Chapter 13
Haunting Painting
Chansung’s anger subsided now that he and Sulli are walking around the building. He still feels irritation over Minho though. He doesn’t like the theory that’s forming in his mind…but he can’t think of a rational explanation why Minho is acting this way towards someone…
In the past year…Minho has been consistent…not just in his great photos…but in his dealings with people too…So why is he acting like this to the new groupmate…to…
A woman…
“I didn’t mean to disrespect you by not appearing Boss.” Said Sulli “I...don’t have an excuse…it’s really my fault.”
Chansung took a deep breath. He had never been that angry towards any of his subordinates…it embarrasses him that he wasn’t able to control himself earlier. What would his group think of him?
More than that…he didn’t want to scare Sulli…
“I was just worried something happened to you when you did not appear. And I couldn’t reach you either.” Said Chansung
“I’m really sorry…” said Sulli. Boss must’ve called a that time she was contacting people from the Organization for help.
Chansung can’t help it. Sulli looked like a chick that just hatched from an egg. She looked so fragile while apologizing to him.
“Just…next time if you can’t make it…let me know, ok?” said Chansung.
Sulli just smiled faintly “I will Boss…I promise to not do it again.”
There was a long moment of silence. When Chansung can’t bear the silence anymore, he spoke up.
“You…and Minho…seems to be pretty close.” Said Chansung
“Huh? Oh….we were schoolmates in high school.” Said Sulli
“Yeah…but you said you are not friends.” Said Chansung
“Umm..yeah…We aren’t…” said Sulli
“That’s not how I’m seeing it.” Said Chansung
That made Sulli stop and think…sut because they were together the entire day doesn’t mean they are close…right?
If Chansung and Suzy has the same line of thinking, she will cause trouble to Minho and Suzy for sure.
“We are working under the same team. So I think it’s good to have a good working relationship.” Said Sulli
“But don’t make people misunderstand.” Said Chansung “or it may break some work or even personal relationships.”
“I don’t understand, Boss…Minho and I aren’t doing anything wrong…The entire time, we were just working together.” Said Sulli
“Did you see Suzy’s reaction?” asked Chansung “You don’t need to do something to affect someone. Sometimes mere presence can make a big impact…I don’t think she’s happy seeing you with Minho.”
Chansung is right…Suzy…is definitely not happy…she was like a tiger just waiting to attack.
“And it’s the same as me…I also don’t like seeing you with Minho.” Said Chansung
What? But they are under the same group? Why would Boss don’t like to see them together?
“It makes me…feel irritated…I can’t understand but…I just don’t like seeing you around him.”
That made Sulli’s mind swirl. What is her Boss saying? Suzy is jealous of Her and Minho because they are together…but is her Boss saying he is jealous too?
“I might be getting jealous.” Said Chansung
Wow…now that has got to be a joke…right? Her boss confessing to her on her first week of work?!
She had always been successful avoiding confessions. He hasn’t confessed right? He did not say he lieks her right? She still has a chance to let this slide.
“hahah!” Sulli laughed “Is it because we’re getting really good at working together? I assure you we don’t. We are like oil and water.” Said Sulli
“I mean personally, Sulli…I don’t like it when you’re close with him.” Said Chansung
“Oh…That’s what you mean…Ummm…” Sulli felt sweat on her forehead…How can she push this topic away?
“Minho and I…we’re not match at all. During Highschool he hated me. Besides, we won’t be working together anytime soon. We have separate assignments, right? You are my Boss.” Said Sulli
“If I’m no longer your Boss, will you already look at me as a man?” asked Chansung
Oh no…
Sulli suddenly felt her tongue numb. She can’t seem to speak. She’s not good at handling confessions.
“I’m going to make you see me as a man, Sulli.” Said Chansung
What is happening….
No way….Can they rewind everything?
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Minho is walking ahead of Suzy. Her chest is in pain…Since Sulli and Boss walked away earlier, Minho has not spoken a word.
Suzy stopped walking
“Please…don’t make me feel like this…” said Suzy “Can you not make me feel so unimportant? Can you at least look at me? Can you at least talk to me?”
Suzy can’t bear the pain that’s gripping her heart.
“Can you just please….please stop ignoring me? Please?”
Minho stopped walking.
