Chapter Four:
Getting to Know You (Again)
Trying to go to sleep proved difficult, to say the least. Though how was I supposed to sleep at all after hearing Nii-sama utter those words?
"Hm…strange, I thought I sensed a strong reiatsu in here. Could it be…?"
Reiatsu? How does he know what that is? And how could he sense it? He couldn't possibly be a Shinigami…could he?
I shook my head. No, of course not. Nii-sama is human. How else would the servants be able to interact with him? …But that still doesn't explain how he knows about all this. I can't ask him directly, though, or he'd be suspicious. Perhaps I can ask him what he was doing in my room instead? I suppose that seems like an innocent enough question.
Waves of pain rolled up my arm as I tried to move again and I grimaced. It hurts still…I thought, clenching my hands into fists, a poor attempt to relieve the pain.
I stared at the fresh bandages peeking through the sleeves of my pajamas and let out a small sigh.
I didn't thank him, did I? A smile found its way through. Hmph, everything was happening so fast, I suppose I didn't have the chance. Still….
I shut my eyes and sighed once more. I'll thank him tomorrow.
I settled back down and carefully folded my hands on my stomach.
Everything will be settled tomorrow.
"Nii-sama," I said just as he finished his breakfast.
He did not look at me, but he did not move from his seat either. Well, it was a start.
"May I ask you why you came into my room last night?" I kept my voice even. Innocent.
He did not move, and, from the looks of it, he did not seem to be breathing either.
After a few minutes, he looked over at me. I tried not to cave under his gaze, instead daring to look him in the eye.
"Sawaguchi-san told me you had not returned home. I went to see if that was true. It appears he was…incorrect."
So Kurosaki didn't go through the front door….
I stared at my breakfast. "Perhaps he missed me," I said. The both of us knew that was a complete lie. Sawaguchi-san, the head butler, always waited for me at the front gates to make sure I returned home safely.
His skepticism permeated throughout the entire room. I continued to eat breakfast as if I were innocent, but I could not look up at him either. This was the first time I had ever lied to him, and I was sure he could sense it, too. But I also knew he could not figure out why and doing that would take too much time. He had to go to work, and I had school. At best, I was only delaying the inevitable interrogation.
He stood up and headed for the door without any further questions. It pained me that he was back to his usual habit of ignoring my presence, but I suppose it was better than having his doubtful eyes on me.
Once the door shut behind me, I let out a relieved sigh. Now I have to figure out something to tell him….
"U-Um!" a voice called from the stairs.
I looked up with a raised eyebrow. A young maid with blonde hair rolled up into a tight bun stood at the foot of the stairs, almost hiding behind the railing. She looked to be about my age, which seemed a shame. Someone so young should not have to work quite yet. Then again, high school was optional….
"Yes?" I asked, standing up.
She looked around us as if to make sure no one was around to hear then she said, "I-I…. C-Can I speak with you…u-upstairs?"
It seemed an odd request, but I smiled at her nonetheless, if only to make her feel more comfortable. There was no need for anyone to be intimidated by me.
"Sure. What is this about?" I asked as I followed her.
She led me back to my room and I stiffened when I saw my summer uniform draped over my desk chair. "U-Um, your uniform is…."
I stared at it for a few seconds, struggling to come up with something, and yet no excuse came to mind.
I let out a sigh and looked over at her once more. She flinched and her eyes instantly fell to the floor. "I-I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama. I-I saw blood on the floor, and I…I was just worried…. Then I saw it lead to your closet, and I…. I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry, I just—"
"No, it's fine. I suppose I had to ask someone to clean it sooner or later." I looked at my bloody uniform again and noticed a long tear in my sleeve. The Hollow's work, no doubt. I put a hand over my injury, grateful for my winter jacket hiding the bandages.
"What is your name?" I asked, looking back up at her.
"I-It's Yo-Yoshida Sakura," she replied, still refusing to look me in the eye.
I smiled and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Yoshida. I'm not going to bite. Though, I do have a favor to ask of you."
This time, she did look over at me.
"If you could somehow get my uniform cleaned without anyone else knowing, I would be grateful. And, ah, if you could sew the rip on my sleeve, too?" I asked.
