Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Koyumi, however is my own!
Recap…
"Hey Yumi! What are you doing here?" yelled Renji and he walked up to greet her.
"Delivering papers." she replied simply.
"Well we should hang out after you finish. There's a festival tonight, why don't we all go together?"
"Together?" Koyumi had still not adjusted to having friends. She had been alone for so many years that it felt strange to be surrounded by so many people who cared about her.
"Yeah! You know, with Rukia and the others." Renji replied, eyeing his friend curiously at the expression she had on her face. It was a rather unreadable look that reminded him of his captain, Kuchiki-taichou.
"Alright, I have some kimonos that I can wear for tonight."
"Ok, we'll see you there!" And with that, Renji left to continue his work of training the new sixth squad recruits.
'I wonder how tonight will turn out…' thought Koyumi as she knocked on the wooden door.
Story Begins…
"Enter" said a voice behind the door.
Koyumi walked in and saw a man sitting at the desk in the room. He was wearing the usual captain's attire with the exception of a silk scarf and the kenseikan, a hairpiece worn by those of noble lineage once head of their clan. To the side of the room, was a picture of a girl who appeared to be Rukia, but with slight differences in hair and facial expressions.
"Kuchiki-taichou, I have brought the requested papers from squad ten," Koyumi said in a flat tone, her eyes resembling those of the one she spoke to.
"Very well, you may leave" he replied while examining his paperwork.
"Hai"
After she left the office she returned to her own division.
"Taichou, the paperwork has been delivered."
"Yes, thank you Koyumi. By the wa —"He was cut off by a loud shriek from his lieutenant.
"Oh Koyumi-chan! Say you're going to the festival tonight! You just have to go, it'll be so much fun!!" cried Matsumoto.
"Matsumoto!!" the captain was yelling, with his anger vein clearly visible.
"Gomen taichou..." his vice captain apologized sheepishly, her attention still focused on the third seat.
"Yes, I will be attending the festival by the request of Renji." you said plainly.
"Aww you're no fun Koyumi! Why are you always so serious?"
"I don't know" the third seat replied while staring at the lieutenant.
"Well, as long as you're coming tonight…" Matsumoto's conversation was stopped short by her captain ordering her out of the room to finish her paperwork.
"So taichou, are you going as well?"
"No, I won't be able to attend because of the paperwork that's been building up lately." Toushiro sighed. He had wanted to go to the festival with Koyumi, but now it didn't look as though he would be able to.
"I'll help you with the paperwork"
"No it's fine, you don't have to…" But Koyumi was already working on the stack closest to her. The two worked until about six, but were only half way finished. The mountains of paperwork seemed almost impossible to finish.
"Yumi, the festival begins in an hour, you should return to your quarters and start preparing, I appreciate all the help with the paperwork, but I'll be fine by myself."
"Hai, arigato taichou." she replied with a slight smile.
After a quick shower, Koyumi changed into a navy blue kimono with silver embroidered cherry blossom trees and sparrows on it. It was the perfect size, reaching just above the ground, with a silver obi to match the embroidery. She quickly tied the obi and fixed her hair with a matching ribbon before leaving the division house. As she walked, small white flakes began to fall from the cloudy gray sky. When she finally arrived at the festival, it had stopped snowing, though the ground had already been covered with a thin layer of snow. Singing and laughter could be heard throughout the streets and brightly lit lanterns hung on the frozen trees. Koyumi saw her friends Renji and Rukia attempting to win a ring toss while Matsumoto, Hisagi, and Kira were at a table drinking sake. She walked through the crowded streets and eventually came to a frozen pond nearby with a cherry blossom tree looming over it. She stood for a minute before hearing slow footsteps behind her.
Unknown POV
I decided to leave the crowded streets of the festival for a little while seeing as Rukia and Renji were busy with the festival games. As I walked up ahead to the pond now frozen over by the cold, I saw a young girl sitting at the root of the white cherry blossom tree, where the snow had not covered. I walked closer, surprised that there would be anybody here at this time. The girl however looked strangely familiar, with her lilac streaked violet hair reaching to her waist…
Narrator's POV
Koyumi turned and her eyes met with those of the sixth division captain, Kuchiki Byakuya. Both stared at each other with blank, emotionless eyes before Koyumi turned back towards the pond.
