Rukia Kuchiki took a deep breath. This was the time. Her last hope. If this didn't work, then…

She refused to think about that "what if". This will work. Must work.

"Hai, Tatsuki." Rukia sometimes met with the friendly receptionist at the park during lunch time and really liked this woman. Tatsuki had a jet black hair, like hers, though a little bit spiky, her eyes always twinkle when she smiled, and her smile was contagious. Those all plus her friendly and easy going personality made it impossible not to like her.

"Kurosaki has waiting for you. You got the best. At least among the bachelors in this firm. His office is on the top floor, turn right. You won't miss it. I'm sure he is the lawyer who can handle anything that you need." Tatsuki winked and gave a broad smile.

Rukia chuckled. "If he can handle my legal problem, I will be very satisfied of him."

"Well, I can think of some things which I, myself, need from that guy. Tall, tanned, handsome…" Tatsuki sounded as if she was going to faint "… and those amber eyes. Sometimes I swear he could see through my soul. But that feeling never last for a long time. He barely shows any emotion."

Tatsuki paused a moment before continuing, "On the second thought, don't expect too much from him except to handle legal matter. He is the kind of guy who takes advantages from woman. Doesn't mean that he is evil. He's just cold. And a woman could only tolerate that kind of coldness for only a few moments, then something inside her will be frozen too. I don't want it happen to you."

"It won't happen," she chuckled, "because I just need Kurosaki's ability in handling legal matter. No more no less."

"Okay," Tatsuki looked unsure, but walked toward the front door. "Go upstairs, turn right. I'll talk with you again tomorrow."

Rukia ascended the long marble stairs. The Seireitei Firm was beautiful, even though it needed some redecorations. Rukia would change the heavy curtain and let more lights came into the building. And some furniture didn't match with the elegant aura emanated from the building. She will…

Rukia stopped herself. She didn't come here to redecorate the building, she came here to ask for professional help.

She arrived at Kurosaki's office door and knocked.

"Come in."

Rukia opened the door, expected something similar with the room outside the office. However, she was only greeted with mess.

Piles of papers, archives, and God-knew-what's-inside-the boxes. The wall was white, and there was a simple curtain on the window. That's all. No picture on the wall, no personal belonging at all. The office didn't give any indication about the owner. Rukia stood and watched the office until Kurosaki cleared his throat.

"Kuchiki-san." The man nodded. "You said that you need to meet me immediately?"

Rukia stood nervously. "Yes. I appreciate you can meet me today."

"Anything for the neighbor. Juushiro-san wants this firm becomes a part of society. That is why he initiates a picnic-day every Memorial Day, and that is also the reason why he forced me to…" Kurosaki let his words hanging. "Forget it. You don't come here to discuss the social role of Seireitei Firm. And if today is just a regular day, I won't talk about it too. Sit down and tell me how I can help you."

Blinking her eyes, Rukia looked at her surroundings, and finally moved a pile of papers from a chair and sat on it. "I had a client, well, an ex-client. I decorated his office, a whole floor. It was a difficult task and he still owes me a lot. Even though I sent invoices, called him several times, even sending the copy of our contract, he still hasn't paid me yet. I owned a small business, Kurosaki-san. I don't have a lot of valuable assets. Frankly saying, I lived economically. I really need that money, and now the condition has been going worsen."

It was the understatement of the year, she cursed herself. She did not only need that money, but she was desperate to get the money. Rukia took a deep breath again then continued.

"The point is, I wonder if you can make some letters, or sue him, or anything that you usually do when someone owes you money. And I wish you could finish my problem as soon as possible because I really am having financial difficulty."

"Do you have a written contract?" asked Kurosaki.

Rukia felt offended by his question and the way he asked the question. What did he think about her? A total idiot?

"Yes." she answered.

"Do you have it with you now?" asked him, his fingers supported his chin while waiting for the answer from a petite woman in front of him.

Okay, maybe she was a little bit stupid. She should have remembered to take the contract with her and also the copy of the letters she had sent. "Sorry. I didn't think to bring it with me, but I can grab them now."

"That won't be necessary. Just send them to me tomorrow."

"Kurosaki-san, I don't know anything about the process. Do you need down payment for this kind of thing? If yes, I…" it's hard for Rukia to admit that, but she had to, "I don't have any money. I just have small amount of money. And I mean it. When I bought the building, I spent almost all my saving, and the grand opening took almost all the remaining. I am bankrupt. I will pay you as soon as this problem is finished. I will do anything I need to do."

Kurosaki stared at his neighbor as the woman kept fussing about the money.

Rukia Kuchiki was a quite attractive, wait… scratched that, she was an attractive young woman. She was lack of height, yes, but she had a very dark beautiful hair, very contrast with his bright orange hair. Her eyebrows were as dark as her hair. She had a single long strand of hair across her face, but it didn't seem to bother her. And her eyes… there's something in that deep violet eyes she had. Something which…

Kurosaki stopped his thought.

