| "Hey, check out this suit. Cool, isn't it!" |
| In that suit, spreading both hands out as he spoke, Nachi looked, to say the least, terrible. |
| It was like some sort of 7-5-3 celebration. |
| The other members of 『Wolf』 were nodding vaguely, as if they too could find nothing praiseworthy in it. |
| Without paying any heed to that sort of thing, Nachi drew himself up and framed himself in front of me. |
| "Alright, put some spirit into it and take the best shot of me, yeah?" |
| "What are you going to use that sort of suited up photograph for?" |
| "Just a little something, y'know." |
| Though he didn't even let me know why, at Nachi's request I had reluctantly borrowed my pa's old camera from the house. |
| It was a film camera, unusual in this day and age, and not knowing well how to use it, I simply pressed the shutter. |
| "I took it. This is fine, right." |
| "Take it more properly." |
| "Even if you say that, I don't know how to use it." |
| "It'll be fine. You've got a talent for photography." |
| "On what grounds are you......" |
| "It's fine; hurry up and take it." |
| "I pretty much already did." |
| "Just one? Take a hundred." |
| "Surely you don't need that many." |
| With a wry smile, I continued to press the shutter. |
| "Won't the photos all turn out the same?" mumbled Ryo, one of the members, as he watched Nachi hold his puffed out pose, completely immobile. |
| When I nodded deeply, Nachi shook his fist at us. |
| "Idiots! The me of that moment today only exists in that moment!" |
| "We're going to see your face again tomorrow anyway." |
| The members of the 『Wolf』 group Nachi had started gathered every day at the usual haunt. |
| When these members nodded countless times at my solid argument, Nachi raised his voice further. |
| "You guys don't understand at all! Line up over there for a bit! If you take one, you'll understand!" |
| After that, in accordance with Nachi's confusing insistence, I was forced to take a group photo of the 『Wolf』 members. |
| Though we were a team with a strong sense of unity, it was our first time doing such a thing. |
| Everyone except Nachi, me included, had no idea what sort of expression to make. We had the feeling we looked awkward. |
| Nachi was the only one who seemed satisfied. |
| These mundane back-and-forths between friends. |
| I had thought these days would continue forever. |
| Until that day ―― |
| "Nachi! Open your eyes, Nachi ―― !!" |
| Nachi was gone. |
| The members of 『Wolf』 all went their separate ways as well. |
| I lost my friends. |
| I could no longer return to those days. |
| "We should have been more honest; we should have taken more photos. Right, Omi." |
| |
| Omi | ―― ngh. |
| (A dream, huh.) |
| ……*sigh* |
| Taichi | ……Omi-kun? |
| Are you alright? You were tossing in your sleep. |
| Omi | Sorry. Did I wake you? |
| Taichi | Nah, I was having a suuper bad dream too......! |
| Omi | A bad dream? |
| Taichi | A giant sewing machine needle was hunting me down. Even though I tried to run away, my body automatically went towards the needle......! |
| Omi | Haha......It seems like helping out with the costumes for the Summer Troupe's play was quite hard on you. |
| Taichi | Is that the reason after all......I can still hear the sound of the sewing machine, so I don't think I'll be able to sleep anymore. |
| Omi | You should sleep a little, at least. Kazunari asked me to take new profile photos tomorrow. |
| Taichi | Ah! That's right! If there are bags under my eyes I won't be popular with the girls! |
| Omi | I'll be up, so if you start tossing around again I'll wake you. |
| Taichi | Thanks! |
| Omi | ...... |
| (That dream brought me back......I haven't dreamed of that time at all lately.) |
| (What did Nachi want to use that photo for back then? He wouldn't have been suiting up to go to an interview......) |
| ...... |
| (In the end, the film from back then wasn't developed......) |
| (Everything from the past, bike and all, was sealed away.) |
| (I'm scared of looking back on that time; it's like I'm running away from having to face the past......) |
| |
| Taichi | This one's better. |
| Omi | I see...... |
| Izumi | What are the two of you staring at the PC for? |
| Taichi | Organising photos! |
| Omi | Since we've decided to have new profile pictures, I thought we could sort out the other photos too. |
| There are quite a few more photos from events as well as the plays, so it might be nice to make an album. |
| Izumi | That'd be nice! |
| Taichi | It'll be a memento! |
| Omi | Choose some with us too, Director. |
| Izumi | Okay! |
| Ah, this photo of the debut play takes me back~ |
| Taichi | Juza-san's smiling in this photo! |
| Izumi | How rare......! |
| Omi | Ahh, this, hm. |
| I caught his interest with a soufflé cheesecake I'd made. He smiled in surprise over its softness. |
| Taichi | You're like an animal photographer attracting cats with catnip! |
| Izumi | There are cameramen like that in child photography studios too! |
| Taichi | Omi-kun, being a cameraman is your calling! |
| Izumi | Speaking of which, why did you take up photography? Did you always like it? |
| Omi | No, that's not quite it......Why was it, I wonder. |
| It might just be that I was invited to the group when I entered university. |
| Izumi | I see. |
| Taichi | And then your talent flowered beautifully, right! |
| Omi | While we're at it, shall we put this photo of Juza in the album...... |
| Izumi | But looking at it, there aren't any photos of you, Omi-kun. |
| Taichi | Huh!? You're right! |
| Omi | I'm the cameraman, so it's not really...... |
| Taichi | Nope! |
| Let's take a photo of you, Omi-kun! |
| Omi | I'm fine. |
| Ahh, rather, shall I take a shot of the two of you? There aren't many photos where it's just you and the Director. |
| Taichi | Eh!? Really!? I'll be able to show it off! |
| Izumi | Then let's take a two-shot with you next, Omi-kun. |
| Omi | Come on, line up, line up. |
| Taichi | Miss Director, what pose are you making? |
| Izumi | Eh? Umm ―― |
| Sakyo | What are the two of you doing...... |
| Izumi | Ah, Sakyo-san, we're currently taking photos for an album ―― |
| Sakyo | It's 1pm, so we have a briefing session for the Autumn Troupe's play. |
| Izumi | Eh!? Is it that time already!? |
| Sakyo | Honestly......Well, Fushimi's here too, so it's just right. |
| Omi | ? |
| Sakyo | I've already settled things with Minagi. The protagonist for the Autumn Troupe's second play......will be Fushimi. |
| Omi | ......Eh? |
