A/N: My apologies to Keigo fans out there, but somebody had to play this part, and I preferred using Keigo over creating a new character.

Chapter 10: The French job

Sighing, Uryu ran a hand through his hair. A few days had passed since he started sleeping in the niche under the bridge and it was now Friday. School was over and he found himself in a convenience store, deciding what to buy. He'd eaten the last of the food that had been stored in his big pack that morning, and from now on he needed to be extra mindful of his expenses.

This was going the be a hassle… He didn't have a refrigerator. He couldn't cook anything, nor do the dishes. He couldn't even make cup noodles. The Quincy had no idea how long he'd have to make do with the little cash he had on him. He was already skipping lunch every day, to stretch his budget for all it was worth.

He really needed to find a job!

Sighing again, Uryu opted for a few dry things like lacquered senbei, cheap crackers and a few bananas - things he could easily store in his hideout - and made his way to the counter.

He was hungry and had a banana during his walk to the bridge. This would be the first weekend he would have to spend there and he'd promised himself he would do everything he could to try and find a part-time job.

Once 'home', Uryu slipped out of his school uniform and put on some casual clothes, so he could wash his uniform. Fortunately, he had been wise enough to have a bucket and some laundry detergent with him, although he hadn't thought he'd actually be using these to wash his clothes. His agile fingers made quick work of the task at hand, with the help of some water from the river. After he rinsed everything thoroughly, he hung his uniform to dry. The air was still warm enough but it made him sigh.

It was still September. What would he do in a few weeks when it would get colder? How would he wash his clothes? How would he wash himself?

These last few days, he had taken to bathing in the river every day at dusk. There was a small riverbed just a little from his hideout, where it was easy to get in and out of the water. He didn't want to think about the quality of the water, as he didn't have any other option available and it was either wash himself in the river, or not getting clean at all. There was no pool nor showers at school, and he couldn't afford the 500 yen to go to a public bathhouse every day. It was only the beginning of fall, and the temperature of the water was still doable. He really hoped he had found a better solution by the time it'd start to get colder. However, he had collected some firewood, just to be safe, but it still needed to dry for a few weeks.

Sighing again, Uryu just tried to think of something else. His friends would come around and they would help him out.

They would.

Right?

As expected, neither Ichigo nor Sado had spoken a word to him these last few days. Orihime gave him a smile every now and then when she accidently crossed his gaze. Rukia only came to school when she was on a mission in the world of the living, and he didn't even want to know what Renji had been doing.

The Quincy sighed again and sat down for a bit to drink some water. He had a few plastic water bottles that he filled up at school every day. Today he'd filled every one of them up after class so he would get by during the weekend.

Uryu rested his head on top of his knees. He longed for a cup of hot tea and a decent meal instead of senbei, crackers and the likes. How he missed his homemade miso mackerel stew right now. He could not think of his favorite dish without thinking of his dear, departed mother, though, as she always used to make that for him.

Feeling gloomy, he quickly picked up his phone to change his thoughts. He tried charging his phone in the storage room at school every day, but he didn't use it much these days. He'd researched a bit about male rape victims, but… the first and foremost advise always was: "Talk to someone you trust", followed by "find support with your family and friends". He could do neither. His friends had sniped him down and his father had disowned him. He was fully aware that he had no one to turn to, and he did his very best not to let it get to him.

Uryu was still having trouble with sleeping under the bridge. The idea that he wasn't safe there caused him to have difficulties falling asleep. Combined with the noises outside and the fact that he had to lay down on the concrete, made for non-refreshing nights. At least, he had a blanket and a pillow that he'd packed in his big pack, unlike the first night where he could only use his coat.

Unfortunately, the horrors he'd lived through at the capsule hotel had not only undone the little bit of progress he'd made after his imprisonment at Szayelaporro's lab, but it had made his nightmares even worse. He'd wake up drenched in sweat sometimes, screaming his heart out, feeling ashamed and vulnerable. If only someone would offer him a listening ear, but… he knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He knew there were certain places where he could talk about something like this, but he didn't feel up to trusting strangers right now.

After Uryu had taken a break for a little while, he decided it was time to walk the walk. He'd looked into a few part-time job advertisements these last few days and had taken note of a few he wanted to check out. His best chances would be helping out at a shop or a restaurant.

Always the practical person, he'd made a short route for places he wanted to visit that weekend, covering a few of them each day. He could only hope for the best…


It was Saturday afternoon and Uryu was on his way to the last business where he wanted to apply for a job that day, a French restaurant in the center of a rather fancy shopping street.

Every shop owner, bistro or restaurant manager had turned him down so far, saying they preferred older students. No matter how inventive or convincing he tried to be, that one was impossible to change. He could understand the reasoning of all the owners, but… that didn't make him feel any less rejected.

Sighing, he tried to talk some courage into himself, as to not look down as he took his chances on the French restaurant. After straightening some wrinkles out of his un-ironed shirt, he took a deep breath and went inside.

'Here goes nothing.'

He stepped into a hall with heavy curtains and an expensive looking wooden hostess stand. A sign on top of the stand read 'We'll direct you to a table. Please wait for a moment for your host.' There was nobody there to greet him, so Uryu shrugged and patiently stood by.

There were a lot of noises coming from inside the fancy looking diner, as the evening service had started already. Curious, Uryu shuffled towards the open, wooden, double doors to take a peek inside the room. He spotted a lot of colorful individuals sitting on two even rows of heavy, square tables, in front of wall-high windows, framed by shiny looking curtains. Fancy linens were draped over the dark, wooden surfaces, while elegant tableware and romantic lighting made the picture complete.

Uryu could only help but wonder how expensive this restaurant really was, but it certainly was out of his league, that much he could tell.

While he was still gazing at everything that went on in the dining room, he heard snickering from behind him.

"Oh my god…" an exasperated voice suddenly blurted and Uryu swiftly turned around. Two boys around his age had just entered through a service entrance and were now behind the hostess stand. "What are you doing here?"

The Quincy was looking at the annoyed face of one of his classmates, Asano Keigo. They barely spoke to each other, but he was one of Ichigo's friends. The other boy was also from his school, but from another class in their year. His name was Ikusabe Shingo, if he was correct. He'd seen him around Keigo before.

Both of them were wearing an elegant uniform, consisting of a white shirt, a velvet-like pants and a long, black, elegant apron. Complete with the logo of the restaurant and a matching bow tie. Uryu chuckled as the ensemble made even a dork like Keigo look distinguished.

