OnigiriKami: Gonichiwa! It's Kami here! It's the festival! And if you read the first part, it is not meaningless, and not only for humor, it's to explain in the next chapter. Sorry about the goody-two shoe mistake!
Don't know what fluff really means, but I think it has some in this chapter at the end!
READ AND REVIEW!
Diclaimer: Do NOT own Bleach!
Before festival:
"Oh ho! What a nice house!" said a man with a green striped hat. If you had first glimpsed at him, you would have thought that his favorite color was green. Green pants, green shirt, but the only clothing that he wore that wasn't green was a black coat with white diamond patterns on the ends. He wore wooden sandals, and almost all the time, his hat would cover his green eyes.
He tiptoed to the traditional house. He tried to sneak in to it, but was stopped by Ishiin.
"What are you doing!? Kisuke?! Trying to go into my sweet Rukia's house!?" yelled the angry Ishiin. Then he reversed to the easygoing Ishiin. He tried to go in Rukia's house this time.
"AH!AH!AH! What are you doing!? Didn't you just say-"
"HAH! She's Ichigo's girlfriend! So I'm aloud!"
"Oh no you don't!" Urahara had kicked Ishiin.
The two adults that were supposed to mature a long time ago, were fighting near a big tree.
Urahara was cornered near the tree and when Ishiin was going to give him the final blow with a hard kick, Urahara had just managed in time to block it. Ishiin's leg had caught in the tree and made a huge crack on it. The enormous tree slowly tilted over to where the little house was and crashed down, completely destroying the house.
The two were still fighting, but then noticed what they had done. There was an awkward silence and sweat started rolling off their cheeks.
"You know what? I think that she's at school right now...." said Ishiin.
"Oh yeah! I forgot that I had to do something...." Urahara said also.
The two men whistled away.
School: (This is after school right now, and now the festival begins!!!!)
"Oh! Oh! OH!" Rukia had looked fascinated by all the mini stands everywhere. She was in her school uniform, because she had not stopped by her house after she had left, also she did not care. Today was the day that Inoue confessed! So she had to work hard for her!
Ichigo was right beside her and was a little amused in how she was getting so excited from the festival.
"Is this your first time here?"
"YES! I never thought that it would be this fun!" she suddenly grabbed Ichigo's hand and ran to a stand that was selling masks. She searched around the little stand and was looking at all the masks. Then she saw one mask that was imaging a bunny, it was white and smiled dumbly at them. Her hands shook and she slowly reached for it, "Th-this is........."
"Huh? What's that dumb looking rabbit?" Ichigo had saw the white colored mask behind Rukia. She had suddenly launched a fist at Ichigo's face, which made him in pain. "AHHH! What was that for?"
"Don't insult this work of art! This is the limited edition Chappy mask!!!!" she yelled and was holding the mask tightly.
Ichigo rubbed his face a little more, almost as if he was getting rid of the pain like that.
"Tch! If you want it that much, I'll get it." he said. He shoved his hand in his pocket and took out a 100 yen coin. He tossed it to the stand keeper.
"Uh...Ichigo you didn't have to do that...I could pay for myself..." Rukia was blushing hard and was clutching the mask tighter now.
"Hah!? Fine then, I shouldn't have bought it- Oi, Mister, can I get my ye-"
"AH! Never mind! Thank you!" Rukia interrupted.
"That's what I wanted to hear!" Ichigo was blushing a little, then he turned away from the stand, "Let's go now, Tatsuki and Inoue are waiting."
Ichigo saw that Rukia was in thought. Then she shoveled around her school bag and took out her wallet. It was a baby pink rabbit pouch, where it opened from it's stomach. "Mister I would like to have that one!" she was pointing at a lion mask.
"You mean the Kon mask?" said the man. He pointed at the same mask that Rukia had pointed at.
"Yes! That one!"
"100 yen, please."
She handed him the 100 yen coin and walked to Ichigo. She was putting on her Chappy mask, and put it to the side of her head.
"You bought another mask?!" Ichigo asked, but then got a kick from Rukia.
