-Chapter Two-

Written

The world never ceased moving, it waits for no one.

The clock never stopped ticking, it doesn’t give any consideration.

For him the whole world remained the same, it was the same huge playground he opted to enjoy.

For her it was a living hell that she cowered, a place she needed to survive in order to keep her promise.

It was funny how he came to know one of the greatest painters, only to find out about his death on the day of his last highschool trip. Choi Seunghyun, the most celebrated young painter of their country died in a car accident on his way home together with his fiancée who fortunately survived the said accident.  Well at least that was what he watched and heard for almost a month on the news and practically anywhere.

‘Too bad I heard that they were about to get married in just a few weeks,’ his mother would say in dismay as they were having their dinner. ‘Have you seen his fiancée?’ he would ask  in curiosity and with that his mom will shook her head. ‘His fiancée pretty much like him doesn’t want media to publish any pictures of her saying it was never necessary,’ she would add. ‘Maybe they love their privacy,’ he would shrug as he would continue eating with her mother shrugging at his statement. ‘I heard his fiancée is a famous architect though... her name if I’m not wrong it sounded pretty weird for a female Korean name,’ his father would in their conversation. ‘Sandara... yes that’s it, it was Sandara Park, I think,’ his father would add.

‘Unique name I must say,’ his mom would comment as he would just listen for the rest of the conversation while he finishes his meal. And that went on for almost a month and honestly he was getting tired of it but then it was like almost everyone his parents were just part of the millions who were disappointed and partly grieving for the lost of a brilliant mind.

But then in honesty he was more on thinking about the young prodigy’s left fiancée. How does it felt like to survive alone in accident that both of you could have? How would it feel like losing the one you love, the guy you were about to marry and spend the rest of your life with?

He would give seconds to think of those things then he will hiss them off hating thinking of the possibilities and complicating things by giving it too much thought. Never did once he associated himself in too much thinking about feelings for he loathed those things.

He heaved a sigh as he lazily slammed his hand on his alarm clock’s button to stop it from ringing. He scratched his head as he sat down stretching his arms upward pulling a yawn. He fluttered his eyes open as he forced himself to get out of his bed only to end up lying back. He kicked his blanket dragging his body out of his bed only to fall on the floor creating a loud thud that echoed in his room. ‘Ouch,’ he winced in pain.

‘Jiyong! Get up you might get late!’ his mother shouted. ‘Neh!!’ he answered back scratching his head as he pushed himself to sit down. He let out a frustrated groan. Summer was over, worst highschool was over. College, just hearing the word makes him cringe like no other. It makes him want to run to his elementary teacher and beg her to accept him as one of her students once more. Ugh! He can’t explain how things slap his face that he was no longer a child and that he was growing up. He heaved a sigh as he fetched his white towel dragging it and his body to his bath room.

Opening the door of his bathroom he was welcomed by a half body mirror nailed above his sink situated next to the toilet bowl with the shower area divided with a yellow shower curtain. While almost dragging his body he walked to the sink and leaned both arms on it, head low. He heaved a sigh as he lifted his and stare straight at his reflection. He pulled his infamous child like smile as he grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste. ‘Handsome,’ he muttered laughing softly as he proceeded in doing his business.

After fast thirty minutes preparation and an hour of convincing himself that he got to do this he finally went down stairs to grab his breakfast. After eating, without wasting any seconds while grabbing a small plastic bottle of his all time favourite milk he rushed outside gripping his skateboard on his available hand. He pulled his cap and placed his electric blue earphones on his ears. ‘I’m off! Bye mom!’ he shouted as he started skating his way to the bus stop with booming music on his ears.

He arrived at the bus stop just in time Youngbae did. He threw the empty plastic bottle on the trash can making a three point shot sound. He stepped on the end of his skateboard making it bounce grabbing it. ‘Wassup Ji?’ Youngbae greeted giving him a high five. Jiyong grinned and greeted him back as the latter draped his arm on his shoulder. The bus arrived in seconds as both climbed up. Both saw an empty seat just across Seung Ri and Chaerin’s. ‘Wassup guys?’ they greeted as they smiled greeting them back.

