פיק!!!!

[Goggle Girl]

פיק!!!!

שם - Wrongly Reasoned Feelings - רגשות חסרי היגיון, או עם היגיון לקוי

דמויות - איצ'יגו, רוקיה, ומיצ'ירו (כולם: מי? ) דירוג - PG-13. אזהרות - אם. רוקיה במחזור. XD תקופת זמן - לפני סאגת סול סוסאייטי אבל אחרי הסאגה של אישידה, קצת משחקת עם הזמנים פה. פרקים בקבצי וורד יצורפו בשלמותם לחלקים הראשונים של כל פרק.

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 1 - חלק א

It was the usual noisy racket that filled the classroom as the final bell rang, signaling freedom for that day. All the students quickly packed their bags, trying to get away from the school as quickly as possible. Some, however, took their time for their own reasons. "Ne, let's do something today!" Honsho Chizuru chirped at the small group of girls still in their seats. It was a long day and the girl was eager to let out some pent up frustration with some girl-only down time. Kunieda Ryou paid her no attention as she calmly closed her bag, waiting for Ogawa Michiru to finish her notes and get ready to leave. "We hardly ever do anything together all of us anymore!" "Have we ever?" Came the calm yet stingy reply from Chizuru's worst enemy. "I'm ignoring you." She said, though her glare was still fixated on her nemesis. Arisawa Tatsuki leaned back in her seat, bag ready on her desk. "You're looking at me rather intently for someone who's ignoring me." "Humph!" "Not that I can came, yet, I know you're sad…" Tatsuki mocked, smirking at the girl. "The judo club is having a contest coming up, I can't really afford to miss a training session or they'll crucify me." "I… can't come either." Came Inoue Orihime's silent voice as she stood up with her bag in hand, ruining Chizuru's moment of victory over the dragon. "The Crafts club is having a works presentation next week, so we're all working hard!" "Hime… so noble…" Chizuru sniffled, getting a dirty look from Tatsuki, but no verbal comment. "Then that leaves Michiru and Ryou, since Mahana called in sick today!" "Come to think about it, Kuchiki-san was absent today too…" Michiru mumbled as she packed her bag finally. "Eh, that's right. Which… made looking at Ichigo easier today, eh?" Tatsuki teased, causing oval blushes to appear on the other girl's cheek. "Tha, that's not it!" Michiru hurried to protest, but before long the hands she was waving in front of her were caught by Chizuru as she looked her straight in the face. "How about it, Michiru? Wanna come over to my place? I have plenty of room…" "Stop trying to drag people into hell with you!" Tatsuki shouted, trying to ignore the blush on Michiru's face, blaming it on her earlier comment. Chizuru stuck her tongue out at her, but had to turn and look as Michiru released her hands, her gaze shyly downcast. "I'm sorry, Chizuru-chan, but I have work today…" Silence fell on the entire group. "Eh, Michiru-chan has a part time job?" Orihime pondered out loud, pointing a finger to her chin thoughtfully. The other girl nodded, half hiding behind the bag she was now holding. "Ah… just for this month though…" "No need to be so embarrassed about it, I'd have gotten a job too if it weren't for the club." Tatsuki said plainly in a successful attempt to cheer Michiru up, earning her an instant reply from Orihime – "But Tatsuki-chan's so strong, and she really likes to win, so she stays at the club." "I don't win all the time…" Tatsuki began with a slight blush as she scratched her cheek, hardly expecting the reply from her enemy. "Naturally, she can't win against Kurosaki, for instance…" Chizuru said with an air of triumph to her, but turned away before Tatsuki could retaliate. "So it's Michiru and I after she finishes her shift, right? Sure, Ryou could come too, if she really wants to, but it really…" A small smile rose to Michiru's lips. "I'd love that, but… I'm broke, so I can't really afford anything…" "You still haven't gotten your paycheck?" Ryou asked, a touch of worry in her voice. Michiru shook her head. "Not yet, it's just the 8th of the month, so…" A loud noise of something hitting the floor made all girls turn to look to find their previous conversation topic - Kurosaki Ichigo – standing there, his arm still in midair where he dropped his bag. He seemed to have frozen like that. "Kuro… saki-kun?" Orihime asked, tilting her head lightly. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Tatsuki commented half laughingly. "I wish…" Came his mumbled reply. "With that I can manage… Ogawa, what did you say, just now?" He demanded, looking rather desperately at Michiru. The girl hurried to look at her watch, feeling her cheeks go hot. "It… it's the 8th of the… month… Kurosaki-kun?" The girls blinked as the boy's face lost all color and he hurried to grab his bag and dash out the door, leaving a small cloud of dust in his trail. "I wonder what's up with him…" Tatsuki wondered, crossing her arms behind her head. "Do you know, Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime asked absent-mindedly, used to her best friend having most answers when it came to the orange haired teen. "If I did, I wouldn't have wondered about it myself just now, would I?" "Heh, I guess…" Chizuru chuckled evilly at that as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose in a way which reminded Orihime of Uryuu. "Ara, isn't it obvious?" She asked mysteriously. "I don't know, reality works differently for you than it does for the rest of us." Tatsuki replied calmly. Chizuru ignored her. "A girl's sudden absence… a man's fear at the sound of a date… without a doubt…" "Without a doubt?"​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 1 - חלק ב

The girls echoed before the dramatic moment of silence which Chizuru drew out, enjoying every second. Then she suddenly put her foot on a nearby chair, pointing at the air with lightning striking behind her. "Kuchiki-san is carrying Kurosaki's illegitimate child!" A dramatic moment of silence later, and while Ryou was the only one not blushing, Tatsuki began kicking Chizuru, repeatedly wishing for her slow and painful demise. "Shall I walk you over?" Came Ryou's calm, peaceful voice, anchoring poor blushing Michiru's attention right as she was about to overload. Realizing what was said at her, the short haired girl shook her head as she turned to leave. "Ryou-chan has a racing club meeting today, right? I'll be fine on my own, thank you." Smiling gently, she left the classroom, leaving her friend behind. "But still… for Michiru to suddenly get a job… did something happen, Ryou?" Chizuru asked from her spot on the floor where Tatsuki had left her, looking at the taller girl curiously. Ryou said nothing as she left, and with a pout, so did Chizuru as she waved her goodbye at Orihime. Only then did Tatsuki notice the girl's attention was elsewhere the entire time. "Orihime?" "Ne, Tatsuki-chan, don't you think…" "Hm?" She raised an eyebrow at the dreamy look on Orihime's face when suddenly the girl looked at her, practically beaming. "Won't Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun's children have really funny faces?!" Tatsuki hit the floor so fast she hardly even noticed it, but the somewhat sad look in those big hazel eyes made her get up instantly and ruffle Orihime's hair. "Come on… we'll be late for our club meetings." Nodding, Orihime accepted Tatsuki's offered hand as they too left the classroom. – The front door was flung open before being slammed shut, startling Kurosaki Yuzu as she was working on the first preparations towards dinner. She quickly turned to the door, sighing in relief upon seeing who it was. "Mou, don't scare me like that, Onii-chan. Welcome back… is everything ok?" She asked, seeing how he was clinging to the door as though for dear life. His face was pale, covered with cold sweat. His gaze was fixated on the top of the stairs, panic clearly showing in those brown eyes. "Fine, everything's fine, just… something I gotta take care of." He managed as he took off his shoes and began towards his room. His sister blinked in response. "Want anything?" She asked cheerfully, though she was worried. "Ah, no, I'm fine, thanks." Shakingly he went up the stairs, leaving the girl confused and disturbed. He could hardly reach his hand to his room's doorknob, and when he finally managed to open the door, Ichigo jumped back as though a monster had leapt at him, shielding his face with his arms. When nothing happened, he carefully entered the room, looking around worriedly. "Rukia?" No reply came save for the soft sobs which led him to find Kon huddling in the corner. He managed to catch him uttering 'Nee-san, kowaii…' before losing interest and moving to knock gently on the closet door. "Rukia? You there?" He asked, straining his ears to listen though he doubted a reply would come. With a sigh, he placed his hand over the door. "I'm opening the door now, stop me or you can't blame me." Kon's sobs came to an abrupt stop as the door slid open. Ichigo peeked in – The slim feet proved to him his query was indeed there and he lent forward for a better look, slightly leaning against the wall in which the closet was embedded. Kuchiki Rukia never looked quite as pathetic to him as she did in that specific moment, he reckoned. The over-hundred-years old Shinigami was just lying there on the pack of blankets and sheets in Ichigo's closet, gazing at nothing through half lidded eyes as she hugged her stomach. She seemed tired, the kind of tiredness only physical pain can bring. "When someone's calling for you you're supposed to either reply or not get found, you know." Rukia remained silent as she closed her eyes fully. Ichigo frowned in annoyance, a vein popping in his forehead. How he hated this time of the month… "I don't care if you want to just crawl somewhere and die, but at least don't do it in my closet, and if you're gonna use our toilets…" A blush rose to his cheeks in the second he paused, gathering the stubbornness if not the course to continue – "- you can at least clean up after you! I don't need to go in there and find your blood on the toilet seat!" His blushed deepened yet he forced his gaze on her. Rukia sat up in a hurry, her cheeks as flushed as his. She was about to reply when the consequences of the sudden movement caught up with her, and she gripped her abdomen in pain. Once it seemed to have subsided and it didn't hurt him just looking at her anymore, Ichigo placed his hand on Rukia's head, buying him her attention as well as a farther reddening of her cheeks. "If you're feeling that bad you should've said so instead of using some lame excuse to stay home! This is a freaking clinic, you know. No reason for you to suffer just for being a woman." "Like any sane woman would tell an insensitive brat like you about such a sensitive matter…" She cried out as he pushed her back onto the blankets, his brows twitching. "I should just let you rot in your suffering…" He closed the door abruptly, though he remained standing there. "I… Yuzu should know… which medicine we have for that. I'll ask her to leave some here. You're… also…" He began stuttering as his whole face went bright red. "… low on supplies, right? I'll see what I can do about it. I, in the meanwhile, stay put, don't go anywhere." "Idiot, like I could even if I wanted to." He chuckled at that. "Maybe you're not feeling that bad after all… well then, I'm off." "Ichigo…" She suddenly uttered, catching him at the door. He looked back at the closet curiously. No reply came, however, and he left, the girl only finishing her sentence as she curled into a ball as she felt him leave. "Thank you." She uttered, trying not to fall asleep.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 2 - חלק א

