“Even if I’m wrong… I’ll still try to save them.” — Ichigo Emiya
The Tragic Idealist
If a writer wants to develop a relationship, he develops it from both sides, like Ichigo and Rukia’s relationship. Ichigo and Orihime have never shared a romantic scene that both characters were conscious in, or even any romantic scene where both characters were participating. If Kubo wanted the readers to see IchiOri as the end pairing, we’d have something from Ichigo, but we have nothing but friendship.
Heroism or Obsession?
Sora threw him out just before he made that little speech. And Ichigo doesn't re-enter the scene until after he's done. Is Ichigo's specialness to Orihime revisted again? Nope, at least not from Ichigo's perspective. He still has no idea that Orihime sees him as someone special. And while their relationship has developed into true friendship from "a friend of a childhood friend," that's where it ends. To Ichigo, Orihime is not "special" like Rukia is (and I'm not even talking about romance here...), she is simply one of his nakama.
Conclusion
Orihime feels closer to Ichigo, but he has no idea that she even knows about this aspect of him! And for all we know, she STILL hasn't actually talked to him about it. As if the fact that Orihime learns about this through a third party wasn't enough, there's also the chapter name, "All One-Way Sympathies," which is highlighted here as she imagine the back of Ichigo's head. She may feel closer to him, but he does not feel closer to her, or even find out that she learns about this.
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