been a while, hasn't it? hahaha. im alright! I'm okay, don't worry ^^
im trying to get back to writing... just a little here and there to kill time. with that, uh... feel free to comment down a few requests here in this post below? ill pick a few and write it out :))
synopsis— after a long, exhausting day, you finally drag yourself home, every muscle aching and your mind still blank from work. just as you start to sink into the couch, your phone buzzes, and its none other than your lovely girlfriend. she floods you messages, checking on your well being to make sure you're okay. but little did you know, she's already on her way, carrying with her a little surprise she knew you'd love.
tags— just fluff.
word count— 2.1k
a/n: to whoever requested this, i am so sorry this took months to do 🥲
======================================
the moment you clock out, the sky has already turned navy. the streets were quiet—save for the frequent cars passing by and the winter wind blowing through the locks of your hair—and the few distant chatters of people who too finished their late night shift like you did.
today was a long one. you spent hours hunched over an old, worn novel, carefully hand stitching its spine with trembling fingers, spent hours observing a book’s pages through a magnifying glass—it was all meticulous work. but to you, it's a reward.
———
a heavy sigh slips past your lips as soon as you turn your front door open. you drag your feet as you step in, toss your bag onto the couch, then you flop face first into the cushions shortly after. for a few minutes, you let yourself drown in tranquil silence, easing the tension from your shoulders.
not long before you muster the strength to ready up for the night, your phone buzzes against your hip.
[ning 🦋❤️]:
you home yet?
a small smile tugs at your lips as you check her message. even when she's busy with her own schedules, yizhuo always has the knack for when you're clocking out. so of course, you had to make your reply to let her know you're fine.
[you]:
got home not too long ago… just lazing on the couch right now.
[ning 🦋❤️]:
that's good to know.
just stay there and hang on for a little longer! don't fall asleep just yet!
you slightly frown at the cryptic text, but you were too tired to even bother decoding whatever it is yizhuo meant. so you push yourself up the couch, moving on to perform your usual ritual of getting ready for the night—a quick steaming shower, putting on your softest pair of matching pajamas—before wandering back to the living room. then you switch open the tv to a random documentary, just for the background noise.
as soon as you collapse on the couch, your phone buzzes again.
[ning 🦋❤️]:
you're still awake, right?
lol take a look at this meme aeri eonnie showed me earlier
ning 🦋❤️ sent an image.
it's so stupid, i don't even know why im laughing at it.
…i have terrible humor, don't i?
you chuckle at the series of messages yizhuo sent, thumbs hovering over the screen as you attempt to make a reply. but the warmth of home and the low hum of the narrator's voice on the tv made the eyelids feel a little heavier than before. so the best you could do, was none other than to send a laughing sticker as a reply.
soon enough, your head drifts back against the cushion and you doze off for a little. but before you even reach dreamland, a series of knocks, followed by the ring of your doorbell startles you awake.
a few more impatient rings follow, and you push yourself off the couch. there's a specific rhythm to those impatient knocks and rings that you've come to recognize, so you don't feel the need to check the peephole and ask. because the moment you open the door, there she is.
ning yizhuo.
in the flesh, standing there in a loose sweater and sweatpants. looking like an absolute dream despite the later hour.
in one hand, she's holding a plastic bag that smells undeniably like the spicy fried chicken you've been craving all week. and on the other, another plastic bag full of drinks she knew would pair perfectly with it.
you blink once, twice, then the exhaustion on your shoulders miraculously melts away.
“what? why are you looking at me like that?” yizhuo asks, breaking the silence with a snort when she sees your messy-haired expression.
“you didn't have to spam my doorbell, you know…” you mumble, carefully stepping aside to let her in.
“sorry~” she replies, widely grinning at you as she steps in. then, she drops the plastic bags she brought with her on the dining table.
