Chapter Song: Miss Independent by Neyo
Zero's POV
I sat on my bed, my white hair cascading around my body as I let a yawn escape my lips as I looked towards the rising sun. Soft tones of pink, orange and blue slowly filled up my room as I felt a frown settle on my lips as I scoffed.
"Who would have believed that I would be living like this?" I hissed as I grabbed my hair in my hands, clinging to it tightly before I dropped my hair.
When we had entered high school at the age of fourteen, Renji had approached me with his secret girlfriend Rukia. They both had whispered to me about their plan for Renji and I to fake a relationship so that they could avoid the suspicions of her older brother, who at the time, had a strong dislike for the red head. I ended up agreeing to the plan, but with what I know now...I really think I should have slapped the pair for even thinking of the idea.
"Hell, I graduated from high school at the age of sixteen and went overseas for college...I gave him the best story for a breakup and Rukia backed out at the last second." I grumbled under my breath as I kicked my blankets off my legs and got out of bed.
Stalking over to my closet, I threw the doors open and walked inside of it as I looked for clothes to wear for the day. Grabbing different outfit choices, I would shake my head at the choices before I tossed them over my shoulder and I walked out of my closet.
"I honestly have nothing to wear...Do I need to go shopping again or am I just annoyed so early in the day?" I asked myself, looking out of my window at the rising sun. "No, I'm annoyed at myself for spending seven years of my life spent being in a fake relationship...I should kill Rukia and her flaky ass."
Bending over, I started picking up the clothes that I threw to the floor when my door opened. Looking up, I saw Renji leaning into the room with his toothbrush hanging from his mouth. He walked into the room fully and he had one hand clinging to the towel around his waist as he looked at me. There was no denying that Renji was attractive, but he just was never my type. Plus, with the pair of us considering the other to be a sibling, it was always weird to act like we were in love in public.
"Unless you are here to tell me that Rukia is ready to tell her brother, get out." I said, as he sighed.
"It's exhausting on my end as well, no matter how much I try to convince her...Anyway, I came to talk to you about something. Please don't kill me." Renji whimpered, clasping his hands together into the prayer symbol.
"What is it?" I asked, narrowing my eyes as he held up a finger and reached behind the door, pulling out a white bag with red handles. "Is that…"
I leapt for the bag and Renji held it out of my range as I hopped up and down, trying to grab it. Grabbing his arm, I tried to pull his arm down as I tried to grab the bag as he pushed me backwards with his hand.
"You can have the two Alexander McQueen purses, if you listen to me." Renji said as I groaned in annoyance. "Tonight I have to attend a charity auction for Partners in Health, where all proceeds go to the organization, and I would like for you to join me."
"Ren...I have to redraft the design for the daycare center, finish the restaurant, make certain that I have the draft and the prices for the west wing of the hospital and the new football stadium to be sent off for approval and because of Rukia, I have been chosen to become the new manager of Old Man Yamamoto's new venture with Hueco Mundo." I whined to him as he lowered the bag and pulled out one of the purses.
In his hand was the red skull box clutch, the red stones covered the bag and there was a silver skull with pearls in the eye sockets. My eyes widened as I stumbled towards the purse as Renji held it out of my reach.
"So, do we have a deal?" Renji asked.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" I squealed as he handed me the purse.
I hugged the purse to my chest gently as I hummed in content. Walking to my closet, I sat the purse down on the plastic stand before dusting off the imaginary dust from it as I looked at Renji. He was also holding a white sculptural clutch in his hand as I ran over to him and I hugged him tightly.
"You are the best." I giggled as I took the purse and sat it with my others.
"I try…" He mumbled as my eyes flickered over to the right of my closet and I saw my black suit. "Z, I am sorry though."
I pulled down the black jacket and a tight black turtleneck shirt as I looked at him over my shoulder. "Why are you sorry? I made my choice and I can deal with it."
"You gave me an out when you left for college and instead of taking it, Rukia and I decided that it would be best to keep it going." Renji sighed, looking at the ground. "We even dragged Ichigo into it and it feels like this lie is getting out of control."
"Ren, I know how you feel. We have always been close and this is creating a strain on our relationship...When it's all over, we can work on fixing it." I smiled at him softly as he walked over and kissed the top of my head.