"Actually, Asano, I'm here for the part-time job," Uryu answered truthfully, while Keigo eyed him suspiciously. "There's an add that this restaurant is currently hiring-"

"God, no! Not here!" Keigo whined. "I work here."

"Yeah, the uniform kind of gave you away," Uryu countered, still chuckling.

"Who's this guy, Keigo?" the other boy asked.

The latter softly poked him in the ribs and whispered loud enough for Uryu to overhear, "That's the one I was telling you about, Shingo. You know."

"No way!" As both uniform-clad boys now gave the Quincy their full attention and looked him up and down, Uryu just threw them his trademark icy glare and held his ground. "That's the guy that's after Kurosaki?"

"That's none of your business," Uryu retorted, getting annoyed, but that couldn't keep both his peers from eyeing each other before bursting into laughter.

"Go away, Ishida. I can't be seen with the likes of you. Especially not at my workplace." He grabbed Uryu by the arm and dragged him to the side.

"Hey!" Uryu pulled his arm free. "I am looking for a job. And now that I know they hired someone my age, I think I make a pretty good case to apply here."

"Huh?" Keigo replied. "Talk Japanese, fruitcake." Shingo snickered again at that.

Uryu rolled his eyes. "You work here, so maybe they'll want to hire me too."

"Oh, no!" Keigo whined again. "Just find another restaurant. This is our place. I can't be seen with a fag-"

A flash of Quincy pride shot through Uryu at that insult, and lightning fast he grabbed Keigo by the collar. "I dare you to finish that sentence, Asano."

Ichigo's energetic friend gulped and looked up at him, surprised by his speed. "Y-you weirdo…"

That's when Shingo grabbed the Quincy's arm that held Keigo, and said, "Let him go, Ishida."

"I will, if he can behave," Uryu spat, still angry.

"It was a joke, alright," Keigo retorted, trying to break free by pinching Uryu's arm.

"Yeah? Then you should brush up your comedian skills," The archer answered coldly.

Ever since Ichigo had dropped that bomb about him in class, he'd been subjected to comments like that every single school day and he was fed up with them to say the least.

Then, Shingo gave him a push against his chest and Uryu let go of the others collar. Both boys looked at him angrily, but he wasn't intimidated by them and just glared them down.

"Now, get out of here, Ishida," Keigo sneered.

"No, I am still going to apply for a job here."

"Why, you-"

They were just about to try and push him backwards, when a voice with a heavy French accent sounded behind them, "Sacré bleu! What's all this ruckus in here? What are you two doing with that guest?"

All three boys froze for a second. "Shit. That's Jacques, the manager;" Keigo whispered. "Dammit, Ishida, if I lose my job over this…"

Yeah, getting the both of them fired wasn't on his to-do list today, as he probably wouldn't be getting the opportunity to get himself hired here after that.

The Quincy thought very fast and quickly put his arms around both Keigo's and Shingo's shoulders. "Just play along. I'll save your asses," he muttered and turned towards the voice, smiling a bit awkwardly with his arms still draped loosely over the other boys shoulders. Shingo and Keigo gave him a weird look, but did as he asked. For now.

Jacques seemed to be a middle-aged, balding man, dressed in a fancy navy blue suit, complete with a silk tie and a folded handkerchief in his chest pocket. The man looked at them sternly, making his moustache face down.

"Oh, good evening, sir," Uryu smiled. "Sorry for the noise, but I was just greeting my friends here."

"Y-yeah," Shingo nodded and patted Uryu on the back.

"We know each other from school, sir," Keigo added with a big, phony smile. "Ishida and I are in the same class."

"Ah, I see. So you are friends, yes?" Jacques answered and took on a more relaxed stance. "But you two should be working now instead of making such a fuss in here. I'm not paying you to play around."

"I believe that's my fault, sir. I ran into them here as I came to apply for the waiter position at this gorgeous restaurant, and-"

"Ah, vraiment? Really?" the manager intervened and looked him up and down.

"Absolument," Uryu replied, smiling. His French wasn't perfect, but he could talk a fair amount of the language. His hands grabbed both Keigo and Shingo's shoulders more forcefully as he continued, "Please excuse my behavior, sir. We were just having a bit of old-fashioned fun as they were excited by the notion that I'd like to work here, too. Those two are always so lively and that rubs off on people."

The French manager looked completely flabbergasted, before he eyed both his part-timers a little angrily. "I think they are rather slow and… what is that word in Japanese again? Ummm. They are a bit incompétents maybe."

Uryu couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Oh, I wouldn't go that far, sir. I think the word 'imbéciles' suits them better."

That made the manager laugh out loud in turn. "Mais oui! That's spot on, boy. That's a better choice of words. They really are fools!"

"Hey!" Keigo intervened and jabbed Uryu in the ribs to get him to take his arm off of his shoulders, which he did on a soft wince. As Jacques looked at Keigo with a raised eyebrow, he blushed a little and answered, "I'm not a fool, sir."

The Frenchman, who seemed to be a very direct person, addressed Keigo and mockingly said, "Oh come on boy, it's just a little joke. Right. Une blague."

Right about then, an elderly couple walked through the door and Jacques immediately turned his attention towards them. "Bonsoir! Madame, monsieur."

Keigo pushed Uryu a little away from him, looking pissed and whispered, "You dick."

"Thanks for nothing, Asano," The Quincy cursed under his breath.

Keigo shared a dirty look with Shingo and wanted to retort, but then Jacques said: "My two hosts will guide you to your table. Please enjoy your dinner at my fabulous restaurant Bisque." The manager then gave Shingo and Keigo a loot that told he wasn't joking around anymore.

"Oh, right away, sir." Shingo immediately took action and guided the couple inside the diner hall. Keigo glared at Uryu, but couldn't do anything in front of his manager.

"Ah, those two…" Jacques sighed and turned his attention back towards Uryu. "They really are a bit dumb, aren't they, but as their parents are good friends of my family, I put up with them in my restaurant." Uryu chuckled at that. Jacques smiled at him. "Oh, where are my manners. I'm Jacques Grandier, the manager of restaurant Bisque." He held out his hand and Uryu shook it, as was the custom in Europe.

"Enchanté monsier. Pleased to meet you. My name is Ishida Uryu."

"Well then, Ishida, let's move to my office where we can discuss my terms for your part-time job here."

Uryu's face lit up at that. Finally somebody that wanted to give him a chance! "Oh, thank you, sir!"

After Jacques fired a round of all sorts of questions on him he decided to let Uryu come back the very next day for a practical test. The Quincy was thrilled and could at least feel a little weight lifted from his shoulders as he walked back to his hideout under the bridge that evening.

Would life finally give him a little break?


