Just as he had planned, Andy and I went to the cafe together. I'll tell you now, I was not expecting it to be...
A cat cafe.
As soon as we walked in, at least five furry heads shot up to look at us. Heh, should've expected this really. I shove my hands into my windbreaker's pockets and take a seat at a booth. Almost immediately after, two Siamese cats strut over. One laying in my lap while the other curled up into a ball by my side--like it was the most natural thing for them to do; and maybe it was.
"Heh, seems like you've made new fans." Andy chuckles, taking a seat opposite of me. A lithe Bengal cat following after him. I smirk, "Looks like you've got one too." Andy starts to stroke the cat, ignoring me completely. I pout; but to be fair, I get distracted playing with cats too.
My eyes idly scan over the cafe's interior--it was a quaint little shop, with warm wood-coloured walls, and some wooden furniture. It had a rustic, homey feel to it. They were a few hanging pots of greenery as well as a fireplace in the corner--mostly for the adorable cats, seeing as how many of them were splayed out near it.
A waitress with honey blonde locks come up to us with a tray of food. One plate of omelette with a drizzle of sauce and another of tuna casserole with shreds of cheddar on top, along with a glass of warm milk and iced tea. I pull the omelette and tea towards, already knowing which dish was for who. Without a word, the lady strolls away.
Well, that was friendly!
I read a short prayer and start eating; while Andy is still distracted by his feline companion. But for such a small establishment, the food is super yummy! The tea is neither too sweet nor too bitter, and the omelette surprisingly had some pieces of roasted chicken in it. It struck a nice balance between savory and spicy. (Yes, it was actually quite spicy!)
After a few minutes of me eating, Andy finally manages to shift his attention to the food. He pets the cat one last time and starts eating as well--albeit with little fanfare, as to be expected. Vacantly, I give my agent a once-over.
His wavy pink hair slicked back with a simple black hairband and he wore clubmaster sunglasses-which were now neatly tucked away in his breast pocket. Andy loved to wear dark clothes; the kind that suspicious people would, or the type of ominous but wise characters in fantasy stories--the ones who are usually shrouded in fog and proclaims in an echoey voice, 'Be warned, Chosen One!'
But this time his clothes were more casual(?); well, casual-er than usual anyway.
He wore a simple grey silk shirt with a dark grey petticoat hanging off his shoulders--I'm surprised it hasn't fallen off yet. He finishes it off with a pair of black slacks and chukka boots.
Meanwhile, I just wore a simple windbreaker, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Oh and a cap and mask of course. I've lowered my mask, but kept my hat--I hope no one had noticed my face yet. The notion causes me to eat a little quicker.
"You're going to choke if you eat too fast," Andy states, eating his casserole with almost laughable focus. I swallow the food already in my mouth and start eating at a leisurely pace. It's nice.
I look around. That's when I spot how empty the cafe was; besides us, there was only a table with ol--I mean, elderly people having dinner. Other than them, I couldn't catch sight of any other patrons.
That's...depressing.
"Not many people notice this place--it's small and old-fashioned. Their food is wonderful, but there is no use if they have no customers." Andy sighs heavily, noticing my observation. I nod in accordance. "This place might go bankrupt," I mutter, biting my lower lip. Andy leans back against his chair.
His plate was squeaky-clean and so was his glass; so, he was now absently playing with a fork while his other hand strokes the head of a nearby cat. I swallow the last bite of the egg dish and drain the rest of my beverage.
"How is it?" Andy questions, eyes shifting to observe my reaction. "It's really good!" I exclaim, beaming. His lips quirk, in what I assume is an attempt at a smile. He rarely did, so the few times he does; means it's completely natural and unforced.
"Can we get--" I start, but he interrupts. This time a real smirk stretching his lips. "Already ahead of you." He waves over the waitress from before. She ambles her way to our table and places an assortment of desserts; pastries, cakes, and other baked goods.
My eyes widen, glittering in excitement. I lick my lips as my mouth starts to water.
"Don't overdo it, 'kay? Rosalind's gonna kill me, revive me then work me to death." Andy sighs, a hint of humour in his voice. But he was still understandably worried. Rosalind is my stylist. If I even so much as smudge a bit of my lipstick, she'll throw a large fit and starts screaming angrily. She's stupidly easy to piss off--just ruin her handiwork and boom! Instant outburst.
But outside of her work life, she is actually a pretty chill girl.
I stuff two bite-sized tarts into my mouth and give Andy a thumbs-up. He stares at me as I devour more of the desserts.
"I've already signed my death wish, haven't I?" Andy groans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And that's a wrap!" Herald--the head photographer--announces, claPping his hands once. All the other models sigh in relief as well as the other photographers. Unsurprising, we've been posing for at least three hours.
