Double Update, because it's nearly Christmas!
Think of it as a Christmas present~! ;D
ミ コ ト • Mikoto
Chapter 10: Past and Present
Previously:
"Some advice- I won't go easy on you; just quit now." She flicked her hair, and walked out of the empty classroom.
"If you accidentally call me 'Lil' Shiro' there will be punishment." He looked her in the eye, seriously.
"I like you. Go out with me."
"Confess your love to me!" she blurted out, determined.
Rukia smiled. "I'm currently second place in the beauty pageant at Karakura High School."
"Rangiku Matsumoto, in first, Momo Hinamori, in second, and Soi Fon, in third! Congratulations!"
Matsumoto grabbed Momo's hands. "Yes, of course we have! Karakura High is Shino High's number 1 rival!"
"Would you miss me if I disappeared?" she asked, her voice almost serious.
"…What?" the exact same words…
He pulled her into a tight hug, and whispered in her ear. "Don't…just don't leave me again. Please…"
"I…I will really miss you if you do."
•
Hinamori hugged herself. "He…he said that he'd miss me if I disappeared! He really said it!" her cheeks tinged with pink. I don't know why, but I'm really happy to hear that! But…why didn't he tell me the truth all those years ago when I asked him? Maybe it's because this time he has already experienced my abandonment…
She lied on her bed, and stared at the phone on her desk.
~Flashback~
Ring…Ring…Ring…
"Hello, this is the Hinamori Residence?" said Momo, politely.
"Momo, is that you?"
"Ah-Grandpa! It's been such a long time! What have you called up for?"
"Is everything alright? Living by yourself?"
"Yes, everything's fine! How's everything over there?"
"…It's not going so well."
"Hm?"
"Momo, please come back home! Your Uncle…he…"
Her eyes widened. No…no way…!
At sunset…
"Lil' Shiro!"
"Stop calling me that! It's just Toshiro not 'Lil' Shiro'!" the small boy said, annoyed.
"But Lil' Shiro is Lil' Shiro..." replied the young girl with dark hair. He glared at her.
"Lil' Shiro do you want some watermelon or not? They're in season right now!"
"Ok ok!"
They happily ate the juicy watermelon together and watched the sun start to set.
"Hey...Lil' Shiro?" Momo put her watermelon down and looked at the ground.
"What now?!" Toshiro continued to munch away at the melon.
"Would you miss me if I disappeared?" she asked, her voice almost serious.
"No." He answered fast.
"WHAT?! Why?!"
"Because if you were gone...Munch...then I wouldn't be called Lil' Shiro all the time! Munch Munch..."
"I'm serious Lil' Shiro!"
"Hmph! I'm not gonna answer that! Besides I doubt that you would ever disappear!" he spat out the seeds at Momo.
She quickly moved her arm up to her face to block it. "Cut that out! Lil' Shiro!"
"So he wouldn't miss me after all…" She looked at her luggage. "Time to go…"
~End Of Flashback~
Hinamori snapped out of thought. Ugh, that was all in the past! Don't bring it up again! She shook her head. But…if I keep remembering all of those every day…aren't I still living in the past…?
•
Toshiro sighed. "What was she thinking…? That Momo…making me worry for nothing."
"I…I will really miss you if you do."
"Toshiro…?"
He pulled away from the hug, and wouldn't face her after that.
"Don't worry, I won't move away again. I promise." She whispered.
Hitsugaya froze. "Hold on a second…I know I don't know where she had disappeared to…but, I never asked her where she had come from either…maybe she went back to the place where she was born! Geez, I'm such an idiot…" he messed up his hair.
Momo…you're like a complete stranger to me. I thought I knew everything about you, and you knew everything about me…but…why does it suddenly feel like I don't know you at all?
He looked at himself in the mirror. "You're my friend, aren't you? Shouldn't I know these things? After all, Friends are…"
Friends are people you laugh and have fun with.
"…What?" he blinked. Why'd that line suddenly come into my head? …Who said that to me?
He furrowed his eyebrows, as he struggled to remember. "Could it have been…Momo?" And it suddenly all came back to him.
