She still couldn't believe that the man who was in the driving seat was none other than her old childhood friend, Kurosaki Ichigo. When she was a little Sora was secretly working like a rally pilot, for underground rallies. It was a dangerous domain of work, but as long as it payed his bills he was eager to try.
There he had known Ichigo, the best rally pilot from Karakura. Sora asked Ichigo to race with him, and after a hot competition, Ichigo won at 1 second difference. After that they became good friends and Ichigo moved in with Sora and Orihime.
Ichigo was like a big brother to her, till she started to grow up and see him like a man. Even if she knew she got no chances with him, Orihime couldn't stop spending time with him, even if that meant going out with him and his girlfriends.
One day she decided to confess her feelings, she wrote even a letter and she was planning to give it to him, when… Sora accident happened right under her eyes. It was with a couple of minutes before they were supposed to go home and they were racing vs Hueco Mundo team, but… Hueco's Mundo player, Aizen Sousuke, used a dirty trick making Sora's car to hit one of the room walls.
After the accident happened Orihime fainted and she lost the letter. After Sora's funeral Ichigo was the one what took take of her, till one day when she said to him that she wants to race too. They had a pretty big fight because Ichigo was against it and she decided to leave at Kisara, her aunt.
There had passed 9 years since that day. Orihime was now 20 years old and Ichigo 29 years. Her thoughts were interrupted by Ichigo's voice.
"We are here. I must to say that I'm surprised. I'd never thought we would end to live in the same building." He says exiting from his car and Orihime followed his example.
"Yes. It seems like it was decided to meet again." She started to walk before he could say a thing. For him it seemed like she was trying to hide something from him, or maybe some thoughts of the past were haunting her.
He had never said to her, but in THAT day he had found her letter. He couldn't break her heart even more after Sora's accident, but he wanted to apologize for the fact that he couldn't support her in her dreams.
In no time they arrived at her apartment. It was a small one, with one bedroom, living room, kitchen and a small kitchen. All of the place was packed with boxes of different sizes. He could sense the smell of memories hidden in them.
"You have a lot of things to unbox. I will help you." He wanted to help her, when her hand suddenly touched his chest.
"I'm sorry that I lied to you, but the true reason why I'm here is for racing." She says without to make eye contact with him. Ichigo wanted to swore, but she pressed a little his chest. "I left this city because I wanted to train. I succeeded to become the best pilot of my city in order to clean my brother's reputation. I met with Urahara-san 2 weeks ago and he said to me that he's wanting to fully pay my college and make me a part of his team so I took it. That's the true reason why I'm here so feel free to yell at me." She withdrew her hand, but he caught her hand in his. Her eyes grow bigger and after that their gazes met.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't support you back then, even if I promised to your brother if something will ever happen to him I will always be by your side and protect you. I couldn't keep my word that time, but since now on, I promise to you that I will. If you have any need you can count on me." The determination from his gaze was making her to trust his each word.
She understands that he's doing this because he had promised so to her brother, but… She would want more of him. Orihime wanted secretly to never meet him again to not fall again from him. It wasn't something bad to like your teacher, but to meet again the first and only man towards what you had romantic feelings and to know that it's never going to work it's really painful.
"Thank you for wanting to support me. It really means much to me. You had helped me very much today and I really do appreciate it. It's already late so you should probably go to sleep. I can handle the unboxing for today." Ichigo could feel that she wanted some space to overthink the things, so…
"Call me if you need something." He told her giving her a piece of the paper with his number on. He had then placed a good night kiss on her forehead like when she was little and he took his leave.
After he was gone Orihime collapsed on the floor. It should be illegal for him to became such and handsome and good hearted man.
"Blue man, if all of this is a game of you, you won. I don't know how to act around him anymore." Then she started to roll on the floor. "I need to focus on unpacking and wasabi ice cream. That should work." Finding again her motivation she started to place her belongings.
"Inoue? Inoue?" She could hear someone calling her name, but she was so sleepy that she couldn't move an inch. The mysterious voice was keep calling her and even tickling her ?
"Hahahaha…" She opened her eyes laughing and she had found Ichigo in front of here waiting with a plate full of pancakes with red bean pasta and honey just for her.
"Tsh… Next time you should better accept my help or at least use the sofa." He tells her putting down the food he had brought for her. After that he went back to his apartment and came with 2 mugs of dark coffee and a plate with scrambled eggs. "Will you have breakfast with me?" He grinned knowing already her answer.
