At 12 years old, I was getting ready to enter Mashiba Junior High—the same school as Ichigo. By this point, it seemed like every school I attended would be the same as his. Not that I minded. It was nice having someone familiar around.
By then, Ichigo had stopped crying all the time, even when he lost at the dojo. His mother's death had changed him. I wasn't sure whether to feel sad about it or relieved that he had finally toughened up.
We didn't talk as often after the accident, and I stopped going over to his house to play. Instead, I threw myself into beating Battletoads again. And, of course, I lost. Again. The frustration nearly made me scream, but I stuffed my face into a pillow to muffle it. That didn't stop me from breaking a controller in my rage.
My parents were pissed. Controllers weren't cheap, and they refused to buy a new one or pay for repairs. Thankfully, the NES came with two controllers—meaning I had one last shot. This time, I swore I wouldn't break it.
Sometimes, Ichigo and I still walked to school together. One day, I finally apologized—not for his mother's death, since there was nothing I could've done, but for snapping at her, for slapping her hand away, for failing to warn them about the girl by the river. Maybe, in some way, I was responsible.
Ichigo simply said, "It's in the past. Both my mother and I already forgave you for slapping her hand away. And you tried to help when it was already too late. I'm thankful for that—I think Mother was, too. Even though she's gone, I know she would be."
"Well, she should be. She lectured me too much," I muttered.
Ichigo's eye twitched. "...Are you trying to start a fight?"
"Sorry," I said quickly.
After a pause, he added, "Don't worry. You're not the one responsible for my mother's death. It was me. I should've known the difference between being smart and being reckless. I should have listened to my mother when she told me—"
Before he could finish, I cut in. "Wait, maybe you're right. I'm not responsible for her death. It was totally your fault."
Ichigo's expression darkened. "Are you trying to apologize or comfort me," he muttered, "or are you just trying to piss me off even more?" His voice sharpened. "Do you really want to fight for real, asshole?"
I sighed. "Sorry. I'm not good at this kind of thing."
Ichigo scoffed. "Not just 'not good.' That was terrible. I honestly wonder how I can still be your friend."
I shrugged. "Because we're neighbors?"
Ichigo sighed. "Yeah, and we've known each other for a long time… but I've never seen this side of you before."
I smirked. "Let's just say I'm unpredictable. Could be good, could be bad. Or maybe there's someone else inside me."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "That's just stupid. I bet it's because of you playing too many games, reading manga, and watching dumb shows on TV."
"How did you know?" I asked.
"You literally scream and laugh like a maniac. My family hears it, too. Even my dad, who's usually kind to kids, wanted to storm into your house and kick your ass."
I chuckled. "I thought I quieted down."
"Yeah, you did. Still not enough, though. You should just quit playing that game now."
"Never! Not until I beat it!"
Ichigo sighed. "You're literally addicted. I'm starting to worry about you. You should quit, just like I did."
"Never! Not until I beat the game. This time, I'm close—I can feel it!"
"You always say that. And last time I tried to stop you, you literally headbutted me in the face."
One week ago, at Kenjiro's house…
"Hey, I think you should stop playing now," Ichigo said, reaching out to tap Kenjiro on the shoulder.
Kenjiro's eye twitched.
"DO NOT DISTURB ME!" he roared before headbutting Ichigo square in the face.
Ichigo staggered back, blood dripping from his nose—then promptly collapsed, knocked out cold.
Kentaro, who had been watching the whole thing, panicked and bolted toward the hallway. "MOM! Ichigo's down!" he shouted.
Present day…
"Really? When?" Kenjiro asked.
"A week ago! That was the last time I ever tried to stop you, and I swore never to play at your house again!"
Kenjiro blinked. "Wait, you played at my house?"
Ichigo's eye twitched. "WHAT—Gah! You know what, never mind. How the hell haven't your mother unplugged your console yet?"
I smirked. "I get good grades, and, well… I just yank it back by force and scream like a lunatic whenever they try to take it away."
Ichigo let out a deep sigh. "My mom used to say you were mature, but now? I think you're more broken than me. Honestly, I feel sorry for your mom. If your dad were here, I bet he'd beat the crap out of you."
"Nah," I scoffed. "My dad loves me too much to do that. Besides, you should take a good look in the mirror—you're way worse than me."
"No, you should," Ichigo shot back.
I paused for a moment, his words lingering in my mind. Maybe he's right. Maybe I really am losing it… but I can't stop. My mind must have reset when I reincarnated. This confirms it. If I beat this game, maybe—just maybe—I'll go back to normal.
"Let's talk about something else," I suggested.
