Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Imperfect Countenance ❯ Chapter I ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Title:Imperfect Countenance Author:KonekoRain Rating:T Warnings:Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape A/N:This story is the result of an evil plot bunny of doom that came to me while I was watching an episode of Law & Order: SVU. Thus, I decided to write it, post it, and see how it went. Enjoy! ^-^

Chapter I
A camera flashed and small 'clicks' echoed off the brick walls of the studio. A large, deep red backdrop took up the majority of the largest wall in the room and a bright spotlight illuminated the area where a young man stood. The most striking features about him were the bright, golden eyes, encircled in dark eyeliner, and the long, black river of hair that was held up in a high ponytail. Two long strands of hair on either side of the exotic beauty's face only served to further accentuate his eyes. The teen wore a halter-style black corset, which was laced with crimson ribbon, and tight, black leather pants. A two inch space between his shirt and pants showcased his perfectly tan and smooth skin. His feet were encased in black platform boots, which gave him a few inches in height and gave him even more of tall, graceful, and ethereal presence. A coy and playful smile graced his lips as he posed for more pictures to be taken. “Rei, you're doing great, as always. Keep it up and you'll be doing television commercials in no time.” said a tall woman with medium length blonde hair. Judy Tate was one of the nation's leading talent managers. She prided herself in her ability to pick out rising superstars in various fields. This new kid, however, was blowing her away. His name was Rei Kon and she had been very surprised to find out that he came from a remote village high in the mountains of China. When his parents passed away, Rei had taken all the money he had and moved into a small apartment in Japan. Judy ran into him about six months prior, when his landlord was kicking him out of said apartment for lack of payment, and she decided to take a chance on this now homeless boy. For all of her year's experience, she had been captivated by his beauty. It seemed the rest of the world agreed with her too because, soon after she convinced him to model, his career took off. Rei's popularity seemed to be rising more each day and the teen was loving it. One night, after his first successful magazine shoot, Rei had confided in her that he had always wanted to be famous; to be somebody in the world.
“That's why I left China after my parents died. What happened was horrible and for months I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into depression. Then, one day, I just got out of bed, looked at myself in the mirror, and decided that now was my time to fly. I spent my entire life in that village and I wanted to see what lay beyond those walls. I knew the world was a big place, but I yearned to see that for myself.” Rei looked down at the soda in his hand, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I wanted to make a splash. I saw that my parents lived and died in virtual anonymity and I didn't want to suffer the same fate. I wanted people to know who I was.” Judy just stared at Rei as he finished speaking. She was amazed that one so young had such deep thoughts. There was definitely more to this boy than met the eye. She sat in silence as she realized that she had only just begun to scratch the surface of what Rei Kon was made of.
That night had been a turning point in the relationship that existed between herself and Rei. Even her son Max got along increadibly well with the Chinese youth. Judy was pulled from her thoughts as her cellphone began to ring. She quickly pulled it out of her purse to answer it. “Hello? Yes, this is she....yes....yes...oh, that's great!” Judy was beaming as she listened to the voice on the other end. “Wonderful...yes, thank you so much!” After she snapped her phone shut, Judy made a beeline for Rei. The man behind the camera, always loving a chance to keep things real, kept snapping pictures of the Asian teen as he turned questioning eyes to his manager. “What's up Judy?” he asked. “Rei, you're not going to believe this; I have great news. I was just on the phone with the editor-in-chief of a major American magazine. She has invited you to New York to do a photo shoot for a spread in next month's issue. You're also going to be on the cover.” Rei's amber eyes got impossibly large at the information and his jaw went slack. It was a few moments before he was able to speak. “Wh-wha-...why?” Judy laughed at the dumbfounded question. “She said that they were going to do an article about a rising star in the modeling industry. One of her friends recently came to Japan on a business trip and took home one of the magazines that you did a shoot for. She thought you would be perfect for it. Rei, you do realize how amazing this is for your career, right? This will launch you in the U.S.” As she spoke, Judy noticed that a delighted smile bloomed on the boy's face. Joy was dancing in his eyes and he was utterly speechless. Several seconds passed before Rei asked the one question that popped into his mind. “When do we leave?” “Next week.”