“i just wanted to make sure you're still alive and okay… it'll be very worrying if no one opens the door when spam your doorbell and knock like a maniac.” she continues, “and besides, can't i come unannounced?”
yizhuo begins taking everything out of the plastic bags. two boxes full of spicy fried chicken, two bottles full of soda—all the while with a smile plastered on her face.
“and you should know by now that i love surprising you this way… spoiling you like this brings me joy.”
you pause, and a foolish smile spreads across your face as you close the door behind her. and just like that, the quiet atmosphere of your apartment shifts—as if the air softened in her presence.
yizhuo then pulls out a smaller box, and she lifts it slightly in triumph.
you raise a brow. “there's more?”
“duh, of course there's more!” she replies, her brows creasing as if offended you even had to ask. “a whole feast of carbohydrates like this is incomplete without any dessert, you know?”
you shake your head with a soft scoff, then you move to help her arrange everything up on the table. but she gently nudges your hand away.
“nuh-uh, you're not doing anything.” she says, narrowing her eyes at you as she points at a chair. “sit down, sit down. you look like you're about to fold in half.”
“but—”
you hesitate, only to end up obeying as soon as she gives you a look—that look that meant for you to just shut up and let her do it. and when you do, she grins in victory.
“you know,” she begins, voice laced with high energy as she takes the seat beside you. this time, reaching out for a pair of chopsticks to hand it over to you before she gets her own.
“some guy ahead of me while I was in line had the audacity to change his order at the last minute.” she says, shaking her head in disbelief while you listen.
“and guess what? he held the entire line! like— sir. please just pick one and commit.”
a soft laugh slips from you, then you nod your head as you reach out to take a piece of chicken to feed your growing hunger.
“okay… so what happened next?” you ask.
“oh he picked a fight with the cashier,” she continues, and she reaches out for the liter bottle of soda. then she grabs two paper cups—provided when she bought all those takeout for you—before filling it up. “then he looked back at all of us to see if we were on his side.”
“I just gave him the biggest eye roll.” she adds, giggling in delight as she remembers each detail. “and that obviously pissed him off even more. I swear his mad face was the funniest thing I've ever seen!”
yizhuo moves a little closer, maybe because she just really misses you—just as much as you miss her.
“but hey, his face doesn't compare to yours.”
you stare at her, unimpressed.
“is that supposed to comfort me or what?”
“its supposed to, yes.” says she, this time picking a piece of chicken to feed you. “and also to remind you that you're the only one who can make me feel happier than that.”
“ah… so a pissed off man made you happy?” you ask, playfully feigning jealousy over such a simple matter for fun.
she narrows her eyes at you, then she bumps your shoulder with hers. “but I said that you make me happier than that!”
yizhuo laughs with you for a little while. then the teasing tone fades, replaced by the quiet again.
and for a moment, you don't know what to say. but she breaks the silence once more.
“so,” she starts, looking at you as she takes a sip of her cup of soda. a low rumble escapes her chest—half a groan, half a sigh—as she places her cup down. “what about you, babe? how was your day?”
you let out a small breath through your nose, and your shoulders sag as you let loose. “the usual.”
“you know… re-sewing loose pages, mending tears from ripped corners.” you say, feeding yourself as you speak. “but today, I focused on repairing spines.”
yizhuo's brows slightly lift in intrigue. “oh?”
“mhm… I had to re-thread the entire spine of someone's old novel, and that made my hands hurt.”
“awh… poor you…” she says with a pout on her lips. she then places her chopsticks down, reaching out to massage your hand as if that would be enough to soothe the tension.
yizhuo looks back at you, eyes soft in a way that welcomes butterflies in your stomach. not teasing, not dramatic, just simple and pure.
“...why are you looking at me like that?” you ask, trying to sound casual but she doesn't answer immediately.
instead her lips curl, and she lets out a deep exhale.
“nothing, nothing… I just miss you, that's all.”
there was nothing else but pure honesty, perhaps even longing in her voice. after all, who wouldn't be so full of longing after being apart for a little while?
yizhuo would.
and before you can recover, before you could even come with a reply, she speaks.
