I read all of your reviews. I have taken into what you all said into consideration, especially Neowww on Ichigo regaining his power. Neowww your review had detail on why Ichigo should not regain his power and made valid points. I can also assure you guys Ichigo will not steal the show. I wasn't planning on giving him his powers back right away. The truth be told I imagined a last minute deal with Ichigo only entering when the Privaron and the good guys had their final fight. I want to keep him powerless and helpless for a while when he finds out what is going on. Damn I sound like a flip flop, but Neowww's review really spoke to me and had a lot of things I was debating with when trying to decide to give Ichigo his powers back for a little while. I recently saw the Invading Gotei 13 Army arc and I am a little worried if I give Ichigo his powers back for a little while now people will think he copied that.
Anyway this chapter is a break from the plot for a bit and about the characters enjoying their normal lives. The school year is over. Ichigo, Orihime, and gang have just finished their freshmen year of high school (high school in Japan is still three years not four like in the States) and have a two week break. Ichigo and his friends being freshmen doesn't right and contradicts what I said in earlier chapters, but like I said in one chapter I messed up the ages. School year starts in Japan in April and the start of the LSS arc Yuzu talked about her school's entrance ceremony, revealing that school year just started for them. That means Ichigo just started his senior year in the current manga. Subtract the 17 months from that you get Ichigo and company were actually freshmen pre-timeskip.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All the characters belong to Tite Kubo.
"Hmm, let's see. Asano, Asano, Asano. Oh there I am!" exclaimed Keigo. He skimmed across the board in the hallways of Karakura High. This was not an easy task due to all the students crowding the area, pushing and fighting each other to get closer. Keigo had to do battle with the surprisingly rowdy mob for the better part of ten minutes. It took him another five to get close enough to the board. Finally after fifteen minutes of a long, grueling struggle the hyperactive teenager broke away from the sea of students and got his rightful place ahead of the pack. Now for his reward he could see the board and its contents. His eyes moved left to right, scanning the paper. His mouth curved into a U-shape, it grew larger and larger until his pearly white teeth made themselves known. "I did it. I did it. I DID IT!" Keigo cheered at the top of his lungs. He threw his arms into the air and rejoiced. He cheered and his impatient peers shoved him out of the way to get to the board. Despite being forcefully removed and nearly falling straight on his butt the pure jubilation that had emerged on his face had not lessened in the slightest. His arms were still in the air. Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YEEEEEEESSSSSSS!" he continued to shout. He spun around before jumping into air reaching heights that some would consider abnormal or at least to anyone who did not know Keigo.
Water secreted from his eyes staining his face. These were not tears of sadness, but rather tears of joy. He did it. He really did it. He tried to act like he didn't care, but the truth was he cared very much. He was seen as a clown by many including his friends and he knew that he only helped perpetrate those thoughts in the way he behaved. Even Keigo knew when it was time to be serious and stop with all the silly puns and childish gestures. What he saw on the board was proof of that in his humble opinion. "I D-ID IT!" The tears were streaming freely now. His eyes were closed as he absorbed this proud moment in his high school life. The gods had smiled upon him and now everything would be different. Now he had to wait for the flock of girls to come prancing to him begging him for a date! This was long overdue.
"Asano-san, what are you so happy about?"
Mentally Keigo groaned at the mention of his dreaded name. There was only one person who would call him Asano-san. Most knew he hated to be addressed as such by those he considers a friend. However, so ecstatic was Keigo that his face did not fall into its usual aching woe is me demeanor as would normally do when he heard that name. Today was just too damn good for something as menial as being addressed as Asano-san to bring him down. He turned around to face his vertically challenged, raven haired, and cellphone obsessed friend. "Mizuiro, how are you this fine day?" Keigo attempted to keep his jovial at bay, but was not successful. His tone was musical and free of any agitation or worry.
Taken aback by his friend's new sunny disposition Mizuiro stared blankly at the taller more emotional young man. Already his mind started putting together different possibilities for Keigo's unsettling good mood. Each possibility was becoming less and less plausible. He had all, but given up when a loud mouth student howled like a defeated dog. A light bulb went off inside of his head. Now he understood the source of Keigo's chipper mood. "I see Asano-san passed his exams," he said jokingly.
Keigo put his arms on his waist and nodded his head in such a smug manner that one would have thought he had scored the top of his class. "Why yes I did, Mizuiro. I received a passing score in all of my final exams for this term, which means I have passed all of my classes. In other words I am officially a JUNIOR!" He let out a boastful laugh. Mizuiro shook his head at how lively Keigo had become.
"Keigo, you are very bothersome to hang out with." His statement fell on deaf ears because Keigo did not pout or whine as Mizuiro was accustomed to when he insulted him. The brunet man continued to revel in his success.
Keigo was so enthralled that he never even saw the fist coming. It rammed right into his mouth putting an end to his laughs and causing the young man to sink to the ground like a stone. The pain was excruciating. Immediately he rolled around on the ground with his hands over his mouth, whining and cursing frantically. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Why does this stuff always happen to me!" he whined. His eyes stopped watering. Keigo was able to get a clear view of his assailant. She was standing above him wearing expression mixed with annoyance, irritation, and a tad bit of amusement. "Arisawa, why did you do that?" he cried.
Tatsuki glared down on him. Her glare had the strange effect of making Keigo feel like he was nothing, but a spec to the karate expert and star players of the karate team of Karakura High. One hand was on her hip. Her pitch black hair had grown slightly. It was making its way to her shoulder albeit slowly. "You were being annoying and you are so loud that it hurt my eardrums."
"So you just come up to me and punch me!" Keigo recovered, but was still on his back. He whimpered at his misfortune.
Tatsuki rolled her eyes before sighing. "If I didn't you wouldn't shut up. I know you well enough, Asano."
Keigo slowly got to his feet. His tears of joy had given way to tears of pain. Unlike before there was no longer a stream of water running freely over his face. He managed to somehow draw his tears back despite being punched by the woman deemed the second strongest in their age group in all of Japan. He would like to think all the abuse he took from Ichigo had strengthened his body. "Arisawa, you are just like Ichigo!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say just shut up." She brushed him aside not caring for another one of her odd acquaintance temper tantrums. Predictably Asano's outburst became louder. She rubbed her temples, trying very hard to fight back the fury building within. "Hey, shut up or else I'll knock you out even harder!" she threatened. To her relief Asano instantly stopped his childish cries. He had become as still as she had ever seen him before. He could be confused with a sculpture. Her ears picked up an amused laugh.
