"Push me up against the locker and hey, all I do is shake it off. I'll get you back when I'm your boss . You wanna be... you wanna be a loser like me." -'Loser like Me' lyrics
A new chapter once again, Chapter 20. I thank you all for the feedback for Chapter 20, and for all the words of encouragement. :) I've replied every single PM, for those who didn't get a reply, it was because your PM settings are disabled so I cannot send you a PM (I think there were about 3-4 users all in all) Thank you so much for taking the time out to write those messages. And chariot, you got my university right! *runs off* (it must be the 1-year Australia research program, all my online friends from this country guessed my university right through that. XD)
This chapter doesn't have much direct ByaRuki, but in-depth exploration of other characters surrounding this pairing. They will definitely come into use later in the Demons plot. :) I haven't beta-read this thoroughly yet so there might be mistakes (do let me know if you spot one and I'll make the correction promptly)
WARNING: OOC for all characters (I've figured this to be the easiest way out. So if the characters actually turn out to be in-character for you, that would be a nice bonus, wouldn't it? :D)
Hope you enjoy.
"You will come to our get-together this evening, right?"
"But of course, Rukia." Renji nodded.
"Good." Rukia smiled as she dangled her bare feet above the water. It was free day today so Renji decided to kidnap Ichigo's fishing set and go to the campus lake. He hadn't attempted fishing in a while, which was about fifty-three years to be exact. It was pretty unconventional of him to do so but his classes were a bore so Renji decided to do something out of the norm. He had also called up Rukia, who was more than happy to come along with a notebook and a sushi lunch set.
"Think if I put a sushi in as bait, maybe a fish would bite?"
"I don't think they eat their own kind." Rukia laughed. "So how was it back home? Is it any different from Nagoya?"
Renji looked up. "You mean, back in… my hometown?" He had already forgotten the name of the town he was supposed to come from.
Rukia nodded.
"Well, the university here is definitely bigger and more on the modern side. We don't have big cafeterias or an indoor stadium for practice. We mainly practice on outdoor tracks."
"I see." Rukia smiled. "You will be missing Nagoya then."
Renji nodded. "Definitely."
"So you finish your five-day stint here, and then you go back to your town?"
Renji nodded again. "Yep. I will probably meet up with Byakuya first though before I return. Probably the day he comes back from Seattle itself."
"Oh." Rukia's mouth formed an O. Then she reached into her sling bag. "Renji, could you do me a favour?"
"Sure." Renji concentrated on his fishing line for a bit, turning to Rukia when she finally finished extracting something from her bag. It was a package wrapped in white paper.
"Could you hand this over to Byakuya when you see him?"
"Sure." Renji took the package from her hands. It was light and somehow soft. "Er, why can't you give it to him yourself when you see him?"
"Oh." Rukia dropped her eyes. "I don't know when I will be seeing him." Her voice was slightly softer this time.
"Okay." Renji shook his fishing line slightly. "Rest assured, I will give this to him when I see him then."
"Arigato."
"No problem. Say, how did you meet my cousin anyway?"
"Oh. It was just a chance meeting." Rukia nodded as she looked out over the water. "Work-based." It wasn't until the words were out of her mouth that Rukia realized she had just used the same white lie Byakuya had used when Otousan asked the same question months back.
"I see. It's pretty strange though when I realized you were rather close to him. He doesn't really hang around… your sort."
Rukia's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "My sort?"
Renji chuckled and he placed the fishing line against the post so that it stayed upright. He had just found the perfect thing to do while passing the time and waiting for a fish to bite the bait. He was going to put his plan into action.
"Yeah." Renji pretended to think for a bit as Rukia looked at him. "He just doesn't hang around the goody sort of people. Frankly, I was a little surprised when I found out that you two were sort of dating."
"Oh." Rukia did not seem to know what to say. "Why... surprised?"
Renji laughed. Okay, here it comes. I'm going to drop the bombshell and crush this little girl's heart. Byakuya, I'm only doing this for the both of you.
