Evanescent | Sung Hanbin ZB1

Ch.11 Our Sunrise

The sound of shutters diverted Hanbin's attention from the magnificent sunrise, and he realised that Dal's camera was pointed towards him.

"Are you taking photos of me?"

"It's a part of being my assistant." Dal, who was caught red-handed, remained unfazed by Hanbin's sudden questioning.

"Do I get to keep those photos?"

"Of course, if you want to." The camera was still in front of her face, with her finger continuously pressing the shutter.

"For free?" It had literally been two days, but Hanbin had already gotten a lot more comfortable with Dal that he could casually make jokes and act silly around her.

"Yes." She chuckled at his unexpected concern.

"Should I pose for the photos?"

"Just act like I'm not here and enjoy the sunrise. You don't always have the chance to watch the sunrise from Seoraksan."

Hanbin obediently shifted his focus back to the bright orange sphere that was creeping up the horizon.

"Is there someone who you would want to share this view with?" Hanbin asked as he was indulging in the sentiments of the sunrise.

"Mhm." She gave an affirmative answer.

"Who?"

"I don't think we're close enough for me to tell you everything about my private life yet." Her gentle gaze fixated on his backlit side-profile.

"Ouch, I feel rejected now. I thought we were finally getting closer." He turned around all of a sudden. Despite being flustered, Dal held up her camera again in the most natural way possible to avert Hanbin's gaze.

"Who gave you that illusion?" She teased jokingly. "How about you? Do you wish Iseul-ssi was here with you?"

"It would be great if I could come here again with Iseul, Iseo, Hao hyung, and our families." He said while nodding in response. "Even if I send them a photo now, they won't be able to fully comprehend the beauty of this view."

Dal would be lying if she said she wasn't glad that she was the one who was sharing the view with him, even though her superego was making her feel guilty for feeling this way. But a tiny evil thought wouldn't hurt, would it? And to be fair, he had a lifetime to watch sunrises with whoever he wanted to.

She secretly hoped that regardless of all the sunrises he would be seeing in his life, he would remember this particular one. She knew for sure that no other sunrise would ever be the same for her. Dal had seen countless sunrises at the most wondrous places on earth, but still, nothing was comparable to this one simply because Hanbin was here - he was the most beautiful view.

.

The two of them sat under a pavilion near the sea while enjoying an early dinner with beer after wrapping things up for the day.

"Why did you want to become a photographer?" There was a lot about Dal that piqued Hanbin's interest and he genuinely wanted to know her better.

"I had a habit of recording significant moments and events that happen around me in words and illustration since I was little, but then eventually I realised I wasn't that good at writing or drawing and started exploring other means of recording. Then I found myself taking photos with my dad's digital camera all the time. I guess that was when I started getting into photography." As Hanbin listened, he pictured a little girl holding a camera everywhere she went, and that visualisation brought a smile to his face.

"It is honestly quite amazing how photos help us preserve memories." Dal continued. "When you look at a photo, it reminds you of the memories you had during that time. And it doesn't just capture a moment in time; it also captures the emotions and relationships of the people in the photo as well as the outlook of the photographer. Even when two people are standing at the exact same location and looking at the exact same view, the photos they take could convey very different sentiments. Not to mention how people perceive the same photo differently too. And I think the amount of space it allows for interpretation is what makes photography beautiful." Hanbin looked at her, waiting for her to continue.