Shizuka the Fashionista Part 1

Chapter 2

Shizuka and Yuki meet the up-and-coming idol singer, Nana, who turns their lives upside down.

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Yuki's alarm went off early in the morning, before sunrise. She jumped out of bed and got dressed. Shizuka was already awake and getting ready. Yuki was glad she didn't have to wake her friend up. She got dressed and went through her personal items.
"Ready?" Yuki asked.
"Yes," Shizuka said, staring at her closet.
They headed to the hotel, a ten minute walk from the train station. When they arrived, the two got ready in the hotel room that was set aside for them to make their preparations for the shoot. 
Shizuka fidgeted with the delicate lace trim of her violet maid outfit. The sheer pantyhose whispered against her skin, and the smooth gloves felt like a second skin. In the mirror, her reflection twinkled with conflicting emotions: a playful glint in her eyes, a hesitant tug at the corners of her lips. 
"I'll never get used to this," she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.
"It's just a costume, Shizuka," Yuki chirped from across the room, her camera humming in anticipation. "Think of it as your canvas for today's art."
Shizuka huffed, a playful pout dancing on her lips. "Easy for you to say, you're not the one under the spotlight." With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she flopped onto the bed, the skirt billowing around her like a violet cloud. Sunlight filtering through the curtains painted fleeting patterns on the wall, catching the tiny silver bell adorning her ankle bracelet.
Yuki laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Alright, alright," she conceded, her voice warm. "But remember, you're the star today. Let's make them see the magic you bring to life."
The playful banter continued as Yuki checked her equipment, her excitement bubbling over. They walked out the door and headed back to the hotel lobby. The hotel, with its grand facade, seemed to hum with anticipation.
"Here it is," Yuki announced, her voice buzzing with nervous energy.
Shizuka followed her, stepping into the deserted maid cafe. The maid cafe was attached to the hotel and paid for a print ad, so Yuki wanted Shizuka to wear one of the uniforms. The air hung heavy with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and pastries, a stark contrast to the usual cacophony of laughter and chatter. The tables were dressed in crisp white linens, teacups and saucers gleaming in the dim light.
"Just do your pose and I'll take the pictures," Yuki instructed, her fingers already dancing across the camera settings. "We'll do several to give our client more options."
Shizuka nodded, the excitement finally settling into her bones. She took a deep breath, letting the scent of the cafe fill her lungs, and then, with a flick of her wrist, she raised a feather duster, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
The shoot flowed like a dream. Shizuka, transformed into a playful yet elegant maid, posed amidst the gleaming teacups and vintage furniture. Yuki captured her every nuance, the playful glint in her eyes, the gentle curve of her smile, the way the light danced on the silk of her dress.
As Shizuka posed on a plush armchair, Yuki crouched low, capturing the delicate tilt of her head, the way the light caught the tiny silver bell on her ankle bracelet. A sudden giggle escaped Shizuka's lips, and Yuki, her heart soaring, captured the moment in a single frame.
"That's it!" Yuki exclaimed, a triumphant grin splitting her face. "That's the one!"
Shizuka, cheeks flushed with exhilaration, peered at the camera screen. "Wow," she whispered, her voice filled with awe. "You make me look... beautiful."
Yuki's smile softened. "You are beautiful, Shizuka. And this," she gestured to the screen, "this is just a glimpse of the magic you hold within."
As the sun began to peek through the cafe windows, casting long shadows across the room, they finished the shoot. The two headed back to the hotel room so Yuki could pack her things and Shizuka could change out of the maid outfit, satisfied they did a good job.
----
Yuki and Shizuka showed up at Arisa's office the next morning. Arisa already delivered the photographs Yuki took at the maid cafe.
"The client liked your pictures," Arisa said. "They already picked out what they wanted to use."
"Oh, that's great!" Yuki said, excited.
"Let me tell you about our next job," Arisa began. "We're going to be taking pictures of a new idol singer named Nana. She's really cute. I think you'll like her," Arisa insisted.
Yuki and Shizuka nodded.
"That doesn't sound like something you need a model for," Shizuka pointed out. 
"It's not," Arisa agreed. "Yuki will be handling photography of Nana. You could help her. Maybe you can show Nana how it's done."
"Great!" Yuki said, looking forward to it.
"I'm always up for a new challenge," Shizuka said.
"Then it's settled," Arisa said.
----
Yuki and Shizuka met with Nana a few days later in the office's studio. They imagined Nana was a teenager with a spunky personality and wild-colored hair.  Instead, they found a timid young woman wearing glasses. Her hair was straight, black and tied in a braid.
"My name is Nana," the teenager said, extending her hand. 
"Nice to meet you."
"Is this your first time?" Arisa asked.
"Yeah, it is." The idol bowed politely. "I am very new at this. My manager says this is going to be for my new single."
"Well, let's go to the set and do a few practice shots," Yuki suggested. "That way we know how to prepare for the real shoot."
"Okay," Nana said, beaming.
Yuki took Nana's hand. "You ready?"
Nana nodded.
Yuki led the idol to an empty set, followed by Shizuka.  Nana bit her lip nervously. 
"Relax, it will be fun," Yuki said. "You're going to love it."
"I'm a little scared," Nana admitted in a small voice.
"It's okay," Yuki said. "I am."
Nana tried to smile, but her mouth trembled. 
Shizuka rolled her eyes. She couldn't take it anymore. "Hey Nana, I'll give you a piece of advice.  When you're on stage, always remember to look down at your fans. They are there for you, and you are there for them. When Yuki takes your pictures, imagine you're doing it in front of your fans. You don't want to disappoint your fans."
Nana nodded. "I will remember. Thank you for the advice."
Yuki laughed. "Let's get some shots in now, shall we?"
Yuki and Shizuka sat on chairs, waiting for Nana to change into her costume. When she emerged they were amazed at her transformation.
Nana walked into the set wearing a revealing, tight black dress and fishnet stockings. She flashed a seductive smile. Her black hair was wild and curly, framing her angelic face. Her black painted fingernails were long and slender.
Nana approached Yuki and clung to her leg. "You like it? I wanted it to be you," she said shyly.
Yuki nodded quickly, blushing. "I like it."
Nana beamed and jumped up to show off her new outfit. She strutted around in a pair of black stilettos. 
"Okay, one more time. Let's try it," Yuki said.
Nana smiled and took Yuki's hand. 
"Don't be nervous. You're going to do great," Yuki said.
Nana nodded. "I won't disappoint you."
"That's the spirit," Yuki said. "Okay, let's take a few shots."
Nana smiled and posed. Yuki and Shizuka took her picture.
"Okay, that's great. You did a wonderful job," Yuki said.
Nana beamed. "You think so?"
"I do."
"I'm glad," Nana said. "We're going to have some fun tomorrow."
----
The next day, Nana sashayed onto the set with her entourage, a flurry of energy against the meticulously crafted backdrop. Her short black dress hugged every curve, and her windblown hair framed eyes blazing with ambition.
"Alright, let's capture some fire!" Yuki declared, her camera itching for action.
Nana took center stage, arms outstretched towards the lens. "I'm Nana," she bellowed, her voice vibrating with star-studded dreams, "and I'm about to ignite the sky!"
Click. Click. Yuki's camera danced around her, capturing the electricity in Nana's every pose. Then, a mischievous glint flickered in Nana's eyes. She spun, the black fabric swirling like a miniature nebula, and shouted, "Shooting Star is burning up the charts! Grab your copy before it disappears!"
Click. Click. Click. Yuki relished the spontaneous energy, the unfiltered passion that poured from Nana like a supernova.
Suddenly, Nana burst into a bouncing rhythm, hips shaking, hair flipping, all while chanting, "Buy my single! Buy my single! Unleash the Shooting Star!"
Yuki chuckled, raising her camera again. This raw, unscripted side of Nana was pure gold.
Next, Nana's gaze turned smoldering as she leaned into the lens, whispering promises of electrifying performances at Budokan. "Come scream your names with me tomorrow!"
"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Yuki assured her, capturing the fierce glint in Nana's eyes.
Finally, Nana exploded into a torrent of love, showering the camera with air kisses and shouts of "I love you! You're my stars!"
By the time she flopped onto the couch, Nana was panting, a firebrand spent yet exhilarated. Yuki, breathless from excitement, joined her, showing her the captured moments on the screen.
"These are beyond epic, Yuki!" Nana exclaimed, her eyes wide with pride. "You caught my soul on fire!"
Yuki grinned. "You're a supernova waiting to light up the universe."
Nana laughed, a sound that echoed through the set, a reminder of the infectious, unapologetic energy that made her a star. 
"I love you, Yuki," she said, jumping up from the couch. "We'll be be doing the outdoor shots later. I'm going to take a break." With that, Nana ran off.
"She sure has a lot of energy," Yuki muttered under her breath. She was unsure which Nana was the real one.
----
Yuki went to the outdoor set with Shizuka, which was set up at a nearby park. She went out to do a shot of the scenery. She took a deep breath in the fresh air. She glanced at the clear blue sky. She glanced at the buildings in the distance. She took another breath.
When she came back to the set Nana and the rest of the crew were waiting for her. 
"Okay, let's take a few shots," Yuki said.
The idol stood in front of the park fountain, her feet spread apart and her hands at her hips. She flashed a sly grin as her hair blew in the wind.  She spread her arms to the side. "I'm Nana," she said.
"Okay, let's do it," Yuki said.
Nana stepped forward, walking in a straight line towards the camera. Her legs danced seductively. She grabbed her hair and pulled it back. She looked up at the camera and winked. She pouted. She shook her hips. "You want me... You want me bad!" she said.
Yuki's camera flashed.
Nana threw her head back and let out a squeal of laughter. Then she pouted again and threw her hands up in the air. She ran off the set.
Yuki looked at Shizuka and shrugged. "What a diva," she said.
"Some people might find it cute," Shizuka replied.
Nana returned with a bottle of water. She squirted some into Yuki's mouth. "Drink this, Yuki," she said.
"Why?" Yuki asked. "I don't want it."
"It will make you more hydrated."
"Okay," Yuki said. "I need to get this shot."
Nana rolled her eyes, and turned around to stand by the fountain again. Yuki squirted the water into her mouth.
"This is a bit of a boring shot," Yuki said. "Let's try again."
"All right."
Nana turned around and walked up to the camera. She stood in front of it, winking. Then she started to do a twirl. She put her hands on her hips. She threw her head back. She pouted. And then she jumped in the fountain and started kicking up water. 
Yuki lowered her camera, but Nana's manager insisted she keep on shooting.
The idol sat down in the fountain, then let the water hit her head. She splashed and tossed in the fountain until she was soaking wet. Yuki captured as much of the moments as she could while the manager shouted encouragement.
When Nana was finished, she stepped out of the fountain and shook herself. 
"Can I get one of you with me?" Nana asked.
"Sure," Yuki said. She handed her camera to Shizuka. 
"Great!"
Nana walked over to the photographer. Shizuka and the rest of the crew watched as she posed with Yuki. When the shot was complete, the crew rushed over to Nana. She turned around, smiling. She gave them a thumbs up.
Yuki walked back to Shizuka. "She's a whirlwind."
"Yeah," agreed Shizuka. "It's hard to keep up with something like that."
They walked back to Moon River to process the footage, leaving the crew behind to dismantle the set. Shizuka went back to Arisa's office while Yuki waited around on the shooting set where they shot Nana earlier in the day.
Nana approached her, her hair still damp and her black dress still dripping from her play in the fountain. Her makeup on her face was smeared, but she didn't appear to mind.
"Are you okay?" Yuki asked, concerned for Nana.
"Yeah. You know what? I'm awesome!"
"You sure are," Yuki said.
Nana grabbed her hands. "You're awesome, too!"
"I guess that makes us partners," Yuki said, smiling.
"I guess it does," Nana said, smiling. 
They held hands silently, and looked at each other in the eyes.
"We should do this again," Nana said.
Yuki nodded in agreement. They continued to hold hands.
"I like you," Nana said.
"I like you, too," Yuki replied.
Nana looked into Yuki's eyes. "Do you want to go back to my hotel room?" she asked.
"Yes, I do," Yuki said.
They walked off the set and left the Moon River building. They entered the hotel where Nana was staying and quietly went to her room. They looked around to make sure nobody saw them.
Nana closed the door behind her. She smiled at Yuki. "I just wanted to see you in private, away from prying eyes." She walked over to Yuki and put a hand on her shoulder. "I wanted to tell you a secret."
"What's the secret?" Yuki asked.
"I want to make love to you," Nana replied.
Yuki looked into Nana's eyes. Nana's eyes were bright and beautiful. Yuki felt a rush of warmth run through her.
"Do you want to?" Yuki asked. Against her better judgment, she felt a rush of adrenaline and the desire that Nana exuded all day.
"Yes."
Nana took Yuki's hand and led her to the bed. Yuki followed Nana's led, and they made love.
After they finished, Nana collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. Yuki remained on top of the covers, staring at Nana. Nana's face was serene, peaceful. Yuki fell asleep next to Nana.
----
In the morning, Nana woke Yuki. Nana gently kissed Yuki on the cheek. "I had a great time," Nana said. "Thanks for making it special for me."
"I had a great time, too," Yuki said, smiling.
"Good," Nana replied, smiling.
They went back to the Moon River Talent Agency. Nana waved at Yuki and left, knowing she was going to get a scolding from her manager for disappearing without a word. Yuki sighed and walked back to Arisa's office, where she found Shizuka waiting for her.
"So I see you spent the night out," her friend said, her expression neutral. 
Yuki nodded, feeling her face positively glowing. "She was amazing."
"You do know you're ten years her senior?" Shizuka pointed out.
"I don't care!"
"You should care," Shizuka warned. "She is an idol singer, after all. She's not supposed to have a boyfriend or anything."
"Well, good think I'm not a boy," Yuki replied tersely. 
Shizuka blinked in surprise. She struggled to find the right words. "Yuki, I... you know, I'm worried about you."
"Yeah, I know."
Shizuka sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh fine. I just hope you know what you've gotten yourself into."
"Thanks."
"But you still should be careful."
"I know."
Shizuka left the office. Yuki sat down at her desk and started to work. She felt like she knew what she was doing. She knew being with Nana felt right. She idly wondered if being with Nana was making Shizuka jealous.
----
The next few days went by quickly for Yuki. She worked with Arisa, she photographed Shizuka, and she continued to visit Nana in her hotel room at night.
Yuki was falling more and more in love with Nana. She loved how passionate they were together. Yuki loved the way Nana made her feel. Yuki loved that Nana didn't care about her age. Nana was amazing.
On the twelfth day, Yuki received a message from Nana.
"Come to my room," Nana's message said.
Yuki smiled. Yuki hurried to Nana's room.
Nana met Yuki at the door wearing a kimono. "You look beautiful," Yuki said.
Nana blushed. "Thank you. You look... really beautiful." She stepped aside and let Yuki inside.
"I wanted to give you this," Nana said, handing Yuki a red velvet box.
"Oh, Nana! For me?" Yuki asked, beaming.
"Yes."
"Open it!" Yuki said, smiling.
Nana opened the box. Inside was a ring.
"It's beautiful," Yuki said. "It's perfect."
"I thought so."
Yuki smiled up at Nana. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome."
Yuki and Nana held hands, and they walked out of the hotel.
Later that evening, Nana and Yuki went to a karaoke place. 
"I don't know any songs," Yuki said, "But I'm sure we can think of something."
"I know a really cute one!" Nana said. "It's a pop song, so it might be a little harder to sing, but it's really cute."
"Let's do it!" Yuki said.
They went up to the stage and Yuki smiled nervously. "This is such an honor! I've never had the chance to sing on stage before!"
Nana smiled. "It's okay, we can do it."
"Okay, okay."
Yuki cleared her throat and started to sing.
Nana and Yuki sang their cute little hearts out.
They finished the song and the audience cheered.
"Thank you!" Nana yelled.
"You were great!" Yuki yelled.
Nana blushed. "Thanks."
"I have to go," Yuki said, giving Nana a quick peck on the cheek.
"Okay. I'll see you later."
"See you later."
Yuki left the karaoke place and walked out into the street. She walked down the road, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. She looked up at the sky, smiling. She thought of Nana. 
----
Yuki was summoned early into the office the next morning. She entered to see Arisa and Shizuka were already there, their expressions frozen and cold.
"What's up?" she asked.
"We got a complaint from Nana's manager," Arisa explained, her voice remaining even. 
Shizuka got up from her seat and handed Yuki a paper.
"What's this?" Yuki asked.
"Take a look at the picture," Shizuka ordered.
Yuki looked at the paper. It was a gossip magazine, and the page it was turned to featured Yuki and Nana, holding hands.