"Well, I don't mean to badmouth my cousin. But you should have seen him with the ladies. He had a different one almost everyday, it was like changing clothes."
Renji allowed a casual laugh, before sneaking a glance at Rukia. Good, she didn't look too good.
"I… have heard of accounts. What were they… like?"
Renji leapt onto the gold opportunity. "There were a lot of types. But mostly, they were those kinds who wore mini dresses, you know? The type with killer legs and absolutely prominent chests, if you know what I mean. He was dating the entire Playboy magazine cover girls section!"
Nothing like you, Renji added silently.
Renji heard Rukia take a sharp intake of breath, and Renji smothered a satisfied grin. There you go!
"Did… they love him?"
Renji frowned slightly. What a strange question to be asking.
"Of course they did! He took them out almost everyday, cruising around in his little babies of speed! The nightclubs, the hotels, the premieres… what's not to love?"
He heard Rukia laugh softly next to him. When she spoke, her voice was so soft. "Yeah, I guess it's everything to love."
Renji nodded as he stared out over the water. A bit more to crack the little birdie. "You should have seen the little bastard! Hands everywhere, make-out sessions whenever they felt like it… strolling into the piazzas and branded stores, it's like the ultimate celebrity dream!"
"Did he… love them?"
At this, Renji stopped. He turned to look at Rukia and his eyes widened.
Rukia turned to Renji slightly and he saw the tears shining in her eyes. As he watched, a single tear one rolled down her cheek but she laughed, wiping her tears away.
And for the very first time, the red-haired Incubus saw a sliver of why his superior might have been so enamoured with this human girl.
She was rather beautiful, even when crying. Her violet eyes were big, shining like glass. Maybe it was because she laughed, even as tears dropped down her face. Maybe it was the strong will that she projected around her, even if she was actually fragile inside.
"H-Hey…" Renji looked at her, a little nervous suddenly.
"I'm okay," Rukia laughed and wiped the corners of her eyes. "I'm pathetic, am I not, Renji?"
Renji did not know what to say.
"I'm only human, Renji. There's just so much a human heart can hold against… before it becomes… moved." Rukia smiled slightly. "And when it's moved, you think about him all the time, you wonder what he's doing, how he's keeping…" Rukia laughed softly. "Whether he even reached Seattle safely."
"You haven't been talking to him?" Renji's eyes were wide. "Did you guys fight or something?"
Rukia nodded slightly. "We had an argument the night he left Tokyo. It wasn't actually an argument, just a…" Rukia's eyes filled with subtle sadness. "… misunderstanding."
"I see." So that's why he left for Seattle a day earlier.
"But I guess it's all for the best." Rukia looked out over the water. "Maybe I should be getting used to this, to him not being here, and not hearing his voice." Rukia chuckled softly. "You know, I used to hold him at my arm's length, trying to fight off his advances and making sure he never got too close."
Renji continued looking at Rukia as she continued.
"It would be better never to own, because then you wouldn't have to lose it." She took a deep breath. "It was at one time that I realized I was afraid. I was afraid that if we started something, I will lose him."
"And I'm afraid…" Rukia's hands tightened onto her skirt. "… because I have fallen in love with him."
Renji stared at the human girl with wide eyes. He was still staring as Rukia laughed and pointed out to him that his fishing line was moving, effectively changing the subject.
Oh God, now everyone's fucked up.
xXxXx
Byakuya jerked slightly and his eyes shot open in the dark. Sighing, he put his right hand up to his eyes for a bit. Another nightmare. It was then that he noticed his mobile phone was vibrating on the bedside table. Byakuya reached over for it. "Kuchiki Byakuya speaking."
"Mister Kuchiki." The soft, female voice greeted him. "This is Hinamori Momo. I am happy to report to you that myself and Kira-kun have landed in the Seattle airport just fifteen minutes ago. We will be checking into the Four Seasons, but we will come over to the Bellevue three hours before the meeting. Would that suit your arrangements?"
