Chapter 7: Show Me Your True Face
Proposing a fourth shoot to Shinomiya-san was one thing, but honestly, I wasn’t sure she’d agree.
After that incident, we’d still exchanged greetings, but all talk of photography had vanished. That’s why I couldn’t help but worry she might not even read my message.
But my fears turned out to be baseless. She replied almost immediately.
“Let’s definitely do it. Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing.”
I was stunned she’d been thinking the same, but it was a stroke of luck that the shoot was settled so smoothly. The only question was where to do it—and then came her jaw-dropping suggestion.
“For the location… how about my house this weekend?”
She’d chosen her own home, an ideal spot for shooting. It was completely unexpected for her to offer it herself, but maybe it meant she’d steeled her resolve too.
“Got it. Then how about this weekend?”
“Yes! I’ll prepare the outfits and the shoot’s vibe. Leave it all to me.”
I only hesitated for a moment before deciding to let Shinomiya-san take the reins. She must have a clear image of how she wants to be captured. I was simply excited to see what she’d show me. It’d be a lie to say I wasn’t a little anxious about her brimming confidence, though.
Even after this exchange, we didn’t talk at school as usual, but her energy seemed to return. Shin, the fan club president, grinned at me and said,
“Good job, Takumi! Shinomiya-san’s smile is back to normal! You’ll have to tell me later what you talked about, okay?”
I thanked him with a fist to his stomach instead of words. If I told him we’d set up a shoot at her house, who knows what he’d do. Above all, this was a secret just between me and Shinomiya-san.
And so, the weekend arrived. I politely declined her offer to pick me up at the station, opting to walk at my own pace while lost in thought.
I wasn’t arrogant enough to think today’s shoot could mend her relationship with Alice-san. My job was simply to take photos.
“To know the parts of myself I don’t know…”
Why had she said that? I felt like the reason might come to light today. And maybe, as a result, our secret pact that we couldn’t tell anyone would end.
It took less than ten minutes of walking. Despite having been this way only once, I remembered it oddly well and arrived without getting lost. After a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart, I rang the doorbell.
“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you, Anno-kun.”
“Hey, Shinomiya-san. Looking forward to today.”
The door opened promptly, and she ushered me inside. I was led to the living room, where I sipped the tea she offered and took a moment to relax.
“You’re a bit late today. Did you get lost or something?”
She giggled teasingly. Not talking much at school lately made even this casual exchange feel nostalgic.
“Sorry. I didn’t get lost, but I got caught up thinking this morning and left late.”
“I see… So who exactly were you thinking about from the moment you woke up until you got here, Anno-kun? Could it be… Yuzuha-san?”
As she spoke, she showed me her phone screen. On it was a cosplay photo of Yuzuha-san from the shoot at Uezu-san’s studio the other day.
“You took and edited this, right, Anno-kun? Yuzuha-san looks so cute in her uniform. The sexy vibe is top-notch too.”
Her face smiled, but her eyes didn’t. Was it my imagination, or did I see an enragedme angry dragon behind her, scales trembling with rage? No, it wasn’t my imagination.
“To suggest a shoot with me and then spend the day thinking about another woman… You’re pretty awful, Anno-kun. I’m hurt.”
I hadn’t said a word. Were the only people around me the type to get lost in their own world and sling petty jabs? Well, it was just Shinomiya-san and Yuzuha-san, but still.
“I’ve been drowning in self-loathing from guilt and shame, thinking I’d never get you to shoot me again, soaking my pillow with tears every night…”
“Uh… Shinomiya-san?”
Her anger flipped suddenly, and something seemed off.
“But I decided I couldn’t go on like this, so I made up my mind to reach out. Then you contacted me first, and I was so happy! I’ve been thinking tons about today, but… I guess I wasn’t in your head at all.”
This was going too far for a joke. Even someone as mild-mannered as me couldn’t help but get ticked off after that.
“I’m sad… sniff sniff.”
“When did I, or anyone, say I wasn’t thinking about you?”
“…Huh?”
She clearly hadn’t expected me to push back, letting out a dazed sound. If you dish it out, you’d better be ready to take it—I’d teach her that lesson firsthand.
