Aizen Tohru laughed long and loud as he poured himself some sake. The man
had not had a drink in decades and it felt great. He took a long sip as Adachi
Homura finished up his comical story of woe. The two men had grown up
together and now it seemed almost a crime that they had not seen each other in
years.

Homura took a long gulp from his cup and mused, "Asami would kill me if she
knew I was drinking right now. How about Sayaka-chan, do you think she minds?"
Tohru shook his head. "No, Sayaka trusts me with my sake. But even if she did
worry, I doubt she'd bring it up." His smile faded. "She never used to be that
timid." He sighed and swallowed down more sake.

Homura scratched his head. "I take it that you two are not the happy
newlyweds I saw last, hmm?" Tohru frowned. "It's not that we don't love each
other. It's just… She's changed so much and I just can't think of her the way I used
to." The man paused. Homura waited patiently. There was something his friend
wanted to get off his chest.

Tohru's voice cracked. "I know how this sounds, but ever since Sousuke was
born … it almost feels like he stole a piece of her spirit." Homura refilled his cup.
"Tell me about this boy of yours. I have heard so many things from many people."
Tohru took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. After some thought he said,
"We… Sayaka and I, we were so happy when Sousuke was born. We had tried so
hard for years and when it finally happened, it felt like a miracle."

Tohru took in a ragged breath and continued. "But he was never our baby. I
saw his birth and I know he's mine, but…" The man trailed off, groping for the
right words. "His reiatsu, it doesn't make any sense. No one that young should
have a pressure like that. I can't even see a shred of Sayaka or myself in his eyes.
It's turned her into a nervous wreck. She'd never admit it, but I'm certain that
she's even afraid of him. He… he may be our son, but neither of us know just what
the hell he is."

At this confession, the distressed father took a long hard swig straight from
the bottle of sake. The two men sat in awkward silence, neither daring to say
another word. On the other side of the screen door was Sousuke. He stood
stone quiet in the hallway. The boy's hands shook and his legs trembled. In a
paralyzed lurch, Sousuke made it back to his room.

Sitting neatly on his futon, Sousuke stared at the wall in stunned silence. The
wheels of his mind began to spin out of control as his heart tore into halves, then
thirds, then quarters to match his ill-fated Kanji practice. Everything had now
been laid bare. It was clear that the one place he had felt welcome had all been a
wishful dream. His mother and father couldn't stand him either.

From any other angle it might have even looked comical. He had so much
potential and understanding, but it was he who did not belong. Sousuke felt the
familiar sting of tears assault his eyes. This time, he allowed them to roll down his
cheeks. If he was not a shinigami, then what was he? Why had he been born if he
did not belong?

Suddenly feeling like an interloper in his own house, Sousuke stood up briskly
and left his room. He made his way to the front door and quietly stole through.
Standing outside, he stared out at the darkening sky. No one else was outside, not
even a single child remained. Everyone was eating dinner in the home that they
were welcome in. A home where they belonged.

There was no place for him to go, no refuge for a strange spirit such as his. In a
daze, Sousuke walked into the nearby foliage leading into the woods. He had
never done much exploring and had no idea how thick the forest was. For all he
knew, he could very well be walking into the jaws of a hollow, but he didn't care.
If he were a mistake then perhaps he would just disappear. Sousuke crept
through the trees as the darkness of night swallowed him whole.