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Yata brushed his hair out of his eyes as he steadied the camera in front of him. In the frame was a boy he didn’t know - someone with styled black hair and blue eyes that intently focused on the papers and laptop in front of him.
Munakata said their last project was to put together a portfolio of something they usually wouldn’t use as their topic, and so he chose people. Yata always photographed nature and animals, but never humans. He was never really comfortable around them, but it was something he had to do (or else he would fail the course).
He adjusted the exposure and focused the lens before quietly snapping a picture. Without checking the photo, he shoved his camera into his shoulder bag and jumped onto his skateboard, skating back to the dorms.
Yata studied the photo on his computer as he loaded it in from his camera. The boy - whoever it was, had his gaze trained on his work, his lips turned slightly downwards. He was sitting under an oak tree, the shade from the leaves causing mismatching patterns on the ground. A little bit of editing was done to the photo before Yata saved it onto his laptop.
A few days later, Yata saw him again, except it was when he was on shift. Yata worked at a small bakery that doubled as a coffee shop. It was one of the only shops near the campus that let students work at - and luckily the manager knew Yata pretty well and was nice enough to let him in. It’s not as if Yata didn’t do anything - he helped bake some of the pastries and sometimes served the customers.
This time, Yata had finished baking the pastries, and he brushed his hands on his apron. When he looked up, he saw the sullen boy again, typing on his laptop. Yata ran to get his camera again, hurriedly uncapping the lens and adjusting the filter.
The natural lighting of the bakery gave off warm, golden hues that reflected off of the lenses of male’s glasses. His hair covered some of his profile, but his blue eyes still stood out. Yata clicked the shutter button a few moments later, a soft click resonating from the camera.
“What’cha doin there, Yata?” Totsuka asked as Yata put the camera down.
“…It’s for my photography final,” Yata sighed. “Munakata wants us to ‘take photos of something outside your comfort zone.’”
“Eh, is that so? That’s quite interesting,” Totsuka leaned over Yata’s shoulder, grinning as if he knew something Yata didn’t.
“What is it?”
“Hm? Nothing,” Totsuka turned away to serve the next customer, leaving Yata confused.
It was in a library when Yata found him for the third time. Yata initially went to borrow some books for his friends, but the person who helped check out books was female. Yata backed away, deciding to take some shelter in one of the corners of the library. This time, the “photo-boy” (as Yata decided to call him) was searching for a book among the thousands that lay in the aisle.
Once again, Yata pulled out his camera, repeated the routine of uncapping the lens, adjusting to the lighting, and steading his camera. But this time, the boy turned as Yata took the photo, his blue eyes locked onto the lens that represented Yata’s camera.
The second after he registered that one, the boy had noticed him, and two, he was taking a photo of a totally random stranger (that he thought wasn’t too bad looking), Yata’s face started to heat up like a red rose blossoming across his cheeks as scrambled to put his camera away dashing out of the library without looking back.
The male who was photographed reached an arm out as Yata left, before readjusting his glasses and clicking his tongue in an annoyed fashion.
“My, my, this is quite interesting,” Munakata smiled pleasantly at his student as he opened the portfolio.
There were a total of five photos in the photo, three of them being the boy whose name he didn’t even know. The others were also of people, but Anna and Suoh respectively. The entire portfolio seemed to have the theme of warmth and colors, as all the photos were somewhat similar.
The first photo - the one taken under the tree, was edited so the glow from above was faded, giving the photo an overall “polaroid” look, but the blue-color in his eyes were focused and brightened, something like a color-pop filter. The leaves and grass that were scattered around him seemed to grey out slightly, as if the only color that stood out to the viewer was the bright blue of his eyes.
The second photo - one of Anna sitting on a rock located in one of the parks near the college campus. She was swinging her legs, and her eyes were focused on the clouds in the skies above. Anna had a small smile on her face, a hand reaching upwards to where a butterfly rested on her fingers. A similar filter was added, a faded background, brighter eyes.
The third photo - the photo taken at the bakery, with the glass windows and soft sunlight in the background. The filter, again layered, causing the other people were slightly blurred, as if the viewer’s eyes was only supposed to focus on the male typing away at his laptop in the center.
The fourth photo - a photo of Suoh, Yata’s RA. This was the way Yata had his connection to the manager of the shop manager - Kusanagi. Suoh was laying on one of the couches that were in the back room his gaze focused on someone else, and the overhead light as well as the setting sun provided a background for him. The filter caused Suoh’s golden eyes to stand out more than it already did, the filter also causing his red hair to be slightly faded.
