Yunjin is expecting to feel a little self-conscious spending the majority of the following week with a camera shoved in her face, but as always, Chaewon makes things easier, and by the second day Yunjin has mostly forgotten the camera is even there. Chaewon is always taking photos of her anyway, when they go out for lunch or to the park, this time it's just on her fancy expensive camera rather than a slightly cracked iPhone with a Moomin phone case.
On the seventh day, they're taking a walk along the Han River after getting an early dinner with Sooyoung and Jiwoo. It's late afternoon, almost sunset — golden hour, Chaewon called it with an excited glint in her eye as she dragged Yunjin towards the river — and every now and then Yunjin will hear the click of the camera shutter, or Chaewon will drop back a few steps and ask Yunjin to turn around.
They stop so they can go into a Starbucks that's about to close and get some drinks — a caramel frappuccino with chocolate syrup and extra whipped cream for Chaewon because she's an unhinged sweet-tooth and a peach iced tea for Yunjin because she's normal — and once they're walking again Chaewon prompts Yunjin into talking about her classes. Squinting against the fading sun, Yunjin launches into a ramble about atoms and molecules while Chaewon hums and nods, asking the occasional question to encourage Yunjin to keep talking.
She's in the middle of ranting about enzymes when it occurs to her she hasn't heard Chaewon's camera go off in a while, and when she turns to look at Chaewon, she's just watching Yunjin with a fond smile, her camera hanging around her neck rather than pointed at Yunjin.
"The sunlight's pretty much gone now," Chaewon says in explanation, and Yunjin blinks, looking around them. The sun has indeed mostly sunk below the horizon, the riverside path now illuminated by the lamps lining it, and the evening chill in the air makes her shiver a little.
"And I didn't want to interrupt you. You seemed to have a lot of opinions on enzyme production, and you're cute when you nerd out like that."
Yunjin feels her cheeks warm up a little; the novelty of her girlfriend (girlfriend!) calling her cute hasn't quite worn off yet.
"Do you want to come back to the dorm for a bit? I think Heejin's gonna be out till late at a study group thing, so."
"Sure," Yunjin says, slipping one of her hands into Chaewon's now that it's not preoccupied by a camera, and they start to make their way towards the path leading up to the main road. "Did you get what you needed? With the photos? Do I have a future ahead of me of Korea's Next Top Model if the whole mad scientist thing doesn't work out?"
Chaewon snorts. "Yes, I did, thank you. And you were an excellent model. You definitely have a career to fall back on if you accidentally blow something up again and get yourself barred from every lab in the country."
"That was one time," Yunjin huffs. "And not my fault the beakers were labelled incorrectly."
"Mm, excuses excuses."
Chaewon laughs, squirming away from Yunjin and skipping ahead a few steps when Yunjin prods her in the ticklish part of her ribs.
Yunjin slows to a stop, staring at the sight in front of her and trying to commit every detail to memory as though it's the last time she'll ever see it; the empty path bathed in the pink-purple rays of the fading sunset, the red-orange-yellow trees on one side and the dark expanse of the river on the other, and at the centre of it all is the girl who has coloured Yunjin's whole world with every shade of the rainbow.
(In the years to come, Yunjin will remember this moment in picture perfect clarity, even without photographic proof. She'll remember the image of Chaewon looking over her shoulder, hair tumbling down the back of her denim jacket in silver-gold waves. She'll remember the upbeat pop song playing from the speakers of a group of kids on the riverbank, the sound of Chaewon's laugh just before Yunjin catches up and pulls her into a kiss, the sugary sweet taste of Chaewon's mouth. Mostly, she'll remember this as the moment she realises she's fallen in love.)
YOU ARE READING
meet me in the afterglow / purinz
Fanfiction#1 purinz #3 sapphics My Notice: Please be aware that there may be inaccuracies whilst adapting, only a few roles were changed hence it only being purinz from le sserafim being used. Suggest any wanted adaptations - No restrictions x Converted Sum...
