Art of Deceit

IV

CHAPTER 4
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"How are you here right now?" I question, staring at him. The very sight of him brought memories crashing over me.

"I kinda painted that," he motioned towards the Art of Deceit whilst approaching me.

That's when it starts making sense. "You're the boy?" I throw another question at him even though I already knew the answer. He nods, standing a few inches from me. "So this was what you were working on?" I ask the moment I recalled the conversation we had at the start of the year.

"You remembered?" His eyes light up, a flicker of hope igniting through his brown pupils.

"I still don't understand how you're here." I shook my head subtly, trying to take in the fact that he was standing in front of me.

"I bumped into a guy here when I left home." He said with a tiny shrug.

"When you left home." I repeat after him. "You left." I say as my throat tightens up a little, the sight of him bringing up emotions I had managed to bury.

"I'm sorry." His eyes are now downcast. "It was getting too hard to live at Woods Field. The blame throwing got worse and I couldn't." He shook his head, eyes that were brimmed with guilt stayed glued to the ground, not daring to meet my gaze.

With a deep breath, he continues. "Not being able to be with you was the last straw for me. You were the last good thing for me and when I lost you, there was nothing left for me back home."

"You didn't lose me, I was still there." I speak out, eyes softening.

"It's not your fault, it's mine. I let everyone get in my head and ruined the only light in my life." Taehyung says with a sad smile painting his lips and your heart sinks a little.

"Well, we're here now." I say a little hopefully. "Our paths crossed, once again." The corners of my lips raised into a subtle smile.

"There's no fabric either." Taehyung's smile brightens the room and I feel my racing heart steady. "Let me take you out, officially this time." He asks somewhat timidly, arching a brow as he waited for a response.

"I'd love that." I say and he sighs in relief. It was weird, when I first saw him, I felt anger but after hearing his voice, every ounce of anger vanished.

"Jina!" I hear a voice snap from my right and I jump, Taehyung chuckling lightly at my reaction. "It's time for you to move to the next piece, there's already a crowd." Mona says, oblivious to Taehyung.

"The next piece? I thought I was stationed at this one?" I start getting a little panicky.

"Please tell me you're joking," the frustration in her voice was audible.

"She is, she was just telling my about the artist's dark past reflected onto the painting." Taehyung buds in, saving me.

"Okay, Jeffrey Leo's walking around. No more jokes, please." Mona says as she walks off, her heels clicking against the ground.

"Thanks," I breathed out, "do you know about the painting she was talking about?"

"I happen to know about every single piece." He looks down at me with a playful smirk, "and of course I'll help you." He chuckles. "Let's go," he intertwines his fingers with mine almost instinctively as he brought me to the next piece, helping me through it.

"If you're too tired, we could always have dinner another time." Taehyung lets out the moment he catches me doze off next to him and I feel my heart sink.