Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or anything associated with it. Title of owner goes to 久保 帯人. :3 Nor do I own anything related to the Hana Yori Dango drama or manga.
AN: Yay, new chapter! Quite a bit happens in this one as well as big block of time shifting... erm, you'll see. I would also like to emphasize that - means a scene change. And it's chapter 8 which is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture so hopefully this is a lucky one! I don't have much to say about it other than that.
Some replies to reviewers:
Sgt. Notorious: Whee, I'm glad you like the fact that I'm not rushing the IchiRuki. And yes, watch HYD. That drama is full of love.
Miichiya Mikan: I'm planning on explaining Kaien's situation in later chapters as well as his link with the Kuchiki's since it's very vague right now. Yeah, I don't plan on putting in Hisana mostly because in this fic Byakuya and Rukia are blood siblings and Byakuya is all sorts of a baddie. Btw, since you knew that Byakuya is more like Domyoji's mom than his sister, have you watched HYD before? :D Hope you enjoy the answers to the hints in this chapter! Oh and the age list is added!
Rukichigo93: LOL, you're the first one that has said that! But yeah even though I'm not a big Orihime fan also, I decided to make her character the nicer person in this story. Maybe she can redeem herself to you in this chapter. XD
nexusmaster: Ah, thank you so much for the flattering comment. Eh? One of the best AUs you've read? That made me go :DDDDDDD
A big thanks to reviewers BrazeRancor, Chocolate and caramel, and darkheart1992 also!
Ages of Main/Supporting Characters:
-13-14 years old: Yuzu/Karin/Toshirou
-15 years old: Ichigo/Rukia/Chad/Renji/Orihime/Hanatarou/Ichigo's Takaimono classmates/bullies
-17 years old: Ishida
-20 years old: Kaien
-Mid 20's: Byakuya/Nanao
-Late 30's/early 40's: Isshin/Urahara
Note: Japanese words:
-Akiramenai: "I won't give up/I won't quit"
-Ganbatte: "Do your best"
-Baka: another obvious one but... "stupid/idiot/any variation of that"
Yosh! よろしくお願いします！
Chapter 8
At work that day Ichigo explained to Chad the chaos he got into with Rukia and the sudden run-in with Kaien. He showed him Kaien's business card and like Ichigo, Chad was doubly surprised at the location of his office.
"You have a knack for being saved these days." Chad mentioned when he recalled Ichigo's recent streak of getting in trouble then getting help automatically after.
Ichigo shrugged his shoulders and placed the business card back into his wallet. "I'm just wondering more than ever what he meant by 'we have similar drives'. And what's even worse is that I'm starting to think Rukia does like me." He almost shuddered at the thought.
"Yeah, she definitely does." Chad concluded instantly.
"Humph, whatever. She does a bad job of showing it. It is borderline murder what she's done to me, I tell you. There were the planned beatings, then the kidnapping, and now today's assault! I should get worried for my life when I'm around her." Ichigo mumbled.
He realized what he said and straightened up, changing his tone of voice into a more confident one. "But it's still war and I'm fighting back. Akiramenai!" He pumped up a fist for a show of his own personal glory.
Chad shook his head, personally finding Ichigo's war with Rukia to go on for far too long. He thought of something. "She sounds like a person who finds it difficult to show their true feelings. Maybe over time those true feelings will eventually be shown and you'll find she's not as bad as she seems."
Ichigo couldn't believe what he just heard come out of Chad's mouth. "Did you just analyze her? And whose side are you on?"
"Actually I'm on no one's side. I'm neutral." Chad answered quite frankly. Ichigo's scowl deepened. "But speaking of finding out a girl's true feelings, how did things go with Orihime today?"
"She wasn't there. I'll just talk to her tomorrow." Ichigo answered. Chad nodded then went over to help a customer who entered the shop. Ichigo decided not to tell Chad about what happened between Orihime and Ishida the night before. Something like that he would never tell any other living soul.
The next day at school during the start of lunch break, Ichigo made his way up to the roof with handkerchief in hand. He opened the door to the outside and peeked out, hoping to find Orihime there. But he saw no one and fully came outside to further see no one yet again. He sighed in frustration and yelled out over the roof, "WHERE IS SHE?"
