Chapter Text
***
Momo adjusted the headset on her head and sighed as she stared at the place before her.
Work. Yet again.
Don’t get her wrong, she is forever grateful she always had a stable job with her family’s photo business, but she just was tired of it. She was very tired of the same lackluster days she’d spend at work.
“I hate this job,” Momo muttered to herself as she pushed through the entrance doors, “I’m still gonna clock in though.”
Stepping in, Momo was hit with the familiar smell of paper, chemicals, and for some reason, cherry blossoms. Her mother loved making the shop smell like cherry blossoms. Momo dragged her sneakers across the short dark blue carpet, silently throwing a fit to herself knowing she would have to be in until 5pm. The weather was beginning to grow colder and the daylight was leaving earlier. Maybe it was seasonal depression or the fact that it was almost devastatingly cold outside, but Momo was most definitely not feeling work today.
“Momo?” A voice yelled from the back.
“Yeah, sadly.” Momo yelled back in response as she made her way towards the back of the store. Out came her adopted sister, Dahyun, holding one of the store’s various work tablets.
Her eyes squinted at the screen and back up at Momo, “Jeez Momo, you look like shit.”
“Your mother.” Momo mindlessly quipped as she grabbed her apron.
“We literally have the same mom,” Dahyun responded. She made her way towards Momo, shoving the tablet in her chest, “The only difference is, I didn’t come from her yet she still loves me more.”
Dahyun flashed a wide smile and flipped her sister the bird. The two stared at each other, Dahyun’s smile nor Momo’s scowl not dropping. The two continued to stare each other down before Momo dropped the act, laughing at her younger sister. Dahyun began laughing and the two gave a small fist bump before prepping to open the store.
Because of them both being students, Momo in grad while Dahyun’s in undergrad, they only worked on weekends. The pair had been running the store together for years. Running the stores and its in betweens had become second nature for them.
Hours passed and Dahyun sat at the register, boredly swinging her feet. Dahyun stared out at the empty shop. It wasn’t particularly a busy Saturday. There were a couple lingering customers from time to time but the shop was mostly just the two sisters.
Momo walked in from the back, rolling up her long sleeves revealing her fit arms, “Anymore film orders? I’m going to start developing.”
Dahyun pointed at the open floor of the shop, “Can’t you see the line of people waiting? Chop chop Momo, you’re going to make the customers upset.”
Momo rolled her eyes and grabbed the basket of orders from behind Dahyun. The Japanese woman carried orders towards the back and began her usual routine. As she separated the films, a familiar name caught Momo’s attention.
Momo tilted her head, reading the scribbled name on the bag, “Sheesh again?”
Minatozaki Sana. For weeks, Momo had begun to see that name like an omen. This person constantly got their film developed and asked for the negatives back. The strange part about this Sana person, was Momo’s dad was the only person that could develop her film. It was so specific to the point where her dad would have different colored canisters for Sana’s films. Momo didn’t understand one bit of it.
“Hey Dahyun!” Momo shouted out, “Any customers in right now?”
There was a brief pause before Dahyun responded, “No!”
“Okay, thank God,” Momo muttered to herself before shouting once again, “Who the hell is Sana Minatozaki?”
“I don’t know but don’t try and develop their film. Dad said he’d come by later and do theirs.”
Momo cursed silently to herself. What the hell was so special about this Sana person? Her dad literally never came in on weekends now that Momo and Dahyun could run the store. What did Sana have that made her so special?
Momo stared at this special Sana person’s film before sliding it over to the side, “I don’t get paid enough for this. Dad can do what he wants.” With that, Momo continued her same old process in the same old shop. The monotonous repetitive nature, yet again, was just a part of the job.
~~~
The day passed with the two siblings; Dahyun restocked inventory while Momo now sat at the register. To Momo’s surprise, her father did in fact come in and develop the specific film. The dark haired girl sighed to herself as she closed her notebook, finally finishing her homework. It was almost the end of their usual nine to five workday. The sun had set, the air was crisp, and it was nearly time to leave. The once bright outside world now reflected darkness from the store’s front windows. The day had long passed Momo and Dahyun.
“Alright Dahyun. It’s dead, time to close up.” Momo stated as she hopped off the stool. Dahyun stood from her low crouched restocking position and wiped her hands on her pants. Once again, they routinely began closing up shop.
Everything was, once again, a typical Saturday workday for the pair. Momo and Dahyun routinely closed up, nearly finished before Dahyun spotted someone outside the store. From the back where she stood, she could see someone approaching the building. Dahyun could see them but they couldn’t see Dahyun.
The light haired customer nearly sprinted towards the shop door. She grabbed the handles and frowned, realizing the door’s locked. The customer looked up, eyes running through the entire store trying to spot someone. Dahyun quickly turned back into the back of the store. Nope. Definitely not worth it.
Momo walked up towards her sister with a half untied apron, noticing the scared look on her face, “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a customer at the door.”
A frustrated groan left Momo’s lips as she peaked around the corner to indeed see a customer patiently waiting. The customer knocked softly making Momo spin back. The two sisters looked at each other. There was a small silence before both of them realized what needed to be done.
“NOT IT!” They both shouted simultaneously, as they dropped to one knee. Much to Momo’s dismay, Dahyun was quicker, making it to one knee in a flash. Momo cursed aloud, making Dahyun laugh and teasingly point at her.
Momo continued to curse to herself as she rounded the corner onto the main floor. The light haired customer perked up at the sight of an employee. Momo let her hands make their way to the back of her apron, sloppily tying the ends as she approached the shop door. The customer held her jacket close as Momo approached the door. Momo stood before her.
To Momo’s surprise, rather than knock again, the customer smiled a polite smile at her. The light haired customer began to speak, seemingly explaining herself. Momo would’ve laughed at the situation if she weren’t so ready to leave work. Momo raised her finger, pointed towards her ear, and shrugged.
The customer’s mouth fell into an O shape and nodded. Momo nodded back and raised her arm, now pointing and tapping at her wrist. As much as she’d love to help, they were ready to close and she was beyond ready to go home. The customer raised a playful brow and repeated the same motion. The customer dug quickly into her pocket and pulled out her phone, showing the lock screen. 4:30pm.
Momo had to hold back an eye roll at the woman. She technically was right. The shop didn’t close until 5pm on weekends. The dark haired woman held a finger up and walked towards the back once again. As much as she hated that the customer was right, she knew she couldn’t just leave them out there. Her dad would blow a gasket at the thought of her refusing a customer during open hours. Momo rounded the corner to see Dahyun patiently waiting, completely out of uniform.
Dahyun looked up from her phone with a raised brow, “What’s the hold up?”
“Gimme the keys. I gotta let her in.”
Dahyun groaned and threw her hands, “You’ve gotta be kidding me-“
“I don’t wanna hear it. Just give me the damn keys.” Dahyun lazily tossed the keys, Momo catching them just as easily. Momo walked back over towards the door, this time fully taking off the apron before unlocking the door. The dark haired woman ushered the customer in as she folded her apron up.
Much to Momo’s surprise, the customer made a sharp turn towards the 35mm film on display rather than follow Momo in suit. Momo sighed to herself. This customer definitely would take forever to choose some film. The dark haired woman made her way back towards the register. Might as well sit while waiting.
Momo sat on the stool and swiveled herself around to face the floor. Rather than be met with the open floor, before her stood the customer. Momo flinched at the sudden appearance. The customer smiled and placed her products on the glass counter.
“A roll of 35mm film and two packs of 600 Black and White Polaroid film. Hmm, typical.” Momo mentally noted as she scanned the items.
The customer grinned, “I wanted to try 600 film. I just got an old Polaroid camera and you guys have the cheapest prices in town!”
Momo nodded and mindlessly muttered out some response. Customer service was something that became second nature for Momo at this point.
“Two new Polaroid packs and some film. Will that be all for tonight?”
The customer’s face lit up in excitement, “Oh! I almost forgot! My film negatives should be back today!”
“Alrighty, I’ll go grab them for you. Give me one second,” Momo hopped off the stool and walked towards the developed film, “We got two left, are you Miss Jennifer Wick?”
The customer shook her head, “Nope. It should be under Sana Minatozaki.”
Momo notably paused. So this was the infamous Sana. The one that got her dad in on the weekends and the one that constantly sent film to get developed. For some reason, Momo envisioned Sana a lot more… intimidating.
“Everything okay?” Sana asked, noticing Momo’s pause, “Is there something wrong with the film?”
“Oh no it’s nothing. I found it. 35mm film again?” Momo questioned as she tried to change the subject away from her. To her dismay, Sana was not one to be swayed.