“...i know you miss me too, admit it.”
you scoff lightly, but you feel your ears warm. its true anyway.
“yeah…” you murmur, “i do miss you a lot… and this week felt somewhat boring without seeing you.”
soon enough, you both find yourselves giggling—laughing with one another as you both consume the rest of the takeout food she had brought for you both to chat over with.
———
the laughter lingers even after the food is gone.
crumbs scattered across the table, tissues tossed everywhere, and the soda has long lost its fizz. outside, the night deepens into something quieter, heavier—the kind of stillness that only comes during the late hours of the evening.
yizhuo's the one who remembers the dessert—the small cupcakes she bought last minute after getting those boxes of chicken both of you mercilessly devoured.
“oh crap, right!" she says, frantically searching the messy dining table for the small box she had set aside earlier. then, she opens it with exaggerated care so as to not ruin its decorations.
“we almost forgot about this!”
you watch her take one, handing it over to you first before she takes one for herself.
as you take a bite, the frosting is soft— its taste is a sharp contrast to the salt of the chicken you both ate. and as you do, you listen to her ramble a little more.
she rambled on about jimin's vacation with her friends, minjeong's attempt at trying something new, something aeri had told her a few days ago—and you tried to keep up, you really do. but your responses grow shorter, less vocal.
yizhuo doesnt notice it at first.
she kept going, gesturing with her cupcake as she talked, almost smearing frosting on herself.
by the time she barely heard a reply, only then did she stop.
“you tired?”
“...no, not one bit.” you mumble, though your voice comes out softer than intended.
yizhuo studies you for a moment. instead of teasing you about it, she simply hums and carefully reaches out to take the unfinished cupcake from your fingers. knowing full well that you're a little too full—and tired—to finish it.
“yeah right…” she chuckles, “that's enough. I think its just right that we both rest.”
before you can protest, she helps you up. guiding you at least away from the dining area before she clears the table—not thoroughly, not perfectly. just the bare minimum of gathering all the trash into one plastic bag.
you watch her move around, your head leaning lazily against the wall just beside her. now when she finishes, she walks back to you and takes your hand in hers.
“youre about to fall asleep standing there… is the wall better than pillows?”
“ning…” you weakly argued back, and a soft giggle escaped her lips as she walked through the hallways towards your room with you.
yizhuo helps you into the bed without commentary, and without teasing as soon as you both step foot into your bedroom.
she drapes the blankets over you, turns the night light on—knowing full well that you're one who couldn't sleep in a pitch dark room—before she herself joins you under the sheets.
she slides closer immediately.
one arm slips around your waist, while the other rests lightly against your back. she absentmindedly traces slow circles over the fabric of your shirt,
“sleep now, babe… we can continue all these tomorrow, hm?” she murmurs softly, her breath warm against your neck. “I'll still be here by the time you wake up.”
“...yeah?”
“yeah.”
your body relaxes fully against hers, tension melting away as her stash breathing falls into rhythm with yours. and just before you completely envelope yourself into sleep, yizhuo leaves a gentle kiss at your temple.
“good night.” she whispers. and somehow, the night doesn't feel lonely anymore.
synopsis— you never really liked the camera. you'd stiffen, tense, retreat, doubt yourself, but your photo-obsessed lover is determined to change that. thus through quiet, stolen, candid moments, she shows you a version of yourself you've never seen before.
tags— fluff, and a whole lot of bad writing :)
word count— 3.4k
the thing with minjeong is that she'd text you late at night, and her messages would hold not much context other than “you free tomorrow? let's go out!" or perhaps, “im stealing you for tomorrow cancel any meeting you have… or maybe ditch them, hehehe.”
they were always too vague, too simple. often leaving you with no choice but to reread it over and over, trying to fish out whatever it is that she means behind her lowercase words. in the end, you end up asking her to explain further anyway.
sometimes?
no.
oftentimes, she'd only reply back with a simple “just get ready! trust me on this, love.”
now here you are, taking slow strides along the aisles of multifarious paintings. the faint sound of footsteps echoes through the museum halls as you walk, and minjeong trails close behind you with her camera slung around her neck. her index finger subtly brushing the shutter button like she's ready to capture the only thing mattered to her: you.