Next day, the practical test didn't prove too difficult and Uryu passed with ease. Jacques hired him, to Keigo's big dismay.

Uryu was allowed to do more hours during weekends, so he could earn a little extra. He was free on Monday and Thursday evening, as he still had to study as well.

That Tuesday was his first day on the job and Uryu couldn't help but beam as he entered the dressing room to try on his uniform. He smiled as the velvet like fabric of the uniform pants and the crisp cotton of the shirt slid between his fingers. Having made a lot of garments himself, he could appreciate the nice, quality fabric, and restaurant Bisque didn't save on their employee uniforms it seemed.

As he donned said garments, Keigo and Shingo entered the dressing room to put on theirs, too.

"So, what do you think?" he asked them as he gestured towards his uniform.

Keigo growled. "I can't believe that old fart actually hired you. You don't belong here."

Uryu pushed his glasses up and tried to assess the tension that was coming from Ichigo's friend, while the latter quickly shrugged out of his t-shirt and started buttoning up his white shirt. But before he could retort anything to that Shingo intervened: "Aww, come on, Keigo. Give him a chance. Maybe he's not that bad."

"Why, thank you, Ikusabe." Uryu replied. "I'm sure we can all work together in harmony. Besides, we don't have the same schedule, so I won't be in your way all the time, Asano. I'm guessing we'll both be here during weekends, though."

"Yeah, whatever, fruitcake," Keigo said, giving him a disdainful look while putting on his pants. "Hey, don't stare at me while I'm changing, you gay freak."

Uryu promptly smacked his locker door closed. "Don't worry, Asano , I have zero interest in frustrated morons like you. I just want to do my job."

"Oh yeah?" Keigo jumped up and quickly zipped up his pants, glaring at him.

"Our shift is starting, boys." Shingo stepped in between. Keigo growled at Uryu before his friend grabbed him by the arm and led him outside.

Uryu didn't let it get to him. He'd had worse than a few classmates with obvious prejudices.

He was on cleaning duty that evening. An elder employee explained to him how he had to clean the tables and bring the dishes to the kitchen every time a customer was done. When there were no tables to be readied he could help out with the drinks or take inventory in the pantry, among other things. His job was very diverse, and he liked that.

He couldn't help but beam that whole evening, at whatever he was doing. It didn't matter what the chore was, really, he just loved the fact that he would be getting paid. It was his first little ray of sunshine in a few dark weeks. And he knew for certain he was pissing Keigo off with his attitude, which was a bonus. Well, he didn't try to make the other angry, but it was obvious that Keigo just couldn't stomach the idea that he had gotten a job at his place.

That evening, Uryu bought a cheap, prepacked bento that was on sale because the shop was about to close, had it reheated and devoured it greedily when he was back under the bridge. He hadn't eaten anything hot since he started sleeping there and it was so good. He was allowed to celebrate a little tonight, having finished his first day as an employee and all.


Keigo had obviously been whining to Ichigo at school that Uryu had come to ruin his job at the restaurant, and he did that so loudly that the Quincy could overhear everything. What was Keigo thinking anyway? That Ichigo would show up at restaurant Bisque to settle the matter with him? That Ichigo would order him to find another job?

Apart from the occasional glare, the Substitute kept ignoring him. As was to be expected. So did Sado. Uryu did his best to shake it off and just concentrated on his work for now. Most other students didn't find Ichigo's and his behavior different at all, as they always used to act like that at school.

Most days on the job went by like a breeze. Uryu had always been good with his hands, so after just a few days, Jacques judged that Keigo and Shingo, or another employee when neither of those two had a shift, should clean the tables and carry the dishes away, while the Quincy could then set to redressing the dinner tables to perfection. Placing the tableware, candles, cutlery and napkins with such grace that it made him feel useful. That little bit of happiness that made him feel of use at the restaurant gave him a purpose and warmed his broken heart a little.

Sometimes, the manager, Jacques, would come up to him while he was doing one of his chores and he'd compliment his skills in French or chit-chat with him for a moment. Which usually ended with the both of them chuckling.

"Mais oui, mon garçon! Mais oui !" Jacques beamed. "It feels so nice to speak a little French sometimes, Ishida."

Uryu had just placed all of the fancy cutlery in the correct order and started folding a napkin, following the strict rules the manager upheld. "Yes, I can imagine, sir."

It was Saturday and dinner service was over. Uryu was preparing the tables for the luxurious French brunch that was held at restaurant Bisque every Sunday at 10 o'clock. His shift on Sunday didn't start that early, so Jacques wanted him to do the tables before he left.

The Quincy felt eyes on him and his gaze was guided to Keigo and Shingo, stacking up dishes on the other side of the room. They were giving him an angry glare, but he let it slide, never breaking his conversation with the manager.

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you something very important, Ishida," Jacques suddenly said. "You have a shift next Saturday, yes?"

Uryu's attention shifted back to the Frenchmen next to him. "Oui, monsieur."

"Good. Next Saturday is a very special day for me, as it will be the 10th anniversary of my fabulous restaurant."

"Oh really?" Uryu gave the man his full attention and stopped what he was doing for a moment, reading the manager's seriousness in the way he looked at him.

"Oui, vraiment. I have invited the French ambassador for the occasion and there will be a big celebration! I want, of course, for you to help out, mon garçon."

"Bien sûr, monsieur," Uryu said determinedly. "Of course."

"The ambassador is an old friend of mine, and I want to really rub it in that restaurant Bisque has been so successful these last 10 years, as he always said French cuisine in the middle of a town like this would be une catastrophe."

Uryu couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Count me in, sir."

"Merci, Ishida." The manager came a little closer and smiled. "That day, your shift will be longer than usual, as I would like to ask you to start earlier, and help clean up after the party as well. But as a token of my gratitude, if everything goes well, I'll give you a little extra, oui. And you can start your Sunday shift a little later, too, so you can get some rest."

"Oh, that would be wonderful, sir." Uryu smiled. "I would be delighted to assist you in any way I can on an important day like that."

"Marvelous, Ishida. I knew I could count on you." Jacques came closer still and turned his eyes towards Keigo and Shingo while Uryu did the same. When both boys noticed they were being watched they tried to finish their chore faster. "I only hope one of those two imbéciles doesn't screw it up that day."

Uryu nodded. The bonus sounded great. He could really use the extra cash. Of course he would've helped out either way, but still, it was a nice extra.

His shift was over and he greeted the manager, before going to the dressing room. As he was opening up the buttons on his shirt, an angry looking Shingo and Keigo entered the room. Ever since Jacques had given him different chores than the other two boys, Shingo had been on his back as much as Keigo had.

