Cold Iron; Caged Heart (Private: Yuusuke and Hanako Ikezawa)

_____________________________

The city: pinnacle of human society and symbol of a united people. Without the city, human society would have never evolved further than roaming bands of nomads who could never settle down and never begin the trade of ideas that is so vital to society today. Karakura City was no different; another large, predetermined patch of land with multiple large buildings and countless numbers of people running in and out of them. Though still a gathering place for ideas, and Karakura was definitely well known as being one of the most technologically advanced cities left on Earth; most of the large cities now served more as protection for their inhabitants. Then again, that was always the other benefit to the city structure; they are much easier to defend and the more people you have, the more people there are to "take up arms". Of course, for today's story, the most important fact to take from this is the population.

For most people, being around others provided a sense of security; "strength in numbers" as the saying goes. Hell, even those who were usually considered "anti-social" eventually learned how to get along with one another the longer they stayed in the city. Of course, while this may be true for the majority, there was one person to whom the entire idea of a city or even human interactions was a pure nightmare. While most people eventually learned to get along with others, there was one young girl within Karakura; both physically and emotionally scarred to an extreme amount. Hanako Ikezawa was her name, and as she stood there within Karakura City, she seemed to be frozen in place; surrounded on all sides by the thing she feared the most. Granted, this girl's fears were in no way unjustified; having been physically scarred by an energy of incomprehensible magnitude that resided within her body, Hanako was often picked on, teased, or simply outright ignored by most of society. In a sense, she was at a level equal to the lepers found within the bible; ostracized by society and treated as if she was less than human.

Now, that didn't mean that every person went out of their way to verbally abuse her. Part of what had scarred Hanako so much was that even the people who didn't verbally abuse her avoided her; averting their gaze ore staring in disgust at the grotesque scarring that covered a good 70% of the right side of her body. Of course, matters were not helped at all by the fact that she lived in a day and age where any sort of physical imperfection was easily "corrected" with surgery. However, because of the Malignant Energy that resided within her body, surgery was simply not an option. Not only would the energy simply scar any surgical corrections as bad as or worse than before, but even that act of surgery ran the risk of releasing the Malignant Energy from her body which would effectively kill anyone who was trying to operate on Hanako; just as it had so painfully killed her mother all those years ago. So, there she was; a girl whose body would always be marked by these disgusting scars who held within her a powerful energy that so much as flowing through her body would cause pain and physical damage. Not to mention that even using this energy was an act that terrified her almost as much as interactions.

Still, Hanako had somewhere to go today, and as much as she would prefer to simply curl up in her dorm and hide away from the rest of the world; she knew she had to do this. Luckily, where she was headed was probably one of the few places that Hanako actually considered to be a sort of "safe haven"; that being the library. Yes, being an avid reader for most of her life, books were one of the few things in this world that actually offered Hanako any enjoyment anymore. Add to that the fact that most people relied on digital mediums for, well, just about everything so that libraries were rather desolate places preserved as more of a relic, and the place seemed almost perfect to her. Unfortunately, because they were so outdated, there was really only one major library within walking distance of her dorm, so Hanako was forced to walk amongst the crowded streets to reach her destination. Wearing an outfit consisting of a white blouse, blue mini-jacket, black pants, simple black shoes and a black hat, Hanako had effectively hidden a majority of the scarring on her body. Of course, she walked at a very slow pace; and so as to attempt to simply disappear from the view of others, Hanako had her head tilted down towards the ground with her right hand up covering the right side of her face.

