Chapter 122 (1/1)

Chapter 122

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl Juho had never been asked to come up with a t.i.tle for another person's work . 'What kind of photo does it take to put someone in such misery?' Juho wondered . ”Do you think you can take a look at my photo?” ”Of course . ” With that, the girl held her camera up and busily tapped its b.u.t.tons in order to search through the pictures stored in it . After a while, she handed the camera to Juho . A frog became visible in the tiny camera screen . ”A frog?” ”Yep . I took it in spring . ” Because they were in a botanical garden, looking at the picture of a frog didn't feel out of place . A small, green frog was sitting on a leaf in a rather peculiar pose . ”It looks funny . ” ”Right?” The frog was hanging perilously from a stem while its hind legs hung loosely beneath the leaf . ”It even has that staring-out-into-the-distant-mountains look!” ”Doesn't it remind you of a middle-aged man?” ”It looks like someone who's just given up on life too . ” In other words, the frog looked rather human-like . With its sad eyes, it seemed like it was looking into the future or reminiscing about its, perhaps regretful, past . While it looked like a child riding on a swing, it also looked like a middle-aged man in desperate need for a smoke . Its posture was quite different from how Juho remembered a frog . If he were to see a frog like that, he, too, would have stopped in his tracks . ”Are you looking for something funny for your t.i.tle?” 'Like the frog's whimsical pose, perhaps?' She denied it without hesitation . ”No . ” ”Then, something sad, maybe?” ”No! Look at the frog . It'd make no sense!” Juho nodded quietly at her objection . A sad t.i.tle wouldn't suit the photo . ”I saw quite a few pictures on your camera when you were flipping through them earlier . What made you decide on that picture in particular?” ”It's kind of a long story . ” ”I have plenty of time . ” ”No, I mean there's no time . The festival is the day after tomorrow . ” ”That's true . ” Unlike Juho, who spoke calmly, she didn't bother to hide her anxiety . ”I know I'm not in the position to be rus.h.i.+ng you, but are you struggling because you need something sweet? Should I go get you something?” ”I need information more than sugar,” Juho said . ”Information?” ”Regarding this photo . I'm an author, someone who give his story a name . ” ”Story? But this is a photo . ” ”Stories can be found anywhere, just like how you're the protagonist of your life,” Juho said . ”Does that mean I have all the clues I need to come up with a t.i.tle? Like a protagonist in a novel?” she asked while wearing a serious expression . ”I guess you can say that,” Juho affirmed, blinking twice . ”OK, fine . I'll tell you . What would you like to know?” she asked, still looking serious . ”Anything, really . As long as it's relevant to the photo . ” Her eyes moved busily and then stopped at the frog . ”I first met this frog this past spring . We met at a park, right around the time when insects were starting to crawl out of their holes . ” A background of time and s.p.a.ce . Juho listened to her story intently . ”I was in the middle of club activities . Our club comes out to this park to take pictures, and that's when I met this funny-looking frog . It was destiny . ” Juho nodded quietly . ”But I was just watching it since I didn't really feel like taking a picture of it . ” ”Yeah?” ”Yeah . ” 'I wonder what moved her?' Juho wondered . ”That's when this grandma appeared . ” A new character . ”It was hard to make out her expression because of all the wrinkles on her face . She looked kinda scary with her back bending forward . ” ”Uh-huh . ” ”So, I moved aside, and the grandma just stood in front of the frog… ” The garden was quite warm throughout the year, regardless of the season . Her camera was exactly the same way . It contained her memory of the day when she met the frog . ” . . . and smiled brightly, enough to straighten her wrinkly face,” she said as she looked into the distance, where the banana tree was standing . ”Eventually, she started cracking up, holding her sides . That's when the frog looked really special all of a sudden, so I ended up taking a picture of it . ” She took a picture . What was once merely funny had become the recipient of affection . It had moved her . ”I wanted to give her my picture, but I never saw her again . I guess it makes sense considering how big the park is . When I first heard the news about the exhibition, I remembered her immediately . Anybody can come to the school festival, so I thought the grandma might be there, looking at my photo with that same bright smile . But, I'm pretty sure she won't though, haha . ” Despite the fact that the elderly rarely visited the school festival, Juho added in order to encourage her, ”Who knows? She might come if she has a grandson or a granddaughter . ” ”You think so?” ”I'm sure she will . ” With that, Juho returned to thinking about the t.i.tle . 