- 221
- Haines City, FL
- Yusenkyo
Ah a corvette c2.. such a lovely beauty of a car.Chapter 1; Episode 8.6 - Next Scoop
Location: Kitahara Publications Bldg, Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Time: 3 pm, one week later
A week has passed since that malevolent incident. Honestly though, I was surprised not because someone threatened to take my life, but actually the person whom I offended ended up SAVING me. He's a human being through and through. He has a good soul lying within that buff exterior.
After I escaped, I'm simply trying to forget it. The only thing left for me to do is to thank him, though he is nowhere to be found.
Today, I am in a studio, behind my camera placed on a tripod. Photography again? This time around, I am acting as a substitute photographer for the fashion magazine just one floor beneath where I work. Knowing that skill, I was asked by Yukio-shacho a favor, and I'll be paid extra for the job. Apparently the photographer tasked to do this suddenly called in sick.
The studio background is white, but I can use some more lighting.
Kenjiro: "Please raise the brightness."
The staff hurriedly does so. Then the female model wearing a brown leather coat, with a belt with matching color strapped to tighten the said coat. She wears dark brown boots. Her hair is long and satin black, with traditional bangs and the rest let loose all the way down to her chest.
She is ready, striking her first pose. By the way, her name is Reiko Kitagawa. She's been popular for fashion ads all over Ginza, modelling usually for high-end brands. Now, she gets to be featured for the entire issue which deals with the trending outfits for the Fall season.
Honestly, I see the fashion industry as very shallow. They think that they can control what everyone should wear and judge people very easily. It's a subjective matter. Plus, not everyone can afford the clothing they see on the magazine. Hence, I NEVER did photoshoots for fashion magazines. Yes, I did take photos of celebrities wearing gowns, but only for lifestyle magazines.
This is my first...
All right, she's ready. Here we go. My camera is timed, and I pressed the remote. After three counts, the camera took a shot without a flash first. I want to compare things first.
Kenjiro: "Second shot, with flash."
I activated the flash, then rinse and repeat.
Second shot done. Effortless.
Reiko then stands up, but before she heads back to change clothes for the next shot, she looks at me directly.
Reiko: "Aren't you Kenjiro Sato-san? I read your article. I like it."
Kenjiro: "You did? Thanks."
Reiko: "Although... everyone in this studio knows that I have other things to do at night."
Kenjiro: "Which is?"
Reiko: "I race at Route 5 at night! Heehee."
Wow, she's so cheerful about it. In fact, she took a magazine and opened a page wherein she shows a photo of her sitting in a classic car.
Reiko: "I have a thing on cars too, you know? So, what do you drive?"
Her assistants go to her side and just changed her jacket. It's a white one, but made of cotton with black buttons matched with checkered belt.
Kenjiro: "A Ferrari 430 Scuderia."
Reiko: "I see. You boys have a knack for track day cars, huh?"
Kenjiro: "It depends. We don't share the same taste. Much like fashion."
Reiko: "That's true."
Time for the second batch of shots. She definitely knows her thing. This time, she sits down sideways on the white canvass, crossing her legs and she puts her hands on to those. Her smile is close to that of a cosplayer, ever so simple but very cute.
All right, shots done. Anything else?
Reiko: "Route 5 is also a fun place to play. Route 7 is actually boring me out. The turns test your patience."
I take it that she's very skilled.
Kenjiro: "Oh, I almost forgot. What car do you drive?"
Reiko: "I use two, but I brought one of them here. Mind if I show you after the shoot?"
Kenjiro: "No problem."
Suddenly, I see Shacho exiting the door from the stairs. Looks like he's... alarmed.
Yukio: "Kenjiro-san, I have a little news that should interest you."
Kenjiro: "What is it?"
Yukio: "Last night, some street racers reported seeing an orange McLaren F1 with a foreign license plate roaring past the Route 5's main straight."
Reiko overhears that, and she approaches closer to us.
Reiko: "A McLaren F1? Foreign license plate?"
Yukio: "You see, Kenjiro-san is tasked to do an article about supercars and hypercars in Tokyo. He's having a little hard time on scouting them for photoshoots. That McLaren could be a really nice scoop."
Oh... I forgot to tell you about my next article. Just like Shacho said, our magazine will feature supercars for the second issue.
Yukio: "And here's the juicy part. According to the racers, it was clocked at 310 km/h at the end of that short straight."
Reiko: "Really?! That main straight is short indeed, but to get to the end at over 300 km/h is simply mesmerizing."
Kenjiro: "It's a McLaren F1 after all, so it shouldn't be that surprising."
Reiko: "That's an exotic find. Perhaps we should go search for it. I can help."
Maybe I could use your assistance. Let's talk about that later. There are still more shots left to do.
************************************************************After two more hours, we have done everything. The editor-in-chief of the VISION fashion magazine thanked me.
As promised, I follow Reiko to the parking lot, as she is about to leave anyway.
She shows me her Chevrolet Corvette C2. And are those aftermarket side exhausts?
Reiko: "I mainly drive this on the touge, but it can also run in Route 5 nicely as well. It has around 500 horsepower. Heeehee."
500 horsepower? She must have serious skills to control that old school Corvette on the touge.
Upon entering, she starts it up. Oh lord. That loud grumble.
Reiko: "Stay back for a bit."
Oh right, the exhausts are on the side. As I complied, she revs the engine. It tells me that there is a beast lurking under the hood. That's one beastly howl.
Reiko: "Oh, before I go, here's my number."
She gives me a small piece of paper with her phone number written on it.
Reiko: "Call me if you need help, okay? Bye, cutie!"
Cutie? Really? I even have yet to have a haircut.
Anyhow, this will be another interesting twist after the mess I've created from my first article.
END OF CHAPTER 1.8AUTHOR'S NOTES:
- I did say long, but instead I just put in the important points to close off.
- Reiko Kitagawa and Finley Barton will play major roles in Chapter 2. They just needed proper introductions here.
- I'm giving you the floor for writing the the last part of Chapter 1. Once again, feel free to consult me if you have ideas.
it's a perfect fit to this latest chapter
