✌PROOFREAD - Lens and Chlorine (by KJINJH)
✔✔TRAVERSE SHOP - REVIEW & PROOFREAD✔✔
proofread
Date Requested:
May 25, 2016 0:59:08 Date Finished:
May 25, 2016 5:04:14
May 25, 2016 0:59:08 Date Finished:
May 25, 2016 5:04:14
Author: KJINJH
Genre(s): Romance, Drama, Angst
Story Status: Ongoing
No. of Chapters: 4
NOTE TO THE AUTHOR: Chapters 2, 3, and 4 will be out soon. Just copy-paste the texts below.
Green texts mean corection.
Red texts should be deleted.
WARNING: If you are not the author and you want to read it. a link is given above. Do not read the story here.
CHAPTER 1
Wearing her skinny jeans, white t-shirt, and denim jacket, the new girl was roaming around the building. She tightened her hold on the camera bag, eyes were travelling around, scanning every single spot, looking for a place she had been told. Not as easy as she thought, she was lost of direction. The place was still too peculiar to her. She couldn't stand for her loss, she needed someone for help, but no one was around. Not surprised, it was already four, everyone was going home. Even with her ignorance, her heart told her to go ahead, but feet were screaming, too tired to take another step, wanted to stop and rest. As she almost gave up, her eyes caught interesting words written above a doorway, lips curled up into happiness. Adjusting her clothes and her ponytail hastily, then heaved a sigh to relax herself before finally she took steps ahead inside of the room with a wide smile.
Her heavy and tired feet showed the way in. The room seemed nice, it had the same vibe with hers, so classy. Photos were hanging around the wall. Her almond eyes were observing the people there. There were about three inside who caught her attention, starting to get curious about the new people. Yet anyone noticed her existence, then she decided to inform them by herself. Attempting to break the silence, she cleared loudly. Instantly everyone to their back to face her. They questioned each other about the new girl. But no one had an idea until The President stood up.
"Park Jira, right?" Jira nodded carefully. The guy with an angelic voice approached her warmly. Later he smiled, saying, "Kim Junmyeon. But you can call me Suho. The President. Responsible for the trouble."
Automatically Jira bowed in ninety-degree angle, giving a greeting politely after she said, "Annyeonghaseyo, Park Jira imnida."
Jira pulled herself back directly. Hovering her face towards other people there, she gave them light nod.
"Nice to meet you, Jira. I am Oh Sehun." a smile appeared on his face, also his eyes, handsomely.
"He is The Vice President," Suho stated. He swung his head to the girl in the corner, before shifting his eyes back on Jira. "The girl over there is Han Mari."
Mari waved at Jira excitedly. There’s nothing else she could do, besides giving her new friend a wide smile.
Suho chuckled lightly. "Well... I feel silly when I introduced myself as The President. Honestly, these President and Vice President positions are not truly necessary. It's The Council who asked. So, basically we all are same." Jira nodded lightly, confirming his statement. "And... We have no fixed schedule or activity. We just like to gather and talk about everything, even if it's not about photography. We are building a family here."
"Pretty cool," Jira responded shortly.
"We frequently hang out together to find some great view to capture. You know, it is part of our life. I can say, our club is the one who has the most holiday in a year. You will love it," he explained genuinely. Leading himself towards her direction.
"I love it already now," she said, raising her brows. "I think I came to the right place."
Jira has never been so into something before she met photography. She was in love with it instead once her friend introduced it to her. It was the most beautiful thing she ever knew. On her fifteenth birthday, her dad gave her camera as a birthday present. It was her first. It was not as advanced as she has this time, but it was worth more than anything else. After she grew up, she managed to earn some money to buy a better one. She took every part time job her friends offered, she was too excited about getting a new one. Photography is part of her life. The feel, the art, the beauty, she loves it that much. That was the reason photography club was on her first list to join after she got into college. "The best choice," he grinned cutely. "Welcome to the club, Jira!"
