-Picture perfect-
The moment Umi arrived at the studio, stylists and make up artists approached her prepared her for the upcoming photo shoot. She noticed that Kouji was already at the studio before she arrived, flattering himself all around while his fan girls pleaded for more. Umi rolled her eyes in annoyance. He is still so egotistical.
Before the shoot started, Kouji tried to impress Umi with his pathetic jesters. Finally she got annoyed screamed at him, " Look, I can't stand you so don't get so close or else."
"Well its not like I can stand you either!" he barked back at her. "You haven't changed much since the tournamen hunt." He stuck his tongue out.
Umi rolled eyes, "Well looks like age doesn't bring out maturity."
Before they could finish the photographer walked on to the set, wearing a white suit, the lighting shined on his bald head. "Bonjour, I am your photographer Nigel Sermon," he introduced him self using a deep French accent. Once he had the set and lighting changed the way he desired the shooting starting.
He directed them into couple poses and threw compliments at them along with other directions. Umi ignored the fact that they were so close and that I was Kouji, she simply left her mind drift away to forget the feud that was growing before. Finally the shoot was done.
"Great job guys!" a sweet voice insisted, the voice belonged the Kouji's agent Hoshi. Hoshi was rather sophisticated today she had her brown curly locks up in a bun rather than a ponytail like last night. She was dressed in a rather complex designer suit of lime green matching her eyes which reminded Umi of Ascot's eyes.
"Okay, I'm going to go see my girl now," Kouji started out the door but stop to tell Umi one more thing, "," then he left leaving Umi completely speechless. Okay where did that other Kouji go?
"Umi, he is a nice guy deep down inside you just have to get to know him. He is like a tootsie pop. In the center is a completely different guy," Hoshi insisted.
"Right, with a nice coating of complete jackass," Umi said harshly and then laughed. Hoshi didn't hear that and went after Kouji leaving Umi alone.
♥♥♥
Umi was about to leave the studio when property as she walked through the parking lot filled with Hondas, Toyotas and pretty much every single newly manufactured Japanese cars. Shuro was wearing a tan suit which complimented her brown eyes and of course black heels. Her neck length hair layered black hair with highlights a few tons darker than her suit danced in the breeze. She ran to Umi's side and grabbed her arm. "Umi I would like to talk to you about your pictures," She said coldly and Umi nodded and followed Shuro into Shuro's new white Honda Acura.
Umi was the first to speak. "What's wrong Ms. Kano? Are they too ugly?" She demanded. "I knew it!" Umi sighed heavily. Why can't I do anything right?
Shuro was startled by Umi's sudden lost in confidence and shook her head, "No that's not it! You are very beautiful!" She nodded and tried to reassure the blue haired model. "Its just when the camera captures you it does reveal you are beautiful but when I look into your sapphire blue eyes in these pictures most of them hold sadness deep down inside while you expression you are assigned to portray are happy. What troubles you? One more thing you can call me Shuro silly." Shuro chuckled at the last part.
"Nothing really, I've been thinking about my social life that's all," Umi forced a smile to reassure Shuro that it was just some minor growing up issues. "School will be in session once again. I need to decide on whether to stay at the school in Tango or go to school in Tokyo with Fuu and Hikura. I have friends in both schools, a couple of old friends best my best friends when I was fourteen. While in Tango I've made several friends too that I don't want to abandon." Umi only mentioned part of her problem in life.
"Umi, I understand what you're going through but don't cheat yourself in the end. In the end its you who decides," Shuro smiled warmly. "Its your education and you worked hard for the entrance exam to your current school and to maintain your grades. You should consider academics besides friends. They are important but I'm sure real friends wouldn't want you to cheat yourself. Remember yourself worth."
Umi smiled, "Thanks Kano I'm glad that you aren't putting more pressure on me." A part of Umi felt at peace like it hasn't been able to rest for several months.
"Hey!" Shuro shouted, "I said you can could call me Shuro! Why are you so stubborn?" She demanded. Shuro crossed her arms and brushed her hair then placed her pink tint shades on.
Umi started to laugh hysterically. "But Kano. I'm so used to saying Kano, Ms. Kano," she teased.
Shuro groaned and tried again, "Well the fact is I'm not that much older than you! I mean I'm twenty-four and you know me girl. So Shuro okay?"
"Okay Shuro Kano," Umi continued to laugh.
Shuro shook her head and sighed, "Umi, I besides your social life regarding your friends. Your pictures lack passion as if you are trying to run away from something. Would this something be love or a crush?"
