(離れる)

Kurosaki Ichigo has always hated the rain.

And now he has one more reason to loathe the liquid offering from the skies.

Let the misery continued to pour down on his wretched soul.

For the someone he has suddenly found himself as treating as more than a friend, as showing more concern for, as wanting to be just near her was going to...

"Leave." Inoue Orihime told Ichigo and looked anxiously at her scowling, orange-haired protector. He was staring at the grey skies with his ever present scowl on his handsome face.

Why was he frowning at the heavens?

Does the rain still cause him to remember the painful past and for him to relive the pain of losing a loved one, over and over and... again?

She wondered wearily if he has heard what she has said, so immersed was he and his glaring of the innocent rain clouds.

She glanced hopelessly at him and began to fiddle with the straps of her school bag with her nervous fingers. She took a deep breath.

"Kurosaki-kun, did you hear what did I say?" She asked hesitantly.

There was no reply.

His head faced the heavens and his brown eyes were still fixed fiercely on what was above him instead of at her.

The pretty princess pouted childishly, she bit on her lower lip unconsciously, thought about it, sucked the bitten lip into her mouth, looked at Ichigo, "K-Kurosaki-kun..."

"Inoue,"

"Eeks!" Orihime let out a small squeak in surprise when unexpectedly, with his eyes still on the skies, he called out her name.

"K-Kurosaki-kun... "

"So... you really are leaving." Ichigo interrupted whatever she was going to say by answering what she has asked of him.

Orhime nodded, but then she realized Ichigo was still not looking at her and a verbal response was required. "Un." She answered and gazed upon his face with much fondness and... regret.

She really was leaving.

And she will miss him.

She almost did not hear the barely audible words spoken out as her sad brown eyes continued to linger on the one she has loved for so long.

"Is... Is there not a strong enough reason for you to stay here?" Ichigo asked softly as he finally turned his sorrowful eyes away from the heavens.

He turned his face to look at her.

For a moment, Orihime was startled by the intensity of the different kind of emotions on his face and in his deep brown eyes. Her mouth could not form even a single word reply as not only her mouth but her whole body was held captive, unaware of anything but the glittering, golden orbs calling out to her.

What were they trying to tell her?

Why now?

And did she really want to know.

Why?

When she has finally found the courage to l...

"Kurosaki-kun," She started to say but he cut her off just after she has said his name.

How many more times will he get to hear his name sang out from those luscious lips of hers?

"It's alright, Inoue. You don't have to explain to me, seeing how you have already made up your mind to leave. Forget about it." His voice low and sounded normal, at lest to him.

His mind though, was in a turmoil.

A confusing disturbance caused by her and her leaving.

Away from him.

He did not want to know if there was a possibility that she might not leave because of something or... someone?

"So, you really are going to leave this boring old town of ours?" He tried to muster up a small smile for her but it ended up as his typical cool smirk.

She nodded.

A little smile.

"I will be having a farewell party at my apartment this coming Saturday, will Kurosaki-kun be there?" She asked shyly, hopefully.

"No." He answered her bluntly, honestly.

'Why would I want to be there 'celebrating' when my heart is feeling like it is being tied up and pressed painfully by the thought of seeing you and...'

"Huh? Why not, Kurosaki-kun?"

"I don't like parties."

'Especially the one where you will be with...'

"Oh, I see." Orihime understood but she was disappointed. Could he not have make the effort to be at her apartment for one last time when it could still be considered as hers?

"Maybe you will be at the airport to say goodbye to me?" She almost pleaded in her soft voice.

Her soft brown eyes beseeched him, almost desperately.

He sighed.

"I will try, but I am not making any promises." He answered her truthfully and his eyes did not waver from his firm gaze on hers.

She smiled back at him wishfully.

It was good enough for her.

And...

"You will stay in contact with me by replying to me whenever I sent a message to you, won't you?" She asked in anticipation.

Her sweet honey brown eyes sparkled as she waited for his affirmation of them staying in touch.

He really did not want to disappoint her but, neither did he want to give her any false hope and so, once again he gave her the one-word negative answer.

"No."

And her lovely face fell as the light in her eyes dimmed.

"A-Are you saying we are not going to be f-friends anymore?" She stammered sadly as her heart splintered into thousand pieces of disheartened dejection.

"No." He repeated.

Eyes widened in shock, she bowed her head in a hurry, she could feel the sting of her tears trying to escape from her eyes, she bit down hard on her lip and grasped the straps of her school bag tighter.

She must not cry.

She must not show any weakness.

There was silence.

There was only the sound of the light summer rain pitter-pattering against the shelter they were under.

Ichigo stared at the gentle healer with her face hidden from him, he wondered what has caused the sudden stop in the conversation. He noticed the slight trembling of her thin shoulders.

Was she cold?

He took a step nearer to her.

"Inoue," He lifted his arm. It hovered near her shoulder. Did he have any right to comfort her?

To touch her?

"K-Kurosaki-kun, why can't we be friends anymore?" Orihime lifted her head and she looked timidly at him.

Stunned by the question and the bright brown eyes glistening at him, Ichigo stepped back from her and his arm fell back to his side.

"What?" He uttered out in confusion. He truly did not know what has warranted such a cruel question from her.

Orihime shook her head at his flabbergasted face. She could not help but grinned a little at his denseness. "When I said to keep in touch, you said no." She explained to him, enlightening him of his careless answer.

