"Alright, lean in close..."
"Yeah—wait, hey! Why are you crouching?!"
"No, I saw on TV that this angle makes your legs look longer..."
"Get further back!"
"Sajocchi, you perv."
We were in the middle of the Central Courtyard. When I crouched down to try and snap a photo of Natsukawa and Ashida pressing their cheeks together while holding crepes, Natsukawa immediately clamped her hands over her skirt, her face turning beet-red. Ashida, meanwhile, was quick with the rhymes. Reflecting on it now, my positioning was indistinguishable from a camera geek swarming a cosplayer. That was a close one... my instincts had been subconsciously aiming for a low-angle shot.
"K-Kei... this is embarrassing..."
"Eh? But it looks totally sexy, doesn't it?"
"That’s exactly why!"
The reason Natsukawa was complaining to Ashida was her skirt. For the sake of making the photo look good, Ashida had hiked up Natsukawa’s hem along with her own. Natsukawa had been hesitant, but she’d eventually agreed because it was Ashida asking. It goes without saying that I nearly blurted out, "Wait, really? Is that okay?" Not only did it highlight the charm of their bare legs, but the sheer destructive power of a blushing, fidgeting Natsukawa was off the charts. Asking me to look away would have been a tall order.
Still, for me, the situation brought equal parts joy and confusion. Natsukawa clearly wasn't thrilled, and as a male friend, watching the people around us stare at the two of them left me with complicated feelings. I decided to back Natsukawa up—while prioritizing my own peace of mind.
"Actually, do you even need a full-body shot? If you just get your faces and the crepes in frame, that should be enough."
"Ehh, you think so?"
"It’d look better for both of you. You’re both cute, after all."
"Wh-wha!? Y-You think so...?"
"Th-there you go again, saying things like that..."
Sensing a positive response from Ashida, who didn't seem to mind the compliment, Natsukawa placed a hand on her hip and grumbled as she pulled her skirt back down. With the defense above her knees restored, I felt a wave of relief. Once Ashida had also lowered her hem, I decided to hurry up and take the photo. There had been too many delicate movements lately; my heart was racing.
"Alright, close-up then."
"Heh...!?"
Since I didn't need to fit their whole bodies in, I moved closer and raised my phone. I didn't have to worry about their figures this time, so the angle wasn't as critical. If anything, I just had to worry about the background scenery.
"W-wait, Sajocchi, sh-shouldn't we take a break for a second?"
"The crepes are going to melt."
"Ah... r-right."
"Come on, Natsukawa. Cheeks together."
"O-okay... mmh..."
"Mmm..."
Natsukawa and Ashida pressed their cheeks against one another. Those suggestive voices reaching me from such a close distance were practically a live ASMR performance. Once the two of them held their crepes to their opposite cheeks, I gave the signal. One, two, click.
"Wait, the eye contact—ohh...!"
"...!"
I couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration at the photo I’d just taken. Originally, I’d just wanted a calculatedly cute photo with the same composition, but the result was a masterpiece—the condensed essence of bittersweet youth. Was it just my imagination that the two of them looked appalled when they saw the screen?
Looking at their poses alone, they were totally into it, but they were hardly looking at the camera. Their cheeks were tinged a soft peach, and the way they shyly averted their eyes highlighted their charms in a completely different way. Natsukawa was a given, but seeing the usually cheerful Ashida with such a pained, soulful expression was incredible. These were truly the "faces of women" who were conscious of each other.
"This is definitely going viral...!"
"Delete it!" they shouted in unison.
Aagh... my phone...!
By the time my snatched-away phone was returned, the photo was gone. I told them it had been a great shot, but when I asked why they’d deleted it, they both snapped, "When we say no, we mean no!" with bright red faces. Thinking about it calmly, I probably would have hated having those kinds of expressions seen by a mass audience on social media anyway.
"L-let's take one with the three of us! Sajocchi, get in here too!"
"Eh? I thought I was in the way..."
"It’s fine! Come on, hurry!"
Ashida urged me on, waving her crepe and its slightly glistening whipped cream.
Well, if Ashida—the one who might actually upload the photo—says it's okay, then I guess it's fine.
