In light of the huge uproar this has caused, I felt this chapter upload is indeed very necessary. I have taken 2 hours to write this up today and I've just finished. It will seem rushed and it is rather short for my standard because I wrote it out fast but I think I need to get this out before everything gets out of hand. I will come back to beta-read my own work and correct the grammatical errors but it's midnight now and the bed is calling.
This will be my form of apology to the readers who tolerated the rants and exchanging of choice words which developed into a full-blown drama. I have uploaded this chapter because I felt like letting all of you know and since there are too many correspondents, I thought of this as a fast way. And because a lot of readers were heated because they came on for an alert only to see a personalized version of emotional rant, I can only make up with a REAL Chapter 20.
Do read my AN at the end for clarification, I write all of this with a clear mind.
THANK YOU TO ALL REVIEWERS OF CHAPTER 19: L, 1superkawaii, Carol00, Lilian Violet, mandapanda13, Valentine'sNinja, SarcasticScript, Fumi Raisin, Sakimi1014, RunSakura, tokiko76, 4K-san, lovelove, ashezo, Scorpirion, blissbeat, Jinks, BlackBurningHeart, Kichou, cintiasnakeblack, Ever Lasting Night Life, YuzurihaNoRyuu, LiluFaery87, DRUON, mintandtea, Huh Soobin, vicky73, KendoGirl95, xxUlquiorraLoveRxx, Royal blueKitsune, compa16, Some thoughts after reading, kiti4life, soulflower70, Kuchiki24, KunoichiDoll, buchielle, meateatinglover, Nathalie Shiffer, YuYuAnne, killua, Animefreecs, Kannabisu, Nica, alinda arch, CyberJello, Amii-xx, KitChi, byakuchiki, incomparableXOXO, Lanny-Sama. (I copied this from the previous Chapter 20 so they might be a lot of users I have missed but I have read all of them, thank you very much)
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Bleach, I only own the plot.
WARNING: OOC-ness for ALL characters, depending on the nature of interpretation.
I hope this one chapter will be decent enough.
"It wasn't on purpose." Renji put his hands up as he sat on the chair. Being an Incubus, he had been through decades of living and experience. He had been through warring times, he had been caught smuggling drugs across the border and interrogated in two-way glass-walled rooms, where he knew fat ugly investigators were observing him through beaded eyes.
But this? This was ridiculous.
Because this was just a small, dusty lecture room and his interrogator was half his size… and female.
"I didn't touch her on purpose."
"Yeah, and I'm actually a boy." Rukia glared at the tall red-haired stranger, her hands on her hips.
Considering that bosom, you might actually be one. Renji put a hand to his face for a bit. "My hand just slipped, okay? It wasn't like I didn't apologize after that."
"Rukia… it's okay, it really is." In the corner of the room, Nel was looking worriedly between Rukia and Renji. "I think it was accidental. I'm alright."
Rukia shook her head, her expression fierce. "I walk right out of my lab and see a man touch my dorm mate inappropriately. He was standing so close to you, Nel! It didn't look accidental to me."
"You already punched him anyway! He's got bruises on his face now, look! That's good enough!"
"Yeah, and you didn't apologize," Renji muttered.
Rukia ballooned angrily as she stepped toward Renji. "And I would gladly do it again!"
"Hey, I came to find you!" Renji shouted as he stood up, sensing danger.
"Likely story!" Rukia shouted back and aimed a punch at Renji's face but he ducked it.
Rukia pulled her hand back for another punch but then the door opened. The three of them turned to the entrance.
"There he is, the jerk!" Rukia recognized Hiyori's voice but Grimmjow was faster. The tall cerulean-haired student advanced on Renji.
"You touched Nel, didn't you?"
Nel's eyes were wide as she stared between both men.
"And what if I did?" Renji could not help the grin that curved his lips at the prospect of an oncoming fight.
Grimmjow's eyes instantly filled with anger. "Eat this then!" Grimmjow shouted as his hard fist came flying toward the redhead's face, mere inches to connect on skin and bone.
Tsk. So troublesome.
Grimmjow's eyes widened as Nel gasped.
Renji had moved to the left easily at the last second, and Grimmjow's punch aimlessly hit the bare air. Before the young man had time to comprehend the unbelievable speed, the Incubus reached around easily and twisted Grimmjow's arms behind his back.
"You must be her boyfriend," Renji grinned, baring his teeth. "She should come with me instead, a useless man like you is not worth much."
"Let him go, Abarai-kun!" Nel shouted, fear and concern mirrored in her eyes.