"Nana's manager is furious with us," Arisa explained. "He says this scandal can ruin Nana's career."
"It's not a scandal!" Yuki protested. "We're just friends that like to dress up and go clubbing. What are you gonna do about this?" 
"I'm not doing anything," Shizuka said, "But you need to know how serious this can get. This guy can sue us. We could lose a lot of money."
"I don't care," Yuki said, "I like Nana. I want her to be my friend."
"I'm your friend, too, Yuki," Shizuka persisted. "And I don't want to see you dragged in the mud, but you've got to let us help you."
Yuki frowned. She bit her lip and nodded, understanding.
"Okay," she said, "I'll talk to Nana."
"Good," Arisa said. "I'll come with you."
"I'll come too," Shizuka said.
Yuki, Shizuka, and Arisa walked out to the street, heading for the hotel where Nana was staying.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous." Yuki said.
"I'm sure you'll be fine," Arisa said.
The three stopped outside the hotel. Gossip journalists were trying to get into the place to see the idol singer, but hotel security kept them at bay. They made their way up to Nana's room, only to see her manager and other crew members outside her door.
"You have some nerve showing up here," the manager growled.
"Hey, be polite!" Arisa scolded him. "We're here to try and sort this out."
"Let me talk to Nana," Yuki requested. "I am involved whether you like it or not."
The manager grumbled under his breath, and waved her inside. He made Shizuka and Arisa wait outside with him.
Nana was sitting on the floor of her hotel room, crying. 
"What's wrong?" Yuki asked.
"Everyone's mad at me," the idol cried. "My manager yelled at me, and people are angry that I'm with you."
Yuki sat down next to Nana and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "It'll be alright."
"I'm so sorry," Nana cried.
"It's not your fault. I like you, and I want to keep being your friend."
"I like you too."
"Then stop crying."
Nana wiped her eyes and smiled.
The girls walked to the door and let the manager, Arisa, and Shizuka inside for an impromptu meeting.
"So, what are we doing about this?" asked the manager.
"It's not our fault, so we're not doing anything," Arisa explained.
"I think we should just do nothing," Shizuka opined. "It's done, it happened, and everyone knows. There's no use trying to put the genie back in the bottle."
"Or she could just be a little more careful with her personal life," Arisa said, doing her best to imitate the manager. She turned to him. "I'm sure that's what you'd tell her."
The manager scowled.
"I'd like to stay with Nana," Yuki said. She nodded at the idol.
"I'd like that, too," she agreed.
The manager threw up his arms in defeat. "I've seen this happen a lot and what little fans you have are going to be upset with you. You're just going to have to manage your expectations from here on out."
Both Nana and Yuki nodded in understanding. They held hands in solidarity.
"Just don't talk to the public about it," Shizuka suggested. "I mean, you don't have to hide or anything, just don't volunteer information. Let them speculate until they get bored."
"I think that's a good idea," Yuki agreed.
The manager sighed. "Don't let the paparazzi get too close to you. And try to be nice to the fans. You know, be yourself."
"Yes, sir," Yuki said.
"I love you all," Nana said, spreading her arms in a wide gesture.
The trio walked out of the hotel and back onto the streets of Tokyo. Much to Yuki's relief she realized the reporters did not recognize her.
"I think that went pretty well," Arisa said.
"It went about as well as it could have," Shizuka agreed.
"I'm glad we did this," Yuki said. "It really means a lot to me that Nana wanted to keep being friends with me."
"So you're still going to see her?" Shizuka asked.
"Of course!" Yuki said.
The trio returned to the Moon River building. Yuki waved the other two good-bye as Arisa and Shizuka went back to Arisa's office. Arisa sat down at her desk while Shizuka remained standing.
"You think this is really okay?" Shizuka asked.
"Yuki will be fine," Arisa said. "The question is, are you fine?"
Shizuka sighed. "I don't think so."
"That's what I thought," Arisa said. "Do you mind talking about it?"
"I see how Yuki looks at Nana," she began, "and I've never seen her so happy before. She's even happier than when she worked with me. I feel like she's going to leave and chase after her." Shizuka shrugged her shoulders. "I think I was used to the idea of Yuki following me on my modeling career, like she was always going to be there, and now I'm facing a path where I'm going to have to go on without her."
"That's just life," Arisa assured her. "You and Yuki are like one of those great stories. Fantastic things happen in them, but every story has an ending."
"I know. In my mind, I'm prepared for it, but...."
"But not in your heart," the younger girl finished. "Shizuka, you'll always carry her and she will always carry you. Your friendship will endure anything. No matter what, you're still special to her."
"I know that," Shizuka said.
"And that's what makes you so special to me. Rest assured, your heart is in the right place. Yuki is lucky to have a friend like you."
----
The next few weeks were comparatively uneventful. Yuki continued to work for and date Nana, contributing her photography to her idol imagery. Arisa and Shizuka remained supportive of their relationship and helped them whenever they could. They didn't have much else to do, so they spent a lot of time together.
Nana's fame was growing and she was able to book a lot of photoshoots and events. The girls watched in awe from the sidelines. Yuki's relationship with Nana was starting to move from just being friends to being more. Nana even started to plan events where Yuki could help her and collaborate with her on shoots.
"I have an idea," Nana said. "I want to do a project where we're in different roles, like we play house and you take care of me."
"Like a maid and a rich girl." Yuki grinned.
"Exactly. I can be the wealthy heiress and you can be my loyal maid." Nana clapped her hands together. "That sounds like fun!"
"Yes, but if I was the maid, I wouldn't be able to take pictures," Yuki pointed out.
"True, so you can be the photographer and I can be the heiress," Nana suggested.
"I have an idea. We can ask Shizuka to be the maid."
"Would she do that?"
Yuki nodded. "Of course she would. She's a professional model, and she's used to doing stuff like this."
Nana jumped up and hugged Yuki. "Thank you! You're the best!"
The two hashed out the details and brought the project to Arisa's attention. She approved, and asked Shizuka to participate, although she grumbled about being a maid again.
When the day of the photoshoot came Yuki wore a plain black maid outfit and Nana dressed in a slinky black dress that fell all the way to the floor, with a cut on the side to show some leg clad in fishnet stockings.
Shizuka stepped out of the dressing room with a navy blue maid outfit. The dress had a plunging neckline, short sleeves, and a skirt that puffed out at the hips. She wore black stockings attached to a garter belt.
"You don't fill out that dress very well." Nana said.
Shizuka looked at the dress and frowned. "I don't like the cut on this dress."
"It's part of the project."
"I'm not comfortable with it."
"It would work better if you stuffed your bra," Nana said. 
Shizuka sighed, then returned wordlessly to the dressing room to pad her chest to Nana's satisfaction. 
Nana had a pose in mind, and she stood still while Yuki took pictures.
"I'm so glad you decided to be my photographer, Yuki," Nana said. "I've been so busy with my career and everything else that I haven't had the chance to take many pictures of me. I need a good image to promote."
"You look good enough that you don't need the photos," Yuki pointed out.
"You think so?"
"Yeah."
Yuki turned to Shizuka, who had returned from the dressing room. She stiffled a giggle at seeing Shizuka stuff her bra, but Shizuka cast her an annoyed glance.
Yuki cleared her throat and began coaching Shizuka her instructions. "Remember, you are her devoted maid. You would do anything for her. Your passion for your work is only matched by the passion to please your master."
Shizuka nodded. "Got it."
The maid and the heiress took their positions on the set. 
"Okay, time to get started!" announced Yuki.
The maid and the heiress stared at each other, then Nana made a silly face. Yuki burst out laughing, but Shizuka's face remained impassive.
"Okay, let's take it from the top," Yuki said, regaining control of herself.
The two women stared at each other, then Nana burst out laughing.
"No, really. From the top."
Shizuka remained stone-faced, refusing to break character. It was clear she was annoyed by Nana's behavior.
Nana pulled a chair to the set and sat down. "Maid, I want you to give me a foot massage."
"Yes, ma'am."
Yuki continued to take pictures as Nana gave out orders.
"Good. Now I want you to rub my neck and shoulder muscles. Good. Don't call me ma'am. Call me Nana. Now massage my legs."
"Yes, Nana."
"Now massage my feet again. You can stop now. I didn't really enjoy the massage, anyway."
Yuki giggled as she watched her friend massage Nana.
Nana suddenly got up from her seat and ran off the set. Yuki knew the idol had a sudden idea hit her head and was now used to seeing her do that. A short time later, she returned and sat back down on the chair.
"Hey, maid," Nana said. "Come over here."
Shizuka silently obeyed, standing in front of the heiress seated in the chair. 
"Sit down."
Shizuka bent down and sat on her knees. Nana leaned forward and cupped her face in her hands. Yuki moved in closer to capture the shot at the right angle.
Nana studied Shizuka's face carefully, but she did not betray any emotion in her eyes. Shizuka was determined to stay in character. Releasing her head, the idol pulled out a roll of duct tape, cutting off a piece with scissors, and covered Shizuka's mouth. She gave her tape job a gentle pat in satisfaction.
"That's good," Nana said. "Now I want you to stay like that until I tell you to get up."
Shizuka did as she was told. She did not trust Nana, but she trusted Yuki, and decided to give the idol the benefit of the doubt. The heiress continued to study her face.
Nana grabbed Shizuka's hands and taped them together on her lap. Shizuka tried not to struggle, but her hands were pulled in a tight grip. Nana sat back in her chair. 
"Okay, you can get up."
Shizuka slowly rose from her knees, her hands still taped together. She stayed in her position, waiting for further instructions.
Nana gave her a small smile, getting up from her seat. "Good. Have a seat."
Shizuka sat down on the chair. No sooner had she done so Nana started wrapping tape around her and the chair, pinning down her arms and chest. She kept rolling tape around down to her legs, taping those to the legs of the chair. Yuki laughed as she kept taking pictures.
Nana finished wrapping tape around Shizuka and studied her for a moment. Shizuka remained stone-faced and didn't move, nor could she if she wanted. Nana looked at the pictures Yuki had taken, and then at Shizuka, before smiling.
"Okay, that's a wrap," Nana announced, grabbing Yuki by the arm. "Bye, Shizuka."
Yuki looked at Nana in surprise as Nana dragged her away. The two left the set and Shizuka taped to the chair.
It took several minutes before members of the crew realized it wasn't a joke and released her.
Yuki stopped Nana in the hallway before they went very far. 
"Nana, that wasn't very nice," she said, a bit angry. 
"I know. It was just a little prank. I didn't think she'd take it so seriously."
"I know, but she looked so uncomfortable."
"She did. I know I wouldn't have taken it seriously if I were in her place. It's just she's so... uptight that I couldn't resist. And she's not my girlfriend, so I really don't care all that much."
"But you should have asked first," Yuki protested.
"Come on. Who wants to be treated like that? It was funny."
"Maybe," Yuki admitted, "but Shizuka is my friend and I care."
"Okay, okay. I'll treat her with respect from now on."
Yuki watched Nana disappear down the hallway, then made her way back to the set just as the crew was finished getting the tape off Shizuka. While Shizuka's face still did not betray any emotion, Yuki knew she was mad. Shizuka stood up from the chair and headed straight for the dressing room, with Yuki following.
"Shizuka...?"
"I don't want to talk about it," she replied evenly. 
"I talked to Nana. She's sorry. Come on, please talk to me."
Shizuka stopped and turned around. "Yuki, I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at Nana, either. I'm just mad at myself."
Yuki did not know whether she believed that. She knew Shizuka could be stubborn and quiet, but this was a new level of sullen.
"What do you mean? Please tell me."
"I knew she was messing with me even before the shoot started. No... even before that, I only took this job because I wanted to impress you in front of Nana."
"You're... jealous? Really?"
"If that's what you want to call it."
"Why?"
"Because I know how much she means to you, and I thought it would make you happy."
Yuki shook her head. "Don't do that. Don't let my happiness get in the way of the things that make you happy. If you didn't want to do this, I wouldn't be mad. I understand you completely. As much as Nana means a lot to me, you are very special to me. I wouldn't trade your happiness for my happiness."
Shizuka looked up at Yuki.  Her usual sullen expression was replaced by a small smile.
"I needed to hear that," she said. "I was worried that you thought I didn't want to do the shoot with you."
"No, I didn't think that."
Shizuka's expression turned serious again, and she turned to leave.
"Promise me something, Yuki."
"Okay."
"Promise me that you won't tell Nana anything about this."
"I won't tell her."
"Thank you. I'm glad I confided in you."
Shizuka gave Yuki a quick, shy smile and entered the dressing room.
Yuki was alone in the hallway. She was thinking about Shizuka. She was so in love with her, but she knew that she would never think of her romantically. But that was okay, because she knew Shizuka loved her in her own way.
----
Nana's heiress project was used as photo art for her first music collection. At Shizuka's request she went uncredited, leaving Nana's fans much speculation about who the mysterious, enchanting maid was. Much to her dismay, the picture of her taped to the chair proved to be popular online.  
Despite that, Shizuka developed her own fan base, now being recognized in several high profile projects from Moon River.  Starting from her well-praised appearance in Elemental Fantasia, she was asked to be in several music videos, commercials, and print ads. 
Arisa called both Shizuka and Yuki to her office to present them their next project. 
"I hope success is finding you well," Arisa said.
"It's weird getting fan mail," Shizuka admitted. "But at least it's better than the men I used to deal with back then."
"You're just shy," Yuki said.
"In any case," interrupted Arisa, "I have another project for you. This one is a pretty high-profile photoshoot. The client specifically asked for you."
"What, seriously?" Shizuka said, surprised.
"Yes. There will be no backing, no assistant, and no third wheel. Just you and the photographer. Please understand, it's a big opportunity for you. The photographer is one of the best. If you do well, I think you'll have a big future in modeling."
"I'm honored."
"Now, the shoot is going to be for a lingerie brand. It's going to be at a high-class hotel."
Shizuka closed her eyes. She had strong reservations about showing off skin, especially since she did not have a conventionally bombshell body. "I'll do it."
"Wonderful. I'm glad to hear that."
"I'll go get ready. I'll be back in half an hour."
"Good. Go."
Shizuka left the office.
---
The hotel room was spacious and luxurious. A giant king-size bed took up most of the floor space. A large television hung on the wall, showing nothing but static at the moment. The bathroom was huge and lavishly stocked. Everything was decorated in a tasteful, modern style.
A door beside the bed led to a small balcony with a view of the city lights. It was still night, so most of the buildings were dark. Shizuka could make out the tops of the high-rises in the distance.
The photographer stood behind her, finishing preparations. Shizuka sighed and looked over her shoulder.
"I really hope this works out," she muttered.
"Why wouldn't it?" the photographer asked.
"I've never done anything like this before."
"No, you've done plenty of other shoots. And you've never been to a high-class hotel before. I know you'll do great. Your portfolio is fantastic."
He reached out to the nearby clothing rack that was full of different styles of lingerie, and held one out for her. "Let's start with this."
"I... don't know about this."
"I do."
Shizuka looked down at the soft, silky material. She hesitated to touch it.
"Come on, it'll be fun. I promise you'll love it."
She let the designer lingerie slip into her hands. The silk was cool and soft.
"I feel weird about this."
"Just take off your clothes and relax. I'll do the rest."
Shizuka sighed. "Okay."
She took the lingerie from the photographer and stepped into the bathroom to change. The silk felt fragile, yet smooth on her body. When she finished, Shizuka studied herself in the mirror.
The lingerie was beautiful. She was shocked at how well it fit. For the first time she felt like a woman-- a high-class woman.
"Thank you," she said to the reflection. "I'll do a great job with this."
In a few minutes, Shizuka was ready. She stepped back into the hotel room, wearing a revealing, lacy black bra and panties. Her beautiful, natural curves were on full display.
"You look stunning," the photographer praised.
Shizuka felt proud of her body.
"Now, just relax and pose," said the photographer. 
Shizuka did as she was told. She crossed her arms, showing a hint of her bare midriff. She leaned forward, showing more of her modest cleavage. Her head tilted seductively, showing her enticing neckline.
"Great," the photographer said. "I love the attitude. This is going to be great."
The two were silent as the photographer adjusted his settings. He got to work, capturing Shizuka in a variety of poses. Her body was so shapely, her features so alluring. She felt better than she had in a long time.
In the end, the photographer was satisfied.
"Wow," he said. "I love this. This is going to be perfect."
"I'm glad you like it," Shizuka said.
"I'm sure the client will, too."
"Yes, of course," Shizuka said, embarrassed.
"I should get going. It was a huge honor to meet you. I'd like to stay in touch if you'd allow me to."
"I'd love to," said Shizuka.
