"Fuck this place! It never rained like this before!"

A pale figure with a white kimono ran between buildings to search for a shelter from this heavy rain. The clouds were so dark and the sun was nowhere to be seen. His yellow orbs scanned his left and right but still found nothing that suited as his shelter because not all of these buildings had a door on it. His kimono and his hair were already soaked off with rain, and he had to wipe the rain away from his eyes to clearly see the road ahead of him.

"Right here."

He turned his head to the left side to see a tall man with all-black attire and sunglasses waving at him from under the building with a door. He smirked and then muttered 'finally' quietly. He sped up to reach it and then came into the building with that tall man.

"The fuck is happening? This rain is so fucking heavy!" he found a place to sit down and then started to remove his white kimono from him while grumbling something.

"He is… in a deep anguish right now…" The tall man sat down too and then tried to make a camp fire with a little reiatsu blast. He had a genuine worry painted on his face.

"Khe… Never knew that he's such a big baby." he smirked again and then stroked his all-wet spiky hair up. "I thought he's a tough guy. Or is it just an act?"

"It's not that… This matter is entirely different." The tall man finally succeeded to create a fire and then tried to warm his body with it. Outside the rain was still falling heavy and only God knows when it would stop.

"Yea? You mean that shorty girl that has turned him down?" he approached the fire and then felt a soothing warm was starting to crawl on his nerves. He heaved a relief sigh and then smirked again. "Why didn't he just grab her like he did back then?"

"That's because he's under your control back then. And it was also you behind his attempt to kill his friend." He shot a glare at the pale figure in the front of him. The dancing fire was flickering on his sunglasses.

"Hey! I'm just helping him, that's all." He quirked an eyebrow and his smirk went wider. "Anyway, let's hope he'd find a way out from whatever the problem he has. I don't want to spend the rest of my lifetime in this cursed place like this!"

"Yeah… I wish he find it soon, assuming you won't get in his way again." he shot one last dagger glare at him before stared at the black sky above.

"We'll see about that…" he stared at the sky too, with a quiet snicker escaped from his pale lips.

*****

"Kurosaki! Oi, Kurosaki!"

Ichigo gasped and then lifted his face to see Ishida was grabbing his shoulder and shook it lightly. Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro were standing beside him with worry on their face. Ichigo shrugged Ishida's hands lightly and then stood up.

"Uhm… Sorry. What is it, Ishida?" he scratched the back of his hair sheepishly.

Ishida heaved a heavy sigh and then pushed his glasses up from his nose with his fingers.

"Kurosaki… You've been spacing out again… The break's already over, we have to get to the class now."

"Oh yeah… Right." Ichigo was a little flabbergasted there. He didn't know how long he had been spacing out. All that he could remember was, they're taking their break at the rooftop as usual and then he sat down. After that, his mind didn't stay focus any longer at his lunch. Instead, it traveled back to the event last night when a certain raven-haired girl shot a disgust glare at him and said those 3 words. Three words that made his heart ached very badly. The moment she said it he felt like a thunder was called upon from heavens, striking through his heart.

"Let's go guys…" Ichigo then turned his back and then walked toward the door. Keigo and Mizuiro were following him, but Ishida and Chad stayed still for a brief moment. Ishida gave Chad a side glance and then nodded. Chad, understanding what he's saying even without a word, nodded too before he started to walk following him.

*****

'I hate you'

Damn those words! Why is it bugging me like these! I can't get those words out of my head!

'I hate you!'

Did she really mean that when she said that? God please, tell me that it's not true! I lo— I like her! I can't stand to live with her hating me!

'I hate you!!'

Urgh… My chest… What is this pressuring sensation…? It's heavy… My heart…

"Kurosaki, this is the 7th time you're zoning out this day."

Ichigo jumped a little when he heard that voice beside him. He abruptly turned his head to find Ishida and Chad were walking beside him. He frowned and then turned his head away from them again.

"What are you doing, Ishida, Chad? This isn't your way home! This is my way home!"

"Yeah, we know that. That's why we're going this way." Ishida fixed his glasses position and then walked again nonchalantly. Chad just nodded after giving Ichigo a side glance. Ichigo's frown was getting deeper and then he turned his head to them once again.