“I usually only see Mr. and Mrs. Hirai here. Are you new?”
Momo chuckled at the question, “No actually, I’ve worked here for a while now.”
“Wow I’ve never seen you!” Sana tilted her head to the side, now looking at Momo, “How did you get the job? I used to want to work here.”
Momo snickered, holding back the loud laugh she really wanted to let out, “I know the owners so they gave me a job. I would put a word in but I think we don’t need any more employees.”
Sana let out a hearty laugh, “Don’t worry, I appreciate it! I’m not good at math anyways, so I think it’s for the best.”
Momo laughed and handed Sana her receipt, “Here you go.”
“Thank you!” Sana thanked. She made her way out, not before turning towards Momo once again and smiling, “You have a good rest of your night!”
Momo raised an eyebrow, a small confused smile on her face, “You too.”
Sana made her way out, not without Momo’s eyes watching her, “So that’s Sana.” Momo wouldn’t have imagined Sana to be like that.
“5pm, right on the nose,” Dahyun said as they rounded the corner from the back, “That customer has great timing.”
Momo shrugged, “That was Sana.”
Dahyun’s eyes widened, “The Sana?? The one that-”
“Has dad coming in on the weekends. Yes, that Sana. C’mon, I wanna go home. I don’t get paid enough to stay here past 5.” Momo tossed the keys as her sister, finally walking back to close up properly.
Dahyun surprisedly caught the keys and watched her sister make her way to the back. What did Sana do to have Momo like that?
~~~
Another week has passed and Momo sat at the register stool once again finishing her homework. Momo was the only employee at work that day. Dahyun had a school project to do and it was once again a typical Saturday. Not many customers and not many problems for Momo to deal with.
Momo submitted the last of her assignments and stared off onto the open floor. 4:30pm displayed in the corner of her laptop.
“Yup. Closing time.” Momo said aloud before hopping off the stool. The dark haired woman smiled to herself as she made her way towards the front store door; locking it swiftly as she sang to herself. She could finally get time back.
Momo turned back towards the back of the shop, only to be stopped by a soft knocking. A frustrated groan left Momo’s lips. Guess she wasn’t getting her time back.
Momo lazily turned on the balls of her feet back towards the front. There on the other side of the glass stood Sana. The light haired customer smiled and waved, recognizing Momo. Momo wanted to facepalm herself at the predicament. Of course it was Sana.
Momo made her way towards the door and stopped in front of it. Sana’s smile didn’t falter as she stared at Momo. Sana pointed towards the door handle. Momo responded by pointing at her wrist. Sana let out a hearty laugh and pointed at her wrist.
“Damn you Sana.” Momo sighed to herself and once again unlocked the door for the woman. Sana’s hair swung as she made a sharp turn towards the film once again. Momo noticed this time Sana’s hand reached for the Fujifilm. Momo shook her head and made her way back to her stool. As she sat down and looked at the open floor, she was surprised to see an empty store.
Momo’s face scrunched in confusion, “Huh? Where did she-”
“How much for the used Fujifilm camera?” Sana pondered, her body popped up from her squatted position.
Momo let out a scared holler. The dark haired girl held her chest in surprise, making Sana laugh herself.
Momo closed her eyes and tried to compose herself, “How much for the what?”
“How much for that Fujifilm camera? I think it said X100.” Sana bent down again to double check, rising up to nod in confirmation.
Momo hopped off from the stool and twirled her keys, “Thank you for reminding me. I need to recycle it,” Momo’s dark hair bounced as she bent over to grab the camera, “I don’t know if you want to still buy it. It’s for parts only, so you’ll have to fix it yourself.”
Sana nodded, “Even better! I’ll take it.”
“Alrighty. With the three pack of film and this camera, the total is-” Momo rotated the camera in her hand to find no notorious orange price sticker, “Of course there’s no price tag on it. Look, I’ll give it to you for five bucks.”
Sana grinned widely, her smile happily present, “Thank you! Oh! And I almost forgot, I have negatives that should be ready!”
Momo nodded and turned towards the negatives basket behind her. She began digging for Sana’s film. Sana began talking to Momo mindlessly.
“I think this time I’m going to get my negatives printed. I keep hesitating but the supermarket a couple blocks down processes and prints pictures! Do you know Victoria’s, on Priscilla Ln?”
Momo nodded again, “Yeah, the ones that sell the Mango Apple AriZonas?”
“Yes! That one!” Sana’s head tilted at the random statement, “Are those your favorite?”
“Yeah, you can’t find them anywhere. They’re the only place in like a 100 mile radius that sells them,” Momo mentally high-fived herself once she found Sana’s film, “Actually, I’m sorry, that’s so random. I’m sorry, you don’t care about juice-”
Momo turned to see Sana listening intently, eyes widened a bit, silently gesturing to her to continue. Momo felt her face go warm with embarrassment, “I’m sorry. Umm, here’s your film.”
Sana thanked her and grabbed her bag, Momo still continuing to talk, “We also send digital scans and print pictures here too. Just a little fyi, to weigh your options.”
Sana let out a large sigh of relief. She bowed her head a bit, “Oh thank God, that makes life so much easier. Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be back again with some new film!”
Confused but still in customer service mode, Momo nodded back at the woman as she ran out. Whatever that meant. Momo pulled her phone from her pocket to see in bright white: 5:00pm.
“5pm, right on the nose.” Momo muttered softly to herself, looking up at the store’s front door. Sana somehow did it again. Little did Momo notice, a small smile crept up on the dark haired girl’s face.
~~~
Another week passed, only this time Momo was not alone throughout her shift. Rather than work the store with Dahyun, she ran it with her father and her best friend Jihyo. The Korean woman’s hair bounced as she moved from place to place restocking products with Mr. Hirai. It was a couple hours into opening and they were very busy. This Saturday, a bunch of tourists and new customers have flocked into the store since opening.
After the afternoon rush, Mr. Hirai called on Momo and Jihyo. The Japanese man gestured over towards the register to have a little discussion. Both the workers looked on intently at the man.
Mr. Hirai smiled proudly, “Good job on the opening rush you two! I felt like a proud dad seeing you two handle everything,” The man patted Jihyo’s back making everyone chuckle, “Alright you two, I have to go. Please don’t let my shop burn down.”
“No promises.” Momo and Jihyo responded routinely. Mr. Hirai’s smile grew into a fatherly grin as he pecked Momo’s forehead and hugged Jihyo. He made his way out towards the back, but stopped remembering one more important thing.
Mr. Hirai had stopped by the shop to grab a couple things before his business trip. A couple customer questions and needed restock products later, Mr. Hirai got sucked into the store atmosphere and ended up staying for the morning rush. He lost so much time that he forgot he had to develop Sana’s film. After losing to a game of Not It, Momo was stuck with the job of not only developing but scanning and printing Sana’s newest roll of film.
Mr. Hirai spun on his heel, “Momo my darling,” The man balled his fist for emphasis, “Please, please be careful and develop these properly. Not too over exposed and not too-”
Momo rolled her eyes, then pushed her father towards the back, “Alright Dad, jeez. You can trust me. You’ve literally had me developing film since I was like 12. Cart the film, label the film, cart the film to the machine-”
“No no no, this film you have to do by hand.
The dark haired woman’s face scrunched up in disbelief, “By hand?? Dad you’ve got to be kidding me-”
“By hand Momo! You got to get the tank from my office and the chemicals from the storage closet and-”
“Alright alright alright Dad fine! I know how to do it by hand. Just go on before you’re late!”
Mr. Hirai finally obliged and exited from the back. Momo huffed softly after her father finally left, “I have got to get better at Not It. Those two always beat me,” She said aloud to herself as she tightened her apron. Momo peaked her head from around the back corner to see Jihyo sitting at the register, “Jihyo I’m going to the dark room. I have to do her films by hand.”
Jihyo turned around, an appalled expression on her face, “By hand?? Good freaking luck. Don’t forget to turn on the sign light like last time, dummy.”
“Yeah, yeah whatever,” Momo returned to the back, mumbling to herself, “I told you last time anyways. Your dumbass just doesn’t listen.”
“Heard that.”
Momo quickly turned herself back towards the corner, peeking her head around to make sure there were no customers. Swiftly, she flipped Jihyo a quick middle finger and once again, returned to the back.
Lazily, Momo flipped on the “Dark Room In Use” sign and grabbed the two rolls from the film bin. She grabbed all necessary materials for the manual job and headed inside. Momo truly hated how meticulous the film process was by hand. This Sana girl must be God sent for her father to give her such special treatment.
