Ryo the Playboy

Beep! Beep! Beep! Be- Crash!

"I'm up, I'm up..." a tired voice groaned at his alarm clock, now lying on the floor after having a pillow thrown at it. A muffled beep... beep... beep... could still be heard from underneath said fluffy pillow, but he didn't really care at that particular moment. Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the stucco ceiling of his three-bedroom appartment, and willed himself to wake up. Henry Wong hated working nights.

"Time to get up," he told himself, forcing his sleep muddled brain to think about cold showers and coffee and quadratic equations; anything, so long as it jarred him awake. Getting up out of bed, the 23 year old crossed his (mostly) tidy bedroom to pull open the heavy drapes over his windows.

Suddenly his very dark room was flooded in afternoon light, causing the blunette to squint at the horizon. I hate working nights... he sighed to himself, moving about his room to grab something sensible to wear for the day. The sun is rising when I get home every morning, and then I get to shut myself in all day and attempt to sleep. Not caring too much about his appearance, he pulled on the first pair of dress pants he found before fishing out a clean button down shirt that he could wear under the jacket he wore to work. But it's all for Suzie. Finally dressed, he left his room and walked down the hall towards the kitchen.

He thought about that day, three months ago now... Suzie had just graduated, had just had her birthday, had just started getting naive ideas about life that all teenagers seemed to get when they turned 19; and then, their parents found out that she had no plans. They had screamed and Suzie had cried, and Henry the entire time had watched, agreeing with his parents that his little sister shouldn't've been so fickle with her future. But he couldn't help but feel compassionate as well. Taking her in to live with him had been a big decision, one that came with adjustments and rules for both of the siblings, but since then their parents seemed calmer, happier, if still a bit strained with their youngest daughter.

And Henry's days turned upside down. Thankfully his work held no set schedual; his CEO didn't care if he worked in the dead of night while no one else was there, so long as every night's work was completed and waiting on the CEO's desk for him to see in the morning, and so long as he was making progress, things would be fine. The perks of being one of the best computer engineers in the country.

The kitchen was it's normal clean white when he entered it, and he opened the fridge without thought. Pulling out the carton of orange juice, he opened the top and took several large gulps straight from the container. Mom would yell at me if she saw me do this...

Suzie, not wanting to be a complete burden to her brother, had gotten a job right away; unfortunately, it was one that Henry really didn't want her to have. Her waitressing at a nightclub was what started his late night shifts: there was no way he was going to let his precious little sister walk herself to and from a job like that. Henry dropped her off each night before her shift, and had personally made sure that her manager would restrain her from leaving until he had entered the building to take her home.

But it's a job, he told himself, putting the orange juice away slowly. And she's just trying to help me out. He shut the fridge door easily, and was about to go make himself some toast when he noticed something out of place: a note.

What's this? The note was tacked to the fridge under a brown and pink magnet shaped like a miniature lopmon, with Henry's name scrawled across the top in giant, underlined letters. He recognized Kazu's handwritting almost immediately, and took the note down to read it properly.

Hey Henry!
I came and got Suzie early this morning to do a photoshoot. I stopped by her work last night to tell her, and she said she would tell you, but just in case she forgot, I'm letting you know! And now that I've let you know, well, now you know... oh! She wants you to pick her up to go to work. There's a card on the counter with the address.
Thanks, Kazu

"Crazy Kazu," Henry said with a smile. "Can't even write a note like a normal person." He moved to the counter, and sure enough there was a business card there with an address on it. Henry frowned as he looked at the name of the business, Kirei Models..? What is he trying to get my sister into this time? Shaking the undying need to protect Suzie from all harm out of his mind, Henry walked out of the kitchen and into his sister's room, which was just across the hall.

Her room was less-than-tidy, but not quite a pig sty. It was because she spent her time either working or sleeping, he knew, but he still liked to tease her about it. Today Henry smiled at the mess as he picked up the odd item or two from the floor and put them away on a shelf, or threw her blankets onto her bed. It took him a few minutes, but eventually he found the baby blue backpack she used whenever she went to work... but upon opening it, he realized that it was empty. Thanks Suzie, for making my day so much easier...

Looking around the messy room again, he tried to figure out where his darling sister would've put her work clothes. A few inane ideas came to mind quickly, causing a sad smile to come to his lips as he thought about who usually came up with those inane ideas. I wish you were here, terriermon.

-

"What else do we have to do?" both Ryo and Suzie whined at the same time, before both of them started laughing. Rika growled at them under her breathe, but couldn't help but smile; she had watched throughout the day as Ryo slowly won over the younger woman, charming her and easing her into getting used to his flirtatious ways. And in less than 6 hours the two had become friends.