"Idiot! It's for you!" she said and shoved it in his stomach. She blushed wildly and Ichigo had also. She grabbed Ichigo's hand, "Come on! We're going to be late!"
Meanwhile:
"Shuhei! Why did you drag me here?!"
"Come on! You need to enjoy your last year here!" Shuhei said to the grumpy Toushiro. "Also, I didn't drag you here."
"Hah! You black mailed me!" Toushiro said, "You said that if I didn't come, then I would be kicked out of the race!"
Hisagi had spoke again, but Toushiro had started to ignore him, when he caught a glimpse of someone who looked familiar. She was near a stand that was selling masks.
It was Kuchiki Rukia.
'What's she doing here?' Toushiro squinted his eyes a little more, to see who was next to her. He was very tall and had orange hair. 'Kurosaki Ichigo....'
"OI! TOUSHIRO! OI!" Hisagi had been balancing on one crutch and was waving his hand side to side to catch Toushiro's attention again. "OI! Toushiro, are you listening?"
"Huh?! Yeah I am! Stop calling me so familiarly!"
"You know, you've been cold since one month ago.....is it related to Momo's death?" Hisagi had hesitated on the last part.
"Keep your mouth shut, Shuhei." Toushiro said in a calm whisper. "Don't butt into my business."
"But, I'm your friend, Toushiro!" Hisagi said. "We used to tell each other everything.....but now.....your distant....."
"People change, Shuhei."
They stared at each other for a moment. But then, Hisagi limped to an udon stand, where there were a counter and a seat set up. He sat down on the stool and signaled for Toushiro to come over. So Toushiro slowly did.
"Let's eat together- I'll have a plain normal udon!" Hisagi said to Toushiro, then to the girl that was holding the stand.
"Sure! Coming right up!" the girl responded.
"Shuhei, you know that I don't like hot stuff......"
"Oi! Excuse me! Do you have any cold pickled radish?" Hisagi asked the girl one more time.
"Sure we do!"
"Can you give him some?" Hisagi had pointed at Toushiro. The girl nodded and went back to her chopping.
"Now we can both eat." Hisagi had turned back to Toushiro.
Toushiro had been picking on a chopstick that had come from the wooden box on the counter. Hisagi had stared at Toushiro for a little while, looking unsure of saying something that he wasn't supposed to.
"What's going on with you and Kuchiki."
Toushiro had broken the chopstick that he had just been holding. He glared at Hisagi.
"What do you mean....?"
"I'm not stupid, Toushiro. I've seen what you did yesterday, when you threw Kuchiki into the storage room."
Toushiro had gotten up from his seat and slammed his hand onto the counter.
"Didn't I tell you!? Don't butt into my business!"
"If this is your business, then why is Kuchiki involved?"
"Just shut up!"
"Your afraid of her, aren't you? Your phobia is her, isn't it?" Hisagi said, as if he was sure that he was right. Toushiro's eyes had widened at what Hisagi said.
"When ever a girl is near you, you act cold to them, and you are always harsh to them, and you act like you hate them so much." Hisagi said more. "Just like the time when you met Matsumoto Rangiku- she moved away, because of you."
Toushiro plopped back down in his seat. Hisagi said more, "Also, that's why your so harsh to those fan girls, aren't you?" Hisagi stared at Toushiro hard and said:
"That's right, you have philophobia, don't you?" Hisagi had said at last. "Did falling for Momo, and seeing her die really made you like this? Your afraid of falling in love with someone else, because your afraid that you will lose someone else important."
"You, this isn't like that..." Toushiro looked down at his legs. His voice sounded tired and weary. "......It's only about the race to me.....nothing more."
"Don't screw with me, Toushiro! The race! Is it that important to fulfill Momo's revenge!?" Hisagi was now staring intensely at Toushiro. "Let go of the past, and look at the future, it's slapping you right in the face, and you still ignore it! Momo wouldn't have wanted you to be like this!"
"Shut up..." Toushiro whispered, then he raised his head and looked at Hisagi straight into his eyes. He furrowed his brows and his eye lids had gotten wider, "SHUT UP! This means everything to me! Momo gave me a dying request that I must fulfill! I loved her! And I will not love anyone again!"
