6

                                    

                                          
I couldn't sleep well at night. Guilt and anxiety were eating me up. It felt like a betrayal because I knew Hongjoong didn't get along with his family. And anxious because I had no idea if Mr Kim would agree to meet up in person. I spent the night rolling in my bed. Checking my phone every couple of minutes.
                          
At some point went up to his atelier because Joong was in my room. There I felt a bit calmer, soon I  fell asleep while watching different sketches of his. 
                          
...
                          
In the early morning, I received a mail. It had the location and time, it was a cafe in the town, later today. I called San right away.
                          
"Hey, where's cafe Sunrise?" I asked San over the phone.
                          
"It's in front of mom's shop. Why?" he asked, confused by my question. Well, I expected that so quickly explained everything to him. He made a pause, humming.
                          
"I'll come to help you with the artworks also will lead you to the place," he told me before hanging up. I had no chance to object nor anything. 
                          
About fifteen minutes later, San showed up in front of my home. He seemed lively as always. It eased me some and took away part of my concerns. So I gave him a hug, thanking him for being here.
                          
We took two of the paintings the man had requested. I already prepared and covered them up. Cause we didn't want to damage them. Then we went on our walk to the cafe. On the way, we talked about random things. He wanted to help me relax, it happened. He even told me that if something went wrong he would be in his mother's flower shop. I thanked him.
                          
Both of us walked into the cafe, looking around. San immediately recognized the man cause he wasn't a familiar face. We went to his table.
                          
"Excuse me, are you Kim Yonghwan-ssi?" I asked the man on the table. He glanced up at me then his eyes were attracted by the paintings.
                          
"Ah, yes, it's me. And I suppose you are Seonghwa-ssi," he answered in a melodic voice. "Please, sit," he politely pointed to the chair.
                          
I nodded, before sitting down. San patted me on the shoulder and left. I took a better look at the man. He was in his late 40s, but he was so young-looking and elegant. He didn't have any white hair or wrinkles. Actually, his skin was of good quality for an older man. And his eyes, their shape was soft, yet the feeling they gave was like a fox. This man was no joke indeed.
                          
"Those are the paintings I asked for, right?" he asked, and I nodded, then he proceeded to give me money. I pushed them back to him, he looked at me intrigued.
                          
"Kim Yonghwan-ssi, I don't need money. These paintings belong to You. But can I request of You to tell me about your brother, the artist behind those artworks?" I asked the man sitting in front of me. Now, he was observing me with curiosity. Maybe he never thought I would ask about this. Mr Kim took a sip of his coffee then nodded.
                          
"My younger brother, ah, he was an odd person in most people's eyes. Especially our mother, but that didn't stop him from being who he was." he chuckled. "You probably found my brother's diary too, right?" he asked, waiting for me to nod. "So you have an idea what kind of person was he to himself, but I'll tell you how I saw him. He was probably a genius. The way he was thinking and acting were the opposite of the accepted. Honesty, I never understood it, and I regret not trying to while he was alive." he let out a faint, sad sigh. "He was the gentle type too. I remember,  since a young, he was bringing different hurt animals, begging to take care of them. But we weren't allowed to keep any pets. Maybe that's why he took a fancy of all the butterflies in our garden. They were the only animals he could have in our home." I felt some nostalgia in his voice. The more he told me, the more it turned into a bittersweet sadness.
                          
...
                          
We had a conversation for a while. Mr Kim showed me his perspective of how he saw his younger brother. But when the talk reached the point of his vanishing, everything went grim.
                          
"My brother disappeared on his birthday. We told the police, and there was a big search for him. However, after a couple of years, they announced him dead," he told me and broke all the hopes I had. "Still, the body was never found," he added, yet this didn't make it any better. The absence of a body never meant he was still alive somewhere out there.
                          
With my spirits dead, I offered the man to help carry the artworks to his car or if he came by foot to the place he stayed at. He agreed, and we took them then walked out of the cafe just to see Mrs Choi arranging flowers in front of her shop. 
                          
The lady saw me and waved, having the same dimpled smile as her son. A second later, her eyes met the man, and she blushed. To my surprise, he did too. We walked to her, she smiled shyly like a school girl seeing her crush. Both of them seemed nervous. Then San came out. He looked at the man, then at his mother, confused, of course.
                          
"Long time no see, Byeol," the man said in a soft and somehow loving manner.
                          
"Indeed, oppa," she responded, smiling wider. San's cofusion grew bigger.
                          
"Mom?" the boy asked her, putting a hand over her shoulder and glaring at the handsome man.
                          
"San, this is an old friend. Oppa, please don't get him wrong, since his father passed away, he's been overprotective of me," she laughed nervously, but the man nodded understanding, taking her hand in his. His touch was gentle.
                          
"Of course, that makes him a good son," he said. "I'm glad there's someone to take care of you after hyung died," the man said, yet I heard the feeling that this sentence was somehow unfinished. Judging, by the way, they were looking at each other, maybe there were some unsettled feelings. I put the painting I had, leaning on the shop's wall and took San inside with me, asking him for a flower pot for my mom. To be honest, I just wanted to leave the two lovely birds to have their time. My friend didn't like it but had no choice. In the shop, I made sure to take as long as possible. If I had no chance to find my crush, so why not at least others to be happy?