Authors' Disclaimer

Author’s Disclaimer

I do not claim to own/create Bleach (Anime) and/or its characters.

Though I did wish I owned the below;

Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Byakuya, Hisagi Shuhei, Ukitake Jushiro, Kurosaki Ichigo, Sosuke Aizen (bad boy look), Ichimaru Gin, Kurotsuchi Mayuri (mask-less, of course).

Chapter 32 – Ease the Pain

Mr. Tanabe knocked on his daughter’s door. He pressed his ear against the hard surface, listening for a response. It was silent.

“Go away!” Amari cried out, suddenly.

He separated his ear from the door, and now was talking directly to it. “Amari, honey? Open the door for daddy. I just want to talk to you.”

“Go away, dad!” Amari shouted again.

“Honey…” Mr. Tanabe called out again, this time more sternly than he had intended.

There was silence as he waited for Amari to respond. He could hear faint footsteps growing only clearer as the seconds pass by. He straightened himself as he waited for his daughter to open the door. Amari, from the other side, unlocked to door but didn’t open it. Mr. Tanabe, opened it slowly. He saw his daughter sitting on one of the couches, her legs crossed up; looking very tired and drained.

He sat down next to her, but she didn’t look at him. Instead, she opted to stare at the open space in front of the both of them.

Mr. Tanabe sighed and wrapped his strong arms around his daughter’s shoulder. Amari sniffled a cry and then wrapped her own arms across her father’s waist. She held back her tears and her father knew, she was trying to be a big girl just for him.

“You’re a big girl now, Amari,” Mr. Tanabe started.

Amari kept quiet.

“And we know you have choices to make,” Mr. Tanabe continued. “Whatever you choose, we are here for you, to stand by you through all the bullshit that will happen.”

Amari laughed. She looked up to him. He rarely swears when talking to her but it’s nice that he’s trying to make her feel better.

“So we have decided to let you stay here,” Mr. Tanabe smiled. “It is your choice after all. Know for a fact that your mother and I aren’t happy with it, but we will have to let it be. On one condition of-course…”

“What is it?” Amari whispered.

“Shuhei will be staying here to look after you.” Mr. Tanabe announced.

“What? No!” Amari exclaimed, her hand now to herself.

“Why not?” Mr. Tanabe asked softly.

“But his life is not here,” Amari pointed out.

“He volunteered.” Mr. Tanabe said.

“He did?” Amari said, frowning.

“Yes, and I actually think it’s a good idea. He’ll get someone to run his business there.”

“Oh.”

“Isn’t that better than us taking you away?” Mr. Tanabe chuckled.

“Yes, I guess so,” Amari grinned.

“You know, we can’t stay long…”Mr. Tanabe said. “We’re going back later today.”

“Yes, I know…”

“I’ll let your mother go up and have a talk with you. Don’t worry; I’ll warn her to be nice to my little girl.”

“Thanks daddy,” Amari said, hugging the first man in her life.

&

“Tatsuki!” Orihime cried out; reaching out to her.

Tatsuki was pummeling a near-by tree; trying to obliterate her anger.

“Tatsuki!” Orihime cried out again. “Stop, please.”

Tatsuki gave out a roar as she gave the tree a last beating. “I better not see that bitch ever again, or I swear; I will ruin that pretty face of hers!”

“Things are really getting out of hand,” Uryuu commented, placing a finger of the bridge of his glasses.

“Calm down,” Orihime consoled.

“How can I calm down after what she had said?” Tatsuki cried out.

“Don’t mind her,” Kenta said, suddenly appearing behind Tatsuki. “I assure you, she would not do anymore harm.”

“How can you be so sure?” Orihime asked.

“Let’s just say, I know when to twist her arm,” Kenta said simply.

Tatsuki scoffed.

“I guess, you’re not up for lunch now, are you?” Kenta asked, turning his attention to the tomboy girl in front of him. Her rage, some how stirred something inside him. He wanted to smile, but he knew it was best not to do anything silly at the moment. Her fiery eyes were enchanting; he couldn’t help it. His lips curled into a small smile.

“What are you smiling for?” Tatsuki asked, quite rudely.

