Life - haobin

4

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Hao smiled as he saw Hanbin's pencil easily flickering over a piece of paper he lent to him, carefully and carelessly forming the shapes of the table that had set itself in front of them. He watched as Hanbin sighed and set his pen down

"I'm not good with pencil drawing" he explained. Hao smiled and shook his head

"It looks good" he replied, watching as Hanbin looked back down at the paper with an evident crease on his forehead

"Really?" he questioned. Hao nodded

"Better than what I could ever do"

Hanbin laughed, folding the paper and placing it on the side of the table

"Is that difficult? To be better than you, I mean" he asked. Hao rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee that had been resting on the table for a while already

"If you're asking if I'm good at drawing, then the answer's no" he answered truthfully. Hanbin laughed dryly, following Hao's actions by taking a sip of the now-cold drink. It didn't taste great, but he ignored it. Most things didn't taste great to the boy at the time; he was very picky. He set it down, trying to hide his face of disgust by looking around. There wasn't much to look at, once you've lived in the town for years. It was always the same; a bright sun, a calm wind, and green and brown everywhere, flowers marking growth on the concrete pathways. A typical town in the countryside; nothing much.

"I can't wait to get away from here" Hanbin whispered. Hao looked at him with furrowed eyebrows

"Why? It's beautiful and peaceful, what is there not to like?" he asked. Hanbin shrugged

"I only came here for inspiration. Once I feel satisfied, I will go to the city, visit the most beautiful museums, paint on the balcony of an apartment, and enjoy my life in the frenzy" Hanbin answered. Hao smiled and nodded

"You're a city kind of person then?" he asked, and Hanbin shrugged

"I like to change environments from time to time"

Hao hummed, looking up at the sky. It's light blue made him smile, it's peacefulness and stillness affecting his own attitude

"You say you haven't found your inspiration here?" he asked and Hanbin nodded. Hao sighed, confused

"How come? Your paintings are beautiful... I see them all the time at the gallery" he said. Hanbin shrugged, fiddling with the spoon that was given to him along with his drink

"The paintings just show emotions and meaning. I need something more... more significant. Something always seems to be missing from my paintings," he explained "I came here thinking that I would find whatever is missing"

"And you didn't?"

"No... not yet"

Hao hummed, wanting to ask questions, but scared that he was pushing it. See, writers are curious. They write depending on what they hear, see, or experience. They collect everything into their own stories to represent a part of themselves.

"Your paintings... they're always sad" he finally said, cautiously looking at the boy opposite him

"Yeah... and?"

"I mean, normally art is represented through the emotions of the artist. I read that in a book" Hao explained. Hanbin coughed before sending him a mocking smile

"We got ourselves a nerd, do we?" he said teasingly. Hao rolled his eyes before Hanbin continued "Yeah. Typically I prove my emotions through paintings"

Hao nodded, looking at him with a sad smile. He didn't feel the need to ask him anything more; he understood. Emotions, emotions, emotions... artists can never escape. The feelings are never light, they are always strong. They scream into the piece of art that they make, wishing to prove a point.

Hao didn't like knowing that the unknown boy was in such a slump. He sees it though. He saw the bright surroundings, flowers of all colors, the stink of perfume and fresh clothes, and a sun brighter than any smile, with a dark figure in the middle of it all; Hanbin, almost like a painting of itself. Contrast between what a beautiful world shows, compared to what it hands to its people; pain, misery, solitude.