2.Yet Another

Everyone has this one thing. This thing they started to be passionate about. It might not be the first case they loved to do though. One could have loved to draw until he turned sixteen but suddenly getting hooked on cars like there is no tomorrow.

But for me it has always been clear – and it felt like it just happened yesterday.

It was my father’s thirty-second birthday; I had been eight years old at that time and my father has never been seen on any photos of our family, he was always the one taking the photos. Friends who had been over even asked me if my parents were divorced because there was no hint of my father’s face on any pictures unless he was there on a photo, on his own, no one beside him. He did not like to have his photo taken by someone though; I guess I inherited this from him. I learned to shuffle around swiftly to hide my face from cameras.

Does not mean I’m not a selca queen.

So, at one point my mother managed to make him sit down with all of his party guests and he legitimately started to panic, asking questions over questions, most of them about the fact that he did not know who should take the pictures.

I remembered offering my help and he first had said no and thanked me that I was trying to help but my mother did not stop to nag around, so she shoved the camera into my hands.

My father told me to press the button until the flash light would be seen and that I ‘for God’s sake take care of my fingers and do not touch the lens’.

And obliquely I learned some of the major rules while taking photos.

The evening got late and people got drunk as hell, like all of our birthday parties. No one asked for photos, so I secretly took the camera with me and captured the flowers standing in the kitchen from the day before, Valentine’s day.

Then I went up the stairs quietly and arrived at my room, closing the door. I stared at my big doll house in thought – so I recreated scenes with my dolls and also took photos of that.

It was like I found a new toy to play with, and like every other toy, I took good care of it.

In the morning after, my dad chided me for taking the camera without asking for permission, but on the other hand he just smiled down at me, ruffled my hair and mentioned how cute the photos looked though.

Throughout the years I have always borrowed the camera, running around my yard and the neighborhood while my other friends collected cards and played with each other, because I just did not have time.

When I got my own camera at the age of fourteen I just stumbled deeper into photography and even then, I already came to fruitions.

It felt like it just happened yesterday, when in fact – it happened today.

I was on my way home walking and saw my apartment approaching. While walking I sent another good friend of mine a voice message. I pressed the button and beamed into the microphone of the phone. “Have a blessed day, Eunju! Are you home yet? Gotta tell you something!”

Putting my phone on vibration I walked along the small path that led to my house, the trees forming a pretty decent shadow, almost like a little alley. Also the trees around my apartment afforded a leafy bower and I was thankful for it – in summer it would get pretty hot because of the dark color of the two-story house.

My cellphone vibrated violently and I almost jerked back at the feeling in the back of my jeans’ pocket. I fished out my phone and read Eunju’s reply.

“Just got home, come over”

Eunju was a photographer like me, just a bit more popular among the people. Maybe because of her seriousness? I was a socially awkward potato, always leaping off to get the chance that came my way, but for my “neighbor”, everything fell into her lap. Did not mean she was not working at all. Soo Eunju was one of the most hard-working people I got to know. And she was my other half next to Jisoo.

I knocked on her door in a melodic manner with a grin so wide my cheeks hurt. She opened the door and hugged me tightly. “I haven’t seen you in at least a week, I was so busy! And we live in the same house!” true, yet – the two-story house we lived in were two small apartments above each other. We lived in one house, yet we did not at the same time.

I chuckled softly and pushed her out of my way before putting my shoes off. Sighing I turned around and I smiled even brighter. Everything was so familiar; it was like upstairs in my apartment. Photos were stuck everywhere, the loud and heated up laptop was busily giving off painful working-noises while I jumped around in a happy bubble of giggles, dropping down on her bed. “Guess who’ll be working under ABC from tomorrow on!”

There was silence before Eunju as well, screeched loudly. Did I also mention I was happy there was no other house in reach for the next 100 yards?

“Tell me everything! Everything!” she repeated a few more times and I nodded, patting the spot next to me. She huddled over into her pillows and I faced her. “I think I got a new friend! It’s a make-up artist, she might be just two to four years older, she looks very young but I got to know she’s been there for three years by now. There’s also a really cute American guy, Tim Lee, he’s showing stuff to me in the company. And, well, Jisoo works there. And of course Jiho and Jiseok as well. I actually had to take over one of their shoots.”

Even Eunju gulped, she knew even better than Jisoo how everything went between us. “How...did it go? The shoot.” I simply shrugged. “I was just doing my job. But he never left my mind.”

“I thought you’re over him.”

“I am.” I countered. Lie. I winced at myself inwardly but did not let it show. Eunju hauled herself up again and stretched over to her nightstand to pick up small wine gums. We were not only soul mates; we also shared the same love for the same kind of food. After she reached into the small pack she gave it over to me and I chewed on them slowly. I could not forget the glances he threw at me. They were not lovely nor did his eyes scream hatred. It was the emotionless, unknown pattern I read what made it hard for me to digest the past hours. Yes, hours, the shoot lasted for hours.

For hours I looked at my ex-boyfriend and cogitated about the nights we shared, the food we bought, the dates we spend together and the love we exchanged, but as soon as the beautiful memories were gone the bad ones always outweighed the rapturous moments.

I remembered the day he got me tons of roses for Valentine’s Day, and the day he forgot my birthday and even ditched me after I told him.

I remembered the night we watched Breaking Bad the entire night, laughing, kissing, and the night he looked at another girl the same way he looked at me.

The bliss we shared, and the scars I got.

“Damn, Minjung!” Eunju ripped me out of my thoughts. She could only shake her head. “Minjung, you are hurting yourself, don’t you see it? You’re zoning off, you’re thinking.”

I huffed angrily and looked down, playing with a green wine gum, my favorite flavor.

Eunju scooted closer. “I know it has been only three months since you guys broke up. No, since you broke up with him. Because Woo Jiho was being a pain in the .”

“I was act-“

“He was breaking you.” Eunju stated without blinking and stared at me. I almost duck my head under her hard eyes, letting her continue. “He was not worth being a boyfriend of such a cuddly person like you. And you know I’m not talking about being home only. You know exactly what I mean.”

I was foolishly in love, I was head over heels. Jiho was one of the most generous guys I have ever had the pleasure to come across, I was sure I would never be able to meet a nicer guy. Actually, I was trying hard to hold on, until Eunju was opening my eyes. Love makes you blind.

At some point at her rent she noticed how done I looked and stopped mid-sentence. “Well, okay.” She smiled meekly, Eunju tried hard to cheer me up, “You’ll go there tomorrow, too, am I right?”

I nodded softly, standing up and picking up my small bag. Eunju also got up from her bed, walking me to her door, which was just a few feet away from her bed. “Do you know what you will be doing?”

“Photos.” I shrugged with a chuckle, “One of my bosses, Jinah, told me she would try and whip out some nice jobs, she said. I’m just hoping it’s not bull.”

Now Eunju nodded. “Same.” She hugged me tightly and patted my back, “You know I’m busy, but if you need to talk, ask if I’m home and then just come down.”

My heart started to warm up at her thoughtful words and behavior. “Yes, thank you.”

“This is nothing to thank me for, it comes naturally.” Eunju parted and sighed with a smile. She checked her clock hanging above the door. “It’s almost 11pm. We’ll text and see what we can do about our busy lives.”

I nodded happily and opened the door. “Sleep tight, Eunju!” I called out while walking down the small steps in front of her door. “Same goes for you!” she blew me a cute kiss and I laughed, waving.

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