The best view from Trafalgar Square encompasses more than just the grandeur of The National Gallery or the stately St Martin-in-the-Fields Church beside it. It includes the timeless scenery those buildings overlook. Whenever she visits The National Gallery, Freya always takes her time to gaze at London from between the gallery's imposing pillars. In the distance, the Elizabeth Tower, or Big Ben as it is commonly known, rises majestically, framed by the plazas around it. The sight always strikes her as a living painting from the past, the enduring history etched into the city's fabric. And somehow, fate always brings her back to this city where she was born and raised by her mom, at least until she was twelve.
Being Yua’s only daughter and successor is not easy, to say the least. She strives to be herself, to stand on her own without the overwhelming shadow of her mother’s legacy, trying to step out from the spotlight that was always meant for Yua Yoshihara. Freya's mother was a renowned artist whose works captivated the world. Her paintings became cultural treasures, highly sought after by wealthy collectors, aristocrats, and art enthusiasts. Owning one of Yua's pieces was not just a status symbol; it was a mark of cultural sophistication and influence.
Years have passed since her mother’s death, and Freya realizes that it’s her place to be where she is today, curating a collaborative exhibition to honor her mother’s lifework. It’s inevitable. No matter how far she tries to run, she must face the truth. She is Yua Yoshihara’s daughter. By law, everything that Yua once owned and achieved belongs to her. By nature, the talent and the DNA coursing through her veins are a gift from Yua.
When she was still living in Singapore, she met her mother’s lawyer, Thomas Harrington, a 56-year-old man whom she last saw on the day of Yua’s funeral.
That day, Thomas told her that she must come to London as soon as she could, because the Ministry of Art and Culture was seeing an opportunity to elevate the national cultural heritage by consolidating Yua's works under their control. Though Thomas, being the good lawyer he is, knew that the pressure actually came from the collectors. Many of Yua's collectors, motivated by financial and social benefits, sought to use their influence within the government to pressure Freya into elevating the value of Yua's works. They believed that if Freya organized more high-profile exhibitions and collaborations, the value of their private collections would skyrocket. This, in turn, would provide them with even greater tax relief and social prestige.
“You have to do something. Otherwise, I’m certain that you will lose her again.”
But that was a different time for Freya. Her marriage with Melissa was deteriorating. Managing her wealth, let alone her mother’s inheritance, was so far from her mind at the time. She was young and knew nothing about anything. All she felt was anger and disappointment towards her mother. She was grieving and lost for years. It was all she knew until she lost Melissa, the woman she loved all her life.
One night, when the pain of losing someone who loved her was too unbearable for Freya, Yua came to her in a dream. She told her mother that her heart was broken. She told her mother that she did not want to live anymore. How could she live after losing so many people who meant everything to her? Her mother, her wife. What was the point?
In her dream, Yua did not say anything. Instead, Yua placed her hand on Freya’s chest. Soon after, a beam of light shone brightly beneath her palm as Freya suddenly felt relieved from all the sadness and heaviness in her chest. A cry that once pleaded for help changed into a cry of joy. She had never felt that kind of lightness in her heart. No more worries, no more anger. Only peace.
Freya woke up that night, sobbing. Her cheeks were wet with tears, her mother’s touch on her chest slowly faded, yet the peacefulness lingered. Freya still cannot explain that magical dream to anyone other than Soyoung. She felt better after that night, her heart felt lighter, and gradually she found the strength to live again. Though she still mourns her wife’s death, she managed to channel it through gardening. She remembers how Melissa loved white orchids, so she buried her ashes among her favorite flowers. At least, in her death, Freya could be sure that Melissa was happy.
Now, Freya is thousands of miles away from Melissa’s grave. She has found another person she cares deeply about, Soyoung. And she has the time and resources to manage her mother’s heritage. She opened her studio in London, employing other artists and professionals to take on big projects like art restorations and many things in between, including this upcoming exhibition.
In the middle of curating and preparing the event, Thomas still asks if Freya has found Yua’s last painting, Simulated World of Alpha Nine.
