13

alamort

(half dead of exhaustion)

5th July, 2019

THE cool air of the air conditioner felt like a boon when it hit Ju Ho's sweating body, invigorating him. After going through a crowded bus ride and walking on the pavements of a busy street being burnt by the afternoon sun, he was up for anything but humidity again.

He was at an art supplies store with his neighbour, who was busy going through all the options the shop was offering. Ju Ho was genuinely lost because he had literally no idea that the constituents of the art field could have so many varities including paints, canvases and sketching notebooks. Different types of pencils and brushes demanded the attention of budding artists who were swarming those sections with a shopping basket.

A stately looking woman was standing opposite to them, holding the hand of a tenacious teenage girl who was asking for the largest crayon set. The woman, who seemed to be her mother was trying to persuade her by saying that the normal size would suffice. To her dismay, the girl was in no mood to listen. She kept on begging and at some point of time, gave up and started crying.

The sudden turn of events had caught the attention of the rest of the humans in the shop including Ye Bin. She was quick to go back to her rummaging session as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

The teen was not lying on the floor now, protesting and making accusations against her mother. Customers and the cashiers were whispering in low voices at the sight of such a stupefying episode.  The woman, deeply embarassed had to pull her daughter up and comply with her wishes. She looked slightly cross because almost all the eyes were on them thanks to her disobedient child.

It wasn't until the duo walked out of the store after paying that the atmosphere of the store was back to normal again.

"I feel bad for the mother. She looked so helpless. That box must have costed her a fortune considering how pale she looked at the cash counter." opined Ju Ho.

"Of course, it was expensive." Ye Bin put some of the packets back to the divisions of the cupboard, looking unperturbed. "That one is one of the best in the market and I can see where she's coming from. Such events are actually common at places like these. Children who fail to understand the value of money, cry their heart out just to seem significant at school. They don't realise how they burn holes in their parents' pockets."

"The girl was quite young." Ju Ho sighed. "We can't expect a thirteen year old to be cautious about money. I can't blame the mother too. A desire to be an active part of rebellion totally knocks you over at a certain age."

Ye Bin hummed as a response. Her eyebrows were knitted together in concentration, her face looking really serious as she picked up different sets of pencils.

It suddenly dawned upon Ju Ho that she was an actual artist. A real one. He had been a part of her life since the past few months and had the pleasure to see her emotional and social armour loosen around him. Sometimes, one is pretty accustomed to certain facts and they don't realise the real weight of it until they become a witness of its linkages. Maybe that's what Ju Ho was feeling at that moment. He was more used to seeing her do those part-time jobs and eating the meals prepared by him with big bites.

"You seem different today." Ju Ho commented suddenly, earning a brief glance from Ye Bin.

"Why? I have always looked like this. I am pretty everyday." Ye Bin tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, giving him a smile.

Ju Ho snickered."No, it's not because of your face or something related to your appearance. It's probably because of the environment or maybe because of the money. I have never seen you spend even one won till this date. However, here you are. Holding a bucket full of art supplies."

"There we go again. Let me use my money in peace, mister." Ye Bin couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I can't use cheap products when the customer is paying me such a handsome amount."

"Don't take my comment in a wrong way." he frantically waved his hands. "I am happy to see you doing great. All my food was worth it."

"Then act like it." she scrunched her nose. "I might mistake you for a hater or an internet troll."

"You're hurting my feelings. Have you ever seen such a good looking hater?"

"Oh, please." she rolled her eyes as she put one of the medium sized sets in her hand into the basket. "I'm done. I got everything I hope."

Silence dwelled again as she started mouthing all the items she needed in a low voice, just to cross check it once.

"You got two large tubes of white paint. What are you going to do with all that amount?"

"White is the most important colour for me and almost all the other artists I know. We mix it with other colours to derive particular shades. Painting is a fusion of science and art. Usually, we run out of this colour pretty fast."

"It's almost like how sugar and flour is for me." he drawled, shaking his head as if this was totally a new discovery for him.

Ye Bin marched towards the billing section, Ju Ho following her lead closely with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his beige jacket. He could see the gleam of happiness in her eyes when she took out a huge sum of money from her wallet. She had already visited the ATM before going to the art store. The customer had been nice enough to send an advance payment to her after their peaceful negotiation.

"Should we return back to our home now?" Ju Ho questioned as they ventured out of the building, the warm air hitting their cool body. It was a real menace to adjust to the hot temperature after getting out of an air-conditioned room.

"We should eat something. It's my treat today. How about that cafe on the opposite side of the road? It looks really grand from this side." Ye Bin started longingly at the high-fashioned one-storey building.

