Ochi Misato looked over her students. Since before summer brake things went nuts. A few weeks before summer brake at the beginning of June, some of her students all of a sudden stopped coming to class. Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryu, and Yasutora Sado. At the end of June three of them returned. Now it was October and Ichigo had since been dis-enrolled from the school. It was also important to notice the student's behavior as well. When they first returned it was a stunning shock to her how the students acted. Orihime seemed depressed. Her and Tatsuki were still together, but hardly ever talked anymore. Mizurio and Keigo stopped talking to each other all the time, and Sado and Uryu both seemed to retreat into themselves.
Now this wasn't the first time Misato lost students. Chizuru's parents had gotten transferred last year and the initial reception was not well from the other students. She knew Orihime and Tatsuki especially had missed Chizuru a lot. Then Ryo accepted a scholarship to study abroad for her senior year on the request that she participate in track. Mahana and Michiru both got transferred to other classes as well. That left the group of friends down to Ichigo, Orihime, Uryu, Sado, Tatsuki, Mizuiro, Keigo, and Rukia. Yet Rukia and Ichigo were gone. Misato knew the one who gathered such a ragtag group of friends had been Ichigo. At first she had been very considered about the effect this would have on them. Then about a month ago things changed.
It was the first of September, when they got back from their summer brake. Orihime had come into class looking the happiest Misato could remember seeing her in a long time. She had announced she made lunch for them all and required that they join her. Misato was so glad to see all the students immediately accepted her request. Ever since then, they had all been spending time together again. She saw them all eating lunch together; Mizuiro and Keigo walked home from school again; she heard Sado making plans to meet them out of school; Uryu and Orihime were disusing going to a sewing shop. It was like they got the reminder that even if Ichigo isn't constantly there, their friendship with him and each other wasn't over because of that.
She still didn't understand why they missed a month of school, but in just as much time, Uryu had reclaimed his number one seat, and Orihime and Sado were near the top once again. They had recovered with a dedication that Misato rarely ever seen. She was glad though. They all seemed to be doing well, they were still the best of friends, and she could see how much they had grown since they entered her class for high school.
xxx
Tatsuki frowned as she watched Orihime leave the classroom to go home. She knew they all had jobs to go to. Orihime managed to keep her job at the bakery. Tatsuki herself was an assistant teacher at the Furin Dojo. Uryu had started working at the Urahara Shop again and protecting the town. Sado worked at a pet shop. Mizurio got an internship, and Keigo worked at a shop. Yet Tatsuki knew for a fact the young girl didn't work today. Orihime still claimed that she did and left. Tatsuki knew from using this trick herself on others in the past that Orihime just needed some space. She needed some time to herself. Tatsuki also knew why. Orihime was moving on and accepting the fact that her and Ichigo would never be. She knew Orihime wanted to try and get past this before they go to visit Ichigo and Rukia in the Soul Society.
The group had made the decision that they would use the tickets that Shunsui gave them during winter brake. It was a little over two months from then, but it would give them a little room to focus on school. Orihime, Uryu, and Sado would be their guides of course, and Ichigo's sisters also said they were going. However oddly enough Ichigo's father said he couldn't make it and to give Ichigo his regards. Tatsuki thought it was a little odd.
She decided to let it go for now, hoping that it work itself out without her intervention.
xxx
Ichigo sat at his new desk, frowning at the level of work he had to do. He made his decision and did not regret it. When he announced that he was joining the Gotie Thirteen, the divisions offered him different positions. He had a range of options from a fukutaichou to seated officer positions. He never got an offer to be a taichou and wasn't offended that he didn't. He knew that a taichou needed a level of experience and knowledge. That was part of the reason Shuhei, Izuru, Momo, Rukia, and Isane were only acting taichou's.