“She better have pictures of God himself or somebody in here. I’m not kidding. She has me grabbing chemicals like I’m some scientist. I haven’t touched this thing since I was 15 dammit.” Momo grumbled to herself as she grabbed a mask from the far shelf. She put the mask on and began the developing process.
Much to her surprise, Sana had put in two rolls of film to be developed. Momo examined the identical rolls before her, “200 film, huh? She was definitely outside on some adventure. Let’s see what you got Sana.”
~
The repetitive chiming of Momo’s phone alarm brought the girl back to reality. Hours had passed and Sana’s film should be dry. The machine developed films should also be ready to scan. The dark haired woman grabbed all negatives and headed towards the desktop in the back. Momo plopped herself down onto the office chair and routinely opened the necessary applications.
“Okay random citizens of Jeju Island, let’s see what photographic masterpieces we have today,” Momo grabbed a negative strip and checked the computer for what the customer needed done. Like second nature, Momo got the first roll of film scanned and put into the file sharing website, “There you go Mr. Kim. I hope you like how you and your wife’s Jeju pictures turned out.”
All of the pictures were pretty generic scenery and family time from around the island. Everything breezed past Momo until the last roll. Upon seeing the scanned product, Momo sat up in her seat. Now this was a person who understood composition.
“Holy shit.” Momo muttered, now scrolling through all this roll’s scanned images. This person was definitely on an island. A beautiful one at that. Momo scrolled to see more pictures of wild horses, the sunrise, nature, but her definite favorite, a lighthouse.
Momo’s mouth fell agape in awe. These were the kind of shots she would see from professional photographers on social media. She didn’t think she would actually encounter it before her.
The dark haired woman turned towards the second monitor, seeing what the customer ordered with their film. The full package: developing, scanning, and printing. A mindless smile made its way onto Momo’s face as she looked more into the pictures.
“Momo are you deaf bro?” Jihyo’s sudden voice made Momo flinch harshly. Momo spun around to see the Korean woman.
Momo sighed and turned towards her, “Jesus Christ dude, don’t scare me like that.”
Jihyo rolled her eyes, “I’ve been calling your name for the past minute. I’m trying to take my break, so you have to go on the floor.”
Jihyo made her way back towards the front of the store. Momo held her chest, stunned that she couldn’t even hear Jihyo speaking nor approaching while going through the photos. This person definitely had talent.
~~~
The following day, Momo and Dahyun were working the closing shift together. The front of the store was bare as the last bit of customers trickled out hours ago. The siblings looked at each other, knowing they were ready to close up.
“4:30, c’mon Dahyunie. We have to restock the shelves too so let’s get it over with.” Momo said, locking the front door in the process.
Dahyun groaned exasperatedly, “Ugh that’s going to take forever. I don’t wanna-”. Dahyun didn’t finish the statement before Momo was already down on one knee yelling “not it”. A proud smirk spread across the dark haired woman’s face.
Momo stuck out her tongue teasingly at her sibling, “Finally gotcha!”
Her victory was cut short by the sound of soft knocking at the door. The pair turned to see Sana standing patiently at the door. Momo mentally face palmed herself for forgetting Sana’s routine of ruining their early closing.
Dahyun chuckled, her luck never running out, “That’s your girl, you go ahead Momo.”
Before Momo could protest, Dahyun tossed her the keys and made her way towards the back. Momo grumbled small profanities to herself as she made her way towards Sana. Habitually, Momo stopped before the door and looked at the light haired woman with a raised brow.
Sana smiled a toothless smile and waved at Momo, her baby blue mittens swaying as she greeted the employee. Momo couldn’t help but smile back at the woman. Momo raised her arm, pointing to her wrist. Sana expectedly repeated the same action.
Momo shook her head, laughed at their weird shenanigans and opened the door for Sana. Briskly, Sana made her way into the store and straight to the film once again. Momo noticed Sana grabbing at 35mm film and Star Wars Polaroid film.
Today, Momo was not taking her eyes off the sneaky woman. Sana moved so swiftly and managed to scare her twice. Momo paced herself along the counter, keeping her eyes on Sana as she found her way back to her register stool.
Momo mindlessly tilted her head as she watched the woman. She had never noticed how small she was. Her light haired worked really well with her baby blue sweater. Sana even sported a pen behind her ear and a tiny backpack heart on her back, making Momo internally chuckle.
After a quick minute, Sana walked up to the register, placing another high ISO 35mm film and two packs of Polaroid film. Sana kept her eyes down at her hands, fiddling with them shyly. Momo raised a brow at the action, “Forgetting something?”
Sana’s eyes shot up, surprising Momo, “I shouldn’t have. I got everything on my list so far-” Sana dug into her pockets, searching until she pulled out a piece of paper, “I got almost everything on my list done. I came to buy the 1600 ISO film, the Star Wars and Yellow Polaroid film, and then I-”
Momo smiled, never seeing the girl so flustered. Today must have been a hard day, “Your film Sana. You have film ready for pickup.”
A harsh blush spread across Sana’s face, warmth spreading from ear to ear. Sana definitely missed the most important item. Too flustered to speak, Sana nodded sheepishly.
“Hey Dahyunie! Can you grab an order for me? Should be under Sana.” Momo shouted to her sibling in the back. After a couple seconds, the taller girl trotted her way to the front holding a large envelope. She handed it to Momo and made her way back towards the back.
Momo flipped the envelope to scan it, only to notice something in the small preview in the corner. There she could make out a rock hill and building. It almost looked like-
Momo’s eyes widened in shock, “The lighthouse!”. She thought to herself as she nearly dropped the envelope. There was no way. There was no way that Sana was the one taking professional level pictures like that.
“Thank you!” Sana beamed, the shyness seemingly dissipating at the sight of her work. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Momo’s entire demeanor changed, “Don’t worry! I only went to Warren Islands. So nothing too crazy.”
Momo almost threw her hands up in defeat. Warren Islands were known for being raggedy and run down. It was a cheap trip alternative for many people. There was no way Sana took those pictures there.
Rather than express her admiration, Momo nodded at the woman, flashing her a small smile, “Have a nice night, you be safe.”
“You too!” Sana excitedly retorted. The lighter woman made her way out of the shop in a hurry, the excitement of her pictures very notably visible.
Momo this time let her eyes linger while she watched Sana leave. That girl was a character. “A character who can really take pictures, because what the hell?”
“C’mon, what’re you waiting for? She’s gone already?” Dahyun whined as she rounded the corner and made her way next to Momo.
Momo continued to stare off, not knowing whether or not she’s staring at what was once Sana or was still paralyzed by the fact that the girl took such beautiful pictures. She didn’t even seem like the professional photography type.
~~~
Week after week, Momo began to grow more and more excited to come into work every Sunday. Somehow Sana’s work continued to stun her with their beauty. The photographer would constantly bring back film from different locations, showcasing their beauty even to the simplest of subjects. Because Mr. Hirai heard no complaints from Sana, he continued to let his daughter develop and print her film. To her surprise, it was an extra work task that she didn’t mind at all.
Momo knew being in Sana’s business was extremely nosey and somewhat unprofessional but she couldn’t help it. It was like she was in for a weekly subscription to Sana’s Shots. Not to mention, Sana was always a pleasure to assist. It was a two for one in Momo’s book.
Momo wanted to know what compelled her to travel and take such shots every single week. Maybe she worked as a travel photographer? Maybe she’s just a super rich art kid? Either way, Momo couldn’t deny the talent.
“It’s almost time to close Momoring,” Dahyun’s voice snatched Momo from her daydream. The girl looked down at her wrist watch to read 4:25pm. Five minutes to closing.
She rubbed her face tiredly and looked back over at her sister, “I’ll stay on the floor until then. You can go clean everything up in the back with Jihyo.”
Dahyun raised a brow at her sister but obeyed and made her way towards the back. The same Momo that was always eager to leave, decided to stay on the floor? She had to be on some special drugs.
Rather than go on her phone, Dahyun decided to lean against the back wall and watch as her sister sat at the register. Momo almost looked nervous, a bit antsy. This was definitely new. Out of all of Dahyun’s years with Momo, the girl was as cool as a cucumber in a freezer in the middle of December. This new side was something out of a fairytale.
Jihyo dusted her hands off on her apron as she made her way towards Dahyun. She had finished everything in the back and was ready to close up as well. The Korean woman turned towards her coworker then towards Momo. Jihyo’s face scrunched up in confusion, “What is she doing on the floor? It’s almost closing.”
“The hell if I know. She told me to come to the back with you until closing.” Dahyun muttered as she stared at her sister. She had to have something planned.
