Her room was warm and cozy, and Kaoru inexplicably felt a bit restless, perhaps due to the earlier glimpse of snowy white skin, or maybe because the recent temperatures had been steadily rising.
"I-I'll look for it for you."
Although she felt quite sour about Tachibana Akane, Sakura Airi didn't show it.
Instead, she turned around and began searching through the box where she kept her photos.
The girl's back was naturally exposed to view as she knelt on the floor.
Her slender, straight calves and gradually fuller thighs, along with her perky butt line slightly lifting the hem of her skirt, faintly revealed smooth skin.
Faced with such a scene, Kaoruunconsciously held his breath.
From earlier until now, Sakura Airi had shown no wariness toward him at all.
She was just wearing pajamas and had let him in without hesitation.
Kaoru suppressed the restlessness within him, trying to shift his gaze elsewhere.
Then he spotted a few pieces of clothing that hadn't been put away in time, even catching a glimpse of the girl's small undergarments hidden among them.
She must have been choosing outfits before going out during the day and hadn't had time to tidy up.
He noticed a mirror nearby—this full-length mirror had previously been in the corner, likely one of Sakura Airi's usual tools for selfies.
And now, the girl's figure was reflected in it, fully showcasing her slim yet curvaceous body from the side, making Kaorustruggle to restrain himself again.
"Hmm, these should be all of them."
Sakura Airi held a stack of photos and turned around, bringing them close to Kaoru.
"If you like them, you can take them all—I can always take more!"
She didn't seem to have the same demeanor as before, Kaoru noticed a hint of small pride hidden between her brows.
It seemed she was gradually opening up her heart.
"I'm not a robber; I won't take them all."
Kaoru began selecting her photos. "Which one do you think looks better?"
"This one!"
Sakura Airi enthusiastically recommended her work to him. "Look, isn't the moment the snowflakes fell beautiful?"
"Yeah, it's very beautiful."
"And this one, I took it last summer—the lake surface was shimmering with light!"
"So this is what a bird's-eye view looks like. Impressive."
"Ehehe, there's more! This one is also really nice!"
Kaoru mostly went along with her, letting her chatter away as she recommended her confident works, then picked out those photos and carefully stored them away.
After this series of actions, Sakura Airi, who had been feeling somewhat jealous earlier, suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
Because Kaoru was entirely selecting photos based on her preferences, giving her plenty of face, while she had been sulking earlier—she seemed a bit too petty.
Sakura Airi thought for a moment, then returned to her box and pulled out another photo.
"Th-this is a photo of you. Tachibana-senpai would probably like it."
The girl shyly handed the photo to Kaoru, it was the one she had used the most.
Although she was reluctant to part with it, Sakura Airi truly couldn't bring herself to dislike Tachibana Akane—the other had helped her before.
Kaoru looked at the photo in his hand, then glanced at the box she had deliberately hidden away, his expression turning peculiar.
Could she be hiding a lot of this kind of stuff?
Wait, is this a stalker idol?
"I, I just... accidentally took these... Please don't misunderstand..."
Sakura Airi seemed to know what he was thinking, but the more she tried to explain, the softer her voice became. In the end, she gave up and covered her face with her hands, "Wahh, I knew you'd suspect I'm some kind of indecent woman..."
"No, I was just thinking we already took plenty of photos during the day. Why would Airi think Akane would like this photo?"
Kaoru decided not to ask how she had managed to take his picture and casually moved past the topic.
Sakura Airi stole a glance at him and whispered, "As long as it's your photo, I think anyone would like it. You can never have too many of these things."
She didn't specify who would like them, but she herself certainly did.
Kaoru smiled playfully, "So Airi takes these kinds of photos—does that mean Airi really likes them?"
Sakura Airi's face instantly flushed bright red. A young girl's pride is fragile, and once he pointed it out, she felt so embarrassed she thought she might explode, as if steam were about to rise from her head.
