Bonnie pursed her lips, asking, “Are you disappointed to see me?”
Orson sighed, looking dejected. “That’s not it. I’m just disappointed that Master Kieran isn’t here. I’ve been looking forward to this day since you promised me I could meet her. I would even say I could die without regrets if I did.
“I even prepared myself for today. I was so nervous and excited that I couldn’t sleep last night. Still, I didn’t expect her to be a no-show.” He grinned bitterly. Bonnie looked at him from head to toe. She noticed his suit and gel in his hair, knowing it was a big deal for him.
Orson looked nothing like an older man. Instead, he looked like a little boy who dropped his candy in the mud just as he was about to taste it. It was because he could not meet one of Bonnie’s many identities. Bonnie chuckled helplessly and entered the private room. Orson caught up to Bonnie and asked, “Did Master Kieran tell you why she couldn’t make it? Will I ever meet her?”
Instead of responding, she looked at the table and saw a sketchbook and art supplies Orson had prepared. She approached them and picked up a brush.
“Orson, let’s forget about Master Kieran for now. How about I paint something for you? Are you okay with that?”
Orson realized she did not respond to his questions and felt he understood what Kieran thought of him. So, he sighed and set aside his disappointment. He said, “Well, one has to know when to quit. After all, it isn’t my destiny to meet Master Kieran.”
He composed himself and approached Bonnie, asking, “What do we have here? Do you know how to paint, too? Did you make this up to make me feel better, Master Bonnie?”
“I used to paint and draw whenever I got bored.”
“All right, then. You can paint whatever you like. I’ll watch and give you pointers when necessary.” Orson put his hands behind him and stood beside her.
Bonnie glanced at him before starting to paint. Orson might have been impressed with her fighting skills, but no one had commanded his admiration like Kieran regarding art. So, he readied himself to show Bonnie the ropes.
Soon after, he realized Bonnie was more equipped to make a painting than he had thought. Moreover, she was so proficient that she resembled a master artist. He knew something was amiss.
That said, Orson did not disturb Bonnie. Instead, he patiently watched as she painted. The more he watched, the more uncanny it seemed.
His eyes widened, and he stuttered, “U-Um, how is your painting style identical to Master Kieran’s?! N-Not even I can tell this painting apart from hers. It’s almost as if she painted it herself.”
Orson grew more excited by the second. He gazed at her painting and inspected it closely, thinking he could find the difference between Bonnie’s and Kieran’s.
Judging by her brushwork and art style, the painting was identical to Kieran’s past works. It was a spitting image of the traditional master painter’s.
Orson was at a loss when Bonnie finished. He bolted upright and looked at her with intense curiosity.
