Hey everyone, thank you for your inputs! They're absolutely helpful especially gooeystar83's – I really appreciate your help and your idea is likely to be used so thank you again. I know I'm late with my updates but with my university life right now, there are too many things piling up for me so it's hard to get a good time to write. I would like to thank you all for your patience and continuous support once more.

I hope you will like this chapter. Please send me your thoughts through a review.

Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine but belongs to Tite Kubo sensei.

Chapter 4 – It's Complicated

Her big brown eyes shifted across the crowded hallway uncertainly. The ogles and curious stares she was receiving from some of the male students were nothing new but they were definitely not subtle for her to miss. It was not surprising though – she was a beautiful woman with long flowy dark hair and delicate features.

Of course even more attractive now than before, with the make-up techniques she had picked up ever since she was scouted by a modelling agency not too long ago. Years away from Tokyo with him, time saw her grow from a lean, skinny teen to a woman with curves at the right places.

Expertly ignoring the attention on her, she gazed down at the schedule handed to her by a stuttering admin officer called Jidanbo or something at the administration office in the main building.

Seireitei University, huh.

It was still a mystery why her father was so insistent on getting her to enrol into this university but the fact that someone she knew was currently studying here spurred her to accept his proposition.

She casted a glance at her watch and raised her eyes to scan the busy hallway once more. According to her schedule, lectures should have ended by now so where was he?

What if her father got it wrong?

An uneasy feeling shook her guts.

No no, that person on that Kendo club poster was him. He has to be here!

Weaving through the bustling hallway, she continued to look around and let out a sigh when she found no one resembling him. Perhaps she should ask someone? Her head turned side to side upon that thought, eyes sweeping across the scene.

The three girls by the vending machines caught her eyes, and so she approached.

"…Yoruichi-sensei was our coach before we were disbanded-"

"Hi, sorry to interrupt..."

Feeling a little spark of annoyance, Karin turned her head at the same time as the two other girls, and felt her annoyance dissipate at a helpless face that greeted her.

"Yeah, what?" She heard the shortest one out of them all, she recalled as Hiyori Sarugaki, asked demandingly.

The petite girl looked taken back by her harsh reply, but spoke anyway. "Do any of you know who Hitsugaya Toushirou is? If yes, may I know where I can-"

A pair of snorts cut into her sentence before she could finish.

"Are you kidding? The whole school knows him!"

Turning her gaze away from the two other girls, Karin eyed the girl who looked taken back once more, and felt a tinge of pity for her. She didn't know why but she reminded her of Yuzu – the pretty and soft-spoken kind.

"I'm not sure but I think you can try the dojo." Karin stepped forward, "I'll bring you there if you want." She offered, shrugging.

Surprised by her offer, the girl relaxed, looking relieved and grateful.

"Hey guys, I've gotta go!" Karin turned her gaze to Hiyori, "Update me if you gathered the rest, okay Sarugaki-san?"

"Yeah, but don't count on it. There's no guarantee they would return to soccer."

Throwing thanks over her shoulder, Karin ushered the girl in the direction of the dojo.

"So you're new here?" Karin spoke the moment they left the two girls. "I'm Kurosaki Karin. What's your name?"

"Hinamori Momo," A small smile curved her lips. "Thanks for helping me earlier."

"Sure," Karin shrugged with a mild smile, "I'll take it that you're in the first year?"

Momo nodded. "Yes, I'm specializing in Auditing. You?"

"Banking and Finance."

"Oh, you're in the same specialization as-"

"Karin-channnnn~" A sing-song voice calling from behind made them stop in their tracks but before Karin could fully turn to identify the person, her vision was met with darkness and her nose stifled with an air of sharp girly perfume.

Mind falling blank for a moment, it took her awhile to figure out the identity of her assailant by the huge soft wall her face was pressed into. The sharp utter of 'Rangiku-chan' reeking of surprise from Hinamori she caught confirmed her suspicion.

For some reason, Matsumoto released her with an alarmed gasp, and when Karin could finally see, her eyebrows shot up in bemusement at the blinking stare Matsumoto had on the new girl.

