Natsume:

The girl in front of us is most definitely the ryoka riding on Zaraki-sama's back that day two years ago. Her hairstyle is a little different, but she's the same girl.

"My name is Orihime Inoue. Pleased to meet you." Inoue-chan bows in front of us.

I realize that she must be the Inoue-san that Ishida-kun called out for when I shouted his name. Looking at Inoue-chan makes me feel depressed.

I reply though, bowing, "Pleased to meet you too."

Matsumoto-san claps her hands once, to get our attention.

"O~kay! Time to get a move on!"

We are soon at Inoue-chan's house, a small, yet spacious place. It seems a bit empty, as if someone had lived with Inoue-chan a long time ago. Her rooms are neat and organized, except for the kitchen which is cluttered with dirty pots, pans, bows, and utensils. The smell of burnt food wafts around the room. Inoue-chan blocks our way into the kitchen, frantically.

"Ahaha! That place is not for you guys! I burned some tempura earlier…I was trying to make dinner for you guys, but…I think we're just gonna go out to eat." Inoue-chan nervously rubs the back of her neck with a hand.

The three of us shinigami exchange worried glances, and we laugh awkwardly. Maki throws an arm around Inoue-chan's shoulders and squeezes the auburn-haired girl.

"Could you give us some time to change clothes? And where are you thinking of taking us?"

Inoue-chan gives us all a big grin, "I was thinking of a ramen place!"

So here we are at Inoue-chan's favorite ramen shop, Cello Noodles. We all inhale the noodles like they are our last meal, seasoning them with our favorite toppings. I drop tomato ketchup and mini shrimp bites into mine. Maki watches me with disgust.

"How can you eat it like that?!" she exclaims, holding her chopsticks completely incorrectly.

I ignore her, slurping my tasty meal messily, so the sauce gets in Maki's face. She wipes it off quickly, not bothering to taste the deliciousness.

Inoue-chan and Matsumoto-san are farther along the ramen bar seats than us. They cannot hear us due to the noisy group blocking the two from view of me and Maki. I want to go ask Inoue-chan something, so I get out of my seat and walk over to her. Maki stays back, finishing her ramen bowl.

"…Kurosaki-kun has been much happier, lately."

"That's good. We'll all go visit him later. Orihime-chan, how's everyone else?" I hear part of Matsumoto-san's and Inoue-chan's conversation. Then, I poke my head between the two.

"Inoue-chan, can I ask you something?"

She turns around, and so does my upper-class-woman.

"What is it?" Inoue-chan's hair trails down her shoulders.

I play with the end of my braid, "Is there…a bookstore in Karakura? I'd like to take a look at the new books."

Inoue-chan perks up, "Sure there is! Right down the street. It's my favorite! Go check it out if you want. We'll take our time here and meet you later, okay?"

"Sure!" I make my way towards the door. "Which direction?"

"Left! All the way at the end!" Inoue-chan shouts from her seat about twenty feet away.

"Thanks!" I take my leave.

At the end of the street is a cute little building the color of snow. It has two marble columns holding up the sign, which reads: "Fujisan's Bookstore". The front door is a double with the most adorable paintings on its windows of children and their common antics.

I push open the double door and find myself in a place a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. The store is actually the shape of a pentagon, with four walls bearing shelves. The shelves are filled with books: novels, memoirs, manga, magazines, manuals, and even textbooks. There is a small shelf filled with video games and adorned with promotional posters. One part of the room is set aside for couches for customers to get comfy in. I can't see all of the leather seats, but they look pretty empty. In fact, the entire store looks deserted, save for the clerk and two small children I can see sitting in a corner with a pile of books.

I go straight to the cashier, and ask him where everyone is. The shelves behind me are in the middle of the store, blocking the couches from my view. The clerk shrugs. When he speaks, I cannot place his accent.

"It's summer. Where do you think they are? The beach, probably."

"Oh," I realize with stupidity. "Well, which shelf are the manga on, then?"

The clerk tells me and I go there.

