Chapter 58: Mermaid scales.
Hikaru woke Kiri up early and when he reached for her she grabbed his hands and stopped him. He looked at her in surprise and she complained, "I'm starving. We didn't eat supper."
He laughed and got up quickly. He cooked them a lavish breakfast and prepared Hikaru's lunch. He dropped her off at school on his way to work.
--
During their lunch break while Hikaru was despairing over her most recent grades, Risa begged, "Can you please spend this afternoon with me? I think I fixed the dress and I'm ready to have you try the suit on, although it's only lightly basted, but I want to see if it's going to be anything like I thought."
Hikaru looked at her glum face in surprise, usually Risa was one of the most cheerful and energetic people she knew. "OK. What's wrong?" she agreed and asked with concern.
Shizuoka chuckled and said, "You're just a master of subtlety aren't you?"
Hikaru and Risa looked at her with identical blank expressions and she went off into a fit of giggles.
Hikaru looked at Risa questioningly. Risa said, while pointedly ignoring Shizuoka, "Nothing's wrong, I'm just a little tired and it's just not coming out quite like I hoped." She looked at Hikaru and promised, "If it's too awful, I'll stop trying to make a swimsuit and choose some other sport."
Shizuoka sobered up and said thoughtfully, "Hmm. I didn't know you were trying to get Hikaru into a swimsuit, can I come see it?"
Risa looked at Hikaru hesitantly. Hikaru couldn't guess what Risa wanted her to answer, so she just said, "I don't mind, but it's not my design."
Risa brightened a little and told Shizuoka, "Sure, you can come too."
Shizuoka smiled.
--
Hikaru messaged Kiri that she was staying late and they met in the crafting room after their classes finished. There were other people working on things too and Hikaru hesitated before entering.
Risa looked around and said, "Everyone is trying to finish things because we've only got a week left."
Hikaru stared. Shizuoka poked her and asked, "Don't tell me you forgot about the festival?"
Mutely she shook her head.
Anxiously Risa asked, "You're not going to change your mind are you?"
Hikaru reassured her, "No, of course not! I just hadn't realized spring break is so close! And the concert." Doubtfully she added, "But won't we need to practice walking?"
Risa gave her a funny look and asked, "You need to practice walking?"
Shizuoka laughed and said confidently, "Leave that part to me, I'll teach Hikaru how to walk in your outfits." They both looked at her in surprise and she said, "Hey, what's with those looks, which one of us has actually done a little modeling?"
Risa and Hikaru both laughed and acknowledged her superiority.
When Hikaru was dubious about trying on the outfits in the craft room, Shizuoka pointed out, "You're going to have to do outfit changes behind a sheet for the actual show. These people don't even care what we're doing, they're all busy with their own stuff."
She tried on the dress first and looked in the mirror and said, "Wow!"
Risa grinned at her and said contentedly, "This one is finished."
Shizuoka was also impressed. "That dress would cost at least a couple hundred, wow, Risa why didn't you make me one?"
Risa laughed and said, "I'll make you one after we graduate, if you buy the materials, just let me get through this safely."
Shizuoka hugged her, and then made Hikaru walk back and forth across the room. Hikaru walked stiffly back and forth. Risa started to speak and Shizuoka stopped her.
To Hikaru she said, "Now walk back and forth across the room like you're going to play your guitar at the other end."
Hikaru blinked at her and walked back and forth more normally. Her friends laughed at her and instructed her firmly that she needed to imagine playing her music instead of thinking about walking when it was time to do the presentation.
Hikaru laughed and jokingly threatened to sing the catwalk song out loud during it.
Risa made a mock horrified expression and exclaimed, "Don't you dare!"
--
Hikaru was surprised by the swimsuit. It was asymmetrical and nothing like she'd imagined. On her left side it had a ¾ sleeve and leg, on the right it had ¼ lengths. It made a sort of sideways triangle across her body in a shimmer of color like a mermaid's tail.
The suit was a little rough feeling in places where the fabric was pieced together in small diamonds of slightly varying shades. Even though it wasn't very comfortable, it gave the effect of scales running a spiral up her body and the pattern wrapped around her torso and ended at her shoulder.
She turned to Risa and said, "It's beautiful, even if it's not very comfortable."
Risa looked at her anxiously and asked, "Where is it uncomfortable?"
Hikaru explained about the seams and Shizuoka suggested, "Why not just give it a lining? Lots of suits have two layers."
Hikaru's phone went off, and she picked it up and answered.
Kiri asked, "Will you be free soon, can you come to Inline's main office and speak with Keito Kirari?"
Hikaru replied, "Just a minute," she looked at Risa and Shizuoka and asked, "how much longer do you think?"
Risa replied doubtfully, "We can quit now if you need to?"
Hikaru replied to Kiri, "I can do it now if you need me to."
Relieved he said, "Please."
After they ended the call, Risa and Shizuoka demanded to know what was going on. After she'd explained the situation with Kiri and the actress, Risa made her call Kiri back and tell him she needed another hour.
--
Then they rushed Hikaru to her place and dressed her up. The bed was quickly buried under discarded clothes and they settled on one of Hikaru's stage outfits. When she protested, Risa declared, "You work for Inline Productions, and this is one of your work outfits."
Baffled, Hikaru said, "I could have worn my uniform."
Kiri messaged her again and Hikaru read it and laughed. It said, 'I forgot you're probably still in your school uniform, it would be better to wear casual clothes, someone may take your picture.'
Risa snorted and said, "At least if you are going to fall for an older man, he's not a stupid one." She looked at Hikaru and said, "Wake up Hikaru."
Hikaru looked back at her confused.
Risa sighed and said, "I'm glad we switched middle schools and went to this highschool, you've gotten really comfortable. Have you forgotten what reporters can be like?"
Hikaru stiffened and Shizuoka accidently pulled her hair when she moved. Shizuoka asked, "Reporters?"
Risa said, "I'll tell you after Hikaru is ready," she hesitated and looked at Hikaru, "If that's OK."
Hikaru nodded seriously and said, "Of course it is, I trust Shizuoka."
Shizuoka blushed and finished Hikaru's hair.
Hikaru looked in the mirror when they were done and said with surprise, "I look elegant, even though I'm just wearing my black and silver."
Risa laughed and said, "Just remember you look elegant and keep your temper. Now go scold that stupid actress girl properly," she sniffed.
Hikaru and Shizuoka laughed.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone