I couldn't explain how violated I felt when I had called my parents to tell them that I had possibly landed a job. My father was hooting in the background like a drunkard who had just heard the funniest joke of all time while my mother scolded me and told me 'I better not be lying.'
Parents: They tell you to get jobs but then tease you when you land one.
So since I was still practically robbed from last night, hunting for a "formal ensemble," like Mikaela suggested I do, was going to be the death of me. I was helpless, so I just wore the shirt Eustis gave me again. As for pants, the only ones I had were the slightly torn ones from yesterday with the coffee stains, so I was impotent there as well. Before I knew it, I used the very last bit of money I had to literally rent half of an ensemble for ten dollars. If that didn't scream struggle, then what did?
It was about fifteen minutes to nine when I eagerly caught another taxi back to the building of sophistication and seriousness that caused me great anxiety. I couldn't describe how terribly apprehensive I felt, my palms and everything sweating like I had just finished running a marathon. The last thing I wanted was to smell like shit before I got there, so I blasted the A/C and, for some strange reason, thought of some nature program I had watched awhile back on the way there.
Outside the building I was, eagerly clutching onto my nearly dead cellphone as I entered the large building. Just walking inside of there gave me a bad feeling, but I couldn't let the possible opportunity slip. Mikaela seemed to know what he was doing, anyways. All I had to do was show up.
Before I knew it, I saw Harvid round the corner from the elevator, him already giving me a nasty stare.
I avoided eye contact with him, awkwardly sitting on one of the chairs and pretending like I didn't even acknowledge his existence as I stared off. He couldn't do anything to me... right? Next thing I knew, he was sitting adjacent from me in the lobby, glaring at me. I peered up at him, then looked off again.
Juuuuust ignore him. Oh, wow, look at that dust bunny over there. Just kidding, this place is too pristine to have dust bunnies.
"I'm surprised," he began in his satanically deep voice. "No coffee today? A suit?"
I shrugged, trying to resemble his confident normal stance. "Yes, sir. I am here to see someone."
He raised an eyebrow, giving me an unbelievable stare. "You know you cannot see them, right?"
I tilted my head. "Why?"
"Because I have to expel you."
"Wait, what?"
Before I knew it, we were nearly in the same scenario as yesterday, him lifting me over his shoulder. I panicked, trying to get off of him. "Hey! Wait! I'm here to see someone - you can't expel me for that!"
"I was told you're not allowed back in here," he snapped, carrying me out of the lobby.
"I have an appointment, dammit! I'm here for a job appointment!" He was still carrying me closer and closer to the door. Then I remembered what Mikaela had told me to say if something like this happened. It's like he knew this was going to happen. "I'm here to see Jeunesse Mikaela Shindo!"
He paused, looking over his shoulder at me, furrowing his eyebrows. "Are you out of your mind, kid? You cannot see him, he's forbade to see-"
"Harvid," a familiar deep voice suddenly boomed from a speaker overhead. I froze, looking all around the building for who had suddenly emitted the voice. Was that Mikaela? That definitely had to be him. I sighed in relief, smirking at him smugly. "Bring him to my floor."
Harvid looked up at the ceiling, furrowing his eyebrows. "Jeunesse, I don't think you're aware of who this is."
"I am fully aware of whom he is. I would only like to ask once that you bring him to my floor."
Damn, he was strict. But it was kinda badass... in a really, kinda, sexy way, which was still so weird.
Harvid gave me a nasty look, and I replied with a sheepish smile. "Told ya."
He dropped me, and I guess I had to follow him to the elevators. I quickly retrieved my phone and got to my feet, eagerly tiptoeing behind him.
The elevator ride was terribly awkward because I could feel him boring a hateful glare into the side of my face. At one point when I did make eye contact, his nose flared at me, making me flinch.
Thankfully, the elevator finally came to a stop and I was out of there quicker than a gazelle being chased by a cheetah. Harvid was definitely the cheetah in this situation.
The floor looked much different from yesterday, less occupied and very neat with a long corridor that began after a neatly arranged lobby with black sofas. There were large windows that replaced the walls, and they all looked out into the city, the sun rising to the right of me.
"Whoa," I whispered with a childish grin, wandering mindlessly as Harvid was still trying to maneuver me forward. Now that I realized just how serious this place was, I was kind of scared to see Mikaela again, considering he was practically the lord of this place from what I knew.
Then again, Mikaela claimed he'd have me under his word, and to claim a stranger who had ruined his clothes just yesterday, he had to be extremely important. I was scared shitless to seem him again, no denying that.