"Where is who?" Slowly turning around, Ichigo found a confused Orihime standing at the open doorway.
Turning a bright shade of pink, Ichigo walked over to her and handed her the handkerchief. "It's been a while so I didn't get to return this to you. I washed it already. Thanks for letting me use it again. And please tell Ishida-san thanks for his help."
Orihime gave him a small smile and returned it to her purse. Ichigo couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about her demeanor was off today. She made her way over to the edge of the roof and looked down through the high iron bar gate surrounding the perimeter of the roof.
"These days, Ishida-kun has a lot of things to do. He's trying to get them done as fast as possible before he returns to America." She told Ichigo, her voice quite soft.
Ichigo stood close by, also watching the activity below the roof. "Yeah, it seems Ishida-san really wants to go back." He observed.
There was a bout of silence from her after Ichigo said this and he figured it was the wrong thing to say. "Are you all right with that?" He questioned her worriedly.
Orihime gave a light chuckle before turning around and leaning back on the iron bar gate. "I think Ishida-kun is someone who doesn't care what people will think and does what he wants to do. If he wants something, no one can stop him. But that's an admirable trait of his, ne?"
Ichigo agreed wholeheartedly. He took note of her forlorn look and tone of voice. She definitely changed from her cheerful demeanor to a much more thoughtful and quiet person when speaking of Ishida. He decided right then that he would like to see her happy. He knew there was only person who could do that. "If you don't do something soon, you won't see him again and you'll regret it." He blurted out.
Orihime's sad eyes turned his way then slightly brightened at his comment. "Do you want to see him again?" She questioned out of the blue.
"I wouldn't mind meeting him again. He was so nice last time and-"
"Then I'll take you to go see him again!" She interrupted gleefully. "My limo can pick you up after school and we'll go straight to his home."
"Oh, but I go to work straight after school." Ichigo said.
"Then I'll just pick you up after you leave work." She reasoned with a smile. "Come on, you admire him don't you? It wouldn't hurt to see him again."
Ichigo could not say no so easily so he agreed to it. "Okay. I'll go."
Before Ichigo left work that night, he told Chad about his encounter with Orihime at school. Chad was undoubtedly relieved to find that Ichigo was finally able to talk to her. He also was simply amazed when Ichigo told him that she invited him to visit Ishida Uryuu. He commented that knowing Ishida could open a lot of doors for Ichigo. But Ichigo merely shrugged off the thought and added that he wasn't befriending Ishida for his own purposes. Chad wished Ichigo the best of luck that night despite not knowing Ichigo's true intentions of going, unselfish as they were.
Since Ichigo usually just wore an apron over his school clothes for work, he still had his uniform on for the visit to Ishida's mansion. When he stepped foot outside Urahara's shop, he found a black limo waiting by the curbside. The door opened and Orihime gestured for him to come inside. He quickly entered and sat admiring the brightly lit interior. It was completely white inside. Orihime had moved to sit on the side seats so Ichigo could situate himself on the seat facing the front.
The ride to Ishida's mansion was relatively short so Ichigo could only initiate a conversation about Orihime's day. Needless to say, she only did odd activities such as shopping for kitchen supplies. He nodded, not truly understanding the reasons she gave but listened for her good nature. She mentioned Renji and Toshirou once or twice throughout the talk, but there was no mention of Rukia. For a moment Ichigo wondered if they were not on speaking terms.
Once they arrived at Ishida's mansion, a butler greeted them at the door and led them up the sprawling staircase. Ichigo's memory about the place was still clear enough to remember where Ishida's room was and that was where the butler was taking them.
The butler knocked on the door and Ishida opened it widely. He seemed pleasantly surprised to see both Orihime and Ichigo before his face lit up with a smile. "Ah, Orihime, Ichigo! It's good to see you again. What brings you here?" He asked.
"Kurosaki-kun wanted to thank you again for what you did for him at the party." Orihime answered.
Ishida turned to Ichigo and shook his head as if it wasn't any trouble at all. "There's no need to thank me. I'm here to help any way I can."
Ichigo could only bow slightly in response.
"So has your father agreed to it yet?" Orihime focused her attention on Ishida, changing the subject to something Ichigo didn't know.
