Zzzzzt

《 Oi, are you there already? Hit me a message if you do. 》

Zzzzzt

《 You can do this! Trust yourself for once, Ajax! 》

Zzzzzt

《 Man, are you still there?》

Zzzzzt

《 Asshole, I swear if you chicken out of this…. 》

Sighing, Ajax could only shake his head in exasperation as he perused each message with a scroll of his finger. Man, his highschool buddy slash best friend was not only a nagger but a worrywart to boot, so he had no choice but to hit him up with a message in return.

《 Of course not. So stop nagging me, Thoma. 》

After he tapped the send button, his phone immediately buzzed and a new message came; making him snort in amusement when he saw the content. The message was just so funny that he couldn't help the small chuckle leaving his lips.

《 Don't you ever run away from your date, dumbass. Don't be such a dick and embarrass yourself, okay? Man up! 》

"As if I would ditch someone on a date," he muttered with a shake of his head.

Checking the time in the top right corner of his phone, he found he had thirty minutes to kill before his date would arrive at the rendezvous.

The word " date" was almost foreign to him. He was not exactly inexperienced when it comes to relationships. In fact, he dated a few women in his youth, the longest and most recent of which ended three years ago. After that unfortunate separation, which resulted in a dreary heartbreak from his three-year-long ex-girlfriend, Ajax diverted his attention to visual arts, which is when he discovered he had a thing for photography.

He was so engrossed in his new profound passion that he remained single for a few years, not even batting an eye at every woman who flocked to him left and right in college, trying to get his attention. Ajax was neither a simpleton nor a debauched man. Unlike other men who only sought women for their looks and bodies, he valued deep connection and even being truly understood from the other party.

Yes, his ex-girlfriend loved him. But there was one problem: they never met eye to eye nor truly understood each other, which resulted in a few petty verbal spats. It was a never-ending drama, with her gaslighting or guilt tripping the hell out of him whenever the favors took turn.

Yep. Ajax had been in a toxic relationship before, and he didn't want to go through that again, which is why he was so hesitant to open himself up to a new relationship.

But now he had no choice but to follow the wishes of his friends. Most notably, Thoma, who nagged him about his own well-being just as much as his elder sister Masha. Photography was the only thing on his mind, and his friend always berated him for being so uninterested in love affairs. His annoying comments like " still being hung up on his ex" or " he is too pussy to make a move and find himself a girlfriend" began to grate on his nerves to the point where he had no choice but to indulge him once in a while just to get him to stop with the scathing comments.

His date, now that he thinks about it, was a woman named Rosalyne. A woman he met at a mixer last week. It was his first time being asked by a beautiful woman that he was left dumbfounded in the process. If Thoma was not shooting invisible lasers through his head with his demonic eyes just to put him on the spot, he would politely decline the woman's request. But crying over spilled milk was pointless, which is why he had no choice but to accept his fate and just comply like a poor slave.

Nevertheless, he vowed to exact his vengeance on Thoma someday.

As he sent his friend a message one last time, he moved from his position to see good spots to mill around. While he fiddled with the buttons of his DSLR camera, he began taking random shots for starters. He took a photo of a bird flying on top a street lamp post, a candid shot of a lively child with a large grin on his face while being chased by pigeons, he also took a shot of a Guoba statue in different angles. As he busied himself looking for good scenery to catch with his gadget, he spotted a row of maple trees next to the river with many tourists flocking the area like bees.

Absolutely interested in the new change of scenery, he walked down the stairs along with some other tourists milling around the public place. He took as many photos as he lingered on a certain spot.

There was an eye-catching maple tree that piqued his interest. It was the largest one and the oldest among the other trees. As he stared at the large tree, Ajax thought it was pretty cinematic to look at it from a distance.

With the reddish leaves fluttering along with the wind, if he took a picture right at this moment— he was certain that he could very well capture this momentous event with the help of his camera.

As he walked closer to the perimeter, he was greeted by a sea of red with orange embers along with the color of the earth. With the camera in his hands, he fiddled with a few kinks here and there and started snapping photos once again. The sound of the soft clicks of his camera was almost comforting to his ears as he moved in circles to capture different angles of the tree. Methodically zooming out and zooming in the lens with such finesse belonging to a Photography major, he hummed satisfactorily when he captured a certain angle with good shadows in it.

