Return of the Genius Photographer

“What’s the next schedule?” So-hyun asked her manager as she got into the car.

“We’re heading to the press conference for the movie you shot last time. There’s some time on the way, so just rest for now.”

“Okay.”

She answered and naturally leaned back against the car seat. The familiar feel of the seat was comforting.

“Haa.”

A sigh escaped her lips, born of exhaustion.

Lately, she had been so busy that she had no time to rest, except for moments like this when she could snatch some respite.

For someone who had only recently debuted as an actress through street casting, this situation was almost a blessing.

People might criticize her for being ungrateful if they heard, but the truth was she was getting worn out by her hectic schedule.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t even get to say goodbye.’

She thought of Woojin.

They had left for the next schedule immediately after the shoot, leaving no time for farewells.

‘I wanted to stay until the end…’

A deep sense of regret lingered. What kind of photos did he take this time?

Images of Woojin during the shoot replayed in her mind. The way he explained things as he pressed the shutter, his sharp eye for detail, and his respectful attitude towards others.

Despite his youthful appearance, his demeanor changed dramatically once he began shooting, more intense than any photographer she had ever known.

That was why Woojin’s photography had the power to make viewers unconsciously look forward to the results.

“The more I see, the more fascinating he is.”

So-hyun opened her eyes and murmured softly.

Even during their first shoot, she had thought he was no ordinary person.

It was a shoot she had gone to help Minjung, a close acquaintance.

She had assumed it would be a simple shoot, but following Woojin’s demands had been challenging.

Even as a veteran, she was taken aback by the meticulous requests.

But the outstanding results made her accept it without complaint.

And that was not all.

She had been genuinely surprised when Woojin decided to reshoot all the photos because he was not satisfied with them, especially when he intentionally excluded her face and focused solely on the clothes.

The photos taken that way were incredibly beautiful.

‘It’s been a while since someone treated me like that…’

A slight smile crossed her lips at the memory.

She had not expected to be treated that way, but it didn’t feel bad. It made her feel like she was being taken seriously as a model.

If it had been any other photographer, they would have probably just complimented her looks and ended the shoot.

She would have been treated as just another pretty-faced model.

For someone serious about her work, that would have been unpleasant.

That’s why she agreed when Woojin suggested cropping out her face in the reshoot.

As she became more famous, people found her harder to approach, so Woojin’s attitude was refreshing.

Despite his gentle appearance, working with him felt like working with a seasoned professional.

Woojin’s indifference to anything unrelated to photography piqued her interest.

“I hope we can shoot together again.”

This time, not as a model but as an actress.

She wondered what kind of photos Woojin would take if they worked together when she had fully transitioned into acting.

It was an exciting prospect for her.

“I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.”

After thinking about Woojin for a while, So-hyun spoke softly again.

Though it was regrettable that she couldn’t stay until the end of the shoot, she couldn’t dwell on it forever.

There was still much work to be done.

It was time to focus on the next schedule.

Despite all the bustling around, the sun was still out.

She thought to herself how long the day felt.

It was indeed an exhausting day.

* * * * *

“All stand! Salute the teacher!”

“Good morning, teacher!”

At the class president’s command, all the students bowed their heads in unison.

“Ah, yes. Did everyone have a good day yesterday? Let’s start the lesson.”

The teacher accepted the students’ greetings and immediately began the lesson.

Tap. Tap-tap.

The sound of chalk tapping against the blackboard echoed pleasantly through the classroom. Today was no different from yesterday.

Amid this peaceful routine, Woojin, who had the busiest day yesterday, was lost in pleasant thoughts.

‘What should I do with the 2.6 million won…?’

As promised by Suncheol, the payment for the shoot was deposited into his account the day after the shoot.

Combining his previous 600,000 won savings with the 2 million won he earned from the shoot, Woojin now had 2.6 million won.

It was a substantial amount. Enough to buy a decent camera in a pinch.

While a full-frame professional or high-end DSLR costing several million or more was out of reach, a decent entry-level camera was within his grasp.

Even within the range of entry-level DSLRs, which vary greatly in performance based on price, there were certainly some good models. And Woojin had the knowledge to discern which models were worth considering.

Which model was good at this time?

The Canon EOS 5D was too expensive, so maybe the 30D would be a good choice?

No, perhaps the Olympus E-510 would be better.

Brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Olympus flashed through his mind rapidly. Even for someone like him, it was hard to instantly recall the best camera among so many brands.

Just as his thoughts deepened.

“Hey, did things go well yesterday?”

Young-ho suddenly spoke to him.

“What?”

“You’ve been smiling since earlier. You went out for something yesterday, right? I was wondering if it went well.”

Young-ho asked, referring to yesterday’s events.

Woojin must have been smiling without realizing it.

Well, it was true he was in a good mood, thinking about buying a new camera.

“I told you I was sick yesterday.”

“Do you think I’ll believe that?”

He tried to brush it off with a vague excuse, but it didn’t seem to work on Yeong-ho.

Well, it was natural since they were seatmates.

“Yeah, something good happened.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a secret.”

