Master.
Italy has been a bridge nation since ancient times. It played the role of a road connecting Islam and Western Europe, bringing about commercial and artistic revival.
Of course, Italy is not the only country with such geographical characteristics. There are several countries including Lebanon, but due to numerous civil wars, the significance has faded.
After the Renaissance, Italy experienced a cultural revival period and produced numerous artistic masters. In modern times, if you were to name the most famous artist from Italy, the name Giovanni Sponza would inevitably come up.
The Baroque-style building located in the heart of Rome, the capital of Italy, boasts such grandeur that one might think it is a building with religious significance. In front of it, countless people were lined up.
“Wow, all these people came just to see Sponza’s exhibition?”
Lee Bongchun clicked his tongue. If you didn’t know the situation, it might look like people lining up for tickets to a famous pop singer’s concert.
The age range of the people is also diverse. From elderly people with white hair to little children holding their parents’ hands with sparkling eyes.
He had already heard countless times that Giovanni Sponza was famous, but he had no idea he was an artist so beloved by the public.
Well, in his past life, he was only interested in artworks and was completely ignorant about photographers.
From the corridor leading to the exhibition hall, artworks that attract people’s attention are displayed on both sides.
They were portraits, but none of them were famous people. They were photos taken from various parts of the world, including Italy.
From the image of a young mother breastfeeding her infant, to a photo of an old man yawning while playing chess, to a picture of a slum child holding a toy rifle with a rebellious look.
The more you walked, the more it felt like you were stepping into the world he created.
“Giovanni Sponza is considered one of the most influential artists in Italy. After winning the Pulitzer Prize in the field of journalism, his fame grew even more, surpassing mere commercial realms. The work you are looking at now depicts soldiers from both sides pointing guns at each other while crying during the Gulf War. To reveal the horrors of war, Giovanni Sponza directly entered the battlefield and sustained gunshot wounds to his thigh and collarbone.”
Alfredo personally explained the piece in Korean, substituting for the curator.
Giovanni Sponza captured the world you face without any embellishments. The assistants who worked with him were also captured in his lens.
From the sweat of the youngest photographers carrying heavy equipment to the smiles after finishing a shoot together.
You can feel his wrinkled perspective capturing everyone’s life in a single photo.
Murmur, murmur.
The once quiet exhibition hall grew louder towards its end. In a country like Italy, with many Catholic believers, some were even seen praying with clasped hands.
What they were looking at was neither a shepherd nor a cross. It was a photo that shone alone, even without the beam of the spotlight.
Stalactites decorated like a pipe organ glittered with the light of blue coral reefs.
In the photo, he sat alone on a rock with his eyes gently closed as if watching over everyone.
Someone called the man in the photo a pure white angel, and another called him a saint. What they saw didn’t matter. They moved only according to their own beliefs.
“Mr. Jang, today is your last night in Italy, right?”
It had been a long journey. Arriving in October, it was now the beginning of December.
They had shot with Sponza in a small town on the southern coast of Italy, and upon arriving in Rome, they had proceeded with non-stop commercial shooting.
Monica wanted to throw a grand farewell party, but he declined. He wanted to spend the remaining time leisurely.
“Mr. Jang, you don’t seem to be very interested in socializing?”
It was a restaurant they arrived at after a ten-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain. Monica, who had wetted her lips with wine, asked the question, looking curious. She continued as if reading his mind.
“There are many agencies and company representatives who want to meet you. Thanks to Mr. Sponza’s exhibition, your name is already being recognized. I’m sure your agency in Korea has also been bombarded with contacts. Usually, models want to raise their name value in such situations. They think the higher the status of the people they meet, the higher their own name value becomes.”
“I’m not really interested in that. I didn’t come to Italy to build connections. I just wanted to spend the last day leisurely. Honestly, I was quite busy for the past two months.”
“You handled it quite well for someone who says that. Even Giordana, who initially had a negative view of you, apologized directly. Not to mention, you even won over the heart of the prickly Chairman Rossellini. If you set your mind to it now, advancing to Hollywood wouldn’t be difficult.”
Hollywood.
It’s a place every actor dreams of. Many Asian actors have challenged it, but only a few have truly established themselves.
Despite being the country that took the lead in abolishing racial discrimination, ironically, Hollywood had one of the highest racial barriers.
In his past life, he was so obsessed with acting, but he had never crossed the threshold of Hollywood.
“They say the peak period of a person varies. I want to go on my own strength. If I ride on the fame of now, I could probably get a small role, but I want to be recognized solely for my acting. That’s what I think the life of an actor is.”
Monica looked at him with an intriguing gaze.
“As expected, my judgment wasn’t wrong. Mr. Jang, you’re a mysterious person. I’ve lived my life buried in work. Always thinking about Desiderio and living as its successor. You’re the first person to make me lose focus like this.”
