Art of Deceit

X

CHAPTER TEN
ink

My finger traced along the palm of his hand as we sat in front of the boy, "I'm actually in the middle of painting something." Taehyung spoke out and I look up at him.

"Really?" My eyes widen as I leaned towards him, wanting to hear more.

"Yea," he chuckled a little bashfully. "I don't really know where I'm going with it though."

"Can I see it?" I asked and his smile widens.

"It's not done yet but once it is, I'll make sure you're the first one to see it." He said with a smile and I reflect it, looking back to the wall. As I stared at it, I realise a black ink dripping onto the boy.

"Do you see that?" I asked out, squinting my eyes as I focused on the painting. All of a sudden, the painting twitches, the boy craning his neck upwards as he stared right at me and I try turning to Taehyung but I'm frozen with terror.

He began growing in size, resembling the man I had seen in the art museum and I feel everything around me drown out. I stared at the painting that morphed right in front of my eyes with a paralysing fear gripping onto me.

"Hm?" Taehyung hummed but I don't respond, staring at the male that was now before me whose eyes were piercing through mine. "Jina," Taehyung got me to look at him and I threw a quick glance his way, glueing my eyes back to the wall the next second, wanting him to do the same but he was gone.

"Are you okay?" He asked and I swallowed thickly, staring at the boy on the wall that was back to his little corner.

"Yea," I shake my head.

"We should get going, school's about end." Taehyung said, pushing his palms on the ground as he got ready to stand up.

"Okay."

He stood up, helping me up after. He walked ahead of me and I turn back, giving the wall one last look.

"I have to start getting more sleep." I shook my head lightly, trying to get more alert as I blamed what I saw on lack of sleep since it was the only practical reason.

"You coming?" Taehyung eyed my form and I made my way towards him.

"You're early." Jimin looked at me suspiciously as he saw me leaning against the car.

"I always am, I don't know what you're talking about." I rolled my eyes, a teasing smile on my lips as he tried reading the situation.

"Did you skip?" He asked and I snapped, hitting him lightly as he sat himself next to me.

"Of course not."

"You're a horrible liar, you know that, I know that, everyone knows that. So can we just skip the lies." He looked at me with exhaustion and I simply chuckle, fastening my seatbelt.

"What's going on?" Jimin asked as we entered the house only to see our living room in a state of chaos.

My mother ran around with a file in her hands while my father dug through some boxes.

"The Lee family pulled out of the Founder's Day Auction last minute. Understandable but-" My mother sighed, frantically flipping through pages of the file.

"Our family was next in line to organise it." My father said and Jimin and I passed each other a glance, knowing what that meant.

My parents were too involved with the town, carrying every responsibility on their shoulders. Whenever there was an event, you'd see them first in line to help out. Consequently, Jimin and I were dragged into it with them, having to help out along with them.