Hi! It's me again! I'm really, really, sorry that I didn't update in a long time, but it was exam time. Also my computer sort of went crazy and I had to wait for it to get fixed. Anyway I worked really hard after that, so I hope you like this new chapter! By the way, I wouldn't mind getting some replies! :)
Enjoy!
Chapter 4
"Kisuke Urahara"
"You know you should really stop staring at her," Urahara advised the gawking Ishida. School had just ended a few minutes ago, and now the both of them were in the middle of the courtyard. Unfortunately Orihime was there as well, and Ishida had not moved from his staring spot for 3 minutes now. Urahara was feeling exhausted at just thinking of the situation he was in. Oh what to do, what to do.
"Why?" Ishida replied in a far-away voice.
Urahara poked him on his nose. "Because Ishida looks like a pervert."
Ishida took no noticed. "So?" He replied distantly.
Urahara groaned, "Never mind."
It was then that Ishida noticed another person talking to Orihime. A guy. Who was blonde. His blue-green eyes were twinkling, Ishida thought, rather evilly. He was tall, and had a well toned body. A scar ran down his left cheek. All her friends had suddenly gone all shy and nice, and were now giggling with laughter at what he had said.
Ishida turned to Urahara and pointed to the person, "Urahara who's that?"
Urahara locked his gaze onto the person who he was pointing to. When he did, his eyebrows rose, "Him? That's Grimmjaw. He's the popular 'jock' of the school. Why?"
"I don't like him." Ishida said shortly, eyes dark.
"What? Just because he's talking to Orihime?" Urahara asked disbelievingly.
"Yes."
Urahara sighed, "You know I heard that her father's changed the dating rule thing." He said hopefully, trying to get something out of Ishida.
It worked. Though that may have been an understatement...
Ishida turned and pounced on him, eyes wide, "REALLY?"
Urahara nodded, grimacing at the sudden weight, "Yeah, now Orihime can date, but only if her big sister does."
Ishida started to dance with excitement, "Well, then, that's great!"
Urahara blinked, "Do you even know who her sister is?" he asked slowly, examining him.
"No," Ishida said slowly. In his mind, he imagined an older Orihime, with the same silky orange hair, and warm brown eyes…
"You're about to be disappointed then," Urahara tapped him on the shoulder timidly, "Here she comes." He pointed to the person behind Ishida.
Ishida turned abruptly and stared. In front of him was a glaring, petite, woman, with dark black eyes and black hair. She was scowling which set a few frown lines on her porcelain skin. She looked NOTHING like Orihime. With a wide eyed look, Ishida turned to Urahara, just waiting to be told wrong, only to see him nodding.
Rukia's scowl grew bigger at getting ignored, "Get out of the way twerps," She barked at them.
Urahara nodded to her and pushed Ishida out of the way, "Of course Rukia-chan!" he grinned.
Rukia went past them without a further word. It was only when she was out of sight, that Ishida asked Urahara for confirmation.
"That's Orihime's sister?" He asked in a hoarse voice. This could NOT be true. Orihime with her? HER?
"Yep. That's Rukia Kuchiki, also the School's 'shrew'."
Ishida stared at him. "You can't be serious." He said in a deadpan voice.
"Actually I am." Urahara answered back just as seriously.
"She's not going to be dating anyone, is she?" Ishida glanced hopelessly. He couldn't believe this. NO, NO, NO.
Urahara shook his head, "Nope, the whole school's scared shit of her."
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Ishida moaned. The rest of the people glanced at him like he was a maniac. Which isn't too far off. He was a lovesick person, which was pretty close to a maniac.
"Ishida? You ok?" asked Urahara cautiously.
"NO." was the blunt reply.
Urahara sighed, and patted him on the shoulder, "Come on buddy, it's fine, it's fine."
As Urahara sipped his iced strawberry cocktail, he glanced at the corner of his eye at the recovering Ishida. After his, uh, mental breakdown, he had brought him here, the Peacock Cafe, to recover.
"You ok, Ishida?" he asked, with slight concern.
His slumped down friend rose up a hand and answered weakly, "Yeah I'm fine, and now I know what I have to do." Ishida's voice was grim, which surprised Urahara.
Curiosity led him to ask, "Which is what, exactly?"
"All we need to do, is to just find a tough guy right? For Orihime's sister?"
