A "private photo," as the name suggests, is something intimate and personal—not to be confused with the meme-like "private" on the internet.
It seems that no matter how aloof or composed a girl might be, once she's in the middle of such a shoot, an irresistible allure seeps through almost against her will.
Of course, some of it also comes from the shyness piling up inside, threatening to spill over.
After Yukino and Utaha each changed into their "decisive battle outfits," the mood in the bedroom shifted completely.
Haru used professional equipment, and he had the technical knowledge of lighting and angles to match.
Under his direction, the photos that remained of the two girls were both beautiful and undeniably sensual.
They were only in cosplay-like costumes, yet under the night's atmosphere and the glow of the lights, with their flushed faces and shimmering eyes, the effect was devastating.
Breathtaking.
It was the first time either Yukino or Utaha had worn such playful headpieces for photos. Throughout, they were almost entirely passive, simply following the instructions of their photographer.
In that kind of charged atmosphere, with time stretching on, even Haru began to feel the heat rising inside.
And just as Utaha had anticipated, the session started formally enough—but before long, everyone's eyes had changed.
The rest unfolded naturally.
By past one in the morning, Utaha had succumbed to exhaustion and fallen fast asleep. Yukino, however, thanks to her regular training, still held a bit of stamina in reserve.
Now she sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a loose bathrobe, her cheeks burning crimson, her damp hair sticking to her flushed face, breath ragged and heavy.
She drew several deep breaths before shooting Haru a languid, accusing glare. Her voice was low, husky, tinged with shame.
"You really are a pervert."
Haru didn't argue. Instead, he pulled her gently into his arms, murmuring, "If you're tired, just rest. It's already late."
"I'm not as weak as she is," Yukino muttered, leaning against his chest.
Even now, she had to assert her superiority over her senpai. After all, the facts spoke for themselves: both had been overwhelmed, but at least she could still keep her eyes open.
Unlike a certain bunny senpai, who always started out brimming with confidence—only to fold almost immediately once things began in earnest.
It reminded Yukino of an old internet joke: "Player 8 throws the match early."
The sheer speed of Utaha's defeat and surrender left Yukino secretly delighted, even if she would never say it out loud.
The two often sparred with words about this topic, each refusing to admit defeat. But tonight, reality itself had chosen the winner.
Haru reached over and dimmed the lights so as not to disturb Utaha's sleep.
Just as his hand returned, Yukino's voice came softly:
"I've been exercising just as long as you have. Why is there still such a huge gap between us?"
"With your knowledge, I wouldn't have expected such a foolish question," Haru replied calmly.
Yukino gave him a sharp glare, but said nothing. He wasn't wrong. She had been consistent in her training and had clearly felt herself growing stronger with time—yet their starting lines had never been the same.
Haru had been running since elementary school. If he'd joined competitive youth races, he would've set school records in long-distance as well, not just in high jump.
"Rest. You've done enough tonight," Haru said, stroking her hair. He could feel her exhaustion wrapped around the contentment in her body.
But Yukino shook her head. "Not yet. I can't sleep right away."
Haru teased her with a grin: "What, planning to go for round two?"
"…Idiot."
Her cheeks reddened as she slapped his hand away. The thought itself was terrifying—if they started again, she'd end up no better than Utaha.
After a few moments of quiet, Yukino let herself relax against him, sprawled in his arms with the lazy languor of a cat.
"Hiratsuka-sensei said she'd come help out the Photography Club. Have you thought about what to assign her?" she asked idly.
"She's a beginner, isn't she?"
"At least, I've never heard she was skilled in photography."
"Then she can handle errands for now. I'll teach her as we go."
"Making a teacher run errands? If that gets out, the Photography Club will become infamous again," Yukino mused, remembering the chaos Haru had stirred at school the year before.
"It doesn't matter. People can say whatever they like."
"I agree," Yukino said softly, and her body relaxed further.
The cat ears were long gone from her head, but the loss didn't diminish her charm one bit.
