Chapter 11 - The First Day

The next morning

"Hmm, I smell coffee, and it smells freaking delicious!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of a groggy-looking Temari walking into our suite's small kitchen, still dressed in her kimono-like nightgown as she let her nose lead her forward.

As soon as we returned from the roof last night, Temari immediately changed clothes and went to bed, and now she was visibly paying for it. Her hair was an absolute mess, sticking up in so many directions you'd think she just got electrocuted. Her eyeshadow - which she neglected to clean off, despite our warnings - was so smudged, she looked like a disheveled raccoon.

I'm sure Gaara and Kankuro would have laughed if they witnessed her in all her disheveled glory right now.

Regardless of her appearance, Temari didn't look the least bit bothered as she walked over to me, now with her arms outstretched in front of her like a member of the living dead.

"Good to know, I guess," I say as I hold my cup to my lips, enjoying the scent before taking another sip. "I made a whole pot's worth. Feel free to have some."

"Thanks, for the coffee and having the foresight to make such a large amount . . . I'm too sleepy eyed to work the machine on my own right now." She says, changing her trajectory from me to the machine just off to my left.

I watch her as she pours herself a cup, slowly becoming livelier with each sip she took. She looked like she wanted to say something to me, but whatever it was died on her lips once she turned to me and took note of what I was wearing. "You already dressed for the day!?"

"Not being able to sleep much does have its advantages, like getting first dibs on the bathroom."

"Huh, fair enough . . . Now that I think about it, Gaara is the exact same way. No matter what, that redhead is always the first one ready to go in the morning, even after the nights when he does get to sleep. He even beats our dad, whose job makes it pretty much a requirement to wake up early," she explains, just as a sudden knock erupts from our door. "Now who could that be? Did you order room service?"

"Not yet,"I say as I set my cup down. Wanting to investigate, I make my way over to the door and look through the peephole to see that our visitor was one of the bellhops. A surprise, but not an unwelcome one. "Temari, it's only a bellhop."

"What does he want?!" I hear her call out as I open the door. The bellhop, a tall, pale man with a small mole on the right side of his hawkish nose, utters a quick hello before handing me a purple envelope from the stack tucked under his arm. "Is he dropping something off? Anything special?"

"If you think a Tsunade Mail is special, then yes, it's special alright," I say, closing the door behind me after saying a quick thanks to the bellhop. "Hinata, TenTen, we got Tsunade Mail!"

"Tsunade Mail?" Hinata asks, emerging from the bedroom already dressed for the day ahead. A sleepy looking TenTen trailed close behind, but unlike Hinata, she was still dressed for bed. "What does it say?"

"We're about to find out. . ." I say as I open the envelope to see that the message was a rather short one.

Models,

Last night, you took your first steps.

Today, you begin your miles-long journey.

Be ready to check out at 10 A.M. sharp.

Love, Tsunade

"10 A.M.? That's still an hour away!" Hinata is quick to point out, all of our eyes following hers to stare at the clock hanging on the far wall. "Any guesses as to what's going to happen today?"

"Aside from us leaving this nice hotel. . . Who knows?" Temari mumbles, a small yawn escaping past her lips. "What I do know is that it's best we heed the message we got and get our asses downstairs before the clock strikes 10. Being late is a big no-no in the fashion industry, and I do not plan on starting my day on the wrong foot!"

"Oh, don't be such a downer Temari," TenTen orders, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "As long as we're quick on our feet, we should be able to get downstairs with plenty of time to spare . . . Now, if you excuse me, the bathroom is calling my name."

"Oh no you don't! That bathroom is mine!" Temari calls after her as she chases her down, leaving Hinata and I by ourselves.

"So, shall we start packing then?"

"Let's."

Y ~ W ~ B ~ O ~ T

9:55 AM

"Oh good, we're not late!" TenTen gleefully exclaimed as we stepped out of the elevator, her eyes finding the clock across the hall. "We got down here with five minutes to spare!"

"Well, we would have been down here sooner if you hadn't taken so long putting your hair up in those buns, Dumpling Head," Temari grumbles as we make our way to the lobby's front desk, ignoring the harsh glare TenTen immediately sent her way.

Luckily for us, no other patrons were standing before the counter, so we managed to return our room keys and settle things with the clerk rather quickly. "Now then, what's next?"