"Great, great," the photographer said. "I'm glad we had this talk. I'll see you later."
Shizuka watched the photographer leave. She went back to the bathroom and changed back into her normal clothes. She regarded the lingerie slowly. It looked so soft and inviting. It was like the lingerie was calling to her.
Shizuka laughed nervously and put it back out to the rack, then left the hotel room.
----
A couple days later Arisa called Shizuka and Yuki in for a meeting. The client responded positively to the shoot. The lingerie they'd chosen was a perfect fit, and their pictures turned out great.
Shizuka was having second thoughts. She didn't want to be a glamor model. She was happy being a fashion model.
"You are a goddess," Yuki told her. "I've never met anyone like you."
"I'm happy you think so."
"I don't think so. I know so."
"Well, I for one am happy you did the shoot," said Arisa. "It's good to challenge yourself sometimes."
"Thanks," Shizuka said. She knew the real challenge was getting comfortable working with photographers other than Yuki, so Arisa was slowly trying to get her off the idea that only Yuki could do her justice.
"Anyway," Arisa said, "I'm sure you're all wondering what this is all about. We've been asked to send some models to a private party. It is an 'Alice in Wonderland' themed party and they want the models to dress up as the characters. You'll love it."
"That sounds like fun," Yuki said.
Arisa nodded. "I'll send the specifications of the costumes to you later. Our client has a specific style in mind."
Shizuka tilted her head, "I'm in."
Yuki and Shizuka nodded.
"I'm in," Yuki said.
Arisa smiled. 
"I can't wait to see what kind of costumes they have," Yuki said.
----
When Yuki received the specifications for the costumes, she gasped in surprise. Shizuka looked them over and frowned. It was an erotic Alice in Wonderland party. The costumes were meant to show a lot of skin. The skirts were very short and the chest area showed a lot of cleavage.
"Well, I guess now we know why they wanted to hire models," Shizuka said, grumbling. 
Yuki looked over the costume list. "I don't think you qualify for most of the costumes."
Shizuka rolled her eyes. She guessed the client was looking for girls with large chests. "So, what costume am I left with?" she asked.
Yuki bit her lip. "I'm not sure," Yuki said.
"I'm not sure, either," Shizuka said. "Maybe you should take this job instead."
"Really?" Yuki asked.
"Well, you do want to get some work in front of the camera, don't you? This can be some good experience for you."
Yuki thought about it for a few seconds. "I guess you're right," Yuki said. "I mean, I should get some more work done as a model."
Shizuka nodded. 
"Well," Yuki said, "I think that settles it, then. I'll take this job."
----
The party was held in the penthouse suite of a local hotel. Yuki and several other models arrived early and got into their costumes. Yuki got the first choice of costumes and decided on the one that she'd wanted to be in for a while: the Queen of Hearts.
She wore a red and black PVC catsuit with a high collar. She wore black patent leather stiletto heels. She wore long curly black wig, a red feather boa around her neck, black lipstick and dark eye shadow.
Yuki strutted out on the penthouse floor, projecting the image of a dominatrix as befitted her costume. The other models stared at her in awe. Yuki knew they were all thinking the same thing: who would have thought that Yuki was actually a good looking woman? 
Yuki smiled and nodded at the photographer. He snapped a picture of her. When she turned around to get a good profile view, she caught sight of her reflection in a large mirror behind her. She gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes. She looked like a real woman instead of a girl. And she looked so good in her cat suit, she felt like a real queen.
"I...I look great!" Yuki said to her reflection. "I look like...a queen!"
She then heard a voice behind her say, "Yes, you do. In fact, you look better than any of these other girls."
Yuki turned around to see a strange man standing behind her. He was very tall, probably over six feet. He was wearing all black and had a black cloth over his face.
"Who are you?" Yuki asked.
"I'm the Wonderland king," he said.
Yuki frowned. "I'm not in Wonderland," she said.
The man chuckled. "That's what they all say."
Yuki frowned. She didn't like this man's attitude.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I want you to dance for me," he said.
"No," Yuki said. "Get out of here."
The man laughed again. "You don't get a choice," he said. "You'll do as I say."
"No."
The man just stared at her coldly, but froze when he received a tap on the shoulder.
"Hey, buster," he heard behind him, "you're not supposed to touch or harass the models."
Yuki looked up and saw Shizuka. She grabbed the man's arm and dragged him off. Shizuka looked at Yuki and rolled her eyes. Yuki glared at her friend and mouthed the word, "Idiot." Shizuka shrugged and went to throw the man out of the penthouse.
Although Shizuka was not qualified to be one of the models she insisted on coming to the party as an escort to ensure the terms of the contract were enforced, and Yuki was glad she was there. Shizuka wore a kimono and hakama and carried a wooden kendo sword if she needed to get rough. Yuki had no doubt that Shizuka knew how to use it, and was glad that her friend was there to keep the guests in line. 
She mingled with the guests and sparingly took a sip of wine to be social, but was careful not to get drunk. She needed to be able to walk a straight line if she needed to run. 
Her gaze flitted back to the penthouse floor from time to time to check on her contract partners. She was satisfied to see that the models having a good time and were not causing trouble. 
Shizuka approached her. "So how are you doing?"
"It's going fine, thanks to you," Yuki replied. 
Yuki spotted the man from earlier standing by the bar, staring at her. He was leering at her and making lewd gestures. He grabbed a glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. He put the glass down and licked his lips. 
Yuki could feel her heart beating faster. She was so angry she could taste her heartbeat. She was tempted to turn around and confront him, but thought better of it. He wasn't worth the trouble. She'd just have to ignore him.
"Is there a problem?" Shizuka asked.
"No, it's fine," Yuki said. "Are you having fun?"
"Yeah, I am," Shizuka answered. "So, how are things with you and Nana?"
Yuki shrugged. "She's all talk. She's great to be around and have fun, but the moment that we need her help, she disappears."
"Do you like her?"
"She's gorgeous," Yuki said.
"She's more than that," Shizuka said. "You've been seeing each other for a while now."
"We do spend a lot of time together."
"Is it serious?"
"I don't know." The truth was Yuki slept with Nana several times, but Shizuka did not need to know that. As roommates, Yuki suspected Shizuka figured that out on her own.
Shizuka scanned the rest of the party. "Sit tight, I've got to go."
Yuki watched her go to the rescue of another model being harassed. She laughed thinking about Shizuka running around punishing lonely lewd men all night. 
She checked her watch and noted that the party would be drawing to a close soon. The guests were beginning to get drunk and rowdy. She could hear the occasional crashing noise coming from the living room. Yuki didn't like the direction the party was going. She didn't need to be getting drunk.
Yuki checked on the models. They were drinking and getting more sloppy. She felt sorry for them, but they were enjoying themselves and getting money for it. 
The party was winding down. The remaining guests were stumbling about or sprawled out on the furniture. The music had stopped playing. The DJ was cleaning up. She looked at her phone. There was a message from Nana that said "Call me." Yuki sighed and checked her watch. It was after midnight.
She called Nana's phone. She got a recording. "Please leave a message." Yuki didn't leave one. She didn't need to. Nana would call her back.
Yuki got up and went to the penthouse balcony. She looked down at the lights of the city. She could make out the shining water of the harbor. She heard the first few bars of a song. It was a cheerful song with a strong beat. 
She was about to go back inside to change out of costume when her phone rang.
"Hey," Yuki said.
"I'm here, downstairs in the lobby," Nana said. "Are you ready to come down?"
"Yeah. Hold on. I'll be right down." 
The elevator ride down seemed to take for ever.
Nana was waiting for her at the bottom. She looked at Yuki curiously. "What are you wearing?"
"It's a long story," Yuki answered. 
Nana giggled. "I love long stories."
"What's going on?" Yuki asked. "It's in the middle of the night and I'm on a job."
"I know. I want to tell you, but I have to have you come see me. I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" Yuki asked, taken aback.
"Yes. Come with me. I'll tell you on the way."
"I don't have anything to change into."
"No problem," Nana said. "Just come with me."
Nana took Yuki to a luxurious high rise in downtown Tokyo. The doorman let them in. Nana took Yuki's hand and led her to the elevator. The ride up seemed to take for ever. When they got out of the elevator, Nana led her to the door of an apartment.
"What is this?" Yuki asked.
"You'll see."
Nana opened the door. "Welcome home, Yuki."
Yuki stepped inside. The apartment was beautiful. She gasped at the sight of it. 
"I knew you'd like it," Nana said. "I got a free upgrade because I'm friends with the manager."
Yuki walked through the apartment in awe. There were rose petals and chrysanthemums spread around the entryway. The living room had a large koi pond in the middle with a small island with a small waterfall. The dining room had a wall of windows overlooking the city.
"It's beautiful," Yuki said.
"I knew you'd like it."
"It's great," Yuki said.
Nana smiled and squeezed her hand. 
"I'll show you the rest of the place," Nana said.
Nana led her to her bedroom. It was luxurious. There was a large bed with rose petals strewn about it. She gasped again at the sight of it.
"I know it's a lot," Nana said, "but you'll get used to it."
Nana left Yuki in her room. She heard the door close. Yuki looked at her surroundings. 
The bed.
The rose petals.
This was what she had been missing out on.
Yuki was filled with emotions she could not put them to words. She lay down on the bed and cried.
----
Yuki woke to the sound of her phone alerting her to a new message. She looked down at herself and realized she was still wearing the catsuit from the penthouse. She checked the time, seeing that only twenty minutes had passed.
On her phone was a number of messages from Shizuka. Yuki read them: "Where are you? You left your clothes here. Pick up the phone, Yuki." She scrolled to the last message. "You'd better not be dead."
She chuckled softly, and sent a message back. "I'm fine. Please bring my stuff home."
Home....
Yuki looked around at the room Nana gave her. A mix of emotions filled her, and she didn't know what exactly she was feeling. Happiness was one of them. Joy was another. But there was also sadness. There was a sense of loss, that she had to leave something behind she was not prepared to do. 
She sat up in bed. She needed to talk to Nana. Yuki had questions. She stepped out of the room and looked around. Nana was sitting on the couch.
"Nana?"
The young idol perked up in surprised. "Yuki? I thought you were taking a nap?"
"We need to talk."
"Oh, dear me. What's wrong?"
"I have a lot of things to ask you."
"Well, shoot."
Yuki took a deep breath. "What is the meaning behind this apartment?"
"Because I like you."
"Excuse me?"
"I like you. I wanted to help you get out of that rinky-dink apartment you were living in."
"I was happy there."
"You deserve better than that. I want you to live with me."
Yuki was shocked.
"I want you to move in with me. I want you to live in my beautiful apartment."
Yuki was in a daze. She didn't know how to respond.
"Yuki? Are you okay?"
Yuki nodded. "I want to. I want to live with you."
Nana smiled. "Well then. Let's do it. I hope you washed before coming here."
Yuki laughed. Nana got up and brought her to her bedroom.
"Come and spank me," Nana said teasingly. "I've been a bad girl."
Yuki got on her knees and took Nana's hand. Nana spread her legs apart. Yuki pushed the panties to the side and gave Nana a spanking. Nana laughed like she lost her mind.
"That feels good. I'm sorry. I'm a bad girl."
Nana grabbed Yuki and pulled her onto the bed. Yuki started slipping out of the catsuit, and they kissed passionately.
----
Upon the break of dawn Yuki woke up, and turned her head to see Nana still sound asleep. Yuki thought about putting the catsuit back on, but thought better of it and instead looked for something in Nana's wardrobe to wear instead. 
Nana always slept late, and the clothes she kept in her room were a little too small and tight for Yuki. In the end, Yuki chose a tank top and some shorts. She brushed her platinum blonde hair and pulled it up into a messy bun, and went to leave.
Nana rolled over in her sleep and mumbled something in her sleep. Yuki was able to make out the words, "I love you, Yuki."
Yuki smiled softly and softly touched a finger to Nana's cheek.
"I love you too."
Yuki left the room. She knew there was a lot to do. She agreed to move in with Nana, which meant she had to get her things out of Shizuka's apartment. Yuki closed her eyes, letting a single tear escape, knowing that another chapter of her life was ending.
Yuki decided to call Shizuka. She wasn't looking forward to this conversation.
"Yuki? Where are you?" Shizuka said, answering immediately.
"I'm at Nana's place," Yuki said. "We need to talk."
"Okay, talk. I'm waiting."
"I'm going to move in with Nana."
There was a pause on the other end. "What? Why?"
"I love her, and she loves me. We want to be together."
There was silence on the other end. She knew Shizuka was in shock. Yuki could not blame her friend for reacting that way.
"I'm moving in with Nana. I'm doing this for me."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay. Be careful."
"I will."
Yuki hung up the phone. She had a lot to do. She went to Shizuka's place and packed up her things. Part of her was glad Shizuka was at work, and part of her was sad that she did not stay at home to help and see her off. Yuki did not know if she could face her right now.
Yuki went to Nana's place to drop off her things before heading to work. Nana was waiting for her in the living room.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm okay."
"You don't look okay. I can tell you're upset."
Yuki nodded, and then burst into tears. Nana wrapped her arms around her.
"You don't have to do this. I'm here for you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"I want to. Shizuka is my best friend, and we've been so close that I feel like I'm letting her down."
"You're not letting anyone down. You're growing, and that's a good thing."
"I want to make sure she's okay. I want us to be okay."
"We will be. I know you're worried, but Shizuka will be fine. She's a strong girl."
Yuki wiped her tears. She was thankful for Nana's support. She did not want to let anyone down.
----
Yuki walked into Arisa's office to find both the younger girl and Shizuka there waiting for her. 
"Hey, Arisa," she began, "can you give us a few minutes?"
Arisa nodded, then walked out of the office, shutting the door behind her.
Shizuka sat down and looked at her. "So that's that, right?"
"Yeah," Yuki confirmed. "I've already picked up my stuff before I came in."
"I guess congratulations are in order. Well... congratulations."
"Thanks."
The two sat there in awkward silence.
"Remember when we first met?" Shizuka said, breaking the silence. "You said you were going to make me a super model?"
Yuki laughed softly. "Yeah, I remember. And you are very successful now."
"You were with me every step of the way, and I can't thank you enough for that."
"Well, I'm glad I could help."
"This isn't good-bye," Shizuka insisted. "We'll still be seeing each other here at work."
Yuki nodded in affirmation. "It's just another chapter of my life making way for a new one."
"I'll always be your friend," Shizuka whispered.
Yuki could not help herself and began to cry.
----
Nana met Yuki at work that afternoon.
"What's wrong?" she asked, giving Yuki a concerned look.
"Nothing. Everything is fine," Yuki said. "I had a talk with Shizuka."
"Oh? And did you two...?"
"No. We're just friends."
"I see."
Nana smiled, and Yuki smiled back. She felt relieved that her friend did not try to make her feel any differently about the whole situation. Yuki knew that Nana would understand.
"I'm glad," Nana said, giving Yuki a reassuring pat on the back.
"Thanks."
Nana continued to smile at Yuki as they both walked down the hall.
"You know, my manager is angry that you moved in," she said. "But I told him he was overthinking it. I don't care if everyone thinks I'm a lesbian."
"I know," Yuki said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, maybe your fans like that sort of thing."
Nana laughed and linked her arm in Yuki's.
"I'm working on a new song," Nana revealed. She held up her phone. "Want to hear it?"
"Sure."
Nana played a few bars for Yuki as they walked. Yuki hummed along, and soon her eyes were full of tears.
"You like it?" Nana asked, grinning.
"Yeah, I like it."
"Then you're the first person I've played it for."
Nana smiled and beamed at Yuki. She played it for Yuki one more time.
"It's pretty emotional," Yuki praised.
Nana playfully punched Yuki in the arm.
"Speaking of which." Nana smiled. "I've got a few things I need to tell you."
"Me, too."
Nana led Yuki to Arisa's office.
"So, Yuki..."
"Yes?"
"Will you be my model?"
Yuki paused. "Uh, yeah. Of course."
"Yay!" Nana squealed. "So we're a team then?"
"Yeah, we are," agreed Yuki.
"I'll tell the others." Nana had her hand on the office door and turned her head back to Yuki. "So, I'll see you later?"
"Yes, you will."
Nana flashed a toothy grin and walked into Arisa's office.
----
In the morning, Yuki woke up, showered, and got ready for work.
Nana had gotten her a room near the back of the building, which was convenient. She was able to get a nice view of the city.
Nana had arranged for a van to take Yuki to the shoot locations. It came to pick the two up and they rode off to their first destination.
"I still can't believe you got me this modeling job," Yuki said. "You're so cool."
"Yeah, I know."
"I'm glad we're friends."
"Yeah, me, too."
