Episode 6: Unexpected Reward
“Hello?”
In the evening, a teacher answered the phone in place of the director, who was away. An excited voice came from the other end of the line.
[Ah- Is this the director? This is the editor-in-chief of Tomorrow’s Art Department.]
“Oh, hello. The director is currently away. This is Kim Kangwoo.”
[Haha! Oh, I see. You’re Teacher Kim. The one the director is so fond of! I heard you’re quite good at practical skills?]
“Haha, not really. Thank you.”
[Ah, then you must be very proud! The top prize in the high school joint exam from ANA Mokdong branch has been announced. I called to inform you about it.]
“Pardon? High school? There’s no one particularly outstanding in the high school group…”
Oh, right. There was that new external student. At the sudden thought, he clapped his knee.
[Ah, isn’t there a student named Kang Lim at your academy?]
“Oh, yes. We have Kang Lim. He draws so well that I often forget he’s a high school student.”
[Haha. That’s evident. Even Professor Park was very impressed. He couldn’t stop praising him.]
The teacher, surprised, put down his spoon.
Who was the judge for this joint exam? It was Professor Park Pyungshik, known for his excellent class quality, consistent outstanding work, and passionate individual exhibitions every two years in Korea. He was also famous for being strict during his undergraduate years. The fact that he praised someone?
He had always wanted to be recognized by him but had graduated with a bitter smile since he had never praised a single student from entrance to graduation exhibition evaluations.
“Yes. I know the drawing. It’s quite unique. The technique and composition too.”
[Yes, exactly. At first, I thought it was too unique and wondered if it was well-drawn. It was a plaster still life exam, and I wondered if it was okay to draw just the back of the plaster?]
That was a question he had wondered about too. The unique composition using apples and tissues to create tension and balance on the canvas was good, but it was a drawing without a noticeable main subject.
[But you know… Professor said that’s the point? He said that’s the core of showing talent.]
“What? Why?”
[The plaster bust the student drew was Agrippa, right? Agrippa has the simplest hairstyle among plaster busts, so just drawing the back might not even look like a plaster bust. But we recognized it as a plaster bust at first glance, right? In other words, he effectively conveyed the weight and texture of the plaster just by drawing the featureless back.
If an ordinary person drew such a background, people might have thought, “Is that a white round ramen noodle?” But we immediately recognized it as a plaster bust.]
“…”
[Haha. But when I looked at the drawing again, it was really true. No matter how you look at it, it’s a plaster bust… without even a face! Isn’t that amazing?]
Kim Kangwoo felt goosebumps for a moment.
[Teacher Kim? Teacher Kim? Are you listening?]
“Oh. Yes.”
[Haha- Are you too emotional to speak because of your student? I was touched too. I also saw the student’s sketch work, and it stood out even if there were thousands of drawings.]
“Haha. I’m proud.”
[Right! Anyway, it’s good news. If you’re curious about the professor’s review, get this magazine and open it right away! It’s such a scoop that we printed five hundred copies. It’ll be delivered next week, so make sure to tell the director too!]
“Yes. Thank you.”
Kim Kangwoo put down the receiver with a bewildered expression. Kang Lim was someone who effortlessly obtained what others couldn’t.
A few days later, on the day of the joint exam results announcement, the academy was in an uproar.
“Hey, this is crazy. Did you see this? I’m not seeing things, right?”
“Whoa. Did Kang Lim get first place in the high school division? I heard even repeaters and art high school students take this exam. That’s seriously amazing.”
“Hey, hey, look at this!”
The kids who had been whispering ran up to Kang Lim and handed him a thick magazine. The glossy magazine was filled with entrance exam drawings that teachers had studied for years, excluding a few ads.
“What the… I’m not interested in such magazines.”
As he closed the book, Kang Lim’s eyes widened at the cover.
Damn. Now he was interested.
‘This is my drawing… Why is it here?’
Lee Hyunseong, who was next to him, clicked his tongue.
“Hey, the reason I subscribe to Tomorrow’s Art Department is because of the pure cover models… How can your drawing be on the cover? This is crazy.”
“Hey, your drawing is inside with a separate review! Hurry and take a look.”
When the girl in front opened the book, Kang Lim reluctantly skimmed through the contents.
“This is really amazing. I’ve never seen a professor give such high praise. Really.”
“Wow… Me neither. I didn’t know there was such a meaning behind drawing the plaster bust from the back.”
“That professor is known for being really strict. You might be a genius. It seemed like a work review!”
As the kids chattered, Kang Lim couldn’t help but chuckle at the title prominently displayed in the article.
[Upside-Down Plaster Bust. A Pleasant Challenge to Standardized Entrance Art.]
‘How accurately they captured my intention in the title. This is almost like a mind-reading technique.’
“Hey, hey, why aren’t you surprised? Don’t be boring!”
