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Chapter 6

Noble Misfortune

After cleaning his desk of his man made green tea lake, Byakuya read the letter from the academy. He glared at the letter once more. How could he forget that he was supposed to gather at the academy after his scheduled lunch? Usually things like appointments barely slipped past him. He prided himself of being a very diligent and responsible man. Miyako's golden eyes quickly flashed in his mind, prompting him to almost crush the letter. A growl escaped his lips.

'I did it again…I almost lost control.'

The only thing that made him feel a little better was that no one was there to witness another one of his episodes. He attempted to straighten the semi crumbled letter and placed it beside his small stack of documents. After grabbing a brush and inkwell, he shifted his focus over to the first page of his paperwork. Afterwards, he would make his rounds to check on the progression of his member's training exercises. It served as a distraction from the thought of the possibility of encountering Miyako once more.

The sound of a bell reverberated throughout the campus. The time had finally arrived for the eagerly anticipated assembly. Sounds of footsteps echoed in the hallway as Miyako, Rumi and Shirayuki along with other students walked towards Haru Hall.

"Finally it's time to see what the big fuss is about!" Rumi excitedly exclaimed.

"I have to admit that I've been looking forward to this event as well. The mystery of it all makes it very exciting!"

The two turned around to glance at Miyako, who was trailing behind them in a not so eager stride. 'Well forgive me for not sharing in the anticipation…'

As the other chosen students continued to chatter amongst themselves, Miyako's stomach grew more uneasy with each step. They quickly entered the massive hall through the large wooden doors. The heavy steps echoed throughout the hall seemed to be mute to Miyako's ears as walked to the towards the stage. The trio found their seats in the third row. A self-inflicted sharp pinch to the arm quickly snapped herself out of her trance, forcing her to return to reality. With a deep breath, she was ready to partake in the assembly.

Soon, the sound of the doors closing shut echoed throughout the room; the last of the students had taken their seats. The sound of the chatter quickly faded away as the head instructors walked onto the stage. Lined up in a single file line, Kubota had stepped forward.

"Thank you all for gathering here today." she greeted with a smile.

Everyone waited eagerly for her to continue.

"As you all know, your final semester is quickly coming to a close. We are proud all of our future graduates, but this is not why we all have called you all here. This year, the administration has decided to alter the senior course in order to make it more beneficial. You all have been selected to be the first to participate in this alternate course."

Everyone blinked in wonder of what the elderly woman meant by her words. She peeked over her shoulder for a moment. "You all can enter."

Miyako's face grew pale once the group of guests had gathered on the stage; all of the captains had graced them all with their presence, their reiatsu filling the room. Whispers could be heard momentarily as they stood behind the instructors.

"I'm sure that you all are very familiar with our distinguished captains and you all are wondering why they're our honored guests." she continued with a smile. "The captains have been gracious enough to participate in a new initiative with the academy. We have all agreed that the shinigami in training need extensive guidance and training, hence our new internship program."

Gasps filled the room at the news.

"After examining everyone in their studies, we have all assigned you to the division that would be most beneficial for your training."

Another professor, known as Tanno, walked towards Kubota with a pile of envelopes in his arms. She waited for him to place the envelopes on the wooden table beside her to continue.

"Your assignment is written in these envelopes. Once I call you, please come to retrieve your information and introduce yourself to your assigned captain in Natsu Hall after the assembly is over. They will advise you in your next steps. Please know that your progress during this time will be a heavy factor in whether you pass or fail. I suggest that you all work hard."

Of course, with those words, they sent shivers down some student's spines.

"We wish you all the best of luck with your internships; learn all that you can while the opportunity exists. Now we'll begin distributing assignments."

Everyone waited with baited breath for their names to be called. Finally, it was time for the trio to receive their assignments. After receiving their envelopes, they fled to the courtyard to read their letters.

"Okay guys, at the count of three, let's open our letters together!" Rumi commanded. Shirayuki replied with a nod and a smile. "Okay!" Miyako replied. 'I'm pretty sure that I'll be with Soifon since I'll eventually become the next captain, so this shouldn't be exciting for me.'

"Alrighty! One...two...three!"

The three students opened their notes and began to read them intensely.

"This is SO awesome!" Rumi exclaimed. "I get to train under the tenth division! I hope that I get to work a lot with Lieutenant Matsumoto! She's my idol!"

"Well, I'm pleased to say that I'm also satisfied with my placement. It's an honor to work under Captain Unohana's direction!"

The two turned towards Miyako with curious eyes. Those curious eyes quickly widened when they observed Miyako's shaking hands and pale skin.

"Miyako dear, what's the matter?" Shirayuki asked. "Was your placement not to your liking? Did you not get assigned to the second division?"

"Yeah! Is it really that bad?" Rumi asked curiously. "Did you get placed in with Captain Zaraki? Or worse? Captain Kurotsuchi?"

Of course, her day couldn't get any worse—her good luck had clearly taken a vacation and hired a horrible and cruel replacement. She had to tap into her refined training to prevent herself from showing any degree of distress. The captain's name was as clear as day.

'No...'

"I've been assigned to Captain Kuchiki's division…" she answered, trying to hide her discomfort.

"Captain Kuchiki? That's not too bad of a placement, Miya! You both are nobles, so it's not hard to find anything that you two don't have in common."

Miyako tired her best to agree with that statement.

"Yes, you're right...I'm sure we'll have a lot in common, but I'm sure that he won't show favoritism towards me just because of that."

'Especially since I accidentally assaulted him the other day...I haven't had a chance to apologize either...this is going to be a disaster!'

While Miyako was lost in thought, Rumi had a feeling that too much time had passed by.

"Come on, girls! We better head on to Natsu Hall before we get scolded." Rumi said, tucking her assignment into her shirt.

"Yes, we wouldn't want to make a bad impression before we start."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Miyako nodded in reply before following behind her friends. When they entered into Natsu Hall, they sighed in relief once they realized that they weren't the last ones to arrive.

"I wish you ladies the best of luck!" Shirayuki said. "Ta-ta for now."

Miyako smiled and waved as her friends left her to join their groups. Her smile disappeared when she looked around and saw the the tips of Byakuya's famous hairpiece at the top of the crowd. With a heavy sigh, she started to make her way to her group and hoped for the best.

"I see that everyone has finally arrived." he stated sharply, eyeing her from the corner of his eyes. His icy tone sent a shiver up her spine; it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who he was directing his statement towards.

"I suggest that you all take heed in knowing that tardiness is unacceptable in my division. Rule breakers are not tolerated in the Sixth Division. I will make certain that members caught breaking the rules will be strictly punished. Is that clear?"

Miyako shivered again. '...dammit…this is like a stab in the back!'

"Sir, yes sir!" they all replied.

"Also, I encourage you all to always use proper greetings as this is the first foundation of a relationship; you will build many of those throughout your lifetime." he continued, taking his eyes off of her.

"You will report to the barracks in the morning. Before that, you will need to obtain your own shinigami uniform and a trainee sash to wear around your arm during your internship. Robes will be handed out at the back of the hall."

Everyone had looked over to see their fellow classmates retrieving their clothes; the excitement clear on their faces.

"I expect you all to work hard, so take this time to prepare for tomorrow. You're all dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" they all replied, bowing deeply. Soon, they all dispersed away from Byakuya, leaving Miyako alone. With worried eyes, she looked over to her old childhood friend. She gave him a small smile, but she got another icy glare in return before he quickly made his leave. Alone, Miyako pursed her lips in defeat as she watch him leave.

'Well this internship will be just...delightful…'