Hello my fellow readers. I worked most of today to try and finish this chapter for you! It is incredibly long, so I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you again to all the kind and wonderful reviews. I also appreciate all my new followers and readers!

Just to clear up why Orihime was "exaggerated" in Chapter 19. Sayuri is envious, and she believes that there is a relationship between Orihime and Ulquiorra. In simple, Sayuri is insecure, so she sees herself as inferior when compared to Orihime.

Also, I updated a small but crucial part in Chapter 10: Putrid Stranger. You do not have to reread it, because all will be made clear in a later chapter. I just wanted to let you all know about it.

Anyways, I will shut up now, and let you read.

-O-

Chapter 20:

Nothingness

The warm breath that exhaled through tense lips tickled the window glass by coating it with artificial fog.

It was almost the middle of December now. The cold was fiercely fighting through thick jackets and the cozy warmth of the school building.

Aqua eyes watched in mild interest as the temporary translucent spot of the window returned to its normal transparency. She unknowingly sighed once more, only to see the same misty spot on the glass appear and disappear within moments- an ephemeral visual of the unnoticed battle between hot and cold. A battle of opposites like night and day.

She had arrived back at home last night. Waking up early and attending school was painful. Her body was still recovering from her little mishap and exposure to the world of the spirits. All her body craved right now was sweet and blissful sleep.

Still, she was relieved somewhat. Her parents did not suspect a thing; they merely asked how her trip had gone and only lightly scolded her for not informing them of the trip ahead of time. She did not know whether she should be thankful for Shin's clever lies or be worried that her brother had a rather surprising and unexpected talent for deception. Nevertheless, the raven haired teen was grateful for her brother's attempts to help her.

As his older sister, however, she felt terrible for involving him in this whirlwind experience of hollows and Soul Reapers that is now her life. Her guilt worsened when he arrived at her room late last night expecting her to have disappeared again.

Sayuri promised herself, once she had sent her brother off to bed with words of comfort, that she needed some way to protect herself. Whenever Ulquiorra or Ichigo were not around, she becomes an easy target for anyone with ill will. The result being her friends and family's worry over her.

Sayuri Kimura hates being a damsel in distress.

"Hi Sai," she heard the feminine voice greet her. "Where have you been the past couple days?"

Shifting her attention from the window, Sayuri turned in her seat to fully face her friend.

"I had an unexpected trip I had to go to." The lies left her lips more easily now, but it was necessary. She will protect Mai from this.

"What was it about?"

Just as a random excuse was about to leave her mouth, the young teen was excused from telling another false story when she noticed Mai's attention shift to someone approaching them.

"Hi Hiro," the two females greeted simultaneously.

The slim male gave a bright smile towards Sayuri and said his "Good morning" before turning to Mai and greeting her too.

Mercifully, the dark haired female was saved from the agony of deceiving Hiro as well when the ring of the bell was faintly heard to signal the start of class. Mai took her seat in front of her friend, and Hiro took the seat beside Mai.

As the teacher entered the classroom, the conversations of her classmate lessened to murmurs and finally, silence.

Sayuri returned her attention back to the view of the courtyard. She always adored it when she was assigned to sit in the window seat; she loved looking outside, at the weather, at the sky, at people passing by...

Somehow, sitting by the window made school more tolerable. It was an escape.

While gazing at the dull and gray sky, the voice of her teacher weakly reached her deafened and unfocused ears.

School begins. Again.

Sayuri lifted one hand and reached behind her to pull her restrained hair over her shoulders. She began to ran her hands through the black locks in boredom. As her hands moved down her long ponytail repeatedly, her eyes remained focus on the gloomy world outside.

In front of her, the teacher continued making announcements about one thing or other.

"...is Ulquiorra..."

'Wait?' the teen immediately reacted with wide sapphire orb. She rapidly set her attention to the front of class and gave an audible gasp.

In her peripheral vision, she barely noted Mai turning to her, most likely with some sort of latent curiosity towards her friend's reaction.

The raven haired female, however, kept her eyes glued to the scene taking place in front of the room.

"Ulquiorra is such a unique name," Ms. Midori inputted, "Care to tell us where you're from Ulquiorra?"

