Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 125

Missing Element

As Ichinose flipped out the clothes, Kurosawa also started taking out items.

A finely crafted and brand-new DSLR camera was held in his hands.

“Hikaru-kun, did you specially buy this DSLR for this shoot?”

Ichinose felt a bit stiff seeing his brand-new, unopened DSLR. Although she wasn’t very knowledgeable about cameras, it looked particularly expensive.

“No, I bought it before. When I saw you working part-time as a model last time, I suddenly remembered I had this DSLR, so I took it out.”

Seeing her concern, Kurosawa reassured her with a wave of his hand.

Fortunately, he had foreseen her reluctance for him to spend too much money, so he had already opened the package in advance.

“Oh, I see.”

Hearing this explanation, Ichinose believed him and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Kurosawa bought this DSLR camera specifically for her, she wouldn’t know how to repay him.

After all, she knew that Kurosawa wanted to help her with the shoot to share photos on the internet, accumulate fans and fame, and maybe pave the way for a career as a professional model.

Kurosawa glanced at her, seeing her relaxed demeanor, couldn’t help but smirk, then lowered his head to power on and adjust the camera.

People who genuinely like you won’t want you to keep spending money for them; instead, they may even want to spend money on you.

This statement wasn’t something he casually made up but was based on a real experience.

The reason for such sentiments was the day he went to the beach with Ichinose. 

Although they could have gone for an expensive dinner, she insisted on choosing a cheaper restaurant and even secretly paid for the meal.

Now, he had a deeper understanding of this.

For example, Ninomiya was the most typical example, directly investing a hundred million to help him start his business.

When people make contributions, they hope for returns.

Whether it’s friendship or love, it works the same way. Both parties need to invest in each other to make it last and mutually satisfying.

“68,000 yen?!”

Just at that moment, a surprised exclamation came from beside him

Kurosawa turned his head and saw Ichinose holding the dress, looking at the intact price tag with a shocked and helpless expression.

“Hikaru-kun, isn’t this dress too expensive?”

Ichinose, who originally really liked the dress, was taken aback when she saw the price. 

The dress was exceptionally beautiful, from the small details to the texture of the fabric, and the overall design. 

However, the price was terrifying.

“More investment is for more returns. Wearing slightly high-end clothes gives a more upscale impression. If there’s a real opportunity to pursue a career as a professional model in the future, it increases the chances of getting good endorsements and photo shoots.”

Kurosawa regretted not cutting off the price tag, but at this point, regrets were useless. He decided to console her.

“But this shoot isn’t for making money… It’s just for posting on the internet for everyone to see for free. How do we make the money back?”

Ichinose, being a high school student, didn’t understand much about investments. She clutched the dress, feeling confused.

For her, 68,000 yen for a dress was already a super astronomical price. After all, the dresses she usually bought were at most a little over 10,000 yen.

“Who said we have to earn the money back from this shoot?”

“We’re not making money?”

“The purpose of this shoot is to accumulate fame and fans for you, and to pave the way for your career as a professional model. Plus, this dress isn’t just for this shoot; it’s also a gift from me.” 

Kurosawa didn’t expect to make money as a photographer and explained.

“But…”

Ichinose was a bit perplexed. She looked at him and then at the dress she really liked in her hands. 

She wanted to say she would return it after the shoot, but when she heard it was a gift, she felt reluctant.

Because this was the first gift Kurosawa had given her.

After a moment of silence, she gritted her teeth and opened her wallet.

In her wallet, there was only 6,500 yen, not even enough to cover the full amount.

Realizing how financially tight she was, Ichinose couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened.

“Just put it on for me later; that’s enough.”

Seeing her changing expressions every few seconds, Kurosawa found it amusing and tried to comfort her.

“But this isn’t the kind of sexy outfit.”

Ichinose didn’t think it was a proper way to repay him. 

If it were a more revealing, sexy outfit… maybe it could fulfill some particular desires.

“It’s precisely because it’s not a sexy outfit that it can be posted on the internet. If it’s something sexy, I wouldn’t bear to post it online for others to see you.” Kurosawa gave her a sidelong glance, diverting her thoughts.

“Fifty thousand… seventy thousand!!”

Hearing his possessive words, Ichinose felt a bit delighted. Then, she continued to look at the other two sets of clothes, unable to help but be amazed.

Seeing her genuine reactions, Kurosawa smiled and continued playing with the camera.

The experience card for skills, while not comparable to a permanent one, still brought some related knowledge as long as the camera was in hand. 

Things like how to power it on, adjust parameters, and take shots—there were many aspects to explore.

However, he was merely at an entry-level and hadn’t delved into lens research yet; that would be considered later.

“Hikaru-kun.”

At this moment, Ichinose crawled onto the bed and approached him.

“Hmm?”

Kurosawa turned to look at her.

