" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

Your POV:

Ichigo: AARGH ?! No hollow again !! What the heck's going on ?! How many times has it been this week ?! Is that stupid pager broken ?!

Rukia: Strange... It doesn't seem to be...

"It's 3 A.M and we have exams to take tomorrow... Please, just let me sleep already..."

Ichigo: Gimme a break ! This is all because of your busted pager !

Rukia: I'm telling you, it's not broken !!

Ichigo: Then what ? Is there another shinigami around here who keeps beating the hollows before we can gets there ?!

Rukia: Uh... No... Shinigami have clearly defined territories, so I don't think that's the case, but...

"Anyways, shinigami or not, that person's currently helping us, even if it's not they intent."

Soul: Oh ! It was scary !! I was really, really scared ! Thank you !!

Ichigo: Then go thank whoever saved you !!

Rukia: Wait, Ichigo !! you saw something scary ?! Then there was a hollow here ! Tell me ! Who defeated the hollow and saved you ?! What kind of person was it ?!

Soul: I... I was scared, so I had my eyes closed, and I didn't really see...

Soul: S-S-S-S-Sorry !! I don't know what for, but sorry !! You can have my magic girl Megalon figure ! Please forgive me !

Rukia: Alright, let's konsô this.

Soul: Huh ?! What's konsô ?! Are you going to stab me with that sword ?!

On the meantime, there was a cloaked figure, standing on a roof not that far away from us

Keigo: I'm finished ! And... I'M DEAD !!

Mizuiro: Smooched the pooch ? Well, so did I.

Ichigo: Don't worry ! One bad score isn't a ticket to cashier alley !

Keigo: Well said ! Thanks Ichigo !! We morons can wallow in misery together !! We'll be... friends for life !

Mizuiro: Well... You should wait to see the test results before you say that.

Keigo: What d'you mean, Mizuiro ?

Mizuiro: Look. This is Ichigo's ranking in the mid-terms.

Keigo: Dude, only the top 50 get their names on there. Why would Ichigo be on this... List...

Keigo: WHAT THE... E-Eighteenth ?! Eighteenth out of our whole year ?! Does this mean you're 18th out of all 322 students in our year ?!

Ichigo: Take it easy...

Keigo: No way ! How did you get on this list ?!

Ichigo: I'm not in any clubs so I have nothing to do at night but go straight home and study.

Keigo: Nothing to do ?! I ask you to hang out with me all the time !! Oh ! So that's why you always turned down my invitations !! While we were out having fun like idiots, you've been locking yourself in your room, learning ! You weirdo ! NEEEEEEERD !!!

Keigo: Here, take these nerd glasses, captain nerd-face !!

Ichigo: No, thanks.

"You must really study hard, don't you ?"

Ichigo: I guess. Having orange hair makes my life hard enough. No mater how many times I tell the older guys it's not dyed, they still wanna kick my butt. And the faculty all have their eyes on me, which sucks.

Ichigo: I've got a bad temper, so I get in fights easily. If the faculty hassle me, I usually mouth off. Then they say I have a behavior problem and the whole thing snowballs. I've got a lot going against me so I try to keep my grades up.

Ichigo: The faculty doesn't ride you so hard if you have good grades. That's why I study.

Mizuiro: Wow... I guess that would be rough... Even for you.

'And if you add the pressure of his shinigami duties, I wonder how he can keep up with everything...'

Ichigo: I'm used to it, so it's fine.

Keigo: 'Right now, the way Ichigo called the teachers, "the faculty"... Made them sound like institutional torture machines. That's kinda sad. Ichigo must have experienced all kind of discrimination because of how he looks, things the rest of us can't imagine. For a moment there, I kinda felt for him. So, Ichigo, to you... I... I give...'

Keigo: I give you this nerd head-band !!

Ichigo: I don't want that either.

"That reminds me, have any of you seen Rukia today ?"

Ichigo: I have no idea ! Ever since a few days, everybody's been giving us creepy looks. I try to avoid her completely at school. Next thing I knew, there were all sorts of rumors about the 'nature' of our relationship !

Mizuiro (Rumor mill): No way, that sucks !

"You gotta be kidding..."

Rukia: You gotta be kidding ! Darn that Kisuke Urahara ! He's never around when I really need him !! But he's always right there when he's not wanted !! And you call yourself a businessman !!

Rukia: Humph... I need to get this Soul Pager looked at. How am I supposed to know if it's broken or not ?

Rukia: Ichi... Kurosaki !! Y/n !! We need to talk !

Ichigo: H-Hey ! Let go !! Don't you know about the rumors flying around about us ?!

Rukia: No, I don't ! it's a hollow ! Whine later !

Ichigo: Hollow ?! There really better be one this time !! If there isn't, you're gonna witness some serious panty-butching !

Rukia: Yeah, yeah, tell it to me walking !

"How many hours of sleep am I gonna miss this time... ?"

Ichigo: After all that !! No hollow, again !! that's TWICE today !!

"I called it. I knew I should've tried to get my sleep back instead."

Rukia: relax ! Ichigo, just shut up and jump back into your skin !

Ichigo: I've had it with these false alarms ! You gotta do something !

Rukia: You think it's my fault ?! I'm only relaying the orders setn to me on the Denrai Shinki !!

"Then how about you fix that damn thing ?!"

???: Squabbling at a time like this ? How ugly.

???: Good evening... Mr.Kurosaki, Miss Kuchiki, Mr.L/n.

Ichigo: Who are you ? And what's with the getup ? Playing mad scientist ?

