Meeting the Elders.

Fluffy clouds travelled across the azure blue sky. The day was already dawning; the sun about to shine it last hours of light, before giving way to a humid summer night. The company grounds of the big movie studio were almost as crowded as a few hours ago. Only the families with smaller children had left or were just in the process of doing so.

The festivities had shifted from the back part of the area to the front ones. While the back offered space for the five factory-like studio buildings, the front housed a big office building, as well as a rather big city park.

The latter one was occasionally used as a filming location for outside scenes. There were a few big ponds and a fountain, surrounded by idyllic and lush greenery. Now, a big stage was arranged opposite from the fountain and food stalls offering a wide array of delicacies—everything free of charge.

Benches and tables were scattered throughout every free spot of the area, but there were still some people sitting on the grass of the park or the benches, or simply stood in small circles.

„When I was like … I dunno, five maybe, my parents took me with them on a film shooting in this very park here, yah. It had been built completely newly back then, but I remember sitting with them on the bench over there as background actors,” Ashiya said as she navigated through the crowd with Takurō.

They had been tasked to find a spot to sit, while the other three were fetching something to eat for them. It was quite a challenge to find anything among all the people.

“That’s so cool, f’sure!” he replied. “I wish I could do something like that as well.”

They came into a less crowded area and could finally walk beside each other again. “I could tell ya the next time if you like. We could go together, y’know. But I must warn you: A real film shooting is much more boring than you’d think.”

“I know, but I bet with you it wouldn’t be.”

Ashiya looked back at the way in front of them, made a few more steps before saying, “Isn’t there any place here, that’s not occupied, yah?”

“Don’t you have a super special VIP area you have access to?”

“Dad wouldn’t want a two-class society. He’d rather shave his head beforehand.” She giggled. “He’s way too bad with names to keep up with this many people now, though.”

Ashiya turned towards the big pond of the garden, the folds of her flowery dress following gradually. She looked much more mature with this kind of outfit.

Her shoulders lay bare, strongly defined in shape from playing volleyball. Her figure was slender, but graceful—toned in all the right places. It was strange how he only noticed it now, but with the flower wreath, her tied hair, and the beautifully airy summer dress, she looked almost like a princess.

Takurō’s hand found the plastic device dangling around his neck. He grabbed the camera, pulled it to his face and focused the image. The whirring caught Ashiya’s attention. She looked back at him, but with one press of the shutter, he froze the moment in time—hopefully.

She turned towards him, when Takurō heard a dark and raspy voice right behind him. “You should get closer to her face. Her eyes are definitely her most beautiful feature.”

He flinched slightly to the side, looking at a smirking man behind him. He wore a well-fitted dark purple suit and a tie with television test screen patterns. “Otōsan!” Ashiya cried out. “How did ya find us?”

“I just had to follow the radiating beauty of my cute, little rose petal, yeah!” He put both his hands on her cheeks and pushed her face into a cute grimace.

“Urgh …” Ashiya turned her eyes and pushed his hands away. “You can be glad I hadn’t come to eat yet.”

“Akimi, dear!” A woman appeared behind the man and got a hold of his arm. “Who is this charming young man, now? You didn’t tell us your friend from class was such a handsome boy!”

Takurō got a little red around the cheeks.

“If you already know who he is why are you even asking?”

“Kanaoka-kun, was it … right?” The man nodded towards Takurō.

“Kanōya. Takurō Kanōya.”

“Akimi told us so much about the movie you showed her.” The woman nodded reassuringly. Her hair had a similar violet shade.

She wore an elegant summer dress, littered with patterns of flowers like Ashiya’s. “It’s a great pleasure to get to know you. This here is my husband Masaru, and I am Aya Ashiya. We’re Akimi’s parents.” She bowed in greeting, urging her husband to follow suit.

“I’m happy to meet you as well.”

“I hope our little troublemaker didn’t cause you too many problems to you,” her mother said and laid her arm around Ashiya.

“You misspelled angel,” she said.

Her dad raised a finger. “As a fellow movie enthusiast, I have just one question at you: It’s a blue light. What does it do?”

Takurō blinked. “It … turns blue?”

He was slightly taken aback by his answer. “Okay … m-maybe I have another one: Roads? Where we’re going …?”

„… we don’t need roads.”

“Who said the line: there’s no place like home?”

“That’s from Dorot—”

“All those moments will be lost in time, …”

“… like tears in rain.”

Her father breathed heavily. His eyes darted around, as he seemed to dig deeper in his head. “Uhhh … what are you?”

Takurō thought for a second. “Oh, that’s a tough one. Do you have a hint for me, yeah?”

