Chapter Text
In the rain of the falling cherry blossoms you had made a vow, a promise of forever between two youths who didn’t yet understand the gravity of eternity.
“Together forever.”
You repeated after each other, confident that nothing was to pull you apart. Nothing that could break your friendship, the friendship that had been carefully cultivated from way before either of you had entered this world.
Growing up together with Byakuya Kuchiki meant a lot. It meant customs, it was suffocated with tradition and etiquette, it was filled to the brim with a duty, a responsibility, a constant performance. Everything that you didn’t mind having to study up on if you could make the journey together with your best friend. Someone who you could confide in, complain with, and someone you could occasionally anger with a joke or two.
Those days of your youth had seemed so endless. Growing up together, bickering, making up, competing, helping each other, and ultimately befriend and fall in love. With the promise of ‘forever’ etched in your mind it was easy to forget what the intentions had been back in the days, it was even easier to misunderstand the relationship as a whole. Expectations were set, assumptions were made, it was easy to get lost in your own feelings after all the time spent together. Even easier to think yourself already a step ahead of the rest.
“Popular as ever, I see,” you were sarcastic as you said that letting yourself fall down next to the Kuchiki heir. “Barely a week into the academy and already two confessions scheduled each break,” you mused, plucking the piece of paper away from him. “Certainly impressive.”
Anything but amused the lad rubbed the back of his neck, already feeling tense at how much time his supposed popularity ate away from whatever rest he could take. Not to mention, any extra training that he could pinch in, not that he believed to need it. He just liked that extra edge.
“Whatever,” came his irritated response as he waved your teasings off. “Can you deal with them for me? I don’t have time for this,” Byakuya spoke bluntly, dismissing the matter as he earned a scoff from you.
“And I’m not busy?” you exclaimed, ready to argue the heir down. You loved to rile him up, challenge him as he tried to lord over you. A feat in which he never succeeded as you were firm in being equals to the male, after all you had made that vow all those years ago, right?
Sputtering Byakuya turned his eyes away from you, suddenly embarrassed as he avoided your eyes. “Yes, less so than I’m,” he claimed, not elaborating further.
It was enough for you to catch on, however. Frowning you wanted to inquire further, but knew not to push Byakuya too much if he didn’t want to share it. He usually came around it, he always did and you guys never held any secrets for one another.
It would have been easier to bear if you had put in the effort to ask him.
“Byakuya is rejecting you, you may pass on the message to the one following next,” you casually informed the girl that had scheduled herself first in line. It always made your eyes roll at the way these girls threw themselves at your friend, unashamed, unabashed, it was envious, but mostly embarrassing. “Spare yourself and the rest the pain and just give up,” you continued with a huff before turning around on your heels to leave, not bothering to listen to the answer of the girl.
Or at least, you hadn’t planned to.
“Everyone knows he is meeting a commoner outside,” the girl informed you calmly, forcing you to halt yourself. Turning around you stared at the female incredulously not believing your ears.
“Nonsense,” you spat, feeling your cheeks flare up at the thought of your best friend going behind your back. “Byakuya would never involve himself with a commoner,” you continued, though you weren’t sure who you were trying to convince more.
Smirking the girl gave you a sneer before crossing her arms, pity settling in her eyes. “High and mighty [Name], surely you weren’t expecting Byakuya to look at you, right?”
The remark hurt, as you knew that he had exclaimed to previous confessor before that you were more like a sibling than anything. A sibling. If the Kuchiki heir had any idea how to rip out your heart he certainly was finding the most effective way to do so.
“You can see it for yourself, he left the school grounds just now to meet her,” the girl informed you, this time departing from the location on her own terms.
Growing up with Byakuya Kuchiki meant tradition, honouring culture, and maintaining the pride of the family. It meant fulfilling obligation, following the rites. It was duty over pleasure and heart. It required sacrifice in tongue and in heart, it was silently carrying the burdens and the responsibility of a legacy.
Byakuya had thrown that all away. For Hisana he had disregarded everything the two of you had grown up with. The commoner lady he had fallen for, the commoner he insisted on marrying despite all opposition, even nearly willingly giving up his seat as the heir.
And though you couldn’t agree with his actions you felt obligated to support your friend. The vow you had made, once long ago still firmly engraved within your mind. Your first love withered away just like that. Never mentioned, never remembered.