And now, moment we've all been waiting for: the Karakura Dance Tournament...
Chapter 20
Black Sun and White Moon
At exactly 7:30 in the morning, the wake-up call ran loud and clear for all the patients at Las Noches. Most groaned and reluctantly rolled out of bed, sluggishly changing from their pajamas to their clothes.
Today, Ichigo was an exception. No matter how hard he tried, he had not been able to sleep until 7:30. Hell, he had struggled with sleeping at all. Until about three AM, Ichigo tossed and turned in his bed, not feeling even slightly tired. What did "tired" and "sleep" even mean? Eventually, Ichigo managed to fall into a sleep-like state, only to wake up for no reason at around five.
Actually, there was a reason.
Today was April 3rd. Today was the day Ichigo and Rukia were competing at the Karakura Dance Tournament.
How long had they been preparing for it? Since November? It couldn't be. It felt as if they had been practicing for two, maybe three years, not five months. There was no way…
Ichigo's heart was pounding. Great, the tournament hadn't even started yet and Ichigo was already nervous as hell.
"I'm actually not that nervous," Ichigo said, leaning back into the chair. "I was yesterday, and a few days before that but now, not so much."
"It probably hasn't hit you, yet," Urahara said. "You are nervous deep down, I can tell, but you're repressing it."
"Oh really?"
"Yes. I can easily see that you're not breathing normally. It's OK, though. There's nothing wrong with being nervous. It's one of our most basic emotions. Just embrace it and you'll do fine."
Ichigo chuckled. "Rukia said something similar."
"Miss Kuchiki is very intelligent."
Ichigo got out of bed and eyed the outfit he'd hung on the end of the bed. It was black from head to toe: black long-sleeved shirt with a long v-neck that had strips of black lacing across like shoelaces, black pants, black socks, black shoes. Ichigo wasn't sure if he wanted to wear it, especially since he didn't wear black that often, let alone an entirely black outfit, but Rukia had insisted.
"It'll look good when we're dancing," Rukia said upon noticing his reluctance. "We'll be in a room with a dim colored light, so if you wear black and I wear white, we'll look amazing. If we wear different colors, like blue and red, we could clash with the light."
Ichigo sighed. He hoped Rukia was right. He slipped on the black pants and the t-shirt he'd worn yesterday.
"Oh, good morning, Ichigo." Ichigo glanced at Toshiro, who'd just stepped out of the bathroom. "You got up fast."
"I couldn't sleep," Ichigo said.
Toshiro smirked. "It's OK. It's perfectly natural for you to be nervous. I'd actually embrace it. Dwelling on it too much or trying to reject it will only worsen it."
"Yeah, I know. Rukia and Urahara actually said something like that too," Ichigo said as they began to walk out the room. "It's a lot easier said than done, though."
They entered the cafeteria. Kenpachi and Rukia were already there. Kenpachi was talking about his success with Unohana, again. He had made amends with her a week ago, the same day Rangiku was released from Las Noches. Evidently, it went well as Kenpachi would not stop talking about it with his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
Rukia, on the other hand, wasn't talking. Though she tended to be quiet, she'd always make at least one sarcastic comment. This time, she was silent and barely paying attention to her surroundings.
I guess she's nervous too, Ichigo thought. He touched Rukia's hand, which was resting on the table. Rukia blinked quickly a few times, surprised at his gesture. Ichigo smiled. Don't worry, we can do this. Ichigo wanted to say that, but his voice failed him. He didn't have to, though. After a moment, Rukia smiled back, took his hand with her free one, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Damn, your hands are small, Ichigo thought.
Once they finished breakfast, Ichigo hurried back to the room and changed into the black shirt. It felt soft, almost silky, on his skin but he still felt a bit strange wearing it.
"Wow, you look fierce," Toshiro said in a monotone voice.
"Shut up."
"Where did Kuchiki even find that shirt?"
"Some store that sells dance clothing, I don't know!"
Toshiro ran his fingers through his spiky white hair. "Momo wants to come. Is that alright?"
"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo said. "She can do whatever she wants. Except record the dance. Absolutely no one is allowed to do that."
