Chapter 3

Power:

-Ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.

-Great or marked ability to do or act.

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"…And then always remember to look at the camera once in a while and smile." Tsubasa crossed the room, he seemed to be looking at the door, but his mind was elsewhere. He extended his arms and turned to face her through the mirror. "Smile as if you owned the world."

The girl mumbled. All she can see was darkness. All she felt was something that pressed her eyes. Something heavy placed in her hair. Something running over her mouth, her forehead, her cheeks and her nose. A hand lifted her chin, wiping a smudge under her eye. Mikan opened her eyes slowly as soon as the hand disappeared from her face. She looked up at a woman who held a make-up brush, smiling at her with satisfaction.

"Good." She muttered. "Perfect." She assured herself, giving one quick look at her face before she moved off to place everything back in her kit.

Mikan stared glanced at the room through the mirror in front of her. There were white ottomans with handbags and coats strewn across them. The belongings of models passing the time. Girls fluttered around the room, pulling on clothes and fixing up their appearance. Attendants moved around the racks of clothes, running lint brushes over models and apparel. Making everything perfect.

She marvelled at the world she was in. Everybody she met, everybody she saw and everybody she had acquainted with had worked to imitate perfection. Perfection in means of being captivating in airs and grace. Perfection in means of being beautiful as if it came naturally. As if it was art. As if it was something that came from the Lourve. Perfecting perfection.

"You're that Mikan Sakura, right?" A girl approached her, holding a paper and a pen at the other. "Can I have your autograph?"

She smiled. "Sure." The brunette placed the paper on the table, scribbling something along the lines of 'Thank you for your support' and 'I love you'. She closed the pen and handed her the paper. "Here it is."

The girl blushed. Mikan didn't have any idea why. "T-thank you." She stammered, not knowing what to do next and hurried away.

Tsubasa opened the door for the girl as he looked at Mikan. "You look beautiful today." He said, walking over to the brunette. "Mikan… promise me one thing."

She watched him walk to her, bending down to her height as she was sitting down. He grabbed her hand, looking at her eyes. She stared back at him, smiling. "What?"

"Shine for me today."

Mikan smiled slightly. She felt powerful all of a sudden. She had the world at her feet. She had found her place. The lights, the clothes, the fashion. It was all about emotion, perfection and appearance. It was all about how she presented it. It was all about her. And it would be eventually – all about her for longer than a runway duration. It would be all about everything she gave, not just her appearance.

She didn't want the pain, she didn't want the hunger, and she didn't want the lack of privacy. She wanted the power, the prestige, and the pedigree. She wanted the recognition, the life, and the adrenaline. She wanted the emotion, the fire and the passion of her business. She wanted it because it was her.

Because it was the closest thing she had to giving back. To being her. To exploring the possibilities.

The closest thing she had to empowerment.

"You bet I will."

--

The dressing room opened. Everybody glanced up from their work to look at the sudden intruder.

Everything happened so fast that Tsubasa couldn't comprehend the situation when everyone who were in the room lines up in two lines, altogether bowing their heads as they greeted the man. "Good afternoon, Natsume-sama."

Natsume ignored the salutation and went to the manager. "Who are you?" He was the only person who ignored his presence. His ego had been assaulted.

Tsubasa was out of his mind as he looked straight in Natsume's eyes.

"I said; who are you?" His voice went a tone higher, and stronger. Tsubasa blinked at him and nodded his head out of shock. This person had an aura that could completely hypnotize the breath out of you – whatever it was; something about him said he was someone in inclusive authority.

"Y-yes," He nodded his head again. "Yes, I am."

The people waited for Natsume's reaction. Silence. He remained laid-back. The look on Natsume's face seemed that he was used to these kind of response. He chose another question. "Are you Mikan Sakura's manager?"

He nodded, this time, Tsubasa was already conscious at what he was asking. "Yes, I am."

"Oh. You're that… bald guy." Tsubasa flinched. He took a few seconds before realizing that his name can actually read into baldy.

"My name's Tsubasa."

"I don't care." He looked away, eyes travelling on the workforce who had gathered into lines. "The only person I'm looking for is Mikan Sakura."

"She's already on air." A man braved to answer his statement. He wasn't sure whether Natsume would be mad or ignore him. But at least he tried.

Fortunately, Natsume just nodded his head. "Very well… I'll come by later."

He turned for the door when until Tsubasa grabbed his sleeve. Everyone else in the room were wishing for Tsubasa Andou's poor soul. "What's your business with my agent?" His voice was sturdy and hard.

"None that you would care of," He looked him in the eye for the last time before snatching his arm off of his grip. "It's between me and Sakura." And he slammed the door shut as he left.

Everyone soon hurried back to the time they wasted. Almost all of them gathered around Tsubasa, complimenting his bravery for talking back against the man. But he wasn't paying attention. He just stood there on the same place, pondering.

Natsume Hyuuga just changed Tsubasa's first impression of him. Maybe he didn't like talking to people that much. Though, Tsubasa Andou wasn't very sure of it. He had the looks, he might've had the money but he certainly didn't have the charm to be Mikan Sakura's ideal man. That, Tsubasa Andou was very sure of.

--

"Who inspired you to join the entertainment industry?" Hiroshi Yajima placed his leg over the other as he asked Mikan the question. Everyone in the audience knew they shouldn't be underestimating the guy just because his face looked at as coarse as the moon and his body as broad as a wall; he was Japan's biggest TV personality.

