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‘Swapped out the suitcases to get the treasure for myself. Hope you guys have fun with Mr. Chambers’ old junk! No hard feelings.
Love, Fujiko.’
The note was scribbled in a flourish script that could only be read in Fujiko’s voice. You could practically hear her teasing demeanor dripping off of the paper. It even came along with a heart doodle that added to the mockery, as if the treasure being stolen from them wasn’t disheartening enough.
“Son of a bitch!” Jigen snarled as he slammed the table, Fujiko’s note crumpling in his fist as he did so. “How the hell did you let her get away with it this time, Lupin?!”
Lupin scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly trying to avoid eye contact. He let out a humorless chuckle. “Well, you see... She may or may not have distracted me when I put down the suitcase in the broom closet... or was it when we were alone in the Fiat? Or maybe it was the back alley. Either one of those.”
Jigen was about to curse up another storm when Goemon walked up to their supposed-to-be loot. What was supposed to be a suitcase brimming with high-class jewelry was instead a bunch of old, worn down knickknacks caked in dust. “There seems to be nothing of value here,” Goemon commented, eyeing the contents.
“Oh, come on, guys! Think positive for once, would ya?” Lupin went up beside Goemon to peer at the suitcase for himself. “Who knows, there might be something vintage in here we can sell to a guy willing to buy it for big bucks.”
“Yeah, like what? A VHS tape of this guy’s ex-wife or something?” Jigen crossed his arms. He saw no use in seeing the bright side of things now, not when they were so close to stealing some actual goods.
Goemon was the first to reach into the suitcase. He picked up a brown rectangular block with metal trimmings. It was the size of a slim book. He observed it before wiping away the dust. Goemon turned the curious thing in his hands, studying its foreign features. Underneath that thick layer of dust, it was in overall good condition, but he still couldn’t figure out what it was.
Lupin perked up at the strange object. “Oh, sweet! A Polaroid!”
“Pola... roid?”
“Yeah, I remember an old acquaintance used to own one of these.” He snatched the slab out of Goemon’s hands. “Let me see if I still know how to use this...”
With a little fiddling, Lupin folded up the Polaroid open like magic. What was once some dingy rectangular block was suddenly a fully fledged Polaroid camera, lenses and all. The fascinating gadget catches Goemon’s full attention.
Lupin opens a chamber in the Polaroid. “Looks like it’s still got some film left in it. I’m kind of impressed.” He closed the chamber up again. “Hey, Goemon!”
Goemon turned his head to reply when a sudden satisfying ‘snap!’ rang through the room. The samurai blinked and shook his head, trying to rid of the bright spots that swirled in his vision. A whirring noise came from the camera and a Polaroid film slipped out the slit from the bottom.
Jigen came up behind Lupin and saw the fresh blank Polaroid. “Tough luck. Looks like it’s broken.”
“Ah, ah, ah! Patience, Jigen.”
Lupin carelessly threw the camera at Goemon, who, thanks to his quick reflexes, caught the thing. The film cleared up a few moments later, the white fading into a picture of a wide-eyed Goemon caught in all his stoic glory.
“Not bad, but it still doesn’t make up for the fact that Fujiko stole the good stuff,” Jigen grumbled. Lupin shrugged his shoulders and shoved the film into his hold.
Another camera click went off in the room, and Jigen turned his head to find Goemon picturing a little trinket atop the living room coffee table. Another Polaroid film slipped out the camera and Goemon took it with a little more excitement than Jigen knew he was capable of. Although he couldn’t see the picture for himself, Jigen noticed Goemon’s features light up as he watched the film clear up before him, eyes almost shining in awe. At least someone was happy with the junk they were left with.
Too bad though, Jigen thought. Goemon would probably get bored of it in two hours’ time, or maybe a day if that Polaroid camera is lucky.
Jigen was wrong. Oh, he was very, very wrong.
It’s been one week since Jigen couldn’t be around Goemon without the shutter of the camera haunting him constantly. What he thought was supposed to be a fad Goemon would throw out eventually became his new hobby.
Every time Jigen walked into the living room of their hideout, Goemon was always there taking photos of whatever he laid his eyes on. Sometimes it was the vase in the corner, sometimes it was the view outside the balcony, sometimes it was the tea he just brewed for the sake of a photo. He couldn’t even sit on his favorite spot on the couch for one damn second because he, as Goemon liked to put it, was “ruining the integrity of the shot”. And just when he thought Goemon might run out of Polaroid film to use up, he finds stacks of it in the suitcase they stole.
To be fair, it is a little amusing watching Goemon do something that isn’t meditating or polishing his Zantetsuken for once. Jigen even picked up a few habits Goemon has developed the past few days since he picked up the Polaroid. He realized how compulsive Goemon is with arranging items for his pictures. Every corner he wanted to photograph always had a thorough cleaning by the samurai until there wasn’t even an atom of dirt left. And he did this every time. Lupin even joked that they didn’t have to clean around anymore as long as Goemon had that Polaroid camera in his hands.
And right now, as he watched Goemon go through another one of his photo sessions, Jigen picked up another habit of his. Goemon takes forever staring at his subject before he even snaps the camera. Jigen is entranced by the certain way his eyebrows knit together as he stares, or the way he tilts his head slightly while thinking about the shot, or the way his eyes practically burn through his subject the same way he does to his foes before unsheathing his Zantetsu–
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Goemon asks, his camera positioned to take another shot at the houseplant.
The question hits Jigen like a freight train. Damn, it looks like Goemon’s habit is starting to rub off on him.
“No, it’s nothing. It’s just…” Shifting his position on the couch, he tries to think of the first excuse that pops up in his head. “You know, you’ve only been taking pictures around the hideout.”
“And? Is there a problem with that?”
“Well, there’s only so much of the hideout you can take pictures of. Maybe try taking photos outside or something.”
Goemon opens his mouth to retort but pauses, pondering on the suggestion. “That’s… actually not a bad idea.”
“There’s an antique shop nearby, I think. I’m sure you’ll find more interesting stuff to capture there.”
Goemon’s eyes lit up again, the same way he did the first time he used his Polaroid. He quickly folded the camera close and hurriedly made his way to the hideout’s exit. Before he left, he looked back at Jigen. “Thank you for the suggestion, Jigen. It seems your mouth has more uses than smoking cigarettes all day.”
Jigen shot up from the couch, ready to tell Goemon to screw off, but the door was already closed with no sign of the samurai. He groaned and slumped back against the couch once more. At least he finally has the damn living room to himself.
It’s only been a little over an hour when Goemon comes back to the hideout without greeting. He walks to the couch where Jigen was watching a rerun of some old spaghetti western.
Jigen is vaguely aware of the samurai’s presence, although he’s noticed how tense he is, with the way his fingers clutched around his camera and the way his lips are pursed. Why is Goemon like this all of a sudden? Jigen doesn’t know, and he doesn’t know if he has the energy to find out.
Thankfully, Goemon was the first to break the silence.
“They kicked me out of the antique shop,” he said, barely a whisper.
Jigen has to grab for the remote to turn off the television just to make sure he heard him right. “I’m sorry, you what?”
“I said,” Goemon made his voice clearer, verging on the brink of frustration, “they kicked me out of the antique shop.”
“What the hell did you do to get kicked out? D’you break something?”
“The owner thought I was disturbing the other customers with all the photo taking. He told me if I would not purchase anything, then I might as well get out, and I did.”
“That’s it? It shouldn’t be that bad. How many photos did you take, anyway?”
Goemon’s eyes averted their gaze and his face scrunched up in a funny way. He hesitated, but eventually reached into his kimono to pull out a thick stack of twenty-something Polaroids and sheepishly dropped it on the couch between them. Jigen stared at the ungodly amount of Polaroid films in front of him, not sure if he’s impressed or dumbfounded. Maybe a little of both.
“Jesus Christ, Goemon. Did you picture the whole damn store?!”
“The store was full of interesting things. I couldn’t stop myself even if I tried.”
“Couldn’t stop yourself? You’re the one who lectures us about patience and modesty and crap,” Jigen said. “What kind of stuff did you picture, anyway?”
He reaches into the pile of Polaroids and picks a random one. He could only steal a quick glance at the photo when Goemon steals it back away from him, holding the film close to his chest.
“I did not permit you to look at them,” he says in a cautionary tone, eyes narrowing at Jigen.
“Calm down, man. I’m not gonna rip it apart or anything. I just wanna have a look.” Jigen hovers a hand over the pile to pick another one, but looks at Goemon one more time for reassurance.
“May I?”