While the way she walked allowed for Hanako to effectively hide her scars from view as well as well as attempt to "shrink" out of view; the major drawback was that, save for very quick glances up, Hanako's gaze was kept focused on the ground. While she knew the general path to the library from practice, were some unexpected obstacle to cross her path, Hanako would have little chance of preparing for it. Unfortunately, as she neared the library, Hanako accidentally bumped into a group of teenagers who had been too busy talking amongst themselves to notice that some hunched over girl was walking towards them. Because each party was moving, Hanako was pushed back a bit; and not having a clear view of her surroundings, quickly tripped and fell back onto her bottom. After a few swears from the main teenage girl she had bumped into, the group focused their attention on who had actually walked right into them, and quickly met Hanako's scared eyes with disgusted faces. "Eww, what the hell girl, do you have some kind of disease or something?" one of the male members of the group said, Hanako's right hand now away from her face due to the fall; as well as the fact that her bangs had shifted to reveal more of the scarring on her face. "Oh God, that sickie touched me, gross, I think I need a bath" said the girl Hanako had accidentally bumped into.

Of course, the rest of the group said similar lines, but after the girls, Hanako's eyes began to tear up and the rest of their mocking tones just seemed to blur together. "...I-I-I..." Hanako stuttered, tears now visibly running down her cheeks. Of course, this only caused the group to look at her like she were some kind of idiot, and before any of them could speak again, Hanako had leaped to her feet and began to run towards the library as fast as she could. Luckily she was not too far away, but as she ran, the telltale sounds of crying could be heard from Hanako. Even as she reached the library she did not stop; rushing into the building until she reached a suitable corner to sit down and curl up in; her breathing heavy both due to the run and a minor panic attack. Although her sobs could be heard quite well in the library, because of how few people were there and because honestly, nobody wanted to deal with her, nothing was done but to let the girl sit in the corner and cry. Sadly, a day such as this had become all to common since the death of both her parents; and with no one there for her, it was not clear jut how much longer Hanako could keep on going.

Out of all the contemptible individuals who humiliated Hanako, there was one young man who was standing by the window with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Frowning at the display of sheer disrespect they put that girl through, he felt like he wanted to punch or at least upbraid every single one of these people. No matter what, no one deserved to go through what she just went through. It was depressing. To know that people still believe in something as superficial as someone's skin and its defects… such things angered him. Those sorts of people were truly despicable. Alas, Karma would ultimately come back to haunt them someday, and for that, the young man had naught to offer but pity. Inclining his head towards the direction Hanako speeded towards, the young man decided to follow her and see if he could cheer her up or possibly show her that those people were wrong and that she should be proud of her scars. Taking a deep breath, he decides to follow the path in which she took to arrive at the library. Yuusuke didn’t personally know this girl; in fact she was a complete stranger.

The only things he knew of that girl is that everyone treated her as though she were an abomination. Yuusuke simply couldn’t let another day go on and let her be ridiculed as she was just now. For the man known as Yuusuke onodera, protecting smiles has been the entirety of his life. He became a warrior, nay, a hero all in the name of protecting the smiles of his loved ones. He embodied compassion and togetherness more than anyone else around this entire earth. As a child, and as time grew on, he knew the one thing he wanted most - to bring peace to those around him and usher in a world where everyone could live in harmony and prosperity; a world that as far as he was concerned, would always welcome anyone; a world where no one would be ridiculed and everyone could live to see a better tomorrow. Indeed, that was his one and only dream – his one and only wish in this humongous globe known as planet earth. He was no wise man, and he could be an idiot at times. But his heart was pure and true.

Even at this moment, his thoughts were directed on the happiness of that girl. Even if it took him years to do so, he would make it a reality. He didn’t feel like it was a job, not at all. This was simply his way of being. Compassion and kindness were the epicenter of this young man. Thankfully, she had run off to a place where Yuusuke usually hung out during lunch or simply when he felt as though he wanted to read a book. It didn’t take him long to reach his desired location and upon entering, he took scrupulous care not to make any noises that would scare her or cause her to tremble. As he entered, he could clearly hear the discernible sounds of a girl whimpering and crying – the girl he had come here to cheer up. He had to be careful. Any wrong word could probably present the wrong message and furthermore, Yuusuke often had difficulty handling women—as any man did.

