Yo~

Thank you again for all the views and i love athrun for the review! It means a lot really, I don't own anything Uta-Pri. I hope you enjoy the chapter it was fun to write~

augenblick(n.) lit. "in the blink of an eye": a 'decisive moment' in time that is fleeting, yet momentously eventful and incredibly significant

Her manager listened on to her string of curses as he figured she forgot to hang up. "Kids." He mumbled as he turned onto the highway.

An hour later makeup artists hovered over her skin as Mirai indulged them in their celebrity gossip. She was surprised by how much they knew and stopped them before they delved too deep into their sex lives.

Despite being in the early hours of the morning, blinding artificial light spewed from every direction. People scurried about seemingly doing nothing while her manager conversed lightly with the photographer. She had yet to catch a glimpse of Kurosaki which heightened her nerves; everything was shockingly new and extremely disorientating.

"Listen," she leaned into her makeup artist's ear, "Is uh, Kurosaki y'know?" She nodded sympathetically but sighed nonetheless, "I hear he's great but once he's done, it's done. It's a shame too, that man phew," She fanned herself dramatically. Mirai deadpanned, "Insightful, but is he uh, nice?" Her makeup artist, a middle –aged woman with excellent teeth scoffed as if she was chastising her, "Honey, he doesn't give a shit about the other person's orgasm? Now what does that tell you hm?" Mirai sighed and leaned back in her chair defeated, "Men right?" Her make-up artist shook her head and continued applying foundation.

'Great, just my damn luck.' Mirai began to clench and unclench her fists as a calming exercise, when her makeup was done they coated her with coconut oil for that 'slick' look every model had. After she was herded into the dressing room her nerves lessened at how comforting the stylists were. However once she was handed a strapless bra looking contraption the stylists reassured her nothing racy was going to happen. She obliged wordlessly and was given privacy, Mirai wrapped an arm around her chest as she situated the bra. She caught her reflection in the mirror and stopped cold.

'They really worked a number on me.'; she tilted her face about and was in awe at how-

The door slammed open unexpectedly as a mousy stylist asked if she was ready. Tightening the robe around her waist, Mirai decided this was not the time to get flustered. She already knew how Kurosaki looked from television and she'd be dammed if he ruined her cool image.

Outside Ranmaru discussed with the photographer over how the shoot would go. He stood bare from the waist up and wore similar leather pants to the ones Mirai had. To say he was irritated with the entire situation would be an understatement however once Mirai came out he stiffened.

The both bowed properly and took each other's hand in a genial shake. Her eyes were glossy as was her translucent skin, he found her features inviting and fitting for the rock magazine. Her eye makeup was dramatic and brought out her vibrant irises of honey while her face looked immaculate. Her hair, while messy, was angled and tousled in an appealing manner that fit her character to a tee.

Her attitude sincere and also light probably to ease any awkwardness; although he would never admit it aloud Ranmaru grossly misjudged her character. Once the photographer had everything set up Mirai removed her robe, the bassist watched as one shoulder appeared and the next as her whole torso became exposed. He inhaled deeply as she offered him a reassuring glance, for someone that has never done a photoshoot of this caliber she was oddly calm. This perturbed him.

This wasn't her first time undressing and being this exposed in front of someone but the fact that there were about thirty people watching and the way he was just staring at her unblinkingly put the prodigal guitarist on edge. The photographer that shared similarities with a fox approached them and coached them through the scenes; to start off he took experimental shots between the two and finally reached the point of 'mildly gravure'.

"Alright, Kurosaki-san you're going to pick her up and Mirai you then straddle him," Mirai bit her lip as she faced him; he gave her a curt nod as she tentatively placed her hands on his shoulders.

He positioned either hand on her trim waist and lifted her with ease; Mirai felt the air escape her body as he held on firmly. Slowly she began to slide down due to the coconut oil and he readjusted her effortlessly, "Perfect, now Mirai press against him and rest your head- great perfect!" Kurosaki felt her soft chest press unbearably against his as he chewed the inside of his cheek, Mirai shivered as she felt the steady beating of his heart and the tenors of his breath down her back.

The hard planes of his body and her jagged edges fit seamlessly. It was at that moment something clicked.

Ranmaru noticed she had practically no curves, he could feel the outline of her ribs beneath his fingers and the groove of her hip bone against his side; she essentially had the body of a young boy only with-

His skin pricked as her hair tickled the back of his neck, "Are you alright?" she whispered which only added to his undoing. "Are you?" he responded lowly, trying to keep his mind off of how perfectly his hand fit into the hollow of her waist. He could sense her smile as the photographer guided through the motions. It wasn't until her sharp nails raked down his back and her breath against his ear did Kurosaki Ranmaru almost lost it. His teeth clenched as his grip tightened involuntarily, she inhaled sharply and continued posing without giving anything away.

