Hello, this is my first multi-chaptered ShunUki. My first modern fic too. I hope you'll like this. Supposed to be uploaded a long long time ago. Geez.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Enjoy!
"Little boy, look out!"
"Huh?"
Shunsui Kyoraku wasn't the type who would put his attention in others' personal business, nor was he a man of gossips. But when boredom strikes, he was more than willing to entertain himself with anything. Even though it means listening to endless off seasonal ghost stories of his female office workers.
With his precious Nanao-chan provoking her small group doing so everyday.
"Have you heard about the slit-mouthed lady before?" Shunsui heard his secretary, Nanao Ise, asked her fellow females huddled together in a circle inside a barely lighted room with widely-opened door just across his office.
"Yes. That's a popular folklore, right?" Isane Kotetsu, a tall lady working under Shunsui, said with a gasp.
"True. Actually…"
"Actually what?" The other pressed.
"Somebody informed me that she began to wander around this building."
Murmurs and another exchange of shocked gasps followed quickly as their room ridiculously got even darker than before.
While Shunsui mentally face-palmed.
The eye glassed secretary cleared her throat and continued, "As I said, she's now in here. Though her target is mostly male."
They sighed in relief.
"Especially perverts."
Shunsui felt as though he was hit straight. He must admit he was one, but not totally! Watching porn is part of male urges, after all. Or you may count staring onto female midriffs as one of those hormonal instincts too.
"So what is she doing with them?" A sexy busty female, Rangiku Matsumoto, inquired with her wavy orange hair coming into the man's view.
"She rips open their jaws," Nemu filled in flatly.
"How horrible!" The younger Kotetsu exclaimed, with others agreeing.
"Uhmm, is there anything less scary than that?" Momo Hinamori, a petite young pretty girl asked shakily, trying her best not to visibly tremble from imagining the whole thing.
No one replied.
"I'm asking you, guys."
Silence.
The ladies looked at each other as if saying, "No more stories?"
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if we ran out of ghost topics. I mean, we're been doing this for months, not to mention, everyday. Besides, this building is not haunted. Also, we can't be so sure they're true. We just heard them from rumors, right? Yes, some spirits reside in here, but that's not uncommon."
An approving smile crossed Shunsui's feature as he heard clearly what Rukia Kuchiki explained. As expected of his business partner's younger sister, she does have that brilliancy his brother has. The president couldn't help but broke into a victory grin.
"Though I did experience something unexplainable while I was left here very late last night," Rukia instantly added sheepishly.
Shunsui's grin fell. Here we go again.
"Don't tell me it's the slit-mouthed lady!" Hinamori exclaimed worriedly.
"If it's her, then I'll probably unable to talk right now."
A thought came out of Matsumoto's head. "It's the wolf-man Komamura, right?"
Rukia shook her head. "It's not him either. Well, someone I never heard involved before in any of our story."
"Describe."
"I'm not sure if it's a male or female. I never saw it, in fact." A pause. "Though I did caught a glimpse of its long white hair."
Nanao adjusted her glasses. "A white lady, I guess."
"That's not just it," Rukia continued. "I heard it crying."
The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy. "I wish I could help it."
"With all these talking, it's just right now that I realize how pitiful our security guard," Isane commented a while later, trying to lighten up the mood a little. She didn't know why, but what Rukia told them made her sad all of the sudden. And she guessed it was not just her either. "With all the countless round trips he has to make inside this building every night."
"I bet he already saw every ghost roaming in here," Kiyone muttered.
"Don't tell me he's not the real Hisagi, and that he's a doppelganger!" Momo cried.
Hisagi Shuuhei, a black-haired man in his late twenties, was the security guard on duty of the Kyoraku Company building every night. He was one of those royal workers, serving them for five years straight.
Rangiku clapped her hand. "Fear not, girls! Our man is armed with ghost repellants which he told me he bought at the store adjacent to the building. With 50% discount too!"
Urahara's Novelty Shop, a weird store which came out of nowhere, was owned by Kisuke Urahara, an insane looking guy with his hat and fan. First glance at his store, you would think it was normal. But once you went inside, you would definitely regret it.
Shunsui sighed. His boredom quickly turning to exasperation. He wondered how long the ladies would keep defiling their minds with fictional beings. Ghost aren't true. They are mostly created by unexplainable imaginations of a person. And then rumor has it.
Gee, they shouldn't believe these invisible creatures.
Eventually for Shunsui, he was caught by Nanao. No matter how much he insisted he was only listening to their conversation, the woman claimed he was peeking at her companions' underwear—which Shunsui regretted hadn't thought from the start. As a punishment, his secretary made him signed all the five stacks of manila folder with fifty leaves of paper each and ordered to be finished over night.
He was the boss, but it was her rules.
It was already two hours and a half past midnight when he flipped over the last piece of paper and put his signature. There, all done! He grinned to no one.
