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It wasn’t like Airi hated Shizuku. No, ‘hated’ was too strong of a word. Jealousy was more like it. Besides, Shizuku Hinomori was the elegant and graceful center of Cheerful*Days, one of the most popular idol groups in Japan. Who wouldn’t be jealous of her?
But jealousy also didn’t fit the way Airi’s poor heart pounded at the sight of Shizuku making her way over to where Airi was standing, it didn’t fit the way her hands started sweating as she tightened her grip on her agency-loaned purse. She lifted her hands to wipe them on her clothes, but then thought better of it. Her agency would kill her if she returned their designer jeans all wrinkly.
“Airi!” Shizuku’s clear voice rang through the hallway, bringing a flush to her cheeks. Did Shizuku really have to be so… careless?
Airi shook her head. Her idol instincts were getting to her again. She ran a hand through her carefully styled hair again, trying to steady the trembling of her fingers. She felt so… so naked without her usual hat and sunglasses that shielded her from the flashing cameras and requests for autographs. The first time Airi had done a PR stunt with Shizuku, she had been shocked by the way the other girl described her usual trips out in public: no disguise, accepting every request for a picture and autograph, letting her idol presence shine all over the place.
Shizuku came to a stop in front of Airi and she had to suck in a breath. Whoever had done her makeup had put some sort of glitter gel (Airi tried to guess the brand) under her eyes and on her cheekbones, giving her the illusion that she was glowing from the inside out. And they were still inside. Airi predicted that the second Shizuku stepped outside, the sun would hit her just right and make her literally shine.
“You look good,” Airi nodded at Shizuku, desperately attempting to maintain her composed aura. And Shizuku did, that was the problem, she looked so stunning with her silky hair and stylish skirt that Airi wanted to throw in the towel to this stupid one-sided competition between them and declare Shizuku the inevitable winner.
“Thank you, Airi. Your agency did your hair in a very cute style today.”
They set off walking through the agency’s lobby.
“Shizuku, this is our second PR stunt together, right? I hope you know what you’re doing this time.”
“Oh, yes, of course. We’re going shopping together, right? As an advertisement for the fancy clothing shop that just opened, and to show the good friendship between QT and Cheerful*Days idols.”
“Don’t- don’t say it out loud! But yes, even if that was word-for-word what the coordinator told us, you’re right.”
“I’m so glad I got it right,” Shizuku gave Airi a soft smile and she could just melt under the power of Shizuku’s smile, the corners of her lips curving up into the most charming thing Airi had ever seen. God, she was helpless against the power of such dazzling idol presence.
“Let’s--let’s go, we don’t want to waste any more time.”
Bracing herself, Airi pushed open the door and they stepped outside.
The effect was almost instantaneous. Heads turned unconsciously and eyes shone at the sight of Shizuku and Airi, elbows linked, laughing and smiling without a care in the world. Two of the most perfect girls in the world, effortlessly pretty and stylish, spending time together just as two girls should.
They’re all looking at Shizuku, Airi realized. Of course it would be this way. She had tried so hard this time, spending hours last night practicing walking and laughing, just for Shizuku to upstage her this easily. No, she wouldn’t lose. She just had to try harder next time.
“Airi, they’re all staring at you.” Shizuku whispered in Airi’s ear. Airi did Laugh #3 without even looking, as if Shizuku had said something adorably funny. She didn’t even need to force the laugh that much, because the idea of people looking at her over Shizuku was absolutely hilarious. Meaning to respond, Airi turned to look at Shizuku for the first time since they had gone outside, but found her breath stolen.
She was right. The glitter combined with the sun did make Shizuku appear to glow. And not only that, but her hair was waving in the wind with a single strand coming out of the ponytail to catch on the side of her face. Her cheeks were a little pink from the sun and her eyelashes framed her eyes in the most enchanting way.
The words died on Airi’s lips.
“Impossible,” she declared, taking on her Variety Show Voice and resting her other hand on Shizuku’s arm. “Your makeup artist made you look stunning, everyone’s staring at you.”
To Airi’s surprise, the flush on Shizuku’s face deepened, making her even more attractive. Both turned away, perhaps just a bit embarrassed.
Their first autograph request came as they walked down the street, from a group of girls who looked starstruck. Airi watched Shizuku interact with them, uncharacteristically quiet. Shizuku was really good at this, she realized, noticing the way she complimented the girls’ outfits and gave them that soft, sweet smile. Another curl of jealousy settled within Airi, but this time, it felt a little different. She missed when that soft smile was fixed on her.
“Thanks for chatting with us, but Shizuku and I have an appointment we can’t be late for,” Airi cut in, flashing them her signature grin, the one with her teeth poking out.
“They were so sweet,” Shizuku said as they continued to walk, unaware of the heads turned in their direction.
Airi gave a vague nod as they stopped outside the clothing store. Airi had heard of it before, when she was doing idol research, and had been pleasantly surprised to find out that they were being given a line of credit, to spend whatever they wanted. All for enhancing the flawless, untouchable image of idols, she supposed.
