Lily sat forward in the make up chair, craning her head around the woman desperately trying to paint the gold laurel leaves onto her cheek. She was searching for Nobara and the others. A curious crowd had gathered to catch glimpses of the skimpily dressed models posing on the beach to advertise swimsuits.
The male models were dressed in shiny gold swim briefs, the tiny little swimsuits typically worn by competition swimmers. They were bronzed and oiled, ready to pose with the women who were the main focus of the advertising campaign showing off the designers new summer offerings.
"Lily!" the exasperated make up artist exclaimed when she wriggled in her chair again to get a better view of the crowd. "You've got to sit still so I can get this painted. You're up next."
"I'm sorry," she apologized, sitting back and closing her eyes.
"What is your problem anyway?"
"I'm looking for my friends. I invited them to the shoot today."
"Oh, I see," the woman returned, doing her best to correct the edge of the level she had accidentally angled in the wrong direction due to her antsy subject. "I didn't realize you had friends in Japan. I didn't think you were staying."
"Yeah," she sighed, sinking further into the chair. "I hadn't planned on it."
"But plans change right?" The woman put the finish touch on the last leaf arching over the cheekbone. "Okay. You're done."
Lily's eyes popped open, and she hopped out of the chair.
"Thanks, Delia."
"No problem. Next time sit still, and I'll be done quicker."
Lily looked toward the throng of people gathered behind the bodyguards and barriers set up a few yards away. Shielding her eyes with a hand to her forehead, she scanned the sea of faces until one stood out: big brown eyes and massive toothy grin below an unruly shock of pink hair. Megumi stood beside him with his hands in his pockets looking bored as ever which made her giggle and smile. Nobara, standing beside Megumi, screamed her name and waved eagerly.
Bouncing on her tiptoes as if they could not see her standing on the outskirts of the high fashion mayhem taking place behind her, she waved both of her arms to get their attention despite it being completely unnecessary. Several people in the crowd waved back as well thinking her greeting was generally directed at everyone.
"Hey, Itadori, you know her?" a deep and familiar voice inquired from somewhere amid the people gathered behind him.
"Todo?" Yuji murmured, turning to find his friend.
Like the Red Sea before Moses, the crowd parted to allow the huge man to pass to get to his friend standing at the front.
"What are you doing here?" Yuji asked, generally curious as to why his friend had shown up to a fashion shoot.
"I heard Takada-Chan would be here today modeling swimsuits," he replied, his cheeks blushing crimson.
"Dude, I think you heard wrong," he returned, hoping his friend would not be too disappointed.
Aoi Todo had a major crush on the idol Nobuko Takada. He had even gone to a meet greet with Todo when Mai, who had also developed a fascination with her, could not go. The mountain of a man who towered over him looked over his head, smiling.
"Well ask your friend," he suggested.
Lily stood in front of Megumi and Nobara, excitedly chatting with them while standing there with gold painted on her face and dressed in short pink terrycloth robe as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Two bodyguards came to stand on either side of her when the crowd pressed in around her friends pushing them forward.
One guy reached out to touch Lily only to have his hand seized and bent back at the wrist before he could make physical contact. He yowled in pain. Another fan took advantage of the distraction, shoving Megumi aside and lunging at Lily to untie her robe.
Megumi slammed a fist into the back of the guy's skull, knocking him out and down onto the boardwalk but not before her robe fell open revealing her swimsuit. Cameras started clicking and cell phones were raised to capture a photo before she could get the robe closed and retied. The designer would not be too angry to have photos of her new swimsuit leaked onto social media. It was free advertising she did not have to pay for.
"Back up and back off!" one of the guards bellowed.
"Hey, can these - " She glanced at the gigantic man Yuji had been talking to. "Can these four people be let through? They're friends."
"I don't think we should allow unauthorized people onto the set," cautioned the bodyguard with one knee on the unconscious Mr. Grabby's back holding him to the ground. "I don't want to get into any trouble."
"You won't. I'll take responsibility," she assured the man. "Besides, I think they can help you guys out with crowd control if necessary."
"All right," agreed the second man, picking up a section of the fencelike barrier to move it to allow them entrance. "Come on through."
Without hesitation, Megumi walked right up to Lily to hug her. Pulling her back at an arm's length, he looked her over from head to toe.
"Are you all right?" he inquired continuing to examine her.
"I'm fine," she assured him. "I'm glad you came today."
"Me too," he muttered, looking back over his shoulder to glare at the man who tried to assault her.
One of the men attempted to walk through as if he had been invited. The bodyguard put up his hand in a stop gesture but the man boldly kept moving forward.
"Uh uh, not you," he said.
The man slapped the bodyguard's hand away thinking that would be enough to get rid of the obstacle barring him from entering to gape at the models. Todo grabbed the guy by his shirt, lifting him from the ground.
"Hey! Didn't you hear? You aren't allowed!" Todo yelled in the stupidly obstinate man's face, shaking him like a rag doll.
"Uh, yes sir, yes sir!" the terrified man cried out as his head flopped back and forth. "Will you put me down?"
"Who's your scary friend?" Lily asked Yuji.
"Aoi Todo. He's a big fan of Takada-Chan. Is she here today?"
"Yes, she is actually."
"Really? Do you think you could introduce them. I mean," he began, scratching his chin pensively, "Todo has met her before...a few times actually... but that was only for a handshake and autograph."
"Once this is over I'll see what I can do."
Yuji waved her forward, placing his hand by his mouth as if he was about to share a secret. "She's not modeling a bikini is she? I think that might be more than Todo could take."
"No," Lily whispered back. "She's in a really nice cover up because it would tarnish her image to be in a bikini. The designer wanted her in a few photos for the celebrity appeal."
"Oh, okay."
Lily giggled. She loved how unassuming and innocent they could be for teenage boys full of raging hormones. Of course, they were not the typical adolescents, fighting cursed spirits and all. She waved for them to follow her.
"Come on. You can stand over there by that table to watch."
She pointed to a table scattered with various props, camera lenses, and equipment for lighting such as reflective panels.
"Lily Luz!" someone screeched from the shoreline. The photographer appeared, pacing with his camera in hand while searching the beach with a hand against his forehead over his eyes to block the glare from the sand and sun despite wearing sunglasses. "Where is that woman?! I need my model!"
"Time to go to work," she said, jogging toward the screaming photographer.
They watched as a harried looking woman with a pencil stuck in her bun and clipboard in her hand ran up to Lily to assist her with disrobing. She was wearing a white bandeau tankini top with a ruffle across the breasts, going up and over one shoulder similar to a toga and a gold bikini bottom.
"Whoa," gasped the three men, their eyes and their mouths forming big round circles.
"Oh, I want that suit," Nobara commented, daring to take a few steps closer.
One of the almost naked male models put his hands on her waist pulling Lily close then lifting her to deposit her onto one of the large black rocks where the water met the sand.
Megumi growled, gritting his teeth.
"Uh, are you okay?" Nobara asked, watching the muscles writhing at the corner of his rigidly set jaw.
"I'm fine," he bit out through his clenched teeth.
"Well, you look pissed. Dude, it's just her job. This is what your girlfriend does." She glanced back to see Lily placing her hand on top of the man's head full of curly black hair, his cheek resting on her flat belly. His hands grasped the back of her thighs to hold her balanced on the rock but not to block any part of the swimsuit. "Oh, my."
"Oh," Todo gasped, spotting Takada-Chan sitting in a director's chair under a massive rainbow colored umbrella. "There she is."
He blushed and lowered his eyes to the sand between his feet. Just looking at her made him feel nervous and shy. When he dared to steal another glance at her, an assistant was handing her a bottle of water. She was dressed in the demure white swimsuit cover up that looked like an giant button down men's shirt. An open magazine sat in her lap but her attention was on the two models presently getting photographed.
The male model turned his back to Lily, bending down slightly. With help of two of the crew, she lowered herself to a sitting position on his shoulders, her behind at the base of his neck and her feet pressed into the small of his back. Reaching up, he grasped her hips, holding her in place like Atlas holding the world on his shoulders. The photographer moved around to get a straight on shot of Lily.
"Damn that guy's amazing," Nobara murmured as he continued to support the woman's entire weight on his shoulders.
"I bet I could do that," Yuji said.
"Ever touch her like that and you'll die," Megumi threatened, seething at what he was seeing.
He did not like seeing her in contact with another man, especially an almost naked one. Despite being well aware it was her job and it did not mean a thing, he could not stop the jealousy from squirming through his belly with sickening intensity. She had been doing this for years and been in much riskier positions but that was before she became a part of his life - a part of his heart.
The two crew members came back, helping her down to the sand. The male model struck a super hero pose, fists on hips, strong square chin lifted confidently. Lily stood in front of him, reaching up with one hand to cup his jaw. He tilted his chin downward as if gazing lovingly at her. She tipped her chin upward like she was looking back at him and totally smitten. The guy said something to her, and she began laughing. The photographer reprimanded them loudly, accusing them of ruining the shot.
Megumi had started to turn red. He could have easily blamed the sun burning his delicate light skin. Honestly, he really did not care what the others thought. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he stalked off back toward the boardwalk to find shade. It was awfully damn hot out here. He made up his mind this would be his first and last photo shoot.
Once the photo shoot was over, Lily disappeared into one of the tents to remove her make up and change her clothes. She came out fresh faced with no make up at all, wearing white capri pants, a navy blue bohemian top with white embroidery, and tan lace up espadrilles. Before going to meet her friends, she stopped by the chair where Takada sat to talk to her.
