A:N

I made a small change. I changed Rukia's last name from Kuchiki To Ukitake. Hope to my reviewers and followers of this story that there's no confusion I hope.

Also, I made up a bunch of laws about Japan for the sake of the story. Bare in mind

The other two harem are revealed in this chapter!

Time to respond to the reviews! Please review, follow and favorite if you haven't already! - Pat.

Ana SunMoon -"Oh no feelings are growing, but Ichigo is going to find her!" New reviewer! Thank you! Yes perhaps Ichigo's feelings are growing can he find her?

Ichirukitrash4ever - "My most favorite chapter so far! We already know Ichigo is feeling something for Rukia, but yes! Rukia is also feeling a connection with Ichigo! I can't wait for the next update! Thanks for this lovely chapter!" - I'm glad it's your favorite chapter! As there will be a bit of a drought with Ichigo and Rukia for now.

rruki4087 -"Ichigo's getting attached with his first virgin . i think ichigo is the virgin one not rukii . keep up your good work i always anticipate your update" - Thank you and perhaps Ichigo is getting attached.

Frigg Nevia07 - "Just because her name , Ichigo until... Okay never mind, Author-san your make my noise bleed in three chapter in a row. Because you I like IchiRuki. Thx for update and keep writing." Wow! I hope you have some tissues and such to clean your nose! XD. Wow did I make you an IchiRuki shipper now hahahaha!

Jobananasaan - "That bitch in the beginning, Rangiku, right? She needs a damn slap. And she needs that damn slap stat! She can't handle the fact that two very handsome and sought after men are choosing Rukia over her. Her insecurity is showing... *glares* I know Ichigo doesn't care and Rukia's leaving anyway but I wish he had found out that the other escorts think he's a pedophile. I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy knowing that. Then he can go rage at all of them. Maybe even defend Rukia. But I'm sure that's expecting too much from him.

I'm glad he saw her scars. Now he's got even more things to think about when it comes to her. More mysteries about her that I hope he'd like to "solve". I like the thought of him wanting to know more about her and her past. Now that he knows her real name I'm sure he can start finding out more things about her. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he puts a spy on her or something. Just to make sure she's alright or to see how she's doing. Or to make sure she's not back working at Shunsui's again. I really hope he comes back to the story. I don't like thinking that it's the end of IchiRuki.

Ichigo's default mode is raging asshole, huh? I can see that he's got a caring soft kind side but his ego is so fragile. Men...*eye roll* When she teased him about falling for her he acted like it's the worst thing anyone's ever said to him! Jeez! I get it, all the cliche stereotypical mob boss hardness and all that stuff. But like, this is Rukia. He trusted her enough with his real name, I thought he'd at least trust her with a little bit of vulnerability. But the slow love making (until it wasn't because she wouldn't give him her real name) and the cuddling afterwards were nice added touches. Yeah, I don't think he's tired or over her. *chuckles* Or at least I hope not. As I said earlier, I hope we see him again, not just because IR is my otp but he makes things interesting. And I love seeing him make Shunsui squirm. XD

"'Man...don't miss me too much after I'm gone.' Ichigo scoffed. 'You wish.'"-Is that..foreshadowing? Is he gonna miss her? *crossing my fingers that he will*

Byakuya's been there every night asking for her? Whoa...I didn't expect that. So maybe that's how Shunsui/Lisa will get her to come back. Maybe if they promise her she doesn't have to sleep with anyone and just be a hostess. And if the client wants to sleep with her it'll be completely up to her. *shrug*

"And as much as Rukia promised to herself that she would bury this one week that she became an escort to oblivion, she knew that she wouldn't ever forget this man...Rukia was not deluding herself into believing that she impacted Ichigo's life in the same big way...Ichigo stared at her with an unreadable look in his eyes and took hold of both of her hands as he started rocking against her."-These lines, that scene, broke my heart. I feel like every ounce of innocence and hope has been taken from her. Like, I wanna cry right now. She thinks so little of herself. I get her reasoning regarding Ichigo and her not mattering to him and her thoughts are valid. Doesn't make things less heartbreaking. Besides Jushirou has there been any other person who's made her feel like she matters, that she's loved? T_T T_T T_T