Both Jihyo and Dahyun’s heads snapped at the sound of gentle knocking from the entrance. There stood an eager light haired woman with a tiny side bag. The woman knocked once more and pointed at her wrist. Dahyun followed her gaze to see Momo seated at the register with a small smile. Now both of Dahyun’s eyebrows raised at the sight. So that was why Momo decided to stay on the floor.
Momo rose her hand, gesturing for Sana to enter. Sana happily opened the door and made her way into the store. The woman’s knick knacks clanked and jingled against her small bag as she knowingly made her way around the store to her usual products.
“The door was open today!” Sana stated as she browsed through the instant film.
Momo let her chin rest on the palm of her hand as she watched the light haired woman shop, “Yeah, I figured I’d make it easier on you today.”
“Thank you!” Sana beamed in an appreciative manner, “I’m sorry for always making you open the door for me. I really appreciate you giving me these last couple minutes.”
“No problem,” Momo nodded. She let a few seconds pass before clearing her throat and sitting up straight, “So Sana, you here to pick up something again today?”
It was a small conversation starter that Momo already knew the answer to. She wanted to see how Sana would answer to know how the interrogation would go. Momo had been planning this interaction all week in her head. She was too nosey to not know why this girl travels and takes so many photographs.
Sana nodded, “Mmhm. I have prints and negatives to get back,” The light haired woman held up two Polaroid film packages and tilted her head, “Should I get i-Type Star Wars film or Black and White 600 film for my Polaroid?”
“Black and white, it’s gonna be sunny all week here.” Momo answered, another calculated response. She knew Sana would ask for her opinion on film, as she did every week. This time she purposely put those two at the front. They were new and seemed like Sana’s type of medium.
Sana tilted her head in the other direction and stared at the film, “That’s the thing though, I won’t be in town this week. I’m actually gonna be in a rainy place all week. Would my pictures still be able to develop properly?”
“Checkmate. We’re getting somewhere.” Momo mentally high fived herself but continued to keep her cool demeanor, “Depends on where it is. Is it gonna be cloudy?”
Sana put the two films off to the side and continued to browse, “Most likely. Washington is kind of a rainy dark place.”
“Oh wow, Washington! That’s such a weather flip from us. I hope you have some rain boots ready.” Momo had planned this part of the conversation as well. This was the part where she’d dive deeper into why she’s traveling. If the conversation continues well, she could get all the information she needed in a flash.
Jihyo shook her head, “She didn’t close up early just to interrogate this woman.”
Dahyun shook her head as she watched the two interact. This was one of Momo’s classic interrogations. She should know that better than anyone. She received countless Momo Interrogations throughout her life. It was easier to spot from the outside than from the inside of the conversation. Momo was a master manipulator but for all the good things. It was a blessing that her sister used her power for good.
Sana smiled at the worker, “It’ll actually be my first time in Washington. I’ve never been there before.”
“Really? Whatcha going for?”
“Pictures!” Sana responded happily.
“Are you shooting for someone out there?”
“Yes and no.”
“So you’re being commissioned in Washington?”
“Nope!”
“Oh so you’re just going for yourself?”
“Kinda.”
“Wait what? Kinda going for yourself? What does that mean?”
“Exactly that!”
Dahyun couldn’t help but chuckle at her sister. Maybe Momo’s interrogation didn’t work on everyone. Momo seemed to be going nowhere with the information. Sana brought the Black and White Polaroid film alongside other 35mm films onto the counter. Momo’s eyebrows furrowed together at Sana.
“Wait so you’re going to Washington to shoot for someone but also for yourself? And you’re not just going for yourself but you also are?” Momo repeated, utterly confused by the response she was given. Sana nodded, her smile never leaving her lips.
Momo was even more confused now, “You’re spending all this money to just go out into Washington blind? Why would you jump into something new like that on a whim?”
“Wouldn’t you want someone to do the same for you?” Sana replied. Momo sat at the register stunned. She had planned for every possible conversation outcome of this interrogation. She had even done research on new photography trends to prepare for this conversation but did not expect for it to be flipped back on her.
Momo starred at the girl in shock, “I umm, I uhh-”
Jihyo and Dahyun both turned towards each other, baffled at the fact that Momo had not only met her match but turned into a stuttering mess in the process. This random regular customer had somehow broken the Momo Hirai.
“I want to be able to live my life to the fullest. There is so much potential everywhere so why not take a chance with the things everyone is too scared to give a shot? I put my faith in these places because who else will take a chance on the underdogs?”
Momo stared at the woman before her. Sana stared back at Momo. The planned conversation she once had was now gone into the wind. It began with Momo leading but now she had no idea where any of it was going. Somehow she had lost her leverage and Sana had taken control of the conversation. With a smile on her face at that.
Sana grinned widely at the dark haired woman, “You’ll never know how sweet the batter tastes unless you get your spoon in the mix.” The light haired woman winked playfully at Momo, making her cheeks grow warm. She couldn’t help but be flustered at the harmless gesture.
“You’re umm, you’re right. Umm-” Momo cleared her throat and began to scan Sana’s items, “I’ll get your umm, yeah.” Momo’s brain was beyond reasonable responses at this point. She stood up from her stool and turned to make her way towards the prints.
Jihyo and Dahyun scattered like roaches towards the back once Momo made her way towards them. The pair looked at each other behind the wall, knowing looks on both their faces. Smiles crept onto their faces once they made eye contact with one another. Momo truly did meet her match.
~~~
Jihyo squinted her eyes at her best friend as Momo sprayed glass cleaner on the counters. Something was off about Momo and Jihyo could feel it. The two had been best friends for so long that she could clock when she was acting differently in an instant. She fiddled with the broom and dustpan in her hand, trying to figure out what was different.
Momo’s features seemed to pop more. Her shirt was neatly tucked into her work pants. Momo’s hair was nicely put up into a high ponytail.
As Dahyun began to walk past, Jihyo grabbed her by her shoulder, bringing Dahyun back, “Hey, does it look like Momo has make-up on today?”
“I don’t know, just look at her.” Dahyun shrugged off the woman and tried to walk past only to be yanked back to Jihyo once again.
“I didn’t ask you to waste my breath, dummy. I don’t know, so look at her and tell me if she’s wearing makeup.” Jihyo gestured towards Momo making Dahyun groan.
She scanned her sister and rolled her eyes, “She clearly did her eyebrows and has eyeliner on stupid. Of course she has makeup. Wasting my time, open your eyes.” Dahyun turned once again towards the back and made her way towards the orders. Ignoring the coworker’s remarks, Jihyo continued to stare at Momo.
Momo tossed the rag over her shoulder and looked down at her wrist watch once again. She exhaled through her nose and continued to walk around the store, fixing things. It wasn’t a busy day so there was no reason for her to be so proactive.
“She knows Sundays are so easy. She should be sitting on her ass right now.” Jihyo muttered to herself. She reached for her phone in her pocket to see 3:25pm displayed on her lock screen.
Jihyo almost laughed aloud at her best friend. She was trying to find busy work until closing. She hadn’t seen Momo this active in the store since they were younger. Jihyo walked over to Momo, “Hey Momoring. Let me get the rest of the counter. I have to clean the tables anyway. Here just sweep the back, I got it.”
The Korean woman stood before Momo with the broom and dustpan. Momo raised a suspicious eyebrow at Jihyo.
“What?”
“What are you playing at Jihyo?”
Jihyo sucked her teeth at the woman, “Just take the broom. I’m supposed to be on the floor anyway.”
Momo rolled her eyes and muttered to herself as she took the broom and made her way towards the back. Jihyo knew the task would keep her occupied. More importantly, it would keep her out of earshot of the front door.
Jihyo had only had a few moments with the infamous Sana. She never spoke to the woman but knew of her. She somehow had Mr. Hirai and Momo develop her film for her. Mr. Hirai never took such special requests and Momo hadn’t developed film by hand since their youth. She had some sort of voodoo magic on the two and he had to figure it out for herself.
~
Jihyo grunted as she rested on her knees and restocked the lower film shelves behind the counter. A small knock on the glass entrance door made the Korean woman’s ears perk up. She quickly pulled out her phone and checked the time. 4:25pm. Five minutes to early closing.
Jihyo smoothed her work shirt and stood up, revealing her presence. The smile painted on Sana’s face now morphed into a confused point. Jihyo nodded for the woman to enter.
Sana made her way into the store. Rather than go straight to her usual browsing, her head turned in every direction.
“Looking for anything specific?” Jihyo asked, raising a playful brow at the woman.
Sana shook her head, “No not exactly. I know what I come for every week.”
Jihyo tilted his head, a smirk on her face, “Looking for anyone specific?”
