The screen door slides open, and Rangiku steps outside onto the engawa with a quiet sigh, welcoming herself in the cool embrace of the night. The lively chatter and bursts of laughter from the party spill out briefly before the door slides shut, sealing the noise away. Making her way forward, she stops at the railing, her pink scarf fluttering lightly in the breeze along her strawberry-blonde hair.

With her arms resting on the smooth wood, she tilts her head back to take in the sight of the starry sky as the unsettling weight in her chest grows heavier; a quiet ache she can’t quite name. The warmth of the party feels so far away now, and for reasons Rangiku herself doesn’t understand, she doesn’t feel like going back just yet.