"Uh...uh?" the lady that worked in the udon shop had looked nervous and didn't know if she should interrupt them or not.
"Oh, sorry." said Hisagi, who immediately turned his attention to the woman.
"Uh...your order is here...." she placed a bowl of udon and a little plate of pickled radish.
The two stayed quiet and ate.
"Kurosaki-k-k-kun. Hello!"
"Yo, Inoue." Ichigo said casually. He had the lion mask that Rukia had gave him, around his neck.
"Hello, Inoue!" Rukia said also.
Orihime waved at Rukia. Tatsuki had greeted them both also.
"Okay, since everyone has been assembled, let's split into two groups again! I'll go with Tatsuki!" Rukia said, and they quickly ran though the crowded stand areas, leaving Ichigo alone with Orihime.
"AH! Come back, you guys!" Ichigo yelled. It just felt so weird alone with Orihime, he would have preferred to be with Rukia, where he felt more comfortable. He looked at Orihime awkwardly and said, "Let's go catch up with them."
Orihime had been blushing, "Oh okay, Kurosaki-kun."
Rukia had left Ichigo and separated from Tatsuki afterwards. She needed a rest under the tree that had not been touched by the stands, or even been near them. She sat there and was indolently looking at the starry sky. Her mouth was half open and her eyes looked tired and droopy.
Somehow, when she had left Ichigo with Inoue, she had felt a weird pang in her heart. It almost felt like jealousy. But maybe it was just her imagination.
Then suddenly she heard some foot steps in the night. It was calm and knew where it was going. She looked around, and the moment she saw him, she began to panic. How did he follow her? How did he knew where she was?
He had white hair and he was looking at her with his scary teal eyes.
"W-what are you doing here, Hitsugaya-senpai." she was on her guard now, and Toushiro had caught that she was.
"Don't worry, Kuchiki. I won't be doing anything strange." he said. His eyes looked tired also and he just leaned where the tree was, his hand was in his pockets, and his eyes were looking at the stars. "It's been a long time since I've seen stars."
"What's you business, senpai?" she asked with hostility in her voice.
"I came to tell you that I quit."
"Huh?" She asked with full surprise, Rukia hadn't seen this coming.
"I quit bothering you. And Kurosaki."
"You talked to Ichigo?!" she said furiously.
"You sound as if you like him." he said with amusement. Rukia suddenly had blushed. She couldn't control it at all.
"No I don't."
"Then why are you making that face?" Toushiro pointed at Rukia. She had made a sad expression, when Ichigo's name had popped out. "You do like him, don't you?"
"No, I don't.....even if I did, I can't...."
"And why is that?"
"A dear friend likes him." she said.
Toushiro went quiet, then he started to leave to the stands, "You should grab the person important to you, never let go of them, because you never know that you might lose them."
"Damn! Where are they!?" Ichigo said, Orihime was right behind him.
Then when Ichigo was near a dango stand, he saw Tatsuki munching on a dango carelessly.
"TATSUKI!!!" Ichigo yelled at the now jumping Tatsuki. She turned from her dango and saw them. Ichigo looked pissed and worn out while Orihime had looked embarrassed.
"AH! You guys!? What are you doing here!?" Tatsuki yelled, some dango was still in her mouth. She turned to Orihime and looked accusingly at her. "Couldn't you have stalled him a little more?"
"T-Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime's face had gone red.
Tatsuki turned her face to Ichigo now. "And you? You couldn't stop thinking about Rukia, couldn't you?!"
This time Ichigo had gone completely red. When Tatsuki had the opportunity, she grabbed Ichigo and Orihime's wrists and dragged them to the Karakura school building. She pulled them upstairs and then to a hall way of classes. Then upstairs again, to the roof of the school. She let go of their hands and shoved them in there.
"I'll leave you two alone...." Tatsuki smiled then disappeared behind the door.
There was an awkward silence. Orihime looked at Ichigo, his eyes looked down from the roof. He was searching for someone.
'Gain your courage, Orihime!' she thought to herself. She was persuading herself. When she gained a bit of confidence she spoke, "K-k-kurosaki-kun?"
