-Chapter One-

Connected

There were two children born on different places, at different time. They both existed in this world not knowing each other, but they were bound with a thin red invisible string. It was tied on their fingers extending through time and space unknowingly connecting both. There was so much time between them, years even; while he was learning his first few steps, she was already walking her way to school. While he was playing like all other children of his age, she was starting to get conscious of how she looked as she started falling in love. While he went home late because of a tiring basketball game with his friend, she went home late from a date with her guy.

They both stare at the same sky, breath the same air and admire the same stars yet they never knew each other...

He was whistling as he jumped out of the bus. It was his last fieldtrip after all he’ll be graduating this very year and soon be leaving for college. A nasty grin spread on his lips as he walked stealthily to her, in a count of three, he pulled her braided pigtails making the girl winced in pain. ‘Kwon Jiyong!’ the girl growled as Jiyong laughed his heart out while running his away from Chaerin who was out to kick it.

Kwon Jiyong, a name that made no impact but a being that will never be forgotten. He was a handsome lad owning a lanky yet well defined body. Smart, talented but most of all mischievous. He was the epitome of Peter Pan, the mortal counter part of Loki. He would rather laugh than talk, someone who’ll rather sleep than feel. His body may age but his mentality will forever be stuck at ten. A simple happy go lucky soul who refused change and progress. 

The world may revolve, everything may undergo evolution but he stayed firm, not moving, never changing. He hated associating everything with feelings for he hated making things ‘complicated’. He just wanted to have fun and be free; barely caring about anything, about everything. Come what may but he’ll always opt to stay like this. He probably was the third most constant thing in this world next to death and change.

‘Uggh!! Seriously grow up Ji!’ Chaerin exclaimed stomping her feet out of irritation as she accepted defeat with a spoonful of bitterness.  ‘You can’t make me!’ he fired back as he stuck his tongue on her. He pulled her hair again making her let out another cry of pain as Jiyong laugh to his heart content. Seung Ri or Lee Seunghyun then walked his way to both as he wrapped his arms around his girl, Chaerin, comforting her.

Jiyong cringed at the disgusting sight right in front of him. He rolled his eyes. ‘Disgusting,’ he muttered under his breath. Seung Ri let out a chuckle making the guy grimace more. ‘Why don’t you get your own girl and fall in love. Seriously I’m about to think that you like Chaerin,’ Seung Ri chuckled as Jiyong stared at him with mouth hanging open. He faked a vomit. ‘Oh please,’ he said under his breath. He then jumped to a metal bench to start another melodramatic speech or should we say ranting about love and him, two things that would never go well.

‘Me? Fall in love?’ he asked clutching his chest as the couple rolled their eyes knowing where this was all heading to. ‘I, Kwon Jiyong, will never ever fall in love!’ he declared huffing in pride as if he just declared that the world was his. He jumped out of the bench and started encircling his friends. ‘Feelings, emotions and whatnot call them whatever you want,’ he said in a hiss. ‘I tell you, they’re the most horrid, disgusting and not to mention destructive stuffs ever existed in human history!’ he continued animatedly. He smiled proudly while crossing his arm above his chest nodding in agreement to everything he just said without completely understanding a single thing while convincing himself that he was saying the right thing.

Both Seung Ri and Chaerin let out a sigh as they rolled their eyes. ‘He doesn’t know what he was saying,’ she breathed out in frustration as Seung Ri nodded his head in agreement. ‘He’s an idiot,’ Seung Ri added as Jiyong was still on his dramatic litany and they can only shook their heads in his every words. Without noticing it, Dong Youngbae, one of their friends just popped beside Seung Ri hanging his arm lazy at the guy’s shoulder. ‘Don’t tell me he’s preaching again about how destructive love could be,’ he said earning chuckles from the couple as Jiyong landed his deadliest glare on the latter which made him raise his hands in defence. Jiyong frowned. ‘Seriously Ji, don’t tell that preaching of yours to those who are miserable they might jumped off a building,’ Youngbae said shaking his head as their friends burst into another laughing spree.

‘And I was being all nice, warning you all of the possibilities and this is what I get,’ Jiyong muttered under his breath as he grumpily crossed his arm over his chest. ‘What great friends I have,’ he huffed. The three burst into laughing once more. ‘Warn us about what?’ Seung Ri asked. ‘About the danger of feeling, of falling in love,’ Chaerin answered mockingly as Youngbae laughed. ‘Woooh! Scary!’ Youngbae said clicking his tongue. Jiyong rolled his eyes. ‘Whatever,’ he hissed as he spun on his heels and walked towards the entrance of the huge gallery in front of them, their last stop for their last highschool trip, the Edelweiss Gallery.

Jiyong stared at the huge architectural wonder of the gallery. It was made of glass mostly with walls made of marbles. It was a simple mash up of modern and classic architecture that made it more beautiful. It was beauty defined by simplicity. A smile tugged on his lips as he placed both of his hands in his pocket as he walked his way inside the gallery. The door automatically opened as a breathtaking view welcome him. Paintings and all the artworks welcomed him. It was a piece of heaven for someone like him, an aspiring painter by heart.

He began roaming around staring at every artwork, admiring it, breathing it. He may not be serious about everything even about his life but there’ll be always an exception to the rule. And for Kwon Jiyong the only thing that he took and will take seriously would be painting. The moment he first held a paint brush and drew his first line he knew by some unknown reason he was born to be a painter.

‘You really love painting don’t you?’ Chaerin asked after finally catching up to him with their friends. Jiyong nodded still scanning every painting, every detail. Youngbae grabbed one pamphlet and started reading it. ‘Edelweiss Gallery was founded in year 2000 in the architectural design of Park Sandara, a student who won a designing competition in the same year,’ he started as he began reading everything about the gallery earning different reactions from his friends with every little detail he read aside from Jiyong who seemed to be in another dimension still drown in his own world.

‘Oooh, this is interesting,’ Youngbae said as he leaned more on the pamphlet. ‘The gallery was bought by the Leonardo da Vinci of South Korea,’ he said smirking proudly as Jiyong snapped his head on him questioning. ‘Leonardo da Vinci of South Korea?’ he asked in confusion as his friends stared at him not blinking. ‘Haven’t heard of him?’ Seung Ri asked as Jiyong nodded his head. ‘You haven’t heard about Choi Seunghyun?’ Chaerin asked in confirmation as Jiyong nod once more. His friends stared at him in disbelief for someone who’s aspiring to be a painter how come he doesn’t know about the most famous painter of their country.

‘Haven’t really heard of him,’ Jiyong said shrugging. ‘Seriously? Don’t you watch TV?’ Youngbae asked. ‘Of course I watch TV! I actually love Spongebob!’ Jiyong retorted in defence as his friends ran their palms on their faces. ‘What? It’s not like our lives are connected or what, it’s not like he will affect my life,’ Jiyong said clicking his tongue as he turned around and continued scanning every painting on the gallery. His friends just glance at each other before finally shrugging o