'What would be an appropriate name for that frog? Is it right for me to give someone else's work a name?' ”Do you have anything? I'm sure you've been thinking about this . ” ”I do have a few . ” ”What are they?” She was hesitant to share them . Maybe she didn't really want to say them out loud . ”They're all kind of lame . ” ”It might be of help . ” With a sigh, she calmly listed the names she had come up with thus far . ”Mr . Frog, Frog Neighbor, Hilarious Frog, Odd Frog, Frog Looking into the Distant Mountains . Frog Playground, Frog Choir, Frog World, Frog's Point of View, Frog's are Cool, Frog's Resting Area, Take a Five with a Frog, Just Frog, Ribbit Ribbit Frog . ” There were simply too many frogs . She snapped, annoyed at Juho's silence, ”I told you they were lame!” ”I'm at loss for words because of your brilliance, that's all . ” Juho was sincere . They were not lame by any means . By putting feelings into words, she was simply trying to figure out a focus of her own . ”How about you? Were you able to think of anything?” she asked with her eyes sparkling with antic.i.p.ation . Although Juho had a few ideas, he decided the photo had to be named by the photographer herself . After all, she had been the one to capture a story in the moment . ”OK, so, I just thought of this…” ”OK, I'm listening . ” ”I think you got this . ” ”What!?” Juho calmly explained to the girl as she furrowed her forehead in annoyance . ”The t.i.tles that you've just listed show that you have talent . It's just that you're focusing on the frog too much . ” ”Is that supposed to be a compliment?” ”A sincere one, at that . ” The displeasure became apparent in her expression . ”Wouldn't it be more rewarding if you named your own photo?” he asked . ”I would if I could, but…” She didn't seem confident . After a brief time pondering, she opened her mouth and said, ”I really liked the t.i.tle of your book, 'Grains of Sand . ' It felt like it wrapped everything up nicely . ” ”Really?” ”Yeah . The sand isn't even the protagonist, but it still sounds like a t.i.tle . ” She looked at Juho intently . ”I want to name my photo something similar . It wasn't just the t.i.tle . Your story makes readers think . I thought about the lady all day . The story had already ended, but I found myself thinking about her repeatedly . It was almost like Yun Woo's books . I know that it's a different genre, but I want to take photos like that . ” Their eyes locked . ”That's why I struck up a conversation with you . ” Juho thought that her dark, yet clear eyes looked like a pair of lenses . ”So, I'll do my best as long as you're willing to help . ” ”That's more like it,” Juho answered with a smile . ”But you don't have to try so hard . ” ”What?” ”You've already figured it out . ” ”I did?? When??” ”I told you . Grandma, smile, the reason you took and chose that picture . All of these things are outside of a camera's angle . ” She blinked curiously . ”Try stepping out of your angle . ” ”Out of my angle?” ”That's right . Out of your photo . You're distracted by the funny looking frog . That's not the only thing you meant to capture, right? So, that's why you're struggling to come up with a t.i.tle days before the school festival . ” ”But, this is about the frog…” Juho brought the camera up to his eyes, and a small rectangular screen came into view . It was a tad too small to fit a tall banana tree . As he pulled away from the camera, he felt light rus.h.i.+ng into his eyes . ”So, since I don't know much about photography, I have to ask . Is there a rule that says that a picture of a frog has to have ”frog” in its t.i.tle?” ”No . ” ”Then, you can do whatever the heck you want, right?” She remained quiet for a while . In the meantime, Juho took the camera and took a picture of her sitting in a daze . Unfortunately, he was simply not skilled enough to capture the distraught look on her face . The shutter sound echoed throughout the garden . The girl was immersed in thought, with her hands together . ”I got it,” she said . ”What is it?” ”The Grandma Smiled,” she said with a bright smile . She was filled with confidence that time . Although there was nothing artistic about it, it was simple and honest . It was also a rather decent t.i.tle for a photo . ”I like that!” The carps swam about as the water trickled out of the waterfall into the pond . Tall tropical plants surrounded the place, and the air was warm . The girl might have been looking for the old lady even to that day, but in the end, the person she had found was herself . ”Honestly, I kind of regretted not taking a picture of the grandma,” she said, looking much more relieved . ”I should have included her in the shot with the frog at least . ” ”How come you only took a picture of the frog?” Juho asked . ”I ask myself the same question,” she answered . ”But, I think I'm starting to understand why . ” ”Which is?” She seemed confident, as if she had finally gotten her hands on an answer of