Goemon’s features soften for a second. He looks at the Polaroids first, then at Jigen before ultimately nodding his approval. The first Polaroid picture Jigen picks was a simple one. It was a photo of a small music box in the shape of a purple clam. A petite figure of a mermaid laid daintily in its opening. It was a cute little trinket, even if it had a few blemishes here and there. Jigen expected nothing more from an antique store.
“I like this one,” Jigen said, tilting the film in his hand.
Goemon perked up at the praise. “R-really?”
“Yeah. Good lighting, photos clear, no white spots. You know, that kind of stuff.”
“Oh... Thank you.” Goemon bashfully looked away, and Jigen could catch the slightest tint of pink on his face. Huh, interesting.
“You could look through all of them if you wish,” Goemon said, pushing the Polaroids towards him, a little more eager than Jigen expected. This was a new side of Goemon he’s never seen before who’s usually so stoic. The thought of that makes him... excited? Intrigued? Whatever it is, there’s something there.
Almost like it has a mind of its own, Jigen’s hand grabs another Polaroid film from the pile. He tells Goemon his criticisms and pays him compliments, tells him why he should keep this Polaroid, or throw this one away. Then when he’s done, he grabs another, and then another, and then another.
Jigen won’t admit it out loud, but he enjoyed his and Goemon’s little picture picking session a lot more than he thought. Who knew Goemon could be fun to spend time with when he wasn’t meditating?
Too bad, Jigen thinks, it’ll be the first and last time he’ll have that.
Jigen was wrong. Again.
It’s a week later when Lupin knocks on his room’s door, ruining the mid-afternoon nap he was right on the verge of. He shoves his head into his pillow further in the hopes that Lupin thinks he’s asleep. There’s a moment of silence, and Jigen takes it as a sign that Lupin finally left him alone.
He lets himself relax once more, and just when he’s finally on the brink of sleep, a series of bangs come rapping at his door.
“I KNOW YOU’RE AWAKE, JIGEN!” Lupin’s muffled voice yells from the other side.
Jigen holds back a groan (and the urge to grab his magnum and shoot a bullet through the door). He gets up quickly and puts his hat on.
“The hell do you want?” He says as soon as he opens the door, sounding more like a grumble than a question. Lupin has got his arms crossed and a furrow in his brow. “What got you in a bad mood this time?”
“Goemon’s blocking the TV and I need you to get him out of the way so I can watch The Twilight Zone.”
“... Goemon is what?”
“He’s sulking over something on the coffee table and he’s blocking the view.”
“So? Get rid of him yourself.” Jigen was about to slam the door but Lupin’s quick to shove his foot in between before he could.
“Oh trust me, I tried , but he just won’t budge!”
Lupin drags Jigen into the hallway and juts his chin at the entry to the living room, where you could faintly see a figure of Goemon sitting on the carpeted floor and fumbling over something on the coffee table.
“And what do you want me to do about him?”
“Just- Get him out of the way!”
With a hard pat on the back from Lupin and an even harder shove, Jigen started walking towards Goemon, with absolutely no plan in mind. Goemon’s back is blocking whatever is on the coffee table. Jigen fully expects to see the Zantetsuken when he comes around, but notices it laying just right on Goemon’s side. That’s weird. What else could Goemon be worrying about?
Jigen gets close enough to take a peek and is shocked to find... Polaroid pictures? There were at least thirty of them sprawled across the glass table. Some stacked in groups, some nearly spilling over the edge of the table, and several spread out one by one like playing cards. It reminded Jigen of poker games and losing money he stupidly bet away, but that’s a story for another time.
He walks to the other side of the table and sits crossed-legged in front of Goemon. The samurai barely acknowledges his presence, refusing to break his gaze with the Polaroid films. Jigen waits there for an awkward thirty seconds for Goemon to notice him, but to no avail. He sighs and finally speaks up first.
“Hey, Goe.”
Goemon hummed in reply.
“Lupin says that you gotta move outta the way for a while. You know how he is.”
“And he thinks bringing you here instead will make me change my mind?”
A stifled groan hung at the back of Jigen’s throat. He knew there was no use trying to convince Goemon to move away with words. Well, maybe threatening him might work, but Jigen doesn’t feel like engaging in violence today.
He looked down once more at the Polaroids on the table. “What are you doing, anyway?”
“I took more pictures while I was out,” he said as he put a Polaroid into one of the stacks before him, still not making eye contact with Jigen. “I’m trying to sort which to keep and which to discard.”
“And how long does it usually take you?” Jigen asked.
“About an hour and a half.”
“An hour?!“ Jigen can’t stop himself from raising his voice. “Look, I know you take an ungodly amount of pictures, Goemon, but you couldn’t possibly be taking that long to sort them out!”
Goemon finally, finally, makes eye contact with him, eyebrows knitted in disapproval. “These decisions take crucial timing. You wouldn’t understand.”
This time, Jigen couldn’t contain a loud groan. If he continued with this banter, Goemon would take even longer, and that’s the last thing he wants right now. Jigen racked his brain for any other solution. A few moments passed, and the only solution he could really come up with was…
“Is it alright if I help you again?”
Goemon paused. “Just like before?”
“Yeah, I’ll help you choose which one’s look good and everything. Whaddya say?”
The offer prompts Goemon to go silent. He stares at him, almost like he’s searching him for some hint of sarcasm or mockery in his face. It makes Jigen a little uncomfortable, and he wonders if this is how Goemon’s Polaroids feel sometimes.
Goemon huffs and nods, grabbing a stack of Polaroids and hands it to Jigen. “Here. These are a batch I took a few days ago.”
The first Polaroid Jigen sees is a picture of warm-colored festival lights hanging in the air by loose rope, their dim lights illuminating the already setting sky. It reminded Jigen of those lantern festivals his mother would bring him to in Japan when he was a child. He hummed in approval at the photo and placed it into the good pile.
He looks at the next picture, this time of a line of stalls selling street food. He could tell the air was thick with the kind of fragrant smoke you’d get in places like this. The scene packed full of people walking and enjoying their treats while busy vendors manned the food stalls donned with huge banners.
“When was this? Did you go to some event?”
Goemon looks up from his own stack. “Oh, those? There was a food festival a few days ago, the day you and Lupin accidentally got caught by Inspector Zenigata and were imprisoned for two days.”
“That’s why you took so long?”
“Calm down, Jigen. I had a day of solitude and wanted to savor it. If you were free from Lupin for a day, I bet you would have done the same.”
Whatever retort Jigen had died in his throat. He clicked his tongue instead. Touché.
The next pictures Jigen came across were of food. A well-toasted taiyaki, Goemon’s hand holding up a dango stick, a ball of sticky fresh mochi. The more Jigen skimmed through the Polaroids, the more he felt like he was looking through a menu.
“Never took you for a guy with a sweet tooth,” he commented rather nonchalantly. “After this we better go grab a bite to eat or something. These are making me hungry.”
“I take it that means you like them,” Goemon says as he puts down another in the bad stack.
The next photo Jigen encounters was a rather blurry picture of a soft serve cone. The angle was struggling to keep a straight shot. Curious, he skips to the next picture, which was the same. This time the angle has gotten better, but Goemon held the soft-serve in such a way it was about to fall off the cone. The next picture was another attempt, then the next, then the next.
Finally, Jigen got to the last photo, which was much more appealing than the rest of the attempts. Angle was taken quite nicely, the focus was just right, the blurriness was at a minimum...
Except the cone barely had any soft serve left, its swirl melted and dripped onto Goemon’s hands. There’s no denying the sugary treat made them sticky afterwards.
The Polaroid made Jigen smile. It took Goemon quite an adventure just to get to that one. He took it and placed it right into the good pile of photos. Before he could even lay it down and get to the next Polaroid, Goemon interrupts him.
“No.”
“Uh... What?”
“You are not putting that one in the group I’m going to keep. It’s a horrible picture. I struggled to even press the capture button with one hand.”
“Hey man, it’s not that bad at all.”
Goemon glares at him from the other side of the table. “Name one good thing from that photo that makes it worthy for me to keep it.”
Jigen lets himself be pierced under Goemon’s gaze, who’s obviously taking this photo-choosing thing way more seriously than he is. He takes a look at the Polaroid again.
“Well, I think that the melted ice cream gives it some... uh...” his voice trails off just before he catches it again, “It’s got- what do you call this again? Charm. Yeah, it gives it a little charm. Makes it unique, you know?”
Goemon’s glare breaks for a second to look at the Polaroid in Jigen’s hand, then back at Jigen. “If you’re so convinced of its... charm, then so am I. Go ahead.”
Jigen, with a little pride, discards the photo into the good stack, and gets back to work.
They sat in silent comfort, both not speaking unless Jigen felt the need to express his comments out loud or if Goemon was in the mood to share a story behind an interesting photo he took.
