A/N: I'm back baby! Been gone a looooooooooooooooong time and I'm back and hopefully better than ever!
Disclaimer: I don't own Lovely Complex and if I did I'd make a 2nd season in the anime. X3
Notes: Italic: Thoughts
JAPANESE WORDS/PHRASES:
1. Gomen nasai/Gomen = I'm sorry
2. Doushita no = What happened?
3. Daijyoubu = It's alright
4. Datte = But
5. Senpai = A person you call who holds a higher position
6. Hai = Yes
7. Nani = What
Chapter 1: Suggestion...Decision
It had been two years since the Love*Com gang had graduated from high school. Everyone had gone to college to do their own thing. Koizumi Risa decided to go to a tech college in order to become a stylist. Along the way, she had become Mimi's, Otani's neighbor, stylists' apprentice, an internship that she had luckily stumbled upon. Of course, Otani Atsushi was still at Uni studying to become a coach.
The couple hadn't had much time to see each other; most of their "couple time" was spent on the phone or online chatting. It seemed that school was taking its toll on the couple's relationship; however, that was all going to change. Summer vacation was just around the corner and Risa couldn't wait to spend some real quality time with her boyfriend. That is, if their jobs didn't get in the way.
Risa sighed as cameras clicked and flashed in the background. It was another photo shoot to show off the new trends for the summer with Mimi as the head model. Risa looked on as the said girl posed in the outfit she actually arranged. Sometimes, Mimi's stylist, Nakahara-san, would let her pick out the outfits. So far, the crew had no qualms with what she'd picked; in fact some were fairly impressed. For an undergraduate to have been given such a privilege to show off self-made designs to be issued in magazines was quite rare.
Looking on at the dark-haired, Risa once again sighed. Secretly, she envied the model, her body; although the same stature as her own was more graceful and petite. Even her looks; she had the right amount of cuteness with a slight hint of sex appeal to make any male's head turn. Another set of aspects she lacked cuteness and sex appeal.
She could recall last summer when she had briefly met Otani's Uni friends. The girls he had hung out with were gorgeous and far more attractive than her. However, she'd learned that despite him being around cute, sexy women, he only had eyes for her, even reassured her of that. That should have ended there, but she still couldn't shake off her uneasiness. Then she remembered back when she and Otani had seen Mimi work, and how she got pulled into modeling alongside the young pro. Her wavy hair, make-up, and attire had left the two speechless. She smiled at the memory; Otani couldn't believe it was her; his blushing face was so adorable. That too, was the only time he had called her cute.
Sighing for a third time, she looked at the ground, not noticing the raven-haired girl walking toward her.
"Oi, old hag!" Mimi yelled. "Quit daydreaming about At-chan and help out."
However, her insult and order fell on deaf ears.
"Hello~! Helloooo~!"
This lack of response made the young girl angry. "KOIZUMI!"
"AHHHH!" the said girl jumped five feet into the air. "Nani? Doushita no?"
"Are you even paying attention?" Mimi stomped, thoroughly pissed. "You know, there are plenty of people out there who'd kill to be in your shoes. If you aren't going to take this job seriously then g-"
"Gomen nasai," she interrupted, head bowed. "I'm really sorry, it won't happen again."
Mimi stood quietly looking on. She noticed the girl had been off, so to speak. Lately, she seemed...distracted, not that she really cared about her. She could never do such a thing; this girl had taken her At-chan from her and hit her! But somehow, she couldn't help but feel concerned for her; after all, it as messing with her job. Not to mention, the crew had taken a liking to her in such a short time.
"Boss," she called out. "Let's take ten."
"Okay," a rugged man replied. "But only ten, we still got lots to do."
"Hai~!" she smiled, and then turned to the still semi-crouched girl.
"Oi, stand up."
Risa did so, though her eyes were hidden from view.
"Let's go, our lunch is in the trailer."
She turned making her way inside, Risa not too far behind.
"What's with you?" Mimi exclaimed taking a sip of her soda. "You've been acting funny recently and well…everyone's concerned."
Truthfully, it was only her, but she would never admit that.
"Nothing," replied Risa nibbling her sandwich.