“hey, check this painting out,” you call, stopping in front of a canvas with abstract colors and shapes. “you can see the brush strokes and it's detail… cool, don’t you think?”
then you turn, expecting to see her right beside you. but instead, you find her a few steps back with her camera raised to her face.
“...minjeong.”
“y-yes!” she answers back, her voice coming with a slight stutter as if she wasn't making an attempt to capture you just a moment ago. “what's up?”
your eyes narrow at her as you watch her draw a few steps closer. “didn't the museum curators say that photos aren't allowed?”
“of course they do!” she replies, her fingers fiddling around with the shutter of her camera. “but with no flash!”
you stare at her for a little longer, like your inner conscience tells you that she’s hiding something. then you shake your head to let it go, and a faint chuckle slips past your lips.
“whatever you say… but make sure that camera doesn't face me.”
“not even once?” minjeong inches closer, slow enough that you can see the subtle mischief in her grin. and when she’s close enough, she snakes her arm around yours in a gentle motion. “pleasee?”
“...you’re impossible.”
“says the one who ditched their plans to meet me~” she singsongs, gently swaying both your arms as you continue to walk through.
as you both walk past another row of paintings, she points at a piece on the wall. one that was bold and messy, with different hues of blue and yellow that barely made any sense to the naked eye.
“look!” she says, raising a free hand to point at it. “it’s us!”
you let out a disbelieving scoff, turning your head to the side to hide the faint smile threatening your lips. “what makes you say that?”
“hear me out, hear me out,” she says, drawing closer towards the canvas, gently pulling you closer with her as she points at a soft patch of blue. “that’s you…” then she points at a bright, chaotic streak of yellow cutting through the canvas. “and that’s me! see how i make everything brighter?"
“...”
“i’m serious! we’re art, babe!” and she tries to just convince you. “everything is art!”
“whatever you say…” you say, shaking your head with slight amusement tugging at your tone. “whatever lightens you up, love.”
she hums at that, and a little smug grin tugs at her lips as she surveys the next row of paintings. but after a moment, she lets out a quiet sigh. like she’s content with what she saw, although it wasn’t that many.
“we’ve been here for a little while.” she mumbles, glancing at the faint reflection of the two of you on the glass frame of a nearby display cabinet. one for sculptures, most probably.
“but we’ve been here for what? 40? 45 minutes?”
“and i crave sunlight. now let’s go!”
before you know it, minjeong quickly tugs you along towards the exit. there’s a faint bounce in her movements, a quiet kind of thrill she doesn’t bother hiding. her grip on your hand tightens, and heart thrums at the thought of your next destination. somewhere bright, somewhere she’s certain you’ll look exactly as you do in her mind.
...maybe even better.
———
another thing about minjeong is that she's always seen the world through a lens. photography wasn't just her passion, it was her unique way of show and tell. she could find a story in a sunset, in a ladybug resting on a leaf, or even in a reflection on a puddle by the curb, but none of those could ever compare to the joy of preserving the many images of you in her captures.
you, who never really liked the lens. you, who'd stiffen and shrink the moment a camera turns your way. your smile would falter, your gaze would drop, and you'd even laugh it off, saying that being the subject of a photo doesn't sit right.
and minjeong noticed, of course she did.
she saw the way your tone would shift, the way your shoulders tense, how you'd try to walk away every time you're in frame. yet she never understood how someone like you could ever doubt the way you shine when to her? every bit of you was a frame worth keeping.
that's why today, she made it her goal yet again to show you the ‘you’ you've never seen before. no matter what.
so the moment you step out of the museum with her, minjeong wastes no time and leads you then towards the park.
or the ‘the main event’ as she calls it.
