Bittersweet Model
Shot 6 : Les Paul and Louis Vutton
"So she actually said no to you?" Ken and Takeru were at each end of the kotatsu for dinner. Winter arrived sooner this year. Ken had his ramen cup and Takeru had his tea who nodded a bit when asked. "No to Train? Wow, that is something."
"Actually it was no to Takaishi Takeru," Takeru put down his tea. "Which means I have another chance, as the soulful musician Train. Catherine's party is coming up this Saturday, and I need you to send one invitation to her."
Ken gave him a one note look when Takeru handed him the invitation, but he didn' t take it.
"What? Listen, I did ask Catherine before okay. And she was fine, as long as you are there, she doesn't care for the other guests," Takeru set the invitation in front of Ken. He still didn't touch it, showing a part of refusal.
Ken's cheeks burns but he shook his head for more subtle expression. "It's not that you moron."
"Then what?" Takeru snatched a manga while having to lie down, with his legs in the kotatsu. He asked but he knew very well what his friend meant.
"You don't really date, not anymore anyway. This feels weird," Ken said it smoothly.
"I prefer to use the term that I don't date regularly, makes me more like a decent loyal guy. Don't you think?" Takeu flipped through his manga. "And no I am not being weird. I just asked a girl out and she refused maybe because I'm wearing an oversized glasses with green beanie. It is just not appealing you know."
"Are you over her?" a simple clean cut question. Silence disturbed them. It didn't seem like Takeru would like to answer the question. As always, he denied any access to those questions, ever. Ken sighed and finished his ramen before getting up to go to the kitchen.
But things were different now as Takeru spoke, "I'm still not over her, of course. She was the best thing that happened in my life. It was never in my choice to be over her. "
Ken looked at Takeru, with their gaze being blocked by the manga Takeru held. Though he could see how hurt Takeru was just by admitting what he had.
"Yet, this girl, who is as bitter as a grumpy old man, actually made me re-think of my choices. I am still blunt to what I really feel, but none of the less, I want to get closer to her and actually get over my past," Takeru spoke.
Ken was surprised to this new revelation. There was a different projection towards this Takeru. His friend is somewhat happier, leaner about things and more honest. It's been awhile, and for that while was majorly excruciating for Takeru who keeps every real emotions inside. He was glad.
Ken walked back to the kotatsu and took the invitation. Takeru looked by his manga to Ken.
"I'll see what I can do, so you better make sure everything ends well, and not to ruin Catherine's party," Ken said. "And please don't let any identity slip to the wrong person."
"Sure," Takeru said. "But I can't promise you on Cathy's party thing, you know she sucks at planning a decent one."
Ken gave a glare.
"Joking." Not really.
Hikari snuggled inside her warm blankets and tried not to acknowledge the pile of clothes in front of her. She had a photo shoot for a fashion line and the stylists give the models free clothes off the rack as further gratitude and since Hikari was yet again the star of the shoot, she gets more privileges on the free clothes. Hikari actually pick a pair of cute black vintage Louis Vutton shoes. She seldom liked fashion but she really liked those shoes.
Then why the pile of clothes?
Miyako went ahead by grabbing everything she could. She was also Hikari's unofficial stylist, which she said above million times that Hikari needed a wardrobe check.
"Image is important, it defines who you are! When you are wearing that (jeans and t-shirt) you look like someone who works at a doughnut shop!" Hikari could still hear Miyako's voice in her head as her homework for today was to take in one dress to Catherine De Armand's birthday party.
That was another thing that was on her mind. His manager came to her house to privately deliver the invitation. Hikari could imagine Train's smirking and it annoys her.
"What is he up to now?"
Unconsciously she punched the play button to her cd player which had Train's album in it. She listened carefully words by words and tried to allocate his real self. She felt the only part that is fully honest is his music. No bullshit, just honest feelings.
His real self? She felt like he was wearing a mask, but so is everyone. There was not much of honesty walking around, definitely not from her, but the brilliance (she won't admit that) of the songs were delicious, perfect and beaming of truth.
"Shit," Hikari whispered, smiling a bit. "I'm losing my mind."
