Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights of this series goes to Tite Kubo.
Author's Note: Gah, it's an early update! Thank you Little riding hood, Pieps XD, applestoapples, Neko-cheung, AznInvasionGirl, serenity095, cool!, KnowledgeandImagination, MoonLightView, Kat, Samantha, athfdrizzle, icyangel27, j cloud xD, chococat450, WhitePrincessOfHope, becomeafan for your awesome reviews! They're greatly appreciated!
Message to applestoapples: Just to answer your question (including others who are wondering), The Next Greatest Treasure is currently in working progress. The storyboard is mostly done and now, I'm slowly typing the beginning chapters. At the rate I'm going, it's quite likely that I'm going to start posting the story once Part I of this story is complete (which is in two or three week's time). In other words, by the time Part II starts, I will be working on two stories back to back. Hopefully, that eases you for a bit and sorry for keeping you (and the rest of my dear reviewers) waiting for so long. I can only do so much at a time. So, bear with me a little longer...and one more thing: Momo's birthday is on June 3rd.
Anyway, enough with me yapping, it's time for chapter seven to start! Enjoy!
LEGEND
"Talking." "Thinking." Voice Message from Toshiro's Older Sister, Miyuki Hitsugaya. Flash Back.
The Healing Heart
Part I - Hope and Friendship
Chapter Seven: Have Fun
The school bell rung which allowed students of Seireitei Junior High to be dismissed from their classes for the today. Hinamori stretched her arms across the desk and let out a sigh of relief. As she is packing her textbooks and notebooks into her bag, Kira and two of her female friends approached her. "Hey Momo, do you want to go to the mall today?" one of the girls asked. "It's Friday and we're all going."
"Thanks for the offer, but I already have plans," Hinamori apologized.
"Plans? Where are you going?" the other girl asked.
"I'm going to Seireitei Hospital."
"Really? Did you get hurt again?"
The peach girl shook her head. "I'm visiting someone."
"What? Is your grandmother the one you're visiting in the hospital?"
Once again, Momo shook her head. "No, it's someone else."
"Wait a minute; don't tell me it's that same person you mentioned before. What's his name again, Hitsu..."
"Hitsugaya-kun."
"So, you are visiting him again."
"You must really like the person to be spending most of your free time to see him," the first girl commented.
"Now that's not true," Hinamori replied. "I only visit him about three or four times a week."
One of her female friends folded her arms over her chest and gave her a stern look. "And you're still able to juggle your homework time for him?"
"Not really..." The peach girl felt her cheeks turn a little red. She lowered her head a bit and slowly replied, "I usually bring my homework and we would work on it together."
Kira raised an eyebrow at her response. The last time he met the white haired boy, he recalled her former roommate to be younger than both her and himself. "Hinamori-kun, are you sure he is able to work on it because he's only an elementary student?"
"Eh, he's only an elementary student?" the girls exclaimed.
Momo turned a little redder. "As embarrassing as it is, Hitsugaya-kun is a very smart person," she explained. "He's able to do my mathematics homework like it's nothing."
"S-Sugoi, he must be a genius at his school."
All of a sudden, Hinamori felt a vibration from her dress pocket. Stuffing her hand into it, she took out a pink thin cell phone and checked who the person is calling her. "Unknown? I wonder who it could be..."
With a press of a button, she held it up to her ear and asked, "Moshi moshi?"
"Hey Hinamori!" replied a cheery voice.
She raised an eyebrow, still clueless that is on the other line. "Um...Konnichiwa, who is this?"
"Eh, now that's mean to say. You have already forgotten me after three weeks of not seeing one another?"
"The voice sounds familiar," the raven haired girl thought. She closed her eyes and gave it some thought. All of a sudden, she reopened them again when a name came into mind. "Rangiku-san, is that you?"
"Bingo! You got it right!"
"So, it is you; wait a minute, how did you get my cell phone number?"
"It's a secret."
Momo let out a sigh of defeat. "So, why are you calling me?"
"Oh, Hitsugaya just wanted to know when you're coming, that's all."
"No, I don't and stop making up lies to her!" she heard another voice yell out in the background.
Momo blinked. "Is that Hitsugaya-kun's voice I'm hearing? Are you at the hospital right now?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Rangiku replied. "I have some time to hang out with my little buddy here."