"Great, great, squeeze your legs tighter around him. Try to make it more possessive," This was proving to be too much, Mirai already unraveling from his vice grip and made the deathly mistake of circling her hips trying to position herself. The friction of her tight pants against his lower abdomen pushed Ranmaru to the edge, he gritted his teeth and suffered in silence.

Mirai continued posing for the camera as she found it hard to concentrate on anything else but the outline of his abs against her stomach. From time to time the photographer would switch angles and capture the shoot from Ranmaru's perspective. To continue with the 'possessive' trope Ranmaru dragged his cheek up and down the back of her neck.

'Can this ever mean anything?'

Mirai mashed her lips together as her palms pressed against his shoulder blades, sensing her discomfort Ranmaru settled for giving the camera a piercing glare as he leaned into her ear as if to whisper his deepest desires. Mirai fought tooth a nail to keep it professional however her tightened muscles and jittering fingers gave her away.

The air was electric and crackled with an enigmatic feeling. The touch, their mingled scent, everything melded together in a mixture of subdued acceptance. They went through the motions as hands, necks and lips blurred together.

"And that's a wrap!"

Mirai pulled back dazed and untangled herself from the bassist hesitantly. As he lowered her, she quietly mourned the loss of warmth his body provided. Ranmaru suddenly realized her height was above average for the common petite Japanese woman, she easily reached his shoulder once he set her down. Something inside his chest hollowed and ached for an arcane sensation he quickly dismissed, she faced him and spoke something pleasant. He watched her lips stretch into a smile, "Of course," he murmured desperately reaching for his wits.

Abe approached the two and inclined his head towards the bassist, he draped a robe over Mirai's shoulders and handed her bottled water. Farewells were exchanged and Mirai watched on as Ranmaru left with his manager.

"You did well; I dare say you…enjoyed it." Mirai scoffed and took a quick swig, "Sure, Abe-san whatever you say." Her manager chuckled as she pouted and walked her out of the building.

On the car ride back to the company building Kurosaki Ranmaru was lost in thought. Small, stabbing thoughts of doubt began to trickle in, how could he be so weak? How could he let this woman have her way with him? 'She probably did everything on purpose just to antagonize me.' His jaw stiffened at the realization but then softened as he remembered her silky skin and how gentle her heartbeat felt against his. Suddenly he felt drained, at the end of the day he was an idol. She was an idol. They did their jobs as idols and there was nothing to it.

Dragging a hand down his face he tried to swallow his own lies.

Back at her dingy apartment Mirai could still feel his scorching touch and low tenor as she wiped vigorously at her skin underneath the sizzling spray streaming from the showerhead. She could have imagined the entire encounter if the small indentations in her skin didn't give it away. It was times like this, under the showerhead Mirai would reflect.

Some of her best memories as a kid came from being bathed. There was something so euphoric that Mirai loved. The feeling of cleansing yourself and washing away the remnants of the day. The purification she felt afterwards she reveled in it.

The jet streamed down her back as she remembered her gig later. Twisting the knob close Mirai hurried to find clothes all the while trying to forget about Kurosaki.

Once the magazine was publicized it practically flew off the stands. Everyone and their mother was talking about it, Mirai was hounded whenever she went out in public about it. When she went on shows it was all they asked her about, it was all they cared about. She took it all in stride of course, she repeated to everyone she was an adult and acknowledged her career decisions.

Syo took it extremely hard. Otoya and Haruka described to her in vivid detail how he came home with the magazine and fumed at Kurosaki for an hour. Otoya claims he sleeps with it at his bedside. Amidst the stirrup over the magazine spread Mirai was focused on the approaching fashion week, the days were proving tiring up and down the catwalk. Much to her chagrin none of the models took a liking to her as they claimed she didn't have what it takes to be 'one of them'. Mirai couldn't give a shit. She had a job to do and no anorexic talking stick was going to get in her way.

The opening day was chaotic. People scrambled about in every direction, a whirlwind of bodies and noises was never ending. Mirai stood in the background surveying the pandemonium in silence; she was the last model to walk for the woman's set so she had time to kill. Restraining a yawn she watched as a figure hesitantly approached, "Um, you're Mirai right?" Said guitarist regarded the glamorous redhead in front of her skeptically. "Yes?" The beautiful young woman beamed and reached inside her coat, "Could you please sign this for me?" Mirai's eyes widened as she saw her debut album.

