Ichigo can't Fight

A pale moon hung in the sky, casting silver ripples on the ink-dark sea. The small wooden fishing boat rocked gently, barely disturbing the glassy surface. A lantern flickered at the bow, its warm glow barely reaching the ends of the vessel. The scent of brine and damp wood filled the air, mingling with the faint fragrance of rice cakes lingering on Ichigo's breath.

"Wait a minute," Teigen's sister muttered, narrowing her eyes at him, "if you knew all this, then why did we even come out to sea? You're neither a swimmer nor a sea lover."

Ichigo stiffened. "Tch, what are you talking about?"

Teigen grinned knowingly. "Oh, I get it now. It's her, isn't it?"

Ichigo nearly choked. "What?! What are you talking about? (Flustered) I didn't come out here to see anyone! Or anything! Or—"

Teigen's little sister burst into laughter. "Hah! Big brother, I knew it! It's the rice cake girl, isn't it?"

Ichigo folded his arms, pretending to be unfazed. "W-Well… maybe. But don't get the wrong idea, alright? I just wanted to say thank you. Those rice cakes were really good. Turns out Baker Ba has been holding back the good stuff all this time. Why don't people leave the leftovers that are actually tasty?"

The three of them chuckled, but soon, silence settled over them once more. The waves whispered against the hull, and the night air carried the distant creak of another fishing boat's oars. Ichigo stared at the sky, lost in thought. Where is Sosai now? Is he doing well?

He reached into his satchel, pulling out a small wooden flute, its surface worn smooth from years of use. Slowly, he lifted it to his lips and began to play. The tune was hesitant at first, notes quivering like leaves caught in the wind.

Teigen's sister wrinkled her nose. "You're playing it all wrong."

Ichigo groaned. "Hey, you try playing it! Do you know how hard this is?" He continued playing, ignoring her complaints, until—

A disturbance in the water.

A smooth, dark hump broke the surface some distance away. It cut through the sea in a slow, deliberate arc, rippling the moon's reflection.

Teigen stiffened. "W-What was that?"

"It's probably Sosai's ghost coming to take Ichigo away for butchering his favorite song," Teigen's sister teased.

"Hey, shut up, you two." Ichigo grabbed the paddle, bracing himself. "Don't worry, if anything—"

A blur of silver.

From the depths, something shot out of the water—a figure, sleek and swift as a flying arrow. A shadow sailed overhead, hair whipping in the wind.

Mizaki.

Ichigo barely had time to register her before she landed gracefully on the edge of the boat, droplets cascading off her form. The moonlight caught the wet sheen of her sleeves, the flowing fabric of her yukata clinging to her limbs.

In his shock, Ichigo lost his footing. With a yelp, he tumbled backward and crashed into the water with an ungainly splash.

"Help! I can't swim! I don't want to die young and fragile!" Ichigo flailed wildly, his panicked cries making the moment seem more absurd than dire.

Teigen blinked. "Wait a second… It's her?"

Mizaki barely spared him a glance. With effortless grace, she slipped into the water and caught Ichigo beneath the arm, hauling him back onto the boat.

Ichigo sputtered, dripping seawater. "W-Well, that was embarrassing…"

Mizaki didn't seem to notice. Her gaze was distant, unfocused, as if entranced by something beyond the moment. "The flute… I heard it. You were playing the flute."

Ichigo felt a strange unease at her intense stare. "Uh, yeah. I do that all the time. Do you… want to hear me play?"

Without a word, Mizaki took the flute from his hands.

She turned and, as if gravity no longer held sway over her, floated off the boat and onto the open sea, her feet barely touching the surface.

Then she played.

The melody spilled into the night, delicate and haunting. The sound was unlike anything Ichigo had ever heard before—each note rising and falling like waves, carrying the whispers of the ocean itself.

Then, something miraculous happened.

The sea listened.

Silvery fish, shimmering under the moonlight, began to leap out of the water. One by one, they soared into the boat, landing in heaps upon the wooden planks. More and more followed, as if enchanted by the sound.

Teigen's sister gasped. "Look! Look at the boat! They're jumping in!"

Ichigo, meanwhile, was less enthused. He curled up into a ball. "Oh no… It's a nightmare. Too many fish. I'm going to dream about this for a week. Please, stop playing!"

Mizaki, a small, almost imperceptible smile on her lips, finally lowered the flute. The ocean returned to stillness.

Their haul was so great, they had to throw some fish back into the sea just to keep from sinking.

Mizaki stepped forward and returned the flute to Ichigo. He took it carefully, his fingers brushing against the damp wood.

As she turned to leave, gliding away like a phantom over the waves, Ichigo found himself blurting out, "Wait! Don't go yet!"

She stopped.

He hesitated, then finally said, "I just… I just wanted to say thank you, rice cake girl."

Mizaki scoffed lightly but nodded in acknowledgment before vanishing into the night.

Ichigo followed her retreating figure until she disappeared into the distance, slipping onto the deck of the Golden Tiger ship.

Teigen's sister smirked. "Well, at least you finally know where your rice cake girl is. Maybe now you'll stop dragging us out to sea all the time."

Ichigo crossed his arms, trying to regain some dignity. "Hah! Drag you out to sea? Have you even seen what we're sitting on? This is the biggest catch Baker Ba has ever seen. From now on, he owes us sweet rice cakes for a month or two months. No more leftovers for the orphan gang!"

Teigen's sister groaned. "Oh great, you finally give us a gang name, and that's what you come up with? The worst possible name? Seriously, you've outdone yourself."

The three of them burst into laughter, the sound carrying over the water as their boat drifted under the moonlit sky.

The sea, now calm once more, whispered beneath them, keeping its secrets well.