"Hisagi, I'm going to get married"
"Now?"
A pair of children were hanging at the secluded pond outside of the tenth district. The girl was obviously from a wealthy family, while the boy was from the middle class. The boy was holding a tiny leaf very close to his mouth, and as his lips vibrated, beautiful notes flew out of the green leaf. But this tune was interrupted by the news of his friend.
"Not now, silly, I'm too young! -the girl laughed- Not until I become a proper shinigami"
"Do you even know whom you are marrying?" The boy asked, slightly upset.
"No, I never met him; I only know his name is Kuchiki Byakuya. Father says he's brilliant, and very handsome though."
"I bet he doesn't like trees." Hisagi Shuhei sneered, secretly hated the boy whom he also never met. His young heart told him this Byakuya guy would take away his and Helena's playtime together. "Will you still come out and play with me though?"
"Of course I will, because I like you very much, Hisagi" The girl exclaimed.
"But you will like him more than me." The little boy added in dismay.
Chapter 14: Then and Now
"Hisagi-san?"
A voice of someone jerked him back to reality. I was daydreaming again... Tsk...He glanced at the paperwork which had grown over the period of his tuning out.
"I'm so sorry, Unohana Taichou, I just kind of faze..."
"It's alright, Hisagi-san. You have so much to take care of, it is very terrible of me to blame you in any way." At her words, he relaxed, but then he noticed the absence of her lieutenant.
"Oy, Unohana Taichou, where is your Lieutenant?"
"Ahh, I gave her some errands to run. Beside, I want to talk to you about some personal matter"
His stomach started to knot together as the woman sat down. She calmly served herself a cup of tea, and did not raise her voice again until the cup had been empty.
"Hisagi-san, you are Helena-san's closet friend, are you not?"
"Well... when we were kids, but we haven't talked that often."
"Nevertheless, Helena-san always expressed much affection for you"
"It's hard to know. She never said anything of the sort." He said, unaware of the bitterness in his tone.
"Is that why you didn't attend her wedding?" Retsu Unohana asked, her tone neither higher or lower.
"No... I was... well..." He stuttered, trying to find a reason.
At his struggle, she did not comment. Instead, she looked deeply into the soul of the man who was scratching his hair; and she saw everything he was trying to conceal.
"I see... -She spoke, and he stopped scratching his hair- is she aware of it?"
"Aware of... Unohana Taichou, what are you saying?" Hisagi felt like a convict awaiting its verdict. His heart was beating so frantically fast.
"That you are in love with her" Unohana calmly stated without shifting of tone. Her hands folded neatly on top of her lap as the man in front of her sat dumbstruck.
"Unohana Taichou... please understand what you are accusing me of."
"But I'm not accusing you, Hisagi-san, I am very grateful of your love for Helena-san"
"Please stop!" He stood up and was ready to leave. Shadow covered his face. What good would my love do for her now? What good could my feeling do to myself?...
"Hisagi-san, why did you not tell her?"
"She was to be married. -he said, solemnly- She was to be married to Kuchiki Taichou. I... couldn't!"
"But what about when her engagement was canceled?"
The memory of a shaded pond one evening burnt in his mind as he clenched his fists, angry at some younger image of himself.
"Being loved is a wonderful thing, Hisagi-san, even when one is not aware of it"
"Unohana Taichou, are you telling me that I should have told her how I feel?"
"No, -Retsu Unohana's voice grew serious and disciplinary- Helena-san was to be married to Kuchiki Taichou. She is now his wife. No good would have, or would, come from you telling her how you feel."
"Then... what are you telling me?"
"I'm telling you of the sacrifice you made for her sake, Hisagi-san, by withholding your confession" She moved from her chair to before Hisagi, her voice was gentle again. "but now it is Kuchiki Taichou's turn to love her and hers to love him."
"I do not intend to make my feeling known, now or ever, Unohana Taichou."
"I do not believe you will. -She smiled kindly at him- But I also do not foolishly think that Helena-san does not have any feeling for you except friendship either. -Hisagi Shuhei's eyes widened at her words- Do not protest, Hisagi-san. You are, after all, the only man in her life except her father that she has had such affection for..."
"What is your point?" He impatiently addressed Unohana. His rudeness did not offend her.
"The past had passed at the moment Naoki Helena accepted the proposal of Kuchiki Taichou. Whatever chances or possibilities there were, they are of no use now for your nor her happiness. Let them be just cherished memories of the past, and put them to rest, Hisagi-san"
"Have I not done so already?" The words slurred out of him.
"You didn't attend her wedding because you couldn't bear to give her your congratulation as a friend."
Hisagi Shuhei looked at the woman who was standing next to him. He waited for more of her words, but none came. Her eyes were not pushing him, nor letting him off. They were patient and resolute as Hisagi drifted into somewhere deep and afloat within himself; and when he surfaced back up, he had his answer.
"I understand, Unohana Taichou, I will give her my congratulation soon" In a split second, there was only air next to Unohana's side.
"You really have a touch with delicate situations, Unohana Taichou" A voice made itself known almost immediately after Hisagi had removed himself from the office.
Retsu turned to face the owner of the voice. "Ukitake Taichou. Have you been listening the whole time?"
The man who just appeared smiled apologetically. "When you put things that way, it really makes me sound bad"
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. -She quickly fixed her mistake- You must have come here to talk to Hisagi-san yourself."
"It seems you beat me to it! -Ukitake laughed. His eyes darted to the huge amount of paper works on Hisagi's desk and caught sight of a magazine picture: the one featured Naoki Helena and Kuchiki Byakuya at the infamous ball.- Unohana Taichou, did you really think Hisagi-san would forgone his love for Helena-san?"
