Chapter 1: F L A I R

I glanced at my reflection in the full length mirror that I had.

With silky long hair, and dangling earrings, my sharp facial features were brought out.

I had always received comments that I had an aura of elegance and the clothes I wore further accentuated my beauty and figure.

I was not a narcissist. I only felt the need to maintain a neat and classy image of myself at all times.

I moved to my desk and gently flipped through the pages of the comics that I had received earlier this day.

“Lee Jin Ki, this guy has flair!” I mused, reading through the comics again and again. I loved the storyline and the adorable characters Jin Ki had drawn.

The storyline of his comics was about a young girl searching for her lost brother. Despite many weird and trying circumstances, she never gave up. She received help from the angelic animals to fight off those evil witches and hunters. In the end, she reconciled with her brother.

“This guy really has talent… It is such a waste that he is no longer on Earth…” I thought and suddenly I was reminded of another ‘him’.

“Key…” I mumbled his name.

He was another guy with so much flair in him, in almost everything he did, except for one thing. He had no talents in affairs of the heart, more specifically, love.

Perhaps, my strong need to keep my posh image to others had been developed due to his absence.

I shifted myself to my computer, typing an e-mail to Key. This was the only way of communication between us. He had left me to develop his career overseas, leaving me alone.

“Key, I am just wondering how you are doing. Do take care.

From: You-Know-Who”

A silly smile lit up my lips as I sent the e-mail. I truly missed Key dearly but I did not dare to confess my frequent thoughts about him. That would be too embarrassing in my opinion.

I had never confessed my true feelings to him too. My love for him was obvious to many but not him. However, I could not muster any courage to declare my love for him, not even when he chose to leave. I could recall our parting scene at the airport…

“Key, take care! Let’s keep in contact!” I grabbed him by his shoulder and beamed at him. By grinning widely at him, at least I could make one last silly and positive impression of me for him. It was also my way of hiding my sorrow and forcing all the tears in my eyes back. I did not want to cry in front of him.

“Right, Won Eun Na; are you that happy that I am leaving? Are you sure you are not pleading for me to stay?” Key pouted, acting that he was upset by my apparent lack of grief, towards his departure.

“No! I am not begging you to stay. You are leaving for your own good! You have so much potential in designing. By going to New York, you will have more opportunities to develop your potential and put it to good use! Don’t waste it! Just go!” I managed to come up with the best convincing explanation. Even though his departure would mean a big heartbreak for me, I really wanted him to go. He deserved it.

“Alright, silly girl, I get it Stop preaching so much! Hey, stop wearing all those baggy clothings, they don’t suit you! Put on those clothes I designed and made for you! When I return, I want to see a brand new Won Eun Na!” He winked and chuckled.

“Right, even before you leave, you must still pick on me and my dressing style!” I bit my lower lip. I had enjoyed wearing huge and baggy clothings since I felt more comfortable in them. However, from the first time Key met me, he had been pinpointing my dress code relentlessly.

“I have to go! Bye, Eun Na!” I could see glistening tears in his eyes too but I convinced myself he was putting on a teary act, so that my heart would soften and then I would fell for his ploy to ask him to stay.

“Bye, Key!” I bade farewell to him as he turned his back and moved away.

As I watching his distancing figure, realization hit me really hard.

“He was really leaving…” I murmured sadly. My heart hurt piercingly and my tears began flowing uncontrollably. “Bye Key!”

There were so many wonderful moments that we shared.

I had always been dreaming of becoming one of the top artists in Korea. I had worked so hard and had been learning art for as long as I had lived.

However, no matter how hard I tried and worked, I knew I lacked flair.

Running around the areas where people loved to create graffiti, I met Key.

With a red cap on his head, and a bright pink T-shirt and pair of black pants, he stood out among the crowd. What made him more outstanding was his artwork on the walls. I knew graffiti was illegal. However, to me, art was freedom.

Graffiti was a form of art. So, I did not view it as an illegal act of vandalizing property, but instead, it was a form of self-expression.

Key sprayed paint casually on the walls, without trying to create a special curve or shape. His hands moved freely and the colours on the walls blended and swished around, in random motion. The effects though were brilliant.

“This guy has flair!” was my first thought. My second thought was that I wanted him to be my teacher and that was how I approached him.

“Can you be my art teacher?” I asked him politely. I noted the amusement sparkling in his chestnut eyes and his scrutinising stare at me.

“Sure, boy!” He grinned mockingly. I should have felt embarrassed but I was not, at least not at that point of time. I was exhilarated that he accepted me as his student.

However, our art lessons were not what I had expected. We went to boutiques and he taught me all about clothes.

While he taught me art, I taught him life, I guessed.

He had been living alone for so long that he did not know how to be sensitive and understanding towards others. I preached to him and he listened. He did change for the better, becoming more empathetic and less scornful and cynical.

Our most unforgettable act was when we were almost caught by the police for our graffiti; I could remember the warm and firm hands that he used to hold me. We ran as if we were in the Olympics, striving to be the winners.

“That was…” I panted hard.

“Fun!” Key continued and I turned to stare at him.

We both laughed out really loudly.

“Ring!” I jumped in shock as I heard the doorbell ring. I was back in my room.

To my surprise, it was a postman. I had a parcel. I signed and sat in my living room.

The parcel was wrapped beautifully in pink glossy wrapping paper. There was a big red ribbon on top of it. On the top, there was a piece of black paper. I took the black paper and flipped it countless times.

There was absolutely nothing on it.

“What kind of joke is this?” I thought as I opened the parcel.

There was a huge photo album. The covers of the photo album were more than beautiful. With pink laces and red glittery stars, the album gave people a sense of blissfulness and hope. In addition, there was a pair of angels with cherubic faces and big toothless grins. One angel was dressed in blue while the other was dressed in pink. They were obviously a pair.

From my professional view, I could see that the angels were hand-drawn. The whole album was designed and made by a very talented artist.

Then, disappointment swept me off my feet.

The photo album was empty as well.

“Empty black paper, empty photo album, unknown sender and a magnificent self made photo album…” These were keywords and the pieces of the puzzle I wanted to solve.

“Just who is this unknown sender?” I placed my head on my table, playing with the black piece of black paper.

“This sender is romantic though…” I complimented as I placed the black paper near me.

I got a whiff of a familiar aroma.

Somehow, I could not place my finger on it.

“This is…Aish!” I just could not think of where and who carried the same aroma.

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ENJOY! =]

th1rd3ye/crunch