Your life was over.

Sunggyu had invited you out for a date with hot chocolate and pastries to keep you warm in the cold weather. The date had been going well before he told you he didn’t think the relationship was working.

You didn’t even get to the see the first winter snowfall together as a couple like you planned.

Now you were in the park crying your eyes out because there was no other reason to live.

“Hey.”

You look up from the park bench in the direction of the sudden voice that interrupted your “feeling sorry for yourself time,” sniffling a bit.

The wind blows and leaves flutter away from the sidewalk to reveal a young man approaching you. You can’t quite tell what the expression on his face is or what it means. Across his shoulder is a black bag.

“Would you mind?” he asks, as he sits down on the bench in the spot furthest from you.

“Would I mind what?” you ask, watching him carefully, as you wipe your sleeve across your eyes.

He’s taken the bag from his shoulder off and placed it on the bench. Unzipping it, he reaches inside and pulls out…a camera.

“I was kind of watching you from across the fountain. I…I saw you start to cry, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”

The mask of his unreadable face slips for a second, showing an unsure expression, before becoming unreadable again.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to take a few pictures of you.”

The look of confusion on your face seems to confuse him, although you don’t know why.

“You see, I’m a photographer, and you are….” he trails off, as if wanting to keep what he was going to say to himself.

You sniffle a little, taking a deep breath. That would explain why he was confused; he’s a photographer.

“I’m what?” you curiously ask him, sniffling again.

“You’re beautiful; especially when you’re crying.”

You stop mid-sniffle, trying to comprehend what he just said. He seems to also be trying to comprehend the words that just came from his own mouth.

“Oh no! I hope you don’t think I meant it as in you’re only beautiful when you’re crying! Um….sorry? Never mind I said anything. I’ll just be leaving now,” he says, pushing his camera back into the bag and zipping it closed.

Just as he’s about to get up though, you grab his arm, stopping him.

He is warm; much warmer than the hot chocolate and pastries you had earlier. His warmth seeps its way into your own skin.

You didn’t realize how cold you were until now.

“No, I understand what you mean; kind of anyway. You can take pictures of me if you’d like…”

You trail off because he never gave you his name.

He smiles at you before extending his hand out in your direction.

“I’m Myungsoo.”

—

It’s been fifteen minutes since you met Myungsoo, the photographer.

While taking pictures, he’s been telling you a little bit about himself.

“I plan on majoring in Photography when I go to college next fall, or possibly majoring in Pre-Med to satisfy my father with Photography as a minor. It doesn’t matter much to me, as long as I’m doing Photography.”

You tilt your head curiously at Myungsoo. He seems very carefree while snapping pictures of you. That’s what you’d like to be; carefree.

“I think we should take a few pictures on the other side of the fountain. The lighting is a little bit better,” he suggests.

You nod and start making your way to the other side, leaving him behind to grab his camera equipment.

While walking around the fountain, you feel something cold on your cheek.

Holding your hands out and looking up, you’re surprised to see it’s snowing; the first snowfall of the winter.

For some reason, instead of reminding you of Sunggyu, this makes you happy. Throwing your arms out, you start twirling around in the snow.

Myungsoo has started taking pictures again, but you don’t even notice because you’re so caught up dancing in the snow.

The wind blows, making the snow circle around you beautifully, and you smile.

Myungsoo freezes suddenly in the middle of taking the next picture of you, his face struck in awe.

“Breathtaking.”

You abruptly stop twirling around to look up at him and his sudden words in the silence, wondering what he’s talking about.

“What?”

He tilts his head as he stares intensely at you, studying you closely.

“Your smile is breathtaking.”