"I guess we have to wait with the others." I say as I spot the rest of the competition sitting and standing within the lounge area just off to the left of the main entrance. Everyone seemed to be busy with their own conversations, but some stopped to watch us walk over.

Then again, it was hard to ignore how Temari and TenTen were glaring daggers at each other as we walked over in the first place. It was like they were having a conversation with just their eyes, in a language that only they could understand.

It was both impressive and irritating at the same time.

"Morning girls! I'm so glad that you could finally join us!" Kankuro greets us with a grin, his face a long way from the teary mess it was last night. "What took you guys so long?"

"Dumpling Head."

"Stop calling me that!" TenTen was quick to say, making her dislike of the nickname obvious. "And it wasn't just me that delayed us. . . Someone couldn't decide on an outfit this morning!"

"What!? Presentation is a huge factor in this competition." Temari says in her defense, like it was the simplest thing in the world. "After all, you have to look like a model, not like a mascot for a dumpling cart."

"Well, unless you get a job being the spokesperson for a dumpling cart that is. . ." Naruto was quick to point out, but everyone, more or less, ignored him.

"Hell no! How dare you diss the buns Pigtails!" TenTen grumbles, jutting her finger at her foe. "Unlike you, I actually put some effort into doing my hair in the mornings! You focus on your outfits so much that your hair becomes a mere afterthought!"

"Hmm, TenTen does make a good point," Gaara mumbles, his deep voice instantly cutting into the verbal warfare, though it took him a minute to realize that his comment had earned him his sister's obvious shock. "What!? Your usual hairstyle isn't the tidiest style in the book, and that's coming from me."

"It really does look like you don't put much thought into it. . ." Kankuro adds, gaining Temari's ire. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but instead, she moved away, as if she couldn't be bothered with it. "What!? What did I say wrong?!"

"Pretty much everything that was said in the last 30 seconds," says Naruto, slightly incredulous by the country. "Okay, be honest with me here. Were you two being serious with your sister just now, or were you pulling her leg?"

Kankuro's answer was immediate. "We were messing with her . . . She likes to belittle us at times, so this is just our way of getting back at her, again. TenTen simply gave us a good opening for some payback."

"If that's the case, I'm glad I could be of some service!"

HONK-HONK-HONK

"What the-?" I say, turning my head to see where the sound was coming from. Outside, a pitch-black charter bus with the familiar You Wanna Be on Top?'' logo was rolling up the block, still blaring its horn as it parked right in front of the entrance. Lo and behold, Yamato soon emerges from the vehicle, coming down to the last step dressed simply in a yellow button down and white slacks.

As soon as he spots us, he gestures for us to join him outside. Not needing to be told twice, we all promptly gathered our stuff and moved out, all of us way too curious as to what was going to happen next.

"Good morning models!" He exclaims, smiling as the bus's storage compartment doors started sliding open. "I hope you all had a good night's sleep because we have quite the busy day ahead of ourselves! Now then, put away your bags and follow me into the bus. We leave in ten minutes!"

"Things aren't going to be easy from this day forward, is it?" I hear Neji mumble as we all move to store away our luggage.

"It's You Wanna Be on Top? Neji," TenTen was quick to say. "This competition isn't known for being easy."

Once all the luggage was stored away, we all got into our ride, some of even going as far as to elbow others to get to the seats they desired. Not wanting to be a part of the carnage, our little group decided to go in last.

We ended up getting the seats in the front, and in my opinion, the front of the bus is much more preferable to the back. After all, you don't have to deal with the occasional bad smell from the bathroom when you're sitting in the front.

Each row had four seats, two on each side of the aisle. Hinata and I were in one set, while TenTen and Neji sat in the seats across from us. Naruto and Gaara were in the two seats directly behind us, and Temari and Kankuro were across from them. We were a row away from the seats Yamato took for himself. His spot was right behind the bus driver, and he narrowly got himself settled before the bus lurched forward.

Talk about an almost-face plant.

"So, before I start going into the nitty-gritty details, I want to know a little about how you guys are feeling after what happened last night." Yamato announces as he leaned against his seat's headrest. "Is anyone willing to share their thoughts?" Uh . . . Yes! You with the white hair and pointy teeth in the back. Suigetsu, right?"

