Akari's POV:

"…the letter from Tokyo University haven't reach me yet and that's scaring me, I should give up, I'm sure I didn't get in" Kazui said with a sad face while taking a bite from his onigiri.

"Please Kazui, you are one of the best 10 in our promotion, you are in, if not talk to Ishida-san for help" I shrugged with my mouth full of rice.

"I'm not going to talk to Ishida-san just for that!" He exclaimed offended, only making me laugh.

We were eating lunch at the park close to our works, talking about trivial things like normal teenagers, worrying about our futures. The low temperatures were still heavy, so the park was quite lonely. Perfect for me that I was sitting on the backrest of the bench with my bento box at my legs. Kazui was sitting like a normal person, so he had to look up to me, for a change.

"How are you holding up?" Aaaand that's how the normal topic went to a cliff.

I didn't answered immediately, focus only in my food for a second and looking at my now less wounded right hand. But I could feel his amber orbs were staring at me with worry.

A week a half had passed since the attack. A week and a half went off since I told Toushiro everything.

I still had a strange feeling for telling him. I was glad, that's for sure. Glad to tell someone and didn't react as I was a freak. That he actually believe me. Maybe because I was a completely wreck after I finished telling him and he just wanted to comfort me or he just actually took serious what I had told him. But someting was off, I mean, how he was so calm about it? Anybody would freak out about that, but he didn't. How?

"I'm getting better" I said while taking off my glove in my right hand. Showing the superficial bandage around the wound "I really thought that it was worse when I got it and wouldn't manage to use it for a time but well, Hitsu-kun should be studying to be a doctor" The pair of bad things were my ankle, so I had to use one crutch so I wouldn't support completely that foot, and the bruise at my side close to my ribs, but nothing broken, that's for sure.

Kazui at that started coughing and sounded like he was chocking with his food. His reflect went to drink some of his soda in big gulps and in a moment was all right again.

"What the fuck was that?!" I asked looking at him scared.

"Food… Wrong way" He managed to say after sighing for breathing normally "And I can't imagine Toushiro being a doctor"

"Yeah me neither, too grumpy for it, would scared the patients away" I joked about it and Kazui laugh about it too.

"Don't change the subject, Akari" He said getting back to the trail. Damn it. Almost. I sighed before answering.

"I'm there Kazui, nightmares and shit, but keep walking, you know" It was the only thing I could say. Because I still really didn't know how to feel.

"The incident is following you around that much? Sorry Akari" He said really apologetic, like it was his fault everything. This kid had a protector complex like his father.

"You don't have to be sorry about anything" I responded, going back to eating.

He still thought that the attack was the thing giving me nightmares. Of course, I hadn't told him everything yet.

'It's not my part to say anything to anyone, but you should really tell Kurosaki about your dreams, soon' Toushiro told me the next morning before going to their house. But still haven't found the strength to tell him. I would break the same way I did with Toushiro and my pride wouldn't handle that wreck again, thank you very much.

"How's been your project going?" Kazui change the subject, probably because he was feeling guilty about everything and didn't want me to scold him. I let it slide for now, I had no reason to fight him.

"It's been going well, but I had to stop it for other clients' petitions and for this!" With extreme care of not throwing the bento box away, I looked for my cellphone in my backpack that now had a beautiful broken screen and started to look for a picture "Toushiro is not leaving me taking him anywhere after saving my freaking life, so I decided to do something simple for him as he said that he liked my work" I said passing the different photos in my gallery "Ah! Here it is!" I showed the photo to Kazui and he looked astonished with it, so he took the phone to look better.

"Akari this is amazing! He'll probably be happy about it! Even if he will not want to accept it" I noticed how he zoomed the picture to notice the details. I only keep eating content that he liked my work.

"There's a few little details that I'll finish today, so tomorrow, even if he want it or not, I can give it to him" I could only wonder about how Toushiro would react, but I hope he appreciate the gesture. God, I sure was blushing with that idea in my head just now.

"Tomorrow?" I heard him asking and chuckling about it.

"Yeah, tomorrow" I wasn't really paying attention to him, I just wanted to give the present to Toushiro.

"Are you aware that tomorrow is Valentine's Day?"

Everything stopped for a second. Maybe not a second, stopped like for way to long. I looked at him completely alarmed.

"Tomorrow is NOT Valentine's day!" I almost shouted at him. There's NO WAY that it was Valentine's Day!

"It is tomorrow! February 14th!" He exclaimed, failing of holding his laugh.

"Bullshit!" It can't be, it can't be, it can't be!

"Here!" With my phone, he looked at the calendar and show me the date from today, February 13th I took the phone and looked at the calendar really surprised. I was so fucked up. "Well, looks like you are going to confess to Toushiro"

I looked at him feeling embarrassed and wanted to kill him and his little smile he had in that moment.

