Episode 55: The Phone Keeps Ringing
“You were kind of annoying earlier… No, not annoying, just… it was absurd.”
“Haha. Sorry.”
“…But do you really have that many works?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re crazy, seriously…”
Kang Lim laughed awkwardly at Shin Taemin’s words.
He had unintentionally bragged during class about being selected for a solo exhibition.
His classmates were fortunately envious and congratulated him, but even he found it absurd.
To be honest, Kang Lim was just as surprised.
The competition was fierce.
He had even considered applying again next year if he didn’t make it this time.
Competitions often reflect the preferences of the judges, so it’s not uncommon to be baffled by the selections.
So, being chosen on the first try was even more miraculous.
“Anyway, congratulations. I must have said this so many times that I feel like a congratulatory parrot.”
“Haha. Thanks.”
Shin Taemin said as he tidied up the paintings laid out for the presentation.
“But didn’t the professor go overboard during my presentation? He gave too much meaning to it.”
“Oh, Professor Gerald?”
“Yeah.”
“No, I told you your work was good. I thought you’d get praised. When I look at your painting, it reminds me of Picasso’s ‘The Old Guitarist’.”
“Oh, that… Maybe it’s because my self-portrait has sunken eyes…”
“No, it’s more about the atmosphere and the monochromatic tone. You only paint in gray.”
“I see… But Picasso’s painting looks like a dead person rather than someone playing the guitar… It’s like rigor mortis. A person who starved to death with only bones left.”
“Still, I like Picasso’s Blue Period the most. More than his realistic works when he was young or his abstract works when he was old, I like his paintings from that period. You should think of this as a passing phase. Artistic styles constantly change. Who knows? Like Picasso’s Blue Period, this might become rare and valuable in the future.”
“Haha, seriously.”
Kang Lim thought of Picasso’s Blue Period while looking at Shin Taemin’s painting.
Picasso, having lived a long life, had a diverse range of artistic styles, but Kang Lim’s favorite was the blue series Picasso painted.
Picasso moved to Paris, known as the land of art, at the age of nineteen.
He dropped out of a prestigious art school and settled in Paris with his best friend, Casagemas, thinking they would become famous artists.
There was no doubt he was a genius, having mastered all classical styles by elementary school.
But his solo exhibition was a complete failure.
His paintings couldn’t even be hung in bars.
And his best friend, Casagemas, committed suicide.
Overwhelmed by consecutive shocks.
Picasso, falling into complete depression, painted cerulean blue paintings for four years.
Shin Taemin, seeing Kang Lim appreciate his painting, said,
“But the professor compared my life to someone like Rembrandt or Frida Kahlo. It made me feel shallow and insignificant. I haven’t been through such hardships, so it felt exaggerated. Listening to the professor, it seemed like I had endured all the hardships in the world… Pathetic…”
Shin Taemin was surprised by Gerald’s praise but felt a bit embarrassed being compared to the mentioned artists.
He believed it didn’t make sense to compare himself, who painted in good health and a wealthy environment, to those who were poor and sickly.
Kang Lim chuckled and said,
“Hey, people are naturally like that. Falling and scraping your knee hurts more than knowing someone is starving on the other side of the world. What affects you directly is always more significant. So how can we measure the weight of hardships? You don’t tell a depressed person, ‘Think of others! Your troubles are nothing compared to theirs.’”
“Hmm, I see.”
“Here, take this, you elementary schooler.”
Kang Lim handed over a draft of a children’s book in exchange for giving up his seat.
Shin Taemin placed the book on his desk and said,
“But don’t you feel uncomfortable talking about your life? You explained it well earlier.”
“Well, it’s not like I say everything. I only say what I want to. I give the minimum explanation needed for the work. Artists’ lives are always dissected… You have to get used to it…”
“That’s impressive. You have a knack for attention.”
“Isn’t it a necessary quality?”
“…”
Kang Lim thought as he looked at Shin Taemin’s painting.
Art is a funny thing.
The process of obsessing over truthful images and the journey of self-discovery is so difficult and depressing…
Yet, such images can be a source of comfort for someone.
‘Ah, I’m focusing on paradoxical things again.’
At this point, it’s not a signature style but a sickness.
Kang Lim naturally thought of Seoyeon’s face.
He thought she might know him better than he did himself.
‘Although I couldn’t find the hidden code today, it was too difficult, so it’s okay. Am-am.’
Then he suddenly noticed the clock on the wall.
He realized that the promised time for today was approaching.
“Oh no. I have to go quickly.”
“Why?”
“I have a contract signing for the book today. I need to be at the publishing house by 5:30.”
“You’re really busy.”
After Kang Lim left.
Shin Taemin quietly sat at his desk and read the children’s book.
As he turned each page.
He understood why famous people advised creating a community to sustain long-term artistic endeavors.
Even a seemingly trivial conversation about work can be empowering.
This children’s book was the same…
Today felt like a day of unexpected comfort.
Kang Lim got off at Gangnam Station and headed to World Book Publishing.
As he passed through the transparent glass doors into the office, he could hear the busy typing sounds, likely from people proofreading manuscripts.
Thanks to his mother, this was a familiar scene he saw daily at home.
As he lingered near the entrance, the editor in charge approached and greeted him warmly.
“Ah, are you Mr. Kang Lim?”
“Yes, I’m here for the contract.”
Following the editor, Kang Lim entered a space resembling a café.
Whether it was a conference room or a break room, it looked clean and well-equipped.
Tall buildings were visible outside the window.
This company was one of them, confirming that World Book was indeed a large publishing house.