The hallway gradually became darker as he led me further down it, and we finally stopped at a black door with a keypad on it and a slot for a key card. A white button was above the contraption, Harvid gently pressing it briefly. A small buzz went off on the adjacent side, all fancy and shit, then we just waited for a minute. I awkwardly stood, swaying slightly as I looked around, acting like nothing was wrong as my heart was screaming in anxiety.
Finally, after what seemed like a painful slow anxious hour, the door finally unlocked and slowly opened, the god himself stepping out.
It was like the moment had slowed again, and he tended to have that comical effect on me, but yet I never got tired of it. His hair, oh, man, each golden strand glistened in the sunlight pouring in through the window behind him. It slightly curled just above his shoulders, twining around his face and cheeks. His eyes looked as intimidating as ever with no more eyes from crying, confidently a blazing blue, glowing much like his soft skin. I didn't even have to touch it and I could tell it was soft. Dressed in a black, long sleeved, collared shirt and white pants just tight enough that I could see his figure, he looked sharp and serious, and my heart was pounding so fast I felt like it was going to explode. Not to mention that amazing, strong scent that was emitting from him.
Okay, there was no denying this guy made me a little gay. 'A little' being a slight understatement.
"Good morning," he said in that deep, smooth tone, as he leaned against the doorway. I couldn't tell if he was talking to Harvid or me, but I just nodded, still ogling at him. Harvid greeted him back, still glaring at me. "I can take it from here."
"I would not second that, Jeunesse," Harvid quickly interjected, making me glare up at him. He was still an annoying son of a bitch and I wanted to trim his hair with a chainsaw.
Mikaela eyed him, giving him a look that could say 'Did you not just hear what I said?' I hid back a smile, pulling my lips into my mouth. Harvid cleared his throat, crossing his arms.
"I still have to frisk him."
Mikaela gave a single nod, locking a gaze with me. I sighed slightly, stepping with my legs apart and arms out as he patted me down. I just stared at Mikaela the whole time, not realizing just how much taller he was than me, looking down at me like he knew he was the boss. I was slightly petrified of him, I had to admit, nervously looking away as Harvid continued to frisk me.
After he finished, he exchanged a nod with Mikaela before he left with slight hesitation. Mikaela walked off into the room while I awkwardly stood in the doorway.
I glanced inside, seeing the city buildings outside from the large window from the doorway, admiring the familiar slick themed furniture that I've seen nearly everywhere. The floor was a hard carpet, connected to the brightly white painted walls from a thin baseboard - everything just so slick and well-manufactured.
He looked over his shoulder at me, raising an eyebrow. "You can enter."
"Oh, yeah," I nervously stepped in, closing the door behind me, the sound of it locking automatically making me flinch. I chuckled, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck. "This place is fancy... Is this your room?" I asked apprehensively, trying to start a casual conversation. I could hear my heartbeat if I was silent enough.
He sat on a large black chair behind an empty, sizable slick desk. He crossed his arms and leaned back, shrugging slightly. "My room is just next door."
I nodded softly, timidly standing in front of his desk. He just gazed up at me, like he were memorizing my face, and I found it nearly impossible to break eye contact because his gaze was so luring and menacing. I was afraid but allured.
Then he slightly smiled. "Yuichiro, was it?"
"Yeah," I shakily said.
He nodded, leaning forward on his desk. "Pull up a chair; you cannot seem to stand still."
I looked behind me, finding a chair to slide up to the desk. I sat eagerly, feeling my butt begin to sink in its cushion.
"Regarding our conversation on the phone call last night, you are aware I offered you to be my assistant?" he recalled, his blue eyes locked with mine. I nodded. "Well, first, I need to inform you on what this association is."
I had a brief feeling I knew what it was, considering the fancy shirt I had to pay for, but I still listened attentively.
"It is a modeling agency," he stated, jotting his head to the closet across from us. Filled with billions of clothes and more prototypes, I nearly feared them, realizing just how much all of those must've costed. "That shirt you are wearing, did Mr. Eustis give that to you?"
I looked down at it, just now noticing the little emblem of cursive letters of 'MD' on it. "Oh, would you look at that,"
"Indeed. Referring to your earlier comment about this place appearing fancy, it is because the incorporation is very serious and sophisticated. My bosses cannot let the place give a bad image that we do not take our jobs seriously. That is why you were not allowed back in here at the start," he explained clearly, playing with a black-banded ring on his middle finger. "But that is beside what you are here for. I will tell you what you need to know and explain anything else at another time."
"Alright, cool."
He tilted his head, questioningly smiling at me. "What do you mean when you say 'cool?'"
