Yuko propped her chin on one hand and stared blankly at Yoshino working behind the counter. All she could think about was that white-haired woman.
Ugh... what a headache.
"Yuko." Yoshino took away her empty coffee cup. "Something on your mind again?"
Yuko blinked and came back to herself. "Nothing. Just thinking about how to spend my money."
"Heh." Yoshino chuckled. She clearly didn't believe her.
That evening, after the Coffee Shop closed, everyone gathered around the counter in the living room.
Senna had finished her training for the day and was excitedly recounting everything she had seen. Rukia had come back with her.
"...And then that Hollow sprayed spit all over Ichigo's face! He looked so pathetic!" Senna doubled over laughing.
"He took care of it pretty quickly, though. He's still dependable."
Yuko studied Senna. It was the first time in a while that she had taken a close look at how Senna was doing.
Yuko had used her power to separate Senna from the memories in the Memory Rosary, leaving her without most of the rosary's power.
Back then, Senna had been only a little stronger than an ordinary Soul Reaper. Now, though, her spiritual pressure had reached the level of a Seated Officer. The girl had been working hard where Yuko couldn't see.
With that thought, Yuko looked up. "Oh, right. The New Year's almost here. How about we go on a big shopping trip tomorrow?"
"Shopping?"
"Yeah. New clothes and things."
Senna sprang to her feet. "Yes! I get new clothes!"
Yuko rolled her eyes. "You say that like I've been depriving you."
She treated Senna practically like her own daughter. Food, clothes, a place to live, things to do—what had she ever gone without?
"Hehe." Senna stuck out her tongue and grinned.
The next