Hello everyone!
Thank you to SenSen-chan and momo5577 for reviewing! Please enjoy this chapter. I hope that it was worth the wait!
Chapter 21
Breaking Point
The Seireitei was bustling from the evening rush with a cool breeze in the air. Everyone was excited to get a bite to eat and spend the night on the town.
Meanwhile, Miyako walked absentmindedly around the Seireitei. She thought back to her last encounter with Byakuya. Although it had been only a week since he managed to lure her into his office, it felt like an eternity. It was difficult to not lock eyes with him. She found that he took her words to heart and stayed away from her. As each day passed by, she found herself slowly regretting not at the very least listening to what he had to say.
The sensation of his touch and wistful kiss haunted her daily; she admitted that she missed him, despite her angry words. All of the time they had spent together: the secret rendezvous, talks, training session and more…could they both really throw it all away? Hands gripping her arms tight, she bit her lip, a growl slipped through.
A rock to her sole shook her out of her thoughts. Letting some unbecoming words slip through her lips, she was quick to shake off the pain for just a moment. More pain filled her heart when she realized that she had wandered to the clearing in the forest where they had first crossed paths again...and experienced her first kiss. Heaviness filled her chest; she was conflicted. Her heart was urging her to talk to him, but her head was telling her to stand her ground. Miyako was lost in a whirlpool of emotions; she could feel the water nipping at her feet, ready to drown her.
'Dammit! Byakuya…why'd you have to do this to me?!'
Soon, the bright sunlight was beginning to dim and giveaway to the starry sky. She was quick to turn on her heels and flee back to the Division 2 barracks.
In the twinkling of an eye, she was nearing the division gate. Frustrated, she slowed her steps in a terrible attempt to calm down. It wasn't before long that someone at the gate had caught her attention and snapped her out of her turbulent thoughts.
"Kimura!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Accompanying the old woman was a group of people she was very familiar with - Onmitsukidou. The guards quickly bowed as they appeared before her. Another wave of irritation started to take form.
"Good evening, Lady Miyako."
Her hard, dry tone gave root to a headache. She was definitely not in the mood for what was about to take place.
"Kimura, you're rarely here to greet me right at the entrance of the barracks."
Kimura nodded, her face as hard as stone. "That is true."
"So that must mean…"
Kimura nodded again. "You're correct, Lady Miyako."
Miyako sighed; her timing of returning home was nothing short of fantastic. "Some clan business that I must attend…"
Kimura stayed silent as she watched the girl roll her eyes. She was going to need a lot of sake to endure what was to come.
"What time do I need to be ready?"
"The dinner will start in exactly three hours. As usual, I've been instructed to make sure you are fully prepared. I've taken the liberty to draw you a hot bath. Afterwards, Kumo and Kukimoto will tend to your hair and dress. Knowing that it was too late to escape, Miyako obliged and started walking with her escort.
'Here we go again…'
When there was clan business that she had to be a part of, the only good thing that Miyako had gained from it was the silky, hot bath and hair treatment. The bad thing about it was that she couldn't rest immediately after being pampered, especially after a long day of training. After parting with the day's dirt, she was ready to dip into the bath. The bath was filled with some of the finest aromatic oils crafted by a minor noble family. Of course water lily, bergamot with a hint of lemon was always her go to scent - a longstanding favorite since her childhood. Tired and sore, she gratefully slipped into the bath and embraced the hot water consuming her. Nestled at the edge of the tub, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. Normally her favorite scented oils calmed her down, but something was very off about this scent. A gasp had escaped her lips as she realized that the water had a strong, energizing oil in it - cinnamon.
Splashing about, her tears quickly merged with the water.
'Byakuya…'
With blurred vision, Miyako didn't waste any time grabbing a towel and jumping out of the tub, startling the servants when entered her room.
"Good evening, Lady Miyako!" Kukimoto called out. "Did you enjoy your bath? I took the liberty of adding a dash of cinnamon oil to your bath to help energize you since you appeared very tired. I hope that you don't mind." she explained with a smile.
Miyako tensed up; as much as she wanted to lash out about the surprise scent, she knew that it was wrong and that Kukimoto had no idea that Byakuya had that scent mixed in with his cologne, along with their fighting or their relationship for that matter. Above all else, she had to remain calm.
An awkward silence quickly filled the room.
"Are you alright, Lady Miyako?" Kukimoto asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." she replied. 'That came out a little more agitated than I wanted…'
"...I'm fine, thank you. I enjoyed the bath. Now I'm ready to get dressed." she replied with a sweet smile.
Kukimoto replied with a bow. "Yes, my lady, let's begin."
Two hours later, Miyako was ready to join her parents and whomever that was attending such an important dinner that she had to dress up for.