"Don't worry," Toshiro said. "We won't. I'm not sure if I can say the same for Rangiku, though…and your dad."
"Shit."
Someone knocked on the door. When Ichigo opened it, Rukia was standing there, wearing a white v-neck shirt with long, loose sleeves, white leggings, and white shoes. White, silverly sparkles outlined her purple eyes. Beside her was Unohana, Kenpachi, and…Aizen.
Aizen smirked. "Today's the big day, Kurosaki Ichigo. You ready?"
Ichigo forced himself to smile. "Of course I am."
"Wow, it's been so long since I've been outside!" Kenpachi exclaimed once Aizen's limousine parked outside the conservatory.
"Yes, and you better behave if you'd like to go out again," Unohana said.
Kenpachi laughed. "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll be a good boy."
Despite Kenpachi's loud, obnoxious tone, Ichigo was barely paying attention to him. He was staring at the conservatory. He had only been here once for a school trip. It seemed much bigger now than it did back then.
As soon as they walked into the conservatory, Ichigo saw multiple groups of dancers, doing last minute rehearsals in the lobby. Many of them wore glittery, colorful costumes, and their movements looked very elegant, professional.
"Fuck," Ichigo muttered to himself.
Rukia heard him. "You know, their performances aren't going to affect our score. Don't mind them, just focus on dancing as best as you can."
"ICHIGOOO!" Isshin nearly knocked down Ichigo as he wrapped his arms around him and squeezed him. "ICHIGO, I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU DANCE! I'M GONNA RECORD IT AND SEND IT TO EVERYONE I KNOW!"
"I'm gonna do the same!" Yuzu chimed in.
"Me too!" Keigo appeared behind with Karin, Tatsuki, Chad, Mizuiro, Uryu, and Nemu.
"Please don't! I'm begging you!" Ichigo moaned and squirmed out of Isshin's iron hold.
"I'll make sure the video wins an Oscar!" Ichigo turned at the sound of Rangiku's voice. Rangiku was walking towards them, wearing a red long-sleeved shirt tucked into a mini denim skirt. She looked beautiful, and happy.
"Rangiku," Ichigo said with a smile. "How's your new job been?" Shortly after leaving Las Noches, Rangiku started working as a barista at Kawaii Bean and lived in a small, but very affordable apartment downtown. Ichigo wondered if she'd met Orihime.
"It's pretty fun!" Rangiku said. "My coworkers are all really nice." She paused. "I don't see myself working there for the rest of my life, though. I'm looking for other jobs."
"Are you ever going to get back to modeling?"
Rangiku shook her head. "I want to start over, so no going back. Besides, I've gained weight at Las Noches. I don't feel like dieting again."
"Good for you, Rangiku!" Kenpachi said.
"Ah, how's my favorite walking steroid been?"
As Rangiku, Kenpachi and Toshiro began updating each other on their lvies, Ichigo turned to his high school friends. Tatsuki looked troubled.
"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.
Tatsuki had difficulty looking him in the eye. "Um, Ichigo…Orihime is coming."
The entire room seemed to have frozen. A chill ran down Ichigo's spine. "What?"
Tatsuki took a deep breath. "Orihime came to my house a few days ago. She wanted to apologize for keeping me at a distance. She asked about you, I mentioned the dance tournament, and she said she wanted to come."
Ichigo's mouth went dry. "B-But but why? She made it pretty damn clear she wanted nothing to do with me."
Tatsuki shrugged. "She just said she wanted to see you. She didn't exactly explain why. I think she's changed her mind about things."
"'Changed her mind?'" The irritated voice came not from Ichigo, but from Rukia. "'Changed her mind!' You don't cheat on your spouse, divorce him, file a restraining order and never bother to check up on him when he's at a crazy house, and then just randomly decide you want to be with him again!" Ichigo's eyes widened. Everyone was staring at Rukia now. She seemed almost livid. "I can't believe this! What's wrong with her?"
