I know. I failed in all aspects of fan fiction writing. I am currently unable to continue Your Fading Starlight. It's a HUGE writer's block for me. It's been going on for weeks and I feel that if I post the 15th chapter that I've finished right now, it would be a big failure for all my readers.

So I guess it would be a relief for my brain to get this idea out of my head.

A NEW FAN FIC FROM YOURS TRULY, directX07/AnnieJerz07!

Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo is Japan's number 1 idol. Inoue Orihime is an employee and aspiring actress on the verge of losing her job. One day they were strangers, the next day, they were Japan's most talked-about celebrity couple.

"The Front Act"

A Kurosaki Ichigo x Inoue Orihime fan fic

Rated M

Act One

Stellar Demise

"ICHIGO!" a piercing yell burst through the silent, early morning air. Kurosaki Isshin, respected and renowned CEO of the most popular broadcasting and celebrity network in Japan, the TLE Channel, was wailing in the middle of his multi-million costing mansion, lunging at a scowling young man who was at his breaking point.

"Why don't I have any grandchildren yet?" Isshin yelled, stomping his foot like a child in the middle of tantrum. He threw a punch towards his seething opponent, only to be assailed by a kick to the face.

"SHUT UP, YOU DAMN PERVERT! Why are you asking a grandchild from a 19-year-old?" the scowling orange-head roared, his ears red with anger.

Kurosaki Ichigo glared at his father, who was still sprawled on the floor and muttering the sentence, 'I've taught you well, my boy.' The shock of sunny orange hair totally opposed his normally grouchy disposition. His eyebrows were often creased and his mouth was pulled to a frown. Despite this, Kurosaki Ichigo was Japan's most eligible and sought-after bachelor.

Why? Because Kurosaki Ichigo is Japan's number one idol. His fierce appearance was complimented by a smooth and flawless complexion with a slight tan. His eyes were a wooden brown that burned with intensity. His nose was a perfect set on his wonderfully masculine face, carved to form manly angles and planes. His body was lean and exuded an aura of strength and agility. He moved with purpose and lithe grace. His expression and over-all persona breathed an impression of superiority, raw masculinity and perfection that was so untouchable and nigh unreachable that makes many women want to have him, or aspire to have him.

It wasn't just looks that turned him into an idol. It was also his talent. At 12, Ichigo had already won his first acting award. At 16, he started to record his own single and owned his first clothing and modeling company. At 17, he had his own recording label and won awards for his hits. At 18, he was in various movies, television dramas and soaps. At 19, Kurosaki Ichigo had achieved it all in such a lightning pace, with compliments from his co-artists and workers that described him as a driven and intelligent person whose mind and moral processes went well beyond his years.

However, even this perfect life had its downsides.

Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo's mother, was an actress – the most talented star of her generation. However, one fateful evening, her life was taken. No one could be blamed. And because of this, Ichigo drove himself to the edge to be like his mother, and aspire for her dream to be on top of the show business.

Kurosaki Ichigo also had no girlfriend.

There had been a string of flings for the young man, but none of them lasted longer than a month or two, and none of them were serious. And right now as Ichigo stood in the middle of their vast living room, he couldn't help but massage his temples at the way his dad was pestering him to get a serious relationship and start bearing him heirs.

"But a girlfriend would be good for your image – " Isshin started to say, only to be stopped by another punch to the face by his son.

"I told you, I have no time," Ichigo retorted, crossing his arms on his chest. "Girlfriends are trouble, and there's simply no space for that sort of trouble right now."

Isshin's eyes softened. His son worked hard, always pushing himself to break his own limits. But there were times that the old man thought that Ichigo was killing his own youth, always wanting to grow too fast.

"You know," he said, suddenly turning serious and looking away from his son, "the media is starting to have doubts on your sexuality."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he attempted to kick his dad, but was unable to because the older man started rolling on the floor, laughing so hard that he was unable to stand.

"I'm not gay, dammit!" Ichigo cursed. His usual cool and indifferent demeanor was always stripped down whenever he dealt with his dad. And today was no different.

"Then start finding yourself a girl," Isshin said, restraining himself.

"Whatever, I'm leaving," Ichigo said, turning as he started to leave.