Due to the height difference and gender balance, I ended up standing behind the two of them in the center. "Oh, are you sure about this~?" I joked while trying to frame the three of us, but my phone was suddenly swapped for Ashida’s. We weren't using different camera apps, so I wondered why the switch was necessary.
Under Ashida Produce, I ended up with a piece of fried chicken in my mouth while the two of them took poses similar to before, though with a bit more distance between us. When I held the phone diagonally upward, everyone fit into the frame nicely. Wait... I was getting nervous being this close to them... and honestly, they looked a bit awkward too.
Oh, what the hell! Whatever happens, happens!
"Alright! Chee— (cheese)!"
"Pfft..."
I put my soul into the shot. On the screen, I saw myself looking desperate with the fried chicken in my mouth while the two of them were bursting out laughing. Yeah, no, I'm requesting a retake.
"No!"
"Wh-hy?"
"Just because!"
Ashida flatly refused, and Natsukawa gave me a reasonless rejection. My phone was quickly confiscated again, too. Natsukawa-san...? That way of saying no isn't very good for Airi-chan’s upbringing, don't you think...? I was glad they were having fun, but I didn't think Airi-chan would be as easily convinced. Oops, the fried chicken was so good I was starting to drool...
As I munched away, the photo was posted to our three-person group chat. Compared to the laughing duo, I looked pathetic with my eyes bugging out in desperation. Sigh.
"............Is this, like, okay?"
"Eh? It’s fine, isn't it?"
"...I see."
Setting my own pathetic appearance aside, since I was the one holding the phone with my arm extended, it almost looked like I was pulling the two of them into my chest. If a photo like this was posted on Ashida’s social media, wouldn't it cause an uproar and cost her followers? Or so I thought. Well, it wouldn't be a problem if she just didn't post it publicly.
A notification pinged, and the photo on my screen slid over. It was a two-shot of Natsukawa and Ashida. Ah, you guys took that while I was distracted... yeah, I think this one's much better.
"A Picture Book Shop?"
"Yeah. Kei said some of the current students are running it as volunteers."
"Heh, I guess it’s not listed in the pamphlet."
Apparently, the list of projects for each club and committee was held only by the respective leaders. It was quite unfriendly to keep that information from the actual visitors. That would likely be a task to address for next year’s Cultural Festival. Though I doubted I’d be involved by then!
"The club projects are all lumped together, after all. I wish they’d at least separate the Culture-type and the Sports-type activities."
"Got it. I’ll complain to Nee-chan for you."
"Wait... stop it!? Definitely don't do that!?"
Oh? Was that a "please don't" that actually meant "please do"?
When I joked back, she grabbed my arm and shook me. When I looked at Ashida to show I was kidding, she seemed legitimately panicked. Just what kind of monster was my sister to the other girls...?
"Um... is it okay?"
"Hm? It’s fine, right, Ashida?"
"Yeah? It’s fine."
"I mean—I thought you might not be interested..."
"...Eh? Me?"
Natsukawa looked up at me tentatively, as if checking my mood. She seemed almost fearful, which prompted me to point at myself in surprise.
It was unexpected... was that really something to worry about? If you asked me if I was specifically interested in picture books, I guess the answer was "not really," but that was a different matter from whether I could enjoy the outing. I could watch Natsukawa carefully choosing a gift with Airi-chan in mind, and it seemed like Ashida and I could also have fun looking for something the kid would like. Regardless of whether it was Natsukawa or not, I felt like this was the kind of thing I should accompany my friends on to the fullest.
What was even more unexpected was how much Natsukawa was being considerate toward me. No, to call it consideration felt like an understatement; it felt too exaggerated. It felt like I was being "hosted," and the feeling made my skin crawl. It felt like we’d gotten closer, yet remained far apart...
"..."
When I stole a glance at Ashida, she was silently waiting for my answer. Was this... normal? Usually, Ashida would have jumped in immediately with something like, "You don't need to worry about that!"
"Don't worry about stuff like that. Let's go."
"Yeah... thank you."
"O-oh."
Natsukawa smiled in relief, looking peaceful. Being shown such straightforward happiness made me flustered. I could clearly feel my body temperature rising. Now it was my turn for things to get weird.
Me follow Natsukawa.