"Alright everyone gather round, it is time to announce the winners." A man in an expensive looking tux said. "Alright let me first start out with a big thank you to all of our sponsors and even more to our participants. You have all had wonderful art to look at and this was a very hard year for our judges, but as we all know there must be a winner. So without further hesitance I'll begin with the first of the three categories, City life. In first place of the category is Akito Hiroshima." The speaker announced and there was applause.
"In second place is Sakura Mira." More clapping as an older woman smiled and bowed at the applause.
"And in third place, our rooky of the year Takashi Hirito. Congratulations everyone." There was loud applause as Takashi stood frozen one of his photos placed, it actually placed. He nearly fainted from excitement and shock until Akira's enthusiastic hug broke his concentration. He smiled and tried to calm is friend down as they started to announce the theme category none of which he placed in but it didn't matter he had placed in one of them.
"Alright and for the final category of Nature, First place goes to… oh my, our rookie Takashi Hirito." A white noise filled Takashi's mind as he processed his favorite picture was a first place winner. It was unbelievable. The white noise continues until his friends nudged him, he had spaced out of the other winners of the Nature category.
"Alright guys, its now time for our most important award tonight, I will be announcing the three finalist that will be representing Japan in the international competition. In first is the old veteran Akito Hiroshima. Come on up here." The speaker handed him the large trophy with the invitation pinned to it.
"All right second place is our well loved abstract photographer. Ryuich Moto."
He passed him the second trophy.
"And third but not last is our promising rooky Takashi Hirito." Takashi was so dazed he didn't move until Akira shoved him forward. "Congratulations Hirito we look forward to seeing more from you." The speaker said and handed him the small trophy with an invitation on it. He thanked the man and shook hands with the other two winners.
"Congrates kid, you got a good eye for beauty. Out of the photos here yours are defiantly some of my top favorites. The one titled ASAMI is very powerful really grabbed something dark and strong in you but not scary." Akito said and patted him on the shoulder. The other guy just made a face and walked away.
Takashi walked over to his friends who were both grinning ear to ear. He was quickly pulled into hugs and cheers many of the gests congratulated him and commented on his work. It seemed everyone was in love with his Nature one, he was himself in love with it. He stood by the photo a blue ribbon hanging by the name plate. It was the natures category that he had the most trouble finding a picture for. It was this photo that he had pulled from the disk before he lost his memories. It was on a beach but instead of bright and sunny. It was on the edge of a storm. It was grey and cloudy the water dark and rising in slight waves. Off in the distance thunder rolled and lighting danced in the clouds. A powerful picture for sure, but there were two things that really made you stare in aw.
Out on the ocean a single bright strike of lightning touched the waters. And the second thing was the imposing figure standing at the waters edge. Tall and broad shouldered, black hair blowing in the wind. His tailored white shirt was unbuttoned and fluttered in the wind. His black dress pants showing bare feet on the sand. He stood like a rock unmoving, unflinching nearly nothing between him and the oncoming storm.
Takashi could still stare at this photo for hours, he knew it was a pure luck photo, that he had caught that flash of lightning, he'd used his programs to filter out the light around it so the bolt was more clear and clean to the eye but didn't draw away from the rest of the picture. But the important part of the photo was that he knew that he knew the man standing in it. He only wished there had been a face in one of the other photos. And he was sure it had been this back he had seen in the gardens.