"That sounds fine. Are all the documents with you?"
"I triple-checked, Mister Kuchiki."
"Good. Was Matsumoto on the same flight?"
"Yes, Mister Kuchiki. She has gone ahead with Ichimaru-san to the hotel to sort out the reservations."
Byakuya's grey eyes narrowed. "Ichimaru Gin? I clearly remember making specifics for only three of you to make your way to Seattle."
"Oh…" Hinamori's voice was slightly hesitant. "At the last minute, Ichimaru-san joined us, he was assisting Rangiku-san and she said it would not be a problem. I... hello? Mister Kuchiki?"
Only a dead dial tone answered the young assistant.
Matsumoto Rangiku groaned slightly as she heard the delicate ring tone of her mobile phone. "Damn it…" she breathed. She fumbled for her pocket. "Gin… stop. Stop for a bit."
"Hmmph." She heard his disgruntled voice and his eyes opened wider to look at her. If there was one thing Rangiku always wondered about since the first day she met Gin, it was the reason why he chose to keep those pair of beautiful eyes so narrowed down to slits. They were a sky-blue colour, a pure shade that often reminded Matsumoto of the endless ocean and its gentle rolling waves.
She had known Gin since… as long as she could remember. Matsumoto wasn't a natural member of the aristocratic ranks of the Kuchiki demon clan, to be so you would have to be borne as a baby into the family or get married to one of the members. This clan was one of, if not the most, strongest and powerful demon clan existing from centuries back. The members were trained from birth to be creatures of perfection, whether in combat for survival or professional life for economic purposes. The Kuchikis were strongholds of the Incubi-Succubi population, pillars of life-long refuge and luxury once you got past their doors. For that, the Kuchikis only chose elite members into their clan, demons whom they felt possessed characteristics that would serve useful in maintaining the high name and image of the clan.
Back before she became part of the clan, she and Gin lived as travellers, moving from place to place and never having a demon pack to belong to. Matsumoto was all right with it all but when she fainted one day from lack of human energy source (she refused to take on an occupation as a prostitute, which is what most Succubi did anyway as it guaranteed them an endless source of human life force and sexual satisfaction with some pocket money to boot), Gin decided to try to enter the Kuchiki demon clan. As all demons, he had heard of the high prestige the clan name bore and was determined to find a way into the higher class of Kuchikis. He was accepted on his first try and came home bloodied. When Matsumoto asked him what happened, he simply remarked that he was pitted against another fellow demon to determine who would defeat the other in combat. He said he did and was labelled with "The Persistent One". It was then that he told Matsumoto he never wanted her to have to cry or faint anymore, and that he would gladly offer his own demon life force to her. That very night, Matsumoto gave herself to him, engaging in her very first Sacred Exchange.
That was centuries back when Matsumoto entered as Gin's assistant in the Kuchiki demon clan. However, she quickly rose through the ranks (her surprising zest and personality was a fresh breath of air amidst all the strict formality) and formed a close bond with Abarai Renji, childhood friend of Kuchiki Byakuya. It wasn't long before Matsumoto herself became a sort of confidante to the young Kuchiki heir. She was worried about her own position surpassing Gin's but he appeared to be very content with everything they had, and his touches remained the same from the first day she met him. They kept their love affair subtle during office time, only few members of the clan knew they were life partners.
Matsumoto loved Gin, even though sometimes she wondered if she truly knew the person she was in love with. When she entered the Kuchiki clan, she learnt of the success of Gin's entrance into the clan and how famous it made him. It was true, he was pitted against a fellow demon to determine who was better in combat. Gin hadn't defeated his opponent, he killed him. It was what had impressed Kuchiki Ginrei at that time, who was overseeing the candidates selection. Gin's label was "The Merciless One".
"Hello?" Matsumoto injected a bright tone into her voice as she put her mobile to her ear. She was currently up against the wall of the hotel room, pinned by a half-unclothed Gin.
"Matsumoto."
