego right after his victory, unknowingly. The younger girl was honest to a fault and tells him whatever is on her mind unlike other girls who drops hints and hopes for him to solve the problem right off the bat.

"Your last goal was so cool, you have to teach me that move." She chattered excitedly, replaying the moment in her mind. It was a mid air shot. Toushirou had thrown the ball in the air before performing a back flip and connecting his feet to the ball. The momentum of the flip giving the ball more force than an average kick would. Toushirou shook his head and almost felt guilty at the frown that appeared on her face.

"Why not?" The bright grin from before now wiped off and replaced with a scowl. "Is it because I'm a girl?" It wouldn't be the first time she'd been refused because of her gender. The last person who commented about her skills in soccer ended up having a soccer ball to the face.

"No, I just came up with that move on the spot." He lied smoothly when in fact he had been practising the move every time he was free. It was too dangerous and he does not want to be responsible for her injuries. Karin stared blankly at his reply trying to find a loophole in it but with the title Soccer Prodigy blinking over his head, the idea isn't completely impossible.

"Karin-chan! Toushirou-kin!" A gruff yet fruity voice yelled, capturing the two soccer players' attention. In the distant a tall man with spiky back hair donning a laboratory coat waved his camera around.

"You brought him along?" Toushirou questioned, enhancing the 'him' to make his point. His eyes locked with Karin and he glared indignantly at her. No doubt the man would somehow embarrass him in front of his whole soccer team.

Having that glare directed at her a numerous time in the past helped build immunity to them and therefore rendered it useless. Karin stared back at him with blank grey eyes not at all affected. "Well who else was I suppose to bring? Ichi-nii is at school and Yuzu's cooking dinner." Karin doesn't mention her mum and Toushirou realised his mistake.

"Sorry" he immediately apologised, and it's not just for the death of her mother.

"It's fine..." She said attempting to sound nonchalant but her voice wavers at the end.

Toushirou nervously scratched his head and turned away before asking, "Hey, how about a one on one match?"

The result was immediate as Karin eyes beamed back at him. She picked up the soccer ball he gave her for Christmas and was about to follow him to the field until a certain Kurosaki decided to interfere.

"Wait! Before you do anything, why don't we take a photo first?" The man grinned.

"Can't we take it later? I'm going to play soccer right now." She replied whilst her body twitched with adrenaline.

"But you'll be all sweaty and dirty then!" Toushirou raised an eyebrow and gestured to his sweaty and dirty state. Kurosaki Isshin ignored him and continued to reason with his beloved daughter. Locking his gaze with the owner of a pair of green eyes, they both nodded in understanding. "Just one photo, to capture Toushirou-kun's youthful achievement."

"It wouldn't kill you to waste a minute to take a photo." Toushirou added in.

Seeing how stubborn her dad was being, Karin agreed and moved to stand next to Toushirou. The older boy took the ball from her grasp and placed it on the ground before resting his foot on it. He then reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her flush against his side. The action received a bewildered look from the tomboy. She turned an inquisitive gaze at her best friend but all he did was gesture towards the camera with a nod of his head.

Isshin watched their interaction and his eyes softened. He found out a few days ago from Toushirou's parents that the albino boy had received a scholarship to attend one of the most prestigious schools in Japan. However the school was located in Kyoto and they were planning on moving the day after Toushirou's match. Isshin has kept quiet and waited patiently for the day when Toushirou would tell Karin about the scholarship but it was apparent that he wasn't going to. 'Oh Masaki! My poor little girl is going to be separated from her love! Oh the heartbreak she must endure.' It didn't take long for him to revert back to his wise self. Isshin took the photo with a goofy grin. 'But, she's your daughter Masaki. She'll be fine.'

The two children in front of him sprinted towards the soccer field and played until the sunset.

"First one there gets to kickoff first!"

"Bring it, shorty!"

Karin laid on the ground, flat on her back gasping for breath. Her hair sprawled over the ground and her attire stuck to her like a second skin. The bottom line was she was sweaty and dirty just like her dad -who went home to check up on the other twin- predicted. Toushirou on the other hand was in a better state. His hands rested against his knees as he evened out his breathing. His soccer uniform has seen better days as it now sported new dirt marks.

Composing himself he started towards Karin and gave her a hand, which she took gratefully. However he didn't realise how light she was until she was flushed against him, her warmth heating up his body. His muscles tensed at first but eventually relaxed once it realised no harm is done. He felt her pulling away and out of instinct wrapped his arms around her to keep the warmth from escaping.

"Toushirou?" She muttered. Once again confused at his action. First was his arm around her shoulders, which she easily brushed it off as leftover happiness from winning his soccer match but now she's in his embrace and she's suspicious. He was never a touchy person in the first place but not only did he make intimate contacts with her twice today; he was also the one who initiated them. "Is something wrong?"

"No, just..." It was so out of character for him but Toushirou knew this is the first and last time he'll hold her like this. Her, the only friend he ever had that didn't care about his appearance, in fact she loves to playfully joke about it. The friend he had learn to love and care. The friend he was about to leave behind. "Let me hold you a little longer."

