"Good afternoon, Ms. Andou," Fumiya Jin politely greeted the editor.
Then he noticed that while the editor's smile was as friendly as ever, it held a new, indescribable layer of enthusiasm.
It reminded Fumiya Jin of a good-natured aunt from his past life who often smiled just like that.
"Hello, you two," Ms. Andou said with a smile, quickly noticing Shiina Mashiro's drowsy state, looking as if she could fall asleep at any moment.
"Miss Shiina is..."
"She was up all night painting and didn't get much sleep," Fumiya Jin explained on her behalf, not expecting Mashiro to be able to explain in her current state.
Hearing this, a flash of even greater excitement appeared in Ms. Andou's eyes.
She had originally planned to ask them to confirm if they were really living together.
But now, it seemed there was no need for that at all.
"No problem, today's shoot is very simple. As long as she can wake up a little, it'll be enough," Ms. Andou said with a smile.
"Besides, we have coffee and strong tea in the office."
"Alright, let's go then." Fumiya Jin nodded.
The three of them entered the publishing house building and, led by Ms. Andou, expertly made their way upstairs to the publisher's in-house photo studio.
The person in charge of their shoot was a female photographer in her early thirties with short hair, a Ms. Tamayama.
Although her features were ordinary and she had quite a few freckles, she seemed to smile a lot and had a pleasant demeanor.
"Whoa..." After hearing Ms. Andou's introduction of Fumiya Jin and Mashiro, Ms. Tamayama looked the pair over and exclaimed in amazement.
"When Andou-san told me you two were a real handsome man and beautiful girl, I thought she might be exaggerating... But I never expected it to be true... Have you two ever considered debuting as entertainers? I actually know some people in the entertainment industry..."
"Ouch!! Ow, ow, ow, ow..."
Watching Ms. Tamayama crouch down slightly while holding her head, Ms. Andou retracted the fist she had just used to rap the other woman on the head and said irritably,
"These two are both exceptional geniuses in their respective fields, and you're trying to talk them into the entertainment business? You'd better watch out for karma!"
Ms. Tamayama, still holding her head, looked aggrieved.
"But... they're just so good-looking! Not making a living with those faces is a crime against nature..."
Fumiya Jin waved his hand.
"No, thank you. Neither of us has any plans to go in that direction."
"Also... can we start the shoot soon? As you can see, this girl is eager to go home and rest."
Hearing this and seeing how naturally Fumiya Jin cared for and doted on Shiina Mashiro, Ms. Andou got another hit of their sweet dynamic and broke into a satisfied smile.
"Exactly! Tamayama, stop getting ideas and hurry up and take their photos properly."
"Alright..."
Ms. Tamayama nodded regretfully and let out a long sigh.
But as the publisher's go-to photographer, she clearly knew her stuff.
When she looked up again, her expression had switched to the serious face of a professional at work, and she began to communicate with the two of them—mainly Fumiya Jin—about the specifics of the upcoming shoot.
The plan was actually very simple: take a few individual promotional shots of each of them, and then a few more of them together.
There weren't even any flashy or complex poses.
Fumiya Jin's solo shots were first.
Fumiya Jin settled Mashiro on a nearby sofa, letting her lean against it and sleep for a bit.
"Mm?"
Mashiro seemed to sense that Fumiya Jin was about to leave.
She held onto his hand with her left and clutched the corner of his shirt with her right.
Fumiya Jin could only pat her head and coax her softly,
"I'm going to take pictures now. You sleep here for a little while. It'll be your turn soon, okay?"
After a few more words of coaxing, Mashiro finally, drowsily and reluctantly, let go of his hand.
Fumiya Jin finally straightened up, only to see Ms. Andou's eyes sparkling from behind the sofa.
"Is something wrong, Ms. Andou?"
"Thank you for the trea—oh, no, it's nothing," Ms. Andou waved her hand.
"Tamako is calling for you. You should go."
"Alright," Fumiya Jin nodded.
Fumiya Jin's individual photos were finished very quickly.
Ms. Tamayama's photography skills were highly professional, and her directions were precise.
Fumiya Jin's comprehension was also strong, and he cooperated perfectly.
Plus, the content of the shoot was extremely simple—they only needed a few good-looking and relatively plain photos.
As a result, Fumiya Jin's solo portion was done in just seven or eight minutes.
Next up was Mashiro's part.
Fumiya Jin returned to the sofa where she was resting and went to Mashiro's side.
"Mashiro, it's time to get up."
Editor Andou, who was making coffee nearby, couldn't help but perk up her ears when she heard this.
Mashiro...
They were already on a first-name basis like that?
How wonderful.
She looked at the sugar in her hand and suddenly wasn't sure if she should add any.
The sweetness of this young couple felt like something that mere sugar couldn't compare to in the slightest.
"Mmm..."
Hearing Fumiya Jin's voice nearby, Shiina Mashiro didn't open her eyes right away.
Instead, she reached out a hand, fumbling around.
After finding Fumiya Jin's arm, she dove headfirst into his embrace.
"Sleepy... a little more..."
Seeing this, Editor Andou's heart nearly melted.
Ms. Tamayama, emerging from the studio, couldn't help but cover her mouth when she saw it.
It felt like watching a rom-com about idols.
Fumiya Jin, however, was rather helpless.
He gently patted Mashiro's little head.
"Be good. The shoot will be quick, probably done in ten minutes. We can go home so you can sleep properly after it's over, okay?"
The girl still seemed a bit reluctant.
But after Fumiya Jin soothed her by stroking her hair a few more times, she finally gave a grudging nod.
Like a little kitten that was easy to coax.
"Have some coffee..." Ms. Andou came over, holding a freshly brewed cup.
Fumiya Jin took the coffee and held it to the girl's lips.
"Just have a little sip, to wake you up. Don't drink too much."
Shiina Mashiro frowned slightly at the sight of the coffee, not really wanting to drink it.
But with the cup already at her lips... she looked up at Fumiya Jin.
And then... she obediently lowered her head and took a small sip.
"So bitter..."
She stuck out her small, pink tongue, her face scrunching up a little.
"Ah, I'm so sorry! I can't believe I actually forgot the sugar! I'm the worst!"
Ms. Andou suddenly came to her senses, slapped her forehead, and hurried over to grab the sugar packets she had just put down.
"It's fine. It was just a small sip, and she should be a bit more awake now," Fumiya Jin said with a smile, feeling a wicked sense of satisfaction like watching a child eat a lemon.
"Let's go, it's time for your photos."
"Oh..."
Mashiro slowly stood up.
"Careful, it looks like your shoelace is untied..." Ms. Tamayama reminded her from a short distance away.
Mashiro looked down and saw that her shoelace was indeed untied...
She bent down, picked up the lace, and tried to tie it.
But her hands froze.
Because she realized... She didn't know how.
Just then, Fumiya Jin came to her side, knelt down, and tied her shoelace for her, making a perfect bow.
Seeing this, Ms. Andou quickly covered her mouth, unable to contain her doting smile.
Meanwhile, Ms. Tamayama, who was still single, felt a bit sour watching this scene.
What is this, what is this!
How can I get a face full of PDA just by coming to work!
__
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