alis || namjin

2

2 years later

~

He walked around the art gallery, taking his time to gaze at each of the pieces, and to listen to the feedback the viewers were unknowingly giving him.

The gallery soon was filling up with people, the art being admired and offered. The artist was anonymous to all, going only by the name RM.

He liked anonymity, being able to walk around his own gallery, simply watching people and chuckling at how no one knew who he was. He truly did like it this way, though. Fame was never his intention, he only wanted to share his art with the world.

This art show was his chance to sell his sculptures and let the public see them through display and bidding.

The prized centerpiece of the show, the only item not for sale, was a sculpture of large, majestic wings.

Other sculptures in his gallery included more familiar pieces. A statue of a hand, imperfect to some, but beautiful to the artist. A statue of a masked face, with soft curls leading into a mullet.

It was magical. To have his own sculpting studio, to have an art gallery, to have an art show. Even after his ex, the woman who broke his heart, told him he was talentless, he was making it in life now. It was rather ironic, having his gallery opening 3 years from the exact day she left him.

It was Namjoon's angel that was his reason for success. Although those mentioned items were not for sale, they were his most famous pieces, gaining him popularity, getting him offers to buy his other art, and allowing him to open up a gallery, his most prominent dream. He was rapidly gaining success, with influencers commissioning him to make a piece for them.

However, he lived a lonely life, with no partner, no lover, and only a small number of friends. Ever since his last girlfriend, he found himself unable to fall in love again. Except, whenever he sculpted pieces of his angel, he felt sparks and uncontrollable feelings of desire. It was only when he sculpted that he felt these emotions. He missed his angel. After showing his face to Namjoon, he never spoke to him again.

Sometimes, the artist felt his angel was only a fraction of his imagination, an image his own mind created to keep him sane. That's because it was so unreal- having a guardian angel.

Namjoon never told his friends about any of it- even his closest friend, his childhood friend, Jung Hoseok. The pair had been together since elementary school, sharing everything with each other. It pained Namjoon, that he wasn't able to tell Hoseok about this. But it was something just too personal.

From what Hoseok and Namjoon's other friends could see, after he broke up with his longtime girlfriend, he moved, and for a year was resting. Namjoon moved back on January 1st after his angel disappeared.

That was when he started taking sculpting seriously.

Hoseok had been a key supporter of Namjoon throughout his journey to becoming a famous artist. With his bright ideas and overwhelming support, he was always there for his friend, today not being an exception.

Together, Hoseok and Namjoon mused around the gallery, stating they were RM's managers and were willing to help with what they could. They offered insight into the sculptures to potential buyers and reminded the viewer to stay, and wait for the auction to begin.

~

In the crowd of people hoping to buy a piece, a man caught Namjoon's eye. A long black coat. Dark grey pants. A white dress shirt. Dark leather shoes. He was dressed simply, yet fancy. You could tell he was an admirer of art. His face was relatively pale, with sharp eyes piercing each sculpture he gazed at. He was fair and handsome. Most of all though, he looked wealthy.

Yet, during the auction, he never raised his hand to bid once.

One by one, the sculptures sold out, until finally, they were finished. It was so peculiar, to Namjoon, that this rich-looking man had come to an art auction, and stayed throughout the entire thing, only to buy absolutely nothing.

Soon, the auction began emptying, as it was officially over. That's when the pale man spoke.

"How much would I have to pay to buy those wings?".