"Well, he did agree for now. But he's really reluctant to agree completely." Ishida answered.
"I see…" Orihime's eyes shot downward for a second before coming back up to meet with Ishida's. "That seems fine. I should go and greet your parents." She bid her leave for a while to both Ichigo and Ishida and left the room.
"Come on inside, Ichigo." Ishida beckoned for him to enter. "Excuse the mess. I can be a huge scatterbrain when I'm busy."
Ichigo entered and observed Ishida's room fully this time compared to his first time there. Even though there were a few boxes here and there, the room was large enough to contain more empty space than clutter. He saw a few open suitcases with folded clothes inside laid out around the room also. "Are you preparing to leave?" Ichigo asked.
Ishida nodded while taking a large book from one of the boxes and tossing it in a suitcase. "Yeah, even though I still have a week left until I return to America it's always better to prepare things in advance." Ichigo nodded in agreement. "In fact, today I went to my university in Japan to request a withdrawal. So that way, I won't be just an exchange student at my university in America."
"So you won't be coming back then?" Ichigo asked curiously.
Ishida paused before he spoke. "Yes, that's what I decided to do. Go ahead and take a seat if you want. I need to just empty this box."
"Sure." Ichigo answered. As he made his way to a seat he noticed two framed photographs of children on a mantle. Inspecting it closer, one had four happy children whom he was able to pinpoint as Rukia, Orihime, Renij, and Ishida. The other one had a little Ishida laughing at the camera alongside an even littler Orihime who was beaming so brightly.
Something about her smile triggered a realization within Ichigo's brain. He had never seen a happier smile come from her. She… loved him from the beginning.
Without thinking twice, Ichigo spun around and called out to Ishida. "Please don't go back to America."
Looking up with an expression of pure confusion, Ishida was about to ask why but Ichigo managed to speak out again. "For Orihime, please stay in Japan, Ishida-san." He continued quickly, not giving Ishida a chance to talk. "When you weren't here, all Orihime did was read about you or watch you on television. She talked about you a lot and I knew she was hoping that you would return."
From outside the room, Orihime returned from greeting Ishida's parents but slowed her pace when she heard Ichigo say her name. She stayed away from the door but at a close enough distance to hear what he was talking about.
"When she talks about you, she always seems more content. But then when you recently decided to go back to America, I noticed her attitude has been going downhill. She isn't as cheery or happy now. It seems like she can't be herself when you're gone. So please, Ishida-san. Stay in Japan." Ichigo ended, hoping Ishida would take his pleading in consideration.
Ishida gave a thoughtful smile but shook his head. "I'm sorry but I can't do that. I've made my decision and I can't go back on it."
Ichigo had to try it one more time, just for the sake of it. He walked up to Ishida and bowed low. "Please, just stay here for her. She needs you."
"Ichigo, stand up." Ishida told him, not bearing the sight of someone he considered a friend bowing before him.
He looked at Ichigo seriously and continued. "I must make this decision. It's like when you come across something you could have but you refrain from taking it because of other reasons. Some people are fine with it but I'm not one of those people. I want to be my own person and decide how I live my life." He paused and placed a reassuring hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "I really hope you understand, Ichigo."
Ichigo nodded and could only bow his head slightly. "I understand and I apologize for being like that. I shouldn't have said those things."
"It's fine." Ishida replied. He patted Ichigo's shoulder before taking his hand away. "And about Orihime, please take care of her for me."
Ichigo's eyes widened at his request but nodded. "Okay. I uh, should go back home now. Thank you again." He said his goodbyes with Ishida and went out the room and down the stairs to leave the premises.
Just as he got out the door he was stopped abruptly by Orihime. The look on her face was of disappointment and slight anger to Ichigo's surprise. "What are you trying to do?" She asked him.
Ichigo noticed the tone in her voice was demanding. He could barely figure out what to say to her.
"Who asked you to do that? I didn't bring you here for you to beg him." She bit her lip and tried to hold back the tears that were stinging her eyes. "Was it for me? If so, you should mind your own business... I can't believe you did that."
"But you looked so pitiful earlier." Ichigo blurted out honestly. "You know you won't be able to see him again."
