Humming gently, I walk into the staff room just before everyone else does. Heading straight to the kettle and filling it with water before clicking the button on. Letting the water boil, I grab my instant ramen pot from my bag and set it on the side, just needing to add water to the dry ingredients before I could dig into my lunch. My stomach growling and pleading at me for food while my mind runs rampant with all the chores I have to get through before the end of my shift, running my fingers through my hair with a small sigh.

Today was rather stressful, to say the least. The dressing rooms were crammed with multiple models, some having to bunch up with others since there were so many. Meaning that makeup artists like my mentor couldn't spread everything out like they want to. It was all so crammed. Having to end up stacking palettes and things on top of each other. Which ended up with the loss of certain palettes and people stressing over a lost foundation. Then, to add salt to the wound, models were growing agitated with how long it was taking us. Giving us evil eyes and scoffs. Beginning to throw some small comments to try and make us work faster which would, in turn, begin to agitate the camera crew and directors.

It was just utter chaos... And it was only halfway through the day!

My mentor, Mrs Juniper, luckily, works well under pressure. She kept her cool, which made me feel a lot more calmer than I usually did. I didn't crack under pressure just like I thought I would, I was surprisingly calm.

We got nicer models than what others did. The models were rather polite too, dismissing our apologies with kind words. Understanding the stress and the sheer amount of work we had to do. Which, in turn, produced a great face a makeup for the model. So, there was some sort of silver lining today. It may not be much, but at least it's something.

As the kettle sings when the waters boiled, I gently pour it into my ramen pot to the recommended line. Taking a small breath as I pick it up and begin to stir it, thanking my lucky stars that I left a bit earlier than my colleagues to sort my food out. Trying to get to the microwave or the kettle was a battle in itself in this office. People will push, elbow and even kick to get to it. Which is insane... but I can see where they're coming from.

After all, I would want to stuff my face after dealing with a rude model.

Enjoying the silence while I can, I sit down on the plush red sofa sitting near the corner, slipping my shoes off to hold my knees to my chest. I pull my chopsticks from my bag and begin devouring the noodles while pulling out my sketchbook, flicking through the recent designs I've created. My mind whirring at a thousand miles per minute to figure out what method I could take to make that into a makeup look while I slurp on my noodles. My pencil almost having a mind of its own as I jot down the processes.

Unfortunately, as soon as I had it, it's quickly taken away. The silence is ripped to shreds as makeup artists, camera crew, fashion designers and seamstresses begin to fill in. Racing each other for the microwave and the kettle before anyone else can get to it. A small sigh leaves my lips at the loss of silence while I close and sketchbook and file it away. Hoping no one saw anything.

I was rather self conscious over my work...

Clearing my throat softly, I go back to focusing on eating my ramen until someone decides to rest themselves beside me. Great. Just great. Humming gently, I turn toward the person and realise it's one of my colleagues, someone that I usually hung around with at the beginning of my career since I didn't have a clue what to do. Her bright red eyes glittering with glee. Obviously, she was up to something. And by the looks of it... I wasn't going to like it.

"Hey, (Y/n)," she says with a sly smile, elbowing my playfully making me jolt gently, my arm quickly to recover so my ramen doesn't go everywhere, "So~ How've you been?"

"What do you want, Dahlia?" I ask, closing my eyes with a small annoyed tone, swirling my chopsticks in the broth of the now noodleless ramen cup making a small whirlpool of ramen broth. A small reluctant groan leaving my lips as she giggles nervously and rubs the back of her neck with a sheepish grin, "What is it?"

"Well... you know how you haven't been on a date... like, ever?" She begins, giggling when I set my ramen cup down and rub the bridge of my nose. An exasperated sigh leaving my lips as I already know where this is going to go. I certainly didn't like where it was going to go. I didn't want it to go where it was going to go! Unfortunately, however, life isn't that kind to someone like me, "I was wondering if you'd wanna go on a blind —"

"No."