Tatsuki's eyes narrowed. Before Ichigo could stop her, she raised her hand up and slapped Rukia across the face. The sound seemed to echo. "Look, there's no denying that what Orihime did was wrong and what she's doing is confusing, but you don't know her. You don't get to say that. It's none of your business."
Rukia looked stunned and hurt, and not just because of the slap. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She ran off.
"Rukia!" Ichigo called out. He tried grabbing her, but Rukia was already out of reach. He looked at Tatsuki. "I, uh, I'll be back. You guys can go find seats."
He dashed into the direction Rukia went. Damn, she was fast. He'd already lost her. He ran around searching for her and finally found her at the conservatory's bar, sitting with her hands buried in her face. Ichigo sat down next to her.
"I feel so embarrassed," Rukia said. "I'm sorry for bursting out like that. Tatsuki's right. You and Orihime's affairs aren't my business, even if I did deliver a stupid letter for you."
"I'm not offended," Ichigo said. "I was actually thinking the same. I…I don't know if I want to see her after what happened last time, and I don't understand why she'd want to see me." Ichigo sighed. "If we weren't about to dance, I'd probably order a drink right now."
Rukia laughed, and Ichigo could hear that she had been crying. She uncovered her face and her eyes did look a bit red. "Well, my makeup's basically ruined. I'm gonna go redo it. Go back to everyone else. I'll meet up with you later." She got up and walked off, but not before giving Ichigo a small smile.
As Rukia had said, the dance room was lit with a colored light. The light was purple, almost the same shade as Rukia's eyes. Some of the dancers costumes did look strange under it. Ichigo could imagine Rukia saying, "I fucking told you!"
Couples were performing one-by-one. Even if their attire clashed with the light, their dancing was still pretty good. Their scores were ranging from 6.5 to 9. Ichigo stared at the five judges. One of them, a beautiful woman with long black hair, seemed particularly tough. Her score clearly dragged down the average.
Ichigo scanned the room. Everyone was sitting at two tables across the floor. He didn't see Orihime with Tatsuki and Co. He wondered if she decided to not come at the last minute.
It's better that way, he thought.
"Hey." Ichigo turned at the sound of Rukia's voice. She'd fixed her makeup. "It's almost our turn. You nervous?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," Ichigo admitted. His palms were getting sweaty. "But like you suggested, I'll embrace it."
Rukia smirked. "Good."
"And Madarame, Ikkaku and Ayasegawa, Yumichika have received a final score of 6.8!" The announcer exclaimed. "Next up is Kurosaki, Ichigo and Kuchiki, Rukia!"
Shit, Ichigo thought as he and Rukia stepped onto the dance floor, and the audience clapped politely. Once they reached the middle of the dance floor, Ichigo and Rukia stopped and faced each other. Ichigo's eyes widened as he, for the first time today, took a good look at Rukia.
Under the dim purple light, Rukia's white attire and silvery makeup seemed to be glowing softly, as if she were the white moon shining in the evening sky. She wasn't bright like the sun, but her presence captured one's attention, in a way that nothing else could possibly compete with.
Ichigo almost didn't hear the first song play. It was "Don't You Worry Bout a Thing" by Stevie Wonder (oh the irony). Not taking their eyes off each other, Ichigo and Rukia began shaking their arms. Rukia raised her arms up and twirled, moving her butt in a sensual manner. Once she finished, she began moving her body from side-to-side, while Ichigo walked around her with his hand gently traveling across her torso. He spun her around and Rukia kicked her leg up high. He spun her again and the two began to tango around the dance floor.
After a few moments, the song suddenly changed to "Fell in Love with a Girl," by The White Stripes. This loud, energetic song contrasted greatly with the more calm, subdued Stevie Wonder one. Ichigo and Rukia broke apart and began jumping and waving their arms and bobbing their heads. "Just have fun," Rukia had said during practice and that's exactly what they were doing. Ichigo couldn't help but grin.
