Scene 2

The curtains had been lowered and Ichigo wanted to get out from the sea of people and to get out of all the pointless tedious chatter that always went on after a show. The joy of such a night was not meant to be shared with people whom, for countless years, disparaged him. No, such a night was meant to be shared with the one who held his hand and taught him, the one who helped him achieve this success. Weaving in and out of the crowds, he somehow, miraculously, managed to go unnoticed. He was about to open the dressing room door when from seemingly nowhere, the phantom's voice said in a sing-song voice, "Bravi, Bravi, Bravissimo…"

Ichigo recognized that familiar voice and he spun around, scanning the area, hoping to find out where the voice came from, but he could not see the one he desired to see. Instead, he saw his best friend, Tatsuki, striding down the hall towards him, her hands on her hips and a chiding look on her face.

Tatsuki's face then broke into a grin as she patted him on the back, in a congratulatory manner. Although unspoken, Ichigo knew she was slightly peeved that he had run off so suddenly without looking for her.

"Where in the world have you been hiding?
Really, you were perfect!
I only wish I knew your secret!
Who is this new tutor?"

Ichigo entered the dressing room and invited her in as well, feeling very at ease with this old friend of his. She was not one of those condescending people who clandestinely scoffed at him as if he was an opprobrious member of the opera house. She was one of the few who supported him throughout whole-heartedly all these years, especially the years after his mother passed away. Some may not be able to see their profound friendship for her commiseration was silent and her kindness was harsh, but this was all because she recognized his deeply embedded pride. So he felt that if he told her about that strangely elusive tutor of his, she would be the one to understand.

"Mother once spoke of an angel…
I used to dream she'd appear …"

He began to explain as he slowly removed his outer costume and laid it over the backseat of a chair.

"Now as I sing, I can sense her…
And I know she's here…"

Ichigo's constant frown deepened as he started to pace around the room in a circular manner, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his head lowered as he pondered on how to tell Tatsuki about a person he, himself, had never met.

"Here in this room she calls me softly…
somewhere inside hiding…

Somehow I know she's always with me…
She - the unseen genius."

Tatsuki shook her head as she was unable to comprehend his thoughts. She went forward and grabbed Ichigo's upper arm, forcing him to look at her.

"My friend, you must have been dreaming…
stories like this can't come true…

My friend, you're talking in riddles…
and it's not like you…"

However, Ichigo twisted his arm away from her grasp while trying to suppress the slight surge of ire that gripped him as he realized he could not make Tatsuki understand. Then he walked over to the window and gazed out with a distant look in his brown eyes as he thought of that phantom no one had ever seen.

"Angel of Music! Guide and guardian!
Grant to me your glory!

Tatsuki approached her friend, speaking to herself, "Who is this angel? This…"

Then she stood beside him and looked out the window, perhaps curious at what he was looking at. There was nothing. But Tatsuki saw that faraway look in his eyes and she could only conclude that once again, Ichigo's thoughts were filled with secrets she cannot fathom. But she could hear the truth in Ichigo's words and so she could not doubt him like she knew many would, and so together with Ichigo, she sang out as a form of acknowledgement.

"Angel of Music! Hide no longer!
Secret and strange angel!"

Their melody fades off with that last note and Ichigo gave her a grateful glance as he spoke softly, "She's with me, even now…"

"Ichigo…" Tatsuki started, placing her hand on his shoulder. However she was disturbed by a knock on the door.

At the door stood her father Chad who was with an attractive lady with gorgeous toffee-colored hair, whom, she had not seen before.

"Father?"

"There is practice," he said simply.

Without questioning, Tatsuki left the room with her father, but not before taking a second glance at the stranger and wondering who she was.

In the room, Ichigo seemed to have the same query, as he stared at the girl with no sign of recognition.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she called out excitedly, only to meet with eyes that did not recall who she was. She smiled, tilting her head as she bent slightly forward with her arms clasped behind her. "Three years ago I sneaked into the backstage to look for the lead singer. And a loud-mouthed man saw me and started yelling at me! I was so frightened by him that I nearly fell off the steps! Well, I would have, if not for you catching me from behind."

Realization dawned on him and his eyebrows rose a little. "Then Keigo gave you permission to come over all the time because your brother was one of the sponsors!"

"And then you always sang to me the songs your mother taught you…"

"And you always made meals for me, though strangest meals I've ever seen I would say…"

"And the books we'd read…"

"It's been such a long time, Inoue!" A rare smile graced his usual sullen face. "Look, your hair has gotten so long!"

