Spring is often called the season of new encounters, but in reality, nothing much really happens. Advancing to my second year of high school meant a change in classes, so there were some differences, but most of the faces were familiar. Remembering names wouldn’t be too difficult.

“Alright…! Looks like my latest photo went viral again.”

Morning. As the classroom gradually became noisier, I—Anno Takumi—sat at my desk, checking my SNS on my smartphone.

Displayed on the screen was a photo I had taken over the weekend of a female cosplayer. She was dressed as a character from a popular mobile game that had seen a lot of media adaptations in anime and film. The costume was entirely handmade, and its quality was incredibly high. Her posing and expressions were also flawless, and the comment section was filled with praise.

“As expected of Yuzuha-san. Someone like me really isn’t worthy of taking her pictures, huh…”

Self-deprecating, I continued scrolling through Yuzuha-san’s gallery. She didn’t just cosplay licensed characters—there were also original creations. Some of them were rather revealing, a bit too stimulating for the gentlemen of this world.

“Yo, Takumi. You seem to be in a good mood this morning. Something good happen?”
“Morning, Arata. Not really, just an ordinary day.”

The one who casually called out to me was my classmate, Kuki Arata. He had been a close friend since middle school and was also one of the few people who knew what I did.

It was a bit sad to admit, but I wasn’t particularly skilled at communication within the confined environment of school. To be precise, I could talk normally with older people, but for some reason, I struggled when it came to my peers.

Arata was the complete opposite. He had a lot of friends and could easily become the center of attention in class. Yet, for some reason, he still hung around with someone like me, a total outcast.

“You sure? You kinda look like you’re grinning. I bet you’re happy because that photo you posted this morning went viral.”
“…That’s not really the case.”
“Yeah, right. I’m so jealous. Getting to have private photoshoots with such a beauty!”
“I’ve told you many times, it’s strictly professional. Nothing beyond the shoot ever happens. Don’t expect anything else.”

Well, to be fair, I’ve been invited to wrap-up parties and gone out for meals a few times. But that’s it—nothing more. Our relationship is purely that of a cosplayer and a photographer, a client and a contractor. Personal feelings don’t interfere with work.

“I seriously respect your unwavering professionalism. If it were me, I’d definitely lose control right away.”
“It’s important to maintain the right distance with your favorites.”
“Sigh… That’s impossible for me. I’d rather just admire the girls in our class.”

Arata sighed dramatically and shrugged his shoulders, laughing. I internally questioned his logic. He had everything going for him—good looks, tall stature, athletic ability, social skills—yet he never had a girlfriend. Maybe it was because of remarks like these.

“Anyway! If you had to take pictures of someone in this class, who would it be?”
“Where’s this coming from all of a sudden…?”
“It’s not sudden! I ask you this every spring! This year, you’re giving me an answer!”

With a loud bang, he slammed his hand on my desk and leaned in, pressuring me for a response. As he said, this was the fifth time he’d asked me, and every time, I dodged the question. Not for any particular reason—I just didn’t feel like answering hypothetical questions like this.

“Oh no, this time you’re answering. Because this year, we have Shinomiya Rinoa in our class!”
“…Ah, Shinomiya-san, huh.”

At his words, both Arata and I turned to look at a girl standing at the center of a large group in the classroom.

At our school—Ginka Academy—Shinomiya Rinoa was a household name, known even to the newly enrolled freshmen.

Silky, platinum blonde hair with a slight cherry blossom tint. A straight, well-proportioned nose. Long eyelashes framing her jewel-like emerald green eyes. A pure, flawless porcelain complexion. Every feature was crafted to perfection.

On top of that, she had a kind, saintly personality, excelled both academically and athletically, and seemed to have been blessed by the gods themselves.

She always wore a bright, carefree smile. Whether during breaks, bathroom trips, or even between classes, she was never alone. She truly resembled a princess of some foreign kingdom.

“Even someone as picky as you, who only reacts to top-tier beauties like Yuzuha, must want to take pictures of Shinomiya-san, right?”
“Well, yeah, but… her fan club wouldn’t allow it, would they?”
“Haha! Yeah, true! If you ever got a private shoot with her, who knows what they’d do to you.”
“Also, taking pictures of classmates just feels… weird. And if I did take pictures of Shinomiya-san, Yuzuha-san would definitely get mad.”

“Takumi is my personal photographer, okay? If you want to take pictures of anyone else, you need to get my permission first! If you forget… you know what’ll happen, right?”

The way she had smiled while saying that honestly scared me. The only other time I had felt such fear from a woman’s smile was when my mom got furious at my dad for forgetting their anniversary.

“You… You…! You traitor!!”
“Traitor?! How does that even make sense?!”

I was baffled by Arata’s sudden outburst.

“How does it not make sense?! Do you seriously not realize that you’re basically being monopolized by a super popular cosplayer?!”
“If anything, I wish she’d let me take more pictures of different people.”
“You greedy bastard!!”

Our friendship ends today! Arata declared for what must have been the hundredth time before stomping back to his seat.

I let out a small chuckle at his energy so early in the morning and turned my attention back to my phone, continuing to browse SNS.

“Wow… How do they take such incredible shots? Damn, the editing is insane. How do they even do that?”

Looking at the high-level photos flooding my timeline, I couldn’t help but be impressed while simultaneously feeling my own inadequacy. Whenever I consulted my senior photographer friends about this, for some reason, they just sighed at me.

“The costumes are amazing too… Oh, this maid outfit is cute. Yuzuha-san would definitely look great in it…”

“—What are you looking at, Anno-kun?”

Just as I was imagining Yuzuha-san in a maid outfit, a voice suddenly spoke up. This time, it was a girl’s voice.

And not just any girl—the very person Arata and I had just been talking about.

“Sh-Shinomiya-san…?”

Standing before me was none other than Shinomiya Rinoa herself.

I take back what I said earlier. A beautiful yet terrifying smile… turns out it’s not as rare as I thought.