Shinju no longer felt inferior in front of Sajuna, but she was still shy around strangers, so bringing her to the set might help cure her shy and timid nature.
Since she didn't have part-time work today, Sajuna went as soon as she said it, immediately taking Shinju along to rush to Marin's set.
Calling it a set, it was actually just an ordinary park without any barricades to block entry, so quite a few passersby and visitors were watching.
"Why are you here too!?"
Just as they arrived at the park entrance, Sajuna saw Rin Ito playing with his phone at the gate, clearly waiting for them.
"What did you come here for?"
Walking over, Shinju raised her hands in front of her from behind Sajuna, giving Rin Ito a tiny wave, while Sajuna stared at Rin Ito warily... Marin hadn't mentioned anything about Rin Ito coming beforehand!
Originally, Sajuna thought it was just a normal visit, but after Rin Ito showed up, Sajuna got a bad premonition...
It was one thing to be trained like that in front of her sister, but was she going to be trained in front of Marin too?
"Marin asked if I wanted to visit, and since I happened to be free, I came over. Once I arrived, she told me you guys were coming too and asked me to wait for you at the entrance." Rin Ito slid his phone back into his pocket, stood up, and lightly patted his slightly creased pants. "Let's go."
The park wasn't big, and the three soon saw a photographer with a DSLR by the fountain in the central square, snapping pictures of the model non-stop, the clicking sound of the shutter echoing continuously.
"Where's Marin..." Sajuna stood on her tiptoes, looking all around. "Eh? Is that her?"
Rin Ito and Shinju followed Sajuna's gaze to a blonde girl not far away, wearing mature makeup and a pure black off-the-shoulder outfit.
Normally, Marin was a lively and energetic high school girl, but right now she looked like a mature woman; if it weren't for her pink-highlighted blonde hair, Sajuna wouldn't have even recognized her!
Even if they crossed paths randomly on the street, she would have only marveled at how much she resembled Marin!
After the three watched for a short while, a short-haired woman dressed in a light indigo shirt and a long, charcoal-black pencil skirt with exquisite makeup, cradling a folder in her arms, walked over to them with a smile.
"Hello, you are Marin-chan's friends, right? I'm an editor from the magazine..."
After the editor lady briefly introduced herself, the three of them also gave a brief introduction.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion." Sajuna clasped her hands in front of her and bowed politely to apologize.
"It's nothing, it's nothing." The editor lady smiled and waved her hand. "A lot of models bring their boyfriends or friends along because they have dates after the shoot is over~"
"I see..." Sajuna stared blankly at Marin striking various poses in front of the lens, her eyes full of envy. "Must be nice..."
Although Sajuna frequently took cosplay photos, they were always shot inside a studio; she never dared to stand in front of a camera so publicly.
"That's right, Marin is an excellent model. She looks good in any makeup and can pull off any style of clothing. She can effortlessly shift her aura; right now, she doesn't look like a high schooler at all."
"Previously, she only came to shoot occasionally, but since the holidays started, she's been coming very often... Marin is actually incredibly popular, the type that everyone looks up to."
Rin Ito covered his mouth and snickered, while Sajuna's mouth twitched... The mere thought of Marin wearing Shizuku's cosplay outfit and deliberately making an ahegao face made it hard for them to keep a straight face.
Beside them, Shinju tilted her head, looking at the two in confusion, as Shinju hadn't participated in a party with Marin yet.
Although they couldn't quite keep a straight face, the two quickly returned their gaze to Marin. Noticing Sajuna's admiring look, the editor lady discreetly sized up Sajuna and Shinju, ultimately shaking her head slightly.
After Marin changed into several outfits for the shoot, break time finally arrived. She skipped right over, returning to her energetic high school girl self.
"So? Aren't Sajuna and Shinju adorable?"
Marin asked with a grin. The editor lady blinked, looking a bit conflicted. Marin had said she would invite two cute girls today for her to see if they were suitable to be models, but well...
These two girls were indeed very adorable, but their figures...
Models, especially fashion models, have strict requirements for their figures... Not just bust size, but overall proportions. In fact, having breasts that are too large or a stature that is too tall makes it impossible to be a model.
Shinju was too tall with breasts that were too large, while Sajuna's figure was far too petite.
The editor lady bent down slightly and patted Sajuna's head.
"The little sister is very cute, but unfortunately our magazine doesn't feature children's clothing. It will definitely be no problem when you grow up a bit more~ As for the older sister, her figure is a bit too good."
"...?"
Li... Little sister!?
Feeling the touch on her head and hearing the child-coaxing tone, Sajuna's expression froze completely. This time, it was Shinju's turn to burst out laughing.
"The boyfriend looks pretty good, though—tall stature and a great aura... Are you interested in modeling?" The editor lady lightly patted Rin Ito's shoulder. "How about Marin-chan and her boyfriend sign a contract together? Every time I bring up signing a contract with Marin, she always says she's too busy with her hobbies."
"Hehe... He's not my boyfriend, you know~" Marin shot a wicked smile at the stiff-faced Sajuna. "He's Sajuna's boyfriend~"
The editor lady was a bit dazed. She had indeed heard Marin mention a man frequently before, and everyone assumed he was Marin's boyfriend... After all, it was perfectly normal for a girl as cute as Marin to have a boyfriend.
She didn't expect that it wasn't the case at all.
But since Sajuna-chan was so adorable, it made sense that he would like her too...
Huh!?
".....!?" The editor lady was first dazed, then shocked, and finally terrified, even instinctively taking a step back. Without the editor lady saying a word, Sajuna knew exactly what she was thinking.
"My big sister is actually older than Marin-chan, you know," Shinju said, pressing her lips together.
"...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!!!"
The editor lady apologized repeatedly, while Sajuna's face turned completely crimson.
"There's no need to apologize, I'm used to being misunderstood. Besides, he is not my boyfriend." Sajuna did her best to act completely indifferent, but her flushed cheeks completely betrayed her current feelings.
"Eh? He's not?"
The editor lady's brain couldn't process it for a moment.
Previously, she thought Rin Ito was Marin's boyfriend, then Marin said he was Sajuna's boyfriend, but Sajuna said he wasn't...
Just what kind of relationship did they have?
The editor lady was extremely curious!
Could it be the legendary messy relationships among young people!?
"Sajuna-chan is just being a tsundere and acting shy~" Marin grinned and blinked at Sajuna. Sajuna's mouth twitched, and then, imitating a flat-chested tsundere anime character, she crossed her arms and turned her face away.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! I don't like this guy at all!"