Author's Notes: Chapter 3. Finally. Hahahaha!!!! I'm in love with this fic right now. So I'm doing everything I can to make it better. Enjoy!
Title: Hot Shot
Pairing: Neji/Tenten (of course) plus others
Rating: T (but it will get hot)
Summary: In the modeling world, no matter how pretty you are, things can get ugly, especially if you don't know who you're up against.
Model Portfolio
Full Name: Yamanaka Ino
Age: 18
Height: 5'9
Weight: 115 lbs.
Measurements: 38-25-34
Body Type: Inverted Triangle Figure
Has Modeled For:
Chapter 3 – Falling Star
January 9, 20xx
Tenten sniffed, eyes puffy and swollen from all the crying last night. The weather that morning was terribly cold, and her blanket wasn't doing anything good. She hugged herself even tighter, trying her best to keep warm. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, and her nose left like it was about to fall off. Why did it have to be so damn cold? She recalled yesterday's events and groaned. Now was the perfect time to die. Commit suicide even. All she had to do was stab herself with a pencil and die a slow and painful death. If only life was as simple as that. She felt herself tear up again and silently cursed. Stupid life. Stupid college. Stupid Hyuuga Neji. Stupid portfolio. Stupid weather. Stupid Saturday.
Her life, her dreams, everything was just beginning. At that moment, she forced herself, willed herself to continue the journey she had just started. No way was she giving up on it. This was everything to her. She needed this, wanted this. She had to have it.
Grabbing her portfolio book, she opened it and shifted through her pictures. At the last page was a white, perfectly printed contract, the contract between her and Hyuuga Modeling Management. She let out a sigh and smiled weakly.
-xxx-
Shikamaru lazily stacked two decent waffles into a plate and allowed the rest of them (which he "accidentally" burnt to a crisp) to slide gracefully into the trash bin. He hated waffles anyway. Then, he brought out a carton of orange juice and salad and arranged everything neatly on the dining table. Simple. Quick. Easy. That was exactly the way he liked it. He knew that his little sister would be dragging on and on about him not making enough breakfast for the both of them, but he didn't mind. It was his day off today. Even geniuses needed to relax once in a while, maybe even watch clouds or play chess. Nothing could ruin this day.
It didn't surprise him, when Tenten came down the stairs looking like crap. It didn't bother him that she didn't even say 'good morning' to him. What disturbed him was the fact that she didn't come running up to him and screaming in his ear about how amazed Hyuuga was with her beauty and model portfolio.
He frowned as she proceeded to eat the waffles he made for her. He took a bite of the chicken salad leftover from last night, eyeing her carefully. Her face was a complete mess, utterly gruesome in fact. Her hair didn't match the condition of her face though. It was eerily pin-straight and…well nice. That was definitely Sai.
But what else happened yesterday? He was so sure that the Hyuugas would be all over her, and he, without a doubt, knew exactly what they liked. His eyes narrowed. Her eyes were swollen; her appearance rate dropped down to zero, and a word barely escaped her lips. Yup, she definitely met Hyuuga Neji. Everything was going according to plan.
"Are you okay, Tenten?" he asked, only a slight hint of concern in his voice. Hyuuga would handle the rest.
"I…I…" she continued to look down at her food, when she started wailing. "Shikamaru, I'm hideous!!!"
He took another bite and sipped some juice. "But you got in right?"
"Yeah."
Silence ensued.
The rest of her screams were muffled in the waffles her face fell into.
Ah, yes, just another lovely morning for Shikamaru.
-xxx-
Hyuuga Hiashi loved his mornings. It was the most peaceful time of the day. He'd watch the sun rise slowly through the distant horizon, beautiful and elegant. A cup of tea in his hand and a seat next to his bedroom window was all he needed to enjoy the arriving day. He enjoyed various things in life, but this had to be the best. How simple things in life satisfied him wasn't much of a mystery. He didn't enjoy the luxuries of being rich, when he was young. He and his family lived in debt, and they had to strive hard to get at least one full meal a day. He spent most of his teenage years working in factories and delivery services. It wasn't until he was 16 that a talent scout discovered him, and soon, his face was on billboards, magazines, and advertising commercials.
"Uncle, you can't be serious!" his ever-favorite nephew generously stormed into the room.
He shook his head and smirked. "We talked about this yesterday, Neji, and you know how serious I am, when it comes to business."
"Uncle, with all do respect, but have you lost your mind? How could you choose this girl? There were much more attractive girls than her."
"You know how much I trust your judgment, nephew. Clearly, you liked none of the girls who came before her."
"Yes, and that included her too."
Hiashi could see how agitated his beloved nephew had become. It only amused him even more.
"But I like her. The two of you look good together."
Neji gritted his teeth. "So you signed a contract with her to play matchmaker and get me on a date?"
