Beep! Beep! Beep!
Nico slapped her phone several times, her touch not registering on the screen, the alarm continuing to ring. Finally getting up, she went to her apartment's kitchen, glancing at the packages for a moment. She hated looking at them, they were worth over $10,000, and she didn't understand how the demented trio didn't spend their money on something better, like charity.
"They say she constantly donates money to medical research and stuff, but no one knows for sure." Nozomi's words bounced around in Nico's head. Okay, maybe they weren't demented, but it certainly seemed strange that they just gave Nico such expensive presents.
Nico ate some cereal for breakfast, unable to get most of it down as she stared at the four boxes. She got up to get dressed for work, looking back at the boxes.
"Surely it wouldn't hurt to indulge in it a little, right?" she mumbled, grabbing the black set of lingerie. It fit like a glove, contrasting beautifully with Nico's pale skin. She slipped on a simple pink dress and ballet flats, humming to herself.
It wasn't too long before honking interrupted her humming. Nico ran outside, greeted by more honking of a black Prius. Nozomi rolled her window down, tipping her shades.
"Come on, Nicocchi! You're riding with me from now on!"
Nico huffed and ran back inside, grabbing her purse and phone before getting in Nozomi's car. Nozomi changed gears, hitting the accelerator hard, speeding off as Nico squealed.
"You weren't this reckless yesterday! And you could've woken up my neighbors, I live in an apartment complex, you know!"
"We have to get there quickly, we've been assigned an early shoot with Koizumi. You need to get a car and an actual place to live, Nico."
"I haven't even gotten a chance to read my email yet… I don't have the money for either of those things, I haven't even received my first paycheck! How do you afford all of this, Nozomi?"
"I don't talk money with friends, Nico. I've got a car and a place to live, that's all."
"A nice car and probably a nice place to live."
Nozomi hit the brakes, "Get over it, Nico. This is a much better life than what I used to live in college, a lot nicer."
"Why do you call me by my first name and everyone else by their last name?"
"My first week at Promise was a disaster, that's why. There were two girls named Yuki back then, neither of them work there now. They had two different last names. I was told to work with one Yuki, but ended up late for my shoot because I found the wrong Yuki. That's why Hoshizora is Hoshizora, Kosaka is Kosaka."
"What if it's a situation like the Kurobane sisters though?"
"..." Nozomi didn't speak, she just parked, a dark look on her face. Nico didn't press the question further, the trust between them clearly not strong enough yet. They both got out, heading through the glass doors into Promise, then walked on and into set L-1, which, to Nico, looked pretty much the same as set L-2.
Hanayo was already there, in the middle of a solo shoot. She had a white lace headband and a blue t-shirt nightgown on, positioned in a blatantly sexual position. Her butt was in the air, her arms bent so she looked innocent, showing off a white pair of floral print panties. Nico had seen Hanayo's past lingerie shoots, one specific image of the innocent girl stuck in her mind. She was wearing a loose fitting black tank top, sitting on her knees, bent forward slightly, resting her elbows on something white, fingers intertwined. What stuck about the image was that Hanayo's breasts were almost completely exposed by the loose tank top.
"Uhh… Nozomi, what are we doing today?"
"Oh, right, you didn't check your email. A swimsuit shoot outside, I just thought we'd come get Hanayo before we went. Sometimes she can get absorbed in watching idol videos on her phone."
"Promise has sets outside?"
"Not exactly sets," Hanayo said, finally done with her shoot, "but an enclosed area for specific shoots. It's nice to meet you, my name is Hanayo, you must be Nico." Hanayo spoke in a soft tone, appearing very shy, something that astonished Nico.
"Nice to meet you too..."
The three headed to the outside set, which Nico hadn't ever seen before. She was surprised by how spacious it was, the area enclosed by glass. The was a swimming pool off to the side, the water a beautiful blue, and a forest area, a small changing area near the swimming pool. Nico looked up, amazed at how tall Promise Publications was, looking much taller than 13 floors.
They were each given a single bag and told that they would just be modeling one set of swimwear today. They each changed quickly, then headed to hair and makeup, which took a very long time.
First up was Nico, who was wearing a pink two piece with a rose pattern, the top with a sheer white ruffled layer and a white ribbon in the center, adorned with a pair of pink roses, the bottom a skirt on top of a bikini bottom, the same sheer white fabric ruffled underneath the skirt. She was given a garter with the same pink and rose patterned fabric, white ruffles on the edges, gold bangles, a blue scrunchy, a cute charm bracelet, and dangly triangle earrings, brown ribbon tied around her right leg and a pink ribbon tied in a bow around her left ankle. They did her hair up in twin buns, putting flowers on the left side of her hair, and took off all of her makeup, replacing it with waterproof makeup.
Nozomi was next, wearing a purple swimsuit similar to Nico's, with the fabric covered in a pattern of hydrangeas and other blotches of pink and purple. Her earrings were the same as Nico's, receiving pastel colored bangles and brown ribbon tied around her right wrist and left leg, two boho rings on her right index and middle fingers. Her purple hair was brushed out and put into a long braid, a brown headband and several flowers put into her hair, receiving the same makeup as Nico.
