A/N: This story is inspired by a light novel I read.. hope you like it.
WARNING: This is intended to change into rated M soon. And the following events shall confuse you at first, but the later chapter shall do its job on clearing that.
I already change and revise some grammar mistakes. If you happen to still spot some, do tell me.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Mai-Hime and the characters. The credits to story plot goes to Martha Cecilia.
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Green-Eyed Devil
-PROLOGUE-
"Here she is!" the crowd of paparazzi yell in unison.
The first photographer that captured her calm façade began walking backwards, whilst continuing to take pictures, the sound of the shutter closing was incessant. The ocean of people went mad when her polite smile came into view.
She swayed and tightened her grasp on John's arm. John Smith is her mother's trusted friend. She felt dizzy as she gazed at the ocean of faces below, though her face showed nothing but calm.
"I-I don't think I can make it to the stairs John-san." she whispered.
"Of course you can," trying to ease her. "Just don't mind those paparazzi."
It's impossible not to mind those hungry-like-beasts. They're all over the place with their flashing bulbs and non-stop clicking of cameras, grinning like maniacs.
She turned her head to look at the room she came from, somehow she wanted to stay behind instead of facing these media people. Once again that was impossible. Sitting in the middle of the bed was Tate Yuuchi, one of the most famous television producers and directors, his head low while combing his blonde hair with his left hand. Shizuru had no idea if he had something on underneath the white sheet that covered half of his body.
There also, Mai Tokiha, a model like her, and Tate Yuuichi's fiancée. She was crying hysterically, while hurling names at him.
Even though her mother didn't let her mingle with her co-models and other staff, except on the exact day of the show, she had grown to like Mai and they had become friends, maybe because they were both Japanese.
"Shizuru Fujino look this way!" shouted one of the reporters.
The flashbulbs were blinding her. She didn't know what to do...she was panicking inside but her face continued to show nothing but calm and poise. The paparazzi where now becoming wild, she bet, if those security guards were not there to stop them, she'll end up dead by now.
Shizuru wished for a miracle, that she would suddenly wake up from this nightmare but she knew this was for real. She needed to face those people now because her perfect façade was cracking.
She felt like bursting into tears. For the first time in her life, she needed her mother the most. If only Kanade were here, this wouldn't happen, her mother would take care of everything, her brilliant, smart, charming and relentless mother.
But she was confined at Fuuka hospital at the moment, for another series of tests. She was diagnosed with terminal illness. Shizuru didn't even feel like attending this party. She just wanted to take care of her mom, but her mom refused.
"I don't want you here, Shizuru," Kanade said sternly."What's the use of nurses, which cost a fortune in this hospital?"
"Mommy…"
"John will take care of you—"
"Mom, we can postpone the show, I know the management will understand because you're sick." She lied. She didn't want to tell to her mom that she didn't like what John had been doing when she was not around. John had been talking to a lot of people, wanting to find her another contract.
"You will not do such a thing!" she barked. "Go home, Shizuru. Just rest and relax for tomorrow, you will be so beautiful at the show. John will video tape everything and I'll watch it on TV."
The protest died in her throat. The pain in her mother's voice was evident, yet the authority was still there, she could do nothing but act on her mom's wishes, just like every other time in her life when Kanade would decide for her.
John became her temporary manager for the last three weeks due to her mom's condition.
The party that night had been held in Tate's mansion where numerous models, like her, were invited. They go there after the success of their fashion show and, according to John, one of the Alberta Ferratti designers was there to talk to her.
Shizuru hated parties right after a show, she just wanted go home and rest but tonight was different. Alberta Ferratti's executive was at the party! She had been endorsing beauty products and some slimming machines for the past year. But Alberta Ferratti? ARA..she was so excited!
She took her first steps into the modeling world at the age of 15, in Kyoto, where she starred mainly in commercials. She modeled almost every product, from sanitary napkins, to colognes, to beauty soaps and toothpastes etc. She had been nicknamed the commercial princess or commercial Hime in just 3 years.
She became a ramp model at 18 because of her mother's wishes. She was 20 when a search for Supermodel Japan happened, Kanade pushed her to take part. She didn't expect to win but she did. Part of her prize was a trip to New York and a one year contract to International Model Group, one of the most famous modeling agencies in New York.
In one year she had been given a chance to work with beautiful models in fashion shows around the world. After a year, to her surprise, the agency gave her a new contract. She often wondered why, because she hardly thought herself beautiful. She wasn't even very tall, an inch or two short of five-seven but her figure was slender, which added to the effect of making her look taller.
