I. Dot.

Dazzling beauty, rosy cheeks, she’s the hint of gold in between a thousand roses. She’s surreal, morphed, the sight of heaven and the prettiest someone would ever see. Looking over at her gorgeous and bright reflection on the shine of her eyes and the purple wavy highlighted hair strands, vintage traces of floral curvy lines resembling the beauty and naturalism of Art Noveau, there she is, challenging and beautiful, bright colors and flowers surrounding her. She’s swimming on the purity of the roses she has been painted with. That was how people would describe Surrender, 2012, a technique of manipulated photography, oil, watercolor and ink on canvas whose author was, nobody but a newbie Korean painter and photographer, Kim Jungwoo.

Grunge brushstrokes, big paint stains fading on a coral pink background with scratches and a sharpened, body figure with covered , a serious and quite worrisome young and beautiful woman to whom the body belonged to. Emotionless, she’d give a death glare at those who’d gaze at her, wearing her flower crown and her image fading in between a giant bouquet that’d cover down her chest area. Some would say she wasn’t technically perfect but she was drawn with apparently no neck, to give the appearance that she was looking down previously and, during that moment, glanced up and forward like she was observing a detail.

Like it has been done before, she was like a new Mona Lisa, not from Renaissance nor as perfectly made nor technically amazing and capable of making people drop their chins, but from the current year, with strong colors, vivid and unnatural, unrealistic and not even close to having volume but instead looking like some Pop Art, with no dark thick lines making her shapes stand out. An Asian girl that, whenever the spectator is looking from, the way her eyes are painted seem like she’s glancing at them to death, following their directions.

Surrender, Jungwoo named it. Surrender to the girl painted on the canvas and to her killer gaze. Surrender in shades of pink, coral, red and orange mostly. Surrender to his painting and to his muse. Surrender to the surrounding wild that tangles in her purple curly hair strands that evade the canvas enthusiastically.

He seemed to admittedly adore women on his paintings. And, one of the women he genuinely was fond of wasn’t more than a stranger he’d probably would never find of. He painted, not someone specifically but someone idealized that wasn’t the prettiest, most perfect person ever, but he still loved those facial features.

Then, later on he revealed Life, a landscape of green fields and dark sky in which a vivid green female silhouette looked back, holding out a flag on a pole on one of her hands, carrying a backpack on her other shoulder, an oil and collage over canvas, with pieces of paper creating the background of the painted women in green.

Jungwoo explained when asked that the painting is what people do with their life to achieve happiness but it’s a mistake sometimes. A nature passionate, he loved painting fields. But the message wasn’t on the outstanding green fields. It was on the dark sky, and life isn’t a matter of running away from the dark to achieve the light, it’ll still be there. The flag is a symbol relevant on the canvas, representing her victorious look back at the past as she walks out of the storm in search for the sun, after defeating the grey dangerous clouds.

After making his first exposition, he rested for one year and a few months, disappearing from his promising future and increasing popularity on the world of the arts and lived all for himself, practicing and painting the female muse in several canvas, making her facial features more and more specific as he build a profile of her face. He kept it a secret that he was obsessed.

 

II. Brush .

                With pursed lips on a firm line, an old friend of Jungwoo, whose name was Jiseok, had a whole desk filled with brushes, dirty and clean water, pencils, watercolors almost spilling out of their cups and palettes, mixed with tinted water of several tones, as he used one of his pencils to draw the main shapes of the new character he was drawing on the thick paper.

Huffing and scratching his head, he got himself a thicker brush, placing it on the watercolors’ mixed palette and rubbing it softly and with a certain tenderness on his paper, looking over at the other images to check how it all came out.

He breathed in relief and took all the drawings to near a powered down fan, or else the anime character he had just built for his new project would most probably go down the toilet, or at least the ink would drip all over the sheet.

“Ah… finally finished it…” He breathed in, bending down so he wouldn’t hit his head on the ceiling, as he could notice steps up the stairs – if he paid enough attention – and then, he happened to get scared and surprised with a suddenly opening door. He turned around and hit his head on the low ceiling, whining loudly, yelling. “Yah? What’s wrong with you? Couldn’t you knock?” He made a whiny pout, stepping away from the ceiling he hit his head on.

A female chuckled and folded an apron. “I’m sorry, honey. Dinner is ready.” She looked over at the ceiling, frowning slightly. “You hit your head again? You should work downstairs, it’d be much safer. And less worrisome for me. Who told you to grow this much tall? You might even hit your head on a light bulb from the ceiling and burn your hair someday!”

