Oil On Canvas

“I’ll go ahead.”“I’ll see you tomorrow, Doin.”The first day of commuting to Signora’s strange house.After finishing the morning work, the only person who properly greeted Dojin, who was preparing to leave, was Gemma. Everyone else seemed to avoid Dojin, as if he were some kind of unlucky crow. The rumor that he had caught Signora’s attention had spread, so it was inevitable.Lately, Gemma had whispered that Signora wasn’t feeling well, almost as if to offer comfort, earning a disapproving look from Lorenzo.It was hard to imagine a ninety-year-old’s health being great, but having had a few conversations with Signora, Dojin didn’t find her condition all that believable.‘Either way, this side works better for me.’Since what Signora wanted was a secret, there was no way to clear up any misunderstandings.Dojin was debating what kind of expression to wear to look like a sad conservator whose entire afternoon shift had been lost, but decided to leave the restoration room with his usual neutral face. He had already been to that house once, so he knew the way. It was just a matter of deciding what to eat for lunch.“Wait a second, hey, um, conservator friend!”A staff member at the museum’s front desk called out to Dojin.Since Dojin’s work period wasn’t long, they only vaguely knew each other’s role and department. It seemed unlikely that the staff member had anything important to say, so Dojin thought maybe they were offering some consolation for his half-shift loss.“Me?”“Yes. I think this might be yours.”“Eh? Mine?”“It’s been here since before you came in this morning.”Lost item? But who would have left something here for him in the first place?Dojin only had a handful of people he knew in Venice. The staff member handed him a small brown envelope, which had “Restoration Room Dojin – Lost Item” written on it in black ink.It was light, and something inside seemed to be poking out the surface of the envelope.‘Is this some kind of poison from Lorenzo?’Dojin opened the envelope with a dubious look.‘Huh?’His face twisted into a confused expression. Inside the envelope was a small keychain with a yellow rubber duck attached.“Is it yours?”“Ah…”It wasn’t Dojin’s lost item.But it was a strange enough item that returning it felt awkward. Either way, it was probably none of the staff’s business.“U-uh, yes. Thank you.”Wouldn’t returning it make things even more troublesome?Dojin casually slipped the keychain into his pocket. As he walked out of the museum, yesterday’s memories, which he had been trying to ignore, came back to him vividly.“Have you been keeping track of your keys lately?”“Of course. I was a little drunk that time, but usually, I’m careful with them.”“Crazy. Bae Dojin, seriously!”Luca Orsini, smiling, and himself, biting the bait.His desperate attempts to act like he hadn’t noticed were so futile.* * *The cursed night of the private party.From the moment Dojin realized the man in the white mask was Luca Orsini, the situation became three times more uncomfortable.Dojin had seen Luca Orsini’s auction before.He hadn’t attended the auction in London personally, but he had seen an online video that caused a small stir in the Korean art world. Dojin hadn’t confirmed it, but he had heard that it was covered on the news as well.It made sense, since the artist who had achieved some level of international acclaim was Kim Geon. However, for Dojin, the fact that it was Kim Geon didn’t sit well.Yes, it was art, ethics, and becoming a high-priced artist that mattered.The auctioneer was just doing his job, so Dojin didn’t hold a grudge. But it was undeniable that Luca Orsini’s role in hosting the auction had a significant impact, which made him someone Dojin couldn’t exactly warm up to.Moreover, if it was that Orsini, the one with a museum of his own, he hadn’t expected to see him again, and he certainly hadn’t planned to expose his thoughts. But here he was, the most inappropriate person to be making such remarks.Dojin gave an awkward smile. At least the mask was still on.“It’s not necessary for you to do this because of me…”“I’m doing it because I want to.”“If you just give me the keys, I’ll leave on my own.”“Did you not think of this as a bus stop? Your phone’s off, too, I think.”In other words, whether he was rowing a gondola or swimming through the streets, Dojin would figure it out. The corners of Dojin’s lips trembled. After sobering up, he couldn’t even figure out why he was having this conversation on the street.And besides, if you find someone’s belongings, you should return them properly. It was a lack of civic consciousness. There were no manners at all.