A/N: I decided to take the advice of a reviewer and condense the chapters to make it a one-shot. Thanks, Beyond Flight! I had actually hoped to write more, but the writer's block got to me, though I know that's still no excuse. Nevertheless, I hope you like it!
And once again, please no harsh bashing in reviews if you are an IchixHime supporter.
*siiiigh* Why… I just don't understand it…
"Inoue? Is that you?"
"Ah! Kuchiki-san! I didn't know anyone else was around here! I-I…" Orihime trails off and slumps her shoulders.
"Inoue… are you okay?" Rukia looks with concern at her friend sitting on the steps in front of the school.
"Never been better! I'm fantastic! See?" Orihime begins fake-flexing her arms and then proceeds to giving herself light knocks on her skull.
"O-okay, Inoue! I believe you, I believe you!" Rukia grabbed a hold of Orihime's arm. "Just… stop hitting yourself, please," she laughed nervously.
"Kuchiki-san, you're such a good friend. Thank you," Orihime smiles.
"What are you still doing at the school anyway?"
"Oh, um… I was waiting for Tatsuki-chan to get out of practice. We usually walk home and… uh…"
"Oh, I see. Well, how much longer will she be? I'll wait here with you until she comes."
"No, no, it's fine! Her practice ends in another half hour but she usually stays behind to help the coaches and who knows how long that could take. I don't want to take up any of Kuchiki-san's time, so please don't stick around for my sake!"
"Okay… if you say so, Inoue. I'll be at Ichigo's if you need me."
"Got it! See you later, Kuchiki-san!" Orihime waves to Rukia until she is out of sight. Her arm slowly drops as Orihime's cheerful expression quickly becomes one of pain.
"Kurosaki-kun… why. Am I just not strong enough? It seems like everything I do is never enough. It's like you look right through me. Should I just tell you how I feel? Would you return those feelings? Or have you already fallen for someone else? I don't know what to do anymore…"
"Oi, Inoue."
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime gasps and quickly wipes away her forming tears. "Wh-What are you doing here?"
"You forgot your bag in your rush to leave earlier. I thought you would probably want it back." Ichigo gently tosses Orihime's bookbag to her.
"Oh, thank you, Kurosaki-kun. You're always so thoughtful," Orihime genuinely smiled.
"No problem. See you around! Gotta get home to make sure Rukia doesn't make my room into a mess again."
"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun. Thank you," Orihime whispers.
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"Inoue, you don't seem too happy lately. Is there anything you wanna talk about?"
"No, I'm fine, Kuchiki-san. Thank you for your concern, though." Orihime didn't even look at Rukia as she responded. She was so used to hiding her feelings and not letting anyone see her vulnerabilities. Maybe all of this suppression was actually making her weaker than stronger.
The two of them walked in step as they approached the Urahara Shop.
"Kuchiki-san, what are we doing here?" Orihime peered inside the store. "There's no one here."
"Really? That's odd. She told me she'd be here…" Rukia looked around and found no traces of anyone else. "Oi, Yoruichi-san! I know you're around here somewhere. Where are you?"
"Calm down, calm down, I'm right here." Yoruichi leaps off the roof and lands next to Rukia.
"Yoruichi… san…?" A puzzled expression takes over Orihime's face. "Why are you… Shouldn't you be in Soul Society?"
"Ah, things got boring over there. Nothing interesting is happening anymore, and frankly, I can only train Soifon for so long before I start getting tired of her... She can be such a pain…" Yoruichi scratches her head. "And I heard something more interesting was happening with you, Inoue," she smirks.
"I—What?! What are you talking about? I'm—"
"Perfectly fine," Rukia finished sarcastically.
"Exactly!"
Rukia sighs. "Inoue, you're not okay, and I think I know why."
"Y-you do?" Orihime stammers. "It's not—it's not what you think. I-I… I don't know what to do anymore… Kurosaki-kun just doesn't--"
"That's what I'm here for!" Yoruichi chimes in.
"Um… I don't mean to be rude, Yoruichi-san, but… how are you going to help?"
"Inoue, you can't spend your life moping around over boys. Sometimes you just have to say enough is enough, and move on with life. I'm here because I have experience. It's difficult for me to get a moment to myself lately in Soul Society. Everywhere I go, I see Soifon. I couldn't take it anymore, so I took a stand and just left."
"Um… I don't think that's the same situation as this, Yoruichi-san…" Rukia protested.
"Nonsense. It's close enough. What we need to do is build Orihime's character and get her to confess her love for Ichigo!"
