During the breaks, Ichigo decided to spend the day hanging out with Tatsuki and Orihime. His usual friends, Keigo, Mizuiro and Chad didn't seem to mind. In fact, they were happy to see him acting more sociable rather than the cold and distant Ichigo he could sometimes be.
He didn't want to completely change who he was—just enough to build stronger bonds with his friends and family. That was enough for him.
The three of them stayed in the classroom to eat, the sunlight streaming through the windows, casting a warm glow over the desks. Ichigo pulled up a chair, sitting across from them as he unwrapped his lunch. The conversation that followed was… strange.
Not that weird conversations were unusual when Orihime was involved. He was used to her bizarre food choices and even stranger ideas. But Tatsuki? He never pegged her as the type to entertain such randomness.
Then again, when you spend enough time around Orihime, maybe you start to pick up her habits and interests.
Not that it was a bad thing. Orihime was a cool girl—quirky, sure, but in a way that made her endearing. It was probably one of the things that attracted him to her the most.
'But as time goes on, she kinda matures, I guess. Or maybe it's just that we barely got to see her?' he thought, absently chewing on his food as he listened to the two of them talk.
Tatsuki was animated, debating some ridiculous theory Orihime had come up with, but there was an ease to her expression—one that wasn't always there when she was around him. Maybe spending time like this was a good idea.
He smirked slightly, leaning back in his chair. 'This might actually be fun.'
The conversation between Orihime and Tatsuki continued, bouncing from one absurd topic to another. Ichigo mostly listened, occasionally throwing in a sarcastic remark when things got too ridiculous.
"…and that's why I think fish could totally be the next dominant species if humans ever disappeared!" Orihime declared, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Ichigo stared at her, chopsticks frozen in mid-air. "…Fish?"
"Yeah! They already live in huge communities, they can breathe underwater, and some of them are super smart! What if they evolve to walk on land?"
Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "You've been watching too many sci-fi movies, Orihime."
Ichigo smirked, shaking his head. "Yeah, next thing you know, she'll say jellyfish are plotting to take over the world."
Orihime gasped, slamming her hands on the desk. "That's a great idea! Imagine—jellyfish armies floating through the air, zapping people!"
Ichigo nearly choked on his food. Tatsuki covered her face with her hands, groaning. "I give up."
Despite himself, Ichigo was actually enjoying this. It felt… normal. And considering everything looming over him—his growing spiritual power, the inevitable clashes with Hollows, the whole mess with Rukia—normal was nice.
He glanced at Tatsuki, who was smiling, even if she tried to hide it by taking a bite of her food. It was a rare moment where she wasn't looking at him with suspicion or frustration. Maybe things were getting better between them.
Orihime turned to him suddenly. "Hey, Ichigo, do you believe in past lives?"
He blinked at the sudden change in topic. "Huh?"
"You know, like reincarnation! What if we all knew each other in a past life?" She clasped her hands together, leaning in with fascination. "Maybe we were warriors! Or adventurers! Maybe you were a samurai!"
Ichigo scoffed. "I don't know about past lives, but if I was a samurai, I'd rather not remember. Probably got stabbed a bunch of times."
Orihime giggled. Tatsuki shook her head, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes.
As the lunch break neared its end, Ichigo leaned back, stretching. Spending time with them wasn't bad at all. He'd expected things to be awkward, especially with Tatsuki, but they were slipping into something comfortable.
'Yeah, I can get used to this,' he thought, watching Orihime excitedly ramble about another wild theory while Tatsuki tried to rein her in.
For now, he could let himself enjoy these small moments.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. Ichigo sighed, standing up and stretching his arms. "Well, back to class."
Orihime pouted. "Aww, lunch went by so fast! I still had so many things I wanted to talk about."
Tatsuki smirked, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "You always have a million things to talk about, Orihime. I'm surprised Ichigo didn't run away halfway through."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm not that rude."
Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. "Debatable."
Orihime giggled, and Ichigo just shook his head with a small smirk. They all walked together back to class, the hallways now crowded with students hurrying to get to their seats.
As they entered the classroom, Ichigo returned to his usual seat near the window. Keigo and Mizuiro gave him knowing looks, smirking like they'd just uncovered some huge secret.
Keigo leaned in with a grin. "So, how was it?"
Ichigo frowned. "How was what?"
"You know," Mizuiro said, tilting his head toward Tatsuki and Orihime, who were settling into their own seats. "Hanging out with the two cutest girls in class."
Ichigo gave them a flat look. "We just ate lunch."
Keigo nudged him with his elbow. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Next thing we know, you'll be walking home with one of them and—"
Before he could finish, Ichigo shoved him back into his seat. "Just shut up and pay attention. Class is starting."
Keigo groaned, rubbing his shoulder. "Geez, man, you've been working out or something? That hurt."
" Oh sorry bro. " He apologized.
'Right… I should probably be more careful,' Ichigo thought, realizing how easily he had pushed Keigo back. His control over his strength was still slipping. He didn't want to accidentally break someone's arm just by shoving them.
As the teacher walked in, class officially began. Ichigo leaned back in his seat, resting his chin in his hand. He wasn't exactly interested in the lesson, but at least it gave him some time to think.
He needed to work on his sword training after school.
'Yeah, today after school, I'll practice,' he decided, letting his eyes drift toward the window as the lesson droned on.
Even with all these small, normal moments, he knew things wouldn't stay peaceful for long.
TO BE CONTINUED