"I'm-not-going-to-the-dance-with-anyone!" Hinamori said angrily, stamping on purpose so Renji would know she was irritated. But of course, he just enjoyed it too damn much. School was over and she was making her way home while Renji Rana followed her, continuously asking her to go to the School Dance with him, to which she kept on refusing.

First of all, that would spark rumors about them. Second, she was the School President. She had a reputation to keep and a responsibility to take. And third….well, it was embarrassing. The times they had spent practicing the waltz was enough dancing for Hinamori. All that practice would just have to go to waste.

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

She turned around, grabbing Renji's collar "How many times do I have to tell you? NO!"

He blinked at her "…Please?"

"Aaargh!" she consumed her walking and he, stalking her. She was blushing, but that didn't stop her from being angry. Renji laughed to himself.

"What?" she snapped.

"Nothing."

"God, you're such an alien! Go, now! I'm going to work!"

"I'm going there too."

"No, you're not! You can't go around following me like a puppy!"

He smirked "Who said I'm going because of you?" He knew there wasn't any other reason, but hey, she looked beyond angry, and it was super cute.

She turned a brilliant shade of purple and stomped off.

Hinamori entered the Student Council Room. It was Thursday- one day before the School Festival, and everyone sat in their seats doing their work except for two boys, whispering to themselves in a corner, eyes glinting.

A tick mark appeared on her head.

"…What's the secret, huh?" she asked, making her way towards them "Mind sharing…?"

They yelped and ran out.

She sighed and Yukimura let out a nervous laugh. Her head shot in his direction "What is it?"

He started "H-Huh? N-nothing! They were asking these- they were planning to ask these two girls out to the dance!" he laughed loudly "So! Who are you going with?"

Hinamori looked away. Suddenly, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she gazed out the window into the school grounds where Renji stood, helping out the baseball Club members with their fielding.

Her eyes softened.

"I'm going with no one."

Yukimura stared "Really? I thought Kisuke or- or Renji would ask you.."

Kisuke had asked her- in fact, begged her to come with him, but Hinamori had refused. It had just made her feel even worse knowing that she wouldn't be going with Renji, to her surprise. Of course it was entirely up to her, but then she was the president, wasn't she?

She couldn't take a break, she was the one responsible for the School Fest, she had to look after every stall and organize everything…she didn't have time for stupid dances…

Yukimura looked thoughtful "I guess you guys are only friends after all…"

Hinamori said nothing.

Renji caught the ball and threw it back, his face lined with determination, but frowning and dull.

"Why the long face, man?" the player who had caught the ball asked him, throwing it back "Any girl reject you? Ha! I can't think of- OW!" he cried out in pain as Renji threw the ball straight at his face and it hit his nose. The player clutched his nose, kneeling down as it started to bleed "Whad da hell, man!" he cried, his mouth filling up with blood.

Renji picked up the ball and looked at him coldly "Focus on the game. No wonder all of you are terrible."

…Why? Why did Hinamori have to be so stubborn? Didn't she love him? Well, she'd said so a couple of times, not more than that.. Is her 'reputation' as Council president more important to her than me?
"Of course not!" Hinamori's voice broke through his thoughts. He stared at her. How had she been able to read his thoughts? But then he saw she hadn't answered his question at all, but was kneeling down in front of the bleeding player, handing him a tissue "Of course it's not broken, get a hold of yourself!"

She stood up and glared at Renji "What is wrong with you! Can't you go around not hurting people all the time- breaking guys' noses and girl's hearts! Honestly-!" and she turned to go away when his next line stopped her.

"And what about you, Hina? Can't you go around not breaking my heart and hurting me?" he said seriously.

She blushed and stared at him, her mouth wide open. He took her hand, eyes dark and clouded as he looked at her "Will you please come to the dance with me?"

She took her hand off his grip, looking away "Renji…I- I'm the Student Council president…I mean, how ironic- the girl who goes around kicking stalkers' butts and punishing boys because they're chasing girls all the time is in a- a relationship herself…?" she said, her face burning "I'm sorry.."

And she was gone.

Renji stood there looking into the sky. An idea was coming to him…a way that would ensure she wouldn't refuse to dance with him- either because she'd be too embarrassed or really touched- and which will not exactly shatter her 'reputation'.

Hinamori stood at the corner of the hall, her arms folded as she looked out at the couples dancing happily. It was hard to believe that just one week ago these same boys had been flinging their partners around. She sighed. She was there just because, of course, she was the organizer of the School Fest and she couldn't possibly leave those hooligans alone with the girls in a room with really dim lightings. Plus, not all the girls were of Seika High- some of them were ones who had come to the Fest and wanted to try the dance out because apparently, it sounded 'fun'.

"Hinamori, let's dance!" Kisuke cried, coming over to her. She shook her head.

"No, you go ahead and enjoy." She smiled. He frowned.

"It's that Renji-"

"Urahara, I told you. Enjoy." She snapped. He looked taken aback and disappeared into the crowd, frowning.

"Awwwww, Hinamori, you have to dance!" Sakura cried, coming over, all clad in pink. She looked straight from the sets of Barbie "You look too cute to let it go to waste, Hina!"

