Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo
(1) This is a fictional work, elements of the original work can be altered for better compatibility with this story.
(2) English is not my first language.
(3) This work is based in this fanart
I hope you enjoy!
Matsumoto Rangiku loved shopping. She loved to drink sake until she fell, but she also loved to shop, and since she was in the human world, after accomplishing a stupid mission that some irresponsible lower-class shinigami had set aside, nothing better than doing some shopping with Inoue.
The girl with healing powers had dropped out of high school uniform, now she was a grown woman, more serious, more responsible, but her love of shopping and exotic food remained the same.
So, when she learned that the shinigami was in town, she invited Rangiku for a walk along Karakura shopping street.
The street was busy, and the shops were crowded, it was Valentine's Day eve, and you could see little groups of teenagers crossing the street laughing, while the men seemed indecisive inside the stores, amid expensive perfume and branded clothing. But neither Rangiku nor Orihime seemed to care about the movement, they simply wanted to take advantage of day's promotions and stuff their bags.
That was when the blonde, who now wore her short hair, stopped in front of a large shop window. The eyes focused on two mannequins that displayed modern clothes. But that was not it held her attention. The two mannequins were linked by a long red string. One side was tied to the male dummy's finger, dropped to the floor, formed a heart, and then rose until it was tied to the female dummy's finger.
"Orihime, what is this?" Rangiku pointed to the shapes through the window.
The girl stood beside her and stared at the decorated window, as well as the mannequins, several heart-shaped balloons, ribbons and confetti lining the floor.
"A shop windows?" Orihime was older and smarter, maybe not that smart. The blonde gave her a hard look and pointed back to the shop window. "Do you talk about akai ito?" Asked staring at the red string. "It's a legend, says if you're stuck with someone, you'll have to kill that person."
Rangiku arched eyebrows, had no idea what that line meant, but she was sure it shouldn't be that, especially since it was displayed in a Valentine's day.
"No, no," the human corrected, "I think it's about being stuck in the person, and if the line breaks, the person is sucked into a black hole or transported to another dimension?" The girl put her hand to her chin, trying to remember the correct expression.
"When two people are connected by the string, it means they are fated to live together for the rest of their lives," Arisawa Tatsuki's voice overlapped the noise of the street. Inoue stared at her friend and hugged her. Matsumoto greeted her with a smile. "Orihime, you shouldn't explain things you don't know."
"Ah, Tatsuki. I know, I just got a little confused." The brunette rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, the line joins you with your soulmate," she explained slowly, making sure the correct information was being absorbed by her friend's mind. "It's a very old legend," she turned to the shinigami. "It says that each person has a soulmate, and everyone is fated to find it, no matter how long it takes. You will have one end tied to your little finger and your soulmate will have the other end."
Orihime assumed a dreamy expression. Rangiku smiled when Tatsuki concluded and discreetly stared at her own finger, just to realize something she already knew, there was nothing tied up there.
The two girls continued talking while the blonde turned her gaze to the shop window. She wished she could have her destiny tied to someone else's. She was so immersed in that image that she suddenly had a flashback
She wasn't sure if the memory was real or a play of her mind, but she was still a child, Ichimaru Gin was by her side and wondering about her birthday. The conversation was cheerful and smooth, the expression on the boy's face curious and warm. In a moment, between dry persimmons and laughter, she saw a reddish thread tied to her finger, that line stretched across the cottage where they lived, curled up and heaped on the wooden floor. The other end was tied to Gin's finger. While the girl's knot was tightly tightened, his knot was nearly undone, leaving the thread slack.
Rangiku thought about asking what that string was that bound them together, but he didn't seem to care, it didn't bother her either, she put the question aside. The string maintained the link between them, but when Ichimaru left without telling her anything, the string was her only companion. The string was still the same size, the end that should have been attached to the boy was abandoned near the door, untied and slightly frayed.
It was strange to think of Ichimaru, how long had it been gone? Eight years? Nine? She no longer counted. She could barely remember his features or the tone of his voice, the only living memory, was his silhouette cut off by the light, turning his back on her again and again, and she didn't miss it at all.