She bowed her head slightly. "Yes, I could do that."
"Thank you."
Yoshida turned to pick up my uniform, then paused. "Kuchiki-sama, if I may?"
"Hm?"
"What…happened to you yesterday?"
The whole incident with the Hollow flashed in the back of my mind once more.
"…Someone tried to rob me yesterday. They pulled a knife on me when I refused to comply, and then…."
Kurosaki saved me.
"A…friend…helped me. They patched up my wound, too." I pulled back my sleeve to show her. "But, uh, I didn't want to trouble anyone about this, so…uh…my friend helped me sneak into my room."
She stared at me like I was crazy for not asking for help, so I added, "I suppose it was not the smartest move. Everyone was worried about me, regardless. Still, I really don't want anyone knowing about this. Nii-sama will go overboard with providing me protection, and I'd much rather he not go to so much trouble. I'd like to live as normally as I can."
Yoshida studied my uniform then looked back to me. "Is…Is the thief…?"
An image of Kurosaki slashing that gigantic monster in half came to mind.
"Taken care of."
She glanced at my injured arm. "I…understand your concern, Kuchiki-sama. But…I think you should see a real doctor about your arm. You lost a lot of blood."
A sudden wave of pain throbbed up my arm, making me wince. "I'll…keep that in mind."
Yoshida folded my uniform carefully so the bloodstain wouldn't show when she went downstairs to take care of it. "Have a good day at school, Kuchiki-sama." She threw me a friendly smile then turned away.
"Um, one more thing?"
She half-glanced back at me.
"Call me Rukia. At least, when it's just the two of us." I returned the smile.
She opened her mouth, as if she was going to protest, then closed it again. Her smile was the sun after rain.
"Sure thing…Rukia."
And with that, she left.
I followed her downstairs until I got to the parlor. The doorbell rang before I had a chance to sit on the couch.
"I got it!" I yelled when I saw a butler heading towards the door. He bowed to me then went back to whatever he was doing.
I opened the door, expecting it to be Renji or Inoue, but when I looked up and saw Kurosaki Ichigo casually leaning on the doorpost and staring at me, I couldn't help but stare, wide-eyed, back.
"Yo," he greeted with a salute.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but all that came out was a choked wheeze.
"Uh…good morning to you, too?" he said, frowning uncertainly.
I snapped out of my stupor enough to close the door behind me. I turned to glare at him. "What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed.
"I'm walking you to school. That is what human kids do, right? Walk with their friends to school?" he asked, tilting his head.
I stared at him incredulously. "Yeah, but we're not friends! I hardly know you!"
Kurosaki looked as if I had struck him. The pain in his eyes was both irritating and pitiful.
I sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry. It's just…all this happening…. I don't really know what to make of it."
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned around, though from the sag of his shoulders, it was obvious he was still upset. "Yeah, I get it. I mean, I didn't get the chance to explain everything to you yesterday 'cause your brother came home, so…."
I stared at his back for a few more seconds then let out a reluctant sigh. "Yeah, you didn't, you fool. Which is why you're going to explain yourself on the way to school."
I strolled past him without so much as giving him another glance. "C'mon, Kurosaki. We don't want to be late."
"O-Oh! Okay!"
He explained more about what the Shinigami were, and about the structure of the Soul Society, mainly about the Rukongai and the Seireitei. It was a lot of information to process, and I noted how he was still avoiding the question of how he knew me. I could tell it was a touchy subject, but this warranted an answer, regardless. Kurosaki probably knew that, which was why he was dragging it out for so long.
"Well, that about sums it up. Any more questions?" he finished. There was a light in his eyes that almost seemed to say, Please don't ask that question.
I stared straight ahead, clutching my bag strap tighter. "Kurosaki…."
I could see him tense out of the corner of my eye.
A roil of irritation sparked within my chest, and I struggled to push it down. "You know what I want to know. So please…." I sighed and looked up at him. "Just tell me. You said I deserved to know."
"I meant…about Hollows and Shinigami, not…." He trailed off, uncomfortable.