“I don’t know if it’s still right to go on like this…Suzy…” said Minho
“What do you mean? What are you talking about…is this still about the conversation we had in the airport?” asked Suzy tears flowing from her eyes “If it’s about that….I’m sorry if I pushed you…I just wanted to feel more secured….I just….didn’t want to lose you….so I wanted to….I wanted to feel that you feel the same way…”
“I am bound to hurt you sooner or later.” said Minho “I told you I can’t return what you feel for me…though we are always together the past year…you know nothing has changed.”
“Why? Why can’t you let me in…why do you lock your heart like that? What’s wrong with me? What don’t you like in me?” asked Suzy
“Men envy me when I’m with you…there is nothing wrong with you Suzy. But I don’t think my heart will ever beat that way for you.” Said Minho
“Why not try? Minho have you ever been in love? Can’t you at least try?” asked Suzy
“I …might have…” Minho faced Suzy “Maybe I still am.”
Suzy gripped her bag
“Who is it? Is it someone I know?” asked Suzy
Minho walked towards Suzy and pulled her into a hug.
“I wish the world is simpler…where everyone who falls in love end up being caught by the one they love. Then no one will be hurt by falling hard with someone…But the world is complicated…And we tend to hurt even the people we care about…sometimes… hurting them…and being hurt by them the most.” Said Minho
Minho pulled away from Suzy
“I’m sorry…for hurting you this way Suzy.” Said Minho
And then he just walked away.
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Minho went to a restaurant. He’s already late.
“Minho!” called out someone from table #3.
Minho went to the table and sat down.
“It’s good that you’re in Seoul today.” Said Minho “I could use a drink.”
Lee Joon smirked.
“A rough day?” asked Lee Joon
“Yeah…anyway, what brought you to Seoul?” asked Minho
“I made a contact with a supplier.” Said Lee Joon
“How’s the business?” asked Minho
“Pretty good, Man. I now have 3 branches.” Said Lee Joon
After the fire incident in high school, after he lost his masterpiece, Lee Joon seemed to have lost his Art passion…since then…all he thinks about is business. He even took a Business course in College. You would never see a trace of being an Artist in him.
“Are you happy?” asked Minho
“Of course. Everything is doing well.” Said Lee Joon
“I just…Missed the old Lee Joon…the one who always talks about his recent masterpiece…his current Art project.” Said Minho
“Well that’s my past now. Not everyone succeeds in Arts…’L’ for example is now successful. He’s touring the world with Hara. But the 2 of us are stuck here in Korea.” Said Lee Joon “But I bet I earn more than them.”
“Art…can make some people rich…but almost all artists end up poor. I chose to differ.” Said Lee Joon “How about you, Minho? How’s journalism”
“Hmm…it’s full of surprises and shocking discoveries…but I like it. When I chose this field, I knew I’d learn a lot and I’d enjoy it.” Said Minho
“L wasn’t happy you know…when you chose that course…Well he wasn’t very happy of you during our last year in highschool anyway.” Said Lee Joon “Even Hara was not happy with your decisions….but Hara accepted what you wanted to do with your life.”
“I don’t think that field was for me. Now that I’m doing photojournalism..I can’t imagine doing anything else.” Said Minho
Minho has been drinking quite a lot.
“Did something happen?” asked Lee Joon “Did you have a fight with that beautiful partner of yours?”
Minho took a deep breath and had another shot. Lee Joon met Suzy quite a few times when he visits Minho in Seoul.
“Sulli Choi…the girl who was LUCEAT’s editor in chief back in highschool….” Said Minho
“Umm…yeah…” said Lee Joon
“She’s back…And she works for Seoul’s Hub.” Said Minho
That made Lee Joon’s mouth drop.
Minho gulped a shot.
“Well…” said Lee Joon “It seems you’ll be needing more of this then.” Lee Joon poured another shot of soju for Minho.
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Luna is happy to see Sulli visiting her in Top Hill.
“You should visit me more often.” Said Luna
“I would probably be here frequently since I already accepted being the adviser of LUCEAT.” Said Sulli
“That’s great, Sulli. Have you met the kids?” asked Luna
“Oh not yet…maybe in a few weeks.” Said Sulli
“Do you want to see how the office looks like now?” asked Luna
“LUCEAT?” asked Sulli
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It’s almost the same…except that its newly painted. And the wall design is also different. There were issues of the news paper in frames.
