When captain Hitsugaya was around, all female Soul Reapers had suddenly something to say to him from good mornings to opinions about the weather. Yes, they slowed his and their own work by wanting to chat about vanities, and because of that, you could usually see Hitsugaya angrily marching when he had to go to a different squad. Nothing could cheer him up during his trip in tournament – except a glimpse of a certain raven-haired friend.

"Hinamori, good-" Hitsugaya started but froze when the girl walked past him even without looking at him. He turned around, staring at the Soul Reaper who had definitely heard him but hadn't replied, the Soul Reaper who just hurried forwards.

The only person who he really wanted to hear a good morning from, and he wasn't going to get one? No way.

"Hinamori!" Hitsugaya shouted, not caring about people's gazes. He just wanted to stop Hinamori and see her to look at him.

However, the shout didn't slow Hinamori, not at all. She might even step more quickly.

"Lieutenant Hinamori!"

Now Hinamori stopped – but she didn't turn around. Hitsugaya was annoyed, but not only for that. Did he really use his authority to get his friend to greet him?

Hitsugaya removed the distance quickly, stopping front of Hinamori's back. "Turn, lieutenant Hinamori", Hitsugaya said coldly. "Turn and look me in the eye when I speak to you!"

Hinamori clenched her fists and turned slowly around, flashing a fake smile. "Is there anything I can help with, captain Hitsugaya?"

Hitsugaya questioned in announcement: "Since when have you decided to behave respectfully and call me by my title?"

"Something wrong with it?"

Hitsugaya frowned. Something was defnitely wrong with her today, and he was going to know what. "Well, I just wondered", Hitsugaya said, trying to calm Hinamori – yes, she was clearly angry. But why? "It isn't been your habit, since we're friends and all." He saw guilty flashing in Hinamori's brown eyes, but she replaced it quickly with wrath. She obviously wasn't herself. "But since we're friends, why didn't you reply to my greeting?"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, sometimes I hate you."

Hitsugaya blinked slowly. He was claimed to be a genius, but still these words took several seconds to sink into his mind. Maybe because he never supposed to hear them from Hinamori.

"I hate you when you walk there looking more than just gorgeous, making every female to look at you like some delicious piece of cake. I hate it when you say something clever that everyone sigh with hearts in place of their eyes. I hate how you sometimes talk seriously with people even if they're just trying to flirt with you, and", Hinamori's voice almost broke, "sometimes I just hate you, got it?!"

The thought in Hitsugaya's head was incredible, extremely incredible, but still it was the only possible explanation for Hinamori's weird behaviour. He inhaled deeply, collected some encouragement and was ready to get a negative answer to his question: "Hinamori, are you...are you jealousy of me?"

Hinamori bit her trembling bottom lip in order to hold tears back. "What about if I am?" she asked softly.

Hitsugaya was too stunned to answer anything to this. Jealousy...it was Hitsugaya who usually felt that kind of feelings while male Soul Reapers were near to Hinamori. He found it very annoying that Hinamori might fall in love with one of them. If Hinamori was jealous, could it mean-

"However, even though I sometimes hate you", Hinamori told, "I will always love you."

After saying that, Hitsugaya ended up looking at Hinamori's receding back. Somehow, he found his voice to shout: "Hinamori!" The girl met his confused gaze once again, saying with a cute smile: "I'm just like everyone else, aren't I? You look towards me, and I immediately drown in the sea of your eyes. You have to hardly touch my hand, and it's on fire. However, you won't pay attention to me any more, because I'm not special, I'm not good enough for you." Now Hitsugaya could hear sadness of many years in her voice. He had to say something, say her she was wrong, but when he eventually opened his frozen mouth, Hinamori spoke: "Don't worry, I understand. I myself caused this. We were friends, good friends. If I had left it like this, if I hadn't fallen in love with you and confessed you now, you would still hear me tomorrow, we could still talk properly the next month. I could be part of your life, just as a friend, but a part anyway. I could be a guest in your and someone's wedding", Hinamori told with a smile that shred Hitsugaya's heart to small pieces, "but now I'm not going to get an invitation, aren't I? I won't be allowed be a part of your life longer, right?"

And after her final speech, Hitsugaya was left on the busy aisle. But no matter the amount of people, he felt more lonely than ever. Their long-term friendship had just turned into dust.