synopsis : starting out can always be scary. don't know what to do, how to act, how to be. but that shouldn't be a problem for a photographer as skilled as renowned Tomioka Giyu.
🌀 more : model reader , photographer giyu, reader is a numnuts (clueless) , stupid peace sign , giyu is a bit mean , proofread .
"You don’t seem experienced at this," he remarked bluntly, casually wiping the lens of his camera. Though his focus appeared to be on his task, it was clear from the way his gaze lingered in his peripheral vision that he was watching you nervously fidget with the hem of your baby blue plaid sundress.
And he was right—you couldn’t deny it. You’d only joined the pageant because a friend, too scared to go alone, had persuaded you. It wasn’t your fault that you now found yourself standing before a renowned photographer, flown all the way from your hometown to Japan just for this moment. It wasn’t your idea to be chosen out of all the contestants.
"Who enters an event they know nothing about?" he asked, settling into his chair and tilting his head to look up at you.
"Cut it out with the dissing," you snapped without thinking, only to quickly clamp your mouth shut. What were you doing? For goodness' sake, you couldn’t just say that. It wasn’t because he was professional, wealthy, or intelligent—it was because he was a stranger. And, you supposed, offering respect was the bare minimum of human decency.
His expression remained mostly unchanged, save for the slight raise of his eyebrows. He let out a quiet hum of acknowledgment before adjusting the camera and pointing it directly at you. "Pose," he instructed curtly, wasting no time.
"Just any random pose?" You inquired, a slight tilt of the head.
"Just a random one," he confirmed, his tone unwavering.
His jaw nearly hit the floor at your audacity as you casually raised your hand and flashed a peace sign. "Put. That. Hand. Down," he insisted, his voice firm. "No, I will not have it. Is that it? A peace sign? You strut onto that stage all confident, and now that you've been chosen, you give me a peace sign for a modeling shot?" His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Must I contort you like a doll to get a proper pose?" he asked, his frustration clear.
"I don't think I'd like that," you replied, shrinking under his gaze.
"Then don't flash me a PEACE SIGN!" he snapped, clearly exasperated.
He did, in fact, end up contorting you like a doll for the right poses. Despite your lack of experience, he couldn’t just dismiss you. People were drawn to beautiful models, and you had to be beautiful. It was also, albeit faintly, because you did have the potential to pull off the right poses—you just lacked the knowledge of which ones to hit.
Nearly every day, week after week, he photographed you in various locations, with different poses, outfits, and settings—everything changing constantly.
Yet one thing remained constant: whenever you took a selfie to send home or post online, you'd still flash that stupid peace sign. Was it a signature? A trademark? Something you couldn't shake off, no matter how hard you tried?
Either way, it was stupid. To Giyu, at least.
Winter had arrived, and as usual, he rose early to prepare for another shoot. The snow created the perfect backdrop—who didn’t love the first snowfall? Apparently, you didn’t. You huddled against the cold, arms wrapped tightly around yourself. Despite your outfit being cute, it was anything but suitable for the frigid weather you considered absolutely terrible.
"It's the last one, calm down," he said, dismissing your whine as he angled his camera at you. You were posed above a stone wall, with the camera capturing the view from below—framing the soft snowflakes drifting down, soon to blanket the streets. But it wasn't just the snow that stood out; it was you. Your cheeks, tinged a soft pink from hours in the cold, were a sweet contrast against the pale hue of your clothing and the white snow surrounding you.
He snapped several photos before shaking the snow from his hair and standing up. The rest of the photography team helped you down as everyone began packing up for the night.
He packed his camera away as you rubbed your hands together to warm them. "Aren't you going to take your usual selfie?" he muttered, just loud enough for you to catch it.
"No way I'm using my hands in this weather, they're practically frozen," you joked, glancing up as he stood, his gaze fixed on you intently. Without a word, he pulled out his phone.
"Too frozen for another peace sign?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice as he raised his phone, ready to snap a shot of the two of you.
You fell quiet for a moment before laughing, then raised your hand in your usual pose, the peace sign making its inevitable appearance.
"C'mon, you do it too," you teased, still holding the peace sign as you looked at him with a playful grin.
"But it's stupid," he replied, shaking his head with a small smile, though his eyes still lingered on you.
"Can't be that stupid if you pulled out your phone for it," you shot back, grinning as you held the peace sign a little higher.
"Oh, alright, then," he said with a sigh, reluctantly raising his hand in a peace sign of his own, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before he snapped the picture.
☄️.png ] ; i hope you enjoy !! first winter post from shulya 💙 .