But revealing too much was also not an option. He still didn’t want to let anyone know that he was working.

Young-ho clicked his tongue as if he had expected that answer.

“Forget it, it’s my fault for being curious. Sigh.”

Then he turned his head back to his book.

Wait, studying?

“What are you doing?”

“What do you think? I’m studying.”

Young-ho replied nonchalantly, mimicking Woojin’s tone from before.

“Studying?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to make a fresh start.”

No wonder he hadn’t been his usual bothersome self lately. It seemed he had decided to change.

Young-ho, who had always avoided books, was now studying.

“What? Is it strange?”

“No, it’s impressive.”

Woojin replied with a grin to Young-ho’s blunt question.

Seeing Young-ho buried in his book brought back memories of Woojin’s past life.

“Woojin, I’ve decided to take another year to study.”

In his previous life, Young-ho had resolved to study seriously towards the end of their third year in high school. One day, he suddenly declared his intention and locked himself at home to focus solely on his studies.

However, with less than half a year left, there wasn’t much he could achieve, and eventually, Young-ho had to take the college entrance exam three times before finally making it to university.

“If only I had started studying even one year earlier…”

Woojin remembered how Young-ho used to regret his past.

Even when Woojin was living abroad, Young-ho, a sentimental guy, would occasionally keep in touch.

Therefore, seeing Young-ho study now was not strange but rather a welcome sight for Woojin.

“Work hard, and don’t end up repeating a year.”

“What the heck, why such bad vibes all of a sudden?”

Woojin genuinely encouraged Young-ho.

While Young-ho asked what he meant, he didn’t bother explaining.

It was a story Young-ho wouldn’t believe anyway.

“No, I’m just kidding. Really, do your best.”

Knowing Young-ho’s future, this new, improved version of him was something to look forward to.

“Just wait and see. My goal is to be seventh in the entire school, just like you in the last exam.”

“That’s quite a tough goal.”

“Shut up. If you’re not going to help, don’t distract me.”

As Young-ho retorted, he suddenly rummaged through his bag and handed Woojin a small piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

It was about the size of a business card, but unlike a business card, it was colorful and had a “discount coupon” written in large letters.

“It’s a coupon for the electronics market.”

Young-ho explained as Woojin examined the paper.

“Electronics market? You mean Yongsan?”

“Yeah, some guys were handing them out at the school gate today. They said you get a 10,000 won discount with this.”

“But why are you giving it to me?”

“You said you wanted to become a photographer, right? Don’t you need to go to the electronics market to buy a camera?”

Apparently, Young-ho remembered their previous conversation. Woojin hadn’t expected him to be this thoughtful.

“Such a good kid. Thanks, I’ll use it well.”

“Just remember to pay me back when you’re successful.”

Woojin laughed at his response.

In Young-ho’s mind, Woojin probably couldn’t do much without a camera.

It made sense; after all, the idea of a photographer without a camera seemed absurd. And Young-ho wasn’t wrong.

Regardless of the coupon, Woojin was already planning to look around to buy a camera.

In Korea, the main places to buy cameras were Namdaemun Camera Market and Yongsan Electronics Market.

Although there were speciality stores like Hi-Mart and Electro Land, there was a high chance they wouldn’t have the desired product, and matching the price would be difficult.

The best option would be to buy it online.

However, buying it online would take too long for the camera to be delivered.

Wanting a camera as soon as possible, he had no choice but to look elsewhere.

Originally, he planned to go to Namdaemun Camera Market, but since he got this coupon…

“Alright, since I got this, why not go today?”

“Today? Do you have the money?”

“Yeah, I’ve saved up a bit. Want to come along?”

When he confidently replied, Young-ho looked at him with a puzzled expression.

This guy sure is skeptical…

“Fine, if you don’t want to. I thought it would be nice to hang out together for a change.”

“No, no, let’s go! It’s been ages since we’ve done this!”

Young-ho responded with an excited grin.

His enthusiastic reaction was a bit surprising.

Come to think of it, since returning to the past, there hadn’t been any time to hang out with him at all.

Of course, there was no time to relax and have fun…

But from Young-ho’s perspective, he might have felt neglected.

No wonder he was so excited.

Strictly speaking, they weren’t going for fun, but what constitutes fun can vary depending on one’s perspective.

Spending time together once in a while wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Then, after school, let’s change clothes and head out immediately.”

“What about evening study?”

“Do we have time for that? Just make up an excuse and let’s go.”

“Is that really okay?”

“What’s the problem? I’m going no matter what. Follow if you want.”

With that, their conversation ended, and Woojin immediately returned to thinking about cameras.

Since they were going to the market today, he needed to decide which camera to get.

Also, Yongsan wasn’t a place to go unprepared, or one could end up losing money without getting what they wanted.

A careful plan was essential.

-Tak. Tak tak.

The sound of chalk filled the quiet classroom as the lesson resumed.

Woojin spent the time lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Young-ho focused on his studies as if their conversation had never happened.

“Attention! Salute the teacher!”

“Thank you, teacher!”

After a few more classes, the school day finally ended.