"What do you mean? You guys are going to my house?"

"Exactly, Kurosaki."

"Wait, wait!"

Ichigo stopped abruptly and then stood in the front of them, hands on hips and scowl on his face. "What are—"

"Ichigo, we already know that you have a problem." Chad said it flatly. Ichigo's scowl was deepened and then he turned his back again. "Like hell I have! I—"

"Yeah, yeah… You can say that, Kurosaki. We're going to your house, like it or not." Ishida walked ahead of him and then Chad followed him, ignoring him completely. Ichigo was still flabbergasted there, his eyebrow twitched and his mouth gaped. He was about to throw them a tantrum but he decided to save it. He didn't want to admit it, but he really did need someone to talk about his problem. Inoue and Tatsuki were just impossible because they're girls. Inoue would hate him for doing such thing to Rukia and Tatsuki would surely put a nice kick to his chin. He was planning to talk with Renji, but that was more than impossible now. His father would be just talking nonsense and his sisters were too young. So yeah, that left Ishida and Chad. Guess talking to them isn't a bad idea at all, he thought. After heaving a sigh, he walked again while scratching the back of his hair.

*****

Rukia heaved a sigh while staring at the crimson sky above from Renji's room in Urahara's shop. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to relax from all of the problems that she had.

'I hate him, right? But why does the other side of me don't want to hate him? Strange enough, it told me to forgive him! I… I want to hate him completely but I can't… I just can't…'

She gave her temple a light massage because this entire Ichigo problem was starting to give her a migraine. Her eyelids were opened again and then the wide violet orbs shot a blank stare at the setting sun that slowly sunk away to the bottom horizontal edge of the sky.

A gentle breeze flew through the window pane ghosting her face and stroking her hair gently. She liked the way the breeze comforting her when it touched and stroked her, the cool sensation made her relaxed and relieved. Somehow, she wished that the breeze could bring her hassle away, out from his mind. And also carried this strange feeling on her chest everytime she thought about him; the feeling of discomfort and guilt when she said those words to him. She closed her eyes for the second time, remembering the past even last night.

'I hate you.'

Right after those words were echoing again on her head, that strange feeling was surfacing again on her heart. She couldn't describe it, but somehow she knew that it was a guilty feeling. Her eyebrows were knitted together and then she shook her head lightly.

'I do hate him! He was sexually harassing me! Stop feeling guilty about that, Rukia! He deserves it!'

Rukia felt the temperature was decreasing significantly when a white, beautiful lady appeared in the middle of her black and blank subconscious mind. She wore a pure white kimono with a long white sleeve. Her hair and lips were light-violet, while her eyes was deep violet like Rukia had. She smiled gently and warmly before she began to talk to her.

'Rukia, you don't hate him… You love him, don't you?'

Rukia gasped and her violet eyes were slightly widened. That was the exact word that she never wanted to use for expressing her feeling toward Ichigo. She was just too modest (or was it shy?) to admit it.

'I… I don't love him! Stop talking nonsense, Sode No Shirayuki!'

'Rukia… Stop denying your own feeling… You would feel much better if you admitted it…' Shirayuki frowned and then folded her hand on her chest.

'I… O-Okay! I used to l-love him, but that was before he did that to me!' she found it futile to lie to her, as she was always the one who knew her the best. After all Shirayuki was also a part from her mind and soul.

'Did it really change? Your love to him?' she quirked an eyebrow and had a sly smile on her beautiful face.

'No. I-I-I mean yes! O-Of course it—' Rukia gasped and then stuttered a bit after she let those words slipped off her tongue. Damn her! Rukia had to suppress her curse in the front of Shirayuki; she was older than her after all. Her mind was struggling hard to deny this feeling, but Shirayuki just knew how to push her button.

'See? You're denying yourself. And that's not good, Rukia my dear…'a soft chuckle escaped from her lips.

'W-Well, maybe not totally, but it did change!' she blushed hard and Shirayuki was just smiling. Then she approached Rukia and bent down a little to stroke her silky raven hair.