“If you return the keys, you can stop… playing around.”Did guiding a lost foreigner through the streets sound more fun than whatever that bizarre realm inside was?Dojin couldn’t understand it no matter how many times he thought about it. But Luca Orsini got up abruptly, as if there was no need to discuss it further, and extended a large hand toward Dojin, as if to grab him.It was an excessively uncomfortable gesture, so Dojin forced a strained smile and got up on his own.“You are giving me the keys, right?”He asked weakly, but no reply came.There was nothing more to say. As they walked toward the Vaporetto station, Luca Orsini occasionally looked back. Every time that happened, Dojin found himself looking down at the canal or staring at the streetlights.When they reached the Vaporetto station, a few people in costumes and masks, looking as if they had been drinking, were waiting for the water bus.“We’re almost there.”Dojin spoke firmly. Luca Orsini only stared at him in silence, and eventually, Dojin extended his hand.“Could you give me the keys now?”“You’ll get used to it. Time will pass anyway.”Dojin thought, Why is he saying that instead of just giving me the keys? He was about to frown, wondering if he had misheard, when the keys suddenly dropped into his hand.“You’ll get comfortable, and once you’re comfortable, you’ll feel like this is where you belong. After that, the moments when you were resisting will seem worth remembering.”Only then did Dojin understand the intent behind Luca’s words.It was comfort, encouragement. Though it came a little late.Not knowing what to say, Dojin held his breath for a moment. He felt strange. He should’ve said thank you, but the words wouldn’t come out.“Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”The man slightly bent forward. Dojin quickly realized what he was waiting for.A cheek kiss.It was a greeting Dojin had gotten used to during his long time in Italy. One on the left, one on the right. Not a direct kiss, but the sound of a kiss made with lips.It was an entirely common greeting. A sign of friendliness. Dojin appreciated the man’s comfort, so he could show that level of intimacy in return.Dojin stepped closer. He had to tilt his head back because of the man’s height. As he got closer, Dojin could smell a mixture of alcohol and wind on him. He brought his own cheek close to the man’s left cheek.It should’ve been a faint sound, the brief touch of air. But there was no sound.The man suddenly turned his head.The sound that should have come from the air between them was blocked by Luca Orsini’s lips.Their eyes met across the mask. A fleeting moment that felt like eternity.Dojin froze.The first to pull away was not Dojin, but Luca. With a nonchalant face, Luca gave a slight nod.“My apologies. I must have gotten confused, having been in other countries for so long.”“No… Ah, no.”How could he forget that? No, was it possible to confuse things like that, and like this?Putting aside the thoughts that sprang up, Dojin could only see Luca’s lips up close.“Here it is, the Vaporetto.”Luca’s words finally snapped Dojin back to reality. The water bus was indeed approaching. If he missed it, he’d have to wait another hour that night. Dojin, unable to say anything, rushed toward the water bus as if escaping.“If you want to endure better, you should switch that keychain for one that floats. People tend to drop things in the canal more than you’d think.”He seemed to hear Luca Orsini’s voice faintly from behind.Dojin stared at the three round, key rings with nothing hanging from them as he made his way home.‘What a crazy guy.’If you really had to call it, Luca Orsini was someone who had tried to get into bed with Dojin, whom he had just met.And it wasn’t even Dojin’s perfect self. His face had been half-covered with the mask. No, wasn’t the whole point that, for anyone whose face was covered, it wouldn’t have mattered who they were?It was possible Luca Orsini had only noticed Dojin lurking around the stairs by chance when he got interested.‘Pervert.’Yes. Just having a ticket to the upper floors seemed a little suspicious.They said they were fond of each other, but what if he had taken Dojin into one of those rooms with weird beds and whips?