“Oh, Airi, let’s play a game!” Shizuku said, not long after they entered the store. “We can make outfits for each other and have the other model them. Won’t that be fun?”
“I’m up for it,” It was better than aimlessly wandering around looking at the expensive clothes anyway.
“Okay, let’s meet in front of the changing rooms in 10 minutes, all right?”
Airi nodded, and Shizuku took off.
Because they had made quite a fuss as they entered, more people were coming inside to look at the clothes now, leading the store to become quite crowded. Airi breathed in and out, realizing that it would be more difficult to find something for Shizuku now that there were so many people paying attention to her.
Airi pulled out her phone and opened her Photos app to a saved image of Shizuku. It wasn’t creepy that she had an image of her saved like that, it was just that she kept tabs on all her appearances, Airi reminded herself. This picture was from some random magazine article about Cheerful*Days’ newest release, although the article had more pictures of Shizuku than the rest of the members.
Looking at the picture, Airi compared Shizuku to a few items of clothing, trying to find a good match. She could feel herself sinking into the comfortable frenzy of finding the right thing to wear.
If under the right lighting, then … this shade of purple would match perfectly… this one as an accent color… the length of the dress would highlight Shizuku’s long legs…delicate gold jewelry… these shoes wouldn’t match the dress at all …with a flower accent…
“Are you done?” Airi asked, tucking her hands behind her back. Shizuku nodded, her mouth set into a determined pout. “Good, I’ve already set the clothes I picked out for you in the dressing room.”
“So have I. You should go first, Airi!” Shizuku encouraged, gently pushing Airi into the changing room. With a light laugh, Airi turned around to see the clothes Shizuku had picked out for her.
Oh. So this was what Shizuku liked.
Airi quickly shed her clothes, folding them and then laying them to the side. She slipped on the blouse first, admiring the delicate ruffles, and then putting on the corset, pulling the strings. The skirt went on last, ruffled pink edges grazing the tops of her thighs. Shizuku had even set aside matching hair accessories for her hair, and Airi spent an unnecessary amount of time fiddling with them in the mirror.
Deep breaths.
“Well? What do you think?” Airi asked, walking outside and posing. She tried to ignore the other customers looking at them, and focused on the way Shizuku’s face seemed to get just a little flushed. Maybe it was the lighting.
“Oh- Airi, you look lovely. The pink suits your hair very well,” Shizuku said. Airi got the impression that there was something else she wasn’t saying, but ignored it. It would be rude of her to poke, and they were in public after all.
“I especially like the ruffled details on the blouse and corset,” Airi commented twisting and turning to look at the details. It was surprisingly stylish, and almost exactly Airi’s taste.
Airi went back into the fitting room and changed out of her clothes, but when she looked in the mirror to check her makeup she was… smiling?
It was startling, and a little frightening, too. For so long, Airi had thought of Shizuku as a rival, someone she would only see on the opposite team. She was so unused to the idea that Shizuku could truly be just another teenager that it was hard to see her acting like this, going clothes shopping and chatting innocently with fans.
But it was fun, Airi admitted to herself. Even though after this publicity stunt, they would go back to being rivals as center of QT and center of Cheerful*Days, it was fun to pretend for just one day that they were best of friends.
“Airi? Are you alright?”
“Yup, sorry about that!” Airi ducked out of the changing room, grinning sheepishly. “I put the clothes I picked out for you in the room, so whenever you’re ready…”
Shizuku stepped into the changing room, and Airi found herself shifting uncomfortably on the bench, nervous at the prospect of seeing Shizuku wearing the clothes Airi had picked. What if it didn’t look good? What if it the jewelry made her look washed out? What if—
Oh.
Shizuku stepped out of the changing room and Airi lost hold of every thought she had. Her mouth parted just a little bit, heat rising to her cheeks.
The dress certainly fit Shizuku well. It accentuated her slender shoulders and collarbones, highlighting her thin form. Airi hadn’t been off the mark with this one.
Shizuku’s face was decorated with a pretty flush, hands twisted together in front of her, completely oblivious to the way nearly every person in the store had paused shopping to stare. She was practically radiating hope, how could they not?
“Well? How does it look?”
“You- You look stunning,” Airi blurted, for once unable to think of something clever or witty to say. Her cheeks heated even further as she scrambled to keep hold of herself. “The jewelry really fits the look, and, uh, the dress fits your form very well.”
“Really?” Shizuku lit up upon hearing the compliments and the realization that Airi was the one who made her smile like that was almost too much to bear. “Oh, I’m glad. I was worried that it would make me look awkward, since I’m so tall.”
Shizuku laughed lightly, and Airi joined her. Really, the idea of Shizuku ever being awkward was too difficult to imagine.
As they purchased the outfits and left the store, Airi found herself desperately wishing that she could do something like this every day. It was, indeed, a very self-indulgent wish, but one she would keep hidden close to her heart.
No one else needed to know how quickly her heart beat while Shizuku was around.