"I apologise for ruining that prospect. I don't eat at other bakeries or cafes. It's a principle I abide by, strictly." he explained, putting emphasis on the last word.

"You can call it market research. You can't improve without looking at what others in the field are doing. You'll probably learn something new and maybe end up becoming better at what you're doing right now. "

"Still, isn't it cheating? The owners don't have a clue about my identity. It's just plagiarism disguised as market research."

"C'mon!" she whined holding the edge of his shirt's left sleeve. "I would die without food because of you."

"Good heavens, Yoo Ye Bin. We can eat at a restaurant. Why do we need to go to a cafe or a bakery? I didn't know that you can be so stubborn about something trivial. Jeju has good food everywhere."

"Exactly, it's trivial and that is why I'm forcing you. I am not up for a full course meal. I am craving something sweet."

"If only I was far sighted, I could have packed something to eat before coming here."

"Such a cheapskate!"

"It's not about the price. It's just my principle -"

"Yes, yes and you follow it. I got it. Just stay outside then. I'll go and satisfy my cravings."

Ju Ho stayed quiet for a few seconds and ultimately had to give in to her pursuit and silent pleading eyes. Ye Bin was delighted to get him to change his mind. They crossed the road carefully and stood infront of the door.

"Just look at the exterior!" she gasped, taking in all the details of their surroundings.

The cafe was a typical example of  modern day extravaganza. Ju Ho had to check the board twice to see if it was actually just a cafe. The walls of the cafe had been marvellously crafted with several geometric patterns and impressive mini sculptures. Even the signboard looked straight out of the halls of a museum.

"I can bet on my entire bank balance that we wouldn't get good food here. They poured their heart out in the architecture. I don't think there would be much left for the food."

"An artist never runs out of love for their field of art. I believe that it would be the same for people who are engaged in making people feel happy through food."

"That's true." Ju Ho looked still unsure about the entire thing.

"Are you coming in or not? Keep thinking and maybe I'll be done before you decide on something." Ye Bin pulled the door knob without sparing a second glance.

Ju Ho had to forcefully drag himself inside, following her figure.

"Sit down. I'll order something. Do you want anything specific?" Ye Bin pulled a chair of an empty table and gestured him to get settled on its surface.

Ju Ho shook his head to say a 'no' and he watched Ye Bin stroll towards the counter, the large crowd near it almost consuming her. It wasn't until a good twenty minutes of struggle that she emerged from the mob, her hands holding two plates of doughnuts and strawberry pastries.

"It's a self-serving cafe." Ye Bin explained as she placed the porcelain plates on their table. "They require you to pay the bill beforehand."

"Is it costly?"

"A bit." she squinted her eyes, bringing close two of her fingers to indicate how much it was.

"This is why I told you that it isn't worth it. I hope that I don't spill anything." Ju Ho eyed the white lace table cloth with a crease on his forehead.

"I can feel you, totally." Ye Bin reciprocated his fear, looking at the fabric.

"Listen, my doughnuts are far better than this. Look at the texture. Not everyone can achieve success in this art. You should put your heart and soul into this everyday, thinking that it might be your last day on earth." Ju Ho broke the doughnut into half and examined them carefully.

"Really? I can't tell the difference." Ye Bin was already stuffing her mouth with hers.

"Have you ever tried my doughnuts? I don't think so." he made a face, clearly annoyed at the fact that he was being compared with someone inferior.

"That's true." she mused. "I highly doubt whether yours would be much different. I like this one, though."

"I will totally get you one tomorrow. Freshly made and packed. You will change your opinion within seconds.

"Goodness, try to enjoy. Sometimes I feel like you are too hard on yourself. Even more than me."

"Oh, that's highly questionable. I didn't end at the hospital like you. I know when to call out for help and take things slow."

"Oh, let's not bring that up. I'm doing better now." Ye Bin gave him a glare, her teeth grinding against the soft surface of the doughnut inside her mouth.

Ju Ho couldn't manage to feed on the delicacies infront of him. He was too used to his own way of making them. He pushed the plate towards Ye Bin's direction who was pleased to have more. She seemed to be enjoying her own treat, appearing zealous. A cool stream of determination, to make her feel more for his bakery's items, flowed inside him.

"I'm done." Ye Bin cleaned the tiny flakes resting on her hand with her handkerchief. She got up and stretched. "That was good. I feel better."

"Should we go now? Or do we need to return the plates to the counter?"

"No. That's not needed. They would need the plates to be there on the table to know which one needs to be cleaned. We should get going." Ye Bin collected her bag from the chair beside her and emerged out of the boundary made by the table.