"Arisawa, you certainly come in handy when we need to make Keigo silent," Mizuiro praised.
Allowing a proud yet mirthful smile grace her lips Tatsuki chuckled with Kojima. "I don't mind if I can protect my eardrums."
Keigo growled at the duo. "You two are so cruel."
Tatsuki ignored his jab. "So what got you pumped up today anyway?" she asked him.
When Arisawa's question reached his ears Keigo's troubles were quickly forgotten. The happiness he experienced before the raven haired woman's assault returned. "Why am I pumped you ask. The answer to that is quite simple. You see I have passed all my final exams and classes. I, Asano Keigo am officially a JUNIOR!" A mighty brake like laugh erupted from Keigo. Tatsuki and Mizuiro watched him, sweat falling from the back of their heads, embarrassment swelled within their stomachs.
"You are hopeless, Asano," Tatsuki whispered.
His acute hearing proved itself useful and allowed Keigo to hear her. "Say whatever you want. The fact is that I passed all of my exams and classes with flying colors and have moved up to my second year of high school!"
Doubt paid a visit to both Mizuiro and Tatsuki's faces. Mizuiro started, "You passed…."
"…with flying colors," Tatsuki finished.
"Well…" He laughed uneasily while rubbing the back of his head a habit that had formed from his childhood when he was being less than honest. "By flying colors I mean the 70s ranges and a one 80…but I the point is I passed!"
"Oi, the way you were jumping and laughing I would have thought you got really good scores not average ones. Such a simple man, being satisfied with obtaining average scores is pitiful."
He plugged his ears with his fingers and shut his eyes as tightly as he could. "I am not hearing you. I am not hearing you. I am not hearing you."
"This guy is too exhausting." She turned to Mizuiro who she noticed did not have his cellphone out, text away at some girl. "How do you put up with him?"
Mizuiro shrugged his shoulders. "I like his energetic nature I suppose. He is really amusing when he gets upset. I am able to look pass his faults because I like him. Isn't it the same for you with Inoue and her quirks?"
Her thoughts went to the eccentric auburn haired princess. Orihime was a handful with her wild imagination, odd food combinations, and her naivety, but even with those quirks she was still a loving person who put others above herself. She looked after Tatsuki to the extent of her power and thing were never boring around her. "That's true," she admitted.
"Besides he may come off as annoying, but Keigo is a really good friend. Do you remember when we were running from that Aizen guy? Keigo was absolutely terrified, but he kept his head and made sure we were alright. He even got Afro-san's sword just in case he needed to use it to give us a chance to escape. We don't give him enough credit."
Tatsuki returned her gaze to the man child. Kojima did have a point. Asano was annoying with his whining when she found him, but considering the situation, being the only person awake in town while everyone else was lying unconscious on the ground would make most panic. It was understandable. He did keep his cool when they ran into that guy with the unreal force coming from his body, the man she now knew as Aizen. She had to admit that he acted courageous; though she would never divulge this to him lest he never shut up about it. "I guess you have a point." Kojima flashed her with his charming smile that had most likely deceived so many women in the past. She had to remember to be on guard with him. "Did you get a look at your scores?"
"Yeah, I passed all my exams," he answered. "I even managed to get a 90 on an exam."
"W-What?" uttered Keigo. Amazingly he heard Mizuiro's claim when only seconds ago he had been deaf to the rest of Mizuiro and Tatsuki's conversation. "You got a 90!"
Mizuiro nodded. "I mostly got 80s and a few 70s," he explained.
"You did better than me!" Keigo complained.
Tatsuki crossed her arms and shot him a stern glare. "You were shooting for average. Is it any wonder that Kojima did better than you?"
The brunet waved his arms in frenzy. "But Mizuiro and I usually get the same scores! Now he is has abandoned me just like Ichigo and Chad!"
"Instead of whining about others getting better scores than you just study harder," said a new voice. The trio turned in his direction. Asano pouted pathetically.
"Nobody asked you, Ishida."
Uryu merely shook his head. When would Asano ever learn? "With that attitude you will not do well on your college entrances exams," he stated.
"That isn't for another two years," Keigo said as though that settled the argument.
"Two years will come faster than you realize," Uryu warned him.
"Yeah, yeah whatever, I passed. I am moving on. Right now that is all that matters."
He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "Your short sight is astounding." The Quincy decided to turn his attention on people who were not sticking their tongues out at him.
"I take it you got top of our class as usual," Tatsuki teased.
"That is expected of Ishida," Mizuiro joined in.
"You don't have to talk like it is predetermined thing," grumbled the glasses cladded man.
"Oh, so you didn't get the top of the class," a playful Tatsuki continued.
Patches of crimson appeared on his face. Uryu fixed his glasses and choose to look away from the mocking smiles from the two dark haired teens. He cleared his throat. "Well, I did achieve the highest scores in our class."
"Oh wow, what a surprise," Tatsuki and Mizuiro said in unison. They broke out into a laugh while the humbled Quincy endured it.
When their laughter ceased and the blush had left his face Uryu posed a question. "Arisawa-san, how did you do?"
"I passed with 80s mostly."
"Ah, Arisawa got mostly 80s as well!" Keigo fell on his knees. He knew he would get the lowest scores out of all his friends, but surely not all of them got 80s like it was nothing. Knowing Ichigo and Chad they would have 90s or 100s just to spite him.
"Congratulations," Uryu praised.
"Thank you." She widened her lips into a cocky smile that she was known for. "All that studying I did really did pay off. It wasn't easy trying to study and work. I am grateful all the teams and clubs stopped meeting last week, so we could all study. That freed up a lot of time."
"That is good to hear," Uryu said. "Inoue-san isn't with you?"
"No, she had to go to this bakery after class. She applied for a job there and she got called back for an interview. Since today was really a free day while we waited for exam scores to be posted she told the owner that she could meet him today at noon."
"Inoue-san's job hunt finally bore some fruit." The kind-hearted healer had been looking for a part time job for weeks now, but had no luck. He hoped that her interview was successful.
