It was the third time he scrapped a painting today and the fiftieth time he did for the week. Imagine how much he did for the whole month or even, for a year or the years that have passed or were to come. He despised his current situation, but he grabbed another blank canvas from his storage room. He carefully unwrapped it before placing it on the old easel his father gave him as a gift. He grabbed one of his pencils, carefully drawing over the blank canvas. "This one, this is supposed to be a gallery," he repeats to himself as he sketches lines to form a three-dimensional room. He empties his thoughts as he carefully paints over the lines with shades of blue and green. He smiles in satisfaction at the result.

He is pleased with his work's outcome at the moment when a drilling noise abruptly forayed his train of thought, accidentally dropping his brush causing paint to splatter all over his unfinished work. He grunts in disbelief. Spots of orange are everywhere on his painting, in every corner of his supposed walls. He grabs his slippers and he couldn't care less when he drags himself outside the apartment complex and faced the men dressed in their construction uniforms.

"Excuse me, can you please keep it down?" He complains as he positions his hands on his waist, each arm forming a triangle.

"That's impossible, sir. These tools were meant to be noisy anyway," one of the men say, "We're completely sorry for the inconvenience, but we have to do our jobs."

"Well, my painting was ruined because of your construction. Unless my concept was 'splatter paint' then it's okay, but no! I'm aiming for a minimalistic design," Dong Hae unlatched his hands from his waist and raised them over his head in discontent.

"I'm really sorry, sir. There's nothing we can do," a man approached him, adjusting his shades before reaching for something inside his pocket. He grabbed his black, leather wallet before handing a card to Dong Hae, "If you want, you can go contact our boss. His number is right there. Again, we're sorry for the inconvenience."

The man bowed in apology, before leaving Dong Hae. Dong Hae rolls his eyes, "This is impossible," before he runs back to his apartment and looks at his painting, the fourth he was going to trash for the day. He grabs the card given to him by the man outside the apartment complex before throwing it along with his painting.

_

The city of Gangnam-gu was busiest at night, Dong Hae noted. People rushed everywhere, with large paper bags in their hands. The city lights glared at him constantly wherever his feet brought him to. Dong Hae noticed the night club signs which hardly glown at day. They looked tempting, but he had another destination in his itinerary. Upon reaching his destination he noticed how the sign was less appealing than he ever thought it to be. "ARTS EXHIBITION," he read with his eyes before pushing the glass doors open to be welcomed by white walls decorated with dozens of canvases filled with color.

He makes his way towards the painting in the middle, it being the only thing catching his attention. It was the largest, painted with the dullest colors in the world. Dark. It was dark, with only a raven decorating the middle, its wings red with blood. Dong Hae is surprised at the beauty and stared, pleasurably entertained, his lips unconsciously carving into a small smile. He studies the painting carefully and though people have moved on from scanning the other paintings, Dong Hae has never left.

"You like it?" someone raises a question and Dong Hae does not budge, staring at the artwork before he hums as if to agree.

The woman chuckles, before walking to stand beside him, "Lee Dong Hae, isn't it?"

Dong Hae was hardly startled at the recognition and turns to face the woman. The woman's features register in Dong Hae's mind and he admits that he finds her breathtaking before he nods his head and quickly avoids the woman's gaze to admire the painting for the millionth time.

"Tell you what, you want to grab some coffee?" Dong Hae is taken a bit by surprise. This woman was a stranger he had little to no information about, yet she's inviting him to coffee.

"You're inviting me to drink coffee with you?" he asks and the woman nods.

"You liked my painting, so," she shrugs, "Take it as a reward!"

Dong Hae doesn't know, but a minute later, he is being dragged by a woman, a complete stranger, rather, towards one of the nearest coffee shops in the city. They made quick orders of Iced Americano and Macchiato before they head to a table for two.

"May I know your name? I mean, you brought me to the coffee shop and we got here by foot, yet I still don't know your name," he requests and the woman opposite him drops her cup carefully before grabbing a tissue to wipe the froth off of her lips.

"Jessica Jung," she makes a quick introduction as she raises one of her hands to Dong Hae, Dong Hae gladly accepts and shakes her hand. "In all honesty, I am an avid fan of yours and your 'work,' though I still don't get why you only have one painting ever. Doesn't it add a little more fun to make more? I mean not to offend you, but you know."

Dong Hae grins, before taking a sip from his cup of Iced Americano, "Inspiration has never come, besides I earn money from that single painting, I think I'm content with that."

Jessica furrows his eyebrows, "But you're an artist. ARE. And that basically means you still have to make art, right?"

"Well, if it isn't for me, then I don't think I want to force myself to do something. I've scrapped hundreds of paintings this month alone. It's just not working for me."

Jessica could only sigh, "Well, that's pretty sad. Anyway, do you want to get my number? We should talk again some other time. I really need to head out now, my boss is waiting for me."

Dong Hae nods before handing her a pen and some tissue paper. She hastenly scribbles on it, before leaving the coffee shop and Dong Hae.

_

"Why raven?" Dong Hae asks the next time they meet. They are lying on the hood of Dong Hae's car, under the sight of beautifully glowing stars in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere. Jessica looks at Dong Hae and their eyes meet.

"For many reasons. Mostly private."

Dong Hae knew better than to ask her further questions, but she continues anyway, "Sadness was my only company then. I lost hope in my own life and almost drowned myself to death on a family vacation. God didn't seem to approve of my decision and saved me. It was then when I was out, watching some movie when I noticed ravens fee