"Good grief, Toshiro. Having to think about all that at your age must be pretty tough."
After hearing Toshiro's thoughts, Karin couldn't help but tease him.
"I told you to stop bringing up my age!!"
Toshiro said, his anger mixed with embarrassment.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Karin replied casually.
"Hey, Toshiro, it's getting late. You haven't eaten yet. Want to come to my place for dinner?"
Karin suddenly asked.
Although Toshiro and Karin had visited Grandma Haru's house earlier, they hadn't stayed for dinner.
Since their meeting today was by chance, Grandma Haru hadn't prepared anything in advance, and she didn't have enough ingredients at home.
Neither Toshiro nor Karin wanted to trouble her by asking her to go out and buy more so late, so they had left without eating.
"Dinner at your place?"
Toshiro hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright."
Although Toshiro was currently staying at Orihime's house with Rangiku, those two women were always laughing and fooling around without any restraint, and scenes of 'accidental exposure' often occurred.
It made Toshiro, as a man, feel extremely awkward and uncomfortable.
Especially at this time of day, it was probably around the time Rangiku and Orihime took their baths. It wouldn't be appropriate for Toshiro to go back just yet, which was another reason he agreed to eat at the Kurosaki house.
Of course, the most important reason was Orihime's cooking. Toshiro was reaching his limit. Probably only Rangiku, whose taste was just as unique as Orihime's, could stomach her cooking.
So, occasionally getting a normal meal at the Kurosaki house would be a good thing.
…
The Kurosaki House.
"Ah! Karin, you brought your boyfriend home again!!"
Yuzu, who was cooking curry, shouted loudly upon seeing Toshiro and Karin arrive together.
Toshiro and Karin said in unison: "No, we're not couples!!"
"Oh my, saying the same thing at the same time. Isn't that telepathy?"
After Toshiro and Karin had denied being in a relationship last time, Yuzu had been half-convinced. But seeing them speak in unison like that, seemingly in sync, she was starting to believe there was something between them.
"Good grief, Karin is all grown up now. Hitsugaya, since it's so late, why don't you stay over after dinner? You can sleep in Karin's room. Ah, my little Karin is finally taking a step on the road to adulthood... It's so sad..."
Yuzu was just rambling to herself, but Toshiro and Karin's expressions grew darker the more they listened.
"That's enough, Yuzu! Stop talking to yourself!!"
Karin shouted.
Toshiro did end up staying at the Kurosaki house, as Yuzu had suggested. The reason was that Karin had asked him to go see Grandma Haru with her again tomorrow. Staying over would make it easier to leave together. Besides, after dinner, it was already late, and going back would be troublesome. So, after some hesitation, Toshiro finally agreed to stay.
Of course, there was no way he would sleep in the same room as Karin. Toshiro ended up sleeping in Ichigo's room.
When Toshiro had agreed to Karin and Yuzu's invitation to stay over, Isshin's face had turned as black as a pot. But faced with his two daughters' insistence, Isshin had no choice but to let Toshiro stay.
…
The next day.
"Seriously, what's wrong with your family? No matter how much I deny it, they just won't listen."
On the way to Grandma Haru's house, Toshiro couldn't help but complain to Karin.
The previous day, both Yuzu and Isshin had once again mistakenly assumed Toshiro was Karin's boyfriend. No matter how much he explained, they wouldn't believe him.
And the more he explained, the more convinced Yuzu and Isshin became that he and Karin were lovers.
"Well, whatever, Toshiro. Yuzu and Dad are always like that. Don't worry about it."
Karin said nonchalantly, her hands clasped behind her head.
Grandma Haru's House.
"Oh my, oh my. You came again today, Toshiro-chan. And Karin-chan."
Grandma Haru opened the door, looking happily at Toshiro and Karin standing on her doorstep.
"Yeah. I have a mission right now, so I'll be staying in the Living World for a while. I'll probably be bothering you often during this time."
Toshiro said.
"Is that so, is that so. So that's why you brought your girlfriend again today."
Grandma Haru smiled.
"Hello. Sorry for intruding so suddenly."
Hearing Grandma Haru mistake them for lovers, Karin didn't deny it. Instead, she happily stepped forward to greet her.
"Seriously, Grandma Haru, you're making jokes like this too?"
Toshiro said, looking quite troubled and exasperated.
"Hahaha..."
Grandma Haru chuckled ambiguously, clearly not believing Toshiro's denial.
Then Grandma Haru turned to Yosuke, who was behind her, and said, "Yosuke, Toshiro is here. Come say hello."
"..."
Yosuke remained very shy, hiding behind Grandma Haru, not daring to speak to Toshiro.
"What a shy child."
Cold air suddenly emanated from Toshiro's hand, and a small snowman made of blue ice crystals formed in his palm. Toshiro stepped forward and said, "Here, this is for you."
"Oh... so pretty..."
Seeing the exquisite, beautiful blue ice crystal snowman in Toshiro's hand, even the introverted and shy Yosuke couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
"Take it. It's for you."
Toshiro placed the blue ice crystal snowman into Yosuke's hand.
"Th-thank you..."
Yosuke smiled at Toshiro for the first time.
Then Yosuke excitedly placed the blue ice crystal snowman on a plate on a nearby table and stared at it with endless fascination, never getting tired.
"Hey, Toshiro, where did you find that thing?"
After sitting down with Toshiro on the veranda, watching Yosuke play with the snowman with such interest, Karin couldn't help but ask.
She hadn't seen Toshiro carrying a snowman when they arrived.
And even if he had hidden it in his pocket, it would have melted long ago during the walk from the Kurosaki house.
"That snowman isn't something I found somewhere. I made it myself."
Toshiro explained. "My Zanpakuto is the Strongest Ice-type Zanpakuto. If I want, not only can I create a snowman, I can freely manipulate ice and snow, and even change the weather with ease."
Toshiro said calmly.