"Hai, thank you for your patronage! Please come again!" Michiru chirped as another costumer left the small shop, only to sigh a moment later. "Ah, ah… I should've brought a book along with me…" She pondered from her seat next to the cash register. "And once I get home I also have homework to do… aah…" She sighed again, looking the store over in an attempt to find something of interest. 'I hope Chizuru and Ryou hurry over… they could at least buy a soda-pop or something and sit with me for the rest of the shift…' Her memories wondering to that morning, she rested her elbows on the register and her face in her hands and seemed thoughtful. 'Now that I think about it, Kurosaki-kun seemed pretty scared… I don't think I've ever seen him like that… so pale and distressed…' "…is carrying Kurosaki's illegitimate child!" Chizuru's voice ran victoriously in her ears and she shook her head, also trying to shake that blush that rose to her cheeks. "The, there's no way that could happen… ne?!" She asked, only to discover a familiar looking mess or orange hair wondering around the small store she worked at. Quickly covering her mouth, she wondered if he had heard her. She had little time to wonder though as another costumer came and demanded the girl gave her her bill. Nodding quickly, Michiru passed the few products by the barcode and accepted the money, all along sneaking glances towards the part of the store where she last spotted the familiar sight. "That… couldn't have been him… could it?" "Been who?" The girl half screamed in terror at the voice but was soon silenced as hand was pressed to her mouth. Ichigo sighed as he glanced around quickly, his frown making any onlookers turn back to their business. Satisfied at least from that, her removed his hand from Michiru's mouth and sighed. "Give me a break, will you? You make it sound like I'm a stalker who came after you or something." Blushing, the girl bowed her head in an apology. "I, I'm sorry, it's just… Kurosaki-kun caught me with my mind wondering…" "About 'him'?" He asked with half interest, making the girl's face flush as she looked away, a moment before she was finally able to look at him again. "I was just… wondering… if the orange hair I saw really was Kurosaki-kun." "Well, you don't see too many people walking around with hair like mine." "Guess so… heh, heh…" "But aside from that, Ogawa?" "Ha, hai?" She blinked at the slight curiosity in his voice. "…what're you doing here?" "Ah, a part time job…" She cowered under his glare. "I can see that, I was asking why all of a sudden a part time job." "Ah, that is, I mean…" She lowered her gaze, twiddling with her thumbs. "Okaa-chan… got really sick last week." His brows instantly shot up and the frown pulled back a bit, leaving room for shocked concern. Seeing that, the girl caught herself gawking and shook her hands in front of her, blushing and stuttering. "Ah, it, it's nothing, really, just… she's been working hard lately and the stress and all, probably just a flu, really, but…" She calmed somewhat as his gaze became less intense and she settled for avoiding eye contact at all costs. "… but I still didn't want to bother my parents. The doctor's bills and the medicine… we're insured and it's not that much, but I… still didn't want to be a burden to them…" She knew not why she was telling him all of this, but guessed fear and a baseless feeling of intimidation were two major causes. He was about to comment when, feeling sheepish, her grim expression broke into a smile. "So I got this part time job for a while, since the owner's daughter who usually runs the register started going to night classes. Just a month's salary covers quite a while of allowance for me, so I'll be ok once I get my paycheck." "I see… that's good." The unusual softness in his voice forced the girl to look at him, and she couldn't believe her eyes. Not only was Ichigo's expression an unusual mask of worry which was obviously directed at her, but his brows were not in their usual frown, making Michiru reach her own conclusion about Kurosaki Ichigo's facial features. 'People who say Kurosaki-kun's face is scary sure have a point… but they're wrong. So is Orihime… it's not funny, either. Like that… if he's not frowning… Kurosaki-kun really… really is… quite…'​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 2 - חלק ב

"Ogawa?" She was snapped back to reality to find Ichigo looking intently at her, and her face felt so hot she thought her cheeks would explode when, shyly, he placed a hand to her forehead, comparing her temperature with her own. "you sure are a bit on the hot side… your face is all red, too… better look out for yourself, if you'd get sick, I'm sure the financial help would be the last thing your parents would think about." Her eyes clouded over as she couldn't even doubt her ears. The entire situation was so unrealistic, she allowed herself a single thought – 'Kurosaki-kun's hand is so warm…' "Kora! Stop flirting over there!" A man yelled at them as he stood in line for the register with his future-purchase in hand. Removing his hand from Michiru's forehead, Ichigo turned to look at the man, the frown now back with a vengeance to accommodate a glare. "What, you're standing there for maybe a minute. Don't you have any patience at all?" Her disappointment over the frown's return surprised Michiru herself and so she hurried to check the items Ichigo wished to buy… only to have stream come out of her ears as her mind reached meltdown. The blood was pumping through her face so violently she half wondered if she was going to have a nosebleed. Noticing the girl froze, then her blush, then the blush's reason, a similar color rose to Ichigo's face all the way to his ears. In the basket he brought rested a pack of pads as well as three different types of tampon boxes. "Tha, that is, that…" "Ku, Kurosaki-kun ha, has sisters, doesn't he?" "A, ah…" Wordlessly she summed it up and handed him the bag, accepting his money. "It must be nice…" She began, offering him his change. "… having such a considerate older brother." She finished with a smile and with a shy nod he accepted both money and compliment. Their hands brushed in the process and sent another heat wave to Michiru's face. "Well then… I'll be off." "Thank you for your patronage, please come again…" She said softly, touching the spot their hands met. He was already with a foot out the door when she stood up hastily. "Kurosaki-kun!" He stopped and turned back, a curious look on his face. She cursed how her tongue suddenly failed her. "I, um, that is, um…" Her fists clenched as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I, I'm finishing in about an hour… and I know this great place nearby… so, I, that is, I mean…" Stream came out of her ears again as she trailed off. A rather mournful look crossed his face before he looked at her again – again – not frowning. "An hour, right?" She thought she caught half a smile as he left, and she remained standing there, staring at him, even when the other costumers began complaining.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 3 חלק א

