Another shorty... Enjoy reading... TITLE: "An everlasting image"



"Bye Haruka! I'm going to the park to practice today!" Sayaka bid Haruka farewell. "Sure thing Sayaka-senpai! Take care and see yah tomorrow!" They went their separate ways as they exit the gates of Seiso. At the park, the cherry blossoms were gracefully falling from the trees. It was a bit windy as Sayaka played a song.

As a stranger passed by and spotted her from afar, "What a beautiful portrait! So majestic! This is the solution to my problem!" Then CLICK! Sayaka was startled by the strange light that flashed before her eyes. "What the?! That seems to be a camera light!" She glanced back but saw no one around. "I think I better leave! It's getting late." She was a bit nervous. As she head home, she felt a strange presence, as if someone is following her. "Who's there?! Show yourself!" She turned around pointing aimlessly at open space. Strange tricks played her mind so she ran as quickly as she can "Calm down! It's probably just your imagination!"

The next day... "Haruka! Help me! I have a feeling that I'm being stalked!" She confide to Haruka as usual. "Really? What makes you think that, Sayaka-senpai?" Haruka was a bit doubtful. "When I was practicing at the park, I saw a camera light flash through my eyes. And when I was walking home, I keep hearing footsteps, but whenever I turn around nobody's there." She quickly stated. "Oh no... That is bad. Maybe it's a pervert trying to take a photo of your private parts!" Haruka hypothetically spoke. "What?! Eewww... I-it can't be like tha-" She was interrupted by more of Haruka's weird suspicions. "O-or maybe he was waiting for your skirt to be blown away by the wind and get a pic of your panties! And worse, sell it off the internet and spread it all over the WORLD WIDE WEB!!!!!" Haruka yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Haruka, that is the worst case scenario. But maybe your right!" She refuse to believe Haruka, but was a bit convinced herself. Kazuki and Azuma overheard Haruka's sentences and were quite shocked as they heard her mention something about 'underwear'. Kazuki promptly asked, "Have I heard right? Sayaka-chan is being stalked by someone?" , "Sssshhh... Don't say it too loud Hihara-senpai! I don't want this issue to spread around the campus." Sayaka pleaded with tightly shut eyes and folded hands. "Oh... Sorry about that." Kazuki cheekily smiled and scratched his head. "What's this about a stranger taking pictures of you?" Azuma interrogated with a scary look on his face as if he's a police officer.

Sayaka told them the story all over again. And this time, Len was the one who secretly overheard but passed by but acted as though he heard nothing. "Hey! Tsukimori-san!" Haruka chased him. "Please come with us to help investigate about Sayaka-senpai's stalker!" She begged. Once again, Len was forced to come along. They all went to the park to catch the culprit. "Sayaka-senpai, do exactly what you were doing here last time." Haruka set her as bait, and the culprit appeared at the exact same time and they trapped him. "Gotcha!" Kazuki revealed himself from his hiding place. "I didn't do anything wrong!" He fell to his knees. "Who exactly are you?" Sayaka angrily sought for answers. "I tend you no harm. I was just really captivated by your beauty and the way your face portrays that passionate expression as you play that glorious music with your violin! And oh, how the falling Sakuras matches your mood. The scenery was perfect. But needs more modification since it was taken unintentionally." He explained without taking a single breath.

"Needs more modification? Do you actually think I'd let you take another picture of me? You're totally invading my privacy here, pal!" She argued for her right. "Please meet me tomorrow. I'll give you my contact number. I want to discuss a few things, if ever you're interested being my model. But please do come! I'll be waiting." He hopefully handed her his calling card and left with a grin and winked. The five of them were troubled. When they walked home (Except for Azuma who was always picked up by his limo), "Sayaka-senpai! It's still too dangerous for you to easily trust that guy! You better take someone with you. Or you could just ditch the meeting!" Haruka warned and they all separated.