"I said no to corresponding. I did not say anything about us not being friends anymore." He told her back.

"What's wrong with staying in touch with the help of modern technology?" She asked in surprise at his unexpected answer.

"I don't like waiting."

'But I have waited for you.' Orihime thought dismally to herself. 'And I have always believed I would have waited for you, forever.' She closed her eyes and a promise of 'Five Lifetimes and One Love' was suddenly flashing in her mind's eye.

In bold, bright neon colors.

She squirmed as if the words was chastising her for being guilty of breaking her promise to him.

Seeing the princess with her nose scrunched up in concentration, Ichigo knew she must be in one of her daydreams.

Once again, he walked closer to her.

"Inoue."

She opened her eyes at his voice.

The weaver princess walked down from the clouds and looked at him.

"Kurosaki-kun."

They were so close to each other and yet neither one of them attempted to break the invisible barrier between them.

"So," He scratched the back of his neck, "No corresponding. I will see you whenever you are back, okay?"

She nodded.

"But don't take too long to come home."

'Home.'

"We will always be friends."

"Yeah. We will be friends, always."

'Just friends?'

"Kurosaki-kun... I..." She looked away from him.

"What is it, Inoue?"

"I-I... "

But before another word was spoken, they heard him calling her.

He could not not fail to witness the transformation of what that voice did to her and... his heart.

An enormous smile began to take shape on her beautiful face. That same beaming smile that heralded a "Ohayou Kurosaki-kun!", every time she skipped into the classroom to greet him in the morning. He watched in jealousy at the smile and the happy waving of her slim arm at him.

Ichigo turned to glare at the lucky recipient under a black umbrella in the sunshine-filled drizzle.

He too has a big grin on his face, hand waving not as furiously as the princess and when he sensed Ichigo scowling at him; he gave him a nod of acknowledgement and a friendly wave of the big hand.

Ichigo continued to scowl at him and he made no effort to acknowledge his presence. He wished he could hate him for taking the gentle healer away from him.

But, how could you hate someone who really care and love her as much as... he?!

Realization hit him hard on his dense head. He turned abruptly from scowling at the one under the umbrella to look at the hand-waving princess.

Was this what his head and heart have been trying to tell him?

Could this funny, unknown feeling he has when he is with her...

Could it be love?

He stared at her.

Orihime blushed as she noticed the piercing look Ichigo was giving her. He seemed to be on the verge of disclosing something important to her.

Or that was what she was hoping.

"Inoue,"

And she waited.

But he did not get the chance to say anything more for he was calling her again.

Orihime ignored the one calling her, instead her eager eyes locked onto the doubting brown ones in front of her.

"Kurosaki-kun..."

"It's nothing, Inoue. I will see you when I see you, okay?"

She nodded in resignation.

Taking one last look at her orange-haired protector with the scowl she has always found so amusing, the pretty princess said almost sadly,

"Goodbye Kurosaki-kun."

And she turned and walked towards the one who was waiting for her with his hand already waiting to hold hers.

Ichigo watched as the gentle healer walked away from him. He watched as her small hand was captured by his bigger, stronger one and held possessively.

He watched as she walked away from him with him.

Then the movement stopped and so did his frantically beating heart. He watched as she freed her enslaved hand, she must be needing both her hands to do what she was doing, her head was nodding and shaking as well; the one with her turned and looked at him with a quizzical expression on his interested face.

Ichigo scowled right back at him and wondered.

And hope.

Then she was running towards him in the light summer rain, with her shiny hair swaying and catching the setting sun's golden, orange rays.

She was beautiful.

She was heartbreakingly, angelically beautiful in the cursed rain.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Calling out to him as she ran closer and closer to him. In her haste to get to him, she has forgotten how clumsy she can be.

She slipped on the floor made slippery by the rain, but she was not afraid that she will fall for she knew he will be there to catch her.

"Inoue, are you alright?"

And she was, with his big, strong hands on her thin shoulders.

She smiled shyly at him and nodded.

He could only gaze back at her.

"For you, Kurosaki-kun." She said softly and Ichigo reluctantly removed his hands from her shoulders to receive what was offered to him.

It was a light blue, small umbrella.

"Inoue, I don't need this. Look, the rain has almost stopped." He tried pushing her thoughtful gift back to her. She placed her small hands on his bigger ones and squeezed them lightly.

"Please take it."

"I will return it to you before you leave." He promised.

She shook her head.

"No. Keep it. Please keep it as something to remember me by." She said with a tiny, teary smile.

Why would he need something to remember her by when he has tons of memories of her stored in his mind.

And held deeply in his heart.

He could not ever forget her even if he has wanted to.

Nevertheless he nodded.

He gazed at the gentle healer. The beautiful, blushing princess who was going to leave him. No longer will he be needed to protect her.

He wished he has the courage to take her in his arms, persuade her to stay and kissed her.

He wanted to kiss her in the rain and for her to take away his hatred of the rain.

He wanted the hatred to be replaced by love.

Love for the 'star' that he did not know nor understand.

But he knew now.

It was not too late, was it?

She was just standing right in front of him and all he has to do was to reach out and pull her to him.

It was that simple.

But he just stood there and watched her walk away from him, again.

All of a sudden, she turned and faced him, "Goodbye Kurosaki-kun." And a small, sad smile appeared on her flushed face as she gave a little wave.

He lifted his hand and returned the gesture.

And in his heart he cried out,

"Don't Go...

Orihime!"

(待ち)