"RUKIA"

Akiru had complied a group of documents needed to be used for a certain meeting later this afternoon: the ones she hadn't finished because of his boss's actions. Just thinking about last night makes her head throb; it's like she has been put on pressure by a definite force-- Takahashi's force, to be exact. She didn't expect Kurosaki to get drunk..just because she left. In addition, he said that she was the reason that his amber eyes looked more delightful and determined than before. From there, her curiosity about this 'Rukia' person grew even more to the point that she'll ask him about her today.

"Where the heck is he?" she mumbled angrily, tapping her foot impatiently.

After a few minutes, he had finally came. Ichigo quickly sat onto his chair, massaging his forehead afterwards. "Sorry, my head hurts a lot but today's meeting is mandatory so here I am. Were you worried about me?" he playfully asked despite the pain, with a smirk on his face.

"I'm not worried, I only thought of a way to say in front of those people on why you'll not make it, since I can't afford to say that you had a hang-over last night...Sir." she sneered back at him.

"Tch. Just get 2 analgesic tablets at the first-aid cabinet please."

When she handed the said medicine to her boss, her office telephone rang. She grabbed it, leaving Ichigo to medicate himself, "Kurosaki Ichigo-san's office, this is Sayuri Akiru speaking. How may I help you?"

The other line answered, "Akiru-sama? This is Takahashi. I called to inform you that for the 'grand' meeting, the owner of the company, Kuchiki Byakuya-sama, would be arriving to attend. That is all."

As Akiru brought it back down, she couldn't stop to let her fear rise from the pit of her stomach. She stammered, "K-Kuchiki...Byakuya...-s-sama...will be here?"

Ichigo shrugged at her stunned reaction for he knew this would be inevitable, "Yeah, that's a bit expected. Seriously, that guy really comes to catch me unprepared so that he can criticize me without holding back....or fire me."

She stopped stammering and bursted out her words at him, "Hey! Don't talk to him like that! He's the owner; show some respect!"

"Nah, we just don't like each other but we both have reasons and goals why this is established so he can't fire me. Besides, if he did Rukia will--"

He paused.

Was he saying that aloud? He was so occupied about the question that his answer was getting on a personal level: something that he doesn't want to brought out much yet. It must be because of this hang-over (which was gradually diminishing at a fast rate, thanks to the tablets).

"Sir?" she asked, wondering why he didn't continue his sentence.

..........

Hearing that name once more, she came a bit closer, "Uhm, who's Rukia?"

His eyes widened regarding her sudden question; nevertheless, he could share it to her; she is similar to her so maybe it won't be that hard.

Get a grip of yourself and just tell her about Rukia.

He sighed, turned around from his seat by swiveling his chair, hiding his true expression as he started to tell her about Rukia, "Rukia...she's the one who changed my world. She is my life...my everything. She's this very small woman with a big attitude. She had helped me in so many ways that probably giving my life to her isn't enough. To be honest, we would bicker now and then but behind those are sincere feelings that we are able to understand. During those years, our friendship transcends into a whole new level and for me, being close friends isn't enough. So, I made my confession to her at this bridge, almost at the center of Karakura. I thought that she'll back away for she was really surprised...and in a blink of an eye, she hugged me, calling me a fool and saying she feels the same way,too. I was supposed to propose to her on that fateful night but... we had a fight. Then, I let my anger get the better of me and she...disappeared."

Akiru felt sad hearing his serious tone, yet with a high intonation; she asked dryly, "disappeared? Where to?"

Silenced followed.

Then, he began to stand up and barged out of the office, departing from her, who was standing idly. Realization then hit her: why am I asking this things?Idiot. Of course his 'wounds' hasn't healed yet.

In less than a second, she followed him as reaching the main exit since she can't locate his form anymore, she asked Takahashi at the front desk, "Where did Ichigo go? Did you see him going out?"

He was shocked to hear his master's first name but ignored to even bother and replied in a quite panicked tone, "Yes, he did. Did something happen?"

Her eyes shifted away from his glance, "Nothing, really."

He knew that she's lying but told her instead, "Mostly, he would just get out to cool his head or take a break from work but...for this scenario, he could be in THAT place..."

"Where would that be?" she queried instantly, wanting to stop him from beating around the bush and go as fast as she can already.

"It's on the bridge, just by a river bank, almost at the center of the town." His answer made her gone abruptly to the said location.

Akiru didn't care about riding a taxi or using an express train whatsoever. For her, running is enough. She had so many things in her mind right now. Most of her thoughts consists of one thing and that she needs to apologize for asking too much questions just to ease her curiosity, without a care of the pain he might still be feeling up to this moment everytime it could be reminded again.

However, is it wrong to try to comfort him after all what he's been through?

No, it isn't.

She surmised that he could tell her at the right time, whenever, though. She was snapped back out of her thoughts when she spotted him on one side of the bridge. He was looking at the flowing river or probably, beyond it. His hands are on either side of his pockets of his pants and wearing only his white shirt , the suit lying on the ground.

"Ichigo!" she shouted and stopped running, breathing heavily, "Thank goodness, I found you!" As her normal respiration returned, she started walking towards him, "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to. I shouldn't ask you those kind of questions that you're not ready to talk about. I really am sorry--"

"You don't need to. I didn't run in here because of that."

"You're lying."

"Okay, so maybe a bit... but each time that I remember her, I can't helped myself be guilty on what had happened to her. It's my FAULT!" He cried loudly at the last three words as he thrust a blow with the use of his fist to the solid structure.

Unexpectedly, Ichigo a punch on his head from the woman behind her. "What was that for dammit?"

Her hands were placed on the sides of her hips as she shouted at him furiously, "That was for feeling guilty when in fact that's not true!"

She gazed into his form and continued, "Sure, Rukia's family and friends might've blamed you, heck they'll even burn you to death for revenge and yet, they didn't,right? They all know that nothing will go out of it and I'm sure she wouldn't like that as well. Judging from what you described about her she might say something like this:"

She coughed pretentiously and made a deeper tone of her voice with a feminine touch to it nonetheless, "Ichigo, don't make that face as if you're the reason for this incident."

A strong wind streamed through them that made Akiru's tied hair in a bun loosen and then her jet black hair went down gently altogether. Unknownst to her, Ichigo was currently seeing her like that. Subsequently, she spoke, "This is solely my own. I'm not so weak that you need to protect me always."

Her voice went back to normal tone (which is still the same as when she pretended to be 'Rukia'), "or something like that, I guess."

Noticing her hair loosen down she muttered, "Oh shit, where's my clamp?"

Ichigo was still astonished at her words and even her face; there's no doubt that she's Rukia. Her hair is the same as Rukia's only a bit longer now than before. Moreover, a group of strands that formed her one bang in between her beautiful face appeared. He cursed himself on being dumb not to think of that possibility before.

Later, he noticed the said hair accessory that was just beside his left foot. In the brink of spotting it by her, he quietly picked it up and hid it inside his pocket, for the sake of letting her hair down like that for the whole day, or at least before the meeting.

He heard her mumbling, " Great...it's gone. Looks like I have to buy a new one."

"Akiru...Thanks." he said, smiling.

She flustered from the magic word, "I only scold you so there's nothing for you to give your gratitude. Besides, I better heal those wounds at your hand and maybe on your head before we meet up with Kuchiki-sama and the others at the conference."

"Yeah... let's go then."

See ya! ^___^