Hanako's Arrival, Hanako's troubles

(Time Section 1)

Hanako roams around for quite a while since she arrived in Karakura from Osaka. It has been nearly a year since her departure from her family of a single father and no more. The feeling of being followed always breathed down her neck. Her legs are still buzzing from being in the flying transport for a while. A few bumps since her arrival and like a bad habit, she slipped the ill-gotten money into her pocket. The problem with her situation is that she could not get a job without being recognized as a daughter of a thief and a dishonored politician. Now Hanako was seeking to redeem her reputation by finding her mother and convince her to get her father in jail. The other way is to catch her father in the act and report him to the police. Hopefully, the people would understand that she only pick pockets and nothing violent because her reputation was a wreck.

During her roaming, she heard a fluent melody that somehow was robust, but the melody that she remembered was more heartfelt to her than the one she is hearing. She walked to the music shop that was playing the music. The feeling of being followed crept up her spine and made Hanako turn around to notice two people...a man and a woman...who are dressed in leatherwear and are close together like a couple. However, Hanako’s sense of a thief triggered suspicion toward the couple. By the look of it, they followed her from Osaka, even in the same transport vehicle. But she thinks it is coincide-no, there is no such thing as coincidence, and they are here for something. Hanako sat in front of the music store and began counting her money like the couple is not noticed. The couples passed by and slipped into the alleyway shortly after passing by Hanako. They are up to something and Hanako can see it.

Zen sat behind his piano in his newly renovated store; He got his store new monitor and sensors that detected noise and displayed it on a screen as colors and images depending on what kind of noise it was and what made it. Like always Zen had his Zanpaktou, Aurora, in its earpiece form as he played a song on the piano.

(song:

He used Auroras Illuminacion to create orbs of light that moved inside the store to the tempo of the music as the CD started played in the other instruments and Zen began to sing from inside the store as he played the piano. The lights kept floating inside the store as they glowed brighter when ever a cresendo was hit in the song and more colored lights appeared making the lyrics of the song as Zen kept playing. Not noticing that his store was open and there was a strange feeling in the air like something bad was about to happen in his store.

(Time Section 1)

Hanako looked around and noticed that the woman was watching her while pretending to make out with the guy. They are exposed and Hanako knows it, however they are in public, too risky for what they could do to Hanako. As along Hanako remains in public opening, she is safe from them. After checking her money, she gets up and walked into the music store, acting like she was intending to browse, but she planned to use the music shop to wait them out. While she was entering the store, she noticed the couple stopped kissing and the man was walking deeper into the alleyway. Hanako was cornered and she believed her father was behind it. She noticed a man singing and playing on the piano and when Hanako looked behind her, it is expected that the woman was “window shopping” for her. She approached the counter with the register on it.

(Hanako) “Excuse me? Can you teach me to play that during your free time?”

Hanako does not want to get the store owner involved with her affairs involving her father and his second rate yakuza-wannabes. The woman still window shops as Hanako waits for a response. Although, she feared that the music store owner would get involved and make things worse for himself.

Zen finished playing the song and looked at the girl that entered the store. "Welcome to Rukongai Music. Sure music lessons are free here i would be glad to teach you how to play piano." He said smile-ing at the girl and signalong to sit next to him. "We can start now if you wish." He knew that the other woman in the store was up to no good and it felt as if there was another man nearby with bad intentions. Zen was not worried he was an ex-captain no mere human could hurt him even if they wanted to. He wanted to keep this girl safe and having her next to him was the safest place she could be.

(Time Section 1)

(Zen) “Welcome to the Rukongai Music. Sure, music lessons are free here. I would be glad to teach you how to play the piano.”

Hanako smiled to see that the store owner is willing to give her music lessons, something to give the two two reasons why going for Hanako now would be the security and witnesses. What would they be thinking now...

(Zen) “We can start now if you wish.”

The store owner invited her to a seat next to him at the piano and Hanako walked to the piano and sat by the store owner. The aroma from the man was etched onto him by the instruments he could have been playing for a long time. Just as her aroma was tainted with money and various people whom pockets she picked throughout her year as a stray street rat. No matter how much she bathed, she could not get rid of the stench of her necessary sins.

(Hanako) “I’m Shikijou Hanako. You may have heard of me...from the news...”

The way she spoke was soft with hints of shame locking up her throat. Hanako knew that eventually, she’ll be dragged back to Osaka to face her father’s gang and her false fate. Her eyes relaxed to the point that she looks half-asleep, but she was deep in thought while aware of her surroundings. Realizing that she felt weaker and sorry for herself, she opened her eyes again and glanced at the window again, only to see the woman missing from her spot. Was it really safe? Or was she thinking that she will catch Hanako off guard as she leaves? Hanako thinks it is safer to be inside than to find herself caught by them as she leaves.

