Kisuke awoke the next morning to the sound of his phone ringing. He groaned and stretched his arms. "It's way too early for this..."

He picked up the call and was answered with a loud voice he recognized to be Isshin's.

"Kisuke! It's about time you picked up, you're all over the news!"

"What do you mean I'm all over the news? Is Ichigo okay?"

"Yeah he's fine, little brat. I grounded him for a week. What the hell happened yesterday? You dined with the Shihōin Yoruichi?"

Shihōin? It sounded familiar, yet he couldn't put a finger on it. He realized she didn't tell him her last name yesterday.

"Uh, you see, it was kind of a weird situation. Is she famous or something?"

"Man, you're actually dense, aren't you? She's the heiress of the Shihōin family. They own the largest luxury hotel and bar chain in Japan! In fact, they own the restaurant you dined at yesterday."

That explained a lot.

"What are the news outlets saying?"

"They're saying you're a home-wrecker that came in-between her and Kuchiki Byakuya," Isshin said, and he groaned.

"That's not true, I literally met her yesterday."

"I know, you know how dramatic the news outlets are. So what are you going to do? And how was it, dining with one of Japan's hottest women?" He could hear the grin in Isshin's voice.

"I don't know. The university's not going to be pleased," Kisuke said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

Isshin snorted. "It is pretty scandalous. Also, you didn't answer my second question."

"It was... nice."

"Nice? That's all you have to say? You bas—"

Kisuke hung up and massaged his throbbing forehead. This was going to be a long day. His phone rang again and he cursed under his breath before picking up.

"Fine, it wasn't just nice! I don't even have the words for it. She was gorgeous— crazy gorgeous... and it was fun. Plus the food was amazing. You missed out."

A familiar, sultry voice answered, "Oho, Is that what you think of me Kisuke? I'm flattered."

He froze. He didn't check the caller ID assuming it was Isshin. Shit.

"Y-Yoruichi?"

"The one and only." He could hear the smugness in her voice. He was going to murder Isshin later.

"That was— sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Nothing to be sorry about."

He tried to change the topic. "Apparently we're all over the news."

"Yeah, that's why I called." Her tone was suddenly serious. "I wanted to apologize for dragging you into this, but also, you have to make a choice."

"Huh?"

"We can make it look like we stopped our 'affair' or that you're not a home-wrecker, but actually dating me. I prefer the latter, by the way."

"I don't understand. Wouldn't someone of a higher social status be more suited to be your fake boyfriend? Won't your father still want to look for a suitor for you?" He paused and then added, "Besides, you barely know me."

"Well, it doesn't matter because he won't, at least for the time being. And we'll have plenty of time for that later."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because this would be the first time since my fiancé died that I've admitted to being in a relationship and my father's not that much of an asshole— I think."

"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine. Listen, I know none of this matters to you but I'll protect you from the media from now on. So, if you're not seeing anyone and it's fine that you're in a pretend relationship with me—"

"Hold on, hold on," he said and took a deep breath. "How do I know you'll protect me from the media? You didn't prevent this from getting out."

"You're right. I let my guard down yesterday. Now that I know they're after us, I'm going to prevent them from prying into you any further."

Kisuke was quiet for a moment as he tried to come up with some kind of excuse. "Uh… I'm also a professor. I don't know how the university will take the news."

"What, is it a sin to date a hot, rich woman these days?" She sighed impatiently. "I'm sure it'd be better for people to think that you're dating me instead of being a homewrecker."

"Of course not, it's just—"

She cut him off, "I'm going to need your answer soon. Think about it, okay?" she said and hung up.

He felt an urge to yank his hair out. He had a class to teach later that day and was highly considering canceling it. There was no way Yoruichi wouldn't be brought up.

His phone rang for the third time. He was careful to check the caller ID this time. Isshin.

He grimaced and picked up. "You have 10 seconds."

"Aw come on."

"10… 9…"

"Ok ok, I'll let you go for now. You have to tell me all the details soon."

"Ok, fine," he said and hung up.

Kisuke sat up on his bed and pondered for a moment before searching up 'Shihōin Yoruichi'.

Wikipedia result: Yoruichi Shihōin (born Jan 1, 1992) is the first in line of succession to inherit Shihōin Hotels. She was a professional judo athlete until she sustained a career-ending injury.

