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Chapter Text

[ "Aww, Orihime! Are you sure you won't come shopping with us?" ]

Honshou Chizuru was practically draped over Orihime, looking at her with tear-filled eyes and a voice deliberately tinged with a whine, hoping her pitiful act would make Orihime change her mind.

[ "You know I really can't this time." ] Orihime couldn't help but laugh, long accustomed to Chizuru's habitual tactics of coaxing. Both of them knew full well that this was the day for Orihime's regular monthly gathering with her high school friends. Yet, each time, Chizuru insisted on making a little fuss like this before reluctantly letting her go.

As long as they were on campus, whether in class, eating meals, or resting, Chizuru was practically Orihime's shadow. If Orihime hadn't firmly refused, Chizuru would probably have tried to stick together even during bath time – though that was likely just a joke in poor taste on Chizuru's part.

Classmates often teased that Orihime, despite being quite popular, was so tenaciously "guarded" by Chizuru that who knew how many potential romances had been nipped in the bud because of it.

Every time she heard this, Chizuru would immediately pull Orihime half a step behind her, clench her fists, stiffen her neck, and retort, ["There's a flood of scumbags out there nowadays! Don't think I don't know what filthy ideas those boys have in their heads! I absolutely have to protect my precious Orihime! Besides, I haven't met a single boy yet who's good enough for my Orihime! Don't you dare pin the blame for their failed pursuits on me!"]

Each time she saw Chizuru get all riled up like this, Orihime couldn't help but laugh, a wave of warmth rising in her heart. She never complained about Chizuru's behavior—compared to some vague notion of romance, she cherished her time with Chizuru more, enjoying the simple happiness of being with a girlfriend.

After all, Chizuru's presence had dispelled all her anxieties about college life. These anxieties didn't stem from the unfamiliar campus, the heavy coursework, or unknown challenges, but from being separated from her best friend—Tatsuki Arisawa.

Ever since junior high, when Tatsuki had saved her from those bullies, they had been inseparable. The most precious gift Tatsuki gave her wasn't just protection, but a courage that took root deep inside her.

In the past, because bullies would often grab her long hair to torment her, Orihime had always kept her hair in a practical short cut. But after Tatsuki came into her life, she was finally able to let that bright orange hair grow long—it was no longer a vulnerability to be exploited in moments of weakness, but proof that she was protected, a symbol that she could safely be herself.

For all six years of middle and high school, they were luckily always in the same class, inseparable in their daily lives, as if the word "separation" would never concern them. That was, until they were about to go to different cities to start their respective university careers.

After receiving her acceptance letter, Orihime just grinned broadly, patted Tatsuki on the shoulder, and told her not to worry. After all, she was no longer the fragile girl who needed to rely on Tatsuki to survive.

And she wasn't lying. Long before Tatsuki became the most important part of her life, life's cruelties had already descended upon her, one after another: her brother's sudden death, the loneliness of living alone, the malicious bullying born from jealousy... Back then, facing it all alone, she had still endured it with strength and cheerfulness.

But even so, on quiet, deep nights, she would bury her face in her blanket and cry silent tears.

The reality of being separated from Tatsuki was harder to bear than she had ever imagined.

And the other person who was on her mind would also be heading to a distant place.

When their classmate Kurosaki Ichigo announced during a gathering his decision to go to the UK to study psychology, Orihime paused for a moment—perhaps less than a second—before a gentle smile spread across her face, her eyes curving into crescents as she offered her sincere congratulations.

["That's wonderful, Kurosaki-kun! I wish you all the best!"]

Ichigo also smiled naturally and thanked her.

No one noticed anything unusual. Only Tatsuki knew that in that instant, a secret long cherished in the depths of Orihime's heart had shattered like a silent ripple. Her unspoken crush had quietly come to an end.

But perhaps, this kind of ending was the most true to life—not all feelings in one's heart need to find an echo. And an unrequited love that never truly blossomed, among life's many regrets, can be considered a very gentle kind of setback.

Most of their other close classmates scattered and separated after graduation. The exception was Sado, as the sports university he was admitted to happened to be in the same city as Orihime.

Sado Yasutora was a special presence. With his dark skin, tall and burly frame, and a quiet, reserved nature, he carried an air around his brow that seemed to keep strangers at bay, appearing almost intimidating at first glance.

But Orihime, as his friend, knew clearly that his underlying nature was one of gentleness.

At first, Sado was just a quiet presence in the classroom. Until one day, when Ichigo was being harassed by a group of delinquents, Sado, who happened to be passing by, witnessed the scene and stepped in to help Ichigo fight them off. From that day on, Sado became part of their group of friends, gradually establishing himself as the strong, silent, and incredibly reliable one among them.

But this little circle of friends, which had taken so long to form, was ultimately destined to scatter, each heading towards their own distant futures.

Thrilled to learn that Sado would be in the same city as her, she jumped up and hugged him. Then, a thought quietly surfaced in her mind: Could someone like Sado, who was so accustomed to burying his emotions in silence, adapt quickly to a new environment? Remembering her own past experiences of being isolated, she made a suggestion to him.

["Sado-kun, when we get to university, let's make sure to meet up often! Just like now, we can eat meals together and catch up on how we're doing. It's a promise!"]

Sado looked at her, nodded silently in agreement, and sealed the promise with a high-five. Although his messy bangs were long enough to almost obscure his eyes, the slight curve at the corner of his mouth revealed his feelings.

Fortunately, university life turned out to be much better than either of them had anticipated.

At university, Orihime met her roommate, Honshou Chizuru. From their very first meeting, Chizuru's eyes sparkled as she introduced herself with an easygoing familiarity. She naturally linked arms with Orihime, showing her around the campus, saving good seats for her in the study halls, even signing her in for boring unimportant lectures when Orihime had part-time work. She even remembered to share which cafeteria windows served the best food.

As for Sado, due to a twist of fate during enrollment, he was assigned to the international student dormitory—which was considerably more spacious than the regular dorms. When he first showed off his room during a video call, Orihime and her roommate crowded together on the other end of the screen, letting out envious wails.

His exceptionally tall and muscular build, combined with the foundation laid by years of fighting, made him a natural fit in the sports science department. He not only excelled in his specialized courses but his outstanding performance in various competitive sports quickly made him a minor celebrity on campus.

In their free time, Orihime and Sado still made plans to meet up. Sometimes he would come to her campus, sometimes she would go to his. They would chat easily about their respective university lives, huddle together in front of the same screen to video call Tatsuki, and, if the timing worked out, call Kurosaki or Ishida in their far-off countries.

Their increasingly heavy course loads, club activities, and part-time jobs sometimes encroached on their pre-arranged meeting times, but neither of them minded. They understood it was proof that each was steadily progressing on their new life paths. And perhaps, that was the most comforting thing of all for friends.

["Ahhh— I can't do it, I really can't eat another bite..."]

Rangiku leaned back without a care for her image, patting her stomach contentedly, while a small hiccup escaped Orihime beside her. The Saturday afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the cooking classroom, and the air still carried the strange, cloyingly sweet yet subtly salty and savory aroma.

It was a rare weekend without classes, and Matsumoto Rangiku, their senior graduate student, had enthusiastically dragged Orihime and Chizuru to crash a Food Science department cooking class. Faced with professional equipment and a dazzling array of ingredients, and encouraged by Rangiku's "Be bold, just try it!", Orihime's imagination ran wild, and she decided to challenge herself by creating a special cake.

"Since we're adults, we should taste more complex flavors!" Thinking this, she set about making this soy sauce caramel sea salt cake. Years of cooking experience allowed her to bake a perfectly fluffy, golden cake base. Then, using Japanese soy sauce to replace some of the salt, she simmered a pot of deep-colored, uniquely flavored soy sauce caramel glaze. The sweet-and-salty glaze was meticulously drizzled over the cake, followed by a snowfall of sea salt. She looked at her meticulously crafted creation, her eyes shining brightly.

Having watched the entire process, Rangiku and Chizuru's gazes held a mix of hesitation and wariness. Orihime herself felt a little apprehensive—after all, her previous culinary creations had often been "sternly criticized" by Tatsuki, Kurosaki, and Ishida.

["Hah... I'd better try it myself first."] Orihime licked her lips, forked a large piece, and stuffed it into her mouth.

[...Mmph?!] A muffled sound escaped her, then her eyebrows shot up and she began clapping her hands excitedly, frantically gesturing for Rangiku and Chizuru to try it too.

Rangiku took a tentative bite. First, the familiar sweetness of caramel melted on her tongue, followed by the rich, savory umami unique to soy sauce. Sweet and salty collided wonderfully in her mouth, leaving behind an indescribable, lingering aftertaste that made her want to take another bite to confirm the bizarre yet captivating flavor.

["It really is good! You've outdone yourself, Orihime!"] Rangiku's eyes widened in surprise. ["It looks strange, but the taste is downright unfair!"] She proceeded to stuff another piece of cake into her mouth.

Seeing this, Chizuru confidently shoved a large piece into her own mouth. The next second, her eyes reddened slightly, shimmering with a kind of grim determination as she mumbled indistinctly, ["It's good... really good..."]. It was unclear whether she was moved by the complex flavor or her taste buds were experiencing an unprecedented shock.

Orihime divided the remaining cake into two portions, boxing them up separately. Rangiku declared that such a delicacy must be shared with her boyfriend, Gin Ichimaru. Orihime thought for a moment, and an image of Sado's face surfaced in her mind.

They hadn't made plans to meet this week. But Sado had given her his class schedule before. He had no classes today, and even if he had training or other commitments, she was just going to drop off the cake—it wouldn't really disturb him.

A smile of anticipation bloomed on Orihime's face. She wondered what kind of expression Sado would make when he tasted this delicious cake.

["Miss Inoue!"]

Orihime had just reached the entrance of Sado's dorm when a familiar voice called out behind her. She turned, a gentle smile immediately blooming on her face. ["Ah, Asano-kun, what a coincidence!"]

Asano Keigo was Sado's classmate and the first person at the university to have greeted Sado. Even though their majors differed, it hadn't stopped them from quickly becoming friends.

His eyes lit up the moment he saw Orihime, his face etched with unconcealed delight. Hearing she was looking for Sado, he eagerly picked up the conversation.

["Sado? At this hour, he's definitely not in his room. He's been frequenting an off-campus training ground lately. It's not far from here. Shall I take you there?"]

["Oh, okay. That would be a big help, thank you—"] Orihime nodded with a smile. Her bright, genuine grin made Asano feel as if a warm sunbeam had passed right through his heart, leaving him dizzily sweet and almost overflowing with joy.

["Miss Inoue, it's been three whole weeks since you last visited! Without you around, even that guy Sado seems gloomier. I've been missing you for ages!"]

His exaggerated tone made Orihime laugh. It was then that Asano noticed the paper box she was carrying.

["By the way, let me carry that for you—"]

["Ah! It's alright, this isn't heavy at all."] Orihime lifted the box slightly. ["It's a cake I made myself. I wanted Sado-kun to try it... Oh, if Asano-kun wouldn't mind, I'd be very happy—"]

["Wahhh! Miss Inoue, how did you know what I was about to ask!" ] Asano exclaimed, so惊喜 he nearly jumped. ["Thank you! Running into you today is absolutely the luckiest thing that's happened to me all week!"]

He continued chatting eagerly with Orihime as they walked, eventually entering a somewhat shabby neighborhood. The shops along the street were old, the walls peeling. Asano slowed his pace, scratching his head and muttering, ["That's strange, I'm sure I ran into him around here last time..."]

Just then, a muffled commotion reached their ears—a mix of indistinct cheers, sharp whistles, and heavy, thudding sounds. Orihime instinctively stopped, looking around for a moment before her gaze settled on the mouth of an alleyway.

["Asano-kun, is it... over there?"]

Uncertainty also showed on Asano's face; this place was indeed far different from the training ground he had imagined. He glanced around, spotted a middle-aged man coming out of a nearby convenience store, and hurried over to politely ask.

["Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but is there a training ground or gym around here?"]

The man looked them up and down with a wary and puzzled gaze, his eyes lingering on Orihime for an extra moment, then jerked his chin towards the alley entrance.

["Lookin' for 'that place,' are ya? Go down the alley. You'll see a door painted green. Go down the stairs from there."]

["Ah, thank you—"] Before Asano could finish, the man had already waved a hand and turned away.

Following the directions, they found a door with peeling green paint deep in the alley. Flickering light and clearer, more distinct roars leaked through the cracks. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and sweat.

A belated sense of unease washed over Asano; this place was definitely not the training ground they were looking for.

["Miss Inoue,"] he said, his usual enthusiasm gone, replaced by hesitation and seriousness. ["This place feels wrong. I must have made a mistake... Let's head back and wait until we can actually contact Sado, okay?"]

He moved slightly to block Orihime's view, gesturing for her to leave. Just as Orihime, also feeling the urge to retreat, was about to nod in agreement—

["Chad!"] An extremely excited, heavily amplified male voice erupted from behind the door. ["How long can our 'Iron Wall' hold out? Grimmjow's onslaught is like a storm! Can Chad turn the tables?!"]

["Huh?"] Orihime froze as if struck by an electric current. Back then, Kurosaki would often mispronounce Sado's name, and that exact mispronunciation was... ["Chad"].

["It's Sado-kun!"] Orihime exclaimed, instantly dismissing her earlier misgivings.

Asano was stunned. Before he could react, Orihime had already pushed open the heavy iron door without hesitation. A deafening wave of noise, mixed with a thick, hot blast of air reeking of sweat and smoke, swallowed them whole.

["Miss Inoue! It's too dangerous here, we need to get out—"]

Asano raised his voice urgently, but his shouts were immediately drowned out by the surrounding frenzy of cheers, whistles, and the heavy sounds of impacts. Seeing Orihime's slender figure pushing determinedly into the crowd, he had no choice but to clench his teeth and force his way through after her, terrified she might get hurt in the chaos.

Squeezing past the exhilarated crowd, Orihime's gaze frantically scanned the ring at the center of the space, finally locking onto the familiar, towering figure. Sado Yasutora was standing on the platform. And opposite him stood a man with blue hair.

Even though Sado stood a good half-head taller, the blue-haired man looked at him with the cold, merciless gaze of a hunter examining prey already caught in a trap, exuding an overwhelming aura of certain victory.

The moment the bell rang, the man moved. His speed was almost a blur, his fists raining down on Sado like a sudden storm. It didn't resemble a sport; it was pure domination. Sado could only guard with his arms crossed in front of him, the heavy thuds of impact unsettling. Under such a ferocious assault, even someone as strong as him couldn't find a single opening to catch his breath or counterattack.

Sado's arms were like heavy shields, stubbornly protecting his vitals. Grimmjow's straight punches landed like sledgehammers, each blow carrying a penetrating force that sent numbness through his arms and churned his breath. This high-intensity defense was rapidly draining his stamina.

Seizing a slight lapse in Sado's rhythm, Grimmjow threw a seemingly simple, clean left hook. It shot past Sado's guard like lightning, striking squarely beneath his right rib cage.

Thud!

A dull sound echoed. Sado's massive frame shuddered violently. The excruciating pain in his ribs and a sudden, suffocating sensation made his vision go black for an instant. The powerful impact robbed him of his balance. He dropped to one knee, before finally collapsing, unable to hold himself up.

The referee had just finished the count and signaled the end of the match. But Grimmjow seemed unsatisfied, a look of disappointment on his face. At that moment, Sado, gritting against the sharp pain in his ribs, pushed himself up from the ground with his arms, swaying unsteadily as he rose—it was clear to anyone that he was at his absolute limit, barely able to stand.

Grimmjow glanced at him, a flash of utter boredom and disinterest passing over his features. He didn't even assume a fighting stance. It was as casual as swatting a fly—he threw another punch, almost offhandedly, towards Sado's abdomen.

"Ugh...!"

The punch wasn't particularly powerful, but for Sado, who was holding on by sheer willpower, it was the final straw. With a grunt, his newly straightened body lost its balance again, and he fell to one knee.

The referee moved forward out of habit, making a token gesture to intervene. But with this notoriously short-tempered regular star, he didn't dare to actually enforce the rules firmly.

"Tch." Grimmjow made a sound of impatience, halting his action purely because even finishing the job had become tedious.

And almost the exact instant Sado collapsed, a voice, choked with tears, cried out his name. Orihime rushed onto the platform without a second thought, stumbling forward to throw herself in front of him, using her own slender body to shield him protectively.

["Sado-kun! Are you okay?!"] Her eyes, filled with tears, were fixed intently on his condition.

Sado, through his blurred vision, recognized her. Profound shock momentarily overwhelmed the pain. He wanted to ask why she was in such a dangerous place, to tell her to leave immediately, but violent gasps and pain only allowed him to force out a few broken syllables.

["Not here... Go..."]

Orihime whipped her head around. Those eyes, always brimming with gentle warmth, now burned with a rare fury, glaring fiercely and fearlessly at Grimmjow.

Grimmjow's gaze finally fell upon Orihime. This girl who had burst in was as fragile as fine porcelain. Pale skin, a slender neck, openings all over—he felt he could snap her with one hand.

Yet, it was precisely this fragile thing that dared to stare at him with eyes hot enough to bore through him. It wasn't simple anger; it was mixed with a kind of foolish courage and protective instinct he couldn't comprehend. He found it both absurd and... somewhat interesting.

The corner of his mouth twisted into a distorted expression mingling surprise and amusement, as if he'd seen something profoundly abnormal yet fascinating. He shook his wrist, glanced at Sado still struggling to rise from the ground, then looked back at Orihime, who seemed ready to fight him to the death, and finally snorted with derision:

["Hmph... Boring. Thought he could take a few more hits. Is this all he's got? Needs a woman to shield him?"]

This scornful taunt pierced through Orihime's reason like a needle. ["You shut up!"] Her voice was unusually shrill with extreme anger. Her arms, shielding Sado, spread wider, as if that could block all the malice. ["You don't understand anything at all!"]

Grimmjow's gaze drifted lazily back to Orihime's face, looking at her like a novel but useless toy. He sneered, lacking even the interest to argue, turned, casually pushed past the referee, and jumped down from the platform amidst the accustomed uproar.

[呜呜，织姬！你真的不要和我们去逛街吗？]

本匠千鹤几乎是要挂在织姬身上，泪眼汪汪地看着她，连语气都带着点刻意拉长的委屈，想靠这副可怜模样让她松口。

[你知道的，这次真的不行啦。]织姬忍俊不禁，对千鹤这副惯用的撒娇姿态早已习以为常。她们两人都清楚，这是织姬每月固定和高中同学聚会的日子。但千鹤每次都坚持要这样小小地闹腾一会，才依依不舍地放她走。

只要是在校园里，不管是上课、吃饭，或是休息，千鹤都几乎与织姬形影不离。若不是织姬坚持拒绝，千鹤甚至想连沐浴时间都不分开——虽然那应该只是千鹤恶趣味的玩笑。

同学们常常调侃，说织姬明明很有人气，却被千鹤“死缠烂打”地守着，不知给织姬挡住了多少桃花。

每次听到这话，千鹤都会立刻把织姬往身后护半分，攥着拳头梗着脖子反驳。[现在的渣男都泛滥成灾了！我还不知道那些男生脑子里在想什么乌七八糟的东西吗！我肯定要保护好宝贝织姬！再说了，我到现在还没见过哪个男生能优秀到配得上我家织姬呢！别把他们追不到人的责任推到我头上！]

每次看千鹤这样炸毛的模样，织姬都会忍不住笑出声来，同时心底泛起一阵暖意。她并不会因此对千鹤吐槽什么——比起虚无缥缈的恋爱，她更享受与千鹤在一起，享受女孩子的快乐时光。

毕竟，千鹤的存在，驱散了她对大学生活的所有不安。这份不安不是来源于陌生的校园、繁重的课程，或是未知的挑战，而是因为离开自己最好的朋友——有泽龙贵。

自从初中时龙贵从欺负她的女生手下救下自己，她们就成了最好的朋友。龙贵给予她最珍贵的礼物并不止庇护，还有根植于心的勇气。

过去，因为总被霸凌者揪住长发欺辱，织姬一直留着利落的短发。可自从龙贵出现后，她终于可以任由那一头明亮的橙发渐渐生长——那不再是她脆弱时的破绽，而是被守护的证明，是她可以安心做自己的象征。

整个中学六年，她们幸运地始终同班，日常形影不离，仿佛分离这个词永远与她们无关。直到她们即将去往不同城市，开启各自的大学生涯。

收到录取通知书后，织姬只是大大咧咧地笑着，拍拍龙贵的肩膀，让龙贵不要担心。毕竟她早已不是那个必须依赖着龙贵才能生存的柔弱女孩。

而她也确实没有说谎。早在龙贵成为她生命中最重要的一部分之前，生活的残酷早已依次降临：哥哥的突然去世，独自生活的孤寂，因嫉妒而滋生的恶意霸凌……而彼时只是独自一人的她，也都坚强且开朗地挨过来了。

但即便如此，她还是会在宁静的深夜里把脸埋进被子里，悄悄地流泪。

和龙贵分开这个事实，比她预想的还要难以承受。

而另一个她心系之人，也将去往遥远的彼方。

当同班的黑崎一护在聚会时宣布，自己决定去英国攻读心理学时，织姬微微顿了一下——或许不到一秒，她脸上便已漾开温柔的笑意，眉眼弯弯地送上真诚的祝贺。

[真好呀，黑崎同学，祝你一切顺利！]

黑崎也自然地笑着道了谢。

没有人看出什么异常。只有龙贵知道，那个瞬间，织姬心底某个珍藏许久的秘密，如无声的涟漪般轻轻碎裂了。她不曾说出口的暗恋，就这样安静地落幕。

但也或许，这样的结局才最像生活——并非所有心事都要有回响。而一场无疾而终的暗恋，在诸多人生遗憾里，已算得上是一场非常温柔的挫折。

其他交好的同学，几乎都随着毕业散落分开。除了茶渡，他被录取的体育院校刚好和织姬在同一个城市。

茶渡泰虎是个特别的存在。他皮肤黝黑，高大魁梧，沉默寡言，眉宇间总带着几分生人勿近的气场，乍看之下甚至有些凶狠。

但织姬作为朋友，清楚地知道他的底色是温柔。

起初，茶渡只是教室里一个安静的影子。直到某天，黑崎被一群不良少年找麻烦，刚好路过的茶渡目睹了这一切，冲上去帮着黑崎大打一架。从那之后，茶渡成为了这群朋友中的一员，渐渐成为大家身边那个话不多、却无比可靠的存在。

可这个好不容易聚起来的小团体，终究还是要各自奔赴远方。

知道茶渡与自己将在同一个城市，她兴奋地跳起来拥抱了茶渡，紧接着一个念头悄然浮上脑海。像茶渡那样习惯把情绪藏进沉默里的人，能否迅速地适应这样的新环境里呢？想起自己曾经同样被孤立的过去，她向茶渡提了个建议。

[茶渡同学，等到了大学，我们也要经常见面哦！就像现在这样，一起吃饭，一起聊聊近况，说好了！]

茶渡看着她，沉默地点了点头，与她击掌约定。他凌乱的刘海虽然长得几乎遮住了他的眉眼，但他唇边的弧度表明了他的心情。

万幸的是，大学的生活都比他们预想的好太多。

织姬在大学遇到了室友本匠千鹤。初见面的时候，千鹤闪着星星眼，自来熟地对她自我介绍。她自然地挽着她的手臂，拉着她熟悉校园，帮她占据自习室的好位置，在她打工时帮她在水课上签到，甚至连食堂哪个窗口饭菜最好吃，都记着分享给她。

而茶渡入学时，阴差阳错被分到了留学生宿舍——房间比普通宿舍宽敞不少。当他第一次在视频通话中展示宿舍环境时，织姬和她的室友挤在屏幕另一端，发出羡慕的哀嚎。

他那副格外高大健壮的体格，加上多年战斗打下的基础，让他在体育专业里如鱼得水。他不仅在专业课上成绩出众，在各种竞技运动中的优异表现，让他很快成了校园里的风云人物。

在空闲时间里，织姬和茶渡还是会约着见面，有时他来她的校区，有时她过去。他们气氛轻松地聊着各自的大学生活，会凑在同一个屏幕前，给龙贵打视频电话。如果时间合适，也会打给远在异国的黑崎或者石田。

日渐繁重的课业、社团活动和打工，有时会占据他们原先定好的聚会时间，但谁都没有介意。他们知道，那是彼此都已稳稳地走在了新的人生轨道上的证明。而这，或许才是作为朋友最值得欣慰的事。

