"Um... do we really have to hug each other?" Sui asked uncertainly.
"Yes, of course!" the boy responded with a smile. "I'm Araki, by the way. I'm trying to capture candid moments of couples, and hugging is a pretty natural pose, don't you think?"
Sui felt a bit speechless at this request. He and Utaha weren't actually a couple. How were they supposed to act like one? Glancing at Utaha, he noticed that she was calmly watching him.
"Kouhai-kun, are you shy?" she asked, her wine-red eyes narrowing slightly.
Though her tone was light, the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her own nervousness.
Sui rolled his eyes at her teasing but decided to comply. He opened his arms and hugged her.
As his arms wrapped around her, he felt Utaha's body tremble slightly. But to his surprise, she didn't push him away. Instead, she gently returned the hug, resting her hands on his back. A subtle fragrance drifted from her black hair, filling the small space between them.
Then, Utaha softly leaned her head against his shoulder.
Sui froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, but instinctively, he placed his hand on her silky hair.
After what felt like a long while, Sui finally broke the silence. "Um, why is this taking so long? Weren't you just going to take a photo?"
"Haha, my bad. You two seemed to be enjoying the moment so much, I didn't want to interrupt," Araki laughed. "But don't worry, the picture turned out great. You both look like a pair of shy lovers."
Sui could only sigh in response, speechless.
Utaha, flustered, quickly stepped out of his embrace.
Afterward, Araki requested several more poses, with Sui and Utaha modeling as a couple. They took pictures walking hand-in-hand, sitting back-to-back on the grass, and other intimate shots.
Throughout it all, Utaha cooperated gracefully, making it almost feel to Sui as if she really were his girlfriend. When they held hands and strolled down the road, a calmness settled over him, like they were just another ordinary couple.
Suddenly, Araki chimed in with a new request. "By the way, how about a picture of you two kissing? Would that be alright?"
"Kissing?" Sui was stunned by the suggestion.
Next to him, Utaha's expression instantly reddened.
"Well, it's something lovers normally do, right?" Araki asked with a hint of surprise. "Don't tell me you two haven't kissed yet?"
"We have!" Sui blurted, though he immediately regretted it. His mind flashed back to a moment when Utaha, absorbed in her writing, had kissed him. Could that have been her first kiss? He wondered, suddenly feeling guilty. After all, she had never had a boyfriend.
His eyes flicked toward her, and it seemed like Utaha was thinking the same thing. Her face flushed, and without warning, she gave him a quick, painful pinch.
"If you're too shy, we can skip it," Araki said, laughing at their awkwardness.
But then he placed a hand on Sui's shoulder and leaned in. "Come on, kouhai. You've got such a beautiful girlfriend, and you're not making a move? Don't you know that's practically a sin?"
Sui could only sigh. "I get it, I get it."
Utaha, overhearing, muttered with a hint of frustration, "Some people are just so dense."
Finally, they came to the last photo, where they were supposed to sit on a bench by the road. Utaha walked ahead, took a seat, and patted the spot next to her.
Sui sat down, and Utaha leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes softly.
After a moment's hesitation, Sui took her hand and placed it on his knee.
Utaha opened her eyes slightly, glancing at him with a rare look of shyness.
Time seemed to stretch as they waited, but Sui found it odd that Araki hadn't said the photo was finished.
"senpai?" Sui whispered.
"Hmm?" Utaha responded softly, not lifting her head.
"Why haven't we heard anything yet?" he asked, puzzled.
Just then, they heard a soft rustling sound behind them.
Startled, the two of them jolted apart, as if they'd been caught doing something wrong. Turning around, they saw Araki emerging from the bushes, camera in hand.
"I've been waiting for the perfect shot, and I finally got it! The angle, the expressions—everything's just perfect!" Araki exclaimed excitedly.
Sui was at a loss for words. So this guy had been hiding, waiting for the right moment? Utaha, now visibly embarrassed, kicked Sui lightly in frustration.
He gave her an incredulous look. 'Why kick me? What did I do?'
"Thank you so much, both of you! I got some fantastic shots today," Araki said, handing a printed photo to Sui. "This one's for you."
Sui glanced at the picture and felt his face heat up. It was a candid shot of him and Utaha pulling away from each other, looking startled and nervous.
"It's a pity. I missed the perfect kiss moment by one second." Araki groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration.
"senpai, do you want this?" Sui asked, holding out the photo.
"Hmph, no thanks. You keep it," Utaha said, brushing her hair behind her ear. With that, she stood up and walked away, looking slightly irritated.
"Wait for me!" Sui called out, reluctantly following her.