'Rukia, listen to me. Don't do the things your flesh wants to do, but do the things your heart wants to do.' Shirayuki put her palm on her chest to emphasize her words and then she smiled warmly at her.

'…' Rukia didn't say anything; she looked down and averted her eyes to the side. She had to admit that her Zanpakuto had a point there. Her mind was screaming to hate him and never meet him again, but her heart believed that the event last night wasn't entirely his fault and pleading her to give him a chance.

'I'll leave you for now… You can call me again if you need someone to talk…" then Shirayuki disappeared from her sight and everything went back to black again.

"R-Rukia…?"

A voice from her back snapped her out from her subconscious state. She abruptly opened her eyes and then turned around. Her eyes slightly widened and then she heaved a quiet relieved sigh when she saw the lying person in the middle of the room had opened his eyes. It was weak, but at least he had regained his consciousness.

"So, you've wake up. Good to know you haven't dead yet." Rukia said it coldly and viciously; she was still mad at him for being reckless and almost ended up losing his life last night.

"Y-Yeah, more or less…" Renji tried to sat up but failed miserably when his hand couldn't frame his figure and he fell back again to the futon. He groaned a little, feeling a sudden bolt of pain striking his nerves on his right hand when he tried to get up. He lifted it and took a peek at the bandage that wrapped his hand. Oh yeah, it was severely wounded… Renji's eyes shifted from his hand to give the petite figure beside him a side glance. He could sense her anger on her tone and he knew that Rukia must be mad at him for breaking his own promise to her.

"Err… Rukia?" Renji turned his head aside to see Rukia had turned her back again at him and stared at the marching cloud up there. Rukia didn't answer him; instead she just gave him a side glare.

"Rukia, I'm sorry about yesterday… I know—"

"What do you know?! You know nothing!" she abruptly turned to face him with a deep scowl on her face. Renji blinked a couple times before he spoke again.

"Rukia, please understand my feeling, I—"

"Yeah? What feeling? The protective one? Or what? For God sake, Renji! I could take care of my own problems, I'm not that weak!" she shouted at him with a high pinch tone and Renji had to gulp down before he opened his mouth again to speak.

"That's not it! I—"

"Then what, huh?! You almost ended up losing your life in the hand of that bastard! What were you thinking, Renji! You almost died because of my problems! Hell, have you ever been thinking at all?!"

"I don't care!!! I don't give a shit about my life if it means—" Renji was starting to lose his short temper. Why did she have to be harsh and throwing a tantrum at me like that?! Can't she just understand that I care for her?! That I love—

"What?! You want to say that you're willing to die for my sake?!" Rukia stood up and shot a dagger glare at him. Her face was flushed in anger and her breath was becoming uneven as she tried her best not to lose control and smack him.

"YES, I AM! SO WHAT?!" Renji screamed from the top of his lungs. He ignored the pain that he felt when he abruptly got up and then shot a dagger glare at her.

"So what, you said? SO WHAT? Are you crazy or what?! Your life is worth more than that, dumbass! You don't have—"

"Because I love you, Rukia! Goddamn it, I really love you!"

Rukia was taken aback with that, her eyes were widened and her mouth was widely ajar. Whatever the words or curses that she intended to say, all was stopped by that last statement. He loves… me? As in, romantic? She felt a sudden uneasiness on her chest the moment she heard those words came out from his lips. It's not ached or what, it's just a kind of strange feeling that she never had before. Meanwhile for Renji, he had to curse himself for letting those words slipped off from his tongue. But what done is done, and he had to face the consequence, whatever it might be.

"What… What did you say? You… You lo—" Rukia finally managed to close her jaw after a brief moment of shock and then reopened it again to speak. But Renji cut her words abruptly.

"Yes, I love you, Rukia. Long since before we even had entered the shinigami academy." Then Renji turned his back at her and walked toward the door, leaving the little Kuchiki flabbergasted there. He squeezed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. His heart was pounding loud, this was obviously not a situation for confession that he ever thought of.

"Now you know why I'll do anything for you. Because you're worth more than just a friend to me, Rukia." He said it before he rolled aside the door and then walked out from that room. He didn't give a care to look at her; he knew she would hate him now that she had known the truth. But that was the consequence that he had to face, a one-sided love story was never ended happy anyway.