Mikan had been answering his questions as casual as she could be. It wasn't the lights, it wasn't the camera and it wasn't the probing glance the audience threw at her for the last six minutes she had been on air that made her nervous. It was the man himself. Hiroshi Yajima talked to her like he didn't even knew her before. Like he didn't even made attempt to rape her.

She thought it would've been better if the black spot near his left eye wasn't visible enough. For the camera, at a long distance, the bruise on his face wasn't noticeable. But being five inches further away wasn't enough for that illusion. His face made reminded her of him, his crimson eyes, and the willpower in his voice that said that he would prove to her that he was as influential as he showed himself to be.

That he would most likely steal her heart.

"Who inspired me…?" She repeated the question to herself. Familiar faces, but some were just somewhat vague appeared in her head, replacing the former. "My manager, my grandpa and my mother. They're the only family I have." She pointed at her chest, where her heart was. "And they'll always be in here. Especially my mother."

"Your mom?" He stopped in his tracks, placing aside the script he was holding and asked her again as if he was really interested. "Could it be that you're Yuka Azumi's daughter? The Yuka Azumi?" The audience gasped. Why didn't they see it earlier? Mikan didn't want her mother's reputation to make her famous. She didn't want anyone to expect, she was afraid she'll just bring their hopes up. Her mother ran off with a producer, somewhere in France. Mikan was a year old when they left. They left, and never came back. It was one of Japan's biggest mysteries. After a few years, no one heard a single news about them. When Mikan was a little girl, she waited for her mom to come back, but as soon as she turned thirteen, she just stopped trying.

One thing's for sure, something about Mikan Sakura reminded her that she was her mother's daughter, it was her love for fame.

"Yes I am."

Hiroshi was saying something she couldn't comprehend what as she was lazily scanning the room in a failed attempt to see if anyone she recognized was there.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Maybe she was hallucinating, or maybe she wasn't getting much sleep as she thought she was. Maybe she was out of her mind; actually, that would've been a better reason rather than seeing his face for the second time.

Deep down inside her heart, she wished to see him again. But it all came a bit soon.

Because behind the third camera on the left, Natsume Hyuuga was looking straight at her with his arms crossed.

Like he was observing her.

Like he was taunting her.

Like he was asking her to fall for him right away.

Mikan Sakura wasn't paying attention to anything that was happening. The show had ended and Gin stood up from his seat, complaining about the ache in his bottom the new chair had brought him. But Mikan Sakura was still in her chair, staring back at Natsume. His eyes sent chills to her body like it did the first time.

But this time it was different.

Because something about the look in his eyes told her all her assumptions were right.

--

Natsume waited until no one was in the studio. Mikan stood up from her seat and walked to him. "W-what are you doing here?"

He ignored her and smiled. It was calculating and cold. "Did you like my surprise?"

She stared back at him, dumbfounded. "This…" Pause. Quick thinking. "This is all your doing?"

He chuckled, a deep baritone. It sounded a little too perfect in her ears. "Yes. Did you like it? Do you want more – doesn't fame feel so good?"

"I can't believe you!" Mikan Sakura raised her hand to slap him not until he held on it before it touched his face.

"It was a lucky shot but can't hit me like you did anymore." His voice was amused. He sounded too much like a child being handed on a toy. "I'm giving you one more chance. You can think everything over and I can forget about what you told me before."

"Like I'd want to." She retreated her hand. It was either that she didn't want him to feel her body trembling or that she didn't want him to touch her. All was almost the same thing.

"You'd want to for sure."

"What did you see in me, anyways?" She seethed. "You can play on other girls for all I care. But why do you even bother yourself for me?"

"Why, you ask?" He grinned wistfully. Obviously, the first question was left unanswered. Natsume slid his finger under her chin and raised it up. He looked through her with his eyes like a child would on a candy or a thief on jewellery. "If I want something so badly… I'd get it no matter what."

"I…"

She tried to make a comeback but a finger stopped her mouth from doing so. "I'll make you famous, my Cinderella."

His hand fell from her face and before Mikan could regain her composure, he was gone. His words struck her. Never did she encounter someone like him. Someone who was trying to make her fall for him. Someone who was so full of it. He wasn't her prince. A guy she dreamt of loving was a gentleman, who'd make her smile in one moment, who she would've fallen for all over again. Someone whom she was sure she could give her heart to.

And he wasn't it. She could bet her life on it if she could.

But something in the way he spoke, something behind his ghostly smile and something deep down inside his eyes told her that he could change everything for her heart.

And though Mikan Sakura wouldn't accept it inwardly, she – even for the slightest minute – believed in him.

--

Because these things will change

Can you feel it now?

These walls that they put up to

hold us back will fall down

This revolution, the time will come

For us to finally win

And we'll sing hallelujah, we'll sing hallelujah

So we've been outnumbered

Raided and now cornered

It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair

We're getting stronger now

Find things they never found

They might be bigger

But we're faster and never scared

You can walk away, say we don't need this

But there's something in your eyes

Says we can beat this

(Change, Taylor Swift)

--

Author's Note:

Longest chapter yet. Tsubasa was so into the moment that he couldn't recognize who Natsume Hyuuga is. You can guess how important Natsume claims himself to be and what his position in the industry is until the next chapter comes up. I'm glad I even got reviewers. At least, I won't be writing with an empty audience. They make me so happy!^^

Oh, if you're bored and wanted to have that feeling of laughing out loud in front of the computer screen looking like an idiot, then I suggest you read Dear Higuchi Tachibana, by maarshmalloews. Total epic crack, I tell you. :)

So, I think you know the drill by now, right?

Please Review :)