She is Homophobic || FreenBecky [Completed]

Chapter 33

Just like Irin had mentioned yesterday, Freen had her own booth, and it was no tiny setup. She had taken over the entire stage due to the overwhelming demand from the students. Numerous students were eager to purchase her artwork and get a chance to meet Freen in person, even though her signature already adorned each piece.

I glanced at the girl standing in front of me in line and asked, "Should I wait here?"

The girl recognized me, exclaiming, "Hey, you're Becky Armstrong, right? Can we take a quick picture?" I nodded in agreement.

Feeling a bit awkward, I posed for the photo, wondering why she wanted a picture with me. She informed me that this line was for those not interested in the framed artworks. She pointed to some chairs in the middle and advised me to take a seat there.

I followed her suggestion and spotted Irin waving at me from a seat she had saved. I joined her and settled in, waiting for the event to unfold.

After a few minutes, Freen emerged to engage with the people in line for her smaller artworks—paintings on small canvases without frames. As there were just a dozen or so people in this line, Freen decided to interact with them first.

Irin nudged me and whispered, "She hasn't seen you yet, that's why she looks sad. Look."

I turned my gaze to Freen, noticing her forced smile while attending to the students.

"She'll feel better soon," I assured Irin, glancing at the paper bouquet I had crafted the previous night. It wasn't extravagant, but I had put genuine effort into it. I hoped it would help mend our relationship.

"I heard that Prof. Kim wants her to sing a song. Someone made a request," Irin added.

"Who requested it?" I inquired.

"Fungi," Irin replied with a shrug.

"She's a painter, not a singer," I scoffed.

As Freen continued serving her customers, I locked eyes with her. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, prompting me to lift the paper bouquet as a gesture that I had come to offer it to her. She responded with a wider smile.

Curious glances from the surrounding crowd made it evident that they were wondering about our interaction.

"Did you know that Freen is being criticized on the fanpage?" Irin shared while Freen continued tending to her customers.

"Why?" I questioned.

"Some people are claiming that she's pretending to be homophobic for attention. Luckily, she's not very active on social media," Irin said, expressing her displeasure.

Following the initial group of customers, Mushroom brought a stack of sketchbooks to Freen's table. Freen expressed her gratitude to him and they exchanged a few words before Freen turned to me, motioning for me to come forward. I stood up, now drawing the attention of everyone. I hadn't anticipated that there would be such a large crowd eager to buy her artwork. I silently wished I had given her the flower bouquet in private.

"You came," Freen greeted. "I thought you were still upset."

"Yeah, I was. I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls last night. I was busy making this," I said, handing her the paper bouquet. Her smile widened as she accepted it.

"Thank you. This is the best gift I've received," she remarked, motioning for me to take a seat.

"Freen, you can't spend too much time with her. There are other customers waiting," Mushroom interjected, eyeing me skeptically.

"Sorry," Freen apologized before turning to me. "Feel free to choose one of the sketchbooks. I'll give it to you as a gift," she offered, her smile unwavering as she headed backstage.

The sketchbooks were neatly arranged on the table, all featuring identical covers. I selected the top one and returned to my seat.

People around me expressed their envy, remarking how fortunate I was to receive an entire sketchbook from Freen.

"Let me see," Irin requested, taking the sketchbook from my hands.

While Irin inspected Freen's sketches, my attention was fixed on the stage, wondering what Freen was planning. Would she really sing? I thought I was the only one who had heard her soft, melodic voice. Though she hadn't mentioned it, that's what made me feel special.

"I thought she's not into portraits?" Irin asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at her. "Why?"

"Look." Irin showed me the sketches of me while sleeping, eating and reading inside Freen's room.

Freen was sketching me everytime I was in her room.

As the venue lights dimmed, Mushroom came out. Sitting beside me, he sighed when he realized he had chosen the seat next to me. Irin quickly hid the sketchbook and cleared her throat.

With the lights returning, Freen reappeared on the stage, waving to the cheering crowd.

"I apologize, but I won't be able to sing an entire song. Our time is limited," Freen chuckled.

The crowd's enthusiasm persisted, prompting an instrumental to play in the background. It was a slow, mellow song. Wait, I recognized this song, but it was being performed differently. Freen had transformed its rhythm into a gentler one.

"Oh, pretty baby. Don't bring me down, I pray," Freen began, her gaze fixed on me.

"Oh, pretty baby. Now that I've found you, stay," she continued, walking toward me as the audience erupted in cheers. Freen maintained an intense gaze in my direction, her smile radiant.

"Let me love you..." Freen paused right in front of me. "Baby, let me love you."

Mushroom stood up and grinned at her, but Freen's focus remained on me.

Was she seeking my approval? My heart raced, unsure of how to respond.

"Let's give her a round of applause," Mushroom intervened, prompting applause from the crowd. He guided Freen back to the stage, preventing me from asking her about the lyrics of the song.

"I really need to find an antifungal solution tomorrow. Fungi is really getting on my nerves," Irin commented, sighing in frustration.