And that was when a bright color suddenly invaded his vision through the viewfinder.

Somewhat bewildered as he blinked a couple of times— without even pulling himself from the camera, he zoomed out the lens and moved his camera where he spotted the bright color.

Ah..

It was a petite woman dressed in all white with her golden tresses fluttering behind her like a satin curtain pushed by the wind. She looked so out of place of how bright she was, which contrasted perfectly with the vermillion tones of the place.

From a photographer's perspective, it appeared to be so novel. Like it was a piece straight out of a forbidden painting, depicting a carmine world full of gore and nothing but gloom and sorrow. Despite the melancholy that the world held, there was a single bright flower that stood out among the rest.

And that flower was the golden haired woman and the carmine world was this place filled with maple trees. For him, it was a sight to behold. It's an image that he desperately wants to capture, to imprint not only with his eyes but also with his camera, which he always carried with him as if it were another part of him.

Unbeknownst to the woman, Ajax started to snap some candid shots of her with the huge maple tree. While he adjusted the camera lens in his hand to zoom in on her face, he found the perfect angle and was about to press the shutter button with his finger. But then—

She suddenly turned around, her eyes landing on him making him freeze in his spot imperceptibly like an ersatz statue.

(After all, he took pictures of her without her permission, so he felt like he was caught red-handed at the time.)

Act like nothing happened, he repeated like a mantra. Don't be so obvious.

But the moment she started to turn herself fully and trotted with purpose all the way to his position, Ajax seriously considered bolting. What if she discovered that he had taken pictures of her without her permission? And then she will think he's a pervert or a stalker? Will he get a public slap this time? Without a doubt, that is extremely embarrassing. But what if he explained everything first, before she had the chance to jump to conclusions? That is, indeed, a good idea— he inwardly nodded. After all, he had to strike while the iron was still hot—

" Hello—"

"I, um—"

They blinked in unison. He felt like everything had stopped the moment they both blurted something out at the same time. He found that she was clutching a small pocketbook ( was that a language guide?) and she was carrying a small camera of her own and a sling bag on her shoulder.

Wait... don't tell me, he blinked.

Before things could get awkward between them, Ajax slowly composed himself like a proper gentleman in front of a respectable lady. With a slight bow of his head, he offered his greetings once again. " Hello."

" Hello," She greeted him in Liyuean. Her voice was just so lyrical and soft that he almost shivered the first time he heard it. "I, uh," she lagged for a moment, as she flipped through the pages like she was looking for something, " I am here for a vacation." she said, but then frowned as she seemed lost for words once more and began flipping through the pages in a hurry, "Uhhh… where is it—"

So… his suspicions were correct after all.

"I see. So you're a foreigner. It's fine," he said with an understanding smile, earning a surprised look from the troubled woman. "I can speak the universal language. As you can see, I'm not a native here. You don't have to worry."

"Really? Ahhhh, I'm so glad to hear that!" she replied in absolute relief, "I was waiting for someone to fetch me up, but I ended up wandering all around the place instead." she chuckled awkwardly and muttered next with a troubled look, "Shoot. He'll scold me for sure haha,"

Blinking, he could only assume that maybe she already had a boyfriend. She mentioned waiting for someone, specifically a guy for that matter. And just looking at her makes him think that she's too pretty to be single anyways.

But why did the mere thought of it irritate him?

"I apologize for bothering you, mister. But I need someone to help me take a photo on that tree over there." she said, pointing to the large maple tree. Almost remembering how straightforward her request was, she fidgeted uncomfortably. "I'm not intruding on you, am I?"

Cute, he thought as he looked at her, all fidgety and downright embarrassed to boot.

Shaking his head inwardly to erase the weird thoughts swarming his mind, he turned off his camera and slung it back around his neck. "No, you're not. It's fine with me. I can help."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. I know how to take good photos, so leave it to me."

Well, he's not a photographer for nothing.