"If Inoue gets a job that would solve her money issues right?" Mizuiro asked the taller woman. "She is on a fixed budget right."
Tatsuki replied, "Yes. She has a distant aunt that sends her money for her living expenses if she gets good grades and sometimes she throws in a little extra yen for her personal use, but she can't afford to go out and buy something for herself you know. She is so kind that it takes me and Ichigo a lot to convince her to let us pay for something. I guess she doesn't want to feel like a sponge."
"I keep forgetting Inoue doesn't have parents. I always sort of take it for granted, you know having my parents give me some money," Mizuiro said almost guiltily.
Sensing his guilt Tatsuki shook her head. "Don't feel bad. I am her best friend and even I take my parents for granted some times." She smiled warmly at him. "Besides ever since she has been dating Ichigo his father has been treating her like another daughter. He is always insisting that she has breakfast and dinner at the clinic. Orihime told me that he said she could invite me over anytime, since Ichigo, Karin-chan, and Yuzu-chan don't invite their friends over. That guy has always been hospitable though." She thought back to the times Isshin would welcome her over and encourage her to toughen up Ichigo back when he was still a mama's boy. The man was very welcoming. As if sensing her thoughts the offspring of the man she was thinking of walked out of the crowd of students along with a dark skinned, muscle bond giant by his side. 'Speak of the devil,' Tatsuki thought. "Oi, what's up you two?" She waved.
"Yo," Ichigo replied coolly.
"Hey," Sado said in the same even tone.
"You guys fought that mob. I would have thought the sight of the infamous duo, Kurosaki and Sado would send everyone flying out of your way," Mizuiro joked. He knew it always brought much annoyance to Ichigo whenever they mentioned his so called "thug" rep. Not one to disappoint the brightly orange color haired man's eyebrows twitched and the equally infamous scowl materialized.
"It has been a year of high school and since I haven't mugged anybody like everyone was expecting the infamous bleached haired punk, Kurosaki doesn't frighten people as much as it did at the start of the school year."
Keigo laughed, which only furthered to annoy Ichigo more. Wearing a broad smile Keigo walked up to Ichigo and started to pat him on the shoulder. "Your secret is out. Kurosaki Ichigo is really a nerd who studies in his room all day and not some punk who will kill you with a simple glare. Your act would have been up sooner if you didn't miss so much school last term."
Ichigo snatched Keigo's hand off of him then started to put pressure on it. The loud mouth brunet squealed and tried to wiggle out of his grip. "First of all, don't speak as though I started those rumors. I got into so many fights in middle school that when I started here rumors about how I was a trouble maker were already flying. Plus nobody believed this is my actual hair color. Any fight I got into this year was with punks who were picking a fight with me or jackasses who disrespected memorials of the departed." He added a more pressure, adding to Keigo's cries. He took a bit of sadistic pleasure at seeing Keigo suffer. "Secondly, the only reason I missed so many classes last term was so I could train and fight Aizen the same as Chad, Ishida, and Inoue. I was in a coma for a month too."
"Ok, ok I get it. I am sorry just please let go." His voice vibrated with sincere pain. Tear were threatening to leak out once more. Thankfully Ichigo saw his sincerity and let go of his hand. The minute Ichigo let go he started to attend to it, while putting some distance between Ichigo and himself.
"You didn't exactly do much to disprove those rumors with the way you carry yourself around as a loud mouth barbarian." Uryu smirked both inwardly and outwardly. He always took joy in ridiculing Kurosaki. It had become a bit of a ritual.
"Piss off!" shouted the ex-substitute. "You didn't exactly disprove the rumors about you being a stuck up and arrogant genius! If you ask me those rumors weren't so far off."
"What was that?" Uryu cried.
Ichigo smirked at getting the better at the Quincy. "I said you are stuck up brat."
"At least I am not emo punk who shifts his mood every five minutes!" Uryu screamed back. The verbal warfare between Ichigo and Uryu started.
"E-emo! Are you fucking kidding me? I am not emo at all!"
"You shift from happy, to angry, to sad so often that none of us can tell what you are feeling! If that isn't emo than I don't know what is?" he shouted.
"This from the guy who is emotionally dead inside! Nobody can tell if you feel anything at all! You are like a robot, acting all stoic!"
"There they go again," Tatsuki said. She shook her head. Watching those two was so taxing on her.
"Can't they ever get through the day without arguing?" Keigo asked.
Mizuiro shook his head to answer Keigo's question. "That is just how Ichigo and Ishida are."
"Well it is killing my eardrums," Tatsuki complained. "Hey, idiots SHUT UP ALREADY!" she screamed so loud that entire hallway echoed with her voice. She had gathered an audience, at least from those in the back of the mob trying to fight their way to the board. Ichigo and Ishida stopped to stare at her. Both wore expressions of shock. "Seriously, it is the same thing with you two. My ears can't handle it. One of the siblings to the kids I instruct got away from his mom and screamed right in my ear yesterday when I was sitting down. That kid had a set of lungs on him. I really don't need to hear you two shouting at each other, while you have your pissing contest." She glared darkly at both men. "I don't need this got it?" They said nothing. She growled like lioness ready to pounce.
"Got it," they said in unison.
"Good," she said cheeringly.
Keigo leaned in on Mizuiro. "Arisawa can be really scary," he whispered to the cellphone obsessed friend. He nodded in agreement with Keigo assessment.
Out of the corner of her eye Tatsuki saw something in Ichigo's hand. She took a closer look and discovered he was carrying a piece of paper. Her curious nature took hold of her. "Hey, Ichigo," she called.
"Yeah," he replied.
She pointed at his hand then asked, "What's that in your hand?"
In the blink of an eye Ichigo's entire face turned beat red. He was quick to turn his gaze to the floor, avoiding all of them. Tatsuki's curiosity inflated to the size of a blimp. She was not the only one. The rest of their friends also became interested in what was in his hand that could invoke this response from him, including Sado.
"It's nothing," he replied almost too low for them to hear.
Tatsuki would have none of Ichigo's deceit today. "If it was nothing you wouldn't look like a tomato right now. Spill it!"
