Mute!Inumaki x PhotographyStudent!reader story is in the works, so stay tuned!!

It'll be chaptered, so lmk if you wanna be on the taglist!!

An opportunity finally arises when your professor opens up his summer gallery to underclassmen for the first time. The theme is "Beauty in Stillness", but your photos don't reflect that. You're also failing math, and are forced into group study sessions with a quiet boy named Inumaki. Despite your hesitance, the 2 hours of peace is bliss. You find yourself torn between the soft moments with Inumaki, and the fast paced life you're used to leading.

Will you slow down to capture the moment, or will you blink?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

More coming soon...

Chapter 1

An opportunity finally arises when your professor opens up his summer gallery to underclassmen for the first time. The theme is "Beauty in Stillness", but your photos don't reflect that. You're also failing math, and are forced into group study sessions with a quiet boy named Inumaki. Despite your hesitance, the 2 hours of peace is bliss. You find yourself torn between the soft moments with Inumaki, and the fast paced life you're used to leading.

Will you slow down to capture the moment, or will you blink?

Warnings: none

MIFYB Masterlist

Your hands shake as you reload the cameras with film. How long have you been at this? You glance at the clock on the wall in front of you. 3:00. It's only been thirty minutes, and yet it feels like you've been here for hours. Distantly, you can heard the sound of camera parts being toyed with.

Click…

Click…

Click—

"SHIT"

Your head snaps up from the camera you're working on, eyes squinting to find the source of the noise. You throw your glasses back on, the figure across the long art hallway becoming clear. It was a third year you'd seen in the halls before. They were an accounting major, though, so how they'd gotten film camera clearance is beyond you. Still, you had an obligation to help them. You clear your throat.

"Hey, you okay over there?" you watch as they realize you're speaking to them, their face reddening as they move towards you.

"Yeah," they scratch their neck, "I was just messing around. Kirara usually does this stuff for me."

That explains the access to such expensive equipment. You grab the camera from them, staring at the film that seems haphazardly shoved into its place. You glance up at the guy in disapproval before working to detangle the material. A few minutes pass between the two of you as you work to fix his mistake. After about ten minutes, you finally fix the camera. The guy notices that you've finished, and perks up.

"Woah, it looks good as new!" He stares in awe at your handiwork. "How come I never see you taking pictures with Kirara's classmates?"

You begin to frown, "I'm only a second year. I'm not allowed to take photos with serious equipment yet."

He looked incredulous. "Then what the fuck do you do?"

"Take notes," you gesture to the box of cameras beside you, "and fix cameras."

He opened his mouth to say more—

"Kari, what are you doing with my camera?" Kirara ran up to him, hand out expectantly. She snatched it out of his hands, giving him a stink eye before looking at you.

Kirara sighed, "Hey Y/N, he didn't totally ruin the camera did he? I have a small gallery collection to finish tonight."

You quickly to explain that it was really no trouble, but Kirara and Hakari thank you profusely anyway. The pair bid you farewell, leaving you alone once more. You glanced down at the empty cameras, expression tight as you curse your underclassmen status. You knew that next year you'd finally get the chance to showcase your work for more than just your small IG following and Maki. You just wished things would move faster.

You longed for photos of the nightlife in Tokyo, and to study abroad in the United States for pictures of New York. You wished to take pictures of the carnival in Brazil, and the laterns from Chinese New Year. The upperclassmen got all the good opportunities, and their work often went into galleries all over Japan. You knew that it was due to experience, but how would you be able to put the techniques from your textbook into action without practice? Cursing the higher ups, you packed up the remaining cameras and made your way to your Probability & Statistics class.

You scrolled your camera roll as Professor Fushiguro spoke about last week's test. You scanned through the photos you took with Maki in the student center. Your subject wasn't her, but rather a statue behind her. You frowned as you noticed that the brightness of the image was a bit off. You moved to the settings in an attempt at fixing the issue, only for your view to be obstructed by a piece of paper. You looked up in confusion, only to be met with the sight of Professor Fushiguro handing you your test.