“Yah!” He whined, wrinkling his nose as he glanced. “I will become bald before I burn my hair, arasseo? And, I won’t become goddamn bald!” He laughed playfully, pecking the girl’s forehead and going downstairs. “Dinner awaits us. Let’s not take more time or it’ll cool down, okay? You had a hard day today…”

“Of course I did! It’s hard to keep you happy and you know that!” She whined, acting as playfully as he did previously, standing on her tip toes to reach the guy, kissing him tenderly. “Let’s go have dinner, silly.”

With that, Jiseok left downstairs by his wife’s side – he was newlyweds, he still worn his ring no matter what, even if he, distracted as he was, could lose it anywhere really – and left his phone vibrating and shaking over the table he was previously working on. Someone insisting tried to call several times but he wouldn’t come upstairs since he didn’t miss his phone or anything. Family was sacred and so was a good meal for him. But the person on the other side was annoyed. It was Yuhwan, one of his friends.

They knew each other for a while now, like, two, three years. It wasn’t much time after all but they were close. Yuhwan also was a friend of Jungwoo and of other friends common to the other two.

 

III. Line.

Yuhwan was a dance teacher and owned his own school with one of his friends. Specialist on breakdance, he’d teach that to his students, so as freestyle and hip hop. He loved contemporary dance and was truly devoted to what his love was, dancing.

Nearby him were other guys who were also connected to some art. Sungjong, his majoring colleague and the one who pays half the rent of the dance studio with him – Yuhwan being secretly his love interest, but no one had ever suspected that – and shared a flat with him and Sungmin, a whiny 20-year-old who was a dancing major as well, but a prodigy and quite influent nearby females, who’d work on the dance studio during his college breaks, helping the guys pay both rents.

The three guys knew other two guys besides the older two of the friend group – which were Jiseok and Jungwoo, both 24 years old – which were a pianist and violinist major called Jongkook, and a guy who didn’t know much and was bouncing in between several things, unsure what to do yet, named Sejoon.

The guys met through some events, quite funny, but they all shared something in common: Jungwoo. They all met before and interacted with each other but they all met on Jungwoo’s press conference and on Jungwoo’s exposition and Yuhwan said once that the girl Jungwoo always painted resembled himself of someone close to him. More or less, it was his cousin, his aunt’s daughter, sister of his mother, Song Soohee. After that, he decided to arrange a sort of a meeting in between the telepathic painter and the long lost muse.

The traits that Jungwoo wished to meet were going to face him and give him a smile. A muse coming out of the canvas to present him to her beautiful face, better polished than any statue he’d ever sculpt would be. He wouldn’t admit that he was highly interested in meeting his friend’s cousin. He probably was getting obsessed with finding the features he represented. He wanted to meet them badly.

Sungmin huffed to his cellphone, resting his chin on the table. “Jiseok hyung doesn’t answer me either. That brat stopped being a good friend since he got married.”

Sungjong then tried impersonating the referred couple, making Jungwoo glance up from his phone. “Oh, yeobo, you work so much in all those drawings… You should take a break.”

Yuhwan laughed lowly and impersonated his hyung as well, using his hyung’s slang. “No way, ya gonna break yo goddamn back if ya keep on worrying this much ‘bout me… I better massage yo back. Forget ‘bout the break.”

“Massage my back you say, I married such a erted guy. You are really a bad guy, Jiseok!” Sungjong hissed and high pitched his voice a little, slapping the other’s cheek repeatedly, chuckling, almost giggling.

Yuhwan winked towards the other, still impersonating Jiseok. “I know ya like the way I’m naughty naughty, dun’ ya lie to me, ‘kay?” He looked towards Sungjong with a ert glance, trying his best to seem as mind corrupted as Jiseok was on their eyes.

“Wah, so dirty! Watch yourselves, we have a kid here!” Sejoon laughed as he arrived and patted Sungmin’s head, who stopped watching the others’ impersonation of the newlyweds long ago, watching Sejoon instead, who was coming alongside with Jongkook. Those two were always together like they were born glued to each other.

“Is Jiseok hyung skipping again?” Jongkook sat down in front to the others, pulling Sejoon out of the way, since he kept on standing there clueless. “That dirty hyung will appear only when he has got his wife pregnant.”

“Considering his own clinginess, he won’t leave her unless she kicks him out. I heard they are a bit weird at times. They match each other.” Sungmin commented, smirking evilly.

Some guy stepped inside and glanced at them all. Speaking of the devil, there he was. “Yah! I hear ya guys!” A dirty blonde tall male with big popping out features hissed loudly towards the group of six, fixing his hair and jacket. “I just had dinner, I swear!” He whined.

“Wow, a miracle has happened, lovebird!” Sungjong commented, giggling lowly.

