One thing was for sure. Coffee never lifted her spirits no matter how many cups she drank. Hyejoon rather remained tired the rest of the morning than consuming the brown and bitter cup of disgustingness. Shindae, however, could drink multiple cups of various kinds of gruesome coffee that made the younger shudder in distaste.   That was one of the visible contrasts between the two friends that seemed like a highly important factor for some, but for Shindae, it was yet another way of annoying and tricking Hyejoon into many things she didn’t want to do. For some reason, seeing the girl’s nasty grimace after a sip of the caffeine bomb was the highlight of her day; therefore enough reason to blackmail the girl at least once a day to keep her spirits up.   Hyejoon accepted it all with an open mind since they were study-buddies and close friends, but sometimes, the younger felt the urge to wrap her lean fingers around Shindae’s neck and wait until she stopped moving. Of course, she would never really do this because she loved her friend too much to commit such a vicious crime - but that didn’t mean she didn’t think about it.   The girl glanced at her friend and pursed her lips. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” Hyejoon laughed and crossed her legs at the ankles. Shindae took a small sip from her coffee, earning a disgusted wince from Hyejoon, and smiled to herself. The elder didn’t really answer Hyejoon as she kept her eyes on the spring scenery in front of her, when she felt a nudge against her knee. The rebellious younger had bumped her foot against her with a frown, as if she were waiting for an answer and motioned her hands.   “When are you leaving?” she asked curtly while she crossed her legs again and cocked her head. Shindae sighed and carefully placed her paper cup next to her on the ground before glancing at her friend. “Tonight, actually,” she smiled lightly and watched how Hyejoon’s questioning eyes turned into one of shock mixed with annoyance. “That early?!” she exclaimed and hit Shindae’s upper arm in her frustrated wage. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner!”   Shindae laughed at the younger’s outburst, but also because her friend always had this issue of forgetting to treat her elders as they were supposed to be - respected. Hyejoon was a curious case of rebellion. Shindae absentmindedly rubbed her sore arm and smiled again. “I was actually planning on leaving without telling anyone altogether but you had to go and ruin it all.”   “Damn right I did!” Hyejoon continued to rant and straightened in her seat.  “I’m your friend, of course I would! It’s my freaking job to ruin your life!”   The honesty Hyejoon possessed was also a thing that Shindae loved about the girl; she always knew where she was with her, even though it could get too much at times because she was and always would be her elder and should be treated as one. Nonetheless, Shindae laughed and wrapped a protective arm around the pouting Hyejoon, hugging her tightly from the side.   “Don’t worry about me,” she said and pat the younger’s head, as she always did to cheer the girl up, “I’ll be fine and back before you know it.”

  If Shindae had to name one clear contrast between her hometown and the capitol Phuket in Thailand, she would instantly say the weather. Even though it was barely eight in the morning, the sun was already high in the sky and casted its scalding rays on everything in sight. Adding to that, the somewhat suffocating heat and humid air that surrounded her the moment she stepped foot out of the cool air conditioned international airport had her almost turn around and go home again. But, as the stubborn yet confident person she was, Shindae shrugged her bag closer onto her back and began walking towards the, what seemed to be, parking lot where multiple busses stood, waiting to bring people to their destination.   It had only been a trip of a max of five minutes but Shindae already felt like she was swimming in her own sweat. When she was halfway, she had slipped out of her what she liked to call pirate vest - because of the dark blue fabric which was tight around the chest area and poofy at the bottom, and had intricate buttons - and stuffed it into her backpack. Mumbling some curses because of the treturous heat, the girl had finally reached the departure point and scanned the destinations that were lit on the led displays over the busses. Since the girl hadn’t bothered to book a hotel in a particular place, she decided to go sightsee first before thinking of the important things in life.   “Beach sounds nice,” she mumbled to herself and began fishing her wallet out of her bag.   