‘Teasing people.’No matter how you looked at it, when you were waiting somewhere that wasn’t a bus stop, wasn’t it clear you should’ve immediately told him this wasn’t the place? Instead of stalling by asking if he was drunk or whatever.Above all, the cheek kiss disaster.That brief kiss… somehow, it felt intentional.‘What a lunatic.’That’s how Dojin evaluated Luca.Such a strange person had grabbed him when he was about to fall on the stairs, brought him the keys, listened to his drunken ramblings, and even offered comfort.That moment, when those few words had made his heart thud with unexpected solace.Dojin thought it was funny.‘I hope I never see him again.’He gripped the keys tightly and muttered that to himself. That night, after entering his room, Dojin finally took off his mask. His nose and cheekbones were red, and there were marks from the string that had held the mask in place on his temples.No need to think any further; that was the end of it. The strange carnival night was an embarrassing memory Dojin didn’t want to recall.He thought Luca Orsini probably felt the same way. After all, he had shown some sexual interest, and if he knew Dojin worked for one of his family’s institutions, it would have been awkward in many ways.Ignore it.The least he could do as a socialized human being was to pretend it hadn’t happened. Dojin had followed that rule, and Luca Orsini likely had no problem with it.“But why…”Luca’s actions were completely incomprehensible to Dojin.Luca Orsini had figured out that Dojin was Dojin. He had even tried some clumsy leading questions to figure it out. Dojin couldn’t even hate himself for falling for it so foolishly.“Is it fun?”Luca seemed to enjoy teasing him with a nonchalant face.From the very first day they met, Luca had been all smiles. He had also thrown Dojin’s painting out the window just because he liked Marisa Orsini, and had toyed with him back and forth like that.It didn’t seem like it would have been fun.There was no reason for it.‘Maybe I looked foolish for being too startled?’Dojin’s eyes darted around. He trembled excessively, as if his emotions were too exposed, unlike himself.“You’re just weakening.”He had grown a little more passive while trying to adjust to this new place. He had backed down and was being carried along. For every action, there was a reaction, and that might have seemed interesting to Luca.‘Ignore it!’Dojin muttered to himself quietly. He knew better than anyone what he truly needed right now.A regular routine and a calm mindset.In the midst of being caught up in uncontrollable external circumstances, he had to keep his center. He needed to properly adjust to this city, restore beautiful artworks, and that would be enough.‘What do I do with this?’Dojin pulled the ambiguous rubber duck keychain from his pocket.There wasn’t a new keychain he had bought anyway. It was an appropriate keychain in terms of both practicality and cuteness. To be honest, he wasn’t sure, but it didn’t seem to have a price that would make him feel burdened.Should he throw it away?Well, it wasn’t like it had to be thrown away.“But did he actually buy this himself?”As he pondered, a strange thought crept in. Luca Orsini, the one who bought this cute keychain—how could he, of all people, buy something so mismatched with a rubber duck? It just didn’t fit in his mind.“No, what does that even matter right now?”Dojin shook his head at the sudden thought. It hadn’t even been a minute since he had vowed to keep his focus.That’s right. A keychain wasn’t important right now. There were far more important things for him to do.He arrived a little early at the house that Signora had asked him to visit. He pressed the doorbell, hoping she might be inside, but there was no sound in return. Using the key Signora had given him a few days ago, Dojin entered the house.Upon entering, what he saw immediately was a large table and a liquor cabinet filled with bottles of strong alcohol and wine, along with a kitchen full of appliances, like a refrigerator.‘It doesn’t seem like she’s neglecting things.’The refrigerator wasn’t plugged in, but the sink had running water, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on the table.Upstairs, it felt like the quirky artist’s theme park. If you took a time machine back 200 years, this was exactly the kind of place where artists would have gathered for parties.The thick curtains had hidden the view from before, but when they were drawn open, a large checkered window reflected the lush green of the garden outside.Some pottery and sculptures were placed inside a walnut display cabinet, and golden-decorated mirrors, sundials, marble sculptures, and paper knives studded with red jewels all caught Dojin’s eye.