Her hand-pillowed posture looked uncomfortable. Her face, as pale as a canvas, resembled a slightly squished rice cake. She looked like a small rabbit curled up in its burrow.

Her eyelids twitched in her sleep as if the fallen hair was tickling her.

Kitae quietly observed and then gently removed the hair from her face, revealing her serene features.

Her eyes, always wide and looking up at him, were now closed.

Ga-eul, a little girl he had once encountered, would always freeze up at the sight of him. But recently, she had started smiling at him.

He had never given much thought to Yoon Ga-eul, but in retrospect, her smile was quite cute.

But why does she keep sleeping here?

Kitae chuckled as he looked at Ga-eul and then at the canvas she was working on.

She stayed up all night painting, even though no one urged her to. Her mature painting style seemed to be a significant factor. Should he consider this admirable or foolish?

Of course, for him, it was beneficial. If she wants to paint a lot, there’s no need to stop her.

Just then, his gaze fell upon a canvas turned away. All other works were displayed proudly, but this one was facing backward.

As Kitae was about to turn the last painting around,

“…Sir?”

“You’re awake.”

Ga-eul, just woken up, rubbed her eyes and sat up. Embarrassed by her disheveled hair, she smiled awkwardly.

Her cheeks flushed as his gaze lingered on her.

Despite having just woken up, Ga-eul approached him, curious about his visit.

“You’ve painted a lot.”

“Yes.”

Pleased by Kitae’s commendation, Ga-eul beamed with joy.
At that moment, he approached a canvas that had been turned away. Startled, Ga-eul blocked his way and exclaimed.

“Don’t! You can’t see that one!”

Kitae’s expression, which had been somewhat relaxed until then, suddenly creased, and his eyes narrowed thinly.

A warning in a low voice followed.

“Yoon Ga-eul.”

Despite this, Ga-eul shook her head stubbornly.

“You shouldn’t see this one.”

“Why? What did you paint?”

“…It’s a secret.”

What…?

Kitae let out an incredulous chuckle. Ga-eul still stood in his way, then closed her eyes tightly.

‘If I had known he was coming today, I would have hidden this away.’

Unaware or indifferent to Ga-eul’s thoughts, Kitae looked visibly annoyed.

Ga-eul cautiously spoke up.

“It’s still not fully formed.”

“…”

“It’s an incomplete painting, and I don’t want to show it to you… Can I show it to you after it’s finished?”

She had been painting landscapes late into the night.

It wasn’t intentional, but as she painted, her most recent, joyful memories were captured.

The painting included figures of her and him.

‘He’ll immediately recognize it’s us.’

So, she definitely couldn’t show it to him.

Embarrassment flushed Ga-eul’s cheeks.

She had enjoyed holding his hand as they got lost in the botanical gardens they had visited after a decade. It was the first time since she had walked hand-in-hand with her father.

He had bought her a drink when she was thirsty and waited until she finished it.

Whenever she was engrossed in sightseeing, she noticed he stood protectively behind her.

She thought the memory would make a good painting. It was impulsive, spontaneous.

In reality, he wasn’t that affectionate. She might have been overly idealized in her mind, perhaps intoxicated by the floral scents. She just wanted to capture the memory of that day…

After finishing, the painting unintentionally gave off a romantic vibe.

The figures of a man and woman, walking hand-in-hand surrounded by flowers in a park, resembled the scenery of that day so much that he, being one of the subjects, would immediately recognize it.

She feared he would find it strange. Why had she painted this?

Despite his intimidating gaze, Ga-eul still resolutely shook her head.

Kitae gently pushed her away from the canvas. Overpowered by the force, she was pushed back, and his hand reached for the canvas.

If he flipped it, he would see it.

Startled, Ga-eul blocked his hand with hers and clung to him.

“Sir, can’t you just pretend you didn’t see it? I’m really sorry. I just don’t want to show you this one… Please, look at the other paintings!”

“…”

Ga-eul yelled, still holding onto Kitae.

He looked at her in disbelief, forgetting about the canvas.

Unable to bear his gaze, Ga-eul lowered her head, avoiding eye contact, but didn’t loosen her grip, continuously shaking her head.

A deep sigh poured down from above.

In a firm voice, Kitae said softly,

“Yoon Ga-eul. Step aside.”

At his command, Ga-eul instinctively loosened her grip. She stepped back but still remained in an embrace.

“…”

“…”

The air grew awkward, making even breathing feel strange.

Then, he closed the distance between them abruptly.

With his upper body leaned in and his piercing gaze right in front of her, the intensity of the moment increased.
Unwittingly, Ga-eul slightly tilted her head back, but she could still clearly see his eyelashes and the distinct brown hue of his eyes, resembling multiple layers of oil paint. Her trembling reflection was visible in them, feeling his breath up close.

“When I say it nicely, move aside.”

Ga-eul shivered once more but didn’t step aside.

She shook her head again.

Sighing, he finally straightened up and stepped back.

“…Such pointless stubbornness.”

Watching him leave the studio, Ga-eul’s legs gave out, and she slumped to the floor, exhaling a breath of relief.

Her heart pounded wildly. Thump-thump… at a faster pace than usual.

Having been dragged out by Kitae with a reminder to sleep at home, Ga-eul walked a considerable distance from him to the annex, feeling awkward about the incident that had just transpired.

They reached the annex without a word.

As Ga-eul was about to bow her head to thank him for the ride, he spoke first.

“Keep your weekend free.”

“Why?”

“We’re going to check out the paintings our gallery submitted at the Seoul Art Fair. You can also see works from other galleries, it might be helpful for you.”

Hearing about art, Ga-eul’s face, which had been awkward all along, began to bloom with a smile.

“Yes!”

Kitae chuckled and turned to leave, but Ga-eul stopped him.

“Sir.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Drive safely.”

“Alright.”

About to walk away, Kitae unexpectedly paused and added something more than usual.

“Sleep well.”

“You too, sir.”

Ga-eul’s laughter floated over his shoulder.

Ga-eul set out in time. He was to pick her up in front of the main house.

She wore a white dress that fluttered at her knees as she walked, a change from her usual work clothes. Somehow, even this small detail felt refreshing.

Smiling lightly, Ga-eul hurried toward the main house, where his sedan was already waiting. She got into the passenger seat more comfortably than last time and greeted him.

“Hello, sir.”

The weather seemed perfect for a date.

Ga-eul’s eyes widened and sparkled.

With over 130 participating galleries, it was too vast to see at a glance. Starting at Hall A, she realized they’d have to move quickly to see Hall B too.

Following him across the booths, Ga-eul glanced at various paintings.

Wondering where to start amidst the vast scale, her heart fluttered with excitement.

Blushing peach, the smiling Ga-eul turned to speak to him.

“Sir…”

“Oh, Kitae!”

An unexpected voice interrupted. A glamorous woman approached, greeting him warmly.