About that promise Mahiru's friends made...

When Mahiru approached her friends again, camera in hands, half of them shrank away like she was holding a weapon. The photographer had no idea how to ask what she knew she had to... "Wow... Things got a little crazy, huh? So... the terms of the photoshoot changed a little bit..."

Peko voiced what the rest of them were thinking. "More than a little bit, I must say. Mahiru, perhaps we are misunderstanding, so please make this plain... Did you volunteer that the rest of these shots will be nude photographs?"

"... Um... Yes..." Mahiru sighed, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. "But listen... I know it sounds crazy, but look at these photos of Mikan! You can't tell me these aren't good photos or that you don't think they'd sell."

Different classmates were murmuring different opinions, but there was one who stood out from the crowd. Chiaki stepped forward, turning Mahiru away from the discussion to speak to her quietly. "Mahiru... I think I understand."

"Chiaki... Thank you so much," the photographer gave her a sincere bow.

"Hold on. What I understand is... you're probably thinking things are hopeless right now." The gamer put a hand on Mahiru's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "You think you have to do this... but you aren't seeing the bigger picture. Your life won't be over just because this falls through. You need to call things off and explain to Mr. Nicholas... I think."

"But... I think I could probably convince the others... Would that be okay, if I can?"

"Mahiru, you know this isn't about if you can convince them... It's about if you should. Thinking about your friends in this situation... You know that we all care about you, but... Even if everyone agrees, that doesn't mean you should go through with it."

Mahiru sighed. "Okay, you're right... Of course you'd never do something like this."

"Yep. I'm sorry, but anyone thinking rationally wouldn't."

Downcast, but happy she'd had a good friend to step in and set her straight, Mahiru turned with Chiaki back to her friends and said what she needed to. "So, while I appreciate that promise earlier, everyone-"

"We discussed it," Peko interrupted her. "We're all in."

"... Huh?"

Akane shouldered forward, pounding her fist into her palm. "Yeah, what's so embarrassin' about bein' naked, anyway? It's way worse to wear a crappy costume like you! Just buy me dinner later, we'll be all square!"

Ibuki raised her hand. "Maybe it's the holidays gettin' to me, but geeeeeh!! I couldn't sleep on Christmas eve knowin' I let ya down. I'd be restless, tossin' and turnin'... then I'd be up on Christmas morning, then I'd catch a family member kissing Santa Claus, and then I'd have to write a song about it! What a laugh that woulda been!"

Sonia pumped her fist, but she was uncharacteristically pale. "I... wish to help... and I do not wish to break my promise, but... W-well, let us discuss the particulars later, okay?"

Peko crossed her arms and nodded. "It is humiliating... And, of course, I will need to ensure certain measures are taken, myself... However, we intend to keep the promise we made. Hiyoko, you're on board?"

The shorter blonde didn't look happy about it, glancing between everyone's faces before looking away sullenly. "I... I'll do anything for Big Sis Mahiru, but all of you have lost your marbles! This is crazy, right? Halfway through, you're all gonna realize it, then I'll get to laugh at your hideous naked bodies without doing anything myself! Counting on that... Whatever, I'll say I'm in for now..."

Mikan made some loud, muffled noise from her place in the chimney.

Everyone present placed their hands out again to reinforce their promise. Mahiru looked at her friends' determination, then looked back to Chiaki. Before the other girl could say anything, Yasuhiro approached from behind Chiaki, grabbed the girl's arm by the wrist, and stuck it in. "Of course Charlie's in! All of us are in for Operation: Save Mahalo, Save Yasuhiro, and Save Christmas!"

"Said like you're gonna be doing anything..." After giving Yasuhiro an elbow in the ribs, Mahiru gave Chiaki a half-cocked smile and a shrug. "Um... I guess we're all doing it, then?"

"I guess we're doing it, then," Chiaki told her with pointedly with a glare. While she wasn't going to be the sole protestor, it didn't seem like she'd forgotten her protest.

The camerawoman winced, but turned back to her group of friends again. "Okay, so... next is the sleigh scene. That'll be Akane and Sonia. Can both of you go get ready?"

Akane wandered over towards the scene, already dropping her skirt to reveal her plain white panties and unbuttoning her barely-buttoned shirt, careless of any of the others watching. "Dammit... I was fired up a sec ago, but there's nothing around to eat. Whatever, I just have to lie around here anyway, right? Let's get it over with!"

As the group started to follow, Sonia stayed behind and tapped Mahiru on the shoulder. The crowd moved on without the two of them, mostly distracted by Akane's stripping and their own conversations. "Mahiru, a word? I have every intention of helping you, but I must ask... is it required that this shoot be entirely, one-hundred-percent in the nude? Without so much as an accessory?"

"Um... An accessory or two is probably fine, but I established that there won't be costumes. If you wanted to keep your hair up, I could probably work around it."

"My hair is not the concern, and please rest assured, I am happy to bare my body in service of my promise and the sake of my friends. It is simply, um... My face. You must understand that my face will have to remain hidden in the shot, yes? As a woman, I am happy to model for you, but as a princess..."

"Oh... Oh!" Mahiru started, clapping a hand over her mouth. "You're right, I'm such a dummy! If I had the princess of Noveselic appear in a photo naked, that could be an international incident! What to do, what to do... If I just had a mask of some kind... Hold on. I got an idea, but, uh..." Mahiru had a second thought, still speaking through her one hand while color spread in her freckled face. "I don't know how you'd feel about it. It would work for the shot... No, forget it. There's no way I could ask you to do that."

"Whatever it is, leave it to me!" Sonia pumped her fist more confidently now, placing her other hand on the fair skin of her bare arm. "As long as my dignity as a princess is protected, you can ask me for anything as a woman and a friend!"