Ayane-san: Gomenasai, everyone! It took us a while to get this chapter ready, but it's finally here! Sorry for the wait.

Renji: Che, it's about time you finished.

Ayane-san: Well excuse me for working my ass off getting it ready.

Renji: What the hell are you talking about? All you did was slack off.

Ayane-san: What?

Saaya: Now, now... Thank you very much for the reviews, by the way! And thanks for all the favorites as well!

As we return to the competition from Ichigo's little 'emo' moment, the festival has taken its course to the next competition. Everyone was getting ready for their own competitions, as well as Abarai Renji. He was suppose to be in the three-legged race, which is part of the obstacle race. As Renji was tying his shoe laces, the lieutenant of squad nine, Hisagi Shuuhei, went to greet him.

"Yo, Renji," Hisagi said.

"Ohayo, Hisagi-san," Renji said as he looked up and finished tying up his shoe laces.

"Renji, are you ready?" Hisagi asked.

"Yup, I'm totally prepared for this race." Renji said.

"So who are you getting partnered up with?" asked Hisagi.

"I'm getting partnered up with Kira," Renji said." And who're you racing with?"

At that very moment, Hisagi froze in embarrassment as he blushed furiously and looked down on the floor.

"Hisagi-san?" Renji said.

"W-Well…I'm actually getting partnered up with…"Hisagi said, hesitating to say the name of his partner as he toyed with his fingers a bit.

"Just spit it out would'ya," Renji said. "Who's your partner?" he asked once again.

"M-My partner is…"Hisagi tried to say as his voice started to drift off a bit. "Ra…" he said.

"Ra?" Renji repeated.

"Ra…" Hisagi said again.

"Ra?" Renji repeated again.

"R-Ra…" Hisagi said once again.

"JUST SAY IT WILL YA?" Renji shouted, fed up of this little game.

"RANGIKU-SAN!" Hisagi yelled with a blush across his face.

"E-Eh?" Renji said. "Th-That's it?"

"WHAT DO MEAN BY 'THAT'S IT'? I HAVE TO PAIR UP WITH HER!"Hisagi shouted in embarrassment.

"Che, so? What's wrong with that?" Renji said, brushing the answer off.

"W-What's wrong? Th-That's…" Hisagi said, his voice starting to drift off as his hair covered his eyes, but not the huge blush spread across his face.

For a few seconds, Renji didn't understand what had gotten his friend so worked up over Matsumoto being his partner. Then suddenly, it hit him. Realizing what got Hisagi so worked up, Renji said, "You like Rangiku-san, don't you?" he smirked.

"WH-WHAT? H-HOW DO YOU-" Hisagi was trying to say, but was cut off by Renji.

"Now listen here, Hisagi-san,"Renji whispered into Hisagi's left ear. "If you want to get a girl, you have to get romantic with them, but at the right moment."

"And how do I do that?" Hisagi asked.

Renji then started to whisper his advice into Hisagi's left ear. With each sentence said, Hisagi nodded in response and sometimes commented on if the idea would work or not. After the conversation was over, they both headed towards the field where the competition was suppose to be held. There they saw some of the teams getting ready, while the other teams either stood at there spots and wait for the race to begin or were tightening there ribbons around their ankles with their partner.

Renji then saw and met up with Kira so they can prepare for the race. As for Hisagi, he was trying to find Matsumoto in the crowd. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found her leaning on a tree and looking off into the distance. Once he saw her like that, a faint tint of red appeared across Hisagi's face.

"U-Um…Rangiku-san!" Hisagi called out to her. Matsumoto then turned toward the direction in which her name was called and saw Hisagi waving to her.

"AH! Ohayo! Shuuhei!" Matsumoto said as she waved back and ran toward his direction.

"S-So," Hisagi started." W-We're going to be partners in the race, huh?"

"Yup~" Matsumoto smiled cheerfully. "Well, please take care of me during the race,*"

"H-Hai!" Hisagi replied, standing up perfectly straight.

After a few minutes, the contestants were called towards the starting line. There, Hisagi could clearly spot some of the many teams that were participating like Zaraki-taichou and Kuchiki-taichou, Renji and Kira, and…YAMAMOTO-SOUTAICHOU?

WHY IS THE SOUTAICHOU PARTICIPATING? Hisagi thought in shock. When he turned a bit to the left he saw next to him…Yasutora Sado, aka Chad. AND WHY IS YAMAMOTO-SOUTAICHOU'S PARTNER A HUMAN?

