Chapter 2

When the Tuesday arrived and they were supposed to hand in their essays, Byakuya didn't show up for class, and he hadn't given any message. That was most unusual for him, and Renji asked if he should go look for him, as he had been in all the previous classes. The teacher nodded and went on with her lesson.

Renji had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't gonna find Byakuya in any of the places that would be obvious for any other student; the Hall, the library, the computer-lab… No, he went directly to the Rehearsal Rooms – a corridor filled only with music rooms, one piano in each and every one of them soundproof.

He opened one door after another, and when he came to the fifth one – the one with the grand piano - he went inside. There, leaned against the piano and even drooling a little on it, sat/lay Byakuya, his hair falling softly over one side of his face. Renji smiled when he saw how deep asleep the boy was.

'I wish I had a camera!' Renji thought, thinking he looked absolutely adorable; but then, he always thought Byakuya looked adorable. He sighed.

"Guess I've gotta wake 'im up…!" he said aloud. "Too bad. He looks like he needs the sleep…" Renji reluctantly walked over to him, careful not to step on the note sheets that were spread all around Byakuya, some of them handwritten.

Curious, he picked up one of the handwritten sheets, and noticed Byakuya's signature in the upper right corner. It obviously wasn't finished, but it looked like a pretty melody, although the notes were so tiny they were hard to read… He turned it around, and saw a poem written on the back of the sheet. His eyes widened as he read through it. It seemed to be a love-poem… Although if Byakuya wrote it, it was probably lyrics for… something. For the song on the other side, perhaps? But still… Someone as distanced as Byakuya was writing love songs?

Renji chuckled and looked at the sleeping beauty by the piano.

"Who're ya writin' this for, eh?" he asked softly, and before he knew it, he'd folded the sheet of paper and put it in his pocket. He gathered all the other papers and put them in Byakuya's schoolbag that was standing beside the piano chair.

Then, he reached out a hand and laid it on Byakuya's shoulder, shaking him lightly.

"Hey, Byakuya. Geddup, will ya? Ya can't sleep here… Should've stayed home instead…" Byakuya sat up so suddenly that Renji actually stepped back in surprise. He looked around sleepily, then noticed Renji. His eyes became wide.

"Wh-what are… Abarai-san… What are… What happened?" he asked confused. Renji just smiled.

"Nothin' much. Ya just fell asleep here and forgot to go to class. That's all. Teacher sent me to find ya." He shrugged. Byakuya looked absolutely horrified at this.

"I…fell asleep?" he asked, his voice forcibly calm. Renji nodded, smiling widely. Byakuya closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"What time is it? How long was I asleep?" Renji shrugged.

"I dunno how long ya were sleepin', but class began like…20 minutes ago." If Renji thought Byakuya had looked horrified before, it was nothing to how he was looking now.

"20 MINUTES!" he nearly shouted and jumped up, where he swayed a little. Renji frowned and immediately placed an arm around his shoulders, steadying him.

"You should go see the school nurse, Byakuya," he said. "You don't seem so well." Byakuya shook his head.

"I will do no such thing, Abarai-san. I'm merely tired after the weekend." He sighed. "Let's get to class."

While he and Renji walked – Byakuya never ran – Renji laughed and slung an arm around his shoulders again. Byakuya stiffened, but didn't shake him off, which was more than Renji had expected. He was happy he didn't, though.

"Where were ya this weekend, by the way? I went to yer house, and ya weren't there," he asked, and was rewarded with a look from Byakuya that clearly meant he thought Renji was an idiot.

"I told you on Friday I had two concerts this weekend." Renji nodded.

"Yeah, but not where. Where were ya?" Byakuya sighed.

"Honestly, Abarai-san! Don't you read newspapers?"

"Nope," was all Renji said to that, and Byakuya sighed. Again. He did that a lot, it seemed, at least around Renji.

"I had two concerts; one in Kyoto, and one in Osaka. None in Karakura Town. I left Karakura right after school on Friday and didn't return till late Sunday night." Renji stared at him.

"And… And ya still managed to finish that…that…quartet?" he asked, sounding a little shocked.

"Septet, not quartet. But yes, it's finished. The ones I wrote it for start rehearsals today."

They had now reached the English classroom, stepped inside and found their desks.

Renji sent a note over to Byakuya.

'Since you're so busy, just tell me if there's anything you want help with. Cheating on tests included,' it said. Byakuya smiled as he read it, scribbled down an answer quickly and sent it back.

'Why, thank you, Abarai-san! I'll let you know if there's anything you can do. PS: I NEVER cheat on tests!' Renji chuckled quietly and looked over at Byakuya. Did he actually have a sense of humor?

There was just so much to find out! Thankfully, he had at the very least three years on him to 'de-mask' Byakuya. He smiled to himself and spent the rest of the period daydreaming about Byakuya.