The Photographer looked at Hayato in disbelief.
The latter was currently fiddling with his S●ny camera.
Don't say it, don't say it.
This guy really has something going on.
To actually receive such high regard from Ms. Reika.
One should know that Reina-chan's official boyfriend should be Hachisuka Hidemichi, but from Ms. Reika's words just now, it was clear that she hadn't mentioned that boyfriend's name at all.
—Of course, the Photographer wouldn't know that Kurashiki Reina hadn't dared to mention her boyfriend's accompanying her to her mother at all.
The Photographer secretly glanced at Hachisuka Hidemichi.
His already not-so-good face turned even darker and fouler, on the verge of an outburst.
If Kurashiki Reina hadn't still been present, he probably would have immediately thrown a punch at Hayato.
Like a clown.
The Photographer thought, yet he couldn't help but feel delighted.
The worse Hachisuka Hidemichi's relationship with this guy became, the more he stood to gain—at least the plan to deal with this guy through Hachisuka Hidemichi would become easier.
While the Photographer secretly plotted, he also looked disdainfully at the bowed head of Hayato.
"How is it? Do you have any insights?" he asked with a very sincere tone.
But he was just afraid of contradicting Kurashiki Reika's face.
What he was thinking internally was—what the hell do you know, can you even operate a camera, yet you're here giving your two cents?
Your Ms. Reika might indeed have some face, but a camera won't give you any face.
If you don't know, you just don't know.
"Hmm," Hayato nodded steadily, "The lighting is problematic, mainly due to the illumination. The direction of the backlight is also wrong; it just needs a slight adjustment."
Kobayashi Ayaka had already moved closer and, hearing Hayato speak so methodically, couldn't help but ask,
"You, you also know photography?"
"Just a little, just a little," Hayato chuckled.
Then he called out to the two other Staff members who were assisting, telling them to readjust the direction of the fill lights and other props.
"You, you go over there, and Ayaka, you stand in front of me... a little further."
"Here?"
"Yes, strike a pose..."
Kobayashi Ayaka was momentarily at a loss.
When facing the Photographer, she could control her emotions and expressions with ease, but standing in front of Hayato.
Her mind couldn't help but start overthinking things.
Are there any weird things on my face?
How many teeth should I show when I smile?
Will I be laughed at if I'm too stiff? Being laughed at is actually fine—it's losing his favor that would be the worst.
"Uwah, Ayaka-senpai, I didn't expect your smile to be so... funny, and a little disgusting, actually."
↑ Words like that... Hmm, given Hayato's personality, he probably wouldn't say them.
Kobayashi Ayaka nervously raised her eyes and glanced at Hayato.
Mr. Hayashi's Sima face was almost devoid of any expression; he was simply concentrating on the camera in his hands.
...No.
Kobayashi Ayaka quickly changed her mind; that guy could say anything!
But, but how annoying, what pose should I strike?
Just as Kobayashi Ayaka was still agonizing,
"Good," Hayato made an OK gesture: "The shy expression is very good, it will make for a great shot."
"Who...!"
Kobayashi Ayaka originally wanted to say, "Who's shy?", but after thinking about it, she decided to go with the flow for the time being.
"Kurashiki?" Hayato called out.
"KUSO…" Kurashiki Reina clicked her tongue, biting down on her canines.
Why had it suddenly come to this guy directing her… He didn't look like he knew anything about photography…
Kurashiki Reina instinctively wanted to deny Hayato, but her mind still replayed the memory from SB Bar… At that time, her thoughts were almost no different from her current ones.
And the result…
The result was also no different.
Kurashiki Reina was indeed a professional model.
Even when facing Hayato's camera, she quickly adjusted her mindset, and her posture and expression were both impeccable.
In contrast, Kobayashi Ayaka was a bit more awkward.
Under the lens, she clearly looked like she was posing for a photo.
However—
"…How is it?"
Hayato asked, first seeking the opinions of the two models.
At the same time, the Staff and the Photographer, who wanted to see Hayato make a fool of himself, also gathered around.
Let's see how much you're capable of.jpg
And then,
"No, impossible…" the Photographer murmured as if in a dream.
What this guy shot couldn't be described as a complete mess; it was flawless.
The fiery sunset illuminated the faces of the two young girls, and even though it was just a few dozen MBs of files, they still looked incredibly vibrant.
Whether it was the framing, composition, or control of light, he effortlessly surpassed the photos the Photographer had taken before.
And it wasn't just about the technique.
"How did you know we wanted this kind of shot?" the Photographer asked.
It was a matter of style.
Commercial photography emphasizes style; if the style doesn't match, even excellent technique will be rejected. But this guy, without asking about the client's requirements at all, shot photos that perfectly met the demands.
"The camera stored the photos you took before," Hayato said lightly. "I understood just by looking."
The Photographer stared intently at the shots Hayato had taken. There were occasional flaws, but those were for post-production.
Someone who could take photos of this caliber couldn't possibly not understand this principle.
So, if the Photographer wanted to use such shallow things to make things difficult, it would undoubtedly be self-humiliation.
After watching for a long time, he really did find a problem.
"…Why did you 'highlight' Miss Ayaka so much?"
According to the original composition idea, Kurashiki Reina should have been the center, and Kobayashi Ayaka was merely the green leaf accentuating the red flower.
But in the current sample images, Kobayashi Ayaka was not at all inferior, and even subtly overshadowed Kurashiki Reina.
Kurashiki Reina's natural smile and playful wink certainly had a lot of selling points.
But Kobayashi Ayaka, who clearly looked like she was posing, had… a different style. Her heroic face combined with her awkwardness in dealing with cute smiles created a very attractive sense of contrast.
"Ah, sorry, it was subconscious—"
Hayato said. Given the difference in his favorability towards Kobayashi Ayaka and Kurashiki Reina, it was natural for his lens to favor Kobayashi Ayaka.
"No, we have to reshoot!" the Photographer said loudly, greatly amused. "You're not a professional after all…"
"Let's use this set," Kurashiki Reina, however, overruled the Photographer's suggestion.
"…Huh?"
Kurashiki Reina pointed her thumb at the sky, which was darkening in the west. "It's already getting dark, and I'm very tired. I don't want to come back tomorrow, so let's just use this set."
"But," the Photographer quickly said, "according to the original plan, you should be the center…"
Rather than trying to curry favor with Kurashiki Reina, it was more that he didn't want the photos taken by the kid with his camera through this "random operation" to successfully appear in the magazine.
"Are you saying I look inferior in these photos?" Kurashiki Reina asked.
This question checkmated the Photographer.
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