He flinched. "N-no I am just a normal guy in this normal town." I am a horrible liar. "No need to repay me. In fact... Maybe I should go..." He trailed off, he didn't want to leave but this stranger knew to much already.

" Alright . I hope to see you again sometime. Do you have a place to stay?" Hikari asked. She had an empty apartment that was above her's and was the same size. She had been delaying putting the ad in the paper for a while, not sure what sort of tenant she would get.

Renji wondered if he should lie. "Why do you ask?" He might have sounded a bit defensive so he tried again. "Well, no actually." Renji sighed and waves goodbye. "Well I guess i'll leave... oh wait before I go. Would you like my number just in case anything happens?"

" That would be nice. I do have an empty apartment you can stay in if you would like." She said , not sure why she had thought he sounded a little defensive, but she assumed it was because she was feeling tired. " I promise the rent isn't too steep." She added.

He thought for a minute. "I don't have a job... or money for that matter. I kinda just wander around you know." Renji felt pathetic admitting that. He doesn't live in the human world but hearing him say something like that reminded him of childhood. Such bad times...He thought sadly and then he snapped out of it. "Is there any reason you are asking me this particularly?"

" Not really. I will take your number though." She said." Though since you don't have a job you could help out at my store if you would like." Hikari added, not sure why she was doing this. She did have one part-time worker, but Mrs. Ide wanted to spend her retirement in peace, wanting to move in with her sister in Naruki City.

Renji looked at Hikari suspiciously, his pride to much at the moment. He pushed his pride down his throat and filed it away somewhere. Renji was surprised she wasn't afraid of him...
"I wouldn't mind working for you. One question though: Will it pay the rent?" He wasn't planning on staying in the human world for to long, seeing as he would end up seeing Ichigo and the others.

" I think it will. Rent is $250 a month." She said, suddenly realizing he probably wouldn't be in town for a full month."I'm sorry about this. I understand if you don't want to work for me. " Hikari said and realized this was something her dad would have done, blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh well that works for me, I don't mind working for you at all." Renji looked at Hikari and noticed she was blushing slightly. "D-did I do something?" Renji felt his cheeks warm.
I think she is so cute. He mentally smacked himself for thinking that. He cleared his throat. "Ahem, well can I as why you are not afraid of me? I mean I have bright red hair and tattoos... most people run away." Ugh why did I ask that!? He felt as though he was going to drive himself insane. This was not like him at all.

" No it's not you. I realized that I was doing something my father used to do. I don't to judge people on how they appear on how they look on the outside. It's how their character is. " Hikari said, remembering what her grandmother Emiko had taught her about people who were different.

Hikari was often teased in school for having light brown hair and not the darker hair the other girls had. She wished when she was younger, that she had the black hair of her mom or the dark brown hair her dad had. She hated being different, but her grandmother had told her one day that being different was a good thing. Hikari missed her grandmother very much since she died two years ago. Her mom , Sanae Komatsu died when Hikari was 6 years old and her grandmother had moved in shortly after.

Renji was shocked for a second but then he switched to a smile. "First time I have heard that one." He chuckled and patted Hikari on the head. "You are pretty cool, you know that." Renji thought about how he was treated through the years and wondered if Hikari had gone through something similar.

Renji was always ridiculed when he was younger. He was poor and had to steal things to get by every day back then. He was called pineapple head whenever he had his hair up. In his teens he tried to put up a wall and got tattoos. He thought that making himself look scary would keep people away and he wouldn't have to deal with the teasing anymore. Renji never had anyone by his side until he passed the exams to become a soul reaper.

Renji thought about his friends since then and wondered if Hikari could be a wonderful addition to that "family" he has come to love.

" It's something my grandma told me when I was little. Would you like to see where you will be staying ? " Hikari asked ,as she unlocked the side door to the stairs. She was thinking Renji was going to be a good friend. She had a few friends from high school that still talked to her, though most of them had moved to other cities.

"Your grandmother sounds like a pretty nice person too. Can I meet her sometime?" Renji smiled as he walked into the stairway. Renji hadn't seen his friends in a while. He had been doing alot of wandering lately and he was very tired. Renji yawned and stretched. "So is it just up these stairs?"

" She died two years ago." Hikari said sadly." Though I know she would have liked you. Yep. This door right here leads to my apartment and just up the stairs is where you will be staying. I just cleaned it really well. It is fully furnished and full kitchen, but if you would like I can do meals. I can't say I'm a very good cook, but there are few things I can make. She said and unlocked the door.

