9
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It would be the last school festival for them. Next spring they would graduate and everything happened today would be a memory for them. For Orihime it sounded sad. She wasn't sure if she could continue her study after high school or not, she didn't have the money.
These past three years in high school were fun for her. At least she met Tatsuki and other friends, and though she didn't have many friends, she wasn't bullied like what had happened in her junior high school years. Plus, she was really happy because she had a chance to meet Ichigo Kurosaki and to fall in love with him. It might be different for him, but for her, even if it was just for the sake of the bet, she was quite happy because she had a chance to date him.
At first she always had thought that Ichigo was scary but slowly she started to realize that Ichigo wasn't like that. He was really kind. He had always been worried about her, though maybe he was just pretending but it made her happy enough.
He was her first boyfriend, and no matter what, she would keep this memory as one of her treasures.
"Earth to Orihime, hey, are you listening?"
Orihime startled when she felt some cold fingers touched her warm cheek. She blushed deeply when she realized that Tatsuki had been calling her name few times since few minutes ago. She laughed nervously.
"I am sorry, what is it, Tatsuki-chan?"
The black haired tomboy sighed, she pointed her chopstick toward Orihime's face, "what were you daydreaming about?"
"I-I wasn't daydreaming," Orihime shook her head quickly, "I was thinking about something..."
Orihime slapped her own cheeks mentally. She forgot that she was with Tatsuki at the time, having their lunch together in the school backyard. She didn't want Tatsuki to know about her real feeling toward Ichigo because it would make her worry but it was so difficult to hide anything from her best friend. She was too clumsy and Tatsuki was too sharp.
"Are you thinking about him?"
Orihime choked, "w-who?"
Tatsuki smiled teasingly, "who else? A certain orange haired?"
Orihime blushed. She stabbed a poor fried prawn in her lunch box and stabbed it once again without actually eating it. She wondered if it were okay to tell Tatsuki that she actually had found out that Ichigo dated her just for a bet.
She wondered what Tatsuki would do if she knew that she had been an object of some cruel game... Maybe she would kill Ichigo. No, Orihime did love Ichigo. She didn't want him to be killed.
"Orihime, you ignored me again..." Tatsuki sighed, "now you make me really worried, tell me what's going on exactly? I know you were hiding something from me and it makes me really worry about you. Now tell me."
Orihime bit her lower lip for few seconds, "I don't know... Should I tell you?"
"Yes you should," Tatsuki nodded impatiently, arms crossed, "now hurry up before the bell rings and we have to go back to the classroom."
The long haired girl sighed, "I think... I really fall in love with Kurosaki-kun..."
There was a small smile plastered on Tatsuki face for few seconds before she put on the frown, "I think I realized it. You are dating him so it's normal to fall in love with him."
Orihime blushed, "but, you know, I think... Kurosaki-kun doesn't feel the same way with me. I mean, I think he hates me."
Tatsuki rolled her dark eyes, "don't be silly. Why would he ask you out if he hated you?"
'Because he lost the bet...'
Orihime bit her own tongue hard so she wouldn't say it out loud. She stabbed the prawn once again, it didn't even look like a prawn anymore, "I don't know... Maybe I think he doesn't like me as much as I like him."
Tatsuki put down her chopstick. She took a deep sigh before she patted her friend's shoulder, "Orihime, believe me, I know Ichigo is an idiot and a jerk, but do you really think that I would let him dating my best friend if I know he would only break her heart?"
Her dark eyes met Orihime's.
The beautiful girl sighed and shook her head weakly.
No, she didn't know.
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"The class's been started."
"I don't care, we need to talk."
Ichigo groaned. If it were any other girl, it would be easy for him to shove her aside and go, but this girl was not your everyday high school girl. She was practically the strongest girl in town. Shoving her away wouldn't be easy. Ichigo had learned his reason not to make Tatsuki too angry. He had some scars to remind him.
