METANOIA | TK

Chapter Three

Hello!! This chapter is shorter but I'll post more soon.

How are you liking the book so far? I have a tendency to make everything too emotional so I guess this one will be a deep book as well.

Enjoy and stay safe!

•

Jeongguk is called a week later to go pick up the art piece from the gallery since it is already closing and bringing in new artworks. He's in the middle of designing a building when his phone starts ringing from his living room. At first he doesn't even want to answer it but he gets up anyway, groaning as he walks towards the couch and picks it up. It's an unknown number and he answers it curiously, sighing when he's told that he has time to go pick it up until 9 pm.

As usual, he waits until the clock hits 8 pm because Jeongguk likes to leave stuff that doesn't concern his job on the last minute. He arrives at the gallery 40 minutes later, literally sensing the way the remaining employees look at him when he goes inside, like he's making their whole day worse. He doesn't particularly care, it's their job to stay there until it closes and it's his right as a client to come whenever he wants and can, so he ignores the looks he's given and walks towards the main office.

There are a few other people there, probably picking up what they bought for themselves, some of them having more than one piece — all of them presumably overpriced. Jeongguk never actually bought an artwork for himself — not in a physical form at least — even if he enjoyed visiting galleries and art in general. He provided for small artists, leaving cash as he walked past them on the street or simply donating anytime he saw someone talented online.

But he never bought something physically.

He finds it strange, having something that once belonged to someone else hanging in your house, carrying feelings you probably don't understand and won't ever because people view everything differently — whether it is a storm or a piece of art. He feels like buying art is a nice way of stealing someone's memories and feelings so he tries to avoid that at all costs. No artist wants their works to hang in a house without being understood but they all need money to eat so they have to sell them even if they don't want to — even if they are attached to them, even if parts of their souls are poured on those canvases or artworks.

Jeongguk thinks it must suck to be an artist.

When he reaches the woman that sits at a large office table, her eyes meet his and he bows a little before getting his ID and credit card out. She checks his name, taking his credit card to proceed with the payment, then smiles before getting up and walking towards the back of the room, where the artworks are already packed and ready to leave. Jeongguk sighs when she takes his out, the storm no longer on view for him to appreciate for one last time.

He thinks it's better that way — the scenery still burns in his mind like a fresh one and it will probably remain that way for a while.

"Would you like to take it now or have it delivered?"

Jeongguk watches as she starts writing his name on a delivery sticker before putting it on the cardboard that hides the artwork from their eyes.

A smile makes its way on his face, which seems to help the woman understand that he's not that much of an asshole because she offers him a bright, practiced, smile of herself as well.

"I actually want it delivered to the person that made it." He watches her smile slowly fade and, for the sake of being a nice human being, he bows politely. "I'll pay extra if it's a hassle. Make sure you deliver this as well."

The woman frowns towards him before taking the envelope from his hands, her eyes moving from him back to the artwork.

"You bought this just so you could give it back to the artist?" She rudely asks and Jeongguk really wants to go home and keep working, not deal with her curiosity and rudeness.

The smile never once leaves his lips as he stared at the woman, his head tilting to the side almost mockingly. "I think I'm allowed to use my own money however I wish so please just tell me if you can deliver it or not so I can leave."

The woman scowls at him and Jeongguk thinks she wants to throw him out from the way she's starting to eye him. She sighs in the end and just nods.

"We'll have it delivered. Anything else?"

Jeongguk shakes his head, thanking her, then turns around to leave. On his way out he notices less people inside, some of them still carrying their pieces out or just walking around aimlessly. His stomach hurts, of course it does since he hasn't eaten anything all day, so he decides to stop at a nearby restaurant and eat something instead of driving another 40 minutes home with an empty stomach.

The restaurant he chooses is cozy, not full but still having a decent amount of clients. He's taken to a table by a cheerful girl and he almost sighs when he sees the view outside the restaurant. It's a pond, probably owned by the restaurant, and he can see fish swimming inside it due to the underwater lights.

Jeongguk enjoys such things so, after asking if it was alright to go walk around until his food was ready, he goes outside and walks to the edge, admiring the colorful fish under him. They're koi fish and they're absolutely beautiful. Jeongguk thinks they're the closest thing to natural art he's ever seen — looking like canvases that have just tiny bits of paint splashed on them, but none of them looking the same.

He keeps watching them until his body freezes so he ends up walking back inside with a strain on his heart. Still, he lets himself get enveloped by the warmth in the restaurant as he patiently waits or his food.

The food is delicious but it's still only food, a dinner that he's used to eating alone, so it's nothing that can make his heart flutter with happiness.

After he's finished he leaves a decent tip along with the payment, then gets up to leave. He's just about to walk through the sliding glass doors when a man walks in first, seemingly panting like he was in a rush. Jeongguk moves aside, making room for him, the stranger walking past him before turning around and bowing slightly.

"Excuse my rudeness, I'm in a rush." He says softly, not even waiting for Jeongguk's answer before going towards the back doors of the restaurant.

Jeongguk just smiles, remembering how he used to be just as rushed and careless while he was in college, then leaves, still hearing the boy's voice around him.

For some reason, it feels oddly familiar and calming.