No clue who the other two men will be. I'm guessing one of them will be from the hospital since I'm assuming Jushirou will have to have regular checkups for his heart. Anyways, loved the chapter! Can't wait for the next! :)" - Woah calm down Jobanana haha. Don't worry Rangiku doesn't really appear much so you don't need to worry about her. Rukia is quite myserious in my fic. Don't worry it's not the end of IchiRuki.. Ichigo won't appear for a while. (: I tried to mix Ichigo's personality with his own and Hichigo into one. Perhaps that's a bit of forshadowning. (: Well that's the Queen for you, she tries to be humble and doesnt think highly of herself. The other two men are shown in this chapter!

Chapter 12: Remember, You're Mine

"Her whole name is Rukia Ukitake. Like what she told you, she is 19 years old. She's currently a sophomore BA Sociology student at Karakura University. Her dad needed to be operated on recently and that's how she got in contact with Manager Shunsui Kyōraku of Death Gods Escort Services. It seemed that she had no choice and that's how she ended up in that situation. Poor child," the private investigator finished his report.

"I see. Are there any more details of interest regarding her?" the client inquired again.

"Well, from the records I got from the Social Services Department, it seemed like she was physically abused by her aunt and uncle from ages five to seven until the social workers intervened. Her real mother is well.. very interesting , and her father is unknown and her only living relatives were her abusive aunt and uncle so she was placed in the Rukongai Orphanage up until she was 12. That was when Jushiro adopted her. She's lived with him ever since. And oh, she still visits the orphanage every week," the sleuth added.

"So she's had a rough life," the client mused. "That was not apparent when I talked to her. She was cool, a bit stoic, but also confident, feisty… I wouldn't have suspected her to have gone through something like that." "Wait, you mentioned her Mother?"

"She's one of the most interesting cases I've had, if I may say so, Sir. As for her mother.. well you don't want to know who she is." the sleuth chimed in.

"Why is that?"

"Just trust me, you don't want to know who her mother is.. only a few people knew of her existence. that's all I can mention to you. "

"Alright then." The client offered a thick envelope containing the payment. "Thank you for the satisfactory service, detective."

The sleuth nodded. "It's my pleasure, Sir." He then promptly went out of the study, leaving the client quietly thinking to himself.

"Rukia Ukitake… I look forward to meeting you again."

It was the first day of school after the holiday break so Rukia was back to her busy schedule. She was lucky her contract had ended exactly two days before the resumption of classes. This way, she had some time to prepare for the classes.

The foremost of her concerns was to settle her dad down. He couldn't be stressing himself too much after the operation, so it was up to her to do all the household chores. That was the easy part. Their house was small so cleaning it took only a few minutes. Cooking was easy too because they always ate leftovers for dinner.

What was worrying her was her dad's desire to return to work at the floral shop. Throughout the week-long hospitalization of her dad, Aunt Retsu had managed it. However, her dad had his own loyal customers too and her dad was adamant to attend to them. Knowing that being inactive was also not good for the heart, she and her dad had a deal: he would only work half day. After she returned from her classes, she would take over.

His dad still had no idea what she had to do in order to pay for his operation. It was fortunate that she had saved quite a lot of money from that one-week of work. Between her dad's lessened output and his quite expensive medication, they would probably have had a hard time adjusting otherwise. Ichigo was surprisingly generous.

Ichigo… She always tried hard not to think of him because remembering she had to resort to selling her body still had embarrassed her. Her time as an escort was mostly centered on him. When she woke up that morning after their last encounter, she found a check containing an amount of ¥200,000 pinned under the bowl of a condom on top of the dresser. He was gone but the part of the bed where he laid was still warm and her waist still bore the marks that his hand made when he held her as they slept.

This money would help her with their daily allowances and miscellaneous needs. It would also be enough to support their little family until her dad completely recovered and could work again. She also resolved to keep the money from her dad because she didn't know how to explain how she got such a big amount out of nowhere.

