Chapter 3- Job Hunting

Where exactly time disappears to is a mystery that even still the most learned and knowledgeable cannot decipher, so you can well imagine the hazy confusion in poor Hisana's mind when she realised her undemanding vacation had come to a sincere stop. She had regretfully packed her bags once more, kissed her aunt a sweet good bye and had hopped into her tiny Nissan March to undertake her lengthy journey all the way back to Tokyo. She would miss the sleepy town and its residents and she would miss all the pleasant company she had enjoyed whilst there. Ah, but alas all good things did come to an end, so she really didn't have much of a choice. Vacations never lasted forever and the real world was always awaiting her return.

Well, the sweet but sorrowful departure she had undertaken from the sleepy town was compensated for by an animated and noisy welcome she received upon her return to her quiet suburban apartment in Tokyo. Ichigo and Rukia had surprised her with a small, absolutely delicious dinner and were kind enough to spend the rest of the evening helping her tidy up her apartment that had been abandoned for the past two weeks. She thanked them with two humble tokens she had purchased from the village solely for their pleasure and she watched with a sinking heart as they waved goodbye and left her all alone again in her tiny flat.

She regretfully sighed as she got ready for bed but ended up smiling when she perceived the lone, furry figure of her black lab retriever as he sadly whined and whipped his tail at her feet. She had left him with Rukia and Ichigo while she had been away and she happily patted his head then as he comfortably jumped into bed with her.

"Well, lulu-chan," she softly murmured as she gently stroked his soft, ebony fur, "It's job hunting from tomorrow so wish me luck…" The faithful dog placed his heavy paw upon her hand and with that Hisana smiled a small smile before she felt her eyelids flutter and close as she drifted off to sleep.

ooooOOOoooo

The next few weeks were perhaps some of the most hectic Hisana had ever encountered in a really long time. She had been sending out resumes and cover letters with a mad fury even she was not known for and she had been receiving calls for interviews all around the clock. But still, still none of the offers seemed attractive enough and she was beginning to lose hope. It was either the salary was too small for what she was qualified to handle or the prospective employers were a little too interested in the shape of her legs beneath her modest skirts rather than her list of qualifications.

She came home one evening too exhausted to even lift her finger and tiredly collapsed upon her cushion all the while stroking lulu-chan's soft head that was comfortably rested upon her lap.

"I don't know what to do again lulu-chan…" she wearily muttered as she began to kick off her working shoes. "Nothing seems good enough and some of those men are rather… well…" She twisted her lips in thought before heaving a small sigh and uncertainly eyeing her dog. "They seem a little lecherous…" The dog blankly looked up at her and Hisana smiled at his seeming confusion. It wasn't like he could understand her but she supposed being able to talk to him was somewhat relieving…

She sighed again as she lay her head back onto the soft cushion and closed her eyes. She really didn't want to be raped on the job or anything not that she was bragging that she was 'rapeable' material but the gentleman today apparently couldn't keep his eyes off whatever little legs she had allowed to be revealed. She felt hopelessly hopeless and she was certain despair would start to kick in anytime… No decent job offers seemed to be presenting themselves and she was beginning to tire of the endless cycle of interviews and subsequent disappointment.

Just as that point she heard the soft chime of her mobile phone indicating the receipt of a text message. She lazily stretched over to reach for the device from within the confines of her working bag. She shuffled for the cell and just as she began her thorough rummaging in search of the phone a small card fluttered out of her purse and lazily sailed to the ground. She cocked a brow at the innocuous paper and bent forward to retrieve it from its fallen position before lightly fingering it between her frail digits. Her eyes widened upon recognition and she blinked in confusion at the harmless number gaping up at her… "Call me if you find yourself jobless after you leave here…" The deep, masculine voice of the stranger she had met so many weeks before began to resound in her head. She had entirely forgotten his offer!

Hisana uncertainly eyed the number before glancing down at her dog. "Should I call him lulu-chan?" she hesitantly asked. She continued to lightly flick the card between her fingers as she fell into deep seated contemplation.

She was in desperate need of a job for she had a rent payment that had been accruing for the past month and she knew her present savings would run out at any time. She really couldn't afford to go bankrupt. She heaved a thoughtful sigh and glanced at the time. It was only three o' clock so she assumed he would still be at work; after all it couldn't possibly hurt to call…

Hisana twisted her pink lips into an uncertain frown and picked up her mobile phone as she began to punch the harmless numbers.

One ring… two rings… three rings… her heart skipped a beat, "Hello, Kuchiki Byakuya speaking."

Hisana felt her heart do a double take in her chest and an unexpected coldness began to filter through her veins. She glanced down at the card and saw the said name of the man on the line. The voice sounded the same too, so he had to be the right person.

"Hello?" the voice was becoming impatient.

"Hello…" Hisana nervously replied, "I-I'm calling to enquire about any secretarial vacancies you presently hold sir, uh Mr. Kuchiki… My name is Hisana… I'm not certain if you recall me…"

There was an unexpected silence from the next line and Hisana found herself nervously gulping as she anxiously began to bite at her bottom lip.

"Hisana…?" there was another pause after that and Hisana felt her heart throbbing in her chest. Maybe he had forgotten her after all? She had once been told that she was pretty easy to forget. Her fears were stilled then when his voice finally rose from the silence on the other end of the line. "I see, so you called then…" he finally murmured.

"You-you remember me?" she breathlessly responded in muddled relief.

There was another pause before he muttered, "How could I forget?" Hisana could vividly imagine his cocked eyebrow and grimly set lips and she bristled at the thought. Stupid cars…

"Well, do you have any vacancies sir…?" she softly enquired too afraid to hear any other responses.

