Artem "Belle Nuit d'Amour"/Rewards

Story Summary

This story takes place in Year 3. Artem is engaged to the MC.

It's Friday night, and the MC is waiting for Artem to get off work. She receives a phone call from Kimberly Garner, Artem's mother, who she now calls "Auntie". Artem's parents have been busy lately so the MC has not yet "officially" met them. Kimberly invites her for Sunday lunch. After the call, the MC checks up on Artem in his office and hears him talking to a man who is in the middle of an angry outburst. Artem tells her that the man that just stormed off is Mr. Hyland, and he came to see him for a case. Artem tells the MC there's nothing to worry about, and to not wait for him and go home already. As the MC is about leave, she sees Mr. Hyland acting suspiciously around the office, and she confronts him. It seems Mr. Hyland came to Artem not about a case, but more like a threat. Just when a security guard rushes towards them, Mr. Hyland escapes.

After the confrontation, Artem then appears. It seems that he wants to avoid questions from the MC. As he's exhausted, he decides to not drive home, and attempts to call a taxi. But the waiting line is too long, which visibly upsets him. The MC spots a sightseeing bus and decides that they ride it instead. In the bus, she tells Artem to not dismiss the topic and prods him to talk about the issue. Artem represented Mr. Hyland a few years back. Mr. Hyland won the lawsuit, but because he wasn't satisfied with the court's ruling, he argued with Artem in the courtroom. That scene became viral, with people criticizing Mr. Hyland for harassing legal professionals. Mr. Hyland further accused Artem of manipulating public opinion, especially given Artem's connections - his father who is Chief Justice and his mother who is a professor. After a minor physical altercation, Mr. Hyland was arrested. Artem never mentioned this to his parents as he thinks it would cause more problems. At that time, he also landed in a sightseeing bus as he wonders why he did not do anything and let it all happen. Today, Mr. Hyland is threatening to sue Artem. Artem thinks it's strange that Mr. Hyland suddenly shows up after all these years.

Soon, Sunday comes and Artem and the MC are busying themselves preparing lunch. While Artem is busy, Kimberly Garner notices the MC's silence. The MC has been searching online the last 2 nights about what happened with Mr. Hyland and Artem. She wants to bring up the topic to Kimberly, but is hesitant to do so. Kimberly starts talking about how Artem excels at maintaining "balance" - he always kept personal matters, work, and family separate so they don't interfere with each other. Then Kimberly proceeds to narrate about a time when Artem arrived home late, wet from the rain and looking distraught. She invited him to watch a movie with her as a way to teach a lesson. But before she can deliver the lesson of the movie, Artem decided to retire for the night. Kimberly asks for the MC's help as Artem tends to demand too much from himself and does not want to bother others.

The MC invites Artem to watch "Night Voyage" with her. While watching, Artem realizes that this is the same movie he watched back then but he never got to see the ending. Using the movie as reference, the MC teases him, and at the same time, sends a message to him, that he must not keep everything to himself and that there are people who wants to help him. She prods him to break the "balance" once in a while, and to tell her his doubts and worries. Later, Artem answers a phone call from his mother.

A week later, Artem and the MC hold a meeting with Mr. Hyland. The meeting starts normally, but later Mr. Hyland becomes impatient and starts quarreling again. The MC brings up the topic that his family also received harassment, and asks him why wait until now to go through the legal process of dealing with the harassment. She asks Mr. Hyland if he's hiding something. Just then, Kimberly Garner arrives. She is there to clear up some misunderstandings. Artem and the MC leave the room. While waiting, Artem thanks the MC. She tells him that there's no need to thank her because she just did what she wanted to do. Artem has realized that asking for help is one way of deepening his connection with others.

After the meeting, Artem and the MC confirm that an anonymous person contacted Mr. Hyland. This person promised that he would help Mr. Hyland resolve the constant harassment if he agrees to threaten Artem and cause a big scene like "before". Whoever did this is still out there, and this mysterious man was likely to be involved in that incident a few years ago. Artem tells the MC to let the matter rest for now. He confesses that he wishes to have met the MC sooner. He actually felt relieved when he saw the MC confronting Mr. Hyland that night. Oftentimes, he's confused whether to keep silent or tell her everything, especially since he's so gotten used to hiding. Later, knowing that Artem never tried getting intimate in public, they share a kiss under the neon lights of the city and as a sightseeing bus pulls up in front of them.

Illustrations

Edge of Neon LightsWe stood on the edge of surging neon lights, almost being dragged into it, completely immersed in the dazzling world before us.

Video Call

Video Call		Artem: Belle Nuit d'Amour (After Story 6)

Video Call script

Artem: Good morning. Are you... at the bus station? I thought you'd sleep in on the weekend.

Artem: Grabbing some files from the firm? I know what case you're talking about. It's not that urgent. You don't have to make a trip down on Sunday.

Artem: I would much prefer you to be here... instead of at work.

Artem: There were some good developments with Mr. Hyland earlier, and I wanted to tell you in person as soon as possible.

Artem: When I heard the news over the phone, I got... impatient. I wanted to end the call and share everything with you.

Artem: The thought of you listening intently to everything I want to say is reassuring, and it stirs up a burning desire in me.

Artem: You'll call a taxi over now? Take your time. I'm still cleaning up because the terrace and pool are dirty.

Artem: Yes, I just changed the water in the pool. But I'm not very good at this job, so I splashed water all over myself.

Artem: But thanks to that "situation," I was able to create an interesting natural phenomenon.

Artem: If I spray the hose in a certain direction, there's a chance that a rainbow will appear, and...

Artem: Well, I'll save the details for when you come. The more time I spend with you, the more things I want to share with you.

Artem: I want to tell you everything... whether it's the things that I've kept hidden or the small things like creating rainbows.

Artem: As much as I'd love to keep this conversation going, I still have to clean up the pool. I don't want it to be dirty when you get home.

Artem: Don't put the hose away yet? Sure, I'll leave it out for you. After all, I can guess from your expression that you're interested in it.

Artem: Yes, I'll teach you how to do it. Call me when you're at the gate. See you later.

Story Locations

Themis Law Firm

Themis Law Firm
Artem's Office

Themis Law Firm
Law Firm 1F

Stellis
Sightseeing Bus

Artem's Residence

Artem's Parents' Residence
Artem's Parents' Home

Artem's Residence

Artem's Residence
Home Theater

Themis Law Firm
Themis Negotiation Room

Stellis
City Center

Story Characters

Artem Wing

Artem Wing

Artem Wing

Kimberly Garner

Mr. Hyland