Chapter 2.

The bountou were near so Byakuya went faster and faster and looking back, he could see them slowly disappear. Ichigo was catching up though. He wasn't going to let him take the lead so he went faster and faster until he created wind that pushed the people down. The wind that follows after he runs I mean...not the other kind of wind. Don't look at me. Anyways, he looked forward again and suddenly felt an opposite force. Byakuya fell and rolled over, feeling for anything wrong in his bones. I looked forward to see a lady rubbing her shoulder in pain.

"Ow, that hurt. You should really pace yourself mister."

He saw her face. It was...Hisana, except she was wearing a sun dress and a hat which was now on the floor because of the collision. Surrounding her were her bag and a book which she started to pick up. Another thing was on the floor. To Byakuya it looked like a round box with a wire sticking out into a "Y" shape. She sighed and picked it up.

"You should say...something."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yes, well I suppose I should've yelled or something to stop you too and maybe I should turn down the volume on this thing. Hah, well I should go, but..." She looked down. "Argh, it's broken."

"What is?"

"HahIbeatyouByakuya!" Byakuya heard Ichigo shout as he past. He slammed into a lamppost anyways.

"What was that? Oh and um, my CD player. When it fell, it broke."

"Oh, a CD player. I apologize then."

She looked at him and smiled. "It looks like you never seen one before, sir...your clothes, they look strange. Are you an actor?"

"No I'm not and...What does that do...?" He couldn't stop staring at the woman's face. It had to be Hisana. Her eyes were the same and her hair style too. She kept her small frame even when she died. This must be her reincarnation.

"It's a portable music player, see here? A disc, that's a CD and this machine, plays the music that is in it. Wow, you don't know about CD players? I thought I was low tech when I didn't realize there were MP3 players in stock."

Byakuya stared dumbfounded at the machine and then looked back at her.

"Maybe you should pay me back, but I don't think it's necessary. This thing is pretty old."

"Fifty years old?" Byakuya asked.

"..." She eyes shifted from left to right. "No, not fifty years old, more like eight." She patted down her dress and shoved the CD player in her bag. "I should be going now sir."

"Wait."

"Hm?"

Byakuya stood in one spot and sighed. "I'm sorry about breaking your...contraption, but allow me to make up for it somehow."

"Oh, well it's alright actually. There's no need..." Her stomach growled. "Uh, maybe you can treat me to lunch?" She gave a nervous laugh and looked to her side. "Oh where's that pepper spray," she murmured. "Who wears a kimono out in the open on an ordinary day like this?"

"I have to...change." Byakuya ran around the corner and left her standing on the street. She scratched her chin as moments later he stepped back out with a suit on.

"Strange guy."

"I'm sure I've seen you somewhere before. I'm a reenactress and regular actress myself for the theater. I always play the wife of a noble or the concubine of a wealthy man. It's strange; they think I'm fit for the part. It's alright if you are an actor too."

"Maybe..."

"What is your name? I may have heard it before."

"Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Dead tree and midnight sun, what a regal name you have," she laughed. "My name is Kimiko Hisame. It looks like I don't recognize your name. What company do you work for?"

"... Don't know."

"Oh? Well, you could come see a play I'm doing tomorrow. It's on the tragic life of a blind geisha in the late 1880's. I'll give you an invitation. Here."

"Alright." He looked at the frilly card with a colorful picture on top. "Play..."

"I could meet up with you at this cafe tomorrow, eleven in the morning, okay?"

"Ok...um Hisana..."

"Eh? What did you say?"

"Hirame. Does the word Rukia mean anything to you?"

"Oh, Rukia. I have a rabbit named Rukia at home. Why?"

"No reason. I'll come here then."

"Okay. And thank you for the tea Byakuya-san."

She got up with Byakuya and left the cafe, stretching her arms out. Byakuya just stared at her leaving and quietly thought to himself. She loved flowers...and she likes milk chocolate, not the dark or the white. She...

"Kuchiki-taichou!"

"Hm?"

Renji and Rukia were panting, little scratches on the sides of their cheeks. Rukia fell down near Byakuya's foot while flailing her arms and yelling random words.

"Nii-sama! Guy, Bountou! Explosion! Ichigo's butt. Stuck in. Toilet. Inoue. Loves Kon!" She fainted. Byakuya stared at her lifeless body and then at Renji. He looked around and cleared his throat.

"Uh, there's trouble taichou."

Byakuya sighed and carried Rukia on his shoulder while changing back into a shinigami. He followed his vice-captain into the blue of the sky and tucked his invitation into his kimono.