“Myoui?” a crew member called across the room.

Mina got up from the couch, the black chiffon of her shirt waving as she walked. She took a moment to adjust her hair, even if the stylists have already set it. The crew won’t notice the slight change, and this way she won’t be annoyed by it during the entire shoot. She’s experienced enough to know stuff like this. It’s not her first day in the modelling business after all. Not even her first decade.

 

Myoui Mina wasn’t just a model. She was a phenomenon. The girl who was scouted as a model for STAR Entertainment at age 5, working commercials and billboards and runways from she could ever remember. The girl whose perfectly sloped lips and thick lashes made her adored by a world of onlookers.

This was her home. With the flashing lights and the countdowns, living life out of a handbag, her house merely a place for her bed. Not that she was complaining. She had travelled the world, had seen all the marvels of it and every man. Had learned three languages in the long waits between shoots. And now she was here, in the heart of Tokyo, in a little but renowned studio, about to be the face of another front page. Except this time she wasn’t alone.

She wasn’t the only phenomenon here today. She was one of three legends, though she had only ever heard of the others, not met them. It just wasn’t the same circles they travelled in. One was a genius, a young datalogy student who had dropped out to become an entrepreneur and had single-handedly implemented a worldwide system education that had improved the base reading levels of 103 countries out of the 120 it was available in. The other was a dancer, known for her three amazing dance crews and her solo acts in huge concert halls, enchanting everyone with her body and spirit. And then Mina. Mina who was merely known for her beauty.

What injustice; that a person who had done so much good for the world and a person whose effort and talent had gotten her known in every corner reached by technology, would have to share the front page of Oh Girl’s 15th anniversary edition, with a pretty face. With a girl whose talents reached nothing past looking good. As if that was even her own doing. All she did was take care of her body so she would look good. So she could sell her body and whatever they put on it.

“Myoui!” The same voice called again, and Mina apologized for zoning out. Then she walked over to the set - a white backdrop with vintage european style wooden crates and small-petaled flowers in blue metal pots. Almost Parisian.

 

“Minatozaki, Hirai.” a female crew-member in a black cap called out of an open door to the hallway, and Mina ran a finger over the lettering in one of the boxes. Then carefully, she settled on one of them, watching a girl appeared from the hallway. Not the dancer. Mina knew what the dancer, Hirai Momo, looked like - had seen a few of her videos online. This had to be the genius. But she looked nothing like the conventional idea of a genius. No more than twenty five, tall and with thick black hair falling down her front, her body as perfect as Mina’s own, clad in a black off-shoulder and a tight skirt. Brains and beauty. The girl, Minatozaki presumably, adjusted the embezzled neck-collar and looked up, finding Mina’s eyes on her. Smiled brightly and fastened her pace until she reached Mina, the model getting to her feet to greet the genius respectfully.

“Hi!” Minatozaki said excitedly. “You’re Myoui Mina-san, right?”

Mina nodded “Minatozaki…”

“Sana. Call me Sana.”

Mina nodded. “Okay, Sana-san.”

“Sana-chan" the girl sang, scrunching her nose. “All this formality stuff is so un- wow…”

The girl had stopped in her tracks, eyes on something. Mina frowned and turned her head in the direction. Almost tripped over her own feet, even though she wasn’t moving.

The girl walking towards them, had a steel-set gaze, her face framed by a black bob, a halterneck accentuating her strong shoulders and muscular arms. The cotton clung to her body, promoting every feature, and the simple belt hugging her waist. Strong legs carried her, until she came to a halt in front of them.

And Mina was still staring at her legs. Something she should very much stop doing right about now. Something nudged her, and Mina’s eyes snapped up as she turned towards whatever had nudged her. Found that it was Sana’s arm, a smirk on the entrepreneur's face. Found warmth creeping up her neck.

“Hi, I’m Sana,” Sana said, not aimed at Mina, but at Momo. Mina was just caught between them. But it was a good excuse to look back at Momo, this time focusing on her face.

“Oh, uh- Hi. I’m Momo.” Momo said, her voice cuter than Mina had ever imagined from the intensity in her dark eyes and the body that looked like it was sculpted in marble.

“And you’re the genius?” Momo asked to clarify.