Karin glanced between the two – Matsumoto and the gape on her face, and the nervous, small smile on Hinamori's.

What in the world…

"So you know each other?" Karin broke the silence, weirded out by the awkward tension she could feel in the air.

Matsumoto snapped her gaze over in surprise, as if she forgot about her and how she nearly suffocated her seconds ago. "Yeah, we went to the same high school." The busty woman turned back to Hinamori with a curious frown. "But Momo-chan, what are you doing back here? What happened to London…and Aizen?"

London? Aizen?

Karin shifted her gaze to Hinamori who she noticed suddenly looking uneasy, feeling lost in their conversation.

"I guess it just didn't work between us." Hinamori shrugged with a small wry small on her pretty face.

"I thought it was a good time to take a break from London over here. When I heard Shiro-chan is studying here from Dad, I just knew I had to be here. So Kurosaki-san," Karin nearly jolted in surprise when the girl suddenly mentioned her, "was just about to take me to him."

The silence that followed was intense and strange, particularly for Matsumoto whose face became unreadable and body stiff. The ever so cheerful and bubbly strawberry blond beauty had a sharp, hard gleam in her light blue eyes that Karin had never seen before, and Karin wondered why.

And…Shiro-chan? Are they talking about…him? Karin vaguely recalled the times Matsumoto used that name on her cousin.

"Momo-chan, I don't think you should look for him." Matsumoto finally spoke, quiet and almost weary. Her eyes didn't carry their usual brightness.

Bewilderment fell upon Hinamori's soft features. "But I've really been looking forward to-"

"Don't." Matsumoto cut the girl off with the same sharp, hard gleam that didn't leave her eyes. There was quiet anger in her voice, yet at the same time it sounded like she was pleading.

Stunned by the curt way her words were delivered, Karin blinked at the older woman and over to Hinamori who looked equally stunned, wondering what kind of terrible things the girl had done to happy, peppy Matsumoto to make her upset.

The situation seemed to be getting more intense and awkward than ever. Even the passing eyes were reluctant to stare too long.

No longer able to stand being caught in this strange moment, Karin glanced between the two and scowled. "Alright damn it, what the hell is going on here?"

Looking at Karin a moment, Matsumoto shook her head. "It's not my story to tell, Karin-chan." The glint in her eyes softened as she turned back to Hinamori who remained silent. "Momo-chan, he has already left so I wouldn't bother if I were you."

Karin glanced over to Hinamori in surprise at the new information, curious about her response but was quickly tugged away by Matsumoto. "…Hey!" She scowled in protest at the woman beside her.

"Stay away from her, Karin-chan." The strawberry blond woman merely said with a solemn look that Karin found strangely unfitting on her face.

Matsumoto glanced back at the girl they left behind, feeling a tinge of guilty and sadness at the perplexed look on her pretty face. "I'm sorry, Momo-chan…"

It was coming to seven when she returned to her temporary home. The only light that greeted her was from the one from the stairs when she stepped into the quiet house. The familiar shoes belonging to no other than Toushirou told her he was already home.

The brief thought of that guy reminded her of the strange conversation she found herself in earlier, but Karin shrugged it off and went on to drop her bag in her room, heading straight to the bathroom. She was in and out fast, her growling stomach urging her to clean herself in the shortest time possible.

Entering with a towel wrapped across her figure and tucked firmly under her armpit, Karin grabbed a pack of instant ramen and a pot from the cabinets – oh she couldn't care less about how she looked now! Besides, she was probably as appealing as a lamppost to Toushirou.

Karin tapped her feet against the cool tiles impatiently, her hungry gaze on the barely boiling water. Urgh, so excruciatingly slow.

Somewhere on the second floor by the stairs, a pair of sleepy-looking teal eyes belonging to Toushirou stared at the light coming from the kitchen as his legs brought him down to the ground floor, his stomach grumbling in protest for the lack of food since four. He stifled a yawn as he reached out to pull the sliding door to the kitchen open.

He blinked.

Then proceeded to rub his eyes to check that he wasn't seeing things.

And blinked.

