“CEO, there’s only one day left for the exhibition.”

“I’m aware. It’s not like we’re overturning everything, and one day should be enough.”

‥‥‥

Park Manager asked in surprise, but Ki-tae’s assertion remained unchanged.

Ki-tae’s gaze, focused on the central booth, was infinitely lowered.

Ga-eul, who wouldn’t hurt even if you put her in your eyes, was struggling beside me, blaming herself. Ki-tae, who realized this fact late, was angry with himself.

Would her reaction have been slightly different if there had been someone other than me by her side?

The thought crossed my mind for a moment. But it was just a thought that would only stay in my mind and wouldn’t happen in reality.

I wish Ga-eul would naturally consider being by my side.

Although I promised to keep it a secret from Ga-eul, it didn’t mean I would just stand still and watch.

Thinking of Ga-eul, Ki-tae carefully took off the ring hanging on his neck. Then, he moved his steps. Where Ki-tae stopped was in front of the booth where Ga-eul’s painting was hung.

Ki-tae instructed the employees who came out in response to his call.

“Let’s start quickly.”

Under Ki-tae’s urging, the gallery staff began to move energetically. Ga-eul’s paintings, all six of them, had to be moved. Although it was daring to do this a day before the exhibition, it was not a task that took much time. There was plenty of time left.

At that moment, Park Manager, who had been sleeping, asked Ki-tae another question.

“CEO. But why do you suddenly want to move Ga-eul’s paintings here?”

Ki-tae’s response to Park Manager’s question was straightforward and clear.

“We need to bring change to our gallery.”

The artists occupying the main spots were mostly people with white hair, backed by their experience supporting their skills.

If Ga-eul entered this place, she would be engraved as the youngest artist taking the central booth in the TS Gallery.

“Let’s call it a change in generations.”

“I see. I understand. CEO.”

With a clear answer, Park Manager stepped back and hastened his steps. Proper supervision and instructions were needed in case the employees caused an accident during the process of moving the paintings. It was a process that required constant caution to prevent even the slightest damage or mishandling that could lower the value of the paintings.

Several employees wearing white gloves began to remove Ga-eul’s painting from the inner booth. Checking those employees carefully, Park Manager immersed himself in thought.

Change in generations…

A smile gradually appeared on Park Manager’s face as he repeated Ki-tae’s words. Although CEO’s instructions were unexpected, in reality, he agreed a hundred times that Ga-eul’s painting was good. Therefore, it was quite a pleasant thing that her painting would take the central booth.
In tomorrow’s exhibition, it became extremely interesting to see how her unfamiliar paintings would be received by the public.

Among the exhibitions planned for this year, it seemed like it would be the most interesting one.

At that moment, Ga-eul woke up alone in bed.

“Huh…? Where did the CEO go?”

The man who had embraced her tightly, stroking her back until she fell asleep, had disappeared without a trace.

Perplexed, Ga-eul, instead of immediately leaving the room, scanned her surroundings. She then discovered a small note by her side.

Ga-eul picked up the note. It read:

Perhaps because she had fallen asleep very late, thinking it was almost dawn yesterday, he was mentioning 3 PM in the afternoon.

Ga-eul looked down at the note and bit her lip.

It was 1 PM now. There were still two more hours.

‘Should I wash up and go to the gallery?’

As Ga-eul, who was in a moment of conflict, considered this, her gaze fell on a strange ring. It was still an unfamiliar item.

It was the ring he had given me, mentioning marriage.

‘Marriage…’

Unlike the past few days when she felt dejected, after seeing the ring, Ga-eul’s heart raced happily, feeling excited.

She wanted to meet him sooner.

With a lifted corner of her mouth, Ga-eul quickly left Ki-tae’s bedroom.

Ga-eul, who arrived near the entrance of the gallery, hastened her steps with a smile.

Ga-eul intended to enter the gallery straight away and find him.

However, this modest plan was thwarted as she collided with a small creature.

Meow.

Ga-eul encountered the motherless kitten she had seen in front of the gallery two days ago. The cat approached her as soon as it noticed Ga-eul, and once again, it started rubbing its head against the tip of her shoe.

Without any sense of caution, this gentle cat, which seemed to like people, was seen after a long time.

To the cat’s affection, Ga-eul bent her knees. She gently stroked the cat’s fur, smiling softly.

After petting the cat, Ga-eul whispered affectionately to the young cat, who might not understand human language.

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll be back soon.”