The lesson went quite smoothly, he was like a sous chef, while she handled everything and explained each step carefully. They moved elegantly in sync. She told him what to do, and he followed her instructions.
“Were you scared?”
“What do you mean?”
“That day, when you broke the window”
“Oh.. well, I’m quite dramatic, aren’t I?”
Something in one of the rooms caught Ji-won's eyes; it was a painting, different from the others.
“That painting, it has a different vibe.” - Jiwon
“You’re right, I painted that when I was studying psychology, actually, psychology and art are quite connected” -Haein
“Yeah?” - Jiwon
“Paintings carry different meanings and emotions; they can bring out different feelings in different people, depending on their perspective. Everything, including the art style, the colors, the very strokes, and the overall image, carries different interpretations based on the individual.” -Haein
“What do you see in this painting? Or rather, how do you feel when you look at it?” -Haein
“It looks creepy and cold, it’s calm, yet it feels quite pressuring” -Jiwon
“Mhm, I can see that. But at the time, it was more reassuring for me.” -Haein
She said confidently, staring straight into his eyes. Her past was not a flaw to her.
“This? Reassuring?” -Jiwon raised his eyebrows in confusion
“Yes, it’s like this, art comforts the disturbed, and disturbs the comforted. At the time, it was comforting, but now that I look at it, you are right.” -Haein
At that moment,
He felt something different. He wanted to get to know her to find something on her, a leverage. But the more they talked, the more he realized someone like her has no secrets.
Her struggles are not a weakness nor a flaw; they are a strength that shows how she overcame her hardships. Unlike Ji-won, her pain was not hidden behind alcohol or the smell of cigarettes. She painted them on canvases, turned them into something meaningful, mesmerizing, something that cannot be told simply in words. The softness of her brushstrokes, or the harsh ones, they were all a reflection of her state of mind, and she wasn’t intending to hide that.
A lump grew in his throat; he was puzzled. It was the first time he didn’t know what to do next, what strategy to take, what more games to play. All of his plans were disrupted by a sudden feeling, a feeling he couldn’t explain. He wasn’t mad or upset that things didn’t go his way; he was more amused. It’s like when a scientist discovers something new, unaware of its danger or its beauty. He wasn’t sure what this had meant, but maybe it ignited a small spark of hope; no matter how small it was, he wanted to rely on it.
Oblivious to the plan Jiwon made for the next day, Hae-in spoke hesitantly, softly, and quietly; she’d possibly hoped she’d speak too quietly for him to hear.
“Are you busy tomorrow?”
“No.” - Jiwon spoke before he could even think; he’d already thrown all his plans out the window, like somebody’s life didn’t depend on it. Unknowingly, that unsure question had saved somebody’s life the next morning.
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