Jiseok squinted his big black eyes and glanced towards the shorter, pursing his lips as he sat nearby the dancers, between Sungjong and Sungmin. “Watch yo goddamn tongue, Squirtle.” With that, he slapped his cheeks repeatedly, almost patting it violently. “I got here, I just forgot my phone upstairs on the studio nearby my last sketches. No big deal, I ended up realizing it wasn’t with me. Actually, it was ma girl who found it. I’d be real bad without her taking good care of me.” Jiseok grinned cheekily.

“Have you done the job already, hyung?” Sungmin asked challenging, laughing.

Jiseok frowned, looking over at the younger, punching his shoulder, huffing. “This brat really, asking if I’mma be a father already… You should know I respect my wife, ‘kay!”

“We all know you do. In several ways.” Sejoon attacked, laughing hard and covering his mouth, stepping backwards so Jiseok wouldn’t take revenge on him.

Laughter was installed on the table because they all knew how Jiseok worked, bragging about everything he’d say including himself. Most times he was playful but he disliked speaking much of his love life when it meant speaking of his girlfriend, now his wife. He was pretty fast though and that surprised all his friends, making him look like he married her right ahead because he got her pregnant. Accordingly, she was the love of his life and had nothing to do with an upcoming baby. He himself said he’d be too young to have children already but that could easily change for him, in a blink of an eye even. Since he said the same about marriage earlier and ended up marrying her sooner than any of them expected. Even if they dated for long and were old enough to have a future. After all they were both adults.

Because of that, he sighed lowly and patted his leg. “There might be a baby upcoming. Starting a couple of years ahead. When our situations are solved, ya know. Monetary one. And we are also mentally prepared. But dun’ worry ya all, I will have children enough fo’ each one of ya to become the fathers-in-law. Less one ‘cuz our Sungjong will be the mother-in-law of one of ‘em, isn’t it right, Jjing Jing?” He laughed, easing the mood in between the group of people, being all playful, pinching and molesting the guy’s cheek under the disapproving glance of the short hazelnut blonde guy. “Changing subject, what’s the reason we all came here?”

Jongkook whispered, chuckling. “We came here to meet Jungwoo’s muse and , maybe avoid for him to become all shy around her and stop him from running away.”

“Yuhwan says that Jungwoo’s paintings resemble his cousin, so she is travelling all the way from Yeongju to here.” Sejoon completed, to leave Jiseok with his chin dropped down.

“Wha- what?! Yeongju? Real Yeongju? Did she lose her mind to come all the way see such a guy? Is she pretty at least?” Jiseok lifted his lips on a wide smirk.

Yuhwan frowned and whined, hitting his forehead. “Yah, you are married!”

“Yah! I know I am married!” He showed off his ring finger, sticking it up towards the other. “I was just curious, I mean you guys invited me here to , I gotta at least know if she’s pretty… Please don’t leave Jungwoo hyung hanging!” Jiseok said in a loud tone, huffing.

Jungwoo glanced back from his phone, sighing. “I still hear you guys…”

“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Sungmin started hopping on his seat, patting Sungjong’s shoulder behind Jiseok’s large back, smiling wide. “Soohee noona is here!”

“Oh well, the reason is arriving.” Yuhwan smiled widely, showing off his deep piercing dimples and squishing his black shiny eyes as he stood up, waving at her as he approached them excitedly. “Jungwoo hyung, that’s my cousin. Song Soohee.”

Jungwoo, who was previously texting, glancing up once in a while, lifted his head and, surprised, parted his lips as he locked his sight with a red dyed hair women, with big beautiful brown sparkling eyes, a proportional pretty nose and a pair of small puckered rosy beautiful doll lips. He could relate to that face and he surrendered to the girl who was, magically, the same as the girl on his first canvas. His brown sparkly eyes locked with her and then a smile spread. An idiotic one. The other six boys stared at him, judging him, as Jiseok slapped him.

“Yah, say hello at least to yo telepathic muse.” Jiseok sighed to then chew on inside of his cheeks, looking with a hard glance at the other.

“I—what– oh, hey.” Jungwoo chuckled towards her, feeling like she gained life through his lines and dots, and she seemed so real. Just was there something he’d never picture, maybe good, maybe bad, but she had piercing dimples like her cousin Yuhwan had, but they suited it so well that he kept on grinning, amazed with her face.

“He’s still getting used. Poor thing. He has like four canvas with the face of a girl that looks exactly like you.” Yuhwan chuckled lowly, patting his cousin’s fringe softly, gesturing for her to take the empty seat in front to Jungwoo.