The classic music from the restaurant reached even the outdoor tables. A child who made a wish at the Trevi Fountain walked briskly, his steps more energetic than ever.
At that moment, Monica looked at him as if making a wish.
“Mr. Jang, I’ll be straightforward. How about dating me?”
Salvatore Rossellini twitched his white eyebrows. His wrinkled gaze was full of curiosity, as if he had heard wrong.
“He refused?”
Monica, sitting across from him, nodded briefly with a faint smile.
It wasn’t just because she was his granddaughter that she was excellent. Her appearance and character were outstanding. He had never imagined she would be rejected outright.
“Does he have a fiancée?”
“No, he said he doesn’t have anyone he’s seeing. He just said there’s no reason to date me right now. He doesn’t know me well, and he doesn’t want to have a long-distance relationship.”
“Hmm, Mr. Jang is really an enigma. I know you have no shortcomings, and if you want to know someone, you can learn about them while dating.”
“Grandfather, did you really want me to date Mr. Jang?”
“Didn’t you want that too?”
“Honestly, I was surprised when you first suggested meeting Mr. Jang. I didn’t think you would want me to date an Asian.”
Despite being the chairman of the global company Desiderio, he was also the head of the Rossellini family. His long-standing age meant his old-fashioned views couldn’t easily fade.
Italy had been a country rife with racial discrimination. But.
“Mr. Jang is different. My old intuition told me that. We must hold onto this man somehow. However, he didn’t seem like someone who would be lured with money. Moreover, since you seemed interested in Mr. Jang, I brought it up. But I didn’t expect him to reject so coldly. By now, he must be on a plane back to Korea.”
“I won’t give up after just one try.”
Salvatore’s eyes gleamed with interest at the unexpected remark. Indeed, his granddaughter was as full of competitive spirit as he was.
“I’ve prepared a gift for Mr. Jang on his way back to Korea.”
“A gift?”
“I’ve advanced the schedule for the advertisement release. He’ll know once he’s at the airport.”
Like her grandfather, Monica smiled intriguingly.
“He’ll realize his impact.”
The plane back to Korea was quiet. Being in first class, the seat was comfortable, and the service was satisfactory.
Occasionally, flight attendants glanced at him, and other passengers looked at him, but it wasn’t to the point of discomfort.
His mind was occupied with the conversation he had with Monica last night.
-Sorry, I can’t accept that proposal.
To anyone else, it might look like rejecting a business contract, but in reality, he was turning down a woman’s confession. Monica, true to her Italian nature, boldly and directly asked if he didn’t like her or if he already had someone he was seeing.
Honestly, there was a woman who came to mind. The feeling was more of a younger sister than a romantic interest.
After repeatedly apologizing and firmly expressing his refusal, Monica nodded as if she understood.
“Hyung, how did it go with Eliana?”
Desiderio had also arranged a first-class seat for Lee Bongchun, so they were sitting across the aisle from each other.
Lee Bongchun hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply before speaking.
“It didn’t go well.”
“Why? Eliana seemed very interested in you.”
“What’s the point of interest if we can’t communicate? Trying to speak while looking at an English dictionary was too frustrating. Eventually, it just fizzled out.”
They say close people tend to be alike; both of them were terrible at dating.
“By the way, what did you talk about when you met Monica separately yesterday?”
“We just talked about work. She said it was a shame I was leaving so soon.”
Lee Bongchun seemed to be expecting more details, but there was nothing more to explain. Surely, everything had passed like a summer night’s dream.
Suddenly, Monica’s words flashed through his mind.
-I prepared a gift for Mr. Jang. You’ll see when you get to Korea.
“Come to think of it, Monica said she prepared a gift. She said I could see it when I get to Korea.”
“A gift? Didn’t you already receive a lot from Desiderio?”
As Desiderio’s exclusive model, he had received numerous products as sponsorship gifts.
At first, he declined because they were too high-end, but Desiderio was adamant that he should accept them to become part of the family.
When he asked Alfredo about it, he said that their top-tier models usually received their high-end lines without delay.
“Yes, what kind of gift could it be?”
It wasn’t until they arrived in Korea that they could confirm Monica’s gift. It was when they were collecting their luggage and walking.
Since arriving in Korea, he wore a hat and sunglasses, so not many people recognized him.
But Lee Bongchun, who walked out first, looked surprised. When he followed, he understood why.
What on earth.
Click, click, click―!
Spotlights poured down like a rainstorm. He found it hard to take a step. It was as if he were on a red carpet at an awards ceremony, with countless reporters lined up. Without winning a gold medal at the Olympics, why were so many people waiting for him?
He suspected they might be waiting for someone else. But then, amidst the blinding spotlights, reporters recognized him and called out his name.