[啊——不行了，实在是吃不下了……]

乱菊毫无形象地往后一靠，满足地拍着肚子，旁边的织姬也跟着打了个小小的嗝。周六午后的阳光透过烹饪教室的玻璃窗，空气里还弥漫着甜腻中带着一丝微妙咸香的古怪气味。

难得这个周末没有课，作为研究生学姐的松本乱菊，兴致勃勃地拉着织姬和千鹤来蹭食品专业烹饪课。面对专业的设备和琳琅满目的原料，织姬在乱菊“大胆试试嘛！”的鼓励下，脑洞大开，决定挑战做款特别的蛋糕。

“既然是成年人，就该尝尝更深层次的味道！”她这么想着，便动手制作了这款酱油焦糖海盐蛋糕。多年的烹饪经验让她完美地烤出了蓬松金黄的蛋糕胚。接着她用日式酱油替代了部分盐，熬煮出了一锅色泽深沉、风味独特的酱油焦糖酱汁。咸甜交织的酱汁被精心淋在蛋糕上，再撒上雪花般的海盐。她看着自己精心打造的成品，双眼闪闪发光。

看完制作全程的乱菊和千鹤的目光有些犹豫和躲闪。织姬心里也有点打鼓——毕竟之前她做的料理，也没少被龙贵、黑崎和石田他们“严肃批评”。

“哈……还是我自己先试试吧。”织姬舔了舔嘴唇，叉起一大块塞进嘴里。

[……嗯？！]她发出一个模糊的音节，随即眉飞色舞地拍着手，疯狂地示意乱菊和千鹤也来试试。

乱菊将信将疑地尝了一口。先是熟悉的焦糖甜香在舌尖化开，紧接着，一丝酱油特有的醇厚咸鲜泛了上来，甜与咸在口腔里奇妙地碰撞，最后留下一抹难以言喻的回甘，让人忍不住想再吃一口，确认那诡异又迷人的风味。

[确实不错！织姬你真有一套！]乱菊惊喜地瞪大了眼，[虽然看着很奇怪，但味道简直是犯规！]她继续往嘴里又塞了一块蛋糕。

千鹤见状，便放心地往嘴里塞了一大块蛋糕。下一秒，她的眼眶微微发红，眼里闪烁着某种视死如归的决绝，含糊地嘟囔着：[好吃……真的好吃……]也不知是被这复杂的味道感动，还是味蕾受到了前所未有的冲击。

她将剩下的蛋糕一分为二，分别装进盒子。乱菊表示这样的美味也要分享给男友市丸银。织姬想了一下，脑海里浮现出茶渡的脸。

虽然这周他们并没有约定见面。但茶渡之前有给过自己他的课表。他今天并没有课，即使他今天有训练或者其他正事，她也只是去送个蛋糕，并不会打扰到他什么。

织姬绽出期待的笑容。不知道茶渡同学尝到这款美味的蛋糕，会露出什么样的表情呢？

[井上小姐！]

织姬刚走到茶渡宿舍楼下，一个熟悉的声音在她身后响起。她回过头，脸上随即绽开温柔的笑容。[啊，浅野同学，真巧！]

浅野启吾是茶渡的同学，也是这个学校里第一个对茶渡打招呼的人。即使专业不同，也并不妨碍他们很快成为了朋友。

他一见到织姬，眼睛立刻亮了起来，脸上写满了毫不掩饰的欣喜。听她说要去找茶渡，他马上热络地接过话。

[茶渡啊！这个时间他肯定不在寝室。他最近常去一个校外的训练场，离这儿不远，我带你过去吧？]

[啊好，那麻烦你了，谢谢唷——] 织姬笑着点头。她那明朗又真诚的笑容，让浅野觉得心头像被暖阳照过一般，晕乎乎地泛着甜，心底的雀跃几乎要满溢出来。

[井上小姐，你都有三周没过来啦！没有你在，连茶渡那家伙都显得更沉闷了，我早就开始想念你了！]

他夸张的语调让织姬忍不住笑出声。这时，浅野注意到她手中提着的纸盒。

[对了，我来帮你提那个吧——]

[啊！没关系，这个不重的。] 织姬轻轻举了举盒子，[是我自己做的一块蛋糕，想带给茶渡同学尝尝……啊，如果浅野同学不介意的话，我会很高兴——]

[呜呜呜哇！井上小姐，你怎么知道我想请求你的内容！] 浅野惊喜地几乎要跳起来，[谢谢你！今天能遇到井上小姐，绝对是这周最幸运的事了！]

他继续热切地和织姬聊着天，不知不觉间走到了一片略显破旧的街区。沿街的店铺老旧，墙面斑驳。浅野放慢脚步，挠着头嘀咕：[奇怪，上次明明就是在这附近遇到他的啊……]

就在这时，一阵压抑的喧哗声隐隐传来，混杂着模糊的欢呼、尖锐的口哨，还有某种沉重的撞击声。织姬下意识地停住脚步，左右张望了一会，最终视线落在一个巷子口。

[浅野同学，是……那里吗？]

浅野脸上也浮现出不确定的神色，毕竟这个地方确实与他所想的训练场差距甚远。他四下张望，正好看见一位中年男人从旁边的小卖部走出来，便赶忙上前客气地询问。

[您好，打扰一下，请问这附近有没有训练场或者健身房？]

那个男人，用警惕而又疑惑的目光上下打量了他们一番，特别是多看了织姬几眼，随后朝着那个巷口努了努嘴。

[你们是找‘那个地方’吧？顺着巷子往里走，看到漆成绿色的铁门，从楼梯下去就是了。]

[啊，谢谢……]浅野的话还没说完，大叔已经摆摆手转身离开了。

顺着指引，他们在巷子深处找到了一扇剥落着绿漆的铁门，门缝里透出闪烁的灯光和更清晰的嘶吼声。空气中弥漫着烟味和汗味。

浅野后知后觉地感到不对劲，这地方绝非是他们要找的训练场。

[井上同学，]他收起一贯的热情，语气变得犹豫和严肃。[这里感觉不太对劲，应该是我搞错了……我们还是先回去，等联系上茶渡再说吧？]

他侧身想挡住织姬的视线，示意她离开。就在织姬也心生退意，准备点头的瞬间——

[查得！] 一个极其亢奋、通过劣质麦克风放大的男声猛地从门内爆发出来。[我们的‘铁壁’还能撑多久？葛力姆乔的攻势如同暴风！[查得] 能否扭转局面？！]

[咦？]织姬像被电流击中般怔在原地。当时，黑崎经常会喊错茶渡的名字，而那错误的发音就是……[查得]。

[是茶渡同学！]织姬惊呼出声，瞬间将刚才的疑虑抛在脑后。

浅野愣住了，没等他反应过来，织姬已毫不犹豫地推开那扇沉重的铁门。震耳欲聋的喧嚣声浪，与夹杂着汗味、烟味的浑浊热浪将他们瞬间吞没。

[井上同学！这里太危险了，我们快出去——]

浅野焦急地提高嗓门，可他的呼喊立刻被四周疯狂的叫好声、口哨声和沉重的击打声淹没。眼见织姬纤细的身影毫不犹豫地挤进人群，他只得咬紧牙关，奋力拨开人群紧跟上去，生怕她在混乱中受伤。

挤过亢奋的人群，织姬的目光急切地扫过场地中央的拳台，终于定格在那个熟悉的高大身影上。茶渡泰虎正站在台上。而他的对面，站着一个蓝色头发的男人。

尽管茶渡比他还要高大半个头，但那个蓝发男人看向茶渡的眼神，却像猎手审视着已落入陷阱的猎物，冷酷无情，又充满胜券在握的压迫感。

铃声一响，男人便动了。他的动作快得几乎带出残影，拳头如疾风骤雨般砸向茶渡。那不像是竞技，更像是纯粹的碾压。茶渡只能将双臂护在身前，沉重的击打声令人心惊。在那凶狠的攻势下，这样强壮的他竟找不到一丝喘息和还击的空隙。

茶渡的双臂如同厚重的盾牌，死死护住要害。葛力姆乔的直拳像铁锤般砸来，每一击都带着穿透性的力量，震得他手臂发麻，气息翻涌。这种高强度的防御正飞速消耗着他的体力。

葛力姆乔看准他节奏稍缓的破绽，一记看似简单利落的左勾拳，闪电般绕过防守，精准地击中了茶渡的右肋下。

[砰！]

一声闷响，茶渡庞大的身躯猛地一颤。肋部传来的剧痛和瞬间的窒息感让他眼前一黑，强大的冲击力使他无法站稳，单膝跪地，最终支撑不住倒了下去。

裁判刚读秒完毕，示意比赛结束。葛力姆乔却似乎意犹未尽，带着一脸扫兴的神情。这时，茶渡强忍着肋部的剧痛，用手臂支撑着地面，摇摇晃晃地站了起来——任谁都能看出，他已是强弩之末，连站稳都十分勉强。

葛力姆乔瞥了他一眼，脸上掠过一丝彻底失去兴趣的厌烦。他甚至没有摆出任何拳架，只是如同驱赶苍蝇般，极其随意地又朝茶渡的腹部补了一拳。

[呃……！]

这一拳力道不算重，但对于全靠意志支撑的茶渡来说，却足以成为压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草。他闷哼一声，刚挺直的身体再度失去平衡，单膝跪地。

裁判习惯性地上前虚拦了一下。对于这位脾气暴躁的常驻王牌，他并不敢真正强硬干涉。

[啧。]葛力姆乔发出不耐烦的声音，动作停了下来，纯粹是觉得连补刀都变得乏味。

而几乎就在茶渡倒下的同一瞬间，一个带着哭腔的声音呼喊着他的名字。织姬不顾一切地冲上拳台，踉跄着扑到他身前，用自己单薄的身体死死护住他。

[茶渡同学！你没事吧？！]她紧紧地盯着茶渡的情况，眼中满是泪水。

茶渡在模糊的视线中看清是她，巨大的惊愕甚至暂时压过了疼痛。他想问她为什么会在这种危险的地方，想让她立刻离开，但剧烈的喘息和疼痛让他只能挤出几个破碎的音节。

[别在这……走……]

织姬猛地转过头，那双总是漾着温柔笑意的眼眸此刻却燃烧着罕见的怒火，毫不畏惧地狠狠瞪向葛力姆乔。

葛力姆乔的目光终于落到织姬身上。这个突然闯进来的女孩简直像个易碎的瓷器。苍白的皮肤，纤细的脖颈，浑身破绽，他感觉自己用一只手都能把她折断。

可偏偏是这么脆弱的东西，竟敢用那种要把他烧穿的眼神瞪着他。那不是单纯的愤怒，里面还混杂着一种他无法理解的、近乎愚蠢的勇气和保护欲。这让他觉得既荒谬，又……有点意思。

他嘴角扯出一个夹杂着惊讶与玩味的扭曲表情，像是看到了什么极其反常又有趣的东西。他甩了甩手腕，瞥了一眼在地上挣扎着想要爬起的茶渡，又看向仿佛要与他拼命的织姬，最终嗤笑一声：

[哼……没劲。还以为能多扛几下，原来就这么点水平，还得靠女人来护着？]

这句充满鄙夷的嘲讽，像一根针，瞬间刺穿了织姬的理智。[你闭嘴！]她的声音因极致的愤怒而异常尖锐，护在茶渡身前的双臂张得更开，仿佛这样就能隔绝所有的恶意。[你根本什么都不懂！]

葛力姆乔的视线终于懒洋洋地转回织姬脸上，那眼神像是在打量一件新奇却无用的玩具。他嗤笑一声，连争辩的兴趣都欠缺，转身随意地推开裁判，在一片见怪不怪的喧哗声中，跳下了拳台。

Chapter Text

Emerging from that foul-smelling, deafeningly loud underground fighting den, Orihime ignored Sado's insistence that they were "just minor injuries." Together with Asano Keigo, she insisted on taking him to the hospital affiliated with her university.

Fortunately, it was already evening, and the emergency room wasn't busy. Rangiku, who had rushed over to help after hearing the news, had also dragged along her boyfriend, Dr. Ichimaru Gin.

Under the gaze of Dr. Ichimaru's perpetually narrowed eyes, the examination was completed swiftly.

["Hmm—"] Ichimaru Gin drawled, flipping through the examination report, a hint of imperceptible amusement in his tone.

["Extensive soft tissue contusions. Looks scary, but the muscles are only slightly strained. No damage to the bones or internal organs."] He tapped the report with his fingertip, his gaze settling on Sado with interest. ["Your muscle density and impact dispersion are truly remarkable... With this level of force, an ordinary person's ribs would definitely be cracked. Judging by this, you've had professional training, haven't you?"]

Sado thanked him quietly in a low voice, nodding in acknowledgment, tacitly accepting Ichimaru's assumption.

From his days of getting into fights as a student to later professional boxing training, one of the most important things he had learned was how to minimize damage by using muscle defense and redirecting force when an attack was unavoidable. The moment Grimmjow's fist made contact, he had instinctively tensed the muscles in his abdomen and waist, slightly twisted his torso, managing to dissipate most of the impact. Simultaneously, he used the motion of dropping to his knee to retreat with the momentum, neutralizing another portion of the force.

Under Orihime and Asano's pressing questions, Sado confessed his reason for going to the underground fighting ring.

The training for his sports major was immensely demanding. Whether it was replacing worn-out gear or maintaining the nutritional supplements needed for high-intensity training, it all amounted to a continuous and significant expense. Although he had scholarships and student loans, and could earn some prize money from the competitions he participated in, as a student who needed to be completely self-reliant, funds were still tight.

A shadow passed through Orihime's eyes. She understood this all too well. After all, like Sado, she had long had no family to rely on. Behind the joy of getting into university lay the economic pressure weighing on her shoulders. She herself often worked part-time at a convenience store outside of class to earn living expenses.

["I went there initially because it's a relatively remote area, so prices are lower. I stumbled upon that fighting arena by chance. I observed for a while; the prize money is decent, and I assessed that I could handle most of the opponents."] He paused. ["I've only fought a few matches there so far. Grimmjow appeared recently. He's strong. I admit... I also wanted to test myself against him, and I hoped to learn something beyond regular training from such a real fight."]

The moment Grimmjow's name was mentioned, unconcealed anger and a lingering fear surfaced on Orihime's face.

["But he had already won... Why did he still..." ] Recalling how the blue-haired man had continued to strike Sado when he was already defenseless, and the undisguised contempt on his face, she still couldn't quite let it go.

["He's not a dishonorable person."] Contrary to her expectations, Sado actually spoke up for Grimmjow. ["He just... gets completely immersed in the fight and takes winning and losing extremely seriously."]

Seeing the clear confusion in Orihime's eyes, Sado paused, then brought up something she didn't know.

["Before, a challenger named Nnoitra tried to tamper with my water before a match. Grimmjow found out. He stopped the guy right there and then, and dealt with him... in his own way, very harshly."]

Orihime was stunned, the anger on her face gradually replaced by surprise. Although she remembered that guy Grimmjow's demeanor as being ten thousand times more terrifying than any delinquent she'd ever encountered, she trusted Sado's words implicitly. This man, who seemed purely violent, unexpectedly had principles.

Ichimaru Gin, who was leisurely placing the medicine and examination reports into a bag, heard this and smiled, his eyes narrowing further. ["Oya~ Seems we misunderstood that gentleman? In this world, sometimes those who look very bad aren't necessarily truly evil."] His tone shifted, turning somewhat teasing as he pointed at himself. ["But some who look like good people can be quite dangerous—"]

Before he finished speaking, his figure blurred. In an instant, he had circled behind Asano, draping an arm familiarly over Asano's stiffened shoulders. His slender fingers were deftly twirling a gleaming scalpel, its tip hovering a mere inch from Asano's neck as if by accident.

["For example, this little friend—"] Gin's lips curved into a dangerous smile, his breath ghosting near Asano's ear. ["Tonight, you've been staring at my Rangiku's chest for well over five minutes, haven't you?"]

Not only was Asano scared out of his wits, but Orihime and Sado also turned pale with fright. The three of them froze like statues, nailed to the spot, not daring to move.

Rangiku looked down. The top two buttons of her blouse had long since given up their duty, the deep cleavage exposed to the air, the natural, full curves even more dazzling and alluring under the light. A knowing and triumphant smile bloomed on her face, and she even deliberately pushed her chest out a bit further.

["Oh, come on, what's the big deal! Plenty of men look at me. It's not the first time you found out about my charms.—put the knife away and stop scaring the junior."]

["Ara ara, even as a boyfriend, I can be a little narrow-minded sometimes."] Gin feigned a sigh, the scalpel disappearing as if by magic. He shoved the bag into Sado's arms and patted the completely petrified Asano on the shoulder—the latter's legs went so weak he nearly collapsed on the spot.

["Just kidding. You kids should head back early. Remember to apply the medicine on time."]

Sado and Orihime, as if granted a pardon, nodded like pecking chickens while propping up the utterly soul-departed Asano, practically fleeing the treatment room.

Rangiku watched their rapidly retreating backs, planting her hands on her hips and shooting her boyfriend a reproachful glare. ["I mean, wasn't that a bit too cruel to the junior? I think you scared his soul right out of his body."]

Gin, looking utterly bored, lazily yawned. ["Ara ara, what can I do? Getting dragged back to work by a phone call late at night, I thought I might encounter an interesting case..."] He cast a disdainful glance towards the door, casually slipping an arm around Rangiku's waist. ["But it turned out to be something as boring as soft tissue contusions... Finding a little amusement to compensate myself isn't too much to ask, is it?"]

Rangiku looked at Gin, narrowing her eyes.

["Tch, such a mean-hearted man..."]

Gin looked back at her, blinked, and adopted an expression of pure innocence, pulling her just a bit closer. ["Well, that's only because Rangiku likes me exactly this way..."] His tone dripped with a sly sweetness.

A faint blush touched Rangiku's cheeks, and she couldn't suppress a fond, exasperated huff. ["You and your twisted logic..."]

从那个气味混杂、声浪震天的地下格斗点出来，织姬不顾茶渡“只是小伤”的解释，和浅野启吾一起，坚持将他带到了自己学校附属的医院。

幸好已是晚上，急诊室人不多。闻讯赶来的帮忙的乱菊，也抓上了自己的男友市丸银医生。

在市丸医生那双总是眯着的双眼注视下，检查快速完成。

[嗯——]市丸银翻看着检查单，拖长了语调，语气里带着一丝不易察觉的玩味。

[大面积软组织挫伤，看着吓人，但肌肉只是轻微拉伤，骨骼和内脏都没事。]他用指尖点了点报告，目光饶有兴致地落在茶渡身上，[你的肌肉强度和卸力反应真是出色……这种程度的冲击力，普通人肋骨肯定要开裂。看你这样子，也是受过专业训练的嘛？]

茶渡低声道了谢，点点头，默认了市丸银的猜测。

从学生时代的打架斗殴，到后来专业的拳击训练中，他学到最重要的事情之一，就是在无法避开攻击时，用肌肉防御和顺势卸力，将伤害降到最低。在葛力姆乔的拳头接触到他的一刹那，他下意识绷紧了腰腹部的肌肉，微微侧转躯干，尽力抵消了大部分冲击力，同时借着跪倒的动作顺势后撤，又化解了一部分的力量。

在织姬和浅野的追问下，茶渡坦白了自己去地下拳击场的原因。

体育专业的训练消耗巨大。无论是更换磨损的运动装备，还是维持高强度训练所需的营养补充，都是一笔持续且昂贵的开销。虽然他有奖学金和助学贷款，平时参与的比赛也可以拿到一些奖金。但作为一个需要完全自立的学生，手头还是会有些拮据。

织姬的眼神暗了一下，她对此再理解不过了。毕竟自己和茶渡一样，早已没有家人可以依靠。考上大学的喜悦背后，还有压在肩上的经济压力。她自己也常在课余时间，去便利店打工赚取生活费。

[一开始去那边，是因为那边相对偏僻，物价会相对低一些。无意间发现了那个格斗场。我在那边观察了一阵子，奖金数额不错，我也评估过，大部分对手我都能应对。]他顿了顿，[我目前只在那边打了几场，葛力姆乔是最近才出现的，他很强。我确实……也想和他比试一下，也期待能从这样的实战里学到训练外的东西。]

一听到葛力姆乔的名字，织姬的脸上立刻浮现出难以抑制的愤怒和后怕。

[可他明明已经赢了……为什么还要那样……]回想起那个蓝发男人对已经无力还手的茶渡继续出手，以及他脸上那毫不掩饰的轻蔑，她依然有些无法释怀。

[他并不是什么卑鄙小人。]出乎她的意料，茶渡竟然帮葛力姆乔说话。[他只是……容易完全投入战斗，对胜负异常认真。] 

看到织姬眼中明显的疑惑，茶渡顿了顿，说出了一件她并不知道的事。

[之前，有个叫诺伊特拉的挑战者，赛前在我的水里动手脚，被葛力姆乔发现了。他当场拦下了那个人，并且用他的方式，狠狠地教训了对方。]

织姬愣住了，脸上的愤怒渐渐被惊讶取代。虽然她想起那个叫葛力姆乔的家伙的样子，比她遇到过的所有不良少年还要可怕一万倍，但对茶渡的话她深信不疑。这个看似纯粹暴戾的男人，出乎意料地有原则。

市丸银正慢条斯理地把药和检查单装进袋子，闻言眯着眼笑了笑：[哦呀~看来是误会那位先生了？这世上呢，有时候看着很坏的人，未必真坏。]他话音一转，带着几分戏谑指向自己，[但有些看着像好人的，可能就很危险——]

话音未落，只见他身影一晃，已经绕到浅野身边，一条胳膊亲昵地搭在浅野僵硬的肩膀上。他修长的手正灵活地把玩着一把寒光闪闪的手术刀，刀尖看似不经意地，离浅野的脖颈只有一寸的距离。

[比方说，这位小朋友——]银的嘴角弯起危险的弧度，气息喷在浅野耳侧，[今晚，你盯着我家乱菊的胸口，应该不止五分钟了吧？]

不止浅野被吓得魂飞魄散，织姬和茶渡也被吓得脸色煞白。三人像雕塑一样，被钉在原地不敢动弹。

乱菊低头看了一眼。她衬衫最上面的两颗扣子早就宣告罢工，深深的沟壑暴露在空气里，自然饱满的弧度在灯光下更加耀眼迷人。她绽放出一个了然且得意的微笑，甚至还故意挺了挺胸。

[哎呀，这有什么大不了的！看我的男人多了去了，你又不是第一天知道我的魅力——快把刀收起来，别吓唬小学弟了。]

[哎呀呀，毕竟作为男朋友，我也会有小心眼的时候呢。]银装模作样地叹了口气，手术刀像变魔术般被他迅速收起。他把袋子塞进茶渡怀里，拍了拍已经完全石化的浅野的肩膀——后者在他手落下的时候腿软得差点跪倒在地。

[开玩笑的，小朋友们早点回去吧。记得按时敷药。]

茶渡和织姬如蒙大赦，一边小鸡啄米似的点头，一边架着早已魂飞天外的浅野，几乎是逃也似的冲出了诊疗室。

乱菊看着几人飞速逃离的背影，叉着腰嗔怪地瞪了男友一眼。[我说你啊，这样对学弟是不是太残忍了一些？我看他魂都快吓飞了。]

银则是一副百无聊赖的样子，懒洋洋地打了个哈欠：[哎呀呀，没办法嘛。大晚上被一个电话抓回来加班，还以为能遇到什么有趣的病例呢……] 他嫌弃地瞥了一眼门口，顺手搭上乱菊的腰。[结果就是这种无聊的软组织挫伤……找点乐子补偿一下自己可不过分唷。]

乱菊看着银，眯起了眼。

[啧，真是坏心眼的男人……]

银看着乱菊，眨了眨眼，换上一副无辜又单纯的表情。搂在乱菊腰上的手又收紧了一些。

[那还不是因为乱菊就是喜欢我这样嘛……] 他的语调里带着一丝狡黠的甜腻。

乱菊的脸颊微微泛红，忍不住又好气又好笑地哼了一声。

[就你歪理多……]

Chapter Text

The next day, still concerned about the injured Sado, Orihime bought some fruit and went to check on him. It was only after confirming he was truly alright that she felt relieved.