She instantly loosened up, "Of course, thank you so much for asking. Who do I make it out to?" She nervously tucked her hair behind an ear, "Tomochika please," Mirai stopped and turned her gaze onto the young woman puzzled. "Are you by chance a friend of Haruka-chan?" Her eyes practically bugged out, "Yes! Haruka is a good friend of mine!" Mirai chuckled and pulled a shocked Tomochika into a hug, "She's told me so much about you, it's wonderful to finally meet you."

The pieces were starting to click into place for the young redheaded woman, "Wait a minute, y-you're friends of Haruka?" Mirai gave her a sly smirk, "Yup, good friends." Tomochika took a minute to catch her breath, "She didn't tell me you were a fan though I'm flattered." Her eyes crinkled in delight as she signed the album, "Mirai you should join us!" Tomochika slipped her arm through the crook of her elbow and guided her through the throng of people. Even though Mirai had a few inches on Tomochika, the redhead easily kept up with her pace.

In a nearby hallway Ren and Tokiya chatted up the very tall and very beautiful models. In reality Ren was the one wooing while Tokiya glared on in distaste, "Minna! Look who I found!" Mirai felt her stomach drop. Everyone looked in their direction as Tomochika dragged the guitarist over, "It's nice to finally meet you, Jinguji-san, Ichinose-san." Mirai scratched the back of her head and have a sheepish laugh at their expressions, "Of course," Tokiya was the first one to recover as he took her hand in a firm shake.

"How I have dreamed of this day," The two other models watched in revolt as Ren cradled Mirai's hand before bestowing a deliberate kiss. Unable to restrain herself Mirai let out a burst of laughter, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry it's just that," She wiped at the corner of her eye as she gathered her thoughts. "I never took Haruka seriously but-"The two members of STARISH piqued at the mention of their composer, "Little Lamb?" Tomochika hooked her arms around Mirai's shoulders, "Apparently they're chums! Who would have thought eh?"

Tokiya regarded Mirai with subdued interest; she was becoming quite the chameleon in an idol sense. Every time he turned on the television she was on in some manner, she reminded him of when HAYATO first came out. However, just like HAYATO she was burning too brightly. He could see the appeal though; she was tall and had an agreeable disposition. She might prove interesting to watch.

Mirai sensed their characters and found what Haruka informed her about was spot on. She was quite surprised though she never expected to meet them here in all places but thought it would only be a matter of time. She found Tokiya quite brooding however with the right words a pleasant response could be achieved and once Ren realized that his tactics were getting him nowhere he withdrew and thought of ways for a different approach.

"Say Ren, there's an after party tonight do you want to go with me?" The model on his left arm batted her eyelashes furiously, "A party?" he echoed and looked to his fellow member for input. The dark-haired idol crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, "No." Ren turned to Tomochika who explained she had an early gig the next day. "I'll go," Mirai stated simply. The model was aghast, "You will?" His mood brightened as made up his mind.

"Tch." Tokiya shook his head disdainfully. "Don't worry, I'll look after him." Mirai assured, "You can't stay out all night fool." He then reminded him of a gig they had the next day, "I'm touched Icchi, you really do care." The young man rolled his eyes as he assured him he would return at a decent hour. Suddenly from down the hall someone called for all the models, "Great, I'll see you afterwards sweetie." The gaudy-looking model blew him a kiss before strutting off. The four parted ways as Mirai chuckled when Tomochika impersonated they girl, "Say, Mirai, have you seen your man-candy yet?"

"My what?" Mirai followed the redhead to their chairs. "Y'know," She leaned into her ear and felt her blood chill.

"Kurosaki Ranmaru." She sang, "He's here?" she whispered hoarsely. She hadn't seen him since their photoshoot and she had yet to forget the touch of his skin. "Are you two dating? Everyone thinks so." She began matter-of-factly. Mirai tilted her head in laughter. "Sorry," She crossed her arms in an 'X', "That's a shame, you two would make a cute couple. I mean phew the chemistry is obviously there."

She groaned, "Don't tell me you saw the magazine." Tomochika placed a hand to her chest affronted, "Of course! Also you have a wonderful body." Mirai was beginning to get flustered. She bit her tongue much to the delight of Tomochika and slumped in her chair in thought.

Once all the smoke cleared Mirai was dressed in couture with a sheer sleeveless top and a matching sheer skirt, her hair was slicked back and wore minimal makeup save for the shocking white eyeshadow. Underneath she wore black horizontal pasties and a black cheeky panty, to say it was revealing would be a gross understatement. Her shoes were spiraling platforms that made her tower above most of the models, she waiting backstage patiently as the heavy bass music played and the roar of applause died in and out. She watched as models hurried for their next changed, finally with a squeeze of a hand Tomochika left and disappeared behind the screen and was meet with a thunderous applause. In her mind she counted down from seven and watched for the signal, a flash of light was her cue and Mirai took to the catwalk.

