Bleach
© Hibiki Sakura I DO NOT OWN BLEACH! I own the new characters… hehe
Notes: I watched all until the latest episode so I hope I'll get the story right, please support me

Title: Apples and Oranges
Summary: Kurosaki Riiko's life was almost 'perfect' until her birthday; she was rejected by a 6-years-old crush and was forced to train in the 'Soul Society' and by all people, under Byakuya. Would this Apple and Orange mix together?
Category: Mystery/Romance/Fantasy

Firstly I love to thank:

Bashima Isuhaqu, the Beta Reader

Episode 01: Rejection, Accept

Slowly she combed her long red-head in front of a mirror that early morning. She wanted to look pretty today and she had a satisfied smile on her lips. She played a few upturned lips on her mirror to find the best smile she could muster. Her lips were normal and she pondered whether she should put on lipstick or not.

"Breakfast's ready, Riiko," The usual call every morning screamed from the ground floor, "Quickly or you'll be late for school." The housewife with black hair that was tied tightly in a bun shouted from the kitchen. Her height was considered short compared to her tall husband who was sitting comfortably with his legs stretched out, reading the morning's newspaper and chewing on something rudely at the same time. She headed opposite of his seat where a blond haired baby boy was sitting on a baby stool.

The red-head immediately turned, "Coming!" She retorted and the sound of her running down the stairs was heard. She turned to a halt, and greeted her family, "Morning everyone!"

The shiny curled orange hair cascaded on her shoulders with a star shaped hair accessory clipped on the right side of her head. The piercing silver-gray eyes were like crystals shining deep inside a block of ice. Her oval-shaped golden brown face was sparkling that bright morning, the tiny birth mark under her left eye was unique and rare. There were green star-shaped ear rings under the normally shaped ears. Her black school uniform was tidy and smart as always. A fairly sized bag hung on her right shoulder; on it was labeled 'Kurosaki Riiko'. The socks under her black uniform skirt were clean and white with a huge symbol near her feet was the brand 'NIKE'. The golden bracelet around her right wrist, similar to the color of her hair, shone at the room caused by the reflection of the sunrays coming from the nearby window. A symbol of a star was on it.

"You're looking quite elegant today, Riiko-chan," The old man of the house praised her from the dining table and she smiled at him. The small baby reached out his tiny hands towards her. Riiko played with his fingers. Beside him was a tall blond, momentarily putting down the newspaper. Riiko could only have sweat drops when she saw her father's angry irritated slits.

"What's the occasion today, Riiko?" The housewife walked towards Riiko. Her mother was a few centimeters shorter than she was. She seemed to have inherited her father's family side of the genes when it came to height. Rukia, her mother, was a housewife in the Kurosaki family who was also as a nurse; she still looked young even though she was far older than her husband, Ichigo. Riiko was flashing them a smile and only the mother could understand what she was thinking.

"You must be home by five," Ichigo concluded looking sharply at his first daughter. Riiko had irritated eyes and sweat drops all over, nodding and obeying her father's words... or get grounded for a month. She began to sulk, she was almost 16 years old; she's not a baby anymore. She nodded, her father's words made her gloom.

Rukia giggled and handed a container wrapped in a pretty cloth to her, "Here's your lunch!" Riiko grabbed the container from her mother and ran out in a hurry. Rukia looked at her husband soon after her daughter went out, "What are you talking about, Ichigo? Our Riiko is big enough to take care of herself…"

She played with her baby's fingers, "Mama! Mama!"

"She's a girl! I don't want to give her any trouble but..." Ichigo had his usual irritated look. He was being over-protective of his only daughter. He was extremely concerned about his daughter's life. For seventeen years Ichimaru and Aizen were yet to be found. Between those years, both Ichigo and Rukia retired from being a 'Death God' to raise their own family. Rukia's eyes narrowed in gloomy thoughts; surely she understood what her husband meant. Only God knows whether Ichimaru and Aizen knew about their current life or not. Riiko's and Ryu's, their son's, lives were at stake. As parents, they didn't even know whether Riiko could see ghosts or Hollows but they were sure the baby boy could, especially every time a ghost passed by, he would be very excited, trying to call out to the 'flying' human.

"Didn't you agree to let her train to become a 'Shinigami' when she turns sixteen?" The old man; Isshin reminded them and the husband and wife, turned to the father in a jolt. They had almost forgotten they actually did make the promise after Riiko's birth. Ichigo began to hug the father like a 10 year-old until Isshin was irritated and whined.