•
It was a nice sunny weekend. Where children played in the streets, with other fellow children. Everyone was happy; all of them enjoying themselves. But one. One always sat in the same place. At the bottom of the big tree in the park. A child of white hair, always sat there by himself, without anyone to talk to.
He buried his face into his arms which were leaning on top of his knees.
"Why are you crying?" asked a sweet voice.
He looked up. "I'm not crying…"
"Psst! Momo, come back, don't talk to him…" whispered some children. "He's a cursed child…you'll get into trouble if you're near him!"
She ignored them. "You don't have any friends to play with?"
He shook his head. "Friends…?"
"Yes! Friends are people you laugh and have fun with!"
"…No. No one wants to be my friend…"
"Why?" she blinked, innocently.
This girl asks too many questions… "I don't know. Maybe it's my hair color…I don't know. They all just say I'm a bad child…"
"I don't think it's true!" She sat down next to him.
"…Huh?" he glanced at the innocent girl.
"I don't think you're a bad child at all! I'm talking to you, and you seem like a good person!" she replied, cheerfully.
"Eh…I don't even know who you are…" he muttered under his breath.
"Oh, I'm Momo Hinamori! I recently moved here! What's your name?"
"…Toshiro." He mumbled.
"Sorry, what?" she leaned towards him more.
"My name…it's Toshiro Hitsugaya."
"Nice to meet you, Toshiro!"
"…"
"Heheh, you're meant to say, 'it's nice to meet you too'!"
"…It's nice to meet you too?" he repeated.
She nodded. "Like that!"
"…Why are you still talking to me?"
"Because I'm your friend!"
"!" He looked at her small face. She had a bright friendly smile. One that anyone could trust.
"I'll be your first friend, Toshiro!"
"Why? Momo, I just don't understand." He shook his head. You say you want to be friends, and then you leave me? He chuckled. I really don't get you.
He gazed out at the starry night sky. You suddenly appeared like a shooting star, and the days that followed were like that of a dream…but just like the stars disappears at daylight, you disappeared from my eyes, only to return again on that one fateful night. You really know how to shine at your brightest, don't you, Momo?
•
After all the schools versed one another in the beauty pageant, there were only two schools left. Karakura VS Shino. The day has finally arrived…
"It's finally here. This is the day we've prepared for, girls!" smirked Rangiku.
"We'll see whose better. I won't lose so easily to them." Soi Fon glared at the other school.
"Let's do our best, Mina-San!" smiled Momo.
The MC of Karakura smirked. It was Ichigo's homeroom teacher, Misato Ochi. "We'd like to introduce our top three girls of Karakura High School! In third place is…"
"Tatsuki Aizawa!"
The short dark haired girl stepped forward, and gave a wave to the audience of two schools. "Hello, everyone!"
Renji scowled. "Nope, definitely not my type."
Izuru fake smiled. "I wonder how a tomboy like her got in. Karakura's standards must have really dropped."
Toshiro laughed. "We'll see."
Yoruichi glared at Karakura's MC. We all know who's MC is better…it's obviously me, Shino High School's MC! I'll just have to top her. "I'd like to introduce Shino High School's top three flowers! Our third place is none other than the Ice Princess, Soi Fon!"
Soi Fon stepped forward, confidently. "You have no chance against me. Please make a wise choice."
Tatsuki grinned. "Oh? If I recall, last year, you were second place! Now, you're dropped to third place? I sure pity you!"
Soi Fon put one hand on her hip. "Oh? If I recall, last year, you weren't even IN the top three. I pity Karakura's standards for 'top beauties'." She shot back.
"Yeah! You show her, Soi Fon-Sama!" screamed her fan club. "You're the best, and we know it!"
Karakura's MC cleared her throat. "Er-Hem! Next, we have our second place, the lovely Rukia Kuchiki!"
Rukia curtsied. "Nice to see you're all doing well!"
Renji choked. "What's lovely about her?!"
"Rukia, you're as super cute as always~!" sighed Keigo Asano.
"Sheesh, you've really got to shut that mouth of yours." muttered a tall teenager with orange hair.
Renji and the orange haired boy made eye contact.
"RENJI?!"
"ICHIGO?!"
Izuru glanced at Ichigo. "You know him?"
