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“Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki, report to the teaching office immediately!”
Ichigo was having lunch on the rooftop, suddenly heard his name on the campus radio and choked on a mouthful of food, almost choking to death.
“Cough cough cough... "He hammered his chest hard and took the water bottle handed to him by his friend Chad, taking a big sip.
“Kuchiki?”Keigo curiously approached and asked, "Isn't this a new transfer student? When did you hook up with someone? I actually don't know.”
"What the hell? I don't even know any Kuchiki."Ichigo put the empty bottle aside and stood up to pat the dust on his pants."I don't know if the instructor is talking nonsense again."
“Didn't you get reported for fighting outside of school?”Ishida shook his head with his glasses.”I've told you so many times, don't get into conflicts with those hooligans all day long.”
“Do you think I'm willing to fight them? I'm just fighting back!”
"So, what's wrong with Miss.Kuchiki?"Mizuiro looked thoughtfully at the back of Ichigo, who had already gone downstairs without realizing it.
“That's enough! I can't believe it, do you know what you're doing?”
Ichigo stood by the door with his hands in his pockets, looking bored as he listened to the dean's drooling. He also stole a glance at the petite girl standing next to him from the corner of his eye, only to see her keep her head down and silent, letting the dean nag incessantly.
“In short, you two should go to the bulletin board and clean up that thing by yourselves! Don't do it again next time!”The dean shouted for a long time and finally got tired. He looked at the two students in front of him who were not listening at all and waved irritably to send them away.
"Huh? Why should I go too? Speaking of which, I'm the victim, right? The mistake she made should be resolved by herself!"After listening to the nonsense for a long time, Ichigo finally figured out the reason why she was called to the teaching office: the girl named Rukia Kuchiki wrote him a love letter and posted it on the school bulletin board, which attracted the attention of all teachers and students and made the dean furious.
“Ichigo Kurosaki, as a real man, don't you even have this sense of responsibility? Get out of here quickly!”
“What does this have to do...”
The dean kicked Ichigo out of the office before he could finish speaking. Ichigo got up from the ground cursing and followed the girl who had been silent all along.
"If you don't want to go, then don't go.I'll handle it alone."she said without looking back, with a cold expression,not at all like the kind of person who would confess their feelings to someone on the school bulletin board.
“Hey hey, that was originally posted by you, so it's only natural for you to clean it up, right? And you just need to tell me privately about you like me, why do you want everyone to know? Do you think this way I won't reject you? You're really mistaken...”
“Who likes you?”The girl suddenly turned around and glared at him.”Don't be so narcissistic, idiot Orange Head!”After saying that, she left angrily, throwing Ichigo in place, unable to figure it out.
“That bitch has a great psychological resilience. After experiencing such embarrassing things, she still dares to come to school.”
Ichigo was taking a nap in the sports equipment room when suddenly a group of girls came next door chatting and chattering loudly, waking him up from his slumber.
“Exactly! Kurosaki looks so fierce, yet he let her go so easily. I thought he would beat her up.”
“He must have been mesmerized by that bitch's appearance, right? Indeed, men are lower body animals, tsk.”
“Hmph, she's just a prostitute, yet she sees herself as a princess and even lets luxury cars pick her up and drop her off at school. How shameless.”
The group of girls became more and more unreasonable as they spoke, and Ichigo couldn't help but knock hard on the wall near them, which scared the other side and immediately shut up and left. He finally realized that what the girl named Kuchiki had said before was true, and she had no intention of confessing her feelings to him. The whole thing was a plot against her, aimed at making her lose face and being scolded by him.
Ichigo couldn't understand why these people were doing this. He remembered Keigo saying that it wasn't long since Kuchiki transferred schools, how could she offend these girls in such a short time? He got up and walked out while thinking about these questions, and met Rukia, who was wet all over.
“What wrong with you?”He looked at her in surprise.
“It's none of your business.”She seemed a little embarrassed to be seen in such a disheveled state by Ichigo, and lowered her head to walk past him.
“Wait a minute!”Ichigo grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the sports equipment room.
“What are you going to do?”She stared at Ichigo with wide eyes and a guarded expression, while he unbuttoned his school uniform shirt in front of her.
“Here you are.”He threw the removed shirt directly into her arms, and she instinctively caught it,but she said,”I don't want your clothes.”
“Whatever.”Ichigo said before pulling open the door and leaving without looking back.
