After endless hours of choosing what to wear, I ended up standing next to probably the most handsome man in the room.
Dressed in a light-coloured short dress with puffed sleeves, under which a dark tight turtleneck found its place, the sleeves of which reached to my knuckles. The ensemble was completed by leather platform boots that ended below my knees and my hair was pulled into two braids while a few shorter strands fell down the sides of my face.
,,No stress, only the most influential people from the area are here. Along with a few sponsors who are very important to me." Romeo leaned towards me while keeping his palm on the small of my back.
,,Oh, and I feared that only such insignificant individuals would attend." I turned my face directly to his.
,,I can confirm that this fear was unfounded."
The pressure of his palm on my back intensified to indicate the direction in which I should step.
,,I'll show you something." He added as we walked through a hall filled with lots of fancy dressed people who always greeted Romeo respectfully as we passed them.
We passed along all his artworks until we reached a place separated from the others, where the number of people there wasn't small.
,,Is that some piece of yours that stole the show?" I guessed with noticeable amusement in my voice.
,,This one did indeed steal the show." He nodded as a space was made for us to walk right in front of a pristine white wall in the center of which was a wide frame with a painting in it.
,,You didn't ..." My eyes must have widened when I saw the familiar cup with the reflection of the little girl's face, in which there were flowers and a stream of water flowing from above.
Inserted into the bottom of the frame was a metal tag with an inscription that I had been mulling over for several weeks.
Change (not)accepted
I just kept my gaze on that canvas for a while.
,,Why did you-" I turned to him with my whole body, because until now I was standing with my back to him. ,,-do this?"
,,What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrowed in a puzzled expression. He caught my tone of voice, which wasn't exactly filled with what he probably expected.
,,Don't get me wrong, but do other students also have a reserved place like this? I just don't wanna be something ... extra, you know." I couldn't find the right words.
,,Martin, but you are something extra." He put his big warm hands on my shoulders so that I would give my attention only to him.
My gaze travelled over his face in order to recognize anything that I could not at that moment.
,,And I didn't want to spill the tea," he leaned closer to me with a sincere smile on his face ,,but I had this place done after the fact for the winner's painting of the topic I assigned."
,,So you're basically saying you did it for me, anyways." A chuckle was heard from me as I looked at all the people who were standing there and were paying attention only to my painting.
,,Thank you, Romeo." I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. Therefore, I had to suppress my ability to perceive the few looks of surprise or outrage that were given to me.
A relieved laugh escaped his lips and he returned my hug.
Then a short cough alerted me to pull away from him and in a few seconds my gaze landed on a woman who immediately caught my eye with her statement pearl necklace and leather gloves on her hands.
,,Mr. Nucci." She gave him her bow, which Romeo unhandy returned.
,,Mrs. Choi, I'm glad you caught your earlier flight." He politely struck up a conversation while I searched for a suitable escape plan.
,, I wouldn't miss your opening. And you didn't disappoint me this time either." Her English was not very fluent, but her stony expression balanced her dignity and importance. Then she turned her body directly towards my painting and my eyebrows furrowed in anticipation.
,,That's great to hear, do you already have a specific interest?" A satisfied smile settled on Romeo's face.
,,Of course it's this one, Mr. Nucci." She answered, however the direction of her gaze didn't change.
My whole body tensed until I forced myself to lift my chin and look at the brunette guy next to me, who I noticed was already looking at me.
,,It's obvious that you have an excellent sense of taste, Mrs. Choi." He said, but kept looking at my face as if he was telling me unspoken words.
,,Unfortunately, this piece is part of a competition that I entered for a few selected students of art universities. It is not for sale."
My neck muscles tensed as I abruptly turned my head from Romeo to the classy lady in front of us.
,,What a pity." She remained looking at the painting for a short moment before slowly turning back to us.
,,And isn't there some exception? For your regular customer."
,,Well, you could ask the author of that painting directly." Romeo stepped away from me and pointed at my person with his palm.
,,This is Millie Martin. The author of the winning artwork."
