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Chapter 26
Black Diamonds
It had been one week since the chaotic dinner at the Shihouin Manor - and it had been like hell to Rika.
It all started with that stupid letter she received days prior to the event.
It was already bad enough that she was obligated to attend thanks to her ties to the Shihouin Clan. It also didn't help that her father was so excited for her to dine with the clan, hoping that her and Miyako would strengthen their "relationship".
Dressed in a lavish lavender and silver kimono, Rika stood outside the double shoji doors, waiting for her name to be announced for dinner with the Shihouin Clan.
"You'll be taking your seat right next to Lady Miyako, dear." Kimura instructed.
If Rika was able to express her displeasure, she would have protested the moment she heard Miyako's name. Ever since they fought each other after discovering how close Miyako and Byakuya were, she had made a point to avoid her rival at all cost if she had to. Luckily, Miyako did the same and there was no reason to speak to each other…until tonight. 'Damn. It. All. To. Hell!'
Rika nodded. "Very well. Thank you for letting me know."
"Presenting the first guest for the evening: Rika Umaeda, Lieutenant Umaeda's niece."
The doors opened up and she slowly made her way to her seat, avoiding Miyako's gaze. She undoubtedly felt the tension between them. This was going to be a long night, but she decided to try to make the best of it.
"Good evening, Lady Miyako."
Miyako paused momentarily. "Good evening Miss Umaeda. I'm pleased that you were able to join us tonight. I hope that dinner is to your liking."
"Thank you for having me. As a humble guest of the Shihouin clan, I have no doubt that I'll enjoy everything that is offered to me."
Miyako quickly cut off eye contact with Rika, letting the awkwardness sink back in. Rika could hear the contempt in Miyako's voice; she was very experienced in hiding her feelings behind that noble demeanor. She grew more uncomfortable with the next announcement.
"Presenting the honored guest for the evening."
"Captain Kuchiki of the Sixth Division."
Rika knew if her blood ran cold hearing that announcement, Miyako's did. An eternity passed as the doors opened again to allow him inside the dining room. Byakuya walked inside and set his eyes on Miyako, not even looking towards Rika.
Suddenly, she felt sick. Byakuya was another person she tried to avoid ever since he scolded her the morning after the fight, but she was focused on redeeming herself in his eyes over time, especially since she knew that Miyako avoided him like the plague.
Lord Shihouin didn't waste any time to make an impression on Byakuya, schmoozing to get on his good side.
"Welcome Captain Kuchiki!" her father bellowed. "We're honored to have you here as our guest at the mark of the final month of my daughter's and Miss Umaeda's internship! Thank you for training them very well into powerful shinigami!"
"Thank you for inviting me. It's an honor to be here."
Glancing over quickly at Miyako, she quickly turned a blind eye to him, Rika also following suit.
"It's also an honor to have both of these young ladies under my tutelage. They're both a part of the top three interns that I'm overseeing. They should be proud of their accomplishments."
Both women bowed. "We are proud - thank you Captain Kuchiki."
Rika pursed her lips; she was pretty sure that any generous words from him were just obligatory towards her.
After their introductions everyone sat back down as the sounds of the servants started to increase as dinner time was approaching. While some entered to serve drinks as Lord Shihouin engaged in conversation with Byakuya. She followed Miyako's lead and stayed silent, praying that this dinner would go by quickly and nothing would go wrong…until Miyako's father put her on the spot.
"Miyako, tell everyone what you have taken from your time with Captain Kuchiki. I'm sure that you have gained a fair deal of knowledge."
"Yes, father, you're correct. Captain Kuchiki has devised various training exercises to help develop our skills. It's nice to experience another point of view of swordsmanship and teamwork outside of the Onmitsukido. I'm very grateful for this opportunity."
"That's good to hear! It's great to hear that Captain Kuchiki is an excellent instructor!"
Miyako smirked. "Yeah, when he's not being a stubborn, insensitive and uppity jerk…"
Gasps filled the room and one even escaped Miyako's mouth.
'Ouch…'
That was the starting point for the dinner to go south, especially after she tried to be nice to Miyako.
"Miyako? Would you like some more sake? I can pour you some." she offered.
Miyako eyed her suspiciously.
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
Rika paused for a moment. She couldn't be mad at Miyako's attitude towards her.
"I'm just trying to thank you for tonight."
Miyako scoffed. "Whatever." she muttered. "You have nothing to thank me for tonight."
