Hello there and thank you guys for following me up to the lengthy Chapter 4!
If you've left me reviews, thank you very much! Let's carry on with the story!
Be Careful of the Hidden But Bared Fangs.
"I'm no commercial model." Ichigo said plainly. "I have no interest in cosmetic ads, Taki. Isn't there also an exhibition by a factory of ready-made clothes? I prefer going there."
"The factory requires female models, Ichigo." Taki was having a throbbing headache with this obstinate supermodel. "What's wrong with modelling for cosmetics? You just have to show your face…"
"I have no interest in the manufacturer Ginrei Kojaku." Ichigo glared at her coldly.
"Why?" Taki felt like yelling. "You've also participated in the ads for Fornicarás, then what's with Ginrei Kojaku?"
"I won't do the cases which are related to the Kurosaki Enterprise." Wanting to end the conversation, he stood up.
"It's not under the Enterprise!" Taki was persistent in persuading him to go. "Ginrei Kojaku is an independent—"
"You know it as well as I do." He put on his jacket. "I'm going. Orihime's waiting for me at home."
"Don't you think that you're being too attentive to her?" Taki blurted out, hoping that this would clear his mind. She had no idea that she was acting like a one-year-old toddler despite all the years she has spent with him. "She'll become your weakness! Rukia—"
"Aren't you being careless here, Taki?" Ichigo turned around and looked at her with slight interest. "You're my agent, right? A model agent shouldn't be knowing these kinds of 'messages'. If you aren't dutiful to your jailer post, mind that you'll fall. How do you know that you're not under surveillance?"
Taki's choked by his words and looked around nervously. What is she afraid of? She has searched this office high and low for three times thoroughly nearly every day: no recorders, cameras or any kinds of surveillance devices in the office room; she was quite a professional at these things. Perhaps, just perhaps…her Master has long forgotten the mission he has bestowed on her. "I'm always loyal to you."
"It's alright for you to be loyal to my identity as a model and nothing else." He opened the door and repeated. "You're my agent, aren't you?"
He met a smartly-dressed young man with glasses at the front door. The man looked at Ichigo in surprise and asked Taki, "It's him? When can we start?"
"…I think Ichigo's not very suitable for it…we can have another—" She said awkwardly.
"I need nobody else." He interrupted.
Taki felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. Every man is as stubborn as a mule. If that is so, then she really has to give a good thinking about her marriage…
"Ichigo, this is the new CEO of Ginrei Kojaku, Ishida Uryuu. Ishida-san, Kurosaki Ichigo."
"You're so gorgeous!" Uryuu sized that flawless face up with awe. "Are you really a man? I've heard your fame…"
"My apologies, but I won't take up the cases which are related to the Kurosaki Enterprise. You could find thousands of female stars or singers who wished to make ads for your company," Ichigo conveyed his intentions in firm calmness. "Excuse me."
"…I thought you're a professional model." Uryuu said behind him as he was about to get out.
"I am." Ichigo stopped in his tracks.
"You are?" The man crossed his arms defiantly with a slight crease of his brows. "If you're really a professional model, then you shouldn't be declining cases because of the enterprises that you dislike. It's reasonable if you refuse because you find this ad is not challenging at all or you don't have the skills to pay the bills. But because of 'the Kurosaki Enterprise'? It's only one of our shareholders!"
Uryuu felt that he has missed his last breath as Ichigo turned around. Oh, God…a glacial beauty that contained the fury of a raging hurricane! His heart fluttered; it is him! The fair appearance he should have in his dreams! I have to convince this lovely being…
"I have my own reasons. Maybe I should put it in this way: I'm being careful." Ichigo looked straight at the handsome but possessive man. "Or, maybe you're not a marionette of the Kurosaki Enterprise?"
"And what do you think?" Uryuu pushed his glasses and rebutted sharply. "Or perhaps you can tell me why you're so afraid of that enterprise?"
The supermodel did not reply, but measured this crude and rash man before him. He was not strange to that face, painted with interest and desire of subjugation. However, is this man an idiot conquered by pure desires, or is he having other evil intentions? That is something that he had to consider over carefully…
"Ichigo!" A cheery voice came along with the fragrance of food. "Hello, Taki-san! It's been a while!"