Zen looked at Hanako ans spoke "Shikijou you say, I remember your father not a very nice man, he tried to take my store from me a few years back what a pitty that his men were too weak to even come close to me." Zen noticed that the woman was gone from the store. "I can safely assume that that woman is planning to hurt you so for your safety i think its best that stay close to me. Your father is starting to dive into a world that he should not go into. A world with things few humans can ever see let alone come in contact with. He plans to use the evil beings known as Hollows, lost human souls, to gain more power in Japan, and I think hes trying to get you first." he sad in a monotone something he only did when he was dead serious about something.

(Time Section 1)

(Zen) "Shikijou you say, I remember your father not a very nice man, he tried to take my store from me a few years back what a pitty that his men were too weak to even come close to me."

(Hanako) “Papa tried to take your store? Th-the whole store? I thought he used to rob from stores!”

The reaction from Hanako accompanied her off-guarded shock about learning that her father did not only rob things from stores, he also robs stores themselves. Hanako knew him as the one who tried to have her sell her body at a bordello when he went bankrupt. Hanako’s mouth lips were loose as she looked at the piano. An image of her father with thugs threatening a store owner came into her mind and it made her want to put her father behind bars even more. He caused her mother to cut off her funding, he almost sold her and now he wanted to hurt her for turning her back on him. To a street rat, it is an expected price for following her own path to rid the society of her father’s blight. However, even if she has the most sensitive gun in the world, Hanako was not strong enough to try and end a life of a human being.

(Zen) "I can safely assume that that woman is planning to hurt you so for your safety i think its best that stay close to me. Your father is starting to dive into a world that he should not go into. A world with things few humans can ever see let alone come in contact with. He plans to use the evil beings known as Hollows, lost human souls, to gain more power in Japan, and I think hes trying to get you first."

(Hanako) “If his Hollows are looking for me...I have to go find help since you implied that I cannot handle them. We have to get out of here before they decided to wreck your store over me. If the explosion did not kill you, the debris will”

Hanako lifted herself off the piano and stay low as she sneaks through the store. From Hanako’s tone, she can be correct about Hollows being able to rip through the shop, from stories she heard, Hollows love collateral damages if their quarry is within the obstacles. Hanako wanted to lure them away from the shop and she knows if the shopkeeper cannot keep up, she will be in deep trouble since she thought she will not outrun any Hollow. She stopped and lowered onto one knee about a minor distance away from the front door, knowing if she gets any closer, she’ll be grabbed and dragged out of the shop without reaction time for the shopkeeper. She raised her opened left hand before signaling a stack-up by twirling her hand in a horizontal circle. A good thing that Hanako watched SWAT shows during her high school years.

Zen looked at how she moved through the store and he let a small laugh escaped his lips. He walked over to her and stood beside her. "Do not worry over me, Hollows would never come into my store even if they wanted too. My strength alone makes them stay away." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black whistle and put it in Hanako's hand. "If you ever need my help just blow this whistle and i will be there in an instant, OK? And about those piano lessons just drop by whenever you want too." he said with a smile.

(Time Section 1)

Hanako heard the chuckle from behind her, knowing that the shopkeeper must have something up his sleeve against the two who wanted to hurt her. The footsteps from the shopkeeper came close as the shopkeeper stopped by her side.

(Zen) "Do not worry over me, Hollows would never come into my store even if they wanted too. My strength alone makes them stay away."

(Hanako) “I figured that from the chuckle. You may be strong, but it is my struggle, if you tried to lift it all off of me, I would end up relying on you and reliance dulls the katana. Would the end justify all the means if I turn up dead because I relied on you too much?”

Hanako looked at Zen with her ice blue eyes and a frown, afraid that she will be killed if she is no longer self-sufficient. She awaits for his confirmation that he understood why she has to leave so soon...alone.

(Zen) "If you ever need my help just blow this whistle and i will be there in an instant, OK? And about those piano lessons just drop by whenever you want too.”

(Hanako) “Thank you. Now, as I leave, I will make a run for it, you will keep the two off my back until I disappeared in that alleyway there. They may be humans or hollows, I don’t want you to make the mistake of killing two human beings...What is your name?”

After she gets his name, Hanako opens the door and makes sure the shopkeeper is ready to help her escape. After she checked, she burst out of the door and out onto the street, aiming for the alleyway across the street. She dodges cars like she does it for a half a year. While for her pursuers, they blatantly scrambled to go after Hanako. Apparently both are humans with a taser in hand.

"My name is Zen" he said and watched her run out of the store. As he saw the man and woman run after her he said to himself "Not so fast" as he snapped his fingers and 2 small fast orbs of reiatsu flew to the man and woman and hit them on the head. The man and woman fell to the ground and they fell uncouncios. After a few seconds the man and woman woke up but could not remember what they were supposed to be doing because the orbs that Zen sent out had hot them in the percise location to wipe out the most recent memories they had. With that Zen saw Hanako run away and he knew that this would not be the last that he would see her.