Thank you for the wonderful reviews everyone. As well as for adding me on your favorite author's list, story alert's list, and all. It really means a lot to me. :)
Here's chapter two. The characters' personalities are somewhat similar to the drama but I'm still thinking of a way to spice up their personalities a little. And as you can see, Tsukasa hasn't made his "grand" appearance yet. (Honestly, I'm still thinking of a way on how Makino and Domyouji will meet so…please be patient and continue on reading and reviewing…ONEGAISHIMAS…)
I do NOT own Hana Yori Dango or any of its wonderful characters. Read and review. :)
"Rui, the photo shoot for Ms. Shizuka's movie starts in an hour!" Makino was nagging him again after three days that Rui went for a meeting. "Yuki's already there to help in the designing of the dress. What are you still doing here? You're supposed to be there taking the photographs! You're part of the deal, right? They hired you exclusively for this one! And may I remind you that the fee for this project has the largest amount by far?"
Rui sighed mockingly. He was being nagged again by his supposed to be best friend early in the morning. He stood up from his office chair and gets his bag and camera. "The pictorial for Shizuka is just a few blocks away, so why don't you cool down?"
"Cooling down isn't really gonna help right now, Rui." She said flatly. "Today is a really busy day – with all these organizing and designing – not to mention the hiring of new employees!" she added, rolling her eyes.
Rui just sighed, not really wanting to hear her nag more.
"You know very well that we're not just designing dresses and organizing parties or covering events just to have an extra income, but to promote our boutique as well." She added, reminding her of why they're doing those things.
He faced her. "I know, Tsukushi. We all know that." He said. "But you really have to relax, you know?"
Tsukushi just pouted her lips and crossed her arms.
"Ja neh."
With that, Rui headed out of the office and started marching towards the stairs. Just as Rui was about to disappear, Soujiro came running towards Tsukushi. "Hey, applicants are here!" he informed her. "Let's have the interviews downstairs."
"Good idea." She agreed and they both went down to the shop.
Their two-storey shop is a mezzanine-type. While they're upstairs, they could still see their customers. On the lower floor of the shop, there was a smaller office behind the counter area. Tsukushi headed to the office which is a glass-walled, while Soujiro went to the counter area.
"All applicants please submit to me your resumes and wait, 'til your names are called, in this area." He instructed them and pointed to the two benches on the side near the door leading to the office. They have at least fifteen people who have passed their resumes on that day.
The applicants did what he had instructed them. He sighed at the sight of the two helpers who just got accepted yesterday. He couldn't believe how picky Tsukushi Makino can be. Out of all the twenty-eight
applicants yesterday, only two got accepted! He thought and turned to the new batch of applicants. No wonder we only have fifteen today.
--
Yuki was the one dressing Shizuka after the celebrity's personal assistant's third attempt of putting the dress on her. She couldn't blame the poor assistant, though. The dress is really hard to do – especially when you don't have any clue of how to arrange the strings at the back of the dress. It sure looks simple with its simple lime green color, at the front, which has a nature-look on it but it's so not easy to put on the strings to make the knot look like a flower.
"There. It's finished." Yuki declared happily when the flower-like knot is perfectly done.
Shizuka faced her, smiling. "You're the one who made this dress?" she asked.
"I just picked the cloth to be used. It's our boss who made this dress." Yuki answered truthfully.
Shizuka looked amazed. "By the way you put the dress on me, I thought it was you who made this dress."
Yuki smiled shyly. "I'm just used to doing things like these."
"Ms. Shizuka! Are you done?" a female's voice called out from the dressing room that the crew put up.
They both exchanged glances. "Hai." She called back and they both stepped out of the dressing room.
As soon as they got out of the dressing room, a fantasy-like garden setting for the pictorial is set. The floor was covered with synthetic grass and flowers and has a pond on either sides of it. At the center of the made-up scene is a chair which looks like a life-sized cherry blossom where she will be sitting and posing for the pictorials.
"Hanazawa-san, just tell us if you're ready to take pictures." One of the crew called out to him with respect.
Rui spun around them while he was fixing his camera. "Hai." He answered and went to the set. He was giving instructions to Shizuka on how she should pose and Yuki was also assisting her when she doesn't seem to follow how her pose should be done.
"Yuki, make her dress flare a bit more. It looks plain on the camera!" he ordered and Yuki did it. "Shizuka-san, can you lease move your hair more on your right side? Your hair is kind of blocking your eyes." He told her and Shizuka did what he told her to do.
Yuki went beside him as he takes photos of the celebrity model. "So they're doing a fantasy movie and Shizuka-san got the lead role?"
"Yeah." Rui answered shortly as he takes photos of the celebrity. "Shizuka-san, can you pose like you're coming out from that flower?" he asked and Yuki immediately went up to her to help her with the pose that Rui wants.
"You can pose like you're on your bed, Shizuka-san." Yuki advised her. "Your stomach lying on the sakura chair and pop your feet up. The body of the sakura chair can hold half your body." She explained when she saw the worried look on Shizuka's face. Yuki smiled at her. "Don't worry, you'll fit." She reassured her.
When Shizuka seemed to be confident, Yuki stepped out from the scene and went back next to Rui.
"She's really beautiful, isn't she Rui?"
Yeah. She really is. He wanted to say but he remained silent instead.