“C’mon,” Kenta diverted his attention to Orihime and Uryuu. “Let’s grab something to eat before we totally miss lunch time.”

“Well…” Orihime started.

“My treat,” Kenta offered.

“Thanks for the offer,” Uryuu said. “But we’re quite alright.”

“Huh?” Kenta and Orihime look at his way with a confused look on their faces.

“Infact, Orihime and I, we, uhm, we have to go.” Uryuu said.

“Where?” Orihime asked.

“Uhm, somewhere,” Uryuu struggled to find the words. He immediately grabbed Orihime and pulled her away from both Kenta and Tatsuki.

“Uryuu?” Orihime said, looking at Tatsuki and Kenta’s weird expression.

“I think we ought to leave them alone,” Uryuu hissed, faking a smile and waving to both of them. “Don’t you think?”

“Oh. Yes! I have, uhm, to go to the, uhm, library! Yes!” Orihime suddenly claimed out loud, at least enough for Tatsuki to hear.

“What about lunch?” Kenta called out.

“We’ll just grab something to go,” Uryuu squealed back.

Soon, the weird couple was out of their sight. Tatsuki stood there, silently observing the tree.

Kenta looked at her. So what do I do with her now…

“So...” Kenta started.

“Look. I don’t need your help or anything from you.” Tatsuki cut in. “I can take care of myself!”

“I know.”

“Great! Keep that in mind!” Tatsuki replied. “I’m just going to go back to school.”

Without waiting a reply from Kenta, Tatsuki walked away.

He didn’t stop her. He watched as she got in her car and drove away.

He wanted to stop her but he couldn’t.

“You don’t stop a feisty girl like her,” Kenta sighed as he walked to his own car and drove off.

&

Huffily, Eiko sat at their usual spot; a spot where anyone could see them from almost every angle of the premises. She pulled a compact mirror from the bag and checked her pretty reflection in the mirror. The puckered her lips, giving her reflection a flying kiss.

She smiled with glee as she watched the orange haired girl with humongous boobs and her spectacled thin geeky boyfriend walk away. She snickered as she watched Tatsuki drove off. She couldn’t help but laugh as she watched Kenta grew disappointed with whatever it was.

“Serves you right!” Eiko said, as she watched Kenta got in his car.

“Eiko, what did Kenta mean with the last thing he said?” one her Eiko’s girlfriends asked.

“It’s none of your business, is it?” Eiko snapped.

“Whatever!” The girl replied; blowing a bubble from the gum she was chewing.

“And will you stop that?” Eiko growled. “It’s getting on my nerves.”

“Everything gets on your nerves,” the girl commented before disposing it in a tissue.

“That’s because everything is annoying,” Eiko replied, rolling her eyes and flipping her pretty hair.

“I can’t believe Kenta would choose that girl instead of you,” scoffed another girl in the group.

“Shut up! I’m playing hard to get,” Eiko said defensively.

Someone snorted amongst their group.

Eiko shot them an evil glare before continuing, “Oh. I have my ways. If I can’t get through him, I can get through that butch’s group of friends. At the end of the day, I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

&

After a two hour long drive, Ichigo drove back to school. He decided to skip lunch, He didn’t have the appetite. His mind was too occupied with one thing, one person. Rukia. After since the event with her brother, she’s acting differently – he realized. Maybe her brother had something to do with it, he thought. But what? Why can’t she talk to me? Why can’t she tell me what’s going on.

Every time Ichigo talked to her, she would seem normal at first, but then it would be as if something snapped in her head and she would stammer her excuses and run away. Why are you running away from me?

He parked his car at his usual spot. Cars were filling the empty parking spaces. He got down and locked it. He decided to go to the library before his next class. Someplace quiet, that’s where he wanted to go - at least before the typical noisy class begins.

As his foot entered the building, silence rushed over him. The thick pale green carpeting muffled the sounds walking can make. He made his way across the ground floor, reaching to the elevators situated at the back. As the metal door slid open, he entered and pressed the button with a number two printed on it. He tapped his foot as he waited for the metal box to raise him to the second floor. It stopped at the first floor though, seems like someone wants to share his elevator ride. He sighed. He quite liked being alone in the elevator. But sometimes, good things come to an end.