"I'm serious Ichigo. If you don't find yourself a woman, I'll start finding you one. Or I might even tell the press that you're really gay," Isshin threatened, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Another unearthly roar disturbed the peaceful air as smashes of expensive china and barks of laughter were heard.

A few minutes later, Ichigo emerged from the mansion, grumbling to himself and mentally cursing his dad for all the stupidities he has put his own son through every day. He thought of Karin and Yuzu, who were far luckier than he was. The twins were out of town, finishing their college degrees and fulfilling their dreams away from the eccentricities of their annoying father.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-san," a man greeted from near the black limousine, his grin covered by a fan. His disheveled hair was covered in a green-and-white striped hat, his clothes a casual white. Even with his unorthodox appearance for a famous professional, Urahara Kisuke was the best talent scout and manager there was in Japan. The man had a keen insight and intellect that enabled him to spot talent, or the lack of it, at first act.

Ichigo gave the man a small smile, knowing that Kisuke always brought a schedule with him every morning that ensured a very busy day for the actor. He mentally smiled at the fact. He loved his work and he was doing this for his mother. It was only an unwanted bonus that he had a huge fan base and a faithful horde of stalker media men around.

The two men entered the car and started going through the day's itinerary.

"So you only have one thing to do the whole day," Kisuke said, smiling at Ichigo.

Ichigo looked at the man, surprised. "Are you sure? Don't tell me your PDA got switched with someone else."

"No, I'm serious," Kisuke said. "However, this one thing will take up your whole day."

Ichigo groaned. "What is it?"

"You'll be participating in the casting of 'Hour of the Death God'," he informed his talent, staring indifferently at his PDA. "It's directed by Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"Ulquiorra?" Ichigo repeated, surprised. Ulquiorra Schiffer was one of the most talented directors of his generation. He was only a few years older than Ichigo and was regarded as a genius by his peers.

"Yes," Kisuke confirmed. "And you've already been cast as Hanazawa Ryuuki, the male lead of the series."

"What? But I haven't even auditioned yet – "

"You haven't, but then Ulquiorra already chose you as his lead. And you wanted me to find something worth your time. Anything that can take up the lazy space you're in right now," Kisuke said, an odd gleam in his eyes.

Kurosaki Ichigo knew better than to object whenever his manager had that gleam in his eyes. The older man knew what roles were the best to take at the best of times, and Ichigo conceded to the fact that he indeed told him to find any job that he could take to spare him from boredom.

Finally, Ichigo nodded, earning an approving nod from Kisuke. "But if I'm already cast as the male lead, why do I need to go see that auditions for other roles?"

"Apparently, Ulquiorra needed your opinion on whom to hire best for the role of Aihara Mizuki and Hanazawa Setsuna, the female lead and supporting roles," Kisuke stated.

"Why does he need my opinion? No director has asked an actor for his opinion on whom to pick best for other roles."

"Yes, but it seems that Schiffer-san likes it best when the lead harmonizes perfectly with his co-actors and co-actresses. That's why he's considering your opinion."

"Oh." Strange, Ichigo thought, but a very insightful plan. This series might be interesting. A challenge. I never did a fantasy drama before.

"And I also agreed to him because you never did a fantasy drama before," Kisuke added, as if reading his mind. "This would be a challenge. Working with effects is difficult."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, only to be distracted from his train of thought when his mobile phone rang.

"Hello? Kurosaki Ichigo speaking," he said. Half a second later, he almost fainted at the sound of an otherworldly squeal from the other line.

"What the – " Ichigo said, plugging his 'damaged' ear with his forefinger. "Who the hell is this?"

"Ichigo-sama!" a girl's hysterical voice said from over the line. "My name is Eri, and I love you so much! Please go out with me! I – "

Ichigo automatically turned off his phone and scowled at his laughing manager.

"I swear, I will never buy myself a mobile phone ever again!" Ichigo mused. "I don't even know how they keep finding my number! The worst call I had was from a girl who was obviously… doing something… uhh…" a pregnant pause, then an exasperated sigh, "No matter. I just need to put a stop to this."

"It's part of being popular, Kurosaki-san. And it's because you're still available that they keep doing this to you," Kisuke said pointedly.

