Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its Characters. Bleach © Kubo Tite.
(A/N: Welcome, I'd like to thank all the folks who have been reading Ochi Story so far and everyone who's taken the time to review!)
Chapter 37: Invaderz
-Inoue Orihime's Residence-
Captain Hitsugaya of the 10th division, accompanied by Vice captain Matsumoto traveled to Inoue Orihime's residence. Matsumoto left no time for Inoue to speak and asked if they could stay at Inoue's home.
"Okay, please come in." Inoue smiled as she nodded.
"This is quite a nice place. Are you living here with someone else?" My vice captain asked much too forwardly.
"My brother used to live with me. But he died in an accident three years ago." Her tone was sad.
"Ah! I'm sorry so sorry!" Matsumoto frantically apologized to her.
"It's alright, Matsumoto-san. I'm not worried for him, I know he's okay." Inoue gain some confidence as she spoke.
"We'll try to stay out of your way." I spoke up from behind Matsumoto.
"Please don't worry about it, Hitsugaya-kun."
"It's going to be dinner time soon. I'm already starving!"
"If you guys aren't planning on buying anything, I can cook." Inoue nervously offered.
"Sure! I want to taste Orihime's cooking!" Matsumoto said energetically.
"I'll get some paperwork done." My tone was muted.
"Right. Hitsugaya-kun, please follow me."
Inoue was cooking in spite of only having the use of her right arm. She allowed me to do my paperwork in her spare room. She said it was her brother Sora's room before he passed away a few years ago. The room was mostly plain, with faded blue walls and dark wooden accents on the room's single window. The room was surprisingly big, around six full sized tatami mats. It had a clean desk available for me to use while she prepared our meal. I told her any food or utility cost that incurs during our stay will be refunded by the 10th division.
Matsumoto and Inoue were enjoying a very irrational conversation about the way apples made your mouth feel when you bite into them. If they don't like how it makes them feel, they shouldn't bother eating it.
I'm personally surprised they're getting along as well as they are. Especially since Matsumoto and I both came here without warning. I have some trouble believing in Inoue's kindness. It seemed so unnatural and naïve for a person to look upon others without doubt or suspicion. Perhaps she is too young and has not experienced enough disappointment and betrayal.
It was amazing that she wasn't killed earlier. That one blow from that arrancar should have crushed her skull and caused her brain to explode out the back of it. It's possible that she is more spiritually dense and durable than the average human body. Even the large one Sado, whose right arm broke from a single strike. Could she have more reiatsu than Sado?
A sweet and peppery smell floated into the spare room. Was something burning? I stood up from the desk and exited the room. The strange smell was stronger and heavier now, and there were other smells apparent as I walked into the kitchen area. Sweet, peppery, bitter, and salty. All were in the air at the same time. How many dishes did Inoue prepare?
I cleared my throat while Inoue was still cooking and Matsumoto was sticking her fingers into bowls.
"Hitsugaya-kun, are you hungry already?" Inoue asked me merrily. I wanted to correct her on how to address me, but I did not want to break her concentration on stirring her... soup?
"Not yet." I answered emotionlessly.
"Captain~, taste this, it's good!" Matsumoto presented the pink plastic bowl she that she stuck her fingers into repeatedly. Inside the bowl, was what I could only describe as, 'brown mush'?
"Could I have a spoon to try this?" I sighed with reluctance. With all of my heart, I did not want to eat this.
Inoue was the one to bring me a spoon; her eyes were full of kindness and delight. I cannot allow myself to be rude and reject her kindness. I took the small spoon from right left hand and took a small bit of the 'brown mush' from the bowl. My mouth was a small opening when I brought the spoon to my lips. The brown mush did not linger in my mouth for a moment as I immediately swallowed it. In spite of that I was not spared any of its taste. It was sweet, chocolate with red bean, but it was also salty, because of the particles of fried fish mixed in. There was also another flavor, one I couldn't identify, but it was sour as well.
"Isn't it good?" Matsumoto asked me with a gleeful tone.
