"Ohayo! Kurosaki-sensei." Orihime cheerfully greeted Ichigo following the morning after their little talk.
It was rather eye-catching loud.
Ichigo did not know if he would prefer her going back to avoiding him than this conspicuous display.
'What are we, in kindergarten?'
"Yo, Inoue." 'What is he, 15?'
"How old are you, Inoue?"
"Huh?"
'Crap! Did I just ask that?'
"Ignore the question, Inoue-chan." "Are you coming or going?" Ichigo sidestepped the question with another.
"Wow, Ichigo. Checking if she is jail bait?" "I didn't know you like them young."
"Shut up! Shinji."
Ignoring Ichigo, Shinji set his sight on Orihime.
"You look familiar, have we met before?" "I am Hirako Shinji. This idiot's colleague."
"I am Inoue Orihime. Hajimemashite." Orihime pondered about the questions seriously. "No, I don't think we have met."
"My princess." "You mean you don't remember." "You are my one true love." "You promised you will remember no matter how many rounds of reincarnation." "Don't tell me you have forgotten your pledge of affection to me."
Shinji put his hands on a utterly bewildered Orihime, acting absolutely in anguish that his one true love did not remember him.
Ichigo felt like doing a 'Grimmjow' on him.
"You are frightening the poor girl with your love sick tactics, lover boy."
"Why are you coming between a man and his true love?" "Are you jealous?" Shinji taunted.
"Jealous, I will show you who's jealous!"
Ichigo finally decided to remove Shinji's hands from Orihime when he showed no sign of doing it himself.
"Are you alright, Inoue?" He asked a visually grateful Orihime.
"Yes, thank you. Kurosaki-sensei." Bowing to them, she took the chance to be on her way to her father's room.
"Inoue-chan, Inoue, when are you going to buck up the courage and call her Orihime." "Or are you afraid if you do, there will be no going back." "No familiarity, no intimacy."
Shinji dodged the blow that came his way.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo knew exactly what Shinji was on about. He just did not want to admit it.
They heard her voice before they could continue with the denial on Ichigo's part. Accident-prone feet were rushing towards them.
"Kurosaki-sensei." "Kurosaki-senseiii..." Ichigo was ready to hold Orihime in his arms again.
"Tee hee hee." Orihime was surprise she has stayed on her feet and that she did not fall into anybody's arms.
"Why the disappointed face, Ichigo." She heard Shinji questioning him.
Making sure she has her balance, Orihime turned to look at Ichigo.
She did not understand. He has the usual scowling face. So how could Hirako-sensei tell if he was disappointed?
She was mystified by the intensity in his eyes.
'Why is he staring at me?'
'Maybe he is crushed because he did not get the chance to be her knight in shiny armor.' Orihime surmised.
'No, no,no, get off your high horse.' 'Bad Hime.' Orihime tried to shake the images from her mind.
"Orihime-chan, is there anything wrong?" Shinji asked in concern.
"Inoue."
'Don't, don't look at him.'
"Inoue, are you feeling alright?" Ichigo placed his hand on her shoulder, not knowing in doing so he was causing Orihime to struggle even more with newly emerging emotions.
Not looking up, she shoved him the reason as to why she has called him.
"Here. This is for you. I baked it specially for you with Hokkaido red beans."
"Thank you, Inoue." Before he has time to ask her as to why he was given this treat, he saw only her back.
She was running away from him.
'Why?'
"So what do you have here? Smells nice." "Care to share?" Shinji wanted to partake in the heavenly smelling delicacy.
"Go away, Shinji."
He was not in the mood.
So she didn't want to talk to him.
Too bad. He knew where she was going.
He stalked towards the direction of Renji's hospital room.
(*_*)
She was not here. She was not in the room.
Where the hell is she?
"Kurosaki-sensei, is that something from our bakery?" Rangiku noticed the logo on the bag that was in Ichigo's hands.
"How did you find our little bakery?"
"Your daughter gave it to me."
"Hime is here?" "But we have not seen her." "Has she come and gone without paying her sick old father's a visit."
"Who's sick and old, Ran." Renji was more bothered by his daughter's absence.
"Ohayo oto-san, Rangiku-san." Speak of the devil; scratch that, angel.
She was a little taken aback when she saw Ichigo. Especially after what she has just heard.
"Kurosaki-sensei."
"Inoue."
"Where were you? We thought you have gone without telling us." "Your father was worried."
"I was not worried. She is a big girl." Renji denied being an overprotective parent.
Orihime was sorry she has made her parents worried but she has to listen in on a conversation concerning her.
She is troubled by what she heard. Nurses gossiped liked everybody else.
It sounded so spiteful.
It hurts.
"Hime, you look a little pale, are you feeling well?" "Do you need Kurosaki-sensei to take a look at you?"
'No.'
Orihime loves her non-biological mother but at this very moment, she wish Rangiku did not care about her so much.
"I am fine. I will be going to the bakery now."
"I'll walk with you."
"I do not want to trouble you."
"We are going the same way." 'Any more excuses.'
Orihime meekly complied. 'I don't think so.'
Bidding farewell to her parents, Orihime left the room with Ichigo.
"Don't they make a cute couple." Rangiku cooed to her husband's irritation.
"NO." Renji did not like this development one little bit.
(*_*)
The silence was killing him.
For such a bubbly girl, she has been rather quiet since they left the room.
'Does she have a personality disorder?' The doctor in him diagnosed the situation at hand.
'Or is she troubled by something?'
"Kurosaki-sensei, I will be going now."
He has been so engrossed with using his brain rather than his mouth that he was going to let the girl slip away from him again.
"Inoue, is anything troubling you." Why should he want to care?
"Nothing's the matter, Kurosaki-sensei." Who wouldn't believe the words that came with the warm smile.
"So you will not be trying to avoid me again." He challenged.
"No; and to prove my sincerity, I will bring you a treat everyday as long as my oto-san is here." She solemnly promised.
"Yubikiri." A little finger was waiting to be entwine with him.
'What are they, in high school?' 'Just how old is she?'
But.
How could he refuse with those big sparkling eyes gazing at him expectantly.
Checking to see if he was in the clear; he does have an reputation to maintain, after all.
Bending, he joins his little finger to hers.
The corresponding declaration was worth all the embarrassment he was going through.