Youngjae could feel Jinyoung elbowing him to wake him and continue his speech - but all Youngjae could see were flashbacks, of when he was still in love with a masterpiece.

First was their meeting - simple, yet so very special. As soon as Youngjae landed his eyes on Jaebum he saw something mysterious, like an equation he had to resolve. They both were at a meeting for little artists like Jaebum, and Youngjae was only there to show around his “talent” as an art critic. He wasn’t searching for anything special, yet he found one little mistery, who soon became his. They rapidly became unseparable, and they were spending all their times in Jaebum’s little studio. Youngjae knew Jaebum loved to paint him, and when they were making love on Jaebum’s weakening bed, Youngjae loved to hear him whisper to his ear : “you’re the best muse I’ve ever wished for.”

Jaebum’s hands were constantly covered in paint, in colors - and that’s where the mystery was to Youngjae. How could someone appear so dark and lifeless if he had such a colorful mind ?

One day Youngjae asked him what made him so gloomy, and Jaebum only answered with a little laugh : “You can’t do art if you’re not sad. Or in love. Thanks to you, I’m now in love.” Youngjae wasn’t sure he could believe his words, but Jaebum was his world and he couldn’t not trust his own universe. But this sentence, to Youngjae, also meant that before meeting him, Jaebum was sad. And alone.

Because that’s what Jaebum became for him : his universe, his world, his masterpiece even if he wasn’t an artist.

For Youngjae, as an art critic, he was constantly searching for flaws, for mistakes - but Jaebum, was perfect. He was the masterpiece Youngjae had waited for.

Jaebum continued to paint Youngjae every day, and the younger one begged multiple times the artist to show him his work - but he refused every time, saying the painting wasn’t reflecting Youngjae’s aura very well. He even refused to give him his artist name, so that Youngjae could not cheat and look it up.

But after four years of their relationship, the flaws Youngjae couldn’t find started to appear. They broke up pretty smoothly, and both agreed to the separation. It wasn’t a big deal. They both weren’t in love anymore, so it was time for them so go on separate directions.

Oh, how wrong they were.

Because right at this moment, when Youngjae finally broke the eye contact between him and Jaebum, there was pain inside his heart of course - but he could still feel the butterflies he used to feel everytime Jaebum touched him.

Finishing his speech as fast as he could, Youngjae followed Jaebum’s figure which was running out to a balcony.

Youngjae went out and the fresh air brutally hurted his burning cheeks, as he saw Jaebum’s familiar back silhouette facing him.

“- I knew from the beginning, he whispered. That it was you. When I saw the painting. Which is weird, because I’ve never seen any of your work before. It’s amazing, by the way, you’re-

- Youngjae, said Jaebum, making the younger one jumping out of his speech.

- Sorry. It’s just… I have one question.

- Yes ?

- The title… Why did you call it like that ? “Lost Love” ? You never lost me, we both agreed on…

- You’re the one who said we should break up. I never said I agreed, I just went with it because you wanted that.

- But… Youngjae murmured, speechless.

- I was so madly in love with you, Youngjae, Jaebum whispered with a nervous laugh. I never wanted to leave you. But I guess I wasn’t good enough for you.”

Youngjae turned to Jaebum’s eyes, which were not tearing up a little. Confusion was spreading inside his little body. Yes, Jaebum insinuated he agreed with the separation… But did he say it clearly ? Youngjae couldn’t remember properly.

“- You broke my heart, when you left. There’s something about you, Youngjae. Something so special. You told me yourself that I was a mystery. That I had such a colorful imagination but that my soul was a blackhole. I never told you the truth that day.”

Youngjae looked at him, equally afraid and excited to finally hear the truth.

“- You were the one who brought the colors. That’s why my paintings were full of them, of feelings. Because I had you.”

And that said, everything clicked inside Youngjae’s head : the joyful paintings when he was dating Jaebum, and the dark, desperate ones when they weren’t together anymore.

And this specific painting, that made him tear him, the one where the man leaving were taking the colors off of the painter’s life.

He was that man.

“- You were the only colors that remained in my life, Youngjae. When you left, everything turned black again. And I… I never want that to happen again”, Jaebum murmured, his voice cracking from the tears that were forming in his eyes.

And Youngjae knew, that after all these years, it was his turn to let Jaebum go.