"But I… Yoruichi-san, Kuchiki-san, I really appreciate what you're doing, but…" Orihime took a deep breath. "I don't think I want to be with Kurosaki-kun anymore. He just… it seems like I give and give, but he doesn't notice or doesn't care. It's not enough. I'm done with Kurosaki-kun. He's a good friend and always will be, but I don't think it'll ever become anything more."
"Oho! She's a fast learner! Well then, that makes things a lot easier. We can skip the consolations and get straight to the good stuff!"
Yoruichi and Rukia exchange grins.
"Inoue," Rukia begins. "How would you…"
"… like to go on a blind date?" Yoruichi finishes with delight.
"A what?!" Orihime stares in horror at her two friends like they've just told a cruel joke.
But it's definitely not a joke.
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"You know… I don't think this is such a good idea…"
"Oh, relax, Inoue. You'll be fine. And that dress that Ishida made for you is so cute!" Rukia gave a cheesy thumbs-up.
"It was nice of Ishida-kun to do this, but that's not quite what I—"
"Inoue! If you keep yapping, you're going to be late! Just trust us," Yoruichi assured.
"But…" Orihime sighed, "I guess. I trust you two. I know you wouldn't pair me up with some crazy guy…"
Yoruichi and Rukia are silent.
"… right? Yoruichi-san? Kuchiki-san?" Orihime began to panic. "I can't believe it! Who is it?! You know I'm not comfortable around strangers! I'm not doing this. Don't you know it's dangerous to go out with someone you don't know? I—"
"INOUE!" Yoruichi and Rukia both interrupt Orihime's rambling.
"Y-Yes?"
"Calm down. We're only kidding. Do you really think we're that cruel?" Yoruichi patted Orihime on the head. "You know the guy."
"Oh…"
"Yeah. And he's gentle and sweet," Rukia added, "Not as perverted as some guys we know around here."
"If Kuchiki-san and Yoruichi-san say so…" Orihime knelt down by her table.
"Inoue," Rukia knelt beside Orihime, "I know that this is difficult for you. I haven't been oblivious to your feelings for Ichigo. I know it's difficult when someone you care about is unable to return those feelings, but sometimes you just learn to be thankful that you're able to be close to them. We can't always—"
"Thank you, Kuchiki-san," Orihime smiled, "I'll be fine. So when are you going to tell me who this person is?"
"When he gets here, of course!" Yoruichi glanced at the clock. "He should be here in about five minutes. After all, it wouldn't be a blind date if we told you what's going to happen beforehand."
"I see." Orihime stared out the window. "Kuchiki-san is right," she thought, "Even if Kurosaki-kun and I can't be together, it doesn't mean that I can't be happy. Who knows. Anything is possible right? That's right, Orihime. Just be yourself, and you may find what you're looking for tonight. Yeah! No sweat. This'll be a piece of—"
A knock on Orihime's door made her jump. "What, already? I thought you said he wouldn't be here for another hour!"
"Inoue, I said five minutes. Are you sure you're okay?" Yoruichi stared at Orihime with concern.
"Erm, I'll get the door… Inoue, just relax." Rukia got up and went to the door.
"It's happening. It's really happening. I still can't believe I agreed to this. Okay. Breathe, Orihime. You can do this. You said you wanted to take more risks. This will help you open up and maybe even become stronger. Yeah, this won't be so bad. Just keep smiling and being yourself."
"You ready, Orihime?"
"Ready, Kuchiki-san!"
Rukia poked her head into the room and made eye contact with Yoruichi. They both looked at Orihime one last time, smiled at each other, and nodded. Rukia disappeared for a second and returned with someone following behind her.
"Oh, it's you!" Orihime gasped.
"Good evening, Inoue-san," Hanatarou stepped into the room timidly. "Rukia-san and Yoruichi-san asked for a favor, so I hope you don't mind…"
"Oh, no, not at all!" Orihime's voice was unusually loud. It was obvious that she was nervous. "Really? Hanatarou-san? This is who they brought me? I'm not one to complain but… I wasn't exactly that close with him in Soul Society. He was around… Ichigo… more. I would have preferred… maybe… I don't know… Ishida-kun? At least it wouldn't be so awkward for me. But Hanatarou-san is really—"
"Inoue?"
"Yes, Kuchiki-san?" Her voice was still above the normal tone.
"Are you ready?"
"Um, yes, of course! Of course I'm ready! I'm always ready! I couldn't be more ready in my entire life! I'm--"
"Okay, okay, just take a deep breath, Inoue." Yoruichi gave Rukia a worried look. The two of them started to doubt their little set-up.
