Inspired by this tweet by @syjxhand on twitter!
Credits to the owner of the photos ❤️
———
Admiring the beauty in unfamiliarity, Hyun Bin strolled around the streets of this foreign country, immortalizing each moment of this freedom in photos.
He adjusted the settings of his camera to capture the serenity of the ocean, when he saw a disturbing sight of a woman trying to go over the stone fence.
He ran towards her, screaming in English, "Hey! Miss! Don't do it!"
The woman must not have heard him, because she continued climbing. Try as she might, the stone fence was just too high. Her arms kept her suspended, and her feet dangled in the air.
Thankfully, he got to her in time to get a hold of her. Grabbing her by the waist as he carried her off the stone fence, the woman's reaction lied in the middle of surprise and offense.
"WHA— let me go!!" The woman was hitting his arm in her attempt to escape, and when Bin released her into safety, the woman wore an unfathomable reaction in her face. "What do you think you're doing, you pervert?!"
"Pervert? Me?" It was Bin's turn to take offense. How was he called a pervert when he had the purest intentions in mind? "Miss, I was trying to save your life!"
"What do you m— ohhh," realization suddenly hit her, and she nodded at the misunderstanding that had just taken place. "I wasn't trying to jump.. I just wanted a photo of the ocean."
He was so appalled with her reason that he could not stop himself from speaking his native tongue as he scratched the back of his head, "Jangnanhae?!" [are you kidding me?]
"Omo, are you Korean?" The woman asked in Hangul.
Bin just casually nodded. He feigned nonchalance, while the woman looked genuinely excited. It wasn't that often that he met fellow Koreans while traveling, but he would not give her the satisfaction of the fact that he is somehow delighted. Afterall, she still called him a pervert when he tried to save her life.
...she wasn't trying to jump so there was no life to save, but it's the thought that counts, he thought to himself.
She spoke in their native tongue, and a feeling something he can't explain flushed over him. Finally, he felt something familiar amidst all the unfamiliar.
"I'm sorry for accusing you of being a pervert."
"It's okay. I'm not, though. Just thought i should lay it out in the open."
She let out a soft giggle, and he immediately saw how her eyes formed into crescents. Coupled with that smile of hers, he lived to witness what could potentially be the most beautiful subject of all photos in the world.
He definitely finds her gorgeous.
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt her hand grab his wrist, dragging him with her as they ran towards the stretch of shops.
"Where are we going?" He asked when they slowed down and eventually walked. He was no longer acting cold and distant, and now began opening himself to embrace the only familiar thing he had felt in months— if not years.
"I'm going to treat you to some gelato. As an apology. And as a thank you."
"Thank you for what?" He asked, confused.
"Thank you in advance, for taking my photo." Yejin entered the shop and immediately leaned in to look at the flavors.
"How can you be so sure that I'll take your photo?" He said smugly. Of course he would, he had nothing else to do anyway. But it wouldn't hurt to tease her a little, would it? Unknowingly, the corner of his lips turned into a smile, as he saw her point to the staff which flavor she picked.
Riso, her lips read.
"..because I'll buy you the most delicious gelato you'll ever taste in your life."
They settled in the seat outside the shop, overlooking the vast sea. She handed him the cream-colored treat, telling him it's a rice-flavored gelato.
It wasn't the most delicious flavor per se. Having travelled across Europe for the past year, the rice-flavored pudding didn't just appeal that much to his taste buds.
It didn't do wonders to his taste buds, but the same could not be said with his heart.
Again, that feeling of familiarity loomed over him. It reminded him of home. Just because of rice? Damn it.
"I almost forgot." She extended her hand to his, "I'm Se-Ri."
Surprised that she told him her name that easily, he can't believe the next words that left his lips, "Don't trust me too much, Se-Ri."
"Don't worry. I dont." She replied and before he knew it, he found himself mimicking the sly smile on her lips.
Grabbing her extended hand, he introduced himself as well, "Jeong Hyeok."
She wondered whether he gave her his real name. Jeong Hyeok? What a beautiful name, she thought to herself.
She had no right wondering if it was real, when she had just given a fake one.
"Hold it. Hold it." She turned to him, surprised to see his camera drawn up to her direction. He adjusted something in his camera before saying, "smile."
And so she did.
The clicking sound that the camera made told her that she was forever immortalized in this stranger's memory with that photo.
The beautiful expanse of the turquoise ocean in the background was no match to her exquisite beauty, he thought to himself. It would be his pleasure to have her as a muse of his photos.
After eating their gelato, they walked back to the place where they met— now to take another photo of hers. She struggled to climb up again. So he offered his help.
"May I?"
She nodded.
Gently grabbing her by the waist, he counted into three before she jumped and he lifted her into the air, helping her up to the stone fence.
He took another picture, and another, and another. They strolled the city together, talking about nothing and everything.
They talked about life, the economy, the political landscape, friendship, international relations, destiny, love. Their topics didn't know any boundaries, and they immediately felt comfortable with each other.
Familiar.
Occasionally stopping to take photos of the beautiful scenery with the beautiful woman beside him, they admired the sunset— hues of orange, blue, and purple decorated the sky.
He turned into her as she watched the sun set from the horizon— He can't decide which is more beautiful between the two.
"The rice flavored gelato was not enough payment for the hundred photos that I took of you." He said playfully.
"Hundreds? You're overreacting!" He was not. Before he left the house, he ensured he had ample memory for his sight seeing.
She smiled. What a sight to behold then, to see that smile yet again, "What is it?"
"Dinner."
"I'm buying?"
"No, I am."
"Okay then." She was tired and hungry as well, so there's no harm in having dinner with someone who kept you company for the day, right? "I'm Yejin, by the way. And that's the real one this time."
She said casually, putting on that sly smile again. He laughed, just as he suspected, Se-ri was a fake name.
"Why did you tell me your real name? Do you trust a stranger you just met?"
"I do."
It was his turn to extend a hand, "Hi Yejin. I'm Bin."
She shook his hand, giving him a smile that he will probably dream about tonight. It was instantly added to his life's short list of what's familiar.