That One Face You Made

If Yoongi could see Dahyun standing at the crosswalk with her camera hanging around her neck, he would scold her about leaving such an expensive piece of equipment exposed.

“Yah, I saved up for months to buy that.”

“What, didn’t Mom teach you to take better care of your things?”

“Dahyunnie, when it gets stolen, don’t call me.”

Dahyun doesn’t pay attention to her brother, because he’s a grump and also nags Jihoon about leaving his guitar lying around when it’s actually in the case.

At the moment, though, Dahyun doesn’t think about her nagging grump of a brother or Jihoon’s guitar. Now, she’s watching the stranger standing at the other end of the intersection, biting his lip as he looks up into the sky. His hair is a pale shade of pink, contrasting with the dark roots. Dahyun admires the slight curve of his jaw and the focus with which he seems to watch the clouds.

And then, suddenly, people are brushing past her, and she looks over at the sign.

Dahyun, for a photographer you really don’t seem to notice your surroundings.

Dahyun shakes her head as she crosses the street, trying not to make eye contact with the pink-haired stranger.

At home (it’s not really her home, it’s the apartment Yoongi’s been renting for the last year, but she and Jihoon spend all their time there, anyway) Dahyun thinks about the man she saw on the street.

Yoongi notices her staring at her plate snaps his fingers in front of her place.

“Dahyun, if you don’t eat it, I’m wrapping it up and taking it to Jackson.”

“Hm? Oh, sorry. I was thinking about this guy I saw today...”

Yoongi straightens somewhat.

“...Is he nice?”

Dahyun splutters.

“I don’t mean that I met a guy, Yoongi! God, why do you always assume that?”

“I was just asking! Aish, why are you so defensive...”

Dahyun sighs and pouts for a minute, before telling Yoongi all about the man.

“Wait, pink hair? Like, kind of pastel?”

“Yep.”

“I think I know him.”

And at this, Dahyun nearly spits out her food, because how the hell does Yoongi know him????

“Yah, don’t be so surprised that I have good-looking friends! I met him when I was helping Jackson with his music video.”

Dahyun looks up at Yoongi with wide, hopeful eyes, not even having to say anything.

“Ah, you want to meet him don’t you?”

“Just once, Yoongi, please?”

“You don’t really have to beg, you know. He likes modeling.”

Dahyun launches herself across the table, wrapping her arms round her brother’s neck, with Yoongi shouting and swearing because she’s knocked over her bowl of ramen.

Thursday evening, Yoongi picks Dahyun up from her photography club meeting and says he’s meeting with Jackson and Jaebum at the park.

“Jaebum?”

“Mr. Pink Hair.”

“Oh!”

Dahyun hopes that Yoongi doesn’t notice her squeal.

Jaebum is polite and pleasant, smiling in a brotherly manner whenever his and Dahyun’s eyes meet. Yoongi mentions that the rest of his friends already know that she’s a photographer and don’t mind if she takes pictures of them while they hang out.

Dahyun’s smile widens even more, a feat Yoongi considers near impossible, at the thought of being able to take pictures in such an intimate setting without being questioned.

She starts with Jaebum, of course. Most of the time, he doesn’t pay attention, but occasionally he makes eye contact with the camera, with her, and he smiles in the polite, yet relaxed kind of way that Dahyun thinks only he can. They make for the nice, casual kind of pictures she’s always enjoyed.

Eventually, though, she starts to appreciate the photogenic qualities of the other people in the group, and her photographer spirit truly awakens.

Jackson is a DJ, who likes to wear sweatshirts personalized with his stage name, Jackson ing Wang. For someone whose income is derived from mashing up songs and getting people pumped, he always seems to have a very serious look on his face. Dahyun never catches him smiling or joking with anyone. He likes to stand in the corner with his arms crossed, apparently deep in thought. The few pictures that she does take of him where he’s interacting with other people all feature Yoongi. In those ones, Jackson is focused, watching Yoongi with a determined look.

Before they know it, the sky is much darker than before, and Dahyun is politely saying goodbye to Jaebum and Jackson, Yoongi dragging her by the sleeve of her jacket as she tries to take one last shot of the park.

That night, Dahyun stays at Yoongi’s place, and looks through her photos. She frowns, because for all the good pictures she took, the one shewanted to take wasn’t there. The one of Jaebum biting his lip and watching the clouds as he stood at the intersection.

For all the impact it had on her, it was the one shot she didn't take.

She feels guilty. She has so many other good photos.

What does it mean to miss one opportunity?

Everything.

The next week, Dahyun sees him again, on the same street corner, with that same look on his face.

Today, his hair is pastel blue.

Dahyun isn’t shy this time. She takes the shot before the sign changes, and smiles at him as she passes by.

She’s giddy for the rest of the day and Yoongi doesn’t know why, but he feels it’s a photography thing, so they eat dinner with an aura of joy surrounding the room.

What does it mean to seize one opportunity?

Everything

fin