Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Ex-Boyfriend
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"My ex... boyfriend."
"Hmm, the phrasing does feel a bit off, doesn't it?"
Director Go, whom I hadn't pegged for that type, turned out to be surprisingly open-minded.
I couldn't fathom how she could send us to an exhibition by someone who wasn't even an ex-husband, but an ex-boyfriend.
Painter Oh, however, didn't find it strange at all.
"She seems to dislike me because I'm her ex-boyfriend. I still like Yunmi, though."
That's when Daeun dropped a bombshell I never saw coming.
"Daeun has one too."
"You do too, Daeun?"
She suddenly shot up from her seat and, bold as brass despite me being right there, declared:
"Daeun has a boyfriend too!"
What! Painter Oh's revelation about being Director Go's ex-boyfriend was shocking enough, but this was at least five times more earth-shattering.
"D-Daeun, you have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah! Daddy knows, Daeun has a boy friend!"
"Who?"
"Handsome boy from the train!"
"Oh, that Jun-su!"
Ah, so that's what it was.
I'd thought she actually had a boyfriend.
"So you met him on the train ride here? Made a friend along the way?"
"Oh, yeah. On the way down, there was a boy my age who happened to sit across from me."
"Ah, and his name was Jun-su."
"Yeah."
"Aww, how cute."
Painter Oh found the whole thing hilarious, his face lit up with a grin that wouldn't quit.
Man, I'd been floored by Daeun's bombshell.
"Still, I'm thrilled you came. I think I know why Yunmi sent you two my way."
I didn't go into details—too much info—so I kept it vague.
But I knew just the thing to make Painter Oh happy.
"Maybe Director Go sent us because she was thinking of you."
I'd assumed that was obvious.
"Nah, I doubt it."
Looks like Director Go had some hidden motive.
"Probably sent you for Daeun's sake."
"Yeah?"
"Oh! Would you look at the time."
With that, Painter Oh stood from his seat and said:
"Shall we go meet the audience who came to see my paintings today?"
Then he left the room alone, leaving us behind.
Stunned by the abrupt exit, Daeun and I exchanged glances before jumping up and shouting:
"Wait, let's go together!"
"I wanna come too!"
And so began Painter Oh's artwork talk-cum-tea-time session.
A simply arranged setup.
Painter Oh sat in front of his painting, facing a line of audience members seated across from him.
'Looks like quite a crowd from up here.'
I'd figured there were some people, but lining them up like this made it seem even more.
Rough guess: around a hundred?
"Daddy, so many people..."
Overwhelmed by the numbers, Daeun hid behind my leg.
"Yeah, it's okay."
As I soothed her, the artwork talk finally began.
Usually a staffer handles the intro and proceedings, but here Painter Oh Sangmun took charge himself.
"Thank you all so much for coming. Some of you know me, some don't, but I wish blessings upon you all."
With a beaming smile, Painter Oh bowed deeply.
"First off, the theme of this exhibition is 'Encounters and Farewells.' An encounter could be between two strangers—a man and a woman—or friends, colleagues. For some, it's the bond with parents met upon birth into this world."
Painter Oh explained the mindset behind his works in a completely different tone from before.
"For me, encounters were always joyful. I've met many people in life, and every one brought joy and happiness. But once I learned about farewells, those encounters stopped feeling like pure happiness."
After learning of the farewell.
His words sparked a lot of thoughts.
"Knowing farewell loomed made me think: if we'd never met, it wouldn't hurt like this. To me, farewell negated the encounter itself."
I could see that line of thinking.
If we'd never met, there'd be no such sorrow.
But.
'That's not true farewell in the real sense.'
Maybe because I've experienced real loss, I couldn't agree with Painter Oh.
Daeun seemed to feel the same.
"No."
"Yeah?"
She looked like she wanted to say more, but just pouted without elaborating.
I could guess what was on her mind.
'It's not the encounter that makes farewell sad. It's because we met and were happy that farewell hurts.'
The premise was flawed from the start.
Just then, Painter Oh gave a self-deprecating smile and refuted his own words.
"But thinking that way suddenly struck me as ridiculous. Denying encounters meant watching my life turn unhappy. Getting miserable over fearing farewell? Isn't that absurd?"
Yes, that's more like it.
I bet Painter Oh realized that too.
"So my thinking shifted naturally. Is farewell truly painful because of the encounter? But upon reflection, that notion didn't hold up. And I realized."