Observing him with the piercing hypnotizing dimples of hers as she’d let a gentle and addictive smile spread on her sweet juicy lips, she handed him her hand for an handshake and he looked over, soundly smiling, looking down at her pale sculptural hands and shaking them, feeling wonderful for touching her skin, the skin of the muse he never expected to find. Her lips parted as she slid her fingers back to rest them on her lap. “I have been e-mailed with your masterpieces, some people who saw that exposition and the canvas online on your website told me it was exactly like me and asked me if I knew you. Now I can say I do.” She looked down shyly, smiling tenderly and chuckling.

“Well, I might need some help of yours eventually. Having a living model that I can use is better than having a computerized version of my muse’s face. We’d be both winning.” He chuckled as shyly and the rest of the group blinked to each other like they were a bunch of candles staring at the lovebirds.

 

IV. Shape.

 

Jiseok was the first to leave. “Hmm, sorry guys, but ma lady’s calling ‘ready. Gotta go tame the beast, ya know. Aish, it’s hard being married…” He scratched his neck as he picked up his cellphone, a fading voice echoing as he’d talk sweetly.

Yuhwan bumped everyone with his shoulder, chuckling lowly and leaning to Sungjong, whispering loudly. “Yeobo, sorry I had to leave and meet ma friends, I’mma make it up to ya now.” With that he puckered his lips at Sungjong, blowing kisses as he avoided to burst out in laughter at his weird impersonation of a flirty married Jiseok to his wife.

Sungjong’s tiny eyes squinted as he made a duck face and poked Yuhwan’s stomach, high-pitching his voice. “I married a erted guy… how will you make up to me, Jiseok? Hmm?”

Yuhwan his lips with Jiseok’s typical wide nasty grin, leaning forward for Sungjong as he tried to stop laughing, biting him all over. “We’re gonna frickle frackle, of course, baby girl.” He laughed soundlessly to then have someone to interrupt their impersonation.

“That’s rated! Rated!” Jongkook hit the table and laughed, making Jungwoo and Soohee stare at them and blink, and Sejoon kept laughing as Sungmin, watching the awkward environment between the muse and the painter on the other side of the table, decided to laugh as well. Then the devil came again to try to hit everyone in the room who didn’t spare him.

“Yah! Ya goddamn bunch of punks! I can’t even go properly, ya start being all mean to me, I can’t even go frickle frackle in piece!” He huffed and groaned loudly at the others, and actually seemed pretty mad and pissed off, but they knew he was a little playful, hitting the others with his brick-like heavy iPhone.

With that, Soohee managed to chuckle, and, Jungwoo stared at her and her piercing dimples deeply, drawing a wide smile on his features. Nobody noticed his silly smile, nobody felt the bumping excited heart on his chest as he’d look at Yuhwan’s famous cousin. She looked exactly like his painting and his eyes were like a camera, recording every single move of hers, sparkly eyes as he’d then look her over. A well-defined hourglass body, passion fiery red wavy hair strands falling off to her face, cut fringe hiding her brown fading eyebrows, eyeliner shaping her eyes in beautiful black cornered shiny almonds, a corner diving down on her face, making a perfect acute angle and continuing on her other eyelid, a thin line dividing the waterline from the eye bag, since the eyelashes wouldn’t be enough.

Her splendid eyes looking into his and making him surrender to them, dazzling lips in shades of pink and coral, shiny and tasty curving on a desirable and arousing smile, sharp collarbones popping out of her pale skin, a curvy body, a beautiful yet maybe a little too big nose, she wasn’t just anyone but she was like some common yet dazzling beauty. Rare but not perfect. It was perfect for him, simple, beautiful yet simple shapes, without too many pleasant shapes. Maybe a little bustier than he’d portray, maybe a little taller, maybe he would have wanted to keep on looking without her looking at him but the warmth of her eyes was inviting.

“Hmm… Jungwoo-ah?” Soohee looked over at Jungwoo, a smile spreading on her features as she shook her head a little, putting her leather short jacket on her chair’s back, exposing a plain grey dress tied with a ribbon red belt, her eyes looking straight to his. He gets back to his senses and smiles at her next, to verify her close-by hand, poking his cheek. “Are you alright?”

Jungwoo’s eyes locked with Soohee’s as he smiled in response, shaking his head. “It’s nothing. I was thinking and got my eyes locked on a spot.”

“My face.” She chuckled lowly, looking over at him and held out her wallet on her hand. “Well, I’ll be right back, feeling a little hungry. I will go ask for something to eat and be back right ahead. I won’t take long, Jungwoo-ah.”