Her eyes color were not crucial. Not for his plan.

Kurosaki sat on his office a whole day, thinking where he could find a fiancé. Then Rukia Kuchiki called him personally to make an appointment, and Kurosaki knew he had found the woman who could be his fiancé.

Kurosaki almost knew nothing about Rukia. He only gave a small nod when they walked pass each other in the square. Then one day…

It was raining that day. It was raining cat and dog.

In one minute, it was as if the sky poured all its content to the earth. Kurosaki ran to the nearest door… Shirayuki Design. The sign was just fitted and he entered without second thought. The bell on the door and the boxes scattered around the room were the only signs that someone really were using this place.

Rukia appeared from behind a box, her hair was in a messy bun, her nose had some dust on it, and the woman was smiling while saying, "We haven't opened for business yet, as you can see."

Rukia stood up and stretched out her hand. "I'm Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki."

"Kurosaki." he replied, shaking her hand nonchalantly.

Something about this woman made him nervous. Not a kind of run-save-your-live anxiety. But deeper, like there-was-something-about-the-woman-which-I-do-not-know. Kurosaki didn't like something, especially feelings, which he couldn't understand.

Kurosaki made a decision abruptly – he didn't want to understand that woman. So, he didn't accept her offer, instead he took a coward step and said, "It looks like the rain has started to stop. I better go."

"Even if it looked like it's going to stop, it just like a storm changes into a heavy rain. Why don't you wait a couple minutes?"

Kurosaki shook his head. "Thanks, but I need to go."

Then he ran from the woman's building to his own building, made his own body drenched from head to toe. Even after months later, he still couldn't figure out why he did that.

The woman looked friendly… kind and easy going. She needed something from him, and it made Kurosaki felt important, and for him that was just perfect.

Fate couldn't make it better when the woman told him she needed few advices about legal matter but she didn't have money to pay down payment.

"Well, Rukia, we are neighbor, and we should help each other."

"Kurosaki-san, I know we are not a close friend, but I do hope you feel that way. I will sign anything you need, promise to pay you as soon as the Jaegerjaquez jerk paid me."

Kurosaki tapped his fingers on the table for a moment, then he finally said, "Well, maybe there's something else you can do for me. The thing is, I have few problems that need your help."

"Decoration problem?"

Kurosaki could see a sign of relief across this woman's face. Since she entered the room, Rukia seemed to be able to handle her emotion but her face always betrayed how she truly felt. Can she play the fake engagement thing?

Rukia continued, "To be honest, when I first entered your office, I realized how messy this room is. How could you meet with your clients here?"

"I meet them in the meeting room, but that's not…"

"That's not the problem. The problem is, how could you work in… well, this mess, Kurosaki? I'm sure your mother told you once or twice that a disorganized room is originally from a disorganized thought. My mom said that a lot. Mom loved everything is well organized. Not a heavy-handed organizing but a warm and comfortable organizing. I inherited it from her, the need to make everything comfortable and well-organized. Mom never had a formal business, but she decorated our own house. So I will tidy up and redecorate your office. Make this office more comfortable, and in the same time, attractive. So that, you can meet your clients here and not in the meeting room, you don't have to be embarrassed."

"I am not embarrassed. Like I said, people rarely come to my office, but because you are our neighbor, I thought it will be better if we meet here." He was a little bit offended when she mentioned about her mother.

"I'm glad you recognize me as your neighbor, Kurosaki," it was the second time Kurosaki heard Rukia dropped the suffix, and he didn't mind. In fact, he felt more comfortable that way. "Even though we never really have a real conversation before today. There was once, after I just bought that place, but you just went out despite the rain's still pouring heavily. You must have a very important appointment. But that first meeting must be enough to recognize me as your neighbor. People said that I am a friendly person, maybe that's the reason, because they say that you're not a kind of friendly guy. No, they said you…"

Rukia clasped her hands on her mouth, clearly felt embarrassed.

"I know what people said about me and I don't mind." At least, he didn't mind about that until he saw Rukia stated that hesitantly.

Time to go back to the core problem. "Listen, the kind of help that I need is not related with my office."

Rukia forgot her embarrassment, then smiled. "Ooh… it must be the receptionist area, right? It almost has similar problems. I mean, this building is an old luxurious building but the reception desk looks as if it was bought from a garage sale, or worse a DIY table. It definitely doesn't match with the entire building. And because the reception area is the first thing people see when they enter this building, you should make a statement. Something old, which will inform them, 'we has been established since a long time ago and we are keep going on', something…"

"Rukia."

Rukia finally stopped talking and took a deep breath. "Sorry, sometimes I get carried away with my emotion. So, how about you tell me where I should put my hands on?"

"My arm."