A new chapter, yay! Read, enjoy and review!

Dear Renji,

I'm really happy for you! It's nice to read you feel happier now in Karakura. I wish you hadn't deceived the girls that way (involving Nel in this wasn't smart either), but I can imagine how stressful this situation was for you and now I'm just glad you feel better.

Speaking of Nel, I hope you'll be able to help her soon. Maybe you're actually right about her spending time with Ichigo, who knows.

Now about Soul Society. In your letter you asked about Inoue and I must admit I have some good news for you! Earlier this week, while I was on my way to 13th division's barracks, Hinamori-fukutaicho approached me. From her flushed face and huge smile I could already deduce what happened, but it didn't make her words any the less pleasant to hear.

"Inoue-san wrote back!" Hinamori-fukutaicho exclaimed and I couldn't help but smile back at her. "Ah, Kuchiki-san, you won't believe me when I tell you!"

Now that made me curious.

"Well," the lieutenant started, "from what I heard it seems that Inoue-san wrote that she liked Cifer-san too. She even expressed a wish to see him soon!"

Upon hearing that I grabbed Hinamori-fukutaicho's hands with a squeal and looked her right in the eyes. That was breaking news and I wanted to know more, no matter how surprised Hinamori-fukutaicho was at my gesture. Well, that could've been my probably mad face expression, but I was really excited.

"Um, I don't know much more about the content of the letter," the girl said, distancing herself from me a bit. "But.."

"But?!"

I may have been a little too excited, I admit.

"Ever since he read the letter, Cifer-san has been… smiling."

I let go of Hinamori-fukutaicho's hands.

And squealed like a little girl again, this time, with Hinamori-fukutaicho helping me with all her might.

I was so curious and happy that later that day I made a journey to the Senkaimon and – oh my God – Cifer was smiling indeed.

And no, hiding round the corner of a nearby building and grinning widely at the sight of Cifer smiling, I in no way behaved in a weird way. Every shinigami around did the same.

I'm just happy for them, you know. You can spread the news all over Karakura – Inoue and Cifer admitted they like each other!

However, there were also some more nerve-racking happenings.

Grimmjow coming over for dinner.

I already wrote you about how Nii-sama invited him, and the dinner really happened the next day.

I spent the whole evening the day before wondering what to do. A dinner with Grimmjow was something I'd never expect, but Nii-sama seemed particularly set on making it happen, and every servant in the mansion already knew there'd be a guest the next day and everything must be prepared better than ever. I must admit I didn't believe in Grimmjow at all and predicted a disaster; that night I fell asleep on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

The next day I went to pick up Grimmjow myself. He was tuning Hisa- his guitar and, to my horror, I heard him sing a song.

"Help!" he cried. "I need Byakuya!" I entered the room, terrified. "Help! Not just… no, no."

Grimmjow shook his head while I sat on the edge of his bed and faced his back, unnoticed.

"We all live in a yellow submarine…" the Arrancar stopped to think, "Byakuya reigns in Soul Society, Soul Society, Soul Society… no, too straightforward…"

Grimmjow scratched his head and played a chord on the now tuned guitar. "Can't buy me love..? No…"

"Don't sing at all," I suddenly said before I could stop myself. Grimmjow dropped his guitar and turned to me with a loud curse.

"F***, Rukia, do you know what knocking is?!"

"Whatever," I replied, ignoring his half-embarrassed, half-furious look. "Nii-sama won't like you any more if you sing him a song, especially if you call him Byakuya. Leave this guitar and let's go."

After further curses and protests, I finally succeeded in dragging Grimmjow to our mansion.

We entered – but it was a mansion I couldn't recognize. It was cleaner than usually, as if Nii-sama tried to show that his and Grimmjow's levels were completely different. Said ex-hollow whistled.

"Nice."

I nudged him in the ribs, as Nii-sama appeared, gracefully entering the room after two servants opened the door for him.

"Welcome to our humble abode, Jeagerjacquez," he said. "I hope you will enjoy the dinner with us."

He then turned away and disappeared, while the two servants from before led me and Grimmjow to the dining room, which looked like a top-notch restaurant more than ever. Nii-sama soon joined us, so we sat at the table and waited for the first dish.

I tried to concentrate only on my plate. Nii-sama was glaring at Grimmjow, while the other kept glancing around the room.

"May I know what is your current relationship with Rukia?"

I choked although there was no food yet, Grimmjow only looked at my brother with wide eyes.

"Well, uh…" he stuttered and rubbed his hands on his legs, as if they suddenly got clammy. "We're… friends?"

I could feel both my brother and Grimmjow look at me, so I nodded. The servants brought in some sophisticated-looking dish and I hoped Nii-sama would drop the subject.

He didn't.

"How did the two of you… started a romantic relationship?"

This time I choked on food and I could hear Grimmjow going through the same thing. There is no such relationship!, I wanted to say, and was honestly ready to try to explain everything to Nii-sama, till he understood.

Then, the ex-Arrancar on my right of course started stuttering again.

"Um, we…"

Suddenly, music filled the room and right after, one of the servants apologized for taking so long. Nii-sama sighed, almost unnoticeably, but Grimmjow's eyes shone unexpectedly.

"Isn't it Revolutionary Etude by Chopin?"

I and Nii-sama looked at him with surprise. Nii-sama put down his chopsticks and looked at the ex-hollow with less hatred.

"You are acquainted with the name of Chopin?"

"You listen to music from Gensei?"

Both men looked at each other with sudden interest and, to my utter surprise, I soon found myself in the middle of a debate on music, full of piano pieces I didn't know and terms I didn't understand.

Too shocked to believe it was true, I went back to eating my food silently.

The next day, when I saw Grimmjow come again, with his guitar to top it all, and Nii-sama greeting him and inviting him inside, I thought that those Arrancars really turned everything in Soul Society upside down.

Nothing can surprise me anymore, Renji. Nothing.

All in all, I think things got… better?

Chappies,

Rukia

PS. Seems like Mizuho really likes Madarame. Maybe he should actually give her a chance? :)