I wanted to yell at him, but I clenched my jaw before I could say something I could regret. His reluctance was infuriating, but screaming at him would do no good. He would only clam up more, if not flat out refuse to tell me anything.
I decided to take a different approach. "This is going to sound weird, but…yesterday morning, before we met…I dreamt about you. We were sitting on a rooftop somewhere, talking. Don't ask me where. I wouldn't know. All I do know is that we were watching the sunset and…I had gotten up to leave, but you pulled me back."
I looked down at my hand, remembering the feel of the rough calluses on his fingers. If I took his hand now, would it feel the same?
"It's strange, isn't it? I thought you were just a strange dream, but then you appear before me that very morning…." Random snippets of the dream rushed back to me at once. The brilliant color of the sunset…Kurosaki leaning forward…then—
The world began to spin and my knees buckled. Kurosaki's arm wrapped around me before I could fall to the ground.
I managed to squirm out of his grasp, and instead leaned against a cool stone wall for support. I slapped a hand to my mouth when a fresh wave of nausea hit me, and I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for it to pass. Kurosaki said something but I couldn't quite hear it. Wasted worry, no doubt.
Then, there was a tentative hand on my shoulder and I turned to look at him. His wide eyes gleamed with worry…and something else.
My voice came out breathless. "What?"
He grabbed my shoulders and leaned closer as if he were searching for something. "Rukia, is that all?" He squeezed my shoulders in a fit of desperation. "Do you remember anything else?"
"Wh-What?"
"That dream you had. Was there more? Please, Rukia. Please remember…" he begged.
I stared back at him, confused. "N-No…. Or at least, I don't think so. But…I don't know for sure. I-I'm sorry."
There was no real reason for me to apologize, but he looked so absolutely shaken that I felt that I had to.
Something in the backs of his eyes seemed to shatter. This obviously wasn't what he wanted to hear.
His tone was flat when he spoke. "No…it's okay." His hands slipped off my shoulders and hung dead at his sides. "I…I'm sorry that I…. I mean…."
He let out a long breath then turned around to stare up at the sky. "Sorry…" he mumbled again.
I reached out to him tentatively. "Kurosaki…."
Suddenly, the muscles in his back tensed and he clenched his hands into fists. A vein in his neck stuck out, like he was straining against something.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Kurosaki?"
Kurosaki stood stock still. He still seemed to be struggling, and then, the tension subsided. His shoulders drooped as if he were exhausted.
I watched him for a few more seconds before I decided to reach out to him again.
"Kurosaki—"
He swiveled on his heel, so suddenly, I stumbled backwards in surprise. There was an odd smile on his face that seemed…unnatural for him.
"Well, you're a feisty, little Queen, aren't you?" His eyes raked my body and I shivered.
I took a few cautious steps back. "Kurosaki…what are you talking about?"
For a moment, I could have sworn one of his eyes was beginning to darken, with the iris lightening to an eerie golden color.
He strolled closer. I couldn't help but back away from him. His plastered grin never faltered. "What's the matter, Queen?" he sneered.
A memory flashed in the back of my mind. "Am I that…dear to you?" Suddenly, Kurosaki changed into a familiar dark-haired boy, grinning maniacally as he lunged at me. His eyes were completely hollow with orange splatters spreading over them like blood….
I shook my head at the agonizing memory. No, this isn't like that…. That time was different. That was with….
My back hit the wall behind me, and Kurosaki slammed his arm next to me to cage me in. He leaned forward, that same arrogant smile gracing his lips. At this range, I could definitely see that one of his eyes had changed color. The other one was quickly following suit.
"You know, I haven't seen you in a long time, Queen. God, Ichigo's a fucking idiot. He's had the chance to see you all this time, but he only just got the balls to sneak into your dumb school," he growled.
"What are you talking about? You're Kurosaki Ichigo…aren't you?" I asked, feeling unsure of myself all of a sudden. This person right now…. Was he Kurosaki Ichigo?
He grinned at me as he cupped my face in a hand.
"…Am I?" he whispered as he slowly tilted forward.
A far-off voice to my left shouted, "Oiiiiii! Rukia!"
