Chapter 4A:Valentine's Day special is up ! Finally ^^... enjoy

Sorry for the late update. :)


Rukia was going crazy with all of her noble suitors. To make things worse the Kuchiki clan elders had invited them to have lunch in the Kuchiki manor. She knew that all of her suitors didn't care whether or not they knew anything about her. Instead they would just keep bragging about their noble lives, which was rather boring in her opinion.

Rukia scoffed at the thought of last night's incident with Hiroshi. The Hiroshi clan's so called 'perfect heir' had made a scene in front of the whole of the Gotei 13. He was a foolish noble, full of arrogance, and acted without thinking first. His status as one of the nobles didn't do any good in the Gotei 13, which was fair to every shinigami. If a shinigami had the skill and the potential, they would b ranked and respected by everyone – and if you didn't, being a noble wouldn't help you rise in ranking at all. Rukia was very pleased that she had wounded Hiroshi.

'Serves him right for attacking me without any warning. Who does he think he is? He kept calling me his future wife! I am really quite sure that I wouldn't choose Hiroshi as my future husband. Such husband would be disgraceful to the Kuchiki clan and the disgusting opposite of my taste in men. Thank god, Nii-sama rejected Hiroshi's invitation for lunch at the Kuchiki manor. Even if Hiroshi was invited for lunch, I doubt his wounds would let him come.I don't ever want to see him again.'

"Rukia-sama?" A voice and a knock on her room door, snapped her out of her thoughts.

Rukia sighed. "Come in."

Reiko, the head of the Kuchiki manor servants bowed towards Rukia "Konbanwa Rukia-sama, my name is Reiko and I will be helping you to dress up for lunch this afternoon"

"Its alright Reiko-san, I can handle it myself." said Rukia.

"Rukia-sama, this is an order from Byakuya-sama himself."Reiko said in a soft voice.

Rukia didn't like to be played as a doll, she hated it when servants kept painting her face full of make up. She sighed in defeat. "Alright, but just call me Rukia, you don't have to be so formal."

Reiko smiled at Rukia "Hai, Rukia-san. Cheer up! I won't put a lot of make up on you and I will dress you as you please. Byakuya-sama knows that you don't like dressing up much and would rather not have any make up on your face. That is why he personally requested for me to help you. Unlike the other servants I don't treat people like dolls. He also knew that you don't like servants helping you up... but he insisted anyway.

There was another knock on the the room door that sounded familiar. "Nii-sama!" Rukia said in a surprised tone.

Byakuya came in to her room and in his hand; he held a small box with a ribbon tied around it. "Rukia" he indicated that the silver box was a present for her. "Wear this for the lunch later," he said and then shunpo-ed out of her room. Too stunned to reply to her brother, Rukia stared at the present.

Sode no shirayuki said in a teasing tone My, my Rukia, Earth to Rukia ! What are you staring at? Open it! Or you are too busy thinking about how handsome he is to open the gift he gave you?

Rukia blushed at what Sode no Shirayuki said. I am not thinking about Nii-sama! and mind your own business!

I wonder what is inside the box, Rukia thought.

Rukia opened the present to find a pair of small snowflake earrings. She smiled. "Such beautiful earrings," Rukia murmured.

Reiko chuckled to herself. Its good to see Byakuya-sama and Rukia-sama getting along. It's about time!

Hmm, I do think Rukia-sama is the most suitable, her appearance is the same as Hisana-sama, but Rukia has a different personality, more fiery and outgoing.. Its time for Byakuya-sama to feel love again.

Rukia wore a pink kimono with her new gift of snowflake earrings to the lunch. When he saw her, Byakuya couldn't help but feel pleased that she wore them.

Both of them walk in to a private room to meet up with the elders for a brief meeting.

"Byakuya-sama, Rukia-sama," they all bowed.

"Before we greet our guests in the parlor, I would like to give some advice to both of you," Jun-sama began. "The elders have agreed that if Byakuya-sama and Rukia-sama eliminate some of the suitors, it will make things easier for both of you to choose. I think it is best that you both eliminate four of your suitors, and the remaining three will be one of your future course. Byakuya-sama and Rukia-sama, both of your names will be in the final suitors list. This means both of you have to choose two suitors today that you will go on 'dates' with hereafter. We also encourage Byakuya-sama and Rukia-sama to go on dates with each other, even though both of you have known each other for quite some time. Any comments or objections?"

"No," both of them replied.

"Another piece of advice - all the nobles will bow to you when they see you and they will not move until you give them a signal to rise. If anyone of them moves in the slightest bit, you may wish to eliminate them. It is up to you, whether you want to use this method to eliminate them. After the lunch, both of you will decide which two suitors that you would like to consider and please send the other four suitors home. We will have a tea ceremony with the finalist." Hiroko-sama said.

All of them proceed to the living room to greet their guests. Just like Hiroko said, all of their suitors bowed towards them. Rukia was surprised to find all of the noble ladies dressed with their best kimonos and jewelry.