When bolstered by his determination, however, he could take on any challenge and come out victorious. He set his bag down by one of the chairs and slowly, ever so slowly, followed the sounds of her saddening sobs. He felt his heart sink at how much torment and despair they were laden with. It recalled minding the same sobs people around him experienced when they had no one to protect him. Was that girl, like those people? Was she a person with no one protecting her from harm? If so, Yuusuke knew he had to act. To leave her like this would be unforgiveable. Taking a deep breath to gather courage, he rounded the last corner to find Hanako and slowly walked towards her. With a barely audible noise, he kneeled down beside her and placed his hand upon her shoulder. “Hey Hey, there’s no need to cry,” he said warmly as he greeted her with a tender tone which clearly showed that he was genuinely here to help make her happy. Would fate allow him to do so? One could only surmise the turn of events the day would take for these two. Yuusuke knew one thing, whatever happens on this day would ultimately change his life. Will he be able to look back on this day and smile with happiness?

_____________________________

Sitting there, still crying in the corner, Hanako was all alone in the world. Parents dead, her mother even by her own hands, ostracized from society, treated as less than human; this was the cruel life that had enveloped this young girl. The icy grip of despair had become a constant companion, and no light shone to illuminate her path. If ever there was a soul broken by the vicious cycle of life it belonged to Hanako. No longer aware of the passage of time, the girl knew only the sound of her own sobs; breath hitching in her throat as it became increasingly difficult to breathe. Around her, though sparse in concentration, were numerous people who could simply reach a single hand out to Hanako; and yet all they did was ignore her. She could feel her heartbeat as it refused to self regulate, each palpitation like a tremor throughout her body, boring away at her grasp on life. She was scared; her sobbing lowering into little more than a whimper as she began to hyperventilate. Her vision now blurred by more than just tears, Hanako could almost feel the world around her closing in...

Suddenly, everything froze, and a sensation now alien to Hanako broke through the vast space separating her from the world. A simple touch, contact with another human; a sensation millions of people don't even give a second thought to. A foreign warmth against her shoulder had brought her back from the edge, and as a soft tone registered to her ears; her racing heart finally began to regain a normal pace. It took Hanako a few moments to make sense of the words of comfort spoken to her; the tone of voice something she only knew in her dreams. Not sure how to react, Hanako had to sit there for several minutes, allowing her sobbing to die down enough for her to form coherent words. "...wh-who..." she stuttered, barely able to get even one word out. While this contact may have been her deepest desire, Hanako was still unable to rid herself of the crippling fear that even the smallest form of social contact brought her. Still, something urged her to try; either something about this person, or some survival mechanic deep within her that knew she could not last much longer without this contact. Either way, the strong urge to string more than two words together began to well up within Hanako; though the battle it faced against her fear would not be easily won.

Slowly, Hanako began to lift her head, a few stray tears still rolling down her cheeks from the movement. However, the moment she began to move her head, her right arm shot up instinctively to help cover the scarred right side of her face. Eventually, after and arduously slow journey, Hanako had brought herself to look up at the man whose hand was firmly placed against her shoulder. Eyes red and cheeks still glistening with tears (though the man would only be able to see the left side of her face), Hanako looked a mess. Lips trembling, she tried to force the words out of her mouth, though for several more minutes she was still silent as she just looked at the man. He looked young, maybe around her own age, and his facial features held the same kindness she had received fro his tone. Hanako did not know who he was, but to be honest, all that mattered was that he had reached that hand out to her.

With a sharp intake of air, Hanako took a deep breath, or at least as deep as she could currently manage, before finally opening her lips. "...Wh-who are y-you...?" she asked, her voice almost nothing more than a whisper. For now, that simple question was all she could manage, and Hanako was tempted to curl back up so that she did not have to deal with this fear of talking to another human being. Luckily, the comforting contact this man was maintaining helped Hanako stay as she was.