On her way back to the station, her gaze accidentally fell upon a freshly posted "Help Wanted" sign on the door of a convenience store on the street corner. To her slight surprise, the hourly wage listed was quite decent, and the owner had specifically noted that the working hours were flexible and negotiable. This was quite attractive for a student like her, who needed a part-time job outside of classes.

Orihime pushed the door open and went inside. The owner behind the counter was a very kind-looking middle-aged woman, who greeted Orihime with a smile. When Orihime tactfully asked why they still needed to hire someone despite the good conditions, the owner smiled wryly.

["Most applicants are student workers. Their availability outside of class is irregular, and there's quite a bit of turnover. If not for these conditions, students generally wouldn't be willing to do it... My shop isn't very large, and the evening foot traffic is just average, but it still feels a bit demanding for one person. So, I've decided it's best to hire someone."]

The explanation was perfectly reasonable.

The location was close to Sado's university, making it a perfect replacement for his dangerous "side job." The pay might be less, but it was at least safe and convenient. She recommended Sado to the owner, but unexpectedly, upon hearing it was a boy, the owner immediately shook her head like a rattle drum. She complained that the male students she'd hired before had been even more careless than the female ones. As for heavy lifting, the store's inventory wasn't large, and the delivery workers usually helped, so there was basically no need for Orihime to handle it. The owner frankly admitted she didn't need a mover, but rather someone to help her with detailed tasks like checking stock, clearing inventory, and calculations. Although Orihime repeatedly assured her that Sado, despite being male, had excellent grades and was very careful, the owner still refused.

["I thought you were here looking for a job yourself! Is it for your boyfriend?"] the owner teased.

["Ah, no! Sado-kun is my high school classmate!"] Orihime quickly waved her hands in denial. ["I don't go to school here; my university is a few train stops away."]

["Hey, that's not far at all!"] The owner clapped her hands together. ["You seem like a smart and capable girl. The workload here isn't heavy in the evenings, you can finish early, and I'll cover your train fare. How about it? Want to consider it?"]

["Eh? This... so suddenly... is that really okay?"] Orihime's eyes widened.

["Ahh, no problem! The foot traffic is light at night anyway, and the fare won't add up to much."]

Things progressed with surprising smoothness. Orihime stayed and started working that very day. The customer flow in the shop wasn't heavy, but she still worked diligently, quickly familiarizing herself with the routines.

["Inoue, I need to step out to handle something. I'll be back in about half an hour. Uh, in roughly five minutes, the delivery guy will arrive. But don't worry, he knows where everything goes. You just need to open the warehouse door for him."]

["Understood, Tanaka-san!"] Orihime took the keys from her boss and saluted with brimming energy. ["Mission accepted!"]

Ms. Tanaka, who was about to leave, paused for a second, then burst into laughter.

["Seriously, Inoue, you might just be the cutest girl I've ever met."]

Ms. Tanaka was indeed a kind and easy-going person. Not only did she remind Orihime to take breaks during her shift, but she also let her freely choose any drinks or bento she liked. The way she looked at Orihime was like a kindly mother gazing at her own sweet, well-behaved daughter.

She had only intended to ask about the job for a friend, but unexpectedly, Lady Luck had smiled upon her instead. Thinking about this happily, she giggled to herself.

Ding-dong— The clear door chime rang again.

["Welcome!"] Overflowing with good cheer, Orihime quickly stood up, turning a bright smile towards the entering customer.

The moment she saw who it was, her smile froze solid.

A tall figure stepped in, bringing the night's chill with him. He had a shock of bright blue hair, sharply defined features, and an unruly, wild aura that was impossible to ignore.

It was Grimmjow.

He was just as surprised to see her there. He stopped in his tracks, a flicker of unmistakable astonishment in his sharp eyes. But a moment later, it was replaced by his trademark expression of cynical amusement.

["Well, well,"] his low voice sounded above her. ["If it isn't the little kitten who was shielding 'Chad' the other day."]

Orihime quickly dropped her gaze, her heart hammering in her chest. For some reason, the pressure she felt from this man was even more intense and direct than it had been on the fighting platform. She remembered Sado's injuries, his defense of Grimmjow, and Dr. Ichimaru's words about not judging by appearances... but instinctive fear still gripped her.

He didn't miss her attempt to hide, like an ostrich burying its head. Grimmjow's mouth quirked into a faint, unreadable smirk. He walked straight past her to the coolers, pulled out a can of iced beer, and sauntered back to the counter. He slammed it down with a clank onto the checkout, then told her to get him a pack of cigarettes from behind the counter.

“Mevius, the blue one.”

Orihime’s eyes darted nervously over the array of cigarette packs in the display case. They all looked nearly identical to her. Her hand hovered awkwardly mid-air until Grimmjow’s impatient knock on the counter with his knuckles, sharp and clear, made her locate the target.

Mechanically, she picked up the cigarettes and scanned them, announcing the price in as steady a voice as she could muster. She took the money, handed over the receipt, and kept her head lowered the entire time, not daring to look at him—until the crisp snap of a lighter broke the silence.

“Please don’t smoke inside the store!” Her instinctive reaction was faster than her thoughts.

The next second, the tall figure had already turned around. The unlit cigarette still dangled from his lips, his eyes radiating a killing intent so sharp it felt like it could pierce right through her.

She instinctively took a step back, bracing herself against the shelf behind her.

Just then, two dull, heavy knocks echoed from the direction of the shop door—an unexpected lifeline. A delivery man in gray work clothes and a baseball cap pulled low stood outside the glass door, a van parked behind him.

“Sorry! I’ll go open the warehouse door!” Seizing the chance to escape, Orihime practically fled past Grimmjow and hurried out the door.

The delivery man looked puzzled at the unfamiliar face.
"You are...?"

"Ah! My apologies!" Orihime suddenly remembered she hadn't introduced herself. She quickly bowed. "I'm Inoue Orihime. I just started working here today. Nice to meet you!"

"Watanabe." The man gave a slight nod as a form of greeting, his expression unchanged. "Where's the boss?" He tilted his chin toward the shop, his tone flat.

"Ms. Tanaka had to step out for a bit. I'm looking after the store for now," Orihime explained. The other party didn’t seem much of a talker, which left her feeling somewhat at a loss. Hoping to break the silence—and to put some distance between herself and the checkout counter—she mustered her courage and asked, "Um... would you like some help moving the items? It looks like you’re by yourself."

Watanabe stared at her silently for a few seconds, as if weighing something, before answering slowly, "...Alright. Come with me, then."

The moving process that followed was carried out almost in complete silence. Watanabe spoke very little, only occasionally gesturing with his chin and muttering, "Over there." To be honest, the individual boxes of goods weren't particularly heavy. Yet, she forced herself to keep her head down, quickening her pace as she made trip after trip between the truck and the warehouse, as if intentionally using physical exhaustion to overwhelm the earlier tension.

Only when she picked up the final box from the truck did she dare to look up, realizing the shop was now empty—the figure with the blue hair was already gone. She let out a sigh of relief, only then becoming aware of the ache in her arms and her ragged breath. Leaning against a stack of soft paper towels, she panted lightly, failing to notice the deliveryman peering out the warehouse door, looking left and right for a good while as if confirming no one else was around. Then, he stepped back inside and closed the warehouse door with a firm, distinct click.

The warehouse fell instantly quiet, illuminated only by the dim light and the shadows cast by stacked cardboard boxes. Orihime's heart skipped a beat for no reason she could name. She watched as Watanabe turned around in the gloomy light, his face indistinct. A cold premonition, like a snake, suddenly coiled tightly around her heart.

He didn't speak. He just started walking toward her, step by step, unhurried but deliberate.

次日，织姬仍然心系着受伤的茶渡，买了些水果去探望他。确认他确实没有大碍后，她才安下心来。

在返回车站的路上，她无意间瞥见街角一家便利店的大门上，贴着一张崭新的招聘启事。让她有些意外的是，上面写的时薪还算不错，而且老板特别注明工作时间可以灵活协商。这对像她这样需要课余打工的学生来说，相当有吸引力。

织姬推门走了进去。柜台后的老板是一位看起来十分和善的中年女子，笑眯眯地对织姬打招呼。当织姬委婉地问及为什么条件这么好还需要招人时，老板无奈地笑了笑。

[来的都是学生工嘛，平时课余时间不固定，人员流动也比较大。不是这个条件，学生基本也不愿意做……我这店规模不算大，晚上客流量也一般，但是一个人又是还是觉得会比较辛苦，所以还是打算招个人。]

这个解释合情合理。

这里离茶渡的学校很近，正好可以取代他那个危险的“兼职”。虽然拿的钱可能会少一些，但至少安全且便利。她向老板推荐起茶渡，不料老板一听说是个男生，头立刻摇得像拨浪鼓。她吐槽之前招到的男生，比起女生都更加散漫。至于力气活，这家店进货量不大，再加上送货的工人也会帮忙，基本不需要织姬应付。她坦言，自己缺的不是搬运工，而是一个能帮他处理点货、清货、核算等细致工作的帮手。虽然织姬一再表示茶渡虽然是男生，但是成绩很好，也很心细，但还是被老板拒绝了。

[我还以为是你自己来找工作的呢，原来是给男朋友找的吗？]老板打趣道。

[啊，不是，茶渡同学是我的高中同学啦！]织姬连忙摆手，[我不是这个学校的，我的学校离这里有几个电车站的距离。]

[嗨，那也不算很远嘛！]老板拍了一下手，[我看你这个姑娘也是聪明能干的。我这里晚上工作不多，你可以早点下班，我这边给你报销车费，怎么样要考虑一下吗？]

[咦……这……突然……这样真的可以吗？]织姬睁大了眼。

[啊啊，没问题，毕竟晚上人流量不多，而且毕竟车费也多不了几块钱。]

事情进展得出奇顺利，当天织姬就留下来工作。店内的客流量并不算多，但她依旧认真地干着活，很快就熟悉了工作流程。

[井上，我要出去处理点事，大概半小时就回来。呃，大概过个5分钟，送货的工人会来。不过你不用担心，他都知道东西要放在哪，你只需要帮他开一下仓库门就好。]

[明白，田中女士！]织姬接下了老板手中的钥匙，充满精神气地对她敬了个礼。[保证完成任务！]

正要出门的田中女士愣了一下，随即哈哈笑出声。

[说真的，井上，你大概是我遇见过的最可爱的女孩子了。]

田中女士确实是个温和好相处的人。她不仅在她工作时主动提醒她休息，还让她随意挑选自己喜欢的饮料和便当。她看向自己的眼神，仿佛是位慈祥的母亲看着自己可爱乖巧的女儿。

原本只是帮朋友问工作，没想到幸运女神却眷顾了自己。她幸福地想着，一边嘿嘿笑出声。

[叮咚——]清脆的门铃再次响起。

[欢迎光临！]带着满腔的好心情，织姬迅速地起身，向即将进门的顾客扬起笑脸。

在看清来人的瞬间，她的笑容凝固住了。

一个高大的身影带着夜晚的凉意走了进来。一头醒目的蓝色短发如同燃烧的冰焰，棱角分明的脸，一身掩不住的野性气息。

是葛力姆乔。

他也完全没料到会在这里看见她，脚步顿住，锐利的目光中闪过一丝明显的错愕。但下一秒就被他惯有的、带着几分玩世不恭的戏谑所取代。

[哟，]他低沉的声音在她头上响起，[这不是那天护着‘查得’的小奶猫吗？]

织姬赶紧垂下眼，心跳如擂鼓一般。不知为何，眼前这个男人带来的压迫感，比那天在拳台上更为直接。她想起茶渡的伤，又想起他为葛力姆乔的辩解，也想起了市丸医生那句[看着坏的人未必真坏]……但她还是本能地害怕他。

她鸵鸟般的姿态被他尽收眼底。葛力姆乔嘴角一扯，发出一声意味不明的轻哼，径直走向冷藏柜取出一罐冰啤酒，然后踱回柜台前，[哐]地一声放在收银台上，又让织姬给他从柜台里拿烟。

[Mevius，蓝的。]

织姬的目光慌乱地扫过柜中琳琅满目的烟盒。它们在她眼中几乎长得一样。她的手尴尬地悬在半空，直到葛力姆乔不耐烦地用手指关节敲了敲台面，发出清脆的声响，她才找到目标所在。

她机械地拿起烟酒扫码，用尽量平稳的声音报出价格，接过钱给出收据，全程低着头不敢看他，直到打火机[啪]的清脆声响起。

[请不要在店内吸烟！]她下意识的反应比思考的速度更快。

下一秒，那个高大的身影已然转过身。未点燃的香烟仍叼在嘴里，眼神透着仿佛能将她直接射穿的杀意。

她下意识地后退了一步，扶住了身后的货架。

就在这时，[咚咚]两声沉闷的敲击声从店门方向传来，像一根意外的救命稻草。一个穿着灰色工装、戴着压得很低的鸭舌帽的送货员站在玻璃门外，他身后停着一辆厢式货车。

[抱歉！我去开仓库门！]织姬几乎是逃离般，避过葛力姆乔往门外跑去。

送货员看到一个陌生的脸孔出现，有些疑惑。

[你是……]

[啊！不好意思！] 织姬这才想起还没自我介绍，连忙鞠了一躬，[我是井上织姬，今天刚开始在这里打工的，请多指教！]

[渡边。] 男人点了点头，算是打过了招呼，表情没什么变化。[老板呢？] 他朝店里抬了抬下巴，声音平平的。

[田中女士有事情暂时出去了，现在店里由我照看。] 织姬解释道。对方似乎不是个健谈的人，这让她有点不知所措。为了打破沉默，也为了离收银台远一点，她鼓起勇气开口：[那个……需要我帮忙搬点东西吗？看您只有一个人。]

渡边沉默地看了她几秒，像是在考虑什么，然后才慢吞吞地应了一声：[……也行。那你过来吧。]

接下来的搬运工作几乎是在无声中进行。渡边的话很少，只是偶尔用下巴指个方向，说句“放那儿”。说实话，单个装着货品的箱子并不算重。但她却强迫自己埋着头，加快脚步，一趟又一趟地往返于货车与仓库之间，好像故意要让身体的劳累人来压过之前的紧张。

直到从货车上拿起最后一箱货物，她才敢抬起眼，发现店里已然空荡荡，那个蓝色的身影早已离开。她松了口气，才后知后觉地感到手臂阵阵发酸，呼吸也急促起来。她倚在一摞柔软的纸巾堆旁，轻轻喘着气，没注意到送货员在仓库门口探出头去，左右张望了好一会儿，像是在确认周围是否还有人。然后，他退回身，“咔哒”一声，不轻不重地关上了仓库门。

仓库里瞬间安静下来，只有昏暗的灯光和堆积的纸箱投下的阴影。织姬的心跳莫名漏了一拍，她看着渡边在晦暗的光线下转过身，面孔模糊不清，一种冰冷的预感像蛇一样骤然缠紧了她的心脏。

他没有说话，只是一步一步，不紧不慢地朝她走了过来。

Chapter Text

"What... what are you doing?" Despite her efforts to control it, her voice trembled uncontrollably.

The dullness on Watanabe's face had vanished without a trace, replaced by a greasy, appraising stare. His eyes roamed brazenly over Orihime's chest and thighs, a disgusting leer spreading across his face.

"Don't be so tense," he rasped, closing in. "I just wanted to... thank you for your help. You look tired. Let me give you a massage."

A wave of nausea churned in Orihime's stomach, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. She instinctively shrank back, but immediately bumped against the fully stocked shelves. There was nowhere left to retreat.

"Stay away from me!" she shouted, but Watanabe ignored her, continuing his advance without pausing.

Fear soaked through her entire body like ice water, the helplessness she felt during childhood bullying resurfacing. She forced herself to calm down. Suddenly, Tatsuki's voice pierced through the layers of fear, clear in her mind.

"Orihime! Lower your center of gravity! Wait for your chance! Don't hesitate!"

Just as Watanabe's hand reached for her, Orihime moved exactly as Tatsuki had drilled into her countless times. She sidestepped to avoid the grab while simultaneously delivering a sharp chop to his wrist.

Caught completely off guard, Watanabe cried out in pain and snatched his hand back. He never expected this seemingly defenseless, gentle girl would dare to fight back. Seizing the moment of his pain and surprise, Orihime followed up by lifting her foot and kicking hard at his abdomen. But the warehouse was too cramped; she couldn't put her full weight into the kick. Combined with her exhaustion from moving boxes, the attack only made him grunt and stagger back a step before collapsing sideways against a shelf, causing no real harm.

It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough, Orihime realized. As Watanabe struggled, her eyes darted to a bottle of cleaning spray in the corner of a shelf. She quickly darted through the gap between another set of shelves, circling around his position, snatched the spray, turned back, and aimed it directly at his contorted, furious face, pressing the nozzle down hard.

*Pssht— Pssht—* A white mist instantly enveloped Watanabe's face.

"Fuck! My eyes!" he let out a piercing shriek, bending over in agony as both hands flew up to cover his face.

Her heart hammering, Orihime seized the precious moment and spun around, lunging for the warehouse door. With trembling hands, she grabbed the doorknob and twisted with all her might. But whether it was locked or simply too old, the door didn't open as easily as she had hoped.

She beat her hands against the door in vain, wanting to scream for help, but terror choked the sound in her throat. In her panic, she remembered the warehouse key in her pocket. She fumbled for it with shaking fingers, the key clattering against the metal around the keyhole, missing its mark several times.

Behind her came Watanabe's roar of pain and fury. Orihime glanced back in horror to see him staggering, frantically wiping his stinging, watering eyes with his sleeve while yanking a beer bottle from a shelf. He smashed it hard against the shelf's edge. Shards of glass flew everywhere. Gripping the broken bottleneck, its jagged edge pointed straight at her, his eyes blazing with malice, he charged at her like a wild animal.

The instinct to survive overwhelmed everything else. Orihime finally managed to insert the key into the lock. She turned it forcefully, and the door finally gave way. But at almost the exact same instant, an irresistible, immense force slammed into the door from the outside.

*Boom—!*

The door, as if struck by a heavy hammer, swung inward violently and smashed squarely into Orihime's face. She saw stars, a sharp pain shooting through her nose as she stumbled back and fell to the floor. Warm blood gushed from her nostrils. She instinctively pressed a hand to her nose, but it seeped through her fingers, staining her uniform. Dazed and in pain, she looked up, still desperate to flee—but then froze when she saw who stood in the doorway.

A tall, imposing figure filled the space. The distinctive blue spiky hair and those sharp, predatory ice-blue eyes were unmistakable, even in the gloom.

It was Grimmjow.

But as his gaze swept over the scene, the usual cold arrogance on his face first stiffened, then twisted into something dark and ugly.

The would-be attacker he had expected to find—the one he thought would be standing clear of the door's arc—was indeed well away from the entrance, red-eyed and wiping his face with his sleeve, a broken bottle gripped in his other hand. He stood frozen, staring stunned at Grimmjow's sudden intrusion.

But the victim Grimmjow had pictured was now slumped on the floor right behind the door, clutching her bleeding nose, tears streaming down her face—looking far worse than before he'd arrived, all because of the door he himself had slammed open.

After standing frozen for a few seconds, he suddenly stepped over Orihime, who was still on the ground, a murderous glint in his eyes. He moved with such speed he seemed to teleport, appearing directly in front of Watanabe.

The broken bottle looked like a toy in Grimmjow's eyes. He seized Watanabe's wrist, and the already terrified man easily let go. The bottle clattered to the floor. Then, a ruthless, powerful punch slammed directly into Watanabe's abdomen. Watanabe didn't even manage a grunt; he simply curled up like a boiled shrimp and lost consciousness. An eerie silence fell over the warehouse, broken only by Orihime's faint, suppressed whimpers.

Having dealt with Watanabe in an instant, the fury in Grimmjow's chest hadn't subsided in the slightest. If anything, this absurd misunderstanding had made him even more irritable. He kicked the unconscious Watanabe a few more times in frustration before turning around. His ice-blue eyes locked onto the orange-haired girl, who was still sitting on the floor in a pitiful state.

He had just finished the cigarette outside. The can of ice-cold beer he'd bought was already empty, the dryness in his throat urging him to go back for another one. He had glanced into the shop, noticed the orange-haired part-timer still hadn't returned, clicked his tongue in annoyance, and was about to leave when a series of frantic, panicked knocks suddenly came from the direction of the warehouse outside the shop, forcibly halting his steps.

Grimmjow wasn't a helpful person by nature, nor was he always in the mood to interfere. But at that moment, he could never have imagined that this damned act of what he thought was a simple intervention would nearly make him the murderer of that weak, foolish woman.

He clicked his tongue impatiently, strode over to her in a few steps, and reached out to grip her chin, forcing her head up. His movements weren't gentle; they were rough. His calloused fingers moved over the bridge of her nose and her face, checking. Only after confirming her nose wasn't broken did his gaze truly settle on her entire face.

Her eyes were wide from the series of shocks and the pain, amber pools brimming with tears. Her hands, which he had pushed aside, were smeared with sticky blood and hung awkwardly in the air. Worse, the nosebleed clearly hadn't stopped; fresh blood was still trickling slowly over her philtrum toward her lips.

He gritted his teeth imperceptibly, his brow furrowing even deeper.

"Can you stand?" His voice was lower and huskier than before.

Orihime started, as if jolted awake, and nodded hurriedly.

The next second, she was hauled upright like a chick.

"Eh—?" she gasped instinctively.

"Shut up," he growled impatiently, the sound startling her into immediate silence. "Clean up your face. Now, you foolish woman."

Just then, a shocked cry came from the warehouse entrance. "Inoue?! Wh-what on earth happened?!"

Mrs. Tanaka, who had just returned, stood frozen in the doorway, her face a mask of horror. She took in the disarray inside the warehouse, the unconscious stranger, and Orihime—being held up by the scruff of her neck, her face covered in blood. Mrs. Tanaka's face instantly lost all color. Her eyes flicked to the blue-haired man's face, and she visibly faltered, clearly recognizing this regular customer with his less-than-stellar reputation in the area. Fear made her hands tremble as she pulled out her phone. "Let her go! I-I'm calling the police!"

"Mrs. Tanaka!" Orihime urgently stopped her, ignoring her awkward position held by Grimmjow. "It's not what it looks like! That delivery man attacked me! Mr. Grimmjow saved me!"

"Eh?" Mrs. Tanaka's hand, holding the phone, froze mid-air. She looked incredulously at Grimmjow's menacing face, then at the earnest plea in Orihime's eyes. Hesitantly, she lowered the phone and hurried over, taking Orihime from Grimmjow's grasp. "I... I see... Thank you so much... Leop... Mr. Grimmjow." Her thanks were stiff, colored by lingering fear.

Grimmjow merely responded with an impatient grunt, as if hearing it for even a second was torture. He walked to the side without a word, pulled out his phone, and started dialing.

"Leop...?" Orihime's sharp ear caught the syllable, a flicker of confusion crossing her mind, but her attention was quickly pulled back. Mrs. Tanaka helped her sit down on a chair inside the shop, efficiently fetching wet wipes and water to carefully clean the blood from her face. "I'm so terribly sorry, this is all my fault..." Mrs. Tanaka's voice was choked with emotion. "How are you feeling now? Dizzy? Nauseous? Does it still hurt? We should really go to the hospital for a check-up..."

"I'm really alright, Mrs. Tanaka," Orihime said, grasping the woman's trembling hands and trying to sound reassuring, though her voice was muffled by the tissue stuffed in her nose. "I'm a nursing student, remember? I know what to look for! And... Mr. Grimmjow already checked me over. It's just a nosebleed. Please, don't worry so much."

Mrs. Tanaka's expression didn't relax. She bit her lip tightly, her face etched with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Inoue. I shouldn't have left you alone here... I just never imagined something like this could happen. That Nakamura boy... he's always been so quiet and hardworking..."

"Nakamura?" Orihime blinked. "But the deliveryman told me his name was Watanabe."

"Eh...?" A flicker of confusion crossed Mrs. Tanaka's eyes. She hadn't gotten a clear look at the unconscious man's face. "That's strange... Did Nakamura take the day off? There *have* been one or two times before when it wasn't him... No, this situation absolutely requires calling the police!" She started searching for her phone again.

"Ah, please wait!" Orihime quickly pressed a hand over Mrs. Tanaka's, lowering her voice. "If we call the police, I'm worried it might cause trouble for Mr. Grimmjow. After all... he only knocked that man out to protect me."