"Hi," she greeted her, waving her hand.
"Oh, hello, would like an autograph?" the young woman in pigtails but close to her age asked cheerily.
"Uh, no," Lily replied with an apologetic smile.
"Oh, sorry, it's a habit," Nobuko giggled good naturedly. "You looked great out there."
"Thanks." Lily could feel herself blushing from the praise. Casting a glimpse at her friends, she noticed Megumi was missing which gave her cause for concern. Apparently he did not like what he saw. Where could he be?
"Is there something you wanted?" Nobuko blinked her big golden eyes at the woman standing in front of her.
"Oh, yes! I have a friend who would like to meet you," she said despite having just met Todo and not officially yet. "Do you mind?"
"No! Not at all!"
The woman followed her toward the three people standing beside the table a few feet away. The closer they got, the redder and more visibly nervous Todo became shifting from foot to foot and looking around as if searching for an escape route.
"Nobuko Takada, this is Aoi Todo. He's your biggest fan," she said, giving him a big smile as she introduced him.
"Hi there, Todo!" Nobuko exclaimed cheerfully, extending her hand.
"I'm so happy to meet you," he said, engulfing her tiny hand with his huge one. "Again."
"I think I recognize you. Were you at my last meet and greet?"
"Oh, yes!" he returned enthusiastically, still holding her hand in his. "I have been to all of your meet and greets. I've watched every video and live stream. Every appearance you've made, I've been there."
"That's fantastic! Tan, Taka-tan!" She pulled her hand from his, throwing up a peace sign and pulling it toward her eye while winking at him.
"Oh, so cute!" Todo exclaimed, clapping his hands with glee.
"What the hell is that?" Lily murmured to Nobara.
"It's called a Taka tan Beam. A branding thing," she added knowing Lily would understand that. "As you can see her fan boys love it."
"Ah, gotcha. Well, isn't she adorable?"
"Was that sarcasm?"
"I'm not sure. I'm trying to be nice. Todo loves it anyway and that's what matters. Where's Megumi?" Lily asked to change the subject, looking around despite knowing he was no where in the vicinity but hoping he had come back.
"He's probably not far. I'm sure he wants to see you."
"I can help you look for him," Yuji offered.
"Hey, Takada-Chan. I want you meet my best friend," Todo declared, waving Yuji over.
"But I - "
"Go ahead," Lily said, pushing him toward Todo. "I can find him."
"Want me to come along?" Nobara asked.
"Nah, I'm good." Lily really did not want anyone to come along. She had the feeling quite a bit of awkwardness would ensue when she found him.
The crowd had dispersed, scattered by the heat and boredom, dwindling to only a few people who were more interested in seeing Nobuko Takada. Lily walked right past them without anyone taking note of her. She strolled down the sidewalk that was beginning to fill with people searching for a restaurant or snack bar for refreshment as well as shade to escape the sun. She was feeling a little baked herself after being in the sun so long. Tomorrow she would have a nice sprinkling of freckles over her nose and cheeks despite the sun block that had been applied to fend off the sun spots.
She finally found Megumi sitting on a bench located under some trees near a convenience store. Pretending not to see him, she proceeded to go into the store. Buying two bottles of water and two watermelon frozen treats, she went to join him on the bench. Not a word passed between them as she took a seat then handed him a bottle of water and the ice cream novelty.
Ripping paper being removed from ice cream and cracking of plastic from lids being twisted off the bottles was the only sound that passed between them. They both waited for the other to say something first while using the pretense of eating the swiftly melting ice cream to maintain their stubborn silence.
"Are we okay?" she asked at last sensing he could keep up the infuriating silent treatment for hours and possibly days.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?" he inquired in his usual affectless tone.
Lily hesitated, taking a sip of water to refresh her dry throat. "Why did you leave like that? I couldn't help but think you were mad at me."
"No. I'm not mad." He was not completely lying. "It was just...hard to watch."
"It's my job," she reminded him. "Nothing more."
"I know," he sighed, leaning back to sit up straight. He lay his arm across the back of the bench, his fingers brushing her shoulder. "I just couldn't help but feel..."
"Jealous?" She scooted over to be closer to him.
"Yeah," he admitted with a gushing exhale.
Lily turned toward him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "You know I am completely, hopelessly, infatuated with you right?"
Megumi turned his head to look at her. His usually narrow eyes were big and round. "You are?"
"I am," she confirmed, leaning closer to him until the tips of their noses touched. "I must confess I would probably be a little hurt if you weren't jealous by seeing me so close to another man."
"Oh?"
"Uh huh."
"So we're good?" he asked, smiling when she rubbed the tip of her nose across his.
"We're great."