“Wow.”On a triangular stand, there was an object that looked like a finger-length telescope.The golden body was adorned with flowers and lions, and the side that should have been the lens was covered with something resembling opal. When Dojin placed his eye against the other lens, green, purple, blue, and pink light scattered in tiny pieces. The light shifted into different shapes and combinations each time Dojin slowly turned the golden body. It was a kaleidoscope.“This place could be made into a museum.”That was his quick thought. Everywhere he looked, there were things that weren’t really practical but were beautiful and rare.‘Here.’Dojin had seen a painting with this very unique still life as a background. What he had doubted turned into certainty.‘This was Marisa Orsini’s house.’After the certainty, came pure joy. Being able to visit her home and touch her unfinished works, sketches, or copies was a luxury that most fans could never even dream of.‘I’ve really made it.’Dojin quickly moved upstairs and opened the door.The paintings were as they had been, and a large desk was in the middle of the room. Restoration items were neatly arranged on top.Preservation syringes, wheeled lamps, restoration paints and glue, microscopes, magnifying glasses, varnishes, and panels. It looked like everything a small restoration studio might need, and everything seemed brand new.“Wow…”Even the hard-to-find materials in this island, where it was difficult to procure anything quickly, were nearly perfectly prepared.“Signora is really something.”In the middle of the newly placed, spacious table, there was a faded piece of paper with a crystal paperweight placed on top.The paper had what looked like Signora’s phone number, ten digits long, and underneath, there was another six-digit number that seemed to hold no meaning. The phone number was probably for contacting her if more restoration supplies were needed or if any issues arose.‘This should be more than enough.’There didn’t seem to be any paintings with serious damage, so the most likely thing he would use would be cotton swabs for cleaning.Dojin took out his tablet and put on gloves. Just as he was about to move the closest piece of artwork from the floor to the desk, the alarm went off.Beeep, beeep, beeep, beeep, beeep—The sharp alarm rang. It was a miracle he didn’t drop the painting.‘Did this alarm sound when I was with Signora?’With so many paintings and frescoes to distract him, he couldn’t remember.Panicking, Dojin started searching for the security device, then suddenly let out an exclamation. He pulled out the small piece of paper he had kept and entered the meaningless six-digit number on the security system next to the door. The alarm finally stopped.“Phew.”Cold sweat dripped down his back. Dojin took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure if the painting on the table was one of Marisa’s. It was definitely from her studio, but sometimes there were paintings with different signatures.‘Still, Marisa’s hands must have touched it.’Thinking that way, he felt good with pure fan excitement. After taking several photos from different angles, Dojin used a magnifying glass. He finished the condition report he wasn’t asked for, set up the restoration process on video, and started cleaning.For Dojin, it was an easy, peaceful job—a bit boring even.* * *How long did it take for something to become a habit? Two weeks, wasn’t it?True to that saying, Dojin had gotten quite accustomed to his mornings at the museum and his afternoons heading to Marisa’s house. Lorenzo still assigned him to the Eastern painting section. However, with more oil painting jobs coming in and Dojin’s working hours being cut, there were times when he had to reluctantly take on difficult oil painting restorations.“For the love of God, think before you write the report. How did you even learn to work?”That day, Lorenzo was in a bad mood.After seeing Gemma joke around with Dojin, he immediately called him over and picked apart a restoration report Dojin had submitted two days ago. It was a document that had already passed without issue.