Episode 93: New Beginnings
Incheon Airport Terminal 2.
A rolling suitcase glides smoothly on the floor.
Kang Lim goes to the check-in counter, checks his luggage, and confirms his seat.
The business class check-in counter is less crowded than the economy class, so no need to wait in line.
It’s convenient to enter without waiting.
“They say you should arrive early at the airport, but it doesn’t seem absolutely necessary,” Kang Lim commented.
Ryu Junhee chuckled at Kang Lim’s words.
“I bought it because I knew you’d sulk if I only got you an economy class ticket. If it were up to my sister, she’d put you in economy just like the other artists. Consider yourself lucky to be traveling with me.”
“Haha. Thank you.”
“You know you have to take your shoes off on the plane, right?”
“I’m not that much of a country bumpkin. I took a plane to Jeju Island before.”
“Puhaha.”
Kang Lim laughed and looked around.
As he entered the Prestige Lounge, he spotted Seoyeon.
She was wearing a bright mustard-colored long coat. Through it, glimpses of a checkered skirt could be seen.
Her ankle-length ankle boots added to her stylish look.
‘Her fashion sense keeps improving. She doesn’t dress like this at school.’
Seoyeon noticed Kang Lim and waved her hand broadly.
Kang Lim quickly ran over, delighted by her smiling face.
He planted kisses on both of her cheeks, making loud smooching sounds, causing Seoyeon’s face to turn red.
“Ah, what are you doing all of a sudden! Are you crazy?”
“It’s a bisou, a French greeting practice.”
Seoyeon was dumbfounded by Kang Lim’s shamelessness.
But she couldn’t help but let a smile slip out.
Today felt strangely uplifting. She didn’t know why it felt like a vacation, even though she had been to France many times.
“Damn…”
Ryu Junhee watched the two from a distance.
He wondered what he had been doing at their age and sighed deeply, covering his eyes.
Their playful behavior was very annoying.
“One glass of Rémy Martin XO, please.”
Ryu Junhee ordered a cognac at the bar next to the lounge.
It seemed like a good idea to have a drink.
‘They really do make you take your shoes off…’
Kang Lim lay on a chair wearing slippers.
It was so comfortable that it felt like he could fly for 100 hours without a problem.
How did humans ever think of making metal fly in the sky and float on water?
Being on a plane made him appreciate human ingenuity anew.
‘Economy class has one window, but here there are several, which is better.’
Of course, today it was raining and foggy, so there was nothing to see outside.
If he could see something from high above, it would feel like flying…
It was hard to believe they were actually flying.
Kang Lim felt a strange disconnect between what he saw and what was happening.
“What are you doing? Bored?”
Seoyeon peeked her head out from the adjacent seat.
He could have raised the partition to completely block off the neighboring seat, but he didn’t.
Rather than having personal space, he wanted to be with his companion.
“No, it’s interesting. Isn’t it amazing?”
“What is?”
“We’re flying to nearly the opposite side of the Earth, but it doesn’t feel like it. It shakes a bit, but it doesn’t seem like we’re moving. It’s like time has stopped. Is it because the scenery outside doesn’t change quickly? It seems like humans can be easily fooled if you deceive their vision.”
“Right. I used to think that way when I was little too. I doubted if we were really flying to the other side of the Earth. I wondered if the names of the countries on the ticket were just lies and they were dropping us off on a nearby island.”
“How old were you? You must have taken planes often since you were a kid.”
“Yeah. Probably when I was six?”
“Haha. Cute.”
Seoyeon and Kang Lim looked out the blurry window together.
As the fog slowly lifted, clouds became visible.
A slowly moving sea of clouds.
“Kang Lim, the artist who gave up their solo exhibition slot to you works on that theme.”
“What theme? How people are easily deceived by what they see?”
“Yeah. Their work is about not being too certain of what you see visually.”
“Sounds interesting. What’s their name?”
“Jason Kim and Jayden Kim. They’re twins. They even changed their names to sound similar for their work.”
The unfamiliar names piqued Kang Lim’s curiosity.
What kind of work did these people create?
“I can’t wait to meet them. I have to thank them for giving up their slot.”
“Yeah. The other artists are great too. When we get there, you’ll see many unique artists with amazing work.”
“Oh… Well, the museum director has a good eye. There must be many unique and cool people like me.”
“Haha.”
In contemporary art, as the meaning behind the work became more important, artists began to delve deeply into their narratives.
The life an artist lived played a significant role in interpreting their work.
Art is life. More and more unique and captivating artists emerged.
After enjoying a delicious in-flight meal, watching movies, and sleeping after lights-out.
Even then, whenever he checked their current location, it was always Russia, Russia, Russia…
He felt the vastness of Russia, enjoyed quality service, and after a long while, finally arrived in France.
Kang Lim passed through security with an excited heart.
A well-dressed foreigner with an excited expression.
The customs officer gave Kang Lim a cursory inspection.
He was someone who didn’t need a thorough check.
“Have a pleasant trip.”
“Thank you! Have a happy day.”
Kang Lim received his first stamp on his passport and put it in his bag.
He felt a sense of pride.
“Hmm… As expected, the facilities in Korea are the best.”
Charles de Gaulle Airport was more rundown than he had expected.
Even after looking closely around the terminal, there was nothing, making it feel empty.
Compared to Incheon Airport, it seemed like it was built in a rural town.
Ryu Junhee looked at Kang Lim, who was glancing around, and said,
“Do you think it’s just the airport? Paris is the perfect city for you. It satisfies both fantasy and shock.”
“Really? Sounds amazing. It’ll lead to good work.”