"What's wrong? Your face is all red." Rukia said plainly once Ichigo returned home and handed her the bag with he bought for her inside. "Idiot, just take the damned thing away. I can't teach you how to use it, though." "Humph, like I need help from a man in this matter." She said in a holier-than-thou way as she began reading the small manual which came in one of the boxes. Blushing harder, he said nothing as he turned to leave. "Where are you going?" Rukia asked before settling back on the blankets in the closet. "Just… out for a while." A dark look crossed his face. "Am I… that impossible to be around now?" A moment passed before he sighed, messing his hair in frustration. "Not everything's revolving around you, you know. I'm just going out to meet with a friend, is all." She fell silent, and a as he left she was sure he was gone. She was proven wrong, however, when he reappeared several minutes later, holding a box of pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. "Here. This should help you." Accepting the offer, she nodded at him, and he closed the door behind him. – "Aaah, Hime was so adorable today!" Chizuru declared dreamily as she made her way towards Michiru's working place, led by Ryou. The taller girl kept silent, trying to ignore her forced-on companion's chatter. "Aaah, but that damned Tatsuki… time and again she thwarts my plans! I'll get her back for it some day… oh yes… and then… Hime will be mine! Buhahaha!" She laughed, Kan'Onji pose and all, which only made Ryou ignore her more. It continued until she suddenly stopped, Chizuru not stopping her chatter for a moment. "… but it's not enough. Once Arisawa's out of my way, there's another obstacle waiting… the one who so far have taken my place in her heart, the one which makes her react in ways I can only dream of… that one man…" Casually, Ryou pointed at a figure leaning against the wall next to the small supermarket's entrance, and upon identifying the young man, Chizuru nodded with crossed arms. "Sou, sou, that man, that… Eeeeeeeh?!" – Michiru sighed as she packed her things and was getting ready to leave the store. "Ah, of all the days for you to come back late, Kisa-san." The store manager's daughter laughed embarrassedly. "Hai, gomen, gomen, but they let us out later than usual and I almost missed my bus… I'll ask papa to pay you extra for it!" Michiru nodded as she said her goodbyes, thoughtful as she made her way out. 'I hope Chizuru and Ryou haven't been worrying about me being late… and there's also Kurosaki-kun…' "Heh, like he'll come back…" "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." The girl jumped and hurried to look at the person who scared her for the second time that day. Ichigo was leaning against the wall right next to the store entrance, arms crossed in a pose which screamed at people to keep their distance. His expression, however, was a rather soft frown – in his standards, at least – and a relatively teasing smirk. "Ku, Kurosaki-kun! You… came…" She began frantically, yet as realization hit her, so did embarreassment, and her voice cracked as the blood rushed to her cheeks. "I said I would, didn't I?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and she giggled nervously. "Not quite but… I guess you did, in a way…" The mood changed, however, when his frown deepend. "You're kinda late, though." She knew not why, but she felt she had to apologize least something horrible would happen. So she did. "Aaah! I'm so, so sorry! I was just, I mean, that is, Kisa-san, she, my replacement, came late, so I, er, I, that is…" Caught off guard by her reaction, Ichigo hurried to wave a hand in front of him to show he didn't mean anything by his comment. "Ca, calm down, Ogawa, I didn't mean it like that. I was just…" She calmed down a bit in time to appreciate the look of worry which crossed his face. "… worried something happened to your mom or you, is all." Michiru's eyes widened. Her grip over her school bag tightened as she lowered her gaze, noticing then the small bag he was holding. "Kurosaki-kun, you… went shopping?" He blinked at the change of subject and blushed, feeling suddenly as though he shared too much information needlessly. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly with one hand, the other raising said bag for her to see. It had the Sunflower Sewing logo on it. "Ah, this… there's a branch of that store where Ishida buys all his sewing materials at down the street, so I just stopped by while I was waiting." She blinked. "Sewing… shop?" He blinked. "Yes?" She blinked. "Kurosaki-kun did?" He blinked. "Yes?" Then it clicked and he blushed. "Ah, no, this, this is just for…" "Your sister?" She offered gently, stopping him short. "…right?" She smiled at him, and he felt a bit better, as well as sheepish. "Yeah… she just loves dressing up her dolls… especially a… certain lion plushy…" He chuckled rather evilly. She blinked again. "… anyways, I've never seen these kinds of materials before… other than near Ishida, anyway… so I figured she'd like them." "Is that the same sister for whom you bought the, er, the… you know…" He hurried to shake his head, avoiding eye contact. "No, that… wasn't for her." Which wasn't a lie, Ichigo thought. "I see…" Michiru silently said before a silence fell on the two. Chewing on her lower lip, the girl berated herself inwardly. 'Ah, now what do I do? All I do is embarrass him, and we're already out of things to talk about, I better…' "…go there?" "Eh?" She blinked at his voice, confused. He tilted his head at her. "Earlier, you said you knew this great place. I was asking if you wanted to go there now." Grateful for the offer of familiar grounds, she nodded hastily. "Hai! It's a really great place, and it's not that far!" "Sounds good. Lead the way." Michiru was practically beaming.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 3 חלק ב

"Daaaaaamn hiiiiiim!!!" Chizuru raged from her and Ryou's hiding place from across the street once Ichigo and Michiru began walking away. "I swear, it's like he has set himself the goal of getting to all the girls I want! First Hime, whose innocence made her an easy prey… then Kuchiki-san, who obviously wanted to make quick friends in this new and fearful place… and now poor and pure Michiru! What next, Ryou?!" "… you wanted Kuchiki?" Ryou asked, more disturbed by the thought than curious. "She's flat but her legs more than make up for it… in any case, come, Ryou! Let us take chase! For Michiru's sake!" Ryou could only stare as Chizuru began running after the two, and beyond the redheaded girl; she had to wonder about the anxious yet happy air Michiru gave off as she walked next to Ichigo, a delicate blush constantly on her face.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 4 - חלק א

"We're here." Michiru finally declared as they arrived at a small park with swings and a slide on one side and a small coffee house on the other from where the parents could sit while watching over the children playing. It was currently empty, both playing ground the coffee shop and the two teens made their way towards the swings. Michiru hurried to sit on one while Ichigo chose to lean against the play-house structure, arms crossed as he watched her. She tried avoiding his gaze at all costs. 'Now what do I do? I've gotten us here, but now we're silent again…' She realized she wasn't listening when she thought he said something about a pink elephant. "Eh?" "Finally listening, are you? I swear, you never seemed that aloof at school…" "Go, gomen nasai…" He sighed as he looked away, but then his expression softened a bit, still without looking at her. "I was saying that if something happens to your mom, you should call my place." Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "We're closer to you than the nearest hospital, and if it's someone we know than billing won't be a problem… it is how Oyaji makes a living, though, so I don't know how much of a hard time he'll give me over it… at least he could give your mother a checkup, just to make sure she's not getting worse, or something." She smiled softly at him, her cheeks already as red as they could get. "Kurosaki-kun… really is a nice person. Worrying like that over my mother… and earlier, about your sisters, too…" "It's not a big deal, really." He said plainly, making her look up in confusion. "Inoue said that too. Isn't it normal, though? Worrying about the people close to you." A sad touch painted Michiru's thoughtful expression as she began swinging gently back and forth. "_Because_ it's the people closest to you, it's not normal." He turned to look at her with interest, the frown long gone, replaced by a gentle mask of concern as a reply to her soft, hushed voice. "Because they're the people closest to you, you think you can do almost anything and get away with it. You take everything they give you for granted, never once thinking about what you can give back. The people closest to you… are the ones towards whom you act the most selfishly." She raised her eyes to look at him, and found him gazing intently at her, a touch of gentleness in his eyes. As though on instinct, she began stuttering, shaking her head and her hands. "Ah, but, I, er, that is, saying such weird things all of a sudden, I… ah!" She cried out as she was about to fall off the swing and he was halfway on his way to catch her when she took hold of the chains holding her sitting place. Both sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that! If you're gonna thrash around like that, don't sit on something that unstable!" "Ah ha, ah haha, ah ha…" She giggled embarressdly before her face became rather mournful. "I really did say… some weird things…" He sighed again, messing his hair in obvious frustration before calming down visibly. "I don't know if they're weird or not, or even if they're right or not, but…" He looked at her rather kindly, the anger as though having dissipated. "…if it's true, than Ogawa's also a 'nice person'." Blinking several times, Michiru waved her hands in front of her before settling them down in her lap, looking at them sheepishly. "Hardly, I just… I just don't want to feel like I'm being a burden on my family…" "Nonetheless, you're helping them out, right? They know they can rely on you, and you're helping out whether it's for them or for yourself. Even though your reasons are that selfish… no, I'd dare say –because- they're that selfish, you still doing it and being that honest with yourself… you're a much 'nicer' person than me." All she could do was stare at him, utterly speechless. "Tha, that's hardly…" In an attempt to avoid father embarrassment she looked away, and her eyes widened when she spotted the coffee shop. Standing up in a hurry, she excuse herself before rushing off. With a sigh – and more than a bit confused – he sat down on one of the swings, pushing himself back and forth boredly with his feet on the ground. Several minutes later Michiru came hopping back, her hands hidden behind her back. "Close your eyes and reach out your hand." He blinked. "Huh?" She blushed lightly, smiling in a rather foreboading way. "Close your eyes and reach out your hand! It's a surprise!" He sighed as he obliged, and was rewarded with a warm and slightly sticky object which was placed in his outstretched palm. "You can look now." Michiru declared as she sat on the swing next to him and he opened his eyes to find a chocolate muffin resting in his hand, the same kind as the one Michiru was munching on. "I thought you said this morning you were broke." She pouted in a hurt manner. "One muffin won't kill me." "Problem is – you bought two. Here…" He reached into his pocket and extracted enough money to pay for both treats. "Ah! Kurosaki-kun! That's too much! Besides, I was the one who asked you over here… in the first place." She trailed off, finding her muffin extremely interesting. "Take it. It's a man's job to pay for a woman." Her blush deepened, as did her pout. "That's one old way of thinking." "Who cares about that, take it. Once you get your paycheck, if you still want to pay me back, do." Seeing the serious look on his face, the girl nodded once and accepted the money. Several minutes of silence then passed as the two finished their snacks before Michiru felt anxious, and her eyes caught the bag of sewing supplies now resting next to Ichigo's legs. "Kurosaki-kun…" "Hm?" He replied, a finger in his mouth as he sucked the chocolate off of it. The girl looked away with a flush. "… what… kinds of clothes… does your sister make for her dolls?" Upon hearing something resembling a whimper, she turned to him to find Ichigo staring at her, an odd smile on his lips, and apparently he had bitten onto the finger in his mouth. She blinked, slightly terrified. "Kuro-" But before long he seemed to relax completely as he laughed out – fullheartedly, innocently, honestly, so much that tears began welling in his eyes.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 4 - חלק ב

