Over the weekend, Mary and Helen entered the studio together. There was still no sign of Yong or Nicholas. Without wasting any time, the two girls began mixing fresh colors, placing the buckets and palettes on the table, and in a calm silence, created vibrant, warm tones.
Half an hour later, Nicholas arrived. He glanced quickly at the canvas and said:
— "Let's get started. I've got something to do today and need to leave early."
Helen took her phone out of her pocket, worried:
— "Let me call Yong... He's not answering. Maybe he's busy. I think we should just continue on our own."
Nicholas nodded:
— "Yeah, let's not waste time."
Everyone got to work. After a while, Nicholas approached Mary and said:
— "Mary, Yong's not here today. Come up and help me—go up on the scaffold."
Mary hesitated:
— "I'm more comfortable working down here."
Nicholas turned immediately to Helen:
— "Alright then, Helen, you go up."
Seeing this as a chance to get closer to Nicholas, Helen eagerly agreed:
— "I actually wanted to try it anyway."
Nicholas smiled:
— "Great. You work up top, I'll stay down."
Helen was surprised.
— "What? Why down?"
Nicholas raised his brows slightly:
— "My back hurts. I want to work down here today. You handle the upper section."
Helen, a bit disappointed but not protesting, climbed up the scaffold. She tried calling Yong again and mumbled under her breath:
— "Pick up already... You should've been here by now..."
The painting continued, but Nicholas's frequent glances at Mary made her drift toward the corners of the canvas. Nicholas slowly approached her and said quietly:
— "Are you still mad at me?"
Mary forced a smile:
— "No. Why would I be?"
— "About what I said…"
— "You were right. I shouldn't have pried."
Nicholas paused a moment.
— "I didn't mean anything by it... you misunderstood."
Mary didn't want the conversation to drag on, especially in front of Helen.
— "Nicholas, let's just keep painting."
She stood, walked toward the yellow paint bucket, took some, and sat farther from Nicholas. But a few minutes later, the studio door opened and Yong rushed in.
Helen looked worried:
— "Finally! Why weren't you answering your phone?"
Yong, catching his breath:
— "I left my phone at home. Had some errands—got delayed."
Helen glanced at Mary and Nicholas:
— "Yeah, pretty delayed…"
Yong noticed her look and stepped forward.
— "Nicholas, why didn't you go up? You're always the one up there."
— "My back hurts. I preferred to work below today. Helen's fine with the scaffold."
Mary, who didn't want to stay beside Nicholas any longer, suddenly said:
— "Yong, can I go up instead? I'd like to try it too."
Nicholas, surprised:
— "Didn't you say you're more comfortable down here?"
Mary fumbled a bit:
— "When I saw Helen up there, I got tempted."
Yong smiled:
— "Alright, go ahead."
As Mary headed toward the scaffold, Helen winked at Yong, signaling him to assist her in front of Nicholas. Yong got the hint and approached Mary, offering his hand:
— "Let me help you."
Seeing this, Nicholas quickly stood and grabbed Mary's other hand:
— "Careful climbing up."
With both hands held, Mary lost balance and quickly pulled back:
— "No need! I can manage."
She climbed up and sat beside Helen. Yong and Nicholas stayed below to continue painting, but Nicholas's glances at Yong created a tense atmosphere.
About two hours later, everyone was tired.
Yong said:
— "Let's take a break and then continue."
Helen groaned:
— "My hand can't go on anymore…"
As she stood to climb down, she suddenly lost her balance. Mary grabbed her hand quickly but ended up falling herself. Yong and Nicholas rushed to her, but since Yong was closer, Mary landed in his arms.
Helen was shocked at first but then smiled and looked at Nicholas.
Yong looked into Mary's eyes:
— "Are you alright?"
Startled, Mary quickly composed herself and stepped away from Yong. Nicholas took her hand:
— "Are you hurt?"
— "No, I'm fine."
Yong calmly said:
— "I caught her just in time."
Nicholas, hiding his anger:
— "Yeah... waiting for a thank-you, I suppose."
