NOTAKING
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Chapter 22
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 05:09:09 +0000 UTCIn the quiet streets of Karakura…
Orihime Inoue hummed happily as she walked down the dimly lit road, a plastic bag of groceries swinging gently in her grip. Her soft voice filled the air as she sang a tune she had just made up on the spot.
"Ra ra is for ramen, shi is for shinigawa sushi shi… Now let's sing—"
Before she could finish, a blinding flash of headlights cut through the darkness. The low roar of an engine grew into a deafening VROOOOM, and her eyes widened in shock as a car sped straight toward her.
Her body froze for a split second. The sharp screech of tires skidding against asphalt pierced her ears as the car closed the distance in an instant—
At the park…
Under the dim glow of streetlights, Ichigo stood with a wooden sword in hand, swinging it repeatedly with calculated precision. Each motion was sharp, his arms moving in fluid arcs as he practiced his strikes over and over. The whoosh of the wood slicing through the air was the only real sound around him—aside from the occasional huff of exertion.
A few feet away, Rukia sat on a bench, completely engrossed in her book. She giggled softly to herself, flipping the page as if she had just read the funniest thing in the world.
Ichigo glanced at her, frowning slightly.
‘This isn’t doing much for now… I need actual sparring, honestly.’ He thought, stopping mid-swing. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and looked at Rukia again, who was still lost in her so-called “modern literature.”
He sighed. ‘Man, she’s weird.’
As if sensing his gaze, Rukia suddenly looked up from her book. She stared at him for a second before narrowing her eyes.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Ichigo muttered, turning away.
She hummed suspiciously before flipping another page.
Ichigo let out a long exhale and resumed his swings.
Orihime strolled down the path, humming softly, when her eyes landed on Ichigo and Rukia together once again.
'They're together again…' she thought, a flicker of something unreadable passing through her mind before she shook it off.
With a bright smile, she picked up her pace.
"Ichigo!" she called out cheerfully.
Ichigo turned at the familiar voice, his serious expression softening as he spotted Orihime approaching. She waved excitedly, her grocery bag bouncing slightly in her grip.
He smiled. "Oh, hey, Orihime."
She reached them, stopping just in front of him. "It's nice to see you!" she said with a grin.
Rukia, who had been sitting quietly, tilted her head. "Orihime, you're always so happy," she commented, glancing up from her book.
Orihime blinked. "Oh! Rukia, hi!" She greeted her with a polite nod before turning her attention back to Ichigo.
"So what are you doing here?" Ichigo asked, noticing the heavy bag in her hands.
Orihime perked up, pulling out a few of the ingredients she had bought. "Oh! I was out shopping for stuff!"
Ichigo eyed the assortment of items in her bag—strange combinations of sauces, seaweed, sweet beans, and… was that mayonnaise? His face twitched.
‘What the hell is she planning to cook…?’ he wondered, slightly horrified.
Orihime, oblivious to his reaction, looked between the two. "What about you guys? What are you doing here?"
Ichigo quickly thought up an excuse. "Oh, I’m just giving Rukia a tour of the town since she’s new and all."
Rukia turned to him with a look of approval, appreciating his quick thinking.
Orihime clapped her hands together, her eyes shining. "Wow! That’s so nice of you, Ichigo! I knew you were a good person."
Ichigo couldn't help but feel a bit of pride swell in his chest at her praise, though he tried to play it off. "Yeah, well, someone’s gotta do it."
As they talked, Ichigo's sharp eyes suddenly caught something—Orihime's arm was wrapped in a bandage, and beneath it, he could see bruises peeking out. His brows furrowed.
‘That arc is about to start…’ he realized.
"Orihime, what happened to your arm?" he asked, his voice losing its casual tone.
Orihime blinked, looking at it as if she had forgotten. "Oh, this?" She tilted her head slightly. "I got hit by a car."
Silence.
"...WHAT?!" Both Ichigo and Rukia shouted in unison.
"When did this happen?" Rukia asked, sitting up straighter.
"Oh, last night," Orihime answered in the same casual tone, as if she were talking about the weather. "I was coming back from getting groceries."
Ichigo took a step closer, his eyes locking onto hers. "Orihime, you have to take care of yourself more," he said, his voice serious yet gentle. "If something happens, don’t be afraid to ask me or Tatsuki for help."
Orihime, caught off guard by how close he suddenly was, felt her cheeks warm. She took a small step back, flustered.
Ichigo smirked slightly at her reaction but didn't say anything about it.
On the side, Rukia watched the exchange, her fingers gripping her book a little tighter. ‘Why am I feeling annoyed by this…?’ she thought, frowning slightly.
Ichigo then asked, "Do you want me to walk you home?"
Orihime, still flustered, shook her head quickly. "Oh, no! I’m fine! Really!"
Before they could argue, Ichigo and Rukia both noticed additional bruises on her legs.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Orihime… are you sure it was just a car accident?"
Orihime hesitated for a fraction of a second before forcing a laugh. "Y-Yeah! Totally! I just, you know… got ran over a little!"
‘She’s lying.’ Ichigo knew it instantly.
After a brief, awkward pause, Orihime suddenly smiled again. "Anyway, I should get going! It was nice seeing you both!"
Before they could stop her, she quickly turned and walked off, leaving the two standing there.
Ichigo sighed, watching her go. ‘This is getting serious…’
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the streets of Karakura Town, Ichigo and Rukia made their way back home. The air was cool, and the sounds of distant traffic hummed in the background.
Ichigo, deep in thought, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Hey, you're a swordsman, right?" he asked, turning toward Rukia.
She blinked, caught off guard. "Um… sure, I guess. Why?"
Ichigo crossed his arms, his expression serious. "I think I need actual experience using a sword. If I wanna take down Hollows more efficiently, I can’t just rely on swinging wildly. Sparring with you would help me improve."
Rukia tilted her head, considering his words. Then, after a moment, her face lit up. "Oh! That’s actually a great idea!"
Ichigo smirked slightly, satisfied with her response. "So, when do we start?"
Rukia stretched her arms above her head. "Tomorrow! Today, I need to catch up on my show." She turned on her heel, already walking ahead with an eager bounce in her step.
Ichigo sighed, shaking his head. ‘Figures…’
Following her lead, they eventually reached his house. As usual, Rukia slipped through his window with practiced ease, disappearing inside without hesitation.
Ichigo, however, trudged toward the front door, bracing himself for whatever nonsense his old man had in store this time.
TO BE CONTINUED