Ichigo's attention was still on the school grounds. He was still searching for someone.
When Orihime had called him the second time, he teared his gaze off of the school grounds and looked at Orihime, "Sorry, Inoue."
She lost it all, she lost the confidence. Ichigo was leaving out of the door.
Orihime had to tell him, she couldn't hold this any longer, she needed to do this. This might have been the only chance.
"Kurosaki-kun! I like you!" she yelled. Ichigo's head had slowly turned around when he heard her confession. His gaze had been soft, because he didn't want to hurt her.
"Sorry, Inoue."
It struck Orihime hard. The person that Ichigo had been searching for was Rukia, he had only thought of her the whole time. He was in love with Kuchiki Rukia.
Orihime wanted to cry, but she wouldn't show her pitiful self. It would only trouble Ichigo.
"Your to nice, Kurosaki-kun...." her voice was trembling, then she paused to recollect herself. She smiled at him to reassure that she was okay, "You should go, Kurosaki-kun! You should go spend time with the most precious person to you! The fireworks are going off any minute!"
Ichigo nodded his head, then left the roof.
Orihime was now in thought, she looked at the beautiful, night sky. A deep beautiful blue.
'Kuchiki-san, it's okay now, it's okay to love him.'
The door to the roof suddenly opened and Tatsuki had entered, she was out of breath, looking like she had climbed dozens of stairs. "What happened, Orihime!?"
"Nothing happened...." her voice sounded like she was in the verge of crying. She had been holding it, until Ichigo had fully disappeared.
Tatsuki walked to her and started to hug her dear friend, "It's okay Orihime, he's gone now, you don't have to hold your tears anymore." Just when Tatsuki said that, Orihime began to sob.
Then suddenly, fireworks boomed across the sky, all colors of it. The colors of red, white, blue, orange...and purple. Orihime raised her head from Tatsuki's shoulders, tears still pouring down her cheeks, and lightly smiled at the fireworks.
"I knew you were here."
Rukia whipped her head away from the fireworks, to see a breathless Ichigo.
"Ichigo..." she said with full surprise, "Weren't you with Inoue?"
"I wanted to see you."
Ichigo and Rukia had started blushing a little. They heard the fireworks soaring in the sky and people in the distance yelling out 'Tamaya!'*.
Rukia turned her head back at the fireworks, and Ichigo had joined her, by sitting next to her. She looked annoyed, "Tch! Just when I planned it, you ruined it!"
"Hah! You can't force people to love someone else!" Ichigo snorted.
Rukia looked at Ichigo with quirked eyebrows, " 'Someone else'? Ichigo, seriously! Who do you like?! I can help you!"
He just patted her head, and smiled, "Hah! I wouldn't tell you. Besides, I don't want to force her."
"Oh ho! So you do like someone!" Rukia pointed at Ichigo. Ichigo went quiet.
Then Ichigo suddenly grabbed her and hugged her. He was blushing a little on his cheeks, and Rukia had steamed like beets.
They both were quiet, staying in the hug a little bit, and then Ichigo said:
"Let's just enjoy the fireworks."
OnigiriKami: WOW! Orihime has finally confessed! But....sadly....she was turned down! Now chapters will focus on IchiRuki! I really needed to get over the triangle between Orihime, Ichigo, and Rukia! Oh and Toushiro is not in love with Rukia, only thinks that he might fall for her (but I won't make them pair! It's IchiRuki!) also he is mean to her because of that. And also he really wanted to find her secret, but now he is distancing from her, thus those were Toushiro's final words to Rukia (nah! he's coming up in later chapters again, so you guys, don't worry!). Shuhei gave him a very long lecture (in this, Shuhei is Toushiro's closest friend)! Does this answer your question, readers!?
Philophobia: fear of falling in love
* Tamaya: a firework chant in Japan
Questions about Ishiin and Yuzu and Karin not in the festival: because before the festival started, he told Ishiin that he was going with his friends! Ishiin cried pitifully....
I won't let Rukia die, this is a fanfic! That's why..... someone has come to cure her.......
What about Byakuya, you say?: he will be coming in later chapters!
'Till next time!
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