XXX C I T Y - S O U N D XXX :

Hey guys,

So this is my very first story published on this site and I'm pretty excited about it. I decided to work on a little Bleach project because I personally find this series to be amazing! I noticed there aren't many stories out there about Uryu Ishida and an original character—that's right… I'm doing a story focusing on Uryu times an OC. I just enjoy writing and I feel that this would add to creativity. Romances are just the best!

Anyways, I hope you will all enjoy this story as I will be throwing lots of twists, plots, romances, action—the list goes on! I do promise to keep at this if I feel that I've attracted (hopefully) enough readers!

Ok, so this is an introduction chapter… This story will be focusing on High School life, Living World, Soul Society (duh), and the average life of a teenager. But that doesn't mean there won't be any drama or action!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the original characters and plot of this story.

Enjoy! :D

xxx A F T E R the R A I N xxx

Bleach Fanfiction

BLEACH (c) Tite Kubo

CHAPTER O N E:

Introduction

I couldn't breathe. My fingers abruptly froze on the door handle. The teacher's voice muffled from behind the entrance, separating me from my new class. I could hear my own beating heart thumping against my chest—sensation I knew all too well of. Breathe, I told myself. Just breathe and relax. I was over familiar with my constant anxiety and the condition it always put me in. I looked to my feet, still clutching onto the knob. Am I going to faint? Oh god, please don't faint…

"Azami-san, you can come in now." Startled, I flinched. My fingers twitched against the cool surface of the handle. "Azami-san?"

I swiftly cocked my head at the door, "Y-yes…" Sheepishly, I slid the classroom door open. My heart and the blood circulation to my brain stopped all together.

"Class, this is Chise Azami,"

Before facing my classmates—the people that'd be judging me from here on out, I looked to my sensei. Nibbling on my bottom lip, I took notice of her appearance. Young, glasses that suited her face quite nicely. She wore her coco-brown hair in a ponytail, and oddly enough, complementing the track clothing she wore.

Twiddling my thumbs, I placed my clear black eyes to my classmates. "P-pleasure to meet you." I softly introduce. Immediately clearing the clog in my throat, I gazed down to my feet. Perhaps diverting eye contact will make it easier and quicker…?

"Azami-san, why don't you go on and take a seat right here in front of me?" She pointed at the lone desk, literally, two steps away. I lightly smiled—not to anyone in particular, and took my seat. Soon Ochi-sensei began blabbering about a book that they had apparently started as a novel study before my arrival. Lost, afraid, and down-right hungry, I listened attentively, hands subconsciously twirling my long black-locks.

Before I knew it, the lunch bell rang, thus indicating it was time to wander the school—aimlessly on my part. It took me a few minutes to reach the outside of the huge building—felt like hours though—before I found a nice shaded spot to sit at and eat. I took notice that there was a different atmosphere to Karakura High that gave off what I wasn't quite use to. The sky-blue cover above me, so bright and serene, the aroma of fresh cut grass and earth flooding my nostrils… I even scrutinized the large tree guilty of providing such pleasant shade for me.

Taking my seat, I gently placed my bento box over my laps. I didn't mind the quietness and free time I had at the moment. In fact, it was deserved. The long train ride from the main city of Tokyo to a small town like Karakura was overwhelming. I guess you could say I was a true city girl. This place was a drastic change in habitat for me…

"Excuse me?"

Just as I placed a piece of pouched egg to my lips, my eyes caught site of a surprisingly attractive girl. Before judging her at instant, I listened to what she had to say. "You must be Azami-san, correct?"

"Y-yes," I replied, composing myself. She smiled as her kind bubbly brown eyes glistened under the brilliant sun. I suddenly became aware of more girls just behind her, all looking to me. Maybe I did something wrong, I assumed.

"My name is Orihime Inoue," She began. "Why don't you sit with us?"

I fixed my gaze to her. Momentarily hesitant, I accepted.

As the sun began saying its goodbyes, so did the students of Karakura High. I promptly walked out the building, making my way to the entrance gate. All that reflected itself into my thoughts was my day. I made friends, I thought with a smile. On the first day, too. Taking one last step, I felt myself walking into a crowd of students. Curious on what they were so fascinated about, my eyes followed theirs. That's when I spotted a black limo…

"Who do you suppose owns that?" A voice asked out loud.

I lost the conversation along with the rest of the students' dialogue once they began going all at once. I felt trapped within the murmurs, but most of all… embarrassed. My eyes blinked to the very last window of the stretched vehicle as it began to gradually roll down. The murmurs grew louder and my heart rate increased dangerously.

"Chise, hurry up, you know I don't have all day to wait!"

I winced at my father's words. Everyone could now distinguish the owner of the limo. His camel coloured eyes watched me as I awkwardly began approaching the car—my head hanging in humiliation. I told him over and over that I didn't want him to pick me up by limo…

Once inside (finally away from all those gawks), my father looked up to the driver. "To the residence," With one quick nod, the driver began driving us away from the school's property, and the self-consciousness that clouded me began to fade.

"How was school?" he casually asked. Before I could get a word in, his eyes locked themselves onto the newspaper. I slouched, placing my bag on the floor. "Alright,"

He finally turned to me, catching the blatant reluctance in my reply. "Just… alright?" he questioned with an arch to his brow.

I sighed, letting my fingers find their way back to my dark curls. "Dad, I asked you not to pick me up by limo," I reminded sternly. "You promised…"

With no surprise, he went back to reading the daily newspaper. He crossed his leg over the other before speaking. "Oh child, you're the most complicated daughter in the world."