"Don't be too proud and act like you are above everything else. People like you act conceited but have nothing in your heads," Grimmjow retorted.
"I will take my chances then, scumbag," Renji muttered and pushed Grimmjow forward, away from him. "A blue-haired scumbag at that." He dusted off his hands carelessly as Nel ran over to Grimmjow to check on him. "So don't play with me, little girl." Renji looked over at Rukia, whose eyes were wide. "I only ducked because Byakuya said you were the one I cannot touch."
Rukia gasped at the statement. Byakuya? Did he just say Byakuya? She was frozen for just that one second, as her friends looked between them questioningly.
"Who's Byakuya?" Ichigo asked, a hint of concern in his voice. He had stepped out from the group.
"I think we should let Abarai-kun and Rukia sort some issues out now," Nel looked uneasily between the two as she helped Grimmjow up. "Maybe some lunch and-
"Like hell I'm leaving Rukia alone with that slimeball," Ichigo bit off as he stared at Renji with distrust. Renji only stared back with subtle amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Try me, human."
Ichigo moved forward but Rukia suddenly stepped in front of him. Ichigo looked down at Rukia but her back was to him. Then her face turned slightly. "Ichigo, I wish to speak to Renji for a while in private. I wonder if you all could give us some time?" She smiled a small, reassuring smile. "I will be okay."
Ichigo stared at her for a full minute before he nodded curtly. "Fine. Shout out if something happens, we will just be outside the door."
"Nel, just report that pervert! I will bring you to the police!" Grimmjow spoke to Nel angrily as the entire gang went out through the door.
Rukia waited for the door to close before she turned to the red-haired stranger who was now standing up and looking at her.
"Who are you, really?"
"Abarai Renji. And I really did come to find you."
"I really did expect no lies."
"Unless of course, you are not Ukitake Rukia?"
Rukia's eyes widened and she stopped. "How do you… know my name? And... Byakuya?"
Renji huffed and looked at the chair. "Can I sit down?"
Rukia stared at him warily and then nodded. "Thanks, I could hear my hundred-year old kneecaps groaning." Rukia rolled her eyes as Renji sat down and looked up at the petite girl. "I'm a distant cousin of Byakuya."
Rukia's eyes widened. "Byakuya's cousin?"
Renji nodded. "I come from Kanda, a town in Fukuoka Prefecture." Renji reeled off the details he had been memorizing just this morning. "It is a week-long transfer study period in Tokyo for me and Byakuya was supposed to welcome me today but he was off for a business trip to the United States." Renji took a deep breath. "We are distant cousins and when he heard I was coming to Nagoya, he told me of you so I could come to you for… er, guidance. So you could show me around, be my tour guide, all that jazz, you know?"
Smooth, Renji, and said like a pro. Murcielago, here I come!
"Byakuya told you about me?" Rukia asked. Her facial expression was curious. "You are his cousin?"
Renji nodded. "He said you could help me get settled while he was away. I will only be here for five days so I hope it won't be so much of a hassle for you."
Rukia stared at him uneasily. Then she spoke up. "I would be glad to help you, of course. But why did you touch my friend inappropriately?"
"It was an accident. I really did not mean for it to happen. I was out at the building hoping to find you, and then I met her." Renji thought back on the long-haired girl. "She was very helpful and nice, I never ever meant her any harm." The last bits of sentence were expressed with whole sincerity from the Incubus and bits of it must have shown on his face because Rukia finally nodded.
"Okay. I hope you do apologize to her properly, in front of all our friends because they won't take to you easily."
Man, bossy much? So this sort of woman turns you on, Byakuya?
"But of course, Rukia."
Rukia nodded and she smiled slightly. "And welcome to Nagoya."
xXxXx
"How was class?"
"It was pretty good. I cruised through the entire thing."
Rukia snorted. This guy was as much of a show-off as Byakuya was.
Renji gave a careless look at Rukia. "How was your day? I hear you do research a lot. And some science stuff."
"Yeah, it was a pretty fruitful day in the lab. We got some data out for the PCR tests today."
"I see." PC what?
Rukia nodded before looking at Renji next to her. Both of them were walking along a busy street. "You didn't have to walk me back to the dorm, it wasn't necessary."
"Why? Did Strawberry have a problem with it?" Renji laughed and Rukia shook her head.
"You should get to know him. I think both of you would make a riot duo."
"Thanks, but no thanks. He already seems to have a secret grudge against me anyway."
Rukia laughed. "He's like that. Wary at first, and then he warms up to you."
"Well, he can keep his warmth away. I can't be bothered."