The manga shelf is facing the wall shelf near the kids who are reading: a boy and a girl. I wave to them, and they shyly wave back. I then turn around to face the manga, pondering over the newer titles.

Suddenly, something catches my eye. A gleam coming from the far end of the couches I am standing next to. I lean to my left and find that the gleam is gone.

In its place are glasses atop a face. Blue sparkles show behind the glass. Midnight hair is parted down one side; the left locks are tucked behind an ear, the right hang free. A pentacle charm hangs from a silver chain bracelet.

I nearly faint. I know him when I see him, no matter the time that has passed.

Ishida-kun!

Maki:

"So, who is this famous Ichigo Kurosaki that I keep hearing about, exactly?" I ask Inoue. "I've wanted to meet him."

Inoue turns to me, apparently finished with a third bowl of ramen. No mean to be rude, but the girl can eat.

"Kurosaki-kun?!" She blushes an immediate crimson. "Uh, he…umm…well, you know. He saved Rukia-san and me and…umm…well," She keeps stuttering and losing her words. She's looking away from me, preoccupied with twirling her fingers in her hair. The mere mention of Kurosaki's name threw her off. I know exactly what's going on.

"So you like Kurosaki, huh?" I ask blatantly.

She stops mumbling to herself and jolts.

Bingo.

She looks back at me and says no with an embarrassed face.

"Whatever. Anyway, can we go to his house so that I can meet him?"

Inoue's face goes white in shock. "O-o-of course," she manages.

So, after Inoue texts Natsume Kurosaki's address and pays the cashier (with a soulless face, of course), Matsumoto and I follow her to Kurosaki's place like we're going to her grave.

I'm hoping Matsumoto knows how to use a shovel.

We arrive at a place labeled "Kurosaki Clinic".

I knew Inoue was going to die. She was gonna explode in front of her crush.

"We're here," she states.

I guess she saw it coming, too.

Matsumoto jumps onto the roof. "C'mon! I know a great route!"

Or not…? Maybe she'll stay composed.

Inoue and I get onto the roof to see a hidden door panel. Matsumoto opens it and slips inside. It's a small, narrow passage. "Let's go~!"

We follow Matsumoto through the metal passageway until we reach a glass light frame in a cube below us. "Here it is!"

Matsumoto opens it and pokes her head through it as Inoue and I watch.

"Hello Captain! Renji, Rukia, Ichigo! I've got some friends~3!"

She jumps down and Inoue clumsily falls face-first on the floor. I land safely and help her up. She rubs the pain off of her crimson face and tries her best to not look at a strawberry-blonde adolescent. He's rather good-looking and is looking at Inoue. He turns his attention to me and puts on a confused face.

"Who're you?" He confronts me.

"Genjou Maki," I bow. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here. Hi, Inoue."

"H-hi Kurosaki-kun."

They start a conversation I happen to know nothing about, so I turn over to the others. Hitsugaya-sama is already scolding Matsumoto for no particular reason and Abarai and Kuchiki are laughing and smiling about a memory.

I then realize how out of place I am.

I pop a squat nearest to Kurosaki and Inoue. They don't seem to notice me at all, so I butt in their conversation.

"Ahem! So, are you guys, like, a couple, or what?"

Inoue's face explodes into many hues of red and pink. I'm betting that she's embarrassed beyond comprehension and angry at me for my comment. So I was just supposed to sit there and watch my life go by?

Kurosaki raises a perplexed eyebrow at me and he is slightly blushing, "What?"

"Nevermind, forget it. I'm just tired, is all. You know?" I brush the topic away.

"O~kay…" He answers awkwardly. Kurosaki gets up and walks over to Kuchiki and Abarai, joining the conversation.

"Ma~ki~!" Inoue whimpers at me, poking my left arm. She has angry, frustrated tears glistening in her eyes.

"Sorry, Inoue. I said the first thing that popped into my measly brain. I'll think twice next time," I finish. "By the way, where's Natsume?"