Once again, Jigen realizes how (dare he say it) nice it is to spend quiet times like this with Goemon rather than banter with him about what they should have for lunch or amidst a chaotic battle.
Lupin interjects at one point, complaining to Jigen of his “betrayal” for joining Goemon. Jigen laughs and tells him to wait.
When the pair finished, Jigen kept his promise to get some food after the session, and although he didn’t show it, Goemon was more than happy to oblige.
They both got soft serve, making sure to eat it all before it got the chance to melt in their hands.
“Hey, Goemon!” Fujiko puts on an artisan bear fur coat she recently ̶s̶t̶o̶l̶e̶ bought with the money from their latest heist. “I think a good background would be on the balcony, don’t you think?”
Goemon, on the other hand, is a lot less amused than Jigen expected him to be. “I took a photo of you once and now you make me your personal photographer,” he grumbled under his breath.
“Oh, don’t be like that, Goemon! I thought you enjoyed taking pictures,” Lupin interjects.
“Not when I’m being forced to take the same ten pictures just because I couldn’t get the angle right.”
Lately, Jigen noticed fairly quickly that Goemon’s new thing was taking photos of the gang. Well, to be fair, it was more of Fujiko and Lupin’s thing than Goemon’s. Goemon obliges to take a photo of Lupin once and now he’s being bossed around left and right. If Jigen is honest, it’s actually a pleasant change of pace for Goemon’s photos to have a human as a subject instead of the usual.
He’s been taking his Polaroid camera with them on heists as of late, and he knows he enjoys taking the obligatory picture of the gang together after a successful one. He’s got his own little collection of pictures of them beaten up but smiling wide at the camera with thumbs up and the treasure they’ve stolen at the corner. In some of those photos, he’s even gotten one of the gang with Zenigata tied up and looking baffled. Jigen doesn’t want to make assumptions, but he’s sure that those kinds of pictures are the ones he enjoys taking the most with human subjects.
This, however, was his least.
“Leave the guy alone, would ya? I’d be upset too if I had ten photos of Fujiko. Polaroid films ain’t cheap,” Jigen said, the only person sympathizing with Goemon right now. He flips open the cheap magazine he bought at the nearest convenience store. “By the way, Goemon, I got you a new edition of that one photography magazine you won’t put down.” He raises another magazine up in the air for Goemon to take.
Goemon’s face lights up, either in delight for the magazine or in relief from Fujiko’s demands, Jigen can guess. He takes the magazine off his hands and looks at the cover. “I already have this one, but you have my deepest gratitude, Jigen.” He gives a slight bow to Jigen’s direction and makes his way to his room on the other side of the hideout.
Jigen was just about to go back to his magazine when Fujiko towers above him on the couch. “So, you and Goemon are giving each other gifts now, hm?”
He buries himself into the magazine to ignore her. “Don’t even think about it.”
From the corner of his eye, he sees Lupin propping himself up on the other foot of the couch. “Well, you two sure have gotten closer these days,” he chirps. “Is there something you’re not telling us? Are you guys fucki–”
A magazine slams over Lupin’s face before he could complete his sentence. Jigen has to keep himself from strangling him. “I said , don’t even think about it.” And with that, he goes back to his magazine and starts reading the first article that catches his eye and...
He couldn’t pay attention to it. His eyes were zooming right through the letters before his brain could even process them. Jigen thought about what Lupin said. To be more specific, the part about him being closer to Goemon, not the fucking. Nope. No. Definitely not that.
It all started with the Polaroid, didn’t it? He’s always seen Goemon as the most intimidating and serious of their group. He was always the cold-blooded samurai with eyes who could pierce your soul if you even mess with him wrong, whose feelings only resided on a sword. But now that he’s here, he’s seen a more... human side to Goemon. And he’s not gonna lie, he kind of likes it.
Fuck, is he really analyzing his feelings for Goemon?
Fuck, wait. Does he have feelings for Goemon?
This was dangerous, and wholly unnecessary. So he shoos the thoughts away and convinces himself that the heat blooming in his chest was probably from a heart attack he’ll have somewhere in the future, and goes back to reading his magazine.
“And what about this one?”
“Ah, I took that one near the mansion of our last heist.”
“Huh. That’s why it looks familiar.” Jigen pulls out another picture. “What about this?”
“And I took that at the museum while in disguise.”
“Was it right before or after you almost tipped over and broke the million dollar vase?”
“... Before.”
“Oh yeah, we’re definitely keeping this one.”
Goemon suppressed a groan with all his willpower. “Are you determined to keep every embarrassing moment of mine in my collection?”
“It’s an actual decent picture, Goemon. You did the whole perspective thing right I talked about last time. It’s not my fault you’re not careful enough to not break expensive vases,” Jigen said, putting the Polaroid into their good stack.
The samurai didn’t reply. Instead, he snickered and rolled his eyes, smiling. It’s a lazy afternoon and they’re doing their usual routine on the coffee table, cross-legged on the floor. Jigen was just waiting for Goemon to ask him if he needed more help with his photos all morning and he’s glad he did.
Jigen paused in his ministrations. “You know, you’ve really gotten better these past few weeks.”
“Thank you.” Goemon nodded in courtesy. “It’s thanks to your help that I’ve improved in my photography.”
“You mean all those photo magazines I bought you?”
“No. I meant... this.” He awkwardly gestured to the both of them. “It’s all very helpful. I couldn’t ask for anyone better.”
Jigen’s gonna ignore the way his heart rate picked up when Goemon looked him in the eyes with his voice all soft and mellow when he said that.
“Or maybe it’s because you can’t get yourself to ask Lupin or Fujiko to help you.”
Goemon scoffed, “It’s because I value your opinion more than theirs. Do you really think of me so low, Jigen?” He raised a brow and shot him a teasing smirk and- fuck , yep. Jigen can’t ignore his heart rate now. That was kind of cute. Wait- shit, did he call him cute? No, he didn’t, did he? Fuck, fuck, fuck–
The universe seems to be on Jigen’s side today when a door slamming open by a frantic Lupin interrupts them. “JIGEN! WE HAVE TO GO! NOW!” He says, rushing to the entrance of their hideout.
Jigen jumps and gets up so fast he hits his knee under the glass of the coffee table with a painful bang. The Polaroids shake and scatter as he does so. Goemon is on his feet in no time as well. “What’s the emergency?”
“I’ll explain on the way there. Goemon, you stay,” Lupin said and then pointed at Jigen. “Jigen, you’re coming with me.”
Jigen doesn’t waste any time making his way outside the hideout with Lupin, nearly tripping on his way there. The pair rushes to the Fiat and jumps into the yellow vehicle. Jigen fumbles with the car keys until the engine roars to life. He floors the pedal.
“So what the hell’s the emergency?” He says, swerving the car.
“We ran out of that fancy black coffee and our pantry is almost empty. Fujiko’s gonna kill me if we don’t stock up on them soon.” Lupin doesn’t seem as panicked as he was a few minutes ago. He leans back against the car seat. The car stops so abruptly that it’s a miracle Lupin wasn’t sent flying despite not wearing a seatbelt.
“You made us panic for fucking groceries?”
“Yeah, cause if I didn’t, then you wouldn’t be able to help me with them.”
“Why didn’t you just ask normally?!”
“Cause you’d tell me to wait until you guys were done with that photography thing you’re doing there and you guys take forever! Do you have any idea how hard it is to carry several grocery bags on your own? Hm?”
“We don’t take that long.”
“Sure, Jigen, but dates don’t usually take two hours of staring at photos. At least make it proper by doing it over food and a candlelight or whatever.”
“Dates?“
“Well, what else am I supposed to call ‘em?”
A car behind them honks their horn. “God, you’re insufferable,” He groans and presses on the pedal again, this time gentler. “And why didn’t you let Goemon come with us?”
“Thought he was just gonna take pics there and make us take longer than we should.”
Jigen hums in response, and makes a turn for the nearest grocery store.
“You know, Jigen. You didn’t really deny the fact I called them dates. Just wanted to point that out,” Lupin said, and Jigen can hear the smirk in his voice.
The urge to crash the Fiat right now has never been stronger.
The hum of the cheap air-conditioning is enough to drive anyone mad. At least that’s what Jigen thinks as Lupin slowly and painfully checks out his grocery list one by one. His eyes are constantly moving back and forth between the list in his hand and their filled up shopping cart. Maybe he enjoys doing this on purpose to torture him, Jigen thinks to himself.
“Ah, crap,” Lupin mutters under his breath.
“What did you miss this time?”
“I forgot the canned sausages.”
“‘Course you did.”