"Sure," Ichigo said, "but if it involves my mom, I'd rather not."
"Say... about that ghost girl, do you think—"
"Let's not talk about this," Ichigo cut me off.
"But you said—"
"IT'S STILL RELATED, YOU IDIOT!"
"Sorry."
Ichigo groaned. "You know what? Just get out of my sight. Yeah, I'm mad, but don't worry, we're still friends. I just have to get used to your… new personality. Or your broken one. I don't know if I can, though."
I smirked. "I think I should be the one saying that to you."
Ichigo exhaled sharply. "You're literally worse than me."
"At least I'm still happy."
Ichigo clenched his fists. Calm down, calm down…
That was enough to patch things up, I guess, but the sadness in his eyes never really faded. Still, that didn't mean we were suddenly best friends again. I preferred being alone. It was just more comfortable that way.
The city was full of ghosts, and Ichigo admitted he could see them too. I wanted to bring up the accident again, to ask about the ghost girl, but he refused to discuss it. So much for finding the truth.
After that, I started running to school instead of walking. It was faster, gave me some exercise, and honestly, I barely got tired anyway. Ichigo, on the other hand, preferred to take it slow.
...
Life at School and the Dojo
School was normal—nothing special. The dojo, though, was a little more interesting. Ichigo finally managed to beat Tatsuki, but I remained undefeated. Eventually, I got bored of the lessons. I had already learned enough—or rather, I never really learned anything at all, considering I was already strong before joining, thanks to my past life. Still, it was a good experience. So, I decided to quit.
Surprisingly, Ichigo quit right after me.
Tatsuki, of course, wasn't happy about it. "Why are you quitting? I get why Ichigo's quitting, but why you too?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
"I'm bored," I shrugged. "I never planned on becoming a karate master. I just wanted to learn how to fight. And, well, I already know how to. Mom agrees with me too." Not that she'd believe me if I told her I already knew before joining.
Not satisfied with my answer, she challenged me to one last match. I accepted. She fought hard, but in the end, she still lost.
After catching her breath, she admitted, "Alright, fine. You're the strongest. You always beat me."
"And Ichigo?" I asked.
"He only beat me once. That was just luck."
I smirked. "Pretty sure it wasn't luck."
"It was just luck," she insisted. "...or not," she muttered under her breath.
"I heard that," I said.
"Shut it!" Tatsuki snapped.
I chuckled. "I kinda wish you'd cry again and say, 'I'll beat you next time!' That was kinda cute." I mimicked her usual frustrated outburst.
Tatsuki's face turned red. "Shut up, you stupid idiot!"
I just laughed and changed the subject.
"Are you sad now that we both quit?" I asked.
She hesitated before muttering, "Well… I don't really have anyone to rival me in sparring anymore, so yeah, maybe a little."
"I can still fight you sometimes if I'm not busy," I offered.
Her eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah, but only if I'm not busy. And I'm always busy. Also, once we hit high school, I'm stopping for good."
"Fine. I accept! Thanks." Then, she grinned. "By the way, is it true that you scream like crazy when you lose at video games?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Who told you that? No, wait—let me guess. Ichigo."
Tatsuki laughed. "Yep. Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing it's true."
I sighed. "I don't even care if people know at this point. But honestly, can you blame me? Have you ever won at Battletoads?"
"I played it when I was eight," she admitted. "And yeah, no wonder you got mad. That game's impossible. I gave up on it ages ago. Actually, I don't even play games anymore—I just focus on school and karate."
I clenched my fists, determination flaring up. "I was so close to beating it. I am NEVER stopping until I clear that damn game." My eyes burned with resolve.
Tatsuki just stared at me with a blank expression. "Oh… good luck with that, then. I'm heading home. Bye."
I didn't even hear her. My mind was already locked onto my goal.
"I WILL BEAT THAT FUCKING GAME!"
...
After quitting the dojo and finishing school for the day, I went home, ate dinner, and headed straight to my room to play Battletoads again. Just as I was about to start, my mom called out to me.
"Son, please try to keep it down this time."
"I will, Mom. I promise," I replied, determined.
She sighed. "You get good grades, you're good at everything you do… but your personality is getting worse. This is your last game. It's for your own good. Please, listen to me."
"Don't worry, Mom. I can definitely do it this time! If I beat this game, I promise I won't play video games until high school."
"Why not forever?" she asked.
"I don't think I can do that."
She sighed again. "Fine. Just stop screaming. You're disturbing the neighbors. If you win, celebrate quietly."
"I promise," I said with a grin.
With that, she shook her head and walked away, looking exasperated.
Just then, my brother Kentaro stepped out of his room, having overheard our conversation. "Do you really mean that?"