Urahara's eyebrows rose, "He'd have to one heck of a tough of a guy if he can take care of her."
"But that's all we need right?" Ishida asked desperately.
"Perhaps…"
"Come on Urahara, please help me with this, you're the only one who can help me with this!"
Without a reply, Urahara stood up and walked away.
"Wait! Urahara!" Ishida ran after him, "What's wrong?" he asked, confused.
"I'm not helping you, so don't even think about it."
"Why not?"
"I'm just telling you now, I'm not helping you." Urahara said. His eyes were serious and Ishida was now just wondering if this was worth doing.
"Why? Are you afraid of the shrew?" Ishida asked, using the school's nickname for Rukia.
Urahara stopped, and chuckled. "I advise you, Ishida. Don't call her that in my shop. I warn you now, to save you from going to the hospital."
Ishida blinked in surprise, this was not the reaction he was looking for, "So I guess you really don't want to help me?"
"No."
"Please?"
"NO."
"Fine then, I won't talk about it." Ishida sighed, "So what are we going now?"
"First we need to go to the supermarket and but some salmon sushi, then it's my store." Urahara smiled. Ishida groaned. He felt like he wanted to punch him.
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Ishida grunted.
"You."
"Shut up."
Ishida waited as Urahara looked around in the sushi area of the supermarket.
"So you've got it now?" Ishida asked him.
"Yeah, but I just remember that we were out of Milk as well. Do you mind waiting for a bit here?"
"No, it's fine."
"Ok then." Urahara quickly went to the dairy products section.
Ishida allowed his eyes to wander. there was an aisle full of different chocolates, his mouth watered. He loved dark chocolate…
Suddenly a hint of orange hair was at the corner. Ishida turned in curiosity, and found himself face to face with an orange hair boy.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I must be in your way." Ishida apologized.
The boy snorted, "Yeah whatever, it's fine."
Taken aback Ishida quickly replied, "Oh ok."
Ishida waited for a few more minutes. The boy was still shopping, occasionally referring to a small shopping list. He would go and disappear into various other aisles, and then would come back.
"You're not shopping for anything?" A voice asked. Ishida jumped up startled. The boy was back again.
Ishida adjusted his glasses. "No, I'm waiting for my friend."
"Oh."
"What about you?"
"Shopping for home, my sister needs some stuff for dinner and for tomorrow's breakfast."
"What about your mother?"
The boy pointed up to the ceiling, "She's being serenaded by angels." He said somberly.
Ishida winced, "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"Nah, it's fine really. It's been a long time now."
"What about your dad?"
The boy read the list again, "…Long story." He said shortly.
"Oh," Ishida abandoned the topic, he knew that he had stumbled on something unwelcome.
After looking around a bit, Ishida noticed something. Under the boy's jacket, he saw the school uniform for Karakura High. He was wearing the same. This boy must've came from the same school!
"Um, do you go to Karakura High?" he asked slowly.
"Huh?" The boy seemed startled by the question, "Oh yeah,"
Ishida reached his hand out, "Nice to meet you, my name's Ishida Uryu."
"Ichigo Kurosaki." The boy replied, returning the handshake, "I've never seen you before." He added curiously, "Are you new?"
"Yeah." Ishida confirmed. "So you live with your sister?" he asked curiously.
"Sisters." Ichigo corrected him, "I have two. They're twins."
"Oh,"
After a while, Ichigo finally finished his shopping. Before heading to the register, he waved to Ishida.
"Well anyway, I'll see you around." He went.
"Same here." Ishida bowed his head in acknowledgement.
And with a little nod, Ichigo walked away to the register. Ishida watched him for a bit, then thought for a while. Ichigo… He rolled the name in his tongue. Ishida didn't know exactly what, but there was something about Ichigo that made him a force not to be reckoned with. There was something tough, yet something also familiar. What was it? Karakura High, he thought, had very strange people.
"Oh, Ishida!" Urahara arrived triumphant with a carton of milk, "Did I make you wait for too long?'
Ishida turned in surprise, "Huh? Oh no, but what took you so long anyway?"
"I couldn't find the right type of milk!" Urahara pouted, "So I had to buy another type." Ishida blinked.
"You have a type?" He asked disbelievingly.
"Not me but- well you'll understand." Urahara grimaced, "She'll probably kill me..."