Lupin clasps his hand together and looks up at Jigen, teary-eyed. “Jigen, won’t you be a dear and-”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get it for you.” He’s already turned away and heading towards the canned food section. “Don’t have to make a whole show ‘bout it.”
He makes his way through the aisles and stacks of goods, trying to look for the canned food. At one point he crosses the stationary aisle, the shelves decorated with cheap ballpoint pens and colorful notebooks. Something catches his eye just when he’s about to get to the end of the shelves.
There’s an open empty photo album perched on top of the stacks of office paper. Jigen stops in his tracks, walks up to it, and picks it up. The plastic slots were just the right size for a Polaroid, and the cover was a cheap black faux leather, but at least the album was thick enough to hold a decent amount of photos.
Goemon came to mind as he combed through the plastic pages. He stands there, staring at the album for longer than he should have. It wouldn’t hurt to get Goemon something, would it? After all, it would be much better for Goemon to have his photos displayed like this rather than have them scattered around. It’s a tool for convenience. He would surely appreciate it.
When he goes back, with canned sausages and the photo album in hand, Lupin notices the new item.
Jigen follows his gaze. “It’s a photo album. For Goemon.”
“Oh Jigen, you softie,” Lupin says and his smile curls into a grin. He bumps Jigen with a playful elbow. “I didn’t take you to be the gift-giving type as your love language!” If looks could kill, Jigen’s glare would vaporize Lupin in an instant.
In the end, he never ends up denying what Lupin said, anyway.
“It wasn’t an emergency?”
“If you’re gonna blame anyone, blame Lupin,” Jigen tells Goemon as he cracks open a fresh can of soda straight from the grocery bag.
“Yeah, sure. Blame me for that,” Lupin grunts as he stores the last of the coffee beans and instant ramen into their pantry. “But at least thank me for this.” He shoves the paper bag containing the photo album into Jigen’s hands and shoots him a knowing look.
Goemon cocks his head. “What’s that?”
Jigen freezes. He didn’t expect to be put on the spot so soon. In fact, he didn’t expect to feel so nervous about giving it to Goemon. Why should he? Jigen should at least say something, but the words couldn’t seem to reach his tongue. He clutches the paper bag in his hands and its rough texture is beginning to feel uncomfortable.
He ends up not saying anything, simply handing out the paper bag for Goemon to receive.
Goemon hesitantly takes the bag. He reaches inside and pulls out the album. The moment he opens it he realizes what it is. His eyes light up.
“Is... Is this..?”
“For you? No shit. Do you see anyone else here who owns a Polaroid collection?”
The dumbfounded expression on Goemon’s face didn’t last long. A small smile reaches Goemon’s lips as he holds the album close to his chest. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, no problem. Now you don’t have to keep your pictures in rubber bands anymore.”
“Right. I’ll go fill up the album right now.”
Goemon turns away to get his collection when Lupin interrupts. “Oh hey, speaking of pictures and photos and whatnot, can you do me a favor, Goemon?”
“Do you want me to take a photo of you again?”
“Man, you’re good! Exactly that. I just started planning for our next heist a week ago and I thought it’d be hilarious if I sent Inspector Zenigata a Polaroid picture of myself with a hint. I’ll even wear a fresh suit for it! Oh, he’ll go crazy for sure.”
“No. I’m not going to do that.”
Lupin’s enthusiasm goes down the drain quickly. “What? But, it’s such a good idea! It’s been plaguing me for days!”
“I’m running out of Polaroid films and I’m not wasting them on you.”
Jigen can’t help but burst into laughter. “You hear that, Lupin? You ain’t worth a film!”
Lupin huffs and shrugs his shoulders. “I wouldn’t worry so much about running out of Polaroid films if I were you, Goemon. Jigen will just buy you more, anyway.”
That was enough to shut Jigen up, and now he really regrets not crashing the Fiat when he had the chance.
When Goemon started slipping the photos into his album, he and Goemon had to change places. Lupin had to rush and make sure he called dibs on the couch first to watch TV before they both could, making the coffee table off limits, so here they were at the sofa chair instead.
There was only space for one person to sit properly and Goemon happily volunteered to sit on the floor. Jigen sat on the chair while Goemon made himself comfortable sitting on the floor right in front of him, his back snug between his legs. He makes sure he’s facing away so that Jigen can see which photos he’s putting in. Goemon had never been this close, and Jigen always favored personal space.
And yet he couldn’t find himself to complain.
“Make sure you add the ones you took at the beach that one time. Those are nice. And the food festival you went to. Oh, and the one shot of Lupin mid-trip. That shit cracks me up whenever I see it.”
Goemon pauses and tilts his head up to look at Jigen, a hint of amusement in his face. “I thought this was my album. Not yours.”
Jigen snickered. “Hey man, I helped you choose the pictures. It’s practically ours.” He lightly taps the top of Goemon’s head so he can continue.
As Goemon got to the Polaroids of their gang, he only expected to see the photos of them from heists, but Jigen realized he kept even the ones he thought he hated. The dozen failed photos of Fujiko were still with him as well as a photo from that one time Lupin basically bribed Goemon to take a photo of himself in his new suit. He always thought he hated those, but here he was displaying them in his album.
“Woah, woah, woah. You still have those?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” Goemon asked as he continued filling up the album.
“Nothing. It’s just that... I thought you threw them away cause you hate it when they force you to picture them.”
“Yes. However, I don't hate them. They’re still memories. They hold value to me.”
What he also didn’t expect were the amount of solo shots he did of them. He watched silently as Goemon slipped Polaroids of Lupin smiling at the camera with a cup of coffee in his hand at the kitchen counter or Fujiko staring out the window, modeling for him. Just ordinary shots of them, either outside or around the hideout. How come he’s never seen these before? They’re the best of Goemon’s collection he’s seen yet.
Jigen watched intently. A picture of Lupin here, one of Fujiko there, and- huh, how did he get that one of Inspector Zenigata? They were all beautiful photos, but... Jigen realized something.
Why are there no photos of me?
The thought came to Jigen out of nowhere. He’s not gonna lie, it sounds a little narcissistic, but out of all the solo shots he’s seen so far, not one of them had him as the subject. And he doesn’t even know why he suddenly wants to be. The visual of him and Goemon taking pictures together looks more fun than helping him choose them.
Jigen always admired how Goemon picking up a Polaroid camera made him realize he was more than just their vault door opener or their last-minute weapon in heists. He guesses there was always some warmth beneath his cold facade, and he knows more than anyone how hard it is to be vulnerable when you’re in this kind of business. Goemon being like this was special to him.
And he wants nothing more than to be a part of that.
There’s a buzzing feeling of envy and disappointment when Goemon finishes up the human subject portion of his collection. The most Jigen saw of himself was in group photos or in the background. He was hoping to at least have one photo of him. He wouldn’t mind at all.
All Goemon had to do was ask.
Click!
“Jeez, you’re up early.”
Goemon spun quickly, meeting Jigen, who was leaning against the doorframe. His Polaroid buzzed as a blank film came out.
“I can focus much better when Lupin is not around. I don’t mind when you’re around, though.” He placed the photo somewhere on the couch to develop and positioned the Polaroid camera up to his face to take a picture of a little origami paper crane near the windowsill.
Jigen grabbed some cold water from the fridge and poured himself a glass. It seems like Goemon’s subject today was the paper crane. Damn, even a folded piece of paper gets more attention than him.
He goes up to Goemon. “That’s cute. Didn’t know you could do origami.”
“Yes. One of my more... unique skills. In fact, my fastest record for folding a paper crane is fifty seconds.”
“Holy shit, do you just fold paper cranes all day or something?”
“No, but when I was a child, I made it my goal to fold one thousand paper cranes as fast as I could.”
“But why?”
Goemon turned to Jigen and tilted his head, looking at him in disbelief. “Do you not know of the one thousand origami cranes legend?”
Jigen shook his head. The samurai took the little paper crane and balanced it on the giant leaf of their houseplant. He snapped a quick photo of it before continuing, “There’s an ancient Japanese legend that says if you fold over one thousand origami cranes, you would be granted a wish, and I wanted nothing more than that wish as a young boy.”
“Ooh, what did you want to wish for?” Jigen asked, his tone playful. “A beach house? A million dollars? A lifetime supply of sweets? A soda can that never ran out? Oh man, I'd definitely wish for that.”
Goemon laughed at his barely serious attempts. “No, not any of those,” he said. “My mother caught ill when I was a child, so I promised her I would fold a thousand paper cranes so that I could wish for her to get better. For months I sat by her side, folding paper cranes the entire day.”
“How many did you make?”
“I reached seven hundred and forty-five, and only at age ten,” he stated with obvious pride.
