The Honey Dish Rhapsody
- By Kubo Tite and Matsubara Makoto
Chapter One - Shiratama Zenzai
Part One
Fourth Division, General Medical Station
A shinigami cradling a cloth bag walked along a corridor illuminated by the setting sun. He was the Seventh Seat of the Fourth Division, Yamada Hanatarou.
"It's not this one either..."
Underneath each room number hung a wooden tag inscribed with a patient's name, yet none held the one that he was looking for.
The large medical station covered a great expanse of area, and all the evenly spaced wards up here on the third floor were reserved as private rooms. Lost among long hallways that looked exactly alike, Hanatarou felt like he was on the verge of tears.
"Hn...Rukia-san..." he murmured, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
A shadow silently approached him from behind.
"Hey!"
"Ahhh...! Sorry sorry sorry!!" he cried and crouched down, clutching at his head. Years of being reprimanded by his superiors had trained in him a basic instinct to apologize profusely before anything else.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Ah...?" Hanatarou lifted his head and saw a figured bathed in golden light, his silver hair almost dazzling to the eye. It was the Captain of the Tenth Division, Hitsugaya Toshiro. He quickly lowered his head again, flustered at the sight. "Captain Hitsugaya...! G-g-good day to you!"
"You're... called Yamada, right?"
"Yes! F-f-fourth Division's Yamada Hanatarou!" He quickly pulled himself into a correct sitting position with both hands placed respectfully before him.
"There's no need to be so scared. I'm not going to do anything to you."
"Right! I'm...I'm sorry!"
"I already said to stop apologizing."
"Sorr... Ah, I said sorry again, so sorry! ...Ah, and again? I said it again, sorry... Ah, and I said it again...!"
Faced with a Hanatarou that seemed to be swept up in a whirlwind of apologetics, as if he was trying to go through an entire lifetime's worth of "sorries," Hitsugaya closed his eyes in vague amusement. "It's the room four doors down from here."
"...What?"
He looked up and saw Hitsugaya nod and point down the corridor. "You're looking for Kuchiki Rukia's room, right?"
"Ah, yes! I am! ...But, how did Captain Hitsugaya know where Rukia-san's room is?"
Hitsugaya sighed upon seeing that incredulous expression. "If you calmed down and searched for her reiatsu, then you could've found her as well."
"Ah, right! Just like that...if only I had done that sooner!" he said in awe.
Hitsugaya sighed again. "Aren't you a seated officer? You need to get yourself together."
"Yes, I'm so sorry! Thank you so much!"
"Bye then."
"Thank you so very much!" Staring at the silently departing shadow, Hanatarou bowed deeply once more.
