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You weren’t the “go with the flow” type. You planned everything down to a T. Every detail, every possibility, every outcome, you thought of it all before it could even happen. You were neat, organized, and relied on structure the way other people relied on instinct.
You followed a checklist for everything.
So when you got accepted into a selective summer program for teens going into photography, you didn’t just celebrate, you started planning. Immediately.
The program chose a different destination across the globe each year, and this time, it was Rio de Janeiro. A place you had never been. A place you had only seen through screens and curated photos.
The only languages you knew were Japanese and English, so you began preparing for the language barrier too. You wrote down common phrases, practiced pronunciation, and even made a small list you could carry around with you.
Everything had to be perfect.
You researched the exact times for sunsets down to the minute. You mapped out locations across the city where the lighting would hit just right. You compared angles, elevation, and crowd density. You didn’t just plan, you perfected.
You created a detailed list and bought a planner specifically for the trip, filling it page by page with times, notes, and routes. By the time you were done, your summer already existed, written neatly in ink on a bright blue planner.
And finally… it was time to go.
You were quiet. Reserved. Not because you were always that way but because you had learned to be.
After being told your whole life that you were too loud, too much, too noticeable… you had slowly quieted yourself down. Piece by piece. Until silence felt normal.
You stuck to small crowds, kept your head down, and preferred being alone when you worked.
So when you arrived in Brazil, you were overwhelmed almost instantly.
The noise hit first. Music, laughter, voices overlapping in a language you were still trying to understand. Movement everywhere, people dancing, calling out, living so loudly it felt unreal.
“Obrigado,” (thank you in portuguese) You said softly, nodding at the taxi driver as you stepped out.
Even your own voice felt small in comparison.
Adjusting your bag, you made your way toward the campus.
‘Why does it have to be so loud?’ You thought, your grip tightening slightly on your planner.
Your dorm, at least, was manageable, it was small, quiet, and organized.
You exhaled, setting your things down and checking the time.
A few hours before your first meeting. Enough time.
Even if everything outside felt overwhelming, you couldn’t waste time. You needed test shots, and you needed to get familiar with the environment.
You had seen a beach online known for its perfect sunsets. If you checked it out now, you could return tomorrow, fully prepared, and capture it exactly how you wanted.
Changing into something lighter and beachier, you slung your camera around your neck and stepped outside again.
It was only a short walk, and you told yourself it would be fine.
The moment you arrived, you stopped.
The beach was alive.
Music echoed from every direction, blending into laughter and conversation. People moved freely, dancing, running, talking like the world wasn’t watching.
Food trucks lined the edges, the scent of something sweet and warm drifting through the air.
It was too much. Too loud, too crowded.
And yet… a small part of you felt something else, something unfamiliar.
Maybe Brazil wouldn’t be as overwhelming as you th—
SMACK.
Pain exploded across the side of your face.
You stumbled backward, losing your balance and falling into the sand. Your hand flew to your cheek, the sting immediate and sharp as tears pricked your eyes.
“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!”
A boy rushed toward you, voice frantic, and in English to your gratitude. You blinked up at him, your vision slightly blurry from your watery eyes.
He had bright orange hair, the color of a tangerine freshly picked from a tree, and warm honey brown eyes that looked so alluring you could stare into them all day.
He held out his hand for you to grab.
Just your luck.
You were annoyed. Embarrassed. Thrown completely off your plan.
“…It’s fine,” you muttered, taking his hand and pulling yourself up.
You brushed the sand off your clothes, trying to regain some sense of control.
“First day here?” he asked.
You nodded shortly, hoping to end the conversation. You used to love small talk with strangers, but now you wanted nothing more than to keep to yourself.
“I can show you around if you want! I haven’t been here long either, but I’d like to make it up to you!”
You hesitated.
You didn’t need help, you already knew everything from hours of precise research.
So you started—
“Thanks, but—”
“Great!”
You blinked.
He had mistakenly thought you were thanking him instead of turning him down.
He turned back toward the volleyball net where his friends were shouting his name.
