Chapter 5
Jin Ri watched as Kyuhyun started clicking away on his camera, taking photos of people walking around down the street from their dorm window. She chuckled as he just went on taking pictures of everything and everyone on the street.

“You know,” she said, leaning against the windowsill, watching him. “It would be better if you actually went downstairs and took pictures on the street.”

“This is really all I can do right now,” he said, stopping to look at her. “Besides, I still don’t think I’m ready yet. I don’t think I’m ready to take real photos. Besides, I’m also still not sure what stories I want to capture and tell.”

She smiled and shook her head. “There’s no such thing as fake photos. And I think you know what kind of photos you want to take.”

He put the camera down, hanging on his neck. “People interest me. Sometimes, when I’m not doing anything, I find myself watching the people around me, the people passing by. I wonder where they’re going, if they want to go where they’re going to, what they’re thinking about…”

“I’ve always known that you have stalker tendencies,” she remarked, unable to stop herself from giggling. “You could make a career taking paparazzi photos.”

“Ya,” he retorted. “I’m trying to be serious here.” He crossed his arms on his chest and pouted.

“Uh-oh, did I hurt the magnae’s feelings?” she teased. When he didn’t respond, she smiled. “You’re too serious. Photography is fun!”

“You’re the one who was all list down the things you find beautiful in this life, what stories you want to tell,” he mimicked perfectly, making a face at her.

Jin Ri pushed herself off the windowsill as she burst into laughter. She bent forward and clutched her tummy. Kyuhyun watched as she laughed like she was never going to laugh again. Again, she reminded him of her.

“I did say that, huh?” she said when she was finally able to compose herself. She smiled and shrugged. “Well, that’s just how I look at it. It’s how I’ve always seen taking pictures.”

“Why are all the pictures that you take in black and white?” he then asked, removing the camera from around his neck and placing it on the table. It was something he’d wanted to know right from the moment he realized that the photos that she took for her own keeping were all without color.

“That’s how I see things,” she answered straightforwardly.

“Literally?” he stupidly blurted out. When he realized what he said, he blushed a deep red. She giggled.

“Sometimes,” she told him.

“What are you saying?” he wanted to know.

She shrugged. “Everything is like black and white. It’s either you do or you don’t; yes or no; up or down; right or left,” she elaborated. She walked towards the window and leaned on it, watching the people down the street. “Black or white. Simple.”

Kyuhyun didn’t say anything for a moment, trying to process what she said. He walked to her side, leaning against the windowsill as well. “But isn’t life beautiful because of color? Aren’t complications what make living more exhilarating?”

“You find complications exhilarating?” she asked, looking at him.

“They add spice to life. If things were so simple like you put it, it would be boring,” he concluded. Looking at her, he immediately added, “Not that I think you’re boring.” In fact, he thought she was far from it. He loved it when she spoke her mind.

She smiled. “I am boring,” she established. “I’m a girl who takes photographs for a living because she wants to preserve memories. What kind of person enjoys living in the past?”

He gave her a surprised look. “You think you’re living in the past?” he repeated. “I’ve always seen you as a person who was always living in the present.”

She smiled at him and chuckled. “You’re sweet.”

He didn’t know why, but that statement really bugged him.

~ * ~

“These look great, Kyu,” Siwon said as he went through the photos that Kyuhyun had taken and printed out. “When did you learn to take pictures so well?” He looked at the magnae.

“I think this would be the answer to that,” Eunhyuk interrupted, appearing out of nowhere. He picked a photo from the pile and placed it on top. He then sat down beside Siwon and grinned at the magnae.

Siwon chuckled as he lifted the photo and looked at it. It was a candid photo Kyuhyun had taken of Jin Ri when they were hanging out a couple of days back. Kyuhyun snatched the photo from his hyung and placed it in the middle of the pile.

Everyone noticed how Kyuhyun seemed to be spending more and more time with Jin Ri. Whenever they had free time, he would almost always spend it with her. If they didn’t beg him to hang out with them, he probably never would. What’s even more surprising was he even playing Star Craft less. With all of these, the members couldn’t help but wonder at what’s going on.

“You guys seem to be getting along quite well,” Siwon began conversationally.

“Yeah, we’re friends,” was all Kyuhyun said. He placed the photos in its wrapper, which he then placed in his bag.