Attendants began to escort Miyako to the great dining room, which was a decent walk away from her bedroom. Once they arrived at the dining room, she let out a small sigh as she looked at the closed double doors. A wave of drowsiness washed over her, prompting her to release a small yawn.
'This is going to be a long night…I wonder who this guest is…'
Miyako's training quickly came into play when she put on a neutral face to greet their mystery guest.
"Presenting, Lady Miyako Shihoin."
The wooden shoji double doors slowly opened to reveal her dressed in a stunning long sleeve white kimono decorated in a blue and silver floral motif. Her hair was pulled into a side ponytail, curled and pinned up with a large white lily kanzashi. To finish off the look, she had light makeup applied.
Her mother and father sat at the head of the table. Miyako walked to her seat beside her mother and greeted them when she sat down.
Now that she was seated, they waited for the guest to enter the room. An attendant readied himself to make his announcement.
"Presenting the first guest for the evening: Rika Umaeda, Lieutenant Umaeda's niece."
Upon hearing her name, Miyako's eyes narrowed at her dear guest.
'What in the actual hell?!'
Dressed in a lavish lavender and silver kimono, she slowly made her way to her seat. Slapping on one of the most counterfeit smiles she could muster, she watched as Rika took a seat beside her. The two could feel the tension between them; they hadn't crossed paths since their duel in the forest.
"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."
Cutting off eye contact with Rika, she inwardly pouted. 'Well this is going to be a long, awkward night! It can't get any worse than this!'
"Presenting the honored guest for the evening."
Miyako took note as her parents stood to greet this honored guest, she quickly joined them and readied herself.
"Captain Kuchiki of the Sixth Division."
Both Miyako's and Rika's blood ran cold when they heard his name. An eternity passed as the doors opened again to allow him inside the dining room. For the first time in forever, Miyako started to sweat. Her stomach conveniently fell into a black hole and the nausea started kicking in.
Byakuya walked inside and set his eyes on Miyako. It had been the first time he had seen her in a kimono in quite some time. He admitted to himself that she was very beautiful that night and that her appearance complimented what he admired in her. While it was nice to finally be in close contact with her, he could imagine how awkward this dinner was going to be for the both of them. His heart took another blow; she still wouldn't look his way.
Meanwhile, Miyako wasn't able to prevent herself from asking any questions. Usually, she was silent due to lack of interest, but she had to say something. To say that she was livid was an understatement, she was conflicted - she was slowly coming around to the idea of talking to him, but she was not ready to face Byakuya.
"Mother, father…why is Captain Kuchiki here tonight?" she asked, trying to hide her disapproval.
"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."
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, Miyako looked over to her mother.
"Since there is one month left of our internship, Captain Kuchiki was invited to dinner as a thank you for training us?" she whispered.
"Yes, that's correct."
Miyako resisted the urge to twist her lips into thin lines. Of all of the places to be uncomfortable in this manner, she didn't expect it to be in her own home.
"Why didn't you make me aware of this arrangement? I would've extended the invitation myself as a kind gesture." she lied.
"Now you know that your father enjoys engaging in clan affairs."
'Yes…a little too much and this time he's gone too far!'
Miyako twiddled her thumbs under the table as her father engaged in conversation with Byakuya. The echo of her heartbeat filled her ears as her foundation threatened to turn into clay and her throat was growing dry. She managed to sneak one glance at him before looking down at the table once more.
'What should I do? It's difficult to keep my composure while he's here…'
Lost in thought, she quickly snapped out of her daze when a servant placed an appetizer of sakizuke and green tea in front of her. Before she could prepare herself to eat with everyone, her father turned to her.
"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."
Tensing up, she swallowed before she looked up to face her father.
'You can do this, Miyako…take your time…'
"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 Onmitsukidou. 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. She panicked, covered her mouth and looked away from everyone's intense gazes.
'Did I really say that out loud?!'
"Miyako!" her father bellowed. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! Apologize to Captain Kuchiki this instant!"
Cursing inwardly, she bowed, refusing to look Byakuya's way. She couldn't bear to look into his eyes.
"I apologize for that, Captain Kuchiki."
Looking at Byakuya, both Lord and Lady Shihouin bowed. "We also apologize for our daughter's words and hope that you won't take offense, Captain. We're positive that she didn't mean what she had said."
Although he appeared his usual stoic self on the outside, his ego took another hit. It was almost like his heart had taken a little damage.
'How long must you make me suffer, Miyako? Especially at a time such as this?'
Byakuya quickly tried to hide his feelings. "It is quite alright; I've grown accustomed to Lady Miyako's rashness as she has come to show me frequently."
Miyako's eyes went wide with his retort, but she really couldn't be upset with him; she did have the outburst just now. She decided to focus on her sakizuke, but her father wasn't finished with her yet.
"I hope that your irrational behavior isn't staining the Shihouin name, Miyako."
