Hyerim gnawed on a tapioca pearl in her jaw, shaking her mostly empty plastic tea cup. Yi Fan snapped at her side from her right, his black camera burning red in the lantern lights.

“Hey! What was that for? I thought we were done with food pictures when we left Amber and Henry.”

Yi Fan shrugged, sipping the rest of his Bubble Tea. “Consider it a non-food picture then.”

Hyerim pursed her lips. She didn’t have a comeback for that. “So, I was wondering. This might be a weird thing to ask but… Are Henry and Amber dating?”

Yi Fan stopped to dispose of his empty cup. He motioned for her to hand him hers.

“That’s not weird to ask. The thing with those two is, well, they’re… trying not to. I know. It’s difficult.

Yi Fan began walking again, Hyerim joining his steps. Crowded inner city streets had flared out onto an elevated stretch of road, lined with a simple, black railing and overlooking a body of water Hyerim guessed was a lake of sorts. Glowing paper lanterns hung from every few rails by string.

“Not trying to… as in, they’re not ready?” They reached the railings, Hyerim’s hand curving around the cool black bars. “I guess I understand.” Hyerim nodded, more to herself than for Yi Fan.

“They just don’t want to lose all the comfort of being friends, from what I can see. I think they’ll figure out sooner than later though, they can’t just be friends forever.”

A muffled crinkling sound, echoing in the night air, quieted the two. And then, right above Hyerim, a brilliant, pink shower lit up the sky.

“Fireworks!” Hyerim beat her palms against the railing, louder crackles joining her glee. Crowds immediately began to gather on both sides of Hyerim and Yi Fan, leaning forward on the railings, phones held up.

Neon colors patterned the night, crackling blasts deafening the spectators, leaving them with glittering eyes. Hyerim let the flow of laughter from her chest, welcoming a light winter breeze brushing past her. Yi Fan turned to look at her while silver fireflies rained above his head. Hyerim caught his toothy smile from the corner of her eye.

“Hui-Lin! Yi Fan!”

Mrs. Song and Mr. Khun approached the firework spectacle from the inner streets, arms linked. Orange and green flashes dyed their faces. Hyerim marveled at their beauty, Mrs. Song’s charming features and Mr. Khun’s endearing grin, while Yi Fan photographed them without warning. They waved fondly, then strayed from Hyerim and Yi Fan, not disturbing them, enjoying the night on their own. Blast after blast of the canon sound tore the sky.

“What was the wish you made on the  Sky Lantern, Kris? You said you’d tell me later. It’s later.”

Yi Fan brushed his hand through his hair, chuckling. “Is it really later already?”

Hyerim nodded, tapping the railing bar with her fingers quickly. He’d managed to make her full to the brim with curiosity.

“Well, it’s nothing big. I was glad you joined the club, that’s all. And Mrs. Song and Amber and Henry seem to like you a lot too, so I just kind of wished…”

Neon lights washed Yi Fan’s blonde hair and face artfully. He was too tall. Hyerim wondered if she should tell him so.

“That since I was your first partner for your first trip, and we’ve worked well so far, that you’d consider me a good… um… a special, friend, even when you start becoming like a family member in the club and stuff. And that you won’t have to move away or anything like that, at least, not soon, and we can hang out like we’ve been doing.”

A booming explosion of a particularly loud firework startled Hyerim, making her jump. As soon as she stepped back from the railing, hand to her beating chest, thoughts swarmed her head. She smiled, genuinely, knowing Yi Fan had turned away from the fireworks to watch her.

She beamed at him, not responding right away, just letting the comfortable quiet pass between the two. He pursed his lip and turned back to the exploding lights, and Hyerim swore the pink on his cheeks weren’t firework glow.

They let the rest of the firework explosions intrude on their conversation. When the display finished and the crowd began to disperse busily, Yi Fan surprised her with his suggestion.  

“Remember I said I could show you how to use my camera? How about now?”

He slid the black straps through her head, the DSLR heavier than Hyerim had imagined. He talked excitedly as he showed her the command buttons and functions. With unpracticed but eager hands, Hyerim captured photos of beautifully lit streets, crowded people at vendors, and Yi Fan’s odd half-smile at the lens. Still, he was more photogenic than Hyerim ever was. She got used to the camera in no time, the two of them having strolled through most of the highlights of the festival in the city.

“It’s beautiful, but the lighting just seems so… red.” Hyerim flipped through the photos she’d taken of the streets, smoothing the screen where fiery red lanterns cast their glows over the scene.

“The ambient light. It’s the light surrounding the environment, object, or person you’re photographing. It’s what makes these photos unique to this event.”

