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Chapter 8

Trainees V: The Photoshoot.

...

Having recorded two songs already, Catal Rhythm were focusing on learning the choreography. It wasn't an easy task, worse since their choreographer wasn't Hikaru. Even though the man was brutal and like a slave-driver, they've grown so accustomed to his methods that their practice feels like they're doing something wrong or that they're missing something.

But the reason was quite simple. Hikaru trains them with mostly extremely complex dance routines (which causes them to bawl their eyes out), and in comparison to those, the choreography for these two songs couldn't compare. It wasn't that they were easy though.

However, it is due to Hikaru's sadistic behaviour that shaped them into what they are now. Their current choreographer, Bandou-sensei was pleased by not only their enthusiasm but by their ability to grasp things quickly (especially Kise). She wondered how these boys were like this, while the other trainees that she's worked with had a different attitude.

In between learning choreography for the two songs and basketball, they had also recorded their other three songs which had gone smoother than the earlier ones. Kenji didn't know if it was because the boys loved these songs (the last two songs especially), but they did superb. Sure, they had their little troublesome moments, like Kise and Kagami arguing about who should stand beside Kuroko, or when Kagami missed a note Takao would crack up and set the redhead off.

During this time, they managed to interact more with Amari and Hirose, whom they had met in the cafeteria in their earlier days. They developed a friendship with these two boys and often time when they were on breaks or before their lessons started, they'd have little competitions with each other.

And before they knew it, summer vacation had ended.

School reopened, the boys in high gear for the Winter Cup. Their basketball practices had gotten more hectic, and Kenji had actually lessened their workload. He was being fair, since they were basketball players first before he coerced them into being idols. In a week's time, they were scheduled to for a photoshoot for their profiles that the company would make public in announcing the upcoming groups.

Kenji had already prepped them but he couldn't help but worry. He had a feeling that they'd end up nervous and shy, well except Kise, since this was his forte. But, he prayed that it would be smooth sailing like when they were recording.

xxxx

It was finally the day of the shoot and Kenji noticed that the boys all had mixed reactions. Takao and Kise were like children who received a new toy, Kagami and Kasamatsu looked nervous but Kuroko seemed indifferent.

Kenji drove to Image One; his boys were busy singing on the way there. Upon arrival, they noticed that unlike the other time when they were going to look on their set, they headed to a different department.

The group headed towards the revolving doors, and in comparison to the other building which housed their sets, this one was quite quiet. The five boys had previously thought that this wing of the building would have been just as noisy as the other.

After Kenji flashed his card to the receptionist, they headed into the elevator.

"Alright boys, don't be nervous." Kenji said. "You'll do just fine."

"Of course," Takao said with a smirk.

"Naturally," Kise added, attempting to do a hair flip.

Then the elevator door opened up, revealing a large room. The first thing that caught the boys' eyes was the set. A large black U-shaped villa sofa set sat in a living room with windows which showcased the beautiful outdoors. In front of the set, lights were positioned at almost every angle and people could be seen scurrying about and testing the equipment.

Their (minus Kise) stomachs flipped.

Seeing this amount of people present, it finally dawned on them. They were actually going to do a photoshoot for the very first time. They'll be standing in front of this many people all the while trying to look appealing. Kise was a ball of sunshine since he does this almost every day.

"Ah! Kenji-san!" a man called out. Subconsciously, Catal Rhythm looked in the direction of the shout as though it was them who the man had called.

"Good day Ebumi-san. Is everything ready?" Kenji asked.

Ebumi huffed with pride. "Naturally,"

The navy-blue haired man then walked off while beckoning them to follow. They headed towards a door that was in the top right hand corner of the room. Entering, they saw a hallway with about six doors present, three on either side. After passing the first two, Ebumi opened up the next, and lead them inside.

It was their dressing room.

Inside, there were five different tables and mirrors for each boy and to the extreme left, there were three long racks ―two with clothing, and the other had a myriad of sunglasses. Quickly, they were whisked away by the stylists present, to get their hairs and faces done while Kenji returned outside and waited.

When the five boys emerged from the dressing room, Kenji immediately whipped out his phone and took pictures. His boys had looked like heartthrobs, albeit they were in casual clothing.

All five boys were dressed in similar clothing ―white short sleeved t-shirts which were tucked into black three quarter pants with different colours at the pockets (back and front) and the cuffs. For Kasamatsu it was purple, Kise was yellow, Takao was green, Kuroko was white but only Kagami had red tiger stripes (much to the boy's displeasure).

They also wore caps which they had turned backwards and high top converses that all matched their colours. To conceal their eyes, the five boys wore sunglasses.

Kenji had to admit, they really did look stunning. With a nod to himself, he began to imagine the stir they'd cause when they début. Not because they're good dancers or vocalists, but the air of mystery that surrounded them.