"Why do you come, Orihime?" Seeing the innocent wench somehow-barging in with a picnic basket, he frowned in disapproval to conceal his shock.
"I've been waiting for you for so long that the food's turned cold!" She was also frowning with cute anger. "You should at least give me a call and tell me that you're not coming home for lunch! Are you having a sudden case to deal with now? I was thinking that you and Taki haven't had lunch, so I brought them here…"
Since her crash-in, Uryuu had his eyes glued on Orihime. She was not very tall, but she owned delicate facial features that in comparison with other women, she was like a small bud of jasmine among a sea of furiously-blooming peonies. Her body features could nicely fake people that she was still in adolescence, purely sweet and extremely adorable. His wants boiled in his mind, aching to see the pain and licentiousness on her gently innocent face after being cruelly devastated.
He desired for both, be it the heavenly gorgeous supermodel or this exquisitely pure damsel of another dimension; gender is not a problem.
"Arisawa-san, this is…?" He did not bother to look at the agent.
"My apologies. Orihime, this is Ishida Uryuu, the CEO of Ginrei Kojaku." Taki found his fervency to be unnervingly abnormal. "Ishida-san, this is Inoue Orihime, Ichigo's personal make-up artist."
"Oh, you're Kurosaki-san's make-up artist?" Uryuu's eyes had a flash of joy. "Our company, Ginrei Kojaku, is trying to invite Kurosaki-san to do a commercial for us. Do you have any interest in our products, Inoue-san?"
Ginrei Kojaku? Orihime's face beamed, "Oh yes! I really adore those colourful cosmetics of your company! The texture is fine and easy to be applied on equally! The latest mascara—"
"You aren't going to give up, are you?" Ichigo stopped her with his cold and hard ambers. For Uryuu's hidden greed, he felt a chill going down his spine. "Alright, I'm taking up the case. Taki, I'll leave the rest to you." Without a word, he grabbed Orihime's arm and disappeared into the streets.
Behind him, Taki looked at his rare chaotic side with an unfathomable gaze. However, Uryuu saw another thing.
A glacial beauty in pure black and a pure wench in pure white…a rare black rose and a delicate jasmine, alongside with each other…
He must get them, no matter the costs.
"Why did you come to the office on your own?" Ichigo restrained himself from roaring in anger at her. Seeing her painful expression, he released his grip on her arm. He remembered vividly the weeks-long purple bruise on her arm the last time he held her so tightly like this, and he self-accused as long as the bruises were visible. "What if Renji—"
"He couldn't inflict a thing on me." Orihime knew there will definitely be another bruise, but she tasted odd sweetness in her heart as she noticed his worry for her.
"How do you know?!" This time, he really snapped at her. Noticing her wince at his raised volume, he cleared his throat with a cough, keeping himself in check. "You have no idea what dirty tricks he'll pull—"
"I know." She put up a brave smile. "Though indirectly, he had the nerve to suggest them to me."
Ichigo's face grew pale and turned slightly pink out of anger in the matter of a second. Such a pretty face, but now painted with blazing anger. It was hard to be not intimated by it.
"It's alright," Luckily Renji was not with them, or else…she had better not imagine what would become of him at the time being. "I've refused them all. I guess you're right; I'm not going to let 'money' sit on my shoulders."
That finally eased him a bit. This little wench, powerlessly weak, always awed him with her strong will of iron which he could never underestimate.
"But you still have to keep a wary eye on him." He released a sigh. "Another thing: you're not going with me to this shooting."
"WHY?!" It shocked Orihime to anger. "It's my job as your make-up artist! I'm not letting others to apply make-up for you!"
"Just listen to me." His tone allowed no rebuttal. "I never wanted to agree to this case in the first place. On the other hand, the quicker I fulfil that devil of a man's requests, the sooner I'm telling him off from me as far as possible. All I want is to finish this mess up fast."
"But I really want to visit Ginrei Kojaku…!" Orihime still protested.
"You want to visit cosmetics companies or consult for cosmetology information, I can refer you to Fornicarás!" He was also firm on his ground. "But never Ginrei Kojaku!"
"What're you so afraid of?" She sounded to be angry and depressed. "He's not going to eat me or something!"
"I'm afraid of—" Ichigo then became conscious of what he was going to say next and held his tongue before he let the words slip. His face grew pale again as he darted his eyes around for distraction and laid them on the picnic basket in Orihime's grip. "I-I'm afraid of the cold lunch. What've you cooked today?"