No wonder Nii-sama requested Reiko to help me dress up. Rukia was really glad Reiko help her in choosing an appropriate kimono which was elegant and up to the Kuchiki standards for this lunch. She wore a pink kimono embroidered with sakura petals and tiny little snowflakes. The formal kimono was far too difficult for Rukia to put on herself and she had needed help putting on her obi. Reiko had tied Rukia's hair up and left some strands of hair falling loosely at the side of her face and left her bangs. Reiko had decorated her hair with some purple snowflake ornaments that dangled, and happened to match her eyes very well. Rukia felt grateful for what Reiko had done. Ofcourse all the noble ladies are trying their best to impress Nii-sama, all of them are hoping to be the next 'Lady Kuchiki.'

Despite thinking this, Rukia knew her nii-sama wouldn't even take notice of their clothes or how beautiful they were. He would judge them from the inside, not the outside.

Ugh! Why am I thinking about how Nii-sama will judge all those girls?

Sode No Shirayuki: Perhaps you are jealous of how beautiful and demure they are. Of course, Knowing Byakuya-sama I don't think he will notice any of them. You know, no offense but some of the noble ladies have a very bad attitude, completely arrogant just because they're nobles. Byakuya -sama certainly wouldn't tolerate any of them, so don't worry Rukia, no one will steal his heart away. Rukia listened to Sode No Shirayuki chuckle.

The lunch went on like any other with small talk and polite gestures, and the air thick with tension. They all knew that the Kuchiki's would judge them for every little thing.

Rukia easily noticed the falseness of the noble ladies, but just ignored them. They were all acting friendly towards one another, even though deep down they knew they were rivals. They all had only one goal in being here: to capture the attention of the head of the Kuchiki and become the next Lady Kuchiki. Who wouldn't want that? Being Lady Kuchiki meant wealth, status, power, and more privilege than any other in Soul Society.

Rukia looked around the table letting her eyes settle on each of the noble women one by one, taking them in. her beautiful violet eyes analyzing each lady in detail. If her memory did not fail her she would still remember who they were after being introduced by the elders last night.

The first her eyes set on was Lady Eiko Aya. She had long brown hair that was braided and wrapped into a loose bun. She wore a simple red kimono and very little jewelry. Rukia's knowledge of the noble families included the fact that the Aya clan was doing very well in their business. Lady Eiko wears little jewelry – it looks like she doesn't like to brag about her wealth. She speaks softly and genuinely... she is the only one that doesn't annoy me. She turned her attention to the woman sitting beside Lady Eiko, Lady Ayako Cho. She had the perfect shape, any girl would kill to have it. She was tall with long black hair with soft curls flowing down her face and beautiful eyes. She looked like a model from one of the fashion magazines Rukia had seen in the real world. I have to admit, she is the most beautiful lady here. Maybe I would like to get to know her more if she would stop bragging about how many guys she has flirted with... Her attitude sucks. The next was Lady Kou Manami. While Lady Kou was the cousin of Lady Eiko, they were total opposites. Lady Kou wore heavy make up and a lot of jewelry showing off her wealth. She had short dyed pink hair. Even though she shows off her wealth, I've got to give this Lady Kou some credit for her bravery to dye her hair pink! Rukia chuckled. Rukia's eyes rested on the woman sitting beside Byakuya, Lady Minori. Minori wore a pure white kimono with matching pearl earrings. She seemed like a soft spoken woman, but it shocked Rukia to find that she spoke quite a lot. She talked non-stop and kept bothering Byakuya with her questions. Rukia could sense his annoyance at her behavior. Sitting next to Lady Minori was Lady Kamiko Kin. Kamiko was beautiful in her own way and as short as Rukia. She had long blonde hair that she tied into a bun. Rukia found that she had no complaints about her. Finally, there was Lady Hitomi Kame, who wore too much make-up and so many ornaments that she looked like a Christmas tree! Rukia bit her tongue to keep herself from laughing at the sight of Lady Hitomi.

Byakuya was bored, annoyed, and very turned off by the falseness and sweetness of the noble women around him. He wanted to leave the lunch, but as a Kuchiki he had been trained to tolerate such behavior and be patient. He turned his attention to Rukia's suitors. Deep down in his heart, he knew that no man would ever be good enough for Rukia.

He first studied the man sitting opposite him: Tomoko Ueki. He had good looks, but his incessant bragging about his handsomeness was extremely annoying. Next to Tomoko was Yuriko Kin. Yuriko was the only one almost up to Byakuya's standards. He was polite and respectful, but far too thin and looked as if he hadn't eaten in days. The man sitting next to Rukia was Natsuko Sango. He looked old and had a mustache – Byakuya thought he looked more like a pervert than a gentleman. Next there was Ume Yasu, who Byakuya didn't even consider a man. He kept whining about every little thing. The last suitor was Maduko Haruko. He seemed all right, Byakuya surprisingly had no criticism for him.