Face down and folded.

You glanced around, gingerly grabbing the paper and placing it face down on your desk.

'Get a grip Y/N,' you thought, 'it can't possibly be that bad.'

You were right. It was worse.

There was a big "8%" on your paper in bright red, with a note saying "See me after class!" You grimaced at the marks made all over your paper, wincing at the question marks on every single one of your short responses. On one question, Fushiguro had just written "Son…" beside what you wrote, as if in disbelief at your answer. You slunk further into your chair, wanting to melt into the floor as Toji went over some the most common mistakes on the test. When class ended, you took your time packing up, finally making your way to Toji's desk once everyone had dispersed. You listened with your head down as Toji spoke, his disappointment clear.

"Your grade has been on the decline for awhile, Y/N, but this is a new low. I mean, did you even do the reading I assigned?" He sighed when you shook your head. "Figured. 5 of the questions were taken directly from last week's reading."

You didn't know what to say. You hadn't even realized your grade was slipping so much. Sure, you weren't anywhere near the top of your class, but you had a slightly above average GPA. You knew that photography had been taking up a huge chunk of your life, most of your spare time dedicated to practicing with your phone or disposable camera. Toji noticed your gears turning with an air of regret that was common among his students.

"Look, it's only one test. I'm sure you can turn it around by doing better on the next test and final exam." He opened a drawer and dug around, before pulling out a small stack of papers.

He handed a flyer to you. "Since it's 'unethical' to suggest gambling as a way to learn about probabilities, I wanted to remind you of the group study sessions that are held in the library on Wednesdays. They're not that long from what I heard, and it could be a good way for you to get some help before the next test."

You looked at the flyer, before nodding at the man. You weren't sure if it'd be much help, but it was worth a shot. Once you left the classroom, you took a picture of the QR code on the paper, filling out the questionnaire and giving your number. You secretly hoped that nobody would reach out to you. Unfortunately, you got a notification within the hour. You tapped it, and were met with a text from an unknown number.

Once you got over the shortness of his reply, you agreed to meet up with him on the upcoming Wednesday. You didn't know what to say besides that, so you made the trek back to your dorm and hoped you wouldn't regret your decision.

AN: Excited for this idea. Hope you guys like it!!

Chapter 3

An opportunity finally arises when your professor opens up his summer gallery to underclassmen for the first time. The theme is "Beauty in Stillness", but your photos don't reflect that. You're also failing math, and are forced into group study sessions with a quiet boy named Inumaki. Despite your hesitance, the 2 hours of peace is bliss. You find yourself torn between the soft moments with Inumaki, and the fast paced life you're used to leading.

Will you slow down to capture the moment, or will you blink?

Warnings: none

MIFYB Masterlist

You opened the door to the library, glancing around as you took everything in. You'd only been in the library a couple of times in your first year, and never to actually read anything. The place was bigger than you remembered; it was two floors and had a small cafe inside. You considered grabbing a coffee, but decided against it in favor of finding your study group. As you walked through the high-arching isles of books, you looked through to see if you'd received a text from Inumaki.

'Does everyone have to be so rude today?' you scoffed at the read receipt. You didn't want to make time for anymore nonsense today. You choose to focus on something other than photography, and look where it gets you! You glanced around at the tables, eyes finally landing on one in a corner.

There was a boy with black hair, scrolling away on his phone. He had a panda mask on, though you could see the way his eyes crinkled in delight. There was a whiteboard beside him, left totally untouched. You wouldn't have given him another thought, but you paused at the sign on his table.

"Math Tutoring"

Your eyebrows raised at the realization that this was probably Inumaki. Though, something about him made you doubtful. Still, he was a member of this tutoring group so you felt the need to introduce yourself. You walked up to him, and cleared your throat to speak.

"Hi, is this tutoring for Prob and Stat?" You whispered. The boy turned to you, his eyes seeming to sharpen. His eyes shut in what you assumed to be happiness, before speaking.