Damn she was nosey and intrusive. Couldn't she ever let things go? "Like I said it is nothing big." Feeling her powerful glare on him he knew that Tatsuki would not accept this answer either. He had no choice. "Inoue is at a job interview right now. She had to leave before exam results were posted. She was going to come back later to see how she did, so to save her a trip I copied down her scores on this piece of paper. Like I said it is nothing big."
"Why aren't you a considerate boyfriend," teased Tatsuki, who was wearing mischievous smirk.
He expected as much from her. That is why he did not want to tell her what was on the paper. The former vizard kept his sights on the floor, determined not to look Tatsuki in the eye and give her the satisfaction of seeing him flushed. Too bad this tactic did not stop his friends from sharing a chuckle at his expense.
"Kurosaki, Sado-kun, how did you two do on the exams?" Uryu questioned.
Ichigo rejoiced at the change of subject. "I passed all of them. I brought my grades up too." Orihime had been right. This term had been easier for him since he did not have to worry about catching up on school work. He owed her for her help in keeping him caught up, while he balanced his school work and his part time job. He would make sure to return the favor once she joined the workforce, which would be soon hopefully. "I managed to get a 98 in Math."
"98 in Math!" cried Keigo. "I knew you were good in Math, but you actually got a 98 on the final exam? You really are one giant nerd!" The brunet started to blubber.
Ichigo having a lot of practice at tuning him out by now activated his Keigo shields. "Math is one of my strongest subjects. Biology is what killed me. I barely got a 72 on that."
"Yeah, but you still passed," Tatsuki pointed out to him before her eldest friend started to beat himself up over something trivial. "Besides wasn't that your lowest score?"
"Yeah, everything else was 80s." Keigo's cries grew louder. Just like he thought, Ichigo got a 98 just to spite him.
Sado spoke up, "I got two 90s and three 80s on the final exams."
Uryu smiled at their silent giant. "Congratulations, Sado-kun."
"That means we all passed." Mizuiro closed his eyes and curved his lips into a charming smile. "With this we are officially juniors now." The group shared nods and murmurs of "oh yeah" and "that's rights."
Keigo threw off the shackles of misery and returned to his normally goofy energetic self. "We have two weeks off until the new school year starts in April! Two week break from rigorous studying and tedious exams! We can enjoy the warm, gentle and lively spring days and party all night! It will be a wonderful time!"
"Asano-san is really excited about our spring break," Mizuiro said.
"Stop calling me Asano-san! You know how much I hate when you call me that!"
Mizuiro pulled out his cellphone and started texting. "Hmm, what was that, Asano-san?"
"Aaaagggghhh!" screamed a frustrated Keigo. He rubbed his hands in his brown locks roughly trying to control his pent up frustrations and not lash out at the shorter man. "I'm so sick of you guys ignoring me!"
"Ha," Ichigo breathed out. "Nobody is ignoring you. Can you stop freaking out over every little thing though?"
"I am with Ichigo on this one," Tatsuki said. "Besides your plans aren't going to happen."
"Why is that?" he asked in a huff.
"Simple. I am working extra shifts during the break to make a little extra money. I am sure Ichigo and Sado are in the same boat since they have jobs as well."
He turned to the silent giant and the scowling carrot top. They confirmed Arisawa's words.
Sado was the first to speak. "During the break I am planning on spending more time to work. Sorry, Keigo, but I won't be able to hang out as much as I would like to." He did plan on spending more time working during the break it just wasn't at his job. He and Inoue had already agreed to use the break to their advantage and train longer. They were making progress, but they could not pass up the opportunity to get more training in without alerting Ichigo's suspicions. Urahara-san had given them permission to use his underground training room whenever they liked. For the last two weeks they had been doing just that. Sado had to admit Inoue was a better sparring partner than he originally thought.
"Nakamura-san has already added hours to my schedule since it is spring break. That old man couldn't wait to give me more work," Ichigo said the last part under his breath. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. At least he had a job and it wasn't like he couldn't use the extra money.
"Ah, no way! All of you are going to be working your spring break away! That leaves only me, Mizuiro, and Ishida!"
The raven haired man cleared his throat to get the groups attention. "Actually during the break I will be helping out at Karakura General Hospital. My time will not be my own."
"Hmm, you are volunteering at hospital?" Tatsuki inquired. "Are you interested in becoming a doctor?"
Ichigo asked, "Are you trying to get recommendation for college this early?"
Uryu dismissed both notions. "I haven't really thought of pursuing a career in medicine. At the moment I have no plans to become a doctor. I am not seeking out any recommendation."
A confused Ichigo stared at his four-eyed friend. "So why are you going to be helping out at the hospital?"
Mizuiro jumped slightly as mental lightning hit his brain, giving him new enlightenment. "Karakura General Hospital isn't that the place your father works at?"
Ichigo, Keigo, and Tatsuki were caught by complete surprise. Sado on the other hand was the picture of restraint as always. Ichigo turned to his rival. Most of the shock at Ishida's father being a doctor had worn off. "You never said anything about your father being a doctor before." The Quincy's expression had changed from the controlled stoic mask he wore. Ichigo could see the raw almost animal like glare. It was like a raging inferno, but somehow it had been frozen at its mightiest moment just to preserve it. 'What the hell is his problem?' Ichigo wondered.
Mizuiro took noticed in Ishida's drastic shift in demeanor. Like Ichigo he pondered on why the normally stoic man that controlled his emotions lost control of them. Was Ishida's father a sore spot for him? "Um, I just remembered when my father was in the hospital that I saw the name Ishida on the director's office. I imagined that the director was your father."
"Eh, Ishida's father is the director of an entire hospital!" Keigo exclaimed. "No wonder you don't have to worry about money."
"Oh I get it. You are volunteering at the hospital to help out your father," Tatsuki suggested.