Renji nodded. "Yeah…he's that guy who always hangs around Rukia…"
"No, Rukia is the one who always hangs around ME." replied Ichigo.
The redhead rolled his eyes.
Toshiro kept his turquoise eyes on the 'perfect' girl, Rukia. "…Looks like she'll be a tough opponent."
Yoruichi flashed her brightest smile. "Of course, Shino High School's second place is even better than Miss Kuchiki-our cute recent transfer student, and in second place, Momo Hinamori!"
Hinamori stood up. "I'm new to this; please treat me well." she bowed.
Even the Karakura boys had to admit she was cute. "Darn…that Hinamori chick's a real cutey, but Rukia is in our school…"
Renji yelled out, "YEAH, MOMO! BEAT THAT SHORTY!"
Rukia death glared at Renji.
Ichigo yelled out, "C'MON RUKIA, SHOW SHINO HIGH WHAT WE'VE GOT!"
Rukia smirked confidently at Ichigo.
Izuru folded his arms. "Hmm, looks like the second place battle will be a good one!"
The Kuchiki stomped her foot on the ground. "Hinamori-San! I'll tell you this, don't think I'll go easy on you!"
Hinamori stayed calm, and fake smiled. "I never expected nor asked you to."
"…Didn't say I warned you." She turned her back on her.
"Kuchiki-San?"
"What is it?" Rukia slightly turned to face her.
"I can guarantee one thing."
"And what would that be?"
"Karakura's defeat." Hinamori turned her back on Rukia, and walked back to the rest.
"MOMO-SAMA, YOUR WORDS ARE FULL OF TRUTH!"
"Beat that Karakura girl!"
"Yeah! Knock her out of her socks!"
Tch…! Acting cool like that! Hinamori, you'll regret saying that! Rukia folded her arms, and tried to stay calm. And what's with Shino High's fan clubs?! Where is MY fan club to cheer me on?! She looked around, and caught them waving signs. …I guess they're just not as loud.
"May I have everyone's attention for Karakura's number one?!" said the MC enthusiastically.
The crowd cheered, and screamed. "Yeah! Karakura! Karakura! Karakura!"
"I introduce, Orihime Inoue!"
A girl with silky orange hair, with a bubbly personality stepped before them. "I'm Orihime, nice to meet ya!"
"Orihime~! You're my princess!"
"Orihime! Orihime! Orihime!"
Yoruichi tapped her foot, waiting for silence. After the crowd settled down, she raised her voice. "Shino High School's first place tops all women here, winner of last year's beauty pageant, and a charming girl, no man can take their eyes off of her, Rangiku Matsumoto!"
Shino's crowd went berserk. Karakura's crowd of boys gaped, not only was Rangiku's looks were amazing, even her bust size was bigger!
"Rangiku-Sama, honor me with your smile!"
"Rangiku-Sama, please give me your autograph!"
"Look this way!"
Renji punched the air with his fist. "Rangiku, show em up!"
Izuru clapped. "Overall, it looks like our school has better appearance than Karakura's this year round."
"That Orihime girl looks as if she's no match for Rangiku, but she's acting completely fine." Mumbled Toshiro.
Half of the Karakura boys, couldn't help but cheer on Rangiku as well.
One wolf whistled, "Wow, what a hottie!"
"Matsumoto-San, grace us with a kiss!"
Rangiku smirked, and blew a kiss to the crowd. "Continue to cheer me on!" she winked.
Some guys even fainted.
The winner of Shino High's beauty pageant pointed at Orihime. "Scared yet, Orihime? Half of your side, has had a change of heart, and turned to me."
Orihime smiled. "No, not at all! I'm more excited to go against you again!"
"The end result won't turn out the same." Matsumoto's grey eyes narrowed.
"Oh? I think it will! You can count on that!" Inoue smiled.
"Let's face it; we all know who the real queen here is. You only managed to win last year, because of some fans. But since I've just halved down your fans, you are at a disadvantage."
"Say what you will~!" she giggled.
"We'll see who comes out as the winner this time…"
-End of Chapter 10-
And that's all for now~ Until next time!
ミ コ ト • Mikoto
•
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