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Chapter Forty-Eight: Do Over:

Today is the last day. Hisoka packed up what little he had in the room. Tana cleared him this morning. Carrie watched him from the bed.

"So you're leaving today?" the red-haired girl asked.

"Yes," Hisoka replied as he folded up his clothes.

"And it's definitely gone?" she asked.

"I haven't heard it since it left," he answered. Carrie leaned forward intently.

"Are you ready to go back?" she asked. Hisoka whipped his head around.

"What's with all of these questions?" he asked. His little friend put up her hands.

"I'm just asking," she said. Hisoka gave her a little smile.

"Yes, I ready," he said. "And yes, I am sure." Carrie drew her mouth closed before she could ask.

"Okay," she said. Hisoka packed away the last of his clothes. Carrie leaned her back against the wall.

"So who's coming to get you?" she asked. The shinigami drew his bag closed.

"Tatsumi," he replied.

"I see," Carrie said, nodding.

"What about you?" Hisoka asked. The girl lifted her head.

"Huh?" she asked. "What about me?"

"When will you leave here?" he asked. Carrie gave herself a little smile.

"I decided to stay here for a while," she answered. Hisoka gave her an odd look.

"Why?" he asked.

"It's more peaceful here," she said. "It'll help me get over my sister's death." The shinigami sat next to her on the bed.

"I see what you mean," he said. Carrie drew her eyes closed. Hisoka rested his head on her shoulder.

"I hope you find the peace you need," he said.

"Mmm," she replied, "Thanks."

"Kurosaki-kun!" they heard Tana call out. Hisoka lifted his head.

"I have to go," he said.

"Go then," Carrie told him. "There's nothing for you here anymore." Hisoka said nothing as he bowed his head and slid off the bed. He counted down the steps in his mind.

"Hisoka," Carrie spoke up when he made it to the door. He glanced over his shoulder to see her sitting on his former bed, smiling.

"Don't look back," she told him. Hisoka gave her a little smile.

"Goodbye," he said. The shinigami walked out of the room, never to return.

Tatsumi waited for him in the lobby. "Ready to go?" he asked. Hisoka perked up at that question.

"Yes," he answered. The boy followed the secretary to the car. As they drove away, Hisoka remembered the five-page letter he wrote to Tsuzuki. Carrie asked about it when he finished writing.

"Are you going to send it to him?" she asked. Hisoka laid back on his bed.

"I don't know," he said then. Today was different. Hisoka decided not to send it yet. He patted the letter in his jacket.

I'll tell him one day/, he thought; /But not yet.

"Kurosaki-kun," Tatsumi spoke up at the wheel.

"Hm?" Hisoka asked as he looked up.

"You start work Monday," the old shinigami informed him. Hisoka gave him a strange look.

"Why that long away?" he asked.

"The chief wanted you to have a chance to rest before getting back into things," Tatsumi answered.

"I'm fine," Hisoka told him. "Can't I start tomorrow?"

"You'll have to talk to Konoe about that," the older shinigami answered. Hisoka slumped back in his seat.

"Fair enough," he said. Tatsumi drove him all the way to his home. Hisoka got out of the car and bowed as a thanks. He didn't go inside until Tatsumi drove away. The boy turned to his apartment.

/I'm home/, he thought. Hisoka would be alone this time, but maybe that was for the best. When he got inside, Hisoka was surprised to find his apartment nice and clean. Hisoka couldn't help but smile.

/Tsuzuki/, he thought. Hisoka made it back to his room. He sat down on his bed and took off his socks. The faded bluish-purple lotus flower painted on the top of his right foot reminded him to keep rising above his train wreck and never look back.