"Oh, it means like... It's... cool. I dunno," I shrugged, chuckling slightly. He slightly chuckled as well, rubbing his chin with two fingers as he admired me.
"First, I want to educate you on who I am and what I do," he began as he stood, pacing slowly around the desk while never breaking eye contact with me. "I am a Jeunesse Model, otherwise known as a Doll, but I prefer not to be addressed as such. I model the attire created by the intellectual designers here and any other location across the world they might be. They are scattered throughout the floors in this building, but are mainly located in the midst of the building so they can disperse their ideas quickly from top to bottom floors."
I was intrigued, feeling special for being in such an honored presence of an actual model. As he paced, I couldn't help but to glance down at his ass in his pants, pulling my bottom lip into my mouth. Jesus Christ.
"I am not the only Jeunesse model here. There are a couple others, but I am only truly familiar with one, and her name is Esha. You may meet her soon," he perched on the edge of his desk, the material hugging his frame tighter. I needed to focus, and I was, but I was slightly distracted. Could anyone focus here with bodies like his in such tight clothes? "I model everyday, but only have official photo shoots every so often."
"Damn, that's kinda cool," I smiled. He made a slight face of disturbance and crossed his arms.
"If you truly want a chance to work for me, you need to watch your mouth."
I blushed, pulling my lips into my mouth. "My bad."
I could see him fighting a smile. "Yuichiro, where do you originate from? Your dialect interests me."
"The suburbs," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Worst place on the planet, okay? I mean, jeez, the city is pretty lame too, but the suburbs are boring as hell- heck." I rambled, catching myself on swears.
He looked at me oddly before shaking his head. "Do you still live there? How far out is it?"
"Yeah, about an hour or two drive from there to here."
He suddenly furrowed his eyebrows, biting down on his finger. "Oh, that may not be good if you land this job. Will you make it from there to here every morning?"
I shrugged, leaning back in the comfy chair. "I could try."
A sigh escaped him as he stepped away from the desk and plopped back down in his chair. "Well, we'll worry about that another time. Anyway, I will briefly continue, but then I must get you to my boss's office so we can decree this official or not." I nodded, leaning forward with my elbows perched on my knees. "Harvid is generally my escort, and I call to him for most things. That's why he does not necessarily favor you - because you interfere with me. A little jealous, isn't he?"
"No shit."
He laughed, the most amazing sound that has ever entered my ears. I felt my face redden once again. "Do not swear... Anyway, if you were to become my assistant, you would have a simple job with a high pay, but considering what happened when he first interfered, this may be a hassle for you."
"Uh oh," I bit my lip. "What is it?"
"My coffee boy. Much like a busboy, but just for coffee."
"You've got to be kidding."
"Just learn to carry a cup and you will be alright," he joked, smirking at me. I slightly hid my face, rolling my eyes. "You will also occasionally escort me. Your main purpose is to avoid me from cameras when I suggest for privacy."
"Okay," I agreed, sitting up straight. "I can do that... But I just have one question... Who are you?"
He slightly tilted his head, faintly smirking. "I am Mikaela Shindo. I am called a supermodel by most."
I smiled, still not believing I was in the presence of such an authority. "Alright, I'll work for you."
He nodded once, getting up from his chair. "Good. Now, come with me. I have to win a reasoning for custody over you."
I stood nervously, rubbing my neck. "Custody?"
He gave me an obvious look, tilting his head the slightest. "Yes, of course. You cannot be anyone else's property but mine here. You will obey no one else but me, and only do things for me, not any other Jeunesse or any other person." I furrowed my eyebrows at his words, crossing my arms as I began to follow him, but he stopped me up against the wall, looking down at me. I gazed up at him apprehensively, my face reddening. "You can obey under command, can't you, Yuichiro?"
With his body practically threatening me with extreme closure, intimidating eyes locked with mine, how the fuck could I deny? He was scary as hell, with a voice that sounded light and sweet just a moment ago that transformed into an intimidating, manipulative, threatening tone. His eyes awaited for an answer, looking into my own. I nearly pissed myself.
"Y-Yes," I said nearly in a whisper with a shaky voice. He held his intense gaze with me for one last second before pushing off the wall, holding the door open for me. I nervously exited, stepping into the large corridor.
I walked next to him timidly like he were leading me through the halls of a prison and there were hands leaping at me. Even though I wasn't his to claim yet, I still felt owned by this guy, like even if I needed to go to the bathroom, I'd have to ask him first.
"When we go in trial," he started, leading us down a corner that linked to another tremendous corridor. "I ask that you do not speak until he asks you something directly, and when he does, be serious. Lie if you have to, but not too much. They have a way of weeding you out."