Note: There are no true photos or media associated with this story. Also, I'm not Japanese; sorry in advance if I got something incorrect.
ARAMA! | 14 Apr. 2018
Asano Kiego
"Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia Announce Engagement"
[photo]
"TOKYO—After nearly two years of dating, FC Tokyo's center forward Kurosaki Ichigo, 28, and Hikikomori star Kuchiki Rukia, 30, are engaged.
"The announcement came via a joint press release from the footballer and actress' respective management in the early hours of the morning.
"'We would like to thank our fans for their unwavering support during this time," reads a line of the press release."
[photo]
"Although the couple likes to keep details of their relationship private, it seems family members have been waiting for quite some time to publicly congratulate the two, leading some fans to question if the engagement has lasted longer than previously believed.
"'Yay Rukia-nee!'" tweeted Kurosaki's younger sister Yuzu with an accompanying photo of her and fraternal twin Karin embracing the pair. The couple and their families were recently seen on holiday together in Fukuoka. Although it can be believed that Kuchiki is showing off the ring in question, the quality of the image makes it difficult to currently gather details at this time."
[photo]
"While the couple's relationship seems to be proceeding in a way fans and commentators have expected, their beginning had all the makings of a popular Jdrama. In 2016, several media outlets, including ARAMA! paired Kurosaki with award-winning singer !hime (b. Inoue Orihime). The pairing, dubbed "IchiHime" by the performer's fanbase, took a strange turn when fans noticed sparks flying between the footballer and actress. It was months later in an hour-long Instagram Live video that !hime revealed her relationship with Kurosaki to be a hoax orchestrated by her former manager Gilga Nnoitra.
"At this time, there is no word on the wedding date."
Orihime had only just arrived back home from the studio, safe away from the paparazzi and their questions, as well as the well-meaning concerns of her manager extraordinaire Matsumoto Rangiku. Even Kensei, her bodyguard, was leaving her to her thoughts.
And despite what people at MTV thought ("Are !hime and Recluse Producer Ulquiorra Cifer Music's New Couple?"—MTV Japan), she didn't expect her collaborator to use the track they'd been working on as a feign to check in. As nocturnal as he was, he was probably sleeping.
She herself was bone-tired after that all-nighter ("!hime Remains Silent About Upcoming Project"—M-On!) but she was fighting sleep to read the news story herself.
There was the first photo, the one with Kurosaki-kun, his sisters, and Kuchiki-san. And the second one was from Kurosaki-kun's shoe launch party…that was his deal with Nike if she had the details right ("As the Dust Settles on IchiHime vs. IchiRuki, Kurosaki Renews Contract with Shoe Giant Nike"—MARR). The pair had been dressed in navy blue—he in a simple Robert Cavalli shirt, white jeans, and the signature sneaker, and she in a suit of the same color and bright orange heels, Louboutin brand Pigalle.
Both sported tortoise-shelled glasses and while Kuchiki-san's gaze was centered on the camera, Kurosaki-kun's gaze was solely focused on her.
Orihime couldn't help but wonder about what his eyes were saying behind those dark lenses. She'd learned the hard way that it was always important to watch Kurosaki's eyes; they spoke the most.
"I remember this," she murmured to herself. "They used this photo for that other article."
She hit the site's search bar and got to typing. It didn't take her long to find the article she was looking for, the one they wrote back when Kuchiki-san working on set for Hikikomori signaled the end of their romance
"Could It Be IchiRuki Is Cooling Off?"
And, of course, there was that same old line everyone used when talking about Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san:
"Kurosaki, center forward for FC Tokyo, had been seen with the singer !hime prior to time rumors between he had Kuchiki began over 18 months ago. It was later revealed by the singer that the pairing, dubbed 'IchiHime' by her followers, was a hoax arranged…"
Orihime scoffed loud enough to get Kensei's attention, but kept him away. If the paparazzi had been an indicator, the whole of Japan was waiting for her to speak—to support, to condemn—so, for now, she was sticking to the backseat of her SUV.