'He laughs… just like a child.' Michiru thought fondly as Ichigo went on explaining something about a cross dressing male lion plushy in tight sparkly pink dresses. Unable to help herself, she began giggling, and when the giggles escalated into soft laughter, Ichigo caught himself and looked away, scratching his reddening cheek. Once the girl had calmed down, she looked up at the sky as the sun almost finished setting. "It's kind of weird, isn't it? The two of us, laughing like that…" He glanced at her calm expression and then turned to the sky as well. "Ah… kind of…" Silence fell again and she studied his profile as he watched the stars. The frown was there, though much gentler, and seemed to be merely a product of his thoughtful expression. 'He… really is…' The blush didn't have a chance to come to her cheeks as he stood up quickly at the sound of the Hollow cry the girl next to him couldn't hear. "Kurosaki-kun?" She asked, growing even more confused as he seemed to relax, having felt the Hollow's presence disappear next to where Ishida Uryuu's spirit force flared up. "It's nothing…" He said plainly, but they both knew that the moment – whatever kind of moment they had between them – was broken. "It's gotten late." Came the obvious as he picked up the sewing bag. "Come on. I'll walk you home." Nodding, she took her bag and stood up as well. – They made their way in silence, though Ichigo was awkwardly aware of a bush which had followed them since they left the park. "Well, this is my house…" Michiru stated as they reached the small two-floor structure. "Ano… thank you for walking me over." She said hesitatingly, avoiding eye contact. "No problem. I hope your mom feels better soon." She nodded at him with a soft smile. "Like I said before, anything happens, give us a call, and I'll force my Oyaji to take care of your mother even if I have to kill him in the process." Michiru giggled, making Ichigo raise an eyebrow. "Hey, I was being serious!" "Like I said, Kurosaki-kun sure is a nice person…" "And like I said, stop saying tha—" He was cut short as the girl rose to the tip of her toes and pecked his cheeks. His eyes widened, as did Ryou's from her stalking place across the street, as did Chizuru's as she sprung out of the bush camouflage she had had on since they left the park. Face flushed and at her mental limit, Michiru hurried to open the front door, uttering a quick 'good night' as she disappeared inside of the house. Ichigo stood there as though stuck, when finally a blush managed to rise to his cheeks, and in embarrassment and frustration, he pulled at his hair. "Aaaah, MOU! If I wanted another sister I couldn't understand I'd have adopted Rukia! … de, sou da! What time is it?!" Though his cheek remained flushed, the rest of his face went pale as he realized it was half past seven – half an hour since that day's Kurosaki family dinner had started. Thirty whole minutes of his sisters and his father… alone… "Oyaji-sense… tingling! Hang on, I'm coming, Yuzu, Karin!" Ichigo declared as he dashed on home, leaving a small trail of dust behind him, as well as the Sunflower bag. He glanced back once without slowing his pace, and shook his head violentally as he had more pressing issues to think about at that moment… or so he kept telling himself. Ryou remained silent as Michiru came back out, picking up the discarded sewing materials and half hugging the bag as she stared after the disappearing orange haired figure. "Knock if off, Chizuru." She eventually said, catching Chizuru right before she jumped off a nearby tree. "Ryou's too mean! How can you understand this pain, this loneliness?! I'll die, kill myself and put an end to it all! And then… I'll come back and haunt his sorry ass for the rest of his life! Ho yes! Buhahaha-ah?" She cried as she nearly fell, clinging to the tree trunk. Ryou sighed. "Hollow threats." "Humph!"​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 5

It was only after the weekend when next Michiru had the chance to return the forgotten bag. Courage not being one of her strong points, she was taken over by a ferocious blush and a spasming seizure whenever the concept of walking to Ichigo's house for the task was even thought of for an instance. It was hard enough for her to come to school that day without first denying the bag's very existence. That wasn't an option, however, as she was at the very least a decent person, and so she received curious looks as she came in that day, bag in hand. "Ara? Michiru-chan went shopping for sewing materials?" Orihime asked as she snuck op on the girl, scaring her half to death. "O, Orihime!" Michiru stuttered, face growing hot for no apparent reason. "Eh? Something the matter, Michiru-chan?" The redhead asked, blinking. Michiru hurried to shake her head. "N, no, nothing, ah ha, ah haha, go, good morning, Orihime." The girl beamed back. "Good morning, Michiru-chan!" "Ho, how was your weekend?" She asked as Orihime settled in her seat. "It was too short! I didn't manage half the things I wanted to do! How about you, Michiru-chan?" Michiru realized her mind was wondering when the question seemed almost foreign to her ears. "Are? I… I didn't do anything special… at all…" She mumbled as she lowered her gaze, her grip on the sewing bag tightening, making Orihime blink. "Hardly looks like it if you ask me." Came Tatsuki's voice as she came to stand next to the two. From the corner of her eyes, Michiru made out Ryou and Chizuru as they too made their way into the classroom. The former nodded her greeting at the short, bright haired girl, yet the latter seemed rather distant, as though avoiding her. It only added to the suddenly guilty look Michiru was sending in Orihime's direction. "That's… hardly… and anyway, Tatsuki, I… that is…" Michiru stuttered, biting her lip as she glanced again at a clueless Orihime. "… can't I talk to you alone for a moment?" At the blush and shy look aimed at her, Tatsuki couldn't help but grin. "Eeh? A crush you want me to help you with? Or is it… you just don't want the people here to know about it?" As the blush deepened and the panic level sky-rocketed, Tatsuki knew she hit bulls eye. "Sorry, but I have a no-matching-up-anyone-in-the-judo-club policy, so if it's someone from there…" "Alright already, just come over here!" Poor Michiru chirped as she dragged Tatsuki away from the rest of the girls. Orihime blinked as Chizuru and Ryou approached her. "What's up with those two?" Chizuru asked, arms crossed. "Michiru-chan's in love!" Orihime chirped, basically repeating what Tatsuki had just said. Ryou and Michiru, however, merely exchanged solemn looks. – "Mou, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?!" Tatsuki questioned once they reached the other corner of the classroom. "Ano… Tatsuki, you… you know him pretty well, don't you?" Michiru asked shyly, avoiding the other's look. "Him? Your crush?" She asked with a sly grin, making Michiru fiddle with her thumbs. "Ku, Kurosaki-kun…" Tatsuki's eyes widened as she stared at her. "Eeh?! This had better be a completely different subject here! You want to tell me you have the hots for Ich-" She never managed to finish as Michiru blocked her mouth with her hands, looking around to make sure no one was watching them, just in time to see non other than aforementioned strawberry walk into the classroom. Sado Yasutora walked in right behind him and managed to see the girl blush so much she had steam coming out of her ears. "Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime chirped instantly upon spotting Ichigo and he nodded at her in reply as he went to his seat. At seeing this, Michiru as though came back to life and hurried to pick up the sewing back. She managed a glance at Rukia as the girl took her seat, but ignored her as she came up to the other teen. "Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" Ichigo blinked once before realizing who came up to him, as his features softened uncharictaristically, making Michiru's cheeks redden a bit. "Yo, Ogawa… what's that?" He blinked as he noticed the bag she was holding. "You… you left it behind at my place when you dashed home, so…" It seemed as though all eyes were now set on the two of them because of that sentence. One quick glare around from the orange haired teen, though, and they were left alone. "I was wondering where I left it. Sankyu, Ogawa." She nodded once, trying to ignore the looks Tatsuki was giving her as the girl made her way past them. "By the way, Ogawa…" "Ah, hai?" She caught herself daydreaming again as she blinked at him. He half raised an eyebrow, but otherwise his expression remained relatively soft. "…how's your mom doing?" Tatsuki came to a stop at that and gave Michiru one long, meaningful, rather dreadful look before sitting down in her seat. Attempting to ignore it, Michiru looked away. "She's… feeling a bit better. The rest over the weekend's done her good." She could only stare at the small smile that played on his lips. "That's good. I'm happy for ya." Feeling a 'moment' coming, Michiru attempted to gather her courage. "Um, ano, Kurosaki-kun, I…" "Ara, I'm so sorry!" Rukia declared as she quit violently bumped into Ichigo, sending her elbow into his ribs. He held himself in pain, glaring daggers at her. "You bitch… you sure are feeling better!" "Hardly! I'm quite unable to keep my balance very well yet! Please forgive me!" And while Ichigo wasn't fooled for a moment, Keigo was more than willing to carry Rukia around if he had to. Michiru was grateful when the teacher finally came in and asked everyone to settled down. While she was unable to look at anything but her notebook, Ryou's gaze was worriedly set on her back for the rest of the lesson.

