The Next Top Model: Soul Society

Chapter 16: Meanwhile VIII

  "Rock, paper, scissors!"

  Three hands jammed into the middle between Ikkaku, Hisagi, and Kensei at the back alley behind the studio. They’d been at it for days. Days and days.

  Ikkaku won.

  Hisagi groaned. "Again!"

  "Rock, paper, scissors!"

  Four hands jutted together, the top one with small fingers in five different shades of nail polish.

  Ikkaku looked to the top of Yachiru’s pink head as she hovered over their hands. "Hey! When did you get here?"

  "Do I win?" She looked at him with a fruity-smelling smile, the wad of cotton candy in her hand angled so that it stuck in Kensei’s face. "What do I win?"

  "What are you doing here?" Ikkaku asked as they all retracted their now sticky hands.

  Yachiru gave them a small pout. "Tara doesn’t have any more pictures of me. I'm out."

  Ikkaku's bald head grew hot, frowning intensely at her. "It's just a stupid contest, anyway. You're still the cutest one in there."

  She smiled at him. "I don't want to go back to the Division yet. I want to go to the zoo."

  The three men looked at each other.

  "Well, uh, we're kind of in the middle of something here," Kensei said, pushing the cotton candy out of his face and looking guiltily to Ikkaku and Hisagi.

  Hisagi grinned at Ikkaku. "You don't want to do this anyway, so why don't -"

  "Okay, we'll go by ourselves!" Yachiru jumped in place as Momo joined them with a wave.

  "You're out, too?" Hisagi said to her.

  She nodded, smiling meekly. "But it was fun."

  "Oh, well, in that case ..." Hisagi glanced over her pink tank top and orange shorts for a moment. "That's kinda cute, Momo."

  She smiled wider.

  The alley door to the studio opened and Ray Migel looked to them, grinning as he approached, then spotted Yachiru and Momo. "Oh, hi, girls."

  "Hi, Ray!" they returned automatically.

  Ray looked to the men, nodding at their hip urban attire. "We're ready for you."

  Ikkaku, Hisagi, and Kensei traded uneasy looks, and then collectively looked to Yachiru and Momo. "Well, we're a little ..." Kensei began, scowling and reddening just a little.

  "We need you now," Ray said, hands on his hips.

  "We're going to the zoo," Yachiru chirped, grabbing Momo's elbow with sticky fingers. "Bye!"

  Hisagi, Kensei, and Ikkaku waved and watched the two small figures leave out the alley before looking to Ray.

  "We're still deciding who gets to go," Ikkaku said.

  Hisagi chuckled. "Gets to go?"

  "Has to go," Ikkaku corrected, returning a pointed look.

  Ray shook his head. "Oh, no, gentlemen. We need all three of you. Come on. We have to get you fitted."

  Hisagi and Kensei traded grins. Ikkaku tried to feign disinterest.

  They all followed Ray inside.