Irritated again, Miyako almost dropped her boiled shrimp. 'I'm not being irrational at all!'
"No father…" she almost growled. "Whenever I…have a slip of the tongue, I always…rectify it." she replied before resuming eating.
"Well, I hope that's the truth!"
A hard breath escaped from Miyako's lips. 'You've always cared more about the family name than my feelings!'
"That it is, father."
Staring at his daughter intensely, she kept her focus on food and sat quietly. Lord Shihouin knew that Miyako had the tendency to speak her mind at times, but this was uncalled for. He would be sure to have a talk with her later.
Soon after everyone had consumed their sakizuke dish, conversation began again while they waited for the main entree. Miyako decided to stay silent, whilst focusing on drinking the rest of her green tea. Before the entree was served, the servants placed a couple of bottles of very expensive sake on the table. Lord Shihouin nodded to a servant when he was offered a drink.
"Captain Kuchiki, would you care for a drink?" Lord Shihouin offered.
Byakuya wasn't much of a drinker, but he didn't want to be impolite.
"Thank you, Lord Shihouin."
Everyone else stayed silent as they were served. Both of the girls were still nervous being around Byakuya. Hoping that the sake would mellow them out, they both quickly drank their sake, enjoying the smooth taste.
More conversation started while Miyako and Rika remained silent. As everyone else talked, Rika was ready to pour some more sake.
"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?"
"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."
Miyako quickly consumed the sake and felt the warming sensation build up in her stomach, forcing her to calm down a bit. Usually, she enjoyed a great cup of sake such as the one that she just consumed - it was smooth with floral notes…which unfortunately reminded her of Byakuya. She didn't know how to feel. Thinking of everything forced her to purse her lips. In the end, she just wanted to forget everything; she wanted to disappear and escape…but there was no escape.
'Why did everything have to be this way? I'm so lost…'
Lost in a tipsy daze, she didn't notice the glances that Byakuya had thrown her way. His heart broke at the sight of her; he could've sworn that he saw a lone tear threatening to fall.
Shortly afterwards, the doors opened and the servants had arrived with dinner. The presented dish was elegantly plated in separate dishes; sliced wagyu beef, tuna sashimi, stewed vegetables, soup and of course, piping hot steamed rice.
"We hope that you'll enjoy tonight's main course, Captain Kuchiki."
Byakuya briefly inhaled the sweet aroma of the meal. "Once more, thank you again, Lord Shihouin. I'm sure that I'll enjoy it."
After saying a prayer, everyone began to eat and consumed more sake. It didn't take long for everyone to finish, prompting the servants to return to clear the table.
"Was the meal to your liking, Captain Kuchiki?" Lord Shihouin asked.
Miyako took another sip of sake and sat the cup down with a frown.
"Of course he liked it, father. He enjoys pretentious meals such as this."
Shocked at another outburst from the princess, Lord Shihouin slammed his hand on the wooden table. "Miyako! Another outburst?!" he rumbled. "What has gotten into you?! This is unbecoming of a noble!"
His sharp words fell flat on her ears. Her father was at the point of turning red. "Apologize this instant!"
Everyone waited with baited breath as they looked upon her. In petty fashion, she made them hold their breath, angering her father even further.
"Miyako Shihouin, you -"
"Enough…" she muttered.
"What did you just say?!"
With narrowed eyes, she cut her eyes over to her father.
"I said I've had ENOUGH! I refuse to sit here and pretend like the perfect princess! This obedient princess charade is OVER! You never should've invited them here!" she screamed. "Rika here hates me and can't stand to be around me and -" she paused as she looked Byakuya in his eyes, surprising him. All of the memories came back full circle; the kisses and the fights between them swirled in her head and heart until they were completely muddled. All that was left was the anguish and animosity that continued to hold her captive.
"He's an insufferable, inconsiderate asshole! I can't stand to be around him!"
Before her father could retaliate at her sudden outburst, Miyako made haste and stormed out of the dining room towards her bedroom.
"Miyako! Come back!" her father demanded, but it was too late - she was too far away.
"Servants! Retrieve Miyako at once!"
Bowing, they were quick to scramble away. Embarrassed, Lord Shihouin tried to remedy the situation.
"I apologize again, Captain Kuchiki, for my daughter's sudden irrational behavior. It's not becoming of a noble. I hope that you can accept our sincerest apologies, not only from us, but from Miyako as well when she returns. We're not sure why she's behaving this way."
Byakuya remained silent for a moment. "I do accept your apology."
'But I'm more concerned about her than an apology.'
It didn't take long for the servants to return. Everyone grew more concerned when they observed the look on their pale faces.
"What is it?" her father asked. "Where's Miyako?"
Trying to catch their breath, a servant managed to speak up.
"Lady Miyako…she's gone!"