The Artist and the Muse

The Artist and the Muse

It was a typical, yet wonderful day for Myungsoo as he traveled the outskirts of Seoul. Mustering a day off from the responsibilities he normally held as being a member of Infinite, Myungsoo took this opportunity as graciously as possible by seizing the day. The way he chose to seize the day? Why, by taking photographs for his next volume of Bravo Viewtiful, of course!

With a small map at hand, and a camera hanging around his neck, Myungsoo explored the various areas of South Korea, capturing moments and sights that he was looking forward to sharing with the rest of the world. The day was going by in such a carefree manner, he almost failed to recognize the girl he had seen in his previous photography session.
This girl… He had seen her before, by the Banpo fountain bridge. Whilst everyone was busy snapping pictures and sight-seeing with their family, Myungsoo couldn’t help but notice this girl was all alone. There she sat, drawing and coloring the fountain rather than taking a photograph. Was she there for an art class? He didn’t know. All he knew was that something about her caught his attention, and he didn’t know what.
But here she was, yet again — at least, he thought it was her — sketching the scenery that stood before them. How coincidental that she appeared before Myungsoo only two days since their last sight visit. Was she following him? It wouldn’t be that surprising, since he was a member of Infinite after all. Surely someone would’ve noticed him during one of these excursions...
Nonetheless, confusing things like this aggravated Myungsoo, so he decided to push the thought of this mere ‘coincidence’ out of his mind. What mattered more at the moment was continuing in his photographic pursuit, and he couldn’t let a cute girl get in the way of his productive mind.

Taking a few final snapshots, Myungsoo decided it was time to find a new location to explore. He peered down at his map and marked off where he stood with a small, red checkmark. Satisfied, he studied the map to decide where the next best place to go would be. Ah, yes. There it was, a park only twenty minutes away that was known for its local friendly wildlife. He was sure to get some good shots there.
Before leaving, he had half a mind to take a picture of the girl sketching. Not in an obvious way, just… From an observer’s point of view. He tried to reason with himself over this soon-to-be bold action, telling himself that although he may not feature it in his next volume of BV, he could still keep a photo of her as an intriguing memory. However, when he looked up from his map, Myungsoo was surprised to see that the girl had disappeared from her spot. He looked this way and that, expecting to see her walking away, but the amount of families walking by made it impossible to pick her out from a crowd. He allowed himself to be a bit disappointed — after all, to capture something, you must have quick reflexes — then he shook his head and continued on his way.

Myungsoo had arrived at his next destination. Not soon after he had, he spotted a frog croaking from atop a lily pad in the pond. Careful so as not to scare it away, Myungsoo crept up to it from a decent distance and took a few pictures. The shots came out quite well from this distance, so Myungsoo had no reason to take any more of it. He took a moment to study his surroundings. Besides the frog, there were Koi fish, seagulls, children and their families, and a beautiful tree that was just starting to change colors. He secretly praised himself for choosing such a perfect place to visit. He was sure to capture a lot of good sights here!
He went from spot to spot, animal to animal, capturing their beauty as inconspicuously as he could. It was nice taking photos of someone or something in a natural environment. These were the things he looked forward to while coming home from a tour. The noise and lights from being on stage were a complete opposite of places like these, so having a balance of both was refreshing to him.

As Myungsoo prepared his camera for the next picture, he noticed a girl sitting on the ledge of a pond from the corner of his eye. It was that girl! Now he was sure she was following him. She wasn’t here when he arrived, so there could be no other explanation. It was flattering to have someone as cute as her interested in him, but she was distracting him from his goal. There was only one solution to this: He had to say hello.
But how? He was too shy to approach her so suddenly, and without anything actually important to say... Well, it was now or never.

“I noticed you’ve been following me,” said Myungsoo. No sooner had the words come out of his mouth that he immediately regretted them. What a creepy thing to say! Is this what you call an introduction, Myungsoo? He thought to himself.
“Sorry?” asked the girl. She looked up at Myungsoo with slight irritation and confusion on her face. Myungsoo noticed her drawing of the scenery and nearly froze. It was beautiful.
“I mean… I’ve noticed you around, and I thought I’d… I-I-I just wanted to say, I…” Myungsoo scratched the back of his head and looked around as if pleading for someone to help. The girl stared at him curiously, wondering if he was lost.
“You look familiar,” she said.
“Oh, yeah… I’m part of a group call—”
“You were at Han river just now, weren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“I noticed you were taking photos, so I didn’t want to be in the way. That’s why I came here, but… It turns out I’m still in the way,” she smiled sheepishly.
“What? No, you’re fine. I mean—! You weren't in the way, I was just about to leave, anyway.”
“Oh?”
“I mean, I can stay if you’d like, but… Um… Agh!” Myungsoo covered his face out of embarrassment, and the girl smiled nervously.
“I like your drawing,” he managed to finally say.
“Ah… Thank you. It’s for my art class.”
“You take art lessons?”
“Yes, I’m in my second year of university.”
“That’s impressive! You’re very talented.”
“It’s nothing,” said the girl with another smile. Myungsoo was mesmerized on the spot. The girl watched him with a cautious expression, then noticed the camera in his hands. “So, you’re a photographer?”
“Oh, this?” Myungsoo chuckled nervously, “It’s just a hobby.”
“That’s a nice hobby to have.”
“I guess so,” he smiled.
“I’m Michelle, by the way,” said the girl as she outstretched her hand.
“I’m L— erm, I’m Myungsoo,” he said as he shook her hand in return. She smiled at him then looked back at her sketchbook.
“Well, it was a pleasure meeting you,” she said, “I’m sure we’ll see each other around if fate allows it.”
“Yes… It was nice to meet you too.” Myungsoo said quietly. Did this mean their conversation was over?
“Wherever you’re going next, I wish you luck.”
“Thank you. I wish you luck in university as well.”
“Thank you, Myungsoo.”

Myungsoo’s heart skipped a beat as she said his name. Her attention was still on her sketchbook as she continued drawing. For some reason, Myungsoo felt elated and empty at the same time. If 'fate allowed it', he was willing to see her again. However, he didn’t want to bother her from her studies. Plus, he was a busy idol after all...
“Michelle?” asked Myungsoo, and she looked back up at him with curiosity, “Do you mind if I take a picture of you before I go?”
“I don’t mind, just as long as I don’t end up in any book.”
“Of course not,” laughed Myungsoo.
“Good, because I wouldn’t want to be bombarded by Inspirits on my way to class,” she said with a smile.

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IloveInfinite7 #1
Chapter 1: The last sentence made me laugh! The story is simple and fluffy too! I really like your writing :> (Reading your stories is the first thing i do on Infinite's anniversary btw~)
destiny_07
#2
Chapter 1: "Good,because I wouldn't want to be bombarded by Inspirits on my way to class"
love this line :D
lilli5874
#3
Chapter 1: OMG HAHAHA, she knows he is an idol haha, love the last part! :D