EDIT (as of 04/09/13): This chapter has been changed as the Prologue. No major edits.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo rightfully owns it.
Unorthodox Teaching
Prologue
"This is unacceptable," the man behind the expensive mahogany desk said. His gray eyes were cold, emanating pure authority albeit impassive. As he threw the neat folder onto the desk without so much as giving it a second glance, he looked up at the glasses-wearing woman in front of him with an unreadable expression.
The woman squeaked in surprise. Her whole body was trembling. "I-I'm sorry, sir. I know my contract states I have to serve for another year. But I… I cannot endure it any longer. Please forgive me, sir."
"Ms. Ise," Byakuya said calmly. "I understand where you are coming from." He pursed his lips ever-so-lightly not even Ms. Ise was able to see it. "But I do not tolerate breeching of contract."
"But sir!" Ms. Ise broke down as she clutched her hand to her chest. "I cannot just stand by and watch that husband of mine flirt while I busy myself at work. I have to keep an eye on him this time! I am forever grateful for your kindness. But I assure you, I'll pay the due and even double of my contract before the end of this year. It's what the contract says, if ever I untimely resign."
Byakuya pressed his finger pads to his temple and massaged them heavily. He was already stressed with work. He didn't need another problem to pressure himself with. But then again, this wasn't just trivial matter—this concerned his sister's future and well-being. "Is my sister already aware of this?"
Ms. Ise nodded. "Yes, sir. I've already informed her of my resignation beforehand."
"What did she say?"
"Uh…" Ms. Ise trailed off, her cheeks burning hot pink as heat flowed on her cheeks. "She said… g-good luck." 'And I'll miss you, too.' She was tempted to add.
Byakuya closed his eyes. "I see." He took the folder from the desk and scanned it one last time before reaching for his fountain pen and signing the papers inside it confirming his approval of Ms. Ise's resignation. Once finished, he closed the folder and handed it to Ms. Ise who took it gratefully. "Tomorrow, come back and ask my secretary for your last pay check. She will inform you of the termination process of the contract. You need not pay for it."
"B-But sir!"
Byakuya cut her off. "I need not repeat myself, Ms. Ise. You may leave if you do not have any more concerns."
Ms. Ise's wide eyes slowly regained their normal size as she bowed down and held the folder with shaking hands. "T-Thank you, sir! Thank you!" She looked at her ex-boss one last time before scurrying out of the spacious office.
Alone, Byakuya swiveled from his posh cushioned chair and faced the glass wall over-looking the entire city of Tokyo. Furrowing his brows, he took his phone from his coat's pocket and dialed his assistant's number. It only took him two rings before the said man from the other line answered.
"Sir, what may I do for you?" a gruff voice said on the other line, sounding like he had just been wakened up from a deep slumber.
"Renji," Byakuya started, flickering his gaze to the setting sun for a second before lowering them downwards to the bustling city below. "I need you to look for another tutor. Rukia's instructor in History just resigned a little while ago. I need a list of preferable candidates as soon as possible."
There was a pause as Renji fumbled for the right words. "Uh, please do not get me wrong, sir. But I do not think I'm the right person for this. I… I'm not a savant myself."
"Just do it," Byakuya replied solemnly, his words denotating finality. With that, he hung up not giving his assistant enough time to respond. "And pick them right," he added to himself, his eyes closing as he let the orange sunrays engulf him. Already, the sky was turning darker and the stars were starting to appear on the horizons above. Byakuya absentmindedly wondered if his sister would get along well with her supposed new teacher just like she did with Ms. Ise.
He just hoped she would.
-xXx-
Rukia mulled quietly to herself. It had been five days since she last saw Ms. Ise. She had to admit, she already missed the woman terribly. Albeit strict, Ms. Ise was very kind and caring. She was the closest to a friend Rukia ever had, and she would forever be grateful to the woman for imparting her knowledge even beyond the scope of History. She was like a sister to Rukia—she was her closest instructor anyways. Most of her home school teachers were too rigid, speaking to her only in class or whenever necessary.