“That’s an actual question.” Ashiya gave him a light punch to his ribs. “Seems like Otōsan found his nemesis.”

“Aya-saaan! Masaru-saan!” Kukai jumped into the scene from the side. She had a brightly beaming smile as ever and carried boxes of food in both hands. Reina and Asahiro trailed behind them. The latter one seemed slightly nervous about the prospect of who they were approaching.

“Hello everyone,” Reina bowed slightly to greet them.

But all the nervousness was not necessary. The now even bigger group got along quite well and even found a table with a nice view on the pond. Shortly after, Iyogi came with food for Ashiya’s parents, and when they all were equipped, they began eating.

It had been a while since Takurō had Okonomiyaki. The self-made ones he could make in restaurants were still better, but somehow his stomach has craved for the taste, dripping with sauce, and topped with loads of bonito flakes.

They talked and talked. About the company, about movies and hobbies, photography, and screenplays, about jobs, flower shops and family. The evening came much faster than anticipated. Sooner than Takurō would have thought, a mix of the faint sunlight, lampions and small lanterns illuminated the still busy festival.

Looking around, he noticed only just now, that Ashiya and Kukai had left the table a whole while ago. He excused himself in an intent to search for them and made a late-night stroll around the festival that had gotten much emptier by now.

He found the two girls sitting at the waterfront of the big pond. Their shoes were standing next to them, as their feet dangled into the water. Kukai was leaning against Ashiya, like she was tired. No wonder … this much energy did not last forever.

“Isn’t the water cold?” He asked, as he approached them.

Ashiya looked up at him and held a finger to her lips. “Shhh … Raku is sleeping.”

“Oh …” He lowered his voice. “Sorry, I didn’t know. May I sit with you?”

She smiled, nodded gently. “The water’s just the right amount of chilly.”

He sat down beside her cross-legged.

“I tell you it’s just right and you ignore me, yah? Come on! It’s really pleasant, f’sure!” She seemed to have troubles not fidgeting around too much to make her friend wake up.

Takurō giggled and began undoing his shoes. “Would objecting even be an option?”

He dipped his toes into the cool water. It was really much more pleasant than he would have thought. This night as well, the temperatures would probably not make a significant dip. Even the small rain area about to pass a few hours later would not change much about this.

For a whole while both of them sat there in a pleasant silence and just enjoyed cooling off a little. Takurō turned his head to look at her. Ashiya had her eyes closed and took a deep breath. Kukai was still sleeping at her shoulder.

“She looks cute like a sleeping baby,” he said. Slight breathing noises came from her mouth.

Ashiya did not respond right away. “Am I a bad friend for being envious of her? Maybe even a bad person …?”

Takurō looked up at her face. He could only recognize her contours in the dim twilight of the lanterns behind them. Her eyes lingered in the distance of the pond, glassy. “Envious?” he asked.

“Nobody ever said something like that to me, y‘know.” She turned to him when he inhaled for his answer. “And don’t even think of being so shallow as to tell me exactly that just after I carped about it.”

Takurō’s breath got caught in his throat, stuttered and got exhaled again.

“I … love Raku, I really do, f’sure. She’s my best friend since kindergarten, but …”

Ashiya exhaled a long sigh. “It had gotten quite frustrating being so invisible around her. She’s pretty and she’s fun and her jokes are playful and much less insulting than mine. She’s a true optimist and a goofball.” Something got caught in Ashiya’s throat. “How should I keep up with that?”

Takurō observed her face from the side for a moment.

She lowered her head. “Ah … just forget what I said. I’m just pathetic, complaining like that.”

“Complaining is not inherently bad. Sometimes it takes a weight off your shoulders, to wallow in self-pity a little. You should just not let it become a habit, y’know.”

“Life advice from you? You must have stolen this from someone much smarter than you, f’sure.”

He laughed dryly. “You’re really relentless, you know that, yeah?” He smiled. “I … really appreciate that about you.”

“So that was what your brother was referring to with the masochist tendencies …”

Takurō laughed. “And you think you’re no fun! You are Ashiya-san! Just your very own, slightly crude way, y’know.”

She mustered a wry but also kind of relieved smile towards him and they looked back at the pond, that was barely visible during the night. Takurō grabbed the camera once again and held it up to shoot a photo.

“You won’t recognize much on that one,” Ashiya said.

“Oh … too little light, right? Does this thing have a setting for long-time exposures?”

She couldn’t hide a smile. “That’s a point-and-shoot camera: It’s made for fast photos and not for things like this.” She looked away slightly. “Also, you should know I … haven’t been quite honest to you, y’know. You were right: That’s not the camera I used for my artworks.”

“Can you … show me the real one?”