Ch.6 Enter the Leech

Here's a long one! Enjoy

- Life is Like you fill in the blanks ;)

"Itsumo sasaete kureru hito-tachi ni
Higoro no omoi wo kometa RHAPSODY
APPRECIATION no kimochi yo todoke
Itsumo arigatou hontou arigatou
Tatoe doko ni itatte kimi no sonzai ni kansha shiteru yo"

A group of happy people loudly sang a song of appreciation to anyone walking by that will listen as they languidly stroll the white sandy beach. While singing, the gang skipped, tripped, and enjoyed themselves on the Soul Society private resort beach. The sun is shining at the perfect temperature. The seas glimmer a bright blue and there seems to be no clouds in the sky. The only thing missing are the extra beach towels poor slave Ichigo is running to get in Tatsuki's hotel room.

"Furimukeba I WILL BE THERE
JUST FOREVER kimi ga ittekureta you ni
Furimukeba I WILL BE THERE
JUST FOREVER kimi ga ittekureta you ni"

Crowds walking by particularly stared at the girl singing atop of her lungs, jumping and hopping in front of the group. Her arms flailing and her chest bopping; she couldn't help but attract men's attention. The fellow walking beside her straightened his glasses and pretends to not know her.

"Ishida-kun! Sing with us! Don't worry! No one cares!" Orihime shouted with glee.

"Hey enough of this singin'! Who's with me?" Tatsuki then ran to the sparkling blue water and dived into its freshness.

"Hey wait for me! Chotto-matte kudasai!" Inoue joined.

Grunt…said Sado-kun.

Aah..that stupid Ichigo can't be any slower…might as well…"AHOY I'M COMING!"

"AACH RUKIA-SAN! Don't splash me!"

"Are you coming or not Ishida?"

"haihai…"

The five of them splashed and merrily played until one of them sadly announced, "mou…I got a sun-burn…"

" Hime-san…you should have put on some sun-block before you left. Here, let me get it for you." Ishida then trudged to their saved spot on the crowded beach to get his "princess" her much-needed sunblock.

…

"Haaa Orihime, hime-san? You two have gotten awfully close lately…" suddenly a lady covered in the most absurd apparel for the beach appeared behind Orihime.

"MOM! What are you doing here? And..mom…why are you wearing…your beach towels and your Eskimo hat at the same time…"

"Neh Hime…I don't have any other hats? What, you want me get sun-burn like youh?

"Ah, Inoue-san. Pleased to see you here."

"Uryuu, thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"Mom, why are you addressing him by his first name?"

"Hime, his mom and meh, best friends! And he is like son to me! Now, the question is, why you two acting so distant where when you were little you used to pummel him so SHAMELESSLY with your carrot doll! Now go playh! I'm going under umbrella with Otsuka...hmmhm…"

The two watched the elder trudge slowly to her place of recline.

Phew…"Sorry, Ishida-kun…my mom…"

"No, please, call me Uryuu if you want. It's impolite of me to let you call me by my last name when you have so kindly allowed me to call you by your first name, your nickname no less…Hime…"

Oh no! That soft stare again…please Ishida-kun…when you look at me like that I…

"Well, enough about our moms right now haha. Want to come with me to get an ice-cream?"

"Of course Ishida! Err..Uryuu!" she delightedly gave him one of her brightest smiles and followed him willingly to buy her strawberry ice cream, while the other gets treated to a vanilla.

Typical…Ichigo grumbled…Make the guy get it…

Hm…Tatsuki's room, heheheh, that fool doesn't know what's comin' for her. Alright Ichigo, here's your one chance to pull a prank on Tatsuki without her finding out and beating you up…,well at least not immediately.

Creak, the door sounds as it opens to let the master of mess come through.

DANNNGG…this is a WOMAN'S ROOM!

Ichigo flabbergasted as he stared at the mess already around him. Yoruichi, Tatsuki's cat lay sprawled asleep near the windowsills. The fan was left on and the TV blaring. Food, chips, dip, chocolate bars, and empty cans of sodas littered the room everywhere, on the bed, piled on top of the trash can, on top of the drawers, and on the floor. Women's underwear…urgh shee..…Ichigo turned pink and immediately put his hand over his face with an effort to block out the view, but subconsciously and unintentionally, left his fingers apart where his eyes are enabling him to still see.

GAH! A man can only take so much!

He was about to rush out of the room after he grabbed the extra towels he saw lying on one of the beds, but underneath the towels he saw a thick book that looked like…their high school yearbook! Ichigo, delightfully surprised, took hold of the book and sat himself down on the corner sofa. It is their high school yearbook! That thing brings back memories. Tatsuki, Ichigo, Orihime, Rukia, and Chad were all in the same high school. Now, in college, the five are still close. Their friendships are his most important treasure, aside from his family of course. After all they went through together; Ichigo trusts them with his life.

He chuckled to himself as he saw younger Rukia, her face in ghastly surprise the first time she saw the flash of a camera. She is similar in every feature except her hair. Her hair back then was a cute bob with layers elongated to her shoulders. Her bangs in front of her eyes were an annoyance to her, but she grew it and her hair is now a beautiful, defined length that reaches to her back. In Ichigo's mind it made her looks more seductive, but never mind what he thinks! Rukia is lovely in every way and he would never dare change a thing about her. Next is Sado or Chad, Ichigo's childhood friend and "back-up". They always got each others' backs, as Ichigo proudly says. There was a time when the two of them were in a huge argument because of a misunderstanding, but that was a long while ago. Nothing is ever left unresolved between them. He is also the only guy-friend he can and will go to for advice with girls. When he was wooing Rukia, Chad persistently gave the helpless, insensitive, dense Ichigo pointers. Rukia's best guy-friend at the time, Abarai Renji, was of absolutely no help. Ichigo thinks the guy had feelings for his best friend, but stubborn and slightly prideful, he did not admit it until, grinning, Rukia was already in love with Ichigo.