She pressed the app for Twitter ("Trending in Japan: #IchiRukiWedding 38.4K Tweets") and waited for the right words to come.
Excerpt from "Maxim's 2015 Hot 100 List"
[photo]
"!hime ( !himeofficial) – 10.7 million Instagram Followers
"Question: Is it idol-turned-breakout star !hime's (b. Inoue Orihime) sweet voice or sweeter curves that have us listening to her on repeat? The answer? Both."
# # #
Excerpt from GQ Japan
"Football's Rising S-n" | July 2015
BY Hirako Shingi | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Aikawa Love
"He sips his soda and there's the smile I'd been waiting on all day: the pearly-white teeth and a crinkle at the corners of his brown eyes. That tough-guy look is gone and in its place is that glow. There's even the little head nod.
"And that's when I get it: sure, the burger and fries tasted good. Like how his Nike ads look good and his Cutlass looks good. But the bite itself was the warm-up; an interview, a photo-op—a necessity, a thing that's done before getting to what's truly the best part: the sip of soda.
"Kurosaki lives for the sips—that sweet part between the madness. When the cheering fans, blinding headlights and stampede of bodies fade away and his foot connects with leather and rubber. It's that time when the ball sails through the air and hits the back of the net: that time when things that were supposed to happen went the way he wanted; that he did everything he had to do just for that. And it's all worth it.
"He's not exactly happy 'doing it all'—the interviews and appearances, the photoshoots, meetings with his management, escaping the paparazzi (or hell, having to run through them just to get to his car)—but if it means he can get those sips in…"
# # #
Orihime had a stage name, a record deal with Kyōka Suigetsu Records, a successful debut album, and two Moonman statues ("!hime Wins Big at Last Night's VMAs"—MTV Japan) when the rumors about her and Kurosaki-kun started.
Her old manager. Nnoitra-san. According to him, she had done half the work already, stumbling over her words and saying Kurosaki's name on stage like that ("Fans, Kurosaki Ichigo Get a Shout-Out During !hime's Adorable Acceptance Speech"—MTV Japan). And with him mentioning her in an article a while before the VMAs ("Kurosaki Ichigo Admits Siblings Teach Him About Pop Culture"—Tokyo Weekender), it was publicity that wrote itself. Just in time to secure a couple deals ("!hime Announced as Latest Face for Covergirl"— ; "Golden Voice"—cover story for Seventeen) the opening slot for Kumi Koda's next tour.
The next thing she knew, a meeting had been set up for the two of them at Le Chateau de Joel Robuchon in Meguro. All black furniture and bright yellow walls with the curls and swirls of French architecture. They'd eaten out in the open, which she honestly should've noticed sooner (he had mentioned that their meeting was going to be "real low-key, real private"), but she had been preoccupied by her outfit. The Moshino dress Nnoitra-san told her wear rode up when she walked and it showed enough of her back and sides that Nnoitra-san was able to casually pinch her skin and murmur that she should just order a salad ("How to Get !hime's Hourglass Figure"—Women's Health Japan).
Kurosaki had worn a utility jacket, t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers ("Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Boyfriend's Style—FRAU). He had offered the seat where not everyone would be able to see her at once and even pulled out her chair. He had ordered a steak and then dessert, something with alcohol cooked in and topped with strawberries.
She couldn't remember what they talked about before then. Only that he had offered her a piece and then, after noting her hesitance to accept, promised to keep her single bite a secret.
Orihime had felt their gaze, Nnoitra-san and Kurosaki-kun's own manager, a tough guy with aquamarine hair, at her back, but Kurosaki-kun's glance at her was so much stronger. She had thought to herself that he was being so nice and it would be rude to not take up his offer.
And really, she was glad that she had; that cake had tasted so heavenly.
At one point, he asked her, "Are you having fun with all of this, Inoue-san?" His fork gestured ever so slightly, pointing out the extravagance of it all.
It somehow reminded her how few times she heard the honorific in a day. Everyone just called her !hime, and Nnorita-san called her "Pet." And because it was so normal, and she didn't know that he was talking about the Big Picture, about things bigger than lunch, she had smiled.