"Okay, boys, time for the shoot!" Ebumi shouted as he took a seat. "Boys, try to strike up a dazzling pose." Ebumi said with a chuckle. He was already briefed that this was their first time so he knew he couldn't be too hard on them.

"Hai!" Catal Rhythm chorused.

Ebumi, Kenji and the photographers then saw them huddle up together, seeming to discuss something. Kise's mouth was the one they saw moving the most and the fastest, so they figured that he was at the helm of whatever plan they were cooking up.

The boys then broke apart and assumed different positions.

With Kuroko in the middle, Kasamatsu and Takao flanked him on his left and right; Kise took a seat on the back of the sofa while Kagami remained standing. Their faces were all serious, showing a sign of fighting spirit or determination instead of playfulness and freedom.

Loving this pose, the photographer took the picture.

Ebumi instructed them to make another pose, and the boys complied. Kise and Kagami came around from the back and sat at the end of the sofa, crossing their legs and leaning backwards. Beside Kagami sat Takao and beside Kise was Kasamatsu. These two point guards leaned forwards, resting their elbows on their thighs and placing their chins on their dorsal. Kuroko, however, stayed put where he was; one hand on his thigh and the other placed on the back of the sofa.

Their next pose was quite fun and was more of a candid shot than anything else.

Something had gone wrong the photographer's camera and they had to take a short break. While on the break, Kise wanted to take a selfie. The five boys huddled up and took a normal picture first before taking a crazy shot.

In that photo, they pretended to be gangsters, twisting their faces to seem as such, Takao and Kise stuck out their tongues. Shockingly, they had pulled it off beautifully and unbeknownst to them, the photographer's camera had been fixed and he took their picture.

"Come on guys! Another ―" Kise broke off as something crashed into his face. "Oof!"

Takao erupted with laughter as he held the cushion. Seeking revenge, Kise quickly grabbed a cushion as well, and swung it with all his might. However, Takao ducked and it collided with Kagami who was sitting peacefully beside Kuroko.

"That wasn't for you, Kagamicchi." Kise said quickly, hoping to avoid the redhead's wrath.

With a devious smirk, Kagami drew a cushion and swung it at the blond. Thus began a war between the three boys, Kasamatsu and Kuroko only sat and watched with amusement. However, they eventually got caught up in the crossfire. Kagami and Kise aimed their cushions at the two boys which incited them to join.

Seeing what was happening, the photographer took pictures without them knowing.

In one of the pictures he managed to catch, showed Kuroko using his Ignite Pass to have the cushion land squarely in Kagami's face, the redhead staggered due to the impact. Kise was laughing his ass off but Kasamatsu had a cushion about to swing in his face. Takao was sitting on the sofa and enjoying the view.

They continued to take pictures, this time; the photographer told them that they were resuming. He didn't tell them that he had been taking their photos prior. And as such, they managed to take lovely photos, stunning Kenji and Ebumi and everyone present.

Ebumi turned to Kenji, "You didn't lie to me, did you?"

"Of course not!" Kenji laughed. "I specifically told you that apart from Kise, the others are complete novices in modelling!"

"But they're pulling it off smoothly. It's shocking."

Kenji shook his head. "It isn't. It's because they're together and they can laugh with each other while having fun. Plus, Kise is there to get them on the right track."

"I see."

"Exactly, if they mess up, they usually laugh at each other to shame which is actually quite funny."

It was Ebumi's turn to laugh. "I can see that."

The boys then returned to the dressing room, to get changed for their individual photos. When they emerged from the room, once again, Kenji had his camera poised at them and was grinning. They looked really dashing, Kenji wearing a proud look on his face.

Kasamatsu wore a purple cap which was turned backwards and a matching purple chambray shirt which had a couple buttons undone. The sleeves were cuffed to his elbows to reveal a silver wristwatch. His jeans pants were white and ripped at the knees while his purple and white high top Adidas had matched his shirt. He rocked dark shades with his hair was done in the fringe up style, giving him a hot look.

Behind Kasamatsu was Kuroko, who wore an open grey long cardigan over a white crew-cut t-shirt with the front slightly tucked into his charcoal jeans revealing a rectangular shaped belt-buckle laden with studs. He wore a pair of white high top Converse; his glasses had a blue-ish tint to it which matched his hair.

Kuroko's hair was done in the medium spikes hairstyle due to his hair's thickness. Due to the product the stylist had used, his hair had amazing textures making him look quite 'cool'.

Beside Kuroko was Kagami, who seemed to be fidgeting from nervousness. He wore an open white bomber jacket over a red tee and black jeans. Like Kasamatsu, he wore a cap, but his had red tiger-striped patterns to match his shirt and red Vans sneakers.