"So apparently I wanna go on a date with you," whoa that cam suddenly out of nowhere. Hikari shot up from her bed, cheeks slightly burns. She won't admit the little flip of butterflies she had when he asked her out. She was beating herself for it.
Of course, she had to fight her feelings of regret to say no to him. "It definitely was a right thing to do. It definitely was, yeah, it was." She knew that her own heart speaks differently but her logic in her brain surrounded her.
Hikari stood up and scanned the pile of clothes. "Anything would do." She just picked up a green sequenced dress and threw it over the chair. "There, chosen, done."
Hikari resumed back to her original position but before snuggling inside her blanket again she saw the Louis Vutton shoes she picked. She looked back at the sequenced dress and immediately took it throw it back into the pile. She thought they don't fit together. Instead of scanning she actually took a look at each dress. Unlike the usual of fitting a pair of shoes to a dress she actually was trying to fit a dress to a pair of shoes.
She liked those shoes and to be exact it was the first time she felt like a girl, feeling giddy on a fashion item. Yes, she was a model but that doesn't mean she necessarily curl her hair every morning or jump in joy for news of high end fashion. She came for the money and since selling her body this way was better than selling it the other way (if you are blunt enough, sex), she opt for it, and to be surprisingly good at it never was a great point in her life.
Hikari stacked away the 'No's and the 'Maybe's in different piles. Most of the 'No's were all plunging necklines or overly sequenced. "What was Miyako thinking?" She looked through the 'Maybe's and one dress to another had she thrown into the other pile. She didn't stop until she found a navy blue mini dress that was finely cut into a one shoulder. While it was a mini dress, it didn't really call in slutty.
Hikari even put in on to check if it fits, and it definitely does. Nicely curved on her body. She took her Louis Vuttons and wore it. It was perfectly matched. She was glad. Then it was the hair, should she put her hair up or just let it down, curled or straight? Her mind suddenly sprung on a date strolling down with Takeru with the same dress and the same shoes.
"Looks like you were preparing for a date," Miyako suddenly entered her room. Hikari wanted to refute while deleting the imagination of her actually strolling down the park with Takeru, but Miyako cut her in. "Of course I know you better that you did this so you won't hear me bumbling over this Saturday and look you actually had Train's song on so I won't be buzzing on you having no taste in music."
Hikari fell silent for while before, "Exactly."
"Seriously, this is the first time I see you taking this much effort so Hikari," Miyako clasped Hikari's hands with her. "Congratulations for finally sinking some sympathy on your poor manager! I knew there was a kind spirit in that little body of yours!"
Hikari was dumbfounded. Who wouldn't if they hung out with Miyako. It's another surreal thing that Miyako could work out a work deal with anyone. But maybe because she was crazy enough to actually get very good deals for a newcomer such as Hikari.
"Hey Miyako," she asked slowly, curious of something. "If I told you that I actually felt giddy to dress up to go on a date with a boy," she gulped. "What would you say?"
"I say no freaking way," of course she would. "You are not at all that type and I'm the nearest to what you call family now and of course I knew you best."
Hikari fell silent again. It was true that Miyako is the nearest family to her now, but she felt an eager to disagree with some of her statement, not knowing why she even had this eagerness.
Miyako saw Hikari's sudden silence and sighed while smiling.
"No matter what, you are still a teenage girl I guess," she patted Hikari's head. "Of course you don't wanna hear that you are not at all like a girl, or hear that you are always so heartless to a bumbling 22 years old manager." It wasn't that but it was true in a way.
"But it's all true," Miyako had to add while grinning. She ruffled Hikari's hair. "Though I know you for one, are a very good girl."
Miyako smiled genuinely. Truth to be told, Miyako was crazy enough to have her as a client. Hikari was a pain in the ass all the time but Miyako still stuck to her, and at times even if she brought up the money topic, it never strung Miyako as a gold digger. She was gnuine to bring Hikari on the modelling spotlight, because as Miyako had said to her on their first meeting, "I see potential and I want everybody else to see it!"
"Well, this is a weird situation between us. Touchy feely," Miyako said. "I'm feeling a little sick, I'm gonna go." Before she exited Hikari's room, she pointed out that Hikari should let her hair down as she is still young.
Hikari looked at the mirror with a blank stare. "Whatever." She was back normal now as she stopped Train's track on her radio. Or was she?
"Okay, what are we doing here?" Ken asked. They were in a music shop, accurately on the guitar lane. Train was smiling hugely while looking through the Gibson and Fender. "Dude, what are we doing here?"
"Searching for a gift for Cathy duh," Train scanned each guitar one by one.
"You wanna give Catherine a guitar?"
"Yeah. It would be a good gift, and the worst thing is she won't know how to play it and have it all rusted in her apartment. But then the good thing comes handy for me. Every time I had to go to her house which is what 5 times a month, I'll save the baby from getting rusty," Train took an acoustic Gibson, starring it in awe.
"You're a devil in disguise you know that," Ken said. "And question, why did you suddenly forget your disguise today?" Lookind at Train, he was wearing plaid and jeans, minus the spooky glasses and cap get up.
"Because you know they only give Train a discount, NOT Takaishi Takeru," Train looked around more. "And we're going by the studio later anyway, it will be bad enough if someone sees a grungy looking guy in before and a relatively hot guy out afterwards."
"You did not just call yourself hot," Ken glared.
"Oh I just did."
"Train-sama?" they looked back and saw a few (burned cheeks) girls giggling. "We just want an autograph."
"Oh right!" Train smiled and gladly signed their cd's (which he was sure the cd wasn't being paid yet) and then he noticed their uniforms and it was not a uniform he recognized for any middle school students in Tokyo. "Where are you girls from?"
"We are from Kyoto!" they were glad he asked, actually, they were glad he spoke at all.
"Kyoto? What are you doing here in the middle of Tokyo on a school day?" Train asked as he gave the cds back to them.
"Well," they were smiling more and more, cheeks redder. "We are on a trip actually. And now is our break."
Train took a (sudden) fashion magazine out of his bag and flipped over the pages. The girls plus Ken were eying him, or rather were bewildered that Train has a fashion magazine in his hand.
"Are you..." he finally stopped on a page. "From Koka Junior High?" He had a serious face.
"Um, no," the girls were now confused. "We are from Kumoghata actually."
"Oh really," Train closed his magazine and kept it back in his bag. "Well then I'm very happy to have fans from Kumoghata." His smile had literally melted the girls.
They got out of the shop with 2 guitars in hand, one was a Gibson Les Paul and the other was a Fender Accoustic.
"You throw way more money for these guitars than Paris Hilton on her boobs, man," Ken sighed. It is a small amount of money compared to Train's real paycheck. But as a future economist he always dreamed off, any money that Takeru used for more guitars were a waste of money.
"Shut up! These actually give benefits to the world," Train walked like a kid having his first bicycle. "Besides, both will look good in my home collection!"
"Home collection? I thought you are giving one to Catherine?"
"No way am I handing over these babies to Catherine to be left rusting even a bit," Train said as they entered the van, riding away to the studio. He was very fickle with his decisions, or just wasn't serious with one. "I'm giving her one of those sparkly tote bag she always bugging me with."
"Oh," Ken said, a bit relieved.
"Why? Are you afraid my present will be better than yours?" Train smirked.
"No! It's good that you actually give her what she wants," Ken slowed his tone.
"Yeah whatever."
"So," Ken changed the topic. "Are you gonna tell me what was all that 'Koka School' thing back there?"
"Ooh that?" Train took out his magazine and flipped to the page he had earlier, and it turns out it was Hikari with her bio. It wrote there that she was from Koka Junior High. "I was studying her and what do you know, she's originally from Kyoto. No wonder her accent was a tad strange."
"What are you doing studying her?" Ken asked.
"Well, if you must know, she is interesting and I feel that the next time I ask her out, I must have known her much better."
"So knowing where she comes from help on the topic?"
"No. It helps to start a conversation. I mean what we did before was always this weird banters," Train scanned the bio again. "And weird banters doesn't help me getting to know her better."
Ken looked at him and smiled. He missed this. He missed the always honest Takeru, the one that has always speak to him of his problems, the ones who doesn't keep every heart ache to himself. Takeru used to be in a dark alley, and he was there when that happened. Though Ken saw Takeru was really a nice going guy, he just slipped in the wrong direction. Even then, Takeru would share his thoughts, give insipid thoughts for the day he had.
He no longer did that after the incident. He was a curious lone guy, and even if he smiled more than ever, he wouldn't talk about what happened, and now he seemed to be opening more, and he was glad. Very glad that at least he opens up a bit.
"Why are you looking at me weirdly?" Train asked, looking suspiciously.
"Nothing," Ken said. "Just measuring your egoistical scale."
"Huh?"
"Great! Everyzing iz juz beautivul!" Catherine beamed with her thick French accent. She was looking around the hall where her party is being held. Of course her theme is beautiful flowers and rainbows, just like her. She beamed more when she saw Ken entering, running to him, clinging him, passing the supposed partner of her Train. "Ken! Izn't this pretty?" She was asking of the hall of course.
"You are always pretty," Ken said. Catherine (and Takeru) eyed him. "I mean yeah, this hall looks better than I expected!" he tried to cover.
"Hey cousin," Train called. Catherine looked back and saw Train eying the drinks. "What is this?"
"Shirlzey Temple."
"With alcohol?" Ken eyed Takeru for this.
"Of courze!" Catherine beamed. Ken was dumbfounded.
"What?"
"Awesome!" Takeru grinned.
"But everyone here is only 16! Do you know what the press will think if we have alcohol in a 16 years old party? It could ruin your image!" Ken fought.
"We're only joking silly, and we're almost 17 anyway," Train laughed. "It's in our French blood, sorry."
"You twerp."
"Ah yez!" Catherine let go off Ken's arms, to his dismay. She ushered towards Train. "Tell me about thiz girl."
"What girl?" Train munched a cookie he took from the table.
"Ze girl you invited! Ze girl zat finally knocked your head zright!" Catherine wanted details.
While that happened, Ken looked at them, slightly jealous, not on Train but on Catherine. Both French blooded started to speak in their language, leaving Ken out of their conversation. Ken was sure Takeru was telling everything, not just the small talk that Takeru had with him, but a full length of conversation of what was going on in his life. It was always that way after the incident. Ken always thought Catherine was more of a sister than a cousin to Takeru, and that relationship translated into a love pair mixture by the media. Takeru always tells her everything and Ken wanted to know everything, because he was his best friend, still is, he hoped.
Catherine started to jumped in joy while Train stared, annoyed. Even if Train won't admit it himself, but he was more connected to Catherine than he wanted to admit. They are the closest of each other to a family.
"Ken! Zis is bad!" suddenly Catherine looked back.
"What is?"
"Ze rumourz! It haz to stop! About me and Take!" Catherine cling on his arm. "We both like otherz so it will ze bad!"
"Oh right," Ken blushed on the 'we both like others'. He looked at Train. "What about you?"
"I don't really care," Train looked back to find more cookies.
"Of courze he doez," Catherine smiled, looking at her cousin.
Ken smiled, maybe if he doesn't know everything about Takeru, he could know him through Catherine, and he knew one day, somehow, Takeru will fully open up to him like he used to, because he trust Takeru that much.
TBC
Sorry, OMG how long has it been since I wrote? I mean College drowned me again and again with busy stuffs. But I'm on break now and maybe, maybe 2 days from now I'll update with a new chapter, because next is the party scene and that had been carved in my head for so long I had to write it fast!
In this chapter you see the difference of relationships between our main characters with others and how brands such as Louis Vutton Shoes and a Gibson Les Paul could make our main characters giddy because I believe everyone had that moment even how dark they are and I wanna write it down for my experience as the teenager I was with my own Gibson and Louis Vutton. ;)
Just for the record, yes, Miyako in this story is 22, because she's a manager for a model, I can't make her young. So what about Ken? Well, Ken was supposed to be Train's PA but at the same time he ranked well as a manager too and since I prefer Train to be an independent artist, I'd like to think Train was his own manager. ;p Enjoy and review!