In the end, it was because elves and humans had different standards of beauty. In his eyes, Aegis was extremely beautiful, her figure quite voluptuous. But in the eyes of many elves, she was a burden, a big, clunky figure.
Slender, petite, able to dart through forests and jungles with ease, that was the mainstream aesthetic of the elves.
Of course, just not fitting the elves' beauty standards shouldn't have been enough to ostracize Aegis, who was a dignified elf princess.
The reason Aegis wasn't welcomed might also have been partly because of herself. Weak-willed, poor at diplomacy, acting on impulse. With such a personality, being a princess of the elves would actually harm the elves' interests. Otherwise, Aegis wouldn't have stepped down from the position of Elf Princess on her own.
Another elf princess, the youngest and most beloved Lumilia, didn't differ much in figure from Aegis. Lumilia was just a little shorter, making for a stronger visual impact.
But if Aegis wasn't good at diplomacy, then fine, she didn't need to do diplomacy. With him, even people with social anxiety, autism, introversion, or odd personalities could get along happily after his guidance. Let alone someone as strong as Aegis.
"Mm... I know, it's just that I'm not quite used to it..."
Being held in Hachiman's arms, Aegis felt the warmth surrounding her. She pressed her lips together, nodded lightly, then leaned up and kissed Hachiman on the cheek before finally slipping out of his embrace.
Maybe this was the real reason the President became the elves' savior.
The President seemed to have a kind of special magic. No matter how anxious or nervous one felt, as long as he gave you a gentle hug, your restless heart would instantly calm down.
Only, the one downside was that while the heart quieted, the body became a little restless.
Aegis looked at the people around her, each wearing different costumes, and unconsciously bit her lip. She lifted her hand, the one covered in tiger-paw gloves, and touched the golden bell around her neck that carried a certain meaning.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Heehee~ Then Aegis and I will find some props to get ready for photos~"
Lala laughed happily as she watched Aegis's nervousness fade away under Hachiman's embrace. She too gave Hachiman a loud kiss on the cheek, then, with the bell chiming, pulled Aegis over to the dining table to look for milk, ready to use it as a prop for the shoot.
Although she couldn't stay by Hachiman's side all the time, and classes where she couldn't chat with classmates could get boring, ever since coming to Earth, every day had been filled with joy.
Because aside from Hachiman, she'd made many new friends on Earth. No longer like in her childhood, when she was stuck alone in the palace.
It was a pity Momo and Nana were still in the palace studying, otherwise she could've introduced them to her friends.
Mm... well, it wasn't a big problem. When she and Hachiman were on vacation, they could return to the palace, bring along whichever friends were free, and then come back once the new term started.
"Hachiman... are you here today to shoot a photo album or to flirt with girls?"
Kaede and Suzu stared expressionlessly at Hachiman, who had just been kissed by both Lala and Aegis.
They'd agreed to come shoot photos together, but as soon as they went to the changing room, Hachiman had disappeared. And now, upon meeting again, they saw him hugging and kissing both Lala and Aegis.
"Lala and Aegis need me to flirt with them?", Hachiman rolled his eyes at jealous Kaede, then shifted his gaze to Kaede and Suzu, scanning over their maid outfits with some confusion.
"There are already so many maids here today. Why are you two cosplaying maids too?"
Usually, cosplaying as maids and playing master-servant games was enough. But today, why was Tsubaki doing it, and now Kaede and Suzu too?
Did Kaede find out about what Tsubaki and he had done behind the mirror?
Didn't seem like it. He had just watched Kaede change clothes, and it was clear she hadn't heard Tsubaki desperately trying to stifle her voice.
"Of course, we're cosplaying as maids to help our Master shoot photos. How could Master handle everything alone~?", Kaede suddenly changed her expression, smiling brightly as she hugged Hachiman's arm. She and Suzu pressed close to him from either side, speaking in sweet voices.
"...Then let's not waste time. Who wants to go first? Just strike a few poses, let me warm up my hand," Hachiman looked speechlessly at Kaede's strange attitude, but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pinched the cheeks of the twin sisters Kaede and Suzu, then glanced at Vignette and Gabriel hiding in the back. He didn't rush to drag them out, but picked up the camera prepared on the table and looked at everyone.
