Next was sixth period biochemistry – or BioChem for short – it was the study of chemical reactions in organisms, and if former students were telling her correctly, then half of the year is about poisons. She would've opted out, but the school refused for her to drop down a level and she had to take some sort of science for the next two years so she could get her honors diploma and since she couldn't get into the other class she wanted to and she refused to take anatomy (she didn't want to dissect a poor kitty).
Sakura was nervous – this wasn't her first upper level class, but she didn't see many open seats and the ones that were, were by people she didn't know (which consisted of most of the class). When the one by …oh what was his name – oh Kira! – was filled, she went and sat in the only open seat left. The boy – no, no, no, not boy…this was a young man she was sitting beside – had silver hair with a purplish hue, and his eyes were closed but he was moving around so she knew he wasn't asleep. Nervously, she took her seat and fiddled with her notebook.
She heard a male whisper behind her, "Hey, isn't she that genius junior that whooped everyone's asses in physics last year?"
"Yeah, I think so," his buddy replied. "I heard she's gay."
"Yeah – she set up that freaky couple Abarai and Kurosaki."
Her eye twitching she turned around slowly, looking them with her best death glare.
"Would you please repeat that last sentence?" she said sweetly, menace flickering in her orange eyes.
"Aren't you the one that got that freaky couple together – that Kurosaki boy and Abarai?"
"Yes, I hooked up Renji and Ichigo – they have names, but it seems that you are just ignorant assholes who don't understand shit. Now, if you can possibly find it within the limited capacity of the tiny mass of grey matter between your ears, kindly shut the fuck up and keep my friends out of your filthy mouth because they are not freaks!" her voice wasn't extremely loud, but it was loud enough to carry throughout the class.
Her luck ran the same way every year – she would say something in defense of her friends and she would start swearing…and her sensei would be standing right behind her. This time was no different. She turned around in her seat and came face-to-face with her teacher.
"May I ask what happened?" she asked gently.
She said bluntly, "He called my friends freaks." She laced her fingers together to hide her trembles of rage.
"Why?"
"They're gay," she said, "With each other. I hooked them up so apparently that makes me the 'bad guy' – or girl, unless they've failed anatomy…if they know what anatomy even is…" she seemed to be lost in thought.
Their sensei surprised her again by chuckling, "I take it that this isn't the first time that this has happened?"
"In general, no – definitely not, but with these two bakas, yes."
"Sensei," the young man beside her spoke quietly, in a Kyoto dialect, "Her friends were insulted an' that insulted her. She ain't lyin'. "
"Thank you Gin," the teacher nodded and turned back to Sakura. "Please do not let it happen again."
"Tell that to them," she jabbed her thumb to the two idiots behind her, "I will not be quiet so long as they insult my friends."
"Very loyal – I admire that. But violence will not be tolerated in this class."
"Hai, sensei – I understand." She nodded.
The older woman smiled at her and then went and had a serious talk with the two boys in the back.
"What's your name?" the young man – Gin – asked.
"Kyōraku Sakura," she replied. "What's yours?"
"Ichimaru Gin," he held out a hand, she shook it. "So, ya a junior then?"
"Hai," she blushed slightly.
"An' how did a junior like ya get inta BioChem with us seniors?" he seemed genuinely curious.
She took her hand back and scratched the back of her head, "I've been ahead a year in math and science since eighth grade, and they wouldn't let me drop down a level so…I had to take BioChem…" she shrugged.
He nodded, "Interestin'. Why not anatomy?"
"I'm a cat-lover."
After he made no notion to continue chatting, she pulled out her pencil, flipped open her sketchbook, stared at the blank page, and tapped the eraser end of her pencil against the side of her head, waiting for inspiration to strike.
"Grey matter failin' ya?" Gin teased.
She raised her eyebrow, "What? You have an idea?"
He thought for a moment. "Draw a persimmon tree."
She looked at him curiously, "You like persimmons?"
"They're my favorite thing," he shrugged, "Have been ever since I was a kid."
She smiled and was about to start drawing the scene that bounced around her brain when class started. She filed the image away for later.
