Author's Note: Hye everyone. I hope you guys have been great. Anyway once again, thanks for reading. To those who just started, please give the story a chance, I am sure you guys will enjoy it. To those who followed me, thank you so much. If you have any comments, feel free to pm me or drop a review. Now, off with the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo-sensei

Attempting to regain his composure and catch his breath, Grimmjow quietly remarked, "Well, that's some exercise."

After he managed to steady his breathing, he straightened his posture, cracked his neck to relieve the tension, and returned to the bench to collect his belongings.

"I guess I'll just apologize for not being able to wait for her." He thought silently as he started his journey back home.

On his way back, he carelessly took off his stained jacket to clean up the blood trickling down his nose. "Damn, my back hurts. That guy packs quite a punch," he grumbled in annoyance.

Back at the school compound

Nelliel finally made it out of the school grounds. She hurried her pace, realizing it had been nearly an hour since school ended. "He must be annoyed for having to wait for me this long." She said miserably. "I didn't think the student council would need me for their school project. I hope he's not too mad."

When she got a block away from school, he was nowhere to be found, just as she had anticipated. She let out a sigh of defeat, thinking, "Well I guess there goes the chance of getting to know him better." Feeling dejected, she continued on to her apartment.

When she got to the playground close to her apartment, she spotted the boy who had been on her mind lately just lounging on a bench nearby.

Feeling hopeful, she quickened her steps, lightly jogging towards the person and calling out his name,"Jaegerjaquez-san!"

Grimmjow stirred from his quick nap when he heard his name being called. He rubbed the back of his head and stifled a yawn before asking, "What took you so long, Princess?" in a slightly irritated tone.

"I am so sorry Jaegerjaquez-san. I was about to exit the school compound before..." Her sentence was cut short as she came across Grimmjow covered in blood.

She gasps in horror upon witnessing her crush being brutally beaten, and immediately rushes to his side, her heart racing with panic. "Oh my God! What happened? Why are you covered in blood? Who did this to you?"

She was running around all over the place, which just made Grimmjow even more annoyed. "Knock it off, Princess. Jeez." After the girl finally stopped freaking out, he said, "I had a little encounter with some guy earlier. It's no big deal. It's mostly theirs anyway. Don't worry about it." He explained in a casual manner.

As he readied himself to get up and head towards their building, Nelliel unexpectedly broke down in tears, uttering a jumble of sentences amidst her sobs.

"I was so worried!"

"I thought for sure you're fed up waiting for me!"

"I was horrified to see you so injured!"

"Why do you have to make me so worried!"

The string of mixed-up sentences went on and on.

For the first time in his 17 years of life, he found himself at a standstill, unsure of how to proceed or respond.

The passersby shoot him suspicious looks. A few even go as far as whispering comments like:

"How dare the boy break up with such a beautiful girl as that."

"Is he stupid? Why is he making that gorgeous girl cry?"

"He's covered in blood. I bet he lost her to his rival. What a loser!"

Not wanting to draw any more attention than he already did, he grabbed the girl's hand leading to his apartment.

Upon unlocking his unit, he gently guided the girl inside before shutting the door. Nelliel remained visibly upset, her tears flowing steadily. He attempted to snap her out of it by shaking her gently, but that didn't help. Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her, murmuring soft words to comfort her.

"I am sorry, Nelliel."

"I am sorry if I made you worry."

"It's not as terrible as it seems, I swear. Most of the blood isn't mine. Please, don't cry."

After comforting the sobbing girl for a while, she eventually calmed down. Now, only a faint sniffle could be heard. She softly said, "I am sorry for all the trouble I've put you through." He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle in response.

Believing it was finally appropriate to let her go, he gazed into the girl's large brown eyes. He knows full well that the girl in front of him is beautiful. He's heard people saying that everyday in school after all. But, he had always dismissed their comments, knowing full well that she is a shining star beyond his reach.

But Divine power has a way of intertwining the paths of unsuspecting individuals and theirs begins on that rainy day.

His heart raced as he sensed the close proximity. The gentle breathing of the girl before him was palpable. With her eyes closed, she seemed to anticipate his next move. He yearned to bridge the gap by leaning in towards her inviting lips.

Suddenly, his phone started ringing loudly. He quickly snapped back to reality, released her, and went to answer the call.

Nelliel found herself gasping for air she didn't know she was holding, sinking to the floor as her legs gave way. "What the hell just happened?" She pondered over her thoughts. "One moment I was a sobbing mess, and the next he was embracing me. I think we almost kissed? What the hell?" She couldn't help but feel furious at whoever had called him at that precise moment.

"Yeah, I'll be there. It's fine, you don't have to come by. I'll go there myself. It's okay. Thanks. See you soon." Grimmjow then ended the call. He released a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his unruly teal hair. He took a moment to breathe in the evening air from his balcony, seeking to calm his senses.

