I searched my entire art area but it’s nowhere to be found! I need to leave the house soon for my weekly painting of the sunrise but I can’t find my favourite paintbrush! Even though I have a room full of sunrise paintings; hundreds and counting, I want to continue this weekly thing; it’s like a way for me to reflect and to meditate.

How can I misplace my favourite paintbrush? I feel so lost without it. It was the paintbrush that was given to me by my father. And with his opposing attitude previously, it really meant a lot to me that he had decided to support in my passion for painting by giving me a paintbrush; even though I think my mother chose it but the thought is there.

Reluctantly, I took a substitute paintbrush and put it into the bag of paintbrushes before leaving my house.

Setting up my canvas on an easel, I took out my foldable chair and sat on it, putting my box of painting materials on the grass as I looked on the sunrise.

The sun rose like a ball of fire blooming into a bright flaming flower on the surface of the ocean. The clouds changed colour as it rose slowly and the view was breath-taking. Every week, I was blown away by the beauty of Mother Nature; the sun. The rays of the sun flooded the entire sky as the sun pushed itself to shine vibrantly, to light our mornings.

Disappointed with myself for misplacing my favourite paintbrush, I took the substitute one and started painting. However, there was just this feeling that was missing. The paintbrush wasn’t the same and thus the feeling too changed.

I took a deep breath, I shouldn’t feel that way, and how can I feel so defeated just because I lost one factor in my painting process?

Throwing out negative thoughts, I took hold of the substitute paintbrush confidently and painted away.

I didn’t notice that someone was standing behind me, watching me paint until I was done with the last on my canvas.

I placed my paintbrush done.

I wasn’t too satisfied with this painting though. I turned around and came face to face with a very familiar looking guy.

“You?” I blurted out.

The guy cocked his head to the side, giving me a weird look. “Is this the way you greet a person?” He asked, puzzled.

“Good morning.” I said. “You helped me picked up tubes of paint at the corner of the street, remember?” I told him, hoping he remembers or else it would be awkward.

“Corner of the street? Oh yes!” He said with a smile.

“K-Kyuhyun right?” I stuttered.

“Yeah, pardon me but you look a little different from that day.” He gestured at my attire.

I looked at myself; I was in overalls, sneakers and a cap.

“Oh?” I laughed. “This is my painting attire.”I said as I pointed to my overalls.

He lifted an eyebrow.

“That’s interesting.” He thought for a moment before saying it out to me.

I took a while to observe him, he did look similar to the little boy in my kindergarten class but I can’t be sure, children may grow up to look different too. However, his voice remained velvety sounding.

I didn’t know whether I should ask him about that issue but Kyuhyun interrupted my thoughts.

“So you’re a painter?” He asked.

“I like to paint.” I replied.

“That doesn’t answer the question.” He smirked.

“I never answer questions directly.” I shot him back as I started packing.

“You’re leaving?”

I was about to nod my head when I turned to him, “The sun has risen.”

Cho Kyuhyun’s POV

The girl who dropped her paintbrush! I didn’t think I would meet her here. I just came from an overnight shooting just near the beach. I saw someone painting in the grass patch and decided to just take a look. When I came closer, the painter looked so engrossed in her painting, her brows furrowed and her head steadily holding onto the paintbrush as it sweeps across the canvas.

“The sun has risen,” She said.

“Sooo?” I was taken aback by her weird ways of answering questions.

“That’s it. I’m done.” She said as she started packing her materials and folding her stuff.

I stood there, dumbfounded.

“What are you doing?” She asked. “Come and help me!” She demanded.

I blinked, taking hold of her foldable chair and easel.

“I think this is the first time someone ever asked a singer to help them” I muttered under my breath.

“What did you say?” The lady asked.

“Nothing. Anyway, where do you want this?”

“Do you mind helping me carry it to my car? It’s just behind.” She nodded with her head to the direction of the carpark.

I nodded.

She took hold of everything except the painting. It was left on the grass.

“Hey! Your painting! You forgot!” I called out to her.

She shook her head. “I don’t want it.” She answered.

She came all the way here to paint the sunrise and now she doesn’t want the painting?

“W-Why?” I was curious; people paint so they can keep it or give it to others but this lady paint and left her painting on the ground.

She bit her lip before digging into her bag. She took out a permanent marker and squatted before the painting, writing something on it at the corner.