“Yes actually,” Sana adjusted her grip on her side bag and finally connected eyes with Jihyo, “Is Momo here today?”
The Korean woman made her way around the counter and stared at the woman, “She’s a little busy right now but I think I can help. I’ve worked here as long as she has.”
Jihyo crossed her tan arms and leaned against the counter. Jihyo knew she was attractive and often used it to her advantage. She was a beautiful Korean woman who was a smooth talker and knew exactly how to get whoever she wanted. If this girl was just another random looking for something quick, then she wasn’t for her best friend.
“No it’s okay. I wanted to see Momo today but I guess I’ll just see her next week.” Sana shrugged dejectedly and made her way towards the instant film.
Jihyo chuckled and continued to talk to the customer, “What’d you want to show her that you can’t show me?”
“A building I saw on my trip,” Sana flatly responded as she shuffled through the Polaroid films, “Should I get the Round 600 Polaroid film or the Keith Harring i-Type film?”
Jihyo looked at the films she was flicking through. She truly did not know the difference nor cared for the difference, “I don’t know, I think you’d look cute in either honestly.”
Sana flipped the film packages over, not bothering to look up at Jihyo, “They won’t be Polaroids of me. They’re for memories. I think I’ll just go with this one.” The light haired girl made her way towards the counter with the sole film.
“Is that all for you today love?” Jihyo asked, a charming glint in her voice. Rather than being met with a blush and shy response, Sana glanced around the shop, not even paying Jihyo any attention.
“I’m also here to pick up prints. Are you sure Momo isn’t in? It’s really just you today?”
Jihyo leaned in a little, a smirk on her face, “What if it was just me today?”
“That’d be a shame. One person can’t run a store by themselves,” Sana mindlessly responded as she reached in her bag for her wallet. She pulled out the card and handed it towards the woman, “Here you go. I’ll be paying debit today.”
Momo snickered to herself at Jihyo’s various failed flirting attempts. The fact that Sana didn’t even pay her any mind made a grin spread across her face. She had been watching from the side and loved every minute of Sana’s oblivion.
“Here Sana, I believe these are your prints of the week.” Momo spoke, making her presence known. The dark haired woman made her way over with the envelope of Sana’s prints. The sight of Momo made a wide smile spread across Sana’s face.
Sana turned towards Momo, completely forgetting the baffled Jihyo before her, “Momo! Washington had such cool buildings, look at this one I saw in Takoma!” Sana excitedly handed Jihyo her card as she reached for her phone.
Not only did Sana not fall for any of Jihyo’s antics but she brushed her off to the side like she was nothing more than a nuisance. If she hadn’t done it to her, Jihyo would have found it almost admirable to be that strong willed.
Momo couldn’t help but smile as she walked over to Sana to see the photos. She had actually seen them earlier when she developed the pictures but was more than happy to see more of Sana’s shots. Sana animatedly began to recall multiple photo scenarios she experienced while in Washington, Momo happily listening along.
Jihyo shook her head, a smile plastered on her face at the two. The Korean woman placed the debit card on the counter and made her way towards the back, giving them their space. Dahyun looked up from her phone at the sudden presence in the back.
“Ready to go?” She questioned, already out of uniform.
“Almost, just give Momoring a little bit,” Jihyo grinned, “She’s just finishing up something.”
~~~
Another week passes and the routine with Momo and Sana continues. Momo swung her feet patiently as she sat at the register watching Sana. The dark haired woman glanced down at her wrist watch. 4:30pm. Sana was taking a little longer than usual to pick her stuff. She would usually take no more than two minutes, but today it was taking a little longer.
Hesitantly, Momo fiddled with her fingers before speaking up, “Umm, Sana?”
The light haired woman looked up, making a small noise in response. When their eyes met, Momo couldn’t help but quickly glance away. Her cheeks grew warm at the direct eye contact, “Do you need some help?”
Sana smiled a grateful smile at the employee, “I do actually!” The light haired woman gestured for Momo to come over. Momo made her way over next to Sana and bent down to her squatted level.
“I don’t know which film to try this week? I’m going somewhere that’s going to be sunny so I’m going to get 200 and 400 film but I just don’t know which to get. There’s so many to choose from.” Sana expressed, her face scrunching up at the dilemma.
Momo laughed softly at the cute gesture, “Well, what’s the destination this week?”
“Tennessee.”
“Tennessee on purpose?”
“There are people that go to Tennessee on purpose Momo!” Sana playfully scolded, nudging the woman with her shoulder. The pair laughed and continued to look at the film before them.
Momo let her eyes jump from film to film, mentally piecing together the best fit, “I think you should go with this film right here. There may be 24 exposures but the images come out with a really nice gold color. I’d also go with this film too because it’s kinda retro when developed so you can get some really good country shots of Tennessee.”
Sana smiled once again and nodded at Momo, “Well I guess these films are the ones. You’re a modern Einstein, if I do say so myself!”
Both girls laughed together at the jokes. Momo finally let her gaze meet Sana’s profile, her heart fluttering a bit at the sight. She had never been this close to her.
“Hey Sana, why do you take pictures every week?” Momo mindlessly pondered; the words escaping her lips on their own, “Every week there’s some new place you’ve traveled. Are you working for a photography company?”
Sana’s smile never faltered towards Momo. The light haired woman stood up and stuck her hand out to help Momo up, “I take pictures for me. And for my dad.”
Momo took the woman’s hand and stood up beside her, “Oh, so he’s a photographer?”
The light haired woman’s eyes began to shine with a sad glint, “Well he was. He passed away earlier this year.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I never should have-” Momo apologized in a quick ramble, making Sana laugh.
“Don’t worry, you didn’t know. There’s no reason for me to be mad at you,” Sana reassured Momo. She made her way towards the counter, continuing her conversation, “He was really into photography when he was a kid but couldn’t keep up with it because my grandpa wanted him to get into a career that paid more.”
Momo made her way behind the counter and interjected, “That’s stupid. There’s always a need for artists. He would have been okay.”
“I wish there were more understanding people like you,” Sana complimented before continuing, “Well he went to school, got all his big boy business degrees and ended up with his business. He was very successful, even met my mom with her business, but he gave up photography for it all.”
Momo quickly scanned Sana’s items, not wanting to keep her eyes off the light haired woman, “So did he pass without being able to take pictures again?”
Sana shook her head, “We had gone to visit my grandparents and my mom ended up finding some of my dad’s old pictures. So for his birthday that year, she bought him a film camera for his birthday,” Sana smiled at the thought, making Momo smile a sad smile in response, “It brought out something new in my dad. I had never seen him so happy before. From then on he started traveling and taking me and my brother on picture trips with him. It was so much fun to see him happy in his craft.”
Momo walked towards the prints, still not taking her attention away from Sana, “He died doing what he loved?”
“In January he had planned to go to Indonesia to take pictures but had to go handle business with a new business partner. There was construction going on at the business partner’s building and I guess they weren’t being safe. My dad ended up getting hurt by some of the machinery because someone didn’t do their job properly,” Sana let out a deep sigh, “He died on the way to hospital. He may not have been able to live out all his photography dreams but I’m glad he got to be happy in his last year. It all happened so fast, it made me realize I can’t just live my life behind a desk like he did. So I took off from working at the company to live my life for a year. Taking pictures I knew he would’ve loved.”
“I’m sorry Sana. One thing I can guarantee is that he is looking at you and your family with a giant smile,” Momo gently placed the envelope of Sana’s prints in her hands, “Especially you and your work.”
Sana sheepishly took the envelope, “You really think so?”
“I know so. You take such beautiful pictures, who wouldn’t smile?”
Much to Momo’s surprise, Sana now was the shy blushing one in the conversation. The light haired woman fiddled with her fingers bashfully, making Momo’s heart warm at the sight.
Momo continued to look at Sana, now noticing small details she had never seen before. Freckles were plastered across Sana’s small nose, some even gracing the area around her eyebrows. Her lips scrunched up in a timid smile, much to Sana’s dismay.
“Why don’t you ever have anyone take pictures of you Sana?” Momo pondered, not even realizing the words that came out of her mouth. Sana finally looked up from her shy gaze. Momo instantly began to ramble, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it in a mean way! Your work is really great but like you’re never in it so I just wondered why because you go to all these places and like- umm, I’m sorry-”
Sana tried to hold back a laugh at the sight. Momo rambling nervously was a sight she would’ve never expected to see. The light haired woman smiled, placing a hand over her mouth to prevent any laughs from spilling out.
Sana waved her free hand, silencing Momo’s ramble, “No I get it, don’t worry,” Sana fiddled with fingers and continued, “I usually go by myself so I don’t have anyone to take pictures of me.”
