A Beautiful Model In My Class Comes To The Coffee Shop Where I Work Part-time Only When I'm On Shift - Chapter 8

Episode 8: A Face You Want to Make Fun of

“Shizuku is amazing, isn’t she?! To think she’d become the lead in a drama!”

“It’s only been a year since her debut!”

Upon arriving at school, such conversations among classmates reached my ears early in the morning. The classroom was buzzing with discussions about Shizuku, as usual.

(Shizuku is truly incredible.)

When I woke up and read that article, I was astonished.

【Popular model ‘SHIZUKU,’ starring in her first movie alongside ‘Inamori Reiko.’】

The front page of online news was filled with such headlines. While I had heard she passed the audition, I never expected her to land the lead role.

The drama revolves around a high school girl called a genius detective, facing challenging cases alongside a clumsy detective. Shizuku seems to be playing the role of that high school girl. As for the much-discussed ‘Inamori Reiko,’ she’s written as a regular character cooperating with the two leads as a forensic examiner.

“But she’s getting quite a bit of criticism online, right? People say a model can’t become an actress.”

“Some of the comments are awful. Like, stealing jobs from actresses… that’s a terrible thing to say.”

As the guys chatted, it was evident from online comments that there was a lot of negativities. Some discussions about her acting were relatively mild, but others went so far as to attack her personality. It’s a pitiful situation to be criticized by people who don’t know anything about her.

“Actually, if her acting is really bad, it might be hard to watch.”

“I get it. Maybe it’s the opposite because she’s our friend?”

“Yeah, exactly! Probably an overload of empathetic shame.”

“If we see her at school, we might not be able to look her in the eye.”

The classmates’ comments were no less pleasant than the online discussions. Shizuku wasn’t present to defend herself, allowing them to speak freely.
Shizuku wasn’t at school because she was busy filming the currently hotly-discussed drama. It seems she won’t be able to come to school frequently due to the increasing shooting schedule.

“It’s nice, though. Being able to skip school. Seriously jealous.”

Someone’s jealous voice echoed oddly.

◇◆◇

“Sigh… I’m tired.”

The night of the announcement of her drama role, Shizuku, returning from work, slumped onto the sofa.

“Good job. Here, have some coffee.”

“Thank you…”

Rubbing her own shoulders, Shizuku sat up as I placed the ordered coffee on the table. After expressing her gratitude, she took a sip.

“Ah… It really feels like I worked hard for this cup.”

“You seem particularly tired today.”

“Yeah… Well, there’s a lot to do, like the drama’s cast meeting and greetings with the production team.”

Saying so, Shizuku let out a hearty sigh.

“They chose me in the audition, so the production team warmly welcomed me, but… I honestly couldn’t figure out what other actors and actresses were thinking. Everyone greeted me with smiles, but it felt like their eyes weren’t smiling much.”

“That’s… intimidating.”

“Indeed, if a non-actress like me becomes the lead, some people might feel uneasy.”

Shizuku seems to be handling that aspect well. Certainly, for professionals, it’s not an exciting development. If I were in their shoes, it would be challenging to accept with a smile.

Even though I didn’t form a negative impression of Shizuku, like those online, I couldn’t help but worry about her acting, similar to those discussions.

“Well, let’s save the complaints for later… Juntaro, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“Something you want to ask?”

“We have a swimsuit photoshoot coming up for summer, and I was wondering about Juntaro’s preferences.”

As she said this, Shizuku showed me two images on her phone. One was a black bikini, and the other was less of a swimsuit and more of a string?

“Are you… teasing me, Shizuku?”

“Oh, you caught on?”

“Surely you know I wouldn’t go for something like this string…”

While the swimsuit photoshoot might be real, it’s impossible for a seventeen-year-old girl to wear such a string for it. Without a doubt, the adults around her would intervene.

“Ah, I thought I could catch Juntaro’s perverted side… Hey, didn’t you even imagine it a little?”

“…What?”

“Me wearing this swimsuit.”

Leaning forward, Shizuku whispered. As if a fire ignited, my cheeks suddenly heated up. Seeing me avert my gaze, Shizuku laughed cheerfully.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t expect you to be so flustered.”

“…Shizuku, you’re surprisingly mischievous.”

“Well, you’re usually so expressionless, Juntaro. I was curious how you’d react if I teased you.”

“Am I really that poker-faced…”

Certainly, I’m not the type to laugh frequently, but…

“Well, let’s drop the jokes for now… It’s true that there’s a swimsuit photoshoot. It’s not confirmed yet, but I’ve already received such requests. But I’m not sure what everyone wants from me…”

“Requests?”

“Yeah. Juntaro, are you asking me for ‘adult stuff’?”

“Wha—”

I almost spit out my coffee involuntarily. However, if I spewed it out, the coffee she made would go to waste. I forcibly held back, safeguarding the coffee.

“Stop it… so suddenly.”

“Ah, yeah, sorry for the poor choice of words. In essence, I might have the opportunity to be in a gravure with swimsuits, but I wonder if that’s what everyone is asking from me.”

“……”

Imagine Shizuku in a swimsuit on the cover of a magazine. The image in my mind isn’t the string from earlier but the black bikini. I’m a guy too, so saying I have no interest in such things would be a lie. If Shizuku in a swimsuit were on the cover, I’d involuntarily be captivated.

However, is that really what everyone is seeking from her?

“…I think many people would want to see Shizuku like that. But you don’t have to force yourself, right?”

“What’s your opinion?”

“Trying to do too many things at once is probably not good.”

In addition to her modeling work, Shizuku had just secured the lead role in the drama ‘SHIZUKU.’ If, hypothetically, a swimsuit gravure brought about a significant response, it would undoubtedly bring even more work for Shizuku. Fans might rejoice in her achievements, but she’s already so tired. Taking on more tasks seems like a risk.

It’s just an amateur’s opinion, though…

“…That’s a very sensible opinion. I can’t argue with that.”

“Is that so?”

“Let me make it clear upfront, though. It’s not like I wanted to do gravure work. So, I’ve been hesitating. It’s not something I want to do, but if someone is asking for it, should I do it?”

“……”

“But I finally made up my mind to turn down such work. It’s all thanks to you, Juntaro, for being clear about it.”

Saying so, Shizuku smiled. It seems I’ve managed to be of help, and that brings relief. I feel like I’ve said a lot of irresponsible things, but if Shizuku found something worthwhile in it, that’s what matters most.

“Oh, but if Juntaro wants to see it, I’ll show you anytime. Me in a swimsuit.”

“……”

Seeing me freeze, Shizuku laughed aloud again.