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Shamir had joked about it before, but she didn't actually think she'd take on the role of being Kiria's manager.
Usually, Itsuki would be handling managerial duties for all of Fortuna. However, ever since the company returned from Askr, his work had gotten more and more intense. On top of the returning talents pushing themselves more and more, empowered by the time they spent in the Order, Fortuna had a couple of new faces. There was Dorothea, who was making waves while acting alongside Ellie, and Manuela, who had found a resurgence in her career in a new world with the help of a new friend in Maiko.
Originally, Ituski thought about hiring some external help, but Shamir felt compelled to volunteer herself for the role of Kiria's manager. By now, Shamir being around Kiria all the time and watching her deal with all the in's and out's of the entertainment industry had given her enough secondhand experience to take on responsibilities beyond just her bodyguard duties.
Itsuki was hesitant at first, but Kiria asked for Shamir to be given a trial, and when Shamir had aced that, Itsuki had no reason to refuse. From then on, Shamir became Kiria's acting manager.
And Shamir liked to think she was damn good at her job.
It certainly wasn't easy by any measure. While working as Kiria's bodyguard, Shamir simply had to make sure that Kiria got to where she needed to be and that no one touched her (only she was allowed to do that of course). Now though, she needed to help negotiate contracts, hours, locations, and so much more. She definitely lacked experience, and the various agencies and companies she was negotiating with assumed that this new manager would be even less experienced than Itsuki when he was starting out, and be easy pickings.
But what Shamir lacked in experience and knowledge of the finer details of the entertainment world, she made up for with the few things she was able to carry over from Fodlan.
Intimidation and aura.
Kiria once claimed Shamir would need to just bring her bow to a meeting and she’d be able to negotiate any terms she wanted. While Shamir didn't end up doing that (though she always insists she can as an extra precaution), her gaze was just as deadly. She would stare daggers to whoever was on the opposite side of the table. Her glares near singlehandily removed any advantage the other part had in the negotiations.
And then there was her aura; calm, tranquil, but undeniably deadly. To Kiria's fans, Shamir's aura was something to fawn and crush over. To Kiria herself, it was the first line of protection Shamir offered her from stalkers (and also something to fawn and crush over). To everyone else, it was the first sign that Shamir was going to be far from a pushover, and a warning not to wrong her or her client.
With those tools, Shamir always managed to get fair terms and exciting opportunities for Kiria. Acting roles, good interviews, promotions and sponsorships, Shamir was able to get it all.
But Shamir started to become a bit too dedicated to her job. She needed to be perfect. If she was anything less and screwed up, it would reflect poorly on Kiria, and Shamir would be damned before she let that happen. So often times, she would work long hours into the night, making sure everything was all set for the next day, to the next week, to next month even, and try to find every opportunity to improve Kiria's brand.
“Everything will be fine. Come to bed.” Kiria would always ask when she saw Shamir was still working.
“Just a bit longer, I'm almost done.” Shamir would always answer. “You should sleep though, you have a busy day tomorrow.”
So Kiria would return to bed, and she wouldn't feel Shamir lie next to her until much, much later.
She needed to do something about this, and an idea came to her not much later.
Shamir looked over the schedule for the day.
First, Kiria had a shoot for an advertisement for Fortuna. They rented out a small park to film, one that apparently had plentiful cherry trees in bloom.
Next, was dinner with Director Taranchino to talk about a prospective role for Kiria in his next film.
Finally was a guest appearance at a fashion show at 109.
As Shmir was reviewing every last detail, Kiria called out to her.
“Hey Shamir, what do you think of this outfit?”
Shamir looked up from her tablet, ready to say “It looks good on you.” purely on instinct (because everything looked good on Kiria). However, the moment she saw her wife, Shamir was taken aback. Kiria was sporting a white sundress, and she seemed so positively radiant in it that Shamir almost wanted to propose to her again on the spot.
The former mercenary quickly tried to compose herself. “Shouldn't the costuming team be picking what your outfit is?”
“They're letting me decide for this one. And I decided that I'd wear whatever my wife likes. And you do like this right?”
“I-I do, certainly. It suits you perfectly.”
Kiria smiled brightly at her, “That's all I needed to hear.” She pecked her wife on the cheek and headed inside the car while Shamir finished preparing.