His hair was done in the short pompadour style; the hair on the top of his head was curled to one side. Since Kagami didn't want his hair to be cut, the stylist used gel and other products on the sides for a faded design. That way, the hair still looked prominent.

Lastly but not least were Takao and Kise who were behind Kuroko and Kagami. Takao wore a white t-shirt beneath a green sleeved less hoodie and khaki coloured cargo capris shorts. His footwear was a green slip-on Vans.

His hair was styled in the medium messy, with his forehead fringe sweeping over to the right. Due to his hair's length, it covered his right eyebrow and a part of his left. The hair on his left had to be combed back so that in front of the camera it seemed to be short.

Kise had on shades with a golden tint to the lens, along with a pale yellow shirt with short sleeves that matched his yellow and black Supra Skytop sneakers. His blue denim jeans were ripped like Kasamatsu's and cuffed at the ankle. Out of all the boys, he looked the most relaxed. Kise's hair was the only one left in its original state.

Before the boys got onto the set, they assembled before Kenji and Ebumi.

"Marvellous. Absolutely marvellous." Ebumi commented with an applause. Kenji nodded beside him.

"Thank you," the boys chorused.

"I just wanted to say that while you're taking your individual shots, it's okay to make mistakes since this is your first time. And it's perfectly fine to laugh at each other." Ebumi said. He saw Catal Rhythm look at each other and shivered. "So, just go out there and have fun! Remember, these photos are for the world to see, you can't mess this up!"

"We're supposed to laugh at each other? Isn't that a bit too much?" Kagami said, looking at Takao and Kise, The redhead knew that those two are the most terrible ones when it comes onto teasing.

"Yes! It actually helps." Kenji said. "When you're up there and you see the others laughing, it'll ease your nervousness because you'll want to shut them up."

The boys nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Kenji had no more to say, Ebumi continued the photoshoot. To decide who goes first, the boys used janken. Kuroko had ended up losing, much to the others' relief.

The small teen then walked onto the set which now changed to a simple slate wall with a four-legged riveted joint angled stool in the middle.

"You can do it Kurokocchi!" Kise cheered.

"That's right, Kuroko!" Kagami joined in. "Don't make us laugh at you!"

Kuroko twitched at that. Spending as much time as he did with the others, he knew that they can be quite nasty (himself included) when they want to tease. So just like Kenji had said, he planned to shut them up before they could even start.

Taking a seat on the stool present, Kuroko slumped himself while tilting his chin slightly upwards while making a small smile. Seeing this pose, Kise let out a screech, sounding like one of his fangirls.

Kuroko shook his head with amusement when he saw the blond's reaction but more so the others. Kasamatsu smacked him on the head seeming to be telling him to be quiet.

After that pose, Kuroko took about three more, before looking at the pictures to see which one he liked the most. And it so turns out, he preferred his initial pose.

The next person for the shoot was Kasamatsu.

He walked to the set the moment Kuroko was coming off and the two exchanged a high five, as though they were on a court and Kuroko was being subbed off. It caught everyone's attention and the personnel present wondered about it. Kenji, however, knew that it was just an ingrained habit from basketball.

Kasamatsu sat, but he looked extremely nervous. He kept taking deep breaths, and the others were preparing themselves for the laugh or to cheer.

"Alright, are you ready Kasamatsu-kun?" Ebumi asked.

"Hai, Ebumi-san."

The captain tilted his head to the left while folding his arms. He had one sly half-smile which worked well with his outfit. The photographer nodded and took the picture.

"Kyaa!" Takao screamed while holding his hands at his cheeks.

"Oh stop it Senpai~!" Kise added with a wiggle.

Being overcome with embarrassment, Kasamatsu turned away his face to hide his blush, Kuroko and Kagami cracked up at the two idiots beside him. Kenji, he was videoing everything.

Getting back to business, Kasamatsu resumed. He placed his right foot on the highest joint of the stool while his left was on the joint below. With his left hand placed on his left thigh and his right elbow on his right thigh, he held his chin with his thumb and index.

"You're too much Senpai~!" Kise cooed jokingly.

"My heart can't handle it!" Takao said as he clutched the fabric at his chest. Then, he placed a hand on his forehead and pretended to faint in Kise's arms.

Kasamatsu twitched.

But he knew that they were just being their usual selves. He expected this from those two anyway. And like Kuroko, he took about three more before choosing the one he liked the most. However, he couldn't decide between the first two and decided to let Kenji choose.

When Kasamatsu came off the set, Kise bounced up and these two as well exchanged high fives.

Kise stood beside the stool, awaiting Ebumi's prompt to begin. When he received it, he placed his right foot on the highest joint and learned forwards on his right hand in which his index was pointing directly to the camera. He smirked, seeming as though he was sending a message.