“Why don’t you ever tell us about her?” Siwon wanted to know.

“Yeah,” Eunhyuk seconded.

Kyuhyun looked at both of them. The two boys seemed serious about their question. “What do you want to know?” Kyuhyun finally asked.

“What’s she like?” Siwon started.

The two boys watched as the magnae’s eyes lighted up. He started talking about their adventures together. He shared with them what they talked about. He told them how she’s teaching him so much more than photography.

“So what’s she like?” Eunhyuk then asked.

“Weren’t you listening?” Kyuhyun gave his hyung an annoyed glare.

“All you talked about was what you guys did and said to each other,” Eunhyuk pointed out. “You never mentioned anything about her.” He smirked smugly when the younger realized that that was what he did.

“Are you sure you’re friends?” Siwon joked with a chuckle.

“Of course we’re friends,” Kyuhyun snapped harder than he intended to.

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Eunhyuk stood up and ran to his room before the magnae could do something to him.

“We are friends, hyung,” Kyuhyun insisted even when Siwon didn’t say anything.

Siwon smiled and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Then be her friend.” He patted his shoulder once more and stood up.

Has he not been a friend to her? In all the time they’d spent with each other, has it only been him who has been doing the talking? Didn’t he listen to her, too? Did she even share anything about herself at all? What was she like?

In all these questions, Kyuhyun realized that he didn’t know the answer. He just didn’t remember. He didn’t know her like he thought he did. He didn’t even know her favorite color. All he knew about her was that she loved photography and chocolate.

Now he realized why her telling him that he was sweet annoyed him. She meant something else with it. It felt like she had told him to stop asking and let it go.

~ * ~

“I’ll be right there,” Kyuhyun told his hyungs as they walked out of the waiting room. They were up next to performing on Music Core. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hurriedly dialed a number.

“Yeah?” Jin Ri’s distracted voice came through.

“Is this a bad time?” he asked uncertainly.

“Who’s this?” she asked, sounding confused.

“Er, it’s Kyuhyun,” he answered, feeling confused as well. “Are you okay?” He shifted in his stance and glanced at the door, where Sungmin was waving at him to follow. He nodded at his hyung.

“Oh hey!” she responded more lively this time. “What’s up? Aren’t you supposed to be at a music show performing right now?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “We’re actually up next. But I wanted to ask you something. Do you want to go out tonight? My treat.” He grinned as he began thinking of a place where they could go.

He could clearly hear her hesitation. “I can’t today. We have some visitors coming over and we need to entertain.”

“Oh okay, no problem,” he told her, glancing at the door again. This time it was Leeteuk who had come back to call him. He turned his attention back to her and asked before she could hang up, “Will you watch?”

She chuckled and this somehow brought relief to him. “I’m turning the TV on right now. Good luck!”

He grinned as he ended the call and rushed out to the side of the stage, where a couple of members wacked him on the head because he was late.

~ * ~

Jin Ri sat down on the couch, where Sun Young was already seated, watching the television. Sun Young immediately lifted her arm up so Jin Ri could scoot over and lean her head on her shoulder. They were quiet for a moment, both just looking at the images flashing on the TV screen.

“You know,” Sun Young then started, breaking the silence. “You shouldn’t lie to him.” She shifted her position on the sofa and looked at her cousin.

Jin Ri averted her gaze and stared at the tabletop in front of them. “I didn’t lie,” she quietly interjected. “Il Sung oppa is coming over.”

“But it’s no reason for you not to be able to go out with him tonight,” Sun Young reinforced.

Jin Ri closed her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. She did kind of lie when she told Kyuhyun that she couldn’t go out that night. “I’m sure he understands,” she quietly replied.

“If you think he’s understanding, you should let him in,” Sun Young stated. “Just like he’s been letting you in.” She suddenly straightened up as Super Junior came on stage to perform Miinah. “It’s them,” she giggled then sighed. “I really love this song.”

As they watched the boys perform their new song, Jin Ri couldn’t help but feel guilty about what her cousin had said. She was being unfair to Kyuhyun. He opened up to her about everything in his life. He told her about how hard it was to be someone people should be able to look up to; how he wasn’t allowed to make mistakes because every move he made was watched; how discouraged he felt when he was training to be able to live his dream; how his dad didn’t speak to him during the months that he trained because he didn’t understand his love of music; how he dreamed of traveling the world, being unknown to be able to do as he pleased; how he loved meeting people, but hated it at the same time because he was unable to spend time with them; how his accident changed him and his view on life. He just told her everything. He gave everything of himself to her.

