ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1
2
Resort Hotel Room (Night)
3
After finishing up the final performance of Agaurica, Player suddenly awoke in the middle of the night in their room.
4
Looking at their clock, it showed that it was late in the night. Yet as the light filtered through the curtains from the shimmering city outside, they decided to get out of bed.
5
Player:
(To wake up at this hour...)
(Probably too late to go back to sleep now.)
(...I guess I can take one last walk around the hotel.)
6
Hotel LoungeTranslated by:
Koo
7
Kalaski:
Oh hey, Player, what are you doing up and about at this hour? Couldn't sleep?
8
Player:
(Yeah, couldn't sleep, so I thought a lil late night walk would do me good.)
(What about you, Kalaski?)
(Still got some work left even this late into the night?)
9
Kalaski:
Nah, my works essentially all done. All that's left is for Narihito to finish the article, and everything will be fully done.
10
Kalaski:
And I'm the same as you, actually. Just kinda suddenly woke up and couldn't fall back asleep.
11
Kalaski:
So I decided to have one last look around the hotel. Well, that's how it started but--
12
Kalaski:
I couldn't help myself from taking some pictures too. In my line of work, you learn to develop such habits.
13
As Kalaski talks with a chuckle in his voice, he suddenly took a photo of Player.
14
Player:
(Wouldn't be Kalaski if a camera isn't used.)
(Ooh, how's my shot look?)
(A lil heads up would've been nice too.)
15
Kalaski:
(Wouldn't be Kalaski if a camera isn't used.)
I've been at this for so long, it's essentially an extension of me. So I take that as a compliment.
16
Kalaski:
(Ooh, how's my shot look?)
Haha, for a sudden and candid shot, the photo's pretty good!
17
Kalaski:
(A lil heads up would've been nice too.)
Oh, sorry about that. I didn't know you weren't comfortable with such things. I'll delete it right now.
18
Kalaski:
Though, I think it's funny. When I first set foot here, all I could think of was to finish quickly and go home.
19
In the past few days, the lounge they're currently at was somewhere they'd been passing through a bunch of times. And now, only the two of them remain, with nothing but the sound of a camera's shutter accompanying them.
20
Kalaski:
... I'm a war photographer to the bone. I was under the assumption that this job would just be a slow and chill one.
21
Kalaski:
And yet, I found myself surrounded by great scenes. Along with plenty of good subjects to shoot.
22
Player:
(Hmm, actually...)
(What consitutes as this "good subject" you keep talking about, Kalaski?)
(Does your job have like a criteria for these sort of things?)
23
Kalaski:
Oh, you're curious about that? Well, it's kind of like an instinct or second sense, if I had to describe it--
24
Kalaski:
It's like an instinct to see if the subject has something that's worth capturing or if they have something that's worth being conveyed. It's kinda like that.
25
Touching his camera, Kalaski looks directly at Player.
26
Kalaski:
There are countless of ways to convey something in this world, be it audio, video, or any other sort.
27
Kalaski:
But I'm a firm believer that there are some things that only a photograph can capture.
28
Kalaski:
A photograph only captures a single moment of a person's life. And precisely because of that--
29
Kalaski:
I would want nothing more than to take that single moment and preserve it. Such raw emotions that even the subject themselves don't realize they're exhibiting.
30
A look of reminiscing appears on Kalaski's face as he softly continues.
31
Kalaski:
For instance, picture this, someone who has lost everything-- their home, their livelihood-- and yet, because they still draw breath--
32
Kalaski:
For all the pain and suffering they've experienced thus far, a genuine smile could still appear on their face.
33
Kalaski:
Someone who has something they want to keep, but find themselves unable to do so and don't even know how to do it.
34
Kalaski:
Someone who pretends that everything's fine and suppress themselves just to keep on smiling, and in an instant--
35
Kalaski:
When they can no longer conceal how they truly feel, their frustration is laid bear on the stage.
36
Player:
(A single moment where they don't realize...)
(But thanks to that, I made great memories.)
(So thank you, Kalaski.)
37
Kalaski:
Y-you don't need to thank me! I was just doing my job as a professional.
38
Kalaski:
Anyways! I've taken all the pictures I wanted here. Let's go to the rooftop.
39
Pushed on by Kalaski with a slightly high-pitched voice, the two quickly move to the rooftop.
40
Kalaski:
...It's so quiet. Kinda hard to believe that just a few days ago, this place was bustling with activity--
41
Kalaski:
And that I was standing there on that stage... it all felt so surreal.
42
With just the two on the rooftop, Kalaski points his camera on the dim stage and softly speaks.
43
Kalaski:
...Seriously, even I thought that I was totally acting out of character.
44
Player:
(You know what? You just kinda joined in spontaneously...)
(Even I was taken by surprise.)
(It was totally unlike you, Kalaski.)
45
Kalaski:
You just speak your mind, don't you? Well, that's fine. I agree with you.
46
Kalaski:
...I don't really know what came over me. I just felt like I had to reach out, you know? Not that that explains much.
47
Kalaski:
At that time, Rudin was all laughs saying that nothing mattered since everything was going to disappear anyway... If that's what he chose, then fine.
48
Kalaski:
It's not my place to say anything. But how he expressed himself, through all of it--
49
Kalaski:
Betrayed what he actually wanted to say. I couldn't stand it, so I decided to act.
50
Kalaski:
Well, my job's supposed to just capture things as they are, so me directly meddling might not be seen as professional though.
51
Despite his words, a satisfied smile spreads across Kalaski's face.
52
Kalaski:
...Hey, Player. Can you transform me into that form one more time?
53
Kalaski:
Since we're already here, I'd like to stand there one last time in that form.
54
Player:
(What a great idea!)
(I don't mind doing it.)
(Alright, let's get you transformed!)
55
Kalaski:
...
56
Kalaski:
Thanks, Player. This Spotlight Parallel Weapon, it seems it's been with me this whole time.
57
Kalaski:
Right now, I stand here smiling on the stage, where I am always the main character... or something like that.
58
Player:
(Kalaski, wasn't that...)
(The same thing you said when your first transformed?)
(Is there something special about it?)
59
Kalaski:
Nah, it's just a cliche line from some movie... that's all there is to it.
60
Kalaski smiles softly and gently strokes the Parallel Weapon in his hand.
61
Kalaski:
Hey, since there's no one else around, why don't we take the stage one last time?
62
Kalaski:
It won't be as grand as yesterday, but I can give us some decent lighting, at least.
63
Saying that with a smile, Kalaski runs up the stage alone.
64
His Parallel Weapon activates, casting a soft, magical light over the stage.
65
Kalaski:
Oi, don't just stand there, come on up!
66
Kalaski:
After all, this is... a stage for just the two of us.
67
Kalaski gently takes Player's hand and pulls them onto the stage.
68
Kalaski:
Whether it's with a camera or a spotlight, capturing and illuminating someone's life story, my path remains the same.
69
Kalaski:
...That's why I won't stop reaching out to others. I've come to realize that that's what I want to do.
70
Kalaski speaks slowly, as if confirming his own feelings.
71
Then, he softly leans his body towards Player.
72
Kalaski:
And it's all thanks to you that I realized that... I'm really grateful for it.
73
On the empty water stage at night, two voices resonate with each other under the romantic light.
74
Eventually, the voices quiet down, and in the gradually dimming spotlight, two shadows merge into one.
75
~ END ~
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100