Ho-jin stood by the window in the club room, casually crossing his arms as he watched outside. A few older club members chatted and laughed near the shelves.

"Hyung¹," one boy called.

Ho-jin turned slightly. "Yeah?"

"How many are we waiting on?"

"Two more," he said. "First-years. Don't act weird or mess with them."

The group replied, "Okay, sunbae," but one boy muttered quietly, "Great, another daycare situation."

Ho-jin glanced at him. 

"With you here, it already feels like one."

Everyone laughed, though the boy looked annoyed and stayed quiet.

Looking out the window again, Ho-jin saw two figures approaching the building. One had a camera hanging from his neck. The other carried a big bag over his shoulder.

That's a lot to carry for a first-year, he thought. Was he carrying that when he ran off this morning?

He smiled, stepped away from the window, and sat down at the table. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Ho-jin said.

Hae-sol and Ji-hun walked in, bowing politely and greeting everyone. Ji-hun avoided looking at Ho-jin as he followed Hae-sol to sit down. Ho-jin noticed right away and smiled a bit, he was clearly amused.

When he said "Have a seat," his voice changed from casual to clear and professional.

"Hello to everyone. I'm Shin Ho-jin, third-year. I've been in the Photography Club for four years, two as the leader."

He talked about the club's history, semester activities, and mentioned their advisor was absent on medical leave. He laid out basic rules. Attendance required, weekly meetings after school, careful handling of equipment.

"Let's introduce ourselves. Tell us your name, grade, and why you joined."

Everyone took turns. When it was Ji-hun's turn, he stood straight.

"I'm Moon Ji-hun," he said politely, and bowed. He was still avoiding Ho-jin's eyes. 

"Thank you for having me. I'm a first-year student. "I joined because I like taking pictures. I'm using an old SLR camera."

The room got quieter. Ho-jin looked at him thoughtfully.

"That bag looks heavy. You can leave it here if you want. This club room is safe."

Ji-hun shook his head. 

"No, thanks. It belonged to my father, so it's valuable. I prefer bringing it home."

"Alright," Ho-jin replied calmly. "Let's split into groups. Digital on this side, analog over there."

Everyone quickly moved, leaving Ji-hun alone by the window. 

One boy frowned.

"We don't need to split for Ji-hun. He can just use digital like everyone else."

Before Ho-jin answered, Ji-hun spoke first.

"No special treatment needed," he said confidently. "My dad taught me film development. I can handle it myself. I'll use digital for projects if needed, but I prefer the SLR."

Ho-jin looked impressed.

"I'll personally help Moon Ji-hun," he said clearly. "And from now on, don't use someone's given name when you've just met. Show some respect."

Ji-hun finally looked at him, but there was no gratitude in his eyes, and then he looked away again.

—

Everyone else started chatting comfortably, comparing equipment. Only Ji-hun stayed quiet in the corner. His bag was still untouched. Ho-jin walked over calmly.

"You haven't shown your camera yet. Any reason you're not taking it out?"

Ji-hun didn't look up.

"I don't need you defending me. Especially someone like you. Just ignore me."

Ho-jin paused for a moment and he looked surprised, but he agreed.

"I know," he said. "I won't do it again, don't worry. But since we're already at the photography club, can I see your camera? I shoot film too."

Without speaking, Ji-hun opened the bag, pulling out the heavy black Camon EOS 1N. 

"That's heavy even without a lens. Can you manage it every day?" Ho-jin asked.

"I'm stronger than I look," Ji-hun replied.

Ho-jin chuckled.

"Follow me. I'll show you the darkroom."

Inside the small room, Ho-jin switched on a red light.

"You can use this room anytime. Just knock first."

Ji-hun nodded. "Thanks."

"About that girl from before—" Ho-jin started.

"I don't want to know," Ji-hun said immediately. "It has nothing to do with me."

"Why not?" Ho-jin asked quietly.

Ji-hun faced him directly. 

"Because I don't like you. You smoke, mess around with girls early in the morning, and bully everyone around. I think you're a terrible person."

Ho-jin looked stunned. "Wait, I don't bully—"

"I said I don't want to know," Ji-hun cut him off. "Explain more, and I'm leaving the club. There's no reason for us to be friends."

For a moment, Ho-jin wondered if something was wrong with the kid. Ever since the first time they had come face to face, the boy had been strangely reactive toward him. Ho-jin could not stand seeing someone that young look so uneasy whenever he was around.

He hesitated, then quietly asked, "But what if I want to be?"

Ji-hun crossed his arms, looking straight at Ho-jin.

"You're a senior in high school. I'm just a first-year middle schooler. There's no way we can be friends."

Ho-jin shook his head and smiled.

"You got me wrong. I just want to break the ice between us. Of course, I'm your sunbae. You can even call me 'hyung' if you want."

Ji-hun's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I already told you, I don't hang out with bullies. I don't like you."

Ho-jin's smile faded. He stepped back a little.

"I never bullied anyone. I don't do that stuff. You're judging me without knowing me."

Ji-hun took a deep breath and looked away.

"Can we just get out of here now? And I'm not calling you hyung. I don't even have a reason to call you that."

Ho-jin studied him for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright."

As they stepped outside, the tension was still there between them, but it felt a little less heavy now.

—

The photography club room was noisy. Everyone was talking and messing around. Ji-hun grabbed his camera bag and said he was heading out.

"Wait up," Hae-sol said. He smiled at the others, said a quick goodbye, and went after Ji-hun.

Ho-jin sighed like he was done for the day. He told everyone they could go and said he'd see them next week.

People picked up their things and left. Ho-jin stayed behind. He looked out the window and saw Ji-hun walking across the school yard with Hae-sol. They were talking. Then Ji-hun laughed. He looked really happy.

Seeing that made Ho-jin feel nice for some reason. Like the day wasn't so bad anymore.

Without thinking, he reached over to the desk, grabbed his camera, and lifted it straight to his eye. He snapped three quick shots of Ji-hun laughing, wanting to catch every bit of that moment. When he lowered the camera, he realized he felt oddly excited, almost restless.

He looked at his watch again. Time felt slow. To kill time, he pressed the shutter a few more times even though there was nothing to shoot. He just wanted the film to be done.

As soon as it was finished, he went straight to the darkroom and turned on the red light. The room got dim and quiet. He quickly took out what he needed and started working.

He couldn't stop thinking about Ji-hun laughing. The image stayed in his head. It made him feel like he had to see it again. Right now, if possible.

He worked on the film in the small room. The place smelled like chemicals. While he waited, he stood by the dryer and kept moving around as the negatives dried.

When it was finally done, he laid the photos out under the red light. They came out clear. Three good shots of Ji-hun smiling. His eyes were slightly squinted, and he looked happy.

Ho-jin stared at them for a long time. He knew that under Ji-hun's tough attitude, there was a warm kid who smiled easily and treated people with respect. If Ji-hun had a problem, he was set on helping him figure it out.

"You're really something, Moon Ji-hun," he said quietly, smiling to himself.

—--

형¹ (hyung) A Korean term used by a younger male to address an older male. It carries warmth, familiarity, and respect, depending on the relationship.