"Like this?" Yoichi stood with his hands rigid at his sides, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack walnuts. The fake sand shifted under his feet as he planted himself like a statue, eyes fixed straight ahead.
The photographer lowered his camera with a sigh.
"No, no, NO!" Hatanaka rushed forward, hands fluttering around Yoichi without actually touching him. "You look like you're waiting for a bullet train to hit you! This is a summer romance shoot! Sunshine! Joy! Young love!"
Yoichi didn't move a muscle. "I am standing on a beach. Where else do you want me?"
The photographer muttered something that sounded like a prayer for patience. Assistants exchanged glances. From the corner of his eye, Yoichi could see Ichika watching nervously from her position by the palm trees, fingers twisting together.
"Maybe try..." Hatanaka demonstrated an awkward pose, arms loose at his sides, hips slightly turned. "More casual? Like you're actually enjoying yourself?"
Yoichi adjusted his stance a fraction of an inch. His expression remained arctic.
Enjoying myself? On a fake beach with lights hot enough to cook eggs? Surrounded by strangers watching my every move?
"It's not working." The photographer shook his head. "Kid's gorgeous but stiff as a board."
Ai stepped forward, her gradient hair catching the light. "Hatanaka-san, let me try something." Her voice carried a gentle authority that made everyone pause.
She approached Yoichi, bare feet leaving perfect imprints in the sand. Up close, her eyes were even more striking—the six-pointed starburst in each pupil clearly visible.
"Hi," she said, just for him.
Yoichi raised an eyebrow. "Hi."
Her fingers lightly touched his forearm. "The camera isn't your enemy."
The touch sent an unexpected current through him. Her fingers were cool despite the hot lights.
"The story is simple," she continued, her voice dropping to a murmur meant only for him. "We're on a first date. You're a little nervous because I'm famous. I'm a little shy because you're intimidatingly handsome. Just focus on me. Forget everyone else exists."
Yoichi nodded once. "I can work with that."
"Perfect." She smiled up at him, then called over her shoulder, "Hatanaka-san, let's try the water splash!"
An assistant rushed forward with a small decorative bucket of water. Ai took it, returning to Yoichi's side.
"I'm going to splash you," she warned with a conspiratorial wink. "Try to look surprised but not angry, okay?"
Before he could answer, she flicked her wrist, sending a light spray of water across his chest. Yoichi's muscles tensed automatically, but he caught something in her eyes, a silent command to play along.
Instead of scowling, he let his lips curl slightly upward at the corners.
Click!
"Yes!" The photographer shouted. "That's it! Keep going!"
Ai's smile widened. "See? Easy."
She guided him through a series of poses, each one telling another chapter in their fabricated beach romance. Building a sandcastle together, Yoichi methodically constructing perfect walls while Ai placed a ridiculous seashell on top and clapped with exaggerated delight. Walking along the shoreline, her hand occasionally brushing against his. Sharing a prop ice cream cone, Ai pretending to steal a bite while Yoichi looked on with what the photographer kept calling "smoldering intensity" but was actually just his normal face.
With each pose, Yoichi was relaxing fractionally. Ai was good at creating a bubble where the performance felt almost real. She used small touches and whispered instructions to guide him, professional yet personal.
"Now we're building to the money shot," she murmured as they reset for the next pose. "The almost-kiss. Very PG, just tension."
"What's my motivation?" Yoichi asked, half-joking.
Her eyes sparkled. "I'm going to trip. Your job is to catch me before I fall. Just follow your instincts."
She stepped back, getting into position several feet away. The photographer readied his camera. Hatanaka leaned forward in his chair.
Ai walked toward Yoichi, her ankle seemed to wobble, her balance faltering. She pitched forward with a small, rehearsed gasp.
Yoichi moved without thinking. His hand shot out, catching her waist. His other arm curved around her back, steadying her with the same reflexes that had saved him in countless street fights. Their bodies collided softly, her hands landing on his chest.
She looked up, her face inches from his. This close, he could see every perfect detail—the flawless skin, the subtle shimmer on her eyelids, the way her lips parted slightly in surprise.
For a heartbeat, the world disappeared. The performance dropped away.
Click! Click! Click!
The rapid-fire shutter broke the spell. Ai blinked, a flash of something real crossing her face before her professional mask slipped back into place. She straightened, her hands lingering on his chest.
"Perfect!" Hatanaka shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Absolute gold! The chemistry... my god, you two look like you've known each other for years!"
From the sidelines, Ichika watched in frozen silence. The knot in her stomach twisted painfully as she observed Yoichi's hand on Ai's waist—the same gesture he'd used with her in the car.
His face had changed, too. The cold mask had softened, not completely, but enough that she could see glimpses of the same Yoichi who had fallen asleep beside Miku.
