They were both slender beauties, with body proportions that'd make the common man drool.
Claudia stood to welcome them. "It really is a block Twelve reunion! Everyone's here!"
A smile unfurled on the lips of the beauty with light brown hair she put a hand on her hip, her maple eyes curving. "I know. Why didn't you invite us?"
"They only got stuck in block Twelve because their department didn't have any more rooms. Calling them block Twelve members when they weren't even part of the same department is a bit..." Mercredi felt disturbed and couldn't help voicing her opinion.
Her friends shot her confused looks.
Claudia's expression became nervous. "Although it's true they stayed with us for a year and a half...they were still our roommates, you know."
Ma Fen Ju's smile stretched. "I was joking. You're still so stiff, Eddie."
Mercredi frowned. "Eddie?"
"What? I can't even call you that?"
Fen Ju and Yuria were students of Pastel Academy from the beauty department. When their dorm "ran out of room" for them, the two were moved into their dorm and the girls became close. Although there were different departments to pursue their interests, building up one's career as a model was mandatory as a student of Pastel Academy, one wouldn't be allowed to graduate without a 365 paged portfolio, a 4-year summary yearbook. These portfolios were to be sold to families, and the public. The money would go to the graduates.
It was the Mademoiselle's idea of a fail-safe. Even if their real dream didn't pan out they could fall back on modeling or at least be paid a royalty every time their portfolio sells.
They were also paid for their modeling.
A modeling academy renowned for being founded by the timeless actress Begonia Zhu, naturally attracted a lot of attention, from rookie startups to brand name designers and random companies alike. So whenever gigs for brand name designers were publicized, a cold war broke out.
Between the rich and the scholarship students of Pastel Academy.
Scholarship students like Mercredi, Jisoo, and Mei Ling had to work hard to build their resumes. Modeling for brand name designers would dramatically increase their worth and frankly, students who came from rich families like Fen Ju and Yuria didn't need it nor the pay that came with it.
[ "Coach with all due respect, Yuria doesn't deserve that position! She only recently transferred to this school so it's unfair she get the opportunity when everyone's been working so hard!" The declaration had everyone staring.
Before the head coach could even respond Fen Ju did.
It was no secret that Yuria and Mercredi never got along. It was never acknowledged but perhaps amped by this history Fen Ju snapped at her.
"Then who deserves it? A fatass like you? Don't you know what the industry values or have you been feeding yourself some kind of delusion that obesity sells like in the states? Yuria was chosen for the award because of her beauty and talent. Which are all things you lack."
Mercredi's face reddened, as her fellow classmates guffawed at her harsh statement. She steeled herself to continue. "This isn't about me! I think that Jisoo-"
A hand touched her shoulder, Jisoo shook her head. Frustration and defeat shimmered in her eyes. She pulled her into a hug to hide her hot tears and whispered, her voice choked up.
"It's okay... Eddie, thank you!"]
Mercredi forced a smile. "... Don't do things you don't normally do. It's awkward."
Jisoo's current studied the label on her coffee cup.
Ma Fen Ju looked Mercredi over a genuine smile blossoming. "I'm sorry, when I saw you, I felt so proud of you I couldn't help it. You lost so much weight!"
The smiles at the table became strained.
Mei Lin licked the cream from her latte off her lips. "She was much bigger in the past. So saying that... It's as if you're saying Eddie had difficulty losing weight?"
"I'm not- why're you getting so sensitive?"
Jisoo wrapped her fingers around her cup and nodded. "You couldn't tell because you weren't with us for long. But throughout the four years we lived together she was always losing weight, she was at this by the end of our junior year..." She refrained from adding Mercredi was fairly slim around the time they met anyway.
"Ahhhh, I see. My bad. Now I look like an ass."
The air became so awkward Mercredi commented to keep the peace.
"It's okay, you didn't room with us for that long after all."
Ma Fen Ju blinked. It was as if she was clarifying they weren't close.
Claudia readily added. "I do get what you mean by feeling proud though, Mercredi always worked so hard, I felt like if I wasn't careful she'd leave me behind."
"Right?"
She could feel that person's gaze on her.
Qiu Lu Yuria or Lu Yuria as she currently goes by. Her ink black hair was in a loose braid swept off the side of her shoulder. An elegant beauty that could halt traffic, and make all heads pivot in her direction.
Claudia stood once more this time to offer up her seat. "Why don't you two sit down?"
"No need."
"Huh? But I'm curious how everyone's been doing, It's not everyday we get to see each other!" Fen Ju pouted.
Seeing her like that Yuria reluctantly caved.