“Why are they in frames?” asked Sulli
“They are the issues that won the championships on the Peobody award.” Said Luna
“Really? So our issue is here?” asked Sulli
“Yes of course.” Luna went to the right most frame. “Here!”
Sulli went to the frame. She wasn’t able to see the final product anymore when she left…the paper looks old…but it still shows the wittiness.
“I like the cover.” Said Sulli
“Oh…I think we still have the copy of the draft here.” said Luna
“We do?” asked Sulli
“Yeah…we kept it for record…wait let me see…where did we put it….” Luna looked around
“Aha! There!” Luna went to an old cabinet on the corner. She tried to reach a folder on the upper most part. It is full of dust but Luna managed to blow the dusts away.
“Here…” said Luna
Sulli opened the folder…She remembered the cover article…she wrote it…
“This brings back memories.” Said Sulli
“It does.” Said Luna reminiscing the old days.
Sulli opened the first page. The editorial…Key has an Article there…as well as Luna.
“You did not give Key and I sleep until we were done with the editorials.” Said Luna
Sulli chuckled. Yeah…she gave them a hard time.
Sulli turned another page…and another page
Then stopped.
It was a page she wasn’t familiar with. Did she forget?
“Oh that one…Key and I actually put it in…remember that we didn’t have an Artist…and well we pretty much given up to find one…So you decided not to put any Art stuff anymore…But someone volunteered to do that painting for the finals…so we’ve put it in anyway.” Said Luna
Sulli looked at the painting. It’s a painting at the top of the hill…on its other side is also a hill…but there seems to be a cave on the other side…there are shadows there…like someone lurking inside…It’s a bit far…but it felt like it’s drawing her…sucking her to that cave…
“Are you ok?” asked Luna
“Who…painted this?” asked Sulli
Luna promised Minho she’ll never say it.
The feeling lingers…even when Sulli tried to look away, it’s as if the cave pulls her to look into it.
“Oh…umm…Lee Joon…he did it. He was really nice…” said Luna
Lee Joon….
Sulli looked at Luna “Lee Joon can’t paint this…his style is different…his style is that of joy and spring and lightness and carefree Art…this one…is haunting…lingering…it’s like a spell once you look at it…it’s like a curse.” Said Sulli
Luna knows when she’s caught in the corner.
“It was Minho.” Said Luna
Minho…
Sulli felt like something stuck in her throat. She doesn’t know why…but she feels like crying…for no reason at all.
“Why did he do it?” asked Sulli
“I honestly don’t know until now.” Said Luna “I wasn’t brave enough to ask. He just called me one day and asked that I tell him everything we need the artist to do. And then he gave me everything we needed.” Said Luna
Sulli is confused…After the semi final’s issue, he clearly said he should not be bothered since he needs to finish his piece for their contest.
Why did he do it?
Sulli turned a few the page…she can’t look at the painting anymore. But it seems that she’s looking at another issue.
“Oh that was the year after you left. That’s on our final year in highschool. Key was the editor in chief. I was his assistant editor in chief. “ said Luna
Sulli saw a drawing on the side.
“You got an artist on your senior year?” asked Sulli
“Yeah…we finally got a permanent Artist on our senior year.” Said Luna
“A freshman?”asked Sulli
“No. He was also in his final year.” Said Luna “He’s from the Art’s club”
Of course. Since the perfectionist is gone, they would have surely just gotten someone who can draw or paint…
The drawing…is not bad though…not bad at all…
“Who can it be…it seems he’s pretty talented” said Sulli
“We won’t settle for just anyone Sulli. Even when you were gone, Key always remembered what you said about the Artist. You said that if we get somebody that doesn’t have the heart of an Artist, it’s like putting a rotten tomato on a basket full of good ones.” Said Luna “So we only accepted the best that we could.”
“So he’s from the Art’s club for sure….but who would leave Art’s club for LUCEAT?” Said Sulli turning another page.
“Yes…he was. But we didn’t pirate him or anything…once day..we just saw him by the door of LUCEAT waiting for Key. He said he would like to know how the school paper works…and that he would like to know if the position of the Artist was still open. Imagine our shock!” said Luna smiling at the memory
Sulli’s heart is beating fast..the painting of a withered flower on the next page…a woman crying holding it….That same feeling…like the woman will just grab you and take you with her….that lingering haunting feeling….can only mean one thing.
“Minho Choi became LUCEAT’s Permanent Artist that year, Sulli. ” Said Luna