Haru's gaze wandered the room until he spotted them lying on the floor—next to a torn pair of black stockings.
His sharp eyes caught the detail instantly: the headband was cracked.
"Your headpiece looks broken," he remarked.
Yukino blinked, turning instinctively. Sure enough, one corner of the band beneath the soft ears had chipped.
It wasn't ruined entirely, but the asymmetry would gnaw at anyone with a sense of order.
"Why are you always so absurdly sharp about useless little things?" she sighed, then added coolly,
"It's just a chip. I'll fix it."
"Fix it? Not buy a new one?" Haru asked.
"There's no need to replace something that isn't completely broken. I'll repair it myself." She sounded completely certain.
Clearly, she had no doubt she could manage it.
Haru couldn't help but laugh.
Yukino gave him an exasperated look. "What's so funny about that?"
"Nothing," he said, laughing softly. "I just remembered… this is your first cat-ear headband, right?"
"Yes. So?"
"So this headband is… the 'first generation.' Just now I imagined you at home fixing it, and it suddenly reminded me of a famous painting."
"What do you mean?"
"Tony Stark building the MK1 in the cave."
"…You're really boring."
"If you don't like that, we can call it: Yukinoshita repairing her Unit-01."
"Don't push me, or I'll scold you!"
They talked like this until almost 2:30 in the morning.
Yukino thought she'd be exhausted when she woke up, but in the morning, she felt surprisingly refreshed, as if the lack of sleep had never existed.
She glanced at Utaha, who had woken up even later. Utaha's state was not bad at all; apart from the occasional yawn betraying a trace of fatigue, she seemed no different from usual.
Yukino immediately realized: this was the result of maintaining her physical training.
And the improvement… seemed quite remarkable.
_ _ _ _
In the following days, aside from taking her orange tabby cat to film commercials, Haru's daily life was relatively calm.
The commercial shoot went smoothly. With Haru present, the cat obeyed instructions perfectly, making virtually no mistakes.
This amazed the staff. Not only were they curious about Haru, but Yukino and the others also drew attention.
Even Megumi, who usually kept a low profile, couldn't escape the staff's questions and gossip.
After all, a cat that fully obeyed its owner was a rare sight—they had only ever seen this with police dogs.
A small incident occurred toward the end of the shoot: someone mentioned that the orange cat was as clever as a police dog. The sponsor of the commercial actually approached Haru and offered a large sum to buy the cat.
Haru didn't even need to answer—Yukino immediately refused on the cat's behalf.
Although the orange cat was lazy and chubby, it had become an indispensable part of Yukino's life.
After the shoot, Haru returned to his routine, privately experimenting with the special effects of the fully maxed-out [Drugging] skill.
After his tests, he finally understood what the "special effect" really meant.
The answer was simple… yet abstract.
Even someone as familiar with abstract concepts as Haru felt conflicted upon realizing the truth.
Meanwhile, Yukino and the others had nearly finished preparing for the next phase of their photo sessions, so Shizuka visited the Photography Club almost daily.
Haru used this opportunity to give the new recruit serious instruction, which left her utterly overwhelmed.
"I never expected… I graduated years ago, and now I'm taking lessons again," Shizuka complained after school one day, venting about Haru being strict despite his seriousness.
Yukino responded calmly: "Teaching is something that should be taken seriously. You should know better than us."
Utaha, holding a cup of yogurt, added leisurely: "We all went through this. If you don't believe me, ask Megumi. She started as a complete beginner, and now she's indispensable to the club."
Shizuka glanced at Megumi. The girl met her gaze, gently nodding: "It's true. Amamiya's teaching is excellent. If you're willing to listen, even someone with more experience than us could learn a lot."
Shizuka waved her hand, exasperated: "Why would I need to surpass you? I'm not going to work in this field."
Yukino then said: "Haru once said something very sensible in Chinese: 'Skills will never weigh you down.'"
