Well,

This is the next chapter, guys! It took me some longer because of school and I also had a bit of a writers block... But it's here!

Enjoy!

Thank you for reviewing, protovy, Denidene, Mary Akataki, Kigaroo, crazyfreakazoid and Mungetsu!


Rangiku couldn't believe her eyes, but it was really said. The holy word which wouldn't part her from Shūhei. She would also enter the academy, and she wouldn't be stuck alone at home any more. Tears of joy were sliding down her cheeks when she ran to Shūhei. Shūhei caught her and embraced her tightly.

"You did so well, Rangiku! You're amazing!" Shūhei said happily. "Now you'll also enter the academy! And you have to call me sensei..." he added grinning.

Rangiku sighed and nodded. "Yeah... sensei..."

She saw the boy with the silver hair standing behind Shūhei. He smiled at her, and gave her the thumbs up. Then he vanished.

Something inside her told her to run after him. To ask him where he was going. Yes, she was curious about why he also wanted her to pass, and so much more. But to run after him...

Shūhei let her go, and beamed enthusiastic at her. "You've done it, Ran-chan!" he said happily.

Rangiku sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes, Shūhei-sensei..."

Shūhei laughed and hugged her again. "You'll be the best of your class, I'm sure!" he whispered in her ear. Then he let her go again.

"C'mon, let's sign you up and go home!" he said, dragging her into the room in which you could sign up.

The boy with the silver hair just wrote his name on the he walked past them, he patted her friendly on the shoulder.

"You're amazin'!" he whispered so silently only she could hear.

"Thank you," she whispered back.

He smiled at her, and vanished.

Again, she wanted to run after him, or ask him where he was going, but she just managed to stay put.

She turned over to the list, and wrote her name down. Then her eye caught the name above her. The name of the boy with the silver hair.

Ichimaru Gin

So that was his name. It felt really familiar, like she used that name every day. Shouted it everyday after him when he vanished without telling where he was going...

She shook her head, she was just imagining things.

"Well, shall we go home now?" asked Shūhei when Rangiku put her pen down.

"Yeah, okay," said Rangiku, still a bit absent.

They walked outside and wanted to walk away, when a shinigami ran to him.

"Shūhei!" he screamed.

Shūhei turned around, and recognised the shinigami. "What's wrong, Maneki?"

Maneki stopped next to them, panting.

"Well, the Gotei 13 is a bit short on shinigami's, so we could use some talented students to help us with some missions. Are you willing to be one of them?"

Shūhei shrugged. "I shouldn't know why not," he said. "When are the missions starting?"

Maneki shrugged. "I think they'll start somewhere during the first term. They could start on your first day back, or it could take a few weeks..."

Shūhei laughed. "Well, thank you. I'll see them coming, then".

Maneki smiled back. "I've got a mission myself now, so I've got to dash. See you!"

"Bye!" Shūhei said.

Rangiku jumped at him, and hugged him tightly.

"I knew you were talented," Rangiku laughed happily. "But I couldn't dream the Gotei 13 would also see this!"

Shūhei hugged her back. "Thank you, Rangiku! Without you, I wouldn't have done half that well!"

Rangiku smiled, and buried her face on Shūhei's shoulder. "I'm glad I know you, Shūhei. Life would really suck without you..."

Shūhei released her. "Well, shall we go now?" he asked.

Rangiku nodded. "Yeah, let's go!"

They walked outside, and while walking, Rangiku remembered something.

"Do you need to go to the market today?" Rangiku asked.

Shūhei slammed his hand against his forehead.

"Damn, I forgot!" he sighed. "Well, if you just go home alone, I'll go quickly to the market"

Rangiku nodded, and walked back home alone.

Then someone released himself from the shadows.

It was the boy with the silver hair.

"Hey... Gin, wasn't it?" said Rangiku carefully.

The boy smiled happily when he heard her saying his name.

"Yes, I'm Ichimaru Gin, pleased to meet you," he said and he bowed.