In that instant, Kurosaki disappeared into thin air, leaving me leaning breathless against the wall and wondering what the hell just happened. My face felt like it was on fire, and I scowled down at the ground.
Stupid Kurosaki…I thought, feeling humiliated. I shut my eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm down. No, I'm the stupid one for letting that happen. Why didn't I just…slap him or something?
It turned out that the person calling me was Renji. He caught up to me soon enough, and I could tell without even looking at him that he was pouting.
"Rukia, how come you didn't wait for me?" he whined. "I mean, I know I was running late, but…. Hey, are you even listening to me?"
I took another cautious deep breath then looked over at him. "Yeah, sorry. I just…have a lot on my mind right now."
He frowned at me then asked, "Really? Do you wanna talk about it?"
I threw him the most convincing smile I could muster. "Maybe some other time. I don't want to dwell on it too much."
"Yeah? Well, I'm still mad at you for leaving me behind, idiot," he teased as he lightly nudged my shoulder.
I smacked his arm. "I'd say you're the bigger idiot for being late."
"Wha—?! I am not!" he yelled in protest. The faint blush on his face made me laugh.
"Rukia! C'mon, stop laughing at me!" he whined, almost as if he were a kid again.
I smirked at him. "Okay, you big baby. I'll stop when you stop making it so easy to tease you."
"Oh, ha ha, Rukia. You're hilarious." The blush on his face became more pronounced.
"Naturally."
Kurosaki didn't show up at school. Part of me was glad that he wasn't there. At least I wouldn't have to deal with more of…whatever was going on with him this morning. Most of me, however, was disappointed. Whatever his problem was, he had distracted me enough to not ask about how he knew me. I wanted to know the answer already, whether he was willing to tell me or not.
Classes were monotonous, as usual. I slouched in my seat with relief when the lunch bell rang. Renji offered to move my desk for me after seeing my exhaustion, to which I readily agreed.
Inoue and Renji kept trying to engage me in the conversations taking place, but I didn't really want to have any part in them right now. My thoughts kept wandering back to Kurosaki. I couldn't figure out what had happened to him back there, or why it had happened in the first place.
Just then, the door opened and I glanced over to see who it might be. I straightened up instantly when I saw it was none other than the very boy I kept thinking about. He scanned the classroom, ignoring some of the astonished stares he was getting. We made eye contact and he beckoned me over to talk.
I scowled at this, but quickly replaced it with a smile for my friends. "Oh, it seems Kurosaki-san needs me for something! I better go see what it is!" I announced in a sugary voice and got up to see what he wanted.
When I got closer to him, I dropped my act and felt my scowl return. "What the hell? You can't just come to school whenever you want, you know…. I don't know how you Shinigami operate, but if you want to disguise yourself as a normal kid, you can't just ditch class then come whenever it's convenient for you…" I hissed.
He looked taken aback, but, before he could say anything about it, I asked, "Where did you go this morning?"
He looked away, his expression pained. "I—"
"Hey, what's going on here?" Renji asked from behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. The group must have sent him to see what was going on. His eyes flickered to mine for a second before going to Kurosaki.
Kurosaki glanced at him with wide eyes. "Um…nothing…. I was just—"
"Just asking me if he could sit with us for lunch," I finished for him, smiling up at Renji.
"Isn't that right, Kurosaki-san?" I asked, turning to him. I threw him a look that said, You better tell me about what happened later, fool.
He made a face at this but managed to choke out, "Y-Yeah…." He glanced at Renji again and added, "If that's okay with you?"
Renji raised an eyebrow, glancing from Kurosaki to me and back again. His grip on my shoulder tightened. "Sure…I guess…." He turned around, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked back to our group.
Kurosaki scowled. "Tch…. What's his problem?"
I shrugged. "Renji's just worried about me. I mean, I don't know if you remember yesterday, but you didn't exactly make the best impression on everyone."
"But that guy I hit yesterday was an asshole."
I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yes, I know. Oshima is one of the biggest pains at this school. Taking him out means you're strong, which people can respect, but then there's the matter of your hair—"
"What? My hair?" He brought his hand up to touch his hair. "What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing necessarily. It's just, well, people might think you colored it, which is one of the signature looks of delinquents around here. Then there's the fact that you keep walking into class whenever you want, which doesn't help your case."