In all honesty, Ichigo had expected Renji, Ikkaku, or Shuhei to be offered a taichou position. All three had leadership experience and a bankai. Yet all three had the same reason why they couldn't become a taichou. For Renji it was Byakuya. For Ikkaku it was Kenpachi. For Shuhei it was Kensei. They each had a man that they wanted to follow. They joined the division's that they did for that man. There was no way they were going to leave that division now. They wanted to serve the taichou they had, not lead another division themselves.
Ichigo didn't take very long to select what position he would take. He took the fourth seat of the thirteenth division. He had made the decision to stand beside Rukia and guide her through the hard times ahead. He also didn't want to displace Sentaro and Kiyone. The third seat was their position. Rukia had more than just Ichigo to help her. Her brother Byakuya regularly came to give her guidance and check on her work. Also Love came by to help. At first Ichigo had been surprised that Love took an interest in the division, but Sentaro later explained that his father was Love's former fukutaichou. So he was looking out for the thirteenth division as a favor to his old fukutaichou and Sentaro's father. Ichigo couldn't help but feel like it was a sweet thing to do. He had wanted to go back to Karakura town and check on the others, but decided to wait for now. He knew they must be working hard in school, especially since they had so much time to make up. It also wasn't like he didn't have enough work to do here.
A knock came at the door and Ichigo looked up to see Rukia and Renji standing there. "Hey." he greeted with a smile. Renji smirked.
"A bunch of us Fukutaichou's are going out to lunch, so let's go." he said. Ichigo gave the red head a look like he was an idiot.
"I'm not a fukutaichou Renji." he said. Renji rolled his eyes. He sometimes felt that Ichigo did the nitpicking stuff solely to get under his nerves.
"You're on good enough grounds with everyone to be considered one. Let's go alright!" he said. Ichigo smirked as he stood up.
"Who's all going?" he asked. Renji looked up a little, as if he was trying to remember.
"Well there's Rangiku and Shuhei, Izuru, I think Marechiyo is coming...Isane for sure, Momo and Iba said they'll try to come too. It's enough." Renji said. Rukia rolled her eyes.
"Ikkaku and Yumichika are going as well." she said. Renji nodded, having almost forgotten them. Ichigo reached the two and they headed out.
"So how is it? Everything you thought it'd be?" Renji asked, but the tone told Ichigo he was being mocked. Ichigo scowled.
"Shut up Renji." he growled. Renji pretended to look offended.
"Hey hey now, I'm your superior remember. Your just a fourth seat." he taunted. Ichigo scowled.
"For now, but one day I'll out rank you!" Ichigo threatened. Renji smirked.
"Really?" he asked. Rukia pushed them both away from each other and settled herself between them. This childish bickering was getting on her nerves. Ichigo however was smiling, glad some things just never changed.
xxx
Sado left the school, ready to go to the pet shop and get to work. He glanced up at the sky, noting how cloudy it was. It looked like it would rain any second. "Hey Chad!" he heard and turned to see Mizuiro and Keigo waiting for him.
"Oh, hi." he greeted. Mizuiro gave him a smile and friendly wave while Keigo burst into tears.
"What kind of greeting is that?! Especially after we waited here for you to walk with you to work!" he sobbed. Sado sighed. He liked these two, but sometimes he couldn't handle them. Mizuiro put his cell phone in his back pocket.
"Ishida was thinking of getting us all together to study for the exam next week." Mizuiro said offhandedly.
"He did did he? That sounds like him." Sado said with a soft smile. Ever since they got back, he could see how guilty Uryu felt. Yet the boy was trying to make up for it by doing what he could to help the others. Sado knew he would be going to that study session, as would Keigo and Mizuiro. Keigo would complain about it, sure, but they all knew it wasn't just to study. It was an excuse to spend a little more time together and after everything that they had been through in the last few years, they needed it.
"So how is it working at the pet shop?" asked Keigo, seemingly calmed down from his disappointment at the non enthusiastic greeting. Sado thought about it for a second.