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 6 - חלק א

"Well then, this ends this lesson. Just wanted to remind you punks we have a small school dance tonight, so think carefully about your dates for the evening! Well then, don't overstuff!" Ochi-sensei happily announced as the class was released for lunch. Keigo was planning so far into his asking Rukia out, Mizuiro had a hard time not comparing it to a marriage proposal. "Don't even think about it." Rukia mumbled at Ichigo as she stood up with her boxed lunch in hand. "Humph, like anyone'd want a pmsing 10-times their age Shinigami as their date." He half blushed at the topic, and she left in a rather frenzied rage. Michiru sighed at the small scene, oddly enough, feeling encouraged by it towards what she was going to do as she followed Ichigo out of the classroom. – "Aaaah, Kuchiki-san, I missed you!" Chizuru declared as she turned to jump on Rukia in a hug. Tatsuki's foot connecting with the side of her face proved to be a sufficient enough diversion. Rukia blinked as she sat down on the lawn next to the rest of the girls. "But still, to just disappear like that…" Chizuru pondered from her spot against the tree where Tatsuki had kicked her. "Mah, as long as Kuchiki-san's feeling better it's ok, na?" Orihime smiled as she extracted her meal, which was surprisingly enough a normal packed lunch. "Tatsuki-chan's mother made it for me!" She chirped happily in explanation. "Ah… sou…" Rukia replied and was about to dig into her own meal when she caught sight of Ichigo not too far away from the group of girls. She opened her mouth to say something, but before even she herself knew what she was about to say, her lips tightened into a fine line as she spotted Michiru next to him. "Eeeh, Michiru's actually going for it!" Mahana said with an air of amazement and awe, as more and more the blush on Michiru's cheeks was visible even from afar. The conversation topic seemed to be something either personal or embarrassing as neither would look the other in the eye. Eventually silence fell as it seemed the girl was expecting a reaction from the boy. After a moment he sighed, and with a hand scratching the back of his neck gave her, apparently, the answer she must've wanted, because the girl practically beamed at him before waving and dashing off towards her friends. She slowed down, though, once she noticed Rukia watching her. Upon noticing this, Rukia turned away to deal with her juice box, finding strange comfort in knowing how to operate the straw. "Eh, so so, were you invited to the party tonight yet?" Mahana asked as Michiru sat down, avoiding everyone's glances. "Humph! The only one I need by my side at any time is my Hime-chan!" Chizuru declared as she jumped at Orihime again only to again be stopped by Tatsuki. "I've been asked a few times…" Orihime began, gaining everyone's interest. "…but they were all too weird for me!" A statement which most around her doubted, but let slide.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 6 חלק ב

"How about you, Kuchiki-san?" Chizuru tried again, putting on her best innocent smile. "Who needs boys anyway, huh?! We'll show them all who's boss when we'll come together and that basta – I mean, Kurosaki'll come alone..." "He won't be alone." Came Michiru's voice, stopping anything from coming out of Rukia's mouth. "Eh? How do you know that, Michiru-chan?" Orihime asked innocently, blinking even more at the shadow that crept over Michiru's eyes. "I asked him." Came the blunt reply. "Eh? Then, who is he going with?" Came the next innocent question. Michiru's expression became more and more a frustrated frown. "No, I meant…" "That you asked him out yourself." Tatsuki finished, looking intently at Michiru. "Ah, sou! So then he said he was already going out with someone else?" Orihime tried again, but before Michiru could reply, Tatsuki did, her tone of voice and the look in her eyes sending a shiver down Michiru's back. "He… probably agreed to go out with you… didn't he?" "He did." Came the simple yet somewhat victorious reply. No one noticed Rukia choking on her drink as the only sound heard between the half glared Michiru and Tatsuki were aiming at each other were Orihime's deep 'hmm's as she seemed deep in thought – "I can't see it after all." "Huh?" came the unanimous reply to which Rukia joined, once she was able to breathe again. "If it were Kurosaki-kun and I, I probably wouldn't be able to stop laughing at his funny face, and he'd look at me in that serious way of his, and I'll end up laughing harder. If it were Kuchiki-san I can see her standing on his shoulders with Kan'Onji-san's pose while he's yelling at her to get off of him." "Wait just a –" Rukia tried, but Orihime was unstoppable by then. "And if it were even Tatsuki-chan, say, they'd definitely look for gangs underneath bridges and beat them up, sort of like a pair of masked super-heroes!" "I'm definitely getting the cooler mask." Tatsuki declared, not taking her eyes off of Michiru as she was used to Orihime's nonsense. Said redheaded girl then crossed her arms and frowned thoughtfully. "But then, if it were Michiru-chan…" "If it were me?" The girl demanded, looking at Orihime intently. Orihime shook her head sadly. "I can't see a single image." "And what's that supposed to mean?!" "Ara?" The dark tone Michiru used made everyone look at her. Tatsuki was half glaring, while Chizuru was halfway to panic as she kept looking from her to Orihime and back. "So what you're basically saying is… I can't do it? I'm not good enough for Kurosaki-kun?!" "Michiru-chan, I…" "Why?!" Michiru screamed as she looked at Orihime, tears in her eyes. "Because I'm not some princess-wannabe?!" Rukia's eyes widened lightly at the look that was sent in her direction but chose to look away, biting her lip. "Because my breast aren't bigger than my head each?!" Orihime blinked cluelessly; Tatsuki's hands clenched into fists. "Listen, you-" She began but that only served to bring Michiru's attention to her. "Oh I know, I'm not enough of a tomboy, am I, Tatsuki?!" Michiru asked, her eyes filling with tears. "Because I don't pick fights and my hair's short but not that much and it's straight, unlike a guy's… but then again you two 'aren't that way', are you, Tatsuki?!" "Won't you just shut up and listen?!" Tatsuki tried again, but Michiru covered her ears and shook her head. "I won't! Why… aren't I good enough?! Am I too normal?! Why… why are you three the only ones who can get close to him?!" She finished as she turned and ran away from the group. Chizuru tried to follow only to have Tatsuki grab her wrist. "Let her be. If she's that set on being an ass there's nothing we can say she'll listen to." For the first time perhaps since they met, Chizuru nodded, agreeing with the one who normally was her sworn enemy. "Tatsuki-chan…" Orihime began gently and her best friend turn to look at her questioningly. "Short haired's Tatsuki-chan. I'm Orihime so that's princess… but then… who's the third girl she was talking about?" Ryou was the only one still standing after that, and she calmly packed her things and left.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 7

The next time Rukia even agreed to look at Ichigo was on their way home from school. He had kept his distance after the day's events, and it only made it harder for her to find an opportunity to start a conversation. Eventually, when they were 5 minutes away from his home, Rukia came to a stop, her gaze fixed on her feet and her bag gripped tightly by both hands. "What is it?" Ichigo asked once he too came to a stop, several steps farther from her. "I've… been feeling much better since you gave me that medication. Thank you." His cheeks reddened a bit and he managed to blink about a dozen times before looking away, scratching his cheek, "Maaah, we live in a clinic so it's not like we don't have those things just lying around… and he may be an insane idiot but that damned Oyaji of mine only brings the best there is… we've got girls coming in with such complaints all the time, it'd be idiotic to let someone I know suffer over it." She smiled softly, but only for a second before biting her lip. "Ne, can I—can I ask you something?" "This isn't like you." He said as he turned to her. She stared at him. "Just ask it already." She took a deep breath before obliging. "Why… did you agree?" He blinked again. "Agree? What to?" She half glared at him. "Ogawa. Why did you agree to go with her?" He sighed. "Why's every single person… look, her mother's sick…" Her eyes widened in realization, but she let him continue his explanation. "… she's working herself off to help with the medical expenses, but when it comes down to it a classmate with whom I spent a relatively bearable evening asked me to spend another one with her. What's so wrong about accepting?" "Is that where you were that evening last week? With her?" She hardly tried to hide the offensive tone in her voice. He, on his side, didn't hold back as he glared at her, not seeing why he was being attacked. "And what if that's true? Suddenly getting on her case like that, almost sounds like you wanted me to ask your or something." She gave out a harsh laugh. His glare deepened with a wounded shade to it. "Don't be ridiculous, I was just afraid it had something to do with your job as my replacement. Besides, who'd in their right minds would want to go out with you?" "Ogawa, I guess." Came his bitter and stingy reply, making Rukia's eyes widen in shock and regret. He crossed his arms behind his head as he showed her his back. "But then again I don't know her that well. As far as I know she really is a nutcase, but since it's just for tonight I guess no real harm will come out of it. It does make me think, thought… what does it say about someone living in my closet?" He never looked back as he left her to her silence, not watching as she hugged her stomach with tightly shut eyes, blaming her fake body's condition for the emotions that were eating at her soul. She should have Urahara look at that… – "You and I… need to talk." Tatsuki declared as she met up with Michiru just as the other girl walked out of the school's gates, alone. "Don't you have club today, Tatsuki?" Michiru asked gently, the guilt about her behavior earlier that day making her dread the argument she knew was coming. "Don't you have your part time job today?" She received a shake of the head. "I have today off." "Then they'll excuse me for being late once." "What… do you want to talk to me about?" She asked hesitatingly as Tatsuki began walking towards the spot of lawn where they had lunch. "Do you really need to ask? Obviously, it's about…" She turned to look at her coldly over her shoulder. "…your precious Kurosaki-kun."​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 8 - חלק א

