It wasn't just a photoshoot for Dahyun. Not when she got paired up with Momo. Not when she could feel Momo's warmth just small centimeters away. When she watched Momo's fierce eyes look into the camera or when she spotted the way Momo moved her body for a good pose. It was never that simple for Dahyun.
It definitely wasn't just a photoshoot when the theme was "longing." When they gave Dahyun the task of looking at Momo in an admiring and yearning way, she wondered if it was a setup. How was she supposed to do that? She was sure she'd get too into it and forget there were cameras. How was she supposed to resist?
The lights, the staff, the cameras—Dahyun was aware of them for the first few seconds, but when it started, when she had to focus on Momo, they all suddenly disappeared. In that moment, Momo was the only visible thing, the only light in the darkness, the only purpose for Dahyun's eyes.
Dahyun's eyes started from the bottom of Momo's face, her lips. She couldn't tell if the girl was wearing really dark pink or red lipstick. She unconsciously leaned a bit closer. Maybe she was too focused on figuring out what color they were, or perhaps she was focused on the way they slowly parted. Either way, they had gotten closer, and it didn't seem to be a problem. Maybe the pictures looked better this way.
Dahyun's eyes wandered up, landing on Momo's eyes. She had a feeling that Momo would turn any second now and their eyes would finally lock, but Momo had been told to only face the camera. Dahyun didn't know if that was good or bad. On one hand, it meant she could admire Momo as much as she wanted; on the other hand, she would have loved it if Momo looked back at her.
When Dahyun's eyes returned to Momo's lips, Momo turned her head to look at her. Even though Dahyun had been waiting for this moment a few seconds ago, she completely missed it now, since she was focused on the way Momo's front teeth showed through her slightly parted lips.
Momo followed Dahyun's gaze. She felt small and shy under Dahyun's deep gaze, but it also gave her confidence. She could have thought that Dahyun was focused on getting a good picture, but she knew better. Those eyes were saying something else, and Momo was the one trapped in them. When her lips curled into a smile, Dahyun finally looked back at her.
Momo chuckled. That was all she could really do because Dahyun was just that silly and adorable. Dahyun's blank face also formed into a smile, and she tried her best to ignore the fact that she really had gotten too into it. Embarrassment crept up on her, and she would have rather run away and hid. Luckily, the producer approved of the pictures, and they didn't have to redo them.
Next, the nine girls were together for a group photoshoot. Dahyun and Momo weren't standing close to each other this time, and Dahyun wasn't able to decide if that was a relief or a burden. Every few seconds, she tried to sneak a peek at Momo, but it was quite difficult, considering how many of the girls were between them. Still, she pretended to pose and kept her eyes looking in Momo's direction.
To her surprise, Momo actually looked back, and their eyes met. She didn't know if it was on purpose or just a coincidence, but now they were smiling at each other, and the group pictures turned out great. Even though they were the only ones looking at each other, it seemed completely natural on camera. After all, it was something that happened quite often off-camera too.
Dahyun's heart was still racing as they wrapped up the group shoot. She could feel Momo's gaze even though she wasn't looking in her direction anymore. The staff busied themselves around the studio, talking about the next concept for the shoot, but all Dahyun could think about was the moment when Momo had caught her staring. The way her lips had curved into that gentle, knowing smile. It was a smile that seemed to say, "I see you."
And Momo did see her—maybe in a way that no one else did.
Dahyun had always admired Momo. Ever since the beginning. How could she not? Momo was breathtaking. A force of nature with her sharp yet gentle features, the way her body moved with grace, strength, and purpose. But it wasn't just Momo's beauty that had Dahyun caught in this emotional snare. It was everything about her—her warmth, her laugh, the way she cared for everyone around her.