"Of course, I'm having fun, Kurosaki-kun! Don't worry about me."
She hadn't known that the look in his eyes gave his question a different meaning. So when he smiled back at her, politely, she felt the wrong type of butterflies floating in her tummy.
Photos of their lunch together leaked to the press. And that was all the media needed to become the oil and match: "!hime Fan Snags Pic of Singer and Kurosaki Ichigo Leaving French Restaurant" ( ).
And for Nnoitra-san to become the flame. He started leaving the studio, the gym, her choreography lessons, her apartment the label gave her, and even the car abruptly to answer his phone privately. The calls seemed split in three ways: Kumi Koda's people, Grimmjow-san and the media. Orihime started telling which was which: he always said the words "enough" and "more" when he talked to Kumi Koda's reps ("That's not enough," "I was thinking she'd get more of…"); made his voice as syrupy as it could be when someone from some paper or magazine called; smiled ear-to-ear when Grimmjow-san called.
Despite needing to get ready for the tour—more rehearsals and run-throughs and appointments for fittings—she wound up going to so many appearances. Nnoitra-san seemed to know where Kurosaki-kun was. And despite what had to be Kurosaki-kun's busy season ("FC Tokyo in Top Shape as Season Continues On"—Daily Sports Online), he seemed to be everywhere as well.
It felt like fate because it seemed like no matter what, they were beside each other. And photographers were always shouting for them to pose together at step-and-repeats. She obliged them, fitting her body against his side and looking forward.
She never noticed that his hand always hovered over her bare shoulder ("7 Times Kurosaki Ichigo Has Respected !hime"—Buzzfeed Japan). Only that while the high-beam flashes and slight head turns to give each paparazzo their fair shot for the papers, the reporters, the blogs and opinion columns ("Should Girls Want !hime's Curves?"—op-ed from The Japan Times), she'd look over at him and see him looking up at the cameras and smiling too.
Orihime found herself feeling like the reporters and photographers knew something that she didn't. And so, she read the articles Nnoitra-san let pile up in the studio. They all came back to the same old things: her being a singer and him being an athlete seemed to "work together," and that she was lucky to have attention from a guy like him ("Is Kurosaki Ichigo Giving Up the Bachelor's Life"—Esquire Japan online article).
By the time she opened for Koda-san's tour, many things had happened.
Some things she had hoped for. Like good reviews of her opening act ("!hime, Kurosaki Pairing '#Ichihime' Trends on Twitter"—Metropolis Magazine online article). The success of her second single release ("Could New !hime Single Be About Kurosaki Ichigo?"—Billboard Japan).
Others she hadn't known were happening ("Kurosaki Ichigo Severs Ties With Management"—The Japan Times;"On Twitter, !hime Announces 'Goodnight' Music Video in Early Works, Teases Fans About Her 'Leading Man' in Early Morning Tweets"—M-On!).
Or worse: things Nnorita-san had purposely kept from her ("Kurosaki Ichigo Cites Mismanaged Funds in Lawsuit Against Manager"—online article for J Sports channel; "A Breakdown of Koda Kumi's Tour Expenses"— ; "For Kyōka Suigetsu Records, It's Clear: !hime Is An Investment"— ).
But the one thing she hadn't counted on at all was Kuchiki Rukia.
Excerpt from Numéro TOKYO
"Actress: Take 2" | August 2014
By Ise Nanao | Photos Yamada Hanatarō
"…What should have been a non-issue, the quiet termination of an ex —ex-personal trainer, ex-bodyguard — turned into a public exposé on Instagram: Kuchiki, walking through an apartment dressed in an oversized t-shirt and lace underwear; Kuchiki, sitting poolside and drunkenly lip-syncing Xcution; Kuchiki, meeting Abarai's lips for a kiss far removed from her teen Jdrama days. And under each minute-long frame was the same caption, 'You act like you're leaving me behind, but maybe I'm leaving you. The [you] you'll be when you get wrapped up in that fake sh-t again.'
