Chapter 13: Something human

It was November 6th.

Not that Uryu was expecting something today. That day typically passed like any other day every year, and today would be no exception. Chances were, it would be even more silent and forgettable this time.

Still shivering from the cold night air, the Quincy tried to rub some warmth into his stiff shoulders as he made his way to school. He checked his phone, but there were no messages. Not one. He had been certain it would go like this, but he couldn't help but still feel a little disappointed about being right. With a long sigh, his shoulders slouched, and he tucked his phone away. He decided to stop charging the device in the storage room at school. It was absolutely pointless since nobody kept in touch with him anyway. Moreover, at least 2 phone bills must've been sent to his old address and were left unpaid, so he suspected the company might cut off their services anytime now. If he sold his phone at the pawn shop, he could get some cash, and he was in dire need of money.

A few weeks had passed since he fell ill and was brought to the nurse. The days and nights were getting colder and that was affecting him a lot. He'd try to get some sleep, huddled up under his only blanket to stay warm, but the sounds outside and the cold caused his slumber to be light and unrefreshing. The constant hunger and fatigue took a toll on Uryu, causing him to withdraw more and more.

At school, his reputation had always kept people away. And now that Ichigo and Sado didn't talk to him anymore, most of the days he only spoke during roll calling. It was either he was invisible or people purposely ignored him. After the snickering and name-calling, some of his peers had now taken to annoy him. Some classmates knocked his books out of his hands when he passed by, or pushed him against furniture. He'd even been made to trip a few times. At one time, it came as a total surprise and he fell down hard, scattering his belongings around, while the jeering laughs of his peers echoed around him. He tried to put up a brave face at school, but it was getting to him.

To make things worse, he'd had absolutely no luck at finding a job either…

Uryu sighed and looked at his watch. He was early again. The sounds of the animals around the bridge usually woke him at the crack of dawn. But that was okay, better early than late. His malnourished body needed more time for this daily activity anyway.

He walked by a new store that had been under construction until now and was intrigued by the balloons and decorations that told the place had finally opened during the weekend. Apparently, it was a new bakery, and the smell of freshly baked food was so sweet that Uryu gulped when it attacked him.

"Come on in, young man." A girl in a cute, strawberry costume addressed him with a broad smile. "For our opening week, there's a 50% discount on everything."

"O-oh! That's nice," Uryu stammered. "But, I really should get going and-"

"Awww. Don't be so shy," The girl said and pushed him inside. "Please, come in and take a good look around. I'm sure you'll find something to your liking."

"B-but…"

It was too late; he already found himself inside the shop, where the waft of fresh pastries almost made him drool on the spot.

Uryu swallowed hard as he looked around. There was a line of people in front of him waiting their turns to get to the counter. The decoration of the place was cute, with all furniture shaped like either a strawberry or a macaron, even the light fixtures were strawberry-shaped. All at once, his stomach roared loudly in anticipation, much to Uryu's chagrin. He wasn't usually a big fan of overly sugary things, but he was starving right now. How long had it been since he had something sweet? He wrapped his arms around his stomach at another loud growl, while his cheeks turned red.

Suddenly, another customer bumped into him from behind and said:

"Hey, kid, get in line. You're holding up the queue."

Embarrassed, Uryu did as he was told. Now that he was here, he decided to go with the flow and offer his services. It wouldn't hurt, would it?"

After waiting in line for a few moments, Uryu made it to the front of the shop. A big glass counter presented all kinds of sweet delights, from macarons to choux-aux-crème, and from strawberry cake to double chocolate layered cakes topped with cherries and cream. Both sides from the main counter had smaller ones that displayed even more ravishing items, like wrapped sandwiches, lined up in neat, colorful rows.

The girl behind the counter wore a dazzling pink strawberry outfit that made him wonder how it had been sewn. She looked to be in her early twenties, no more than five years older than himself. When she saw him, she gave him a broad smile that made her macaron earrings flutter.

"How can I help you, young man?"

Uryu tried to look confident as he spoke: "Hi, I was wondering if you are looking for a part-time student?" The girl's astonished face made him realize this was not what she had been expecting at all. "I am really good with my hands and could start right away after school." He started to ramble, feeling the eyes of the people in line behind him. "I could really use a part-time job. Would you please consider-"

"I'm sorry," the girl interrupted him, "but we've only just opened this weekend, and we're not currently hiring. Maybe you could check back with us in a few months."

Uryu nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. When would he finally be able to find a job? It was the only thing that could turn his mess of a life around right now. Did he already look too scruffy?

"I'll try that," he said, shutting his eyes for a moment to avoid feeling embarrassed about holding up the queue. When he opened his eyes again and took another good look at all the delicious-looking sweets, he couldn't resist asking hesitantly, "Do you… do you sell yesterday's leftovers by any chance?" He quickly glanced down, afraid of being judged.

"Huh?" The girl made a strange face. "Why would you want to buy yesterday's leftovers? We have plenty of fresh pastries right here."

"Umm, well... it's because I can't afford-" Uryu heard the people in line behind him start to grumble. They were getting annoyed that it was taking him so long and he hadn't even placed an order yet. He immediately looked down, his anxiety rising and his cheeks turning red.

The girl behind the register cocked her head sideways and held her index finger to her cheek. It was clear that this was a new situation for her, and she wasn't sure how to handle his question. "Sorry, we don't sell leftovers, but we do have some of our cheapest items available." She pointed to a few pastries, but he could hear the people behind him grumbling impatiently as he fumbled through the small change in his hand. He knew it was futile, as he had already known before entering the shop that he couldn't afford anything, not even with their opening discount. Finally, he let out a sad sigh and lowered his eyes in defeat.

"I-I'm sorry but…" He didn't even have to finish the sentence, as everybody who had been listening to the conversation understood. The girl let out an annoyed sigh, which made him quickly turn around. As he tried to walk out of the shop with his head held up high, more grumbling echoed all around him, and made him fail. The judgmental stares of the other customers weighed heavily on him and made him feel worthless.

Depressed and rejected, the Quincy went to sit down on a bench a little further on the square. He still had plenty of time to make it to school but he just needed to rest for a moment. A year ago, he was absolutely unaware how emotional problems could drain a person. Exhausted and famished as he was, he could only pray his miserable life would get better anytime soon, or…

He looked up at the sky, then closed his eyes on a long exhale, feeling pathetic. But he didn't get to dwell on those dark thoughts for long, as suddenly a girl's voice called out to him.

"Ishida-kun!"

Surprised, he looked up and saw the cheerful face of Orihime as she dashed towards him. She was carrying a bag from the shop he just exited. Shame immediately crept up on him. Had she witnessed everything?

"Ishida-kun, I'm so happy to meet you here."

"Inoue-san, how are you?" She came to sit down next to him, putting her bag on her lap, still smiling broadly.

"I'm fine, Ishida-kun," she said joyfully. "I just bought a delicious looking pastry for my lunch, and pastries always make me happy."

