Yuri felt a headache.

As for the cause of his headache, he thought it was probably because he drank too much last night... It seemed that he had become more and more dependent on alcohol in recent times.

But he hadn't opened his eyes yet, he just pressed his forehead softly with his hand, and then smelled a dull, even stinking smell that filled all around him.

The salary in the art museum is very low, and the monthly purchase of paints, brushes, and drawing paper is a huge expense. He can only rent a stuffy and dark basement like this.

"Is it already this point?"

Looking up at the alarm clock placed in front of the bed, Yuri had to get up in a hurry and randomly searched for clothes to wear on the ground.

Clothes were thrown on the ground like garbage... This is probably what a single man is like, especially a single and poor man.

He finally found a piece of clothing that didn't smell much, put it on casually, and then opened the door to the basement where he rented his apartment.

"A newspaper, a coffee, a sandwich, a total of..."

"Give."

Yuri ate his breakfast as usual and got on the bus to the art museum. At this time, he actually found a seat where he could sit, which made him feel a little lucky.

"...The stolen "Unknown Girl" is officially on display today, and the art gallery is open as normal."

One night when he casually opened the newspaper, Yuri was surprised to see such a headline. However, regarding the content written on the news, he was completely in a state of thinking that he had just fallen asleep.

It feels like falling into another world.

The date in the newspaper is correct, it is indeed today.

I bit my lip subconsciously... Well, I felt pain, so I probably wasn't dreaming.

But.

As an employee who works in an art museum...even though he is only responsible for cleaning the exterior walls, why doesn't he know that "The Unknown Girl" was stolen?

And... it still happened many days ago?

"What the hell!"

Yuri kept his temper and read the contents of the newspaper. "The unknown girl" was actually stolen by a very famous congressman in the city.

The police got clues and found the stolen painting directly at the congressman's home. As for the method of theft, it was not reported.

Later, the police captured the congressman, but during the transportation process, the criminal congressman was kidnapped with weapons. At that time, the escaped prisoners and gangsters broke into a manor in the suburbs and had a conflict with the owner of the manor.

The owner of the manor defended himself and shot to death a total of three people, including the prisoner Councilor Yefim. The stolen paintings have also been returned to the art gallery and will be officially reopened to tourists today...

"Hell..."

Yuri really felt that what was written in the newspaper was nonsense... So many things had happened, but he had no memory at all.

His head was still a little heavy, which made him wonder if he had drank so much last night that he had forgotten so many things.

But that’s not right, even if it’s a fragment, there’s no reason to forget something that happened a while ago.

He continued to rub his forehead subconsciously.

The discomfort after waking up from a hangover lasted until the bus arrived, and it didn't feel much better. However, after Yuri arrived, he really saw many more tourists in front of the art museum than before.

, waiting for the museum to open.

"Everything in the newspaper...is true??"

Yuri muttered and looked at the time. He found that he had completely passed the time for work... For this reason, he had to do something he often did, which was to get into a sewer outside the art museum street.

This just happened to lead to a place inside the art museum. Of course, the exit there was actually blocked early in the morning. But he had been cleaning it for a while and accidentally discovered this passage, so...

Anyway, after that, even if he missed work time, he was never found to be late.

It seems it's time to open the door.

Before Yuri had time to walk to the employee room and change into work clothes, he was forced to temporarily hide aside by the influx of tourists.

"Yuri! You're here again!"

At this moment, Yuri heard someone calling his name. It was a staff member of the art museum. The name seemed to be...forgot. Anyway, he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Ah... I was going to change clothes. But look." Yuri pointed at the guests and said, "There is no way I can get there. But I did arrive on time. Look, everyone is already here

Here it is.”

The employee said calmly: "I don't care whether you are late or not. In fact, even if you are late, I won't care about you! Have you forgotten that you have been fired for some time?"

"What?"

"I said! You have been fired! Yuri, let me tell you, if you come in seriously, we won't care about you! But if you continue to sneak in like this, next time,

We have to call the police!" The employee said sternly: "Now, leave immediately! Don't consume all the feelings I have for you that we have worked with together."

"Speak clearly! What dismissal? Who is dismissing? I was still working yesterday! Why are you dismissing?" Yuri couldn't help but rush forward.

