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"This way, this way!"
Erika pulled Mao's arm and led her to a photo studio. Mao grabbed Masaki's arms as she felt helpless seeing people she doesn't know wondering around. This place wasn't Diamonds. It was another fashion leading company, 'Crystal'. It is known as the long rival and the competitor of Diamonds, who are always chasing Diamond behind.

* Flashback *

"Maaaao-chan!"
As Mao entered the office, Erika approached. They had to practice their catwalk today for the upcoming fashion show.

"I want you to meet Ikuta Toma-kun."
Erika started to go in detail about the guy she was has been close to recently. The guy she went to eat dinner with. Mao looked around but she could not see any guys near her.

"He's not here. He is a model at Crystal. Let’s go and see him now!"
Erika excitedly tried to drag Mao but failed. Mao stood still, thinking that is the rival of their company. She would not dare to go there since she had bad time spending time with the other models at Crystals before.

"Come on, if we go now, we can still make it on time for the practice. Please, Mao-chan?"
Mao looked at Erika and she had her upturned eyes which Mao couldn't refuse. She nodded and followed her behind.

"Masaki lets go!"
On the way out, Mao saw Masaki entering and she pulled him to the other way, forcing him to follow her. Masaki had no idea where he was taken too and Mao was too strong for him to pull her away.

* End of Flashback *

"Erika-chan!"
A tall handsome man ran towards them waving like a kid. Masaki knew this guy and hoped he could just run away and not see him. He had bad memories with this guy.

"Toma-kun! This is our top model, Inoue Mao-chan and Aiba Masaki-kun."
Erika introduced two of them who didn't look as happy as Erika, because of all the cold stares from the other staff who had hatred in their eyes for seeing the top model from Diamond.

"I think we should get going.."
Mao turned back and started to walk out from the studio with Masaki but Toma held their arms tight.

"Let’s take some few shots. Just for fun!"
He smiled and told the cameraman to get ready. Masaki refused hardly as he didn't want to get in any trouble by getting shot from another company, especially Crystal.

"Just for fun Mao-chan. It won't be out in public. Do it for me pleeaase?"
Erika whispered to her that she is interested in this guy, Toma. She told her not to disappoint him in front of her. Toma was one of the top model at Crystal who recently became popular for getting fourth in the 'The top handsome models' ranking in one of the well-known magazine.

"Okay. Let’s do this then!"

At the photo studio, there were models practicing their walk and the order of who goes first and who goes last. Jun and Sho was lining up as they had to walk again and again while Masami was curious where the other top models were and the prints she ordered Aya to do.

"Where are the others?"
Jun asked Sho while waiting for his turn to walk. He tried calling Masaki before but he couldn't reach him and the number he got the other night, Mao could not reach as well.

"I couldn't contact them too."
After hearing about Jun trying to call them, Sho answered. He wondered more about Aya than he would usually do for Erika.

"I don't even have their numbers."
Satoshi suddenly came out from no where behind them and sobbed. He lost Aya's number from the time he changed his phone.

"Ohno-san! You freaked me out. Why don't we exchange numbers then?"
Sho took out his cell phone and entered Satoshi's details. Jun joined them as well.

"Wow. Your place is enormous.."
Entering the doorstep of Kazunari's apartment room, Aya gazed around. It was twice as bigger than Sho's place when that was already big enough for her.

"My laptop is there. You can sit at that sofa and do your typing."
Kazunari pointed at his computer on a glass table with gigantic TV screen on the wall. Aya nodded and quickly the computer while he went to the kitchen to make some tea.

"Alright. So.. I use this Microsoft Word right? I learned it in high school. Yeah, I remember."
Aya clicked on the icon and waited. As the screen changed, she opened her notebook with loads of words to type. She was always terrible with machines as she typed using one finger, typing extremely slowly.

"Oh my. You type like that? It will take you at least a month to complete. Come, let me help you."
Kazunari came back with teacups on the tray and sat beside her. He moved his laptop to his side and began to type. Aya took a sip of tea and relaxed herself, leaning back on the sofa just watching him type.

"So this would be how I feel if I marry him. Ahhh."
Aya whispered to herself, drinking the English tea in a unique designed teacup, not realizing that Kazunari heard her line. He started to type faster and faster as his heart starts to pump extraordinarily when he imagined his future with her. Ahhh, what am I thinking, he thought.

"I- I'm done."

Erika, Mao and Masaki were rushing back for the catwalk practice. They were already half an hour late after wasting their time at the Crystal. The fashion show is in a week and they had to attend this practice since they didn't attend the previous ones.