Uryu couldn't help but smile a little, as her happiness was contagious. "Yeah, me too," he lied.

It felt a little surreal talking to her, as they hadn't exchanged more than a few words these last few weeks. And he was certain Ichigo would hate to see them talking like this, but he wasn't doing anything illegal.

Orihime rummaged through her bag, then pulled out a smaller paper bag and held it out towards him. "Here you go, Ishida-kun." Upon seeing the baffled look on his face, she blurted: "You didn't notice me in the waiting line of that strawberry place, but I felt so bad for you that I had to buy you something." She gave him a warm smile and placed the wrapped paper bag onto his lap.

"But… but I…" He was so shocked he didn't know what to say for a moment. Uryu then adverted his gaze and said. "I-I can't accept this, Inoue-san."

"Huh? Why?"

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes and his voice sounded strained as he admitted: "Because I won't be able to pay you back."

He heard Orihime sigh, before he felt her squeeze one of his hands. Upon opening his eyes again, he gasped softly at the compassionate smile she gave him.

"It's okay, Ishida-kun. This one's on me. I understand how hard it can be to make ends meet." She then put her index finger to her chin, looking in deep thought. "Besides, I have this feeling that I'm forgetting something today, but I just can't seem to remember what…" Orihime then threw him another smile. "Maybe it'll come back to me, later. Or maybe not. But the important thing is, that I felt that I had to get you something, so…"

"T-thank you…" Uryu stammered, feeling a bit of warmth spread from his chest. She had almost remembered what day it was, and that was the next best thing. It was more than he'd hoped for today, too.

"You're welcome, Ishida-kun. You looked so sad and hungry, and I don't like it when you're sad and hungry 'cause that makes me sad and hungry too." She looked at him with her big eyes and he couldn't help but chuckle at her peculiar, yet characteristic reasoning. "Well, open it up! I'm really anxious to see if you like what I got you."

"A-alright," the Quincy responded, feeling a little nervous as he opened the wrapped bag under Orihime's watchful gaze. Carefully, he pulled out two smaller boxes: one contained a sandwich with vegetables and meat, and the other held a beautiful slice of layered cream-cheese, strawberry cake. His hands trembled as he hadn't held that much food in weeks, not since the nurse of his high school had made him rice porridge. His hunger roared in his stomach, presenting itself with a loud growl that made Orihime snicker. Quickly, he placed the items back in their respective boxes and carefully put them back in the bag, afraid that he might drop them."

"I hope you'll enjoy them."

"They're wonderful, Inoue-san. Thank you so much." His voice wavered from the emotions. He was so terribly hungry, and this wonderful person had just given him more food than he'd eaten in weeks.

"Yaaay!" Orihime continued. "Well, as payment, I want a big hug from you."

Before Uryu could respond, she had already pulled him into a warm embrace, holding him tight. He could smell the flowery scent of her hair and feel her warmth soothing his cold body. His arms trembled from the overpowering sentiments he felt, but he carefully returned the hug he desperately needed. This was the first act of kindness anyone had shown him in a long time, and he felt all sorts of emotions flood through him. It made his resolve crumble as he melted in her warm embrace, by something so human.

It was so overwhelming it made tears well up in his eyes. The kind smile and warm hug of Orihime stood in stark contrast with all the hardships he had overcome so far - the assaults, the loneliness, the homelessness. If only he could confide in her, if only she could help him. But he didn't dare ask. The last time he had, he only wanted to take a shower at her place, and Ichigo had been a hair's breadth away from beating him over it. If he stayed over at his girlfriend's place, Ichigo was really going to lose it. He couldn't do that. She couldn't help him, no matter how desperately he needed her to. He probably was a complete fool, a naïve idiot, but even after everything that had happened between them, he still worshipped Ichigo. He knew he shouldn't, but his feelings were too strong. He was completely smitten. And thus, he'd rather not hurt him this way or confront him.

Besides, Orihime would ask lots of questions and whatever happened in Szayelaporro's lab had to stay locked away inside his broken heart. He wouldn't be able to handle any more judgement if the truth came out. Neither could he talk about what happened at the capsule hotel, even if he really needed a listening ear. He was so ashamed of how he'd walked into that Kazuma's trap. He was mortified of what had happened there…

"Ishida-kun?" Orihime's voice suddenly cut through his heavy thoughts. He had been so caught up in his inner turmoil that he hadn't noticed he was hugging her fiercely still. On a startled gasp, he loosened the hug, but didn't push her away. She was looking at him intently, before her brow tightened in worry. "Ishida-kun, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm alright, Inoue-san," the Quincy tried to convince her, but his quivering voice gave him away.

"But… you're crying." She didn't even wait for him to respond to that, but cupped his face tenderly and brushed his tears away. He hadn't even realized tears had started rolling down his cheeks, and gasped at her gentle touch. A pang of hurt shot through him, as the gesture reminded him of Ichigo, who had done the same more than once during their healing time together.

"S-sorry… I…" He had cried so much these last few months, more than ever before, but his current life weighed so heavily on him, he just couldn't help it. His broken heart hurt so much.

"Are you hurt? Can I help you?" Orihime started to ramble, as he quickly wiped his eyes, feeling ashamed.

"N-no, it's okay, Inoue-san," he lied.

"But… I don't like to see you cry, Ishida-kun." She softly caressed his cheek again, her eyes filled with concern. "Did you not like my present after all?"

"O-oh, no!" Uryu wiped his eyes another time. "Y-your present is wonderful. It's just that… it's been so long since someone has been so kind to me." That much he could tell her and tried to give her a smile, but she saw right through him.

She studied his face for a moment, while he did his best to regain his composure. "This is about Ichigo outing you in front of the class, isn't it? I've noticed the bullying, too. Are they picking on you?"

"Oh, well… It's nothing new. People just tend to dislike me, Inoue-san. Now even more than before."

"That's sad. If only they saw you the way I do…" She sighed and turned her eyes towards her knees. "Ishida-kun, I know you and Ichigo aren't on speaking terms right now, but... Ichigo has a lot on his mind and doesn't want to share his burdens with me, although I'm his girlfriend. I have absolutely no idea what's happened between you two, but I do know Ichigo is suffering."

"I… I see," was all Uryu could respond to that. He'd tried to reach out to Ichigo that time Sado had hit him, but he didn't want his help.

"Although, I don't like this situation, I'm sure that will pass. You've had fights in the past, and you never stopped being friends then, either. You'll see."

This was completely different from the stupid arguments they've had before, but the Quincy kept his mouth shut about that. "I-I hope so, Inoue-san." He had to hold on to that shred of hope that Ichigo would turn around.

"Ichigo is worried about you, you know."

Uryu found that rather hard to believe, after how the other boy was treating him. He took a long exhale, trying to rid himself of some of the tension in his shoulders. "I'm… worried about him, too." He admitted, shyly.

"Well, that's obvious!" She cheerfully turned the conversation around. "You're in love with him, so…" A blush crept over his cheeks as she joyfully declared that to the whole square, but her behavior had something endearing, too.

