▣ KO-FI ▣ DISCORD ▣

Chapter 2 : Girls Creating Photos for Tohko Senpai, By Girls

Ishida and I quickly set up a “Miss Muse account for Senior Touko” on various social networks such as Tritter, Linstagram, LooksBook, WeTube, and KitKot.

As her recommender, I pondered over the introduction text for Senior Touko.

Now, all that was left was to wait for Mina-san and the others to take photos and videos.

…or so I thought, until this message popped up.

> (Mina) Meet tomorrow at 1 PM at the East exit of JR Iidabashi Station!

This group message included not only the four recommenders but also Ishida.

So, Ishida and I arrived at JR Iidabashi Station as instructed.

“Yu, do you know what today’s gathering is about?”

“No, I don’t. But I guess it’s something like ‘We’ve taken photos, so let’s all check them out,’ right?”

However, Ishida tilted his head in doubt.

“Really? If that’s all, we could have just used a group chat on SNS.”

I felt the same way.

“But the person who took the photos might want to meet in person to hear opinions directly. Maybe they want to see our reactions to the photos too,” I responded.

“Well, maybe,” Ishida agreed ambiguously.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

It was a call from Mina-san.

“I’m on the opposite side of the road, come out,” she said briefly and hung up.

We stepped out onto Mejiro Street, right in front of the station exit.

Across the road, two cars were parked.

One was occupied by Mina-san and Manami-san, and the other by Kazumi-san and Senior Touko.

“Huh, Kazumi-san and the others came by car too. They could have taken us with them,” Ishida commented.

I gently calmed him down, “Maybe they had something to discuss privately or a place they wanted to stop by on the way.”

Mina-san was beckoning us.

We crossed the road and approached Mina-san’s car.

“The destination is nearby, but for now, get in the back,” she instructed.

Following her directions, Ishida and I got into the backseat of Mina-san’s car.

“Where are we going?”

“We’ll be there soon,” she replied, and shortly after, “Look, we’ve arrived,” she announced.

We saw a narrow, five-story building.

Mina-san stopped the car in front of it and pointed to the rear luggage space.

“I’m going to park the car. Ishiki-kun and Ishida-kun, please carry the luggage. There’s some in Kazumi’s car too, so please help with that as well.”

Ishida and I unloaded several cardboard boxes and large paper bags from both Mina-san and Kazumi-san’s cars. Apparently, they contained clothes and bags.

Kazumi-san’s car also had luggage in the back seat. With so much luggage, there wouldn’t have been room for us.

While we were unloading, Manami-san seemed to have gone inside the building to handle some procedures.

After a while, she came out and said,

“Could you help carry the luggage? We’re going to the second floor. Touko and I will watch the luggage here.”

She pointed behind her with her thumb.

“So we were called here as luggage carriers,” Ishida muttered, carrying the luggage with me.

In front of the door, there was a sign that read “White Doll Photo Studio.”

“I see, a photo studio,” Ishida murmured, reading the sign.

“A studio? Like the kind photographers use?” I asked.

“Yes, that kind of people use it too, but this place is more casual, available for rent even to the general public,” Ishida answered while unloading.

“Different from those common kids’ studios?”

“Yes, but you might think of it as an adult version of those. It’s used by cosplayers.”

“Cosplayers, like those at Comiket?”

“Those are the ones who do it outdoors at big events. Here, cosplayers enjoy it more regularly, taking photos to post on SNS.”

“Hmm,” I mused.

I had thought such photos were usually taken in one’s own room.

“The interior decoration, backgrounds, and props are quite detailed, and with a skilled photographer, the photos turn out great.”

Afterwards, we made about two trips to move all the luggage to the studio.

Around the same time, Mina-san and Kazumi-san, who had parked their cars, returned.

“Let’s go inside,” Manami-san suggested, opening the door.

The room seemed to be about twenty tatami mats in size.

There were two sections: one decorated primarily in black, and another in bright white.

