The tension from the battle, which had been frightening, now faded into a mere detail for Kaoru and Hitomi, who worked while getting on each other's nerves through sharp, angry glances. Megumi stayed in the middle, listening to her mentor's complaints and trying to calm things down.
The male model for the shoot was finally ready, and with the photo plan aligned, he could pay attention to his surroundings. He finally noticed the newcomer and walked toward her.
"You're the new model everyone's been talking about?" he greeted, raising his hand. "My name's Will, we'll be working together! I'm sure we'll get along."
Will was charming, his voice deep and smooth. His blue eyes met Megumi's gently. The way he carried himself stirred something in her, and she introduced herself, automatically resting her hand over his.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Megumi!" he said, delicately holding her fingertips as he bowed like a gentleman.
The young model's cheeks flushed, and for a moment her heart beat faster because of that dark-haired man.
Watching the scene was Kaoru, arms crossed, until he decided to leave, taking his expression of disgust with him. "Waste of time," he muttered to himself.
"READY? LET'S BEGIN!" called the section lead.
Lights, spotlights, and flashes were all set. The setting was cold, a house with concrete walls and gray tones, where a brown leather sofa and a few plants brought some warmth. The three models would act together in this set, wearing Spring/Summer outfits, taking advantage of the pieces presented in the runway shows.
The conceptual catalog production was expensive, and the location was luxurious. Hitomi was the most valuable model in the market, with several campaigns in the spotlight. Besides the trio and individual shots, some paired interaction shots were also taken.
"Hmm… You smell nice…" Will whispered into Megumi's ear during the shoot.
Unable to show anything in front of the cameras, she held her discomfort inside. She felt her spine go cold and a bitter taste rise in her throat.
"BREAK! FIRST PART DONE!" announced the lead.
That was the newcomer model's cue, and she took the chance to step away. But the model didn't give up.
"Hey, Megumi!" Will called, heading toward her.
"Hi, Will. What can I help you with?" she turned to him.
"How about dinner tonight?"
Kaoru and the stylist were nearby, talking, clearly bothered. He held a newspaper, the headlines about the incident at the mall. The articles were sensationalist, feeding off the tragedy, speculating about who was to blame. Some of the more dramatic ones even hinted at some kind of divine punishment against clothing companies.
Even with all that on his mind, Kaoru couldn't ignore the model's advances and stepped into their conversation.
"Is there a problem with the newcomer, Will?"
"Nothing, Kaoru. We're just talking." The man's gallant posture quickly faded, and he replied awkwardly to Mr. Vacchiano.
"Your work here is done. Hers isn't. Find another time to talk. Right now you're getting in the way."
Will's face hardened, and a dark, defiant aura took over his eyes as he stared coldly at Kaoru. It was as if he had become someone else.
"That newspaper about yesterday's runway incident? The loss must've been huge for you to be in such a rush," Will replied, a provocative smile on his face.
At that moment, Kaoru Vacchiano felt uneasy. He wasn't wrong. The losses had been enormous, and that wasn't something Kaoru liked. To avoid the subject, he turned his back on Will and addressed the rest of the studio.
"Everyone back to set. Let's keep working on schedule."
The shoot lasted hours. Megumi and Hitomi photographed the entire collection for the commercial catalog. Usually brands hired cheaper models for retailer catalogs, but not Vacchiano. They always worked with the best in the market.
At the end of the shoot, Megumi picked up her bags and boarded a bus back to her city, reflective about the week's events.
April 20, M School, break time
In the commotion of recess, two teenagers had found a quiet place to share something with each other. The bleachers of the semi-covered court were perfect, and there they were, as if about to reveal something important.
Adonis and Miyu held stapled sheets close to their bodies, preventing the other from seeing. A light tension hung in the air, anticipation, until he broke the silence.
"Alright, on three we show our scores and see who pays for the ice cream."
"Okay, let's go!" Miyu nodded.
1
2
3
"TA-DA!!!"
They showed their scores at the same time. Miyu got 94, Adonis 91, out of 100.
"Look! I won!" Miyu celebrated.
"What!? That's not fair! You're a year younger, your test was easier!"
"Hey… no excuses. You're older, so you've had one more year to study than me!"
Adonis had no answer. Against facts, there was no argument.
"Alright, but let's settle this now! Today at 3 PM, at the ice cream shop on the boardwalk downtown."
