“Now when you take a picture, you always want a subject.  Don’t just click the button,” Kwangmi instructed.  “And you want something interesting.  If you can’t find anything interesting, then there’s something wrong with you because everything is interesting!”

They walked the area around the photo studio that her class was located.  Minwoo held a camera uncertainly in his hands, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do with it.  Kwangmi led him to a tree that grew from the corner of the lot.  It wasn’t large, just a small spruce, with a skinny trunk and even skinnier limbs, leaves peppering the light-colored branches.  From one of these limbs hung a small red birdhouse with a feeding tray.  It looked old, paint peeling, splintered, but the feeding tray was full.

“Take a picture of this,” Kwangmi ordered, gesturing to the birdhouse.

Minwoo nodded, centering himself.  He lifted the camera to his eyes, centered the image through the eye piece, and snapped a picture.  Lowering the camera, he admired the newly taken photo on the screen.

Kwangmi peered around his shoulder, examining his work.  “Not bad,” she commented, “but it seems dull.  You took a picture of a birdhouse.  Big deal.  Try again.”

Minwoo felt a pang in his heart at her harsh words, disappointment darkening his face.  He lifted the camera again and positioned the birdhouse, trying to match all the angles, straightening the frame.  He flashed another picture straight on.  He looked at the screen again.

“Do it again, try getting different angles,” Kwangmi said.  “Think about the birdhouse.  What makes it special?  Why should you bother taking a picture of it?  What message do you want to send?”

“I don’t know why I’m taking a picture of it.  You told me to,” Minwoo reminded.  “I’m not trying to send a message.  It’s a birdhouse, birds live in it.  There’s nothing special about it.”

“That is where you are wrong.  Everything is special, you just need to find what makes it so.  Do it again.”

Grumbling silently to himself, Minwoo took another picture.  And another.  And another.  He moved around, trying to heed Kwangmi’s advice and get it at different angles, with different lighting, different focuses.  Kwangmi wouldn’t let him look at the photos until she told him to stop.

“Now let’s go through them,” she suggested. 

Together, they flipped through the pictures, Minwoo’s pride in his amateur snapshots inflating his chest while he cringed at the more…not so good ones.  Kwangmi didn’t say anything all the while.  When they had reached the end, she gave one nod in appreciation.

“Good work,” she complimented.  “You have a way to go, but some of these pictures turned out really well.  Let’s go download them.”

Minwoo followed her back to the classroom where they took residence in their previous places.  Kwangmi inserted the memory card and downloaded the pictures to her flash drive.  Once that task had been accomplished, she pulled up the first photo in the album, immediately setting to work on manipulating the light levels, enhancing the light and deepening the shadows.

“See?” she said.  “Now you try.”

The girl brought up a photo and switched him spots.  She didn’t say anything as he hesitantly followed the procedure she had executed, then adjusting the arrow on the bar to adjust the exposure.  It was fun!  He tampered with it, experimenting.  He knew he was taking much longer on this one picture than she had taken with her last three, but he didn’t care.  Eventually, he settled on the level percentages and sat back in his chair.  The picture was predominately lighter, the colors just a bit more vibrant because of it.  He looked to Kwangmi next to him, waiting anxiously for her response.

“So how is it?” he wondered.

She examined the photo before smiling.  “It looks really great!  Do you want to try something else?”

“Yes,” he answered immediately.  She smiled wider at his eagerness.

“Okay, let’s play with colors.”  This time, she didn’t bother with switching him places, opting instead for leaning into him, taking the mouse and quickly pulling up her picture she had edited before.  She began adjusting the color levels, seeming to know exactly what she wanted.  The girl enhanced the red, making the birdhouse even more vibrant.  Minwoo watched in fascination as she expertly and swiftly finished the job.

“See how cool that looks!” Kwangmi squealed.  Minwoo nodded his agreement.  The original picture now seemed dull and lifeless in comparison.  Photoshop really is amazing.

The two spent the next forty-five minutes touching up photos, Minwoo learning more and more.  At the end of the hour, Mrs. Jang told everyone to submit their photos for critiquing and to start on the next assignment.

“What’s the next project?” Minwoo asked, curious.

Kwangmi visibly brightened.  “We get to do film work!  You know, with old cameras that take film instead of digital.  This should be really fun.”

“I don’t know,” Minwoo started.  “It sounds really hard.”

“Exactly!  That’s why it should be fun!”

Minwoo found her smile and confidence contagious and matched her grin.  As they made their way out of the studio with the sea of other students, a body jostled into Minwoo, shoving him and tripping him up.  He fell with a thud, landing harshly on the hard ground.

“Oh my gosh!  Minwoo, are you alright?” Kwangmi cried, rushing to his side.

Embarrassed, Minwoo nodded his head, quickly regaining his ground and brushing himself off.  Why, oh why, did he always humiliate himself around this girl?

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kwangmi asked again.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he assured, trying to salvage any image he could.  “Yah, what is this?  Just Saturday you were acting all big and tough.  Are you reversing the roles now?”

Kwangmi’s furrowed brow smoothed out and her eyes twinkled.  “Well, whatever.  But seriously, who ever ran into you could have had the decency to apologize,” she harrumphed.

“It’s fine.  They probably didn’t even know what they had done,” Minwoo tried to defend his assaulter.  “But, hey, it’s nice outside and I don’t have to be home yet.  Want to go out for some ice cream?  My treat.”

“Ice cream,” she repeated.  “Yes!  I know the perfect place.  Let’s go!” She grabbed his hand and led him away from the studio.