Both of them continued walking in silence for a bit. Finally, Rukia spoke up. "Er, how is…" She cleared her throat slightly. "… Byakuya?"
"Oh, he's fine." Renji waved off carelessly. "He left for Seattle yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Rukia's head shot up as she stared at Renji in surprise. "I thought he left this morning."
"Nah." Renji was looking about the neighbourhood with mild curiosity. "He made a sudden decision to leave Tokyo just last night. I did ask him why though, but he didn't state his reasons."
"Maybe he..." Rukia's voice was soft. "... just about had it in Tokyo."
xXxXx
"Well?" Renji's voice was almost wicked.
"What is it?" Byakuya asked, his voice monotonous.
"Well? Aren't you going to ask me what it is you have me do today and for the next four days?"
Byakuya remained silent on the line for a bit. Finally, he spoke up. "How is she?"
Renji felt like punching the air in victory. It felt so good to yank Byakuya around like that! It was after classes and he had walked a hesitant Rukia home, much to the displeasure of Ichigo and others. Only Nel and Orihime (also pretty, also bustful) seemed to be sweet enough to him, and were the only ones who chattered excitedly to him. Renji had wrapped up his first day of duty and was now at home, with a bottle of wine in his hand and a phone call to his superior in Seattle.
"She's good." Renji laughed. "Pretty eventful first meeting." He deliberated slightly. Oh well, Rukia would probably tell him anyway, wiser to man up and say it now. "She punched me in the face."
He heard a distinct sound on the other end of the line and frowned. It sounded like Byakuya had just stopped himself from chuckling in time. But when he spoke again, the tone was emotionless. "Did she?"
"Yeah, she did but it was due to a misunderstanding. We sorted that out now and I just saw her home."
"Good. Did you detect anything strange around?"
"Not that I know of. It seems all good."
"Good. How did you blend in Nagoya?"
"It was fine. Met some pretty hot babes today, and two of them belonged in Rukia's own gang of friends. And I just about killed those guys in the sports center, they are slow like tortoises. Oh and as a fact, the guys don't really like me all that much. But it's understandable though. The handsome, buff and rich part wouldn't sit too well with their inferior complexes, I know. Rukia's own male friends didn't like me. Especially this really suspicious dude named after fruits. Ichigo."
Byakuya's grey eyes narrowed slightly as he sat on the chaise lounge in his suite in Seattle. "Ichigo?"
"Yeah. He looks at me strange, like I harbour evil intentions toward Rukia. He's like her informal bodyguard or something."
"I see." Byakuya's tone was like ice. "How is he like?"
"He's stupid." Renji thought back a little. "His hair colour annoys me, but he tells me mine does too. He is very loud, and is seriously lacking in manners."
"How does…" Byakuya stopped again. "Do his friends see him that way?"
"Oh no. They are a very close-knitted gang. As a matter of fact, I think some of the girls around him have feelings for him!"
Byakuya's eyes widened slightly. "Some girls around him?"
"Yeah, like-" Renji stopped abruptly before Byakuya heard an evil chuckle on the line.
"What is it, Abarai?"
"I see it now. Byakuya, you sly old thing! You are using me to check up on Rukia' friends too, and any potential male threats!"
"I am not. You sound eager to share so I did not feel the need to stop you."
Renji laughed. "Yeah, whatever. But honestly, Byakuya, no competition. He's uglier than you, poorer than you, weaker than you and he smells."
"I see," Byakuya spoke quietly.
"Yeah, so don't be so caught up in all this, okay? I will handle things from here, you just concentrate on sealing that deal for us!"
xXxXx
Because I'm not worth it! I don't understand. I don't match you.
"And she would be an heiress, an elegant woman who socializes as easily as you do at rich party events and who holds herself classy at restaurants!"
"But honestly, Byakuya, no competition. He's uglier than you, poorer than you, weaker than you and he smells."
Byakuya's grey eyes looked in front of him steadily. The early morning sunrays were bathing the city out the window in a steadily bright glow, and it was once again another day of work in his hotel suite.
Byakuya stared over at his king-sized bed. The sheets there were tangled, in a heap of mess. He hadn't slept well since he had arrived here in the States. During the night, Byakuya would drift off uneasily and sleep fitfully through the darkness, the soft covers serving no comfort but only to drown him more into a lost world.
And he had called out her name just last night, before he jerked awake from the nightmares.
He was a fucking Kuchiki. Not only that, he was fucking Kuchiki Byakuya. It was a travesty of an image, so laughable that his formidable self was reduced to a pathetic, forlorn existence. Byakuya was so angry, furious at his own helplessness.