As Shamir did so, she glanced over to Kiria. The idol seemed particularly…devious today, though Shamir couldn't pinpoint why. She couldn't dwell on it too long at the risk of being late though, and hopped in the car and drove off.
When they got to the park though, something was amiss. None of the cameras were set up, none of the equipment was ready, heck even none of the crew was there.
What was there though, were beautiful cherry blossoms, fully bloomed, a sight that Shamir would've never seen in all her years as a mercenary in Fodlan.
“Beautiful, aren't they?” Kiria asked.
“Y-yeah…” Shamir took a moment to continue looking around, admiring the cherry blossoms just a bit longer, before remembering that they were supposed to be there for a job. “But where is everyone-”
She was interrupted by giggling from Kiria. “You still haven't figured it out yet, Shamir? More proof that you're definitely working yourself too hard.”
“Haven't figured…” Shamir paused, and then sighed, “There is no shoot, is there?”
“Nope. I did rent the park out, but it's just for the two of us.” Kiria glanced back at the trees, child-like wonder in her eyes at seeing the flowers all around her. “I've been coming here every year since I was little. With my family, with the rest of Fortuna…” She turned back to Shamir and shot her a sweet smile. “And now with you.”
Shamir found herself turning red, and tried to cover the blush with her hand, “S-Seriously? What's the occasion? I hope it wasn't solely to get me to take a break.”
Kiria stepped up to Shamir and gently clasped her arms, staring lovingly into her eyes. “Happy Birthday, Shamir.”
“...Huh? It's my birthday?” Shamir thought back to when she was being given a fake birth certificate, how Manuela and Maiko essentially reverse engineered the Fodlan calendar to find the corresponding month for Earth's and set her birthday to its equivalent. “I suppose it is.”
“I feel like you forget your birthday every year.”
“Because it's not important, really-”
“As your wife, it's incredibly important to me.” Kiria retorted. “Besides, you've definitely earned a day off, and when better to take it than your birthday?”
“So wait, the dinner with Taranchino?”
“I've already had a casual conversation with him about the role and it's looking good. That dinner is actually just for you, me, and the best teppanyaki in the city.”
“And the fashion show tonight?”
“There is one at 109 but…” Kiria smirked, “The two of us will just be going back to our place. I just thought you'd appreciate me…modeling all your favorite outfits of mine privately, alongside a few…new additions.” She leaned in closer beside Shamir's ear and whispered, “And if you'd prefer to see all of them on the floor, I'll have no objections.”
Shamir's blush had become even redder. “You keep throwing me off my game, I have to say…” She tried to figure out what to say. To thank Kiria, to try and regain her composure, anything.
Then she figured that all the words she could say were useless, and there was a much better way to show her appreciation.
Shamir pulled away from the embrace, cupped Kiria's face with both her hands, and planted dozens of kisses everywhere on her face; on her forehead, on her nose, on her cheeks. Kiria laughed and squealed at Shamir's smooches, only being stopped by Shamir planting a long, deep kiss on her lips. There was a delightful hum as Kiria happily and desperately returned it.
Eventually, Shamir pulled back and silently rested her head against Kiria's. They stayed like that for a while before the former mercenary finally let out “Thank you. But seriously, you didn’t need to go this far.”
“Of course I did. Anything for the greatest woman I've ever known.”
“Heh, then for the greatest woman I've ever known, may I offer a stroll through the cherry blossoms?”
“I'd love nothing more.”
Kiria was about to lead the two of them along the path before Shamir called out, “Actually, if it's just us in this park today…” She held up her locket, “Shall we let our hair down a bit, so to say?”
Kiria beamed and held up her own locket. “Let's.”
They gently slid their lockets together. Though on their own, they were crude shapes, together they formed a heart. And when they clicked together, both lockets opened up, revealing their respective wedding rings. They usually remained in their lockets, as the public revelation that one of Japan's top idols and her bodyguard were married would be a nightmare to handle. However, if it was just them today…
Shamir took the ring from Kiria’s locket and gently slid it onto her finger, and then Kiria did the same with Shamir's ring. Afterwards, Kiria wrapped her arms around Shamir’s, and the two gently strolled down the park's pathways. As they did, the cherry blossoms fell around them, serving as a sort of curtain and concealing the two lovebirds in their own private world.