"I am Yuusuke onodera, and I, I am a friend. "


Yuusuke said those words confidently, with a genuine smile that no mere actor could feign. His words were spoken with truth, nay', compassion towards this girl who was suffering. No one deserved to live like that. To Yuusuke, people deserved to live their life with happiness, with their arms spread wide open, and to be able to look towards a better tomorrow. Most would think that the closest reaction next to disdain, would be pity for others, but Yuusuke possessed neither pity nor the former in any sense of the word. His was true compassion, no mere act, for indeed, such was the kindness of the hero who fights for the smiles of others. While Yuusuke didn't normally talk to women, he felt that he was going to express himself and how he felt towards this girl. Thus, with a deep breath, he held out one of his hands to hold onto her own as he knelled down so that the two were now at eye level. "I take it your name is Hanako right?" He asked curiously, before transitioning into his next words. "Listen, i know what they said were harsh and i definitely know that you've been going through this everyday you come to school. And while i doubt my words may have much of an impact, allow me to tell you...that you're wonderful. "

Yuusuke smiled warmly, as he stared down into the tear-soaked eyes of Hanako. "Those people believe in superficial beauty, and they never dare to look beyond the surface. Beauty and vanity....Such things cannot be decided by someone's skin, but what they hold deep in here," said the young man as his he brought her hand towards his heart. "As the people, i think most of us experience turmoil and often feel inferior because of what fate has decided for us, but i don't believe that should be used to hold anyone down. Not at all. I believe at one point or another...that you were once a girl who aspired to reach for greatness and happiness, but life cruelly destroyed that aspiration, no? So be it. You're a beautiful girl. Not because of your skin, but what's inside you. That is all that matters." Yuusuke felt the words come to him, powerfully, emphatically, almost overwhelming. Nevertheless, he continued to let the words fall of their own volition. He needed to show her that his words were truth and no mere inspirational speech that would hardly make an impact on her life. "If life ever becomes too unbearable, never give up. You will one day be able to acquire the courage that you once lost, and be able to wear your scars proudly. When that happens, the time where you'll be able to live in boundless peace and absolute happiness will come. "

"Of course, i doubt i could ever know how much pain you really went through...so maybe i'm a bumbling idiot for coming here. But i didn't come here to say these words and leave, no," Yuusuke gripped her hand tightly and looked deep into her eye that wasn't covered by her hair, and spoke thus, "I have come here to help you and show you that there is a world that exist's where you can live without fear of your scars...that place is earth. Will you let me help you?" His eyes were pleading, but they were still strong and courageous. They showed just how much he was willing to go to lengths for people he barely knew, just to see their smile. And if he succeeded in making her smile, Yuusuke would be happy for years to come. The thing was, it was all up to Hanako now. Would she accept his heartfelt offer?

_____________________________

Yuusuke Onodera. As the man said his name, the sniffling from Hanako quickly died down; leaving her there to stare at him with her tear stained face. No, she did not know this man, nor did his name sound familiar. What had caused Hanako to regain some sense of control over her sobs were the man’s tone as well as his smile; not to mention the words that immediately followed his name. “…f-friend…?” she spoke under her breath; so softly that even the drop of a pin would have completely drowned out her voice. Yes, she knew the word, or at least of it, but that actual concept of friendship was a foreign notion to this young girl. It had been… years since anyone had approached her with so much as even a smile; and now as this young man spoke so many kind words to her, well, it was rather overwhelming. Once again, her heart began to beat faster, though still much more controlled than just a few moments ago. Looking up at this man… this Yuusuke; warm, compassionate smile crossing his lips, almost as if he didn’t even mind being around her. So busy simply taking in these new emotions displayed to her, Hanako was surprised as she felt something warm wrap around her left hand.

