The Subject

For most of my life, the subject was always someone else. It was someone i adore. It was the Star. It was the Gaki. I was the photographer, standing safely behind the camera, obsessed with capturing their light, their story, their beauty. I defined myself by my proximity to them. I was the 'Singer' for her harmony. I was the 'Brother' for her chaos. I was the 'Researcher' for the world.

But 'The Subject' is about what happens when you finally turn the camera around.

It is terrifying.

When I cleared the frame—when the relationships ended and the titles faded—I had to look at who was left. Just me. And honestly? I didn't recognize the guy in the viewfinder. Without a muse to chase or a goal to conquer, I felt hollow. I realized I had spent so much time being a supporting character in other people’s movies that I forgot to be the protagonist of my own.

This episode isn't about finding the right girl. It’s about the hardest assignment of all: learning to stand in the center of the frame, alone, and being okay with what I see.