"I see..."
"Matsumoto, stop bothering Hinamori already and end the telephone conversation," Toshiro said on the other side of the phone line. "Can't you understand she might be busy with school matters right now? Also, I'm not your little buddy."
"Aww, you're so considerate," the female on the phone cooed.
"Uruse..."
Momo placed a hand over her mouth to hold back her giggle. It's nice to hear that her former roommate is getting along with his neighbour just fine. "Anyway, I'll be there soon. I just need to go home, drop my stuff and change my clothes."
"Okay, see you then!" Matsumoto said.
"Ja ne."
Hinamori hung up the phone and put the electronic device back into her pocket. When she resumed her attention to her friends, she noticed that they were giving her strange looks. "N-Nani?"
"If you continue to hang out with that person who is in the hospital, you might develop feelings for him," one of the girls said.
"Nonsense," Momo replied as she picked up her bag and stood up from her seat. "First of all, Hitsugaya-kun is younger than me. Also, I think of him like the little brother I never had."
With that said, the girls looked at one another, giving questioning looks while Kira let out a sigh. "Well, you better get going. You don't want to keep him waiting right?" he asked.
She nodded with agreement. "Yes, you're right; I'll see you all next week."
"Ja ne Momo," her first female friend said.
"See you, Hinamori," the other added.
Kira also gave the raven haired girl a warm farewell. "Bye Hinamori-kun."
Hey little brother! Do you have time to go out with me today? Apparently, Okaa-san has asked me to do the groceries again. This time it's quite the long list. So, if you don't mind, will you help me carry it home? Voice message me back after you read this message!
"Hitsugaya, if you keep hearing your sister's voice messages, it's going to take longer for your cell phone batteries to finish charging," Matsumoto commented as she watched her neighbour continue to press buttons on the electronic device.
"I'm entertaining myself until Hinamori arrives," the white haired patient replied without taking a look at the strawberry orange haired woman. "So, cut me some slack and let me do whatever I want."
She let out a sigh of defeat and folded her arms over her chest. "Whatever you say, but you really need to have a life."
With a single finger, Toshiro closed the cap of his cell phone and placed it on the short table beside him. Once he resumed his attention to Rangiku, he gave her a stern look. "I do have a life; it just died along with my family."
"Now, that's not entirely true! Lately, you've been quite lively these days ever since you became friends with Hinamori."
He immediately shot her a short glare before lowering his head. Thinking about what she said a moment ago, she did have a point. He has been enjoying living his life with his former roommate. "She...confuses me."
"Hn, did you say something?"
With one look at the strawberry orange haired woman, he closed his eyes and replied like it was obvious, "No, I didn't say a thing. It's probably your imagination."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door which soon opened to reveal a familiar face. Before she could say a word, Matsumoto ran up to the raven haired girl, who is dressed in a light blue dress with blue floral designs on the bottom, and gave her a tight hug. "Hey Hinamori! You're finally here!"
"Ah, y-y-yes...Rangiku-san," Momo said, struggling to breathe. "I-It's nice to see you too."
"Oi Matsumoto," Hitsugaya interrupted. "Let her go already; you're killing her."
The older female glanced over her shoulder to see the white haired boy. With a playful smile on her face, she teased, "Aww, look at you; you're protecting her from me."
Doing that earned her an icy glare from him. "Shut up and do as you are told."
"Yes, whatever you say little captain."
He raised an eyebrow. "And I'm not little..."
Once the fourteen year old teenager let go of the younger one, Hinamori walked to Hitsugaya's bedside and greeted, "Hey, how are you feeling today?"
Toshiro closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. He replied, "I'm alright, I suppose..."
"Now that's a boring statement to reply with; tell her about your current condition."
Turning his attention to the strawberry orange haired woman, he answered, "There's nothing special about telling her that I'm recovering nicely."
"He's just too shy to tell you that his leg is almost fully healed," Matsumoto interrupted. "So, it's only a matter of time before Hitsugaya gets his leg cast removed."
Momo's face lightened up as she placed her hands together. "Really? When is that happening?"
With a sigh of defeat, the eleven year old folded his arms over his chest and replied, "In a week or so..."
She smiled. "That's great to hear! Early congratulations to you! Wait a minute, does that mean you'll be walking again soon?"