“You know you have to pay to use the subway toilets, right? The ammonia smell will make you regret paying.”
“I read about it in a book. The library toilets are the cleanest, so plan your sightseeing accordingly.”
“Are you here for sightseeing? Just like when you listened to music and worked last time, turn everything you experience here into work.”
“Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”
Kang Lim smiled and followed Ryu Junhee.
As they stepped out of the airport, a cold wind swept through his lungs.
The excitement made it feel even colder. Paris was indeed chilly.
“I just woke up after a long sleep, and it’s night again.”
“You need to adjust to the time difference.”
Actually, it wasn’t night but afternoon. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet.
Europe had short daylight hours in winter, and it was indeed true.
“Please leave the luggage in the residency lobby, and drop us off in front of the Le Blanc restaurant. We’ll have dinner before checking in.”
“Yes, understood.”
Ryu Junhee handed over their belongings to the pickup driver he had called in advance.
With three people, there was quite a bit of luggage.
Kang Lim loaded Seoyeon’s and his own suitcases into the trunk.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. You must be cold. Get in quickly.”
“Okay!”
As the car started, Kang Lim looked out the window.
Scattered trees passed by.
Their black shapes distorted like ghosts.
An empty road. The pitch-black city felt unfamiliar.
A few minutes passed.
One by one, like candles being lit… lights began to appear.
When they entered the massive straight road leading to Place Charles de Gaulle.
The small lights grew like a spreading wildfire.
Platanus and horse chestnut trees densely planted on both sides of the road blazed brightly.
Between the glowing trees, street vendors selling Christmas cards appeared.
The bustling Champs-Élysées street covered in dazzling lights.
Amidst it all, the intricately carved Arc de Triomphe emerged.
Lavishly built to commemorate Napoleon’s numerous wars.
A city as decorative as a free and radiant brushstroke.
Every flickering light accidentally and spontaneously reflected in Kang Lim’s eyes.
The driver looked at Kang Lim through the rearview mirror and spoke.
A pleasant smile was on his face.
“Welcome to Paris.”
With TV programs and internet broadcasts leading trends, fewer people listened to radio shows.
Broadcasting stations were also abolishing most radio programs, keeping only a few.
One program that remained strong was “Night Cafe Terrace.”
“Hello!”
“Oh my, Iso, aren’t you here too early?”
“Hey, I’ve been like this since I was a rookie. I’ve never been late.”
“As expected… Thank you for today as well!”
“Yes, let me check the list.”
The staff of Night Cafe Terrace liked Park Iso.
Despite being a famous celebrity with plenty of popularity without radio, she still hosted the program.
Of course, the high listenership wasn’t just because she was a top star. It was purely thanks to her eloquence.
The DJ’s job was to select songs that match the listeners’ stories and ease their tired day.
She often picked interesting stories that became internet memes…
Advertisers were always lining up for Night Cafe Terrace.
“Ugh… The list is the same as the TOP10 music chart again.”
“That’s because Iso, you do such a good job, and a lot of promotional songs come in.”
“Sigh. It’s boring this way.”
Park Iso sighed as she checked the music for today.
There were many songs she recommended live to match the listeners’ stories…
But there were even more songs she had to play for album ads or promotions.
“Isn’t there any good song… I want to find a hidden gem that’s really good but not famous…”
The only segment where she could choose entirely based on her opinion was introducing the hidden new song of the month.
Every time a new song she discovered gained popularity, she felt ecstatic.
It was like the feeling of entertainment company presidents.
Just then, an employee next to her noticed a leaflet on Park Iso’s desk and spoke.
“Oh. Iso, did you go to Heyum? I went there last week too.”
Park Iso was diving deep into the music charts, searching for hidden gems.
She was looking for a song like a pearl buried in the depths.
“Ah, yes. Isn’t it trendy these days to take pictures at that exhibition?”
“Wow. If you post it on your SNS, the number of visitors will explode.”
“Really? I should have posted it earlier. I heard that 50,000 people have already seen it.”
“Yeah. That’s really hard for an art exhibition… It must be because the artwork is good.”
“Right. I’m planning to go again.”
The employee smiled and said,
“Iso, you’re a huge fan of Kang Lim, aren’t you?”
“Yes. He’s cute with his baby face, but he’s deep, which is cool. And his voice is amazing.”
“Right. That gap is the best.”
Park Iso kept scrolling through the music charts.
Kitschy and colorful covers…
So flashy that they ended up being overlooked, she passed by them and found one good cover.
When she clicked and enlarged it, it looked even better.
“Wow! What’s this? Was it drawn with fire? It’s so cool!”
The employee next to her checked the band’s name.
Atomix. It was an unfamiliar name.
Bass Lee Minjoon, drums Park Youngsoo, guitar Heo Jinseong… None of the members’ names were familiar, except for the vocalist Seong Woojin.
“Oh! This Seong Woojin guy. Isn’t he the one who topped the search rankings with his busking video in Hongdae? Did he form a new band?”
“Wow, that Hongdae sculpture was also made by Kang Lim, right? It was really pretty.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Listen to the song. Seong Woojin became famous because of his good voice.”
“Wait, more importantly… Is this album cover…?”
Park Iso clicked on the album again to enter the detailed page.
As expected, she saw a familiar name in the illustrator’s credits.
Indeed, there was only one person who could show such new artwork.
“I’m definitely going to choose this for the new song promotion corner. I should post it on SNS too!”
“…Without even listening to it?”
“No need! It was chosen by someone with a good eye.”
Click. As she clicked the mouse, a picturesque melody began to play.
