Itsuki
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'The number you have dialled is unavailable. Please try again later.'
(Y/N) was confused as to why Mina and Yuki weren't answering their phones. Mina would answer even if she was busy, Yuki probably wouldn't. Forgetting their phones was another possibility, but if they realized that they were kissing their phones they would-
Oh yeah.
She just remembered.
They're on vacation.
(Y/N) checked the date to confirm with herself that today was the day they left for their vacation. From what she could remember, they left for Hawaii and wouldn't be back for another month or so. She remembered when Mina was getting excited about their vacation together and began ranting to (Y/N) about it.
Since she was in school during the time she only half-listened, but she knew Mina and Yuki have been planning this for a long time now, and they wanted to have a 'no-phone-nature-thing' type of experience.
Well, she'll see them when they come back.
She was going to turn back when no one answered the door for a while until it creaked open, Shiro hunched over with a tired smile on his pale face.
Concern for the male edged her mind. He seemed off today. "Hey Shiro, how are you? Are you okay? You don't have a fever do you?"
He waved his hand. "Hey hey, save the questions for later and let's get started. Follow me, we'll be having the session in my room." She figured that was his comfort zone, so she didn't question him any further as he led her up the marble spiral staircases and to a room. He opened the door and allowed her inside.
The scent of vanilla and berries lingered softly among the room, which looked like it was half studio and half bedroom, with one side decorated with framed photographs, and studio lights tucked in the corner. A desk with a professional camera in the middle of it all, piles of notes and paper surrounding it. The other side was free of the clutter and had a bed that was 5 times the size of her own, with coverings of silk made of black and silver. A theatre screen that covered the entire wall was opposite of the bed.
She almost swooned from the amount of luxury but averted her attention to Shiro, who beckoned her over to the bed. "Shiro, you're photographs are amazing!" She said, her eyes admiring the framed photographs from the bed.
He flopped on his bed and draped an arm over his eyes with a sigh. "Yeah, they're alright I guess. I used to auction them off at parties because I got requests for them so often." She looked at him with confusion.
"What do you mean, 'used to'?" He paused for a moment then sighed.
"I quit photography a long time ago- it's still a lingering hobby, but I just stopped. Why I'm not sure. I guess I just lost motivation over time. It's not like it was a big deal, I mean, it was just a hobby. Now and then I'll mention it, but it's drifted away now." He ran a hand through his hair, his blue eyes lost in thought as he stared at the end of the room, his collections of nature and cityscape photographs either hung on the wall or slanted against the wall. She noticed how they were just left there to gather dust.
With a hum, she walked over to the desk where her fingers hovered over the camera. "May I?" The male sat up and nodded, not caring for the camera. She examined it, trying to figure out how to switch it on. Such a passionate and unique hobby, the therapist wondered why he dropped the interest.
Running her fingers along the camera, she pressed the power button and handed the camera to him. "I'd like you to take one picture of anything, anything at all." Hesitantly he did as she said, the feeling of the camera in his hand was almost foreign to him. It felt heavier than before.
Shiro stood up and walked around the room, camera in hand as he gazed at all of his portraits and little trinkets and objects around the room. (Y/N) placed her hands on the window sill and looked out the window, a field of green grass and flowers topped with a clear sky. It was like a sight from a fantasy book.
The camera shuttered as it took a single photo.
She jumped slightly at the sound and turned to the smiling male. "What did you take a photo of?" He leaned over and showed the screen, the background blurred to nothing but fuzzy blobs as the image was focused on one thing; herself.
"A photo of me?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.
He smirked and lowered the camera, leaning his shoulder on the wall. "I may be a little rusty with the camera now, but I know beauty when I see it."
Her cheeks went pink and she laughed it off. "Thank you, Shiro." He raised the camera.
"But why did you want me to take a photo? What's it for?"
"It's a fact that hobbies help when dealing with internal struggles. Don't you feel better?" He lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
It's only been a few days since (Y/N) has met these young men, but she could see a whole lifetime of storms filled with struggles and emotions in their eyes, even when they smiled. They all shared that look, that of which a lost puppy and (Y/N) was going to help. She had to.
"It's been a while since I've taken a photo of anything. I don't think it made me feel better, but I'm sure it somehow made a difference, even if it's small and not noticeable it's there. It's gotta be." He let the device hang around his neck, supported by the strap.
She hugged her body and looked out the window again. "I'm glad you recognize that. You're a photographer, you see the details and small traces of things that some people can't see themselves. That's something unique about you." She turned towards him with a comforting smile. "I have a challenge for you, Shiro."
Placing his palms on the desk he leaned back. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"
"Over 7 days, I want you to take a photo of just one thing for each day. It can be anything at all, but you have to take a photo. This is my challenge for you."
He watched her pull her sleeve up to her palm to dust off a portrait, the colours becoming much more vibrant. "So, what do you say?"
"Hmph. Challenge accepted."