"What is this, exactly?" My voice could barely escape my lips; I could not allow myself to vomit or gag.
"It is chocolate fish, with red bean paste and mustard!" Inoue spoke with a warm smile. I wondered if there was a cruel person that existed behind her smile.
"Thank you… for that." I said in a muted voice while setting the small metal spoon down in the sink. "I still have work to do, excuse me."
-Ochi Misato's residence-
After our bath was done, Urahara left to oversee something he had ordered that was arriving at the seaport. He told me that he ordered some stones for a construction project he was going to work on in the near future. I asked him what he was going to build with the stone he ordered, and he told me it was a surprise and that I would only get to see it when it was finished.
A while after he left, I was hungry but feeling too lazy to cook anything. I felt like getting a teriyaki burger from Lotteria. The nearest one was four kilometers away in the shopping district. It's too far and they don't deliver.
I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and called Kazehana Corp.'s nearest employee.
"Inai-desu." The voice I've heard before this week spoke through the speaker
"Inai-san, are you busy right now? I'm at my home and I need you to drive me somewhere." I tried, unsuccessfully, not to sound impatient.
"Where would you like to go?" He asked me in a calm voice.
"I'm hungry and I've got a craving for a teriyaki burger from Lotteria."
"I can pick that up for you, Ochi-sama." He sounded very employee-like.
"I'd rather eat it there when it's hot." I hummed while thinking of my meal.
"Okay then, I will be on my way to pick up Ochi-sama." he said, still sounding professional. I wonder if he's really cursing me on the inside. Something like, 'Hungry lady go walk and get it yourself!'
"Thanks, Inai-san."
Before he came, I went to change clothes into something more casual. I put on a dark red cashmere turtleneck with a dark gray taffeta flared knee length skirt that was decorated with a flowery lace design of the same color. Lastly, I put on jet black tights. I brushed my hair a little and applied some light make up on my face. This was going to be my first meeting with this 'Inai person' so I should make the effort to look nice.
The doorbell rang and I walked downstairs. I opened the door to find a handsome young man standing on my doorstep. He had brown hair and kind hazel eyes. His face was handsome with a hint of boyishness, but was painted with a serious expression. His face reminded me of someone but I couldn't place my finger on it.
"Ochi-sama, I hope I did not keep you waiting," he said with a calm and beautiful voice. His voice was melodic and sweet, I wonder if his real day job is being a teen idol. He's got the looks and voice for it, I can tell.
"Of course not, I'm glad you were able to arrive here so promptly." My thoughts were exploding with excitement, confusion and nervousness. However, my body and facial reactions were completely calm.
I stepped into black ankle high boots. My grandfather said that they were made out of real alligator leather. I don't know if he was joking or if it was true, but I try not to think about what animal I'm walking on.
Inai's car was different from the other cars that were driven by Kazehana Corp.'s employees. Instead of being an armored black Mercedes, it was a strange looking two door black sports car instead. It looked like it was from some high budget sci-fi movie, because of the angler shape of the car.
"What kind of car is this?" I asked him while sliding into the passenger seat.
"This is a 2006 Lamborghini Murcielago," he said while turning on the engine. Whoa!
The fingers of his gentle hand tapped the touch screen of the GPS in the center of the car. He touched a few things before Lotteria's address showed up on screen. With the directions set, he backed up his car out of my driveway and sped off.
I don't know how much this car costs, but I was too afraid to touch anything. My hands were clasped together tightly as I tried to keep my gaze on the window. He was driving a little fast and the passing scenery was making me a bit dizzy. I did not want to outright stare at him either. I couldn't do it because it would be rude of me to stare at him, and because I only have eyes for Urahara-san. Though he was handsome and mysterious and kind, there was something else that made me want to stare at him. I thought making some conversation would allow me to look at him more.
"Um, how old are you, Inai-san?" I turned to my right and looked at him; waiting for his answer.
"I'm 23 years old. I turned 23 in March." he spoke again with his sweet and gentle toned voice.