"Nah, it's the english table." his tone was sarcastic, but you didn't want to brush it off.

"Oh really?" You feigned interest as you spoke, "What are you working on? ABCs?"

You could see the guy's brow twitch, but he wasn't undeterred.

"No, we're learning symbolism." Even with the mask you could tell he was smirking.

"Specifically how mismatched outfits symbolize overall disarray."

You fought the urge to look down at your clothes before speaking again. "Really? Well, let me know when you study how panda masks represent losers."

"Pft, you're just jealous I have ta—" "—oh hey, Inumaki!" Panda guy waved at someone in the distance. You turned around, scoffing at who you saw.

His spiky hair and violet eyes made everything clear:

Inumaki was the asshole from the sidewalk.

You definitely should've just snuck into a casino, age be damned. The pair that sat across from you was as chaotic as they come. "Panda" seemed content with asking questions about the packets Inumaki gave out every five seconds. You'd try your hardest to interpret the graph on the paper, only to lose all train of thought due to Panda's rambling. Some of it didn't even apply to the class at all.

"Hey bro, are we still getting soba tonight?"

"Hey bro, did you see that boy with Yuji? I heard they're just friends, but I don't know…"

"Hey bro, do you know what it means if each of your butt cheeks are two different colors?"

You almost screamed when you heard that last question. This session felt like total insanity, and it was honestly getting you nowhere. To make things even weirder, Inumaki hadn't spoken a single word the whole time. You'd been trying to just keep your head down, but the butt question made you sneak a peek at the two boys. You looked at Inumaki, assuming that he'd say respond to Panda's ridiculous question. You tried to tear your eyes away from his, and the way they crinkled with confusion. His white brows were furrowed, and had you been able to see his mouth, you were almost certain it'd be in a frown. You watched while he adjusted his scarf, but instead of speaking, he moved his hands.

'Sign language?' you stared at the way his fingers moved through signs.

His confusion was evident through the way he seemed to form his sentences, some signs were faster, others slow and hesitant. It was as if he was stuttering, awkward as his ears turned pink at whatever Panda was signing back. Panda opened his mouth, but was quickly cut off by Inumaki's hand. Inumaki glared at Panda, violet eyes meeting yours before darting away. Inumaki hastily signed something else, before returning to his work. Panda just smiled before doing the same. You stared at Inumaki for a beat longer, and then looked down at your paper. You tried to write answers onto your packet, but grew distracted by the thought of expressive hands and flustered faces.

Thursday

You chugged your coffee, trying not to cough as some went down the wrong pipe. You continued typing your essay with tears in your eyes. You could feel Maki judging you from her spot on your bed, but you didn't care. You essay was due later that afternoon, and you refused to spend your evening on anything other than photography. There was a quiet spot on the east side of the school, and you were determined to find a worthy subject. You checked the time on your phone as you let Maki give your work a once over. After getting Maki's nod of approval, you submitted the essay and headed for the door.

After about 5 minutes of aimlessly walking around the east wing, you managed to find your target: The Garden Nook. the Garden Nook was full of various flowers and small succulents, courtesy of the botany and horticulture students. You looked on at the students leaving behind their lavender and celosia. Once you were sure everyone had left, you entered the huge greenhouse. Awe was the only thing you felt as you walked around the plants. The azaleas were vibrant, and geraniums seemed to smile sweetly as you trotted by them. All the flowers were beautiful in their own right, yet there was something missing as you took photos of them.

You kept your grumbling to a minimum as you moved further through the glass room. You looked on at a white bunch of flowers across the room. Curious, you moved closer to get a better look. You paused upon seeing a hooded figure with rolled sleeves approaching them as well. You watched as they held pot of peace lilies up, letting the sunlight catch their tips. The petals looked stunning in the light, and flowers calming association seemed perfect for a photo. You raised your camera, zooming in on the flowers. You continued to gaze at the stranger who whispered something to the pot, lips curving up into a smile as they told the glossy petals a secret. You zoomed out slightly, getting the stranger's hidden side profile as well. Your breath caught as they pressed a kiss to the pot. Even though you didn't receive the kiss, you still felt its gentleness. You were on the outside of the moment looking in, yet the intimacy wasn't lost. It was exactly what you needed for your portfolio. With shaking hands, you took the picture.