Yuki and Nana arrived at the studio, which was a converted warehouse in an industrial district.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous." Yuki admitted.
"You'll do fine. I know you will. If you need anything, just come to me."
"Okay, thanks."
Yuki walked into the studio. She saw a massive number of people in a large room.
"Hi, I'm Yuki," she said, extending her hand. "Let's do this."
The people stared at her.
"Okay, um..." Yuki backed away from the crowd.
"Hi, I'm Yuki," she repeated. "I'm new here."
The people stared.
"Oh, you know what? I just realized I don't even know your names. So I'm going to go ahead and forget them. See ya."
She ran off.
She heard a few boos, but most of the people seemed to like her performance.
"Okay, we're going to do a few shots for the handbook," Nana's manager said, leading the way. "I'm going to choose some background dancers who will be at the front. Nana, would you mind if I had a few people at the back?"
"Sure, I guess," Nana said. 
The manager looked at Yuki. "I assume you're Nana's pet project?"
"Yeah," Yuki replied.
"You can wait over there. I'll send some people to handle you."
"Okay," Nana said.
The manager walked away.
"Why are you doing this?" Yuki asked. "I thought you wanted to be a celebrity."
"I do," Nana said, "But I don't need to be one. I can be your friend and a celebrity at the same time."
"You're crazy."
"Maybe," Nana said, "But we can discuss that later. I have to stay focused now. We have a lot to do."
Nana looked around to make sure nothing was amiss.
"We'll talk later," she said, leading Yuki to a quiet corner of the studio. "I'll tell you what I want you to do, and you do it. Okay?"
"Okay."
"And no funny stuff."
"Of course not."
Nana ran off and Yuki watched after her.
Yuki sat down and thought about what she could do. She thought about what she had been doing in the past and what she could do in the future. She did not notice when Nana reappeared before her.
"You're on," Nana said. "The stylist will choose what you should wear."
"Really? Cool!"
Nana led Yuki over to the stylist.
"Okay, here's Yuki."
"Hi."
"Hello. How are you?"
"I'm good."
"What do you think of Tokyo so far?"
"It's really fun."
"I know. I'm glad I decided to move here."
"What do you like most?" Yuki asked.
"I like the trains."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I like to watch them go by while I'm on them. And I like that I can get anywhere I want."
"How long have you lived here?"
"I've been here for about a year. And I like it a lot."
"I'll bet you do."
The stylist finished about ten minutes later. Yuki admired herself in the mirror. She looked like a modern day Lolita. She knew that Shizuka would have loved a job like this.
Nana led her to a small room.
"Okay, we're going to do a test shoot. You're going to do a solo test. If you do great, we'll do a duet."
"Really?" Yuki asked.
"Yeah, really. Just be yourself and you'll be fine."
Nana walked away.
Yuki walked into the room and stared at a large white wall.
"Okay, Yuki. You can start whenever you want."
Yuki looked around nervously. This was her big chance and she could mess it up. She took a deep breath and prepared to start her test.
She decided to close her eyes and imagine herself as a professional model. She imagined herself on a runway in front of a large crowd. She imagined herself looking great and confident. She could not have been more proud of herself. She could not have felt more powerful. She was Yuki.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in front of Nana.
"Are you ready?" Nana asked.
"I'm ready."
Nana pressed a button on the wall. Suddenly, a spotlight appeared and shone on Yuki. She looked nervous and excited at the same time.
"Okay," Nana said, "Give it your all."
Yuki stepped forward and ran towards the spotlight. She closed her eyes and imagined herself on the runway. She could hear the crowd cheering for her. She opened her eyes and ran into the spotlight. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She started to fall to the floor. She opened her eyes and saw the concrete floor. She looked up to the ceiling. She saw the lights above her. She looked around at the people. She saw men, women, children, and families. She saw fear in their eyes. She started to cry.
Nana ran up to her.
"Are you okay?"
"No!" Yuki cried.
Nana held Yuki in her arms.
"It's okay. You did great. Let's go."
Nana walked over to a man in a suit.
"This is Yuki. She just passed her test."
"Congratulations," the man said. "I'm sure you'll be a great success."
"Thank you," Yuki said, still shaken up from her experience.
"Come on, let's get you out of those clothes and into something more comfortable."
Nana helped Yuki change into a school uniform.
"You did great."
"Thanks," Yuki said. "I'm still a little scared."
"It will get easier."
"Maybe."
Yuki sat down on a bench. She looked down at her phone.
"I'll be fine," Yuki insisted.
Nana nodded, and left.
When she was certain the idol was out of sight, Yuki started writing a message to Shizuka.
She wrote, "How do you do it?"
It was a question she had been asking for a long time.
Yuki pressed send.
Then her phone started to vibrate. It was Shizuka. She had seen the message.
"What did you want to tell me?" Shizuka asked.
"How do you stand in front of people without being scared?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"I mean as a model."
Yuki had to wait several minutes before the reply came. 
"I know I belong there."
Yuki thought for a moment. She would have expected "I believe I belong there", but this carefully-worded response only demonstrated that Shizuka had absolute confidence in herself, and realized that was her trick.
Yuki's replied, "I know I belong there, too. Thanks."
"You'll be fine."
Yuki wiped a tear from her eye, smiling as she put her phone away, happy that Shizuka remained her good friend and confidant. She waited patiently for Nana to return. Nana returned quickly.
"Okay, Yuki. You can go. You're it."
Yuki ran into the audition room. She closed the door behind her.
"You did great," Nana said.
"Thanks."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Yuki replied.
Yuki looked around the room. There were some other young women in the room. They were waiting for their turn.
Nana opened the door.
"Come on, let's do this."
Nana led the way as Yuki followed. They stopped at a prepared sound stage set.
"I wanted to film my music video with you," Nana explained. "I really wanted it to be you."
"I'm... flattered," Yuki stammered, blushing.
"The music video is for my new song. We're theming it around  the time I first met you, when I was trying to find my place in the world. I'm really excited about it. I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will."
Nana and Yuki quickly changed into their costumes.  Nana put on her school uniform. Yuki put on her maid outfit. The plan was to film all the scenes where Nana and Yuki would be together on screen.
"Okay. We're ready," Nana announced.
"Good luck, everyone."
Yuki took a deep breath, and walked out onto the sound stage.
Her heart was pounding. She was shaking. Yuki had been nervous before her first audition, but now she was positively terrified. She focused her eyes on the front row of seats, which were empty.
The room was silent.
Yuki was aware that she had to keep her mind clear, that she could not afford to think about her upcoming performance.
She remembered the first time she had met Nana.
She was a timid, shy girl in meetings that transformed into a living whirlwind of energy when she was on stage and working. The transformation was surprising to her that her crazy antics put her initial appearance out of her mind. 
Yuki had been very nervous at first. Nana was nearly ten years younger than her. She was a singer, an idol, a celebrity. Yuki had no idea what to say to her.
But Nana had taken the led. She had quickly warmed up to Yuki, and they had become fast friends.
"I had no idea you were so beautiful," Nana had told her.
"I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever met," Yuki had responded, smiling.
"And you're a lot of fun. I had fun working with you."
Yuki had blushed deeply.
Nana had been kind to her. She had helped her through some rough times. Nana didn't mind Yuki's lack of experience or her age. Nana accepted Yuki for who she was. Nana had been a great role model for Yuki.
"We're ready," Yuki said.
----
Nana and Yuki sat in front of the monitor and watched the final cut of the music video. The song was a slow love ballad and the video depicted two girls awkwardly approaching each other. Nana and Yuki shared a sweet smile. They looked into each other's eyes.
"You were great!" Nana said, smiling. "You really were."
"Thanks," Yuki said, smiling.
Nana Yuki again.
"Okay, I'll see you later. I've got an early performance tomorrow."
"Okay. See you later," Yuki said.
Nana waved and left the room.
Yuki waited a moment. She took a breath. She opened the door and left the audition room. The morning sun warmed her face. 
----
Arisa walked into the hallway of the Moon River building. She had a box of photos under her right arm. She walked down the hallway, past the elevators, and down the carpeted stairs to the first floor. She passed the security desk and headed for the coffee shop.
She opened the door and looked inside. There was a small group of people sitting around a table by the window. A bored-looking desk attendant sat behind the counter. A half dozen stools lined the wall opposite the counter. A couple of tired-looking people sat on these stools.
Arisa walked up to the counter. "I'd like a coffee, please."
"Aren't you a little young for coffee?" the attendant asked.
"I'm old enough."
The attendant rolled her eyes and grabbed a cup for Arisa. She filled it with coffee.
Arisa took a seat on one of the stools, setting the box of photos on the counter. She opened the box and pulled out a photo of two girls, Yuki and Shizuka.  Shizuka had long lilac hair done in a ponytail and purple eyes. Yuki had long platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. The two friends held a pose in the photo. The sun shone on their smiling faces. Arisa sighed, gazing at them longingly. Arisa would kill for a photo like that, a photo of herself and her best friend.
"That's a nice picture," the attendant said.
"Thanks," Arisa said.
"Are they your friends?" the attendant asked, setting down Arisa's cup of coffee.
Arisa nodded, giving a big smile. "We're like sisters."
"I see," the attendant said.
Arisa took a sip of coffee. The attendant picked up Yuki and Shizuka's photo. "Do you mind if I have this?"
"Sure, why?" Arisa asked.
"I'm going to put it up on the wall."
"Oh, yeah, sure."
The attendant wrapped the photo in a plastic sleeve and placed it in a small plastic case. She set the case down in the corner of the counter where Arisa could see it.
Arisa finished her coffee and got up from the stool, the box of photos under her arm.
----
Nana sat at the table in the corner of the coffee shop. She drank a cup of tea and read her newspaper. She glanced up as Arisa walked past her table. Nana smiled. Arisa stopped and waved to Nana. Nana pointed at Arisa's head. Arisa smiled and nodded. Nana put down her newspaper. She waved at Arisa. Arisa waved back at Nana.
Nana picked up the phone and dialed a number. She held the phone to her ear, waiting for an answer.
"Hello, it's Nana. Are you ready for our new project?"
"Of course," a deep voice said.
"Excellent. I'll see you then."
Nana put down the phone. She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. She glanced at the newspaper. She put it down and looked around the coffee shop.
Arisa walked up to the table. Nana smiled at Arisa.
"How are you?" Nana asked.
"Good. How are you?"
"I'm well. How's the modeling business?"
"Good."
"Is it a busy time?"
"Yes, it is."
"Do you have to work tonight?"
"Yes."
"You work all the time?"
"Well, I don't know if I'd say all the time."
"Well, then, have a seat."
Arisa put her box on the table and pulled up a chair. Nana set down her cup of tea and opened the box. She pulled out a photo of Yuki and Shizuka. She set the photo down on the table.
"Those two look inseparable," Nana said, her finger tracing a circle around Yuki's face. 
"Yeah, I know. They've been friends for a long time."
"I'm kind of jealous. I don't think Yuki ever looked like that with me."
"But she chose you," Arisa pointed out. "I don't think Shizuka thinks of her the same way you do."
"I don't know. I think she does. I think I'm lucky."
Nana took a small velvet box out of her purse. She put the box on the table. Arisa gasped when she saw the size of the emerald inside.
"Wow," Arisa breathed.
"I think it's too big," Nana said.
"I think it's fine.  You don't like it?"
"I do. I just wish it was more natural."
"Natural? It's a freaking emerald. How can it be natural?"
Nana shrugged. "I just want it to be perfect. I want to give it to Yuki and make her happy. I want her to be like... a princess for a day. You know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I know."
"I want her to have everything she wants."
"She has everything she wants," Arisa told her bluntly.
"I want to give it to her so she'll be happy," Nana said.
"So why don't you give it to her?"
Nana stared at Arisa. "I can't. I'm an idol. It's bad enough that I asked her to move in with me, but I just made a music video with her where we kiss at the end. My manager would kill me if I gave her this."
"If you really cared about what other people thought you wouldn't have done all those other things," Arisa said flatly.
"Yeah, I know."
"So why don't you just give it to her? She'll be happy."
Nana smiled. "You really think so?"
"I know so."
Nana patted Arisa on the head. "You're a good girl!"
The idol put the photo back on the box. "So, what are you doing running around with this box for?" Nana asked.
"I'm going to give it to Yuki. I don't care if people think it's weird. I'm going to give it to her because I want her to be happy."
Nana smiled. "I admire that. So, are you ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Nana got up from the table and Arisa followed her out of the coffee shop.
Nana turned to Arisa. "You know, you really are a good girl."
"I know."
Nana smiled and waved as she walked away.
----
That night Yuki dreamed she was at the ampitheater, performing on stage. She wore a maid outfit and makeup that made her look like a pretty schoolgirl. The crowd loved her. She sang a song while dancing and clapping.
Yuki had never felt such happiness. Then the dream shifted. She was in a recording studio. A man was mixing her voice with electronic beats. She was singing a song. She felt so light, like she was floating. She felt the rush of happiness again, and then the dream shifted once more. She was in a busy city street, wearing a school uniform. She walked quickly through the crowds of people, dodging them, as if they weren't there. Then she saw a familiar figure.
"Shizuka!" Yuki screamed.
Shizuka turned and saw her. She wore a school uniform and a shocked look on her face. Yuki ran to her.
"Yuki? What are you doing here?" Shizuka asked.
"I followed you!" Yuki told her. "I wanted to see you! I missed you!"
Shizuka smiled. "I missed you too."
"So, what are you doing here?" Yuki asked.
"I moved here. I love it," Shizuka told her.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted to surprise you," Shizuka added. "So, are you going to sing for me?"
"I was going to ask you to sing with me."
Shizuka smiled. "Let's do that. Let's sing together."
They sang and danced and had fun. Yuki felt happy and free. Yuki woke up in her bed with a smile on her face.
Yuki got out of bed and went to the dresser. She opened her dresser drawers and pulled out her clothes. She dressed quickly and went downstairs to the living room. She found Arisa in the living room, staring at the coffee table.
"Yuki?" Arisa asked.
"Yeah?"
"What happened?"
"I had a really nice dream. Dancing with Shizuka was fun."
"Is that right?" Arisa said. "I think you guys make a cute couple."
"We do," Yuki agreed.
"So why don't you get together?"
Yuki blinked. "What?"
"I mean, I think you guys would be cute together."
"But... I don't..."
"I'll set you up, I promise."
"But..."
"I'll make it happen."
Yuki hesitated. She didn't know why, but she felt... isolation. A sense of isolation from her peers. It was strange and uncomfortable, but...
Yuki woke up in a cold sweat. She stared at the ceiling, her breath heaving. She realized that was her real dream.
"I... I need to get out of here. I need to go somewhere."
Yuki got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror. She had circles under her eyes and her hair stuck to her forehead. She dressed quickly and left her bedroom. She found Arisa in the living room, tapping away at the coffee table.
"Arisa! What are you doing here?" Yuki asked. For a moment she felt unsure if she was still dreaming.
"I'm here to see you, of course," Arisa replied matter-of-factly.
"But it's early." Yuki sighed and sat down next to Arisa. 
"So, how was it?" Arisa asked. "Did you and Nana get to sing together?"
"Yeah, it was really fun," Yuki said. "I'm glad you helped put it together."
"Me too."
"So, what did you mean when you said you'd make it happen?"
Arisa blinked. "What?"
"You know, what you meant by 'I'll make it happen'."
Arisa looked at her in confusion. "I don't remember saying that."
Yuki froze. She realized Arisa only said that in the dream. The real Arisa had no idea what she was talking about.
"Well, anyway," Arisa said, picking up a box and sliding it over to Yuki, "you look like you need some cheering up, so I brought you this."
"Thanks. What is it?" Yuki asked, staring at the box.
"Open it and find out."
Yuki slid the box closer to her. She took the lid off and looked inside. She gasped and her jaw dropped. She picked up a handful of photos, all of her and Shizuka in happy times. She and Shizuka in kimonos, in fancy dresses, in cosplay, and in normal clothes.
"I developed these last night," Arisa said, watching her. 
"These are amazing. They're so... so real," Yuki said, struggling to find the right words.
"I wanted you to have them."
"You did a great job."
"Thanks." Arisa smiled. "So, you in the mood for some breakfast?"
"Sure."
"I made some eggs."
"I love eggs."
"Come on, then."
Arisa and Yuki went to the table and sat down to eat.
"Hey Arisa," Yuki started, "can I ask you a personal question?"
"Uh... okay."
"No, I don't mean about you, I mean about me."
"Oh. Well, I can do that."
Yuki took in a deep breath. "Do you... do you think I should be together with Shizuka?"
"I think you guys make a cute couple."
Yuki sighed. "No... I mean... well... in a romantic way."