"If things go well, then yes, I'm going to walk again."
"And with that said, I have a special announcement to make," Matsumoto said, placing her hands on her hips. As Momo glanced at Rangiku, Toshiro gave the older female a stern look. He has a bad feeling at what she's going to say next. "We're going out to the city today to have some fun!"
"Oi..."
"But Rangiku-san, I don't think Hitsugaya-kun is allowed to go out," Hinamori replied. "Besides, he still needs some more time to recover here."
"Don't worry about that," Rangiku answered. "I have already talked to Unohana-sensei about it. She says it's completely fine to let him go for the day. She also mentioned that taking some fresh air in the great outdoors is good for his health."
"A-Are you sure about it?"
She gave the younger girl a thumb up. "You bet!"
"You do understand that I don't have anything to wear," Hitsugaya replied.
"Daijobou, I brought some of your clothes from your house with me," Matsumoto contently replied as she held up a blue bag out in front of him.
"Oi, who says you're allowed to break into my house?"
"No I didn't come in through the front door; I came in through your bedroom window. Besides, it's always open."
"That's still the same thing!"
Suddenly, the fourteen year old tossed the bag in his direction in which he caught it with his uninjured hand. "Anyway, don't keep us waiting for too long."
"Rangiku-san, he may need some assistance," Momo said. "Should we go ask a nurse to come in and help him?"
Upon hearing that comment, Hitsugaya immediately replied, "Don't ask for help; I can handle it on my own."
"Are you sure?"
With the use of his uninjured leg and arm, the white haired boy moved his body to the edge of the bed. At the same time, Hinamori pulled out his wheelchair and placed it at his side. Soon, the young patient transferred seats. After placing his blue bag of clothes on his lap, Toshiro put his hands on the sides of the wheelchair wheel handles and made his way to the washroom to get changed. "Just wait here already so that I can change in peace."
In the meantime, Matsumoto and Hinamori both took their seats on different sides of their friend's bed. There was a few minutes of silence until one of them spoke, "So, where are we going?"
"Well, to start things off, we're going to check out the clothing stores," Rangiku explained happily. "Then, we're going for some sightseeing and finally go on a short trip to the park."
"I see," Momo replied. "So Rangiku-san, you're in third year junior high, right?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Have you decided which high school you're going to after you graduated?"
The strawberry orange haired woman folded her arms together and gave it some thought. "Come to think of it, I haven't decided at all."
The raven haired girl gave her a face. "R-Really?"
"Well, I could always go to West Rukon High, but I want to go to another school in order to meet new people."
"Oh..."
"What about you, Hinamori?"
"I'm currently in my second year in Seireitei Junior High. So, I still have some time to make my decision. I think most likely I'm going to Seireitei High."
"Hn, is that so?" she wondered.
All of a sudden, the girls heard the sound of a door closing. Upon turning their heads to the side, they saw Hitsugaya dressed in a pair of black track pants with the right leg rolled up to his nee. He also wore a white T-shirt with blue stripe designs on the arms and on the sides along with a silver necklace hanging around his neck.
Matsumoto took a closer look at him and suddenly commented, "I don't remember you owning that necklace. Where did you get it?"
He has given her a stern look before turning his head to the side. He retorted, "It's none of your business."
On the other hand, Momo recognized the piece of jewelry. She smiled, knowing that he has been taking care of her precious treasure nicely. With that in mind, the thirteen year old walked up behind Toshiro and began pushing him and his wheelchair towards the automated door. "Oi Hinamori, what are you doing?" he called out.
"Just stay put, Shiro-chan. It's time for us to have fun!"
"Don't call me that, Bed-Wetter!"
"Mou, stop with the Bed-Wetter! I told you not to call me that!"
"Right back at you! You shouldn't be calling me by that ridiculous nickname!" he exclaimed.
Without any warning, they heard the strawberry orange haired woman burst out with laughter. "Sh-Shiro-chan? Is that what she calls you?"
Toshiro shot an icy glare at her. "Shut up and don't say anything about it."
However, she continued laughing as she placed her arms over her stomach. "Wh-What's even funnier, you even gave Hinamori a nickname. What are the chances of that happening?"
"Matsumoto!"