Sayaka was in a deep thought. "Should I take Haruka with me?" Then she had a bad imagination of her and Haruka being taken pictures with nothing on but their underwear locked in a dark room. "Nnnnoooo!!! Bad thoughts get out! I can't let Haruka get mixed up in such a mess! I can't bother Kazuki nor Azuma coz maybe they already made plans for the weekend." She can't think of anyone. "It has to be someone I can easily bother any time!" and later after some thinking, she was stricken by a brilliant idea. "Tsukimori-kun! If he's the one I'm going with..." She imagined a scene that Len was staring at the photographer with cold eyes like those of a cold-blooded killer. "Like a real ice-prince!" She cackled. She contacted the guy and saw at the card that his name was Takeru Monoyama, a high school student like her. She agreed to meet him in a nearby coffee shop.

The day after that, "Come on! Pretty please! I really need your companionship! I'll return you the favor next time!" She begged like a child and as always, he couldn't resist Sayaka's charms and trickery. At the coffee shop, "Sooo... Tell me again why he's here too?" Takeru questioned as he glared at Len. "What's it to you?" Len apathetically asked. "I see... Clingy and high-maintenance of a boyfriend, huh? Well I guess he can come. But he mustn't interfere with the photo shoot!" He commanded. "B-boyfriend?! Uuhh... and what photo shoot?! You've arranged something in secret without my permission?!" She was furious. "I'm asking this as a friendly favor. Please model for me!" He pleaded before her face. She blushed which Len saw. "Aaawww man! Okay, okay! Just keep your distance from me." She finally gave in. Then Takeru realized that he was being too close to her.

They went to the pink flower patch garden. "And it's still as beautiful as ever!" Sayaka ran through the flowers and breathed in the fresh air. Takeru took out his camera and started taking pictures. "That's it, just be natural…" He whispered. Sayaka noticed the flash. "Uwa! Stop it! It's embarrassing! I wasn't even ready yet!" She shyly wept. "No, it's okay. Just do as you please! Feel free to do what you want here! It's important that you'll look natural. Just be yourself." He advised. This made her feel a little uneasy though. She made some cute poses while Len was just watching. "The Sakuras are falling again! Look! Aren't they beautiful?!" She shouted. Takeru was mesmerized and accidentally said "Yes... you are... very beautiful...perfect..." He gently spoke. Len heard this silent compliment but Takeru denied. "Uh no! I mean the sight! It's perfect! Eh, Nakashima-san, that's a wrap! Let's go!" and the day was over.

RRRRING! "Hello? Harlington residence, who's this?" Sayaka picked up the phone. "Sayaka-senpai! Have you seen the cover in a newly-released magazine?! It's you! You're famous!" Haruka hysterically shrieked from the opposite line. "No way! What do I look like?" She eagerly asked. "Well, there's too many pictures, but worry not! They're all gorgeous!" She giggled. "Wait! An incoming call, be right back with you." She switched lines. "Hello? Who's this?" She answered the other call. "Hey Nakashima-san! It's a hit! The chief editor of the magazine was so glad! You did a good job!" It was an excited Takeru speaking. "No... It was you who did a good job! You are the photographer. I would have never looked like that if it wasn't for your skills!" She praised him as well, what she doesn't see is that he's absolutely blushing. "Uhm, Nakashima-san, I'm going to enter your photo in a contest. I'm expecting to win first prize! Are you okay with that?" He innocently asked. "Oh sure! No prob! Go ahead and show the world what you can do!"

After the call, Takeru talked to himself while holding the pictures he took of Sayaka, "What's wrong with me lately? Could it be that I'm already falling for her? Or it's just that I find her attractive in these shots?" He hugged her pictures but still full of confusion in his heart. "That's why I'll swear that I will win this contest. To show everyone in the world how beautiful you are, Sayaka." A few days have passed, and then a newsflash came. And it goes: "The winners of the annual photo shoot contest are as follows, Ichigo Hanamizawa, 1st place... Akira Hiroito, 2nd place... and the youngest competitor, Takeru Monoyama in 3rd place... Congratulations!" Sayaka has seen the news, but she doesn't know if she'll be happy or sad since Takeru was especting more from himself.

