Chapter 59

I first saw Lee Ha-Eun at the Peach Blossom Paradise awards ceremony.

‘…Someone my age. Could that be Lee Ha-Eun?’

While walking down the corridor, I noticed him moving with two girls.

I felt a brief glance brush over me, but I dismissed it as my imagination.

It was just a small curiosity—I simply wanted to know who the boy behind Peach Blossom Paradise was.

Maybe he was someone related to Ho-Sung.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

But for some reason, I kept finding my eyes drawn to Lee Ha-Eun.

There were plenty of reasons. His looks, for one, and his mannerisms—they were a bit rough.

How to describe it? Raw, maybe? His actions seemed unfiltered, unrestrained.

Something about that caught my attention.

Every time our eyes met, he would consciously avoid looking at me.

‘Why does he do that?’

I wondered about his reaction but didn’t dig deeper.

The reason I was here was to see Peach Blossom Paradise.

Even though I had seen photos and videos of it, seeing it in person was entirely different.

The gap between two-dimensional and three-dimensional art makes a significant impact.

A single sheet of paper is light, but a thousand sheets are incredibly heavy.

…Is that the right metaphor?

Anyway, I’ve always preferred seeing things in analog rather than digital.

‘…It’s beautiful.’

It was my first time seeing Peach Blossom Paradise in person.

The painting, which personified peaches as a smiling girl with glowing yellow eyes, was stunning.

‘Someday, I want to…’

I want to create a painting that can rival Peach Blossom Paradise and Ho-Sung’s work. No, something even greater.

To do that, I need someone to teach me.

I could ask my father, but his path is different from the one I want to take.

I need someone else.

Someone like the boy idling over there—someone like Lee Ha-Eun.

Honestly, I was surprised.

He was the same age as me, sixteen. How could someone like him create Peach Blossom Paradise?

We’d both lived the same sixteen years and likely grown up in similar environments.

But there were no limits to his talent. Skill beyond his years.

He proved it through his YouTube channel.

Aside from my father, he was the first person I truly admired.

‘Maybe I should talk to him.’

That thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head and turned away.

If we’re meant to cross paths again, it’ll happen.

If not, well, it would be unfortunate.

No need to dwell on it.

***

“Haha. Thank you so much. I’ll make sure to wash this and return it to you.”

In front of me stood a strange boy—or rather, someone my age.

“You don’t have to return it. I’ve got plenty of handkerchiefs.”

He was the guy who had just fallen on the stairs, scraping his knee. I happened to see it by chance.

Since we were at the awards ceremony and no one else was around, I felt it was my responsibility to help.

“Alright. But if we meet again, I’ll repay the favor. My name’s Lee Do-Yoon.”

“…Hong Ye-Hwa. Well then, goodbye.”

“Okay, see you around!”@@novelbin@@

As someone with an extreme I personality on the MBTI scale, socializing was hard for me.

I couldn’t wait to leave the scene, and soon enough, I forgot the boy’s name altogether.

***

I enrolled in a private integrated arts high school.

Known as SAHS for short, the school was backed by a massive corporation, so all the facilities were state-of-the-art.

‘Will he be here?’

But my focus wasn’t on the school or its amenities.

It was on one person—Lee Ha-Eun.

However, even as the entrance ceremony began, there was no sign of him.

‘Did he end up going to a different school…?’

I felt a pang of disappointment.

Just as I was thinking that, the doors to the auditorium creaked open.

‘Someone’s late to the ceremony…’

I turned to see who it was.

There he was, Lee Ha-Eun, wearing a slightly awkward expression.

What had he been doing to show up so late?

He didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d oversleep.

Behind him was a female teacher, someone I recognized—Ms. Lee Ah-Reum.

She was an artist who painted in the same style as me.

Why were they entering together? It piqued my curiosity, but I didn’t think too much about it.

Ha-Eun sat down between two girls and started to talk.

‘…A womanizer?’

There’s that saying, “heroes and their women.”

Maybe Ha-Eun belongs to that type.

…But why am I so interested in him?

What’s so special about him?

The odd feeling lingered, but I chose to ignore it.

It was probably nothing.

On the way to pick up my textbooks, I tapped Ha-Eun on the shoulder.

“You’re Lee Ha-Eun, right?”

He turned his head slightly.

“I introduced myself earlier.”

…It seems he still hasn’t fixed that dismissive attitude of his.

“…Are you good at painting? How good?”

“You’d probably know better than me.”

True enough. This kind of small talk was pointless.

I decided to get straight to the point.

“Then come to my house.”

Ha-Eun’s expression turned into one of utter disbelief.

‘…Did I go too far?’

While I was sulking over his rejection, someone familiar walked by.

‘Who is that…? Oh, right. Lee Do-Yoon. From Class 3.’

Lee Do-Yoon. I’d heard his name somewhere before.

Thinking back carefully, I remembered—it was at the Peach Blossom Paradise awards ceremony.

Now that I think about it, why was Lee Do-Yoon there?

He wasn’t known for being involved in the arts.

Just then, I overheard Ha-Eun whispering something to Do-Yoon.

It was too quiet to make out.

“Hey, Ha-Eun. Do you know Lee Do-Yoon?”

At my question, Ha-Eun nodded.