I fully understood what he was talking about because of the situation, I had grew resentment for him and I had also grown a fierce hatred for Rukia because it was her entire idea. In public, I still easily played the role I was assigned but Rukia, Ichigo and Renji all knew how I felt about the smaller woman.
"I have to go and get dressed. There's a big meeting with American investors, so I can't be late." Renji mumbled to me as he left my room.
I grabbed a pair of black jeggings and my black stilettos with silver leaves sitting at the top of the heel as I took my outfit for the day and laid it on my bed. Grabbing my towel, I walked towards the bathroom and I threw the towel on the vanity before I kicked the door closed. Turning the water on, I shed my clothes and quickly jumped into the shower before a scream of shock left my mouth. Cold water pelted my skin and my caramel toned body shivered horribly as I stuck my head out of the shower.
"RENJI ABARAI!" I screamed.
I stormed into my office, my heels clacking against the floor loudly as I hustled towards my office. As I moved down the long hallway, Botan popped up in front of me and her bubblegum pink hair filled my vision. Sighing heavily, I walked around her as she chased after me with her tablet in hand as she scrolled down the pages before we both got onto the elevator.
"So, I know that you hate to be bothered super early….but we have several pressing matters." Botan spoke. "First, Kenpachi called earlier and he needed estimates for the police station to add on a few more cells because of reasons he refused to share with me. Second, Sado messaged me asking about the daycare and when the production for that will start."
"Production will start when Kegio's sister can settle on a draft. This is the tenth one that I've drawn." I growled at her as the doors opened and we walked down the hall.
"Also, Mr. Yamamoto is in your office." Botan spoke as I stopped walking and took a deep breath, trying to force my annoyance away.
"How do I look?" I asked her, my voice strained.
"Like you're an eight on a scale of 1 to 10." Botan said as I glared at her.
"Who asked you?" I snapped as she sat down at her desk.
"You did." She mumbled, booting up her computer.
When I walked into the office, I saw Yamamoto and Baraggan sitting in front of my desk as I closed the door behind me and I walked towards my desk. I sat the purse on the top as I sat down in my chair, looking at the two elders as they stared at me.
"So, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you two gentlemen in my office so early in the day?" I asked them, looking at them as I rested my chin on top of my interlocked fingers.
"Well Miss Ayuri, we came to see how preparations for the restaurant are coming along?" Baraggan asked as I looked at him.
"It will be open soon and we can begin with your...experiment." I said as I smirked at the pair. "Tell me, does Aizen know what you are up to? That this whole thing is to dismantle his empire and restore everything to its rightful place?"
"No and we would like to keep it that way." Yamamoto said as I looked at him.
"So long as our agreement still stands on my past, I have no issues with playing dumb." I said, leaning back in my chair as they looked at me. "I look the other way on how you both are using the young for your little chess game and you let me do as I wish...everyone wins."
"I see that you are not an idiot then, little bird. We will uphold our end as long as Aizen ends up behind bars and I get my position as Chairman back...Fail this and you will lose more than you know." Baraggan threatened as I felt my face fall into a cold stare.
"Don't think that I won't react to a threat lightly Baraggan...My pride means more to me than life itself and I will protect it until the very end." I said, my voice cold as they both stood up.
"Well then, little bird...Don't let us down." Baraggan smirked as they both left my office, closing the door behind them.
When they left, I threw myself against the back of my chair and it spun a bit to the side as I sighed heavily, rolling my shoulders back as I stared at the ceiling. Looking at my computer, I turned it on and moved closer to the desk as the screen brightened and I logged in. Millions of emails quickly assaulted my monitor as I lowered my head, resting it in between my hands as I clenched my fingers against the sides of my skull.
"Rough morning?" A voice said as I lifted up my head and I looked to see Ichigo standing in the door with a box of donuts in his hand.
"Very much so, but it may get better if you brought that box for me." I smiled as he walked in, closing the door behind him.
"Of course I did. You're the only person here that eats glazed and jelly filled." Ichigo said, placing the box in front of me.
"Blame the four years in America. They truly eat like they have free healthcare and I loved every single minute of it." I said, opening the box and smiling as the smell hit my nose. "I knew I kept you around for a reason Chester Cheeto."
"It wasn't funny in middle school and it's not funny now." Ichigo hissed, glaring at me as he sat down in the chair across from me.
