I don't own bleach… not even to wash white clothes.
Full Bloom.
Part 1.
Spring leaves fall,
And colors drown in gray.
Outside friends dance,
In their cold little circles,
A last moment of pleasure.
She was becoming very good at ignoring the inconvenient. She hardly ever got distracted now like she used to when she was first transferred to this class. It was very fortunate for her to be moved to the advanced kidou class of the sixth grade while she was only a second grader, but it wasn't very lucky for her that there was only one available seat.
It wasn't because it was at the end of the graduated class room, her eyesight wasn't very good but her glasses made up for the loss. Nor was it because she was sitting beside a male classmate, she would admit to herself, and to only herself, that decent men do exist, though rarely. It was simply because ….
She flinched at the now sharper than before snore that drilled the ears of the people in class, announcing that her seat-and-desk partner had sank into deeper sleep.
Hers and many other pairs of eyes filled with nervousness and worry, turned to see if the teacher noticed. Seeing that all was alright since Kimachou-sensei continued to explain generally about the 30's demon spells, the whole class sighed in union.
If it was any other class, nobody would have cared if the insensitive fool beside her got caught but not in this one. Kimachou-sensei was well known for his cruelty. If he did happen to come to class and didn't find the board clean, the books out and arranged in specific order, and everyone seated and staring straight ahead like the best made robots ever, there would be hell to pay. And hell meant hell.
They would be sent to the dojo to train and would be prohibited to leave until every single one of them had enough blood on their uniform to give them a hell of a trouble to wash it off later.
They have survived a couple of times, thanks to her quick thinking and wits. Kimachou's bellowing voice would cover the quiet snores most of the time but in other occasions, they weren't so lucky.
"Is this understood so far?" The bellowing continued.
"Hai." Her voice, low but firm, mingled with rest of the classes' in an affirmative answer. The sounds altogether was tired and wry.
What I'd pay to rip that voice-box of his out of his throat. She thought to herself.
"All right, next, I'll read you the incantation, you memorize them later, and you'll practice them afterwards on the field practice class."
She could hear the buzzing in her ears increase in volume every time the man opened his damned mouth.
Not to forget take out his lungs and heart then hang him upside down from the academy roof by his intestines. She added, watching him reach for his book and turn the pages, continuing her previous thought.
Kimachou-sensei cleared his throat, as if he needed it, and opened his mouth to bellow out a curse (In more ways than one)…
But the sharp snore returned to fill the silence of the room and one would have to be deaf not to hear it.
Her first thought was if each student had a separate, private desk, she wouldn't be the one making excuses this often for a moron she barely knew just because they share a desk.
Her second was, Think, Nanao, think fast.
"Ise," She heard her name, spoken like it was a venom to his lips , in a law drawl.
"Yes, sensei?" She said, in the ever calm behavior. Even in harder situations, panic is never good.
"What was that sound?" He asked even though he knew what it was. She noticed his face becoming redder and redder as he walked up the steps, passing five rows before stopping.
Being in the tenth row, a higher place, she felt that she had some confidant remaining in her even though his being closer was intimidating. She pushed her glasses up with her pinky finger in a casual manner before answering.
"Apparently, Kyouraku-senpai is asleep, a little too deep."
Almost immediately, Sizaru-senpai , who sat in the second row, started pulling at his hair like he was plucking the feathers of the dinner's rooster and shaking his head rapidly in an absolute 'Nooo, Ise, don't do this to us.' Mikoko-senpai , who was right beside him, was scripting something in her pink-papered notebook.
"Oh really?"
Mikoko's notebook was held high for her to see the clumsily written message.
S.O.S
&
I'm never ever
asking 4 ur notes
again
She snorted inwardly.
"Then, shouldn't you, as a good student, wake him up, so he could share this precious knowledge with US?"
"Maybe I wasn't specific, sensei. You see, he won't wake up because I drugged him."
Someone in class faked a cough to tell her that her lie was lame and already used before.
"Again, Ise?" the teacher roared, "Do you think I'm a fool? Accidents don't happen twice."
"Oh no, sensei. I drugged him on purpose this time after I saw the effects it had on him when I accidentally drugged him the last time."
Lame or not, the class still went with her lie as it was their only hope of going home early and unscathed. They gave a fake gasp of horror and surprise.
"WHAT THE HELL FOR?"
Unplugging her index fingers, which had flown to her ears unconsciously when the yell came, she cleared her throat and looked away in phony slight shyness that didn't contradict her serious nature.
"He kept trying to lure me to the infirmary to … uh…" she cleared her throat again as if she don't know how to clarify. "…do things. so I had to something about it."
A series of oh's and aha's and 'so that's why' followed her explanation and she pushed her glasses back again. She tried to give an impression of being uncomfortable being in the center of attention without going out of character with overdoing it.
She noticed that the teacher's color was closer to normal than before. Clearly, kyouraku-senpai's reputation of the greatest womanizer that had ever stepped foot into the school had reached the teachers' ears too.
Rubbing his knotted brows to smooth them out, he asked in a tone that indicated that he thought her ridiculous "But drugging him, Ise?"
Normal impassive façade back in place "To tell you the truth, my first choice was to kill him but thinking that it might affect my future and position here at the academy, I had to reconsider."
Making sure the teacher heard to make him convinced, the others mumbled among themselves in supposedly low voices but it was loud enough to reach her ears.
"That's so like Ise-san…"
"…so cold."
Kimachou kept staring at her intently until the bell came to her rescue and rang.
"Fine." He said, turning away and walking back to his desk. "But the next time something like this happens, don't drug or kill anyone, do you understand?"
"Perfectly, sensei."
"As penalty, I'll expect that you memorize the kidous of today by next time. The rest of you people can wait until I explain them next class."
He began gathering his things, as her classmates stood and began doing the same, preparing to leave for the next class.
Nanao sighed tiredly, so she was the only one who was getting grounded when she just saved her classmates from unnecessary complications.
"Before I forget, Ise."
She turned to her teacher again, resisting a great urge to yell 'NOW WHAT?' and vent out her frustration, but she kept quiet.
"I was asked to give you this earlier." He held out a white envelop. "I'll leave it here."
He dropped the object on the teacher's desk and left.
"That was close." One senpai exclaimed in relief and the student began to empty the room.
"Thanks, Ise. You're a life savior." Another shouted as he ran out and she only nodded to acknowledge his gratitude. Others did the same before also leaving, in groups, chattering and laughing.
Before she knew it, the classroom was empty, except for her and the mass of muscle and dark brown curls beside her. She glanced at his face. She thought that he looked childish with his mouth opened, drool coming out and dropping on the table.
Tomorrow she's going to draw a line in the middle of the shared double desk and so she won't have to speak to the man, she is going to write 'kyouraku, sleeping territory.' on his side of the table and 'Ise, study space.' on hers.
She's not going to put her books on some old dried drool.
She sighed, and propped her chin on her heel of her hand. She wondered what would Kimachou do if he discovered that she barely exchanged a morning greeting with the man that she had claim to have wanted to lure her into the deserted infirmary.
Every morning with Kidou lessons always being the first in schedule, she would arrive earliest in class and sit on the desk, back facing the door, eyes looking out the window, searching the horizon for the sign that heaven might send her like how her mother had taught her.
Then he would make his habitual entrance, sliding shoji door with a snap and marsh in with an ' Ohayooo, Isee-chaan.' and goofy grin that would make one nauseous just by looking at his face.
Sometimes she would turn her face over her shoulders and nod politely as she returned a wish of a pleasant morning back to him, sometimes she would just put in a 'you too', and at times should would ignore him all together.
But he would always say 'Hoho… I see you're still scary and uptight as ever.'
He would drop his things on the floor beside him, drop his head on the table, and start snoring the day away until a field class began or until he got caught and kicked out by an angry teacher.
She took off her glasses and placed them down, closed her tired eyes and pressed her thumb and index against her eyeballs that felt like they were bruising from all the stress.
She remembered their hurtful words…
That's just like Ise-san……So cold…
She wasn't cold. She was just awkward around people because she never had a friend before. Not in the past life, or this afterlife.
But even though Kyouraku was the reason she got to study 10 Kidou spells while he got away with it without even knowing about the troubles he had cost her, he was the only one in this academy, whether in this advanced class or her other ones, that ever talked to her without wanting to borrow notes, thank her for saving their asses, or asked to take her place in line and go first during practice.
Remembering her penalty, her forgotten frustration came back to surface. She stood up from place, grabbed her bag and gave the sleeping bear a bonk in the head just to improve her day.
He let out a pained moan and curled his arms around his head to prevent further assault but otherwise he didn't move an inch.
An eyebrow twitched.
She took deep breathes as she made her way down the steps of the classroom, and kept telling herself that intelligent people still exist somewhere in this world until her eyes fell on the desk, the piece of paper, then her name.
All thoughts flew out the window as she recognized the handwriting and the unmistakable twist her mother made at the end of 'Ise'.
She reached for the white flat message, a reminder and a piece of her home in the alley that she had missed so much during the past year and a half since she entered this Shinigami academy.
With this letter in hand, she knew that all was good back there, no need to worry anymore.
She brought it close to her nose and took a sniff, like a cat, and immediately knew the unmistakable sent of orange blossoms that her mother caught from the trees that neighbored their house in soul society.
"Oh ho, what's this?"
She turned with her eyes narrowed, to the direction of the voice. Heavy lidded eyes with sleep, a lazy easy smile and untamed curls. Kyouraku the evil man finally decided to wake up. He still looked half asleep with his temple supported with a fist. He let out a yawn.
"Seriously, Ise-chan, I never would have guessed you're human until seconds ago. Now that was what I'd call an unbelievably lovely sight."
"Finally awake, I see." She replied, not really paying attention to what a manic would have to say about her.
"How can't I be? I mean, you punch like a girl but girl punches are sufficient to wake me up."
She ignored him and started towards the door.
"Though, I'd prefer your kisses over your punches for a good morning call."
She stopped and Shunsui, noticing the vein that popped out of her cheek, smiled and held out his hands in surrender.
"Don't take it to heart, just being friendly." He said and got up from his chair and leaned down for his bag. She scoffed angrily, crossing her arm, turning away from him to emphasis her annoyance and disgust.
"Just being an ass, you mean."
His loud laughter made her look at him again. He was coming closer; one hand held to the strap of the bag and the other was tucked inside his robes.
He leaned closer to her, trying to peek at her letter, "from home?"
Mainly trying to annoy him, she hid it behind her back. "That's none of your concern."
Taking that as a possessive, protective reaction, he gave her a smile, then reached for her hand and pressed something cool to it. His fingers curled around her hand and lingered there for a fleeting moment "You almost forgot this; you're going to need it."
Turning away he gave her a wave and sang away, "Bye, Ise-chaaan."
What?
She then glanced at her hand and realized that she had forgotten her glasses on the desk when she had thought that she had them on all this time. She slipped them in place and her eyes fell again on their desk. She brought to mind the way his smiling lips moved, tried to recall the words he had uttered.
What was it that he had said before?
..an unbelievably lovely sight…
She clutched the letter to her chest and walked out of the class room. Her head was a little bowed, different from her usual composed self, afraid that people would notice her first blush.
Tha… that idiot..
TBC...
How was it?
Should I continue?
Poetry credits, to some people from a poetry match, don't have any more info about these guys. So don't sue me if those are yours.