Hey! I'm really sorry for not updating this sooner but i'm kinda distracted with stuffs and all.

but here it is!

i hope it's good!

and thank you to all that have added this story to their alert/fav story!

and i will try to do better next time - i'm not perfect you know :D

oh, and i'm currently working on the characters designs (yes, i do draw)

check it out in my deviant art account!

just search for redpearlballoons in deviant art! :D

enjoy reading!

The last thing she needed was rain.

Two days after she regained consciousness, Unohana-Taichou finally let her go from her care. Being out cold for a week had her being hungry more than she had ever felt before. It was embarrassing when her stomach grumbled loudly while Abarai-Fukutaichou was there and thank god Kuchiki-Taichou wasn't there or it would make her image bad. Then again, being founded unconscious, let alone on the edge of death had already made her look bad. But it was a good thing for Abarai to laugh and told her not to fret over it. He even insisted on bringing some food for her – a bowl of ramen even - but too bad there was a "No food from outside" policy at the ward.

"Well, then we would only sneak some snacks in, eh?" Abarai winked naughtily at her when she reminded him of the rules in the ward.

She chuckled. The face of her fukutaichou had when Unohana taichou overheard them was priceless. She wondered how that woman had such talents in intimidating people with that smile.

Yumichika had a mission that day, along with that bald guy and Hisagi. She never really bothered to know Yumichika's other friend's name – she's bad at remembering it. Even if she tried, she would only mix their names and that even worse than not remembering. Hisagi? She only remembered him because she had a crush for him once while she was in the shinigami academy. Anyway, Yumichika said that he would have dinner with her if he finished the mission early but she doubted that. The mission that was shoved to the 11th division was always the toughest of all missions but she was never worried for Yumichika – He's strong.

But Abarai had invited her for lunch. At first she wanted to decline the offer but Abarai went through the pain in looking over her while she was in that coma. She was uncomfortable but for the sake of it, she agreed. And besides, if she go to lunch with Abarai, she can at least keep Yumichika to shut up about her being too cold to everyone.

She went back to her room first to take a shower and get into a new set of uniform. She didn't linger too long though – it was already near to lunch time.

She reached for her hair brush. It's was an ordinary wooden brush with cravings at the sides, painted pink. It was something that she really liked. If the house were on fire, one of the things that she would save would be this brush. She chuckled. This would be the only thing that she would save if that would happen – there's nothing more than she treasured than the worn out brush. It was the first gift Yumichika gave her.

Her hand knocked out one of her perfumes of the table when she put down the brush. Cursing by herself, she kneels down to pick the blue plastic bottle from between the table and the wall but her eyes caught something else that was under the table.

It was a silver ring.

She sat for awhile, her eyebrows knitted together. She had long forgotten about this one. She always thought that she had thrown it away – or Yumichika did. She put the ring on and spent a second on adoring it. It looked beautiful on her.

Sighing, she stood back up and placed the ring on the table. She needs to throw that thing out sooner or later.

"No need for ugly memories, like Yumichika would put it" She smirked and she slapped her forehead when a thought came to her mind "Damn! I haven't thanked Kyouraku-Taichou!"

Looking at the clock, she had more than half an hour before lunch. Calculating the maths in her mind, the place that Abarai told her wasn't really that far and thanking someone won't really be that long.

Right?

Decided that she would at least tell the Taichou that she was thankful for his help right after she was released from the hospital would be more polite rather than telling him a few days late. Giving a gift was also appropriate, since she was a subordinate but hell, she don't have time for that. It's the thought that counts, right?

….but a bottle of sake for that drunken Taichou, it would be appropriate, right?

"What am I thinking, sure he'll like it but that's just…plain…absurd. It's like cheering for him to get drunk while working!"

It took her 10 minutes to get to the 8th division's barracks. The hallways were deserted though she can hear chattering from the gap between the doors of the office there. She smiled. Even though the taichou was someone who liked to fools around, his own division was all diligent workers. But sometimes, she wondered if the taichou's attitude was rubbing on them, since she rarely sees them around making errands outside from their barracks.

