Kekkon Trouble
-Chapter II: Nice to Meet You-
Special Note: This fan fiction is under extensive revision. I'll add more fluffs, descriptions and scenes. Thank you for all the reviews. I'm moved. I know it is kind of selfish for deleting the other chapters but I fear that the story might be slightly different from the original. I'll do the same thing with my other fics. Please don't sue me. I just want this to make a better read. Comments and suggestion are welcomed. I'll do my best to become a mature writer. That includes lesser whining. XD
Disclaimer: (sigh) My name isn't Kubo so that basically mean that I don't own bleach or any of the characters. But I really do wish I own Ichigo.
"Dedicated to the ones who keep reviewing and supporting this fic and my awesome beta-reader who wants to work in the shadows. (winks) I hope this is worth dedicating."
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"Okay?" the reporter in her elegant peach suit asked the cameraman as she gave him a thumb. The cameraman, in reply gave her a thumb as well.
He hauled up his hands to gave her signals, "4... 3... 2..."
The reporter cleared her throat, modulating her voice, "Good evening to all our viewers. We're now here at Karakura Shrine LIVE for the star-studded engagement party of Kuchiki Rukia, the sister of the very known yet mysterious businessman, Kuchiki Byakuya with Kurosaki Ichigo, the son of the very known man on the field of Japanese medicine, Dr. Kurosaki Isshin. Right now, there are important personalities showing off their gowns and enjoying the party. But it seems like—" the reported cut off her statement when she saw Kurosaki Isshin making his way on the red carpet, "Oh there is now Dr. Kurosaki but it looks as if that his son, Kurosaki Ichigo isn't with him." She approached Isshin and flashed a smile, "Good evening sir. I'm Miyamoto Sakura from BXT news. Would you mind if we interview you?"
"I wouldn't." Isshin straightened himself and waved goofily in front of the camera.
"Congratulations for your son and for your new company."
"Thank you."
"How do you feel about the engagement of your son?"
"Thrilled. Thank goodness he wouldn't grow old alone." Isshin answered and did the act of a dramatic father.
Miyamoto clung her head slightly to the side, puzzled. She had briefly looked into the profiles of the Kurosakis and based on the picture provided, Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't bad looking. In fact, he was popular with girls. "Why's that?"
"Well you know my son is—" Isshin caught Ichigo staring frantically at him at a distance, "My son is such a loving—" his staring increased, now sending him death glares.
He pressed himself in a thin line, contemplating on what to say. Not that he was afraid of Ichigo or anything. It was just that he promised his son not to tell anything about him that could ruin his image.
"Leave it to me," Ichigo said.
Though Isshin was goofy, he sure knows how to keep his promises... as long as he would be reminded.
"I'm proud of my son." he said arbitrarily, hoping it could satisfy Miyamoto.
"Right..." she responded almost wryly, "We haven't got a sight of your son. Where is he?"
"Umm... he's out there. He doesn't like exposing himself to a lot of people."
The reporter giggled softly. It was as if being the being shy one was her type.
Kurosaki Isshin was a type that could blab anything.
"A shy type, he is." she commented with humor.
Isshin couldn't prevent a laugh. "In certain circumstances."
Well, the Miyamoto thought, A little crush wouldn't hurt. He's still not married.
She flashed Isshin a friendly beam and was about to ask him about some tiny-bitsy information about his son but she was 'accidentally' pushed aside by other reporters who wanted Isshin's interview.
He sighted, now he knew how a celebrity felt and it didn't fell great.
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On the other side of the shire was Kurosaki Ichigo who currently having a GREAT STRUGGLE not to be recognized by any media personality.
What could he say anyway? He wasn't used being interviewed by media. Constant exposure to girls who wanted to know his type of woman, didn't help him provide the experience.
He covered his face with his handkerchief and surveyed the entire floor like a ninja. He carefully calculated how long it would take for him to reach the exit.
Unlucky of him, his congenital 'cursed' bright-orange hair made him detectable. So, even before he could finish his escape route plan, someone divulged out in full volume:
"There he is!" some busybody pointed a finger on Ichigo, who was still covering his face.
Straight away, there came a thick cloud of dusts from the reporters and dashed to his parameter.
"How do you feel now that you're soon to be engaged?"
"What does your family think about this?"
"Is it true that Kuchiki Rukia is pregnant?"
"We heard that Kuchiki Rukia's older than you, is that okay?"
"Some people say that you'll only be married in name only, how is this true?"
"I heard there's a third party, what's your reaction?"
Ichigo was suddenly attacked by these questions, Third party!? Pregnant?! What the hell are these press people thinking!? URGH! This is what I fear most! He dramatically and imaginarily heard a sound of a fragile precious vase (or whatever you commonly see being broken) mercilessly being dropped to the ground. My image is doomed...
