Episode 11: Gaining Attention Everywhere
Sunday afternoon.
From the master bedroom came the sound of someone typing on a keyboard all day long.
Even though I had debuted in the New Spring Literary Contest, I couldn’t write anything except for the occasional commissioned planning piece, as I couldn’t come up with any ideas.
I thought I would become something once I debuted, but that was just a fleeting toast. It passed by quickly.
There’s a reason why many authors declare they will stop writing after their debut work.
But funnily enough, yesterday, a flash of inspiration struck me.
Is it that artists are most stimulated when they meet other artists?
“I became a mother, so I have to set an example. Like Kang Lim said, I won’t give up and will keep challenging myself.”
Thinking of my son from yesterday brought a gentle smile to my face.
The more I thought about how wonderful and admirable he was, the more my heart swelled with pride.
“I’ll probably buy new materials in the materials science class, so I’ll just take this much.”
Kang Lim was packing his stuff in the adjoining room.
From dry materials to various coloring tools, and even an XXL apron that reached down to his calves.
He packed the items, which had paint stains all over from multiple uses, into a box.
There were also materials he had received for getting first place in the high school art joint exam.
“Ha ha. New stuff is always better.”
Brand new items still wrapped in plastic!
Seeing the shiny, luxurious materials made him want to start painting immediately.
He checked the schedule of Han Ye University classes on his phone.
Although it was called course registration, the schedule was already set with all essential major courses.
A packed schedule of 19 credits.
“Wow. Even students from other departments take this. That’s interesting.”
The most unique class was
The art school had departments of Fine Arts, Design, and Architecture, and this class was taken by all first-year students in the art school.
The professors believed that the basics of formative activities were common across all departments of the art school.
Of course, it was the ‘basic’ level according to the professors.
“If you gather the students, it’ll be an elite group, so it won’t be boring. It’ll be hard to score well too.”
The major-required courses had already filled up his week.
“Shouldn’t I take other classes if I’ve come to university?”
Ignoring the legend that difficult assignments would pile up like a mountain, Kang Lim decided to add more classes to this schedule.
“What classes would be helpful for my work activities?”
He scrolled down to look at other departments.
Music, Dance, Film…
As he opened the list, the [Major Required] text that was blue earlier all turned red.
“Well, they bring in geniuses as their basic standard, so there wouldn’t be any general education classes. All are restricted to students from other departments.”
With no other choice, Kang Lim clicked back on the art school tab.
After looking around, he found just one.
Even though it was a major-required class, it wasn’t in red text.
It was a class from the Art Theory Department. Specifically, an art criticism class.
“Oh. I thought practical majors couldn’t take theory-major classes.”
Practical majors also shared common theory classes like Western Art History or Korean Art History.
But this was a different class.
It was a much more advanced theory and major course.
<Discourse on Art and the Practice of Art Criticism/Shin Hansoo>
Moreover, the name was familiar to Kang Lim.
“No way… Is it the person who wrote ‘A Walk Through the Art Museum Without Paintings’ and ‘100 Ways to Expand Your Artistic Self’?”
The books written by Shin Hansoo were bestsellers and steady sellers in the art literature category.
You could find his books piled up in the art and culture sections of any library.
It wasn’t just in Korea. He consistently ranked first in the art category on Amazon.
Many of his books were translated and published abroad due to their excellent content.
“Wow. I didn’t know he was in our department’s faculty. That’s amazing.”
Kang Lim immediately added the class.
The empty slot on Wednesday morning’s first period turned green.
A smile spread across his face.
In his previous life, he would have never taken a first-period class. He had become truly passionate.
“Have you packed everything?”
His father, who had been watching him from the living room, came in. His face looked somewhat uncomfortable.
“Ha- Having two artists in the family makes me think I need to be strong.”
“Puhat.”
“Did you inherit your sensitivity from your mom?”
“In the past, being overly sensitive was the problem. Even though I liked art, I didn’t have the talent for it.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Ah, nothing.”
That’s why. No wonder he looked burdened. Kang Lim stood up and massaged his father’s shoulders.
This was the only thing he could do for him right now.
“Oh dear… When I saw your friend eating jjajangmyeon last time, he seemed to have broadened his perspective by traveling around Europe. I feel bad that I couldn’t show you more. Just reading books alone, you’re already this good. Imagine if you had experienced foreign cultures.”
“It’s okay. I’ll gradually create opportunities to go abroad.”
Kang Lim smiled bitterly.
‘My parents were thinking such things while I dismissed it as just a travel story about squid…’
They say when you have a child, your world revolves around them. It must be true.
Though, of course, not all parents are like that.
“I am truly a gold spoon. I can’t believe how careless I used to live.”
“What are you talking about? You were never careless. You’ve been talking nonsense since earlier?”
Things that he hadn’t noticed in his previous life now seemed precious, making his heart warm.
What does it matter if we don’t have a house or a car?
Those things could be created from now on.
Rattle.
Five minutes after eating the crab soup, where sea urchin roe burst here and there.
A dish prepared by the chef came into the room, which was isolated from the outside.
It was a Samyuk Naengchae, jellyfish sliced thinly and wrapped in pork, dipped in sauce.
