"Thanks for having me today."

Kaoru stepped from the entryway into the living room. Though the dorm rooms all had the same basic layout, it felt like he'd entered another world. The first things that caught his eye were all the girly decorations, and the air was filled with that uniquely feminine warmth and fragrance.

Yet, even in this room, the owner's personality shone through. Strange clothes were casually strewn across the bed, among which he could faintly make out some cream-colored garments.

The digital camera he'd seen before was placed on the desk, surrounded by a messy pile of photos—likely ones Airi had printed out specifically to keep as mementos.

He noticed some landscape photos pinned to the wall, and the corner of a photo album peeked out from a storage box. It looked quite sizable.

"W-wait a second!" Airi's face flushed as she dashed to her bed like a tornado, hurriedly gathering up her clothes—outfits she wore for staged photoshoots. There was no way she could let Kaoru see these.

Even if she sometimes sent him pictures of herself in them, that didn't mean he could see the actual clothes in person.

Kaoru sat at the desk and picked up a few photos to examine. He wasn't sure when she'd taken these, but they were from the sports festival, capturing everyone during warm-ups.

These weren't Class D students—Airi must have secretly photographed other classes one afternoon.

Was she trying to preserve memories of her high school life?

Kaoru flipped through a few more. Judging by the angles and lighting, it was clear Airi had taken his advice to heart—her skills had improved rapidly, now carrying a hint of artistic flair.

Hmm, he had to give credit where it was due. Otherwise, as her mentor, he'd have no face left.

But then he paused at one particular photo. That silhouette, that profile—it looked so familiar.

Wait, wasn't he supposed to be the one stalking her, the idol? Why was she, in turn, stalking him, the pervert?

The next moment, Airi snatched the photo from his hands, hiding it behind her back as she stared at him, her face burning red. Before he could say anything, she blurted out, "I-it's not what you think! Sometimes I... accidentally capture other people in my shots..."

Kaoru didn't call out her lie. Instead, he asked, "When you take photos, does anyone ever notice you?"

Airi shook her head vigorously, then nodded slightly, holding up her fingers to indicate a tiny amount. "Only a few students saw me. They didn't know who I was—I wore a disguise, a trench coat and sunglasses."

"..."

Kaoru stared at the sheer innocence in her eyes. Wearing a trench coat in the middle of summer, right in front of everyone—it was practically an admission of guilt.

Airi was deeply embarrassed. She tucked the photo back into her storage box and hid the digital camera away, making sure Kaoru wouldn't stumble upon anything else he shouldn't see.Actually, she hadn't been taking many photos of Kaoru Mitoma—just occasionally snapping a few shots from afar when she spotted him on the street.

Besides, Kaoru Mitoma never refused her, which meant it was okay to take pictures.

Thinking this, Airi Sakura felt much better.

Naturally, Kaoru Mitoma had no intention of blaming her. Paparazzi were impossible to guard against—how could he possibly notice someone taking photos from a distance with a camera?

"I think it might be your camera that gave you away," Kaoru Mitoma analyzed calmly. "Think about it—if you were taking pictures of the scenery and accidentally caught their attention, they'd definitely take a second look. If they happened to be your fan, recognizing you wouldn't be too difficult."

Airi Sakura found this reasoning sound and began to slump in defeat. Though she was usually cautious and tried to avoid others, even store clerks had recognized her before. It wasn't unreasonable for a stalker to identify her somewhere.

"However, since they didn't notice you right away, we can at least deduce they aren't from your class. They probably have little contact with you normally, but given how well they know your habits, they're likely a first-year student."

"They must have had the time and energy to follow you, which is how they noticed your unusual relationship with the clerk. Maybe out of jealousy toward a fellow admirer, they lashed out at the clerk."

"It's easy to understand the mindset of an obsessive fan like this. From their comments, it's clear they want to monopolize you—believing that Nene-chan belongs to them alone. They're a complete creep."

Kaoru Mitoma spoke at length, condemning the stalker without batting an eye.

Listening to his analysis, Airi Sakura felt both impressed and intimidated. She whispered, "What should we do?"

"It's simple. Since they want Nene-chan all to themselves, they definitely can't stand another man appearing by your side." Kaoru Mitoma gave her a meaningful look. "For example, if I were in your room right now."

Even though Airi Sakura hadn't changed her usual style—still wearing her plain glasses, twin braids draped over her shoulders, and messy bangs—she looked like a gloomy girl at first glance.

But upon closer inspection, her true beauty was undeniable—delicate features, flawless skin, and especially the pronounced curves beneath her blouse, full and soft enough to sink one's hands into.

