The Great Artist // NINE PERCENT Chen Linong

07

○ Ne ne ne ne ne never stop ○

He started asking her questions about her relationship with the CEO. They varied from the start of their relationship to all the things that has happened between them. But none of her answers make sense to him.

The writer was having a hard time thinking of what was going on with the artist and her love life. He has never encountered such scenario nor has he ever read a book with this kind of problem in it.

The whole scenario was all jumbled up because one time they're like this and on the other, they're like that. He was new to this type of problem and he was very confused with it. He did try his best in coming up on what was happening between the two.

The writer thought about everything, connected the dots and he understood more of the whole problem but he still wasn't sure about everything he was thinking of. He suddenly got an idea on what was happening between the two lovers.

He looked up at the artist who was looking down to her feet due to both confusion and uneasiness maybe with a hint of weariness and fatigue as well. She felt eyes boring into her and spared a glance at the writer who was undoubtingly looking at her.

"Do you... do you possibly have any idea on what's going on?"she asked when she was unsure of her own question herself. The writer looks away, thinking of how to word his thoughts. He wouldn't want to embarrass himself because of his choice of words in front of the great artist now would he?

He sighed and slowly nods. The artist looks at him, expecting for something to be revealed, maybe some mystery among the relationship she had with the CEO without realizing it herself. The writer cleared his throat before speaking out the words he was going to say to her.

"I- I may have some ideas on the scenarios of what you described from the questions I asked you but... I have never had such a confusing encounter of a relationship. So I'm not completely sure of what I'm thinking. What I'm saying is that... just hold on for a moment, bear with him for a while until I'm sure of my answer" the writer said.

The answer wasn't quite what the artist had predicted it to be and she was honestly kind of disappointed in it but it's better then nothing. She nods and decided to go with what he said, bear with him for a while. Because her case wasn't any cliché ordinary case at all.

It isn't the type of story where the woman refuses to let go of the man and ends up being heartbroken, no. It was no sappy romance story where the man won't ever let go of the woman either. It wasn't the type of story where both would fight for their own love, through every hard obstacle and say that they would go through hell for each other, no.

It was the type of when the woman is confused and is questionning her love for the man. When the man was just fine with anything that happens to their relationship and that sure isn't a cliché romance story you see every time someone would ask for a sappy romance movie or anything.

It was something like a story when the woman doubts their relationship and was afraid of what was to come. It was a story where her love was betrayed, but in this case they aren't even sure of their surroundings and what was happening.

The writer left the artist soon after that, going to rest for the night. It was near midnight and he needs to sleep to be able to work his mind to write his book which was still unfinished due to the amount of time he needs to procrastinate on the words.

And that night, both couldn't sleep. As much as the writer hated to admit, he had to accept the fact that he had developed a tiny crush on the great artist. "爱的不知不觉" as the writer would say. It means "Unknowingly falling in love". He quoted that from a song he likes "特务J" or "Agent J".

Whereas the artist was still doubting her whole relationship. Was it all a game all this time? Was it just some stupid joke, a bet perhaps? She didn't know. All she knew is that her intuition tells her to believe in what the writer said. She was doubting her lover yet she believes a man she has just met for no longer than a month.

It was absurd and yet she couldn't say why she believes in the writer so much. She didn't know what has gotten into her when she started trusting him, believing him to keep her secrets and deepest worries safe from the earshot of the public.

Publicity... her worst nightmare. The media and press for successful and influential people like herself are harsh. They don't care what happens, what they care is that the news would be groundbreaking or even be heard worldwide. It's what most people would think of anyways, wealth.

The world is full of heartless and malicious people, she thought. People can say and act like they mean it but they're just faking it in the inside and find a replacement for someone as if it was squeezing a lemon. She hated the thought of having someone replace anyone in the world.

She thought that it would be way easier for them to do that in the future with the advanced technolongy and everything. It would be like some certain humans replaced by robots or possibly even cyborgs ever existed and that wouldn't be good.

The artist was worried, worried of how the world would become if none of the games they played as children was ever played again. Of how the world changes. Out of all her worries, she was most worried of how the world wouldn't stop spinning.

She was worried... what if what everything the writer had speculated and suspect of her and the CEO's relationship was right? What if she couldn't move on and instead remain shut out from the true world that lies beneath the many layers of mysteries and lies? Most importantly, the fact that the world won't stop when she's depressed or unable to move on.

But then again, would anyone care about it? As she thought, they can just easily replace her, so why should she worry so much about it? Shouldn't she be relieved that if she's gone from the world, none will mourn on the loss? She was overthinking things again and was starting to have doubts.

The thoughts in her mind was driving her mad and it was overloaded with unlimited possibilities and outcomes of how things can go. She was starting to lose her mind and just decided to rest for the day. She wouldn't want to go berserk just because she was overthinking things.

So she just lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She sighed as the thoughts started to come back to her again, like a broken videotape, it keeps repeating in her head. She shuts her eyes to prevent the thoughts from coming back to her. And so finally she fell asleep after several attempts to let the voice of doubt stop voicing out its thoughts in that tired mind of hers.

But little did she know, the one who asked her these things in the first place, was suffering from his own restless thoughts himself. He was afraid. What if everything he said wasn't at all real, what if it was yet again just another stupid speculation?

He couldn't stop the thoughts from coming back into his head. He couldn't stop the idea of being wrong all along from flowing through his mind. He couldn't stop the voice in his head from going around and repeating itself in his mind. He didn't want his mind to be a broken videotape and end up being mentally ill like he was many years ago.

He was now paranoid of being wrong and he was in a dilemma. Should he just stop seeing her and just stop all his dumb suspections to stop all these problems from entering his mind? But then again, when he thought about it, everything he had said may be a possibility of what was happening.

Their relationship was crumbling to dust and he must help, even if it means to shut his feelings for the artist and let her be with another man who can make her happy more than he can, a man who she truly loves with all her heart. He would do anything for the woman he met and fell not more than a month ago.

And that includes letting go of his feelings for her and the artist herself for the sake of her own happiness.