Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Veronica
How did she get my number?
That was the only question running through my head right now.
“Oh… ma’am,” I replied awkwardly, mainly because I genuinely had no idea what else to say.
A soft laugh came from the other side of the line.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am,” I admitted carefully.
“Well, that’s understandable.” Miyako replied smoothly. “I actually stopped by Rickon’s earlier today.”
My brows furrowed slightly.
“And a different person served me which I found odd considering you were quite memorable.” She paused briefly. “So I asked about you and was told you quit.”
Quit.
Funny way to describe getting publicly destroyed and fired within the same hour.
“Yes,” I answered after a moment. “I did.”
Miyako hummed softly.
“That’s unfortunate. You seemed quite good at your job.”
I didn’t know why, but that almost made me emotional again.
“I just… want to focus on myself right now.”
Another brief silence passed before Miyako spoke again.
“Well,” she said lightly, “that is actually part of the reason I called.”
My brows pulled together slightly.
“I’m sorry?”
“I need someone for a temporary position,” she explained calmly. “And after observing you the other night, I thought you might fit quite well.”
Confusion settled deeper into my chest.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
I blinked slowly.
“I think you may have the wrong person. All I did was help you pick shoes.”
“I don’t believe so.”
She chuckled at that.
I didn’t know how to respond to that because from my perspective, I had simply given an opinion.
“If this doesn’t come off too strange to you,” she continued, “I’d like for us to meet in person and discuss it properly.”
“Meet?”
“Yes. Perhaps lunch tomorrow afternoon?” she suggested. “What do you say?”
For a second, I genuinely didn’t know what to think.
This woman barely knew me.
Yet somehow she was offering me something that sounded dangerously close to opportunity.
And right now, I couldn’t really afford to ignore opportunities.
“…Okay,” I answered cautiously.
“Great,” Miyako replied immediately. “I’ll send the address to this number then.”
The call ended shortly after that.
But even after lowering the phone slowly from my ear, confusion still sat heavily in my chest.
•~~•
The restaurant alone was enough to make me want to turn around and leave.
I stood outside for a second longer than necessary, adjusting my grip on my bag before finally stepping in.
The hostess greeted me politely and immediately led me deeper into the restaurant.
Each step made me more aware of how out of place I looked. By the time we reached a private section near the balcony, I saw her.
Miyako sat with perfect composure near the window, one leg crossed over the other, a cup of tea resting delicately between her fingers.
Today she looked even more striking than before. A cream turtleneck tucked neatly into a fitted black skirt, with a long fur coat draped effortlessly over her shoulders.
When her eyes landed on me, she gave a small smile.
“There you are.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“I’m so sorry for making you wait.”
Miyako shook her head lightly.
“No, not at all. I simply happen to be a very punctual person.”
That made me let out a small, nervous laugh as I took the seat opposite her.
For a moment, I became painfully aware of everything I lacked compared to this world.
Miyako seemed to notice.
“Relax,” she said gently. “You look fine.”
A waiter arrived, took our order, and left us in silence again.
“So,” she began smoothly. “As I said yesterday, I apologize if the call came off too forward.”
“A little,” I admitted honestly.
That earned me a soft laugh.
“Fair enough.” She tilted her head slightly. “But I meant what I said. I think you’d be perfect for what I need.”
I frowned slightly.
“I still don’t fully understand why.”
“Because you notice details,” she replied simply. “And because you understand presentation better than most people formally trained in it.”
“That seems like a stretch.”
“It isn’t.”
Her confidence caught me off guard a little.
“I don’t think I properly introduced myself the other night.” A faint smile touched her lips. “I own a luxury fashion brand based in Tokyo.”
My eyes widened slightly.
“Oh.”
“Yes.” She nodded once. “And this weekend, we’re launching a new collection.”
Suddenly, the elegance, the outfit obsession, the attention to detail…
it all made sense.
“My lead stylist and fitting coordinator was supposed to fly in yesterday,” Miyako continued. “Unfortunately, there were complications, and she’s currently stuck in Tokyo.”
“And now you need someone temporary,” I finished slowly.
“Exactly.”
I stared at her for a second before laughing awkwardly.
“I think you’re seriously overestimating me. I don’t have any degree in fashion or design or anything like that. I am actually a Communication major.”
Miyako didn’t even look remotely concerned.
“That’s entirely fine.”
I didn’t know why that statement affected me as much as it did.
Maybe because lately, all I’d been hearing was everything I lacked.
Money.
Status.
Connections.
Stability.
But somehow this woman kept speaking like I actually had something valuable.
“What exactly would I be doing?” I asked carefully.
Miyako’s lips curved slightly.
“Helping with fittings. Giving opinions. Assisting with presentation decisions. Coordinating outfits during the launch.” She paused briefly before adding, “And possibly modeling one of the dresses if necessary.”
I almost choked.
“What?”
She nodded with a smile.
“I am absolutely not a model.”
“You also weren’t a stylist,” Miyako pointed out smoothly. “Yet here we are.”
I stared at her in disbelief while she looked entirely unbothered.
“The launch is this weekend,” she continued. “Which means I’m running out of time to find someone I actually trust around my work.”
My chest tightened slightly.
“But, why me?”
“Honestly, I guess I just took a liking to you.”
I took a deep breath. Trust huh? That felt strangely significant coming from someone like her.
“So,” Miyako said finally, resting her chin lightly against her hand, “what do you say, Veronica?”