Help his father out. Those words did not go together. Uryu's relationship with his father was so strained that it was not uncommon for them to go without speaking to each other for days. Ryuken's hours at the hospital also helped to ensure that though. There were days when he came home well after Uryu was asleep. If he had his way he would spend as little time as possible with his father, but he had no choice. In order to get stronger for the coming battle with the Privaron Espada he had gone to Ryuken to seek training from him. He fully expected that man to turn him down and cite how Uryu had no talent for being a Quincy and how Ryuken had no desire to be one. Uryu was proven right. His father did say all of those things, but he also said more. He continued to berate Uryu with his latest defeat. His father said he would like to ignore his request, but he would not deny it. The elder man declared that Uryu needed his help if he was to survive. Of course it wouldn't be his father if he did not add an insult or two. The thought of going to his father and actually ask him for help made him want to vomit. However, he had no choice. Ryuken was a powerful and experienced Quincy despite his lack of interest in it. If he wanted to grow to a new level before the enemy returned he would need his father's guidance. There was only so much he could do training alone. Sado-kun and Inoue-san invited him to train with them, but something inside of him told him that training with his father was for the best. He doubted he could spar with Inoue-san. He would hold back when facing her and that would only delay both of their advancements. Between him, Kurosaki, and Sado-kun the one who would be able to go all out with Inoue-san was Sado-kun. He and Kurosaki's protective nature for the healer would get in the way of their training. Sado-kun while protective of her also knew when to suppress his protective urges and treat Inoue-san the same way he treated Kurosaki or even him.
Sado-kun was the best sparring partner for the red-orange haired woman. Uryu held no such fondness for Ryuken. Sparring with him would be very easy for him. The animosity festering beneath them would bring out more of his power. The last two weeks he had engaging his father had been using him for target practice. It was his job to avoid all the arrows Ryuken shot at him and nothing else, as in no countering with his own arrows or anything else. If he didn't know better he would have sworn his father was trying to kill him. "Something like that," he finally replied with Tatsuki. Although he reined in his mixed emotions in his father he unknowingly let resentment he felt slip out. It was so hidden within his tone that only Ichigo, Sado, and Tatsuki were able to pick up on it. Ichigo exchanged s look with the hollow powered human. Tatsuki narrowed her chocolate spheres slightly and stared at Uryu. Perplexed by what had set off the reserved number one of their class.
"Ugh, even Ishida is working! We aren't going to hang out at all this spring!" Keigo furrowed his brow in anger, but instead of looking angry his overdramatic sadness and happiness tainted his expression. He looked like a mix between angry, sad, and happy, making it a comical expression. He pointed an accusing finger at Ichigo. "You said having part time jobs wouldn't affect our friendship! Now you all are going to be working through spring break and none of us are going to hang out! On the eve of our junior year and we won't be spending any time together! How cruel you are! I can't believe you. This is supposed to…." He never finished his sentence. The scowling carrot top elbowed him in the face and silenced him instantly.
"Shut up and listen. I am going to be working in the mornings and afternoons. I'll get off by 3, so it is not like I won't be around. I just can't stay out really late because I go in at 9 in the morning." A pair of arms wrapped around Ichigo taking him by surprise.
"ICHIGO!" chanted Keigo, his face stained by tears once again. He hugged Ichigo and rubbed his cheek against his chest, making the ex-substitute very uncomfortable. "You do care. You really…CARRRRRREEEE!" he sobbed.
A vein formed on his forehead and his short fuss was lit. Foolish Keigo had yet to realize what his actions had set off. Ichigo exploded. He broke out of Keigo's grasp and proceeded to beat him into the ground. The others ignored this as it had become a regular occurrence. Questions still formed within Tatsuki. For some reason she wanted to know what the source of Ishida's discontent with his father.
"Ishida," she called. When his light blue eyes landed on her she continued, "I hope I am not intruding too much, but do you not get along with your father?" She noticed that the raven haired man had a strange faraway look in his appealing light blue eyes, almost as if he was a million miles away. Perhaps she was out of line to ask him such a question. Ishida's relationship with his father was his own business after all. Who was she to get involved? "Listen, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"No it is fine. To answer your question my father and I have different views on subjects. It leads to disagreements."
Sensing the tension that she partially created Tatsuki brushed his right arm sympathetically. He raised an eyebrow at this as did Mizuiro and Sado. At least she thought Sado did. It was difficult to tell since he was still wearing that disinterested expression. Feeling she overstepped a boundary the second strongest woman in Japan blushed. "Maybe you could use these two weeks to try and find some common ground with him," she muttered.
Uryu's eyes broadened and mouth opened slightly. Arisawa-san's suggestion caught him by surprise. It had been so long since he heard someone suggest he try to understand his father. The last person who told him that was his grandfather, the man he idolized. It shamed Uryu that he disregarded his grandfather's words. He failed to understand his father's distain for being a Quincy or why he was so cold to his grandfather. Unable to understand Ryuken only lead to resentment and they had been at odds ever since. He used to despise his father for trampling all over his grandfather's and by extension their heritage by abandoning the Quincy. However, now he discovered that his father was a Quincy and one whom his grandfather recognized as the true Last Quincy. There was something he was unaware of. What happened between his grandfather and father? Did that have any reason for why his father seemed to despise being a Quincy? Arisawa-san had a point. He closed his mouth and smiled modestly at her. "I'll take your suggestion into consideration, Arisawa-san." The blush on her cheeks darkened. He heard her mutter a "no problem."
The beating ended with Keigo twitching on the ground. Ichigo stood above him, nursing his knuckles. "You are getting as annoying as my old man!" He stuffed his sore hands into his pockets.
"Poor Asano-san," Mizuiro said, shaking his head slowly. "I guess he won't ever learn."
Ichigo snorted at the shorter man's understatement. He started to stroll away.
"Hey, Ichigo where are you going?" asked Mizuiro.
He stopped and turned around. "I am going to the bakery Inoue is having her interview at. I want to see how she did."
"Before you go, Keigo wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to lunch. It was supposed to be a celebration for all of us if we passed our final exams."
"Where are you guys going?" Ichigo asked.
"I think we are going to yours and Chad's spot, Bakusui's Ramen cart."
"Tatsuki, Ishida, Chad, are you guys going?"
"Yeah," Sado replied plainly. Uryu and Tatsuki also agreed to the outing, leaving Ichigo the only one left to reply.
"I'll pick up Inoue first. I am sure she wants to go. We'll meet you there." He started walking off again.
"Hey, do you think you two will make it?" Tatsuki asked. "We know how hard it is for you two keep your hands off each other when you are alone!" Ever since White Day when Tatsuki caught Ichigo and Orihime in a moment of weakness kissing passionately on the school roof she took every opportunity she could to ridicule them with it.