"Kuchiki-taichou, what brings you here?" the girl asked without turning away from the frozen landscape.
"I needed to be somewhere quiet," he stated simply.
He sat down beside Koyumi and both remained silent for a while, deep in thought until the captain spoke up.
"What may I ask is your name?"
"Toriku Koyumi, third seat of the tenth division, Kuchiki-taichou." was the quiet reply.
"I see. The captains of the second, sixth, seventh, eighth, tenth, eleventh, and thirteenth divisions along with their lieutenants and third seats will be having a training session on Soukyoku Hill tomorrow afternoon. I presume you will be present as well?"
"Yes, most likely, Kuchiki-taichou."
The two shinigami sat for another half hour before making any movement.
"Taichou, I believe we should be heading back now, as the festival will be ending soon." Koyumi stated.
"Hn"
The two rose and began their silent walk back to the festivity and the crowds of people. When they returned, the last event of the festival was being held: The Duet Singing Competition. Koyumi stared at those who were preparing and was caught off guard when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Renji grinning at her.
"You made it! I was wondering where you went. You should join in the competition too!" he said while tugging at her arm, when he noticed his captain quietly standing beside them, a slightly irritated look showed on his face. "Good evening Kuchiki-taichou. I did not expect you to be here." he quickly said, his tone changing to a noticeably formal one.
"Hn," came the only reply.
"I don't have a partner, Renji. The competition states that you must require two people in order to enter." said Koyumi, more coldly than she had intended.
"Uh… Why don't you pair up with Kuchiki-taichou? You two are a perfect match! Literally," he said, whispering the last word of his sentence. At that moment Rukia walked towards them.
"Ni-sama, I heard that you might enter the competition with Koyumi-san!"
"No"
"Please? I'd love to hear your duet!!"
"Fine"
"Yay! Arigatou, nii-sama!"
"Hn…"
With that, Rukia and Renji walked towards the stage, leaving the third seat and the sixth squad captain to stare at each other for a few moments.
"The contest will now begin, will all contestants please line up behind the stage," boomed a voice through the microphone.
"Kuchiki-taichou…"
The captain was already walking towards the stage. He turned back to look at you.
"Are you planning to stand there all night?" was all he said.
Byakuya's POV
"Are you planning to stand there all night?" I had asked. Why do I even bother with this? Maybe it has something to do with the girl… Her eyes, they aren't like the rest. They're forlorn, unhappy…
Narrator POV
Byakuya struggled in his thoughts while the two were lined up.
"Next up, Kuchiki Byakuya and his partner Toriku Koyumi."
After everybody had finished their singing, the judges began to announce the winners of the competition.
"In third place, Yumichika and Ikkaku pair with their song: 'Fight to the death'" while that was announced, Yumichika was busy throwing kisses at the audience, going on about how beautiful he was.
"In second place, Rukia and Renji pair, with their song: 'Dance of the Autumn Leaves'"
"And finally in first place, Koyumi and Byakuya pair with their song: 'Cherry Blossoms in the Snow"
Applause rang throughout the streets as flowers were handed to the winners and medals were given as though it had been a genuine competition in a concert hall. Afterwards, everyone started to leave the festival, everyone except Matsumoto, Kira, and Hisagi, who were completely drunk and incapable of walking by themselves. They were later carried back by their own squad members.
"Toriku-san, would you like me to walk you back to your quarters?" inquired the captain.
"No, it's fine. I won't be returning there now." Was the reply as Koyumi started down the path. She decided to use shunpo to save time and entered the fourth division barracks. Walking down the twisting corridors, she came to a stop at a door with the name 'Keisei Saito' written beside it. Inside the room was a young man lying beneath the white sheets of a hospital bed. He was deathly pale, strands of dark blue hair hanging across his face. Koyumi sat down in the seat beside the bed.
"Nii-san, when will you wake up?" she murmured, her emotionless veil had dropped, revealing a deep sadness within her eyes. She proceeded to wash her brother's face with a damp cloth, failing to notice the hidden reiatsu behind the door of the room.
To Be continued…
Cherry Blossoms in the Snow Chapter 2