"That's not…! I mean…!" The words feeling felt accumulating in my lips but nothing coherent leaving out. I wasn't confessing to Toushiro! This wasn't happening. And I had to finish today because I promised Oshiro-sensei that tomorrow will continue with the katana and I always give things the next moment I finished working on them so I wouldn't forget and now was a thing of me. I wouldn't forget the present tomorrow, it's not in me. Why I had to be responsible?! Oh God! How would I explained that it wasn't a valentine present?! God I had a crush on him but I didn't want to, I mean I would like to but OH FOR GODS SAKE!

Kazui laugh wasn't helping at the minimum, I let my body slide and sit in the bench not knowing how to react at anything, hiding my face with my hand. Oh God tomorrow was going to be embarrassing.

The next day came. Kazui was still laughing at me knowing that I, indeed, did not forget the stupid present. My backpack felt heavy even if the thing was little and light, but I had an idea, put the gift in the locker without nobody's seeing it and I'm free until the day after tomorrow. But still the rest of the week after this stupid date was about this-stupid-date. So I was fucked up either way.

But I had managed to put Kazui's nervous about girls giving him chocolates today, because he always received chocolates and he went in a total crisis for refusing girls, however went even worse and shut up about me, when I mentioned that maybe Ichika would give him something. It was my turn to laugh, point for me!

We reached school early, students just arriving and everything was themed with the festivity. Oh hell, it was going to be a long day.

"I already hate this day" I muttered and it was just beginning.

"I can't say that I'm excited either" Kazui responded. Well, at least we were in the same side. Somehow.

I went to my locker to leave the present and forget about it. Because even the package was wrapped in themes that remind me of Toushiro, pale blue with snowflakes. For God's sake, it was a great idea in my head when I thought about it.

Stupid day with stupid festivity.

With the crutch I moved towards there. The other students talking and starting the exchange of gifts, the smell of chocolate everywhere was so strong almost captivating, now I wanted chocolate too, great. I opened my locker and took out the shoes for the school, making space to hid the present in the back, change my shoes and now just get out the thing and I was ready.

"AKARI" I yelped and almost fell with the impression of Ichika's arrival "Hey! What you got there?" She asked getting close to see my backpack.

"Nothing! Nothing, why you think that I have something?" I sat down in the bench putting the crutch over my backpack so she wouldn't open it.

"Are you sure it's nothing? ~" That little devil was smirking with curiosity. I looked at her between alarmed and 'don't you dare'

"It's. Nothing" I replied.

"What's nothing? ~" I squealed when Rangiku got united to the conversation. Oh hell, I wasn't going to survive that day.

"Akari's have something in her backpack" She said to Rangiku with a devilish smile "And you know, it's Valentine's Day" The smile that grown in Rangiku's lips terrified me.

"Oh really~ Are they chocolates? For someone?~" She continued asking and I only denied with my head. This devils.

"Maybe she did something!" Ichika continued the teasing and I felt my head changing of shades of red.

"Can we see it?~" They both said at the same time and I felt cornered. Until the bell rang to start class.

"Look at that! We had to hurry up! Ok! Let's go!" I mumble fast and as fast as I said it, as fast I was closing my locker, taking my backpack and the crutch and rushing upstairs.

I was able to reach the third floor and leave the girls behind, before my left foot started to hurt because of the support and my ribs for breathing too fast. I supported myself to the crutch and my back to a wall before going to class. The people move around me, but nobody really payed attention. I looked down to my backpack and opened a little to see the wrap of the present there. Great, know I have the present with me and Rangiku and Ichika were curious about it. I pinched the bridge of my nose to the thought.

"Morning Richards" Another squeal came out of my lips with now the appearance of Toushiro, he was focused on his phone, so that gave chance to close the backpack again but he put attention to me to my nervous state "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah" I repeated even if my face was still red, because I was sure that was still red "Just everybody seems to want to give me a heart attack or I'm just too distracted"

"I'll go for the second" He said amused and I could only look at him with my murderous stare "Come on, before the teacher arrives"

I sighed while nodding and both starting walking to the classroom

"Do you expect something from today?" I asked

"For Valentine's?" He asked and I nodded "Not really and I hope I don't get anything" He sounded slightly annoyed about the idea.

"Let's see how it goes" I smiled a little trying to calm down.

The murmur when we entered the classroom only increased. The teacher hadn't arrive yet so everybody was talking and putting chocolates over the desks.

"Of course, I'm going to be the one to receive more chocolates this year" I could heard Oshiro almost shouting the sentence, with a few 'Oshiro-senpai' from his fans supporting his idea.

"Kill him" I said low only to Toushiro to hear and he chuckle about it.

When we got close to our seats, our group was covering our sigh of it, exclaiming things I didn't manage to hear. I notice that in Kazui's desk there were a few chocolates and in front of him, Oshiro's desk was full of them.

"Do you leave me some Akari-chan~" Oshiro said when he reached his seat. I felt one eye twitching at the idea.

