Introduction

The first time I met Isshin, it was snowing. West Rukongai was beautiful when it snowed. The buildings and streets were all dusted in white, making for the prettiest picture. At the time, Isshin had been playing tag in the snow with some friends. And that was about when I ran into him; literally so, as it turned out. To him it was no big deal. He had just laughed it off and helped me back to my feet, even extending an invitation for me to join in the fun. 

Awkward, not knowing how to handle this kind of situation at the time, I replied uneasily with an “I can’t. You see, I’m not even supposed to be …”

“Urahara Kisuke!” I looked over with wide eyes to see a dark skinned young woman running down the street. Under my breath, I cursed and then excused myself from Isshin’s presence.

“See you around!” I shouted over my shoulder as I fled, using a bit of shunpo before Yoruichi completely had me at her mercy.

It was the first time I had skipped class without Yoruichi and the first time I met Isshin. Funny how life works out.

--

Proper introductions didn’t come until later. A year later, to be exact. Isshin had showed up at the Shinigami Academy, looking completely out of place, but determined. It had surprised me at first to see some kid from the streets of West Rukongai here of all places, but when he gave his name before the class, I had understood at once.

“I’m Shiba Isshin!” And it all made sense. Why he was here, why I had felt such a strong spiritual pressure the first time I had bumped into him. Our eyes locked momentarily and I quickly looked away, nudging Yoruichi in the side.

“A Shiba?” I whispered, slightly in awe that one was finally attending the Academy. “I thought the Shiba nobles were pacifists?”

The dark skinned woman who had been chasing me that fateful day rolled her eyes in exasperated. “And I thought you were smart!”

“What, am I missing something?”

“Obviously! The son doesn’t want to follow in his family’s footsteps, what’s the big deal? It’s happened before, it’ll happen again,” replied Yoruichi off-handedly.

I gave her a knowing look. “I believe daughters do that sometimes, too.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. But she couldn’t fool me, I could see her grin.

--

In the late afternoon, as I was heading back to my dormitory, I ended up running into Isshin for a second time in so many months. At least it was in the courtyard and there weren’t too many people around to see my folly. “I’m so sorry,” I apologized at once, bending down to collect my books with a sheepish grin. “I should have been more paying attention to where I was going rather than reading.”

“It’s no problem. It’s never a problem. Your name’s Urahara Kisuke-san, right?”

I started, raising my head to look at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted in surprise. “You actually remembered my name?”

“Why’s that surprising?” he asked, amused.

I shook my head with a small smile, not quite sure why he had went through the trouble of remembering me. “We only ran into each other once. And, well, I don’t think my first impression was all that great, you know? I mean, I was running from a mad woman!”

Isshin laughed. “Oh no, that was a great first impression. How could I forget you when you had such a cute little frightened expression?”

The teasing jibe stunned me for a moment longer than I had anticipated and I hastened to come up with a snappy retort. “That so? Well, stick around. With Yoruichi around, there’s never a dull moment.” I should have realized the only reason he had remembered me was because of Yoruichi. But I was too naïve back then.