Chapter 4: Mysterious Incantation

Ah, interesting. It appears each home can be quite different on the inside.

Yeah, I've never seen this before.

Hey, stop it! You shouldn't touch people's things without asking for permission first!

Why are you in my house?

Care to explain what's going on, Keigo?

You gotta help me, Ichigo! These people are your friends, aren't they?

I ran into them last night on the streets, and then things happened, and now they're staying at my place.

How did that happen?

A lot of things! It was so crazy! My sister fell in love at first sight with Ikkaku!

Which is pretty much the reason they're still staying at my house. But I couldn't care less about that!

I heard them talking about Soul Reapers and ghosts! It's flat-out frightening!

Maybe I don't have the same sense of humor as them, but I really don't understand where they're coming from sometimes.

And to top it off, their personalities change all of a sudden! They give me the creeps!

I don't even know what to do anymore! Help me, Ichigo! Pleaaaaase!

You know we can hear you, right?

So that's how you feel about us.

Hey, Ikkaku. What do you think this box is for?

Huh? Well, this part looks like a handle.

Don't go into the kitchen!

What are you guys here for anyway?

Head Captain's orders. We're here to investigate the Enriched Spirit Zone of Karakura Town.

Several of us Seat Officers are on a mission in this world right now.

Investigate? Did something happen again?

Don't worry. Nothing's happened yet.

But there's always a chance someone could get sent to Karakura Town if anything actually happens.

So it's been decided that we do prior research here, just in case.

What kind of research could you possibly-

Woah! It made a sound!

Don't use the microwave when it's empty!!!

Seriously, though! You guys are a mess!

Will you all please leave, now? I'm about to go out.

You can't do this to me! You really think I can fend for myself?! Where are you going anyway? It's a date, isn't it?!

No, I promised Chad I'd go get ramen with him.

Ramen? You mean that new place that recently opened in the shopping center?

I'm down! Why don't you guys come too? You're both hungry, aren't you?!

Uh, I guess I could be.

Right! It's been decided!

What?! Why are you the one making the decisions?

It'll be fine! Come on, Ichigo! We gotta go, or the noodles are gonna get soggy!

How could they be soggy if we haven't even ordered them yet!

Hurry up! Chad's waiting for you!

Dammit, Keigo!

That was really good. I understand why they've become so popular.

Mhm.

You sure do eat a lot. What was it, a veggies-to-the-peaks with mixed-garlic-plus? You couldn't even see the noodles underneath.

Oh? But Ichigo's was similar.

Nah, I can only eat a veggies-on-the-double with garlic-plus at most.

I thought I heard them chanting weird spells at the restaurant. I wonder what that was about.

You're asking the wrong person. But seeing as how the amount of food they got in their bowls were different from ours...

...perhaps eating meals in the world of the living is far different from what we had believed.

Maybe there are rituals and incantations involved.

You might be right. We still have to figure out the conspiracy behind the hand-made rice balls from yesterday, too.

Thinking back on it, maybe you needed a spell to open that wrapper.

Hmm, that could have been it.