the park isn't far. and when you arrive, she fills the silence between you both with information she thought you might want to know.
she talks about the new addition of benches under the willow trees, how a food stall selling tteok just opened nearby, how they've upgraded the koi pond with a few additional rocks and bushes, she kept talking with a mix of pride and excitement.
but you? you've already gone quiet.
because the sight before you is a whole expanse of green. as if you've stumbled into a forgotten land.
swaying trees against the wind, the distant chatter of people, the laughter of little children, the glimmer of sunlight dancing across the pond's surface, everything around you felt surreal. and it was enough to seal your attention whole.
then, a voice breaks you out of your trance.
“hey."
and again, a little louder this time.
“...hey, did you hear what I just said?" minjeong asks, blinking as she realizes that you've fallen behind.
“i-i did, i did…” you mumble, though your voice trails off the moment a fellow pair of butterflies flutters by.
minjeong watches, and her lips curve up into a helpless smile. “yeah right…”
but she doesn't call you out again this time. instead she lets you wander, let's you move at your own pace as the park unfolds before you. and while you're at it, she lingers a few steps back with her camera raised, capturing little fragments of you in secret just as planned
a stray flower catches your eye as you walk. so you crouch down, reaching forward to figure out what it was—a dandelion. then you blow softly at it, laughing quietly as you watch its petals scatter in the air like tiny wishes set free.
minjeong takes a shot.
then somewhere along the way, a dog runs past with it's owner—a little girl—chasing behind. your soft laughter makes her pause, and she toddles towards you with a single flower she must've picked along the way.
you crouch down just enough for the little one to tuck it behind your ear, and you giggle with her too. for a fleeting second, you look like you belong in a story. just yours and minjeong's alone.
minjeong takes another shot.
a few more steps ahead, a faint breeze stirs the strands of your hair, and the light settles over you in the softest way, highlighting every feature minjeong has always adored. and she swears she's never seen anything so effortlessly radiant before.
and minjeong, of course, takes one more shot.
now as you wander towards the far end of the park, where the chatters fade and only the soft rustle of leaves remain, you pause. frozen in place.
"minjeong?"
nothing.
“...minjeong? love?" you call again, voice ringing faintly through the breeze. “are you still there?"
she startles, quickly emerging from a nearby bush. little bits of leaves still stuck on her hair, but she didn't care. then, she lowers her camera in panic. "y-yeah coming!”
you turn halfway, smiling as you motion for her to come closer. “you've got to see this, it's beautiful!”
minjeong jogs towards where you stand, and she stops beside you. then she takes a peek at the pair of bunnies by the fence. white, fluffy, as they chew on a patch of green.
“you should take a photo of this," you say, with a hint of excitement tinting your voice this time. "would be a great addition to your gallery, don't you think?”
"hm…” she hums, lifting her camera halfway before lowering it again. and a teasing grin plays on her lips. "oops! you hear that snap? i think i’m out of storage~”
she still had storage, and that's the truth. but she was saving it, every last frame for times like this. because again, no matter how wonderful the view is, it can never compare to you.
“what—" and you shoot her a half-hearted glare, not catching the fond look she gives you when you turn back towards the bunnies by the fence. “fine… if you say so then."
you linger there a little longer, watching the bunnies nibble at the grass while minjeong stands beside you. when you finally turn to keep walking, she stops to look down at her camera—at the pieces she took of you—and she decides that it's about time you see them too.
"minjeong-ah!” you call out the moment you've realized that she's gone so far behind again. "aren't you coming? lets go!"
she blinks, gently pulled away from her trance. “i’ll be right there! h-hold on!"
your shoulders sag, and a small grin tugs at your lips as you watch her running to catch up with you. “...you keep disappearing, you know that?”
“no i’m not!" she lies, and the tip of her ears grew red—so did her cheeks. "i-i was just…”
“you were just..?"