At the far end, I could see a makeup table and a clothes rack.

In addition to various photography props, there were proper photography lights and LED ring lights set up.

Manami-san placed a partition in front of the makeup table to make it invisible from our side.

She was probably planning to use it as a changing area.

I looked over to the white room on the opposite side.

There was even a couch sofa, like the kind a noble lady would sit on.

Indeed, such a setup would be perfect for taking cute or glamorous photos.

Looking at the other side, I noticed a space that resembled a storage area. Nothing was placed inside, but blue lights illuminated the interior.

“What’s this?”

Ishida approached and peered inside. He pressed a nearby switch, and the light changed to red.

“I’m not too familiar, but judging by the changing lights, it’s probably used for special background effects.”

“I see, so with this room, you can only shoot against black or white backgrounds. Using this space, you can create backgrounds in red, blue, purple, and so on.”

“Right, but given its size, you can probably only take bust-up shots.”

While we were discussing this, the ladies, who seemed to have finished preparing their costumes, came out.

Senior Touko was dressed in a black high-neck top with sleeves that covered her shoulders and beige wide-leg pants, holding a seemingly branded bag.

“Okay, let’s start taking photos,” Mina-san announced, and she and Manami-san began taking photos with their smartphones.

Watching them, Ishida muttered, “They’re using smartphones for photography equipment. A proper DSLR would be better.”

I thought the same, but most ordinary people nowadays don’t have DSLRs.

“But smartphone cameras are pretty good these days, right? They have various adjustments and effects.”

“Well, that’s true,” Ishida conceded, though he seemed to have more to say.

Afterwards, Senior Touko changed into several outfits, such as “a black dress with white polka dots and a beige jacket,” “a dark purple three-quarter sleeve blouse with tight-fitting jeans,” and “a brown checkered cami dress with a light beige cardigan.” She struck various poses: a model stance with a hand on her hip, a brisk walking pose with a jacket slung over one shoulder, and a gaze into the distance with her hand in her long hair, among others.

Mina-san and Manami-san kept taking her photos.

Meanwhile, Ishida and I, following Mina-san and Manami-san’s instructions, adjusted the light positions and the intensity of the light, playing the role of assistants.

“Yeah, these turned out super cool! I’m a genius!” Mina-san exclaimed proudly as she and Manami-san reviewed the images.

Hearing that, Senior Touko approached me and asked quietly, “What do you think, Ishiki-kun?”

“They’re lovely, very suited to you,” I replied.

It wasn’t a lie.

Indeed, Senior Touko looked great in every outfit.

And every pose was perfectly executed, as if she had stepped out of a women’s fashion magazine.

Truly befitting of a former reader model.

But… yes, exactly that: “fashion model.”

I felt she should showcase more of her natural charm.

Whether against the white or the Gothic-style black room, Senior Touko’s composed and intelligent beauty suited the photos.

Her expression while holding a single rose and looking melancholy seemed like it could be framed.

Finally, the images were transferred to a laptop, and we all reviewed them.

“See, they turned out great, right? Touko’s charm is captured perfectly! These will be a hit on SNS,” Mina-san said contentedly.

“Really, looking at them again, Touko is so beautiful, like a real model. It’s admirable,” Manami-san added cheerfully.

After all, Senior Touko had been a reader model.

“The material, Touko, is great, but the outfits you brought are also stylish. Impressive,” Kazumi-san agreed.

“Hey, don’t forget the photographer’s skills!” Mina-san added playfully.

The three girls seemed pleased with their work.

Senior Touko, too, looked content, her expression bright.

But I… still felt something was missing.

After the shoot, the four women planned to go shopping and have a girls’ day out.

Ishida and I, just as we had arrived, took the train back together.

During the ride, I decided to discuss with Ishida the lingering unease I had felt throughout the shoot.

“Hey Ishida, what do you think about Senior Touko’s photos today?”

“What about them?”

“I can’t quite put it into words… were they as good as Mina-san and the others said?”