"I think you should ask her out," Arisa said.
Yuki froze. "You think I should ask her out?"
"Yeah."
"But... I don't... I mean... Nana is my girlfriend."
"I know," Arisa said, "and I think she'd be really proud of you for doing something like this."
"I don't want to hurt her."
"Then don't," Arisa said. "If you want to do it, go for it. But if you decide not to, don't feel like you have to tell her. She'll understand."
Yuki finished her food and went upstairs to take a shower. When she was done, she put on a fresh set of clothes and went downstairs. Arisa was gone, but Nana was there, waiting for her.
"I made you some coffee."
"Thanks."
"Are you coming to my concert this afternoon?" Nana asked.
"Yeah. I'll be there."
"You don't have to be there right away. You have a backstage pass, after all."
"I'm going to be there. I promised."
"Okay," Nana said. "I'll see you there."
Nana turned to leave as Yuki watched after her. Her eyes turned to the box Arisa left her on the coffee table. She picked it up and opened it. She took a handful of photos out and looked at them. She smiled wistfully, remembering the good times. She put the photos away and brought the box back to her room. She then put on a concert shirt and jeans and went out.
----
Yuki waited backstage as Nana went to get into costume and prepare for the concert. She looked at the long line to get into the amphitheater, realizing that Nana had many loyal fans. 
"Are you nervous?" Yuki asked.
"A little," Nana admitted. "But I don't want to mess up. I want to give my fans a good show."
"You won't mess up."
"I hope you're right."
Nana came out wearing a sleeveless blouse with a giant bow on the front and a small tutu skirt. She wore platform shoes to give herself more vertical height and styled her hair in girlish pigtails done in spiraling drill shapes. 
"Wow," Yuki said.
"I was going for the kawaii girl look."
"It's working," Yuki said.
Nana grabbed her microphone headset and walked onstage.
"Hello, everyone!" Nana said. "Thank you for coming today. I'm really nervous, so I'm going to do this quick."
Nana smiled and got into her performance mode.
"Okay," Nana said, "let's get started with the first song!"
Nana danced around the stage, moving her body seductively. Yuki smiled, watching the small screen as she moved to the beat.
Nana moved her body with the rhythm. Her skirt bounced about seductively. She twirled around and around. She twirled to the side, then back to center stage. She continued to move her body around.
Yuki's smile widened. She had never seen Nana perform before, and she was absolutely captivated. The fans watched and cheered for their idol.
Nana finished her song and bowed. She smiled at the audience and said, "Thank you for coming to my concert today. Please, stay and support me. I promise you, you will enjoy yourself!"
The audience cheered and chanted Nana's name. Nana bowed and waved to the audience. She walked offstage and waited backstage for her next song.
Nana walked over to her microphone and looked at it. She glanced at the audience, then back to her microphone. She picked up the microphone and held it to her lips. She closed her eyes and began to sing.
Nana's voice was strong and clear. The melody was catchy. It was a song that everyone could sing along to. 
Nana's eyes opened when she finished the song. She put the microphone down. She smiled at the audience.
"Please, stay and support me," Nana pleaded.
The audience chanted Nana's name. They waved glow sticks and flags. Nana smiled and waved back at them, and exited the stage.
Yuki ran into the dressing room Nana was in.
Nana was getting her hair and makeup done. She looked up at Yuki.
"Oh, Yuki. Is everything okay?"
"Yes. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You looked nervous up on stage."
"I was," Nana admitted. "But I don't want to mess up."
"You won't mess up," Yuki said.
"I hope you're right."
Nana finished getting her hair and makeup done. She exited the dressing room. She gave Yuki a big smile.
"I'm ready," Nana said.
"Good. Let's go."
Yuki walked after her.
"I have to say, you looked really good up there."
"Thanks," Nana said, her eyes shining. "I felt really good up there."
"I know," Yuki said.
"I feel like I can do anything now."
"Anything?"
"Yeah. I want to do a modeling job. I want to be a singer. I want to be a photographer. I want to be a designer. I want to be a director. I want to do it all!"
Nana threw her head back and laughed.
"You should do it all," Yuki said. "You're talented enough to do it all."
Yuki watched Nana get back on stage to perform her next song. She almost jumped when her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen, seeing the message was from Arisa.
"Come to the studio quick," Arisa's message said.
"I am at Nana's concert," Yuki texted. "I can't come now."
"No time," Arisa sent back. "This is important."
"When?"
"Now. Come."
Yuki ran out of the building. She didn't bother to change. She didn't care if she was late or not. She ran as fast as she could. She ran past the street, around the corner, and into the building where Arisa was waiting for her.
"I'm so sorry," Yuki said when she walked into the studio.
"It's okay."
"So what is so important?" she asked.
"The police came by just a little while ago," Arisa explained. "They arrested a guy last night."
"What does that have to do with me?" Yuki asked, confused.
"Remember those criminals that were blackmailing you? They found another set of copies of your pictures among his belongings."
"Oh," Yuki said, the color draining from her face. "At least they caught the guy, right?"
"Right, but that's not the problem. Back then you weren't so well known, but now you're the girlfriend of a pop idol singer. This guy put two and two together and attempted to blackmail Nana."
"So what happens now?"
"The media is going to find out about the blackmail. And... they're going to find out about those photos."
Yuki felt like she was going to faint. She steadied herself against a nearby wall.
"How much do they know?"
"Enough to make it really bad for Nana."
"But won't they have evidence?"
"Yes," Arisa said. "They'll need to investigate. There will be a trial, a scandal. Nana will be dropped from her agency. It will be bad."
"I can't believe this. I... I have to do something," Yuki said.
"The police will investigate, and they might ask you questions. So you need to tell them the truth."
"The truth? But... I didn't take the pictures!" Yuki said. "They were taken without my permission!"
"We both know that's not true."
"But I didn't do anything!"
"I know. It's okay. You'll get through this."
"But what about Nana?"
"The police will take care of Nana. She'll be okay."
Yuki nodded, but she knew Nana was going to suffer because of this.
Her phone buzzed. She knew it was Nana.
"Are you okay?" Nana asked immediately.
"Yeah," Yuki replied. "You?"
"I'm fine."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. We'll be fine."
"I'm worried about you. But I'll worry about myself. You just focus on the concert."
"Okay."
"Okay, see you soon."
"See you soon."
Yuki smiled. She felt much better knowing Nana was okay.
"Hey," Arisa said. "We'll get through this."
"I know," Yuki said, smiling.
"You two go and have fun tonight," Arisa said. "I'm staying here and keeping an eye on things."
----
Yuki returned to the amphitheater as the concert wound down. Nana smiled when she saw Yuki.
"You're here!" she squealed, running over. "I'm so glad you came! I'm so nervous."
"I'm glad I came."
"Come on, let's get you something to drink. We have a meet and greet session tonight," she said.
"A what?" Yuki asked.
"A meet and greet. We get to meet the fans. Come on, I'll introduce you."
Yuki followed Nana through the backstage area. She wasn't sure what a meet and greet was, but she didn't have anything better to do. She'd go along with it.
They walked through a maze of production rooms. They walked past many closed doors. Many of the doors had signs that read, "No Admittance."
"This is it."
Nana stopped in front of a door with an intercom button.
"This is where you'll be meeting the fans," she said. "We've set up a special area just for them."
Nana pressed the button.
"Hello, who's speaking?" a female voice said.
"It's Nana."
"Oh! Hello, Nana. How are you? What do you need?"
"I'm good. I'm just here to help with the meet and greet. I was told you had something special planned?"
"Yes! We have some surprises planned for tonight," the hostess said. "You'll see when you get here."
"Okay. I'll be there in a moment. Is there anything you need?"
"No, I'm good. Have a good day, Nana."
"You too."
Nana pressed the button again.
"The door is locked," the voice on the other side said.
"What?" Nana asked, confused. "I just unlocked it."
"I'll have to open it from the inside."
"Okay."
Nana walked away, shaking her head.
"What?" Yuki asked.
"Someone's playing a prank on me."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. I just don't know."
"It's probably nothing."
"Yeah, probably nothing," Nana said.
Yuki laughed. She had no idea how she was going to survive the rest of the day.
"We're almost there," Nana said. "Be prepared. These fans are going to be crazy."
"Yeah," Yuki said.
Nana opened the door and walked aside.
"Come on in," she said.
Yuki and Nana walked into the room. It was a large room with a projector screen, a small stage, and an audience of about a hundred people. It looked like a modern day movie studio. The audience was cheering, waving signs and wearing costumes.
"It's great isn't it?" Nana whispered. "They all dress up as their favorite characters."
Yuki smiled. It was a bit creepy, but also kind of fun.
"Welcome to the Amphitheatre," Nana said. "We have a very special guest tonight."
The audience cheered and whistled.
"Are you ready to meet your hero?" Nana asked.
Yuki smiled and nodded. She followed Nana onto the small stage. The audience screamed for Yuki to start. Nana pressed the microphone.
"Hello everyone!" Nana shouted, raising her hands. "My name is Nana. Welcome to the meet and greet of this concert!"
The audience cheered and waved their cell phones and signs.
"We have a very special guest with us tonight!" Nana said. "She is the star photographer of Moon River!"
The audience cheered louder.
"Please give a warm welcome to Yuki!" Nana said.
The audience screamed.
Yuki walked nervously onto the stage. She smiled nervously. She waved nervously to the audience. She looked around nervously. She was terrified. She was going to faint. She was going to cry. She was going to run away.
Instead, she walked forward. Yuki focused her thoughts on what Shizuka would do in this situation. She had to act like she belonged there.
She approached the microphone. She looked at the audience. She searched for familiar faces.
Yuki spoke into the microphone.
"Hello," she said. "I'm Yuki."
The audience laughed nervously.
Yuki continued. "I'm here to meet you."
The audience laughed and applauded.
Yuki smiled. "Thank you." She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm not a model," Yuki said. "I'm not a singer. I'm not even a celebrity."
The audience gasped. The audience booed. The audience laughed.
"But I am a photographer."
The audience applauded. Yuki smiled. She raised her hand.
"I'm a photographer for Moon River. And I'm also a photographer for a magazine. And I'm also Nana's photographer."
The audience applauded louder. Yuki smiled. The audience chanted "Yuki! Yuki! Yuki!"
Yuki waved and smiled.
"So I'm a little bit of everything."
The audience screamed. The audience chanted.
"And I want to be your new model."
The audience cheered even more. The audience chanted "Yuki! Yuki! Yuki!"
Yuki laughed nervously. She glanced at the microphone. She glanced at the door. She glanced at the screaming audience. 
Nana ran up to Yuki and gave her a big hug.
"She's your girl," Nana shouted.
Nana hugged Yuki tightly.
"You're our girl," Nana said.
Nana pulled Yuki close and kissed her.
The audience cheered.
Yuki and Nana walked off the stage and the cheering continued.
"It's a dream come true!" Nana said.
Yuki smiled. She glanced at the door. She glanced at the screaming audience.
Nana kissed Yuki again.
The audience cheered and clapped.
----
Knowing that news of the scandal involving Yuki's drunken photos was inevitable Nana decided to come clean with her fans and openly declare her relationship with Yuki. While many fans were outwardly supportive, there was no shortage of grumbling about her 'betrayal' by lonely fans wishing to date the idol. Nana's manager grumbled continuously about the setbacks to her career, but Nana didn't care nearly as much about the negative attention as much as she wanted to shield Yuki.
Nana and Yuki were given a few interviews, and the news stories were generally positive, as well as supportive of Nana's relationship with Yuki, being seen as a refreshingly progressive and dynamic living love story.
Yuki and Nana were given a few days of peace before the scandal spread and became a national issue. Yuki and Arisa were walking home when they heard the news of the scandal.
"I can't believe it," Yuki said.
"I can't believe it either," Arisa said. "I'm so sorry, Yuki."
"I know. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."
Arisa shook her head. "We'll get through this. We'll all be fine."
Yuki and Arisa parted ways. Yuki quickly made way back to her apartment where Nana was waiting for her. Nana was busy on the phone with her angry manager.
She checked her phone. It was filled with an unusually large number of messages bombarding her work contact from various senders. While some senders were sympathetic, the majority were extremely rude and vile. Yuki sat down and cried. Nana sat next to her.
Yuki put down her phone and lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Nana. I'm so sorry."
Nana held Yuki's hand. "It's not your fault. It's everyone else's fault." She released her hand and stood up. "I have to go. My agent is going to be so angry with me."
Nana left Yuki's apartment and headed for the nearest train station.
Yuki cried. She was alone with no one to help her and no one to talk to. She felt like a pariah to the world. The news was already out, and people were whispering about her.
She heard her phone ring, but she ignored it. No sooner had it died down, it rang again. Again, Yuki ignored it. Several minutes and several ignored calls later, she picked up the phone, prepared to throw it somewhere, until she realized the call was from Shizuka. Yuki wiped the tears from her eyes, looking at the phone like it was a lifeline-- a light in the darkness. 
"Hello?"
"I've been trying to call you," Shizuka said. Her voice was as steady as ever. 
"I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind."
"I know. Listen, is it alright if I come over there?"
Yuki vigorously nodded her head. "Yes, please...!"
"I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll try to get in the back way."
Yuki sat back as her friend hung up. She was certain people would be angry at her and try to attack anyone that tried to approach her. She wondered if Shizuka would get there.
Yuki sat in silence, losing track of time, until she heard the door unlock. Shizuka let herself in with her own key.
She looked up at her. "How is it downstairs?"
Shizuka shook her head. "Building security is keeping everyone out. I got in through the service entrance."
She sat down next to her friend, and put an arm around her. Yuki leaned her head against her shoulder. She felt safe.
"They're calling you a slut and a whore," Shizuka stated plainly.
"I know."
"Even politicians are weighing in on it on the news, saying that your relationship degrades traditional families, that you're a bad influence." Shizuka shook her head. "I'm not sure how Nana's career is going to survive this."
"Nana doesn't give a rat's behind if she loses her career," Yuki said. She knew the standard procedure for Nana's 'rehabilitation' involved humiliating herself before her fans and begging for forgiveness. Yuki knew for certain Nana would never do that as she already publicly announced and embraced her taboo relationship.
"In any case, she's doing it for you. You can't forget that."
"I know. It's all I can think about."
"We'll be fine. We'll all be fine," Shizuka said. 
Yuki nodded. She wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'll go get us some tea." Shizuka headed to the kitchen.
Yuki grabbed her phone from the table. She started setting up a whitelist to get rid of the nuisance messages. She worked at it for a few minutes, until she realized it was vibrating, seeing the message and saw it was from Arisa.
Arisa wrote, "How are you doing?"
Yuki sent in reply, "I am fine. Shizuka is here."
"Good. Don't go anywhere without her."
"I won't."
Yuki put down her phone as Shizuka returned with the tea. Her friend placed two cups and a pot on the table.
"Thanks."
Yuki took a deep breath. She picked up her tea and took a sip. It was hot, but she liked it that way.
The two sat silently. Neither wanted to turn on the news. They wanted to stay in their quiet little bubble, shielded from the outside world, as long as possible.
----
That night Yuki had another dream. Yuki held her camera out as Shizuka walked onto the set. She was wearing the familiar navy blue school swimsuit. 
Yuki was standing on the balcony as Shizuka posed for the camera. She was looking directly into the camera as she turned around and around.
"Okay, let's try it one more time."
Shizuka leaned forward suggestively, giving Yuki a sly wink. "Perhaps this time you want to be a little... closer."
Yuki's heartbeat raced as Shizuka ran her hands up and down her body, then cupping her chest. She rubbed herself with circular motions, giving satisfying moans that got Yuki excited. She dropped her camera, and approached her friend. She grabbed her hands, and started repeating the circular motions herself.
"You like this, don't you?" Yuki said. 
Shizuka nodded slowly, moaning in satisfaction. "Surely you want the main course...?"
Yuki leaned in and kissed Shizuka. Her friend did not resist. Her hands started to undress Yuki, but she did not care. She fondled her friend's small chest. They went to the bedroom and made love.
Yuki woke up, her dream so vivid she swore it was real. 
She looked around, and remembered she was in her own room, in her bed. She looked next to her to either side, and realized she was by herself. She jumped out of bed and checked the clock, noting it was the middle of the night. Yuki was about to go wash up when another thought hit her. 
"Shizuka?" she said aloud, but no one answered. 
Yuki opened her bedroom door and looked around. She found her friend sound asleep on the couch, with a flimsy blanket covering her. Her phone was lying open on the table with a charging cable attached to it.
Yuki smiled in relief. She found another blanket and draped it over Shizuka, then went back to her room, thankful that her best friend was there to protect her.