"I said it's none of you business!" She reiterated yelling at him. Ichigo took a step backward, fully in shock at her outburst. "You know, I shouldn't even have brought you here. Just go back." When Ichigo didn't move instantly she yelled at him. "Go back!"
Ichigo couldn't take this. It made him feel horrible inside that someone he wanted to help didn't want his help in the first place. He decided she was right that he only made things worse by butting into her situation. He made his way around her and left her as she broke down and wept to herself.
One Week Later.
At the airport Rukia, Renji, Toshirou, and Ishida's family and other friends were all present at the airport to say their goodbyes and see him depart. After he said his goodbyes to a group of people, Ishida made his way over to S4 with a grin on his face despite the rough times they previously encountered.
"Ishida, for what happened at the party, I want to apologize for it. I'm sorry." Rukia started. She had thought about it before they arrived at the airport and she honestly didn't want him to leave with a grudge against her.
"I understand. Apology accepted." Ishida answered and gave her a hug goodbye. He did the same to Renji and Toshirou after.
"We give you our best wishes." Rukia said after he was done.
"Same to you all." Ishida returned. He heard his flight boarding and said one more goodbye to his family before turning to leave.
"Ishida-san! Ishida-san! Wait!" Ishida turned to see Ichigo in his school uniform, running toward him at a sprinter's pace. Rukia also caught sight of him but refrained from acknowledging his presence.
"Ah, Ichigo! You came!" Ishida said with surprise as Ichigo stopped in front of him and caught his breath.
"Yeah… sorry… for… being… late." Ichigo said between deep breaths. He spotted the S4 and noticed there was no Orihime with them. "Where is Orihime?"
"She didn't come." Ishida answered, obvious disappointment written upon his face. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." He reached down to pick up his briefcase and opened it. "I have a gift for you." He took out a wrapped gift box and handed it to Ichigo. "Please open it now."
Taking off the box's cover, Ichigo's eyes widened with awe at the sight of an expensive silver watch.
"I hope it'll give you more time and luck combined than I have received in my life." Ishida commented. "I also hope you will do your best in everything you pursue. Try your hardest, Ichigo. Ganbatte."
Ishida walked to his gate as only Ichigo with S4 a few feet behind him, stayed to watch him leave all the way through. He turned back once more and waved. They all waved back. Once he was gone, Ichigo took another look at his watch and marveled at its features.
"Eh? Orihime?" Ichigo heard Toshirou say out loud. He turned around to see Orihime standing there before them with hands clasped nervously together.
"Orihime, did you just arrive?" Renji asked her.
She shook her head. "No. I came here an hour ago."
"Then why didn't you come here?" Renji inquired.
"I was watching you all instead." She said quietly and looked down toward the ground in shame.
"Why?" Ichigo asked her. He walked up to her and looked at her in frustration. "You need to go after him right now. If you love him, you have to follow him, right? You can't let this one chance pass."
At his outburst, a small smile played upon her lips. She looked up and within her eyes Ichigo saw a gleam of happiness. "I'm going." She said.
"What?" Ichigo said in disbelief.
She took something out of her pocket and showed it to him. "I'm leaving for America too." It was a plane ticket.
Besides Ichigo who stood there in shock, Rukia, Renji and Toshirou were all completely dumbstruck at her revelation.
"Kurosaki-kun, something I admire about you is your determination. It's one of the many things I didn't possess. After that night, what you said made me realize that I couldn't continue sulking around. So thank you for doing that. Arigatou." She thanked him again. Quickly before Ichigo could say 'you're welcome', she gave him a small kiss on his cheek. In the back, Rukia shifted her stance when she witnessed Orihime's action.
Ichigo's face was all kinds of red as she bid farewell to him and walked over to the gate where Ishida passed through. She went by S4 and besides pausing slightly at them, nodded and continued walking ahead without acknowledging them further.
Rukia couldn't take this sudden chain of events. "Orihime, stop!" She yelled out. Orihime turned and looked to Rukia, eyes questioning. "Are you really leaving?"
"Yes." Orihime simply answered.
"But why?" Rukia demanded loudly. "Why didn't you talk to all of us about it first?"
"I'm sorry, Rukia." Orihime quietly apologized. She looked a bit guilty as she turned back around to leave.