"Umm… You look very pretty, Inoue-san…" Hanatarou muttered.
"Hm, what? I couldn't hear you, Hanatarou-san!"
"Oi, Inoue, you don't need to talk to loud," Yoruichi cringed at the high volume of her voice. "And Hanatarou, you need to be louder. Be more confident in what you say."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…" Rukia sighed.
"What are you talking about? This is perfect! Inoue and Hanatarou are just going to be on their merry little way and we'll wait for the details in the morning!"
"You're awfully optimistic about this, Yoruichi-san…"
"There's no room for doubt in love, Rukia! You gotta be tough!"
"Eh heh, I think it's a little too soon to say that, Yoruichi-san," Orihime chuckled nervously.
"Say what?"
"L-Love?"
"OKAY, well, I think it's time for you two to get going!" Rukia began to push Orihime and Hanatarou out the door. "Now, Hanatarou, I expect you to take good care of Inoue tonight. Don't let anything happen to her, and if something does happen, you know how to reach us. Don't do anything stupid or dangerous. Always be aware of your surroundings. Avoid shady looking areas, but don't splurge on expensive stuff."
"Oi… you talk more than Captain Unohana does before dispatching me on a mission…" Hanatarou murmured to himself.
"What was that, Hanatarou?"
"Ah, nothing, Rukia-san! Uh, thank you for the advice. I'll take good care of Inoue-san!" Hanatarou smiled.
"That's what I like to hear!" Rukia patted Hanatarou on the back and then pulled him close to her face. "Try not to mess this up, please. Don't be so timid. Inoue is probably more scared of you than you are of her."
"But I-I'm not scared, Ruk--"
"Good, then we have nothing to worry about. Just loosen up." And with those final words of confidence, Rukia pushed Hanatarou out the door with Orihime and shut the door. She turned around towards Yoruichi, gave a peace sign, and grinned.
"Uh… well then, I guess we should get going…" Hanatarou nervously scratched his head and stared at the ground.
Orihime nodded, also avoiding eye contact. "This… is going to be a long night."
Only a few minutes had passed since the two of them had left Orihime's place. But it seemed like hours. The awkward silence between them became almost excruciating. Their eyes would flicker every now and then toward the other, only to glance right back at the ground. They would each start to say something and then retract their statement, claiming to have "lost the thought." The continued walking along the street with no real destination. Just silence.
"So, um…" Hanatarou attempted to instigate conversation. Again. "Uhh…" Then it occurred to him. "Where would Inoue-san like to go?"
Orihime suddenly stopped walking, causing Hanatarou to halt and retrace a few steps. "Hanatarou-san… I'm not sure—"
"That's okay!" Hanatarou interrupted Orihime with forced laughter, not wanting to hear a rejection from her. From the girl who he wanted a chance with and finally got. "How silly of me. I shouldn't have forced you to make a decision if you weren't sure. I think I know just the place!" And, before he caught what he was doing, he grabbed a hold of Orihime's hand and led the way.
'Oh my gosh.' Hanatarou's heart began racing. 'What am I doing? Look at me. The Seventh Seat of the Fourth Division in the real world doing what? Going on a date? I don't even know why Captain Unohana dispatched me to the real world. There's nothing going on. Rukia-san and Yoruichi-san must have said something convincing to let me come. Not that I mind too much, I guess…' A slight smile spread of Hanatarou's face.
'Oh my gosh.' Orihime's face was flushed. 'What am I doing? Am I really over Kurosaki-kun? Is this just a pity date because Kuchiki-san and Yoruichi-san were so insistent? Hanatarou-san doesn't deserve this. I should tell him how I really feel. I don't think I'm really over Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime blinked away a few tears.
"Inoue-san… you're shaking. Is everything alright?" Hanatarou slowed his pace and tried to look at Orihime's face, but she kept turning away. He heard a few sniffles.
"Yeah, everything's okay, Hanatarou-san." Orihime quickly brushes her arm across her face and turns to Hanatarou with a forced smile.
"Inoue-san," Hanatarou released Orihime's hand. "You don't have to pretend. This may be what I want, but I know it's probably not something that you do."
"Oh, no, no, you've got it all wrong!" 'Idiot! He's giving you a chance to get out of this. Take it!' "No," Orihime declared, more to herself than to Hanatarou, "No, Hanatarou-san. Let's go." This time she took his hand and began leading the way.