“You seem to have a good grasp on landscape photography. You should get into portrait work too. I know you could take some great pictures of people.” Momo suggested. Still embarrassed, Momo started to bag Sana’s items to avoid direct eye contact.
Instantly, an idea popped into Sana’s head making the girl rummage through her bag. Once she retrieved the black Polaroid camera, Sana brought it up to her eye, ready to shoot. Much to her advantage, Momo was paying more attention to the cash register than her.
The loud snapping of the Polaroid camera made Momo’s head jump towards Sana. Sana couldn’t help but smile at the cashier, “What the hell? Did you take a picture of me?”
“You told me I should get into portrait work. Might as well use a great muse while I have one present, no?” Sana responded, using Momo’s words against her.
In that instant, Momo’s brain went haywire. She had no idea whether or not to scold the woman for the random photo or go crawl in a hole because Sana just did something so precious. Momo’s mouth moved unsurely, not knowing what to say. She opted to just give the light haired woman a scolding look.
Sana busted out laughing at the ineffective scolding. Momo broke character, laughing alongside her. The dark haired woman felt her cheeks go up in ablaze.
“Oh I’m fucked.” Momo thought to herself, knowing full and well the increased beating of her heart wasn’t from embarrassment.
~~
“Alright let’s make this quick guys.” Momo stated as she shut the car off. The blue Honda Civic silenced itself as she pushed it off. Momo, Dahyun, and their friend Tzuyu had just pulled into the back parking lot of the store.
The three were running on a tight schedule. They all had one more rehearsal before their big performance tomorrow. Momo, Dahyun, Jihyo, and Tzuyu were a small town band that recently had a huge hit online. This was the one performance they really wanted to nail because of their sudden influx of new fans. With all this on their plate, they had to make one last stop at the shop because her father left some boxes at home. So on the way to Jihyo’s house, they had to make a quick stop.
Dahyun yawned in the passenger seat, “You guys go ahead, I’m gonna take a nap.”
Momo rolled her eyes, “Fine c’mon Tzuyu,” Tzuyu gave the girl an incredulous look, expecting to stay in the car too, “Nuh uh, somebody has to come with me.”
Tzuyu sucked her teeth, “Come on Momo.”
“C’mon nothing. Make yourself useful and help me with the boxes.” Momo retorted, making Dahyun snicker. The dark haired woman glared at her sister before getting out of the car. Tzuyu groaned and made her way to the trunk with her friend.
Tzuyu lazily pulled up her pants as Momo popped the trunk, “You’re lucky I like your dad or else you’d be doing this by yourself.”
“My best friend would rather help a man than help her friend, oh Lord,” Momo grabbed a stack of smaller boxes, “Father God, the friends you sent down for me are here complaining about boxes and doing favors for men.”
Tzuyu busted out laughing, making Momo chuckle alongside her. The two opened the back door up and brought the boxes in. After the trunk was clear, Momo and Tzuyu took a quick breather. The two paused briefly before turning to each other and giving a quick high five.
“Alright, I’m going to give Dad his keys and we can go.” Momo informed.
Tzuyu nodded before raising a brow, “Do you guys still keep snacks in the office?” Momo nodded, making the woman nod, “Yeah, I’m going to go steal some snacks before we go.”
Tzuyu made her way towards the back office while Momo walked out onto the floor. She quickly turned her head in different directions before spotting her father towards the front of the store. The dark haired woman made her way over towards him.
“Hey Dad!” She called out, making him turn around. She tossed the keys, “Here. All the boxes are in the back. We’re about to head out.”
Mr. Hirai raised an eyebrow playfully, “And who is this we?”
Tzuyu rounded the corner, making her way onto the floor, “Me. She forced me to bring those boxes in.” Tzuyu lazily rested her chin on Momo’s shoulder as she continued to eat her fruit snacks.
Momo rolled her eyes, “Gimme one.” Momo opened her mouth and Tzuyu lazily tossed one in.
“Now Momoring, why did you do that to her?” Mr. Hirai laughed at his daughter and friend’s antics.
“Because Dahyun’s asleep in the car and I’m not going to be the only person moving those boxes. Dad come on. Scold her for not helping her friend.”
Mr. Hirai smiled at his daughter. He brought the woman into a big hug and kissed her forehead, “Thank you darling. Go ahead before you’re all late.”
Momo grinned and spun around ready to go. To her surprise, she was met with Sana’s gaze, the light haired woman stood at the register. Momo hadn’t noticed her at all. A sharp feeling of embarrassment washed its way into Momo’s body. She could’ve acted a fool and Sana would’ve seen the entire thing.
Momo also realized she was currently wearing her bummy rehearsal clothes; a dingy school shirt, her father’s sweatpants, and crocs. Never had Momo wanted to crawl into a hole and die, like she had in that moment.
Sana and Momo held a strong eye contact, making Momo gulp. She couldn’t read anything on Sana’s face, making her even more nervous. Sana looked great, to make matters worse. The light haired woman sported an oversized sweater and a nice pair of jeans. Momo opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She quickly grabbed Tzuyu’s hand and practically sprinted out of there towards the back. How could she forget it was Sunday? Especially at 4:30 no less, Momo wanted to smack herself upside the head.
Tzuyu raised an eyebrow at the sudden yanking. Tzuyu smoothed her shirt out, “Hey, relax! This shirt isn’t cheap,” The woman was ready to scold her friend more before she realized Momo looked embarrassed beyond belief, “Calm down, it was just a customer-”
Tzuyu stopped once she realized the circumstances. Her once annoyed demeanor changed into a giddy one, “Now I know that isn’t who I think it is. Is that-”
Instantly, Momo shushed the taller woman. Tzuyu busted out laughing. The two knew exactly who that was.
“So that’s Ms. Four Thirty?” Tzuyu teased, “You’re into cute girls?”
“Shut up,” Momo shoved her shoulder and walked towards the back parking lot, “We’re gonna be late!”
Tzuyu laughed and followed behind Momo, “I won’t tell anybody.”
“Be quiet Tzuyu.”
~~~
Tzuyu, Jihyo, and Momo sat patiently waiting to be called next. The group had finally made it to the special Saturday performance. After weeks of rehearsal and online promotion, today was the day they were all waiting for.
For such an exciting time, the group was surprisingly quiet. The room was filled with Jihyo’s sporadic noises from her vocal exercises. Tzuyu sat silently nodding her head to the music flowing through her headphones. Momo, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. Her leg bounced anxiously against the couch as she stared blankly ahead of her. Today was the day they were going to debut their new song.
The brown skin girl was beyond excited but the fear of the unknown ahead terrified her. What if she messed up the lyrics? What if the crowd hated it? What if she fell off the stage and broke every bone in her body??
She had had writer’s block for weeks before finally having that spark of inspiration to complete the song. Dahyun mixed the song and finalized it making it better than she had ever imagined. Momo knew artists shouldn’t hold their work too tightly, kill the baby, as filmmakers said, but this song was special.
“How are we feeling, guys?” Dahyun questioned enthusiastically as she busted through the green room door holding multiple bottles of water, “I won’t lie, I’m super scared.”
“Well you don’t sound it.” Jihyo chuckled as she took a water bottle. Tzuyu thanked Dahyun quietly and took her bottle, easily opening and taking a swig.
Momo, still in her anxious daze, didn’t notice her sister handing her a bottle. Dahyun rolled her eyes before tossing the water bottle on the ground and leaping on Momo. Momo yelled out at the sudden attack. The two sisters proceeded to playfully fight, causing Jihyo to laugh from her chair. The Korean woman stood up and joined the fighting girls on the couch. Tzuyu sucked her teeth as she swatted away the girls’ bodies.
Tzuyu stood up from the end of the couch, “Chill out guys! You almost hit me.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever- OWW MOMO RELAX.” Dahyun said, followed by a not so gentle elbow to her side. The three fighting women separated, all sitting up to look at Tzuyu.
“Get it together. We’re about to go up on stage,” Tzuyu stated.
“I can’t wait to get back on stage. It’s been too long since we’ve performed.” Dahyun gushed as she dramatically swooned, making everyone laugh.
Jihyo smiled brightly, “I’m ready to see the new fans! I got a lot of DMs saying people were coming to see us from out of town,” Jihyo nodded jokingly at Tzuyu, “Ready for a bunch of new groupies?”
Tzuyu took one last sip of her water and threw Jihyo a thumbs up. The girls all laughed at their friend. Jihyo and Dahyun turned towards Momo.
Momo nervously rubbed her hands against her thighs, “I’m scared. I’m really scared about the new song. I just hope they all like it.” Momo finally admitted. Jihyo wrapped her arm around Momo, bringing her into a tight hug.