Rangiku just couldn't help but smile.

"I'm really glad ya passed the exam, I guess we're in the same class now. Just like it's used to be."

Rangiku chuckled.

"Used to be? Is there another life in which it should be different?" she said.

It was meant as a joke, but the boy took it serious.

"Yes. Well, not another life, but another history, present and future. I don't know it happened, but it happened."

Rangiku frowned.

"What happened, then? And how is it used to be?"

Gin sighed heavily.

"Promise me ya won't laugh at me, scold me, hate me of be furious at me for this, 'cause it's the truth."

Rangiku nodded, eager to hear his story.

"Well, when you were really young, you were attacked by a few shinigami, and left to starve to death. Well, Shūhei saved ya, didn't he? I was supposed to do that."

Rangiku stared at Gin with disbelieve. He? She was used to be saved by him?

"It is such a little thing," Gin continued. "But it caused me to loose ya, my biggest love. My most valuable thing. My Rangiku-chan..."

Rangiku just couldn't.

How stupid, weird and jealous his story sounded, she couldn't laugh at him. His voice was just so sad. And when his eyes, which were nearly always closed, opened, his face was also so sad...

Rangiku carefully walked some nearer, and put an arm around him.

"Well, tell me how it used to be. Not the big lines, but every detail you remember. Maybe I'll also remember..." she said. "I just can't stand seeing you this sad, even though I don't know you well..."

But then she was roughly pulled backwards by an arm around her throat.

Shūhei was standing next to her with his arm around his throat, and his other arm was grabbing Gin's throat. The groceries from the market were laying on the ground a few foot ahead.

"You stay away from her, understand me?" Shūhei yelled to Gin, who was turning blue and trying to release himself.

"Please, Shūhei," Rangiku said. But due to his arm around his throat, it was just a mere whisper.

She started tugging at Shūhei's arms, so he would release her something.

"Stop telling her lies, you jealous, foxefaced bastard!" Shūhei continued at Gin.

Gin was slowly turning purple now.

When his and Rangiku's eyes met, Rangiku just couldn't stand the sadness in his eyes any more.

"I'm só sorry..." she whispered at him.

Then she closed her eyes, and did something she never did before.

She slammed Shūhei in the face.

Surprised, Shūhei released her so she could escape and breathe freely again.

"You're suffocating me!" she yelled at Shūhei. "And don't you see how sad he is? No one can lie with a face that sad".

Shūhei's look was very dark when he walked towards her.

"You don't know what he can do, Rangiku. So stay away from him," he said. "If I ever see you two together, I'll kill you both!"

He raised his hands, grabbed Rangiku's hair, and pulled her with him in the direction of their house.

"Go," she whispered at Gin when she was tugged past Gin who was standing frozen on the spot. "I'm save, he won't kill me".

"SHUT UP!" Shūhei yelled, and he slapped her in the face.

He gave another tug at her hair, and she stumbled further.

"Go," she whispered again at Gin, her eyes full of tears. "Please, save yourself..."

Another tug at her hair.

But Gin clenched his fists.

"No," he said angry. "No, Rangiku-chan, you're the one who needs to be saved."

His eyes were still open, but something has changed. The sad look was replaced by a very angry one.

The fox has lost his temper.

Out of nowhere, he shot at Shūhei, and slammed him on the ground. Shūhei felt down, and had to let go of Rangiku.

When Rangiku felt him releasing his grip on her hair, she stumbled backwards.

"Go," Gin said.

Rangiku nodded, and ran away.

Then Gin turned back at Shūhei.

"So, Shūhei," he said, an dark aura emitting from him. "I'll teach you how you have to treat girls. I won't let you hurt Rangiku any more!"

The last thing Rangiku could see before the trees covered the scene, was Gin jumping at Shūhei...


Well,

Shūhei's evil side is revealed.

He's not that bad, actually, but he just doesn't want to lose Rangiku...

I'll try to update some sooner the next time!

See ya!
SeireiteiFantasy