Erase

Act 10: The Photograph

THE NEXT DAY

-Mayuka's Bedroom 6:10 AM-

Shino stayed the night at her girlfriend Mayuka's place to treat the injuries she suffered at the hands of Dr. Nitta. Both of Mayuka's dads knew Shino well, so Mayuka did not need to worry about getting permission.

The next day, Shino woke up inside Mayuka's bedroom. The first thing she saw was Mayuka, watching over her as she wakes up.

"Good morning, Shino." Said Mayuka. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

Shino noticed that she was only wearing a shirt that stopped short of her midriff, as well as her undergarments.

"Where're my clothes, Mayu?" Said Shino.

"Well, I put them on the washer for now." Mayuka. "They're soaked in blood."

"Oh, right..." Said Shino.

"By the way, your glasses are on the desk, in case you were looking for them as well." Mayuka replied.

Shino took her glasses and, upon wearing them, saw the bandages wrapped on her left hand. She remembered it was the one that Dr. Nitta stabbed with his scalpel.

Shino also grabbed her phone, which was full of worried e-mails from Yuichi and Jun after Mayuka told them of what happened.

"So Yuichi actually does care about me..." Said Shino.

"Fufu! Of course she does. He's your friend, remember?" Mayuka replied.

"But he was quite a bit on the rude side when we first met..." Said Shino.

"Well, maybe that's just what he is." Mayuka replied. "Rough on the outside, but deep inside, cares about his friends."

"You're right." Said Shino.

Shino then, turned off her phone and put it back the desk, when she saw the cupboard underneath it was broken. She opened it up and saw an old photo album.

Shino took a look at the photo album's front cover, with "❤ Shino and Me ❤" written on it. She then opened up the photo album and saw that it was full of pictures of them during their younger years.

Mayuka saw that Shino was flipping the pages of the photo album and decided to join in reminiscing with Shino.

"Oh, hey! That's my old photo album!" Said Mayuka. "Come, let's read it together! It'll be more fun that way."

"Sure, why not?" Shino replied.

"Hehe! Okay, then Shino!" Said Mayuka. "Oh wait. Let me stretch a bit first."

Mayuka then proceeded to stretch for a short while, before lying down the same bed back first to join with Shino in her trip down memory lane.

"Ready!" Said Mayuka.

Music: "Photograph by Nickelback" (All the Right Reasons; 2005)

Look at this photograph
Every time I do it makes me laugh
How did our eyes get so red?
And what the hell is on Joey's head?

Shino opened up the photo album and saw the first picture: a picture from when the two of them were just three years old. Shino and Mayuka were playing with imported dolls together in Mayuka's house.

"Aww, look at us!" Said Mayuka. "We were so, so small and cute back then!"

"Just looking at old me makes me wanna cuddle her up!" Shino replied.

"I always wondered where my dad hid all those dolls." Said Mayuka. "I better go ask him someday."

The next picture was taken when they were attending kindergarten together. It showed the two of them in their classroom, with Mayuka sharing her taiyaki with a teary-eyed Shino.