Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: If Favors Continue
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There's one ability I've gained since becoming a woman.
"Um, excuse me..."
It's the power to sense people approaching me in advance.
'Wow, it never fails.'
So far, the accuracy rate is about 99 percent.
Whenever I had a hunch, they all turned out to be asking for my number or social media.
Maybe that's why they say a woman's intuition is spot on.
Anyway, hitting on someone all the way out here?
I carry a camera around, so maybe he thinks we could bond over shared hobbies and that's why he's approaching so boldly.
'I've seen plenty of guys putting in effort to chat up girls with similar hobbies.'
One friend whose hobby was bass guitar.
I remember him from band club, totally smitten with a girl who played bass like him and chasing her around.
To me, she didn't seem all that attractive, but he was head over heels.
He ended up confessing and got shot down flat.
Men (including me back then) supposedly find someone of the opposite sex more attractive if they share hobbies.
Especially if it's a hobby with few women involved.
So, the guy standing in front of me now is probably the same type.
'Shared hobbies might make it easier to ask for help, but this is still gonna be tough.'
So, like always, I opened my mouth to reject him confidently.
"Um, could you maybe take a photo with that camera and my phone...?"
"No, I'm not into dating... wait, what?"
I blanked out for a second and just stared at him.
"Pardon?"
And he blinked back at me, having clearly heard what I said.
'......Oh.'
My mind went completely blank in an instant.
At the same time, my face and ears burned hot.
I was so flustered I couldn't think straight, just standing there like an idiot.
What do you do in a situation like this?
No clue.
Then I suddenly remembered the breathing exercise I do after yoga to center my body and mind.
I couldn't lie on the ground like usual, but it should still work.
I took a deep breath in and out.
Then counted and breathed deeply again.
Finally calming my pounding heart.
I forced a smile and kept my expression composed.
Once I snapped out of it, my first thought was...
'I just wanna run away.'
Have I ever been this embarrassed in my life?
Well, maybe, but nothing quite like this.
"Uh... sorry about that. So..."
I was standing there awkwardly, mumbling, and he looked uncomfortable too.
I could just let him go like this, but no.
If I did, I'd think of this every time I saw the camera.
I don't need to be kicking off the covers in regret every time I look at it.
"I'll take your photo."
"Oh... uh, thank you!"
It's not a big deal.
And it'll ease the embarrassment a bit.
Never photographed a person before, but it'll work out somehow.
'Think of it as... good experience.'
Honestly.
It doesn't feel like great experience.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ This is the first time taking a photo of someone with this camera.
I can't just snap pics of passersby, and I don't have a model.
'I know plenty of models, but asking out of the blue feels weird.'
Sharing hobbies is great, but I'm still a beginner.
If the shots come out bad, I'd feel bad for the models.
Plus, calling a model just for one photo is super rude.
'It's like calling up a pro singer friend to belt out a tune at karaoke because you wanna sing well.'
Hmm.
Yeah, definitely rude.
Anyway, seeing this woman looking at me with sparkling eyes—I'm just an entry-level hobbyist—feels pretty nice.
"Wow, are you a pro photographer?"
The woman, who seemed to be the girlfriend of the guy who asked me.
Her energy was sky-high, which threw me off a bit.
"Oh... no, just a hobby..."
"Hobby photography...? That's so cool!"
"Thank you..."
I'd brought out the camera I'd gotten today.
The expectations were crushing me.
'What if it turns out bad?'
I've taken plenty of photos, but this camera is new to me.
I was still fiddling with the functions to learn them.
'This is all the bag's fault.'
It's huge for no reason, even though there's nothing much inside.
I should've bought a smaller one if I'd known.
Actually, it's not all the bag's fault.
First, the camera around my neck.
The body is compact, lens is reasonably sized, but to a layperson, it looks pretty pro.
'It's not something casual folks buy anyway...'
The gear on me alone is worth about 8 million won.
Plus the tripod in my right hand.
Putting it all together, yeah, easy to misunderstand.
'If I said I bought this camera today as a total newbie, who would believe me?'
I let out a long internal sigh.
"Here... this is my phone. Could you get the lake and that rock next to it in the shot just a bit?"
Confirming requests.
The composition isn't tricky.
'No choice.'
I said I'd do it, so best effort.
I nodded and asked them to pose.
Two people in the phone camera view.
Neither looked over 30, fresh-faced college couple vibe.
'Nice time in life.'
Their first pose: light hands on each other's waists, peace signs.
"On three. One, two, three!"
Snap one, snap two.
'Sis, even the same pose needs multiple shots. Consider the wind, sunlight shifts even briefly, and expressions change moment to moment...'
Remembering Eun-a's lecture that nearly made my ears bleed, I took several.
The results each had different charms.
One had perfect wind blowing the woman's hair dynamically; another caught the guy's expression perfectly.
'Oh.'
I'd felt it taking my own photos, but portraits really come alive with the person's face and expression.
My SNS pics would pop more with my face, but...
'Nah, not happening.'
I wanna stay the faceless beauty online.
Anyway, handed the phone back with the shots.
He glanced and his eyes widened, immediately showing his girlfriend.
"Babe, check this out. Your smile looks amazing, right?"
