You growing up in an orphanage without ever knowing who your parents were or where they might be. The world didn’t give you many choices, but you chose to survive, clinging tightly to the fragments of hope you had left. Through sheer determination and hard work, you earned a scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools in the city.

But that very background made you an easy target. You were constantly bullied by boys, by girls, it didn’t matter. No one ever stood up for you.

Today was no different. Your breath came in gasps as your feet pounded the pavement, heart racing while you ran from a group of boys in your class. They were trying to force you into doing something you didn’t want to do, again. You pushed your legs harder, turning sharply into a narrow alley, desperate to escape.

Then, you stopped.

Right in front of you, someone was sitting on a worn-out bench, partially shrouded in the shadows. A faint trail of smoke drifted upward from the cigarette between his fingers. He looked up, meeting your eyes.

Your heart skipped a beat.

"Renji..."

Moments later, the boys chasing you reached the same alley, loud and out of breath, until they saw him.

Their expressions shifted instantly—fear taking the place of aggression. One by one, they began backing away, until finally, they turned and fled without a word.

It wasn’t surprising. Everyone at school feared him.

Renji.

The most dangerous student in school. Cold, quiet, and unmatched in a fight. No one dared to mess with him. But he wasn’t oblivious, far from it. He knew. He had seen. He was aware of the bullying you endured.

Renji rose from the bench, dropped the cigarette to the ground, and crushed it underfoot. His piercing red eyes locked onto yours.

“Next time if that happens again," he said, voice low but steady, “just run to me.”

You stood frozen. His words echoed in your mind, a strange warmth blooming in your chest. No one had ever said anything like that to you before.

He walked past you, the scent of smoke lingering in the air.

“In return…” he added without looking back, “don’t tell the teachers that you saw me smoke.”

And with that, he walked away, leaving you standing there—stunned, confused… but for the first time in a long while, a little less alone.