Sayuri could faintly see the annoyance that was barely contained in his face and was hinted only by the slight twitch of his ebony brows. She noted that the man before her looked like Ulquiorra, but he looked so different. His head was only crowned with a lush coat of hair- his boney mask absent- that framed and emphasized the ethereal glow of his porcelain skin. The emerald tear marks were gone as well, leaving only a flawless face. His piercing and colorful eyes made him exotic. Rare.

"Mexico," came his reply, his voice still melodic and mysterious. Sayuri heard the unashamed squeals of the female population of the class when they heard his voice. Mai, from what Sayuri could see of her profile, had the cheery and dreamy expression on her face.

The women no doubt have already realized the rarity and uncontained masculinity that is Ulquiorra.

"Well, welcome to Japan Ulquiorra," Ms. Midori said, "Can the next student please introduce themselves?"

Sayuri had recognized the two figures that stood next to the ashen man, but her attention had unconsciously zeroed in on Ulquiorra once he spoke.

Snapped from her focus by the teacher's words, she realized that the presence of these two other people was odd as well.

'Why are the three of them here?' she thought, confused.

"Hi. My name is Ichigo." Again the teenage girls swooned at the male before them.

Sparing Ichigo from being forced to endure a prolonged introduction and effectively halting the teacher from asking him any questions, the third member of the trio stepped forward and bowed.

"Good morning. My name is Orihime." The male population of the class cheered this time.

A blush crawled upwards towards Orihime's cheeks.

When Ms. Midori opened her mouth, Ichigo asked, "Where do we sit?"

The orange haired woman gave her friend a silent thank you through her facial expression. The tall man nodded in understanding. Being a new student was awkward enough without a teacher trying to pry for more information.

As it were, the only empty desks were at the very back of the classroom. Sayuri found herself in the odd position of having Ulquiorra sitting behind her. Next to him was Orihime, and finally, Ichigo.

The young maiden gave them a look that essentially communicated one thing: what the hell are you all doing here. The two ginger-haired teens gave her a small secretive smile in return while the ashen man took his seat and simply gazed out the window, ignoring her silent inquiry effectively.

Throughout the first class of the day, Sayuri found herself distracted. She would find her head and her gaze shift towards the seat directly behind her. The gloomy rays of the day shone on his already pale face, making him appear other worldly - well more other worldly that he already is.

At one point, Ulquiorra shifted his clear orbs so that he met her fleeting stare directly. However, before a blush could even properly form on Sayuri's rosy skin, his attention was centered once more on the view outside, leaving her wondering if he had actually looked at her.

The entire first period finished in a rush. As soon as the bell rang to signal its end, Sayuri stood from her seat so that she may confront the trio about their unexpected enrollment into her school.

"Why are you he-"

Her words died out as a herd of crazed and shrieking girls ran past her to surround Ulquiorra and Ichigo's desks while equally fawning and infatuated males made their way towards Orihime. The dark-haired girl soon found herself at the edge of the commotion. When she attempted to make her way towards the center, she discovered that the mass of male and female classmates was impenetrable. She even noticed that Mai and Hiro were members of the newly formed fan clubs.

With a sigh, she left the class to take a short walk to relieve her aching ears from all the commotion.

Her body still felt exhausted from her adventure in the Soul Society. It was even difficult walking to school that very morning. Orihime had once told her that although her physical and spiritual existence had been healed, there were, metaphorically speaking, scars left behind from having her soul and body being gradually and forcefully separated. As a result, Sayuri, after just a short walk, found herself panting and leaning against the hallway walls for support.

She slowly made way for the restroom just several steps in front of her. Splashing the cooling water on the sheen of sweat that blanketed her face rejuvenated her somewhat.

'I wonder how long before my body is back to normal,' the young woman thought to herself as she dried the dripping liquid from her skin.

Meanwhile, the door to the bathroom opened and a group of giggling girls entered. Sayuri could not help the irritated sigh that silently escaped her lips. She had left the room to avoid all the infatuated students, and yet she is forced to face more of them here.

"Ulquiorra is incredibly sexy," one of them gushed.

