Chapter 62

After helping my sister with her homework, a new day dawned.

"Ahh."

I stretched my body with a satisfying yawn.

Still lying down, I glanced at my phone screen.

[11:32]

‘Hmm, still plenty of time left.’

There were quite a few hours remaining until my scheduled meeting. About an hour and a half until Teacher Lee Ah-Reum arrived. What should I do until then?

"Maybe I should get ready in advance."

With nothing better to do, I thought about heading to the studio early.

When a thought struck me, I usually acted on it right away—that’s just the kind of guy Lee Ha-Eun was.

I pulled myself up from the bed, opened the door, and walked out into the living room.

It was empty, but that didn’t surprise me. After all, today was one of those rare days when the rest of the family went out without me.

‘That sounded a little weird.’

Let me rephrase that: Mom and Yoon-ah had gone to visit Dad at his business trip location.

Now, why exactly did they go to see where Dad was working?

Beats me. Something about attending an event that was kind of like a banquet.

I’d find out more details tonight, I suppose.

Apparently, it was a banquet hosted by S Group, and Dad had to attend—and somehow, that extended to the whole family.

‘When you think about it, it’s not really a business trip, is it? What does that make it? Seems like Dad’s just having fun too.’

The thought of being an unfilial son briefly crossed my mind but quickly faded away.

As for why I didn’t go with them... well, I had plans today. No helping it.

‘Still, this weird feeling of unease...’

It wasn’t the kind of worry where I was concerned for my family’s safety or anything like that.

‘It’s more like... I feel like I’m going to end up at that banquet somehow.’

Yes, that uneasy premonition was there.

And my gut feelings like this? They were always right. Maybe I should just turn my phone off for the day.

With a heavy sigh, I wrapped up my preparations to head out.

Once I got to the studio, I’d start by tidying up the tools a bit.

***

"So, what now?"

"Uh, well... sorry. Haha."

There was no room left for excuses. Time to face the music.@@novelbin@@

Standing before me, Teacher Lee Ah-Reum scratched the back of her head with an awkward expression.

"What time is it right now?"

"2:40..."

"And what time was our appointment?"

"1 o'clock..."

Her tendency to flinch and squint every time she spoke cracked me up, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ah, geez. Please try to be more punctual next time."

"Hey, it’s not like I’m entirely to blame here! Missing the bus wasn’t my fault!"

"Actually, it usually is the person’s fault."

Wow, this woman. Her shamelessness is top-tier.

If she’s going to act this brazen, she might as well not try to explain herself. What’s even funnier is she genuinely seems to believe it wasn’t her fault.

"Maybe you should’ve prepared a little earlier," I said.

"And what was I supposed to do about oversleeping?"

This conversation was starting to feel like a broken record.

"Let’s just drop this and get to work, okay?"

Apparently reading the exasperation in my gaze, Teacher Lee Ah-Reum blushed slightly and cleared her throat.

"Ahem. So, uh... first, we need to decide on a theme, right?"

"That’s your call, Teacher. I’m just here to support."

"Hmm, how about nature?"

"I’m not confident with that style."

"And yet you painted Hollow Snow and won an award for it?"

I had no retort for that comeback. She had a point—Hollow Snow was indeed a depiction of a snowy landscape.

Still, I wasn’t feeling nature this time. Maybe it was because I’d already tackled it with Hollow Snow, but I wanted to create something different this time.

Something fresh, sleek, and innovative. You know, the kind of artwork that makes people go, Wow.

Hissss. What could it be?

‘...Should I try that? It seems doable.’

The idea struck me, and I immediately jotted it down on the canvas.

"Teacher, how about this?"

Teacher Lee Ah-Reum squinted at the words I had scribbled across the canvas.

"Sunflowers? Wait, you’re not thinking about Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, are you? That’s a copyright nightmare."

"You don’t know unless you try. And it doesn’t have to mimic Van Gogh’s style."

"You’re not seriously planning to paint a still life, are you?"

She stared at me with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. I shrugged.

The way I see it, it doesn’t matter how you get there as long as the destination is reached.

The path might be different, but our end goal remained the same: winning the next prize—or creating a piece that could stand shoulder to shoulder with Hollow Snow.

Honestly, if we succeed at one, the rest will follow naturally. So why stress about the method?

"I only used sunflowers as an example. It doesn’t have to be sunflowers, right? A vase doesn’t only have to hold sunflowers."

As I elaborated, a strange expression crept across Teacher Lee Ah-Reum’s face.

"But wouldn’t that just make it seem like a cheap copy?"

"There you go again. You’re so rigid."

"...?"

How can a teacher lack this much creativity? Seriously. Tsk tsk.

"Does it have to be a vase? Why not a wooden bucket or something else entirely?"

"Then why did you even bring up sunflowers as an example? You could’ve just said still life and left it at that."

Her frustrated expression made it clear she wasn’t buying into my logic. Maybe I shouldn’t push my luck here.

She pulled up a chair and sat down beside me, watching as I began sketching on the canvas.

"Let’s start with the big picture. Still life as a genre isn’t very popular these days. Why is that?" I asked.

"Because it’s static. It’s not creative or engaging."

"Exactly. Still life lacks excitement. It’s dull and something anyone could paint."