“Damn, that’s more than half! Why didn’t you keep going?”
There was a pause from Goemon, an uncomfortable one, and the entire mood changed. He looked out the window with a solemn expression. Jigen watched his smile fall.
“Because there was no reason to.”
It took Jigen a few seconds to realize what he meant, and that was a few seconds too long.
“Oh... Oh. Oh, shit.” Jigen didn’t know what to do. He felt frozen in place, and even more frozen in what to say. His fingers twitched, not sure if he should reach out to him or just stay where he was. He ultimately sighed. “Goemon... I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Goemon turned to him and gave him his best reassuring smile. “Please, don’t apologize. It’s not your fault, and it’s been years already, but I appreciate your kindness, Jigen. I really do.” He takes Jigen’s hand unexpectedly and gently places the paper crane in his palm. “Here, you can keep this.”
“Oh... uh, thanks.” Jigen closes his hands around the origami piece. He expects him to pull away, but Goemon keeps his hands enclosed around his (and he thinks the warmth is a welcome sensation this cold morning). “And hey, it’s nice to know a little more about your past. You’re not really one to talk about it.”
“That reminds me, I realized I’ve told no one else that story before. Not even Murasaki knows.”
“Woah, not even your ex-fiancé? Are you getting comfortable with me, Goemon?”
Goemon catches the hint of humor in Jigen’s voice. He squeezes his hands in his once before letting go completely. “Don’t test it.” He smirks and moves away to take a photo of something else. “Oh, also, can you make me some coffee?”
“Hm? I thought you always preferred tea.”
“I do. Maybe I just have a change of heart today.”
The samurai goes back to his camera and starts preparing for his next photograph. With no further questions, Jigen goes to the kitchen counter to get the coffee machine running. He doesn’t know what kind of coffee Goemon likes, and by the camera clicking in the background, he doesn’t think Goemon will answer him as long as he’s busy. In the end, he ended up making Goemon a cup that sat right in the middle of bitter and sweet.
When Jigen looks back, Goemon is already putting down his camera and on his way to the table. He places the cup in front of him.
“Smells nice,” Goemon simply states.
“What about the taste?”
He brings it up to his mouth to blow the hot steam out before taking the tiniest of sips. Goemon purses his lips and squeezes his eyes shut as the hot liquid slides down his throat.
Jigen hums. “You don’t like it.”
“No, no. That’s not true,” Goemon manages to voice out. He coughs into his hand. “Just a little bitter, that’s all.”
“Should have figured out you have a sweet tooth by now. Hold on, I’ll get the sugar and creamer for you.”
After placing the sugar on the table, Jigen sits across from him. “Can I see the photos you took this morning?” He asked as Goemon added at least three heaping teaspoons of sugar into his coffee.
“You already saw them. The ones with the paper crane.”
“No, not that one. The ones you took while I was making you coffee.”
“Oh, those?” Goemon takes a sip of the coffee. “Those are purely for practice. I’ve discarded them already.”
“Huh, and I thought you were keen on saving up on your Polaroid films.”
“Speaking of films... Could you do a favor for me, Jigen?”
Jigen perks up. “Yeah?”
“I checked my stock of Polaroid films this morning and realized I only have ten left. Would it be possible for you to drive me to the nearest photo store? It’s not that far.” Goemon looks away. “That is, if you’re not busy, of course.”
“You think I’d rather stay cooped up here with Lupin and Fujiko on a Saturday? ‘Course I’m saying yes.”
“Good. We’ll go right after lunch.”
“Or do you wanna go before? A Vietnamese restaurant near us just opened up and I wanted to try it out. Do you wanna join me?”
Goemon glances at him with an expression he couldn’t read. It doesn’t last long when a small smile reaches his face. “Maybe you’re the one getting comfortable with me, Daisuke.” Jigen nearly chokes. That was the first time he’s ever heard his first name out of his mouth. Goemon continues to calmly sip on his coffee. “Sure. I haven’t had Vietnamese food before, anyway.”
Right before the clock struck one in the afternoon, Jigen and Goemon were already back in the Fiat after their lunch at the Vietnamese restaurant. The food was good and fresh and thank God fresh spring rolls are generally cold so Goemon didn’t have to worry about taking too long to snap a picture of their meal.
They drove their way to the photo store. Apparently, Goemon told him he’s never visited the inside before and has only ever looked inside from the storefront. Jigen finds the visual of the store’s cashier fearing behind the counter while Goemon, in all his intimidating glory, stares at a camera model for longer than he should, extremely funny.
“Right here. Just around the corner.” Goemon points at the store just before they make a turn.
Jigen parks the Fiat in front. “You’re just getting new Polaroid films, right? Nothing else?”
“Yes.” Goemon readies the sling bag of his camera and unlocks the car door. He pauses for a moment before looking back at Jigen. “Can you come with me?”
“Why? You gonna make me pay for something there?”
“Nonsense. You already paid for lunch a while ago. Come on, let’s go.”
Goemon exits the Fiat before Jigen can retort. He rolls his eyes and unlocks his seatbelt. Goemon sure knows how to get his way with people. Either that, or Jigen just can’t say no to him anymore.
They both make their way into the store. It was a cute little run-down shop filled with all things photography. It displayed second hand camera models at the front, and Jigen hopes they can get to wiping off the layer of dust that’s already coating the top soon. When they enter, Goemon immediately goes to the Polaroid film section without a word. Jigen shrugs. Goemon wasn’t one to waste time. He hangs out at the picture frame section of the store first, just to wait for Goemon to finish.
Five minutes pass and Goemon still has paid nothing at the counter yet. Does he seriously take that long to choose a Polaroid film? He goes to where Goemon was and finds him staring at another Polaroid camera display. This one was a newer model, smaller and probably took better quality photos than the one Goemon has now. Goemon was looking at it like a child ogling at the coolest action figure at the toy store, and the only thing separating him from it was a glass box.
Jigen gets himself right behind Goemon and leans down to whisper, “If you really want it that much, you can steal it. I don’t know if you forgot, but we kind of do it for a living.”
“You know I have more dignity than that,” he whispers back.
“You’re right. Want me to call Lupin to steal it for you, then?”
Goemon chuckles and lightly nudges Jigen from the front. “Come on. Let’s go pay.”
When they return to the Fiat, Goemon finally has a new set of Polaroid films to use up. Jigen grunts as he gets himself comfortable on the car seat. “Alright. You ready to head home?”
“Actually...” Goemon starts, looking away. “I have one more favor to ask, if that’s alright.”
“Yeah, go shoot.”
“There’s a nature preserve near here and I was wondering if you could bring us there. I’ve been planning to take pictures there for a while now and I thought today would be appropriate to go.”
Damn, Jigen’s really spoiling him, isn’t he? Not that he minds.
He checks his watch. It’s only two in the afternoon, and he’s sure Lupin isn’t looking for them right now. If Goemon really wants to go snap pictures of some trees or something, then he’s sure they’ve got the time. He lifts his head up. “You know what? Why not? As long as you don’t take too long, then I’m down.”
And the funny thing is, Jigen thinks, is that he doesn’t mind if Goemon took all the time in the world.
The sounds of constant camera snapping could annoy anyone, but at this point Jigen had gotten so used to them he could practically fall asleep to it. And what was he supposed to do? Tell Goemon to stop? The man was taking photos of every nook and cranny of green he could find, and with a new batch of Polaroids, he’s definitely not going to stop anytime soon.
Goemon is very much in his element when he’s with nature, Jigen finds. He belongs in it. After all, Goemon was always the more solemn one out of the gang. Always calm and serene, just like the trickling forest they found themselves in. And watching him weave through the lush trees and seeing his face light up with every pretty plant or flower to take a picture of is a delight Jigen’s kind of glad only he gets to experience.
Although Jigen followed him around like an awkward babysitter watching over a kid in a candy store, Goemon always filled him in with the several types of plants, trees and flowers. He never knew Goemon was so knowledgeable when it came to botany, but here he was giving Jigen a lecture about the difference between an acacia tree and a teak tree. But just like photography, he doesn’t mind. He enjoys it. He enjoys seeing Goemon like this.
“Oh, look!” Goemon gasps and runs up to a tall purple flower standing peacefully on a patch of grass. “You never see this kind around these parts. This is rare.” He keeps a distance from it, kneels down and lifts the Polaroid camera to his eyes and snaps a picture.
Jigen kneels down beside Goemon. “What’s this?”
“Japanese Iris. They usually grow near water, so I didn’t expect to see them here.”
“Huh. Looks pretty cool.” He reaches out to touch the vibrant petals. It’s only a split second when there’s a blur in his vision and suddenly another hand has caught his mid-way. He looks at the owner of the hand beside him. “Hey, what gives?”