"Um, Inoue-san…"
"I already said that we're going! Don't try to protest."
"That's not what I was I going to say… Do you know where we're going?"
Orihime froze with her foot in midair, about to take another step. She laughed loudly, the way she always does when she's done something embarrassing. "I guess I don't."
Hanatarou laughs. "No worries. You see that place right over there?"
"That place?! That's the most expensive restaurant in town!" Orihime couldn't believe her eyes. Was he really serious? Surely he was pointing to the little shanty place right next to it.
"Oh? I wouldn't know. I don't come to the real world often. Lieutenant Matsumoto gave me a recommendation for this place when she last visited the real world. She said it was probably a little too fancy for my taste, but it's still good all the same," Hanatarou explained.
"Oh," was all Orihime replied with. She didn't know what else to say. "Didn't Kuchiki-san tell you not to splurge?"
"Ah, Kuchiki-san always thinks too much. If it's for a good cause, then I say why not?" Hanatarou opens the door to the restaurant and gestures for Orihime to enter first.
'He seems like a different person now. What happened?' Orihime couldn't help but smirk as she stepped through the doorway and gazed at the extravagant decorations of the building. The lighting from the lanterns was dim, but she could still make out the beautiful scenery paintings along the wall. She had always been fascinated with nature ever since her brother began taking her to the park before he died. It was relaxing to be there, and with her brother there, that made things even better.
"A table for two?" The waitress's question cut through Orihime's daydream.
"Um, yes," Orihime replied, still half-staring at the paintings.
Hanatarou went to Orihime's side and followed her gaze. 'So she likes naturey things…'
"Oh, Inoue-san. The waitress is signaling that she's ready for us."
"Hm? Oh, right."
The walked in silence to their table. 'She's silent and has that distant look again… Gah, what am I supposed to do? One minute she's okay with me and the next she closes up. I must have done something to mess up again. Maybe she doesn't like this place. Maybe I shouldn't have taken her here.'
"Hanatarou-san," Orihime began as they both took their seats. "I really like this place."
Hanatarou grew speechless. 'Well, that was wrong.'
"Matsumoto-san gave you a good recommendation!" And for the first time that night, Hanatarou saw the first genuine smile spread across Orihime's face.
Orihime and Hanatarou laughed and joked through their dinner. They both had the same corny sense of humor. As the waitress came and cleared their plates, Orihime made a request.
"Um, excuse me. May we have some sake, as well?"
'Oh no.' Hanatarou thought. "Inoue-san, I don't think--"
"Yes, we'll take a large bottle for now."
"Inoue…"
"Hanatarou-san, this is a special occasion! A little sake never hurt anyone," Orihime beamed.
"It might just hurt me…" Hanatarou muttered.
"Did you say something, Hanatarou-san?"
"N-No!" He laughed nervously as he waved his hands frantically in front of him. "N-Nothing at all!"
Orihime found her eyes wandering toward the paintings along the wall again. Hanatarou noticed. "They are pretty, aren't they?"
"Hm?" Orihime wasn't aware that Hanatarou followed her gaze.
"These paintings."
"Oh, yes. They remind me of… of someone special."
Hanatarou felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. "Someone special…?" He held his breath as he asked. Hanatarou wasn't so sure he really wanted to know. After all, knowing meant that his chances with Orihime were over.
"My big brother."
He released the breath that he had been holding. "Oh…"
"He always took care of me, even if I acted like a brat." Orihime's voice grew quieter and quieter. "He used to take me to the park to feed the birds and we'd run around or just lay in the grass staring at the clouds… I know that he's gone now, but I can't help but want him back sometimes. It gets lonely living by myself."
"Inoue…"
Hanatarou gets cut off with the arrival of the sake.
"Let's pour a cup and make a toast!" Orihime's mood suddenly elevated, and she returned to her normal, bubbly self. She grabbed the bottle and poured sake into the two small cups and handed one to Hanatarou. "To friends!"
"To friends!" They clinked their cups together and drank. 'Friends…'
Half an hour later, Orihime and Hanatarou ordered their third bottle of sake.
"Inoue, I don't… I don't think that I should… should… what am I doing?"
"Don't be silly, Hanatarou-san! Surely you can't be drunk after two bottles!"
'I obviously can't hold my liquor like you can.'
Orihime poured the remains of their second bottle into Hanatarou's cup. "Drink up! There's more to come!"
Hanatarou drank out of politeness. He eventually lost track of everything and wasn't exactly aware of what he was doing. Everything just blurred together. He felt himself talking, but he didn't know what he was talking about, nor could he stop himself from talking.