"Sometimes you are not useless, father!" Ichigo was thrilled, kissing the old man childishly. The baby boy was lost but when he saw the look of the father, he began hitting his small table as excited as the father. Ishin had 'what-do-you-mean-useless' face, annoyed. Rukia giggled. She looked through the window and her eyes began to close. She wondered how her older brother had been. Alone?

Riiko dashed through the streets and began to squeak childishly after she gazed at her watch, "I'm late!" The high school gate was just a meter away from her and she began to panic stupidly, running around in chibi. She spent most of her time with her looks since she woke up just to show 'one' guy. She began to scream as the school bell rang and the gate was almost closed. "Wai—t!" She was crying in chibi.

She mushroom breathed by her classroom door placing her right palm above her chest, "I made it!" She stopped and flushed immediately as soon as her eyes caught the guy of her dreams laughing loudly by window sitting on a desk. His messy chest-nut hair was cute on him, the smile on his face was very comfortable to see and the bright blue eyes were almost similar to Ryu-kun's. His height was almost her father's height. Her heart began to beat in frenzied rhythm and felt warm heat surging through her body. She looked down and held onto her upper arms, 'You can do it, Riiko!' She looked up once more to see the guy again. The guy she had loved for the past 6 years after he saved her from the bullies in Grade School. He might be rebellious and a bit reckless but she can tell deep inside he was more special than that. He loved to ditch class but he always achieves good grades in almost all the subjects and he was friendly to anyone in the whole of the school including her.

"Oh morning, Riiko-kun," She snapped with a more apparent blush. It only took a look and wave from him to make her all flustered. His smile was unbelievable and attractive. She transformed into chibi and felt she was flying with red roses all over behind her. She was actually drooling! She walked to him closer, slowly in a cautious way. As soon as his friends left him, she tried to lift her courage and spirit up. He caught sight of her and turned to look at her. "What do you want?" Riiko almost melting under his warm and uncomfortable sharp question, she felt she was in heaven. His melodious voice repeated in her mind.

"Ano…" She connected her fingers together in chibi and there were red lines under her eyes. Her heart vigorously beat in her ribcage as he tilted his head to the side with a question mark popping out from his head. 'HE'S SO CUTE!' She screamed and smokes began to pop out from the top of her head, shaking her right arm around trying to get a hold of herself. He almost fell off from his desk. "Akira-kun, p-p-p-please meet me at the Central Park this afternoon!" She immediately had the courage to say it out loud and Akira saw sparkling stars behind her. He could also see some blushes under the closed eyes. "Uh-uh…" She was looking away and Akira was shocked, "I-I-I t-think that's all…" She turned away and left him. Akira was speechless, did she asked him for a date?

Riiko sat down on her seat, two desks away from him. 'Finally, I can tell him what I feel today…' She began to boil; her friends told her that Akira might be interested with her. Who knows in seven hours time they would be in a lovey-dovey relationship and in seven years time, they would live as a big happy family? Who knows, she might have a boyfriend on her sixteenth birthday that weekend? She was day dreaming and saliva was sliding down onto her desk. She collapsed, she couldn't wait.

Akira was in distant and heard Riiko crashed down on his right but he didn't turn. 'Date?' He thought alone, he never thought of that, Kurosaki Riiko was like a younger sister to him, and on top of that, he wasn't interested with any girls before and was never asked for a date before. By all means, who would date a rebellious and reckless man anyway? He fought with so many outsiders and seniors before; of course no girls would like him. He even almost got expelled himself a month ago if it wasn't for his grades. (Sounded like Riiko's father, huh?)

Riiko was out that afternoon. Her hair was combed, painstakingly straightened for almost an hour; her face was perfectly made with pretty eye shadow curved on her eyelids accenting their beauty. She wore a different dress than always. Her long star-shaped ear-rings were longer than before and the lipstick on her lips was obvious. Her long black lined-ends skirt reached to her ankles. She looked more feminine than she usually was, more than cute. She was impatient to confess it all, the feelings she had bottled up for the past 6 years were in threat of erupting. Hikari Akira has been in her heart for so long and she had kept those feelings sacred to herself only. Her eyes narrowed, she wanted to be in those strong arms. She held the box of chocolate cakes tightly in her hands. She knew Akira's favorite food was Chocolate Cake and took a year to study how to make one without a fiasco burning in the oven.

Meanwhile, Akira in his usual and ordinary tight clothes, stood outside the Central Park. His expression was serious and he had shoved his hands in his pockets. Then he took his hand out and scratched his head before playing with his unruly hair. He felt nervous. "Yoh, Akira!" He turned and saw his black haired friend; Kairi, "Who are you waiting for? Girlfriend?"

