生きがい [Bleach Various x Fem!Reader]

Weakened

The next day sees an empty seat at the very back of the classroom beside the window. And the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that. Until those passing days turn into weeks. There is still no (h/c)-haired girl to be seen.

The homeroom teacher once asks Orihime if she knows where her classmate might have gone to. But her reply is that she is not well. Said teacher, worrying about her prized student, in an act of overreaction, heads straight to the principal for anything on her. Still, none. Nobody knows what happened to the girl for her to suddenly be away from school.

Yet, she never asks Ichigo, Rukia or Uryu, the only ones who know the actual truth.

***

"Ichigo!"

Said male turns around, seeing Tatsuki hurriedly approach him with Orihime trailing behind her.

"Oh, Tatsuki." He waits until the girl is standing right in front of him before asking, "What's up?"

"That's all you can say? 'What's up'?" The noirette suddenly notes the presence of Rukia quietly standing behind him. "Good morning, Kuchiki."

"Good morning," she replies back with a faked sweet voice.

"Ichigo." Her gaze bores into the taller male's own. "What do you know about (Y/N)'s disappearance?"

"Why do you think I'd know about what happened to her?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"'Cause you're the only one who has ever been seen entering her house for these past few weeks that she is absent. And that includes you, Kuchiki."

"If you're gonna use that as proof of us being the ones to know of her condition, then why not go to Ishida?" Ichigo counters. "He goes to her house more often than we do. In fact, he's been shooing us away whenever we even so much as knock on the front door."

Tatsuki looks weirded out by this. "He does that? But Ishida doesn't look like the kind of guy who would do that kind of thing."

"I don't get why he does that, but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know?"

"I'm surprised you know that saying."

"That's what I'm talking about!"

"Tatsuki-chan." Orihime nudges her friend to get her attention. Tatsuki turns around and meets the girl's ever-so-rare mischievous smile. "I think I know what is going on here," she whispers.

"What?"

Orihime continues to whisper into Tatsuki's ear, leaving Ichigo and Rukia in the dark. A tic mark appears on the male's temple.

"If you two're just gonna continue whispering to each other, then don't waste our time like this," he grumbles before he starts to walk away with Rukia.

"Ah! Hey, wait! Ichigo!"

"What is it?!"

"We're still not finished here!"

"Then, speak up! I don't have all the time!"

Tatsuki speed walks her way towards Ichigo, leaving Orihime to chase after her. "Geez, why are you in such a hurry, anyways? You don't even join any clubs to have extracurricular activities this evening."

"That doesn't mean I can lounge around at school when classes are over!"

"Kurosaki," Rukia says in the same sweet voice. "I'll be going ahead first, all right?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

When Rukia disappears among the crowd of teenagers, Ichigo pays his utmost attention on his classmate. "So? What is it?"