"Good." he said. That seemed to be the best way to sum it up. The animals were cute and gentle and Sado enjoyed spending time around them. He knew this job wouldn't be permanent. It was for his senior year while he was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do. He only fought to protect others, and Ichigo became the excuse to use his fists. Now Ichigo had moved on to his future, and Sado was intending on following suit. He wanted to continue protecting others just like Ichigo. He had a few careers that he was looking at. Police officer, firefighter, and quite a few others.
"Just good?" Keigo whined, the disappointment back. Sado just nodded. Mizuiro chuckled.
"Well my internship is going well too." he decided to say, and began telling the two about what he had been up to.
xxx
Orihime walked down the street, thinking about the rain that was coming. She hadn't even looked at the weather this morning, so she forgot to bring an umbrella. Now she was going to get soaked on her way to work. The first few drops started to come down and she smiled. There was something about the rain that Orihime loved. Yet Ichigo and Rukia both hated the rain. The rain started to pick up speed, but then it suddenly stopped hitting her. She looked up to see a black umbrella over her head. She followed the umbrella to the owner to see Uryu standing in the rain, holding his umbrella so that it covered her.
"Inoue, where is your umbrella?" he asked. She smiled as she lightly tapped her own head.
"I was in such a hurry this morning that I forgot it in my apartment." she said in a sing-song voice. Uryu had a small smile on his face.
"Well I'll walk you to the bakery." he said. She smiled and nodded, moving to stand right beside him so that they were both under the umbrella. Uryu turned slightly pink.
"Come to think of it Ishida, why are you here? You live the other way, and the Urahara shop is south of the school." she said. Realistically, there wasn't a reason for Uryu to be going this way. He turned red.
"I had the day off so I was going to go to the Sunflower Sewing shop." he said. She nodded. She liked that store too. It had a lot of really good things for craft projects. The two walked for a while in silence, enjoying the sound of the rain as it hit the pavement and the umbrella. Orihime wanted to talk to him, but she didn't really know what to say. He still looked like he hadn't forgiven himself.
"When Rukia left to go to the Seiretei, she thought she was going to die. She was going back to be executed, just to protect us." Orihime said suddenly. Uryu gave her a confused look, as if he had no idea where she was going with that. "We were all so worried so we went after her. She had made a choice that she knew that would end with her death. We went and brought her back because we cared about her. Then the arrancars came to take me." she said. Uryu looked like he wanted to speak, like he just realized where Orihime was going with this, but she kept going. "I made the decision to go of my own free will. I didn't know if I would be killed or not, but I knew if I didn't go the others would die. So I went. Then you all came for me. Sado joined the Xcution group to help Ichigo. They ended up being our enemy and we still have him, but he still felt guilty about it." she said.
"Inoue..." Uryu started.
"We all made those decisions to protect the others. There was nothing wrong with your decision. No one is mad at you but yourself. It's time to let it go Uryu." Orihime said. She expected Uryu to say something about her using his first name, but he just looked at the ground, as if he was in deep thought.
"I suppose your right." he said. She knew it wasn't that easy, that he was still at war with himself, but it was a start. She smiled back at him, knowing exactly how he felt. Uryu could try to deceive himself, to say it was different, but it wasn't any different then when the rest of them followed the enemy to protect their friends. They arrived at the bakery and she smiled.
"Thank you for walking me here Uryu." she said, surprising herself that she was still using his first name. Yet she didn't want to change it. He smiled back.
"You can keep my umbrella if you want." he said. However she shook her head.
"I don't need it." she said, because she wanted to be out in the rain next time. She wanted to feel that connection, the one that still connected her to all of her friends, her brother Sora, and everyone else in the world. This rain, it bonded their lives together.
So in all honesty I meant this chapter to be the beginning of something between Orihime and Uryu, however I felt like Uryu would still feel so guilty over attacking his friends when he had to that I wanted to do something where they are reminding him that they are still his friends no matter what. So the next chapter I'm going to be taking the others to the Soul Society.