Chapter Text
Hongbin had been interested in photography since around the age of five. His dad had a Polaroid camera- one of the cheaper ones. As a little boy, Hongbin had been obsessed with taking pictures with it, loving how with a shake of the paper a photo would develop. He knew nothing about how cameras worked, knew nothing about the physics of lights and lenses, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride over how with a simple click of a shutter and the shake of a paper he could have a photo in front of him.
Polaroids got expensive for his father after a while, so Hongbin switched to using Kodak cameras, always bought in packs of three. By that time, Hongbin was more patient than his younger self, and was able to handle the wait of having his father take him over to a nearby pharmacy, starting to grasp the concept of why his trips to get photos developed were spread so far in between. Nonetheless, Hongbin would fill each camera with photos almost instantaneously. Kodak photos littered the walls of his room and his desk, easily outnumbering the Polaroids. The photos that weren’t as pretty, were too out of focus or looked too off, were kept by Hongbin’s father in a box in his closet.
Hongbin got his first “professional” camera for his sixteenth birthday: a Canon DSLR, including a few extra lenses, cleaning supplies, and a case. It’d been the only gift his father had been able to afford, but Hongbin loved it nonetheless. After that, Hongbin kept less physical photos, instead preferring the space of his computer. Soon after pirating a copy of Photoshop Hongbin started a small job as a photographer; it wasn’t much- photos for weddings, press photos for a couple of music festivals, the senior photos for some of the members of his high school class- but despite that, Hongbin had made enough money off of it to take the financial burden off his father.
With the help of his photography portfolio, Hongbin had gotten into a university a couple cities over from his hometown with almost a full ride, news that brought tears to his father’s eyes. While his father knew that photography wouldn’t be as “profitable” as someone in a more public position, he still supported Hongbin’s wishes, giving whatever he could to pay for textbooks, or the small amount of tuition he owed to the school.
Despite his excitement of getting into one of his dream schools, the day his father dropped him off at his dorm was one of the most vivid and saddest memories he had. His father had tried to be neutral, keeping a small smile on his face, but any scrap of that was worn away as soon as he had to say goodbye. Hongbin dropped the large duffel bag- filled to the brim with the few clothes he had- and the backpack carrying his laptop and some notebooks to the sidewalk, shifting his camera case to sit on his back as he walked to his father, falling into his arms. They remained silent for a while, his father’s breath uneven. Hongbin blinked back the tears forming in his eyes are he backed away from his father. He licked at his lips nervously before mumbling a goodbye and an ‘I love you’. His father flashed a bittersweet smile, saying ‘I love you’ before walking back to the car.
Hongbin had watched his father drive away, staring until his car had been nothing more than a speck in his vision. He let out a long sigh, shifting his camera case before grabbing his backpack and duffle bag, shuffling over to his dorm hall.
---
When Hongbin first walks into the art room, he’s hit by flashbacks to high school. The room is laid out in a similar way- though this room was at least a couple feet bigger in each direction- with two columns of tables, each stretched enough to hold four people. There was a large gap between the front desks and the front of the room, where a long desk sat just in front of a hybrid chalkboard and dry-erase board. The walls are covered in sketches of human bodies- some vague shapes reminiscent of the drawings made by fashion designers, others much closer to real life. A number of empty canvases and easels littered the edge of the classroom, the shelves in the back of the classroom littered with papers and pencils, some drawers sticking out, contents overflowing.
Hongbin takes a seat at the front left desk, sitting in the seat right next to the aisle between the columns of desks. He places a sketchbook on the desk, grabbing a metal pencil box from his backpack. Hongbin licks at his lips when he flips open the box, filled with pencils of varying thickness, two different kinds of eraser, a couple charcoals, colored pencils, and pastels. At first he’d just bought a basic sketch set- containing everything but the pastels and colored pencils-, unsure if he’d need more than that, but at the last second he became worried that the professor would insist on colored works, grabbing the cheapest pastels and colored pencils.
“You know, you’re probably not going to need any of that today.” A man sits in the seat next to Hongbin.
Hongbin starts, eyes widening briefly before he looks over to the man. The man slings the arm of his messenger bag around the stool, sitting on top of the strap so that it would stay in place.
“Really?” Hongbin asks.
The man nods. “Professor Hakyeon just spent the first day going over the syllabus, let us out about an hour early.”
