Chapter 16: A Bird Startled by the Bow

‘I’m doomed, I’m doomed, I’m doomed — ‘

The swimsuit had no sleeves, only lace trim that was so short it was practically nonexistent.

The edges of the bandages were wrapped just below my armpits, leaving the skin behind them completely exposed.

Because of my cowering posture, both of my hands were pressed tightly against my body, right against my chest pads.

Mayu’s finger happened to rest right on that boundary.

If she moved her hand up just a little more —

“Mayu, stop messing around,” Rika said, pulling her away.

“She’s working.”

“Oh, right — sorry, sorry!”

Mayu let go.

I managed a smile and turned to walk toward my assistant.

Every step was steady.

But my heart was beating so hard it felt like it might jump out of my throat.

***

A sunset silhouette.

I stood by the water with my back to the camera.

The light from the setting sun hit me from the side — it was actually just orange stage lighting, but the effect was the same.

The photographer shouted from a distance, “Good — Sensei Alice, turn your head slightly to the left — yes! Just like that — perfect!”

I maintained the pose.

My mind, however, was stuck on what had just happened.

The bandages.

Her hand.

It was so close.

Just a hair away.

“Alice — !”

Mayu’s voice drifted over from the side again.

“We’re watching you shoot from over here! we won’t disturb you!”

I kept my smile and didn’t look back.

But from the corner of my eye, I could see the two of them standing behind the staff, holding up their phones and filming.

What were they filming?

Me?

Or were they gathering material for a “Meeting the Gemstone Princess” post?

The shutter clicks continued.

I kept smiling.

***

1 hour later.

The shoot ended.

Wrapped in a bath towel, I sat on a chair in the rest area while my assistant handed me a cup of warm water.

Mayu and Rika were still there.

They sat in the chairs opposite me, chattering away.

“…So we’re heading back the day after tomorrow!”

Mayu said.

“I don’t know when we’ll be able to see you again!”

“I see… Have a safe trip,” I said.

“Alice, what are your plans next?”

Rika asked.

“Any more performances?”

“None for now…”

In reality, there were.

But those were for “Lin Zou,” not “Alice.”

“Ah — what a pity!”

Mayu sighed.

“I wanted to see you live again! That high note you hit at Starlight Hall last time was amazing!”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Rika chimed in.

“I still remember how the whole crowd went wild when that last note dropped — !”

I smiled.

I didn’t say anything.

That was Alice’s business.

Right now, I just wanted to go back, unwrap these bandages, take a hot shower, and then —

“By the way, Alice!”

Mayu suddenly leaned in.

“Your skin is so nice! How do you take care of it?”

Her hand reached out again.

This time, she touched my arm.

“Wow — it really is so smooth!”

I froze.

Her hand was moving downward — from my arm to my wrist, then to the back of my hand.

If she had moved up just a little more earlier —

“Mayu!”

Rika pulled her away again.

“Can you stop being so touchy-feely!”

“Geez, I’m just curious — “

I took the opportunity to pull my hand back under the towel.

“Um… I should go take off my makeup.”

I stood up.

“Eh — so soon!”

“Yeah… See you next time.”

I turned and walked toward the dressing room.

Their voices followed me.

“Alice really is so petite and cute — “

“Right? And her skin is so good. I felt it just now — “

“You have no shame!”

I quickened my pace.

The dressing room door closed.

I leaned against the door, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

The scene from earlier kept replaying in my head.

Her hand.

My arm.

She had almost touched the bandages again.

Another close call.

I walked to the mirror and looked at the person inside.

Alice.

Long pink hair, glittery eyeshadow, and the lip gloss from the brand I was endorsing.

The towel slipped down, revealing the white swimsuit and the fabric clinging to my body from the water.

I stared at the arm of the person in the mirror.

The edge of the bandages was faintly visible near the side of my chest.

‘Thank goodness… I have “Social Anxiety.”‘

During those two instances of contact, I had been too nervous to move.

If I didn’t have that persona, it would have been impossible to explain.

*Click — *

The dressing room door opened again.

It was Mayu.

“Oh, right — Alice! Those two rookies wanted to invite you out. Do you want to meet them tomorrow?”

“Uh? I-I’m fine…”

I sat in the chair, my back to her as I spoke nervously.

“Oh, I remembered. Alice has social anxiety… Alright then~”

Click.

The dressing room door closed once more.

“Whew…”

I slumped weakly into the chair, took a deep breath, and began removing my makeup.

“…Swimsuits are terrifying.”

Foundation.

Eyeshadow.

