Taking Photos

That evening.

Sakura Airi curled up beneath her little blanket, clutching her Terminal tightly. The screen went dark, then lit up again—her fingers typed in the message box, deleted the words, then typed them again. She never dared to send them.

She had another photo shoot tomorrow, but just thinking about the person who had harassed her almost every day before made her uneasy.

After hesitating for a long while, she thought of Uesugi Hara.

He was the first friend she had made in all these years. He had helped her fix her camera, taken her out on weekends when she was lonely, and even driven off a pervert for her.

Although Uesugi Hara sometimes stared at her legs when they were together, making her ears burn with embarrassment, that did nothing to change the fact that he was a good person.

But she had always been alone and had never invited anyone out before. For a moment, she had no idea how to ask.

After agonizing over it for who knew how long, Sakura Airi finally took a deep breath, summoned her courage, and sent him a message: "Um, Uesugi... could you... could you come with me to take pictures tomorrow...?" Even the ellipses at the end betrayed how nervous she was.

Meanwhile, Uesugi Hara had just finished showering. Drying his hair, he picked up his Terminal and froze when he saw Sakura Airi's name as the sender.

He opened the message and even wondered if he was seeing things.

This was the first time Airi had ever messaged him of her own accord.

He closed the Terminal in disbelief, then opened it again. The timid message was still there. Uesugi Hara was instantly over the moon, but he didn't agree right away. Instead, he asked, "Really, Airi?" After shamelessly pressing her for a while, he had finally succeeded in calling her by her name.

A few seconds later, the Terminal displayed a single character: "...Yeah."

Uesugi Hara... stay calm...

"Then, see you tomorrow?"

"O-okay."

The moment he closed the Terminal, Uesugi Hara could no longer contain himself. Like a child, he flopped onto the bed and rolled around, muttering, "Airi invited me... Airi..."

If Kamuro Masumi saw him grinning like an idiot, she would surely roll her eyes in disgust and sneer, "Hah. Men. Look at that ridiculous face."

He didn't log into his alt account to find Sakura Airi tonight. It was important to balance work and rest.

The next afternoon.

Uesugi Hara wandered around the school with Sakura Airi, looking for a good spot to take pictures.

But all the places Airi chose were quiet and secluded. Students who passed by either gave them unfriendly looks or waggled their eyebrows and flashed a "Bro, I get it" expression.

Uesugi Hara: What's with you guys? I'm a gentleman! What are those weird looks for?

In the end, they reached a path behind the athletic field. Airi stopped and said softly, "Th-this place."

Uesugi Hara glanced around. There were no cameras and no one else around. Girl, you picked a pretty dangerous spot!

But you're lucky you ran into me!

"Sure. Is there anything you need me to do?" he asked.

"N-no, you can just watch from the side, Uesugi." Airi's face was faintly pink as she shook her head. She felt she had already put him through enough by making him walk around with her for so long and didn't want to trouble him further.

"All right, then," Uesugi Hara replied, sounding a little disappointed.

Airi nodded and began preparing for the shoot.

First, she took off the glasses that hid her good looks, revealing a pair of clear, lovely eyes. Then she reached for the buttons on her jacket—wait, was she... taking off her clothes?

Uesugi Hara immediately turned away. So Airi trusts me that much?

But he couldn't stop his gaze from stealing glances from the corner of his eye.

Unfortunately, there was no sultry scene to behold.

Airi had already put on her photo-shoot outfit underneath and had only worn the jacket over it.

He first breathed a sigh of relief, then felt a little disappointed. She even takes precautions against a gentleman.

After changing, Airi started changing her socks. She needed to wear thigh-highs for the shoot today, but she'd forgotten to put them on before leaving. Afraid of making Uesugi Hara wait, she had hurried back to her dorm to grab them and then rushed straight out.

So she was wearing black stockings that reached up to her thighs, and she had to take them off first.

She took off her shoes, lifted one foot, and slowly slid the black stocking down her thigh with both hands...

"Gulp." Uesugi Hara clearly heard himself swallow.

Yikes. Is this a test?

Uesugi Hara felt himself getting worked up. He hurriedly touched his nose, checking for any damp warmth.

He breathed another sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was in good health and hadn't gotten a nosebleed. Otherwise, he would've embarrassed himself.

By then, Airi had taken off one stocking. Her little foot, white with a rosy flush, was truly appetizing. As delicate as jade, it seemed to notice his gaze and curled shyly inward.

"U-Uesugi..."

Under his gaze, Airi's face had turned a deep red, and her ears were practically dripping with blood. She buried her face against her chest, unable to look at him directly. Behind her drooping bangs, she seemed to be hiding a nervous fawn.

Uesugi Hara coughed twice, then closed his eyes and put on a calm, detached expression again, silently thinking, Thank you for the feast.

"All... all done..."

When he opened his eyes again, Airi had finished changing.

The blush on her face hadn't quite faded. As soon as her eyes met Uesugi Hara's, she immediately lowered her head and looked away.

"You look great." Uesugi Hara gave her a thumbs-up.

"Th-thank you!" Airi was very happy to be complimented.

...She rarely received compliments in real life.

"I'm going to start..."

"Mm, good luck!"

"Mm!"

Airi took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, it was as if she had become someone else. The inferiority and unease on her face had vanished completely, replaced by a confident smile.

"Wow... She's really enchanting..." Uesugi Hara sat to the side, propping up his cheek as he quietly admired the girl.

If she acted like this in everyday life, maybe... no, definitely. Lots of people would be chasing after her. But... right now, I'm the only one who knows... Watching her strike all kinds of poses with such ease was in stark contrast to her usual timidity.

"She really is beautiful..."

"Getting tired? Have some water." Uesugi Hara handed her a bottle of water he'd bought from the vending machine nearby.

"Th-thank you!" After the photo shoot, Airi returned to her earlier self.

The two sat side by side by the flower bed. Airi browsed the photos they had just taken, while Uesugi Hara shamelessly leaned in to look with her.

The girl was very shy, but she didn't turn the boy away.

Looking at the photos, the girl shared how she had felt while taking them. The boy, sitting beside her, occasionally put on an exaggerated expression to match.

It made the girl blush, but the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

The girl wished this happy time would pass more slowly, so she could savor it a little longer...

She had been lonely for far too long. She couldn't bear to let these precious moments slip away just like that...

But time always slipped by, didn't it?

Uesugi Hara glanced at his Terminal. It was already past five, so he said, "All right, it's getting late. We should head back."

"I see..." Airi lowered her head, the unmistakable disappointment in her voice.

Seeing that, Uesugi Hara reached out and ruffled her hair. Her soft strands brushed against his fingertips. It felt unexpectedly nicer than ruffling Sakayanagi's hair.

Maybe it was just in his head. Compared to Sakayanagi's forceful personality, he really did prefer Airi's soft, gentle nature.

"You can ask me to come along next time you want to take pictures," he said gently.

"Really?" Airi looked up, her eyes sparkling and her voice unconsciously rising.

"Of course. I never lie." Uesugi Hara smiled and nodded.

Just as the two of them were about to leave, something unexpected happened...