Rukia was still standing there, in the middle of that room. She could still barely believe what she just had heard. He…? No! That's… That's impossible… She put her palm on her temple and massaged it lightly while heading out to the door and then rolled it aside. She expected to see Renji outside and then talked about all of this over, bus he was nowhere to be found. She heaved a sigh and then headed to her own room, she needed to lay down her head; her migraine was starting to give her away. First Ichigo, now Renji. Who's next? Byakuya-nii-sama? What the hell is happening in this world?! She strolled to her room and then shut the door behind her tight before she laid down to the futon below. She stared at the blank ceiling for a brief moment above her before closing her wide eyes. Not long after, the sleepiness had taken her over and carried her to the slumber state.

*****

"Wow really, Kurosaki?"

Ishida was the type of a person who wouldn't easily get surprised of something. No matter how tough the circumstance he was getting in, he'd always think outside the box and he would get the solution soon with a cool manner. So when his usually-narrowed eyes were getting widen and his jaw dropped down, whatever the circumstance that he was in right now was so exceedingly extraordinary.

"Yeah… Oh c'mon Ishida! You don't have to put a stupid face like that!" Ichigo scowled at him.

"Well… "Ishida tried to regain his composure again from his shocked state and then he lifted his glasses from his nose with his middle and index fingers.

"Then what Kuchiki-san said to you?" Chad finally opened his mouth after listening to Ichigo's whole story about the 'little' incident with Rukia. He was shocked too, but unlike Ishida he only arched his eyebrow a little and then nodded. Ichigo shrugged and scratched the back of his hair.

"She… She said to never meet her again… Damn… Guess she hates me now…" Ichigo made a distressed look on his face. Ishida and Chad exchanged look for a brief moment and then Ishida cleared his throat.

"Kurosaki… Was it really you back then?"

"Huh…? What do you mean?" Ichigo lifted his face again and then quirked his eyebrow in confuse.

"I mean, were you fully conscious when you did that?" Ishida took one sip of the tea that Ichigo had served it for him and Chad.

"Oh… Well… Now that I think about it, it's just like having one of my wildest dreams. I… I know that her soft skin on my hand was too real for a dream; but my mind kept telling me to go on and do everything that I want. That's why I didn't stop and didn't afraid to hurt her, because I thought that it was just a dream. So yeah, that's the result." Ichigo lifted his hand and then stared at the palm that he used to ghost all over her bare skin last night. It was just… too real. Yeah, right, Ichigo… That was real!

"Hmm… So to put it simple, you weren't really aware that you're harassing her?" Ishida put down his cup.

"Yeah… I guess…" Ichigo clenched his fist and then putted it down again.

"And now you want to say sorry to her?" Ishida was starting to catch something behind all of these pieces that were starting to form out something that could explain Ichigo's strange attitude lately.

"Yes…"

"Then have you tried?"

"I… Yes, twice. But she said that she… she… she'd never forgive me and she hated me…" Ichigo dropped his head low and gritted his teeth; it was still hurting his heart like hell every time he remembered her saying that line.

"Oh… That's understandable after what you had done to her." Ishida closed his eyes and then folded his hands on his chest. This was getting clearer, and he'd just need one final prove to manifest his theory.

"Yeah… But… But I don't want to lose her again! I would do anything to make her forgive me! I would do anything to make her stay by my side forever!" Ichigo clenched his fist and he was so determined to get her back. Ishida opened his eyes again and then smirking. Ichigo didn't realize he had slipped off that final words from his tongue but unfortunately, Ishida noticed that. Finally, he had unlocked the last missing piece of his puzzle.

"So, Kurosaki… You're… You're in love with Kuchiki-san, correct?"

"Yeah… NO! WAIT! I MEAN, HELL NO!" Ichigo scowled at Ishida but he failed to mask his flushing cheeks. He was like a little kid trying to hide his lovey-dovey problems from his friends. Ishida just snickered at him that added much to Ichigo's annoyance.

"What the hell's so damn funny, Ishida?!"

