The Stranger Who Knocked On My Door (Michaeng)

Chapter 4: Myoui Nara

Moon Art Gallery, Whitechapel High St, London, United Kingdom

Chaeyoung walked aimlessly around the art exhibition. He was in daze. He drew in a deep breath and looked around. The gallery was crowded. It had been a week since the opening of his art gallery and the amounts of people visiting was increasing day by day. The gallery opening became a headline in various articles and attracted a lot of international buyers. His artworks were given recognition and he was praised for his artistic talent. His arts that vividly portrayed his emotions made him far more than an outstanding artist. He had also collaborated with rising artist to help them build their own stage and displayed their artwork in his gallery.

Chaeyoung smiled. His hard work indeed paid off.

"Mr Son,"

Chaeyoung turned around and saw the director of the gallery, Mr Austin. He was responsible for leading the day-to-day operations. Mr Austin smiled, "Mr Son, I wanted to ask you if it would be possible to take off early tomorrow for my daughter's birthday. If you prefer, I’m happy to take the entire day off, but figured since I’m available part of the day I could easily come in and still get my works done"

"Tomorrow is your daughter's birthday?" Chaeyoung asked. Mr Austin nodded, a wide grin carved on his face. Chaeyoung blankly stared down at that floor. He wondered when was Myoui Nara's birthday. He hoped it wasn't on December. She'd receive gifts wrapped in a Christmas paper. He snapped out of his thoughts and diverted his attention back to the direction, "Take the day off tomorrow. I'll take care everything here. Happy birthday to your daughter,"

Mr Austin thanked him and left. Chaeyoung was stuck thinking about his previous thought. The fact that he had a daughter and been playing over and over in his head as the day passed by, though he'd told himself not to dwell on it each time. He could no longer ignore it. Chaeyoung sighed and glanced at the woman beside him. She was the art curator, responsible for interpreting the artworks. Chaeyoung scratched his temple and sniffed awkwardly. He scooted closer to her. Chaeyoung grinned, "I'm sorry for bothering, Ms Anne. May I ask, what kind of gifts does kid like these days?"

She tilted her head, "Kids?

"Girl," He added, specifically.

The curator giggled, "For your daughter, Mr Son?"

Chaeyoung shook his head vigorously, "No no, it's----uh for my niece" he bit his lips. He had always been a bad liar, "My cousin's child. I'm thinking of buying her a gift but I'm not really good at this,"

It was a lie. She could see right through him but decided to brush it off, "How old is she?"

Since he donated around eight years ago then that kid's age must be less than/or eight years old. He didn't really know. He hummed and made a random guess, "Around seven?"

She had raised her head slightly now, propping her chin on her fist, thinking, "Seven-year-old girls can have a huge range of interests," She started, "If she likes to dress up, you can buy her fashion doll or salon-style manicures. If she likes to play outdoor then buy her a scooter or tricycle. If she likes reading then buy her a bean bag chair or a book. It depends on her hobby and interest. What does your niece like?"

Chaeyoung couldn't answer. He pressed his lips together and thanked her for the suggestion then walked away. He went inside his office, slumped in his seat and closed his eyes. Somehow, he was sad,  frustrated and upset. He knew nothing about Myoui Nara. Then guilt slowly consumed him. He felt guilty for having those feelings, aware that he had no right to. He needed to put this to an end.