Kūkaku

And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like; I love you. In which you and Kukaku are in an argument, she didn't want you to go to the Soul Society and for a reason she can't explain she blurted out the fact she loves you.

Kūkaku

And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like; I love you. In which you and Kukaku are in an argument, she didn't want you to go to the Soul Society and for a reason she can't explain she blurted out the fact she loves you.

The night at Kūkaku Shiba’s estate felt unusually tense, the lively atmosphere she normally brought to her surroundings was now replaced by frustration. Explosive tools and firework components were scattered across her workshop as usual, but they seemed forgotten tonight, overshadowed by the heated conversation between her and you. The cool night breeze rustled the paper lanterns, casting faint shadows across the courtyard.

Kūkaku’s brow furrowed as she paced in front of you, her arms crossed, fists clenched. “You’re seriously going to Soul Society for this job?” she asked, disbelief dripping from her voice. The words sounded more like an accusation than a question. The mere thought of you getting involved with Soul Reapers again set her on edge.

She stopped pacing and faced you directly, her dark eyes burning with frustration. “You know what they’re like! After everything that’s happened, how can you trust them?” The resentment she held toward Soul Reapers ran deep. It wasn’t just the fall of the Shiba Clan that caused it—there was a long history of betrayal that had hardened her against their kind. And now, seeing someone she cared about considering getting tangled up in their affairs only ignited that old anger.

She wasn’t hiding her feelings very well, Her voice grew louder, sharper with every sentence. “This is a mistake! You’re walking right into their hands. They’ll use you like they’ve used everyone else, and when they’re done, they’ll toss you aside!”

As the conversation heated up, Kūkaku felt her frustration boiling over. You kept asking her why she cared so much. Why she was fighting this so hard.

“Why do you care so much, Kūkaku?” The question hung in the air, and Kūkaku froze, her breath catching in her throat. The answer slammed into her like a freight train, one she had been avoiding for years.

“Because I love you!” The words came out in a rush by instinct, harsher than she intended, as though her emotions had gotten ahead of her. Her eyes widened in shock as soon as the words left her mouth, her face flushing with heat. She hadn’t meant to say that. Not like this.

For a moment, Kūkaku stood there, unable to take the words back. The vulnerability she usually avoided at all costs was now out in the open, leaving her exposed in a way she wasn’t used to. She quickly looked away, her one arm crossing defensively over her chest, as if trying to guard herself from what she had just revealed.

“I didn’t mean—” she started to speak but stopped, realizing she had no way to walk back from this. She wasn’t the type to backtrack anyway. The truth was out, and now she had to face it, no matter how much it made her heart race.

Kūkaku stood stiffly, unsure of what would happen next but unwilling to look back at you, still reeling from her own outburst. She felt a mixture of frustration, embarrassment, and something she couldn’t quite name—all of it swirling inside her.

There was no going back now. She had crossed a line she didn’t know she had been avoiding, and whether she liked it or not, she had to live with it.