Chapter 17: 17. Why the Nickname?

Shiro

“Hi, Takashi—is it Takashi? Or Mister Shirogane?” A bubbly blond girl waves at me when I step inside the make-up room. She points toward a chair in the back of the room, inviting me to sit. Thanks to a wardrobe mishap, I’m running behind schedule, so Keith and Lance are already here, getting ready, with people fluttering around them and applying all sorts of product to their faces. It seems a bit pointless, as they both have flawless skin, but what do I know? Even a smooth complexion looks shiny on camera, I suppose.

The room is narrow, forcing me to squeeze my bulk through limited space to reach my destination, right next to Keith. There’s a large mirror in front of me, and a table with countless bottles of various substances I couldn’t name if my life depended on it stands underneath.

“Just call me Shiro. Everyone does,” I say, plonking down. I sneak a glance in Keith’s direction. Despite keeping his eyes squeezed shut, his lips are moving, so he’s probably running lines in his head. How oddly endearing.

“Okay, Shiro. I’m Nyla, your make-up artist. Now let’s get to work.” In the mirror, I can see she’s studying something on her tablet. 

“Why the nickname?” Keith asks, surprising the hell out of me. Even though he doesn’t open his eyes, he’s clearly awake when I thought he was lost to the world.

“It’s a little embarrassing. My grandpa used to call me ‘shiro usagi’ when I was a kid, and it stuck. It means ‘white rabbit’ in Japanese. Apparently, I had these large floppy ears when I was little, you know, plus the hair.” I want to shrug, but Nyla pushes my shoulders down. 

“He really did have ears like a rabbit,” Lance calls from the other side of the room. “But he grew into them.” 

A muffled chuckle escapes Keith, but I can’t his face check because Nyla has dug her fingers into my skull, holding me in a vice-like grip. She lowers her head to almost rest on my shoulder and stares at my reflection, forehead creased with worry lines as he considers what to do with me. Nothing too painful, hopefully.

“Mmm. I read the instructions for you. They want to make the scar more pronounced, which I think is a shame. You’d have such a pretty face without it.” 

“I don’t notice it much anymore.” Nyla means well, but the reminder of my disfigurement doesn’t sit well with me.

“Well, you might, after I’m done with you.” Her fingers sift through my hair. “What an unusual color. I’ve seen mallen streaks on some people, but never this distinct. Most people want them dyed, anyway.” 

“Is that what your info says? I used to dye it so people wouldn’t stare at me, but grew tired of it after a while because my hair grows out too fast.”

Keith mumbles something that sounds a lot like, ‘people are morons,’ next to me, but I can’t be sure with Nyla chattering over him, and telling her to shut up would be impolite.

“No, we’re supposed to keep it. I’m just going to style it a little.” In a flurry of motion, she sets to work, and I understand why Keith keeps his eyes closed. It’s soothing, in a way, plus it keeps me from flinching when Nyla’s hands stray too close to my eyes. Once I’m done, I thank Nyla and rush out to catch up with Lance and Keith, waiting in the hallway and chatting. Well, Lance is chatting while Keith stands next to him, arms crossed over his chest, looking a little bored. 

“Hey, Shiro, finally. We’re almost late. What kept you?” Lance asks.

You are reading story Star Quality at novel35.com

“My costume needed an adjustment.” 

“So those are clothes? It’s not painted on?” 

“Hilarious. Let’s move.” Lance has a point, though. The costume is even tighter than my regular clothes, which I didn’t think was possible. It makes me feel on display, plus I got an earful from the designer for putting on more muscle since the last fitting. Like it’s a bad thing or something.

“Excited about your first day?” Keith asks as we head for the set.

“Not sure if excited or terrified.”

“You read the revised scripts?” His voice remains colorless, so I have no idea how happy he is about the romantic line between Akira and Ryou. It seems tastefully done, emotional without being explicit, exactly as Ben mentioned during our meeting, but Keith didn’t want to do it in the first place, so I’m unsure about how to react. Thankfully, Lance saves me the trouble.

“Yeah, they’re awesome. It’s cool they’re making the romance about the guys. And on a related note, does Allura get a new love interest? Where do I put in a suggestion for the writers? Is there a box or something?” 

“You keep it to yourself,” Keith snaps, but it takes more than an annoyed tone of voice to discourage Lance. At least a small tornado or an army of angry ostriches. Combined.

“Nevermind, I’ll ask around. Maybe Katie knows. She has her wicked ways from the time she worked as a PA.” 

As soon as we arrive at the set, Lance departs. I’m surprised to find out it’s already teeming with activity. The gaffers are working on the lighting under the watchful eye of the DP, talking in something that might as well be a foreign language. Keith watches the bustle with an arched eyebrow. 

“Looks like it’s gonna be a while before we start blocking.”

“If you say so. I couldn’t tell.” 

“Give it some time.” 

Keith’s gaze slides over the scene that’s being prepared. I studied the call sheet Curtis handed me on my arrival, so I know it takes place in a desert, but I’m still shocked to see a slice of wilderness inside Hall C. A drafty Hall C. My costume consists of tight pants with pockets and a sleeveless vest over a flimsy, clingy tee that reminds me of sportswear. The costume designer didn’t consider Canadian Fall when creating it, and I can’t stop the shiver that rolls through me when a gust of draft breezes past us.

“Let’s go find our trailers,” Keith says. “The PA will find us when we’re needed. In the meantime, we can run lines together. Can’t have you freeze to death on our first day.”

You can find story with these keywords: Star Quality, Read Star Quality, Star Quality novel, Star Quality book, Star Quality story, Star Quality full, Star Quality Latest Chapter