"Really, I just turned 23 last month." I smiled widely. I didn't think that this guy and I had anything in common.
"How long have you been working for the Kazehana Corporation?" That question was generic enough. I really just want to hear him speak again.
"Since I was 16, I worked part time for the company. But within the last year, I have been working full time." His angelic voice was tinged with a tone of sadness. I felt myself moved by it, and I suddenly wanted to give this man everything! What a powerful feeling to suddenly feel, all because of the emotion in his voice.
I didn't think much of my reply when I said, "Oh, I didn't know that Kazehana Corp. hired people who were at the high school level."
"They always have a few positions available at every level." His tone became more relaxed.
"It must pay well enough for you to be able to drive a car like this." My stupid mouth! Kami-sama, I shouldn't be saying rude comments like that!
"This is a company car, actually," he corrected me.
"Oh, I was under the impression that Kazehana Corp. only bought black Mercedes." I've seen them my whole life!
"There are many different brands of cars that the Corporation purchases." He smiled warmly at me, and I nearly gasped!
It was so odd. I thought this person looked familiar, but I couldn't really tell for sure. My heart was pounding, it shook my existence. I never expected to ever see someone like him, ever. I took in my breaths as well as I could, but my buried thoughts were escaping. Flashes of memories and light entered my vision.
The feeling that overwhelmed me was the saddest and strangest feeling that I've ever felt in my life. I couldn't even see it because I was too taken with this man's natural handsomeness. But this man looks very similar to my father. Almost just like my father in his youth. More boyish than manly like my father, but the resemblance is clear. I really wanted to take a look at my father's picture in my wallet to make sure I wasn't just jumping to conclusions, but I couldn't do it right then.
Within a few minutes, we arrived at a parking garage. His car was guided to a first level section that was reserved for very expensive cars. I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the handle to open the door. Inai was already on my side of the car and was holding it open for me. When I stepped out of the car, I realized how cold it had gotten! I crossed my arms in a defensive form while walking toward the exit.
"Ochi-sama is cold?"
"Yes, I should have brought my coat with me."
"I will purchase a new coat for Ochi-sama."
"No, don't, thank you. We're going to be indoors soon."
He unbuttoned his form fitting charcoal blazer and took it off. Inai walked behind me with his blazer in hand. I stopped walking because it would have been kind of ridiculous to let him follow me while he tried to place his blazer on me. I just took the blazer from him and stuck my arms through it. It seemed like his blazer was made out of lightweight wool, and it felt pretty warm. He kept his pace behind me as we walked towards Lotteria.
Without his blazer, he looked like a very clean cut salary man with his charcoal suit pant and white collared shirt. The only things that made him stand apart from them were his handsome features, the silver fitting vest,and the French style cuffs of his collared shirt that looked tailor made just for him. As we stepped into Lotteria, we looked like a high end couple on a low end date.
I ate my teriyaki burger in silence while Inai sat across from me. He was watching me eat. I had a lot of manners and etiquette training at the Kazehana mansion, but I don't think it prepared me to eat a burger politely. I was using napkin after napkin to nervously wipe any sauce off of my mouth. I started to run out of napkins and he left the table to get more. I tried to finish off my burger with my violent way of eating.
Most of the people in the seating area who should have been minding their own business spent their time staring at both Inai-san and me. I heard whispers left and right.
'He's gorgeous!'
'What's he doing with her?'
'Her haircut is too short.'
'Maybe I'll give him my number.'
'We should all give him our numbers!'
'Go talk to him.'
'No I'm too embarrassed, you go talk to him.'
'It would be wrong you guys, look at her left hand, she's wearing a ring!'
'Oh my God, no way!'
"Here." He set the neat stack of napkins on the table.
"Thanks." I said in a muffled voice, with my left hand covering my mouth to hide my unsightly chewing.
I took a long sip of my Calpis soda while he continued to watch my every move. I wiped my mouth again because I'm messy, even while drinking soda out of a straw. I'm probably the most ill mannered woman in Japan. My movements and actions are not graceful at all. I'm on a default setting of clumsy. Even the Eating Princess is graceful while eating. I've never seen her spill soy sauce or food on her face or clothing, while food and sauces seem to have a gravitational pull to my body.
