Night Rain [ Ichigo Kurosaki ]

memories of me

| five |

Amaya walked home alone despite having someone beside her in the morning. She wasn't angry at Ichigo or his strange looking friends, she couldn't even remember the last time she had been angry.

She hiked Ichigo's schoolbag's strap higher up her small shoulders and decided that she would stop by at his house and give it to him before she would pick her little brother up from school because his bag was a little too heavy for her to manage.

Everything had been a little strange for her lately, Ichigo has been acting strange ever since that new student Shinji came and so was the others, Orihime, Chad and even Tatsuki. Amaya had tried to ask them but no one gave her a solid answer.

Amaya shook it off the first few days hoping that it wouldn't last any longer but as soon as Ichigo's friends came, everything just got weirder for Amaya.

Ichigo hadn't spoken to Amaya at all, he gave her empty smiles and gentle pats on her shoulder when he attempted to greet her nicely. Amaya's heart sunk further down every time she saw him look out the window in a longing manner.

Amaya rung the bell at Ichigo's house hoping that the boy himself would open the door but it was his father.

Mr. Kurosaki gave her a panicked look the first second he saw her but quickly recovered and hugged her tightly. "Amaya-chan! So good to see you!" He greeted excitedly.

Amaya smiled and bowed her head slightly and told Mr. Kurosaki that she had to give Ichigo his bag that he forgot at school. She walked upstairs and opened the door absentmindedly.

"Ichigo-kun.. you forgot your ba-ah!" She jumped in surprised as she lifted her eyes to see the audience she had in the room.

All of the new students from today were tightly fitted into Ichigo's room. There was no doubt that a few of them didn't look like high school students, one too young and a few too old but Amaya didn't give it too much of a thought. Puberty was a confusing thing.

Ichigo immediately got up from his bed as soon as he saw Amaya come in and tried to drag her out, as he didn't want her to have anything to do with Soul Society at all.

Amaya bowed to everyone and apologized for intruding. Ichigo was pulled back by Renji and Ikkaku as Yumichika stared at Amaya in amazement.

"Such a beautiful creature.. Why would you degrade yourself to someone like Ichigo?" Yumichika asked as he pointed at the Orange haired boy who struggled against the grips of two giant men.

"H-Hey!" Ichigo yelled out as he was done processing what Yumichika had said.

"I'm not so sure how to answer that.." Amaya awkwardly laughed as her face flushed.

"Ichigo-kun... Here's your bag.. My notes are in there too so you can copy from mine. I have to go pick up Akiro now and go to work.. Goodbye everyone." Amaya put down Ichigo's schoolbag on the floor next to the door and bowed politely to everyone.

She quickly closed the door behind her and breathed in deeply. She heard a ruffling noise from the other side of the door and soon Ichigo popped out with a scowl on his face.

"These guys kept bugging me about being a gentleman and walking you home... so.. come on." Ichigo huffed as his face flushed a slightly darker shade.

He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her to the direction of her little brother's school.

They both walked awkwardly a little beside each other, Ichigo still holding onto her wrist.

There was an itch in Ichigo's hand, it wanted to hold her hand and so it did.

He slid his hand further down onto hers and entwined his fingers with hers.

This little action made the both of them flush crazy red. Ichigo cleared his throat, "I'm sorry again I haven't been around you much this week."

But sorry only works for so many times Ichi...

Amaya squeezed his hand reassuringly, "I'm just glad you're okay Ichi... Whatever it is that you're doing... just don't go diving in head first, please be safe... for me at least."

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