DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, sadly.
A/N: Hello and welcome to my fifth fic ever! I know, I know. You're probably all sick and tired of oneshot collections, but I didn't want to write a million of them…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gin was always smiling. She didn't know why, really. It was creepy in a way, but also intriguing.
That particular morning, Matsumoto sat in 10th division's office. Hitsugaya-taichou was out again, apparently on a rather important mission. Meanwhile, she was stuck here, doing paperwork.
How typical.
Her mind kept wandering back to Gin, however. His grin was so mysterious…why? It always seemed as if someone had permanently glued a mask to his face.
"Good morning." A voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she jumped up. "T-Taichou?"
"I'm afraid Hitsugaya-san has not returned yet," answered Ichimaru, walking smoothly in front of her desk. "I apologize if I disappointed you."
"No, not at all!" she quickly said. "I was just wondering…if he…well – "
"Stuck inside doing paperwork on such a lovely day?" Ichimaru glanced out the window. "What a shame."
Matsumoto was trying very hard not to look at his face. The undeniable smile was still there – and she was dying to find out why.
"Um…Ichimaru-taichou?"
He turned to look at her, but not in a menacing way. "What is it, Matsumoto?"
Matsumoto took a deep breath. Who knew how he would react to her asking this? "Why…do you always smile?"
"Eh? Why?" Ichimaru repeated. He walked around the desk so he was right next to her. "Do you want to know why?"
Suddenly, Matsumoto realized what a stupid question she had just asked. Did there have to be a reason for everything? Maybe he was just…happy all the time.
"This is why," he said. He leaned closer and closer towards her, until their noses were almost touching. Matsumoto was sure she could hear her heart beating.
He put one hand in his robe, and pulled out…
…volume twenty of Bleach!
Matsumoto almost fell over. "What's that?!"
Ichimaru tucked it back inside his shihakusho. "It's finally out! And I'm on the cover!"
"I can see that…" Matsumoto still felt a little surprised. THIS is the reason he was always smiling?
"Heheh…Kubo mentioned something about me on volume twenty. It was a pain, having to wait nineteen volumes…but it was worth it! I finally get to be on the cover!"
He stood there smiling for a moment (like usual). Matsumoto wasn't sure what to think…for a moment she thought he was about to say…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, the twentieth volume came out a little while ago in English, although I've already read way past it online. But oh well. Actually, I wrote this chapter a long time ago, but I just couldn't think of what to make him pull out of his shihakusho…so I'd written 'a banana'! – Kuchiki-chan