"Oh, hello Byakuya!" Matsumoto smiled. Gin's eyes immediately resumed their slit-like appearance. "Enjoying Seattle? Because I really am!"
"Matsumoto, I believed I made it clear before I left Tokyo. I required three members of our clan as backup conference members here. I also believed I named those three members and that none of them went by the name of Ichimaru."
Matsumoto's eyebrows shot up. Hinamori, that girl is completely incapable of lying. She laughed slightly. "You didn't? My bad, I thought you did. I'm joking, I'm joking!" Matsumoto paused. "I apologize for that, Byakuya, but I needed some last-minute assistance…" At that moment, Gin leaned in to lick her neck. Matsumoto stifled a moan and pushed him back a little. "Plus it's Gin's first time in Seattle."
There was a long pause on the line. Matsumoto could almost see the ice shards forming through the telephone.
"Today is the day of the meeting, and tomorrow will be the last day for all of us in Seattle. I expect only the rightful three members to approach me for the conference today, I don't want any interruptions. Do I make myself clear, Matsumoto?"
"Yes, sir." Matsumoto breathed a silent sigh of relief. That was fine, Gin wasn't interested in the conference anyway. She flipped her mobile phone close and carelessly tossed it onto the couch, locking her hands around Gin as he advanced on her again.
"What did he say?"
"Nothing. Well, he did blow his top a little." Matsumoto grimaced slightly. "It should be fine though." She smiled as Gin started to kiss her neck again. "He just said you weren't allowed near the meeting."
Gin's hands and mouth suddenly stopped moving. "Did he?"
"Yes. It's not important, is it?" Matsumoto slipped the rest of Gin's shirt away from his body.
"No, of course not."
xXxXx
Renji strode into the dirty toilet cubicle and shut the door. He would have used the urinals but he was still feeling somewhat unconventional at the moment. That, and he decided to be kind enough not to decrease the self-confidence of the men standing there.
Man, I'm such a kind and giving person.
Renji had been swept off by Rukia's gang of friends to a nearby pub for the evening. He had been surprised that they actually drank though he noticed that Rukia barely touched the alcohol and had a glass of orange juice standing in front of her the whole time.
It was the fourth day today (the Seattle conference meeting day, if Renji correctly remembered it) and by the fifth, Byakuya would have finished at Seattle and would be preparing to come home. His job here was almost done. Renji also had the faint suspicion that Rukia and her friends were taking him out for what he believed was a sort of farewell drinks ceremony.
Humans.
They were so simple and found meaning in every little small outing or gesture. Maybe it was because they only lived for a short time anyway, and wanted to make that time as meaningful as possible. Renji didn't blame them, he felt it was rather refreshing anyway to experience this.
Renji zipped up his pants and got ready to unlock the cubicle door when he heard the men's main toilet door open.
"Wow, Renji can drink pretty well." He heard Grimmjow's voice as two pair of footsteps stepped into the toilet.
In spite of himself, Renji grinned. He had spent his entire lifetime on whiskeys, spirits, tequilas and the sort. Pretty well? He was a fucking wine barrel in itself, minus the tummy (his natural Incubi physique took care of that).
"I guess." Ichigo's voice agreed grudgingly. Renji's smirk got even bigger. So Strawberry was jealous? "Anyway, he's leaving tomorrow back to his town?"
"Yep."
"Does he know about the gala? Maybe he should come along, you know, for a final farewell or something."
"We will tell him tomorrow. At least he won't get to prepare so much stuff." Grimmjow's voice was evil.
Renji frowned. Gala? Tomorrow? What gala?
"Speaking about the gala, did you ask Nel out?" Ichigo inquired as he turned on the tap.
"Yeah I did. We will be going as partners and if that Renji tries to get in, I'm going to sock him in the stomach, friend or no friend."
Renji stifled a laugh. Try me anytime.
"What about you, Ichigo?"
"Solo. Rukia sort of said she wanted to go alone." Renji's eyes widened. Rukia alone? And Ichigo had asked her out for… this gala thing?