There he is the red-haired, tattooed all over, fighter best friend of Rukia, scowling as usual…

A couple more flips and it's...HAHA TATSUKI! Catlike hair as usual.

Orihime... Ichigo knew Orihime had a crush on him during high school, but now it's all in the past. She still smiles that sincere, caring smile.

Next to her loomed the face of , what Ichigo remembers as their class loner; the name below read Kuwinsi Uryuu, wait…what! Kuwinsi? URYUU! Can it be HIM, the same one Orihime is supposed to marry? They look so similar!

Ichigo dashed out of the room to tell the gang, forgetting the now abandoned pile of beach towels placed next to the bottom feet of the sofa.

"HEY GUYS!"

"Ichigo? What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Rukia, Tatsuki, Sado look at this!"

"Um…yes…and so? What's the significance of it? And..what are you doing with my yearbook?"

"Tatsuki, LOOK AT IT! Who does this person look like? This person is none other than Ishida-san!"

"HAH? NO BAKA! THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE ISHIDA-SAN. He's from America!"

"Wait..Tatsuki…look..the resemblance is uncanny, and the bottom says..Kuwinsi Uryuu," Rukia wide-eyed in surprise grabbed the book to observe more thoroughly.

"What Rukia says is true…He does look very much like Ishida-san, same hair, same glasses, same eyes…you think..?"

All four of them made a circle crowding around the small yearbook.

"Sado, that's still not possible. The name here reads Kuwinsi (pronounced like Quincy) Uryuu. Ishida-san is Ishida Uryuu…same first names…many people have the same first names…right?" Tatsuki now begins to doubt herself.

"I don't think so Tatsuki. Sado, you remember Kuwinsi back in high school don't you?"

Grunt…

"I remember him as well…He was…very good at sewing…" Rukia sweat-drops.

"Oh yea! He sewed for me my broken teddy!" chimed Tatsuki.

"Hm…" All four thought as to the surprising but very possible assumption they have before them.

"I wonder if Orihime remembers him too…"

meanwhile…walking by themselves along an empty shoreline,

"Ishida-kun,…"

"Uryuu please"

"Uryuu then…Uryuu, I think we got off on the wrong foot. You see, I really am not as clumsy as you thought I am…hopefully. AND I happen to be a very good tuna croissant maker! I AM capable of living by myself AND totally capable of making my own decisions. You see, my mom just has to sometimes intrude in my life and she loves very much to make decisions for me. It's not that I'm unwanted or undesired mind you. There are LOADS of men who would love to go out with me!"

With a chuckle Ishida interrupted this streamline of thought, "What do you mean Orihime-san? Of course! I mean, what got you started on this conversation? I do think we got off on the wrong foot. I did think you were clumsy, but I did not think for once you are incapable of attracting the opposite sex.. I mean.. you are beautiful, kind, nice.." he shyly ends by quieting his voice into a whisper turning ever pinker by the minute.

"Neh, Ishida? What did you say?" Orihime then turned around with her big questioning eyes to motion that she didn't hear his sentence. As she turned pink slobs of ice cream decorated the edges of her mouth. In Ishida's mind she was the most adorable thing his eyes ever beheld.

"Nothing, Hime-san. Hahahaha, you have some ice cream around your mouth. Here, let me get it," Ishida then pulled her face close and proceeded to smoothly wipe her mess with his thumb. His palm cupped her face and with it he tilted her face up to meet his. Her height reaching to his shoulder, seem a perfect compliment to him. When her face and her eyes looked up to him in that trusting and innocent gaze, he was locked in them for what seemed like an eternity. Their proximity was putting the two of them through a roller-coaster of heartbeats and butterflies. He, concentrating on her mouth, saw how delicate and moist it is. Shamefully, he thought about how delightful it would be to kiss her right now. She would also have a strawberry after-taste that he wouldn't mind at all. She, on the other hand, observed his broad shoulders and strong jawline. Her eyes followed up his neck, his chin, his straight hard-edged nose, and finally to his eyes, those blue steel eyes that says one thing, protect with your life. This strength both terrified and thrilled her. Unfortunately, the bliss didn't last forever.

"Orihime, I didn't know you were here!"

"…Keigo! What are YOU doing here?"

Orihime's old boss waves to the two from across the sand park. He then trotted by, and Orihime saw the strangest look in Ishida's eyes, one of rage and of desire for revenge, like a predator waiting to pounce on its prey.

"Orihime, I'm sorry. I must go back to the room. I just thought of something I should have done this morning for work…I'm so sorry to cut our time short. Goodbye."

With that Ishida coldly turned around and left. Orihime, dismantled and surprised at this sudden cold reaction, looked at Keigo and only saw him smiling and shrugging.

What just happened…

The next chapter: Keigo vs. Ishida! Old Time Showdown

Little did Orihime know of the complicated history between Keigo and Ishida. Meanwhile, the gang remembers back to the high school days with loner now lawyer, Ishida "Kuwinsi" Uryuu.