her own . ”It was for the grandma . ” Because she had thought that she wanted to take a picture of the old lady, she took a picture of the frog instead . If the old lady were to see the photo, she'd be able to smile throughout the four seasons . ”If I took a picture of that grandma, that picture would've stayed in my camera, sound asleep . I'd be the only person looking at it . ” As she took the camera from Juho's hands, Juho willingly handed it back to her . ”I'm sure I would have regretted it . ” ”You regretted it when you took a picture of the frog . ” ”More so than now . I'd have regretted it even more . ” With that, she stood up from the bench . ”Thanks . I'll make sure to include your name next to the t.i.tle . ” ”That won't be necessary . ” ”You don't have to be polite . It's a gesture of grat.i.tude . ” ”I'm not being polite . I'm turning down your offer . ” Juho's muttering didn't reach her ears . ”OK, then, I'm going to go and print out the t.i.tle . I'm so glad things worked out! I'll be telling all of my friends about your book . Every single one of them!” ”That, I'll gladly accept . ” ”OK, see ya!” Juho watched her from behind as she ran vigorously . Would her photo be reunited with the old lady? ”Destiny, huh . ” Juho contemplated on whether or not to include that word in a story of his in the near future . --- ”School festival!” Seo Kw.a.n.g exclaimed . He seemed rather excited when Juho ran into him on his way to school . Like he said, the day of the festival had finally come . ”Somebody's in a good mood today . You're not planning on doing anything though . ” ”C'mon, now . It's a festival! Besides, the fact that we don't have cla.s.s today is enough to put a smile on my face . ” ”That's true . ” It didn't take much to make those who had been relieved from duty smile . Though it was cold out, there was excitement in the air . ”Oh! It's Sun Hwa . ” ”Seo Kw.a.n.g,” she said as she turned around . She was wearing a hefty backpack . She had said that her cla.s.s was having a bazaar, and her bag seemed filled with things to be sold that day . ”Seems like you've put in quite a bit of work . ” ”We were kind of ambitious, so we had to sacrifice our weekends to prepare for the festival . ” ”Aren't you tired?” ”It's still fun,” Sun Hwa said briskly . ”Where's Bom?” ”She's at school . She must have had more preparation left . ” ”Man, you guys are NOT messing around . Our cla.s.s is barely doing anything . ” ”But, you'll get a lot of visitors . Everyone has their own way of having fun . Make sure to stop by our cla.s.s . Help us out a little . ” ”So, we're just revenue?” ”I can't say that you're not . ” The three went their separate ways as they reached the first floor .

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl Juho had never been asked to come up with a t.i.tle for another persons work . What kind of photo does it take to put someone in such misery? Juho wondered . Do you think you can take a look at my photo? Of course . With that, the girl held her camera up and busily tapped its b.u.t.tons in order to search through the pictures stored in it . After a while, she handed the camera to Juho . A frog became visible in the tiny camera screen . A frog? Yep . I took it in spring . Because they were in a botanical garden, looking at the picture of a frog didnt feel out of place . A small, green frog was sitting on a leaf in a rather peculiar pose . It looks funny . Right? The frog was hanging perilously from a stem while its hind legs hung loosely beneath the leaf . It even has that staring-out-into-the-distant-mountains look! Doesnt it remind you of a middle-aged man? It looks like someone whos just given up on life too . In other words, the frog looked rather human-like . With its sad eyes, it seemed like it was looking into the future or reminiscing about its, perhaps regretful, past . While it looked like a child riding on a swing, it also looked like a middle-aged man in desperate need for a smoke . Its posture was quite different from how Juho remembered a frog . If he were to see a frog like that, he, too, would have stopped in his tracks . Are you looking for something funny for your t.i.tle? Like the frogs whimsical pose, perhaps? She denied it without hesitation . No . Then, something sad, maybe? No! Look at the frog . Itd make no sense! Juho nodded quietly at her objection . A sad t.i.tle wouldnt suit the photo . I saw quite a few pictures on your camera when you were flipping through them earlier . What made you decide on that picture in particular? Its kind of a long story . I have plenty of time . No, I mean theres no time . The festival is the day after tomorrow . Thats true . Unlike Juho, who spoke calmly, she didnt bother to hide her anxiety . I know Im not in the position to be rus.h.i.