They were on their way not just to their new school but as well as to the new chapter of their lives. College life, real life. They say this will be the testing ground on whether you have learned something during your highschool years or what. There were tons of things running inside their heads, emotions building up in their chest, excitement, fear, curiosity and a whole lot more that made their heart pound erratically against their chest well except for Jiyong who never changed and still consider everything as a happy adventure, a big fun game.

Both Seung Ri and Chaerin passed the examination on the Seoul university in which Seung Ri will take up his course on architecture while Chaerin was on journalism. Youngbae got accepted on Kim University where he’ll be taking mechanical engineering. And for Jiyong he was personally invited on the most prestigious college of arts in the whole country, the newly renamed Choi College of Arts as a tribute to the young genius painter Choi Seunghyun.

They stopped from their usual conversation with the bus reaching its first stop which was the Seoul University. After bidding goodbye both Seung Ri and Chaerin climbed out of the bus. In minutes Youngbae arrived at his stop after bidding his goodbye he left, leaving Jiyong alone and silent as he stared at the view outside of the bus, complaining about almost everything in his head.

‘Choi College of Arts,’ the speaker of the bus announced as he stood up grabbing his things. He earned everyone’s eyes probably knowing how only the best, most talented and born genius students were accepted on the prestigious college. He just shrugged all the stares because in reality he doesn’t care a bit, he just silently board off the bus.

The stage was set. The paths were connected only the two of them were the one missing.

Time will stop. The heavens shall be the witness as two destined souls finally meet like what fate has written.

Jiyong stared at the gate of the college, he smirked. One look at the huge gothic designed gate and you’ll know why it was called the college of arts for geniuses. Somehow he felt proud inside that he was personally invited to the school and was even offered a full scholarship just because of losing his sketchpad on the train station last summer when he was still battling his self on what course to take. The director of the school handed him personally his lost sketch pad as he shook his hand claiming he was one of his fans.

 He was not being conceited or arrogant but he was born with real talent when it comes to painting and drawing, and as time goes by it developed more probably it was because it was the only thing he loved doing seriously, the only thing he takes seriously. He inhaled deeply before skating his way inside the college.

A satisfied smile tugged in his lips as he was welcome by the awe-inspiring view of the college’s interior. Each building were designed like no other, the landscapes were breath taking. Every corner of the school screams the beauty of art, buildings, the posters, the people, and even the small details such as the fountains and bench. He pulled out a card out of his pocket as he read it. He then went to search for the room of his first class.

Arriving at the room written on his card he stepped on the edge of his skateboard making the skateboard jerked up as he grabbed it with his hand. He then walked inside their noisy classroom wearing a child-like grin. He took a seat in front as he was greeted by his seatmate with a warm smile. ‘Wassup dude? Kang Daesung,’ his new classmate and seatmate stated offering his hand still smiling. He gladly took his hand and shook it with a smile. ‘Nice to meet you, Kwon Jiyong,’ he answered.

Wherever he went, whoever he was with, he is who he is. No pretention, no Mr trying to be a nice guy and gentleman. Kwon Jiyong is Kwon Jiyong. In just snap of fingers he was now the class’ official clown earning friends in short period of time well telling them what fun really was. He was pulling pranks here and there like the way he used to be. He was teasing his female classmates as they chase his to give it some good kicking. Like a chameleon he blended perfectly in his new environment, he owned it. The world may revolve but he’ll remain on his feet, standing defying changes. Everyone may age but he’ll remain forever young for he was Peter Pan, he will never grow old.

...

Jiyong and his new friends were walking their way to the school’s cafeteria with endless stories and laughter. ‘So tell me why did you take fine arts?’ Park Bom or Bom to her friends asked as she was still fiddling with her pink phone. ‘The reason is pretty obvious, unnie,’ Gong Minji or Minzy smirked as she playfully raised her left brow up and down. ‘Obviously because we wanted to be artists,’ Daesung grinned earning a high five from Jiyong. ‘No because we wanted to be doctors that’s why we took fine arts,’ Jiyong smiled smugly at Bom making the lady glare at him. ‘Shut up Kwon,’ Bom hissed as Jiyong laughed apparently Jiyong’s ultimate joy in life was to piss every single girl in his life.

‘This is a better question!’ Jang Hyunseung butted in as everyone drifted their attention to him. ‘How did you all get here in this