"You should come tomorrow, everyone will be there," Sehun stated. He kept his pace in harmony with Jira. It was almost dark outside, so after the long chat with the club members, he offered his company to walk her to the bus stop. She didn't mind that, she even felt glad for his kindness. It's good to make friends. "Of course, I am the member now, there’s no reason for not coming," Jira stated, gripping her camera bag.
"How is your first week, Miss Park? Being a freshman is not easy. I was suffering enough at that time."
"Well... Not too bad, I just need to adjust a little more. College is so different with high school." a beaming smile appeared on her face, welcoming the friendly talk from Sehun.
"Jira. Just call me Jira, I am okay with that. We are family, aren't we?"
"We are. And... Just Sehun for me."
"Cool." Jira shrugged and kept walking.
"So... Do you have new friends already?"
"Not sure. I just know some students who attend the same classes with me, but I’m not too close with them."
"It's okay. You have us now. We are your new family," he claimed.
"Family. I love that," she stated eyeing him with her almond sparkling eyes.
They were walking side by side in the hallway. Crossing from room to room, which were already empty. Everyone might be on their private life by the time, met their family or friends. Her mind stopped as she found an enormous room which still had the lights on. She peeked through the windows. It was an indoor swimming pool. Both of them kept their walk pace, while her eyes glued to someone inside. This guy was swimming alone, from side to another side persistently.
"Who is that?" Jira asked, still kept her eyes on the guy, glued.
"Our best swimmer." Sehun gave her a direct answer. Although without checking on the mentioned guy, he surely knew who it was.
"Why is he alone? There must be anyone else who use this place, right?" He stopped suddenly, surprising her. She eyed him studying blindly. His eyes narrowed the guy inside determinedly, but with blank and dark sight.
He pulled his eyes back and looked down sadly before facing the front again, then started walking. "Yeah, of course. But they might be home already. This place is like his second home. Like he owns it." She fastened her pace as Sehun was already steps ahead.
"He must be so lonely," she said again, bluntly. Never pulling her eyes off from the swimmer.
Sighing for no reason, Sehun replied, "I don't know. I never asked."
After listening to his answer, her hand automatically grabbed her bag, looking for the zipper. She couldn't let this beautiful scene only be a memory in her mind, she wanted to capture it so badly. But then his hand stopped her. She was startled. She shifted her eyes to the man.
"Don't!" They exchanged glances determinedly. "He hates that. He doesn't like someone to take a picture of him without his permission."
"I-I am sorry," Jira murmured. "So... I need to ask him first?"
"It won't be easy," Sehun responded shortly.
She kept her gaze on the swimmer, waiting for him to appear on the surface. Curious about him, she knows someone else who was also really good at swimming. But nothing she got, the swimmer stayed in the water even until Jira and Sehun reached the end of the large window. She turned her head to the front, focused on where she was going to.
"Your eyes were all on him," Sehun said.
Jira's face questioned, throwing her gaze on him. "Yeah. He is amazing. I am a big fan of that sport."
"So... you can swim?"
Jira burst into laughter because of the question. It was how she always reacted when people asked about her swimming skill. She a is fan of it, but not even she can touch the water. She just likes it. A different thing with photography that she is an expert in. But swimming, she had nothing to do with that. "No. I am just a fan. You?"
"Well... I am experienced enough, but still not as good as him," Sehun said. He stopped, again. He sighed. His tone was softer then continued saying, "He is the best I have ever known."
"Pizza? Are we celebrating something?" Jira saw her two roommates confusedly. They barely would order food if there was nothing happening. Because Jinki would insist to cook healthy dishes for them. But tonight, she spotted the delicious pizza on the table, with her two amazing men in front of the TV. When it came with pizza, it must be something big happened, something really needed to celebrate.
"Why are you late?" Jinki asked cutting her question.
"I just joined the to photography club. I needed to catch up with the others."
"Sounds good. This is the only day you didn't protest about college," he chuckled warmly.
"Yes! Because I just got a handsome partner from the club!" She cheered excitedly before her attention back to the pizza. "So... What's with the pizza? It isn't your birthday, is it? Jaehyun's neither. Then?"
"Jinki just proposed to his girlfriend today," Jaehyun stated after the long silence, listening to his cousin's report.
