THE BITTERSWEET ACTS - Part I
Saying Goodbye Means You've Changed
Rangiku shuffled her feet against the hard-packed ground, humming to herself a song that she heard Gin sing before. It wasn't a particularly hard song to hum, but singing it was a different thing. She made her way through the small town where the buildings were stacked side by side and people laughed outside of them. Rangiku and Gin had just recently moved to a lower number part of the Rukongai, Area Thirty-two, to be exact. There, shinigami were spotted almost daily, flying on the roofs or drinking themselves drunk in bars.
The sun was getting ready to start setting, it was three-fourths of the way down, and it was a lovely day outside. It was warm and bright, a nice touch to the otherwise dreary cold days of spring. The sweat was already taking a toll on Rangiku so she twirled her light chestnut hair into a sloppy bun, her bangs still hanging in her face.
People around her were gathering outside, all wearing traditional and brightly colored clothes. It was a holiday in celebration of the town's hero. The streets were bustling with the thriving bodies, and some were swaying to the music that fluttered through the air. Rangiku was pleased at the pleasant atmosphere.
Suddenly, she frowned, remembering something. "Gin, oh, Gin, where are you?" she muttered under her breath, clomping down the pathway in her heavy sandals. Finally, she gave up. The crowd was becoming rambunctious, and too many men had touched her inappropriately.
Rangiku made her way towards the flood channel, annoyed and flustered. She closed her eyes and stood near the rushing water, brushing the hair out of her face. Not even minutes into relaxing, a cold hand pressed against her pale neck, drawing a gasp from out between her lips.
"What the-" she growled, raising her hand to slap her assailant. Mid-way into the motion, the same cold hand stopped hers. It snaked its way up to her fingers and wrapped their own against hers.
"Ran-chan, 's me. Calm down."
"Gin!" she squeaked, ashamed.
"Here, take it," Gin ordered, holding out an orange in his hand.
She took it, juggling it between her hands, testing the weight. "Where'd you get it?" Rangiku asked, glancing up at him through her eyelashes.
"Doesn't matter. Eat up." Gin crouched down on a rock, looking towards the small stream before them. She began to peel the orange silently, throwing the excess skin to fish down below. "I got somethin' tuh tell ya, Ran-chan."
"Hmm?" She leaned against the boulder he was on, still working at the tough outside of the orange. The sweet aroma mixed in the with the early springtime scent. A sutble wind shifted, blowing Gin's and Rangiku's hair across their face. "What is it?"
"I wanna become a shinigami," he said eagerly, his face lighting up.
Rangiku looked at him, and almost dropped her orange. "You're kidding, Gin. Please tell me you are."
"Nope. I wanna become a shinigami. If we have the reiatsu, why not put it tuh good use? You should do it wit' me too. You'd probably be the best one there is." Gin stole a piece of the citrus fruit and popped it into his mouth. "Plus, we wouldn't be out here anymore. We wouldn't haftuh grovel for food anymore. . . . Ran-chan, ya know where this is going, right? This is the best choice for us."
She sighed, throwing her head back to look at the man she had grown to cherish. "Fine."
"Fine?" he teased.
"Shut up!" she grunted, playfully slapping his leg. "I'll do it - I'll become a shinigami."
Gin laughed, tinkling and happy. "Ya can't bow out on me, 'kay?"
Rolling her eyes, she said: "I wouldn't dream of it."
"Alright," he replied. He patted her hand and leaped off the boulder, landing on the ground gracefully. "Come on, Ran-chan, let's go sign up. They're doing all of the test today."
"I guess it's good thing we're wearing our best clothes . . . " she sniffed, gazing down at at his and her outfits. She was wearing a simple icy blue kimono with a white sash around her waist. Gin had just got it for her the other day. How? She didn't know. He, on the other hand, was wearing a tunic-like sea foam green long-sleeved shirt and black pants.
She hurried up to catch him, leaving the half-eaten orange. Looping her arms around his, they both walked towards the Shinigami Academy. There were large groups of shinigami wearing the standard black shihakushou at different tables around the large courtyard. Behind the tables was the gate that led to the building where they'd be trained.
"Name," a burly man asked.
"Matsumoto Rangiku," she said proudly. He muttered something under his breath like 'go to the next table', and handed her a yellow piece of paper with her name scribbled on it. She proceeded to the next station, beaming brightly. Gin was already three tables ahead of her, talking rapidly to the questioner.
"Here, we will ask you the essential questions the Shinigami Academy requires," the woman there huffed, looking bored. "Have you ever experienced hunger as a soul?"
"Of course!"
"Do you think you will be able to handle the strenuous training and labor as a student?"
"Well, yes. It just depends on the work!" The woman quickly jotted down notes, and then gave back her paper. The next few stations were mostly filling out the rest of the paperwork. A lot of it was evaluations of your character and seeing what your potential strength was. Towards the end, there were shinigami from the fourth squad taking measurements, and such. Rangiku could understand why it was them doing that and not the others. There were the grossest people trying to get in.
She met Gin afterwards. It was a two hour long process of talking and standing still. Rangiku bubbled with happiness and elation. "I've made it in! We start the next year!" she giggled.
"Yes. And ya better start wakin' up early. It starts at five hours after midnight, and lasts until dusk. Hope yer up to the challenge, Ran-chan."
She glared at him. "Just 'cause I wake up late doesn't mean a thing! You're the one leaving even before the sun's up without telling me where you're going!"
