Chances

Chapter 1: Art

In the heart of Boston, New York, a new art gallery was put up in display. It featured many artists all across Asia coming from Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Laos, Korea, and many others. Their works composing of landscapes with different subjects like the wild night life in Thailand's Red District, to the smoky mountain ranges in provincial Japan, and the underwater beauties that could only be found hidden in Indonesia's oceans. However, what drew the small crowd of art connoisseur and pretentious men and women alike, were the genuinely depressing photographs of Reyna Lee.

Each of the the seven differently sized photos hung up in the middle of the gallery, almost like a puzzle, putting together pieces that when looked at in one glance could be the exact image of despair. Reyna's style had a way of reaching into people's hearts and made it squeeze, so much so that it lead people to cry or at least close to it.

Kim Taehyung was particularly drawn to the biggest piece, a black and white photo of a dying tree. Or at least what it looked like. Dying. Leaves barely hanging onto their branches, like mothers letting go of their children only they had no way of coming back to them as the wind blew them farther and farther away. 'I can't believe this is real' Taehyung thought. He couldn't even imagine what it was like, being where she stood, taking a photo that seemed so ordinary yet the way it was framed, filtered, and angled, even how the indoor lights only seemed to add to the darkness. It was truthfully dreadfully beautiful.

"It's amazing isn't it?" A woman who looked about the same age as he did, spoke up next to him, also looking at the photo with glossy eyes. The more he stared at her the more he thought there was something more in them besides the tears. Guilt? Regret? Shaking those absurd thoughts away he merely hummed a response, not confident enough with his English to potentially have a full conversation with the beautiful stranger.

Noticing his hesitance to respond, she looked at him, really looked at him staring unashamed. She was only trying to determine what nationality he could possibly be, definitely Asian from his eyes, good be a mix of German due to his sharp facial features, maybe somewhere random like a Scandinavian country by how he dressed even. With his long mustard yellow trench coat, covering his all black turtleneck with slacks outfit plus the brown gingham printed beret would mean he came from a country with cold weather. 'Nope he must be Asian' was her final conclusion when she saw he was wearing Birkenstocks, no socks, 'if he could I'm sure he'd prefer to be barefoot' she guessed.

"I said it's an amazing photo, right?" She tried again in Korean this time, her mother tongue. If that didn't work she at least knew a little bit of Chinese and Tagalog and if none of those worked she'd just give up and do what she came here to do. Thankfully, he smiled at her, a little bit of shock and relief flooding the handsome man's facial features "Very amazing!" he responded with so much enthusiasm she couldn't help but smile.

"I was just thinking how sad but beautifully sad it looked. Really, really amazing work." He gushed over the piece, making her almost feel bad that she was going to buy the photograph. Almost warning him she replied saying "I can't agree with you more. My father actually really likes this artist and her style so I came to buy this particular photo." She was trying to see how he reacted from the corner of her eye, really hoping he wouldn't be disappointed or try to outbid her for the piece.

"Wow really? I wanna buy some art too but I can't right now, I live with 6 other guys and there's not enough room at our place currently."

"That's a relief." She had released a breath she didn't know she was holding and even worse had released the thoughts that came with it. She instantly bowed as a form of apology for being so blunt and Taehyung just chuckled telling her it was okay. As a formality he put out his hand, introducing himself "I'm Kim Taehyung, from Korea." To which she replied with " Choi Dahee, currently residing in New York but I have family in Korea." She shook his hand, smiling towards him. She added the last part as if an explanation as to why she knew Korean even if she hadn't been back to Korea in almost four years.

Taehyung wanted to continue the conversation already telling her that his hometown was Daegu and had asked her where in Korea she or rather her family stays in. She didn't really know how to tell him that she didn't know what her hometown was, something pretty shameful considering she still grew up with Korean values, but thankfully she didn't have to say anything since the art director of the gallery had excused himself into the conversation, reminding her of the transaction that still has yet to take place.

"Oh yes, I'll be with you." She thanked the art director before apologizing to Taehyung and telling how nice it was meet him and you hoped he would be able to buy art for his own someday soon. With that he watched you vanish into the many walls of the gallery. Shrugging and taking one last look at the artwork he moved forward, texting Namjoon he was ready to leave.