Miki was feeling a little out of place, to say the least. Balancing on stilettos that she wasn’t used to (they were flattering, she would admit that much), she walked gingerly into the studio where the shoot was happening, constantly aware of the strain that the shoes were putting on the balls of her feet. That wasn’t the only reason she was feeling anxious--when Hiro, her aspiring fashion photographer friend had called in a favor for her to be a background model for his new project, she had been expecting something a little smaller. Perhaps a pamphlet for a new show that a student designer was putting together.
She hadn’t been expecting a proper magazine shoot, with proper, more professional models who were already taking their places in front of the backdrop. And while Miki was just supposed to stand behind them with a few other wide-eyed girls who looked just as nervous as she was, she couldn’t help but throw Hiro a pleading look. He only threw her a thumbs up and a mouthed “daijoubu” in return.
Miki took her place near the middle, right behind a beautiful model with soft curls. She turned to her right, to face the other part-time model, exchanging nervous smiles before posing. For the shoot, the background models’ faces weren’t even going to be in the shot, they would only be captured from the jaw down, pretending to be in conversation with each other while the professionals posed in front. She heard some final chattering from the staff, and then the shutter began going off.