Return of the Genius Photographer

The airplane soared through the dark sky.

Taking off at 10 PM, the flight was scheduled to arrive in Korea after about ten hours, landing in the morning.

By the time we disembarked, a new day would begin. That’s why long flights like this always seemed to blur your sense of time.

Even if I opened the window, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness outside.

Most of the passengers were fast asleep, ready to greet the morning upon landing, but I was too excited to sleep.

The flight was incredibly comfortable.

Although I was supposed to fly back in economy class since the return trip wasn’t covered by expenses, Jung Woong had generously paid for a business-class seat out of his own pocket.

I was enjoying the spacious and luxurious seat, and I was starting to think I might never want to fly economy again.

The quiet, tranquil atmosphere of the plane made it easy for me to reflect on everything.

This trip to Australia had been an excellent decision.

Initially, when Jung Woong offered me the opportunity, I was worried I wouldn’t have time for personal photography.

However, those concerns were unfounded, and I ended up taking far more photos than I had anticipated over the week.

The trip had flown by so quickly that I hardly realized how much time had passed, receiving lots of unexpected gifts in the process.

That was the reason I felt so elated.

Perhaps because of that, the anxiety and discomfort I had felt during the departure flight, burdened by memories of my past life and concerns about the future, had now melted away.

For the first time, I had experienced a positive flight, and not just because I took so many photos—I also felt mentally refreshed.

A newfound confidence blossomed within me, like I could take on anything.

‘Someday, I’ll come back here.’

I nodded to myself, making a promise.

Australia had left me with only good memories, and I wanted to return one day to capture even more moments. Though it was a bit difficult now, there was a photo I had left behind. I vowed to come back for it.

As the plane sped toward the morning, the sky gradually lightened. Watching the horizon brighten beyond the window, I finally felt the closure of my Australian journey.

“You did great, helping out all the way in Australia.”

“Oh, no, I had a wonderful time. Thank you.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. Here, take this for your travel expenses.”

“Oh, that’s okay. You’ve already treated me to business class on the way back.”

“Nonsense. Take it.”

As we left the airport after landing, Jung Woong handed me some money without warning. Flustered, I tried to refuse, but he insisted and stuffed the cash into my pocket with a firm tone.

He added a few words as well.

“You’ll also be paid for your work this week. The deposit should come in soon.”

“But we didn’t work the whole time, did we?”

“That’s because you did such a good job,” he said with a grin, patting me on the shoulder.

To be honest, considering all the kindness he had shown me during the trip, I would’ve been grateful even without any pay.

“Thank you,” I said, bowing my head sincerely.

Since I had returned, the best decision I had made was building a connection with Jung Woong. His generosity had been a huge help to me.

“If you’re really thankful, come help me tomorrow. After seeing your skills, I think you’ll be useful.”

Though we had returned to Korea, the work wasn’t over. The photos we had taken for the magazine still needed post-production, and given the outdoor shots, there were likely many variables to consider—meaning plenty of work ahead.

“Of course.”

It wasn’t a problem for me. I had my own photos to edit anyway. I readily agreed to help Jung Woong.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, get home safely.”

After bidding him farewell, I took a taxi back home.

Standing in front of my house, I felt a wave of emotion. Even though I hadn’t been gone for long, it felt surprisingly nostalgic.

I stood by the door for a moment, gathering my thoughts, before slowly stepping inside.

“I’m home!”

“Oh my, you’re back already?” my mother called from the living room, startled by my sudden appearance.

“Yes, I didn’t expect to get here this early either.”

Of course, I knew exactly when I would arrive.

But I had purposely kept it from my parents, knowing they might push themselves to meet me at the airport if they knew.

It wasn’t meant to be a surprise, but seeing her so shocked, I could understand her reaction.

“Oh my, look at your tan! Did you even put on sunscreen?”

“No, I forgot. The sun was strong, but I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“You must have been tired. You look like you’ve lost some weight…”

My mother inspected me from head to toe, concerned, as if she were trying to spot any changes. I knew this could go on forever, so I quickly presented her with the gifts I had brought to divert her attention.

“What’s this?”

“Some souvenirs. There were quite a few nice things to buy.”

No trip abroad is complete without bringing back gifts.

I pulled out an assortment of items I knew she’d love—cute cups with matching coasters, creams that were said to be good for the skin, and a variety of vitamins. My mother’s eyes widened in surprise as I laid everything out before her.

I had also bought some duty-free cigarettes for my father, but I would show those to him later when he came home.

“Did you buy all this with your own money?”

“No, Photographer Jung Woong got them for me.”

“He must be quite something, to buy all of this… Be sure to thank him properly.”

“Of course, don’t worry about that,” I replied, trying to downplay it.

Talking about Photographer Jung Woong always worked well to deflect tricky conversations.