----
The next morning Nana returned, having been gone the entire night. Yuki and Shizuka were eating breakfast when she entered, and she appeared as if the whole world was dropped on her.
"What happened?" Yuki asked.
Nana merely grunted and sat down at the table. She buried her head in her arms, exhausted. 
Shizuka slid her a plate of eggs. "There's enough for you."
"Thanks," she mumbled. She looked up at Shizuka briefly. "I'm glad you're such a good friend to her." 
Shizuka shrugged.
Nana took a bite of her food. "You can eat," she said. 
"I already did," Yuki said. "But you're hungry too."
"A little bit," Nana admitted.
"So what happened?" Yuki asked, pouring her a cup of coffee.
"I went out clubbin'!" Nana said.
"Of course you did..." Shizuka said sarcastically.
"No, you didn't," Yuki said.
"Alright, fine, I didn't," Nana admitted. "But I went with a friend! And we partied all night and all day, and it was awesome! I met a cute guy, and he invited me to go clubbin'!"
Shizuka slapped her on the back of the head.
"Okay, okay, I can take a hint." Nana glared at Shizuka, but she remained unmoved. "My agent resigned. I've got no agent. Still have my grumpy manager for now. Who knows about anyone else."
"Congratulations," Shizuka said. "That's real life hitting."
"Thanks," Nana said, sticking out her tongue. "I'm gonna have to find a new agent. Heck, maybe a new job at that."
"Hire me," Yuki said.
"You can't be serious," Nana said.
"Well, I don't mean me directly. You can sign up with Moon River."
"If I do that, it will taint Moon River's clientele as well."
"That doesn't matter anymore. I'm still affiliated with Moon River. You joining up won't change anything that my being there already did. Arisa won't turn you down."
"Alright, if I join up, I'm only doing it because you said I could," Nana said.
"Fine, fine, I'll set it up."
Nana groaned. "Just don't get your hopes up too high. I've been burnt before."
"I won't," Yuki said.
"Don't be so pessimistic," Shizuka said.
Nana threw her hands up in the air. "I have no choice. I'll see what I can do."
"Great!" Yuki said. "I'll text you when I find out more."
Nana nodded. She dug into her food.
----
Over the next several days Nana and her manager met with Arisa and negotiated terms of agency. In the meantime Arisa gave Yuki the rest of the week off to lay low until the news blows over and everyone forgets about the whole incident, but Yuki was skeptical that anyone would forget. Shizuka and Nana took turns staying with Yuki as they left to deal with their own lives. 
Yuki continued to dream of making love to Shizuka, but she refrained from telling either her or Nana about it in light of what was going on. She had no idea what to make of it, nor anyone to talk to it about. She only felt that the accusations of her being a slut would be true if she admitted it.
Nana and Shizuka both came by to see Yuki every day after work. They gave her encouraging words. They both made jokes to cheer her up. She appreciated it, but it didn't take away the emptiness she felt in her heart, or the sadness.
On Monday, Nana's manager called with news. "Nana has signed with Moon River."
Yuki's face immediately lit up. "Really?" she asked.
"Yeah, she signed yesterday."
Yuki saved her real congratulations when Nana returned home later that day. 
The rest of the week passed by in a blur. On Saturday Nana came over with her own copy of the contract, to show Yuki that she had signed it. It contained a clause that if either of them decided they did not want to work with each other, they could break the contract. They both felt that this was unlikely, but it was there as a precaution.
On Sunday, Nana bought a cake. They chatted about their lives over their dessert. Nana asked Yuki if she wanted to go out for a walk. Yuki declined, because she felt guilty about appearing in public with her. Despite that, Nana insisted that Yuki needed to get out of the apartment. She needed to relax.
The following Monday, when Nana took her to her first photoshoot since the scandal broke out, Yuki was a nervous wreck. She was supposed to take photos of Nana to build up her portfolio, but she second guessed herself constantly. The pressure of the situation was too much for her. She wished that she had done more with her life.
Nana tried to put her mind at ease. "Don't worry. I've done this hundreds of times. You'll be fine."
Yuki looked up to Nana. Nana was so strong. Yuki felt proud to be with her.
Nana smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. "We'll be fine. You'll see." She patted Yuki on the knee. "Besides, if we get along and you have fun, that's all that really matters."
Yuki smiled. "You're the best."
"I know." Nana gave her a wink. "I'm going to go get our gear." She stood and left the room.
Yuki looked around at the busy studio. The world around her was still moving, with crew members setting up equipment and people talking about other things. She stood up, deciding it was time to return to the real world and go back to work.
----
Much of the uproar about the photo scandal died down after a week passed and the media moved on to other stories. Nana's fans, however, were bitterly divided. Some were still loyal and defended the relationship while others felt that Yuki defiled their idol and needed to be punished or worse. It was the latter that continued to harass Nana and Yuki with angry letters.
Yuki sat down at her desk for the first time since returning to work and saw several boxes worth of hate mail. She decided to ignore them. She was angry they had to take up space in her office, so she had them disposed of.
Nana had delayed the release of her music video featuring Yuki, but she chose now to release it in order to remind everyone of the love story narrative she created. Many fans were won over, but others remained skeptical.
Nana's video was a hit, but not overwhelmingly so. She had intended to send a message and remind people of her feelings. Her song was about love, but she knew that it was more about herself and her relationship with Yuki. 
Yuki loved being with Nana. She felt that Nana really understood her, that they could be themselves around each other. Nana knew what it was like to be an outsider, to be a freak, and to feel isolated. She knew what it was like to be misunderstood.
The media and public were still upset, but they had moved on. Nana and Yuki would be together forever, and they were happy.
The two decided to go out on a date at a quaint restaurant that was known for its specialty sashimi. The place was packed, and Nana looked around nervously.
"I almost feel like people are watching us," she said.
Yuki giggled. "They are."
"What? Why would anyone care?"
Yuki leaned in and whispered in Nana's ear. "Because you're Nana. Everyone cares."
Nana smiled and gave Yuki a loving hug. Yuki squeezed back.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
The two got their food and ate quietly.
Later that night they made love again in what seemed like the first time in an eternity.
----
The first music video Nana produced since joining Moon River was themed around a casino. Nana wanted to show the world she was shedding her image as a girl and becoming a woman. She asked Shizuka to join the production, but she politely declined, and Yuki soon found out why. 
Yuki stood in front of a mirror dressed in a red bunny girl outfit, made up of a corset and fishnet tights. It felt tight against her body, and she idly wondered if she was gaining weight. She did not look as thin as she thought in her head.
"You look cute," said Arisa.
Yuki blushed. She glanced down at her outfit. She looked at the way the light played on her outfit and smiled.
"I'm glad you think so."
Arisa rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'm glad you're here. This is really a lot of fun."
Yuki smiled. "I'm glad. I'm nervous."
"Well, I'm nervous too."
"What are you nervous about?"
Arisa laughed. "Everything."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I feel like I should be more excited, but I'm really nervous that something will go wrong.  I'm also nervous about what we should do if there are emergencies."
Yuki giggled. "I feel that way too. We'll be fine."
"Alright, let's do it! I'm ready!"
Shizuka entered the room, dressed in a kimono and hakama. A wooden kendo stick was thrust to her left side through her obi. To Yuki she looked every bit the thug she remembered her being at the penthouse party.
"Thanks for coming," Yuki said. 
Shizuka looked her up and down. "Better you than me."
Yuki and Arisa left the room and headed towards the shooting set. They walked through the casino, where a section was roped off for the filming of the video. The few customers who were present this early in the day paid them no heed, engrossed in their own gambling.
"This feels really weird," Yuki said.
"I know, right?" agreed Arisa. "I'm really glad we have a professional director. We'd be in a lot of trouble if we did this ourselves."
When they arrived at the set they saw Nana, who was wearing a black bunny girl outfit. She waved them over.
"Nana! You look cute as always!" said Yuki.
"Thanks. You look pretty too," said Nana.
Arisa rolled her eyes.
Nana turned to her. "So, you ready for this?"
"Always," Yuki said.
Nana nodded and smiled. "Let's do it!"
Nana signaled to the other girls. The four of them moved towards the gambling area of the casino.
The director gathered all the models together for a small meeting. "Okay, girls, this is where we will start. Nana, you're going to walk into the casino as if you were a regular patron. You'll be by yourself for the first part of the video, so you don't have to worry about what anyone else is doing."
Yuki glanced at Nana, who was smiling at her. Nana looked back at Yuki and winked. Nana and Yuki stared at each other for a moment, and then burst into giggles.
Nana led the way, strutting around the casino as if she were an expensive and well kept piece of real estate. The director followed her, filming the walk. After about fifteen minutes, the walk was done.
"That was a good walk. You looked great!" Yuki said to Nana.
"Thanks. It felt good to be back out there," Nana said.
Nana looked at Yuki. They stared at each other for a moment, and then burst into giggles.
"Yuki, are you nervous too?" Nana asked.
"A little bit."
"I know! It's really scary, right?"
"Yeah, it is."
Nana and Yuki sat on the couch. 
"So, how do you feel about the video?" Nana asked.
"It's weird, but I actually kind of like it," said Yuki. "I'm nervous, but I think I'm going to do a good job."
The director called all the models back to the set. Yuki and Nana got up and joined them for the next part of the shoot. The scene for this part of the video was the casino table. The girls sat around the table, getting into their positions. 
"Nana," the director instructed, "you're going to be at the table, and you're going to be dealing."
Nana looked at the table, and her stack of cards. She smiled. "This is going to be easy!"
The director laughed. "Just because you're good at dealing doesn't mean you're good at this game!"
Nana shrugged. "I deal better than a robot!" Nana took her seat at the table. She dealt the cards, and the girls placed their chips in the center.
Yuki smiled at Nana. "How do you feel?"
"Good. A little bit scared, but good," Nana said, her smile never faltering. 
The girls studied their cards. The poker game was underway.
Yuki studied the girls. They were beautiful, and she was a professional photographer. Yuki took several photos of the table at several angles. Yuki tried to capture the emotions on the faces, and the beauty in their eyes.
Yuki snapped her camera shut, and put it in her bag. She grabbed her video camera, and shot a video of the table.
After about half an hour, the director was satisfied with the footage he captured.
"Okay, that's a wrap for today!" the director shouted. "Thank you everyone for coming!"
The girls walked out of the room.
"Thanks for your time!" Yuki shouted after them.
Yuki walked back to the changing room with Nana. They were the only ones in the room. Nana chose that moment to embrace Yuki. Yuki stiffened, but Nana continued to hold her tightly. 
"You did wonderful," Nana whispered into Yuki's ear. She held her close, and they kissed. It was a soft, sweet, gentle, romantic, innocent, playful, and tender moment.
They were so engrossed with each other they did not notice the two men enter and throw bags over their heads.
----
When the bag came off her head, Yuki found herself her wrists tied to the arms of a chair, and her legs tied to each leg. A masked man pressed his face into her. 
"Hello, slut."
Yuki wanted to scream, but from behind she was being gagged with a cloth. She rattled the chair in futility. 
"Stop that, or I'll kill you," the man threatened.
Yuki stopped struggling. 
The man laughed.
Yuki turned her eyes to the side. Nana was also tied to a chair. She was mumbling curses under her gagged mouth. A second man stood by her, stroking her fishnet-clad legs. 
The first man lowered Yuki's gag so she could speak.
"What are you doing this for?" she asked.
"Why, you're the famous slut photographer that defiled poor Nana," he declared. "Look at how you corrupted her. She's dressed like a slut, just like you."
"I'm a photographer. I take pictures of people," Yuki said, confused.
"Yeah, and look at how you abused your position. You've been photographed with Nana. Nana was a virgin before you, but you made her lose her purity. She's now a loose woman. You're a bad influence. You're evil."
Yuki looked at Nana. Nana's eyes were downcast. Her eyes were red. Tears were running down her cheeks. She knew Nana did not believe anything the man said. 
"Why are you doing this to us?" Yuki asked.
"Nana was a good girl before you came along. I want to show you a picture of her. See if you can recognize her." 
The man pulled a photograph from his pocket and held it up. It was a picture of a young, beautiful, and innocent Nana. She was wearing a school uniform. Her hair was in pigtails. She looked very sweet and innocent.
"That's her. Now, are you going to admit what you did?"
"I took a picture of her. That's all."
"Bull! You're a liar! You're a bad influence! She was a good girl! You ruined her!"
The man turned to his second. Yuki heard a buzzing sound that sounded like an electric razor. She froze. 
"We're going to make sure you never tempt another innocent girl ever again!" the man declared. 
The second man took the razor to Yuki's luxurious platinum blonde hair. Nana screamed through her gag and made a lot of noise, but it was no use. The man buzzed through Yuki's hair as quickly and sloppy as he could. Her hair was shaved off over the course of several agonizing minutes, with Yuki unable to contain her tears.
"There," the man said, grimly satisfied with the work. "You won't tempt any innocent girls again!"
"What have you done?!" Yuki cried.
Yuki's hair was now completely gone. Her carefully curated platinum blonde locks were strewn all over the floor around her. She cried her eyes out that something she cared for all her life and followed her on her journey to Tokyo and beyond, was no longer part of her. She felt violated in a way she never felt before, fully sober to what happened to her and the evidence of her foolishness in front of her.
"Now, we're going to make sure you never do anything like this again. You're going to be punished. I'm going to make sure of that."
Yuki cried and pleaded with her eyes. Her heart was pounding. She felt helpless.
The man picked up a can of shaving cream and started spraying Yuki's head, intent on finishing the job. 
Nana could do nothing but watch. She was crying to the point where she could no longer see.
The four heard a loud crash outside the room. The first man motioned to the second man to check it out. No sooner had the second man opened the door, he was struck on the head and down on the floor.
The first man turned away from Yuki and brandished his shaving cream at the incoming attacker. He was too slow and got pummeled in the face. 
Yuki could barely see what was happening through her tears, but she was still frozen in fear despite her tormentors being down for the count. Her heart was pounding and she could barely breathe. She was shaking from fear and anger.
She could make out a silhouette in the doorway, but it only looked like a featureless black blob. Then the lights of the room turned on.
Yuki realized she was in a hotel room, probably of the same casino the shoot was in. Standing before her was Shizuka, her wooden sword in hand, and Arisa standing beside her.
"Yuki!" Arisa cried, running to her. 
"I... I can't... Breathe... I can't..." Yuki gasped, struggling to breathe.
"I knew you were in trouble. I knew you were in danger," Arisa said.
Shizuka moved to the chair and undid the bonds. Yuki collapsed in the chair. 
"Are you alright?" she asked. 
Yuki could only nod. No words would form on her lips. 
Shizuka nodded quietly, then went to untie Nana. To Yuki's relief, she was unharmed. Yuki looked around and noted the two kidnappers were out cold. Casino security entered the room to drag them away.
"How did you find us?" Nana asked.
"These guys were sloppy," Shizuka explained. "When we found out what happened casino security cameras showed us exactly where they went."
Arisa was on the floor, busy picking up Yuki's hair. She looked up at her hopefully. "We can try to make a wig out of this for you, if you want."
Yuki shook her head. "No. I... I can't... I can't be a girl anymore," she said, crying.
"It's okay, Yuki. I understand," Arisa said.
Yuki's sobs echoed throughout the room. Arisa wrapped her arms around her and held her tight.
"I'm sorry," Nana said.
Yuki shook her head. "I was... I was so scared... I was so scared... I was so scared."
"I know."
Yuki nodded, but the tears never stopped flowing from her. "I'll never be a real girl again."
----
Yuki stared at herself in the mirror. The pride and joy that was her hair was gone.
Word of the kidnapping attempt spread quickly. While some of Nana's fans felt Yuki got her just desserts, they were drowned out by the outpouring of sympathy for the barbarism inflicted upon her.
Nana continued to perform as planned. However, her stage performances were more somber and dramatic. Some people said that the change in her was a sign of her maturity, while others said it was a cop-out. 
Yuki was sitting in the dressing room while Nana was on stage performing. She looked at a nearby mannequin, where a platinum blonde wig rest, made out of her lost hair. She picked it up, studying it carefully, then put on the wig.
She stared at her new hair. The wig was the same familiar color, but it was much shorter than she would have liked, reaching to her shoulders. It was a whole new Yuki staring back at her. She had worn wigs in the past, but this is the first time she wore one while being bald.
Arisa appeared behind her and gave her a supportive squeeze on the arm. "Are you okay?"
Yuki nodded, smiling softly.
Arisa led Yuki out of the dressing room and to the side of the stage where Nana was waiting.
"I'm glad you decided to come out," Nana said.
"So am I," Yuki replied.
"I'm going out there and give this performance for you," Nana said on the stage. She gave Yuki a sideways glance. "I'm not letting you down."