The employee took a step back in disgust, "It stinks...how much did you drink? Please, please sober up before walking on the street!"

"say clearly!"

The employee waved his hand, and two security guards immediately came up, holding Yuri on his left and right sides, and dragged him out of the art museum.

"Let me go! Let me go!!"

In front of the art museum, Yuri was pushed away hard, and one of the security guards said: "Let's go, let me see you again! Tell me, how many times has this happened this month? You always act pretentious.

Standing in front of those famous paintings, do you think you are really an artist? Who would look at the rubbish you usually paint!"

"What did you say?!"

"Are you leaving? We can take action!"

The two security guards puffed up their chests at the same time. Yuri was startled and spat angrily: "You are illegally laying off employees! I will definitely go to the Labor Department to sue you! Wait! Bah!"

Yuri took a deep breath, turned around and left bitterly, still feeling absurd for a moment.

Before finally walking out of the art gallery, Yuri subconsciously looked back and looked at the newspaper he bought in the morning still in his hand.

He suddenly crumpled the newspaper into a ball, threw it hard in front of the art gallery, and shouted loudly: "Listen! One day, I will hang my painting inside!!"

…

"It's okay, oh... well, my current job is okay. Don't worry, I'm in good health. Girlfriend? I have no plans for the time being. Well, I understand, mother."

It's probably been a while since I've written to my parents back home, right?

Yuri stood alone under an old building, silently listening to his family's nagging, "...Okay, stop talking, I'm going to start working here. I love you, mother."

Yuri stuffed the phone into his waistband... He said he would go to the Labor Department to file a complaint against the art museum, but in fact it would just be a waste of time to do this.

If you have the energy, you might as well find a new job as soon as possible... This month's rent has not been paid yet.

The sky above Moscow is still so refreshing, just like when I first came here... I still had dreams at that time, right?

After spending all the money he brought home, no one appreciated the works he sold door to door. In the end, he could only paint portraits of passers-by on the street to earn some living expenses.

I remember sleeping on the streets half a year ago when it was still cold and snowing, and I almost froze to death.

He put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked aimlessly on the street. He no longer thought about the reason why he was fired... What he needed to think about was how to continue his life in the future.

"Dreams cannot be eaten as food."

Yuri no longer remembers who said this... Maybe he really has no talent, but relies on impulse to support his so-called dream.

But now, without enough food and clothing, it is time to think carefully... consider and give up on the dream.

"here it is……"

He couldn't remember how he got to this place. Yuri stopped... Maybe it was because he was too focused on thinking about the problem, but he actually came to this place again.

On the side of the old building with red brick walls, Yuri stood like this for a long time, silently looking at the twisted city pattern on the mottled wall.

It always feels a bit ridiculous... At that time, how on earth did I persist in painting here every day in such a cold winter?

It's just that he has an urge to fill in some of the last lines that he finally gave up... Anyway, today is a free day, and he doesn't have to work anymore.

Yuri then found a stone on the ground, walked under the wall, and closed his eyes.

After a while, he started to use the water chestnut corners of the stone to draw light white marks on the wall.

When I gave up, it was almost completed... but now I just added some missing things, and it didn't seem to take much time... or it seemed to have taken a long time.

"It seems...there's still something missing."

Suddenly, a slightly deep voice came from behind. Yuri turned around subconsciously and found that at some point, there was a man behind him.

Wearing a cap, mask, and sportswear... he was probably a morning jog. But he always felt that this man seemed a bit like he had seen him somewhere: "Who are you?"

The morning jogger's mask trembled a little, and he seemed to smile: "Do you have a dream?"

"Dream?" Yuri was stunned.

The morning runner said: "Ah, you forgot. Last winter, I asked you why you didn't burn the charcoal on your hands to keep warm in such a cold day."

The memory suddenly opened, Yuri smiled complicatedly and said: "Now, I think I will burn the charcoal on my hand."

The morning runner seemed stunned for a moment, then nodded and said softly: "That would be such a pity."

Yuri shrugged, looked up at the huge graffiti, and said calmly: "Not necessarily. No one will like this thing anyway."
To be continued...