Ichigo let out an exasperated sigh as he forced himself to chuckle. It turned dry. "I don't know what you're talking about. Now if you please excuse me." He squeezed himself out it was almost useless, there are too many of them.
Dammit... let me go through bastards! he thought. Sooner, he saw a little passage formed by the spaces the crowd formed and pushed himself through there.
At the time he broke 'free' he didn't just sneak, he run. Run for his life, perhaps?
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He was running like crazy that he didn't notice that he was already out in the garden.
He lessened his pace and tried to catch up with his breath. It was drizzling, keeping people in the big hall and out here at the garden.
Perfect. I'll go back as soon as old man calls—
"Hey! Watch where you're going, stupid head!" a husky voice barked at him.
A forehead vein had made itself shown.
Heck, anyone would be annoyed if some random person would bark at you and call you names. Added to Ichigo's current situation, you can very well be assured that he was very, deeply, madly furious.
Thanks to the voice, sooner or later it would attract attention of the press people and they would be able to locate him.
That bastard has to learn his foul mouth shut!
He instantaneously turned his head at the direction of the voice, spun his trunk, and prepared to give the guy a well-deserved deathblow.
However.
What the... his punch stopped in midair as soon as he noticed that something was peculiar—wrong about the figure he was seeing.
It was a girl in her teens. She was almost half his height and her cerulean eyes were big and rounded.
She seemed to have come from a super rich family for her face was smooth and spot-less. She was even wearing a pink kimono that made from expensive cloth.
Ichigo dropped his arm and jaw.
He blinked away, thinking that the small, feminine image he was seeing would turn into a buff, manly one.
Was she really the one who had talked like a macho a while ago?
"Who are you calling stupid head, brat? Didn't your parents teach you manners?!" was Ichigo's angry bark.
He saw her right eye twitch, she was getting angrier at the moment.
She sent him a death glare and Ichigo didn't miss it.
"Whacha lookin' at? Wanna punch me?" he offered as he lowered his head, obviously teasing and taunting her. Oh well, like she could do it.
The girl continued to send him death glares. She was having a full endeavor not to loose the impression of being sweet and helpless she was making to the people. As a result, even though the piece of cheek meat that was lowered for her convenience was so tempting, no punch from her came.
He sneered and gave her a look of mock-pity.
"A girl like you should just stay inside that stupid party and flirt with guys to find yourself a boyfriend. You're not a fairy to dawdle here in the garden."
The girl started to lower her head, fists clenching to her sides—the typical reaction of a thin, short man when faced to a rough and tough man.
Underestimating me. Hunh? she clenched her fists tighter at that thought.
She began to calculate their distance and think of what pain she could inflict to him. But before she could, her ears received the annoying mocking sound from him. Involuntarily, her muscles on her right arm aimed for his face-giving him an uppercut.
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What. The. Hell was Ichigo's first thoughts in mind.
He found himself lying at the cold grass, yapping and cursing in pain. Hands on the ground, he positioned himself in a cross sitting position, wiping away the blood from his mouth. Wait, blood...? He looked at his fingers dubiously.
Suspicion confirmed.
There, in his fingertips, were tainted by a certain liquid that seemed to be—
His expression made her grin darkly, declaring that she won, "Surprised aren't you, brat? Don't be deceived by looks. Judging from how you're so naïve, I suppose I am the one older than you."
He furrowed his already furrowed brows and burned his sight at the shock of green he was seeing. If she was a he, paying back would be a piece of cake but—
Well... I can't directly hit a girl, can I—?
"Bitch..." Ichigo cursed under his breath. Probably realizing that he couldn't do anything to her after all.
"Bastard." she snapped back.
Cursing contest was threatening to arise but shoes brushing swiftly against the freshly cut grasses made them aware that people could come anytime and see them.
"What's wrong?" a security guard approached them. He hovered an umbrella on the girl while shooting a look of suspicion at Ichigo who was still lying at the grass.
Ichigo avoided the guard's stare and helped himself up. Like he can tell that guard that he was just hit by a girl. That would be so unmanly, not to mention humiliating. At the time he was up, he was startled to see two unfamiliar hands cradling his elbows as if showing deep concern.
Who else would it be but the girl who just hit him.
"Anou... are you alright? Did you hurt yourself? Yes?" she quickly faced the sentinel, "It's okay. He just hurt himself. He's a klutz. You can leave us now."
The guard, at her instruction, reluctantly nodded and went back to his post. When, he was meters away, the guard once again shot them a lingering stare and moved on.