Mary:
— "Thank you. I was just trying to help Helen... I don't know what happened…"
Helen climbed down:
— "No, sweetie, I should be the one apologizing. I caused your fall... But thank goodness Yong was there!"
Nicholas grumbled:
— "Even if he wasn't, I would've caught her... but well, Yong's always around as usual!"
Yong coolly replied:
— "Me or you, what's the difference? Come on, let's grab some lunch."
Everyone took off their smocks.
Yong:
— "I'm craving fried chicken. You?"
Helen:
— "Me too! What about you, Mary?"
Mary:
— "Sounds good."
Helen smiled and looked at Nicholas:
— "Nicholas loves it too, don't you? Come on, let's go in your car."
She pulled Nicholas by the hand and led him away. Mary watched them in surprise.
Yong said:
— "Let's go too. Those two always forget we exist."
Mary and Yong left and got into Nicholas's car.
During the whole lunch, Nicholas glared at Yong, while Helen kept smiling and trying to win Nicholas's attention, signaling with her eyes that he was clearly irritated.
The next day, Mary was quietly painting when she noticed Helen constantly showing something on her phone to Nicholas, and both laughing. Mary's curiosity grew.
She asked gently:
— "What are you looking at that's so funny?"
Helen replied:
— "Nothing special... wedding photos of a classmate. You don't know her."
Nicholas:
— "Come see. The bride looks like a balloon, and everyone's saying she's a gym coach and he fell for her because of her body!"
Mary got closer and looked:
— "She doesn't look fat to me."
Nicholas:
— "Can't you see how big she is?"
Mary laughed:
— "I think you're confusing the bridesmaid with the bride."
Helen burst out laughing:
— "Yeah, that's obviously the bridesmaid!"
Nicholas looked confused:
— "Then why's her dress like a bride's?"
Helen:
— "Bridesmaids often wear similar styles. The bride's is different."
Nicholas:
— "So what were you laughing at?"
Helen showed the phone:
— "At the groom's face... looks like he was dragged there by force!"
Mary burst out laughing. Nicholas glanced at the photo, then at the two giggling girls, and said:
— "Looks normal to me... But yeah, the girl probably tricked the guy into marrying her. He should look a bit upset!"
Helen teased:
— "You boys always get tricked! None of you chase after girls yourselves."
Nicholas:
— "Of course not."
Mary, with a sly smile:
— "If you didn't have that confidence, you'd have conquered the whole galaxy by now!"
Nicholas composed himself:
— "Not all girls chase guys... only some. Some don't."
Helen looked a bit upset but said nothing.
— "We'll see if someone chases after Nicholas or if he'll have to do the chasing!"
Mary laughed:
— "I doubt Nicholas would chase anyone... I doubt anyone's chased him either!"
Nicholas, proudly and seriously:
— "You have no idea... Half the girls at university and the studio were after me. I never gave any of them the time of day."
Mary, smirking mischievously:
— "They were probably all nearsighted... or blind!"
Yong, who was painting nearby without looking up, calmly added:
— "Yeah, sure… all the blind and lame ones were chasing Nicholas…"
Nicholas, with a fake scowl, turned to Helen and said,
— Helen, aren't you going to say something? Of course… you've teamed up with Mary. Fine! One day I'll get back at both of you.
Helen calmly replied,
— Don't drag me into your drama, please. You two do whatever you want!
Yong smirked and said,
— Yeah, she's right. Nicholas, I think you should pop a wheelie on your motorcycle in front of the university. Maybe not the girls, but who knows… maybe the police will fall in love with you and follow you around!
Nicholas raised an eyebrow and said,
— Oh, please... Don't embarrass yourself! If the blind and deaf were chasing me, even a sheep wouldn't follow you!
Mary and Helen burst out laughing at the same time.
Yong replied coolly, with mischief in his tone,
— That's why I always call you "Professor"… Because you expect even sheep to be your loyal followers!
Nicholas shook his head and said,
— You're something else. Who even are you, Mr. Amazing?
Mary and Helen were laughing so hard, they were practically doubled over.