In these times when printed books are in decline, having such a nice office is rare.
The editor placed the dummy book submitted by Kang Lim on the desk and said,
“The grand prize was unanimously selected by the judges, so I was looking forward to it. I was truly surprised by the manuscript. It’s no wonder Wang Hye-yoon praised it so highly.”
Wang Hye-yoon, the first Korean nominee for the Andersen Award, was a legendary illustrator in the industry, so Kang Lim was highly respected.
Seeing the editor’s gleaming eyes, it was clear how much praise had been given.
Moreover, the desk was adorned with Art Magazine K, which featured Kang Lim’s illustrations, and an anatomy book he had worked on.
“You’ve done medical illustrations too! No wonder your digital work is so good. You’re already a rising star in the art world!”
“Wow, did you buy all these?”
“Of course. I was really curious about who you were. Honestly, I thought you were an established illustrator working under a pseudonym because it’s rare for a fine arts major to produce such perfect work.”
“Oh, no way. Compared to someone like Wang Hye-yoon, I’m nothing.”
“No, Wang Hye-yoon said you might win some international awards she couldn’t. She sees the potential for you to go global! You’re exceptional from the start!”
“…”
Kang Lim felt a bit embarrassed by the editor’s enthusiastic tone.
While compliments felt good, they were a bit excessive, making his earlobes feel hot.
He wondered if the editor was just trying to flatter him.
But the editor, reading Kang Lim’s expression, waved a hand and smiled.
“No, really. I’m not just flattering you. You’re truly talented. Usually, our picture books are created by a writer, an illustrator, and an editor. But finding someone to commission the illustrations is always the hardest part. Often, the three don’t synchronize well, making the story disjointed or cliché.”
“Ah, I see…”
“But since you can both write and illustrate, it makes our job much easier. We naturally prefer publishing books like your dummy book.”
“Thank you…”
“Oh! Do you have any plans for your next work? Our publishing house is always making picture books and considering works for international book fairs. By the way, we also plan to submit ‘A Special Adventure’ to the Bologna Book Fair next year.”
To be honest, Kang Lim had only created the picture book as an assignment.
He hadn’t seriously considered becoming a children’s book author.
“Hmm, I don’t have any plans for a next work. As you know, this isn’t my main job…”
“Ah, Mr. Kang Lim! Nowadays, picture books are art too! They can be your main job. Don’t you want to win the Lindgren Award, often called the Nobel Prize of children’s literature, and have your books translated and published worldwide? Imagine publishing a series of Kang Lim’s fairy tales. It would be amazing, wouldn’t it? And you’d earn a lot of money too!”
“…Isn’t that a bit too far-fetched? Also, I only wrote one story, and I don’t think I’ll come up with that many more.”
“No! With your artistic mindset, you’ll come up with ideas quickly. Especially, international book fairs prefer books with heavy themes. It’s completely different from domestic competitions targeting the local market. It’s really similar to creating true art! Many books even tackle the theme of death.”
It was a somewhat intriguing prospect.
He was essentially saying that he could freely create art without worrying about market conditions.
Seeing the editor’s smiling eyes, Kang Lim slowly nodded.
“Alright, if I come up with any ideas, I’ll contact you.”
“Great! Please come to World Book Publishing!”
The editor poured him a drink and opened the contract to explain it to Kang Lim.
“Now, let’s go over the contract for the grand prize winner of the World Book Picture Book Contest! The advance payment is exactly 15 million won as stated in the contest guidelines.”
“Yes.”
“The official publication will be at the beginning of the new year. You’ll receive the freshly printed book at the official award ceremony, after final proofreading! After publication, it will be reported by major media outlets and displayed on the new release shelves of large bookstores.”
“Wow.”
“Also, as a mark of winning the World Book contest, this golden medal sticker will be on the cover! Parents love these kinds of things.”
“Yes, I see.”
“Since the content of the book is excellent, we expect it might be selected as a recommended book by the Ministry of Education. If that happens, it will be distributed to kindergartens and elementary schools nationwide.”
“Aha.”
“The contract is a standard royalty agreement, and you retain the copyright for your work.”
Comfortably sipping his drink, Kang Lim reviewed the contract.
Considering he was a twenty-year-old college student and likely unfamiliar with many things, the editor explained each term in detail.
Listening to the editor’s enthusiastic and meticulous explanations, Kang Lim thought World Book Publishing seemed like a decent company.
After explaining the entire contract, the editor also discussed the process of delivering and distributing the books, as well as the printing process.
After finishing all the explanations, the editor confidently said,
“I’m sure this will be a best seller!”
“Haha, yes.”
Kang Lim laughed, signed the contract, and stood up.
The editor stood up as well and said,
“Then, let’s have a meal. I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
“Yes, thank you.”
At that moment.
Bzzzz—
The phone vibrated, and Kang Lim fumbled in his pocket.
“Ah, sorry. Just a moment.”
Could it be a call from the curator at Baekyeon Gallery?
With a hopeful heart, Kang Lim opened his phone to check the message.
But to his surprise, it was from an unknown number.
[010-8282-5353: Teacher, can we talk for a moment?]
Teacher?
Who could this be?
“Can I take this call for a moment?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Kang Lim immediately dialed the number.
After a few rings, a familiar voice came through the receiver.
[Hello?]
It was a voice he heard once a week.
Calm and gentle, it was Mrs. Seohee.
“Oh! Is this Seohee’s mom?”
[Yes, teacher. Do you have time tomorrow evening? There’s something important I need to discuss with you.]
