Fated Foes ||toptae||

56

The midday sun bathed the campus courtyard in a warm glow as Lia adjusted her camera, capturing shots of students lounging around and chatting. She was focused, her usual concentration on display as she maneuvered for the perfect angle.

Jiya came running toward her, holding a small pouch of camera lenses. Her face beamed with pride, despite the faint circles under her eyes from a sleepless night.

“Unnie, look!” Jiya exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. “I stayed up all night memorizing all the lenses! Test me—I know them all now.”

Lia raised an eyebrow, intrigued but skeptical. “Oh really?” she said, picking up one lens from the pouch and holding it up to Jiya. “Alright then, tell me—what’s the mm on this one?”

Jiya squinted at the lens, her confidence unwavering. “That’s a 35mm!” she declared proudly.

Lia’s lips twitched as she fought back a smile. “Hobo! That’s a 23mm lens, Jiya.” She sighed dramatically, placing the lens back down. “You stayed up all night, and you still didn’t get a single one right for me to actually use now?”

Jiya’s proud expression faltered, replaced by a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry, unnie! I’ll go and get the right lens this time. Promise!”

Without waiting for a reply, she hurried off, her ponytail bouncing with every step. Lia shook her head, half amused, half exasperated.

Just as she was preparing to continue her shoot, Yoongi approached, looking slightly nervous but attempting to appear casual.

“Hey,” he greeted, scratching the back of his neck.

Lia looked up, slightly startled. “Oh, Yoongi sunbae. What brings you here?”

Yoongi cleared his throat, hesitating for a moment. “So, uh… the girl who was just here. You know her, right?”

Lia’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“Well…” Yoongi looked away briefly, a faint blush creeping up his neck. “Can you help me get her number? I think she’s… um, really nice.”

Lia blinked at him for a moment, processing his request. Then, her face twisted into a frown as she crossed her arms over her chest. “And why exactly do you want her number?”

Yoongi hesitated again, fumbling for words. “I… I just thought it would be nice to, you know, get to know her better.”

Lia’s frown deepened as she stepped closer, her tone firm. “Yoongi sunbae, I appreciate your interest, but Jiya is still very young and very busy. She doesn’t need distractions. So no, I’m not giving you her number. Get out of here.”

Yoongi’s jaw dropped slightly at her blunt response, but he quickly composed himself, raising his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay! No need to be so defensive. I was just asking.”

“Yeah, well, ask someone else.” Lia waved him off dismissively, turning her attention back to her camera.

Yoongi muttered something under his breath as he walked away, glancing back once as if reconsidering his approach. Lia ignored him, her mind already back to her shoot.

A few moments later, Jiya returned, this time holding a different lens with an eager expression. “Unnie, I’ve got it this time! Look, it’s a 50mm lens, right?”

Lia glanced at the lens, smirking. “Finally. Took you long enough.”

Jiya pouted but quickly brightened when Lia patted her shoulder. “Good job, Jiya. Now let’s get to work.”