Sometime after the Quincy War...
Karakura Town; Park
The September wind blew gently around Ichigo as he walked down the park in the dead of night, the trees around him making the transition to autumn with their leaves turning a shade of crimson and gold, illuminated by the glow of the lamp lights. Ichigo had ditched his human body back in his bedroom and was walking around in his Soul Reaper form. The Substitute Soul Reaper walked with his head hung low and his hands in his pockets. He'd thought a walk through the park would help clear his head and make him feel better, but walking all by himself only reminded of his loneliness even more.
After the fight with Yhwach, Ichigo and Orihime finally decided to get together and started dating. At first, everything was coming up sunshine and rainbows for the happy couple. But as the months rolled by, the two started to argue and bicker more and more. For Orihime, she'd realized that Ichigo was not the perfect man that she'd always idolized him as and started to scrutinize him every time he screwed up something. While Ichigo did always admire Orihime for her upbeat, optimistic attitude, it did start to wear on him after a while, and the expectations she had for him became too much for him to bear.
Finally, after one particular argument where their friends had to step in before things could get ugly, Orihime had decided that enough was enough and that they were through, storming off in tears. Tatsuki had tried to convince her to reconsider, but it was no good. She wasn't in love with Ichigo anymore.
At first, Ichigo tried to tell himself that it was for the best that they stopped seeing each other. That attitude lasted all of an hour, and after it finally sunk in that they were no longer a couple, that was when the tears came.
Ichigo shook his head. He couldn't think like that right now. Not after all this time. It'd been six months since their break-up. Six months that he spent trying to move on from what happened.
He was so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed that a person was sneaking up behind him until a pair of hands reached around to cover his eyes. "Guess who?" snickered a playful voice.
'Great. Just what I need...' Ichigo thought to himself. "Yoruichi, I don't have time for your games right now."
"Aww! Party pooper! But you talk about not having time? You're walking in the middle of the park at midnight. I think the problem is that you've got too much time on your hands, Ichigo."
The Flash Goddess took her hands away from Ichigo's eyes, letting the boy turn around to face her. Yoruichi Shihoin smiled playfully at the depressed Substitute Soul Reaper, wearing her usual orange jacket and black pants. She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side. "Why so glum, Ichigo? It's been over a week now. Are you still down about your princess leaving to find another castle?"
Ichigo scowled, a bit offended at Yoruichi's insensitive words. "Look, it's really none of your business, Yoruichi. If you're here just to mock me then -"
"No, I'm not here to mock you, Ichigo."
Giving the ex-Soul Reaper his trademark scowl, Ichigo merely turned away and kept walking. "Go away. I don't need this right now, Yoruichi. Leave me alone."
Sadly for the young man, Yoruichi didn't leave. Instead, she started to walk beside him. "Yes, because you're having just a merry old time beating yourself up. I've seen you take a lot of hits and get back up. Who would have thought Orihime would be the one to keep you down."
Ichigo growled angrily at her. "Shut up, Yoruichi! I told you already that it's none of your damn business!"
Yoruichi's eyes widened, and she gasped, stopping in her tracks and looking at Ichigo.
