Fukase sighed as he checked one last time to make sure the timer on his camera was set properly. The camera was pointed towards the mountains behind one of the campus buildings. He had chosen this particular spot for his photography assignment, which he had put off for a while as he couldn't find a decent place with few people around. If people were to be in the photo, he'd have to ask for their permission.
It was a sunny day with minimal overcast, making the shot of the mountain well-lit. The mountains made for a majestic backdrop along with the scattered pine trees. The camera was angled so that the buildings were just out of range of the lenses.
As the timer continued to tick down, he diverted his attention to his phone to a text message that reminded him of other obligations. Fukase grimaced and took his time to respond, which by then, the photo had already been taken. Since he was in a rush, he quickly gathered his belongings and didn't bother to check the photo. He figured that the area was secluded enough that no one had passed by during the short amount of time he was distracted.
That night when he had the photos developed, Fukase realized his blunder from earlier in the day. In the bottom right corner of the photos was a young blond man who walked right into view and blocked some of the trees and parts of the mountain.
The redhead grumbled in frustration at the thought of retaking the photo, but that quickly changed into curiosity as he noticed the man's eyepatch and messy hair. The blond was an intriguing figure, yet he oddly hadn't noticed such a person on campus before. He ran his fingers along the edge of the photo. Although the blond wasn't intended to be included in the photo, Fukase thought the man seemed fitting among the serene background.
Fukase sighed as he dismissed the idea of asking him for permission to use the photo for this portfolio. Tomorrow, he would have to go back and retake the shot of the mountain. He stared at the photo—wondering about the identity of the blond—before slipping it into his bag. Even if he couldn't turn it in for his assignment, he could still use it to reference the camera angle the next day.
All morning long, the grey skies didn't look promising in the least bit. Rain pelted against the classroom windows as soon as Fukase finished with his morning classes. He frowned at the thought of having to cancel his plans to retake the photo for the day; he was already pressed for time with the due date coming up.
Fukase pulled out the photo once more and glanced between it and the overcast skies. He soon fixed his stare onto the unidentified blond again, ignoring his surroundings.
"Hey Fukase~ What'cha looking at?"
The redhead jolted and turned to see his friend grinning at him. "I-It's nothing, SeeU." In a flustered daze, he attempted to stuff the picture back into his bag, but the blonde snatched it away before he could do so.
"Smitten over Oliver, are we?" SeeU chuckled as she waved the object out of reach for the confused redhead. "He sure does seem like your type though."
"You know him?" Fukase asked, pleasantly surprised and ignored her remark. "He ended up in the photo so I have to retake it or ask for his permission to use it."
"Sure do. I can call him right now if you want to talk to him." SeeU giggled and pulled out her phone.
"No, please don't!" The redhead pleaded. Fukase tried to stop her, but the blonde side-stepped his attempt to snatch her phone away.
"Oops, my finger slipped." SeeU smirked. She handed her phone over to him as it rang.
Fukase begrudgingly took the device and put it to his ear. With each moment he spent waiting for an answer, he trembled more anxiously. The redhead shot SeeU a glare, who simply giggled in response.
"Hello? SeeU?" A gentle voice asked.
The redhead hesitated for a moment before answering. "T-this isn't SeeU. I'm one of her friends, F-Fukase," he stuttered. Clearing his voice, he continued, "You walked into view as I was taking a photo yesterday so I'm wondering if you're okay with me turning it in as my assignment."
A slight pause intruded into the conversation. With each moment, Fukase fidgeted with his sleeve, wondering if his request was too unreasonable.
"Of course you may." He chuckled. "I'm flattered you'd like to use a photo of me."
"Thank you so much." Fukase sighed in relief. "Also, I didn't quite catch your name."
"I'm Oliver," he answered, "Also, you can feel free to take more photos of me anytime." Giggles echoed from the receiver. "I need to go now, but I'd like to talk to you again. You're an interesting fellow."
The two exchanged parting words and ended the call. Fukase looked over to SeeU, who grinned at the redhead triumphantly. He smiled back as a gesture to thank her for her help.