candid clicks | lee heeseung

021: change, for the better or worse?

THE PHOTOSHOOT had gone smoother than expected. Despite Heeseung's so-called 'rivalry', he'd been suprisingly easy to work with. His ability to switch between playful expressions and intense gazes caught Yeseul off guard, and she'd found herself focusing more than usual to capture the right shots.

Heeseung pulled his jacket over his shoulders as they wrapped up the afternoon light casting long shadows over the studio.

"Not bad for your first time photographing a 'star', huh?" He remarked, all hints of 'rival' him fading away, replaced by a slight grin.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips."Don't flatter yourself. The camera was doing all the work."

Chaerin gave her a sheepish nudge as she gathered her things to leave, the playful gleam in her eye not going unnoticed.

"Anyway, I'm off. Don't get too distracted on the way home," she winked at Yeseul, her meaning clear. Chaerin always seemed to pick up the smallest changes in mood between Yeseul and Heeseung.

Yeseul could only manage an embarrassed laugh, waving Chaerin off as she left.

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Heeseung, Sunghoon and Yeseul began their walk to the apartment. The streets were starting to quiet down, a cool breeze cutting through the late afternoon air. Sunghoon had been quieter than usual, a rare occurence. He lagged behind slightly, hands in his pocket, seemingly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Heeseung had walked a few paces ahead of Yeseul, his usual confidence masking a newfound awkwardness. His mind wandered to the way she had been focusing on him earlier, the determined concentration in her eyes. He'd caught himself thinking she looked.......different today. Something had shifted, but he wasn't what.

"You know, you've got good eye for this stuff," Heeseung said casually, without looking back despite the urge to.

She blinked slightly, caught off guard by his compliment. "What? Are you actually giving me credit?"

He let out a faint smirk, "Don't get used to it. I won't say it again."

They fell into a comfortable silence, but she felt an odd undercurrent in the air, something she couldn't quite place. Maybe it was just the exhaustion from the long day.

Her phone buzzed softly in her pocket, and she pulled it out absentmindedly. A notification from her anonymous instagram account caught her attention.

It was a comment on one of her recent posts. The account had become something of a secret project for her- a place to share her candid clicks without the pressure of her peers knowing. Only Chaerin knew about it. But this comment was....strange.

syl1009: Your lenses see more than just the surface. Soon, it'll show you what's beneath.

She frowned at the cryptic message. She quickly opened the comment thread trying to figure out who had left it, but the user's account was private, with no posts or followers. It wasn't the first time she's noticed strange comments like this, but something about this one unsettled her more than usual.

Sunghoon, who had been quietly walking behind, noticed her furrowed brow. "Something wrong?"

She pocketed her phone quickly, not wanting to bring it up. "No, just...tired, I guess," she shook her head.

He gave her a lingering glance, the familiarity of high school memories coming back to him in a flood. He shrugged it off, trying to dismiss the small tug of feelings he hadn't wanted to acknowledge, "You sure? You seemed off today."

She glanced up at him, offering a weak smile, "Just a lot on my plate with the shoot, exhbition and...everything."

He nodded but didn't press further. He couldn't shake the slight unease he'd been feeling whenever she was around. His feelings- once clear- cut during high school- had resurfaced in ways he hadn't anticipated, and that frustrated him. They were supposed to be just friends. That was the plan.

Heeseung, who had been walking ahead, slowed down and turned slightly to catch their conversation. His gaze flickered between her and Sunghoon, and for a brief moment, something unfamiliar stirred inside him. He shook it off, chalking it up to tiredness, but the faint tension didn't go unnoticed.

As they continued walking, her mind kept drifting back to the strange comment. The way it was phrased felt like the person knew something about her- something about the way she saw the world through her lens. But how could they? Her anonymous account was, after all, her safe space.

They finally reached their building, the quiet hum of the city behind them as they stepped into the dimly lit hallway. Sunghoon began to climb up the steps but his brother stayed fixed to the beginning of the staircase, watching her. His expression softened slightly, almost hesitant.

"Good night?"

She was caught off guard by it, even though it should've sounded normal, people wished each other 'good nights'. Rivals don't.

"Good night?", she said awkwardly.

He gave a small smile before heading up with Sunghoon, leaving her standing there, confused and unsure of what to make of the subtle shift between them.

Sunghoon, meanwhile, who had watched the exchange from the corner of his eye began to feel a faint unease settling in his chest. He clenched his jaw slightly, brushing off the nagging thoughts, but deep down, he knew something was changing- whether he liked it or not.

🎞˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡˚