c3: A Peaceful Life
Ichigo adjusted the strap of his school bag over his right shoulder and stepped through the gates of Karakura High School. The white building stood quietly beneath the morning sky of Karakura Town, students filtering in with casual chatter.
Unlike what he had thought earlier, his body clearly remembered the layout. The shoe lockers near the entrance, the hallway that led to Class 1-3, the stairwell that always smelled faintly of floor polish, it was all familiar. Even if his mind had once been an outsider's, this body had lived these routines for years.
"Ichigo!"
The voice came from behind him.
Ichigo's shoulders stiffened instantly.
Before his brain fully processed it, his body reacted on instinct. He spun sharply, swinging his bag in a clean arc.
Thud.
"Ow!"
A brown-haired boy collapsed dramatically onto the ground, clutching his face.
"Man! What kind of greeting is that?!" he wailed.
The victim was Keigo Asano, loud, dramatic, and perpetually energetic. His exaggerated reactions were already a daily spectacle in early chapters of Bleach.
Standing beside him with a perfectly polite smile was Mizuiro Kojima. His light-colored hair was neatly styled, his expression gentle but his eyes carried a calm detachment. Mizuiro's smile often felt more like social courtesy than genuine amusement.
"Good morning, Kurosaki," Mizuiro greeted smoothly.
Ichigo exhaled. "Morning, Mizuiro."
He glanced down at Keigo. "You shouldn't sneak up behind people."
"I was just saying hi!" Keigo protested, springing back up with exaggerated resilience. "You're way too jumpy lately!"
Ichigo didn't respond. He was thinking about something else entirely.
That reflex.
It was sharper than before.
The three entered the building and changed into their indoor shoes at the lockers. Ichigo's name was clearly printed above his compartment Kurosaki Ichigo, Class 1-3. Keigo's locker was right beside his, as usual.
Inside the classroom, small groups had already formed. Near the window stood Orihime Inoue, chatting brightly, while Tatsuki Arisawa leaned against a desk nearby, arms crossed.
Ichigo gave them a brief nod.
Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at his slightly swollen eye but didn't comment.
The bell rang.
Students returned to their seats. Ichigo walked toward the back of the classroom and took his usual place the desk by the window. In the early chapters, that window seat had symbolic weight; it was where he would first see an unfamiliar girl standing impossibly on the air outside.
The classroom door slid open.
A woman with long dark hair and glasses entered briskly.
"Good morning, everyone!" she said brightly.
This was Masashi Ochi?
No that was incorrect.
The homeroom teacher for Class 1-3 in the manga was a woman named Mrs. Ochi (often referred to simply as Ochi-sensei). She was energetic and efficient, wasting little time on theatrics.
"Since everyone's here, let's begin," she announced, adjusting her glasses. "Take out your textbooks."
Ichigo placed his bag down and followed instructions.
Academically, Ichigo was far from incompetent. Despite his delinquent reputation and frequent fights, he consistently scored near the top of his class. He studied seriously not because he enjoyed it, but because he understood responsibility. Ever since his mother's death, he had carried a quiet determination to protect what remained of his family.
That sense of responsibility had defined him long before he ever became a Shinigami.
The class proceeded normally.
Chalk scraped softly across the board. Pages turned. Keigo whispered once and was immediately shushed.
For a brief moment, it truly felt like an ordinary high school day.
Eventually, the bell rang again.
"That's all for today's session," Ochi-sensei said, closing her book. "Lunch break."
The classroom instantly filled with movement.
Orihime stretched her arms above her head. "Ahh… lunchtime!"
Her relaxed posture, combined with her tall frame, drew more than one glance from nearby boys.
"My sweet Orihimeee!"
A dramatic voice echoed.
A figure launched forward at full speed.
Before impact
Thump.
A well-placed kick landed squarely in the attacker's face.
"Chizuru!" Tatsuki snapped.
The girl sprawled on the floor was Chizuru Honsho, known in early chapters for her exaggerated affection toward Orihime. She often expressed her admiration in wildly inappropriate and overly dramatic ways.
"You are NOT allowed to ambush her like that," Tatsuki declared firmly, retracting her foot.
Chizuru groaned from the floor but quickly recovered. "Tatsuki, you tyrant… let me admire beauty freely…"
Orihime laughed awkwardly. "Chizuru-chan, please don't scare me like that…"
Keigo, meanwhile, had already begun loudly debating what to eat from the cafeteria.
Ichigo leaned back slightly in his chair, watching the scene unfold.
It was peaceful.
Annoying at times.
Noisy.
Embarrassing.
But peaceful.
No Hollow attacks. No masked monsters. No collapsing buildings.
Just ordinary classmates arguing over lunch.
For now, at least
His life in Karakura Town remained unchanged.
But somewhere beyond the visible world, spiritual currents were already beginning to stir.
And Ichigo knew
This fragile, ordinary peace would not last long
"Are you okay, Chizuru-chan?" Orihime asked worriedly, bending down toward the girl who had just been kicked away.
The victim was Chizuru Honsho, who in the early chapters of Bleach was notorious for dramatically expressing her admiration for Orihime.
