Hello hello and yes, I am actually updating! What a shocker xD Though, I've been trying to get over a heartbreak, so I've been a bit out of it… I think I'm doing better now xD

I'm happy to take all of your advice to heart and try and improve, please tell me if there's anything I can do better while writing. Anyways, I won't annoy too much with a long AN anymore. Let me give my thanks:

To my lovely beta who lets me annoy her on Facebook about my chapters and future plans – Sassifrass.

To everyone who has reviewed this story – you guys make me type like a maniac.

To everyone who has favorited and followed this story in the last couple of months – every email ping from FFN makes me smile wide.

Enjoy!

I don't know why I'm so afraid to lose you when you're not even mine. - Nurilla Iryani

Chapter 20: One step forward then two steps back

Kobashigawa Hinagiku was one of those people. She would simply open her eyes, blink twice and rise from her bed like it was nothing. She didn't have that familiar moment of complete haziness just after waking up. No, that was for regular people. And Hinagiku was anything but ordinary.

Her Grandmother had trained her well, after all. Rising early and being prepared for the day in advance was one of the first lessons she'd gotten. Her Grandmother had always told her that they may not be nobility by blood, however, they would always be ladies by presentation. And this had been drilled into Hinagiku's body and mind since she was a young child, despite her mother's protests. You rise early and take as much time as you need for your preparations.

So, opening her eyes in the darkness at some point and blinking a few times to focus the blank ceiling was nothing new to Kobashigawa Hinagiku. In fact, it was a familiar routine. She rose in a single motion, a small yawn making its way past her lips, and she threw a glance towards her roommate's bed. Rini was sleeping soundly, as usual. When Hinagiku lowered her bare feet to the cool wooden floor and made her bed in the dark, she felt the familiar presence of her wild hair on her head. It shifted back and forth with the movements of her head like some sort of a mane. Hinagiku grinned at the thought, completely silent.

She went about her morning routine completely void of sound, as usual. She grabbed her toiletries and a clean shihakushō, heading out. The door to her room slid easily to the side, making no noise. The cold air hit her like a blade thrust through her stomach. It was icy outside. Hinagiku didn't turn back to grab her socks, instead sliding bare feet into her geta. They were something her Grandmother had insisted that she take with her to the barracks, even though there would be no chance to wear them properly. But, there was no winning an argument against her Grandmother, Hinagiku knew.

The mist clung in the air, cool as ice, making the foggy autumn morning seem even more ominous. But, to the current 19th Seat of the 11th Division that didn't seem like a bad omen at all. Despite the fact that she couldn't feel her toes in minutes and that her hands started trembling where they gripped her fresh change of clothes, she went about her routine. She showered and tamed her hair, as much as it could be tamed, in record time. When she went back to her room, Rini was still sleeping, as usual. Hinagiku scrawled a note, her fingers a bit clumsy due to cold, a familiar feeling of eagerness in her chest, leaving her subordinate to her rest. It was time to head to the office.

She was the first one in, as usual. The slight Shinigami opened the doors and the windows of her shared office, allowing the stale air which had gathered during the night to escape. She turned on the lights, as it was still dark outside, and proceeded to make herself some strong tea. Hinagiku knew that she would need it. First, she would need something to warm up her hands. And then, she wouldn't definitely need something to boost her system into staying awake. There was a stack of unfinished paperwork on her desk which had been left behind from the day before. It would be the first thing on her agenda after she got her tea ready.

So, Hinagiku closed the windows and the office door, turned on the small heater in the corner, and settled in her chair with a warm cup of tea, ready to start her work. She couldn't tell how much time had passed before the doors opened again, as she tended to get overly immersed in her work. But, when the shogi slid to the side, bright yellow light spilled into the dimly lit office. Watanabe Akihiko stood at the entrance, yawning widely.