Ichigo groaned again. No, not this girlfriend talk. As if one girl could stop ALL the girls in Japan from attacking him. "Have you been talking with my father?" Ichigo asked out of spite.

"Actually, yes," Kisuke said. "Isshin is just concerned by the way you're pushing yourself while you still lack the appropriate personal life for a young man your age."

Ichigo's eyebrow cocked. "And why would I need a personal life? As far as I'm concerned, and as far as you obviously should know, I have no time for that. And I doubt that would decrease the number of the female population trying to abduct me."

"Yes, but if you showed that you were serious with someone, most of them would back off," Kisuke said. "Consider what we elders have been saying. Look at Kuchiki-san. When she started dating Abarai-kun the number of people following them around to woo them have effectively gone down."

Ichigo didn't say anything, but he knew this was true. Last year, his best friend, Kuchiki Rukia, almost got kidnapped by a maniacal stalker. But now, because she started dating that punk, Abarai Renji, her life had been much more peaceful.

"Are you considering it, Kurosaki-san?" Kisuke asked playfully.

Ichigo threw him a filthy look and stared outside the window, remaining silent for the rest of the trip.

Inoue Orihime groaned as she opened her eyes, the light of the morning sun effectively waking her from her deep slumber. She squinted, looking for the face of the digital clock that lay on the side of her bed.

9:00 AM.

Oh… how nice. I'm glad I woke up early. The meeting was scheduled 8 –

8:30!

I'm late!

"Good going, Orihime!" she yelled, jumping out of her bed, running for the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Orihime was all set, looking rushed and severely disheveled. She took a glance at her phone, moaning in frustration as she saw twelve missed calls from her superior, Cirucci Thunderwitch. Two came from the boss of their department, Matsumoto Rangiku, which meant that Orihime's fault was so severe that the manager had to call her. Another five came from her best friend, Arisawa Tatsuki, who was Matsumoto's secretary.

"OH NO! Oh no, oh no, oh no…" Orihime chanted, going on full speed with her scooter, driving through the traffic-congested streets of Tokyo. I really am praying for a miracle that Thunderwitch-san doesn't fire me…

She finally arrived at TLE Channel's employee parking lot. Dashing to catch the closing elevator doors, she squeezed herself among the crowd, with several people shouting complaints when Orihime accidentally bumped and stepped on them.

"I'm sorry!" Orihime attempted to apologize, only to be pushed out of the elevator.

"No…" she said in sadness and worry, waiting for another chance to go up. I can't very well run up the stairs. The meeting is on the 17th floor!

The fabulously ornate glass doors of the elevators showed Orihime's reflection. She sighed in exasperation at the mess in front of her.

Inoue Orihime was a fairly simple girl, and today, simple became worse. The baggy dark blue jeans and the bright yellow blouse seemed to throw off each other's color so much that it made looking at it a mistake. Her light auburn hair was in a messy ponytail, with strands untidily covering her face all in the wrong places. One earring was missing and her thick, black glasses were slightly askew. The moss green jacket she was wearing engulfed her frame and covered her backside completely, even nearly reaching her knees. If she hadn't been wearing an ID, she could have been passed off as a nerdy civilian or even an attempting-to-be-neatly-dressed beggar.

One might wonder what exactly someone like Orihime is doing working at the most prestigious network in Japan. The answer was simple but almost unbelievable. Inoue Orihime is Matsumoto Rangiku's niece. Matsumoto Rangiku, the model who gave up her regular job to climb up the ranks of TLE Channel's administrative staff. Rangiku, who is known for her fabulous and elegant taste in clothes and style and is now the head of the Advertising and Publicity department of the TLE Channel.

Matsumoto Rangiku is Inoue Orihime's only living relative, and vice-versa. One might believe that they were relatives, given the unique but similar shades of hair they have, but in general, they were just too different. Rangiku took Orihime in when she was in middle school and provided her with a beautiful apartment when the young woman was already capable and old enough living alone. However, living alone isn't boding well for Orihime. She was late for all the meetings and arrangements she had for the past two months and she was often late for work. Her direct superior, Cirucci Thunderwitch, oversaw the Creativity section of the department, and although Orihime had tons of creativity, her work ethic was something that Cirucci truly hated. The ice queen with no amount of imagination and an infinite amount of temper within her, Cirucci had a reputation for firing members on the spot. Thankfully, Orihime was Matsumoto Rangiku's niece that was why Cirucci was trying her hardest not to scream or hurl something at the girl. God knows how much the woman was restraining herself from firing Orihime.