Realizing his guest is still very much in his house, he went back in to find her sitting on the floor. Extending his hand, he assisted the girl to stand up. "You should head home and get some rest, Princess. You must be exhausted," he said calmly.

"What about your injuries? I can help you patch up." She offered. "No, it's fine. I'll just wash them off later." He responded, attempting to downplay the severity of the injury.

Sighing in resignation, "Fine, if you say so. Are you hungry? I can whip something up..." Grimmjow cuts her off, "It's okay, Princess. I'll live. Go home."

Grimmjow escorted her out, carrying her bags, and closed the door behind him once he ensured she arrived home safely.

He's feeling particularly tired today and decided to have a quick meal of instant noodles for dinner. After freshening up, he ate his dinner, completed all his tasks, and went straight to bed.

On the other hand, Nelliel had a harder time once she got back home. After showering, she headed straight to the kitchen to cook dinner for the night and maybe even prepare tomorrow's lunch.

As she did that, her thoughts immediately went back to the incident that happened that evening.

"Who the hell did he end up fighting with?"

"What was the reason?"

"I think I heard him calling my name just now but it can just be my imagination."

"Were we really going to have our first kiss just now?"

The mere idea of being kissed caused a vivid blush to creep across her cheeks, extending to her ears. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to realize her fried fish had become slightly burnt.

She slapped herself on the face in an attempt to snap back to reality. "What is wrong with me?" Ugh! She sighed in frustration.

After having her dinner and finishing up her homework , she proceeded to pack their bento for tomorrow. Wanting to get some fresh air, she stepped out onto her balcony. The night breeze greeted her, providing a refreshing sensation. She noticed her neighbor's lights are off, indicating him to already retired for the day.

"He must be really tired." She thought silently. "I wonder what he had for dinner. Is his injury really okay?" These thoughts continued to circulate in her mind until it was time to go to sleep.

Next morning, 7.30am Friday

Nelliel looked at her reflection, brushing her sea green long wavy hair before tying them up in a braided side ponytail.

She has never been one concerned about her appearance, usually leaving it as is. However, today she decided to make herself look presentable. She is unsure if it will impress him, but she is willing to give it a try.

Upon applying a touch of pink lip gloss to her full lips and spraying a floral-scented perfume on her skin, she nodded with satisfaction. She then proceeded to grab her bag and lunch boxes before heading out.

As she stepped outside, he was already there, casually leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting for her arrival. "Good morning, Princess," he greeted her with a charming smile, showing his canine teeth. "Uh, good morning, Jaegerjaquez-san," she stuttered in response.

He walks towards her casually grabbing her backpack and their lunch bags, he asked "Shall we?" before heading off.

Uncertain about how to react, she quietly trailed behind him as they exited their building. The journey to school that morning was awfully quiet.

Finally finding her voice, she began, "Jaegerjaquez-san." He turned towards her, acknowledging her presence. "How are you feeling today?" She inquired, her voice tinged with concern. "Nothing I can't handle," he responded smoothly.

Following a brief pause, he then casually mentioned, "You can just call me Grimmjow. No need for formalities."

Her face lit up as she matched his pace and answered, "Only if you call me Nelliel. Is that a deal, Grimmjow?"

He chuckled at her suggestion, "Sure, whatever works your way, Princess." He winked at her and they continued on their way to school.

"Um, you know. I am perfectly capable of carrying my own bags, Grimmjow," she remarked nonchalantly. "You've done your part in preparing us lunch; the least I can do is handle the bags for you." He responded with ease.

"This is the first time he has been so talkative while in my company," she reflected inwardly. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Here, I prepared a tuna sandwich for your breakfast." She halted him in his tracks, rummaged through her bag to retrieve a wrapped sandwich, and handed it to him. "Thank you," he said as he unwrapped the sandwich and began to eat.

As they approached the school compound, he finally gave her bags back. She frowned, clearly unhappy with the routine.

Declining the bags offered, "Why do you always distance yourself when we're near the school?" She hesitated.

Grimmjow wasn't expecting such a question from her of all people. "You wouldn't want others to realize that we're walking to school together, would you?" He responded.

She replied, frowning, "I don't see why not. As far as I can recall, I've been the one initiating all of our conversations at school."

He let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he contemplated how to simplify his explanation for her. "There are rules we need to follow, Princess. You have your place and I have mine."

Just as she was about to interject, he went on, "Look, I'm totally cool with us hanging out after school. I'm all for being that spot where you can just be yourself and chill. I get that it can be tiring trying to impress everyone all the time. But you can't just switch up how things work at school."

A dead silent enveloped them. She was furious, she felt like she could burst. Unsure of what came over her, she impulsively snatched her bag, stepped on his toes and stormed off to school.

Grimmjow was doing his best to hold back a yelp from the pain in his right toe. "Ugh, I really didn't expect that. She can be pretty fierce when she's mad," he thought to himself, trying to push aside the throbbing in his foot. "Honestly, the sooner she figures out how things really are, the better." After taking a deep breath to steady himself, he set off for school once more.