Chapter Text
Matsuoka Kou sighed as she listened to the muffled arguing that was occurring behind the thin wall that her makeshift desk was pushed up against. Silently, she removed a small pad of paper and a bright red pen from her purse. She opened the notebook and flipped past a few pages until she reached one titled “Make-up Artist.” Knowing where the argument was heading without having to hear the conclusion of it, Kou clicked the pen and drew a thick line through the name at the very bottom of the list. Above the now voided name was around ten other names that all shared the same fate, a painfully earned decoration of a bright red line of rejection. She laid her head down on the countertop and prayed that her brother didn’t fuck up as badly this time as he did with Misaki, the make-up artist before the one who’s currently quitting. Kou shuttered as she remembered the lawsuit that proceed after Misaki’s departure.
“Another one bites the dust, yeah?”
Unaware that another person had entered the room, Kou’s head shot up rapidly. She winced and let out a noise of pain when the sharp, sudden movement caused the crown of her head to collide with a desk lamp. It took a few blinks before she was able to finally focus her eyes on the newcomer. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding when she noticed that it was Hazuki Nagisa, one the members in Style Five, the boy band that she managed.
“Nagisa!” Kou staged whispered at the blond. “You scared me half to death! And keep your voice down! I wanna hear how this is going to pan out!”
“But you already know.” Nagisa replied in a voice that was no quieter than when he first spoke. He pointed down to her list as if to remind her that she had already struck out the girl’s name. Mentally, Kou groaned at the boy’s gestures. “It’s always the same thing. Our make-up artist becomes utterly obsessed with Rin. Then he leads her on and as soon as he get what he wants, which is sex.” This time around, Kou released an audible groan. She may know what Rin is doing with all of the band’s artists, but there is no way in hell that she wants to actively sit down and have a conversation about her idiot brother’s sex life. “Anyways, once Rin sleeps with them, he starts ignoring them. They get upset and quit and then we are back to square one.” Nagisa let out a sigh as a sad look overcame his cherub face. “Pity, I actually liked Hana. She was a sweetheart and actually knew what she was doing.”
“I know! I know! I just don’t know what to do! I’ve tried talking to him about it. It just seems like that ever since the group has gotten bigger, the fame has inflated his empty head to the size of a watermelon!” Frustrated, Kou grasped a piece of her hair and began twisting it aggressively.
“Yeah, talking probably won’t work with Rin-Rin.”
“Oh and just what the hell do you think will work, Nagisa? Please enlighten me with your ideas! If Rin keeps doing this shit, the label is just going to up and drop Style Five! Do you want that, Nagisa? Do you?” Without consciously realizing it, Kou had stood up, mid-rant, and started staring Nagisa down. The blond just let out a laugh, not phased in the slightest by the redhead’s murderous glare. He had been on the receiving end of that glare a multitude of times. However after the third or fourth time, he had become immune to the girl’s predictable form of intimidation. His laughter calmed down as he began to contemplate solutions for their slight Rin problem. After a few seconds of brainstorming, Nagisa suddenly reached out and placed his hand on Kou’s shoulder, shaking her out of her own, much more violent, train of thought.
“I think I have a idea, Gou-chan.”
“Kou, Nagisa, Kou...So do I.”
“What’s your idea, Gou-chan?”
“We kill him and find a doppelganger to take his place. And if we can’t hunt one down, I'll just chop all my hair off and pretend to be him.”
“Um...As fun as murder sounds, I don't think it's the best answer to our problem. Although, I do believe you would make an awesome Rin-Rin double, Gou-chan.”
“For the final time, Nagisa. Call me Kou, damn it! Now what’s your idea?”
“Is Rin-Rin attracted to only girls?”
The question caught Kou off guard. Was now, of all times, really the best place to discuss her older brother’s sexuality? Although she was beyond confused, Kou was also intrigued by the boy’s sudden question.
“I’m pretty sure he is. But what exactly does that do with our make-up artist drama?” Kou tilted her head in confusion and stared at Nagisa, waiting for him to explain himself better. Nagisa let out a small giggle, tickled pink that Kou was unable to connect the dots.
“Rin-Rin likes to lead our artists along and then toss them away like old garbage, right?” Kou slowly nodded in agreement. “And all of our previous artists were women, correct?” Again, Kou nodded, still unsure. “So if Rin-Rin only dates women and enjoys playing around with our artists, who have all happened to be women, why don’t we just hire a male make-up artist? I mean, you said Rin-Rin only dates women, I’m with Rei-chan and Mako-chan and Haru-chan have been together since they day they were born so there is absolutely no reason for a male make-up artist to be anything more than that, our artist. Right, Gou-chan?” At the end of his monologue, Nagisa smiled sweetly at Kou, whose eyes were beginning to enlighten with realization.
Stunned, Kou stared at the blond before she came to her senses and practically tackled the boy to the ground. She squeezed him in a tight hug and sloppily kissed his cheek. In the background she could hear Hana bellow out “I quit!” and, a few seconds later, the door slam shut.
“Hazuki Nagisa, you are a genius!”