Contemplating (Completed)

Chapter 39 - Gift

Mina's POV

"You seem a little bit lethargic nowadays, Chaengie. Even President Kim worry about you a bit, are you losing your passion at teaching, or............?"

"Minari"

Finally, Chaeyoung said a word after zoning for a long time. 

"Do you think it's weird to constantly think about somebody else while you aren't entirely closed, but you keep thinking and longing over and over?"

Here are we at my birthday celebration dinner she asks about this thing to me. Yes, Chaeyoung been different the past month.

"Pardon?" I ask again. 

"What's going on with me?"

"Are you cheating on me?"

Chaeyoung look at me, "What? No!"

"Then?"

"I mean, ever since we left Vietnam, I can't stop thinking about that little boy Minari. I want to, but I can't. Just like you, you're always in my head, so does he"

"You and your sweet mouth"

"I mean it"

"Well, you're here, you're always with me so everytime I want to see you it's easy to find you, but this boy.............."

"You grew attached to him, aren't you?"

"I don't know, it's just, when I held him, everything around me seems like paused and it feels like the first time I held Maddie in my arms, it was so similar. I only knew him for 3 days, Mina, 3 days! How can this even possible?"

"I believe you're a great mom, Chaeyoungie. It's your maternal sense kicking"

"Yeah, maybe"

"You know, you could call Sister Annie if you want to, to check on him"

"Nah, it's weird, I am just a stranger, why do I check on a kid that lives across the country. It's okay, I am fine, I think it's just a phase, Mina, I'll be alright"

I hold my hands, she looks at me.

"I am sorry that I've been such a pain in the ass this past month"

"It's okay"

"Oh, here's your present!"

Chaeyoung then give me a blue box, "Happy birthday!"

"What's this!"

I then open the box and found a camera. A CAMERA.

"Remember that I borrow your laptop the other day? When I opened it, all of your browser tabs, it was all about the mirrorless camera. I was a little bit offensive that day, I know everything about a camera, but you bother to ask me, well maybe you didn't know since I was never told a story, but I was a freelance photographer back in New York"

I can only laugh at her explanation.

"And I do realize you were interested in photography lately as I always pick you up in the photography lab, I thought you were being flirty to those photographers guys, pardon my jealousy. But yeah, I found a perfect camera for you"

I open it. It's Leica. It's freaking Leica she got me.

"Chaeyoung this is just too much, you bought me a Leica. LEICA Chaeyoung-ah"

"It's for the beginner one, it's fine"

"Yeah but still!"

"I want you to be good at this, and you need a perfect camera. If you really thankful, please shot a beautiful picture in the future, I am ready to accompany you to do the photo hunting"