Freya remembers when he told her in Singapore that it was the last painting that Yua registered and filed but has yet to be seen by anyone. People from Yua’s gallery are still trying to look for the painting, but they can’t seem to find it anywhere. After years, they are starting to think that the painting never existed, yet Thomas believes that Freya should be the last person to have seen it. She had tried to look for the painting in her house, even turning it upside down, yet she did not find anything.
Freya goes back inside the gallery to check on the preparation. The show must go on. With or without the painting. Freya walks in, going down a few stairs, then turns left and enters a heavily guarded section of the gallery. As she enters the space, her eyes sweep over the bustling scene inside. Final preparations are underway, and the air is thick with anticipation. The exhibition is a few days away, and every detail must be perfect.
People who walk inside will be greeted by the giant banner of Yua and Freya’s black and white portrait, only separated by the title of the event, “The Legacy of Yua Yoshihara: 25 Years of Creation.”
It’s going to be a year long exhibition. They mapped out the floor plan like a timeline of a story. Each step will unfold the journey. It will begin with Yua’s earlier work, then when Freya was born and her works, all going to the latest works they produced at the end of the long hall.
The staff have placed the paintings on every wall. Some glass standees as separators—and platforms to show sketches and family photos—had been placed where they belong too. What is left is just to hang the old sketches, Little Freya’s drawings, then the descriptions for the visuals.
The exhibition has not yet begun, but since it has been announced the tickets for viewing are already sold out for six weeks straight. That’s crazy. The guests for the private viewing and opening night are coming from all over the world; Europe, Asia, America, even Africa. Clearly they have been waiting for this.
Freya stands in the middle of all of it. One could only dream of having an exhibition like hers. The National Gallery, who would say no? Other artists often envy her because they don’t have someone like Yua as their mother. They still call her “a nepo baby,” but…
Fuck it, Freya thinks to herself as she smiles slightly. Maybe having the rumor that her mother made a deal with the devil is not so bad after all. She may have had a taste of heaven and hell in her life, but what worldly pleasures could she possibly deny?
***
In the car on her way to see Freya, Soyoung scrolls through her social media timeline and sees her fans' conversations about the photos and videos of her and Freya from last Saturday. Sunday morning, her phone had buzzed incessantly with notifications, missed calls, and texts from her management, all demanding how she planned to respond to the rumors spreading like wildfire across the news and media outlets.
She had just finished picking up a few more things to bring to LA, trying to ease her mind. The relentless scrutiny was becoming overwhelming. It’s getting harder and harder to deny the relationship. Nobody is going to believe her if she says that Freya is just a friend now. The way they hold hands, cling to each other, and their romantic date were perfectly captured in the pictures and videos circulating on the Internet.
Aside from that, Ahyeon sent her another message, saying, “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me right now.” With her new movie coming up, it must be hard for Ahyeon. People are going to ask if their photos at the nightclub were also true.
Soyoung wants to care about Ahyeon’s feelings, she really does. But this is not a problem she wants to have. She needs to focus on her new album, pay her mother’s debt, and be present for Freya too.
“Just stay silent,” Soyoung had told Manager Lee when they spoke on the phone this morning. “Don’t say anything.” People will forget about it soon enough and move on to something else. Isn’t that the nature of society nowadays? Everything moves so quickly; new stories emerge every second.
Besides, they have stated in the past that Soyoung and Freya are close friends. That should be enough to control the narrative. Let people think that the photos and videos from that weekend are just friends enjoying their day off together.
Now she is just doing some checking, wanting to know what her fans are thinking about the rumor, just to be sure her decision is right. Most of them are still questioning. A few skeptics are unsure if the picture means anything to prove the romantic relationship is real.
“It’s just our delulu, wanting it to be real,” some fans commented. “As long as we haven’t seen them kiss in public, let us enjoy our fantasy about them making babies behind closed doors.”