Probably for the first time, the woman's gaze shifted to me. But instead of the disdainful expression worthy of a person of her status, there was no sign of it.
,,Oh! I thought that was your girlfriend!" She blurted out and I let out a short laugh.
,,It's just that I'm not his type." I spoke in Korean with a playful smile on my face.
Mrs. Choi laughed and I didn't even have to turn to see Romeo's confused expression. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out a small notebook with a pen.
,,So, Millie Martin, what do you make of this offer?" She handed it to me as soon as her pen stopped moving on the paper.
,,I-" I got stuck because my brain started to reprocess the long number written in neat handwriting.
,,Do you accept?" She asked me again with a slight hint of uncertainty.
,,I mean- of course I accept it!" I finally managed to answer and this time a cough came from Romeo's mouth.
,,If I understand correctly, even though I didn't understand what was being talked about, we can go to private to complete the transaction, yes?" He looked from Mrs. Choi to me, and when we both agreed, in a satisfied way, he guided us in the direction we were supposed to go.
However, as soon as we were a few steps away from where my work was displayed, there was a loud thud that filled the room and was followed by shattering glass.
A few seconds later, my gaze met the frame lying on the ground with shards of protective glass strewn around it.
,,What the fuck."
I heard Romeo's voice beside me. I felt him take a step forward, but Mrs. Choi placed her palm on his forearm to stop him.
I didn't understand anything that was happening at that moment. For a second I thought I was so bored that my mind was playing tricks on me.
,,That's not fair." My attention, like everyone else's, was drawn to the girl with bleached hair standing closest to that mess.
She was really pretty. I recognized in her the other girl who was selected at the same time as me for this competition from our university.
,,This thing cannot be the one that won. That is ridiculous!" She carried on.
,,Miss, back off!" Two of the private security service appeared nearby and approached the girl.
,,I won't repeat myself!"
She let out a wry laugh. ,,Like seriously?"
That's when several eyes turned on me. The sound of my footsteps echoed in my head as I approached the two big guys until I passed them and was standing right in front of the blonde.
And then my palm met her cheek.
My head was buzzing with a sudden feeling of anger. As if what I thought didn't exist took full force and decided to make itself fully known. I thought I had buried those feelings for good, but now they have taken complete control over me.
,,You didn't actually do that." She spat at me and then rose her hand.
I swatted it away with the back of my palm and fought the temptation to tear her hair from whole scalp.
And before she could try to demonstrate anything else, I turned around and walked in a rapid pace finding a shortest way to the exit.
Running out into Seoul's streets at night, I immediately discovered that rain had decided to settle in again.
My clothes were soaked in water after a few moments, so I preferred to go back under the roof of the building where Romeo's opening is currently taking place.
I sat down on the stairs and used my hands to brush away the damp hair that was stuck to my face. My fingers tugged at some strands, perhaps as a spontaneous punishment for what I had done inside.
,,It doesn't pay to be good."
I jumped at the wave of chills that hit my body as soon as it processed the very familiar voice.
,,Not here." Su-Jin added as he sat a little further away from me.
I remained silent, ashamed of my behaviour. Now that I realized what had happened and what I had caused, I can no longer justify my actions.
,,And you found it out yourself, inside." I knew that he was looking directly at me. And I knew that he was pointing out my principles that I had torn down a while ago just as I had built them.
Well, that wasn't the only thing that crumbled.
I turned my top half towards him and watched the dark fitted thick long sleeve t-shirt, suit pants and white sneakers what was he wearing.
My gaze went to his face, which had a focused expression, but I could have mistaken it for an indifferent one.
Su-Jin was far too confusing for me to be absolutely sure.
I thought about the reason why I built up with him what I should have saved for someone completely different.
And at the same time I was thinking about how right he was.
His hair was loose. But they were modified with gel so that they didn't fall on his face.
This time his gaze was directed into the distance, which made me know that something was going on in his head that I shouldn't have access to.
And then there was another sentence that came to his mind.
,,The example you give... is wrong." His words echoed in my ears.
Once again, it was I who was leaving.