Right before her trip, Shindae had exchanged her money to the currency they used in Thailand, which was Baht, so she could actually survive there, even though she didn’t have a particular plan mapped out. Fishing out some coins, Shindae joined a few others that were standing in line and after a few minutes, the girl could finally take a seat in the cool bus.   Before departure, the driver told the travelers a little story which Shindae didn’t exactly understand since it was in Thai, but when he switched to English, she wished she still didn’t understand because the man was just stating the obvious rules aboard and where they were headed. After another dreadful minute of mindless chatter, the bus took off and Shindae sat back as she enjoyed the exquisite surroundings that flashed past her window.   Situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, Phuket is an island in the district Phuket in Thailand and is its largest. The island is connected to mainland Thailand by two bridges which allow cars and other to cross over. Because of its situation and cultural richness, many come here to dive at the many white sanded beaches or soak in the sun as they explore the many streets and temples of the island. Shindae had read about these activities and found them more than appealing, so without much thought, the girl booked a ticket for the next flight that would head there.   She was not disappointed.   It was thirty minutes that the bus had to drive until they reached Bangtao Beach but it was thirty minutes well spent because the view was simply amazing. She hadn’t seen any temples just yet but the mountains that covered the plains as far as the eye could see struck Shindae as magnificent. The abundant greens of nature that covered either sides of the road the bus traveled on were also something that amazed Shindae because her industrialized hometown barely had any green; only the occasional park but that was about it. Shindae could almost hit herself for not bringing her camera, her most prized possession. She had thought of all the necessities but the one thing that was the most important had slipped Song Shindae’s mind.   “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Bangtao Beach resort,” the driver spoke in heavily accented English through the com and killed the engine of the bus, “please don’t forget your luggage and enjoy your stay.”   Shindae nearly pressed her face against the window when her eyes caught the glittering blue sea in the distance, past the white walls of the resort. Quickly gathering her things, the girl climbed out of the bus and immediately set her destination to the white beach that seemed to pull her right in. She had expected for the weather to be just as suffocatingly humid as it was back at the airport but was pleasantly surprised when it had turned out to be refreshing with the air containing the ocean scent mingling with the coolest breeze.   “Whoaaa~” she smiled widely when the rustique sound of waves breaking against the shore filled the air and reached the middle of the beach, only to pull back again a second later. Throwing her bag to the side, Shindae kicked off her ballerinas and hopped towards the edge of the beach, letting out an elated gasp of satisfaction when her skin met with the cool ocean water. She had never in her entire life visited a beach or even a lake for that matter, so this experience was like a child that had learned how to ride a bicycle - utterly satisfactory.   She was lucky her leggings came to her knees or else they would’ve been soaked; not that she minded, though, because the water cooled the girl’s spirits exponentially to the point that she didn’t mind the weather as much anymore.   After a few minutes of cooling off and admiring the view, Shindae trudged back to her things and gathered them before walking along the beach to see what more there was. A large gray square building stood aside the beach, which seemed to be a shower- and equipment house of some sort because signs were hung up with items and admission prices. Shindae was still too far away to recognise anything coherent but when she came closer, a small group of boys caught her eye. They didn’t seem to be Thai and, just like Shindae, could be a holiday spender - surprising her a little because she didn’t think tourists would already be up at this time of day.   They all wore casual clothing that fit the warm weather - shorts and a sleeveless shirt or T-shirt - but one boy in particular once again caught Shindae’s attention.   