Trying to just cope with their bad vibes, he said: "Long shift today, eh guys?"

"Shut up, fruitcake," Keigo sneered as he came to stand to his right.

"Yeah, you've got Jacques completely wrapped around your finger, Ishida," Shingo added as he came to stand to his left.

"He just likes the fact that I know a little French." The Quincy wasn't intimidated by them, and just proceeded to pull his own t-shirt over his head, before sitting down to shrug out of his pants.

"Yeah, I bet he does. Like, with his dick in your mouth."

Uryu glared at Keigo, while he quickly jumped into his slacks. "Look, Asano, maybe employees that actually work hard get more appreciation from him."

"What's that's supposed to mean, fruitcake."

Uryu rolled his eyes. "It means-"

"That you've been sucking up to him ever since you got here," Shingo intervened. "Like we don't know. We've been here for months while you've been here for-"

"I don't have time for this." Uryu shrugged his sweater over his head and started folding his uniform to put it in his locker.

"You actually have," Keigo continued. "Jacques gave you all the nicer chores Just because he's into scrawny homo's like yourself."

That remark made a dash of anger surge through him. He smashed the locker door closed and turned towards his classmate. "Back off, Asano. I can do my job, while you two can do yours. It's as simple as that." He grabbed his coat and walked away.

"Yeah, you run, boy," Shingo shouted after him.

"Gay freak!" Keigo yelled. "Better do some more ass kissing fast!"

Uryu sighed and tried to make haste. He didn't want to hear this. He hadn't done anything wrong. If they wanted to complain, they should just talk it over with the manager. Jacques was in charge, not him. He didn't decide anything at the restaurant. He just wanted to work there. Nothing more.

He'd heard their accusations before, but he didn't let it get to him. He ran a hand through his hair on a low sigh and trotted towards a store to buy something cheap to eat. He could only hope the situation at their part-time job wasn't about to escalate…


The next few days went by without too many incidents, thankfully.

At school, everything remained the same. Uryu was ignored by everyone, including Ichigo and Sado. Orihime talked to him a few times, but only about school matters or trivial things. Besides, it was crystal clear that Ichigo didn't like it when they had a conversation, as he would catch the Substitute glaring at him when he did.

It made Uryu sigh in regret. Had he known it would come down to all of this, he wished he never had tried to open up to Ichigo and his friends in the first place. Now that he knew how it felt to have friends, it made everything harder on him to be completely alone again.

Keigo and Shingo loved to snipe him down at school every time their gazes met, but Uryu didn't care. If they couldn't stomach the fact that he wanted to do his job at restaurant Bisque, it was not his problem.

Saturday came and Uryu arrived at his prolonged shift fully motivated. He'd indulged himself a little the past week. With the notion that he would get a bonus for working that night, he'd allowed himself to buy an onigiri or a sandwich every evening, so that at least he hadn't been hungry all the time. It wasn't a warm meal, but it was better than crackers for dinner.

Quickly putting on his uniform, he prayed everything would go well during the party and that the 2 bozo's he was supposed to work with would just do their job.

"My, aren't you looking lively today." Shingo snickered as he just stepped into the dressing room.

"Why wouldn't I be, Ikusabe," Uryu answered while lacing his shoes. "It's going to be a long shift, and-"

"Yeah, it's a special day for you, isn't it?" Keigo gave him a fake smile as he entered the room as well. "Tonight you'll get your bonus while sucking up to Jacques again."

"Shove it, Asano. I told you before. I'll do my job, you can do yours." He stood up to tie his apron around his waist.

"Oh dear," Keigo answered. "I wouldn't dream of getting in your way tonight, Ishida. Not with the big celebration and all." Shingo snickered at that. "Besides, we'll be getting bonusses, too, if everything goes well, I imagine."

"Great," Uryu retorted. "So if we all stick to our chores, everything will work out."

"Yeah, definitely," Shingo answered.

Uryu just wanted to focus on the task at hand, and just made it for the door before another argument between his peers could occur. He didn't miss Keigo's voice as he muttered: "Gay freak", after which they both started laughing, but he just let it slide again. Part of him really wanted to shove that annoying friend of Ichigo against the wall and bawl him out, but he couldn't let himself get caught up into their provocations.

Lunch service had been cancelled that day, as there was still a lot of work to be done before the party started that evening. Tables needed to be moved aside as there would be a fancy buffet on the right side of the dining room. Decorations needed to be put in place. Silverware was brought out and Keigo and Shingo were in charge of polishing it. Uryu had to dress the large table in the middle, where the French ambassador would hold the seat of honor. Jacques was a bit irritated and nervous and shouted at his staff more than usual.

The actual festivities started around 5 o'clock. A multitude of colorful guests spread around the vividly decorated dining room, and the Quincy, as well as his 2 annoying peers, were continuously doing rounds carrying full trays of drinks and finger food.

Uryu tried to smile the whole time, really giving it his best for the special occasion. Only, the food on his tray kept drawing his attention. As had become his habit, he had only eaten a very small breakfast and he needed to skip lunches every day. He tried to deal with that as best as he could, but walking around with all that delicious-smelling food made his stomach ache in anticipation. The customers were happy, though, and so was Jacques. The man was talking to everybody and kept telling the boys to keep the wine and champagne flowing.

After a while, it was time to set up the buffet and Uryu was allowed to take a break. He headed towards the back, where he could take a little breather. He took a bottle of water from his backpack in the dressing room, when he heard Keigo and Shingo laughing from the adjacent room. They were probably hanging out near the backdoor again, doing nothing. Sighing irritated, the Quincy went to check what they were doing as they could not take breaks all at the same time.

"Man, that's gonna be one hell of a surprise," Shingo said, sitting cross-legged on the floor while drinking from a full bottle of champagne. He passed the bottle to his friend, who eagerly took a few mouthfuls.

"Yeah," Keigo snickered, "Jacques is gonna be so pissed. I can't wait to see his face."

"What are you two doing here? And what's that surprise you're talking about? You're up to something, aren't you?" Uryu asked, hands on his hips, looking at them with a cold glare.

"Shut up, Ishida," Shingo sneered, standing back up. "We're just taking a time out."

"We can't take breaks all at once. You know that." Uryu wasn't backing down.

"Yeah, whatever. We needed refreshments. Just leave us alone, fruitcake," Keigo answered.

"No!" The Quincy retorted, steadfastly and annoyed. "You've got a job to do. And if Jacques knew you were in here gulping down his champagne, he'd be furious."