29... one year younger than me huh? Man, she really could've kicked Byakuya's ass.

He scrolled down. She was engaged to Kaien Shiba until he passed away in a car crash as a result of his injuries in 2017.

Ahh... four years ago, how tragic.

He got dressed and headed to Tokyo University to give a lecture on fluid dynamics. He could feel many eyes on him and hear many whispers around him. Before his lecture started, he made an announcement. "I'm sure you've all heard the rumors. I will not be answering any questions about my personal matters or anything that is not related to this lecture."

The class nodded but someone spoke up, "Is Shihōin-san really that pretty in real life?"

"Tsubaki-san..."

"Just messing with you professor."

He sighed inwardly. This was really going to be a long day.

After his lecture, he headed to his lab to do a quick inventory check-up. On top of being a professor, he oversaw a research lab. Initially, he only did research until he was encouraged to take a teaching position by Isshin.

Kisuke remembered his words clearly. "What are you doing, Kisuke? With your achievements, you're overqualified to be a professor and have your own research lab."

He wasn't sure about it at first because he was too occupied with his research but the position only required him to give lectures two times a week. Besides, the money was a nice bonus since he accumulated a lot of debt from his studies.

One of his research assistants, Hiyori, greeted him. "Kisuke! I heard that you're having an affair with that rich hottie Yoruichi whatever?"

"It's not true."

"I knew it, you're way out of her league anyways."

"You wound me, Hiyori-san," he replied, placing a hand to his chest.

"Then what was the news all about?"

"It's complicated. I've gotten myself into a bit of a mess," he said, before letting out a deep sigh. He vowed that he would live a peaceful life after coming back to Japan but clearly, that wasn't going to happen.

A few days later, he was giving another lecture. He scanned the room and paused. Were his eyes deceiving him? His eyes wandered back to where he saw something familiar. Alas, a pair of golden eyes stared back at him, with a signature smirk to pair. Yoruichi was sitting by herself near the top of the lecture hall wearing a cap, her hair tied in a ponytail. She blended in quite nicely with the other students, wearing a white tank top with a brown leather jacket, a pair of ripped jeans, and some Dr. Martens.

He almost choked on air. What is she doing here? Is she crazy?

Yoruichi was pleased with herself. Kisuke had noticed her surprisingly quickly and the look on his face when he realized it was her was priceless. She would've laughed out loud if she wasn't trying to be discreet. She wasn't naive enough to think that no one would notice her, though she was pretty sure most of them would be focused on the lecture anyways.

She rested her chin on her hand, stifling a yawn and doodling on a notepad as Kisuke lectured. She watched him intently, not understanding a concept he explained. Though she had to admit, the passion on his face as he rambled on was quite adorable. She waited afterwards, as students came up to him to ask questions. After the last student left, he finally met her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he said in disbelief.

"Hello to you too," she said and sauntered down the steps towards him. "You were taking too long. I told you I needed an answer soon."

"It's barely been a week."

"Yeah, that's too long. Who knows when you'll make up your mind? I'm here to speed up the process."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

She just smiled. "Dunno. I just want to get to know you better for now. Want to get lunch with me?"

He couldn't help it, he was curious. "Where?"

"You pick."

He chuckled. "You're the one that asked me."

"I know, but I want to get to know you better. So you pick."

"Okay, but don't expect anything fancy."

"As long as it's good," she said, beaming.

They walked over to his car and got in. "So where are we going?"

"Well, there's a place I'm thinking about but honestly I'm not sure if it's still there. I haven't been in Japan for a while."

"Oh?" she sounded surprised.

"I went to the US for my PhD and post-doc studies. I came back recently because my mom was sick. She passed about a month ago though."

"Oh... I'm so sorry."

He offered her a smile. "It's okay. We were expecting it for some time."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure she was proud of you, Dr. Urahara."

He chuckled. "Getting formal with me now?"

"That was a one-time thing, Kisuke." She paused. "Wait, how old are you?"

"Thirty."

She blinked, doing the mental calculations in her head. "And you're a professor? What are you, a genius?"

He grinned and put a hand around his neck. "Something like that."

"One more question. Does that mean you're going back to the US now?"