"Oh, look at the time, " he expertly changed the subject. "We better get going or we'll be late."

"Yeah." She jumped up, smiling broadly again. "Come on. We can walk there together."

"It'll be my pleasure, Inoue-san." This time, he did give her a genuine smile.

Uryu carefully put his precious lunch into his bag and started walking with Orihime in the direction of their school. Her chit-chat brought some peace and quiet to his troubled mind. And the prospect that he would be able to eat something during lunchtime was thrilling to say the least. He had literally not eaten any lunch since he was forced to start living under the bridge. Would today bring him a little luck at last?


Lunch break had arrived at last. Uryu's mind had wandered towards the food he would soon consume during all morning classes. He couldn't help it, he was far too famished. When the chime sounded, he went for a quick bathroom break and hurried through the hallway. As he entered the restroom, a few boys who had been chatting around one of the sinks looked in his direction.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite faggot!" One of them taunted.

Uryu immediately recognized Ikusabe Shingo from one of the other classes, and one of the two dorks that had cost him his job at restaurant Bisque. He adopted a cold demeanor and sneered, "Don't you ever get tired of yourself, Ikusabe? You're so hilarious."

Unexpectedly, the boy in question walked up to him and pushed him against the door of one of the stalls, probably feeling emboldened by his gathering of friends. "Nah, it's too much fun, pushing you around."

"Back off," Uryu spat, pushing the other away before taking on a defensive stance. "I don't have the time or patience for your childish behavior." Ikusabe gave him a smirk, while the other boys started hooting.

"Whoa, a homo with an attitude," one of the other boys jeered, and as they all laughed at him, he just stared them down with an icy glare.

"Just leave me alone, you morons."

Suddenly, Ikusabe came really close and said: "I bet you dream of doing other things to us in those stalls. Or is it only Kurosaki Ichigo's dick you're lusting for?"

Uryu growled. "Think whatever you want, assholes. I'm immune to your stupidity." With that, he quickly entered a stall to end the conversation, while the other boys mocked him before eventually leaving the room. He sighed in frustration, finished his business, and returned to his classroom.

It was cold outside, with an arctic wind blowing, so there weren't many students wandering around outside during lunch break. Orihime was chatting animatedly with Tatsuki and her other friends and waved at him when he entered, but Ichigo and Sado were nowhere to be seen.

Sitting down at his desk, Uryu reached for his bag and the precious contents inside. He decided to eat the sandwich now and save the layered cake for when he got back under the bridge. His hands trembled with anticipation as he unwrapped the generously filled sandwich and took a small bite. He'd experienced this many times during the past few months; not having eaten much made his mouth quickly fill with bile. He reached for his water bottle to rinse his mouth after he had swallowed everything back down.

Panting a little, he tried to catch his breath and wait until his stomach had settled before taking another small bite. This time he could actually taste it and as the scent filled his nostrils, he hummed contently. Oh my god, his mind screamed. The sandwich tasted absolutely divine! His stomach roared and Uryu took another mouthful to appease it. With his cheeks stuffed, his gaze crossed Orihime's and he smiled at her while giving a thumbs up, and received a pleased chuckle in return.

When he felt his body could take it, he started eating faster and faster, like a famished beast devouring its prey. It felt so good just to eat something. How long had it been since he'd had any meat? Probably since his first day at the restaurant when he'd treated himself to a bento to celebrate.

Suddenly, someone came up from behind him and before Uryu knew what was happening, his face hit his desk forcefully, making one of the lenses of his glasses crack. Taken completely by surprise, Uryu was almost choking on his sandwich, while pain flared from his face. Food still lodged in his mouth, he started coughing, grasping his throat. Laughter erupted around him, while he tried to lift his head, but was held down by somebody.

Then, all at once, someone grabbed him hard by his hair and drew his head all the way back on a startled yelp.

"Told ya you should watch your back, gay freak," Asano Keigo whispered in his ear.

Uryu took the momentum to swallow down his food, tasting blood in the process. But before he could react, his face hit the desk a second time on a chocked cry, right in the middle of what was left of his lunch, splurging remnants of food over his features, as well as his desk and the floor. He'd quickly closed his eyes before the impact, afraid little pieces of glass might break from the cracked lens and injure his eyes. Dazed for a second, Uryu tried to regroup his thoughts while inhaling sharply.

"Asano-kun!" Orihime shouted. "What the heck are you doing?"

As more laughter echoed, rage shot through him. The Quincy pushed himself off of his desk and turned around so fast, Keigo yelped as he was hit in the face and staggered back, rubbing his red cheek, while cursing him.

"Have you completely lost your mind, Asano? What the hell is wrong with you?" As he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, Uryu seethed with anger at the sight of the bloody streaks. He gingerly tasted the blood and realized that he must have a split lip. Then, he took his glasses from his nose to inspect them. One of the lenses was cracked severely, but the glass was not completely broken yet. If he couldn't let the lens repaired, it would probably fracture completely in due time, ruining his specs. "Look what you did to my glasses, you idiot!"

"Oh boohoo, you filthy cocksucker. You had this coming for a long time," Keigo said with an evil grin darkening his features. "You were so caught up in eating like a pig just now you didn't even notice me. It was too good of an opportunity to let go."

Some of his peers laughed at that, backing Keigo up by throwing demeaning taunts at the Quincy. Uryu growled and shot killer glares all around him.

"Ishida-kun, are you okay?" Orihime's worried voice cut the tension between them for a second.

"It's alright, Inoue-san. Asano can't cope with the fact that we both lost our parttime job over his stupidity and he's taking it all out on me."

"Is that so, you gay pervert," Keigo jeered. "If you hadn't been sucking off our boss, none of that would've happened." Some of the boys hollered and came closer, cheering them on to start a fight.

Uryu's eyes burned with fury as he clenched his fists. He had to do something. If he didn't stand up for himself, the bullying would only get worse. "Enough is enough! You've crossed the line this time!"

Asano rubbed his cheek and sneered: "Oh, what are you gonna do about it, you scrawny fag?" he taunted. "Are you gonna take on a real man, like me?"

"A loser, like you, you mean?" Uryu retorted.

"Awww. The ugly homo has some guts," Keigo taunted with an evil grin, taking a step towards him. "Are you gonna hit me like a girl again?"

Stop this!" Arisawa Tatsuki, the karate club leader, intervened and stepped between them.

"I'll go get a teacher," one of the other girls declared and ran off.

Suddenly, Orihime stood in front of Keigo and slapped him hard, making everybody in the room fall silent.

"How dare you, Asano-kun! Stop bullying Ishida-kun and-"

Angry, Keigo pushed her back, hard, marking her shriek. "Stay out of this, Inoue! This is between the freak and me!"

Okay, that was it. Uryu gritted his teeth and charged at Asano, tackling him to the ground. The other boys started cheering and egging them on, forming a circle around them.