“They’d be stupid not to!” Tzuyu called out from the other side of the room. Dahyun and Jihyo nodded.
Dahyun joined in on the Jihyo-Momo embrace, “They better. We put a lot into that song,” Everyone chuckled, “I wrote it. Tzuyu and I mixed it. Jihyo and I had so much fun in the booth. This song is about to win us a Grammy.”
This time Momo laughed, making Dahyun’s anxiety for her sister diminish, “I promise you, they’ll love it Momoring.” Dahyun kissed her sister’s forehead and flashed her a supportive smile. Momo smiled back knowing her sister would never lie to her.
The sound of the room door opening made all four band members look up. An employee stood in front of the open door, “Alright guys, five until your set. I’ll take you guys up now.”
All three other members turned towards Momo. The woman nodded and stood up, finally feeling that surge of anxiety slip out of her body.
“Alright. Time to go. We’re about to do what guys?” Momo turned to her band, a knowing smile on her face.
“Bless the stage, amen!” The three band members responded. All four clapped twice and whistled a short tune. Momo smiled widely, a new sense of confidence and excitement filled her body after their pre-show ritual.
The band followed behind the employee, making their way to the main stage. The curtains were shut but the sound of the crowd was absolutely boisterous. All four band members let a smile dance across their faces.
Each band member made their way to their instruments and prepared for the set. Once ready and set, all three band members looked towards Momo. Momo turned back and gave everyone a confident nod. Dahyun grinned widely, knowing her sister was finally back in the swing of things.
Momo turned back towards the curtain. She took one last deep breath before grabbing her microphone. The curtains separate revealing the vast crowd. Tzuyu gives a three count with her drumsticks and starts the beat to their first song of the set.
It was finally time.
~~~
Jihyo finished the last chord of the song, making the crowd cheer thunderously. Momo had no idea why she was so nervous, the crowd was beyond wonderful. They had all played a couple songs and the crowd was so receptive, many singing along.
Momo turned back towards her sister, ready for the last song; the new song. Dahyun beamed and nodded, ecstatic for her sister. Momo nodded back and turned towards the crowd.
“Whew, that was a hell of a song, huh?” Momo asked the crowd, gaining a sea of cheers in response. She grinned at the crowd and went to grab her water bottle, continuing, “So this will be the last song for the night-”
The once happy sounds turned into boos and cheers for an encore. Every band member laughed, “Alright, alright! Since you all have been such a wonderful crowd, we have a special surprise for you all,” Momo took a quick drink of her water and continued, “Tonight at midnight, we will be dropping our new EP; MIXXED!”
The crowd burst into cheers making all the band members smile widely. Jihyo grabbed her microphone, speaking up, “You all better go save it! I’m tired of working nine to five!”
Everyone laughed, even the band members. Momo playfully shoo’d Jihyo, “For the last song, we’ll be performing our unreleased song Hold On, my personal favorite.”
“Or as Momo liked to call it in the studio, 4:30,” Dahyun jokingly teased on her microphone, “Everybody ready?”
The crowd cheered loudly, making Momo forget all about her sister’s teasing. Jihyo played the beginning chords of the bassline. Dahyun played the beat on the piano, let it loop, and started mixing the rest of the song. The stage lights gradually turned into a rich blue hue, fitting the mood of the suave beat.
Thinking ahead of time…
~
The song ended on Jihyo’s last bass note, making the crowd go wild; the cheering and whooping louder than ever before. The band all bid the crowd one last goodbye as they scurried off the stage.
The once nervous Momo was now jumping around backstage, laughing wholeheartedly and squealing. Tzuyu ran excitedly right past the girls, leaping with joy. The band made it to the green room once again for them all to begin their happy cheers.
In the distance, they could all hear the crowd chanting for an encore. They all smiled harder as they hugged each other graciously.
Momo sighed out heavily. She let her body flop on the couch, her smile never faltering. The show went better than she could ever imagine. The crowds’ energy was through the roof, everyone was vibing along with the band, the new song was a smash hit.
“See you didn’t have any reason to be worried Momoring!” Jihyo noted before she flopped on top of Momo. Momo let out a tiny oomf, causing everyone to laugh.
Dahyun pointed at Tzuyu, “Let’s not forget how many girls out there were cheering for Tzuyu over there. Mrs. Get Bitches over here had a bunch of new fans!”
“It comes naturally, you know?” The woman responded, making all the girls laugh again.
After separating from Jihyo, Momo stood up facing her sister. Her once nervous jitters now turned into a wide smile with nothing but giddy happiness written all over her expression. Dahyun smiled proudly at her sister.
Dahyun brought Momo in a sweet embrace. No words had to be exchanged for Momo to know Dahyun was proud of her. Momo giggled at the exchange, making Dahyun laugh softly. Before the pair knew it, Jihyo jumped into the hug as well; Tzuyu not too far behind.
Momo knew she had the perfect best friends in her life.
~~~
“You think Dad’ll kill us if we called out right now?” Momo asked her sister as they hopped out of the car.
“He’ll kill us and resurrect us just to work the shift, be for real Momoring.” Dahyun responded, equally as exhausted.
It was the following day and the two siblings had found themselves walking into work that Sunday afternoon. Their father let them come into work a little later because of their concert. As much as he loved his kids, they all had responsibilities to take care of.
Momo and Dahyun fist bumped one final time before entering through the back entrance. The two women walked in to see their father crunching numbers at the counter. They both grabbed their aprons and split, going their respective ways. Momo quickly tied her apron and made her way towards her father. She kissed her seated father’s head and lazily laid her head on top of his. The man smiled, not looking up from the book.
“So how’d the show go?” Mr. Hirai pondered aloud, enough for Dahyun to hear as well, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. All of my employees are in the band, somebody had to run the shop.”
“Dad we were the best performance out of that entire show!” Dahyun shouted from the back causing her father to chuckle.
Momo smiled brightly remembering the events of the previous night, “It was great, the crowd really loved us! Next show I’ll save you a front row seat,” The Japanese woman gushed excitedly to her father, “The performance is on YouTube so you can watch it! Let me know what you think.”
“Oh I definitely will. If you guys suck, I will definitely let you know,” Mr. Hirai joked, before stopping his daughter from walking towards the back, “Hey darling hold on. Dahyun’s developing today.”
A loud groan from Dahyun could be heard from the back. The man paid his daughter no mind before explaining to his child, “We got a large scale order for some pictures and banners. You know Dahyun and I can’t use that Photoshop stuff-”
“I know, I know. Graphic design stuff is for Momo.” Momo recited, making her father grin. Mr. Hirai kissed his daughter’s forehead and handed her a flash drive from his apron.
Momo made her way to the computer on the other side of the store. Hours passed as she made her way through all the smaller orders. Once they were all out the way, she finally began the bigger order.
“Hey Dahyunie!” Momo shouted to her sister, earning a huh in response, “This person gave Dad a flash drive!”
“Flash drive? What is this 1996?”
Momo snickered, “1987 more like it.”
Expertly, Momo plugged the flash drive in, clicking through folders until she saw a “PRINT ME PLEASE” folder. She opened the folder to instantly recognize some of the people in the shots. These were other artists from the night prior. There must have been a photographer from last night!
“Dahyunie, somebody took pictures at the show last night!’ Momo shouted to her sister.
“What? You’re lying!” Dahyun shouted from the back.
“I’m serious!”
“Do I look good?!”
“Stop yelling across my store!” Mr. Hirai cut in as he peeked his head from the back. The two women apologized sheepishly. Momo’s interest in the flash drive photographer definitely was at an all time high now.
She swiped through the pictures to eventually land on shots of her. One particular shot of her made her mouth go agape in shock. It was a shot from when she sang Hold On. Her head was slightly back while she gripped the microphone. The blue lights around her made her look angelic in the dark setting.
Momo hated taking and seeing pictures of herself but this shot was magical. These shots were all amazing, her band looked legit and so full of life. There were so many shots of her, Dahyun, Jihyo, and Tzuyu. Everyone’s personality and liveliness shined through in the photos.
“These aren’t even edited, they’re all RAW files.” Momo muttered to herself in amazement as she continued to swipe through. Momo felt herself smile at a particular photo of her entire band smiling. Her and Tzuyu barely smiled in pictures. This photo definitely was a special one.
“Hey Dad!” Momo shouted out to her father.
“How many times I have to tell you to stop yelling in my-”
Momo instantly shot up, making her way over to him instead, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’ll just come over there.” The woman muttered some not so nice words under her breath and rounded the corner to the back.
