A Charming Photographer

"Please! Be my muse!”

Junji exclaimed in that moment, his eyes sparkling like precious stones, his heart pounding. It felt as if a flame had ignited within him, and he was eager to dive into this sensation…what he experienced when he looked at the dark-skinned man before him was an indescribable feeling, one that no matter how articulate a scholar might be, they couldn't fully express.

The photographer, who hadn’t noticed Junji until he called out, set his camera aside to see who had summoned him. With a playful smile and a teasing grin, he responded, “Of course! As long as you’ll be mine too!~” leaving Junji breathless at how readily the other had accepted. Junji realized that even the mysterious stranger's smile sent tingles down his spine. It was astonishing that someone could possess such striking beauty, as if he was created for art and art was crafted just for him…In Junji's eyes, Ekenem epitomized what it meant to be a muse. Stunning, enigmatic, carefree, and exuding confidence without any trace of doubt.

“Yeah…He’s the one.”

Junji mused inwardly, feeling thrilled and genuinely pleased with his discovery. He hadn’t even put in much effort, and it seemed as though the solution to all his motivational struggles had gracefully landed in his lap. It felt as if someone out there could see his challenges and sent this man into his life. Perhaps, a divine blessing? He felt happy and thankful already, having learned next to nothing about the individual.

“Hey, do you mind if I snap a photo of you right now?”

“Hm?—”

With the snap of a finger, Junji emerged from his reverie, refocusing his gaze on the man still perched on the tree branch. They locked eyes, the stranger beaming warmly as Junji stared back with a blank, bewildered expression.

“A picture—?”

“Got it! Thanks!”

The man exclaimed with joy, the sound of a click ringing in Junji's ears. For a fleeting moment, the snow-haired young man wasn’t quite sure what had just happened. Noticing his confusion, the dark-skinned male flashed a comforting smile and said, “I just captured your photo. You’ll be my muse too, won’t you?” His tone was playful and perhaps slightly flirtatious, though Junji couldn’t determine for sure, as he never excelled at reading social cues. “You…took my picture?” Junji inquired, wincing slightly as his pink lip pulled into a faint frown, irritated by the thought of his photo being taken without his consent. The man with the camera lowered his device as he shifted his focus away for a moment, then returned his attention to Junji. He noticed his expression and realized that Junji felt uneasy. “Oh, apologies! I did ask, didn’t I? Oops, I guess I should’ve waited for your ‘yes’, my mistake!~” he chuckled, his demeanor laid-back and sincere. It was evident that the photographer didn’t mean any harm by it, and Junji recognized this much. With a slight nod of understanding, Junji replied, “It’s fine…I was just caught off guard—”

“The thing is…” the guy cut in, his gaze shifting from Junji's face to his camera, deftly manipulating the buttons to adjust and set what was necessary, “…you looked incredibly pretty, and I've never seen a guy as beautiful as you before. Plus, the expression you had was truly exotic…Here! Take a look for yourself.” He said, flipping the camera around and giving Junji a chance to see. Feeling a bit bewildered, Junji cautiously leaned in closer to take a peek. Gently, he reached out to grasp the camera, their hands brushing against each other in a brief touch. Junji gazed down at the image displayed on the camera, and he found it hard to believe. It was undeniable, he looked absolutely magical. “W-wow…”

“Just out of this world, right? You're gorgeous, man.” The male muse grinned with a carefree smile, his eyelids slightly drooping. Junji's expression seemed to bring him the most joy. Junji stared at the camera a bit longer, then suddenly remarked, “Sun-Kissed-Hyung…You really know what you’re doing.” This caught the photographer off guard. “Sun-kissed…what?...Pffffft…” Before Junji knew it, the person he was addressing erupted in laughter. His hands went to his stomach as he tilted his head back, laughing with such enthusiasm that he lost his balance and tumbled off the tree. Yet even after his fall, he continued to chuckle.

The entire scene left Junji speechless and utterly shocked, exclaiming, “Jesus! Are you okay?!” He reached out to help him up, tossing his camera aside as his primary concern was the photographer's well-being. The dark-skinned man appeared unhurt; in fact, he just kept laughing.