"Ishida-kun!" Orihime yelled, but it was too late. Uryu couldn't tolerate Asano's behavior any longer. He knew he'd get into trouble, but not doing anything now would only make the bullying worse.

Uryu's fist connected with Keigo's cheek again, eliciting a groan from the other boy. Keigo retaliated with a punch of his own, but the Quincy managed to block it. The two of them rolled across the floor, exchanging blows as they fought for dominance. Uryu was furious and refused to back down, even when Keigo landed a direct hit on his split lip. He winced in pain as fresh blood began to trickle from the wound, but he wasn't holding back.

Uryu'd managed to get the upper hand and was straddling Keigo, while blocking all his punches with a triumphantly grin. "So what's your verdict now, Asano? Think you can take me?"

Suddenly, one of the other boys kicked Uryu hard in the back, causing him to fall flat onto Keigo on a startled sound. As they were pressed together, Keigo's face twisted in disgust and he yelled, "Yuck! He's into me!" Keigo managed to push Uryu back with his legs, while some of his friends yelled:

"Get him!"

"Hey!" Uryu yelled, as the circle of cronies started kicking him.

"Leave Ishida-kun alone!" Orihime interjected on top of her lungs.

"What on earth is going on in here!" A loud, authorial voice cut through the ruckus. "Asano, Ishida, on your feet right now!"

The Quincy quickly rolled over and pushed himself upright, coming face to face with their homeroom teacher, Ochi Misato, who was looking at them infuriated, her hands on her hips. The other students scattered about and quickly retook their seats.

What a sight he must be right now, blood still dripping from his lip, a few bruises forming on his face where he'd been hit. Remnants of food glued to his features and hair, making him look a mess…

"O-Ochi-sensei-" Uryu tried, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand again.

"He started all this!" Keigo yelled, dusting himself off.

"That's not true," Orihime defended, "Asano-kun smashed Ishida-kun's face against his desk first. Look at his glasses."

Uryu wanted to add something to that, but as he looked passed his fuming teacher, he saw Ichigo and Sado re-enter the classroom with aghast expressions and his words got stuck in his mouth somehow.

"Be quiet!" Ochi-sensei yelled at them. "Arizawa-san," she then addressed Tatsumi, who looked surprised, "can you explain to me what happened?"

Tatsumi's eyes found Orihime's, before she gave Uryu a disapproving look and answered: "Yes, Ochi-sensei. For some reason, Asano suddenly slammed Ishida's face against his desk, making his lip bleed and his glasses crack. Then, Ishida hit him and they started fighting."

"Right." She came closer to Keigo and Uryu while folding her arms over her chest. "Is this true?"

"No!" Keigo immediately retorted. "That gay bastard tackled me to the floor and started hitting me for no reason-"

"Liar!" Uryu snapped. "You've been bothering me for weeks now. I'm sure everybody in this classroom can confirm that."

"Yeah, right." Keigo laughed. "'Bothering you', my butt. As if I don't have anything better to do!"

"Ishida-kun's telling the truth, Ochi-sensei!" Orihime stepped before him. "He's being picked on because he's in love with Ichigo."

The teacher blinked a few times, looking completely taken by surprise by the girl's honesty and wasn't ready to process that kind of information. Instead, she turned red, while bouts of laughter erupted from all around them again as she looked from Uryu to Ichigo and back.

Uryu hadn't expected her to tell something like that to their homeroom teacher either, and he, too, was blushing vividly, while lowering his eyes.

"R-right," Ochi continued after a moment of awkwardness. Then she regained her composure, looked them in the eye and sternly said: "I am extremely disappointed in both of you. Fighting is not acceptable behavior, and I will not tolerate it in my classroom." Uryu hung his head in shame, while Asano just rolled his eyes and smirked. Ochi-sensei continued, "But because this is the first time either of you have done something like this, I'll go easy on you."

"Thank you, Ochi-sensei-" Keigo already started to say, but was cut off.

"You both will receive a suspension for two days, starting tomorrow, and I expect you to reflect on your actions during that time."

"What?" Keigo answered, while various sounds erupted from their peers. He tried to bargain his way out of it, but his teacher wouldn't give in. "What am I going to tell my parents?"

"That's final, Asano. Now take your seat. You too," she directed at Orihime and Tatsuki. Keigo growled and shot Uryu a lethal glare. Uryu, for his part, was glad they didn't both get 2 weeks of detention. It could've been much worse. Sighing, he wanted to go sit back down, too, but then, the teacher continued: "Just a moment, Ishida. I expected so much more from you. I cannot believe you would be tricked into attacking another boy in this very class. What on earth has gotten into you lately?"

Uryu felt the floor drop out from under him and gasped. Her angry eyes were piercing him as he tried to defend himself. "B-but, Ochi-sensei, I-"

"No excuses, Ishida. You are at the top of this class, and you should know better." Uryu felt his heart sink, but the teacher wasn't done yet. "Not only that, but I'm afraid you're spiraling downwards, and I must ask you to refocus. You aspire to become the student council president, yet you come to school with an obviously un-ironed uniform, looking like a hillbilly. Your homework isn't as neat as it used to be, either, and really makes me wonder if your grades will start to go down next. I know personal problems can be a real pain, but please, Ishida, try to put more effort in your school career."

Uryu was mortified. He had never been scolded like this before, especially not in front of the entire class. He could feel the eyes of his classmates on him, judging him, while they snickered away. It felt the same like that day the Substitute had outed him in front of everybody. He wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Then, his gaze found Ichigo and the look he gave him was enough to silence him completely.

"Y-yes, Ochi-sensei," he managed to stammer, nonetheless.

He was trying so hard, but nobody knew. If he couldn't even get his friends to listen to him, what hope was there to convince a teacher? He gave his all and more in an impossible situation, and yet… No, he couldn't iron his clothes and he had to do his homework after classes in an empty classroom at school as he didn't even own a table, which gave him great difficulties to do his homework during weekends. It was all easy for them to say… He was the only one without a roof over his head. He didn't even have a bed. He was struggling so hard just to survive…

Unfortunately, even his homeroom teacher had resorted to name-calling, adding 'hillbilly' to the list of insults that would be hurled his way by his peers. He was sure of that. Feeling thoroughly ridiculed, Uryu sighed in defeat and sat back down at his desk.

"Lunch break isn't over yet," Ochi addressed the class, "and after what happened just now, I'll stay here to monitor you guys like little kids, so go ahead and finish your lunch." She went to sit down behind the desk in front.

Uryu's head hung low, while he stared at the remains of his poor sandwich splattered across his desk. He'd been so happy to finally eat something other than crackers and chestnuts, but it wasn't meant to be. Why did he always get himself into trouble no matter how hard he tried to cope with everything that was hauled onto his path? He'd just wanted to enjoy his first lunch in months… But he didn't get to think about that any longer as his homeroom teacher suddenly addressed him.

