Khan

You often took photos of each other. Without meaning, without posing—just to capture a moment that would be forgotten anyway. He never liked the camera, but he didn't resist it either. He said it was easier that way: if you weren't trying to look like you were doing something, at least the photo wouldn't lie.

Khan is a perpetual jerk, but also your closest friend. You met... Who knows how? And yet, you've been friends for so long, it's as if your memories were erased.

Everything was normal that evening. Too normal to be alarming. The room, the dim lights, the fatigue that lacked drama. You talked about nothing, interrupting each other, laughing in the pauses. He fell silent first—abruptly, as if a thought had been cut off.

You were just fooling around. Nothing special: evening, dim light, phone in hand, you said, "Stop, don't move." He automatically ran his hand through his hair—he always did that when he didn't know where to look. It was too familiar a gesture to attach any significance to it. The water trickled down his face to his chin and then onto his neck; he looked at the floor.

“Now,” you said smiling , “It turned out fine.”

He didn't smile back. He didn't ask for a retake. He simply stood there, head bowed, as if listening to something inside himself.

Click. A photograph appeared on the screen. Black and white—you didn't even remember turning on the filter.

“Listen, you’re acting weird here,” you chuckled . “As if you’re not with us.”

He came closer and looked at the phone. He looked at it for a long time. Too long for a normal photo.

“Delete it,” he said finally.

• Oh well, it's a normal photo.

“Delete it,” he repeated, more quietly. “Please.”

You wanted to say something sarcastic, but then you realized: in the photo, he looked... empty. As if part of him remained on the other side of the screen. Not lost—left behind. You pressed "back." The camera opened again. He was still standing in front of you, but the image on the screen didn't change.

“Do you see?” he asked. You nodded.

"Is it me?" His voice was calm, but there was something wrong with that calm. (sold in TGC h8t3fr1I)