Shizuka had nothing to reply. She had just wanted to vent a little, yet these three girls had taken her words seriously. Maybe it was the depth of Haru's teaching that left such an impression.
She found herself missing Haru.
Even if he's strict when teaching, he's still good at conversation—and he can match my wavelength.
Looking around and seeing he wasn't there, she asked: "Where is he today?"
Yukino looked slightly puzzled too: "He came by just now, but he said he forgot something and went back to the classroom to get it."
Utaha chimed in: "We were curious what he forgot, because earlier his expression was… mysterious, like a protagonist preparing a surprise in a movie."
"A surprise?"
Shizuka's curiosity was piqued. She looked at Megumi: "Aren't you curious?"
"I am. But Amamiya-kun will be back soon, so I can wait patiently," Megumi replied.
Shizuka gave up on doing anything else and waited with them.
About ten minutes later, Haru returned to the clubroom, and four pairs of eyes immediately locked on him.
Including Megumi, none of them tried to hide their curiosity.
"You were all waiting for me?" he asked, smiling.
His eyes flicked over Shizuka's face. Wasn't she supposed to be working on today's task? Why is she huddled with the girls?
He didn't mean to exclude her—he had brought something special: the "masterpiece" effect unlocked at max level for [Drugging].
Though he was familiar with Shizuka, and they had been candid with each other once before, the closeness she had with Yukino and the others was still unmatched.
"What did you bring?" Utaha asked first.
She scanned him from head to toe. No bag, no extra items—just his pockets.
Her mind raced: something small enough to fit in a pocket, worth a special trip… a gift? Lipstick or perfume, perhaps?
When Haru left, he deliberately told them to wait here.
"It's really nothing worth being curious about," he said, controlling his expression, and took a small glass bottle from his pocket.
Their eyes immediately followed the bottle.
Inside was an ordinary-looking white substance.
"Paint? Face cream?" Yukino speculated.
"Looks like yogurt to me," Utaha said, remembering she had just eaten some.
Shizuka scoffed: "There's no way he came back just to bring yogurt."
Megumi agreed. If it were yogurt, who'd put it in a glass bottle?
"It's skincare," Haru finally revealed.
He had hesitated, not mentioning that it could actually be ingested and had beautifying effects.
"Skincare?"
Hearing that, all four girls present—including Yukino—looked even more puzzled.
Megumi's expression betrayed her surprise as her eyes flicked back and forth over Haru. She couldn't understand why he'd make a special trip back just for a bottle of ordinary skincare.
"What kind of skincare is this?" Shizuka asked, casually picking up the bottle and weighing it in her hand. It was surprisingly light.
In reality, skincare isn't just for women—men have just as many options, and demand is high. Common items like face creams, moisturizers, and whitening or anti-spot creams are unisex. It's just that marketers assume women have stronger purchasing power in this area, so they categorize products accordingly.
"It looks like a face cream… can I try a bit?" Yukino's curiosity was piqued. Since Haru had gone out of his way to bring it, she was certain it wasn't an ordinary cream.
"My plan was for you to do a little 'experience report,'" Haru said calmly.
By "you," he hadn't originally meant Shizuka.
"I'll give it a try," Utaha said, taking the bottle from Shizuka. She twisted off the cap, brought it close, and sniffed. "No scent."
Yukino leaned in as well, her nose twitching. "Indeed, there's no smell—not even the usual fragrance that comes with skincare."
Utaha's decisiveness showed—she pulled a wet wipe from her bag to clean her hand, then dabbed a bit of the cream on her pinky, spreading it evenly over the back of her hand.
The next moment, their pupils dilated sharply, and a wave of astonishment swept over their eyes.
"This is…"
Shizuka instinctively raised her voice, but Haru had already anticipated this and made a "quiet" gesture—there were others in the clubroom at the time. Shizuka quickly lowered her tone.
As an adult, Shizuka's perspective differed from the girls'. She had seen the effect of the cream: Utaha's skin was already fair, but compared to Yukino's flawless complexion, there was still a subtle difference.