Looking over at her, his hand responded to his impulses and held to her wrist. “N-no, wait, you’re here to know the guy who painted your face without knowing you, the least I can do is pay for the food. Let me pay, you’re the guest here.” He smiled gently and got up, letting go of her wrist. Soohee was as tall as him, almost. With high heels on she was slightly shorter. She was much taller than the average, considering that himself was taller than average as well. He then noticed she was trying to seem as tall as she could, using massive pumps with thick heels and tall shoe soles. But even so, she tried her best getting on the tip of her toes.

Silent, Jungwoo walked faster and then she got back to showing what her height was, standing by the counter and sitting on a seat in front to it, almost letting her heel slip off of her feet, almost falling backwards. On an impulse he held her hand out and pulled her to the front to then feel the warmth of her clenched fists for a couple seconds against his chest. She sat and fixed her dress and smiled awkwardly, with, again, her piercing dimples.

“I’m sorry. I’m clumsy…” She then chuckled, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere in between them. “My heel slipped when I was trying to sit.”

Jungwoo chuckled and sat nearby her on one of the sits, some background beat playing on some nearby radio. “It’s alright. The seats are tall, not a lot of women like sitting on these kind of seats, it’s more like for those fancy drinking buddies.” He nodded to then look closely at her reddened ankle. “Did you get hurt?”

“Hmm… I may have twisted my ankle? But it’s alright, it’s just hurting a little, it barely does. I will be good once we’re all out of here.” Soohee nodded with a wide piercing smile, patting her knees. “Would it be too… crusty… if I took a beverage?”

 

V. Sketch.

They all left. Jungwoo and Soohee were left behind to find themselves heated up by the so-called beverages they took and Jungwoo paid for. A tequila followed by a flowery fruity passion-fruit liquor mixed with other ingredients, and a few other drinks she decided to try, acting fancy with her choices over the approving look of his.

Soohee’s eyes were heavy. Still intact makeup, she would blink slowly. “Jungwoo-ah… thank you for the drinks. I will be leaving first.”

Jungwoo’s smile spread on a silly manner, he was drowning on the scent of her lips, and it was enough to make him a little drunk, alongside a sip of rum, he’d say, it was a pretty strong one though, so he was probably was seeing stars already. But, it wasn’t taking effect yet, considering that he took a small glass. He watched her go and then when she placed her feet on the ground, she lost balance due to her twisted ankle. “I’ll accompany you, you can’t go this way…” He bent down and picked her up on his arms, comfortably carrying her out, shouting to the employee. “Put it on my account, I will pass by later to pay. Can’t leave her like this… I have to carry her home.”

He got out, getting his jacket with effort, since he was holding her out, smiling gently at her. She looked better on dark lights, since she’d brighten it all like a light source. Soohee was a beautiful girl, it seemed a lie that she was older than most of them. Or, she was older than her cousin Yuhwan. He wandered how much older she was. But it’d be impolite to ask things that way. The city lights slowly were turned down as the dawn would slowly approach the sky. It was far from it but at 4am the sky would already be turning blue, and it was morning, literally.

Jungwoo’s eyes wandered through the sky and he walked down the road, wandering where she’d stay. He wasn’t sure whether to ask that either, he didn’t want to interrupt that silence, he was focusing on the feeling of embracing his muse. What if, in the morning, she became ink and it was all a dream? Jungwoo was a little obsessed with the idea of the girl he portrayed being real. She was like the other girl, yes, just, taller, perhaps not as skinny, having different cheeks, considering that she had dimples. The rest was the same. And, that was driving him crazy. Because, what he deep down always wanted, fell on his arms.

His lips proffered a sacred whisper at such a divine woman, not sure why his voice came out so low. “Where should I leave you at?” He looked down, the moon sunbathing her glowing pale skin, a tiny smile on her rosy lips, verifying she fell asleep holding out his shirt’s collar tightly. By that she seemed to be scared to fall down, her fists close to her chest as she’d hold herself up. She fell asleep that way. “Atelier it’ll be. It’s too late for me to go home so I’ll go straight to the canvas, just take a coffee.”

Holding her out carefully, he got his keys out of his pocket, opening the door of a white functionalist building out of a more cozy line, with big white framed windows occasionally spit over the building, all the same, all spaced over the walls of the building. Without a rooftop but a garden built on top with grass and ivies going down the walls, the creators of the building removed a window to let the ivies grow, that being exactly on his atelier’s walls. White Ink Bird Studio, the place where he’d paint his canvas and make his sketches, actually was highlighted by a wide growing ivy that was growing thanks to the grates stuck to the walls.

Slowly opening the door so she wouldn’t wake up with the increasing characteristic noise of the woodened surface, he lied her down on the atelier’s couch – where he sometimes ended up falling asleep while doing sketches – and, she watched her closely.

