Hey everyone,

This is the new chapter! Finally one that took a rather short one to write~! Hope the quality doesn't go down because of that -.- Any way, hope you like it!

Enjoy~!

Thank you so much for reviewing, protovy, Denidene, Mary Akataki, Kigaroo, crazyfreakazoid and Mungetsu! (if I forgot you, please say ^-^)

Rangiku was running through the forest as fast as she could. Branches of trees were sweeping in her face, and tree roots weren't helping that much either. Her whole vision was also blurred due to her tears, which didn't make it easy to see if she was still going in the right direction. She had only walked this way once before, but she knew she was going the right way.

When she finally reached her destination, she couldn't hold on any longer, and fell down on her knees, crying. She didn't really know why she was crying, but it just had to get out.

She really hated herself for being so selfish.

Shūhei and Gin could finally be together in peace, and then she wasn't satisfied again because she wasn't getting enough attention.

She had to stop with it.

She had to stop depending on those boys so much, but get them out of her mind and have a happy life without love being the most important thing. She had to start to do things like she wanted them, and because she liked to do it, and not just to make someone happy without being compensated for it.

Rangiku took a few deep breaths, and stood up. Today would be the first day of hér life!

She waited until it became dark, and then she slept back to Shūhei's home to see if he was already gone, and to get her stuff. She didn't know why he would stay there any longer when she wasn't there. She waited a while before some clouds blocked the moonlight, and then she entered the open field.

She quickly ran over the field without making any noise, and quickly hid in the shadows under the roof. Then she looked inside through the window.

Shūhei was lying on the ground, close to his futon, but too far that he just would have rolled off it in his sleep.

She couldn't see that much apart from that, because of the darkness, but when the moon appeared again behind the clouds that drove away on the wind, the little house was lit again.

Shūhei was lying on the ground, close to his futon, but not that close that it seemed he just rolled off it while sleeping. He was also fully dressed, and close to his hand were lying a few bottles that Rangiku recognized as sake bottles.

Rangiku sighed deeply, and then she walked to the door. After hesitating for a moment, she entered the building.

First, she searched for all her stuff and laid if down next to the door. Then she walked back to Shūhei , careful not to block the moonlight from his face and so maybe waking him up.

She just stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Then she sighed heavily, and shook her head. She knelt down next to him, and gently pushed him on his futon, and laid his blanket over him. Then she stroke his hair softly out of his face.

"I'm so sorry, Shūhei... But I just couldn't say farewell to you on a proper way. And I'm too selfish to accept not being love, I admit that... Could you please forgive me?" she whispered. A tear slided down her cheek, and dropped on Shūhei 's face. Shūhei blinked for a few moments, with still that same hard, nearly painful look on his face.

Rangiku briefly closed her eyes, and stood up. Then she walked to the doorway and picked up her stuff. Then, after throwing one last look at Shūhei , she ran away as fast as she could.

She ran like she was followed by the devil himself, and kept throwing anxious looks over her shoulder.

She had the feeling she was being followed by someone.

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, a scream tore through the night. Rangiku stopped immediately, and after hesitating for a moment, she walked to the place where she had heard the screaming.

There, on a clearing between the trees, three men stood around something that was lying on the ground.

"Nostalgic, not?" the largest one of them spoke, and Rangiku recognized him as a captain. "Remember when we did this at Shinji and his mates? Back then, you were still very little, but a soul reaper already. But yeah, you were already a soul reaper when you went to the academy for the second time, only for that girl."

"Nah, also because I liked it. Going to the academy for just one year is just too short... That's why I had to redo my school, because they didn't believe it..." one of the others spoke, and with a shock Rangiku recognized him as Gin. "But yeah, maybe it was a bit weird. But that's what I am..."

"Yeah, the captain-commander has always been a bit sceptical against things he can't accept. The old fool..."

"Shouldn't we hurry now, Aizen-sama?" the third one spoke. "I don't want anyone to find us here. I mean, your position as captain is in danger if we stay here for any longer."

Rangiku crept some further behind the tree, while the first one, apparently Aizen, answered him.

"Yes, allright, Kaname. Finish him, Gin, and let us go then to have some tea."

"Yes, Aizen-taicho," Gin said, and he unsheathed his sword. A few second later, the sound of a sword cutting through flesh and the sounds of the splashing of blood echoed through the night.

Then Gin sheathed his sword again, and they left without any other words.

Rangiku waited a few minutes, until they were completely out of sight, and then she went out of her hiding place.

She slowly walked to the person lying on the ground, for as far you could still name it a person.

There was blood everywhere, but that wasn't the worst.

A large, white, hollow-like mask covered the face of the person, and when Rangiku knelt down next to the culprit, she also noticed a hole in the chest of the person.

Rangiku carefully touched the mask, now cracked by Gin. When she touched it, it suddenly vanished, together with the person, only leaving a heap of clothes behind.

Rangiku closed her eyes. "Gin..." she spoke softly. "What on earth are you doing?".

She stood up, and turned around, facing the one she had always secretly admired.

Hey,

This is the next chapter~!

It came quite soon because I had inspiration, and not that much homework ;)

In the next chapter: the (re)start of the fight between Gin and Rangiku. Will they both survive?

See ya next chapter~!

SeireiteiFantasy