"I, I didn't use the photos for anything weird! Please don't misunderstand!"
"Huh?"
"They... they've always been kept in a box... I didn't use them every day... No, no... I only occasionally... I've never used them, wahh..."
Perhaps realizing she had revealed too much, Sakura Airi was already stumbling over her words, her ears turning red.
Looking back on this day in the future, she would probably consider it an embarrassing past.
Kaoru thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I've fantasized about Airi too. After all, I'm your fan. I imagine you wearing your stage outfit... posing for a photobook, and it gets me excited."
Since Sakura Airi had already labeled him a pervert, he figured he might as well embrace it.
Sakura Airi looked at Kaoru with teary eyes, and he smiled, "Even if Airi is a pervert, I'm even more of one than you."
"Wahh—"
Sakura Airi was about to cry—she wasn't a pervert!
...
In the end, it took Kaoru a long time to calm her down.
"I'm not a lewd girl."
Sakura Airi sniffled.
"Yeah, Airi isn't."
Kaoru said, "The only pervert here is me."
Sakura Airi felt much better.
She was terrified that Kaoru would look at her differently. As long as his attitude toward her didn't change, she was relieved.
"Earlier..."
Now that her mood had improved, she immediately became curious about what Kaoru had said earlier.
But asking directly felt too forward, so she approached it from a different angle, "Do you really want me to keep being an idol?"
The reason Sakura Airi became an idol was because she wanted someone to notice her.
No matter how introverted she was, she still hoped someone would pay attention to her.
That's why she chose to debut as an idol.
But now that she had friends, continuing as an idol didn't seem to hold much meaning anymore.
On top of that, the school didn't allow her to continue her activities, to avoid exposing the school's secrets.
Her social media updates had been on hold for nearly a year.
Sakura Airi felt uncertain about her future and cared deeply about Kaoru's opinion.
"Airi is very cute. If she continues being an idol, she could easily accumulate a fanbase. In an idol group, she could serve as the visual center, and with proper resources, she could quickly gain popularity."
Kaoru wasn't lying—the girl's appearance was truly outstanding, completely fitting for the role of visual center.
Moreover, her figure was voluptuous, belonging to that type who appears pure yet exudes undeniable allure.
"Do you want me to continue, Kaoru?"
Sakura Airi felt somewhat shy from his lavish praise, but having experienced similar situations before, she was growing more accustomed to it.
"It's not about what I want, but whether you like it, Airi."
Kaoru smiled, "If you enjoy it, then continue."
Sakura Airi pouted, "The entertainment industry isn't that simple. You previously said someone of my type would find it difficult to sustain a career."
Japan's entertainment industry was fiercely competitive.
Even though Sakura Airi started with higher advantages than many, success wasn't guaranteed.
Who would have thought that some idols, who appeared pure and cute on camera, would eventually end up in adult entertainment?
Even with work opportunities, how could one avoid backroom deals?
Even if no executives wanted to take advantage of young idols, work wouldn't necessarily be consistent every day. Resources always lean toward top-tier idols because they could generate more revenue.
Even if one miraculously gained popularity, with commercial endorsements and jobs pouring in one after another, the agency would likely exploit them relentlessly—possibly working twelve-hour days.
Additionally, Kaoru found certain aspects of the entertainment industry repulsive.
Beyond the seniority culture, many idols were still viewed as unremarkable figures.
Yes, in Japanese society, idols ranked near the bottom of the social hierarchy.
Some variety shows frequently mocked idols.
For unknown idols, production teams had no lower limits for their pranks.
Kaoru's anger stemmed from a prank-focused show actually daring to invite his idols—did they think his agency only managed comedians?
Setting that aside, if Sakura Airi continued deeper into the entertainment industry, she would inevitably encounter similar situations.
Sakura Airi knew about these circumstances because Kaoru had previously explained some aspects to her, further shattering her idealized view of the industry.