"Rangiku?" Orihime called again. It's all right?
"I'm fine," he smiled sheepishly.
"We'll have ice cream, are you coming?" The girl asked.
"I'll pass," she tried to smile friendly, but the muscles in her face ached from the attempt. "You two have fun." Orihime wasn't quite sure to leave the woman, but Arisawa bowed and dragged her friend down the street on her way to the ice cream shop.
Rangiku's feet moved aimlessly, she tried to remember some song to sing, but all she remembered were very sad. She wasn't tired and probably wouldn't have another mission, she just had to kill the rest of the day before she could go back to Soul Society early in the evening.
She was so distracted that she only realized what was happening when she felt someone awkwardly hug her around the waist. She had left the shopping street and was now circling across a park near a school. A small group of boys stared at her, with varying expressions, while a smaller boy was practically buried in her clothes.
"I'm sorry, lady" The childish voice asked, moving away quickly. Rangiku could see the boyish face covered with scratchs. He was small, thin and very pale. His face was adorned with a long, light hair, not common to the Japanese people.
"Which is? You won't be a crybaby, will you? Stop running away and face us," teased one of the boys. The blonde stared at the group, they were five boys much bigger than the kid, they looked threatening, within what children around ten might look like.
"I'm not running away," the smaller boy replied, "I'm just not interested in fighting with you today." Though the hurts, he smiled.
"Lie, Hanatsu. You are scared to death!" Another boy teased.
"You better leave," the fukutaichou's voice launched into the children's fight. She only realized what she had done when she heard herself echoing through the park.
"Don't intrude, Aunt," replied what appeared to be the leader.
Aunt? She felt a vein in her forehead throb, who were these brats thinking they were calling her aunt? "Listen, you brat, I'm not your aunt. And you should go home crying on Mom's lap, because if your courage only comes when your friends are together to punch a boy half your size, then your courage is truly none!" She was already screaming and didn't even know exactly why, but passers-by stared at her curiously. After all, it wasn't every day that you saw a pretty woman like her arguing with kids.
The boys looked at each other, whispered among themselves, and decided to leave, not before threatening Hanatsu. When the boys were far away, the younger stared at his savior, wondering if he should be grateful for the embarrassing intrusion. Only then did Rangiku see that the boy was exactly like Gin. The delicate features, the narrow eyes, the thin lips.
The blonde wanted to say something but couldn't think of anything, it was as if her mind had been painted white. The boy was staring at her, as if expecting something, but after a long time in silence, he took the initiative.
"Want you have an ice cream?" He offered as he shoved his hands in his pockets and counted the coins "that's all I can afford as a thank you." Answered in a mix of shyness and simplicity.
At any other time in her life Matsumoto would refuse, mainly because she had just declined from the same offer made by Orihime, but there, standing before an exact copy of Ichimaru as a child, she could not say no.
They walked to the other side of the park until a convenience store. And despite the odd combination, the people on the street didn't even look at them. Maybe because they both had very light hair, people thought they were probably related.
Rangiku followed little Hanatsu down the shop until he stopped in front of a freezer. The boy needed to be on tiptoe to see the contents. He analyzed the ice creams deposited in the cold environment and then turned to the woman.
"Lady, which one do you want?"
"Anyone is fine."
"I like the persimmon, but almost nobody likes it, maybe you prefer something sweeter, like..."
"The persimmon is fine for me," she interrupted. She couldn't believe the damn brat liked the same things too.
The boy leaned over the freezer and stretched his arms until he reached two packages. So, he went to the cashier and paid for them. When they were out of convenience, Hanatsu handed one to the woman and smiled. It wasn't a pretty, childish smile, it was that damn smile she'd seen a thousand times on Gin's face.
The icy and sour candy slid down the woman's tongue. The taste was great, the aroma excellent and it reminded her even more of her childhood friend. They walked slowly around the park, Hanatsu a few steps ahead, so that she could see his silhouette cut by the late afternoon light, just as she had seen dozens of times when Ichimaru left without telling where he was going.
