That night, beneath an endless sea of starlight, Karakura Town lay in a deathlike silence under the clear glow of the moon.
Occasional barks from distant dogs echoed briefly—only to make the night seem even more peaceful afterward…
Crisscrossing roads divided the vast town into more than a dozen districts, neat and orderly like the square grids of a calligraphy practice sheet—some large, some small.
Rows of streetlights stood along both sides of the roads, like silent sentinels, quietly casting their dim yellow light over the tranquil streets and alleys.
"Whoosh—"
Just as the full moon drifted to the center of the sky, a black-haired girl dressed in a black shihakushō appeared out of thin air atop a lone utility pole.
Her deep, pitch-black eyes were fixed intently on the building below—Kurosaki Clinic.
"Internal medicine… pediatrics… Looks like it's not here."
The black-haired girl straightened slightly, scanning the empty surroundings as she murmured softly:
"But that powerful spiritual pressure… it should be nearby!!"
Her voice was gentle, and her frame slender, yet her brilliant eyes shone brightly in the moonlight—like twin flames flickering in the darkness.
Moments later, a cloud drifted across the sky and slowly covered the moon.
By the time it passed, the figure on the utility pole was already gone.
"Tap… tap…"
"Tap… tap…"
Not far from Kurosaki Clinic, faint footsteps suddenly echoed along Peninsula Street.
Soon after, an orange-haired boy hurried out of a shadowy alley and stepped beneath a streetlamp.
He was a slender boy of about fifteen, wearing a white T-shirt and a dark gray high-school uniform, a gray-white shoulder bag slung diagonally across his body as he walked steadily toward Kurosaki Clinic.
He had tousled orange hair and a stubborn-looking face—long, thin eyebrows, pale lips, and brown eyes that glimmered faintly under the dim streetlight.
"Huh? Was there something there just now…?"
The boy suddenly stopped, sharply turning his head to look up at the night sky.
Just moments ago, an uneasy feeling had welled up in his chest—
as if someone were watching him from within endless darkness.
"Tch. Must just be some ghost messing around again."
He spat lightly and thought to himself:
Maybe it's because my family runs a clinic—I've seen too many dead people since I was little…
So after growing up, seeing ghosts became as ordinary as daily routine.
No fear. No surprise.
Ever since his mother, Kurosaki Masaki, "passed away from illness" six years ago, life had felt like copy-and-paste—each day dull and sticky, like spoiled paste.
7:00 a.m.—leave home on time.
Spend a long, boring day at Karakura High School.
Then… return home at exactly 7:00 p.m.
Thinking this, the boy resumed walking toward home, though for some reason every step felt unbearably heavy.
Before long, the neon sign outside his house came into view—
the words "Kurosaki Clinic" stood out starkly against the night.
"Sigh…"
The boy stopped at the door, unsure what expression he should wear tonight as he faced his carefree, unreliable father Kurosaki Isshin, and his two younger sisters, Karin and Yuzu.
Ever since his mother left this world, it felt as though his heart had been hollowed out.
Aside from his father and sisters… nothing else in the world seemed worth caring about anymore.
"…I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Fifteen years old. First year of high school.
Today marks the 2,190th day since my mother left…"
"I… still think about her."
After hesitating for a long time, the orange-haired boy—Kurosaki Ichigo—finally settled on what seemed like the most appropriate expression.
He reached out, opened the door, and called out in a flat, emotionless tone:
"I'm home—"
"You're late!"
With a sharp shout, Ichigo barely had time to react before a flying roundhouse kick smashed squarely into his face—
"You unfilial brat! Didn't we agree that dinner is exactly at seven o'clock every day?!"
Wearing a floral shirt, black slacks, and a white medical coat over it, Kurosaki Isshin (Shiba Isshin) bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"You bastard! Is this any way to treat your son after he's been out risking his life to guide spirits?!" Kurosaki Ichigo shot back without backing down.
"Shut up! No matter the reason, nothing should disrupt the family's togetherness!!"
Isshin shouted angrily while flailing both hands and feet at Ichigo in a full-on assault.
"And what—being able to see ghosts and talk to them makes you something to brag about in front of your old man?! Unforgivable—!"
"You're so damn loud! I already told you—I was saving them!!"
Ichigo snapped, finally losing his temper at his father's unreasonable accusations, and the two immediately grappled with each other.
"Ha… here we go again."
Kurosaki Yuzu sighed helplessly as she watched Isshin and Ichigo fighting, then tried to mediate:
"Please stop already, or the food's going to get cold!"
"Don't worry about them, Yuzu! Another bowl for me!"
Kurosaki Karin, clearly used to her dad and brother's daily routine by now, calmly handed her bowl to Yuzu.
"But, Karin—"
"I said don't worry about them!"
Karin shot a glance toward the door and sighed.
"Ichigo, another 'newcomer' followed you home."
"What?!"
After kicking Isshin away, Ichigo pointed at the floating middle-aged ghost by the door and shouted:
"You bastard! You were the one spying on me on Peninsula Street earlier, weren't you?!
And now you've got the nerve to follow me all the way here?!"
"Huh?"
The ghost stared at Ichigo in utter confusion, clearly having no idea what "spying" he was talking about.
"Don't play dumb—just disappear alreadyyyyy!"
Ichigo grabbed a broom and wildly swung it through the air, finally "chasing" the ghost out of the house.
"That's it! I've had enough today—I'm going to bed!"
Completely exhausted by both his father and the ghost, Ichigo had no appetite left. He stormed back to his room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, leaving Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu staring at one another.
"…This is all Dad's fault," Karin muttered, shaking her head as she set down her chopsticks and left the table.
"How is this my fault?!"
Isshin jumped up dramatically and yelled after her:
"I've been faithfully carrying out your mother's final wish—showering Ichigo with loving care!"
"Heh."
Without even looking at Isshin, Karin said to Yuzu:
"Yuzu, hurry up and finish eating and go to bed.
Don't stay around this person too long—idiocy is contagious. Good night!"
"Huh? Yuzu—don't tell me you blame Dad too?!"
Isshin threw himself to the floor in front of Yuzu with a loud thud, clutching at her pant leg and looking up at her with pleading eyes.
"Ha… haha… Dad, I need to clean up the table."
Yuzu gave an awkward laugh, picked up the dishes, and hurried away.
"Waaah—Yuzu! Don't abandon your poor father—!"
Isshin stretched out his right hand and cried dramatically, but Yuzu pretended not to hear and rushed back to her room.
"..."
Watching this, Isshin dropped his exaggerated expression and turned his gaze toward Ichigo's room, thinking quietly to himself:
Forgive me, Ichigo…
This is the only way your old man knows how to ease the darkness in your heart left behind by your mother's death…