"Oh, and Ishida? Clean your desk and the mess you made on the floor. You know where to find the supplies. And while you're at it, go clean yourself up, too. You wouldn't want your next teacher to think of you as a stray dog, would you?"

Uryu was shocked, but tried to put up a brave face. "Y-yes, Ochi-sensei." On unsure legs, he got up and sauntered towards the door.

"Hey faggot," Keigo whispered, smirking triumphantly as he passed his desk, "who's the loser now, huh?"

He tried to ignore the whispers and snickers that echoed around him, giving a small nod of thanks to Orihime whom looked at him sadly and tried to ignore the judging stares of everybody else. He avoided Sado and Ichigo altogether, unable to take their scrutiny at the moment and went to the restroom to make himself presentable again.

He'd earned two days of suspension, broken glasses and a tongue-lashing from his homeroom teacher. Not to mention that he'd lost half of his sandwich. Keigo had started all of this, and yet, it seemed like he was the one responsible for everything. He was the one being punished.


At the sound of the final chime, Uryu sighed and gathered his belongings. Usually, he would relocate to an empty classroom where no extracurricular activities were being held to do his homework, but he was feeling down at the moment and just wanted to go back to his hideout under the bridge to rest. He had the next two days to make his homework after all.

When he wanted to leave the classroom, Orihime spoke to him.

"Ishida-kun… I'm sorry about what happened."

Uryu sighed, but didn't turn around. "It's alright, Inoue-san. I'll manage. Thank you for stepping up for me."

"Yes, but-"

"Yeah, the fag will manage, Inoue," Interjected Keigo, coming to stand next to her, bearing an evil grin.

Uryu growled. "Have you still not learned anything, you moron?"

"Yeah, I learned how to get you ridiculed in front of everybody," Keigo mocked. "And it was hilarious, too, you hillbilly."

Yep, there it was. He'd been right about his homeroom teacher setting a precedent with a new tag for him.

"Stop it!" Orihime yelled, turning some heads of the students that tried exiting the classroom. "Ichigo, he's picking on Ishida-kun again." She summoned her boyfriend. Ichigo gave them an angry look, shrugged and went back to packing his things.

"Yeah, Ichigo, your gay groupie needs your help. Come and save him. Now." Asano burst into laughter, while Orihime huffed angrily and stomped down on his foot.

At Keigo's loud yell, Uryu sighed and just left the classroom while they continued without him. He didn't have energy for that kind of thing right now and just wanted this day to be over.

As the Quincy rounded the corner, he went to fill all of his water bottles, so he would have enough for the next two days. From the window of the restroom, he watched the exodus of students leaving through the school gates for a while, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. However, he couldn't help his mind from drifting off, as he was accustomed to November 6th always bringing him unhappiness. This particular occurrence would be yet another lousy occasion, fitting perfectly into the picture. That, and the poor condition of his glasses made him feel very melancholic. It was really annoying to look through a cracked lens like this, but he didn't have the finances to eat properly, let alone pay for the required repair. He was just going to have to manage.

The dark clouds gathering over Karakura town didn't forebode anything good either, and soon, the first pitter-patter sounds of heavy raindrops against the windows made him sigh again. Thankfully, he'd brought an umbrella in his bag.

When most of the students had already left, except for those participating in extracurricular activities, Uryu went downstairs to the shoe lockers to exchange his uwabaki slippers for his outdoor shoes. As he opened the small door of his locker, his attention was immediately drawn to a note that read 'gay loser.' Angered by it, Uryu crumpled the note between his fingers, letting out an exasperated sigh. However, when he took a closer look at his shoes, his heart sank.

With trembling hands, he took them out and inspected his shoes in the light. They had been cut open from the sides and looked completely ruined with holes everywhere. Why? This was his only pair of shoes, and there was no way he could afford to buy new ones by a longshot. Heavyhearted, he sat down and put them on anyway since he couldn't walk around without proper footwear. He could already guess who the culprit was. What was wrong with these people? He hadn't done anything to bother them. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

Putting on his coat, Uryu reached inside his bag for his foldable umbrella and started the long way back to the bridge. The rain was really pouring down while a cold wind kept blowing his hair into his face. How he longed for a hot cup of tea. His torn shoes started making squishy sounds because the insides filled with water, and he hadn't even left the schoolgrounds yet. Feeling dejected, he let out a heavy sigh as the rain made him feel even gloomier.

He noticed a few umbrellas sticking out above the school gate and wondered why anyone would want to wait there in this downpour. He soon got his answer when he stepped through the heavy gates...

He had barely passed the school entrance when he heard snickering and looked up to see Keigo and his friend, Ikusabe Shingo, leaning against the wall, protected by their umbrella.

"Oh, look, Shingo, it's our favorite loser," Keigo said, an angelic smile curving his lips.

Already tensing up, as this couldn't bode anything good, Uryu muttered, "Whatever." He turned around, intending to continue his walk home by simply passing them.

"Hold it, fruitcake," one of the boys commanded, but Uryu didn't pay attention and tried to walk away.

After taking a few steps, the two of them were suddenly in front of him, scrutinizing his appearance. Uryu was furious about what they had done to his shoes but, at the same time, felt anxiety rising within him as they were obviously up to no good.

"What do you want?" he sneered at Keigo.

"Oh, nothing much," Keigo said with a broad smile, stepping closer towards him. "I just wanted to let you know how great it was when Ochi-sensei ridiculed you in front of everyone. It made me wonder why I don't pick a fight with you more often. I'm sure you'd provide entertainment for us all."

Uryu pushed op his glasses and hoisted his heavy school bag better over his shoulder. "Just leave me alone, Asano. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

Not really," the other smiled, "besides, you haven't thanked us for the present we left you."

Shingo laughed at that, and Uryu growled. "What is your problem? Did it made you feel good to ruin my shoes?"

"Oww, boo-hoo." Keigo laughed. "Like your loaded dad can't buy new ones."

"That's none of your business!" Uryu retorted. "Back-off or-"

"Or what?" Shingo came closer towards him, too.

Uryu was well aware that they were attempting to provoke him into fighting again, and he tried to maintain his composure. However, he had reached his limit with their constant orders. He closed his umbrella and assumed a defensive stance. "Consider this your final warning."

"Yeah, whatever, you gay freak," Keigo retorted as he lunged at Uryu, dropping his own umbrella to the side. The Quincy smirked, knowing he was still faster, and skillfully used his umbrella as a makeshift sword to deflect Keigo's attack. He then sidestepped and whacked Keigo hard on his ass. Asano blushed furiously and indignantly. "Keep your hands off my butt, you pervert!"

Next up was Ikusabe. When he dropped his umbrella and charged at Uryu, shouting, Uryu swiftly opened his umbrella to use it as a shield, causing Ikusabe to cry out as his fist made contact with the metal frame of his makeshift weapon.

"Oh yeah?" Shingo yelled and leaped at Uryu once more. The Quincy transformed his umbrella back into a sword and struck Ikusabe's belly, causing him to double over, before whacking him on the ass as well. "Why, you!"

