(教師)
There she is, standing, all by herself, in the rain.
The rain which always mockingly reminds him of what he has lost.
He hates the rain.
But she loves the rain.
She makes the rain bearable for him.
She makes it almost beautiful for him because...
She is beautiful.
But she is waiting for another.
Sheltered under her pale pink umbrella with the rain pitter-pattering lightly on the umbrella and the gentle healing hand that has snuck out playfully to feel the cold watery drops.
How he wishes he could run to her, surprises her as he takes the soft wet hand into his own rough dry hand, smiles warmly at her and still holding onto her small hand, they could be together under the umbrella and walk hand-in-hand... in the rain.
What was the use of being a savior?
Of conquering all your fears.
Of doing the impossible.
Of saving one world after another.
When in the end, he realized, everything he did, he did it...
All for her.
But she was waiting for...
Another.
She is waiting for him.
Someone who surely cannot allow himself to be loved by her.
It will be so wrong for him to allow himself to be loved by someone as innocent as her.
She deserves someone who will love her as much as her generous heart will undoubtedly wholeheartedly allow her to love.
Someone like...
"Kurosaki?"
Him.
(きょうし)
Kurosaki Ichigo turned his lingering gaze from the alluring figure under the pale pink umbrella to glare scornfully at the person she was waiting for.
"Esaki-sensei." Ichigo greeted almost through gritted teeth.
He scowled at the authoritative figure.
How he hated this unassuming bespectacled man who has come into their lives.
Into her...
Life.
"Did you forget to bring your umbrella with you to school today?" The soft-spoken teacher did not seem to have noticed how he was greeted or he chose to just ignore it as he reached inside his briefcase to take out his umbrella.
Ichigo wondered jealously if the teacher was going to offer him the use of his umbrella so that he could be under her umbrella, together with... her.
Ichigo did not even bother to answer the older man.
Once again, the teacher chose to ignore the contemptuous glare directed at him as he opened up his own umbrella and smiling knowingly at his surly student, "Well, make sure you find a way home by not getting yourself completely wet. I will see you in school tomorrow, so don't fall sick." He gave his surprised student a little single wave of goodbye with his hand as he walked off under his umbrella towards... her.
Ichigo clenched his cold hands into tightly wound up fists as he watched the teacher stopping at her side.
His hard brown eyes narrowed.
He shoved his fists into his pockets.
His heart started to echo what was accompanying the rain, it started to thunder right into his ears the minute he saw the older man placed his hand on her thin shoulder, the unknown sensation that was coursing through him was so strong, so painful, he felt so... devastated.
All, because of him and...
Her.
Ichigo saw him telling her something as she shook her head furiously.
He witnessed him laughing at her, patted her on the head and then he was walking off.
By himself.
Who was she waiting for?
If not him.
Could it be...
Him?
His heart which has slowly began to beat normally again was once again, pounding hard against his ribcage.
His heart was trying to escape.
To go to where its destiny was.
To its love.
To...
Her.
Should he call out to her?
He was still hesitating as to what he should do,
When,
She turned around gracefully to face him and he was startled when her soft brown eyes looked straight into his confused chocolate eyes.
Then Inoue Orihime started to walk, under her pale pink umbrella to right where he has been standing and has been gazing longingly at her ever since he spotted her waiting in the rain for someone.
Someone like...
"Kurosaki-kun?"
Him.
(教師)
A lone figure stood under his umbrella in the unforgiving rain, talking to someone on his mobile phone.
"Don't. Don't come just yet. I know it is her. I have known it was her the moment I saw her. Yes. She is beautiful. She is so beautiful. She's an angel. She is ours. She is our little angel. I will tell her when the time is right. Don't worry, she will love us. Obstacle? To prevent her from loving us? No. None at all. There is no one. No one to love her as much as we do. She will love us as how we have been and always been loving her. Waiting for the day when we will all be reunited again. Our precious lost soul. Our little autumn baby."
He ended the call.
He stared at his mobile phone.
He looked up into the skies.
It was on a day llike this.
A day burned into his whole being.
The day he lost her.
The day they lost her.
It has been a long search.
They have almost given up.
They did not know as to whether she still existed in this world.
But now and soon,
Inoue Orihime will cease to exist.
(きょうし)
教師 = Teacher