She knew, sooner or later, he was going to ask that of her. Leaning back on the couch, she wondered if she could do the same for him.

Shortly after the end of Super Junior’s performance, Jin Ri’s phone rang at the same time the doorbell signaled that someone was at the door. Sun Young stood up to get the door, while Jin Ri answered her phone, knowing who was calling.

“You did good,” was Jin Ri’s greeting.

“I know,” Kyuhyun smugly responded, chuckling. “It’s my last performance in a couple of days so I made sure I did well.”

“Ever so humble,” she commented, rolling her eyes even if he couldn’t see her.

“It’s my charm,” he boasted.

Jin Ri chuckled and turned around to face the door when she heard Sun Young bringing the guests in. Jin Ri grinned and waved at the male visitor her cousin was clinging on to.

“Hey Jin Ri,” Choi Il Sung, Sun Young’s long time boyfriend, greeted her, ruffling her hair.

“Hey,” she protested, patting her hair in place.

“Who’s that?” Kyuhyun asked, calling Jin Ri’s attention back to him.

“Oh sorry,” Jin Ri apologized. “It’s Il Sung oppa, Sun Young’s boyfriend.” She giggled and looked away as Il Sung brought Sun Young to him in a kiss. “Ya! Stop doing that with me in here!” she screamed at them, moving to her room. “They haven’t seen each other in a while,” she shared with Kyuhyun. “So they’re a bit over-the-top with the PDA.”

Kyuhyun chuckled. “I see.”

She sat down on her bed as he began talking about their performance and the other things he did that day. They were always like this, always talking to each other at least once a day just to talk about anything and everything.

Suddenly, her bedroom door opened and Sun Young walked in with Il Sung. Jin Ri sat up and covered her face with her hand. “Please, not here,” she begged.

“Ha ha very funny,” Sun Young countered, sitting down on the bed. She pointed at the phone on her ear. “Is that Kyuhyun?” When Jin Ri nodded, she got it from her and talked to him. “Hey, Kyuhyun-ssi! This is Sun Young.”

“Hey,” Kyuhyun responded with a surprised chuckle. “What’s up?”

“We’re actually going out to dinner right now,” Sun Young relayed. “Do you want to come with us? I know Jin Ri would hate being the third wheel,” Jin Ri shot her cousin a surprised look then glanced at Il Sung, who laughed. “Alright then,” Sun Young then said. “Bye.” She put the phone on the bed and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Jin Ri just smiled and shook her head as she followed them out of the room.

~ * ~

“They’re sickening, aren’t they?” Jin Ri whispered to Kyuhyun. After dinner, they decided to walk by Han River. They were right behind Sun Young and Il Sung, who were holding hands and whispering to each other.

Kyuhyun chuckled, his hands in his pockets. “They seem very engrossed in each other that’s for sure,” he responded. “How long have they been together?”

“They’re high school sweethearts,” she shared, smiling. “Cheesy, right?”

“Cheesy? It’s romantic,” he corrected. He watched as Il Sung put an arm around Sun Young, who snuggled close to him. He breathed deeply then turned his attention to Jin Ri. “So…” She looked at him expectantly. “If I ask you something, would you answer honestly?”

She tucked her hair behind her ears and chuckled. “Sounds ominous. What is it?”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he seriously requested.

“I don’t like white chocolate,” she admitted.

He made a face at her. “Be serious.”

“I am being serious,” she insisted with an offended look. “White chocolate is like fake chocolate. It’s supposed to be brown and creamy and white chocolate just isn’t that for me. It’s made too sweet because it’s trying to cover up the fact that it isn’t real chocolate. When I find out who invented that…?” She shook her head.

“Are you done?” he demanded amusedly. When she gave him a sheepish smile, he went on, “Tell me something real.”

Jin Ri chuckled as she watched the reflection of the lights of the Banpo bridge dance on the waters. She bit her lip as the mirth slowly left her face replaced by a pensive air. She sighed softly. “I hate it when I miss people.”