stardust | park seonghwa ✓

43

THIS time round, I'm determined to make everything right with everyone. When I got home with Seonghwa earlier this morning just as the sun was about to rise, he noticed the canvas that was lodged behind the door. It was the one I took note of right before leaving the house, him mentioning about me reminded me of what I was intending to do with it. 

"Have you told San and Yeosang about it?" he had asked after pointing at it lazily with a wave of his index finger. 

"Yeosang kind of has an idea but I can't be sure," I said, joining him in observing the unfinished work.

"So... that's your mark?" Seonghwa asked, chin jutting at the canvas. "So you're thinking about handing this in too?" I nod in affirmation. 

"It's not finished yet but I reckon I can do the rest and submit it to the showcase on time if I work on it for a bit," I told him. 

"I think you should; it's pretty."

My eyes trace over the elements painted on the canvas; there are several blank spaces where the splashes of turquoise and purple would clash, the white star missing its details and I remember vaguely trying to recreate the gentle swirls of colours I saw in my eyes the first time I'd taken a look at my own mark through the mirror. It was meant to be a work purely out of boredom but the longer I stare at it, the more I want it to be art. I want the observer the feel my emotions through the painting alone; my confusion, my determination, the bursts of happiness I've experienced along with my mark.

I'd shown Seonghwa the real mark on my shoulder afterwards and just like he views everything else, he looked at it like it's the most fascinating thing in the world. He said that I should go for it, express myself because he knows I was itching to do so and add it to my formerly believed-to-be "finished" collection.

"Why are you so keen on me finishing it anyway?" I asked him on my way out of my apartment, "it's not like it's yours. I was expecting you to be... uh..?"

Seonghwa smirked at me. "Were you expecting me to be jealous?" 

"Good bye!" I turned on my heels and marched out the door. Why did I even ask, I know the answer to that anyways.

And that is why I'm working against time to complete this work. It takes me a few hours to finally complete the colouring in and I risk the quality of the end result by quickly drying it with the dryer. Sometime in the middle of me working on it, I decide that this piece will become centerpiece and I find myself mixing a tub of glittery varnish before pouring it over my completed work. Seeing the end result boosts up my satisfaction and maybe Seonghwa's right, even though I can't get it to look exactly the same way as the one on my shoulder does, it's still a beautiful piece.

As I'm making use of the last few hours before the deadline by leaving my final piece to dry and fill out my showcase details, the doors swing open and Yeosang strides into the studio. Least to say, he startled me. There's urgency in the way he's walking and just as I'm about to ask him what's wrong, Yeosang surprises me with a tight hug. 

"Yeosang what―"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks.

Huh?

"Didn't tell you what?"

Yeosang places his hands on my shoulders as he pulls away from me slightly. "Tell me about this?" he taps my left shoulder. At that, I feel colour drain from my face and I feel numb all over.

"How did you...?"

He sighs, does the little eye-roll thing he does when he finds something so obvious I should know. "Park Seonghwa texted me," Yeosang starts and I take a sharp inhale.