Her eyes widened because of the sudden news, throwing a glance on the mentioned man. Jinki was known as busy doctor, he didn't have much time to bring his girlfriend on a date or so. He was a hardworking man. He never talked about his girlfriend lately, so she expected they might be fighting. But she was wrong. They were really in a good relationship. "Jinjja?" "And she said yes," Jinki informed.
Couldn't hide her feeling, Jira furiously gave Jinki warm hug, congratulating him for such a big news. One of her best men will get married soon, no other news as great as that one. But then her bright face disappeared after staying a while behind the hug. "So, you are gonna leave us?" Jira pulled herself away from the hug.
"Yes. I already prepared a house for us, with me and my wife only," he smiled, but not happened the same with her.
"You are welcomed to stay here with your wife!"
He chuckled sweetly then saying, "I can't. I am sorry. It must be weird living together with you and Jaehyun. You know... a newlywed couple needs more time together. But I promise I will visit you two regularly, every day. I will miss you and Jaehyun." He tapped Jaehyun's head lightly who sat right next to him.
The place, where they have been staying, apparently belongs to Jira's dad. Jira was supposed to live alone. But when Jaehyun moved in with her, they decided to find a roommate to live with them. Because it would be awkward for a man and a woman to live together under the same roof, even if they are cousins. Jinki, who was at that time just a new worker and didn't have much money to live, came after he saw their brochure of looking for a new roommate. The place feels livelier after he moved in. Thanks to Jinki, he always gives them big help. He is the big brother.
"That's so sad. We have been living together for like forever. Now you are gonna leave us to get married. I am really sad, but happy at the same time," Jira pouted.
"Come on! It's not the time to be sad. Let's celebrate it with happiness," Jinki pinched her cheek lovingly, motioning her face cutely. He grabbed a slice of pizza, popped it into . "I know you love pizza."
"Not as much as I love you! And... Congratulations!" Jira said grinning. She got Jinki's cute smile in return. She munched her pizza as she found her seat beside Jaehyun, resting her bag next to her. "Where is Milo?"
"I kicked him inside your room. He wants my pizza," Jaehyun stated with his heavy voice. Kept eating while his eyes were focused on the TV. "I checked on him fifteen minutes ago, he was sleeping on your bed. He still probably is."
Then, the roommates were silent for a moment, watching The Walking Dead rerun with full of attention. Still munching their pizza, plus soda. With her eyes stuck on TV, Jira annoyed her cousin by kicking his legs repeatedly. She heard him curse in silence afterwards. His face looked so annoyed because of her. Jaehyun pulled back his legs and crossed them on the couch.
"How is your school, cousin?"
Jaehyun who was irked more when Jira ruffled his hair, pushed her hand away. "Good," he said by throwing a quick glare at her.
"Just good? I am not asking for that, Jung Jaehyun!" She hit her cousin's head lightly, lovingly. He scoffed.
"He got an A in English," Jinki joined the conversation between the cousins, by hovering his eyes on them.
Jira was eyeing Jinki for the answer. He must be making fun of her for that. That answer was not what she wanted to hear. She rolled her eyes and saying, "Don't tell me that! Of course, he did! He lived in State for four years, if he didn't get A for that, it would be a serious problem."
"The other subjects are still on hold," Jaehyun explained, sipping his drink without moving his eyes an inch from the TV.
"Tell me after you get them," she claimed.
"I'll try not to remember that," he teased mischievously. Jira hissed at him. Such a lovely cousin, they have been living together for years, felt like real brother and sister.
"Jira?" Jaehyun called humming.
"What?"
"My friend will have her birthday party next weekend, Saturday. She asked me to ask you if you want to be the photographer. Also... I showed your blog to her, she wants you to make a photo book for her party as well. Her parents have lots of money."
"Her? You mean your girlfriend."
"No! I don't have a girlfriend, cousin."
"Go get one, before they are all taken and you will regret it for not taking a chance," Jira teased, she was giggling by herself. Then she stopped, when she noticed no one found it funny.