"We have shrimp tempura, sweet potato tempura and vegetable curry here," Once on the topic of cooking, she forgot about their argument a beat ago immediately. "Oh! I've forgotten to bring rice!"
Well, even though she did bring rice, could they eat in the busy streets? Furthermore, it was now in the middle of November and the weather was pretty chilly; not an ideal time for picnics.
"We can't just squat by a side like beggars, unless you want to receive money while 'performing'?" Thank god, for her nature of being easily-distracted. He thought for a while, "C'mon, I know a restaurant nearby where we can eat."
"But we can't bring these into restaurants," She sounded a little depressed. "I really want you taste them…"
"This one definitely can." He held onto Orihime and walked into a restaurant with the traditional household designs. The customers were having conversations happily, forming a cosy atmosphere around.
"Sorry for interrupting, Urahara-san!" He greeted the fifty-something-looking man in a lot of green with a smile.
"Y-Y-Young Master?" The man's eyes widened to saucers at the sight under the brim of his bucket hat. Happiness brought energy back to his slightly-wrinkled weary face with studs on his chin. "Yoruichi-san! It's the Young Master!"
"Young Master? As in the Young Master?" Despite her advanced age, a woman came running towards them from the kitchen behind paper screens with impressive speed. With a gasp, she pulled Ichigo into a bear hug and smeared a bit of her happy tears onto his shirt. It all made Orihime wonder her actual age; from her young appearance without a single streak of grey in those flowing locks of purple hair to her sharp movements… "Oh my word, dear boy, I thought you've totally forgotten your nursemaid! Here, have a seat!"
"Yeah, it's been such a long time, Young Master!" The man grinned widely as he opened his fan to cool his head down a bit. He then spotted and measured Orihime from head to toe.
"She's my assistant," He smiled. "Can we have two bowls of rice? Orihime's brought our lunch."
"Of course, Young Master. Yoruichi-san, please get some of our best pickles and some miso soup for us!" The owner set the table and got them rice eagerly. His eyes were filled with curiosity as he turned to Orihime, "What a lovely missy here! How old are you? Where do you come from? How long have you been with our Young Master? Are you married—"
"Urahara-san," Ichigo stopped him gently. "Tell Yoruichi-san come and eat with us too. Orihime's cooking is great."
Even the owners of a restaurant were praising her food! Orihime's cheeks were tainted with pink from happiness.
A joyous lunch, a happy Orihime and the enthusiastic restaurant-runners were what calmed Ichigo's uneasiness. Especially his nursemaid; the warm aura, her gentle feline-yellow eyes and slightly calloused hands had the magic to calm him down at all times. In this evil and unreliable world, this was the last sanctuary other than his house.
After leaving the couples with an empty picnic basket, they made a rare trip to the bookstore in the crowded mall. They even dined out for dinner before returning home with Ichigo taking the basketful of books all the time.
"It's been a great day!" Her lovely cheeks flushed a lovely hue of pink in happiness as she flipped through Breaking Dawn. He also smiled, turning a page of his newly bought The Taming of the Shrew. The words that he could not speak up in the afternoon were still lingering in his heart, fogging his eyes and making him unable to register a word of the book.
What am I afraid of? I am afraid of letting you get hurt, afraid of losing you…
The thought of speaking and doing nothing…he got agitated out of the blue. What should I do with Orihime? Before anything happens, is it alright to bring her to safe shelters? Or…let her leave my side?
An icicle stabbed through his heart. It was nevertheless an imaginative idea, yet he still could not bear it. He squeezed his eyes closed, attempting to calm the fear in his heart. Perhaps "that man" has totally left him in the back of his mind, or "he" was ashamed of him in this state.
After a few minutes, Ichigo finally soothed the raging fears in his heart. It was then he realized Orihime has fallen asleep. The book on her lap dropped onto the floor with a heavy thump.
He carried her into her room and covered her body with a sheet. How long have I not been gentle to someone? He wondered with a bitter smile as he flicked the locks away from her forehead, gazed at her for a long time and returned to his room.
I will protect her. This strong thought echoed in his chest despite he did not say it out loud. He will definitely protect her until she left willingly.
It is because he does not have the courage to send her away anymore…
Eh? How come I have gotten into bed? She snapped her eyes open and realized that she has not even changed into her pyjamas. The sun was nearly in the middle of the sky. The breeze brought in the warmth of the wintery sun through the white lacy curtains.
Could it be…Ichigo? In her state of half-consciousness, she felt someone's embrace. Her cheeks burnt, trying to get rid of his chest from her mind.
His appearance always seemed to be very lean, but Orihime knew that he has a habit of daily jogging. Maybe he also went to gymnasiums or something; once she spotted a set of Taekwondo uniform in his drawer when tidying his room, with his consent, of course.
No matter what he's done, Ichigo's chest was very reliable and made her feel safe…
…What the heck am I doing, thinking of a man early in the morning? She shook her head like a wet dog and then worked herself to death in order to get rid of inappropriate thoughts. When it was all done and she sat in the sofa, her thoughts wandered to his nice skin…she rushed to have a cold bath.
Geez…I have believed that only men would be perverts…my brain has got wrecked after living with him for so long. She sighed and got her wallet.
"Good morning, Inoue-san." She came face-to-face with Ishida Uryuu once she opened the gates. "I'm about to ring the bell."
"Err…Ichigo's out." She kept her manners. "Maybe you should wait for him to come back…"
"How unfortunate." He shrugged. "I thought that models get up late?"
"Ichigo jogs early in the morning unless he's got work to do." She locked the door. "Another day, perhaps? I think you should have a booking with Taki…"
I knew, of course; I saw him going to the park. A knowing flash crossed Uryuu's face.
"What a shame," He pulled up a disappointed look as much as he could. "I've initially intended to let him pay a visit to our factory. I wish that my models won't be innocent to my company; that won't have good pictures." He considered for a while, "Or would you like to pay a visit with me, Inoue-san? I know you're his make-up artist, right? It'd be more persuasive for you to visit our company and test out our new products…" No matter how pretty his words were, a pure girl as Orihime could even see that it was only a mask with unpersuasive reasons.
"…I think you should really have a booking with Taki." She held her wallet tighter in her hand and turned to go.
"I really couldn't lie to you." He smiled. "True, I'm not waiting for him; I'm waiting for you."
"Me?" It's more shocking than seeing him at the front door.
"Yes." He leant against his BMW and pushed his glasses. "Do I have the honour to have breakfast with you?"
"I've had it." What does he ever want?!
"…I want to win your heart." Uryuu was being blunt, as if he could read her unspoken query.
Orihime looked at him suspiciously as if looking at a lunatic. Her heart was still as pure as the newly fallen snow for never been in love. Her greatest interests, up till now, were still only drawing and her job as Ichigo's make-up artist. She rarely paid attention on unknown men, as well as the foreign feelings of love.
"I won't allow you to." She was being straight too. "Goodbye, Ishida-san. I've got shopping to do."
"Is it because Kurosaki-san holds the pedestal in your mind? You have really special tastes in men." Uryuu's wry voice came from her back.
She swirled around with a red face. "It's none—!"
"It's none of your business." A cold voice overwhelmed theirs with its enormous presence. Walking towards them was Ichigo, facing Uryuu with an expressionless face.
"My apologies. I've stepped over the line." He raised his hands in a defeated motion. "I don't mean harm. All I want is to invite both of you to pay a visit to my factory."
"Please have a booking with Taki. It's none of my matters after I've agreed." Ichigo shot him a cold glance.
"Alright." Enjoying his angry face, beautiful as the icebergs, Uryuu felt that he has got a big catch today. Even they might put up a barrier to fend him off, at least I am deeply imprinted in their mind. After a last push of his glasses, he left.
"…Has he done anything to you?" Looking at the disappearing vehicle, Ichigo finally relaxed his tensed muscles. A plain tone covered his worries.
"No," Orihime was also terrified by this rude and arbitrary man. "But I don't like those eyes when he looks at you."
That's my line! Ichigo's eyes darkened again as his thoughts raced. Who has exposed my address? The idea wandered to Taki and he clenched his jaws. A deep breath, he calmed down as quickly as he got outraged. "Orihime, you're coming with me to this shooting."
"Eh? But you've said—"
"Ignore what I've said earlier. You're coming with me to the shooting, and never be alone by yourself. No matter where he's planning to take you to, just don't follow him. Understand?"
