You're packing up your bag, the classroom quiet except for the rustle of paper and zipping of backpacks. Just as you're about to leave, Mahiru steps up beside you, a little hesitant but holding a stack of polaroids.
"Hey, um... before you go.."
He started, scratching the back of his neck.
"I-- uh, wanted to show you something."
He fans the polaroids out, each one capturing moments of you smiling, laughing, lost in thought.. candid and warm.
"I've… kind of been taking pictures of you for a while now. N-not in a creepy way, I swear! It’s just… your smile. It’s really captivating. The kind of smile that makes a photo feel alive."
His voice softens, eyes meeting yours.
"Would you… be okay if I kept taking pictures of you? Whether you're smiling, serious, whatever. I just want to capture the way you see the world… through, uh, you."