The shinigami grunted as the tree smashed upon his shoulder. He did not have enough time to take her away, only a matter of seconds to put his body between hers and the falling trunk. Shrugging the tree of his shoulder, he let out a small groan at the knowledge that his shoulder was injured.
"Are you alright?" He asked the small trembling figure beneath him. She was wearing the uniform of a freshmen at the academy, her left arm was apparently hurt. At his question, she only whimpered. He tore off the sleeve of his kimono and bandaged her bleeding arm. "There you go. This should stop the bleeding, but get someone to take a look at it as soon as you get back, alright?"
She nodded as he helped her up. The man who saved her was young. From his clothing, she could tell he was from nobility. Retsu Unohana was surprised to find a noble whose manner of speech was so casual and filled with warmth.
"Please forgive my rudeness, but why are you here?" She gathered her courage and spoke.
"I happen to like taking walks in forest. -He smiled at her, noticing her uniform.- How do you like the academy? Ah, I miss it! It's been twenty years since I graduated."
"I like it very much" She looked downward, afraid to look directly into someone of nobility; she knew the rules regarding commoners and nobles. Though she couldn't help but stare at his injured shoulder.
"Do not worry about my injuries. My physician can easily handle stuff like this." He reassured her. "Alright, I'll be off. Remember to be careful from now on, ok?"
As he departed, Retsu Unohana looked on. She promised herself to be a medical shinigami, and that she would become his physician and heal all his wounds from then on. She kept looking until the young shinigami waved her goodbye at the end of the road; his eyes shone golden among the greenness of the forest.
"No, I didn't." She admitted. "I merely hoped he would find a way to be content... It's a misfortune to love so narrowly." She commented, not knowing to whom it was directed to. Behind her, the white hair man made a sorrowful gesture.
"I'm so sorry, Kuchiki Taichou, the Lieutenant did not leave any information on the duty schedule for next week that he has been working on." The 6th Division's third seat frantically apologized to the narrowed eyes of her captain. She could not comprehend how a man could come back from his honeymoon break with such ill humor. He had demanded to know everything that was done in the time he was gone, go over every little details, and make her responsible for all which did not meet his approval.
"Shouldn't you have made sure that he left me a report? -Not waiting for her apology, Byakuya continued- Bring me last week's schedule of duty and the request list. -He took a sip at his tea and flinched violently. This is...- Who prepared this tea?"
"I...I...did." Served me right for trying to do something nice! The girl scolded at herself.
"It tastes terrible. Don't make it again."
"It is not nice of you to harass your officer on the first day, Byakuya-sama" His new wife appeared at the door out of thin air, her servants were right behind.
The girl stared dumbstruck at the woman who just defended her. The woman was tall and slender with incredibly dark eyes and hair; her skin was fair as snow and that only added to the dramatic effect of her appearance; her kimono was simple, but complimenting. She is like... grace. The woman seemed to be aware of the girl's admiring stare because her dark eyebrows slightly came together in disapproval.
Shit! What am I doing staring straight to the face of a noble? The girl quickly adjusted her eye-level as the woman passed by her to come near Kuchiki Taichou's desk. She smelled scent of blossoms... and pure air... and spring water...
"What are you doing in my office? Non-officers are not allowed here"
"Can't a wife visit her husband who is hard at work?" Helena took out a fan and tapped it to her lips as she said them loudly enough for his third seat to hear. Byakuya quickly dismissed the eyeing-girl, but not before telling her to get someone else to make his tea.
"Enough of this. What are you doing here?"
"In case it slipped your mind, Naoki Trading Company is responsible for the goods that come to use of the Thirteen Squads. I'm here today to make some deliveries." She casually responded.
"Such tasks can be carried out by servants"
"Tsk, then I guess I just miss you too much already." The tip of the fan left Helena's lips and descended upon his. He instantly withdrew as if electricity had just struck upon the thin skin of his mouth.
"How shameless! You should consider your position a little" He frowned at the thought that Helena had grown more reckless in behaviors toward him lately. She teased him immensely and rejoiced at his reactions. This playful part of her he did not expect, and its indication of a certain comfort level in their marriage frustrated him.
She straightened but remained smiling as if his stale nature no longer bothered her; rather it added to her amusement. She did not say much, but finished the delivery to his squad before moving on the next. Byakuya noticed that since her visit, his tea was prepared in the exact manner it had always been made at his manor.
"Leave me here" She instructed her servants as she stepped inside the office of the Ninth squad. The desk was almost swallowed by a mountain of paper works. Her fingers touched the brushes hanging and the ink that was still wet. Shuhei.She chuckled as the image of a much younger Hisagi Shuhei getting slapped on the head by Yune Sensei. He was always bad at calligraphy. The sight of several green leaves laying about stirred that memory she held dear: Shuhei and his green, leafy flutes. One of them was still fresh, as if it was just taken from the branch this very morning. She lifted the young leaf and pressed it against her lips. No sound came out; and a sad smile lingered in her eyes.
"He...lena!" Hisagi stuttered, unaware of the missing honorific.
"Shuhei, why did you never teach me how to do this?" Her voice hid behind the leaf that still laid upon her lips: a slip of fresh green between two rosy petals glowing in the weak sunlight.
They were back there again, far away from the concrete office, far away from Seireitei, and far away from the presence. They were Shuhei and Helena again, young and restless, next to the shaded pond surrounded by the forest of bamboos; and Kuchiki Byakuya was but a misty shadow of the future. They had everything in that small secluded area; everything that was now lost...