He stood up from his chair and walked across the room, taking up his coat from the rack. He had better get out from his suite before he chose to break something again.
That, and he had also banned room service from his hotel suite.
xXxXx
An endless stretch of miles away, a petite girl cried out in her sleep and her eyes shot open. "Byakuya!"
Rukia rubbed her eyes slightly as she took in her familiar dorm room. It was already nighttime, judging by the darkness from the window. The pair of violet eyes widened as Rukia noticed her mobile phone at the foot of the bed, probably kicked to the end by her own legs as she slept. Rukia reached over to it and stared at the screen.
Number invalid.
She had called Byakuya's number again today, to no avail. And yet each time she called, her heart beat faster and the hope sprung up easily like flowers in spring… hoping… hoping that this would be the call, the call that she could finally reach him, talk to him, hear his voice.
The hope crashed to the ground each and every single time.
His number remained disconnected, not available. He never called her to tell her if he reached Seattle safely, if he was having fun, if he was still buried in work.
He had shut her out.
Rukia swallowed the bitter taste in her throat, and started to get ready for bed.
xXxXx
Renji was a redhead equal of Ichigo. He was absentminded, forgetful and went about life like nothing mattered. But he was carefree, and Rukia took no trouble getting used to his personality. It helped take her mind off things and off the troubles with Byakuya sometimes.
And in between the daily bickering and occasional fist fights with Grimmjow and Ichigo, Renji slowly integrated himself into the inner circle. He soon became a member.
"Did you grow up with Byakuya?" Rukia asked quietly as they sat on the park bench at night, a Styrofoam packet of fried noodles between them. It was the third day Renji had been here in Tokyo. He had called her tonight, reminded her that she was his "tour guide" before asking her to help him find a take-away restaurant for dinner. Rukia had rolled her eyes before getting changed and meeting the redhead halfway at the street three blocks from the dorm.
Renji might resemble Ichigo in a lot of aspects but the cockiness and attitude was definitely characteristic of the rich background he and Byakuya belonged to.
"Yeah." Renji nodded as he slurped the Slurpie he had bought from the convenience store. "Hard times."
Rukia chuckled slightly. "Why so?"
"You know him, don't you?" Renji made a very distasteful slurping sound. "He's too darn perfect at everything, that man needs to be arrested for degrading others just by being able to do everything."
Rukia laughed but when she spoke, her voice was soft. "Yeah he is, isn't he?"
"Yep. So when you grow up next to him, you feel so tiny all the time, like you can't do anything. Even if you managed to do something, you can never be better than him anyway. Then you question yourself, why bother doing it in the first place then?"
Rukia smiled. "That's not really the point. Unless of course, you want to beat him?"
Renji stared at the tiny human girl next to him. He wanted to eat the noodles but somehow he wanted to keep talking. Man, this girl is just like Matsumoto. She sucks you in and you keep gossiping like a wayward young lady.
"I was always seen as the stupid person in our family. I don't think I'm that brainless, you know?" Renji scrunched his nose up. "But yes, I want to beat Kuchiki Byakuya someday." He drank his Slurpie some more.
Rukia's eyes widened before she smiled again. "That's the spirit!" She reached out and slapped Renji hard on the back, causing him to choke in surprise. "Sorry!" As Renji coughed, Rukia patted him on the back apologetically.
"Actually, I think you did beat him already in some aspects." Rukia smiled when Renji had gotten over his cursing cough fits.
"What?"
"You have more obvious eyebrows…" Rukia waggled her own for emphasis. "… and you have brighter hair."
Renji looked at Rukia for a moment then he leaned in conspirationally. "I will kill you if you tell anyone but that's the reason I have them."
Both of them looked at each other momentarily in silence. Then demon and human burst out laughing.
"What about you?" Renji laughed as he tossed the bottle away into the bushes, earning a death glare from Rukia.
After making Renji go pick it back up, Rukia opened her mouth. "I'm an orphan, has Byakuya ever told you that?" Renji nodded. "Yeah, well… I grew up in an orphanage, without parents, around kids I didn't even know. They were hostile, they were rude, they were insensitive. All they wanted to do was bring you down."
Renji reached for his noodle box but he did not open it, his attention on Rukia.
"I didn't really care what others thought about me. I just wanted to be strong, strong enough to beat everyone who dared to throw a punch in my direction."
Renji looked at Rukia in surprise but she was looking ahead into the trees.
"I don't ever want to be beaten down again. I don't want to cry under my covers at night, just because I was too scared to stand up to other people." Rukia's violet eyes hardened ever so slightly. "I didn't want to pretend and be all simpering and sweet like they all were, just in order to gain favours from the adults. I just want to be me, and that me… wants to be strong." Rukia smiled slightly and she turned to look at Renji. "It was me against the world, and Otousan rescued me from it. And I know I came out best among all of them. I'm still facing up against the world but now, I'm not alone."
"I… see," Renji replied uncomfortably but Rukia just smiled. "Hurry up and eat, Eyebrows."
"I was just being polite not to eat when you are talking some life story!"
"I can eat faster than you."
"Can't too!"
She was different, right from the start. Perhaps you might understand, if you got to know her…
There, chapter 20 finished. It shouldn't be that short actually, had I more time to write but I wanted to get this out and this is the best I can do in this period of time. This chapter was meant to explore Renji's development in forming bonds with Rukia and her friends (milestones, I'd call it... hence the title)... I ran through the second day very fast so the relationship between Renji and Rukia might have developed a bit too quickly right now. But it will have to do for now. I might come back to edit this in a week or two but for now, I hope this chapter is decent enough.
There wasn't much ByaRuki this time around, they are still apart. But it will change with the coming chapters. :)
Okay, now back to the final AN to smooth out everything:
I guess there were a lot of people waiting for this and I slipped up for them to take the advantage. But it was my own actions, and my own backlash to take.
But anyway, I was doodling some paragraphs for Chapter 20 and feeling rather good about it and then an email notification came from a user who reviewed that I was only out for attention and reviews. I took a deep breath then and let it pass, but I cannot believe that such a ruckus would be possible for a simple ByaRuki story (it isn't even a main pairing fic, and an AU at that) and an outburst from an author like myself. So I decided I was going to upload this up anyway as an apology to those who received a rude shock instead of a chapter they were looking forward to.
And because the reader said I was going to wait until the drama reached 1000 reviews… I got pissed. I work hard for my stories, I glow with pride when I hear readers enjoy them. I already have a 1000-review story so it's not going to be a first I'm desperately aiming for, the satisfaction I get is more from sharing and inspiring (and those reviews are a plus). I work for my credibility, ? user. You've got to be a bit sick in the head, to think I'd enjoy people calling me cow and all that, just for more reviews? I've got a bit more ability than that, I think.
Because of everything, I have made a strong resolution for Demons, and for my writing. I have had thoughts of stopping Demons so many times but right now, I want to see Demons all the way up to 50 chapters, all the plot bunnies I have drafted before unravelled, I want to inspire more ByaRuki fans and grow as a writer.
I find much pleasure in writing A LOT (by reading, you should be able to tell, I like playing with a lot of things in writing). Because I love thinking up plots and creative scenes, I find them very relieving from my RL stress. I hope to continue doing so for some time.
I thank you all very much. And for the first time ever, I want to request for you all NOT to review this chapter 20, seeing as the reviews didn't disappear after I deleted the previous chapter 20 (they're still here at my time)… and I hope for it to remain stagnant for this chapter. I don't want anyone to take this opportunity to say that I'm out for reviews or attention (I find it painful that my own emotions were twisted around by someone and said it was all for my advantage, but that is fine, I probably didn't handle the situation well and it is a mistake for me to learn). I'm confident that my writing is more than that standard, and will try to prove it again. Even if I have to start from square zero, I will do so and hope to earn the faith again.
So I hope NO ONE would review for the time being, but I wonder if I could have some of you PM me your opinions and constructive criticism for this chapter? I want to know what you all think about it... though being written fast, it's probably riddled with shortcomings. ;) I know it's more hassle but it will be just this chapter. If you don't want to, that is fine as well. :)
"For now, evenstar lady promises to grow better as a writer, to hold space for constructive criticism and not to believe that everyone will like her writing, and to learn from her mistakes. She also vows to inspire as many ByaRuki-ers as she can, and ignore the preying haters from now on."
No more dramas, no more over-the-top AN rants, just pure ByaRuki love and the real reason I'm here from the start. I strayed and I thank the kind ones for putting me back where they believed I should be. I'm sorry I had to put you all through this, I apologize for my attitude and I thank you for your support despite that.
Thank you so much for those who believed and trusted me, I slipped up but I hope to earn faith from you again as an author. From those who think I'm beyond repair, I hope you continue supporting the other ByaRuki authors out there and more deserving ByaRuki works.
p/s: Alinda, yes I am currently in your country! (so a dokter muda as you would call it :D) I haven't mastered the local language properly despite being here for 4 years already. (I'm that slow XD).