xxi.
There is a buzz at his university; sort of exciting and stirring and dreamy (tch, girls) and it floods the hallways and some parts of the university field during free hours.
Probably a gossip, but Ichigo doesn't linger long enough to listen, and he doesn't care enough to even consider listening.
Apart from pretending to be nonchalant about life outside school hours, his little crush, his family, a small group of close friends – his attention to everything else is very fractured. Much so: university gossips have no hold on his attention.
But this one is persistent and when he finally caught wind of it, accidentally hearing it from two passing girls, he casually (meaning: answer-or-not-i-actually-don't-care) asks Keigo – who looks strangely grumpy and strangely quiet and strangely unenergetic beside him. Both of them waiting to cross the road.
"Dr. Kuchiki who?"
Keigo's eyes flashes then narrows, a strange mix of envy and veneration before bitterly answering, "Ph.D., new professor or something, I dunno, stuff like that." Stuff Ichigo positively doesn't care about. Right. Of course.
"Ahh," Ichigo shrugs, shoulders relaxing slowly, then turns away – disinterested, and takes a long survey of the sky and sees clumps of fat gray clouds looming closer. He decides to head home right before the first drop hits the ground. "Ahh…"
Another second and his attention is elsewhere. He briefly wonders if Yuzu would ask him to run grocery errand today, if Karin got home from her afternoon practice, and if Rukia has an umbrella with her-
But Keigo interrupts loudly, who obviously took the matter to heart, "Girls are weird. They like him already! The guy is grossly old but looks so young. A pretty boy! I bet he drank several virgins' blood!" He continues to wail. "I - we have him actually, tomorrow morning at 7 am. At 7 freaking am! He demanded that, ya know! What the fuck, right? I'm probably still jacking off in the showers. I'll turn up in my pajamas as a protest!"
Just before the streetlight turns green, Ichigo, wearing a look of an obvious exasperation, tells him: "Keigo, you're an idiot."
a/n: guest, guest2, guest, guest: still being lovely, thank you. angie, i'll probably tell when you're not expecting it.
hopelessromantic: ahh, there's a korean resto in katipunan ave i love, i liked their plum tea too much – i named myself plum.