Shelf #015

Ask Jelly Woods and she would give the same answer: who in the world, in their right mind, would have thought that only girls can do makeovers? Men also do! It was not just Cinderella!

If an additional character can take part in a fairytale and add another chapters of turns to the rest of the events in the story, and if Cinderella ever had a brother, then Kuu was exactly the perfect man. Tonight, inside this suite, Cinderella's godmother in the figure of Jelly Woods used her bare hands and performed her amazing magic on Kuu's face under just twenty minutes. When he was done, Jelly gave him a bathrobe and he wore it, so they could proceed to the next level. Kuu's shoes were taken off and he slipped into a pair of white hotel slippers, then sat on a salon chair. He looked into the full length wall mirror and a fair face of a handsome man with sparkling blue eyes stared back at him. Jelly turned the chair around so he could face her. She smiled back at him and threw a big cloth to cover him. It was his hair being done this time. His godmother took out her wand from the fanny pack. With her scissors, she magically trimmed and cut his hair at fast pace. Next, she blowdryed and waxed his hair, styling it perfectly. Then, she took out all her brushes and opened her amazing make-up kit. She swept her magic on his face. Afterwards, she turned back the chair to the mirror and Kuu's mouth fell.

On the mirror, his hair was now clean, short and cleverly stylish, with a few tresses of bangs on the sides of his face, just a good few inches below his forehead. He looked so much like a famous superstar. If Max could see him right now he'd really confirm Kuu doesn't look squidgy 'round the edges anymore. He looked more refined and more handsome than ever. He was a completely different person. Kuu joked with Jelly and they laughed. Jelly wrapped her arms on him kissed him on the cheek.

"Okay! Now that I'm done with you darling, I'm going to pass you on to the next two persons," Jelly said as they walked out of the room.

Kuu was puzzled. So there were other fairy godmothers apart from her?

"Who are they?"

At that moment, Kuu and Jelly heard footsteps. They turned and saw a tall, slim man wearing a white hat. His dark curly hair was tied in a low ponytail and he let it hang on one side of his shoulder. A curly bang hung on one side of his face. He beamed brightly at Kuu, yet his eyes were wide. He eyed him from head to foot. Kuu thought this gay person's eyes were sharper than his and Lory.

"Oh-my-God so this was the guy she was talking about?"

"Yep." Jelly said, nodding approvingly. "Kuu-kun, meet Christian."

Kuu's eyes were wide. The great Christian Dior? This was him?

"Call me Chris, Kuu Thacker," Dior said, taking his hand and shook it. "It's good to see you. I can't count how many times sissy ever mentioned you on the phone."

"So what do you think, Chris?" Jelly asked.

"PERFETTO!" an Italian voice exclaimed behind Chris.

There on the archway leading to the next room, stood Giorgio Armani. He was all black: black shirt underneath a black formal blazer of his own design and black flannel pants. And shining black shoes. The only accent to the black attire was a silver brooch on his left chest.

"Kuu, this is Giorgio Armani," Jelly said. Kuu bowed in greeting to the designer beside Chris.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Armani."

"Haha, just call me Gio, Kuu. We'll be good friends," the Italian designer said, taking his hand.

"Where's Alex, Chris? I've been looking for him," Armani asked.

"He's on the other suite with sissy. Have you taken that wine?" Dior said.

"Yeah it was good. So, this is the perfetto guy then, huh?"

"Absolutely. Could you guys take him with you? I'm hungry, I wanna eat," Jelly said. The two gentlemen beamed.

"Sure. You go. Leave it to us," Armani said.

He rested his arm across Kuu and led him the way with Dior on the other side. "Let's go, Kuu. I know exactly what look you'd go tonight. Chris and I have been talking about this for a while since you went to Ten."

"Oooooh yes you'll be perfect!" Dior exclaimed and went first to the door.

Surprisingly, these fairy godmothers were males. It would be perfect if there would be fairy godfathers in a fairytale. Kuu could hardly believe he'd meet two of the most biggest fashion designers in the world tonight. Kuu felt he was in another different dimension. This place was where he awkwardly interviewed Julie. But this time, he was in a big dressing room full of full-length golden mirrors on one side of the wall, with a platform right across the middle. There were long racks of new clothes on one side. A vintage lounge chair was on the opposite side facing the mirror. On one corner was a desk full of long, velvet black and blue boxes and another was a wooden drawer.

