Photo Strips
siblings oneshot au : 1,6k words — slice of life, love hate relationship, city walk, quality time, public argument, childish, lots of sarcasm.
My brother was queuing for our chocolate ice cream at the cashier, while I stood in front of the glass facade, facing outside where I could see a photo booth across the street. Every time I looked at him, his eyes were always pinned onto his phone so I could not tell him how much I wanted to go to that photo booth. Even when I waved, he did not see me. Others did. And that sucks.
When we finally had our ice cream, I just went silence. I had no energy left to communicate nor to receive the possible never-ending roasting session from him if I stated my wish. So I just ate my ice cream without zero eye contact.
“You should’ve joined Mom. You might get a new dress or something,” he uttered, followed with an annoying pout. For sure I knew he was not welcoming me that day, so I replied, “The fuck you want me to do? I wanted to stay at home and mom dragged me out. Now she’s leaving me with you for a while, and it’s suddenly my fault?”
“I could’ve talk to my friends if you’re not clinging around me, demanding for chocolate ice cream, pulling me here and there, like gosh … give me a short break. You’re putting me … in awkward position,” he mumbled with such serious expression. He could have literally told me to stay away for a while if he really wanted to talk to his friend or his crush or whoever he saw, but he chose to fight me instead when all he did was not communicating his will at all.
“Go to talk to your friend then. I can handle myself alone,” I raised my voice as I tried to control my anger since we were in public place.
“If you’re gone, Mom’s gonna blame me, so … no,” he said while shaking his head gently. No sign of guilt drawn on his face and it so sickening to see him acting like a total jerk.
“You’re so annoying. You’re always annoying! Why are you my brother? I didn’t ask for any of this shit. Do you even want an ice cream? Ugh—“
“I bought these ice creams and finish it—“
“But it was my idea to buy chocolate ice cream,” I pointed at myself as my eyes opened wide. Meanwhile he sighed and replied, “Yeah … and I said cool. Although I never plan to eat ice cream today.”
“You hate me so much, don’t you? I hate you too!” I whispered as well as emphasizing the word hate. If he was not into my idea, how could he said yes yet still complained afterward? I was so mad that looking at his face for longer than a second might turned me into a Hulk. So later when I finished my ice cream, I immediately left the ice cream shop while he followed me right behind.
“Do you want something else?” he shouted and checked his phone at the same time. I, who was a few steps forward, looked over and raised a middle finger up, then shouted, “No!”
“I wanna go take photo— there … a photo booth across the street, you sure you won’t join?” His words made me stop walking, but I was already annoyed so I could not say yes right away. “You always collect strips from photo booth. Let’s go there!” he added as he came and grabbed my wrist.
“Why?” I asked. He just gave a confusing wide smile and wink which got me jokingly slapping his cheek right after. “Can you at least say sorry first?” I demanded.
“But I’m not sorry for what I said back then. Should I apologize just to make you feel better? How about me?” he rolled his eyes as he spoke.
“You’re so selfish,” I protested, followed with a deep sigh.
“You have no idea how selfless I have been all these years after you were born. Don’t say that,” he stated.
“What do you mean?” I raised an eyebrow as we walked closer to the photo booth. “You could’ve say something like … I wanna greet my friend for a few minutes, can you wait here— or I don’t know, you tell me … instead of grumping like a boy—“
“You wouldn’t allow me—“
“Oh, come on! I’m not a kid anymore, Jung Jaehyun! I can give you few minutes if that’s what you need,” I raised my voice but then ended my sentence in whisper since people silently looked at us. Meanwhile he sharpened his eyes as a sign of doubt. Later he shook his head, disagreed with my statement to the core it seems.
“Where’s your friend now? Let’s greet them before we take photo, how about that?”
“But they’re on the other side of—“
“So what?! You wanna see them so much anyway, what’s wrong with walking back and forth? I’m fine with it. I had my ice cream at least,” I rambled while pushing him away from the photo booth which was steps away from us.