+ng you, but are you struggling because you need something sweet? Should I go get you something? I need information more than sugar, Juho said . Information? Regarding this photo . Im an author, someone who give his story a name . Story? But this is a photo . Stories can be found anywhere, just like how youre the protagonist of your life, Juho said . Does that mean I have all the clues I need to come up with a t.i.tle? Like a protagonist in a novel? she asked while wearing a serious expression . I guess you can say that, Juho affirmed, blinking twice . OK, fine . Ill tell you . What would you like to know? she asked, still looking serious . Anything, really . As long as its relevant to the photo . Her eyes moved busily and then stopped at the frog . I first met this frog this past spring . We met at a park, right around the time when insects were starting to crawl out of their holes . A background of time and s.p.a.ce . Juho listened to her story intently . I was in the middle of club activities . Our club comes out to this park to take pictures, and thats when I met this funny-looking frog . It was destiny . Juho nodded quietly . But I was just watching it since I didnt really feel like taking a picture of it . Yeah? Yeah . I wonder what moved her? Juho wondered . Thats when this grandma appeared . A new character . It was hard to make out her expression because of all the wrinkles on her face . She looked kinda scary with her back bending forward . Uh-huh . So, I moved aside, and the grandma just stood in front of the frog… The garden was quite warm throughout the year, regardless of the season . Her camera was exactly the same way . It contained her memory of the day when she met the frog . . and smiled brightly, enough to straighten her wrinkly face, she said as she looked into the distance, where the banana tree was standing . Eventually, she started cracking up, holding her sides . Thats when the frog looked really special all of a sudden, so I ended up taking a picture of it . She took a picture . What was once merely funny had become the recipient of affection . It had moved her . I wanted to give her my picture, but I never saw her again . I guess it makes sense considering how big the park is . When I first heard the news about the exhibition, I remembered her immediately . Anybody can come to the school festival, so I thought the grandma might be there, looking at my photo with that same bright smile . But, Im pretty sure she wont though, haha . Despite the fact that the elderly rarely visited the school festival, Juho added in order to encourage her, Who knows? She might come if she has a grandson or a granddaughter . You think so? Im sure she will . With that, Juho returned to thinking about the t.i.tle . What would be an appropriate name for that frog? Is it right for me to give someone elses work a name? Do you have anything? Im sure youve been thinking about this . I do have a few . What are they? She was hesitant to share them . Maybe she didnt really want to say them out loud . Theyre all kind of lame . It might be of help . With a sigh, she calmly listed the names she had come up with thus far . Mr . Frog, Frog Neighbor, Hilarious Frog, Odd Frog, Frog Looking into the Distant Mountains . Frog Playground, Frog Choir, Frog World, Frogs Point of View, Frogs are Cool, Frogs Resting Area, Take a Five with a Frog, Just Frog, Ribbit Ribbit Frog . There were simply too many frogs . She snapped, annoyed at Juhos silence, I told you they were lame! Im at loss for words because of your brilliance, thats all . Juho was sincere . They were not lame by any means . By putting feelings into words, she was simply trying to figure out a focus of her own . How about you? Were you able to think of anything? she asked with her eyes sparkling with antic.i.p.ation . Although Juho had a few ideas, he decided the photo had to be named by the photographer herself . After all, she had been the one to capture a story in the moment . OK, so, I just thought of this… OK, Im listening . I think you got this . What!? Juho calmly explained to the girl as she furrowed her forehead in annoyance . The t.i.tles that youve just listed show that you have talent . Its just that youre focusing on the frog too much . Is that supposed to be a compliment? A sincere one, at that . The displeasure became apparent in her expression . Wouldnt it be more rewarding if you named your own photo? he asked . I would if I could, but… She didnt seem confident . After a brief time pondering, she opened her mouth and said, I really liked the t.i.tle of your book, Grains of Sand . It felt like it wrapped everything up nicely . Really? Yeah . The sand isnt even the protagonist, but it still sounds like a t.i.tle . She looked at Juho intently . I want to name my photo something similar . It wasnt just the t.i.tle . Your story makes readers think . I thought about the lady all day . The story had already ended, but I found myself thinking about her repeatedly . It was almost like Yun Woos books . I know that its a different genre, but I want to take photos like that . Their eyes locked . Thats why I struck up a conversation with you . Juho