Hands tugging to his collar, he smiled and breathed loudly as he did, to then place her head on one of the couch’s pillows, with printed tulips. It matched the whole scenario where he’d have the birds surrounding the tulips painted directly on the walls, fading into different pastel tones. The pillows were coral-reddish and aqua green, some greener tone of faint turquoise, teal or aquamarine. The fading spreading tones looked good on a white background, mixing with the white room and white couch. There was a carpet that was colorful, like some pastel rainbow mixed with white, a furry and softly shag rug, inviting people to embrace it, like he’d embrace back, and heat them up.

But, there’d be no rugs needed. Once Jungwoo tried to go back to painting his current project, lying down quietly on the canvas, the hands embracing his shirt collar’s fabric pulled him harshly. Feeling him let go of her, Soohee held him tight on her sleep against her chest, making him fall forward over her. His body splashed entirely over hers and he could feel her breath, as she would doze to sleep completely again. Looking around and trying to stand up, he knew her hands wouldn’t let go of him, since she unconsciously was afraid of falling down to the ground, he thought to himself.

 

VI. Figure.

A phone lying on the ground kept vibrating. The clock marked 12:47am, and the two bodies were glued together as a perfectly conceived collage. Jungwoo’s sleeping peacefully expression showed a faint unconscious smile as Soohee was now sleeping over him, her nose right next to his slightly parted lips. There’s no way he would have ran away from her, she gripped so hard to his collar that one of his shirt’s buttons was unquestionably lying on the floor, unyielding and alone, in contrast to the definite not lack of company over the atelier’s couch.

A wrinkled white shirt, intertwined legs, a girl sleeping over a guy’s shoulder with messy hair and clothes after drinking even if they were cautious not to become drunk – even if they got heated up and maybe even flirty – could have led to some other entertaining options afterwards. But, it hasn’t, they barely knew each other. It was his friend’s cousin, even if she looked like the woman he’d paint in every canvas, she was still not that person at all. She was nothing but a shadow he’d never be able to let go of his body, but, even if shadows stuck, you can’t touch them. That was Soohee. Even if somehow was sleeping by her side, probably the first woman he ever got sleeping with him in such circumstances.

Her knee was lifted up as she’d move in bed with the sunlight trespassing the window. Somehow, she still managed to have her knee in between Jungwoo’s legs, which led him to wander what that feeling was, unconsciously feeling something rub his inner thighs. Rubbing his eyes, still not having a clear vision, he closed his eyes again and when he opened them again, he noticed her pressing him against her, gulping and trying to part from her.

Jungwoo couldn’t do a thing, Soohee was pressing himself against her, unconsciously rubbing herself all over him as she’d snuggle to something she could hold, her knee still rubbing the previous spot it was leaning against. The knee rubbing against his crotch as he’d panic, unable to part from her arms, yet so tempted to take a look? Her loosened dress became a wrinkled tank top as it lift up until her waist, the ribbon was surrounding her waist yet untied, and the sleeves and collar, too large, were exposing her features as she’d crawl up to nuzzle on his neck, and Jungwoo would stare at her and observe her do its magic as her leg kept working out the tent it’d rub on.

Panting heavily, the first thing he did was open his eyes and sit on the couch, verifying that not everything on his dream was a lie, she was lying over him, nuzzling, yet she was not half , he almost could see her underwear but he avoided to look.

Looking forward to him, he wandered if it was real teasing or not, until he got his answer alongside with a soundly smirk of hers and her knee working on his . She opened her eyes and smiled. “Is it bad that it’s too fast?” She then kissed over his jaw and looked into his eyes. “If it’s too bad for you, I’ll stop, but I saw you were interested in me the whole night.”

“I don’t know you, Soohee. How do you feel by knowing that I look at you for what your appearance is, for what my canvas are like? Doesn’t it bother you?” Jungwoo looked at her with a serious look, pecking her forehead. “I’m not doing this because I might regret it. I’m sorry.”

Jungwoo stood up and held out his head. She looked at him with slightly teary eyes and nodded. “I’ve met you before. We knew each other before. I was in your press conference, I was on the exposition, I’ve been here without going to you, even if I approached you, since Yuhwan told me you painted me without knowing me. I know it’s crazy, but the more obsessed one ends up being me. You have my face all over your room but you still managed to take me down. I got to sleep with you and it felt really good but I ruined it all when I tried more. I’m a shame of a person. I shouldn’t be here...” She looked down, sniffing a little. “I will be going…”

“No… stay. I never said it won’t change. I can’t do that without knowing you well. Let’s do the following, you model for me and I treat you, take you out for dinner. You help me, I help us. It sounds like a good deal, right?” He smiled gently, sitting in bed and wiping her eyes.