"Tough luck. Maybe something will happen tomorrow. You know, all the romantic music and stuff, they usually work for the girls."
"Yeah, I think tomorrow might be what I need to, you know, make some sparks happen."
"That's the spirit." The taps were turned off and Renji heard the footsteps withdraw from the toilet as the door closed.
The Incubus stepped out from his cubicle, a little confused. Gala night?
xXxXx
"Is something the matter?" Nel asked as she unlocked the dorm apartment and allowed her room mate to step inside first.
"Nothing." Rukia forced a hasty smile onto her face but her dorm mate wasn't one to be fooled. Nel grabbed hold of Rukia's hand and led her to the living room couch. She seated her friend down and sat down beside Rukia.
"You have been looking spacey for the past week. I have got to be one pathetic friend if I did not notice that. You just about floated through those pedicure-manicure sessions and the pub outing without saying anything." Nel stopped for a little while. "Did something happen with Bakoya?"
Rukia looked up in surprise. "What… made you say so?" Was she that obvious?
"Well, for starters, tomorrow's the gala night and I haven't seen you gushing about him being your gala partner."
Rukia looked away. "He's away to Seattle for a business trip. He's been away for a week now." She looked back at Nel, but her dorm mate was still giving her that concerned look. Rukia felt a small lump starting to form in her throat. She never did like making her friends worry about her, and hence shared little about her bad days with anyone else. She didn't want her friends to get affected because she knew she would be able to deal with it herself, so why share? But right now, Nel was worried. And Rukia, she owed it to herself and her dorm mate to at least tell the truth.
"We… fought." Rukia gave a small nod and avoided Nel's eyes. "I… I went for a movie with Ichigo, not knowing that night was his last night in Tokyo. He waited for me at my house and…" Rukia swallowed slightly as she was forced to relive that moment when Byakuya walked away from her, refusing to even look at her once. "… and he knew about Ichigo somehow despite him not walking me to my gate. He just told me he was leaving and left afterward. It was just those few words, and he refused to look at me." Rukia hurriedly swallowed the bitter feeling in her throat. "So…" She tried to inject a happy tone into her voice. "… I will be going solo for the gala night tomorrow, which would be fun anyway."
"Wait, Ichigo asked you out for a movie?" Nel questioned, her eyes wide.
Rukia nodded.
"So he… likes you?"
"I don't know… he said he wanted to get to know me better, but he wouldn't make us as friends be any more uncomfortable.
Nel nodded. "I would say he's interested then, Ichigo rarely asks girls out." She looked at Rukia. "This is really complex. Do you… like Ichigo too?"
Rukia looked up in shock. "No!" At that, Nel smiled softly. "I… I used to, you know, like him in that romantic way and wonder if he would ever ask me out. And then…" A small bitter smile curved Rukia's lips. "… he came along and… changed everything. You don't know how it's like." Rukia laughed softly. "He forces me to do what he wants, almost to the point of blackmail. He makes it a point to be where I will be forced to notice him, to give him attention. He likes to appear out of the blue, like a ghost, to come meet me at home or on campus. He even went secretly to Otousan at first so I won't be able to turn him away. Sometimes, he's like a spoilt, arrogant child." Rukia stopped for a bit. "And in the middle of it all… I fell in love with him."
"Oh Rukia…" Nel opened her arms when she saw the tears glistening in Rukia's eyes and Rukia relaxed into her dorm mate's embrace. She hugged Rukia tightly and rubbed her back. "It's going to be okay. He will return after the gala and you both will sort things out. And in the meantime, you will have fun with me tomorrow night, okay?"
Rukia smiled, her head on Nel's shoulder. "Arigato, Nel."
"Hey, no saying thank you. This is the least I can do, you do this for me at least once a week." Nel laughed and Rukia had to laugh with her.
xXxXx
Renji yawned slightly as he padded across the small apartment unit. The boys had drunk from dusk till dawn and Renji found himself staying over at Ichigo and Grimmjow's dorm, which was also shared by Shinji. He had drifted off around three in the morning on the couch and had jerked awake just three hours later. Renji had gone into the bathroom to ease himself before walking back to the living room to continue sleeping.