Sana gave a giggling laugh, and nodded. Then nudged Mina again. Would she stop, it wasn’t like Mina’s greatest pleasure was letting it be completely obvious that Momo had caught her completely off guard. Weren’t geniuses supposed to be - you know - awkward around people? Why was Sana seeing through her so easily?

Sana nudged again, and Mina’s eyes found Momo’s looking at her.

“Mina. Myoui. Uh, Myoui Mina.” Mina said. It wasn’t on purpose that she stammered a bit, but the aura Momo exuded was almost too powerful at this distance. There was a presence about her that was so demanding, that it threatened to steal all of Mina’s focus.

“Girls, enough tittle-tattle, let’s get this show on the road.” a man with a demanding voice said, and the girls turned to face him.

“Okay, stand next to each other.” the man gestured at them, and the girls obeyed, letting him judge them side by side.

“Myoui I want you sitting in the front on the crate with the blue flowers painted on it.” the man instructed.

Mina did as told, the man directing how she should sit with her legs.

“And Hirai, since you guys have similar hairstyles I want you behind her and a bit to her right. Behind the crates yeah, and the plant. The skirt is quite plain it’s your shoulders we’re selling here.” Momo nodded, a professionalism in her stride as she walked around Mina. Then a hand was on her shoulder, and Mina snapped around. But Momo wasn’t looking at her. It was just a part of the pose. Right.

“And now, miss Minatozaki, if you stand in that crevice between the double stacked and single stacked crates, just- yes exactly.”

Mina looked at Sana, making sure their poses matched up well. Then looked at Momo again. Not that there was a reason for it.

“Myoui, at the camera.” the cameraman said.

Mina hated that she blushed.

But she did.

 

…

 

“And there we have it, little break for you ladies now, but we’re shooting the individuals in twenty minutes starting with miss Minatozaki.” the director announced.

Mina exhaled. Felt Momo’s hand fall from her shoulder and how her heart slowly positioned itself back down between her lungs instead of situating in as if had the past hour.

“There should be food down in the changing rooms.” one of the crew assistants said.

“Oh brilliant!” Sana said, stretching.

“Not too much food, we don’t want to have to touch up any food babies.” the director winked at them, and Mina swore she heard someone insult him under her breath. But next second Sana had walked towards the door to the hallway, and Momo followed her with shorter steps. She looked slightly out of balance on the heels.

“Miss Myoui?” asked a familiar voice. Mina turned to see her assistant stand ready with water. “You want to wait with food for after the individual shoots?”

“Oh, Dahyun-ah. No, I’m going now. I’m last for individual photos right?” Mina asked, taking a sip of water.

“Yes miss.”

“You don’t have to call me miss, Dahyun-ah.”

“O-okay.” Dahyun said, clearing , then gestured towards the door to the hallway. Mina nodded and walked with Dahyun, away from the set.

“Do you have my phone?” Mina asked as they exited the room, walking down the hallway.

“Sure, sorry miss, I- I mean. Sorry Mina-unnie.”

Mina grinned and nudged the shorter girl. She wasn’t used to the job of being Mina’s assistant yet, but Mina did what she could to make both feel comfortable.

 

The smell of food hit like a wall when they opened the door, and Mina’s stomach growled greedily. With a deep inhale, Mina took in the scent, walking over to the serving table. A few staff members were standing there, and some of the other models.

“God I know he said not a lot, but I want to eat the majority of this table right now.” Mina huffed, looking from one end of the table to the other.

With all the self-restraint she could manage, Mina took a plate and grabbed the salad tongs, aiming at the soybean sprout salad. But the moment she closed the tongs around a good portion, a sound made her freeze. It sounded more than anything like a moan.

A very real… moan.

“Thifh ifh… ffo gooth” a muffled voice said, followed by another pleasured groan.

Then someone giggled. Sana. “Do you always talk with food in your mouth Momo-chan?”

“Fforry-” Momo mumbled, then swallowed loudly. “S’just so good, you have to try it.”

“Okay, I guess.” Sana said in an amused tone.

For a moment Mina tried to settle her heart back where it belonged once more, after the sound, but then it was back. Another moan. Not a single doubt now that it was Momo and that it was caused by food.

Mina looked down at the tongs, shoulders shaking with the giggles she was trying not to let out.

