Pleasant Daydreams, Pleasant Idols, Pleasant Photoshoots

Memories of that night kept coming back to Alex, tinged with a rosy and bubbly tint as she thought back to the one moment she had with Mr. Hironori. How his handsome face seemed so relaxed, his eyes focused solely on her and no one else. Even in a room full of people, all the noise had been drowned out and, for the briefest of seconds, they had become the only people left in their own tiny world.

Really, that was just her imagination getting the better of her, but that didn't stop her from telling Val everything that happened the next day.

"I didn't think he would have those kinds of worries too!" Alex said at the end of her recap. "You would think people higher up would have it all sorted out, but I guess not. Even they still have a lot to learn!"

Lounging on the couch with her black boots propped up on the other end, Val simply gave a shrug in response. Judging from her bored expression and folded arms, it was pretty clear that she wanted to go back to watching her shows, yet Alex was too busy being love-struck to notice this. In the beginning, Val had been somewhat engaged, feigning surprised reactions and even praising her for getting to talk with him. However, Val had hoped by the time they finished drinking their tea Alex would be done, but Alex's cup had gone cold while Val's had been cleaned out for a while.

Unfortunately for her, Alex wasn't gushing, as she continued, "And you should've seen how nice he looked! I mean... he's always dressed professionally, but it was better than usual! I don't know if he wears a cologne. I've never smelled any. Actually, he doesn't seem to have a smell at all. I wonder if he uses unscented deodorant. Do you think he likes girls that use perfume? Maybe he has a sensitive nose. Or maybe-"

"Why don't you ask him?" Val interrupted, her tone reflecting her annoyance. "It's good you're into him and all, but ya won't get anywhere sittin' around speculatin'."

That was enough to pop Alex's bubble for the time being, and she sheepishly picked up her cup to finally drink herself silent. Of course, since it was cold, she grimaced upon making contact, yet she chose to gulp it all down anyway.

"Yeah, you're right," Alex said as she stared down at her cup. "Sorry, I uh... well. To be honest, this is my first time being interested in someone as a woman, you know? It feels like a dream come true, in a way."

"That's great and all," Val said. "But you don't even know if you're his type."

There it was, from floating in a dream to dropping into a nightmare, and her body slowly sank into her chair from the truth weighing her down. While blunt, Val did have a point. She could be working herself up for nothing. She wasn't like most women to begin with, and that alone could be enough to be a deal breaker.

Noting Alex's distress, Val tried to play it off with a reassuring grin. "Hey, look. I get it. Girl crushes are hard. If it doesn't work out, I'll give you a VIP pass to The Slutty Saloon. You'll hook up with a dude there in no time. It's literally illegal for anyone to judge there."

Alex smiled a little and rolled her eyes, flattered but not interested. Val worked as both a bartender and a bouncer at an odd yet popular dance club known as The Slutty Saloon. As Val described it, the pay was nice and people were cool, but Alex herself never went. Despite being offered to go multiple times, able to cut the line and everything due to her connection, clubs were not her style. She would say she's classier than that, but in truth, it was more because of the crowded space, strobing lights, and pounding music adding up to one bad anxiety attack. It didn't matter though. She doubted she would have fun anyway.

Her father burst into the apartment, unannounced, less than a moment later, shifting Alex away from whatever was on her mind. While she normally would have been annoyed, a nice strawberry doughnut sounded good right about now.

---

Meanwhile at work, things were about to change for the better, as evidenced by Nami's big grin as she approached Alex at her desk. The bigger the mouth, the bigger the news, or that's what Alex had learned.

"Get your stuff! We're going to the photoshoot together," Nami said rather cheerfully despite clearly being an order.

Alex's eyes widened. "Huh?! The photoshoot? Don't you need me here to answer your calls?"

"That's why I said to bring your stuff." Nami then placed her hands on her hips and puffed up her chest. "We're going to save time by multi-tasking! You, me, and the chief are going to get everything done at all once in one place today."

"The chief?!" Alex quickly started scrambling to gather what she needed. If the editor-in-chief was going to be there, this was a perfect opportunity for them to talk more!

"Yes, he wants to help too," Nami explained. "If all goes right, we'll be hours, if not days, ahead of our schedule. Smart, right? I'm glad I thought of it!"

"I'm ready! Let's go!" While Nami was talking, Alex had already prepared her stuff and was lugging all of it around in her backpack. While designer bags were nice, she felt more at ease carrying valuables like her laptop in something secure. Plus in her opinion, her ruby red backpack was very cute and sleek.