Ju Ho walked upto her and bent down to reach the level of her shoes. He took the loose laces of her washed out sneakers and started tying them.

"What are you doing?" she asked instinctively, flinching a bit.

"As you can see, I'm tying your shoelaces. You need to be more careful, Ye Bin." Ju Ho looked up while giving the shoelaces a hard pull, to tighten them.

Ye Bin was left perplexed. She gazed at his fervent smile, unable to get a grip of herself. The blue tiles of the floor made such a beautiful combination with his lavender locks and beige clothing. When she looked down at him, she could see how she had missed several details of his boundless facial charm. She had always been the one to crane her neck upwards to see him. As an artist, it was a wonder how she had not paid attention to such complimentary lines drawn together.

Ju Ho towered over her and waved his hand infront of her eyes. "You look dazed. Are you okay?"

Ye Bin could feel the heat gather up near her cheeks. Mumbling a quick affirmation about her being okay, she motioned him to follow her back to the street.

Was she just admiring him?

The idea itself was preposterous. She could feel the rumble of contrasting thoughts clashing against each other in her mind.

The caramel glazed solitary sun was slowly melting on the horizon line, the warmth of the last hues of orange and yellow spreading on the vast expanse of the blanket of sky. They sauntered past several groups of the street's evening strollers, the growing darkness now devouring their surroundings.

Ju Ho casually shook his head and proceeded to arrange his hair with his hands. He was talking to her about a random topic and Ye Bin couldn't really hear any of it. She was staring at him, her eyes draining out all the attention she could possibly have. She was too focused on his face to notice that he was staring back at her too.

"Is there something wrong, Ye Bin? You look disassociated." Ju Ho asked, a transcending concern clogging his thought process.

Ye Bin could bet that her heart had stopped for a moment when she got hold of the situation. She hastily shook her head to deny that and looked away. Ju Ho pursed his lips in confusion and decided to give her a moment to herself. He had been rambling on about the landlord without any reason. It was the best method he had in mind to get to the bus stop without much exhaustion.

Ye Bin could feel her heart pumping at a concerning rate. Her body was covered with goosebumps and she suspected that she might be messing up her entire image. She was acting out of character.

She needed to change the topic. Exactly. Then he would end up thinking that she was gawking at him because she was not in the right state of mind.

"Ju Ho." Ye Bin called softly, tapping his shoulder blade. Ju Ho hummed in response, turning sidewards to face her. He looked at her intently, the lines of his features boiling with curiosity. 

"What if I don't get another commission? What if I fail to deliver what this person is asking of me?" she voiced out her concerns, not being able to look straight at Ju Ho. Ye Bin could actually feel her mind drift back to this feeling of uncertainty as if it was staying right behind other thoughts. The words rolled off her tongue so naturally that she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself yet again.

"Don't jinx it, Yoo Ye Bin." Ju Ho sighed. "It's just the beginning. Maybe, it would take you some time to get another one but you will. I was going through your Instagram account and I could see how you're growing there."

"You went through my posts?" Ye Bin raised her eyebrow, slightly surprised. She could feel her heart gain momentum again.

That was bad. Definitely not a good sign.

"Of course, I did. I don't say this to everyone but your artworks are actually praise worthy. I could see through your mind. Modern art needs to be defined differently with artists like you. I am not a fan of all those random paint splashes and shapes the modern artists use. Your figurines and backgrounds looked straight out of a traditional fairytale."

"What if I was an actual modern artist or whatever you call them? Would you have just stopped talking to me?"

"Maybe." he grimaced.

"Wow." Ye Bin pinched him right on the cheek to show her mock anger.

Ju Ho whined as he held his cheek. "That hurts."

"That's what you get for saying such a mean thing."

Both of them had not realised that they had already managed to reach the nearest bus stand. They bickered while standing for the bus with other possible co-passengers.

"I would like to say it again. I wouldn't be friends with one." Ju Ho stated with a sharp display of his tongue.

"I am very disappointed, Han Ju Ho. I would have totally minced you into pieces if only the bus wasn't coming anytime soon." Ye Bin pointed a finger at the approaching bus, coming near the bus stand.

Ju Ho crossed his arms against his chest and leaned against the pole, saying nothing in response. Ye Bin was staring longingly at the bus, her body bent slightly and her hands holding her knees. She seemed exhausted to the bones. The nearest street light was cascading its fervent light on her which gave the edges of her silky jet hair an ombre effect. The growing darkness was totally outruled by the luminous billboards and busy buildings. Still, Yoo Ye Bin looked the most radiant to Han Ju Ho, against the backdrop of a bustling landscape.

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