“j-just making sure the shots i took were nice!"
you narrow your eyes at her. unconvinced, but you let it go anyway. “alright, alright… now let's go. I believe i’ve seen quite a lot today, and i’m satisfied."
minjeong follows beside you this time, fingers intertwined with yours as you make your way towards the exit. and as you do, she feels the warmth in her chest. a sense of pride that her plan was a success.
———
the following morning, after that eventful day you had with her, you’re greeted with a message from no other than minjeong herself:
[mindeongie 💙]: meet me at the cafe this morning before work? let’s get the table by the window! as always! ;)
you glance at your phone one more time. and somehow, those few words make the sleepy blur of your morning feel a little more purposeful. and by the time you arrive at the cafe, you quickly slip into your favorite seat by the window, and settle in.
the cafe is quieter than usual, with only the soft clatter of cups behind the counter and the low murmurs of early risers filling the air. you fiddle with your fingers as you wait, glancing at the empty seat in front of you from time to time. and each time the front bell chimes, your head lifts, hoping that it's minjeong.
but she's running late, which isn't unusual. she has that little habit of arriving a little delayed and apologetic, but you let it go. if anything, the wait has grown familiar and comforting.
you begin to tap lightly under the table, fingers drumming a soft beat against the table, to sync along with the soft jazz music playing in the background the longer you wait.
then, your phone buzzes.
another message from her.
[mindeongie 💙]: im almost there! please don't go! the line to the train took a little longer than usual… please wait! ㅠㅠ
your lips curl into a small smile at the message, and you back your reply. something simple, just to reassure her.
[you]: i'll still be here when you arrive, you worrywart. take your time ^^
you set your phone down and exhale, letting yourself fall back into waiting. and when the front door bell chimes again, you raise your head to see that it's her—minjeong.
she slips inside with wind-tousled hair and cheeks red from running. she looks around frantically at first, shoulders tense with worry until her eyes land at you. relief washed over her, and she comes jogging towards you, clutching the strap of her camera with one hand while she waves with the other.
"h-how long have you been waiting?” she asks, breathless as she drags the seat across you.
"not too long." you say, “i'd say around 30 minutes?”
minjeong looks at you, at the empty table, then her lips purses into a guilty pout. her eyebrows furrow in a way that shows how bad she felt for making you wait.
"and you didn't order anything while waiting..?”
you shake your head with a soft smile in hopes that it'll ease her from apologising. "i wanted to order with you, so i waited."
she looks around, as if she were searching for a way to make up for it. then, she brightens.
"hm… then i’ll order instead!" she says, already lifting the camera off her neck to set it on the table.
“i’ll order for the both of us!" she declares. and before you could stand with her to protest, she's already taking big strides towards the counter with determination.
you watch her go, and somehow you can't help the little laugh that escapes your chest.
after all, you can't really stop a determined minjeong.
you fiddle with your fingers, let your gaze drift around. to the warm lights, the display on the shelves, the people lost in their own mornings, the bustling streets outside the window, until your eyes land on it.
her camera.
you stare at it for a little while, heart racing in that tiny, guilty way. you tried— really tried —to behave. to hold the urge to grab and take a look. but the temptation is loud, a little too loud for you to ignore.
so you steal a quick glance at her. minjeong's still stuck in line, tapping her foot in mild panic for the woman two people ahead couldn't choose between two pastries.
with a deep breath— hoping that this isn't some kind of crime —you reach out, lift the camera gently, and you press the power button. then you fumble through unfamiliar buttons and settings, until you mercifully find its gallery.
and then you see them.
the photos she took yesterday.
the first few shots were harmless. paintings from the museum, artifacts, and a few blurry frames that make you chuckle because they’re so perfectly her.
but then the next photo loads, and you freeze.
it's you.
it's a photo of you staring at a painting, head tilted, eyes bright, lips parted in wonder. taken in an angle soft, intentional, and flattering in a way you've never seen yourself.
your breath catches, and you click the next button.
another photo. in the park this time, where you were blowing softly at a dandelion.