"Well, that's only half true. She's quite the catch, very beautiful, in fact. She reminds me of a doll and not just some stick figured mannequin. Don't you think so?"
The younger Hyuuga grunted in response.
"So why do I have to be her manager? Why can't Hinata do it?"
Hiashi smiled. "This is actually a chance to prove yourself to me. Make her cost more than ANKO's 10th anniversary white lace diamond bracelet, and I just might give you something special."
"Something special?"
"Yes. You've always wanted to have your own restaurant, right? Wouldn't you like to have your own hotel instead?"
His eyes widened. No way, it was almost too good to be true. "Uncle, are trying to tell me…"
"I'm opening a new hotel in Tokyo. I'll give it to you, if you succeed in this little challenge of mine."
There was a long pause between them.
"Why are you so interested in this girl?"
He turned to his window and looked up at the sky. "I see a lot of potential in her. I don't know how far she'll go, but there's something about her that brings out…a strange feeling inside of me."
"You sound like a love sick idiot."
The remark made him chuckle. "I'm far from being in love, my dear nephew. You'll understand someday."
"Hn. Fine, whatever."
"Take good care of her, Neji."
With one last glare, he walked out of the room, half-heartedly accepting the task at hand and a harsh ache present near his heart.
-xxx-
Tenten couldn't help but think very morbid thoughts about the ugly bastard sitting next to her. She had no idea where he was taking her, and why he had called all of the sudden that Saturday, demanding her to fix herself and wear something decent enough to make her look acceptable into society. That limited her wardrobe to skinny jeans, a pink tee, and black peep toe platforms. Of course, he told her how much he hated it, once he arrived and shoved her into his car. God, if she could only cut off his dick, she'd be the happiest person in the world.
They'd been on the road for at least ten minutes, until he finally spoke to her again.
"You better listen good, because I don't like repeating myself. Starting today, I will be your manager. You know what that means right?"
"Yeah…"
"No, you don't. You're just a dumb, amateur model with no talent at all. Luckily, I'm here to fix that. You will not take a job, unless I say so. You will not eat anything, until I tell you to. You will not even breathe an ounce of air, unless I specifically tell you to do so. Is that clear?"
A lot of people don't get along. Not everyone would like each other upon their first meeting, but this was down right ridiculous. What had she done to make him such an ass to her?
Remember, this is for your dream, she told herself.
"What? Are you deaf now?"
Her jaw clenched tightly. She had to hold it in. This was just some scumbag of a jerk who was only trying to get into her head. Of course he was talking to her like this. He hated models (and he was probably even gay). He couldn't possibly want to be her manager. This was torturing him as much as it was torturing her. Well, that was a start. At least they had something in common.
"No, I'm not deaf, and yes, I understand." That got out rather nicely. It was a great patience exercise too.
"You're so stupid." And just like that, it kicked her back in the face. Seriously, how bad was his sob story that made him like this?
The car stopped abruptly, startling her. "We're here."
"Oh…uh where?"
He gave her a displeased look and remained silent. They both stepped out of the car as he led her into a tall building where a gruff man in the lobby greeted them.
He pushed back his messy brown hair and brought a cigarette to his lips. "Yo."
Tenten frowned. He looked oddly familiar. She just couldn't pinpoint why. The Hyuuga took a step forward, annoyance still imprinted on his face.
"I don't have all day. Stop waving around that cancer stick in my face before I fire you."
Wow, he hated a lot of people, didn't he?
The other man laughed and flicked the cigarette away. "Take it easy, boss. Your girlfriend might dump you for being too intimidating."
Tenten couldn't help but stick her tongue out in disgust. If only her gag reflex was working right now, then she'd show how much 'love' she had for her 'boyfriend'.
Neji looked at him darkly, causing the man to gulp and step back in fear. "I'm joking. I'm joking. Sorry."
"Hn. I thought so." He pushed the man aside and continued up the building.
-xxx-
Tenten evaluated and then re-evaluated everything in front of her. On the top floor of the building was a fancy studio apartment. Vibrant colors splashed around the walls and different parts of the huge room had furniture, computers, cameras, wardrobe, and make-up. Everything was beautiful. She loved color, and several 'oohs' and 'aahhhs' escaped her.
Then, it finally hit her. This was one of the Hyuuga's modeling agency studios in the works. So that meant that…the guy they were talking to earlier was the famous stylist and artistic director Kankuro! He was brilliant, the envy of every make-up and hairstyle artist (including our beloved Sai). Almost everyone he worked with gained success in life. His most recent achievement – Haruno Sakura, for the crazy hair color trend he started. He was the one who suggested turning her hair pink for a photo shoot and viola! She became a star (at least in the modeling world).
Her lips curled into a smile, asking forgiveness from Sai in her head. So Neji-asshole was going to give her an even better look. Though to him it was scorching and burning out her imperfections, to her it was heaven. What kind of girl wouldn't want to look beautiful all the time?