"Ahh, I don't even know why I bother anymore," Hanatarou sputtered.
"Bother with what?"
"Being in the Fourth Division is such a pain. I get no respect, but it if wasn't for me, most of the 13 Protection Squads would be dead by now. Sometimes I wish I could just pick up a katana and have someone teach me some sword fighting skills. I wonder what it's like to have a Zanpakutou. To be able to see its true form and connect with it…"
Hanatarou continued to ramble for a few more minutes. Orihime didn't know whether she should interrupt him or let him be.
'He certainly has a lot of… issues…' Orihime thought. 'Maybe I shouldn't have given him so much to drink. Who knew that he wouldn't be able to handle a few bottles of sake?'
"Hey, it's Inoue!"
Orihime's body froze. She felt the blood drain from her face. 'That voice...'
"Ah, Ichigo-san!!" Hanatarou waved his hands ecstatically in the air.
"… and Hanatarou?" Ichigo looked back and forth between Orihime and Hanatarou.
"Ichigo-san, take a seat! This will be fun! We'll reminisce about the days when we traveled together and fought together and you would defend me and I would heal you and…"
"I don't think--" Ichigo and Orihime spoke at the same time.
Orihime looked down at her hands in her lap. "Kurosaki-kun may do as he pleases. If he wishes to stay, then he is more than welcome." She looked at Ichigo and smiled weakly.
"Nah, I have to go anyway," Ichigo said nonchalantly as he scratched the back of his head. "I just came to pick up some food. Karin got sick, and I don't trust my dad's cooking. I value my life too much."
"Oh, someone's sick? Do you want me to heal her?" Hanatarou cut in. He didn't know who Karin was. He just heard the word "sick" and reacted.
"It's alright, Hanatarou." Ichigo put his hand on Hanatarou's shoulder. "Just stay here and keep Orihime company." Then with a smile, a wave, and a quick goodbye, he was out the door.
Orihime's eyes followed Ichigo's body out the door, and she continued to stare at him through the window as his form grew smaller and smaller until it became non-distinct.
Hanatarou, as drunk as he was, was still able to notice the distant look in Orihime's eyes as Ichigo walked away.
"Inoue-san…" He took a deep breath. "I'm not as stupid as I seem. I can see the way you look at Ichigo-san. It's… it's the same way that I look at you."
Orihime's attention snapped back to Hanatarou. 'What did he just say?'
"I know this is hard for you to hear," Hanatarou continued, "and I don't expect anything in return." His words began slurring together more and more. "But I just thought that you should know. I really do like you, Inoue-san. Your gentle and caring nature. It's something that I haven't seen a lot of in Soul Society. You can't blame me, really. You're too good of a person. I don't know why Ichigo-san keeps ignoring you like that. He doesn't know what he's missing out on…"
There was a loud bang as Hanatarou collapsed onto the table. Orihime hardly flinched. "No… no, it's just the sake talking. He's not really… he's not. It's just a mistake." She sighed, stood up, and lifted Hanatarou's limp body onto her back and began walking home.
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"I wonder how they're doing…"
Rukia and Yoruichi had stayed in Orihime's house. "Stop pacing, Rukia. Inoue is a big girl. She can take care of herself. And really, what's the worse thing that Hanatarou will do? Talk too much or not talk at all?" Yoruichi laid down on the ground and folded her hands behind her head.
"He always was really overdramatic sometimes…"
"They're good kids, Rukia. I bet any minute now they'll coming through that front door laughing up a storm."
Rukia's tense face eased up. "You know what, you're right. I'm just causing myself unnecessary stress."
A knock sounded at the door.
"Who could be visiting Inoue this late at night?" Rukia opened the door and saw Orihime's panting form with Hanatarou on her back. "Whaa…"
"Sorry, I couldn't get the key out of my bag. Could you help me with this?" She readjusted Hanatarou's limp body and stumbled through the door.
"Hey, Yoruichi, come out here!" Rukia called down the hall.
"What, what's all this ruckus about?" Yoruichi's eyes fell on Hanatarou, whom Orihime had laid on the ground. "What the… what happened?"
Orihime rushed around looking for pillows and blankets. "Not to worry!" she called out as she scrambled around the house. "Just a little too much sake! He should be okay!"
"He just passed out from being too drunk?!" Rukia yelled, not knowing where Orihime was exactly at the moment.
"Uh huh!"
"PHEW!" Yoruichi sat on the ground with a sigh of relief. "The way you rushed in here, I thought you guys had gotten mugged or something."
