Supernova

Flare

I sipped my coffee as I watched as Kibum walked slowly around the studio, from one piece to the next, his keen eye assessing each work, his face giving away nothing. I smiled and let him be, turning to look outside the broad glass windows.

My little escape plan - I grinned to myself at my own dramatic flare - had gone without a hitch. My manager brought me to the film studio in the mornings as usual, seeing me to the make up room on the first day before reluctantly heading off. I'd told the confused make up artist that I'd come in to collect something I'd left behind, had a coffee at the studio canteen while I waited ten minutes and then had called for a cab to take me to my studio. On the subsequent days I'd managed to bypass the make up room completely. I'd spent the past three days in quiet bliss, painting, not even stopping for lunch.

No-one, not even Janie, knew I had a small studio tucked away in a nondescript officetel building near Insadong. I'd bought it quietly years ago, when we'd just started making money and before my name had become well known. It was my little sanctuary, this is where I always sneaked off to when I needed a breather, slipping my manager's tight grip to grab a few hours for my little hobby - which had turned into something of a side profession now, thanks to Kibum.

Kibum, who, I realised, had been staring at me for the past five minutes in silence.

"Well?" I sipped my coffee and nodded at the canvases. "What do you think?"

"They're the best work you've ever done, Jinhae." He said quietly, his tone serious. 

I looked at him. He nodded, turning back to one piece, staring at it.

"You've captured something in these pieces - there's depth and shadow and yet a curious loneliness and voice." He turned to me again. "You're getting into your stride now. There's a maturity to these pieces, a growth."

"I'm glad you like them." I said, and I really was, because Kibum knew art, knew the art world. His seal of approval was hard won, but held clout because of that.

"Exhibition." He said firmly, shaking his head at my reaction. "It's time, Jinova. You have a collection here, one with coherence and a story, and there's interest in your work enough that people will come to see this. Important people."

I was silent.

"This will be the future you wanted, Jinhae." He said earnestly. "The future after SuperNova. Lee Jinhae, artist and painter. This is the next step towards that." He put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a reassuring squeeze. "And don't worry, we can run this without you being there, as usual. It adds an air of mystery, keeping your identity hidden and presenting you as a reclusive, shy artist."

"I am a reclusive, shy artist." I said dryly. 

He grinned.

"Come on, Jinova. Let me do this. These are too good not to." He gestured at the paintings. "I'll..I'll even come to one of your concerts, if that's what it will take." The pained look on his face was enough to make me laugh. For Kibum, attending a pop concert was the ultimate sacrifice.

"Really?" I teased, "I'll get you VIP tickets, so you're right next to the stage and the amplifiers. You'll be able to see everything close up." 

He grimaced.

"Whatever it takes to convince you." 

I laughed.

"Alright."

"Alright?" He gripped my arm. "Exhibition?"

"Exhibition." I nodded, smiling.

"FINALLY." He exhaled, punching me in the arm, before turning to look around the room, excitement plain on his face. "This is going to be An Event."