"She just called him Makoto right out loud?"
Nino muttered, displeased.
She knew perfectly well that she and Yumiko weren't enemies.
The only reason she was bothered was that she'd known Fushimi Makoto longer than Yumiko had, and the boy happened to be exactly her type.
Most importantly, Fushimi Makoto was also close to her older sister.
Now, seeing Yumiko, who had some renown at school, acting like that made Nino immediately uncomfortable.
Itsuki looked at her sister with a helpless expression and said softly, "Keep your voice down. It wouldn't be good if anyone else heard you."
Nino saw that her sister didn't agree with her and snapped, "Don't you feel bothered? He's your friend, and he's so close to Ichika."
Itsuki lowered her voice. "Nino, you're getting too worked up. You haven't even noticed that Fushimi treats Miura-san with nothing but the polite courtesy of a classmate."
Nino froze.
Itsuki continued, "Even I can easily tell that he feels differently about Miura-san than he does about me."
After all, he'd been willing to tell her Ichika's secret right away, and he'd invited her to join the club even before Ichika.
That was clearly the kind of thing you did for a good friend.
Itsuki felt that Fushimi Makoto was probably so friendly to her because of Ichika.
But she was still happy about it.
"Is that so?" Nino said uncertainly, looking at the two of them again.
Yumiko happily looked at the photos on her phone for a while, then suddenly said, "Should I tie my hair up and take a few more?"
"Tie it up?" Fushimi Makoto looked at her golden hair.
"Yeah. What do you think of a high ponytail? I've worn that style before."
"A high ponytail would look great. Really cool."
"Cool?" Yumiko was taken aback. She didn't think that word was right for a pretty girl.
Fushimi Makoto gave her a thumbs-up. "That's right. You'd look as cool as a Wind Blade Master."
Yumiko: "?"
Looking at the girl's stunned expression, Fushimi Makoto could hardly keep from laughing.
He could tell Yumiko was very pleased with his photography. His deliberate thoughtfulness had also made her want to learn more about him.
Put another way, she wanted to learn more about Fushimi Makoto while also hoping he would learn more about her.
Only then could Yumiko fully show off the charm that made her the "queen" of the school.
But Fushimi Makoto's thinking was: You've had your moment, right? Then it's my turn.
He smiled and said, "Let's take more next time."
"Why?"
"Beautiful things should be saved for later. That way, we'll have more surprises next time."
Yumiko gazed at Fushimi Makoto, momentarily lost in thought.
After two seconds, she inexplicably blushed. She nodded her pale chin and said happily, "You're really good with words. Next time, then."
Fushimi Makoto gave her a polite smile, turned around, then glanced back at Nino.
"Nino, would you like me to take some pictures of you?" he asked.
He'd just called me Nino?
That was Nino's first thought. Then she asked in surprise, "Why me?"
Fushimi Makoto pointed at Itsuki. "Of the three girls here, you're the only one I haven't photographed yet. It'd be a shame not to do it soon."
"A shame?"
"You heard what I just said, right? Beautiful things should be saved for later, so I want to save this one now," Fushimi Makoto said.
Yumiko, who'd been happily looking at her photos, was stunned. Could that line really be interpreted that way?
Fushimi Makoto: The final say is mine. I can interpret it however I want.
Nino's cheeks reddened slightly. She was a little tempted.
After all, Itsuki had praised Fushimi Makoto's photography skills to her many times.
She'd also seen Yumiko's reaction just now. The photos must have turned out great.
Itsuki gently nudged her. "Go on. Miura-san was right earlier. Girls often come to this park to take photos. Some of my classmates have come here, too."
She could tell Nino wanted to have her picture taken.
That was what you called backing your favorite Nino.
Nino finally got her wish and had her photos taken.
Since he didn't have professional equipment, Fushimi Makoto had already pushed his phone's camera to its limits.
Lighting and angles were things he'd studied carefully during the Time Loop.
Fushimi Makoto had used his own phone to take the pictures.
So when Nino saw the beautiful photos she was completely satisfied with, she naturally exchanged contact information with him.
That meant Fushimi Makoto now had the contact information of three of the five sisters.
"So Itsuki was telling the truth. You really are good at this."
Nino said happily as she received the photos.