"Oh, yeah? And who's gonna tell him?" Keigo asked, jumping up while still holding the bottle of champagne.

"Just stop what you're doing and get back to work. I won't tell Jacques anything," Uryu said determined. "I don't want any incidents tonight. If everything goes well, we'll all get out bonusses."

Shingo and Keigo looked at each other and smirked.

"Oh no, we wouldn't dream of ruining your perfect evening, Ishida," Shingo mocked.

Keigo laughed at that. "What could possibly go wrong. Right, fruitcake? Besides, if you go down on Jacques long enough he'll-"

Growling, the Quincy snapped, giving Keigo a lethal glare. "It's my turn to take a break now! Get back to your job!"

The two other boys snickered. "Take it easy, Ishida. We'll get back to work. Hopefully, everything will work out."

"Yeah, Jacques is gonna give you a special assignment. Better break a leg on that one, fruitcake." Keigo chuckled.

"What special assignment? What do you know that I don't?" Uryu asked, taken by surprise.

"Oh, you'll see. It'll be really interesting." Bursting into laughter again, his 2 peers walked back into the dining room.

"Stupid brats…" Uryu muttered to himself. What was Keigo's problem anyway? Why did he always have to behave like a homophobic moron?

Sighing, we just wanted to sit down for a bit, while drinking a bottle of water. What could this assignment be they were talking about? Oh well… he'll probably find out soon enough.


A few hours passed at the party and the buffet was over. Jacques had informed Uryu that he was to bring the elaborate dessert he had made especially for the French ambassador to said man's table. As the ambassador was the guest of honor, that table was in the center of the dining room, in view of everybody. Since Uryu had a very steady hand, he'd happily accepted to carry the rather heavy, multi-layered cake, while Keigo and Shingo were to walk besides him with additional toppings and complimenting sweet, white wine.

Jacques had given them very specific instructions about how to address the ambassador, while he would be standing in front of the table to explain to everybody what was going on. Uryu would have to walk one step ahead of his peers, but they had to match their pacing carefully. It all had to be timed to perfection.

While the Quincy and the other boys took a look into the dining hall to take a glance at the precise route they would have to walk between the tables, Uryu's and Jacques eyes met and he nodded. Quickly, he straightened his uniform, and told Shingo and Keigo to stand ready. He reached for the delicious looking, over the top dessert, and held it steady with both hands. Waiting for the signal after the manager was done with his speech.

Uryu was tired and hungry, but his shift was not over for a while yet. After they'd brought the dessert out, he and his co-workers would have to serve the treat to everybody. And when the party was finally over, he still had to help out with the cleaning. He sighed as his stomach roared. He'd treat himself to an on-sale bento again after he was done here. He'd deserved that much after such a long day of work.

The lights were dimmed and a drum roll sounded.

"That's the signal," Uryu whispered to the other boys. "Let's do this."

For once, neither of the boys argued with him, but just nodded, grinning broadly. Grateful that they were on the same page for once, Uryu put on a bright smile and walked into the dining room with the dessert in front of him. 'Oooh's and 'aaah's sounded from all around them as they walked up to Jacques in the way they'd rehearsed a little while ago.

Everything was going perfectly!

Uryu beamed when he saw Jacques' smiling face. The three of them were to halt a few steps in front of the table, so they could line up together while the manager finished his explanation about the origin of the dessert and his long-lasting friendship with the French ambassador. When Jacques gave the next signal, Uryu was to put the luscious thing right in front of the ambassador, and bow down to him while saying "enchanté, monsieur". Keigo and Shingo needed to do the same thing while Uryu was still bowing down.

That was the plan. That was how'd they'd practiced it just a little in advance.

Uryu stopped about a meter short of the table, and waited patiently for Jacques' next command. He heard his peers snicker as they came to stand next to him, but he was too preoccupied in performing his task correctly to get irritated over their idle giggles.

"Voilà, mon ami, le dessert fabuleux! " The manager bowed towards the French ambassador and applause sounded from all around them.

That was the sign!

Smiling, Uryu quickly glanced sideways to see both Keigo and Shingo grin broadly and nodded at them. Holding the heavy dessert carefully in his arms, the Quincy wanted to step forward, but…

There was unexpected resistance at both his legs and before he knew what was happening, Uryu fell forward. Luxurious dessert and all. Everything went by so fast, but he didn't miss Keigo and Shingo's wickedly smiling faces as he realized they'd both used one of their feet to make him trip.

The gorgeous cake was catapulted through the air and landed right on top of the French ambassador, coating him in whipped cream, cake filling and whatnot.

With a grunt, the startled Quincy crashed onto the floor, right in front of the honorary table, and got a good portion of scattered dessert all over him, too. The room got eerily quiet. Shaking his head from the dizziness he experienced from the impact, he looked back at Shingo and Keigo, who looked very amused and ready to burst into a fit of laughter.

All at once, an agitated scream sounded through the room. At a loss for words, Uryu turned towards his manager and if looks could kill… Jacques face was completely red, and the Quincy could vividly imagine steam coming out of his ears, as he looked absolutely ready to explode.

"Saloperie! Merde!" And other silky-like, French curses rolled smoothly from his tongue. "Espèce d'imbécile, Ishida!"

Uryu swallowed and immediately got onto his knees. First he gave a lethal glare at Shingo and Keigo, who's whole attitude had changed dramatically and they now looked at him in awe, obviously feigning innocence.

"Oh my god! What happened, Ishida? What have you done?" Keigo asked, with an overdramatic voice.

Shingo, who was only holding the sweet wine, had his free hand clasped in front of his mouth and looked at him in horror, before he gasped: "Dear god… the ambassador…"

Amidst all the ruckus and the manager's insults, Uryu, who was still on his knees, turned towards the French ambassador who was staring at him open-mouthily and completely shocked. Feeling his heart sink, Uryu bowed down towards the man and said: "Enchanté, monsieur," as he'd been told. The ambassador just gaped at him in utter silence.

The Quincy turned towards Jacques and bowed down to him as well. "I'm sorry…" he said, his voice trembling as anxiety started coursing through his veins.

"You should be!" The manager exploded. "Look what you did to my beautiful dessert! Look what you did to my friend! You've wrecked my party, Ishida!"

Keigo and Shingo quickly turned their backs towards Jacques, so he wouldn't be able to see how hard they were trying not to just outright burst into laughter. They had their mouths covered with their hands, but some snickering passed through their defenses anyway. Uryu glared at them.

What had they done?

Those two idiots had ruined everything!

"They made me fall," he tried to explain. "They willfully made me trip on purpose. I swear, they-"

"No excuses!" the manager screeched. "What is wrong with you, boy?"