"If you're not sitting by someone you don't know, then move now." Sakura glanced over at Gin and smiled – he smiled back, but she doubted he ever dropped it in the first place, but at least he seemed to be looking at her now.
"Do you ever open your eyes?" she asked. He shrugged.
She looked at him curiously, shrugged, and turned her attention back to Their sensei. She introduced an icebreaker project for the class.
The worksheets were passed out and the students quietly filled out their sheets, except for Gin and Sakura – who promptly snatched her partner's paper.
"Let's do this a little differently," she suggested. "I'll fill out a paper on you and you can fill this one out about me."
His grin widened, "Alright," he snatched his paper back and wrote her name down. She wrote his on her paper.
"What's your favorite color?" she asked him.
He thought for a moment, "Orange."
"Light orange, bright orange, dark orange?"
"Hmmm…y'know, I think I'd have ta go with bright orange." She wrote it down on her paper.
"Why orange – just because it's the color of persimmons or what?"
"Orange is a nice color," he shrugged. "What's ya favorite color?"
She breathed in and exhaled, thinking, "I'd have to say a light sky blue, or a bright blue like cobalt…just blue in general…"
"Why?"
"It's such a calming color – and I've always loved blue eyes…they're so pretty…"
"Why blue eyes?"
"I guess it's because they're so bright, they stand out…they've always attracted me…they aren't that common in genetics…and some of the smartest people I know have blue eyes," she replied.
"I see…" he wrote this down on his paper. "What's ya favorite food?"
"Hmmm…now that's a little bit of a toughie…"
"What kind of food can ya eat every day?" he prompted.
"Well, there's shirataki stir-fry…for a snack I'd say taiyaki or mochi…" Sakura said after a moment's deliberation. "The green-tea mochi with red-bean paste, mind you, not that sickly sweet orange or melon stuff."
He chuckled, "Duly noted."
"Should I put down something other than persimmons?"
"Hoshigaki," he chuckled.
"Dried persimmons…" she muttered, "How, am I not surprised?"
At this point, she was seeing a hint of teeth from Gin.
"Favorite animal?" she prodded.
"Snake," his reply was instant, "Especially white snakes."
"Why?"
"They can smell with their tongues, shed their skin, and swallow their prey whole. If that ain't cool I don't know what is. How about ya – what's ya favorite animal?"
"I like all sorts of animals…"
"Cats or dogs?"
"I'd have to say…cats…" she said slowly, "Even though mine act like two spoiled brats…" she muttered. "Well…then there's the demon kitty…"
"'Demon kitty'?" he echoed.
"Don't ask…" she chuckled nervously.
"Alrighty, then…" he seemed amused, "So, why cats?"
"Low maintenance," she shrugged. "And my fat one's the perfect size for cuddling, though if he gets any fatter he won't fit through the cat door, he'll just take it with him as a plastic tutu."
They both laughed at this.
Sakura looked down at her sheet, "Hobbies?"
"Gardening," he said. "I have some persimmon trees tha' I take care of at one of th' community gardens. I dry th' fruits myself."
"That's cool," she said, legitimately impressed.
"What are your hobbies?"
"Drawing and reading, but mainly music, I play a couple instruments…" she said. He looked intrigued.
"Piano?"
"Piano, guitar, and flute," She chuckled, and Gin laughed with her.
Their teacher made her rounds and stopped at their table, looking over their shoulders.
"Interesting," she said loudly. "It seems that Gin and Sakura are the only ones doing this activity properly."
The class was taken aback at this and started muttering between each other.
At this, she smiled, "May I see your papers?" They handed her the worksheets and she walked up to the front of the room. She explained, "If you read up here on the board – this project is supposed to take two to three days. It is not simply filling out a worksheet on yourself and handing it to your partner. This activity is to help you learn about your partner – and for them to learn about you. Sakura, what are Gin's favorite foods?"
"Persimmons and Hoshigaki," she answered quickly.
"Gin, what's Sakura's favorite color and why?"
"Light sky-blue or bright cobalt, to her blue is a calmin' color an' she loves blue eyes."
"Cats or dogs, Sakura?"