Rukia ran up and grabbed her arm to turn her around. She had desperation in her voice as she spoke. "Haven't we been through so much together? It's been so long, more than half our lives. Why do you want to leave us so suddenly?"
"Ano, about the last time…" Orihime said, trying to mention the incident at the party.
"I was being irrational. I'm sorry. It doesn't matter any more!" Rukia swiped the thought away from her memory. "Do you… really want to go?" Her eyes suddenly watered but she tried hiding it by talking louder and faster. "Stop playing games with us, Orihime. If you leave we won't have you around with us. I won't have my best friend around…"
Orihime smiled, appreciating the effort Rukia was making for her to stay. But she made her choice. "Please take care, Rukia." She bid simply.
Tears were falling freely now in little droplets down Rukia's cheeks. She wanted her friend to stay but truthfully she knew how much Orihime cared about Ishida. She nodded and returned a smile, knowing that Orihime would not give up on him. "If… anyone ever decides to mess with you in America, tell me immediately." She said. "All three of us will fly there. Got it?"
Orihime nodded happily. "Arigatou. I'll be going now." She bowed one last time and left their presence.
Ichigo went outside after she left to see her plane take off. It wasn't too long until he spotted S4 make their way outside and stand a few feet away from him to watch Orihime's plane make its ascent also. The plane took off quickly and Ichigo waved goodbye silently.
"Goodbye, Orihime! Good luck! Ganbatte ne!" Rukia yelled out loudly as if Orihime could hear from inside the plane.
"After seeing her actually capable of compassion when she said her farewell to Orihime, my opinion of her has slightly changed." Ichigo told Chad about Rukia that day at work. "She's not all devil inside." He admitted.
"It sounds like Orihime and Rukia have a good bond." Chad commented. Ichigo nodded in agreement.
"Hmm, those that seem cruel actually have a kind heart. For some reason they can't let others see their lonely selves so they constantly hide it." Urahara said as he lay in his lawn chair. Ichigo and Chad looked at him with confusion since they thought he was dozing off in the lawn chair while they were talking.
"Dear Orihime… How is… America?" Rukia was at her home, sitting down at a desk and actually writing a letter to Orihime. She read out loud what she wrote on paper. After thinking about the kiss Orihime gave Ichigo at the airport, Rukia couldn't help but add, "Do you… like …Kurosaki… Ichigo?"
"Whatcha writing?" Kaien asked curiously as he appeared behind her. Rukia yelped in surprise at his sudden intrusion and used her hands to cover the letter from his view.
"Is that a love letter?" Kaien questioned with glee.
"No! Of course not! Why do you always barge in at the wrong time?" Rukia spat out to him, still covering the letter.
He ignored her question and was able to grab the paper from beneath her hands swiftly. "Aw, it's not." He said after he scanned it, disappointed at the content. "Oh, it's a letter to Orihime."
Rukia grabbed the paper back from him. "Yeah. So what?"
"Well maybe I should write it for you since your print is so sloppy." Kaien offered after seeing her chicken scratch kanji.
She scoffed at his offer. "How can I convey my true thoughts and feelings if you're writing it?"
Kaien shrugged then took a seat on the couch adjacent to the able. "Why are you writing a letter to her in the first place?"
"Orihime went to America to chase after Ishida and ended up leaving her friends as a result." Rukia answered with a slight tone of distaste toward the end.
Kaien placed a hand over his heart at this and sighed. "Ah, when you're in love you do crazy things."
Rukia looked at him like he was the crazy one. "You'll understand when you're in love." He explained.
A slight blush crept up to her face after he spoke. Kaien thought that maybe Ichigo was the cause of Rukia's reaction to his comment. He decided to continue. "But until then you must treasure the person you like. Don't rush head on into things. Most importantly, you cannot buy a person's love with money. In order to receive love, you must give your love back."
For a few seconds, Kaien observed Rukia's expression as she took in his advice. A smile slowly spread across her face and she jumped up as if she had a sudden idea. "I got it!" He was almost startled by her suddenness as she went over and sat next to him on the couch.
"Kaien-dono, you're great, really. Thanks for telling me." Rukia punched him playfully on the arm but the impact was harder than she intended it to be. The pain shot up his arm and Kaien held it in agony.
