Yukino had been engrossed in her book when her phone buzzed. She picked it up, and her pretty face immediately darkened.
Especially when she saw the photo, her expression turned even colder.
She wasn't sure whether her sister's teasing had put her in a bad mood, or if it was the two very captivating figures in the photo.
Yukino had always considered herself clearheaded.
But it was precisely because of that clearheadedness that she could clearly tell she was irritated.
Even now, she still dreamed about what the two of them had gone through in the Time Loop. Every so often, she even had to get up in the morning and change her underwear.
Though she had never let Fushimi Makoto get away with playing with her legs again after they left the Time Loop, those memories hadn't been fake.
"I'm here seriously preparing for the club activities this afternoon, and you've gone off on a date with two girls?"
Yukino said it as if she were trying to give herself an excuse.
Then she abandoned her photography books and got to her feet, heading for the bedroom.
She was going to change and head out.
She could imagine that once she showed up, those two girls probably wouldn't welcome her.
But who cared?
Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't some cowardly lizard afraid of a fight.
Besides, she had a perfectly reasonable excuse: to make sure the short film shoot went smoothly and everyone's preparations didn't go to waste, she had to drag that negligent club president back and interrogate him until he was on his knees.
Your friend Yukino is requesting to join the battle.
Accept?
Author's Note
This old-timer won the comeback match and gave it everything he had to finally make it to serialization.
Just kidding.
I haven't written in a long time because after becoming a corporate drone, I just haven't had the energy. I also couldn't think of anything I particularly wanted to write. And after "voluntarily working overtime" until eight every night... Well, that's just how life is now.
I started writing again because I'd gotten hooked on that Arknights NPC novel by a big-name author on Cat Station. As I read, I got inspired, so I tried to get back into writing and find my rhythm. I didn't expect it to actually work.
The awkward part is that I'd subscribed to most of that author's work, and then the book disappeared... It did come back later, but a bunch of chapters had been sealed, and the author had also started a new book.
Back to the point: I'm a weak, powerless wage-slave, so I'll guarantee at least two updates a day. I definitely can't manage the twenty thousand words a day I used to write.
There's no need to start a bounty. I'm like a low-level monster in a game: sometimes I trigger a special mechanic—"Leave him alone. He'll add chapters on his own."
Finally, I wish all you wonderful readers success in your studies and careers, and may the fox spirit you saved in your past life come repay your kindness in this one...
Oh, and if you're able, please support the story by subscribing. It really does matter. I'm counting on you!
Be Good and Listen
Fushimi Makoto had no idea that Yukino was on her way, riding a horse.
After renting a camera he liked, he brought Utaha and Yumiko to the park they'd visited last time.
But this time, he wasn't planning to take pictures outdoors.
"Yumiko, your smile needs to be a little gentler."
"Senpai, could you turn around and show only your profile? Yes, just like that. Make your expression aloof."
Both beautiful girls cooperated, posing and adjusting their angles for him.
Having learned from last time, Yumiko didn't let her imagination run wild this time. She was completely cooperative.
Utaha, on the other hand, seemed a little awkward.
She'd never thought taking pictures was such a hassle, but today had shown her otherwise.
Usually, she either took selfies with her phone right up to her face or had her family take full-body shots of her.
It was all over in about ten seconds.
But now, she had to follow Fushimi Makoto's instructions and strike all kinds of poses he liked. Sometimes, he wasn't even satisfied.
If it weren't for the intensely focused expression on his face, she really would have suspected he was messing with her on purpose.
"Done. Come take a look."
At Fushimi Makoto's voice, Utaha finally relaxed. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Yumiko was the complete opposite. The moment the blond girl heard Fushimi Makoto announce they were finished, she eagerly dashed over on her long, fair legs.
"Huh? These look even better than the unedited shots from last time. Is it really the equipment?"
Yumiko held the camera with delight.
Fushimi Makoto nodded. "Equipment is a very important part of it. Phones have gotten a lot better at taking pictures, but they still can't match professional gear."
Utaha came over to join them.
Yumiko had the camera, so Utaha patiently waited instead of reaching over to take it from her.
Still, she asked, "Did you take our pictures in two different styles?"
Yumiko came to her senses too. "Oh, right, Makoto. I wanted to ask you last time—why do you always take pictures of me in such a gentle style?"
Fushimi Makoto gave a single-word answer. "Contrast."
"Contrast?"
Yumiko was still puzzled, while Utaha began to think it over. "You wanted to find a different side of Miura, so you deliberately gave her those directions?"