"I think you are the one who should find a boyfriend, and stop admiring that guy on your wall. You can't live with your dream forever, Jira. You can't be in love with such a guy, he is too far away from your life. I tell you for your own good."
Rolling her eyes for such a conversation, she hates the most. Being in love with someone was her private life, there was no one who could tell her what she was supposed to do. "How much do you think I will get paid for the party?"
"Maybe you can buy a new house from that," Jaehyun chuckled.
"You are kidding."
"I am. But the offer is real. Take it or not?" He asked for the last time.
"So... It is not this Saturday, right? Still two weeks later?"
"Yes!"
"I can't say no to that. Thank you, my beloved cousin! You are the best! Best cousin I ever have!" Again, he got annoyed once more. Never cared if he was going to be mad. She stood up from her seat, biting last cut from her pizza.
"Where are you going? You just ate a slice of it," Jinki asked.
"Shower. And... Milo must miss me for coming home late today." Ruffling her cousin's hair furiously, before grabbing her bag back to her hold and run away towards her room. But she stopped when Jaehyun called her. "Park Jira!"
"What?!" Jira shouted in response. Jaehyun twisted his head to face her.
"I am not telling you for free!"
"I will bring you a girlfriend, Jaehyunie! I promise!" That was what all she said before she fully disappeared into her room.
"I swear she is the one who needs a boyfriend," Jaehyun mumbled under his full mouth, and that made Jinki almost got choked over his drink. He got the fun from the lovely cousins.
When Jira was out of her bathroom, she saw Milo was still there, sleeping on her bed. He looked so adorable when he was sleeping. She wanted to hug him. But since she didn't want to wake him up, she scrapped it. She her baby husky's hair lovingly. He groaned cutely and hugged her hand in his sleep. She couldn't stop smiling because of her lovely dog. Her smiling face changed into serious one when her eyes shifted to the wall over her bed. No one would see the plain wall anymore, it was already covered with hundred photos of the same person for this past year. She seems like a stalker, but she is not. She did not follow someone like a freak. She just came where this person could probably be. She was not crazy for him. She just fell for that same person over and over, and couldn't get rid of the feeling how hard she had tried. She has a crush on him even before that photo wall didn't exist, it means when she was fourteen. Staring at it endlessly, which was only one person there, while her hand kept caressing Milo. She couldn't let her eyes away from them even just photos. "Life is like a camera lens. Focus only on what's important and you will capture it perfectly," Jira murmured, positioning herself to get a better view of her collection. "I stayed focused on you for years, but couldn't capture you yet. It kills me."
Her eyes moved slowly from the photo on the top corner to the bottom corner, from the oldest one to the latest one. She remembered when exactly she took each photo then ended hanging on her wall. Jira heaved. "Why am I doing this? Am I too obsessed now? You don't know me, and probably won't. You probably think I am crazy if someday you find this room. But I guess you won't. There will be no reason for you to come here. I am just a wallflower in your life, I will never get the chance to talk to you, even just a word." Another reason she stays in photography, besides she loves it, she needs it. It is the only thing she could do for her one-sided-love, admiring from afar. If she couldn't capture that unreachable heart, she was happy enough just captured the figure with her camera. And those works were hanging proudly in front of her.
Jira got up a bit, she took off the latest photo from the wall with her left hand, and kept her other hand down on Milo, brushing his hair affectionately. Staring at the photo she just took off, then smiling a bit. Fluttering even just because of a photo. She got up back, leaning to the wall closer. Instead of taking photos, she put back the photo in her hand to the wall. That was what she always did every night. Dreaming and regretting about being a wallflower of someone's life, who barely knew she ever existed. Every night always felt the same, wanted to take everything down from that wall. But never happened even once, because her heart told her otherwise.
author's notes
DISCLAIMER: This is for proofreading purposes only.
THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING YOUR STORY TO MY SHOP! TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE REVIEW IN THE COMMENTS!
THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING YOUR STORY TO MY SHOP! TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE REVIEW IN THE COMMENTS!
Like this story? Give it an
Upvote!
Thank you!
Comments