Chapter 12 - A Friend's Favor
Ichigo kept distance from Rukia for the next few days. She could tell that both of them weren't ready yet to talk to each other.
And now it became a hobby as well, for her two swim in the river every time after school. She still wanted to try and conquer her fears, but she was always close to being successful, but never completely triumphant.
The fifth day after the night when she told Rukia the truth, her eyes gazed at the dark blue for a while before her feet left the ground as she jumped in the cold water. The deeper she got, the clearer the image of the killer formed in front of him, with that malicious smile and those cold eyes ready to drag her deeper and kill her.
Once again, she failed. She swam back up and panted from not breathing for a long time. She ran back home and climbed up to her window so that her family wouldn't see her drenched self. She changed to simple clothes and immediately closed the curtains when she caught a glance of Rukia doing her homework.
She still waited until Rukia would be ready to talk to her about it. Strangely, her waiting for Rukia's complete answer made her focus less on Byakuya. She had to be a little thankful for that, but it didn't mean that things were getting better.
Byakuya frowned at he was just told at the phone. Three days from now was the time when they'll meet face to face again, and this time Koga was sure that they wouldn't have any delays or whatsoever. It would be it.
As Rukia washed the dishes while humming, he went upstairs and took out the bullets from his handgun. He would put them back on when that day comes.
He remembered everything when he was living with them. They beat him up and scolded him since his very early childhood, they forbade him from seeing his only friend who died soon after, and what was worse: In parties or balls, away from the eyes of his family, other people would make indecent moves towards him, man or woman.
But he never told his family. They wouldn't care anyway. That and every bad thing a parent can do to their child, his parents did to him before he ran away. Every... every heartless action possible, they did it to him.
Them and their completely stuck-up, outdated, cruel away of acting... he hated it all. Again and again he would say that and think that until he could finally rid the burden off his heart.
But as long as they're alive and after him, the burden might never be able to disappear. It would take ages until they would give in to death, due to their annoying obstinacy.
"Class, as well as you know there will be a small school performance tomorrow." Their homeroom teacher announced as soon as she entered the classroom.
"Ah yes, the Celebratory Dance, right to celebrate the 29th year of Karakura High?" One student replied.
"But who will perform the dance?"
"That's right. No one ever told us about who the dancer will be."
Ichigo just sat on her chair, her hand pressing against her cheek as she halfheartedly listened to their chatter while looking at what's outside the window. It was better to look at the view of the sakura and oak trees at the school yard rather than her classmates asking questions about a performance.
"You will know now. The dancer will be... Rukia Kuchiki." Gasps were heard, all but Ichigo who did her best to keep it in her throat. Rukia's only reply to the surprise of her classmates was a humble smile. The gasps were followed by a brief applause and a few congratulations.
"Congrats, Rukia." She muttered to herself. Behind her seat, Toshiro noticed the growing emotional distance between Rukia and Ichigo which caught his curiosity. They were close, so now why are they acting as if they have a strained relationship?
Though curious, he didn't bother to ask. He could tell that neither are in a good mood despite their calm aura.
"Kuchiki, what are dazing around for? Tomorrow's the big day, you need to polish up the dance a little more." The instructor called as Rukia was looking at Ichigo from outside the window with solemn eyes.
"Oh sorry. Holding her fan with extreme delicacy and gracefulness, she began the first step. After ten minutes, the dance was over and her reply was a clap of awe. "Looks like you're ready to dance for tomorrow. Alright, you can go home now."
Rukia thanked her instructor before heading for the gate where Byakuya waited. They started to drive home, but on the way she started getting a headache as her body burned.
Noticing this, Byakuya drove a little faster and helped her go inside as her legs were weak and light. After placing a damp cloth on her forehead he flipped his phone open and called his fellow teachers.
"This is bad news, but my sister might not be able to perform the dance tomorrow. She has a fever of thirty-eight degrees, and overexerting her would make her condition even worse." Was the same thing he said to every teacher and he would always get the same not-pleased reaction.
He sighed in his head when he was done calling everyone. "I forgot to tell you to tell them that I'm sorry for this..."
"You don't have to be sorry. It was just an unlucky coincidence." After that short assuring he cooked soup and served some of it to Rukia before eating his share and going to sleep. By the time tomorrow comes, there would only be one day left until they arrive.
