Bleach : Letters From the Other Side

The Freeloader on Strawberry Closet

Near Kasazaki crossing

10.40 am.

The convenience store's automatic doors opened and two girls carrying vinyl bags stepped out.

"Wah! It's h-ot-!"

The one who was disgruntled by the change between the well air-conditioned store interior and the outside temperature was Arisawa Tatsuki.

"It really is summer -!"

Walking beside her, nodding in agreement, was Inoue Orihime.

The two of them, who were going to study together at Tatsuki's house, had met up at the convenience store halfway between their homes to buy snacks and drinks.

"...Ah? Say Orihime, isn't that Kuchiki-san over there?" Tatsuki said as, stopped at the red light, she looked towards the other side of the pedestrian crossing.

"Heh, where? ...Ah, you're right! Kuchiki-saaa-n!!"

Orihime, spotting Rukia on the other side of the crossing, waved enthusiastically. Noticing her call, Rukia looked up and gave the two a small wave in return.

The light turned green and the two of them ran over to Rukia.

"Kuchiki-san, do you live in the area?"

Rukia answered Tatsuki's question with a vague "Ah, well...". The two girls were classmates, so she couldn't say that she was a freeloader staying in the closet of Ichigo's room.

"Are you going somewhere?" Orihime asked, noticing the rucksack Rukia had on her back.

"Eh, Ura..."

"Ura...?"

"That's not it! ...The library! I was thinking of going to the library!"

(It'd be a problem if they asked about it) thought Rukia, who'd almost answered honestly 'Urahara Shoten'.

"You're going to the library, is it to study for the tests?"

"Yes, that is correct."

Hearing Rukia's answer, Orihime smiled and with a "Then, Tatsuki-chan!" looked at Tatsuki. At that, Tatsuki nodded with a smile and said to Rukia.

"In that case, since we're going to study at my house, why don't you come with us? Since you're a transfer student, it's tough when you don't understand something or another, right?"

"We have snacks too!" Orihime added and smiled as she held up her shopping bag.

"...Thank you very much. However, there's another task I have to attend to... Please excuse me."

Rukia declined with a sweet smile. As soon as she heard that, Orihime's shoulders sagged despondently.

"Is that so... We'll be there until evening, if you want, after you've finished what you have to do, come on by! My house is straight down this street then..."

Tatsuki, who also looked disappointed, gave directions to her house. Rukia, charmingly giving them her deepest apologies, stared in wonder at the two's disappointed appearance.

"Hum, Kuchiki-san! If you want, use this!", Orihime pulled out a peppermint green notebook from the bag that was slung over her shoulder and held it out towards Rukia.

"This is...?"

"My notebook! It might be useful for studying..."

"Orihime, stop!!"

Tatsuki cut in, grabbing Orihime by the shoulders. "Because Orihime's notebook is impossible to understand by anyone that isn't Orihime!!"

"Eh -? Really...?" Sounding surprised, Orihime flipped through the pages of her notebook.

"This kid is really smart, so in middle school I also asked her to lend me her notebook, but I couldn't use it at all..." Tatsuki said with a faraway look in her eyes.

Peering into Orihime's notebook, Rukia saw that it was filled with cramped, utterly incomprehensible figures and pictures. (I wouldn't be able to use it either...), she mentally agreed with Tatsuki.

"I understand your feelings of wanting to do something for Kuchiki-san, but your notebook is for using yourself, right?" Admonished by Tatsuki, Orihime nodded, "Is it hard to understand, I wonder -?", she tilted to one side her head and put the notebook in her bag.

"I'd lend you my notebook, but the contents are so all over the place that it's not something I can lend to someone else... Sorry, Kuchiki-san!"

Scratching her cheek, Tatsuki looked a bit embarrassed. (They really are nice girls...), Rukia thought warmly of the two of them.

"I am very grateful for your solicitude", Rukia looked in turn at Orihime and Tatsuki and thanked them. "Well then, I bid you adieu", she lifted the hem of her skirt and curtsied politely.

"Uhm, adieu!!" Orihime waved as Rukia left.

"Kuchiki-san, could she be from a really high-class family...?", leaning her head to one side, Tatsuki waved with Orihime.

Under the summer sky, the two waved until Rukia's retreating figure couldn't be seen anymore.