The elders kept making small talk with all of the suitors so that Rukia and Byakuya could listen and get to know them better, but their effort was fruitless as both Byakuya and Rukia weren't even paying attention in the slightest. They had stopped bothering to listen after hearing their suitors competing with each other and trying to impress them.

When it was over, the elders asked each for their two final suitors. Byakuya reluctantly invited Eiko Aya and Ayako Cho. Rukia hastily invited Tomoko Ueki and Yuriko Kin.

"Congratulations to Lady Eiko, Lady Ayako, Lord Tomoko and Lord Yuriko. You four are the finalists."said the Kuchiki elders.

Tea was served and Byakuya and Rukia together with their choosen suitors and the Kuchiki elders discussed where they would go for their dates.

"Now as we enjoy our tea in this lovely late afternoon,we will need to make an important decission. A place appropriate for all of you to go together with Byakuya-sama and Rukia-sama for a date."said Jun-sama.

"Any suggestions from the ladies and lords?" Hiroko-sama asked.

"Well I do not have any suggestions, but make sure it is safe and clean. I wouldn't want to go to a place which will make you sweat or will ruin my expensive clothing"said Tomoko.

"I want to go somewhere romantic, beautiful and make sure the spotlight is on me" said Lady Ayako.

"I don't mind going anywhere" said Eiko and Yuriko.

The conversation went on and on until late evening, and the elders noticed Byakuya and Rukia becoming restless and their minds wandering somewhere else.

"To please everyone and make the date perfect we suggest that Byakuya-sama and Rukia-sama take them to the real world. Both of you have been there before and I believe the real world will satisfy all of your suitors' needs and requests. In addition, it will be fun to date in the real world as your suitors have not been to the real world before." Jun-sama smiled.

Byakuya and Rukia wanted to end this discussion fast.

"If our permission to the real world is granted by Sou-taichou, Rukia and I will not object" Byakuya said in a monotone voice. He glanced over at Rukia to make sure it was okay - Rukia nodded her head in approval.

All of the suitors were so excited to have their dates in the real world and all were satisfied, finally allowing the tea ceremony to end. Rukia and Byakuya eagerly sent home their guests and elders while still remaining polite.

Relieved that everything had ended for the day, all she wanted to do was to sleep on her warm and comfy futon. She hurriedly excused herself, "Nii-sama, I am going back to my room to rest. Have a good night." Rukia bowed, but before she could shunpo away Byakuya called after her.

"Rukia, wait. Before you sleep make sure you open your gifts on the table," said Byakuya with a slight smile. He walked over and kissed Rukia on the forehead. "Sleep and rest well. Today was a tiring day for both of us," he murmured. Byakuya turned to the direction on the hall that led to his room and shunpoed away, leaving Rukia speechless and confused.

Rukia touched her forehead lightly with her fingertips and her eyes widened in shock. Did nii-sama just kiss my forehead?" Rukia could feel her heart beat fast and loud, thumping in her chest. His kiss was so soft and gentle. She blushed at the thought of it. Wait, gifts? Why would there be gifts in my room?

"Tsk tsk, Rukia-chan." Sode No shirayuki said. I think you are forgetting something.

"What did I forget?"asked Rukia.

Ne- I am not going to tell you, if I tell you I will spoil all the surprises. Wouldn't it be better if you found it out by yourself? Sode No Shirayuki teased.

Rukia shunpoed to her room when she walked in there indeed was a bouquet of roses, a box of chocolate and a heart shape box on the table. She opened the heart shape box and inside found a heart charm bracelet. As she looked at it, she noticed an engraving: I will always be there.

Looking down on the table, Rukia noticed a note next to her gifts.

Happy Valentines Day, Rukia. No matter what, in the future, if you choose to be my sister as always or choose to be my wife, remember you will always have a place in my heart. Treat these gifts as gifts of love from me as your brother or your future husband or whatever you wish. I want you to be happy and that's enough for me.

-Kuchiki Byakuya.

She had been so absorbed in thinking about those suitors that she had forgotten that it was Valentine's Day. Rukia was so touched that tears started to trickle down her face. Her nii-sama would always be there for her, whatever path she chooses, he would support her as long as she is happy.

Suddenly Rukia felt herself becoming confused, Do I love nii-sama as my brother or am I starting to like him as a man, the man that every woman is dreaming of?


Sorry for the late update ^^..This chapter is a special chapter for Valentines day...Sorry for the late Valentines Present..lol.

I hope all of you enjoy reading this Chapter...and the Part B will be coming soon. All of them will be will be going to the real world for their dates. So stay tune~

The updates are a little late because my BetaReader's computer got spoilt(the computer is good now ^^).:) Thanks alot to MangoBeta for helping me and being my BetaReader. I appreciate it. Best BetaReader i ever had :p. :)

Thanks again for all the alerts,reviews and your patience.

Please Remember to Read and Review. Your reviews are important and awesome. The more reviews, the faster i will update and it will inspire me to write more. Lets see..how about 35++ reviews and above i will start writing for part B. ^^.

Cheers~ Jaz.