Mr. Hirai looked up from the cutting table, exacto knife in his head as he raised a brow at his daughter. Momo pointed her thumb behind her, towards the computer, “Whose order is that for? The big one.”
“Minatozaki. She dropped it off this morning.” He answered matter of factly and continued his focus back to the cutting table.
‘Sana?’ Momo’s brain instantly connected. That was her last name. Nobody took pictures like Sana, that had to be her work. It was too good to not be. The perfect poses, the dynamics, the lighting, the attention to detail for everyone. That gift was perfectly Sana’s.
A wide smile made its way onto Momo’s face, the warmth of a strong blush not too far behind. When Sana said Momo could be her muse, she didn’t think it’d be in her craft. The entire idea made Momo giddy and happy.
The dark haired woman happily made her way back to her desk, a little extra pep in her step. 4:30 couldn’t come fast enough.
~~~
The day had turned to dusk and it was finally close to closing. Mr. Hirai was long gone, leaving Dahyun and Momo to themselves once again. The pair of sisters had already begun to lock up the shop. Dahyun was long out of her uniform and into her comfortable clothes while Momo was in the back, closing the last of the equipment.
Dahyun silently sang a tune to herself as she sat on her phone in the back. In the distance, the faint sound of knocking caught Dahyun’s attention. The woman stood up and peeked her head around the corner. Per usual, at the glass front door stood Sana. The light haired woman waved in her usual friendly manner. Dahyun waved back, raising a hold on finger. Sana nodded and Dahyun turned back into the back. Without a single warning, Dahyun walked up to her sister who was locking the office door, and began to drag her by her apron.
“Your little girlfriend is here.” Dahyun stated before Momo could even protest.
Momo didn’t have a second to respond before she was being shoved out onto the floor. Normally she would’ve cursed Dahyun out but now she was too excited. She had been waiting on Sana all day. Her heart still swelled at the fact that Sana took the pictures.
Momo made her way up to the glass door. Routinely, Momo stood in front of the door, looking at the light haired woman. Rather than be met by Sana’s usual strong eye contact, Sana stared down at her loafers shyly. After a couple seconds, she finally looked up to see Momo smiling softly. Momo raised her arm up, pointing at her wrist.
Sana sighed in relief and finally cracked a tiny small. The woman raised her arm up and pointed to her wrist. She pulled her phone up to the door to show the usual 4:30 time.
Momo unlocked the door and held it open for Sana. The light haired woman nodded a small thank you and walked in. Rather than be met with Momo walking back towards the register, Momo stood behind Sana, not moving.
Sana’s brows furrowed in confusion, “Momo are you oka-”
Sana was cut off by Momo bringing the girl into a giant hug. A little surprised gasp left Sana at the contact. Much to her surprise, Momo was elated. Momo giggled like a happy school girl as she spun Sana around. The happy nature was contagious because not long after, Sana too started laughing.
Momo pulled away from Sana; hands on her shoulders and her smile never faltering, “Sana you’re amazing! Your pictures from yesterday were so freaking good oh my GOD!!”
Momo did little thrilled spins as she continued, “At first I was like, ‘Aww man someone took pictures at the event, I probably look like shit’. But then you took such good pictures, I felt like I was back there again. Like you caught Tzuyu smiling! Do you know how hard it is to catch that girl smiling? You have the timing of a fighter pilot! You really should look into the Air Force if you’re not gonna go back to your dad’s company.”
Sana couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Momo. The usual calm and collected woman was now rambling, twirling, and giggling. It felt like that time Momo was explaining the Mango Apple AriZonas. The mature version of Momo Sana had been used to also had a goofy side that made her heart skip a beat. It was adorable to see such a side of her.
“Like, the cherry on top is that all your photos were RAW photos. Ugh, Sana, you’re a legend. How are they all unedited but still so good?” Momo made a chef’s kiss motion with her hands. In her ecstatic nature, Momo grabbed Sana’s hands. Momo looked directly into her eyes, “Can I please make some of your pictures into our EP cover? They’d be amazing for promo. I’ll even pay! Or I can develop one of your rolls for free?”
Flustered, Sana didn’t know what to think. She didn’t expect her work to be used by anyone except her. The fact that Momo wanted to use it for promotion and cover art was unbelievable in her brain. A large blush spread across Sana’s cheeks, “Of course you can! You don’t have to pay-”
“You shut up right now! I’m going to pay an artist for their work! You quite literally took the picture of the year. The century even but I won’t be alive that long to be sure,” Momo maintained eye contact with Sana, “Please Sana?”
Sana looked at Momo one last time before nodding. Momo cheered happily, clapping excitedly.
“Yes! Thank you! Let me go turn on the computer and save them real quick.” Momo made her way towards the computer.
“You don’t have to do that, I got the WeTransfer email this morning. I can just text you the link-” Sana stopped herself halfway through her sentence. Momo was all for the plan until she too realized at the same time.
Sana just asked her for her number.
To avoid awkwardness, Momo grinned, “Of course! Here give me your phone, I’ll put it in.”
Sana sighed internally to herself. She praised God that Momo didn’t make it awkward. She took the device out of her pocket, Momo quickly took it and started putting her information in, “So what made you come to the club? Did you know any of the artists performing?”
“No actually, that was my first commission!” Sana explained, “My aunt and uncle own the club and my cousin hosted the event. She commissioned me to be the photographer for the night. I didn’t know you guys were such a talented band.”
Momo confirmed her contact and handed Sana back her phone, blushing by the compliment, “Thank you. I don’t really talk about it at work because it’s embarrassing. I love music but talking about my music makes me- ugh I don’t know. It feels like an ick.”
‘Oh shit, she saw me perform.’ Momo screamed internally, finally putting the pieces together. In that instant, Momo wanted to crawl into a deep hole and never return. Sana saw her in that element.
“But you guys did so well! You should be proud and loud about it. I’ve been listening to the EP since it came out. I have no idea how many times I’ve listened to it today alone-”
Sana shut her mouth quickly, realizing she said way too much. Both girls stood sheepishly in front of one another like little school girls. It was very evident that feelings were on display for both.
“You really like the EP? Thank you so much. We put so much time and energy into that EP. I’m so glad you like it. I really am.” Momo looked up, finally meeting Sana’s gaze.
“Hold On is my favorite song,” Sana smiled, “Or well, 4:30, as you like to call it.”
“I meant well with that song, I swear!” Momo busted into a hearty laugh, Sana not too far behind. Momo’s cheeks flared up in a vicious blush. She was definitely caught. Momo covered her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing.
The pair looked at each other before busting into a laughing fit again. Whether it was the shy school girl crush energy in the air or the enjoyment of each other’s company; the pair laughed together.
Dahyun rolled her eyes but smiled at her little sister’s happiness as she brought out the order for Sana. The woman handed Sana the box with all the prints, “Alright now lovebirds, sheesh. Can you both wrap this up so I can go home? You’re gonna have me here all night.”
“Shut up Dahyun. Why are you in my business, so annoying.” Momo playfully responded, shooing her sister away.
“Your father is all in my business.” Dahyun retorted as she made her way towards the back again.
“We have the same father- you know what? I’m not gonna get into that. C’mon let me ring you up Sana.” Momo swatted away her sister’s nonsense and made her way towards the register.
Sana laughed at the twos dynamic, “You did a great job yesterday Dahyun!” She called out.
“Don’t I always?” Dahyun yelled back jokingly.
Sana laughed once again at the silly sister. She really liked it at this store. It was always so fun whenever she dropped by.
Momo finished ringing up the last bit of the order and continued to speak, “I’m sorry for her. She’s something.”
“Don’t apologize! I really like it here. You, Dahyun, Jihyo, your dad. Everyone is so nice here. I like being here.”
“I’m glad you like it here,” Momo smiled, this time a genuine heartfelt smile, “I’ll probably edit the picture a little later and update our EP cover. If that’s okay with you.”
“That’s more than okay with me, as long as you send me the final product. And maybe let me shoot another cover for you guys properly. Like in a studio space.”
Momo nodded enthusiastically, “Of course. Just no flash.”
Sana’s face scrunched up in confusion, “Why no flash? You need flash in a studio.”
“I won’t get to see you past the flash, duh,” Sana and Momo stared at one another silently before busting out laughing again, “That sounded cuter in my head. Wow that was corny. I’m so sorry.”
Sana grabbed the box and made her way towards the door, “It’s fine. We’ll talk about fixing your corny sense of humor when I text you later tonight,” The light haired girl turned over her shoulder, looking at Momo with a raised brow, “Is that okay with you?”
Momo could hold back the face eating-grin on her face, “More than okay with me.”