Wearing a T-shirt and returning to the classroom,Ichigo successfully caught the attention of a group of friends, but his stern face made it impossible for anyone to ask. When the class bell rang, Rukia, wearing a wide shirt, ran to her seat and successfully avoided the probing gaze of the majority of her classmates.
Keigo couldn't help but whisper,”Hey, Ichigo, is Miss.Kuchiki wearing your school uniform?”
Ichigo glancing at the teacher on the podium without looking sideways, he replied with lip language, “It's none of your business.”
Sitting not far from them, Rukia heard Keigo's words and blushed slightly, but put on a nonchalant look, not even glancing at Ichigo again.
Ichigo didn't expect her to thank him. He just can't stand someone being bullied. But what he didn't expect was that he would be stopped by a luxury car on his way home.
“Get in the car.”
The rear seat window rolled down, revealing Rukia's expressionless face.
“What?”
Ichigo stood still in place, and the driver directly opened the car door and pushed him in.
“Wait,Wait a minute! Where are you taking me?”
“Your home.”
Rukia gave him a sideways glance, as if he had asked the dumbest question in the world.
“How do you know where my home is??”
“You lead the way.”
Ichigo reluctantly reported the address of Kurosaki Hospital.
After the car started, Rukia never spoke to him again. Ichigo didn't like to talk to people too, so the two of them remained silent as they watched the scenery outside the window.
Kurosaki Hospital arrived soon, and Ichigo quickly got out of the car before the driver came to open the door for him. Rukia stared at him through the car window for a while, but in the end, she didn't say anything.
That night, before Ichigo went to bed, the driver came again. Respectfully handing over the cleaned school uniform with both hands,he bowed and said,”My hostess asked me to convey to you that she is very grateful for you taking care of our young lady at school.”
Ichigo was taken aback. It turned out that Kuchiki was really a wealthy young lady, and those people at school were completely talking nonsense. But why didn't she clarify? What a weirdo.
Afterwards, Ichigo began to pay attention to Rukia Kuchiki at school and noticed that she always went alone. During lunchtime, she never ate with the girls in her class, but instead climbed up a tree alone to stare blankly.
“Are you following me?”Rukia noticed Ichigo standing under the tree.
“Why don't you go have lunch?”He neither admitted nor denied,and asked her another question.
“My bento was thrown away by them.”her words confirmed Ichigo's conjecture.
“Come down.”
“What?”His words stunned Rukia, who lowered her head and looked at him in confusion.
“Come with me to the rooftop. My sister put cucumbers in the bento she made today that I don't like. You can eat that.”
“No,I don't want your sympathy.”
“If you don't come down, I'll go up. You don't want to attract anyone else's attention, do you?”
“Ichigo Kurosaki! You big jerk.”
“Hurry up,don't make me ask again.”
Under the coercion and temptation of Ichigo, Rukia reluctantly followed him to the rooftop and took away his lunch box without hesitation.Ichigo not only didn't get angry, but also helped her put the box of milk into a straw and handed it over.
Keigo was standing beside, looked at the scene in surprise and asked Mizuiro in confusion,”Am I dreaming? Did Ichigo actually have a girlfriend?”
“Who said she's my girlfriend?”Ichigo retorted immediately after hearing his words,”I don't like women who are so short!”
Before he could finish speaking, he received a slap on the back of his head. Rukia glared at him angrily and said, “Who's short? You stupid orange head!”
“Why did you hit me? You ungrateful woman! Who gave you a lunchbox to eat? You have a short mouth and soft hands, but your hands are really hard!”
“So?You can hit me back.”
“Do you think I dare not hit girls?”
Them argued like this, completely ignoring the people around them - Chad smiled and looked at them, Ishida rolled his glass, and Keigo gritted his teeth in jealousy. Mizuiro summarized,”You have a great relationship.”
“Who has a good relationship with him”
”Who has a good relationship with her?”
“Ah ah”,Mizuiro smiled contentedly,”and it's also very harmonious.”
Under the care of Ichigo, the group of girls who always bullied Rukia restrained a lot and no longer dared to openly bully her. Her campus life finally got on track. However, rumors about her and Ichigo have escalated——
“Hey, Rukia, have you had sex with Kurosaki?”
“Puff!!!”Rukia spat out all the orange soda in her mouth onto Chizuru's face,awkwardly taking out a tissue to help her wipe it off.
“Chizuru!”Tatsuki knocked her head discontentedly,”What nonsense are you talking about?”
“What? You all heard this rumor, I'm just helping you clarify it.”Chizuru didn't mind and took Rukia's tissue, and hugged her.”You can tell us, Rukia. We're not Kobayashi and the others. We'll support you and Kurosaki together! Right, Tatsuki?”
Tatsuki rolled his eyes and said:“I'm not interested in that guy's love life.”However, Hanako and Michirou beside her looked at Rukia with interest and a curious expression, her feel very embarrassed.
“Kurosaki and I are just ordinary friends.”
“What??”” You're not kindly, Rukia!””We can all tell that Kurosaki likes you!”The girls started chattering around Rukia, who just smiled faintly and shook her head, completely denying any intimate relationship with Ichigo.
At the end of the school day, Ichigo waited at the back door of the classroom as usual for Rukia to leave the school gate together, but she lingered in her seat and refused to leave. Until the crowd had almost dispersed, Ichigo angrily walked up to Rukia and shouted loudly:
“What are you procrastinating on? If I don't leave soon, I'll come home late and be cleaned up by the old man again.”
“Ichigo”,Rukia lowered her head and tightly grasped her backpack with both hands.”Don't wait for me to finish class, don't invite me to the rooftop for lunch again, and don't talk to me anymore,pleaes.”
“What? What do you mean?”Ichigo looked at her in confusion. Rukia's face was hidden in the shadow of her bangs, and he couldn't see her expression clearly.
“The meaning is, I don't like you. Please don't get involved with me anymore.”she said in one breath and rushed out of the classroom with her backpack.
“Ru...”Looking at her back,Ichigo frowned helplessly and muttered,”But,I never said I liked you...”
In this way, Rukia returned to her alone state again, looking like she never wanted to see him again. Ichigo was extremely angry about this and began to complain to his friends:
“I shouldn't have meddled in other people's affairs from the beginning! I kindly offered her lunch, but she dared to ungrateful say that she ‘doesn't like me’? Damn it!”
“So...Are you angry with her for not liking you or for being ungrateful? “Mizuiro asked with a smile.
“Of..of course she's ungrateful!”Ichigo stuttered abnormally,”Who cares if she likes me or not!”
“But when you helped others before, you never cared whether they would reciprocate.”
“I..I...”
“Admit it, Ichigo”,Mizuiro advised like an elder,”you just have a different feeling towards the Miss.Kuchiki.”
“Who would like her! That strange woman!”
“I didn't say it was ’ like’.”
“......”
Ichigo's speechless expression made everyone laughg and loating, except for Chad. This guy who had always been ignorant of emotions finally fall in love.
As the saying goes, it is a blessing, not a disaster, and a disaster cannot be avoided. Rukia worked hard to hide for a month and a half, but in the end, she was saved by him again.
Ichigo sighed and pulled her out of the dark and dusty cluttered room,”Why are you so cruel to me,but when you facing these people, you are so kindly.”
“None of your business.”Rukia forced herself to endure the severe pain in her ankle and turned her head away from him, supporting herself against the wall but unable to stand straight no matter what.
“What's wrong with your foot?”Her strange posture caught his attention.
“It's nothing!”She quickly replied, while also quickly hiding her right foot behind her left foot.
Ichigo was too lazy to continue talking nonsense with her, so she bent down and grabbed her knee, and picked her up in the princess's embrace. Startled, Rukia screamed and grabbed his shirt collar, struggling in his arms——
“Bastard! Put me down quickly!”
“Shut up, I'll take you to the infirmary now.”
“It's been a long time since classes ended, and Dr.Unohana has already finished work.”
“Don't be verbose, I have my own way. But if you keep arguing, I'll take you home and let the old man inspect you.”
This powerful threat finally succeeded in silencing Rukia, who didn't want to go to the Kurosaki Hospital at all.
Ichigo taked her out of the teaching building, feeling very grateful that it had been some time since school had ended. The campus was empty, with only a few students who were on duty like him, so there was no need to worry about being seen and gossiping.
They quickly arrived at the infirmary, and the Dr.Unohana had indeed left work. The locked door made Rukia unable to resist saying,”I told you it was useless.”
With a sneer, Ichigo took out a key from his pocket and slammed open the door to the infirmary.
“Why do you have the key?” Rukia was still surprised when he placed her on the hospital bed, but he had already skillfully found the medical kit and ice pack.
“My father and Dr.Unohana used to be colleagues. He knew I often got into fights outside the school, so he asked Dr.Unohana to take care of me. So she gave me the key to the infirmary so that I could come in and get the medicine myself.”he explained while examining her ankle,”Hmm, luckily it was just a sprain, not a fracture.”
