Rukia looked at the bright sky above her head. Soul Society seemed to be so calm today. But it might not be like it was today. Tomorrow can be better or worse. A sigh escaped from the female Kuchiki's throat. She wished that she could be with him right now.
Rukia didn't know when the feeling started to grow inside her but as the time passed she knew that she had loved the orange haired shinigami. Sometimes, she wondered why she loved him. He wasn't any special guy at first; well he was really an annoying boy back when they first met. Maybe because he is the most caring person she ever met.
He saved his little sisters from the Grand Fisher and he also saved her from being executed. For someone who she knew for about a month back then, she never actually thought that he will come to save her dear life.
A few knocks on the door woke her up from her dreamland. Rukia turned back and saw her Nii-sama entering her little bedroom.
"Rukia, are you okay?" Byakuya suddenly cared for his sister after the battle between Ichigo and him a year before.
The raven-black haired girl nodded with a bitter smile decorated her pale, tired looking face. "I'm fine Nii-sama. I'm just… Nothing. I'm perfectly fine!" Rukia tired to make her look usual but yeah she's a bad actress. Byakuya nodded although he didn't know why his little sister acted like that.
"Well, there will be a meeting about two hours from now. I know you already knew about this, just wanna to remind you about. But… If you don't wanna go, you can stay at your room. I'll tell you what happen then" the 6th Division Captain said.
Rukia who already had her view back to the sky nodded again. "I'll be there, Nii-sama. Don't worry 'bout me. I'm fine…" she replied blankly to her brother.
Byakuya slowly walked out from the pink-white colored bedroom. He knew something was not right with Rukia. She never liked this before. Emotionless. She used to be a happy-go-lucky girl although sometimes she strict as much as he did. But she never ever had been emotionless…well except when she was about to be executed. He sighed. After Aizen's betrayal, Soul Society was in chaos with those works need to be done and Hollows with Arrancars numbers extremely increased.
Rukia looked back inside her room when the door was shut. She remembered last night when she had to leave Ichigo before he could say what he wanted to tell her. And before she could ever say her feeling.
It was around three in the morning when Rukia's cell phone beeped few times. She grunted few times as the beeping had disturbed her beauty sleep. She took the cell phone which she placed beside her pillow. 'Nii-sama?' Rukia pressed the green button.
"Nii-sama?" Rukia said groggily.
"Rukia, I'm sorry to bother you at time like this. But it's really urgent. Where're you actually?"
"I'm in Karakura. I'm in charge here. Why?"
"We need you to come back to Soul Society as soon as possible. It's really urgent!"
"What? I can't leave right now!" 'I can't leave right now, not until he knows how I felt about him!'
"You can and you will! All the others Shinigami in the Living World already returned back here. Only you're the one who left behind. The Captain Commander wants all the seated members, fuku-taichous and taichous here as soon as possible! A portal had been opened for you at Urahara's shop. Be there as soon as you can and I'll wait for you here. Hurry! There are really troubles here!" Byakuya cut off the line before Rukia could ever reply.
Rukia bit her lips. She had to be back to Soul Society before she could ever tell him. Then, with heavy heart, she slowly tiptoed out from the comfortable closet. She tidied it neatly and then walked to the desk. She took out a piece of paper and a pen. Then she wrote the letter with holding back her tears. Few tears fell on the letter as soon she finished writing it.
Then she tiptoed to his bed. Looking to his calm face made she felt very guilty for leaving him. Slowly she kneeled beside his bed. "Ichigo, I love you and will always will" she whispered and gave him her –maybe- last kiss. She then wiped off her tears and started to run to Urahara's Shop. It was raining but she didn't care. All she cared was to get to Urahara's shop as soon as possible.
Remembering the memory of last night made her heart felt really hurt. She didn't have the chance to tell him how she really felt towards the orange haired shinigami. Two tears fell from her midnight blue pair of eyes. The sky started turned cloudy when Rukia went inside back to her bedroom. Her bedroom wasn't really big but it was enough for her to place a book shelf, a closet, a make-up table which she placed almost all things that was bunny themes especially Chappy the Rabbit and to place her futon as her bed. In the book shelf there was an album, a special album that hold special moments when she was in the living world.