Annoyed, but not wanting to make a scene, she nodded. "But thank you. I'll have some more sake."
She didn't think that the two servings of sake Miyako had would tip the scales. The conversation turned chaotic after Miyako had outburst after outburst concerning Byakuya and herself. The princess was quick to stomp out of the dining room and her father commanded the servants to drag her back to apologize, hell or high water…until they returned with pale faces.
"Lady Miyako…she's gone!"
Rika's breath was caught in her throat, shock coursing through her veins upon hearing that Miyako went missing, but her heart broke when she saw how fast Byakuya had jumped up without thinking, running to her room as he followed the waning trail of reiatsu like a desperate lifeline.
Rika sat alone in the dining room, abandoned by the Shihouins and the servants, remaining a silent witness to the air around her seemed to thicken, threatening to suffocate her as she tried to prevent tears from ruining her meticulously applied makeup. It was clear how Byakuya felt about Miyako. The words she had heard him use against Miyako in his office that day fell flat. Once again, Miyako emerged victorious in this battle…
Rika silently cursed; she was at her limit. Before the tears could spill over, Lord and Lady Shihouin returned, casting a brief and uneasy air upon them. A swift apology was issued for Miyako's behavior and the tumultuous dinner. Before she could respond, Lord Shihouin shot her a stern look.
"Ms. Omaeda, this should go without saying, but due to the sensitivity of the issue, we ask you not to let the knowledge of this incident leave this manor."
Rika's jaw tightened, her lips pursed in a tense acknowledgement.
'Again, I'm caught in between those two…' she thought, her gaze steady as she met Lord Shihouin's eyes.
"Yes Lord and Lady Shihouin; I understand."
"A servant will escort you back to the entrance, then a soldier will escort you home."
Her eyes fell on the servant who had been a silent spectator in the midst of turmoil, gesturing for her to follow him to the door. Nodding, she bid the family goodnight and quickly departed.
Back within the familiar walls of her mansion, Rika moved through the family staff that welcomed her home, failing to acknowledge them. She quickly ran to her room and ripped the numerous layers of her kimono off, exchanging it for her shinigami robe and zanpakuto. Once she was ready, she snuck out of the mansion and ran as far as her feet would take her, tears of heartbreak and disappointment falling down her cheeks. Coming to grips with the painful truth, especially when she witnessed it first hand, was much harder than she had anticipated.
Byakuya had ran after Miyako and Miyako alone, not daring to look back, leaving her behind just like he did in the past. Him instantly darting after Miyako kept replaying on an agonizing loop in her mind. No matter how much she pleaded, the replay wouldn't cease.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity had passed, Rika's legs betrayed her, giving in to the weight of her grief. Sinking to her knees, only the dark forest witnessed her sobbing into the night.
Miyako swirled a lone finger in her water, lost in her thoughts for the umpteenth time. She could hear the soft murmur of voices outside of the private room in the izakaya, only half aware of her surroundings. Her mind was racing, always replaying the events of the past week.
It had been a week since Byakuya apologized to Miyako and she was still in disbelief that he had done it, let alone going through her sister to find her. Another day had passed and Miyako still hadn't said a word to him, but was quick to sneak glances at him when he wasn't looking. He looked so different without his iconic scarf, which was still tucked away in a cabinet in her compound. He looked so…so…naked and vulnerable without it. She wondered if he was cold without it. There was no doubt in her mind that the women of the Seireitei couldn't keep their eyes off of him.
Byakuya didn't try to approach her at work and even made sure that she didn't feel uncomfortable during training by having her assigned to Renji's team. She had to admit that it felt a little weird that he didn't try anything. A small part of her wished that he would chase after her again. That he would give her one more hug…that deep down, she wished he had kissed more than her forehead. Miyako groaned; she was so confused, so confused to the point of not noticing the door opening.
"Miya!" Rumi called out.
Coming back to reality, she watched as Rumi and Shirayuki walked in, closing the shoji door behind them. It was at times like this she was happy that their normal watering hole of an izakaya had private rooms.
Miyako forced a smile. "Hey, girls!"
"Hello, Miyako dear." Shirayuki waved. "Have you been waiting long?"
Miyako took a sip of water and tried to focus on being happy. "No, not really. How are you two doing?"
Rumi and Shirayuki sat across from Miyako and got comfortable on the zabutons.
"We should be asking you that! We haven't seen you since the incident in the forest!"
Rumi said, worry clear in her voice. "Obviously you're back home and back to work. What happened after you left us? Did you go home on your own or did someone find you?"