"I agree!"

One girl nodded feverishly and said, "Ichigo is hot too, but there's just something so...overly attractive about Ulqui's dark and brooding looks."

"He is the epitome of the good looking bad boy!"

All the girls shrieked in unison, an image of the Espada most likely gracing their drooling minds.

Sayuri left the restroom, and the screams of Ulquiorra's fangirls became muffled once the door closed.

'That's right...' she realized in dismay, 'More girls will be throwing themselves at him now. Even Mai seems to have taken a liking on him.'

She returned to class just in time to see the massive crowd disperse and students took their seats. The next period was about to begin.

Sayuri soon discovered that the commotion renewed itself after each class. The crowds of hysterical girls and guys seem to only grow larger. It turned out that the news of three incredibly attractive new students has spread like a disease amongst the hormonal adolescent population. Students from other grade levels and classes gathered into the classroom where the exotic trio sat.

The eldest of the Kimura children soon found herself at the door of defeat; she could not reach Ulquiorra, Ichigo, or Orihime. She had even tried to run to them as soon as the bell that signaled the end to third period rang. She was shoved out every single time.

Now, with lunch break approaching, Sayuri was bestowed, rather harshly, a withering sense of pride and a long but thin cut on her left arm. She supposed that one of the more enthusiastic fans found it necessary to throw her out of the crowd and towards the ground. The aqua eyed teen managed to stop her fall by instinctively reaching out to a desk, but her arm was caught by the tip of the pencil that laid forgotten on top. Hopefully, it would not leave a scar.

Sayuri swiftly grabbed her bento and escaped from her desk just in time as the massive mob infiltrated their classroom. It would seem that none of her friends would be joining her for lunch. Mai and Hiro were both still fussing over the new arrivals and she could not even be within hearing distance of her three new friends. Gloomily, she made her way to the door to eat her meal, her fear of loneliness haunting her mind.

Her hand lifted itself to slide open the door, but she suddenly found herself running. She looked before her to see that her extended hand was held by a much larger and tanner one. Spiky bright hair swayed as their owner continued to run past squealing and angry girls.

The head turned.

"I finally managed to get to you," he smiled.

Sayuri nodded. "I'm sorry. I tried my best, but I couldn't reach any of you."

Ichigo's smile remained. "I know you tried. I saw you. Are you ok? It looked rough out there."

Light returned to blue windows. "I'm fine."

The tall and muscular man continued to run, leading Sayuri by the hand. The loud fans were soon left behind as they went up several flights of stairs. The gentle breeze and the sight of sunlight penetrating the overcast skies met them once they reached the entrance to the roof.

Still holding her hand, Ichigo turned around with his kind and reassuring smile still in place.

"Let's have lunch together," he said.

"What about Orihime and Ulquiorra?" Sayuri wondered, "Would they be alright with all those students?"

"If they get tired of all the attention, they can always use their powers to get rid of them all," the Soul Reaper joked.

A small giggle left the slender woman's mouth. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

He escorted her to a corner. Sayuri studied their intertwined hands, aware that Ichigo had not yet released his hold on her.

"Um, Ichigo," she began.

The said man slightly turned his head to look at her as though asking what it was she needed.

"You can let go of my hand now. I doubt your fangirls chased us all the way up here," she laughed.

Ichigo immediately let go of the appendage, twisting his head away from her hear to hide his cheek's reddening color.

He explained, "It's better to be ready just in case they did follow us."

Sayuri continued to giggle. "Thank you, as always, for looking out for me then."

She lowered herself to the ground and leaned on the hard wall. She was tired. All that running had exerted her weakened stamina.

The orange haired fighter followed her example and sat down. He examined her still rapid breathing and pale complexion.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, "I shouldn't have made you run so much in your condition."

Sayuri waved her hand in front of her face and shook her head. "No! Don't apologize. I'm happy that I don't have to eat lunch alo-"

Ichigo stopped her from completing her sentence when his hand abruptly reached out to grasp one of hers. Sapphire eyes trailed his gaze to her wrist and arm.

"Who did that to you?" he whispered, trailing a finger along the thick bruise that covered her wrist like an unwanted bracelet.