Last week was the warning point because of the fiasco Orihime caused with the tarpaulin assigned to her section for the upcoming series of TLE Channel entitled, 'Hour of the Death God.' The details of the disaster were so severe that Cirucci had to be taken away for a couple of minutes to prevent herself from physically harming Orihime. What happened afterwards was the issuance of a curt warning that if Orihime committed another mistake, she would be fired.

And now, I'm doomed, Orihime thought. She could just find another job, but she knew that she couldn't sustain her monthly expenses with a lower-earning salary. The pay for the employees in TLE Channel was above average. And Orihime doubted she could find a better job in her current state. It would be far too imposing and embarrassing to rely solely upon the allowance her aunt gave her every now and then. And she wasn't a child to be asking for support from her guardian. She had chosen to live independently to learn life alone, and the more-than-modest apartment her aunt gave her was supposed to be the last show of generosity the woman should have shown.

The elevator doors finally opened. Orihime was about to enter when a huge guy blocked her way.

"Wait for the next elevator please," the man grunted.

"What?" Orihime asked, wide-eyed. "But – "

The screams from outside the company building could be heard from where she was standing. She turned around and saw a black limo pull up the driveway. A dozen cameramen blocked the entrance as a shock of orange hair came out from the car.

Orihime didn't bother to wait for the image to fully form. She turned around and pleaded to the man who was in front of her.

"Please, let me in. I'm very late for a meeting and – "

"No miss. Please wait for another ride up."

"Come off it Tanaka," a female voice said from behind her. "Berry doesn't own the whole building."

Orihime turned around and saw with astonishment at the figure authoritatively asking the body guard to step aside.

Kuchiki Rukia gave Orihime a sweet smile that the latter failed to return. Orihime was star-struck. Rukia was a well-known actress who was especially known for the tough girl roles she portrayed and the villainous school girl acts she was in. Her cat-like deep purple eyes glittered with a mixture of annoyance and amusement as she regarded the bigger man with a quelling look. Orihime can't believe that a girl who was smaller than her could make the man falter, but then again, Rukia was no ordinary girl. She was wearing a purple tank top, cropped twill slacks, suede flats, and a silk scarf that struck Orihime as simple but fashionable. Orihime looked at what she was wearing and felt an embarrassed blush creep up her neck, flooding up her cheeks. Kuchiki Rukia was extremely pretty. And Orihime couldn't help but melt into an unseen puddle because she chose the perfect time to be late.

Nine-thirty in the mornings was the time that the celebrities typically go to work. This routine would only be broken if they had scheduled interviews for morning shows or had projects at hand. But if they had none on their plate, they would be given a bit of a break.

The common employees like Orihime are expected at work at 8:00 AM sharp. An appointed time that Inoue Orihime seemed to have difficulty in following. But usually, Orihime would already be there at 8:30. This was the latest she had ever gone to work. And this was not a good time.

"Move," Rukia repeated, shaking Orihime from her worries.

"I'm sorry Kuchiki-dono," the man named Tanaka repeated. "But I have strict orders from Kurosaki-dono that – "

"Yeah, and to hell with those orders," Rukia said. "I cannot be late for my check-in time just because some arrogant brat decided to stop and hog the elevator all to himself."

"Rukia," a smooth masculine voice said from behind them.

Orihime froze up again. Oh no, oh no… more trouble.

She didn't dare turn her head. She knew who it was. And if she uttered another word, or even dared to look him in the eye, she might be fired even before Cirucci had the chance of doing the honors.

"Ichigo," Rukia returned the 'greeting', unfazed. "You know, you shouldn't occupy the elevator all to yourself. I will not forgive you if I'm late for what I'm doing this morning and god knows how late this poor young woman is, judging by her state."

Orihime reddened more as she felt a searing pair of eyes on her back. She didn't dare to move. Heck, she didn't even dare to breathe.