Miyako avoided their gazes and ran a hand through her ponytail, prompting Rumi to raise an eyebrow and Shirayuki to eye her suspiciously.
"Captain Kuchiki found you, didn't he?" Shirayuki asked.
Miyako twisted her lips and sighed heavily. Rumi's eyes went wide.
"He really did find you?! How?! After that…kido stunt you pulled, I didn't think he had a ghost of a chance in finding you! Wow! There's so much we have to talk about!" Rumi squealed. "Let's hurry up and order!"
Rumi didn't waste any time summoning the wait staff and ordering their usual favorite appetizers: karaage, gyoza, tempura and tsukemono. Of course, the meal wouldn't be complete without their favorite beverages: peach green tea for Shirayuki, strawberry sake for Miyako, and apple sake for Rumi. Shirayuki focused her attention on Miyako while Rumi reiterated their order to the waitstaff.
"Are you okay? We were really worried about you."
Miyako gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry for worrying you. It's nice to know that some people care about me…it's been…a lot to deal with and process what's happened between Bya- Captain Kuchiki and I."
Shirayuki gazed at the princess briefly. "I understand."
Their drinks were delivered promptly; Rumi grabbed some cups and poured drinks for everyone.
"I'm dying to know - what happened when he found you?! What did he say?!"
With a sigh, Miyako explained everything that happened after she left them alone in the forest and what Byakuya went through to find her to apologize, shocking them both.
"Wow…" Shirayuki uttered.
"Yeah, wow! He really is just more than a rich bastard, huh? Maybe that intervention did his ass some good!"
Miyako raised a brow. "What intervention?!"
Shirayuki shot Rumi a dirty look and the squealer avoided the gaze, taking a large gulp of apple sake.
Shirayuki sighed. "We're sorry, Miyako, but we kind of took things into our own hands and gave him a piece of our minds for how he treated you."
Before Miyako could respond, Shirayuki held her hand up in protest. "And we know that you asked us to not tell anyone that we saw you, but honestly, it needed to be done. We love you too much to let him get away with hurting you."
"Plus you told us not to tell anyone you saw us if they asked…not the other way around…" Rumi added behind taking another sip of sake.
Miyako sighed and buried her face in her hands. 'Damn loopholes!'
One one hand, he wasn't too happy about what happened, but on the other, she wished she could've heard the lynching that they gave Byakuya.
"Okay, I understand why you both did what you did. Thank you for standing up for me." she said with a smile.
Soon, the wait staff had returned to fill their table with fresh food. The women stayed silent as they helped themselves to the delicious spread.
"Out of curiosity…what did he say to you two?"
Rumi and Shirayuki took a glance at each other. Shirayuki took the liberty to repeat the loving words that concerned Miyako after they had demanded for him to prove himself. Face red and flustered, Miyako's eyes had filled with shock as she listened.
"Yeah, we were surprised that he had a hidden soft side to him." Rumi said.
Miyako stayed silent as she tried to process what was said.
"Miyako…after what you told us and what we heard from him, it's safe to say that he cares about you."
"Yeah, especially after all of the trouble he went through to find you and actually apologize."
Miyako found herself staring at her reflection in her sake. "So I've been told." she replied quietly, thinking back to what Kimura and Yoruichi had told her. 'And what I've seen…'
"So…are you still undecided on what you'd like to do?" Shirayuki asked.
Miyako nodded before taking a drink and avoiding their gaze. "Yeah…I still have a lot to think about…"
Miyako grabbed a piece of karaage and ate it. "...what do you two think I should do?"
The two ladies glanced at each other.
"You wanna go first or should I?" Rumi asked.
Shirayuki helped herself to her tea. "You first, this time."
Miyako waited for Rumi's answer as she watched her load her plate with more food.
"If you feel that his actions in apologizing and trying to repair what he messed up is sincere, then why not forgive him? I mean, you did mention that he went through your sister to get to you - that says a lot, in my opinion. I mean, how often do you see a man give that much effort if he didn't care about you?"
Shirayuki nodded in agreement. "I'm not saying that you have to go beyond being friends or acquaintances even, but…I think you both need a fresh start and get on the same page."
Rumi happily popped a gyoza into her mouth. "You have anything to add to that, Shirayuki?"
Shirayuki swallowed a bite of tempura. "Not really," she replied. "But just know that whatever route you decide to take with Captain Kuchiki, we'll support your decision."