"I'll remember this when you get a boyfriend. That is if you get one with that nasty attitude of yours," he mocked. Ichigo stopped to see that his insult had the desired effect. Tatsuki looked absolutely furious. He left before she could come with a counter. He was happy to have gotten the last word for a change.
"Thank you for seeing me again." Orihime gave a small bow to the elder man sitting behind the desk. He was surprisingly thin from what she was expecting. He looked like he could use more meat on his bones. His skin was a bit pale, with some lines that would probably become wrinkles in the near future. He had chestnut hair and brown eyes. There was a streak of white running through the sides of his hair, revealing his age. His cheeks contrasted his thin body. They were slightly swelled. He had a smile that was pure delight plastered on his face. She was grateful for that because that smile put her at ease when she first arrived.
"It was a delight. I am happy to see a polite young woman such as you interested in working here. I did not expect too many candidates from your age group and the ones that applied did not inspire much confidence," the kindly elder man said. He got out of his seat and walked over to her. He opened the door for her and invited her to go through it. He was a gentleman from what she could tell. "I look forward to seeing you here on Monday, Orihime-chan." He held out his hand for her to shake.
Orihime curled her lips into a bright smile. She shook his hand with enthusiasm. "Ai, I will be here bright and early. I will make sure you do not regret hiring me, Choshi-san."
He chuckled deeply at the young woman's zealous. "I am sure you will not disappoint me." The auburn beauty graced him with her angelic laugh before she departed from the bakery. He watched her go with an affectionate gaze. "Such a kind young girl, she reminds me of my daughter when she was that age." So far he was satisfied with his new employee.
Orihime left the bakery. She was unable to keep her body under control. Her giddiness escaped from her and she jumped into the air. "Yes! I did it! I got the job!" she cheered. She clapped for joy at her accomplishment. After weeks of searching, months she had found a place that would hire her. The best part was it was a bakery! It had everything, bread, bagels, cake, cupcakes, and other tasty bakery treats! And she would get to take some of them home. This was the ideal job for her. She could hardly wait until she could bring treats to her friends. Oh and now whenever they had birthdays she could get a discount on cake and buy it for all of them. Sado-kun had a birthday coming up in April. She could get him a cake and they could throw a party for him! This job would enrich all of their lives. Orihime would make sure of that. After all cake was one of the most delicious and sweetest foods in the world. It could bring people together through parties that featured it as the main dessert. Chocolate cake was especially good. The rich flavor, the way it crumbled into your mouth, that yummy aftertaste that went with it and the way it filled not only your stomach, but your taste buds as well. Chocolate cake was a gift from the gods themselves. The goddess' thoughts were of nothing, but that tasty chocolate treat. Her hazel eyes became glazed. Drool escaped her mouth. A strong yearning for chocolate cake came over Orihime. "Mm, now I want some cake. Maybe I should have asked Choshi-san if I could purchase a piece with my discount." She shook her head of such selfish thoughts. "No, I haven't even started yet. I can't expect to use my discount yet. But I really want some chocolate cake now!" she whined.
"Orihime!"
The princess' thoughts of cakes were pushed aside for the thoughts of her other love, the bright orange haired boy. A pleasant carefree smile formed on her lips. Her light brown orbs began to shimmer. She greeted him with a wave. "Kurosaki-kun, I mean Ichigo-kun!" She mentally scolded herself for her forgetfulness. Orihime still had problems using his given name. He seemed to slip up every now and again, but not as much as she did. Of course they still referred to each other by their surnames around people. They only used their given names when they were alone. Their reasoning varied. Ichigo did this, so as not to draw more attention from their friends who he thought had taken far too much interest in them. Her reasoning was more romantic, being called Orihime by Ichigo when they were alone felt so intimate. It was as if they were in their own world. She told him as much. He said he didn't really get it, but he blushed after she made her revelation. She suspected he did feel the same way she did.
She jogged to Ichigo. Instead of stopping as he expected her to she charged right into him and wrapped he arms around him in tight, yet gentle embrace. That wasn't all she kissed him on the cheek. "I am going to guess this greeting means you got the job."
"I got the job!" she sang. "Ichigo-kun, I got the job! I am officially employed. I am working at a bakery too! This is a dream come true."
"That's great news, Orihime. I am happy for you." He planted is lips on the top of her head, kissing it affectionately. "Here is some more good news for you." He reached in his pocket and retrieved a piece of paper. His Hime looked on with the interest and innocence associated with a child. He couldn't help, but grin. Her pure child-like spirit was one of the things he loved about her. He unfolded it then handed it to her.
"What is this?" She looked over the paper carefully.
"You left school before the results of the final exams were posted, so I thought I would save you the trip of going back and copied all your scores down. I even added your grades too."
Her face lit up. A wide and bashful smile that went from cheek to cheek formed. "Aw, that is so sweet."
"I-It was no big deal," he said modestly. He felt some embarrassment at her thanks. However, he kept his eyes locked on to hers. Ichigo found himself running from the beautiful princess less and less. Still a charged look from his Hime was enough to make him retreat momentarily. Orihime went on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips before he could react.
"That was me thanking you," she stated.
"I appreciate it." She giggled at his reply and the blank expression he wore. Orihime scanned the paper. "Not surprising, but you passed all of the exams. I saw a 96 on that English exam you were worried about. I told you that you worrying for nothing." She pulled him into another hug. He made a mental note that whenever Orihime received good news or was in a good mood that she became very affectionate. All the ex-substitute needed to do was make sure he was around her when she was in a good mood.
"How did Tatsuki-chan do?" she asked. Their embrace continued. The healer did not want it to end it just yet.
"Tatsuki and everybody else passed. In fact they all went to Bakusui's Ramen cart to celebrate finishing up our freshmen year. They invited us to come."
"Oh, can we go?" she asked eagerly.
Ichigo closed his eyes and laughed. "Yeah, I figured you would want to go." He let go of her as she pulled away.
"Bakusui-san's ramen is the best in all of Japan," she repeated the ramen cook's famous saying. "I love going there with you, so with all our friends there it should be a hundred times more fun."
"I am not sure how true that statement is. Keigo has been going in and out of moods all afternoon because of exam scores or everyone having a job. He'll probably be more of a headache than usual." He let out a tired and annoyed breath. Just thinking about the brunet was exhausting.