"It's still funny." I chuckled, closing the box. "What's the gist, Ichi-chan?"
"I saw Old Man Yamamoto and Baraggan leaving from your office. What was that about?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Because they came to make sure that the restaurant would be ready soon. We mainly talked about that and how I will be the general manager of the restaurant." I shrugged, glaring at my computer screen as I flicked through the emails.
"So, I'm guessing that Renji told you about the auction tonight?" Ichigo mumbled, shuffling in his seat.
"He did. It's for a good cause, so I don't mind going tonight. It's supposed to be in the Moonlight ballroom at the Luna Hotel." I smirked as Ichigo looked at me.
"What's the cause?" He asked.
"Partners in Health." I answered.
"Reporters?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You know there will be and they would love to catch a glimpse of Cinderfella and the Audacious Princess." I mocked the nicknames the media had given us as he rolled his eyes.
"Don't call me that. It's worse than the ones you use for my hair." He pouted. "Is she going to tell her brother anytime soon? I'd like to stop pretending for her."
"Don't we all?" I mumbled as I read over an email, before quickly responding to it. "But until she does, we're stuck by our short and curlies. Why did I not get this email earlier?"
"You don't have to say it like that…" He trailed off as I looked at him as the door opened.
"But am I wrong?" I chuckled, looking away from the email as I looked at the disgruntled pinkette.
"Kegio is on the phone again...This is the third time since you got in this morning." Botan sighed, bouncing in her spot as I nodded my head.
"Tell him that I'll be over to the restaurant in about thirty minutes and to stop stressing out. He'll get grey hairs." I smirked as she nodded her head, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her. "So, does my second in command want to join me?"
"Why not? It will be good to see how my first design went." Ichigo smirked as I smiled at him.
"Good, I will say this though: I love the color scheme that you picked out. It really did fit." I said, grabbing my purse as I stood up and grabbed my keys.
"So, then...Coffee?" He asked as he walked to the door and opened it, holding it open for me.
"Of course. Dealing with Kegio without coffee would require someone to bail me out of jail." I chuckled as we left my office.
Third Person's POV
An electric blue Lexus LC whipped into a parking space before the engine was killed and the driver's side door opened. A black glove covered hand grabbed the top of the door frame and the body slid out of the seat. Standing behind the door was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and he slammed the door shut, giving a large yawn as he stalked towards the door of the cafe. Lifting his hand after he stuffed his gloves into his pocket, he raked it through his bright blue hair before he opened the door and his matching eyes scanned the room before landing on the table in the corner with three males. Sitting against the wall was Nnoitra, the white eye patch covering his right eye standing out against the thick black hair that hung by his face. To his left was Ulquiorra, who had a book in his ashen pale hand as he sipped a cup of green tea. Then to the right was Yammy, who was shoving a muffin into his mouth. Grimmjow walked over to the trio and dropped down in his seat in the middle of Yammy and Ulquiorra.
"Took you long enough." Nnoitra smirked as he dropped his fork onto his plate, the silver becoming coated in maple syrup. "Late night?"
"Fuck off, ya one eyed scab. Aizen and his stupid followers wouldn't leave me alone and I was up late last night trying to clean up a huge mess those idiots from America made." Grimmjow growled, grabbing a muffin from Yammy and shoved half of it into his mouth.
"I hear ya, they can't take a hint." Yammy said, after he released a loud burp before taking a long drink of his coffee.
"I can admit that you at least speak the truth. I can barely finish a page in my book before I'm asked to do something that has nothing to do with my department." Ulquiorra scoffed, taking a sip of tea before he flipped a page with his pointer finger. "It's aggravating."
"Is the loyal bat actually agreeing with us?" Grimmjow smirked as he tossed the muffin back and forth in his hands as Nnoitra laughed. "Well, they should at least know that we aren't gonna get shit done by tightening a leash on us. It only makes us fall behind schedule because of their random check ups and then they only pester us even more. It's a pain in my ass."
"We're supposed to be the top of our fields, but instead we get treated like we're second rate." Nnoitra growled, picking up his glass of tea and taking a long drink.