Sayuri avoided his questioning and probing orbs. "It doesn't hurt. Don't worry about it."

"You don't have to lie to me you know," he commented softly, "You're my friend. I will always watch out for you, so please, can you tell me how you got this?"

She noticed the gentleness that radiated from his vibrant eyes. She knew well that he cared for his friends to the point that he would even sacrifice his own well-being for their benefit.

Hesitantly, she responded, "It was when I was taken to the Soul Society. I guess they thought I would run away so they held my wrists."

"So Renji did this," Ichigo concluded.

Ebony locks swayed as she nodded her head. Sayuri held her breath, believing that Ichigo would seek retribution on her behalf. To her surprise, he was silent.

She looked at him and saw that his eyes were scrutinizing something different on her arm, his hand still holding it up for examination.

"What about that one?" he designated to her cut.

Sayuri laughed sheepishly. "I was clumsy."

"It looks fresh," he stated.

It would seem that his trained sight were well accustomed to judging injuries.

"I got it earlier today," Sayuri replied honestly.

"How?"

The clenched muscles on his face told Sayuri that he knew the answer.

"You know how spirited my classmates are..."

Ichigo finally dropped her arm.

"That doesn't give them the right to hurt you," he whispered, "I couldn't see everything from where I was sitting. I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

Sayuri placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "It's alright Ichigo. I won't break because of a bruise or a cut. I am fine. Trust me."

She watched as he let out a breath, probably his way of letting go of his anger.

"But who knew you are such a lady killer," she taunted him, "I didn't know you were that kind of a guy."

She shook her head in false disappointment.

"I didn't know that you're classmates would be so boy crazy!" he retorted.

Sayuri patted his back in mocking comfort. "There, there Ichigo. Those girls will only haunt your existence every second of the day while you're here."

She watched in silent relief as the muscle under his left eye twitched at her words. "You are terrible at comforting people you know that!"

"Whoever said I was trying to making you feel better?" she giggled.

She was glad that Ichigo was smiling. It always hurt to see her friends sad or angry.

Wanting to continue to see her friend smile, the young woman continued the effervescent conversation. "So how are you and Ulquiorra going to deal with your new fan base?"

"Beats me," the swordsman remarked with a shrug.

A mischievous expression carved itself into Sayuri's features.

Seeing it, Ichigo questioned reluctantly, "What is it?"

"You can always start a rumor that you two are gay and are secretly dating," she suggested matter-of-factly.

Ichigo choked at her words. When he managed to compose himself, he muttered in accusation, "You're mocking me."

"Mm very perceptive," she nodded once in fake praise.

The flaming haired youth gave her an undignified look of annoyance and amusement at her teasing jokes.

"I never took you to be the sarcastic and bullying type," he mentioned.

Sayuri's face became shadowed, and a satanic look overwhelmed her naturally sweet facade. "Ever heard of the warning that the kindest girls tend to me the ones that you need to watch out for?"

Ichigo sweat dropped at her statement, "Whoever said you were nice?"

-O-

"We should go Ulquiorra," she said faintly, "Those two will be alright. Ichigo appears to like her, so I know that he will protect her no matter what."

Orihime left the shade that obscured her from view from where they hid at the top of the staircase that led to the rooftop.

"Hn."

Emerald spheres gleamed in the darkness before the body from which it belonged immerged from the dark veil that blended with his appearance of night.

They walked down the stairs in their normal silence. Ulquiorra noted the human presence that was just around the corner from where they had hidden. Orihime had not noticed it, but he knew that the human had arrived simply a moment earlier than they had. It had most likely heard Orihime speak, but whatever the case, he did not really care.

He hated dealing with humans and their mundane issues.

-O-

"I'll go buy the drinks from the machines," Ichigo announced while standing up, "You shared your lunch with me, so I'll get us drinks to pay you back."

"I can come with you if you want," Sayuri offered.

"Thank you, but you should let your body rest. I don't want you exerting yourself. Wait here. I'll be back quickly."

She expressed her gratitude as he disappeared into the darkness of the entrance to the school.

