When we were done, we immediately headed to the photo studio.
"WAHHHH! MY SISTER LOOKS LIKE AN ANGEL!!" Ryo shouted, running toward me with exaggerated steps.
"Stop it!" I pushed his hand away, cheeks burning in embarrassment.
The staff around us burst out laughing, entertained by our antics.
"Ouch! My little sister doesn't love me anymore!" Ryo cried dramatically, covering his face with both palms as if he'd been betrayed.
'Urgh, this kid,' I groaned inwardly, though my lips twitched with a reluctant smile.
"Haha! Ryo, come on. Rai is already needed there," Aunt Seraphina called, tugging Ryo by the arm and dragging him to the nearest couch.
"Noooo! But I want to see my cute little angeeeel!" he whined like a five-year-old, even kicking his legs in protest as he sat down.
Despite his childish act, I had to admit—it eased some of my nervousness.
'Still… what should I do? This is my first time having a photoshoot!'
Panic bubbled inside me as I forced a smile, walking toward the center of the studio.
'What if I don't match what they need? What if I look awkward? How do I even pose?!'
My lips pressed into a thin line. 'I can't calm down…' I exhaled shakily.
"Are you nervous?"
I jumped slightly at the sudden voice. The camera guy—early twenties, seated casually on his chair—was adjusting the lens while looking at me with an easy smile.
"You'll be fine, kiddo!" he assured.
"Thank you…" I whispered, voice small.
"This might be your first time, so don't worry! No one is expecting you to get everything perfect." He gave me a warm grin.
'…Should I feel comforted or offended?' I thought, narrowing my eyes slightly.
As if sensing my doubt, he chuckled. "Don't take it the wrong way, okay? What I mean is—you're allowed to make mistakes. That's how you learn."
His sincerity softened the edge of my nerves.
"I'm Kuya Jeff, by the way."
I tilted my head, confused by the unfamiliar word.
"Ah—" he blinked, realizing. "Right, you probably don't get that. 'Kuya' means older brother in Filipino. Gosh, what am I even saying to a kid…" he mumbled awkwardly to himself, though I heard it perfectly clear.
For the first time since entering the studio, I felt my chest loosen.
'He's right. What matters most is the experience—and improving after this.'
I stepped into the center of the photostudio. The lights were so bright they almost swallowed me whole, but I forced myself to stand tall. My hands were cold, my heart racing, yet I didn't look away.
'I can handle this.'
The photoshoot began.
Jeff stood with a clipboard in one hand, scanning a sheet of paper carefully. Then he crouched a little so he could meet my eyes at my level, speaking in a calm, measured tone.
"Alright, Kiddo," he began gently, "for the first one, I just want you to stand nice and tall. Hold your hands in front of you, fingers laced together. Tilt your head just a little to the left, like you're curious about something. Then—give me a small smile. Not too big, just a soft one, like when you see something that makes you happy inside."
His words were simple, chosen carefully, as if he were explaining things to a child still learning how to walk.
'I appreciate the thought,' I mused, 'but I don't like being underestimated.'
I inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, then closed my eyes to steady myself.
"Ready?" Kuya Jeff asked gently.
When I opened them again, I moved exactly as he described. My shoulders relaxed, fingers laced together neatly. I tilted my head the way he wanted, letting a soft, fleeting smile brush my lips—a smile not forced but carried naturally, as though it belonged to me all along.
Click.
Only one shot.
For a long moment, silence weighed heavy in the studio. Nobody moved.
'Huh? Did I do it wrong?'
Panic stirred inside me. My eyes flickered around nervously. The camera clicked only once, when I expected the endless staccato of shutters. Stranger still was the look on their faces.
"Uhm?" I mumbled, tilting my head in confusion.
The staff blinked, as if waking from a spell.
"Oh, uh—right!" Jeff laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "Sorry, sorry! It's just… what you did—it matched the description perfectly. Like, exactly."
"HAHA! OF COURSE! SHE'S MY GENIUS LITTLE SISTER!" Ryo's voice boomed from the couch.
Groaning, I covered my face with my hand. The staff burst into soft laughter, murmurs rippling through the room as Jeff quickly moved on to the next instruction.
And again—I followed.
Pose after pose, expression after expression, as if the instructions flowed through me like instinct.
Unbeknownst to me, Aunt Seraphina was already watching with sharp, discerning eyes. She didn't just see a child fumbling through a first photoshoot. She saw precision. Grace. A raw brilliance shining far too early.
"That's one hell of a future genius child star," Mika muttered beside her.
"Did you see that?" Seraphina's eyes glimmered, wide with pride, warmth, and amusement.
To her, Raiquèn wasn't merely striking poses. She was transforming under the lens—like a canvas suddenly coming alive. Each angle of her face whispered stories, each flicker of her gaze carried weight beyond her years.
It wasn't the practiced beauty of an actress nor the polished shine of a model. It was something unrefined yet radiant—like starlight caught in a child's frame, fragile yet dazzling enough to command attention.
Perfection, Seraphina realized, did not always come dressed in experience. Sometimes, it was born into the world, carrying memory and soul far deeper than anyone could explain.
"It feels like she was born to be a star," Seraphina murmured, her eyes still glued to her niece in the spotlight.
"Right, right!?" Ryo chimed in excitedly, practically bouncing on the couch as he laughed.
"Just like that one genius child actress, huh?" Mika added softly, her tone half in awe, half in reminiscence.
That earned a soft chuckle from Seraphina.
"Genius child actress?" Ryo tilted his head, confused.
"Oh, she's talking about the little sister of the model Monteval. Do you know her, Ryo?" Seraphina asked, keeping her gaze forward but smiling faintly.
Ryo's eyes lit up, gleaming with recognition. "Yes, I do! I saw her once in Italy! And the older sister looked sooo pretty!"
Their chatter continued in soft, excited tones, but soon their words faded into the background as the spotlight returned to Rai.
The shoot wound to a close, the last click of the camera echoing like a final note of music. Raiquèn exhaled, lowering her shoulders, relief flooding her small frame. The studio erupted into gentle applause—staff, makeup artists, and assistants all smiling as if they had just witnessed something rare and precious.
Kuya Jeff lowered his camera, grinning from ear to ear. "That's a wrap! And—wow. Honestly? That was more than enough. Kid, you've got something most people spend years trying to fake."
Rai blinked at him, wide-eyed, as though unsure whether to believe his words.
From the couch, Ryo was the first to stand, clapping exaggeratedly. "WOOO! My angel hermana menor! A true star!" he shouted proudly, ignoring the amused laughter from the crew.