The first day after the holidays was a bit sedate, except for the students who chatted with the friends that they didn't see during the Christmas break. She did not have any friends, so she thankfully did not have to deal with anyone wanting to chat her up, except for one.

"Happy Belated Holidays, Rukia!" Her seatmate, the beautiful and bubbly orange haired Orihime Inoue greeted her.

Rukia replied with a small smile, "Same to you." She had nothing against Orihime, although she sometimes felt uncomfortable with her over-friendliness. It was to be expected after all. Orihime was their college representative, the princess of the Sociology department.

"So what did you do during the break?" Orihime probed as she put her finger in her lips. Rukia was reminded of those Korean or kawaii girls who act cutesy. Well, she could definitely pull it off…

"Err… nothing much. I took care of my sick dad." Really, what did Rukia have to say? "I became an escort for a week?" Nah, that couldn't be, so she settled with a very vague answer.

"But you cut your hair! It looks good on you!" Orihime leaned forward to touch her hair, giving her a close view of her enormous breasts. Did she ever mention that Orihime had the biggest boobs in the college? She was the same size as those other escorts in Death Gods.

"Eh… yeah. I just wanted to try something new," she answered awkwardly. Trying to divert the attention away from her, she asked her hyperactive classmate the same question. "How about you, Orihime? What did you do during the holidays?"

"Me? Well, I ate a lot and went to Tatsuki's private island in the Maldives for a vacation!" Tatsuki was Orihime's best friend out of their circle of five girls. "But Uryu didn't want to go with me…" She finished with a sad voice.

"Oh." Rukia sucked at comforting anyone so she just asked for more details. "Did your boyfriend say why?"

"He said he was not in the mood," she said with a pout before perking up again. "But it's okay now coz he said sorry!"

Uryu Ishida was just like that. From what Rukia could observe, he was a bit like her, with an antisocial streak but he still had his circle of friends. His demeanor actually resulted in making him one of the most popular students in the university. His good looks definitely helped with that too. However, Uryu and Orihime were too different from each other; it was a wonder that they got together. But then again, who could refuse Orihime and her busty size?

Rukia's thoughts were interrupted when their professor for their Japanese Constitution subject entered the room. Another student, Renji Abarai, quickly followed.

Renji… He was her best and only friend, back when they were both staying at the orphanage. However, when they were 11, Renji was adopted by the owner of a car dealing company – one of the richest in the city – while she was left behind. It was only after a year that she too was adopted by her dad.

When she was able to attend the exclusive Karakura University because of a scholarship as a public high school class valedictorian, she was shocked to see Renji again. He had changed a lot, growing tall at 6"2', making him a member of the varsity basketball team. He was well-built, an athlete, and his good looks made him one of the most popular students of the university. To be honest, Uryu and Renji were both rivals in the popularity department in their liberal arts college though there were other popular hunks from other colleges. But the two of them were actually friends because they're both in the student council.

However, it seemed that he had totally forgotten about her. They were not from the same department, him being a Political Science student and she a Sociology student, so she had no way to talk to him. When she found out they were classmates in the JapCons class, she thought they would finally have a chance to talk, but they didn't. He did not even glance her way or display any recognition when he heard her name from the class roll call.

She was a bit disheartened by that, but she did not blame him. After all, it has been many years so he probably had forgotten about her. And even if he didn't, why would he want to associate with a nobody like her? Popular students like him are only mixed with other popular ones. So she just let it go.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so excited!" Rukia heard from the girl behind her. The whole classroom itself exploded with a cheer from a bunch of female students.

"Why are they so happy?" She asked Orihime beside her. She did not catch the professor's lecture as she was busy thinking about her broken bond with Renji.

"The most eligible bachelor in the country according to an online survey is going to be our guest speaker at the forum today! He is really so handsome! I'm excited too!" Orihime was fangirling beside Rukia.

She was still confused. "Who is it anyway?"

"A lawyer. Atty… Gosh, I forgot the name too! But he's really handsome if you've seen him in the pictures on the internet!" Orihime could be a bit of an air-head sometimes.

Whatever. Rukia did not browse so she didn't know. She couldn't understand the ways of the rich so she did not care much about what went on in their lives, who they dated, married, divorced, and whose parties they attended.

