Diamond Dust — Chapter 18

YEEHYEON!

DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME CALLING YOU? WHAT WERE YOU SPACING OUT ABOUT?

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?

DID SOMETHING HAPPEN? DON'T TELL ME...

OH, THIS...?

THERE WAS THIS GUY HANGING AROUND OUT FRONT, SO I TRIED TO...TALK TO HIM.

TALK TO HIM? MORE LIKE YOU PICKED A FIGHT.

WE ONLY WENT OUT TO GRAB A DRINK, BUT WE SOMEHOW ENDED UP AT THE POLICE STATION. HAHA

AS FOR YEEHAN'S FACE, HE DIDN'T GET PUNCHED OR ANYTHING. THE GUY JUST PUSHED HIM AND HE GOT SCRATCHED UP BY SOME BUSHES.

THE GUY'S GIRLFRIEND LIVES AROUND HERE. HE CAME TO MAKE UP WITH HER AFTER THEY HAD A FIGHT.

WELL, GIVEN THE WAY WE LIVE, I UNDERSTAND WHY HE'S ON EDGE.

THESE TWO HAVE BEEN ANXIOUS THIS WHOLE TIME...

...WHILE I WAS TOO CAUGHT UP IN THE THRILL OF A NEW EXPERIENCE TO THINK ABOUT THEM.

AREN'T YOU...GOING TO BALI?

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?

YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO, SO YOU SHOULD GO.

STAYING HERE ANY LONGER IS DANGEROUS, AND YOU'RE ONLY PUTTING IT OFF BECAUSE OF ME.

I'M FINE NOW, SO YOU SHOULD GO.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. IF WE'RE GOING TO LIVE THERE, WE NEED TO SAVE UP SOME MONEY-

ONCE YOU GET THE DEPOSIT BACK FOR THIS PLACE, YOU'LL HAVE ENOUGH TO GET BY FOR A WHILE. IT'D BE BETTER TO GO THAN WASTE YOUR TIME HERE.

AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT LEAVING ANYTHING BEHIND FOR ME.

BESIDES...

...I'M THINKING ABOUT PAINTING AGAIN.

THE CURATOR AT THE GALLERY I WORK AT OWNS ONE OF THE PAINTINGS I WON AN AWARD FOR WHEN I WAS A KID.

HE'S ENCOURAGED ME TO TRY PAINTING AGAIN.

HE EVEN SUGGESTED I GO ON A BUSINESS TRIP TO HONG KONG WITH HIM BECAUSE IT MIGHT HELP SPARK SOME INSPIRATION.

HONESTLY, I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN ACTUALLY PAINT AGAIN...

...BUT I HAVE A PLACE TO STAY AND A JOB.

I’LL BE FINE, SO YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME...

THAT’S GREAT TO HEAR, YEEHYEON...

I WAS FINE WHILE I WAS SITTING DOWN...

HAA...

...BUT ONCE I STOOD UP, THE SOJU REALLY HIT ME.

THE WORLD IS SPINNING...

WE TALKED FOR A LONG TIME, BUT NOTHING WAS REALLY DECIDED.

I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO WORK ONCE WE GET THERE, BUT I HAVEN’T HAD ANY LUCK.

MONEY IS DEFINITELY PART OF THE REASON, BUT I'D BE LYING IF I SAID I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT YOU, TOO.

I GUESS THE WAY WE WERE ACTING WAS WEIGHING ON YOU...

WE'LL THINK IT THROUGH WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT UP IN OUR WORRIES ABOUT YOU.

OKAY. THEN...

...I'LL GO ON THE BUSINESS TRIP TO HONG KONG. THINK IT OVER WHILE I'M GONE AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU DECIDE WHEN I GET BACK.

NOTHING BUT A DEADLINE FOR WHEN I HAD TO MAKE MY DECISION...

Sorry for reaching out so late. Um... Would it be okay if I made my decision about painting again after the Hong Kong trip, like you mentioned?

IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE TO TELL HIM I'VE MADE UP MY MIND ALREADY...

HELLO?

WERE YOU ASLEEP...?

YOU TEXTED ME JUST A MINUTE OR TWO AGO, SO I GUESS NOT?

NO, I WASN’T. I JUST STEPPED OUTSIDE TO TAKE YOUR CALL...

DIDN’T YOU GO BACK TO YOUR OLD PLACE?

AH, YES...

I DON’T THINK I TOLD HIM THAT, THOUGH... DID MS. HAN TELL HIM?

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE OUT SOMEWHERE.

I WAS INVITED TO A LITTLE GET TOGETHER. IT’S JUST PART OF THE JOB, YOU KNOW.

YOU MUST BE TIRED.

I’M ACTUALLY IN A PRETTY GOOD MOOD. I THINK I MIGHT FINALLY SIGN AN ARTIST I’VE BEEN WANTING FOR A LONG TIME.

THAT’S ENOUGH TO KEEP ME GOING.

OH...

HE MEANS ME!

I HAVEN'T DECIDED YET... I'LL HAVE TO TELL YOU LATER...

YOU'LL WANT TO PAINT AGAIN SOMEDAY. I'M SURE OF IT.

HOW CAN HE BE SO SURE? HE BARELY KNOWS ME...

I DO WANT TO...

...BUT IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE BEEN ABLE.

I BLURTED OUT THE TRUTH AGAIN.

WHY AM I...LIKE THIS WITH HIM?

THERE'LL BE MORE YOU WANT TO SAY THROUGH YOUR PAINTINGS.

I HOPED MORE DESPERATELY THAN EVER...

... THAT THOSE WORDS WOULD COME TRUE.

WOW...

香港國際 Hong Kong Internati

THE WEATHER IS PERFECT!

ON A DAY LIKE THIS, WE SHOULD BE DRIVING AROUND VICTORIA HARBOUR.

WE'LL PASS IT ON THE WAY TO MR. LIU'S PLACE. JUST LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.

THAT'S NOT THE SAME!

UH...

MR. LIU'S PLACE...?

HE OWNS AN APARTMENT HERE THAT HE USES WHENEVER HE'S ON A WORK TRIP.

THE MASTER BEDROOM IS THE SIZE OF A SOCCER FIELD.

OVER HERE!

MR. LIU!

WHOA! ARE YOU REALLY GIVING US A LIFT?

YEAH. LOAD UP YOUR BAGS.

YES, SIR! YAY!

ALRIGHT!

CAREFUL, CAREFUL...

IF WE SCRATCH THIS, WE'RE DEAD.

OH, THANK YOU...

ARE YOU NERVOUS?

YES...

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING.

YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT TIME.

THERE IT IS AGAIN, THAT TONE OF CERTAINTY.

OKAY.