"She?"
Urahara smiled sweetly,"Oh no one."
"Uh, ok then." Ishida glanced at him then started walking away, "Are you finished then?"
"Yes we are," Urahara eagerly followed. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes, "And then after that, I shall enjoy showing you around my shop!"
"Gee, I'm so glad." Ishida replied.
With Sarcasm of course.
Urahara's shop was not exactly the way Ishida had pictured it, but then when had anything been the way he had liked it?
It was a quaint, humble shop that was pushed away to the side of a street. The shop was in the form of a small house. The shop, Urahara explained, was in the front. In the back was where Urahara and a few others lived. Ishida took the 'few others' to be Urahara's family. It turned out to be correct- in a way- but then how was he supposed to know?
"So…this is it?"
"It certainly is!" Urahara answered with his arms flourished, "I welcome you to my warm and humble domain!" he exclaimed. Opening the door, he gestured for Ishida to come in. Eyebrows raised, Ishida steps in.
The inside is exactly what he would've expected from just seeing the outside. At least he had that to be sure of. Like the normal traditional Japanese house, most of the floor was covered in tatamis. A faint light was on, creating a soft glow, gently caressing the room with a mother's hands. The walls were plastered, framed by smooth, dark wood. Taking of his shoes, Ishida looked around a bit more, interested.
"So what do you think?"
"Doesn't look like a shop."
Urahara grinned, "This is the House Entrance, the store," He pointed to the door that lead out of the room, "is on the other side." With a small chuckle, he took off his shoes and quickly opened the door. "Come on," He told Ishida with a smile, "I've got to show you my shop!"
Beyond the door, was a long hallway, with doors all along, leading to different rooms. It was also silent, which was strange, as Urahara had stopped his mild chatting. Ishida thought the whole thing looked like a maze.
There was also something in the atmosphere, something heavy and thick, like a blanket clouding his senses. It reminded him of when he would see those ghosts… but no, it couldn't be.
Soon Urahara stopped, and dragged Ishida to one of the several doors. "Look closely." He commanded, his eyes glittering, "This will take your breath away…"
And so it did.
As Urahara flung the wooden door open, Ishida did the only thing he could.
He gawked.
The room that the door had opened to was majestic, so darn huge that it certainly COULDN'T belong in this house! The floor shined, it was made of marble, but it was the object in the center of the room that simply made Ishida's mind turn off.
It was a flight of stairs, but that wasn't it. The staircase revolved around a marble pillar, and in the light, glittered. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it glittered. Diamonds were cut into all the sides, and emeralds, and more. Just like the rest of the room, the stairs were made as marble as well. The flight of stairs seemed to go on forever to the ceiling. It was like it never stopped. They were majestic, and simply beautiful, so beautiful you just couldn't think. It looked like something you'd think would belong in a King's palace.
"Beautiful isn't' it?" Urahara asked, smiling at Ishida, who was gasping in awe.
"What kind of stairs are they?" He asked.
"Well they're-"
"Urahara san!" someone interrupted. The duo turned to see a huge, muscular man, with glasses and a mustache.
"Oh Tessai!" Urahara greeted.
"Urahara san, what took you so long?"
"It was the milk, Tessai, the store ran out." Urahara told him.
Tessai's eyes grew wide, "But then what did you buy?"
"Uh well..." Urahara trailed off.
Tessai's eyes widened with realization, "You didn't." he stated simply.
Urahara smiled uneasily, "Let's just hope that she doesn't notice."
The assistant shook his head at the hopelessness of his manager, "Of course." Then he asked him shrewdly, "You did get the Salmon sushi, right?"
Urahara pouted, a gesture that Ishida found slightly disgusting, "You hurt me with your distrust Tessai. Yes I did, here it is!"
"Oh, very good sir." Tessai opened the door and shouted so loud, that Ishida thought his ears would drop off, "JINTA! COME HERE! URAHARA SAN HAS THE SUSHI!"
"Ow…" Ishida whimpered.
"Oh?" Tessai glanced at Ishida, "Who's this?"
"Ishida, this is Tessai, the one who wrote me the list. Tessai this is Ishida, he's a new kid in school."
"I am honored to meet you!"
"Ah- same here." Ishida replied timidly.