‘Bark all you want.’Dojin made a face like he was gloomy. There were ups and downs to living as a foreigner, but the definite advantage was that the nonsensical tirades from his boss didn’t sting as much.“I’ll pay more attention from now on.”Dojin put on a face that mimicked a gloomy expression and looked apologetic, and Lorenzo, seemingly without anything else to say, let out a long sigh before adding,“You should stop by upstairs for a moment.”“Huh?”“Are you deaf, or just bad at Italian?”Lorenzo made the cruel remark in a way that Gemma couldn’t hear. Dojin gritted his teeth.I hope you trip and fall, break your nose. I hope the shampoo that’s supposed to be good for hair loss makes your hair fall out even more. Thinking such things in his head, it was bearable to endure that temper of Lorenzo’s.“I’m sorry for my poor Italian, but are you saying Signora is calling for me?”“Hm. Yeah.”Lorenzo cleared his throat unnecessarily, probably to make it look like Gemma was watching them. He gave a mocking smile, pretending to be helpful.“I hope you don’t end up never seeing her again.”I’d rather you just curse me out.Dojin thought it was strange that Signora would be calling for him, someone who seemed to have fallen out of her favor. He finished the conversation with an expression that showed he didn’t know anything either.She’s probably asking how things are going.Leaving the restoration room, Dojin checked the restoration reports of the works he’d restored so far.Two weeks. Ten works.It was a fast pace. Most of the works didn’t have major structural damages, so he’d only cleaned off dust, which made the number of works restored possible in such a short time. Still, there was a long way to go.While waiting for the elevator to go upstairs, Dojin turned on his phone and saw a message from a familiar name.Nadia: [How are you?]It was Nadia, with whom he had worked at the Uffizi.It had been a while since they worked together, and her entire family worked in restoration and art appraisal, so her connections were vast. Nadia was the one who had first informed him about the opening for an oil painting restorer at Cà D’oro. She had complained about how she didn’t expect him to leave so suddenly, but she had done so in a humorous, teasing manner.[I’m fine. How about you? How’s everything there?]Nadia: [Really? I was hoping you weren’t doing too well. Are you thinking of coming back? It’s a mess here without you. Everyone’s messing up other people’s paintings under the guise of restoration. Come back tomorrow!]Nadia’s response came quickly. Her exaggerated and urgent nature hadn’t changed. Dojin, trying to figure out how to reply in a way that would minimize the scolding, was still thinking when the elevator doors opened.Inside, Luca Orsini was staring at Dojin with a slightly surprised expression.“Dojin, it’s been a while.”“Ah, yes.”Dojin forced a smile and stepped into the elevator. The last time they had seen each other was the day he had quickly left Marisa’s house, almost like running away.Is he going to see Signora too?It felt like their schedules were oddly overlapping again. Dojin scratched his thumbnail with his index finger. It wasn’t like they couldn’t meet, but for some reason, it felt unsettling.It was Luca Orsini who broke the silence.“I heard your working hours have been reduced.”“That’s right.”“Why?”“Huh?”“You were doing well, so the museum with only one oil painting restorer wouldn’t have reduced your hours. If that’s the case, you must have wanted it, which seems odd. Did you take on some outside commissions?”There were plenty of freelance restorers in the world. Many opened their own restoration studios and took on private commissions.However, they didn’t need a visa to live in this area and had wide networks, which didn’t apply to Dojin.“No, I haven’t taken on any outside commissions.”“Then what are you doing this afternoon?”“Uh…”Luca, looking down at Dojin, hesitated.He was a tall man with a straight posture, exuding a kind of elegant authority that made Dojin feel like he should answer whatever he asked. Dojin, trying to come up with some excuse, suddenly realized what he was doing.“Well, it’s my personal time. I don’t really feel the need to explain it to you.”“Personal time in the afternoon?”“Yeah… well.”“You seem quite busy. If you have time, I was thinking of giving you a commission.”“A commission? What kind of work?”