When he was sure that the shadows blanketed him so that Sayuri could not see where he was, Ichigo looked cautiously to his right.

"What are you doing here watching us?" he asked thinly.

A girl with short dark hair revealed herself. "Don't worry. I'm not here to cause trouble," she spoke, "I'm Sai's best friend. I just wanted to know where she went off to since we usually eat lunch together."

Ichigo reluctantly nodded his head at her explanation. "Alright then. I'll be right back."

When his footsteps no longer echoed in the stairwell, the young woman stepped out into the harsh light.

"Mai!" Sayuri exclaimed happily, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, of course. You just suddenly disappeared." The shorter female stood before her friend, her hands on her hips in an intimidating manner.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you behind," the blank haired teen apologized, "I thought you wanted to get to know the new students, so I didn't want to bother you."

Mai examined her nails in a bored manner before retaliating. "Ulqui and Hime chased after you when Ichi ran out with you, so I didn't even get a chance to talk to them."

"Oh. I-"

"I didn't know you knew them," she interrupted.

Sayuri twisted her hands in her lap nervously. She knew that Mai was angry. They have been best friends for a long time, so it was easy to read her friend's constantly changing moods.

Gently, she elucidated, "I was not expecting them to come to this school."

"Since you know them, do you mind helping me win over Ulqui?" the paler maiden asked her friend. "He is by far the most attractive man I have ever seen."

"W-What?" Sayuri stuttered, unsure if she had hear Mai correctly.

"Well, it seems that you and Ichi have something going on, so can I take Ulqui for myself?" Mai stated, confirming Sayuri's fears.

"I-" the Kimura child attempted to speak, but was again prevented from doing so by her best friend.

"Oh, I better go now. Ichi will be back soon, and I don't want to intrude on your personal time with him."

"Mai, wait! Ichigo and I are just friends!"

"Talk to you later Sai!" she exclaimed while waving her hand goodbye and giving her friend a quick wink before her body became submerged in the blackness of the stairwell.

'You are so naive Sayuri,' Mai thought to herself as she left the newly distraught Kimura alone.

"...You're misunderstanding..." Sayuri muttered to herself.

She had not expected this to happen. She did not know that all the single and available females - and a few guys and already taken girls - would suddenly throw themselves at Ulquiorra's feet. Worst yet, she had not expected her own best friend to mistake her relationship with Ichigo and fall head over heels for the supernatural man.

Rubbing her temples at the migraine that was being evoked by the complicated and random situation, Sayuri felt the fatigue in her bones augment.

Once lunch time came to a close, Sayuri and Ichigo made their way back to the classroom. The orange haired lad easily noticed Sayuri's attempts to hide her exhaustion but did not bother to say anything. He was well aware of her distaste for her human weakness.

When the pair arrived at their destination, they saw that several students - no doubt the more hardcore fans - still gathered around Orihime and Ulquiorra even when the lunch bell rang. Gradually, these teenagers, too, dispersed by the time Sayuri reached her seat.

The familiar form of Mai, however, remained by Ulquiorra's desk.

"So why did you decide to move to Japan Ulqui?" she attempted to converse in a sugary tone.

Unfortunately for her, the young male in question showed no interest in talking.

"Do you -" the persistent girl attempted to birth a conversation once more, and just as Sayuri opened her lips to save Ulquiorra from Mai's insistent nature, a candied voice interrupted the scene.

"Mai, I think the teacher is talking to you," Orihime uttered.

With a small huff of barely concealed annoyance, Sayuri watched as her friend passed by, lightly grazing her on the shoulder.

Blue orbs looked at Mai's retreating back in confusion at her wild antics.

'Does she really like him that much?' she wondered.

Sayuri brought her gaze before her only to see the mysterious creature's blank expression.

Ulquiorra momentarily shifted his gaze towards the intruder, ignored her smile, and returned to watching the lazy clouds. Sayuri did not bother to say anything. Ulquiorra was always difficult in various ways, though the hurt caused by his aloofness was hard to overcome.

Upon taking her seat, the oceanic eyed teen noticed a pair of chocolate eyes analyzing her interaction with Ulquiorra.

