somewhere only we know | huang renjun

022 | i paint landscapes.

!i paint landscapes.

               I HAD NEVER SEEN SOMEONE SO FOCUSED. someone so content, someone so dedicated. it was 3pm on a sunday afternoon and renjun had sat in the same spot at our kitchen table the whole day, working on a new painting. before we went back to the apartment yesterday, we decided to stop in at the art supply store since it was still open. i watched renjun carefully select his paints and a large, pure white clean canvas to use. he already packed his brushes; i guess he expected to be gone for a while.

"you having fun?" renjun asked teasingly, looking up from his work.

"sorry." i slumped my shoulders, only now realising how long i had been sitting and staring at him stroke paint along the surface of the plaster. he was so gentle with his movements, so precise. the color seemed to flow right out of his fingertips. never having too much of a talent for art myself, i found it hard not to stare. getting lost in his work came naturally. "am i putting you off?"

renjun chuckled. "no, no, it's fine," he reassured. "are you bored? do you want me to stop so we can do something?"

"i'm not bored, i just like watching you work," i explained. "i'll leave you be now, we still have some dirty dishes from last night anyway," i said, standing myself up from the table.

"alright," he replied, "i'll be done soon anyway."

i walked myself through to the kitchen, rolling up my sleeves as i approached the sink. i turned the tap on and waited impatiently for the water to heat up so i could fill it, spurting the remainders of our dishwashing liquid over the plates and cutlery.

once i had finished drying and putting everything away, i decided to grab some water for renjun. he had been working hard, and honestly i don't think he had moved once the whole day. i grabbed the glass and held it under the tap but as i did, i felt a familiar pair of arms make their way around my waist and an even more familiar chin rest itself on my shoulder.

"i'm finished," the voice spoke gently. "you wanna see?"

i put the glass down and turned myself around to face the boy, placing a small peck on his lips. "mhm," i hummed contently, signalling for him to bring me back through to the living room to show me.

taking my hand, he did so and brought me to the doorway of the living room, motioning for me to wait as he walked towards the back-turned canvas. "ready?" he asked with a grin. i nodded excitedly, and he turned the canvas around, accompanying his work with small jazz hands. "ta da," he sung proudly.

he had painted our city, fit with the park and layers upon layers of high-rise buildings in the distance. he colored the sky with tones of pink, purple and yellow, all surrounding a bright orange setting sun. what he had added since i left, were two small black silhouettes in front of the low sun: a girl and a boy, who seemed to be dancing around among the clouds.

"it's beautiful, junnie," i praised. "you know how talented you are, right?"

renjun blushed lightly, tilting his head with a shy smile. "do you recognise it?" he asked.

"of course, that's our city," i replied. "and them," i began, pointing up to the two silhouettes he had painted. "is that us?"

"yeah," renjun nodded happily.

"i paint landscapes," he explained. i nodded, remembering back to when he showed me his other paintings. he had done it all – beaches, forests, open fields, you name it – each one even more beautiful than the last. "they're all places i want to take you," he continued. "and now i can tick this one off, because here we are!" he said proudly.

i smiled at his plan, feeling some kind of an electric rush through my veins at the thought of spending so much time with him. there wasn't much more i could ask for than that.

"you like it?"

"of course," i said, walking towards him to get a closer look. i bent down slightly to make my head level with the art in front of me, taking in every detail of every flawless brushstroke. "i really love your work."

i heard renjun take a small breath before leaning his hands down on the table.

"and i really love you."

my instinct was to roll my eyes at his cheesiness, but i was taken back by his words. they seemed to melt out of his mouth.

"you love me?" i asked looking up, my voice unintentionally becoming quiet.

renjun took a few steps closer to me, taking my hands in his.

"i really do," he nodded, allowing us to maintain unbroken eye contact. "i've known it since we first walked to school together – you nearly died, remember?" he began, chuckling. "when i pulled you back from that crossing, i think i was nearly more scared than you were," he said.

"i don't know what you did, or what you said, but there was something that made me feel like i really couldn't lose you, y/n. being with you is the happiest i've ever been." he continued. "honestly then, that feeling, i didn't know what it was," he admitted, "but soon enough i figured out it was the love i felt for you."

his eyes lit up while he spoke, and it was clear to tell his words were genuine. he glanced down, seemingly shy from his spiel. i let go of one of his hands, moving my fingers up to lift his chin to look back at me.

"i love you too, junnie."

with a soft smile, he leant forward to place a small kiss on my lips, gripping my fingers even tighter than before. i think right in that moment, there was not one point in time where i had felt happier, not one time where i had ever felt more cared for. ever forgetting this boy was not something that would come easy.