“He’s just smirking? This is crazy.”
Kang Lim held back his laughter and slowly read the review in the article.
[Form, color sense, composition. This is an excellent drawing in every aspect. The tissue depicted with a soft emboss texture seems to float away lightly, and the realistically drawn apples, which seem like they could roll off any moment, make one doubt whether these are the same still life objects that were once confined in narrow, cramped compositions.
What about the sensuous colors filled with reflected light? The way he uses unexpected colors instead of the obvious complementary colors that students memorize from the color wheel… This shows the subtlety of color blending.
I always get excited when I see someone who breaks free from strong, established notions and rules. That’s an essential quality of an artist. I look forward to seeing such new drawings in entrance exams in the future.
The reason this drawing was selected for the cover is that it represents the direction entrance exams should take to truly identify talented students.]
Turning the page, there was also a large sketch drawn by Kang Lim with another long piece of praise.
Scratching his head, he automatically made a shy expression. The reviews were more detailed than he expected, making him feel bewildered by the attention.
‘Guess I really did draw well. But what to do… I’m not planning to attend this college…’
Lee Hyunseong, who was reading the review in the magazine next to him, was also impressed.
“Wow, that’s awesome. If you win the top prize here, you also get a scholarship…”
That was good news to hear.
“What? Why do they give it?”
“This is sponsored by the material companies Tom and Bow and Winsor Newton, so they give pencils, paints, and also money. It’s not much, though… Was it a million won?”
“That’s sweet.”
He had been earning money for art supplies by submitting design drafts to a job posting site occasionally. Nowadays, the trust in design sharing sites was so low that there weren’t many job postings, and even if there were, it only paid about ten thousand won, which he used right away.
How expensive are art supplies? Winsor Newton is top-tier paint… It made him feel secure.
“Sigh… I’m envious. You need this kind of luck during exam season.”
“Right. Does the practical exam at K-Art University start next week?”
“Let’s do our best too!”
The kids looked at Kang Lim with envious eyes.
Kang Lim was checking the tools needed for the exam. K-Art University announces the materials on the exam day, so he had to prepare various items.
“Charcoal, conte, pencils, erasers, watercolor tools, pen… Nothing’s missing.”
His mother was watching him from behind.
“Do you want me to drive you?”
“No, I’m not a kid. Why…”
“Okay. Just take it easy, as usual. After the exam, let’s have something delicious near dad’s office.”
“Yes, yes.”
How many years had it been since he converted one room into a studio for practice? The foam board on the floor and the plastic covering the walls were stained with various colored paints and ink. The piles of drawings were also impressive, now taller than his height.
They had supported him as much as they could, buying materials, but it was never enough.
At those times, he would draw something to sell online and gather some money…
A son who had been too mature and did everything on his own since he was young.
She sometimes worried whether she had given birth to such a smart child that she couldn’t handle it.
She wondered if she hadn’t been a good support.
“Should I work like your dad does?”
Kang Lim was startled and turned around.
He recalled his past life when his mother gave up her dreams for her child’s education.
So, did he achieve his dream?
Not at all. It was a failure.
He wouldn’t let that happen again in this life. Both of them would succeed!
“No. Keep writing until the end. If you become famous, I’ll draw an illustration for it. On second thought, will I become famous first? How about we bet on who becomes famous first?”
“Wha- what?”
His mother burst into laughter at her son’s confident reply.
Kang Lim checked his score from the first exam while on the bus. K-Art University replaced the CSAT with its own Korean and English exams.
Of course, with his excellent memorization skills, Kang Lim scored a perfect score!
‘The English was harder than the CSAT… Probably because they expect students to work on the international stage?’
A perfect score didn’t mean he could relax. The first written exam at K-Art University was just a pass, and if he didn’t pass the practical exam, everything would be in vain.
The competition rate was officially several hundred to one every year.
If they didn’t find any satisfactory students, they wouldn’t fill the quota and wouldn’t select anyone at all…
In reality, it was much harder to get in.
In short, it was a high-standard school that only selected the talents they wanted.
“Wow, the campus is really cool.”
Passing through the main gate, he saw a clean gray building. It felt like a sturdy castle wall. Kang Lim looked around with bright eyes.
“…Are you trying to intimidate me? No matter how much profit luxury goods make, this is ridiculous…”
Suddenly, he heard a voice that made it hard to tell if he was at the front gate of K-Art University or the grand entrance of a noble family. Judging by the eyes, expression, and gestures, it seemed like a servant should come with a horse from over there.
‘Wow… I heard the acting department also has exams today, and everyone is practicing while waiting outside. They’re really good.’
Seeing numerous aspiring actors passionately practicing in their spots made his heart race. Yes, this was youth.
Finally, the first task of his second life was approaching.
The entrance exam!
