I Was Reincarnated As a Man who Steals The Protagonist’s Childhood Friend - V2 Chapter 2 - Photo Exhibit, Brainstorming, and an Unexpected Character Appears?

The afternoon sunlight flowed through the Photography Clubroom’s windows, spreading warm streaks of gold across the tables and chairs. Despite the fact that we were supposed to be “working” on our new project, there was a familiar hum of excitement in the air.

“Alright, guys. Let’s make this the greatest photo exhibit the school has ever seen!” Akira slapped a marker against the whiteboard and turned to us with a manic grin.

“Akira, tone it down. It’s a photo exhibit, not an art museum opening.” Hibiki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“But that’s the point!” Akira said, drawing a crooked rectangle on the board. “We need to go big. BIG, Hibiki. This is our chance to prove the Photography Club is the real deal.”

“You’re thinking about the budget, aren’t you?” I said, smirking.

“Takeshi! You wound me. This is about our art—not money.”

“It’s totally about the money.” Hibiki shot me a look.

I chuckled, flipping my pencil between my fingers as I spoke. “So what’s the plan then, Akira? How do we even start this exhibit? Just throw a bunch of pictures on a wall and call it a day?”

“Absolutely not!” Akira pointed the marker at me like I’d committed some cardinal sin. “This needs structure. A theme. A story!”

“A story?” Hibiki speaks.

“Yes!” Akira said, spinning back toward the board. “Think about it. Photos aren’t just random shots—they tell stories. Moments frozen in time that capture emotion, movement, life! Our exhibit needs to flow like a story. Each picture should feel like a part of something bigger.”

I had to admit, for all his dramatics, Akira wasn’t wrong. It did sound good in theory.

“So, what’s the story then?” I asked.

Akira paused, tapping the marker against his chin. “Well… we’ll figure that part out. Brainstorming first!”

Then suddenly, the door to the clubroom creaked open, and everyone turned their heads as a familiar figure peeked inside.

“Sorry I’m late!” Hoshino called, stepping into the room with her usual bright smile. She looked a little flustered, like she’d been running to get here, her bag hanging loosely off her shoulder.

“About time,” Hibiki muttered, though there was no real bite to her tone.

“Hey, it’s fine,” I said, waving Hoshino over to sit beside me. “We’re just getting started anyway.”

“So what are we working on today?” she asked, dropping her bag on the table and glancing around at the chaos of papers and markers.

“The Student Council gave us a task: we’re going to create a photo exhibit for the school field trip. The theme is to capture the best moments of the trip—things that tell a story.” I replied.

Hoshino’s eyes widened, her face lighting up with excitement. “A photo exhibit? That sounds amazing! Are we really doing it?”

“Yep,” I said with a small grin. “And if we do it well, the Student Council promised to give us a budget just for the club.”

“That’s great news!” she said, clapping her hands together. “We’ll finally be able to replace some of the old equipment.”

“Ahem! Attention everybody please!” Akira turned back to the whiteboard and scrawled PHOTO EXHIBIT in massive, slightly crooked letters. Below it, he underlined it twice for emphasis.

He then continued on where he stopped. “As I was saying, here’s what we need to figure out: the theme, the structure, and the ‘wow factor.’ Without those, we’re just throwing random pictures on a wall.”

“What’s the theme then?” Hibiki said, leaning forward with her usual skepticism.

Akira paused dramatically, marker tapping against his chin. “Since Kagami-san tells us about the theme ‘Memories in Motion’, it should be something meaningful. Something that tells a story. That’s what great exhibits do—they guide people through a journey. Photos aren’t just snapshots; they’re moments.”

I had to give it to him—when Akira was in his element, his passion for photography was hard to ignore. Even Hibiki seemed reluctantly impressed, though she would never admit it.

“So you’re saying we need a narrative?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.

“Exactly!” Akira pointed the marker at me, nodding furiously. “A narrative! We’re not just capturing pretty landscapes or random smiles. Each photo needs to mean something. Together, they need to tell a bigger story.”

“What about the theme of journey?” I said, sharing an idea that has been on my thoughts since Kagami Hana’s statement. “The field trip is a journey, both physically and mentally. It’s about the adventures we have, the people we meet, and the memories we create.”

Akira froze for a moment, staring at me like I’d just solved a mystery he’d been agonizing over. “That’s it!” he shouted, scribbling “Journeys” onto the board. “It’s perfect. Simple, but deep. It gives us structure and meaning.”