He wore a black and white snapback, pressing his brown bangs against his forehead, and some army print shorts, topped off by black and white hightops that seemed to be a hit back at home. His outfit was perfectly coordinated but the thing he was holding deemed Shindae as more interesting. A black Canon with white straps hung from the boys neck, his diligent fingers turning at the lense as he snapped away pictures of his friends that were striking silly poses and pointing at the ocean.   Shindae couldn’t help but chuckle at their playfulness and decided to walk along since she still had enough to see. When she passed the boys, she momentarily met eyes with the boy who had been posing with the other, earning a smile from him and a small wave. Shindae returned the gesture and did a small bow with her head as a greeting before continuing her walk. The photographer was too busy with his camera to notice her but Shindae didn’t mind - she knew how important care for a camera was.   A reminiscent smile appeared on her lips when she thought back to her own struggles when she received her first camera. When she was seven, she lived in a fairly wealthy neighborhood since both her mother as her father worked in the attorney business and earned enough money to live in luxury. The young Shindae always enjoyed spending her time outside but not to play like a normal child. Instead of hanging around with the other kids in the neighborhood, Shindae liked walking around to take in her surroundings and find new spots she had never been before. Sometimes she wondered if it were possible to make photographs with your mind so you could forever hold those moments close to you.   Her mother told her that she had to stop being so irrational because all that was possible was to make memories - pictures of the past. Shindae hadn’t agreed with her mother and therefore kept whining for a camera so she could make pictures of all the places she had been to whenever she was outside. This time it were her parents who didn’t agree with her, telling her that it was a waste of money because if she used it outside, it was bound to break or get lost.   It was a dreary afternoon when the ten-year-old Shindae was trudging through the park near her house that she met Seo Jaeil. He was a year older than the girl and surprisingly had been her neighbor all this time. “It’s because you never hang out with kids,” the boy had laughed and patted her head. “It’s okay, I don’t either.”   After this meeting, the two had become inseparable. It turned out that Jaeil also liked to wander around and just go where the wind brought him. He even agreed with Shindae’s reasoning of ‘pictures of the mind’, satisfying the girl because she knew she was right and that it was possible. Jaeil had surprised Shindae one morning with a present. He actually wasn’t allowed to go out that day because he was sick, but he sneaked out anyways because he had to see the girl.   “Wow!” Shindae exclaimed when she had ripped off the wrapping paper and met with a box, a picture of an Olympus HD on the front. “Is this for me?” she asked a little hesitant and looked at the smiling Jaeil who occasionally coughed. The boy nodded enthusiastically and took the box from her before he began opening it. “Of course it is!” he said and carefully pried the black frame out of the plastic container. “I know it’s not all that great and there are a lot of better ones, but I wanted to spend my pocket money on the one I love and care about.”   Shindae’s eyes widened at the sight of the expensive camera and felt her cheeks grow hotter because of her best friend’s words. “But it must’ve cost you a lot!” she whined and pouted, gently shaking Jaeil’s arms. The boy smiled at the girl and patted her head. “It did but I knew you would like it, so it was all worth it.”   The young girl smiled widely at this and moved to hug Jaeil tightly before accepting the gift with a vibrant and thankful expression. “Thank you so much, Jae,” she said and looked the boy in the eye. “I love you!”   Jaeil blushed at her words but smiled and began explaining to her how the camera worked and what was what. They had spent the rest of the day playing at Jaeil’s house; taking pictures of whatever was in sight. That was the day Shindae received her first camera and had the time of her life, giving it a special place in her heart.   “I still need to call him,” Shindae muttered to herself when she remembered the text her best friend had sent her a few days ago and slipped her feet back into her shoes before placing her bag on her back. Walking to the nearest bus stop, Shindae decided that she would go to Phuket town with a tourist bus that stopped at the tourist attractions along the way, such as temples and markets, to kill time the rest of the day.

