Malai was nervous.
There was no doubt about it.
Would someone even buy her painting?
As she walked up front she could see people's gazes. They were looking her up and down, chewing down her appearance and trying to see who she was, what she was like, or if she was pretty. They were judging her.
Judgement.
One thing Malai wished was one of the things she had escaped when she ran from home.
She had always been judged there. Whether it was for what she really wanted to be, what she wanted to do, wear, look, act, go, she was judged. She never felt safe coming out into the open with her parents and speaking her mind. She never felt safe and able to trust them no matter what.
Before she knew it, Malai was up front and even more stares were on her.
Slowly, she put their painting on the pedestal and uncovered it. The eyes then went from her to the painting, fixated on it.
"I call this piece Flight HL8303," Malai started nervously. "It's a uhm more personal piece to me if anything."
Her eyes scanned the room trying to find Byunchul, but when she did find him she was majorly disappointed. He seemed to be making quite the conversation with a man and two women in the back, not even paying attention to up front.
"It's ok," she thought, "you know how hard it is for him to focus."
"The background consists of real maps of Seoul and Bangkok," she said as the only chatter in the room consisted of the people in the back.
"The chains symbolize independence from something holding you back or weighing you down," she said, "it represents freedom within the change. It's a 30 by 45 canvas with acrylic paints."
Slowly the prices started.
Numbers were being called and soon after Malai's eyes decided to stray away from Byungchul they met another person's.
The man who had pushed her for a slice of Tiramisu earlier.
He was only staring at her and for some reason it seemed like they were the only ones in the room. He quickly lifted his hand and began rubbing his cheek, his foundation or concealer revealing the mark of a hand on his left cheek.
Why?
"Sold," the auctioneer yelled drawing Malai's attention back. "$750!"
Malai was shocked as she looked back at the crowd and saw a middle aged couple holding hands as they raised their cards.
Malai quickly put the canvas sheet back on the painting and took it down to a less crowded area to give to the person.
"Here's the check darling," the woman said as Malai handed the husband the art work.
"What was your inspiration," the man said as he looked over the giant painting again.
"Well all my life I had lived in Bangkok Thailand," she started, "and well I've always felt weighed down and stuck in a position I didn't want to be in so I dropped out of college and moved to Seoul last month to pursue my dreams."
The woman only frowned at when Malai said she dropped out of college while the man continued to smile.
"Now that's something to be proud of," he said.
Before Malai could say thank you a voice interrupted her.
"Sorry to interrupt," a man said, "but if your done I would love to talk with my soulmate."
Malai looked up and immediately saw the Tiramisu man from earlier, except his foundation on his left side of his face was gone and a hand print was on his cheek.
The couple looked at the two before smiling and nodding.
"Soulmate?"
Malai looked at him questioning.
"You slapped me," he said, "and I know you felt that tingle when I pushed you. It's not a coincidence."
"But-"
"I'm here soulmate," another voice said from behind her.
"I touched her mark as well," Byunchul said glaring at the man and wrapping his arms around her.
⤃
Byungchul is ticking me off.