"Why did I have to change my clothes and have my hair done?"
Mao whined while they entered the lift to the photo studio floor. She wiped her eyes to get rid of some of the eyeliner she had put on for the photo shoot. She didn't want others to recognize the difference.

"It was his idea. Not mine."
Erika blamed it on Toma as she quickly got out of the lift, lining behind the other models and seem she was already been there for a long time. Mao and Masaki tiptoed to the back of the line but someone already saw them coming in late.

"Mao! Masaki! I saw you Erika, come back here."
Masami yelled pulling the collars of the two shirts and looked over at Erika. With a sigh, Erika dragged her foot to Masami. Jun and Sho just finished their forth time cat walking and saw the other three top model getting lectured from Masami.

"So, where were you three?"
After the long warning from Masami, she asked. Mao thought whether to tell the truth or not about going in to Crystal and getting photo shot while Masaki was ready to tell the truth.

"We were just wondering around outside. Sorry, Nagasawa-san. We'll never be late anymore."
Just as Masaki opened his mouth to talk, Erika spoke first. She looked back at the two and smiled. Masaki had a 'What the hell' face and Mao just blinked nothing to say. Masami understood and released them for their catwalk practice.

"Na-Nagasawa-san! Sorry for the late submission!"
Aya ran out of the elevator and passed the print out to her with out of breath. Kazunari slowly walked behind. Masami checked the printout and it was perfect, just the way she wanted. Nobody had ever done it so perfectly before and she always had to ask them to re-do it.

"Well, you did it well. Very neat."
She flipped to the other pages and she was impressed. It was the font she wanted, the right size, header was bolded and the page number was at the bottom left. Aya felt guilty for getting all the credit and she has always been a honest girl. She thought of the consequences she would face telling Masami the truth but she chose to tell her.

"Um, actually. Ninomiya-san helped me. Erm, a lot. Okay, mostly. Fine, he did everything."
Aya told Masami, looking back at Kazunari who lifted his eyebrows every time Aya tells Masami he helped her until she acknowledged that he did all the work.

"Oh, right. No wonder."
By Aya's confession, she noticed Kazunari behind Aya. She soon understood why the printout was perfect; Kazunari knows how Masami wants how the layout needs to be with her. She wondered why he helped her; did Aya beg him? Or did he offer her? She thought.

"Can you go and pass Satoshi this book back to him? Tell him I pinned picture of dress on the hairstyle I want. Your job is done with me after that for now. Thank you."
Bringing back her mind, Masami went over to a table and picked up the hairstyle book that Satoshi handed to her after the presentation.

"Okay, no problem."
Aya smiled and received the book. She was happy that Masami didn't get furious about the printout which Kazunari did it for her. Masami wasn’t angry about it but curious about both of them.

"Why did you help her?"
Masami asked Kazunari as Aya walked away.

"It was funny looking at how she typed. She used just one finger like this."
He imitated Aya’s action and laughed. Masami had never seen him laugh like that in a long time. She felt as he was going away from her a little by little.

Aya looked around to find Satoshi who was standing at the corner, watching Mao cat walking after exchanging numbers with Jun and Sho.

"Hey! What are you looking at?"
Hitting his back with the book, Aya smirked knowing he was gazing at Mao. She handed the book to Satoshi and explained about the pinned pictures which Masami looked through.

"Nothing! Alright, thanks. I'll see you later, call me or text me."
Satoshi opened the book and looked through what Masami wanted. He was always impressed at how Masami checks all the hairstyles and matches each and every dress. The fashion show is in a week and he soon had to train the other hairstylists to improve their speed and ability of styling. He gave Aya his new number and went away.

"Aya-chan."
Sho walked over to Aya after ending his long catwalk practice. Aya looked up and smiled.

"Hi, Sho-kun."
Erika, Mao and Masaki were still practicing since they came in late. Mao was exhausted and when Masami went out of the area, she soon quit practicing.

"Can we exchange numbers?"
Seeing Aya typing some numbers in her phone, he couldn't resist but to ask.

"Yeah, sure."
Without hesitation, Aya nodded and the two exchanged their numbers. She remembered losing Mao's number so she asked Sho for it.

"Oh yeah, where do you live actually?"
Sho thought of the day he tried to send Aya home but she was all drunk.

"Hi guys."
Jun came over after discussing his catwalk with one of the staff. He placed his hand on Sho's shoulder and joined them.

"Hello Matsumoto-san, anyways, I need to find a place to live now."
Aya greeted Jun and went back to the topic. She knew her room owner will not come back anymore and it was a waste of time waiting for him. Jun and Sho couldn't understand her situation until she explained the happening.