"Morning, Hina." He greeted in his usual, overly familiar, manner. "By the Soul King, how do you manage to come in so early?" Babyface asked, opening the blinds of their office windows and turning off the lights. Hinagiku could tell that he was at least partially work-oriented that morning. Perhaps he would even do something, for a change.

"I rise early, Watanabe-dono." The girl replied offering a small smile. "Tea?" She asked, pointing towards the small electronic kettle in the corner of their office. It had been brought back from Gense some time ago by their recently promoted 6th Seat, Koichi. He'd actually broken the limit of legal items a Shinigami could bring into Seireitei when he'd delivered a whole shipment of electronic kettles to supply their Division. That hadn't been a happy day at the 11th due to the sheer amount of additional paperwork and claims and taxes they'd had to fill out. Though, with every office owning a kettle of their own, it had been beyond worth the trouble. Now, however, they had unwanted visitors camping in their offices from time to time.

"Please." Babyface agreed with a lazy grin on his face. As Hinagiku got up to prepare a cup of tea for him, she wondered why he seemed to look similar to a fox when he did that. There was just something about the way his mouth stretched, pulling his lips into a thin line and then crooked up on one end that made her cautious around Akihiko. Though, Rini had assured her that Babyface was harmless. Hinagiku, on the other hand, believed that more was brewing under that smirk than he would ever allow them to see.

"Waiting for mail?" Babyface asked after an hour or so of silence. Hinagiku looked up from her papers to see that he was still sipping his tea casually, ignoring a fairly large pile of work on his desk. She truly wished that he would get around to doing some of it.

"It's essential to my day's work." The girl retorted, hoping to avoid the teasing. There was one thing which all the members of the 11th Division seemed to share: their love of teasing other fellow officers. She thought that it was only Koichi and Yumichika, but she'd been surprised by almost everyone. Even their Captain offered a suspiciously knowing glance from time to time.

But, the question was why Hinagiku was being teased about her daily mail. She appeared to be receiving notes from a secret admirer since the Tournament. At first, she'd thought that they were messages from her Grandmother, as they were all coded by the language of flowers. And next, she'd suspected Tomoka. But, that was false, as well. And, after that, Hinagiku had thought that it may be a potential suitor. After reading the messages and decoding them for the last few weeks, she was quite intrigued by the sender. She was hoping to meet them soon, if that was possible. And, usually, with each mail there arrived a message for her. After she read it, she would leave her reply on the windowsill of her office, only to find it gone the next morning. It was quite the topic around the Division and the favorite teasing material when anyone saw their 19th Seat.

"I'm certain that it's essential." Babyface smirked, but didn't comment otherwise. The same grin rested on his face when Hinagiku looked up from her finished report. He looked positively smug.

"I will take my leave in order to deliver these reports on time, Watanabe-dono." As the female Shinigami gathered the reports into one folder she could hear her colleague snort with suppressed laughter before shuffling his own papers about his desk. "If you go through my mail again, I will know." Hinagiku offered a parting sentence with an icy tone, her violet eyes coldly fixing on her colleague. Babyface simply shrugged his shoulders, the same grin on his face.

Hinagiku didn't doubt that he would go through her mail and, again, attempt to decode the message in the flowers sent with their other colleagues.

Hinagiku was glad that she'd chosen her winter uniform that morning. It was made of thicker material than the summer one, layered, in order to keep the officers warm. The collar of the shihakushō was made of wool, rough against the skin of her neck. Except on the side. There, she couldn't feel the constant rubbing of the material on her skin because of scar tissue. The side of her neck held an ugly reminder of her mother's death, as always. She had covered it with one of the scarves she always wore as a concealing method. Still, the reminder was always there, even when out of sight for other people.

Hinagiku stepped the last Shunpo before walking the rest of the way to the 10th Division, a little short of breath. Her folder was considerably thinner in her arms, as she only had a few papers left. And they were all for Captain Hitsugaya. A small smile made its way onto her face at the thought. It had been a few weeks since the incident they had both decided never to mention again. And, much to her joy, that single invitation to a shogi game had opened up a topic for further competitions. As neither the Captain nor she liked to lose, they would always somehow end up with a promise of another game to be played.