"Believe me, of there was something from me, you will be dead, Oshiro" I said annoyed at him.

"So mean Akari-chan~" He faked feeling hurt "Well, anyway looks like I even beat Kurosaki this year, you don't have to feel bad Hitsugaya-san, every year it's like that" I rolled my eyes, not standing his voice of triumph anymore.

"Oh Hitsugaya-san you arrive, I had to say you are quite popular in here" Yumichika was the first to notice us, flipping his dark hair "I was going to be mad that I didn't receive as many, however I'm glad that is you that have this many gift instead of any other students"

"What are you tal-" Toushiro started asking and then his body tensed, I moved at his side to see what leaved him like that only to surprised me to find his desk full of valentines gift: chocolates, letters and even a few teddy bears.

"Captain it's like our home! Always so popular with the girls!" Rangiku said hugging a really, terribly embarrassed and annoyed Toushiro.

"Get off me Matsumoto! Tch!" He got apart from her and keep staring at the desk, frowning and pitching the bridge of his nose.

Also mad but from a totally different reason, I looked behind me to notice Oshiro and his "fans" staring angrily at the desk, compared to Toushiro's, his was nothing. It was like a record. Even if he had that many chocolates I understood why Toushiro was annoyed, that many gifts were a symbol of confession and he had to deal with them. Yeah, I wouldn't give him my present today. Hell no.

The teacher that moment arrived and we all went to our seats. It was normal for the teachers to make some jokes that day, and today wasn't an exception, poor Toushiro was the principal target thanks to the gifts, I thought that he couldn't get any more red with everything. Rangiku in front of me only giggle about it, she liked it to watch him suffer surely.

Between the first class and the second he started sharing the chocolates that were anonymous. Better for him, it was the most of the pile and our group was a large one, so now everybody had one or two chocolates. Yumichika and Ikkaku also had a few more on their own, but Rangiku was the one who got most thanks of the closeness to Toushiro's desk.

The third class that was when I started to feel my eyelids heavy. Since the attack my hours of sleep had decreased, more because I was trying a lot of stuff to have a dreamless sleep and don't see that madman again, but it was hard. So now trying to stay awake in class was more difficult.

Something touching me at my side make me jump alert in my seat, making me pay attention back to the class, then a little piece of paper in my desk.

'Stay awake' was the only thing written, but I could recognized the handwriting for all the hours I had be practicing with him. I looked sideways only find Toushiro paying attention to the class, but a little smirk showing in his lips confirmed my theory.

It had been a regular movement, he would try to keep me awoke for the classes and if we were studying that day, he would let me nap an hour so I could recharge. That was actually the only way I could sleep without problem. Sleeping close to him.

That didn't help with my feelings for him at all. It started after my break when sharing my dreams with him, I cried 'til sleep, exhausted about everything and actually sleep soundly until almost ten, feeling better and rested. It was a first. What also surprised me was how close I was to him and how he was covering me in his arms. That feeling of security was so relaxing and felt so right at the moment, that for a second everything was forgotten. Everything peaceful, there was certain cold feeling around us that was reassuring, it felt better that the heat I had been waking up to, it was nice, until Rangiku opened the door to wake up us both and started the teasing.

Noticing that I actually rested that night, even after everything that happened, we tested on Monday before our study section if I could nap close to him and actually rest. Surprisingly it worked, it was a dreamless sleep and I was up to everything the rest of the day. The next Wednesday we tried again and it worked, again. It was a strange but reassuring feeling.

"Akari-chan!" I jumped when someone called my name, only to find Rangiku's face close to me, I went back to make distance between us "You fell asleep again!"

There was no need to curse again about it, I just sighed. We were in the last change of class before lunch break. I looked around seeing that Toushiro's wasn't in his seat.

"Where's Hitsugaya-kun?" I asked Rangiku, rubbing my eyelids trying to awake.

"Some girl borrowed him, I think she was going to confess, poor thing" She said while eating one of the chocolates "I hope she doesn't get the cold response"

"I don't wanna know what's that" I stood up taking the crutch, I need it to wake up.

"You don't, where are you going?" She asked looking at me curiously.

"Going to the bathroom, refresh my face" I said while walking away. At this hour, there was like 5 minutes between each class so I had chance to go in my normal, with the crutch, pace.

The cold water in my face really helped me. It refreshed my eyes and woke me up immediately. I looked at my reflection seeing my recent poor state, everybody could notice that something was wrong with me, I hated how obvious it could be shown in my face. But there was nothing else to do. I sighed before taking a little more of water to my face, at that someone got inside throwing the door of the hallway and hear a heavy weeping. I looked at the direction only to find one of my classmates, however from Miko's group Gilly if I wasn't wrong, staring at me angrily while her eyes were puffy with the tears.

"Hey are you all-?" I started only to be cut with her response.

"Don't you start! It's all your fault!" She pointed a finger at me, her high pitched voice cracking a little while speaking. I dried the water from my face before looking at her confused.

