Chapter 13: Wanting To See You
It is a Wednesday evening. Ichigo, while seated with his laptop, appears to be on the phone, nodding and 'yessing.' He eventually hangs up and lets out a huge sigh.
"Guess that's that."
He closes his laptop and leans into his chair. He touches his fringe a bit. "Maybe it's time for a haircut."
An echoing cry rings out in the skies of Karakura Town. Ichigo takes a look at his phone.
"A Hollow, huh? No… there's a swarm of 'em. Better go help those two."
—
Ryunosuke Yuki and Shino Madarame are squaring off with the Hollows that have appeared at Tsubakidai Park. There are just enough to overwhelm them.
"I'll take the right side, Ryuu!" says Shino as she leaps toward said direction. She is alarmed, however, as something bright and orange rushes past her.
"Tsubaki, Koten Zanshun!"
With her resolve, Orihime's offensive technique splits several of the Hollow in half. A few are left remaining, and Ryunosuke and Shino manage to fend off the rest of them.
By the time Ichigo arrives on the scene, it is just the three of them loitering around.
"So you really are the sister of Ikakku!" Orihime says, her eyes lighting up. "You two look so alike!"
"What's that supposed to be, a compliment!?" Shino makes an angered face, alarming Orihime.
"Oh, Inoue," Ichigo says in his Shihakusho. "Nice to see you made the party."
"Ah, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime says. "I didn't want to see you here."
"Eh?" He looks almost devastated. "What do you mean?"
Shino and Ryunosuke give each other a look.
"Um, sorry to interrupt, Inoue-san," wonders Ryunosuke, "but aren't you and Ichigo supposed to be friends?"
"We're dating, actually!" Orihime says to them, surprising Shino and Ryunosuke.
"Then why didn't you want to see me?" asks a confused Ichigo.
"I wanted us to have fended off the Hollows on our own!" Orihime says. "Since you've been so busy with school and work, I didn't want you to be disturbed."
"O-Oh… about that…" says Ichigo. "I've actually completed my internship. I'm still a ways a way to graduation, but my professor thinks I should take up freelance work soon."
"Ohhh, that sounds exciting!" says Orihime.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," he says.
"Hey, I don't mean to interrupt," Ryunosuke says, tapping Orihime on the shoulder, "But I don't think that was the last wave of Hollows just now."
A lineup of Hollows appears before them. Ichigo takes this opportunity to get his Shikai out.
—
"See you!" says Orihime as Shino and Ryunosuke head off after the fighting.
"Well, looks like we can head home now," she says to Ichigo, but Ichigo holds onto Orihime's hand.
"Eh?"
"... Take it back."
"Eh?" wonders Orihime. "What do you mean, Kurosaki-kun?"
"You know what I mean!" he complains. "When you said, 'you didn't want to see me here'!"
Orihime gives Ichigo a quick kiss on the cheek. The two go red, keeping to themselves for a moment.
"... You... You know I'm always happy to see you, Kurosaki-kun," says a flustered Orihime.
Ichigo coughs, still blushing. "... Just making sure..."