“Wha’ffo-funny?” Momo asked from somewhere behind her. There was a whine in her voice under the muffling from the food stuffed in , and it only made it harder for Mina not to giggle.

“Sorry,” Mina tried, turning around with her food, but once more had to control herself. Momo looked absolutely ridiculous, with food stuffed in both cheeks like a hamster, making them puff. But it was the pout that got to her the most. That made her completely confused. Because throughout the entire photoshoot, Momo had been professional and calm. There had been this air of confidence and presence around her, but now there was no walls, no aura. Just a girl who was having the time of her life eating bulgogi.

“Wanna sit?” Sana asked.

“Sure thank y-” Mina’s voice caught as Sana made room between herself and Momo. Seriously, was she doing this on purpose?

But really, what else could she do but sit where Sana had made room for her. Even if she was going through what could only be described as extreme confusion.

“It’s so weird to see you here in real life.” Sana said before any silence got the chance to settle.

Mina frowned and turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

“Well I grew up watching you in the commercials when watching Digimon and stuff, didn’t I?” Sana said conversationally, taking a sip of what looked like homemade smoothie.

“Oh, well…” Mina ran a hand through her hair.

“No really, I always recognized you because of that.” Sana said, pointing at her own nose.

“Tha’s righ-” Momo said, her voice only slightly muffled. Mina turned to look at her now. Found her very close. Way too close. Backed away instinctively, and collided with something that turned out to be the side of Sana’s head.

“Ouch!” Sana exclaimed, a chuckle in her voice.

“Sorry.” Mina said.

“It’s okay, I can live without a few brain cells.” Sana rubbed the side of her head.

Mina sighed at herself, pinching the bridge of her nose before taking a bite of the soybean sprout salad. It really was incredibly good, better than most lunches at photoshoots. Mina had over the years developed a rather elaborate theory that the magazines only had bad food to keep the models from eating. Of course the only thing it prompted with Mina was the fairly large snack stock in her bag.

 

“Minatozaki!” called a voice from the hallway.

“I swear it hasn’t been ten minutes yet.” Sana grumbled, but got up nonetheless. Then she turned around. “See you on the flipside. I’ll say goodbye before I leave. It was fun meeting you both.”

“Yeah! Definitely. We’ll exchange numbers.” Momo said.

“That’s bold.” Sana grinned, a glimpse in her eyes.

“Not what I meant.” Momo tutted, but Sana just chuckled and walked out.

Took all the safety of her light hearted spirit with her. And all that was left was Momo sitting a little too close for Mina to focus, and the half eaten salad on Mina’s plate.

“Is that good too?” Momo asked, pointing with her chopsticks at Mina’s salad.

“Uh, yeah definitely.” Mina nodded, then took a chance, raising the plate a little. “Here, taste.”

“Oh, thank you!” Momo said, hesitating for a second before grabbing a mouthful with her chopsticks. Mina watched as she chewed, an expression of pure joy on her face. It was really quite cute.

“Okay,” Momo said and swallowed. Then got to her feet. “I’m getting some of that.”

“But you already had a whole plate of bulgogi?” Mina frowned.

“So?” Momo grinned, holding out a hand for Mina’s plate. “Here, I’ll get you some more food too.”

“But-”

“Okay you might be a model and all but no-one can get by on that little food. I don’t believe it.” Momo insisted.

Really, what was Mina supposed to do?

And so, Mina ate what could only be considered a full meal of the incredibly tasty bulgogi - Momo insisted - and more of the soybean sprout salad. Momo, however, ate around twice the amount Mina did. Hummed happily every time, her cheeks growing increasingly flushed. Until, finally, she got up with a yawn, put their plates on the serving table and stretched. Then sat back down, closer to Mina than before.

“You know, I always liked your commercials the most.” Momo mumbled sleepily, settling comfortably in the couch.

“Why?” Mina asked curiously.

“Well because you were so pretty and you acted well. It looked like you were just having a lot of fun.” Momo shrugged.

“I did. I always really liked being a model and doing commercials. Even as a kid. It’s just my life you know?”

“Yeah. It’s like that with me and dancing.” Momo said peacefully. Almost sleepily. “I was always asked if I was being pushed too much by my parents. But it was me who pushed them. To let me try more and keep going. They were the ones pressing the break.”