"Oh Kurosaki-kun, you were wonderful tonight! The Angel of Music must be singing songs in your head!" She eagerly took Ichigo's hands and pulled him closer to her.

Ichigo nodded. "The Angel of Music that my mother spoke of has visited me!"

"No doubt!" Inoue agreed enthusiastically, not understanding the truth of his words, only believing them to be metaphors. "Let's go out to celebrate!"

Ichigo pulled his hands back and looked away undecidedly. "But the Angel of Music is strict…"

"We won't be long," Inoue insisted, brushing away the unsettling feeling she had when she heard him speaking as though the Angel of Music did really existed physically.

"I'll change into something more comfortable then, why don't you wait for me outside?"

"Be fast!" Inoue called out as she hurried outside elatedly.

Right after the door was closed, the Phantom's voice rang out in the dressing room, sounding displeased. "Insolent girl! This slave of fashion basking in your glory! Ignorant fool! This brave young lady, sharing in my triumph!"

Spell-bound by the voice he so longed to hear, the voice of the phantom he so longed to see, he exclaimed,

"Angel, I hear you! Speak – I listen.
Stay by my side, guide me!
Angel, my soul was weak – forgive me.
Enter at last, Mistress!"

There was a clear moment of hesitation as she contemplated Ichigo's request. Then the phantom finally replied and her voice held a trace of melancholy that Ichigo could not yet apprehend.

"Flattering child, you shall know me, see why in shadow I hide!
Look at your face in the mirror - I am there inside!"

Ichigo moves to the mirror and scrutinizes it. He then noticed that there was a stream of light between the mirror and the wall. Tentatively, he touched the mirror, questioning what he would find. Then with a swift final decision, he held the mirror by its frame and slid it open to reveal an astonishing long passage way lit by candles. Never had he thought that behind this mirror he used everyday, there hid a secret passage!

All initial sense of trepidation gone, he impatiently stepped into the passageway and proceeded on his way to find that strange phantom, that phantom which he only knew by her charming voice, a voice that he had listened to day and night. The mirror then mysteriously moved back to its original position, hiding the fact it was ever opened. And as he disappeared behind the mirror, the sweet echoes of the phantom's voice continued to call out for him, guiding him along.

"I am your Angel. Come to me: Angel of Music…"

Inoue thought she heard some strange voices behind the doors of the room and inquisitively, she pressed her ears against the door. "Whose is that voice . . .? Who is that in there . . .?"

She knocked the door a couple of times but when there was no answer, she quickly opened it, only to be greeted by an empty room and the fading echoes of the phantom's singing. A sort of incomprehensible panic grasped her.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

However, silence was the only reply.

"The rehearsal today ended so fast!" Rukia complained as she walked back with Ichigo. "I haven't even had a chance to act!"

"Yeah, you're good at that," Ichigo commented, with an amused look on his face.

Rukia placed both her hands on her hips haughtily. "What do you mean by that!"

"Ah…" Ichigo groaned irritably as he rolled his eyes. "Nothing."

Before he knew what was happening, Rukia had already sent a kick right to the back of his head and was grinding his face on the ground.

"What do you mean by 'nothing' huh? Huh? Huh!" she asked menacingly as she kept twisting her foot about Ichigo's head and increasing her force with each 'huh' she said.

"I said NOTHING!" Ichigo yelled as best as he could with his mouth basically plastered onto the pavement. Sometimes, it was just amazing how he always allowed himself to be trampled all over by this pint-sized girl. Then suddenly, Rukia decided not to pursue the matter as she removed her foot and strutted off to continue on her way, disregarding him as he lay sprawled on the pavement.

"Stupid woman," he murmured gruffly as he got up, dusted himself off and cleaned his face with his uniform sleeve. After that, he just stood there and stared at her receding back view. The orange rays of the setting sun were catching the soft curves of her small, lean body and the long evening shadow it cast was nearly emphasizing her petiteness. It was always odd to him, how this delicate frame belied the strength and pride that this girl had in her.

"What are you doing, you moron?" She turned back and shouted, an annoyed look on her face, when she realized he was not following her.

"Yes, yes," was his exasperated reply as he jogged towards her.

As much as she irritated the hell out of him, it was good to have her back.

- YL -

Notes:
I spent like forever to edit this. I think I'm having more fun doing that seemingly drabble-looking thing at the end of the scene. Ugh, it's so hard to do un-angsty stories.
Anyways, if ya want to watch Rukia appear in the play,she'll be up next chapter! Stay tuned for the next episode of The Phantom of the Opera!
K, I'm being lame... >.>
P/S Don't understand why the documents sometimes does that stick-some-of-the-words-together thing...