Miyako grew emotional thinking about everything that happened. Why is it so hard to make decisions at times, especially when it felt like she was just floating in the darkness? There was so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't find a way to properly convey it all. She wiped a tear from her eye.
"Thank you."
The rest of the dinner was filled with catching up with Rumi and Shirayuki, leaving Miyako grateful to have friends that tried their best to cheer her up and give her some perspective. After they were finished, they bid each other adieu under the cold, dark cloudy sky. Looking around, Restaurant Row wasn't bustling as usual. The nostalgic aromas of delicious and comforting meals were dulled by the moisture in the air, the chilly air was prickly on her soft skin. Restaurant Row was starting to grow more eerily quiet; most of the shinigami were leaving the area after hearing thunder rumbling in the distance.
A hum was quick to escape her lips. The rain announced itself, starting with a light drizzle.
Miyako's footsteps echoed on the wet pavement as she began to leave the commercial area.
Now lost in her thoughts, her mind trailed to the potential to talk to Byakuya. What exactly should she say? When she found the answer, how would she say it? Conflicted, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to get warm. Her damp hair clung to her face and obscured her vision. She quickly ran to get under some shelter to fix her hair before heading home.
"Good evening. Do you have business here?" a voice asked.
Miyako's heart started pounding when she realized she had taken shelter under the gate entrance of the Sixth Division barracks.
'When did I…'
One of the guards at the gates quickly cleared his throat. "Do you have business here?" he asked again, a little annoyed.
Miyako pursed her lips and almost found herself devoid of a voice. She took a deep breath. "Um…Is Captain Kuchiki here right now?"
The guards exchanged a glance.
"No. Captain Kuchiki departed a while ago for a Captain's meeting." Miyako was careful not to raise a brow. 'A captain's meeting? I wonder what's going on?'
A cold breeze snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Do you know when he'll return?"
The guards shook their heads. "No, he didn't say when he'd return. Were you dropping off documents or anything of the sort? If so, we can take them from you and deliver them."
It was Miyako's turn to shake her head.
"No…I was just inquiring…thank you and goodnight."
The guards bid her farewell as she flash stepped away. On the way home, her mind raced back to the guards words: what was happening that was so important to call for a captain's meeting and why did she feel so uneasy about it?
Meanwhile in a dark forest east of Rukongai, Rika swung her zanpakuto heavily in the open clearing. Her maroon hair, usually perfect in style, was disheveled and her body was covered with sweat. Every breath left her mouth in ragged gasps and her body burned with exertion, but she fought through the pain.
This part of the forest quickly became her secret hiding place, where she came to mourn her chance of being with Byakuya. If she couldn't have him, she could at least focus on honing her skills and invest in herself. Still, even in the forest and using training as a distraction, the unpleasant memories emerged to haunt and torment her. She saw them in the shadows of the trees and she swore that she heard their voices in the rustle of the leaves when it seemed she had a moment of peace.
She cursed repeatedly; she knew that she couldn't have him, but it failed to stop her from dreaming of what could have been.
Covered in dirt and her body sore beyond reason, she swung her zanpakuto one last time and collapsed onto the top of a large rock, shaking with fatigue and gasping for breath.
Soon, the heavy rain reached the forest, dampening her mood further. Rika didn't even bother to move to shield herself from the thunderstorm. The loud turbulent thunder only amplified what she felt in that moment. She curled herself into a ball and rested her head on her arms, letting her tears dance with the rain.
'What could have been?'
That was the question of the night. She wondered if things had turned out differently, would she have been the one Byakuya was desperately chasing after? What could she have done differently?
Should she have given her training more priority when they were younger? She should've trained harder.
Why did she have to be born with weak spiritual powers? She should've been stronger!
What qualities did Miyako possess that she didn't? What did Byakuya see in Miyako and why was his yearning so strong for her?
Better yet…why wasn't she lucky enough to be born as Miyako Shihouin?
Another cracking of thunder shook the forest and snapped her back into reality. Even with the rain, her eyes didn't cease to sting with heartbreaking tears.
'It doesn't matter anymore…it's over…the torch that I carry is not bright enough for him to see…damn you, Miyako…'
Closing her eyes, she began sobbing once more…until a sudden chill in the air immediately put her on guard. The chill froze herself in place; she wasn't even able to grab for her zanpakuto. Fear came over her and her heart throbbed in her chest when a pair of red eyes locked in with hers from the shadows of the trees.