"Actually I do…" he mused, "I am in desperate need of a secretary so maybe you could bring your official documents and so on and meet me for an interview tomorrow morning at eight o' clock?" his voice sounded as though he was daring her to refuse and she weakly mumbled, "Yes sir…"

"Follow the address on the card I gave you and when you come in just tell the receptionist that you have an appointment with me."

"I-I yes… thank you." There was a decided click before the resounding dial tone ensued. Hisana shakily lowered her mobile phone and glanced at her dog who was expectantly staring up at her. She feebly smiled at him and then focused her attention upon her hands, a soft breath of relief escaping her lips. At least that was over. She then felt a small frown twist her mouth as she observed her hands more closely than before; she had not realised they had been shaking so much…

ooooOOOoooo

Now Hisana had most certainly not expected that when she arrived at her destination the next morning she would be gaping up at one of the most famous sky scrapers in all of Tokyo. It was then that reason became her and everything began to fall into place into her muddled mind. (Well to some extent)

Now she had not realised that this assumed Kuchiki Byakuya had actually been the said gentleman who had inherited one of Japan's most popular car manufacturing companies in the world nor had she recognised that he was perhaps one of the most popular and infamous men in the business world. To her, he had seemed like your average, everyday, insolent but yet grumpy (and surprisingly young) employer who perhaps worked their employees a bit too hard for their own good and who went home on evenings and sulked after the daily miseries of business life… (well that's how all her former employers had actually been; Kaien included…)

She was still a bit confused though and had to carefully glimpse back at the card to ensure she had followed the correct address. She uncertainly walked into the ground floor and was greeted with one of the vastest reception rooms she had perhaps ever visited. She nervously made her way over to the receptionist, her heels resoundingly clicking on the cold marble tiles as she finally indicated that she was to meet a Mr. Kuchiki Byakuya for a pending interview.

The girl, a Miss Hianmori as her name tag indicated, politely smiled and swiftly made a call on the telephone before indicating to Hisana to take the elevator up to the sixty third floor.

All the way up Hisana was nervously fidgeting with her fingers and nervously chewing her bottom lip; a habit she had developed whenever she felt tension bearing down upon her. She was certain she was attracting some curious and concerned glances and she nervously smiled when anyone was kind enough to acknowledge her with some worriment in their eyes.

It should be noted that she was still blissfully ignorant of the fact that Byakuya was the CEO of this said company, for in her simple and uncomplicated mind she had assumed him to be perhaps a middle manager or something there alike. So imagine her surprise when she had been guided towards a neat but capacious room where an old, greying woman was busy packing several items from her huge oak desk into a large cardboard box.

"Ah, you must be Hisana!" the old woman kindly exclaimed upon perceiving Hisana's presence.

Hisana nervously nodded with a small smile.

"Well Mr. Kuchiki has been expecting you, so just go on in there."

Hisana blinked at the woman in surprise and glanced at the small golden letters boldly embossed onto the elegantly designed wooden teak door.

"In there?" she uncertainly queried as she raised her index to indicate which door she meant.

"Yes dear, in there…" the woman curiously eyed her unsure of why the girl seemed so hesitant.

"Um… isn't that the CEO's office…" Hisana trailed off.

The old woman quirked an eyebrow at this and ceased her packing for a minute before fully viewing Hisana's small frame.

"Kuchiki Byakuya is the CEO of this company my dear, who did you think he was, the janitor?"

A small squeak escaped Hisana's lips and she pressed her hand against her chest to still the erratic throbbing of her heart.
"I… uh… a middle manager or something actually…" she embarrassedly revealed.

The old woman gave a small chuckle and resumed her packing. "And they told me that I was senile…" she softly murmured to herself. "Well you should go on in, it's already 8:01 and he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Hisana slowly nodded her thanks before making her way towards the door. She gulped down her nervousness and made a light rap before entering upon a soft beckoning.

With small steps she moved towards the desk, her eyes timidly lowered and her heart pounding in her chest. She most certainly had not expected that this-this man would actually be a CEO… oh dear and she had rudely shouted at him; he must have thought her quite a numb-skull and had a good laugh about it…

"Miss Hisana…" his voice was deep but ultimately emotionless as he greeted her.

Hisana raised her eyes then and weakly smiled at him before observing the crisp white shirt, silken tie and the neat grey suit elegantly tailored onto his frame. The sly comment her aunt had once made then silently sailed back into her mind as she observed him immaculately dressed and seated before her,

"He is a handsome man…"

And for the first time since meeting him Hisana realised that her aunt had actually been right…

"Mr Kuchiki…" she meekly murmured as she lowered her gaze.

"Have a seat." he gestured his hands over to the chair before his desk and he leaned back as she neatly seated herself before him. Hisana ensured to keep her eyes respectfully averted and she unconsciously began to smoothen out nonexistent folds upon her skirt. Sitting before him like this made her feel a little more foolish than she already was and she wasn't sure she felt extremely comfortable beneath that almost penetrating gaze that she knew was focused upon her. It was somewhat unnerving.

Byakuya was intently eyeing her from across the desk and he quietly took note of the subtle yet charming difference in her appearance with the neatly tailored but modest working suit she wore. She was a simple girl; that much he had already ascertained from their initial encounter and she was by no means beautiful. Her neatly kept hair and presently polite deportment made her out to be a tidy person and her reserved silence indicated that she could be subservient when needed. Her eyes however, they were perhaps another thing altogether; her vividly violet eyes were actually quite beautiful…

Byakuya closed his eyes then at the last thought as he heaved a soft sigh. On opening them he leaned forward with his hands clasped upon his desk in a professional gesture. It was about time they commenced this interview.

"Well, shall we begin then?" he quietly queried as his eyes searched her own.

Hisana lowered her gaze upon his words and with a small nod Kuchiki Byakuya began his interview with this woman called Hisana.