Orihime nodded and stood closer to him with slight fear.
"…Don't worry. I'll look after you, I promise." Because…nearly all these disasters were brought about by me.
Taki lit a cigarette. Just as she has expected, Ichigo really came.
"You told my address to Ishida Uryuu?" He said in a calm voice. An expressionless face hid all his emotions.
"Yeah." She heaved out a puff of white smoke.
"…Our cooperation ends here." Again with the calm voice. "I'll get another agent myself. As for the reneging fees…"
"God damn that!" She spat viciously. "You know as well as I do. You can never get rid of me!"
Ichigo looked at her. "Why?"
"…I'm not letting her get you away from me." She smiled bitterly. "If I'm losing you, then I'll destroy you with my own two hands. He'll destroy you, worse than I will." The fingers that held the cigarette trembled. She hissed on, "That devil's already ruined dozens, men and women alike!"
"Oh my, it seems like a confession." The smile on his face was breath-taking, yet full of icy cruelty. "I see. The jailer's fallen in love with the prisoner. Am I right, Taki?"
"It's me who carved out your stunning beauty!" She stood up straight vigorously. "It's me who told you the definition of 'El Modelo de Magia'! It's me who taught you how to walk on the runway and how to captivate every soul! I'm your teacher, your company, your creator! How could you ignore me?! Just because of that little girl?!"
"And also my gaoler." The model inched closer to her, sending bolts of fear and joy in her body. Nobody understands Ichigo's cold-heartedness more than she does, for she has witnessed how he treated his enemies with her own two eyes. Heck, he did not even bother that he was doing it in front of his best childhood friend. Even after years, the strained cries of pain still haunted in her nightmares as the assassins had their fingers snapped one by one. Other than their usual brown ambers, his eyes have become as sharp yellow as hazard signs in laboratories, and that manic grin…it seemed as if he has become another person, someone who was on cloud nine with the joy of murdering in pure bestial instincts.
"What're you afraid of? Aren't you craving for me?" He stroke her cheek and trembling lips gently. "Don't worry; you're pretty like my mother for you're my 'creator', and I've yet had the determination to perform 'matricide'. For one thing: you shouldn't really have created my glamour. Stop trembling and look at me." The instant she heeded to the call, she regretted it. "You haven't believed that I'd learnt 'bewitchment' so quickly, have you? You've planned to merely act out your master's orders, but you've had no idea that you'll fall under my charms." His eyes were clear like the golden ambers she had seen in the past, and his lips hovered above hers for only a few centimetres.
Her mind went blank. She wanted to escape, but she desired more to stay.
"Are you loyal to me, Tatsuki, just as you've vowed back in those years? Do you promise not to do such foolish things anymore? Will you protect Orihime, as you've done so to me?" His lips furthered to hers, tickling her hotly. She wanted to cry out of such seductive proclivity.
"…Yes…" Her voice was barely audible.
After the torturous long moment, he kissed her. She could not remember anything, but the glee and terror nearly blew her mind off. Once he releases her, she would fall to the ground if she has not grabbed the table in time to steady.
"Remember your commitment." Even without a tint of make-up, his fearsome beauty surpassed that when he was on the stages, tickling the hearts of those who dared to look straight at him. He left silently for some minutes, but Taki has yet recovered from her shock.
What has she ever done wrong? Has she unleashed a demon with seductive charms to the world? She stroked her shivering lips, sensing the astonishing heat on them. It was no kiss; it was a sear.
"Taki-san? Taki-san!" She nearly jumped out of her skin and righted the steering wheel in her hands. She saw Orihime's caring eyes in the rear-view mirror. "Taki-san looks really pale today. Do we have the need to visit the factory today? I really don't want to see Ishida-san…"
"They've invited us, so why not? Besides, Taki's alright," Ichigo's smile was barely visible. "Right, Taki?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She cleared her mind and concentrated on the traffic.
Orihime looked at the agent and her boss suspiciously. She could guess there was something hidden between them, but she could not point it out. It was as if…Taki seemed to be scared of Ichigo.
"What have you ever done to Taki-san?" She asked quietly. "You haven't put her to cruel torture, have you?" She knew Taki was at fault for revealing his address, but he should never use violence on a woman.
"Of course not." Ichigo rolled his stiff shoulders. "More frightful than that."
