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"Are you some kind of expert on these paintings?" He inquired, walking over back to the seating area where the bidding would start soon in a matter of time.

"Well. Yes... I guess. I just help in the.. gallery.. so I just notice these things." I managed to give a convincing statement, and he just nodded his head.

Sitting next to him felt like cheating on Min-kyu, I don't know why, it just did. I didn't feel good about it, maybe it was because he was very attractive, but either way, it just didn't feel too right.

Nonetheless, It was too late to move, people had already taken up seats for bidding, waiting for them to announce paintings on auction.

They started with the small ones first, and the guy beside me just leant back on his seat, legs forwards and slightly crossed over, his arms were folded as he just poked his cheek with his tongue.

Damn, to be this effortlessly good looking.

"STARTING BID $10,000." She started, and immediately, people offered higher. It kind of got me excited how people thought my works were worth much more than ten thousand.

Ten thousand goes a long way.

"GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE-"

"Make it $80,000." The guy beside me casually spoke, he seemed to be so nonchalant about this eighty thousand, and I just furrowed my eyebrows gently in confusion and adrenaline, was I just surrounded by millionaires or what?

"GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, SOLD! TO MR NISHIMURA." She pointed her hand over to the guy sat beside me, labelled Mr Nishimura.

Oh alright, so he was known in this community too?

After a few smaller paintings were sold, the painting that Nishimura had 'insulted' came up for auction. He immediately fixed his posture, sitting up straight and staring intently at the front.

I decided to be funny and play with his ass.

"STARTING BID $60,000." The director yelled, and followed by a few more numbers shouted out by various other people.

"$150,000." I chimed in, just because I wanted to mess with the guy beside me and see if he'd go higher. I guess it was a good tactic for earning more money.

He looked over to me, a chuckle leaving his lips.

"$200,000." He responded so casually once again, staring back at the front.

"$250,000." I added, crossing my arms.

"$400,000." He offered, and I just simply turned my head to look at him, in disbelief at the amount of money he could just throw away like that.

"GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, SOLD! $400,000 FOR NISHIMURA." The director smiled cheerily as I looked over at him, shaking my head in pure disbelief.

"I thought you said that painting was bad." I scoffed, just staring at him with pure disbelief.

"I never said it was bad, I was just messing with you." He chuckled, proud of himself.

"Pfft, alright then, and $400,000? You just have money to waste like that?" I rolled my eyes, I never knew I was in the presence of such rich kids.

He turned his head to look at me, staring at my face for a good second. I stared back, without any fear or hesitation. His face was by far one of the most attractive faces I've ever seen.

"I have something for you." He didn't reply to my question, and instead, gave me a vague statement.

He turned his head back to face forward, then proceeded to stand up and leave, just like that. Obviously, in a hurry, I followed after him, leaving the building.

He started to walk further from the building and I followed beside him, wondering what he had for me.

"What is it?" I inquired, curiosity getting the best of me.

"You left something pretty crucial, Mei Hirata." He pulled out my purse from his pocket, opening it and pulling my identification card out.

My heart beat fast, just hearing him say my full name out like that, and after the exhibition that stated the 'Hirata' display.

I looked at him, swallowing hard and then snatching the purse and card off his hands, thank god this was here at least, but now I had another problem to face - did he know the exhibition was mine or not?

"Did you go through my purse?" I wondered, looking through it.

"I just spent almost half a million in that gallery, you think I'd pickpocket from someone like you?" He had the audacity to reply with, and I almost couldn't believe he was saying to my face.

"Goddamn this fucker is obnoxious." I scoffed under my breath, shoving the purse into my bag and looking up at him, so nonchalant and cold.

"The name is Niki. And you're welcome by the way, imagine if your purse got caught in the hands of somebody else. I guess you wouldn't see the polaroid picture of you and your boyfriend ever again." Niki gave a small chuckle to himself, amused by his comment.

I glared at him, rolling my eyes at his snarkiness.

"Looks like we have a funny comedian over here." I retort.

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