Renji collapsed on the couch and turned to his left to block out the morning sunlight making its way in through the window. As he did so, he caught sight of a bright piece of yellow paper on the coffee table. Despite his lethargic state, Renji reached out for it and lifted it to his eyes.
That pair of eyes widened as he took in the words.
xXxXx
"Good luck, Byakuya." Matsumoto smiled and winked.
Byakuya nodded, his face calm and unperturbed. They were standing in the lobby of yet another luxurious hotel, Crowne Plaza hotel. But this hotel was the true destination, where the meeting with the board of directors and shareholders was due to begin in an hour.
"Get ready, in case you are called up for an opinion. The directors can be tricky and they might want to see how the superiors reflect on their subordinates. Either that, or you might be called as my replacement."
"What? You going to drop dead from a heart attack in the meeting room?" Matsumoto joked, earning exasperated looks from Kira and Hinamori.
Byakuya checked through his files and laptop once and apparently satisfied, he pressed the button for the elevator. He turned back to his three assistants as the silver doors opened. "I will see you all when this is over."
"See you, Byakuya. You will kill it." Matsumoto shot him a thumbs-up.
"Good luck, Mister Kuchiki." Hinamori and Kira chimed in.
Byakuya nodded silently, as the doors closed on him.
Renji's eyes widened as he continued staring at the bright yellow flyer. He had read through the entire thing a total of three times. A gala night tonight, which was essentially a dance event in itself.
I think tomorrow might be what I need to, you know, make some sparks happen.
So there was going to be a gala dance tonight for Nagoya University students... for Rukia's university.
Byakuya couldn't have known about it, because if he had, he wouldn't have left Tokyo even if it was for a very important business deal. Renji knew Byakuya was way too possessive to even let a small dance go by, and he also knew Rukia knew as well. She had chosen not to tell Byakuya so he would go on to Seattle for the meeting. Renji's eyes shifted back to the words in the flyer.
Let the romance blossom under the stars.
I think tomorrow might be what I need to, you know, make some sparks happen.
This was good, it was a very good opportunity. If something happened between Rukia and Ichigo tonight, her relationship with Byakuya was as good as over. He had left her in tatters when he went off to Seattle like that. A well-timed presence in the form of Ichigo would definitely help Rukia, and it was at difficult times like these that love bonds form between individuals. Renji hadn't even had to do anything, any sabotage.
This was too good an opportunity to miss up.
But somehow, Renji's hands were clenched tight on the flyer and he wasn't feeling elated. His boss was going to be free off this ridiculous affair with a human, he should be happy. Heck, Byakuya himself should be happy.
I will honestly say I never believed this might have happened but… have you… fallen in love with this human girl?
Yes, I think I have.
I'm afraid because I… have fallen in love with him.
Renji shook his head. Love? Did they even understand what love was? She was just a twenty-something-year-old girl who looked like a sixteen-year-old and well, Byakuya was six hundred years old and a playboy.
Renji remembered the pain that shot through his entire body as Byakuya threw him into the wall, his grey eyes filled with barely contained rage when they had talked about Rukia. He also recalled Byakuya's then-odd behaviour when he unexpectedly exited the limo they were in when Renji mentioned about the fragile mortality of humans. And Renji remembered Rukia. Her easygoing personality and her honest-in-your-face front. He remembered her quiet words as she asked him if Byakuya ever loved the women he was with, her resigned smile, her laughter as she wiped away the tears.
Love.
Did both of them really loved each other?
Was it possible… that a demon and a human could love? Even if they did, would the love withstand the lines of mortality… or immortality?
