What happened at the observation deck last night was still clinging to the depths of his chest. That sensation of looking down at the gray city. Rukia's voice saying "……Who?" That faintly glowing metal fragment in his pocket. His power hadn't reached. But he hadn't given up. Friday morning, Ichigo opened the door to Class 2-3. Something was sitting on his desk. A bento box. A heart-shaped flag was stuck in it. Decoration stickers were pasted on the lid. A small memo was attached to the top. "For Ichigo!! Cheer up!!" — three exclamation marks at the end. "[excited]Ah, he's here, he's here! Ichigo!" A voice came flying from the hallway. A girl with long brown hair came in at a quick pace, her hair flowing. Round eyes, a bright smile, small freckles on her cheeks. About as tall as Ichigo's shoulders. Her uniform ribbon was slightly crooked. "[excited]Today I made a special red bean and wasabi egg roll! I heard both are good for your body!" Inoue Orihime — a second-year student from Class 2-4, and the mysterious person who'd been leaving bentos on Ichigo's desk every morning. She was beaming. Carefree. Everything about her was different from the darkness of the observation deck yesterday. "[serious]……So you've been leaving these every morning" "[excited]Yep! Ichigo's been looking kind of dark lately, so I wanted to cheer you up!" Classmates around them were whispering to each other. "It's that bomb bento again……" "I heard that when she gave a bento to ○○ senpai last year, the person who ate it had messed up taste buds for three days" "For real?" Ichigo picked up the bento box. Red bean and wasabi. He had no idea what the combination was supposed to be. But something that had been taut since last night — loosened, just a little, in the face of this bottomless brightness. He hadn't been able to protect her. He'd cried. But in this moment, he was cut off from that weight. "[serious]……Thanks" Ichigo gave a wry smile. Orihime's eyes lit up. "[excited]Oh! And I also made a curry-flavored fruit sandwich as a bonus!" Another bento box was offered. "[surprised]Wait, wait, wait" "[excited]I just realized fruit and curry go together!" "[serious]That absolutely does not go together" "[excited]You'll understand once you try it!" Then footsteps echoed from the hallway. Thud, thud, thud — heavy, fast footsteps. "[angry]Oi! Kurosaki!!" The door swung open forcefully. Crimson dreadlocks. Tattoo stickers on his arms. Burning red eyes. Abarai Renji came in, his shoulders shaking. He'd been listless on the grounds yesterday — but though his feet were slightly unsteady, he was recovering. "[angry]You're going to see Rukia every day, and here you are getting cozy with another girl in the morning — who the hell are you!!" "[surprised]I'm not getting cozy! I just got a bento!" "[excited]Oh, nice to meet you! I'm Inoue Orihime from Class 2-4! Ichigo and I are friends——" "[angry]Ichigo!? Why are you calling him that!!" The hallway began to stir. Then another presence arrived. A soft squeak of shoes. Slow footsteps. The infirmary door opened — and Kuchiki Rukia came out, dragging a blanket behind her. White wolf-cut hair. Silver eyes. Holding Chappy to her chest, her complexion still not fully recovered. But light had returned to her eyes. As if that "……Who?" from yesterday was a lie, Rukia stood there. "[sarcastic]……What's all this commotion. My ears hurt from the morning noise" Ichigo found himself muttering "Rukia." Light in her eyes. She was really there. Just that made his chest warm. "[gentle]……Your eyes came back" "[sarcastic]Of course they did. I'm not so fragile as to worry you. Besides——" Rukia's gaze turned toward Orihime. It stopped. "[surprised]……Who is this woman" "[excited]Oh! Nice to meet you! I'm Inoue Orihime from Class 2-4! Wow, you're so small and cute! Like a doll! Are you Ichigo's friend?" The hallway fell silent for a moment. Rukia's eyes narrowed. "[angry]I……I'm not his friend! I know Ichigo better than anyone——no, that's not what I meant!" Self-destruction. "[angry]Rukia!! So you do like Ichigo!!" "[sarcastic]Silence, Renji! I said that's not what I meant!" Then silver-white long hair came gliding down the hallway. Ishida Uryuu pushed up his glasses and took in the situation at a glance. "[cold]……What's all this commotion about. Everyone, calm down" "[excited]Oh! The silver-haired person! So pretty!" Uryuu froze for a moment. His ears turned red. "[cold]……Well. That is, from a hygienic standpoint, this bento——" Uryuu glanced sideways at the bento box. Red bean and wasabi egg roll. Fruit curry sandwich. His hand moved slightly forward, as if to shield the bento box. "[cold]……It's not bad. Maybe. That is, there's no helping it" "Why are you defending it!" "[sarcastic]Read the room" "[angry]I can't read that!!" "[angry]Wait, everyone, just a second!!" Ichigo shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway. All four of them turned around. "[serious]I just want to eat the bento!! Why is everyone coming at me from all directions!!" The moment his voice echoed down the hallway—— "What are you all doing there" A low voice. Narrow eyes behind glasses. Necktie tied perfectly straight. It was the vice principal. ＊ Five people were sitting seiza in the hallway. Ichigo, Renji, Rukia (with blanket), Uryuu, Orihime. In a line. "Explain what happened" Everyone fell silent. There was no way to explain. The shadow had made thirty percent of the school apathetic, the culprit was living in the infirmary as a transfer student, and a girl bringing bentos had been the trigger that brought everyone together — how could they say that? "[serious]……It was just about the bento" "I see" "[sad]It's my fault! My bento caused it!" "Did something happen after eating the bento?" "[serious]We haven't eaten it yet! We haven't!" Renji muttered quietly beside him, "No, Ichigo, this flow is bad……" As a result, the five of them spent the