Next to it was a large sliced abalone, deeply infused with flavor.
“Son~! Congratulations. Eat a lot. If your teeth decay, mom will fix them all. Haha.”
Shin Taemin smiled slightly at his mother’s words. His previously gloomy face brightened a bit.
His father looked displeased, but getting into the school as the second-highest ranking student was no easy feat.
When would he be able to see a satisfied smile on that face?
As he looked at his father’s face, Shin Hansoo spoke up.
“Don’t you want to take my class? I noticed you didn’t register for it.”
“Ah… Just taking the Fine Arts Department classes already fills up my schedule.”
“There are two students from your department who registered. Are you being too lazy?”
When Shin Hansoo received the provisional list from the assistant, there were exactly two students from the Fine Arts Department.
One of them had a name that had become unforgettable.
It was the first time he had seen a student praised so highly by Gu Haeyoung.
And the name Kang Lim was quite unique.
“I’ll register during the adjustment period.”
“I told you that having a discerning eye leads to skill. That’s already a difference.”
In the heavy atmosphere, his mother quietly ate her food.
Even though the special sauce was beautifully arranged on the neat plate, it only took a few seconds to eat.
The problem was that there wasn’t much to chew on.
Rattle.
Fortunately, the next dish arrived.
It was Yusanseul, a dish with chewy sea cucumber, bok choy, and enoki mushrooms that wrapped around the tongue.
“When people talk about art, there’s one thing they say that’s actually true. Do you know what that is?”
“No.”
“That art should be done by people with money.”
“…”
“To create good work, the gates of sensory perception need to be open. For that, it’s advantageous to be either very rich or extremely poor.”
Shin Taemin quietly nodded. It was a statement that couldn’t be disputed.
For example, if you have money, you can eat the food of a renowned chef like today.
Excellent cuisine elevates one’s sensory dimension to a higher level.
These sensory experiences can be translated into art through abundant resources and free experimentation.
On the other hand, the sensory experiences that come from poverty are painful.
“So who do you think remains between the rich and the poor?”
“The rich, I suppose.”
“Yes. Usually, the one with money remains. The unfulfilled desires and extreme sense of crisis experienced by the poor… Despair can awaken excellent senses, but the human mind can’t endure it.”
A spicy Yu-rin-gi made with mustard and green onion sauce was served again.
It was supposed to be spicy, but it tasted like nothing.
“Yet, there are those who endure everything and create great works. We call them masters. However, most people are more likely to commit suicide before becoming such artists.”
Unable to hold back, Shin Taemin raised his voice slightly, which was very unusual.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
“I’m saying to look back on why you lost to someone who grew up in a relatively average environment.”
The clear answer twisted his gut.
The gaze that seemed to see through his soul made his entire body tense.
The tense, sharp senses further upset his stomach.
Rattle.
The clueless waiter came in and spoke.
“What would you like for your meal?”
Wednesday, March 2nd, the first day of classes.
The university was filled with the scent of a fresh spring day.
Though the flowers hadn’t bloomed yet, the students’ excited hearts warmed the campus.
It was easy to spot freshmen at Han Ye University.
They dressed up individually.
The rest of the students wore their department coats or uniforms. They just pulled out their matching work clothes again.
With hollow faces preparing for exhibitions or performances, there was no room for excitement.
So it was natural that people’s attention was drawn to Seo Yeon as she passed by.
Her fresh, bright face and white tennis skirt naturally caught eyes.
Buzz—
Seo Yeon took out her phone to check a message.
[Do you want to have lunch with oppa later?]
With her white, slender fingers, she pressed the keypad.
[Sorry. I already have plans with someone else.]
There was no one she had plans with.
She just made up an excuse because she couldn’t block someone she would keep seeing.
It was a senior from her department who had been following her around since the orientation.
“Ugh, ugh! Maybe I drank too much then; I still feel sick.”
Experiencing the feeling of a hole in her stomach for the first time was shocking.
If she had known that drinking a lot of alcohol with an alcoholic smell was what orientation was about, she wouldn’t have gone.
Luckily, she was quite a strong drinker.
Looking at the others who had become unresponsive, she couldn’t even imagine how embarrassing it would be later.
“That Kang Lim… If he had come, I wouldn’t have drunk as much.”
There was a tradition for freshmen welcome parties and orientations.
A tradition where those who didn’t participate had their names called out and had to drink a bomb shot…
Everyone shouted ‘For Kang Lim’ and drank.
“Maybe he didn’t come because he felt burdened being the top student… Well, we’ll see each other often anyway. Is he shy?”
She recalled the image of Kang Lim receiving his scholarship certificate at the entrance ceremony.
“His voice was kind of cool. His face was okay too. I wonder what his personality is like…”
Thinking about Kang Lim, Seo Yeon entered the art school’s annex.
Maybe because it was a class by the notoriously strict Shin Hansoo.
Art theory students were already filling the seats.
Except for the most burdensome front row.
“Great. I wanted to sit in the front. Lucky!”
…Seo Yeon was a model student.
Soon after, the assistant came in and started calling the roll.
“Kang Lim.”
“Yes.”
The student next to her answered.