After seeing me win the photography contest, my parents had stopped interfering much with my work. They weren’t entirely comfortable with me earning money at such a young age, but since I hadn’t abandoned my studies, and given that they’d seen how people reacted to my work, they had accepted it, giving me more freedom.

In fact, they seemed to believe I was officially apprenticing under Photographer Jung Woong. While not entirely wrong, as I had learned a lot from him, this assumption made things easier, and there was no need to correct them.

Thanks to this, I had been able to go to Australia without a hitch.

“Anyway, I’m jealous. You’ve already been overseas. I wish I could travel abroad at least once,” my mother sighed softly, gazing wistfully at the souvenirs.

Her words left me momentarily speechless. It hit me all at once—I had never considered it before.

Of course, I knew, if I had thought about it even a little, that my mother had never traveled abroad, or even gone on a proper vacation nearby.

Suddenly, it felt like I had been showing off, flaunting my trip overseas.

My mother’s small lament stirred something inside me, a pang of guilt.

After a moment of silence, I spoke quietly, but with sincerity.

“Mom, next time, let’s all go together.”

I smiled, trying to sound as casual as possible, but meaning every word.

“Yes, let’s. Anywhere would be nice,” she said, returning a small smile. But that smile didn’t feel as happy as it should have.

“Mom, it’s only been a week, but why don’t we eat out today?”

“Right now?”

“Yes, it’s lunchtime. How about we grab something delicious together? We can get some fresh air. I’ll treat you.”

“Shall we?”

I kept smiling as I gently led my mother outside. She hesitated but soon followed, and the cool breeze greeted us as we stepped out.

Though this gesture could never fully repay her, I made a silent promise to myself that I would give her the proper thanks she deserved one day.

With that lingering guilt tucked away in my heart, I decided to simply enjoy this time with my mother today.

****

Jung Woong’s arrival time at the studio was always set. Whether it was raining or snowing, he would show up at 10 a.m. Not too early, but not too late either. It was a time that could be seen as ambiguous, depending on one’s perspective. However, there was no particular reason for him to choose this time, other than to accommodate the people at the studio.

As he got older, waking up early became easier, and arriving at the studio earlier wasn’t a challenge. However, he knew that if he showed up early, the assistants would feel obligated to arrive even earlier to prepare, even if he didn’t ask them to. To spare them the pressure, he preferred to arrive a little later.

The day after returning from the photo shoot in Australia, Jung Woong still came in at 10 a.m., as usual. Despite the lingering fatigue from the trip, he appeared as composed as ever.

“Good morning, Photographer-nim!”

The receptionist greeted him warmly the moment he walked in. After not seeing him for a week, she seemed genuinely pleased to welcome him back, her voice bright with enthusiasm.

“Good to see you. Nothing major happened while I was gone, I hope?” Jung Woong asked, his tone light as he inquired about the past week.

The receptionist, as if waiting for the chance to update him, quickly responded, “Nothing much, but we did get some strange calls yesterday.”

“Strange calls?”

“Yes. We kept getting calls from abroad, asking if there was someone named Kai here in the studio.”

“Kai?”

Jung Woong frowned slightly in confusion. He knew everyone who worked at his studio, and no one went by the name Kai.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a mistake?”

“I thought the same thing, but when I asked for more details, the caller said they were from the Australian magazine Trevor Monthly.”

The more the receptionist explained, the stranger it sounded.

Why would a magazine in Australia be looking for someone named Kai at his studio?

“The time zone and location made me think it could be related to you, so I asked them to send you an email instead.”

The receptionist, who had been working at the studio for years, was efficient in handling such situations.

“They said they would send it right away, so it should be in your inbox by now.”

“Good job. I’ll go check it out.”

Jung Woong thanked her before making his way to his office, his curiosity piqued.

‘What’s going on…?’ he wondered, feeling a strange unease as he hurried to his desk. He quickly opened his inbox.

—Trevor Monthly—

There, at the top of his emails, was one from Trevor Monthly.

The email explained that a photographer named Kai, who claimed to be affiliated with his studio, had submitted photos to the magazine. They were impressed with the images and wanted to feature them in an upcoming issue. They were reaching out to confirm the affiliation and proceed with the publication.

‘Submitted to Trevor Monthly?’

Trevor Monthly was a well-known magazine, even to Jung Woong. It featured high-quality travel photography every month, serving as a great resource for photographers aspiring to capture stunning travel photos. He himself occasionally perused the magazine for inspiration.

The more he read, the more confused he became. Who was this Kai, and why had they claimed to be from his studio?

‘Could it be…?’

A thought flashed through his mind. He scrolled down to the attached images, his hand moving slower as if bracing for what he might find.

When the image loaded on the screen, his eyes widened in surprise.

‘This photo…?’

Just then, a knock on the open door broke the silence.

“Photographer Jung Woong, I’m here to help with what you mentioned yesterday,” Woojin said as he entered the room.

Jung Woong stared at Woojin for a long moment, unable to speak.