...Again & Again...
..by Kotohime Haku..
.Bleach goes to Tite Kubo.
She had first met him at the Kurosaki Clinic. Orange hair and brown eyes was the only thing she remembered. She also remembered that scary growling face he had that night. She was crying and screaming for her brother as he was being carried away into the clinic. She had thought that everything was the end.
The owner of the clinic had told her to stay there on their couch and wait until they finish the surgery on her brother.
She nodded meekly, her gray eyes hollow and red. She couldn't think of anything else but the image of her brother.
Then two girls appeared beside her. One looked very nice and tan brown hair while the other one looked indifferent with black hair.
"Onee-chan," the girl with the brown hair said, patting her laps. "Don't cry."
She sniffed and she stared at her take something out of her pocket. The little girl grinned and handed something pink to her, "I'll give you this candy!"
The girl smiled and accepted the candy. "Thank you." The two little girls grinned and then took off. She was left behind, with only a candy in her hand. She stared at it, and then smiled before popping it into her mouth. She smiled.
"It's sweet."
Strawberry flavored candy. It tasted sweet and milky in her mouth. But that still wasn't enough to get rid of the sticky bitterness in her mouth.
Then that was when he came along.
He dropped by casually holding a cup of tea next to her face. Startled, she looked up and found a boy around her age, with orange hair and brown eyes.
"Tea?" he offered.
She nodded and muttered a small "thank you" to him.
He nodded and took a seat beside her, sipping his own tea. Both of them didn't say anything, they just sat there, sipping their tea.
That girl didn't know why, but she felt comforted by him, even if he didn't say anything cliché to comfort her or anything. She didn't need any words—she felt comfortable just like this, sitting next to each other.
She didn't meet him again until three years later, at the entrance ceremony at Karakura High. She heard rumors flying all over the place about a delinquent with orange hair and a scowl on his face. She thought it was just a rumor, so she spoke to Tatsuki about it.
"Oh," she said. "I know him."
"R-Really?" she answered, surprised.
"Yea we're childhood buddies. Why?"
"No, just curious…" she wondered if it was fate or something. Then the time came during entrance ceremony when she took a good look at his face. He didn't exactly change much, except maybe got taller.
She chuckled as she recalled how he still had that scowl on his face, even when drinking tea. She was planning on talking to him, but she got too nervous. What if he didn't remember and thought she was weird? She gave up on talking to him.
That was when they were both placed in the same classroom.
The girl couldn't believe it herself. Was it really fate? Destiny?
No, the girl thought it was a mere coincidence.
"Well then…at seat number seventeen…Kurosaki Ichigo-kun?" the teacher called out.
"Yes."
Everyone watches as the orange haired man gets up and starts to introduce himself. Everyone was whispering amongst themselves until he sat down.
The girl simply blinked. Strawberry?
Even though they were in the same class, they didn't really talk except for small ones like "thank you" or "sorry". She had completely given up all hope. So he really did forget, huh…
It was then when they officially met on the rooftop. She found him sleeping there under the sunlight while she was exploring the school. But she was planning on leaving him there so she doesn't disturb him, but in the end the loud creaking of the door woke him up.
"…huh? Mmm…" she rubbed his eyes groggily. She could've sworn she could've lost her heart as he stared at her. "…uhh…you're…"
She gulped.
"You're that girl…right? The one who came to our clinic around…two…three…years ago?"
Her eyes broadened at his remark. She didn't expect him to remember for the past three years. She bit back her tears as she said, "Yea… W-What a coincidence…that we went to the same school…"
"Yea," he said as he got up. They were both in silence after that.
"U-Um" she said, sensing the awkward moment. "Y-You know Tatsuki-chan, r-right?" she stuttered. "I-I'm her friend! I heard that you two went to the s-same dojo…u-uh, um—"
"Oh," Ichigo said, plopping a fist onto his palm. "So that's who Tatsuki was talking about."
"Eh?"
"She says you're a great friend," he says. Her heart could've jumped out at any moment. "By the way, I didn't catch your name—what is it? I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."
She stared at her shoes, feeling nervous and wanting to burst into tears. "I'm…Inoue Orihime."
That was most likely the first actual conversation she had with him in three years. Even despite after that, the two had gone back to the way they were, with the "thank you's" and "sorry's".
But Orihime didn't mind. She was happy, just being able to see him.
Then the day came when a girl named Kuchiki Rukia appeared.
Orihime took an immediate interest in her. She was glad they shared the same interest in food! And Rukia was also a very nice and funny person—Orihime liked her a lot. It was because of her that she was able to get near Ichigo…but he never looked at her the way she looked at him. He looked at her as a very, very important and irreplaceable friend.
Orihime knew that he would never look at her except from a friend's point of view. Ichigo is very close to Rukia. Too close that she sometimes got jealous, even though she didn't show it. She knows she shouldn't be so selfish and that just being able to be his friend is enough.
But she'll never be able to be his lover.
Orihime knows Ichigo doesn't care about looks or style. He isn't the type of person to judge someone like that. It didn't matter to Ichigo—pretty or ugly, big breast or not, he didn't care. If there's someone he will devote his entire heart and soul to, she won't interrupt him. She'll smile, and say, "Congratulations, Kurosaki-kun."
And now he's found that someone. She couldn't tell if they'll be a couple or not, but even if it's not romantically, he has found someone he will protect and take care of. Someone who changed his world.
Even now, as she watches Rukia and Ichigo fight over the last piece of meat, she smiles.
"Even if you love somebody else…" tears slid down her tears as she smiles. "…I will fall for you again and again."
.The End.