Today was a trial fashion show; since we have new models needing practice. I'm one of the few 'seniors' here, despite some of them being older than me. The real fashion show will be this weekend. Some of the girls are already anxious. Honestly, I'm not really that nervous about it--though to be fair, I've been doing this for years already.
"Icy!" The twins stride up to me. They're wearing matching navy blue suits with gold accents; except that the older twin wears a silk ruby tie while the other has a ribbon with the same shade of red--that, and the girl wore a pencil skirt instead of dress pants. Their clothes beautifully complemented their matching sky-blue locks. Another key difference between the two is their eye colours--one has pink lenses while the other has purple.
"Yes? Do you require my opinion? Or my assistance?" I question, gazing at the duo. Alexandria's phone starts ringing an annoyingly catchy tune, so she signals for her brother to elaborate. "The latter," he tells me. His usually cheery purple eyes now filled with solemnity--almost matching mine. Almost.
"On what matter?" I pursued further. The male sucks a deep breath and exhales slowly. "We're going to sponsor a concert; in exchange, the artist will be doing photoshops wearing our latest line. In fact, this will be a long-term contract."
I listen attentively as the designer continues to clarify the situation. Apparently, they want me to assist with the matter--try to convince the artist to sign the contract and make sure the occasion runs smoothly. Finally, Alexander heaves a heavy sigh.
"Are you alright with that?" He asks hopefully, doing 'puppy-dog eyes'. The male may be the older twin, but he has a younger face; while his sister always had a mature look. A humourous contrast, really.
"Sure," I mumble. The taller male jumps, punching the air in excitement. A smirk pulls at my lips. "Heh, you're really adorable sometimes, you know that?" I chuckle lightly. The male lowers his arm and stares at me owlishly. Then his face bursts into a red shade, his mouth gaping.
"Wh-what...?" He mutters intelligently, gawking. I raise a brow at his reaction. "I said--" I was about to repeat myself, but he quickly raises a hand to shush me. "I heard you!" He shrieks, high-pitched.
He takes a deep breath and the deep flush now fades into a mere dusting of pink on his cheeks.
Placing his hands on his hips, he huffs, "I'm not cute! I'm a man!" At that moment his sister returned. Noticing her brother's state, questions, "What happened?"
"Alexander is annoyed I called him cute," I explain simply. The younger twin peers at me for a moment then at her brother. Finally, she nods. "Well, you aren't wrong." She shrugs.
To which her brother splutters, looking aghast. "Hey! You're supposed to take my side!" He pouts, crossing his arms like a kid denied candy. The younger female rolls her eyes affectionately.
"Yeah, yeah." She waves away her brother's protests. "Anyways, we have a meeting to get to. Fubuki, go change." The woman orders, pointing to my dressing room. I nod and head the room with little fanfare. Once I close the door, I sag against it. My body aching from the posing--I was the 'star' so there were photos of me and less break time.
I inhale and exhale deeply for a good five minutes. After that, I stand up and change. I took off the frilly dress, my contact lens, and the four-inch heels. Placing them neatly on a rack, I put on my former outfit.
A dark ultramarine one-shouldered high-low dress with a lacy sleeve and violet trimmings around the bodice, paired with a pair of sleek knee-high boots. I hurriedly style my silver locks into a half-up bow combo--making sure to use my bangs to cover my blue-hued eye. I give my reflection a once-over. Once satisfied, I take my purse and stride out of the room.
As I approach the meeting room, I notice both the Britons pacing anxiously outside of it. "What is the matter?" I ask once I draw closer.
"The client is not here yet!" Alexander says, exasperated. His slicked-back hair now in disarray, a panicked look in his eyes. His sister was no better. Her usually neatly braided hair was now coming undone, flashes of anxiety in her eyes. "What if they canceled!? Check your email again, brother!" She commands. The older male whips out his phone in record time and quickly scrolls through it.
I sigh, a bit annoyed. These two really need to learn; learn that not everybody can come ten minutes early. Besides, the artist is just three minutes late after all. I guess they're the, 'fashionably late' type of person.
I grab the two by their collars and drag them into the meeting room. Throwing them on their respective chairs, I took a seat as well. A tense silence fills the room as the twins' grow more agitated; Alexandria playing with her fingers while her twin drummed his fingers restlessly.
I groan, rolling my eyes, and decide to break the silence--besides, a bit of conversation would help distract them. "So, who is the client?" The twins share a look. "He's a famous idol," Alexander states, seeming to calm down a little. Well, that was barely informative.
"He's Daybreaker!" The younger sister blurts out, squealing. Ah, that's why; it's understandable that they're nervous that such a person is a potential client. I don't really keep up with trends and the sort. but I do know a little about this idol.
