INM 1 Part 7

Maria seemed surprised by my sudden question. 

With a slightly wary, stiff smile, she gave a vague answer.

“What kind of man… well, a manly man.”

At her answer, I looked down at the paper again and stroked my smooth, unmanly chin. 

I placed my finger on the paper and pointed to a spot in the layout as I continued my questions. 

“This is your room. You have a child who lives with you. This child lives in this room, and this is your husband’s room. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s true, but… why?”

I simply replied, “From the arrangement of the furniture.” In truth, it was also based on her relationship with her husband, as she described him.

“I think there’s a lot of stress that’s built up. He doesn’t feel like he has a place in this house.”

I met her questioning gaze with my own. 

“Hasn’t he become more intimidating since we moved into this house, Maria? By “he” I mean your husband.” 

“What do you mean?”

I should have noticed the ominous tone in her voice or Jane’s amused look as she watched us.

But I was too engrossed in the carrot dangling in front of me-the floor plan of the house… to notice either.

“You’re trying to make it dignified, but the whole room feels a little out of harmony. It’s forced. It’s not a longing that makes you put comfort second. Is it a message to your husband, the dignity that this room deserves? No, it’s not.”

Feeling that I had solved the mystery, I said brightly.

“That dignity is your unconscious defense. Of course, I can’t be sure without seeing the house in person…”

As I looked up, her burning eyes met mine. The next moment, a loud slap rang out across my cheek. 

“Are you saying it’s my fault?! That I pushed the child to the brink?” 

Maria’s trembling voice accused me as she looked down at my gaping mouth. 

“What do you know? You don’t know anything!” 

Her harsh, anguished scream left me stunned. 

I had no idea why she was so upset. 

Was she talking about her child? Why had the conversation shifted to her child? 

Even in my state of confusion, one thing was clear. 

My comments about Maria’s house were probably incredibly rude, even by my own shaky standards.

As I rushed to apologize, Jane, who had been silently observing the situation, spoke up. 

“Oh, poor thing.” 

Her calm voice, unchanged in every situation, eased the tension between us. 

Jane gently embraced Maria, who had turned away with a pained expression, with a compassionate look. 

“You have done nothing wrong, poor Maria. It’s okay, I’m on your side.” 

She continued, patting Maria’s back as if comforting a baby. 

“This boy doesn’t blame you either. He’s just a little careless.” 

Normally I would protest, but her mature composure was a relief to me at that moment.

Maria, who had been breathing heavily, her body stiff in Jane’s arms, stood up and looked at me. 

As Jane said, I’m just a boy. A grown man would be able to look back calmly in such a situation without showing any signs of fear. 

In front of a woman I had unintentionally hurt, I shrank back nervously. Maria, who had been watching me, gently lowered her eyes. 

“I’m sorry, Luke.”

“No, but that’s because I…”

Maria shook her head, cutting me off just as I was about to say it was because I had said something rude.

“No, Luke. It’s not that.” 

Saying that, she closed her eyes tightly.

Seeing her try to suppress something made my chest tighten. 

Come to think of it, she had mentioned that something painful had happened. My careless words might have reopened her wounds. 

“Hey, Maria.” 

This time I spoke carefully, paying attention to my words. 

“If your apology was for slapping me, I accept it. I hurt you too, so let’s call it even. I’d be happy if you could.”

Maria opened her eyes and nodded slightly. She looked down and shrank, as if to hide herself in shame. Seeing her like that made my chest tighten even more. 

Desperate to get her to straighten up, I continued. 

“But if you’re going to apologize for being angry with me, please don’t. It makes me sad to see you suppressing your anger.” 

Maria looked up. Her wounded black eyes gave me a strong sense of déjà vu. 

Without understanding the source of this feeling, I spoke to her.

“Anger should not be ignored or dismissed. Otherwise, it will hurt your soul even more.” 

“Not the people around you, but yourself? That’s an interesting perspective.”

“That’s something my grandmother used to say.” 

After laughing, I fell silent for a moment. How many times would I despair that I wouldn’t be able to see her again? 

“According to my grandmother, anger is ultimately caused by a lack of love. So when you feel anger within you, you should listen to your own voice and be kind to yourself.” 

At my words, she blinked with a somewhat defenseless expression. I understood her feelings very well. 

Even I still don’t fully understand the meaning of those words. 

“Oh, by the way.” 

I chuckled as I spoke.

“This was also one of her sayings. The person who arouses strong emotions in you is a destiny partner who will teach you many things. So we must also be destined partners for each other”. 

