Chapter Text
Tzuyu remembered it vividly when it happened, but it was during the summer of 2016 where the sun felt especially hot.
All she knew was that she was just playing with her friends, when suddenly a wave of dizziness hit her and the next thing she knew she was laying on the grassy ground with the shouting voices of her friends faded out.
Ironically her visions darkened, it was in that moment when the sky suddenly glistened and shined through her eyes. That was the moment she fell in love with the sky.
—
Dahyun sighed as she looked at the picture Tzuyu took. "Wow, this is the worst picture I've ever seen, Tzu are you sure this is a brand new phone?" She deadpanned.
Chaeyoung took a glance and immediately laughed. “This is what you get when you try to ask Tzuyu for a photo I guess." She giggled.
"Well I can't exactly take a good one if the subject isn't even interesting," Tzuyu mumbled as she rolled her eyes.
"And you both don't exactly fit the criteria." She says as she turns around to take a picture of the sky.
"Wow Tzu I feel hurt right now, you love the sky more than us, your best friends." Chaeyoung cried jokingly.
"At this point, the sky is basically her third best friend." Dahyun snickered as she bumped her shoulders into Chaeyoung's.
Tzuyu didn't even bother to respond to their jokes.
— —
It had already been late as she walked home alone.
She glanced up, and her eyes met the shade of pinks with clouds scattered around in the sky.
Right, I have my camera in my bag, I should take a picture. She thought to herself.
Tzuyu grabbed her backpack from her behind and reached out for her camera.
She turned her camera up in the sky to take a shot when suddenly a bug landed on her which scared her off causing the camera to move downwards instead, accidentally clicking the shoot button.
"That was the last sheet I had." Tzuyu frowned.
As the camera whirred out the film, she waited to see it anyways, although she planned to throw it away since it probably came out blurry.
As it finally loaded she let out a small gasp. It captured someone even though she thought there was no one else near her.
Honestly this might be the first time she took a decent picture of someone. She decided to keep it anyways, I mean it's not like it'll do her or the random girl any harm. She tucked it somewhere in her bag as she also put her camera back.
— —
"It's so early in the morning. I don't get why our class has to start at 7 in the morning." Dahyun groaned in her seat.
"Right." Chaeyoung agreed who also sat just besides her too. "Don't you think so too Tzuyu?" She pouted as she tapped onto the girl's shoulder in front of her.
Tzuyu nudged her shoulders trying to shake her off.
"You're so mean." Chaeyoung pouted which Tzuyu scoffed at.
"Oh stop being dramatic." Tzuyu playfully rolled her eyes.
Chaeyoung turned her head to the girl beside her who only sat there snickering. "Dahyun can you please punch her for me? Don't you do taekwondo or something?" she whined.
As Dahyun was about to say something their teacher came in with someone else trailing behind her.
"Good morning class." The teacher declared. "Today you'll be having a new classmate. She's a transfer student from Japan so please treat her well."
And with that, a girl came in shortly. She bowed as she introduced herself as "Minatozaki Sana."
Tzuyu widened her eyes in shock when she saw her. It's the girl from the picture! She was sure of it, it's the same girl with the hair and bag.
"You can sit in that empty seat over there." The teacher said to Sana as she pointed to the seat just beside Tzuyu's.
Sana walked towards her table and sat quietly. Tzuyu didn't bother greeting her since she isn't really the type of person to do that anyways.
Tzuyu glanced just a bit, realizing how pretty her eyes were.
I don't like taking pictures of people. But if I could I would want to—
Tzuyu immediately turned her head back when the girl suddenly turned her head towards her direction, pretending to stare out the window.
She didn't catch me right? Tzuyu cursed herself.
They didn't speak to each other and stayed like that until class ended.
After the teacher was gone, people immediately started circling the transfer student.
"What school did you come from?" One girl asked her.
"I bet you get told you're pretty often!" Another one chimed in.
"Isn't it amazing how you're sitting next to Tzuyu?" Someone says that made Sana raise her brows.
"Tzuyu?" Sana asks.
"Yeah that girl besides you." She said pointing to the girl sleeping beside her.
Someone then shook Tzuyu awake. "Wake up, how can you even sleep when Sana is sitting next to you."
Tzuyu fluttered her eyes. "What?" she yawned.
"Tzuyu's really good at taking pictures of the sky! You should show her Tzuyu."
"Fine." Tzuyu groaned, still sleepy.
She opened her bag and pulled out a few photographs she took, scattering them in the table which people took to take a closer look of.
Sana took and glanced at one. "Wow." She mumbles to herself.
Tzuyu looked at her. "You can take one if you want."
"Hey can I have one?" Someone asks.
"No, everyone else give them back." Tzuyu says sternly which earned a few whines and complaints from some people, but she just wouldn't budge.
Sana looked at her and smiled widely. "Thank you." She whispered softly.
The shared moment between them felt nice, Tzuyu thought to herself.
— —
Tzuyu is doomed.
She's currently staring at the poster pasted on their schools bulletin board. It's talking about a photography contest happening which isn't much of a problem for Tzuyu but one of the requirements made her nervous.
Written more on the details it's shown that there must also be a model included in at least one photograph.
"Geez can you stop pacing back and forth." Dahyun nudges Tzuyu's shoulder.
"Yeah. I mean I'm sure you'll find a model before the summer break ends." Chaeyoung tried to reassure her.
Tzuyu whined. "I can't do this. I suck at photographing people!"
"C'mon we know how much you want to win a photography contest, just try it out."
"I heard the prize money is big too. I agree with Dahyun, just do your best." Chaeyoung cheered her on.
Tzuyu finally felt just a tiny bit panicked. It's almost her last high school year so she really wants to win but the only problem is that the subject must contain a person which she found unnecessary and stupid. Why picture the same old species you see everyday instead of different kinds of landscapes that emit different kinds of beauty no person could ever acquire.
Tzuyu exhaled. "I guess I'll try it out." she mumbles. It's not like she has a choice anyways, now she just has to find someone perfect enough that could replicate the same beauty that the skies have.
— —
"Mom, what do you mean we have to go to Japan tomorrow!?" Tzuyu lashes out.
"We have to visit your dad's family. Tzuyu didn't you miss your cousins?" Her mom says, packing clothes at the suitcase
Tzuyu whined. "Can't I just stay here alone?"
"No, your father has been waiting for this trip for months now." Her mom said sternly with no intention of changing her mind.
With no other choice, Tzuyu headed to her room and started packing her things too.
"Stupid family. Stupid Japan. Stupid Trip." She mumbled to herself while aggressively throwing random pieces of clothing on her bag.
"At least one thing's good about the place" she thought to herself.
Back when she was still young, she used to always visit the country. Her dad's family lived in Japan and what made Tzuyu loved that place was that their house was located near the beach. It was always windy, and the sunsets there were especially breathtaking. So this trip probably won't be that bad after all.
She also packed her camera along to maybe get some pictures.
— —
It had already been late when they arrived at the place so unfortunately Tzuyu didn't get to see the sun setting.
She decided after packing her things in the guest room that she'll head to the beach anyways.
When she got there, all the memories she did before were coming back to her like it was just yesterday. The sound of the waves crashing back and forth and the cold wind hitting her all felt the same as it did years ago.
She took out her camera and looked up at the sky glimmering in dark blues, making the moon shine brighter as stars filled up the night sky.
She brought the camera close to her face and took a photo.
"Photography girl?" Someone near her mumbled which Tzuyu somehow heard, she lowered her camera and turned towards the voice.
Her eyes widened in shock when she saw who it was. Minatozaki.