More chairs were added to the table and the six talked.
Fen Ju was a pianist, some of her pieces could be heard in historical dramas and movies guessing which one became a fun activity among the group.
Meanwhile, Yuria was a model/ actress. Judging from the way everyone behaved around her she must be doing well.
Yuria and Mercredi spoke to everyone else but each other. It was always like that, but Claudia and Fen Ju took it upon themselves to bring up topics to force them to talk.
"Yuria has a role to play a patisserie chef in her next drama."
"Oooh! Mercredi you could teach her how to bake!"
"It's alright, the food will already be prepared onset for the drama and I've already been taking lessons."
"Eh..." The air became stiff. Claudia and Fen Ju exchanged awkward looks.
"Ah, that reminds me. We were looking for bakeries and patisseries to partner with. Eddie, would you like to partner with me?" Mei Lin asked.
"Hmmm?"
"Our store has expanded into a market now, we were thinking of partnering with some bakeries and patisseries."
"We?" Fen Ju echoed.
"She manages her business with her husband." Claudia explained.
"What? Why wasn't I invited to a wedding?"
"You were on tour. I didn't want to bother you, it was supposed to be a small wedding, with only close friends and family, I couldn't afford a big one."
"I always thought we were close!" She suddenly turned to ask Mercredi. "What about you?"
It was true, Mei Ling and Fen Ju had gotten extremely close during their short stay. Why did she specifically choose to ask her?
Before she could answer Mei Ling laughed.
"Eddie and the headmaster took care of the catering, naturally they would be there. I still have pictures of the wedding cake on my phone...want to see?"
Jisoo looked for somewhere to crawl as she felt the air change but she was locked in the same booth seat next to Mei Ling, this dense idiot. "Ugh, don't get her started."
Fen Ju's eyes glittered. "Hold on! I have so many questions. The headmaster attended your wedding? Why? Where did you meet your husband? What does he look like?"
Jisoo rolled her eyes to the heavens as Mei Ling leaned forward her eyes glittering back. "Well, I asked Mercredi to bake the stuff originally, since catering was expensive. We were just going to have a quiet wedding..." Mei Ling looked to Mercredi to ask for help.
"No need to think too much. She was my former roommate and the groom was Mr. Du's relative. She simply took interest and high jacked the wedding. Also I didn't make everything alone. I worked with the kitchen staff!"
Mei Ling's eyes shimmered with moisture. "I'm still so grateful, weddings are so expensive, I don't think I'll ever forget that experience, I felt like a celebrity! I'll be forever indebted to her, and to you for helping me make such a beautiful memory. If I weren't your friend the headmistress wouldn't have been so generous."
Mercredi wanted to deny it. But she couldn't find the words to refute, not right away.
Questions signs hung over the heads of Ma Fen Ju and Yuria, they had moved back to their dorms during the middle of Junior year so they didn't know their relationship.
"The Madame has always been a charitable person. If she wasn't she wouldn't have founded Pastel Academy. She helped because she heard of your story, and found you pitiful. Not because of your connection to me. You're also one of her students you know."
Mei Ling's eyes moistened.
Jisoo sighed. "I simply saw it as the headmistress helping Eddie help you. Why put so much thought into whether she would or wouldn't have done it for someone else? She's not a super woman, Mei Mei. And it's true the Headmistress is charitable, she's always looking for a way to help others."
Claudia nodded. "Mmm-mmmm. Don't make things awkward."
"Was I making you feel awkward?" Mei Ling wiped a tear from her eye. "Sorry, Eddie."
"... It's okay." Jisoo's commentary surprised her. At the wedding they all seemed to think something similar, explaining the headmistress reason for involvement was really hard back then.
"This is why I tell her not to talk about this stuff..." Jisoo looked tired all of a sudden but she rubbed Mei Ling's back as she wiped at her tears anyway.
The girls talked until sunset.
The setting sun caught all their attention.
"Is it that time already?"
"Time flies. Jisoo made a face. "I have to go back..:" She sighed."My family's there but all my friends are here. I'll miss you guys." They saw her off outside. Her van and manager already waiting.
Mercredi was already missing her, between the three, she was the most reasonable but more importantly she wasn't that close to Ma Fen Ju and Yuria, with how well the others are getting along, Mercredi feared she may be seeing more of them.
In the end, they never got to hear what Jisoo came to China for. They would see her face on billboards promoting a new line of foundation for a well-known makeup brand for the next following month.
In the end, the one to win the battle in the long run.
Mercredi couldn't help feeling proud, and the slight grudge she felt finally melted.