A photo shoot for Chiaki.

After getting five of her friends to pose for these shots, one might have thought Mahiru would consider herself in the home stretch. In fact, the photographer was gearing herself up for an unexpected challenge. Sure, the other targets were more quirky, unlikely, or even dangerous, but there was a reason Mahiru was worried for this next one... She gulped, then tried to put on her friendliest smile, as a photographer might to get a child to join in. "Welp, Chiaki, we're almost through. I'm so glad it went smoothly after all."

Those words didn't seem to have any positive effect. As Chiaki had been since Mahiru went against her advice and started shooting, the Ultimate Gamer was huddled up on the prop couch in the fireplace set. Even when this was going to be a reputable photoshoot instead of one showcasing surprise nudity, the concept behind this scene had been "cozy Christmas with a gamer girlfriend." The cute and likable Chiaki, warming up by fireside and inviting the viewer to join them for a game, would have been sure to get guys buying, for sure. Instead, she was pouting and stubbornly ignoring the photographer's lens, fully engaged in the handheld system with her legs hugged to her chest and her arms wrapped around. It wasn't saucy, and it wasn't inviting... It was more like...

"Like... like what? What is this scene, with a pretty girl huddled up naked on the couch, playing a video game in a bad mood, supposed to be?!" Mahiru tried to keep her smile on as she struggled to think of what she could say to placate the grumpy gamer. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Since we're almost done, let's finish strong, okay? This scene concept isn't actually that different from what we planned, it's just... a little saucier. We can do it in three parts: in the first, you act like you don't notice me: you're fully engaged in the game."

That didn't seem to be a problem. Chiaki wouldn't take her eyes off the screen, although Mahiru knew that wasn't just because of her focus.

"Great job..." Mahiru muttered. This first shot lacked the sensuality of the others, as from this position, Chiaki was able to block most all of her pale, curvy body with her legs and arms. Her console covered part of her face... In this case, that was the magic Mahiru needed. By angling slightly down, leaning over the couch arm and feeling especially like a voyeur, the photographer was able to take a shot that also hid the pouty frown the gamer was wearing. The end result was a shot that did enough... It made Chiaki look distracted and focused instead of mad, and displayed her nudity without giving too much away, yet. It was passable (probably more than passable for fans of bare feet, Mahiru couldn't help but note).

That was good enough for the first shot, but Mahiru knew she wasn't getting a good full three shots with her model acting like this. As a matter of fact, she had to get a strong reaction out of Chiaki somehow. Otherwise, the third shot wasn't going to fit with the other girls'. "Look, Chiaki... Do I need to apologize? I really am sorry, okay?"

"... Hmph," Chiaki finally responded, looking up from her game and into the redhead's eyes directly. "I don't think it's about you being sorry, in a situation like this. The right thing is for you to own up, admit what you're doing is wrong, and be the voice of reason. You should probably convince Mr. Santa to do the shoot a different way... And you probably know that, I think."

That was true, and hearing it from her disappointed friend made it sting. Still... "Chiaki, by now I've gotten good shots from five of the others. They really went all out and gave it everything to make good shots for this charity photobook, shots that'll make it sell and do so much good! I-is it too cliche for me to say 'think of the children?'"

"I'll think of the children when you start thinking about your friends." Chiaki lowered the console to raise a single wagging finger, growing more entrenched. "I'm sure you know how much it'll mess up their lives up if these photobooks make their way around Hope's Peak... and with Yasuhiro here, I think there could be every chance they get around."

"Oh, is that what's bothering you?" Mahiru saw an opportunity to seize, here. "Well, that's no problem! I think I have enough pull to have Mr. Santa put a nondisclosure agreement of some kind on Yasuhiro, so that if he opens his big mouth around school, he'll be in even more debt than he definitely already is! That'll scare him off doing something stupid, for sure."

Instead of agreeing, Chiaki just rolled her eyes, then rolled over onto her stomach, forcing Mahiru to respect her space and back off. "I think we both know that won't be enough. Yasuhiro didn't get all that debt by making smart decisions. I'm just a girl who plays video games, so it doesn't bother me that much if naked photos get out... but what about Peko, who might be a powerful person's bodyguard? What about Sonia, who is already a princess? When all of this is over, I want to be able to say I tried to talk you out of it, and at least didn't help it along... That's how I feel."

Mahiru knew she needed to keep a good counterargument coming, but she found herself distracted behind the lens of her camera. The new pose Chiaki had taken, reclining on her stomach and playing her handheld with her arms in front of her, gave an eye-popping unguarded view of her pleasantly round bottom and squishy thighs. Since she didn't have a defense for herself, Mahiru said the first thing that was on her mind. "You really don't seem embarrassed at all... can it be that you actually don't care if guys see you like this?"

"Should I care?" Chiaki asked, still facing her game. "All of the other girls will be distracting enough, I bet. A plain girl like me playing a video game isn't going to matter to anyone... Also, even if I lose any reputation, that won't stop me from playing games. I think I'll be all right, whatever happens."

"No no, I think you're actually going to turn a lot of heads!" Mahiru told her friend honestly. "I mean, you've got an amazing body. I'm sure you'll be beating guys away with a stick after they get a look at these photos."