"Ah… Is that so?" she said with disinterest as she settled back at her seat. The topic of the forum for today was very interesting for her: the Penal Code. She just hoped that their guest speaker wouldn't bore the class. It would be a shame if people did not realize the benefits and limitations of their current Penal System.

After the professor gave them reminders, they were sent right away to the auditorium where the forum would be held. The venue itself was packed to the brim, with all students who had the basic Political Science course invited. As such, even freshmen college students were included, in addition to those who had the higher PolSci subject like them. It seemed that the professors were taking the visit of this supposedly esteemed lawyer to their advantage. Even the higher university officials like the President and the Board Members of the school were present. Was the guest speaker really that prestigious? Rukia couldn't care less. She just wished that this forum would not be boring.

In her previous experiences, most of the so-called "experts" were boring speakers. They were so wrapped up in their arrogance that they could not be bothered to make their jargon simpler for students to understand. As a result, even the most interesting topics become boring and Rukia felt sorry that an opportunity to make relevant topics be more appreciated by the youth was just wasted.

They were seated in front of the stage, their class being the main audience of the forum as they were taking the Japanese Constitution class. She found her seat at the very edge of the first row, the darkest corner and the coldest one, being right beside the air conditioner. Just as well because she could hide there in her hoodie and, if ever she fell asleep, no one would notice. Right after flopping down on her seat, she covered her head with the hood; she was now hidden in her own corner. Orihime found a seat together with her group of friends consisting of Tatsuki, Uryu, and even Renji in the middle of the row.

The university president stood up and went to the podium and began introducing the guest speaker. Meanwhile, Rukia was starting to feel sleepy because of her cozy place near the air conditioner. As the university president was enumerating the accolades of the guest speaker, her eyelids were starting to droop.

"It is our greatest honor to introduce to all of you the best practicing lawyer and the most coveted bachelor in the country right now, Atty. Byakuya Kuchiki!"

Right then and there, Rukia felt her sleepiness dissipate into the air. Did she hear the name right? She sat up straight abruptly. A tall figure went to the podium as muffled shrieks were heard as the thundering applause filled the entire auditorium. Even the female professors were visibly fangirling. But Rukia's emotions were far from that.

Oh my god… It was really him… How small this world was. When she left the escort service, she was not expecting to cross roads with anyone she had met during that one week of her life. She had thought that it was impossible because their worlds were too different.

Byakuya started to speak and, needless to say, Rukia was attentively listening now.

"The world is rapidly changing, with the advent of new technologies. As such, even the attitudes of people are changing now and we see groundbreaking policies being enacted all over the world. In the US, same sex marriage was legalized. Here in our country, we finally passed the Reproductive Health Bill as a law, despite the objections of the conservatives. Alongside these changes, we have a lot of groups starting to make their lobbying efforts for their causes be known to more people through social media. We now have the pro-legalization of divorce, same sex marriage, and marijuana groups in sessions of the Congress and the Senate. But my focus in this forum, as part of the calls for reform in the Penal System, is about the question of legalizing prostitution. Is Japan ready for legalizing prostitution?"

Eh? Rukia didn't know whether or not fate was trolling her right now. Of all the topics that Byakuya could talk about, it just had to be about prostitution. Rukia sat there starting to feel nervous. Was everything just a big coincidence? Could Byakuya have known about her as a student of this university? Nah. That was impossible… Right?

"As this is an open forum, students are invited to participate in the discussion. We have microphones set up there for the students who will be called to participate," Byakuya added.

Okay, there would be no way she would be getting up there to participate. In any case, the auditorium was so packed that it would be impossible for anyone to notice her hiding in her dark corner. There would be a lot of students who would be willing to talk to her former client anyway, even if it was just in a forum.

"Right now, the clauses regarding prostitution are under the Human Trafficking law. There is a separate law that criminalizes prostitutes but decriminalizes pimps and business owners of prostitution services. If prostitution is legalized, prostitutes will be decriminalized and they would be subject to taxes, like regular workers and service providers. In exchange, the profession itself will be regulated and they will be subject to regular health check-ups. Even the establishments where they work will be monitored, to ensure that their rights as employees will be respected," Byakuya continued in his lecture.