“I’ve been thinking about you too, you know? I hated myself for not being able to do anything even though I knew you were down after that shoot. So I racked my brain, trying my hardest…”
“Uh, um… Anno-kun?”
“The shoot with Yuzuha-san was scheduled before yours, but hearing you say it like that… it’s a shock.”
“N-No, it’s a joke, Anno-kun! Just teasing like usual! I mean, thank you for thinking about me that much, or, uh…”
Seeing me exaggeratedly shrug, even Shinomiya-san panicked, flailing her hands as she scrambled to explain. Her flustered state was so cute—too cute to hold back a laugh.
“…You tricked me, didn’t you, Anno-kun?”
“Hahaha! Sorry, sorry! I went a bit overboard with the teasing. But you started it, right? There’s a line between what’s okay and what’s not, even in jest.”
“Ugh… You jerk, Anno-kun! Toying with a maiden’s pure heart—you’re a monster!”
She lightly smacked my shoulder. It actually kinda hurt, so I wished she’d stop.
“I really was thinking about you, okay? I’d never toy with a maiden’s heart on purpose.”
I only teased her back because she started it—I wasn’t lying. I’d never say something that embarrassing—almost like a confession—just to fluster her.
“O-Okay! I get it! Your feelings came through loud and clear! Thank you! I’ll admit defeat!”
Her face turned beet red as she shouted and stepped back. We were about to shoot—would she be okay?
“Phew… To think I’d live to see the day Anno-kun humiliates me… You’ll take responsibility for this, right?”
“All I can do is take photos, but if that’s enough, I’ll do it as much as you want.”
“Hehe. Then shall we get started? That’s why you’re here, after all.”
With that, she gave my shoulder a pat and stood up. When I asked where she was going, she smiled brightly.
“I’m going to change for the shoot. Get your camera ready, Anno-kun.”
“Sounds good, but where are we shooting?”
We’d been so caught up in banter that we hadn’t discussed the most important part—the shoot itself. I needed her vision.
“Today’s location… is this house.”
“…What?”
“I want you to shoot me all over this house. I’ll explain why as we go.”
Leaving it at that, she exited the living room. Since she was changing, she was probably headed to her bedroom. I prepped my camera, a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling up as I wondered what she’d wear.
After ten tense minutes, the door clicked open. When Shinomiya-san returned to the living room, I was speechless.
“I got this specially for today at Uezu-san’s shop.”
She said something shyly, but her words didn’t register. The outfit she’d changed into was to blame—or rather, I wasn’t even sure it qualified as an outfit.
“Uezu-san recommended it. What do you think? Cute, right?”
She twirled to show it off. Was it cute? Obviously, yes. But it was by far the boldest thing she’d worn yet. Sheer and revealing, it was clear she wasn’t wearing a bra or panties. Compared to this, the swimsuit from before was practically modest—practically wholesome. What was Uezu-san thinking, suggesting this?
It was a so-called babydoll—a glossy, cherry-pink satin that looked soft to the touch.
Delicate gathers adorned the chest, edged with eyelash lace that left her skin visible. The daringly open neckline, the mesmerizing cleavage, and the ample curves forming it were nothing short of breathtaking.
And when she spun, her nearly bare back came into view, held together by just a single ribbon.
“It’s my first time wearing this, and my legs feel all breezy.”
She smiled as she said it, but I was beyond processing that.
With its short hem and no panties, of course she’d feel that way. No bra either—wherever I looked, up or down, I was at a loss for where to rest my eyes.
This outfit alone packed a punch, but then she held something out to me, further chipping away at my sanity.
“Anno-kun… Could you put this on me?”
I took it—a collar, with a metal chain jangling from it. The babydoll was already overwhelming; what was she thinking? I was utterly baffled.
“And this time, I don’t want you to shoot me secretly. I want you to see me directly. All of me…”
Her glistening eyes pleaded earnestly, almost prayerfully. Faced with that, I couldn’t refuse. I could only nod.
“…Did you get this from Uezu-san’s shop too?”
“Yes. I consulted her, and she said having this put on me for the shoot would make it even better.”
Uezu-san, the manager, might have an eccentric appearance and demeanor, but she’s never once missed the mark when it comes to picking outfits for shoots. She’s a hassle to deal with when she gets clingy, but in this regard, I trust her implicitly.