"I ask the question—'Did what happened with Abarai Renji ever make you second-guess coming back?'
"There's a flash of something in the actress' amethyst eyes. But the expression passes, cools. She doesn't talk about the videos, the war that erupted behind them on social media the days following or the shukanshi encampment outside her apartment building in the days following. Nor does she mention the video of best friend and personal assistant Arisawa Tatsuki directly confronting Abarai outside his own apartment. Or dispel rumors of her big brother, media mogul Kuchiki Byakuya, stepping in to quietly remove all trace of the videos or, later, his own lawsuit against Abarai for breach of contract.
"'I definitely felt all the things any person, male or female, would feel: shame, embarrassment—all of it. I didn't keep myself from crying, but I refused to feel like a victim. I felt like if I thought of myself as one, I would be trading one box for another. There are thousands, millions, of people who go through that and become brave and move past it. I wanted to be that, too.
"'So, I went through the tissues and my feelings for seven days. And then on the eighth day, I told myself if I went into another box, it would be [because] I made it. And, at any time, I could cut it down with an ax or a sword and rebuild it however I wanted it to be.'
"If Kuchiki truly believes herself to hold a sword before her greatest opponent—public opinion—then, she wields it quite well. Her first strike has been playing love interest to Xcution's Ginjo Kugo in the music video 'Fullbringer (Hellbringer),' the band's first single off their upcoming album.
"Getting the gig had been easy enough—the lead singer sent Kuchiki a series of public tweets, at one point calling the role 'the best type of revenge.' Though Kuchiki responded publicly in kind that she doesn't 'do' revenge, she certainly was intrigued enough to accept the offer.
"The role can come across as a type of catharsis: she doesn't shy away from a delinquent side, pretending to shoplift from a 7/11 and make out sessions-turned-lover's quarrels in the span of a few frames. And admittedly, you get the feeling that she's pointing out that she can make any kiss look real. That it's more important for onlookers to figure out if they feel real, if they are real—because she's not telling.
"But the most exciting thing happens at the three-minute mark: the part where she spits at Ginjo and it lands right at his bottom lip. It's the frame that makes commenters rejoice and leave timestamps for others to watch over and over again. It's a rallying cry for feminists; it's a nail in the coffin for ex-whatevers; it's the departure from her teen years. And above all, it's the reason why the video's been hailed and condemned in four languages and has over 3.5 million views on YouTube.
"Ginjo said to ARAMA! in the early days of the video's controversy, 'Me and [music video director] Kanonji, we were so scared to ask her to spit at me. I think we flipped a coin to see who was gonna do it and he lost. So he asks, and she was like, 'Yeah," and starts drinking all this water. So she's ready! And we [started] filming and she nails me! And I think I was thinking, like, Kuchiki Rukia used to voice Chappy Bunny and do a Jdrama and now she's literally spitting in my face? It's a top ten career moment for sure.'"
# # #
Tokyo Times | 27 Oct. 2016
Komomura Sajin
"Kuchiki Rukia Attacked, Kurosaki Ichigo Wounded at 'Hollow' Premiere"
"TOKYO – Actress Kuchiki Rukia was attacked moments after stepping unto the red carpet for the premiere of the Urahara Kisuke thriller Hollow. The attack, led by a spectator who is now in custody, has also left FC Tokyo forward Kurosaki Ichigo with sustained injuries.
"Kuchiki is most known for her childhood roles as the original voice of beloved children's character 'Chappy' and her role in Jdrama Jinsei no Rōka.Hollow is Kuchiki's first live-action project since graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2015. In the film, she plays the love interest of actor Fukushi Sota's character.
"Soon after her arrival, there was a commotion from the bleacher seats where spectators often catch a glimpse of their favorite stars. A tall male figure wearing a mask in the style of the movie's monsters breached barriers and evaded security before attacking the actress with a deadly weapon believed to be a knife. She was allegedly stabbed no less than three times when Kurosaki intervened.
"Kurosaki, who himself had been attending the premiere with his younger sisters, attempted to aid security in detaining the assailant. What resulted was a scuffle that left the footballer with sustained injuries as well.