"I can't believe that you still remember how I like the pancakes!" Orihime exclaims happily. She had thought that he had forgotten the most things about her.
"There's no way I can forget how you like them since I was in charge of the breakfast." Orihime giggled remembering how hard it was for Ichigo to cook at the beginning and how Sora skillful taught him everything that he should know.
"I must to recognize that I still sucks at doing coffee so I understand you if you want to throw it on the window." He admits taking a slip of his. Orihime took all her courage and tasted some of the coffee. 3 seconds of silence after she started to cough.
"Told ya." Ichigo sights handing her a glass of water. The expression what she made, made him to remember the first time when he tried to make pizza and he had burned it, but she had still tasted it.
She would always give a try of his food even if he's terrible at the most dishes what implies cooking.
"I must to recognize that this morning made me to remember lots of things from the past." By wrong he forgot about the terrible taste of his coffee and he took a big mouth of coffee making this time for his eyes to get wet. It made Orihime to giggle.
"Let me handle the coffee. I promise that it would be at least drinkable. "
"Please. I didn't drink a home make coffee in a while now." Orihime took the mug in front of him and she started to wash it while the water was boiling. The mug from what he was drinking was none other than the first gift that she had ever even to him. It felt nice that he was still keeping it.
"Sorry that I made you to wait." She said placing his mug in front of him. "I didn't believe that you would still keep it. I mean it's pretty old and it's probably not…"
"I like it. It doesn't matter if it's old or not. I was very happy that you had given it to me. It was the first gift what a person offered to me because she really cared for me so I'm not planning to throw it ever." Some tears fall from her eyes. "Are you fine? Did you put too much wasabi in yours?"
She shook her head while she removed her tears. "No, it's just that I'm really happen that you treasure it. I was always wondered if you had thought about me like the strange girl with what you were forced to live because of Sora."
"Tsh… Don't say stupid things. I had always seen you like my little sister so it's no reason for you to think so down about yourself, actually it pisses me off." She starts to giggle again.
"Now, you are really starting to act like a brother." Inoue's alarm starts announcing her that it's the time for her to start her day.
"I'm going to drive you to school so take your time." Orihime wanted to says that she could walk alone, but she decided that it would be the best for this time to accept his kindness.
"Ok. I will take a shower then." She announce before she went to the bathroom. She didn't think about this before but she was feeling kind of nervous to know that just one wall separates them.
She was feeling tensed, like he could see thought the wall, then she could hear his voice talking at the phone. Orihime couldn't understand what he was talking, but she could understand that he was talking to a woman. She smiles sadly.
"Old times, doesn't change, huh?" She concludes before she finished her shower. She exited the bathroom just in a small towel then she went to Ichigo.
"Did something happen ?"
"I'm not sure yet. It seems like there are some proble… what the hell ?!" Ichigo swore blushing. He couldn't believe that she was wearing practically nothing in front of him. Now after he saw her feminine curves so close, he can't deny anymore that she was a woman now.
His checks color changed in a dark shade of red.
"Are you feeling ok?" She asks moving one of her hands on his forehead. Her gesture made him to take a better look at her boobs. As much time as he was closer to him dressed like this was making his mind to get blank, letting his pervert side to conquer him.
He moved her hand away and looked in her eyes. "You had better change yourself. It's no safe to be around me dressed like that." Her eyes grow bigger and instinctively one of her palms covered her chest.
"What would you say if I would tell you that it doesn't disturbing me?" Ichigo mouth opened couldn't hide his surprise hearing her words. "Hehe… It would be strange, wouldn't it?" The playful tone in her voice changed in her usual innocent one. "I will be ready in 5 minutes."
Even after she took her leave, Ichigo didn't have the power to move an inch. The image of her dressed in that too small towel was still imprinted on his brain. The level of his pervert thoughts about her were now bigger than he had with any woman with what he had sex.
Having dirty thoughts about himself and Orihime should be the apogee of his perversion. He shouldn't think like that about his 'sister' even if they were not related by blood.
"I'm ready, Kurosaki-kun." When he had looked back at her this time her uniform seemed way too short. 'Damn, Urahara, you are winning the prize of the best pervert over me.' "Kurosaki-kun ?" She calls her again receiving no answer.
"Hell, I have a new change of that uniform of you. Huh ?"
The next thing what followed was the shocked gases of Orihime classmates when they saw her wearing the winter uniform even if outside was a very warm day.