Kuu stood nervously again on a platform, looking at the mirror on the wall. He didn't know how this huge mirror was placed on this wall. He could see his whole body.

"Let's start picking the best suit for you tonight!" Armani said as Dior was already on the racks taking out hangers of shirts.

"Time to party, Gio. My feet are itching."

Armani knew his friend always wanted to have an upbeat when doing clothes everywhere they were, even backstage during fashion shows and pictorials. He went to the stereo. Suddenly the song, 'It's Like That' by Mariah Carey played through the speakers.

Later, the two fairy godfathers did their own incredible magic at Kuu. Jelly came in with her room service dinner, watching as she sat on the lounge chair. She did the final judging of the attires, eyeing Kuu from head to foot. Her head swayed to the beat flowing in the air. When she loved Kuu's look, Jelly mouthed the words 'I like that yo!' with the song.

The godfathers had started out their magic with shirts first, and they found the perfect silk shirt that matched the color of his eyes. The pants was next and since Kuu was amazingly slim and tall, it was easy for both designers to pick the best. The last one was the suit. Armani and Dior knew perfectly well and Armani took out his new designed black suit. Kuu was the first wearer, as Armani had planned to release this in a month. It fitted him perfectly like a glove. As if this was made just for him. Armani folded the cuffs of his shirt up in fashion to the suit's sleeves. At last the godfathers surprised the makeovered prince with his own pair of slippers. Armani gave him the pair of shining black shoes that he had just designed specifically for the season. It fit him so well. Kuu felt as if he wasn't wearing anything on his feet at all, as the shoes felt so lightweight.

Afterwards, Dior's turn was next. He opened a drawer and matched the ties, holding it one after another to Kuu while checking the result on the mirror. Like Armani, it only took Dior good twenty minutes to find the perfect silk tie for him. He let it hung a bit loosely, not tight, in fashion on Kuu. Dior smiled to his job, and opened the velvet boxes this time. He took out a sparkling, small, silver square earring and placed it to his ear. Next was the silver watch, also newly designed by him and wasn't released yet. Lastly he slipped a sparkling silver ring on his finger. Dior went to the next drawer and opened it. He took out his new bottle of perfume and sprayed the woody, masculine scent on him.

"There! We're finally done, Kuu!" Dior said at the reflection. Armani winked at him and gave him two thumbs up.

"The last thing would be to smile at sissy," he said.

Kuu stared speechless at his own reflection. That person on the mirror wasn't him. It was too good to be true, but it was definitely him. He looked crushingly gorgeous. His hair suited the clothes perfectly, as if Jelly and the gentlemen's minds worked in coordination with one another. It was as if they had thought about the same thing at the same time. The jewelries glittered under the bright light, and the watch looked like a bracelet around his wrist.

Kuu couldn't believed this magic was done on him just for tonight. This was like a fairytale coming true. Only there was no warning given to this handsome Cinderella Man.

Jelly placed bags on a desk far across the room. "Now, I'll be giving these beauty regimen to you. These are special. I only create special products that suit my clients. But you are a special case, as I told you. I made it just for you, so you'd better take good care of yourself. Okay, Kuu-kun?"

"Really? Those are for me?" he asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Yeah. They're for you. Take it as my special gift for you tonight."

Armani came back in from the archway, holding three black covers and placed it carefully on the table. "And these two are my new designs, Kuu. One was casual, the other formal. I want you to have them. Wear the formal one on special occassions or when sissy ask you out again. This empty cover here is for that clothes you're wearing right now –– Oh yeah I forgot the shoes!"

Armani darted back to the other room again. Dior took a few velvet boxes and placed them all in one paper bag. He placed them together with the rest on the table. "I know what jewelries and perfumes match best for you so I'm giving those you're wearing to you. Keep them inside these boxes so they last long. Don't worry, they won't wear out easily compared to cheap ones out there. And these –– are yours to keep. They're earrings, perfumes, bracelets, sunglasses. . Oh– I heard you wear glasses, they gave me your prescription so here. And a casual watch since you don't have one."