“We’ve been childhood friends for seven years. Something’s off about him lately, so I’m planning to have a talk—just the guys.”

For a moment, my imagination ran wild. Just the guys?

“…Gross.”

At my reaction, Ha-Eun frowned and gestured in denial, but I still couldn’t fully believe him.

Even so, I found it oddly enjoyable.

This conversation—it made me happy.

***

The Sports Day. Just hearing the name evokes a sense of romance and youthful energy.

And the weather seemed just as lively.

‘…Good thing I’m in the gym.’

After the morning events and the Golden Bell quiz wrapped up, the students came flooding back into the classroom.

Most of them were part of Lee Ha-Eun’s group.

Ha Soo-Yul, Choi Ye-Seo, and Lee Ha-Eun all took their places.

The two girls sat on chairs, while Lee Ha-Eun perched on a desk.

‘His frame is slim, but his proportions are excellent.’

At some point, I found myself staring at his entire figure.

Then began Ha-Eun’s impromptu lecture on Leibniz and focal points.

Even as someone who reads often, I was surprised to learn things I hadn’t known.

Since it was Ha-Eun explaining, it felt more credible and interesting.

When his lecture ended, the students participating in the afternoon events left the classroom.

It was now just the two of us.

But I didn’t mind, as I was busy working on a painting.

“What are you drawing?”

That’s when he dragged a chair over and leaned in close, peering at my canvas.

The sudden proximity made my face flush slightly.

I tilted my head upward, and a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips—just because I felt good.

“I’m planning to submit this to the national art competition. It’s in July, so I’m working on the theme before the deadline.”

“The national competition? That’s going to be tough. Why not enter the youth division? You’d probably win that easily.”

His question made me widen my eyes.

Seeing my reaction, Ha-Eun quickly started backpedaling.

“I mean, the national competition includes all artists in Korea. You’d have to compete within your age group...”

The person saying that was the same one who just participated in the [Prize].

‘Hypocrisy?’

The word popped into my mind, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Don’t you think you’re not in a position to say that?”

I wasn’t offended. I knew my own skills better than anyone.

Someday, I want to submit a painting to the [Prize] too.

After a brief silence, Ha-Eun offered to help with my submission for the national competition.

Since I needed the help, I readily nodded.

He reviewed my lines, gave feedback on my coloring, and spent time working with me.

Eventually, it was time for his event.

With a suggestion to find Ms. Lee Ah-Reum, he headed out.

I watched the door he had just walked through for a moment before picking up my pen again.

‘…Why does it feel so lonely?’

The classroom, which had been lively just moments ago, was now quiet.

Click!

As if sensing my thoughts, the door opened again, and a woman entered.

It was Ms. Lee Ah-Reum.

“Ha-Eun asked me to help you out.”

She said it simply, then sat next to me to assist with my painting.

For some reason, I felt a little annoyed.

***

I used Ho-Sung as an excuse to bring Ha-Eun to my house, but the other girls followed too, leaving me disappointed.

‘Why am I feeling disappointed?’

The thought crossed my mind. I’d been having these strange thoughts about Ha-Eun for a while now.

And the fact that I felt disappointment again only made me more confused.

I knew Ha-Eun was going to win the [Prize].

Because he’s Lee Ha-Eun.

I believed failure wasn’t an option for him.

And I was right—he became the center of public attention.

‘I’ll catch up soon.’

With that thought in mind, Ha-Eun opened his mouth.

“Well, congrats on winning the national competition. You did great.”

“Oh… uh, thanks. Wait, you knew?”

I hadn’t expected him to bring it up first, and my voice came out slightly flustered.

“Mr. Hong Jin-Hoo wouldn’t stop bragging. He kept showing off photos like a doting dad.”

Dad, seriously! I specifically told him not to show those to Ha-Eun!

As he continued to chat, the conversation turned to my Oasis painting.

His surprised expression made me feel good.

Of course, I had finished this painting with help from both Ha-Eun and Ms. Lee Ah-Reum.

Still, I was the one who painted the final strokes.

Surely, I’m allowed a little pride, right?

When I asked for feedback, he thought for a moment before raising a finger.

His critiques were harsh, but his final comment was praise.

“Even with these points, there’s nothing major to criticize overall. You deserved the win.”

Hearing such a compliment felt awkward. I lowered my head, feeling my face flush.

“I’ve been acknowledged…”

I muttered softly, and Ha-Eun tilted his head in confusion.

When I mentioned needing a mentor, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Could it be…?’

When he recommended Ms. Lee Ah-Reum, I felt a little upset. Not because I disliked her but…

“Um, could I… learn from you instead?”

“Me?”

He pointed at himself, and I nodded.

“Sure, why not?”

“!!! Thank you!”

He agreed, and I was overjoyed.

If I could learn from someone I admire…

‘…Someone I admire?’

The sudden thought made me blink, but my heart had already made its decision.

Thump. Thump.

My heart raced.

Even when he set conditions, none of them mattered.

What mattered was that I wanted to be by his side.

Was it because I realized my feelings?

I wanted to stay by his side forever.

To paint together, to spend time together.

‘…Kidnapping and confinement?’

If Ha-Eun heard that, he’d probably faint.