You see it too, right?!

Chisaka Kutsuki

I hesitantly dip the makeup brush into a red-orange powder, the container reading “blush” and look over at Ryota in front of me. Then with one swipe along his cheekbone, a swatch of red follows. He looks so calm, even when it was already a disaster.

I take the eyeliner pen in my shaky hands, just follow what the tutorials taught me. There was no way I’d make a perfect line of ink on his eyes. He closes them as I get near, and I swipe upward along his eyelid, a stroke of dark purple—wait, I am supposed to use black. Why are there so many different shades of eyeliner too?

I try to replicate the line on the other eye. He gazes up at me, his eyes didn’t even need the thing called mascara. I rummage through the makeup products on the counter, Ryota holds a tube of mascara up to me. I blush, and take it from him and try to remember how the girls in the beauty vlogs put them on, then attempt it myself.

Within an hour, Ryota’s face was covered with makeup, and I had to add the finishing touch. I grab the brow pencil in a purple shade to match his eyeliner, then make two tear-drop shapes right next to each other.

“Done.” I say quietly, enough for him to hear. He stands up again, and tosses his jacket over his shoulder.

“Thanks.” he goes over to the full length mirror near the exit door to the photoshoot area.

“Wha—WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FACE?”I jump at his reaction. He looked like he’d just read the finale of the manga Tokyo Zombies.

“This blending technique- its….”

My face goes white, he did tell me to do his makeup. It wasn't my fault this was my first time attempting to put makeup on—I’d never even worn makeup myself.

“—It’s alright, hand me the blender.” I hand him the tear-shaped purple sponge referred to as the blender and he works his magic in the mirror, a few touch-ups later his face is utterly beautiful. Like somehow he turned my rubbish into a masterpiece. All his features enhanced even more than they already were, and he was already devine-like in the first place. I hated the term “alluring” but if there was a way to describe it… the sharpness of his jaw, the glow of his skin, his piercing eyes that were also soft at the same time, long eye-lashes, silky, long dark hair pulled up in a half-up ponytail, and lastly his tall physique, just between lean and muscular.

I couldn’t help but stare at how attractive he was. I was always forgotten, at the back of the class. I wasn’t even a thought to the others… but him. He was the center of everyone, more than just a popular guy at school. He was a literal celebrity, millions, and if not billions, of fans from all over the world.

“You see it too, right?” I hushly say to him, gluing my eye to the ground, I never felt so out of place except for in this moment, next to a guy I didn’t deserve to be in the same room with. “You see the soulmate string too… the one attaching both of us together.”

He looks over at me, but I don’t dare look up at him, I already made a fool of myself putting makeup on him.

“—Th-the string of what?” I could feel the hotness of my face as I watched his expensive shoes and long legs wearing designer clothing make their way near me. His arm raises from his side, a hand reaching out for me. I begin to answer his question…

“The string that’s supposed to tell us who our soulmate-”

“Chisaka, GUESS WHAT?! I got to put makeup on the incredibly famous model, Nanaka. We talked about how our fashion tastes are so similar and even modeling gigs! It was so fun!” Gina shouts as she slams open the door, I could see sparkles of excitement around her. Seconds later, a crowd of about fifteen professional makeup artists scatter the room.

I look up to the place Ryota was standing in, but just like that, he was gone. No one seemed phased, whatsoever. If anyone would have commented on Ryota being there, it would have been Gina, and she said nothing. Am I sure I didn’t just imagine that whole meeting?

Also, why did Ryota question the string, couldn’t everyone see their own string of fate?

Another beautiful girl, who looks to be a model herself, runs from the door of the photoshoot set. She carries a side bag with makeup products spilling out the top and a whole line of makeup brushes, a face full of beautifully done makeup on herself. “I’m so sorry, I’m running late. Has anyone seen Ryota? He’s my client for today, and I need to do his makeup before his photoshoot time!”

So, that’s what happened.

It was all just a mix-up…