Chapter 9: The Work of Art

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I get down on one knee and perfectly align the lens of my vintage light blue polaroid, looking through the lense to match it up with the roses

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I get down on one knee and perfectly align the lens of my vintage light blue polaroid, looking through the lense to match it up with the roses. 

I press the button and the flash goes off, with the picture printing out of the top. 

Mari stands at the other side of the rose garden, gently caressing a flower and humming to himself, then starts to sing softly

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Mari stands at the other side of the rose garden, gently caressing a flower and humming to himself, then starts to sing softly. 

I line up the shot.

I line up the shot

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"neoleul cheoeumbwas-eul tae neoneun nae ma-eum-Eul gajyeossda, But I'm falling away from you, If I don't speak up soon..." 

The flash goes off and he looks up at me. 

"Wait! You didn't even warn me! I would have posed!" 

He yells and rushes back to me while the photo prints. He takes it and looks at it. 

"Umm. I think I might be so ugly I broke your camera, the picture is white!"

He says and looks shocked, 

"Nah, you didn't break it. The picture is just developing. It will get darker in a few minutes." I tell him and we continue walking down the path through the garden in the middle of the park. 

"What were you singing?" 

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"What were you singing?" 

I ask as we walk across a wooden bridge that led through a tall weaving grass. 

"Ah, just some old K-Pop. I've been listening to this group that my uncles were in called NTB. They were pretty good, it's too bad they disbanded." He says as he lifts his hand and touches the tall grass. 

"I would love to ask them about it but I've been too scared. Oh, look! It's getting darker!" He smiles as he shows me the picture.

 It was almost too perfect. 

He looked like an angel visiting from a different world. I put the photo in my pocket with the others as we continue walking until we suddenly reach the top of a large waterfall.

 I put the photo in my pocket with the others as we continue walking until we suddenly reach the top of a large waterfall

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"Woah! All of this is so beautiful!"

Mari squeals as he stands at the railing and leans over it to look at the water. 

"I feel like this would be the perfect place for a date. Like a movie perfect one." He says and I laugh. 

"Well, I would think your boyfriend takes you places better than the public park considering you're a prince." I laugh as I line up another shot. 

"No, he doesn't take me anywhere. He's always too busy."

"What do you mean he doesn't take you anywhere?" 

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"What do you mean he doesn't take you anywhere?" 

I decided to poke a little bit and Mari smiles.

 "Ah, we're both busy people. And he doesn't really like me all that much anyway." He says, a cool breeze kicks up and he buries his little hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

 "If he doesn't like you, why are you dating him?"

 I ask this beautiful ball of sunshine. Who wouldn't love him? Even a friend he's so precious.

 "Because he says I would never be able to find anyone else. Oh look! Duckies!!!" 

Mari runs ahead towards the group of birds and sits on a bench to watch them as they gather around an old man with bread. I stand back a little and he raises and eyebrow.

 "What's wrong Hamie? Come sit!"

 He smiles and I shake my head. 

"I have a low-key fear of birds." I admit and he laughs. 

"A fear of birds?! But birds are so beautiful! Look at them!"

 He points the menacing looking group of ducks, pigeons, swans, and crows. 

"I'm good." 

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