(勇気)
It was perfect.
It was everything a wedding should be.
The groom was handsome.
The bride was beautiful.
Everything was going smoothly,
Till,
The man of God uttered the timeless words.
"Should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be join in holy matrimony,
Speak now or forever hold your peace."
Everybody waited.
Why would there be any?
Everybody knew they were meant for each other.
They were just strengthening their bond.
They were just making it official in the eyes of God.
The man of God smiled.
And he was going to continue when a soft trembling voice was heard.
There was shocked gasps of disbelief and disappointment.
Everybody knew she loved him.
But after all these years and on his wedding day,
She was finally going to tell him.
Everybody shook their heads and waited.
"I-I am not o-objecting." She stammered.
And everyone could see the tears cascading down her flushed cheeks.
Small and vulnerable.
She looked like she needed support.
She needed protection.
She looked beautiful.
And he scowled.
She cowered a little at his intense gaze.
But she needed to be strong for once in her life concerning her feelings.
She will never get the chance to tell him once they are joined together in the eyes of God.
She looked him straight in the eyes,
For this once,
Let her be selfish.
"I love you, I truly really love you,
I LOVE YOU!"
And Kurosaki Ichigo woke up drenched in his own sweat.
'So she loves me, eh?' He thought with his throbbing heart threatening to broke through his ribs due to how full of violent fury it was pounding against the rib cage.
And then,
A self-satisfied smile appeared on his smug face.
(勇気)
"So, anyone has any idea as to why we are all here waiting for Kurosaki?" Ishida Uryuu directed his question to the blank faces staring back at him.
"No one knows?" They shook their heads. "One would have thought he would have the decent courtesy to not let us wait for him, after all he was the one who called us here." Ishida continued to grumble.
He was a busy man. He did not have the time to waste. He has a ton of things to do instead of waiting for the idiot to show up. Five more minutes, and then he will learn what Kurosaki has to say some other time.
Inoue Orihime was suddenly very scared. Frightened as to what Kurosaki-kun was going to say. She did not what she fear most to come true. Tatsuki has only warned her the day before and she has told her best friend she has already accepted the inevitable but deep inside, there was still a very tiny shard of hope that refused to give up.
She looked down at her hands and started to clasp them tightly together as if she was praying.
Praying for...?
She heard footsteps but she did not dare to look up.
Heart thundering in her ears, she almost did not hear what was said.
"Nice of you to join us, Kurosaki?" Ishida began to gripe and then there was silence.
Orihime felt everyone's eyes on her.
She slowly, very slowly lifted her head.
Her first instinct was to run away and her second was to look at the man who must be hurting as much as she was.
'Is this how I am appearing to the others now?' She thought sadly as she took in the pain in his eyes.
Was his heart feeling like it was shattering into a million pieces and even when it has healed itself, it will never be whole again.
Somebody coughed.
It was a signal for somebody to say something, anything.
Arisawa Tatsuki let out a long sigh of resignation. She glanced contemptuously at the couple holding hands. "I guess congratulations are in order." She let out another unwanted sigh on purpose.
Then, as if on a master puppeteer's invisible strings, they all turned to the gentle healer. Even Abarai Renji who felt his heart was being stomped on ruthlessly by the one he has secretly loved for so long turned to look at the auburn-haired princess, who sadly has lost her prince forever.
The pair of newly disclosed couple too have their attention on her.
All eyes were on her.
She tried, she really tried.
She absolutely tried to muster up a small smile but her poor broken heart did not even have the strength to let her do that.
The best she could do was to prevent her tears from showing up.
Eyes unnaturally bright, lips quivering, her words came out in almost a whisper,
"I am so happy for you, Kurosaki-kun. I always know that you and Kuchiki-san were meant to be together. I just remembered I have to go to the shop earlier than I should. I have to go now." She was glad she did not stammered but she knew the tears was on the brink of shedding from her eyes.
She bowed, gave a tiny wave and... ran.
"Inoue!" Kurosaki Ichigo dropped the hand he was holding and chased after her.
Tatsuki was stunned for a moment but then she too was ready to go after her best friend.
"Orihime!"
Kuchiki Rukia stood in her way, blocking her path to console her friend.
"Get out of my way, Kuchiki!" Tatsuki glared angrily at the one who was causing Orihime so much grief.
The short shinigami stood her ground. "No. This is between Ichigo and Inoue. Let the two of them finally resolve whatever they think they have."
"Rukia, I thought Inoue is a friend. How could you have pulled such a cruel stunt on her?" Renji, though he was hurting as much as Orihime has to pity the poor princess. She was just too sweet and innocent to have been subjected to such a heartless act. He was a big man, has survived through countless difficulties and he was going to live on, regardless of losing the one he loved. But the auburn-haired girl, his betrayed heart went out to her.
"That's right. I have even thought Kurosaki regarded Inoue-san as more than a friend." Insightful Ishida stated.
Tatsuki nodded sadly and said, "That's what I have always hoped for."
Sado Yasutora grunted out his agreement. He, being one of Ichigo's closest friend too thought his scowling friend held some sort of affection for the gentle healer. The eye not covered by his shaggy long hair showed sorrow for his cheerful friend. He wondered if she will ever smile so freely again.
"I thought he might even like her." The meek giant tragically offered.
Everybody seemed to be one mind regarding Ichigo's feelings expect for Rukia.
She folded her arms across her chest, "You are all wrong on all accounts. I did not 'planned' this. It was all Ichigo's idea. And for your information, he has never thought of Inoue as a friend and he most definitely does not like her." It almost sounded like gloating and something flashed in her eyes.
Whatever it was Tatsuki was going to smack it right out of her conceited face and then she was going after Ichigo. She almost relished the thought of making him feel as bad as Orihime was hurting inside.
The second strongest girl in Japan cracked her knuckles and... grinned.
(勇気)
Orihime ran.
She ran and shook the tears from her flushed face.
But she could not get the image of the intertwined hands to disappear from her mind.
She could hear him shouting for her.
Why?
And so she continued to run.
She did not notice the motorcycle speeding her way as she tried helplessly to escape from him.
Everything happened so fast and then she was in the arms of the one she loves but could never be hers.
She gazed hopelessly at him with her tear-stained face and before she could beg him to let her go,
He gently wiped the tears from her heated face and asked softly,
"Inoue, why are you crying?"
(勇気)
