Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
This is an AU, although Soul Reapers are included.
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The young girl grasped the kitchen knife tightly. Her pale hand shook a little as she gathered up her hair into a ponytail, and brought the knife to the ends.
"I have to do this," she whispered. "I have to."
With a slight whimper, she squeezed her eyes shut and brought the knife swiftly across her hair with a thwack. The blade severed her hair, and the dark locks drifted to the floor in silent grace.
Hesitantly, she felt her newly cut hair with some sort of grim satisfaction, and proceeded to cut it shorter until it reached her ears.
She let out a breath of relief when she finished, and tucked her fallen hair safely under her wardrobe.
And before she could change her mind, she looked at the mirror.
She could barely stifle a gasp, marveling how the length of hair could so quickly change how you looked. Now she looked…well, like a boy. Which was exactly what she wanted.
By candlelight, she quietly got dressed into the loose boy clothing she had stole from a servant, careful that it covered her bound chest.
Then, she looked into the mirror again. This time, she looked more like a boy than ever, and she chuckled softly.
If only they could see her now. Hinamori Momo, daughter of the famous and wealthy Captain Momo dressed in a servant's attire, and about to take the greatest risk of her life.
Gritting her teeth, she met her reflection's eyes levelly.
"I want to be educated. I want to learn how to fight. I want to be a Soul Reaper," she recited her dream to the mirror. "One day, I want to become Captain…and only then will I come home."
To her horror, she realized that tears had filled her eyes, and quickly blinked them away.
Swallowing hard, she slung the bag she had packed the night before over her shoulder, and silently slipped out of her home and into the night.
It was only a few days walk to the school, and she had enough food and clothing in there to last that long. Along with the kitchen knife…just in case.
She tried her best not to think about her family's reaction to this, and she desperately hoped that they would not worry too much about her.
And she hoped that they would accept her once she became a Soul Reaper.
If she ever survived this Boarding School first.
---
The school building took Hinamori's breath away. It wasn't as grand as her father's mansion, but the structure had a sort of handsome, dignified air to it, and she knew at once she would be content here.
A mass of boys already dressed in the school uniform passed her, pointing and snickering at her apparel.
She blushed slightly, and wondered where she should go, since she had already enrolled herself a moon before, of course, with a fake name and address.
What was she supposed to do? According to the acceptance letter she got back, this was the exact date that new students arrived, and the old students came back for another summer.
So…now what?
"Are you new here?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin and whirled around to see a rather short boy behind her.
He had a nice, serious face, with spiky white hair and striking blue-green eyes. Although she would normally think that white hair on someone so young would be strange…she thought the color suited this boy.
"Yeah. I'm Hin...Momo." she said uncertainly in her lowest voice.
"You're supposed to go to the registration desk and receive your uniform and schedule," the boy said coldly, not offering his own name back.
"Okay, thanks." Hinamori was a little taken aback by his icy tone, but politely bowed her thanks.
"A word of advice," he said frostily. "Don't bow. It's girly."
The boy stalked away, leaving a confused and annoyed Hinamori behind.
"How rude," she muttered before going off to find the so-called registration desk, which she found rather quickly.
After she dressed herself into the uniform, she decided to deposit her things into her new room before classes started the next day.
"Room 607," she read from the little white slip of paper.
When she found the correct door, she flung it open with enthusiasm, eager to see her room. But what she did not count on was to see someone already in there.
"You!" she gasped.
Her day pretty much went downhill from there.