~x~x~x~
“Rei, these are some of the most gorgeous pictures you've ever taken.” Judy said in awe as she looked through the latest stack of photos that her assistant just handed her. The Chinese boy blushed crimson at the compliment. He walked over to the large desk the blonde woman was sitting at and looked at the picture she was talking about. He immediately recognized it as one of the candid photos that the photographer had taken as he got the news about his upcoming job. “The happiness in your entire expression is just so real...so beautiful.” Rei laughed quietly behind his hand before replying. “That's because it is real.” Judy just cut her eyes at him, unable to stop the smile that spread on her face. Before she had a chance to respond, however, the oak doors to her office slammed open and an exuberant blonde bounced into the room. “Hey mom!” Max exclaimed. He turned huge blue eyes onto Rei. “Hi Rei!” Rei smiled back in greeting as Judy stood and hugged her son. “Hello sweetie. How did your classes go?” “They were great, mom! And I told all of my professors about the trip. I was able to get assignments to work on while we're in America.” Max smiled up at his mother cheerfully and she patted his hair. “That's great, honey. Do you have everything packed? You know we leave for the airport in about an hour.” “I sure do!” “What about you Rei?” she asked as she turned her attention to the other boy. “Yes ma’am.” he answered politely. That was one thing that Judy had yet to break Rei of. He was so polite and formal all the time. For that reason, she thought encouraging Rei and Max to hang out would be good for the model. He needed to stay grounded and having at least one down to earth friend would hopefully see to that.
~x~x~x~
Rei looked around the private jet in amazement. This was his first time in one seeing as, until now, his job had never taken them out of Japan. Was this how famous people traveled? He was unaware that they even made planes as fancy as this one. He could definitely get used to it. Rei looked out of the window beside him. Everything below appeared to be so tiny. This was only the second time he had flown and he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that they were so detached from the world; up so high in the sky that every problem seemed trivial. “It's neat isn't it?” Rei turned his head to look at Max beside him. He was sipping a soda and leaning over toward Rei so he could see out the window. “Yeah, it is. A year ago, I never could have even imagined that I'd see such a sight.” “Your village was pretty closed off, huh?” “It was. I had never even seen a television set until I moved to Japan. It was so surreal to suddenly be thrust into such an advanced world.” Max's expression was one of astonishment as he listened intently to Rei. “Whoa! Really?! That's crazy!” the black-haired teen simply laughed at his friend's response. Judy smiled as she watched the two boys from her seat on a couch-like bench on the opposite side of the plane. She was glad that they got along so well. They really were good for each other. Max could teach Rei how to cut loose and not be so uptight, and Rei could help the blonde calm down and not be so hyper. She had a good feeling that the two would be the best of friends.
~x~x~x~
Rei slipped on his sunglasses as everyone exited the plane. They were standing in the middle of the large asphalt lot when a long, black limousine pulled up in front of them. Rei just stared as the driver got out and opened the back door. Three men filed out of the limo and Rei studied them as they made their way towards his small group. The one Rei noticed first was the one leading the other two. He had bright red hair, which was in the craziest style that he had ever seen, and blue eyes that were seemingly made of ice. The two behind the redhead were just as peculiar, even though Rei got the distinct feeling that he would never ever want to run across them in a dark alley. Both were dressed in matching black suits. Rei had to laugh to himself as he noticed the radios in each of their ears. They looked like they had stepped right out of one of Max's spy movies. The tallest of the two reminded him of a phantom. His lilac hair and matching eyes gave him an otherworldly feel. Rei became slightly nervous when he noticed that the man's stare could freeze a glacier. He decided that he certainly didn't want this man to catch him staring and let his amber eyes travel to the shorter of the two. This one was...interesting. His hair was two-toned, the front being a slate color and the back a deep, navy blue, and the prettiest crimson eyes he had ever seen. This one was definitely an enigma. His eyes held a cold and aloof air to them, but still weren't as frigid as the taller man's. Rei quickly decided that all three men were very attractive...gorgeous even. His eyes, however, kept being drawn to the man whose eyes reminded him of rubies. Rei was so dazed that he was startled when the redhead was suddenly standing right in front of them and speaking. “Good afternoon Mrs. Tate. My name is Tala Ivanov. I'm Mrs. Lebedev's personal assistant and I've been sent here to escort the three of you to your hotel.” Rei was amazed at how...business like this man was. Based on his first impression, Rei thought he seemed like the wild type. “These two are Bryan Kuzentov and Kai Hiwatari. They will be acting as your security for the duration of your stay.” When Tala was finished speaking, Judy stepped forward to introduce them. “It's nice to meet you Tala. And, please, call me Judy. This young man right here is the whole reason we're here. His name is Rei Kon. And this is my son, Max.” Rei was embarrassed when he saw how the eyes of the three before them studied him head to toe. There was a certain look in their eyes; similar to that of a predator looking at it's prey. These three scared him and Rei knew that this was going to be a long two weeks.
~x~x~x~
TBC...
A/N: Well, let me know what ya think. ^-^