The news about Hitsugaya and Hiromi spread quickly, thanks to Matsumoto's big mouth, but it wasn't hugely advertised until Kurosaki Ichigo arrived from Kakura Town.

"Kurosaki? What are you doing here?" Hitsugaya inquired dubiously. Under the black and white folds he felt Hiromi's cream-soft hand.

Ichigo scratched his bright orange hair. "Well, my school is having a prom tomorrow, and I'm supposed to bring a foreign couple to it in order to 'mix cultures.' I heard from some informant that you and Kazue are the new couple in Soul Society."

A tick mark etched itself quickly into Hitsugaya's head. He spun around to face Matsumoto, who was standing behind him. "I wonder who that informant is."

Matsumoto blushed. "He didn't say if the informant was a man or woman." She glanced around urgently and spotted Kira leaned against a cherry blossom tree. "It… it might as well be Kira!"

"Eh? When did I become part of this?"

Hitsugaya sighed. "Ah, no matter. Get to the point, Kurosaki."

"I want you two to go."

"Eh? Why? We're really busy, you know! Besides, Yamamoto didn't say yes to it."

"I already checked with the old man, Toshirou. He said yes."

Hitsugaya had a sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach. He turned to Hiromi. "Do… do you want to go?"

Hiromi chewed her lip nervously. "Well…"

"They'll go!" Matsumoto interrupted cheerily.

"Great! By the way, thanks for the gossip, Rangiku!" And then Ichigo stepped through the Senkaimon shimmering behind him and disappeared.

"MATSUMOTO!"

Hitsugaya pounded his head on his desk, spilling his green tea and soaking it all over his paperwork. Matsumoto stood behind him, awkwardly patting him on the back.

"What have you done, Matsumoto, what have you done?" he moaned miserably.

"Me? Taichou, you were going to say yes anyway, right?"

"No! Hiromi and I have only been together for a few days, and boom! You've already signed us up for some… dance?"

"Well… Taichou… it… it… would… um… be a good time to… um… b-build your relationship, right?" Matsumoto suggested.

"Build our relationship?" Hitsugaya scoffed. Oh yeah, that's right, we'll build our relationship when I step on her toes all night! Don't forget, I have many problems. For one, I can't dance."

"Well, I could teach you to dance, Taichou."

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows. "I don't think so."

"Neh, Taichou, I have gone to dances before with Gin."

"Aaaahhg, Matsumoto, I don't have time for your Ichimaru crap."

Matsumoto stiffened, and for almost the first time, her cheery demeanor vanished. She turned on her heel. "Well, then find another teacher."

"Wait, Matsumoto!"

Matsumoto spun around. "What?"

Hitsugaya sighed. Time for the ultimate sacrifice. "You can have a sake party the day after tomorrow if you teach me how to dance."

Matsumoto brightened. "You… you mean it?"

"What other choice do I have?" Hitsugaya grumbled.

Matsumoto smiled and sauntered over to where Hitsugaya was seated and helped him out of his chair. She positioned him in waltzing position.

"My, Taichou, this is awkward. Gin wasn't this short."

If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't find another dance teacher, Hitsugaya would've summoned her out of his office already. "Get to the point, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya snapped.

Matsumoto giggled. "Kay, Taichou. Now, you move your foot over here…"

Five hours later and two boxes of Band-Aids later, Matsumoto had whipped Hitsugaya into a decent dancer.

"If you weren't doing this for Hiromi, I'd have given up earlier," Matsumoto huffed as she flopped onto Hitsugaya's bed, flexing and wiggling her bruised Band-Aid covered feet. "Who knew you were so clumsy when it came to dancing?"

Hitsugaya sighed. With his new dancing skills, hopefully he wouldn't be tripping all over Hiromi's feet tomorrow night. He glanced at the bamboo-wood clock mounted on the tea-green wall beside his desk. It was already one in the morning.

"I'm going to go get some sleep," Matsumoto yawned as she exited the room.

After Matsumoto slid the sliding door shut, Hitsugaya crawled into his bed and pulled the covers over his head. Maybe he could get some sleep before his big day.