At that moment, Grimmjow pushed the door open and walked back in. His gaze first fell on Orihime's face. The blood had been cleaned by Mrs. Tanaka, but her nostrils were still plugged with blood-stained tissue, and a purplish bruise was forming on her forehead. She looked both pitiful and ridiculous. The corner of Grimmjow's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, as if forcing down an inappropriate expression, before he turned his attention to Mrs. Tanaka.

"Hey,owner," his voice carried an undeniable air of authority. "The company that guy works for... people we know deal with their higher-ups. Someone will handle the cleanup afterwards."

His words didn't sound like a suggestion or an offer of help, but more like a declaration of a *fait accompli*.

Mrs. Tanaka looked at him, bewildered, but then her eyes caught something unsettling through the glass door. A tall man with blond hair, dressed in a black suit, was unceremoniously stuffing the unconscious deliveryman into the back seat of a black sedan as if handling cargo, then slammed the door shut with a definitive *thump*.

Her heart leaped into her throat. She truly didn't know if this was the right choice. Was handing things over to the infamous "Leopard King" really for the best? Shouldn't they still call the police? A whirlwind of concerns flashed through her mind.

But the brief silence seemed to have exhausted Grimmjow's patience. His brow furrowed, and his tone intensified. "Do you understand? Leave it to me."

This time, Mrs. Tanaka's response was almost a reflex, tinged with deference. "Y-yes! Of course... Then... we'll leave it entirely in your hands, Mr. Grimmjow!" She spoke while hurriedly bowing.

With that, she suddenly seemed to remember something important. She turned, pulled open the cash register drawer, took out a stack of bills, and pressed them firmly into Orihime's hands.

"Inoue, take this! It's your pay for today, and also... a small token, for compensation and... well, for the trauma. I'm so terribly sorry! For you to experience something so horrible on your very first day..." Mrs. Tanaka's voice choked up. She gripped Orihime's hands tightly, her eyes full of self-reproach. "It's all my fault. I never should have left you alone in the shop... I've been thinking... the shop... I won't be hiring anyone else for now. If I can't even protect my own employee, I..."

"Mrs. Tanaka, please don't say that!" Orihime interrupted urgently, clasping the woman's hands in return. "This is absolutely not your fault! It's that terrible man's fault! You mustn't blame yourself for this..."

But Mrs. Tanaka just shook her head sadly, her resolve firm. She patted the back of Orihime's hand. "You're a good girl. You've had a terrible shock today. Don't think about anything else. Listen to me, head back to school early and get some proper rest."

Orihime was silent for a moment. Then, she took a portion of the money and placed the remainder back on the counter.

"Mrs. Tanaka, thank you, but I'll only take what I've earned." Her voice was soft, yet carried a gentle stubbornness. Having said that, ignoring Mrs. Tanaka's calls, she almost fled, pushing open the glass door and disappearing into the night.

She walked quickly along the street towards the train station. The night wind brushed against her, making her aware of the dull throbbing at her temple and the lingering pain in her nose. Just then, her phone rang in her bag. It was Chizuru.

"Orihime! Why aren't you back yet? Is your part-time job running this late? It's almost curfew!" Chizuru's anxious voice came through the receiver.

Orihime took a deep breath, striving to make her voice sound light and normal. "Yeah, it's finished. I'm on my way back now, almost there!"

After hanging up, she realized she had missed the last train. Hope instantly evaporated, leaving Orihime rooted to the spot, engulfed by a wave of helplessness. She took an unconscious step back. The fear from the daytime encounter and the panic of being alone on the empty streets intertwined, making her nose sting with unshed tears.

"Hey."

A low voice sounded from behind her, making her jump. She turned to find Grimmjow a short distance away, straddling a motorcycle. He was leaning forward slightly, one foot planted on the ground, the other resting casually on a pedal. The engine beneath him was rumbling, like a steel beast temporarily reined in.

"Which school?"

"Uh, it's... Naruki Medical University," Orihime answered, dazed.

"Get on," he said succinctly. "I'll take you back."

"Eh?" She blinked.

"Foolish woman... are you coming or not?" His expression began to twist with impatience, giving her no time to think.

"I am... I'm coming." She ducked her head, nodding like a pecking bird, and scurried over to the motorcycle.

He shoved a helmet into her hands. "Put it on. Buckle the strap tight."

She finally managed to get the helmet on, then fumbled for what felt like an eternity with the chin strap. Grimmjow let out an extremely impatient *tsk* and finally reached out, grabbing the straps and yanking them tight under her chin. He gave the ends a sharp tug to confirm they were secure, then jerked his chin, signaling for her to get on.

But the motorcycle's height posed a problem. She stood on her toes, trying to swing her leg high enough to clear the seat, but only succeeded in awkwardly draping herself sideways over it, unable to properly seat herself.

Her clumsiness made a vein throb visibly at Grimmjow's temple. He turned, a solid arm looping around her waist. He hauled her up and settled her onto the back seat in one swift motion, as easily as handling a small animal.

Before the heat from the sudden contact could even reach her cheeks, "Hold on tight," he warned, his voice muffled by the roar of the engine revving up, barely audible through the helmet. The next second, a powerful force shoved her backward. Orihime let out a yelp and instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"Waaaaah— Slow down—!" Her screams were snatched away by the wind as streetlights streaked past like meteors. She could only tighten her arms around him, squeezing her eyes shut and burying her face against the broad expanse of his back.

Grimmjow acted as if he hadn't heard, not slowing in the slightest. He even executed a dangerous knee-down corner.The tires screeched dangerously against the pavement.

Orihime's wails were trapped inside the helmet, reduced to muffled whimpers. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, forced out by the extreme speed and terror.

Even after the motorcycle's engine began to slow, Orihime remained rigid for a while longer. Her arms were still locked tightly around Grimmjow's waist, as if glued there, not daring to loosen their grip in the slightest.

"Which building?" Grimmjow's voice came through the helmet, carrying a hint of a rasp she couldn't quite place.

Orihime slowly came back to herself, stiffly opening her eyes. The familiar campus scenery finally came into view, and a sense of security gradually seeped back into her. She mechanically gave directions until they reached the building at the foot of her dorm.

She tried to let go, but her fingers were numb from clutching so tightly. Her movements were awkward, and it took a great effort to slowly uncurl them from Grimmjow's jacket.

She wanted to get off by herself, but her legs felt like they were made of cement, weak and trembling. She stood on her toes, moving with difficulty, and stumbled the moment her feet touched the ground, nearly falling. Grimmjow reacted swiftly, turning and catching her around the waist, his brow furrowing again. "So damn clumsy."

Orihime swayed as her feet found the ground, relying on his arm to steady herself. Her cheeks began to burn again, and even her breathing became uneven.

She reached up to remove the helmet, her fingers fumbling clumsily with the strap for a good while before she finally got it off. Her orange hair was a mess, strands stuck to her sweaty temples. Her eyes were terribly red, and teardrops still clung to her lashes. She looked completely wilted, her gaze somewhat dazed.

Grimmjow looked at her like this, his Adam's apple bobbing for some unknown reason. The harshness in his expression quietly softened a fraction. For once, he didn't offer a sarcastic remark. After a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and used the rough pad of his thumb to wipe the tear tracks from her face—a clumsy but surprisingly swift gesture.

"What are you crying for?" His tone was still gruff, but held less impatience. "I didn't dump you off the back."

Orihime sniffled, tears still swimming in her eyes, but she nodded obediently.

Grimmjow withdrew his hand and jerked his chin toward the building. "Get inside. Don't just stand here in the wind."

Her fingertips were still trembling, but she managed a soft, "Th-thank you for bringing me back."

Grimmjow didn't respond. He just watched as she stumbled towards the dorm entrance, waiting until her figure had disappeared behind the door for a few seconds before twisting the throttle again.

[你……要干什么？]虽然她努力地控制，声音还是不可抑制地颤抖。

渡边脸上的木讷早已消失得无影无踪，取而代之的是黏腻的审视。他的目光毫不掩饰地在织姬的胸口与大腿间游移，嘴角咧开一个令人作呕的狞笑。

[别紧张嘛，]他哑着声音逼近，[我就是想……谢谢你帮忙。看你累了，帮你按摩按摩。]

织姬胃里一阵翻江倒海，心脏在胸腔里疯狂擂动。她下意识地向后靠去，但马上就抵住了满当当的货架。她已退无可退。

[你别过来！]她喊着，但渡边置若罔闻，没有停下脚步。

恐惧像冰水一样浸透全身，童年被霸凌时的那种无助感再次浮现。她强迫自己冷静下来，此时龙贵的声音穿破层层恐惧，在她脑海中浮现。

[织姬！重心下沉！看准机会！别犹豫！]

就在渡边的手朝着她伸来的刹那，织姬就像龙贵教导过无数次的那样，侧身规避的同时，一记手刀猛地劈向他的手腕。

渡边猝不及防，痛呼一声缩回了手。他完全没料到这个手无寸铁的柔弱女孩竟敢反抗。织姬趁着他吃痛分神的间隙，紧跟着抬脚狠狠踹向他的腹部。但仓库过于狭窄，这一脚无法充分发力，加上她刚才搬运货物的疲惫，攻击只是让渡边闷哼着踉跄了一步，侧倒在货架边上，并没有造成什么实质伤害。

这不够，远远不够，织姬意识到了。趁渡边还在挣扎，她的余光瞥见了货架角落的清洁喷雾。她迅速从另一个货架的间隔跑过去，绕开了渡边所在的位置，伸手抓过喷雾，回头对准那张因愤怒而扭曲的脸，用力地按下喷头。

[呲——呲——]白色雾气瞬间笼罩了渡边的脸。

[操！我的眼睛！] 他发出凄厉的惨叫，双手捂脸，痛苦地弯下腰去。

织姬心脏狂跳，抓住这宝贵的空隙，转身就向仓库门扑去。她努力用颤抖的手握住门把手，用力拧去。但不知是被锁死了，还是单纯过于老旧，门并没有如她希望的那样被轻易开启。

她徒劳地拍打着门，想要高声呼救，却因为太过恐惧而发不出声。慌乱中，她想起口袋里的仓库钥匙。她抖抖索索地摸出它，可手指带着钥匙一起颤抖，好几次都擦着锁孔滑偏了。

身后传来渡边痛苦且暴怒的咆哮。织姬惊恐地回头，看见他一边用袖子胡乱擦着刺痛流泪的眼睛，一边踉跄着使劲从货架上抽出一瓶啤酒，狠狠砸在货架边缘。玻璃渣四溅开来，他攥着瓶颈，用尖锐的半边对着织姬，眼里闪着凶光，像野兽一样朝她扑来。

求生的本能压倒了一切。织姬终于将钥匙插进了门锁，她用力一拧钥匙，门终于开了。几乎是同时，一股无法抗拒的巨力从门外轰然袭来。

[咚——！]

门板如同被重锤击中，猛地向内拍来，结结实实地撞上了织姬的面门。她只觉眼前一黑，鼻梁剧痛，向后踉跄几步后跌坐在地上。有温热的液体从鼻孔中涌出，她下意识地用手捂住鼻子，但鼻血还是从指缝间渗出，滴落在她的制服和前襟上。她吃痛地抬起头，仍想要早点逃离这个是非之地，却在看清来人时怔住了。

一个高大、挺拔的身影矗立在那里，标志性的蓝色碎发和那双野兽般锐利的冰蓝色眼眸，即使在昏暗的光线下也清晰可辨。

是葛力姆乔。

然而，当他看清仓库内的景象后，那张惯常冷酷的脸上表情瞬间凝固，随即变得极其难看。

他预想中嚣张的施暴者站在仓库门绝对拍不到的地方。他双眼通红，满脸涕泪，一只手一直被迫努力擦着眼睛。另一只手虽然握着碎酒瓶，但在看到他冲进来的那一刻就已经目瞪口呆愣在原地。

而他预想的受害者却跌坐在门后，正捂着鼻子坐在地上，鲜血从指缝里渗出，眼泪不受控制地往下掉，看起来比他没来之前更惨。

他在原地愣了几秒后，猛地跨过倒在地上的织姬，眼中凶光毕露，几乎是以瞬移的速度出现在渡边面前。

那破酒瓶在葛力姆乔看来简直像个玩具，他一把攥住渡边的手腕，早就吓得不轻的渡边轻易地就松了手，酒瓶[咣当]一声落在地上。紧接着，一记毫不留情的重拳直接轰在渡边腹部，他连哼都没哼出一声，就像只被煮熟的虾米一样蜷缩着昏死过去。仓库里陷入一片诡异的寂静。只剩下织姬细微的、压抑着的呻吟声。

葛力姆乔迅速解决完渡边，胸中的火气却丝毫未减，反而因为这场荒谬的误会变得更加烦躁。他恨恨地对着渡边又踢了几脚，转过身来，冰蓝色的眼眸锁定了仍坐在地上狼狈不堪的橙发少女。

刚刚他在店外抽完了一支烟，刚买的那罐冰啤酒也迅速见了底，喉间的燥意催促他折返再买一罐。他往店里扫了一眼，发现那个橙发打工妹还没回来，[啧]了一声转身要走。一阵急促到近乎慌乱的敲门声却猛地从店外仓库里传来，硬生生拽住了他的脚步。

葛力姆乔不是乐于助人的好人，也并非每次都有多管闲事的心情。可这一刻他绝不会想到，自己这该死的举手之劳，竟会让他差点就成了谋杀那个弱小蠢女人的凶手。

他不耐烦地咂了下舌，三两步走到她面前，直接伸手一把抬起她的下巴。他的动作算不上温柔，甚至有些粗暴。他粗糙的手指在她的鼻梁和面额游走检查了一番，确认她的鼻梁并没有断后，他的目光才真正落到她整张脸上。

她因这一连串的惊吓和疼痛睁大了双眼，琥珀色的眼瞳里盈满的泪水。被他拨开的双手沾满了黏腻的鼻血，无措地悬在半空。而更棘手的是，鼻血显然还未止住，仍然有液体继续沿着她的人中缓缓滑向唇边。

他暗暗咬紧了牙，眉头拧得更紧了一些。

[能站起来？]他的声音比刚才更加低沉沙哑。

织姬像是被惊醒般，连忙点了点头。

下一秒，她像小鸡仔一样被拎起。

[哎——？]她下意识地惊呼出声。

[闭嘴。]他不耐烦的低吼吓得她立刻噤声。[赶紧把你的脸处理一下，蠢女人。]

就在这时，仓库门口传来一声惊愕的呼喊：[井上？！这、这是怎么回事？！]

刚刚归来的田中太太一脸惊恐地站在门外。她看到仓库内的狼藉、昏倒的陌生男人，以及正被人拎着的满脸是血的织姬，脸色瞬间煞白。她的目光落在蓝发男人的脸上时明显愣了一下，显然是认出了这位在附近名声不佳的常客。恐惧让她颤抖着掏出了手机：[放开她！我、我要报警了！]

[田中太太！]织姬急忙阻止，也顾不得被葛力姆乔拎着的别扭姿势，[不是这样的！是那个送货员攻击我，是葛力姆乔先生救了我！]

[诶？]田中太太举着手机的手僵住了，难以置信地看向一脸凶相的葛力姆乔，又看看织姬恳切的眼神，半信半疑地放下手机，赶紧上前从葛力姆乔手中接过织姬。[原来是这样……真是太感谢了，豹……葛力姆乔先生。]她的道谢带着几分惊魂未定的拘谨。

葛力姆乔对这声道谢只是不耐烦地哼了一声，仿佛多听一秒都是折磨。他径直走到一边，掏出手机开始拨号。

“豹……？”织姬敏锐地捕捉到了那个音节，脑子里闪过一丝疑惑，但注意力很快被拉回。田中太太扶她在店内的椅子坐下，麻利地拿出湿纸巾和清水，小心翼翼地擦拭她脸上的血迹。[实在对不起，都是我的错……]田中太太的声音带着哽咽，[你现在感觉怎么样？头晕吗？想吐吗？还痛不痛？我们还是去医院检查一下……]

[我真的没事，田中太太。]织姬握住她颤抖的手，努力让自己的声音听起来平稳些，尽管塞着纸卷的鼻子让她的声音瓮声瓮气。[我是护理专业的学生唷，我自己有数的！而且……刚刚葛力姆乔先生也帮我检查过了，只是流鼻血而已。您不用太紧张。]

田中太太的表情并未放松，她紧紧咬住嘴唇，脸上写满了愧疚。[对不起，井上，我不该留你一个人在这儿……可我实在没想到会发生这种事。中村那孩子，一向都很老实勤快的……]

[中村？]织姬眨了眨眼，[可那个送货员跟我说，他叫渡边。]

[咦……？]田中太太眼中闪过一丝困惑，她刚才并未看清昏厥男人的脸，[这就奇怪了……难道是中村请假了？之前好像确实有过一两次不是他来送货……不行，这种情况必须报警！]说着，她又低头去翻找手机。

[啊，请等等！]织姬急忙按住她的手，压低声音，[如果报警的话，我担心会给葛力姆乔先生带来麻烦。毕竟……是他为了保护我才动手打晕那个人的。]

此时，葛力姆乔推门而入。他的目光先落在织姬脸上。她脸上的血渍已经被田中太太清理干净，但是两个鼻孔仍然塞着染血的纸巾，额头上有块青紫的痕迹。看着可怜又滑稽。葛力姆乔的嘴角几不可察地抽动了一下，像是强行压下了某个不合时宜的表情，随即把目光转向了田中太太。

[喂，老板娘。]他的声音带着一种不容置疑的气势，[那家伙在的公司，他们的负责人我们认识。后面的事，会有人来处理干净。]

他说的话不像是在商量或提供帮助，更像是在下达一个既成事实的通知。

田中太太惶惑地看向他，却隔着玻璃发现门外令人不安的一幕。一个身材高大、穿着黑西装的金发男人，正像处理货物一样，将那个昏迷不醒的送货工塞进一辆黑色轿车的后座，随即“嘭”地一声关上了车门。

她的心提到了嗓子眼里。她实在不知道这样是否合适，交给这位名声在外的“豹王”先生处理，真的好吗？还是应该报警更好？种种顾虑在她脑中飞快闪过。

但短暂的沉默似乎耗尽了葛力姆乔的耐心。他眉头拧起，语气加重了几分[听明白了？交给我处理。]

这一次，田中太太几乎是条件反射般地、带着几分唯诺应了下来：[是、是！好的……那就……全都拜托您了，葛力姆乔先生！]她边说边慌忙鞠躬。

说着，她突然想起什么重要的事，转身拉开收银台抽屉，取出一些钞票，不由分说地塞进织姬手里。

[井上，这个你拿着！这是今天的工资，还有……还有一点点心意，算是赔偿和精神损失费。真的非常对不起！第一天就让你遇到这么可怕的事……]田中太太的声音带上了哽咽，她紧紧握住织姬的手，眼中满是自责。[都是我不好，我不该让你一个人看店……我想过了，这店……我暂时不招人了。我连自己的员工都保护不好，我……]

[田中太太，请不要这么说！]织姬反握住她的手，急切地打断她，[这根本不是您的错！是那个坏人的错！您千万不要因为这种事就责怪自己……]

但田中太太只是难过地摇摇头，态度很坚决。她拍了拍织姬的手背：[好孩子，今天吓坏了，什么都别想了。听我的话，早点回学校去好好休息。]

织姬沉默了一会，从那叠钱中拿出了一部分，将剩余的放在了柜台上。

[田中太太，谢谢您，可是我只拿我应该拿的。]她的声音很轻，却带着一种温柔的固执。说完，她不顾田中太太的呼唤，几乎是逃也似地推开玻璃门，融入了夜色之中。

她沿着街道，快步向电车站走去。夜风一吹，才感觉额角的伤处和鼻子还隐隐作痛。就在这时，包里的手机响了，是千鹤打来的。

[织姬！你怎么还没回来？打工打到这么晚吗？都快到门禁时间了！]听筒里传来了千鹤焦急的声音。

织姬深吸一口气，努力让自己的声音听起来轻松平常：[嗯，已经结束了，我就在路上啦，快了快了！]

挂断电话之后，她才发现已经过了电车末班车的时间。希望瞬间落空，织姬愣在原地，一种巨大的无助感包裹了她。她下意识地后退一步，白天遭遇的恐惧和此刻身处空荡街头的惊慌交织在一起，让她鼻子一酸。

[喂。]

一个低沉的声音自身后响起，吓得她浑身一颤。她回过头，发现身后不远处，葛力姆乔正跨坐在一辆摩托车上，身体微微前倾，单脚支地，另一只脚随意地踩在踏板上。他身下的摩托车发动着，像一头被暂时勒住缰绳的钢铁野兽。

[你在哪个学校？]

[呃，是……鸣木医学大学。]织姬怔怔地回答。

[上来。]他言简意赅，[我送你回去。]

[诶？]她眨了眨眼。

[蠢女人……到底要不要走？]懒得给她思考的时间，他的表情又开始变得不耐烦。

[要……我走。]织姬缩了一下脖子，小鸡啄米般点着头，小跑到他的摩托车边上。

他往她的手里塞了个头盔。[戴上，把安全带系紧。]

她好不容易戴好了头盔，又摸索了半天头盔的系带。葛力姆乔极其不耐地[啧]了一声，终于忍不住伸出手，一把将系带在她的下巴上系紧。扯了扯绳尾确认牢固后，抬了抬下巴示意她上车。

但这摩托车的高大程度却让她有些犯难。她努力地踮起脚抬高腿，试图跨上后座，却只能狼狈地斜挂在上面，怎么也坐不端正。

她的笨手笨脚让葛力姆乔额角的青筋跳个不停。他转过身，一条结实的手臂直接环过她的腰，像拎小动物一样，用力往上一提、一揽，瞬间将她稳稳地安置在了后座上。

还没等这肢体接触带来的热度爬上脸颊，[抓紧。] 他出声警告，声音闷在引擎启动的轰鸣里，隔着头盔听得并不真切。下一秒，强烈的推背感猛地袭来，织姬惊叫一声，下意识死死抱住了他的腰。

[啊啊啊啊啊——慢一点——！] 风声裹挟着她的尖叫呼啸而去，路灯的光影像流星一样掠过。她只能将手臂收得更紧，紧紧闭上眼，将脸埋在他宽阔的背脊上。

葛力姆乔像是没听见，非但没减速，还来了个危险的压弯，轮胎与地面摩擦发出危险的嘶鸣。

织姬的哀嚎被硬生生堵在头盔里，化作沉闷的呜咽，眼泪几乎要被这极致的速度与恐惧逼出眼眶。

直到摩托车的引擎开始放缓，织姬还僵了好一会儿，手臂依旧死死圈着葛力姆乔的腰，像被胶水粘住似的，半点不敢松开。

[你住哪栋？] 葛力姆乔的声音隔着头盔传来，带着点不易察觉的低哑。

织姬这才慢慢回神，僵硬地睁开眼。熟悉的校园景色终于映入眼帘，安全感一点点地回魂。她机械地指挥着方向，直到到达宿舍楼楼下。

她尝试着松开手，可手指早攥得发麻，动作僵硬，她费了好大劲才一点点松开葛力姆乔的外衣。

她想自己下车，可腿像是被水泥灌了似的，软得发颤。她踮着脚艰难地挪动，刚一碰到地面就踉跄了一下，差点摔在地上。葛力姆乔眼疾手快，侧身伸手就捞住了她的腰，眉头又拧了起来：[蠢死了。]

织姬双脚落地时晃了晃，靠在他胳膊上才勉强站稳，脸颊又开始发烫，连呼吸都变得不自然。

她抬手去摘头盔，手指笨拙地解着系带，好一会儿才把头盔取下来。一头橙发已经乱七八糟，几缕碎发贴在汗湿的额角，眼眶红得厉害，睫毛上还挂着没干的泪珠。整个人看起来蔫蔫的，眼神都有些涣散。

葛力姆乔看着她这副模样，喉结莫名滚了滚，戾气悄悄消弭了一些。他难得没说刻薄话，迟疑了两秒，抬手用粗糙的拇指指腹，有些笨拙却异常迅速地抹去她脸上的泪痕。

[哭什么。] 他语气依旧硬邦邦的，却少了几分不耐，[又没把你甩下去。]

织姬吸了吸鼻子，眼泪还在眼眶里打转，却乖乖点了点头。

葛力姆乔收回手，抬了抬下巴：[赶紧回去，别杵在这吹风。]

她的指尖还在发颤，却还是小声说了句，[谢、谢谢你送我回来。]

葛力姆乔没应声，只是看着她踉跄着往楼道口走，直到她的身影消失在门后几秒，才重新拧动车把。

Chapter Text

Orihime pushed open the dormitory door quietly and noticed the light was still on.

