"So you're saying you two won't be filming any new projects for a while?"
In the living room, Eriri looked up with her pretty face, the surprise clear in her eyes—along with a trace of disappointment she didn't manage to hide.
She had been lost in "war drum" thoughts earlier, and Makoto, mistaking her silence for nervousness, tried to warm things up by starting a conversation.
After a few exchanges, Eriri was pulled into the discussion and naturally brought up the short film.
"Right. We definitely won't be shooting anything for now," Makoto replied.
"Why not?" Utaha asked, curious.
"Because I've been tutoring Ichika and the others lately. Plus, Ichika has her own commitments, so we don't really have time for anything else."
"You tutor them?" Utaha was surprised.
"Oh, you're doing private tutoring? Makes sense. You've always been top of your grade. Even my mom, who's always praised Yukinoshita, admitted you were above her," Eriri said, unfazed.
The two girls had completely different reactions.
Utaha was sharper. In her mind, Makoto tutoring the Nakano girls meant they now had the advantage of being close to him.
Eriri hadn't considered that angle at all.
She was still caught up in the previous topic, mumbling softly, "I thought you guys would keep making more."
"You really liked the short film, Sawamura-san?" Makoto asked casually.
Eriri froze, instinctively denying it. "Of course not. My parents dragged me to watch it…"
Her voice trailed off and grew bashful. "But it was really well done… even if the ending scared me a little."
Her slender legs fidgeted, hinting at how much that twist ending had rattled her.
"If it satisfied the audience, then our club achieved its goal," Makoto said smoothly. Now that the atmosphere was pleasant, it was time to set his plan in motion.
"Senpai, shall we start the shoot now?" he asked suddenly.
Shoot?
What shoot?
Didn't he just say they weren't filming anything right now?
Eriri looked between the two of them, confused but unsure if she should ask.
Utaha hadn't expected Makoto to bring this up in front of Eriri either.
She hesitated. "Right now?"
Makoto remained calm.
"The sooner we finish, the sooner you can head home and rest. You're a girl—it wouldn't be right to keep shooting late into the night and cut into your personal time."
Utaha pressed her lips together without speaking.
She felt like there was an extra meaning hidden in his words.
Was he teasing her about the water-style ninja art performance in his guest room that night?
She knew very well that what happened that night would leave an impression on anyone.
Especially since Makoto had repeatedly mentioned how much he liked her legs.
And that night, her long, pale legs had been fully raised during the performance…
Her embarrassment suddenly surged again.
But then she realized she was overthinking it.
Because when Makoto brought out his camera, he said, "Senpai, hold this book just like you're reading. I think you'd look amazing photographed that way."
Utaha took the book in surprise, finally understanding.
So that's what he meant—taking normal pictures. That way, even with Eriri present, it wouldn't be awkward, and he'd still get good shots.
Remembering her earlier flustered thoughts made her feel a bit annoyed at herself.
Ever since that night seemingly opened a new door in her mind, anytime she saw or even thought of Makoto, her imagination would involuntarily run wild.
She calmly adjusted her posture, sitting upright while holding the book as if she were reading.
To secretly give Makoto a little extra "bonus," she casually slipped her small, fair feet out from her slippers.
Her delicate toes rested atop them, with her pale ankles and soft calves extending gracefully upward.
She figured Makoto didn't want to miss the opportunity today—so even though she hadn't put on the stockings he picked out, he just couldn't wait.
Guess I really do have that much charm, she thought.
But she had only guessed half right.
Makoto, under Eriri's curious gaze, took a couple of beautiful photos of Utaha with professional poise.
Then he intentionally muttered aloud while holding the camera, "Now, what should I shoot next…"
Noticing Eriri's curiosity rising, he struck at just the right moment.
"Sawamura-san, would you like to see the photos?"
"Eh? I… um… okay."
Eriri stammered for a moment, but in the end, her curiosity won over her modesty.
She really did want to see.
She wanted to satisfy her curiosity.
So she took the opportunity to ask as she stood up, "What are you two doing?"
Makoto smiled.
"I made a promise with Senpai to take a few photo sets. Oh, right—I almost forgot to say, I'm actually pretty good at photography. If you're interested, you can try it too."
"I'm good, thanks… huh?"
Eriri hadn't finished turning down the offer, but when she saw the photo of Utaha in the camera, she froze.
It looked really good.
Beautifully taken.
Jealousy flickered in her eyes.
Makoto quietly let out a sigh of relief.
The solution he had thought about for so long could finally be put into motion.
Since Utaha couldn't wear the tights with Eriri watching, why not just shoot the two girls together?
This approach required a bit of finesse—but the payoff would be big.
"I just figured out what we should shoot next."
Makoto turned and said to Eriri, who was still looking at the photo, "Sawamura-san, can you sit next to Senpai?"
"Me?" Eriri pointed to her own face in shock.
"Yeah," Makoto said. "I just thought of it—both of you are really beautiful. If you sit together, the photo will capture two types of beauty in one frame."
Eriri's face turned red. Being complimented so directly felt completely different from the usual praise she received at school.
After all, sitting right there was the famously beautiful upperclassman of the school.
Makoto's words were essentially saying, "You're on the same level."
Eriri didn't refuse. Instead, she said with a flushed face, "Um… I don't mind being in the photo, but I don't really know what to do."
Makoto's professional attitude earlier had paid off.
His photos looked great, and he seemed very reliable. That gave her the confidence to trust him.
"Don't worry, I'll guide you."
After reassuring her, Eriri shyly sat down next to Utaha.
"Senpai, is a two-shot okay?" Makoto asked thoughtfully.
"I don't mind," Utaha replied indifferently, though suspicion was rising in her heart.
Don't tell me he's into Eriri now?
That shouldn't be the case. Sure, Eriri was pretty, but compared to the other girls he'd been close with, her figure was seriously lacking.
If Makoto knew what Utaha was thinking, he would have said: Raising one yourself is fulfilling too.
"Sawamura-san, lean back a little… Yes, now close your eyes and gently rest your heads together. It'll look like two girls secretly dozing off—a lovely scene."
Under Makoto's careful direction, the two beautiful girls posed for five shots before he finally stopped.
"Take a look. If there's anything you're not happy with, just let me know." He handed over the camera.
Utaha didn't take it—she was still suspicious.
Eriri, on the other hand, reached for it right away. She really cared about the results.
And once she saw the photos, her heart swelled with joy.
"They look amazing." She couldn't suppress her smile and accidentally blurted out what she was thinking.
This was Makoto's moment to deliver emotional value. "I'm glad you like them—but your comment isn't quite accurate."
"What do you mean?" Eriri looked up, smiling brightly.
Makoto pointed at her and Utaha and said in a professional tone, "People look good, so the photos look even better."
Eriri blushed again, but her smile grew even wider.
Utaha expressionlessly slid her small feet back into her slippers.
I give you benefits, and you flirt with another girl right in front of me?
Makoto pretended not to notice.
He thought to himself: She's getting jealous.
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