"Woah! I know that our groups don't mix, but I had nothing to do with whatever you think" Why was she so angry?

"Of course you have! If it wasn't for you Hitsugaya-san would say yes!" She continued shouting and I only got shocked.

"Sure thing" My sarcastic tone was obvious "For your information, I don't have anything with him, so…" I shrugged and took the crutch ready to leave.

"Sure thing!" She mocked my tone of voice and keep shouting at me "I don't know what he sees in you, you are nothing but a freak! What did you get in his pants or something?"

"Woah" I couldn't help but to be quite shocked about the statement "Freak and easy in just one sentence, looks like a new level, did Miko teach you those things?" I didn't hold back the response.

"No" She didn't have a second doubt "Oshiro-kun told us how you were with him, probably was the same with Hitsugaya-san, using your mouth and stuff" She spited and I felt tense and angry, really angry.

I got really close to her, using my height as advantage and each step I made she looked even tinier, even if I felt clumsy with the crutch.

"Let's be clear" My voice sounded so harsh "whatever the fuck Oshiro's says we did, is fucking bullshit, second go on and tell Hitsugaya the same fucking thing you said to me, let's see how he answer about that and third if you think that's disgusting why would you date someone who you say it accept it so easily" With every comment she started to cry more terrified, I distance myself from her to go to the door "If you want to insult me next time, woman up and accept the consequences of it"

At the hallway I could heard the loud cry she made from it. God, how I hated to look like a bully, but it was a new level of bullshit that I couldn't stand. I walked to the classroom from the back door and sit in my spot, noticing that I wasn't the only one angry. Toushiro at my side was with a really dark aura, crossing his arms and muttering things, not even Rangiku seemed to dare to talk to him.

It was only midday and I was so fucking done with everything. Probably Toushiro too. The teacher for the class arrived and people went back to focused partially in it. Partially because the girl I screamed appeared later and looked so sad but angry at the same time, I lost interest in her when just thinking of how hungry I was. Lunch break was next and the only thing separating me from my meal was Toushiro's gift, hide it in my locker and forget about it and then eat.

Lunch break finally arrived and I was already standing up with my backpack, heading to the doors.

"Aren't you waiting for us?" Kazui exclaimed while seeing I was leaving.

"I forgot my lunch, again" I just replied but I guessed that he got the hint of hiding the gift, so he didn't comment anything else.

"Want me to look it for you? You shouldn't walk that much" Instead Toshiro asked and I only denied with my head, but didn't turn back to see him because I knew my face was completely red.

"I know, but I'm fine! Thank you but no, I'll see you at the roof" With that I headed to the doors and leaved before anyone else tried to stop me or join me.

In the way I started eating some of the chocolates from Toushiro, trying to calm down my hunger. It was a fact that walking too much was making my foot hurt again, also my ribs for the bad position of walking, but yeah I couldn't let my backpack that freely around there.

The lockers weren't alone as I expected, but everybody seemed to mind their own business, so I just continued to walking towards mine seeing that nobody's was paying attention.

"Hey, Akari-chan, what's up?" The high pitched "friendly" voice from Miko actually surprised me. She was comfortable resting with her back at my locker, blocking the access completely.

"You're in the way" I said, annoyed.

"My baaad~ You seem quite jumpy today, hiding something?~" The fake friendly tone and her attitude was making cringe.

"It's none of your fucking business" I said with a fake smile, supporting myself more in the crutch because my foot was hurting maybe a little too much "Now, if you let me pass, I want my lunch"

"Really?~" She didn't seem bothered at all, I don't like how is going "Your stuff looks heavy, are you sure you don't have lunch there?"

I was going to protest and if it was necessary move her out of the way, but without me knowing it, somebody grabbed my backpack off me almost making me fall back if it weren't for my support to the crutch, it didn't last long. Another person pull from it, taking it and with just a push I was at hitting the floor in my sore side. Shutting my eyes, I hold the moan of pain from leaving my lips, only gritting my teeth. What was with everybody against me lately? For fuck's sake.

"Hey what's this?" I heard Miko's voice quite happy, but sincere terrifying happiness for me, I opened my eyes to look at her checking inside my backpack and getting out the package with wrapped snowflakes theme. I gulped at her look of finding the best trick.

"Give that back b-!" I was ready to stand up and jump at her, but I was cut with somebody putting all its body over me. Making hit again the floor. I opened my eyes to stare at grey eyes looking amused. I frowned and almost growled at him "Get the fuck off me Oshiro!"

"There's no need to be so mad, Akari-chan! Doesn't bring back memories?" He was awfully close my face and was with his stupid smile of smug he had. He was holding my hands at each side of my face and all his weight was keeping down. I tried to move off him, but I couldn't. Since when he was this strong?!

"No it doesn't! Get the fuck off!" I shouted, hell I was angry. I noticed that there was a small group of students watching, most were Miko's group.

