Chapter One: Curing Him
During the lazier part of the afternoon, Kurosaki Ichigo finds himself wandering around the park, mindlessly, kicking an empty soda can around as he tries to make sense of the scenery around him. And as if he was struck with a sudden revolution, he realizes that he was surrounded by lovers, couples holding hands, staring lustfully at each other.
He trails along casually, quickening his pace as he passes them, making sure to keep his eyes diverted at the ground as he shakes his head, wondering how he manages to get himself in these kind of predicaments. He can hear the whispers of their voices and the glare of their eyes following him as he passes by one couple after another.
Reaching the gate, he turns around to look at the couples, for a moment, cursing them for their open display of affection in such a public place, he thinks to himself, what if there were children around? For a 15 years old teenager, Ichigo was quite the traditionalist and it surely wasn't due to any parental influence or guidance.
In his room that evening, Ichigo almost has a heart attack.
"Ichigo, why don't you have a girlfriend," Rukia mockingly asks with seemingly little to no interest in her voice.
"That's none of your business," he hisses back at her without batting an eye away from his manga.
Rukia was a curious and humble girl, but if you asked Ichigo, he would say otherwise.
"Well, have you ever fallen in love?"
Besides her curious nature and her humility, Rukia was also persistent and Ichigo would also agree.
"No, what's with all these stupid questions?"
Rukia, clearly choosing to ignore his inquiries, continued on with hers.
"When did you first develop your fear of girls?"
"Say what? who fear girls?"
Rukia just figured that since she has never seen Ichigo intimate with any females, that he must have had a traumatizing experience with them, that or Ichigo swings the other way like some of the guys at their school that she saw making out behind the bushes.
"You do."
She proudly holds up the book that she was reading and Ichigo tilts his head to read the title of it, Psychology of the Mind and Different types of Phobias...
"Stop reading that crap, I don't have a fear of girls."
"Then, why don't you have a girlfriend?"
"Why don't you have a boyfriend?"
Ichigo thought he would try his hand at reverse psychology, and if it was anybody other then Rukia, they probably would have stopped questioning the orange head boy with a mere cock of his eyebrow, but this was Rukia and she did not comprehend the meaning of the word 'shut up.'
"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"
Ichigo's mouth suddenly dropped, as he stares at the tiny girl before him in bewilderment and disbelieve, quaking at the unexpected respond.
"Rukia...don't tell me you're serious!"
Rukia on the other hand was oblivious to the awkward situation that she put them in, for her only thought was that she was doing Ichigo a favour by helping him get over his fear of girls. The least she could do to repay him for his hospitality was to cure him of this fear, or what the book coins as a gynophobia, before he ends up aged and alone. It didn't really dawn on her the concept or magnitude of her 'simple' question.
"Of course I'm serious, does it look like I'm playing around?"
"No, that's why I'm FREAKING out!"
It was moments like these that made Ichigo think that Rukia was truly insane, however, some may say that she was just a little misguided at times.
"Don't worry Ichigo, I read all about this so call "dating" somewhere before, it's not that hard! we just have to follow strict instructions."
"Shut up! I didn't even say anything yet and when's the last time I followed YOUR instructions!"
It really boggled Ichigo's mind, thinking that he would actually agree to Rukia's little charades, especially when he knew that what she read was bullshit and that she has no real concept of what a relationship is or should be, but again, neither did he. Also, Ichigo was at that age and tons of his friends have or have had girlfriends before right? And it's not like going along with her was a big deal, it's not like he actually had feelings for Rukia...right?
"I guess, that's all to it then, we're a couple now!"
And before Ichigo could react to the startling announcement, Rukia turns around to leave.
Ichigo watches in confusion and despair, not quite sure if he threw in the towel without knowing, as Rukia strolls back into the closet, seemingly content. And Rukia, feeling that she accomplished something worth celebrating, grinned to herself as she closes the closet door behind her, still completely ignorant on her part.
Heh, Ichigo will be over his fear of girls in no time.