They were seasoned veterans in the world of delinquents. They had heard plenty of similar phrases like 'I'll screw your mom' or 'Watch out, I'll kill you.'
But the way this Mr. Hayashi said it so casually carried an unusual deterrent force, as if... he could really do such a thing.
Oshika Masaru glanced at Hachisuka Hidemichi; indeed, there was an undisguised cold glint in the latter's lightly smiling eyes.
Oshika Masaru started sweating again.
Hachisuka Hidemichi was very satisfied. Although the little delinquent in front of him was still trying to act tough, he could see the latter's facial muscles twitching in pain.
Damn it, I'm a true Tokyo native! I couldn't beat that Hayato guy in Tokyo, so if I can't even beat a small delinquent like you when I come to the countryside, then what was the point of coming to the countryside!?
Hachisuka Hidemichi's resentment towards Hayato was still deep. Multiple setbacks had made him think he had lost his deterrent power, but seeing this scoundrel trembling, Hachisuka Hidemichi finally understood that he hadn't changed; rather, Hayato had become a pervert.
A high schooler, even a delinquent high schooler, should react like this guy in front of him when facing someone who's been in the streets!
Hachisuka Hidemichi regained his confidence.
He held the cigarette in his mouth, then fumbled in his pocket. After pulling out his wallet, he took out two one-thousand-yen notes.
"Do me a favor."
"...What for?" Oshika Masaru didn't understand.
He thought he was going to get beaten; what was this giving money all about?
"See that beautiful woman over there?" Hachisuka Hidemichi said after exhaling smoke, pointing his thumb behind him.
"No, I didn't see her," Oshika Masaru said.
Big brother, I wouldn't dare to look now, he thought.
"Not Reina, the other one," Hachisuka Hidemichi said.
"Huh?"
"Ayaka-chan, it's your turn~~~"
The plump Photographer called out.
A black-haired girl, with her hair tied back so her long ponytail nearly reached her waist, stood up from the sea of flowers.
She wore a sleeveless top, and both her arms and forehead were covered in a dense layer of sweat from the heat. Her lower body was clad in nine-point jeans. Due to her entire outfit being tight-fitting, her figure appeared even more graceful and curvaceous.
The moment she stood up, Kurashiki Reina happened to walk past her.
Kurashiki Reina's height could be described as tall, even compared to an average boy, she was not inferior, but compared to the girl who had just stood up, she was still slightly shorter.
She locked the screen of the phone she had just been fiddling with and handed it to the Staff.
Then, her heroic sword-like brows furrowed, and she glanced at the Photographer who had called out.
The Photographer's plump body immediately trembled up and down.
"... Ayaka-san, may we begin?"
"Mm."
Kobayashi Ayaka nodded languidly, then stood in front of the camera, striking poses according to the Photographer's suggestions.
While complying with the requests, she looked at Kurashiki Reina with an unamused expression.
Kurashiki Reina, who had gone to rest, was already sitting on a lounge chair under a sun umbrella, with someone handing her water nearby.
"Sorry, Ayaka-san~~"
The Photographer, while shooting, quietly said to Kobayashi Ayaka: "I kept you waiting~~ Sorry, after all, it's Reina-chan, so we have to shoot for a while~~ But don't worry, I'll also make sure to take beautiful pictures of you~~~"
The Photographer noticed that Kobayashi Ayaka was slightly irritable, so he ambiguously comforted her, saying that Kurashiki Reina was the little princess of X Magazine, and there was no need to compare herself to her. "I will try my best to get you good page placement, after all, Ayaka-san, your appearance is also very outstanding~~" the Photographer added, as he appraised Kobayashi Ayaka through the viewfinder.
The most important thing for a magazine is page placement; countless models hope to compete for the most prominent pages to showcase their charm—just like recommended slots when writing web novels.
The Photographer spoke in a tone seeking credit, but it only made Kobayashi Ayaka click her tongue.
What the hell do I want page placement for? Kobayashi Ayaka thought, if you're going to shoot, shoot quickly; she still needed to rest after shooting.
She would prefer the Photographer to give all the page placement to Kurashiki Reina and take all of Mr. Hayashi's photos; she just wanted to squat and get paid. Who cares about fame?
As for the reason for her irritable mood, it had nothing to do with Kurashiki Reina at all.
She was indeed surprised when she successfully applied for X Magazine and learned that she would be going on an outdoor shoot with Kurashiki Reina.
Kobayashi Ayaka believed that her relationship with Kurashiki Reina was not good, and they had a small conflict before.
But she still took the job. For no other reason than the pay was truly generous.
Kobayashi Ayaka had learned a truth very early: don't sacrifice money for pride. Besides, playing along with the situation is something you'll always encounter in the workplace, and quite often, too, so consider it early training.
The root cause of her irritation was this:
This is Yaso Inaba.
How the hell could this be Yaso Inaba!?
Kobayashi Ayaka clearly remembered that before the final exams, Hayato had told her that he would be going back to Yaso Inaba with his girlfriend this summer vacation...
Which means, he is also in Yaso Inaba now.
What a coincidence, isn't it?
But this would lead to a very serious problem.
Should she communicate with him privately... tell him that she has also come to this place?
------------------------
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