Michiru was settling against the tree trunk as she sat down. On its other side, Tatsuki leaned on it while standing, arms crossed. Silence passed for several moments and Michiru was ready to complain when Tatsuki finally spoke. "Something happened between the two of you, didn't? You and Ichigo." "Something… be a little more specific, Tatsuki." Michiru whined while pouting. "If I knew what happened I wouldn't have asked, now would I? But it had to be something big for the two of you to suddenly become so friendly like that." "It's not that unreasonable…" Michiru began, but Tatsuki went on, as though ignoring her. "I heard from Ryou… about your mother, about how that's what you got the job for. Let me tell you something – that's also why he's suddenly acknowledging your existence." "What… do you mean?" Michiru asked, now on her feet, her hands curled into fists. Tatsuki sighed as she closed her eyes, her voice dropping in tones to avoid breaking. "I don't have the right to tell you the story behind it, but that guy… Ichigo has one heck of a mother complex. It means that when he hears something about someone else's mother, he'll act all concerned and worried, just like he does towards you." "What are you saying?" Michiru asked in a shaky voice. "Are you saying that… I'm still invisible to him?" "Yep." Came the blunt reply, cutting through Michiru's heart like a hot knife through butter. "Like you said, up until now you were 'normal' compared to 'the rest of us', so he hardly paid you any attention. It's wrong and unfair to blame him alone, though. Up until now, you didn't actually walk up and talked to him either, did you? You didn't." Tatsuki concluded quickly, showing she wasn't really waiting a reply. "You haven't changed. He… hasn't changed." She said, though she knew that might not have been that true. She had a point to make, however, and Michiru was better off not knowing. "Therefore, the only reason he has to even look at you now… would be pity." She wasn't surprised when Michiru's hand came flying at her cheek. She was expecting it, actually. Truth be told, between her and herself – Tatsuki knew she deserved it, if only a bit. However, that hardly stopped her from slapping Michiru back so hard the girl let out a cry as she fell to the ground, holding her quickly reddening cheek. Tatsuki looked emotionlessly at her tear filled eyes. "Get a grip! Losing your senses over him like this… in a week or two tops you mom'll feel better and he'll lose any and all interest in you. That is, if you'll manage to draw it out that long. But sooner or later he'll lose interest, that's for sure. And when that happens, and it _will_ happen…" She emphasized upon seeing Michiru wanted to protest. "…you'll wake up and find that none of your friends are around anymore because you acted like a complete bitch and scared everyone off. Don't worry, though; I'll still be here to ask you if he was worth it." "Kurosaki-kun is…" Michiru tried, and while Tatsuki's cold eyes did frighten her, she had too much to say to keep quiet. "Kurosaki-kun isn't that sort of person! He wouldn't do something like that!" With a humph, Tatsuki put both her hands on her hips and stuck a smirk on her lips. "You sure claim to know him well… for someone who never even talked to him." "But… but Tatsuki makes him sound like a complete bastard!" Michiru accused, distressed. Tatsuki shook her head. "All I'm saying is that you're not the kind of person who can get close to him, not really. I guess what I'm trying to say is… you're not his type." "His type?!" The girl spat out in disbelief. Tatsuki merely looked away, a dark look settling over her eyes. "You… how many things did you lose in your life?"​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 8 - חלק ב

"Eh?" Michiru blinked, for a moment forgetting her offensiveness. "How many things that were important to you are now no longer here? How many people close to you just suddenly disappeared from your life, never to be heard from again?" "… old dolls… don't count… do they?" Michiru asked with hopeful confusion. Tatsuki gave her half a chuckle for her effort. "Nope." "None then." Tatsuki sighed and pulled at her hair in frustration. Michiru's eyes widened as she recalled a certain orange haired teen using the same gesture. "That guy… was one of the happiest people I knew. The Ichigo of that time is still ranked high on my list of annoyingly happy people. Hard to believe, I know, but one day all of that changed. One day he was smiling, and the next, well, I can't say he became the Ichigo we know today, but he was certainly getting there. Even I found it hard to believe it was the same person… no, maybe I just didn't want to believe it…" "So?" Michiru asked as hesitatingly as she did offensively, pulling Tatsuki away from memory lane as the tears began to form. She instead looked at Michiru with sad eyes. "My point is you can't understand how he feels, least of all someone who never lost anything like you." "Then… is Tatsuki Kurosaki-kun's type?" It was obvious by now that Michiru was completely lost, but Tatsuki still let out a harsh laugh. "Idiot, have you been listening to a word I said?! What've I lost, other than my patience towards you, that is?" She asked with narrowed eyes. Michiru pulled back a little. "Then… what…" With a sigh, Tatsuki continued. "Orihime… about three years ago… lost everything. She acts all jumpy and happy, but she's one of the loneliest people I know. Kuchiki-san, too. No wonder those two stick together like glue, or that Orihime likes that guy so much. People who've lost someone become emotionally handicapped." He fist tightened so much she felt the skin break under her fingernails, but went on. "That kind of people know when it happens to others. That's why Kuchiki-san is hardly seen away from Ichigo. That's why Orihime greets him cheerfully every morning and can describe his frowning face as 'funny'. And that's why he _lets_ Kuchiki-san stick so close. That's why he swallows a part of his pride and greets Orihime back. And that's why…" She looked straight into Michiru's eyes. "that's why you never really wanted to get close… and he kept you at at least an arm's length." "Then… what am I supposed to do… what am I supposed to do, Tatsuki?!" Michiru screamed as she hugged herself. Violent shivers rocked her body, and she was trying desperately to hold back the tears. She was failing quite miserably. "I can't tell you what to do or not do. Even if I did, I doubt you'd listen, anyway. So I'll just say that no matter what, no matter how, you need to get a grip as fast as you can, and the sooner the better, so that you won't get hurt too badly when he doesn't remember your name again." "You're making him… sound like a bastard again." Came the reply once the girl managed to calm down to hiccups and quiet sobs. "Ah, he is." Michiru's eyes widened as she stared at the other girl in shock. Tatsuki merely threw a handkerchief her way, her face and eyes sealed. "He's a bastard because he'd rather not get hurt again. He is keeping people away with his frown and when that fails – with his fists, because he'd rather not get too close, rather not hold anyone too fear. You don't care about anyone – they can't hurt you, and above all else – it hurts much, much less when they go and drop dead on you." The wind blew past them as silence fell, allowing for the voices calling out to Tatsuki from the school's gym to be heard. She walked past Michiru a total of three steps before stopping, making the other girl blink at her back. "Today I let it slip because you were upset, and because Orihime didn't catch on to you insulting her like you did, but do it again and I won't be so king. And one last thing." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You do, say, think, breath wrong, give me any indication that you've done anything to Ichigo, anything at all…" She turned back to Michiru with a look saved for those who wanted to pick on Orihime. Michiru took a step back, her back coming against the tree trunk. "…and I'm taking you down." "Almost sounds like… like Kurosaki-kun's Tatsuki's type." She tried in her defense. A bitter laughter left Tatsuki's lips before she could stop it, letting out all of her frustration at the situation. Once she calmed down enough, she smirked at Michiru in the most stuck up sort of way. "There're two kinds of people who'd possibly want someone that messed up. The first – people who don't know said messed up person, and the second are people with as many screws loose as him. It's not hard to guess where I fit in the equation. " She turned to leave with a shrug as she left Michiru behind. "I don't." But the other girl did, and she felt another rush of tears as she also knew exactly where.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 9 - חלק א

There was only one thing Keigo could possibly say to Ichigo as they met up that night on their way to school - "Ogawa-san?!" It was only due to the fact he had went and downright hired a tuxedo that Ichigo hadn't punched him already. "Why does every single person have to ask me that?!" "Well, it is a highly unlikely choice for you." Mizuiro stated with a smile as they made their way to school along with Chado and Rukia (they had to spend about 10 minutes to explain why Rukia was already at Ichigo's house when the rest of the group got there). "But still, this new look suits you so well, Kuchiki-san!" Keigo chirped as he swooned over the girl. She smiled with a giggle, making her replacement Shinigami humph. "Thank you, Asano-kun. I was worried about this style, so I'm happy you like it so much!" "Quite a change of style, stealing Karin's clothes instead of Yuzu's…" Ichigo uttered as he glanced at the jeans which purposefully reached mid leg and the almost classical black and white shirt with the yellow bear design his dark haired sister seemed so fond of. It seemed almost too much like his own get up for the evening, a tight pair of jeans and a black vest over a tight sleeveless red T. Rukia snoke him a nasty look but otherwise paid him no attention. "Then? Why Ogawa-san?" Mizuiro pressed again, geniunally curious. "True, a good question." Keigo agreed. "While cute in her girly way, it's obvious she lacks both Kuchiki-san's feminine charm and Inoue-san's…" He coughed and punched his chest lightly to get the message across; Ichigo punched him for real. Rukia remained clueless as she missed the notion. "Get over it, we're all going to just sit together, right? Officially coming with someone won't change a thing." "If you really mean that, I feel bad for Ogawa-san." Mizuiro commented snidely as they neared the school, and the girl in question was standing next to the gate in a plain purple dress. "Nice… but you could've done better." Mizuiro concluded as the girl noticed them and waved at Ichigo. He on his part threw his shorter friend a dirty look before excusing himself and approaching her. Rukia looked at him as he left, trying to judge the way in which his frown seemed to settle down and the shade of a smile rose to his lips as he talked to their classmate. Michiru, on her part, did all she could to keep from glomping him and appearing too happy. Rukia knew her watching the two was known. Michiru had looked at her almost as often as she did at them, and their eyes met almost each and every time. "Kuchiki-san?" She was startled when Keigo's voice finally reached her, and hurriedly turned to look at the boy. "What, what is it, Asano-kun?" He beamed at her as he extracted a rose from a hidden pocket in his coat. "Shall we go inside?" "Asano-kun, you…" "Yes?" He edged closer, hope shining in his eyes. "Are you feeling alright? You're acting kind of weird!" Rukia stated in her usual cheeky voice, making the flower wilt and the boy turn to cry on Mizuiro's shoulder. "REJECTION!" he wailed rather pathetically while Mizuiro patted his shoulder, yet the woman whom made him cry paid the poor boy no attention as she looked at Ichigo and Michiru enter the crowded gym, talking silently.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 9 - חלק ב