"That's only part of it." Fushimi Makoto smiled at them both. "Yumiko's usual confident beauty left a deep impression on me. I guessed that she'd always taken pictures in that style before."
"Yeah, that's exactly how I used to pose," Yumiko said with a nod.
Fushimi Makoto continued, "That's why I gave you those specific directions. Only then could I bring out a kind of beauty in you that's different from your usual style."
Yumiko's eyes curved into a smile. "You really know how to flatter people."
He kept complimenting her looks. Who wouldn't like hearing that?
Besides, she was very pleased with the pictures Fushimi Makoto had taken.
Before meeting him, she hadn't known she could take everyday photos in different styles—and look this good, too.
Oh my gosh, that's totally me!
Yumiko gazed at her pictures on the camera screen, thinking happily.
Utaha asked, "If you wanted to show more of Miura's different styles, then what about me? Why did you say I should look aloof?"
Fushimi Makoto smiled. "Because we don't know each other well enough yet."
Utaha froze.
Fushimi Makoto seemed not to notice. "I took a careful look at your appearance and presence just now, senpai. Since we don't know each other well enough yet, I played it safe. Your usual aloofness is a kind of beauty that's impossible to fault."
Utaha pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Fushimi Makoto had clearly complimented her beauty, but she just couldn't feel happy about it.
Instead, she felt an uncomfortable sense of disappointment.
It was a strange feeling.
Under normal circumstances, she shouldn't have felt this way.
But the three of them had come together to take pictures today, and she'd made a very formal declaration to him: I'm willing to be your model.
She'd never said anything like that to a boy before.
That formality had raised her expectations of Fushimi Makoto.
Yet he'd said it plainly: he and Yumiko were closer, and he knew her better, so he could bring out a side of her that was different from her usual one.
But when it came to Utaha, it became: We don't know each other well enough yet.
What was that supposed to mean?
In this three-person photo shoot, was she not even worth mentioning?
Utaha couldn't help feeling annoyed.
She didn't know that Fushimi Makoto was doing it on purpose.
There was a precise word for this behavior: comparison.
Once you started comparing things, all kinds of thoughts naturally followed.
Some people liked comparing which singer had the better voice, while others liked comparing which Ultraman was stronger.
Fushimi Makoto was different.
He'd rather compare beautiful girls' academic records.
Over the time they'd spent together, his friendship with Utaha had grown warmer, too.
And because he had information from the Time Loop, Utaha would increasingly come to believe in her heart that the two of them were a perfect match.
With that expectation in mind, Fushimi Makoto had now blurted out, "We don't know each other well enough yet."
Of course, that made Utaha uncomfortable.
Without thinking, she looked at Yumiko, who was still admiring herself, and quickly examined her pretty face, chest, waist and hips, and finally her legs.
She'd gone over all of it in a flash.
She was clearly the more outstanding one!
She wasn't being vain. It was a serious assessment.
The only thing the other girl had over her was probably that exceptionally beautiful blond hair.
It reminded her that there was a first-year girl named Sawamura who was also blond and seemed to have become quite popular at school lately.
"Here you go, Kasumigaoka-senpai."
After admiring her pictures, Yumiko, in a great mood, offered the camera to her.
Utaha took it and immediately looked through the photos.
Yumiko leaned in curiously.
Every photo was beautiful, and there was one that Utaha especially liked.
In the picture, she'd followed Fushimi Makoto's instructions and gazed ahead. The shot captured only her profile, her pretty eyes deep and serene. In the foreground were children playing in the park, deliberately blurred. She was all alone.
"This picture really has a mood to it," Yumiko said, equally captivated.
Fushimi Makoto explained, "I took three pictures of this scene, but only this one met my requirements."
Utaha stared at the photo, lost in thought. It took her a while to murmur, "There's a sense of loneliness, like you don't belong amid all the liveliness of the world."
"That's exactly why it's such a beautiful picture," Fushimi Makoto replied.
Utaha suddenly drew in a deep breath.
She thought she understood what Fushimi Makoto had meant when he said, "Photography is art."
Looking at that photo now, she actually felt an urge to keep it for the rest of her life.
"Thank you," she said.
Fushimi Makoto replied, "I should be thanking you. Without you two, I wouldn't have been able to bring my ideas to life."
It was an obvious compliment.
Both Yumiko and Utaha smiled.
But soon, Yumiko glanced at the beautiful senpai beside her, with her black-stockinged legs.
I really don't want her joining us after all!
No matter how I look at it, I still find her annoying!
She immediately said to Fushimi Makoto, "Makoto, take a few more pictures of me, just like the way I usually pose."
She wanted to show off her beauty a little more.
Before you continue