She went to the park with her violin, and by coincidence, she saw Takeru on the small wooden bridge. He is carrying photos with him so she approached. "Monoyama-kun? What are you doing here?" She curiously asked. He turned his back against her. "I failed you. I lost! I really was so sure that I would win! I thought your pictures are perfect! But I was wrong. It only proves that I haven't captured your true beauty yet. I'm a failure! I shouldn't have started this photography thing! It's all worthless!" He screamed and then he tore her pictures and threw it into the river and threw his camera on the ground. "Monoyama! Don't! Stop this!" But Takeru won't listen. Sayaka left her violin on the ground and jumped through the raging river. Takeru was dumbstruck and saw how serious and determined she was.

She tried her hardest to pick up every piece of the torn down pieces of pictures. Len happens to be passing by and was going to practice there as well. Then he saw Sayaka. He was worried sick so he ran after her. "What the heck are you doing?! You idiot!" He yelled. "Get out of there, come here!" He was pulling her off the river. "No! These photos! I have to get them all." She reasoned. "Those are just pictures! Takeru has lots of them. He can reproduce those pictures any time! Now get out of the water!" He argued. "They're not just pictures... They may not mean anything to you, but they do to me! These are his masterpiece! He created them with all his heart! Just like how I give importance to music! You can't just throw them all away, right?" She cried. Len stopped arguing and held both her shoulders from behind. "I understand now... Let me help you pick them up." He volunteered his help. "Thank you so much... for understanding my feelings." She smiled

Takeru was just watching the scene, and saw her smile like never before. He came to the two of them and helped them get out of the water. The three of them sat on the bench. "There! All fixed." Takeru wiped off his sweat as he finished taping the pieces of photos together again. "I understand everything now. When I was shooting your photos, all I ever cared about was your outer appearance. I never paid attention to your inner feelings, your true heart." He said. "Don't be sad. Third place isn't such a bad thing. You'll actually learn from these experiences. I know that you'll be a famous and world-class photographer someday!" She lifts his spirits up. He just smiled faintly at her. "I know! We can play something for you. I just hope this will cheer you up!"

She and Len stood up and played the piece that seemed familiar to him. While watching and listening to them he realized "Oh yeah... It was the same music Sayaka was playing when I first saw her." He closed his eyes, "So this is the kind of music that you give importance so much." When he opened them, he was astonished! Fireflies appeared. "This is definitely it! The perfect missing piece." He whispered with eyes wide open while watching them. The two were quite clueless about it since their eyes were both closed, so he grab the opportunity to take their picture. The two played wholeheartedly while surrounded by the magnificent fireflies.

When they opened their eyes, they saw the fireflies too. "Wow! Sooo pretty! Tsukimori-kun, look at them!" Sayaka exclaimed as she smiled beautifully and was giggling with Len. Takeru was more mesmerized as he saw the two smiling at each other and he took another shot. "Oh... by the way Monoyama-kun... Do you want these photos back?" Sayaka held the photos he fixed. "No, I'm giving them to you. I hope that you'll appreciate their beauty." He willingly offered those pictures as a gift. "Are you sure you don't need them?" She asked. "Nope! I have something more worthwhile than that. An everlasting image of your true heart." He quietly said and was referring to the image he saw and will surely never forget. "You two looked really suitable together! Very perfect! I hope you'll be together forever!" He complimented and gave way from his feelings after seeing how happy they are. They blushed and looked away from each other. Sayaka thought to herself, "Yeah... I really hope so too... Together, forever..." and then she smiled tenderly at Len. Of course "Forever" is such a strong word, which makes her unsure if they would really end up that way.

I hope you enjoyed! ^_^