His stage name is Daybreaker, he's seventeen, and a rising idol whose songs had been topping the charts recently. He has vibrant red hair with orange and gold highlights and a pair of eyes the colour of the sunset.
At least that's what Alexandria keeps saying. She's a big fan of the boy--judging on how she gushes over him almost all the time--so the fact he's a potential client, must've really excited but also unnerved her. Though I don't see what's the 'big deal', but not everyone has the same fears.
"Oh, that's...interesting," I utter, unsure what else to say. The older twin opens his mouth to speak, but gets cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps.
The twins stood up instantly, smoothing their clothes and hair. They each take a deep breath and it was as if their anxiety was exhaled along with the breath.
The Rosewood twins were now smiling, confidence radiating off them. If I hadn't known them for so long, I would've thought they were just acting; they weren't.
The door is pushed open and in steps a grim-looking man with cherry-pink locks. There was someone behind him but I couldn't see who it was. The pink-haired man was easily one of the tallest people I've met, though I've met taller.
"Greetings. I'm Alexander Rosewood and this is my twin sister, Alexandria. It's a pleasure to meet you." The male with sky-hued hair gives a charming grin, his twin beaming alongside him. The man's hooded eyes surveyed us for a moment before finally replying, "And to you."
He places one hand over his heart and does a quick bow. "I am Andrea Pyro Samson; Daybreaker's agent and PA," he adds gravely, before rising to his full height. The tall man peers intently at the Britons, who were fidgeting under the intense regard.
An exaggerated cough shatters the silence. "Um, Andy? Mind giving me a little space here?" A voice questions. The towering male immediately steps aside, letting another shorter boy enter. Out of instinct, I give his clothes a once over--as well as his companion.
The shorter male wore an orange-and-white windbreaker with denim jeans and trainers. The jeans were a dark shade of oxford blue while his shoes were black-and-white. He also wore a cap with a similar colour palette to his shoes. His agent had a dark but overall simple sense of fashion--with the confidence and looks to pull it off perfectly.
It took me a couple of minutes to realise everyone was staring at me. "H-hey, you." A shaky, almost fearful voice asks. I blink out my reverie and turn to look at the source; Daybreaker. His face was pale and he was quivering--like he had seen a ghost (my skin's probably white enough to rival one).
I narrow my eyes, ever so slightly. I'm certain I did not do anything that would warrant such a reaction. He points a trembling finger at me. "What's...y-your name?" He croaks out. His partner gives the shorter male an alarmed look, afraid of the state he's in--understandably so.
"Uhh," I trail off. Swallowing my nerves, I stand up and give a small polite smile. "My name is Fubuki Sutāraito," I did a little curtsy, my eyes downcast. I slowly look up into the two strangers'--well, not technically strangers anymore--eyes.
"I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr. Pyro, Mr. Daybreaker." I give them what I hope is a sincere smile. But by the way Daybreaker blanches further, eyes expanding so much I'm worried they might pop out, and how his trembling seemed to have gotten worse; I'd say, my hopes became a nightmare come to life.
"Daybreaker!" Said male's agent exclaims, placing a hand on the shorter male's shoulder. Mr. Pyro shakes his friend to snap out of it--but it was a fruitless effort. Causing him to curse out in frustration, his eyes coloured with agitation.
I chew my bottom lip, feeling a mixture of guilt, uncertainty, and confusion swirling inside me. Suddenly, I felt another emotion; fear. Fear of what might happen to the poor boy. Finally, I made a conclusion--standing here watching helps no one.
Following my intuition, I stride towards the two males. Once I'm a decent distance away--I'm afraid if I get too close, something worse will happen--I gently call out.
"Daybreaker?"
The male's eyes slowly shift to look at me. He stops babbling and just stands there, gazing at me as if he and I were the only beings who existed. I shake the thought out of my head and peer at him closely. He had somewhat calmed down, that's good.
"It's alright, 'kay? Everything is alright." The male nods along with my words. "Just take a deep breath, and exhale," I instructed, doing a small demonstration. The boy parrots my action, inhaling deeply before letting it out.
"Wonderful. Are you okay?" I watch him closely, waiting for a yes or no. The idol looks down at his feet for a minute. Finally, he gives a--hesitant but otherwise--affirmative nod. Everyone in the room breathes a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad you're okay, Daybreaker." I smile as tenderly as I could, hoping the boy will catch my sincerity. The idol's head snaps up to gaze at me, his bright amber eyes locking with mine. We stare at each other for what felt like an eternity. The male proceeds to gape at me, and I'm once again unsure of the reason.
"Daybreaker?" I murmur, not much louder than a whisper. The exact moment those words leave my mouth,
Daybreaker promptly passes out.