The last photo - the only photo where the person was staring directly at the camera. There was a startled look in his eyes, and his mouth was somewhat parted. He held a book in his hand, the other still on the shelf that he had taken the book from. This time, Yata’s back was to the light, and so there were slight shadows that were cast onto the boy’s face. The goldens and browns from the library’s shelves were edited to a more faded color, and once again his blue eyes were highlighted from the photo.
“Do you think it would be alright if I was to display this portfolio at the art exhibition next week?” Munakata asked, turning his gaze away from the photos and onto the student that stood in front of him.
“Ah - yeah, I mean, of course. That would be a great… honor?” Yata trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Munakata smiled at him, before gently closing the file in front of him. “Of course. I will send you your tickets shortly. You are dismissed.”
“Thank you,” Yata bowed slightly before backing out of the room.
A few weeks later, Chitose and Akagi dragged Yata to the art exhibition because “we need to support our favorite Yata-san” (was what they said). “Wow, you’ve seemed to take interest on someone interesting,” Chitose grinned as he saw Yata’s portfolio.
“Why do you guys keep saying that? I don’t get what you’re even saying,” Yata frowned.
“Hm, later, later,” Akagi waved as he dragged Chitose away. “Just stay here awhile, alright?”
Yata stared after them as they left, partly confused and partly annoyed. “What kind of friend does this…”
“Tch, he actually put it up…” someone next to him said, causing Yata to turn his head.
Maybe he regretted doing so, maybe he didn’t. Yata’s ginger eyes locked onto the familiar blue that he’d associated with the “photo boy” for multiple weeks.
“Ah, it’s you,” he said in a bored tone.
“Eh-eh?! What are you doing here?” Yata asked, a soft blush already making his way onto his cheeks. After photographing him multiple times, Yata started to feel a sort of attraction towards the male. He’s pretty, was what his mind told him.
“The Captain told me to come here, so here I am.”
“Ah- oh…”
“Well, do you have something to tell me, Misaki?”
“I don’t- wait, hold on… how do you know my name?!”
The other male clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Your name’s on that plaque over there,” he gestured with his hand. “If anyone’s got half the smartness that you do, they would’ve figured it out.
“Oi,” Yata glared at him. “At least tell me your name, so I can insult you.”
“Tch.” he turned his gaze away. “Fushimi.”
“Fushimi what? I highly doubt you only have a last name.”
“Why does it matter?”
“Well you know my first name, it’s only fair if I know yours too.”
Fushimi clicked his tongue again, before quietly saying, “Saruhiko.”
Yata smiled, repeating his name. “Saruhiko, huh…”
Fushimi quickly turned his head away, crossing his arms. “So? Are you going to tell me why there are photos of me or do I have to push you to do it?”
“I…” Yata trailed off, his blush resurfacing. “Not sure.”
“Your face says otherwise,” Fushimi replies bluntly, taking off his glasses so he could clean them with the hem of his shirt.
He looks nice without his glasses too… Yata’s traitorous mind whispered, causing him to shake his head violently.
Yata glanced at his watch, letting out a surprised “ah, crap” before bolting out of the building. He jumped onto his skateboard, pushing off the grey concrete and towards Kusanagi’s cafe as he tried to cool his head.
Upon entering the building, Yata dropped his skateboard before heading towards the back room and grabbing an apron. “Yata-chan, someone’s here to see you,” Kusanagi called, before heading back outside.
After Yata hurriedly knotted the green fabric, he stepped out of the back room and to the cashier to stand face to face to Fushimi - Saruhiko, Yata’s mind repeated.
“Eh- Saruhiko?” Yata asked, his expression stunned.
“That’s me,” Fushimi deadpanned as he clicked his tongue. “Here.”
Fushimi dropped a small disposable camera in front of Yata. “Captain said he wanted me to give it to you.”
“Ah-“
“‘Take a picture, it’ll last longer’ is what he said,” Fushimi cut him off before Yata could thank him.
Yata stated at him blankly as Chitose somehow appeared and slapped his shoulder, laughing. “No need for that, since our little Yata here already did!”
“Chitose-!” Yata’s voice rose, before he turned away, storming back into the back room and covering his face in embarrassment.