Floriography: Red Roses

Chapter 19

The morning in Tokyo was cold, of course, but the temperature was no longer able to disturb Tracy who was too thoughtful with the photo session that morning. The sun was still low, the sky he was looking at was bluish orange. Tracy immediately set off wearing one of Frozen Flower dresses, a white tube dress with a long coat as a beautiful orange with flowers falling. His legs were wearing white boots with long white socks all the way to his knees.

Candice is still busy styling knit hats with matching colors on Tracy's head and working on Tracy's hair neatly under the hat. Every breath Tracy let out a warm steam, she constantly stared at her fingers that were getting redder and redder.

“Ok, we have to be fast, Tracy stand there.” Violetta pointed to the middle of the road where they were standing. The location of their photo is not far from the hotel, because according to Violetta, with a good photographer and a good designer, photos everywhere can look beautiful.

Tracy walked towards the middle of the street, there was not yet crowded, but people were passing by around her. Some glanced towards them, but they continued to do their respective activities.

“Put one hand into her jacket pocket, the other on her waist and push her jacket slightly back so that her dress line looks.” Louis turned his camera in front of Tracy.

Tracy was expressionless, her eyes constantly staring at the camera.

Louis's change to him really bothered Tracy. The man suddenly nodded to Tracy like he was not there. Weird right? Whereas a while ago Louis always acted like Tracy was a fire and he was a moth, he always approached and Tracy always burned it.

Chief Tracy was full of questions and considerations. His ego did not want to let him apologize to the amateur of course. Louis has done more to offend Tracy, but he hasn't even apologized until now, has he?

“Do another pose, anything.” Call Louis. Tracy began to move, trying to make the clothes on her body look beautiful.

After Louis took many photos, Violetta approached him to see some shots taken.

Tracy sighed, and slowly walked up to her. But to be able to see the photo on Louis' camera, Tracy had to press close to him, Tracy didn't even want to do that, so she waited in front of Louis and Violetta, waiting for further instructions.

“Ok, I like. Let me see if there are other dresses that can be taken photos here.” Violetta turned around and ran towards

Candice who keeps their belongings at the side, leaves Tracy and Louis alone.

Tracy took a few steps back, trying to pretend she didn't care.

“Manson.”

Tracy looked over as Louis called out to her. The man sighed, and clicked his tongue. Tracy is ready to be sprayed again by Louis's scathing words but the man just comes closer and thrusts something in his hand.

Tracy raised her hand to take the object, and when it fell into her hand, she felt the warmth and fingers come back to life.

“Your hand is red on camera. Now I have to edit everything.” Louis clicked his tongue again, then retreated back to look for another good side of the photo.

Tracy grasped the hot pack in her hand and started rubbing it against all sides of her hand which felt extremely cold.

“Ok! Next one! Tracy you can change clothes in the van, and let Shu take the photos first.” Violetta waved her hand at Tracy, and behind her Shu descended from the van towards where Tracy was standing. Tracy quickly ran towards the van and went inside. Inside was Candice who was waiting with the stellan of the next Frozen Flower dress.

“Oh, Tracy. Outside must be cold.” Candice thrust a flask of warm water towards Tracy and the girl

sip it slowly.

“You're the savior, Candice.” Tracy had warm water running down her throat and warmed her stomach.

“I know. Here, wear.” Candice helps Tracy take off her dress slowly.

“Hey, what's wrong with you and that photographer?”

Tracy took a breath. “What does it look like?”

“Hmm…. I don't know.”

Tracy shudders in the cold as the dress is removed from her body, and she quickly picks up the new stellan that was on Candice's lap.

“He asked me a lot about you yesterday.”

Tracy raised her eyebrows. “Yesterday... yesterday?”

“Iya, yesterday. After the closing party he came up to me and wondered about you. I said just ask you directly but he said you've gone back to your room and slept.”

“Hmm, yes, it is true. I seemed to be drinking too much and exhausted, so I slept first. What did he ask?”

Candice helps Tracy put the orange fur jacket she had wrapped around Tracy's head and style Tracy's hair to keep it tidy.

“Hm.. he asked, how long have you been modeling. Then I said... seems to have been from childhood, along with the time of Gracy's debut, but then you stopped in high school and switched professions to become a writer right?”

Tracy laughed. “Yes, ever since I met Violetta exactly. Then?”

“Then she said, why don't you continue to be a model? And honestly I don't know the answer to that question either so I told him to ask you directly.”

Tracy just sighed and nodded her head.

“But you guys look so awkward, what's the matter?” Candice sat back down after the Frozen Flower stellan that Violetta had asked for had been entirely worn by Tracy.

“Ah, I don't know. I'm not suited to hanging out with photographers.” Tracy laughed awkwardly.

Sooner or later he'll have to talk to Louis.

The conversation turned out to happen sooner than Tracy expected. Tracy had just finished cleaning up her things and then a knock was heard at her door. Tracy quickly opened the door and behind it stood Louis Troy, awkwardly raising his hand and smiling forcefully.

“Hai. Sorry if I bother you. Are you done cleaning up?” The words ran quickly from Louis' mouth.

Tracy frowned, and stepped away slightly from the door to reveal her already tidy room.

“Y-ya... Can I help you?” Tracy refrains from slapping her own face because of her ludicrous choice of words.