"… so then Chado came and we both knocked their lights out." Ichigo concluded his story as he leant back in his chair, watching the majority of his grade embarrass themselves on the dance floor. Michiru was sitting next to him, watching as though mesmerized. "Eeeh, Kurosaki-kun is really strong, isn't he?" She chirped in amazement. He shrugged it off. "It's only natural, when having this kind of hair color. It's either that or being beaten up on a daily basis." He said casually. "Eh, then Kurosaki-kun's still harassed by people like that so often?" Her worry tinted voice caught him by surprise. "Hardly. Most of the idiot who have bones to pick with me already know better than to mess with me, and the rest know better than to rest with Chado. Anyone who knows either of us also knows messing with one is the same as messing with the other, so we're mostly left alone now." "Heee… I always knew Kurosaki-kun got into trouble, but not like this." He let the comment slide. "How about you?" "Eh?" Michiru blinked, a slight blush rising to her cheeks as for the first time that evening, he looked at her, expecting a reply. So far it was small talk, and mostly her asking about him. While he hadn't dwelled to much into details, he also answered each and every question… and she, in return, ignored Tatsuki's comments… and pretended that mothers weren't an allowed conversation topic. "You have quite a bright hair color, too. Weren't you ever picked on?" She lowered her gaze, unable to look as he watched her. "A… bit, when I was younger, and had longer hair… but now I got used to it being so short it's the most comfortable… so people don't really have a reason to pick on me anymore." "Ah, annoying, why don't you just stand up to them?" She pouted as she turned to glare at him. "Tatsuki's an exception, girls don't usually get as strong as boys do." He chuckled. "Tatsuki's stronger than most boys." She lightly punched his arm. "All the more that not every girl can get that strong! It's ok, really, it's much more comfortable when it's this length…" She trailed off and he sighed, looking away guiltily. "I didn't mean anything, just… that I really think… longer hair would suit you… a ponytail or something…" She turned to look at him with a blush, completely unprepared for his next statement – "I just think… you have a really pretty hair color." That Guy… has one heck of a mother complex. Tatsuki's voice rang accusingly in her ears, and the question left her lips faster than she even realized she wanted to ask it – "Like your mother's?" He turned to look at her with shock in his eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands and seemed terrified. "I… I didn't…" "Do you… want something to drink?" He asked suddenly as he stood up, eyes hidden behind his longer bangs. "Kurosaki-kun…" She whispered, looking at him with tears welling in her eyes. "Um. I'd… like a drink… very much." Nodding once, he shoved his hands into his pockets, but he managed only one step before stopping again. Curious, she looked at the table where the drinks were sat and found Rukia standing there, alone. Before she could say a word, however, Ichigo walked on, once again oblivious to the girl's existence. "Kurosaki… kun…" "Is this…" She turned around, startled at the sound of the voice. "…really ok?" Chizuru asked as she stood next to her, Ryou not far behind her. "Chizuru… Ryou… what –" "We're asking – " Chizuru stopped her rather loudly. "- if it's ok for you to be just a comfortable pass-time." She looked at Michiru sternly through her glasses, and the short haired girl only looked away, the first signs of frustration on her face as Ichigo began talking to Rukia.​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 10

"You look like crap." "Is that how you usually try to hit on girls? Insulting them?" Rukia asked with a cynical smile as she kept her gaze locked on the dance floor. "Only those who insist of being worthy of such treatment." Ichigo replied coolly. "You're pale. I could see you shivering from across the room. Are you really feeling better?" "Shut up. I came because you're helpless otherwise if anything happened as we couldn't bring Kon along." "If anything you'd be a hindrance, if you feel even half as bad as you look." She came to comment, but just then her Order Receiver sprang to life, sounding off the well known annoying beeping Ichigo came to hate so much in such a short time. "Hollow?" Pretending not to have heard him, she drew out the pink Chappy decorated device and frowned a bit. "It's close… probably attracted to the amount of people here." "Ok, so let's hurry and –" "You stay here." "Eh?!" She sighed as she pocketed the cell phone again, turning to glare at him. "Kon isn't here. If you disappear now, least of all with me, your girlfriend-" She threw him a dark look. He glared back. "-will get quiet a thing to be suspicious about." "Che… blow it all way out of proportions, why don't you!" "I'll handle it myself. You wait here." "Didn't you just say you came here to make sure I wasn't useless?! Hoi!" He grabbed her arm tightly, forcing her to look at him. "Your powers haven't returned yet, have they? And your body being in – in the state that it is…" It took every fiber of his being to just blush lightly and stutter as much as he did. "Can you really fight like that?!" She released her hand from his grip and turned her back to him. "I'll fight. You stay put. That's all." Tired of arguing, Ichigo sighed in defeat as she walked on, trying her best to lose Keigo as he kept stalking her. Not much he could do anyway, he tried to reason. His only way out of his body was Rukia, and she certainly seemed intent on not letting him do that. Spotting said "girlfriend" still waiting, he turned to the drinks piled on the table, trying to find something which was yet to be spanked. – "I don't… think I understand… Chizuru." Michiru began rather defensively in response to the redheaded girl's question. Ryou remained silent. "It's really nice, your timing… just as you two get closer, those two seem to be drifting apart." Chizuru said, motioning towards where Rukia and Ichigo were seemingly arguing over something. "Quite a bit of luck, I'd say. Whatever did you tell him to get it on like that?" "That again?" Michiru stated in frustration but Chizuru closed her eyes, as though ignoring her. "Hard to imagine your mother being sick had such an impact on him…" Michiru's eyes widened. "Mo… Ryou?" She turned to look at the long haired girl accusingly. "She didn't tell me anything." Chizuru announced loudly, forcing the messy-blonde girl to look at her. She took a deep breath before continuing. "She didn't have to. We followed you two when you ditched us after work last week." Shock and a feel of betrayal won over shame and guilt as she stared at the girls with flushed cheeks. "Followed? …" "Real nice atmosphere you had there, too… sitting on the swings like that… him ending up paying… quite a gentleman when he wants to be, isn't he? I lost count of how many times you blushed early on." "Tha- that's not true!" She tried, not really knowing what it was she was denying. "Really… remind me a lot of Hime and me, you two." "Eh?" Even Ryou turned to look at her at that one. Chizuru shrugged. "Unrequited love, I mean. No matter how hard I try, at the every least she's not interested in other people than a certain someone, if not 'not swinging that way' altogether. But you know, at least if it's Hime..." She turned to look lovingly at said girl who was across the hall, enjoying her drink while Tatsuki was keeping the men at bay. "If it's Hime… then we're both girls. At the very least I can be next to her, I can be her friend, I can get close to her, and I can see her adorable smiling face. Is it…" She turned to look at Michiru intently, half glaring in actuality. "… is it the same for you?" Before Michiru could even begin a reply she was bombarded with questions. "Hime loves wearing Asian flower print clothes. She likes comedies, cheese and butter. When she zones out, her mouth hangs a bit open. Her cup size is E." "Why do you know that?" Michiru asked, more than a bit disturbed. "Because I'm around my Hime as often as I can. I'm around her, and I talk to her, and spend time with her. What's Kurosaki's favorite color?" Chizuru demanded, looking straight at Michiru. The other short haired girl began stuttering. "I, that is…" "What's his favorite food? Actor? Clothes to wear? Names of sisters? I'll help you out, according to inside intel, he has two." Spicy foods, chocolate; Al Pachino; tight, tops and bottoms; Yuzu and Karin. But all Michiru could do was continue stuttering as she knew none of the answers. "You really are living in a fairy world, aren't you?" The redhead concluded, shaking her head heavily. Now close to tears, Michiru looked away, feeling a bit better once she saw Ichigo heading back – alone – with their drinks – two glasses. That feeling quickly vanished, however, when he came to a stop. The look in his eyes as he stared at her was tense, filled with fear and urgency. Before she even managed to utter a word, he shouted – "Look out!" She looked up on instinct just as the cracks that were suddenly there tore the roof apart and sent huge pieces of concrete coming down on anything and anyone who stood underneath. The girl didn't scream; she was so scared she could hardly blink. One thought, however, would later haunt her – "Save me… Kurosaki-kun!"​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 11 - חלק א

