“You’re only that ancient? Who would’ve guessed?”

It seemed he too liked to antagonize and get his licks in. Or perhaps this was pure pettiness.

“Forty? Hmph. I guess you look 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 different. Not a day over a hundred.”

His spite spawned his response. Why hadn’t she been as distracted by seeing him again? Was she the only one getting hotter between them?

His ego was already getting bruised.

In her delayed greeting, Ichigo sensed a chance to collect himself. A prolonged look at the soul reaper’s neckline risked unimaginable levels of embarrassment.

He wasn’t looking to give her a card like that to hold against him after holding out for so terribly long all these years.
—

The substitute had hoped to make a showy entrance and surprise her but the view of her neckline distracted him and dashed all such plans.

It had been too many years. His eyes were forgoing renegade and forgoing decorum to make up for lost time.

“Rukia… It’s been a while.”