“It’s not that hard. Just some oil painting cleaning.”For a moment, Dojin wondered what kind of commission it could be. Maybe it was Loving My Daughter, the painting Luca supposedly owned.That damn cleaning work.Dojin was already bored with the vast collection of oil paintings at Marisa’s house. He carefully chose to decline in a polite but indirect manner.“I heard you’re starting a business. Art auctions.”“That’s right. So, I need someone to do the restorations.”“Then wouldn’t it be better to find a more experienced and skilled restorer than me?”“A better restorer than one who works full-time at Cà D’oro here?”Well, it wouldn’t be easy to find one nearby. They’d probably have to bring someone in from big cities like Rome, Florence, Milan, or even France. But with someone like Luca, it was likely he could find someone. Regardless, it wasn’t Dojin’s concern.“I saw you were quite confident last time. So, can you recommend someone better than you?”“No. No way.”It wasn’t pleasant to have his pride gently poked. Even though Dojin wasn’t particularly proud of himself for biting back, it didn’t sit well with him.Dojin let out a small sigh. It was just one floor up, but this damn elevator was slower than slow.“I’m confident in my own skills. It was a roundabout way of rejecting your offer, but it seems you didn’t catch on.”“Reject? Without even hearing the conditions?”“I wasn’t very interested.”“Well, if you’re off work now, how about making some time? I can make the conditions tempting enough to match your interests.”“Signora asked for you for a moment.”When Dojin mentioned Signora, the man finally shut his mouth.It was awkward to face him, cleaning was tedious, and it was annoying to slightly touch on someone else’s pride, so Dojin had said he wasn’t curious. But in truth, Dojin was just a little, very slightly curious about how much he would offer with such words.‘Should I ask again to see if he’ll answer?’Whether it was a hundred or a hundred and one cleaning tasks, it didn’t really matter. Dojin split his day’s schedule neatly in his mind.“Dojin. But…”Right, let’s hear the amount. Dojin looked at Luca with a slightly smug expression.“Shouldn’t you go up if you’re going to see your grandmother?”“Huh?”“This is going down, though.”Just then, with perfect timing, the “ting—” sound came, and the door opened. It was the ground floor.The man was right. Distracted by Luca, Dojin hadn’t checked whether the elevator was going up or down before getting on. Naturally, the man hadn’t pressed the button either, assuming they were going up.‘Am I… hypnotized or something?’There was no other way to explain it.For some reason, the elevator seemed to go so slowly, even though they were only going up one floor.“Are you drunk again?”Luca muttered as they got off the elevator. It was clearly a remark meant for Dojin to hear, a teasing mockery. The man pressed his lips with a fist, and beneath that, a charming smile showed.‘Crazy.’Heat rushed to Dojin’s face. Ignoring Luca’s smile, Dojin casually pressed the button for the top floor. His fingers trembled slightly in embarrassment.It had been a while since he’d seen Signora, who was checking the restoration report with eyes like glass. The fingers, adorned with several types of rings, clicked on the desk.“You’re quick with your hands.”The compliment-like remark finally eased some of Dojin’s tension.“I’ll admit you’re quick, but you should still pick up the pace a bit more.”“I’ll try.”“If this work is getting in the way, you could go to that side from the morning. Here, I can just pick up one more oil painting restoration.”“No. It’s fine.”Though it was tough, as long as he focused, Dojin could still cover Cà D’oro’s restoration. He couldn’t help but feel greedy, but he didn’t want to miss his work at the museum.“If it’s urgent, I can do a bit more work in the afternoon.”“Right. Keep track of the time well for the extra work. Don’t worry about the money.”“Yes.”“Whatever it is, do it as quickly as possible.”Signora said no more and dismissed Dojin. He couldn’t exactly figure out why it was so urgent.However, the remark Gemma had made, “Signora isn’t feeling well,” seemed somewhat credible. Compared to just a few weeks ago, Signora seemed drained, and the energy he once had was now lacking.‘Quickly.’Since Dojin was already working at the fastest speed possible, what he needed now was more time.Dojin went into a small store and bought a few fruits and snacks for two meals. Then, he went to Marisa’s studio, which he presumed was the house at the top, and headed to the kitchen of the house he was working at to grab a quick lunch. It was a bland sandwich and chocolate milk, things easily bought at the store.