Start in DxD as Motohama: Leveling Up in Another World-Chapter 14: Unusual Situation (II)

Shinji couldn't help but wonder why things had taken this turn.

"Yes! You look great! Yes, yes! Ah, I want you to have a sexier expression here! Look to the side, please, give me a side glance!"

He was supposed to come to this shopping mall to buy clothes and daily necessities, but before he knew it, he was modeling. And not just that—he was doing a photoshoot with a stunningly beautiful girl.

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"Shinji-kun! Your expression is too stiff! Smile, smile!"

Shinji didn't need anyone to tell him about his state—he was well aware. He was doing a photoshoot with a beauty! That was not something he had ever dreamed of in any of his lives. Looking at her, he noticed that she was smiling back at him. Her purple eyes, adorned with a pair of bright stars, shone mysteriously. He couldn't help but wonder if they were contact lenses.

"Shinji-san. Everyone is nervous their first time, so you don't have to worry about it."

"O-okay."

He took a deep breath and looked at himself again.

Right now, he had changed out of his simple white shirt and black pants into a draped white shirt with a thin, short-sleeved black cardigan over it and tight-fitting wine-red pants. These were all clothes he had never worn before, and he was more nervous about the outfit itself than the photoshoot.

Suddenly, he realized there were a lot of people around. Customers with astonished expressions pointed their phones at him and took pictures of the posing couple.

"Amazing. This is the first time I've seen Ai-chan in person."

"Yeah, that's Ai-chan, but who's the guy doing the photoshoot with her!? Doesn't he have a super good style!?"

"Isn't he a model? He's with Ai-chan, and above all, he's so handsome and elegant..."

"No way!? Let's find out about him when the magazine comes out!"

Shinji felt like his "normal" high school life was about to be thrown out the window.

"Alright, please link arms for a moment."

The photographer gave the instruction just as he was getting distracted by the surrounding stares.

Caught off guard by the sudden request, Ai gently intertwined her left arm with Shinji's right arm.

"Ueee!"

"Shinji-san? What's wrong?"

"Eh, no, nothing!"

Since he had never had the chance to get close to a woman in his previous life, the sudden contact made Shinji tense up even more.

He felt embarrassed with himself. He had acted so naturally around other women, and yet, here he was, blushing over something as simple as a photoshoot.

But what could he do? From his interactions with Tsubasa and Chisato, he had realized that any woman he interacted with outside the High School DxD universe made him nervous. With the girls from the original work, he had confidence because he remembered their personalities and some details. However, with unknown girls, it felt like diving into unexplored waters.

"Oh my. Shinji-kun, your expression is even stiffer than before."

"I-I-I-is it!? I-I-it's totally normal, y-you know!?"

The man in the fuchsia shirt smiled wryly.

However, this was something Shinji simply couldn't help. After all, Ai's chest was brushing against his arm.

"Shinji-san?"

"I can feel it!"

"Huh?"

"Ah, it's nothing! Yes!"

Seeing Ai's face, Shinji took a deep breath. In reality, he was the one making things weird here. After all, the people around him were just doing their jobs while he was stuck thinking about stupid things. Calming his mind, he decided to focus on the photoshoot.

After distracting his mind, the man continued giving instructions for other poses, making Shinji stiffen up again.

"Alright, Ai-chan, please wrap your arms around Shinji's neck."

"Fueee!"

"Yes!"

Even though it caught him off guard again, Ai placed her arms around his neck without hesitation, which wasn't good. Unlike before, when it was just his arm, now Shinji was feeling a lot of things all over his body. Even though he had tried to clear his mind, his expression and body eventually became even more rigid than before. He then attempted to relax while doing other poses, but he was still tense, so he had to take a break.

"Sigh..."

Shinji felt that if the photoshoot continued, a rather embarrassing situation involving his little brother might occur. Such was the charm of the model, Ai.

"Thank you very much for your hard work."

"Ah, you too, thank you very much."

"Can I sit next to you?"

"Ah, yes! Of course!"

Ai spoke to him as she sat down to take a breather. When Ai sat beside him, Shinji honestly expressed his thoughts.

"Ai-san, you're amazing."

"Eh?"

Ai was surprised to hear his sudden compliment.

"I've never worn these kinds of clothes before... and honestly, I lived a life where I never even thought about fashion. So, when I looked at models in magazines, I never really thought anything of it. But experiencing it firsthand today, I realized how difficult it is."

"It's because... you're just not used to it yet! At first, I was a total failure, and I often got scolded."

"Even so, I think it's difficult for me. I never imagined it would require expressions, not just poses."

"Ahahaha... André-san is famous for his particular focus on facial expressions in the modeling industry."

André was the man wearing the fuchsia shirt, and he was also a photographer. To Shinji, he didn't look the part at all.

"Sigh... but I have no idea how to do that."

Shinji couldn't help but question what he had done in his previous life and whether he had accomplished anything of significance.

Noticing the uneasy expression on Shinji's face, Ai gave him some advice:

"Shinji-san, I don't think you need to rush. Take it easy... at your own pace. Have more confidence! And I also felt like I had fun today because I got to do a photoshoot with you like this... so I'd be happy if you felt the same way."

Ai's eyes sparkled magnetically, and Shinji found himself captivated by her words.

"Of course, it's not just about the photoshoot—it's about enjoying everything, don't you think?"

Ai spoke with a smile that revealed her perfect white teeth as she spread her arms in an exaggerated gesture.

"...Enjoy it, huh?"

Shinji stopped to reflect. Until recently, he had been living desperately. If he was being honest, he was afraid that one day he would wake up and realize that everything he had experienced since reincarnating was nothing more than a dream. That's why he was afraid of adapting too much to this new world he was living in. However, after hearing Ai's words, maybe...

"Can I... actually enjoy this?"

"Yes, of course!"

When he turned to Ai, she gave him a gentle smile, and he noticed that it was a natural one. Shinji smiled as well.

"Shutterrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

At that moment, Shinji heard a strange voice from a distance, but he had no idea what it was about since he wasn't paying attention.

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Author's Note: Alright, as you may have noticed, this Ai Hoshino has some slight differences from the original character. This is because I won't be using the original Ai but rather an alternate version that exists in this world. I will also provide an explanation about the starry eyes, so that whole topic is covered.

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