Figments of Beauty

VIII

Mid-October, 2012

"Thank you for being here with us today, Dazai," the woman was saying, seated across from him in a plush velvet chair.

Dazai waved a bandaged hand, giving her an amiable smile. "It's my pleasure," he lied.

"Firstly, many of our viewers have some questions regarding your rise to fame." The woman's gaze flicked between him and her clipboard. "How does it feel to be one of the most famous models in Japan?"

This was always the first question. Dazai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It's quite a change," was the easy answer. "I'm still not used to it."

"That's only understandable." She wasted no time in moving on to the next topic. "The public is aware of your private tutorship under CEO Mori Ougai for most of your time with the company. Do you any have plans for going to a traditional college, or will you continue working at Port Mafia Modeling for the foreseeable future?" she asked with palpable excitement. Dazai supposed it made sense; it was a rare occurrence to receive an interview with the Demon Prodigy. If only he'd had a say, there would be no interviews.

Dazai betrayed none of this in his expression with practiced ease. "I'll be continuing with PMM for the time being. I don't think juggling schoolwork and my job is plausible."

"Of course." The woman flipped through the pages on her clipboard for far longer than Dazai suspected she needed to. "And do you have any big shoots coming up in the near future? It's been nearly two months since your last major project and the public is eagerly awaiting any future work."

The public. As if they had a right to anything from Dazai.

"I do, as a matter of fact," was his answer, accompanied by the smallest knowing smile. Perform, perform, perform. For the 'public'. "The company's upcoming anniversary has had us all quite busy."

"An anniversary shoot? Any details you'd like to disclose?" the woman pressed.

Dazai resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose in recollection of the meeting he'd had with Mori this morning.

"This is a big event for the company, so the public will be expecting something exciting."

"And a shoot isn't exciting enough?" Dazai deadpanned.

Mori was unaffected. He smiled. "You may discuss the flower theme; without details, of course. And I'd like you to mention a certain rivalry with your shoot partner."

Dazai scowled. "Why would you want me to do that?"

"Because it generates interest. Red camellias are a traditionally romantic flower, as I'm sure you both know. If you're completing a shoot of that nature with someone you supposedly dislike, people will be intrigued."

Dazai already knew that, of course, he was just hoping Mori might have some explanation he could poke holes in. He couldn't, of course, and gritted his teeth. "Yes, Boss."

"We know that the company has hinted at a flower-themed shoot being released," the woman continued. "Can you confirm this?"

Dazai gave her the barest hint of a smile. "Yes, the anniversary shoot is centered around a particular flower." The woman opened her mouth to follow up, but he cut her off. "I cannot disclose the details, but it will be something fantastic."

The woman bobbed her head. "I see." She flipped through her papers for moments more, chewing on her bottom lip. "And how has it been preparing for this large project?"

Memories of a recent night flashed through his mind, with Chuuya pressed against him and his laughter coloring the air only minutes later when he crossed a fat red line through the scratchy text on a whiteboard.