“Actually, I gotta go, but I’m free tomorrow!” he said quickly. “Meet me here at 11!”
And then he was gone.
Just like that.
You stood there, staring after him.
Your perfect schedule for tomorrow was ruined.
You let out a slow breath, walking along the shoreline, the sound of waves filling the space where your thoughts usually were.
It would be rude not to go, and it was actually very sweet of him to offer that to a random stranger.
‘I guess I’m spending tomorrow with him now’ you thought.
Maybe you could get a good photo or two from it.
You stayed at the beach a little longer, wandering around, before heading back to your dorm to get ready for your first meeting.
At the meeting, everyone was given the same assignment.
At the end of each week, you had to submit three of your best photos. At the end of the summer, there would be a gallery walk where all the photos would be displayed.
A vote would take place, and 1st place would receive a partial tuition scholarship to one of the best photography colleges in Japan, and 2nd place would receive automatic entry, but you still had to pay.
You had to win.
You had put too much effort into even getting accepted into this program.
In the mornings, from 7:00 to 10:30, there would be a photography clinic that was teaching camera skills, editing, and storytelling through photos.
The rest of the day was yours to capture whatever you wanted.
You just had to choose the best three.
That night, you groaned and buried your face in your pillow.
You were already one day off schedule.
You’d have to cram two days’ worth of locations into one.
All because of a somewhat cute boy… whose name you didn’t even know.
Your dorm, at least, was manageable, it was small, quiet, and organized.
You exhaled, setting your things down and checking the time.
A few hours before your first meeting. Enough time.
Even if everything outside felt overwhelming, you couldn’t waste time. You needed test shots, and you needed to get familiar with the environment.
You had seen a beach online known for its perfect sunsets. If you checked it out now, you could return tomorrow, fully prepared, and capture it exactly how you wanted.
Changing into something lighter and beachier, you slung your camera around your neck and stepped outside again.
It was only a short walk, and you told yourself it would be fine.
The moment you arrived, you stopped.
The beach was alive.
Music echoed from every direction, blending into laughter and conversation. People moved freely, dancing, running, talking like the world wasn’t watching.
Food trucks lined the edges, the scent of something sweet and warm drifting through the air.
It was too much. Too loud, too crowded.
And yet…
A small part of you felt something else, something unfamiliar.
Maybe Brazil wouldn’t be as overwhelming as you th—
SMACK.
Pain exploded across the side of your face.
You stumbled backward, losing your balance and falling into the sand. Your hand flew to your cheek, the sting immediate and sharp as tears pricked your eyes.
“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!”
A boy rushed toward you, voice frantic, and in English to your surprise.
You blinked up at him.
He had bright orange hair, the color of a tangerine, and warm brown eyes. Panic was written all over his face.
He held out his hand for you to grab.
Just your luck.
You were annoyed. Embarrassed. Thrown completely off your plan.
“…It’s fine,” you muttered, taking his hand and pulling yourself up.
You brushed the sand off your clothes, trying to regain some sense of control.
“First day here?” he asked.
You nodded shortly, hoping to end the conversation. You used to love small talk with strangers, but now you wanted nothing more than to keep to yourself.
“I can show you around if you want! I haven’t been here long either, but I’d like to make it up to you!”
You hesitated.
You didn’t need help, you already knew everything from hours of precise research.
So you started—
“Thanks, but—”
“Great!”
You blinked.
He had mistakenly thought you were thanking him instead of turning him down.
He turned back toward the volleyball net where his friends were shouting his name.
“Actually, I gotta go, but I’m free tomorrow!” he said quickly. “Meet me here at 11!”
And then he was gone.
Just like that.
You stood there, staring after him.
Your perfect schedule for tomorrow was ruined.
You let out a slow breath, walking along the shoreline, the sound of waves filling the space where your thoughts usually were.
It would be rude not to go, and it was actually very sweet of him to offer that to a random stranger.
‘I guess I’m spending tomorrow with him now’ you thought.
Maybe you could get a good photo or two from it.