Still life emerged during the decline of the Renaissance, particularly in Northern Europe. It’s a genre that’s been around for ages—simple, straightforward, but lacking in visual appeal.

Few still-life paintings have stood the test of time, but among them, the most famous are—

"Van Gogh’s Sunflower series."

"So how is that relevant to what we’re doing?"

"Geez, you’re such a classic Korean—so impatient. Ah, wait, wait! Don’t raise your fist!"

Why was she balling her hand into a fist? Good grief.

Anyway, back to my explanation.

Still life, as it was, doesn’t grab attention anymore. So, what if we spice it up? Add a little seasoning, so to speak.

People won’t care about plain cabbage, but ferment it, spice it, and voila—you’ve got kimchi. That’s how you get people interested.

Teacher Lee Ah-Reum processed my analogy with a dubious expression.

"...So you’re saying you want to paint kimchi?"

"Let’s just stop talking. Clearly, our thought processes are on entirely different wavelengths."

I got a gentle but firm flick to the forehead. At least it didn’t hurt.

***

The still-life brainstorming session, though chaotic, continued smoothly.

"So, we’ve chosen the genre. Now we just need to settle on a theme. Let’s go for something unique, not the usual stuff."

"Hmm... sorry, nothing comes to mind."

And this person calls herself a teacher.

"Wasn’t this your idea to begin with? Come on, think of something!"

"I’m telling you, I can’t think of a good theme right now!"

Ah, classic Korean conversation starters—always beginning with no before anything else.

Ignoring her frustrated expression, I sank deep into thought.

"Ah! Let’s ask that person. The one whose department is literally called the 'Idea Department.'"

"Who—wait, don’t tell me... Seol Yoon?"

"As expected, you catch on quickly. Wonder if Manager Seol Yoon is busy right now."

My concern proved unfounded as Manager Seol picked up the call almost immediately.

[Hello? Mmph, yeah?]

What’s with these people in their mid-twenties? Are they aging backward or something? Why does every single one of them seem to have a screw loose?

"Hello, this is Lee Ha-Eun. Are you free to talk right now?"

[Oh! Cough! Gulp, gulp.]

There was a sound of choking, followed by hurried gulping.

[Phew... sorry about that! I didn’t realize it was you, Ha-Eun. I thought it was Bald Manager calling again...]

That’s somehow even weirder, don’t you think?

"...May I ask what you were drinking?"

[Oh, haha. I was eating some Binch cookies.]

"Fancy snack you’ve got there."

[...So, uh, what’s this about?]

Her skill at quickly redirecting the topic showed she was no amateur.

"It’s nothing big—I just wanted to get some suggestions for a theme. The genre is still life."

[Ah, a theme for a still-life piece? Leave it to me! After all, I am the manager of the Idea Department!]

Why do I feel uneasy about this? Don’t tell me she’s going to suggest something weird.

[How about a fan? Seeing one in summer instantly makes you feel refreshed, right?]

"Rejected. Especially since I’ve already painted Hollow Snow. Why bother?"

I could look at Hollow Snow anytime; I’d even gotten permission from the gallery owner to manage it personally.

[Oh... okay, then how about something occult-like, like a coffin?]

"Fitting for a body that could drop dead tomorrow, sure."

[Uh...]

The odd thing was, she was entirely serious with her suggestions.

"One last idea, and then I’ll hang up."

I couldn’t afford to waste any more time on this.

[Alright, then how about this? It’s a bit plain, but you could just paint a single flower.]

"...Not bad, actually. Thanks."

[No problem! By the way, what’s your relationship with Se—]

Click.

"Why’d you hang up someone else’s call like that?"

"...Let’s just focus on laying the groundwork."

Whether it was juniors or seniors, their talent for steering the conversation away from awkward topics was impressive.

"Fine, let’s go with Manager Seol Yoon’s suggestion."

A single flower, huh? Honestly, who would even bother looking at something like that?

Humans are creatures who trample on dandelions as they pass by on the street. It’s safe to say most people wouldn’t even notice it. And no matter how much you dress it up, its popularity is questionable.

A normal person might think that way, but—

‘Surprisingly? I think it’s worth a shot.’

Things change when the one taking up the challenge is me.

"Alright then, let’s start with the framework, Teacher Lee Ah-Reum."

"Why did that actually make my heart flutter a little?"

"Seriously, I can’t say anything to you, can I?"

This moment felt like the beginning of something that could shape the next chapter of history.

***

"Alright, I’ll be heading off now."

"Sure. Try to come a bit earlier tomorrow."

"Hey! I told you, that was an honest mistake!"

Teacher Lee Ah-Reum waved her hand dismissively as she walked away.

On my way back home after seeing her off, my phone buzzed.

Bzzz.

‘Huh? I wasn’t expecting any messages.’

My contact list was painfully short—barely 30 people, if that. A number so pitiful it could bring tears to one’s eyes, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

[Hong Jin-Hoo: Why don’t you join us too? (photo.jpg)]

The message was from Uncle Hong Jin-Hoo, accompanied by a picture of him with my family.

Normally, I would have just ignored it, but—

‘…That’s my painting.’

Why was one of my masterpieces there? This didn’t make sense. It should’ve been under state care.

Now I had a reason to head to the banquet.