"That's right, and, um, let me start off by saying that I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity I've been given. . . I think what I said is a sentiment that we can all agree on, right?" he asks, looking around for confirmation. Judging from all the nodding that was happening, he wasn't wrong. "Anyway, I've had this one question on my mind since last night, and I was hoping you could answer it for me."

"Go ahead and speak your mind . . . I'm all ears."

"Why?"

"Why? Like, why were you picked to be in the Top 21?" Yamato asks, smirking.

In fact, his face looked completely relaxed, as if he's been through this before, which, duh, he most likely has.

"Trust me, you are not the first person to have asked that question, and you probably won't be the last . . . Let me tell you all something, and I hope you all remember what I'm about to say because as models, what I'm about to say is something that you should all keep in mind for the years to come."

"On the outside, the modeling industry is seen as a business that only cares about models that are thin, tall, and pretty," He says, grimacing at the stereotype. "Sure, there are models that fit those three things, but there are many others that don't fit and still make it big . . ."

"Look at Tsunade! She started her career around the same age as you guys are right now, and of course, she started with a lot more downs than ups. . . Not many fashion designers wanted to work with a model that stood at 5'3 and had a chest size that was as big as a man's head, but she continued to work hard for her shot. Eventually, there were some that were willing to give her a chance, and over 30 years later, look at her now! She's a big name with many campaigns, runways, and a phenomenally successful modelling competition under her belt."

"The fashion industry changes each year, which results in many connecting industries to change with it, modelling especially included. . . Back then, you had to fit an extremely specific mold, a look that the designer or client was keenly looking for. Now, looking unique can get you just as far, as long as you are willing to work for it and have the personality to back it up!"

"Tsunade, Kakashi, and I spent hours upon hours going over your bodies of work and gauging your talent and willingness to see who really had what it took to make it in this competition. Guess what? You guys were the ones that prevailed! We believe that you guys got what it takes to make names for yourselves in this industry, whether the industry is ready for you or not . . ." He dares to smirk, grinning at his own words. "However, we're not entirely miracle workers here! We need your cooperation! Me, Tsunade, and the rest of the judges are here to advise and help you as best as we can. However, it's up to you guys to take heed of our advice and work for what you want to achieve . . . Did that answer your question Suigetsu?"

"Yep, in more ways than one!" Suigetsu admits, starting a round of applause that spread throughout the bus.

"Aw, thanks for the applause guys! I'm touched," says Yamato, wiping away a few fake tears to boot. "Anyway, anyone else has any thoughts to share? No takers? Okay then, your loss. I think I'll just move on with the next thing on the schedule then. . . Can anyone make a guess on where we're heading right now?"

No one could answer his question. Lee, who was sitting in the back, had his hand up for just a second before quickly taking it back down, thinking better of what he planned to say.

"Hmm, I see no one can make a guess. . . That's okay, I kinda expected this response," He admits, smirking at our cluelessness. "Before I tell you all where we're going, I think it's best if I give you a little background info first."

"As you all may know, Osaka is not just one of Japan's biggest cities, it's also a cultural hub known for its food, entertainment, and shopping destinations. One of these destinations lies in the Shinsaibashi district, and that's where we're going right now."

"Are we going shopping?!" Ino loudly exclaims as we feel the bus turn onto an intersecting street.

"You're about to find out," was all that Yamato was willing to say as the bus slowed to a stop in front of a busy looking street. "Everyone, follow me!"

We do as we're told, following the spiky brunette off the bus, past the archway that had the name Shinsaibashi-suji in both its English and kanji translation on the front, and into the large street mall that was already teeming with people. Eventually, we reached a bordered off space that had an official runway set up within its limits. Instead of a designer label, the competition's title card was featured on the runway's white back wall.

"Models, welcome to Shinsaibashi-suji! This eclectic and popular shopping street we're standing in is the location for your first runway challenge!" Yamato announces; his proclamation exciting for some, nerve-wracking for others. "Excited!?"

"Hmm, should have seen this coming . . ." Gaara whispers in my ear, his deep voice making my heart flutter. "Are you ready for this?"

"To be honest, hardly . . . You?"

"I want to say yes, but then I would be lying to myself."