"Go get changed again," Rika told them both, keeping a careful eye on Suzie as the girl nodded. Ryo challenged her to a race, and the two of them ran towards the change room together. The red-haired woman just rolled her eyes at them for what felt like the millionth time that hour, and looked back to her sketchbook. Well, at least this outfit is turning out good.

"They seem like quite the pair," Kazu's voice interrupted her train of thought. The brunette had been interrupting her thoughts all day, come to think of it. Yes Kazu, they're a pair. And thank kami they are or else I'd be screwed right now. "These photos should turn out perfectly."

She blinked, slowly looking up at Kazu. Why does he still sound nervous..? "Kazu... you do realize that Ryo has yelled out that if I even think about hiring a different photographer, he'll kill me, several times today..?" He nodded, his dull blue eyes searching her lavender ones to figure out what she was talking about. "And you've realized that, picture wize, Ryo and Suzie are perfect for each other?" Another nod. "And that unless you really screw up developing those photos, there's no way that you're not working for me for the next few months?" Yet another nod. "Then why the fuck are you still nervous?"

"Me? Nervous?" He chuckled, and Rika couldn't help but notice that he did so nervously. Stupid boy. "Why would I be nervous?"

"Hell if I should know," she puffed out, blowing air up to lift her bangs out of her eyes: they fell back into the same spot. "What time is it?"

"Aa..." Kazu looked at his watch quickly. "Shit, it's quarter after four!"

"So?" she looked back down at her sketch, and moved to re-draw the hem of the skirt. Needs to be a bit longer. "You're supposed to be taking tons and tons of photos of the two of them, together, apart, so that in a couple of days when you get us the photos me and Ryo can look at them and-"

"Some people had to do other jobs to keep enough money to live, Rika," Kazu snapped out at her. She stared at him for a moment, surprised that he would dare to snap at her. He never would've done that when we were younger... and sure enough, a moment later a sheepish expression crossed his face. "... not that I'm trying to poke at your finacial status or anything, it's not your fault your mom is rich... I mean... I'm gonna shut up now."

"Good idea," Rika said with a smile. Stupid Kazu. "So this'll be your second job?"

"Yeah," he nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You know that nightclub that I said Suzie works at..?" Rika nodded, tilting her head curiously. "I'm the bartender there. I usually start a couple of hours before she does... it's one of the few reasons Henry lets her work there."

"She's old enough to work wherever she wants," Rika mused aloud.

"Yeah, that's one of the other few reasons Henry lets her work there," Kazu snickered. "He means the best... but her being a waitress there, with all the perverted old men coupled with the fact that the more cleavage you show, the more tips you make... it makes him uneasy." Rika silently agreed. "So... I'll take just a couple more photos, and then I should leave."

Fair enough, Rika thought, though she made a mental note to be slightly more respectful of the time for the next photo shoot. "Well, you'll only get one series of photos out... do you want to take pictures of Suzie, Ryo, or both of them?"

"Suzie."

His immediate response made her pause and look up at him again. She studied Kazu carefully, but his blue eyes were cast away from her as he waited for the two models to return. He doens't- no, he couldn't be... Staring at him harder, she watched the way he glanced towards the change room, the nervous tremour in his hands, the-

"We're back!" The chorus known as Ryo and Suzie sang. Rika turned her head to watch them as they tripped over themselves giggling. Ryo you idiot... act you age! Sparing Ryo a glare, Rika instead looked at Suzie.

The purple-haired woman looked stunning.

Her amythest eyes sparkled as she laughed, moving across the studio like a graceful swan... and the clothes she wore suited her innocent look perfectly. The white jacket she had picked out was fitted in the sleeves and bust, drapping on the edges of the young woman's shoulders to show off her delicate collar bone. It flared out slightly at the waist, the hemline stopping just short of her navel in the front, and reaching to the top of her thighs in the back. Combined with the cute pink skirt that the models had dug out of somewhere and the matching choker around her neck, one could almost mistake her for an angle. She just needs wings...

Rika glanced up at Kazu again, but the brunette was fiddling with his camra.

"It's getting late," the red head said, turning her gaze back to the models. "Kazu has to leave for work soon... he read and signed his contract earlier, so he's just going to finish up with one last round of photographs and head off. Suzie, you'll have to stay here a little longer so that we can talk through your contract and get you in touch with my mother and everything, okay?"

"Okay," the girl nodded, and moved towards where Kazu had set up his camra's tri-pod as Ryo walked towards her.