Akira began to laugh, "Girlfriend? I have no time for girlfriends!" He looked at his friend, "I have a problem in my hand, I rather choose fighting rather than girls." Kairi laughed with him. He snapped and pointed up.

"By the way Akira, what do you think of our classmate Kurosaki?" Akira faced his friend, "She's kinda cute and she showed it obviously that she was interested in you!" He laughed, "Can you see how she collapsed again in class today?" He held on his stomach, "Man, she's so predictable."

"Hrm… you mean Riiko-kun?" Akira looked away, ignoring the fact that he was laughing, "She's okay but I can't return her feelings. To me she is just a younger sister that I'd rather play with!" He looked away irritated, "Come to think about it, she's a bit childish. I think it's because her parents spoilt her a bit too much!" He instantly snapped when Kairi suddenly became silent and still. "Oi, what's the matter?" Kairi's face was screwed and felt ashamed. He pointed behind him and Akira heard something dropped to the floor. He immediately turned and saw something he did not expected.

"Riiko-kun?" His eyes widened at the beautiful person in front of him. Her hair was done, her face was made and the dress she wore exposed her curves. Her eyes were filled with tears and they streamed down her cheeks, she looked more than disappointed. She felt she was stabbed through her heart. She heard the guy she loved for 6-years true feelings about her but it wasn't what she expected. Akira looked down on the ground and saw the small chocolate cakes near it since the box was open from the impact of the fall. She looked like she lost someone important and she lowered her head.

"Is that what you really feel about me?" They saw her lips moved and heard her whisper, "A spoilt child to play with?" She sounded weak and Akira's tongue was tied-up. He couldn't say anything because it was almost, actually, the truth. Her lips trembled. She balled her hands into tight fists with her hair shadowing her eyes and screamed, "I hate you, Hikari Akira! I hate you!" She ran away.

"Riiko!" She could only hear him scream from behind. So all these years, playing and being friends with her was not being more than a friend but a spoiled child to play with. If she had a wish that day, she would wish for death. She was losing breath and stopped, gasping for air. It looked like Akira was no where in sight. She was still teary eyed and turned to her left when she spotted something unusual.

She saw a floating girl running away from a huge 'animal'. She stopped crying, what was that? It was far huge to be an animal, his face was white, it looked like a mask instead. She tried to look at it clearly and the girl was screaming for help. The 'animal' stopped when it smelled something. It turned and faced Riiko. Its face was hideous and the body was thin. She felt scared and felt something crawl under her skin as it stared at her. "What! Why is it looking at me?" She stepped backwards. It was past 5 in the afternoon, is this why her father always warned her to go home before 5? Sweat began to slide from her temples. She couldn't run, why?

" 'Shinigami'…" It whispered and she snapped. Death God? What does it mean? It began to ran towards her and she screamed loud.

She defended herself with her arms, eventually that was the defense thought through the kendo club. No one was attacking her and moved her to take a look. She saw an old-clothed man with an old-style hat. She could see that he had blond hair and he was wearing the old Japanese-hard sandals. "Who is it?" She asked surprised. The 'animal' was gone and this man turned. What surprised her was he looked like he was in his 20s, different from what he wore.

"So are you Kurosaki Riiko?" He had a small short beard on his chin and she couldn't see his eyes clear under the green and white striped hat. He looked old holding a staff that helped him to balance his stand. A sweat drop formed behind Riiko's head. "Did your father ever mentioned to you to be home before 5?" He reminded pointing up and she snapped.

She nodded ashamed, "A thousand times…" She replied stupidly and in friendly way. She snapped and stood up angrily with veins popping out, "Who are you to ask me? I don't even know you! And was that your 'animal'?"

He paused lost and started to chuckle, "Sorry I don't raise 'Hollows'!" He walked to her.

"Hollows?" She repeated lost and tilted her head to one side with a question mark dragging out from her head, "What's a Hollow? Is that an animal?" She sounded stupid.

He gave her a smile, "My name is Uruhara Kisuke, nice to meet you, Kurosaki Riiko!" Riiko had shocked expression, how did the stranger knows her name and further more why was he friendly to her? Her jaw dropped and the breeze lifted. "There's nothing to be scared of…" An eerie chuckle came from him and she became more petrified.

To be continued

Episode 02: Uruhara Shop

Please Review

A/u: How do you like the first episode? It took me 2 days to think out the plot. Hehe, please review and tell me your comments, I took a lot of effort to make this!

B/Reader: And my God did you take a lot of effort. Please read and review. I think it's good.