the art within

chapter two: base layers

base layers are the fundament of a masterpiece. though they are simple, they are indispensable for a painting.

the first light of dawn seeped into the room, casting long shadows across jae's desk as he prepared for another day of classes.

he moved quietly, careful not to disturb his roommate still lost in sleep. each movement was deliberate, from the careful folding of his bedsheets to the precise placement of his textbooks in his bag.

this early hour was one of the few moments of peace in his day, a brief pause before the world demanded his attention.

as he stood by the window, sipping on a hastily made cup of instant coffee, his gaze drifted to the campus outside. the streets were just beginning to stir, a few early risers making their way to the library or morning practice, wakened by the sounds of peacefully chirping birds.

he could see the art building in the distance, its tall windows catching the first glints of sunlight. jae's mind wandered to the assignments waiting for him, the endless cycle of lectures and projects that filled his days.

but beneath the routine, there was a restlessness, an itch that no amount of academic achievement could satisfy.
just as jae took the last sip of his instant coffee, a second alarm rang out telling him to study. he shook his head, feeling as bitter as the coffee on his tongue, with his study ahead.

not three minutes later, his fingers were flying over textbooks and notes while his other hand danced across his keyboard, organizing a schedule that seemed to stretch on forever.

every morning while jae was studying, he had the feeling he was in some kind of trance.

his mind just automatically remembered the things he read while his pencil raced over the paper.

jae thought that this feeling, the feeling of deep concentration, distracted him from his thoughts and the reality.

a soft chime from his phone pulled him back to the present. he glanced at the screen—just another reminder of an upcoming deadline.

with a quiet sigh, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. today would be like any other, and yet, there was a lingering sense that something was beginning to shift, just at the edges of his awareness.

as he stepped out into the hallway, jae couldn't shake the feeling that today, of all days, something important was waiting just beyond the horizon.

but for now, all he could do was follow his usual path, one step at a time.

jae's first class was literature, normally one of his favorites but not today.

today jae's gaze remained fixed on the professor, but his thoughts were miles away. as he answered questions with a polite smile, he couldn't shake the feeling of being an outsider, an observer in a world that felt too noisy and demanding.

he sighed as he noticed that he missed the explanation for the assignment, knowing he had to ask one of his annoying classmates for help now.

the hours ticked by slowly as jae sat through lectures and engaged in quiet conversations with his classmates.

each moment in class felt like a small, unremarkable piece of a larger puzzle that he was trying to fit together.

while he answered questions and took notes, his mind often drifted to the looming deadlines and unspoken fears that plagued him.

as the final bell rang, signaling the end of another demanding day, jae gathered his things and stepped out of the classroom.
the cool evening air hit his face, a welcome relief from the stuffy confines of the lecture halls.

the bustling energy of the campus began to wane as the sun set, casting long shadows over the pathways.

with a weary sigh, he made his way back to his dorm, ready to trade the academic grind for the solitude of his evening routine.

the evening brought solace as jae retreated to his small, dimly lit room.

the reason he got up at four in the morning every day to study lay before him.

jae did it so he'd have time for his passion every evening without studying.

this passion was writing.

surrounded by stacks of notebooks and the soft glow of his desk lamp, he let his fingers fly across the keyboard, pouring his heart into stories that no one except him would ever know he has written, for the ghost writer who published them.

but he was happy that way.

literature was his passion, a passion not accepted by his parents who told him to study something "appropriate."

just like every evening, jae dived into his own fictional stories.

staring at the next blank page in front of him, jae's mind raced with thoughts of what would happen if his dual identities collided.

he feared that the world he had carefully constructed for himself might unravel, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.

after he finished with the last chapter, he got to bed and switched off the warm golden glowing lamp on his bedside table.

jae looked at the stars in the indigo midnight sky as he felt peace of mind.

the art of literature was his fundament, his base. it was what made him who he was now.

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(author's note)

omg people.

i

can

not

believe

someone is actually reading this shit.

let's pretend i didn't have a heart attack, was jumping up and down, screaming my lungs out, nearly cried and annoyed my friends because of this.

i love you so much, whoever is reading this, because you are reading this.

(oki some more pretending: everything i said totally makes sense.)

btw i would love if you comment, so i can give some readers credits, bcs i love you all so much, but if you don't want to that's totally fine. do whatever you're comfortable with, i don't want to push you to anything. 

excuse my ramble, now is the important part.

i am planing to post every 2-3 days, i hope that will work out.

there will be about 120 chapters, so that is settled too.

see you on sunday, chapter three is already waiting :)