cameras | hyunchan

prologue

the young black haired boy stared down at the brand new camera that couldn't exactly fit in his small hands. he was mesmerized. the object he held in his hands at that very moment has been his birthday wish ever since he saw the commercial on his parents television while they watched their adult shows.

"hyunjinnie-ya, what do you think?" the sweet voice of his mother broke him from his trance.

he looked up at her with his big eyes and gave her a huge and ecstatic smile, "i love it!" he shouted, jumping up and down. to him, this was indeed the best seventh birthday any kid could have, "can i go show my friends?" he asked, glancing over at the party table all his friends sat by, desperately waiting for some cake.

"leave it with your mother, hyunjin. you'll end up breaking it," said his father, glancing down at the boy before picking up his phone to check his emails.

hyunjin didn't like his father. he never paid any attention to him and was always on his phone or away for business trips. he knew it was his mother's idea to buy him the camera since his father hadn't bought a single thing the seven year old liked since he could remember.

"come on, it's his birthday party, hakun. let him show his friends," his mother told his father, trying to reason with him.

"all your hard work will go to waste if he breaks that camera, minji," he replied to her, "you worked really hard to pay for that."

"he won't break it, he's a careful boy. go ahead and show your friends, okay?" she told her son, leaning down to ruffle his hair as she gave him a gentle smile.

hyunjin shook in excitement and ran over to his friends, although he heard the annoyed groan his father let out. he slowed down and looked at the device once again. should he be so happy about the camera? it's all he wanted but he wanted his father's attention more. he sighed silently and continued his journey over to his friends.

he definitely showed it off, having the biggest grin on his face as he took pictures of and with his friends as the party continued. there was the boy who had been sitting on the ground though, away from the party table as if he was avoiding it all. hyunjin recognized him, he was one of his classmates who he rarely talked to.

"channie!" he shouted towards him and ran over, "would you like me to take your picture?" he asked shyly, not knowing how to talk to him casually like he does with his other friends.

"no..." was the only response hyunjin got, and chan had stood up to go elsewhere.

"what about a picture with me?" he asked again, desperate to get a picture with the curly haired boy.

"who do you think you are?" the little boy asked hyunjin, leaving him puzzled, "you walk around with pride and money, and wave that expensive thing around like it's a toy. i don't want a picture with you and i don't want my face in your little stupid camera!" chan had his index finger pointed at the other while he gave him the dirtiest glare possible, "we aren't friends, hwang hyunjin, and i never want to be your friend!" he then shoved the younger boy, accidentally knocking him down.

he was jealous, all hyunjin ever got was expensive things, only to forget about it weeks later. chan would get nothing as his family could never afford a single toy for the boy. it was unfair, he thought.

"bang chan! apologize right now!" yelled chan's mom, instantly forcing her son to bow at the other boy.

hyunjin's mom came over to help her son back up, "no, it's okay, miss. there was probably just a misunderstanding, right hyunjin-ya?" his mother asked, brushing off his pants.

meanwhile, hyunjin had held onto his camera securely so it wouldn't break, 'that was close,' he thought and looked up at his mother before nodding, "just a misunderstanding, everything is okay," he smiled over at chan's mom, trying to convince her to not put chan in timeout or anything like that.

"my son makes impulsive decisions sometimes, i am so sorry, i'll continue to work hard and teach him well," chan's mom spoke bowing at the two, "come on, chan, you need to learn more."

"miss-"

"let her go, her son is disrespectful and shameful," hyunjin's father interrupted, "who invited them anyway?"

hyunjin regretfully raised his hand, "i invited all my classmates."

"hyunjin," his father said sternly, "we don't welcome the poor to events made by the rich."

"hakun, don't say that!" hyunjin's mother slapped his arm, "that's enough, let's just get back to the party.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

"oh, shut up," chan had grumbled as he desperately reached for his phone to turn off his alarm.

he turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. chan hating the mornings, more than he hated school. which had reminded him, today was the first day for his college classes and he wasn't ready.

reluctantly, the curly haired boy rolled out of bed and picked out an outfit for the day; a black sweatshirt and black jeans. 'it's just college classes,' he thought to himself as he slipped the hoodie on, 'no need to look professional.'

he headed out of his room and into the kitchen. once he entered he put two pieces of bread in the toaster and pulled out his vegemite. he definitely did miss the breakfast his mom used to cook him, but due to him living alone now, he had to cook his own breakfast and he wasn't exactly up for it. once his toast was done, he quickly spread vegemite all over them and put one in his mouth just so he could grab an extra jacket and his school bag before heading out of his apartment.

hyunjin had been packing his bag for school, double checking to see if he had left his camera on his shelf, only to see it still wasn't there, "mooooom!" he called out before frantically running down the stairs with his bag over his shoulder, "have you seen my camera? i swear i left it on top of my book shelf."

"i'm not sure, hun, have you checked the rest of the house?" his mother asked, glancing over at him while she prepared breakfast.

"well no, but it was on my bookshelf, i swear!" he told her as he started searching all over the living room, "did you touch it at all?"

"jinnie-ya, i wouldn't lay a finger on your camera, you know that."

just before hyunjin spoke again, his dad walked out of his parent's shared bedroom, holding up what looked like a case for a camera, "here it is, hyunjin. i got you a case so you wouldn't break it like your last one."

hyunjin stared over at his father and walked up to take (more like snatch) the camera away from him, "thanks, dad, but next time you should ask me before you take my things."

"i'm your father, there's no need," he informed his son before taking a plate from his wife and sat down at the dining table.

"hakun, he did buy that camera with his own money since you refused to get him another one, i think it would've been the right thing to do to ask before taking it," hyunjin's mother lectured him before handing her son a plate as well.

"mom, thank you so much for the food, but i really need to go," he told his mom while he put the camera over his neck and grabbed onto his bag once again, "have you see my car keys?" he then asked, searching the entrance.

"they should be over there, hyunjin," his father said, not even looking over at his son.

hyunjin looked over and sighed, 'always too busy to even look at me.' he turned back around and found his car keys set on the shelf that had been hung up a while ago, "ah got them," he whispered as he silently celebrated. hyunjin then bid his goodbyes to his parents and quickly left the house.

//just a little intro of the main characters and their past, the first chapter will be published sometime soon. <3