Matsumoto Rangiku's warm hands gripped Yuta's tightly.
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the money in his grasp.
"Wow!"
"So much money!"
"I've seriously...never seen sixty thousand Kan all at once."
She tilted her head curiously. "By the way, who is he?"
"His name is Yuta Hideki…" Hitsugaya Toshiro hesitated for a second. "He's a commoner from Rukongai headed to the Shino Academy."
Rangiku Matsumoto gave him a quick, exaggerated blink. "Captain, you've got so much on your plate every day. How do you find time for something this minor?"
"Why not leave it to me? I know the way to the academy really well."
Toshiro folded his arms and scowled. "You're volunteering so you can skip work and drink."
"Ahahaha…!" Rangiku laughed awkwardly before quickly grabbing Yuta's hand and taking off. "That's not true! You've got it wrong!"
Before anyone could say another word, both she and Yuta were gone from view.
Toshiro watched the direction they left with a dry expression. "Completely reckless."
Matsumoto Rangiku kept hold of Yuta's hand as they ran for what felt like forever.
Her hips swayed sharply, waist dipping with each motion as her body moved in rhythm.
When she finally stopped running, she leaned forward with her hands braced on her knees. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.
"I finally got away."
Once her breathing slowed, she looked over at Yuta-and realized he hadn't taken his eyes off her once.
She followed his gaze downward and realized she couldn't see her toes under her chest at all.
She smiled slightly and rose onto her toes before flicking his head with one finger.
"You're a little kid." (T/N: before anyone ask, Yuta look like a 19 year old or a young adult.. but he is still a kid compared to practically anyone in the soul society considering that even toshiro is 100+ years or some thing close to that.. so yeah, he is a kid.)
The gesture surprised her-it was far too intimate for someone she had only met-but there was something natural about being around Yuta. Somehow, when he was close, she felt less tired.
He was strikingly attractive too. Once he stepped onto campus, she figured half the female students would already be lining up behind him.
What Yuta saw wasn't only her body or playful teasing. His attention lingered on something else entirely-the hollow spot in her soul.
That missing piece of the Soul King… interesting.
Yuta caught Rangiku by the wrist and pulled her toward the wall, pressing her lightly into its surface before leaning in close to her face.
Rangiku's eyes widened as her back bumped the wall. There was nowhere to retreat. Yuta's face loomed in front of hers now, close enough she could feel each breath against her lips.
He exhaled softly against her skin.
"Miss Rangiku… am I too young? You won't know unless you try."
Her heart skipped wildly. Her thoughts scattered into nothing. Words formed on her lips but dissolved into silence the moment she opened her mouth.
She had been pinned against the wall by a boy who hadn't spent a single day at the academy.
Yuta slowly released her hand and took one step back, smiling faintly.
"You're Matsumoto Rangiku, Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division?"
He tilted his head slightly as he studied her. "You're beautiful."
She couldn't believe the audacity-and from someone who hadn't officially entered Seireitei? Outrageous. She was supposed to be teaching him discipline-not getting cornered by him like this.
She wasn't about to back down either.
With one determined flick of her elbow, she pushed her golden hair over one shoulder. The strands caught in the late light as they swept across the air carrying her scent with them.
"You've got quite the mouth on you."
"But it's late… Even heading to the Shino Academy now wouldn't leave time for admissions."
"If you're free…" She gave him a sidelong glance. "Want to grab a drink instead? We can go to the academy tomorrow."
Yuta squinted slightly at her. "You sure that's not your excuse to drink?"
"Ahahaha…" She turned away with a faint flush in her cheeks. "Don't put it like that! It's not strange to share a drink between acquaintances, is it?"
Yuta gave her a nod. "Alright."
She brightened immediately. "Let's go head-to-head today and see who gets drunk first."
She sounded cocky-but not without reason. She had always prided herself on her bottomless tolerance for alcohol.
Grabbing Yuta again, she pulled him toward one of the larger streets of Seireitei.
"I'm telling you, you're in luck."
"No. 3 Izakaya on South Street released this new liquor called 'Smell the Drink.' Supposedly makes you tipsy by scent alone."
"It's rare too-they only offer it in limited batches. How could I pass that up?"
She rubbed her fingers together sheepishly to signal how empty her wallet was lately. "Only thing is…I'm kinda broke."
As they talked, they arrived at a bright street bustling with activity.
Yuta's eyes swept over everything in front of him. The difference between Rukongai and Seireitei was obvious in every detail around them-from buildings to crowds to food stalls along the way.
In Rukongai, most civilians survived simply by breathing spirit particles. Real hunger was rare-and food was scarce. Even something simple like sweet potato could be considered precious there.
Here in Seireitei though? Spirits with power needed sustenance-and restaurants filled most roads between districts because of it.
The sun continued sinking low in the sky until golden light dimmed behind rooftops and shadows stretched longer across stone paths.
As darkness rolled in slowly, lanterns began glowing above their heads one by one in warm yellow hues that blanketed the street in light.
At the entrance of No. 3 Izakaya, everything glowed brighter and louder-the colorful neon signs flickered and semicircular wall fixtures lit up from within with shifting tones of purple and blue.
Yuta stared at one of them curiously before Rangiku gestured toward it casually.
"That's firefly moss." She leaned slightly closer as she explained. "It absorbs light during daytime-and glows at night like this. Each type glows differently."
Outside, men and women leaned against wooden posts drinking lazily or chatting beneath the lanterns' glow while the scent of wine filled the street without warning.
As soon as they spotted Rangiku approaching, several Shinigami stopped talking immediately and straightened their backs to greet her.
"Good evening, Vice-Captain Matsumoto."
Since she belonged to Division Ten-the patrol unit-they clearly all knew her well and treated her presence with respect.
She nodded politely to each one before walking inside with Yuta trailing behind her silently.
Once they were out of earshot though-the guards spared no time whispering to each other over their shoulders-
"Captain Matsumoto brought someone?"
"Looks like it… She was holding his hand too."
"No way… seriously?"
"Could it be… she's finally falling for someone?"
Matsumoto Rangiku had long been Seireitei's most admired beauty-with curves few others could rival-but somehow had remained unattached for centuries now.
Despite how easily someone like her should've found companionship… no relationship ever lasted long enough to count-not with how wild she was about drinking... or how badly she scared off anyone who tried too hard.
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