CLICK

Eyes widening at the shutter sound, you quickly dropped down. You hid under a table filled with dahlias, holding your breath as you watched the figure look around. After a minute of silence, the figure set down the peace lilies, leaving out the back entrance of the greenhouse. You waited a while longer before stepping out. As you made your way back to your dorm, you looked at the photo you took of the stranger. Though flowers shone brightly in the image, the person's smile was the highlight. Never before had you seen someone be so at peace up close. How could someone be so joyful with something so simple? The notion of taking the extra time for something so small was foreign to you. It captivated you all the same.

Smiling widely at your pretty photo, you had a newfound pep in your step as you made your way back to your dorm.

Perhaps the prompt wasn't so hard after all.

Chapter 2

An opportunity finally arises when your professor opens up his summer gallery to underclassmen for the first time. The theme is "Beauty in Stillness", but your photos don't reflect that. You're also failing math, and are forced into group study sessions with a quiet boy named Inumaki. Despite your hesitance, the 2 hours of peace is bliss. You find yourself torn between the soft moments with Inumaki, and the fast paced life you're used to leading.

Will you slow down to capture the moment, or will you blink?

Warnings: none

MIFYB Masterlist

You slumped into your seat and opened up your notebook. You sighed as you glared at your stationary, cursing your pens for being so expensive. Yes, they were your favorite shades, but how many coffees could you have gotten instead? Speaking of coffee, your head followed a student as they walked by with a steaming cup of the brew.

'Hazelnut?' You sniffed the air and shook your head. 'No, vanilla with that weird caramel creamer.'

"Stop being creepy and grab your sugar bomb." Maki held out a cup for you to take.

You didn't need to sniff it to know it was your favorite blend with just the right cream:sugar ratio. You barely registered Maki's scoff as you practically snatched the cup from her hand. As you sip, she spoke again.

"Really," Maki shook her head in faux-disapproval, "not even a thank you?"

"I'll be sure to thank Yuta for his purchase the next time I see him." You laughed as the girl shoved you, your hand reaching out to keep your coffee from sloshing too much. Maki opened her mouth to speak again, only to be interrupted by professor Gojo.

"But Megumi, I don't want to sell my Digimon alarm clock!" Gojo whined into his phone, tears shining in his scarily blue eyes. He sniffled, "What kind of son are y—" he gasped "—what do you mean you're not my son?"

You and Maki watched as he spoke into the phone, his sobs about how mean his "son" is getting louder. Gojo checked the time on his watch, eyes widening. He scoffed at the phone and ended the call, muttering about "respecting your elders" as he turned to the class.

"Any who," Gojo adjusted his glasses, "I will now tell you my big announcement!"

Gojo clapped his hands twice, face becoming bathed in blue light as his overhead projector came on. Instantly, your eyes skimmed a flyer that you were quite familiar with: Gojo's Summer Gallery. The GSG was an event that Gojo had every year to raise money for various causes throughout Tokyo. Not only was it an exclusive gallery for only the most sophisticated families in society, it was also a coveted opportunity for Gojo's students. Unlike Professor Utahime's exhibit in Kyoto, an art student's work being feature was not a rite-of-passage, but rather, a privilege. Gojo carefully hand selected every piece in his gallery, and only ever chose third-students to be featured. Upon first glance, you noticed the grand opening was in a month.

You nudged Maki and whispered, "Isn't the opening date a bit earlier than usual? It's set almost immediately after the last day of school."

Maki smirked, "Really? That's what you notice?"

You followed her eyes to the small text at the bottom of the flyer.