“Ichigo...”Seeing him sitting on the ground and applying an ice pack to her right foot, Rukia's nose twitched and she was almost moved to tears.
“Yes?”Upon hearing this, Ichigo lifted his head and saw her expression that was about to cry. “Hey hey hey, why are you crying? I didn't hurt you, did I?”He looked at her swollen ankle in confusion.
“You idiot.”She laughed at his dull nerves and held back her tears.
Ichigo snorted in response and said, “Only idiots would save you, heartless girl.”
His words made Rukia angrily kick him with her uninjured foot, and the gentle force made him laugh directly.
The sunset shone through the window of the infirmary onto Ichigo’s lazy smile, perfectly outlining the contours of his face: a tall nose bridge and thick eyelashes, as well as his deep eyes -- now tinged with a warm amber color by the sunlight, shimmering with enchanting radiance. In his eyes illuminated by the sunlight, Rukia saw her reflection wrapped in light. For a moment, she couldn't look directly into those translucent eyes -- it was too glaring.
Rukia suddenly averted her gaze.
Ichigo didn't notice her strange little movements, but carefully placed her feet on his lap and asked again, “Why do you have to tolerate those people bullying you? You're a strong girl.”
“You really want to know?”
“Um, can you tell me?”
“Let's exchange. Tell me your secret, and I'll answer you.”
“Secret?”
“Well, everyone has secrets, doesn't it?”
Ichigo scratched his head, he really didn't have any secrets.
“Secret... I cry a lot when I was a child.When I was practicing karate with Tatsuki at the dojo, she always beat me to tears.”
Rukia couldn't help but burst out laughing,”So the delinquent student Kurosaki was a crybaby when he was a child.”
“Hey hey, don't tell anyone! If I find out you're talking nonsense everywhere, be careful that I won't be polite to you!”
“Okay, okay,”Rukia finally restrained her smile,”For the sake of fairness,I'll tell you my secret too.”
“Actually, I am an orphan.”
“What?Who was Mrs.Kuchiki that the driver told me about that day?”
“That's my sister.”
“Fine...”
“You always wonder why Keiko Kobayashi targeted me,right?”
“You just transferred schools not long ago, and she didn't even know you before. Why?”
“Because we grew up in the same children's welfare institution.”
“Children's welfare home??”Ichigo sat up straight in surprise.”How could you...? Didn't you grow up in the Kuchiki’s home?”
“Not me,” Rukia shook her head. “My sister just brought me back to the Kuchiki’s last year. Before that, I had been living in a children's welfare home.”
“So...”Ichigo looked at her anxiously and asked, “Did you also get bullied there?”
She proudly lifted her chin.”I'm the big sister there! All the children have to listen to me.”
“Is it?” He asked suspiciously, “So why are you being bullied here?”
“Because...”Her expression dimmed,”I don't want to cause trouble for my brother.”
“Brother?”
“My brother-in-law,Byakuya Kuchiki.”
“What does this have to do with him?”
“He made the elders in the family very unhappy in order to marry my sister and adopt me. I don't want these small things to disturb him anymore.”
“Do you just tolerate them bullying you like this?”
“Anyway, it's not a big deal.”
“Since it's not a big deal, why don't you let me help you solve it?”
“Idiot! Didn't you hear someone spreading rumors about us?”
“What rumors?”
“They say I have sexual relations with you...”Rukia's face suddenly turned red, and she angrily picked up the pillow from the hospital bed and smashed it over.”Did you ask that on purpose?”
Ichigo quickly caught the pillow and placed it under her feet.“I never care about others' opinions, otherwise I would have dyed my hair black long ago.”
“But... if you... “She lowered her head and grabbed her skirt, stuttering and unable to speak.
“If me?”He leaned forward to look at her pink face, not expecting her shy and cute appearance.
The hot breath he exhaled sprayed onto her knees, and Rukia instinctively lifted her leg and bumped into Ichigo's nose.
Ichigo let out a scream and covered his nose, as a stream of nosebleeds slowly flowed down from between his fingers.
“Sorry, sorry!“Rukia quickly jumped up on one foot, took out a tissue, and tried to hand it to him. He waved his hand repeatedly to signal that she should sit back on the hospital bed. During the tug, her twisted foot accidentally stepped on his knee, causing her to lose her balance and rush forward in an instant--
“Are you trying to keep both of us from leaving the clinic today?”Ichigo was thrown to the ground, cried and laughed while supporting her waist, thinking to himself that her forehead was so hard that he almost knocked his teeth off.