“No no no, photo first, friends later. It’s okay,” he took turn to push me towards the photo booth. I gave him a frown and judgmental side-eye, so he added, “Alright, I’m not mad at you anymore. We’re good now.”
He tried to pull me in to the photo booth after he paid for two strips, but then I pulled him out instead. He immediately shouted, “What?”
“Wait here. I don’t wanna take photos with you,” I whined as I stepped inside by myself. He rolled his eyes before he turned away and looked at our surrounding. “You bee—“
“Bitch? I’ll tell Mom that you called me bitch,” I cut him off right as I closed the curtain before he could respond. I heard him grunted while I took my own photos. To be honest, I felt at ease whenever I annoyed him. Maybe I do have revenge issue. Maybe it was just my toxic trait I developed by growing up as his sister, but it felt good. So I kept doing it.
“Can you pay for another strip? I wanna do a different template,” I asked with overly cute voice. He stood outside looking pissed off. His gaze were intense but he eventually handed me his phone.
“You’re not coming in?” I giggled. He rolled his eyes again then replied, “I’ll ruin the photo anyway.”
“What do you mean, Bro? You’re the Nation’s High School Crush of The Year—“
“Oh, fuck … not this bullshit again,” he yelled while I dragged him into the photo booth. Fortunately, he just obeyed me like he usually does. He even threw a big smile whenever the countdown started. Although the smile was gone split seconds after, replaced with sharp glares.
“See? We look good,” I complimented the strips as I stared at it. Later I gave him one of each strip I took and kept the other one in my wallet. It took quite a while before he kept his photo strips in his wallet.
“Let’s go see your friend. I hope they’re still around,” I said as I dragged him out of the photo booth. He yelled gibberish as we walked out, yet he did not try to stop me at all. He let me pull him by grabbing his index finger. I could saw his thin smile on the corner of his lips which I did not understand. Why would he keep yelling and annoying to me if he looks like he enjoy this?
“Explain that smile,” I demanded, pretending I was a master and my brother was a slave. My brother, however, just chuckled before he answered, “What to explain? That I look kinda satisfied after I’m madly mad at you?” I nodded and he bursted out laughing right away.
“You need a younger sis or bro to understand. I can’t explain—“
“Hey!” I screamed which got him covered my mouth right away.
“Stop it, hey! They’re gonna think you’re in danger,” he whispered as he embraced me out of nowhere. I supposed he needed to convince those eyes that were silently starring at us if we were actually not in dangerous situation.
“Oh My God, why is it so hard to be your brother?” he complained not so long after.
“I don’t understand— no, I never understand your doings, like … you’re just so weird. One second you hate me, the next second you care so much, later on you just pissing me off like I’m your personal entertainment,” I yelled while he gently stroked my hair and immediately replied, “You are. Yes. Exactly. You’re my personal entertainment. God damn it, you’re so right.”
“Hey, Jae,” a girl shouted from across the street. My brother froze immediately as he whispered, “Shit.”
“Going on a date with your girlfriend now? So cool,” the other stated as they all crossed the road.
“Ugh, well …,” my brother shrugged without trying to correct his friend’s statement. So I locked my eyes on him the whole time just to watch his micro expression while he was chit-chatting. At the same time, he tightened his grip over my wrist which he hid behind his back. I had no idea why he did that until one of his guy friend said, “Just in case you break up with Jaehyun, call me, okay? You look good.”
I did not respond except giving him a sharp glare until all of his friends were gone. My brother waved at them while he whispered, “Now you know why I don’t want you to meet my friends, right?”
“That’s your friend? They suck!” I protested and he nodded right away.
“I know, but look at the girls— that are always with them— I mean if I could date …,” he uttered but then stopped midway as he scratched his eyebrow and sighed.
“You’re so pathetic, Bro. You need therapy,” I stated as I patted his back then walked away.