"Oh no, no!" Orihime came out with a blanket clutched in her arms. "Nothing like that. I'm just worried about him, that's all." She dropped the blanket onto the couch, reached down, and picked Hanatarou up and laid him on the couch before wrapping him in the blanket. "Good thing I've trained with Tatsuki-chan." She drew her hand across her forehead and brushed off the sweat.
"I think he'll be okay," Yoruichi said as she peered over the edge of the couch. "How much did you guys have to drink?"
"I only order three bottles…" Orihime confessed.
"Hah! Amateur," Yoruichi scoffed as she looked at Hanatarou's reddened face.
"Let's go into the other room," Rukia suggested, "He should be better by morning."
"Right…" Orihime lingered for a while longer as Rukia and Yoruichi took seats in the adjacent room. She smiled kindly at Hanatarou's unconscious form and laid a hand on his before joining her friends.
"So, spill it," Yoruichi demanded as Orihime took a seat.
"Spill what?"
"How did the date go?"
'I really do like you, Inoue-san…' The words kept repeating in Orihime's head.
"Hellooo? Earth to Inoue." Rukia waved her hands in front of Orihime's blank face. When nothing worked, she flicked her forehead ever so lightly.
"Ow! What was that for, Kuchiki-san?" She rubbed the spot that Rukia had touched.
"That was for you zoning out like you always do," Yoruichi stated. "Something obviously happened, and we wouldn't be proper friends if we didn't know what it was," she smirked.
Orihime tugged at the bottom of her shirt. "Well… you see…" She stopped and hesitated, deciding whether she should tell them the truth or lie. 'What's there to lie about? Are you ashamed of someone like Hanatarou telling you he likes you?'
"So… Hanatarou-san and I… went to dinner." She paused and took a deep breath. Rukia and Yoruichi watched Orihime's face intently.
"It was a really nice place. Umm… I decided to order a few bottles of sake, but he didn't tell me that he couldn't hold his liquor and then Kurosaki-kun showed up and then—"
"Ichigo was there?!" Rukia interrupted. 'Damn that boy.'
"Um, yes, but he left rather quickly… and then…"
"… and then?" Yoruichi inquired.
"And then Hanatarou-san got a little tipsy and he did this whole confession thingy and told me he liked me and then I froze and didn't know what to do and then he passed out and I figured I should probably bring him back because it's just awkward sitting there staring at a passed out person on the table so I brought him back and then that's when I knocked and Kuchiki-san answered and helped me with him and I went to get the blankets and—"
"Wait, WHAT?!" Rukia and Yoruichi both exclaimed.
"Wh… what?" Orihime was speechless. "What did I say?"
"You mean what will you say" Rukia replied, "when Hanatarou wakes up?"
Orihime hadn't even had time to process the information, let alone think of a response. "I think… as much of a nice guy Hanatarou-san is… I'm not too sure."
The three of them remained silent for several minutes.
"I don't think it would be right… I don't know, what do you guys think?"
"Wouldn't be right? What do you mean?" Rukia asked.
"Well, I mean… Kurosaki-kun—"
"PAH! Forget Ichigo! He's good for nothing anyway," Yoruichi interjected. "He's stubborn, loud, and has a short temper. What good are those traits in a guy?"
"… I suppose." Orihime stared at her hands in her lap. "Maybe… maybe I'll give him a chance."
"Tonight was your chance, Inoue," Rukia said gently. "It's not like Hanatarou is going to wake up any time soon. It's been a long night, and you should rest. Sleep on it. It'll probably become clearer tomorrow."
Yoruichi and Rukia began to rise from their seats.
"No," Orihime declared.
"No what?"
"I'm tired of always being indecisive. I'm tired of running away. I'm tired of always being scared of myself. It's time I did something." She thought of the events that had happened earlier that night. The genuine laughter and smiles, the feeling of openness she felt, the feeling that she didn't need to hide herself, how she had forgotten all about Ichigo until he appeared in her face. She inhaled deeply. "Kurosaki-kun is just a friend, and he will always be a friend. He's made that clear. I need to keep going. I can't stay stuck in this place forever." A determined look overtook Orihime's face as she turned to her two friends. "Kuchiki-san. Yoruichi-san. Thank you so much." She smiled and stepped into the room where Hanatarou was sleeping. Kneeling beside the edge, she softly brushed her hand against his face, leaned in, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Orihime then stood up and left the room, not noticing the smile that had spread across Hanatarou's face.
The end