The young shinigami were energetic that day. They hooted and hollered with
abandon, absorbed in their own world. Neither farther than 100 years apart in
age, boys and girls joined the group and parted as they pleased. Although they
were not all necessarily friends, the children all agreed on a well earned reprieve
at the end of grammar class. As if a shift in the winds, all manner of play stopped
once an adult invaded their turf.
The frail old teacher approached the children with an air of determination and
authority that only an instructor could command. In a gnarled voice, the old
woman scolded "If you insist on making such a ruckus on school grounds, then at
least include all of your classmates." Looking away, the children realized that the
old nag had not approached them alone. She was clutching the hand of another
child who almost seemed to be hiding behind her.
Pushing the child closer to the group she departed with the instructions "I
trust you will all play nicely." Left alone with the new addition, the rest of the
children reflexively took a step backwards as if met with a biting wind. Although
unassuming and rather meek, the lone boy's spiritual pressure had an oppressive
effect on the rest of them. Standing in awkward silence, the group observed the
bespectacled boy with auburn hair and soft eyes. The boy shifted uncomfortably
in front of his peers.
After a few moments of awkward silence, one of the more outspoken of the
children announced "Let's play somewhere else, you guy's. This kid is making me
nauseous." The rest of the group was not inclined to disagree with him. The
children started to move away from the quiet boy. As they strode off, a
sympathetic girl turned and shouted out to the boy "Maybe next time you can
play with us, Sousuke-kun!"
Aizen Sousuke watched impassively as the group of children faded from view.
He felt his face grow hot and he pushed his glasses up so he could rub his eyes.
He wasn't going to cry, he never did. Tears wouldn't change a thing for him. It
would not take away all the rejection or the shame and it certainly wouldn't
change how the rest of the world looked at him. He was the odd one out,
always. Giving up his beloved books or allowing his grades to suffer or ignoring his
compulsion for polite speech had proved to do nothing, but make him miserable.
Even if he gave all of that away, he could not be separate from his own reiatsu.
All of his school work was finished and his instructors refused to let him stay
any longer. There was nothing left for him to return home and present a hated
hollow smile. The last thing he wanted was for his parents to know how despised
he was by his peers. Alone with his thoughts, Sousuke found himself looking up
into the sky. If every shinigami had their own place, then where was his? Sousuke
was certain that whoever was in charge, they were not very good at their job.