Chapter Three: It's Only a Developing Friendship
It has been approximately almost a month since Ichigo got to know the blonde.
She had ways of irritating him with her girlish teasing, making him a blushing mess in humiliation around his friends or in public.
His friend Keigo grew an up-rising jealousy with Ichigo's interaction with the blonde, going on about how the orange haired male was able to score the pretty girl, telling him he was nothing more than a snotty volatile type of male who does not deserve to be in a presence of an angel.
Life was always never fair for Keigo.
"You're awfully quiet this afternoon, Ichigo. Did something interesting happen? Did you finally confess your undying love for Orihime? Don't worry, if she turned you down, my shoulder is always open to manly tears." She smiled, biting into her sandwich.
"Tch, it's nothing like that! There is nothing going on between us! She's my friend." He growl, "And you know what? Yamanaka. The more I get to know you, the more I finalize what a bitch you really are."
"I'm wounded! How dare you speak to a lady in such repugnant mannerisms?"
Ino brought her hand that was gently nested against her chest, where her endless beating heart rhythmically thump within its prison ribcage in a mockery gesture. "You're so rude, Kuuuuro-kun."
"What did I say about calling me that?" He snapped.
"I think it's an adorable nickname."
"It's not! It sounds terrible."
"Hmmm. What about Ichiban? Fit able enough for your liking?" She says.
"I'm not a damn ramen, you damn blonde!"
Corner lips lifted, a grin smeared upon her features. She couldn't deny she finds amusement in pestering Ichigo. She reach for her untouched juice box, puncturing the hole with the straw, and she begun to suck the beverage liquid, quenching her throat in sugary goodness and satisfying her thirst.
Ichigo sat in front of her not too far or not to close, he was eating a box of sushi his sister packed for his lunch. Eating almost everything in the container. He placed the item dish away in his bag after finishing. His eyes landed on her, staring at her in wonderment, he could smell scent of aroma flowers radiating off her.
She always smelled like flowers.
"Why are you always looking at me?" She interrupted him. "N-Nothing. It's nothing Blondie."
She rise a single brow, she threw the empty juice box into a near recycling bin. Her pupiless eyes then peer to him, he was staring at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing to human kind. She noticed the rice sticking on his left side mouth.
Her right slim arm extended forward, lightly touching the callous flesh of his cheek. Ichigo flinch from her sudden touch, turning his head to face her. She was adjacent, inclining a little too close, intruding his personal boundaries felt horrid. What was she doing? He felt the gentle delicacy of her thumb that lightly rub across his skin. Blood made its wrong direction to his face, turning a visible shade of dusty pink.
He was blushing again. And his heart decided to betray him with increasing beatings.
Then her index digit flick the single rice from his side mouth, she slowly sat herself down. Smiling at him, the flush on his cheeks were noticeable to her, though she didn't say anything.
"E-Eh. Let's get to class, Blondie… Or we'll be late." He stood up, holding his hand out for her so he could help her up.
"Okay," She accepted his hand into her own. Gently with not much effort he lifted her up onto her foot with ease. They accumulated their belongings and went off to the entrance.
Meanwhile, Keigo was basking in self embarrassment in sobbing, after witnessing the moments between the two. Tatsuki and Orihime shot each other 'Did you see that?' look. While Chizuru was on a verge of lashing out on Ichigo, if it weren't for the rest concealing behind the entrance along with her. The red head thought, a guy like that? Hanging out with a beautiful woman?
"How the hell does Ichigo do it?! Getting all the pretty girls! I know I'll jus—oof!"
Chizuru's outburst silent, after receiving an abrasive punch to her gut by Tatsuki. Her slim body crumble to the ground in a heap of defeat, groaning in gibber incomprehension curses at the tomboy female.
"Shut up idiot! Or Ichigo and Ino will know we're all spying on them!"
"T-Tatsuki, here they come." Orihime softly whispered to her.
"C-Crap, let's go!" She lowly says.
"This isn't faaaair!" Keigo was sobbing within his folded arms and his knees were pressed to his chest. Mizuru's body laid upon the solid ground with no sign of any body function.
"Did you hear that Ichigo?" It was ino's voice, they were coming closer, and their footsteps linger slightly loud with each tap.
Tatsuki grab hold of Mizuru's shirt, and kicking Keigo to his feet, grabbing a hold of his wrist as well, she lowly whispered at Orihime for her to come along before they were detected. Their pace haste quickly from view. Dragging Mizuru along and pulling Keigo, Orihime was beside her, looking back just in time they turn tailed from view. "That was too close for comfort." She sighs in relief.
Orihime agreed, "Y-Yeah."
Ichigo scratch the side of his head, he heard voices one of the tones were familiarized to him.
"Ehhh, thought I heard Mizuru."
"Mizuru? Isnt she the red head who couldn't cease with her flirtation and sexual remarks about me?" Ino question.
Ichigo nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, guess I was just hearing things."
They both headed for class.
The teacher's went on with her tedious lesson. It was a boring day, the same old routine. He directed his eyes to the blonde whom, was deep in thought or looks like she was really indulge with her study book.