"Asano-kun is just feeling a bit left out. You, Kojima-kun, and Sado-kun use to hang out a lot. When you met Kuchiki-san and became a shinigami. You had so much going on that you weren't able to spend as much time with them as you use to. I am sure he felt out of the loop. Sometimes I think Tatsuki-chan felt the same way." The couple walked off in the direction of the ramen cart.
"When you put it that way I can understand how he feels a bit."
"I am sure it only got worse once Ishida-kun and I started to hang around you. When returned to school after summer break ended and we had just returned from the Soul Society he got himself worked up over the four us greeting each other."
He remembered that outburst well. Keigo wouldn't shut up about during lunch at all. He spouted nonsense on how he was getting pushed out of the inner circle, while Ishida and Orihime were slipping in. 'Thinking about it though Keigo had a point. In middle school it was just me and Chad. When we met Keigo and Mizuiro our circle grew. After I met Rukia and became a shinigami I got to know Orihime better and met Ishida. I am pitiful. I never even noticed how much my circle of friends grew. This school year has been interesting.'
Noticing the serene look in his chocolate shaded eyes Orihime raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking about?" Orihime asked him.
"That this was interesting school year," he answered truthfully.
She smirked. "I agree. It has been an interesting school year." There was no telling what the next year would have in store for them. Orihime only hoped that her relationship with Ichigo would only strengthen. She stole a glance at her beloved Kurosaki-kun. Unbeknown to her he also stole a glance at her. When their brown eyes met smiles appeared on their faces. Without words they took each other's hands, walking side by side to the ramen cart.
The seven friends were laughing, joking, and enjoying their company. Once Ichigo and Orihime arrived at Bakusui's cart the party ordered their meals. Orihime naturally ordered the oddest combinations that she could, but also ended up eating the most, even more than Sado who was known to consume great quantity of food due to his size. Keigo, Mizuiro, Sado and Uryu were stunned by how much the hour glass figured woman put away. Ichigo and Tatsuki having grown use to Orihime's large appetite did not bat an eye at her chaotic and large bowl of ramen. The healer revealed her new job and her high scores, much to Keigo's dismay. The usual bickering between Ichigo and Uryu then with Ichigo and Tatsuki broke out. Mizuiro flirted with Tatsuki and Orihime something neither Ichigo nor Uryu took too kindly too. Sado enjoyed a chuckle or two at the ex-substitute and the Quincy's expense. As a treat for passing their exams Bakusui cut their bill in half, even though the group (Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu) tried to persuade him that his generosity was too much, but he would not have it and they accepted his gift. They were taking an aimless stroll through the park near the ramen cart.
"I don't get why we can't go see a movie?" Tatsuki posed the question a second time. She stood in between Sado and Uryu.
Keigo responded, "I am running low on yen."
"I don't see how that is a problem," Tatsuki complained.
"That is easy for you to say. You have a job. I don't."
"Whose fault is that?" she said smugly. "You could always stop relying on your parents for money and get a job yourself."
At this he shook his head violently. "No thank you. I plan on enjoying as much care free life style as I can. I'll join the workforce and have my soul crushed after high school."
"In other words you plan on sponging off your parents for as long as you can," Tatsuki said sarcastically.
"Until you start living on your own, Arisawa you sponge off your parents to, with the food they provide you and the roof over your head," he quipped, silencing her.
"He does have a point, Arisawa," Mizuiro chimed in. His head was into his cellphone as he texted away at a girl he planned on meeting that evening.
"Oh shut up, Kojima." To her ire Kojima only smiled at her. She rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Asano. "If money is an issue just borrow some from one of us."
"He's borrowing money from you," Ichigo spat out. He held Orihime's hand as they walked. Tatsuki scrunched her face into a scowl.
"What the hell is your problem?"
Ichigo matched her scowl with a scowl of his own. It was just as mean and dark as the raven haired woman's. He felt Orihime squeeze his hand to urge him not to get into another argument with her best friend. She always hated when he and Tatsuki went to verbal war with one another. Keeping this in mind Ichigo chained the anger that he had allowed to rise. "I already lent Keigo money and haven't gotten any of it back." He shot the energetic loud mouth a suspicious glare. He held his hands out in a peace gesture, while he sweated bullets. "I am not giving him anymore until he starts paying me back."
"Hey now, you know I am good for it, Ichigo."
The carrot top man scoffed at his claim. "Bullshit if you were good for it you would have paid me back by now. I've gotten more money from Inoue out on dates then I do from you. I insist she doesn't give money, but she does anyway. What the hell is your excuse?"
"That's not a fair comparison. She is your girlfriend. She can pay you back anytime and you won't get angry," he complained.
"That's not the point dumbass!" he screamed, causing his friend to shrink behind Sado. He opened his mouth to say more when he felt another gentle squeeze from his kind hearted girlfriend. He looked to his right to see her milk white smooth face with doe like brown eyes staring at him with adoration and devotion. His anger was appeased.
"Kurosaki-kun, I could lend Asano-kun the money so he can pay you back and then he can owe me the money."
"No way in hell! You are way too kind of a person. If I let you do that he would take advantage of your kindness and never pay you back!" He shot a glare at Keigo who was still hiding behind Chad.
"I resent that! I am not so low as to not pay back my debts and I would never take advantage of someone as kind as Inoue! Frankly I am insulted you would say otherwise Ichigo. I have always paid you back in the past. I am running a little low this month that's all."
"You only pay me back after I remind you a bunch of times," Ichigo argued. "Inoue does not start her job until Monday and her first pay check won't be to either the end of next week or the week after that. There is no telling when you could pay her back. I would much rather have you owe me than her."
"Alright, so I lend Asano this money so we can see a movie. When does he pay me back?" Tatsuki asked.
Keigo shook his head vigorously. "If I accept your money then I owe both you and Ichigo. You two will threatening me until I pay and whoever I pay first will only get me in hot water with the other."
Uryu interrupted the dispute. "If we do come to an agreement what movie would we see?" No one was eager to answer his question. He looked from one face to another he saw they all baffled or unknown looks. There started a new dilemma.
Sado broke the silence to everyone's relief. "There isn't really anything out that I am interested in seeing."
