To be able to travel to so many places all around the world was such a wonderful privilege for Nijimura. Working as a traveling photographer, he got to see and capture a number of beautiful sights. Only 27 years old and he had traveled to dozens of places all over the world to capture beautiful scenery from the bustling streets of New York and Hong Kong to the scenic beaches of Brazil and Greece.
Nijimura's next assignment sent him to the beautiful city of Paris, France. For three weeks he would scour the city for the perfect shots. Especially of Paris' most iconic landmark: The Eiffel Tower.
To capture the perfect shot, Nijimura knew he would have to wait for the perfect time of day for the perfect angle of light to hit the perfect spot. Nijimura already found the perfect spot, now he just had to wait. To pass the time, the photographer chose to sightsee. It didn't hurt to play tourist in new places and capture photos for himself while working.
Taking a break, Nijimura found himself at a little café, sitting outside under a parasol and finishing up his cup of coffee. The café wasn't overly packed, located in a lesser known spot of Paris. Perfect for a serene shot of the empty streets.
Click! Click! Click!
Nijimura looked down at the photos he had just taken. Despite not being as big and grand as some of his other work photos, little pictures like the ones he just took were still some of his favorite photos to capture. Nijimura smiled at his proud work.
"These will look great on my blog, too," Nijimura said aloud.
Nijimura rose his camera back up, looking through the viewfinder. He scanned the nearly empty vicinity for his next shot. Slowly, Nijimura panned. He froze. Before him, a scene he couldn't even compare.
Sitting at another table at the café was another young man. His bright red hair stood out nicely against the golden light bouncing off pavement and walls. His gaze was down in a small novel on the table beside a forgotten cup of coffee, his fingers gracefully flipping a page. His face seemed to be at peace with the solitude as it rested on his other hand. He had such a delicate built for a young man such as his petit figure, fair complexion, and soft facial features. Even his casual yet sophisticated clothes matched perfectly with the scene.
Picture perfect Nijimura would later say to himself.
'Beautiful…' was all Nijimura could think of now when he subconsciously pressed down his camera trigger. He couldn't help but zoom in on the young man's face, focusing on his long lashes that suddenly fluttered up. Scarlet eyes were now looking back at Nijimura through the lens.
Nijimura gasped, pulling down his camera. He was startled when realizing he was caught, also realizing he breathed aloud his prior thoughts. He couldn't argue how misleading his position was.
Panicked, Nijimura began trying to defend himself and apologize. The young man only looked more perplexed, head tilting at Nijimura's stuttering disaster. Nijimura reasoned it must've been because he was speaking in English, the other probably only understanding French. To fix the problem, Nijimura attempted to apologize in his broken French, wishing he picked up more words than the very very basics. However, he was even more of a mess.
The young man ended up cracking a smile that he hid behind his hand, holding down a laugh. He said something perfectly in French before speaking in fluent Japanese, "I'm Japanese and speak Japanese"
Part of Nijimura was relieved to share a language with the stranger, the other part that much worse since what he muttered earlier was in Japanese.
"I'm sorry for taking a photo without your permission," Nijimura finally apologized acceptably in Japanese. "I'm a photographer and grew used to just automatically taking photos of beautiful things. Not that you're beautiful! I meant the overall scene!"
Nijimura couldn't seem to stop himself from rambling and making things worse for himself. Really? What kinda guy would be fine being called beautiful?
However, the other didn't seem all too upset. He only let out another soft laugh. Kindly, he asked, "So a photographer? Could I see the photo?"
Nijimura gulped, wordlessly nodding his head. He tried to calm down when watching the stranger stand and make his way over to him. His heart only beat faster when the other sat close beside him to look at the photo.
"It's not bad at all," the young man said, turning to speak face to face with Nijimura. "It's very well captured."
Nijimura's cheeks dusted pink when seeing the gentle smile right before him directed at him.
"If I may, could I see some of your other photographs?"
Despite feeling shaky, Nijimura nodding his head. "Sure."
Nijimura went through a few of his Paris photos in his camera, the other fascinated by each scene. Nijimura told a bit about each location, overtime calming down as he grew passionate with each photo playback.
"Amazing," the young man breathed. He turned to Nijimura. "You really are quite the photographer."
"Thank," Nijimura said, expressing his gratitude. "Uh, the name's Shuuzou by the way. Nijimura Shuuzou," he finally introduced, holding out a hand.
The other shook Nijimura's offered hand. "Akashi Seijuurou," he introduced back. "Tell me, what is a Japanese man speaking English doing in Paris?" Akashi asked curiously.
Nijimura let out his own laugh. "I work for a company in Los Angeles and they sent me here to take photos," he explained. "And you? You're not a local, are you?"
Akashi shook his head. "No, I'm here for work as well. I came from Tokyo."
"Wow, long way."
"I could say the same for you."
The two continued talking with each other even after their first awkward meeting. They spoke amiably of their time in Paris as well as what else they would be doing. Akashi seemed to have a very structured schedule—his time at the café one of his first and only time for himself—while Nijimura could work more at his own leisure. They also spoke more about themselves outside their work such as hobbies and the book Akashi was reading. The two of them were so in their own world that they didn't notice the time passing by until Nijimura's phone went off.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The phone vibrated against the table top. On the screen was Nijimura's reminder, 'head back to spot.'
"Oh shoot," Nijimura exclaimed upon standing. He instantly turned to the skies. "My lighting."
Akashi couldn't help another small laugh, standing as well. "Seems work is calling. I should be heading back as well."
Nijimura turned back to Akashi, disappointed their meeting was coming to an end. However, it didn't seem like he was the only one disappointed. The smile on Akashi's face seemed dispirited as well.
"It was very nice to meet you," Akashi said.
"Likewise," Nijimura responded, supporting his own bittersweet smile. He wanted to talk with Akashi more, but he really would miss his shot. "Hope we run into each other again."
Smile growing more light, Akashi mimicked Nijimura's words, "Likewise."