"Aizen took the company from under Baraggan and he made certain that he couldn't do anything to stop it. Because of what Aizen has done, we get paid enough to afford mansions, condos, penthouses, forign cars. It's not uncommon knowledge that we complain about how much work we have under him, but they also know that we won't leave because of the money and the lifestyle that we've become accustomed to." Yammy said, pulling the paper off the bottom of the muffin. "Plus, we all know that Aizen will ruin us if we try to leave. What else is there to actually do?"
The three males turned to him and they stared at him in shock and disbelief. Ulquiorra still had his trademark blank look on his face, but his eyes had widened a small fraction as Grimmjow and Nnoitra stared with their mouths wide open. Grimmjow let the hand that was holding the muffin drop to his lap as Nnoitra dropped his fork against the plate, the metal clattering noisily against the china.
"You actually have a brain." Grimmjow said in shock as Yammy shoved the muffin into his mouth, looking away from the trio.
"We're all aware that the dollar is king and if we don't comply…" Nnoitra started, his voice tight as he clenched his fist together.
"We're dead." Grimmjow finished.
The door opened and Ichigo and Zero walked in, the latter fixing the three hair clips on the right side of her head as the rest of her waist length hair hung over her left shoulder and down her back as she followed the orange haired male towards the counter. She crossed her arms over her ample chest and she hummed as her eyes scanned over the menu items.
"Order me a Creme Caramel Iced Americano and I will get us a table to sit at so we can kill some time." Zero said as Ichigo nodded his head.
She walked away from the counter and she pulled out her phone, her eyes scrolling over the texts that she had received and she sighed heavily as she pressed her thumb against the 'answer' button and placed it against her ear as she sighed.
"Kegio...dear sweet Kegio…" Zero hummed as she cracked her right knuckles. "If you don't stop spazzing out, I will slap you into next year."
Zero only huffed in annoyance as she walked by the four males as Kegio blubbered in her ear as she found a seat by the window as Grimmjow and Yammy watched her. "Well, I think you can wait half an hour before Ichigo and I arrive. Actually no. You will wait half an hour."
Grimmjow's eyes scanned the woman and the aura that oozed power and confidence even as she sat down in the chair. The orange haired male walked over to her and sat the cups down as she took one and held it up to him with a smile on her face.
"Who's that? I've never seen her before." Yammy spoke, turning to look at the trio before his eyes went back to the woman.
"She is Zero Ayuri, the owner and Chairman of Ayuri Construction and Design." Ulquiorra said, returning his gaze to his book. "She's the youngest person to turn her start up company into a multi-million yen conglomerate. Though most of her past, mainly her childhood, is lost. She is the general manager of the restaurant venture that we're doing."
"No way, her?" Grimmjow smirked as Nnoitra chuckled to himself, leaning back in his seat as he looked at the white haired woman.
"Sit there and cry. I don't care, I will finish my coffee and be there with Ichigo later." Zero sighed, hanging up the call before she took a long drink of her coffee. "I swear, I don't remember him being this worrisome in high school."
"He was too busy trying to get you to be his girlfriend, so of course you wouldn't remember." Ichigo chuckled as she rolled her eyes.
"Please, he never had a chance with me. I was already with Renji by that point." Zero smirked.
"Yeah...you were." Ichigo mumbled, sipping his hot chocolate as the pair slipped into silence.
Nnoitra pulled his phone out and he saw a message from Harribel calling everyone back to the main office because Aizen wanted to have a meeting with his department heads.
"Looks like we have to cut breakfast short. Aizen wants a meeting with us now." Nnoitra said, pulling out his wallet and throwing money down on the table.
"We need to go too, I have a few things that I need to handle at the restaurant." Zero said as the pair stood up.
"And I would love to see my design. I'm very proud that you picked mine for the restaurant." Ichigo said as they walked out of the cafe.
"Stop freaking out...You deserve it Ichi. You've gotten better and I'm proud of you for wanting to go back to school to become a doctor. So, consider this your first step into the adult world." Zero giggled, throwing her arm around his neck and pulling him down as they both kept their drinks from spilling.
Author's Note: So, I came back to this website and I figured that the best way to do it was to do a Bleach fanfiction. I was inspired to do something like this by kitsune2012 because her story Staring over was just amazing, you guys should totally go and check it out (Shameless plugging her story) I was also inspired by the Kdrama series Penthouse but you won't see those influences until later on. Remember other than the plot and character's you don't recognize, I own nothing. Read, Comment and share your opinions.