"Oh stop it, you~!" Takao said, with a chuckle.

"Good job, Kise." Kasamatsu said with a nod. Although telling a model this was somewhat redundant.

Kise then went into his next pose where he sat on the stool but placed his left foot on the seat as well. Resting his elbow on his knee, he then placed his forehead in his wrist and looked directly at the camera.

"Hey, I want some girls too you know." Takao said with a pout. "You can't be all sexy and hog them all." The other three nodded fervently. Kise ended up roaring with laughter, and the photographer managed to catch the picture with him laughing.

After some minutes, it was Takao's turn. Skipping onto the set after he received his high five from Kise, Takao looked more playful than the rest. With his body turned to the left, Takao stretched out both his feet and turned to the camera while laughing. He looked like he was having fun, the others nodded as this pose suited his personality.

For his next pose, he kept his body in that position; but swung his feet in slow motion so that the photographer can get the right picture. He grinned at the camera and even added a wave with it.

And as such, his poses were more playful, and it was evident to everyone that he was having fun. Then came Kagami's turn. With advice from Kise, the redhead trudged onto the set. Strangely, he was the most nervous than the others, and with a deep breath he sat on the stool.

He sat close to the edge, with one foot on the joint and the other stretched forwards, his sole touching the floor. He tucked his hands into his pockets and looked directly at the camera, no smile on his face.

"Why so serious, Tai-chan~?" Takao asked with a tease. Kuroko was beside him with two thumbs up.

"Shut up!" Kagami countered. He quickly got into another position, one foot on the stool joint, while his other foot was slightly touching the floor. He rested his chin on his hand, looking a bit pensive.

Ebumi nudged Kenji while Kagami was taking his pictures. "I'm thoroughly convinced." He started.

"About what?"

"You lied to me." The redheaded man said. But Kenji knew it was a joke. "How can it be their first time modelling? Does the camera love them that much?"

Kenji smiled. "They're special. That's all there is to it."

Kagami was finally done and the tiger let out a breath of relief. If it weren't for the advice from Kise, he believed that it would have ended in a total disaster. Kenji saw how relieved their faces were, and he was glad that the shoot went well. But there was something in the pits of his stomach that told him to be prepared for when they were shooting their music video. The recordings went well, now the photoshoots have gone well.

"Ah yes, the filming of the music video is going to be a disaster." Kenji nodded to himself. As special as they were, there's no way things can go smooth for them all the time.

Kenji sighed. Better go prep them after this.

xxxx

"That was so much fun!" Takao chirped. "To think that's what you do almost every day! It's unfair!"

"Humph!" Kise made a proud gesture, he even seemed to be sparkling.

"I'm just surprised that Kagami-kun did so well." Kuroko piped in. "From inside the dressing room he was a nervous wreck, so I thought he would've fainted the moment he reached on the set."

"You little bastard!" Kagami roared while grabbing the boy's hair.

"Kagami-kun, you're messing up my hairstyle." He deadpanned. Like the others, Kuroko had kept his hairstyle from the shoot.

"Shh! Keep your voices down!" Kenji shouted, contrasting what he was saying. Currently, they were heading towards Kenji's office since they had returned to the complex from Image One.

They walked down the hallway, reaching Kenji's office. Upon entering, the boys sat and let out sighs. Looking at them Kenji smiled, and sat around his desk.

"Congratulations," he started. "To come this far in such a short space of time, you boys really are something."

"Thanks," Takao said. "Maybe we have some innate talent that we didn't know existed."

"That's probably the case." Kagami agreed.

Kenji shrugged. "From the moment I saw your cover of Digital Bounce, and upon hearing that it took two weeks for you guys to dance like that, I had a feeling that there was something special." He continued, "I mean, from 'ply boards' to amateurs in two weeks? At first, I thought Hikaru-san was just too damn good at his job, but seeing you in action made me realize."

"That we're just that awesome." Kise smirked.

"Right you are, but since you're so awesome, you can head to practice room twelve to meet Hikaru-san." Kenji grinned. "He's been dying to teach you your choreography."

"Really?" their eyes beamed.

"Yes, for two songs —Baby and Hide and Seek."

"Whoo! Baby, it's now, oh my baby~!" Kise sang.

"Oh yeah, yeah, yeah!" the others joined in.

Seeing them in such high spirits, Kenji shooed them out to get slaughtered by Hikaru. He's seen the choreography and well…it's pretty difficult. Leaning back into his chair he gave them one last piece of encouragement, so to speak.

"Have fun, my precious war potentials!"

"Will do!" they chirped.

Kenji laughed, he knows that the time the day ends, they'll be ragged and look like zombies.

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