Near the monitors, Ichigo Saitou watched with narrowed eyes. His attention wasn't on the poses or the composition, it was entirely on Ai.
He noted the way her breath caught when Yoichi caught her, the momentary lapse in her perfect control.
Most importantly, he noticed how her smile afterward wasn't the one she used for fans and cameras.
"Let's take five to adjust the lighting!" Hatanaka called. "Water and touch-ups!"
Assistants rushed forward with water bottles and makeup brushes. Ai accepted hers gracefully while Yoichi stood awkwardly to the side, suddenly unsure what to do with himself now that the performance had paused.
After a quick touch-up, Ai walked back to him, taking a sip from her water bottle.
"You're a natural," she said, her voice pitched low enough that only he could hear. "You just needed the right partner."
Yoichi accepted the compliment with a small nod. "You're a good teacher."
A smile played at her lips as she studied him. "So... 'overprotective boyfriend' is a fun cover story." Her eyes flickered briefly to where Ichika stood. "But that's not actually your job, is it?"
"I'm not officially employed as anything," Yoichi said carefully.
"Interesting." She tilted her head, letting her gradient hair cascade over one shoulder. "Are you two really dating?"
"It's complicated."
"The best things usually are." She raised her voice slightly. "Right, Ichika-chan?"
Ichika looked up from her phone, caught off guard. "Sorry, were you calling me?"
"Places, everyone!" Hatanaka clapped his hands. "That was FANTASTIC! Let's get Ai's solo shots now. Yoichi, you can stand by."
Ai handed her water bottle to an assistant and walked to the center of the set. The transformation was instant and complete. The girl who had been whispering conspiratorially to Yoichi seconds ago vanished, replaced by Japan's premier idol. Her posture changed, her smile brightened to lethal wattage, and she became more open and somehow completely unreachable.
The photographer barely needed to give direction; she anticipated each shot before he could call it.
Yoichi watched with reluctant admiration. He recognized professional excellence when he saw it. This wasn't just talent, it was years of discipline and sacrifice, thousands of hours of practice distilled into something that looked effortless.
Ichika watched too. She had worked hard to build her career, and she knew she had talent. But Ai Hoshino existed in another league entirely. The gap between them wasn't just skill.
Ai radiated star quality from every pore.
Is that how Yoichi will look at me when I perform? With that same respect in his eyes?
"Cut! Perfect!" Hatanaka was practically glowing. "That's a wrap on Ai's solos! Take five, Ai-chan, you were magnificent!"
The director turned, scanning the set until his eyes landed on Ichika. "Alright! Ichika, you're up next! Let's get that real-life chemistry on camera! Time for the boyfriend-girlfriend shots!"
Ichika's stomach dropped. She had almost forgotten that she and Yoichi were supposed to be a couple. After watching his natural chemistry with Ai, the thought of trying to manufacture something comparable felt impossible.
Ai stepped gracefully off the set, passing close to Ichika as she went.
"He's quite special," she said softly, her gradient eyes twinkling with something Ichika couldn't quite read. "I don't think he knows it yet."
Before Ichika could respond, Ai continued toward her dressing room, leaving Ichika standing alone at the edge of the artificial beach.
Yoichi turned toward her from the center of the set, his expression once again an unreadable mask. The photographer adjusted his camera. The assistants reset the props. Every eye in the studio seemed to be watching, waiting to see if the "real couple" could match the chemistry of the professional pairing.
Ichika took a deep breath and stepped onto the sand, feeling the heat of the lights and the weight of expectations bearing down on her.
How am I supposed to compete with the girl whose poster hangs in my bedroom?
Yoichi extended his hand toward her, a silent invitation. His grey eyes held a question she couldn't quite decipher.
"Don't worry," he said quietly as she reached him. "You're not competing with anyone."
Her eyes widened. Had he somehow read her mind, or was her insecurity that transparent?
Before she could ask, Hatanaka clapped his hands. "Alright, lovebirds! Let's see what real romance looks like! Yoichi, remember all those moves Ai taught you? Now use them on Ichika!"
Ichika swallowed hard as Yoichi's fingers closed around hers. His touch was warm, familiar from their morning together, yet suddenly loaded with new meaning.
"Just like Ai said," Yoichi murmured, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Forget everyone else exists. Focus on me."
His words brought a flush to her cheeks that no amount of professional composure could hide.
"I'm ready," she said, squeezing his hand.
The photographer lifted his camera. Ichika took a steadying breath, silently praying that whatever magic had sparked between Yoichi and Ai wouldn't make her own performance seem pale by comparison.
"Action!" Hatanaka called, and the next chapter of their charade began.