I do not own Bleach.
In the following weeks, Sakura went out for regular runs in the morning and evening. Most of the time she would face with Jushiro and then talk while walking through the park. Sakura had brought her phone and ear piece so it looked like she was talking on the phone instead of to herself.
Sakura had learned a lot about Jushiro. He was sent here to make sure there weren't any anomalies running around Karakura town. He had also been sent to see if being here would improve his health. Since staying in Soul Society wasn't making it better.
But today she wouldn't be out running. Today she was sitting on a cold metal chair as she waited for her name to be called. It was graduation day.
"Sazumi Sakura." Sakura stood and made her way across the stage. "Sazumi-san will also be accepting Sazumi Suzaku's diploma. Our hearts go out to his family." Sakura bowed as she accepted both rolls of paper.
She made her way off of the stage and sat down in her seat to wait for the ceremony to end. Then she would give Suzaku's parents their son's diploma.
"Congratulations to all of you." Sakura tuned back in as everyone cheered. They were finally done with school.
Sakura made her way through the crowed of parents. She found her family at the edge of the crowed. She bowed to her grandmother first.
"Congratulations. Top of your class. Where a Sazumi should be." Hana gave her granddaughter a ghost of a smile. She wouldn't give the girl the satisfaction of pleasing her.
"Thank you, Oba-sama." Sakura rose slowly as her grandmother walked past her. She them turned to Suzaku's parents. "Here." She held out her cousin's diploma. His funeral had been hard on his parents. She knew they were still mourning his death.
The rest of her extended family congratulated her and left. Till it was just her parents left.
Sakura soon found herself being spun around and lifted into the air. "Daddy!" Sakura blushed as she saw other kids from her class see her. "Dad I'm not a little girl! Put me down!" Sakura laughed at her dad's overly happy face.
"But my little girl is all grown up and leaving me. I don't want her to grow up." Kirito hugged his daughter. She would always be his little girl.
"Kirito. You already said she was grown up. Now let her go get changed for her party." Naomi smiled as she pulled her daughter away from her husband. "Here is your change of clothes. And don't come home too late. If you will be home late, call me."
Sakura took the bag her mother held in her hands. "I will. Love you both!" Sakura kissed them both on the cheek before she ran off towards the crowd of graduates gathering in the parking lot. She quickly found Alice's car and waited for her friend.
"Yay! Sakura is coming!" Alice jumped as she saw her friend standing by her car. "Now let's get to that party. It's in the park right?" Alice unlocked her car and people piled in.
"You taking everyone in here Alice-chan?" Sakura sat in the middle seat of her friends bright pink Volkswagen Beetle.
"No. Just you, Kaiede-chan, Mariko-chan, and Britney-chan. You girls going to be able to change while I drive?" Alice pulled out of the parking space slowly as people moved out of her way.
"Yep. The question is if you will be able to drive while you change?" Sakura opened the bag her mom packed her. It had a denim skirt, bright red tank top, black off the shoulder sweater, and red sparkly flats. Her mother had impeccable taste with clothes.
The girls talked as they changed. They made it to the park with no scratches. But everyone had their seatbelt a on when Alice had started to change. And they all had white knuckles when she finished. They all sighed and climbed out of the car quickly once she had parked.
"My driving isn't that bad." Alice fixed the skirt on her denim strapless dress. She stepped into her sneakers before stepping on the grass.
"Not when you aren't changing. Next time, change before you drive." Kaiede took the keys from Alice's hands. "And I know you are going to be drinking. So I am designated driver." Kaiede tucked the keys into the inner pocket of her blazer.
"Come on. It sounds like the party has started!" Britney had her arm wrapped around Alice's arm and Kaiede's arm as she dragged them towards the loud music.
Sakura followed the girls. She wasn't much into parties, but this was the last time she would see them. Despite how insincere they could be, she was going to miss them.
They reached the party and smiled as they saw the large crowed of dancers. The party was already in full swing.
"Want to dance, Sakura-chan?" Sakura looked to see who had grabbed her hand. It was Haku. He was the number one hottest guy in their class. And captain of the kendo and martial arts club. And Sakura had had a crush on him for a while now.
"Yes she does!" Alice pushed her friend towards the hot guy. All of the girls dreamed about running their hands through his spiked black hair. And stare into his forest green eyes. Alice was glad Sakura had snagged him over the other girls in their class.
"Then let's go." Haku smiled as he led Sakura to the dance floor.
Sakura couldn't believe what was happening. She was dancing with the number one guy in their class. And he had asked her to dance! She smiled and danced with him.
After a few songs she found that they had gotten closer to each other. And everytime she tried to put space between them, he got closer. Till eventually she had her hands against his chest and he had his arms around her. "Haku-kun?"