At some point, their conversation had strayed from the formal talk of strategy and analysis of the shogi. Hinagiku could remember every single word of their conversation. He had asked her about her tea preferences. And, she'd then returned the question. Soon, they were planning to visit one of his favorite restaurants and move their weekly shogi battle there. After all, the Captain had insisted how Hinagiku simply had to try the Western food being made by the cooks there.

However, that still hadn't happened.

A mission had come up for her, the first one since she'd been promoted, and she'd had to apologize and move the meeting. Next time, the Captain had been buried in work and only had the time for one game, despite the fact that Hinagiku had filled out some of Matsumoto-fukutaicho's reports. Though, all in all, Hinagiku wasn't disappointed. She enjoyed every second she got to spend with her superior. He wasn't only knowledgeable on the topics of the job of Shinigami. Captain Hitsugaya talked about Gense, about culture, about the mysteries of the universe and about the miracles nobody could explain. And Hinagiku found his intellect impossibly intoxicating.

She slipped off her waraji and auto-routed towards the Captain's office on memory alone. The small trick he'd taught her about reiatsu told her that there was one person inside. It was like closing your eyes and then trying to grasp with your hand in the darkness for another being. Those with battle experience could easily tell you where a person's energy was concentrated. That was why Hinagiku confidently called out, without any hesitation.

"19th Seat of the 11th Division requesting permission to enter." Her voice was clear, not trembling one bit, despite the cool air of the corridor. The 10th Division needed some more heating indoors, she decided. Their hallways were much warmer, after all.

"Come in, Kobashigawa." Or, perhaps the cool interior had something to do with their Captain being irritated. Hinagiku opened the door giving a courteous bow. However, the room was empty sans the Captain who'd welcomed her in. "What do you want?" His voice cut through the air like ice. He wasn't in a good mood for some reason. And, if Hinagiku knew anything, it was not to poke the dragon when he got like this.

"These are the reports from the last joined mission, Hitsugaya-taicho." She approached his desk, but didn't put anything on it, afraid to mess up his sorting. "I was also hoping to request a team for another joined mission for the upcoming week, if you could spare the officers?" It took a moment before the Captain's pen stopped moving and he sighed, pushing away from the desk. There were bags under his eyes and he seemed a bit disheveled. Which, if you knew Hitsugaya Tōshirō, was an extremely bad sign.

"Give them to me." His hand extended halfway over the desk and Hinagiku obliged. She was careful to avoid looking him in the eyes. There was something about them which left her brain not really connecting to her mouth. Either she'd say something silly or she'd do something ludicrous. For example, she'd ended up asking him if he'd ever dated within the Shinigami ranks during his service one time. It had been an uncomfortable situation all-round.

But in her haste to avoid the mind-numbing gaze, Hinagiku brushed her fingers against the Captain's as he took the papers from her. She immediately looked up and their eyes met. She knew what was happening. She knew, yet, she was powerless to stop it. The Captain's eyes took away all function from her brain, freezing her in her spot. He gave her a small nod and looked away, focusing on the reports she'd handed to him, yet she remained the same. Hinagiku stood there, frozen in place, waiting for this mysterious skill to vanish and release her.

"Kobashigawa, how many do you need?" The Captain's voice made her jump a bit.

"How many… do I need?" She slowly asked.

"Men." This time, his eyes didn't freeze her. There were times like that, too. It was like he had some sort of a magic spell he could turn on and off depending on when he needed her frozen and speechless. Or, as it appeared, brainless. "How many of my men do you need for the mission?" He had this look of expectancy on his face. "Kobashigawa, are you alright? Do you have a fever?" Hinagiku realized in complete mortification that her face had gone red.

A Lady never blushes on purpose.

It was like flipping a switch. Hinagiku hadn't done it in a long time. In fact, since she had first started attending the Academy she hadn't done it. But, now, facing this kind of embarrassment, it was a reflex of sorts.

Breath in.

Breath out.

Release.

Flip the switch.

She blinked and instantly felt her body relax. From the anxious way she'd been standing, her back straightened, her arms lost the tension in them and her face muscles moved into the place of that perfectly schooled mask. She knew, even without looking in the mirror, that she was offering a small, perfectly polite smile and that her eyes were shining with kindness. She offered the smallest of bows in apology, as she had not been listening.

"Five, if it does not trouble you to spare them, Hitsugaya-dono." She noticed how his eyes widened slightly at her low tone, perfectly polite, with excellent diction and enunciation. "I hope that it is not too much trouble, sir."

"Any Seat requirements I should take into consideration?" Captain Hitsugaya wasn't looking at her anymore. He was going over the reports, adding a few words here and there and signing pages. But, it wasn't his fault. It was hers. She always did this. Whenever Hinagiku pulled back, so did he. When she seemed ready to run, he would slide back into their dynamics of a Captain and officer relationship easily. And it would comfort her. Yet, it would also vex her. The fact that he was a Captain and she was a measly 19th Seat vexed her. She was nothing, and she knew it.

"It would be preferential if you could spare an officer at a reiatsu level of a 17th Seat or below. If this is not possible, there are measures which can be taken to ensure the success of the mission regardless." The words were leaving her mouth and with each one Hinagiku could see the change in the man before her. He became less of a friend she'd gotten used to spending her free time with playing shogi and more of a Captain that he was.

"Alright." Captain Hitsugaya spoke. He didn't look up at her. "I'll deliver a list of names to you by noon tomorrow." He didn't look up at her.

"Thank you very much, Hitsugaya-taicho." Hinagiku bowed formally, at her waist, perfectly. Then, she left without waiting for his response. As she was leaving the 10th Squad barracks she felt her fists tighten so that her small nails left crescent marks on the inner side of her palms. She stopped for a second at the gates and looked up, the grey clouds of the late autumn greeting her with the exact same mood.

"Damn it." She whispered so that only she could hear as the first drops of the downpour pelted on her face.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Rini greeted Hinagiku with a small frown from behind her desk. It was a rare occasion when one could find the officer actually working. "You look like a mouse that's been flushed down the toilet more than once."

"I feel like a mouse that's been flushed down the toilet more than once." Hinagiku plopped down on the couch of her friend's office, happy that the other colleague sharing the space was absent. Considering the weather and their Division, she would bet that they were at the dojo.

"Spill." Rini commanded. "Imma keep writing, though." She continued scrawling on the papers. "Spill everything." For a few moments, everything was quiet and the only sound was the downpour of rain outside.

"It isn't appropriate for a Captain and an officer to play shogi together in a casual setting, isn't it?" She finally asked in a low voice. Rini popped her head on her palm, a thinking expression on her face.

"Is playing shogi your metaphor for the horizontal tango?" She asked finally.

"I wasn't aware that tango could be danced horizontally." Hinagiku frowned. "Is it some form of a midair suspended sport in Gense?" Rini almost burst out laughing, her eyebrows shooting up into her hairline.

"Of course it is. Also, it's a competitive sport." Rini smiled a bit too innocently for Hinagiku's liking. "The more partners you change, the more points you get!" Her forefinger went up, as if she were teaching a class. "Not to mention that you have to be really good at it and know a few secret moves, you know." Rini waggled her eyebrows and Hinagiku started wondering what the woman was talking about. She was pretty certain that horizontal tango wasn't possible, after all. Rini was definitely pulling her leg again.

"I see." Hinagiku cleverly dismissed the topic with a short, but stern, glance at her friend. Rini didn't stop grinning, but she changed the subject, as well.