“Hm... We still have an hour right? Would you like to go to the cafeteria for a second? For coffee and there's something I want to talk about.” Louis cleared his throat. Tracy nodded.

“Oh.. y-yeah, it's okay.”

Louis just nodded then turned around and walked away. Tracy quickly retrieved her cell phone and room key before quickly catching up with Louis who was already standing in front of the elevator.

The trip to the cafeteria was awkward. Very clumsy. Tracy also did not feel she had any obligation to break the awkwardness so she followed Louis in silence towards the cafeteria.

Louis sighed before he started talking.

“Ok. Tracy Manson, I feel I have a responsibility to apologize to you for all the things I've said or done to you that offended you, or interfered with, or. I've been thinking for a while and I think my pressure lately has made me a little lost my mind. I admit I'm still an amateur and—“

“Oh, wow, ok. I also feel the need to apologize for that, some of those words I exaggerated, and I was just a Brother who was possessive of his brother, so I guess you understand. All jobs have their negative and positive sides.”

Louis looked Tracy in the eye during the apology, and it made Tracy appreciate Louis a little more.

“If you want to.. share and explain about the things you said yesterday I don't mind. If you also want me to explain about my situation and condition I will also explain.” Louis shrugged his shoulders. “If you want.”

Tracy nodded and leaned her body. Actually, yes, he was curious about something.

“What happened yesterday?”

Louis raised his eyebrows puzzled. “Burn? Oh. yep. You may be drunk. You got mad at me, then almost fell for a hangover, then—“

“B-no, not that. I remember everything, but I mean why are you forcing me back into the room? And ushering? I mean you hate me a little.”

Louis laughed a little, and rubbed his face.

“Memben—I don't hate you, Manson.” Louis sighed and was silent for a while, choosing the right words.

“Look, call me a stereotypical person, but I don't lie either when I say you're notoriously arrogant in the

the photographer. Amateur photographer? It's probable. At least I admit I'm still an amateur, for that I don't lie. But the way you suddenly popped up on the runway when Gracy was also in Japan, after you said to and fro about how you hated being on the runway it was kind of—“

“Munafic. Yup. I understand.”

Louis' lips were still open, his words were cut in the middle but his face said “Not me saying so.” Then nod and continue.

“That's one, and to be honest moments before I met you at the cafe back then, manager Gracy had just

call me to cancel our appointment, ten minutes before the appointed time. I was already in Japan. Meeting you at that cafe, I naturally immediately thought you were Gracy.”

Tracy nodded slowly. “Caused, continue.”

“Then without a second thought—“ Louis shrugged his shoulders. “All of that happened. I'm not usually that asshole, though,

but subconsciously I complained to you who had just met me that very second.”

“Yup, brazen, but I understand. Continue.”

Louis laughed a little. “I can't go on, I realize I'm wrong here. I shouldn't be stereotyped, though,

and I shouldn't use those harsh words on you either.”

“Oh, briefly. You said... “I was wrong.”? So you mean I was wrong?”

Louis simply raised his eyebrows while forcing a smile. Tracy laughed.

“Good Troy, I was wrong too, I admit.”

“If only you explained everything in detail to me maybe—“

“I can't expect you to understand, Louis. You're not a model, you're not a twin. Many factors make me sure you won't understand.”

At that time the waiter came to deliver their order, but the discussion was too hot to be on the sidelines with a sweet snack that honestly seemed very tempting in Tracy's eyes, but he had to finish this conversation first.

“Ok, put it.” Louis straightened his body and sighed. “I will try to be as open as possible, and as wise as possible. You try to tell me, if it doesn't make sense to me, we can forget this conversation and limit our relationship professionally. I won't bother you anymore, and vice versa.”

Tracy nodded small. “Good idea. Alright.” Tracy took a breath and took her body.

“What do you want to know first?”

“Reason behind you don't want modeling.”

“I don't want to destroy Gracy.”

“So you're sure you're on top

Gracy?”

“No, but try to imagine this. You have a sister, or a sister you care about. They also struggle and live in the field of photography, and the photos produced by you and your brother are always the same, in terms of quality and so on. One day one of you will be more prestigious, either because of the links you make, because of the lower price, and so on. What will the other brother do? The answer is to switch professions. Until here do you understand?”

Louis nodded slowly. “But Gracy also sings, plays dramas, are you also going to do those things?”

Tracy took a breath. “At the end of the day our goal is all money. If an offer is present, we will not have it

option to say no.”

Louis nodded his head again. Things are starting to make sense for Louis.

“Do Gracy know about that reason?”

Tracy shrugged her shoulders. “I'm not sure, but I think he knows. That was the reason why he always asked me to return to the entertainment world. He doesn't want me to give up, he wants this game to be fair.”

“Games?”

Tracy grunting. “Make Gracy live it is a game. An interactive drama script. Gracy likes to bet on something, but one thing Gracy doesn't know, he's a genius. Gracy has not realized, everything he achieved today, is not the result of hard work alone, but he was born with perfection, he is always one step ahead of everyone.”

“But you're twins right? Then it should happen to you too.”

“Oh..” Tracy laughs. “Naif, we are twins, not the same one person. Twins, but we're still two different individuals. It was this thought that made me hate a lot of people in the industry. Journalist, journalist..” Tracy looked at Louis sharply. “Fotographer.”