"Shuuhei," Matsumoto called, causing Hisagi to flinch. "They're about to start the race, let's tie our ankles together.

"S-Sure," Hisagi replied, going over to Matsumoto and helping to tie their ankles together.

Once they tied their ankles, Nanao came out with the same pistol she used in the last race.

"Alright minna-san, does everyone recall the rules to the race?" she said.

"Hai!" everyone replied.

Yosh, Hisagi thought. Now's my chance… He started to stretch his arm over Matsumoto bit by bit.

While doing so, Hisagi recalled what Renji had taught him before the race.

"All right, first, when the chance is right and the girl doesn't notice it, try to put your arm around her." Renji whispered." That would get her attention and then she would look at you with an embaressed face saying, " Sh-Shuuhei, w-what are you doing?" like that." Renji said, trying to imitate the best Matsumoto voice he could to prove his point." Then," he continued. "Try to say something cool and reassuring like "What is it, Rangiku-san?" in a cool, husky tone like that. That should be able to start up a mood between you and get you closer." Renji finished.

"Wow! Really?" Hisagi said. "Are you sure it'll work?" he asked.

"Of course," Renji reassured." Chicks always fall for that cool, romantic stuff, like in those chick flicks."

"Fine, I'll try." Hisagi said in determination.

So now, we go back to the present situation. As Hisagi's arm got closer and closer, he managed to get his whole arm over Matsumoto's back.

All right, now all I need to do is put my arm gently on her back, and I'll succeed.

But, what our dear ninth division fukutaichou didn't know was that as he was concentrating on charming Matsumoto, the race was a few seconds from starting.

"Then on the sound of the pistol, everyone will start," Nanao said. "On your mark…" she started, as everyone took their positions, but Hisagi wasn't paying attention.

"Get set…" Nanao continued.

Almost there… Hisagi thought, as his arm was barely an inch away from Matsumoto's back.

"GO!" Nanao yelled as she pulled the trigger and a 'BOOM' sounded.

With that one sound, everyone ran with all there might, trying to keep in sync with their partner's leg movement. As for Hisagi and Matsumoto, Hisagi was just about to connect his arm with Matsumoto's back, but Matsumoto had started running just when he was so close to succeeding. Unfortunately as well, since Hisagi wasn't paying any attention to the race, he was dragged along the ground as Matsumoto ran with full speed. As Hisagi was being dragged, tears started to flow from his eyes as he was being pulled.

Ah... Hisagi thought, his "blissful and crying" face seems to contradict his words. Fate… is so cruel…

"Oy, Shuuhei!" Matsumoto yelled. "Try to keep up or we'll loose!" she yelled, keeping her eyes on where she was going.

Meanwhile, on Kenpachi and Byakuya's team, surprisingly they're running in such perfect sync and they were in the lead.

"Hmph," Byakuya said. "I don't want to lose because of someone like you, so you better keep up."

"Che," Kenpachi replied. "Don't worry about me, but I think you should worry about yourself and not try to make me lose."

At Renji and Kira's team, they are in second place, almost closing up the distance between them and Kenpachi and Byakuya.

"Let's keep it up, Kira!" Renji yelled. "If we keep up this pace, we should be able to pass them and make it to first place and win!"

"Alright, Abarai-kun," Kira said. "I'll keep doing my best." And so he began to run faster.

At Yamamoto and Chad's team, they are walking calmly around the field instead of running. With this type of calm atmosphere, Chad thought they would never win this way, but suddenly, Yamamoto paused.

"Sado-kun, we shall now begin the real race." Yamamoto said.

"What do you mean?" Chad asked.

"You can start us off, run first Sado-kun." He said.

Chad nodded, although with uncertainty.

As Chad started running first, in a matter of seconds, Yamamoto began to run at mock-speed. But since Yamamoto ran so fast, by the time he started to run, the ribbon tying both his and Chad's legs together, broke. Not only that, but because of the speed Yamamoto went, Chad couldn't catch up, and the result, he got dragged behind. After that moment, Nanao's glasses glinted. She took out a whistle and blew in it.

"Yamamoto-soutaichou and Yasutora Sado's team, DISQUALIFIED!"

"WHAT?" Yamamoto shouted in shock, his old eyes opening up. "Why?"

"You broke the ribbon binding both of your legs together. The rules state that you cannot break the ribbon binding you two, that is why you are disqualified." Nanao said while pushing up her glasses. "Now please leave the field."

