Unspoken Memory About The Deceased One
"Ohayou, fukutaichou..."
As every shinigami in black shihakushou bend their body over, a girl shinigami with orange hair tied down walked accross the hall. She wore the same shihakushou everyone had, except a wooden emblem with japanese number and snow drop insignia tied on her left arm. She held a stack of documents.
"Ohayou, everyone..."
Yes, she was the new liutenant of thirteenth division after a long time without liutenant since Shiba Kaien's death couple years ago. Her coming to the thirteenth divison had been a new atmosphere to their barracks. Over hunderd years, the thirteenth divison had lack of female officer. Their new liutenant not only was the topic of every conversation in the corner of barracks all day, but also helpful in assissting their captain when it turned to administrative works.
"I'm here, Ukitake-taichou. I also bring you the medication you need to take, today." She knocked the paperly shoji doors toward her captain's Ugendo—a small building made of woods above a river near the thirteenth division barracks set aside for her captain to rest due to his frequent bouth of illness.
"No need to knock, Nagisa-chan. The shoji is already opened up," her captain replied. The new liutenant looked up and found the shoji was already opened. Not only she saw Ukitake, but also a woman in captain's haori sat down not far from the shoji. Her very long black hair braided in front of her body. The eyes showed some glitter, and her smile was radiant.
"Ohayou, Ukitake-taichou... Unohana-taichou..." The new liutenant bend over and sat down while she putting the medicines near Ukitake's futon. "I don't know Unohana-taichou come over today," she said politely.
"I believe you were on captain's chamber when I got here, this morning, Kira. It must be busy to replace Ukitake's position when your captain unable to move from his Ugendo. And yes, You might not know but I come here to examine his condition regularly," Unohana-taichou replied.
"You don't have to say so, Unohana-san. She had helped me a lot with administration and reminded me to take my medicine...a lot." Ukitake-taichou laughed a little.
"Sure thing, Ukitake. She had been under my supervision for some years on fourth division not long after she got accepted at Gotei Thirteen. Kira must be able to help you with healing and medications," Unohana-taichou said with gentle smile on her lips. "And...talking about Kira... I will tell your current condition to her too so that we could help to monitor you while I'm on the clinic."
"Hai..." The new liutenant replied while bending her body.
"Lately, Ukitake can't take any cold air or he would catch at least cold and fever. So please help your captain not to go out on night, though it's summer now. Please remind him to have enough rest and not to have any excessive work and eat nutritious food. In some days, Ukitake will be okay," said Unohana while writing some of the details on a piece of paper.
"Checked, Unohana-taichou." Unohana handed over the paper to the new liutenant to help her to remember. "And ah...taichou. I have verified and sign every documents for the sixth division. I'm going to sixth division barracks to get it delivered," the new liutenant said.
"No need to go, Nagisa-chan. I heard, after attending Maiko and Kimonji's wedding last night, Byakuya fall ill too. Isn't it, Unohana-taichou?"
The new liutenant looked at Unohana observing her reaction. Unohana nodded. "It is. That is why I'm going to go to Kuchiki Manor. Do you want to go with me, Kira?" asked Unohana.
"Is it okay to go to a noble family's manor? If Kuchiki-taichou isn't in his chamber then I will just leave it there. Renji-san will look after it, anyway," asked the new liutenant nervously.
"It's truly okay, Kira. Besides, since Isane get busy at the clinic, I don't have much company," Unohana replied.
"Ummm...I guess I will be going, Unohana-taichou."
"Then, I'll wait for you in front of thirteenth squad barracks." As Unohana stood up, she said,"Please be prepared. I'm going now, Ukitake-taichou."
Unohana grabbed her zanpakutou and closed the shoji. After a while, the new liutenant looked at Ukitake. "You heard Unohana-taichou, captain. Next time, you shouldn't be so reckless going to wedding without being aware to your condition," she said.
Ukitake laughed a little. He pat his own head. "How can I? I couldnt' hold myself not to congratulate on people's happy day. When it's your turn, I'll make sure that I come to yours, Nagisa-chan," Ukitake replied.
The new liutenant's face turn red as if her blood flowed to her head. She stood up and left before anything embarassing happened. As always, Ukitake could always make her face turn red. Like his jokes stroke to the core of her problem. As she slide the shoji, she said, "I'm too young to be told so, taichou. Besides... I don't have any intention to be married."
As the leaves fell down from its trunk, the summer wind blew bringing the hot air. The sun that day was shining through clouds sending warmth to the weather. Poles at Kuchiki Manor were seen as clear as anytime can be. Bugs were seen everywhere, sounding its wings to complete the summer festival. Eventhough it's neither spring nor fall, the leaves every tree in Kuchiki Manor kept falling down.
The shoji from every room left opened, as the air was very humid so it would increase the air flow inside the manor. Even though it's summer, Kuchiki Manor wasn't like Rukongai and Seireitei afteral. When it's summer, people went outside and had time together. Some chose their summer enjoyed by eating Kakigori—a drink made with ice and fruits. Some enjoyed theirs by playing outside, or simply sat on veranda to smell the weather. Yet it's all creepy and silent there.
Kira Nagisa, the new liutenant, followed Unohana through a path made of stone along the Manor's front yard. They stopped as they encountered the front shoji.
"Good afternoon. It's Unohana, captain of fourth division, coming due to manor's demand to examine the noble," said Unohana. After a while, the shoji opened by a middle-aged woman.
"Sumimasen...for making you wait out there when it's really hot," said the caretaker. She welcomed her two guests. "Byakuya-sama is on his room. Ah...by the way, you don't bring Kotetsu-san, do you? Who is the shinigami you bring along, Unohana-taichou?" The caretaker approached Nagisa as if she hadn't met her yet.