At these words, Maria also let out a small, fragile smile, like a bubble. 

“You’re a good person.” 

Maria, who had finished laughing, looked at me with eyes that were quietly but surely shining, and extended her delicate right hand.

“I am really glad I came to see you, Luke. I’d like to ask you to coordinate my house. Will you take the job?” 

I was surprised that she wanted to hire me, and I shook her hand back. 

“With pleasure, Maria. Thank you for trusting me.” 

Maria smiled, the corners of her mouth raised. Her expression changed again, arousing my strong interest once more.

There was still a true self within her that even she hadn’t seen yet. 

The real her surely possessed not only prudence but also a certain vivid beauty. 

To create a space where she could relax and return to her true self… a space that was truly Maria’s… what a challenging task. 

The excitement that had been frozen in my chest until a moment ago now bubbled up and spread warmth throughout my body. 

Buoyed by this warmth, I expressed my heartfelt gratitude to Maria. 

“I am honored to be entrusted with this work, Maria. Thank you so much!” 

At that moment, her face twisted into a terribly sad expression. She interrupted me when I opened my mouth in surprise. 

“I’m going home for now, but I’ll get back to you. Please help me with my counseling.”

Having completely missed the moment to interject, I could only nod silently at her words.

After seeing my esteemed client and the new client to the elevator, I hurried back to the office. I wanted to jot down as many ideas as possible while her image was still fresh in my mind.

I tossed the device in my pocket onto the desk and faced the large blackboard on the wall. Then I began to scribble down ideas as they came to me. Colors, shapes, patterns, styles scattered infinitely around the world, the vast history and human activity that lies behind them. Immersing myself in them, becoming a part of them, gathering the necessary materials without thinking… this moment is my second favorite part of being an interior coordinator. The necessary keys are scattered at the end of all the possibilities I can expand. At this point, I still don’t know which key will fit the client’s door.

The device I had left on the desk suddenly brought me back to reality. The screen in front of me was more than half filled. Still half in the zone, I quickly pressed the call and speaker buttons. 

“Hey Brian. Between navy and deep green, which is more philosophical?” 

“Glad to hear you’re having fun. Are you free tonight?” 

At the words of my childhood friend, I reflexively looked at my watch. It was past four. I was a little surprised at how much time had passed. 

“After six is fine.” 

“Okay, I’ll be at your apartment at seven.” 

As he was about to hang up, I quickly slipped in a word. 

“Hey, Brian. How about we go out for a drink tonight?” 

Brian replied with silence. He seemed reluctant but couldn’t find a reason to refuse. 

To persuade him, I continued. 

“I really feel like having a good time tonight. I’d appreciate it if you could keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t go too far.” 

With a reluctant sigh, Brian said, “All right.” 

“Wait for me at the entrance at seven.” 

“Great, thanks!” 

I hung up in high spirits and turned back to my picture board with renewed enthusiasm. 

Now, where was I?

Just as I picked up my pen, buoyed by the prospect of alcohol, the reception call rang for the second time today. Slightly cautious, I picked up the phone. 

“Hi, Luke. You’re pretty popular today.” 

“Hey… I don’t think I have any more appointments today.” 

As I nervously asserted this, Wyatt laughed happily. 

“Well, those cute visitors seem to want to see you without an appointment.” 

“Cute visitors?” 

I mentally listed acquaintances who might fit that description. The only one that came to mind was my sister, who lives in Brazil. 

Wyatt continued, muttering, “Wait a minute.” 

“Two of the four aren’t so cute. They seem to be staring at me.”

“Wait. There are four of them?” 

“They look like college students. So young. Their skin is all smooth.” 

“College students?” 

I was momentarily speechless at the unexpected visitors. Having started working right out of high school, college students were an unknown species to me. What could they possibly want with a humble freelancer like me? 

I looked at my watch again. I still had more than two hours before my meeting with Brian. I could spare some time for them. 

“Did they say why they were here?”

“They won’t say, even if I ask.” 

“Then I’m sorry, but could you turn them away?” 

I’m afraid they might make me do advanced math problems. 

Wyatt replied cheerfully “Got it.” and disappeared from the phone. He returned shortly, his voice slightly hoarse. 

“Luke, they left a note. “We are friends of Alan Maxwell.” they said.”

His words hit me like a blow. I nearly collapsed on the spot. 

A mixture of surprise and confusion overwhelmed me, further confusing my thoughts. Amidst the chaos, one voice stood out, muttering in amazement. 

Alan, you’re still a college student… 

After struggling to process the shock and much deliberation, I finally agreed to their visit.