Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews! I will be replying to some of them in my Author's note below!
Here is the second chapter! I am so sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed writing it! (:
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. But I wished I owned Byakuya. As usual, thank you Kubo-sensei, for blessing us with such a perfect man.
"If you're worried about the paparazzi, I got that covered. It is strictly a staff-only event."
"Ichigo-kun…"
"Camera phones are not even allowed. Trust me. It would be like the event never even happened in the first place."
"Ichigo-kun, you know how important this opportunity is to me. This could be my only chance to break into the movie industry, you know that. I don't want to be stuck as a TV star. We've talked about this."
"I know, I understand, but I'm just asking for one night. Just one night. I will get you the first ticket out of Japan after tonight. Please."
"I'm really sorry, Ichigo-kun. Look, they're calling me and I really have to go now. I'll call you once I've landed, okay? I love you."
"Senna! Senna? SENNA?"
-ooo-
"Will you marry me?"
Wide violet eyes blinked twice at the question before looking straight ahead, completely ignoring the question or the questioner. Ichigo took another step towards the petite woman and repeated, "Will you marry me?"
"What." She finally spoke, after six whole months since their last conversation, as her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
"Are you deaf? I asked you if you wiLL AGREE TO MARRY ME." Frustrated by this woman's total lack of awareness on how awkward this was for him, Ichigo's request turned into a full-on yell towards the end. That was when he realise that yelling wasn't really helping his case. Nervous eyes stared at him from all corners of the café.
Yes, not helping his case. At all.
It was the first time anyone had popped such a question towards her. So she resorted to what any normal human being would have done when shocked… drop whatever they were holding.
In her case, it was a tray of half-drunk beverages she was clearing from the neighbouring tables. Coffee, tea and an ice-blended Berry-Beautiful with extra yoghurt splattered across Ichigo and the table he was occupying.
Awkward silence.
Somewhere in the near distance, a tumbleweed bounced across the road.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Ichigo hollered, blood veins threatening to burst straight out of the sides of his forehead.
"NO, ARE YOU?" Rukia screamed back with comparable decibels as she took out paper towels from her apron and started wiping the table frantically. "What kind of question was that?!"
"A simple one. Don't you understand basic Japanese? GIMME THAT." Completely regretting this, he grabbed a few paper towels from her hand and started cleaning himself dry.
Rukia always knew there was something wrong with him.
Ever since their first meeting, he a regular customer and she new on the job, he had been giving her weird looks. They got on well when talking, but every now and then, he would make eyes at her and the store owner, Ukitake. It wasn't long before he started asking her odd questions or giving her equally bizarre advices like: "Does your family know?", "Don't worry, I'll help you" and "You'll be alright soon."
Rukia usually ignores these, which would result in him sending more nasty looks at Ukitake. About three months later, everything came to light when Ichigo arrived at the café with a lawyer friend and blatantly stated that he was suing Ukitake for child labour.
And the rest was history.
So yes, there really was something wrong with this man and that pea-sized brain of his. But this?!
"Who the hell proposes to someone they barely even know? Oh my God, the chair!" Rukia watched in horror as the spilled beverages seeped into the booth chair's velvet cushion. "How am I going to pay for this? YOU! AND YOUR STUPID QUESTIONS."
"I had my reasons for asking that. If you didn't overreact and gave me time to explain, none of this would have happened."
"WHAT. I've had it with you! I couldn't care less about your reasons, the answer is NO! Now please leave." The waitress asserted while trying to sponge up the liquid from the chair, but the stains were obvious. She felt almost light-headed as she mentally calculated how much this would cost her.
Ichigo flung the used paper towels on the table and looked down at Rukia, "I will pay for that if you agree to marry me." She rolled her eyes and stood up, knowing it was impossible to salvage the chair now.
"Okay, I will pay for that if you allow me to explain before you reconsider your answer."
Giving him a side-glance, she walked over to the next booth and sat down. "You have five minutes. Also, I want cash upfront for the replacement of the chair."
Placing ¥50,000 on the table, he took the seat opposite Rukia and began, "This should be enough. So it is like this: my family owns a business and, for awhile now, there's been some kind of a fight between my extended family and mine on who heads the company. Currently, my father is heading the business but, soon, he will have to step down for the next generation."
He paused to see Rukia counting the notes he gave her before carrying on, "For now, my cousin and I are vying for the top spot. Naturally, my father hopes that I'll be the one taking over. Him being the current head and me having met every criterion, I have a good chance over my cousin, but there's only one problem. I'm not married or even engaged. And my cousin is." Rukia frowned, thinking to herself why that even was a problem.
As if answering her, Ichigo continued, "My family has long believed that business is done better when you have already settled down with someone because, then: finding love will not get in the way of focusing on the business; the wife will be able to help by building relationships with the client's partner and because a man who has settled down projects the image that he is responsible and reliable. My father has already announced that he will be handing over tonight, and if I don't turn up with a fiancée, my cousin will…"
"Tch, and you're only looking for a fiancée now? If it was so important in the first place, why didn't you get one earlier?" Rukia scoffed while pocketing the notes before crossing her arms across her chest.
"I had one, alright! But… but she bailed." Rukia wanted to laugh out loud after hearing that but stopped short after she caught sight of the sadness in his eyes.
He must've loved her.
"W-which is why, I'm asking you." He took a quick glance at her nametag. "Rukia-san, I need you to help me on this one little favour."
"Hmm, let me see." She answered putting a finger on her chin. "So, you want me to pose as your fiancée because you absolutely have to get engaged today else your whole future will be ruined?"
"Yes."
"I refuse." She replied with a smile.