She wiped a tear away from the corner of her right with her pointer finger. "Ah, now that was a good laugh."
"Mou," Momo said.
"Anyway, let's get going!"
Hitsugaya let out a sigh of defeat. "Why do I even bother?"
"Sugoi, look at these clothes!" Matsumoto exclaimed as she held out a floral light beige and brown dress out for her two friends to see. "Don't you think they would look good on me?"
"No," Hitsugaya immediately replied after taking a short glance at it before turning his head away.
"Aw, now that's mean to say!"
"I think you should try it on so that we can get a better picture of what you would look like in that," Momo suggested.
"Good idea!" Rangiku replied as she went deeper into the store. "Let's go find a change room for me to try this outfit on."
The peach girl let out a sigh. "This is our chance to run away," Toshiro suddenly commented.
"What do you mean?"
"If there is one thing you need to know about Matsumoto, it is to never go shopping with her. She has a bad habit of buying all the clothes she likes."
"What's wrong with that?"
"You don't understand; what I mean by all the clothes she likes, it's practically everything she laid her eyes on."
"Oh..."
"In other words, once she buys them, who does she ask to help her carry them?" Hitsugaya said as he folded his arms over his chest. "The answer to that question is quite obvious."
Momo guessed, "It's the people who go with her?"
"Correct."
"I-I see..."
"I'm back you two!" The former roommates at Seireitei Hospital turned their attention to see Rangiku running up to them in her changed clothes. She placed a hand on the back of her head while the other is on her waist. With a leg held out to the side, she posed for the two to watch. "How do I look?"
Hitsugaya turned his head to the side, refusing to comment while Hinamori replied, "I-It looks great on you."
"Alright then, I'm taking this outfit! I'll be back to pay for everything at the cash register."
Eventually, the strawberry orange haired woman left the two friends alone once more. Toshiro let out a sigh of defeat. "Let's just hope she doesn't make us wait for too long."
Momo slowly nodded with agreement. "I hope so too..."
Matsumoto stretched her arms up into the air. "Oh man, that was a good day's worth of walking, don't you agree you two?"
The both of them let out a sigh of defeat. After sticking with her, they went through several different clothing shops non-stop and coming out with several bags of clothing. They all now belong to the fourteen year old from West Rukon Junior High, Rangiku Matsumoto. For the time being, the three friends are resting on a park bench in Seireitei Park. Momo placed a hand on the side of her mouth, leaned towards her white haired friend, and whispered, "Now, I know how much you feel."
"No kidding," Toshiro replied. "Didn't I warn you before?"
"Hai."
All of a sudden, Rangiku stood up from the bench and said, "I'll be back; I need to use the ladies room."
"Um, okay..." With that said, she left them alone together. The peach girl let out a relaxed sigh and leaned back against the bench support to look up into the sky. Suddenly, her eyes caught a glimpse of something. "Kirei! Look at that, Shiro-chan!"
"Oi, didn't I tell you before not to call me Shir-" Hitsugaya's words were soon stopped midway as he saw what Momo was looking at: a bright and shining sunset.
Hinamori placed her hands together on her lap and let out a smile. "I love watching sunsets. They make me feel calm and content."
It is when Hitsugaya took out his cell phone from his pants pocket and held it out in front of him. With a flick of his thumb, he flipped the cap open and started pressing a few buttons. He eventually stopped to look at a picture.
Wondering what he is doing, Momo leaned over to take a peek. What she saw is a picture of a girl, who is around her age, with brown hair and blue-green eyes. She is dressed in a pale bright green dress and ivory coloured sandals. Finally, to complete her outfit, she wore a large beige beach hat on her head.
"Whenever she has the time," Toshiro suddenly said. "She would take me to the highest hillside in West Rukon so that we can watch the sunset together."
"You mean that girl?"
He slowly nodded with agreement. "Yes, my sister, Miyuki."
"So that's his older sister." She then realized it's his first time talking about his family. Momo took a moment to study his nostalgic behaviour. "He really cares about her."
Hitsugaya rested his hand and cell phone on his lap and raised his head up a bit. He closed his emerald-teal eyes, recalling the special moments he shared with his sibling.
