"What's your problem, Hitsugaya?" His voice was laced with venom when he spoke, but you still figured out who he was, Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Orihime's the one protecting them, ask her." Hitsugaya put his sword back in the sheath, the snow vanishing when he did so. You thought the ice would vanish from your finger but it only vanquished the flesh down to the knuckle. Oddly enough, it didn't hurt. It's as if the ice did the same as a hot blade would, sealing the injury.

"What's going on?" He demanded an answer, grabbing his zanpakutō. The cloth unraveled from around the blade revealing the black and silver colors.

"The kikanshinki had no effect on Orihime's friend. Urahara used a brand new one to see if the product was damaged but it all ended the same. They know too much and we can't have them spreading their newfound knowledge about this world." Hitsugaya explained. Ichigo put his weapon away, showing he had no intentions of battling any longer.

"So the memory replacement device expired? How is that possible?" He asked.

"Don't be foolish! Kikanshinki's don't expire, idiot." Hitsugaya informed him with a tone of annoyance. The two of them began to bicker. While you watched from the same spot, Orihime took it upon herself to fix your hand.

"Does this happen often?" You asked her, feeling mentally drained from the unnatural experience.

"Ichigo and the others are always like this." She assured you. "Sorry you got pulled into this, I didn't want this for you. It can be scary and overwhelming a lot of times." She looked to the ground and once again her tiredness was apparent. If this is what she deals with on a daily basis of course she's going to be exhausted. "Once this reaches the soul society, they may take drastic measures. So please, promise me you'll be careful and come to me when you need help, no matter how big the problem is." Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at you waiting for confirmation.

"I promise, Orihime." You wrapped your arms around her knowing you both could use the comfort. "I'll try my best to defend myself and keep my guard up." The both of you walked back to the shop and even though Hitsugaya wasn't trying to harm you anymore, you still felt uneasy having tea with him.

"Have you seen hollows before this?" Ichigo asked, causing you to break your concentration on the white haired man. "Maybe this was a one time thing since you had a near death experience."

"They passed out before losing so much blood so that can't be it." Rangiku noted.

"I never thought much of them because it was something I got used to seeing from childhood. I was never this unlucky to get that close to one. I thought they were guardians from some childhood fairytale." You admitted.

"Boy, were you wrong?" Rangiku giggled.

"Don't laugh, that's insensitive." Hitsugaya scolded her.

"It's been long enough to joke about, they're all healed."

"That's not how that works, it wasn't your trauma." He said, slamming his cup on the table. The room got quiet, the awkward feeling settling in.

"How come you never told us?" Ichigo asked to get everyone back on track.

"Well there was that one time when I was late to school and told you I watched a guardian submerge itself in the riverbank." You recalled.

"That doesn't count, I wasn't a soul reaper then." He argued playfully.

"I should head home, I need time to process this... experience." You went to leave but when you opened the door a stranger with gold teeth and a painted face appeared, making you stumble backwards.

"I'm afraid you'll be staying a while longer."