The Versatile Master Artist

Koizumi Katsuko turned around, gently tightened the belt of her robe, and closed the window.

She kicked off her slippers, climbed to the head of the bed, and picked up her phone.

”Shengzi, do you want to come draw with me tonight?” Gu Weijing’s invitation flashed across the screen.

”Now? At this time, should we go to the school’s art studio?”

Koizumi Katsuko blinked, glanced at the bedroom door, feeling intrigued yet hesitant.

”Let’s go to the Good Fortune Orphanage, it’s the place I’ve mentioned to you, the original site of ’Old Church on a Stormy Day,’ the creation ground of artist Carol.”

Koizumi Katsuko bit her lip, staring at the phone screen.

”Mr. Gu, were you just watching the rain? And then thought of the woman artist’s predecessor, right.” She typed gently.

”Yes.”

The message on the screen replied quickly.

”I was watching this thunderstorm outside the window, suddenly feeling it might be a precious chance to experience the atmosphere when the female artist was creating. The Old Church will be renovated soon, this opportunity might be once-in-a-lifetime, should you talk to your mom about coming here for inspiration?”

Koizumi Katsuko stared at the message on the screen, softly murmuring: ”Turns out we’re both watching the rain... that’s wonderful.”

Under the same sky, someone is thinking about the same thing as you.

This sense of telepathic connection touched a soft spot in Koizumi Katsuko’s heart.

She hugged the phone to her chest, her eyes slowly curving into crescent moons.

”If it’s too inconvenient, forget it, after all, it’s a bit late. If you want, I can bring the finished painting to show you tomorrow.”

Gu Weijing noticed there was no reply for some time and assumed Koizumi Katsuko wasn’t available.

He’d heard Mrs. Sakai imposed a nighttime curfew on her daughter.

”No, my mom’s already agreed, I’m going.”

Koizumi Katsuko glanced toward the bedroom door, quickly replying on her phone.

For the first time, she had a bold idea of sneaking out.

While typing,

she felt her heartbeat slightly accelerate, a peculiar blush rising slowly on her porcelain white cheeks.

After being a good daughter for eighteen years,

compared to her peers, Koizumi Katsuko had been to many places, participated in various exhibitions and international youth art competitions, her life was undoubtedly rich.

But when other girls were chasing Korean stars, dating boys at school, attending concerts at the Tokyo Dome, leisurely strolling the shopping streets of Ginza with their boyfriends.

Drawing, attending exhibitions, going to class...

Koizumi Katsuko’s life was always occupied by methodical schedules, repeating cycles, living at the same pace worldwide.

She actually didn’t think there was anything wrong with this.

The fast-paced modern entertainment was just a fleeting pleasure brought by the secretion of dopamine, while the profound and eternal beauty of art could seep into the soul.

Art had already become a part of her life, accompanying her as she slowly grew up.

Until,

she met Gu Weijing.

Sneaking out at night with a boy was a rebellious thought that had never appeared in Koizumi Katsuko’s mind before.

Even if it was just for drawing, it excited her to the point of dryness.

Koizumi Katsuko was very nervous now, yet very determined.

From the moment this thought jumped into her mind, it was like a flood that couldn’t be stopped once it overflowed, occupying Koizumi Katsuko’s mind, impossible to resist.

The girl didn’t hesitate even for a second and made up her mind.

Life needs some bold moments.

”It’s a bit dark, it’s raining heavily, should I send someone to pick you up from the hotel?” Gu Weijing asked.

”It’s okay, it’s no trouble. I’ll just ask the hotel concierge for a special car, I know where the Old Church is, please wait half an hour.”

Koizumi Katsuko made up her mind.

She immediately took off her pajamas, hesitated for a moment in front of the wardrobe, and chose a dark red dress that seemed to be more youthful.

After getting ready, she was quietly about to sneak out through the door.

When she passed the large dressing table in the living room, the girl hesitated again and stopped.

”Hmm... maybe wait for me another ten minutes?”

Koizumi Katsuko sent a message to Gu Weijing again using her phone.

She glanced at her sleeping mother, sat on the sandalwood round stool in front of the dressing table, quietly turned on a small LED makeup lamp behind the mirror, and took out foundation and eyeliner from the drawer.

She decided to carefully touch up her makeup before leaving the house.

When Koizumi Katsuko was slightly clumsily applying the gel pen around her eyes, she received a call on her phone.

She thought it was a message from Gu Weijing again, but she frowned slightly upon seeing the phone number.

”Hello? Senior Xiaosong.”

Koizumi Katsuko, fearing to disturb her mother, walked back to her bedroom, asking expressionlessly.

”Shengzi, invite Auntie to come for a late-night snack, the Aman hotel butler said there would be folk artists performing puppet shows in the banquet hall tonight.”

From the other end of the line came the voice of Koshiba Tarou’s invitation, accompanied by the string music of traditional Myanmar puppet shows.

”My mother is already asleep, she might be a bit tired today.”

”Oh, Shengzi, would you like to come?” Koshiba Tarou’s tone remained warm and polite.

”Actually, I’m a bit tired too. Besides, Mr. Xiaomao, when I returned to the hotel earlier, I was hesitating whether to call you.”

Having said that, Koizumi Katsuko seemed to think of something.

Holding her phone, she walked to the gift box on the coffee table in the bedroom, opened the packaging, revealing the jewelry inside.