And blinked.

"…Kurosaki!"

The block of instant noodle her hand was holding over the pot dropped into the water with a loud plop as Karin spun around with a curt shriek. "What the fuc– Oh."

Toushirou had an incredulous look on his face, still feeling astounded by the nearly naked woman in his kitchen. "Don't Oh me, Kurosaki. What do you think you're doing?"

He felt his cheeks growing warm at how the sight of her semi-wet towel seemed to be clinging to her bo– well shit. He quickly averted his eyes to the wall beside her.

"Cooking ramen, as you can see. I'm starving." He saw her shrug from the corner of his eyes.

The scowl on his face grew bigger.

"Let me rephrase my question," Toushirou sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose with gritted teeth. "What the hell are you doing cooking in a towel, Kurosaki?" He seethed before rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "For god's sake, put some damn clothes on!"

"And what?" Resting a hand on her hip, Karin rose an eyebrow at the flustered boy. "Leave the stove unattended? There's no way I'm gonna switch it off by the way, do you have any idea how long I waited for the water to boil?"

Toushirou could barely resist the urge to bang his head against the wall his eyes were fixated on.

"Fine, fine. I'll cook your damn food." His eyes nearly rolled again. "Just put some clothes on already, Kurosaki!"

Giggles.

Ogling eyes.

The not-so-subtle chatter and gushes about him.

Another typical day in Seireitei – what's new?

Hands in his pockets, Toushirou was adamant not to meet anyone's eyes. The last time he did, a strange rumour spread like wild fire.

He was aware of the reputation he'd made for himself ever since he took over the Kendo club as early as when he was in the first year but seriously, the fuss over him was ridiculous. Ice Prince? Hitsugaya-sama? What the hell was wrong with these people?

Mentally rolling his eyes, Toushirou stopped at his locker and stared blankly at the four girly little bags hanging from the lock knob. And what was he going to do with…these?

"Yo Hitsugaya."

Tearing his gaze away from the gifts, Toushirou shifted his attention to find himself greeted by his friend and vice-captain from his club, Hisagi Shuhei; his eyes absentmindedly drifting to the prominent questionable tattoo of 69 on his face.

"Ah Hisagi, perfect timing." Toushirou grabbed the bags off his locker knob. "Here." And proceeded to drop them off into Hisagi's reluctantly opening hands.

Blinking at the bags in his hands, Hisagi looked up at Toushirou with a dumbfounded look. "Err, what am I supposed to do with all these?"

"For all I care…Eat them, burn them or earn some bucks off them."

"You do know that discarding these gifts is going to make it worse for you right?" Hisagi chuckled and quirked a smirk. "Ooh so cold, I wouldn't want to be living up to the 'Ice Prince' title they gave you."

Releasing an exasperated sigh, Toushirou ran a hand through his hair with a soft scoff. "And you wonder why I don't ever get a girlfriend around here. These girls are willing to degrade themselves by throwing themselves all over me even though I was a jerk to them. Do they have any pride or respect for themselves?"

"Tell me about it." Hisagi wore a wry smile and caught a pair of pretty eyes staring at his friend from a corner – he hadn't seen this girl before, had he? A new face? "Sorry to break it to you, Hitsugaya, but looks like you have a new fan, right there."

Toushirou glanced over his shoulder, his eyes glazed over with disinterest. The big brown eyes belonging to the girl brightened as soon as he looked over. "Great." He muttered sarcastically, returning his attention back to his locker.

Wait.

Toushirou paused and gingerly glanced over his shoulder once more. He swore he felt his heart do a somersault when he looked again. That face…It looked just like hers. Could that girl be…?

His eyes narrowed skeptically as he thought about her promise to not appear before him ever again before she left.

No, it can't be.

"You know her?"

Toushirou tore his gaze away. "No, not at all."

a/n: Oh god, I hope this chapter isn't too weird. Anyway, Hinamori is back as you read. And no it's not as cliche as what you think is going to happen. Hinamori is not gonna play so much of a big role here, just continue reading and you'll find out what I mean. Thanks for reading this chapter. Read and review!