Headcanon has it that Shinji and Hiyori were part of a Rukongai-based family (like Hitsugaya's and Hinamori's, for example), and that, at first, Shinji feels a bit like he lost his ground when he moves to Soul Society, because Hiyori's not around, and because they parted on bad terms. Again, I don't see Shinji and Hiyori's relationship as romantic, but you can read it as such.
Based on Home, by Goo Goo Dolls.
There are moments when he feels artificial.
It's usually when he and the other captains are out drinking, and the bar is full of smiles and faces he'll never remember; when everyone is laughing and their honest laughter touches a place in his heart that hurts.
The upside-down scowl comes easily still, and he wonders whether they can see his loneliness. Hiyori surely would.
When he feels like that, he ends up staying awake, wondering whether she's awake, whether she's thinking of him.
"I didn't have a choice," he mutters, but wonders if leaving was the right thing to do.
Thanks for reading!