Ichigo blinked. "WHAT? Wait, are you already in a relationship or something?"
"No, but being engaged is something huge. Why would I want to ruin my love life because of you?"
"It's just for a year or so, or maybe even a few months! We'll just come up with some story later on and break off the engagement."
"Kurosaki. Do you know the impact on me if someone finds out I was engaged before? What will people think of me then?" Placing a hand over her heart and quivering her lips, she continued, "I'm a decent and chaste woman, mind you."
"Look, no one will even know of the event. It will be like it never happened. You can go on with your life as usual after tonight. You might have to attend a dinner party or two, a few gatherings, some meetings… but that's about it!"
"Please, tongues will start wagging even if you don't want them to."
Ichigo was livid at this point, "Rukia-san. I assure you that I will protect you no matter what."
"Ah big words. Anyone can say that. Your five minutes is up. Thank you for your patronage, please don't ever come again!" Rukia sang as she stood up.
Ichigo eyes darted around as he tried to find something, anything, to say to stop this woman from leaving. Amber orbs fell onto the stained chair from earlier. He slammed a hand on the table and announced, "I will pay you for every month you are engaged to me."
Rukia felt her body shivered from her toes and through her spinal cord. How the hell did he find out my weakness? Argh. She sat back down and raised two fingers.
"What, 200- why don't you just rob a bank? ¥100,000." If she had anything in her mouth at that moment, she would've spat them out and made a mess of herself again. She was actually thinking of ¥20,000 per month, but if he insists…
"¥150,000, take it or leave it. And, another ¥20,000 for every event I have to attend."
"Fine. But you'll be on my beck and call whenever I need you."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Rukia could barely keep her smile. Ichigo sighed as he walked towards the door. "I'll pick you up here later at 5pm. Don't be late. I hate waiting." How did he get into this? Somehow, he knew he was going to regret this.
After mouthing his last words mockingly, she replied, "Yep! See you later Kurosaki-kun!" Letting out a hearty laugh once the doors of the café closed, Rukia danced around the establishment with glee.
"What you looking at. Drink your coffee." She chided onlookers before prancing back behind the counter.
The orange-head shuts the door of his Porsche and let out a huge breath he didn't know he was holding. Seriously, what the hell has he gotten himself into. He berated himself for drowning himself in work most of the time that he doesn't have much friends, let alone female friends; and the only female person he could think of outside of work was some girl that he met in a café. What is wrong with him.
From: Senna
Sent: 3:46pm
I'm really sorry, Ichigo-kun. Please understand that I'm doing this for us. I'll call you again when I land. You'll wait for me, right? I love you.
Throwing his phone on the passenger seat, he sped off.
-ooo-
"What in the world are you wearing?" Ichigo expressed in disgust as he stared at Rukia who was clad in a fluffy purple dress with a huge ribbon on the side. The man knew she worked in a café, but she really didn't need to dress like a cake to prove it.
She scowled, "What do you mean what am I wearing?" It was her bestest, nicest and most expensive dress. She had saved for more than five months for this damn dress and couldn't bear to wear it since her prom night. And this man she barely knew is asking what in the world she was wearing? The nerve.
"No. No no no no. You're not going in that. No."
"Well, this is the best dress I have. And I'm not going to spend money on another dress just for an engagement party that isn't even mine. So you're just going to deal with it."
"I'm sorry, I can't deal with this. We still have time to get you something decent." He simply replied while walking towards his car, motioning for her to follow.
S-something decent? Was he saying that what she was wearing was indecent? Maybe her black pumps were a little outdated, but she could've sworn she saw a similar dress like hers in some fashion magazine some time back. What issue was that? She mumbled curses under her breath while hurriedly trying to match his long strides.
-ooo-
Now wearing a simple black tube dress with floral designs embossed onto its fabric and nude pumps, Rukia sat in the passenger seat listlessly. How was this dress better than hers? Pfft.
"Here." Ichigo handed her a couple of cue cards. "These are some information about myself, including my birthday, what I studied, my hobbies, my likes and dislikes."
She stared at the cards with a weird expression on her face. This man was really one-of-a-kind. "Why would I want to know your favourite colour, or what toothpaste you prefer? And, am I supposed to memorise all these?"
"It would be good if you could. At the very least, read through them so it won't be like we just met. Anyway, tell me about yourself."
Still reading through the cards – honestly who comes up with 12 full cards, double-sided, about themselves? Is he conceited or what? – she spoke slowly, "Well, my name is Rukia. I'm 21, but you should already know that." She gave him a dirty look. Ichigo gulped remembering what happened six months ago. "I'm currently studying Banking and Finance at Dangai University. No siblings. My hobbies include drawing and… only drawing. Prefer tea to coffee. Favourite animal is rabbit. Besides the café, I also teach at a cram school nearby."
Ichigo frowned at this, "How many jobs do you have?"
"Not enough. W-wait, this is where the party will be at? But I thought you said the party will be held at your workplace." She stuttered as Ichigo slowed down by the entrance of Shiba Hotel, one of the largest chain hotels in Japan.
"Yeah, it is my workplace."
"When you said "family business", I thought it was just small-time business selling party stuff or something."
"Party stuff?!" Ichigo almost shouted.
Damn, why did she even settled for just ¥150,000.
By the way, ¥150,000 is about USD1,200. If you're wondering. Thank you for supporting my story! Reviews are greatly appreciated (:
Replies:
Guest2: Thank you (: Hahaha, that would be revealed... soon.
Guest: Here's more! :D
yuiyuki: Yes, I'm back! Thank you so much for supporting my previous stories (: