A/N: Okay, so I wrote this... and I got addicted. I realized I wanted to write a Lovely Complex story with chapters. After my Otani/Koizumi oneshot (Strawberry Milk Candies), I wrote this... gosh. Well, this takes place in the future, when the Lovely Complex gang have jobs and are working. I don't know what drove me to write this, but the idea just popped in my head and I had to use it somehow! I hope this story goes well. I really do. Well, enjoy! I'm going to update this regularly until it finishes, because I have written 2 more chapters in advance. Read away and enjoy!
P.S. Thanks to venaly for reviewing Strawberry Milk Candies. :) I appreciate it a lot and it made me smile!
Disclaimer: I don't own Lovely Complex.
It's Best After the Worst
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Chapter 1
Working Troubles
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Koizumi,
I might not be able to fetch you later. Travel safely.
Otani
"What's this? Again?"
Risa Koizumi flipped her cell phone shut and faced the various people around her. Unlike her, they were in a buzzing commotion, busying themselves in their work. Koizumi, meanwhile, rested herself on a comfortable chair while twirling her pinkish-red hair. She watched beautiful, tall girls in designer clothes and blooming make-up walk around while preparing themselves for a photo shoot. She couldn't help but wince.
Risa wasn't an ordinary girl as expected. She may look like a regular tall girl, but she was more than that. She was a stylist, a gamer, a comedienne, and a headstrong girl who was in love.
Ever since her high school years, she was already in love with one of her classmates and former rival – Atsushi Otani. They were known as the All Hanshin Kyojin of Maido High at the time they were still studying there. She was rejected several times, but her hard work paid off.
But lately, she's been doubting if her hard work still paid off.
"Koizumi! You're here to work! Not to burn holes in chairs!" a voice snapped. The girl jumped off her seat and almost toppled over.
Koizumi looked at the black-haired beauty standing in front of her and gulped. "I'm sorry, Mimi-chan! I just…"
"No need to explain. You're head's always floating with the clouds anyway," she teased.
Mimi used to be Otani's neighbor back at their studying years. She also harbored feelings for him. They (or mostly Mimi) quarreled over Otani, but Risa always came out successfully. Mimi then realized chasing Otani when they started working while living together would end up fruitless. She stopped, but still held on with a tiny bit of hope while looking for another guy in their modeling agency.
"Not always," Risa replied, but she knew it was true. At least, for now, it was. She didn't understand why Otani kept sending her text messages that he might not be able to fetch her from work since the past week. She knew it was alright, but it was making her anxious.
"Well, keep it that way." Mimi flipped her gorgeous long hair before continuing. "Now, come on. The photo shoot is gonna start soon and sadly, you're one of the stylists assigned to me," she said rather harshly. Risa was used to it anyway.
"At least I'm good," Koizumi whispered to herself. "I'm the best one here!"
That was true, of course. Koizumi practiced her skills as a stylist for years and became an expert in due time. Sadly, sometimes her co-workers abuse her hard work.
Koizumi followed Mimi into the main dressing rooms in the building. Since it was only a background photo shoot, it wasn't held outside their agency building which made it easier for her. Following Mimi only resulted her to carry all the clothes the long-time model tossed in her arms. By five minutes, Koizumi felt the pressure of 4 skirts, 6 leather belts, and countless tops and accessories on her arms.
"Mimi-chan, don't you think this is too much? And shouldn't I be the one to pick for you?" she asked, trying to be as nice as she could.
"No. I have to grab the best ones before the other models see how cute these clothes are. Don't complain!" Mimi snapped. She tossed another heavy belt and a puffy feather boa on the pile Koizumi's holding.
"These… are… so HEAVY!" Risa shouted.
"Don't shout!" Mimi said loudly. The model didn't listen to Risa's continuous whims on dropping the clothes on the couch and continued placing countless clothing items on Risa's arms. By the time she threw a large, black leather belt with diamond-like stones at Risa, she couldn't help it any longer. Her ankles shook in place and her knees suddenly knelt on the floor, her arms totally letting go of all the clothes Mimi chose.
"Argh! You're so clumsy! Pick those up quickly!" Mimi demanded. Risa shuffled on the floor as fast as she could and picked up all the clothes she dropped. She sighed, still wondering if she and Mimi still had bad blood in between them or are friendly acquaintances with each other already. She successfully managed to pick up all the clothes and for the first time, Mimi smiled at her genuinely while they were working.
"Good," she told her. "Maybe you're not so useless after all."
"Of course I'm not," Risa huffed. "But I'm a stylist. I'm not supposed to carry clothes like a slave!"
Mimi glared at her. Risa laughed to avoid more trouble. And even more surprisingly, Mimi laughed along with her.
Their laughing ended when the door slammed open and a flock of other female models entered the room with other stylists, chattering loudly and fixing themselves up.
"Mimi! You're up in 10 minutes!" one of the photographers shouted from outside. Mimi beamed at Risa, which was a very odd sight.
"Put those there at that couch, Koizumi. You and Maina are going to fix my make-up now," Mimi said. Risa nodded and placed all the clothes on the nearby couch, thanking that the heavy load was off her grasp.
"Look! The new diamond-style belt! I've been dying to wear it!" a female voice shouted. Before they knew it, other models dug up the pile of clothes Mimi chose. Risa started laughing at the mess the other girls made until she realized Mimi was glaring at her darkly.
"What?" she asked, still laughing. Mimi slapped her shoulder.
"OW! What was that for?" Koizumi shouted.
"What's wrong with you, Koizumi? Look! All the clothes I picked went to waste!" she yelled at her. "You are the stupidest stylist I ever worked with!"
Although Risa was used to Mimi's taunts, she didn't understand why she felt a bit of pain this time. She wasn't sure if it was because it was job-related, or if she felt really bad that Otani wouldn't be able to fetch her again.
"Mimi, what's wrong?" a stern-looking older woman asked. Risa's eyes widened when Mimi introduced her manager, Akimi Ochi, to her in a mean tone.
"Oh, so you disobeyed Mimi?" her manager asked. Risa's heart was pounding. She never had a bad day at work once until today.
"No! I didn't disobey her! The other models just took the clothes she picked, that's all!" Risa defended.
"Don't lie, Koizumi! Akimi-san! I don't have the best clothes I wanted for this shoot because of her!" Mimi yelled. Risa was continuously accused of bizarre things to Akimi, which was enough for Mimi's manager to file a complaint against Risa to one of the highest executives of their modeling agency.
"Koizumi! This is the first time you've been sent here by a complaint! Would you care to explain?"
"Mr. Miyako-san! I'm really sorry you're disturbed today because of me. But I promise I didn't disobey Mimi! We just picked some clothes and the other models managed to take them when I left them in the couch!" she pleaded. Tears came out from her eyes as she continued explaining what really happened.
"Koizumi-san, calm yourself down. I'm sorry to say that your explanation is a bit different from Mimi's. I don't know who's telling the truth, or which story is too far-fetched, but I'm warning you that you'll get fired if this happens again. Don't screw up!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Miyako-san," she sighed sadly. She left the room after receiving a few more lectures about proper work etiquettes and another warning.
"First Otani, now this?" she asked herself. She gathered all her things and went home, walking and wondering how come her week started becoming disastrous towards her.
A/N: I'm not really sure how modeling agencies work, so pardon for my writing on this chapter. And yeah, I thought Mimi and Koizumi could be working on several photoshoots together. She entered some trouble here. I promise Otani's in the next chapter. :D Well, please R&R, no flames hopefully. Stay tuned for more!