"Bullshit! Your whole presence is practically screaming negativity. What is it? At-chan? You miss him? You guys have another fight? Or did he finally get a clue and dump you?"
The elder remained silent.
The younger snorted smirking. "I bet that's it, he finally realized that an unattractive old hag just wasn't worthy of his time and energy."
A lone tear fell down the elder's cheek. "You're right."
"Huh?"
The elder laughed halfheartedly. "Why should he have to bother with someone like me? I'm not cute or sexy; there are plenty of other girls better than me. I'm weird, a klutz, and an idiot, but he still…"
The elder dropped her sandwich, covered her face and wept; completely catching the model off guard. She had only wanted to get some kind of reaction out of her. She didn't intend on hurting the poor gal, let alone upsetting her.
"Mimi-chan, time to start- Koizumi-san!" Nakahara entered running up to her apprentice. "Doushita no? Koizumi-san? Mimi-chan, what happened?"
The said girl jumped; awakening from her trance. "Nothing! S-she just started crying out of the blue!"
The stylist looked at her broken internee, then to the model.
"Mimi-chan, they need you to redo a couple of your shoots, the lighting wasn't good enough for the director. I'll have your next outfit ready as soon as you come back."
"Hai," she answered making her way back outside, but not before glancing at her ex-rival.
'Idiot, are you really so dense?'
Once the model was gone, the stylist looked to her next task; her internee.
"Koizumi-san," Nakahara murmured wrapping her arms around the distraught girl. "What's wrong? Did Mimi-chan do something to you? Did she say something bad?"
The sobbing girl only shook her head and continued weeping.
"Then what's going on?"
Again, she received no reply, just a simple head shake. The stylist decided to leave her to herself for a bit as she continued her work. Once the shoot was over, Risa had stopped crying, reduced to only red eyes with the occasional sniff.
"Better?" Nakahara smiled.
"Hai," she nodded. "Gomen. I'm really sorry. I made you and Mimi-chan worry. I'm nothing but trouble."
"Aww, daijyoubu," her boss smiled, patting her arm. "Doushita no?"
Risa explained to her all that was on her mind, to which her mentor laughed a little.
"That's what you're worried about?"
"Datte, what if he-"
"Koizumi-san, this Otani sounds like a nice guy and I think he really does care about you. I don't think something like looks would matter to him. I mean would he have stayed with you this long if that were that case?"
"No."
"Then what's really the problem?"
"I guess I'm just….I want to…I don't know."
Nakahara looked at her junior. "It seems to me you're a little insecure about yourself; appearance-wise. And I think this little insecurity is making you have all these ridiculous doubts."
"Huh?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that you don't fully like yourself. You want to be more cute and sexy for your boyfriend, so he'll only have eyes for you. Am I right?"
"I-I guess so."
'Risa-kun, don't you see he loves you the way you are.' That's what the stylist wanted to say, but she kept it to herself. She needed to find this out on her own. This gave the stylist an idea.
"How 'bout a change?"
The younger of the two looked at her senpai. "Nani?"
"How about we give you a makeover? You've already got the style-smarts, we've just gotta tweak them a bit to give you more of a cute n' sexy outlook. Whatcha think? It'd be just the thing to boost your confidence and kiss those doubts good-bye."
"I…I don't know."
A makeover? Her? Was it even possible she pondered or even logical.
"Think of it as a test, it doesn't have to be permanent."
Again, the junior looked at her boss confused.
"You're worried that you're not good enough for this guy because you think you don't have the "stuff" other chicks have. But, I see a beautiful, sexy woman inside just waitin' to burst out of that shell. We just gotta help bring her out. What d'ya say?"
Risa pondered it over a bit. It couldn't hurt to try could it? And summer vacation was just around the corner, maybe a new look would suit her.
'Maybe, maybe Otani will call me cute again. After all, it isn't permanent what've I got to lose?'
Smiling, Risa turned to her mentor. "Let's do it."
"Alright! When we're through, he won't know what to do with himself….or you."
"N-N-N-Nakahara-san!" Risa blushed as they made their way back to the studio.
'Look out Otani; you're gonna see a new me.'
That's all I got for now. Please Review! XD