"You're welcome." He croaked out.
"You're leaving up north tomorrow aren't you?" She asked. He nodded his head. It would just be a two week business trip to Hokkaido. "Well when you return, come back safely." She smiled again. She couldn't believe what she just thought up. "What a wonderful suggestion you gave me! I promise that when you come back, I'll have something for you to see." She went back to her seat at the table but instead of continuing her letter to Orihime, she scribbled a list on another sheet of paper.
Seeing Rukia pumped up and enthusiastic, Kaien felt a bit concerned leaving her like in this state. But whatever she planned to do, he'd have to take responsibility for giving her the idea. And just maybe it would rile up Byakuya. Kaien smiled at the thought.
The next day at Takaimono, Ichigo sat down by himself to enjoy his lunch for the first time in a long while. Hanatarou still had not returned to school and it made Ichigo wonder if he would ever come back. "Itadakimasu." He said before digging into his food.
"Hey Kurosaki." Ichigo heard the voice of Ikkaku call him out as he was mid way into his chewing. Ichigo gave him a glare in response. As usual Shuuhei and Yumichika stood behind Ikkaku.
"It's a shame that Orihime left." Ikkaku said with a sad expression. It quickly formed into a smirk. "Ishida is also gone and Kaien has recently left town. You have no one to defend you anymore, Kurosaki."
Ichigo got up from his chair to stare at him back at equal height. "I don't depend on any one! Start whatever you want. I can take on all of you." He barked back.
Shuuhei chuckled at Ichigo's response. "Heh, when have you not depended on some- OW!" He was abruptly pushed to the side and landed hard on the ground on his behind. "I've been accidentally pushed by Rukia-sama!" He yelled out in agony when Rukia stood before him.
"Shut up, you ugly monkey!" Rukia shouted back at him.
"How cruel!" Shuuhei squeaked and shrunk back into a corner, fully frightened at her outburst. Ikkaku and Yumichika went over to help him, scared at what Rukia would do next.
Rukia quickly turned to Ichigo and focused her attention on him.
Ichigo noticed she had a piece of notebook paper in her hand. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her in confusion. "What?" He asked.
As if she were deep in thought, she diverted her eyes downward to the table. She nodded once then placed the piece of paper she carried into the pocket of her jeans (designer of course). "Mustn't rush into things." She mumbled to herself.
Ichigo heard her mumble. "Huh?"
Rukia's head snapped back up to him. "You and me. This Saturday. 1 PM. Karakura Park Plaza near the sun dial." She quickly directed. She nodded to him curtly without giving him a chance to answer and swiftly walked out the dining hall. All eyes in the room followed her out, many students with mouths agape in sheer surprise or horror.
"Why is she saying that to the peasant boy?" Shuuhei yelled out in frustration.
"I can't believe it." Ikkaku said.
"That means…" Yumichika's eyes widened at his discovery. "She wants to date him? What?"
"Unbelievable!" They yelled out in unison.
Ichigo was more than surprised at her demand and needed to ask what the hell she just did. He packed his things quickly and left a wailing group of idiots in his wake. He managed to catch up to Rukia in the hallway.
"Rukia!" He yelled out to stop her.
She turned around at the sound of her name. Seeing it was Ichigo, her face formed into a satisfied smile. She crossed her arms and looked at him. "What?"
"What just happened back there?" He asked, still in disbelief.
"Just do what I say, baka." She scoffed at him. Before he could say any more words she turned and ran off in the opposite direction. Ichigo blew out a sigh of irritation. His scowl deepened.
That Saturday, Rukia woke up earlier than usual. It was 9:30 to be exact compared to her usual 11 or 12 in the morning. Her maids questioned her about this sudden change and Rukia quickly answered with a smug "I have a date". The maids were truly shocked but giggled when they realized that Rukia was actually making an effort for a boy.
For this date, Rukia decided to go casual since they were going to be outdoors. So she opted for a comfortable pair of skinny jeans, strapped black sandals, and a white blouse with a thin yellow cardigan over it.
Once Rukia was ready to go, she went to get her purse. But on her second thought, if Ichigo was chivalrous enough he would have to pay for everything on their first date. She decided not to bring her purse.