"So, why is it not appropriate for the Captain to play shogi with you?" Hinagiku frowned, but didn't comment on the blatant way her friend had gone from hypothetical to the actual.

"I'm just an officer." She mumbled. "And I'm not even a good Shinigami." She didn't see her friend raise an eyebrow, an incredulous expression on her face. "The Captain keeps me for the paperwork." Hinagiku managed to mumble before dropping her gaze down to her hands, which were trembling and still wet.

"Are you done?" Rini asked her, a sharp tone in her voice. After a small nod from her friend, she continued. "Yes, you're a measly officer. Yes, you're just the 19th Seat. Yes, you aren't particularly good at being a Shinigami." Hinagiku's vision swum. "But, Hitsugaya isn't asking you to be his officer or to fight with him as a Shinigami." Hinagiku looked up to see Rini positively fuming at her desk. "He's asking you, Kobashigawa Hinagiku, the woman, to play shogi with him. To play a simple strategy game with a man called Hitsugaya Tōshirō." Rini grabbed her pen again and began scrawling on her reports. "So who gives a flying fuck if he's a Captain or not."

And honestly, Hinagiku had nothing to reply to that.

"So, these are the packets which will tell you everything you need to know about the mission and your teammates." Hinagiku spoke in a slightly nasal voice, handing out sealed manila envelopes to her team. The rain she'd walked in yesterday had her a bit woozy and she could swear that she had a small fever. "Read them carefully. Are there any questions now?" She stopped in front of the group and sat down at the head seat. They were in the second dojo, which was normally called the assembly room. It had been planned as the space where the Captain could address his Division with ease. There was a head seat and numerous other pillow seats for the officers. However, the 11th Division had turned this space into a spare dojo. Just in case their official one got damaged, overcrowded or the mixture of two. As this space was almost always vacant, Hinagiku had turned it into the meeting room for her team.

"Is this a joined mission with another Division?" Asked Suzuki Kazuo from the back. He was leaning to the side, looking slightly bored. However, his narrow, grey eyes kept glancing at the man in the front of the group, Tanaka Jirō, his buddy in crime. Hinagiku had cursed the day she'd been born when she'd read their names together as assigned to her Squad.

"Yes." She replied to his question. "However, it will bear no influence on the mission itself." Hinagiku fixed the man with a glare. "Will it?"

"'Course not, boss." Suzuki drawled from the back with a shrug. He grinned and nodded at Tanaka in the first row. The man in question returned his smirk. Instantly, Hinagiku knew that this mission, the easy one she'd completely planned out, wasn't going to be easy at all.

"Which Division, boss?" Tanaka Jirō asked this time. Hinagiku was a hundred percent certain in that moment that she needed to choose the highest ranked officers whom Captain Hitsugaya had recommended. Otherwise, the 10th Division members would die on that mission from friendly fire.

"Tenth." She replied with another stern look.

"When do we leave?" Nakajima Shin piped up from the middle of the group with an even, professional tone. If it were appropriate, Hinagiku would kiss him right then and there for rescuing her from the wolves. After all, at his professional tone, most of the group had stopped looking from Suzuki to Tanaka waiting for the first blow to strike.

"Tonight, as soon as the 10th Division members join us." Hinagiku replied. She looked over the group once more, noting their expressions. Some seemed anxious to get out into the field again. The lack of missions after the Tournament had left them hungry for action. The few members who hadn't seen battle yet seemed either frightened or had schooled their faces to neutral expressions. Yet, Hinagiku could tell that most of them were scared. She had been, too, back in the day. But, most of her Squad looked ready to fight, which brought a small smile on her face. She inhaled a deep breath and her voice took on a commanding tone.