"Orihime! You're finally ba—" Chizuru rose from her desk, but before she could finish her sentence, her eyes caught the dark red speckles of blood on Orihime's clothes. "Oh my god! What happened to you?! Where are you hurt?!" she cried out, rushing over to grab Orihime by the shoulders, anxiously checking her up and down.

"I-It's nothing, Chizuru!" Orihime quickly waved her hands, forcing a reassuring smile as she delivered the excuse she had prepared earlier. "It's just... when I went to Chad's school this afternoon, I didn't notice a glass door that was wiped too clean, and I... ended up bumping into it. My nose bled a little, that's all. I'm fine now!"

"Ah... seriously!" Chizuru let out a sigh of relief, then gave Orihime's arm a light, half-exasperated, half-concerned pinch. "You... you can't keep going on like this!" The explanation was truly flawless—after all, for someone as clumsy as Orihime, little bumps and bruises were practically part of her daily routine.

Chizuru still wasn't entirely convinced. She carefully inspected the faint bruise on Orihime's nose bridge and forehead, confirming it really wasn't serious, and then launched back into her fretful rambling. "Even if you say the shop owner is nice, working until this late just isn't safe. I was really worried—"

"Yeah," Orihime nodded, her voice tinged with a trace of imperceptible weariness. "I thought so too. So... I won't be going back."

Hearing her firm decision, the concern finally melted from Chizuru's face, replaced by genuine relief. "That's good then! Go take a hot shower and get some proper rest."

When Orihime emerged from the bathroom, Chizuru was already asleep in bed, her gentle breathing audible in the quiet room. She must have stayed up waiting for me until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, Orihime thought. A wave of warmth, followed by a pang of guilt, washed over her. She quietly switched off the desk lamp and felt her way into her own bunk.

She hadn't washed her hair. Though she probably should have, she lacked both the time and energy to dry her long hair. Her body felt heavy as lead, every joint crying out with extreme fatigue. She should have fallen asleep quickly, yet her heart beat in her chest—untimely and distinct—preventing her from drifting off.

Too much had happened that day. So much that for someone accustomed to an ordinary routine, the return to quiet now felt profoundly unreal. Scenes from the day flashed through her mind uncontrollably—the sudden, gripping fear in the warehouse, and… that fierce, blue-haired figure. The feel of his long, rough fingers against her face, the solid torso beneath his jacket, the rush of the night wind past her ears, and that powerful arm wrapped firmly around her waist…

Orihime burrowed deeper under the covers, as if she could shut out these unsettling memories.

In the days that followed, Orihime's life was once again filled with the structured and demanding routine of her studies.

The academic pressure in university was greater than she had anticipated. Her backpack was always heavy, stuffed with textbooks as thick as bricks. While her memory was indeed quite good, and memorizing the long lists of drug names, mechanisms of action, and human anatomical structures wasn't exceedingly difficult for her, maintaining a ranking stable enough to secure a scholarship still required relentless effort.

Or so she told herself.

After weeks of keeping Orihime company during her study marathons, Chizuru finally reached her limit. With a dramatic groan, she declared that she absolutely had to take a break. Early in the morning, Orihime headed to the study room alone, her arms full of books. By the afternoon, the long hours of reading had taken their toll, and she couldn't suppress a drowsy yawn. Just then, her phone screen lit up silently on the desk. She opened it to find a text message from Sado.

She hurried down the stairs and immediately spotted his tall, steady figure waiting at the entrance of the study hall.

"Sado-kun!" She waved to him in delighted surprise. "What brings you here?"

Sado looked down at her, his steady gaze lingering on her slightly tired face for a moment before he spoke. "It's been almost a month since we last met, and you mentioned your studies were intense." He paused, his voice as calm as ever. "I just wanted to check on you." As he spoke, he handed her a paper box printed with the elegant logo of a patisserie. The adorable, pastel-pink box was meticulously tied with a thin ribbon, looking utterly refined.

"And this is...?" Orihime curiously took it, her fingertips brushing against the cool bottom of the box.

"It's cake," Sado explained. "I heard from Asano that you went to the trouble of making one for me, but it seems it got lost near the underground fighting arena." His eyes were gentle and earnest as he looked at her. "Thank you, Inoue. I truly appreciate the gesture."

Orihime froze for a second, then a soft, touched, yet slightly regretful smile bloomed on her face. "Ah... Asano told you... After you all left that day, I only realized I'd lost the cake when I was already in bed... I must have accidentally left it somewhere? I was too embarrassed to bring it up with you..."

"It's fine," Sado interrupted her self-reproach, pointing to the box in her hands. "I asked some female friends and bought this strawberry cake they said is very popular. I hope you like it."

"Wow!" Orihime's voice was brimming with joy. She cradled the box in both hands against her chest as if it were a precious treasure. "I absolutely love it! Thank you, Sado-kun!"

"And this is also for you." Sado said, pulling a large, conspicuously sized jar from his seemingly bottomless backpack. Orihime blinked at the jar's bold design, featuring a dumbbell and a muscular figure, her expression shifting to one of mild confusion. "This is...?"

"Protein powder." Sado's voice remained even, his tone perfectly matter-of-fact. "Studying is demanding. You need to pay attention to your nutrition. It's good for your body."

A wave of warmth instantly washed over her heart, dispelling the gloom that had accumulated there over the past days. Confronted with such a sincere and straightforward gift, those memories of fear, chaos, and unease surprisingly began to fade and blur. Orihime's lips curved upwards into an irrepressible smile.

"Sado-kun..." Her voice carried a slight tremble, but the happiness in it was crystal clear. "Thank you!"

A new weekend arrived, and Orihime felt the need to step away from her heavy academic workload and get some fresh air. Just as she was wondering what to do, she received a call from Rangiku.

"Orihime! There's another cooking class this week! Want to go again? I've been dreaming about that cake you made last time! How about surprising me with something new?"

Orihime agreed without a second thought. When she met Rangiku, the latter blinked her charming eyes in confusion upon seeing Orihime alone.

"Hey, where's Chizuru? The one who's always stuck to your side?"

"Ah... She said she needs to stay in the dorm and study a bit more..."

"Tsk, her loss!" Rangiku deliberately drew out her tone in mock regret, then cheerfully looped her arm through Orihime's and pulled her toward the classroom. "I can't promise I'll save any for her, though!"

This time, Orihime added a layer of thinly sliced salmon into her previous soy sauce-caramel-sea salt cake and generously topped the surface with a shimmering layer of fish roe. After all, Sado had said that more protein was good for the body, and she'd taken his words to heart.

This time, Rangiku didn't hesitate for a second. She cut a large slice and stuffed it directly into her mouth.

"Wow! This is amazing! Sweet, salty, and the texture is fantastic!" Rangiku's eyes sparkled as she ate, nudging Orihime excitedly with her elbow. "Orihime, seriously, you're an innovative genius!"

"R-Really?!" Orihime blushed deeply from the praise and couldn't resist cutting a small piece for herself. The next second, her amber eyes lit up instantly.

"Mmmph mmmph mmmph!!!" Her mouth full of cake, she began excitedly gesturing at Rangiku.Her cheeks were puffed out like a little hamster storing food, making it impossible to form a complete sentence. All she could manage were excited muffled sounds as she nodded vigorously and waved her hands animatedly at Rangiku.

This time, perhaps she could make up for the regret of not successfully giving the cake to Sado and Asano? She thought happily, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

Orihime walked out of Sado's school, still holding the half-remaining cake box.

When she opened the lid, the eager anticipation on Asano's face froze for a second. He stared at the cake as if he'd been physically confronted, but then let out a hearty laugh, cut a slice, and cautiously put it in his mouth.

"Mmm... It's great, Inoue-san!" He chewed valiantly a couple of times, his Adam's apple bobbing with effort, before flashing an exceptionally bright—if slightly strained—smile and quickly reaching for a glass of water to wash it down.

Beside him, Sado also sampled a small piece quietly. His chewing remained measured and steady, but Orihime clearly read the unspoken difficulty in the slight pause of his rhythm and the fleeting ripple that passed through his calm eyes.

"I-I know my flavor combinations can be a bit unusual!" Orihime hurriedly opened another box, her voice filled with fluster and apology. "I just... wanted you to try it, that's all. Here, this one is a plain cake, just sponge and cream. It should be much easier to eat than the last one..."

When Asano and Sado tentatively tried this 'safe' version, their previously tense shoulders relaxed almost simultaneously, and genuinely natural, relieved smiles spread across their faces.

Watching their expressions of palpable relief, a faint tinge of disappointment washed over Orihime's heart, but it was quickly replaced by a much warmer feeling. At the very least, she had ultimately managed to convey her sweet intentions properly, in a way they could truly accept. Moreover, they had responded to her whims with such gentle and determined effort.

She was already fortunate enough to have met someone like Rangiku-senpai, who could genuinely appreciate her culinary creations. Thinking of it that way, there really wasn't any room for regret.

With that thought, a relieved and lighthearted smile bloomed once again on Orihime's face.

Orihime walked toward the train station, her gaze casually drifting over the storefronts. The lights were on in Ms. Tanaka's convenience store, but the "Help Wanted" sign that had once been posted out front was gone.

She hesitated for a moment before finally pushing the door open.

Ms. Tanaka was sitting behind the counter, wearing reading glasses and frowning slightly at a ledger. Hearing the door chime, she instinctively looked up with a smile, which faltered noticeably when she recognized Orihime.

"Inoue? What are you..." She quickly stood up, leaning over the counter with concern. "Let me get a good look at you. Are your injuries all healed?"

"They're completely healed, see!" Orihime moved closer, tilting her face up to show her smooth forehead and nose bridge. "But what about here... did everything turn out alright? About Mr. Watanabe..."

Ms. Tanaka looked at the cheerful, unclouded face before her and couldn't help but sigh, her voice tinged with heartache. "I'm fine. The warehouse was just a bit messy, hardly worth mentioning... Honestly, you're the one who got the biggest scare. Why are you worrying about me first?"

"Because I'm okay now!" Orihime's voice was light and sincere. "Seeing you and the store safe is what really lets me feel at ease." She paused briefly, as if carefully considering her next words, then asked with cautious curiosity, "Mr. Grimmjow said before that he would handle the aftermath... So, did he really take care of everything?"

At the mention of the name, Ms. Tanaka's expression visibly sobered. She subconsciously adjusted her glasses, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice. "Inoue, you're a good kid, listen to an old woman's advice..." Her tone carried undeniable concern. "It's better to keep your distance from someone like Grimmjow."

Seeing Orihime seemed about to speak, Ms. Tanaka gently waved her hand and continued, "I know he helped you last time, and I haven't forgotten that. But with him, help and danger aren't mutually exclusive. The... well, 'organization' or 'company' behind him... it's certainly not some legitimate operation. And precisely because of that, they were able to 'resolve' that violent incident so decisively, in their own way. For a straightforward girl like you... that world is far too dangerous."

Orihime listened quietly without arguing, merely giving a slight nod. Yet, the thoughtful look in her clear eyes didn't completely fade.

After a moment of silence, as if suddenly remembering her original purpose, her face brightened again with a warm, slightly pleading smile. "Ms. Tanaka, there's one more thing... I mentioned my classmate Sado to you before. He's truly reliable and very strong. If he had been here that day, he could have handled it easily! If you change your mind later and need help again, perhaps you could... consider him?" As she spoke, she slid a cute note with Sado's phone number written on it across to Ms. Tanaka.

Ms. Tanaka looked into her clear eyes, brimming with pure concern. Even after her own traumatic experience, she was still trying so hard to look out for her friend. Ms. Tanaka gently patted the back of Orihime's hand, her voice much softer than before.

"Alright, I'll consider it seriously. Thank you, Inoue."

Emerging from the convenience store, Orihime didn't head for the station. A vague hesitation held her steps captive. She began wandering aimlessly along the familiar streets, head bowed, occasionally kicking a small pebble on the roadside.

Deep down, hidden even from herself, was a tiny, scarcely acknowledged hope—perhaps she might run into him again? After all, he had saved her last time. At the very least... she ought to properly thank him once more.

Ms. Tanaka's warning wasn't the source of her hesitation. What tangled her thoughts was something else, more ambiguous and harder to define—a complex feeling caught between gratitude, curiosity, and an instinctual thrill in response to his dangerous aura.

Distracted, she followed the pebble, her attention completely absorbed by the chaotic whirl of her thoughts. Until—thump—her forehead made solid contact with an 'obstacle.'

"Ah—!"

The impact sent her stumbling backward. Just as she thought she would fall, a solid arm shot out, gripping her upper arm firmly and steadying her. The grip was strong, almost to the point of pain.

"Not watching where you're going? Got a death wish?"

A low, thoroughly impatient, and familiar voice dropped down on her from above. Orihime's heart nearly skipped a beat. She looked up, disbelief washing over her. There it was—the signature shock of blue hair, those icy blue eyes looking down at her with a mix of annoyance and a flicker of surprise.

Her mind went completely blank.

Recognition flashed in Grimmjow's eyes as he released her arm, but the irritation on his face seemed to deepen. "You again?" he scowled, his sharp gaze sweeping over her face. "Don't you go to school somewhere else? What are you doing back here?"

Before her flustered stammering could form a proper reply, a thought seemed to strike him. The corner of his mouth twisted into an indecipherable smirk, caught between mockery and understanding.

"Ha," he let out a short, derisive snort. "Looking for that big oaf?" He was referring to Sado.

"Mmm..." Orihime mumbled an ambiguous agreement, finding it far easier than admitting she'd been hoping to run into him.

Grimmjow's gaze finally left her face, dropping to the box that had fallen at their feet during her stumble. The lid had popped open slightly, revealing a messy, indistinct mass of pink and white.

Following his line of sight, Orihime looked down. "Ah! My cake!" she gasped, hurriedly crouching to retrieve it. But Grimmjow bent down as well, snatching the box up before she could.

"So this crap is for him?" He tossed the cardboard box lightly in his hand.

"Y-yes..." Orihime straightened up slowly, her voice small with dismay, her eyes still fixed on the damaged cake box.

"What's a guy like that need cake for?" His tone dripped with contempt. "Will it help him take a couple more punches?"

With that, he opened the cake box, his movements casual, as if handling his own property. He stared at the pink-and-white mixture, studded with fish roe, his eyes filled with pure skepticism.

Yet, in the next second, he did something that left Orihime utterly stunned—he simply reached out a finger, scooped up the largest chunk from the messy interior, and unhesitatingly put it in his mouth.

His chewing faltered for a split second; his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then, his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. He offered no comment, but proceeded to scoop up another piece.

Orihime held her breath, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on his face, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Finally, as he started on a third piece, she gathered her courage and asked in a small voice, "Um... may I ask... what do you think... of the taste?"

Grimmjow glanced at her, chewing thoughtfully before answering in a muffled tone, "What's in this? The texture's weird."

Her voice grew even softer, replying cautiously, "It's... salmon, and fish roe..."

As soon as the words were out, she instinctively ducked her head, as if bracing for an immediate scolding. Yet, she couldn't help stealing a glance upward, trying to catch the subtlest shift in his expression—like a small animal awaiting judgment but still clinging to a sliver of hope.

Grimmjow's chewing came to an abrupt halt. He looked down at the half-eaten cake in his hand, then back at Orihime, his eyes blazing with a "Are you messing with me?" intensity.

"...Ha?" His brows knitted together fiercely. "Fish in cake? What the hell is wrong with your head?"

Incredulity was written all over his face, yet his hand, seemingly of its own accord, scooped up another piece and shoved it into his mouth. After a few seconds of internal battle between his honest taste buds and his thoroughly offended common sense, he finally confessed, as if giving up on himself entirely, "...Tastes alright, I guess. It's just the idea... what the actual hell."

"...Eh?" Orihime blinked in disbelief, then her eyes widened, shining with delight as a brilliant, relieved smile spread across her face.

"R-Really?!" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion as she clenched her fists. But Grimmjow didn't answer; he was busy scooping the last bit of cake from the box.

Her gaze fell to the lid in her hands, smeared with cream and fish roe from the fall. The sudden joy of his approval made her want to confirm that taste one more time. She carefully scraped a dollop of cream from the lid, about to bring it to her mouth. Just as her fingertips were about to touch her lips, her wrist was abruptly caught in a warm, rough grip.

Startled, she looked up to find his eyes glaring with clear annoyance, as if she'd just trespassed on his food without permission. His grip was firm and unyielding. He bent his head slightly and swiftly licked the cream from her fingertips—a motion as natural as if he were cleaning his own fingers.

???!!!??!!

Her mind went blank with a deafening buzz; all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her face, turning it—right up to the tips of her ears—scarlet and burning. She had felt it clearly—the soft, damp touch of his tongue. She yanked her hand back, retreating two quick steps like a frightened rabbit, her heart hammering wildly in her chest, her breath nearly catching in her throat.

The cause of this incident remained utterly unaware of what he had done. After shoveling the last crumbs and cream from the box into his mouth and licking his own fingers clean, he finally turned his attention back to Orihime.

Grimmjow frowned slightly at the sight of her, flushed from neck to hairline and seemingly holding her breath, his face a picture of bewilderment. Probably chalking it up to another of her foolish moments, he couldn't be bothered to dwell on her strange reaction.

"It's getting dark. Get moving."

With that, he turned, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked off as if nothing had happened, leaving behind a cool, domineering silhouette—and a girl with orange hair, stiff and rooted to the spot, red as a boiled shrimp.

织姬轻手轻脚地推开宿舍门，发现屋内的灯还亮着。

[织姬！你总算回……]千鹤从书桌前站起身，话还没说完，织姬衣服上暗红色的点点血迹就映入她的眼帘。[天啊！你怎么了？！哪里受伤了？！]她惊叫着扑过来，抓住织姬的肩膀，紧张地上下查看。

[没、没事的，千鹤！]织姬连忙摆手，脸上挤出一个宽慰的笑容，将早已准备好的说辞讲了出来，[只是……只是下午去茶渡同学的学校时，没注意到一扇擦得太干净的玻璃门，一不小心就……撞上去了，流了点鼻血。已经没事了！]

[啊……真是的！]千鹤松了一口气，随即又气又心疼地轻轻捏了一下她的手臂，[你啊……总是这样可不行！]这理由确实无懈可击，毕竟对冒冒失失的织姬而言，磕磕碰碰确实是她的日常。她还是不放心，又仔细检查了织姬的鼻梁和额头上那块不太明显的青紫，确认真的没什么问题，又重新絮絮叨叨地开口：[虽然你说那个老板娘挺好的，可是如果要工作到这么晚的话还是不太安全哎，我真的很担心——]

“嗯，”织姬点点头，声音带着一丝不易察觉的疲惫，[我也是这么想的。所以以后……就不去了。]

听到她肯定的回答，千鹤脸上担忧的神色才终于消散，真正放下心来。[那就好！快去洗个热水澡，好好休息吧。]

等织姬从从浴室出来，千鹤已经在床上睡着了，空气中传来她轻缓的呼吸声。想必是为了等自己，才强撑到熬不住了吧。织姬心里一暖，又涌上一阵歉疚。她轻手轻脚地熄灭了台灯，摸索着爬上了自己的床铺。

她没有洗头。虽然她应该洗一下，但她已经没有吹干一头长发的时间和精力。她的身体沉重得像灌了铅，每一个关节都在诉说着极度的疲倦。她应该很快就睡着，心脏却在胸腔里不合时宜地、清晰地怦怦跳动，让她无法迅速入眠。

这一天发生了太多事。多到让她这个习惯了平凡日常的人，在一切都归于平静后，反而感到一种巨大的不真实感。脑海里，白天的画面不受控制地一帧帧闪过——仓库里骤然降临的恐惧，以及……那个充满了暴烈气息的蓝色身影。他修长又粗糙的手指在她脸上的触感，他外套下紧实的躯干，夜风掠过耳畔的呼啸，以及他那只揽住她腰身、强而有力的手臂……

织姬将自己更深地埋进被子里，仿佛这样就能隔绝这些令她不安的记忆。

接下来的一段时日，织姬的生活重新被规律而充实的学业填满。

大学的学业压力比她想到还要大一些。她的书包总是沉甸甸的，里面塞着厚重如砖的教材。虽然她的记忆力确实还不错，背诵大量的药物名称、作用机制和人体解剖结构对她而言不算非常困难，但如果想要稳定能拿到奖学金的名次，她也仍不能懈怠。

她这样对自己说。

陪织姬奋战了好几周的千鹤终于撑不住了，哀嚎着宣布今天必须休息。大清早，织姬就独自抱着书本去了自习室。到了下午，长时间看书的她忍不住困倦地打了个哈欠。这时，手机屏幕在桌面上无声地亮起，她打开一看，是茶渡发来的短信。

她匆匆跑下楼梯，一眼就看见了在自习室门口那高大挺拔的身影。

[茶渡同学！]她惊喜地向他挥手，[你怎么会过来？]

茶渡低头看着她，沉稳的目光在她略显疲惫的脸上停留了一瞬，才缓缓开口：[我们已经快一个月没见面了，你之前也提到说学业很重。]他顿了顿，声音一如既往地平和，[我就过来看看你。]说着，他将手里一个印着精致甜品店logo的纸盒递了过来。造型可爱粉嫩的盒子用细绳精心包扎着，看起来十分考究。

[这是……？]织姬好奇地接过，指尖触碰到冰凉的盒底。

[是蛋糕。]茶渡解释道，[之前听浅野提起，你特意为我做了蛋糕，但好像在地下拳馆那边弄丢了。]他看向织姬的眼神温和而郑重，[谢谢你，井上。你的心意我收到了。]

织姬愣了一下，随即脸上绽开一个感动又带着些许遗憾的柔软笑容。[啊……浅野告诉你啦……那天你们回去之后，我躺下了才想起来把蛋糕弄丢了……可能当时不小心落在哪里了吧？我就没好意思和你提这件事……]

[没关系。]茶渡打断了她自责的话，指了指她手中的盒子，[我问了认识的女生，买了她们说很受欢迎的草莓蛋糕，希望你喜欢。]

[哇！]织姬的声音里充满了雀跃，她双手将盒子捧在胸前，像抱着珍贵的宝物，[我超级喜欢的！谢谢你，茶渡同学！]

[还有这个，也给你。]茶渡说着，从他那个看起来容量惊人的双肩包里，取出了一个硕大的罐子。织姬看着罐身上醒目的哑铃和肌肉猛男图案，眨了眨眼，表情变得有些困惑。[这个是……？]

[蛋白粉。]茶渡的声音仍然平缓，语气十分自然，[学习辛苦，你要注意补充营养，对你的身体有好处。]

一股暖流瞬间涌上心头，驱散了连日来积压在心底的阴霾。那些关于恐惧、混乱和不安的记忆，在这份真诚又纯粹的礼物面前，竟然变得模糊起来。织姬的嘴角无法抑制地向上扬起。

[茶渡同学……]她的声音里带着一点点的鼻音，但笑意却无比清晰，[谢谢你！]

又迎来了一个新的周末，织姬也想从繁重的学业中抽身，呼吸点新鲜空气。正不知道该做什么的时候，就接到了乱菊的电话。

[织姬！这周又有烹饪课啦！要不要再去一次？我可早就开始想念你上次做的蛋糕了！你要不要考虑一下给我一点新的惊喜？]

织姬想都没想就答应了。当她和乱菊见面的时候，乱菊看着她身边空无一人，疑惑地眨了眨她那双妩媚的眼睛。

[咦，那个一直和你黏在一起的千鹤没来吗？]

[啊。她说她要在寝室里多看会书……]

[呀，她真没有口福……]乱菊故作惋惜地拖长了语调，亲昵地一把挽住织姬的手臂，兴冲冲地往烹饪教室走去。[我可不确定到时候还能不能给她留下她的份！]

这次，织姬在之前的酱油焦糖海盐蛋糕中还加了切成小片的三文鱼夹层，再在蛋糕表面豪爽地撒上了一层晶莹剔透的鱼籽。毕竟茶渡说过，多吃蛋白质对身体有好处，她将他的话铭记在心。

这次，乱菊没有一丝犹豫，直接切下一大块塞进了嘴里。。

[呜哇！真不错！甜甜咸咸的，口感也很丰富！]乱菊两眼放光，边吃边激动地用手肘捅着织姬，[织姬，说真的，你可真是个创新的天才！]