"Ah, yes Isane is busy at the clinic. She is Kira Nagisa, a former 8th seated officer of fourth squad. Right now, she enrolled as the liutenant of thirteenth division, bringing the documents for Kuchiki-taichou. I think it might be a good company to bring her here," replied Unohana.
The caretaker smiled widely. She lent her wrinkled and thin hand on Nagisa's shoulder. It seemed she hadn't had any guests for couple of years. "I see, another guests for Byakuya-sama. This manor don't have many guests, so Byakuya-sama would be very happy if you come," she said as she stroke Nagisa's shoulder gently.
The caretaker took her guests accross the hall. The Manor was pretty big. There were some photos of Kuchiki noble along the hall. Every figure on the photo shared some resemblance. It was that every figure got pictured with a broken white scarf on their neck, the very exact scarf Byakuya used to wear.
"Anou...can I ask you something, ma'am?" Nagisa asked.
"Yes, please," the caretaker replied as she turned back to Nagisa.
"The white scarf on every figure on these photos, are they related to Kuchiki symbol? I mean...every noble wears it."
"You have a good eye, young lady. The white scarf is indeed Kuchiki symbol. It represents this family's nobility for thousand years. The scarf itself could buy seven manors in seireitei. It's a very important thing in this family..."
After passing a corner, the caretaker guided Unohana to Byakuya's room, while Nagisa was given the direction to the noble's room, where Byakuya kept important documents regarding to 6th squad. She walked accross the hall and got to the noble's room.
The noble's room was quiet vast, like the rest of the manor, consisted of ten tatami mats. In the center of the room, there were a low night table and four zaseki(s), that seemd to be used to greet important guests. On every inch of the wall, there were calligraphy. And this room, reasonably smelled like Byakuya. Nagisa closed her eyes and dreamed about Byakuya spent his free time by incised the brush, moved gracefully accross the paper. She could imagined how his long nimble pale fingers drifted the calligraphy brush skilfully and elegantly. Her vision combined with the smell of the ink from Byakuya's calligraphy made a powerful force, aroused some feeling from the bottom of her heart. A feeling she had burried so long time ago that she didn't want to feel it again.
A little step on the hall wake her up from her imagination, realizing that the main reason Nagisa came here was to bring the document for Byakuya. She put a stack of signed documents above the low night table.
Before going back to where Unohana waited her, Nagisa smelled something. Something strong yet faint at the same time. Then she found a burning incense and crysanthemum on the corner of the noble's room, on a small simple shrine.
She walked to the corner, to see the shrine. On the center of the shrine, there was a photo of a beautiful black haired woman. The violet eyes of her were glimmering as the smile was faint. Her skin was so white and pale, yet shining at the same time. The woman on the photo wore a kimono with—the same broken white—haori. Due to the background, sakura leaves falling, this photo was clearly taken at this manor.
This woman...she resembled Rukia very much.
This woman...must be Kuchiki-taichou deceased wife, Hisana-san, Nagisa murmured. Rukia told her a little, a story about her sister, how she was adopted to Kuchiki noble family.
Looking at Hisana's picture opened up a vast hole on Nagisa's chest. Not the emptiness she felt when Ichimaru Gin left, or betrayed Gotei Thirteen. It was even wider, and deeper, and darker like a black hole absorbing all the energy she had in one blink.
Onee-san. Though we were alike, I hardly heard Byakuya-niisama ever talked about her. The talk about Hisana-neesan don't come very often. Sometimes, I just pass by Byakuya-nii sama private shrine and see him looking at the love of his life silently, knowing that she isn't longer in his life anymore. And by that, I can tell that Nii-sama have his feeling locked up.
Being a widower for 50 years, giving no chance to mention any woman's name but my Nee-san, even a slight, I think...I could understand the path Nii-sama chosen.
Seeing the violet eyes of Hisana, Nagisa torn apart. The beauty of crysanthemum petals falling lightly on the frame couldn't heal the scar she had on her chest. The smell of lighting incense even made it worse. And the faint smile Hisana had...had broken the Nagisa's guard as a slight of tears fell down through her red brushed cheek.
The fact that she can't have any room in Byakuya's heart was unacceptable to her deepest fragile heart.
In the middle of the gloomy atmosphere in the noble's room, Unohana entered the room. She found Nagisa sat down silently in front of a shrine. Nagisa hardly moved her body, like she stunned before the picture of Hisana on the center of the shrine. Unohana even found Nagisa wept her eyes briefly.
"Kira? Have you put the documents you bring?" Unohana asked gently. She didn't want to upset Nagisa that she had been seen crying in front Hisana's shrine.
"Hai...Unohana-taichou!" she shouted as she stood back and bend her body. Luckily she wept her tears earlier so she was safe from Unohana knowing her feeling. Even though she didn't know what Unohana had been seeing.
"Then, let's head up to thirteenth squad barracks now. Ukitake must have need you to be by his side right now," said Unohana gently.
Nagisa nodded softly.
The caretaker lead the way outside. She thanked Unohana and Nagisa for being the manor's guests. Before Nagisa turned back, the caretaker's wrinkled hand stopped her as she whispered, "Please come back, young lady. I know you didn't meet Byakuya-sama today due to his inability to move around the manor, but make sure you will come again. I'm sure that a guest will lighten the atmosphere here. Byakuya-sama and Rukia-sama would be very happy if they had someone to talk to."
The caretaker smiled. Nagisa smiled back.
Her eyes looked at the manor once. She knew precisely that she wanted to come back sometimes. After she had her heart ordered.