"Ikaru-kun it's so strong!" I heard Miko's steps close to me and then she knelt down next to me, with the gift in her hands "So Akari, what do we have here? Gilly told me that Hitsugaya-san dumped her because of you, but you said that you two are nothing! This doesn't look like nothing!" She was moving the package of 15 centimeters around her hands inspecting it with great curiosity "I mean it's obvious that it's for him, the wrap says it completely"

"And why the fuck do you care?" I spited out to her. She was getting on my nerves, the same way Oshiro with him not getting off me! "Oshiro, I warn you if you don't get off-!"

"Shut the fuck up, Richards!" Miko said while hitting me at my sore side. I couldn't hold back the groan, it hurt a lot "How annoying freak you are!" Her voice was angry too "Why do I care? Gilly was dump, because of you! Because looks like your little freak show attracts the good men, first Ikaru-kun, now Hitsugaya-san! But what will you do when he notices the real mutant you are! With your little crush on him, he probably will leave you when he founds out"

"Boo-hoo!" I replied with a sarcastic tone "If she can't handle rejection is not my fucking fault, why she thinks Hitsugaya has something for me?! Come on!" My tone was harsh and Oshiro was struggling to pin me down now "Yes I'm a freak so what?! I'm not the one getting other people life's miserable! Like the fucking curse you are!"

"A curse? Me? You are the curse" She didn't seem angry anymore, she was enjoying this way too much for my liking "With your ghosts and freak state, you probably did something to Hitsugaya-san to like you" I wanted to shout something about how ridiculous she sounded, but she started breaking the wrap of the gift showing the box "Now, let's see what's inside" She opened the box and then took out the sculpture, she looked surprise and everybody around us too.

The idea of an ice dragon stuck in my head after the red woman said it. Toushiro after the attack did remind me of a dragon, a monster intimidating when he wanted to be, but interesting and captivating, a great guardian. That's what I did. It was made with glass, a fifteen centimeter Chinese dragon in spiral, with his wings opening protecting something, I spent a lot of time doing all the details and its eyes were made with jade to resemble Toushiro's eyes. It was small, but it was a complicated work that I focused in doing all this week and a half, because it was what I wanted to do, making a present to Toushiro. Well now everybody knew what was the gift, in Valentine's Day and to whom it was planned for. I stopped struggling to get Oshiro off, giving up at the idea. That didn't mean that I was less angry about it.

The terrible laugh coming from Miko made me tense up back again, looking at her like she went crazy.

"You did a detailed dragon for him and said that you both don't have something?!" She shouted still laughing, was moving around the sculpture her eyes taking all the details "I mean what kind of excuse you were going to give?"

I didn't answer. Feeling every inch in my face turn red for the embarrassment, they didn't know about the attack, if people asked I said that it was an accident and that's it. But even then, at the moment it sounded quite of…off? Fuck, she was getting in my head.

"She's talking to you, you know?" Oshiro said way too close to me, still amused.

"Don't worry Ikaru-kun, now we know that she has an obsession with Hitsugaya-san" Miko continued, her smirk was devilish and give me creeps "But I know something we can do with this" She stood up and raised a little the sculpture in her hand. Then she just let it slide off.

I shut down my eyes for the closeness, while the clashing sound echoed in the room and stunned my ears.

When I opened back my eyes I notice all the broken pieces around, nothing was saved.

"Well, that was fun" Suddenly Miko's voice sounded far even if she was beside me "Let's go Ikaru-kun"

"Yeah" I felt his grip off me, but I was kind of numb processing what was happening "Bye bye, Akari-chan" He said and before he stood up, he passed a hand trying a caress in my face "You look so much better this way"

That was it.

With a flash movement I took his wrist with one hand, with the other I went back his elbow make the movement for breaking it, before I could actually do it, he moved trying to get off that only permitted me to raise a now free knee directly to his face. He shouted in pain and with a push I let him roll of me, holding now his broken nose.

I finally stood up making a general gasp around me from the other students, Miko was now watching me paralyzed in her spot. I could only imagine what kind of face I was making, but she looked terrified. Without a second passing, I walked towards her, raising my fist ready to its target, somebody took it and make me turn around, only to find a bloody Oshiro, which was hitting me again at my sore side. It hit me, but this time I didn't care for the pain. Hell, I even didn't care if I had a broken rib by now. My rage was blinding me completely. I was done with being the victim.

I kick him in the center of his stomach, making him fall hard on the floor, were the glass was.

"Are you happy?! This is what you wanted?!" I shouted at him and everyone in the room. Looking at their nervous state, some of the initial spectators weren't there anymore "You wanted me as a freak?! Here I am! Did you forget this freak knows how to fight?!" I looked directly at Miko that was now terrified and ready to escape. I throw myself at her before she could do it, she screamed for help but nobody moved an inch from its place. I turned her around looking at she shocked state "Hey princess, why are you so scared? I thought this is what you wanted!" My voice was harsh and sharp

I wasn't really aware of my surroundings, so I was taking by surprise when I felt somebody pulling on my hair, making me shout and getting me of Miko.