At the sound of Orihime's voice, Chizuru sprang upright instantly, hands clasped in front of her chest. "Orihime cares about me!" she cried with exaggerated joy.
Without warning, she lunged forward again.
This time even Tatsuki Arisawa was half a second too slow to intercept.
Just as it looked like Orihime was about to be tackled
Thud.
Chizuru collided face-first into something solid.
Or rather, someone.
She bounced backward and landed hard on the classroom floor, rubbing her backside in pain. When she looked up, the person standing firmly in her path was none other than Ichigo Kurosaki.
Ichigo withdrew his hand calmly.
"Cut it out," he said flatly. "You're going to knock her over."
Chizuru sniffled dramatically. "Even when you're cool, you're annoying…"
Ichigo ignored her and turned toward Orihime.
"So, what did you bring for lunch?" he asked casually. "I didn't pack anything. I was going to grab something from the cafeteria. Want me to get you something?"
Orihime brightened immediately. She pulled out an absurdly long loaf of bread nearly the length of her arm from her bag. "No need! I made bread! I added lots of cheese and spread butter all over it. It's really good. Kurosaki-kun, do you want some?"
Ichigo felt a cold sweat form.
Her culinary imagination was legendary even in early chapters fried squid-flavored bread, strange combinations, excessive butter. It was consistent with her canon portrayal.
"I'm… good," he replied cautiously, waving his hands.
Tatsuki sighed. "You really do eat high-calorie stuff without gaining weight. It's unfair."
Orihime laughed sheepishly and stuck out her tongue.
"I didn't bring anything either," Tatsuki added, glancing at Ichigo. "I was planning to buy something."
Ichigo nodded. "Fine. I'll grab enough for three."
He slung his bag over his shoulder. "Go claim a spot first. The field's probably crowded."
Tatsuki crossed her arms. "We'll be near the grass by the athletic grounds."
Ichigo gave a brief wave and left the classroom.
Orihime's eyes followed him unconsciously until he disappeared down the hall.
Tatsuki leaned closer. "You're staring."
"I'm not," Orihime replied quickly, blushing.
"You're looking forward to lunch with him, aren't you?"
Orihime clutched her oversized bread defensively. "I'm just looking forward to eating this!"
But her gaze drifted again toward the hallway.
As they walked outside toward the grassy area near the track field, Orihime hesitated.
"Tatsuki… don't you think Kurosaki-kun feels different today?"
Tatsuki paused.
"Different how?"
"He talks more," Orihime said softly. "And this morning… he was actually paying attention in class. Usually he just stares out the window."
That was true. In early chapters, Ichigo often gazed outside, lost in thought—not because he was lazy, but because he could see spirits lingering beyond the schoolyard.
Tatsuki frowned slightly. "He was sharper during our fight too. Faster."
Orihime nodded. "It still feels like him… but somehow… different."
Tatsuki flicked Orihime lightly on the forehead. "Don't start imagining weird things. There aren't ghosts wandering around changing people's souls."
Orihime rubbed her forehead and laughed awkwardly. "Right… I guess I'm overthinking."
In truth, unbeknownst to Tatsuki, ghosts absolutely did wander around Karakura Town. Ichigo had been seeing them since childhood.
A short while later, Ichigo returned carrying three simple cafeteria lunches. He handed one to Tatsuki, one to Orihime and firmly confiscated the excessive bread.
"You're eating this instead," he said, placing a more balanced meal in front of her.
Orihime pouted but obeyed.
The days that followed passed quietly.
Every morning, Ichigo was attacked by his overdramatic father, Isshin Kurosaki, whose ridiculous "surprise assaults" were a long-running family routine. Breakfast was often prepared with chaotic enthusiasm, while Yuzu carefully handled the actual cooking.
School continued normally. Lunches on the grass. Keigo's loud commentary. Mizuiro's detached smiles. Chizuru's exaggerated affection. Ordinary teenage life.
In the afternoons, Ichigo returned home and read quietly. Unlike many delinquent stereotypes, he maintained strong grades and studied seriously.
Gradually, he confirmed something important.
This was before the beginning of the main storyline.
One evening, while walking home through a side street of Karakura Town, he noticed a small, unassuming candy shop tucked into a corner.
The wooden sign read:
Urahara Shoten.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly.
That store was owned by Kisuke Urahara, former Captain of the 12th Division and a key figure in later events. If the shop was already operating, then preparations in the shadows had long begun.
Which meant
Peace was temporary.
"See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, tomorrow!"
The final bell rang, and students poured out of Karakura High.
Ichigo walked alone down the street, hands in his pockets, orange hair bright against the evening light.
For a fleeting moment, everything felt calm.
Then
A distorted roar tore through the air.
"GRAAAAAAAH!"
Spiritual pressure spiked violently.
BOOM!
A building ahead exploded outward in a shower of debris.
Glass shattered. Concrete cracked.
The air thickened with a suffocating presence malicious, heavy, inhuman.
Ichigo's eyes sharpened instantly.
He didn't need confirmation.
He could feel it.
A Hollow had appeared.
...