I love you...



Leaves were falling down one by one, detached from their closest tree. Wind was blowing fiercely on living souls. Rain was hitting down all the lost expressions of living... She was always the one and the only, who had been watching him from afar. The one and only who never dared to walk close to him. The one and only who never dared to talk to him. Yet, she was the only one who dared to love him, the only one who dared to confront him and the only one who never thought she would be loved back...


"Taicho! You're such a workaholic!" a female voice yelled as a pair of eyes met with her deep blue eyes. He was sitting at his desk, doing his work seriously, but this moment was totally ruined by a subordinate of his. "I can't believe you're becoming like your Fukutaicho even though you-" he was cut off, yet once again. "People change, Taicho!" the same cheerful voice came in. "Don't you think?!" The captain sighed, not wanting to deal with any of these at the moment, he had better things to do. "Whatever, I'm leaving, so, out!" he commanded. "Heh?! Taicho! Are you going to visit her again?!" the voice pouted. "The only times when you get off your chair is when you visit HER!" she yelled.

Living souls who were once, and yet is still called Shinigamis, were all standing in line under the rain, letting the threatening rain seep through each of their shihakusho. Each one of them held a different expression on their visage, though, none of them were happiness, each of them, represented one different sort of depression, sadness that one can feel...

"Wah! Look at these beautiful cherry blossom trees!" she yelled, looking toward a sakura tree. "I've seen better." He answered. "God, You're such a mood killer!" Both of them were standing in front of a bunch of cherry blossom tree, also called a sakura tree. They were in the middle of spring, a season that sakura tree blossoms beautifully. As they talked, petals were falling, creating a comfortable atmosphere. "C'mon! Cheer up! It's not like it's the end of the world! You still have a future waiting for you!" she smiled brightly behind the sakura petals.

Under the rain, they all left one by one, until two specific Shinigamis were left alone. They didnt care the rain was hitting their face, they just stood there thinking and praying something they never thought they would...

"Taicho! Please don't give up! S-she might not be there anymore but... but Taicho should continue your own life!" a sobbing voice said. Two dark profiles were hugging each other on their knees as rain was dropping down the sky, as if crying for the two young people. "My own life?" he said. His once serious voice was gone, replaced by an empty voice now. His eyes were no more the lively color they had, they were bearing the same emptiness his voice was "Please Taicho! I-I can't... I can't bear to see you like this!" the sobbing grew louder and stronger. "I... I'm sure... I'm sure she would hate seeing Taicho like this too!" It was unexpected, for the first time of his life, he had shed tears, tears that were invisible to eyes of souls. Yet, he had noticed the act he had taken was wrong, because, he knew she wouldn't want to see him like this neither.

As memories flashed through his mind, a hand posed on his shoulder as the owner saw the invisible tears flowing from his unreadable eyes. They both stood like they were, no one dared to move or wanted to move, and his eyes were kept onto the stone sitting in front of him.

"Taicho."

"Oi! Taicho!" a cheerful voice yelled. "What is it?" He looked up from his desk and toward the doorway to his office, and there he saw his third seat rushing in to his room, a smile plastered on to her face, a smile that would brighten his day, even if he never knew. "C'mon! I wanna bring you to a place!" As the words were said, the captain was pulled out of his working place and dragged deep into a forest. "Where are you bringing me?" he asked, annoyed. Though his subordinate never answered, she only kept walking, walking and walking with her captain close behind her. From times to times, he would peek at her, not knowing the reason to this action. "Here it is!" a finger was pointing toward a beautiful lake. As they both advanced toward the lake, they stopped at the edge of it, looking at the beautiful scene in front of them. As they looked at it, they couldn't help but feel relaxed.. "What di-" A loud splashing sound was heard, followed by a heart filled laughed. Not long after, a growl was heard from the lake...

As the rain enveloped the silent atmosphere, both shinigamis stayed as stiffs as ever. No one knew what to say, no one knew what to do, at last, no one knew what it meant... It was the 3rd day, the 3rd day that had been hell, the 3rd day that felt empty, and the 3rd day that she has vanished away from their life...

Rain dominated the place, even the countless numbers of shinigamis around couldn't match up with it. All of them were fighting against this rain, and all of them were fighting against a terrible enemy, an enemy that its name was sadness. "I... I'm so... sorry..." The ground was filled with rain, the rain was drained with red liquid, and this red liquid was blood. Blood was stained onto everyone's shihakusho, though, even more blood was stained on theirs. "You don't... You don't have to be sorry! You don't need to apologize!" He held her tightly and closely between his arms, with her body resting limply on his lap. His left hand, that was drenched of someone else's blood, was pressed onto her stomach, where the blood had been spilling... "I just..." The breathing caught on slower and slower as the life started to slip away from her. Though, even with her last breath, she had to say what she had to say... "I... I love... you..." A sad smile found its way on her lips, though, her once cheerful eyes were now starting to close and he did everything necessary to keep them open. "I... I lo-" Cut off. He was totally cut off by loud coughing sound. He looked at her only to see her coughing blood, pain filled his heart. "Ne... See you... later... okay?" Her grip on his haori finally let go and fell limply on her stomach, her body went limp as her eyes were peacefully closed.

The rain has continued to fall, like the last day he saw her. The wind continued to blow, but softly, as if comforting him... Soon, only one shinigami was left. And he stayed there, until the end.


"Live your own life!"

These few words echoed in his head as the wind continued to blow softly on his face. In his hand, a paper was neatly folded as he let it go, making it follow the flow of the wind.


Remember, I will remain in your heart forever. I love you, Hitsugaya Toshiro.


A small yet sad smile appeared on his face as his eyes fell onto the name engraved on the stone. He quietly mouthed a few words before walking away...


"I love you too."


As if to answer to his confession, the rain slowly dissipated, the multicolour leaves started to fall from the countless trees as the wind blew them away...


Kuchiki Aya