"Click, click, click~"
Hikigaya had never learned how to take photos properly, so he relied solely on his instincts, snapping more than a dozen shots of Asahina Nazuna from various angles.
I hope at least one of these can turn out well…
Thinking of his sister Komachi's harsh complaints about his terrible photography skills, Hikigaya lost all confidence.
Asahina-san would definitely be disappointed, right?
"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun~"
Asahina Nazuna took the phone with a smile.
She wasn't naive—she surely knew that Hikigaya's claim of "taking some scenery photos" was just an excuse.
…
"That's… a pretty good shot… huh?!"
Asahina Nazuna suddenly widened her eyes, as if she had witnessed something incredible.
I Feel sorry.
Hikigaya could tell that Asahina-san's initial compliment, "It's a pretty good photo," was polite nonsense—but her sudden expression suggested she couldn't contain herself. Could it be that his photo was so bad that she couldn't even pretend?
"Hikigaya-kun."
Asahina Nazuna's expression turned serious, and she stared at him intently.
Hikigaya's heart skipped a beat. Was she angry?
"What's going on?"
Asahina Nazuna held up her phone.
On the screen, the golden morning sun filtered through the branches of an old locust tree, illuminating a young girl. A gentle breeze ruffled her long orange-red hair, caressing her tranquil face. The interplay of disorder and calm created a breathtaking contrast…
"What a beautiful, artistic photo…"
Wait, I took this photo?!
Hikigaya blinked, confused.
"I wanted to ask you something else."
Asahina Nazuna rolled her eyes at him.
"Uh… just… coincidence?"
Hikigaya frowned, puzzled.
"Then how do you explain this?"
She swiped the screen, revealing more than a dozen flawless photos. Each one looked carefully composed, like a professional had edited them.
"..."
Hikigaya was speechless.
At that moment, he couldn't help but recall his dream from last night.
The "wife" in the dream had asked him to accompany her for street photography.
Could it be… he'd learned photography techniques in his dreams?
Wow… your imagination is really something!
He mentally scolded himself. Why don't you just admit that the wives in your dreams are real?
"Why is Hikigaya-san so skilled…"
"It's like a professional photographer taking pictures of an idol."
Asahina Nazuna pointed at him, imitating Conan, and said, "There is only one truth."
"If I told you that besides my sister, the only person I've ever photographed is my senior, would you believe me?"
Hikigaya said, trying to sound serious, even though he didn't entirely believe it himself.
"Just to confirm… the sister you mentioned, Hikigaya-kun, isn't some pretty young lady out there, right?"
Asahina Nazuna's face was full of suspicion.
This kind of photography technique looked effortless. Could a novice really have taken these photos?
"I'm sorry, Komachi is my biological sister."
"Why should I feel sorry… Hikigaya-kun, there's something wrong with you!"
"Don't worry about it."
"Sister control!"
"I admit it."
"Puff~"
They stared at each other for a moment, then broke into smiles.
"Well~ I'll just believe it, Hikigaya-kun."
Asahina Nazuna looked through the beautiful photos with joy: "Thank you for taking such lovely pictures of me."
From a normal person's perspective… Asahina-san really is beautiful.
Hikigaya's eyes wandered.
"Hmm~"
"Next time you praise me, please be more direct."
Asahina Nazuna nodded enthusiastically, accepting it happily.
They chatted for a while until Asahina-san suggested they exchange contact information.
***
Student Council Room
"Bang!"
"Vice President Nagumo, where are you going?"
Everyone in the Student Council glanced at Nagumo with subtle expressions.
"Nothing… I just suddenly remembered something in class…"
Nagumo tried to appear calm, but only those who knew him best could see the storm beneath.
"Nagumo, remember your identity."
"Don't do anything that would bring shame to the Student Council."
Horikita Manabu said meaningfully.
"Yes, Horikita-senpai…" Nagumo's face darkened.
(This part was a mess to fix, not even sure if it was Nagumo who had the outburst lol)
***
"Hikigaya-kun, if you have any questions about the school, you can ask me."
"In return, I'll leave the next photoshoot to you."
Asahina Nazuna's eyes flickered, and she winked playfully.
"Oh…"
Hikigaya nodded blankly. His mind was still a bit confused. He couldn't figure out where he had suddenly learned such skilled photography techniques.
***
Leaving the senior grade teaching building, Hikigaya tried the free mountain vegetable set meal, after arriving at the cafeteria.
How should he put it? The taste… was truly awful.
It was the most basic "food security" provided by the school to students without points.
Mostly second- and third-year students from Class D were eating, and there were quite a few of them.
No way… do I have to eat this for the next three years?
As for the first-year students in Class D… Hikigaya seriously doubted how many points they would have left after next month's distribution. I can't get zero points, right?
***
Having found his way back to the dormitory.
Hikigaya spent the entire afternoon compiling detailed information about the school's S system: class placement, class ranking changes based on scores, and how new students' behavior would be monitored during their first month—ultimately calculating their class points.
Most of this information came from Hikigaya's own inference, while subsequent behavioral evaluation hints came from conversations with Asahina-san. Though she risked school reprimand, Hikigaya had offered to pay her 100,000 personal points. She refused, saying she didn't want points, but promised that if he wanted to repay her, he could help with a few future photoshoots instead.
That's all for today…
Hikigaya stretched and gazed out the window at the night view of the school.
At half past nine, many students were still outside playing happily—more than 80% of them first-years. Seniors were busy with intense class competitions, leaving the freshmen some leisure time.
"Ah~"
Yawning, Hikigaya took an early shower and went to bed.
"Hachiman."
This is a dream.
"Hachiman."
Another dream—but the voice now belonged to someone else. Not too sweet, a bit cool.
"Get up! Today is time to practice fighting skills."
"Yes…"
Hikigaya jolted awake.
So fierce, and no good-morning kiss?!
The wife from my dream… she really exists!
And what is this martial arts practice? I'd rather practice photography!
But as he looked closer, the woman in front of him was as beautiful as his "ex-wife."
Short black hair, radiating freshness and competence. A slightly smaller but well-proportioned chest. Knee-length black stockings. Definitely a beauty.
But… she looked vaguely familiar…