Though he wanted to pull Gabriel and Vignette, the angel and demon combo, out first, their personalities meant that if pushed, they'd just run.
Better to take it slow. Once everyone else had taken their turn, he'd drag Gabriel and Vignette out. By then, whether they wanted to run or not, it would be a hard choice.
If they really did run, he'd just lead everyone to their place, pin them down in their room, and shoot private photos.
At that point, the scale would definitely be much greater than now.
"Little Hiki, we'll go first~"
Wearing a reverse bunny-girl outfit, her long legs wrapped in black fishnet stockings, brown-haired gyaru Rin, who had already applied sunscreen, raised her hand voluntarily, her bunny ears twitching.
Although the weather was nice today, not too hot, with a gentle breeze, unlike the strong-bodied demi-humans around, she couldn't afford to let her skin get tanned if she wanted to stay fair.
"Heehee, let's play as party waitresses, and you be the customer, Little Hiki. Later, everyone else can also act out different stories with you~"
Blonde gyaru Takasaka Minami, also dressed as a bunny girl, chimed in with her own suggestion.
Among the girls here, they were a bit special. Well, normally special.
Their looks and figures weren't outstanding, their family backgrounds nothing remarkable. Not to mention others, even the newly-joined Kitagawa Marin was a school-level normie. They were just lively gyarus in class.
But fortunately, Little Hiki had never looked down on them. As long as they were free and willing to come, they were always welcome at Service Club activities or parties at his place.
Now, with so many people dressed up, all so close with each other, no one wanted to be the first to step forward and be photographed.
No problem. These two would make sure the atmosphere didn't go cold, and that Little Hiki wouldn't have to pick someone himself. They'd liven things up.
"Can these outfits get wet? If we use alcohol or something later, I'm worried the clothes won't be easy to clean."
Yuina glanced at Minami and Rin, who were so excited they wanted to perform in front of everyone and pull Kitagawa Marin and Gabriel in with them. Yuina smiled helplessly and turned to ask maid Shion.
"No problem. Use them however you like. Even if you tear them apart, it's fine, as long as it's for the shoot."
Seeing the gyarus in reverse bunny-girl outfits ready to spice things up, Shion immediately called maids over to bring tables and wine bottles, setting them up around Yuina, Minami, and Rin.
The three of them struck poses. One raising a bottle, bending low to pour wine for Hachiman; another lifting a glass, letting red wine spill slowly, dripping from the corner of her lips; another sprawled on the table.
Click!
Click!
The shutters snapped endlessly, while Komachi and Shion blushed deeply as they watched the three gyarus in reverse bunny outfits circling around Hachiman.
What exactly was a reverse bunny-girl outfit?
Actually, very simple. It was just the opposite of a bunny-girl costume. The places normally covered by fabric were bare, while the normally bare places were covered.
But more importantly, Yuina, Minami, and Rin were all familiar with Hachiman and the others. They could let go, carefree, with nothing to be embarrassed about.
Seeing Yuina and the others being so thoughtful, stirring up the atmosphere, Iris happily pulled Aegis and Elio to plan an animal-party theme.
But this blazing atmosphere was pure torment for a few of the others.
If things were already this intense at the start, how were they supposed to take photos later?
"Amazing... Even without cosplay, there's still a script...", Kitagawa Marin, now in her Kuroe Shizuku mode, gazed with admiration at Yuina, Minami, and Rin, who were giving it their all.
Because of costume issues, she hadn't officially done cosplay yet. Before this, she'd only gone to conventions to shop, taken pictures with cosplayers she liked, maybe helped a few acquaintances with photos or editing.
She hadn't expected everyone to take it this seriously. She couldn't relax either.
Her love for Shizuku, for cosplay, was no less than anyone else's.
———
"Iris and Elio, you two as one group. Aegis and Lala, one group."
"Shino, don't be nervous. Just act natural, like you normally do."
"Kaede, Suzu, hold hands and walk over together."
"Komachi, your style's different from Shion's. Sit over here, I'll take a few close-ups first, the rest we'll shoot later."
"Shion, adjust the cameras over here, angle them this way."
With Yuina and the others heating up the atmosphere, elves, mermaids, succubi all stepped up to show off their charm.