"No, I missed Japan. Besides, I managed to finish everything I needed to do in the US anyways. Anymore questions?" He smirked.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm good for now."

They arrived at a small noodle shop. The sign was a little rusty and the paint was chipped. When they walked in, a tall woman with curly pink hair greeted them.

"Oh my, Kisuke-kun?" It's been so long! And who have you brought with you?"

"Kiyoko-san, long time no see. This is Yoruichi-san."

"Just call me Yoruichi," she pitched in.

"Nice to meet you Yoruichi," said Kiyoko, wiggling her eyebrows at Kisuke. "You brought a girl back from the US?"

Yoruichi smirked. "I was born and raised here for the most part."

"Ahh oops. Then you should know it's bad manners not to take your hat off."

"Kiyoko-san, please let her keep it on. She has a good reason to."

"Nonsense, you know there are no exceptions at my restaurant."

Before he could protest, Yoruichi took her cap off, shaking out her hair. Kisuke looked around to see if anyone recognize her. Luckily, there weren't many people and no one was paying attention to them.

"Sorry about that. I'm usually well-mannered, I swear," she said with a grin.

"My my, what a beautiful face. How can you hide that behind a cap in the first place? You've gotten quite the catch Kisuke-kun, what a beauty!"

Kisuke looked surprised. Oh good, she didn't recognize her. "We're not—"

Yoruichi cut him off. "Hasn't he?"

He blushed.

"Come and have a seat. I'll give you guys this secluded corner over here," she said, giving them a wink.

"You don't need to do that."

"Come on, I haven't seen you in years. Let me spoil you and your girlfriend."

He didn't bother correcting her again, knowing she wouldn't listen at this point. She handed them menus and left.

"Sorry about that. Kiyoko-san can be a bit overbearing sometimes."

"Don't worry about it. She seems like a nice woman," she said with a smile, and he nodded.

"My father was never in my life and my mother worked two jobs to keep us afloat. Kiyoko-san helped take care of me when my mother was at work."

"That's so kind of her. She must mean a lot to you."

"Mhm."

It was silent for a moment, and then Yoruichi spoke. "So... professor."

"Don't call me that," he scolded, holding back a smile. "Besides, what kind of student sleeps through my lecture?"

A faint tint appeared on her cheeks and she looked away. "I didn't sleep through all of it."

"Most of it."

She pouted." Hey, I was actually quite studious in school. Not in the subject you teach though."

He chuckled, his heart swelling at the sight of her pouting. "I don't doubt it."

"Hmph. Anyways, it's your turn now. What do you recommend?"

"Definitely the traditional beef hand-pulled noodles. Trust me."

"Alrighty."

At that moment, Kiyoko came to their table. "How have you been doing Kisuke-kun? I heard about your mother. Sorry about your loss. She was a sweetheart."

He gave her a sad smile. "Thank you again for all you've done for her. I've been doing better lately."

"Of course. What are you up to now?"

"I'm working as a physics professor at Tokyo University."

"Is that so? Yoruichi-chan you're a lucky woman! Kisuke is a genius. Though when he was younger he was such a handful. Did you know when he was only 10, he nearly blew up his house conducting a science experiment?"

"Kiyoko-san, stop exposing me!"

Yoruichi laughed at the flustered-looking Kisuke. "Please continue, I want to hear all about it."

Kiyoko rambled on about various stories about Kisuke's childhood to his horror until he finally put a stop to it. "Kiyoko-san, please," he said, sounding irritated.

"Okay okay I'll stop," she laughed and went to go make their orders.

"I didn't know you were such a rebellious child, Kisuke," she purred.

"You saying you weren't?"

"Touché."

Their noodles finally arrived and Yoruichi looked hungrily at them, licking her lips.

"Looks good, right?"

"The broth smells delicious," she moaned.

"Yeah, it's definitely the best I've ever had," he said, trying to ignore the sound she just made.

She slurped her noodles down so quickly, he just looked at her in shock.

"What?"

"Nothing." Why did he find that oddly attractive?

As they talked, he found that she was surprisingly easy to talk to despite her background. After they both finished their meal, Yoruichi went to the bathroom and Kiyoko took the chance to speak to Kisuke alone.

"Don't let this one go boy. She's got a good head on her shoulders and she even eats well."