“And, I don’t know why I did this, why I tried to sleep with you… I don’t really know, you’re too nice, I shouldn’t do that, you might think I spread my legs at the first man that crosses my path, I hate it that I did this now… I’m so sorry…” She held to her knees, shaking her head and avoiding to look at him, to then shake off her head as he holds out her chin.

Jungwoo looked over and forced her to look into his eyes right ahead. “No… look at me, Soohee. You’re not a , I let myself slide and my thoughts… I desired you and wanted you and I think you’re hot and beautiful and smart but, we are not in love, I don’t love you. I don’t get involved unless I feel other than chemistry. If it’s more intense and more real. An artist, a painter, can’t never be rational. He feels a lot and more than others, he loves, he feels passion, he lets himself drag but he is romantic and conquers with his heart. If it lacks, what is the use? Why would you hurt yourself sleeping with someone who you don’t love? Do you see my point, Soohee-ah?” He cupped her cheek and it, wiping off one of her falling tears. He then leaned forward and pecked her nose.

Soohee nodded slowly. “So then, answer me a frank question. Would you change it?”

Jungwoo’s lips pursed in thought, and then he nodded. “I’m more turned to a yes but I can’t tell. The destiny doesn’t belong to us and it will never belong unless we change it. It is trailed either way, we have several paths but they all have times when the answer is the same.”

“Oppa…” Soohee looked down, sniffing to then wipe her nose. “Can I take a guarantee?”

He nodded slowly, popping out his lips slightly. “And, what would that be?” He then looked over and wiped off a tear out of her eyes.

“This.” And then, she leaned over to kiss him, at first shy and reluctantly but then eager and needy, like it’d depend on her life. Soohee’s eyes closed and so did his, and the fluttering eyelashes would tremble as he’d hold out her cheeks. Now, he knew his heart wasn’t indifferent to her since it’d beat and beat. But, it wasn’t enough. He had to want her badly. He had to know that what he felt was desire, hunger, sadness whenever she’d not be by his side, he had to love her like she was not just the girl in the canvas. He had to know she wasn’t a scribble, a sketch, a portrait, but someone he couldn’t customize himself. Someone he had to fight for and change for, not suit her to him like he did with his paintings. He felt good and bad, because, she was the girl in the canvas.

 

VII. Ink Stain.

Yuhwan’s dimples were growing as he’d walk fast with a plastic bag hugged against his chest, teeth showing in happiness as he’d roam with his other hand on his iPhone, headphones plugged to them as he’d walk around, hearing to some music as he’d walk on a quick pace. Someone chasing him quickly, a shorty male on a white V-neck and headphones around his neck, blonde hair strands over the pair of small eyes, huffing juicy thick lips, finally reached him and touched his back with a poke, as an angry, cute expression would appear on Sungjong’s features as he looked up towards Yuhwan. “I forgot the home keys inside and I’m locked out. I finally catch you…” His lips were parted and his forehead was a little sweaty, and he would bend his knees to rest them after a few quarters run.

“Why didn’t you call me?” Yuhwan frowned slightly as he surrounded the other’s weirdly broad shoulders’ with his arm, pulling him closely as he’d smile gently. “I was going home now to leave this stuff I got us.” Then, Yuhwan whispered against Sungjong’s ear. “I found a perfect spot to hide food from Sungmin and forbid him from eating it all himself. We need those cans too! Either of us can’t cook…”

Sungjong popped his lips slightly and looked over at Yuhwan, making a pout. “I ran out of battery… I forgot to put my cellphone charging earlier, so it was expected.” He then nodded with the same pout, stuffing his hand inside Yuhwan’s pocket, so he’d find the other’s keys.

“What are you doing?” Yuhwan looked at the other, widening his eyes slightly, wandering what he was up to. As the other stopped, his fingertips ran over Yuhwan’s hand, removing them from the pocket slowly, making a chill run down his spine. Shaking his head slightly with wide eyes after two intense seconds of staring, he removed his hand from his pocket as well and held out the paper bag on his other arm, taking his home keys out of his pocket, walking forward a few more steps and inserting it on the door’s keyhole, rotating it one single time, to enter it and call the elevator. “You could have asked for it.” He said with an emotionless face, to then press the button until their floor, leaning backwards against the elevator’s mirror.

Sungjong looked down until his eyes would touch the tip of his toes, mumbling as his fingers would play with each other nervously. “I’m sorry, I could have done it indeed…” He seemed regretful at his eyes, pouting in such a cute way, as his eyelashes would glue to his skin slightly. He kept staring down as he then noticed life in the elevator.

