Disclaimer: Maybe everyone ought to know by now that Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. And only to him. But I own a bracelet like the one Uryuu Ishida has! (The cross-thingy) xD And I saw this shirt that says, "If this body is lifeless, RELAX! I'm just out fighting Hollows." So cool. I'd kill for a shirt like that. Anyway..


NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE PAPER CRANES

"A thousand paper cranes will make your wish come true. But actually it's time that heals you."

THREE

"Damn," she muttered, as she lowered her hand with the paper crane and her other rose to massage her now aching head. There were still nine hundred and ninety of those cryptic paper cranes.

Kuchiki Rukia had convinced herself that there was some kind of mistake. There was just no way that she stopped making the paper cranes just when she was so close to making her wish. Even if she can't remember what was her wish in the first place. She was itching to test if the supposed magic was true, and yet she just couldn't remember how to make paper cranes. That's why she's still stuck with nine hundred and ninety nine of them.

She was just one paper crane short. Why the hell can't she remember?


After that last encounter with Kurosaki Ichigo, Rukia found herself struggling to forget the look on his face when she said he was unimportant. She felt like a child being scolded for something she did not do. Guilt washed over her every time she remembered how sad his eyes looked before she walked away.

And so to forget, she volunteered to help the Student Council for the School Festival. Rukia thought it would be nice to make their last festival successful, and Momo, who was the Student Council secretary looked as though they needed the help anyway.

"Ru-chan, you're really heaven sent," said Momo as they searched for seats in their first meeting in the Student Council Headquarters. They found their place beside the other volunteers. "You came just at the right moment."

"It's nothing," said Rukia. "I have tons of free time, so I might as well do something worthwhile."

"But your help is really valuable to the Student Council. With the School Festival, field trip, elections and graduation coming up, we admit we need a few more hands," said Momo as she took out her notebook and pen.

Rukia only smiled at Momo's honesty. She liked it.

"Oi, SHUT UP!"

The whole room instantly turned quiet and all eyes turned to the vice president, Shiba Kaien, who was sitting behind the teacher's desk in front. He stood up when he saw that they were finally paying him some attention. He smirked. "Heh, that was easy."

"And so's this." A roll of newspaper produced a loud smack as it made contact with Kaien's head. "I told you to keep things in control, not scare the wits out of them," said Ishida Uryuu, the president. Rukia was one of the few who grinned at the sight of Shiba massaging his head; it seemed comical beside Ishida's serious expression.

"Didn't you just see how I made them pipe down?" demanded Shiba, easily towering over Ishida, who didn't seem to cringe even a bit.

"I saw you shouting at them like they're a bunch of first graders," answered Ishida, rearranging his glasses. Before Kaien could retort, Ishida changed the subject. "Hinamori, please record the minutes of this meeting."

"Yes, sir!" Momo excused herself to Rukia and left her seat beside her for one that was near the desk. And so Shiba Kaien occupied the chair beside Rukia.

"Alright, first things first.."


"You know, I could carry those books for you," said Kaien to Rukia as they made their way to the library. Rukia's first task for the Student Council was to return the blasted heavy science books to the shelves, where they belonged, although she had no idea how that task was connected to the School Festival.

"Thanks, but I can manage," said Rukia. She was sorely tempted to be relieved of the heavy burden, but she was determined to complete her first task. She thought Kaien was sweet and all, but Rukia had the feeling that it wasn't right to fancy anybody at the moment, though she couldn't quite remember where she got that idea.

"Ah, how could Ishida order you to do this?" sighed Kaien. "There were tons of other volunteers."

"Thank you for your concern, Shiba-kun but--"

"Shiba-senpai!"

They both turned and saw a freshman gasping for breath. "Ishida-senpai wants you back in the Student Council Headquarters." He panted so much that Rukia thought he was having an asthma attack.

"That guy, ordering people around like everyone's his minions," said Kaien, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Did he say something else?"

"He told me to tell you to practice your flirting skills somewhere else." At that, the boy blushed, and so did Rukia. Without another word, he ran away.

"I think it would better not to let the president wait," said Rukia, after a few moments of stunned silence.

Kaien was scratching the back of his head, and Rukia found herself wondering why that gesture was so familiar. It was like a scene from an old movie that she just couldn't remember the title. "Will you be alright if you carry those to the library alone?" he asked.

Rukia grinned. "What, you think I'd be ambushed right inside the school building? Just go, Kaien."

"Yeah, I'll see you around." Kaien ruffled her hair gently before he left.

She watched him disappear first before continuing on her way. Rukia paused before the stairs. Somehow she felt as though descending those steps with arms heavily laden with book wasn't a good idea. And unless the school would suddenly sprout elevators she wouldn't go that way. And who ever saw an elevator in a public high school? So she proceeded.

And it was a mistake.

One moment she was whistling a tune, and then she missed a tiny step, and then there was a flash of different colors and then she saw a streak of orange before she instinctively closed her eyes. She heard the crash of the books onto the floor, but her fall didn't come. Instead, she was held to place by a very warm vise-like grip. And when she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into very beautiful and deep amber pools.

"Kurosaki--?"

His face suddenly became a slide show of emotions: shock, and then confusion, and embarrassment, then back to confusion.

"You can let go of me now," said Rukia in almost a whisper.

And let go of her he did. And he scratched the back of his head, very much like Kaien, except that Rukia found Ichigo much more appealing. Maybe it's because his mop of orange hair is much more interesting..?

