The sculptor was giving shape to his creation in an attempt to structuralise his creative imagination. It was a figure of a young girl, probably in her teens. The statue had oval shaped chubby face, her lips curved into a friendly smile. Nothing more could be figured out specifically. It still needed much finesse. 

Every creation of Kim KyuJong had a signature touch, the experts were aware. It had a familiar yet mysterious aura. He always worked to create female figures. Before his marriage with Jicheng, since never ever his love life came before public eyes so few critics and fellow artists speculated his figures to be inspired by his mother or younger sister, while many saw it as his hint to his hidden lover. The truth was known for certain. 

After his marriage, the critics as well as artists have resigned over the thought of any hidden lover since his was an arranged marriage, and concluded that previously his art works reflected filial dedication and now it was all about conjugal bliss. They never bothered to confirm from KyuJong though about what or exactly who indeed was his muse.

Nobody other than KyuJong’s family and now his wife,  Jicheng knew about his muse. Kyu had made it clear to Jicheng on their wedding night itself that he could never reciprocate Jicheng’s feelings of love, if any, towards him.

They were arranged into a marriage so obviously Kyu never denied his duties of caring for his wife but there only it ended. He did everything out of his human spirit. There was nothing special between them. They did not share any sort of physical as well as mental relations. What they had was a civil understanding between two adult persons. 

KyuJong wanted only one person to be his life partner, and that unfortunately was not his wife. Kyu had met the girl only once in his life but she had definitely made a place in Kyu’s heart in just that single encounter. 

Flashback : Kyu’s pov 

“Hey you, playing with dolls again? Are you even a boy?” A bulky looking boy teased me.

“He has always been the weakling. Its no use talking to him,” said another guy. 

“But he can be our good punching bag, brother,” saying this the third guy punched on my face which disbalanced me and I fell on the hard ground of the park.

When I tried to get up they hit me on the stomach. Pain curled up in my system. I knew more beating was coming up but I was quite defenceless against these gangs.  

One of them suddenly stamped on the newly made clay doll and broke it in half. I felt tears b my eyes. My creations are my most precious objects and I love them too much. I dream of becoming a world famous sculptor one day. 

“Look, he is crying…such a girly fella! Yah… man up,” the bulky leader punched me again. Maybe I would have tried to defend myself in another situation but with my clay doll broken, my fighting spirit got as destroyed as the doll itself, broken into two halves.

Punches after punches were showered on my battered body. Even breathing got troublesome. They were again preparing to hit me when suddenly a figure flew towards the scene and guarded me. Then I heard the most beautiful voice in the world.

“Shame on you guys! Beating up a lonely guy?” Her voice was firm.

“What? A girl, threatening us? You better not interferre,” one of them said. 

“You don’t know me so you are saying.” I looked up up to find she was fighting with the guys in an expert way. I could not look away. How can a girl be this good in throwing punches? After a few minutes, those guys gave up and ran away and she gave a smug smile watching their retreating figure. 

She helped me stand up and taking out her handkerchief, soaking it in the tap water cleaned the blood. She never uttered a word, just silently doing her work. I also just kept staring at my saviour. After she was done, she said, “You look a little better but you still need to go see a doctor. I’m late for my classes so I’m afraid that I can’t take you. Can you manage yourself?”

I replied in a broken voice, “I live nearby and my mother is a nurse. I’ll go home and have her check on me. Thank you for today.” 

She smiled at me and said, “I learnt martial arts in order to fight against bullies. So, I’m happy that it