And with that, the Yamamoto-soutaichou and Yasutora Sado team was disqualified. As for the other three teams left in the race, they are now neck to neck. The tension is heating up between the teams as they race towards the finishing line. The Kenpachi and Byakuya team are still in the lead, but coming behind are the Renji and Kira team along with the Hisagi and Matsumoto team, although Hisagi is still being dragged behind, not having the chance to stand up and run as well. Even with the extra weight though, Matsumoto is still keeping a fast pace and manages to catch up with the rest. After a few minutes, Matsumoto manages to get right next to Renji and Kira.

"Oy, just cause you're a girl Rangiku-san, doesn't mean we're gonna go easy on ya." Renji said.

"Oh don't worry," she smiled. "It wouldn't be any fun if you guys went easy on me anyway."

"By the way," Kira said." What happened to Hisagi-san?..." Kira pointed out to the-still crying-fukutaichou being dragged from behind.

"Ah don't worry about Shuuhei, he must be tired from running and wanted to take a little power nap." Matsumoto said.

I really don't think that many tears are suppose to come out when your taking a nap…and why would you nap when your running... Both Renji and Kira thought with a sweatdrop.

After a few minutes later, everyone was head to head and almost close to the finishing line. As they closed in to the finishing line, their fighting spirit and determination for winning burned more and more. Matsumoto also managed to get pass Renji and Kira so she was second in the suddenly, some of that fighting spirit was put out when Matsumoto accidentally got her foot caught with Hisagi's and caused her to trip and also caused Hisagi to plummet his face into the ground. Just then, Renji and Kira managed to catch up and saw the incident.

"Rangiku-san, are you ok?" Kira asked.

"Yea, I'm fine." She replied reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" Renji asked.

"I'm positive," she replied." Now go on ahead, we'll catch up with you."

And with that, Renji and Kira ran off. Now there were only two teams left in the lead. Both teams started to close in on the finishing line. But suddenly, Renji's shoelaces came undone while they were running and caused him to trip. Of course, since Kira's leg was tied to Renji's, he fell down as well.

"Damn it…" Renji said as he tried to pick himself off from the ground." Oy, are you ok, Kira?"

"Yea, I think so…" Kira replied as he pushed himself up as well.

As both Renji and Kira tried to pick themselves off, Kenpachi and Byakuya managed to keep their steps in sync and ran past the finishing line.

"And the winners are Byakuya-taichou and Kenpachi-taichou!" Nanao exclaimed, clapping.

The crowd shouted in excitement, as the winners were announced. Along the way, Kira and Renji managed to get pback into the race and ran past the finish line as well. Although they came in second, they were satisfied at the least, since they managed to finish the race. Coming in last was Matsumoto with Hisagi still being dragged behind.

"So you managed to make it." Renji said.

"Yea," Matsumoto said. " But I came in last though."

"Well at least you finished." Kira said.

"True," Matsumoto said.

As Nanao and Nemu gave out the medal's to the winners from 1st place to 3rd place, the Shinigami Women's Association announced the second event.

"For the next competition, we shall continue from the Obstacle Course competition with the Borrowing Race event." Nanao announced through the microphone. "We hope to be seeing the participants for the next event." she finished.

And so there ends the first part of the obstacle course, and thus the borrowing race shall begin.

Behind The Scenes!

"Oy, Hisagi-san," Renji called." Are you alrigh-GEH!" he said as he walked in the locker room.

"Huh, what's wrong Abarai-ku-GEH!" Kira said as well as he walked in the room as well.

What Renji and Kira saw that made them stop in their tracks, was the huge difference in the atmosphere in the locker room. There on the left side of the room was a bright, gleaming aura emanating from Yamamoto-soutaichou on the bench, while on the right side of the room, was a gloomy, dark, depressing aura emanating from Hisagi in the corner.

"Ah, even though I didn't win, I still feel happy that I got to participate in an event for once, even though I was disqualified," Yamamoto said to himself happily.

"Ah…my chance…my chance to get closer to Rangiku-san…was destroyed…" Hisagi said to himself depressingly.

"W-What is with this huge difference in the atmosphere?…" Renji and Kira thought with a sweatdrop.

Ayane-san: Please review~!

Hisagi: *Depressing aura still around him*

Ayane-san: Oy, is he gonna be alright? *sweatdrop*

Renji: Don't worry, he'll get over it eventually... I hope. *sweatdrop*

Saaya: Suggestions for the borrowing race are greatly welcomed!

Ayane-san & Saaya: Well, see you next time!