[真，真的吗！]织姬被夸得双颊绯红，自己也忍不住切下一小块送入口中。下一秒，她的琥珀色眼眸也瞬间亮起。

[唔唔唔唔！！！]她嘴里塞得鼓鼓囊囊，像只囤食的小仓鼠，根本无法说出完整的句子，只能发出激动无比的呜咽声，一边用力点头，一边对着乱菊手舞足蹈地比划起来。

这次，或许能弥补上次没能成功送给茶渡和浅野蛋糕的遗憾了吧？她美滋滋地想着，嘿嘿地笑出声。

织姬抱着还剩下一半的蛋糕，走出了茶渡的学校。

当她打开蛋糕盒，浅野脸上原本满满的期待瞬间凝固了一秒，他盯着蛋糕的样子仿佛受到了冲击。不过，他还是哈哈笑着切下一块，小心翼翼地塞进嘴里。

[唔……很棒嘛，井上小姐！]他努力咀嚼了两下，喉结艰难地滚动着，随即扬起一个无比灿烂、却隐约有些僵硬的笑容，并迅速拿起一旁的水杯灌了一口。

一旁的茶渡也默默尝了一小块，他咀嚼的动作依旧沉稳，但织姬从他微微顿住的节奏和那双平静眼眸中一闪而过的波澜里，清晰地读出了他未说出口的艰难。

[我、我知道我的口味比较奇怪啦！]织姬急忙打开另一个盒子，声音里充满了慌乱和歉意，[我就是……也想让你们尝尝看而已。呐，这个是普通的蛋糕，只有奶油和胚子，应该会比刚刚那个好接受……]

当浅野和茶渡将信将疑地尝过这份[安全]的版本后，两人紧绷的肩膀几乎同时松弛下来，脸上露出了真正自然、放松的笑容。

看着他们如释重负的表情，织姬心里漫过一丝淡淡的失落，却又被更多的温暖所取代。至少，她最终还是把这份甜蜜的心意，用他们能够接受的方式，好好地传递出去了。更何况，他们还这样温柔又努力地回应着自己的任性。

她已经幸运地遇到了乱菊学姐这样能够真正欣赏她手艺的人，这样想来，也并没有任何遗憾可言。

想到这里，织姬脸上重新漾开了释然而温暖的笑意。

织姬往电车站走去，目光不经意地掠过街边。田中太太的便利店亮着灯光，门前的招工广告已经不复存在。

她在原地犹豫片刻，最终还是推开店门。

田中太太正坐在柜台后，戴着老花镜，对着账本微微蹙眉。听见铃声，她下意识扬起笑容抬起头，却在看清来人是织姬时明显愣了一下。

[井上？你怎么……]她连忙站起身，关切地探过身子，[快让我看看，你的伤都好了吗？]

[已经完全好了，您看！]织姬凑近了一些，仰起脸给她看光洁的额头和鼻梁，[倒是您这边……后来都还顺利吗？那位渡边先生的事……]

田中太太看着眼前这张不染阴霾的笑脸，不由得叹了口气，语气里带着心疼：[我这边没什么，就是仓库弄乱了一点点，根本算不上什么事……说起来，你才是受了最大惊吓的人，怎么反倒先来关心起我来了？]

[因为我没事了呀！]织姬的声音轻快而真诚，[看到您和店里都平安，我才能真的放心。]她略微停顿了一下，像是经过了一番思考，才带着些许好奇小心翼翼地开口：[葛力姆乔先生之前说他会处理好后续……所以，他真的都解决了吗？]

一听到这个名字，田中太太的神色明显凝重起来。她下意识地扶了扶眼镜，身体微微前倾，压低了声音：[井上啊，你是个好孩子，听我一句劝……]她的语气里带着不容置疑的关切，[像葛力姆乔那样的人，还是离他远一点比较好。]

见织姬似乎想说什么，田中太太轻轻摆了摆手，继续道：[我知道他上次帮了你，我心里也记着这份情。但是，帮助和危险在他身上是不冲突的。他背后的那个……嗯……该说是‘组织’还是‘公司’呢……总之，绝不是什么规规矩矩的地方。也正因如此，他们才能用他们的方式，这么干脆地‘摆平’打人这种事。对于你这样单纯的孩子来说……那样的世界，还是太危险了。]

织姬安静地听着，没有反驳，只是轻轻点了点头。但她澄澈的眼眸中，那抹若有所思的神色并未完全散去。

片刻的沉默后，她像是忽然想起了正事，脸上重新漾开温暖的、略带恳求的笑容：[田中太太，还有一件事……我之前跟您提过的，我的同学茶渡，他真的非常可靠，也很强壮，如果那天在的是他，完全应付得来！如果您之后改变主意，还需要人手的话，或许您可以……考虑一下他？]说着，她将一张写着茶渡手机号的可爱纸条推给田中太太。

田中太太看着她那双清澈的眼睛，里面盛满了纯粹的关心。甚至在她自己经历了那样的事情后，还在努力地为朋友着想。田中太太轻轻拍了拍织姬的手背，声音比刚才柔软了许多。

[好，我会认真考虑的。谢谢你，井上。]

织姬从便利店里出来，却没有走向车站。一种莫名的踌躇绊住了她的脚步。她开始在附近熟悉的街道上漫无目的地徘徊，低着头，有一下没一下地踢着路边的一颗小石子。

心底深处，其实藏着一个她自己都不太愿意承认的、微小的期盼——或许，能再遇到他呢？毕竟，上次是他救了自己，至少……应该再郑重地道一次谢吧？

至于田中太太的警告，那并非她犹豫的理由。她纠结的，是另一种更模糊、更难以言喻的东西——是一种介于感激、好奇，以及对他那危险气息的本能悸动之间的复杂情绪。

她就这样心不在焉地追着那颗石子，全部的注意力都沉浸在纷乱的思绪里。直到[咚]地一下，她的额头结结实实地撞上了一个[障碍物]。

[啊——]

冲击的力道让她踉跄着向后倒去。就在她以为自己要摔倒在地时，一只结实的手臂迅速伸了过来，一把抓住了她的上臂，稳住了她的身形。那手掌的力度很大，甚至捏得她有点发痛。

[走路不看路，想死吗？]

一个低沉而充满不耐的熟悉声音从头顶砸下来，织姬的心脏几乎要停跳了一拍。她难以置信地抬起头。看到了那头标志性的蓝色碎发，那双正居高临下、带着烦躁与一丝诧异审视着她的冰蓝色眼眸。

她的大脑瞬间一片空白。

而葛力姆乔在看清是她之后，松开了她的手臂，但眉宇间的烦躁似乎更重了些。[蠢女人，又是你？]他眉头紧锁，目光锐利地在她脸上扫过，[不是不在这上学吗？又跑来这里干嘛？]

没等织姬支支吾吾完，他突然想到了什么，嘴角扯出一丝说不清是嘲弄还是了然的弧度。

[哈，]他发出一声短促的轻哼，[是来找那个大块头？]他指的是茶渡。

[嗯……]织姬顺着他的话含糊地应着，这至少比说出[我其实是想碰碰运气看能不能遇到你]要容易得多。

葛力姆乔的视线终于从她脸上移开，落在了因为她刚才踉跄而掉落在两人脚边的盒子上。盒盖摔开了些许，露出里面一团模糊的、混合着粉色和白色的不明物体。

织姬顺着他的视线低下头。[啊！我的蛋糕！]她惊呼一声，慌忙蹲下身去，但葛力姆乔也弯下腰，抢先一步将盒子捡了起来。

[所以，这玩意儿是给他的？]他随意地掂了掂手中的纸盒。

[是、是的……]织姬愣愣地直起身，声音因为沮丧而有些微弱，目光还聚焦在那个开了口的蛋糕盒上。

[那种家伙吃什么蛋糕，]他的语气里充满了不屑，[吃了能多挨两拳吗？]

说着，他打开了蛋糕盒，随意得就像在拿自己的东西。他盯着那团粉白相间、还撒着鱼籽的混合物，眼神里充满了质疑。

然而，下一秒，他却做了一件让织姬目瞪口呆的事情——他直接伸出手指，从那团狼藉中挖了最大的一块，毫不犹豫地送进了嘴里。只见他咀嚼的动作微微一顿，眉毛有些意外地向上挑起，随即，他喉结滚动，咽了下去。他没有给出任何评价，但又接着挖起了一块。

织姬屏住了呼吸，眼睛一眨不眨地紧盯着他的表情，心脏在胸腔里咚咚直跳。终于，当他开始吃第三块的时候，她鼓起勇气小声询问。

[请问……您觉得……味道怎么样？]

葛力姆乔瞥了她一眼，一边咀嚼，一边含糊地说：

[这里面加了什么？口感怪怪的。]

织姬的声音比刚才更小了，小心翼翼地回答：

[是……是三文鱼，和鱼籽……]

说完，她像是怕被立刻责骂一样，下意识地缩了缩脖子，却又忍不住偷偷抬起眼，想去捕捉他脸上最细微的表情变化，像一只等待审判却又心存侥幸的小动物。

葛力姆乔咀嚼的动作猛地停住，他低头看了眼手里吃了一半的蛋糕，又抬眼盯住织姬，眼神里充满了[你是在耍我吗？]的质问。

[……哈？]他的眉头几乎要拧成结，[鱼放在蛋糕里？你脑子里到底装了什么？]

他脸上写满了难以置信，但手却不受控制地又挖起一块送进嘴里。在诚实的味觉与受到冲击的认知搏斗了几秒后，他终于自暴自弃般地坦白道：[……味道是还行。就是你这想法，真是见了鬼了。]

[……咦？]织姬不可置信地眨了眨眼，随即睁大闪着亮光的双眼，脸上绽放出如释重负的灿烂笑容。

[真……真的吗？]她攥紧拳头，激动地问道。但葛力姆乔没有回话，他正忙着捞起盒子里最后一块蛋糕。

她的目光落在手中的蛋糕盒盖上，上面因为蛋糕摔落黏着一片混着鱼籽的奶油。这份被肯定的喜悦来得突然，织姬忽然想要再确认一下这份味道。她伸出手从盖子上小心翼翼地刮下一坨奶油，准备送入口中。就在她的指尖即将触碰到唇瓣的时候，手腕却被一只温热而粗糙的大手猛地攥住。

织姬惊讶地抬头，他的眼神里全是对她未经允许就染指他的食物的不爽。他握着她的手腕，力道不容抗拒。他略微低头，飞快地舔掉了她指尖上的那坨奶油，动作自然得就像舔掉自己手指上的残渣一样。

？？？！！！？？！！

织姬的脑子“嗡”的一声，全身的血液似乎都冲到了脸上，整张脸连同耳朵尖都瞬间变得通红滚烫。她刚刚清晰地感受到他舌尖柔软又潮湿的触感。她猛地抽回手，像受惊的兔子般连退了两小步，心脏在胸腔里疯狂擂鼓，呼吸也几乎要停滞。

而这起事故的始作俑者，完全没意识到自己做了什么。他把盒子里蛋糕的碎屑和奶油三两下塞进嘴里，又舔了舔自己的手指，才把目光移回织姬身上。

葛力姆乔看着她这副从脖子红到头顶、连呼吸都快要停滞的羞窘模样，微微皱起了眉，脸上写满了不解。大概是觉得她又在犯蠢，他也懒得深究她那奇怪的反应。

[天快黑了，赶紧回去。]

说完，他转身双手插兜，像个没事人一样离开了，只留下一个潇洒又霸道的背影，留下橙发少女像只煮熟的虾一样僵在原地。

Chapter Text

"What? You mean besides that Matsumoto senior, there's another person who likes your cooking?"
Tatsuki exclaimed in shock, her face nearly filling the screen. Her eyes widened as if she had just heard the most unbelievable news of the century. Orihime lay sideways on her bed, grinning and nodding at her best friend on the other side of the screen.

"Tatsuki, you've asked me three times already! It's true, you know?" Orihime happily shook her head, her tone brimming with unconcealed pride.

"Oh my god..." Tatsuki fell backward, slapping a hand to her forehead as if she were about to faint. "I was already surprised when you said someone at school appreciated your cooking... but to think there's actually a second person!" she exclaimed dramatically, though the corners of her eyes visible between her fingers softened slightly. "I was worried about whether you'd adjust to the new environment, but for you to meet someone who appreciates your taste in that school... What a rare stroke of luck."

A soft snort came from the desk beside the bed. Suzuki Kyou, who was visiting, sat in Orihime's chair with a thick copy of *Pharmacology* open in front of her. Without looking up, she chimed in, "Tatsuki, you're being too polite. Appreciating her... *creations* that defy the limits of human taste buds is less about having refined taste and more about a genetic mutation. If you ask me, both of them should be handed over to Professor Kurotsuchi for examination. He'd absolutely adore such test subjects—might even write a groundbreaking paper on their taste receptors."

As she listened, Orihime’s thoughts began to drift: She pictured the terrifying Professor Kurotsuchi, who once witnessed Grimmjow devouring her special "Squid Ink Sweet & Spicy Mango Dumplings." His eyes instantly lit up with the mad gleam of a scientist. Snatching up a giant butterfly net, he muttered, "Perfect test subjects," and swung it toward Grimmjow as if trying to catch a feral cat. Grimmjow easily dodged, slashing back with his claws and knocking over a flask of mysterious liquid. With a deafening “”BOOM”, the entire lab was engulfed in dazzling flames...

But then! She zoomed in, driving a bright red, oversized fire engine. Executing a perfect drift, she cleaned right between Grimmjow’s motorcycle and Professor Kurotsuchi’s obviously expensive car. With her assistant Sado’s help, she heroically hoisted the high-pressure water hose—a torrent like a dragon’s breath burst forth, instantly suppressing the blaze and successfully saving both Grimmjow and the professor!

Afterward, the principal, recognizing her bravery, named the school’s newly built cafeteria the "Inoue Grand Dining Hall," where her legendary Squid Ink Sweet & Spicy Mango Dumplings would be served daily—in limited quantities!

Lost in her fantasy, she giggled to herself.

"What's with her all of a sudden?" Kyou asked, leaning over to glance at the grinning Orihime on the bed.

"It's nothing," Tatsuki sighed, watching her friend's dreamy expression through the screen. "She's just having one of her fantasy episodes again. You'll get used to it soon enough."

Kyou nodded thoughtfully and quietly returned to her book.

"Whew—" Just then, Chizuru emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, fresh from her shower. Rubbing her damp hair, she paused behind Kyou and glanced at the open textbook.

"Huh?" Chizuru stopped mid-motion, tilting her head curiously. "But pharmacology class doesn't start until two weeks from now. Do you really need to preview that far ahead in college?" Her expression was genuinely puzzled.

"It seems you haven't heard," Kyou adjusted her glasses, her tone calm and matter-of-fact. "Professor Kurotsuchi, who teaches this course, is what you might call 'strict'—or, to put it less kindly, he enjoys tormenting students. Rumor has it he randomly calls on people during lectures with unusually tricky questions. If you can't answer, he deducts points directly from your usual grade." She paused meaningfully. "And... he has a particular appreciation for those 'brave' enough to show up to his class unprepared."

"Wha——?!" Chizuru let out a horrified shriek, nearly dropping her towel. "How can that be?! I'm doomed then!" She slumped weakly against the desk as if all the strength had drained from her, her face a mask of despair.

"Ah, sounds like you've run into a terrifying teacher. Tough break..." Tatsuki, who had been listening from the other side of the screen, stuck out her tongue sympathetically. "Maybe you should hit the books now too?"

"Alright, Tatsuki, I'll call you another time then."

"Bye..." Chizuru's feeble voice drifted from the direction of the desk.

Hearing Chizuru's dejected tone, Orihime couldn't help but chuckle and relay the message. "Tatsuki, Chizuru says goodbye."

"Chizuru! Bye!" Tatsuki immediately raised her voice, calling warmly toward the microphone. "Cheer up! Good luck with pharmacology—!"

That energetic blessing finally made Chizuru lift her head. She weakly waved a hand in the air, acknowledging the gesture of goodwill.

Grimmjow shoved the convenience store door open and strode straight to the drink cooler. He yanked the door open, pulled out a can of chilled beer, and cracked it open with one hand. He downed it in two or three gulps, smacked his lips, then grabbed another can before turning toward the checkout counter.

After just two steps, he halted, his gaze landing on the tall figure behind the counter.

"Well, if it isn't the 'Iron Wall' kid," he said, raising an eyebrow as he strode over and slammed the two empty cans onto the counter with a thud. "Haven't seen you around. Was starting to think you were laid up in the hospital for good."

"I've been working," Sado replied evenly and matter-of-factly, picking up the scanner and swiftly scanning the items.

Grimmjow grinned, a hint of provocation in his expression, and tossed the money onto the counter. "This job suits you. Safe. Saves you from getting into fights."

"Right now, I'm truly no match for you," Sado said calmly as he took the payment and gave change. "But I haven't stopped training. One day, I'll be worthy of a serious fight with you."

"What good is just training?" Grimmjow snorted dismissively. "Real combat beats any training."

"If I fought you now, I'd probably end up in the hospital," Sado looked up at him, his tone serious. "And that would interfere with my job and my studies." He paused briefly before adding, "But... even if we don't fight, could I still come watch your matches? You're incredibly strong. Watching you would teach me a lot."

Grimmjow was visibly taken aback for a moment, then let out a sharp, derisive laugh. He snatched the remaining beer can, turned, and walked out. Pushing the door open, he tossed back without looking:

"Suit yourself. Come watch if you're not scared of seeing blood."

The daytime glare was harsh, making it difficult to see clearly into the shop through the reflective glass. Just as Orihime was about to enter, she froze upon seeing Grimmjow emerge.

She had come to see Sado. While the possibility of running into Grimmjow had crossed her mind, she never expected it to be here.

Grimmjow noticed her too. His sharp blue eyes lingered on her visibly tense face for a moment, the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. He didn't speak, nor did he break his stride, brushing past her without a word and leaving a faint, cool breeze in his wake.

It wasn't until he was several steps away that Orihime seemed to remember how to breathe, letting out a soft sigh of relief. Yet, an inexplicable sense of disappointment quietly crept into her heart. She glanced back at the street corner where Grimmjow had disappeared, then quickly pushed the convenience store door open and hurried inside.

"Sado-kun!" she called out as she approached the counter, her voice still tinged with lingering unease. "Grimmjow... what was he doing here? He wasn't causing trouble for you again, was he?"

"He just came to buy something," Sado replied calmly. After a brief pause, he added, "Also, he agreed to let me watch his matches."

"...What?"

"Just as a spectator, not a participant. Don't worry," he reassured her. "I simply mentioned that his skills are truly worth learning from, so I'd like to go and observe."

"I see..." Orihime murmured, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right. What about Mrs. Tanaka?"

"She has regular errands to run at noon and in the evening, so she's not here right now. Mainly, she seems to trust me quite a bit. She said it should be fine to leave me alone here."

As Sado spoke, Orihime unconsciously held her breath. Seeing his calm expression, she quietly sighed in relief.

She had specifically asked Mrs. Tanaka not to mention the incident from her previous part-time job to Sado, as it would only needlessly trouble him about the past. Mrs. Tanaka had remained silent for a moment back then before agreeing—it seemed she had truly kept her promise.

"See, I knew it! Sado-kun is super reliable! Mrs. Tanaka was absolutely against hiring boys before, but you won her over in such a short time!" She grinned, giving him a thumbs-up.

The following hours saw few customers, and they chatted naturally, just like old times.

"Ha... So, my course load is probably going to be much heavier from now on... I might be stuck in the study room even on weekends... This might be the last time I can bring you something before the semester ends." Orihime said with a pout, placing a neatly wrapped paper bag on the counter. "I made this with the protein powder you gave me last time! Don't worry! This isn't one of my own recipes; I followed a tutorial I found online, so... it should be acceptable for you."

Sado opened the paper bag to find exquisitely wrapped protein bars, each individually sealed, looking as refined as store-bought ones. "You even went through the trouble of packaging them so nicely? ... You're already so busy, you didn't need to go to such lengths. I can take care of myself."

"Hehe~ It's no trouble at all! Doing things like this for friends makes me happy too~"

"Thank you, Orihime. Actually, I should be the one thanking you for recommending such a good job to me... Here, is there anything you'd like to eat? Feel free to take anything, it's on me."

"Really? Yay! Then I'd like a red bean bun!"

"What else?"

"Hmm... I can't think of anything else for now, but this is plenty! It'll fill me up!"

"That won't do. If your studies are stressing you out, you should eat more nutritious food." Without another word, Sado walked over to the bento section, stretched out his arm, and swept nearly the entire row of bento boxes into his embrace.

Orihime stared, wide-eyed, at the mountain of bento boxes piled in his arm and frantically waved her hands. "Th-That's a bit too much, Sado! This amount... even two dorm rooms' worth of students couldn't finish it! We don't have a fridge, and if we can't eat it all, it'll go bad. That would be such a waste!"

Sado paused, looking down at the boxes. "Are girls' appetites... really that small?"

He selected the most well-balanced bentos from the pile and placed them on the counter. "Then, how about just these?" he said, swiftly scanning them, bagging them, and pulling money from his pocket to place in the register.

Just then, the convenience store door chimed as several customers entered. Sado immediately shifted back into work mode, giving a slight bow. "Welcome."

Orihime realized it was time for her to go. She picked up the heavy bag and gave Sado a small wave. "I'll be heading off now. Thank you, Sado-kun."

Orihime stepped out of the convenience store but saw no sign of Grimmjow. Clutching the bag, she hesitated for a moment before feigning nonchalance and slowly heading towards the alley where the underground fighting arena was located.

The closer she got to the alley entrance, the more her heart inexplicably raced. Leaning against the inconspicuous metal door wasn't the person she had expected to see, but a stranger instead.

A tall woman leaned against the wall, her golden wolf-cut hair strikingly bright under the sun. Her healthy, wheat-colored skin was complemented by expertly applied smoky eye makeup that, far from looking frivolous, instead accentuated the depth of her eyes. The pure white tracksuit she wore carried a unique aura on her; the tight tank top outlined toned muscle lines, and even with the loose-fitting pants, her legs appeared long and straight.

She was looking down, taking a cigarette from a pack, when she seemed to sense Orihime's presence. She lifted her gaze, meeting Orihime's eyes from about five or six meters away. Without speaking, she held the unlit cigarette and quietly observed the schoolgirl standing dumbly at the alley entrance, clutching a convenience store plastic bag.

Orihime, holding the plastic bag, stared dumbly at the unfamiliar beauty. It wasn't until the woman tilted her head slightly and began walking towards her with long, unhurried strides that Orihime suddenly snapped back to reality, flusteredly dropping her head to stare at her own uniform shoes.

The footsteps stopped in front of Orihime, casting a shadow over her. Although the intangible pressure made her almost hold her breath, intense curiosity drove her to lift her head.

The woman's thick, golden eyelashes seemed almost translucent in the sunlight. They were long and curled, fluttering like butterfly wings with each blink. Beneath them, her blue eyes held a deep, sea-like calm that, for a moment, made Orihime forget to look away. It was only when those blue eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly that Orihime abruptly regained her senses, her cheeks instantly burning.

"S-sorry!" she stammered, hurriedly bowing her head, flustered. "I didn't mean to stare... It's just that... you're really too beautiful..."

The woman clearly hadn't expected that response. She paused noticeably, then coughed lightly to cover her reaction. The unlit cigarette still held between her fingers, her voice softened slightly. "Judging by your look, you're a student?"

Orihime nodded silently.

"Lost?"

"No." Orihime answered softly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the plastic bag tighter.

"Then..." the woman mused, "are you looking for someone?"

"K-kind of... yes..."

"Kind of?" The woman frowned. "Do you know what this place is?"

"It should be... an underground fighting ring, right?"

"Since you know that, there shouldn't be anyone you're looking for here. Unless you're seeking some reckless student who barged in here without a care."

"Um, no..." Orihime took a deep breath. "I was thinking... I wanted to see if Mr. Grimmjow was around here..."

"Grimmjow?" the woman repeated, her gaze locking onto Orihime as if reassessing her. "Does he know you're coming?"

"Ah... I just... was passing by, and thought I'd see if he happened to be here... that's all..." she stammered, her voice trailing off.

"He doesn't know." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Seeing Orihime's embarrassed expression, the woman understood. "Consider this a reward for that 'too beautiful' comment. I'll give you a chance."

