In Between

Standard Disclaimer Applied

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CHAPTER 1

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Orihime Inoue could only smile and respond nicely when the girls from the first year asking her the questions. She was in the sewing club room with few other members who were also her juniors. Ishida who was also the founder of the club now had become the student council president, leaving the club in her hand. She was glad when there were new members joined the club this year but when she learned the reason why, she felt a little disappointed.

"So, Ishida-senpai is single?"

"I can't believe it!"

The half-done plushies were forgotten on the table, the girls were too busy attacking the sweet auburn haired girl with so many questions about the dark haired man. Orihime had heard that Ishida was quite famous amongst the new students but she didn't expect the girl to question her so many things about him.

"So you are not his girlfriend?"

Orihime blushed at this question. She had been friend with Ishida for almost three years but she didn't date him. No of course not. She didn't—never—think of him that way. She was also sure that the guy didn't think of her that way.

She shook her head quickly, "No! We're friend, uh... That's all!" Besides she liked someone else, but she wouldn't tell them that, "I don't think Ishida-kun think of me that way..."

One of the girls nodded, "It's just... We heard rumors, you know... Some students often saw Senpai walk you home, so..." She shrugged, "but you said no. I believe Inoue-senpai anyway... Besides now I think about it, it wasn't only Ishida-senpai. Sometime even Sado-senpai walked you home."

"Ah really? Are you close with Sado-senpai too, Inoue-senpai?"

Orihime laughed nervously, "Yeah, we're friends... Sometime they walked me home."

"Whoaaa, I envy you, Senpai..." The girl with brown eyes pouted, "Ishida-senpai and Sado-senpai are really popular..."

"Really?" Orihime smiled, feeling proud of her friends. Sado and Ishida wasn't really popular back then when they were in the same class during their first year but now their juniors seemed to think the other way.

"Also Arisawa-senpai... You both are close, right, Senpai?"

This time she laughed, "Tatsuki-chan is my best friend! She is cool, isn't she?"

The girls nodded in unison. Though Tatsuki was a girl, they still idolized her just like they idolized their male seniors.

"But you're also popular, Senpai," said a girl with glasses, "the boys in my class are crazy about you."

The once forgotten blush was back to her face. She waved her hands to deny it, "No, that's not true, I'm not..."

"The boys in my class too!" The black haired girl said before Orihime could finish her sentence, "I think all boys in school are idolizing you, Senpai..."

"It's not..."

"I understand though, Senpai is beautiful and has great style..." The girls weren't listening to her denial, "Do you have a boyfriend, Senpai?"

"Ah, that's..." She stuttered and bit her lower lip, she darted her eyes to avoid the girls' and looked at her watch, "Uh, wow! Look at the time! We had to stop here... Well, thanks for today!" She chirped and stood up, "I have to go home, you all too... So, see you!"

Without even waiting for the replies, Orihime ran dashing out of the room.

That one question was a hard question. When someone had asked her that question in the past, she would have answered that she didn't have any. But now, that wasn't the right answer. She didn't know the right answer.

Orihime walked out of the school building. The sky had been reddened as the sun slowly hid itself. The school was almost empty except for the student who had some club activity.

Today Tatsuki had a club activity and Chad got some flu and couldn't come to school today. Ishida who was actually had to walk her home suddenly had to see the principal due to some matter she didn't understand. She had to walk home alone and she didn't really mind it actually. She did enjoy walking home alone.

She was strong and she was capable to take care of herself, she knew it. If only her friends knew that she had learned new moves from her practice with Yoruichi, maybe they would stop worrying about her.

She wasn't a kid anymore. She was in her final year now and she had grown up. She had grown taller by few centimeters and her hair had grown longer. Deep inside, she had been stronger too. She was...

"Inoue!"

There were few people who call her with her last name and someone who would call her last name with no suffix was only...

She turned to see someone ran toward her. She recognized him even from this far. That wasn't because of his bright orange hair which had grown a little longer. It was because...

"Kurosaki-kun," she smiled sweetly when he had stopped running few steps away from her. She recognized the uniform he was wearing and the sweat all over his face and exposed neck, "today's soccer club?"

Ichigo smirked, "Today's the last day, the contract ended today."

She nodded. She understood what he meant. Instead of joining one club permanently, Ichigo had been "lending" his strength to any club who agreed to pay him some money. Actually, Orihime thought that was a good idea. That wasn't about the money, but in her opinion, that way he wouldn't get bored with the club activity.

"You're going home?" He looked around as if to see if Tatsuki was around there, when he saw no one, he frowned, "Alone?"

She nodded, "Tatsuki-chan had practice today."

"And Ishida?"

"Ishida-kun has to see the principal," she smiled, a slight blush covered her pretty face, she has no reason to be shy around him actually, she was just nervous, and she couldn't do anything about it. "But I am okay! I can walk home alone, really..."

He sighed and shook his head, "Nah, I will walk you home, I'm done with the club anyway, just wait for a moment, I need to get changed."

She shook her head quickly, "No, it's okay Kurosaki-kun! You have part time job to do, and..."

"It's Thursday," he said, rolling his eyes, as if telling her to stop debating him, he had his mind settled. "You know I don't have work on Thursday. Really, Inoue, you should have told me when no one could walk you home!" He shook his head, "Tsk, that four eyes should have told me if he were busy." He didn't let her say anything she was going to say and pointed at the school gate, "Wait for me there. I'll be there soon."

She nodded, "Oh, okay."

