Rangiku Matsumoto refilled her saucer. For the 19th time in last one hour.

Her captain was at the taichous' meeting. Which means, no one's coming to bother her for another half an hour at least.

With a sigh, the blonde lieutenant poured down the contents of the saucer into her mouth.

She was a wreck.

Today is one-year anniversary of the Winter War. Not that anyone was celebrating. But everyone remembered the day. It was today that Sosuke Aizen defeated the forces of Gotei 13 in the fake Karakura Town. It was this day one year ago the mighty transcendent came to his knees in the titanic battle against 15 year old Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki. It was this day he was sealed away by Kisuke Urahara, a state of stasis that is supposed to continue for millennia to come, hopefully.

Day of victory for everyone, while day of a personal loss for few.

For Toushirou Hitsugaya, it was the day he mortally wounded Momo Hinamori.

For the head-captain, it was the day he lost an old wrinkled arm (does he even care?).

For Ichigo Kurosaki, it was the day he lost his power to protect.

For her, it was the day she lost Gin.

There is room for argument. Anyone will say that Gin was lost the day he left for Hueco Mundo with the other two captains. But she knew, it wasn't true. Gin was hers truly until the very end.

Nobody knows. Nobody will ever. Just like they'll never know that it was all a trick. A trick elaborate enough to fool even Aizen.

The only witnesses of what Gin pulled off to stop Aizen were Ichigo's friends. People whose witness doesn't count. So today, or in the years coming, no one's going to remember Gin as anything other than a traitor. The treacherous fox his visage reminded everybody of.

Is this how you wanted it to be, Gin? To be the unsung hero? Is this your legacy? Me?

His parting words on Sokyoku Hill still haunted her.

"What a shame. I wouldn't mind being held by you a little longer. So long, Rangiku."

A single drop of tear rolled off from Matsumoto's cheek into the chasm that was her cleavage.

Evil indeed is the man who has not a single woman to mourn for him.


Hitsugaya found his lieutenant slumped over the small table, with empty pitchers of sake rolling on the floor.

"Damn it Rangiku, how many times I gotta say that my office isn't somewhere you can drink yourself to.." It caught his notice when he was two feet away from her. The slight quivering of the blonde's figure.

"Matsumoto.. are you.. crying?"

The lieutenant suddenly sat up with a gasp, her eyes round like a fish. "Thank goodness! I was almost choked by my boobs again!" She bounced her enormous breasts to emphasize.

Toushirou turned away immediately. "Yeah, what an unfortunate accident it'd be." He said, with his eyebrow twitching vigorously.

Behind him, Rangiku Matsumoto quickly wiped off her tears.

She was lucky to have him as her captain.

Had it been Isshin Shiba, he would've seen through it all in an instant.