If someone like her suggested the combination of a babydoll, collar, and chain for Shinomiya-san, there’s got to be some meaning behind it.
“Got it. I decided to leave today’s shoot entirely up to you anyway, Shinomiya-san. I’ll put it on as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Shinomiya-san closed her eyes gently, a faint smile on her lips, looking for all the world like a princess awaiting a prince’s kiss.
When I was a kid, I saw a photo my dad took of my mom in her youth that felt similar. It was one of the shots that sparked my desire to take photos myself.
“…Beautiful.”
But the Shinomiya-san before me now was far more stunning than my mom in that picture, and words of admiration slipped out naturally. Like a ghost, I stepped closer and gently fastened the collar—too rough for her crane-like, glossy neck—around her.
“So, who’s holding the chain…?”
“You, of course, Anno-kun. Here.”
As she spoke, Shinomiya-san pressed the chain firmly against my chest. I knew this was coming, but some things take time to accept. What had I done to end up putting a collar on the girl who sits next to me? If this got recorded, my life would be ruined.
“It’s like I’ve become your pet, Anno-kun! Would adding animal ears make it pop more?”
“It’d definitely pop, and if you posted it on SNS, it’d hit ten thousand likes for sure. But if you’re asking if I’d want to shoot it—uh, no comment.”
“Huh? Why not?”
She tilted her head innocently. I couldn’t possibly say it’s because it’d leap past cute into 18+ territory, or that I didn’t want to share this version of her with the masses—not even if my life depended on it.
“A-Anyway! Let’s start shooting! Time’s limited, you know!”
“Don’t worry. No one’s coming home today or tomorrow. We’ve got plenty of time.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. So relax. Let’s do lots of naughty things together.”
Her phrasing was off, and I almost called her out on it—only to feel a strange nostalgia instead. I let out a deep sigh.
“Hehe. You’ve teased me enough, Anno-kun, so shall we get started? Don’t let go of the chain, okay?”
“I’m not thrilled about it, but… got it.”
Swallowing everything I wanted to say, I began our fourth shoot with Shinomiya-san.
---
As she’d said, we shot all over the house—starting in the living room, then the sofa, kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom. Moving between locations with the chain connecting us, it looked like some depraved noble parading a scantily clad maid around the house for amusement.
“It’s a bit shameless, but how about on the table next?”
After finishing in the bathroom and returning to the living room, Shinomiya-san said “Up we go” and stepped onto a chair, aiming to sit on the dining table where she usually ate. I couldn’t help but think she could at least hesitate a little, but I called out, “Stop.”
“I want to capture you as you’re about to climb up. Keep your back to me, hands on the table, and look over your shoulder.”
“Got it. Next time you stop me, Anno-kun, tug the chain instead of just saying it, okay?”
She flashed a sly, mischievous grin. I mentally retorted that there was no way I could do that, then raised my camera.
I hadn’t noticed during the swimsuit shoot since we focused on frontal shots, but the curve from her back to her hips was elegant and breathtakingly beautiful—an artwork, legs included. The wide-open shoulder design elevated it beyond mere beauty.
Click, click. Each time I pressed the shutter, Shinomiya-san subtly shifted her pose, expression, or gaze. Sometimes, wanting a natural reaction, I gave the chain a light, unexpected tug as she’d asked.
“…Ah!”
Her face lit up with a mix of decadent surprise and ecstasy, her posture crumbling as her chest swayed and her back arched deeply. It was as if she’d lightly climaxed. I just kept shooting, mind blank.
“…I want to be free.”
She murmured this as I lowered the camera, then stepped off the chair without sitting on the table and headed toward the stairs.
“Free from what?”
I aimed the camera at her back as she climbed, asking the question. She paused, leaning against the wall. Curious about her expression, I slipped past her to face her.
“From this house… I want to be free.”
Her face looked on the verge of tears. Even that was so striking I found myself shooting unconsciously. Ignoring me, she ascended slowly, speaking as if pleading.
“All my life, I’ve lived as my parents demanded, doing what they told me. But I want to live freely, even just a little.”
I quickly switched the camera to video, turning it into an interview.
“Is there something that made you feel that way?”
“As you know, Anno-kun, I have an older sister. Unlike me, Alice—onee-chan—has a strong will to pursue what she wants.”
