[Novel: Venus Syndrome] [255] From a Single Photograph
The summer camp for the "Colchicum Association," an organization for individuals born without arms—so-called "Venus children—has concluded in Urabandai. (Episode245th) The following week, the desk of office staff member Tsubasa Hashigami was piled high with shipping slips and draft reports. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare application documents, equipment lists, photo data—her body was exhausted, but her mind was spinning in neutral. Just then, an email arrived. The sender was a name she didn't recognize. The subject line was "Consultation regarding my grandmother's memories." The tone of the message was quiet. Her grandmother, who has dementia, had started saying, "There is a place I want to visit one more time." She seems to remember it was about 10 years ago, but the location is unknown; all she remembers is that "a woman without arms was taking pictures in a dress." Following that clue, the sender continued searching online, eventually stumbling upon terms like "
Torso-san
" and "Venus children," which led them to the Colchicum Association—that was the sequence of events. Attached was a backlit indoor photo. Beyond a large glass window, there were white buildings and trees. In the foreground, a woman with short hair was sitting. Seen from behind. On the table were a glass and an old-model smartphone.
It seems the person in the photo is the requester's grandmother herself. But perhaps the person who remained in her memory was someone else who had been standing there. Tsubasa frowned. (It certainly "looks like it.") The window frame, the way the light enters, the texture of the furniture. A luxury hotel, or perhaps a facility converted from a Western-style mansion. It's suitable for standing a torso for a dress photoshoot. But—that was all. "A person without arms" was just a starting point. It wasn't about who it was, but rather that "such a person was in the scenery"—that was the memory that left a strong impression, she thought. Switching screens, Tsubasa logged into an old SNS account. An account for "Toru-Comi" that she had created and abandoned during a time when she almost quit the Colchicum Association (
Episode
125
th
), when she was interested in torsos. (
Episode144th) It was still active. She posted the photo and wrote a short message.
"It is believed to have been taken about 10 years ago. If anyone has any idea about the location, please contact me."
There was no reaction for a while, but as evening came, comments began to trickle in.
"Oh, that looks like a fancy place."
"Looks like a port town? Maybe Nagasaki?"
"Isn't this Felice's exhibition?"
"There's something atmospheric about this back..."
They were all guesses she couldn't confirm. Tsubasa gave a wry smile and was about to close her computer.
At that moment, one comment arrived.
"This is Kobe, right? It's the Kitano Foreigner's Residence. It's a Western-style hotel on the way up the hill, and it used to be used for photoshoots."
She knew from the writing style. It was Ran Yabuuchi. (Episode159th)
"It's a place converted from an old building, and the second-floor windows are distinctive. I was also photographed there wearing a dress about 10 years ago. The person in this photo isn't me, but I remember the place. These windows make a creaking sound."
Ran was a first-generation former torso. She has since retired from being a torso and works in her hometown of Osaka, but the accuracy of her memory remained as sharp as ever.
"It's on the upper floor, but I think it's the same building. I remember they were arguing about not having enough lighting during the shoot. A staff member gave me ice water; I remember she was a nice girl."
This "insignificance" was strangely reliable. Tsubasa immediately compiled the report for the requester.
A hotel in the Kitano Foreigner's Residence district of Kobe. It is a historic building still in operation today, often used for photoshoots. Based on cross-referencing with the testimony of someone who was active as a torso at the time, it is believed with a high degree of certainty that the location in the photo is there.
A few days later, a reply arrived.
My mother smiled as if relieved, saying, "So it was Kobe." I don't know who it was or what the photoshoot was for anymore, but she just kept repeating, "The breeze felt so good." Thank you very much for your help.
Tsubasa turned her smartphone face down and opened her computer. There was still one day left until the report submission deadline. It didn't matter who was in the photo. They were just there, at that time. Someone hadn't forgotten that scenery. That alone was enough. #AINovel #Novel #VenusChild #VenusSyndrome #TsubasaHashigami #FromASinglePhotographLiteraryAward