"Both celebrities were quickly rushed to the nearby emergency room."
"More information on this story will be available as news develops on Kuchiki Rukia's and Kurosaki Ichigo's condition.
"-Komomura Sajin is a contributing writer for the Tokyo Times."
# # #
Orihime had expected Nnoitra-san to make her run to Kurosaki-kun's bedside the moment the news broke ("Media Mogul Kuchiki Byakuya, Kurosaki's Father Rush to Hospital in Aftermath of Attack"—The Tokyo Times). And maybe that had been the plan at some point, but she had thought it was discarded because of "Goodnight." Her days had been filled with practicing dance sequences, fittings and rehearsals alongside a man who wore a wig to look like Kurosaki-kun ("!hime Fans Displeased with Kurosaki Look-Alike Higasi Shūhei in New Music Video"—Buzzfeed Japan).
If she had had a chance to step back, maybe she would have noticed the increase of phone calls with Kurosaki-kun's manager ("Kurosaki Joins in Mass Lawsuit Against Former Management Company"—The Japan Times). Or even the other things Nnoirta-san hadn't wanted her to see; what he had been doing behind her back ("No. 1 at Any Cost? A Breakdown Into !hime's Most Expensive Video to Date"—M-On!; "Is !hime Missing Kurosaki? There May Be More to the Latest Behind-the-Scenes Look At Upcoming Tour"—ARAMA! Japan). Nor did he want her to know why he started speaking of Kurosaki-kun in spiteful tones.
Looking back, it would be easy to see where Orihime had allowed herself to be distracted: "Kuchiki, Kurosaki Bring Star Power to Hospital's Children's Ward" (The Japan Times), "Kuchiki and Kurosaki in Talks to Donate to Hospital Facilities" (Metropolis Magazine).
And then everything shifted.
The day she learned that "Goodnight" had nearly depleted her funds and more of her tour costs would be going to the label was the same day she learned the truth about her relationship with Kurosaki.
"The coins won't be as pretty as you may have been expecting, but with enough pretty songs, you might be able to come on top of this yet," Nnoitra-san had said as she, confused, pored over bill after bill after bill in the conference room table. "Switch gears for a second, Pet: set your doe eyes on this." He fished out his cell phone and brought it out for her.
This was an op-ed written for The Tokyo Reporter about her and Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san:
"…Now, it's normal to ensure the person you saved is in good health after getting attacked by a pervert. After all, you're a kind guy. It's even normal to find a cause in visiting the children of the hospital that's treating you. But using that to hover around one starlet? Worse still, flirting with one starlet while the other seems to wait looking forlornly at her phone, seemingly waiting for you to call her back?"
"If it turns out that Kurosaki ever puts the playboy antics to rest, I would like to ask him directly: What about !hime? What about her? The girl you knew longer, and never hesitated to have hanging on your arm for the cameras? Does that time mean anything to you? Don't her feelings for you mean anything?"
There were two pictures that followed: the first a photo of Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san walking through the district in the rain with the former's jacket over their heads and huddled close. Orihime couldn't recall if she had ever seen that look in his eyes before. And the second was of her, curled up in the backseat of the car the label gave her, staring at her phone.
She couldn't even remember what she had been looking at or when the photo had been taken.
"We're going for the 'jilted lover' angle now. I've already seen some people picking up on this, some word about a few brands droppin' him here and there. No one likes a change in the story: word's gonna get out that Kurosaki Ichigo is getting close to a girl who banked on fucking her entourage for a comeback. Her reputation goes back in the rubbish bin cuz nobody likes a hypocrite, and he down goes the playboy.
"And you. You're going to come out with a statement—"I didn't know he was like that," "That's not who I had feelings for"—let it marinate and then come out swinging. Sexy, angsty—a real bad girl. The money will start coming in then, don't worry."
She felt…she didn't know how she felt, but she still asked the only question she could think of. "Kurosaki-kun and I were…a story?"