"Ok." Karin knew better than to push on the subject so she didn't, especially when he's using this tone of voice. 'I'll ask him tomorrow'

Flashback end

'How was I suppose to know he was leaving the next day?' She remembered how upset and angry she was that day. She hated him since then but she's grown up now and instead of holding onto her grudge she decided to just forget him. 'Easier said than done.' Ever since he achieved his dream of joining Japan's international soccer team, his face was everywhere. Including the girl's change room at school.

Putting the picture frame back to its original position, this time facing upwards, Karin grabbed the magazine she had being spying on the whole afternoon. 'A little peak wouldn't hurt.' Flipping the page to Toushirou's interview she began reading.

Name: Hitsugaya Toushirou

Age: 20

Occupation: Soccer player

Relationship status: In a relationship(?)

Height: 177cm

Weight: 63kg

"Pfft!" Karin laughed. 'Please, the guy couldn't even be alone with a girl without scaring them away a second later.' It didn't stop the ache she felt in her heart upon reading the information. '177cm? Damn, can't call him a shorty anymore.' He has at least 12cm on her, which she finds is odd because they have always been the same height.

She continued reading his interview, unknowingly focusing more on his relationship status than anything else. 'See! I knew he wasn't in to that girl!' Karin silently cheered. 'Not that I cared.' She added as an afterthought.

The high schooler paused at one of the questions in the interview.

Your hometown was Karakura, correct?

Yes.

Have you stayed in contact with anyone there?

No, I left so abruptly and I couldn't find myself to face them.

I see, got anyone special waiting back at home?

I'm hoping that she's waiting for me. No, I know she's waiting for me to come back and beat me up.

Karin's eyes dilated and she scrunched the paper in her hands out of disbelief. 'Even after all these years he still knows me so well.' The raven-haired girl even went through the effort of reading a book on pressure points and she's not completely unaware of her suddenly abnormal heartbeat. 'He's not thinking of me in that way so stop beating so fast!' It was ridiculous, harbouring feelings for someone she hasn't seen in ten years.

Having read enough of the magazine, the soccer fanatic threw it to the side and attempted to study her notes. However, 15 minutes later and she's still rereading the same line over and over again.

"Argh!" Her fingers dug into her skull as she frantically shook her head in order to shake out the hopeful thoughts entering her mind.

'I won't be able to concentrate like this.' Grabbing the net containing her soccer ball, she swung it over her shoulders and decided to head to the park nearby. She has enough pent up feeling to last till dinner and Yuzu wouldn't mind if she came back late.

It didn't take long before Karin arrived. She took her time walking towards the soccer field located deeper in the park. It was refreshing and nostalgic seeing the swings where she met him, their family picnic spot under an old oak tree, the playground where the old soccer field use to be and the mini forest where they played hide-and-seek. 'I'm thinking of him again.' She silently curses herself for buying the magazine in the first place.

Taking out her soccer ball and setting it in front of her, she carelessly threw the net aside. There weren't many people aside from the small group of 8-year-old boys shooting goals in the net. Stretching out her muscles she got ready for a workout that would no doubt leave her breathless. Dribbling the ball around her feet she weaved through the invisible players before shooting a goal. She felt the familiar burn in her muscles and the adrenaline coursing through her body. She absolutely love the feeling.

It was when she's all sweaty and out of breath did she remember why she doesn't use the ribbon anymore. Karin pulled her leg back, preparing for the winning goal and with her hair loose and the wind blowing in the background, the ribbon undid itself as her foot connected with the ball. Her hand immediately went to her hair to catch the red strip but it slipped through her fingers and carried away with the wind.

"One thing after another." Karin sighed in exasperation, her mind forgetting the overloading thoughts from before.

Karin jogged in the direction of the wind keeping her eyes opened for the strip of red in the air. She found it rather ironic that she ended up back at the oak tree and curse the damn fabric as she found it caught on a branch. 'Kami-sama must really hate me today.'

Reaching up Karin stood on the tip of her toes and her nails grazed the red fabric. She jumped and her vein twitched when the ribbon slid through her fingers. The youngest Kurosaki never had any patience to begin with and on her 56th try she considered giving up and leave it hanging. She jumped once more and stretched her arms further. Her middle and index finger managed to catch the end of the ribbon and she breathed out harshly when the ribbon began slipping away from her again. Suddenly another hand, more tanned than hers, reached out and easily caught the ribbon before pulling it free from the branch. Karin turned to the owner of the hand and the expression of gratitude died on her tongue when she spotted a mop of white hair. She didn't know whether to punch or hug the person, maybe a bit of both?

"Good to see you again, Karin." The soccer prodigy casually greeted as if he didn't leave for 10 years without saying goodbye. On his face, thin lips curved into a condescending smirk that he knows she would hate and green eyes glinted with amusement.

"Toushirou." She growled, not even a second in his presence and she's already tempted to wipe the smirk of his face with a nice knuckle sandwich.

I don't think I'm going to continue this because the comic loosely had the same ending (where they both meet again) and I have no idea what to write beyond this point but if I do have any ideas for this story, I'll come back to it in the future.

Ciao ciao