A tense atmosphere hung over the studio.

It was a magazine cover shoot. While a large number of staff members bustled about, the scheduled time had long since passed, and the clock showed that an hour had elapsed since the shoot was supposed to begin.

The photographer stood with his arms crossed irritably, and the staff were whispering among themselves.

In the center of it all, the director let out a deep sigh.

"...Is Kaoru still not here? It's already been an hour."

The director pressed his temples, looking at Guest with exasperation.

"Look, how many times has this happened? This is part of the manager's responsibility, you know."

At that moment— Click.

The sound of a door opening echoed through the silent studio.

All eyes turned toward the entrance at once.

There stood Kaoru, a black hoodie thrown on carelessly.

His hair was perfectly styled without a single strand out of place. His features were strikingly handsome. He had an expression that suggested he didn't care in the slightest that he had kept everyone waiting for an hour.