She took out her phone, sent a quick message, then said to Orihime, "I told him there's a reckless schoolgirl waiting for him at the door. If he's willing, he'll come out himself. If not, or if you're lying..." Her sharp eyes swept over Orihime, carrying a hint of warning. "...you know the consequences."

"...Huh?" A chill ran down Orihime's neck as the belated realization dawned that she had stumbled into a perilous situation.

This woman, while stunningly beautiful, seemed to radiate the same unfamiliar and unpredictable dangerous aura as Grimmjow.

She really should have trusted her initial unease and left the moment she started feeling awkward during their conversation. Internal screams of regret echoed in her mind, which now felt completely blank.

In this current predicament, she had no idea how to face Grimmjow or what to even say to him... If he came all the way out only to hear something like "I was just passing by and wanted to see you," he'd probably grab her and throw her out, or maybe even hit her...

BANG—— A loud crash exploded beside her, making Orihime jump.

Grimmjow had kicked the metal door open. The fragile door panel groaned painfully under the impact, seeming on the verge of giving way.

"You're too damn loud, Halibel! What's so important you had to drag me out?" he growled irritably. His sharp, blade-like gaze first swept over the golden-haired woman, then locked onto Orihime, his brows immediately furrowing into a deep scowl. "You? What are you doing here?"

Before she could answer, his eyes had already fallen on the convenience store bag in her hand. He clicked his tongue impatiently.

"Woman, I don't have time to eat right now. Deal with it yourself."

But Orihime seemed not to hear him. Her gaze was firmly fixed on his hands. Those distinct, bony hands were now stained with blood, which was steadily dripping from his fingertips, spreading dark stains on the rough ground.

"You... you're hurt," her voice trembled slightly.

Grimmjow shook his hand casually, flinging off the still-flowing blood with a nonchalance akin to brushing dust from his clothes.

"That little brat Ruby isn't qualified to make me bleed." He bared his teeth in a ferocious grin, full of disdain. "Who do you think I am? This isn't my blood. Just some fool who didn't know his place, daring to challenge me. Had a death wish."

"You," he pointed a blood-stained finger at Orihime, his blue pupils devoid of warmth, holding only a warning. "Get lost. This is no place for you. Don't let me see you here again."

He then shot a glance at the golden-haired woman beside them, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "And you—don't call me out for every trivial thing. I'm not your on-call servant."

With that, he turned and strode back towards the heavy metal door. It slammed shut behind him with a deafening "BANG", making the air vibrate and sealing away the bloodshed and chaos within.

Silence reclaimed the air, broken only when Halibel spoke again.

"You heard him. This place isn't for you. Leave, and don't come back."

"But... that person named 'Ruby'... what will happen to him?" Orihime's voice trembled slightly. Grimmjow's bloodied arm, Halibel's cold words—the overwhelming flood of information made it hard to think. The fact that someone here was seriously injured prompted her most instinctive concern, leading with that question.

"You're actually worried about the fool who provoked him?" A soft, derisive snort escaped Halibel's nostrils, a flicker of subtle surprise in her eyes. "Don't worry. We have a professional doctor here. He won't die."

Her tone softened a fraction, but the admonishment within it grew clearer. "I know what you're thinking. But if you're worried about whether Grimmjow went too far... you might have come to the wrong place. Here, mercy is rarer than cruelty."

"Why... why are they hurt so badly?" Orihime pressed on, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. She recalled watching Sado's training sessions and matches, where both sides wore heavy gloves and fought within the constraints of rules. How could it lead to this scene of bloodstained fists?

"This isn't just a place for boxing," Halibel's tone remained calm, yet it was like a cold blade slowly dissecting the harshness of reality. "It's mostly underground fighting with no rules. Gloves? Those are just for playing along with you students to avoid trouble."

"Here, what people want to see isn't skill or rules, but the most primal, direct confrontation. Blood, pain, and even... crueler things."

So, the matches she had naively assumed were just more intense competitions were actually devoid of protective rules and the veneer of civilization, leaving only the most primitive struggle for survival and destruction. A cold chill crept up her spine, making her shiver.

She looked up at Halibel, her eyes filled with complex emotions—lingering fear, dazed gratitude, and the confusion that follows a completely shattered understanding. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, all her words dissolved into an almost inaudible whisper.

"I... understand." She lowered her head slightly, her bangs falling to shade her eyes.

"Good that you understand. Now leave quickly." Halibel tossed out these words without another glance at her, turned, and walked through that battered, peeling iron door. The door stood like a silent boundary, clearly demarcating two separate worlds.

[什么？你说除了那位乱菊学姐，还有一个人喜欢你的料理？]

龙贵惊讶地大喊，整张脸几乎把镜头挤满。她的眼睛瞪得溜圆，仿佛听到了本世纪最不可思议的新闻。织姬侧躺在床上，对着屏幕那边的挚友笑嘻嘻地点头。

[龙贵，你已经问了三遍啦！是真的唷！]织姬快乐地晃了晃脑袋，语气里带着藏不住的得意。

[我的天……] 龙贵向后一倒，手掌啪地贴上额头，做出一副快要晕厥的样子。[你说在学校里有人会欣赏你的料理的时候我就很惊讶了……但是这样的人竟然还有第二个！] 她大声地吐槽着，但指缝间露出的眉眼却稍稍舒展了一些。[我之前还在担心你到了新环境会不会不适应，但你竟然能在这个学校里遇到欣赏你口味的人！真是可遇不可求的幸运啊。]

床下的书桌边传来一声轻哼，来串门的国枝铃正坐在织姬的椅子上，面前摊着一本厚厚的《药理学》，头也不抬地接话。[龙贵，你这话说得太委婉了。能欣赏她那种超越人类味觉极限的创作，与其说是‘懂得欣赏’，不如说是基因变异。要我说，她们都应该被抓去给涅茧利教授研究一下味蕾，他绝对会爱死这样的病例，说不定能写出一篇震惊学界的论文。]

织姬听着她的话，思绪开始缓缓飘远：那位恐怖的涅茧利教授，偶然目睹了葛力姆乔大口地吃着她特制的[墨鱼汁甜辣芒果饺子]，他的眼睛瞬间迸发出科学狂人般的光芒。他抄起一个巨大的捕蝶网，嘴里念叨着[完美的实验体]，像抓一只不听话的野猫般将网兜扣向葛力姆乔。轻松躲开的网兜的葛力姆乔反手一爪挠了过去，打翻了一旁装着不明液体的实验瓶，整个实验室[轰隆]一声陷入一片炫目的火海……但此时！她驾驶着一辆鲜红色的超大救火车，一个漂亮的甩尾，[哐当]就撞开了葛力姆乔的摩托车和涅茧利教授那辆看起来就很贵的轿车。在助手茶渡的帮助下，她帅气地扛起高压水枪，巨龙般的水流瞬间压制了火势，成功地挽救了葛力姆乔和涅教授！事后校长为了表彰她的英勇，学校最新建成的食堂被命名为[井上大食堂]，每天限量供应那道传奇的[墨鱼汁甜辣芒果饺子]！

她沉浸在自己的幻想中，一边嘿嘿笑出声。

[突然间这是怎么了？]国枝探身望向床上傻笑的织姬，疑惑地发问。

[没事。]龙贵看着屏幕那头傻笑着的织姬，叹了口气。[就是她的幻想症又发作了而已，很快你就会习惯的。]

国枝若有所思地点点头，又重新安静地看起书来。

[呼啊——] 刚刚洗完澡的千鹤裹着浴巾从浴室走了出来。她擦着湿漉漉的头发，经过国枝时瞄了一眼她面前的书。

[咦？] 千鹤擦头发的手顿了一下，好奇地凑近了些。[药理课不是要下下周才开始上课吗？大学里也需要预习吗？]她歪着头，表情有些懵。

[看来你还不知道。] 国枝推了推眼镜，声音冷静且平淡。[这门课的涅茧利教授说好听是‘严格’，说难听点就是喜欢折磨学生。据说他上课喜欢随时点名发问，问题角度刁钻，回答不上来就直接扣平时分，而且……] 她顿了顿，[他尤其欣赏那些不做预习就敢来上课的勇者。]

[什——？！] 千鹤发出一声凄厉的惨叫，手里的毛巾差点掉在地上。[怎么会这样！那我岂不是完蛋了！] 她整个人像是被抽走了力气，瘫软地靠在书桌边，脸上写满了绝望。

[啊，看来你们运气不好，遇上了可怕的老师哦……] 听到了一切的龙贵在屏幕那头吐了吐舌头，语气里带着同情，[要不你也抓紧时间，先看看书什么的？]

[好吧，龙贵，那我下次再给你打电话。]

[拜拜……]千鹤有气无力的声音从书桌方向传来。

织姬听着千鹤丧气的声音，忍俊不禁地帮她转达。[龙贵，千鹤和你说拜拜呢。]

[千鹤！拜拜！] 龙贵立刻提高了音量，努力朝着麦克风方向喊道，[打起精神来！祝你药理学好运——！]

这声充满活力的祝福终于让千鹤抬起了头，她抬手在空中虚弱地挥了挥，算是收到了这份好意。

葛力姆乔一把推开便利店的门，径直走向冷饮柜。他拉开柜子，取出一罐冰啤酒，直接单手[啪]地拉开拉环，两三口就喝了干净。他咂了咂嘴，又取了一罐拿在手里，才转身向收银台走去。

刚迈出两步，他脚步一顿，目光落在柜台后那个高大的身影上。

[哟，‘铁壁’小子。]他挑眉，大步走过去，把两个罐子往柜台上[咚]地一撂，[这么久没出现，我还想着在医院躺的时间也太久了吧？]

[我在打工。]茶渡的回答板正而平淡，拿起扫码枪利落地扫描。

葛力姆乔咧开嘴，笑容带着几分挑衅，把钱丢在柜台上。[这活儿挺适合你，安全，省得打架。]

[现在我的确不是你的对手，]茶渡平静地收钱找零， [但我没停下训练，总有一天，我会够格和你认真打一场。]

[光训练有什么用？]葛力姆乔不屑地哼了一声，[真动手比什么训练都强。]

[现在和你打，我可能得进医院，]茶渡抬眼看他，语气认真，[那样的话，打工、上学都会耽误了。]他稍作停顿，接着说：[不过……就算不打，我还能去看看你的比赛吗？你真的很强，看你的比赛会让我受益良多。]

葛力姆乔明显愣了一下，随即爆发出一声尖锐的嗤笑。他抓起那罐啤酒转身就走，推开店门时头也不回地扔下一句：

[随便你。不怕见血就来看。]

白天室外的光线太强，通过反光的玻璃看室内并不真切。织姬正打算要进店，在看到刚走出来的葛力姆乔时僵在了原地。

她是来找茶渡的，虽然事先想过或许有可能会偶遇到葛力姆乔，但她没想到是在这里。

葛力姆乔也看到了她。那双锐利的蓝眸在她写满紧张的脸上停留了一瞬，嘴角似乎勾起了一个难以察觉的弧度。他没说话，甚至没有停下脚步，只是径直从她身边擦肩而过，带起一阵微凉的风。

织姬直到他走出好几步远，才像是重新学会呼吸，轻轻松了口气。但同时，一种莫名的失落感也悄然漫上心头。她回头看了一眼葛力姆乔消失在街角的背影，赶紧推开便利店的门走了进去。

[茶渡同学！]她快步走到柜台前，语气里还带着点未平复的紧张，[葛力姆乔……他怎么会在这里？不会又是来找你麻烦的吧？]

[他只是来买东西。]茶渡平静地解释。他顿了顿，又补充了一句：[而且，他同意我去看他的比赛了。]

[……啊？]

[我只观赛，不是去参赛，你放心。我只是说，他的技术确实有很多值得我学习的地方，所以想去学习一下。]

[啊……是这样……]织姬喃喃道，突然想起了什么。[对了，田中太太呢？]

[她中午和晚上都会固定出去忙事儿，暂时不在。主要是，她好像对我还蛮放心的，说留我一个人的话应该不会有问题。]

茶渡说话时，织姬不自觉地屏住了呼吸。见他神色如常，她才暗自松了口气。

之前她特意拜托过田中太太，不要向茶渡提起自己之前打工时发生的事件，那只会让茶渡对过去的事情徒增烦忧。当时田中太太沉默了片刻才点头答应——现在看来，她确实信守了承诺。

[我就说嘛！茶渡同学超级靠谱！田中太太当时死活不肯招男生，结果这么短的时间就被茶渡同学征服了！]她笑嘻嘻地对茶渡竖起大拇指。

接下来的时间并没有什么顾客，他们像以往一样自然地聊着天。

[哈……所以说，我接下来的课业压力估计会比之前大得多……周末可能都得泡在自习室里……这可能是这学期结束前我最后一次给你带东西了。]织姬苦着脸对茶渡说道，将一个精致的纸袋放在柜台上。[这是上次你给我的蛋白粉做的唷，你放心！这次的配方不是我自创的，是我在网上找的教程，所以……你应该能接受的。]

茶渡打开纸袋，发现里面是包装精美的蛋白棒，每根都用独立的封装袋装着，简直像商店里购买的一样精致。[你还用上了这样精致的包装？……你都这么忙了，没必要这样费心的。我也能照顾好自己。]

[嘿嘿~没事啦！为朋友做这些，我自己也很开心~]

[谢谢你，织姬。说起来，应该是我要感谢你才是，你给我介绍这样好的工作……这样吧，你有什么想吃的吗？你随便拿，我请客。]

[真的吗！那好耶，我要吃红豆面包！]

[还有呢？]

[唔……暂时没想到别的，这个就可以！我可以吃得饱！]

[不行，你要是学习压力大，更加应该多吃点有营养的东西才行。]茶渡不由分说地走向便当区，直接伸直手臂，几乎把一整排便当都扫到了怀里。

织姬目瞪口呆地看着他臂弯里小山一样多的便当，赶紧疯狂摆手。

[这……有点太夸张了，茶渡！这个量……两个寝室的同学都吃不完！我们也没有冰箱，到时候吃不完会坏掉的，那就浪费了！]

茶渡愣了一下，低头下头看了看：[女生的饭量……这么小吗？]

他选出里面最丰盛的几个便当放在柜台上。[那，那就这几个吧。]他说着，将这几个便当迅速扫了码，装进袋子，并且从口袋里掏出钱放进了收银机。

这时便利店的门被推开，风铃作响，几个顾客走了进来。茶渡立刻恢复了工作状态，微微躬身：[欢迎光临。]

织姬意识到自己该走了。她抱起那个沉甸甸的袋子，朝茶渡小幅度地挥挥手，[我就先告辞啦，谢谢你，茶渡同学。]

织姬走出便利店，却没有见到葛力姆乔的身影。她抱着袋子纠结了一下，假装不经意地往那个地下拳击场所在的巷子慢慢走去。

离那个巷口越近，她的心脏莫名其妙地跳得越来越快。那扇不起眼的铁门边上，她预想中的人并未出现，却看到了一个陌生的身影。

墙边倚着个高挑的女人，金色狼尾短发在太阳下格外醒目。她的肤色是健康的小麦色，化着精致的烟熏妆，却丝毫不显轻浮，反倒衬得她的眼睛格外深邃。纯白色运动套装在她身上穿出了别样的气势，紧身背心勾勒出流畅的肌肉线条，即使穿着宽松的长裤，她的双腿看着仍然修长且挺拔。

她正低头从烟盒中拿出一支烟，过程中似乎是察觉到织姬的存在。她抬起眼，和织姬隔着五六米的距离对视着。她没有说话，就那样夹着未点燃的烟，静静地打量着这个抱着便利店塑料袋、站在巷口发呆的女学生。

织姬抱着塑料袋，傻愣愣地盯着这个陌生的美女。直到对方偏了偏头，迈开长腿不紧不慢地朝她走来，她才猛地回过神，慌乱地垂下头盯着自己的制服鞋尖。

脚步声在织姬面前停下，一片阴影笼罩了她。虽然那股无形的压迫感让她几乎屏住呼吸，但强烈的好奇心还是驱使她抬起了头。

女人浓密的金色睫毛在阳光下仿佛透明。那睫毛长而卷翘，每次眨动都像蝶翼轻颤。睫毛下的蓝眸如同深海般沉静，让织姬一时间忘了移开视线。直到那双蓝眸几不可查地微眯了一下，织姬才猛地回过神，脸颊瞬间烧了起来。

[对、对不起！]她慌忙低下头，因窘迫而结结巴巴，[我不是故意要盯着您看的……因为，您实在太美了……]

女人完全没料到会听到这样的回答，明显地愣了一下，随即轻咳一声掩饰失态。她将未点燃的烟夹在指间，声音比刚才缓和了些：[看你的样子，是学生吧？]

织姬默默点了点头。

[迷路了？]

[不是的。]织姬小声回答，手指不自觉地绞紧了塑料袋。

[那……]女人若有所思，[是来找人的？]

[算……算是……吧……]

[算是？]女人皱起眉头，[你知道这里是什么地方吗？]

[应该是……地下拳击场，那样的？]

[既然你知道，这里就不该有你要找的人才对。除非你要找那些不知死活冒冒失失闯进这里的学生。]

[呃，不是的……]织姬深吸一口气，[我是想……看看葛力姆乔先生在不在这附近……]

[葛力姆乔？]女人重复了一遍，目光锁在织姬身上，像在重新评估什么。[他知道你要来吗？]

[啊……我只是……路过，然后，想顺便看看他在不在……而已……]她磕磕巴巴地说着，声音越来越小。

[他不知道。]女人用的不是疑问句，而是陈述句。她看着织姬窘迫的表情，心中了然。[看在你这句‘太美了’的份上，我给你一个机会。]

她拿出手机，快速发了条信息，然后对织姬说：[我告诉他，有个不要命的学生妹在门口等他。他如果愿意，自己会出来；如果不愿意，或者你说了谎……]女人锐利的目光扫过织姬，带着一丝警告，[后果你自己清楚。]

[……耶？]织姬突然感觉后颈发冷，后知后觉自己陷入了一个可怕的境地。

这位姐姐虽然美得惊人，但好像和葛力姆乔一样，都散发着那种陌生且难以揣摩的危险气息。

果然……刚刚交谈时开始感到尴尬不安的时候，自己就该当机立断离开这里的。她在心里懊悔地尖叫，大脑一片空白。

现在这种情况，她完全不知道该如何面对葛力姆乔，也不知道到时候要和他说什么……如果他专门过来听到[我只是路过看看你]这种话，很可能被他抓起来丢出去或者打一顿之类的……

[砰——]一声巨响在身旁炸开，把织姬吓了一大跳。

葛力姆乔一脚踹开了铁门，脆弱的门板在重击下发出痛苦的呻吟，显得有些摇摇欲坠。

[吵死了！赫丽贝尔！到底什么破事非要我出来？]他烦躁地低吼着。他刀子般的视线先扫过那个金发女人，随即钉在织姬身上，眉头立刻拧成了结。[你？来这里干什么？]

没等她回答，他已经看到了她手中的便利店袋子，不耐烦地咂了下舌。

[女人，我现在没空吃东西，你自己解决。]

织姬却像是没听见他的话，她的视线牢牢锁在他手上。那双骨节分明的手此刻沾满血迹，鲜血正顺着指尖不断滴落，在粗糙的地面晕开深色的痕迹。

[你……受伤了。]她的声音有点颤抖。

葛力姆乔漫不经心地甩了甩手，将还在流淌的血甩落，随意得像是掸去衣角的灰尘。

[露比那个小兔崽子，可没资格让我挂彩。]他咧出一个狰狞的笑容，笑容里充满了不屑。[你以为我是谁？这可不是我的血。不过是个不知死活的废物，也敢来抢我的位置，真是活腻了。]

[你，]他伸出手，鲜血淋漓的手指着织姬，蓝色的瞳孔里没有温度，只有警告。[赶紧走，这种地方不是你该来的，以后别让我在这里看见你。]

随即他又瞥向一旁的金发女人，语气里满是讥讽，[还有你——别什么鸡毛蒜皮的事都喊我出来，本大爷可不是你随叫随到的仆人。]

说完，他转身走向那扇沉重的铁门。门在他身后“砰”地一声砸上，震得空气嗡嗡作响，也将一切血腥与混乱隔绝在内。

空气重新陷入寂静，直到赫丽贝尔重新开口。

[他的话你听见了。这里不属于你，走吧，不要再来了。]

[那……那个叫‘露比’的人……会怎么样？]织姬的声音轻颤。葛力姆乔染血的手臂、赫丽贝尔冰冷的话语，一时间爆炸的信息量让她几乎无法思考。这里有人受了重伤的这个情况，让她遵循着最本能的关怀先问了这个问题。

[你居然在担心那个挑衅他的蠢货？] 赫丽贝尔从鼻腔里逸出一声轻嗤，眼神中闪过一丝细微的惊讶。[放心吧，我们这里有专业的医生在，他死不了。]

她的语气温和了些许，但其中的告诫意味却更加清晰。[我知道你在想什么。不过，如果你是在担心葛力姆乔会不会下手太重……那你可能来错地方了。在这里，仁慈比残忍更罕见。]

[他们……为什么会伤成这样？]织姬忍不住追问，声音里带着压抑的颤抖。她回想起之前看茶渡训练和比赛时的场景，双方戴着厚重的拳套，在规则的约束下交手，怎么会导致眼前这样双拳染血的情况呢？

[这里不仅是打拳击的地方，]赫丽贝尔的语调依然平静，却像一把冰冷的刀，缓缓剖开现实的残酷，[更多的是无规则的地下格斗。拳套？那东西只是为了避免惹事陪你们学生玩玩用的。]

[在这里，人们想看的不是技巧和规则，而是最原始、最直接的对抗。鲜血、疼痛，甚至……更残酷的东西。]

原来，那些她曾单纯地以为只是更为激烈的比赛，实则是没有规则的保护，没有文明的粉饰，只剩下最原始的生存与毁灭。一股冰冷的寒意顺着她的脊椎悄然爬升，让她打了个寒颤。

她抬起头，望向赫丽贝尔的眼神里满是复杂的感情，有未散尽的惊恐，有懵懂的感激，更有一种认知被彻底颠覆后的茫然。她张了张嘴，似乎想说什么，但最终，所有的话语都化作了一声几乎听不见的轻喃。

[我……明白了。]她微微低下头，额前的发丝垂落遮住了眼睛。

[明白就好，赶紧离开吧。]赫丽贝尔丢下这句话，没有再看她一眼，转头走进了那那扇凹凸不平且掉漆的残破铁门。那道门仿佛一道无声的界限，明确地划分开了两个世界。

Chapter Text

To Orihime's surprise, the events of that day didn't cause much turbulence in her life.

She didn't deliberately change anything. It was just that, faced with increasingly demanding coursework, the shock brought by that glimpse into the dark underworld gradually found little room to surface. The classes and exams of her medical program now occupied almost all her time, even squeezing into her part-time work hours. In this world built on knowledge, she found the stability and peace she needed most at this moment.

Busy days always pass swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, finals arrived. Most students had already finished their semester exams and started their spring break, leaving only a few majors, like theirs, still shrouded in the tense atmosphere of preparation.

The night was deep, but the medical department's study room remained brightly lit. Orihime and Suzuki Kyou were still diligently reviewing, while Mizuiro Kojima at the next table absently flipped through an illustrated textbook. Chizuru, sitting beside Orihime, was already losing the battle with sleep, the black characters in the brick-thick textbook before her blurring into a hypnotic chant.

"I can't do this... I really can't..." Chizuru collapsed face-first onto her textbook with a muffled groan. "There's just too much to memorize... This isn't a list of key points, it's the entire book! I don't know if Professor Kurotsuchi will be proctoring tomorrow, but if he paces over and looks at my test paper, I might pass out from sheer nerves on the spot... Ah, what do I do?! How can a course be this awful?! I hate this!!"

Suzuki Kyou didn't even lift her gaze from her book, merely adjusting her glasses calmly before replying. "His strictness is precisely what guarantees the course's substantial value. Personally, I also find him quite insightful; he offers many perspectives beyond the standard medical textbooks. Such a challenging subject aligns much more closely with my pre-enrollment fantasies about studying medicine."

"You high-achievers are truly the worst... Fine, you get good grades, but must you sound so insufferable?" Chizuru hissed ingrief and indignation. "If it weren't for not wanting to leave dear Orihime, I'd seriously consider changing majors! My family pushed me into medicine because they said it has good pay and high status. I knew it would be hard, but I never imagined it would be this exhausting..."

