22nd Dawn - The Sensational Portrait

As soon as the gallery opened its doors to the public, a multitude of people filled the entire place.

The art exhibition has always been one of the much-awaited events in this city. It's not only because of the anticipated arrival of significant figures, but mostly for the fact that this stupendous display serves as a world of contemporary art and home of creative minds. It's where modernism takes roots and paves way for broad social transformations.

For this reason, citizens of all social classes come together and pay it a visit.

The collection encompasses a variety of themes, ranging from abstract art to neoclassic. Participants are painstakingly selected in order to ensure the quality of the outcomes. Though the organizers and curator have done a good job at it, considering how large the crowd is today, they're incapable of predicting how exactly people would react to it.

Hence, the current situation.

It just happened that one of the presentations made quite a spectacle amongst the guests. It garners a very large audience that it easily overshadows the other content of the exhibition. This alone is already troublesome for the event organizers, but then, they just have to learn that the person who's responsible for this is none other than the curator's beloved nephew.

"You called for me, Uncle Flynn?" Lewis questioned, visibly oblivious of what he did.

Peering at him is a middle-aged man with silver grey hair and ocean blue eyes. They're now inside his office along with his friend, Julius.

"Have you seen what you did?" Flynn replied, earning him a puzzled look from his nephew.

"I let you participate since you begged me for it. I also let you come with me to this town after you reasoned how your father's overprotectiveness caused you to grow naive and clueless of the outside world..." he continued before pacing towards him and flicking his eyes in miff.

"Now then, may I ask how come you're able to stir the public like this if that's the case?"

Lewis only blinks in bafflement. After fully processing his words, he finally realized what he's pertaining to. When Flynn sees his enlightened face, he continues talking.

"You're expecting this, aren't you, Lewis? Perhaps, that's why I had a feeling you have something up in your sleeves when you asked to submit that painting."

Lewis then smirks at him conceitedly, eyes narrowing with amusement. Flynn just heaves a sigh at this, already aware of what his reaction means.

"Here, two gentlemen approached me earlier and gave me these business cards. I knew them so I took it. They asked me to give these to the portraitist who made that painting. It probably has something to do with that girl," Flynn blurted out while handing him a couple of small cards.

"Also, I'll send you back to your father, just like we agreed on."

"Of course, Uncle."

With that, Lewis and his friend are finally dismissed. While they're walking back to the gallery, Julius bombards him with tons of questions about his works, but all his answers are vague. He then just tells him to see it for himself.

"Also, about that girl with you... Could it be that she's also the one your uncle was talking about?"

"And what if she is?"

At that, Julius suddenly stops on his tracks, an eyebrow lifted. Lewis only looks at him, dumbfounded.

"Do you like her?"

Silence prevails in their midst.

Julius waits for his answer, steeling his gaze on his friend. Lewis then just gives him an inscrutable smile before turning around and leaving him behind. His friend whines at this indignantly and continues to pester him to spill the beans, but Lewis only stays quiet until they reach the gallery.

---

A certain boy with golden yellow hair and emerald green eyes is staring at the painting of a certain white-haired girl sitting at a park. He's quite intrigued by four things in particular.

That hair tie on her wrist which he saw being worn by a merchant apprentice at a bank's jewelry store some time ago.

That floral-patterned cloth wrapped around her head.

The fact that she's wearing rubber shoes.

Then, her pure white, silky straight hair and riveting crimson irises.

With such a striking appearance, he instantly recalled that this is the girl he met a few weeks ago. He even saw something he shouldn't have. Yet, despite how bad his impression he has on her at that time, he finds himself contemplating all of the sudden. Eyeing the picture closely makes him forget about her hoydenish and impudent behavior that day.

In front of him at this moment is a beauteous maiden with stunning features and a delicate frame.

This particular room of the gallery is buzzing for obvious reasons. For one, this is the only painting in this entire collection that makes use of a muse. Most of the works here are about city life, the lavish living of nobles, amalgamations of objects, and other weird stuff that are purposefully created to be incongrous so as to appear conspicious.

Secondly, the things she wear are mind-boggling to many. They may be nothing more than mere accessories, but the fact she's painted this beautifully in such a peculiar attire only highlights its stylistically anomalistic attribute. Then, lastly, this painting is certain to come out in the media as a heated controversy by tomorrow.

By then, the city people will be aware of the existence of this white-haired lady in flats.