Itsuki leaned over to look, too. His skill was still excellent, and the pictures were just as good as hers.
"Can I take a look?" Yumiko asked.
For some reason, seeing the girl she didn't particularly like ask so politely made Nino feel inexplicably pleased.
She was in a great mood now, so she agreed immediately.
Yumiko looked at the photos for a while. Gradually, her attention shifted from their overall beauty to Nino's chest.
All of Fushimi Makoto's photos were tasteful. They not only made the girls look beautiful, but also perfectly showed off their alluring figures.
The photos on Yumiko's own phone were like that, too.
The problem was that Nino's figure was almost unfairly good!
Yumiko stole a glance at Itsuki.
Sure enough, the two sisters were prime examples of being slender yet well-endowed.
Small waists, long legs, full chests, and pretty faces.
She recalled Ichika's figure, too, and realized she was the same.
That made her feel unbalanced.
Normally, her own figure was already quite good. She had all the right curves and a pair of long legs.
But the Nakano girls were just too gifted!
This time, Yumiko had literally run into a naturally gifted rival—one she couldn't beat no matter how hard she tried.
"Are you done looking?" Nino's voice rang out.
"I'm done."
Yumiko quickly looked away, biting her lip in frustration.
Nino saw it all.
She felt even better.
She couldn't quite explain why, but she was definitely enjoying herself.
Only Fushimi Makoto understood the reason.
From the moment he'd deliberately brought up "beautiful things," he'd already been showing off the art of conversation.
Or you could call it the art of keeping people on their toes.
First, he'd drawn the girls' attention and curiosity. Then, at the crucial moment, he'd pulled Yumiko out and brought Nino in.
Nino and Yumiko hadn't gotten along very well today. Yet they were both pretty girls, and Fushimi Makoto had taken beautiful photos of both of them.
Naturally, after receiving their pictures, they'd feel a little competitive.
Nino hadn't seen how Yumiko's pictures had turned out, but she'd seen Yumiko's reaction.
That made her feel great.
Yumiko had been discouraged by a naturally gifted rival, but then she remembered she still had two photos in Fushimi Makoto's hands, waiting for him to retouch and send them to her.
That meant she still had an ace up her sleeve.
Her mood improved, too.
But both girls had noticed one detail: Fushimi Makoto hadn't said he would retouch Nino's photos.
So was Nino naturally beautiful enough not to need retouching, or was Fushimi Makoto simply more considerate toward Yumiko?
The question came to both their minds, but neither felt comfortable asking just then.
Fushimi Makoto pretended not to notice and started chatting with Itsuki about the nearby food street.
The two girls, both thinking the same thing, happened to turn around at the same time. Their eyes met.
Then, in a strange unspoken agreement, they both looked away.
Interesting.
Fushimi Makoto saw it and found it amusing.
After a while, when he saw Hayato Hayama and his group about to leave the park, he said at the right moment, "Yumiko, I should be going, too. I hope you have fun."
Yumiko blurted out, "Why don't you have dinner with us? I've already told my family I'd be eating out today."
Fushimi Makoto shook his head. "But I have to go home for dinner. Sorry."
"...All right, then." She found herself thinking about him even more.
Seeing that, Fushimi Makoto immediately said, "I'll send you the photos tonight."
Yumiko's face lit up with anticipation. "Got it. See you tomorrow."
He had her emotions completely in his hands.
"See you tomorrow."
Fushimi Makoto turned and left.
Itsuki and Nino followed him.
They were headed the same way for now.
"I have something I want to ask you."
Nino had finally waited until there was no one else around, and she couldn't hold it in any longer.
Fushimi Makoto pretended to be curious. "What is it?"
Nino stared into his eyes. "You specifically offered to retouch Miura-san's photos earlier, but you didn't say that to me. Why?"
Itsuki couldn't help looking over, too.
Fushimi Makoto wasn't going to take that bait. "What do you think?"
Nino said, "I'm the one asking you."
Fushimi Makoto looked puzzled. "I thought you'd already guessed the answer."
Nino froze. Her bright eyes gradually lit up. "It's because I don't need retouching, right?"
See? Girls who liked to read into things could always come up with the best explanation for themselves.
Before you continue