Calm before the storm
After arriving at school, Kiyota and Rukia went separate ways.
"I've gotta go to the principles' office, you go ahead." Rukia said to Kiyota.
"Wait, you don't know where it is, right?" Kiyota asked.
"I'll figure it out. I'll see you later." Rukia said with a smile and turned around, leaving.
Kiyota looked at Rukia and sighed.
'She has no idea where she's going, does she?' Kiyota thought.
He turned around and headed to his class.
'I'm sure she'll be fine.'
Kiyota entered the classroom and sat down at his desk at the back of the classroom. The window near Kiyota was wide open. It was a beautiful day outside. He could see people walking around and birds flying. Kiyota leaned further back into his chair with a sigh as he lost himself in the sky.
'I envy birds. They're free to do whatever they want, whenever they want. If only I had the same freedom.' Kiyota thought to himself, smiling.
Suddenly, something caught his eye. A small, white bird flew past the window. It glided through the air and landed on a tree branch.
'Ah, it's a chickadee.' Kiyota thought as he watched the bird.
Slowly the class filled up and the chatter and laughter filled the once quiet classroom.
"JIN!!!"
'What the fuck, Tatsuki. It's 8 am. Stop screaming at me!'
Kiyota snapped out of his trance and turned his head towards the door.
"Jin, did you hear? Ichigo's house got destroyed by a truck last night. He and his family are fine, but their house is a wreck." Tatsuki said.
"Yeah, I know. I live close by, remember? So I passed his house this morning." Kiyota replied.
'It wasn't a truck though, it was a fucking hollow'
"I really hope he's ok." Tatsuki said with a worried look on her face.
"He'll be fine. Don't worry too much." Kiyota said with a smile.
'I hope so, too.' Kiyota thought to himself.
"Good morning everyone, take your seats. We have a new student today." The teacher said, walking into the classroom.
'There she is.'
"Rukia, go ahead and introduce yourself." Said the teacher, pointing towards her.
Rukia walked up to the front of the class and smiled.
"Hello, I'm Kuchiki Rukia. Nice to meet you." Rukia said with a smile.
'She seems a lot more confident than yesterday.' Kiyota thought.
"Nice to meet you too, Rukia. Go ahead and take a seat." The teacher replied.
The rest of the class followed, welcoming her.
"Oh, there's an empty seat next to Kiyota. You can sit there." Said the teacher.
Rukia smiled and walked over to Kiyota's desk. She sat down next to him and smiled.
"Hey." She said, looking at Kiyota.
"Hey." Kiyota replied.
"Do I pretend like I don't know you? Or do we act like old friends?" Rukia whispered.
"We can just act like old friends." Kiyota replied.
"Alright." Rukia nodded.
'It's kind of weird, acting like we've known each other for a long time. But it will make it easier for her to blend in.' Kiyota thought.
The class went on as usual, the teacher explaining the subject while the students listened intently. Every once in a while, Kiyota would glance over at Rukia.
'She looks prettier in real life.' Kiyota thought.
Finally, the bell rang for lunch and everyone started talking amongst themselves.
"Lunch, finally." Kiyota said with a sigh.
"Is it always this boring?" Rukia asked.
"Yes." Kiyota replied.
"How can you sit still for that long?" Rukia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I have no choice." Kiyota replied with a smile.
"Hey Rukia, I'll be back. The vending machine is out of order, so I'm going to get my lunch from the cafeteria." Kiyota said as he stood up.
"Alright." Rukia said with a nod.
Kiyota left the classroom and made his way towards the cafeteria.
'I hope they have something good.' Kiyota thought to himself.
When he arrived at the cafeteria, he saw the long line of students. He decided it wasn't worth the wait and turned back. While walking back, he saw Tatsuki and Orihime walking together and Ichigo accidentally bumping into Orihime.
"Oh it's you. Hey Orihime." Ichigo said while looking at Orihime on the floor.
Orihime's book were all scattered on the floor beside her.
"Oh no! I'm sorry." Orihime said as she looked up.
"Ichigo! You knock her down and that's all you have to say?! What the heck's the matter with you?!" Tatsuki said, as she jumped in front of Ichigo and Orihime angrily.
"Sorry about that, you gonna be alright? Here" Ichigo said as he looked at Orihime and put out his arm, offering to help her up.
"Ah! Oh no, that's alright. Really. I-I-I have... Have... Have a volley ball. That's right volley ball" Orihime said as she ran away from Ichigo and Tatsuki.
"Orihime!" Tatsuki called out to her as she ran away.
"What's the matter with her?" Ichigo asked Tatsuki as he watched Orihime's figure running.
"What could it be?" Tatsuki said as she began smiling sarcastically.
"Maybe it was your ugly mug. By the way, why are you so late? I mean, it's time for lunch already." Tatsuki said as she looked at Ichigo.
"Eh, don't worry about it. I'll tell you later." Ichigo said as he walked away.
'That was a funny scene to watch.' Kiyota thought as he continued walking back to class.
When Kiyota got back, Rukia was sitting at the desk writing something on her palm.
"Hey, Rukia. I'm back" Kiyota said as he walked over to her and sat down.
"Hello, Jin." Rukia replied with a smile.
"What are you writing?" Kiyota asked, curious.
"Nothing. Just practicing my kanji." Rukia said, hiding her hand behind her back.
'I know exactly what she wrote.' Kiyota thought.
"Oh, really? Do you mind if I look at it?" Kiyota asked, pretending not to know.
"No, it's okay. It's just something I found online." Rukia replied, still hiding her hand.
Kiyota smiled, dropping the topic.
"Anyway Rukia, so Ichigo is on his way here. Are you gonna do something so he doesn't freak out?" Kiyota whispered to Rukia.
"I've got it under control." Rukia whispered back.