He got up and picked up Hyorinmaru. Matsumoto had completed all the division's paperwork before he had even entered the office and that left him with a whole day to himself. He decided he'd go pay some of matsumoto's friends a visit and maybe find out just what was happening.

However, at the other divisions…

3rd division:

"I'm sorry but I don't know, she hasn't been to the bar at all in days and I haven't seen her at all."

"Thank you, Kira fukutaichou."

4th division:

"I'm sorry, Hitsugaya taichou, I haven't seen Matsumoto in days so I don't know. However, if what you say is true then you should rejoice, after all, you finally have your dream fukutaichou."

"Thank you, Isane fukutaichou."

5th division:

"Really? That's great, shiro-chan!"

"Its Hitsugaya taichou, Hinamori and what's so great about that?!" He was really getting frustrated.

"You've finally got the fukutaichou of your dreams, right? You should be happy!"

"Ah, I see, Thank you, Hinamori fukutaichou."

6th division:

"Nope, don't know anything at all, Hitsugaya taichou. Byakuya taicho has been keeping me busy. Glad you got your wish."

"Thank you, Abarai fukutaichou."

8th division:

"Ooh! Congrats on finally getting the fukutaichou of your dreams, Hitsugaya taichou. Looks like you really do have a way with women eh?"

"Well, Its true I haven't seen Rangiku for quite some time so I wouldn't know much but like taichou says, congratulations."

"Thank you, Kyoraku taichou, Ise fukutaichou" That was strange, he knew Ise fukutaichou was stiff but not that stiff, well, he'd better get going.

That was all he could get from even the closest of Matsumoto's friends and he was more than annoyed after coming back from the 11th division having had to escape from certain pink haired fukutaichou in the middle of talking to Ikkaku third seat and Yumichika fifth seat and from 13th division where he had gone to visit Ukitake taichou for all he had gotten after the 'congrats' was a big bag of candy. So naturally, when he got back to find his office deserted, he was very relieved indeed. Sitting quietly at the desk he buried his face in his hands and reflected.

To tell the truth, most of Matsumoto's close friends, in fact, all of the people Hitsugaya had visited had heard from Matsumoto herself about how she had decided to give herself a complete overhaul to better suite her taichou's taste they had been horrified and therefore seeing Hitsugaya himself had made them even angrier at the man who had changed the Rangiku they had all known and loved. So of course they had not told him anything.

Hitsugaya sighed. He missed his bouncy and cheerful fukutaichou. He missed everything about her he had lost. Her bright smile lighting up his division, her warm hugs that he took so much strength from, her bubbly nature giving him courage to face his past, to see her sleeping on the couch so peacefully and most of all, her never-ending attempts to get him to relax. They had many a time ended in disaster, of course, but it was always more than worth the laughs that he often only let out when alone in his room. Why had she changed so much? He knew he was always scolding her for her laziness, always saying how much he wished for her to be more paperwork-oriented, how she wasn't his dream fukutaichou but he had never meant those words, they were only empty threats. Now he had his dream and it hurt, every bit of his heart yearning for the Rangiku he had known and loved.