thought that her dark, yet clear eyes looked like a pair of lenses . So, Ill do my best as long as youre willing to help . Thats more like it, Juho answered with a smile . But you dont have to try so hard . What? Youve already figured it out . I did?? When?? I told you . Grandma, smile, the reason you took and chose that picture . All of these things are outside of a cameras angle . She blinked curiously . Try stepping out of your angle . Out of my angle? Thats right . Out of your photo . Youre distracted by the funny looking frog . Thats not the only thing you meant to capture, right? So, thats why youre struggling to come up with a t.i.tle days before the school festival . But, this is about the frog… Juho brought the camera up to his eyes, and a small rectangular screen came into view . It was a tad too small to fit a tall banana tree . As he pulled away from the camera, he felt light rus.h.i.+ng into his eyes . So, since I dont know much about photography, I have to ask . Is there a rule that says that a picture of a frog has to have frog in its t.i.tle? No . Then, you can do whatever the heck you want, right? She remained quiet for a while . In the meantime, Juho took the camera and took a picture of her sitting in a daze . Unfortunately, he was simply not skilled enough to capture the distraught look on her face . The shutter sound echoed throughout the garden . The girl was immersed in thought, with her hands together . I got it, she said . What is it? The Grandma Smiled, she said with a bright smile . She was filled with confidence that time . Although there was nothing artistic about it, it was simple and honest . It was also a rather decent t.i.tle for a photo . I like that! The carps swam about as the water trickled out of the waterfall into the pond . Tall tropical plants surrounded the place, and the air was warm . The girl might have been looking for the old lady even to that day, but in the end, the person she had found was herself . Honestly, I kind of regretted not taking a picture of the grandma, she said, looking much more relieved . I should have included her in the shot with the frog at least . How come you only took a picture of the frog? Juho asked . I ask myself the same question, she answered . But, I think Im starting to understand why . Which is? She seemed confident, as if she had finally gotten her hands on an answer of her own . It was for the grandma . Because she had thought that she wanted to take a picture of the old lady, she took a picture of the frog instead . If the old lady were to see the photo, shed be able to smile throughout the four seasons . If I took a picture of that grandma, that picture wouldve stayed in my camera, sound asleep . Id be the only person looking at it . As she took the camera from Juhos hands, Juho willingly handed it back to her . Im sure I would have regretted it . You regretted it when you took a picture of the frog . More so than now . Id have regretted it even more . With that, she stood up from the bench . Thanks . Ill make sure to include your name next to the t.i.tle . That wont be necessary . You dont have to be polite . Its a gesture of grat.i.tude . Im not being polite . Im turning down your offer . Juhos muttering didnt reach her ears . OK, then, Im going to go and print out the t.i.tle . Im so glad things worked out! Ill be telling all of my friends about your book . Every single one of them! That, Ill gladly accept . OK, see ya! Juho watched her from behind as she ran vigorously . Would her photo be reunited with the old lady? Destiny, huh . Juho contemplated on whether or not to include that word in a story of his in the near future . --- School festival! Seo Kw.a.n.g exclaimed . He seemed rather excited when Juho ran into him on his way to school . Like he said, the day of the festival had finally come . Somebodys in a good mood today . Youre not planning on doing anything though . Cmon, now . Its a festival! Besides, the fact that we dont have cla.s.s today is enough to put a smile on my face . Thats true . It didnt take much to make those who had been relieved from duty smile . Though it was cold out, there was excitement in the air . Oh! Its Sun Hwa . Seo Kw.a.n.g, she said as she turned around . She was wearing a hefty backpack . She had said that her cla.s.s was having a bazaar, and her bag seemed filled with things to be sold that day . Seems like youve put in quite a bit of work . We were kind of ambitious, so we had to sacrifice our weekends to prepare for the festival . Arent you tired? Its still fun, Sun Hwa said briskly . Wheres Bom? Shes at school . She must have had more preparation left . Man, you guys are NOT messing around . Our cla.s.s is barely doing anything . But, youll get a lot of visitors . Everyone has their own way of having fun . Make sure to stop by our cla.s.s . Help us out a little . So, were just revenue? I cant say that youre not . The three went their separate ways as they reached the first floor .