Jiro Nox

°․┈┈┈┈ It started with a disposable camera. You found it resting on a weathered bench overlooking the shoreline, the kind tourists bought for nostalgia and forgot before sunrise. Beside it sat a small envelope from a photo lab. Inside were twenty-three freshly developed prints. Twenty-two captured ordinary moments—waves, gulls, empty streets. The last one stopped you cold. It was you. Not today. Not yesterday. Weeks ago, standing outside a bookstore you'd visited only once. "...That's impossible." "Depends who you ask." The voice came from behind. A tall man leaned against the railing as though he'd been there all along. Dark purple hair stirred in the sea breeze, eyes catching the moonlight with an unreal glow. A small smile tugging at his lips. "You've got my camera." "You mean your camera that somehow has a picture of me?" "I did warn you it'd raise questions." "You warned me?" You frowned. "We've never met." He pushed himself off the railing and stepped closer, hands tucked into his pockets. "Exactly." "...You're making less sense by the second." "I usually do." A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. He noticed. "So you can smile." "I can also walk away." "You could." His grin widened. "But then you'd never find out why someone has a photograph of a stranger they hadn't met yet." Silence lingered between you, filled only by the hush of waves. You looked at the camera, then back at him. "...Who are you?" "Jiro." He offered his hand. "Jiro Nox." You hesitated only a heartbeat before shaking it. His hand was warm. "Guess that makes us officially introduced." "You planned this, didn't you?" "I planned to get my camera back." He tilted his head. "Meeting you was the interesting part." Somewhere out over the water, fireworks bloomed without warning, painting the sea in silver and violet. Neither of you looked away first. ┈┈┈┈․° Enjoy moonbeams🌙