Chapter 73: Just An Almost
JULIA
“I am so sorry,” I said, bowing my head. “I didn’t realize this was your room.”
Mr. Miyagi continued to stare at me with an unreadable expression, making me bite my lip in nervousness.
“I’m actually a very big fan,” I started ranting. “Your art has been a great inspiration to my work, and your story is something I resonate with.”
“I hope you know how much you inspire me to become a better artist. Although, I probably look weird suddenly appearing here. However, it truly is an honest mistake. Do forgive me, sir,” I continued, feeling breathless after.
His face didn’t change, making my heart skip a beat. Alright, that was it. I just had to embarrass myself in front of my lifelong idol!
How could I ask him for a photo now?
“Why did you come here?” he suddenly asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
My eyes momentarily widened, then I tilted my head to the side in confusion.
“To this party?” I asked.
He shook his head. “To this room,” he responded. “Do you and the party boring?”
I quickly shook my head. “No, of course not,” I said with a small smile. “I think the party is actually pretty fun, especially for an aspiring artist like me.”
“It’s great to see so many artists in one place and see how diverted their artworks are. However, I just find it suffocating to interact with so many people,” I muttered the last statement. “This seemed like a safe place, so I came here.”
I was expecting him to kick me out at this point, so I was surprised when a small smile appeared on his lips..
“I get what you mean,” he said. “I also like looking at all of the art. But, having so many people want to take photos with me is tiring.”
I pursed my lips. Welp, there goes my chance to ask him for a photo!
“Now, come here,” he suddenly said.
I turned around before pointing at myself. “Me?”
He chuckled in amusement. “Of course. There’s no one else here. I’m talking about you.”
“Sorry,” I muttered, slowly walking to where he was.
“Make it faster now,” he said, so I hastened my steps.
However, I quickly froze when I realized what he was looking at.
My artwork.
He placed his fingers under his chin as he scrutinized the plece of canvas. My heart raced as I anticipated his reaction.
This was a school project! Of course, Mr. Miyagi would not appreciate it.
Chapter 73 Just An Almost
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“What do you think this means?” he asked, his eyes not leaving the artwork.
I also looked at my work, and I saw so many imperfections.
It was a painting of a small flower in the middle of an empty field with short grass. The flower stood under the sun, with one of the petals nowhere to be found. Some spots were splotchy, and some areas weren’t blended well.
“Umm, it needs to be polished?” I said in an unsure tone.
“I’m not talking about the technicalities,” he said. “Of course, it’s not perfect. I’m talking about the meaning.
“The flower is incomplete,” he said, pointing to it momentarily. “Do you think it’s because the artist found it too tedious to finish it?”
“The flower is small, and there are a lot of details. I’m assuming it would take quite long to paint even one petal. Were they out of time? Or did they not bother to finish it at all?” he asked.
Somehow, his words triggered something in me. Before I knew it, I had begun to explain what the artwork truly
meant.
“This piece…,” I began softly.
“I believe it represents the paradox of beauty and incompleteness. The flower looks new and vibrant. It appears so close to perfection, yet it will never attain it. It’s like
My voice trembled as I remembered the inspiration for the artwork. The first one I passed to Mr. Matthews was done out of obligation.
So, for this particular one, I tapped into my inner self. It was difficult, but before I knew it, this was how it turned! out.
In the process, I remembered Evan. Our love was like this flower–beautiful yet flawed. We loved each other so much, but there had always been something missing.
There was a
as a status gap that his family reminded me of, leaving me feeling inadequate despite his affection.
And now with Andy. I loved him deeply, but the fact that I couldn’t give him a complete family v was something that tainted the picture.
And, of course, it was also about my art. These days, it felt like I was stuck in a moving box. It was still moving, but enclosed, so I couldn’t see my journey. I was given this gift to create, but lately, it felt like I’ve lost the ability to bring something whole into existence.
I hesitated for a while, my mind searching for words to capture the essence of my painting.
“I don’t think it’s laziness that kept the artist from finishing the artwork,” I continued.
“It’s this sense of incompleteness within her. Like this flower, she is beautiful in parts, but there’s always something missing, some petal lost along the way.”
My fingers trembled slightly as I outlined where the missing petal should have been.
“It’s not withered or dying, just missing something.”
“The skies are bright, open, full of potential, but the grass is thin and patchy like the earth couldn’t quite sustain it. The flower stands alone, reaching for something but never quite getting there.”
I let out a deep breath before continuing.
“It’s so close to perfection. It’s an almost. But that missing piece changes everything. You can see the beauty, but
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Chapter 33 Just An Almost
it never feels whole.”
My voice grew quieter.
“I think that’s what makes it stand out. It’s the kind of beauty that hurts to look at because you know it could’ve been more. But it isn’t. And she doesn’t know if it ever will be.”
The room
The room was silent for a few moments before Mr. Miyagi broke it.
“You are the artist of this piece, aren’t you?”
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