Paint You the Way You Are

CRUSH

HYUNJIN

Hyunjin was standing in his teacher's office. His hands were covered in paint and shaking slightly. The teacher looked at his final work for the umpteenth time and sighed. Hyunjin ruffled his hair nervously, not caring at all that he might get paint stains in it.

'You know, Mr. Hwang, I really like your brush strokes and just the way you paint... but...' Hyunjin felt a cold shower pour over him from head to toe. He watched the teacher's face carefully, trying to read some emotion in it, but his face was devoid of any sign of some expression.

'I have an idea. I really like your style of painting, but I really don't like what you've been painting all semester. It's always the same sad colors and always flowers or people that I, and I'm sure even you, don't know. I want you to bring me a piece that says you like something, that you feel a different emotion than you do here... these gloomy feelings. Do you understand?' Hyunjin stared at the professor, trying to absorb the fact that the professor was giving him one last chance to paint something. Unfortunately, Hyunjin couldn't even be happy. He didn't know what exactly he meant by that, but everything he had ever painted was in Hyunjin's head and he thought it sufficiently expressed his personality.

'My paintings reflect my personality. I don't know what you want me to change about them. I really have tried...' Hyunjin is cut off by the professor's raised eyebrow. What is he trying to say? His mind goes blank.

'Listen, if you're having trouble expressing your true emotions, I know an excellent painter...' The professor leans over and pulls a small pad of paper out of a drawer and starts writing something on it.

'This is his address. Tell him I sent you to him. He'll be happy to show you how to use your real feelings.' For a moment, the office was silent, just the sound of a pen running over the paper and then the sound of ripping. The professor handed Hyunjin the paper and slumped into his sliding chair.

'I think you have the best potential of all my students. I really want to give you the credit. I just think you can do better. I'll give you a deadline of month and a half. If you don't bring me the painting by then, I'll probably see you again next semester.' Hyunjin was furious. The bullshit he was muttering made no sense. That's why when he left the professor's office, he made it very clear how much he disliked this plan of his.

When the door slammed shut behind him, Hyunjin squatted down and put his hands in his hair. He couldn't believe that the class he had enjoyed the most through all of the semester, gave him the most trouble finishing. However, he was determined to show the old fart what he could do.

Therefore, as he took a brisk stride back to the classroom, he didn't care about a single glance the students from the other classes gave him. Hyunjin was pretty sure he was covered in colored paint from head to toe. After all, he had just spent all night finishing his final project, which hadn't got him to pass anyway. All heads perked up when he walked into his classroom.

'So, buddy, you got it?' Asked Han Jisung, his deskmate, the biggest jerk, and his best friend.

'No, the asshole said my emotions aren't in it. He's sending me to some painter who's supposed to help me improve. It's meant to be for my own good, the idiot said he'd love to give me the credits, but that he didn't see enough effort from me or whatever the reason for shutting it down was.' Hyunjin said in frustration.

'That's really sad, dude,' said Han. There was a moment of silence, but right after that, Hyunjin laughed loudly. Tears started to flow, and unfortunately, he didn't know if it was from laughing or from tiredness.

'Are you okay?' Han asked with his hand on Hyunjin's shoulder. Hyunjin didn't answer, just looked out the window as he started packing his brushes and everything from his easel.