She spoke with a hint of frustration, as if nothing could sway her sister.
“Alice-onee-chan is someone I admire and, at the same time, someone I hate.”
“Hate?”
How could she hate someone she admired? When I pressed, she bit her lip.
Her father’s a practicing doctor, and her mother built an apparel company into a popular brand—a powerhouse couple. Just imagining the expectations they placed on her sent a chill down my spine.
“Whether she couldn’t handle that pressure or just found it annoying, I don’t know her true reasons, but Alice-onee-chan left home when she started college.”
“I see…”
“My parents, frustrated by her free-spirited life with no contact, pinned all their ideals on me, their second daughter. The result is this Rinoa Shinomiya.”
She lowered her brows as she spoke, her sad expression like that of an android realizing it was crafted by its parents’ hands.
“Then one day, I saw her in a magazine. She’d told me she’d started modeling, so I knew, but it was my first time seeing it.”
She got regular messages from Alice-san but never replied. Still, spotting her in a magazine by chance was proof of how successful Alice-san had become.
“The Alice-onee-chan in that photo was smiling brighter than I’d ever seen at home… She was radiant.”
Shinomiya-san said it felt like her sister’s whole body exuded the joy of being free from a stifling place, living as her true self.
“Seeing her like that, I thought—I want to be free like her, at least in photos.”
“…Good. Just as I thought, you two are sisters who care deeply for each other.”
Hearing her monologue, I let out a relieved sigh.
“What do you mean?”
“I think Alice-san feels the same. She loves you so much and might be wondering if she’s the reason you’re suffering.”
Their stories aligned more than I’d expected. Alice-san carried guilt; Shinomiya-san, admiration. They’d grown apart simply because they couldn’t voice those feelings honestly.
“…Do you think Onee-chan will forgive me? I’ve ignored her and said awful things…”
“She will. I don’t think there’s anyone who loves their little sister as much as Alice-san does.”
She’d gone out of her way to ask me about her sister’s high school life, after all. If her estranged sister reached out, she’d probably sob from emotion.
“And I finally get what you meant by ‘the self you don’t know.’ It’s you, free and true. That’s what you wanted to see.”
“Yes… I realize it now. That must be it.”
“Well, selfies were an option, but the exposure was a bit much, don’t you think?”
“T-That’s because you happened to walk by! I never imagined I’d be secretly photographed!”
“I’m sorry about the hidden shots. But no more doing that at school, even in an empty classroom, okay?”
“I won’t. Because I have you now, Anno-kun.”
She jingled the chain with a smile, its perverse charm captivating me. I switched from video to photo and snapped the shutter.
“Then from now on, how about you’re free whenever I’m shooting you like this? No—let me capture the real, free Rinoa Shinomiya. So—”
Muttering to myself that she was free now, I removed her collar and let go of the chain, setting her loose.
“Thank you, Anno-kun.”
Tears welled as she smiled—the cutest smile I’d seen from her yet.
“Will you shoot me in my room last? The one place in this house where I can be free.”
She led me by the hand into her room. It was only my second time here, yet I felt more nervous than before, my throat dry.
I’d taken plenty of risqué photos of her, so why was I flustered now? I tried to calm my racing heart, but seeing her in that sheer babydoll, lying on the bed with arms outstretched as if beckoning me, my rationality eroded at an unprecedented rate.
“Shall we finish the shoot?”
“…Please go easy on me.”
Through the lens, I saw a Shinomiya-san freed from the collar. Her expression was as bright as a clear blue sky after the clouds parted. Released from suppression, she seemed to bare her true self without reservation.
“…Oh, so that’s it.”
Capturing a fleeting moment of beauty forever. The words my dad said when I asked what it meant.
“You’ll understand when you grow up, Takumi. But you’ll need to find it yourself first.”
“Find… what?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The person you truly want to preserve in a photo.”
“I found her, Dad.”
“Hm? What did you find, Anno-kun?”
“…It’s a secret.”
Instead of answering, I kept pressing the shutter. I couldn’t say it—not even if my life depended on it—that I’d met someone I truly wanted to preserve in a photo from the bottom of my heart.
“What’s that!? Now I’m curious! Tell me, Anno-kun!”
