HALCYON DAYS
Volume Three: Champagne Coliseum
Chapter Two
That morning at Karakura High School, everyone was milling about in the classroom waiting for Miss Misato Ochi to arrive.
Ichigo sulked in his chair, pressing his knee to the desk. He had a lot on his mind, chiefly his encounter with Shinji the night beforehand.
I'm a Visored. Just like you.
Ichigo glanced over at Uryū, who was looking even more glum than usual. The Quincy was wearing a new necklace, its pendant hidden beneath his collar. Ichigo wondered what it could be.
Uryū had assured him they wouldn't have to worry about Hollows targeting him anymore. He didn't explain why, nor did he offer any explanation for his new limp. Ichigo would just have to trust him and let the matter lie.
The Strawberry looked over to Chad, who was stretching his legs by the classroom lockers. The big lug was looking exhausted with dark circles peeking out from beneath his scraggly hair.
I've never seen Chad look so tired before, Ichigo observed. What's he been up to?
"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime announced chirpily, entering the room with a dramatic wave.
Tatsuki harrumphed from her desk. She still hadn't gotten over what Ichigo said to Orihime at the restaurant, and was annoyed to see them so chummy again.
Ichigo looked up and spotted Shinji Hirako walking in behind Orihime, mirroring her salute.
"Good morning, Ichigo!" the Visored beamed.
Shinji?! Ichigo frowned, his eyes widening with fury. He just showed up here like last night never happened?
"Shinji-kun was just telling me about your soccer match yesterday," Orihime said. "It sounds like you both really amazed everybody!"
Keigo and Mizuru both snapped to attention at the sight of Shinji.
"Shinji-san, you came back!" Keigo said excitedly.
"I thought you quit high school yesterday?" Mizuru noted wryly.
"Oh, you actually took that seriously?" Shinji hand waved. "We still got a class presentation to give together, right? Besides, I'm still getting to know great people like Orihime here."
"You two are friends now, huh?" Ichigo gritted, shooting Shinji daggers.
"Of course!" Orihime chirped. She was friends with everyone, after all.
"We really hit it off in the last five minutes!" Shinji grinned, throwing an arm over Orihime's shoulder and pulling her in close. "True blue pals; she's such a doll, isn't she?"
Suddenly, the terrifying specter of Chizuru rose to her full height, draped in shadow and wreathed with flame. A vein crinkled across her temple and her eyes glowed like coals, fixing a death stare onto Shinji.
"You daretouch my darling Orihime with your defiling hands, cretin?!" she seethed. "Those who would besmirch the goddess forfeit their life!"
"Chizuru, cut it out!" Keigo pleaded, trying to hold her back. "Please wait until he helps us deliver our group presentation before you kill him!"
Everyone ceased their bickering when Ichigo rose from his seat and grasped Shinji by the collar.
"Come with me, Shinji," the Strawberry commanded, hauling the newbie out of the classroom.
Everyone watched the interaction with awe, wondering what had gotten into Ichigo.
Orihime looked to Chad and Uryū. All of them wordlessly agreed that whatever beef there was between Ichigo and Shinji, it had nothing to do with school drama.
Ichigo slammed Shinji against the railing of the campus bridge, pinning him to spot.
"Ouch – that hurt, little man!" Shinji scowled. "Is this about Orihime? It's not like I'm cutting into your territory; she way out of your league."
"Shut up!" Ichigo barked. "Why are you here?"
"To help my pals Keigo and Mizuru get top marks for their English presentation," Shinji bullshitted, letting his pierced tongue loll out tauntingly.
"Cut the crap; you're here for me," Ichigo retorted. "I already said I'm not interested in allying with you."
"Oh, really?" Shinji narrowed his eyes. "You'll change your tune soon enough. Soon enough you're gonna beg to join us."
Us? Ichigo clocked. Are there even more of these 'Visoreds' skulking around?
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter," Shinji continued. "You ain't a Shinigami anymore, Ichigo. When your symptoms first appeared, you irreversibly became a Visored. Without our help, your inner Hollow is gonna swallow you whole."
Ichigo's grip on Shinji's collar softened, his palm clammy with sweat.
"It's already growing too big for you to handle, right?" Shinji speculated. "You probably can feel it leeching from your strength, growing fatter by the day. The clock's ticking, now: tick tock, tick tock."
He's bluffing right? Ichigo wondered, feeling nauseous. There's no way...
"Haaaai, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime called from down below.
Ichigo and Shinji looked together over the rail and saw Orihime smiling up at them from the grassy ground, her school satchel in hand.
"Inoue?" Ichigo mumbled. "What're you doing down there? Did Miss Ochi send you?"
"Actually, I've been excused for the day," Orihime replied, patting her stomach. "I've got a rumbly in my tummy!"
Is this chick for real? Shinji sighed.
"I'm gonna go now," Orihime concluded. "Could you... could you maybe walk me home, Kurosaki-kun?"
Ichigo's brow ticked up with surprise. This was the first time Orihime had ever preemptively asked him to escort her anywhere.
"Sure. I'll walk you home. Wait right there."
He let Shinji go by the scruff of his collar.
"We're done here."
He began heading for the stairs, only for Shinji to catch him by the arm.
"You're gonna need my help soon to tame that Hollow, unless you want to eat that nice girl down there alive," the Visored warned. "Y'know that bridge about a mile south of here? Yūjō Bridge? I'll be hanging around there at midnight every night from now on. Meet me there whenever you're ready to get serious."
"You're gonna be waiting for a while," Ichigo whispered back, wrenching his arm free and continuing on.
Shinji watched the Strawberry make his way down the staircase to join Orihime for a stroll home.