Yuhwan, which was previously stopped, ended up taking baby steps until the shorter male, his face being a palm away from the other’s as he’d bend forward, and big highlighted eyes staring into the closed fluttering eyelids of the other that slowly bloomed wide open. A pair of chocolate brown eyes stared into the other’s, a smile spreading on the dimples guy as he’d feel Sungjong’s heavy breathe intensify as he’d get slightly closer. “What matters is what you did, and what you did intend with that.” A dimple showed up more than the other as one of his lips curved upwards, something Sungjong never saw before coming from Yuhwan.

“I intended nothing but to get your keys…” He gulped as he got cornered, squishing himself against the elevator’s mirror, wishing to have that touch that soon would grab him. He knew what Yuhwan was, the hours of practicing together, he lied his eyes on the other’s sweaty tank top as he’d watch him choreograph his classes of hip hop, breakdance and do acrobatics. Sungjong envied his skills even if his quality was similar, his dancing, but, he’d never, never, do breakdance. He always liked modern dances better that had no street style signed into it. Passion was passion, and he liked those better but the mutual influences, practicing together, Sungjong slowly grown to have a love interest on the other, even if he refused to show it. Show off his weakness to his predator, but he was dead meat, he’d surrender to the piercing dimples.

“Sure.” Yuhwan’s hands were blindly led until Sungjong’s waist and his lips slowly proclaimed the other pair of juicy lips as his own, as he then pressed him slightly against the mirror. In a matter of seconds, Sungjong desired Yuhwan and vice versa. Attachment would be the death of them but they didn’t care about reputation nor Sungmin showing up when they furiously wished to have each other for their own desire.

Placing the paper bag held on Yuhwan’s hand over the counter, he led the other until the shared bedroom, splashing his body over his bed as he’d crawl over and kiss him fervently, just as if a rising temperature was hitting them both. Sickness, not sure, but maybe a little bit of craziness. Led to his lips again, Sungjong only wanted the other to kiss him, his tinted cheeks getting a tender from the other’s thumb, as he’d part his lips to leave a trail through the exposed area by the V-neck. Hands running down the other’s torso shyly, that was what Sungjong did as his hands ran over through the other up and down, slowly. His lips parted a little but he chuckled, almost like some giggle, ticklish due to the pecks on his sensitive neck.

He courageously parted his lips, “Yuhwan…” he proffered. His eyelids closed as he hummed softly, smiling tenderly at the other’s passionate gestures. “I…” He shut himself after some hesitation, looking at the other shyly.

“I know. Me too.” He didn’t need to know what he was speaking off, he already knew. Sungjong’s lips tugged to Yuhwan’s again and they both gave it an emphasis, to then hear the black haired dancer groan at his ringtone. “Argh, not now…” He sighed as the cellphone kept on demandingly ringing, taking it out of his pocket, sitting on bed and kissing Sungjong’s forehead softly to then pick up. “What’s wrong, Jungwoo hyung?”

« Thank god you finally answer my calls, I tried to call you a few times… Soohee is not answering her phone, it’s out of service, she was here early in the morning, but I don’t know where she is, I hired her to be my living model and she was supposed to get back to discuss stuff with me and she went downstairs to grab some coffee and now I don’t know if she’s alright… I mean, she’s from a smaller city, Seoul is not safe, what if something happened to her? What if she got an accident? She is in a new city and alone, do you think it’s not a reason to worry? »

“Aren’t you overreacting too much? She’s an adult, she knows how to take good care of yourself, maybe you’re perhaps worrying about her? Did you do something to her? Something happened?” Yuhwan frowned on the phone. He started to get worried with what Jungwoo has told him on the other side.

« She slept on the atelier last night. I didn’t know where to leave her at since she fell asleep so I stayed almost the whole night awake and left her on the couch, but events turned out in a way we fell asleep together. Nothing happened, sort of, we stayed of that pub drinking until it was like 3am or close by and then we got a little drunk. But we were conscious. She was less than me, so, she was a bit hung and she sort of seduced me? But, I’m getting worried now because she said she’d grab a coffee like… four hours ago? I’ve been calling you for an hour more or less now, I got out looking out for her but nothing, I’m still searching her nearby. »

Yuhwan stared immobilized for a couple seconds, lowering his phone slowly. “I’m… on my way.” And then he got up silently, running out of the house, pursing his lips as he got a jacket. “Put the food on the fridge, I will be back later. Soohee disappeared out of nowhere.”

“I’ll go with you.” Sungjong got up of the bed startled, nodding once, his eyes widened as he’d show a worrisome posture towards that. “I will help in what it needs.”

“No, you stay here in case she appears. I will be looking for her so turn on your cellphone. I’m sorry to interrupt us but, I need to leave.” With that, Yuhwan pecked gently the other’s cheek, rushing to leave, taking his home keys alongside.