"Wait, you do not have anyone else to wait for?"

"I don't—" he cut himself short before he could finish blurting out what he had in mind. Ajax had almost forgotten about his date (who was about to arrive at any moment, probably) because he was too immersed in assisting the golden haired woman.

So, I guess the old saying about how time flies when you are having fun is true after all. With an inward shrug, he thought to himself.

"Ah, I think I do." Ajax corrected with a wry smile, "But she's not here yet so I can hel—"

"I won't take a lot of your time, I can assure you that! I'm fine with one or two pictures, so please!"

Yeah, she's absolutely cute. No doubt about it. So easy to fluster.

Laughing, he only reached the camera from her when she held it for him. "Alright."

When she positioned herself beneath the large tree and flashed him a beautiful smile through the viewfinder, he couldn't help but smile as well as he started snapping photos. Making quick adjustments with his hand while he zoomed the lens in and out, he moved in circles to take pictures of her from different angles. She said she's fine with one or two photos, but his sudden urge to take a lot of photos with her as his willing muse makes it difficult to do so.

Especially how the light and shadows blended with her, complimenting her petite stature and beautiful smile, the pictures that she made look so novel and graceful as ever. Showing the audience how pulchritudinous of a muse she was— like a serious real work of art— posing naturally for an artist to do his bidding.

This woman was like a character straight out of fiction. With bright lustrous hair and a pair of expressive, striking golden orbs such as hers... She would make a great muse in lots of portraits. That's what he thought.

"Lumine!"

"Ajax!"

When they both turned their heads towards the noise, an emo looking guy and Ajax's bombshell of a date appeared. Absolutely intrigued, his eyes were fixed on the attractive newcomer. The said newcomer doesn't look pleased at all as he confronts the petite woman who's laughing and apologizing for wandering too much.

The woman, Lumine, turned her eyes once again and jogged all the way to him with an apologetic smile. As he returned back the camera to her, she bowed her head and smiled genuinely as she bid her farewell.

"Thank you so much for indulging me, mister..."

"Ajax." He blurted almost right away, making him blink momentarily about how fast he offered his name without batting an eye.

"Okay, Ajax." she nodded, "Thanks again for helping me. That's my companion over there and we really have to leave in a hurry. He's kinda sour about me wandering alone in this park so I have to appease him, somehow." she laughed as she back tracked and waved, "See you."

He was absolutely speechless throughout the entire exchange. With his eyes still glued to the other couple who's walking away with such closeness that he almost envied, he didn't notice the other woman who walked beside him.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

He turned his head, almost startled. "Oh, Rosalyne, you didn't."

"Is that so? Then I am glad," Rosalyne smiled almost coyly, her fresh make-up and stylish outfit emphasizing her valuable assets making her even more beautiful than usual. And kinda sensual, if you ask him. She was quite mature, and her presence exuded far too many womanly vibes.

But deep inside him, that woman he met a few minutes ago left a huge impression on him. With that beautiful smile and sparkling golden eyes, he didn't think he could flush that image out of his system that quickly—yet.

He could only hope that they would run into each other again someday. She had the potential to act naturally in front of the camera, and Ajax definitely wanted to try something new this time.

His subjects were always majestic places captured in black and white photography. Back then, he had a senior who always told him that he should try taking up another subject other than places, that he should try taking pictures of an actual breathing model to broaden his options to capture new magnificent images with his camera.

If fate brings them both back together, he might politely ask for her permission to be his new model subject for his photos.

If they would see each other again, that's all.

"Ready to go?" he said as he offered his arm to the other woman.

Smirking, Rosalyne quickly attached herself on his arm as she clutched it with her newly manicured hands. "How gentlemanly of you, lover boy. I love that. Off we go then."

He woke up with a start. As he rubbed his eyes groggily while turning off his noisy alarm clock, he immediately started his day routine. First and foremost, he prepared something appetizing and ate Mora Meat for breakfast, took a quick bath, and checked his messages just to see if they were for work, but the majority of the electronic mails invading his inbox came from his friend Thoma pestering him about his date from yesterday.