“But Freya looks so handsome in those photos!!! I don’t understand why Soyoung is not dating her already. If I were her, I would fall head over heels.”
“Just so you guys know, they have been living together in London for a few years now.”
“Let’s not forget that Freya is rich af! #OldMoney #HighSociety”
“Damn, my offspring will be so grateful if I marry someone like that!”
“Aren’t they the cutest thing ever? I’m okay if Soyoung wants to leave me for Freya, I will approve 10000%. We must act so surprised when they announce their marriage in the future.”
The comments make Soyoung chuckle. Her heart feels lighter after seeing their overwhelming support. Nobody mentions anything about Freya’s reputation; they adored her just as much. She loves her fans dearly. She wants to make good music for them, she works hard to entertain them, and she can’t wait for them to hear her new songs.
“Miss Park, we have arrived,” Freya’s chauffeur announces their arrival at the back alley of The National Gallery.
Soyoung quickly grabs her purse. The chauffeur opens the door for her. She says, “Thank you,” as she steps out of the car.
***
“Sorry, Freya, the staff are placing the artwork and photos on the glass platform. Do you want to come and check while they are working on it?” Sarah asks her boss, who is sitting in another room, reading some documents for her interview on the opening day.
Freya looks up to see her and nods. She takes another sip of her espresso before she leaves her seat and follows Sarah to the exhibition hall. As they walk side by side through the corridors, some gallery visitors recognize her. Their eyes fix on her, staring in awe of her beauty.
Whispers and murmurs ripple through the crowd, “That’s the daughter.”
“Isn’t she dating the K-pop singer?... Yeah, I saw the photos this morning…”
When Freya sees some hands lifted to greet her, she waves back and smiles.
“You’re popular this morning, Frey,” Sarah teases her.
“Yeah, I’m aware of the news,” Freya replies nonchalantly. Soyoung and Freya spoke about it this morning. Soyoung asks if she should deny it by saying they were only friends. Soyoung looks so worried and panicked, but Freya wants Soyoung to feel safe around her. She reassured Soyoung that she can say whatever she needs to say.
“I don’t mind it at all,” Freya whispered softly this morning, her gaze locking onto Soyoung’s eyes, which shimmered with worry and guilt. Her mouth was tightly closed, and her eyes were red from holding back tears. Freya’s heart ached at the sight. She gently cupped Soyoung’s face, her thumb brushing away a stray tear that had escaped. With a tender urgency, she leaned in, her lips meeting Soyoung’s in a kiss that was both gentle and tenderly deep.
Freya poured all her love and reassurance into the kiss, her lips moving slowly. Her arms encircled Soyoung’s waist, pulling her closer, needing to feel the warmth of her body. As their tongues met, exploring with a delicate passion, Freya felt Soyoung’s tension slowly melting away. Soyoung’s hands lifted, her elbows resting on Freya’s shoulders. Her fingers threaded through Freya’s beautiful long hair, holding her face close, urging her to kiss deeper.
In between, Freya whispered to Soyoung, “Tell them I’m just your friend. I don’t care.” Call her a friend, call it a love affair, fuck those labels. The kiss was a silent promise, a shared breath of solace. The world outside ceased to exist.
But instead, after they made out, Soyoung decided not to give any response.
“Has Soyoung arrived yet?” Freya asks when they are getting closer to the destination.
Not long after the question is asked, Freya notices a familiar figure waiting for her at the exhibition hall entrance. The woman she has been longing to see is wearing long blue jeans and a white t-shirt, holding her purse in one hand. Freya smiles as she sees Soyoung jumping up and down like a little kid, looking excited to get into the hall with her.
When they stand before each other, Freya feels an overwhelming urge to kiss Soyoung, to lose herself in the warmth and comfort of her presence. But she knows the unspoken rules in their delicate situationship. Instead, she pulls Soyoung into a heartfelt embrace, feeling the familiar rhythm of her heartbeat. Freya holds her hands tightly, their fingers intertwining as they enter the door together. For now, this connection is enough.
---- END OF CH. 3 ----
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