"You're not hungry, Inai-san?"
"No, I already had my dinner at the hotel I have been staying at."
"Oh, you're living in a hotel? You didn't have to rent out a room; you could have stayed at my house. I have a guest room."
"The hotel I reside in is one that is owned by Kazehana Corp."
I should have figured as much.
"You mean the Hotel Red in central Tokyo? That's quite a commute."
"It does not bother me. I have been driving to the school. It is much faster than taking the train and having to transfer to a bus route."
"You mean you drive your Lamborghini to Karakura high school?" My eyes widened.
"Yes." He answered.
"And park it in the parking lot?" My heart started to sync out of its rhythm.
"I have parked there for all the days I have substituted for you." He said in his normal tone. How can he be so calm?!
"What did people say when they saw you driving it?" My ears braced themselves for his next answer.
"Both the students and faculty were excited when they saw it. I informed them it was a company car that I got to drive because of my position as a top aide. My basic job description is, 'Someone who can do anything'." He said with a gorgeous voice!
"Really, well I'm just going to call you, 'Odd jobs man'." I laughed loudly at my own joke.
He grimaced with disapproval. Did I insult him? He should be able to tell that I'm not cool.
"I'm sorry I can be a bit insensitive. If you think you job title is really important, then that's who you are!" I said while pointing at him.
He chuckled happily. Pleased? I titled my head at him. It was my turn for confusion.
"Forgive me. I think that you are quite strange compared to Chitose-san."
"I got it from him." I huffed.
He chuckled again, "I think if the circumstances weren't like how they are, I really would fall for you."
"What are you saying? I'm engaged and pregnant and you're boss. Even if I wasn't with someone, and not pregnant, and not..."
"The circumstances need to be beyond even that."
"You're married?" I asked him impulsively.
"No."
"Girlfriend?" I was still being impulsive.
"None. I am really quite particular." The tone of his voice seemed to flex and swirl as he spoke.
We exited Lotteria and walked back to the car. Our conversation continued from there.
"So, what kind of girls are you into?" Me being impulsive, part III.
"Someone who is: kind, good natured, intelligent, humorous, and completely unaware of all of those qualities." He smiled as he listed all of the things he wanted in a woman.
"Eh? You just named a shoujo manga heroine!" I scolded him with my arms crossed.
He laughed ferociously while stepping on the gas. I get the feeling he's not going to tell me what kind of girls he's really into.
"How have my students treated you?" I felt a little curious.
"They're good. There are a few that have been injured from the shockwave of the meteor. One student, Ishida Uryuu, has been temporary pulled from the class by his father because of an illness. I was told that Ishida will be on independant study at his father's hospital. Another student, Inoue Orihime fell from the top of her stairs onto the ground. Her left arm is injured and in a cast, and she also suffered a concussion." he spoke honestly.
She really is top-heavy. But I didn't know Ishida was sick. I thought he was just a stuck up nerd. He must have low blood pressure. No wonder he was always in a bad mood all of the time.
"What lesson plan are you on right now?"
"We've covered English grammar from chapters 24 through 29 from last week until today. There is supposed to be a quiz on the vocabulary key words tomorrow before the weekend starts."
"Eh they're that far already? You've put my class ahead by week's schedule compared to the other first year classes."
"Your students are very attentive. Oh, I need to finish grading their homework needs to be given back to them tomorrow."
"Ah I'm sorry Inai-san. I pulled you away from that because I was hungry."
"It is not a problem. Your needs are a priority above others." He adopted a robotic Kazehana employee tone of voice.
I didn't know how to reply to that. Being treated like royalty is on the creepy side. We sat in silence while I tried to scratch for something else to say. Asking about his family may be too personal of a question to ask. I shut my eyes and thought about favorite colors, favorite foods, or drinks. No! All of my questions are not cool!