"What about that new action flick that came out?" Tatsuki suggested.
Sado frowned at the thought of the movie Arisawa was talking about. "Mizuiro, Keigo, and I saw that last week and it was bad."
"Puff, that's for sure. I wasted my money on that," Keigo complained.
Ichigo growled. This information was news to him. "You don't have money to pay me back, but you had enough to see a movie last week?"
Keigo laughed nervously. He started to fidget behind Chad. Now he was worried that the silent giant was not large enough to keep him from Ichigo. "Well that is kind of the reason I can't pay. I forgot about the money I owe you when I bought the ticket." He let out another tense laugh that sounded just as unsettling as it felt. "It's kind of funny when you think about it."
"Yes it is historically," Ichigo muttered sarcastically.
"I sure as hell not going to lend you money now," Tatsuki told Keigo. "Not if you are pulling crap like that."
"You all act like a sponge off of you every day. I forgot to pay you back, Ichigo. I am sorry."
"It doesn't sound like we will be able to decide on a movie to see," Uryu whispered to himself, but the others heard.
"There is that new action/horror film. It is about a guy who gains supernatural powers and he has to protect the mortal world from a race of evil spirits bent on eating human souls," Mizuiro suggested. Ichigo, Chad, Inoue, and Ishida stared at him as though he was an idiot or Keigo. "Ok bad idea."
"I've had enough of soul eating monsters to last a life time," Ichigo muttered. He wasn't lying. If he never saw another hollow for the rest of his natural life-time he would count himself fortunate. That was a bitter-sweet wish. After all without his powers he could not see hollows and for that to continue his powers would have to remain gone. That was something he did not want to happen. He still held out hope that his powers would return in the future.
"Nothing is out. That is good because I don't have the money," Keigo kept reminding them.
"We heard you the first three times," Uryu said in a clearly annoyed tone.
"Hey if Ichigo is going to keep bringing up I owe him money I have to keep bringing up I don't have it."
An idea hit Orihime, causing her to jump lightly. "Oh, we could go to my apartment and watch a movie there! That way we can watch whatever we want and not have to spend money. Oh and I can even make us all snacks!" She clapped her hands at the thought of all the lovely snacks that she had at home. "I can make mustard filled rice balls with chocolate!" she exclaimed happily. She failed to notice her friends turn green.
"Umm, Inoue, we can buy some snacks," Ichigo said. He tried to disguise his disgust so he would not hurt her feelings. He would walk through hell for her, but even he had his limits. Her odd taste of food was just one thing he would not brave for her. "This way you don't have to trouble yourself with preparing us food."
Tatsuki nodded hesitantly. "Ichigo is right. We'll just buy some food then go back to your place."
"Are you sure you have no problem with all of us going to your apartment, Inoue-san? We do not want to intrude."
"Don't be silly, Ishida-kun. We will have a lot of fun! I have had lots of people over my apartment before when Rangiku-san and Histugaya-kun were here. This is a celebration for becoming juniors!"
Uryu was still unsure, but seeing Inoue-san's lovely and carefree face smile at him made his reservations disappear. His lips curled into a small smile, giving her his assurance that he would be there.
"Going to Inoue's apartment is like a dream come true!" Keigo sang. A stern and very evil glare from Ichigo froze him were he stood. He recognized that glare all too well. It was the glare Ichigo only gave him when he was standing on very, very thin ice. He should have more sense to gush over his fantasy of going over to Inoue's apartment with her protective and short tempered boyfriend there. "I mean it should be fun." Ichigo's glare did not lessen at all. Apparently the ex-substitute was not done conveying his message yet.
"That is good with me as long as we do it now. I have a date tonight." Mizuiro confirmed said date with the girl then put his phone away. "Chad, are you in?"
"Yeah," replied the silent giant.
"You know I am in," Tatsuki uttered.
Orihime clapped again. Her eyes closed and her large smile had appeared. The energy bounced off of her body exciting all of those around her. "It is settled we will go to my place and watch a movie! It will be like a little party!" She started humming happily. With an aim set the group of friends left for Orihime's place. The school year was an interesting one. Orihime found her circle of friends had not only gotten larger, but become diversified. She looked around to Asano-kun chatting away with Sado-kun and Kojima-kun. Her eyes fell on her best friend and Ishida-kun conversing about something. They both wore smiles. She bumped into Ichigo on purpose, but made sure it was light. He asked her why she did that with a just a look. "I am happy," she uttered.
"Good because you deserve to be." The dark brown spheres were consumed by love. His sight was frozen on the goddess, his goddess. Unable to look away Ichigo continued to beam down on her, unwisely ignoring what was in front of him. She eventually took notice of his stare. She turned her head to meet his gaze.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing, I just like seeing you happy. You glow when you are really happy." Surprisingly Ichigo did not run away from her eyes, nor did he blush. Orihime on the other hand a deep shade of red and that infectious smile grew twice in size.
God she wanted to kiss him, but all their friends were there. They would hassle them for their public display of affection. That didn't really matter did it? She wasn't ashamed of her love for her beloved Kurosaki-kun. It was the opposite. She was proud of it. Orihime stole a kiss from him, brushing his lips ever so lightly. She felt him return it and intensify it without turning the kiss into a make out session.
"Oh come on you two. We aren't going to have to see that when watch the movie are we?" Keigo asked when their kiss ended.
"If you don't like it don't watch it," Ichigo stated as a matter of fact. He groaned. "It is not like we do this in front of you guys all the time anyway."
"We thank you for that," Tatsuki said with wit she was known for.
Ichigo did not respond. He held his tongue. Getting the better of Tatsuki did not seem so important at the moment. He was with friends, holding his girlfriend's hand, and things were peaceful. He couldn't help, but think that maybe, just maybe normal life was not as bad as he thought it was.
A care free chapter with the gang acting likes normal teenagers for a change. Orihime got her job at the bakery. She has to balance work and training with Chad now and when school starts that will be another ball to juggle. Uryu started training with Ryuken, while Orihime and Chad train by themselves. That part in there is to let you know they have already started training already. If think the scores for Ichigo and his friends are too high, Japan's education system is top notch. I am assuming that Ichigo and his friends studied hard enough get mostly 80s or 90s to pass. I hope you guys liked the chapter. Please review.