Rukia quietly entered the building hoping to remain unnoticed for at least a short while. But with Renji and Rangiku among others around, that was impossible. Rukia had scarcely taken ten steps inside when Renji noticed her. "Captain," he called, "Rukia's here!" Rukia winced inwardly. Must you be so loud, she thought. Her face remained smooth and calm but inside, she was panicking. He'll notice right away! she thought desperately, silently cursing Renji for announcing her arrival. Byakuya would have noticed her on his own. Rukia muttered a hello to her friend before slipping off into the small crowd gathered into the room. If she were lucky, she wouldn't run into Byakuya just yet.

Rukia felt her head pushed to the side a bit by something large and soft. Looking to the side, she found herself looking up at Rangiku Matsumoto's chest and her boyfriend Hisagi Shuuhei. Again, she winced inwardly. "Rukia!" Rangiku virtually squealed, "You're here. Why are you so late? Captain Byakuya was worried that you wouldn't come." Rukia wasn't sure if she visibly cringed at Rangiku's loudness, but she knew she was cringing in her mind. Is it necessary to be so loud? Why must everyone announce my presence so loudly? Rukia thought irritably. At this rate, Byakuya will find me in no time especially with this small crowd.

Whether she was just lucky, or Byakuya was avoiding her, Rukia didn't know, but she didn't run into him at all during his dinner party. She talked to some of the other captains including her own Captain Ukitake and Rangiku's Captain Hitsugaya but none of them seemed to notice anything odd about her. Rukia was so relieved that she actually breathed a calmed sigh towards the end of the party. She's survived, and if she was lucky, she'd be able to sneak out with the rest of the guests. She decided that her news for her brother could wait. However, whoever was in charge of those kind of things, luck and everything related, decided that Rukia's luck had run out for the night.

From behind, Renji approached her as she was trying to sneak out with the remaining guests. "Where were you?" the red head asked, "Y'know, you didn't even say hello to the host. I may just be slum-bred, but even I know that that's rude."

"Lieutenant Abarai is right, Rukia. It is extremely rude."

An involuntary shudder rocked through Rukia's tiny frame. I was so close. Damn Renji, thanks to him, Brother Byakuya has found me! she thought. "Oh, Brother Byakuya, how are you?" Rukia barely squeaked out. Her voice cracked up a notch. Well, she was trapped now. There was no way she was getting out of this one easily.

Byakuya didn't answer Rukia's question but instead asked his own. "Don't think that I didn't see you here, Rukia. I thought you would seek me out to greet me instead of the other way around. In fact, I was wondering why it seemed like you were going out of your way to avoid me?" he inquired in his normal superior tone. The look on his face implied that he expected an answer.

Rukia's mind scrambled to come up with a suitable and believable answer. "No reason! I was just preoccupied with speaking with your other guests!" she prattled on, "If I had known it would offend you so much I would have made more of an effort to speak with you…" she trailed off when she saw Byakuya's questioning glance. She chewed her lip apprehensively.

"She's lying, Captain Kuchiki. She bites her lip when she's lying; she did it all the time in the Rukongai," Renji informed his captain.

Byakuya raised his eyebrow in disapproval. "I don't appreciate you lying to me, Rukia. What are you trying to hide?"

Inwardly, Rukia was withering at the steadily more frigid glance her brother had turned on her. She was relieved that he appeared not to notice how tight her clothes were, but her relief was cancelled out by the fact that she was in trouble and she was painfully aware of it. Byakuya pursed his lips as he waited for an answer, however, when he saw that Rukia would not readily give one, he decided to switch tactics.

Byakuya softened his expression slightly before saying, maybe I can coax an answer out of you in my office."