"'A story?'" He laughed. And laughed. But when he sobered up, he framed his long fingers around her face. "Don't look so upset, Pet. Every celebrity gets a story put together when they get started: that one guy and that one girl start dating out of blue; a guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth gets gritty for the rap life; one girl in a group gets more attention and some other girl gets 'jealous.' Rivals. Shit like that.
"For Kurosaki, Grimmy calls me up pissed 'cuz this one looked him dead in the eye and says he ain't interested in being plastered everywhere. Just 'there to play the game, take care of his family.' Meanwhile, playing low-key means less of a cut for Grimmy, which means less in his management's pocket and his own—not to mention that he hates being told how to do his fuckin' job. All in my ear, 'Who does he fucking think he is? That's not how this shit works.' Blah, blah, blah.
"We get to talking, and then I mention you:Idol-turned-singer. Holds a note pretty well, can be good for the label. Still, they've got you in the bubblegum stage—cutesy songs, all pink everything—but money's in the bad girl route. So, I suggest the story: you two start showing up places, get everybody talking, and then…whatever happens, happens. Get him caught in some shit that can't be explained away so easy. A few deals dropped here, a few less calls from other managers promising the moon and sky, and Kurosaki practically calls him up begging for a little extra scratch. It was working pretty well until Kurosaki gave 'im the boot; hadn't been expecting that.
"But, you. Grimmy didn't know, but I was making sure that you were good. The tour, the video; getting the teeny-boppers on your side, so that when Kurosaki crumbled, you'd be ready. And we'd get you out of the sugary-pop thing for a while, show off the bad girl underneath all the pink and…flimsy things." It was the first time she noticed the way his tongue passed over his lips as he spied her from the corner of his eye gave her goosebumps. Disgusted ones.
"No one was expecting this Kuchiki shit. But it's working out pretty nicely, I think."
"So, Kurosaki-kun and I…everything that's been said isn't true? Us being in the same places, eating lunch together. That was all fake?"
Nnoritra-san barked out a laugh. "Listen: it's not a big deal. You're finding out that a guy who says he reads Shakespeare isn't interested in you? Who cares! You see photos of him and a new girl with a rack smaller than yours eating ikiyaki like she's a regular person? Big deal. This is the business; and after sacrificing everything you're gonna come out on top. We're gonna come out on top."
Days passed and while Nnoitra-san had her spending days listening to piles of demo tracks ("Is This !hime's Takada Kyoko Moment?"—Billboard Japan) waiting for her, the news did what it was meant to: "Two Brands Drop Kurosaki Ichigo as IchiHime and IchiRuki Shippers Go Head-to-Head"—ARAMA!; "!hime Manager Reports Singer is 'Devastated'"—The Japan Times).
And she did what she was meant to do as well.
Getting the name of Kurosaki-kun's new manager, Shihoin Yorichi ("Shihoin Yorichi Puts Her Nine Lives to the Test"—Weekly DIAMOND) had taken work, but somehow Orihime had lucked out and gotten her name and number. It had been a short conversation in context, but the phone call with the smooth, maybe even deep voice on the other end had produced an address for a meeting. And then she lucked out some more, sneaking out of the studio and grabbing a taxi cab to Minato City in the rain.
The restaurant that the driver, a mountain of a man with a shaved head of pink hair and an equally pink moustache, had been thankfully empty save for Kurosaki-kun sitting at the bar.
He had been polite but guarded. And although her phone alternated between ringing and pinging—Nnoritra-san hunting for her—Kurosaki-kun followed her lead and didn't comment on it.
Even after everything she had learned, she couldn't bring herself to ask him if what she knew about him and Kuchiki-san was true right away. Instead they talked about
his former manager; something about his accountant noticing something weird going on with his funds and having a quick talk with his lawyers about some details in his contract. "I mentioned what was going on to my old man, and the next thing I know, Yorichi-san's leaving me a voicemail. Wants me to sign up with her management company and will buy out my contract to do it.
"I wanted to reach out to you, see if you knew if your manager was doing the same thing. But I didn't know how to without setting him off."
