Wow, you guys! I was blown away by the positive response I got for the first chapter that I just had to get this next one out ASAP! Thank you SO much to all who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. You guys are awesome! Hope you enjoy the next chapter :)

"Ah, Kurosaki. You're still alive?" Uryuu Ishida asked in disdain as he watched his boss and (somehow) his friend walk into his office on the top floor of the Kurosaki Corporation's headquarters.

"Shut up, Ishida. I had a late night and I forgot to set my alarm," Ichigo said with a scowl as he walked into his massive office. He set his briefcase and coffee cup down on his desk and sat in his incredibly comfortable chair.

"Oh, I'm sure you did. Tell me, Kurosaki, did you even stop to ask the girl her name?" Uryuu asked as he followed Ichigo into his office and sat down on one of the chairs facing the desk.

"What girl?" Ichigo asked in confusion as he started up his computer.

"The girl you went home with last night," Uryuu answered as if it was obvious.

"How the hell do you know I went home with a girl last night?"

"Because you're Ichigo Kurosaki. Bringing girls you just met home to have sex with is what you do."

Ichigo scowled. "That's not exactly a reputation I want to have."

"You're a young, attractive millionaire. That's the reputation you're stuck with."

"You think I'm attractive, Ishida?" Ichigo asked with a smirk, teasing his friend.

"Oh, please. Wrangle in your ego for two seconds, Kurosaki. I'm serious."

"Fine, whatever. To answer your question, I did ask her name before I took her home. I'm not disgusting."

"So what is it?" Uryuu asked, knowing exactly how his friend was going to answer.

Ichigo thought for a minute before sheepishly answering, "Um…I forgot."

"Unbelievable."

"Look, I was drunk! I hardly even remember where I was last night, let alone that girl's name."

"Couldn't you just have asked her this morning when she woke up?"

At that, Ichigo looked down at his hands and then back up at his computer; anything but his judging friend. Uryuu narrowed his eyes.

"Don't tell me-,"

"I was running late for work! I had to leave her there. She was pretty conked out so I didn't want to wake her up just to tell her to leave."

"So that woman is probably still in your apartment somewhere?" Uryuu asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, probably. Oh that reminds me! I have to text my maid to ask her to let her out," Ichigo said as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and began texting.

"You're such an asshole," Uryuu said simply.

"Yeah? Then why are you friends with me?"

"I ask myself that question every day," Uyruu answered. Ichigo glared in his direction.

"Yeah, well since you are my friend, I need to talk to you about something."

Uryuu sighed. He could only guess what this would be about. "What?"

"I'm starting to get tired of all the woman I've been with lately. I need something different."

"You mean like a relationship?" Uryuu perked up. He had been trying to fix Ichigo with someone for years now and had always been unsuccessful. Maybe now his friend was finally open to the idea of settling down.

"No, I mean like a different kind of woman."

Uryuu sighed. Just when he thought Ichigo was finally growing out of his playboy lifestyle.

"You really are terrible," he said, defeated.

"I'm serious, Ishida. I can't keep sleeping with these blonde, big-boobed bimbos."

"So who would you rather sleep with, Kurosaki? Brunette, big-boobed bimbos. Or are you a red head guy?" Uryuu asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"I want someone different. Like a real woman. Not some made up, plastic surgery-infested girl from one of the clubs. I just want to be with a normal girl who's not afraid to speak her mind. Someone who doesn't see me only for my money," Ichigo said, his voice growing serious.

"You know, Kurosaki, what you just described to me isn't a one night stand. It's a girlfriend."

Ichigo looked deep in thought as he pondered his friend's words. Maybe that's what he wanted after all. Maybe he really did want to settle down but he couldn't find the time so he told himself he wasn't interested in relationships.

"Damn, Ishida. I don't know what I want."

"Then I suggest you figure that out before you pick up some poor girl off the side of the road."

"I'd never do that. You know me, Ishida. I may be bad, but at least I'm not a monster."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, about this normal girl that you want. Have any ideas?"

"Well, there was this gorgeous girl who was working at that coffee shop a few blocks away. Man, she was something else. She had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They were almost purple. And she looks nothing like the girls I'm used to. Short, black hair-,"

"Small chest," Uryuu finished for his friend, who looked back at him bewildered. "Hey, you said she looks nothing like the girls you're usually with so I just assumed."

"Screw you, Ishida," Ichigo said angrily, gaining a chuckle from his friend.

"So when did you spot this girl?"

"This morning when I went to get my coffee. She was the one who poured it. She didn't seem too happy with me, though. Kept glaring at me for some reason."

Uryuu fake gasped. "You mean to tell me that there is a young, beautiful woman out there who doesn't want to crawl straight into your bed? What is this world coming to?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ichigo glared at him for probably the tenth time that morning. "Why do I even talk to you?"

Uryuu laughed and answered, "That's a very good question, Kurosaki."

Before Ichigo could retort, the door to his office slammed open and immediately Ichigo sat back in fear.

His secretary.

"Where the hell have you been all morning? Were you aware that you have to be at a meeting that started ten minutes ago!?" Nanao Ise screamed at her boss as she angrily marched to his desk.

"Shit, Nanao, calm down. You never told me about any meeting," Ichigo answered, somewhat calmly. He couldn't deny just how much that woman terrified him.

"Yes, I did! I called and texted you about a hundred times to remind you!"

"You did? I didn't get any of that," Ichigo answered as he looked down at his phone, which confirmed that he had indeed not gotten a single text or missed call from his secretary.

