He began to stammer. Logically speaking, she was indeed suppressed by Kobayashi Ayaka, but emotionally, could he say that?.
If he angered this X Magazine princess, did he not want his job anymore?.
"What he shot meets the requirements. Although it didn't meet my ideal requirements… let's just go with it for now. Dragging it out won't result in better photos," Kurashiki Reina said lightly, flicking her light-golden hair that rested on her shoulder.
At the same time, her emerald-like eyes once again glanced at the photos Hayato had taken.
…He actually managed to make Ayaka-senpai look so beautiful. It would be a shame not to use them.
"Tsk."
When she saw Kobayashi Ayaka, Kurashiki Reina naturally also saw herself in the same frame.
In fact, she felt that, for this set of finished photos, she truly couldn't compare to Kobayashi Ayaka…
But she was Kurashiki Reina; how could she use petty tricks to make the magazine reject such good photos?
For Kurashiki Reina, the only flaw in this set of photos wasn't that she was photographed less well than Kobayashi Ayaka.
It was that these photos were taken by Hayato.
How can he do everything?
"…How can you do everything?"
Kobayashi Ayaka, astonished, asked the question in Kurashiki Reina's heart for her. He was the best in the Kendo Club, his guitar skills, based on the video Kurashiki Reina and her class took before, were also excellent, and he had a good appearance and good grades… Wasn't he the "child from another family" that her parents always talked about?.
He was also the perfect son-in-law they often mentioned to her.
If she took him home…
No, she couldn't take him home.
If her mother saw him, she'd probably wish her dad was dead already.
And her dad would complain about how he ended up with a third leg.
"It's not that I can do everything; it's just that I happen to be able to," Hayato said with a smile.
At the same time, he secretly checked the skills he possessed.
Yes, this was actually a reward given by the system. When he beat up the yellow-haired guy a while ago, he completed quite a few tasks.
And the meager system's reward mechanism was always just one: a lottery.
There were skills and items.
Most of them were useless, for example, "The Skill of Not Blinking," which allowed Hayato to maintain a non-blinking state for an hour. Other than winning first place in the "Staring Contest" organized with the Shirakawa High School Four Heavenly Kings, Hayato couldn't think of any other use for it.
As for items, Hayato remembered one quite clearly.
"Perch from a certain river in Zhejiang, China"
It made Hayato feel especially close, as if he heard the calls of his relatives—oh, he had no relatives—he heard the calls of his friends, "Mr. Lin, the fish from your hometown can be fished."
So, Hayato gently cooked it into West Lake Vinegar Fish and tearfully ate three large bowls of rice.
His taste buds were filled with the taste of home.
As for the "Photography" skill…
It was called "The Grandmaster's Legacy."
The description was, "Be like Chen ● Xi when you're a person; bring a camera when you open a room. The realm of photography is something you guys who play with equipment will never be able to compare to."
Since he was broke and Nanao Akane was also touchingly poor.
This was his first time experimenting with this skill on an SLR camera, and he didn't expect the results to be surprisingly good.
"Reina, where are you going?"
Hachisuka Hidemichi, seeing Kurashiki Reina leave on her own, quickly called out.
"Changing clothes, then back to the ryokan," Kurashiki Reina said faintly. She didn't turn back, her light-golden hair fluttering as she tossed it.
"Where are you staying?" Hayato asked Kobayashi Ayaka.
"Amagi Onsen Ryokan…" Kobayashi Ayaka answered distractedly, her gaze still wandering over the few photos that were switching back and forth: "…Did you make me look too good? Wow, especially this one, Kurashiki doesn't even look as good as me…"
Hayato had felt his phone vibrate just now, but he was in the middle of photography work, so he ignored it.
Now, he took out his phone, opened his messaging app, and answered absently:
"You naturally look better than Kurashiki."
"..."
Kobayashi Ayaka's breathing stopped.
She looked up from the photos, gazing at her junior, who was so close.
The latter's hearing wasn't strong enough to catch her breathing, but he could feel her gaze on him.
But just as Hayato strangely wanted to look down, Kobayashi Ayaka immediately lowered her head as well.
Then she stomped heavily on Hayato's toes.
"…Hiss, what are you doing?"
His answer wasn't words, but actions.
Kobayashi Ayaka forcefully shoved the camera back into Hayato's arms.
Then she immediately turned around and walked out of the stadium like a zombie, with stiff movements, swish, swish, swish.
She was clearly walking with a cross-step, moving her same arm and leg forward, but thanks to Kobayashi Ayaka's excellent athletic genes, she walked incredibly fast with this strange posture, giving off a sense of powerful momentum.
"Ayaka?"
"You, you wait here for me! I'll come find you after I change! Don't you dare run!"
"Oh… oh!" Hayato was stunned. What was this feeling of being challenged: "Then I'll wait for you. Be a little careful."
Kobayashi Ayaka's walk was really… hard not to notice.
"Huh!?"
Ayaka's first words were those of an irritable older sister: "'Happy'? How am I happy!? You, you, you're talking nonsense! I'll sue you for defamation!!"
With that, she turned back, glaring with extremely angry eyes.
If her face hadn't been as red as a ripe apple, her upright, heroic brows combined with her sharp gaze would have had some oppressive power.
"…"
"Don't you dare leave!" Ayaka pointed.
Hayato chuckled, nodding slightly: "…Okay."
Hearing the reply, Kobayashi Ayaka continued to walk with her same arm and leg.
Hayato looked at Kobayashi Ayaka's truly bizarre walking posture, then lowered his eyes, flipping through the photos he had just taken, the smile on his lips deepening.
"…Are you that happy?"
Kurashiki Reina was changing clothes in the changing room that the Staff team and the school had applied for.
After taking off her cheerleader uniform, removing her pasties, and putting on her everyday bra, the door creaked open.
Kurashiki Reina wasn't in a hurry. Someone was guarding outside, so if it were an outsider, there would be no way to enter this classroom. The only one who could walk in was…
Kurashiki Reina quietly glanced back, her clear green eyes immediately widening. She was astonished:
"Ayaka-senpai!? Are you not used to today's work intensity, and got heatstroke!? Why is your face so red? Do you want to go to the hospital? I have ice packs in the car, should I go get them for you?"
Kobayashi Ayaka looked at Kurashiki Reina, from head to toe, and from toe to head.
She looked her over, bare.
Her gaze even made Kurashiki Reina uncomfortable, and she instinctively used an arm to cover her fair breasts and bare groin. "W-What?"
Kobayashi Ayaka's mouth twitched. "Ha, hahahaha...hahahahahahahaha..."
Kurashiki Reina felt that Kobayashi Ayaka must be delirious from illness.
...
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