"In that case, my neighbor was finding a resident since he's temporally moving out to Europe soon. Maybe I can talk to him about it."
Jun remembered his neighbor telling him and Masaki about it a few days back. The room was furnished with all the daily equipment so Aya had nothing to worry about.

"Really?! Thank you so much! Wait..."
Aya appreciated his thought but she realized the place they lived was the luxury apartment, meaning the price would be much higher than the place she lives now.

"Worried about the rent? Don't worry about that. I know your situation, we're kind people. I can convince him about the price."
Jun saw Aya thinking about whether to accept the offer or not and smiled. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"It's settled. The place is yours."
After a short conversation between Jun and the person on the other line, he closed his phone and patted Aya's head. Just as he was about to put his phone in his pocket, it vibrated. Seeing the caller's name, Jun's face turned blank as he excused himself to somewhere he could talk alone.

"He is a very nice guy."
Aya was so thankful to Jun about the room she got since she didn't want to go around agency to look for a room.

"Yeah, he is. With that looks and that personality, Mao's so in love with him."
Sho nods and he sees Mao walking towards them. Aya had some strange, weird feeling since she knew Satoshi has some feelings towards Mao and she couldn't fully be happy for Mao.

"I'm so tired."
Mao leaned on Aya's shoulder and starts to grumble about how Masami nagged her and the endless catwalk practice. Sho nudged Mao as Jun was coming back, typing something on his phone.

"Sorry guys, I have to go now. Oh, hi Mao-chan. Masaki can take you to your new place since he's my neighbor too. Hey, Masaki!"
As he sees Mao standing next to Aya, he greets. He yelled Masaki's name who was grabbing some rice balls from the catering section. They both lived on the same floor and were neighbors.

"C- Co- Coming!"
Biting his rice balls, Masaki came over trying to finish it in one gulp. Jun explained to Masaki about Aya moving to their neighbor and to help her take to the place.

"I'm going to get the keys from him first so I'll see you guys there later."
Jun told Masaki that he will call him once he gets there and left to see the owner and also the guy he was talking with on the other line.

"Hey. Did something happen?"
Masaki looked at Jun's tense face and asked when others were busy chitchatting in the crowd. Jun shook his head and told him nothing happened but his eyes were full with rage against one guy.

Jun entered a cafe nearby Diamonds after getting the keys from the owner. As he entered, one guy stood up from his seat and waved with a big smile. He was wearing huge sunglass and a hat but Jun knew who it was.

"What do you want?"
Jun went over to the guy and sat on the empty seat by his table.

"Hey hey, chill man. I just called you to see how you are Jun. As a best friend, I just wanted to have a guy-talk."
The guy took off his sunglass and ordered two coffee as the waitress came by. He was Ikuta Toma.

"First, you're not my best friend. Second, I know you hate me and I feel the same way to you. Third, stop telling me to quit Diamonds because that will never happen."
Few years back, Jun and Toma were best friends. They met at one modeling school before they became professional models and they were the top two students among all the others. One day, they made a promise that no matter what happens, they will both be professional models at the same time. No longer after the promise, Jun was scouted by the agency Crystals but he refused to take in the offer unless Toma sticks with him. However, Crystals could only take in one trainee and so Jun refused and the offer went to Toma.

* Flashback *

"You accepted the offer?!"
After hearing this from Toma, Jun couldn't believe it. He always trusted Toma and he never imagined of him breaking the promise.

"Come on Jun. It's just that I'm a better model than you. I'm sure you'll get an offer like mmm.. I don't know when. Oh, I have to go now. My manager is here."
Jun did not tell him that he got the offer before Toma, it was useless. The news was too shocking for him to accept.

* End of Flashback *

No longer after that, Jun found his new buddy Masaki and they both got a offer from Diamonds at the same time. Masaki knew his story since it was spread as a rumor all around the students. The two soon became the top model before Toma had his name on the media that Toma could not understand why.

"I don't hate you Jun. I'm happy for you but you need to wake up. Diamonds won't stay long, Crystal is welcoming you always."
Toma always told Jun to quit Diamonds and move to Crystal god knows why. Jun got sick of hearing this as he banged the table with his fist.

"Hey hey, the number one handsome model shouldn't act like that."
Toma laughed as he opened the magazine.

"You make me sick."
Jun stood up, leaving some coins behind and left.

"You'll regret not transferring to Crystals. Soon."
Toma had his evil grin on his face.

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