BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 142: start of a new chapter

Yoongi nodded his head firmly. "I'm very sure - I want you to see it."

Jennie smiled a little as she naturally grabbed hold of Yoongi's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Alright then, please show it to me."

Yoongi nodded as he turned around, gripping hold of Jennie's hand more tightly as his other hand reached out and took the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, he then twisted the doorknob and pushed it open with one swift action.

"Omo-" Jennie let out a few loud coughs as the dust filled her nostrils and she swatted her hand in front of her face to get some of it out of her way. "The dust-"

"Sorry about that-" Yoongi chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. "I have been in here a few times but hadn't had the chance to clean it properly yet..."

"No worries, oppa-" Jennie smiled as she covered her nose with the back of her free hand. "I can help you with cleaning up in the future."

"Thank you, Jennie-ya."

Jennie looked around the room - it was much smaller than she expected, really almost like the size of a storeroom. Just like she had remembered, there were a couple of cameras in the room, still on their stands. Even as an amateur in photography, Jennie could tell that these were some pretty old cameras.

"These were some of the first few cameras I purchased back when I was in high school-" Yoongi explained. "I was angry with my parents back then, for not being the way my friends' parents were. I was angry that they were always quarrelling, so much so that they barely had the time for me. I think that's when I thought of the idea of spending their money as a way of getting back at them - I bought a couple of these online on impulse... but eventually ended up falling in love with film and photography. Funny, isn't it...?"

Jennie shook her head as she looked up at Yoongi. "It must have been lonely for you... your childhood, I mean. To think of getting back at your parents by spending their money too... that's something no child should have to go through. I'm so glad you found comfort in film and photography."

"I sure did," Yoongi said with a little smile, his eyes twinkling a little with tears as he recalled his traumatic childhood.

"I'm sure they don't work now..." Jennie sighed as he pulled a cobweb off one of the cameras. "But if they were, it'd be nice to develop the photos in them."

"You're right-" Yoongi shrugged. "But the photos in them probably aren't that great either. Back then, I was just taking photos as a hobby, not knowing that I'd eventually make a career out of it."

Jennie nodded slowly as she scanned the rest of the room, her eyes landing on one of the photo frames on the bookshelf.

"Oh-" Jennie exclaimed as she let go of Yoongi's hand and ran towards the bookshelf. "Is this you...?"

Yoongi walked over slowly and peered over Jennie, a little smile spreading across his face as he spotted the photo of him on a swing when he was 3 years old.  "Mm, that's me."

"Wah... you're so cute-" Jennie blurted out without thinking. "Looks like you were cute since young, oppa."

"Huh? Oh-" Yoongi tried to shrug it off. "Well, yeah, I guess..."

"Oh-?" Jennie picked up a photo frame next to it and dusted it off a little. "Your family photo."

"Mm-" Yoongi swallowed hard as he forced himself to look at the photo. "This is my family - my mom, my dad and I - the three of us."

Jennie stared at the photo for a long time, not saying a word. Then she eventually put it down and looked up at Yoongi with a little smile, as she slipped her hand into his once more.