Blush.

Lip gloss.

Layer by layer, the makeup remover wiped them away.

The face in the mirror slowly returned to its original color.

A handsome but pale face.

I tossed the last cotton pad into the trash.

Then I began to unwrap the bandages.

One layer.

Two layers.

Three layers.

They were wrapped so tight that red marks were left on my skin.

I rubbed my shoulders, stood up, and made use of the shower.

The hot water poured down.

3 minutes later, I stepped out.

After confirming no one was around, I closed my eyes in relief.

Mayu and Rika.

They were leaving the day after tomorrow.

Thank goodness.

‘I have social anxiety.’

But today’s events served as a reminder: next time, I might not be so lucky.

***

1 hour later.

I walked out of the dressing room, having changed into ordinary clothes — a T-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap with my long hair tucked inside.

The staff members were still cleaning up the set.

They nodded to me as I walked out.

I nodded back without saying a word.

As I reached the exit, I caught a glimpse of a shadow nearby.

I turned my head.

Mayu was standing in the corner, looking down at her phone.

She didn’t notice me.

I kept walking.

As I reached the door, I heard her on the phone.

“…Yes, it’s that ‘Gemstone Princess’ Alice! We ran into her today! She was doing a swimsuit shoot!”

My footsteps faltered for a second.

“Photos? Yeah, I have them! I took a ton — look!”

She held her phone up to the screen.

I walked away quickly.

By the time I returned to the Agency, it was already dark.

I pushed the door open, and the lights were on inside.

Su Nian was sprawled on the floor like a stranded fish.

Chuxue sat in a nearby chair, holding a notebook — the same one I had given Su Nian yesterday.

“President — ”

Su Nian wailed when she saw me.

“You’re finally back — today was so exhausting — “

I looked at her.

Then I looked at Chuxue.

Chuxue looked up and smiled.

“President Lin, you’re back.”

She waved the notebook in her hand.

“Do you want to check today’s training records?”

I walked over and took the notebook.

I flipped through it.

First page: 5 kilometers morning run, completed.

Second page: Stretching exercises, completed.

Third page: Vocal practice.

Miss Su Nian is out of tune; suggested reinforcement.

Fourth page: Dance basics, 4 sets of 8 beats, completed.

On the last page, a photo was tucked inside.

The photo was from today’s shoot.

It was from the sunset silhouette set.

I was standing by the water with my back to the camera, the light of the setting sun hitting me from the side.

It was a good shot.

I looked up and realized Chuxue was watching me.

“It seems your relationship with Alice is quite deep, President Lin. Could you really be… her little white face?”

She was grinning.

“Hmph, I’m certainly better off than you,” I shot back with a sarcastic smile.

Her expression darkened for a rare moment.

It seemed I had won this round.

I turned my attention back to the photo.

The shoot had only just finished today, and the photo was already developed.

The efficiency was impressive.

Alice’s swimsuit photo.

The sunlight hit her shoulder from the side.

Her shoulders were very narrow — almost excessively so.

Her collarbones were deep enough to hold a coin.

Her skin was incredibly white, glowing with a radiance that came from years of avoiding the sun, nurtured in dance studios and dressing rooms.

Water droplets clung to her shoulders, sliding down her shoulder blades.

They trailed down her back.

Her back was bare — the swimsuit was backless, exposing everything from her shoulders to her waistline.

The line of her spine was faintly visible beneath the skin, flanked by thin layers of muscle.

It wasn’t exaggerated, but it was firm, a product of her dance training.

The droplets reached her waist, stopped by the edge of her high-waisted shorts.

She turned slightly toward the camera.

In that instant, the entire pool seemed to light up.

It wasn’t because of the sunlight.

It was because of her smile.

Sweet.

Soft.

Carrying a hint of shyness and an innocent “I didn’t know I was this beautiful” quality.

But only I, knowing the truth of ‘her’ inner thoughts, could see the truth by looking closely.

Her eyes weren’t smiling.

Her eyes were looking elsewhere.

She was observing.

She was watching the people behind the photographer, the staff walking around in the distance, and every direction from which someone might be staring at her.

“A couple of friends took these during the shoot today,” Chuxue said.

“They turned out well, don’t you think?”

I stared at the photo.

I made sure there was nothing unusual.

After 3 seconds, I looked away.

“Yeah,” I said.

“They’re good.”

Su Nian remained sprawled on the floor, completely oblivious to what was happening.

I handed the notebook back to her.

“We continue tomorrow.”

Of course, that went for the swimsuits, too…