Knowing the Unseen - 5: I Have to Look Deeper

1

Yukihira

How are things coming along on your end, Shinonome?

2

Ena

Oh, Mr. Yukihira...

3

Ena

I've got everything set up here.
I just need to clean, and then I'll be done.

4

Yukihira

I see.
So, what can you tell me about this painting?

5

Ena

Huh...?

6

Yukihira

Were you able to learn anything from your father's work?

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7

Ena

Oh...

8

Ena

Um, I'm sorry.
I didn't pay much attention to it while setting it up.

9

Yukihira

I see.

10

Yukihira

In that case, let's examine it together.

11

Ena

What?

12

Yukihira

So...

13

Yukihira

This painting...
Can you tell me what it's about?

14

Ena

Well...

15

Ena

It's titled “A Peony Blooming in the Night”...

16

Ena

If I recall, the night I was born, he saw a single peony blooming on his way home from the hospital. So, he decided to draw it.

17

Yukihira

Is that all...?

18

Ena

Huh?

19

Yukihira

What you just told me is simply the backstory.

20

Yukihira

That is not what I'm talking about.
I was asking what you felt after seeing this painting.

21

Ena

What I felt...?

22

Yukihira

Yes.
I'd like for you to think about what you feel as you look at each of these paintings with your own eyes.

23

Yukihira

To see what they're really about.

24

Ena

With my own eyes...

25

Yukihira

I will take care of the rest of your duties.

26

Yukihira

So, have at it.

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27

Len

<Ena...>

28

Ena

...

29

Ena

(I honestly don't want to go around looking at his stuff...)

30

Ena

(Because each one is a reminder of how far I am from his caliber.)

31

Ena

(But if this is what Mr. Yukihira wants me to do, then I might be able to find whatever it is that I've been missing...)

32

Ena

(So...)

33

Ena

(I have to do this.
I have to take a hard look at his art...)

34

Ena

Sorry, Len, Rin. I know you guys are worried about me.

35

Ena

But I'm gonna go around to look.

36

Len

<...!>

37

Len

<B-But... Don't push yourself too hard, okay?>

38

Ena

*Nod*
I'll be fine.

39

Ena

Anyway, I'm thinking about starting from the beginning, so let's go over there.

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40

Rin

<This one's also really beautiful.>

41

Len

<Yeah...
And really powerful...>

42

Ena

Yeah.

43

Ena

(All of his paintings are overwhelmingly good...)

44

Ena

(The framing and even the application of the colors are innovative...)

45

Len

<Oh...>

46

Len

<This painting of a river at night... It feels so strange and surreal. Almost like something out of a dream...>

47

Ena

Oh, yeah. The river in this painting's actually right near my house.

48

Len

<Wait, it is...?>

49

Ena

Yeah, unlike how it's depicted, it's actually a pretty ordinary place. I tried painting it one time, but it didn't turn out very well.

50

Ena

And yet, with him, it turns into this...

51

Rin

<I see...>

52

Len

<That's pretty incredible...>

53

Ena

Yeah...

54

Ena

Also, I know I'm supposed to see how it makes me feel, but I really don't know.

55

Ena

I understand all the technical aspects behind it, like how he's framed the river in a way to make it look bigger...

56

Len

<How it makes you feel...>

57

Len

<Oh...>

58

Rin

<What's wrong?>

59

Len

<Umm... This might be just me...>

60

Len

<But it feels kinda dark for some reason...>

61

Ena

Dark...?

62

Rin

<I mean, don't all his paintings?>

63

Len

<Yeah, a lot of them seem to take place at night...>

64

Ena

I'm guessing it's because the theme of this exhibit is “Deep in the Night”. Hence all these night paintings.

65

Rin

<I see...>

66

Ena

Still...

67

Len

<Is something the matter?>

68

Ena

Oh, it's just... I think when he drew these plays a big role in terms of what sort of impression they give off.

69

Ena

The paintings at the beginning take place at night, but they seem to focus more on a source of light, like the moon or the streetlamps.

70

Ena

So, they didn't feel that dark.

71

Ena

But the ones on this wall...
The pieces in this period don't give off the same impression.

72

Len

<How are they different?>

73

Ena

Hmm... How do I put it...?
I can't place my finger on it, but they feel a lot darker for some reason.

74

Rin

<Darker...?>

75

Rin

<What about that painting...?>

76

Ena

Huh? Oh...

77

Rin

<A dark room with empty cans and paint everywhere...>

78

Len

<That's a canvas, right...?
It's on the ground for whatever reason...>

79

Len

<This painting actually feels kinda scary...>

80

Ena

I remember seeing this one when I was little...

81

Rin

<You do?>

82

Ena

Yeah. He had it in his studio.

83

Ena

But he sorta leered at me when I saw it, and immediately put it away afterwards...

84

Rin

<I guess he didn't want you to see it.>

85

Ena

Maybe. But why...?

86

Ena

Huh?

87

Ena

Come to think of it, this painting...
His brush strokes look a lot rougher.

88

Len

<Rougher?>

89

Ena

His style had always been pretty rough. I mean, you can basically see each brush stroke...

90

Ena

But this painting...
This goes beyond that. It's like he was all over the place.

91

Ena

Was he feeling pressured? Maybe he was in pain or something...?

92

Rin

<He was feeling pain or pressured...?>

93

Ena

Yeah, like nothing mattered to him anymore.

94

Ena

But he felt that he needed to keep painting...

95

Len

<He felt that he had to...?>

96

Rin

<Like you back then?>

97

Ena

What...?

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98

Ena

I have to draw something... Anything!

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99

Ena

But if I lose my ability to draw, then I'd really...

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Ena

...

Ena

Why...?

Ena

Why can't I draw anything...?

Ena

Why am I so bad at this...?!

Ena

(She's right...)

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Ena

(I drew stuff in the same way back then.)

Ena

(After he told me I should give up on my dream, I drew and drew as much as I could... But I wasn't able to produce anything good. I was in a state of panic. I didn't know what to do...)

Ena

(His painting turned out better...
But I felt the chaos I'm seeing here...)

Len

<What if...?>

Len

<What if your dad was having trouble painting, Ena?>

Ena

What...?

Ena

(He was having trouble painting?)

Ena

(Him?)

Ena

(Still, I am sensing pain in this picture.)

Ena

(But why...?)

Ena

(I'm jealous of how he can paint like this...)

Ena

(So, what made him draw this...?
Something that looks like pain and suffering...)

Rin

<Oh...>

Rin

<Ena, the next painting is...>

Ena

...!

Ena

(The painting of that peony...)

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Yukihira

I'd like for you to think about what you feel as you look at each of these paintings with your own eyes.

Yukihira

To see what they're really about.

Ena

(I don't know. I can't say for sure...)

Ena

(But I have to look at it and see how I feel minus all assumptions or extraneous information.)

Ena

(Then, I might be able to find the answer...)

Next Chapter: The Surrounding Night