“Yeah, I'm fine! I just find what you said hilarious,” the male explained. Junji was puzzled. He stared at the laughing man and wondered what could possibly be so funny about his words. “...Sun-Kissed-Hyung?” He repeated, thinking perhaps that was what had triggered the other's spontaneous laughter. Right after saying it again, the dark-skinned male threw his head back and laughed even harder.

“Sun-Kissed-Hyung!...Pffft, that’s adorable!” He teased, finally calming down. Sitting up, he relaxed into a position with one knee raised and the other curled beneath it, his arm resting on the raised knee. He gazed directly into Junji's eyes, his smile transforming into a playful smirk. The two found themselves face to face, only inches apart. Junji became aware of this and attempted to move away but felt frozen in place by the man’s intense stare. After several moments of eye contact, the man said, “I’m Ekenem Richardson…Pleasure to meet you. Let’s get along from now on, shall we?”

Ekenem grinned playfully and extended his hand toward Junji, clearly indicating a desire for a handshake. However, Junji was so taken aback that he hesitated, and by the time he reached out for the handshake, Ekenem had pulled him into a warm embrace, exclaiming, “Let’s be friends! I like you!” The exuberant male embraced Junji tightly, his hand playfully ruffling Junji's hair. Junji felt startled by the sudden hug, warmth creeping across his cheeks at the closeness. “S-sure!...I'd love that,” he finally managed to stammer, a shy smile appearing on his face as he awkwardly hugged back. Having limited experience with physical closeness outside his family, he felt a mix of nervousness and awkwardness. In contrast, Ekenem appeared completely unfazed, which made sense considering he was the one who initiated the hug.

Ekenem released Junji first, placing his hands gently on Junji's shoulders as he maintained eye contact with him. Junji felt intensely awkward about their proximity and longed to look away, yet each time their eyes met, he felt an inexplicable urge to hold his gaze, as if Ekenem had cast a spell on him. “Sorry if I seem rude… But are you by chance trans?...” Ekenem inquired, causing Junji’s eyebrows to rise in surprise. Transgender? That was a first for him. He had often been told he possessed androgynous features, but being mistaken for transgender? That was definitely a new experience.

Regardless, Junji didn’t feel offended; in fact, he found it amusing and decided to playfully tease this person for a moment. As he took his time to respond, Ekenem closely scrutinized Junji’s features, capturing every nuance of the porcelain-skinned young man. “What if I were? Would that be bad?” Junji eventually replied, his tone even and collected. This piqued Ekenem’s interest. Ekenem tilted his head and smirked, seemingly catching on to Junji’s teasing tone, and with a charming grin, he said, “Not really. Everyone is beautiful. I asked out of curiosity, are you offended, Mr?...”

“Junji. I’m Junji Rhee. And no, not at all.”

“I see!...Junji…Your name is just as lovely as you are,” Ekenem remarked with a smile, prompting Junji to mirror the grin in response. Although it was meant to be a lighthearted tease, Junji genuinely appreciated Ekenem's compliment. He wholeheartedly agreed that everyone is beautiful; being told his name was beautiful made him even happier, causing him to blush at the other’s sweetness. Carefully, he moved Ekenem’s hands from his shoulders in order to reclaim some personal space. He felt a rush of warmth, his heart racing once again; the sensation felt oddly familiar, as he hadn’t experienced anything like it in two years.

“You know, you’re actually quite a nice guy,” the dark-skinned young man remarked with a goofy grin. “I’m surprised you didn’t scold me for asking such a question. Most people do. This is America, after all. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nearly been punched or sued for speaking like that,” Ekenem laughed lightly, leaning back on his hands. His gaze shifted from Junji to the tree canopy above, observing how sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves.

“...And you know, people generally dislike that sort of thing,” Ekenem said softly, almost as if he were mourning, his gaze lowered to the grass they were sitting on, his smile still present but less prominent. He paused for a brief moment, seemingly lost in thought. Junji observed him with curiosity, wondering what Ekenem might be pondering, and then, as if suddenly struck by an idea, Ekenem resumed, “People don’t like to face the truth. Most would rather hear a few lies.” He laughed, making eye contact with Junji for just a moment before his gaze wandered again as he continued, “In fact, every day, people lie to one another to prevent hurting or upsetting each other. These days, everyone is so delicate—the smallest comment that wouldn't have mattered years ago now carries tremendous weight and, once it’s out…Boom! You’ve triggered an explosion!” he emphasized his message with a gesture that mimicked an explosion, even going so far as to make sound effects. Junji watched in silence, uncertain of how to respond. Although Ekenem’s words left him puzzled, he couldn’t quite disagree, even if the way it was stated was rather…blunt. But perhaps it was this very candidness that made Ekenem’s point valid. People are sensitive; no one wishes to be hurt, which seemed fair enough to Junji. Now he found himself lost in thought as well.