"Aww! Come on! It'll be fun!" She whines, pulling on my arm to try and swerve me in her direction. Pouting like a child when I side eye her. Yanking at my arm as I go to leave being pulled right into the couch with a small yelp, my arm aching with her strong grip, "Please! I promise you he's not that —"

"I said no,"

"Ugh! Come on! You need to get out there or you'll remain single for the rest of your life!" She groans, trying to convince me that I have to have a boyfriend because I'm twenty - two and I'm still a virgin so I have to give it to some random stranger that she's trying to set me up with.

Um, no. Ain't gonna happen.

Sure, I haven't had a proper boyfriend ever. I have never been in a relationship with a guy or a girl that extends to kissing, hand holding or cuddling. Never. Have I had feelings for someone before? Probably. Probably not. Do I want to be in a relationship right now?... Not really. Was it so bad?... I didn't have to have a boyfriend. It's my life after all, no one can force me into anything.

"Please! He's really, really nice and he's such a gentleman," she whines, leaning into my personal space to try and look me in my eyes making me roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest, shaking my head making her squeak in frustration, "Ugh! Come on! Why?!"

"Because I'm not interested," I reply looking toward her, not really wanting to tell her the actual reason why I don't want to get into a relationship, especially with a guy, "Can you drop it, please? I said no, take it or leave it,"

"But he's like really nice, come on, he's just your type," she tries to convince me, empathising nearly all the words in her sentence as if that will swerve me into doing what she wants, "Please?"

"No," I say bluntly, grabbing my bag with a small groan, slinging it over my shoulder with an annoyed huff, "I'll see you around,"

"What?! Aww! Come on, (Y/n)!" I hear her call out as I walk off, throwing my ramen cup in the bin and sliding my chopsticks back into their case, ignoring her, "Just give him one —"

Smirking to myself, I slam the door shut, making the rest of her words merge into the door instead of slipping into my ears. Shaking my head with a weak smile as I head down the hallways toward one of the dressing room, wanting to get at least fifteen minutes alone time before the stress and the work kicks in again until seven o'clock tonight. Just wanting to do some more shading for my recent design before submitting it in to Mrs Juniper to see if she likes it and maybe could help me finally land me my big break...

Opening the door into one of the dressing rooms, I smile to myself as I check it over, finding it completely empty. Setting my bag down, I sit on the couch with my sketchbook in my lap and pulling my pencil case out of my bag. As I open my book, I lean against the back cushion of the couch and begin shading in the design on the page. It was a simple design. Clouds in the sky. The sky being a beautiful light purple, pastel orange and pastel pink colour with soft white fluffy clouds.

One of the newer models that would be joining the agency would get their own personal makeup artists, making the interns excited. To get our point in, we had to come up with three designs that we could potentially use for this model. We got to choose our own theme, colour scheme and style. My theme was the outdoors and the sky. My first design being bright stars in a deep night sky. My second design was the fluffy clouds in a beautiful pastel coloured sky.

Being the indecisive muffin that I was, I was still debating on my third.

Sighing gently to myself, I lean against the couch and look up at the ceiling. Taking a deep breath to calm myself down. The conversation with my colleague running rampant through my mind as I tap the end of my pencil against my sketchbook. Closing my eyes to prevent myself from breaking down into tears. Was it so bad that I wasn't interested in having a relationship? That I haven't had a boyfriend or a girlfriend ever?... Was it?

It wasn't my fault that I didn't want a relationship...

My view on others, unfortunately, became warped due to how I was treated during high school. Feeling like the only people I could trust was my family. Being bullied made me feel like I had no one. That I couldn't trust anyone with anything. I couldn't bring myself to date anyone, worried that someone could betray my trust.

Especially guys...

My main friendships consisted of girls. My family was mainly women too. There wasn't really any close relationships with any guys, I tended to keep my distance. Not really knowing what they could do... what they'd say... Having my bracelet stolen right from under my nose made me realise that nothing special was safe anymore...

Keigo Takami wasn't what everyone thought was, after all...

And I still can't believe that he's a hero after doing what he did to me...