As the final exams ended, Mashima Tomonari announced that next week they would be heading to the sea for a vacation.
A luxurious cruise ship would take the teachers and students on a wonderful holiday.
According to him, this was the school reward for the first-year students.
Though he said that, no one really believed it. Probably only the idiots in Class D would think the school was being so generous.
During this time, Kaoru Mitoma had been guiding Kamuro Masumi, though the latter attitude was somewhat cold.
After all, seeing certain scenes firsthand would naturally dampen a girl mood. He couldn't possibly guess what she was thinking.
Sometimes, even the person themselves didn't know what they were thinking.
However, the digital camera that had been left at the electronics store for repairs was finally fixed. When Kaoru Mitoma went to pick it up, he found that Mr. Tanaka had already quit.
The store manager complained a bit, saying that the otaku were useless, unable to handle even such an easy job.
Now that he had the digital camera, Kaoru Mitoma contacted Sakura Airi and invited her to meet at a café.
Of course, he didn't use his alternate account to invite her. Otherwise, Sakura Airi legs would have gone weak, and she would never have agreed.
...
Soon, Kaoru Mitoma saw Sakura Airi appear, dressed in layers as if she had just emerged from a burrow, constantly looking around warily.
"What's with this outfit?" Kaoru Mitoma naturally asked.
"N-nothing..." Sakura Airi timidly reached out her hand. "Um, my camera... can I have it now?"
Kaoru Mitoma looked at her. Not only was she wearing a mask, but she also had on an out-of-season jacket, as if she wanted to wrap herself up tightly.
It was summer, and the weather was scorching.
Wouldn't she feel stuffy in that outfit?
In fact, Kaoru Mitoma could already see fine beads of sweat near Sakura Airi neck, and a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead, clearly showing she was overheating.
"My treat today. Let's sit down first."
"The camera..."
"I'll give it to you in a moment." Sakura Airi eyes flickered with hesitation before she nervously sat down across from Kaoru Mitoma.
She instinctively lowered her gaze, her back slumping, too timid to meet his eyes. Her hands rested on her knees, tightly clenched into fists.
It seemed the previous incident had left a significant psychological shadow on her. Kaoru Mitoma couldn't help but ask.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Juice" she replied softly.
Kaoru Mitoma then ordered two glasses of juice and two servings of snacks.
After a while, the juice and snacks were placed before them.
"I recently took the camera to an electronics store for repairs. The staff said it wasn't a big issue—just needed some parts replaced" Kaoru Mitoma began, breaking the silence.
"The camera should be fine. I checked it several times, and the data inside wasn't lost."
At the mention of the camera, Sakura Airi expression shifted subtly, a flicker of fear crossing her eyes. When he mentioned the data, her pupils dilated in alarm.
"Y-you looked at the stuff inside?" she stammered, her voice trembling.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to invade your privacy, but the staff insisted on checking it, so I had to do it myself" Kaoru Mitoma apologized sincerely.
Sakura Airi lowered her head, her hands unconsciously twisting together.
She already had a poor impression of Tanaka, so she naturally believed Kaoru Mitoma explanation.
But now, she was preoccupied with something else.
"You're Shizuku-chan, right?"
Kaoru Mitoma indeed knew her identity, which made Sakura Airi feel even more awkward. Her eyes darted toward the door—she wanted to flee.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your identity. I've been following you for a while. I'm your fan" Kaoru Mitoma said without a hint of embarrassment.
He had immediately followed Sakura Airi Twitter account, so he could certainly claim to be a fan.
"My fan?" Sakura Airi looked utterly surprised, her unease growing.
"Yes, I noticed you from the first time you appeared in a magazine."
During the days he waited for the camera to be repaired, Kaoru Mitoma hadn't been idle.
He had researched everything about Sakura Airi—from her debut to the present. She had entered the entertainment industry in her second year of middle school, working as a gravure idol for magazines.
Later, she had registered her own personal account, updating her activities daily and accumulating nearly ten thousand followers.
Though her status was still modest, Sakura Airi had gained some fame among student circles.
It was only a matter of time before larger agencies would approach her for contracts.
For Kaoru Mitoma, this was right up his alley. He had once been a producer and was deeply familiar with Japan's entertainment industry.
Especially in the field of idol-making, he could be considered one of the top producers.
As Kaoru Mitoma spoke eloquently, even offering professional advice tailored to Sakura Airi current situation, she was utterly captivated.
Not only that, Kaoru Mitoma subtly guided the conversation, occasionally complimenting her photography skills and the quality of her photos.
Most people can't help but ramble on when discussing their area of expertise, and Sakura Airi was no exception.
After this series of conversational maneuvers, the young girl face flushed with excitement. For the first time, she felt that talking to someone could be so comfortable—their chemistry was simply perfect.
No matter what she said, Kaoru Mitoma could always keep up with her topics, even understanding her worries and insecurities as an idol, and offering comfort.
"Are you planning to enter the entertainment industry in the future?"
"Yes, I want to continue being an idol!"
"With your cuteness, Sakura-san, I think you'll definitely become popular."
"P-Please don't say such embarrassing things, I'm not as good as others..."
"But your photos are all very cute, right?" Kaoru Mitoma looked into her eyes seriously.
"Many fans like you, and that affection can't be fake. As long as you plan your future path well—like participating in some gravure idol contests, winning the championship easily, and then appearing on variety shows—you'll definitely gain recognition."
In Japan, the threshold to become an idol is quite low, which is why there are so-called underground idols who might struggle to even get a chance to appear in gravure shoots.
As for top agencies, they're almost out of reach.
Sakura Airi, however, is a surface-level idol, meaning she already has her debut work and has officially appeared in the public eye.
Whether she becomes popular or not depends on various connections and management.
That said, Sakura Airi is a gravure idol, different from other idols who sing, dance, or rap, as the talent requirements aren't as high.
"Mitoma-kun, you're exaggerating. I just like taking photos and documenting things."
Even as she said this, Sakura Airi still showed a faint smile, though it quickly faded as a shadow seemed to cross her face.
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