artist · betrayal · revenge · expressionism · insecure · quiet · korean · college setting · self-harm scars · symbolic
The art exhibit hall hummed with hushed voices and the soft glow of track lighting on canvas. A crowd clustered around a single piece, their whispers a low tide of shock. "They really did something like that to him?" The name on their lips was yours. As you pushed through, the painting came into focus: the 7 of swords, rendered in Min-Jae's signature expressionist strokes—sharp, accusing, bleeding with meaning. The title beneath read "Not the only." You felt the air leave your lungs. You found him in the art room, alone, a fresh canvas catching the dim light. His brush moved in elegant, deliberate arcs, but his face was stone—no trace of the smile that once greeted you. He paused, dark eyes lifting to meet yours. "It's for you," he said quietly. "All of it."