It was true. Hinamori did look cute in a simple halter-top red dress that brought out her complexion and made her eyes stand out along with her hair. Cute was an understatement. She looked simply beautiful- even the boys who had hated the prez seemed to be flocking to her all the time now.

"No I'm fine, Sakura. Really-" somehow she managed to force Sakura to go back to the dance. Her expression darkened again.

Renji hadn't come. She didn't know what she had expected, probably a perverted letter or consistent e-mails or hundred missed calls- but nothing. It made her feel uncomfortable. It was like she hated him when he was there, and at the same time, when he wasn't, she couldn't help missing him.

"Idiot." She muttered.

"Attention, please" came a loud voice from where the DJ was. Her eyes shot up to see who the hell it was- and there stood Renji Rana, looking straight at her with a smile as the girls squealed and fainted. He held up a mike, and wore a sleek black tux, a tilted smile and ruffled up collar.

Suddenly, everyone's attention was on her and she found herself blushing furiously.

"First of all, I would like to tell everyone that the Prez and I are not in a happy now, my Hina?" he smirked at her as he said into the mike. The crowd's gaze intensified. She gritted her teeth. That IDIOT!

"Glad we made that clear." Then he went forward to her and offered her a hand. All the surrounding people seemed to be holding their breath as they watched.

"Hinamori-" Renji had eyes only for her "Will you dance with me?"

She looked at him, irises wide. She didn't know what it was- the fact that he hadn't said 'please' this time or that he had just made an idiot of himself in front of everyone by asking the demon president to the dance, or that he had risked his 306 bones being broken by her…..just to dance with her.

And, well, what about the rest of the school? They'd pester her to ask if she was going out with Renji or not. Well, it wasn't like they already did, but-

"Hina-" Renji smiled and said to her, putting the mike away so that only she could hear him "You think too much."

She laughed- she didn't even know why, and then took his hand, letting him pull her and come swishing to his chest as he swirled her effortlessly. The crowd cheered- except for Renji and Hinamori's fans, but that was just a minor setback.

For the first time, Hinamori didn't care about what others would think, and danced, even smiled.

She couldn't keep on acting that carefree, of course- but even for once, if she could be indifferent like Renji, she had to enjoy it to her fullest, right?

Hinamori sank into the chair holding out her high heels. Her ankles ached from all that dancing. Renji had gone to get some cold drinks and it hadn't been one minute before Kisuke dropped down next to her with a big scowl. Amidst the music and lights, he said loudly "Why did you dance with Renji?"
Hinamori had already been irritated with Urahara ever since he had asked her to the dance and she'd refused. Smiling tiredly, she said "Because he asked me to." And because I wanted to…she hated that fact, but what could she do? It was true- she loved Renji.

Kisuke went away again as Renji returned and handed Hinamori a glass, smiling.

"You look beautiful."

She went red "Shut up, you've already said that a hundred times!"

He smirked and leaned in to kiss her when a loud voice sounded from the DJ.

"INUZUKA HINAMORI, WILL YOU PLEASE DANCE WITH ME?" Kisuke yelled into the mike.

Hinamori was staring at the boy with horror, and Renji stood up, walking slowly towards him…

The crowd was silent again, staring at Hinamori once more. Sakura's glittery-eyed face was visible from a corner- she looked delighted that her best friend had been asked twice so romantically! Hinamori grimaced. This was not romantic- this was torture.

She didn't know what to do. Everyone expected a big drama now and she didn't want exactly that! But of course, our Renji was far too possessive.

He stood in front of Kisuke "She's not dancing with you."

Urahara was going red from embarrassment "Who are you to say that!"

"I am Hinamori's partner for…today. And I'd really like it if you came up with more original ideas of proposing something, and not copy me." Renji said coldly.

His words were going through Kisuke, not affecting him one bit as he stared at him furiously.

"Stop it you both!" Hinamori came in between, looking pink "I'm-I'm not dancing with any of you!"

"Hinamori, I love you!" Kisuke cried into the mike all of a sudden, tears falling down his face.

Everything seemed to go on mute as Hinamori stared at him through the neon lights of the Dance hall. Then a swish of blonde and Kisuke was knocked down.

Her eyes went wide.

"RENJI!"

Hinamori was tired and irritated. Why did things have to go so wrong every time? Renji sat next to her, looking content as he sipped his drink. Kisuke was being offered water and an ice pack on another chair- his cheek swollen where Renji had hit him.

"Why did you have to hit him?" Hinamori asked angrily.

Renji frowned "He said he loved you. Only I'm supposed to say that."

"You're a stupid, Rana Renji! It's not his fault that he- likes me!"

"If he knew tact at all he would know you don't."

Hinamori stared down at her high heeled shoes that had made her ankles red. She'd been forced to wear them by Titu, and Hinamori had agreed only to shut Titu up.

She stood up, looking angry.

"Get up." She ordered Renji, who stared up at her.

"Hinamori, wha-"

"Get up and dance with me!" she said angrily. His eyes went wide. She was blushing, but didn't show her embarrassment as she looked at him with hatred "I didn't wear these painful shoes for nothing, you got that? Get the hell up!" She hated him. Hated the fact that he made her heart beat so wildly, made her feel so vulnerable and like it, she hated him so damn much!

He smiled and stood up "Let's go then, sweetheart."