"I'm sorry, but-" Uryu tried.

"Get out of my sight, you imbécile!" Jacques yelled at him. "I'll deal with you later!"

With a heavy mind, Uryu got back on his feet and bowed down towards the ambassador again. As he turned around, the man finally addressed him and said:

"Au moins, c'était délicieux. At least, it was delicious."

The ambassador probably hadn't even said that to mock him, but… Snickers started emerging from a lot of patrons present in the room, but nothing could cover the roaring laughter of Keigo and Shingo. Heavyheartedly, Uryu sauntered out of the room.

Why… Why did this happen? The celebration was ruined and it was all his fault. No, those 2 morons that made him fall were at fault. He was not getting that bonus Jacques had promised him, he was sure of that.

Dammit.

Sighing heavily and feeling glum, Uryu found his way to the dressing room. He took a towel and started wiping the whipped cream and other traces of the dessert from his face and hair. His uniform was heavily stained as well, so he attempted to wipe some of the sweet stuff off of that as well.

He'd worked so hard today. He'd given it his absolute all. Only to have his hopes of getting that extra money destroyed by two idiots who couldn't stomach the idea that he worked there, too. He'd only been there for mere 2 weeks… And it had kept him busy. Kept his mind off of sleeping under the bridge. Kept him focused on the task at hand instead of the difficult circumstances that now made up his life. Kept his thoughts about the way his friends treated him right now bearable…

He could only pray the manager would just hold back his bonus and not fire him while he was at it…

After the Quincy had managed to get his uniform somewhat presentable again, he just sat down on a bench in the dressing room with his head in his hands. Jacques must've commanded all of his available employees to help clean up the ambassador and the mess on the floor, as well as whip up a dessert.

He didn't know how long he'd sat there, thinking everything over, but when he heard mocking laughter, he immediately knew both Shingo and Keigo had just entered the room. Slowly, he turned around to face them, adjusting his glasses. The hope that this night would pass without an incident had already been shot to hell anyway, but as he saw the broad smirk on their faces, he made fists of his hands to try and remain calm.

"Man, that was the best, Ishida! Completely hilarious!" Keigo laughed.

"Yeah, that look on your face when you flung that stupid cake onto the ambassador. Utterly priceless!" Shingo cackled.

"You planned this from the start, didn't you?" Uryu asked while he shot them down with his cold, blue eyes. The two boys stared him down, smirking. "Why? Why did you do something like that? I get that you wanted to ridicule me in front of everybody, as that's just a confirmation of how stupid you both really are, but why go so far as to ruin your boss' big celebration?"

"Fuck his celebration!" Keigo spat. "He's thrown a party for that stupid ambassador every year. We know because it was exactly the same last year and we were already working here. We've been here for months, you gay bastard! Months! While you're here for 2 weeks and you already get to do the nicer chores."

Uryu growled. "Like I said before, Asano, if you gave a damn about your job and actually put your back into it, Jacques would've let you do those tasks, too."

"Yeah, right! Like you didn't get into his favor by sucking him off!" Keigo sneered.

"No, I didn't, Asano! Some of us actually get things done around here!" He looked at both of them with an ice-cold glare. "So you wanted to embarrass me in front of Jacques, in front of all those people, because you're jealous of my position here?"

"That, and we don't wanna share our dressing room with a homo!" Keigo yelled.

Uryu felt anger flare throughout his body and took a few steps towards the other boys, breathing hard through his nose. "What's that, Asano? Are you intimidated by me being here? Scared I want to get into your pants, maybe? You idiot!" He clenched his fists so hard his nails cut into his skin. "I've told you before that I have no interest in a loser like you! How did you plan your stupid prank anyway?"

"That's easy," Shingo answered. "Last year we had to carry his shitty dessert, but this time we told Jacques you would be thrilled if he asked you, being such good friends and all. And so he did, to please you. Little did that dork know we'd make you fall flat on your stupid face." Shingo burst into laughter, making Uryu grit his teeth.

"Man, the face you made when everybody laughed at you, you were just pissing your pants, weren'tcha? You gay freak," Keigo said mockingly.

Uryu growled and gripped Keigo's collar's as he sneered: "I actually wasn't, Asano, but I bet I can make you piss yours. Give or take a minute or two."

"Oh yeah?" Ichigo's friend taunted. "What's a fag like you gonna do? Hit us like a girl?"

Uryu gave him a death glare and spat: "Call me a fag one more time and I'll-"

"You'll what?" Shingo intervened with an evil grin. "If you hit us, our parents will get you fired in no time."

"Oh, yes, please hit me, fruitcake," Keigo taunted. "Then we'd finally be rid of you."

Uryu's eyes widened at that. No, if Jacques would permit him to continue his job at the restaurant, he absolutely wanted to keep it that way. He couldn't risk losing his employment over a dumb argument. Those two assholes had him right where they wanted him. And he'd so hoped to get that bonus… He really needed that money to survive. He shouldn't have spent a little more cash on food the last couple of weeks. He should've waited until after the party…

His peers were having a blast and he had walked straight into their trap. Like an idiot. He mentally cursed himself for being so foolish, after he'd mentally cursed the other 2 teens. The Quincy growled in frustration and released Keigo's collar, making the other boy mock him again.

"Yeah, thought so, gay pervert." Ichigo's friend readjusted his shirt and just grinned broadly. "We have you by the balls."

Shingo snickered again. "We sure have, man."

Uryu groaned in exasperation. He tried to stay calm, but they were getting to him. "What's your problem with me anyway? Just say it to my face already."

Both boys shared a highly amused look before they burst into a fit of giggles again.

"Come on, man, what is there to like about you?" Shingo started.

"I'm not asking you to like me," Uryu retorted. "I just want to do my job here. I give it my all every shift. I really needed that bonus tonight. And you two have ruined everything."

"Yada, yada, Ishida!" Shingo yelled. "Like we care about your melodrama."

"We'll get you fired, fruitcake. Count on that. If not today, then tomorrow, but we'll do whatever it takes to get you sacked." Keigo said, grinning darkly.

Uryu howled. "I have done nothing wrong, you homophobic morons! I need this job! You don't even know anything about me!"

"I know that you're after my boy, Ichigo, and that really pisses me off."

"Yeah, that's just plain disgusting, man," Shingo added.

"That's none of your goddamn business!" Uryu yelled. He was really getting pissed. He didn't have to buy all of this from a bunch of gay bashers like them. "Go finish your freaking shift and leave me the hell alone, dammit!"

