It started out like this.

“Jiyong, can you hand me the red color pencil?”

“Sure Dara! Where is it?”

“The one to your left”

“This one?”

“Jiyong, that’s light orange”

“Oh? Of course it is! I’m just kidding.” she heard Jiyong say before hovering his hands above the colored pencils and pulling one out before picking the orange one and handing it to her, looking perplexed, “Uhh… here you go Dara” she heard Jiyong say as she slowly took the pencil from him.

“Thanks Jiyong.”

The second one happened at a park while they were waiting for Seungri.

“Jiyong, I need to take this call, can you go lay this down near that green table over there?” she asked her boyfriend as she turned her back on him and took her call.

When she turned to look at her boyfriend five minutes into the conversation, she saw him wandering around that long brown table with a lot of rowdy people throwing food at each other.

She immediately ended her call and dragged her boyfriend near the green table.

“I didn’t like the atmosphere there,” she dismissed when Jiyong gave her a questioning look.

The thing about Dara and colors is this - they match.

Dara is an artist - has lived all her life as one. And even though she lived and loved using black and white colors on canvasses, she realised, she liked it better now - with colors.

All because Jiyong Kwon, who produces and composes his own songs, came into her life and changed everything.

She painted in reds.

Blues.

Yellows.

And greens.

But the problem is, Jiyong can’t see them - the way she sees it.

“Dara, Jiyong has colorblindness, leaning on red-blind, from what you just described to me now” her friend and personal doctor, Lee Chaerin said.

“Is there a cure for it?” she asked as she looked directly at her.

“None… yet. But there is a possibility to see colors if he wants to. There is this Color glasses - they’re pretty expensive -- actually, really expensive” she heard Chaerin say as she took out her phone and asked her, “Give me figures, Chae”

And so, Dara began painting again.

An online auction.

An online auction of her best pieces.

And everything was sold.

She purchased two glasses as soon as Teddy handed her her payment.

And she sat Jiyong on the couch.

And pressed play on the remote control.

And went to her work room.

It was a pre-recorded video she made.

“Hi baby~ I hope you’re doing great today” the video started, showing Dara waving sweetly at the camera, smiling at him.

“Dara?” she heard her boyfriend calling her.

The video continued.

“The truth is, I have something to give you” video Dara say as she emerged from her work room taking out five canvass with her.

“What is that? What is this?” she heard Jiyong ask her as she went closer to him and enveloped him in a hug.

“A gift” she answered easily as she e canvass after another, showing similar paintings of Jiyong lined up - except for the last one which remained covered with a white cloth.

“Me? In shades of… yellow and brown?” she heard her boyfriend asked behind her - brows furrowed, probably.

She didn’t answer.

Instead she disentangled herself from Jiyong’s hold, pulled up a chair and sat her boyfriend down - again.

“Dara, what is thi -” he stopped as she saw Dara walking off towards the work room again and coming back holding a brown plastic bag.

Taking out one of its contents, he saw Dara holding out one of its contents which he took.

“Jiyong” he heard her say as he felt his girlfriend’s hands on both sides of his shoulder before adding, “I want you to look at the paintings and tell me what color they are - from right to left”

And he did.

“Dark yellow, Light yellow, Blue, Dark blue.” he said, sounding sure.

“Alright, now, close your eyes and put on the glasses” he heard her say.

And he did so.

“Can I open my eyes now?” he said as he felt a light squeeze on his shoulders before hearing a small, “Open your eyes darling”

He did.

He did - and now he’s crying.

“Goddamnit Dara” he cursed as he slowly stood up while Dara took his side as they walked closer towards the paintings.

“I love you Jiyong” he heard her girlfriend say as he turned to her so fast he almost had a whiplash.

He saw her - and all the different colors that surrounded her.

He kept on crying.

“Oh my god, Dara - Dara! You don’t - You have NO IDEA - Dara” he said brokenly as he kept on crying while hanging on to Dara for support.

He felt his legs giving away.

“You gave my life so much color” she heard Dara say and walked him backwards, never letting him go.

“I want you to see how you made me feel,” Dara continued before making him turn around.

“Red, for passion, because you brought me back to life. Green, for envy, because you are so good my Jiyongie, so good. Blue, like the sky, because I see you and feel you in everything. And finally, Purple, because it’s you - always you”

Dara kept talking - and he kept crying.

He felt Dara disentangling herself and he tightened his hold on her. But Dara just smiled and tugged again, this time, successful.

He saw Dara walking to the clothed canvass and beckoned him closer.

As he stood there, he heard Dara say, “This, my Jiyongie, is how I see you”

And then the cloth was taken off.

And Jiyong fell on the floor crying.

It was the same painting, like everything else, just his face, but this time, with all colors taking over his face.

Dara held him as he cried.

They told each other how much they love the other.

So much.

So much.

A few hours later the two were seen cuddling on the couch as they watched some television talking about anything and everything.

Basking in each other's presence.

In each other’s love.

A few months later Jiyong finally saw what Dara titled what his girlfriend call, ‘Her masterpiece’

By: Sandara Park

Title: On Love: Kwon Jiyong