"The breakdown of the strategy is the following." The room became completely quiet and every pair of eyes focused on her. "Sawa, you're leading team one. Tanaka, team two. Suzuki will have team three and Kudō will have the last team." When Tanaka opened his mouth to object being separated from his brawl friend, Hinagiku put a single finger up, silencing him. "The final team being formed will be communications and base. While we will be functioning in teams and using Jigokuchō to communicate remember that we are a single Squad, even with the addition of the 10th Division. Our goal is complete the mission and keep Rukongai safe." Her eyes narrowed and her voice got stronger. "I have five rules and those who don't follow them will be re-assigned to clean-up duty effective immediately." There was silence. Not even breathing could be heard in the room.

"Rule one: don't bother sucking up." The people in the group exchanged glances, but nobody spoke. "I already hate you and you are at the positive bottom of the food chain in this Division." Tanaka opened his mouth again. "Rule number two." He shut his mouth. "What I say, goes. The only person who can change the order I've given you is the Captain. And, the Captain doesn't care about sucking up either. Rule number three: There is no emergency big enough to bother me or any of the higher-ups while I'm sleeping or on break." This time nobody tried to interrupt her. "Which brings me to rule number four: If you decide that there is such an emergency there better not be any casualties when I get there. There had better be no mess which I need to involve the Captain in, either. Questions?" There was silence again.

"The fifth rule is: your paperwork needs to be turned in in a timely fashion. Understood?"

"Yes, 19th Seat Kobashigawa!" The group chorused.

That's all for now folks!

Thank you very much for reading and I hoped that you've enjoyed it. I will be looking forward to hearing what you think.

Reviews:

Tsukuyane:
Hello! Thank you very much for the review!
I'm glad that you're enjoying the omakes :D Most of the time I just feel like I need to add something at the end of the chapters – hence they were born. As for her officer status being her protection, what are you referring to? Then I may be able to give you some more info regarding that xD
Finally, I am so glad that I've gotten that much positive feedback regarding the puking incident. I usually really suck at writing embarrassing scenes xD
I hope to hear from you again soon!

katiewinchester87:
Jealousy on top, for certain! But, I think that at this point it's more of a mild (in his opinion) curiosity hahahahaha
It was lovely hearing from you!

AmandaPandaOh:
Thanks for the review and welcome to the family!
I agree, Kobashigawa Setsuko can be quite the annoyance xD Whenever you think something is going well for Hina and Shiro, here comes Grandma xD
I hope that you keep enjoying the story!

Cooliceprincess:
Hi there and thank you soooo much for easing my fears! I think that I see Tōshirō as simply a regular dude when I'm writing him. Hence, I'm always afraid that he is OOC xD I'm glad that it doesn't come off that way… Actually, before I started writing this story I asked a few people on tumblr to give me their headcanons on Tōshirō being in love with someone. And, I kinda went from there with my own HCs xD
I'm glad that you liked the pregnant comment. It was a bit of a decision, but I decided to leave it in the end version xD I felt like it fit perfectly there haahhahaha
I hope to hear from you again soon!

CoriCori:
Thank you for reviewing!
I hope that I didn't leave you too long without the new chapter ;)
I need to admit that my holidays were a bomb. I had a great time, both with my family and some friends… Though, I ended up in a bit of a bind with a guy later on, hence my tardiness with the new chapter. Anyways, I hope that your holidays were awesome!
I promise that the wait for the next chapter won't be as long (it's finished :D) and it will be up soon, too.
Stay tuned!

Irissiell:
Thank you so much for leaving me a review! I absolutely loved your thoughts on the chapter. So, here's where I'm at inside my head on those topics:
- Seireitei seems like a fairly old-school place, so I figure that arranged marriages could be a thing there. And, Hina's Grandmother is one of the main judges in Central 46, hence I see her as someone with enough power to marry off her heir to a good name, like Kuchiki or Shihōin. So, I guess that despite the laws being modernized these days in most countries against arranged marriages, Hina could still end up in a bind here. Though, what she will do about it we still have to see…
- As for Tōshirō, I agree that he isn't the best suitor for Hina. And, in the end, would he even be a suitor? I mean, is he ready for that kind of a commitment? Sure, he may like her, but that is a far cry from a marriage proposal. Anyways, he will need to decide what to do, as it's up to him to fight for her.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll be looking forward to more of your thoughts on the fic! Cheers!