Then he heard a low fainting giggle behind him, he couldn't comprehend the inaudible words. He turn his head, looking over his shoulder. Tatsuki was smirking at him. Why the hell is she looking at me like that?
"What Tatsuki?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing Ichigo." She shifts her eyes to the blonde female then to him, her smirk turn into an ominous grin as if she knew his deepest and darkest secret, the grin that he finds completely horrifying off the dojo female,
"Seriously! Why the hell are you grinning!?" He spoke a little loudly.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, may I remind you, you are disrupting the class." The teacher shouted at him.
"Sorry." He glared at the spikey haired tomboy once more, before facing away from her. She was still smiling. What was her deal? Ino was sparring a look between the two, now occupying herself with the lessons.
A low sigh emitted past his lips, Tatsuki was being strangely abnormal, yet he cannot put the tip of his finger on it.
Class was over, the bell rang, indicating that hours of torturous lessons finally reached its limit. He couldn't understand Tatsuki's sudden change in behavior that he finds in fact odd. She was smiling at him, and eyeing Ino every now and then during class.
He didn't understand why.
Ino gathered her belongings, Tatsuki and Orhime made their way to her once the students no longer filled the room. The spikey haired female, place her hand on the blonde's shoulder gaining her attention. Ino blink, "Yes?"
"I was just thinking Yamanaka, are you and Ichigo an item?" She grins.
"H-Huh? What makes you say that?" Confusion describe she didn't know what the other female was going on about.
"C'mon, Orihime and I, were kinda…" She pause, Tatsuki didn't want to say she and Orihime, were spying on them, so she didn't mention it. "Walking by, and we've seen you getting abit too comfortable with him."
"It's not like that." She rolled her eyes.
"O-Oh, but it looks like you were kissing, or I mean breaking the kiss, Ino-chan." Orihime softly says. Damn, these stupid accusations Ino thought. "Ah, yes. The moment was so wonderful I think I finally found my prince charming."
"What!? Seriously! You and Ichigo?" Tatsuki blurted out.
"Did you not sense any sarcasm, Arisawa?" Ino sighs softly. "I have to go, I have some prominent things to do this evening. I'll see you guys some other time."
She left the class before the two females would force her to sit and interrogate her, her friendship with Ichigo didn't involve affection or anything like that, he was indeed handsome she admitted, she didn't think it will be a big deal, however.
Absentmindedly her mind went off into thinking, her and Ichigo? Preposterous. He was a friend as she stated the facts, she only met him, it has been a month after all, and sure he was an impudent asshole from time to time, it what makes him irresistible in a way. Without paying no mind to realization of her surroundings, there an obstacle stood in her path, causing her to bump into something or most likely someone.
"Sorry I wasn't seeing where I was going…" She apologized.
"There is no need to apologize, Miss Yamanaka." The unsympathetic voice isn't well known to her. She looked up. The anonymous figure turn to face her, the color of his hair was dark blue splitting two full strands of hair that frame each side of his face, he used the standard school's uniform with a stripe tie, and glasses.
The impassivity of his face did not display any human expression. He notice her hesitation, breaking the silent. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Uryu Ishida, I believe were are in the same homeroom."
"I think I remember... Seeing you in there."
"That because it is me." He replied monotonously.
"I knew that…" Something about the male gave her thrilling rain of chills. The type of males, you call dangerously mysterious or sexy. "Excuse me, Ishida. But I really have to go."
"Kurosaki's been looking for you." He face away from her, "He is not what you call a patient guy. You shouldn't keep your boyfriend waiting, he's quite violent and impulsive." He began to saunter off in distance from her.
Ino frown. Ichigo wasn't her boyfriend. Why couldn't people understand that? She mumble under breath, the halls were ghostly isolated with no sign of clustering students. She began her walk directly to the stairs that descended.
Scratching his side head, he wonder where the blonde had gone off too. Maybe she left home already?
Just when he was about to take his leave, he saw her walking down the stairs. Greeting her with a lazy wave, she smiled at him. The two exited the building.
Few minutes of walking in silent. Ichigo looked down at her she was deep in thought, he wonders what was bugging her.
"You okay, Blondie?" He asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." She replied.
"You don't look fine."
"Trust me, I'm fine." She frowns.
Ichigo didn't prod her into persistence and let it slide. They walked in silence, the awkwardness only made him feel tension. She broke the unwanted quietness. " Tatsuki, Orihime and that guy name Uryu… Are being comical."
"What do you mean? I know Tatsuki's being weird around me, what the hell is her deal?"
"I don't know, but she thought there was something going on between us. Like we're the centerfold of something."
Ichigo's reaction was rather equanimity. What do you expect from Tatsuki? She was probably bragging about it with Mahana, Michiru and the other girls. That damn, woman. "Ehhh shit…"
Ino smiled, it was ridiculous their friendship was only a beginning. A positive developing friendship. No affection attachment, they were only friends… And nothing more.
However, how can they be certain?
Friendship will only form into something… That involve love.