Hanayo was last, her swimsuit vastly different from the other two. Her top was white with gold buttons and light blue ruffles at the bottom, blue gingam ruffles creating an off shoulder part at the top with puffy, sheer white sleeves coming out of it and a medium blue bow at the left strap of the top. The bottom was two layers of blue gingam ruffles under a sheer white set of ruffles. White ribbon was tied around her her right leg, a white and gold bead bracelet on her left wrist, a floral patterned, light blue scrunchy bracelet and a yellow flower ring on her right hand, orange slice earrings, and an adorable yellow-blue with white polka dot headband on her head. Her hair was left alone and her makeup redone.
Nico actually liked what she was wearing today, making her excited and energetic. She ran over to the pool, gazing into the cerulean water. Hanayo and Nozomi caught up quickly, smiling at Nico's energy.
"Okay, girls. We need some shots of the swimsuits intact, no water, then you three can splash around for a bit, okay?" one of the photographers explained. The three nodded.
First, they stood at the edge of the pool, Nozomi and Hanayo at Nico's sides, smiles all around. Nico could feel her fellow models' chests against her arms as they posed, which made her think it would be a good contrast to have her small chest there. Several photos were taken of the three with their feet dipped in the pool, ending the dry group shots. Nozomi layed on her side at the edge of the pool, Nico had photos taken of her sitting at the ladder, and Hanayo had pictures taken with a beach ball.
"Okay, time to splash around, ladies. Just don't get your hair too wet."
"Yay!" the three cheered.
Nozomi immediately splashed water at Hanayo, who tried to guard her face and hair as she giggled, then at Nico, who playfully ran away, saluting Nozomi. Grabbing an blue innertube, Nozomi waded into the water, smiling and bringing her braid to the front as the cameras snapped, Hanayo getting into the water with her, shots being taken of them together. Nico got in, swimming to the edge, an assistant giving her an orange drink for her to pose with, and gestured Hanayo over. They both smiled, posing with orange drinks. The three splashed and swam around for a little longer before getting out of the pool to dry off. Nico was the last to get out, the photographers calling her attention. She looked behind her and smiled, several pictures being taken.
The three dried off and changed, heading back inside. Nico was about to ask Nozomi something when the purple-haired girl stopped and checked her phone, then turned to Nico and Hanayo.
"I've gotta go do something, so I'll talk to you later. Come to my car when you're done with today's shoots, Nico, okay?"
"Oh, sure."
Hanayo giggled, "This means you can spend some time with me! Let's go, there's something I want you to see!" Hanayo grabbed Nico's wrist and started running down the hallway. When they got to the foyer, which was lined by glass, the shy girl suddenly stopped, Nico almost smashing her face against the glass.
"H-Hey! I get paid by this face, you know!"
"Look! It's A-Rise!" Hanayo squealed.
Nico looked out, seeing a limo stopped in front of a huge, parted crowd. Three women got out, known as A-Rise. Nico had been a huge fan of them ever since they started, all the way back in high school, wishing for years to go to UTX. Unfortunately, her dreams never came true. Nico watched as Tsubasa Kira, Anju Yuki, and, her favorite, Erena Todo got out of the limo, flaunting themselves in front of their fans.
"W-Why are they here?" Nico asked.
"They released a new album recently, and an idol magazine was asked to do the article. An idol magazine published by Promise. They're here for a photoshoot."
"And they're all stubborn, greedy bitches," a voice behind them said. Nico and Hanayo turned around, about to protest, but kept their mouths shut when they realized the voice came from the CEO Nico hadn't met: Maki Nishikino.
Maki continued, "The three made us agree to a hell of a lot of conditions in order to come here, from specific photographers to tea imported from Britain. Hmph, most stars would've agreed easily, but this agreement took weeks. Stay away from them, we had to agree to that, too." With that, the redhead turned and walked off, playing with her hair.
The three singers strut through the glass doors, security guards keeping their fans several feet away as they walked to a set on the first floor. Nico and Hanayo looked at each other, then smiled, following the trio and their groupies.
Half an hour later, the pair were practically climbing over each other to watch the singers' shoot through a crack in the door, straining their eyes to see. They had to hide, at first, as the singers were greeted by Maki, but once the rich woman left, they crawled over to the door to watch the shoot. They both considered the door as front row as they could get.
Nico heard her phone buzz within her purse, grabbing it to glance at the screen.
Miss Yazawa,
Please report to Miss Ayase's office on the 13th floor to discuss your recent shoots.
Promise Publications
"Damn… I gotta go, Hanayo, will you tell me how it finishes?"
"Totally! Bye, Nico."
"Bye, Hanayo."
Nico ran over to the elevator as quickly as she could, slapping the button for the 13th floor. She was still scared of all three of the CEOs, each seeming to have her own form of fear induction. Nervously, she opened the door labeled AYASE, stepping into the room carefully.
Eli sat in the same chair as before, sipping a cup of tea. She gestured to the sofa opposite of her, Nico quickly walking over, her stomach flipping and churning.
"I've only got a little bit before I have to join Umi and Maki in the meeting for A-Rise, so let's make this quick," Eli said, setting down her teacup. There was a very small lipstick stain on the cup.
"A-Are you firing me?" Nico asked. Eli burst into musical laughter.
"Oh my, Miss Yazawa, you have quite the humor. Your recent shoots have been quite… interesting. You have a natural charm in that smile of yours, you know. Now, I haven't seen the results of your swimsuit shoot with Miss Tojo and Miss Koizumi yet, but I'm sure they'll be outstanding. You were put into Promise Magazine at the last minute, you know, right after we received the shots from the Angel and Devil lingerie shoot," Eli cleared her throat, "As far as what I asked you to come here for… Currently, we're arranging next month's schedule. Of course, it can change at the last minute, but we try to make a rough outline for it. Could you take your clothes off for me?"
Nico was about to agree, but then she actually processed the request, "Excuse me?"
"Could you take your clothes off?"
Nico almost asked why, but stayed silent in fear of being fired. Instead, she stood up and slipped her ballet flats off, grabbing the front edge of her dress and pulling it off, laying it on the couch. She stood there, in the new black lingerie she received, lingerie too expensive to be called underwear.
Eli smiled, "So you do like my gift."
The blonde woman stood up and walked over to Nico, circling around the raven haired woman. She tugged at Nico's bra straps and the sides of her underwear, making sure everything fit, before stepping back.
"Okay, now finish taking your clothes off."
"What?! That's illegal!"
Eli cupped Nico's cheek, their faces close, "Not if you want to keep your job."
Nico felt shivers go down her spine, reaching behind her and unhooking her bra, letting it slide down her arms. She pulled her panties down, letting them fall to the floor. She stood there naked, resisting the urge to cover herself up. Nico felt her nipples grow hard from the cold, but tried to keep a stone face, like Nozomi. Eli circled around, mumbling a checklist to herself.
The blonde woman slid her hands up and down Nico's sides, "Slender waist, smooth transition into the hips..."
She pushed on Nico's stomach and back, forcing her into a perfect posture, "Flat stomach, good curve to the back..."
She pushed Nico's shoulders down gently, running her hands down one of Nico's arms, "Pale skin, slender hands, softly rounded shoulders..."
She crouched down, squeezing Nico's thighs, "Good couple of inches between the thighs, smooth skin..."
She stood back up, pulling the ribbons out of Nico's black hair, feeling the strands, "Healthy sheen, soft hair, appropriate length..."
She came around to the front of Nico, squeezing her small breasts, running her index fingers over Nico's nipples, "Petite bust, fitting for the frame..."
She walked to the back of Nico, grabbing and squeezing Nico's butt, "Firm yet soft butt..."
Eli grabbed Nico's face, squishing her cheeks and looking directly into Nico's red eyes, "Soft cheeks, beautiful eyes, piercing gaze..."
Walking back to her chair, Eli sat down, crossing her legs again, "I must say, Miss Yazawa, you were certainly born for modeling. You'd look good in anything, given it's the right size, and you do have that natural charm of yours. I think we should be able to try you out for a main shoot, like the one between Miss Hoshizora and Miss Koizumi put into the latest issue of Promise Magazine."
"Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Ayase." Nico tried to keep her voice from shaking.
Eli looked at her watch, "I must get to a meeting. Thank you for your time, Miss Yazawa." With that, she left, closing the door behind her. Nico felt tears fall down her cheeks.
Later, saying absolutely nothing, she got into Nozomi's Prius, where Nozomi sat reading a book.
"Eh? Nicocchi, is something wrong?"
"Everything is fine."
Nozomi scanned Nico's face. She knew what was wrong, exactly what was wrong. The time hadn't come yet though, so she simply started the car and pulled out, heading to Nico's apartment. The trip was silent, Nozomi hitting nothing but green lights.
When they finally arrived, Nozomi looked over to Nico, who hadn't moved, "Nico, how about you come over to my house sometime?"
"What for?"
"For drinks and a movie, like we did here the other day."
"That sounds… nice, actually. Thanks, Nozomi."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Nico about to get out when Nozomi spoke again, "How about we exchange numbers? We're friends, after all."
The two traded phones, entering their contact information in before giving them back. Nico grabbed her purse and headed to her apartment, Nozomi watching until the petite girl closed the door, then drove off.
Did you know? Riho Iida (Rin) and Yurika Kubo (Hanayo) have both been lingerie and swimsuit models. I actually referenced two of Yurika Kubo's actual lingerie photos in this chapter.
Also, I don't condone being that kind of boss. In fact, I'd be horrified.
Requests for photoshoots welcome.
Thank you for reading Promise!