lizyeh2000:
Hey there! Thanks for the lovely review!
Indeed, they're getting somewhere… or are they? hahhahahaa

Hybrid301:
Hey! Thanks for the awesome review! I loved your input!
I am sooooo glad that you liked my portrayal of Tōshirō! I'm honestly really annoying when I talk about how I'm always worrying that he's OOC xD I try to make him as awkward as I can, because let's be real, he issss xD And we all love him for it! But, gotta be some awesome moments, too. Hence, him handling her 'incident' with a cool head.

Well, if the last omake did, this chapter broke it completely xD I'm sorryyyy I promise better times are coming! Tōshirō will learn to fight for her xD
Over 60 overtime hours?! Are you sure you're human? 0 . 0 On the other hand, money is niceee xD I promise a quick update next time, the following chapter is already finished :D
Hope to hear from you again!

Kiroroblue:
Thank you for your patience, I hope that you enjoyed the update!

GreyMoon . Huntress:
Oh my! I loved your review! Thank you so much for the input!
I'm glad that I was able to put you on an emotional rollercoaster :D I promise more to come soon hahahhaha
Otp material? I'm totally blushing about that comment xD I'm glad that you think so and that you enjoyed the fluff. Though, obstacles happen, right? Hence, we're going to have to see Hina and Shiro through quite a few things before they realize that they may actually have a chance at being in a relationship.
As for her accent, I make no promises, but he will definitely get a chance to hear it. I will try to live up to your expectations with the occasion :D
Aaaah the Zanpakuto… Well… All will be revealed in due time 3:D Soon, I promise!
I hope that you enjoyed the heartbreak, I mean the chapter, and I'm looking forward to your next review :D

Lillaflor:
Thanks for the review! I absolutely loved it!
Oh I enjoyed placing him right where he is right now :D
I'm glad that the platonic relationship is doing it for you! I feel like too many couples these days start out without actually know each other, and when they realize what their partners are like, they break up. I feel like neither Tōshirō nor Hinagiku are the kind of people who would date just for the sake of dating or because they find the other person physically appealing. Hence, I opted for a more platinic beginning to their future romance in order to make it as strong as possible.
I promise more omakes in the future :)
As for Hina's Shikai, it's perfectly alright. I was making it a bit on the confusing side, myself. So, I promise that all will be revealed in due time…
I look forward to hearing from you again!

Ookawa:
Hello hello, thanks for the review and your input!
I'm glad that you're enjoying the story, despite it being seemingly bland after reading my pitiful summary hahahahaha I was going for an angle which hadn't been explored on FFN yet :P
As for the repetition, I mostly do it for my own sake, I promise xD I feel like when I'm reading a fic I tend to forget minor characters and get lost when it gets updated after a while xD But, I'll try to tone it down, promise.
I hope that you enjoyed reading and that I'll hear from you again soon!

Most Mouse:
First, I must apologize xD I joined AO3 when I was asked by one of my readers, but I haven't been too diligent in keeping it up to date :') I'll try and get it up there as soon as I can xD
Then, thank you soooo much for the wonderful review! It made me grin like mad. Glad that Jesus blessed you xD
I'm so happy that I made you bingeread! It's my ultimate goal :') Anyways, I feel like slowburn relationships are just more stable and durable ones. Hence, there will definitely be more friendship before the loving comes. Tōshirō is such a blast to write. He's so difficult yet I love making him feel confused and awkward xD As for Hinagiku, I plan even more trouble in her daily life xD She's getting into some serious stuff, after all…
As for the arranged marriage, I simply couldn't resist :P Tōshirō is definitely not a suitable candidate in Hina's Grandmother's eyes, hence, it will bring even mooore drama. As for Hina being rebellious… she is a proper lady now… Who knows, though… She is in the 11th Division… As a side note, I definitely believe that Tōshirō is a total street rat, even while wearing the Captain's haori xD
As for Grandmother remembering Tōshirō… Hmmm… We'll see… I'm leaving it all a mystery for now ;)
Glad that you enjoyed Hina making a fool out of herself xD I surely enjoyed writing that hahahahaha
I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and I'm looking forward to hearing from you again!

