The Art of Pain (True Story)

10. A Classic Narcissist

[SIM University, Design Studio, August 2016]

One month into my university course, it was obvious which of my classmates were passionate about design and who weren't.

The passionate designers possessed a keen eye for detail, almost a perfectionist's drive. They had a daring spirit to experiment with ideas and push boundaries. Their artworks were a testament to their dedication and creativity. 

Then some openly confessed that they were only in it for the degree certificate to boost their salary prospects. They were unbothered by having poor grades, unrefined skills or unethical work. 

And then, there was James, the class crasher, who embodied the latter traits. He claimed to be some entrepreneurial creative, but his actions in class told a different story. He stole designs and photos off the internet, defeating the whole purpose of design: creating original solutions to express one's ideas.

When I confronted James about his unethical behaviour, his reply infuriated me. "Because I'm not a designer. I don't see the value in it. I can hire a kid from Lasalle to do my work for me."

James was more interested in something else though - blowing up my WhatsApp with stories and selfies detailing his complicated past, just twenty days into university. 

James: Show you a handsome boy. Don't drool. [selfie at home]
Daphne: I don't care.
James: Don't be like that. If you don't care about me, who do you care for?

James: Wanna see the super Japanese me before I shaved my head? 😁 If too handsome and you faint, how? [selfie on plane] I'm a イケメン (good-looking guy). I was a still life model when I was younger, but I didn't go nude!

James: [selfies in Superman and Batman cosplay] TADAH! Handsome right? That was my #yolo youth. Thanks I know I'm hawt.

James: [selfie in Gackt cosplay] So handsome! Wanna bring this little brother home? That was how I sell myself, otherwise can't stand out online.

James: Let me show you how weird I really am. [photo of himself posing] I go to school like that every day in poly. Young and foolish. But no regrets!

Every day, James unleashed a barrage of selfies on our Whatsapp chat. At first, I believed he was genuinely sharing his life to foster a deeper connection. However, it later became apparent that he was fishing for compliments on his "good looks".

To avoid souring our new friendship and class dynamic, I played along and feigned interest, responding with short answers like "okay" or "wow".

However, he continued to dominate our WhatsApp chat with misogynistic views, past achievements, self-praises etc. Yet in person and on Instagram, he self-proclaimed to be "below average" to project false humility. 

James' never-ending selfies dumps and emotionality were enough to make me question the point of our friendship after one month. 

-

Our first design module revealed many classmates' dreams of owning a design startup in the future.

One day, Elliot made a casual suggestion - each of us should work in a different industry, then reunite four years later to combine our diverse knowledge from business to arts, and bring our dream startup to life. Nick, Joel, Peiyun and I liked his suggestion.

James was present in our brainstorming session. Since he was disinterested in design, I joked about how he had a different "frequency" and probably wouldn't join the startup. Little did I know, this tiny remark triggered him.