‘How lucky. If I were in Italy, I’d be eating lots of delicious things.’It was a few years ago. During his brief university days in Korea, when he mentioned going to Italy, a classmate who wasn’t even close to him had said something like that. Dojin didn’t remember his response, but it seemed like he had also had similar expectations at that time.‘It’s still just eating bread crumbs.’Dojin chuckled bitterly and rubbed his shoulder. It was time to get back to work.* * *The oil painting he had just finished cleaning depicted people beneath a tree, painted in a pointillist style. The dull colors had found their proper place.“Aww, ugh.”Dojin stretched as he cleared away a mountain of cotton swabs. His neck and back ached. After turning the painting around to check the canvas and its support, Dojin smiled faintly.It felt like his eyes were clearing up. Perhaps this was what a doctor felt when he saw a well-treated patient.Dojin twisted his neck and hung the painting back in its place. Normally, this would be the time to clock out, but his ambitious goal of completing two paintings today started from now.‘Now, finally up there.’Until now, Dojin had mostly worked on the paintings that were within reach. Now that he was done with those, it was time to start working on those that were hung slightly higher. The ladder that had been tucked away in a corner of the garden was brought out just for this moment.He set up the ladder, but since the paintings were so closely hung, it couldn’t lean against the wall. Perhaps because it was old, the middle support didn’t extend properly, and the ladder wobbled a bit, almost as if it were only held in place by the person climbing it.“Should be fine, right?”Dojin muttered to himself, trying to reassure himself.It was just a matter of climbing a bit and bringing the painting down. He wasn’t planning on doing any major work up there.As he stepped up, he felt a slight vibration. The ladder wobbled as Dojin’s weight shifted with each step. Glancing down, Dojin realized he had already climbed quite high.‘It’s fine. It’s fine, Bae Dojin!’He took several deep breaths. The painting he needed to bring down was right in front of him. Holding onto the ladder with one hand, Dojin reached out with the other to grab the painting.‘This isn’t going to work.’As soon as he grabbed it, he knew. The painting was much heavier than expected. It was bigger than it looked from the ground, and it was hard to understand why such a heavy frame was used for a painting that was hung so high.‘Can I do this?’It seemed impossible with just one hand. Dojin shifted his feet slightly and spread them apart. The ladder creaked with an unsettling sound.‘I can do this.’Dojin stretched both arms toward the painting. It was still heavy, but he felt like he could lift it.‘What kind of ridiculous thing did they do with this painting…?’The painting wouldn’t detach easily from the wall. Was it taped? Dojin pulled the painting towards himself with a little more strength.It was purely Dojin’s fault that he carelessly stepped back. The space beneath his feet was empty air. His body tilted precariously.“Ugh!”He saw the support mechanism fold. The ladder swayed with his body. In the chaos, if he wasn’t careful, he might fall toward the wall where the paintings were hanging.The artwork couldn’t be ruined!As a restorer, one instinct or perhaps professional ethics drove Dojin to raise both arms. It was a foolish choice.Due to the unnecessary stretching of his arms behind him, the center of gravity of the ladder shifted backward.“Ahhh!”He flailed his arms, but it was already too late. Dojin wrapped his head with both arms.‘If I die here, will my body be transported as cargo on a plane? No, does anyone besides Signora even know I’m here?’Thud—Without time for further thoughts, Dojin definitely hit something hard with his arms and back. Although his eyes were closed, his forearms felt numb. The ladder had fallen on top of him.“Ah!”A thudding sound echoed, and pain shot through his stomach. The fact that he felt pain meant at least he wasn’t dead or unconscious.His legs, stomach, arms, and back ached one after another, and his head throbbed, but it didn’t seem like anything too serious, like a concussion. It hurt, but still, Dojin’s body seemed to be okay. However, his spine felt chilled.