Chapter 43 – The promised photoshoot

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In late June, on a Sunday at the large swimming pool of the Advanced Nurturing High School, Ishizaki and Albert were diligently cleaning the pool.

Yukio, meanwhile, was lounging comfortably on a chair nearby, supervising the work. Unlike the smaller pool used during regular swimming classes, this large pool was typically reserved for the swimming club's use. However, when it needed cleaning, the swimming club would take a day off.

Thanks to an introduction from their class advisor, Sakagami, Class C had secured this job. Cleaning the pool for a morning would earn them a reward of ten thousand points. Though this seemed like a generous payment to most students, Yukio considered it trivial.

Therefore, he allocated the points to Ishizaki and Albert, encouraging them to work hard. With the incentive of points, they worked diligently, leaving the pool spotless within two hours.

Under the lighting, the pale blue tiles of the pool reflected a serene blue glow. Ishizaki wiped off his sweat and declared, "Done! Yukio-san, we can refill the pool now!"

"Alright, then wait outside for a while," Yukio responded, proceeding to the control panel to start refilling the pool.

Ishizaki and Albert, happy with their work, returned the cleaning tools and went outside to buy cold drinks.

While they were enjoying their beverages, a hunched-over girl slowly approached the swimming pool. She deliberately kept her head down as if she dared not make eye contact with anyone.

Ishizaki was about to stop her, explaining that the pool was being cleaned and was not open for entry, when he received a call from Yukio, instructing him to let the girl in. Ishizaki obediently stepped aside and opened the door for her.

After waiting for a while, Yukio heard faint footsteps. He turned around and waved at Sakura: "How is it? An empty swimming pool, perfect for your photoshoot, right?"

This was the real reason Yukio accepted the task despite the modest reward – for Sakura's photoshoot.

This was one of the benefits promised to this undercover agent. Whenever convenient, Class C would help clear out a space, providing an ideal, secluded environment for Sakura's photoshoots.

This arrangement was agreed upon the previous night via Line. During the day, Sakura would send class information to Yukio via Line.

At night, Yukio would occasionally initiate conversations with her, discussing various life anecdotes to increase her fondness for him, thereby better controlling this undercover agent.

However, the effect turned out to be even better than Yukio had anticipated. Sakura often initiated chats at night, sharing various things as if he were a close friend she could talk to about anything.

"!" Upon entering the building, Sakura's mood visibly brightened. She no longer kept her head or back down. Behind her glasses, her eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement as she looked around enthusiastically: "This is amazing!"

"I never imagined I could actually have a photoshoot here! It's usually impossible to access the pool for scenes like this!"

"As long as you keep providing me with class information, there will be plenty more opportunities like this," Yukio remarked as he watched the pool fill up and then shut off the water supply.

"Th-thank you, Yukio-kun!" Sakura, clearly exhilarated, bravely met Yukio's gaze, a departure from her usual difficulty in interacting with others.

"If you really want to thank me," Yukio recalled his decision upon first seeing Sakura's photos, "then I'll stay and see how you usually do your photoshoots."

"Eh? Eh?!" Sakura was taken aback by this request, her excitement immediately subdued. She stuttered in surprise, "Th-th-that's... n-n-not okay, right?!"

"I-I-I'll be too nervous, and, and, I won't be able to take good photos, I-I don't have anything... nice to look at..."

"Hm?" A simple monosyllabic sound of curiosity from Yukio pierced through her many excuses.

This made Sakura let out a whimper, like a wounded little animal. Her cheeks flushed a peculiar shade of red as she reluctantly agreed without being able to refuse.

So, she temporarily fled to the changing room, changing into the outfit for the shoot while her thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions.

"Yukio-kun is really dominating... What should I do? I can't say no to Yukio-kun at all!" As she thought, her heart rate quickened, blood rushing faster, her cheeks growing warmer, hot enough to cook a soft-boiled egg.

"But, it should be okay, right? After all, Yukio-kun is my friend. Though he hadn't explicitly said so, we chatted on Line every night; we should be considered friends, right?"

A friend watching her photoshoot shouldn't make her feel as scared and nervous as she used to when facing photographers and makeup artists...

Lost in her thoughts, Sakura finally changed and stepped out, causing Yukio's eyes to light up.

Although it was a swimming pool, Sakura wasn't wearing a swimsuit but instead a summer outfit that matched the airy atmosphere.

She wore a simple white long dress, and without her thick glasses, her soft, rosy cheeks, fair and straight nose, and curled eyelashes were more visible. They fluttered slightly under Yukio's gaze, as if anxious about his evaluation.

Because it was an indoor pool, she boldly decided not to wear shoes or socks, her delicate and rounded bare feet standing on the pale blue tiles.

The arch of her foot rose gracefully, her slender ankles forming a beautiful curve. The distinct, pearl-like toes seemed to announce to the world the unique beauty of a lovely young girl.

The white dress had a clever little design, with a folded lace collar that subtly covered Sakura's more prominent bust, creating an effective concealment.

"Yukio-kun?" Sakura was almost too shy to look at him. How embarrassing! This was the first time in years that someone else was present when she changed into a photoshoot outfit!

Her heart raced faster and faster, like a mischievous child trying to leap out of her throat. Sakura didn't understand what she was waiting for…

But without getting an answer, she glanced at Yukio and, noticing his stunned expression, felt a secret thrill spread through her, sweet as honey, starting from her heart and pumping through her veins, filling her with joy.

"So, Yukio-kun was actually mesmerized? My outfit seemed to have a good effect~" Thinking this, her anxiety slowly dissipated, and her heart returned to its normal pace, like the drumbeat of victory.

Yukio also came back to his senses and simply gave a thumbs-up without saying anything. This made Sakura shyly turn her head away, but she couldn't suppress a smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

Of course, she didn't forget the task at hand. She took out her digital camera and a compact tripod, found the spot with the best lighting, set it up for a timed shot, and then ran back to the chosen spot.

However, as she ran, the white ribbon collar could no longer hide the spectacular bounce, and Yukio finally saw the scene he had been waiting for.

When Sakura reviewed the first photo on the camera, she shyly looked at Yukio, who, not understanding, moved closer to her, wanting to see if the photo was a failure.

The closeness, almost cheek to cheek, made Sakura's face turn even redder and hotter, but she dared not move. She silently held the camera, allowing Yukio to view the shot.

In the photo, Sakura hadn't managed to smile properly at the last moment. Unlike her successful photos where she beamed brilliantly, she seemed preoccupied with someone, repeatedly looking off-camera.

However, the photo faithfully captured the shy, hesitant young girl, looking off into the distance, her words unspoken.

***

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