Renji felt really bad and immediately bowed. "Sorry Hikari..." He glanced up the stairs and pointed. "I am at the very top?" Renji tried to smile and lighten the mood after he had made it very awkward. " I am a horrible cook... So I would love to come over for dinner." He laughed and looked at Hikari. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate this."

" You are very welcome. " Hikair said with a small smile. " I'm usually up around 5:30 most mornings.Would you like me to wake you up in the morning and make breakfast?" She asked. Hikari realized that a lot had happened in the span of a couple hours.She wasn't sure why that she had thought she had seen Renji fight those hollows, wondering if she had imagined the whole thing.

He was surprised by her openness. They had only just met and she was willing to cook him breakfast. Renji knew that he should ask if she had seen him fighting the hollows but he might as well wait until morning comes around. He was exhausted and he knew that she was probably not ready to talk about it. "I would love to join you for breakfast. Maybe I can help?" The last part was obviously more of a question than a statement. Think about today's events just set him mind racing. Renji hadn't been this confused in a while. Woman are so hard to talk to.. I have no idea what to say. He ran his fingers through his hair and started walking upstairs. "Well I am going to bed, you should get some rest too." He waved and looked around a bit, taking in his new surroundings. He couldn't wait to see his apartment, even if it was rented.

" You can if you would like too. See you in the morning. " Hikari said and waved back before heading into her apartment. She got ready for bed and made sure everything was locked. Hikari crawled into bed, still thinking about the days events. She hoped that she wasn't going crazy and wondered why she thought Renji was different. She brushed off her thoughts and slowly fell asleep.

Renji inspected his new surroundings. The apartment was amazing compared to where he usually stays. Renji took a shower and thought about the past few hours. He smiled to himself as he thought about you.
Around midnight he finally settled into bed and stared at the ceiling. Hikari was a completely different person than Renji thought she would be. Most pretty girls he met were really mean and conceited. Slowly drifting off to sleep he thought about how bad the hollows were getting. After a few more minutes he fell asleep.

Hikari groaned at the sound of the alarm." Getting up this early isn't for sane people. "She thought to herself and went to get in the shower. She then got dressed in a nice yellow shirt and jeans, wanting to look nice and then casual at the same time. She started the coffee and went up to where Renji was staying. She knocked on the door hoping he was awake.

(( I love your new avatar! It is so cute!))

Renji heard a soft knocking at his door and he opened his eyes. So tired... He got up and stretched. Renji yawned as her walked toward the door shirtless. "Who is it?" He asked as he slowly opened the door.

( Thank you. I like avatar too. :) )

" It's me Hikari. I have coffee started if you would like some. " She said on the otherside of the door , not wanting to be rude and go in without being invited. Hikari remembered her grandmother worked hard to teach her some important manners. Her
grandmother had admitted that some of them were old fashioned , but had also said that they would come in handy when Hikari was older.

(The hat is amazing :drool:)

Renji opened the door all the way, forgetting that he was half naked. He yawned again and smiled. "Morning, I will be right down." Renji looked at her and smiled again. "How are you this morning? Want to come in?"
Renji was so groggy and managed to wipe his eyes while yawning for the thousandth freaking time. He was mad at how tierd he was, let alone how heavy his muscles felt.

( I'll pm you the link to the thread that tells you where to get the hat. )
Hikari blushed a bit when she saw Renji without his shirt. She never had seen a guy without his shirt off before. " I'm doing good. If that is alright with you. Hope you slept well last night . I hope you like coffee , though I have tea if you would like that instead. " She said as she came inside the apartment. It had been where her grandmother had lived and still could sometimes sense the kind , yet firm presence of Emiko Hirata.

(Thank you alot! ^^, so how are you today?)
"I like coffee." He smiled at Hikari warmly. "I drink it whenever I come here. It has been a while though." Renji tried not to slip up and tell her something she shouldn't. He had sensed a good presence here in this room. I still wonder if their is a spirit here in this room. Sighing he slipped on a shirt. He had found his bag in the street last night and he was glad he did or else he wouldn't have anything to wear today. "So how did you sleep Hikari-chan?" Hikari was beautiful and Renji thought she looked great in yellow. Strange... I usually hate yellow. Renji chuckled to himself.