candid clicks | lee heeseung

019: another version of reality

THE APARTMENT was finally quiet, Yeseul stretched out on the couch, exhaustion weighing down on her after the chaos of the night. Chaerin had gone home earlier, leaving the space eerily calm. The sunlight streaming through the curtains felt warm but gentle, and for a moment, she allowed herself to breathe deeply, soaking in the peacefulness.

Her eyes landed on the old vintage camera sitting on the counter. A faint, almost fuzzy memory of the night before flickered in her mind. She could vaguely recall holding the camera- its weight, the familiar click of the shutter- but she couldn't remember why.

With a curious glance, she picked it up, feeling the worn leather strap between her fingers. The camera which hadn't worked properly since her photoshoot, was now functional again, buzzing faintly in her hand as she turned it on. A soft hum, almost like music from the past, filled the air.

She clicked through the photos, expecting random shots or blurry images from the chaotic night.

Instead, she found something surprising.

Each photo was a snapshot of moments she didn't remember. And more curiously- every image was of Heeseung.

One captured him leaning against the kitchen counter, another with his eyes half-closed in a tired yawn. There was even one where he seemed deep in thought, staring out the window as if caught in a reflective moment. Each shot seemed spotaneously yet oddly perfect, like scenes from a nostalgic memory.

But how could that be? She barely remembered anything from last night.

Her mind raced, but instead of fear or confusion, there was s sense of warmth. It was like looking through a portal to a forgotten summer, a sense of deja vu washing over her. She could almost hear a gentle melody in the back of her mind, like a song she hadn't heard in years.

But before she could think too deeply about it, she grabbed her phone and messaged Chaerin.

Yeseul:
Hey, you busy? Something kinda weird happened with my camera.

Chaerin:
Weird how?

Yeseul:
Just....can I come over? It's better if I show you.

Later, at Chaerin's house, the two sat on her bed, scrolling through the pictures together.

"Wait- when did you take these?" Chaerin asked, her eyes wide as she flipped through the photos. "These are really good, Yeseul. Like really good."

"That's the thing," Yeseul replied, leaning back with a sigh. "I don't remember taking any of them. And it's all....it's all him." She pointed at the screen where Heeseung's face was captured in a soft light, looking almost dreamlike.

Chaerin giggled, teasingly nudging her. "Maybe your heart knows sonething you don't, huh?"

Yeseul rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the small smile forming on her lips. "It's not that, Chaerin. It's just....I don't know. There's something about these pictures."

Chaerin continued to scroll through the images, and suddenly, one photo stood out- a shot where the lightning was just right, with Heeseung staring straight at the camera. His expression was soft, almost as if he knew the camera was capturing something beyond than just a simple moment. It was like a memory had been frozen in time, but not just any memory- something that felt familiar and new all at once.

Chaerin leaned back, clutching the camera in her hands. "You ever think some things just....happen, you know? Like, maybe this camera's magic or something. Or, you know, maybe it's got a twinkle of it's own." She wiggled her fingers dramatically, causing Yeseul to laugh.

"Yeah, right," Yeseul scoffed, but there was a tiny part of her that couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was different about these photos. They weren't just pictures- there was a sense of connection in them, as if they were showing her a version of reality she hadn't yet noticed.

And that thought, while it should've been unsettling, was strangely comforting.

Chaerin, being her usual self, quickly moved on, already talking about their next plans for the weekend. But Yeseul couldn't help but glance at the camera one last time before putting it back in her bag. There was something strange and magical about it now, something she couldn't quite explain.

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