𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃 | 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 [Discontinued]

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"You're getting too close."

Green eyes watched as his friend paced back and forth while running a hand through his hair. He exhaled softly before saying, "You are worrying too much."

"I'm worried too much?!" his friend exploded, his face red in anger. "You should be worried about His Majesty finding out about this!"

"He already knows," he interrupted his friend's worries, making him pause and stare in shock.

"He knows?" he asked incredulously.

"He has known the entire time," he continued, ignoring his friend's gaping. "That is the only reason I have been able to go and visit her."

"Then why the hell have I been covering for you?!"

"To keep the others off my back and away from her," he answered, blond hair falling slightly into his line of sight. "And I wish for you to keep doing so."

His friend stayed silent as he stared at him with a frown before sighing. "Only if I can meet her. One time. That's all I ask."

"...I'll see what I can do."

- - - - - - - - - -

18 YEARS LATER

"OI!" Sayuri flinched at the unexpected shout, not turning around to see her former friend, Kobayashi Aoi's, angered form that was no doubt coming towards her. "What the hell is going on with you?!"

"I don't think that's any of your business, Aoi," she drawled out as she turned in her seat, keeping her face blank as the anger on Aoi's face grew.

Rukia didn't know what was going on. One minute she was talking to Sayuri about her training, and the next, this girl was shouting at her. She frowned, already deciding she didn't like her.

"And who is this?" Aoi snapped, turning her attention to Rukia, who met her gaze without a flinch. She has dealt with scarier people before, so this girl was nothing.

"Kuchiki Rukia," she said. "I'm Sayuri's friend."

Aoi barked out a laugh. "Friend? Sayuri doesn't have friends. You want to know why?" She took Rukia's silence as a sign to continue. "It's because she's a freak!"

Rukia opened her mouth to retort, but a hand wrapped around her wrist, effectively stopping her. She looked at Sayuri, who gave her a sad smile. "It's okay," she murmured. "Nothing I'm not used to."

The Kuchiki stared at her, alarmed. Where was the feisty, defensive girl she's known for the past week?

Who was this shy and self-deprecating girl?

- - - - - - - - - -

Rukia thought it would do Sayuri some good to let off some steam in Urahara's underground training area. Both the Kuchiki and shop owner stood off to the side as the eldest Kurosaki and a close friend of Urahara's, Shihōin Yoruichi, battled out Sayuri's frustrations.

Yoruichi frowned as she dodged Sayuri's fist once again. Her technique is getting sloppy, she noted before catching her eyes. And her eyes...there's so much hatred in them...

Too caught up in her thoughts, she failed to dodge Sayuri's roundhouse kick to her side, sending her flying into one of the rocks in the training area.

Sayuri panted, bending down to catch her breath as sweat dripped down her face. Seeing Aoi earlier... just pissed her off and terrified her at the same time. They had once been friends, but after the incident a few years ago...things were never the same after that.