“No way! I’m absolutely not telling—! We’re not done shooting yet, so behave—!”
The tension dissolved in an instant, turning into a lively, fun shoot.
We got so caught up in the enjoyment that I lost track of time. Before I knew it, the sun had set, and night had fallen.
“Anno-kun, it’s getting late. How about staying over after dinner?”
We’d finished shooting and tidying up, and I was waiting in the living room for Shinomiya-san to change. The moment she returned, she hit me with an outrageous proposal.
“No, no! Even if no one’s coming home, that’s way too much, isn’t it!?”
“Tonight… I don’t want to be alone. Please…”
I tried to refuse, knowing it was a bad idea, but she grabbed my sleeve as if she wouldn’t let me escape. Her eyes glistened with teardrops about to spill. What guy could say no to that? None, that’s who.
“…Okay. Fine! I’ll take you up on it tonight!”
“Thank you, Anno-kun! Then I’ll whip up something special for dinner, so just wait, okay?”
Beaming with joy, she hummed as she headed to the kitchen. So, she’s cooking for me? Did she already have ingredients ready? Wait—did I just get played?
“Oh, one thing’s been bugging me… Why do you call my sister ‘Alice-san’?”
“…Oh.”
Oops. She’d told me to call her Alice, and I’d slipped into it unconsciously.
“I’ll get the full story over dinner, so be ready. Got it?”
“…Yes.”
I can say with certainty: whoever marries Shinomiya-san in the future is doomed to be completely whipped. With a deep sigh, I sent a silent cheer to her future husband.
---
How did it come to this? I was in bed, clutching my head.
“It’s been so long since I last slept in the same bed as someone—it makes me happy.”
Shinomiya-san sounded so cheerful you could almost hear a “♪” at the end of her sentence. She turned off the lights and slipped into the same futon as me like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her pajamas were from a brand even I, a guy, had heard of—white and pink stripes, fluffy and adorable. But with the zipper slightly undone to flash her chest and paired with short shorts, it was downright provocative. No wonder it’s popular with girls.
The floral scent from her post-bath freshness wafted over, its sweetness making my head spin. As I fought the urge to photograph her flushed, post-bath glow, she said,
“It feels like a school trip, doesn’t it, Anno-kun?”
If she were a guy, I’d agree wholeheartedly, I grumbled inwardly. I didn’t say it out loud because, with her back to me, she was so close I could feel all sorts of things pressing against me—teetering on the edge of a full-on hug.
“Hey, Anno-kun. Can I ask you something?”
“…What?”
“Why did you start taking photos?”
I’d braced myself for something heavy, so this question caught me off guard. I chuckled before answering.
“If I had to say… probably my dad’s influence.”
“Your father’s?”
Growing up, I’d always heard my dad say, “Capturing someone’s most radiant moment through the lens is the ultimate thrill.” The photos he took of my mom in her youth were so stunning that they sparked my interest in photography.
Then, one day, I casually tried photographing my mom. The moment our eyes met through the lens and she smiled, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I wanted to preserve that feeling—that’s the biggest reason I picked up a camera.
“And… taking photos helps me take my mind off things.”
When I started high school, my parents moved overseas for work full-time.
“We never had much family time even before, but now it’s basically zero. They hardly ever come home, so I’m alone more often than not. That’s why—”
Before I could finish, Shinomiya-san wrapped me in a warm embrace.
“—Then maybe we’re kindred spirits.”
“…Shinomiya-san?”
“Me, isolated in a house with no freedom, and you, all alone at home. Doesn’t that make us alike?”
“Haha. Yeah, maybe it does.”
“Anno-kun, could you face me?”
“What?” I turned without thinking, and her hand reached for my cheek. She gently turned me fully around until we were face-to-face. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating her clearly.
“You’re always doing so well on your own. I think it’s okay to let yourself be spoiled sometimes.”
With a sweet smile and a voice brimming with saintly compassion, she drew my head into her chest.
Soft, comforting warmth and a soothing sweet scent—like returning to a motherly sea. Was this what I’d been craving? I didn’t want to let go; I didn’t want her to let go. I wrapped my arms around her.
“Lean on me as much as you want, Anno-kun.”
“…Thank you.”
Enveloped in a peace I’d never known, my consciousness sank into the depths of a deep ocean.
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