"Okay everyone, listen up! In less than 90 minutes' time, a fashion show will happen here, on this very runway, in front of all these people," says Yamato, gesturing to the crowd moving around all of us. "You lucky 21 will be the featured models! However, this isn't going to be a typical runway. Professional stylists and makeup artists will not help you during the preparations. . . You will have to do those jobs all on your own."

If we were in a closed, quiet space instead of a crowded street mall, it would have been deadly silent right now.

The fact that we would have to do a runway show in front of hundreds of people for our first challenge was stunning, but the fact that we had to prepare for it by ourselves was absolutely shocking.

Of course, we all came here knowing how to style ourselves and how to do our own makeup. That was a given, mostly. The fact that we got a challenge like this so early in the competition was something that we were all still wrapping our heads around, well, at least I was.

They really are testing us this year.

"Okay, we basically have to provide our own clothes and do our own hair and makeup for our runway challenge. That seems doable . . . What else could they possibly add to make things even harder for us?" I thought, hoping it wasn't anything too terrible.

"Now, before I go into further detail, I want to introduce to you all to the person who will be helping me judge this challenge . . . Dan, are you back there?!" asks Yamato as he turns to face the runway.

Soon enough, a man with long, pale blue hair and dark green eyes appeared on the runway with a small stack of envelopes in his hands. He was dressed fashionably, and he definitely looked familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on where I've seen him before.

Something is telling me he's really important in the fashion industry, but for the life of me, why he is so important is eluding my thoughts.

"Everyone, I would like you all to meet my good friend Dan Kato, the CEO of Senju Model Management. Whoever wins this competition will be signed to his agency, so, say hello to your possible future boss!"

"Huh, I knew Mr. Kato was important somehow . . ." I think to myself, now realizing that we were standing in front of the man in charge of one of the biggest modelling agencies in all of Asia.

Things were certainly getting interesting around here.

"Hello everyone! It's a pleasure to meet you all!" says the CEO, looking both sincere and deductive as he looked around our little group. "Honestly, I thought it would be a good idea to come out here today to see what we're working with this year. After all, one of you will become a Senju model once this is all over, and who knows, some of you may get second looks depending on how well you do throughout this competition."

"Alright everyone, let's get down to business . . . Dan here is holding 21 envelopes. Each envelope is filled with $21,000 yen, which is roughly almost $200 U.S. dollars. You will each receive an envelope, and with this money, you will need to buy a whole entire look to wear and work for the show," Yamato explains as Mr. Kato walked toward us. "Fashion shows are known to have some form of cohesion, and this show is no different."

"The theme for the show is Nightlife Glamour, so we're expecting you all to be decked out in glamorous ensembles that work for a night on the town."

"Are we allowed to use stuff we already own in our looks?" Ino asks, bringing up a good question that really needed to be asked.

"You are not allowed to use anything that you already own in your look. It has to be completely brand new; new clothes, new makeup, new shoes, new everything." Mr. Kato adds as he hands each of us an envelope, his words not the answer Ino, or most of us, were hoping for. "You are free to visit any shop along the street mall, as well as any of the shops in the surrounding streets to buy your supplies. You can spend as little, or as much, of the money that has been provided to you, but remember, the money you have received is what you get. You're not getting any extra, well, unless you ask your fellow competitors for some more that is."

"Like I've mentioned before: the show starts in a little less than 90 minutes. You will have one hour to shop for what you need, and one hour only!" Yamato warns, his voice taking on a foreboding tone. "If you arrive at the backstage area past the one-hour mark, you will not be allowed to participate in the show, and trust me, you don't want that happening."

"Tardiness is considered a cardinal taboo in both the fashion and modeling industries. It can even be a career ender in certain cases. . . Time is money after all, so please, don't be late." Mr. Kato further adds as he walks back over to Yamato's side.

"For those of you that do make it back here on time, you will have 20 minutes to get your whole look in order before the show begins. . . It's 10:45 right now. You all must be back here by 11:45, or else you will be disqualified. Is everyone clear on that?" Yamato asks, his eyes scanning our group in earnest as we all nodded our heads.

"Good. When I say 'shop', you better get moving," he advises us, smirking as he rubbed his hands together. "You're all free to go in three . . . two . . . one! SHOP!"

And then the mayhem ensued. . .

A/N: Leave a comment if you like!