As soon as he turned, a soft and somewhat warm sensation spread across his face.

This feeling originated from Ichinose’s lips, which were painted with lipstick, exuding a charming allure.

“Thank you.”

Ichinose kissed him, blushing a bit. But her eyes showed more of a sense of moved happiness, forming crescent moons as they curved with her smile.

She felt how much effort Kurosawa had put into this photoshoot and date. 

It wasn’t just a simple meeting or companionship; it was a wholehearted assistance, a significant expense, to help her with the shoot and pave the way for a potential career as a professional model.

Such sincerity would touch any woman, especially someone at the tender age of youth and budding emotions like her.

Seeing her initiative in offering a kiss and her adorable smiling face, Kurosawa was momentarily stunned.

A palpable feeling of excitement surged in his chest, and his cheeks warmed slightly.

In reality, Kurosawa didn’t have much experience in love. 

Being able to make her so happy, the considerable expense for this occasion seemed worth it.

In fact, the money spent on clothes was negligible compared to the cost of the camera.

“…”

Originally feeling shy due to her blushing, Ichinose, upon seeing his slightly flushed face, couldn’t help but be shaken.

Hikaru-kun blushing—was it because of her surprise attack this time? If a kiss on the cheek elicited this reaction, what about a kiss on the lips?

With thoughts racing, her gaze involuntarily lowered, landing on Kurosawa’s lips.

If he wasn’t lying about never having kissed before, then his first kiss might be today… just like her, she didn’t know if there would be an opportunity for it today.

“Alright, let’s start the shoot.”

Unable to resist glancing at her lips, Kurosawa spoke up.

The main task hadn’t been handled yet; he couldn’t afford to mess up the order. Interactions like this could wait until later.

“Mm-mm.”

Ichinose felt a bit disheartened when she saw he wasn’t suggesting anything of that sort, but she quickly rallied.

They would likely spend the entire day at the hotel, and with so much time on their hands, she couldn’t believe there wouldn’t be an opportunity!

“Go change into your clothes first. We’ll start shooting after you’ve done your makeup.”

Kurosawa, unaware of her thoughts, instructed when he saw her spirits rise.

“Which outfit should I wear first?”

“Your choice.”

“Then, the first dress.”

Ichinose liked the purple lace maxi dress from the first set.

“By the way, don’t do your makeup in the bathroom. I’ll help you with it later,” he reminded her.

Kurosawa didn’t care about the order, as all three outfits needed to be photographed. 

“Hikaru-kun’s helping me with my makeup?”

Carrying the dress and stepping into the hotel’s disposable slippers, Ichinose turned back at his words.

“I’ve learned how to do makeup, so don’t worry.”

Kurosawa assured her, thinking she might be concerned about his makeup skills.

Perhaps it was just an entry-level makeup skill, and it wasn’t a permanent reward, but he had taken the time in recent days to study the current popular makeup trends, he should be able to do better than Ichinose.

“Okay.”

Ichinose, lost in thought, then stepped into the bathroom, clacking her slippers as she went.

Her feet were naturally small, and the slippers were large, giving her a strangely cute appearance.

Watching her enter the bathroom, Kurosawa didn’t stay put. Instead, he picked up things and began preparations.

The luxurious business suite wasn’t just a single room; it had a separate bedroom and living room.

Since the photos were going online, it was better to shoot in the living room to avoid potential misunderstandings and labels that could arise from bedroom photos.

Setting up the scene, adjusting the camera position, and setting up lighting boards were quickly done.

Next, he opened a box and started organizing.

“Wow, so many cosmetics…”

Not long after, Ichinose walked out of the bedroom and was amazed.

Although she hadn’t deliberately applied makeup to match her outfit, with her golden wavy hair, she looked elegant and sweet in the purple lace dress.

However, because she applied light and elegant makeup on her own, it was more understated, pure, and a bit cute.

It could be said that her makeup for the date with Kurosawa was a perfect example of purity and allure.

From nail art, eyelashes, colored contact lenses, glitter, to her wavy hair, nothing was overlooked. However, her eye makeup gave off a cute vibe.

Walking on the street with her, the head-turning rate was truly off the charts.

“It seems like you’re missing something…”

Kurosawa observed her for a moment, his gaze falling to the hem of her dress, her smooth and delicate ankles visible, and her legs bare without stockings. 

There was a missing element.

“Am I missing something?”

Ichinose was a bit surprised at his comment, lowering her head to look at her outfit. 

The dress was the only piece, so how could something be missing?

“There are two pairs of stockings in the compartment of that bag. They’re black stockings that go well with this dress.”

Kurosawa nodded, mentioning this with a slightly accelerated heartbeat.

Although it was something every man liked to see, expressing such a request could still be embarrassing.

“I’ll go check.”

Ichinose realized that she needed to wear stockings and, without any particular reaction, nodded before turning around to take action.