‘Wait, this is… a wall? Wasn’t this just empty space?’He had definitely hit something hard with his right forearm and back.Yes, something.He didn’t want to open his eyes. He had worked in this space for at least five to six hours a day for the past two weeks. He wasn’t stupid enough not to know what he had just hit.‘No, but still…’Even if the wall was old, even if the mural painted on it was at least 500 years old… what harm could a single person hitting it with their forearm possibly do?There must have been wars in Italy, and those murals must have survived.The convenient devil of rationalization whispered in Dojin’s ear. Nothing bad would happen, surely. But still, Dojin couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes.Thud.The sound of the mural, along with his fleeting hopes, crumbling filled his ears. It felt like all the blood was draining from his body.‘I’m going crazy.’Dojin opened his eyes slightly. What he saw was the face of a demon, half-split, grinning from the mural. Above the demon, angels, the blue sky, and light were slowly splitting into two parts.The destruction was still ongoing.The sky, which had cracked first, fell to the ground. Then came the angel, and the demon in the corner… Slowly, the mural was crumbling. Dojin, seeing it, scrambled out from under the ladder and swiftly rolled to the side, thinking, I have to survive!His body acted on instinct. His rationality always followed one step behind.“Crazy.”It was ruined.Not just ruined, but completely ruined.Dojin tightly shut his eyes. Only then did he realize.‘I should’ve just been crushed under that mural.’That way, at least he would have been hurt. But by now, Dojin’s quick reflexes had avoided the pain, refusing to get hurt.‘But still, my hands can’t be hurt. I make my living with my hands.’He briefly comforted himself, but that was all.Thud. The sound of the cracked wall falling to the floor reached him. Not seeing it made it even scarier, but Dojin didn’t have the courage to open his eyes and face the situation.“…I can’t pay for this with just my skills, can I?”Dojin muttered, but his voice seemed to come from far away.‘They must have insurance, right? This has to be an industrial accident.’Had he taken out insurance? The restoration specialist didn’t want to declare it, didn’t even hire another one, and used Dojin, a foreigner with no connections, without any formal contract.‘Should have gotten more hurt.’He wouldn’t die, and Signora wouldn’t pity him enough to tell him to redo that fresco, would she? Dojin’s thoughts kept drifting to extreme places. His actions had been extreme, so it made sense.‘I should just die, Bae Dojin.’The restorer, called to restore the work, had destroyed the piece. If it were an oil painting, Dojin could have fixed it over a few sleepless nights, but fresco wasn’t his specialty. It was beyond his capacity to fix.Not only had the mural’s colors faded, but the wall was destroyed. Even if restoration was possible, it could take years to fix.“…Should I just give up and go back to Korea?”There must be great artists in Korea too, and they mostly paint in oils. If he packed his things and left quickly…Dojin exhaled sharply, thinking about it.He wanted to cry.But Dojin was an adult, a restoration expert. Somehow, he had to take some responsibility for the mess he had made. The priority was to assess how badly the mural had been damaged and figure out how to fix it. But Dojin couldn’t bring himself to face it directly. He opened his eyes slightly again.“Huh?”Dojin’s eyes widened instantly.Something was wrong with his vision. Perhaps due to the dust from the crumbling mural, or because of something in the corner, the demon shape drawn on the wall seemed intact.He had already heard the sound of it cracking and crumbling. Dojin rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.“What is this?”When he first entered this room, he had felt that it was strangely smaller than the floor below. He had thought it was because of the mural. But the problem wasn’t the mural.“Why is this…?”There was another one.Behind the half-destroyed mural, there was another identical wall. And on that wall, there was exactly the same image as the one Dojin had seen and destroyed.‘The studio didn’t shrink.’It was like a replica; a wall had been erected exactly like the original, and the mural protruded out, making the room seem smaller than it really was. Dojin’s insides twisted in confusion. He shakily rose from his crouched position.