The Artist Behind |Seongjoong|

7

After the conversation with Yonghwan-ssi, I fell in the dark again. All those hopes I had to find Hongjoong were now gone. If they couldn't find him all those years and even wrote him dead. Then what would be my chance to discover him? Probably near the impossible. Maybe I should give up. I thought while looking at the beautiful painting on the side of my bed. After all that I had? He wasn't involved with me in any way, and the only thing I had about him were a couple of paintings and diaries. We were strangers. How would he feel if one day an unknown guy find him and knock on his door?

"I'm sorry for doing all of this," I apologized to the portrait. I heard my voice cracking with all the sadness it was filled.

I lifted myself from the bed and proceeded to take him in my hands. Maybe it was time to return him back to the atelier. I reached my shaking hands to it, my fingers touched the canvas, and pain pierced my heart. I couldn't. Not yet. I wasn't ready to let him go on my own. I needed someone to push me to do it. Because my whole body ached to the thought of letting him go.

"Maybe one more night," I murmured before falling asleep, hand slightly touching the painting.

...

San:

I have been feeling uneasy since earlier today. The man Seonghwa hyung met gave me a bad feeling. Even now, at home, I still felt worked up. Something bad was about to happen. And it did. Someone rang on the door, and I ran to open it. On the other side was standing him, the man who flirted with my mom.

"Hello, can I come in?" he said, smiling kindly. But I didn't buy it. He had some ulterior motives, and I knew it.

"Do you have an appointment with my mother?" I asked, not moving even a millimeter from the door. I wouldn't let a stranger to my home.

"San, please, move aside. Yonghwan-ssi is our guest," I heard mom's voice behind me. With her here, I had no choice but to follow her order and let him.

I watched them walk in, flirting with each other, I couldn't stand it. He was a stranger with no right to act like this. It made me furious. And I was about to get even more cause it seemed he was staying for dinner. Well, I had no intentions to let him flirt with her as he wanted. So I quickly texted Woo, asking him to come for the night.

Soon, the four of us were sitting at the dining table having dinner together. I couldn't let the two flirt, so instead, I hit hard on my honey. We were loud and over each other. Mom even had to scold us.

"So, oppa, why did you come back?" mom asked the man. I felt disgusted by the way she was calling him oppa. The only one she could call this way was dad.

"It's actually thanks to your son and his friends," he answered her. "They shared some of Hongjoong's paintings online, I came to ask for some of them." he continued.

"Oh, is that so? Which paintings?" she got curious.

Her body leaned to him, she acted the same way she did with dad. I glared at him. Woo noticed it, he put his hand on my thigh. He squeezed me hard to get my attention. I turned to him, just in time to shove some food in my mouth. After that, the night continued in this manner. Until it was time for Kim Yonghwan to leave.

...

"I think you should give him a chance," Woo said out of nowhere while we were cuddling in my bed. I looked at him, annoyed. Was even my boyfriend on his side? Just great!

"Are you betraying me?" I asked him, glaring. He pouted, then kissed my cheek and bit me.

"I'm not betraying you, it's just that I haven't seen eomma so happy after your dad died," he told me all serious. I knew he was right, still, it was too hard to accept it. "Please, Sanie, just give them a chance to be happy," he whined again.

I gave up on his cuteness. He climbed on top of me and attacked my lips. Woo was absolutely adorable when he wanted something from me. I already gave up on his demands but wanted to play with him some. I let him seduce me. His lips tasted so sweet.

"Okay, I'll do what you want," I said at some point. Woo smiled happily, warming my heart.

I took his face in my hands and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. Then went back to cuddling him. He was my soft, warm baby.

...

Seonghwa:

Once I woke up, I went out for a run. Staying in the house was painful. And taking some alone time could help me clear my mind. During that time, my mind went completely blank. I didn't think where I was going nor what I had to do when I got back home. It was all blank, and the voice in my head was silent.

By the end of my run, I was in front of San's home. So my feet brought me here on their own. I guess that was a sign I needed their help to give up on him. The thought saddened me, yet I walked to the front door and rang the bell. It took some time for San to open the door. As expected, Woo had stayed the night, judging by the swollen lips and that new bite mark on his shoulder.

"Hyung? What are you doing here?" he asked confused, his sleepy voice was surprisingly husky.

"Please help me give up on him," I said. The words tasted bitter and almost choked me. Still, I knew that was the right thing to do.

He watched me wide-eyed before nodding slowly, letting me in to wait for him and Wooyoung.

Soon we returned to my place, having everything needed. I walked into my room just to get hit by a wave of hopelessness, I felt like crying. But behind me, my friends patted my back, giving me strength. It helped. With their support, I took the painting and his diaries from my room. Then we carried them up to the atelier.

Up there I placed the portrait on the tripod. Then proceeded to cover everything. Slowly setting everything the way I found it. The last thing left was the portrait. I walked close to it, holding the white clothing. I couldn't believe this was the last time I saw him. Taking a deep breath, I put the cover over him. Turned my back to him and walked to the door, ready to leave. Out of nowhere, I heard a thud of falling book. I quickly turned to look around and saw it... his diary was laying open on the floor. I went to pick it up and put it back on the table, but something stopped me. There was a new line written in it. It was his handwriting.

I'm still in here. Help me, Seonghwa. Painting...