She closed the cap of the permanent marker and gave me the painting.

“You can have this.” She said, “Just wait for it to dry off.”

“Y-You don’t want it?” I placed the easel and foldable chair down and took her painting. It was beautiful, in my opinion; the on the canvas seemed familiar.

“It’s not my standard.” The lady replied. “Because my favourite paintbrush is missin-.”

“CHO KYUHYUN!”

We both turned to the voices of girls screaming. “Crap.” I spat.

With a deep breath, I grabbed the lady’s hand and sped off with her running along with me.

“Who are they?” She shouted as we ran for lives.

“Fans!” I replied hastily.

“Fans?!”

We ran all the way to the other side of the beach where there were a couple of shops. I pulled her into this small storeroom as we panted, trying to catch our breath.

I looked at her, and suddenly I remembered I left her foldable chair and easel back at the grass patch.

“Crap, I left your things back there!”

“Aish. Never mind, I’ll go back there to get it back.” She said.

“I’m sorry. This is my fault. I’ll get you another one!” I replied.

“I’ll just go back there. It’s okay.” She insisted. “They called you, C-Cho K-Kyuhyun?”

I bit my lip and nodded my head. “Yeah. I’m a singer.” I said as I rubbed the back of my neck.

“No wonder your name sounded familiar when you first told me.” She answered.

I realized that I was still holding on to the lady’s hand as I quickly let go. “I’m sorry!”

She blushed. “Do you think they took photographs of us? What if it affects your image? Hanging out with some tom boyish girl.” She scoffed at her own dressing.

“I don’t see that as a problem.” I said.

“You’ll be fine on your own right?” She asked.

“Why? Are you leaving me?” I said as I quickly grabbed her hand.

“I need to go. I’ve got an appointment later on.”

“Can’t you wait for me for awhile? I mean, I got into this situation was because you asked me to help you carry your stuff…” I kind of whined.

“What? So now you’re blaming me?” She exclaimed.

“Shhhhhhh!” I shushed her.

“Whoopsie.” She immediately lowered her voice. “I think the coast is clear.” She whispered as she walked out of the storeroom.

“CHO KYUHYUN! WHERE ARE YOU!” The fans shouted.

I pulled the lady back into the storeroom as we enveloped into a hug. “Woah!”

“What do you think you are doing?” She asked as she struggled.

“Just keep quiet!” I explained. Her scent smelled like musk and something floral, it was sweet.

She stayed frozen in my hug as she rested her chin on my shoulders, her hands by her side. “I’m bored already. Can’t you just go out and say hi to your fans and get it over and done with?” She complained.

“And would you like to be in a couple shot with me?”I hissed back at her. “All over the local magazines and newspapers?” She kept quiet.

My arms were wrapped over her shoulders, bringing her close to my chest. There was this sense of comfort that flooded me in that atmosphere; in the storeroom.

“Why am I dragged into this again?” She muttered.

“Because you wanted me to help you.” I repeated.

“No, because you were being nosy.” She retorted.

“I was not.”

“Yes you were.”

“Was not.”

“Gosh, I wonder why you even have fans.”

“Because I have a good voice.”

“How arrogant.” She commented.

“You are resting your chin on the shoulders of an arrogant man.” I remarked.

“You are hugging me.” She stated the obvious.

I pulled away as we stood awkwardly next to each other.

“Up to now, I still don’t know your name.” I asked her, thinking back about the initials that were carved on her paintbrush.

She thought for a moment, “You can call me Rae.”  She said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Hey, Cho Kyuhyun, I’m sorry but I really need to go. If not, I’ll be late for my appointment. You take care of yourself okay?!” She said as she took her stuff and ran out of the storeroom, leaving me with her canvas.

I checked the surroundings, it seemed like the fans had scattered away. I took out the canvas and brought it to the light; I zoomed in to the corner where she wrote something.

“Thank you! Rae.”

I smiled at the scribble; her handwriting was one of a kind. Rae was someone I would want to meet again and I have just the right reason for it.

Her favourite paintbrush was still with me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey readers *waves*

KYUHYUN WAS IN BANGKOK ON THE 16TH. I'll be going to Bangkok on the 20th. So close yet so far. Sigh. 

Anyway, how's the story coming along? I hope you guys are enjoying it! 

Remember to commmment! The previous chapter had really few comments and I thought I wrote something wrongly! Don't be shy! 

Xoxo.