He frowned at me and played with his fringe almost absentmindedly. "Not that it's any of these kids' business, but this is my natural hair color." He sniffed. "Not like I care what these guys think anyway."
I turned around to hide a smile. "Yes, well, go get your desk. You have no choice but to eat with me and my friends today."
Kurosaki moved his desk closer to our group, but the only space available was at the end, right next to my desk. Unfortunately, Ishida had positioned his desk in this space so no other desk could fit and he didn't look inclined to move.
Still, I had to ask. "Ishida," I called out, and he glanced up. He noticed Kurosaki standing behind me with his desk and set his jaw.
"I'm not going to move, if that's what you want. I'm already here." He turned to Kurosaki reluctantly. "You can eat by yourself in the corner for all I care."
I was appalled by his attitude but, before I could make some remark back at him, Inoue scolded, "Uryu! Why are you being so mean to Kurosaki-san? I mean, he's just trying to be friends with us!"
"Friends?" He spat out the word like it was garbage. I barely knew Ishida, but I never thought he could be such a jerk.
Kurosaki spoke up first. "Hey, can I talk to you?"
Ishida glared at him. "What for?"
Kurosaki snagged his collar and pulled him to his feet. "I insist," he growled, and Ishida's eyes widened.
Renji and Chad started to get up from their seats, but I was up before either of them. I put a hand on Kurosaki's arm and the two boys looked at me incredulously.
"Rukia, what—"
"Let's settle this outside, shall we?" I said, tilting my head toward the door.
Kurosaki threw Ishida one last venomous glance before shoving him back.
Ishida scowled at him but stomped to the door, grumbling to himself. I glanced at Kurosaki before following after him.
"I don't know what your deal is, Ishida, but—"
He whirled on me. "Spare me the pretty speeches, Kuchiki."
"Um, excuse—"
He stared down at me, masking his anger with his usual calm demeanor. "I've known what Kurosaki was since he appeared yesterday. And don't think I can't sense that you are somehow affiliated with him. Traces of his reiatsu are all over your arm."
I narrowed my eyes. First Nii-sama, now Ishida? "…How do you know all this?"
The door opened behind me and I glanced back. Kurosaki stepped through and shut the door before standing behind me. "Dude, why the hell are you so rude? I just wanted to sit down and eat with you and your friends, so—"
"Shut your mouth, Shinigami. Why are you really here?" Ishida spat out, clenching his hands into tight fists.
Kurosaki's eyes widened a fraction. "Sh-Shinigami?" he repeated with a lame attempt at a laugh. "What—"
Ishida whirled and peered down the hallway. "I sense a Hollow coming…."
Kurosaki stiffened just as his cell phone went off. He dug in his pocket and flipped it open, staring disbelievingly at the screen. "No, that can't be…. It's…in the school?"
As if on cue, a chilling roar drifted down the hallway. Both Kurosaki and I turned slowly. A white mask struggled to break through a black portal that sprouted in the middle of the hall. It snapped impatiently at us and roared in frustration when it figured it was too big to fit inside the hallway.
A streak of light zipped past me and struck the Hollow clear in the middle of its face. It jerked back with a howl, disappearing back into the void from which it crawled through. The portal then warped and vanished as if it had never been there in the first place.
I whirled back to Ishida, completely bewildered. He aimed a bow made of some blue light past us, his eyes narrowed as if to make sure no other Hollows would come through. No, it wasn't light…. It was reiatsu.
He stood up straight and the bow slipped back into that silver cross bracelet I spotted him slipping on yesterday. His eyes swept over me and met Kurosaki's stunned ones. "You call yourself a Shinigami and you couldn't even detect something as simple as this? How shameful."
Kurosaki glared at him. "Who…Who are you?"
"Ishida Uryu, a Quincy. And I…hate Shinigami. In other words, Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm saying I hate you."
"How long…have you known?" Kurosaki managed to choke out.
