1. "Could you tilt your head a bit more to the side?"
1. "Okay, is this good?"
1. "Yeah, just like that."
1. "Perfect, stay just like that."
1. "Are these sketches part of a concept for your next series?"
1. I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try your call again later...
1. "What are you doing sera?"
1. Somehow, I managed to avoid sera for three more days.
1. I couldn't tell if I was really good at dodging or if she was just too busy with her new friend.
1. I hoped it was because of my dodging skills.
1. I made sure to arrive on time for our classes and took our usual seats...
1. But no sign of her.
1. After school, I went straight home because today was the big day...
1. The s. Corbin art event.
1. I was super excited.
1. Not seeing sera for a while, and knowing she had been so busy lately that she hadn't even come to uni...
1. ...stopped me from thinking about her.
2. So I never asked her to join me at the s. Corbin art event.
1. When I arrived to the event, I was surprised by how few people were there.
2. Maybe just over fifty.
1. I was quite happy to have gotten the invite, seeing how exclusive it really was.
1. The artist would have more time to dedicate to each of us fans...
2. I would have the opportunity to talk with them.
1. "These new paintings are quite different from their previous work, aren't they?"
2. "Definitely. There's a heaviness to"
1. "Them. They're probably having a darker period."
1. The paintings in front of me were haunting...
1. ...an angel on an endless staircase.
2. She was surrounded by darkness, trying to climb towards a bright light above...
1. ..but there was no end in sight.
2. Her wings were there, but she didn't fly.
1. She seemed trapped in this limbo.
1. The painting felt melancholic yet mesmerizing.
1. Despite the darkness, I found it beautiful..
1. But looking at the other pieces in the artist's collection, I felt a wave of sadness.
1. They were like mirrors of how I had been feeling lately...
2. ...stuck, always striving, feeling the weight of my own unending stairs.
1. I was just like them, trapped.
2. I had built walls
1. I had built walls and set rules, all in an attempt to shield myself from the pain...
1. But the rules I created to protect myself now felt more like chains.
2. I regretted the
1. Pain I had caused, the opportunities for love I had pushed away.
1. I convinced myself it was either by choice or by fate.
1. But there I was, feeling more isolated than ever.
1. "To all attendees, please move in this direction."
2. "If you wish to have your collector's editions of s. Corbin's book signed."
1. "The artist will soon be here to greet you."
1. "Ah, I can't wait to meet them. I'm so excited!"
2. "You're right. I wonder what kind of person s. Corbin is."
1. I'd been following s. Corbin's work for so long, and I was finally about to meet them.
1. It was crazy that no one even knew what they looked like or who they really were.
1. I was so excited to see the person behind all that incredible art.
1. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome and thank you all for joining us this evening."
4. "Please, find a seat and make yourselves comfortable."
1. "We are incredibly grateful for your presence here tonight.."
2. "...and we appreciate your"
1. "Enthusiasm and support for the arts."
1. "Before we proceed, I'd like to remind everyone to please turn off your mobile phones."
1. "As we want to ensure the privacy of the artist is maintained. We appreciate your understanding."
2. "And now, without further ado, I will not keep you waiting any longer."
1. A red panda?
1. "It's my great pleasure to introduce you s. Corbin."
2. "What the heck?"
1. "Is that a mascot head?"
1. "Oh, just a quick note, we've chosen to use the mascot head to protect s. Corbin's privacy."
3. "Thank you for understanding."
1. "Do you think they'll take that off?"
2. "I wasn't expecting this."
1. "Hello everyone, I'm serena corbin."
1. That voice..
1. "Serena corbin?!"
2. "Wait, s. Corbin is a woman? I always thought she was a man!"
1. "Oh my, she's got such a charming voice!"
2. "That's a surprise, her being a woman changes everything I thought I knew about her."
2. "I want to thank each and every one of you for coming tonight."
1. "It means a lot to me to see so many faces, gathered here because of my art."
1. "I had no idea she would sound like that."
2. "Right! I was"
1. "Right! I was annoyed about the mask, but her voice... It's so deep and mesmerizing."
2. "Congratulations to all of you for winning the invite to this event."
1. "After the signing session, please enjoy the buffet we've prepared."
1. "I look forward to having the opportunity to speak with many of you, to hear your thoughts. Thank you!"
1. "Okay, I'm not even mad about the mask anymore. That voice is worth it."
1. "Can you imagine what she looks like? With a voice like that, hehehe."
2. "Wow, her voice is so beautiful to listen to..."
1. "...and it feels so familiar, like someone I know."
1. However, the large mascot head she wore muffled her voice slightly, altering its clarity.
2. Serena corbin is a woman. I knew it!
1. It felt almost illegal to have had this knowledge beforehand...
2. Like I was privy to a secret that only few knew before this reveal.
3. I'm happy that nari didn't lie to me, hehehe.
1. to me. Hehehe.
1. "Thank you so much!"
2. "You're welcome."
1. "Next please!"
2. "Bye bye!"
1. "Hello, serena corbin-nim!"
1. "Hello! How are you-"
1. "!"
1. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting you! I've been a huge fan since 20xx!"