“You’ve taken this class before?”
“No.” The man says. “I took another of his art classes last semester, though. Sounds like he teaches them all the same, though the subject is what changes.”
Hongbin nods.
“Oh, wow.” The man shakes his head, flashing a warm smile. “My name’s Sanghyuk, but you can call me Hyuk.”
“Hongbin.”
Hyuk’s smile widens. “Hongbin. Hongbinnie.”
“Please don’t.” Hongbin says.
Hyuk frowns. “Don’t like nicknames?”
Hongbin glances away, remembering the sweet voice his mother would speak in when she called him ‘Bean’. It’s a faint memory, but something that still stuck with him.
“Y-Yeah.” Hongbin says, realizing he’d gone silent. “Yeah they’re kind of annoying.”
“Ah.” Hyuk nods. “Sorry.”
“No, no, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
A silence had fallen between the two, broken when the classroom door opened. A man walks in, clad in black dress buttons, an untucked white button-up, and surprisingly nice leather Oxfords. He couldn't have been that much older than the postgraduates that wandered the campus, face and skin boasting a youthful age. He walks over to the opposite side of Hongbin’s table, placing a small stack of papers down.
“See?” Hyuk says, a small smirk on his face. “Just the syllabus today.”
Hongbin nods, grabbing the stack of papers from Hyuk, passing all but one back.
“Hello everyone.” The man says, voice as sweet as the small smile on his face. “I’m Professor Cha Hakyeon, though you can really call me anything that’s not just ‘hey you’.”
A couple of the girls in the classroom let out quiet snickers, Hongbin merely flashing a smile at the professor’s statement.
“I graduated from this school, both for undergraduate and my Master’s.” Professor Hakyeon continues. “This will be my second year teaching, so I hope to do my best.” The professor smiles again, looking down at his desk, idly running a hand through his hair. “Now then, I’ll just be running through this today, so I’ll let you out early hopefully, but know that all your other classes won’t be like this.”
“Perfect.” Hyuk mumbles, pulling out his phone.
Hongbin raises an eyebrow. “Really?”
Hyuk shrugs, mumbling, “Me and my boyfriend are going out for lunch once I’m out of class, but we haven’t really planned much.”
Hongbin rolls his eyes. “I’ll recap anything important he says.”
Hyuk smiles, an expression that Hongbin finds himself wanting to capture in a single photo.
“Thank you.”
~
The thirty minutes Professor Hakyeon takes to cover the syllabus pass quicker than expected, Hongbin surprised when the professor claps his hands, reminding them of the reading they need to do before next class and bidding them farewell.
Hyuk waves a quick goodbye to Hongbin, ducking out of the classroom, hurriedly jogging down the hallway. Hongbin is slow to pack his stuff, remaining sat in his seat as he watches a couple of the girls, voices mildly unnatural as they introduce themselves to Professor Hakyeon.
Hongbin almost doesn’t notice the man standing just behind the couple of girls, face obscured by a black mask, Snapback flipped to the back. He tries not to stare at the man, the tufts of silver hair peeking from under his hat, his mildly tanned skin, dark brown eyes. Hongbin’s shutter finger tingles, the man wishing he could take a picture of the moment just before the stranger puts down his mask.
“I had a question about our daily sketchbook.” The man’s words are just audible from Hongbin’s seat, voice deep and smooth.
“Hm?”
“Does everything just have to be a sketch?” The stranger adds, “I have some new watercolors I’ve been meaning to try out.”
“I don't see why not.” Professor Hakyeon says. “I’m mostly having my students keep a sketchbook so that they’re always practicing drawing.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course.” Professor Hakyeon flashes another perfect smile, yet another moment Hongbin wishes he could capture on film. “Have a nice day, Wonsik.”
The man nods, slinging his bad more over his shoulder before walking out. Hongbin stands, moving towards the door until he remembers why he’d stayed back. Hongbin moves back to the professor.
“Hi Professor.” Hongbin says. “I’m Lee Hongbin.”
Professor Hakyeon smiles. “It’s nice to meet you Hongbin. I don’t think I’ve seen you around the art department before..
“I’m a freshman.” Hongbin says. “Also, I’m actually a photography major.”
Professor Hakyeon nods. “Oh. Why are you in a class like this?”
“I took a dual-credit art class so the credits transferred here. I got a prerequisite done, and a few credit hours toward my electives.”
