No. Clearly, there must be a misunderstanding.

It’s just a picture with a few simple lines at best. Drawing a few lines on a cold and mineral canvas cannot give them warmth.

Although she thought so in her head, an absurd hypothesis emerged in Anita’s mind.

‘What if Rutger sent me to ….?’

No way.

It’s an old trick. Someone who shows interest in her but distances themselves mockingly when Anita takes a step forward. Anita has experienced countless times falling into obvious traps.

If she falls for it again, it will be proof that she’s dumber than a chicken.

Ironically, Anita has believed for the past 10 years that there could be progress between them.

But it’s been ten years now, and nothing has happened.

During that long time, if nothing has happened, their relationship is just that – nothing. Anita has been trying to mend a severed thread that was never there in the first place.

It was all based on the connection of their parents, as neighbors. Trusting in a small link.

If there was no connection between their parents. If they couldn’t be neighbors. Would they have even spoken?

Anita’s fingers, wandering above the painting, never quite touched the portrait. It undeniably portrayed herself, but for some reason, Anita thought the painting resembled Rutger. Even when it was close enough to touch, there are things you can never reach.

Even though the paper cannot speak, for some reason, touching the painting felt like it would reveal unwanted truths. Staring at her tightly sealed lips in the painting, Anita took a step back.

“Anita…?”

Although she definitely didn’t hear anyone’s footsteps, a voice that shouldn’t be heard reached her ears. It sounded like someone had run here. Anita hesitated for a moment.

Should she pretend not to notice and leave, or should she come up with a plausible excuse?

“…Rutger, it’s been a while.”

As Anita confirmed his presence at the doorway, there was no plausible excuse. His disheveled black hair, open shirt buttons, and overall carefree appearance were as usual. However, there was no usual ease in his heaving chest and shaking eyes.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“…….”

It seems like something is indeed wrong. Even though Anita is used to Rutger’s occasional harsh comments, he rarely completely ignores her.

She is an outsider, yet it feels as if she should encourage him to take a seat, almost as if it’s her responsibility.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room for a while. Rutger, standing in the doorway, simply stared at Anita with his characteristic cold eyes, and Anita observed him in her own way.

“…Did you see it?”

There was no need to ask what he meant. He unabashedly alternated his gaze between Anita’s face and the canvas next to her.

Anita took a moment to choose her response. Saying she didn’t see it would be a lie. However, telling the truth presented several issues.

Casually looking at someone else’s work is inherently impolite…

“Um….”

Anita couldn’t understand him at all. If she had drawn Rutger’s picture, it would have been tucked into a thick book on the bookshelf or hidden behind a picture hanging on the bedroom wall. Eventually, Anita would have hidden the painting to the point of forgetting it herself.

“If you needed a model for your painting, you could have just asked. I would have done it myself.”

In the opposite situation, Rutger would have teased Anita for the rest of her life, asking her every time they met why she’d painted his face.

Of course, Anita is not entirely innocent either. However, seizing Rutger’s weakness over this matter made her feel weak and embarrassed.

In the end, she chose to remain silent.

“Well then.”

His lips, tightly closed as if they would never open again, finally parted. Slowly uttering words, it seemed like even he wasn’t sure about what he was going to say.

“Would you do it, be my model?”

What? Anita almost blurted out something foolish but managed to keep her mouth shut. His slow speech suggested that he wasn’t confident about what he was going to say either.

“All right.”

It’s not a big deal to sit quietly.

“There’s nothing you would do.”

Swearing to herself, Anita didn’t want to act foolish in front of him. However, unable to find a suitable chair, Anita eventually turned around.

“…Where should I sit?”

His stiff expression relaxed at her words. Anita sighed inwardly when she saw him suppressing a laugh and his eyes crinkling. This is not good. She undoubtedly messed up again.

“Do you want to sit on the floor?”

What kind of reaction does he expect? Anita, who was rolling her eyes for a moment, bent her knees. As Anita was about to sit on the floor, Rutger, who was still smiling, quickly grabbed her arm.

“I spread a cloth here, why sit on the floor?”

“The floor isn’t that bad.”

“Why can’t you take a joke as a joke?”

“You should be able to tell the difference.”

Anita blinked for a moment at his answer, then shrugged.

“Sure.”

There were many things to say, but he decided not to mention them. Anita didn’t bother to ask. Anita didn’t bother asking, knowing the answer would be less than favorable. Compliments were about 500 million light-years away from him.

Knowing well from experience that taking it seriously would only be detrimental to herself, Anita let it go.

“Sit here.”

He brought a wooden chair from Liliana’s easel. Anita hesitated because she didn’t know when Liliana, who went to deliver documents to Professor Chapman, would return. Sensing her hesitation, Rutger spoke.

“She won’t be back.”

“Why?”

“Is that important right now?”

It was quite important to Anita. She didn’t know exactly what kind of relationship he had with Liliana, but knowing it for sure wouldn’t hurt.

Unlike Anita, who found it important, Rutger seemed to have no thoughts. He was busy fiddling with drawing tools.