After Hours

You’ve been personally invited to museums before – many times, actually – but today is the first time you’re going to one after hours. In fact, this one was of the strangest circumstance.

You received an email from an “Enami Asa” asking for some help with art history, which another woman named Jiwoo came to your office personally to follow up. Today you were meeting both of them.

A young woman came out of the door – not Jiwoo, so probably Asa – extending a hand. “Thank you so much for coming, sir!”

“My pleasure,” you grinned, masking your chattering teeth from the cold. You breathed a sigh of physical relief when you entered the building.

As evidenced by the big plain Arial letters sticking out against their suits, these two were interns at this art gallery. Or what could be loosely-defined as suits, at least; the passable, unconventional formal style they wore was outshone by how beautiful they were. They did look familiar, however – perhaps students from before, though not yours? You set the thought aside.

“Interns, huh?,” you asked. “How long have you been here?”

“Just a few months, sir,” Asa smiled, “Jiwoo here started first. I'm Asa. Have you been here before, sir?”

The halls were all too familiar to you by now; like any academic with zero work- and home-life compartmentalization, your favorite pastime was museum hopping. This one in particular for contemporary art was one you'd been bringing friends over to for years now.

“Yes, but,” you responded, “it’s not like I don’t enjoy revisiting these places, even if far.”

“Quite the commute, huh?,” Jiwoo remarked. “We totally get it, sir. Asa and I still live near the university and it takes us an hour to get here.” Suspicions confirmed.

Because it was after hours, the permanent galleries were abnormally empty – for once, the seats were unoccupied, free of the bored child or parent. You were excited to admire the landscapes of pale green and subdued orange that fill your peripheral vision; but, of course, this visit wasn’t for you.

“So, now that we’re here,” you began, taking a seat on a bench. “Remind me why I’m here.”

The two stood before you, prim and proper in their outfits: crossed legs, crossed arms, shifty stances, almost like they were still students, the fresh graduates that they were. Even after a long day, however, they still looked amazingly fresh.

“A friend told us you were a really great professor of theirs for art history, so… we thought of coming to you for reference,” Jiwoo replied, grinning with a friendly smile.

You scratched your nape. “Reference, huh? So, how do you wanna go about this?”

“Well, we’d love to just listen to you, sir,” Jiwoo admitted. “We can pick up from there.”

You spent what turned out to be an hour and a half going around rooms and paintings, partly quizzing them on their factual knowledge, but mostly affirming them for their masteries. They knew what they were talking about: Jiwoo had a knack for simplifying context fairly well, while Asa was really good at explaining emotion in an evocative way.

But the attention from the two was, frankly, way past flattery – it was humble, unsolicited admiration, professional distance be damned.

“Wow, sir,” Jiwoo would remark, “I never thought about it that way.”

“You’re really good at this, sir,” Asa would exclaim.

Was it getting to you? A little bit, such that your praise no longer came solely from a place of reassurance.

“You have a great smile, Asa,” you found yourself commenting. “I like the way you project your voice, Jiwoo.”

You could feel yourself staring at their faces as you listened to them, even longer so than paintings you’ve seen hundreds of times. Jiwoo had softer features; Asa had sharper. But both were two sides of the same coin of conventional attractiveness.

By the end of it all, your group looped back to the main lobby. “I guess that’s all you need, then,” you sighed. “Anything else, girls?”

"It’s just– it’s so cool to hear you at work, sir," Asa replied.

“Man, Haerin was not wrong that you’d be the perfect person to approach,” Jiwoo remarked. You gulped at the name.

“Oh, Haerin? Like, Kang Haerin?”

"Yeah! You know her?,” Asa asked.

“Yeah, she was my student,” you replied, not intending to reveal anything further. “Anyway, I really enjoyed your company tonight, ladies.”

“Thank you again, sir!,” Jiwoo bowed. “Maybe we could treat you to dinner tonight? For letting us take some of your time.”

“Ladies, that’s not ne–”

Asa grabbed your arm with pleading eyes. “Please, sir.”

“You can tell us stories about what it’s like being a professor,” Jiwoo teased.

“Well,” you gritted your teeth. “Eh, why not. There’s a cheap cafe with all-day breakfast near here.”

Jiwoo clapped excitedly. “We love going there!”

“So, sir,” Asa began. “You had Haerin as a student?”

“Yeah, a while back,” you sipped your coffee. “How do you know Haerin?”

“We were roommates when we were freshmen,” Jiwoo cut in. “But Asa and I were in different faculties than her and her friends. That’s why we’re together at work.”

“And you’re not art history graduates, are you?,” you pressed. “I swear I haven’t seen you around, nor as my students.”

“We’re from social sciences, sir,” Asa covered her mouth, still chewing on her food.

“I see. That’s surprising, then.”

“Why’s that, sir?,” Asa asked.

“Because you two were great. Like, remarkable,” you praised. “I wish more of my students were just like you.”

“That’s… really sweet of you, sir,” Asa continued. “Anything to improve?”

“Just be more confident, honestly,” you finished your coffee. “I mean, come on. You two are beautiful. You’ll have the attention of your audiences. Take advantage of it.” She blushed at the comment; Jiwoo pursed her lips to contain her smile.

“You’re so much more easygoing than I thought at first, sir,” Jiwoo remarked. “I thought you were pretty scary when I visited you.”

“Really? Huh,” you shrugged. “Guess I gotta put some sort of animal-themed welcome mat on the floor to change that.” The pair laughed heartily.

“Well, thanks for sharing the meal ladies,” you stood up. “How are you guys getting home?”

“Oh, just the bus probably,” Jiwoo replied.

“Wanna hitch a ride?,” you offered.