Orihime narrowed her eyes under furrowed brows. "You couldn't have…?"
"I hold her salary back." He closed his eyes.
…Sadly, I know I am pretty stupid, but even I am not that stupid of an idiot to buy that.
She turned her head to gaze at the cosmetics factory in the suburbs, getting closer to them every passed second. She could not say what she disliked about Ishida Uryuu, but she felt that he was always measuring her with eyes as if looking at her naked. She could partially accept that to herself, but even to Ichigo…she pretty wanted to crack that freak's skull open, she had to admit. But what freaked her most was that this man seemed to be enjoying their discomfort with smiles, such as the one he was giving them now.
"Welcome to my humble kingdom." He greeted them with some senior workers at the front door. "Did you have a good journey here? Isn't Taki-san coming with us?"
"Thank you for your concerns," Ichigo answered. "Taki's a bit ill from the bumpy ride, so she's not with us today."
He is provoking me, the model thought as he tried to figure out this man's intentions. But the problem is what is he provoking me with? On their way in the factory, the young CEO introduced and explained the lines like any of your regular guidebooks, displayed the various samples, and even had a meeting with the managers and the advertisement company. It was just too flawlessly normal that it was rather odd. He looked at those came from the advertisements company, knowing that they had nothing to do with Ishida Uryuu. These all made him wonder: what the hell is his true objective?
"So, how do you think of my factory?" Uryuu pushed his glasses with a smile. "It surely suits you with this industry of beauty."
"You mean a model, or the cosmetics?"
"Both." The smile never left. "You want to visit the floors downstairs?"
"I think we might not be suitable to further down. That should be the laboratories, right? So there must be lots of secret formulas. You know, I want to avoid any unnecessary misconceptions." Ichigo halted in his steps.
"What can you ever steal by just watching? Such a hard chance to come by, why not go there as well?" Uryuu chuckled lightly. He edged a bit closer to the model. "Besides, you know what I want to steal the most?"
"I have no interest in it." A slip of his eyes to the right, he replied. "Sorry, but we'll have to wait for Orihime. She's gone to the bathroom."
"Ishida-san!" His secretary rushed in with raging breaths and muttered a few words into his ears. The young CEO's frown got darker as it went on and thought for a while.
"I've got some private matters to tend to, so please excuse me. Feel like yourself and look around the factory."
"'Feel like yourself and look around the factory'? Even the laboratories?" The model lifted the corners of his lips so slightly that you could not notice his smile. However, Uryuu just did, and even enjoying it, like a blooming peony.
"You're my honourable guests; of course you can." After that, he left the spot in a hurry. Not long after his leave, his eyes caught something around the corner.
"What's taking you so long?" Seeing Orihime running to him anxiously, he made it possible for his scowl to deepen, but nevertheless released a sigh.
"There's a woman who's dropped this order list, but I can't find her." What an enormous laboratory, she nearly got lost.
"An order list?" He took it for a look. "Where did you get this?"
"I don't know." Orihime scratched her head. "She's in laboratory cloaks and cursing loudly, and that she didn't notice this to have fallen from her files. I wanted to give it back to her, but she's gone like a gust of wind."
"What's she cursing about?" He read in more details.
Orihime found his question strange, but she answered word by word, "She seemed to be saying, 'What the heck?! Always sending the wrong things…we aren't needing some God-damned-am-mine! The money's not for a full storehouse of these to be returned!' Well…something like that."
He nodded. "Where did you get that?"
"Err…next to this pot…hey!" She protested and tried to pick it up, but Ichigo, who has thrown it back to the floor, held her back.
"Someone will come and get it eventually. If we're found and accused to be stealing secret formulas in a place not ours, how unfortunate we'll be. Come on, I've got my eyes caught on some of the interesting testing and samples…" It is indeed an enterprise under the Kurosaki. What is he trying to play at? His smile was tainted with coldness and went home without leaving traces. For the few times Uryuu tried to pry things from him, he beat about the bushes. Although the studio had an extremely unpleasant being around him, he finished his job as a professional model.
When Orihime got a copy of the poster, she felt a sense of achievement filling in her heart. The advertisement company's been babbling nonstop, but Ichigo persisted on having Orihime only to apply make-up for him. It was only a shoot of the size of his face alone, but his glacial beauty and magnificence have captured those who looked at the poster.