time until homeroom started sitting seiza in the hallway. Uryuu silently adjusted his glasses over and over. Rukia sat seiza while wrapped in her blanket, holding Chappy. Renji looked up at the sky saying "Why am I like this too." Only Orihime was energetic, saying "It's been a while since I've sat seiza!" While sitting seiza, Ichigo remembered how his chest had loosened earlier. (……Well, I'll figure it out somehow) For the first time in a while, those words actually worked. ＊ After school. Walking toward Nijinoham Central Street after leaving the school gate, he saw brown hair ahead. It was Orihime. Walking alone. A large bag slung over her shoulder, she was muttering something to herself as she turned down an alley. "[serious]Oi, Orihime" When he called out, she turned around and her face brightened immediately. "[excited]Ichigo! Same direction?" "[serious]Where are you heading" "[excited]Toward the station!" "[serious]Same here. I'm taking a detour though" The two of them entered the alley. A narrow street lined with old shops. The sun was still bright, but shadows were thick between the buildings. A single fallen leaf rolled across the ground in the wind. "[excited]Hey Ichigo, about what happened this morning——did I do something weird?" "[serious]Nothing weird. Everyone just got noisy on their own" "[excited]Ahaha, it turned into a real mess!" "[serious]Yeah, it was a mess" "[excited]But you smiled, didn't you. Just a little" Ichigo said nothing. "[excited]That's what I wanted to see. You've had such a dark face lately" He couldn't say anything. "[serious]……I see" The air changed. He noticed it first at the edge of his vision. Gray mist was swaying along the alley wall. Not just one. Two, three — coming from the depths of the alley toward them. (Veil Shifts) The shapes were clear. More defined outlines than yesterday. Faster movements. "[scared]Eh……what is this" Orihime stopped walking. "Gray mist……you can see it?" Ichigo froze. She could see it. Orihime could see it too. Rukia, Uryuu, Renji — only those with fragments of memories from past lives could perceive the shadows. Which meant Orihime had something too—— But there was no time to confirm now. Three shadows began to surround Orihime. "[scared]Ichigo……?" One of the shadows reached out its hand. It touched Orihime's shoulder. The light slowly drained from her eyes. "Huh……something……" The joy vanished from her voice. Her face turned white. That face. Exactly the same face Rukia had when she said "……Who?" "[angry]Don't touch her——!!" He lunged forward. His body crashed into the second shadow. He passed through it. His hands hit the ground. He stood. He ran again. (This smile) A voice came into his head — I have to protect it. I must protect it. (I won't let it disappear) Something ignited in his chest. His pocket grew hot. The metal fragment Rukia had given him. The one she'd pressed into his hand saying "It's a charm." It burned like fire. Different from the weak light at the observation deck yesterday. Something fiercer, something stronger was overflowing from inside. Ichigo's right hand began to glow. White light seeped from his fingertips, from his palm. It took shape. The shape of a blade. "[serious]……This is" Ichigo didn't shout. He just ran. He swept the light blade across the shadow. Slash——!! The shadow scattered. There was impact. He touched it. For the first time, he touched a shadow. Toward the second one. He swung the light blade horizontally. Whoosh!! The shadow shattered and vanished. The third one — he chased it. He jumped. One flash. Shaaaa!! The remnants of light danced in the alley and slowly scattered. The gray was gone. "[serious]……It's gone" "Ichigo……?" Orihime's voice came. He turned around. Light had returned to her eyes. Her dazed face was slowly looking toward him. Right after, the light in his right hand vanished. All the strength drained from his body at once. He collapsed from his knees. Both hands pressed to the ground. He couldn't stand. His breathing was ragged. As if something had been torn out from the depths of his body, there was nothing left. "[sad]……Looks like I can't hold it long" "[scared]Ichigo!!" Orihime rushed over. She knelt in front of the kneeling Ichigo and wrapped both her hands around his. Warm. Trembling slightly. "[gentle]Are you okay? Can you stand?" "[serious]I'm fine. Just give me a moment——" "[gentle]You don't look fine" Orihime was looking at Ichigo. Her eyes were teary. They were glistening. Even though she'd been smiling just moments ago, now her face looked like it might cry. "[gentle]Ichigo……you're an amazing person, aren't you" A pause. "You know" Her voice changed. "[excited]I've liked you for a long time, Ichigo!!" Her voice echoed through the alley. Silence. "[angry]Whaaaaaaat!!" Red dreadlocks came flying out from the alley entrance. "[cold]At……at this timing!?" Uryuu was standing right behind, his glasses about to slip. His hands were shaking. Completely flustered. He couldn't say "there's no helping it" or "read the room" — his face was incapable of it. "[angry]What are you saying!!" Rukia dropped her blanket. Chappy rolled across the ground. Silver eyes moved back and forth between Ichigo and Orihime, and their joined hands. Ichigo's face turned completely red. He couldn't say anything. What could he say. At this timing, when he was on his knees, exhausted from using his power. At this timing, with Renji, Uryuu, and Rukia all gathered at the alley entrance. "[serious]……Uh" Words wouldn't come. Silence fell over the alley. Rukia stood frozen, holding Chappy, which she'd started to pick up. Renji's mouth was opening and closing. Uryuu's hand stopped mid-adjustment of his glasses, staring into empty space. Orihime was still holding Ichigo's hand. Her eyes teary, she looked straight at him. The air in the alley felt like it was crushing down from all directions. And in his pocket, th