You stayed at the beach a little longer, wandering around, before heading back to your dorm to get ready for your first meeting.
At the meeting, everyone was given the same assignment.
At the end of each week, you had to submit three of your best photos. At the end of the summer, there would be a gallery walk where all the photos would be displayed.
A vote would take place, and 1st place would receive a partial tuition scholarship to one of the best photography colleges in Japan, and 2nd place would receive automatic entry, but you still had to pay.
You had to win.
You had put too much effort into even getting accepted into this program.
In the mornings, from 7:00 to 10:30, there would be a photography clinic that was teaching camera skills, editing, and storytelling through photos.
The rest of the day was yours to capture whatever you wanted.
You just had to choose the best three.
That night, you groaned and buried your face in your pillow.
You were already one day off schedule.
You’d have to cram two days’ worth of locations into one.
All because of a somewhat cute boy… whose name you didn’t even know.
You realized it halfway through the summer.
Sitting on the beach, eating ice cream.
“Hinata,” you said, glancing at him, “if you were an animal, what would you be?” (rizz??)
He looked at you, and burst out laughing.
“You have ice cream on your face!”
Your hand flew up.
“Do I?”
Before you could wipe it off, he leaned in and brushed it away with his thumb.
You froze.
Your heart skipped, and your face burned.
You were falling for him.
And he didn’t seem to notice anything.
He just pulled his hand back and continued eating his ice cream like nothing had happened.
That night, you lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
You already knew the answer.
But saying it, even to yourself, felt terrifying.
If you liked him… what were you supposed to do?
Hinata was naturally outgoing, kind, and warm. He probably acted like this with everyone.
What if you were misreading it, what if you ruined everything?
You groaned and shoved your face into your pillow.
For now… you’d stay quiet.
Then you noticed something.
You used to write down every exact time for a sunset. Every exact position. You planned out your days down to the minute.
But now...
You had stopped checking. You had stopped worrying about being exactly on time, exactly on schedule. Now, you talked more. You laughed more, you even made small talk with strangers sometimes. You weren’t as restricted anymore. And you knew exactly why.
Hinata.
The photo gallery came faster than you expected.
You had almost forgotten what photos you had even submitted.
You had mentioned the competition to Hinata earlier.
“I want to go!” he said immediately. “I’ll see your photos, you’re a really great photographer! And I can vote for you!”
You hesitated, but eventually gave in.
Now, standing outside the venue, you felt nervous and you didn’t even know why.
You stepped inside, scanning the crowd.
And then you saw it.
Bright orange hair.
He spotted you at the same time and immediately started waving, a huge smile spreading across his face.
“Wow… you look…” he started, eyes soft.
“…pretty.”
You looked away and turned red instantly, mumbling a thanks, but then you spotted your gallery in the corner.
“Oh, theres mine!”
You grabbed his hand without thinking, pulling him toward your photos.
At the beginning, they were good. Clean. Technically perfect.
But something was missing.
They felt… empty.
And then…
He appeared.
In reflections, in the background. In motion, in light.
By the end, he wasn’t just in your photos, he was the reason they felt alive.
You glanced at him nervously.
“Wow,” he said softly.
You walked around together afterward, looking at the other photos.
But what you didn’t notice?
His attention wasn’t really on them.
It was on you.
The way your eyes lit up when you talked about different techniques. The way you smiled when you pointed something out.
Even in your photos, when he was facing the camera, his gaze was never really at it—it was always on the person holding it.
When the final results were announced, you placed second.
And somehow… you weren’t disappointed.
Not really.
Because when you looked at him, his face lit up like you had won first.
That evening, you sat together on the beach.
The sky melted into gold and orange.
Another sunset you hadn’t planned.
“Y/n,” he blurted, words tumbling over each other, “I really, really like you and if you don’t feel the same, that’s okay, but summer’s almost over and I didn’t want to regret not saying anything before you le—”
You didn’t let him finish.
You wrapped your arms around him, exhaling.
This whole time you were fretting, and for what?
“I like you too.”
You both stayed like that, in an embrace, as the sun slowly set behind you both.