"We're not seeing each other Kiyoko-san. We're just acquaintances."

"Really? Well, what I said still applies. What's her name again?"

"Yoruichi."

"Her last name."

He paused. "Shihōin"

"What? That Shihōin? So she comes from big money," she sounded surprised. "You shouldn't associate yourself with people like that. They're all full of scandals and lies. Your mother fell for someone like that and what good did it do for her?"

Yoruichi paused, stopping at the doorway. A sad look appeared on her face as she overheard their conversation.

"Stop it, she's not like that."

"You never know."

They both looked in horror as Yoruichi stepped out, wondering if she heard their conversation. She acted as though she didn't hear. "Thank you for the meal, Kiyoko-san, it was indeed delicious."

Kiyoko coughed, looking embarrassed. "Right, of course, Yoruichi. If you ever come back, I'll be sure to tell you some more stories about Kisuke."

"Hey!"

Kisuke bowed to Kiyoko before leaving. "I'll come by again soon."

"Of course, I'll always give you extras, just for you kiddo."

As they walked down the street, he noticed Yoruichi seemed a little agitated. He turned to her, seeking out her eyes. "You heard, didn't you? Look, she didn't mean it, she doesn't know you."

"And you do?"

"Well, I was hoping to."

Her eyes softened and then hardened again. "I'm not an idiot Kisuke. I know what people think about my family. I'm trying my best... to make changes and make my own decisions."

"You can do it, Yoruichi-san."

"How can you say that when you barely know me?"

"I just know."

She scoffed, thankful for her cap that hid her blush.

"So, have you made a decision yet? If not, I'll come bother you everyday until you do."

"You'll seriously cause a scandal if you do that," he mumbled. "Let's say I agree to be your pretend boyfriend. What will it entail?"

"You'll just have to make some appearances with me. Weddings, a few dinners, maybe some work functions."

"How long will it be for?"

"As long as you're able to. You can opt-out at anytime, like if you got a girlfriend or something."

"Okay, I'll agree to be your fake boyfriend. On one condition."

She raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"Let me learn more about you."

She looked baffled. "What? Doesn't that come with fake dating anyways?"

He shrugged. "I guess, but that's all I can think of."

"Seriously, a normal person would ask for money or something. Well, that's fine with me. Are you free next Saturday?"

Kisuke took out his phone and checked his schedule. "I am, why?"

"Fancy attending a wedding with me next week? My friend Rangiku is getting married."

"Isn't that a bit much for our first official appearance together?"

"Exactly. It's the perfect chance to show off my new beau," she said with a mischievous smile.

"I-I guess."

"Do you have a nice suit?"

"Hmm, I think so."

"That doesn't sound convincing. We're going suit shopping."

"But—"

"No buts."

They went to an expensive-looking store where the staff all seemed to know her.

"Here, try this one on." She handed him a suit, dress shirt, and dress shoes that she picked out.

He checked the price tag and his mouth gaped open. "Let's go somewhere else."

"Don't worry, I'm buying it for you."

"You know I can't accept something this expensive," he mumbled.

"Nonsense. If you really hate the idea, you can donate it to goodwill after or something."

"Fine," he said, knowing there was no way she was letting him leave empty-handed. He went to the changeroom to try it on and when he came out, Yoruichi was waiting for him. "How do I look?" he said, scratching his head.

Her eyes scanned him from top to bottom, taking in his look. He was dressed in a well-fitted white dress shirt and a suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and lean figure. She unconsciously licked her lips. "This is the one," she said, giving him an ok sign. "Let's get it tailored, it'll look even better."

"That's not necessary."

One of the employees cut in, "If I may, Urahara-san, trust me, she's right. You have great measurements. If we tailor the suit you'll look amazing."

Yoruichi looked at him as if to say 'see?'

"Ok, let me pay for that at least."

"Sure, we're done then." She looked him over again. "One last thing," she said, leaving to find something. She came back with a silk green tie in her hand and held on to his collar, helping him put it on.

He grabbed her hands gently and brought them down. "I can do it," he mumbled.

"Suit yourself."

After they paid, Kisuke dropped her off at the office building she worked at.

"See you on Saturday, Kisuke."

"See you, Yoruichi." She was trouble. A good kind of trouble.