Hibiki tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. “That could work. ‘Journeys’ is broad enough to include landscapes, group photos, and candid moments, but focused enough to tie everything together.”

Hoshino, sitting beside me, perked up. “I love that idea,” she said brightly, her eyes shining. “We could capture people’s excitement at the start of the trip, the moments they share with friends during it, and then the calm reflections at the end.”

“Exactly!” I said, encouraged by her enthusiasm. “The field trip is full of different moments, so our photos can show how people change and grow through those experiences.”

Akira, grinning ear to ear, underlined the word “Journeys” three more times for good measure. “Alright, now we’re cooking! Next, we need categories to organize the exhibit.”

“What about three main sections?” Hibiki suggested, taking control as Akira’s ideas threatened to spiral into chaos. She held up three fingers as she spoke. “We can split the photos into landscapes and scenery, candid moments, and group memories.”

“Like chapters in a book,” I added, catching on to her point. “Each section tells a part of the story, but they all connect back to the theme.”

“Exactly,” Hibiki said, nodding. “The scenery photos will set the scene—the places we visit. The candid shots will capture the emotions and little details that make the trip special. And the group memories will tie it all together, showing people experiencing it together.”

Akira clapped his hands together, looking genuinely impressed. “Brilliant! You’re all finally on my level.”

Hibiki shot him a glare. “Don’t push it, Akira.”

Hoshino leaned forward excitedly, her voice soft but eager. “Can we also have a final photo for the exhibit? Like a closing image that wraps everything up.”

“A centerpiece?” I asked, turning toward her.

“Yeah!” she said, smiling. “Something that captures the heart of the trip—maybe a group photo at the end, or a beautiful sunset with everyone watching together.”

“That’s… a really good idea,” I said, feeling a strange warmth spread in my chest at her enthusiasm. “A centerpiece would tie everything together perfectly.”

Akira snapped his fingers. “Hoshino, you’re a genius! We’ll save the final photo for the biggest moment. It’ll be the mic drop of the exhibit.”

Akira filled the whiteboard with sketches of our “photo exhibit plan,” labeling sections, categories, and adding far too many exclamation points. Hibiki scribbled notes into her notebook, trying to keep things coherent, while Hoshino and I talked about ideas for specific shots.

“So we’ll need to plan the trip carefully,” I said. “The best spots, the right moments to capture. It’s going to take teamwork.”

Hoshino nodded, her smile unwavering. “I’ll help however I can. I’m really looking forward to this, everyone!”

“This. Is it. This is what this club has been lacking for a long time! and now we—”

Click.

The sound of the door handle twisting stopped Akira in mid-sentence, the marker sliding from his fingers and clattering to the floor. All eyes were on the door as it creaked open, the sluggish sound almost foreboding in the otherwise vibrant room.
Naoki stood in the doorway.

A sudden quiet came over the clubroom, weighing on my chest like a stone. Naoki’s tall figure appeared sharper in the late afternoon light coming in from the corridor, rendering his normally calm look indecipherable He clutched a neatly bound stack of papers in his hand, with the edges exactly matched.

The enthusiasm from seconds before was vanished, replaced by a tension so dense that it felt as if the air had stopped moving.

“What is he doing here?” Akira whispered, moving near enough to feel his breath on my ear.

“I don’t know,” I said under my breath, my gaze fixated on Naoki as he moved deeper into the room.

He did not bother with small conversation. Instead, he marched directly to the middle table, set the stack of papers down with an audible thud, and turned to face us.

“President Kagami sent me here. These are the details for the field trip,” Naoki explained, his voice calm but abrupt. “The complete schedule, locations, and rules. Kagami-san has instructed me to deliver these to your club.”

His gaze flickered to me briefly, so quickly that I nearly believed I was seeing things. His comments were polite, yet there was something more beneath his composed appearance.

For a moment, no one spoke. Akira shuffled uncomfortably, Hibiki raised an eyebrow, and even Hoshino, who always managed to brighten a room, remained silent.

Finally, Naoki turned back towards the door. “Good luck with your exhibit,” he said, his tone calm, yet the words appeared to hold more weight than they should.

Without waiting for a response, he left. The door clicked shut behind him, the sound echoing in the stillness.

For several long seconds, no one spoke. The only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioner, which somehow felt louder than before. Akira was the first to break the silence, though his voice lacked its usual bravado.

“Well… that was awkward.”

Hibiki let out a breath, leaning back in her chair. “You can say that again.”

The energy in the room slowly picked up again as we dove back into planning, though it wasn’t the same as earlier.