It had been almost a month since Ichigo had saved Rukia from Soul Society and yet, no trace of her had appeared. It was as if Rukia had never even come at all. Ichigo had been waiting and waiting for any scrap of news from soul society about Rukia, but nothing had come. Every day was a torment, every day was filled with the anticipation to hear if Rukia was even alive or not. He knew that he had said that he hated Rukia a million times before, but as each day of uncertainty passed, he felt as if his heart had gone and that he himself had become a Hollow, filled with emptiness and sadness. In reality, the only people who seemed to have even remembered Rukia were Ishida, Orihime and Chad. Ichigo dreaded going to school, for every time he looked at that empty seat, the seat that had once been filled by the very girl that he had risked his life for, his heart pinged a sad beat. He had always known it; he knew that it had always been inside him, since that life changing day when Rukia took her first steps into his room; since the time he had taken up the sword of the Shinigami and became a Death God, he knew that he had loved Rukia from the start. But now, with each hour of everyday that past, Rukia was somewhere in Soul Society totally unaware of his deep passion towards her.
On that day, a month since he had left Soul Society, Ichigo was yet again forced to go to school by his “nut job of a father”.

“Without school how can you expect to grow up to be a strong smart man like me!” shouted his dad from downstairs. As Ichigo made his way down to breakfast he was bombarded by and unusually smelly foot aimed for his head. “ICHIGOOOOOOOO!” cried his father. Ichigo quickly ducked and sent a clean scented foot right back at his attacker. Ever since he became a Shinigami, Ichigo was able to evade his father’s attacks and send one right back at him.
Once at school, Ichigo was sent on another trip of pain as he stared at the blank seat of who was once occupied by the girl/ghost of his dreams. “Rukia…” sighed Ichigo.
“Ichigo? Is everything alright?” asked a dumbfounded Orihime.

“Uhhhhhhhhhhh, yea everything’s fine” he replied with a fake grin. ‘Poor Orihime’, he thought. Ichigo had been getting the feeling that Orihime was beginning to have feelings for him. ‘I wonder what will happen if she finds out about Rukia.’

Lunch was no better without the scent of strawberries and Rukia, who always had a fond liking towards that red fruit. “Hey Ichiiiiiiiiiigoooooooooooooo!” shouted Keigo as he rushed towards Ichigo only to find a fist in his face.

“What is it now Keigo?” Ichigo asked irritably.

“Well, I was just wondering where your friend Rukia has been. I haven’t seen those beautiful eyes in so long….what happened to her?” A fire burned in Ichigo’s eyes. Just the thought of Keigo making a move on Rukia was painful.

“Shut your trap!” shouted Ichigo.

“Oh NO!” shouted Keigo. “You guys are leaving me out again! Why Ichigo?! What are you hiding?! What are you guys doing without me?!” but Ichigo had already left. It was only the beginning of the afternoon, but Ichigo was in too much pain to stay at school so he decided to go home sick.
“At least I’ll get some alone time before pops, Yuzu and Karin get home.” As he walked towards his family’s clinic/home, Ichigo began to feel a strange, yet familiar reiatsu emitting from the upper level. “It must just be my emotions getting in the way” thought Ichigo as he made his way up to his room. He decided that a nap would be best and started towards his bedroom, but the strange reiatsu was getting stronger and stronger. Ichigo thought that it was the reiatsu of….no, but it couldn’t be. Ichigo ran up the stairs, busted through his door only to almost plow down a midget in small black robes. Although…this wasn’t just any ordinary creepy midget who seemed to have broken in to his house and sat on his bed…it was Rukia.

“Hey strawberry head! Nice of you to drop…or rather plow by.” Rukia said with a smirk growing across her face. Ichigo’s face began to turn red, either from embarrassment that he had almost trampled the girl he loved, or out of anger for his carelessness which lead the girl that he loved to make a crack at him.

“Ru….Rukia! What are you doing here?” Ichigo stammered out in a series of small bits and pieces until the message finally got across.

“What does it look like stupid; I’m back from Soul Society.” Good old Rukia, thought Ichigo, can’t do anything but state the obvious.