"I like her," Ryo said with a smile.

Rika smiled back at him, and shook her head. "Some people would argue that you like anything with two legs, Ryo."

"Hey, I'm not that bad of a playboy," he huffed at her, crossing his arms as he feigned annoyance.

"Keep telling yourself that, maybe oneday it'll come true."

-

Henry looked at the card in his hand once again as he walked through the double french doors of the building. French doors? Who makes an office building with french doors? Office buildings that belongs to modeling agencies, apparently.

The inside of the building was grand and tasteful, with plush carpets and crystal chandelliers. Henry could barely believe that 20 minutes ago he had been running out of his relatively modest apartment. Bedazzled by the ornaments around him, he almost didn't notice when he made it to the receptionist's desk.

"Good afternoon sir," the receptionist said loudly, breaking him out of hid daze. She smiled at him prettily, and Henry smiled back. Deffinately a modeling agency, if they can get a receptionist that pretty.

"Hi," he responded pleasantly, leaning onto the receptionist's desk easily as he let his sister's bag fall off of his shoulder. "I'm here to pick up my sister... Suzie Wong? Do you know where she is?"

"Suzie?" she pursed her lips cutely as she turned to her computer and typed something onto the keyboard. Henry couldn't help himself... he leaned forwards slightly and glanced at the screen, only to flinch. Why are they using that useless program? "Sorry," she looked up at him, her big blue eyes glistening. She must wear contacts to enhance their colour. "But we don't have a Suzie Wong working here... is there anything else I could help you with..?"

He sighed in frustration, raking a hand through his hair messily. "What about Kazu Shioda?"

"Kazu Shioda?" she looked a little put out, and Henry couldn't help but grin as she turned back to her computer. She should work on her flirting. He grabbed a pen from her desk while she was busy typing, and pulled a spare piece of paper out of his pocket. "Kazu Shioda... he's up in studio number 4."

"Great," he jotted his name and number down quickly, and met the gaze of the blue eyed receptionist as he put the paper onto her desk with the stolen pen. "Studio four... arigatou!" He waved as he left, following the signs on the walls towards the elevators and studio number 4.

-

"All done!" Kazu called, catching Rika's and Ryo's attention. Rika refused to look up from her sketchbook until she was done drawing that outfit; it was newly inspired, and she wanted to know how the combination would turn out. And if it doesn't... so help me Kami someone will get hurt.

"Then you better get going!" Ryo called back to him. "You wouldn't want to be late for work afterall!"

"Of course not," Kazu laughed, walking towards them. Rika saw him walking out of the corner of her eye, walking half a step behind Suzie. Though I may have to hurt Kazu anyways. "Sooo... When do you want the photos by, Rika?"

"Aa..." She thought for a moment, before realizing she didn't actually know the date. Sitting up straight, she looked at Ryo. "What day is it?"

"Tuesday."

"Right," time clicked back into place, and she looked up at Kazu. "Thursday preferably, Friday at the latest. We do the next shoot Monday Morning."

"So soon?" Suzie asked, confusion making a furrow in her brow.

"I've got pretty good ideas for the first part of the series, and my seamstress lives closeby," Rika explained.

Just then, a knock! knock! knock! sounded at the door. Rika frowned, but Ryo automatically stood up to go get it. "You guys still need to talk," he said with a shrug, crossing the studio.

"What's all in the series anyways?" Kazu asked curiously.

"Everything from formal wear to underwear."

Suzie turned bright red, and Rika smirked as she saw Kazu fidget slightly. "U-underwear?" The young woman squeaked out, raising her hands to her cheeks. "But... that's so, so..."

"Revealing?" Rika offered. Suzie nodded her head viciously. "Why? Just think of it as a bathing suite. It's not like this is one of those Victoria's Secret magazines from America. Nothing you wear will be anymore revealing than a bikini."

"B-bikini?" Somehow, she managed to turn redder... and Kazu even started to blush as well.

"Henry's going to kill me..." the brunette whined pitifully.

"Why am I going to kill you?" All three of them were surprised at the newest voice, and all of them looked back towards the doors to the studio to see who had spoke... but Rika, when she saw Henry, more than just saw him. Her heart fluttered and her mouth went dry, and her thoughts drifted... and then he noticed her, and looked at her with his grey eyes.

He looked just as surprised to see her, but never got a chance to voice that surprise. "Onii-chan!" Suzie giggled out, rushing over to hug her older brother. She started telling him all about her day, about all the new clothes she got to try on, about some of the more rediculious poses she had to do with Ryo.

Rika stood up and left, leaving her sketchbook behind.