Picture perfect

The meeting was held in a classroom that looked like any other normal classroom. It was located on the first floor of the building. It has small paintings which were hanging on the walls and a large blackboard with some writing on it.

The club president was a short guy named Isamu, who introduced himself as a second-year student from class 2-B. So far, there were 3 people in this club: Hajime himself, Minami Asano, and the Club president. Hajime never expected this place to be so quiet and peaceful, not when it comes to the rowdy crowds that would enter any given high school.

But in a way, it feels right, it's like... the group isn't trying to act tough or show off, just simple silence understanding, and focus.

"So Kazuma-san, I want to ask why you joined our club. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Hajime grinned, answering the President's questions,

"Well, to be honest, I was willing to join anything that was related to an afterschool club. I mean photography is fun and creative. I guess..." Hajime rubbed his head nervously. But in reality, it was so that Hajime could get free skill points and money for the system. He feels guilty for lying to them.

"Well, we are glad to have you join. The more the marryer they say, right?" The president laughed and patted his shoulders.

Hajime felt a tiny shiver of anxiety as he listened to him, but he shook it off quickly. The club was a friendly and casual group, but they were still strangers to him. To be honest, he didn't know anything about photography, Hajime could only be satisfied with the large about of skill points which he received from the system as he made his membership official earlier.

Asano was an ecstatic young girl, pretty normal for a young freshman like her, It also turns out she's the only one with a high-quality camera to boot, She promised to teach him many tricks and techniques once he gets used to the place. The president was in class 2B the opposite of his class 2C, he seemed like a type that hides his intelligence behind his over-friendly act.

It's a small club alright, but at least it would make things easier for him to get used to. As long as they respected him and didn't think he was an outsider, it would be fine.

He was still a stranger, however, It didn't seem like anything major would come out of this club. 

"So, Hajime." Asano started.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Not to be offensive, but, do you have any experience with photography at all? You know, aside from taking selfies or posting on your Instagram or anything." She asked gently.

Hajime shook his head and chuckled. "Yeah, none. Not even a remote hint of it." He sighed.

"You don't have Instagram?" She asked playfully.

"Oh, no, I do. But not many people follow me or like my posts.."

Asano chuckled lightly and shook her head.

  "Then I'll be the first to comment on every one of them!"

Hajime suddenly caught something.

The way she said that sounded genuine, not like a sarcastic joke or something.

This Asano girl seemed like a very sincere and cheerful person. This was surprising, considering that they were still strangers, and he had never even met her before.

"Well, that makes me happy. Thank you, Asano."

She smiled and nodded back, walking towards a table at the end of the room.

"So, what do you have there?" Hajime asked.

"Just some editing software and my USB drive. I need to transfer some new photos that I shot this weekend!"

Asano then opened up the lid of her laptop and placed her USB in. The screen was filled with folders and files, all organized neatly. Hajime couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at the screen in awe.

Hajime had to admit that this girl was extremely organized. Even her photography club folder was separated into categories and labelled accordingly.

While the president was sitting in his seat, writing something on his laptop, Asano started to transfer the pictures from her folder to her laptop, waiting for them to finish downloading. Hajime noticed a picture of him which she had taken before, staring at him while she patiently waited for her files to be processed. The Junior then entered an editing software and started to fiddle with the tools.

As for the editor's software, it seems like a user-friendly and efficient tool. Asano started to work on the photos by adjusting the brightness, contrast, and a few other settings. Then, as she was adjusting the filter, she flipped her laptop and opened a file.

"Here, check out the picture I took of you," Asano said to him. "Picture perfect!"

Hajime took a moment and glanced at the photo on Asano's computer, checking his appearance and his facial features. It was an impressive piece of work, the image quality was clear and the lighting made him look sharp. "Um, you're talented, Asano-san," Hajime exclaimed, smiling brightly as he gestured towards the screen.

"Thanks! I've been doing this for a while, so I've had practice." She replied proudly.

Suddenly, as Hajime was admiring Asano's work, he felt a strange sense coming from the window, it was like a cold breeze which made his spine shiver slightly... 

Hajime acted like nothing was wrong, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of unease rising within him.

'What the hell? Is someone watching me?'

It was a good thing that the club wasn't busy or noisy, but there was still the problem of the quiet, and how odd it was to break the silence. Hajime then shook his head and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"So you do it all the time?" Hajime asked, laughing nervously.

"I love taking pictures, it makes me happy," Asano answered back.

There was a moment of silence, and the chilling sensation ceased, Hajime sighed and was about to relax when he saw the president looking at him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"You okay there, Kazuma-kun?" The President said, "You look a bit tense."

Hajime just waved his hand dismissively, replying, "No, no. I'm fine.

The President nodded his head and kept writing something on his laptop, while Asano focused on her editing, and even the people who hadn't attended the meeting, yet were thinking of joining soon, the meeting was filled with lots of laughter and chatting. Hajime was pleased with how casual everything was, and he didn't feel like a complete outsider, he felt like he could make a friend or two here. 

'This club seems alright,' Hajime thought to himself, 'not nearly as awkward as I'd feared.'

To be honest, the club had a welcoming atmosphere, and Hajime felt happy to be part of it. The only issue was the strange feeling of unease that lingered in the air like someone was watching him. He knew he was being paranoid, but Hajime still couldn't shake the feeling.

Eventually, the meeting came to an end. The members of the Photography Club headed their separate ways, with Hajime waving goodbye to the others and making his way towards the school gate. Hajime noticed Asano greeting some friends and running in the opposite direction. He smirked at her enthusiasm and how energetic she seemed.

As Hajime was leaving the school grounds, he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.

But who could be watching him, and why? It was almost like they were testing him or checking him out.

'Great, now I'm paranoid about stuff like that...' Hajime thought to himself as he kept walking, just wanting to get back to his apartment and relax.

'It's probably just my imagination...I got a lot on my mind right now,' Hajime thought to himself sternly.

When Hajime made it back to his apartment, he was exhausted, mentally and physically. He had tried his best not to let his fear show, but the anxiety was building up inside him, threatening to spill over.

'Why does this keep happening to me?' Hajime thought to himself.

'I swear it's like I'm being put through some kind of test or something...'

Hajime didn't like the feeling of being watched, and it freaked him out a little. He was starting to become more and more curious about what the city had to offer, and the people who seemed to be at the core of it all.

To put his mind at ease, Hajime decided to go to the rooftop of his apartment, where he had a clear view of the city lights and surrounding areas. The moon was shining brightly, and the stars were twinkling above him. The sight was peaceful and relaxing, which is exactly what Hajime needed at that moment.

He sighed, taking in the serenity that filled the rooftop and hoping that the stress he felt would eventually fade away.

'God, this city never ceases to amaze me.' He thought to himself.

He looked up, gazing at the bright moon, smiling gently at the thought of completing his missions and earning extra skill points. Not only that, he got new friends both Yuki and the other members from his club, all thanks to the system. Hajime felt grateful, yet something else lurked in his mind, his gut.

"Whatever, I'll worry about that tomorrow, maybe even figure out the reason behind this constant unease that keeps coming and going. But for now, let's just enjoy the moment of peace."

He took out his phone and took a picture of the city below him, smiling softly as he did so.

'This is what life in the city's all about, isn't it? Taking pictures and enjoying the moment? Maybe that's why people like photography so much?' Hajime wondered to himself.

"This is picture perfect."