At first a collective hush sounded and then assuring applause. The cameras flickered rapidly and as Mirai arrived at the end she gave a mysterious smirk and made the trek back. Before being hurried to change Mirai caught a wisp of silver and an unusual pair of eyes before they vanished.

The show passed in a haze, everything was so rushed there was no time to notice the surroundings. Mirai found herself outside the back entrance where all the models rushed to their flashy apartments to get ready for the part. She received a tight hug from Tomochika and a level look from Tokiya who quickly left, "I'll send a car for you, where do you live?" She gave Ren her address and number before grabbing a taxi. She gave him a hasty wave before departing into the night.

As she applied kohl to the rims of her eyes Mirai realized see hadn't been to a party in a while, sure she was invited by some visual kei groups but her busy schedule never allowed her the time. Maybe this would be good for her. She sighed as her phone ringed dully before hurrying downstairs to find a sleek car waiting out front.

Ren, surrounded by two models graciously welcomed her the two he was with weren't as bad and they chatted for a bit before pulling into a chic club. Mirai was mildly surprised when Ren draped an arm around her instead of the blonde and guided them to the front of the line much to the chagrin of the people waiting. The bouncer gave him a once over and stepped to the side, immediately their ears were assaulted by the heavy bass, people littered the couches while a throng grinded to music provided by an enthusiastic DJ. The two blondes were signaled by what seemed their friends and quickly left Ren without so much of a goodbye, he looked dumbfounded much to Mirai's amusement.

"Come on I know exactly what you need," Mirai took his hand and guided him to the bar. Men and women turned their heads at the stunning pair, "Hey pal fix us up with something." Their bartender, a bald man with piercing shades regarded them as he cleaned out a glass with a rag. "What'll it be?" To the left of her a man took a long drag of his cigarette and raised his glass to them, "Whatever he's having." She replied sending a smirk in his direction.

"Wait a minute." Mirai whipped around and came to an ugly realization. She leaned into his ear, "Ren, are you even legal?"

"Of course I am! I've drank before…once…at a wedding," She cursed under her breath and gave him a level stare before clasping a hand onto his shoulder. "I'll look out for you, so don't worry." The bartender set a pair of shot glasses in front of them with clear liquid. "Don't tell me-"

"The gentlemen over there had vodka."

"Fuck," Mirai slapped a hand to her forehead and wasn't so sure if she could take care of herself now. "Well Ren, we gotta start somewhere. Drink it fast and don't stop." He scoffed as their glasses clinked and followed suit as Mirai shot it back with ease. The burning sensation scorched down his throat but downed it nonetheless, she slammed the glass on the table and ordered another round.

Four shots later Ren was utterly fucked up with Mirai dangerously on the edge. After shot number two Ren convinced Mirai to join him on the dancefloor, she hiccupped as he placed his hands on her hips. The electric beat invaded her senses and she lost herself to the music as the dancing gradually turned sensuous. Her arms rested on his shoulders as their bodies slowly grinded against each other, "Ren," Her voice was lost in the music as she reached for a girl next to her, already hammered herself the girl obliged and took Ren off her hands. Half wobbling back to the bar she watched with a dumb grin as Ren got it on with multiple girls.

"That guy," she shook her head. "You were at the show right?" The man from earlier with the cigarette sat next to her and gave a smile. The man looked mixed and had stubble around his chin, a dying cigarette sat between his lips as he reached for another. "Here," Mirai took out her lighter and lit it before plucking it out of his mouth and taking a long drag from it. She offered him a cheeky smile to which he returned.

"Shit what time is it?" Mirai gasped and looked for a head of orange, "About three twenty something." The mystery man offered. "'Scuse me I have to find my kid." She quickly found him lounging in one of the couches surrounded by women, she took him by the arm and guided him out the back where a line of taxis waited. "Oi! Get this one to uh," She looked towards a haggard Ren before hiccupping, "Uh, Shining Company alright? Here," Mirai handed the driver a crumpled set of bills before stuffing Ren into the back seat. "Ya did good kiddo, mamas proud of you. When ya get home let me know," She slurred out a set of instructions for a hangover before he pulled into a tight embrace and kissed her on the cheek.

She giggled and unlatched herself from his limp limbs, "Love ya bud, take yourself, uh easy!" She slammed the door and waved exuberantly to the vanishing cab. On her way back inside she felt her arm gripped tightly, she yelped in pain and felt herself be dragged away.