She wondered around, searching for the Taichou's office. She tried asking a group of men that was taking a break from whatever work they had but they were just chewing her patience. Her fists were ready behind her but she tried to hint off to the guys that she wasn't interested with them so that she won't make a ruckus over some stupid looking guys who flirted with the wrong girl.

"And I thought I have to take care of the Taichou's childish jokes but don't tell me I have to correct your attitudes too… "

"Nanao-Fukutaichou!"

The guys scrambled to their feet and rushed to the office. Rie chuckled. Nanao-fukutaichou sounded more like a strict mother rather than a 2nd chair officer. Especially when the young woman looked at Rie with a firm gaze.

"And I think you're not from this division, I assume?" Her voice was almost bored. Rie caught herself gulping.

"Ye-yeah…"She nodded "I'm looking for Kyouraku-Taichou. Can you point out where his office is?" Nanao stood silently as if waiting for more explanations and Rie could feel the intimidation shaking her spine. How can that man have her as his faithful Fukutaichou?

"I want to properly say thank you to the taichou for saving me the other day"

"So you're Chiharu Rie?" the other female nodded "You looked different…Sorry for not realizing it was you"

Did I look THAT bad when I was unconscious? She thought "its okay, I guess…"

Nanao looked at her again before sighing "Well, about the Taichou, I'm searching for him too and believe me, there's no use for searching for him in his own barracks – he's out there somewhere, getting drunk…"

"Oh…"

Nanao turned around and waved "But I'll tell him that you looked for him" and quietly she added "If I ever find him…"

When Nanao disappeared after the corner, Rie sighed and smacked her forehead for the second time of the day. She should have known that the infamous drunken taichou was somewhere getting himself more drunk.

The wind blew suddenly and she had to cover her eyes. The weather was getting bad but when she opened her eyes, she can't complain more about the weather. The wind had somehow blown all the sakura petals and it was like the wind was dancing. She smiled. The dance of the sakura. It reminds her of Sakurako.

The pink was a gentle contrast to the green lawn of the garden in the 8th division's barrack. The lone sakura tree that stood firmly at the center looked elegant, even if its pink crown were being blown away by the winds. It nearly looked like a scene from a fairy tale.

She caught a small sakura petal.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

She turned to her left and a smiling face of the 8th division's Taichou greeted her.

"Kyouraku-Taichou" She bowed.

"You recovered already, huh?" He turned to the sakura, his long hair being blown along.

The young girl looked at him and nodded "All thanks to you Taichou! If you didn't save me, gods know what would happen to me"

Kyouraku looked at her from the corner of his eyes and his face softened, as if he was carried away by a memory. Rie wanted to ask if there was something wrong but she kept the comment to herself. The man laughed softly over the awkward silent and Rie sighed.

"Um..Well, I wanted to give you a bottle of sake for saving me…"

The man's face lightened up "Really?"

"…But I think it's wasn't appropriate, so…"

Kyouraku's shoulders fell but the smile was still there.

"It's alright," He looked at the tree again "Even if you give it to me, Nanao-chan would confiscate it from me!"

Rie giggled from the childish tone that the Taichou used. She never knew there were a Taichou that still yearn to enjoy his life. To her, all the Taichous' are somewhat boring and all were work driven – like that Hitsugaya-Taichou. Even though he's small and young, he seems more serious than anyone she knew. Well, maybe not as serious as Kuchiki-Taichou but still…

A drop of rain landed on her face.

"It's raining…"She said and the Taichou nodded. He gestured at the tree, a signal for her to look at the tree rather than the black clouds. The pink of the petals was still visible, even being drenched by the rain or even the lack of sunlight to shine its' color.

"It's still beautiful" Kyouraku smiled "Even if the night or rain cover its' beauty, if one was to always know the beauty it held, It will forever remain beautiful"

The sakura glowed in her eyes.

"Forever will it be beautiful…." It made her heart glowed along.

But at a distance, in certain building, being surrounded by the moist atmosphere, a certain man's sat in disappointment. The extra food was already cold.

"Hey, Renji" Izuru tapped his shoulder "We should be going now, break's nearly over"

The red haired man stood up and sighed. He left the table and joined his friend who waited at the door.

He looked at the clouds and chuckled.

He left the restaurant. The bowl of ramen was left unnoticed.

Thank you for reading!