Yuki smiled softly and nodded. She watched Nana run back on stage for her next performance. She admired her bravery and hope. Nana was doing what she loved, and she was doing it for Yuki.
Yuki watched the rest of the show from the wings. Near the end of the performance she turned to leave when she saw Shizuka waiting for her.
"Are you doing okay?" she asked.
Yuki nodded. "I'm going to be fine." She grasped Shizuka's hand with her own. "I never told you, but when I was kidnapped, you inspired me to not give in."
"Really?" Shizuka raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, sure, it didn't work out the way I wanted, but I never gave in to them," Yuki clarified. "I wanted you to know that you gave me the strength I never had."
"No, that's not true. You always had that strength."
"Maybe. It might be I needed you to get me there."
Shizuka smiled softly. "Well, that's pretty nice of you. I'm... I'm glad you're okay."
"Thanks," Yuki said. "I never told you, but... you were pretty heroic back there. You really know how to swing that stick of yours."
"It's not a stick, it's a training sword," Shizuka corrected her. "It's not like it was an accessory."
Yuki giggled. "No, I suppose it wasn't." She reached out and squeezed her friend's hand. "Still, you're like my white knight. My knight in shining armor."
"That's embarrassing," Shizuka scoffed, but her cheeks flared red.
They walked back to the dressing room together, and Yuki was glad to have a friend like Shizuka.
----
At Nana's suggestion Yuki worked on another photoshoot with Shizuka, the first time in over a month.  
The two girls were doing a shoot on a penthouse balcony against the clear night sky, with the lights of the city below. Yuki gasped in awe as Shizuka stepped out of the penthouse in a sheer, black gown. The sheer fabric flowed around Shizuka's body seductively, revealing glimpses of her slender, yet curvy figure.
"Wow," Yuki whispered.
"It's really something, isn't it," Shizuka said, giving Yuki a peck on the cheek. "Nana said I should wear something nice."
"Oh, Nana's here?" Yuki asked, smiling.
"Yeah, she's inside. She wants to talk to you," Shizuka said, leading Yuki to the penthouse door.
Nana stood in the foyer, a cocktail glass in one hand. She wore a tight, black dress that left very little to the imagination.
"Hiya, Yuki," she said. "How do you like the dress?"
"It's really... something," Yuki stammered. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, come on," Nana said, putting down her glass. "What's wrong with a little tease?"
"But she's gorgeous!"
"That's the point. I don't mind if you have fun with your friend. I'm not going to be a jealous girlfriend about it. I know how important she is to you."
Yuki's cheeks burned red.  "But Shizuka is my friend...."
"And she's a good friend, too," Nana said. She stepped towards Yuki and gave her a long, sensual hug. "Don't be shy."
Nana's hands caressed Yuki's back as she held her tightly. Her body melted as her eyes closed briefly in relief. Nana released her and smiled.
"Go get Shizuka," she said.
Yuki nodded. She left the room and closed the door behind her.
Nana sipped her drink, a satisfied smirk on her face.
Yuki clutched her camera tightly. She looked at Shizuka, who was leaning with her back against the railing of the balcony, waiting for her to start the shoot. Her heart raced knowing she was alone with her best friend-- her smoking hot best friend.
Yuki cleared her throat nervously and took a deep breath.
"Okay," she said, trying to stay calm. "I need you to look natural. Got it?"
"Got it," Shizuka said, her purple eyes bright with excitement.
Shizuka posed by the railing, a half-smile on her face. Yuki took several shots of her, trying her best to stay in control.
"Can I get a little bit of the city in the background?" Yuki asked.
Shizuka nodded. "Sure. It's kinda cold out here, though, so make it quick."
"Ready," Yuki said, taking a deep breath. "Three... two... one...!"
The shutter sounded, and she took several more shots as Shizuka posed and the city lights grew larger in the viewfinder.
"That's great! Thanks. Let's get a few more shots in."
Shizuka laughed, a mischievous look on her face. She leaned over to Yuki and whispered into her ear, "I'm not wearing any underwear."
Yuki's cheeks burned. Her heart pounded. She gulped.
"Um, okay," she muttered. "That's... a technicality."
"You don't mind, do you?" Shizuka asked, her eyes dancing with mirth.
"Uh, no. I mean, yes. Of course not."
Yuki raised her camera again and realized she was shaking. Shizuka made a flirty pose raising her leg, and Yuki knew for certain her friend was messing with her. She took several shots, and Shizuka laughed and posed again.
"It's not real, okay? I made that part up."
"I wasn't actually expecting you to..." Yuki paused. "I mean, I was, but..."
Shizuka laughed. "Relax, will you? I just wanted to see your reaction." She patted her skirt. "Want to see?"
"No!" Yuki said, laughing.
Yuki and Shizuka finished the shoot, and Yuki was relieved it was over. They left the balcony and went back into the penthouse where Nana was waiting for them.
"Hey, good job," she said. "You two did great."
"Thanks," Yuki said, smiling nervously.
Nana took another sip from her glass. She pointed to another room. "I want you two to work over there now."
Yuki and Shizuka walked to the designated room. It was a luxurious bedroom. The bed was huge, wide enough for two and had a fancy headboard with a lion's face on it. It was decorated with purple sheets and a large fluffy purple comforter.
"Take a few shots in this bedroom," Nana said. "There's some clothes in that closet; pick out something nice if you want. This is for a special event. So wear something special."
"What event?" Yuki asked.
"I don't know. That's why you're here, right?"
Yuki gulped. She had a feeling she would be participating in something that Arisa would not approve of.
"Have fun, you guys!" Nana said cheerfully, shutting the door behind her. They heard the door being latched from the outside.
"Uh, thanks," Yuki said nervously.
"Don't worry," Shizuka said, flipping her long purple hair. "I've got your back." She lay on the bed in a seductive pose. "Do what you need to do."
Yuki nodded, and started taking pictures of her friend posing on the bed. For this shoot Shizuka changed into a long, thin purple dress. It came down to just above her knee. It was a bit sheer, showing her shapely legs. Yuki's camera clicked as Shizuka posed. Shizuka winked at the camera, flirty and confident. Yuki smiled and took more shots.
She took several more pictures as Shizuka posed on the bed. Shizuka was teasing, flirty, and flirtatious. Yuki smiled and took more photos as Shizuka lay on her back. Yuki clicked the shutter, her heart aflutter. Shizuka looked beautiful.
"Done," Yuki said, shutting the camera. She went back to the door. She should stay in the room to set up the next shot, but she had a hard time focusing because she was distracted by Shizuka's beauty. Yuki bit her lip nervously. This was turning her stomach.
She tried to turn the door handle, but the door would not open. Yuki realized Nana trapped her inside the bedroom with Shizuka. She knocked on the door, calling for Nana, but there was no response. She turned around and Yuki found herself staring at Shizuka.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I think Nana locked us in here," Yuki answered.
"Well, she told me she wanted sexy pictures," Shizuka said, shrugging. "Do you suppose she intended us to go all the way?"
Yuki shuddered. "I don't want to do that."
"I don't, either."
Yuki laughed. "This is something Nana would do."
"Maybe we should have some fun."
"Yeah, let's have some fun."
They talked about what would be appropriate to wear for their session. The two girls stepped into the giant walk-in closet. There were racks and racks of clothes. They started to pick through them. There were cute dresses, elegant dresses, skimpy dresses, and even a few revealing dresses.
"This is a lot of pressure," Yuki said.
"I'm sure we can do it."
"I hope so."
Yuki picked out a tight, revealing black dress while Shizuka picked out a long, tight purple dress. The two girls posed in the dresses while standing in front of the mirror.
"It's perfect," Shizuka said.
They took the pictures they wanted. The two friends had a good time, taking turns with the camera, then setting it on remote for couples shots.
Nana opened the door. She had a wicked smile on her face.
"Why did you lock us in here?" Yuki demanded.
"You two were flirting and giggling. I was thinking something was going to happen," Nana answered, her smile never leaving her face.
"But we're just friends. It's no big deal."
"Okay, I'll stop." Nana patted the girls on the head. "Good girls. You're learning."
Nana led the girls out of the building and into the evening moonlight.
----
It had been raining all morning when Yuki walked up to the entrance of the Moon River building, holding a simple black umbrella, when she saw Shizuka. She was standing out on the sidewalk, her arms outstretched, and her face up toward the sky. She was soaking wet.
"Shizuka?" Yuki said, approaching her friend with curiosity. "What are you doing?"
"Isn't it great?" Shizuka said.
"What?"
"The rain. It feels wonderful."
"Yeah, I guess. I just wish it wouldn't. It's been a long week."
"I know. I just love this rain. It reminds me of home."
Yuki looked at Shizuka in surprise. In all the time she had known her Shizuka made every excuse to avoid going near the water. She never went to the beach, the pool, hot springs, or even a communal bath. She never saw her wear a swimsuit. Yet here she was, standing in the rain, soaking wet, like it was the natural thing to do.
"Shizuka, what's going on?"
"I just...I don't know. It feels good. It feels right." She turned to face Yuki. "So, is Nana ready for the shoot?"
"Yeah. I think so."
"Okay. Let's go."
Shizuka took a few steps forward and then turned around. She gave Yuki a huge, wet, closed-mouth smile.
Yuki watched her friend run off toward the Moon River building. She watched her friend go up the stairs and disappear inside, then followed her, holding her umbrella tightly.
She saw Shizuka again at their shared office, having dried herself off with a towel and changed into simple, dry clothes. They walked to the studio together to work with Nana's shoot.
"I'm so glad you could make it," Nana said. Her face was painted white with a special cream and her lips done with black gloss. She wore long black gloves that covered her hands and her upper arms. Her dress was collared, sleeveless, and had a tight skirt so short that it barely covered her. A thin black leather belt held a black metal buckle in front. She wore high heels that clicked on the hardwood floors as she walked. She had a small black umbrella in one hand, which she held over her head as she walked toward the girls.
She turned to Yuki. "I want you to take pictures of me as I walk up and down this lane over here, like you would do on a runway shoot."
"Got it. I'll set up a few things."
Turning to Shizuka, she said, "The costumers will get you ready."
Shizuka turned and left to get changed.
Yuki went to a box of her own gear that sat on a shelf behind the counter and got her camera ready.
Nana walked slowly down the lane, her heels clicking loudly. She kept her umbrella held high over her head, a determined look on her face. Yuki took pictures of her every step. She knew it was important to get the exact feel of her walk, the exact way that she moved her body, the exact way that her hair flowed across her face. Her eyes were closed, her lips pressed tightly together. She was concentrating very hard on feeling the air move around her.
After about twenty minutes of walking back and forth down the lane, Nana had covered most of the distance. She had walked almost halfway back toward the center of the studio when she stopped, opened her umbrella, and turned around.
"This is perfect!" she said. She had a mischievous smile on her face. "I look great, don't I?" 
"You look great," Yuki said. "Now, just one more picture. Then we'll get you all set up and you can start your work."
Nana turned and gave Yuki a big smile, showing all of her teeth.
Yuki smiled back. She took one more picture. 
The idol waved and blew Yuki a kiss, then ran off to get changed out of her costume.
Yuki only had to wait a few minutes before Shizuka emerged in her costume. She wore a black tight, sleeveless bodice that exposed her midriff. It had a tight and short skirt which rode low on her hips and exposed her legs from the thigh down. Yuki could see a hint of black lacy underwear peeking out. She wore black high heels that made a clicking noise as she walked. Her exposed skin, including her face, was painted white, she wore black lipstick and a short black wig with a tiny black top hat on top. She looked like a character out of a silent movie.
"Wow! You look great!" Yuki said.
"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself," Shizuka said, with a wink.
Yuki laughed as Nana reappeared, having changed out of her costume into more casual clothes.
"Okay, Shizuka," the idol started, "this is what I want you to do. You are playing a vamp. I want to see that electric energy come out of you without going full erotic. You're going to seduce the reader. You're going to corrupt them to their very core. You're going to be a very bad girl. Understand?"
"Yes," Shizuka said, with a small smile.
Nana took out a small black book and flipped it open.
"Okay. This is what you are going to do. I want you to close your eyes and picture yourself in this situation."
Shizuka closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"You are in this situation. You are a young, beautiful, popular girl who is dating a rich, good looking guy. You are in his apartment. You are alone. He enters the room and kisses you. You respond by kissing him back. You take his clothes off and fondle his body. Then, you remove your own clothes and let him have all of you. Afterwards, you feel great. You feel amazing. You feel like you can do anything. Your life is perfect. You are happy. You have no worries. You have no cares in the world. You are in love."
Nana snapped her fingers. "Now, imagine that every time you open your eyes, it's not him anymore. It's you. You're not a girl, you're a boy. You're not dating, you're his slave. You're not in his apartment, you're in his bedchamber. You're not fondling him, you're pleasing him. You're not having you way with him, you're serving him. You're not having any fun, you're serving his desires. You're not happy, you're using him for your own amusement. Imagine how you'd feel. Imagine what it would be like to be a slave. Imagine how empty and meaningless your life would be. Imagine how terrible you'd feel knowing that you wasted your life serving someone else's desires. That's how you feel as a slave. That's how you feel as a toy. That's how you feel as a number. That's how you feel as a nothing. Imagine how terrible you'd feel if that was your life. Now, imagine how much worse it would be if you were dead."
Shizuka nodded slowly and looked at Yuki. Yuki stared back, but while Shizuka was outwardly solid she could tell there was something wrong in her eyes.
Nana pointed at Yuki. "Look at her. She is your master. You must please your master like a good slave."
Yuki watched in shock as Shizuka's eyes changed as she was turning into the character Nana described. She could see the light in her eyes fade, replaced with a dull, lifeless stare. Her body language shifted as well, becoming more rigid and controlled. She took a step back, her heels clicking against the floor.
"You're a good slave," Nana said, her voice even. "You understand the importance of pleasing your master." 
Shizuka nodded slowly, her eyes still lifeless.
"Good work," Nana said, snapping her fingers. She turned to Yuki. "Now, take these pictures."
Yuki was frozen in place. She was too in awe. Shizuka's entire being seemed to have become possessed. 
Nana added, "You need to take pictures or this is all for nothing."
Yuki slowly picked up her camera and started shooting. As she clicked away, Shizuka lay there, her body still rigid and controlled. The room was filled with the sound of Shizuka's clicking heels and the clicking of Yuki's camera. Her entire essence seemed to have become a living, breathing doll. The essence of Nana seemed to be seeping into her. Shizuka, a mere puppet of Nana's desires, rolled around on the floor, her hands clutching her chest. Her eyes were still lifeless, but her body language had become more animated. Yuki could see the way Shizuka's eyes rolled back in her head, and the way her body convulsed as if in pain.
Yuki continued shooting. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her head was throbbing with great intensity. Her mind entered a fugue as her thoughts raced to process what was happening. Her finger kept snapping photos as if on automatic. Her body was burning hot. Everything in her mind was telling her that something was very, very wrong. Her head was spinning. She felt as if she was losing her mind.
"No! No! Stop! Please stop! I don't want to do this!" Yuki cried.
"Do you see the expression on her face?" Nana asked.
She looked down at Shizuka, lowering her camera. She was lying on the floor on her back, her head looking up at Yuki with a strange, serene reverence, like she was looking at a goddess. 
Yuki felt a chill run down her spine as she looked at Shizuka. She had never seen her friend like this before. It was like she had been completely overtaken by something, and it made Yuki feel uneasy. She slowly lowered her camera and stepped closer to Shizuka. 
"Shizuka," she said softly. "Are you okay?"
Shizuka didn't respond, but her eyes followed Yuki's movements. They were empty and lifeless, yet there was a strange intensity to them that made Yuki feel uncomfortable. She reached out to touch Shizuka's arm, but as soon as her fingers made contact, Shizuka's body tensed up, and she let out a low, guttural moan.
Yuki quickly pulled back her hand, feeling a mixture of fear and confusion. She didn't know what was happening to her friend, but she knew it wasn't right. 
"Nana, I think we need to stop. Something's wrong with Shizuka," Yuki said, her voice shaking.
Nana gave her a stern look. "You don't understand, Yuki. This is what Shizuka wants. She wants to be controlled and manipulated. It's what makes her feel alive," Nana said, her voice cold and calculating. "And you, as her friend, should respect her wishes." 
Yuki felt a lump form in her throat as she looked back at Shizuka. She wanted to help her friend, but she didn't know how. Shizuka's body continued to convulse on the ground, and her eyes remained fixed on Yuki. The longer Yuki looked at her, the more she felt a sense of unease. She knew that something was fundamentally wrong, and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was slowly creeping up on her.