Ishida shoved his glasses up his nose. "…Since yesterday. Right as you entered the school grounds, I knew there was a Shinigami present. At first, I thought you just might be passing by, but then you rushed into our classroom after defeating a nearby Hollow."
Kurosaki gave a big show of clapping his hands. "Wow, for a human, you're pretty sharp. Good job," he complimented with a fake smile.
"You let your reiatsu radiate with foolish abandon. A psychic monkey would notice you," Ishida pointed out.
His smile was replaced by another sour expression. "What was that?"
"If you can't even detect what other spiritual beings are around you without the help of that stupid toy, then I'd say you must still be a novice Shinigami. Certainly no match for a seasoned Quincy."
"Novice?!" Kurosaki yelled, stepping towards him. "For your information, nerd, I happen to be ranked fukutaichou in Squad Thirteen of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads! So, you'd better be more careful who you decide to insult before you piss me off."
Ishida snorted. "These 'Court Guard Squads' must be slipping if they believe that someone like you could obtain such a high rank."
That did it for me. Before Kurosaki could pummel him to the ground, I stepped between them and glared up at Ishida. "I don't know what a Quincy is, but you have no right to interfere with a Shinigami's duties like that. There's no need to insult them when they work so hard to protect the innocent from—"
His harsh laugh cut me off. "Shinigami? Protecting the innocent? They could care less about that. They're all incompetent beings that wouldn't lift a finger to help anyone unless there was some benefit in it for them."
He looked over at Kurosaki and asked, "Would you like to play a game, Kurosaki? To see who's superior—a Shinigami or a Quincy? I'll show you just how worthless you Shinigami really are." He reached into his shirt pocket and took out a small, white tablet.
"What is that?" I asked, tensing.
He glanced at me. "Hollow bait. After I scatter it, Hollows will begin to converge on this town."
"What?" Kurosaki muttered.
"Whoever defeats the most Hollows in twenty-four hours wins. Agreed? That should be simple enough, even for you," Ishida explained.
Kurosaki took another step towards him, though this time, he looked more startled than angry. "What are you thinking?! No way! Everybody in Karakura Town would be in danger! What kind of sick maniac are you?!"
Ishida narrowed his eyes. "You're starting to bore me…." He crushed the bait between his fingers, scattering it everywhere. It swirled up and out through the ventilation. "No need to worry about innocent bystanders…because I'm going to kill every Hollow that shows up here! And if you really have the guts to protect people from Hollows…you'll accept my challenge."
Kurosaki looked at a loss for words, so I spoke for him, "You idiot! The Hollows are going to converge on this school! Did you think about your fellow students when you released that bait? Your girlfriend? What would you do if Inoue got hurt because of this stupid challenge?!"
His eye twitched, but he remained otherwise unfazed. "…She won't get hurt. I'll see to that."
"If you wanted to see who the better warrior was, you should've just challenged him to a one-on-one battle! That way, others wouldn't be involved in whatever problem it is you have with Shinigami!" I took satisfaction in his shocked expression.
A hand fell on my shoulder. Kurosaki's eyes met mine, and he shook his head. "Rukia, enough. I appreciate that you're worried about me, but the bait's already cast. I can't do anything else but go along with this stupid game…."
He threw a pointed glare at Ishida. "I'm not just gonna let this slide when I'm done either. When I get rid of all the Hollows, you better pray I don't find you, you little bastard."
Kurosaki ran off, leaving me standing awkwardly in the hall with Ishida.
"You should head back to class, Kuchiki," Ishida said as I turned to face him. "I assume lunch will be over soon." He then dashed after the Shinigami, summoning his glowing blue bow to his side.
I scowled but decided to do just that. I had to tell Inoue something so she wouldn't worry about her boyfriend.
I opened the door and froze when I came to face-to-face with someone's chest. I backed up a little and rubbed my nose with a frown, glaring at whoever was in my way.
"Oh, Rukia!" Renji shouted, putting his hands up in defense. "I was…um…going to see what was happening since you were taking too long…." He looked around. "Hey, wait, where's Kurosaki and Ishida?"
"They're…." I paused. What on earth was I going to tell him?