"Gin likes snakes," she grinned. "They smell with their tongues, and can shed their skin and are able swallow their prey whole – and he's right, that is pretty cool."
"Gin – cats or dogs?"
"She loves all sorts of animals, but likes cats over dogs. Apparently she has three of 'em, one of 'em is fat an' another is evil…an' I'm not supposed to ask about it…"
"You really don't want to know…" she grimaced.
Laughing lightly, the woman addressed the rest of the class, "Did you hear how fast and confident their answers were? I want your answers to be just as fast and confident. Are you sure you two haven't met before?"
"I'm good at remembering faces," then she turned to Gin, "yours is definitely one I'd have a hard time forgetting."
"Ya pretty memorable yaself," he grinned. "Nope, we ain't ever met before."
"Definitely not," she added, smiling.
She gave their papers back. "Now that you know how to do the activity – I don't want Sakura and Gin's voices to be the only ones I hear. Back to work – if you need a new sheet they're up here." She patted the stack on the front lab table. Almost everyone got up and grabbed a new sheet.
"Where were we…? Ah, yes! What's your favorite flower, Gin?"
"Hmmm…marigold," he said, "They're pretty. Let me guess…"
She looked at him smugly, crossing her arms – he'd never guess, nobody did – but he was welcome to try.
"Rose?"
"No, but they're pretty too."
"Alright…tulip?"
"Gorgeous, but no."
"Lily?" She shook her head. "Sakura flowers?"
"Good guess but no."
She saw the frustration building in his eyes and couldn't help but smile.
"Iris?" She started laughing quietly and shook her head. "Petunia?"
"We're getting closer…at least to the shape…"
The smile he once wore was replaced with a frown and the sleek silver brows were knitted. She grinned – nobody ever guessed her flower, they normally gave up, but no – not Gin. No one had gotten this close before, and neither of them would let him give up.
He mulled it over for a little bit, and then said, "Moon flower?"
"That's my second favorite," she grinned. "It's a cousin."
The grin was back, "Mornin' Glory." It wasn't a question.
"You're the first person to actually figure it out," she told him, clapping lightly. "I've had to flat out tell everyone else – but not many people know my favorite flower's morning glory, or remember it. You should be proud."
Gin was showing all of his teeth with the grin he was wearing now. She laughed and he laughed with her.
Sakura mulled over what she knew about Gin and his personality so far and she asked, "Were you born in late August or sometime in September?"
"September…why?"
She didn't reply, just kinda stared at him, thinking…normally she was good at figuring out birthdays. He acted like a Virgo and he told her that he was born in September, now she just had to figure out what day. She had a hunch and guessed, "September 10th?"
Now he looked surprised. "Hai…how'd ya guess?"
"Had a feeling, that's all," she shrugged.
"An' figuring out the month?"
"I know my sun signs. You act like a Virgo."
A smug smirk played across his lips, "Ya a Virgo too – ain't ya?"
"That was fast, and yes – I'm a September baby too. Wanna guess what day?" she teased.
"Seventh?"
"Nope, close though – fifth."
Grinning, she wrote this new information on her paper and he wrote it on his.
He turned to her and asked, "What's ya favorite genre of music?"
"Don't really have a favorite, but I guess I have a tendency to lean toward pop, rock, or alternative. Not big on rap, but there are a few rappers I like. Depends on my mood really…" Sakura shrugged. "What about you?"
"I don't have one either, and I ain't got a tendency either. I don't listen ta music that much…" It was his turn to shrug. Before Sakura could comment, the bell rang.
Sighing, she put her pencil in her bag, packed up her books and put the paper in her folder when they were told to keep them for tomorrow.
As they walked out of the classroom, Sakura turned to Gin and said, "It was nice meeting you Gin. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."
"Hai, it was nice meeting you too Sakura, I'll see you tomorrow," he said and waved as he walked away. "Bye-bye!"
She waved back, even though he couldn't see her. Grinning, she left for her next class with a bounce in her step. There was something about Ichimaru Gin that amused her, and he put her in a good mood. Kyōraku Sakura had a feeling that she was going to enjoy BioChem this year…