"She got sick? But what can we do? It can't be postponed." Ichigo stopped walking when she heard some of the school personnel talk say that. She was surprised as well, and out of concern she walked inside the faculty room while approaching the small circle of teachers.
She didn't find Byakuya anywhere, but she dismissed the thought a second later when she was in front of the, but they were unaware of her presence.
"I'll take her place." The endless chatter stopped at her abrupt suggestion. Her eyes hardened at their looks of disbelief, to show them that she wasn't joking. "Kurosaki, we appreciate the offer but, you're joking?" The look in her eyes even became more serious.
"But the dance is pretty difficult to learn. You sure you can do it?" The instructor asked, knowing that she was really willing to do it. "Do you have a video of the whole dance?" Ichigo asked in return. "Sure. I have a few tapes here..."
As she tried to fall asleep again to ease the pain in her head, her phone rang and she answered it with a lazy groan. "Sensei, what is it?" When she heard her answer a bit of energy came back for her to speak a little louder.
"Really? Can I talk to her then?" Seconds passed quietly, then a voice spoke. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Rukia felt a lump in her throat at the tone of the voice. She sounded slightly awkward. "You really want to fill in for me?"
"If no one does, you'll come here the next day with an embarrassed face. I'm not looking forward to see that." While answering that, Ichigo moved to a more secluded area so that no one would hear her. "But why? For one reason, you're going to wear girly stuff and I know you hate it. But what is the main reason?"
There was no reply for a while, but neither hang up. "It's because... I'm doing this for your sake. Like what I said, I don't want you to feel guilty that you can't perform today. And you don't have to worry, I watched all the videos of your rehearsal and I'm a fast learner." She wasn't bragging. She was just calming down her friend.
"Rukia, you don't need to say anything. Just let me say this before I hang up. If you're final decision is either you're okay with it or not, I'll still do this as a favor for you because... you have been a nice friend."
And with that there was the droning dial tone, and both closed their phones.
Never has she worn such a large kimono with several flower patterns. For the kimono was Rukia's size, it only reached until down to her knees. The sandals were really high-heeled that she almost stumbled a few times but she immediately got the hang of it in a while.
The attire was done. All what was left was her hair and make up. Before her hand could take a hold of the comb, she froze when she saw another person reflected from the mirror in front of her. "Hello." She mumbled while taking the comb and removing any tangles or any imperfections in her hair that started to go back to orange as signs of coral color were showing in the black strands.
But it wasn't that noticeable so she brushed that thought aside with another gentle swipe of the comb as it massaged her hair. Her ears were deaf to his own hello as she started to tie her hair with a few flower clips. The problem was her makeup.
Never for once in her life did she ever wear makeup, and though she was determined to do this for her friend, she was not sure if she would get it right.
Her fingers started to tremble around the lipstick handle, and the she brought the colored tip closer to her lips. But Byakuya took the small makeup away from her hands as gently as he could to not startle her.
"What..." She was not rudely silenced as color painted her pale lips a nude pink shade. She immediately knew what he was doing and stayed quiet and still to let him dye her lips. But before she knew it, he did the rest as well with ease.
"Maybe he was the one who was going to do Rukia's makeup?", she thought. Though she never got an answer from him, that was true. "Thanks." Slipped out her lips when she saw her appearance in the mirror, it was completely feminine that if she did this for any other reason she would get irritated.
Her face was coated with the right amount of apricot foundation; her eyes standing out more with brown eyeshadow as the base then magenta applied on the earthly color and then her eyes were brightened with a hint of shimmering white; her eyebrows redefined with a chocolate brown color; her whitish cheeks given warmth with pale pink, and her lips with the nude pink that she was about to put on herself.
A warm hand softly touched her cheek and she held her breath, remembering how warm he felt when he held her face for a kiss. And he was about to take her lips again, as of now, he made a hint of moving closer to her face.
The next thing that happened was never anticipated by either. Maybe it was just because they immediately gave in to the intensity of the moment.
Ichigo leaned forward and claimed his lips, softly but passionately. She could never know what got over her to do this when she tried to keep herself away from him since that fateful night. And in just that moment they stayed like that before she pulled away, the pink blush on her cheeks turning to crimson.
"I thought that's not what you wanted right now."
She couldn't say anything. The blush on her cheeks went even redder but the crimson hue disappeared as he stood up. "Good luck." When he left the room, her hands clasped together against her beating chest. She knew it, her feelings for him were really complicated as it came from complex matters and started from a complex past.