I know I should work on Not Again, but I have a bit of writer's block on that so you guys get a side story about how things began. I hope you enjoy it.
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Higurashi Kasumi was a nerdy girl by all standards. She wore glasses and usually had her hair braided into pigtails, freckles were sprinkled on her cheeks making her seem more juvenile than her 16 years. She loved science and had always been attracted to the supernatural.
Her best friend was and had been for many years, Fujishima Masaki, was her complete opposite. She had long beautiful hair that had many of the girls in their school jealous and she always had a confident air about her that made her seem so much more mature than all those around her. She was also on the soccer team and a star that many felt would go onto bigger and better things.
So what kept these two so close through so many differences, they both could see spirits. And it was this shared talent that led them down a path that would change their lives forever.
They had been walking past the park on their way home from school. It was late, Masaki's practice had run late and Kasumi had waited for her to finish. As the two turned the corner to enter the park they heard a loud explosion and braced themselves with a squeal as the shockwave blew over them. When they looked up they were surprised to see a large monster crouched not far from them, it was wearing a white mask and was snarling at something in front of them.
As the dust cleared a figure was revealed standing between the monster and themselves. He was holding a sword in one hand while the other reached up to adjust the green stripped hat on his head. His pale blonde hair was shaken free of dirt that had been collected during what the girls assumed was a fight with the monster. He stood in a lazy stance in the wooden sandals he wore and both girls were curious about his traditional clothing, short baggy pants and a green happy, they couldn't see any more of him than that as his back was to him.
"Mah, Hollow-san, perhaps we should move to somewhere less likely to involve innocent young girls?"
A piercing, warbling cry was the only answer to his inquiry before the monster charged the man. The girls watched as he brought his sword up and the mask on the monster split, the monster dissolving into nothing. It was too much for Kasumi though and she fainted causing her friend to cry out softly and kneel at her side. This little amount of activity was enough to draw the attention of the man standing not far from them.
"Hmmm?" He walks over to them and watches with surprise as Masaki takes a defensive stance over her friend, not sure about this man's intentions. "Oh, you can see me!" He didn't look surprised, but his tone said he was. "Your friend could see me too, couldn't she?" Masaki found herself getting even more defensive over her friend at seeing the man's scruffy appearance and unshaven stubble, that he was moving still closer to them only put her more on edge and she swung her soccer ball at him, using the netting that she carried it in to add to its force.
The ball came up short and the man looked at her curiously as though he didn't realize what she had just done. "That wasn't really necessary was it?" He sheathed his sword and Masaki noticed that it was nothing more than a concealed cane sword.
"What was that thing?" She appeared to relax but was still tense enough that she could spring into action if the suspicious looking man did anything.
"Hmm, you mean the hollow? Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He waved off her question as though he hadn't just answered it. "Your friend seems to have been overwhelmed by its presence." He made a move toward Kasumi but Masaki got in his way.
"What do you think you're doing?" She glared at him, her body telling him to back off.
"I was simply going to take her someplace more comfortable than the ground. It isn't healthy for a young lady to lay on the ground after fainting." He said it so casually that Masaki grew more defensive and glared at him, "Ah, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Urahara Kisuke. I own a shop nearby and it would be much easier to take her there to rest than somewhere further away." His over polite manners and blank look while he introduced himself made Masaki wonder if this guy was as much of a threat as she had thought. The image of him slicing the monster and killing it in a single blow flashed through her mind and she shuddered rebuilding her resolve.
"No, I'll take her home..." She looked after the man as he carried her friend off at a slow pace. She didn't remember him moving past her, she hadn't been that distracted had she, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Running after him as she shouted, she noticed he sped up and she glared at him trying to keep up.
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Not long after leaving the park Urahara had gone into a run down looking shop in a hidden away back alley, leaving the fuming Masaki running to catch up with them at the door. Upon entering the shop he got a raised brow from Tessai at the girl in his arms. Not saying anything Urhara walks pat him with a sly grin on his face just as the door is thrown open and an angry Masaki storms in.
"You! Hand over Kasumi, you freaky pervert!" She was breathing heavily, huffing in anger and from having run after the casual speed demon.
"I said that it would be better for her to lie down somewhere other than the ground. I'm simply providing such a place." His relaxed attitude was obviously making the girl even angrier and he smirked to himself at so easily riling the girl up.
His fun was cut short at the same moment as Masaki was about to scream at him in frustration by a hand being placed on his shoulder and a rough lazy voice butting in. "Kisuke, give her back her friend and leave her alone. I know you've been bored, but aggravating school girls is not the best way to alleviate your boredom." The tall man with the scruffy beard and an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth had somehow maneuvered Kasumi from Urahara's arms to his own and moved toward the heaving young woman. "I apologize for my friend. He seems to find too much fun in picking on people to amuse himself." He hands Kasumi to Masaki and backs away as she checks her friend over while keeping one eye on Urahara. She glances at the bearded man and blushes at seeing his smile.
"Thank you. We should be going now." She shifts Kasumi so that she can carry her more easily, but the shifting awakens the unconscious girl.
Kasumi blinks open her eyes and looks up at the three men in the shop; then, being the shy one of the two friends, blushes brightly at noticing the eyes all focused in their direction. "Ma Masaki. Where are we?"
Masaki sighs at the delay in their departure, sure that one guy with the cigarette was cute, but the guy with the hat was just creepy. Then there was the guy in the apron that just stood there, staring. He gave her the willies. "I can tell you on the way home." She practically dragged her blushing friend out of the shop.
"Ah, thank you for saving us earlier." Was the last thing heard by those inside the shop as the two girls left.
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Ah this will most likely be full of fluff and cute romance. It's just a how they met story. I hope you all enjoyed it and plan to continue reading it.