Almost jumping back, Hanako slowly brought her gaze down to her left hand, only to find it in the embrace of Yuusuke’s own hand. Shy and nervous, her body began to shake ever so slightly at the contact, and bringing her gaze back up to Yuusuke as he spoke, a faint blush could be seen spreading across her cheeks. Hearing her name only caused the blush to grow more rapidly, and as he continued to speak, all Hanako could do was sit there and listen. Throughout his speech, phrases such as “you’re wonderful” and “you’re a beautiful girl” stood out to her; compliments and phrases she had not heard since her parent’s deaths. It was words like these, as well as the action of placing her left hand against his chest that caused her blush deepen even further and her heartbeat to increase. Saying that his words left her breathless would have been an understatement, as Yuusuke told her so many things, so many honest and heartfelt words that had been absent from her life for so many years. Of course, along with these feelings, anxiety too began to slowly creepy its way back into her heart, and with it her breath began to come in much shorter, quicker bursts and once again the tears returned to her eyes. Everything this man was doing: the passionate words, the beautiful smile, the confident, emphatic tone; it was all such a positive message for the young girl. However, at the same time, the rush of emotions seemingly withheld from her for so many years also increased her anxiety; another panic attack attempting to thwart the positive impact of Yuusuke’s Speech.

As he began to speak his final words, Hanako’s breathing was once again hitching in her throat, and a few silent tears began to roll down her cheeks. Yes, these new emotions may have been positive, but at the same time they were overwhelming. Her hand still placed against Yuusuke’s chest, as he finally spoke his last line, she suddenly grabbed onto his shirt rather tightly for the condition she was in, and as her head lowered to face the ground, new sobs could be heard emanating from Hanako. “Y-Y-Y-You’re n-not a-an i-i-idiot” she managed to blurt out between rather loud sobs, clinging to his shirt even tighter. Suddenly, as if her remaining strength had instantly left her, Hanako collapsed forward into Yuusuke’s lap, her short sobs evolving into a louder, continuous crying. Right hand still pressed against her face as in an attempt to stop the tears and left still clutching onto his shirt, Hanako just lay there for several minutes; her crying growing slightly louder as her body began to tremble. All of these emotions she had thought forever lost to her had been brought so suddenly back to her by this one man, and for once, she did not fear the contact or interaction, but rather welcomed it. For so long, so many negative emotions had been building up in this girl, and as she lay there, head in Yuusuke’s lap, she was finally able to begin to let them go. “…Y-Y-Yuusuke, p-please… y-yes…” she spoke softly as her crying began to fade back into quieter individual sobs. Yes: that was her answer to his question, his offer of help. Though she had just met him, Yuusuke had already managed to fill her with the one emotion she had desperately needed for so long; hope.

Yuusuke could not help but to gulp ever so slightly as this young girl released all of her emotions, bringing everything that had laid dormant for so long into the open. To others, her cries would've seemed as though Yuusuke had failed and made her feel worse - and for a moment, Yuusuke nearly felt as though his efforts had all been for naught. However, in the next instant, the girl had blown away his fears by answering him. Although it was imperceptible amid her sobs, Yuusuke had heard it with as much vividness as a clear blue sea that sparkled with vibrant water. A sigh of relief came from his lips as he wrapped his arms around her waifish shoulders, continuing to console her as he had been doing from the outset of their meeting. "I'm relieved, " he answered as he started to pick her up. Even though this was a success in and of itself, it would be futile if the girl ended up in a critical condition, or worse, dead Extreme as he thought it was, he couldn't be too carefree. He imagined that it must have been foreign to her, to have someone tell you that everything was alright, to be given hope for a new day. Joy suffused the young man's body, as he held her within his arms. Although he knew there would be many more obstacles, he was nevertheless confident that he would be able to show her the light that she had escaped her for so long. With a new resolve, and the compassion in his heart firm and true, Onodera Yuusuke marched on, carrying a girl who's paths would be forever entwined with his own. Now, fate would decide where these connected individuals would go.

-END THREAD-