The professor nods again. “Well, know that I’ll grade you as another art major. This is a drawing intensive class, so this might be challenging for you. Please, don’t feel bad if you drop my class.”
“Yes sir.” Hongbin says. “I’ll do my best.”
Professor Hakyeon smiles. “I imagine you will. Have a nice afternoon, Hongbin.”
“You too, professor.”
Hongbin walk out, mind wandering back to the man from earlier.
Wonsik.
---
Professor Hakyeon had been right, in a way. Hongbin wasn’t awful at drawing- he didn’t do the stick figures some photographers used when sketching designs for shoots. But, he wasn't the best either. His sketches were slightly more detailed than fashion sketches, but there was an aspect of his drawing that was almost cartoonish. The anatomy always looked mildly disproportionate, a detail mostly picked up by other artists.
Though, of course, that’s why he was here. Hongbin’s forte had always been photographing landscapes and waist-up photos. Full-body shots had always been strangely difficult for him, and every course he’d fund online wasn't great at explaining how to photograph full-body shots. So, while it was an unconventional method of learning the body, he thought he would try a course about how anatomy pertained to art.
Professor Hakyeon’s class was an almost 50/50 ratio of a science class and an art class. The whole course was essentially a regurgitation of his dissertation; one class he mentioned the paper that had been focused on integrating science into art, and how important the interactions between the two were. While there was technically a textbook, it was seldom used, more emphasis placed on the readings the professor put online. He relied a lot more on copies of anatomy textbooks that were (supposedly) borrowed from the biology department.
For the past month, Professor Hakyeon had primarily focused on drawing the “details”: hands, feet, and faces. Though, naturally, that wouldn’t be the full focus of the class.
“So, I’m going to do things a bit out of order.” Professor Hakyeon says. “Rather than lecture next class, I’m bringing in a model.”
Hongbin looks over to Hyuk, seeing slightly more excitement on the man’s face than he would expect.
“And no, he won’t be nude.” Professor Hakyeon rolls his eyes when he sees some of the students’ faces fall. “Yes, such a tragedy. He’ll have underwear on but I want to see how you draw the body as a whole, not just particular details.”
Hongbin snorts.
“Once I see what everyone excels and lacks ability in, I’ll be able to change the curriculum to what fits best.” He flashes a smile, clapping his hands. “Well, that’s it for today. Have a nice day, everyone.”
Students begin to file out, Hongbin pausing when he sees Wonsik walk up to Professor Hakyeon. Once again, Hongbin finds himself discreetly trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Are these just going to be sketches?” Wonsik asks.
“Most likely, yes.” Professor Hakyeon replies. “If you have time to add more go ahead, but I’d rather see what everyone needs work on.”
Wonsik nods, and while Hongbin can’t see the man’s expression, he can feel the man’s disappointment.
Hakyeon sighs, glancing around the room, eyes locking with Hongbin’s briefly. He leans forward, whispering just too quiet for Hongbin to hear. Wonsik perks up soon after Hakyeon moves away, his head nodding enthusiastically.
“Thank you, professor.” Wonsik says.
Hakyeon nods. “Have a nice day, Wonsik.”
“You too.” Wonsik says, walking out of the room.
The professor looks over to Hongbin as the man finally moves out of his seat.
“Did you have a question, Hongbin?”
“I-” Hongbin glances toward the door, barely seeing Wonsik in the hallway.
Professor Hakyeon looks towards the door, flashing a knowing smirk.
“That’s Kim Wonsik. Sophomore, art major with a focus in painting.” Professor Hakyeon says. “I enjoy his work.”
“He’s-” Hongbin cuts himself off.
Professor Hakyeon chuckles. “I know what you mean, I’d love to draw him if I ever am allowed to.”
“Or photograph.”
“Yes, I’m sure his form translates nicely to film as well.” The professor shakes his head. “Hongbin, if I could ask for you not to spread anything about this conversation. I’m not sure what you heard me tell Wonsik, but keep that exchange secret as well.”
Hongbin nods. “Y-yeah, I will.”
Professor Hakyeon smiles, reaching out to pat Hongbin’s shoulder. “Thank you Hongbin.” He squeezes once. “Have a nice day, and good luck.”
“Thank you professor.” Hongbin says, nodding before walking out of the classroom.