"Had enough?!" Uryu mocked. "Or should I smack your asses again?"

Infuriated and blushing vividly, both boys then launched a simultaneous attack on the Quincy. Despite being completely drenched by the rain, which was particularly bothersome while wearing glasses, Uryu couldn't afford to lose focus on his two assailants. He was tired and cold, but he could take these two morons.

Suddenly, someone kicked him in the back, making him lose his balance on a startled sound. When he turned around, he saw two other boys he didn't know, clearly from his school judging by their uniforms. Another kick to the back of his knees made him drop onto all fours onto the wet pavement, making his schoolbag fall from his shoulder and onto the concrete.

The Quincy wanted to snarl to get away from him, lest he'd kick their asses, but before he could stand up, Keigo snatched his glasses off his nose and quickly stepped back.

"Hey! Give those back!" Uryu protested, swiftly getting back on his feet, reaching out for his glasses. However, the boys began circling around him, mocking and insulting him, and managed to pull his umbrella out of his hands.

"You didn't see our friends waiting for the signal, did you, you freak?" Shingo smirked.

"Come and retrieve your glasses, you loser," Keigo taunted, clearly taking on the role of the leader among his cronies.

Alarmed, Uryu blinked a few times before squinting his eyes. The combination of heavy rain and the dark sky made it even more challenging to see clearly without his glasses, and now he found himself facing twice as many opponents. Assuming a defensive stance once again, he had no choice but to confront them.

Then, someone kicked him in the stomach. "That's for getting me fired, you scrawny drag-queen!" Uryu turned around and tried to hold back his attacker, when another blow was delivered to his face from another direction.

"And this is for getting me sacked!" He recognized the voice of Shingo.

Uryu growled. "How brave of you, four against one," he sneered, but was only met with laughter.

More punches and blows rained down on him as the four boys circled around him and struck from all directions, making Uryu see everything in a flurry of hazy colors. Although he managed to block some of their strikes and deliver a few hits in return, it was difficult without his glasses. With a heavy heart, he realized that this would never have happened if he still had his Quincy powers. Even completely blind, he could have sensed them coming from a mile away. He may not have been able to block all their blows at once, but he would have done much better than he was doing now.

A hard hit to one of his temples had him staggering on a groan. "That's for getting me suspended, you hillbilly!" The next blow to his face opened up his lip again, and his nose, making him taste that foul coppery tang again.

"That's just because we hate you," Shingo jeered.

"And that's because you're a dirty, fuckin' fruitcake," a voice he didn't know hollered as he doubled over from the violent punch to his stomach.

Panting, he took a step back to try to regain his breath as well as regroup his thoughts. "Cowards," Uryu mumbled and shook his head to think more clearly. He'd kicked their asses already if his body hadn't become so weak from living on the streets in poor circumstances.

Uryu was feeling lightheaded, his anemia was acting up, and the metallic taste of his own blood made him nauseous. This wasn't good. The heavy rain made his clothes stick to his body, and if his blood pressure dropped further, the combination of cold and exhaustion could become perilous for him. Unfortunately, he couldn't dwell on that any longer, as he heard the sound of broken glass and his heart sank.

"M-my glasses! What are you doing to my glasses?"

"And that's for harassing my boy, Ichigo, you gay pervert," Asano hollered.

Despite the fatigue from having to take on four guys while exhausted and famished, Uryu countered. "I am not harassing him!"

"Whatever, fruitcake," Keigo continued. "He hates your guts anyways." Uryu could only make out their shapes, their faces blurry under these circumstances, but he could vividly imagine the expressions they gave him right now.

"Yeah, go find yourself a gay slut to pound," one of the others taunted.

"Anyone with a dick will do it for you, right?!"

"Like you queer abominations are capable of loving someone," Shingo jeered.

Uryu felt something inside him snap, those hard words hitting him hard. Who did they all think they were? He had had enough of their judgment for today, and any day. He had to stand up to their bullshit and fight back.

"H-how dare you…" They continued to laugh and throw insults his way, only adding fuel to the fire. "How dare you!" Uryu hollered while trying to steady himself, feeling the strain on his weakened body. His Quincy pride flared throughout his body, momentarily giving him the boost he needed right now. Without hesitation, he started to fight back vigorously, throwing punches in all directions. Satisfied to make a few quick hits.

"Fuck! My balls!" Shingo groaned.

"That's it! Get him!" Keigo shouted, but the Quincy was completely riled up now. He delivered a round kick, hitting at least two of them. Panting and unsteady on his feet, he couldn't think anymore. He knew his body would pay the price later, but right now, he greedily took the surge of adrenaline racing through him and used it to kick their asses.

"Ah! My nose!" one of them screamed.

Suddenly, Keigo cried out, making Uryu smirk as he knew for certain he'd gotten him good.

"God fucking dammit, Ishida! My eye!"

The four boys tried to get him everywhere they could, but Uryu was furious as well as desperate and fought back as hard as he could. Suddenly, the intensity of the fight dwelled and Uryu quickly took that momentum to try and catch his breath.

"I'm outta here, man," one of them said.

"Yeah, me too, Asano. You said he'd be easy to take, but-"

"Shut up, ya wusses!" Keigo yelled at his disserting friends. "We're not done here."

"Just stop this, Asano, and leave me the hell alone!" The Quincy interjected. "We're already suspended for two days, you moron. If one of the teachers catches us fighting-"

"Fuck you, Ishida!" Shingo yelled.

They just didn't want to listen. What was wrong with these morons? Breathing hard, Uryu squinted his eyes while he tried to refocus. He wouldn't be able to take a lot more, his body was simply not up to this anymore.

When Keigo lunged at him once more, he blocked his fist while the other yelled: "Now I'm gonna have to explain my suspension and my black eye to my parents, you loser!"

The next few moments passed in a haze. Uryu pushed his exhausted body beyond its limits as he faced off against two stubborn opponents. He swung his arms in their direction, feeling a sense of relief when his strikes connected. He refused to back down anymore.

After delivering a powerful kick to Shingo's stomach, causing him to crash onto the pavement, Uryu managed to grab Keigo and hold him by the neck, pressing him against the nearest wall, his fist ready to strike.

"Are we done yet?" Uryu sneered.

"F-freak…" the other chocked out, unwavering, making Uryu growl.

Then, someone grabbed hold of his poised fist, making the Quincy gasp in surprise and look to the side, but his vision was too blurry because of overexertion and his missing glasses. He couldn't make out much of the person stopping him. Except for his orange hair.

"Kurosaki?" he asked, uncertain, still breathing hard. Oh no! The Quincy could already see it coming…

"I-Ichigo…" Keigo chocked. "G-get him o-off of me…"

Uryu's attention snapped back to the enemy within his reach. "Yeah, you'd like that, huh, Asano? Putting all the blame on me like that other time and have him rescue your sorry ass-"

"Ishida," Ichigo interjected, tightening the hold over his wrist. "Calm down and tell me-"

"Shut up, Kurosaki!" Uryu hollered, unable to make out his face. "This has nothing to do with you!"