"What? Today, already!? But…"
"I'd rather get it done quickly so things don't pile up."
"Okay… makes sense. See you this afternoon…"
Sayuri's house, early afternoon
The afternoon promised sunshine. Autumn days weren't too cold, nor too hot, and choosing an outfit for going out was always something to think about.
But today it wasn't just the weather influencing Miyu's indecision. The bed was covered with clothes she kept trying on, checking which looked better.
Akiko lay on her stomach on the bed, kicking her feet in the air, face resting on her hands, until she decided to ask:
"Pretty! Where are you going?"
"I'm going out for ice cream," Miyu replied while fixing her earrings.
"With who?"
"I'm going alone."
"Alright then," Akiko said, noticing her friend was being evasive.
Miyu ended up choosing a dress and a light bolero, graceful and perfect for the season.
Koa's house, early afternoon
At the apartment where Koa and Adonis lived, the preparations weren't much different. The boy looked at his closet with disdain, hanger by hanger, piece by piece, but nothing pleased him.
He slammed the closet doors shut. In a split second, an idea crossed his mind. He turned, staring at nothing, planning.
He slowly walked to his bedroom door and peeked into the hallway. Seeing it was clear, he ran to Koa's room and started going through his closet.
"Koa's got some nice clothes," he murmured.
He picked a black shirt and some chain accessories. He was already wearing pants less baggy than his usual school ones. He grabbed a leather jacket and put on the sneakers he got for his birthday.
To leave the room, he peeked again. He knew Koa was in the living room, but hoped he might be asleep. Then he hurried and ran toward the door.
"Adonis."
He wasn't lucky. Koa was fully awake, sitting on the couch. Startled, Adonis turned and began to explain, his voice shaky.
"Ah, Koa, I took—"
"Tie your hair. You'll look less like a kid."
The boy was confused. He had been ready for a scolding for "raiding" the closet. He turned and tied his hair, thankful for the suggestion.
"Have a good date," Koa said, looking at him before turning away.
At that moment, the red-haired boy felt his inner panic grow. He was in shock, unable to explain himself.
Ice cream shop, 2:45 PM
On the downtown boardwalk, near the fountain, there were several stores and snack spots, including two ice cream shops. One of them was their meeting point.
Adonis had been waiting for ten minutes, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, one leg bent. A posture both relaxed and tense. It was the first time he had arranged to go out with someone, especially a girl.
Fifteen minutes early, Miyu walked calmly, until she spotted him and quickened her pace. When they stood face to face, she greeted him.
"Hi! Did you wait long?"
"No, I just got here."
He didn't mention he'd arrived much earlier.
After that, Miyu could really take in how he was dressed. She looked him up and down, stopping again at his eyes.
"You look different! It suits you. You should dress like this more often."
Adonis was surprised. He wasn't expecting that. His face flushed, he looked up, scratched his head, one hand on his waist, shy.
"Thanks! You look pretty too!"
"What?" Miyu asked, now blushing.
"Well, let's get a big tub of ice cream! Go all out! No holding back, you can eat!" he cut the moment, wanting to enjoy it fully since he was paying.
"WHAT!?"
They served themselves. Adonis picked many flavors, Miyu only a few, wanting to taste each properly. They sat together on a bench facing the fountain.
At first, silence filled the outing. Autumn there was windy, with alternating warm and cold days. That hot afternoon, it was better to eat before it melted.
"Hey, shorty, you like reading, right?" Adonis asked.
"I do… stop calling me short…"
"But you are short! What's the problem?"
"Okay… fine…"
"Do you like someone?"
It felt like he had been waiting for the right moment. The question came out of nowhere. Miyu stiffened, startled.
"What? No! That's a waste of time, we need to study."
"Hmm… Miyu… those rumors… that time…"
The words came out without much thought, making him nervous, struggling to speak smoothly.
"Forget it! That's already over…" Miyu cut him off.
Her words had the opposite effect. He grew even more nervous. His legs trembled, and he tried to steady them with his hands.
"It's just… I've been thinking…" he said, voice shaking.
He realized he couldn't say what he needed. There were no words.
Adonis turned toward her, looking into her eyes, his expression determined.
He leaned closer, placed his hands on her cheeks, and kissed her, slightly trembling, but gentle.
She was surprised, but didn't resist or pull away. For the first time, her heart beat faster.