Arkytior's Song:
Awwwwe! Thanks so much! I'm glad that you left me a review to let me know :D I will make sure and update as frequently as I can.
Hope to hear from you again soon!

Addicted-to-GazettE:
Glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the review and I hope to hear from you again soon!

Momochan77:
Hello there! Thank you sooo much for the lovely review! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and that you're keeping track of the characters alright :D It's my personal pet peeve (I usually get annoyed with myself) when I can't remember who was who among other peoples' OCs. Hence, I put a lot of effort into differentiating xD
I'm glad that the pacing is ok, too! I often feel like I'm dragging it out too much… But, I promise that I do have actual romance and relationship plans for later on xD
Hope that you enjoyed the chapter and I'm looking forward to your input!

LD-2015:
Well hello hello! I was soooo glad when I saw your name appear next to a review email! I'm glad that you're back, though :D I feel like I usually do that too – wait for a fic to gather chapters and then binge read :P It's all good about the jumbled thoughts, I've got it covered (my memory of the fic events is quite jumbled too haahhaha)
I'm so happy that you like my writing! I'm actually trying to do something original atm, so it really helps me push on :D I'm glad that you think that I'm doing good with Hina's character development. Honestly, I love doing that when I'm writing, but I'm always afraid that I'm doing too much slice of life and less of the exciting battle stuff Bleach has perfectly too much of :P
I waited a lot for the Zanpakuto revelation and I'm glad that it was good :D I promise that there will be more on the topic of her Shikai later on :D
Hahahhahaa the puking incident is one of my favorites, too! Honestly, she's so uptight, she needed an embarrassing moment to set her straight :P I enjoyed writing the whole embarrassment which came afterwards, too :D
As for Tōshirō's feelings, I'm kinda taking it slow. I feel like he would totally be one of those awkward stalker types hahahhaha And when he doesn't know what to do with himself, he'd go all mean and teasing, right? Hahahhaha I'm glad that I'm doing a good job keeping him IC :D
I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and the omake here :D
As for the Rini-cenric omake, I really couldn't resist. I love Rini, along with all of the other OCs, and I just wanted to give her some more screen time :D I felt like it fit well into the storyline and showed how her and Hina fit together as buddies :D
I look forward to hearing from you again!

Omake:

"How did it go?" Rini asked with a grin as soon as Hinagiku entered their room. The Shinigami in question sneezed. Rini tossed her a tissue, still eagerly looking at her. Hinagiku blew her nose and then plopped down, tossing a folder onto her bed next to her.

"I think that they realized that those weren't my rules." Rini raised an eyebrow.

"Who cares?" She eagerly jumped up, tossed the folder onto her bed and then plopped down next to Hinagiku who was lying down by then. "Those are the rules which have been passed down the generations of Seated officers of the 11th Division! Who cares if the words don't suit your pretty mouth."

"I do." Grumbled Hinagiku in the same nasal tone. She sneezed again. "I think I've got a cold." She whined and turned to the side.

"Well, rest up." Rini tossed the covers over her friend. "I'll wake you in half an hour or so. That's when the 10th said they'll be here, right?"

"Right." Hinagiku agreed and closed her eyes. Before the darkness of sleep overtook her, she heard Rini complain.

"You didn't have to add the paperwork rule…" The voice slowly faded. "Should've just kept it as the 'you'd better die before you lose a fight' rule. Silly Paper…"