Yuki dropped to her knees beside Shizuka. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do this. I wanted to help you."
Shizuka's body was twitching uncontrollably. She was drooling heavily.
Nana walked up to Yuki and said, "Take those pictures. Make her pretty. Make her proud. Make sure she looks beautiful when she dies."
Yuki looked at her with tears in her eyes. She dropped to her knees and put her head in her hands.
Nana put her hands on Yuki's head. She ran her hands through Yuki's hair.
"You're doing a good job, sweetie. Take the pictures. Make her happy."
Nana walked off, leaving Yuki kneeling over Shizuka.
Shizuka opened her eyes. She smiled, seemingly at peace.
Yuki snapped a photo of her friend. The shutter made a loud, piercing noise.
Shizuka's smile was radiant.
Yuki snapped another.
Shizuka's smile was as radiant as the rising sun.
Yuki's fingers were covered in sweat.
Shizuka's skin glowed. Yuki couldn't believe what she was seeing. Shizuka looked ethereal, almost otherworldly. She was beautiful, but there was something haunting about her beauty. Yuki's hands shook as she snapped more photos, trying to capture the essence of her friend's inexplicable allure. With each click of the camera, she felt a strange sense of dread and fascination wash over her.
Yuki dropped to her hands and knees, her camera still in hand. She had to get closer. She couldn't stop herself. Her heart was pounding. Her knees were shaking.
"Shizuka!" she cried out. "Shizuka! Can you hear me? Shizuka! Snap out of it!"
Shizuka's eyes continued to stare blankly ahead, unresponsive to Yuki's pleas. Yuki's hand shook as she reached out to touch her friend's forehead. As soon as she made contact, Shizuka's body tensed up again, and she let out another low moan. Yuki quickly pulled back her hand, feeling even more unsettled than before.
"Somebody, call for an ambulance!" she cried.
The stage crew scrambled as the tense silence of the set broke and a flurry of activity replaced it now that everyone knew something just went wrong. The ambulance arrived within minutes, and the medical team quickly took over. Yuki watched helplessly as they worked on Shizuka, trying to stabilize her condition. She felt numb, unable to process what had just happened. The world around her seemed to blur, and she could barely hear the sound of Nana's voice as she tried to reassure her. After what felt like an eternity, the medical team finally managed to stabilize Shizuka's condition. They loaded her onto a stretcher and rushed her out of the studio, with Yuki trailing behind them. Nana followed close behind, her expression unreadable.
----
The trip to the hospital felt like a whirlwind to Yuki, who never left Shizuka's side the whole way. She sat in her room, holding her friend's hand while she rested in the hospital bed. Shizuka's temperature was normal. Her heartbeat was fine. The medical staff had removed the makeup from her face and her wig. She was sleeping as best as she could.
Nana called Yuki, but Yuki ignored it. She didn't have anything nice to say to her. 
Yuki sat by her friend's bed, holding her hand, her eyes wide open, her mouth open, her breath shallow. 
"Shizuka..." she whispered.
"What's wrong, Yuki?"
"Nothing. I... I just can't stop crying. I'm sorry."
Yuki wiped her tears. She wasn't crying for her friend; she was crying for herself. She hated herself for how long it took to realize her friend was in trouble. If she had waited even a minute longer... if she had been blissfully unaware there was a problem, her best friend would be gone forever, and she didn't know how to handle that.
Shizuka's hand was still warm.
Nana called again, but Yuki ignored it. She then called a third time, but Yuki ignored it.
Yuki leaned on Shizuka to give her strength, but Shizuka could no longer do that for her. Yuki had to be strong for both of them now. She never truly knew how much she relied on Shizuka, how much a fixture she was in her life, until now.
Nana called a fourth time, and then she called a fifth time. 
It wasn't any use. Yuki couldn't stop herself. 
Nana walked into Shizuka's hospital room to find both girls asleep. Yuki sat in a chair next to the bed, her head resting in one arm on the side, and the other holding Shizuka's hand.
The idol nudged Yuki on the shoulder. 
"Yuki, wake up," she said.
"Wh-what?" Yuki said, her eyes opening. She blinked a few times as her eyes focused. "Wh-where are we?"
"We're in the hospital. You passed out," Nana said.
"Oh... I did?" Yuki said.
She sat up. Her heart was racing. She felt disoriented. She looked at her friend, who was sleeping peacefully. 
"Shizuka..." she whispered.
Yuki finally remembered what had happened to get her there. Shizuka was a very successful model because she used method acting to bring out her performances. Nana took advantage of it by using her hypnotic words to send her into a deep, dark death spiral.
She stood up from her chair, then turned around and slapped Nana across the face. 
"What the hell were you thinking?" Yuki demanded.
"I was thinking about how awesome those pictures would be," Nana shouted back. 
"You should have thought about me!"
"I did! I thought about you. I thought about how great you'd do. I knew you would do those pictures justice. I wanted you to succeed!"
"Then why did you do that to me?"
"Because I'm awesome! Because it's what makes me happy!"
"No, it's not," Yuki shouted. "You don't know what it's like to be me. You don't know what I've been through."
"I think I do," Nana said.
At that moment they were interrupted by several nurses arriving because of the shouting. They grabbed Yuki and Nana and kicked them out of the room.
Nana and Yuki sat down on chairs outside the room. Nana kept her head down, while Yuki turned her head away. Shizuka was still asleep and the nurses closed the door.
"Yuki, I'm sorry," Nana said.
"I don't know why you do the things you do," Yuki said. "I don't know why you say the things you say. I don't even know why I listen to you anymore."
"I know you're hurting," Nana said.
"Then why can't you make me feel better?"
"I'm not a magician," Nana said.
Yuki looked up at Nana. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Nana sighed. "I mean... I wish I could make you feel better, Yuki. I really do."
Yuki looked away. "I know," she said.
Nana stared at Yuki, her eyes full of regret. "You know," Nana said, "I didn't ask Shizuka to do this because I wanted to hurt her. I did it because of you."
Yuki stared at her.
"I see how you look at her. You trust her completely, so wholeheartedly. Like when we were kidnapped you had absolute faith in her despite everything, and she came through. She not only saved your life, but she saved mine. I thought you would appreciate it if I got her to show you one moment of perfect beauty."
"But the way you did it was dangerous," Yuki pointed out. "She's a regular girl, and she's my best friend. You could have killed her."
"She's a lot more than your best friend," Nana countered.
"What do you mean?"
Nana paused, as if she realized she said too much. "I just... I don't want you to get hurt."
Yuki sighed. "I don't think I'm going to get hurt," she said. "I just don't know if I'm going to get there first."
"I think you will," Nana said.
They sat in silence for a few moments.
"I should go," Nana said.
"Yeah," Yuki said. 
"I'll call you later?"
"Yeah," Yuki said. "I'll be here."
Nana smiled. "Good."
Nana got up and left Yuki there.
Yuki sat quietly. She was sad and in pain. She was angry at Nana, and worried that she might not get to be with her best friend. She wondered if Nana was thinking of her. She wondered if Nana had already forgotten about her. She thought about how she didn't deserve Nana's love. 
She got up from her chair and went into the room, the nurses allowing her back in now that Nana had left. She sat on the bed beside Shizuka.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
"Mmhmm," Shizuka murmured.
"I'll bring you a present," Yuki said. "I promise."
"Yuki," Shizuka said. "Is it still raining?"
Yuki looked out the window of the hospital room. The rain had not let up all day. She picked up Shizuka's hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Yes, it is."
----
Arisa turned in her office chair and sighed. Across her desk sat both Nana and Yuki, and on her desk was the developed photos from the session that sent Shizuka to the hospital. Shizuka remained in the hospital for observation, with the doctor citing possible physiological problems stemming from the episode.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"She looks great," Nana said.
"She does," Yuki agreed, "but is it really appropriate to use these?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I know there's nothing wrong with the photos themselves, but how they were done."
Arisa folded her arms and lowered her head. "I know how you feel, but the photos are already done and paid for. I think we need to use them because we've already paid the price for their existence." She glared at Nana. "Some in more ways than money."
"Fine," Nana muttered, sulking.
Arisa smiled. "Great. Now, let's get to work. I've got a show to put together."
Nana and Yuki got up and left the room.
"I'll be waiting for you," Arisa called after them.
Shizuka's photos were in an envelope on Arisa's desk. She opened it up and spread them across her desk. One in particular caught her eye-- the very last picture Yuki took of the shoot.
Arisa picked up the photo and studied it carefully. Shizuka looked back at her with childlike innocence, like she was being awakened from a great darkness. Her gaze pierced her soul, telling Arisa how important she was, how grand she was. 
She knew that was the photo they had to use.
Arisa ordered a copy of the photo and set it on Shizuka's desk. On the back, she wrote, "You are always in our hearts."
----
Nana and Yuki entered Shizuka's room at the hospital. The rain had not let up so they took off their rain coats and stored their umbrellas. Shizuka was sitting up and eating lunch.
"Hey, you're back," she said.
"Yeah," Nana said. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, I guess," Shizuka said.
"Good," Nana said. "We were worried about you."
"I'm sorry. I just got caught up in the moment and I got lost in the clouds," she said.
"Do you need anything?" Nana asked.
"Um... I don't think so," Shizuka said. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You look a little pale."
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm good," she said.
"Are you sure?" Nana persisted.
"Yeah," Shizuka repeated, this time more irritated.
"Okay," Nana said. "I'll leave you be."
She walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her, leaving Yuki and Shizuka alone.
"You should really stay in the hospital for observation," Yuki said. "You could've had a brain aneurysm or something."
"I'm fine," Shizuka said. "Besides, I want to get out of here and go home."
"That's a good sign," Yuki said. "You're recovering quickly."
Yuki sat down at the side of the bed.
"I was afraid you were going to die," Yuki whispered, trying to fight back tears.
"Don't worry about me," Shizuka said. "I'll be fine."
"I know you will." Yuki smiled, "But I still worry about you. I don't know what to do without you. I don't know how I can live without you."
Shizuka scoffed. "You should listen to how you sound. It sounds like you're trying to make a deathbed love confession."
"It's true," Yuki said.
"Stop," Shizuka said, holding her hand up. "Stop. Listen to me. I'm fine. I know you were worried about me, but I'm fine. Nothing's changed. So stop worrying about me. I'll be just fine."
"Okay," Yuki said. "You promise?"
"Promise."
Yuki and Nana left the hospital. The rain had not let up.
Shizuka closed her eyes and went to sleep. She started dreaming. She dreamed of running in a muddy field, the rain pouring over her head. She was dressed in a sailor school uniform, her shoes clomping in the mud. There was a dark, foreboding presence behind her. She had to get away. Her foot got stuck, and she fell face first into the mud. She crawled on her stomach, feeling that she lost her shoe, trying to get to safety. But the presence was gaining on her. She tried to stand up, but the mud pulled her down. She felt a hand grab her by the hair and pull her back. She struggled, but the hand was a vise grip. She opened her mouth to scream, but it covered it. She opened her eyes, and she was surrounded by darkness. She felt her body freeze in terror. She felt herself choking.
Shizuka gasped and coughed, waking abruptly from her nightmare, trying to get rid of the thick, wet film that covered her mouth. She was drenched. Her hospital gown was plastered to her skin. Her mouth tasted horrible.
"It's was a nightmare," she told herself, trying to assure herself she was safe.
She looked at the clock. It was early in the evening. She had been asleep for hours. She looked to the side of her bed, and noticed Arisa was there, sleeping in a chair with a food tray next to her. Shizuka smiled. She was glad Arisa was there to keep her company. Shizuka closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
The next morning, Yuki was there to visit her.
"Morning," she said.
"Hello, Yuki," Shizuka said. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Yuki said, "I came to see if you were okay."
"I'm fine," Shizuka said, "I had a bad dream, but it's okay now. I feel better."
"I'm glad," Yuki said.
Shizuka stared at the ceiling for a moment. 
"The doctors think I had a Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizure."
"They did?" Yuki asked.
"Yeah," Shizuka said, "I don't know exactly what that means, but it sounds like I triggered a bad experience from my younger days."
"I see." Yuki lowered her head in thought. Shizuka was always careful to guard her past, even from her. She thought better than to pry. There was no reason to put her into another seizure.
"But, I'm okay now," Shizuka said, "I don't know what happened, but it's okay. Really."
"That's great," Yuki said, "I'm glad."
Shizuka studied Yuki. "So, how are you and Nana?"
Yuki shrugged. "It's fine."
"You don't look fine to me."
"We're having a fight."
"That's what I thought. You know that's normal, right?"
"I guess."
"Don't blame her for what happened. It's not her fault."
"It kind of is."
"She couldn't have known."
"I know, but it still feels like she shouldn't have done it."
Shizuka sighed. Yuki was right no matter how much Shizuka wanted to clear the air between her and the idol. Perhaps that was just a consequence of dating a girl ten years her junior.
----
Yuki received an advanced printing of the booklet that would be included in Nana's next music collection. Many of the photos were done with a black and white motif to give off the feeling of an old style silent film with a modern gothic flair. Yuki recognized the cover picture as her own, with Nana dressed in black and white and holding an umbrella over he head.
She flipped through the pages and looked at other pictures of Nana and other models, until stopping on the page featuring Shizuka. Arisa chose this picture and it stood out from everything else in the booklet. Yuki surmised that it overshadowed even Nana.
When she got to the last page, she broke into tears. It was a short dedication from Nana to Shizuka.
"I'm proud to have you as a friend," it read.
Yuki's eyes welled with tears. She held the book close to her chest and wiped away the tears.
She felt Nana squeeze her shoulder.
"It's beautiful," Yuki whispered.
Nana smiled softly. "I like her, too, Yuki."
Yuki held the booklet tight to her chest and wiped away more tears.
"We should go," Nana said, "We still have a lot to do."
Nana squeezed Yuki's hand and they got up from the table. They held hands as they walked down the hallway.
----
Shizuka was already out of the hospital when Nana's music collection was released to rave reviews. Nana's latest songs expressed her feelings of loss, pain, and love. The one photo featuring Shizuka caught the eye of her fans as her enchanting, mysterious allure pulled them in. Some made the connection to her as the uncredited mystery model in a previous release which made Shizuka even more popular.
Shizuka sat down at her desk, the photo Arisa left her in a frame next to her other pictures. Her box was filled with a large backlog of fan mail and notes of well wishes. She took the time to read them all.
Yuki sat down on the desk in front of her. "Everyone missed you."
Shizuka looked up at her. "I've never had so much mail like this before. It's so weird." 
"It's not weird. It's a compliment. Everyone wants to know what you are doing and who you are with and where you are. It's like you're the most famous person at the talent agency."
"I'm not famous," Shizuka said.
"You are to me."
"That's not what I meant."
"You are the most important person in my life," Yuki said, "I know that you aren't famous, but everyone thinks you are. Even if it's just for a little while, I want to keep you with me. It's the best thing I could do right now."
"Why am I the most important?" Shizuka wondered. "Shouldn't that be Nana?"
Yuki looked at her a moment. "That may be so," she conceded. "For most people, the most important person is their significant other, their lover." She shook her head. "But after these past few weeks I know better. We may not be lovers, but you are more important than that."
"Remember back when you said you'd make me a star?" Shizuka said. "Truth is, that's not what I wanted. I don't care about being a star. I don't need to be famous. I don't want to be an idol."
"You are my idol," Yuki said, putting her hand on top of her friend's hand.
Shizuka smiled. "No, you're my idol. I can be anybody I want to be. You taught me that."
"Well then, will you stay with me?"
"Yes. I'll stay with you."
"Even when we're old and our bodies start falling apart? And we can't get jobs and we're too poor to live in a house?"
"Yes," Shizuka said, "I'll stay with you."
"And you'll let me take pictures of you? I want to have pictures of us when we're old. It'll be our memories, our past."
"Yes."
"And what about if I get popular? Will you still be my friend?"
"We'll always be friends, Yuki."
"I love you, Shizuka."
They smiled at each other. It felt so right to be there with her, to be close and to be together. It felt like the answer to a prayer.
Then Nana walked in. Yuki and Shizuka broke out of their reverie.
"Yuki, it's time to go," Nana announced.
Yuki pushed Shizuka gently. "Come on, let's go."
Shizuka laughed. "I think I'll stay a little longer."
"Okay. We'll be waiting outside."
Shizuka smiled and waved at Nana and Yuki as they walked out of the room. She could pretend she was still there with Yuki. She could stay there forever. She walked to the window and rested her head on the cool glass. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She had so many feelings and emotions. She could stay in her office and hold onto those feelings, but her friend was on the other side of the office door, waiting.
Shizuka stood up. It was time to get back to work.

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~ Razorclaw X