"Sakura, you look beautiful tonight." Sakura blushed as she met his eyes. She didn't find them to be as breathtaking as the green brown eyes she had grown fond of. Haku smiled as he saw the faint dusting of pink spread across her cheeks. "It must have been hard finishing off the year without your cousin. You two seemed close."
"We weren't that close." Sakura looked away from him. She didn't feel comfortable in his arms. It felt too...rigid.
Haku placed a hand on Sakura's cheek. He turned her face to his and leaned towards her. He stopped when he felt a hand on his lips. "What's wrong?"
"This doesn't feel right." Sakura pushed herself out of his arms. "This isn't how I pictured it."
"No one knows how a first will go." Haku gave her a reassuring smile as he reached his hand out to her. "That's what makes it special."
Sakura just shook her head and took a step back. "But there should be love. And I don't love you in that way. I'm sorry." Sakura turned and made her way throught the crowed and into the dark empty park. She breathed in the chilly air and laughed as she began to run through the empty park.
She stopped running when she reached the large pond. The black water was still and reflected the starlight perfectly. She sat down and slipped her shoes off of her feet before sliding them into the cold water. She let out a giggle as she felt the small fish in the pond nip at her toes.
"Mind if I join you, Sakura-chan?" Sakura smiled as she looked up at the man standing beside her. He returned her smile as he sat down.
"No need to ask, Jushiro-kun." Sakura smiled as he had already joined her. "How was your day?"
"A bit boring. No Hollows yet. So I stopped by Urahara's shop and picked up a Gigai. Now anyone can see me." Jushiro leaned back on his hands and took a deep breath. He loved the colder air. It pained his lungs sometimes, but it help to reassure him that he was still alive.
"Well you look good." Sakura had trouble keeping her eyes on his face. His long white hair was tied back, except for his bangs. He wore a short sleeved maroon shirt that hugged his toned chest, but not too tightly. And his black shorts showed off the bottom of his toned legs. 'What am I saying? He is hot and delicious!'
'Amen to that!' Sakura managed to look away at the voices response. 'Did ya miss me darling?'
'Hardly. But it's nice to see we have the same tastes.' Sakura sighed as she relaxed. Them tensed as another giggle ran through her body. The fish were nipping at her toes again.
"You have a wonderful laugh." Jushiro enjoyed hearing it. It sounded like a wind chime to him. He couldn't help but laugh with her.
"Thank you." Sakura pulled her feet from the cold water. She didn't want to freeze her feet. "Tell me more about Soul Society. What does it look like?" She leaned her chin on her left knee as she tucked her other leg beneath it.
"Picture this town back in the time of the samurai. Dirt roads, wooden houses, and no electricity. That is what the Rukongai looks like. Seireitei is made of stone buildings with stone roads." Jushiro tried to describe it as best as he could. "And most electrical things are run by either reishi or a kido."
"You talked about kido before. But what is it?" Sakura liked learning about his world. It sounded like a place she would enjoying being in.
"Kido can be used in many ways. The main ways it is used, is to attack, defend or heal." Jushiro planned on elaborating. Kido was complicated. "Most-"
"HEY!" Sakura and Jushiro looked to see someone walking towards them. "Get away from Sakura!"
Sakura gasped as Haku stepped out into the moonlight. "Haku-kun. It's fine. You can leave." She didn't want to see him. She had hoped he would have stayed away, since she had basically rejected him.
"Like I'm going to leave you with this old man." Haku glared at the white haired man. He didn't seem harmful, but looks were always deceiving.
Sakura glared at the boy from her class. "Haku-kun! Apologize-" she stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She met Jushiro's eyes as he winked at her. She wondered what he was planning.
Jushiro stood and faced the boy. "I believe the lady asked you to leave." He tried to seem as friendly as he could. It would put be helpful if they got into a fight. The boy wouldn't stand a chance.
Haku hardened his gaze. "I think it would be best if you leave. Right now." Haku pulled back his fist as a warning. The man seemed to look mostly disappointed. Haku ran at the man.
Jushiro sighed as he watched the boy run at him. "Bakudo 1: Sai."
Haku stopped mid step. He fell to the ground with his arm being pulled behind his back. "What? What is going on?" He looked back towards the man. He was kneeling in front of him. 'How did he get over here so quickly? And how did I not hear him?'
"Tanma Otoshi." Jushiro caught the boy as he passed out. He undid the bakudo he had done on the boy. 'Kids these days don't know when not to fight.'
'Shiro is a prince! He saved the princess from the evil man.' Jushiro sighed at how childish his zanpakutou could be. And Shunsui complained to him about his problems. 'Now you get a reward! A kiss from the princess!'
'Sogyo no Kotowari, I think you two have read too many fairy tales.' Jushiro smiled as he heard his zanpakutou whine. They really were children sometimes.
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