"Get your plastic hands off me!" Ichigo barked, nudging her to the side and careful not to push her too harshly. That time, Ichigo would have been lying if he wasn't thinking of saying that he was the 'star' of the party to freak her and feel sorry, however, he wasn't proud of that fact. So he irritably asked a question that might lead to the girl's identity and pay her back brutally. "This is no children's party, you know? What are you doing here? Annoying."
She shot him a mocking stare, "What are you talking to yourself?" she shot back then briefly looked at her Rolex watch. "Tsk. Look you've wasted my time and I don't want to do anything with you anymore. That's it I'm leaving, I hope I won't see you again."
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"Let me introduce to you," the announcer in tuxedo declared, "Kurosaki Ichigo!"
Applause.
Right on cue, Ichigo went up the stage bashfully and awkwardly. Stepping sure steps, he walked like a robot to the center where the microphone was located to say a little something.
He began to perspire a lot even though the place was fully air-conditioned. The cameras and lights began to focus at him as the press people stood there and waited for what was he going to say. Since he was so evasive to the media a while ago, they saw this as a bright opportunity to get his side. They readied their pens and papers, some readied the cameras then looked attentively at the speaker.
"U-Umm. Hi... N-Nice to meet you." he said lamely.
His father and Karin sneered whilst Yuzu looked at her brother worryingly.
Did Ichigo really thought about his debut in TV?
"I just want to say that there's no third party and no pregnant-whatever. I've never been attached to any girl so that's far too impossible. That's all."
People began to chatter. Most of them just shrugged off because of his statement. Needless to say, they were very disappointed. It sure does lack the 'showbiz feel'.
"Are you finished now?" The announcer wanted to ask.
"Great to hear that, Ichigo-kun. Haha. Uh. Well, let us welcome, the first appearance of Miss Kuchiki Rukia!"
Applause. Much louder than Ichigo's.
Okay, get ready. Ichigo tentatively and attentively brought out his short 'checklist' on his mind and positioned himself just at the right of the microphone to get a nice view.
There came in a petite figure with clear cerulean eyes. She was sophisticatedly walking to the aisle and waving like a beauty queen (she might have been mistaken as one if it wasn't because of her height).
Ichigo was dumbstruck.
Guess what?
Who he was seeing walking at the stage right now was the girl who he encountered just earlier.
He instinctively pointed an accusing finger at the figure he was seeing.
What the hell's going on? She's Kuchiki Rukia?!
Ichigo almost dropped his jaw. Her physical feature he was seeing now was definitely an opposite of what he had imagined.
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Ichigo's checklist:
Old-looking - x
Big - x
Muscular - x
Brutal - he marked several checks here.
Old - check. check. and another check. It wasn't originally in his list but seeing that 'Brutal' was the only thing that was marked, he added this.
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A midget like her almost broke our house down?
She gave the crowd a sickening sweet smile.
Ichigo scowled and shivered involuntarily. I bet it's a fake one, judging from how she acted when I met her.
Rukia glanced at her future husband, planning to give him a breathtaking and loving smile but instead she was appalled to see the same guy she had stumbled upon moments ago.
Her inner self was parallel to Ichigo, her outer façade, however was far from Ichigo's.
She maintained her composure and continued to wave at the crowd as she got the microphone.
"Good evening to all, people of Japan." her voice was sweetly faked and highly pitched.
So this is how she talks when she's in front of them... bitch.
"My name is Kuchiki Rukia and it's my pleasure to meet all of you. I am deeply touched by your warm welcome and support. I hope it wouldn't change. Also I would like to thank all the people who are responsible for all of these. I'm hoping you'll have a good time at our party." She gazed at Ichigo once again and giggled fakely. "Pardon about him. He's really like that when exposed to people." she said, almost convincing that they actually knew each other.
She beckoned Ichigo to come and join her.
He eyed her incredulously. He was reluctant at first but he thought that it wasn't good not to come to her. Press people might think something that could ruin more his ruined image so, out of grudge he walked to her.
Well at least she knew how to make the situation better.
Rukia slipped her arm to his and rested her head on arm. "Oh Honey, I feel lucky to have you."
Goddammit actress. he thought but decided to go with her act, "Ahh. The feeling is mutual." he decided to say, thinking that he was going to puke anytime.
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End Notes: The second chapter, finished editing. This can be edited further so don't worry. Beta-sama and I will add descriptions here and there. We're not a perfect people who can find faults without help so if you find anything weird, OOCs, wrong grammars, wrong spellings, wrong pronunciation (private joke) tell us and we'll be happy to change it. Oh, if you would please do so, please point out the things that you want to be changed. Kindly site them. I think it won't help if you would just vaguely say: There are a lot of grammatical errors.
Thank you for reading! You can send emails if you want. I am not hostile. Check-ie my profile.