A new Bleach fan fic. Inspired by Bleach: Memories of Nobody song, Sen no Yoru o Koete by Aqua Timez.

This would be a fic about Orihime's feelings to Ichigo. There would be some insights about her – in depth exploration as you might call it.

The story is very much manga-based. So, I hope I won't get too OOC.

The words in italics are the English translations of the song. :D

Chapter 1

Unrequited Love

I want to be loved, but you don't seem to love me,

I wander about, within that repetition.

Good day to you all. I am Inoue Orihime.

I'm a freshman student of Karakura High. I've lived in Karakura Town ever since I can remember. I once lived with my brother, Inoue Sora.

But he died in a traffic accident – a day that I will never forget. It was that day that I got into a real argument with my brother, and I didn't know that it would be my last talk with him.

If only I had more time. If only I had been less childish and selfish. I would have more moments spent with him. Or maybe, my last time spent with him won't be as regretful as what happened.

But as much as I want to change A LOT of events in my life, it can't be undone.

Now I live in an apartment, alone. With no parents. No siblings. Nothing.

All I have are my friends. My wonderful friends.

Arisawa Tatsuki, my best friend. Tatsuki-chan has been there ever since my brother died. She has been my pillar of support – the hand I hold on to whenever I feel defenseless. She would bring me 'normal' meals and often laugh with me. She would always be there, and I am forever grateful for her

I also have friends at school that I eat together with at lunch. My classmates. I guess I'm reliant on my friends. Why? Because there would be no one in my life who could fill my loneliness, except them.

I would smile. I'm a cheerful girl; that I know. And everyone asks me how I manage to be cheerful and a bit naïve. I guess it's my defense mechanism. Yeah, my defense.

I could only look at life positively. Who am I to complain? I have lived on, despite my problems. I have lived on despite losing my family. I have to be thankful. Smiling everyday would by only sanctuary.

Then I met him.

And there I know, I will love him forever.

For five lifetimes. No… not just five lifetimes. No matter how many times I would be reborn, I know my love for him would transcend lifetimes.

Kurosaki Ichigo.

That orange-haired boy whom people fear, with a seemingly permanent scowl on his face. His hair color would definitely be an eye-catcher, but I'm not one to talk, having a weird hair color myself.

He would seldom talk. He was considered a punk and even his friend Asano Keigo feared him once. But people who don't know Ichigo wouldn't know how kind he is on the inside.

And I guess I pride myself on loving him even from watching his cold and unapproachable exterior from afar.

Yes, I love Kurosaki Ichigo wholly. From the day I saw him in the Kurosaki Clinic, when my brother was dead. He tried to help. That young boy whom everyone feared, tried to help someone as helpless as me.

I guess that was in his nature.

Especially when he met Kuchiki Rukia – the girl who turned him to a Shinigami.

A Death God – concerned with protecting the balance and well-being of the souls in this world and the next. A selfless task that he had taken on to protect the people he loved.

And there I watched his battles as he attempted to balance schoolwork and his Shinigami responsibilities, like a hero everyone doesn't know about.

I watched him bleed and fall for Rukia, to save the girl from execution. He always swears on his soul, promises to win for the people around him. And he manages to uphold these promises.

I watched him struggle to gain his goals. Yes, I watched on. Feeling emotions of awe, inspiration, wonderment, insecurity… everything.

He made me feel a vast complex of emotions which I have never before felt. I was jealous of Kuchiki-san, who could comfort Kurosaki-kun in his darkest and most conflicting of times. I watched on with a breaking heart as Kurosaki-kun fell and got up for Kuchiki-san.

I watched on as I fell miserably into feelings of despair – that I could not protect Kurosaki-kun, that I could not help him. My powers blessed and triggered by his enormous reiatsu Shun Shun Rikka, were not attack-based. But at least I could help him survive any struggle no matter what. My healing abilities assured me that.

But I had no right to feel insecure. Who was I? I don't own Kurosaki Ichigo. I only love him from afar. Watching him day after day grow from a boy to man – a man who has carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, makes me glow with pride and love. I am happy enough to be one of his nakama. That I am thankful for.

There were also trying times in my life. I was taken to Hueco Mundo by Ulquiorra Schiffer, fourth espada and a creature who served the enemy, Aizen Sousuke. Aizen Sousuke – the traitor who defied Soul Society and wanted the King's Key, to become the sole ruling power of the whole spirit world, even the material world.

They wanted me, in exchange for the safety of my friends. I wanted to do something. I wanted to do something for once – to protect my nakama, to protect Kurosaki-kun. But in the end, they came after me: Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, and Abarai-san. Even the captains went to Hueco Mundo to help.

I saw Kurosaki-kun struggle against Grimmjow. I saw him become a Hollow, and I was scared. Yes, I was frightened, and I felt ashamed that I doubted his will to protect. But I realized that in the end, I was afraid of losing him. I was afraid he would die in Grimmjow's hands.

But he did not. He survived, and even had the strength to carry me on his back. I was embarrassed, because I knew I might be heavy. But the selfless Kurosaki-kun still carried me, and that would be one of the happiest moments of my life.

Unfortunately, there would be more challenges. And I regretted terribly that I could only help a little.

I struggled out of Nnoitra's hands as Tesla pounded Ichigo. God, I could hear his bones breaking, how his heavy breathing turned heavier and my heart was shattered, seeing his pain that was caused by me.

I saw how his skin bled and burned in the hands of Ulquiorra. How he barely made it alive. I saw as a hole was bored into his chest as he keeled over, unconscious. I saw him cough up blood, just as I saw Ishida-kun's arm cut off. All for my sake.

I saw how Kurosaki-kun revived after I called out senseless for him. Yes, I was afraid. Very much afraid. I did not know what to do without Kurosaki-kun. I didn't know what will become of me and the others. And most of all, I knew – what would become of me without the man I love?

I saw Kurosaki-kun turn from a nearly lifeless being to a Full Hollow form. He relentlessly attacked, in which part I didn't know if he was still himself. He told me, in his wildest and darkest form that he will help me – a fact in which I didn't know if I would be happy or disturbed. Kurosaki-kun still knew me, despite of the fact that he turned to something that I never dreamt he would turn to. A Hollow, just like what Onii-chan became. But he still recognized me.

I saw him fight against Aizen. I saw him struggle and win. I saw him frown, shout, smile… and yet, I love him.

And now, after the Winter War, I stand inside our classroom again and I would look his way as he chatted with his friends.

What has changed? My love for him only grew stronger.

But they remained unrequited.

Someone like me does not deserve someone like Kurosaki Ichigo.

I found a single answer…

Even scared, even hurt,

I can tell the person that I love, "I love you."