Hachiman naturally lived up to expectations. Camera in hand, he took countless close-ups himself, while directing Shion, Haya Saya, Yukawa Akira and the other maids to record from all angles.
Though he rarely used the abilities from his assassin template, they were in fact incredibly versatile. A little bit of every skill in every industry and field. Even without any supernatural powers, he could make a living anywhere just with that knowledge.
Cooking, photography, tailoring, guitar, drums... those were just a tiny fraction of his massive skill library.
Normally, aside from cooking to satisfy Komachi and the others, he rarely showed off any of those skills.
Why work when he could live off soft rice? Being a househusband was already busy enough. He couldn't take over every little thing the many girls around him could do.
But today, taking photos for everyone counted as indulging himself. No need to let others do it.
Other than the maids, almost every girl present was very close to him. When shooting close-ups, he didn't need to hold back—sometimes he even adjusted their poses with his own hands.
Of course, affection was one thing, but this was outdoors, with many unfamiliar maids around. He couldn't be as unrestrained as in Love-Live mode. Still, he wasn't too stiff either.
Lumilia, Shino, and the others were used to intimacy with Hachiman. Having to restrain themselves today, calm their restless hearts, and pose for the shoot, actually made them feel uncomfortable.
One by one, when Hachiman got closer for a shot, they could feel the life force radiating from him. Their faces turned faintly red.
Mm... Though this shy blush was slightly different from maidenly bashfulness, the natural expressions it created made the photos even more captivating.
Since there were many people, everyone took turns as Hachiman's models, while the rest looked at his shots on a laptop when offstage.
They were surprised—thinking this was just play, changing clothes for a fun game. But the photos Hachiman took turned out amazing.
"Hachiman-sama is really amazing."
Shion too looked at the photos and videos. Unlike the others, she could tell from a professional eye—most of the light and angles were excellent, the camerawork natural and smooth. Just a bit of editing, no need for touch-ups, and they could be screened to liven up the party.
Aside from Kitagawa Marin, who needed makeup to play Kuroe Shizuku, most weren't wearing much makeup.
Sure, their looks and figures were already great, but to make everyone look so photogenic—that took real skill.
Lots of people weren't good at taking photos. Beautiful girls could still end up looking bad.
"Now it's just Marin, Gabriel, and Vignette left. Who's going first?"
After snapping a few shots of Komachi in her ripped tank-top and hot pants, Hachiman set aside his blushing little sister and looked at the three left—the angel, the demon, and the *slave.
Shooting so many people at once, with ten minutes each, had already taken hours.
Fortunately, he'd cut corners. Aside from close-ups at the best angles, he grouped them in twos and threes. Otherwise, it would take all day.
Since everyone's outfits were different, and they already formed little sub-groups, group photos were easier to accept anyway.
"Marin first."
"Yes! Marin first!"
Under Hachiman's gaze, camera in hand, Gabriel and Vignette quickly shoved Kitagawa Marin forward, still trying to stall.
They were already regretting it. They could've just worn normal outfits like Komachi and Shion and taken a few shots.
Now they had to wear their real forms' outfits.
Not that Hachiman hadn't seen them dressed this way before.
But standing in front of him in those outfits, posing like Minami and Iris had, it just felt unbearably embarrassing.
"Um... Hikigaya-kun, can I ask you a favor?", Kitagawa Marin didn't care about going first. She stepped closer to Hachiman, hesitating, stammering softly.
She had long been dying to take photos and videos as Shizuku. But she had never truly cosplayed before, and this was her first time seeing Hachiman shoot photos. She wanted to see how the others did it.
"Just say it."
Hachiman took the cup Shion handed him, sipped water, and nodded. Marin was usually casual and at ease around him. He hadn't expected her to get shy during the shoot.
"Can I ask Hikigaya-kun to be my Master?"
"Mm? Be your Master?"
Hachiman blinked, swallowing his water, staring at Marin in surprise at her shocking request.
"I mean... can you play as Shizuku's Master, and I'll play as Shizuku!"
Marin quickly explained, realizing her wording had been misleading.
She had noticed already, everyone's shoots had a script.
Like Minami, Yuina, and Rin playing waitresses tempting Hachiman the customer.
Iris and the others cosplaying animals, with Hachiman as the lone human in a kingdom of females.
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