The teacher revealed that Kai had actually dropped the class 2 days into the semester, leaving everyone speechless. He had such talents, but didn't want to use them, they could not understand it. Even the teacher at that time was at a loss.
Even after his insistence, Kai continued with his decision stating that traditional drawing was too time consuming and boring. He even put emphasis on his creativity being stifled by the rigid rules of realism.
Sia was indignant and felt that Kai was being pretentious, wasting his talents, leaving them undeveloped. But in truth she was jealous. Sia wanted to have talents like his.
Ever since she was young, she held admiration for artists and their masterpieces. Sia strived to be like them, being diligent and meticulous in her craft. Yet for some reason, she still couldn't figure out what made an artist truly an artist.
While she could create art pieces perfectly fine, she felt that there was something missing. An unspeakable quality that was essential in becoming an artist. A true artist. Well at least what she thought an artist should be.
No matter what she did, Sia could not pinpoint it. So on their first date, she asked Kai, someone who she thought was the very definition of an artist, that question. If even someone like Kai couldn't give her some enlightenment, who knows when she would find someone who could.
…
"As an artist, I can create anything I want and call it anything I want. Anything that I create and say is art, IS art. But that's the thing, how do you become an artist?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. From the artists I follow, it is always about improving your skills and developing a better understanding of the principles and concepts of art. I've done that but I feel there is something intrinsically missing in my pieces."
"Yeah, that's just to get better as an artist. Art skills can be learned even if you aren't an artist. But to define yourself as an artist you must be able to…"
…
…
…
Sia was lost in thought remembering their conversation.
"Hey Sia. You okay?"
"Huh."
Kai's calm voice soothed Sia out of her daze, making her realize that she had been staring at him for a while. A flush bloomed on her face, a hint of embarrassment was evident.
"Yeah, I was just thinking of something."
Shifting her gaze, Sia tried to play it off as she composed herself. Noticing this, Kai wanted to tease her.
"Oh, care to say."
"Nope."
Sia shook her head with a small smile on her face, clearly amused at Kai's attempt to tease her. But would she let him tease her? Of course not.
"Come on, tell me~"
Kai leaned forward a bit.
"No, not gonna… hehehe"
Sia giggled at his persistence. Seeing this, Kai gave up and changed the topic. They enjoyed their time in this relaxing environment, deepening their bond as they drank their coffee.
The couple enjoyed their little date, thankful for being the group of 2. Truthfully however, their classmates were the ones thankful as they didn't want to be third wheeling the two.
The minutes passed and soon enough, both of them received a text from their class group chat.
"Meet up in 5 minutes, going to central station afterwards"
And so the couple got up and started to walk to their agreed meeting place.
…
…
…
Tokyo, Japan (3:55 AM JST)
Atop a skyscraper overlooking the metropolis that was Tokyo, stood a black haired young man, seemingly in his mid-20s. The brilliance of the city illuminated his face, eyes closed, just letting the wind brush past his skin, completely immersing himself in the late night atmosphere of the city.
Indistinct sounds of cars, murmurs of people, and the howling of the wind swirled in his ears, all mixing into a rhythmic symphony. He took everything in, breathing in deeply.
The young man stayed like this for a while, only after a long moment did he finally open his eyes. A fierce glint flickered in his eyes, his gaze steady. Those deep black eyes were rich with experience, all signs of naivete seemed to have vanished. Instead there was a strong sense of wisdom hidden deep within.
That gaze was not befitting someone his age. It seemed as though he had gone through the vestiges of life. Coupled with his mature demeanor, it was as if an old man had possessed him. Yet, it could not be denied that this added to his charm, further enhancing his rather handsome features.
His lips parted and spoke in a low tone.
"What a beautiful sight…"
*Sigh*
"Hopefully it'll be as peaceful when we get back…"
The young man's face was filled with longing as he spoke, before the atmosphere became solemn. Turning his head, he faced a group of 8 people respectfully standing behind him. Garbed in all black combat gear, this group exuded intimidating auras, the apparent culmination of their rigorous training.
Their eyes also had a similar fierce light, although not as intense, it showed their strong resolution.
Holstered on their hips were a pair of pistols and a plethora of combat knives. They were armed to the teeth, not to mention the unsheathed machetes gripped in their hands. On their backs were heavy duty duffle bags which seemed to contain more weapons. The group was undoubtedly a scary force.
Still they were nothing but humble in front of the young man. With a glance it was obvious that the young man was their superior.
Thirty minutes ago, the man had led them up the stairs to the roof. He told them that they should enjoy the view before they started their mission. He wanted them to experience these last moments of tranquility.
They all complied, but were still skeptical of what the mission entailed. Their boss had told them earth shattering news that was hard to believe and forced them to accept it on the basis of his capabilities.