A rush of the wind told her that the owner of the eyes already went past her and into the elevator.

"Hey," a soft voice said. "Come on in with us."

Orihime lifted her eyes and met Kuchiki Rukia's gentle stare.

"I – I'm sorry," Orihime managed to stammer in a strangely high-pitched tone. What was that Orihime? "It's okay. You go ahead, ma'am."

"Nonsense," Rukia said, waving off her apology. "Don't be scared of that brat. Just because his dad owns the company, doesn't mean he has the right to strut about and – "

"Rukia," an impatient voice said from inside the elevator. "Are you coming or what? It won't be my fault this time if you're late with your kissing session with Renji."

Rukia suddenly went red, grabbing something solid and black from her bag and throwing it to the man who just revealed her plans to a total stranger.

"OW!"

"If you please Rukia-san, stop hitting my talent's face. I don't want any costly surgeries for him, or damage to it," another voice interrupted.

"I don't really care, Urahara-san," the petite girl said, attempting to throw another object, but failed when Kisuke sent her the 'gleaming look'.

Rukia grinned triumphantly. "C'mon," she said, pulling an unwilling Orihime inside the elevator.

Orihime stumbled inside the elevator, almost bumping into Kurosaki Ichigo.

What a pitiful sight, Ichigo thought, looking at the mess of a girl that squeezed in with Rukia and him inside the elevator.

"What's your name?" Rukia piped up, easing the tension from the girl.

"I-Inoue Orihime," Orihime replied, giving the both of them a clumsy bow.

"What a nice name," Rukia said, eliciting an even more violent blush from Orihime.

"What floor are you in, Inoue?" Ichigo asked.

Kurosaki-sama is talking to me! Orihime thought wildly. It was one thing to converse with Kuchiki Rukia, a well-known actress. But it was another thing entirely to be talking to Kurosaki Ichigo, Japan's number one celebrity. Not one person she knows is unfamiliar with him – the son of the CEO of TLE Channel, the multi-awarded prodigy who catapulted to fame with his talent and looks.

"Uhm, 17 please," Orihime said, her voice barely above a whisper, silently hoping that someone heard her so that she won't be asked again.

"17 please, Tanaka," Ichigo said.

Wow, he has a really good sense of hearing.

Orihime wasn't bothering to look at Ichigo, only at Rukia and her feet. She knew that if she looked at Kurosaki Ichigo, she would get blinded by a million laser beams from aliens that resided within Ichigo's body.

The 'ding' of the elevator told her that she already reached her floor. She hastily said her thanks to the two celebrities and managed to bolt out of the confined space and into the spacious corridor of the 17th floor.

"Aww, a sweet girl," Rukia said.

"Yes," Kisuke said, who was silent the whole time. "It's a shame she hides all those beautiful things under all those clothes."

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, confused.

"Nothing."

But Ichigo knew that it wasn't nothing. Urahara Kisuke saw something that no ordinary human being has seen again. It could be something unique about the girl. Maybe it wasn't talent, but there was something there. However, the orange-haired young man didn't dwell on the fact any longer as they reached their destination.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-dono," a female voice greeted cheerfully, bowing low. It was a bit frightening how the people of the 24th floor anticipated Ichigo's arrival. They all went to their proper places and the corridor suddenly went vacant, except for the small woman in front of them.

"Good morning, Hinamori-san," Ichigo greeted, along with Kisuke and Rukia.

Hinamori Momo smiled at them warmly and opened her clipboard. "If you please go to room 7A, Rukia-sama. Renji-sama is waiting for you there."

"Sweet," Rukia said, loping off, giving Ichigo a wink.

"As for you, Ichigo-sama and Kisuke-sama, please go to Audition Area 4. Ulquiorra-sama is waiting there along with the rest of the cast and crew of Hour of the Death God," Momo continued.

"Thank you," Ichigo said, walking towards the assigned room.

When he entered, he was immediately ushered into the stage area, where Ulquiorra Schiffer was standing on top of the stage, a microphone in front of him. The seats were obviously occupied by the chosen cast of the series at the front row and the rest of the crew in the remaining seats.

"Welcome, Kurosaki-san," Ulquiorra's low voice greeted from the stage. Ichigo acknowledged him with by smiling and seated himself at the front of the left group of seats, nearest the aisle, while Kisuke sat to his left.