I sulked in the car seat as I turned my attention to the electric signs of businesses and advertisements.
"Oi… we're in Tokyo." I spoke meekly.
"Hmmm?" He hummed with his eyes on the road.
"You were supposed to take me back… to my house." I said coyly.
"Oh! My apologies! I have been so used to driving back to the hotel…" He was in a state of panic.
"Don't worry! You can grade the rest of the homework then take me back. Okay?" I attempted to calm him down.
He pulled his car into Hotel Red's valet parking area. Both doors were opened simultaneously. His car was driven away by some random guy as he and I entered the extravagant hotel lobby.
Sitting on a roof top of a building, underneath the night sky, two young men from the 11th division enjoyed a ready-made meal from a food and drink store of the Human realm.
"Don't you think it's strange, Yumichika?" Ikkaku commented while examining his last plastic wrapped salmon flake onigiri.
"What's strange?" Yumichika asked while still keeping his eyes on the street lights that were turned on one by one.
"This thing, this onigiri! To be able to make something this pretty with someone's hands, to be able to squeeze such tasty things inside of it...! And to make the setup of it all to seem extra grand, the mysterious clerks have the origiri all lined up perfectly. It's been like that with each shop we visited! And according to those clerks, they claimed that they receive shipments to restock their fresh items every day! I'm afraid that this too much for my rational mind to accept as truth."
Yumichika sat quietly, offering no response to his friend's speech.
"And, for that clumsy clerk girl to have such abilities, I never could possibly imagine that! I bet that there is some guy back there behind her pulling all of the strings!!!"
"What an unexpected meeting indeed. That is the same thought that entered my mind as well."
There was a disturbance that could be felt in the air. A violent flurry of different wavelengths could be felt darting left and right, expanding and growing stronger with each passing second.
"This is?" Yumachika stood up.
"Yeah, it looks like Aizen's toy hollows showed up." Ikkaku spoke with a confident tone.
"What a view!" I exclaimed while admiring the floor to ceiling windows of Inai's luxury suite.
His suite was located on the 40th floor, and it has a spectacular view of Tokyo's city skyline and Tokyo Tower itself. It was simply stunning! I pressed my right hand on the glass to make sure it was really there. When I touched it, my hand was repelled with a stinging sensation. Is it like that to keep idiots from touching the glass?
No, it feels different. My right hand still felt like it was burning a little. I stared in the direction of Karakura town and wondered if something strange was happening again. The energy I was feeling, felt sinister in nature. I tried to concentrate on it, but it felt unstable and chaotic. As if there were many things out there that were giving off the crazy energies that I could sense.
"It's strong hollow energy." Crazy's voice said.
"I figured as much." I said aloud.
"Excuse me?" Inai looked up at me from one of the cream leather couches in the room.
"Oh." I started to laugh, "That my grandfather would arrange for you to have such a great room. You sure are lucky."
"He only gave me what was still available. The cheaper rooms here are all rented out." He chuckled nervously.
Before I could say anything else, my phone started ringing. I walked over to my purse to pick it up. Urahara is calling me?
"Urahara-san?" I hoped this wasn't a booty call.
"Misato, where are you right now?" His voice was frantic.
"Oh you know, I'm with another man right now, in his hotel room. Did I mention he's drop dead gorgeous?" I said with a casual tone.
"Of course you are." He did not believe me. "Miss Misato, can I ask you to stay wherever you are until I call you again? Karakura is not a safe place right now."
"Okay?" I was confused. He is right about something dangerous happening in Karakura.
"Stay safe." He said before he hung up.
"Inai-san, ah I'm sorry to do this but, I can't leave here until Urahara-san calls me back." I said with no confidence.
"Why is that?" he asked with a perplexed expression.
"I don't know, maybe it's a surprise!" I said while clapping my hands once and held them in at position.
"Is there something I can get for Ochi-sama?" Inai asked me while standing up.
"No thanks. I think I'll just watch TV and wait until Urahara-san calls back." I sat down on the couch at faced the giant flat screen TV.