"You are an aggressive freak bitch!" It was Oshiro's voice. I tried to find his hands to get him off, the pull was hurting my head a lot.

The grip didn't last long, before he could tried to him me again. His release was off and I looked back to see what was happening. Toushiro was there, holding one of Oshiro's arms behind his back and his free arm around his neck, holding completely still even is Oshiro tried to get him off. I went back my attention to Miko that was standing back now with a group of students around her, I got back up too.

"D-do you see Hitsugaya-san! She tried to attack me! That freaking bitch!" The note of terrified was true, but the drama victim was false and on. "I did nothing-!"

"SHUT UP!" I shouted and while the group "protecting her" give me the space running scared, this time the fist hit her in the face, getting her back on the floor. I was ready to give her another punch, this time somebody grabbed me by my waist lifting me up completely off the floor.

"Enough Akari!" I tensed my body when noticing the really deep voice close to me. When looked at the hold of my punch I notice the big dark hand around it.

"Sado-sensei" I said surprised, when I looked up at him, his normally inexpressive face, showed a very expressive frown of disappointment, behind his curly brown hair. Yasutora Sado was one of the teachers of personal defense, apart of his brown skin tone, his big muscular body, reaching the two meters was something that always make him obvious. Now that he was lifting me up, I was a good twenty centimeters off the floor.

"What the hell is going on here?!" This time I gulped and all my anger instantly left my body, looking back to Miko, at her side was visible the short black hair from the karate teacher, my sensei, Arisawa Tatsuki and she wasn't pleased at all. Even if she didn't look like a terrible treat with her 1,55 centimeters of height, her authoritarian tone, bulky body, deep frown and short temper was someone you didn't want to mess with.

"Sensei…!"

"Yasutora-sensei! Arisawa-sensei! She-she attack me! L-look!" Miko showed her now swollen cheek that had turned in a quite dark purple color.

"That's not all what happened, sensei!" I shouted

"She started all, Arisawa-sensei!" Miko continued

"You had Oshiro pin me down on the floor!" I shouted back while she was making excuses.

"Me?!" Oshiro voice sounded behind quite off, looking at him was still from the hold from Toushiro "You attack me like a maniac! She started all, Arisawa-sensei!"

"Shut up all of you!" We all close our mouths and stayed still. Now that I was 'calm down' I noticed that all of the students that were enjoying the show were gone, the only staying students Miko, Oshiro, Toushiro and me. Beside Tatsuki-sensei, was Kazui, Emiko and Hana, I was surprised of not seeing the rest of the group "Hitsugaya, release Oshiro at this instant, Abe get up, Richards if Sado release you will keep calm"

It wasn't a question. It was an order and I just nodded. At the same time, Toushiro released Oshiro even if the deep frown in his face noticed that he didn't wanted to, Miko got up and Sado-san put me back down.

"You all look like a mess" If Tatsuki-sensei didn't mention it I wouldn't notice the sudden itchy places in my face, probably cuts, or the different of glass passing through my blazer and red spots of blood on it, or how my foot hurt terribly and did my best to support myself on my right side, or my ribs were like a crying of pain. Miko only had her swollen cheek and messy hair. Oshiro on the other hand, was holding with a hand his broken nose, also with a few glass pieces in his body but mostly blood all over him. Toushiro was just mess up with Oshiro's blood, but nothing hurt.

"What happened?" This time Sado-sensei, said behind me. We three were ready to start shouting again, but Tatsuki-sensei stopped with a clap with her hands.

"Sado asked what happened and I want a civilized answer" She stared at us with a frown at all of us "Hitsugaya, what happened?"

"I can't really say, when I got here, Oshiro was pulling Richards hair and I just get him off her" His voice sounded colder than usual. And sharp. "The glass was already on the floor"

"Oh right" Tatsuki-sensei replied.

"Do you believe him, Arisawa-sensei?!" Miko responded alarmed. Just a moment ago she was trying to make me look bad in front of Toushiro, now was against him. Great façade, didn't last.

"For the actual look he has, that he isn't wounded, yes, I do believe him, Abe" Tatsuki-sensei send her a sharp look "Now, why there's glass on the floor? You can answer that Abe"

Miko suddenly went in a total state of shock, probably didn't found the perfect excuse yet and didn't know what to reply. I did my best of not smirk about it. A few minutes passed and finally replied.

"Akari broke a gift I bought! It was meant for Hitsugaya-san but she broke it out of jealously, because she wants him all for herself!" She put the best drama queen façade, I felt sudden embarrassment and anger back.

"That's not true!" "She is lying!" Kazui and I said at the same time. Instead of looking at me, Tatsuki-sensei looked at Kazui, which was really looking like his father at this moment with the deep frown in his face.