Rukia sighed. Combing the last strands of her hair, she placed the delicate brush on top of her dresser. Ms. Ise would usually comb her hair and tell her how soft it felt against her hands. Ah, how she missed the woman. The brush was a gift from her brother, the one he had given her on her 10th birthday. It was from France, made from exquisite ivory with sophisticated diamonds. Standing, she straightened the wrinkles on her dress before exiting out of her room.
Nii-sama had asked for her presence in his study. On the way she had spotted Renji, who had hinted his boss had already chosen a new History teacher for her to replace Ms. Ise with.
Rukia silently walked to her brother's study. She knocked and announced her presence, his stony voice commanding her to come inside. She strutted in the middle of the spacious office, looking around the gigantic bookcases that looked even bigger than those she had seen in libraries. She'd never been to a public library before, but she had seen what most looked like in books. She even had her own study area beside her bedroom where her lessons were being held. Upon glancing at her brother's form, she immediately noticed the figure of the unfamiliar man sitting stiffly on one of the chairs in front of his table. He had vibrant orange hair that shone even brighter against the sunlight. Ugh, who would dye their hair that color?
"You may sit, Rukia," Byakuya said calmly. As soon as he had said those words, Rukia sat on the chair across the orange-haired man who was frowning so hard she thought his hair would actually burst into flames. Byakuya then handed her a folder which held a number of files. It contained the curriculum vitae of the man sitting across from her.
"Uh… I'm afraid I may need more enlightenment, nii-sama," she said impassively, her voice almost identical to her brother's. But she already understood the files—she just had to hear it from her nii-sama for confirmation.
Byakuya gestured to the orange-haired man with his left hand. "Rukia. I want you to meet Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki, your new History professor."
Rukia glanced at Mr. Kurosaki and nodded briefly. "Um, I'm Rukia Kuchiki." She offered her hand which the teacher shook. She noticed how large his hand was compared to her own. His eyes were a vivid color of chocolate amber, which burned with fervor and intensity. "I hope we get along very well."
Mr. Kurosaki cleared his throat. "Indeed. Same here, Ms. Kuchiki."
After the initial greetings and queries, Byakuya then asked her to accompany Mr. Kurosaki to her study area to familiarize him with the surroundings. Rukia's eyes slightly widened as Mr. Kurosaki stood in his full height. She guessed he was almost as tall as nii-sama.
The walk was awfully uncomfortable because neither party was speaking. Rukia didn't have anything to say, and she guessed Mr. Kurosaki had none, too.
"Um, Mr. Kurosaki," she tried, hoping to start a meaningful conversation. "Have you already been informed of our schedule?"
"Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 1, right?" he asked. Rukia nodded. "And please, just call me Ichigo."
Rukia's cheeks burned pink from embarrassment. "That is just unacceptable, Mr. Kurosaki. You are my professor and thus I have to give you the utmost respect-"
Mr. Kurosaki rolled his eyes. "Just drop it off, alright. I'm not fond of formalities myself. Fine, you can call me whichever may suite your taste."
Idiot! Rukia was very tempted to retort. This man was just downright… downright disrespectful! Was her brother even aware of how uncouth this man is? She was about to fire back at him when he stopped in his tracks and scratched his head.
"Rukia." Again, how disrespectful. Where were the proper name suffixes? They were not even close to begin with. "Can you accompany me on the way outside, too? I'll get lost in here! This place is like a freaking labyrinth!"
Rukia mentally rolled her eyes. "I'd love to," she hissed through gritted teeth. Giving her new history teacher one last glare, she walked ahead of him and left him to catch up with her.
And because of his long legs, he did not need a lot of effort.
Damn. Already, she hated him.
Hey! There's an upcoming national board exam I have to take this June. I know I shouldn't publish anything and just resume studying but… I can't help it. I need to have an outlet for everything that I've been through. Gah! After countless moments of sleepless nights and stress-filled days, I'm graduating! Finally! *cries*
Also, my writing is starting to get rusty. I wanted to pull my eye sockets out for how awful this chapter had turned out. I need to practice again! Lol.
So yeah, please wish me luck.
And of course, do not forget to leave a review. It would really help me a lot. Thanks.