I simply scoffed. "Like you're one to talk… I can't draw attention to myself, Dad. Unlike you, I hate it!"

Finished with the newspaper, he began reaching into the breast pocket of his grey business suit and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "You make it seem like I'm an attention freak, child…"

I opened my window to protect myself from exploitation to secondhand cancer… "You are,"

The next day wasn't as smooth as I had hoped it'd be. Halfway to school, rain decided to grace itself all over Karakura Town, getting me in the process… You see, I decided that I would give it another shot—you know, regaining the chance to make friends by not getting driven by the family limousine and immediately being labeled as the spoiled brat.

At that moment, running to school for my deal life (so it felt), I knew today was going to be one of those long and horrible days…

In short… a bad day.

Once I finally made into the classroom, my entire uniform was drenched and ruined. I only grasped this once I felt the icy awareness of the wet material touch my skin.

"You're drenched!"

Startled, I turned myself around and spotted a shorter girl with sandy-brown hair pulled up in two pigtails, eyeing me in surprise. Needless to say, I expressed them same emotion. "Y-yes, so it appears I am…" I replied with light humor.

She smiled, sticking her finger up. "If you give me a one minute I can lend you my sweater vest!"

"T-that's ok, really…! I wouldn't want you to have to run all the way home for me…"

The girl giggled at my naïve reaction. "I'm not going all the way home, silly! I have it in my homeroom, nice and warm!"

I couldn't help but arch a brow at this strange girl. She wore her beige sweater, which lead me to question why she would even have her sweater vest in her homeroom? You either wear the sweater or the vest, no? Besides, scrutinizing her appearance… if it were hers then it wouldn't fit me. She was much shorter than I was, plus it was the fall season… Wearing the beige vest wouldn't keep me as warm as the sweater would have…

Well, like I have much of a choice right now.

"I'm sorry…"

I stood inside the girls' washroom with my new little friend, both of us probably running late for our classes…

"I thought it would've fit you!" she stated with a frown to her lips.

Trying it on, she and I had discovered the vest was much too tight around my body. As I carefully took it off and handed it back to her, smiling, I kept thinking how right I was earlier. This girl was just too tiny!

"Thank you, anyways… I'll dry off soon enough." I assured.

The girl neatly folded it, nodding. "By the way," I began, leaning against the wall. "What's your name? I'm Chise Azami… I, uh, am new to Karakura Town."

She had welcomed this with a smile to her pixie-like face as her head tilted slightly, causing both her pigtails to sway with each movement. Really, if I could I would snatch her up and keep her! She was just too damn adorable! "My name is Yoku Nanashi! It's a pleasure to meet you, Azami-san!"

"Like wise," I removed myself from the wall, taking my sweater off. "Well, Nanashi-san, we'll be late for our classes if we don't hurry… Com'on." I knew that it was safe to assume we weren't in the same class. After all, I didn't see her yesterday during homeroom…

As we walked down the hallway, Yoku and I conversed a bit more. "Which reminds me…" I looked to her, arching a brow, "how come you have the sweater vest with you if you're already wearing your sweater with your uniform?"

She giggled. It was like I asked the most obvious thing. "In case I get too hot in my sweater!"

Well, duh… I should've known that!

"Well!" she stopped walking, looking to the next hallway to the right. "My classroom is this way! Maybe I'll see you during lunch?"

I smiled at her, "Sure! See you, Nanashi-san." Waving, I wandered into my homeroom. Luckily class wasn't in session yet. Amid the groups of classmates talking among one another, I quietly took a seat at my desk. Then, plopping my head over the desk's surface, I closed my eyes for a bit… You know, letting them rest until school began…

"Oi,"

Guess not.

Removing my head from my desk, I noticed a taller boy standing in front of it—his brown eyes watching me for a moment. "Y-yes…?" I asked, "Can I help you?"

So while he was focusing on eye contact, I was focusing on his hair… No, really. It was orange! As I began to ponder whether this guy was naturally born with it or dyed it to draw attention to himself, he had spoken again. "…Inoue tells me that you're new here, right?"

I blinked. Inoue…? That was when I remembered the group of girls I had lunched with yesterday. "O-oh, Orihime Inoue, y-yeah! Um, we had lunch together…" I told him. "…And you are?"

I took notice of the scowl on his face. What, he didn't want to talk to me or something? Just before he could reply, said girl approached us, beaming. "Ah, Azami-san, I see you and Kurosaki-kun have gotten acquainted?"

I pursed my lips. He never introduced himself so I guess that was his name. "Kurosaki-kun…?" I asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck, nodding. "Yeah, Ichigo Kurosaki… And you're Chise Azami, right?"

"Yup," I stuck my hand out, "Nice to meet you, Kurosaki Ichigo." After he shook my hand, I looked to Orihime Inoue. She was eyeing me… I thought maybe I had something in my teeth but then she asked, "Azami-san, did you get caught in the rain this morning?"

I sighed, pulling out my blouse a little. It was still drenched. "R-right… I'll dry off eventually," I told her like I had told Yoku Nanashi…

That evening I walked home from school with my chin held up a little higher than usual. I mean, I had a reason to… I made friends already—in just two days—and a fairly good amount too! I was positive that I'd set a record in the books. But that walk of glory didn't last me long enough…

There would be that one person who wouldn't be as welcoming as the others. However, this person would eventually be the one that I'd have to learn to entrust my life to as he would have to learn to let me in…

And still unaware of it, this would be the exact same person that I would, in time, fall so damn madly in love with.

A/N: And that's just the introduction. I'm sorry it was a little boring, but I promise it will get better! :3 I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter and I will make it ten times better the next time I write!

Bye!