next,
is you, crouching down for a little girl to tuck a flower behind your ear.
and finally the last one,
is you looking out into the distance, faint breeze stirring your hair, with the sunlight settling over you in all the right places.
each picture taken was an admission of the way she sees you: gentle, bright, cherished, seen, and loved in angles you never consider worth mesmerising. that made your chest tighten in a way that you can't quite name.
those times when minjeong was falling behind was because she was capturing you, putting to memory every version of you she couldn't look away from.
and just before you click next, a soft call of your name cuts you out of your trance. your hands jolt and you immediately try to set the camera down casually, but it was too late.
minjeong stands there, with a tray full of pastries and drinks. she looks at you, at the camera, and then back at you again.
“...what?" you ask, with a tremble in your voice as you look up at her. your fingers fiddle under the table because you're caught red-handed.
minjeong swallows, her breath quickens, and she lowers the tray down with careful hands before slipping into the seat across from you.
“d-did you see them?" she asks quietly.
you stare at her.
she stares back.
“hm?" you stall, but her worried gaze and labored breathing pulls the truth out of you anyway. “...yeah, i did."
“a-all of it?" she asks, chewing on her bottom lip with shoulders slightly hunched like she's bracing for something sharp.
yes, she knows you don't like taking photos. she knows she crossed a line she shouldn't cross, but she wanted to show it in a proper way. a perfectly planned way, just not like this.
so you inhale, muster up the courage, then you nod.
“yeah… all of them.”
and silence settles between the both of you.
“...im sorry." minjeong murmurs, “i-im sorry I took photos without properly telling you… look, i know you don't like it when your photos are taken. b-but i swear i—"
“i like them."
she freezes, and her head snaps up. “huh?"
you give her a reassuring smile. one that was small, and sincere. “i said i like them, love.”
"they're nice. so so nice."
“and for the first time, i…” a quiet breath escapes you, one that loosens something heavy in your chest. “...i ever knew i could ever look like that."
minjeong's lips part. just slightly, like she's forgotten how to breathe. her fingers curl against her lap, then uncurl, until she finally gives in and reaches across the table to hold your hand.
“you do…” she whispers. "you really do. that's… that's why i keep taking them."
"gods, you're flattering me.” you mumble, your smile shy and helpless as you look away.
she lets out a breathy laugh, and her lips pull into a smuggy grin.
“you know? the pictures don't even come close!”
your cheeks warm and you cover it with a disbelieving laugh, looking anywhere but directly at her. her fingers carefully weave through yours, teasing in a way that tells you she knows you won't pull away.
"i just...” she begins again, her voice soft as her gaze drifts down to your intertwined hands. “i just wanted you to see what i see, you know? not the way you look, but the way you are when you're not trying."
“the real you. the one,” her gaze finally meets yours, and a tiny breath escapes her. "the one who i fell for in the first place.”
your throat tightens, and you're speechless as her confession settles between you.
"and i'm glad i saw them today, love.”
that makes her brighten instantly. her shoulders loosen, the tension she carried since you saw her holding her camera finally easing away.
“good!" she beams, "so… i’m not in trouble?”
you narrows your eyes at her, then give her foot a playful little kick from under the table.
"ow!”
“don’t think i’ll let you go that easily.”
minjeong’s mouth hangs open, eyebrows knitted, eyes narrowing in offense as she looks at you. her mock glare lasts only for a few seconds before it melts into something softer, something gentler.
the morning light settles easily between the two of you, shared laughter filling the quiet space as your bickers dissolve into light teasing. and this time, when she slowly lifts her camera—an indirect request if she could take a photo—you don't flinch. you give her a soft nod and you let out a soft, unguarded smile for her to take.
for the first time in a long time, you don't feel like you're hiding anymore. because if anyone would make you feel this way, it was her.
i may still be quite busy, though i promise i'll leave you with something to read from time to time. college is getting heavier and heavier by the day, so i'm gonna need to take my mind off of the pressure and stress in some ways 😵💫