"I don't believe this. . . Chris, really–"

"–Uh–uh. You're taking it with you. I mean it, Kuu. I don't want it back, okay?" He chuckled.

Armani came back with the shoes. He placed the bags on a chair. "Here. They're yours too. Match them to the clothes whenever you like. And there's an empty one for those magical slippers on you."

Kuu was at a loss for words. These people were too generous to ever gave their personal belongings to him when they barely even knew him. Plus, they were all brand new.

"I don't know what to say. . . I –– I really want to thank you."

Kuu bowed deeply. He wanted so much to lie flat on the floor right now. "Thank you!"

Dior rested his arm on his shoulder. "Now, just maintain a straight posture and just relax. You look cool right now. You'll be fine. Promise!"

A few seconds later, there was knock on the door. It opened, and in came to what Kuu thought was another most beautiful woman in the world. She was taller than Julie, looked older by just a few years. Her wavy hair was just like Julie, only she let them held up into a high ponytail. She wore beige, soft chiffon three-quartered top and a flowing black pants. The stilleto heels echoed as she walked just as fluid and smooth as Julie.

"Lina-chan! What took you so long?" Jelly asked. Lina crouched on the sofa and gave a soft kiss to Jelly's cheek.

"Sorry, I just can't keep my eyes off my little one! Alex was just so amazing. He's almost done," she said. Now her azure eyes swept across the room and caught Kuu standing quietly on the platform. Her mouth fell.

She whispered as she walked in a daze towards Kuu.

"And this –– is my belle's man of the night, guys?"

"Mhm." the three answered happily in unison.

"Delicious. Now I know why she held up here in Japan for so damn long," she said as the other giggled. "She got pretty sharp eyes fishing this fresh one out from the water. Don't let him go, Ten."

"You got it."

Though Kuu never knew what she meant, as Lina held him at an arms length and eyed him again from head to foot. Was this what these people do when they're about to do something to them?

Lina arched an eyebrow as she turned to the rest and smiled warmly. "Gio. Chris. You did so wonderful to this Cinderella Man. Everything is just so perfect!"

She faced Kuu and raised her hand. "Hi, Kuu. My name's Lina. Julie's best friend. Lovely to see you."

Kuu blinked and took a moment to process her beauty. His eyes swept to the three fairies behind her and they nodded. As if he was a different person, he bowed naturally and took her hand. His lips softly kissed it.

"Wonderful to see you too, Lina-san. You're so beautiful. ." came Kuu's cool voice. Lina just stood dreamily. This guy's mannerism suddenly changed.

"What did you guys do to him? Can I steal this man for the night?" she uttered. The rest chuckled.

"Hugh-kun wouldn't be happy if he finds out," Jelly said. Just then, another knock sounded on the door. Inside came Yashiro, who was finally back and informed them Kuu can now wait for her.

"It's time for us to go. Come Kuu, I'll take you to the waiting place," Lina said as she took Kuu's arm and she held it. With Kuu and Lina leading the way, everyone left the room, got outside the suite and took the lift at the corridor.

Kuu was left alone in this wonderful garden. Dews twinkled like little stars against the flowers and bushes under the perfect moonlight. A mantle of fireflies also flew about, bringing soft lights to this fantastic place. Kuu paced near the large fountain, breathing nervously and thought about things he wanted to say to Julie. The more he looked forward to seeing her tonight, the more nervous he'd get. He remembered all the tips the three fairies of fashion and Lina had told him. They were simple to do. Kuu noticed nobody had ever gone here to the garden, so it was a more perfect place for him to wait for Julie than waiting at the lobby –– where so many guests might recognized her and everything will be ruined. They must be exiting towards the other side of the hotel, where no one can see her.

After fifteen minutes, Kuu's wait was finally over. A dark man in suit broke the eery silence and informed him the lady had came down. He walked away, and Kuu turned around to prep his breathing and posture. He inhaled deeply, and tried to silently practiced how to sound well.

"Hi. Hi. Hi. . ."

Then. .

"Kuu. . .?"

Kuu turned around slowly and his eyes glued to the figure standing beside the fountain. Just as the fountain's lights lighted up as the water flew up, Kuu's mouth fell.

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