They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and if a picture is worth that much to someone who’s hardly involved in the instance, then it must be worth far, far more to the people actually involved, priceless even. Now that’s something to paint the books with. Physical evidence of everything he’s done and not — ah. well, that doesn’t matter at all.
Whether or not these photos are flattering (and some do lack that grace, as if someone took them sneakily with a shaking camera, but there’s no telling if the camera had been shaken on purpose, because the cameraman’s head is impossible to get inside), they still make up every last inch of the historical records of the great Enomoto Mineo!
A fool’s defeated face is worth more than its weight in gold, or something like that, said Takeru, maybe. Mineo doesn’t actually know, because as soon as he heard fool or idiot or whatever that high-class insult was, he turned him right out…
…in a totally-not-because-he-was-so-insulted-that-Yanagi-senpai-had-to-calm-him-down fit, but who’s counting details, at all?
(Perhaps it’s Hoshino, or Okazaki, or Yanagi, or even Shiraishi, for his own amusement, but that’s neither here nor there. What matters most to him is that no matter what, this will certain go down as yet another moment of his greatness!! …So, so long as they capture his good side at least fifty-percent of the time.)
In all honesty, no one knows why he’s laughing so confidently. All assumptions can be made that something good happened, or his head got stuck far in the clouds of delusion. Either way, he’s babbling on in total immersion over his fantasies, and it makes the picture painted all the more fun.
Cautiously, Hoshino prods his shoulder, trying to get his attention, but Mineo is simply too caught up in his internal fantasy, which… happens to be a picturesque romance scene between an undisclosed female and himself.
“It’s not worth trying reason with him, stupid cat.”
Comes a rather absent remark from Takeru. He then checks out of the conversation, but he will not be able to escape, not at all! The office is much too noisy for all that (it’s a surprise things get done, sometimes, but that are functional, to the shock of many, probably).
Hoshino laughs awkward, shaking her head. She’s just as stubborn, so she’s not going to give in. This is something that he asked her to do! How thoughtful she is, and great, and–
His incredible grace aside, she manages to beat out his fantasy and catch his attention! Act cool, collect himself… her calls were not bolt from the blue, so remember, remember, Mineo, why does she request you, of all people?
“Umm… Everyone’s here… S-So, you wanted to take a picture, right?”
Of course! What better a way to paint the picture of his every last aspect than to log this big detective office (family featuring the window crasher, but today, it can’t be helped) and all it has done so far! Of course, he will be front and center, and next to him, the greatest partner in the world. Maybe the other side, the one of the most reliable…
Hoshino shakes her head, noticing he’s right back in thoughts, and tries her best to gather everyone up, since now Mineo has been forewarned. She carefully does what she can to set everything up, setting a timer on the camera, before running back over to Mineo, and trying to get his head back in the game on time.
“Huh? Oh, right! This is–!”
“Quiet, already, so we can finish this, idiot.”
“Ichika-chan, if you’ll excuse me~”
“Oi, Okazaki, Hoshino’s supposed to–!”
“Hahaha… everyone, please…”
As if in a telling fashion, the photo turned out to be a disaster, but it really does put upon the canvas the tale of Enomoto Mineo, Hoshino Ichika, the Yanagi Detective Agency, and assorted incomers in their lives. Even if Hoshino’s laughing, he’s yelling, Yanagi’s eyes are closed, Mineo looks it over, and grins. He’ll have to get a picture with just her later, but this! This is one step, one mark, on everything they’ve done so far.
...And how much he’d miss it, once they go their separate ways, but that’s a story for another painting in the series, for another page of the book.