"Then get a new phone because something must be wrong with yours! Now get your lazy ass out of your office and do your damn job!" Nanao screamed.

Ichigo sighed and got up out of his chair. He wasn't about to tell his infuriated secretary that the reason he didn't get any of her calls or texts was because he had blocked her number when she had bombarded him with messages about another important meeting the week before. She would probably rip his head off if she knew that.

"You know, Ise, I could fire you for talking to me like that," Ichigo told her as they walked to the large conference room on the top floor.

Nanao rolled her eyes. "Oh please. If you fired me, this whole company would go under."

Ichigo hated how right she was. Nanao Ise was way more than a secretary, that was for sure.

Before they walked into the conference room, Nanao stopped her young boss and stood in front of him. "Before you go in, I have to say something. The most important people in this company besides yourself are waiting in there. You can play the bad boy on the weekend, Mr. Kurosaki, but now you have to be the strong and unyielding CEO. This company rides on your shoulders. Don't forget that," his secretary told him before straightening his tie and shoving him into the conference room.

As Ichigo greeted his higher up employees and sat down, he sighed inwardly. He could never forget how much depended on him. No matter how hard he tried.

"He's not answering…again," Yuzu Kurosaki said with a sigh as she closed her phone in defeat.

"Why do you even try anymore? Ichigo hardly has time to take care of himself let alone care about our lives," Yuzu's twin sister, Karin, said with an emotionless tone.

"Don't say that, Karin. Big brother does still care about us. He's probably just busy," Yuzu answered her sister, ever the optimist.

"Whatever. One of these days you're going to have to give up the illusion of Ichigo you've created for yourself. He's not super man. He has issues. Lots of them," Karin, ever the pessimist, told her sister.

"I know that. Everyone has issues. I just think you've given up trying to have a relationship with him too early. We're the only family he has left, remember? And he's our only family too."

"Really Yuzu? That's how families work? I had no idea," Karin retorted sarcastically.

"Oh stop being so negative, Karin. You're getting on my nerves."

"Please, nothing gets on your nerves."

"That's not true! You do all the time," Yuzu answered back.

Just before Karin could retaliate with a snide remark of her own, Yuzu's cell phone began to ring. She grabbed it quickly and gasped excitedly when she saw who was calling. "Hello, big brother!" she answered with a happy smile. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Yuzu. Sorry I couldn't answer your calls. I was in a meeting," Ichigo said from the other line.

"Oh that's okay, I understand."

"So what's up?"

"Oh! I just wanted to call you to tell you that I aced my test! You know, the really hard one I told you about the other day."

"The math test? From the class with the really tough professor?"

"Yep! That's the one."

"Wow, Yuzu, that's great! I'm proud of you."

"Really? That means a lot to me, brother," Yuzu said sincerely.

"Of course. Though you know I'll always be proud of you. No matter how you do in school."

Yuzu grew teary eyed and Karin groaned, not wanting to have to deal with her sniffling twin sister.

"Thanks, big brother!"

"It's been awhile since I've seen you guys. You're still planning on coming to the city next weekend to visit, right?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course! We're so excited. I already planned out all the meals I'm going to make you."

"Awesome. It's been way too long since I've had your amazing cooking, Yuzu."

"We both can't wait! Listen, Ichigo, we have to go to class but I'll talk to you soon and we'll see you next weekend, okay?"

"Sounds good. Tell Karin I love her, despite how much of an ass she is," Ichigo said, causing Yuzu to giggle lightly.

"I will. I love you, Ichigo."

"I love you too. Talk to you later."

"Okay, bye!" Yuzu said before hanging up her phone.

"So what did Ichigo have to say?" Karin asked as she stood up from the bench her and her sister were sitting at, Yuzu following suit.

"Oh, he just wanted to tell you that you were an ass," her sister answered with a deceivingly sweet smile before walking away happily.

Karin glared at her sister, rolled her eyes, and begrudgingly followed after her to their next class.

"Aw, aren't you just the best big brother in the world," Uryuu said cynically as he walked into his friend's office just as he was finishing up a phone call with his sister.

"Shut up, Ishida. My sisters are the only family I have left. I'm not going to abandon them just because I'm rich and famous."

"Just as modest as ever, Kurosaki."

"What do you want, Ishida? Don't you have a job to get to? You know, the one I'm paying you for."

"I'll get to that in a minute, but I wanted to ask you a favor first."

"What's that?" Ichigo asked as he eyed his friend skeptically. When Uryuu asked for favors, nothing ever good happened.

"I've been thinking about our conversation from this morning. I'm very interested in seeing this girl you were talking about."

"The coffee shop girl?"

"Yes, her. I was thinking tomorrow before work we could meet there and have breakfast. They serve bagels, right?"

"As far as I know."

"Good. Meet me there at 8," Uryuu said simply before turning to exit the office.

"Wait a second, Ishida." His friend stopped in place and turned toward Ichigo. "Why are you so interested in seeing this girl?"

"You said she was beautiful and that she didn't like you. That's enough of an incentive to go look for myself. This girl is very rare."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Are you mocking me?"

"Only a little bit, Kurosaki," Uryuu said with a smile before exiting the office.

Why was he friends with this guy again?

Hope you enjoyed it! And yes, in this story both Ichigo's mom and dad are not around, but I'll explain what happened to them later. And I know this chapter was kind of slow because there was a lot of ground work to lay but we'll get back to the IchiRuki interactions in the next chapter ;) Tell me what you guys think! The positive feedback I got the last chapter was so encouraging and motivating :)

P.S. The title for this story does have a significance that will be addressed later so stick around if you want to find out!