"Weren't you looking for me, Kazui? How you know she is lying?"

Kazui sighed before he answered.

"Because I know that Akari-chan made the present and was with it all morning, she went back to the lockers to keep it safe" His voice was more neutral that mine would have ever let out.

"It's it true, Richards?" Tatsuki-sensei was now looking at me and I nodded "Do you have any proof?"

"Proof?" I repeated.

"Proof that it was yours, because this play of he said she said it's not working" She continued and I felt my heart sink. I didn't have any proof, I did the best to hide it from everybody and nobody could really prove it. Miko's purse was on the floor as well as my backpack. So it was really a hard work of she said he said.

"I have a picture when she was making it and on of yesterday with the package" Kazui continued without second doubt, looking in his phone probably the picture I send him. God bless him and have him as my best friend, I felt so relieved.

When he found it, Kazui showed the phone to Tatsuki-sensei which took it and look at it.

"Snowflake wrap, check" She looked at the phone and then at the broken pieces of paper "Box check, dragon glass probably that was it…" She walked to the shattered glass and took the surviving pieces of jade, which were so small that didn't broke in a smaller piece "with jade eyes" She showed the stone and turned around the phone so we all could see the picture "What do you think, Sado?"

"Mystery solved" He just said and all the weight I had in my shoulders was lifted it.

"Ok let me guess everything" Tatsuki-sensei continued with now a smirk in her face "For whatever reason you two" Pointed at Miko and Oshiro, they both looked terrified "Decided to pick up on Richards, who I prohibit to train because she was injured on her feet and ribs and need to use a crutch, that there it is!" She exclaimed taking it "You look up in her stuff and found the box, for some reason she couldn't defend herself even if she is one of my best students, probably Oshiro you have something to do with that and the her wounds too" When mentioning his name, he looked even more pale "Any of you decided to broke the gift and I imagine that that's when Richards started her defense" I nodded when mentioning my name "I should be detective with this great skills I have" She mentioned more to herself.

"But-but Arisawa-sensei…!" Miko started to try to reply.

"Richards shouldn't have reacted that aggressively yes, but Abe, you are no saint in this, so you two are coming with me to the nursery and then we will talk to the Principal, because you caused such a big mess!" She hold them both in the back of their shirt, with a terrifying smile "Richards, get to eat, that you probably haven't eat anything, to the nurse and then after class you'll clean your classroom alone"

"Eh?!" I shouted, staring at her with surprise.

"You help with the mess, you clean something, it only fair, any objection?" She continued with the creepy smile and I shake my head.

"No, sensei!" I shouted back bowing at her.

"Good, the rest of you, clean this mess too and go to class after, Sado, make sure that they all have ate, all right?"

Sado-sensei just nodded at her and she continued walking with Oshiro and Miko, they looked terribly defeated.

I didn't felt exactly victorious, staring at the broken glass on the floor I let out a sigh. All my hard work for nothing. This train of bad luck was hitting me hard.

We started cleaning the place first, making sure all the glass pieces were together to throw it away. In that time I evaded the gaze from Toushiro, or evaded at him completely. My embarrassment was extreme and I couldn't explain nothing to anyone, especially him. In that went the cleaning, eating and even when I went to the nursery, I asked for Sado-sensei to join me with the excuse that they didn't have to get late to class. Also, he wouldn't ask me anything because he wasn't the talkative type, something better for me as I need it to get in order my thoughts.

At the nursery it was mostly making sure that nothing was broken, be covered in bandages and band-aids and checking that there was no dangerous wound. Sado-sensei did recommended me to see Ichigo-san after class and I could just simply agree with him.

With all that process, the classes were going to finish soon so I decided to stay in the nursery and really try to calm down, Sado-sensei went to his class without saying anything else and the nurse leave me be. I really appreciate being alone at the moment, because all my emotions were mixed and uncontrollable.

The bell ringed to mark the end of the classes, everybody went to their clubs and a few to their homes. Kazui, Hana and Emiko appeared in the nursery to check on me, but neither really asked what happened and I really appreciated, I imagine that they had all figured it out by now anyway, but their company was somehow welcome.

They left to their respective clubs and I went upstairs with the crutch, my stepping worse than before, for my task of cleaning the classroom, my friends assure me that it wasn't that terribly bad, so I should finish soon and without any more problems.

Now in the classroom I could heard the murmur from other students around, it was a soft sound of laughs and conversations. I sighed and focused in my task. The desks were in their places so it was most clean over them, the sweep and watering the plants, it should be a quick work. And as I thought, in less than an hour I was ready, could have it done before if it wasn't for the pain, I really need to check on Ichigo-san, again.

Seating over one of the front desks I looked outside through the window. Even if we were still in winter, the day was really bright and the sun give up a little warm in that cold day. I relaxed a little with the heat, kind of forgetting a little about the day.

"Hey" I heard from the back of the room, when I turned to see I was surprised to find Toushiro resting over the slide door. I went back my attention to the outside to hide my embarrassment, of every person that could stay. It had to be him "Can I come in?"

I really, really didn't want to talk to him, because I knew exactly what he wanted to do. But he was concerned, I shouldn't avoid him. Sooner or later he was going ask anyway.

"You'll have to clean any mess you make" I answered still without looking at him "I'm done cleaning for today"

He let out a light chuckle and then I heard his footsteps getting inside the classroom.

"Sure" He replied, he sounded amused. I felt him standing behind me, probably waiting for me to look at him. But nope, I wasn't going to do it at the moment. He sighed and then the desk beside me make a sound over the weight of probably Toushiro sitting.

"I thought you left" I said. Still focused in the outside and the warm from the sun.

"I thought you need it company" He said simply. Well, he wasn't wrong, but his company was not really handy for me, at the moment.

We stayed like that for a few minutes. Me refusing to look at him and him… He was probably waiting for me to tell, to spit everything out. But hell, I didn't wanted to. It was everything about him. Him. How I was going to say that I got in a stupid fight for a gift for him. It sounded even worse like that.

"Kurosaki has always told us that you were scary while fighting" He broke the silence and I shouted my eyes in response. Not that he could see my action "He wasn't wrong"

"I'm not happy about it either"

"I'm not scolding you"

"Sounds like it" This time I dared to look back at him. He was with his arms crossed, however his posture was relaxed at how he used to be, he looked comfortable over the table and was looking at me serious but not harsh, I mean, his usual look, maybe, there was something different about it tho.

"You were defending yourself and I do understand that you were angry with what they did to you" He mentioned after sighing about it "If it got in my nerves watching Oshiro taking you by your hair…"

"Yeah that's how I really react to treats" It was true, I didn't react properly the other day because it was some paranormal activity shit "And I didn't thank you about it… So other thing I had to thank you" I was quite annoyed by how I felt like a burden to him.

"I couldn't let him get away with that and do nothing like the rest"

"Either way, thank you Hitsugaya"

Again we stayed in silence, I change my attention to my feet that were hanging in the air and my hair, taking the locks around my fingers. I sighed and look for my cellphone, there was no need to hide it anymore.

"I did this to you as a thank you gift for saving my life the other day" I passed the phone to him but didn't met his eyes "I finished yesterday and as a precaution, when I do things like this and it's meant to give it to a friend, I always had the things with me, because at work had happened "accidents" from my coworkers and they smash it, I didn't want to give it to you today, I was trying to hide it, but I had no moment for it and when I finally had the chance, Miko and Oshiro appeared and destroyed"

Still I didn't dare to look at him, but even that didn't make it any less embarrassing, I couldn't face him. I waited for him to make some reaction of rejection, something like a rejection, because it was obvious after all that I did had a crush on him. I didn't wanted to be like this, to have this problem, everything was…!

"Such a shame that it was destroyed" Toushiro's voice broke my trail of thoughts. This time I dare to look at him, he was staring at my phone with a deeper frown but quite saddened look "I told you to not make anything for me… However I wouldn't be mad for this" He look up to me, in his pale skin it was obvious a red color around his cheeks "It was impressive, Richards"

He handed me the phone and I took it still silent, looking at him weirdly for not taking out the real thing.

"You said it yourself, it was a thank you gift for the other day" He continued at my probably confused expression, even if he was looking more embarrassed while talking "Just because of the day, it doesn't have to mean anything more than that, you can still do something else, and it can be simpler"

Did he just give me a chance to really not look it as a Valentine? Did he just reject me? No. He is direct. I just heard his way of rejecting girls and this wasn't it. What the shit he just said?

"Richards, please, it make me more nervous when you don't talk" His cheeks were still red, but staring at me with certain concern.

I chuckled with his reaction. It was a light actually relieved reaction, it help me out to let out a happy laugh. I noticed Toushiro's reaction was a surprised, but he continued and actually follow the laugh. It was for a short moment but it lifted every troubled feeling I had around, he seemed quite relieved too.

"Today was a fucking roller coaster, mate" I said catching back my breath after the laugh.

"It was" He continued. It was nice to actually see him more relaxed than he usually was, even after a shitty day.

"I promised that the next thing I'll do to you will be something simpler if you promise to not to bring this day up anymore, what do you think, Hitsugaya-kun?" I extended my pinky finger to him.

"I like the idea" He extended his and we interlaced them, making the promise.

Finally I could forget this "not" Valentine of hell.

Update sundaaay! One week later :DUU SORRY

I'm really sorry for not updating the past sunday, I'm close to winter break and I'm full of projects from the university OTL I was going to pick this chapter in two but nah here a super loooooooooong chapter!

Mostly because the next two week I'll probably not update :DU This is the last chapter I have written and well, now I'm going to update as soon as I finish writting, let's see how it goes!

Thanks for everybody following and putting favorite 3

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope to see you soon!