"What's it about?"
"I just want to make sure," Tatsuki lowered her voice, "that you will tell Orihime that you love her."
Ichigo made a face, "why do you think I should do that? I had done like what you told me, I lost the bet and I am going out with her! Isn't that enough?"
Tatsuki tsk-ed, "well, who do you think told you about the bet? If I didn't tell you first then one of those guys might be dating Orihime now, you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"
"So would you!" Ichigo gritted his teeth, "you wouldn't want one of those bastard lays their finger on her. You told me because you know I would lose and I would not lay any finger on her."
The childhood friends stared at each other. Ichigo was ready to block any punch or kick but after a minute, she didn't do anything.
"So, you want to say that you didn't love Orihime?" Tatsuki frowned, she knew him better than anyone, "you can't lie to me, you know. I could read you like an open book."
The strawberry narrowed his eyes, "whether I l-lo... Uh like her or not, it's none of your business."
The slender girl shook her head. Really, this guy was really stupid, "so you would really broke up with her?" He didn't say anything so she continued, "well if you really wanted to break up with her, at least wait until the school festival. That girl deserve to have her last dance with someone she loves."
With that she shoved him to the wall once more time before she turned around to leave. Ichigo couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Wait, what do you mean?!"
Tatsuki wave her hand without turning back, "just think about it, idiot!"
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Does it mean she love me?
Ichigo was late for the sixth period. Ochi-sensei smacked his head once before she let him back to his seat. When he walked passing Tatsuki's seat, the girl was obviously avoiding his eyes. He wondered if she was still angry or what.
When he sat on his seat, Ichigo's mind played back what Tatsuki had said earlier. He wondered if she actually really meant that. Was it possible for someone like Orihime to fall in love with someone like him?
Ichigo cursed silently. Things had been really complicated. He remembered it so well when that day Tatsuki came to his house and told him about what she had heard after school that day. She told Ichigo that she was going to have a tournament next week so she couldn't cause any trouble until then. That was why she came to tell him about the bet.
When he asked her why did she came to him, she just smiled and told him that she knew that he wouldn't let any of those guys lose their bet and had their way with Orihime. He didn't know from where she got such a confidence that he would lose the bet and date Orihime.
He wondered if she really knew about his feeling or she was just guessing.
That day, in the empty class room, when his friends talked about the bet, he was ready to lose. A part of him was excited because finally he would have a chance to get closer with a girl he had liked for so long.
If only they could start dating for real.
Ichigo sighed at the thought. He knew that sometime he had scared Orihime by the way he acted. He had never dated any other girl before so he didn't know how to treat them. He was really lucky because he could have a chance to hold her hand and walk her home, but it would come to an end soon.
After the school festival they would be stranger once more.
That would be the best for her. She should not be going out with someone she doesn't love, unless...
"...That girl deserve to have her last dance with someone she loves."
Did it mean she love him?
Ichigo felt his face became hotter, "ARGH! THIS IS CONFUSING!"
"Good, Kurosaki, now come into the front of class and solve this problems! You cannot sit down until you solve them!"
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"Wait, Inoue!"
Orihime was putting back her slipper into her locker when she heard someone calling her name. She was ready to go home. Alone. That was the plan until a certain tall boy called her name out. She turned around and saw her boyfriend, scowling as usual, walked toward her.
"Ku-kurosaki-kun..."
Ichigo walked passing Orihime to his own locker to change his slipper with his shoes, "I will walk you home."
That wasn't even an offer. Orihime was given no choice.
She sighed as she watched him putting on his shoes, "you don't have to, Kurosaki-kun."
"No, I have to. We need to talk."
Orihime didn't have the chance to say anything because Ichigo had grabbed her hand and pulled her with him.
She wondered what kind of talk they would have...
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Author's Note:
Two more chapters (or so I planned). I would update faster this time, because I already had an idea in my head. Thanks for being so patient! And I love reviews!
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