"Hi Mai," she greeted.

Her friend merely nodded her head in acknowledgement before facing forward. It would seem that Mai was getting difficult to read as well.

The day waned and the sun descended to take shelter behind the horizon. The blue of the sky transformed into a painting of wild purples and flaming colors.

Sayuri had always wanted to see the sunset unobscured, but for now, she remained content with looking at the glorious colors of the sky.

The group of four made their way past the enormous school gates. Of course, their progress was slowed by admirers of the trio. Sayuri patiently waited, oblivious to the envious glares that were aimed towards her. Finally, they were able to walk peacefully down the path towards the train station so that Orihime and Ichigo could go gather the rest of their belongings from Karakura. They had apparently found a temporary accommodation in Hitamura until all the threat from hollows and Soul Reapers became settled. Until then, Ichigo must handle sharing an apartment with Ulquiorra.

"We wouldn't even have to bother moving to Hitamura if that bastard over there swallowed his pride and allowed Orihime to heal his spiritual injuries so he could actually protect himself," the lean man pointed accusingly at the Espada.

Ulquiorra's intense gaze turned into a blazing inferno of malice.

"N-No, it's alright Ichigo," Orihime intervened. "We would have had to come regardless because of the Soul Society's interest in Sayuri."

"I know that, but he still owes you for reviving him in Hueco Mundo," Ichigo continued his taunts.

Orihime, Sayuri assumed, would be in charge of halting their fights that would surely occur in the shared apartment. The dark haired female prevented her mind from walking down the path of jealousy. She had learned that Orihime was the reason that the dark horse was still alive. For that, Sayuri was thankful and promised her unconditional friendship towards the angelic girl.

It did pain her, however, that she would see less of Ulquiorra, especially since she rarely saw him in the first place.

Sayuri looked at her friends. She had never had so much before. Ichigo and Ulquiorra were having a glaring contest while Orihime stood in the sidelines trying to calm them. Her only friends had been Hiro and Mai, but now, she had gained three more. Even with the monsters and spirit warriors wrecking mayhem in her life, she would happily deal with it all if it meant befriending Orihime, Ichigo, and Ulquiorra.

"How did your parents take your sudden disappearance?" Orihime asked her casually once Ichigo's temper had calmed.

They made their way into the train station, crowds of people rushing in every direction.

The human woman laughed sheepishly. "They took it rather well."

The well-endowed female and Ichigo gave her a confused look.

"Shin, my brother, seems to have a talent for lying," Sayuri explained. "He managed to convince my parents that I was in a school trip up in the mountains."

"So he knows about Ulquiorra?" Ichigo wondered.

Sayuri nodded her head. "Though I don't know whether I should be happy that he covered for me or worried that he has such a talent for lying. He even said that he should keep a book of possible excuses in case I disappear again."

A short chuckle escaped the two ginger-haired fighters. "He seems like he is a good brother. You shouldn't worry about it," Orihime told her.

Rosy lips tilted upwards in appreciation of her comforting words.

"Has there been any word from the Soul Society about my disappearance?" the Kimura daughter changed the subject.

"Renji and Rukia actually came last night after you left Urahara's place," Ichigo began and continued to explain when he saw Sayuri's mortified expression. "Relax, they won't go after you. I basically cashed in all the favors that the Soul Society owed me."

"Favors?" The human woman quirked an elegant brow at his sentence.

Orihime gave a small giggle. "Let's just say that we have helped the Soul Society on various occasions. Ichigo just decided to take advantage of it in order to protect you and Ulquiorra. He had even placated them by saying that he would personally monitor and protect you, which is another reason why we decided to temporarily live here."

"And with Orihime and myself here at Hitamura, the Soul Society will believe that the presence of hollows in this city is due to our spiritual pressure rather than Ulquiorra's," Ichigo stated.

The woman beside him nodded her head. "Not to mention, Ulquiorra managed to get a gigai from Urahara, so he would blend right in with the humans and be harder to detect."

"What is a gigai?" Sayuri repeated the foreign word in confusion.

Orihime clarified by saying, "It's sort of like a temporary physical body for spiritual beings. With it on, the soul's spiritual power is masked and they can pass as a normal human."