"... I really don't care about that," Chiaki reiterated. "... Where is Santa's charity planning to advertise these photobooks, again?"

Assuming her friend was more interested in the guys than she was trying to let on, Mahiru pressed her attack. "Oh, all over, I imagine! Guys from all over are going to be hooked on you, Chiaki. Oh, one place I know they'll eat it up is the place where the boys are crazier about Hope's Peak students than anywhere else: the Reserve Course!"

At this, Chiaki had a strong reaction, one Mahiru didn't miss a chance to capture with her camera. Chiaki's eyes suddenly grew wide and shot to the camera, as if newly noticing it, and her blood rushed to her face like she'd caught a fever. She didn't say anything, though, and when she realized how she looked, she quickly averted her eyes again. "The... Reserve Course... B-but, don't you think only guys who are really pervy will buy one? I think so, probably!"

Mahiru lowered her camera, feeling her own face heat up at Chiaki's realization and embarrassment. "Chiaki... I hate to ask, but can it be you hadn't thought about... a certain Reserve Course student... getting his hands on the photobook?"

Chiaki bolted to sitting now. Besides the flush, Mahiru recognized the face Chiaki now wore as the woman's "problem-solving" face, with focused, arched eyebrows over her characteristically lazy eyes and resting frown. "He wouldn't... and if he did, he'd be looking at it for someone like Mikan or Sonia, wouldn't he?"

The photographer was sure she knew what was going on in her subject's head, and she knew she should be sympathetic to it as a friend. Still, there was some less kind part of her heart celebrating that she'd managed to draw out this kind of perfect reaction, the one that would sell calendars for sure, and that she'd managed to completely sail past Chiaki's earlier pouting scolding, right for the finish line. Smiling, she grabbed Chiaki's free hand as if to comfort her, then gently guided her to stand. "Chiaki..." She lowered her voice to a whisper so the others wouldn't hear, leaning in closer to her naked friend. "I'm pretty sure Hajime will see, and there's no way he's not gonna be interested. Especially in this last shot."

"He wouldn't!" Chiaki squeaked uncharacteristically, trying and failing to dig her heels in and resist Mahiru now pulling her to another part of the set.

"I'm pretty sure he's going to!" Mahiru couldn't help but grin, putting her free hand on her hip as she got Chiaki where she wanted her. "After all... This is the mistletoe scene!"

"H-huh? Eh?!" Chiaki realized where she was now standing, in front of the fireplace and below mistletoe which had been hung there.

"I'm so sure he's gonna see this, that you ought to make this a message just for him! Is there anything special you wanna say to that guy this holiday season? Now's your chance to do something bold, Chiaki!"

By this point, the other girls had taken notice that something juicy was going on, and all of them (save Hiyoko, who seemed to have disappeared somewhere) had begun closing in around the pair. Chiaki, in turn grew more and more red, looking first at Mahiru accusingly, then around at the others in a panic, then down at her game as if wishing she could disappear into the LED screen. "You're saying... In this scene, I should... I-I'm really not good with this kind of thing, so I can't tell. Are you saying I should..." Chiaki's thin fingers traveled to her lips meaningfully as she tilted her head in question, looking at her friend with a flushed face and accelerated breathing as if she were about to kiss the guy she was thinking of that very moment.

Mahiru nodded repeatedly, more interested now in her friend's romance than the shot she needed to take.

Chiaki seemed to consider it with all of her brain's processing power, steam nearly shooting out of her ears to match the heat rising on her face. Finally, coming to a resolution, she suddenly returned to her game, rapidly clicking through menus. Just as Mahiru was getting afraid that Chiaki had retreated from reality, the gamer raised her handheld console in front of her face, holding it with the screen turned to her audience and shielding her eyes. Of course, this left her knockout body on full display: her large breasts and their distinct beauty mark were on display, her curves warmly backlit by the fire, and even her lower body hair, pale to match her head.

Mistakenly thinking Chiaki was trying to share a message with her, Mahiru looked at the screen more closely. "It says 'Friends'... this is the menu where you add other players, right?"

Chiaki nodded, still hiding her eyes but smiling broadly behind her system. "I think it'd be great if... even after seeing me like this... If even after that, the Reserve Course student we were talking about... wanted to be my friend? That'd be best... probably."

Backing off, Mahiru smiled, taking the shot quickly to avoid putting Chiaki through anything else. "Yeah, I think that'd be great, too. Thanks, Chiaki... I'm sure he will. You're a really good friend, after all." Waving the quick-developing photo through the air in excitement, Mahiru tried to show it to the subject. "Also, look at how sexy this shot came out! Is your friend code or whatever displayed? I think you're gonna get a lot of requests after guys see this!"

"Ah. I hid my username..." Chiaki informed her friend in a matter-of-fact way, instantly cooling and returning to her normal self. "You might think this is weird, but having this associated with my gamer tag would be harder than just showing off my body. I have at least that much pride... you know?"

"I really don't," Mahiru admitted, sighing. She planted her fists on her hips, then began looking around. "Well, all's well that ends well, and this is almost over. Hiyoko's the only one left. Has anyone seen her?"