"Ya want tuh know where I go, huh?" He got closer to her, his face less than a foot near hers.
"Yes," she drawled.
"Can't say." With that, he turned abruptly on his heel and headed back home. 'Home' was wherever they could find to stay at night, or well, until someone shooed them away. Rangiku growled and stomped her foot, but she followed behind him silently.
This boy, Ichimaru Gin, had saved her life once before. He had acknowledged her hunger and gave her the food she needed to stay alive. They'd been together for six years, both verging into their late teens. Rangiku felt like Gin was so secretive, but that was who he was; she couldn't complain. She had hoped that one day, Gin would open up to her, but it hasn't happened at all. More than anything, Rangiku wanted to stay near Gin for the rest of her unnaturally long life.
But becoming a shinigami was a hazard to that. It meant battling Hollows on a daily basis, whereas living in the Rukongai, the battle was getting food to feed them. But Gin seemed to have his ways of supporting the two quite easily. Rangiku never questioned it, she actually never thought of where he got it. She trusted him that much.
If only he could trust me . . . she thought to herself, running a hand through her hair. It was growing longer, almost past her shoulders. Gin had said she'd look much better when her hair was lengthier, curlier. So she had - naturally - trusted his opinion and took the effort to not cut it any shorter.
"Rangiku," his voice chimed from somewhere.
"Since when do you call me that?" she asked.
She had been so immersed in her own thoughts, that she didn't notice she'd stopped walking. And as a precaution, Gin had to sit her down on the ground. "You were losin' it there fer a second." Snapping back into reality, Rangiku smiled and shook her head.
"I did?"
"Yep," he replied, helping her up. Rangiku giggled at herself.
"I can't believe I did that!"
"I swear, these days, Ran-chan . . . "
She grinned at him mockingly. "What, Gin?"
He shrugged and kept walking forward. "Nothin' of much importance." Gin still was being secretive, and she didn't like it one bit.
"Tell me," Rangiku whined, pouting. "I wanna know."
Gin shook his head, grinning. "Keep on wantin' tuh know, 'cause ya ain't gonna find out."
"You're no fun," she moaned. Rangiku strode towards a candle-lit ramen stand. The smell teased her stomach, evoking a grumble from it. "I guess I should've brought that orange . . . " Before she could stop him, Gin was already talking to the owner and ordering a big order of the tasty food.
"Gin!" she whispered loudly. "What money do you have to pay for that?"
He turned to face her and shrugged while pulling out a clump of precious cash from inside his shirt. "My savings over the few years."
"No! Don't use it on me! You keep it!" She closed her hand over his, effectively stopping the exchange.
"Ran-chan, stop. I wanna use it for this." Rangiku bit her lip and shook her head.
"No. Don't. Sir, please just forget about it." Pulling on Gin's stone arm proved to be a worthless effort as he wasn't moving.
"Rangiku, stop," Gin ordered, opening his eyes. They were an odd color - something she didn't expect. Not once had he ever opened them, and it shocked Rangiku. Actually, so much that her arms fell limp to her sides and she let him pay for the food. They left the stand and headed towards a leisure park where they could sit and talk. Once inside the open area, they found a crude wooden bench and decided to dine there. Gin pulled out two pairs of chopsticks out of another mysterious pocket of his.
"Where do you get all of that?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Places," he replied simply. Gin began to cradle the bowl in his hands, digging into the tart mixture. After three bites, he passed it over to Rangiku, who took only two before giving it back. "Ya know, I've been wantin' tuh become a shinigami fer a while now. But, I was afraid of what ya'd say."
"Gin," she sighed in annoyance, "I would be fine with anything you want. Unless, of course, it'd be something stupid as evading questions."
"Is that s'posed tuh mean something there, Ran-chan?"
Rangiku laughed once, giving the bowl back to him and setting her hands in her lap. "Maybe."
"Don't feel bad, I'm only keepin' things from ya that you wouldn't wanna know." He grinned in such a way that raised the hairs on the back of Rangiku's neck. Shivers ran down along her spine, and it wasn't because of the cool evening or the wind rustling against them.
"There isn't-" she paused to take a bite of ramen "-a thing that I wouldn't want to know when it comes to you. But you're always so nonchalant and brushing off my questions. For once, I'd like for you to answer one of them truthfully."
"I do. I tell you the truth that are just some things better left unsaid."
Huffing, she wrenched herself off the bench and began to stalk off.
"Stop, Ran-chan," he demanded. "Come back!"
"No! I'm tired of this, Gin! I won't come back unti-" His hands had snaked around her waist from behind, and pulled her close to his chest.
"The thing I wanted to tell ya earlier, but didn't . . . ya wanna know?"
She exhaled and then said: "Yes."
"What I wanted tuh say was that 'I swear, Ran-chan, these days yer lookin' prettier and prettier'. I have to go now. Goodbye." Gin's lips pressed against her ear, then they wer gone. His body vanished along with the whisper, dissolving into nothingness. Rangiku stayed there, willing herself not to lose it. She had so mistakenly taken it to the next level, when it wasn't a big deal.
"Goodbye, Gin," she murmured, pressing her fingertips to her cheek where he had tenderly placed a kiss.
Author's Note: I dunno whyI wanted to make this story. I've fallen in love with Gin so I made it. But Bya-kun will forever hold a place in my heart! I semi-don't like Rangiku just 'cause she's a little too bouncy (NOOO! Don't take it that way!) and I don't like how she can suddenly change her mood. Like she's happy and then she's all serious. It doesn't make sense!