“Sorry...!” Ekenem exclaimed suddenly, pulling Junji back to the present. Junji looked over to see Ekenem with a sheepish grin, laughing as an attempt to ease the atmosphere, “...I didn’t mean to go on and on. I should be on my way anyway. We both have classes to attend.” He mused, sounding somewhat embarrassed. Junji couldn’t help but notice the slight apologetic tone in Ekenem’s voice, almost as if he regretted being so honest. This minor annoyance prompted Junji to speak before considering his words, “Why are you apologizing? You were merely sharing your thoughts and feelings…what? Did you think I’d be upset?... Please never apologize for your honesty, even if the truth is unpleasant.” He rushed through it all, leaving Ekenem looking quite bewildered. Junji held Ekenem’s gaze as Ekenem did the same. The atmosphere around them turned peacefully quiet, with only the distant chatter of students and the sound of the wind being heard.

Realizing that perhaps he himself had been overly blunt, even for Ekenem, he attempted to soften his words, “Uh…Sorry, that came out…harsher than I meant.”

“It’s fine! You’re right. Thank you,” Ekenem quickly interjected, a radiant smile spreading across his face, his starry blue eyes sparkling with glee. It was as if his entire face illuminated like fireworks, and Junji found himself unable to look away.

“Gorgeous…” he breathed out, loud enough for Ekenem to hear. With an arched eyebrow, the dark-skinned boy smirked and leaned forward, tilting his head as he slightly bent at the waist and rested his elbows on his knees, “I’m beautiful? Have I managed to charm you? Perhaps you’ve developed feelings for me?” he declared boldly, leaving Junji struggling to comprehend.

Developing feelings for him? Absurd; Junji simply found him intriguing and captivating, nothing more, nothing less. Thus, he replied calmly, “Don’t be ridiculous. I merely thought your expression was beautiful. I wasn’t suggesting anything romantic.” Huffing right after and jerking his head to the side, his arms crossed over his chest almost defiantly. Ekenem chuckled at this demeanor and released a playful laugh, responding smoothly, “Alright, Mr. Junji~ Whatever you wish, I’m in.” His tone clearly suggesting something much deeper. Even Junji could perceive it, and the notion caused him to roll his eyes, making a concerted effort to hold back any blush that might creep onto his cheeks and reveal his awkwardness. Ekenem was definitely a character, that much was certain.

“I’ll join you.” Junji stated, attempting to shift the topic, his expression composed, his gaze returning to Ekenem's. Ekenem didn’t show any sign of discontent with the suggestion; rising to his feet, he brushed off his jeans and took a brief walk to retrieve his camera, inspecting it for any damages, but finding none. He seemed to be contemplating Junji's offer to accompany him. And Junji was perfectly fine with waiting for his response, gradually getting to his feet as well, only then realizing he had tossed his bag aside during the earlier incident with Ekenem falling from the tree.

“You don’t want me to tag along?..” Junji inquired, an eyebrow raised in curiosity at Ekenem as he too bent down to grab his bag from the grass, brushing it off and slinging it over his shoulder. He redirected his gaze back to Ekenem, noticing that Ekenem was also looking at him. A brief silence hung in the air, until finally, Ekenem responded with his trademark carefree grin, “Nah, you can come along. That is, if you're okay with ditching your classes!” He added with a playful jab at Junji. Junji easily dismissed the comment and replied casually, “My classes are dull. You’re far more captivating than anything else at the moment.”

“Oh? Am I?” Ekenem remarked, genuinely surprised to hear something so embarrassingly sincere from someone like Junji, but he remained unfazed. As he walked past the white-haired boy, he gave him a playful pat, signaling him to follow as he said, “I guess the sentiment is mutual, right? Shall we?” He flashed Junji a friendly smile, to which Junji responded with a neutral expression. However, his demeanor softened into a smile of his own as he nodded,

"Absolutely. Let’s go."

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