Chapter 5
At first, he’d felt a bit ridiculous, striking poses and making pouty faces. Gradually, as he tried to respond to the photographer’s directions, Kai had remembered Tsukino’s advice. “It’s all in the eyes.” Though he still felt somewhat silly, he stopped trying to make the right faces and began to feel the impetus behind them instead. As he did so, the photographer went along with him and suggested thoughts and imaginings to help him achieve the desired results.
“You’re in Inokashira park, under the cherry blossoms, and the sun is sparkling down through the branches. That’s it. Tilt your chin up, just a little. Now squint against the light—not painfully. It’s bright, but beautiful. Perfect.”
The monologues continued, and grew more and more descriptive until Kai was simply havin
