Always Forever

#1 That's why I love you!

"Oh, God!" Hana screeches so loudly, it gathers the attention of the sparse number of onlookers who are left on their home balconies. Conscious of what she did, she lowers her voice. "Seriously! He has a girlfriend and you still love him? Bong-soon, you should wipe away all the feelings you hold for him! Just forget him already!"

"You think it's easy to forget someone you love?" Bong-soon shakes her head and tears her gaze away from the flower shop.

Pretty flowers on the display appear as just colourful dots from the distance. The shopkeeper is shuffling them back into the store, flipping the closed sign towards the street. Guk-doo is no longer in the vicinity.

Bong-soon looks at Hana. "Don't worry. It's been a year already since he's been with... Heeji and... I'm fine." Though her chest hurts a little she puts on a smile like she always did, praying Hana won't notice. "I'm just fine having these feelings for him."

Hana sighs heavily, wrapping an arm around the girl, pulling her into a side hug. "Oh Bong-soon, I wish you didn't have to bear this burden."

Bong-soon barks a laugh. She's not sure if she's in pain or is bearing a burden. The feeling has gotten so much older. She doesn't know what she feels anymore. If there's one thing that remains certain all through the mess, that's her love for Gukdoo. She still loves him. He's her then, now, forever.

She drops her head, ashamed of hanging onto the feelings. He has a girlfriend and she shamelessly is holding the candle of flame all for him inside her heart.

Hana ruffles her hair, perhaps realizing what's going on in her head. "Let's go to the art studio of yours! I've only seen it on the phone and never got to visit. Guk-doo said the roads aren't safe, let's hang out a bit longer in your studio."

***

"It's small but it's mine. I call it Studio Do!"

Bong-soon pushes open a framed wooden door leading to a single room attached to the side of a cottage. The cottage and the room both face the street, receiving plenty of sunlight in the day.

No high-rise buildings are around. Small wooden picket fence framing the entrance, ivy adorning the outer walls, it's a small but cosy place, perfect for making art. And it has a great, unobstructed view of the street from the inside.

The interiors are prominent. The space could be less than 200 sq feet but neatly organised. A desk lined near the south window, a single foldable bed propped against the far northeast corner, indoor plants tastefully arranged near one wall while the other holds a mirage of paintings hung on them.

Two chairs and a coffee table are in the middle while several works in progress stay scattered, canvases of various sizes sitting atop easels of the same variety.

"Wow... you're so talented." Hana can't help but praise her best friend's work. One in particular a lone woman running in a flower field captivating her eyes more than any other. Titled Freedom Run. The everyday cityscape and every other piece — Bong-soon did a splendid job of capturing the essence of what she was painting.

"I knew it..." Hana sighs appreciatively, touching a WIP, relieved that her fingers didn't end up with wet paint on them. "I knew you were talented but this is at another level. Your art improved a lot. I'm so proud of you. You've been working so hard, clearly. Have you considered starting a YouTube channel or something like that? You have to showcase your talent. Recognition doesn't come to you dear, you have to chase it, Bong-soon! Put yourself out there."

Bong-soon plops down on a wooden chair with a sigh. "I know... it's not like I'm waiting. I'm figuring out my options and maybe my time hasn't come yet. I tried a few graphic designer jobs but nothing was working. No art dealer's accepted my hand-painted works either. I'm not disappointed, no. I'm just waiting for things to get right."