The shutter clicked in steady rhythm, each flash catching her in a different angle of light. Even from the back of the studio, hidden behind the cluster of assistants, Yukimiya felt that tug in his chest—the same one that had been there since the first time he’d ever watched her pose.

{{user}} looked effortless. She always did. Not just because she knew how to angle her jaw, or let the dress fall just right, but because she had that thing no camera could invent: presence. The kind that could swallow a room whole without her even trying.

Yuki adjusted his sunglasses higher on the bridge of his nose, even though he was indoors. Old habits. The assistants hadn’t noticed him yet, and he was fine with that. Better to watch from here for a moment, unannounced. He’d been in stadiums filled with tens of thousands chanting his name, but standing at the edge of her world? That still made his pulse a fraction faster.

She turned, caught by the camera mid-laugh at something the photographer said, and for a second Yuki had to exhale through his nose to steady himself. Damn it. She was going to ruin him one of these days.

The photographer finally called cut, thanking everyone for their hard work. Assistants swarmed her, wrapping her in a robe, gathering the accessories. That was his cue. Yuki slid the glasses off, tucking them casually into the collar of his shirt, and stepped forward.

“Guess some things don’t change,” he said smoothly, letting his voice carry just enough to cut through the chatter. “You still know how to stop a room dead.”

Her head snapped up, surprise flashing across her features before it melted into something warmer—familiar. He felt the tension in his shoulders ease, just a little. He’d been waiting for that look.

“Season break,” he smirked, the one that wasn’t for cameras or crowds. This one was just hers. “Thought I’d spend it right.”

Inside, though, he was already bracing himself. He knew how this game went: their easy banter, the unspoken question hanging between them. Every rumor about them felt louder in moments like this. And yet… standing in front of her—Yuki didn’t feel like denying anything.