From the first letter he was handed at noon to opening his shoe locker after school, Chihaya Kaiser had received a total of three confession letters—more than he had gotten in the previous sixteen years of his life.
He stuffed them all into his backpack, planning to read them later like light novels and find opportunities to turn each of the girls down.
He had more important things to do right now.
Besides, someone was paying him to take photos.
Leaving his school bag at school, he slung his camera bag over his shoulder, boarded a train, and headed toward the so-called old spot.
It was a photo studio.
It had supposedly been in business for over ten years, and no matter how it was repaired or maintained, the space and equipment were old. The floor tiles were yellowed, and the wallpaper, which had been applied once, was peeling slightly at the edges.
But, it was cheap.
When he arrived, the most eye-catching flash of gold on the street always managed to draw people's attention.
For him especially, Marin perfectly met the three elements of portrait photography, making it easy to get good shots.
As for the three elements of portrait photography?
The model is good-looking, the model is good-looking, and the model is good-looking.
She was standing not far from the studio entrance, holding a package in one hand, her manicured fingers dancing across her phone screen.
The blonde girl frowned, her gaze fixed on the screen, which reflected her perfectly made-up face. A man stood beside her, trying to chat her up, circling her and saying something.
He was too far away to hear clearly.
But he absolutely could not let a trivial matter like this ruin his part-time job for the day.
He strode quickly toward the girl, his expression quite displeased, the corners of his mouth turned down as he raised his voice.
"I have an appointment, stop bothering me."
"That's right. Her appointment is with me."
The next second, Chihaya Kaiser grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. As soon as she heard the familiar voice, her body leaned into his.
Her shoulder brushed against his chest, as if she were being held in his arms, but it was only a fleeting touch before she bounced back. She stood close to the young man, almost pressing against him.
Marin Kitagawa squinted, a pleased look on her face as she looked up at him.
Sunlight fell upon him, creating a perfect division of light and shadow. The boy's eyes were filled with indifference, tinged with vigilance and defensiveness as he stared at the man opposite them.
"Please leave, or I'm calling the police."
"Tch." The man looked thoroughly annoyed, but under the gazes gathering from all around, he promptly left.
The street returned to its quiet state. A few girls nearby were looking their way, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes not leaving the scene.
Marin Kitagawa also noticed he seemed a little different. Looking at the profile of his face cast in the sunlight, she held her breath for a moment, then quickly turned her head away.
"Let's go inside."
"Sorry, I'm late." He realized he was still holding Marin Kitagawa's hand, loosened his grip slightly, and naturally steered the conversation elsewhere.
"It's fine, you're right on time," she said with a smile, grabbing his wrist again as they stepped into the studio together.
Great, she doesn't seem mad. This job still needs to get done.
Chihaya Kaiser, holding his camera bag, watched the girl negotiate with the owner. After she paid, the owner led them into a room, giving them some instructions.
Calling it a room wasn't quite right; it was a small, unenclosed space partitioned by screens. It wasn't large, only about twenty or thirty square meters by his estimate, but it was more than enough for a photoshoot.
She looked at Chihaya Kaiser's profile, recalling the reaction of the other girls on the street earlier, which confirmed her suspicions.
"Kaiser-kun, you seem to have gotten even more handsome recently. Want to go to a convention with me on Saturday? It'll be fun."
".....Hmm, depends if I have time."
This was, in effect, a soft rejection.
If there's money, there's time. Don't even think about getting me to be your con photographer for free.
Chihaya Kaiser's eyes drifted diagonally upwards, as if he were genuinely contemplating his schedule.
Marin Kitagawa didn't seem to mind in the slightest. She kept smiling, holding her package, and waved at him. The charms on her bracelet clinked together, making a crisp sound.
"Well, I'm going to get changed. Wait for me a bit."
He used the time to borrow some lights. His fingers twisted the screws, setting up the softbox and reflector, making sure there was no risk of them falling over.
Just then, text popped up before his eyes.
[Quest Start]
[Please help Marin Kitagawa reach one thousand followers. Current followers (256/1000)]
[Quest Reward: 30,000 Yen]
Not a small sum.
Chihaya Kaiser touched the light stand, deciding he needed to put more effort into this shoot and figure out how to complete the quest.
His mind raced with various methods for gaining followers, and for a moment, he didn't know which to choose.
There were nefarious, unscrupulous methods that would do anything to achieve the goal, like posting deliberately suggestive content or manufacturing drama. Then there were slower, less effective methods, like shooting proper artistic works and increasing the frequency of posts.
Or perhaps he could find a service to just buy her a thousand followers. Would the system count that as completing the quest?
The cost would have to be kept under thirty thousand; he didn't want to use money from outside the quest reward to fulfill the quest itself.
As he was lost in thought, he felt a tap on his back, followed immediately by a hug.
"Kaiser-kun, thanks for helping me out back there."
"No problem." Chihaya Kaiser smiled, feeling a certain softness press against his back.
The next moment, the sensation was gone.
He took the camera and lens out of his bag, assembled them, and looked through the viewfinder. The beautiful girl he saw through the machine tempted his finger toward the shutter button.
The short JK school uniform had been replaced. The outfit before him was a Lolita-style black long dress. It seemed very modest, but combined with her aura, it possessed an indescribable beauty.
She lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing her calves. The black stockings accentuated their elegant curves. She twirled gently before the lens, her smile absolutely beautiful.
"How is it? I asked a friend to make it."
"Cute, cute, very cute." Chihaya Kaiser pressed the shutter relentlessly. Having been photographed so often, Marin Kitagawa had an excellent sense for the camera, changing poses along with him. Even her blushing seemed genuine. It was a blessing to have a fully automatic model.
He answered perfunctorily. It was always best to shower clients with praise to guide them during a shoot.
"Next, we'll do a full-body shot. Pay attention to your legs. Please strike a pose with them."
"Okay! How's this pose?"
A sparkling smile, flawless expression management, an appropriate blush to add realism—the girl who automatically struck poses was captured in one photo after another by the camera.
She held the skirt with both hands. Her movements were slow, but the motion was not small. The hem was already above her knees, the graceful line from her toes to her calves filling the camera's screen.
"What about this one?"
"...If that's what Marin wants, I'll shoot it." Chihaya Kaiser felt this level was still acceptable, but her tone seemed a little off.
"Then what about this?"
A hint of anticipation crept into her smile. She pulled the hem a little higher, revealing the garter straps on her thighs and the floral pattern at the edge of her stockings. A sliver of fair skin appeared between the skirt and the stockings, drawing one's gaze as if to enthrall their very soul.
"Kaiser-kun, make sure you capture it well."
______
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