Purity || Nine Percent You Zhangjing

Chapter 1

"How long have you been working on that piece, Meng Yang?" A Thai accented voice floats through the air, making me look away from my work.

I turn to see a soft, black-grey hair colored girl staring back. She is sitting on a chair with the back of it in front of her so she can rest her hands on it.

"About a month," I reply as I look back at the painting. I reach for a blue just as I hear her climb out of her chair. The squealing of the metal scraping the ground as she brings it closer.

"A month?!" She exclaims as she places the chair right next to me. As I stroke the blue oil paint against the canvas, out of my peripheral vision, I see her pick up an open red paint tube. I quickly put my brush down and lightly try to remove the paint from her hands. She throws me a weird look as I take it and place it back on the table.

"Yes. A month, Sarai." I place a smile on my face as I watch her look over the paints. "What have you come to me for today?" My smile never dimming.

"I've got to come up with a new fashion line for class," She explains. I give her a confused look. "And it has to be based around one of the arts. So, I thought what better than my own roommate for the inspiration!" She says trying to sound cherry but, I could still hear the irritating defeat.

Sarai Krianqsak has never asked anything from me. We never talk or see each other outside of the dorm room. No one even talks to me, honestly, besides the unavoidable exchange of words. If anyone wanted to talk to me it was never anything good.

Not that I never wanted to befriend anyone. I would always jump to the chance to talk to someone. In fact, I am normally the one to start any conversation with a stranger. They just never last...

Not when there's a large bullseye painted on my back.

"Well, what can I help you with?" I pip trying to snap out of my thoughts.

"I want to know about your life. How an artist lives." Her words make me freeze. The sides of my smile dipping for a split second.

"I don't think you want to know about my life. It's quite boring." I say trying to throw a bashful wave at her.

"Sure I do. I just need enough inspiration to create a line." She says looking around. "Someone passionate!" She enthusiastically looks back at me.

'But...I'm not passionate about oil painting...'

"Why don't you look for someone else?" I ask, turning back to trying to finish my painting.

"I don't really feel like finding someone else. Plus, I can do this all day until you agree!" she stubbornly turns towards me and crosses her arms.

"I know you can. You and your Taurus enhanced stamina just so hard to shake off." I jokingly 'tsk' at the end of my words.

"Then it looks like I win!" She proclaims as she extends a finger out in my direction.

"Or I could just freeze you," I mock her in a similar stance of my own. My hands drew out in the air as if I was going to cast something upon her.

"Hey now! No fair. Don't use any Aquarius manipulation powers. You would possibly kill me by freezing my body." She quickly reacts by wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

"We don't know that. Your body is equipped to withstand a lot of things, especially being a Taurus." The words come out seriously, but within a few seconds, the room fills with our laughter. "Well...can't my paintings be enough of an inspiration?" I sigh as I point at the other paintings coating the private art room.

"I guess..." I hear her mumble as she raises from her chair. I shake my head still laughing about how our conversation sounded when I see the clock.