"Ishida-kun…" He recognized the voice of Orihime immediately. "Please, stop fighting. I know he's been bullying you, but-"

"Bullying?" Keigo snapped. "H-he's the one who's c-choking me!"

"Shut up, you moron!" The Quincy snarled, unyielding. "You've started all this! If not for you, I'd still have a job and-" A sharp sting to his cheek interrupted him and he realized Ichigo had just slapped him.

"Calm down, Ishida. Tell me what he did to get you so riled up."

Uryu's eyes went wide and a sarcastic laugh escaped his lips before he blurted out, "Don't act like you care now, Kurosaki! I've been in deep shit for weeks and-"

"Shut up, fruitcake, and let me go! We don't need your sob story!" Keigo interjected, causing the Quincy to howl in fury.

"Keigo!" Ichigo barked. "Shut up and stop this!"

Suddenly, Uryu's wrist was grabbed hard and he was lifted from the ground on a startled yelp. He didn't even have to look, there was only one person capable of doing this.

"Put me down, Sado-kun," Uryu yelled, trembling with anger. "Release me right now!"

Sado didn't answer him, nor did he put him down and the Quincy had to make do with one of his customary hums. Because of the weird position he was being held in, instead of just pushing Keigo against the wall, his fingers were now really gripping his windpipe.

"You... are... killing... me..." Asano choked, attempting to pry Uryu's fingers off of him.

"Ishida-kun," Orihime spoke again, "I know you're angry and hurt, but taking it out on Asano-kun won't solve a thing."

That made Uryu howl again. After fighting four guys, he now had to listen to a lecture from Ichigo and his moral crusaders. Even though Orihime was still his friend, she didn't know what they had just done to him and wanted them to stop fighting, while he just wanted to punch Asano until he swore to leave him alone. Sado lifted him even higher, and his legs dangled in the air, causing him to shout out his frustration. Uryu couldn't maintain his grip on Keigo's neck and released the other boy, who immediately started coughing after pushing away from him.

"Y-you gay freak…" Keigo mumbled, rubbing his sore throat.

"Keigo!" Ichigo snapped. "What did you do to him to get him this worked up?"

"What?" Keigo shrugged, addressing Ichigo and the others. "That gay freak started all of this! I've already told you how we lost our jobs because of him."

"Put me down!" Uryu screamed, thrashing in the air like a puppet. It was stirring up all the wrong memories again and he was breathing hard, his mind eclipsing.

"Keigo, take your friend and go. I'll handle him." Uryu heard Ichigo speak. He was so dizzy, yet furious out of his mind at the way he was treated yet again.

"Thanks, man," Keigo answered before taking off with Ikusabe, their squishing footsteps telling him their direction.

Sado hummed and finally put the overwhelmed and agitated Quincy back down. Uryu groaned as he swayed before letting his back rest against the wall, wiping the rain out of his face together with his plastered strands of hair. Squinting his eyes in the dark, he tried to make out the forms of his friends, but he was so dizzy everything looked like a blurry mirage.

"Are you alright, Ishida-kun?" Orihime's voice asked with genuine concern, but before he even got a chance to tell her anything, her boyfriend cut him off.

"What the hell was that all about, Ishida?" the Substitute asked with a cold voice. "You look like a wet stray dog. Just go home before you make everything even worse."

Uryu had reached his breaking point with everyone that day. Their constant judgment made him sick, and his anger erupted. "As if you're going to listen to me, Kurosaki! You don't even want to know what they did, but lecturing me is always within your reach, isn't it? I just can't do anything right, can I? You haven't said a word to me in weeks. Without my powers, I'm not good enough for your little gang, right? I'm just a burden to you. If I dropped dead tomorrow, would you even notice?"

"Ishida-" Sado tried to interject, but Uryu wasn't finished.

"And you, Sado-kun, am I making you uncomfortable right now?" he snapped, his body trembling with anger and the strain it put on his weakened form. He desperately needed a drink to stabilize his blood pressure, but he knew it was utterly futile at that moment.

"Ishida, calm down, you idiot!" Ichigo sneered.

Suddenly, he felt hands reaching out for him, and he reacted on pure instinct, delivering a powerful punch to the orange-haired figure in front of him with whatever strength he had left. "Leave me alone! You don't care about me! Nobody does!"

At the sound of the cry that followed, he felt his heart break as he realized he had not hit Ichigo, but...

"I-Inoue-san?" he asked with a trembling voice.

The girl started sobbing. "I-I just... wanted... to hand you... your glasses..."

Uryu felt like he was zapped by Szayelaporro's collar again and felt his mind fry. Oh god… He was in for it now!

"Have you completely lost your mind, Ishida?" Sado roared at him.

"I-Inoue-san… I'm sorry," Uryu tried, standing on shaking legs, "I-I can't see well… Please, believe me-"

"You take care of her injury, Chad. I'll handle this," Ichigo said, with an ice-cold voice.

"Ichigo, don't," Orihime tried, but it was too late.

Uryu gasped when he felt his collar grabbed, anxiety already spreading through his weakened body. "K-Kurosaki, it was an accident," he tried. "I would never hurt her! I swear! I thought she was you, and-"

"Oh, so punching me is alright, then?" Ichigo snapped, getting so close Uryu could see his fuming eyes even without his specs.

"It was an accident!" the desperate Quincy yelled, but Ichigo kicked his legs from under him, and he crashed to the pavement. "K-Kurosaki, please! I don't have my glasses! I couldn't tell it was her!"

All at once, Ichigo was on top of him, straddling him, and Uryu's eyes went wide as all the alarm bells in his head went off.

"Ichigo! Don't hurt him!" Orihime yelled, her voice somewhat muffled.

"You've knocked my girlfriend a bloody nose, you asshole! Now it's an eye for an eye!"

"Ichigo!" Sado tried to intervene, but to no avail.

"K-Kurosaki…" Uryu was still stammering apologies, feeling very heavyhearted for hitting Orihime, when he felt Ichigo's fist collide with his already bruised face. And then another time. The smell of blood hit his nostrils and made his pupils dilate. This brought back so many vile memories. Ichigo on top of him, hurting him, while he choked on the metallic tang of his own blood…

Panic shot through his body and paralyzed him!

Besides those occurrences in Szayelaporro's lab, this situation had so much in common with that one time Kazuma had straddled him while hitting his face to get him to keep quiet after defiling him.

"Shut up!" Kazuma's voice rang inside his head. "You should be grateful to me for fucking trash like you!"

Uryu lost all control over himself and screamed on top of his lungs, piercing the sound of the heavy rain. His body arching up violently, while Ichigo threw in a third punch for good measure.

"Fuck hard! Whore!"

"If you ever go near her again, I swear…" Ichigo's ice-cold sneer got through to him from somewhere.

