Hopelessly Devoted to You (Gin Ichimaru love story)

Chapter 3

"Lieutenant Tsuki!"

I tensed to the sudden male voice behind me, wondering who it was. I turned around to see a red-haired soul reaper with a not so pleased expression upon his face.

His candy red hair went back into a spiky ponytail that resembled the top of a pineapple. He had what seemed to be tribal markings above his eyes as well as a white band that wrapped around his forehead. I noticed the lieutenant's badge for division six tied to his arm.

"Hai, sir!" I said, regaining my composure. The male lieutenant was holding a medium-sized stack of papers that he handed over to me. I held the papers in the arms while he gave me a small bow in return. "Please take these to Captain Ichimaru, lieutenant Tsuki."

A confused look crossed my face at the unfamiliar name. The Squad six lieutenant noticed this as he raised a curious brow to my sudden reaction "What's wrong, Lieutenant?" he asked.

I snapped out of my confusion, an innocent smile replacing my expression "It's nothing I assure you. I'm new here as you might know and I'm not exactly sure who Captain Ichimaru is." Surprise showed in his black colored irises as his curiosity peeked at my words.

The red-haired lieutenant put a hand to the back of his head. "Ah well, that just means you have a lot to learn new lieutenant."

I knew that wasn't the way to go about things, but I honestly had no idea who he was speaking of. He gestured me to follow him with a flick of his wrist. I began to trail behind him as he remained in front of me.

Not a word passed between us as he kept on at a brisk pace until we reached an unfamiliar destination. My eyes lit up as we entered the flourishing courtyard of what I assumed to be Squad six barracks.

There were varieties of flowers and glorious plants growing around the courtyard. Vibrant oranges and purples danced among the evergreen grass that surrounded us as I yearned to touch the delicate petals of the flowers. Their unique floral aromas wafted in the calm breeze as the smells tickled my nose.

A small crystal clear stream cut through the land that inhabited a variety of koi fish and other assortments of life. The stream flowed under a small, curved, cobblestone bridge. The stones were polished with perfection and they glistened from the sun's rays.

Never once had I seen a courtyard so well kept and clean. I wondered if I was allowed to walk on such grounds since it wasn't even my squad, but my attention was captivated by the beauty that surrounded me.

"Interesting huh?" The other lieutenant had stopped in front of me, shooting me a small smile as he noticed my gaze was focused on the magnificence around us. I snapped out of my thoughts when he said that and looked at him with a shy smile. "Ya, I've never seen one so beautiful before."

The lieutenant smiled as he took the papers from my arms, setting them on the grass. He surprised me when he sat down, inviting me to do the same by patting the spot next to him. I bowed my head respectfully, sitting down and crossing my legs alongside him.

"I'm not the formality type of guy, but I never introduced myself to you. The name's Abarai Renji." He extended his hand to me and I took it on my own. "My name's Tsuki Neko. Nice to meet you Abarai-san."

I let go of his hand and glanced around at the view once more, enjoying the beauty of the land. "Are you sure that your captain doesn't mind me being here?"

Renji shook his head in response. "Not at all. Captain Kuchiki is usually doing Kuchiki things," he said with a chuckle.

I laughed lightly at his statement, still confused by who these captains were. He caught the uncertainty in my voice. He put his arms behind him, leaning back and looking up at the bright blue sky. The sun was beginning to set, so it must have been around the evening.