Rukia opened the light pink coloured album. 'Memories' was written on the cover of the album. She flipped the page one by one, searching for a certain picture. On the twelfth page, Rukia founded the picture. There was a caption on the bottom of the picture, 'Ichigo, Rukia Sakura Garden.' She smiled by looking at the picture. That picture was taken after few months she stayed with Ichigo.
It was a very beautiful day to go out with families and friends. And the Sakura trees were blooming too. Rukia was reading a manga and lying lazily on Ichigo's bed. The orange haired substituted shinigami gazed to the bright sky and then he decided.
"Oi, Rukia are you busy right now?"
"Not really" with her eyes still stuck at the manga's page, "Why?"
"Since the weather is sunny today, wanna join me? I want to go to Sakura Garden. Wanna come?" his face was covered with pink shade.
Rukia gave him with a weird look. Ichigo had never asked her out and definitely didn't want to be seen together. "Are you gone sick or something?" she asked and still giving Ichigo the weird look.
"No. Just…Wanna come or not?" he said, desperately trying to hide his blush. "Okay" Rukia nodded, put the manga down and jumped on her feet. Ichigo grabbed his wallet and camera.
The cherry-blossom trees were blooming. It was very beautiful scenery. The place was packed with families and couples of girlfriends and boyfriends. Ichigo went to an ice-cream van and bought two cones of vanilla and chocolate ice cream. He gave one of the cones to Rukia and both went to a Sakura tree not far from them. Rukia had a big smile on her face as she eating her delicious ice cream.
Ichigo looked at Rukia. Her face was full with vanilla and chocolate smudges. Ichigo took his camera and, without the raven haired noticed it, he took couple of pictures of her. "Hey, you got ice-cream smudges on your face" Ichigo took some tissue from his pants pocket. "Oi. You got ice-cream on your face" he repeated but Rukia was to busy eating her ice-cream. Ichigo sighed. He took the tissue and cleaned Rukia's face with it.
Rukia stunned as Ichigo hold her face and wiped off the smudges. They had never been this close before. Rukia felt awkward. The orange haired shinigami noticed that he was very closed to Rukia's face. Their foreheads almost touched each other. After Rukia's face was cleaned, they both turned away with both shinigami had their faces very bright red.
Couple minutes later, Ichigo suddenly jumped on his feet and walked to a guy. He gave the black with green stripes haired guy his camera. Then Ichigo ran back to Rukia.
"Hey, look at the camera okay" Ichigo put his arm on Rukia shoulder and smiled to the camera. Rukia felt her face burning again but she looked at the guy.
The green stripes haired guy counted to three and pressed the camera button. Ichigo ran to guy; took back his camera, gave the guy few bucks and said thank you. Rukia walked towards Ichigo who was busy looking at the picture that the guy took.
"Hey, that picture is beautiful. Can you give me a copy?" Rukia tip-toed.
"Okay" then he slipped his hand into hers. "Let's go for lunch" and they walked to a restaurant; hand in hand.
Rukia carefully took the picture out from its place. Then Rukia took a picture frame; a red heart colored picture frame. She placed the picture inside and put the frame on her study table. She looked at the picture for few seconds. Rukia got on her feet and went into her bathroom; readying for the next meeting.
For the next meeting, the 1st Division Captain, Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, will decide whether the former 12th Division Captain, Urahara Kisuke, will be accept back to Gotei 13 or not. And the most important subject in the up-coming meeting is about Aizen and his gang. Rumors were spread all around Soul Society that Aizen is going to attack Soul Society. If it is true, that Soul Society going to be in a big trouble and they going to need the help from Kurosaki Ichigo.
Rukia came out from her bathroom. She wore her usual Shinigami robe and went out from her room. She just wanted to take some fresh air. For the first time on that day, she wasn't thinking about Ichigo. Her head now was about the up-coming meeting. Can Urahara be accept back in Gotei 13? Is it true that Aizen going to attack them?