"How do you know our names ? I don't think we met or talked before."

???: Kurosaki, L/n... You both can see spirits, can't you ?

Ichigo: Wha... What ? H-Ha ! No, that's... Crazy talk !

???: Hmm. There's a hollow coming.

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Rukia: I-It's true... Right here !! There's an order !

Ichigo: Which way ?!

???: That way. You can't even sense it yet ? And you call yourself a shinigami ?!

From under his sleeve, a small silvery cross came out, and expanded to become a very large bow completely made out of pure energy and light.

With that bow, he shot an arrow, that went straight to the hollow, floating away from us, perforating its head and destroying it instantly.

Rukia: the order... It just disappeared !

"Who are you exactly ?!"

???: Uryû Ishida. A quincy. And I hate shinigami. In other words, Ichigo Kurosaki... I'm saying that I hate you.

The next day:

Tatsuki: WOW ! Third, huh ? You're awesome as always, Orihime !

Michiru: Wow ! I didn't know you were THAT smart, Orihime ?!

Tatsuki: You might not think it to look at her, but she's always been pretty smart.

Michiru: Ryo's second ?

Tatsuki: She excels in both the literary AND the martial arts. And she was the freshman class rep'.

Michiru: She was ?! So that's why the teachers don't bother her.

Chizuru: She went to national in tracks, too !

Michiru: For real, Wow...

Tatsuki: Yeah, well, I'm going to nationals. Didn't I tell you guys ? I won the city tournament in May. Our karate team rocks this year ! The boy's team is going to nationals too. And the girl who won THREE nationals has joined the team !

Keigo: yes... Once again, there are no traitors among us. None of us has made the top 50 !

Mizuiro: Excellent, captain !

Keigo: No ! Don't look, sergeant Kojima !! Reality is brutish and ugly ! It can only pollute our pure hearts !!

Mizuiro: Yes, sir captain Asano !!

Keigo: We hate you, Ichigo ! We'll never let you hang out with us again !!

Mizuiro: 'That seems kinda drastic...'

Keigo: Right, Chad ?! You can hang out with us, Chad. You're not on that vile list.

Keigo: AAAGH !! S-S-Stay away from us !! You're being possessed by spirits ! Smart, dead, evil spirits !! Deceivers !! I'll never hang out... With you guys again ! Ever !

Tatsuki: And yet, they're not nearly as obnoxious as they used to be.

Keigo: Y/n !! Help us ! Please don't let us be corrupted by them !

"Um... About that... Look at the list."

*Y/n L/n: 4*

After that, they fled as fast as they could out of the classroom.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was in deep thoughts, most likely thinking about what happened last night, our encounter with that 'quincy' guy, Uryû Ishida.

Ichigo: ... What was his name again ? Something Ishida... Uh... Ernie ? That's not it... That sounds like a puppet... Ari ? No, I'm never gonna remember it...

Seriously, Ichigo... It's not that hard to remember a name...

Orihime: Did you say Ishida ?

Ichigo: Orihime ? You know him ?!

Orihime: Well... He's in our class. Uryû Ishida, right ? That's him there !

Ichigo: What the... ? 'Fir.. First ?!!'

Orihime: See ? He's in class 3, don't you remember ?

Tatsuki: Forget it, Orihime... He's hopeless with names and faces. He still doesn't know half the class.

"So do I, you know."

Tatsuki: You just arrived last month, so it's normal for you.

Orihime: Ishida isn't like you guys. He doesn't talk much. Maybe that's why you can't remember him.

Ichigo: How do you know all this ? Are you friends with him ?

Orihime: No ! We're just in the same crafts club.

"Crafts club ?"

"So, he's really in our class, after all."

He was preparing to leave, but Michiru gave him her torn doll, which he... Completely fixed it in a matter of seconds.

Michiru: You fixed him ! Thank you, Ishida !!

Ishida: Don't do that. It was nothing.

Orihime: See that ? If it weren't for his mouth, he'd be a nice guy. Hey... Did something happen between you ?

Ichigo: Well... Kinda. But it's no big deal.

Ishida: Are you going to follow me all the way home.. Ichigo Kurosaki, and Y/n L/n ?

Ichigo: Darn, busted.

"Told you that wouldn't work, Ichigo. How long have you know, Ishida ?"

Ishida: Since you two and Orihime poked your heads into the classroom.

Ichigo: Wow, god job. You're sharp.

Ichigo: You allow your spiritual energy to radiate with foolish abandon. A psychic monkey would notice you.

'*Boat flashbacks*'

Ichigo: What was that ?

Ishida: You can't even sense the energy of others when they're right under your nose. The fact is, you didn't even notice me until today.

Ichigo: Sorry, I'm terrible with faces and names. that's why I never...

Ishida: that's not it. I sensed your unusual aura the moment I arrived at this school. And I was aware that you became a shinigami in mid-May. I even know about Rukia Kuchiki's true identity and Y/n's power, the 'Stand'.

"Wait, these are..."

Ishida: yes, Reiraku, spirit ribbon, the manifestation of spiritual energy. A good shinigami can see it right away. And a skilled shinigami can even touch it. If you were any good, you'd have noticed mine. And...

Ishida: Did you even know, that a shinigami's Reiraku is a different color ? It's red.

"Who are you, exactly... Or, more specifically, WHAT are you ?"

Ishida: I am a quincy. I have the power to kill hollows... Would you like to play a game, Kurosaki ? To see who's superior, a shinigami or a quincy ? i'll show you, just how worthless you Shinigami are.