“Same with mine.” Mina smiled. Looked around at Momo and shifted to sit more comfortably. Leaned her head on her hand. Faced Momo fully. But Momo wasn’t looking into Mina’s eyes. She was very decidedly looking lower than that. At Mina’s lips.

“What?” Mina asked, feeling something tug at her stomach. It wasn’t exactly.. Uncomfortable. Even if Momo was practically a stranger. Probably just the undeniable attractiveness of the dancer making it intriguing.

“You only have lipstick on half your lip.” Momo said. Pointed at her own, marking the place.

“Oh.” Mina said, warmth once more spreading up her neck, this time definitely settling in her cheeks. “They’ll fix it in styling before the shoot.”

“Right.” Momo said, pressing her lips together. For a moment it looked like she was going to say something more, but instead she did the tiniest shake of the head. Then she stretched again and closed her eyes.

“Sleepy?” Mina asked, not really sure why. Maybe just to keep the conversation going.

“Yeah I always get so tired after eating.” Momo hummed, shifting and leaning her head against the back of the couch in an attempt to find a comfortable position. She looked a little like a puppy in that moment, trying to settle in.

Then, to Mina’s complete surprise, she shifted again, this time leaning against Mina’s arm, head on Mina’s shoulder.

“This okay?” Momo mumbled.

“I uh, yeah.” Mina said automatically, heart in for the third time that day. Maybe it was just a magnetism thing. Momo getting too close sending her heart out of place.

Momo mumbled her thanks and sighed contently.

 

Really, Mina couldn’t figure out why the heck Momo had this effect on her. Sure it was understandable when it was just Momo being stunning and fierce, with her demanding presence overwhelming Mina. But this Momo? The Momo who talked with full and shuffled like a puppy and now slept against Mina’s shoulder. Why was she somehow just as powerful and confusing as the initially professional Momo?

 

Momo shifted in her sleep and Mina looked down at her. Her hands seemed to be subconsciously trying to cover as much of her bare arms as possible, and Mina realized that she was probably cold. And a single touch to Momo’s arm confirmed it. Cold.

It was pure instinct that made Mina shift and wrap her arm around Momo to provide a little more warmth than before. But it hadn’t been the intention for Momo’s head to roll inwards, forehead now against Mina’s neck and her warm breath on the chiffon collar of Mina’s shirt. That was just the consequence.

Mina found that she didn’t mind.

Found that she didn’t mind either when momo’s hand slipped down and lay limply on Mina’s thigh. Nor when she huffed a breath and shuffled closer.

What she did mind, was Sana coming in too soon. That meant that it was Momo’s turn now. Meant that Mina had to wake the sleeping girl instead of having her in her arms.

“Momo…” Mina said cautiously, Sana settling in the couch beside Mina again. Close.

Momo mumbled something against Mina’s neck and swallowed. Didn’t wake.

“Momo, it’s your turn.” Mina repeated, a little louder this time, the girl’s arm. It was still cold.

“Mm-no…” Momo mumbled, only snuggling closer.

Sana chuckled beside Mina. “Sleeping beauty huh?”

Mina frowned, then realized what Sana meant. Blushed and moved her head back to look down at Momo.

“Momo.” Mina said again, and this time it seemed to work. Seemed like Momo was slowly coming to.

With a deep inhale, Momo groaned sleepily. Yawned against Mina and leaned back ever so little, looking dazedly up at Mina. She was close. Very close. Close enough that if Mina moved, their noses would touch. Close enough that Momo’s breath hit Mina’s lips. Close enou- too close!

Mina drew back exactly a second too late.

Something had nudged Mina in the back, sending her forward the inch and a half it took for her lips to graze Momo’s. Momo who was definitely awake now, and Mina who drew back, pulse hammering through her veins and heat spreading through her, setting her skin on fire. But there was Momo, with nothing but a slightly puzzled expression and a small dopey smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Lips that Mina had just- no. Nope.

“Y-you have- your photoshoot, you uh-” Mina tried, when Momo just kept looking at her. She really desperately needed Momo to go away. Or just to get away herself. Yes. That too was a solution. Definitely.

