the truth untold + rain

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Every picture has its own story. Every person could interpret it differently.

Similar to art, people have their own perspectives towards something. Junhui could relate a lot to Jihoon whenever his friend constantly complains about people who were unable to take his art positively, when in reality there was nothing positive or negative about art. Junhui doesn't get it most of the time, but he always manages to attempt a reply.

The picture he took when he was on top of the hill; Junhui remembered when he skipped the wine party his parents held at an enormous cabin. He didn't know where he was going, but he loved the fresh air and the smell of earth around him. He loved the thrill of not knowing where he was heading to, the uncountable pictures he took with green and earthy tones. Junhui loved the spectacular view on top of the hill, wishing he could live there forever. Nobody would disturb him, and nobody would pressure him with expectations and statuses.

What about the picture of the streets of Hongdae in the rain? That was taken during his first year in uni, struggling with a new language and a new lifestyle. New people; some that scowled at him and some that looked at him with obvious heart eyes. Junhui felt anxious when he decided to head to a café alone for the first time. Still struggling with the new language, he orders in textbook Korean. It was strange how the person at the counter still didn't understand what he was saying, so Junhui just sort of gave up and pointed to whatever he wanted instead.

There was no one on the rooftop, probably because it was raining, but Junhui found comfort in rain. There was something he just loved about the rain.

It was just amazing; how drops of water, a downpour or a drizzle, the grey of dark clouds, the thunder and flashes of lightning could change how the city looked in one minute. In a second, it would turn gloomy. Not every rainfall brings a gloomy mood though; some come with light blue skies and a hint of sunshine. Some preferred the light drizzle, some adored thunderstorms, and some just - well - disliked the rain wholly.

Junhui disliked those people too.

It was hard to believe, but Junhui had a lot of polaroids pasted on his wall by his bed. And no, it wasn't for some mainstream tumblr aesthetic, he just did it because it was something that reflected himself. Whenever he looks at a picture, a lot of memories just come rushing back to him in so many forms; people, songs, emotions, you name it. That rush was what Junhui loved the most.

Judging from his rack of different cameras, you would probably think he works as a photographer for a magazine, or perhaps even major in photography. But surprise surprise, Junhui was a computer science major, which he absolutely hated. He sees no point when his parents forced him to move here just to study a course he didn't even have any interest in; all because of status and titles. Don't get him wrong; Junhui loved his parents, but there are (always) times when they don't ask for what he wants or what he thinks before making a decision. Junhui wasn't as diligent as his mom who has a PhD, and he wasn't as hardworking as his dad who was the assistant executive whatever fancy title he had in a business company, neither did he loved science as much as his little brother either. He was the only one who stuck out like a sore thumb in his family, all for being a regular rebellious artsy teenager.

Artsy, Junhui cringed whenever he labelled himself using that term. Well, Jihoon's artsy. That's pretty obvious, but he's pretty sure Jihoon hates being called that too.

Unlike all the other boys he knows in this apartment, Junhui goes to a different university, a much more prestigious one, as his father says, although he thinks it's just filled with a lot of prestigious assholes. Junhui wonders why the kids in his uni are filled with stuck up rich brats. They could've at least not wasted their parents' money by not studying here.

Still, Junhui tries his best to balance his life with his studies. He'll admit, he might be a teeny bit smarter than other people, but Junhui doesn't really think it's something to brag about when he doesn't even enjoying what he's studying. At one point in his life, Junhui's actually decided to become a chef when he graduates, but all that disappeared when he almost burned the kitchen down while trying to make fried rice. He was banned from the kitchen since then. Junhui still loves fried rice, though.

In a nutshell, it seems like Junhui's identity crisis came a lot later than usual; his finally arrived when he already signed up for computer science, when he's already packing his things to go. It was too late to turn back now. Don't get him wrong; Junhui's loved photography ever since high school, purchasing countless disposable cameras (he still does) to use whenever and wherever. But he didn't realize it was something he wanted to permanently do. Those three years in high school; he dedicated them to studying for good grades so that he could become a surgeon, or a doctor, or maybe an engineer, everything that he doesn't even want to be now.

Wen Junhui sometimes felt like he wanted to rebel; maybe blackmail his parents that he would stop coming to school and move to Pennsylvania if they didn't let him change his course. Maybe just disappear without a trace to Bangkok, stay at a guesthouse and hitch a hike with the local people. Maybe he could even buy cans of spray paint and vandalize the neighbourhood's apartments; just for fun.

Those were just three of his many delusions that won't ever happen. Junhui doesn't know; perhaps studying was driving him crazy.

Here he was again, leaning against the edge of his balcony, staring at the uncountable droplets that came from the sky, showering down on everything; the smallest of plants by the sidewalk, the cracks and holes in the concretes, and even the people who were rushing in this rain; hustling around for meetings or finding umbrellas. Junhui wished people could stop and look at the beauty of the rain through his eyes. Anybody could see it, but nobody really cared. In this city of nothing but concrete monochromatic buildings where everything is a buzz, nobody really likes the rain that much anymore.

Junhui looks at the view through his lens, a flash of lightning, a click, another photo.

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hello

oml i know jun isnt an angsty teenager irl but like ok i cant help it he's still a kid inside dont worry ok he'll open up soon

i just want to make jun this lowkey shy quiet 'um get away from me' kind of kid just because he's awkward and still childish inside. i love jun. you love jun. we all love this man named wen junhui

i am sobbing

- cee