Even Kanade said that she's not that beautiful, she had said that what she had was a trick face - one that photographed well and that's all but she was also proud to say that her above-average-bust added to the effect. And when talking about her height, she was taller than Kate Moss, who is only five feet and six inches tall.
"Illusion is the name of the game" was her mom's favorite quote.
Though some beauty experts said otherwise, when little by little, she started to become famous they said she had an arresting beauty, one that cannot be easily categorized. A well-known photographer rhapsodized that her red-blood eyes were of darkest innocence and yet, she had a plushy and sensuous mouth; such contradictions.
Her innocent eyes but lustful mouth, that promised pleasure and desire, made some begin to question -who is she? And what is she?
Was she naive or was she a temptress?
She was young, almost twenty-two when she had signed her second contract. Some believe that she will follow the footsteps of some renowned-faces in fashion world. The following year, she had been known on the runaway as one of the famed, notorious and leading supermodels. You can see her pictures on almost every well-known magazine cover around the world. She was branded as The Temptress with Innocent Eyes and Bewitching Smile.
What had been a fantasy from the beginning had become a reality.
Until that one morning, two weeks ago when Kanade collapsed, in their rented apartment in New York. It was so sudden, they were shocked when they found the cause - cervical cancer and in the last stage. She didn't tell her mom the prognosis but she had the feeling that Kanade knew all along.
"If she were here," she whispered when John lead her towards the stairs, "this wouldn't happen…"
"But that's the point, Shizuru-san," he said bitterly. "Kanade's not here, she's terribly ill," he added cruelly.
She choked back her sob. They both knew she would not live much longer; the doctor said that her mother's illness was in its last stage and no medicine could cure that. She had to undergo chemotherapy and other treatments just to prolong her life.
The scandal she was involved now would not have happened if her mother was with her.
But she would rather die than give in to her emotions. She lifted her head high and smiled. She didn't have to be ashamed, she didn't know what happened, how it happened. She was the innocent party here…the victim but to everyone else she was a home-wrecker.
Tomorrow her face will occupy the front page of all the newspapers for sure. Even Yuuichi's money can't control the press.
Why would he bother in the first place? This was not the first time he had been involved in this kind of scandal. He was a divorcee. Mai was the only one that didn't deserved what happened but she was the first one to see them inside the room, caught in the act. Her in Tate's arms. Both of them half naked.
And before she had the time to explain, Mai screamed hysterically. One reporter who maybe was waiting for something to happen, ran inside the room and before her brain could register it and devise a plan of action, a picture of her in Tate's arms was already captured on his camera.
She wanted to scream, to give in and show them her true pain inside. Just an hour ago, she was talking to one of Alberta Ferratti's representatives, he invited her and John to see him in his office the day after tomorrow and she's sure that that won't happen now, not after all this drama.
Her career was over in one night.
One of the reporters yells cut her thoughts.
"Give us a statement, Fujino Shizuru-sama" he yelled at her, his camera flashing. "You and Mai Tokiha-sama are friends, aren't you? How could you have done this to her?"
"What about Mai Tokiha and Tate Yuuichi? They are engaged to be married right? Is the marriage off now that she caught you in a compromising position with her fiancée?"
Shizuru winced. What can she say to defend herself? She was halfway down the stairs when she looked up. A pair of violet eyes full of accusation and hatred greeted her. She could see the pain.
She instantly lowered her eyes and summoned the strength from all the gods to not break down in front of all these people. She can feel it, she can no longer hold on to her mask but for the sake of the little dignity within her she won't give in. With blurred vision, she began to descend the stairs that led her to the front door of the mansion. She grasped John more for support.
Then all of a sudden the group of people at the end of the stairs started to give way, like when Moses split the red sea then she saw a glimpse of raven hair walking towards her. Even the security guards stepped aside, and here, in front of her was the most beautiful woman she had seen in her entire life.
The woman continued to walk up the stairs, not even bothering to stop when in front of her, but she did cast a side glance at her for just a second and the contempt she saw in her intense emerald eyes was enough to make her tremble.
She bit her lip painfully. If she hadn't been clutching the banister, her knees would have buckled underneath her causing her to fall.
How John managed to exit the mansion with her in the middle of all that chaos, she didn't know.
-end of prologue-
If you're a little confuse, things will clear out at later chapters.
So what do you think? :) C'mon, dont be shy and tell me :3 Review will be most appreciated.