Renji's hand scrunched up the flyer. Rukia should end up with Ichigo. He was the perfect man for her, he was… human. They could date, end up married, have children and die peacefully together at ninety, worn and grey. It would be impossible with Byakuya, he would never die, except maybe someone assassinating him on his Purification Period day (Renji hoped not). He might get old and grey someday, but that would take thousands of years (like Ginrei). How was it going to work…. how were they ever going to make it work?
It was impossible and this, right here, was the perfect solution.
Ichigo and Rukia would go to the dance and fall in love. Renji should probably help the process as well.
Have you… fallen in love with this human girl?
Yes, I think I have.
I'm afraid because I… have fallen in love with him.
Renji closed his eyes. She should end up with Ichigo, she really should-
Without thinking, Renji whipped out his mobile phone from his jeans pocket. His breathing was fast as he dialed the number.
Pick up before I change my mind, bastard.
"Hello?" Renji flinched slightly as he heard the female voice. What was this now?
"Hello, is Byakuya there?"
"Oh, Mister Kuchiki Byakuya is currently in an important meeting of the Azaris hotel corporation with the directors and shareholders. I'm the secretary in charge and he has left his mobile phone with me. May I know who's on the line and if I could take a message? Is this an emergency?"
Renji's eyes were wide in shock. The meeting had started already? He looked over at the clock on the wall, mentally calculating the sixteen hours difference between Seattle and Tokyo.
Fuck. Fuck this, fuck everyone. Why does Abarai Renji always get the fucking hardest bit?
"Hello? Or would you like to call back later?" The secretary's voice remained professionally crisp.
Byakuya stood in front of the huge meeting room, with its enormous glass-paned windows. The white screen behind him showcased his current presentation slide from the projector, which he had been elaborating on for the last three minutes. The meeting's progress so far was good, the members all gave Byakuya an overall good feeling and their undivided attention. If he could just finish this final presentation, Byakuya was rather confident of sealing a very important business deal for Azaris, and a precious milestone for his hotel corporation.
"The percentages from the year before-
Byakuya stopped when the meeting room door opened slightly and the female secretary poked her head in. "Excuse me, sirs. There is an important phone call for Mister Kuchiki." The secretary smiled apologetically.
"I apologize for the trouble and will answer the call later," Byakuya replied.
"The caller identified himself as Mister Abarai Renji. He says it has got to do with something about the job you had him do back in Tokyo."
Byakuya's eyes widened. Without so much as a second's hesitation, he addressed his audience. "If you all could excuse me for a few minutes. I am terribly sorry." The directors looked up in surprise as the young executive bowed and swiftly strode across the meeting hall to the door.
Byakuya's heart was pounding fast as he headed for the desk where the receptionist was smiling politely and holding up his mobile phone. Did something happen? Did something happen… to Rukia?
Byakuya took the mobile, his face emotionless despite his racing heart. "Renji?"
"Byakuya, get your ass back to Tokyo… right now."
That's it for Chapter 21. I hope you enjoyed it. :) I tried to make the progress as smooth as possible. Not much ByaRuki, more of GinRan instead. (I do like this pairing too actually, it's one of the more canon Bleach pairings, alongside UraYoru) ;) And Renji's conflict about this pairing, I tried to make it as interesting as well. XD
I have taken some time out to read some fics recently (some ByaRuki, some from other pairings. It's sort of a first for me because I RARELY read fanfics despite writing them - as I said, I write mostly for the pleasure of putting ideas down into words) because of the criticism about the OC Rukia in my writing from several reviewers. One in particular opened my eyes actually because the person sort of pinpointed a lot of things which made me go "Hey, yeah, that's sort of true." which I didn't actually realize previously. So kudos to that person but I've forgotten the name and I'm too lazy to go back through all the reviews and re-live the "drama" again.
Unfortunately though, the current plot does not allow me to abruptly change her personality to a gutsier one so you might be seeing MY Rukia sticking around for now. But I will definitely keep this point in mind for my next ByaRuki fic should i start writing one. (i think I've a pretty good idea of what people have been telling me)
Once again, hoped you liked the newest chapter. :)