"Ichigo, you don't need to hide that feeling. It's not an embarrassing thing to fall in love." Chad spoke and it was actually surprising for both Ichigo and Ishida as Chad was exceedingly rare to say something like that.

"Yeah, Kurosaki. Just like Sado-kun said, it's not something to hide of." Ishida smirked at him and then arched his eyebrow cockily.

"I'm not hiding anything!" Ichigo said it with rage and fury; he was extremely felt offended with his statement. Stubborn Ichigo he still didn't want to admit his own feeling. Ishida laughed so hard and Chad finally let out a silent laugh which earned more of red tint on Ichigo's cheeks.

"I SAID WHAT THE HELL IS SO DAMN FUNNY!" Ichigo shouted at both of them. Ishida finally regained his composure from his laughter and pushed his glasses up with his usual manner and then looked at him again, this time with a serious expression on his eyes.

"It is you, Kurosaki. You're so funny that I and Sado-kun couldn't help it but laughed. Kurosaki, we're already 17 here and it's not the time to hide your own feeling like that anymore. Geez, you're still acting like a 13 years old teenager who just got his first crush." Ishida narrowing his eyes slightly and Ichigo was taken aback with his words.

"I… Well… I… I don't love her. I mean, I don't love her in a romantic way. As a friend, yes. But not more than that." Ichigo was very close to admit his true feeling. But then again his stubbornness had blocked his tongue from saying so. Ishida and Chad didn't say anything. Instead, they were narrowing their eyes and then staring at him with such intensity. "Wh-What? I told you the truth!"

They still didn't say anything and Ichigo was well aware that they're pretty pissed with his stubbornness. Realizing that it would be pointless to argue about it all over again, he heaved a defeated sigh and then scratched the back of his bright natural-orange hair.

"Okay guys, you've won… I admit that… I've been falling for her." After he said that, the strong pressure that he had been feeling on his chest since Ishida cornered him finally lifted up and gone for a certain reason that he didn't know. He was suffocating and could barely breathe because of that pressure. But now when it had been lifted up he felt much better, and somehow felt relieved. Strange enough, even for himself, he didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed. Usually he would feel that way and the heat would creep to his face that made it flushed. But not this time, he was just simply feeling relieved… Maybe that's because he said it from the deepest of his heart he didn't know. Ishida smirked and Chad only gave him a nod while mumbling 'finally' under his breath.

"That's much better, Kurosaki. But, I'm still not satisfied enough." Ichigo's orange-haired eyebrow arched up in anticipation. "What the hell does that mean, Ishida?"

"You haven't answered my question yet. Do you love her?" Ishida's grin went wider and his eyes were narrowing in amusement. It was an exceedingly rare event for Ichigo to fall in love and he'd more than happy to make fun of it. Meanwhile for Ichigo he had a confused look on his face. "What the hell, Ishida? Haven't I told you that I—"

"I didn't ask you whether you've been falling for her or not. I asked you whether you love him or not, Kurosaki. So, do you love her or not?" Ichigo had to suppress his loudest shout that he would have released as it would make a quite ruckus to his neighborhood and especially, his own father. He had been avoiding using that word to express his feeling toward Rukia. It was love, yes. But he was just feeling awkward to say that word. Love.

"Yes, I do."

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You do what?"

"I l-lo-lo… Ugh… I l-l-love her. Satisfied?!"

"Whom?"

"Huh?"

"Whom do you love?"

Ichigo groaned in exasperation, this was starting to get to his nerves. Why did he have to be this annoying, that 4-eyed pervert! Ichigo knew that nickname after Renji told him the event with Mayuri and Nemu at Hueco Mundo back then. But Ichigo had to suppress his urge to call him that, as the last time he had actually done that Ishida rained him down with his countless arrows. Ichigo turned his gaze to Chad to search some help but he was just simply smiling. Damn those two!

"Rukia, of course! Who else?!"

"Then say it already."

"Huh?"