Rukia arrived fairly early at Karakura Park Plaza, fifteen minutes to be exact after she checked on her wrist watch. She told her driver to leave and then made her way over to stand near the sun dial in the middle of the plaza. She was quite disappointed that Ichigo had not tried to come early. "If he doesn't show up in five minutes, I'll beat him to a pulp."
"Ichigo! It's so good to see you, man!" Keigo yelled out in surprise when he spotted Ichigo entering the arcade.
That Saturday Ichigo decided to spend time with Chad and his old friends. He did think previously about Rukia's request of him but shook his head away of the thought. He never promised her he would go. She brought it upon herself if she went and he didn't go, he thought.
"Hey, didn't you have a date with Rukia at one o'clock?" Chad asked Ichigo when he caught sight of the time on the clock. It was already 12:59 and they were currently waiting in line to play the newest game at the arcade.
"Pft, why would I want to date a person like her?" Ichigo responded.
"Well she might take some serious revenge on you if you don't show up. It'll be hell if you don't show up but then again… it'll be hell if you do show up." Chad added.
"Exactly. I'd rather wait on experiencing the torture." Ichigo agreed. "Besides, she can wait all she wants. It's still war between me and her."
Chad nodded and kept his mouth shut. Ichigo couldn't help but glance at the clock to see the short hand move to the number one.
It was fifteen minutes past one o'clock and Rukia was still waiting by the sun dial. A few couples met each other before her and she glared at their happiness. "I'm definitely going to beat him up." She decided.
"Haha, that was hilarious!" Ichigo laughed when Mizuiro told him a story about his encounter with the next door neighbor's daughter. Currently they were eating at the food court.
Ichigo took another bite of his sandwich and while chewing, spotted a wall clock in the distance. He read the time to be 1:30.
Her legs were tired from standing for so long. Rukia sat down on the sun dial and checked her watch again. It was 1:45. She sighed and crossed her arms over chest. She decided to wait a little longer.
Keigo and Mizuiro had to leave at 3 o'clock to work on a project they had for science. Chad and Ichigo decided to hang around the arcade for a little longer. Ichigo found it a great stress reliever when shooting down bloodthirsty zombies or driving speeding cars on Tokyo's night highways.
Ichigo heard the sound of rain starting outside the window. He luckily listened to his dad that day about the weather forecast and brought an umbrella with him.
He looked at the wristwatch Ishida gave him. 3:45.
"Do you… really want to go?" Her eyes suddenly watered but she tried hiding it by talking louder and faster. "Stop playing games with us, Orihime. If you leave we won't have you around with us. I won't have my best friend around…"
Ichigo felt the pit of his stomach sink when he thought about Rukia's break down with Orihime. Something in the back of his mind told him she was still waiting. The guilt within him built up until he couldn't stand it any longer. He needed to see if Rukia was indeed still there.
"Sorry, Chad." This was all Ichigo said to his friend before leaving his game.
Chad watched as Ichigo ran off into the rain, utterly confused at his quick plan of action.
While clutching his umbrella over his head, Ichigo ran toward Karakura Park Plaza. The pavement was slick with rain so every often Ichigo almost slipped but managed to keep his balance and continued running.
"I can't believe she wants to date me." He said. "It's too late. She might have left already." He concluded but didn't stop running.
He arrived at the plaza with the rain coming down harder on his umbrella. Every one outside was running into nearby stores for cover. His eyes scanned for the sun dial. What he saw made him feel like the worse person on earth.
Rukia was sitting on the sun dial, her clothes soaked from the constant pouring rain. Her thin arms covered her body for warmth. She had no umbrella with her. Ever since it started to rain she sat it out and waited there for him.
Ichigo stood there for a moment watching her. He felt guilt and confusion well up inside at the same time. "This is… unbelievable." He mouthed. "Why?"
AN: *blinks* What just happened? Hehe, that is the date folks, yessir. Ano... I would love to your thoughts on what happened in this chapter, especially toward the end. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much I enjoyed writing it. It also makes me feel giddy when someone has added my story to an alert or favorite. But it makes me even more hyped up to see a review! So please review with love, comments, constructive criticism, yada yada.
Thanks so much! ありがとうございます！