Wheein's PoV

My phone alarm greeted me early in the morning, waking me from the comfort of my sleep. As slow as my tired muscles would allow me, I reached for my phone, cracked an eye open to read what this day has stored for me. 

choosing to set the Sun (D-1)

A true inspiration to get out of my bed.

Unwillingly, I slid my feet to the side of the bed and threw away my sheets to do my morning ritual, which only consists of a cold shower to wake up my still sleeping muscles, and a trip to my closet to look for something to wear. Since we're still on the last day of preparations, I opted for just a simple shirt, blue faded jeans and a pair of sneakers. Grabbing my coat from the hanger, my wallet and phone from my bedside table, and my keys from the bowl on top of the coffee table in the living room, completes my agenda of leaving the house ready for work.

Outside my penthouse, on my way to my car, the spring air welcomed me, blowing my short blond hair, as I put on my coat while my grumbling stomach complained because of the lack of attention I'm giving to it.

I'm not particularly late to my destination, so no need for me to skip breakfast. In fact, even if I am late, the people I'm meeting would willingly wait for me. But I get really anxious if I allow myself to let others wait for me. I'd rather do the waiting than to be waited. So here I am, driving to the exhibit location despite having an empty stomach. 

It has been two years since I went silent from the art industry. Well, technically, I was still accepting offers, commissions and such, but not as much as before. I only do a handful one. Clients, other artists, and people, both local and international who knew me as this young talented painter, were asking me why I am taking a break when I'm at my peak or still potentially reaching my peak.

I would have questioned myself also. But you see, when you're in a slump, you are in a slump. To elaborate, instead of picking up my brush and let it glide over the blank canvass, I pick up my brush then join an intense staring competition against the blank canvass. Brush forgotten. Painting forgotten. Yet a flood of memories that I'd rather want to be forgotten would always seek its way for attention. 

Announcing that I'm holding an exhibit after years of staying in a low profile is kind of like a big deal to anyone who invested themselves in arts, particularly to paintings, since it signals that I'm also back in openly accepting clients. 

"I got you a coffee and a bag of bagels Miss Jung. They don't serve strawberry cupcakes in the café that I dropped by. I'm sorry. Is this okay?" Hyejin, my short-black-haired secretary for a year, said while handing me the treasures the moment I arrived at the location.

"That's more than okay, honestly. You know you don't need to, but thank you. You're a gift Hyejin" I replied, sipping the coffee the moment I laid my hands on the treats and closing my eyes as I inhaled the caffeine goodness.

"The place was already squeaky clean the other day. Posters are also up. The flowers will arrive later by evening. We were just waiting for you so we can start displaying all the canvasses, Miss Jung." Hyejin informed me as we walked side by side on our way to the gallery while I nodded my head to everything she said to me.

Yup, I still made them wait for me. Multi-tasking it is; walking, eating and understanding everything my secretary is currently telling me.

The gallery that I chose was not as grand as one would think for some artist to pick, after two years of break, in coming back to the industry. The place is a simple, small yet spacious, two-storey building covered with white walls and ceiling, and floors made of wood. 

A group of four men were already inside the gallery putting on their gloves and masks to protect the paintings from them. A stack of canvases, each perfectly wrapped in brown paper, were placed in the middle of the gallery inside their individual casing, which were delivered yesterday from my studio to this gallery. 

After finishing my breakfast, I instructed two of the four men to hang each of the paintings in their particular location while Hyejin and I unwrapped them from their protective cover. The other two were installing lights to direct our guests' attention to the paintings.

After a delicate and careful maneuver of displaying paintings and installing lights on both the first and second levels of the gallery, I bid farewell to the men we paid and said my thanks, grateful that no damage was made on my paintings, as the evening skies slowly make its entrance. 

Tired as I was, I was left with no choice but to wait with Hyejin for the flowers that were yet to be delivered. It would have been easier if we'll just hire people to do all the manual labor in preparing an exhibit, but I prefer to do the labor just to make sure that all my paintings are taken care of.

Even without the flowers, I sighed in content already as I scanned the gallery housing my paintings for tomorrow's exhibit. I've come from a long way, I thought. 

This is definitely a step towards a fresh start that I wanted to do. Maybe it was delayed for two long years, but who cares. For as long as I'm here, that's progress.

Isn't it?

Honestly, I think I'm just thinking these to either justify my actions or convince myself. I sighed again, ignoring the fact that I feel strongly on the latter one.

"Miss Jung, can I ask you something?" I slightly jumped from Hyejin's voice, not noticing that she's already standing beside me.

We're both looking at the gallery now. Eyes jumping from one painting to another, examining and making sure that everything's in its place. 

"What is it?" I asked, eyes still on the paintings. 

"So, who is she?"

Thought she wouldn't ask.