“You really love to paint, don’t you?”, a faded voice of a young man resonates.

“It’s been my passion ever since, but my parents opposed this, they want me to follow their footsteps as business people.”

“You don’t you imposed to them what you really want to do?”

“I don’t want to bother them, and you know the health of my father. It will really affect him if I opposed him.”

“It’s true and that is the reason why I really love you.”

“What?”

“Your love for your parents. You even sacrifice your passion and dream for them.”

“But you know Eric, I really dreamed to have my own art gallery with all my paintings.”

“I will support you with that”

“Really?!”

“Yes?”

“Thank you!” as she hugged her boyfriend

“By the way, I want this painting to be the highlight of the art gallery.”

“Why?”

“Because this place is very special to me and to us.”

“One day, we will be looking at your painting at your own gallery.”

“I am looking forward for that day.”

******************************************************************

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you, you need to sign these documents.”

“I went outside to get some fresh air.”

“How long are you going to do that? You are torturing yourself.”

“Isn’t it the right thing to do.”

“No! You’ re acting like a child!”

“I deserve this. I am the reason why that thing happened.”

“Do you think, she is happy now by the way you are acting?”

“If you I haven’t called her that day, she will be alive until now.”

“Things happened for a reason, you don’t need to blame yourself.”

“But, still…”

“I know it’s been hard for you this past six months, but you also need to take care of yourself.”

“…”

“You know how much she loves you, she always wants you to be happy. If you act like that, what you think she will feel?

“But, Minwoo…she should have been my fiancée now if that did not happen.”

“I know Eric, but you should move on with your life. Torturing yourself won’t bring her back.”

“…”

“Let’s go now, we have a meeting within 30 minutes”

“Okay. Thank you, Minwoo”

“You know, I am always here beside you.”

******************************************************************

 At the meeting

“Good Morning Sir”

“Good Morning.”

“Let’s start with our meeting”, Eric said.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Here is the program for the grand opening of our art gallery. We also included the lists of people and VIPs that we will invite in our grand opening.”, Andy said as he presents the power point to the management.

“How about the paintings and art works that will be displayed?”

“We already prepared all of it, Sir. As you requested Sir, this painting will be the main attraction and highlight of the event.” Andy said while the painting of an oak tree was shown in the screen.

“Good job, Andy.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“So, we are all set for the grand opening on November 27?” Minwoo asked Andy.

“Yes, Sir. We are all set.”

“Just make sure that all the VIPs will receive the invitation on time, okay.” Eric said.

“Noted, Sir.”

******************************************************************

“You really love her, don’t you?”

“You already know the answer to that Minwoo.”

“Establishing this art gallery that she always dreamed of, with all of her paintings, highlighting her favorite and last painting.”

“She always wants to have this art gallery, but she couldn’t have because her aren’t opposed it.”

“You even set the grand opening at her birthday. How sweet of you.”

“That makes the event very special, isn’t it?” Eric said with a smile.

“I also invited her parents as VIPs for the opening”

“Do you think they will come? You haven’t shown yourself to them after her wake”

“I’ am sure they will come.”

******************************************************************

“Hyesung, dear, where do you want to go for your birthday?” his mother asked as she prepare the dinner.

“Let’s just eat here, it’s more special isn’t it.?”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, I don’t want to bother you two planning where to go. Let’s just celebrate here. I am not 7 years old, I am turning 38 now.”

“Okay, I’ll do as you wish.”

“Thank you, Mom.”

******************************************************************

Shin Company

“Good morning Sirs” the attendants at the Information greeted.

“Good morning”, Hyesung and his father greeted in unison.

“Sir, we receive a VIP invitation addressed to you.”, one of the attendant said.

“Invitation? For what?” Mr. Shin asked.

“Here it is Sir.” The attendant handed the orange envelope to Mr. Shin.

“It is from Mun Architectural Firm.”

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome, Sir.”

“What is that invitation, Dad?” Hyesung asked.

“An invitation for a grand opening of an art gallery.”

“Art gallery?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Let’s see…” Mr. Shin browse the invitation and looked for the date.

“November 27”

“27?”

“Yes, wait? Isn’t that your birthday?”

“Yes.”

“Then I cannot come to this, we have family dinner, right.”

“Let’s go. I want to see some paintings.”

“Since when you grow fond of paintings?” his father asked in curiosity.

“I don’t know. I just want to see some paintings. Let’s go together with Mom.”

“Okay, after our family dinner, we’ll go there.”

******************************************************************

Shin Residence

“Mom, let’s go to the art gallery.”

“Art Gallery?”