"I've heard that many are yearning for the posters!" Orihime was deeply moved. "Taki-san's phones have been ringing nonstop that they're going to malfunction! Everybody wants to know who that gorgeous model is."
"Let them be," All Ichigo did was going through his book page after page intently. "Just don't reveal my address to anyone anymore."
"But Renji had the balls to accept the interviews," She made a cute pout. "Furthermore, he said the model's a man."
"He only had the balls of revealing this much." He rested his chin in his palm. "It's your merit to the success. You got good control of the colours."
Orihime rolled her eyes. "It's not. It's because of your beauty…it's so stunning that you could make even the stoniest heart to beat, as if telling a lot of things to the others…"
"I do have a lot to tell." He sighed lightly. "Can the photographer don't stick in so closely? I'm a sizzling-to-be-burnt egg on the bare sand of the Sahara. Ah, and that reminds me: can you stop sticking in here and there all the time?"
Recalling what happened that day, Orihime broke out into hysterical laughter, neglecting Ichigo's deadly blades of glares behind the glasses.
* Flashback *
It was the first time for Orihime to experience the shooting of models. She has seen how wonderful the models looked on the magazines, but none had the idea of how hot the studio was, for the workers tried to put up the most suitable lighting for the shooting.
"Stick in closer!" The photographer urged.
"What?" Orihime has been busying with the make-up.
"The lights." Ichigo pointed at the magnesium lamps, so hot that they have been fizzling for a moment with the heated steam around them. "'Stick in' means 'move them closer'."
After everything was ready with him sitting in front of the camera, the photographer urged again, "Stick it in more…and I mean MORE! That's not enough…more…"
"The model can't bear it the more you stick it in!" The make-up started to dissolve.
"But it's needed, so bear with me! Come on, stick it in closer…MORE CLOSER…!"
"He can't anymore! Let him rest for a while—" Orihime added in her whines among the staff's cries.
"Unbearable at this degree?! Don't joke with me! Stick in…"
Under the pressure of the attendants' protests—and a rather scary threat from Taki, the photographer gave in and called for a rest. Everyone sighed in relief. Without others' looking except the two females closest to him, Ichigo dashed out of the studio. When Orihime and Taki found him in another room, they thought that they have waltzed into a freezer; their beloved supermodel has turned the air-conditioner to the lowest temperature and him standing right in front of the machine, giving not a damn that the breeze was messing his styled hair or he will get sick from it after that.
It took a dozen of staff, including Orihime and Taki, to coax him back to the studio. Once, they started the savage torture all over again. After half an hour, Ichigo himself called for a stop; he did not make a noise of protest the last time.
"What's it this time?!" The photographer's patience was wearing thin.
"The more you're dragging with the shooting, the more I'll look like the Joker from 'The Dark Knight'." Orihime could see the getting-obvious likeliness between her boss and the foe in the Batman movie they watched last week; but that was two different images in her mind—one a prince and one a monster. The make-up was melting at an alarming rate that it was the best for her to redo it from scratch.
"…Fine!" The photographer groaned. "But you'd better hurry this time!"
When all done—Ichigo insisted to have the make-up done in the freezer room, and Orihime had to wear coats over coats to fend off the cold, or else she would be drawing lovely caterpillars on his face; O Good Lord, it was mid-June now!—the photographer roared for everything to be in position. This time, he turned a deaf ear to the protests again and carried on with the progress in the studio.
That carried on for two gruesome hours.
* Flashback *
"Say…" Ichigo scowled with a grunt. "Can't they please stick it in the right place for once and for all? I've been dancing in your brutal hands for two hours…and stop laughing."
"…I…I can't—" Orihime gasped through her laughs. Rather than scowling anymore, Ichigo smirked, flipping a page.
"Fine, then I'll have no choice but to hold back your salary for three years…" He smirked more as she shut quiet.
"The raped-for-two-hours leading male has appeared!" Those who have participated in the successful shooting attended the glee feast, joking as they clapped. Wearing in full black, Ichigo smiled to receive the praises.
"It should be eight, right? My, I thought our gorgeous model-sama couldn't make it to the end…" They made a clamour of laughter, admiring his makeunder.