“One chocolate and one cookies n’ cream, please,” Minwoo ordered from the ice cream trolley.  The two cones were handed over and Minwoo gave Kwangmi hers.  Delightedly, Kwangmi stretched out her tongue, away at her icy treat.  The taste burst in , making her smile in bliss.

“So what do you want to do now?” Minwoo asked, enjoying his chocolate ice cream.

“Well, I want to take a few more pictures.  Let’s head over to the pond over there.” She pointed down the cobblestone walks that lead to a small duck pond. 

Cherry blossom trees grew along the path.  The blossoms were long gone, but their scent seemed to linger in the air.  They walked side-by-side, too absorbed in their dessert to make conversation.  Other pedestrians roamed the park as well –couples hand-in-hand, groups of girls laughing and giggling, children trying to escape their mothers.  Kwangmi watched all this with an amused eye, fingers itching for the camera around her neck. Halfway to the pond, she couldn’t take it anymore, handing her ice cream to a questioning Minwoo.  She crouched on the ground, camera raised, aiming, waiting for the opportune moment before shooting.  But she didn’t stop at the one.  She kept snapping, shutter flying as she took picture after picture, couched down, standing up –whatever angle looked best.  Kwangmi felt Minwoo’s eyes boring holes into the back of her head, but like always she ignored it until she had enough pictures to satisfy her craving.  Regaining an upright position, she began going through the snapshots, deleting the ones that didn’t turn out.  Once done, she turned back to Minwoo, taking back her ice cream cone.

“What was that?”

Kwangmi shrugged at Minwoo’s question.  “I just can’t help myself.  Those kids over there were just too cute!”

Minwoo laughed at her enthusiasm.  “I think you need rehab.  Photography is your drug,” he teased.

Her eyes rounded like saucers.  “No!  I couldn’t live without my camera!”

“My point is proven,” Minwoo chuckled.

She giggled, like bubbles from a fountain.  “Okay, I concede.  I may have a problem, but honestly, I’m not complaining.”  She shrugged her shoulders in defeat, resigning herself to her fate.

“Aww!” Minwoo cooed, reaching out one hand to pinch her cheek.  “You are too cute!”

Kwangmi giggled again, happy with this new spontaneous and fun side that she’d only glimpsed before.  “Thanks, I know.”  She gave him a victory sign, winking.

He laughed.  “A little too big-headed, maybe, but you can get away with it.”

She gave him a painfully shocked expression.  “What do you mean by that?  How could you say something so horrible?  I am the most humble person I’ve ever met!”

Playing along, Minwoo instantly backed up.  “Oh, I am so sorry.  You’re right, you are very humble, and everyone should aspire to be just like you.  Please teach me the ways of humility!” he beseeched. 

“You’re forgiven,” she chirped.  “And to be humble, just praise other people –like me!”

Minwoo narrowed his eyes, pondering.  “I don’t know if I can be that humble.”

Kwangmi sighed.  “Oh well, I tried.  So sad, another soul lost…”

Minwoo burst out laughing, not able to contain it anymore and Kwangmi followed him.  The moment could not have been more perfect.  The sun shone in a perfectly blue sky, its rays landing on a beautiful park filled with happy people.  A camera hung from her neck with new pictures and she had an ice cream in one hand.  On top of all this was a cute boy by her side that she could laugh and joke with.  Nothing could get better than this.  Well, except maybe some music –like in the movies.  That would be legit.

They reached the pond and the two sat on a bench, finishing their ice cream.  Ducks floated in the water, sometimes racing other birds to the bread crumbs that children threw into the water.  Finishing her treat, Kwangmi silently stepped closer to the edge of the pond, once again with photography on her mind.  One brave duck swam to the shore where water met ground level.  A shy toddler watched with round eyes as the bird drew closer.  She hesitantly held out a piece of bread, beckoning the animal to take it.  Still at the shoreline, the duck tilted its head, as if trying to decide if the little girl was a threat or not.  Figuring she was no harm, it lessened the distance, craning its neck, beak open wide.  A delighted smile graced the little girl’s lips, eyes bright with excitement.  Quickly, Kwangmi pressed down on the button, capturing that moment forever.  Taking the camera from her face, Kwangmi witnessed the duck snatch the bread from the girl’s fingers and take off back to the water.  Kwangmi leaned back on her heels, smiling softly at the scene.

“Just the one?”

Minwoo’s voice startled her and she would have toppled into the water had he not reached out and caught her before that awful fate could play out. 

At a loss for breath, she him.  “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” she exclaimed in a half-whisper.  “I could have died!”

Minwoo looked at the shallow, murky water.  “Nah, it’s not deep enough for you to drown.”

Kwangmi rolled her eyes.  “I meant you nearly scared me to death,” she elaborated.

A sheepish smile shaped his lips.  “Oh, sorry, I was just following you.  But why did you only take the one picture?  You usually take more.”

Kwangmi’s gaze shifted to the little girl, now energetically retelling to her mother who had seen the entire the story that had unfolded.  Warm fuzzies erupted in her chest and another small smile appeared on her face. 

“Sometimes, there are moments that only last one shot, and if you miss it, that’s too bad.  You have to be extra careful in those situations, because that moment could maybe change someone else’s life.”

As the little girl walked away hand-in-hand with her mother, Kwangmi continued to watch, mesmerized.  She was aware of Minwoo’s eyes on her, but it didn’t disturb her.  When the other two were far enough away to return Kwangmi’s attention to her custody, she looked to Minwoo.

“So, want to take more pictures?”

Fluff chapter!  Yeah, I know, I know, I'm always about the fluff, but this is not a lovey-dovey kind of fluff.  I like this kind of fluff ^^  Tell me what you think!

Oh, and 11 subscribers and an upvote!  Oh yeah, happy dance!  Thank you everyone!