The lawyer paused and looked around the venue. "Now, with those facts laid to all of you, tell us your opinions and views. Do you think Japan is ready for legalizing prostitution? I will choose students to speak up."

Excited muttering could be heard, mostly from girls wishing to be picked by the handsome lawyer. Meanwhile, Rukia slouched more in her seat, desperately trying to hide from the world. She covered her face more with her hood.

"For the first student to speak up…" The lawyer roamed his eyes around the venue, until he settled on her direction. Rukia remembered that she had been in the same position before, when she was wishing not to be picked by Ichigo, and now, by Byakuya.

"The lady in the black hoodie. Can you tell us your position?"

Ugh, not again. Seriously, this was getting old. Why was she always being picked right when she desperately wished to not be noticed? Since it would be rude to decline the guest speaker, she had no choice but to stand up and walk towards the microphone set up in the middle of the auditorium. She could feel all eyes on her and she covered her head with her hood all the more.

"Can you take off your hood, Miss? I'd like to see who I'm talking to," the lawyer demanded.

With a sigh, she did what he wanted while she was praying in her mind that he would not remember who she was.

"Please tell me your name, young lady." Was it Rukia's imagination or was the lawyer's voice just sounded husky?

"Rukia, sir," she replied.

"Rukia…" The way the lawyer uttered her name sent shivers down her spine. "Do you agree with the legalization of prostitution?"

The question was really made for her – that Rukia was kind of sure of by now; this all was not a mere coincidence. In Rukia's comfort though, it seemed like the lawyer did not recognize her or pretended to not recognize her. With her heart beating loudly, she proceeded to answer the question.

"In theory, I actually approve the move to legalize prostitution. The current law is unfair to the sex workers and the law will at least protect their basic rights as human beings. However– " Rukia was not able to finish her statement as her former client interrupted her.

"Why do you think the current law is unfair to the sex workers?" the lawyer asked her.

"Because it punishes the prostitutes who are victims themselves, while the business owners get away scot-free."

"What makes you say that prostitutes and sex workers are victims too?" the lawyer asked her again. Rukia could not help but remember that time when Byakuya put her in a similar inquest-like situation.

"Sir, I don't think there was ever a little girl out there who dreamed of becoming a prostitute when they grow up. As such, I could say that most prostitutes ended up in their professions because they had no choice, either because of poverty or human trafficking. What they need is help, not punishment," Rukia defended passionately. Why not? She knew how it was to be in that position. She had just more luck than others. A lot of prostitutes right now were being abused and had no hope of being rescued.

"I see your point. However? You wanted to say something before I interrupted you," Byakuya prodded her.

"However, the problem in Japan is the implementation phase," Rukia finished. "We have a lot of laws here that only exist in paper and theory but they are never implemented properly. Ideally, if prostitution is legalized, it would be like how they do it in some parts of Las Vegas where prostitutes are tested weekly and monthly for sexually transmitted diseases and wearing condom is strictly enforced. But, let's face it: that is impossible here in our country."

"What do you think will happen if prostitution is legalized here?"

"It would not be good because it would legalize even those establishments that are holding trafficked sex workers, mostly minors, who were promised of a decent job in the city but find that they were merely tricked. Legalizing prostitution will just be legalizing abuse of women and minors because our country is not yet prepared for that kind of move,' Rukia answered.

"Then what do you propose?" Byakuya asked with interest.

"I think law makers need to work on decriminalizing prostitutes first while law enforcers need to focus on busting illegal human traffickers that run prostitution dens, especially in the province."

"Very well. Thank you for the enlightening discussion, Miss Rukia," the handsome lawyer gave her a little smile that had the audience rustling with giddiness. "Let's have another participant…"

Rukia merely nodded and hurriedly went back to her seat, her cheeks heated because of the attention she was getting. She could feel the eyes following her and when she reached her row, even Orihime and her company were looking back at her. Rukia even saw Renji staring at her. She averted her eyes and covered her head again with her hood to hide away from the rest of the world.