"Say it, 'I love Rukia', it isn't that hard. Or is it actually too hard for our mighty shinigami that knows nothing of the word 'fear'?" Ishida's smirk had completely gone to a sly grin on his face; he was enjoying this moment for a little bit too much. Ichigo gritted his teeth and then narrowing his eyes in anger. Oh how he wanted to smack his face right here, right now. And as a man as he was, he wouldn't accept any insult regarding his bravery.

"I l-love R-Rukia." He stuttered a bit and Ishida still hadn't satisfied yet with that.

"You're stuttering, Kurosaki… It's fine if you—"

"I love Rukia! I love you, Rukia! Oh goddamn it I really love her so much!"

He screamed from the top of his lungs and it was loud enough that he was pretty sure that his sisters and his father could hear him from the first floor. Oh how his father would make fun of him with his endless shit for saying those words. And what about his class-mates heard him saying that line?! And Ishida was more than guilty if that was actually happening later. But that supposedly-guilty person was just smirking and pushing his glasses slightly up, as if nothing had just happened. Ichigo was panting and then clearing his throat.

"There, you said it. It's not that hard, now is it?"

"Screw you, Ishida!" Ichigo slumped back again to his chair and then took a brief moment to gulp a big fresh air into his lungs.

"Now that you have finally admitted that, we can move on to the next phase."

"Hold on a second, what phase?" Ichigo was narrowing his eyes in suspicion and anticipation. Ishida heaved a frustrated sigh and then gave Chad a side glance. Chad just nodded and then he spoke to the strawberry in the front of him.

"We will help you getting her back, Ichigo."

"Wait, what?" Ichigo stood up from his chair and then scowled at them. "I can take care of my own problem! I don't need—"

"We will help you, Kurosaki, end of discussion. Trust me, three persons was much better than one."

"But—"

"Ichigo, just trust us."

Ichigo heaved a defeated sigh. Again, his friends had won that day for the second time. He indeed needed help for his trouble, but he's just too modest and dignified to ask them. He didn't want to say it, but he admitted that he was very lucky to have friends like them.

"Okay, if you're really sure that you two can actually help me to solve this weird problem…" Ishida smiled and Chad just heaved a relieved sigh.

"Okay, Kurosaki, firstly…" then they had an all night long discussing their strategy of how to get Ichigo forgiven by Rukia. They had actually finished after 3 hours of tiring and somehow amusing discussion. Ishida and Chad then went home and Ichigo slumped back to his bed and put his hands below his head.

'Hope this all would work…' Ichigo said it on his mind before he drifted over to the slumber state

*****

On their way home

Ishida was flipping his phone open and then snickering to himself. Chad quirked his eyebrow slightly, feeling confused of Ishida's sudden cheery mood.

"Ishida, why are you snickering like that? Is there something funny?"

"Yes, Sado-kun. Actually there is something really funny." He snickered again and Chad was getting more confused with his sudden strange behavior.

"Ishida, what's so funny?"

"Here, listen." Ishida pushed something on his cell phone and then handed it over to Chad. Chad didn't say anything and then put it on his ear. His eyes widened in surprise but somehow amused when he heard the sound from the speaker.

"I love Rukia! I love you, Rukia! Oh goddamn it I really love her so much!"

"Ishida… You… You're recording it? For what?" Chad handed it to Ishida again. Ishida smirked while putting his phone back to his pocket.

"Well, Sado-kun… This is my trump card. He won't brave to do anything stupid to me now that I've his most embarrassing moment." Ishida lifted his glasses up with a victory expression painted all over his face in a form of a wide smirk on his lips. Chad was startled, he could barely understand the way of his cunning and genius thought.

"You're the worst, Ishida…"

"Hey, he's a shinigami after all. Kurosaki Ichigo is my friend, but shinigami is still my enemy."

Chad heaved a deep sigh before walking again toward his house. Ishida smirked for the last time and then he started to move forward again.

"By the way, Ishida…"

"Hmm?"

"Can you copy it to me?"

"… You're the worst, Sado-kun…"

*****

There the 3rd chapter. Sorry for the long time to update and also for a non-IchiRuki moment. I've promised that, but I felt that I must firstly adjust their feeling toward each other. 4th chapter maybe will come soon, and this time it will have much IchiRuki moments on it. Sorry, once again! Please read and review again!