Although slight, it was noticeable.
And now, the back of Utaha's hand—after applying the cream—matched Yukino's level of whiteness and smoothness.
An immediate, visible effect like this was enough to make any woman's heart race.
Shizuka instinctively fell silent, thinking like a professional: this product had enormous commercial value—practically a gold mine. There was nothing on the market that could achieve this kind of instantaneous effect.
Utaha, the recipient, inhaled deeply, trying to contain her excitement, and lightly touched the back of her hand. Smooth, white, firm.
Her eyes glowed with intensity.
Yukino and Megumi couldn't hide their reactions either. Even the usually composed girls stared at Haru, their gazes scorching, silently demanding an explanation.
Haru, having figured out the max-level effect of [Drugging] in advance, was ready with an explanation. Calmly meeting four heated pairs of eyes, he said,
"This skincare isn't sold anywhere. Even if you wanted to buy it, you couldn't."
"Then where did you get it?" Utaha asked, instinctively gripping the bottle.
Even though she knew it wasn't hers, hearing that it was "unavailable commercially" sparked a possessive urge in her heart. Like a gamer who tries a top-tier premium account and instantly wants it all to themselves. This instinct had nothing to do with morality—it was purely natural.
"My parents obtained it through connections," Haru explained. "Even they didn't know its effects; otherwise it wouldn't have ended up in my hands."
Yukino, familiar with the Haru household, nodded in understanding. "I see… your uncle and aunt didn't realize, so they thought it was an ordinary cream and just gave it to you."
Megumi gazed at the bottle in Utaha's hands, then quietly asked, "Amamiya-kun… is this the only one you have?"
"Yes, for now. Perhaps there will be more in the future," Haru replied, deliberately leaving some uncertainty.
For a moment, all attention returned to that small glass bottle.
Though Utaha felt a possessive urge rising in her chest, she remained clear-headed—this wasn't hers.
So, suppressing the twinge of frustration, she carefully placed the bottle on the table in front of everyone.
For a few moments, silence fell over the room.
I want it!
In that instant, their hearts spoke in perfect unison.
Haru suggested, "Why don't the four of you split it? Each take a quarter."
"Is there a share for me?" Shizuka pointed to herself, her eyes sparkling with genuine delight.
Haru teased with a grin, "Finders get a share. Back in my MMORPG days, when we took down a boss in the wild, it was the same rule."
"Thank you, Amamiya… I—"
Shizuka, a woman in her late twenties, suddenly found herself stumbling over her words. Approaching thirty, still beautiful, yet everyone knew time is a woman's greatest adversary.
Now, faced with a skincare product of astonishing effectiveness, she could hardly remain composed. Even a quarter portion would be precious, and as a woman, she instinctively knew how to make the most of it.
"All right, I've got a few empty bottles ready. You can each transfer your share so that no one else finds out—you wouldn't even be able to keep your quarter otherwise."
Following Haru's suggestion, the four women carefully divided the bottle among themselves.
Watching them handle it as if it were a priceless treasure, he felt a strange mixture of amusement and awe. He had anticipated excitement, but seeing them treat a tiny fraction of a bottle like this exceeded his expectations.
There's an old saying: beauty is a woman's nature.
In this day and age, a woman who can walk around barefaced either truly can't be bothered with makeup—or she's naturally stunning and only needs a little skincare to enhance herself.
Witnessing this scene, he couldn't help but think he might just be a "holy saint of skincare distribution."
Perhaps inspired by Haru's "gift," Shizuka focused unusually hard during her study session that day. Afterwards, she even offered to treat everyone to a meal.
Haru and the others wanted to decline, but her enthusiasm was impossible to resist.
When it came time to part, Shizuka walked up to Haru alone. Her gaze was intense, her red lips parted slightly before closing again, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"You wanted to say something?" Haru asked, puzzled.
~~~~~~~~~~
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