Orihime sighed as she walked to the place he had pointed to her. It had been like this for some time now. The reason why she always had someone to walk her home was Ichigo. She didn't know why but he had insisted that she shouldn't walk home alone. And she wondered why her friends agreed with him.

It had been almost a year since Ichigo lost his shinigami power. She knew that he missed his power, also a certain someone who had given him the power in the first place. She felt so sorry because she couldn't do anything about that.

Though he had been insisting that she shouldn't walk home alone, somehow she had a feeling that he liked it better when Ishida or Sado walked with her rather than to walk her home himself. She wondered if to be alone with her made him feel uneasy. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him that question that day...

"Do you miss Rukia?"

She hadn't been the first one asking him the question actually. Their friends, Keigo for example, had asked him the same question. When they asked him that question usually he would shout at them and telling them to stop asking that stupid question but of course he wouldn't shout at her. He didn't tell her to shut up when she asked the question instead he sighed and looked at the sky above them.

"Maybe," he said in a thoughtful tone, "I don't really understand, but sometime I wonder how was my life back then because, you know... I'm getting used with my life right now and it's kinda scary."

She kind of understood though. It must have been not easy for him. She wanted to do something for him but she didn't know what, that's been why she would just smile and cheer him up as much as she could, in her own way. She couldn't give him any strength like Rukia had done but she knew, there should have been something she could do for him. To keep him happy.

It was not easy though.

"Yo, Inoue!"

Orihime plastered a smile on her face when she heard him calling her name. He still called her that way. She knew old habit die hard but it would be nice if sometime he called her by her first name.

"Kurosaki-kun..."

She had no right to complain though because she also couldn't call him by his first name. She didn't want to be rude...

"Let's go," he took her school bag and carried it together with his.

They were walking side by side for few more minutes before any of them said something.

"So," it was Orihime who broke the silence first, "how was soccer club?"

"It's okay," Ichigo shrugged, "they want me to be their permanent member."

"You said no?"

He snorted, "Of course! It was not bad to play soccer but it'll be boring to play soccer every day."

She nodded, she understood what he meant, "I like donuts but it will be boring to have only donuts for breakfast, lunch and dinner..."

He smirked and nodded, "You love donuts, huh?"

"Yes!" She grinned, "Don't you?"

"I don't hate them," he said as they keep walking.

Another few minutes passed without any of them saying something. She didn't really mind it. It was kind of awkward but it wasn't a bad awkwardness. It was a good one. She felt somehow relaxed.

"Let's go to Mister Donut this Sunday."

Surprisingly, it was Ichigo's who said it. She looked at him, a little surprised at the sudden invitation and waited a little longer, half expecting him to say something like bringing their other friends along with them but he said nothing.

So she smiled and nodded, "Yes!"

He smirked and said nothing else. Deep inside Orihime was dancing happily, it was a date! Well, not really, but still, she would spend some time with him and that was awesome.

"So," he broke the silence once again, "how was the club today?"

"Well, it was..." She tried to find the right adjective to explain it but she failed, "errr, the new members are, apparently, Ishida-kun's fans. We didn't do much, they were asking about Ishida-kun the whole time."

Ichigo snorted, "He has fans?"

Orihime smiled, "You do, too, Kurosaki-kun."

He rose an eyebrow, "Me?"

"Yup, you," she giggled, "You got many chocolates last Valentine."

He did. He got some chocolates from their juniors that it shocked his sisters when he brought home the gifts. He loved chocolates and he was taught not to throw away gifts so he ate them all.

She smiled when he didn't say anything about it.

"You're handsome, Kurosaki-kun."

He scowled deeper and looked at the girl, she did say unpredictable things sometime.

"Thanks?"

"You're welcome!" She said cheerfully.

They continued walking without saying anything anymore. It was only 15 minutes more walking before they reached her apartment and she wished she lived a little farther from their school only so they could walk together a little longer.

"So, here's your bag."

She took her bag back and muttered a small thank you to the taller man. They had stopped in front of her apartment door.

"So," he rubbed the back of his orange head, she was looking at her shoes and he wished she was looking at him when he was talking, "Err, see you tomorrow?"

"Okay, thanks, Kurosaki-kun, don't you want to have some tea first before you go home?" She still avoided his eyes. Something she always did when she felt nervous.

"No, maybe next time."

He wanted to go home but he wanted to see her face first. He didn't understand why she'd look away from him. It wasn't like she had to be shy around him, was it?

"Inoue,"

He called her name and she finally looked at him.

She closed her eyes instinctively when he leaned down and brushed his lips to hers in a gentle manner. He kissed her for less than three seconds before he pulled away, smug smile on his face and he turned around.

He waved his hand while walking away from the blushing girl.

"He kissed you."

Ichigo had been nowhere to be seen when the girl who had been standing not too far from Orihime said something. She had been there the whole time and saw everything.

Orihime blushed. She knew she had been there but he couldn't see her, if he knew they'd been watched, she was sure he wouldn't kiss her.

The raven haired girl walked to the taller girl, a smile plastered on her beautiful face, "So he wasn't a gay."

Orihime knew she was joking. She knew it very well, Ichigo wasn't a gay.

"How long have you been there? Isn't it cold?" Orihime asked the other girl as she tried to fish her keys from her bag, she found the key and opened the door, "Come in, Kuchiki-san..."

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author's note:

Another multichapters from me. :)

I am trying to write a 'semi canon' story and this story line is about during the 17 month timeskip. AND I NEED BETA FOR THIS STORY.

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PS: I will update Last chapter of Fake Love next week (^^)b and another chapter of After School.

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(Recchinon)