 

With whatever grace Mina didn’t have, she managed to free herself from Momo, getting to her feet, hurrying out of the changing room with nothing but a comment that she needed to use the bathroom. Despite the fact that there was in fact a perfectly good bathroom in the changing room.

She didn’t get far though. Just leaned against the wall, trying to get control of her breathing. This was so stupid. It was just a little graze of the li- oh god Momo’s lips. Momo’s eyes. No. It was just an accidental little kiss. Nothing more. Not even a kiss. Just an accident.

Yet if it was just that, then why was Mina sliding down the wall, her knees giving way. Why was she blushing so hard that her cheeks burned? Why was she breaking into a sweat?

This was definitely not something Myoui Mina did. Didn’t panic on set. Didn’t panic ever. She just didn’t. She was a together person. Someone who was used to these walls, these frames around her life. Was used to people coming and going, making friends with people she wouldn’t ever meet again. But she was in no way used to Momo. Or this. Her fluster. Her fascination.

The pull.

And definitely wasn’t used to getting approached in this state.

“You okay?” Momo’s voice asked, somewhere above her.

God, she was really the last person Mina needed right now. That much she was sure of. So why was Momo crouching in front of Mina? Didn’t she have a photoshoot.

“I’m sorry about the kiss. It was Sana, she was reaching for her phone.” Momo explained, a hand on Mina’s arm.

“What?” Mina asked, her voice shrill. “No it’s fine. It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“Your cheeks kind of say you do mind.” Momo chuckled.

“Shut up.” Mina bit automatically. Then bit down on her lip. “Sorry.”

Momo just chuckled. “Thank you for letting me sleep. It helped. You know, I got warmer when you held me.”

Mina stared. Who the hell said stuff like that? It was such a flirty thing to say, yet there wasn’t the slightest amount of flirtation in Momo’s voice. Neither had there been any when she had noted on Mina’s lips, Mina realized.

It made it a little easier to breathe somehow. Maybe it was just no big deal. But then… shouldn’t Mina stop staring at Momo’s lips? Yes she should. It was just very hard to actually do. The lips split in a grin and Mina finally looked back up.

“Do you want to go out sometime?” Mina asked before knowing how to stop herself from doing so.

“What?” Momo asked brows furrowed. Then the seemed to get it. “Oh.”

“It’s okay, nevermind I don’t even know-”

“Sure.”

Mina blinked. “What?”

“Sure, I’ll go on a date with you.” Momo explained. “I mean- that was what you meant right?”

“Yeah, that’s-... Okay then.” Mina cleared . Found her gaze falling again and saw Momo’s chuckle.

“I didn’t count you for the type to kiss before the first date.” Momo said quietly.

“That wasn’t me that was Sana.” Mina protested in a trancelike voice.

“You’re about to though.” Momo noted, a shyness in her voice that completely contrasted with the confident wording.

“... Yeah.” Mina breathed. Didn’t move. Just swallowed and blinked.

“Hirai!” someone called from inside the set. Momo didn’t react immediately, but tilted her head a bit, as if waiting for Mina. But when Mina still didn’t do anything, she drew back slightly. Just enough for Mina to give hell to it and push herself off the wall, hand on Momo’s shoulder.

It was a proper kiss this time. Not just an accidental brush of the lips. But the kind of kiss that smeared lipstick and claimed the air from Mina’s lungs. The kind that made her dizzy and confused and safe. The kind that made her curse against Momo’s lips at the sound of Hirai’s name being called louder still.

With a chuckle Momo drew back, looking at Mina with a goofy grin on her face and flushed cheeks. Mina just felt feverish. Felt taken aback by the presence of Momo. Because she had been wrong. It hadn’t disappeared after the photoshoot. It had just dragged Mina in so fast and so far that she couldn’t see it. She was inside it already.

“Wish me luck?” Momo asked, getting to her feet with a regretful expression.

“You don’t need luck.” Mina said, looking up at her.

“Mm… Maybe you’re right. Maybe I already am lucky.” Momo shrugged.

 

And then she was gone. And Mina sat back in the hallway, watching her disappear into the set. And Mina realized that Momo had meant it. That this was the reason she had gotten under Mina’s skin. That this was Momo’s presence.

Staggering, breathtaking honesty.