“They’re also poisonous.”
“Oh.”
Goemon doesn’t let go, instead he stands up, bringing Jigen with him by the hand. “Come, let’s go somewhere else before we get poisoned here.” He lets go of his hand and makes his way deeper into the preserve, and Jigen could still feel the warmth from Goemon linger from on his hand. He tries not to think about it.
They walk around a little more, old and new leaves crunching beneath their feet with every step. A sharp, distinct chirp echoed through the trees. Goemon pauses in his tracks and looks up. Jigen follows suit and sees a bird gliding across the leaves, settling on one of the higher branches of a wide, towering tree. He squints his eyes, tilting his head up far enough and sees the bird tending to a nest
As Jigen watches the little fella do its thing, he sees in the corner of his eye Goemon already pulling up the sleeves of his kimono back with a strap of fabric. “Oh no... Don’t tell me you’re going to–”
“–climb the tree to take a picture? Why not?”
“Just didn’t know you were that determined. Want me to stay under the tree just in case you fall?”
“I’m not going to fall.” Goemon ties a knot behind his back to secure his sleeves. He first shoves his Polaroid camera back in his bag. Reaching up the closest branch he could grab, Goemon began testing its sturdiness. Tugging once, twice on the base of the branch, then on the third, he pulls himself up using the trunk as a support.
Goemon was a lot quicker at climbing than Jigen thought, watching him weave through the branches and leaves was almost hypnotizing, not to mention nerve-wracking. Goemon was far up. Like, really far up.
It got even worse when he stopped and carefully pulled the Polaroid out of his bag, all while trying to balance on a branch and holding onto the trunk. Jigen felt like he was watching a balancing act disaster just waiting to happen.
Thankfully, it didn’t last as long as he thought it would be. Goemon managed to snap a picture with only one hand, clearly an improvement from that time he took a photo of that melting ice cream cone, and it only took a short while for the Polaroid to print out the photo before shoving the camera back in his bag. He was already on his way down before he knew it.
Goemon was already close to the grassy floor as he descended the tree. Just when Jigen thought his near heart attacks were over, he heard a gut-wrenching snap as Goemon stepped on his last branch. Jigen felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. He lurched forward just in time to catch Goemon in his arms, grabbing him by his torso before he could hit the ground.
There’s a moment of pause, and both parties stood frozen in their place. Jigen looked down at Goemon, who shared the same look of shock as him. Now this is the closest he's been to Goemon. Physically, that is. Goemon’s eyes look really pretty up close. Have they always looked that nice? That somehow makes his already pounding heart beat faster.
He keeps his cool, however. He swallows nothing and breaks the silence. “Worth dying for, huh?”
“Yup.”
Goemon doesn’t pull away. Instead, he holds up the Polaroid picture he took, a humble bird’s nest already housing a couple of eggs atop a branch. A pretty impressive picture, considering he took it with only one hand while almost risking fatal injury. The giddy grin on Goemon’s face makes it worth it.
He pushes himself out of Jigen’s arms and unties the strap to let his sleeves down. “Thanks for catching me.” A look of concern washes over his face. “Did I scare you?”
“Not really,” Jigen lied. “I’ve seen you go through worse. I could’ve not caught you just for shits and giggles.”
“And yet you didn’t."
Jigen didn’t know how to respond to that.
Thankfully, he didn’t need to when Goemon pulled out his camera again and opened it up. “I think I’ll keep going from here, but you don’t have to follow me anymore. I’m afraid I might take longer than expected.”
“So, what do you want me to do? Go back to the car?”
“No, no. That’s not necessary. We’re already a good distance from it.” Goemon looks around and points at a stump amongst the trees. “Just sit there and wait for me.”
With that, Goemon had already gone off farther into the forest. Jigen doesn’t even try to object. He simply goes up to the lone stump and sits down. How long was he going to wait here? Hopefully long enough to rest his legs. God, they were starting to ache.
He pulls out his cigarette pack and lighter from his jacket to smoke.
“There you are! I was starting to think you climbed another tree and fell to your death.”
Goemon laughed as he made his way towards Jigen. “Fortunately not.”
Jigen stands up and stretches his legs. “So, are we heading back now or what?” He asks.
“Actually... I found a nice spot we could check out.”
“Is it far?”
“Not much. Come on, I’ll show you.”
He led him through the forest to a small hill where the trees end. At the bottom of the hill was a fence, shielding them from falling off the edge. Jigen didn’t even know the nature preserve was so high up. He could even see the cityscape below him and they had the perfect view of sunset, its golden light washing over them.
Jigen and Goemon stand at the peak of the hill, looking down at all the buildings below them.
“Damn, you weren’t lying. This is nice. So, what are you gonna picture?”
“I didn’t bring you here to take photos. I just brought you here to rest with me.”
Jigen tilts his head. “I thought you already made me rest at that stump a while ago.”
“I know, but... I think this is better.”
Jigen looks out into the view, then back at Goemon. “Yeah. I think so too.”
Goemon persuades him to sit down beside him on the grassy hill, and Jigen happily complies. The wind is cool and the sunlight hitting their face is just the perfect warmth that it's almost impossible not to enjoy. Goemon’s right. This really was better.
Speaking of Goemon, he felt him shift a little beside him. He sits in his usual cross-legged position, his knee nudging Jigen’s a bit. Naturally, he would move a little to the other side to give Goemon some space, but he doesn’t. He welcomes the extra body heat, and Goemon doesn’t seem to mind, so why bother?
The same fluttering sensation blooms in his stomach again. He’s felt this before, and he’s usually very good at burying them until they’re six feet underground. He knows this feeling. Sweet nothings and one-night stands and short-lived pleasures. He recognizes it too well. Like what he said before, it’s a dangerous feeling, especially in this business he’s in where partners only last for as long as they live. And considering the nature of his work, they don’t last long.
Jigen catches a glimpse of Goemon beside him at the corner of his eye.
But in this moment, he realizes that Goemon was... different. The feeling wasn’t some desperate chase for desire he's experienced before. It was soft, pleasant. Like the place they found themselves in right now. He welcomes the fresh change of pace. Anyway, he’s getting a little tired of burying feelings. He’ll let it slide today. Just this once.
“It’s almost golden hour,” Goemon says softly, breaking his train of thought.
“Golden what?”
“Golden hour. It's a photography term. Meaning the hour when the sun’s set enough that the light looks golden. It’s best if you want photos with warm lighting.” He looks at Jigen, and notices him staring. “... why are you looking at me like that?”
Jigen shakes his head and keeps his eyes back on the sunset view. “Oh, nothing. It’s just that I never thought you were the artsy type. It’s kind of surreal.”
“Not exactly. I’ve never been talented in art. All I ever really know is how to play the flute. Painting, sketching, sculpting, I’m hopeless at those.” Goemon looks down at his camera and runs his thumb against its metal trimmings. “But photography is different. It’s not that I’m necessarily good at it, I just happen to enjoy it more.”
“What makes photography so different?”
“I find the concept of being able to capture moments and immortalize them in tiny Polaroids very intriguing. All the other technical aspects are just a second to that.”
“Huh, I guess that’s an interesting way to look at it.”
“Perhaps… I think it’s because when I was growing up after my mother died, I realized I barely had any mementos of her. Just some family heirlooms and maybe her clothes, but I practically had nothing personal to remember her by. I couldn’t even find a single photo of her. I wish I could. Sometimes I forget how she looks like these days.” Jigen sees a hint of sadness in Goemon’s eyes as he talks about his mother. He could tell he really adored her. “That’s why I keep so many pictures of the gang even when I despise being forced to take them, because if there’s anyone I would want to remember my whole life, it’s you guys.”
“I didn’t expect you to sound sappy, but damn, that’s actually really sweet of you.”
Goemon laughs. “I didn’t expect myself to be the sentimental type, either.” He looks at Jigen. “What about you? You certainly don’t seem to be the art type to me.”
“What?! You think I’m not the art type?” Jigen’s voice has never sounded so offended. “It may not look like it, but I’d like to let you know I majored in music back in college.”
Goemon hid his laughter behind a closed fist, but it faded as soon as he noticed Jigen’s face. He was serious. “Oh,” he simply says. “You’re not joking.”
“Nope. I really did study music before all this. I was even kind of passionate about it.”
“What kind?”
“Classical. I played all kinds of instruments, but I mainly played the cello.” Memories of a younger, strappier Jigen in a clean-cut tailcoat that hugged his shoulders too tight sweating at the backstage came to mind, and even more memories of dragging a cello case into a bus just to get home to an apartment that’s barely holding itself together, and demon music teachers who’d make sure every waking moment in practice was practically a military camp. Maybe his hair was a little shorter and his beard was still in the making. He pictured himself holding a cello again and could almost feel the strings and bow beneath his fingers trying to make sense of a music sheet. “Even got as far as playing in live orchestra concerts and recitals and crap. It was a pretty tame era of my life.”
