It’s not often you meet your friends. So when you do, it seems unreal. 

You lost count of the hours you’ve spent at this bar, underneath the darkening sky and only warmed by candle fire. Having not finished even half the glass of wine, you were already losing focus, although you’d blame the company instead of the alcohol. 

That’s not to say the present company was bad. 

You couldn’t remember the last time you saw Gahyeon and Handong in person. 

Clashes with work and missed opportunities, struggling with large time zones and packed schedules, and mostly the fact that all three of you were scattered across the world. After spending every second with them during your college years, depending on them after every misfortune… it was strange to separate, to go different paths. To go from texting every day to failed attempts at video calls to quick updates every few months. 

It was isolating and disheartening. 

Yet here you are, in front of them, as if not a single second passed. Able to pick up right where you left off, many years' worth of conversations and secrets and anecdotes came flowing endlessly. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted, you couldn’t stop sharing or listening.

This is why you weren’t sure when you stopped paying attention to Gahyeon’s tale but instead focused on just soaking the pair in. Watching Handong’s little smirks before her gentle sips of wine when Gahyeon has to place her glass down to talk animatedly, eyes wide and gestures expressive. They were slightly turned to each other, all in their own little world. 

At the beginning of your friendship, you often found yourself far away from the two, unincluded in a moment such as this. The thought seems so ridiculous now, you had been so naive and insecure because at this moment, all you wanted was to observe them… just exist alongside them.

Body reacting to your thoughts, your hand was already in your pocket, searching for your phone. 

Like you’ve done a million times before, you opened the camera, switched off the flash, focused on the pair and caught them mid-conservation. As always, they will be none the wiser. You have so many more moments like these, of the two of them, none of which they are privy to because they’re for you to admire. 

You studied the picture on your phone when Gahyeon suddenly asked. “Is everything okay?” 

The moment those words were uttered your neck snapped up, worried that something was wrong. Instead, you found both Handong and Gahyeon sharing concerned looks trained on you. Glimpsing at your phone, a smile forms on your lips when you see the candid moment you captured; Gahyeon was grinning widely with her hand covering her mouth, while she shared a glass of red wine with Handong, who wore a similar warm smile. 

“Hmm, no, everything is fine—let me take photos!” In an instant, their concern was replaced by exaggerated groans, you chuckled while steadying your phone. 

“Do we have to?” Handong whined, although her actions seemed to disagree as she was straightening herself. 

Shaking your head, you waited for them to get ready. Or at least, you pretended to. 

Double-checking that the flash was turned off, you snapped multiple pictures of the pair, some with them fixing their hair, wine glasses placed on the table before being taken back, most with them deciding on how to pose. Would they complain your ears off if they found out that you took these pictures? Yes, absolutely, but again, these were for you to laugh at. 

“Are you guys done?” You asked with a sigh, but still lighthearted. 

Handong only rolled her eyes in response as she posed with her wine glass in hand, looking away from the camera, Gahyeon followed her. Then they placed their glasses down, deciding to lay on each other as they stared right at you through your phone screen. Gahyeon seemed like she was pouting while Handong had a soft smile. Even under the starless night sky with only candlelight to illuminate them and the grainy texture of the camera, they still managed to look beautiful. 

Just as you were about to lower your phone, the pair shifted again, grabbing their wine glasses and posing as if they were asked for a picture while drinking. Scoffing, you took one last picture before bringing your phone closer to examine the photos. 

“Send those to me right away, I want to post them,” Handong demanded before taking a sip of her wine. 

“Hey, are we not taking a photo with you in it as well?” Gahyeon asked. 

“Nah, my wine glass is in it, that's enough of me.” You said, grinning at the photos as you waited for them to deliver to Handong’s phone. 

Gahyeon mumbled something before fishing for her phone, making a clear display of taking photos of you—a better display would be that she was very tipsy. 

Pretty soon, the previous dynamic returned, and Gahyeon had begun telling her adventures again. Though this time, she was slightly turned towards you, mostly so you couldn’t catch her by surprise again. Handong had finished her glass of wine and had brought her legs to her chest so she could have her chin on her knees. She was wearing a proud smile, intently listening to Gahyeon while occasionally sharing knowing glances with you. 

It could be months or it could be years before another moment like this occurs. You could never really tell what might happen, so you decided to focus on the present. After taking one last look at Gahyeon and Handong’s very first picture of the night, you pocketed your phone and paid your full attention to them. 

any feedback is much appreciated.