As students from West Rukon Elementary are leaving the premises with their friends (after a long day of doing extracurricular activities), ten year old boy, Toshiro is leaning against the brick wall on his own, checking the contents in his cell phone. All of a sudden, he heard a familiar voice in the nearby distance. "Oi!"
Taking a glance to the side, he saw her running up to him. With a single finger, he closed the cap of his phone and stuffed it into his pants pocket. Once she caught up, he watched the brown haired girl lean forward and taking a moment to catch her breath.
"S-Sorry...Did I keep you waiting for...too long?"
After putting his hands into his pants pockets, Hitsugaya closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "Not really..."
She straightened her back and let out a bright smile. "That's good to hear. Shall we get going, Toshiro?"
He turned his body away from her and began walking ahead.
"Ah Itoto-chan, chotto matte!" Once again, she caught up and started walking along with him. "Did I do something to get you mad? I'm sorry."
"No, it's not your fault," the white haired boy finally replied. "I'm just feeling a little tired."
"Tired, huh?" Miyuki glanced up into the sky and thought for a few moments. Suddenly, she let out a smile and resumed her attention to her little brother. "In that case, let's go to the park and get some ice cream."
"Ice cream? Wouldn't that spoil our dinner?"
She placed a finger between her lips. "I won't say a thing to Oto-san or Okaa-san if you don't."
All of a sudden, Hitsugaya smirked back at her. "You're always causing trouble."
"Yet I still get away with it because I'm the older sister, isn't that right?"
"And if Onee-chan gets away with it, I get away with it as well."
The twelve year old sister punched the air above her with a fist. "Yosh! Let's go!"
With that said, Toshiro and Miyuki went to West Rukon Park to buy their early snack. Together, they found a seat on the hillside and ate their food as they watched the sunset on the horizon. Before they knew it, it's way past their curfew. "Onee-chan, it's getting late. We should head back home before our parents start wondering where we are."
"Yeah, you're right. We should get going before we get carried away again. Remember the last time we did this?"
"We got in trouble to staying outside for too long."
Miyuki giggled. "You got that right; both of us got grounded for a day."
Toshiro let out an amused smile. "However, that didn't stop us from constantly sending each other voice messages through our cell phones."
"That is so true." The older sibling is the first person to stand up from her seat. Upon half turning her body toward the side, she extended a hand out to her little brother and smiled. At first, Hitsugaya gave her a look, implying that he's old enough to take care of himself, but soon dropped the tough act. Letting out a short sigh, he accepted her offer and took hold of her hand. "Let's go, little brother."
"Hai Onee-chan..."
Toshiro let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes. He turned his head to see Hinamori staring at him. He gave her a stern look and commented, "If you keep doing that, I'm going to start thinking that you're in love with me or something like that."
Momo frowned and began pouting, "Mou, do you really have to say that?"
"I'm back you guys!" interrupted a voice. The two friends turned their heads to the side to see Matsumoto holding two pairs of Popsicles her possession. "I also bought some ice cold Popsicles for us to eat."
Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at her. "You only bought two."
Rangiku gave him a hesitant laugh. "Sorry about that, I only had enough for these two."
He shot her a glare, implying that she's up to something. The strawberry orange haired woman merely smiled back in response that she has no plans up her sleeves. He then let out a sigh of defeat. Without any proof, he can not rebuttal against her. Toshiro resumed his attention to the peach girl, who accepted Matsumoto's offer. "You can have it; I don't want any," Hitsugaya said.
Momo took a glance at him and asked, "Are you sure about that?"
"Yeah, I'm fine with it."
For a few moments, Hinamori thought about it. When she made her decision, she placed both hands on the sides of the ice cream and broke it perfectly in half. After opening the bag and taking a Popsicle out, Momo held it up to Toshiro with a smile on her face. "Here's your share."
Hitsugaya looked at it for a moment and then did the same to his former roommate. "I said I didn't want any."
"Actually, I don't think I'm able to finish it all by myself," Hinamori admitted. "So, if it's alright with you, can you eat half of it for me?"
Without any other choice, the white haired boy let out a sigh and took the Popsicle from her hand with his own. Toshiro replied, "Fine then, it's your loss."
The thirteen year old smiled before turning her attention to eating her share of the frozen treat.