The photoshoot was in another section of the building, which made getting there fast and convenient. As soon as they walked in, they were greeted with a flood of bright, flashing lights alongside loud shutters. Alex had to hover a hand over her eyes to defend herself until her eyes could adjust. The room itself was spacious, allowing for two whole sets to be arranged with a good amount of walking room to spare. Everything you would expect for a photoshoot was there, from the various different cameras to the white backdrops to the gorgeous models posing in stunning outfits. Since the autumn line-up was approaching, they were decked out in thin sweaters, faux fur boots, cozy jeans, and a few additional accessories like wool hats and scarves to bring it all together.

As for the man they were searching for, Mr. Hironori was off the side speaking with one of the male models. Alex gasped, immediately recognizing the male model from social media. It was easy since his feminine features were a part of his brand, from his short, lithe figure to his soft, cherubic cheeks. His cosplay habits of dressing up as popular male characters who shared his traits led him to getting millions of followers online. Even outside of cosplay, he had a natural beauty to him that drew in attention, which would explain how he got this job.

Unable to contain herself, Alex approached the two with stars in her eyes, eager to see her idol up close.

"Um... excuse me! Are you Rumi Musuko?" Alex asked politely, though her fangirl enthusiasm was definitely showing, especially with how she was bouncing on her heels.

Rumi's deep-blue eyes, as dark and beautiful as a pair of lapis lazuli, narrowed with a mix of confusion and annoyance. "Who is this?"

"This is Miss Alex Rosalind," Mr. Hironori explained plainly. "She is Nami's assistant."

"I see..." Rumi glanced up and down at Alex to examine her, which caused Alex to fidget uncomfortably. "At least she knows how to dress for work, unlike some people."

Alex could take a few guesses as to who those people were, thinking back to neon fabrics, pink leopard prints, and an excessive amount of rhinestones, but it wasn't in her place to say anything.

Rumi then faced Alex directly to extend his hand. "Yes, you're correct. I'm Rumi Musuko. You probably know me from my hobbies, don't you? I appreciate that you didn't say my username out loud."

Well, it's not like MoistFemboy21 was going to pass without a few stares, Alex thought to herself. Instead of saying that, she happily took Rumi's small, fragile hand and shook it as she replied, "It's an honor to meet you, sir!"

"Sir, huh?" Rumi smirked at that, letting go of her hand before looking back at Mr. Hironori. "I like this one."

"As do I," Mr. Hironori replied with a small, rare smile.

Alex's heart skipped a beat from seeing his handsome smile, and she mentally thanked every god in existence for giving her this opportunity. To be complimented by her idol and be acknowledged by her boss was going to leave her high and soaring with joy for the rest of the week.

Now wasn't the time to drift off though, as Nami was quick to remind her by calling out to Alex for her assistance. Alex excused herself and ran back to Nami to do what was needed. For the most part, Alex was left sitting around on her laptop, typing away notes, emails, and documents that had to be written up. Since Mr. Hironori was there, he and Nami discussed plans for the line-up and future articles, among other important topics. Everything got approved in an orderly fashion, precisely as Nami planned. Because everything had gone so smoothly, Alex didn't notice it was getting close to the end of her shift until she saw people packing up for the day.

"Alright, we'll follow up tomorrow," Nami said. After picking up her bag, she waved as she began to make her way to the exit. "I'll see you later!"

"See you later," Alex said with a wave back, in the middle of packing up as well. At this point, the only people left were her, Mr. Hironori, and Rumi. Rumi seemed exhausted, running a hand through his curly, blond locks as he drank the rest of his water bottle. Mr. Hironori was stoic and business as usual, typing away on his laptop to presumably take his notes.

"God, I'm tired. I can't stand how hot those lights are," Rumi complained as he stood beside Mr. Hironori.

"You did good work today," Mr. Hironori replied. "I appreciate you coming in today."

Rumi rolled his eyes and playfully placed his empty bottle on top of Mr. Hironori's head, as if trying to balance it on there. "Yeah, yeah. You always say that. This is why I'm never bringing my girlfriend to work. You'd remind her of that butler she likes."

Mr. Hironori continued typing away, completely unfazed. Alex was baffled that Rumi could get away with that, but then again it was obvious the two were on good terms. While Alex was hoping to talk with Mr. Hironori privately some more, this didn't seem like the right time. They had a positive and productive interaction today at least, so she was going to take that as a win. The plan now was to play along for a bit to stay on their good side and then go home. It should be easy.

"You two really get along," Alex said in a lively tone.