"Well they'd make for a perfect couple," he muttered, leaning against the rail. "Just a pair of good-looking kids with no brain between them."
Ichigo and Orihime strode across Karakura Town together, taking a scenic route through the park. They came upon a fountain, the trickling water giving an appreciated atmosphere of serenity.
"Is your stomach actually upset?" Ichigo asked, his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, not at all!" Orihime admitted, merrily slapping her gut. "I have an invincible tummy!"
That would explain why you're impervious to your own cooking, Ichigo smirked.
"This is my first time playing hooky," Orihime mused, allowing herself a devilish smile. "It feels so... risqué."
"Well don't make a habit of it," Ichigo advised. "Why'd you cut class, anyway?"
"It looked like you needed an excuse to get away from Shinji," Orihime answered. "I guess Tatsuki was right that something's up with him. Is he a Shinigami?"
"Not exactly."
"But he isn't normal, right?"
"He's definitely not normal."
Orihime halted in her tracks and gazed up at Ichigo searchingly.
"Kurosaki-kun, you looked really upset by whatever he was saying. Are you alright?"
Ichigo looked down at her uneasily before averting his eyes. He could never maintain eye contact with her when he lied.
"It's fine; nothing I can't handle," he said gruffly. "You don't have to worry, Inoue."
Orihime could see that he wouldn't elaborate further. She searched for something else to talk about and settled on the protection charm tied to his uniform.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the pouch.
"Oh, this? Just some lucky charm my dad gave me before we went to rescue Rukia. He keeps tying it to my uniform every morning, no matter how many times I tell him I don't need it."
"What makes you think that?" Orihime smiled sweetly. "Maybe it's what kept us all safe in Soul Society?"
Ichigo's expression softened. He hadn't considered that.
"Yeah, maybe," he chuckled.
They resumed walking and didn't speak for a while. Growing relaxed, Orihime began to absentmindedly hum.
"Hmm, hmm, hm, hmm, hm... Then you laugh, and if you laugh, then someone will laugh too, Keta Keta Keta –"
"What's that?" Ichgio asked, unable to place the melody.
"Oh!" Orihime blushed. "Sorry; I kinda just slipped into singing. It's my 'Wahaha Song'. It's... well... it's the theme song of my life."
Ichigo bit his bottom lip, trying not to crack up. Despite his best effort, Orihime could tell he was amused.
"Oh, it really does sound silly when I say it out loud, doesn't it?" she admitted, turning pink with embarrassment. "I know how I come off; just a dummy with an empty head."
"Really?" Ichigo replied quizzically. "Who told you that? I think you're always thinking too much, honestly."
Orihime's eyes widened: that was the nicest thing anyone had ever told her.
"How does your song go?" Ichigo asked. "Can you sing it to me?"
"Oh... well, sure!" Orihime blushed. "Just please excuse my singing voice. Alright, here goes..."
She started to quaver, shakily at first before settling into a sweet, pleasing rhythm.
Wahaha
Seems like everyone has sorrows
and problems
Whether they are big or small
So glum, Sigh again
Live with loneliness and solitary
'I'm not the only one'
If you could come to think like this
then it's fine but
A word of 'Go for it'
Making your heart hard again?
Waai!
If I laugh
Then you laugh
And if you laugh
Then someone will laugh to
Keta Keta Keta Keta
Wahaha Wahaha
Fun!
Ichigo listened passively, his face not betraying any strong reaction. By the time Orihime finished singing, they had reached her apartment complex.
"Well, we're here!" she announced, interlocking her fingers and nervously squeezing them together. "Jeeze, now I don't know what to do with the rest of my day!"
"You'll think of something," Ichigo smiled, giving her a farewell salute. "Don't ditch class again on my behalf, Inoue. You've got a pretty perfect grade point average to maintain. See ya tomorrow."
"Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue called after him. "I actually have another favor to ask."
"Hm?"
"I, erm... I need new clothes."
"Eh?"
Orihime stretched out the hem of her school uniform to reveal several holes chewed into the fabric.
"Some moths got into my apartment while we were in Soul Society," she explained bashfully. "My entire wardrobe sorta got eaten. I was wondering if you could accompany me to the mall and help me pick out new clothes?"
"Really?" Ichigo blanched, even more confused than before. "Isn't that the kind of thing Tatsuki should help you with?"
"Well, sure!" Orihime laughed nervously, her indefatigable stomach suddenly tying itself into knots. "But, I think... I'd feel safer with you?"
"Then I'll do it," Ichigo nodded, needing no greater rationale.
"Really?!" Orihime blushed.
"Sure. Right now?"
"What?!" Orihime bleated, feeling very unprepared for this fortuitous development. "Oh, I can't right now. I, uh... I've just decided that I'm gonna repaint my entire apartment today!"
"Oh, okay," Ichigo mumbled. "Well, I'll make some time for you. You know where to find me."
He began strolling away with a wave goodbye.
"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime called one more time.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for walking me home."
"Of course," he smiled back at her. "I promised to always protect you, didn't I?"
Orihime's heart skipped a beat. She reached up to touch her hairpins.
He remembers.
"Anytime now, Miss Arisawa," Miss Ochi said impatiently from her desk.
Tatsuki stood before the class, rattling with rage while she scrutinized the pages Ichigo had written for their presentation. He had translated the text singlehandedly and never bothered to help her understand what the words meant... and now he and Orihime were both absent during the moment of truth.
"Well, I..." Tatsuki gritted, feeling humiliated. She didn't understand what any of the English scribbles meant. The entire project was a bust.
Shinji leaned back in his chair and let out a sardonic whistle.
That Ichigo sure is a nice guy, leaving his classmates out to dry.