A loud brash voice clashed into the room, "What? Who's here?" Running in, came a small boy with bright red hair, "Where's the salmon sushi?" He asked quickly.
From behind him, A young girl, with black hair and shy dark eyes murmured softly, "Jinta, you shouldn't be so loud."
"Shut up!"
Tessai hit him on the head, "Don't be so rude to Ururu!"
"This is Jinta and Ururu," Urahara smiled, " They're my assistants."
"Nice to meet you." Ishida said unsurely at the two.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." Jinta replied loudly, then turned to Urahara, "Hey boss, where's the salmon sushi?"
"Right here, Jinta." Urahara handed the plastic bag to him. With a triumphant 'yes!' Jinta raced out the door, with Ururu slowly following after him.
Urahara smiled sheepsily, "Kids, They're so energetic." as Ishida looked at him with a questioning glance, he winked, "One of the reasons why I hired them."
With one more praising look at the grand flight of stairs, Urahara began to walk out of the door. Ishida followed him, but then just as Urahara swung the door open, he quickly asked Tessai, "By the way, is she here yet?" His eyes were grim, as if expecting some sort of terrifying event. Ishida pondered of what it was…
Tessai smiled grimly, "She is, but don't expect her to show up."
Urahara nodded, his eyes seem to fog up, "I see." Then, waving his hands at Ishida, he walked out.
Later, Ishida walked silently down the deserted roads and streets, which curved like a spider web, back to his house. The moon was bright and luminous up on the violet sky. Ishida walked slowly, pondering, wondering.
The rest of the day resulted, to Ishida, completely mind-boggling questions. What was the 'she' that Urahara had mentioned to Tessai? And where exactly did those stairs lead? Would he actually EVER get Urahara to help him with Kuchiki Orihime? For whenever Ishida asked Urahara about it, he would always clam up. Literally.
Also, what did Urahara's store even SELL? Even though, he had told Ishida that he would show him, he had instead took him to his sitting room, and drank tea with him. And who exactly was Urahara anyway? He wasn't normal, Ishida knew. In fact, he was just beginning to think, that perhaps Urahara was the same as… him. But no, that couldn't be. Anyhow, it was certainly all very confusing.
Ishida glanced up at the sky, and found himself gawking in wonder. Above, the high ocean was covered with stars tonight! With his fingers he traced a few of the constellations that his grandmother had taught him. The cat constellation was even here tonight…
Urahara watched from his window. He was sitting in his bedroom, one of the rooms that he hadn't shown Ishida. Actually, he hadn't really shown Ishida any of the rooms except the sitting one, and a few others. There were reasons however…
He stared grimly from out the window. His suspicions were correct. Ishida could see spirits. More of a reason to keep him away from Orihime, he thought. That was certainly going to be tough. Inside, he applauded Byakuya in his new rule. Certainly no one would date Rukia. No one would, until someone could break that hard shell of hers, and that was almost impossible to do.
The door to his room slid open, and a slim, female, figure came inside. He took no notice. She stretched onto his bed, making slight purring sounds as she did.
"You look grim." She said, "Is it Ishida?" The female figure sat up gracefully.
"We might have to keep a closer look out for the Kuchikis." Urahara answered grimly.
"True," The female agreed, "Though I must say, that the boy doesn't have a very big chance to getting Orihime."
"He still has a chance," Urahara stood up, "and anything can happen. Especially since he can see spirits." He added wryly.
"I was going to ask you about that." The figure smiled slyly, "It's a bit strange that he has that ability, don't you think?"
Urahara yawned, "True, true, but we'll deal with it tomorrow. I'm going to bed."
He started to enter his bed until the female asked him, "You did buy the pure organic, skimmed, milk, right?"
"Uh, w-well," Urahara stammered. Sure he had acted all tough in front of Tessai and Ishida, but that was just an act!
Brown eyes narrowed, "Did you?"
Sweat started to form at his forehead, "O-of course, y-yes I did." He answered nervously. Calm down, he told himself. Or she'll know!
Silence was the last thing he heard, before the female slashed at him hissing, "Liar! You bought the pure, organic, NORMAL MILK!"
And through out the night, a man's agonized cries could be heard as the female slashed at him with her threatening claws.
"What an idiot," Jinta remarked, as he listened. Ururu murmured in agreement.
What an idiot, indeed.