"Whoa, way better than the usual ones!"
Exchanging proud chatter.
They say skills last a lifetime once learned.
Skills are the future.
'Maybe treat Eun-a to meat again.'
"Um... the camera at least..."
"Oh... sure."
They seemed really pleased with the shots.
It was like they were wondering just how good it'd be with the actual camera, since the phone shots were this nice.
Asked and answered—that's manners.
Grabbed the camera from my neck, eye to viewfinder.
Adjusting settings bit by bit, different from phone view.
Of course.
I don't know much.
Don't expect too much from a first-timer on people.
'But trusting what Eun-a taught and my eye should be fine.'
I can tell good shots from SNS practice.
So, I trusted my judgment.
Tweaked shutter speed, focused focal length.
Waited for pretty light, snapped.
This way, that way.
Didn't miss the chance to shoot freely, varied as possible.
Then, judgment time.
"H-how are they...?"
The two silently viewed what I showed.
Glancing nervously.
They were super focused.
"Um..."
"These came out amazing. Especially this one, and the earlier phone ones... oh, yeah, these. Can we post them on our SNS later?"
"Babe, this one and that one have totally different vibes, right? Total life shots!"
The guy dying to have the photos.
The girl loving her shots.
Watching their excitement melted my tension away.
"I'll send them over. One sec..."
Modern cameras connect straight to phones.
Transferred to mine easily, sent right away.
"Ah, got the pics. Thank you so much!"
He nodded happily, checking his phone.
The woman beside bowed her head too.
"Thank you! It's nothing much, but... hotteok and sikhye I just bought at the market? Take it. Super tasty."
"Oh... it's fine..."
"Come on! Just take it as thanks!"
She stuffed warm hotteok and cool sikhye into my arms insistently.
"...Thanks, I'll enjoy it."
"Thanks again for today!"
They hurried off.
Watching the whirlwind duo come and go, I chuckled softly.
'Hotteok's still warm...'
A bit chilly breeze.
Camera 'round neck, carefully bit into hotteok.
Honey warmth and nutty seeds crunched instantly.
Yum, munching away—then someone else approached cautiously.
"Excuse me... could you take just one photo for us too...?"
Family of five.
Three kids in this day and age.
'Patriotic family.'
Swallowed the hotteok with that thought.
Why not?
Confidence in photos now, and it's kinda fun—happy to oblige.
"Not there, over here. This spot's better."
Led them where I'd shot the couple.
Didn't know everywhere, but here, I knew pretty shots.
'What if I end up opening a studio?'
Snickered to myself, gripped camera.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ugh, why's a backwater spot like this so crowded?"
"Dad, let's go home!"
"You kids wanted to come out. I took time off, and now you wanna go back..."
One family, time off taken for a far trip, but zero good memories yet.
Too many people.
Hype eateries all underwhelmed.
Plus, market crowds left them irritated and lost.
Wife grumbled nonstop.
Husband edgy from piled frustrations.
The two kids whined about going home, oblivious or not to parents' moods.
Escaping market to empty lakeside for a breather.
"Okay, say cheese~ One, two, three!"
"Huh? Looks like someone's doing a photo shoot."
Lakeside corner had a photo event vibe.
Families, couples, friends circling a photographer, taking turns.
Wife saw it: might as well make memories since we're here.
"Should we get our photo too?"
"Photo? What photo? Look at the crowd."
"Still, let's ask. Gotta salvage something from this trip."
"......Sigh. Fine."
"Cold, wanna go home."
"Dad, I'm tired, carry me."
"Dad's tired too."
Tense family arrived at photographer amid powder keg vibes.
Others smiling for shots or bragging results.
"See? Not bad, right?"
"Maybe I should buy a camera."
"How much is that?"
"Roughly... a million won?"
Family squeezed into crowd, asked turn: one group ahead.
Manageable.
Waiting patiently, then...
"What if back a bit, facing away? I do it often—sunset like now looks prettier that way."
"Perfect! Like this?"
Photographer taking too long on prior group tested patience limits.
Family stomped up.
Wife snapped at puzzled photog.
"Aren't you taking too long per group? People waiting behind..."
"...Pardon?"
Photog tilts head at wife's words.
Husband chimed in similarly.
"This group's been at it 20 minutes. We're freezing waiting."
"Dad, home quick."
"Nose running from cold."
"See? Kids snotty. Wipe it, honk."
Plea worked; photog shrugged, snapped a few more.
Sent pics, then slung camera and shouldered bag.
"Hey, where you going?"
"Huh? Grabbing food."
Casual reply stunned wife and husband.
"Wait, why not us? Aren't you the photographer?"
Wife, bewildered, found words.
Irked question got even wilder reply.
"I'm not the photographer here."
With that, photog strolled out of park.
Then backlash.
"Jeez, what a weirdo..."
"Just wait a bit."
"Hey, they'll hear."
Flustered pair slunk away eyeing stares.
"Was thinking poses too."
"We'll take yours. Okay?"
"Really? Yes please!"
Whatever, they left or not.
Rest snapped mutual pics, had fun.
"Dad. Why no pic for us?"
Parents fielded kids' questions.
Bittersweet exit from lake.