Rain from the previous night had left a glittering residue on the pavements. Morning sunlight awakened the sleeping neighbourhood with golden rays of happiness. The musky scent still hung in the air; however it was now accompanied by the fresh scent of spring flowers. Usually, the red-headed princess would've revelled in the positivity and serenity of this morning but all she could feel was emptiness where her heart should be. As she strolled into the fairly new school building, she forced a slightly shaky smile onto her face. She couldn't bear to worry her friends; especially not Tatsuki or Ichigo.
Strolling into the classroom, she waved at Tatsuki; her smile faltering slightly. Despite her past, it was very rare to see Orihime sad. It was so easy to tell when she was upset because she could never fake a smile very well.
"What's wrong Orihime?" Her black-haired friend asked. There was a sound of motherly concern in her voice.
"What'd make you think that there's something wrong, Tatsuki?" She replied, followed by a noticeably fake giggle.
"Your eyes give it away too much, silly." She replied, patting her childlike friend on the head. With all of her strength, Orihime was working tirelessly in attempt to keep her tears at bay. She wouldn't let herself worry Tatsuki about it. Would her friend understand it? To be completely honest, Orihime couldn't quite comprehend it herself… She shouldn't have really fallen in love with her captor; he would've definitely killed her if Aizen had ordered it. A few years passed since his death, so why was it that she had dreamt of him now? Dismissing it as a random dream, she turned to her friend.
"It's just that a saw a dead kitty by the road today, it wasn't a very happy sight. That's all!" She lied; the image of a dead kitten only worsened her mood making it even trickier to contain her tears. Tatsuki was quite aware of her friend's lie but wasn't prepared to force anything out of Orihime.
"Okay, kids. We've got a new student today! Don't scare him off just yet!" Ms. Ochi announced as she strode into the room pointing to the pale, raven-haired boy who was shuffling behind her. Staggering to their seats, the students' eyes were glued to his slender yet muscular form. He was scruffily dressed: His shirt only half tucked in, his hair a jungle of glossy black threads and one trouser leg caught in his bright purple sock. He had piercing, murky green eyes that seemed to frequently gaze at Orihime's. For a few moments he stood there in complete silence, absorbing his peers' juvenile stares.
"Hello." He murmured in a monotonous voice before dragging himself towards the empty desk at the back of the whisper-filled classroom.
"That wasn't much of an introduction… He's such a freak, he looks like a ghost!" Keigo whispered to his carrot-topped friend who merely rolled his eyes at the statement.
"Keigo, don't be so rude. He's new so just show him a little respect" Ichigo retorted, agitated at Keigo's rudeness. Crossed-arms, the brunette endured the rest of class in silence.
As the zombies waddled and shuffled their way out of the classroom, Ichigo remained by the door in hopes to speak to the new student. Suddenly, there was a quick spike in spirit energy that sent a momentary jolt of electricity through his body. It seemed so familiar; however it wasn't there long enough for him to identify who it belonged to. Strolling, the ghost-like boy pushed past the red-head.
"Get out of my way. Trash" he spat, maintaining the monotone in his voice.
"I'm sorry; I was just about to invite you to have lunch with my friends and me, that's all." Ichigo responded, doing his best to be polite, regardless of how this person behaved. The unnamed ghost stared at the substitute soul reaper, his eyes like murky swamps filled with anger and hate. "I do not need your pity, now leave me be." He replied, highly offended by his peer's request. That guy seems familiar. Where have I seen him before? The redheaded boy thought, searching through his memories hoping to identify this strangely familiar student.