Hyerim nodded gradually, focused on crimson lit shots of Yi Fan through the photo library.

“The ambient light really highlights your hair, Kris.”

“It also allows someone to identify and recognize the person by the light surrounding them, because it’s personally special.”

Pockets of quiet during Hyerim and Yi Fan’s walk through the festival, stirred Hyerim with thoughts. On what Yi Fan had told her. What his wish had been. What he’d said about Amber and Henry’s relationship. Friends.

A phrase Henry had said surfaced in her brain, spreading. “You just want Hui-Lin to yourself.” Henry had told Yi Fan.

After saying good night to Mrs. Song and her husband, and Amber and Henry, Yi Fan took Hyerim home. It wasn’t the usual, see her off at her subway stop. He stepped off of the subway with her at her stop at Nanpu, and walked with her to her gate.    

Hyerim might not have suspected that Yi Fan had meant something more by what he’d told her of his wish. She might have simply accepted that Yi Fan was kind enough to reach out a hand of friendship to a new girl.

But just in front of her gate, Yi Fan had fully smiled at her, wide gums showing above his long row of large teeth. He jokingly warned her not to sleep in late, and a sturdy weight warming her shoulder, he had left a kiss, just momentary, on her left cheek.

It kindled Hyerim’s suspicion. That Yi Fan had meant something beyond a polite friendship with his wish. He had said so himself, “they can’t just be friends forever.”

Hyerim hoped her neighbors had thick brick walls. A breeze made the spot on her cheek tingle. “Friends don’t do that, you know!” He had already gone.

Hyerim paused her hand from turning the journal page, midway. She peeked at Mrs. Song and Mr. Khun, the husband’s hand covering his mouth as he talked quietly in the wife’s ear. And they were both looking at her, she could feel it. Mrs. Song’s bright, brilliant eyes watched Hyerim, and maybe also Yi Fan sitting across from her at their table, with overflowing enthusiasm.

They giggled. Hyerim let the journal fall to its next page, a scrapbook-like, full page of nighttime photos, reflecting reddish ambient light. Amber and Henry scarfing down Yuanxiaos, Hyerim with Bubble Tea, Mrs. Song and Mr. Khun holding hands and strolling through the crowd. Mr. Khun seemed to have added friendly captions with each picture, expressing small lines of information, pinches of excitement.

Yi Fan flipped to his next page, getting ahead of Hyerim.

“Yi Fan,” Hyerim whispered, feeling Mrs. Song and Mr. Khun’s eyes still on her, or them. “Why do you think they’re looking at us? Did we do something?”

Yi Fan looked up, glancing in the direction.

“No idea.” He turned back to the pages.

Hyerim sighed, tracing the boxed photos in the journal with her fingers before turning the page. Articles, photos, and segments of the Shangyuan festival filled almost half of the weekly journal. The other pages included articles like Hyerim and Yi Fan’s “Guangzhou’s German-China”, and adventures from other groups.

“This feels so official. I feel like I’m really a journalist or something.”

Hyerim laughed to herself. Her amateur excitement probably amused Yi Fan, but she didn’t want to contain it.

“Your head’s getting bigger, Hyerim.”

“No, it really isn’t, Kris.”

A corner of Yi Fan’s lip raised in a smirk. Hyerim had taken to liking calling Yi Fan double names. And his Korean pronunciation of her name was excellent. They had learned how to use which names at which moments, naturally.

Hyerim almost lost track of her thoughts, before remembering what she’d wanted to say. “Anyway. Have you thought about where we could go for our next scoop?”      

Yi Fan propped his chin on his elbow, looking down at her, even from their sitting positions. “I’ve been looking a few places. Mrs. Song and Mr. Khun always have places stored. Why? Did you have something in mind?”

Hyerim shifted her eyes this way and that. “I was thinking… you know, since we go looking for different cultural experiences to record… isn’t, well, my family sort of considered a different culture? It’s very close, but still…”

Yi Fan reached out and ruffled Hyerim’s hair. It was so unexpected, Hyerim almost let her jaw drop from her head.

“That sounds awesome, Hyerim.”

[A/N:]

Yesterday was officially the 6 month mark for the Short Story Collection!! It's been half a year since I started this, and Ambient Light happens to be 6th/12 stories!!! Yayyy~ I hope this is a good sign :3

Oh and something I can't exactly be very proud to admit here....

Guys...

I ship TaeEun (Taemin + Naeun)... like a lot... OTL OTL OTL

They are too cute like... why do they do this to me...

(Not to mention I also like MinSul... T_T)

Poor Baekhyun... Poor Sehun...