--
"Are there no other applicants left?" Tsukushi asked to Soujiro, looking out from the door.
Soujiro cached the money paid by their customers on the deposit box when she poked her head on the door. He sneered at her. "Zero, Tsukushi!" he replied while locking their safety deposit box and leaned on the table.
She sighed and went out of the office completely. The fifteen applicants became twenty-two as minutes passed by. "So I guess there are no more last-minute applicants." She finished telling more to herself than telling it to Soujiro.
Again, Soujiro sneered. "Out of all the fifty applicants, you have only accepted two." He told her, pointing to the two new employees. "Seriously, Tsukushi. What are your criterias in accepting new employees?" he asked her.
"Well, I want someone who has eyes for…"
"…unique fashion statement." Soujiro finished lamely as he gave her a meaningful look. "Tsukushi, we're not hiring for a new manager. Those criteria of yours might only be applicable for your personal assistant or secretary. But for personnel who can just look out for the store and manage to sell our clothes, you don't need those criteria." He told her matter of factly.
"But…"
"Tsukushi, if you want your personnel to have a knowledge about unique fashion designs and-or fashion statements, you can just give them a seminar." He cut her off with a suggestion.
Just there and then, someone entered their boutique. A young man who looks exhausted and catching his breath. With him is an envelope – unsure whether what it was but she knows for sure that it wasn't an application letter or a resume.
Tsukushi looked at the young man who was out of breath. "Anything I can do for you?" she asked between formal and informal tone of voice. She wasn't exactly certain if it was a customer or just looking by their boutique.
The young man looked at her. "Makino?"
"Eh?!"
"Are you by any chance Tsukushi Makino?" he asked.
Tsukushi nodded, still uncertain what this young man wants.
He smiled at her. "HISASHIBURI, MAKINO-CHAN!" he said excitedly. His arms wide open as he was running towards the girl who looked shocked.
"Don't. Ever. Think. About it!" Soujiro said stiffly, blocking his way towards Tsukushi. His eyes were narrowed that it tells him to better stop what he was doing or he'll regret it why he did it. "Who the heck are you and what do you want from Makino?" he asked, demanding for a response.
The young man gulped nervously. "N-n-name's Ka-ka-Kazu…Kazu…"
"OI! TALK STRAIGHTLY!" Soujiro demanded.
"Kazuya Aoike!" the boy's pitch was so high that it almost crack every nerve on Soujiro's ears.
"Huh?" Tsukushi's eyes widened. "Wait, did you just say Kazuya Aoike as your name?" she asked, moving Soujiro on the side.
The boy nodded.
"You know this wacko, Tsukushi?" Soujiro asked her.
Tsukushi smiled. "He was one of my childhood friends from way back." She informed him.
Soujiro nodded and before going back to the counter, he faced the guy named Kazuya once more. "Be more careful with your actions towards Tsukushi, got that?" he said warningly, pointing a finger towards his face.
Tsukushi smiled at the way Soujiro was protecting her. She couldn't believe that this playboy knows how to care for friends – especially girls. Ever since she met Soujiro, through Rui of course, he told her frankly that he'll take care of her like a sister and that's what he really did. He protects her like a sister.
"Hai." Kazuya nodded and Soujiro then went back to the counter area. He turned again to Tsukushi. "Makino-chan…" he started. "You've really grown. You look prettier than before." He told her and Tsukushi just smiled.
"Hey! State your business at once then leave the boutique if you're not going to buy anything!" Soujiro called out.
Tsukushi and Kazuya glanced over him.
"R-right." Kazuya was startling again. "Anyway, here's an invitation, Makino-chan." He handed her the white sealed envelope. "Our batch will have a reunion by next week. We really hope you'll be able to attend, along with Yuki-chan."
Tsukushi smiled and nodded. "Okay. Uhm, Yuki works here as well, if you want, I can give the invitation to her." She suggested.
Kazuya smiled back and gave another envelope-sealed invitation to her. "Well, that's just what I came for, Makino-chan." He told her, giving her a hint that he'll be leaving while slightly looking at the watchful Soujiro. Tsukushi had decided to accompany him through the door at least. "Ja, matta neh."
Tsukushi smiled. And before he could completely be out of her sight, "I'm sorry if Soujiro scared you." She apologized. "He's just protecting me like I'm his little sister. He doesn't want me to be fooled by guys."
Kazuya smiled. "No worries." He answered her and he started walking on the streets.
Tsukushi entered the boutique again. "Soujiro!" she called while walking tiredly to where he is. "You scare the hell out of him."
"Serves him right, Tsukushi." He answered without holding back. "I told you, I'm going to protect you like you're my sister. I don't want guys like him to be around you." He added. Tsukushi just smiled by the overwhelming fact that he really acts like she's his own sister.
She knew that Soujiro, being a playboy, knows how guys like him could fool girls to fell right into their trap, and he doesn't want his friends to get the bad karma he'd suppose to take. And being like a brother to Tsukushi, he'd told himself he'll protect her from harassing guys – whoever that guy is.
--
Author's note: Ack! I'm not really contented with this chapter (yeah, I know it sucks. Sorry guys…) but I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as "the great Domyouji" appears in this fanfic (he'll appear soon. promise!)… And does anyone know the names of yuriko Asai's friends? i really need them... thanks... :) so, uhmmm… review? :)