Ishida also looked pensive, crossing his arms.

“They weren’t bad. Certainly, they were typical of Senior Touko… but something didn’t quite hit the mark.”

“So, you think so too?”

“Yeah. I can’t pinpoint what’s wrong, but something feels off.”

“I’ve been feeling that way too. The photos were well-taken, and Senior Touko looked beautiful, but they felt too much like ‘fashion magazine models,’ somewhat impersonal.”

We both fell into deep thought for a while.

Is this what a beauty contest is supposed to be like?

I had imagined it to be more lively and vibrant.

“For now, it can’t be helped. Mina-san and the others have been decided as the photographers.”

Ishida said that, and all I could reply was, “Yeah, I guess.”

That night, Mina-san emailed six photos to upload on SNS.

They must have discussed and decided which ones to use.

Each photo showcased “Senior Touko’s coolness.”

Yes… “too cool,” so to speak.

A few days later, Ishida and I were called again.

This time for a video shoot.

We visited three locations: Odaiba, Tokyo Big Sight, and Kasaikesai Rinkai Park.

Again, Senior Touko was dressed in chic, elegant adult clothing.

Her poses, walking style, and the way she turned around.

Every gesture was that of “a perfect adult woman.”

But… it was still different from “Senior Touko’s charm” as I perceived it.

We started by setting up accounts on Linstagram, Tritter, and WeTube.

Linstagram and Tritter had nearly a thousand followers on the first day, surpassing three thousand in three days.

Considering our university has about eighteen thousand students, that’s more than one-sixth.

However, since these are general SNS, the actual number of students following her might only serve as a rough estimate.

It made me realize again how popular and highly regarded Senior Touko is.

“How about it? How good am I as a photographer? Pretty amazing, right?”

Mina-san boasted, seeing the results.

Today, the recommending members, plus a few first-year girls, had gathered at the university.

(Senior Touko wasn’t here, apparently she had a tutoring job).

“Really, I had no idea Mina had such talent. It’s incredible,” Manami-san praised.

“Indeed. Mina-san, you could become a professional,” Ayaka-san added.

“Yeah, definitely pro-level. I want Mina-san to take my photos next time,” Yuri-san joined in the flattery.

Hearing this, Mina-san puffed up with pride.

“Right? Right? I’ve always been secretly confident! Maybe I should pursue professional photography instead of job hunting?”

Then she put her hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, Ishiki-kun, you’re glad you left Senior Touko’s photoshoot to me, right?”

“Uh, well,” I replied.

She seemed dissatisfied with my lukewarm response.

“What’s with that half-hearted answer? Do you have any complaints?”

Perhaps my comment dampened her mood.

But I pointed to today’s data growth.

“It’s not that I have complaints. It’s just that compared to the first three days, today’s increase is too slow. It’s already past noon, and we’ve only gained a little over a hundred.”

Manami-san tried to rationalize it.

“That’s because the initial momentum is natural, right? The Circle Council’s site only introduced Touko’s SNS on the second day. It’s unrealistic to expect the same pace every day.”

“That’s true, but… Rindou Akane is already at six thousand followers, and Karen, who’s second, has four thousand,” I replied.

Hearing this, Mina-san visibly frowned.

“Rindou and Karen announced their participation in Miss Muse from the start and set up their SNS early. It’s unfair to compare them with Touko, who just started this week.”

Manami-san agreed.

“Exactly. The fact that Touko has caught up so much in just three days means she’s much more impressive.”

“I think so too. Ishiki-kun, you’re worrying too much,” Ayaka-san said.

“Yeah, you should be more positive,” Yuri-san added.

Then Kazumi-san, who had been silent, spoke up.

“The initial three-day growth was too extraordinary. If it continues at this rate, Touko will surpass the top contender, Rindou Akane, in another three days. I highly doubt that. Let’s wait and see a bit longer.”

I listened silently to Kazumi-san’s words.

But deep down, I still had an unresolved feeling.