"Yeah, I really mean it. This is gonna be the last time. I've memorized everything. Do you want to watch?"
Kentaro folded his arms. "The last time I tried to watch you play, you yelled at me to get out because I was 'disturbing your focus.' I didn't even do anything."
I blinked. "Did I really do that?"
"How do you have such bad memory at moments like this?" Kentaro sighed. "Fine, whatever. I just wish you luck. If you finally beat that damn game, Mom and I can finally have some peace without your screaming."
"Thanks for the encouragement."
Kentaro rolled his eyes and walked away.
I turned back to my game, gripping the controller tightly. This time, I focused. I played better than I ever had before. And then—it happened.
"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs, loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. In my excitement, I slammed the controller down—only to hear it snap. It was broken, but I didn't care. The console was still on, and I had won. That was all that mattered.
Grinning, I grabbed my camera, a birthday gift from my parents, and took a picture of the victory screen while wearing my sunglasses. Victory had never tasted so sweet.
Feeling like a king, I rushed outside, fists in the air.
"I WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! YEAH BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Ichigo's window flew open. "Hey, idiot! Get back inside! My dad literally grabbed a belt and is ready to kick your ass!"
I cupped a hand to my ear. "What? I didn't hear you! Did you just congratulate me?"
At that moment, Ichigo's dad, Isshin, burst through the front door—belt in hand.
Yuzu peeked from behind him, looking worried, while Karin cheered him on.
Isshin pointed at me dramatically and declared, "You really need a beating, kid."
I wasn't paying attention.
The next thing I knew, he was charging at me, leaping into the air with his belt raised high, yelling—
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
I barely had time to turn around.
"What the hell is that supposed to—HOLY SHIT!"
Before I could react, he tackled me to the ground and started whipping me with the belt.
"AAAAAH! IT HURTS! MOM, HELP—A GROWN MAN IS BEATING A CHILD!" I wailed, flailing like a dying fish.
Desperate, I looked toward my mother, hoping for salvation.
She just stood there, arms crossed, nodding approvingly. "He's never been disciplined before… this should teach him a lesson. If his father were here, he'd probably do the same. Too bad he's still overseas."
"BRO?!" I cried.
Kentaro just shook his head. "Sorry, bro. I can't do anything." Then, he thought to himself, Man, that's gotta hurt if he's screaming like that…
"ICHIGO?!" I called out in desperation.
Ichigo just watched from his window, shaking his head.
"ICHIGO'S SISTERS?!" I gasped.
Yuzu just looked away sadly, while Karin smirked. "Dad, stop for a moment."
Isshin paused mid-swing. "What? Are you forgiving him for all the screaming?"
"Not really, but I'm willing to give him a chance," Karin said. "Alright, Kenjiro, do you even remember our names? You always just call us 'Ichigo's sister' instead of using our actual names."
Yuzu crossed her arms. "That should be an easy question. There's no way he forgot—we've been neighbors for over five years."
I scoffed. "Hah! Easy. Of course, I remember. Your names are… uh…" I froze. "Uhh…"
Ichigo watched from the window, shaking his head. "He doesn't even remember my sisters' names… unbelievable."
"Is it… Cinderella and Alice?" I guessed desperately.
Kenjiro's mother sighed, facepalming as she watched. "You don't even remember their names? Shame on you, son. Honestly, I can't even be mad at Mr. Isshin for what he did to you—as long as he didn't go overboard."
Karin looked downright offended. "NOT EVEN CLOSE! WE'RE JAPANESE! AND THOSE ARE LITERALLY PRINCESS NAMES FROM FAIRY TALES!"
Yuzu looked heartbroken. "I can't believe you don't remember our names. It's like we don't matter to you at all…"
Isshin's expression darkened. "YOU DON'T REMEMBER MY DAUGHTERS' NAMES?! LOOKS LIKE YOU REALLY NEED TWICE THE BEATING!"
"AAAAH FUCK, SHIT. AAAAAAAAAAH-"
Meanwhile, Isshin continued his merciless assault while I screamed, cursed, and regretted every decision that led to this moment.
Ichigo muttered, "Poor dude… but he totally deserved it."
Yuzu winced, blinking rapidly as she watched. "I've never seen Dad this angry before… but honestly, he had it coming. I can't believe he doesn't even remember our names."
Meanwhile, Karin crossed her arms and smirked. "Hit him harder, Dad! Not only did he keep disturbing us while we were trying to sleep, but he also had the audacity to forget our names!"
By the time it was over, I wasn't sure if I had conquered Battletoads—or if Battletoads had conquered me.