Goemon looked at him like he was an enigma, his mouth slightly agape.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No, I’m just trying to imagine it.”
“Yeah, I don’t blame you. I was practically a different person back then.”
“I wonder, why did you quit?"
“Well, I badly needed cash for food and rent, and my music career wasn’t cutting it. The auditions were coming in slow and I wasn’t even getting in shows at one point. Even if I did, the money I would get wouldn’t be enough. And the next best thing I knew how to do well was shoot a gun, so one thing came to the next, and...” Jigen gestured to himself. “Here I am.”
First, Goemon gave him a look of pity, and then his face lit up like a light bulb popped up over his head. “You should play the cello for me sometime.”
“You sure you want that? I’m really rusty and I wanna save your ears the trouble.”
“I’m sure you’d be wonderful. At least let me hear you play at least once some day?”
Jigen turns to him, trying to find some hint of mockery or teasing, but Goemon was really, truly genuine. How could he say no? “Ah, fine, if you really want to. But we’re gonna have to steal a cello together first, and you’re gonna carry the damn thing.”
A fond smile pulls at the corner of Goemon’s lips. “Sounds like a plan.”
They go back to comfortable silence. Unbeknownst to Goemon, Jigen daydreams about stealing a cello with him. It didn’t seem too much of a bad idea, and the thought of him and Goemon stupidly sneaking into a music shop in the middle of the night to steal the worst instrument you could possibly think of stealing without getting caught is amusing to him.
He’d probably fuck up the first few times when he tries to glide the bow against the strings, probably cringe at his own playing, but he knows Goemon would be patient with him. And hey, doesn’t Goemon know how to play the flute? Maybe they could do some jamming together. Just the two of them, just like how they are right now.
“Jigen,” Goemon interrupts his daydream.
“Yeah?"
“I need another favor from you.”
“You’re just full of favors today, hm?”
“This one’s simple, I promise.”
“Alright, what is it?”
Goemon holds up his Polaroid camera and unfolds it. A twinge of hope pulses inside Jigen. Is he finally gonna take a photo of me?
“Could you–” He looks down at his Polaroid and almost looks embarrassed. He holds it out to Jigen. “–please take a photo of me?”
“Uh...”
“It’s golden hour already, and I don’t want to miss it. I haven’t had a proper solo picture of myself yet, and I was wondering if you could take it for me.”
Yup, and that twinge of hope just burst into a thousand pieces of disappointment. Still, he takes the Polaroid from him. “Sure. I just have to press this button here, right?”
“Yes. Just center it on me.”
“Got it.” Jigen brings the viewfinder to his eye. He centers it on Goemon and stills his hands. Just when he’s about to take a photo, he takes a second to look at Goemon again. He frowns and puts down the camera.
“Is there something wrong, Jigen?”
“Not really. It’s just... you’re not smiling.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“No, but I thought since it was your first picture of yourself, you might wanna look a little happier.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll smile.”
He brings the viewfinder back, and- nope. Goemon’s still not smiling. In fact, he looks more distressed than anything, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed like he doesn't know what to do with them. When Jigen brings down the Polaroid again, Goemon sighs.
“I apologize. I can’t find it in myself to force myself to smile.”
“Force? You don’t have to force it.”
“Then at least help me think of things that would make me smile.”
“Hm...” Jigen racks his brain for an answer. “... your Zantetsuken?”
“I’ve used it to kill before. Not a very happy memory.”
“What about that one time Lupin gave in and treated you to Japanese food when we were in the Philippines?”
“The food took too long and they got my order wrong twice. Their miso soup also tasted like sewer water.”
“Yeesh. Alright, what about money?”
“Materialism goes against all my values.”
“... Murasaki?”
Goemon raised a brow. “Are you serious, or are you treading on dangerous waters on purpose?”
“Fine! What about Fujiko?” Jigen was about to give up.
He broke and chuckled at that one, his smile crinkling the corner of his eyes. “Do I look like Lupin to you?”
“There! Keep that there!” Jigen quickly puts the camera up to his face and focuses on Goemon, who was finally smiling. He snaps the photo before the smile has a chance to fade away. The Polaroid buzzed and a film popped out from the bottom. He hands it to Goemon.
Goemon waits for the Polaroid film to clear up with baited breath. It takes a moment, but when the photo takes shape, Goemon squints at it, taking in every detail as fast as he can before lending it to Jigen. “What do you think?”
Jigen takes the film off his hold. He looks at the way Goemon genuinely looks happy in the photo, and appreciates the way the golden sunlight hits and frames his face with all the shadows it creates. It was a damn good photo.
“I think you look more handsome when you smile,” Jigen answers.
For the first time in his life, he sees Goemon splutter. Though the sun was setting, he could catch a shade of red painting his face. Goemon looks away, and he knows he’s rendered him speechless.
He coughs. “I meant the picture. What do you think of it?”
“Oh.” Jigen feels like driving off the cliff from embarrassment, but he somehow keeps it together. “I think it’s pretty good. The warmth of the photo makes it different from the rest of your collection. The golden hour thing really helped.”
Goemon nods, agreeing with him. He asks Jigen if they could stay for a while, at least until the sun is gone. Jigen says yes, of course, but inside he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to wait until the sun sets. He wants this to last longer than that. Until the moon comes, at least. Or until the whole night passes so they can watch the sun come up again. He just wants a little more. He wants more of this with Goemon.
Jigen wishes golden hour could last forever.
Eventually, the mosquitoes got to them, and Jigen did not want to deal with that. They hurried back to the Fiat before they could get lost in the forest's darkness.
The trip back home was uneventful, and they were both satisfied enough with the day. When they returned to their hideout, nobody was there. Lupin and Fujiko probably went out themselves too.
Goemon places the cluster of Polaroids he took at the nature preserve on top of the coffee table. He took a lot more than Jigen thought. “Just give me a moment. I’ll get my album so that I can add them to the collection.” He goes off into his room.
Once Goemon was out of sight, Jigen looked at the Polaroid films laying on the coffee table. Filled with curiosity, he wondered what Goemon took photos of at the nature preserve. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to check.
He picks up a random bunch, and the first photo he sees is the one they took on the hill. He smiled at that one. Then he goes to the next one, the trunk of a mossy tree riddled with vines, then the next photo was a plant he couldn’t be bothered to identify, then a flower, then another plant, a berry bush, a photo of him sitting at the stump, another flower again, then–
Wait, what?
Jigen goes back, his eyes widening at what he just saw. He brings the photo back in front. It was a picture of him smoking his cigarette from the stump. It was a little far, but there was no doubt it was him. Jigen felt like lightning struck his entire being. He quickly shuffled through the stack, and sure enough, there was another photo of him sitting at the stump, this time nearer and without his hat on, looking away into the distance. Jigen remembered when he had to take it off because the heat was getting to him. He looked through more of them, and more did he find. Some blurry, some were failed attempts, some perfectly clear. Nonetheless, they were still pictures of him that he never knew existed.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Something shifts in his corner of Jigen’s eye and he looks up from the Polaroids. Goemon was standing right in front of him, a look of horror evident in his eyes, realizing what Jigen had just seen like he’s unveiled a horrible secret.
Jigen doesn’t know what to say, or at least, he doesn’t know what to say to not scare Goemon.
“Goemon...” He starts, trying to make his voice as nonconfrontational as possible. “Did you take these?” He asks as he holds up a Polaroid of himself.
Goemon stares at him, standing still like a deer caught in the headlights. It takes a moment, but he finally nods.
Jigen hums. At least he’s honest. “And are these the only ones?”
The album in Goemon’s arms is suddenly being hugged closer to his chest, his arms like a cage around them. That was enough of an answer. Jigen sighs. He reaches a hand out, asking Goemon to hand him the album. Despite his defensiveness, Goemon huffs and lends it to him.
He flips the album to its first page, and it was what he expected, encountering the pictures he and Goemon have sorted through before. Flipping through more of the pages, he notices another photo of him. It was a candid shot of him smoking on the balcony early in the morning. His back was to the camera, and it almost looks cinematic. On another page, amongst the pictures around the hideout he’s taken, was a shot of Jigen reading his magazine with his feet propped up the coffee table, too invested in whatever he was reading to notice Goemon taking photos of him. Jigen always thought Goemon was just taking photos around the hideout while he was busy, but he never knew he was a part of it. Then, just where his collection ends, he found a photo of him making coffee for Goemon from this morning. His back was to the camera, and he could see his unkempt morning hair in all its glory.