"Again, welcome to the final casting auditions for the remaining vacant roles of Hour of the Death God," Ulquiorra continued, his voice in a monotone.

Ichigo observed the man who was about to become his director. He had seen the man a few times, but never actually worked with him. He will now experience the full blast of what the critics and the men of the industry called as 'Silent Genius'.

"I am also pleased to announce the arrival of the man who is going to play the role Hanazawa Ryuuki, Kurosaki Ichigo," the director added. "Please come on to the stage, Kurosaki-san."

The whole room exploded in enthusiastic applause and excited murmurs. Ichigo smiled in acknowledgment of the greeting once again, climbing up the steps of the stage and placed himself next to Ulquiorra.

"They're really excited to be working with you," Kisuke said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"It would seem so," Ichigo commented. "I hope not a bit too excited."

"I will also be announcing the rest of the established main cast of Hour of the Death God," Ulquiorra continued. "Starting with the woman who will be playing Hayashi Michiko, Kuchiki Rukia."

What the - ? Ichigo said to himself. Rukia never told him that she would be part of Hour of the Death God. And I thought she was having another session with Renji?

The petite actress gracefully walked to where Ichigo was, accidentally stepping on his foot.

"You – " Ichigo said, gritting his teeth, stopping himself from strangling Rukia.

Rukia smiled sweetly at him and said nothing.

The minutes passed by and Ichigo watched in hidden astonishment as the super-power cast arranged themselves on the stage. He never knew that Hour of the Death God was this big a production or series. Having taken in and accepted by the biggest names in Japanese show business such as Ukitake Jyuushiro, Kyouraku Shunsui, Yadomaru Lisa, Hirako Shinji, Tia Halibel, and Soi Fong.

The irregular cast weren't introduced, as they would only be coming and going. But they knew that the series was still in trouble since there was still no one to play the two leading female roles.

As the actors and actresses moved back to their seats, Ichigo seated himself beside Rukia this time, asking her the question that has bothered him for quite a while since he found out that she was among the cast.

"Why weren't you chosen for the roles Aihara Mizuki or Hanazawa Setsuna?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Isn't obvious? Because I didn't audition for the parts! The two are just polar opposites in acting amount."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," Rukia said, with exasperation in her voice, "Mizuki appears rarely in the series. She comes and goes. She just appears in major events and flash backs. I hate roles like that. Meanwhile Setsuna appears everywhere. She's part of Ryuuki's adventure and thus doesn't part with his elder brother."

"Oh," Ichigo said.

"Plus, Michiko's character is waaay better, in my opinion," Rukia added, smirking.

"You're playing the bad girl again?" Ichigo asked, earning him a smack on the head.

"No," Rukia stressed. "Quite the opposite in fact. I'm playing the gentle seer princess."

"Gentle?" Ichigo choked out. "I could never imagine you as – "

"Quiet, Ichigo," Kisuke scolded. "Ulquiorra-san is announcing something."

"As of now, we are holding auditions for the two vacant positions in our series – Aihara Mizuki and Hanazawa Setsuna," Ulquiorra was saying. "As you all know, these roles are very important since they are the two female leads in this series. Aihara Mizuki is Hanazawa Ryuuki's lover, a girl who was abducted by the fiends of Hueco Mundo because of her unusual powers."

Ichigo groaned inwardly. He wasn't particularly his most comfortable with romantic roles. But he knew that this series wouldn't be centered on romance. He just hoped that he could make it through the mushy and romantic scenes. Even though critics praised him for pulling off the best leading man roles and characterizations, Ichigo was never comfortable with them. He was just a good actor to cover up this state of unease.

Kisuke smirked. He knew that Ichigo didn't like working with girls in roles that have to be romantically involved with his own character. Most of the women playing alongside Ichigo either fell in love with him or tried to have flings with him.

"Hanazawa Setsuna, on the other hand, is also a Death God but was banished from Soul Society because she was deemed too weak," Ulquiorra explained.

"To enlighten all of you with the roles of these two girls, they are both soft-spoken and very feminine characters. However, Setsuna has a more disturbed character since she is occasionally possessed by an inner demon that causes her to lash out her inner fears and pains."