He stepped forward and reached toward the painting on display.
"That the encounter brought such immense happiness that farewell became sorrowful. So how to avoid that pain? The answer is
'There is none.'"
The painting he pointed to showed a long, thin thread.
Like a ball of yarn tangled by a playful cat, rolling across the white canvas.
Endlessly, continually, forever.
"Fearing farewell and avoiding encounters is foolish. Don't fear farewell—cherish the encounter while it lasts. Even turn that sorrow into happiness. And for those we can never meet again... let that happiness become longing."
As Painter Oh finished, a pang hit my heart for no reason.
Felt like he was talking about me.
Daeun must have felt it too.
"Was Mommy... happy to meet Daeun?"
I gripped her shoulder tight, unable to look as tears threatened.
"She was over the moon. Just like Daddy."
Daeun let out a relieved sigh.
"Good."
Clap clap clap.
Painter Oh's artwork talk wrapped up.
Most folks went back to view the pieces, while some approached him for chats.
Only after fielding questions for ages did he make it over to us.
"Sorry, kept you waiting, huh?"
"No, we were just admiring the paintings while you talked."
"Oh, really?"
"The paintings are so pretty!"
"Oh! You really like them, Daeun?"
"Yeah! Super super like!"
"Good to hear. Makes Uncle even happier that Daeun approves."
Then he turned to me.
"What'd you think of the paintings?"
"Oh, me?"
Hmm, how to rate this? Not asking for pro critique.
So.
"A mix of emotions came through. From the paintings."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. Especially the ones near the entrance—they evoked that happy feeling you mentioned, like meeting someone new. And as you go further, the sense of farewell builds."
Painter Oh looked genuinely surprised.
"Spot on. You nailed my intent perfectly."
"Haha, really? I just said what I felt."
"That's what makes it impressive. No wonder Yunmi calls her amazing."
"Am-amazing?"
Didn't know Director Go spoke of me that way.
"Did you catch that too?"
"What... Oh, you mean how farewell turns back into encounter?"
Clap clap clap!
"Wow!"
Painter Oh shook his head and applauded.
"Sorry if that rubbed you wrong. Wasn't testing you—just had to ask since you read me so well."
"Yeah."
"You grasped my intent exactly. First time for this—meeting new people really is pure joy. Sure, farewell stings, but still."
Haha, what was he even on about?
Then Painter Oh changed the subject to the tea-time snacks.
"Everyone grab some treats? Got extra chocolate cookies since Daeun likes them."
Twinkle!
"Daeun loves choco cookies!"
Ooh, Daeun's eyes lit up.
Painter Oh picked out just the chocolate ones from the table and showed her.
"All these are for Daeun! Uncle's thank-you gift for coming today."
Daeun's face lit up with pure bliss...
"No!"
Huh?
Suddenly no? What gives?
Painter Oh froze, cookie in hand, at Daeun's abrupt refusal.
"Huh? What do you mean no?"
"Mommy said never take stuff from strangers!"
"Uh, st-stranger?"
"Yeah! No way from stranger!"
We'd been chatting and laughing just now, and she'd sat through the whole talk.
Suddenly a stranger?
"D-Daeun, why am I a stranger? I'm friends with Director Yunmi!"
Daeun adorably shook her head.
"Not friends anymore."
Huh? Did she mishear "ex-boyfriend" as "no longer friends"?
Sure, if she took "used to be friends, but not now," a kid could mix that up.
Daeun was still little.
Even so, refusing the cookies...
Gulp.
'This is tricky.'
Another issue altogether.
"Hmm... haha, well now."
Painter Oh seemed to catch on late, chuckling awkwardly as he pondered how to explain.
In this pinch.
'No choice.'
Normally I'd stay out, but this time I had to step in.
"So, Daeun, see, this is..."
Right then.
Painter Oh, deep in thought, shifted expression and asked:
"So if he's connected to Yunmi, then he's not a stranger?"
Connected to Director Go?
He'd said ex-boyfriend earlier—was there more?
"He's ex-boyfriend, right?"
"Uh, no. He's ex-boyfriend, but actually there's an even closer title."
Daeun blinked at "closer relation."
"What's that?"
Painter Oh grinned wide and spilled the truth.
"Well... ex-boyfriend and current husband."
"Yeah!"
"Haha, sorry. Wasn't trying to trick you."
So Painter Oh...
"Yep. I'm Yunmi's husband. Legally speaking."
Haha! Director Go's husband.