Umi stopped laughing and her eyes became tensioned. "There has been a person on my mind lately. I have done nothing but cause him pain, a year ago I waited months to be able to get the chance to apologize to him but will that ever stop? Besides we're complete opposites, he is the type of person that enjoys solitude while you know me. I always mess up in front of him, lately I feel like I've went down in maturity rather than act my age and pretty much a pain." Umi sighed heavily and her eyes narrowed more. "Why am I telling you this? You are probably bored listening to some average hopeless romantic," Umi forced a laugh out.
"No I'm not," Shuro insisted and her eyes never stopped making eye contact with Umi since she had started speaking, "Well from the sounds of things he must be a really close friends or you really like him."
"Maybe.. But its possibly just some silly school girl crush if you can even call it a crush." Umi forced out a laugh. "I mean I'm so young so what would I know about love?" Umi's eyes became more narrow.
"Life was a lot easier when boys still had cooties and wouldn't even look at you this way," Umi insisted. "Now stupid hormones and these crazy emotions ugh."
"Umi," Shuro became worried and her appearance became more serious. "You can find love at any age. Simple to say love just happens, it is never planned nor there when you want it to be. You learn from your mistakes and they help you become a stronger person with every relationship." Shuro held her hands together to form a heart with her fingers. "You can always hope to find true love, but it finds you." Shuro tried to reassure Umi but apart of her was surprised that girl as outgoing and beautiful as Umi would have love issues, then again it showed that she was more than just a pretty face but a person that longs to be loved.
"Why hope for the impossible? When you know deep down inside it will never come true?" Umi turned away and stared out the window.
"What do you mean hopeless?" Shuro questioned curiously.
" He is so much older than and in the end it probably wouldn't work out. Besides it would be selfish for me to have him just feel the same for me." Umi sighed.
" Shuro smiled warmly once again. "Age doesn't matter nor does anything else besides the only thing that matters in love is how you feel. Everything else is irrelevant," her tone was deep with passion.
Umi nodded in agreement, "I guess you're right but what will others say?" But a thought struck her and she thought of what had witness back in Tango." A senior at my high school and one of the teachers went out. When everyone found out, they both were banned from the school. I don't want to receive the humiliation or go though the pain they went though."
"They are still together."
"I don't want my parents to go though any of that pain, the senior Neko and the teacher got married. They're still together. Though her parents still disapprove. I would be turning my back on how hard my family has work to build our company and I know its my duty as one of the heiress to help it continue to grow." Umi stared out the window and though about how hard her parents had worked to get her into the best schools and had given her everything she had ever wanted in life that your typical girl could ask for.
They became silent for a while but Shuro broke the silent with her soothing advice, "But you know you're parents, they want you to find someone that you love."
"When I was a college freshmen I fell in love with this college professor, he was only 30 and I was still 22 at that time. In the end he didn't leave his wife and I transfer to another university. In the end I found someone else and we still keep in touch." Shuro smiled as she recollected a old memory.
Umi stared sympathetically, "So why are you telling me this now?" Still unsure on why Shuro suddenly brought that up.
"Um.." Shuro stared the roof of her car and shrugged. "It just came up?" she laughed.
Umi shook her head annoyed. "That reminds me could you drive me to the train station? I need to go meet someone," Umi asked, her expression became cold as she recalled her promise to the guru last evening.
With that Shuro drove Umi to the train station. During the ride there the girls just laughed and had girl talk.
Umi left the car and thanked Shuro for the ride. She smiled when Shuro simply smiled and mentioned, "Umi, if you need anyone to talk to you know my number girl. Besides you can't let stuff just eat you away inside all the time, you don't need to be so strong, share the burden with someone else." With that Shuro drove away.
Umi took the train to Tokyo tower. During the ride she pondered to herself whether it was fair to bring all of her issues on Shuro when she couldn't even allow any of her other friends inside her. Then again why should she trouble them? Especially Hikura and Fuu with her problems? It wouldn't be fair of her to stand in their way of love.
♥♥♥
"Wow, I actually made it here safely," Umi grinned as just appeared in Cephiro without going though the falling through the sky phase like last time.
A deep voice came from behind the former water knight, "Perhaps ones heart truly wanted to be here one had no trouble, while when one reluctantly forces oneself to Cephiro a part of yourself deep inside your heart clings to your world so that's why you hard trouble last time."
Anyways I want to thank Padme5 and MahouShoujoShizuka for their feedback. I've reoriganized my thoughts and added more detial when I revised my story. Hope you its improved for now. Yeah at this point I'm trying to work on the charectors, I'm aware they are rather off and that I apologize for.
Yeah I'm not sure when I will update again, so if you insist I would say bug me. Probally not the best to email me beacuse I rarely ever check email.
Hm.. I wonder who that voice belonged to..