(I am so depressed. I just watch the Chevy Dog commercial, again. And I cried, again.)

(Hopefully, this chapter will be just as depressing. Rush job. I had to write this as I was in the mood.)

(原谅)

"Kurosaki-kun! Quick! Make a wish!"

"Why ever for?"

"There! Look at the shooting star!"

"That's not a shooting star Inoue. It's an airplane."

"Oh, but... couldn't we pretend it is a shooting star and make a wish."

"If it's pretending, not that I'm saying wishes do come true but doesn't that contradict the wishing upon a star myth."

"Come on Kurosaki-kun, it will be fun. And if the wish does come true, we can start a new trend of wishing on airplanes."

"No, it's childish and foolish."

"Then just for tonight, we can pretend we are children and airplanes are shooting stars and... wishes do come true, right Kurosaki-kun?"

"We can't just pretend what we are not, Inoue. Stop building castles in the clouds and grow up."

"But Kurosaki-kun, once in awhile it is fun to play make believe and be as carefree as children. Could you not do this with me at this moment now?"

"For the love of...Why can't you be more like...Stop acting like a spoiled brat Inoue."

"I-I am not a s-spoiled c-child. I-I was not given the luxury to be one even when I was still a child. How do you want me to behave and who do you think I should be like, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Just act our age and stop wasting time with the overly fantastical imaginative scenarios. That wouldn't be so difficult, would it?"

"Inoue?"

"You can go on ahead Kurosaki-kun. You do not need to walk me home. I will be fine on my own."

"No. It's late. Let's go Inoue."

"I said it will be fine. Just let me be. Goodnight Kurosaki-kun."

"Goodnight my arse! Are you still planning on making a wish? The damn airplane is not even in our sights anymore! Fine. Just make your stupid wish, I'll wait for you."

"I have already made my wish and it is not stupid. You do not need to wait for me. You can go to her. Just leave me alone Kurosaki-kun. Goodbye!"

"Inoue!"

(原谅)

"What did you do to our princess?" Rangiku accused Tatsuki the minute she stepped in the living room.

Tatsuki went into her defensive mode. "What do you mean?"

Rangiku pointed to Tatsuki a forlorn looking Orihime staring hopelessly at the night sky.

"Sorry, let me rephrase. What did you say to Hime?"

"I just asked her what his ring tone for her was."

"And." Rangiku was frustrated over how slow Tatsuki was with the explanation.

"She said it has been awhile since she has handled his cellphone and the last time she did, it was the song 'Airplanes'.

"Strange choice. I would have thought it would be," Rangiku pondered meditatively as to what the appropriate ring tone should be.

"Ah! I give up. I don't want to get inside that bastard's mind. But Hime should change her ring tone for him."

"What are your ingenious suggestions?"

"Monster, Misery, When We Collide, Use Somebody, Trap..." Rangiku was on a roll.

"Enough. I get the point." It sounded like what Orihime was going through.

"Do you want to know what my ring tones are for the two of you?"

"No."

"What!? Come on, make a guess. It will be so much fun."

"No." Tatsuki repeated with a deadpan expression.

"Aww, come on Tat-Tat." Rangiku tugged playfully at Tatsuki's arm.

Tatsuki was going to chastise Rangiku yet again for calling her that when barely concealed heart wrenching sobs reached their ears.

"Hime!"

"Orihime!"

Both of them rushed to comfort the sobbing princess.

Pain was etched on her pale face.

"All my wishes are never coming true, are they?"

She desperately wanted her friends to assure her otherwise but there was none a coming. So she lamented on sorrowfully.

"I-l a-am childish, clumsy, gullible, unlovable, useless, weak," She sobbed out before collapsing in her friends' arms.

But it was not enough.

"Is that why he doesn't love me, because I am not her. I am just not good enough for him." She continued miserably and the bitter tears just kept flowing down relentlessly.

"NO!" Tatsuki angrily shouted out. She was not angry with Orihime but with Ichigo. She really hated her childhood friend for what he has done to her best friend. This has to end.

"Look at me Orihime," She forced the weeping unhappily married woman to face her. "Please look at me Orihime. What have you become?" She let Orihime reflect on the question before she plowed on.

"So what if you are childish, clumsy, gullible and all the other stuff that he made you feel like. Who gives a damn! You are you. Cute, caring, curious, bubbly, imaginative, resilient, smart; hey! some help here," She prompted Rangiku.

"Oh, let me see. Gorgeous, delightful, charming, charismatic, sexy, a excellent cook and with a bosom to die for." She finished the last part with a jut of her own admirable breasts as well.

"What's with you and breasts?" Tatsuki groaned in mock disgust.

"Feeling left out, are we? Not to worry, oh flat-chested friend of mine. From faraway magical lands, I've bought you potent potions and powerful tools." She winked suggestively at Tatsuki.

"You really are an idiot."

"Yes I know. But that's why you still love me, right?"

The two friends played along with each other hoping to bring their friend out of her miserable state of mind.

They saw a ghost of a smile materializing on her tears stricken face. But it vanished the instance her lips moved.

Words so softly spoken and laced with so much hopelessness that they could hardly hear it.

"It will never go away, will it?"

"What is it, Orihime?"

Orihime clenched her tiny trembling fist in front of her heart, "This pain inside my heart, will it ever leave me," she cried out in despair.

For once, Tatsuki did not know how to comfort her friend. She has never experienced love or heartbreak such as what Orihime has gone through. She turned to Rangiku expecting her to know what to say.

"No, it will always be there. It might dull in years to come but it will always be there."

"Rangiku!" Tatsuki was shocked. She certainly did not expect to hear what was properly Rangiku's own suffering.

"I'm sorry Tatsuki. Hime needs to know the truth. Are you ready for the truth Hime?" She asked Orihime.

Orihime nodded.

Tatsuki grabbed both her friends' hands in her own. She was worried of what was to come.

"You fell so fast and hard for him. This love of yours for him will haunt you for the rest of your life. Even when he is out of your life, you will never be rid of what you went through with him. If you are lucky and you find another to lavish your love with and even if he would love you back more than the bastard ever did," Rangiku paused to let what she has said sink in.

"But every now and then a little thing he does will remind you of him. In time, the guilt will overcome you and you will not want to burden him with you being unable to love him back completely and so it ends."

"So it will be better for me to live my life, alone... till I died." Orihime was convinced she will never love as much as she did with him.

"Yes, if you really can't think of yourself loving another." Rangiku answered truthfully.

"No,! Don't sell yourself short. Both of you. If you can fall in love once, you will always fall in love over again." Tatsuki was saddened by her friends' bleak outlook.

"Tatsuki-chan is right. And I know of a way to permanently erase this ache from my heart." Orihime looked at her friends with a blank expression.

"What are you saying Orihime? Don't tell me you're going to stay in this marriage for the sake of your heart? Don't, you will still be the one who hurts the most if you persist in wanting to be with him." Tatsuki warned her.

Orihime gave her friend a sad little smile. "No. I am giving up on this marriage."

"Then how about getting rid of the pain?"Tatsuki asked anxiously with Rangiku looking on with fear in her own heart.

"If there is no heart, there will no longer be any pain."

(原谅)