  It was leaning to six in the evening when Shindae found herself wandering a night market. It wasn’t as thriving as she had expected it to be; maybe it was still too early for the inhabitants to entertain holiday spenders or maybe Shindae had walked into the wrong street as a tourist. Ignoring the absence of any live entertainment - the surroundings were beautifully intricate so Shindae was somewhat happy - she continued to roam around until she entered a fairly secluded area.   The girl’s conscious whispered to her that she should turn around and walk back to where civilization reigned but her curiosity was fuelled, as it always did when she found herself in foreign situations. Shrugging her bag closer, Shindae looked around as she took a few steps down the stone stairs that led to a dark, trustworthy alley. “Too late to back out now,” she mumbled to herself when she felt her heart exhilarate the further she found herself in the lonesome street.   Squeaky sounds and some faint calls caught the girl’s attention, putting her at ease for some reason. Picking up her pace, Shindae was happy when an open area broke the darkness and nearly blinded her by the brightness of the lights that surrounded the place. Not very surprisingly, Shindae had also found the source of the earlier squeaking together with it. Three boys were standing and running around the court, pushing and calling each other’s names for the ball. Shindae slowly approached the entrance of the ballcourt and leaned against the fence that surrounded it, her eyes following the boys as they played.   It didn’t take long before the girl recognised them as the ones she had seen earlier that day on the steps near the ocean. Two of the boys were still wearing the same outfits as then while one had changed from his shorts and T-shirt into sweats, a gray hoodie and some white sneakers. The only thing that was the same was the black and white snapback he wore reversed on his head.   Shindae caught herself staring at him and shook her head, as if trying to snap herself out of it. She winced at herself because she also realized that she had even studied his outfit to the extent that she reminded what he wore before and what was different afterwards. The girl mentally scolded herself for being so weird at times but soon was snapped out of her thoughts when she found a basketball rolling towards her feet.   “Ah damn, how do you ask for the ball in Thai?” the boy she was admiring a few minutes ago asked the black-haired one of the two others. He shrugged and nodded at Shindae. “I don’t know, just go get it.”   Hoodie-boy frowned in disbelief at the other and spread his arms. “What do you mean you don’t know! You said you read the guide!” he boomed.   “That I read it doesn’t mean I also remembered it,” the black-haired boy replied cheekily and began backing away when he saw the anger on hoodie-boy’s face. “Goddamnit!” the latter grit through his teeth and began rolling up his sleeves as he moved to murder the grinning boy, who for some reason reminded her of Hyejoon.   “I take it’s the ball you want?” Shindae quickly interjected as she approached the fighting boys with the ball in her hands. She tried to muffle her laugh when she saw the confused looks that washed over the three boys. “You understand us?” the boy who hadn’t spoken yet asked as he exchanged glances with his company. “Well, I don’t exactly look Thai, now do I?” Shindae grinned in response and threw the ball from her right- to her left hand as she spoke.      “Touche,” hoodie-boy motioned his finger at her with a small smile and walked towards her to get the ball. They exchanged friendly smiles when he took it, for some reason lingering a little too long for a first meeting, before a voice interrupted. “Do you know your way around here?” the Hyejoon persona asked as he quickly snatched the basketball out of hoodie-boy’s hands and bounced it a few times with a satisfied grin. Shindae shook her head and looked around. “Not really,” she said, “I’m just wandering, to be honest so I don’t have a particular destination.”   “That’s great! Because we are too!” the boy exclaimed happily as he stopped the ball from bouncing and placed it in the crook of his arm, resting it against his side. Shindae laughed when she saw the quiet one of the three roll his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. “I thought you brought a guide,” she responded with a cocked eyebrow and an amused smile. The boy’s smile morphed in the same cheeky grin he had before and cocked his head. “And what did I say about that guide?”   “You didn’t read it.”   “Exactly,” the boy nodded, feeling yet again quite satisfied with himself, “I’m a free spirit.”   “Not sure if your friends agree with that way of life,” Shindae chuckled at the sight of the two other boys that wore angry expressions. “I will murder this boy,” hoodie-boy mumbled under his breath before threatening to hit the boy. Shindae laughed at first but when she spotted something shining at the side of the court, she narrowed her eyes a little to have a better look at whatever it was that caught her eyes. “Isn’t that the 50mm F1.4 lense?” Shindae asked when she recognised the camera that laid on a bag. Hoodie-boy’s hands remained hove