Beneath her skirt, her slender legs were encased in sheer black thigh-high socks, with a glimpse of pale, smooth thighs peeking out. Her small, perky rear rested atop her rounded ankles, the faint outline of her bottom visible. Her toes, peeking out like strawberry daifuku, had a faint pink glow as they fidgeted restlessly.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, Airi Sakura's cheeks flushed, and she avoided meeting his eyes.

"If we let them know I'm alone with you right now, it'll probably lure them out. A creep like that would never tolerate someone else trying to take Nene-chan away."

"Ugh, I get it… but, um, please stop saying that name… It's so embarrassing…"Airi Sakura covered her face with her hands, wishing she could just disappear into the ground. The feeling was akin to having someone read out her cringeworthy online alias in front of acquaintances—it was utterly mortifying!

"It does seem a bit inappropriate. 'Airi' sounds much better."

"Guh..."

Kaoru Mitoma chuckled at her flustered, red-faced reaction. Modern idols really couldn't handle teasing, huh? Even introverts could become idols these days...

Wait, that might actually be a good thing?

Imagine if fans saw a cute idol girl blushing shyly right in front of them—chaos would probably ensue.

A timid, animal-like idol could have market appeal, especially if paired with a nurturing "motherly" type and a mischievous little devil who loved to tease. That might just work.

But something felt missing—maybe a hot-blooded idiot?

Tch. That felt way too cliché.

While idols who were good at fan service could liven up the atmosphere, variety was key. Different personas helped maintain popularity and made each idol memorable.

Take 283 Productions, for example—they had multiple idol groups with distinct styles. But Airi Sakura had debuted as a gravure model; singing and dancing weren't her forte. Kaoru also doubted whether she even had the stamina to keep up with a group.

And if she were to debut, they'd have to address her schooling and family situation first.

"Um... Kaoru-kun?"

Kaoru's train of thought derailed as he noticed Airi looking at him with concern.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a bit." He offered a faint smile. He was overthinking again—there was no way Airi Sakura would ever step onto a stage as a performing idol. She was much better suited as a gravure model.

Unaware of his thoughts, Airi felt a flicker of happiness. With him here, it felt like they could handle anything—even that pervert.

Still, it was a bit of a shame. The guy was actually a skilled photographer who had taught her a lot.

If it were just about exchanging photography tips, Airi wouldn't have minded being friends with him. Learning from him and taking beautiful photos would surely make Kaoru happy too.

Thinking back on her chats with Kaoru, Airi's cheeks tinged pink. In real life, she was timid, but online, she had been surprisingly bold—sending him photos frequently. Did that make her seem too forward?

Luckily, Kaoru never seemed to think anything weird of it. He always praised her shots.

"Airi, can I take a look at your chat logs?"

"O-of course!"

She hastily handed him her phone, then immediately deflated a little. Shouldn't she act more naturally? Like a composed older sister, maybe—smiling softly, brushing her fingers against his palm when their hands touched...

"This should be fine. Do you think you could help me with something?" Kaoru pretended to skim through the messages before turning to her. "This look isn't working. Take off your glasses, let your hair down, and either strip or change into your pajamas. Then lie down on your bed."

Airi froze like a statue.

A few seconds later, she let out a sound like a steam engine's whistle—high-pitched, flustered, and stammering with the unique embarrassment of a teenage girl—before practically leaping out of her skin, nearly knocking over the table in the process.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what?!""You just lie on the bed, exposing your shoulders to make it look like you're not wearing clothes, and then..."

"R-really naked?!"

"Not naked, you can wear pajamas. The uniform is too troublesome. Then I'll lie beside you, and you pretend to be asleep while I take a photo..."

"W-wait, I have to sleep with Kaoru?!"

"Something like that. I'll take a photo and send it to that pervert. He'll probably misunderstand that we did something bad together."

"No way!" Airi Sakura's face turned bright red as she frantically waved her hands. "I'm not ready for this! D-doing something bad... I need to think about it!"

Kaoru Mitoma stood up expressionlessly and lightly knocked on the girl's head.

"Calm down. We're just taking a photo."

"Oww..." Airi clutched her head and crouched defensively. "J-just a photo?"

Mitoma nodded. Though he was actually the pervert in question, he needed to explain this reasonably.

"That guy really likes you, Airi. He won't be able to stand seeing you with another man. When he gets angry, that's when I can lure him out."

This sounded quite logical. Airi immediately recalled several classic scenarios from stories, her cheeks burning even hotter. Was she going to be the heroine tonight?