126: Are you still in contact with that stand-in?

After leaving the small animals section, Takashi didn't leave the exhibition just yet. Instead, he headed over to the "Dogs" section.

Although Yumiko had ruined his good mood for the day, he had no intention of leaving so soon.

He bought a ticket to get in—he spent money!!!

Besides, he hadn't deceived her for sex, hadn't manipulated her feelings, hadn't even scammed her for money. 

He just cared about her daily, chatted with her a bit—how could that possibly make him a jerk?

If even that counted as being a jerk, then none of those so-called "nice guys" would get off the hook—they'd all be trash.

And as for those pathetic "simps"… well, forget it. They don't even deserve to be mentioned.

Anyway, it was still a while before his date with Utaha. If he left now, he'd only be killing time somewhere else.

In the "Dogs" section, Takashi looked around and found that all the dogs on display were top-quality breeds raised by professional breeders. 

Nearly all of them were show-level, but most were popular small dogs like Chihuahuas, Miniature Dachshunds, Mame Shibas, and Corgis. Large dogs were very rare.

Takashi was a little disappointed, but he could understand why.

If a large dog suddenly went wild, an average guy might not even be able to hold it back.

Walking a large dog could sometimes end up with the dog walking you instead.

Those purebred, pampered little show dogs were adorable, but Kitahara had no urge to take pictures.

He liked dogs, sure—but he liked big dogs, not little ones.

Especially Poodles. He couldn't stand the sight of them.

He felt like Poodles were like middle-aged women with terrible perms, always running around like maniacs. 

Every time they saw a big dog, they had to bark at them, picking a fight like they had a death wish or something.

Worst of all, back home, nine out of ten Poodle owners didn't even bother to leash their dogs.

He had absolutely no affection for Poodles—ugly and annoying little things.

After wandering around for a bit, Takashi finally found his target.

It was an American Doberman with a beautifully balanced build, long legs, and a noble posture.

"Tai ku la!" (Awesome!)

Takashi's eyes lit up as if he had spotted a stunning beauty. 

He quickly walked over to a girl wearing a white baseball cap, a baseball jacket, and denim shorts, and politely asked, "Hello, may I take a photo of your dog?"

The girl lifted her head slightly, and only then did Takashi get a full glimpse of the face hidden under the cap.

She was beautiful—gorgeously so. Her black hair was soft and shiny, but unlike Yukino's straight black hair, hers had a natural wave to it.

Unlike chemically treated or permed curls, her hair naturally waved like rolling water, elegant and mysterious.

Her beautiful light blue eyes, skin as smooth and translucent as porcelain, and cheeks tinged with a gentle blush—all framed a face so lovely it was almost surreal. 

Her lips were a vibrant red, like a blooming rose.

Long eyelashes shaded those big, expressive eyes that locked onto him, making Kitahara's heartbeat skip for a second.

[Target: Adagaki Aki]

[Age: 16]

[Intelligence: 8]

[Charm: 9]

[Stamina: 5]

[Origin: Masamune-kun's Revenge]

[True Male Lead: Makabe Masamune]

[No boyfriend. Available for dating.]

Oh, another heroine, huh?

Takashi immediately calmed down.

'What a god-tier face.'

Adagaki Aki stared at Takashi's flawless face, and to her own surprise, felt no disgust toward him.

Because of something that happened during her childhood, she had developed a deep hatred of men.

For her, to stand in front of a boy and not feel repulsed was already extremely rare.

She pressed down on her cap. "Sure."

"Thank you."

Takashi backed up a bit, raised his camera, squatted down, and after feeling the angle wasn't quite right, started adjusting again.

He squatted and stood up several times, trying out a few angles before finally stopping.

At the moment, the Doberman wasn't looking at the camera; instead, it was calmly staring at a Poodle that was barking and provoking it, seemingly ready to pounce and tear it apart.

Adagaki Aki watched her dog ignore the camera and was thinking about whether to turn its head manually, when Takashi pursed his lips and made a clicking noise, "Tsk-tsk-tsk!"

As if hearing a call from the depths of its soul, the Doberman's ears twitched, and it immediately turned its head to look at Takashi.

Adagaki Aki's beautiful eyes widened.

Wait, how did he do that?

Did he cast some kind of magic?

Her Doberman was famously aloof. Aside from herself, it never paid attention to anyone else no matter how much they called it.

The moment the Doberman turned its head, Takashi rapidly pressed the shutter.

He checked the photos, then walked over to Adagaki Aki. "How is it? I think I took a pretty good shot."

Adagaki Aki lowered her head to look.

Takashi had an excellent eye for angles—not only had he captured the Doberman looking majestic and powerful, but he had also caught her in the shot, making her look cool and refreshing. 

She really liked it.

Adagaki Aki stared at the photo. "Are you a photographer?"

Takashi shook his head. "No."

"Really? But you seem pretty good at it."

"That's because you're good-looking. No matter how I shoot, it turns out great."

Adagaki Aki slightly raised her eyelids and stared at him. "You're good at this, huh? Do you say that to every girl you take pictures of?"

Takashi noticed that Adagaki Aki didn't show any strong disgust, so he knew exactly what kind of persona he should adopt.

Depending on the type of benefactor, he would adjust his speaking style and demeanor accordingly.

"I'm an honest guy. I always speak the truth and never lie."

From her delicate nose, Adagaki Aki gave a dismissive snort. "Hmph!"

Men's mouths are full of lies.

Better to believe in ghosts than to trust the words of a man.

"How much for this photo?" Adagaki Aki liked the photo Takashi had taken and intended to buy it.

"No need. Your beauty has already paid the price."

Adagaki Aki froze slightly, then her lips curled into a mocking, provocative smile, her gaze full of ridicule.

You're honest, huh?

…

"Utaha, let me tell you, no photographer is ever truly honest." Machida Sonoko sipped her milk tea, standing not far away and pointing in Takashi's direction.

"Guys like him—good-looking, sweet-talking, and skilled at photography—stand at the very top of the food chain."

"Some girls would literally throw themselves at them for free."

Utaha felt a little uncomfortable hearing that.

Because Watanabe Takashi seemed to dabble in photography too.

"Is the photography circle that messy?"

"The photography circle itself might not be messy, but the circles that the models hang out in—especially for cosplay shoots or private sessions—are pretty chaotic."

Utaha relaxed quite a bit after hearing that.

Thankfully, Watanabe Takashi only ever photographed flowers, animals, and the sky.

She thought so—Watanabe Takashi looked completely honest, the exact opposite of Takashi.

"By the way, why are you here today? I thought you hated dogs."

Utaha lowered her head, carefully picking out a small dog in front of her. 

"I have a friend whose birthday is coming up. He really likes dogs. I didn't know what to get him, so I figured I'd come take a look."

"Your underclassman, right? You really care about him... Wait a second, the 'he' you're talking about—is it Aki?"

Halfway through her sentence, Machida Sonoko suddenly realized something was off.

Aki was just a shut-in nerd. Would he even like raising dogs?

Utaha didn't answer. Instead, she pretended to be absorbed in examining the puppy in front of her.

Seeing her reaction, Machida Sonoko's pupils dilated bit by bit. "Utaha, don't tell me—you're still in touch with that stand-in?!"

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