Chapter Two: “The Princess Wants to Appeal to the Prince” — Part Four

“Hanasaki-san. I have a favour to ask — is that all right?”

Monday morning. I was still fighting off sleep as I walked into the classroom when my classmate Tanoura-san stopped me.

“What is it?”

We’d talked a handful of times, but we weren’t particularly close. Requests from people like that were usually awkward and annoying.

“I’d like you to be a model for the school prospectus.”
“…The school prospectus?”

I tilted my head at the unfamiliar term, and Tanoura-san pulled a slim pamphlet from her bag.

“We hand them out at open days and events — have you seen one?”
“Maybe…?”
“Great. The photography club shoots it every year. The photos go in the prospectus but also on the school website.”
“…I see.”
“What do you think? Is it too much?”

Tanoura-san pressed her hands together and leaned in, watching my expression carefully.
She’d probably been asked by older students or teachers to approach me. If I turned her down, that would put her in an uncomfortable position.

But having photos of me published all over the place was its own kind of hassle.
Not that I was completely against it — it just seemed like a bit of a bother.

“Someone as cute as you would be absolutely perfect for the prospectus, I thought.”
“…Really?”
“Yes! We all talked it over in the photography club — someone who could really catch people’s attention would be ideal, we said. It was unanimous.”

That is a bit awkward. Of course I was the obvious choice, given how cute I am — but photoshoots take time, and any time taken away from time I might spend with Iori-senpai felt like a cost.
I’d decided: I was going to decline.

“I’m happy to hear that, but…”
“Oh — and the other model is going to be Iori-senpai.”
“I’ll absolutely do it.”

Yuuri, standing next to me, let out a sigh at my instant reply. Tanoura-san’s eyes lit up.

“Really?!”
“Yes. I’m happy to — as long as Iori-senpai is too.”
“Thank you so much! One of the second-years is going to ask her, apparently, so I’ll let you know as soon as we hear back.”

What a relief, she murmured, visibly relaxed, and headed off. The moment she was gone, Yuuri sighed beside me with full-bodied resignation.

“…To think this is going to be a school prospectus model.”
“Perfectly suited for it. I’m the cutest one here.”

A photoshoot with Iori-senpai. Just the two of us.
That means we’d get to be right next to each other, legitimately — officially — right? And our perfectly matched two-shot would be sent out into the whole wide world?
And compared to everyone else who had their eye on Iori-senpai, I’d be pulling dramatically ahead!

“Yuuri.”
“What?”
“I’m so glad my face is cute.”
“…Exhausting.”