Once Hitsugaya finished eating, he spent the next few minutes watching Hinamori leisurely talking to Matsumoto and eating her Popsicle. Using this moment, he raised right hand and cell phone up in front of him. Pointing the camera lens toward the unaware girl, the amused child took a secret snapshot of her. Content with the picture, he stored it into his cell phone. Noticing that the younger female is turning her head to check up on him, Hitsugaya wasted no time closing the phone cap with his finger and stuffing it into his pants pocket.
"Sugoi, you're already done?" Hinamori asked.
"Yes," Toshiro replied normally. "You were too busy talking with Matsumoto, that's why."
"Oh..."
"This is a good time to be taking Hitsugaya back to the hospital," Rangiku decided as she stood up from her seat to throw the Popsicle stick into the nearby trash bin. Momo nodded with agreement and did the same. "But first, let's drop you off at your place."
"There is no need to do that Rangiku-san," Hinamori replied as she placed both her hands up in front of her. "Besides, we wouldn't want Unohana-sensei to get worried about Hitsugaya-kun's whereabouts."
"The last thing we want is for a bunch of horny bastards to gang up and rape you," Toshiro suddenly commented.
"Mou, don't say it like that!"
"Either way, Hitsugaya does have a point," Matsumoto agreed. "We worry about you sometimes."
"No, I don't worry about her," Hitsugaya corrected. "I'm merely state the facts."
"Whatever you say; I think you do care about her."
"Uruse..."
Even though he won't say it, she knows he does look out for her. Hinamori smiled and said, "Arigato."
After taking a short look at her, Hitsugaya turned his head off to the side and mumbled, "A-Anyway, let's hurry to your place. Your grandmother is waiting."
She nodded. "Hai."
"Sugoi, this is where you live Hinamori?" Matsumoto asked. "It's quite the nice and comfy looking home you have."
Momo slowly nodded with agreement. "Hai."
Before Hitsugaya went back to Seireitei Hospital, he and Rangiku walked their companion from Seireitei Junior High back to her family home. "Well, don't just stand there, go inside already!" Toshiro complained.
Hinamori placed her hands together on her lap as she turned to them. With a smile on her face, she said, "Thank you, I had a great time hanging out with you day."
The strawberry orange haired woman smiled back. "It's really no problem. We had a great time too, isn't that right Hitsugaya?"
The white haired boy changed his focus to somewhere on the side and said, "I suppose..."
"Let's go out again sometime."
The thirteen year old teenager nodded with agreement. "Sure, I'd like that. Ja ne Rangiku-san, Hitsugaya-kun. I'll see you again soon."
"Bye Hinamori."
"Ja ne," Hitsugaya replied.
With that said, the two neighbours watched the peach girl go into the house. Matsumoto suddenly stretched her arms into the air and then placed them on her hips. "Well, shall we get going?"
"You're pushing me."
"Eh? Why do I have to?"
"I'm tired," Toshiro commented as he leaned back against his wheelchair support.
"But I have so many shopping bags to carry!"
"Just hang them on the handles so you would have less stuff to carry."
"Geez, you're so commanding, little captain."
Toshiro placed his right elbow on one side of the armchair so that the side of his cheek can rest on it. He mumbled, "Shut up..."
Rangiku placed her hands on the handle and began pushing the white haired boy back to Seireitei Hospital. As she is doing that, Matsumoto glanced over to see what her friend is doing only to realize that he has fallen asleep. Going out to the city for a day completely exhausted him. She smiled with content, happy to know that there is little time left until he is able to return to his life in the outside world.
Japanese Word Translations
Sugoi - Amazing, Moshi moshi - Hello (telephone conversation), Konnichiwa - Good Afternoon, Uruse - Shut Up, Ja ne - Good Bye (informal/casual), Nani - What, Okaa-san - Mother, Sensei - Teacher/Doctor, Daijobou - It's Alright, Hai - Yes, Kirei - How Beautiful, Itoto-chan - Younger Brother, Chotto matte - Wait for Me, Oto-san - Father, Onee-chan - Older Sister, Arigato - Thank You
Author's Note: I would be totally exhausted too if I was Toshiro. I don't like going out for extensive long periods of time in the city. It's probably because it requires a lot of walking to do. Gah...anyway, the next chapter is going to be about Toshiro's rehabilitation (spoiler). So, stay tuned and please review! Thanks.