Her eyebrow rose. "You'll help me break the curse?"
"Yes, I'll help you."
"I heard that so many times, kid. Oh what's your name again? Yohan? Well, guess what, Yohan! I know everyone's schemes. People would tell me they'll help me break the curse then what? All of them are just traitors, abusers, and they left me several times in the end!"
She was frustrated that she was screaming on top of her lungs. Tears were pooling from her eyes. She's having a hard time, especially with trusting human. It's totally understandable.
"I don't even know who you are, and what made you be like that," I said.
She was covering her face and crying.
"Hey, Kid! You alright there?" a man said nearby.
I smiled at him and gave an okay sign. He probably saw me talking to the air. I sat beside Iseul on the same bench, but there's a space between us.
"They might see me talking to someone if I won't sit here." I said.
"I just want to disappear already." I heard her cry.
"Then why did you let me paint you on my first night here?"
"That's my way... of searching for someone who painted me which led to this curse. I need to see that fucking painter and end this stupid curse."
"W-wait you mean, that painter lives in this island?"
"I don't even know who killed me. But I'm confident he or she's in this island. Wait, why am I even telling you these? I know you'll betray me."
"What should I even do to convince you? I'm here to relax and have a vacation for summer, and not because of some ghost hunting or treasure finding. If you don't want me to help you, then that's all up to you."
But there's a big part of me that badly wants to help Iseul. She seemed helpless! Dude, she's a ghost, how can she end the curse? And she's been like this for a decade!
"Huh, you're looking so highly of yourself, kiddo. I can do things on my own but it will take a long time. I don't want to risk trusting another human just to be betrayed again."
"Okay then, if that's your choice."
I lit another cigarette. I hate arguing with people. It consumes so much time and energy that I should've painted instead. But this one feels different.
"I would also like to apologize." I said.
"For what?" her face frowned.
"For rushing my portraits of you. It's unlikely for me to paint in a hurry."
You can't rush art. This is a line that I grew up believing into. In order to create a beautiful piece, it should always take time. What a shame I was in a hurry a while ago.
"I'll do better next time if you'll allow me."
I heard her laugh. "Wow you're making me blush and I'm just a ghost."
"What?"
"Brushing gently and taking time to paint is... nice. But I still know you have bad intentions," she's not really easy to be convinced.
"I can prove it to you."
She sighed. "Alright! This is the fucking last time that I'll try to accept help from a human. But I still don't fully trust you." she looked at me as if she wanted to kill me.
"Alright... alright."
"Why did you come to this island anyway?" she sighed.
"This is the island of my dreams. I wanted to go here and explore different galleries and museums since there are so many artists here." I genuinely said.
"You're planning to visit galleries?" she asked.
"I thought you hated repeating things? But yeah, I'm going to visit every art gallery here as much as I can. However, I'll help you first with that curse of yours." I sounded determined.
She seemed pleased. "What's with the youth nowadays? You have so much courage and confidence. That's why people end up disappointing themselves."
Oh, right.
"I don't know the next step."
I decided to help a ghost and she accepted my help eventually. But I don't know what I should do to break the curse. What a dumb move, Yohan.
"Beside the painter, I'm also searching for something important and it's hidden inside a galleria. Every anima perduta is searching for it on this island, that's why at night, they'll grab the opportunity when one artisa grabs a pennello, matita, or pastelli."
"W-wait, I don't speak Italian!"
She rolled her eyes and didn't care to explain the unfamiliar words she said. Great, what a big help.
"Sigh, Non so cosa sto cercando." she sighed in disbelief. "I don't know what I'm searching for, Kid."
My eyebrows rose. "Then how am I supposed to find that important thing?"
"You can visit every galleria here. Then find out if there are undiscovered quadri, diari o appunti about me."
"Qua- what? Wait I don't understand."
"I don't like repeating things."
"Come on, I'm trying to help you." I was convincing her to let me understand.
She exhaled again and whispered. "Va bene, sei davvero fastidioso." as if she was cursing at me. "I said, you should visit every galleries that you want to visit. Then find out if there are things like portraits or hints about Iseul."
My mouth formed an 'o' as I remembered what I read at Brent's Art Gallery. "Like the one in Brent's gallery, he said in his journal that your mother wanted to see you. That's why she begged him to paint you. Then there's this sculpture of your face at Jin's misulgwan."
"I'm quite famous at this stupid island. This is hell for me, but good thing it's a vacation spot for you. Just carry on with your itinenaries and look for clues. If you don't find one then it is what it is." She shrugged.
"So I'll just treat this as a side mission while traveling?"
"Si." she nodded.
"Alright. I'll try to find that important thing for you."
When I looked at her direction, she left already. I rested my head on the bench and finished a cigarette again.
Looks like I'm going to be a detective this summer.