"Well us hafus gotta stick together," Rumi said.

"Hafus?"

Rumi nodded and pointed to Mr. Hironori. "We're both Japanese-American. He's third-quarters while I'm half-and-half. We actually met through an Asian interest forum."

Alex was shocked to hear this and couldn't stop herself from inquiring more. "How are you a blond then?"

Rumi shrugged his shoulders. "Anime logic, I guess? Or more likely something weird was hidden in my genes. My sister looks nothing like me, that's for sure."

Alex couldn't argue with that, so she just accepted it with a smile. "Well, I'm glad you were born as you are! I wish I could even be half as beautiful and confident as you."

Rumi gave her a weird look, and Alex wondered if that came out wrong. Leaving his water bottle behind on Mr. Hironori's head, he walked over to Alex and gestured towards the hall.

"I'll give you some tips then," Rumi said. "Let's go somewhere else to talk. Don't wanna disturb the man."

"Really?!" Alex beamed, barely able to hold back squealing from how happy she was that her idol would do something so kind. "Yes, please! Lead the way!"

Alex followed behind Rumi like an excited puppy out of the room and into the hallway. However, as soon as they were out of sound and sight of Mr. Hironori, Rumi's demeanor completely changed. As he turned around to stare down at Alex, which was quite the feat considering Alex was a head taller than him, his expression was deadly serious, with a hint of anger behind his furrowed brows.

"Listen," Rumi said, "I get we can't all be what we want, but that's why you have to try harder. Stop half-assing it."

Alex was taken completely aback, and she could barely choke out in response, "W-What?!"

Rumi then pointed his finger accusingly towards Alex's throat, and she covered it up defensively. "Your Adam's apple! At first, I thought you were just one of those rare girls born with one, but that's not it at all, is it?"

Alex shrunk a bit, knowing she couldn't hide it, and meekly nodded.

"And I bet you wear long skirts even in the summer because you're afraid of what people will see, right?"

Right again, as signified by her additional nod.

Rumi sighed, his anger dissipating into disappointment. As he stepped toward Alex, she shivered in fear of what was to come. He raised his hand up high, causing her to wince and close her eyes, but then after what felt like an eternity, it landed gently on her shoulder.

"Seriously," Rumi said. "You've gone through all this trouble to be pretty and you're still not happy about it. Why?"

"Huh?" Alex slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm asking why you're not happy."

It was a simple question, yet one that cut deep into Alex's heart. Her body finally relaxed and her arms went limp as she lowered her head.

"I don't know," Alex answered honestly.

Rumi frowned, not quite content with that answer. "I might have a theory. You're scared of what other people think, don't you?"

Alex let out a tiny, sad laugh. "Yeah... that's totally up there."

Rumi took his hand off of her. "I used to be like that too. It pissed me off when people would comment about how I have to be gay or a woman because I liked wearing dresses and other girly clothing. They made me question myself, doubt myself, even be angry at myself for what I liked. Then I realized... fuck them. I'm a man. I've always been a straight man and that's never going to change. I'm not hurting anyone with my interests and I'm not some crazy pervert." He averted his gaze, a small blush creeping up his cheeks from the embarrassment of suddenly being open with her. "What I'm getting at is... don't let that happen to you. Be more confident in yourself. If you're a woman, then be the woman you want to be."

Tears formed in the corners of Alex's eyes, touched beyond words. "I will. Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Rumi replied with a huff. "I was testing you. Had you actually defended yourself when I started questioning you, I wouldn't have even bothered. Then I would've just assumed you had plain tastes."

"...Seriously?" Now it was Alex's turn to be mad, her rosy cheeks puffed up in a pout. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"That's the point. You were scared I was going to 'expose' you, right?"

"What else was I supposed to think?!"

Rumi smirked, then began to walk towards the exit. "You tell me. Anyway, that's enough tips for today. I'll see you whenever."

Left behind in the dust, Alex felt several emotions mixed around at once, from grateful to sad to utterly annoyed. It's not like he could understand her situation. She had worked hard to get to where she was now! And people like her had gotten fired over this sort of thing! At the same time, she should try harder. Should she be trying to pass other people's standards, or should they be the ones passing hers? She wasn't hurting anyone either. At least... she hoped not.

That was it, she realized. She just needed to be honest, and that scared her. If she was going to be forward with anyone romantically, they needed to know the most important fact about her body. This truth is what was holding her back, to the point where she was hiding in the dark to avoid it. It was too much. She needed time to think this all over.

As the elevator doors closed, she wondered if she should buy a cute scarf.