'Save me' was all I could think of when the roof broke apart and started falling down at us. It was sudden and yet instantly everyone stopped and just started screaming. 'Save me', I thought when the large piece of what was once the ceiling came closer and closer, as though in slow motion. I kept waiting for it, the movie entitled 'my life' to start showing in front of my eyes, ending just a millisecond before the impact so I could feel the pain properly, but it never showed. Under different circumstances… I probably would've been even more terrified than I was, but as it was, I hardly even acknowledged Kurosaki-kun's arm as it tightly went around my waist as he pulled all three of us – myself, Ryou on his other arm and Chizuru thrown over his back – out of the way just as the large pile of bricks connected with where we stood just a second ago. When the dust seemed to clear a bit he was still holding me close against him, and I knew me blushing was the most inappropriate thing to do, but I couldn't help myself. "Are you alright?" He asked, and for the first time ever, he sounded scared to me. I nodded hesitatingly, as did Ryou, while Chizuru did her best to get to her feet. She managed, but only after falling off Kurosaki-kun in the process. "What happened?" She asked out loud what all of us have been repeating like a broken record in our minds. Well, all of us, other than… "Kurosaki-kun?" I heard myself ask as though from miles away; I doubt he heard me. His brown eyes were set at some faraway distant spot next to where the roof fell. It was weird, but his non-responsiveness supported me, as though, as though there was something I could finally do for him! I was wrong, of course, but that doesn't mean I gave up on trying. "Kurosaki-kun!" I tried again, louder this time and held on to his shirt. He looked startled as he turned to me, but his features instantly softened. "Are you alright?" I managed to ask, but it seemed as though the question was irrelevant to him. He was mumbling something I couldn't hear and seemed to be looking for something… or someone, I reckoned, as we both noticed Kuchiki-san lying on top of the rubble… "Rukia…" Again with my inappropriateness, I could only stare at the first name usage, and as he began moving towards her as though without even thinking, my arms went on their own and grabbed his hand. He could've pulled me along with him, I knew it, he carried all three of us so easily just a moment ago… "Don't go…" I pleaded without realizing the meaning of my words. "Don't go, you'll get hurt… don't go!" He looked from me to her and back again and again, as though turn on who to go to… No. Who to protect. I half wished another part of the roof would come down, and he'd whisk me off somewhere in his arms, but I also knew that above that wish being selfish, it was also stupid. But I guess wishes don't come true, and they even have a nasty habit of backfiring. Something did come down, but it was hardly the roof. I could vaugly make out the silluette of something I knew was no human as it jumped down at Kuchiki-san, and the rest happened all too quickly. Kurosaki-kun who was standing next to me just a moment ago was now at Kuchiki-san's side. My hands went to my mouth as I felt an urge to vomit. A puddle of blood was forming at his feet as the creature… impaled him. Half its claw seemed to be sticking out of Kurosaki-kun's right shoulder, a direct line of attack towards Kuchiki-san. And just when I thought it was all over, they… The both of them. They both smiled. Laughed! "Could handle it, huh?" "Idiot." Kuchiki-san retorted as she nervously put on a weird patterened glove. "At least I didn't get a claw through my chest." "And why is that, really?" The look they sent each other after that was more than I could take, and as I fell backwards into Ryou's arms as I lost sight of the world around me, all I could think of was that the Kurosaki-kun who would hardly look at me threw his life away for a girl he met only a month ago. Maybe… Maybe only princesses really do get the prince…​

 

[Goggle Girl]

פרק 11 - חלק ב

That was close to a month ago, but that dream still occasionally bothers me. I don't recall too much of the dance night, only up to the point where Kurosaki-kun went to get us drinks. It must've been spanked because my mom said 'a nice orange haired boy brought me home'. The roof falling was reasoned with the rains lately breaking the structure, and no one seemed to mind too much about it. And he… hardly seemed to mind about me anymore. After that evening, I felt too embarrassed to approach him again, a great part of it due to the weird dream I had, and by the time I could find my voice around him again, my existence once again went unnoticed by him. The first few days I'd talk to him, and still get some sort of reaction, but less and less as time went by, and I knew he eventually forgot my name as he stopped calling me by it. We went back to being strangers, but I simply can't seem to forget that evening we spent together in the playground. I can't forget his non-frowning face, and his laughter, so much resembling a child's. I can't forget his kind words, nor the way they made me feel. So today, I… I'll make him once again remember my name. – "Ogawa?" He's surprised when I walk up to him during lunch, but tells his friends to go on ahead. He remains silent, waiting for me to speak. He really… has nothing to say to me. "Um, ano, that is…" I inwardly berate myself. Idiot, of all the times to lose your grip! "Ah, no, I, actually… please accept this!" I finally manage pathetically as I offer him the envelope with my part time job's salary and bow, unable to look at him any longer. I can almost hear him blink and only rise again when I feel he has taken the envelope. "What's this?" He asks curiously and is rather shocked once he sees what's inside. "What the-" "I, I'm paying back my debt." "For a cupcake?!" My eyes widen. I didn't expect him to remember at all… "Those things weren't made of gold, were they?!" I wince under his harsh tone and can only assume he noticed, because after a sigh he sounds much calmer. "I can't take your money. You worked hard for it. That was my treat, back then." He concludes rather calmly and I nod once, unable to argue. He… remembered… "Are you still working there?" I'm caught by surprise by the question and shake my head, hoping he won't see my blush at the sudden attention. "No, I… my mother's all better now, so…" He all but shoves my money back into my hands. If the amount in there changed at all, it was because he slipped a few more bills in there when I wasn't looking. I'll have to recount and give it back later… "But her something nice." My eyes widen as I turn to look at him. His face, though frowning, is set with calm confidence and determination. I look away. "Is it, also… Kurosaki-kun's treat?" "Depends. If it'll cost more than that cupcake, then I guess so." I catch myself giggling, but not before I notice the half smile on his face. This is it, I know. My last, and probably only chance to say… what I want… what I have to say… "I'm sorry… I dragged you along to the party." He's surprised, and I'd like to think there was just a tad of hurt in his eyes. He shrugged it off instantly, though. "Don't be. It was nice, and even if it wasn't, I could've refused. You didn't drag me." He will never know how much comfort those words gave me. "Um… I'd like to thank you for… for taking me home then…" "No big deal." Again, he shrugs, not allowing me to be in his debt in the least. "And also… for the afternoon before that." I look away shyly and from my height all I can see is his chest tightening as though he's holding his breath. A moment later though he calms down and chuckles, making me look up in surprise. "That was… a nice afternoon…" I guess we both remembered how said afternoon ended, because we both blushed and looked away. Knowing I could never get such a chance again in maybe my entire life, I forced myself to look back straight up at him, swallowing the lump that formed in my throat. "Ano…" "Hm?" He's still red, but looks at me nonetheless. "If… if you don't mind, I…" Here goes nothing. "That is, we…" "Ichigo!" And there went everything. He looks away without a thought at the girl who was stuck to him like glue, again forgetting about me. I feel the tears sting my eyes and all I want to do is run away from here, when he turns back to look at me, a slight air of impatience and urgency to him. "Sorry, Ogawa, I…" I shake my head quickly. "No, it's nothing, go…" I blink as he places one finger to my forehead, poking me repeatedly. "If it was nothing, you wouldn't have tried to say it. Now stop playing around, I don't have time for this." This really isn't the way I wanted to tell him. This isn't the way I wanted to feel, with Kuchiki-san looking over his shoulder at me. I wanted… something different. I guess I… wanted too much. "No, it really is nothing." I say while smiling, waving a hand in front of me. He looks extremely skeptical, as he should be, but I leave no room for arguments as I turn and walk away from him. One. Two. Three steps. Four. Five. Si- "Ogawa!" My heart stops before my feet do and I turn to look at him, unable to stop my face from flushing. It looks like he's hesitating, as a long moment passes before he finally looks at me, and I can't help but gasp as the frown lessens and he smiles. "Let's meet up for cupcakes again sometimes, and tell me all about it then, ok?" I didn't just hear it. "Eh?" I didn't. He chuckles nervously, apologetically even as he turns to leave. Did I? "My treat!" I hear myself yell after him and the turns to me again, slightly surprised and confused. I don't stutter; my heart's beating so fast I think it's going to burst. I can't stop; I'm pretty sure I at least half want to. "Next time, next time…" Next time… "Next time it'll be my treat! And I'll buy the best cupcakes they have!" I can only stare at his feet after that. Breathing heavily, I hold onto my backpack as though for dear life. Go away. You'll go away, won't you? I can't help but thinking, go away any minute now, leave me alone again… "Ah." I stare right at him at the response itself, not yet even acknowledging that the answer he gave me… "Eh?" He cracks half a grin at me. "Only if they're chocolate, though." The answer he gave me was a 'yes'. That, I most definitely… did hear.​