"You should watch where you're going," said Kurosaki.

"I did, but I couldn't see properly," said Rukia defiantly, dusting off her clothes. "It's not entirely my fault."

"But you're still to blame," said Kurosaki, and he began picking up the fallen books. Rukia had no choice but to help him. "Where were you heading, anyway?" he asked.

"The library."

"I'll help you," said Kurosaki, straightening up with more than half of the books, which left Rukia with a lighter burden.

"I can do this on my own," said Rukia. She tried to reach for the other books, but Kurosaki raised them well above her range. He smirked. "Tch, troublesome midget."

Rukia frowned. "Meddlesome idiot," she retorted, as she followed the orange-head who was already halfway down the stairs. But then she stopped. "What did you call me?"

Kurosaki raised a brow. And braced himself for an attack. But it didn't come.

"You called me a midget," said Rukia quietly, but it sounded as though she was talking to herself. "And without thinking, I called you an idiot."

It was a bit too much for the Strawberry to comprehend. "Yes, I called you a midget, and you branded me with idiot. So?"

"It felt like an instinct, an impulse," said Rukia, and their eyes met. For a while, she was lost in his eyes. "Almost like a reflex action."

"Well, duh, when someone insults you, you're inclined to get back at him right?" asked Kurosaki. A faint hope was starting to spark inside him. Maybe she did remember him.

"It's not like that," said Rukia. She struggled to put the feeling into words, but failed. "It's too hard to explain."

Kurosaki frowned as his hopes came crashing down. Why the hell did she forget about him? "I bet is is." And he started walking again, easily balancing the mass of books on his strong muscular arms. Rukia jogged to keep up.

They walked in silence along the quiet corridors. It was past dismissal and only a few students loittered in the hallways. When they reached the library, Rukia immediately returned the books, chatted a little with the foxy librarian Ise Nanao, and left, with Kurosaki in tow.

"How long are you going to follow me?" asked Rukia, as she made her way to the lockers to change shoes and retrieve her bag.

"Relax, Rukia," said Ichigo. "I was about to go home anyway. And my locker just happened to be next to yours."

The locker rooms were as silent as the corridors. The two both wanted to say something to ease the tension, but couldn't quite figure what to say. Rukia's head was now a pool of confused and disorganized thoughts.

I avoided him for a week, for this? Where did the get-busy-to-forget idea go? Heck, I'm alone in the locker rooms with him and I don't know why my heart is beating rather faster than normal. She wondered why it didn't happen when she was with Kaien. Or anybody else. It was maddening to think that he was part of her previous life, and an important part at that, but she just couldn't remember him now. She had classified him as unimportant, now worth remembering, but she worried herself with the memory of his eyes, and his familiarity in general.

"Ichigo," she found herself calling out.

He looked up. "What?"

"Before my accident, who were you to me?" asked Rukia.

Shocked crossed his face for the second time in one afternoon. But he thought for a while, and came up with nothing. He wasn't exactly a friend before the accident, and he regretted that fact deeply. "We're fair acquaintances," said Ichigo. Half of him was sad that Rukia had forgotten him, and yet the other half was feeling a bit hopeful. Maybe we could turn over a new leaf.

"Really," said Rukia, not quite believing. If he was just a fair acquaintance, why would he have such an impact on her? Was he my boyfriend? Rukia asked herself. He didn't seem to be the in-a-relationship type.

"Why do you think I forgot about you?" asked Rukia. Without actually knowing it, they were now walking home together.

Ichigo shook his head. "I dunno, maybe because you hated me so much."

"I don't hate you," said Rukia, and it was true. She just didn't want to be around him because he made her feel different things that were, well, different. Foreign. He was warm, and comforting and she felt rather safe with him, but it was different all the same.

"Maybe now you don't. But maybe you did."

Rukia thought, and thought, and thought some more, before she answered, "I may not know why I forgot about you, but I'm quite sure I couldn't have hated you." It's embarrassing to admit, but, yes, that's what I think.

Ichigo smirked. "Is that so?" he teased. Rukia stepped on his foot to relieve herself of the embarrassment. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

"That's because you're such a conceited idiot," said Rukia through gritted teeth. And as much as I would hate myself later, I'm beginning to like you. But she didn't tell him that, of course.

They reached Rukia's house, and they both breathed in a sigh of relief when they realized Byakuya's car still wasn't in the garage. And so was Renji's new convertible. Somehow it felt like a cliché scene in a chick flick; the part where the girl sneaks back into the house after her date with her boyfriend.

"So," said Ichigo. "Well, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," said Rukia as she opened the gate. "And Ichigo?" she called as he walked away. He turned back. "Thanks." She gave him a smile. And he smiled back.

"You're welcome midget." Always.

There were a lot of things that puzzled her all week long, and their exchange of smiles was among those things. Everything, everyone, was confusing. And yet, somehow, his smile made her feel a lot better.


A/N: Hmm, I figured they were all too harsh on Ichigo in the previous chapter, so I hope this should make up for it :) I don't know how to write a chapter about a school festival, so I'm procrastinating. PM me if you have any suggestions, 'kay? And another thing, if they were a bit OOC in this chapter, please inform me. I'd like to improve. I'm actually trying to write longer chapters, but something keeps blocking my thoughts. That's my only defense, and I'm sorry if it's not much of an excuse.

Anyway..

QUOTE FOR THIS CHAPTER:

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day." -- Quote from PS I Love You.

Pretty please press that button below. Gracias :)