“Shut up! “Rukia lay on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, blushing so much that she couldn't catch her breath.
“Fine fine, you should at least give me a tissue, I need to stop my nosebleed.”
Upon hearing his words, Rukia suddenly remembered her initial purpose and quickly propped up her upper body with her elbow, lying on his chest carefully wiping the bloodstains on his nose.
“I do it myself... “Her gentle movements left Ichigo speechless, only staring blankly at her furrowed brow. In an instant, his heart felt like a stone suddenly dropped onto a calm lake, causing ripples that could not be calmed for a long time.
His dazed expression amused Rukia, and she reached out her index finger to lightly poke the tip of his nose and chuckled,”Ichigo, are you stupid?”
Her movements brought Ichigo back to her senses, and he reached out to grab her wrist and pulled her whole down -- in an instant, their breaths intertwined, and his warm breath sprayed onto her face. His lips gently and eagerly pressed against hers.
“Ichi...”His name was sealed in her mouth, leaving only a vague gurgling sound.
Ichigo rubbed her lips, as if telling a long hidden love story. Every touch was like an electric current spreading throughout her body, making Rukia's heart beat faster involuntarily. She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a fan-shaped shadow on her eyelids, and her left hand unconsciously clenched his collar. And Ichigo tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss as if he wanted to pour all his love into it.
They don't know how long it was until their thirst for oxygen forced them to part ways. Rukia's cheeks were as red as ripe apples, and her gaze was evasive, afraid to look directly at Ichigo. Ichigo's adam's apple rolled up and down, trying to suppress the surging emotions in his heart. “Cough cough “, he gently cleared his throat, trying to restore his voice to normal, but found that it was still a bit hoarse.
“Rukia,I like...”
“Stop talking!”She quickly covered his mouth and choked off his finally gathered courage to confess.
“Emm...?”Ichigo frowned and looked at her in confusion.
“I, I'm not ready yet!”Rukia nervously grabbed his collar,”And Byakuya said that dating is not allowed before going to college, so...”
Ichigo's brow furrowed even deeper. Why does her brother-in-law look like a feudal lord?
“So, if you want to find a girlfriend, just switch to someone else!”
After Rukia finished speaking in one breath, she released her hand and used it to prop herself up on the ground, swaying and trying to stand up.
“Wait!Wait!”Ichigo quickly propped up his upper body, grabbed Rukia's arm, and let her fall back onto his lap again. “Let's start as friends first, okay? At least don't avoid me anymore!”
“Ichigo...”Rukia pressed her hands against his chest, but was fixed in place by his sincere gaze. Her lips trembled slightly, she hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered, “You're such a fool.”
“Whatever.You can say whatever you want.”
“So let's get to know each other again, Mr. Kurosaki. I am Rukia Kuchiki, please take care of me.”
“Just ‘Ichigo’, silly Rukia...Ouch!“Before he could finish speaking, she slapped him in the face and he had to patiently say to her,”Nice to meet you, Miss.Kuchiki. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, please take care of me in the future.”
“That's pretty much it.” Rukia patted his head satisfactorily, then helped him on the shoulder to stand up.
“What should we do now?”Ichigo sat on the ground rubbing his swollen face.
“What should we do? Of course, you'll take me home. My sister has been wanting to see you all along.”
“Going to see your famils so soon? I'm not ready yet.”
“Ichigo Kurosaki, do you want me to beat you up again?”Rukia narrowed her eyes and revealed her little fist.
“I'm joking...”
The next day, at the lunch party on the rooftop of the teaching building, Keigo's favorite beautiful transferred girl into again. He gave a thumbs up to Ichigo and said, "Well done!”
“Shut up! “Ichigo mercilessly pushed him away.
“Did you see Miss.Kobayashi just now? She ran out crying.”Keigo opened his lunch box and gossiped, thinking that a well-informed Mizuiro would give him an answer. However, Ichigo and Rukia answered in unison:
“We didn't see her at all.”
“What?”Keigo was startled by their tacit understanding and almost dropped his chopsticks. “What's your situation? Are you dating?”
“Absolutely don't!”
The unanimous response once again made Keigo’s mouth twitch, and he decided to sit closer to Chad, away from this stinky couple who were shining brightly.
“Well, summer is indeed the season for love~”Mizuiro concluded.