𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐬

♡︎19♡︎

The makeup venue for Toru was bigger than Nemuri's store. The word must've gotten around about these demos because there were more people, too. Probably close to fifty. I wove through groups until I got to the front and found a slightly panicked Toru. You could see her non-stop sweatdropping. 

She grabbed my arm, relief flooding her eyes. "I thought you weren't going to show."

"I'm sorry. Am I late?" I glanced at my cell, which showed I had a ten-minute cushion. 

"No. I'm just nervous. There are so many people. I guess there's a bridal show in town this weekend and all these brides are here."

 I looked around and saw lots of white. "Oh, this is a bridal store." 

She laughed. "Yes. I'm showcasing the bridal line today."

"Okay. Where do you want me?"

She pointed to a high stool and I positioned myself in the seat. A man in a suit walked up and introduced himself as the owner of the store. "The photographer will be here soon to get some photos of the session."

"Photos?" 

He opened a folder he held, then ran a finger down the first page. "I got your parental waiver for that, right? You're. . ."

You could tell Toru's eyes went wide if you were able to see her face from where she stood slightly behind him. "Mei. She's Mei Hatsume." She gave me a pleading look. 

"Right," I said. "I'm Mei."

"Right. Here you are. Thanks." He walked away.

"I'm sorry," Toru said. "I forgot about the stupid waiver he told Mei to bring in when I thought she was doing it. Thanks for covering for me. It's just so he can take pictures for the portfolio that will be next to the display in the store. Are you okay with that?"

"It's fine."

She must've thought I didn't mean that because she kept going. "It's not really a big deal. Mostly extreme close-ups anyway, of, like, your eyes or your lips. No one will know it's you." 

Extreme close-ups were not a good way to sell anything. But I knew what she meant. "It's fine," I said again. 

She squeezed my arm. "Thank you."

Toru wasn't kidding about the extreme close-ups. It felt like the photographer was inches from my face throughout the session, taking pictures as Toru progressed through the stages. I was seeing stars from the flash by the time it was over. 

As the last people left, Toru turned to me and blew air between her lips in an expression of relief....which I couldn't really see but could tell. "I'm so glad that's over. It was way harder in real life than in practice."

I laughed. Now that I could relate to. My nerves we always way more intense at an actual game than during practice. 

"Let me buy you dinner for bailing me out."

I smiled. "Sounds fun."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

I was late when I got home. I was still fully made up (Toru didn't have makeup wipes like Mina did), I could feel the foundation thick on my face, and my eyelashes were heavy with mascara. Plus my hair was down because I'd forgotten an elastic. I needed to get in the house unseen. 

I stealthily walked the front path to my house. The window next to the front door was dark, so I let myself relax as I slid the key in the lock and eased the front door open. Eijiro reclined on the couch, watching television, and he looked over at me with a nod- then did a double-take, seeming to take a moment to process my identity. 

"I just had some very unclean thoughts about my sister go through my head. I feel disgusting now."

I offered a weak smile of apology. 

"You look different." He pointed to his own hair and face. "Are you wearing crap all over your face? I shouldn't be worried that you work in the red-light district at night, right?"

I wadded up my sweatshirt and threw it at his head. Since his question was rhetorical as far as I was concerned, I continued upstairs, grabbed my pajamas, and then jumped in the shower.

I scrubbed at the makeup on my face, wanting it gone. At home, that other part of my life seemed so foreign. 

When I emerged, I found Eiji sitting on my bed, along with Denki.

I rolled my eyes.

"She doesn't look any different to me," Denki said. 

Eiji shook his head and pointed at my face. "Her hair was wavy or something and she was wearing lots and lots of makeup. Her eyelashes and her lips and her cheeks-"

"Eijiro. Out."

"Not until you explain."

"Ugh. It's nothing. I've just been the mannequin for a makeup line." I thought about my choice of words and the stupid mannequin in Nemuri's store. I felt like that lately- like all my pieces had been taken off and put back together lopsided. 

"What?" Denki asked. Then he looked at Eijiro when I didn't answer. "What does that mean?" 

"Do you mean modeling? You've been modeling?" Eiji asked. 

"Not really. Just sitting there while a girl puts makeup on me. Now get out before I beat you both." 

"Does Dad know?"

I groaned. "No. And he doesn't need to." He'd die if he knew I'd been lying to him about this. They both looked at me skeptically. "Can I buy your silence? I'll give you each fifty bucks if neither of you says another word about this."

"What are you, Ms. Money Bags now? Exactly  what kind of modeling are you doing?"

"Oh. My. Gosh. Get out."

Eijiro pointed to my dresser in the lightbulb moment.

"That girl. Mina. You really do know her. You work with her."

"Your brilliance knows no bounds." This time I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the door. Denki followed willingly. Before he left, Denki turned back and said, "If you don't tell Dad, you know I'll have to."

"Of course I know that, Denks. You've never broken a rule in your life. Are your insides twisting up right now with my secret?" It was supposed to be a joke, but my insides were the ones all twisted up. 

Denki smiled but didn't deny my accusation. 

Eijiro, whose arm I still held who I was trying to shove out the door, finally stepped out, but not before he said, "Since when do you keep secrets from me?" The way he said it, and the sadness in his eyes hurt. Before I could defend myself, he'd walked away.