The album was littered with photos of him. There wasn’t a ton, but it wasn’t uncommon either. All of them were candid shots of him doing the most mundane things. He wasn’t angry at Goemon. No, of course not. He was just confused.
“Why didn’t you just ask me?” Jigen asked, his voice sounding dejected.
“The photos always looked better as stolen shots,” Goemon said, looking at the floor. He says a little quieter, “I always thought you looked more beautiful that way.”
It’s Jigen’s turn to be rendered speechless. He tries not to dwell on the fact that Goemon said ‘more beautiful’ and not just ‘beautiful’ . Jigen can't help the heat crawling up his face. Neither of them said anything. The tension in the air, whether from awkwardness or something else, was too strong.
Fortunately, Goemon was brave enough to cut it. “If you want me to stop taking photos of you, just say the word and I won’t do it again.”
“What? No!” Jigen said, sounding a little more defensive than he thought. Goemon’s head shot up, eyes widened and looking at him like he’s just grown a second head. “Look, it’s a little creepy that you took these without asking, but I don’t hate it.”
“You don’t?”
“‘Course I don’t! Just ask me to pose for you next time. I won’t bite.”
Jigen hands him back his album, and Goemon accepts it rather hesitantly. He’s still looking at him, and tries to open his mouth to say something in response but struggles. “I-I apologize, Jigen. To be honest, the thought of asking you came across my mind several times, but I was too much of a coward to ask. I thought I would have been more of a bother to you than I already am ever since you started helping me sort out my photos.”
Jigen brought a hand to Goemon’s shoulder. “Goemon, if you ever thought you were a bother to me with this whole photography thing, just know I could have shot your foot instead of helping you when Lupin told me to move you out of the way.”
Goemon chuckles at that, and in a second, any sort of tension between them melted away. “You have a way with words, Daisuke.”
Jigen swears Goemon calling him by his first name is going to be the death of him someday. It makes him smile anyway. He makes his way to the coffee table to sit down on the floor and gathers all the Polaroid stacks to line them up across the table like playing cards.
“Come on, let’s get to sorting these babies out,” he said. “I wanna see if you got my good side.”
It’s a Friday, and it was also not a heist day, which means Lupin’s not at the hideout and Jigen and Goemon have the rest of the day to themselves. Hopefully, he doesn’t cause trouble or else they have to drop whatever they’re doing to save his ass again.
So while that hasn’t happened yet, Jigen savors his time here on the balcony, smoking away with whatever he’s got. Goemon’s inside the hideout probably meditating, or debating with himself again in what order he should organize his album. That seems to be his new obsession as of late.
The sun was also setting, its radiance already turning into a warm, yellow light, or as Goemon likes to call it, golden hour. The sunlight was generous today, pouring over the balcony and creating crisp shadows on the floor.
Jigen’s just about halfway done through his cigarette when he feels someone tap his shoulder. He looks behind him and finds Goemon with the Polaroid in his hand. The samurai shyly holds up the camera, and Jigen already knows what he means. No words needed.
“Okay then, what will it be?”
“Just a candid shot of you smoking from the side. The lighting looks immaculate from here.”
“Got it, boss,” Jigen says as he readies himself, trying his best to look natural for Goemon. It’s a lot harder than it looks and the more he tries to relax, the more tense he gets. He shifts his feet and couldn’t decide whether to lean on his left leg or his right. Goemon goes to his side on the balcony and holds up the camera.
“Calm down, Jigen. You’re not trying to model for a magazine. It’s just me.”
“I’m trying here, man.”
“Just take a smoke and ignore me. You will feel more relaxed.”
Jigen does what he’s told and takes another puff of his cigarette. It helps when he exhales. Goemon narrows his eyes, trying to imagine the shot, and shoves his Polaroid in his bag. He reaches out and brings his hands to Jigen’s jacket first, smoothing down any wrinkles he sees and pinching his collar. Jigen stays still for him and hopes Goemon couldn’t hear his heartbeat from there. Looks like he still hasn't shaken off the habit of prepping his subjects before taking a photo. His breath hitches when Goemon goes for his tie to loosen it, probably for that natural rugged look or whatever he’s going for.
“You done yet?”
Goemon tilts his hat down slightly before letting go. “Done. Now look out into the distance.”
Jigen nods and tries to act as natural as possible. He brings the cigarette to his mouth and exhales to relax, but the sudden click of Goemon’s camera snaps him out of it.
“Already?”
Goemon watches the Polaroid film print itself out. “It’s called a candid shot for a reason.” He waits for it to clear up and once it does, nods at the photo and shows it to Jigen.
“Looks pretty good to me.”
“Good. Now I just need one more photo.”
“Sure, what do I do?”
“Nothing much. Just a picture of you smiling at the camera for me.”
“Now that’s much easier to do.” He loosens up one more time and tightens his tie again.
Goemon readies his Polaroid. “And... can we do it without the hat?”
Jigen gives him a thumbs up and picks his hat off his head. He hands it to Goemon, who instead of putting it somewhere else, places it on his own head. It’s an oddly endearing view, Jigen thinks, of seeing Goemon wearing his own hat.
“Get ready.” Goemon brings the viewfinder to his eye level but pauses. “Do I need to do anything to make you smile, too?”
“Nah, I already got that covered,” Jigen said, looking at him.
Goemon nods and Jigen smiles at the camera’s lens, leaning against the balcony rails just to look cool. The Polaroid pops out from the bottom and Goemon picks it up. He goes up to Jigen to let the both of them watch it develop. It was a simple photo, but Goemon knows it’s already a favorite amongst his collection.
“This is good. I’ll keep it.”
“Hey, you’re not even gonna bother to ask what the subject of the photo thinks?”
“Even if you think it’s bad, I still plan to keep it.”
Jigen smirks. “Then it’s a good thing I think it’s pretty neat too.”
“Would you like to have it?”
“What?” He shakes his head. “No, you should keep it. It’s way safer with you. I would lose that thing in a second.”
“Perhaps...” Goemon looks out from the balcony view. The city lights are starting to show from the little windows in the distance, and the sky’s turning into a beautiful purple hue, creating a gradient with the orange from the last of the remaining sunlight. The wind is cool against their skin, and Goemon almost forgets he’s wearing Jigen’s hat when the breeze almost blows it away, so he gives it back to him. “Do you have any plans tonight?”
Jigen smokes his cigarette. “You trying to ask me out?” He asks nonchalantly.
Goemon glares at him, but they both know there’s no poison behind it. Jigen chuckles and sets his hat back on his head. “Nope. Got no plans at all. Just gonna lounge around all day until Lupin ropes us into the next shitshow he’ll get himself into.”
“Oh. If that’s the case, can I lounge around with you?”
Jigen exhales, and Goemon could see a sliver of his eye under his hat. “You think I’m gonna say no?”
And that was all Goemon needed. He smiled and settled himself beside Jigen. He usually hates the scent of smoke, especially when he’s this close while Jigen’s smoking. It intoxicates his nose and it takes forever to get the smell off his body, but tonight, he doesn’t mind at all.
They sit in the silence, the other’s presence comfy enough that it almost feels domestic. Goemon feels a spark in his own being when Jigen’s shoulder brushes against his, like an old candle wick was just lit aflame. He clutches the Polaroid film in his hands and watches the cars from below to distract himself.
“Ah, shit.” Jigen pats the pockets under his jacket, trying to search for something. “I think I just ran out of cigarettes.”
“Don’t you still have some in your room?”
“Those ran out too. Looks like I’m gonna have to head to the store real quick.” He makes his way to the balcony entrance and looks back at Goemon. “Don’t you go anywhere, alright?”
“Not planning to.”
Jigen throws him a thumbs up and goes away. Goemon watches him exit the door and waits for a few seconds before looking back at the Polaroid picture in his hand, the one of Jigen smiling. He admires the way his hair's slightly unkempt, his lax posture, and the carefree smile donning on his face. Goemon realizes Jigen doesn’t smile that much, or at least he doesn’t smile like this often. So having this moment captured in print makes it even more special than it already is, especially to him.
The sunlight is completely gone now. The once golden sky has shifted to a gorgeous dark blue. Though the breeze was getting colder as the sun passed, Goemon can still feel a warmth settle in his chest every time his eyes lay on the Polaroid picture. He rarely feels this way. In fact, he thought he was no longer capable of it, yet Jigen manages to create a spark within his very being. And if he was being honest with himself, he always has since the moment they went up that hill, under the amber sunset. Goemon runs a thumb over the Polaroid film and smiles.
The most endearing things happen at golden hour.