According to Kanae, the dinner was quite uncomfortable. The troubles commenced as the dinner was prepared and the seating arrangement became a primary concern.
Ichigo had already put Inumaki to bed., usually kanae would sit between ichigo and Karin whilst Yuzu and Isshin would sit on the two head of the table.
With Isshin at work the table could hold everyone. however, when Kanae was going to sit in her regular spot Orihime already occupied her seat and gave Kanae a sheepish smile.
kanae sat between uryu and rukia whilst yuzu and Chad sat on the head of the tables. Karin clearly her throat awkwardly.
whenever rukia would spark a conversation with kanae about her times with ichigo, Orihime would butt in telling rukia about their time at school while she was 'away' , not giving kanae a chance to utter no more than three words.
when everyone starts to compliment Kanae's cooking — ichigo being the first — orihime shrugged nonchalantly saying she's had better.
kanae tried her best not to let any of that get the better of her, her last straw was story telling as they were trying to get to know each other more — kanae and ichigo's best friends — kanae was sharing her favorite story about her time as a model ; the story with ichigo.
mid sentence she was cut off by orihime who starts sharing her favorite story with ichigo. Kanae exhaled and stood up, being respectful she apologized for her sudden leave and said her goodbyes to ichigo's best friends, biding the twins a goodnight along with forehead kisses before turning to ichigo with an apologetic smile then she left.
After a half hour had passed, Ichigo stepped into the room and found Kanae tenderly cradling a peacefully slumbering Inumaki. But Kanae's focus was solely on Inumaki; she didn't spare even a single glance in Ichigo's direction.
she bit her inner cheek whilst caressing his cheek with her thumb, ichigo sat next to her "what's wrong kanae?" Ichigo asked
kanae shook her head "it's nothing ichigo, I'm fine."
Ichigo took a deep breath and delicately took Inumaki from Kanae's grasp. He carefully placed Inumaki in his crib and returned to sit by Kanae's side.
"You can't hide it from me; your face says it all. Now, open up and share what's troubling you," Ichigo said, his hand gently grasping Kanae's chin and forcing her to meet his gaze.
Kanae expressed her concerns, "I get the feeling that your friend doesn't like me. I haven't done anything to upset her; in fact, I have always been kind and considerate." Ichigo's brows knit together in response to Kanae's words.
"Who is Rukia? I always believed that you two had a much stronger relationship than I anticipated," Ichigo inquired. Kanae shook her head and replied, "No, it was Orihime." Ichigo then asked, "What did she do?"
Kanae clenched the end of her shirt as she recounted, "Ichigo did everything. It started with simple seating arrangements, which didn't bother me much at first. But as the night progressed, things took a turn for the worse. She interrupted whenever I was speaking to Rukia, never allowing me a chance to say a single word. She even went as far as to criticize my food in her own words. And when I was sharing stories with your friends, she abruptly interrupted me, as if I wasn't even speaking. I didn't appreciate it. It was disrespectful, and she only directed this behavior at me."
Ichigo was completely taken aback by Kanae's words. He had never expected Orihime to behave that way, nor had he even noticed any of the previous events. He felt a deep sense of remorse for not having been more observant.
Ichigo embraced Kanae tightly. "Don't torment yourself because of Orihime. The others care about you just as much. Once Uryu and Rukia warm up to you, it'll be a victory. I apologize for not noticing, Kanae. I've been so engrossed in catching up with Rukia and chatting with Chad that I haven't been paying attention."
Kanae found solace in Ichigo's embrace, enveloping her arms around him, while seeking refuge by burying her face in his chest. "You need not fret, Ichigo. It will be all right."
author note: sorry for the wait :D ive been trying to catch up on school work, college is a pain in the ass.
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