“It's Monday.” I sighed to my reflection in the mirror. Forcing a smile, I motivated myself before picking my bag of paints and paintbrushes and leaving the house. I wore my black pumps, and pat down the creases on my white blouse, before making my daily journey to the bus stop. As expected, a tall, lanky boy dressed immaculately in a smart white shirt, perfectly-fitted black coat and black pants, was waiting for me at the bus stop. He fiddled with his thumbs, and his dry lips as he paced around in what looked like anticipation.

“Good morning! We seem to match today!” the boy smiled radiantly, as he pointed out the matching achromatic colour scheme. I nodded apathetically, allowing my hair to be disarranged by the strong gust. Almost immediately, his fingers drew closer, fixing my dishevelled hair.

“What did you do this weekend?”, I inquired quietly.

“Nothing much. I went shopping. Oh, I almost forgot! I got something for you.”, he responded, nervously glancing at me, and extracted a little cellphone accessory from his pocket – a little vial containing a miniature origami rose.

“That's beautiful.” I answered, smiling slightly, examining the meticulously-made rose. “Where did you get it?” After pondering for a moment, he shrugged with a dazed expression, “I seem to have forgotten.”

At that moment, the bus arrived. I wondered which version of Han Sanghyuk was before me. His gestures and amiable conversation were sweet, and his chivalry was charming – almost questionable, like a gentleman with ill intentions, who warranted wariness.

The skeptic in me speculated that his front was just a ploy, that I may let my guard down and disclose my secrets. But what kind of person would willingly entangle himself in my web of unending enervation in an effort to uncover this piece of rather worthless knowledge?

*          *          *

“He likes you! Can it be more obvious?”, Jaehwan blurted. Fidgeting a little, he impatiently glanced at me, as I roughly sketched a few lines. Jaehwan turned to face me, obviously miffed, “Answer me!”

“Oppa can you just stop moving?? Yes, of course I know he likes me, I'm not stupid!”, I rolled my eyes, an irritated tone seeping into my voice. Jaehwan meekly shifted back into place, childishly pouting his full, rosy lips.

“Then you? Do you like him?”, he asked, still pouting.

“No... But he's cute... Sometimes.” I replied uncertainly, glancing at my cellphone and its new ornament.

A suffocating silence flooded the art studio as I soundlessly continued my work. I painted the wildflower in Jaehwan, the one that was unsullied and pure, the one unaffected by the words or ill-intentions of men – the wildflower that was his pillow lips, his pale skin, his bronze, burnished hair, and his pensive eyes.

The expression on his face was unfathomable, and worry crept abstractedly onto my face. Maybe it was a side effect of my condition; wasn't the Jaehwan before me just a tad unusual? Shaking the worry off, I resumed painting until I became aware of the difference.

He wasn't smiling today.

*          *          *

“It came again. The dark clouds. Jaehwan-oppa and I were heading to the cafeteria when it just came. I don't recall what I was thinking at that time. We came out from the art studio for lunch and it just came.”

Dr Park nodded empathetically and briefly glanced up at me while taking down a few notes.

“Were you and Jaehwan talking? What was the topic of the conversation?”

“About this guy called Han Sanghyuk. He seems to like me and Jaehwan knew. It wasn't a very interesting conversation, nothing that could have triggered it. I don't hate that guy, I don't really feel stressed when he's mentioned either. I don't really feel anything – it's pretty normal.”

“...Han Sanghyuk?”, a surprised microexpression surfaced on Dr Park's face. “Hmm... Okay, first do this HAM-D questionnaire first, then based on that I'll see if you should take meds.” The expression was erased off his face in a split second.

The dark clouds were darker this time, looming above me and encaging me in a prison of hopelessness and incapacity. There was no rainbow in my sky – how do I even hope for that pot of gold at the end? My pencil scratched raucously at the answer sheet, as I went through the motions, not feeling much of anything.

As I left the office I bumped into Han Sanghyuk.

Author's Note:

I'm sorry for the short and not very interesting chapter >.< It's becoming difficult to write nowadays, and I'm trying to build up and not miss any details out, so bear with me! I promise the next chapter's going to be good :D