As he recapped the events that transpired on his date with Rosalyne, Thoma was nice enough to ask him about what he felt all throughout the day with a woman. His friend was aware of his aversion to people of the opposite sex. Even though Thoma could be harsh at some times (he doesn't mince words nor sugarcoat them, a trait that he got from their other friend Kuni), he was still a soft hearted man who cares for a dear friend like Ajax. They have known each other since they were highschool. They were almost inseparable, and people frequently mistook them for real brothers due to their uncanny resemblance to each other.

His date with Rosalyne yesterday was eventful, and while it was fun and exciting, it exhausted him beyond belief. They went to various locations, such as the mall, and went shopping together. They even went to see a film. He discovered that Rosalyne was not a sappy woman, so they chose a horror movie instead of romance and spent the entire two hours inside the movie theater. The woman was a pleasant company, and they talked a lot on the way. They ate at a nice restaurant before heading to their final date location, a newly opened massive public aquarium in Liyue.

As soon as he finished talking with Thoma about his date with Rosalyne, his gaze fell to the innocent camera on his desk and instantly remembered what he had to do.

Right, the pictures.

He needed to go through all of the colored images to see which ones he should convert in post-processing. Converting all of his works to black in white was simple, but selecting good images with meaning and essence required some methodical thought.

He took so many pictures this time that looking through them all almost exhausted him. But then as he busied himself looking through it on his computer, he finally saw the first batches of his well-taken photos.

And that includes her candid shots with the maple tree.

It took him several hours to edit her photos and while he was doing so, he took his merry time admiring every flawless feature she possessed. Every photo of her was either unknowingly smiling, slightly frowning, or looking impassive— but every expression she made was so beautiful, that it was almost illegal in its own way.

That is, until he saw the last picture he had taken of her.

The image showed her in a turning motion. His zoomed lens was focused on her face up to her clavicles at that time, and the photograph was taken in landscape mode.

She was looking at the camera with a sharp gaze, her eyes almost half lidded, but he was able to capture the dark tones of her strikingly golden orbs with the help of the shadows. Ajax was completely enthralled by the image he had captured so perfectly. No matter how it was taken accidentally with a startled click on his shutter button, he was grateful for that embarrassing moment of almost being caught.

When he was done editing the pictures, he saved them in a new folder with a particular date— except for the last batches of her photos.

He created another folder with a name "Lumine" in it, in all capital letters with a content full of her perfectly edited twenty pictures.

All colored. Not a single photo being converted to his usual black and white photographs.

He was not sure what compelled him to leave it in its original color, but he had a feeling he shouldn't convert it to black and white.

Seeing her in black and white felt strange, so he left it in its original colors. He simply enhanced the photos and adjusted the brightness and contrast, making it more beautiful and cinematic than before.

This strange new urge of his compelled him to print the photographs as well. It was complicated, and he couldn't explain the strange feeling. But all he wanted was to see her finalized photos, where he could both watch and touch it. The desire to create a new album collection for work compelled him to do so, and it was then that he rummaged through his well-kept belongings for that particular unused golden picture album that he had had since high school. To be specific, it was a gift from his mother.

As he waited half an hour for it to be produced, the photos were finally printed. Despite being tired from too much sitting, he was energized enough to see the finished product. He carefully trimmed each of them except for that larger landscape photo and he dutifully inserted each photo inside his flat picture album.

He could not stop the glimmering smile from spreading across his face. He was not sure, but he felt a sense of accomplishment.

As he opened the album, he was greeted by his new work collection. His first ever colorized work that he produced and even secured it in an album.

Chuckling, he shook his head as he flipped every page and muttered. "I guess this is the first of everything."

After perusing the new album collection, he felt as fulfilled and completely refreshed as he had before. Something's missing, he noticed. He almost forgot to do something and had to reach for his paper tape to stick it on the front cover of the album.

A title. All of his work albums had their own names or titles.

As he held the pen marker in his hand, his thoughts all went back to his memories of her under the huge maple tree.

Blonde hair and golden eyes. A beautiful smile and a beautiful face. Lumine.

With a smile, he neatly wrote the first thing that he thought of.

Aureate