Getting Closer

The following few hours went by with Ichigo attempting Bakudo #1 on Orihime again and again. Unlike Shakkaho, here the progress was slow as each time after performing the spell he needed to ask for Orihime's input on how restrained she felt.

The first few attempts were so weak that Orihime could easily overcome the pressure with which her body was restrained but slowly and steadily after each attempt and getting the inputs from Orihime he improvised and by the end of the training he was able to make Orihime struggle to the point of sweating if she wanted to break free from the restrain.

That was a massive improvement in the eyes of Yoruichi but that was not the case for Ichigo as he felt that unlike how quick it was for Shakkaho, this spell was taking more time to even be able to perform properly.

"Thanks for your help, Inoue," Ichigo said with a smile as he held out his hand to help her up the ground.

"You're welcome, Kurosaki Kun" Orihime said with a bashful smile on her sweaty face.

A few minutes later both of them along with Yoruichi were sitting together at the dinner table along with the rest after freshening up. It was also Orihime's first time seeing Yoruichi's human form and she couldn't help but be mesmerized by how beautiful she looked.

"So Orihime chan, tell us how was your first training day?" Kisuke asked Orihime when he saw that she was having trouble fitting in.

"It was quite fun…" Orihime started on and as she described more the more comfortable she became and the liveliness she carried with herself slowly started seeping into the environment as the moods of the others around also became lively.

Time passed quickly and after enjoying a hearty meal Ichigo and Orihime bid all of them goodbye. It was late at night so clearly, Ichigo couldn't leave Orihime by herself to go home so he was currently walking with her towards her home to drop her.

"Today must have been very overwhelming for you…wasn't it," Ichigo asked.

"Hmm, I learnt about many new things that I thought were only possible in fantasy stories. It's true that it's all very overwhelming for me to accept but the fact that you were also there made things easier for me to accept it all," Orihime said.

"Me? How so?" Ichigo asked clearly confused by her logic.

"Well, It's because I trust you, Kurosaki Kun," Orihime said with a smile that looked even brighter under the light of the street lamp making Ichigo's heart skip a beat.

"Hearing that somehow made me feel good," Ichigo said to himself as he looked up at the calm night sky above as the two of them continued walking without exchanging any words.

Seeing him lost in his own thoughts, Orihime let him be as she enjoyed his presence as the two of them walked in the empty streets that were lit with street lights.

As he gazed at the dark sky the trauma of his earlier life that had always been lingering at the back of his mind slowly started creeping in. Ichigo couldn't help but take a deep inward sigh to himself. He had become well accustomed to this feeling by now as this was not something new to him and he was slowly trying to accept it.

He can't erase It so he might as well take notes from his earlier life and think things through from time to time whenever these memories come back to haunt him.

It wasn't a long road ahead to Orihime's house as a few minutes later Ichigo was standing in front of her apartment with her as he bid her goodnight. "See you tomorrow then Inoue, Rest well."

"Hmm, Y-You too Kurosaki Kun," Orihime said before she quickly leaned in to give Ichigo a peck on his cheeks as she ran back towards her apartment with a bashful face.

Closing the door of her apartment's room Orihime slowly slid down on the ground as she breathed heavily. It had always been one of her girly fantasies to share a night walk with the person she liked and now that she was able to get this experience in reality her emotions got the best of her and she ended up kissing Ichigo.

"Eeeeeeeee" Orihime squeaked while covering her face with her hands as the image of her kissing Ichigo's cheek and the clear sensation of his cheek entered her mind. She was embarrassed at her actions and didn't know how she was going to meet him the next day at school.

On the other hand, Ichigo just looked at the bashful Orihime running into her apartment as the sensation of her kiss was still lingering on his cheeks, making him smile, in a much better mood than before he walked back to his house.

"That light lipstick stain might get ignored by someone amateur but unfortunately for you, your father isn't one. Good job lad" Isshin said as he noticed the light skin colour mark of lipstick stain on Ichigo's cheeks as he was going upstairs after coming home.

Ichigo widened his eyes in surprise as he said "You got me there old man I was not expecting that, you're good."

"Hehe, at least you know, rest well," Isshin said before moving into his room downstairs.

After nodding at him Ichigo went back to his room to rest after a long day. The next day at school Orihime was quite embarrassed to meet Ichigo's eyes all day at school so she kept on avoiding him. Amused by all this Ichigo just let her do as she wish as he was going to pick her up anyway after school to go for training.

"Last night…" Ichigo said and paused while looking at Orihime who was all ready to go for the training.

"L-last n-night..W-what about it?" Orihime asked, clearly flustered. From how Ichigo behaved at school she felt that he wouldn't question her about this embarrassing topic anymore and felt a bit relieved but how could she have known that he had planned to do that here instead…

"It was a memory worth cherishing." Ichigo leaned a bit forward as he whispered to Orihime before leaning back again to add to his sentence "Alright! Let's go to the shop or we'll be late,"

Orihime's face was all red and embarrassed from his words and being able to think of no appropriate reply to the situation she could only nod and follow him towards Kisuke's shop for training.

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