"NOW OPEN TO SECOND YEARS"

You gasped, drawing the eyes of others, including your professor. Maki snickered as you slumped further in your chair.

Gojo smiled brightly, "I know right? Pretty nice of me to open up my gallery to you guys, huh?"

You ignored him in favor of looking at the theme.

"Beauty in Stillness"

The title didn't throw you off so much as the image underneath it. It was of a girl who looked to be no more than a couple years older than you and Maki. She was in a hospital bed with the blinds open, but her eyes were closed. If she hadn't been a patient, she would've seemed well-rested. She was beautiful, and perfectly still.

'Fitting,' you thought to yourself. You turned toward Maki to comment on the photograph, but paused once you saw her expression.

There was a crinkle in her brow, her lips wobbling up and down as she examined the image. There was a sharp inhale from the front of the room, her eyes snapping to Gojo as he took off his glasses. It was quick, but there was no mistaking the tears building in the professor's eyes. He apologized, before rushing out of the classroom. The students glanced at each other and began packing their things. The physical flyers were handed out to everyone as they walked out, but your mind was stuck on the projected one.

Maki walked slightly ahead of you, tapping away at her phone. You couldn't get over her expression when she saw that photo. Her reaction was so different from yours. While you and your classmates looked on at the picture with a more analytical gaze, she'd looked almost nostalgic. She seemed moved by the image, as if it were a memory she wanted to both forget and step into. You stared at Maki as she stopped to speak with Yuta. She punched his shoulder, a small smile on her face as he kissed her cheek. Whatever that emotion has been, she was definitely over it now.

'How can something so impactful, be so fleeting?' you wondered as you waved goodbye to the pair. You looked at the flyer again.

The girl in the photo was at peace despite the dire environment she was in. She had tubes coming out of her, yet she looked surreal. It was like an angel who'd not yet awakened from her fall. Even in the middle of a hospital's hustle and bustle, there was room for a moment of tranquility. That feeling, whatever it was, is the essence of the theme that Gojo had given you.

It was also your key to a spot in the gallery.

Wednesday

"Maki, this is bullshit." You scoff at the photo you just took. "The lighting is all wrong. It looks almost too candid." You switch to FaceTime to show her the picture. "I didn't even know it was possible to make something too candid."

"Yeah… yeah that's pretty bad." Maki said as she pulled Yuta into the frame.

She looked at him expectantly. "What do you think of it Yu?"

Yuta's eyes widened from being put on the spot. "Well, I don't know. It has character and… good ratio?" He looked at you and Maki nervously.

"So it's ass." You and Maki said flatly.

Yuta stuttered out euphemisms until Maki side-eyed him. "Yeah… it's pretty ass."

You groaned, tuning out Yuta's weak encouragement and Maki's brutal analysis of the photo. After noticing the time, you hung up and started toward the library. You held the photo up to the light, a frown forming as you studied the image further.

It was of a corgi asleep in school's yard. It's fur was coated in sunshine, it's form being barely an inch away from a large tree's shadow. The way it managed to just barely miss the darkness had you convinced that it'd be the perfect amount of contrast for your first photo. It proved to be an utter waste of time, however, when you'd taken too long and the corgi began to stir. You rushed to take the picture, making it a shaky candid shot and ruining the perfect set up you'd once had.

'Why was that dog being so difficult?' You glared at the photo, which made you unable to notice the person leaving the building beside you.

THUD

You collided with a white-haired man. He grabbed for the papers that fell from his bag, before standing up. He rubbed his head a little, his spiky hairdo ruined as he ran his fingers through it. You couldn't see his mouth because of his mask, but you were certain he was wincing.His purple eyes were squinted slightly, as if in pain, his hand clutching the papers a little tighter. After getting over the initial shock of the crash, you realized that you were unscathed. Feeling a bit bad, you decided to speak up.

You cleared your throat. "Sorry about that, sir. I wasn't watching where I was going." He seemed to not hear you, so you spoke again.

"Do you need to go to the nurse? I can take you!" You waved a hand, as if to alert him of your presence.

The man paused, glancing at you briefly before walking in the opposite direction. It was as if you'd never spoken at all. You watched him leave with a scowl.

"Asshole…" You muttered to yourself. You grumbled about the man's rudeness, and laughed at the fact he went the wrong way if he was looking for the campus nurse.

'Serves him right,' you thought as you continued on to the library.

You took deep breaths to try to push the situation from your mind. After all, you didn't need any of that man's weirdness getting in the way of your study session.

Chapter 4

An opportunity finally arises when your professor opens up his summer gallery to underclassmen for the first time. The theme is "Beauty in Stillness", but your photos don't reflect that. You're also failing math, and are forced into group study sessions with a quiet boy named Inumaki. Despite your hesitance, the 2 hours of peace is bliss. You find yourself torn between the soft moments with Inumaki, and the fast paced life you're used to leading.

Will you slow down to capture the moment, or will you blink?

Warnings: none

MIFYB Masterlist

Panda gave you a nod as you approached the table, but you didn't respond. Instead, you sat across from him, and threw your head down on the wood.

Panda smirked and said, "Careful there, you may break it."

You gave a muffled scoff. "Please, your head is even bigger than mine. I'm surprised you can even stay upright without falling over."

"At least I'm not ugly."

"At LeAsT I'm NoT uGlY." You lifted your head up to glare at Panda. "That's funny coming from someone that literally walks around in a panda mask. Your friend isn't any better. You both walk around all mysterious, but you really just look like Ayo and Teo wannabes."

"Ayo and Teo? Yikes, Way to show your age…" Panda trailed off and cringed at you.

"We're literally the same—"

Inumaki threw his books on the desk, effectively ending the bickering. He reached into his bag and handed out the weekly packet. It appeared even bigger than last weeks'. You and Panda glanced at each other and grimaced. This was definitely gonna be a harder session than last time.

After about ten minutes, Inumaki grabbed you and Panda's packets. You were about to protest, but paused when you heard Panda's sigh. He explained that it had been Inumaki's speed-training packet, and that he gave less time on those. Something about making sure you'd finish your test on time? You didn't fully understand it, but you had no choice but to trust Inumaki's judgment.

While you waited, you grabbed your camera looked through the photos you took in the past week. There were dogs laying with their owners, butterflies on branches, and of course the greenhouse photo. You remember how much Maki made fun of you when you showed it to her the next day. She went on and on about how you stared at the stranger's smile like "you want to keep it". You didn't even know what that was supposed to mean, and Maki didn't either, but she smiled a little softer anyway. Like there was something more to be said. Your thumb absently grazed the camera screen, outlining the smile gently.

You were broken out of your stupor by the sound of paper sliding across wood. You set down the camera and blinked at the paper in front of you, lips quirking up at the large "C" in the corner. It wasn't as good as you'd like, but it was better than 8%. You picked up the paper and peered at your mistakes, mentally cursing at the small errors you made. You tapped Inumaki and gestured to a question on your sheet. He pulled out a blue pen began silently writing out steps as he worked through the problem. You watched as his hand flew across the page, finding yourself more engrossed in how he was writing than what was actually being written. You didn't notice his pen stopped until he cleared his throat.

"Right, I think I get it now. Thanks, Inumaki!"

Panda snickered to himself, earning him a nasty side eye.

BUZZ BUZZ

You glanced down at your phone, eyebrows furrowing at the message you'd gotten. It was from Inumaki.

You sat down across from Panda and Inumaki, idly looking around the small ramen shop. It was quiet, nobody except your group and a couple tucked into a small corner were there. You skimmed the menu and made a mental selection of your favorite. The three of you give your orders, falling into an awkward silence afterwards.

'Well, this is awkward.' You decided you should make the first effort to speak, since you wanted to know more about them.

"So, how's school. Besides math of course?"

Inumaki shrugs.

"It's so boring. I can't wait to be a 3rd year so I can finally start doing fun stuff." Panda moans.