Now that he realized, he was all alone in the building in the dead of the night. Where lost spirits might be lurking somewhere around and ready to—
He shook his head. Oddly, the ghost stories he heard everyday was slowly affecting him. Well, maybe it was just his first time to extend his working hours and never experienced being alone there before. Nah, he wasn't really alone. Hisagi must be guarding the gate. Though Shunsui wondered why he was a bit late that night for his round trips.
Shunsui shut his office door with a thud. Outside was a very dark hallway stretched a few meters long. Using the light of his mobile phone, he guided himself with it towards the elevator. He wasn't even sure if he was walking straight because he couldn't see anything. Since when did the Kyoraku Company building was this aphotic?
While pressing the elevator button, the brunette noticed that it suddenly got colder. Not to mention, an eerie wind kept passing his bare nape, sending little shivers down his spine. He looked at the far left side of the hallway, where he saw nothing but black.
Then heard footsteps walking towards his direction.
Obviously, there was no one around anymore at that hour.
He listened. His mind was probably playing tricks on him because of the creepy stories he heard enough for the day.
Someone was walking.
Who was it?!
Good thing the elevator went up immediately when Shunsui was beginning to freak out. After adjusting his eyes for a while in the sudden brightness of the light, a bell chimed and the elevator doors opened, revealing the huge barely lit lobby with its long front glass entrance. A man, dressed in his iron pressed black security uniform, was standing outside.
"Hello, Sir. Good morning, I suppose," Hisagi greeted. "I didn't know you took an over time."
Shunsui sighed. "Nanao-chan forced me too."
"She could be bossy sometimes."
"Always," he corrected. "By the way, are the hallways in every floor that dark?"
Hisagi raised an eyebrow. "No, Sir. There's an automatic light set up when midnight arrives."
The president looked back at the direction he walked on lately. He frowned when he saw through the glass doors that the lobby was now lighted in every angle and position. But it was dim when he passed it by!
"Uh, Sir, do you want me to fetch your car?" Hisagi interrupted his thoughts.
The former looked back at the other. "Sure… thanks."
Hisagi held out his hand. "Keys."
Reaching for his pockets, he failed to hear the sound of jingling. Same when he felt for them in his suit. Oh boy, don't tell me he…
"You probably left them in your office, Sir."
Shunsui gulped unnoticeably when the lights inside began to flicker. "I think. Better get them then."
The security guard grabbed something from his mahogany desk and walked briskly towards Shunsui. "Flashlights." He handed him. "And I think I should accompany you. You know, they might victimize you before you knew it."
Now, now, did Hisagi just think he was frightened by these ghosts? Hell no! The building was scary at night, he must admit. But that was only it, no ghost! Never mind the noises he heard lately, they were probably the wind itself.
"I think I can manage alone."
"But—"
Shunsui raised his hand. "No, buts. You better do your duty. Thieves might sneak skillfully."
Hisagi nodded hesitantly. "Alright."
"Also, I'm going to prove you that there's no lurking spirits in our building. I've been in here ever since I was a child, yet never encounter one myself. So whatever you hear from rumors, have no basis of reality."
Pulling the round handle, the top drawer opened, and the keys held by a single holder were inside. Shunsui grabbed and placed them inside a pocket. He was already heading for outside when the lights began to flicker.
One… Twice… Blackout. Oh, great!
With a groan, he instinctively turned on the flashlight lend to him. At first, the batteries seemed normal, but seconds later, its light started to get dimmer and dimmer. Until…
"Power failure for flashlights too!" Shunsui exclaimed irritable to himself, his voice echoing through the walls.
Like what was usually happening in horror movies, the temperature suddenly got colder. And the eerie wind rustled his short brown locks. Not to mention, the footsteps he heard earlier were hurrying on the hallway, passing his office. As if someone was running.
"There is no ghost in here," he convinced himself.
Shunsui followed the footsteps. Duh, he had no idea why. But something told him to check it out and find for his own risk.
His foot led him at the far end of the hall, stopping just outside a wooden door with a metal knob—which he recognized quickly as the male comfort room. Just as he was reaching for it, he stopped midair.
Sob. He heard a sob. Someone must be crying.
Inside was no different from the other places. Dark, though cooler.
"Nobody could help me…"
With a bit of moonlight seeping from a small square window, Shunsui could outline a figure sitting on a corner nearby with its face hidden from view, and his arms hugging his legs. And, well, sniffing.
The brunette crouched down near it. "Is this person alright?" he asked himself.
At first, he thought he was just near a stranger who probably got lost in his building. But when the faint moonlight shone its hair, he recognized the color white. Also, it was long enough to reach the white tiles.
"I'm not sure if it's a male or female. I never saw it, in fact." A pause. "Though I did caught a glimpse of its long white hair."
"That's not just it," Rukia continued. "I heard it crying."
"I wish I could help it."
Shunsui instantly stood up and backed a bit, wide eyed. "Oh my God."
Hearing his reaction, the figure began to move slightly and raised its head to look at Shunsui.
That was when gray eyes met chocolate ones.
There. Tell me what you think. :)