"As for me," Mizuiro Kojima elegantly closed the book in his hands, "I've already decided. I'm going into the field of aesthetic medicine. It offers considerable income and the chance to interact with lovely ladies—the best of both worlds."

"Orihime, what about you?" Chizuru turned and leaned closer to Orihime's face. "Why did you choose to study medicine?"

"Me..." Orihime propped her chin with her pen, gazing up at the ceiling with sparkling eyes. "I actually hesitated for a long time too! There were so many things I wanted to do! I thought about being an astronaut, a programmer, a pastry chef... But in the end, I decided becoming a doctor would be wonderful too! If I could use my own hands to snatch people back from death's grasp, or help those suffering from illness find relief and smile again—that feeling would be like fulfilling two dreams at once: 'saving the world' and 'making people happy'!"

Chizuru's eyes instantly lit up. She clasped her hands and looked at Orihime adoringly. "That's our Orihime! Your heart shines as brightly as your appearance! Ah, meeting you is truly wonderful!"

Suzuki Kyou interjected flatly, "It's just a shame her uniquely lethal cooking seems completely at odds with her noble ideals."

Chizuru froze for a moment, then suddenly sat upright as if struck by inspiration. She lowered her voice excitedly, "Wait! I have a bold idea—what if Orihime used her cooking to give Professor Kurotsuchi a 'special meal'? Wouldn't that... save us all from this nightmare?"

"Chizuru, if you keep fantasizing like this, Professor Kurotsuchi will likely be furious tomorrow when he sees all the blank spaces scattered across your exam paper," Mizuiro promptly poured cold water on her delusion.

"NO—stop talking! I'm going back to studying now!" Chizuru gasped sharply, shaking her head vigorously as if to physically dispel the wild thoughts before burying her face in the textbook again.

On the day final grades were posted, Chizuru let out an excited shriek at her screen—her score was significantly higher than even her most optimistic estimate. With tears practically welling in her eyes, she hugged Orihime, declaring she had finally survived the hellish semester, albeit by the skin of her teeth.

With spring break beginning, the campus emptied almost instantly. Nearly all students hauled their luggage homeward, leaving only a handful like Orihime, who chose to stay and work. When Chizuru learned this, her parting sorrow peaked instantly.

"Orihime—you have to take good care of yourself, okay!" At the station entrance, completely disregarding her image, Chizuru threw her arms around Orihime, her eyes as tearful as an abandoned puppy's. "Remember to eat on time, don't walk alone at night, lock your doors and windows... Sob... Maybe I shouldn't go back? I should stay here with you!"

Though squeezed breathless, Orihime gently patted her back, her eyes curving into warm crescents as she reassured her, "Don't worry, Chizuru, I'll be fine! Did you forget? Sado-kun isn't going home either. He's staying to work too. We'll look out for each other, so please don't worry!"

This news acted like a calming pill, finally convincing the still-sniffling Chizuru to loosen her grip. She entered the station, glancing back every few steps until she was out of sight.

During spring break, Orihime worked part-time at a bakery downtown. Tied into a cute apron, she moved gracefully through the warm, fragrant air rich with the scents of milk and wheat, greeting every customer with a radiant smile. Her genuine passion for food, her gentle kindness toward people, and her exceptionally sweet appearance made her the very reason many customers frequented the shop. Students and young office workers from the vicinity were willing to walk the extra distance just to visit, often joking that "just seeing her smile brightens the day."

Witnessing the rapid increase in customer traffic, the delighted store owner made a decision: all the unsold bread that would normally have to be discarded at the end of the day was now allowed to be taken home by Orihime after closing.

At 10 p.m., after the bakery shut its doors, Orihime would always start her journey back to campus carrying a large bag of bread. She made a slight detour to pass by the convenience store where Sado worked, sharing the bread with him and Mrs. Tanaka. In return, Mrs. Tanaka often pressed upon her favorite bento boxes, fresh fruit, or daily necessities like thick packs of tissues.

It became a small, unspoken ritual of warmth between them during that spring break.

That evening, Orihime set off on her usual route back to campus with the bag of bread. While still some distance from the convenience store, a familiar blue figure in a nearby alley caught the corner of her eye. The figure moved unsteadily, limping and shuffling deeper into the alley.

Her heart leaped. Was she seeing things? That silhouette... she couldn't possibly mistake it. Reason told her to turn around and leave—unknown dangers could lurk in unfamiliar places—but her feet felt rooted to the spot. After a moment of internal struggle, concern ultimately overpowered fear. Clutching her bag tighter, she jogged toward the alley entrance.

Inside, the dim, yellowish glow of an old street lamp barely dispelled some of her unease. As Orihime approached the entrance, her eyes landed on several drops of dark, still-damp blood staining the pitted concrete, trailing ominously inward. Her heart clenched, its pounding loud in her ears. She took a deep breath and cautiously followed the unsettling trail.

Finally, in the deeper shadows of the alley, she found him. Grimmjow was braced against a stained wall, one hand pressed tightly against his side. Low, stifled groans escaped through his clenched teeth.

Orihime gasped, the words escaping her almost involuntarily: "Mr. Grimmjow!"

The figure leaning against the wall stiffened abruptly, then lifted his head. Even in such a wretched state, his blue eyes remained sharp and beast-like, filled with defiance and wariness. Recognizing Orihime, a flicker of surprise crossed his gaze, quickly replaced by deeper irritation.

"Tch..." He spat, trying to straighten up, but a pained grunt escaped him as his wound protested, his brows furrowing tightly. "Piss off. Don't get in my way."

Instead of being intimidated by his harsh tone, Orihime took a few steps closer. Her clear eyes, filled with concern, fixed on the hand pressed tightly against his side. "You're hurt... This needs to be treated immediately! I'm in the nursing program, I can help—"

"Don't need it!" Grimmjow snarled, cutting her off. His glare was ferocious, as if trying to force her back by sheer force of will. "This scratch won't kill me. Mind your own damn business!"

She didn't reply immediately. Her nose caught a faint, sharp, lingering scent of alcohol. "Mr. Grimmjow... did you... pour alcohol on the wound?"

"I told you to Get the hell out of here! Can't you understand human language?!" Grimmjow's patience snapped. Enraged, he grabbed her by the collar and yanked her close. Even injured, he certainly still had the strength to knock her out with one punch.

"N-No-No! I just wanted to remind you that alcohol on a wound hurts a lot, it directly irritates and damages exposed nerve endings, kills healthy granulation tissue cells, and causes swelling, inflammation, and slower healing..." The words tumbled out in a single frantic breath as she waved her arms in panic, her clear eyes wide with fear.

"What?" Grimmjow felt as if struck by lightning. He hadn't fully processed that rapid-fire stream of technical terms, but he caught the key words he could understand—alcohol would cause more pain and slow his recovery. A sense of being deceived, mixed with disbelief, surged through him. "Woman, are you fucking messing with me?" he ground out through clenched teeth.

All this time, in the underground fighting ring, it was Szayelaporro who handled their injuries. And that bastard pink-haired pervert had always used alcohol on him.

"I-I-I'm not messing with you! It's written exactly like that in our textbooks, it's basic material, we just had an exam on it, it can't be wrong..." Her voice trembled, eyes squeezed shut, long lashes fluttering with fear as she curled in on herself, bracing for the blow that seemed inevitable.

But the punch never landed. He released her abruptly, and Orihime staggered upon hitting the ground, barely catching her balance. She stood there panting in small, shaky breaths, watching him with unsettled eyes.

Grimmjow turned his head away, irritably running a hand through his hair. The motion tugged at his wound, making him wince. "...Then what the hell am I supposed to do now?!" The question was gritted out through his teeth.

"Y-You need to clean and dress the wound! Preferably with saline solution and iodine..." she replied automatically, before a thought struck her. "Ah! The convenience store where Sado-kun works has a first-aid kit! We could go there and patch you up!"

"No!" he refused without a second thought. Appear in front of his defeated rival in such a pathetic state? Absolutely not. A moment later, as if reaching a decision, he snapped his head back towards her, his gaze fierce.

"You," he pointed at her, his tone brooking no argument, "come with me."

"Huh? Wh-Where to?"

Grimmjow reached out again, grabbing the back of her collar. "Stop asking questions! Just move!"

He practically dragged her along, gritting his teeth against the pain in his side, moving with a limping yet unyielding dominance deeper into the alley. He only released his grip when they reached the stairwell of a dilapidated building.

"Third floor." He let out a ragged breath, leaning against the stained wall as he jerked his chin toward the dim staircase. His tone left no room for disagreement.

Rubbing her reddened neck, Orihime glanced at him hesitantly. Cowed by the murderous intent in his eyes, she obediently started up the steps first. She moved slowly, looking back at him with every step, her gaze a mix of concern and helplessness.

Grimmjow followed behind her, attempting his usual stride of taking two steps at a time. But as he exerted force, the wound in his side flared violently. A pained grunt escaped him, his body swayed uncontrollably, and he instinctively shot a hand out to grab the cold iron railing, barely steadying himself.

The faint noise echoed in the silent stairwell. Orihime immediately stopped and turned, her hand instinctively reaching out to help him, but it froze halfway in the air.

"Mr. Grimmjow..." she ventured softly, her hand still hovering awkwardly in the air.

"Quit staring, turn around!" Grimmjow growled, his voice rough, sweat beading at his temples from the pain. He refused her help, but with every upward step, his taut muscles pulled at the wound, making his movements heavy and slow. His ragged, suppressed breathing and the sharp hisses escaping through his clenched teeth were unmistakably clear to Orihime.

A staircase that should have taken mere seconds felt endlessly long.

Just as Grimmjow reached the final few steps, thinking the ordeal was almost over, his injured leg, strained from the continuous effort, buckled beneath him. He stumbled forward uncontrollably, his solid chest nearly colliding with Orihime's back.

Orihime, who had been watching him closely, forgot all warnings and fear in that instant. Acting purely on instinct, she braced herself against his weight with her slender shoulders, her hands gripping his uninjured arm tightly. Her slight frame shook violently under the sudden pressure, but she managed to hold her ground.

The only sounds left in the stairwell were their mingled breaths—Orihime's panicked and flustered, Grimmjow's purely shocked and furious, enraged at his own loss of composure.

He could clearly feel the warmth and slight tremble of her body, and smell the sweet scent of bread lingering in her hair—an absurd contrast to the blood and dust that clung to him.

"Who the hell told you to—"

He tried to shove her away violently, but the sharp, blinding pain from the abrupt movement cut off his roar mid-sentence, replacing it with a stifled, choked grunt. His body involuntarily leaned into hers a little more.

"P-please, don't move!" she pleaded anxiously. Her tone held no blame, no mockery, only pure concern and entreaty. Instead of letting go, she mustered all her strength, making her own body the sole support he could lean on at this moment.

This utterly defenseless concern was like a soft thorn, precisely piercing a gap in Grimmjow's hardened armor. All his curses clogged in his chest, unable to erupt, yet impossible to swallow.

"...Damn annoying..."

Finally, he gritted out the words through clenched teeth. But he didn't try to push her away again. Instead, he tacitly accepted her insignificant yet crucial support, using her strength to disgracefully and silently climb the last few steps.

令织姬意外的是，那日的见闻并未在她的生活中掀起太大的波澜。

她没有刻意改变什么，只是在日渐繁重的课业面前，那些关于地下黑暗世界带来的冲击，渐渐失去了浮现的余地。医学专业的课程与考试几乎占据了她的全部时间，连打工时间都一再受到压缩。在这片知识构筑的世界里，她获得了此刻最需要的安定与平静。

忙碌的日子总是过得飞快，一转眼就到了期末。大部分专业的学生已经结束本学期的考试，开始享受春假，只有几个专业的学生仍笼罩在备考的紧张气氛中。

夜已深，医学部自习室却依旧灯火通明。织姬和国枝铃还在认真地复习，隔壁桌的小岛水色正漫不经心地翻着教材图册。坐在织姬旁边的千鹤上下眼皮早已开始打架，面前那本厚如砖头的教材，上面的黑字都模糊成了催眠的咒语。

[我不行了……真的不行了……]千鹤一头栽在书上，发出沉闷的哀嚎，[要记要背的东西也太多了……这哪里是重点，这根本是整本书啊！不知道明天涅茧利教授是不是会来监考，他到时候如果踱到我身边看试卷，我可能会当场紧张得晕过去……啊怎么办！怎么会有这么讨厌的课程啊啊啊啊！！我恨！！]

国枝铃连目光都没离开书本，只是抬手扶了扶镜框，平静地接话。[他的严格恰恰保证了课程的含金量。而且我还觉得他本人也很有想法，给我很多医学课本外的启发。这种极具挑战性的学科，才更符合我入学前对医学的幻想。]

[你这种学霸真是可恶……成绩好也就算了，能不能说点人话啊？]千鹤悲愤地小声吼道。[要不是舍不得可爱的织姬，我真的会考虑转专业！是家里人说学医待遇好地位高我才学的，虽然知道会很累，但是完全想不到会这么累……]

[我倒是想好了，]小岛水色优雅地合上手中的书本，[我未来就进军医美领域。既有可观的收入，又能和可爱的女士们打交道，两全其美。]

[织姬，你呢？]千鹤转过身，凑近织姬的脸，你当时为什么选学医呀？]

[我啊……]织姬拿笔支着下巴，仰头望着天花板，眼神亮晶晶的，[其实我当时也犹豫了很久耶，我想做的事情有好多哦！我想过做宇航员，想过当程序员，想过做甜点师……不过最后，我还是觉得做医生也很棒！如果靠着自己的双手，能[唰]一下把人从死神手里抢回来！或者帮被病痛折磨的人摆脱痛苦，让他们重新绽放笑容。这种感觉，就像同时实现了‘拯救世界’和‘让人幸福’两个梦想！]

千鹤眼睛一下子闪闪发亮，双手合十地望向织姬：[不愧是织姬！内心也和外表一样闪闪发亮！啊~和织姬相遇真是太棒了！]

国枝铃淡淡插了一句：[只可惜，她那能作为杀伤性武器的独门料理，好像和她的伟大理念完全背道而驰。]

千鹤先是一愣，随即像是被一道灵感击中般猛地坐直，压低声音兴奋地说：[等等！我有个大胆的想法——如果织姬现在用她的料理去给涅茧利教授‘加餐’，是不是就能……拯救所有人于水火之中了？]

[千鹤，你再这样臆想下去，明天涅教授怕是要对着你试卷上东一块西一块的空白大发雷霆了。]小岛迅速用冷水泼灭了她的妄想。

[嘶——别说了别说了！我这就学！] 千鹤倒抽一口冷气，像是要把刚才的胡思乱想全都甩出去似的用力摇头，随即一头扎进书里。

期末成绩公布那天，千鹤对着屏幕发出一声激动的尖叫——分数竟比她最乐观的预估还要高出不少。她几乎是热泪盈眶地拥抱了织姬，宣告自己总算有惊无险地度过了这个炼狱般的学期。

春假伊始，校园瞬间空荡下来。几乎所有学生都拖着行李奔赴回家的旅程，唯有织姬等少数人选择留校打工。当千鹤得知此事，离别的愁绪瞬间达到了顶峰。

[织姬——你一定要好好的啊！]车站入口处，千鹤全然不顾形象，一把抱住织姬，眼泪汪汪得像只被遗弃的小动物，[记得按时吃饭，晚上不要走夜路，门窗要锁好……呜呜呜，要不我还是不回去了，留下来陪你吧？]

织姬被她勒得有些喘不过气，却还是温柔地拍着她的背，眉眼弯弯地安慰道：[放心啦千鹤，我没问题的！你忘啦？茶渡同学也没有回家哦，他也留在这边打工，我们会互相照应的，别担心！]

这个消息像一颗定心丸，总算让千鹤抽噎着松开了手，一步三回头地进了车站。

织姬在市中心的一家面包店打工。她系着可爱的围裙，她穿梭于氤氲的奶香与麦香之间，用热情的笑脸迎接往来的顾客。她对美食的热情，对客人的温柔友善，加之她甜美出众的样貌，让她成了许多顾客光临的理由。附近的学生和年轻白领，都愿意多走几步路来这家店，甚至开玩笑说[光是看到她的笑容，心情就变好了]。眼见着客流量飞速上升，喜上眉梢的老板也做出了一个决定：那些当天没能卖完、原本按规定必须丢弃的面包，现在都允许织姬在打烊后打包带走。

晚上10点，面包店打烊后，织姬总会提着一大袋面包踏上返校的路，不过中途会特意绕一点路，经过茶渡打工的便利店，与田中太太和茶渡分享面包。作为交换，田中太太也时常塞给她一些她爱吃的便当、新鲜的水果，或是一打厚厚的纸巾等生活用品。

这是这次春假里彼此心照不宣的、小小的温暖仪式。

这天晚上，织姬照例提着面包踏上回校的路。就在她离便利店还有一段距离时，余光却瞥见邻近一条小巷里，似乎有个熟悉的蓝色身影，那身影步履蹒跚，正一瘸一拐地往巷子深处挪动。

她的心猛地一跳，是错觉吗？那个身影……她应该不会认错。理智告诉她应该转身离开，未知的危险可能潜藏在陌生的地方，但双脚却像被钉在原地。纠结了片刻，担忧终究战胜了恐惧，她攥紧了手中的袋子，小跑着跟进了巷口。

巷子里仍亮着昏黄的老旧路灯，勉强能驱散一些她内心的不安。织姬刚走近巷口，便注意到坑洼的水泥地上，赫然点缀着几滴尚未干涸的深色血迹，一路蜿蜒向内。她的心瞬间揪紧了，几乎能听到自己如擂鼓般的心跳声。她深吸一口气，顺着那触目惊心的痕迹小心翼翼地往里走。

终于，在巷子中略显昏暗的地方，她终于看到了那个身影。葛力姆乔正一手撑着斑驳的墙壁，一手紧紧捂住腰侧，低沉压抑着的呻吟声从他齿间逸出。

织姬倒抽一口冷气，几乎是脱口而出：[葛力姆乔先生！]

那倚着墙的身影猛地一僵，随即抬起头来。即便在如此狼狈的状况下，他那双蓝色的眼眸依旧像野兽般锐利，充满了桀骜与警惕。当看清来人是织姬时，他眼中闪过一丝诧异，随即被更深的烦躁所取代。

[啧……]他啐了一口，试图站直身体，却因伤口的疼痛而闷哼，眉头紧紧拧在一起。[滚开，别在这里碍事。]

织姬没有被他恶劣的态度吓退，反而上前几步，清澈的眼睛里写满了担忧，目光落在他紧捂着的腰侧。[你受伤了……必须马上处理才行！我是护理专业的，可以帮你……]

[用不着！]葛力姆乔低吼着打断她，眼神凶狠，仿佛想用目光将她逼退，[这点小伤死不了，少多管闲事！]

她没有立刻回答，她的鼻子捕捉到了一些残留的刺鼻的酒精的味道。[葛力姆乔先生……你……是往伤口上浇了酒精吗？]

[我说了让你滚，你听不懂人话吗？]葛力姆乔的耐心耗尽，暴怒地一把揪起她的衣领，将她猛地拉近。即便身受创伤，他确实还是有一拳将她揍晕的能力。

[不不不我只是想提醒你酒精弄在伤口上会很痛会直接刺激和损伤暴露的神经末梢会杀死健康的肉芽组织细胞会让伤口红肿发炎恢复得更慢而已……]她一口气说完，惊慌地摆着手臂，清澈的双眼里满是惶恐。

[什么？]葛力姆乔感觉如遭雷劈。那一大串噼里啪啦的专业术语他根本没听明白，但能听得懂的那几个词他捕捉到了——酒精会让他更痛，而且恢复得更慢。一种被愚弄的怒火混杂着难以置信涌上心头，他咬牙切齿地问，[女人，你他妈是不是在耍我？]

一直以来，在地下拳击场，都是萨尔阿波罗负责处理他们的伤势，而那个变态粉毛混蛋，一直以来给他用的都是酒精。

[我我我没有在耍你我们的教科书上都是这么写的还是基础内容我们刚刚考试考完绝对不会错……]她的声音颤抖，眼睛紧闭，纤长的睫毛因恐惧而轻颤，整个人缩成一团，生怕下一秒那记拳头就会落下。

但那个拳头并没有落下。他猛地松开手，突然落地的织姬踉跄了一下才站稳，小口喘着气，惊魂未定地看着他。

葛力姆乔别过头，暴躁地抓了抓头发，伤口因此被牵扯，痛得他嘴角一抽，[……那他妈现在怎么办？！]这问话几乎是从牙缝里挤出来的。

[需、需要清创和包扎！最好用生理盐水和碘伏……]织姬下意识地回答，随后灵光一现，[啊，茶渡同学打工的便利店有急救箱，我们可以去那里包扎！]

[不去！]他想也不想地否决，让他这副狼狈样子出现在自己的手下败将面前？绝无可能。下一秒，他像是做出了决定，猛地转回头，眼神凶狠地盯着她。

[你，]他伸手指着她，语气是不容置疑的命令，[跟我走。]

[哎？去、去哪里？]

葛力姆乔再次伸手，揪住了她的后衣领。[少废话！让你走就走！]

他几乎是拖着她，强忍着腰侧的疼痛，一瘸一拐却又异常强势地往巷子深处走去。走到一栋陈旧建筑的楼梯口，他才松开了手。

[3楼。]他喘了口粗气，靠着斑驳的墙壁，抬起下巴指了指昏暗的楼梯，语气是不容置疑的命令。

织姬揉着被勒得发红的脖颈，犹豫地看了他一眼，迫于他眼神中的杀气，还是听话地先踏上了台阶。她走得很慢，一步一回头，目光里混杂着担忧和无措。

葛力姆乔跟在她后面，试图像平时一样一步两阶，但腰侧的伤口在他发力时猛地一抽，剧痛让他瞬间闷哼出声，身体不受控制地晃了一下，下意识地伸手抓住了冰冷的铁质扶手，才勉强稳住身形。

这细微的动静在寂静的楼道里被放大。织姬立刻停下脚步转过身，几乎是条件反射地向他伸出手想要扶他，但手伸到一半又僵在半空。

[葛力姆乔先生……]她小声试探性地开口，手悬在那里，进退两难。

[看什么看，转过去！]葛力姆乔粗声粗气地低吼，额角因为痛楚而渗出冷汗。他拒绝她的搀扶，但每向上一步，紧绷的肌肉都会牵扯到伤口，让他的步伐变得异常沉重和缓慢。他灼热而压抑的呼吸声，从齿缝间漏出的抽气声，清晰地传入织姬耳中。

这段本该几十秒就能走完的楼梯，此刻显得无比漫长。

就在葛力姆乔踏上最后几级台阶，以为胜利在望时，受伤的腿因持续发力而猛地一软，身体不受控制地向前踉跄，坚实的胸膛几乎要撞上织姬的后背。

一直密切关注着他的织姬，在这个瞬间忘记了所有警告和恐惧。几乎是出于本能，用自己单薄的肩膀顶住了他压下来的重量，双手死死抓住他未受伤一侧的手臂，纤细的身体因为承受这突如其来的重压而剧烈晃动了一下，但终究是勉强撑住了。

楼梯间里只剩下两人混杂的呼吸声。织姬是惊慌失措；葛力姆乔则是纯粹的震惊和暴怒——对自己失态的暴怒。

他能清晰地感受她身体的热度和轻微的颤抖，也能闻到她发间沾染的面包甜香，与他周身弥漫的血腥和尘土气息形成了荒谬的对比。

[谁他妈让你……]

他猛地想要推开她，可这个大幅度的动作带来的剧痛让他眼前一黑，后续的怒吼被硬生生掐断在喉咙里，取而代之的是一声压抑到极点的闷哼，身体也不由自主地又往她身上靠了几分。

[请、请不要乱动！]她焦急地出声，语气里没有指责，没有嘲讽，只有纯粹的担忧和恳求。她非但没有松手，反而用尽了全身力气，将自己的身体变成了他此刻唯一可以倚靠的支点。

这种毫不设防的关切，像一根柔软的刺，精准地扎进了葛力姆乔坚硬的铠甲缝隙里。他所有骂人的话都堵在了胸口，发作不出来，也咽不下去。

[……烦死了……]

最终，他从牙缝里挤出了这几个字。但他没有再试图推开她，而是默认了她这微不足道却至关重要的支撑，借着她的力气，有些狼狈地、沉默地踏完了最后几级台阶。