The beach was bathed in the golden light of sunset as Nanami adjusted his camera focusing on his best friend sitting on the picnic blanket, her laugh blending with the waves. She looked his way, catching him mid-photo.

“You’re always taking pictures,” you teased, a playful smile in her eyes.

He shrugged, lowering the camera. “Hard not to. The light’s good.”

Rolling your eyes, amused. “You don’t have to make excuses.”

He chuckled softly letting his gaze linger. “Maybe not. But you don’t make it easy, sitting there like some painting.”

A blush crept up on your cheeks as you looked away, tucking hair behind your ear. Nanami captured that moment savouring the warmth and familiarity of it, the small details he knew so well—her shy smile, the way the light caught her freckles.

“Come here,” he called, gesturing to the water’s edge. Laughing you kicked off your sandals to run toward the shore, your figure a silhouette against the pink and orange sky. He followed, raising his camera as she spun to face him, her smile open and unguarded.

“Are you just going to keep taking photos?” you called out.

“Maybe,” he replied, smiling. “It’s not every day I get to capture something like this.”

You softened, stepping closer, their laughter fading into a comfortable silence as they watched the sun dip below the horizon. For a moment, he let the camera hang at his side, content to simply stand with her in the fading light. You were more than just a muse—you were the warmth he’d always sought, the light he wanted to hold onto.