A picture would be all one gets to keep. They say to take as many as you can to protect your memories. I only have one. Because after all, I know the truth. That you can't really take a picture of it because it's already gone.

~

When I awoke in the morning after too few hours of sleep Yonghwa wasn't laying on the futon on the floor below me anymore. I set up in bed and rubbed my swollen eyes, combing my hair with my fingers a little. Then I got up.

Exiting the bedroom through the curtain I stood in the tiny kitchen of the trailer when I heard a guitar. So I opened the front door to step outside.
Infront of the trailer in one of those folding chairs we had sat the night before, Yonghwa was playing his guitar, a piece of paper and a pen laying in his lap. He stopped strumming the strings when he saw me.

“Sorry... did I wake you up?“ he said, his voice still a bit raspy.
I shook my head “Are you composing?“
He nodded, flipping his hair back “Yeah... I woke up with this song and idea in my head...“
“What's it about?“ I sat down on the other chair.
He smiled, showing his little snaggletooth “Innocence? … I'm not sure yet...so far it's just a melody, some chords... I think it actually needs a piano...but well, as for the theme...all of those thoughts about life being complicated last night made me long for something simple.... again.“
I chuckled “So...instead of starting to live this simple life down here in the coutryside you just trap that simplicity in a song tied to a melody?“
He looked at me, opening his big eyes even wider “Oh... I like that...“
“Yeah... sometimes I get lucky,“ I chuckled.

Yonghwa started strumming the melody again that he had been composing when I spotted his mobile phone in the grass infront of him, at his feet. I remembered how it had been buzzing last night before I had fallen asleep.
So I looked at his face as he was humming along with his own tune, his hair falling down on his face as his eyes were half closed, being completely engrossed in the music that I noticed my expression becoming to endearing.

Then for some insecure reason my mind drifted away to the likelihood of the buzzing sound being from a message his ex-girlfriend had sent him. Suddenly the thought entered my mind. She knew he would come to Seoul, she probably expected him. She maybe had no clue that he had taken this detour and that he would arrive a day later. She maybe was waiting for him, waiting for them getting back together. Just like he had deemed it possible himself.

But then... a lot had happened since he had said those words.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I saw Jungshin approaching from the house.
He waved “Guys... come on in for some breakfast before we leave! Ah.. also, hyung... I have made that copy of our demo you wanted.“
“That one's for you,“ Yonghwa smiled at me, putting his guitar in its case. Then he turned around, his voice was soft “Let's go!“
And so we both got up, walking towards Jungshin and back into the house.

~

I found myself in the driver's seat again and on the road towards Seoul an hour and half later. Somehow we had managed to stuff Jungshin's things into my old station wagon after basically rearranging everything.

Yonghwa was sitting in the passanger's seat again. His posture was as relaxed as ever.
“You know... we're just lucky I left some of my guitars with friends in Seoul and we didn't have to get them all into the car.“
I opened my eyes wide in surprise “So... you have even more guitars?“
I heard him chuckle “Of course, I'm a musician after all.“
“Oh I see,“ I laughed. “I didn't know that the more instruments you have the more musician you are. I always thought that a good musician can handle so-so equipment. Plus, real artists have to be poor and all... to continue with the clishees, you know...“
I looked through my rear mirror at Jungshin who had his earphones in and looked out of the window at the cars and scenery that were passing by.
“Eyy... don't look at Jungshin,“ I heard Yonghwa saying in a mischievous tone.
“What?“ I chuckled, wondering what he really meant.
“Just look at me... I'm totally handsome and you know it,“ I could tell he was grinning.
I laughed out loud “What the...? Ah yeah, and in addition, you are super modest too, right?“
“Eyyy... are you saying I'm not handsome... or are you saying I'm not modest?“ he pretended to be sightly appalled.
“Handsome... whatever... but you can definitely be a bit cocky,“ I stated a bit bluntly, still laughing.
However, it seemed like I had struck a chord. I could tell it made him slightly uneasy “But...no...I'm just... confident.... I mean, I was just joking before...and actually, I do believe in confidence being a good thing.“ 
I smiled at how much he cared “Sure...sure... confidence is fine... but one has to be careful not to come across as cocky... is all I'm saying.“
By his nervous reaction I could tell he got a little flustered “What? I'm just... I'm really...no...nooo...I'm everything but cocky!“
His voice sounded almost a little nervous. From the corner of my eyes I tried to steel a glance at this expression. Then I sighed “I know... I know... I don't really think you are actually cocky... just... maybe... I feel like sometimes you act a bit more confident then you are because... because then you get the approval that allows you to be confident, I guess? That's why you can maybe come across like that... even if I don't think you actually are it... sorry... if I.... I dunno....“ I started to feel slightly sorry midway through the sentence as it seemed to be his sore point.
But suddenly Yonghwa sat up straight and flipped his hair out of face, looking at me with his eyes open wide. He didn't seem offended, instead he sounded almost impressed “Huh... I was always under the impression I'm pretty good at figuring people out... but you are... you are... huh. It does proof me right however – real recognizes real indeed....Also... there's definitly something I will be able to learn from you.“
And I could tell he was smiling proudly.

“Anyway... to get back to what we've talked about before... I am handsome, right?“ his playfulness seemed to be back already a second later. 
I laughed “Oh wow... so humble.“
“'Ahh... he is handsome'... that's what you thought when we first met, right?“ he leaned in a little towards me, looking at me up close from the side and nodding, trying to convince me to agree. “'Ahh...so handsome'... that's what you are thinking right now, huh?“
I still laughed and shook my head at his silliness, trying to focus on driving “Ah... whatever... okay... yes, you are handsome.“
At that he sat up straight again immediately. In the corner of my eyes I could see him smiling too proudly.
“So what?“ I chuckled.
“Well, I'm handsome and you know it,“ he grinned.
I shook my head again laughing “Yeah... you are. But so what? Is that supposed to impress, is that a special talent? It's just luck....plus in the eye of the beholder anyway.... I guess you've been told you're handsome a lot in your life...but I'd never think highly of anyone just because of their looks.... Also, thinking about it... it's somehow an unfair advantage... a benefit you can cash in on while others have to work twice as hard....“
The moment I said it, I regretted that last part. I didn't even mean it. I bit my lip. So I quickly added “I'm sorry that... came out wrong... sorry... of course I believe you still work hard.... It's just....I'm simply so over looks. People become beautiful for many reasons, no matter what they look like. You are traditionally pretty good looking... but it's also traditionally something overrated...“
A second passed, then I could hear him exhale loudly “See... you say people who look good have it easy. You say I look good. Then why the hell do I feel right now as if I have it twice as hard convincing or impressing you because of it?“
I answered unconsciously while passing a truck “I never said you couldn't impress me.“ 

Then I bit my lip. 
It was a small slip of tongue.
But it didn't go by unnoticed.
I saw it. 
Yonghwa leaned back in the passanger's seat, grinning a bit to widely.

My heartbeat quickened nerviously, so I tried to alter the topic a little as quickly as possible “Ah well... so I guess, you've been the popular kid your entire life... I have always wondered what that's like. I mean, not that I was an outcas