Well, that was when all her happy thoughts came to a full stop.
"I'm going to get a what?!" she almost yelled.
"I told you. I don't like repeating myself," he growled, but remained composed.
"But…but…but…what does this have to do with modeling?"
"So that your damn pubic hair won't be seen, when you wear a bikini, if you're capable of even pulling that off." He crossed his arms, implying that she had no say in the matter.
"Can't I just shave it? Please, Hyuuga-san, let me just shave it," she whimpered. It didn't matter, if she looked pathetic in front of all those people. She just didn't want to get her most sensitive hairs savagely pulled off like nose pore tape.
"We can't afford you having chicken skin down there, and so help me God, if you don't get into that room right now, I'm going to give you a Brazilian wax myself…without the wax."
Before deciding whether he was going to do it himself or doing it without wax scared her more, she scurried into the changing room to get it done.
Not to worry though, it finished quickly and even though she had to bite down on a towel and the process hurt ten times more than she expected it to be, it actually turned out good. Clean and clear.
Still her happy thoughts were restrained when another problem about her came up. They consisted of: you're too short, your stomach isn't toned enough, your boobs don't go well with your curvature, and your eye color is too dark. She took it all in, but she wasn't sure how much more she could take when they started talking about her hair.
"Your hair – it's too normal," Kankuro pointed out. "It's beautiful, but there's nothing striking about it."
She started to quiver. Sai would never forgive her, if they did something to her hair.
"What do you plan on doing?" Neji asked impatiently.
"Well, I was thinking of shoulder length with curls, but I don't think it would suit her face. She's already too cute," the larger man grinned. "A bob cut would be great!"
"No, wait! You can't!" came out of her unexpectedly. She immediately covered her mouth and gave the Hyuuga a small glance. He, in return, glanced at her with narrow eyes. Predicting his reaction, she expected a burst of anger from him, a threat to fire her, or a choice for him to do it without scissors, but they never came.
"She's right," he said softly, running his fingers through her hair. To her surprise, it felt nice, comforting even. "It's too beautiful to cut." Deep inside her, something clicked.
"Yeah, I guess so. Besides, she needs something to even out her shoulders," Kankuro brutally added. The two men stepped out of the changing room, leaving her in an almost blank state as a heavy blush crept to her cheeks.
-xxx-
Her feet ached and were probably dying from wearing nine-inch heels for twelve hours straight, even while she was sleeping and taking a bath. The Hyuuga demanded it from her, since she had to walk at the SUKON runway show that night with the exact pair she was wearing. It surprised her how quickly he managed to get her a job, but it was killing her legs. He called it similar to a form of cramming for a test she was too dumb to study for. She shrugged at his comment and complied, too tired to protest. She didn't even bother telling him that she had classes the next day. He probably wouldn't even care anyway.
"Hyuuga-san, can I take these off for just a few minutes please?" she cried out, a single tear flowing down her cheek.
Unfortunately for her, he wasn't in the mood to pity. "No, the show is starting in 20 minutes."
More tears dripped down her face, when she realized that it was ruining her make-up. She dropped her head back to prevent them from doing any more damage. She had a beautiful urban-inspired dress on, she looked beautiful, and she was going to rock the runway again. She should be happy, but she wasn't.
-xxx-
Sakon and Ukon, the creators of SUKON wear, were delighted as the models came out one by one. Their new urban-styled clothing gave that extra kick to the usual formal wear and made it edgier and crazier. The prints were in blue, red, white, and black all artistically splashed together. The dress that Tenten was wearing had the first layer above her knees and the second layer looking like two tails on either side of her body. It was form fitting but had loose chiffon of blue and white around her upper frame. Her hair flowed freely with blue and red streaks in it, and of course, her feet were murdered with the black nine-inch heels.
Everything went smoothly. In fact, it went so smoothly that she accidentally stepped on one of the tails and smoothly fell off the runway. It all went so fast. It barely registered in her mind that she was falling. The pain had been so unbearable that her feet finally gave up on her. Her right foot shook and collapsed, while her left numbed and crashed into the other.
Gasps and whispers followed, but it wasn't about how she fell. It was the Hyuuga who caught her that got people talking. That was the second most embarrassing day of her life.
-xxx-
Model Injured in a Fall at SUKON Urban Runway Show
The article accompanied a gigantic picture of his sister in mid-air about to fall into the hands of Hyuuga Neji.
"What the hell happened?" his father demanded.
Shikamaru ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "She fell off the runway. Well, technically, she wasn't injured, but yeah, she fell off."
TBC
Author's Notes: Another chapter done! Oh, no, Tenten's dad found out! Hope you guys liked it! Please, please review! They motivate me to continue. I need inspiration for sexy underwear. Advice on it would be really nice. Plus, there's going to be someone special in the next chapter.
Preview:
"You're posing with another model."
"Who?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."