"That's so real. I hate cleaning cameras. It makes me feel like a lackey."

Inumaki nods his head a little.

"Inumaki is constantly tired. He wants to do more, but all he does is grunt work disguised as assignments. Kinda like you."

"I guess we all have it pretty bad then, huh." You sighed. The pair nodded their heads in agreement as the waiter came to the table.

Large bowls of ramen hit the tables with soft clinks. You grabbed your chopsticks and wasted no time digging in. You happily slurped on the noodles, uncaring of the two boys in front of you. Panda's "damn" fell on deaf ears as you sipped the savory broth, your eyes closing in delight. soft sigh was heard from across the table. You peeked, feeling your eyes widen at the sight of Inumaki without his scarf or mask. He too sipped the broth, his eyes crinkling as he drank a bit more. A broth mustache was revealed when he finally lowered his bowl. There was twinge of annoyance in your gut as Panda informed Inumaki of the broth above his lip.

The feeling fizzled out as soon as it came as you watch Inumaki smile. It wasn't the largest smile you'd ever seen; not by a long shot. But with the way his ears turned pink and his eyes formed crescents as the closed, it may be a contender for the cutest. Inumaki's shoulders shook a little as he wiped the broth with the back of his hand. He kept smiling as he returned to his bowl, lips only parting to eat. You knew your own bowl was getting cold, yet you couldn't bring yourself to look away from the white-haired boy. It took great effort, but you picked up your chopsticks to finish your meal. You were in the midst of polishing off the last of your noodles when you glanced at ahead of you. You watched as Panda gave Inumaki his fishcake.

Inumaki signed his thanks to him.

Panda smirked, "Yeah you better be grateful. Who else would let you take their fishcake?"

Inumaki's smile shifted into something more mischievous. He signed something with one hand.

Panda rolled his eyes and said, "Don't start that stupid 'boyfriend vs boy friend' thing again."

Inumaki just shrugged, before quickly blowing Panda a kiss. He turned his head and quietly laughed as Panda landed hits on his shoulder. Even though the laughter was silent, it still shook his whole body the way a guffaw would. Inumaki's teeth showed as his laughter dissipated into something softer. You still had broth in your bowl but you couldn't bring yourself to finish it. Not when your fingers twitched for your camera bag, longing to capture the moment. Not when his smile was looking more and more familiar to you. Your mind drifted to the figure in the greenhouse, and suddenly everything made sense.

Inumaki was the greenhouse guy. The same person that you have a secret, candid picture of sitting in your camera.

Without any preamble, you snatched up your bags and ran out of the shop. Even though it was dark, you still managed to run all the way to your dorm building. You didn't let yourself think about everything until you collapsed on your bed. You breathed heavily as you turned onto your back, staring up at your popcorn ceiling. A hand in your bag later, and suddenly your camera was in your hand. The camera turned on, and there was the picture of Inumaki.

As you stared at the photo, you felt a bit silly for running off. So what if Inumaki was the person who held those flowers with care? Who whispered quiet promises to them as he stroked their petals? Who pressed feather-like kisses to clay pots, and smiled tenderly afterward? Who gave quiet "thank you"s to the flowers, as though he'd been gifted something precious?

Oh… you were jealous.

Jealous of whom, was unclear to you at the time, but the feeling still bubbled in your stomach. How could Inumaki create such sweet moments from the most mundane things? You couldn't see how taking care of plants could be thrilling enough for all that he'd done. Yet, in your hand was a picture of him smiling at a plant like it was everything. Inumaki did it again with Panda too. Smiling so contently after his own joke landed. It was a fleeting moment, over in no more than a minute. You found yourself obsessing over it anyway. You didn't know whether you wanted to be that carefree, or if you simply wanted Inumaki's attention on you. You turned off your camera, and prayed it was just the former.

Taglist: @stdt-chevalmarin, @louddinosaursblog, @veioura, @aerixae, @katski-baku

Y’all might get a new chapter by tmr morning…