Rukia turned so that her back faced Ichigo. She quickly squat down and straightened herself, running her hands up her legs. With her back still facing Ichigo, she started rocking out again, and then turned around. Ichigo moved his hips forward and back, walking forward as he did so, while Rukia moved hers back and forth and walked backwards. They took each others hands and bobbing their heads, jumped around in a circle. Ichigo placed one of his hands on her hip, while she placed one of hers on his shoulder and the two danced their own, fun, exciting version of a waltz. Ichigo held Rukia out at arms' length. She turned and fell back. As soon as Ichigo caught her, their started moving their arms in a circle. Rukia turned again and did a handstand, her legs falling onto Ichigo's shoulders. Firmly grasping her hip, Ichigo lifted her up began to spin her around and around. Ichigo gently placed Rukia's hands back on the floor and she flipped herself back up. Ichigo wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her close. Damn, she was close. Her face, her beautiful face was looking up right at him with a gentle expression.
The song ended and Ichigo and Rukia began to waltz to a quiet jazz piece, staring into each other's eyes, never breaking eye contact. Ichigo's heart was beating fast, and at that point, he couldn't tell if he was nervous or tired. Actually, no, he wasn't nervous anymore. He had no reason to be.
Rukia twirled away, finally losing their eye contact, and two began imitating the "Moses Supposes" dance, waving their arms in a circle and crisscrossing their legs. Ichigo and Rukia glanced at each other and grinned. They rejoined and began waltzing again. Ichigo gently dipped Rukia, who was slowly tossing her head back, down. He lifted her back up and once again, their faces were close to each other.
Rukia stepped away from him and the two backed up to the opposite corners of the floor. This was it, the final move: the step Ichigo and Rukia had struggled so much with.
Ichigo took a deep breath. Rukia ran towards him and jumped. Ichigo caught her and just as they had dreaded, Rukia needed time to stabilize herself, awkwardly moving her hands around his head. Ichigo could feel the judges staring hard at them. Once Rukia was secure enough, Ichigo slowly spun. After a few spins, he gently placed Rukia down. At one point, their lips were centimeters apart, and Ichigo could smell her lavender perfume. He dipped her down one last time, and the song ended just as he lifted Rukia back up.
The audience clapped. Smiling, Ichigo and Rukia walked to everyone hand-in-hand. They were all cheering.
"Ichigo, that was amazing!" Rangiku exclaimed.
"ICHIGO I'M SO PROUD!" Isshin cried. "I RECORDED IT AND I'M GONNA WATCH IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN!"
"I bet you'll get a 10!" Kenpachi said.
"Yes, that was impressive," Aizen said with a smirk.
"And let's see the judges scores!" The announcer said. Ichigo froze as he suddenly remembered the bet. The nervousness creeped back into him again. What if they didn't get a 6? What if Ichigo couldn't attend Yuzu's wedding? The thought made Ichigo's breath go uneven. Then, Rukia gave Ichigo's hand a reassuring squeeze. He glanced down at her. She gave him a comforting smile.
"5.8…5.9…6.0…6.0…"
They were down to the last judge now: the black haired lady. Heart sinking, Ichigo glanced at Yuzu. They were done for. I'm sorry, I'm so so sor-"
"And 6.3, which makes that a final score of 6!"
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Ichigo shouted, his jaws dropping. "WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK!" He began grinning like a maniac.
"HOLY SHIT!" Rukia was wearing the same exact expression. She turned and they wrapped their arms around each other tightly.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," the two of them were saying. Ichigo wanted to cry.
"Uh, good job Ichigo, but why are you so happy?" Mizuiro asked.
Not letting go of Rukia, Ichigo answered, "No reason. We just did pretty well for amateurs."
He glanced at Aizen, who was looking shocked and furious. He smirked at him.
Ha.
And that's the long-awaited dance tournament! I know nothing about dance, so I basically straight up copied the routine in the movie. It was super hard for me to describe it. I had to rewatch the clip many many times. You can search up "silver linings playbook dance scene" on youtube to see how the routine is supposed to go.
The next chapter will be the final chapter. It feels so strange typing that. I think I'm going to write a short epilogue, though.
Thank you all so much for sticking with this story. I get happy when I see someone has followed/favorited/reviewed. It gives me motivation to write more. So thank you and I hope this chapter was worth the wait.