Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 148

Captured Moments

​The studio was bathed in soft, natural light, the kind of professional glow that made everything feel a little more permanent.

It was a Saturday afternoon, the air thick with the smell of expensive coffee and the quiet hum of a camera shutter.

​Aen smoothed the fabric of her dress, her hand instinctively hovering over the subtle curve of her stomach.

She was eight weeks along now-a secret life blooming, still small enough that only she and Yoongi truly knew it was there.

​"Ready?" Yoongi asked, stepping into the frame.

He looked effortlessly sharp, but the way he looked at her was entirely soft.

​In her hand, Aen held the set of ultrasound photos they had picked up that morning after a quick check-up.

The grainy, black-and-white images were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

​"Everyone, look here," the photographer directed.

Yoongi reached out, his arm pulling both of them toward him-his wife and his daughter.

He wasn't just posing for a picture; he was framing his world.

Carly stood between them, her face bright with a mixture of excitement and the bittersweet knowledge that she was flying back to the Philippines the next day.

​Then the shutter clicked.

Once.

Twice.

A series of moments frozen in time.

​When the session wrapped, they huddled around the monitor to look at the proofs.

In one shot, Aen was laughing, holding the ultrasound photos toward the lens, while Yoongi had his hand resting firmly on the small of her back, his eyes fixed on Carly with an expression of quiet, unshakable pride.

​"Yay! We got new family pictures!" Carly said excitedly, her finger tracing her own face on the screen.

​Yoongi leaned down, resting his chin on her head, his eyes tracking the way her small hand moved across the monitor.

​"And we will have more in the future, princess," he said, his voice dropping into that warm, steady tone she loved.

He reached over, tapping the ultrasound photo in Aen's hand.

"And now together with this little one on Momhie's tummy, it is just the first of many more memories we're going to capture together. We're just going to need a bigger frame next time."

***

The drive home was quiet, but in the best way possible.

Back at the house, the afternoon sun was filtering through the curtains, casting long, golden shadows across the living room.

​Yoongi sat on the sofa, his phone in his hand as he reviewed the footage from the studio earlier.

He wasn't one for over-sharing, but this felt different.

It felt like an invitation to the world to see his real life.

​"Look at this," he said, gesturing for Aen to come closer.

​He had edited a short, grainy clip.

It was artful, framed to prioritize emotion over clarity.

In the video, Yoongi was standing near the window, his back to the camera.