Uryu pushed them aside and wanted to go outside through the backroom to get some fresh air. He absolutely had to avoid his two schoolmates for now, as they would definitely try to provoke him into a fight. He just wanted to drink some water and sit down for a minute to reorganize his thoughts.

Besides, Jacques would come looking for him after he'd settled down the patrons in the dining room. He needed to apologize to him again, and hope he could still save his neck by explaining the situation.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Shingo taunted as he walked past them into the corridor.

"Leave me alone. I need to think." The Quincy rounded the corner and walked into the kitchen, where the cook and his staff were already cleaning up. The buffet was over after all.

"Didn't you listen to us, fruitcake?" Keigo came up from behind him. "We still need to get you fired. ASAP."

"Good for you," Uryu quipped, while he continued his stride towards the backroom. "Go bother somebody else. Or do some of the work you're supposed to be doing right now."

"Fuck you, Ishida!" Keigo spat, while jumping in front of him and blocked his passage with his arms. "Like we don't know you've been blowing that French bastard all along to gain his favors."

"Think whatever you want, jackass. I'm not falling for your stupid tricks." Uryu tried to push Ichigo's friend aside so he could enter the backroom and finally make it to the door outside.

"Oh yeah?" Shingo suddenly said from behind him and gave him a shove towards Keigo. Uryu had momentarily forgotten about the other one and crashed with Keigo against the doorpost on a startled grunt.

"Goddamit, you two!" Uryu yelled as he wanted to distance himself from Keigo again, but the latter took this opportunity to grab his collar this time.

"Do you really think a decent guy like Ichigo would see something in a sick, scrawny douchebag like you. Let alone fuck you. You're just a perverted cocksucker. And Ichigo is definitely disgusted by trash like you, you gay slut."

Without knowing the implications to all of that verbal chastising, Keigo had hit him directly where it hurt. Those were cutting words that Uryu couldn't handle right now. Little did they know what he and Ichigo had already done together. Nor what Ichigo was made to do to him.

Something inside Uryu snapped and his emotions won over his rationality. His anger finally got the better of him. Before he realized what he was doing, his fist collided with Keigo's cheek. The latter smirked as he hit the wall on a groan, as he got precisely what he bargained for.

As Ichigo's friend got back up and staggered for a second, Shingo suddenly yelled: "Why you filthy dick blower!" He tried to kick Uryu in the stomach, but the archer was faster and blocked the attack, pushing the other boy backwards by grabbing hold of his leg.

Then, Keigo grabbed him from behind. "I've got him, Shingo! Beat the crap outta him!"

But Uryu was completely fed up with their insane behavior and wasn't about to back down. While Keigo had his arms around his waist, he delivered a hard kick to Shingo's face, right against his nose. While said boy sank down before him on a loud wail, and cradled his bloody nose, the Quincy quickly proceeded to throw Keigo over his shoulder on top of the other.

"Fuck!" Keigo screeched as he jumped back up, ready to strike again.

"Leave me alone, you morons! Take out your frustration elsewhere!" Uryu decided to change directions to get them off his back and started sprinting towards the entry of the kitchen. He'd just find another place to think without them.

"Get him!" He heard one of his peers yell when he was almost near the double kitchen doors. Before he had time to look behind him, he felt hands grip his shoulders and reacted completely on instinct. He threw Shingo over his shoulder and made him hit the doors in front of him.

"Oh yeah?" Keigo hit him in the side with a frying pan and made him grunt, covering the painful place with his right hand, before he knocked the other boy back with a hard push.

Uryu howled. "Leave me the fuck alone!"

"Not a chance. We're getting you fired, faggot!" Keigo smirked.

The Quincy gave both of them a death glare. It was pointless to try to talk any reason into them. They had already escalated things and he could only hope to get them off his back before Jacques found out.

Now standing in front of the kitchen doors, the Quincy took on a more defensive stance, before they came at him again. Keigo swung his pan around with battle cries, as if he had real murderous intent, but the thing made his movements slow, and Uryu could easily jump out of the way or block him. Much to the other boy's exploding frustration.

However, Shingo tried to get him from the other side. "Look at what you did to my nose, you cocksucker!" He had smeared his own blood all over his face and growled at the Quincy spitefully.

"Hey, what the hell is going on there?" The chef suddenly barked in their direction. "If you wanna beat each other up so badly, take it outside instead of in my kitchen!"

"Piss off!" Shingo sneered at the man. He managed to kick Uryu in the stomach while he was busy blocking off Keigo's pan.

"Why you, insolent brat!" The chef shouted and started stomping towards them.

"Stop this, you morons!" Uryu shouted, but to no avail. "As much as I want to kick your asses, you're only making everything worse!"

While both boys kept shouting homophobic things at him, Uryu succeeded in blocking most of their attacks and he managed to get rid of that annoying frying pan Keigo had been wielding. However, once every few punches or kicks, one of his two peers managed to deliver a hit, more annoying than painful, though. Although he was still faster than most human beings, moments like this really made Uryu miss his Quincy speed.

"What the hell is going on in here?" A voice from behind Uryu demanded, but he was too occupied with his attackers. As a furious Keigo threw himself at him, he ducked out of reflex and witnessed in awe how Keigo's fist crashed full force into the fuming face of Jacques, who'd just entered through the doors behind them.

Uryu gasped in horror as the man in question flew back on his ass, glided over the freshly mopped floor to land with a loud bang against a counter full of freshly stacked pots and pans. A few of the stainless steel items fell down from the impact and scattered over the floor with loud clattering noises. But that was nothing compared to that bone chilling moment a large casserole tumbled down and landed precisely over Jacques head.

For a long, creepy moment, the room got completely silent. Uryu straightened himself and looked in shock at Shingo and Keigo. The former had taken a step back and gasped at the mess they'd made, while the latter gulped harshly, before shooting Uryu down.

"This is all your fault, you gay freak!"

"Hey!" Uryu tried to defend himself, while Keigo already wanted to charge him again. "You started all this! You-"

"ENOUGH!" a loud voice barked.

The three boys looked over to where Jacques had managed to get the casserole from his head. The chef was kneeling next to him, assisted by one of his sous-chefs and they were pulling him back onto his feet. The man looked absolutely fuming. And for the second time that night, Uryu wondered if steam was going to come out of his ears, or if his head would simply burst open.

"Imbéciles de merde! Sallopards!" Other French curses echoed in the eerily silent room. Ashamed that he'd given in to Keigo's provocations, Uryu started picking up some of the pots and pans that had hit the floor, while the other two just stood there, gaping. "Have all of you completely gone insane?" Jacques screeched. "To my office, NOW!"