After the explanation, Ulquiorra took a seat in the center of the auditorium. The lights dimmed.

The auditions began.

"YOU'RE FIRED!" a woman with curly hair yelled, stopping the whole 17th floor in its tracks.

"P-please, give me another chance, Thunderwitch-san," Orihime begged, her eyes filling with tears.

"I've had enough!" Cirucci continued. "I don't care if you're Matsumoto-sama's niece, but you have absolutely nothing in common with her! You should have learned from her! An admirable woman, she is, but you? You're – "

Orihime didn't bother to hear her. She mentally closed herself up when Cirucci started comparing her again to her aunt. She knew that she was nothing like the powerful woman. While Rangiku was mentally strong, Orihime was weak. While Rangiku was intelligent, Orihime was average. While Rangiku was gorgeous, Orihime was plain. While Rangiku succeeds in her endeavors, Orihime failed. They were just opposites.

"Get out!" Cirucci barked, dismissing Orihime.

Orihime walked out of Cirucci's room, only to be confronted by Tatsuki's concerned glance.

"You okay, Hime?" she asked. "Rangiku-san asked me to check on you. What happened?"

Orihime couldn't speak, she just went out and walked like a zombie, unmindful and unseeing. Her steps took her nowhere. She didn't even know where she was anymore.

Now what, Inoue Orihime? You know that you agreed to enter TLE Channel because you wanted to be an actress, not because you wanted to be the creative mind of the advertising department. You have this ambition, ever since you were a little girl. You often dressed up and acted like someone you're not. Mom and Dad would watch you, as well as your brother, Sora. But what happened? Why did you stop and agreed to that meager job?

Because of reality.

It was an easy answer. It came as easily as breathing. Orihime knew that being an actress was a long shot. She knew she had her aunt as her 'backer', but getting in wasn't as difficult as actually making it. She had no talent. She didn't even look the part. She was just a nobody.

"OUCH!" a voice said, startling her from her thoughts. "Watch where you're going – "

Orihime blanched as she stared at the man her hard head had just brought down to the floor.

"Oh, it's you again," Kurosaki Ichigo said, standing up, extending a hand to help her out.

Orihime blushed and took the hand he offered, moving up so quickly that she nearly bumped Ichigo on the head again.

Ichigo stared at her sympathetically, noting the remnants of tears on her face and eyes. She was more messed up than when he last saw her and he couldn't help but ask her what happened.

This was far more interesting than seeing the amateur actresses inside the auditorium. He had to get out to save himself from being harassed by each one of them, as they were all after the role of Mizuki. No one bothered with Setsuna.

"What happened to you?" he asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"I-I was fired," Orihime said, stammering and looking down to her feet.

"Well, you were really late back there," Ichigo rationalized. Suddenly, his look went scandalized as another batch of fresh tears started to cloud the girl's eyes.

"Hey," Ichigo said uncomfortably. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

Orihime stopped and looked at Ichigo with wonder. Did he just apologize to someone like me?

She just realized that it was her first time seeing Kurosaki Ichigo this close. And the rumors weren't even doing him justice. It was like an angel was sent to earth to show the meager humans what perfection means. Orihime felt her face heat up and she looked away, hoping that Ichigo hadn't seen the way she looked at him.

But Ichigo noticed, and he sighed with exasperation once again. What is it with me and women?

This is why I don't want to get a girl friend.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Orihime abruptly said. Ichigo stared at her in disbelief as she began ranting. "Maybe the aliens would abduct me since I'm a useless human. Or perhaps they will give me to the elves so they can train me how to work hard and well. Maybe they'll feed me to shark-monkeys who will wrap me in bananas with meat…"

What? Has this woman gone nuts?

"Uhm, excuse me," Ichigo said, clearing his throat and nudging her on the shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Hmm?" Orihime said, and was suddenly brought back to reality. "Oh! Uhm, yeah! Sorry about that. I just don't know how I will manage without a means to pay my rent and – "

But Ichigo wasn't listening. A ridiculous idea suddenly formed in his head out of pity and curiosity. This could just help us both.

"Hey Inoue, do you want to…?"

I know. It's a cliffie. ;)

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