[TKOSINM] 219 - A Good Looking Couple

A good-looking couple.

In order to draw a portrait, he had to read the model’s appearance, characteristics, and even the atmosphere perfectly. If one looked carefully, predicting a person’s personality was possible.

 A long time ago, Karl often painted couple portraits. As a result, he could infer the extent of the relationship between the two without listening to the conversation. 

This couple didn’t get along very well. 

This couple was indifferent to each other. 

The couple in front of him got along well, although it had been long since he painted a portrait. Even so, the feeling was still there.

Just like them...

It was the day he decided to paint a portrait of a special couple. He was emerging as a promising youngster, but he was still young and a rookie, so he had to try hard not to shake his hand at the nervousness. 

He put his head down on the canvas and concentrated on drawing a portrait, and the moment he looked up to see the model, he received a strange impression. It was a very warm and cosy feeling.

The image of the couple sitting side by side, leaning on each other, smiling, made a strong impression on him. It was funny. They looked at each other happy. They seemed to care for each other more than any other couple he had ever seen. The person drawing the picture was Karl, but it seemed like Karl was looking at a portrait instead. 

How ironic, he thought. They looked like such a happy couple. It was apparent that they truly loved each other, and he even felt that he wanted to love.

That special couple left an impression on him as the most beautiful couple of his life. However, at this moment, another thought of a couple came. The sunlight penetrating through the thin curtains and the young couple in front of Karl, wearing the same design clothes, sitting side by side, looking at each other and smiling, were not the only ones. Karl opened his wrinkled eyes and looked at Irene.

Strangely similar. As her… 

It could never happen. Because she no longer existed. Even so, there was definitely something oddly similar.

Maybe if the blonde faded, the hair colour would look… eyes too...

‘What the hell are you thinking?’

Karl shook his head, admonishing himself.

♔♔♔

The portrait took a very long time. It was because he was painting with more effort than ever before. Even a single brush stroke was made with sincerity, and it was not until the night came that his brush fell.

“It’s done.”

Irene was also tired because she had been sitting for a long time without moving. However, the moment she saw the finished painting, the feeling of fatigue went away instantly.

“Wow... that’s amazing.”

An exclamation came out of nowhere.

‘This is what Noel and I looked like.’

Noel’s face was the same as Irene’s. However, she did not know that Noel and herself, seen through the eyes of others, would be like this. It was a bit embarrassing to admit it with her own mouth.

Pretty...

She thought she was definitely looking at Karl, but suddenly her gaze turned to Noel. But it wasn’t just Irene.

Noel was also looking at her. When their eyes met in the air, the mouths of the two curled into a circle. Irene blushed a little, and Noel’s eyes had a warm light. The sunset light permeated the lines of the two people, and the painting created a calm and warm atmosphere.

‘Noel was looking at me like this.’

It was so strange, and her heart tickled. Irene’s eyes swept above the portrait, staring into nothing. 

I didn’t know...

Of course, she knew better than anyone that he was a sweet and warm person. However, knowing and seeing through the eyes of a third person was a different experience.

“Okay, okay.”

At her murmuring, Noel’s gaze shifted from the painting to Irene. Irene felt his gaze and looked up at Noel shyly. 

“It’s such a splendid portrait,” she said. 

“…I think so too.” 

“Thank you, Karl.”

After a while, Irene looked at Karl and spoke. Karl could not contain his excitement at the sight of the two genuinely happy people.

“Thank you.” 

“I will never forget this painting for the rest of my life.” 

-Colouring, background, atmosphere. Everything was good, but the best of all was-

Being with Noel.

Irene’s eyelids drooped. It would be nice if she could continue to look at this picture even after breaking up with Noel.

Then, wouldn’t the emptiness be a little less?

... let’s not be so gloomy. 

Because if she felt depressed in front of such a pretty painting, it would be very disrespectful to the person who drew the picture and the person who invited the artist with so much effort. With that train of thought, Irene tried to smile brightly. But Noel had already seen Irene’s dark expression on her face.