The door opened and a couple of girls climbed in; heavy books occupied each of their hands. He gazed at the first floor as they waited for it to close. Someone caught his eye. Rukia. She was giggling mutely as she sat at a table. It was lovely to see her smile, he thought. As the doors start to close, someone appeared next to her, she looked up and her smile grew wider. Renji.

He wanted to call out to her but stopped himself quickly. He was in the library and any attention to him is unnecessary. But why was Renji with her? Of course, he knew that Renji and Rukia were friends before they knew each other. But somehow he couldn’t help but feel jealous. How is it that it was easy for her to display a smile for Renji but for me, it was as if she was reluctant?

The elevator stopped at the second floor, and the girls were blocking his way.

“Excuse me,” he said, and the girls gave way.

Just before the door closed behind him, he heard the girls giggled before announcing, “He’s hot.”

He stopped walking. The second floor was too quiet for his liking. But more that anything he felt like going to the first floor. But what was he going to say? He didn’t know. He pressed the button that had an arrow pointing downwards. What was merely a couple of minutes, felt like eternity as Ichigo waited for the elevator to bring him down. But when he got there, the both of them were already gone.

Frustrated, he looked at his watch – it was time for the class.

Maybe I can just ask Renji later.

&

Tatsuki didn’t feel like entering the second half of her classes. After the little event during lunch, she has never been so exhausted in her entire life. But she didn’t want to miss karate practice today either. She could really use that to get rid of her exhaustion, to get her hyped up. But at the same time, she didn’t want to see Kenta too. And she was so sure Kenta is going to be there.

Urgh. Decisions, decisions.

So she dragged herself through all her classes like a zombie, her eyes glazed with boredom. But her brain immediately woke up when it was time for her most favorite extra curricular activity, karate. Karate was her life; it was the core reason she looked forward to each waking day.

She grabbed her gym bag and changed into her white karate uniform, or better known as Gi. Others were already inside the area, practicing with each other as they wait for their teacher, or sensei to make his appearance.

She looked around and sighed with relief when she realized Kenta was not there yet. Maybe, just maybe, the Gods are on my side and he won’t show up. But she could have jinxed it, for people began to line up as their sensei just came in, and she saw Kenta by his side. She cursed her luck under her breath. She had to admit though, that he was looking rather dashing in the white uniform especially with a black colored belt tied around his waist. He caught her looking at him, he smiled. Instead, she opted to return the smile by rolling her eyes and then concentrating on other people.

“Unfortunately, I will not be teaching or training any of you today. I have other important matters to attend to,” the sensei announced to his student who were all standing shoulder to shoulder in line. “But I would like all of you to keep on practicing where you think you are weak in. I am leaving Senpai Kenta in charge of today’s meeting.”

Their sensei bowed and left them. Kenta immediately assumed his postion and ordered everyone to keep on practicing their own moves.

Before Tatsuki could decide what she wanted to work on, Kenta was already in front of her, presenting her with a suggestion.

“Spar with me, Tatsuki,” Kenta said, grinning.

“Excuse me Senpai Kenta, but I don’t think I am of the same raking with you,” Tatsuki said sarcastically polite. In the world of Karate, one must respect those senior.

“Well, I am your Senpai and I am ordering you to spar with me,” Kenta announced, a sly grin plastered on his handsome face.

“Why you-“

“That’s it. Get yourself worked up. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

It didn’t take much to persuade Tatsuki to agree. Even if she didn’t agree, there wasn’t much one could do when a sensei or senpai orders you to do something. That’s the karate world, in which she’s living at the moment. Outside of here, she couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what Kenta would want her to do.

Kenta is after a black belt karateka and he proved his skills when he pinned Tatsuki down in merely a couple of minutes.

Tatsuki growled as she pressed her palm against his face.

He was laughing and he was still pinning her down. And that annoyed Tatsuki more. She began to move her palm away from his face to his neck. It might not be karate anymore but who cares.

“Go out with me.” Kenta manage to say as Tatsuki’s fingers closed in on his neck.

“W-what?” Tatsuki stammered, her fingers suddenly lost it’s purpose.

“You heard me,” he grinned. “Go out with me.”