nightfall || minsung

Chapter 20

Minho stared up at the towers of photo albums, blinking. I had to admit it was something to see, though it had become more of a nuisance to me. We'd had to haul Hyunjin's endless memories around with us every time we migrated somewhere new. His collection kept growing every year — we'd need a separate house for them by 2020.

"So... they all have pictures in them?" Minho said.

"Every one. Eight photos per page, eighty pages per book, three-hundred and two books."

"What if they just — toppled over right now?"

"Lord help us."

"Can I see one?"

I pulled a book from a tall stack — it wobbled and Minho and I both steadied it. I opened the book and flipped the pages slowly so he could take it all in.

"Hyunjin isn't in any of these," he said.

"He takes the pictures. He's kind of our live-in photographer."

There was a quick rush of air, and then Hyunjin was in front of us, camera to his eye. The flash went off.

"Hyunjin!" I groaned.

"What! You looked cute."

"I'm sorry," I said to Minho.

He smiled and shrugged. "Are the marmots okay?"

"Don't worry, we dropped them off on the edge of Hoh Rainforest. Marmot heaven! You two having fun in here?" Hyunjin glanced at the book. "Ooh, eighty-eight, that was a great year."

"This is all yours?"

"Sure is."

"How long have you been taking pictures?"

Hyunjin stroked his chin while he thought. "Sixty years or so."

"Can I see one from then? The oldest one?"

He sighed. "It's underneath the rest."

"Oh. Then what about the newest?"

Hyunjin walked over to a waist-high stack and picked up the book on top. He stood next to Minho, opened it and flipped to the middle.

"I took that yesterday." He poked a picture of Changbin, face in his hands, sitting at the kitchen table with scattered papers all around him. "He was being cute."

"I was not being cute," Changbin growled. Minho flinched — he hadn't heard anyone sneak up behind him. They were all in the room now, peeking over our shoulders. "I had a lot of big emotions yesterday."

"I'm sorry I left you all alone," Chan said. He turned to Minho and explained. "With Jisung and me gone, he didn't have anyone to talk to."

"I was with you all day," Felix said to Changbin.

"You don't appreciate my art."

"Moving on," Hyunjin sighed. "Here's one from our last sunny day, and here's a hunting trip we took to Goat Rocks."

"Goat Rocks," Minho muttered, looking annoyed. He pointed at another photo. "What's with this one?"

It was Seungmin, winking at the camera, his favourite umbrella slung over his shoulder. I was in the background, weary as Felix smushed one last handful of snow over my head.

"That was a snowball fight we had, like, two or three months ago," Hyunjin said.

"It was the day I spoke to you for the first time," I said. "In Bio, remember?"

"So that's why you were all wet." Minho laughed, but abruptly stopped as he noticed the next photo. "Is that me?"

The photo was of Minho in his truck, eyes wide and mouth open as he stared at me. It was later on the same day, when I'd leaned against my car, waiting like an idiot for Minho to pass by. Hyunjin had been inside the car, snapping pictures.