One Breath (OffGun)

4. Tea Time

Mark so exhausted for a day long tasks. He leave the stand to other members, and going back to club room.
It's afternoon already. 2 hours before dusk. And he doesn't eat anything yet. He even didn't think about feed.
But all preparation made by his clup worth to do. There's around 10 or more freshmen who wants to join his club.
Remember that, he suddenly feel that he'll get headache, soon. Remember what kind of person Finn is, he know that he must put his brain to for make questions to interview those freshmen.

Yes, all students know how strict his club is. His photography' club never have much members. But they always prove that money gave by uni to them is worth in every penny.
That's why, even his club never fullfil minimum quote of member, uni never give an disbanned issue to them.

Mark feel so tired, exhaust, and hungry at the same time. But he needs to settle few things before he leave the room for his good.

He read some application on his lap. And suddenly that weird feeling come inside him again.

-------------------

Mark POV

When did he fill this application?
Isn't he the one who crash on me?

I didn't see him come to my stand. So, how he fill this? I read Neil's application and try to figure how.
His hand writting so small, round, and pretty, for a man's hand.

Fuck! Pretty I said?

But, yeah, I can't deny that his hand writting is the most beautiful one, compared with others.

Hey.....
What is this?
Where did he take this picture?

Yeah. My club filter every members in many way.
If you don't have any picture that you can show, then you can forget your wish to join me.

I know he took this photo with his smart phone. I know that smart phone's camera has some limit.
But, Neil's picture amaze me.
This isn't a good one. It's rough and raw. But, there's some something in it.
He try to tell something with this picture.

Tell?
Hey! After 2 years, I never saw picture which try to speak like this.
All I see just pretty picture with good angle or clear object under low light or slow speed.
But never like this one.

Who is he?
Who is Neil?

I look that picture for long time.
I know he took this picture around dawn time. Slight pink and purple sky, silky clouds above, and the earth under. Everythings in this picture so beautiful.

And I see other picture behind.
This time in different time.
Bright blue sky in all frame. No othes things there than clouds.

Yes, clouds.

My question become curousity.
Did he like to take picture of clouds? Or did he like to take picture of the sky?

Then I startled with some noisy voice from nosy person I know for long time.

--------------------

No one OPV

"Shit, Finn! Do you wish for death angel or what?" Mark kick Finn's ass.

Finn just laugh see Mark whining.

"You look so serious. I called you many times, but you didn't bug at all."

Mark give Neil's application to Finn. And Finn's eyes get bigger suddenly.

"Ohoooo....... What is this, Mark? You like nature, right? But this picture is soooo beautiful."

"See? I never saw picture like that every time we open new recruitment," said Mark.

"But, why is just cloud, here?" Asked Finn.

"I don't know either, " answerd Mark.

Finn look at Mark, disbelieved. Because as he remember, Mark is the one who stay in their stand, and Finn strolled around uni to promote his club.

Then some of his members come to bring back some box. Mark looks the watch on the wall. Almost 5 pm.
Yeah, time to clean up. Because the event overs at 6.

"Nong," Mark called out one of them.

"Yes, Phi? Do you need something?"

"Do you know when he fill this application?" Mark asked.

The one he asked frown his eyebrow.
"Ah! It's not him himself, Phi," he remembered.
"Someone filled the application for him. And those pictures send by mail from his phone to our club, then we print out his pictures. So beautiful, aren't they? And so spesifict."

"No wonder I didn't see him himself," Mark said to himself.

"Oh, and Phi," his junior rembered something.
"He sent some pictures of rain. Rain in the forest, rain from outside the windows, raindrops, and others"

"Why did you not print those, too? Make us easier to give some point," asked Mark.

"We thougth about it at first. But, we think that..... It's better if you, Phi, Phi Finn, and Phi Fang, see those by yourself. We left his file in our notebook. And I sent to your mail already, when you headed back here."

"Oh, okay. Lemme check latter," said Mark.

"Do the freshmen ceremony over?" Asked Mark suddenly.

----------------------

Neil OPV

I don't know how this senior can find me in the middle of hundred freshmen there. But here I am, sitting in front of him, with a cup of tea and some dessert, after get some dinner.

With him.

That words echo in my head.

Since Ara needs to go to some place after the freshmen ceremony, I have no choise to go with him. He looks so tire and exhaust, but looks like wanna say something at the same time.

I wanna know what's goin' on here, but I don't want to ask. Even I can't look into him. Being together like this burn my face enough. I hope he doesn't see my face become re-

"Neil, are you okay? Your face look red,"

I startled with his question

Oh my God!
He looks at my face....
Oh my.....

"Um.... No, Phi. I'm okay. I just...."

He gives his phone he play before to me. And I think I recognize picture he show to me.

Isn't it......

I scroll pictures in his phone.

Hey! These are pictures I sent to the club!
How can he ......
Don't say to me that he....

"So, you really prepare to join to my club, right?" He asked me.

Huh? His club?
Are you kidding to me, faith?

"I'm not the president of the club," he said. "But nature is my line. Anyway, I'm Mark," he smile to me.

Mark

And I see picture in front of me.
Picture of rain.

Whatta .......