“Yes, Dad got an invitation this morning for the grand opening of the art gallery.”

“Where and when it that?”

“November 27, same day as his birthday.”

“I thought, you just want to stay here at home to have dinner, why you want to go outside suddenly and to an art gallery? Since when you grow fond of arts?”

“Same as my question.” his father said.

“I just want to see some painting. Consider it as your birthday gift to me.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

******************************************************************

After their family dinner, Hyesung’s family went straight to the art gallery

“Good Evening, Sir, Ma’am”

“Dad, Mom. I’ll looked around the gallery. I’ll meet with you later.”

“Okay”

He looked around the art gallery and view all the paintings.

“It’s weird…why all these paintings seem very familiar to me?” he whispered to himself.

Hyesung starts to breathe heavily as he walked and view the remaining paintings.

“Why… am I feeling…. like this, my chest hurt so bad…I cannot breathe….”

His eyes started to blur as he arrived as the main attraction and highlight of the art gallery.

“How fascinating, this painting is incredible, I love the artist’s painting style.” One of the visitor whispered.

“Yes, looked how realistic the oak tree looks like.” His companion added.

“Oak tree?” Hyesung whispered as he looked closely at the painting the two visitors are looking at.

“It cannot be…It’s the same oak tree.”

Suddenly…

“But you know Eric, I really dreamed to have my own art gallery with all my paintings.”

“I will support you with that”

“Really?!”

“Yes?”

“Thank you!” as she hugged her boyfriend

“By the way, I want this painting to be the highlight of the art gallery.”

“Why?”

“Because this place is very special to me and to us.”

“One day, we will be looking at your painting at your own gallery.”

“I am looking forward for that day.”

“Sir, are you okay?” one of the visitor asked

“I’am alright” Hyesung replied.

“You look pale, Sir. Are you sure you are alright?”

“Yes…”

“One day, we will be looking at your painting at your own gallery.”

“I am looking forward for that day.”

“Sir!!” one of the visitors shouted.

The shout got the attention of everyone including Hyesung’s parents and Eric.

“What’s the commotion here?” Eric asked.

“He was looking at this painting a while ago and we noticed that he looked pale, we asked if he was alright, he said he is fine and suddenly he collapsed.”

“Is he with someone?”

“We don’t know.”

Hyesung’s parents arrived at the scene.

“Hyesung!!!” his mother shouted.

“Hyesung!!”

“Is he your son?” Eric asked.

“Yes. What happened to him?” his father asked Eric.

“According to them, he looked pale while looking at this painting and suddenly he collapsed.”

“Again…” his father whispered.

“Let’s bring him to the hospital now”

“I order our security to call the ambulance a while ago.”

“Thank you very much.”

“No problem, Ma am.”

“Eric…”

Hyesung’s parents and the owner of the name look shocked as Hyesung suddenly said the name.

“Hyesung, dear?” his mother asked.

But there is no response from him.

“Does your son know me?” Eric suddenly asked.

“What? Why do you ask?”

“The name he just said…it is my name.”

“Eric?”

“Yes, I wasn’t able to properly introduce myself earlier. I am Eric Mun. I am the owner of this art gallery.”

“You were…”

“Yes. I am.” Eric answered

“I wasn't able to recognize you immediately due to the commotion, My apologies” Mr. Shin said

“It's alright. I understand.” Eric answered

The ambulance arrived at the gallery and Hyesung was once again bought to Hanshin Hospital.

“What happened?” Minwoo asked Eric

“Someone collapsed earlier” Eric answered.

“Is there something bothering you aside from what happened earlier?”

“The guy who collapsed…”

“What about him?”

“I cannot explain but I felt really weird when I saw him.”

“You know, you must rest, you’re just feeling stress due to the grand opening.”

“Maybe. Another thing bothering me is the what that guy said.”

“What did he say?”

“My name.”

“You mean he knows you?”

“No, I don’t even know him. He even said my name while he was still unconscious.”

“He’s weird, isn’t he?”

“The moment before he collapsed he was looking at this exact painting.”

“What are you trying to imply?”

“I didn’t say this to his parents but one of the people who was with him when he collapsed heard the word he said before he collapsed.”

“And he said…”

“It cannot be…It’s the same oak tree.”

“The same oak tree?”

“Yes. I’ve been wondering why would he said that?”

******************************************************************

What triggered for Hyesung to collapsed again?

Has he really seen the same oak tree in the painting?

What could be the relationship between the three: Hyesung, Eric and Eric’s girlfriend?

******************************************************************

Thank you for your continuous support to my story.