Terrified, Uryu screamed once more. His eyes darted around, but didn't see anything anymore. The only thing he heard was the cruel voices of his rapists shouting inside his mind. The taste of his own blood made him nauseous and made his panic burn even wilder, leaving him feeling completely crushed over his own helplessness.

"Ichigo!" He heard Sado shout from somewhere. "Don't! You know that's not what you want!"

"Ichigo!" That was Orihime. "Don't hurt him, please!"

Breathing hard, Uryu shivered from the cold and the emotions wracking his mind and body. Completely distraught, he tried to calm his pounding heart before it burst, while tears welled up in his eyes.

"P-please…" was the only thing he could stammer.

Ichigo had stopped hitting him but was still straddling him, yet the distressed Quincy was unable to comprehend what was happening. Suddenly, he heard Ichigo scream too, and the anguish in his voice was evident. Uryu's body froze, and he attempted to regain focus and understand the situation, but the overwhelming panic had a firm grip on him. When Ichigo screamed again and tried to get off him, Uryu realized that the Substitute's own trauma had been triggered by his own actions, likely due to the sight of the Quincy's bruised face and Uryu's blood staining his hands.

An unholy silence fell over them, making Orihime's sobs stand out between the heavy downpour.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Orihime asked with a troubled voice, laced with worry. It made Uryu wonder if this was the first time she witnessed one of her boyfriend's trauma induced outbursts. It probably was, too.

"Ichigo, can you hear me?" Sado's voice sounded alarmed as well, especially after the Substitute started making incoherent sentences and was completely losing it. "Ichigo, I'm getting you out of here."

Rolling to his side on a moan, Uryu managed to huddle somewhat against the wall, but that was the limit of what he could do right now. Panic was still saturating his nerves, rendering him completely powerless. And he had no choice but to wait for it to ebb away. He needed water for stabilizing his blood pressure, too, but he had no idea where his schoolbag was and his sight was still limited to vague shapes because of the heavy rain. And his panic as lamentable bonus.

Amidst flashes of conversation and a flurry of sounds between Orihime, Ichigo and Sado that he was unable to fully comprehend in his pitiful state, he understood the words "taking you home". Still trying to regulate his breathing and snap out of it, Uryu realized that just like the previous time, Ichigo and Sado were just going to leave him there. Uncaring of what was to become of him. That immediately filled his heart with despair.

Then, a soft voice spoke to him, "Ishida-kun, are you alright? Here."

The Quincy felt something between his hands and realized Orihime had just handed him his glasses, but his arms refused to cooperate, and he couldn't slide them on just yet. Uryu felt his heart clench, but he could only guess at the expression on the girl's face right now.

"I-I'm sorry, Inoue-san," he stammered with a breaking voice. "I-I didn't want to hurt you. P-Please, believe me."

"I-I know, Ishida-kun. I can heal myself later, but..." She sighed heavily. "After the way Ichigo reacted just now, it's better if you stayed away from me for a while. I… I don't want him to take it out on you, and…"

Uryu felt another crack form in his broken heart, and he couldn't even manage to respond to that, shocked to the core at having lost his only friend and ally at school over something like this.

"I'm sorry, Ishida-kun," she said, her voice filled with obvious tears, but that didn't alleviate the dreadful pain that filled his heart. "Please, take care of yourself." With those words, she was gone, leaving Uryu completely distressed and alone.

After sitting down for a while, he managed to put his glasses back on, only to discover that the lens that hadn't been cracked yet was now completely broken and had to be removed for his own safety. His vision would become a real problem as there was no way he could pay to have his specs fixed.

Crawling over towards his schoolbag to take a much-needed drink, he discovered that one of his water bottles had burst under the stress it had been subjected to, rendering all of his notes and homework completely wet. As if the rain hadn't been enough already. Oh, his homeroom teacher would be thrilled when he handed in his homework.

Shivering from the cold, he needed to find shelter from the rain. However, his umbrella had been damaged in the fight. His clothes clung to his body, and he had to change out of them, but his only option was to return to his hideout to do so.

With a mind filled with despair, he started trudging back towards the bridge, rubbing his arms or occasionally blowing into his hands to stay warm. This was not good. He had to act quickly, or he would risk suffering from hypothermia.

After the Quincy had finally found some comfort in his shelter under the bridge, he swiftly removed all of his clothing and dried himself off, before slipping into something dry and starting a fire to warm himself up. He planned to use the hot water later to wash all of his clothes while he was at it.

Sitting down against the wall at the entrance of his niche, wrapped in his only blanket not too far from the fire, Uryu attempted to remove the broken lens from his glasses using a piece of cloth. However, the lens came out in pieces as it was completely shattered, causing a few minor cuts on his fingers in the process. Feeling utterly desolate, he put his altered glasses back on, realizing that walking around like this severely diminished his chances of ever finding a job. Who was going to hire him now? What a sight he must be for employers, with his un-ironed clothes, torn shoes and broken glasses.

To try and cheer himself up a little, he remembered Orihime's layered strawberry cake. However, when he rummaged through his schoolbag, he discovered that the box had been crushed during the fight, flattening the cake and causing the filling to spill all over the inside of the box, making his spirit sink even lower. His stomach growled loudly, and Uryu set aside his pride as he began licking the remnants of the cake on the box, using his fingers to dig into it where he could. He was starving and in desperate need of nourishment.

He tried to keep his head up high at school, covering himself with veneer bravado, to pretend he was untouchable, but… he was just a boy. A very desperate, homeless boy, that yearned for support and a place he could belong.

Suddenly, Uryu's vision blurred and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Overwhelmed by a deep sense of misery, he wanted to let his face sink into his palms, but before he even had the chance, tears started rolling over his cheeks and dripped down between his fingers. He couldn't fight the grief spilling from his aching heart any longer. The bubble of hurt that had accumulated inside his chest burst and washed over him like a cold tsunami, leaving him shaken and vulnerable. Wrapping his arms around himself, his whole body shook with the painful sobs his hot tears brought in their wake.

He couldn't bear it any longer...

Why was it so wrong to love another boy? Why did it give others the right to pass judgment on him? Fearing the unknown and judging what wasn't understood was something human after all. But he wasn't causing harm to anyone. He couldn't control the yearnings of his heart. He knew deep down that he should let go of his feelings for Ichigo, as he didn't deserve to be treated like crap by him or his friends, but…

He'd had lousy occurrences of November 6th before, as it seemed to be a tradition to render him unhappy on this day, but this year around, it was just the worst of all. Nobody had wished him anything, not a single person. He didn't have anybody and found himself in the pit of despair.

His classmates all went home to their families, where they could enjoy a comforting meal, take a warm bath, and rest in the comfort of a soft bed. None of them would give a stray thought for trash like him.

Tomorrow, he'd try to reclaim his courage, but he honestly didn't know how long he could go on like this. For now, just for tonight, he surrendered to the overwhelming sadness, allowing himself to cry uncontrollably, in the hope that it would bring some relief.

His heart weighed heavily as he whispered to himself, "H-happy birthday... Uryu."