The Rival's Heir |Byakuya Togami x OC (Reader Insert)

Chapter 8

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Thanks to what's been named the "Tokyo Conference Incident," Byakuya and I have grown somewhat closer. Don't get me wrong, I still think he's an arrogant ass whose self-conceitedness will be the death of him, but the stunt I pulled caused him to start acting the tiniest bit kinder towards me. I think it's the fact that he's trying to make up for what happened, and hopefully, it'll go back to normal soon. The weirdest part of it all is that he's still letting me call him Byakuya, and is even walking alongside me instead of his usual one step ahead of me. I genuinely thought it was just for show, as I was his plus one in public, but it's been a weekend since then, and he hasn't dropped the act.

Walking into class with the usual coffee in each hand, I am met with people crowding around both Byakuya and Enoshima.

"You were there, right?! What did he look like?!"

"Who was the girl who kicked his ass?!"

"Is she single?"

I silently push by the crowd, handing Byakuya his coffee. He takes a sip. It's not as hot as when I got it, so I'm expecting some snide comments. But instead, he says, "Ah... Thank you, Sora." Taking another sip.

What.

I can't help but stare at him for a second, no doubt the others staring, too.

"Did he just thank her?!"

"Togami can do that?!!"

"That's a new one."

I stammer out a response in return to him, "Y-yea, sure. Uh- no problem..?" I go back to my seat, only to be met with Enoshima.

"Wow, Sora! You're so kind to give Togami and me coffee after that whole scary situation. And a mocha, no less? How'd you know it was my favorite? Thank you sooo much!" She gives me an expecting look, drawing the attention back to me all over again. I don't want to look like an ass, especially not so early in the year, so I oblige. "Yeah, here you go, Enoshima. I hope you're doing ok.."

She takes the mocha cheerfully, and as she goes to take her first sip, full of excitement and joy, the cup drops from her fingers, spilling on the floor and staining my clothes. I can't help but be slightly upset with this. I usually buy the coffee with my own money, so to see such a chocolatey delicacy wasted on the floor makes me feel like I just tossed money down the drain. "Oh my god, Sora! I am soo sorry. I spilled my coffee by complete accident, I can't believe this!" Enoshima feigns an apologetic reaction and quickly runs out of the classroom. "Don't move a single step. I'll go get paper towels to clean up the mess! Be right back!"

I look around the room with embarrassment at the state of my uniform, being met with the crowd's pitying gaze. And Byakuya's look of complete annoyance.

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A few minutes went by, and Enoshima never came back. The floor around me is starting to become sticky, and the wetness of my clothes is starting to make it extremely cold. I was too embarrassed to even stand up, and I had hope that Enoshima was going to show up eventually, so I just sat there looking at the floor.

"It doesn't take this long to get paper towels from the bathroom. Where is she?!" I hear Kuwata shout out from his seat, looking at me. "Maybe... maybe she's lost? I know I was kind of lost when I started..." Fujisaki responds, looking down at the ground. I am more than a little upset by this point. I'm so angry, upset, and embarrassed, and I feel like an idiot, but I can't get up.

I hear some shuffling, and I look up, thinking that it was Enoshima finally coming through for me. Instead, it was Byakuya. "Come on. You look like a kicked puppy, I can't stand seeing such a pitiful sight." He wraps his spare jacket over me and walks me over to Makoto and Ikusaba. "You two. Go take her to the nurse to get a spare uniform. Stop by the closet to get some cleaning supplies as well." He pushes the three of us outside the door and closes it.

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"So, what was that about? I've never seen Togami do something so... nice." Makoto questions, lifting the mood. Ikusaba nods in agreement to her statement, walking a bit farther away from us. "I've never seen Togami react to any of us at all, for that matter. I wonder what made him change his mind..." she adds.

"Well, maybe it was the Tokyo Conference Incident? There was a guy threatening people, according to the news..." I make sure to not out myself as being there, seeing as it would betray my reputation, "besides, I did get him and Enoshima coffees..."

"Don't you always get Togami a coffee? I don't see how it's any different now..."

"Ikusaba, I don't think we should be questioning Sora right now... plus, the nurse's office is right here." Makoto opens the door to me, letting me walk in first, "How about you stay here with Sora? I'll go get some cleaning supplies from the closet." Makoto walks off, leaving me with Ikusaba.

"Well? Go on and get changed. Free period is almost over." Ikusaba hands me a uniform from the nurse's closet and shoves me into a changing room.

"Ah.. uh, thank you, Ikusaba. You don't have to stay if you don't want to, though.. just let Mr. Kuma know I'll be a bit late."

"No, it's fine, I'm staying. I don't mind waiting for you. Plus, there was something I wanted to ask you.."

I finish unbuttoning my shirt when I respond, "Oh? What is it, Ikusaba?"

"That girl that Junko mentioned... would you happen to know of her at all?"

I stop what I'm doing. How would she be able to connect me to that night? She wasn't there. I calmly respond, "The girl mentioned on the news? She took down the perp at the Tokyo Conference Incident, right?"

"Yes... she walked up and kicked the man down. He didn't even try to shoot at her once."

"Wow," I lie, "she does sound a bit reckless... I don't really talk to people much outside of class and family."I continue back to putting on the new clothes.

"Oh... I understand that feeling, I don't communicate much either." Ikusaba pauses, "I only talk with my sister, and no one else.."

"Do you wish it was different?" I find myself asking while buttoning up my vest. "What?"

"Do you wish it was different? I grew up lonely, so I know how empty it feels." I walk out of the changing room, "so if you want, you can talk to me more, Ikusaba."

She smiles at me as we walk out together. "Mukuro, then. Thank you for this..."

"Mukuro it is."

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Mukuro and I walk back side by side into the classroom, being met with the class in their seats and Mr. Kuma just starting his lesson. I look over to Byakuya, giving him a slight smile of appreciation for his pushing me out. He nods slightly and we both focus back on the lesson at hand.

Enoshima came back halfway through the class, with no paper towels in hand. Luckily, Makoto already cleaned up the mess, so all of the mocha is gone for good. She sits back in her seat, looking slightly satisfied with herself.

Well, all well, it ends well, I guess.