"So in simple," the young woman attempted to straighten all the facts in her head, "I am no longer being hunted by the Soul Society, and all three of you entered my high school so that Ulquiorra would blend in and his presence would remain a secret."

"And to make sure you're protected from hollows and Soul Reapers of course," the fragile beauty added.

Sayuri looked at Ulquiorra who remained silent during the entire conversation. He followed them at a distance, but she knew that he would never lose track of their location. The hollow, from what she knew of him, seemed to be a very analytical personality who rarely, if at all, makes mistakes.

Green depths connected with her eyes, most likely sensing her gaze on him.

"As long as it protects him, my family, and my friends," Sayuri turned her attention to the duo beside her, "I am very grateful for everything you guys have done."

When all the explanations were consummated, the group of humans and hollow finally made it to the platform in time with the arrival of the train.

Ichigo ruffled the dark locks of the shorter woman in a comforting and playful gesture before he and Orihime entered the mechanical snake.

"Hey bastard," Ichigo called out before the sliding doors closed, "Protect her until we get back or I'll kick your ass."

Ulquiorra did not even blink nor did a single muscle on his face react to the threat. However, it was as though a bolt of electricity existed and crackled between the Soul Reaper and the hollow.

"Goodbye. Stay safe!" Orihime waved, dispelling the tension between the two males.

The doors finally closed, and the train began its journey towards Karakura.

Awkwardly, Sayuri followed Ulquiorra out of the station. They walked for several minutes until she realized that they were on a path that did not lead to the white building she called home.

"Are we going somewhere?" she asked him innocently.

"I'm going to our apartment," came his monotonic reply.

His words were simple, but the message was clear. 'Our' clearly did not include her in any way. In Ulquiorra language, the sentence translated to one thing: go away.

At the hidden meaning, Sayuri bit her lip as a way of containing the hurt from showing in her face.

"I hope you three enjoy it here," she smiled while about to turn around in the direction of her home.

Ulquiorra's expression, however, halted her movement.

The dark brows that contrasted against his porcelain face like the stars in the night lowered to form a slight grimace on his handsome face.

The young woman curved her own black eyebrows at his expression. "What's wrong?"

"You're annoying," he explained harshly, "Like all those other human female at your school."

This time, the glazed sapphire orbs clearly communicated her reaction. Girls unfortunately have the cruel reflex of crying whenever their emotions were concerned. Sayuri blinked repeatedly to will away the tears, but her pain persisted in the sad shine of her eyes.

"I'm sure you will find someone in this world that will make you happy," she aimed to chuckle in false lightheartedness but failed. "I really hope you become happy."

Sayuri would characterize herself as a good liar. She did not like to lie, but she excelled in it whenever the need arose. Lamentably, her abilities to lie and act ended in failure when it came to dealing with Ulquiorra. She was aware that this moment was one of those failures.

Ulquiorra turned his back to her, the redness of the sunlight casting a heavy and foreboding glow on his figure.

Turning his head only half way, he voiced cold-heartedly, "It would make me happy if you chose some other male to annoy. Perhaps Ichigo or that Hiro character would be a good choice since all of you are equally of a nuisance."

Scarlet lips opened marginally in shock. Slender arms reached out to Ulquiorra's overcast body as the clear vision of her aqua depth grew increasingly blurry.

Just when her hand was about to land on his shoulder, the ashen man vanished.

The magnificent and playful colors of the sky grew weary and defeated as the last slivers of light surrendered to the darkness.

Thick locks the color of night shielded the dulled shine of sapphire. Rolls of colorless tears cascaded down paled cheeks, leaving behind a trail of emotional pain.

"Why...Why can't you see that you're the one I love?"

A single sobbed intruded the silence.

Then, nothing but the emptiness of the night existed.

Nothing.

-O-

Did the various character interactions in this chapter seem believable?

There was a lot of dialogue and character development, so I wondered whether I pulled it off.

Also, is Sayuri still maintaining her likeability or is she becoming annoying? A flirt? Or just a normal and friendly person?

Thank you again for reading! I will try to update again soon.