He raised an eyebrow. "They're…what? Taking whatever fight they had outside?" he joked, rolling his eyes.
I bit my lip. That is exactly what they're doing, I wanted to say.
"They're…in the nurse's office," I said instead. "Ishida called Kurosaki a punk because of his hair and, of course, he was offended, so they…already fought…in the hall…."
Renji scowled. "See? What'd I tell you yesterday? That new kid's insane. I mean, sure, it was Ishida's fault this time, but—"
"You didn't hear what he said," I cut in before he got another word out.
His eyebrows twitched and he slowly shut his mouth. He shoved his hands in his pockets again and muttered, looking away, "Why are you defending him all of a sudden?"
I blinked, taken aback by the question. "I'm…I'm not….."
He gave me a wary glance, but said, "So…what are we gonna tell Inoue? She won't exactly accept Kurosaki punching her boyfriend in the face…."
I scowled. "I didn't say that…." Why was he trying so hard to make Kurosaki the bad guy here? It was Ishida's attitude that started this whole ordeal, and he knew it too.
He shrugged affectedly. "Whatever…" he muttered and opened the classroom door.
Why was he acting like this? It wasn't like him to accuse someone of being in the wrong without any kind of proof. He knew what that was like. He had been accused of it all his life.
Inoue sat up straighter in her seat when we came over, but soon deflated when she realized that her boyfriend wasn't with us.
"Where's Uryu?" she asked, her lips curling into a pout.
"He and Kurosaki…resolved their issue, but then…Ishida tripped in the hall and twisted his ankle…a little—he's fine, Inoue, don't worry—so…Kurosaki helped him to the nurse's office…."
What a lame excuse…I thought to myself. The others' stares didn't exactly reassure me either.
Inoue stood up suddenly, startling everyone. "I'm going to see him then!" she announced and started walking towards the door.
Oh no…I thought and rushed after her.
I slid in front of the door before she could open it. "Wait, Inoue! Don't you think it would be better if we leave the two of them alone?" I blurted out, wincing at how high my voice had risen.
She tilted her head, puzzled. "Huh? Why?"
CRAP.
"Um…because…." Something she mentioned earlier popped into my head just then, saving me. I gestured for her to come closer.
Obediently, she leaned forward and I whispered, "You wanted them to be friends, right? Well, maybe if we leave them to sort out their differences, they might do just that!"
Her eyes grew wide and she hit her fist against her palm. "Oh! I never thought of it like that!" She stared off into space for a few seconds before smiling dopily and strolling back to her desk.
Just what was that strange girl imagining now?
I moved to follow her then froze when a shadow passed over the classroom. A Hollow peered in through the window, its eyes flashing with hunger when it saw all of us. No one but me seemed to notice it.
Just then, Kurosaki, dressed in his Shinigami uniform, leapt and slashed its face. The monster was so surprised, it stumbled back and disintegrated without so much as a howl. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced down at that strange flip phone in his hand, giving it an impatient shake. He didn't seem concerned that he was standing in mid-air.
"Rukia? What are you looking at?" Renji said. After looking around a little, I realized it wasn't only my friends staring at me funny.
"I…uh…." Kurosaki noticed I was staring at him and gave me a courteous salute then jumped off to who knows where.
I shook my head. "Nothing, I just…uh…."
"Shinigami? Protecting the innocent? They could care less about that. They're all incompetent beings that wouldn't lift a finger to help anyone unless there was some benefit in it for them."
What is Ishida's deal? I thought, putting a hand to my chin.
"Ishida Uryu, a Quincy. And I…hate Shinigami. In other words, Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm saying I hate you."
He hates Shinigami, but why? And what is a Quincy? Could…Could Nii-sama be one, too? Is that why he knows about all this?
"Hello? Rukia?" Renji called out. "You awake?"
I blinked. "Oh, I…."
A flash of blue light streaked across the sky to hit a pterodactyl-looking Hollow straight in the face.
I have to ask him.
"I…have to go to the bathroom. Can you guys watch my stuff?"
Next chapter:
There was no way I could break my fall. Kurosaki was probably dead. Ishida and Inoue were surrounded by Hollows right now.
I was going to die on my own.