"Dear god…" Uryu whispered to himself. What had they done? There would be no escaping this disaster…


With his hands shielding his face, Uryu sat on a chair in front of the door to Jacques small office, waiting in awe. Keigo and Shingo were in there with said man, shouting and screaming at each other. He could only imagine the manager wanting to talk to him separately because of what happened prior with the dessert for the ambassador.

Uryu sighed. He'd already figured out how this night was going to end. He felt regretful and humbled by what had happened. He had not wanted to give into Keigo's obvious harassments, but that stupid prick had gotten to him after all.

"What? You stupid French dick!" Keigo's voice hollered from behind the closed door. "You can't do that to us! It's all Ishida's fault! No! I won't calm down!"

"Shut up, Keigo!" Shingo suddenly yelled, trying to top the other's screams. More arguments followed before it became silent again.

Uryu sighed again and could do nothing but wait, while his heart had started racing from anxiety.

After a few painful moments, the door opened with a loud bang. Keigo stepped out, looking absolutely furious.

"We'll get you for this, you dirty faggot!" He marched towards Uryu, making him jump up in case Keigo wanted to attack him again.

"Assez! That's enough, Asano!" Jacques yelled as he appeared in the doorframe with Shingo. "You've no one to blame for this but yourself. Now, get out!"

"Go to hell with your lousy restaurant! And know that I pissed in your soup whenever you got on my nerves, you bald dick!" Keigo breathed hard through his nose, making the Frenchman fume and spout venom in return.

Then Keigo turned his eyes back towards Uryu. "Better watch your back, Ishida. You'll have it coming." Then, he took off, slamming every door he had to pass through.

Shingo was looking more depressed than enraged, opposed to Keigo, and sauntered after his friend. However, when his gaze fell on Uryu, he gave him a dirty glare. "Thanks, you moron."

"It was your stupid plan that backfired," Uryu answered to that, before Jacques called him in.

"Ishida, your turn."

As it was obvious that his two peers had just been fired, he didn't have a lot of hope left that his fate would be any different. He stepped inside and took a seat in front of the desk, while he felt Jacques' eyes bore holes into him.

"Now, maybe you care to explain what in blazes happened here tonight?" The man was clearly fuming. No wonder.

"My deepest apologies, sir. I know your big celebration has been overshadowed by what we have done."

"Overshadowed? You mean ruined!" Jacques retorted. "Thank god the ambassador could see the humor of the situation! And thank god that we had some leftover pastries and ice cream to serve to all our guests, or-"

Uryu was looking down of course. This wasn't at all what he'd wanted the party to be like. He had worked so hard today, to please the guests and his boss, but Shingo and Keigo had to wreck everything. He was certain the way he felt was clearly visible on his face, as he'd made Jacques go silent for a second.

"At least, out of the three of you, you apologized, Ishida," The Frenchman said after a long sigh. "Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time, as I have to go and greet my guests. So, parle, Ishida. Talk. What happened?"

"Y-yes…" The Quincy's fingers clutched his pants and he started rambling as he told the man what had occurred there during his party. How Keigo and Shingo weren't really his friends and had wanted to get him fired. How they made him fall in front of the ambassador and had provoked him into a fight. "I'm really sorry, sir. I had not wanted for any of this to happen."

Jacques studied his face for a moment, before answering: "I accept your apologies, Ishida. But… I still have to fire you, mon garçon."

Uryu sighed, but the verdict didn't come as a surprise. He'd tried so hard to make this work. If he lost this job, he would go back to square one. And working part-time was the only thing that helped him through the reality he had to face every day right now. Besides the money he needed desperately, it had taken his mind off of his friends behavior.

A year ago, he wouldn't have tried to beg his way out of this one. His Quincy pride wouldn't have allowed him to. But now… the idea that he'd have to start all over again or he wouldn't get any food made a surge of stress shoot through him that overrode everything else. And so, he bowed down to the manager as deep as he could.

"Please, sir, won't you reconsider? I know I've been stupid to fall for their tricks, but…"

Jacques sighed. "Non, I can't, Ishida," He said somewhat remorsefully. "Even though your behavior is the opposite of those two imbéciles, an example must be made. Asano and Ikusabe's parents are friends of mine, and they would keep complaining until I have you fired anyways. This will be easier on the both of us."

"I understand," Uryu answered, quickly lowering his eyes to hide his obvious sorrow. As he sighed regretfully, the dash of Quincy pride he felt because his confidence hadn't abandoned him right now, nor during the fight with those 2 gay bashers. Grateful that it helped him sooth his aching heart a little.

"I'll pay you for the days you have worked here, but malheureusement, I'll have to deduct some of the costs of the dessert of your wages. I've done the same with the other two and I probably should've taken more from them as they created this whole désastre."

Uryu nodded. He felt terrible to lose his job like this, but he there was nothing more he could do. So with a polite: "Adieu, monsieur", he bode the manager of restaurant Bisque farewell, after accepting his payment in cash.

His heart sunk as he changed out of his uniform for the last time and although stained, he still folded it into a neat pile and left if in the dressing room. It was already late in the evening when he closed the door of the restaurant behind him and started walking towards his hideout under the bridge.

The hunger he'd felt during the party was now overridden by an array of other, more troubling emotions, and he didn't even bother to visit a store for a cheap meal. He wouldn't be able to afford anything nice anyway. Not anymore.

Some of the street lanterns he passed flickered before they went out. The full moon provided ample light, but the Quincy didn't even notice. He'd hoped so much to have been able to work there for a long time. Idle dreams that he could afford a cheap place to rent after a while, or at least buy some decent food, were now put on hold again. Sighing in regret, his walk towards the bridge was hard that night, as he felt completely discouraged.

He'd allow himself to feel the way he felt for tonight, but starting tomorrow, he'd have no other choice but to start looking for another job. As long as he didn't succeed, he'd only allow himself to eat cheap crackers again. His wages had been less than he'd hoped for because of that stupid cake. He'd have no choice but to keep skipping lunch.

Uryu sighed again, as he rounded a corner and took the path that led towards the river. What had bothered Keigo and Shingo so much about him that they'd do something like this? Like he hadn't enough on his mind already. He could take those 2 morons, but still, the thought that he'd gained two more sympathizers that treated him like trash, was disheartening.

As he went to sit down at one of the entrances to the niche, he just watched the eerie shadows on the water for a while, feeling depressed, until his tired eyes started to feel droopy. He'd worked very hard, he needed to rest. As he got ready to go to sleep, he prayed with all his heart that tomorrow, hopefully, everything would look better again.