Surprisingly, the legendary icy supermodel did not possess the expected aura of pride around him. On the other hand, he got along well with the staff, chatting with clever words. His attitude towards work made people feel that this should be the proper temperament of a professional model.
"Why do you have to attend the party?" Taki looked around the hubbub. "You never like places such as these."
He smiled lightly, an undersized spark skipped in his ambers. "The advertisement was a great success."
Taki glanced at him thoughtfully and made way for another horde of people.
* ~ 0 ~ *
Ichigo retreated to a side for a short break from meeting this many people. He lost count of how many hands he has shaken with, be them men or women. Their faces of admiration have never imprinted deeply in his mind, but he sharpened a bit of his attention when he got a card of Ginrei Kojaku.
"Good evening," A weird-looking man grinned at him. "I'm Kurotsuchi Mayuri from the Reishi Publisher. It's a great pleasure to meet someone as beautiful as you—so beautiful that you're taking breaths out of people! My, my…you're really blessed and favoured by the creators…such a flawless face that crosses the boundaries of genders…makes me—"
"You're a director in Ginrei Kojaku?" He spotted a small line of words on it.
"A small shareholder," Albeit his weird appearance and hairstyle, his grin was still sincere. "It's only 20%."
Holding 20% of shares and you are still being "small"? He raised his brows a bit as he sank into thoughts. Kurotsuchi, hmm…the honest Kurotsuchi Family that have gained their fame and success through scientific research, helping the development of the country?
"Oh, where're my manners? Let me introduce to you, my—Nemu! Come over here!—sorry, this is my daughter," A young wench with a single braid trod merrily towards them.
"Oh dear, I've finally got to see you!" Her voice trembled with excitement, but she never forgot her bows. "I heard that you visited our factory? If I've known earlier, I'd have rushed for your sign and put the damn experiments aside!"
"You're also working in Ginrei Kojaku, Kurotsuchi-san?" A flash crossed in the ambers. He put up a shallow smile on his lips, "In which department, may I ask?"
"The Experiment Department," Oh god…the supermodel Kurosaki Ichigo IS talking to her now! She could faint from happiness… "I really hoped to bring you for a tour, but we've got too much secret formulas there…"
"Experiment? It's really rare to have women in laboratories; impressive." He smiled gently. "I intended to visit the laboratories, but I've heard a girl cursing about sending wrong goods, so I stepped back from it."
"That day?" Nemu thought for a while. "That should be me, I think…? Tsk, what the hell's with those directors and managers of the laboratories…always sending wrong things to us! Anyone would be as agitated as I had when they had to deal with that storehouse! The wanted won't come, but amphetamine instead…"
"Amphetamine?" The smile never left his face.
"Damn it," She frowned. "It's such a great amount to supply for all abusers in Japan for the next decade to come!"
"That much?" Even though he was still smiling, the cogs in his brain whirled as he tried to understand…
"Hmm, having fun talking to our best female scientist in all the laboratories?" Uryuu appeared soundlessly behind him. If it was not that he was quite used to sneaks, Ichigo would have given him a good hard kick and sent him to the far Pacific. "Is there any information you'd like to know from her?"
"Yeah: she's a lovely woman with a straightforward and deft tongue." Ichigo was calm as ever.
"If you like her," Uryuu whispered at his ear. "I'll trade her for Orihime. Speaking of her, why she's not here today?"
"To do that you'll need the guts to offend the Kurotsuchi Family. For your information, Kurotsuchi Mayuri still holds a lot of power hidden up in his sleeves despite being a publisher." Ichigo replied plainly. "I think you won't dare to, do you?"
Looking at the slender figure disappearing in the dark night, Uryuu appreciated in contentment. It is right there…my Great Prince of the Kurosaki House. It is all happening just right under your nose, but you have yet noticed anything. One day, every soul in the Kurosaki House will have to be on all fours and beg in front of me.
As for you and Orihime, you two will be in gold collars, asking for mercy before me.
That day is drawing closer…and closer…
Explanations:
Nothing necessary.
Author Speaking:
Finally, we know who Taki really is! Cookies to those who've already guessed her identity in the previous chapters! It also seems that Ichigo has a split personality. If you know the original Bleach story, you'll probably know who that is. ;p
Another chapter! What do you think about it? I'll see you in the next chapter after you've left some nice comments for me!
Kuroi Kokoro 09