"Are you sad?" The boy asked suddenly, still with his back to her. Rangiku frowned without understanding. "You looked sad.
"I was thinking of a friend," she admitted.
"Not a good friend?" The boy turned and looked at her curious, if she was sad to think of him, the friendship was not the best.
The blonde didn't know what to answer. Gin was her best friend and the worst friend she had ever had.
"He was, but... We're not friends anymore, anyway."
"Oh, I see. I don't have many friends either." He smiled, as if he didn't care.
"Those boys from earlier..."
"They say I'm mean, they say I'm liar and cunning, like a snake," he scratched his hair, "which is funny, because snakes don't talk, so they couldn't lie even if they wanted to," he finished as if he didn't care.
"Do you lie?" How many times she hads heard other Soul Society members refer to the former third division taichou that way?
"I just omit things," he said "they don't like me, so they don't need to know anything about me. No one needs to know what kind of person I am, if I know who I am, it's be enough" And didn't Ichimaru do the same? Even she, who knew him well, had never known him completely, there would always be something only he would know.
"Maybe if you were more honest with your colleagues, they'd like you," he shrugged, as if he didn't mind being hated. Just like Ichimaru would do.
"It's weird," he said, changing the subject. "I have a feeling we already know each other." The boy put a finger to his lips thoughtfully "but I don't think so, I would remember a woman with your big tits."
"You brat!" She scolded, but couldn't be truly angry, Ichimaru had once said that her breasts were unforgettable. "Thanks for the ice cream," she said as she finished the ice cream. "It was delicious."
"Really?" The boy was visibly suspicious - everyone says he's very sour.
"But I like it."
"It's getting late," he said after facing the sky that was tinged with orange and the sun was setting rapidly over the horizon.
"Right" the blonde smiled "see you tomorrow?" She knew she couldn't suggest that, she'd be back at Soul Society later in the evening, but that didn't mean she couldn't make an excuse to return to Earth." She also knew it was crazy to suggest a date, he was just a human child, but she couldn't contain the desire to see him, to know him, to know more about that curious child.
"Lady, I'm too young for these things." Her face flushed with embarrassment.
"What are you thinking? Don't be silly, I just liked you" said with a wide and sincere smile.
"Are you one of those women who kidnap children and sell abroad?" Her eyes narrowed and the smile tore at her lips.
"Of course not."
"I saw on tv that is a very lucrative business." The shinigami rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we can't see each other tomorrow. My family will move, this is my last night in Karakura" he informed. The woman let out a disappointed exclamation. "But it was nice meeting you, lady. Adults are always boring, but you are interesting."
"Too bad we can't see each other anymore," she lamented.
"I didn't say we wouldn't see each other anymore, I said we just wouldn't see each other tomorrow," and with a little bow he said goodbye.
"Wait, how can you say that?" Rangiku asked confused, they had met by chance and with her return to Soul Society and his departure from Karakura, they would never see each other again.
"Because I know," and he smiled, a smile that gave him a snake look. "And I like you too, Rangiku." Then he lifted his little finger and left, turning his back on a confused Matsumoto.
She hadn't said her name once. All the time he had called her a lady, how could he have said goodbye to her that way.
She was so surprised by this that only when the boy was away did Rangiku notice a small tug on her hand and saw that a red line was tied to her little finger and the thread extended in the direction Hanatsu had taken.
Matsumoto Rangiku recalled that Nanao once remarked that in some cases a repentant soul might have a chance to be born again. But such cases were very rare, only less evolved souls with low spiritual powers because they were still very close to humans. But Ichimaru was a former taichou, owner of great spiritual power and no regrets. Hardly the supreme force governing the universe would give him a second chance. But seeing that boy, the way he looked, the way he acted, the way he smiled and the fact that he knew her name, could only mean one thing ...
The blonde tugged at the thread, only to feel it tense and someone pull it back. This time, she would not ignore the presence of the string, nor her feelings.
She would have to wait for he to grow, but what are the human years for a shinigami? She would wait as long as she needed, for she was sure, he was Ichimaru Gin.
Thank you for reading.
If you like, please comment!