He paused and the forkful of food hovered in his hand, almost as if he was weighing it. He was hesitating. "Inoue-san, I wanted to talk to you about something, but couldn't ever really find the right time. The things that you do, do they make you happy?"
She had barely been able to eat up until that point, and with his question, she rested her fork against her plate. "I do like my work. I like singing. But I think that I don't like being part of a role. And part of me knows that these things happen, but I guess…I didn't think I would be placed in one without me knowing."
"Yeah. I think that even with everything happening, I think that we all have the chance to make sure that how we're seen is who we are. We have a chance to sort of say, 'This is who I am and it's just part of me. I'm more than my job or who you think I'm talking to or dating.'" He blinked a few times before chuckling at that.
"What's funny?"
"Um. I think I got that from Rukia. I didn't say it right, but she says really cool things like that a lot."
Orihime took in the honey-brown color of his eyes and the faint pink color on his cheeks, "You really like Kuchiki-san, don't you, Kurosaki-kun?"
"I can't say for sure I know how Rukia feels. But for me, I already feel like meeting her has changed my entire world. She handles this so much better than I do, but I feel like if she was famous or not, she'd be the same."
"Just like you would be." She smiled at the surprised look on his face. "You know, if you like her, you should tell her." She met his surprised gaze with a supportive smile. "I think part of being who we are anyway means that we say when things are true, right?"
"Right." He nodded a couple of times before affirming it again. "And you, too, Inoue-san. Say what's true."
MTV Japan | 16 Nov. 2016
Kotetsu Kiyone
"IchiRuki Caught on Camera, !hime 'Speaks' Out on Instagram"
It seems like the love triangle between singer !hime, footballer Kurosaki Ichigo, and actress Kuchiki Rukia, is coming to an end. In the midst of continued speculation in the media and online, including numerous reports from us here at MTV, the trio has taken a proactive step in settling the matter.
Here's what we know so far:
Hot on the heels of earlier reports of !hime and Kurosaki being seen at Brasilica Grill Churrascaria in Minato City (Read: This Is Not a Drill! IchiHime Seen at Dinner), the footballer was later seen with the Hollow star outside what may have been the latter's apartment.
Check out the video clip a fan posted to Twitter below.
[Twitter video embed]
It seems that it starts off with a heated conversation between the two. Look how they get closer and closer to one another? We gotta say: Kuchiki is a very talented performer, but in terms of the romance genre, the footballer could give her a run for her money. And that kiss! It's enough to make steam with all the rain we've been experiencing.
We swoon.
On !hime's end, it seems that she's focused on other matters. The singer posted her first Instagram live story of herself in the studio in the wee hours of the morning. While the account name, !himeinherownwords, was an unverified account at the time of the first posting, it has since become gotten the blue check mark. In a series of clips, !hime sings over a low-tempo melody, rumored to be one from up-and-coming producer Cifer Uloquirra (Read: Ten Producers to Watch Out for in 2017).
What's clear is the song, delivered in the manner of a freestyle, is a complete deviation from what fans know as her usual style. There is some clever wordplay with lines delivered much like poetry, with cadences giving hypnotic rises and falls.
But this freestyle comes with its bite as she expresses her frustration at the course of events. In addition, one video titled "To My Ex Manager," voiced several serious allegations about her manager Nnorita Gilga's mismanagement, most notably of his constructing the romance between herself and Kurosaki without her knowledge. She even takes the media to task for its role in the matter.
Yikes for us over here at MTV Japan, but the singer's honesty has gained her a spike in followers, although it's unclear if she's continuing with plans to continue her headlining tour.
Inquiries sent to representatives at Kyōka Suigetsu Records went unanswered at the time this story was published. More details to come as this story develops.
Now, 18 months later and on the other side of many of her own battles and triumphs, she finally had the chance to choose how she would respond.
And so she did:
"!himeofficial – Congratulations to my friends RukiaKuchiki + #KurosakiIchigo! Happy wedding!"
Lifetime 093, a lifetime where Orihime "loses" Ichigo.
In homage to I love by Goku's Daughter and Fifteen Minutes of Reality by drdrudana.