...
"Enjoy your lunch."
With Teacher Lim Woo-hyun's refreshing farewell, the door to the sketch room slammed shut with a sharp thud.
It was such a crisp sound that Kim Dong-hwi, the last to leave, turned back to look. Actually, it wasn't just Kim Dong-hwi.
Most of the kids, who would normally have dashed excitedly toward the cafeteria, were instead staring at the sketch room.
12:05 PM.
There were still more than fifteen minutes before the lunch bell would ring.
Teacher Go Doo-han, who was always strict about sticking exactly to class time, ended the class early, telling everyone except Kang-seok to go eat.
It was the first time something like this had happened.
And it seemed like it was the first time they had ever seen Go Doo-han smile like that.
The students stared at the firmly closed door. In their dazed eyes, there was suspicion, jealousy, and a bit of awe.
Then.
Among the kids frozen like statues, unable to move, someone muttered:
"…It looks like he drew it from memory."
The subject was missing from the sentence, but everyone understood. They were talking about Kang-seok's sketch. The perfect Venus plaster cast flashed through everyone's mind.
The perfect Venus.
"Kang-seok drew that from memory…?"
How?
All eyes turned back to Lee Young-hoon, the one who had first raised the question.
Lee Young-hoon, who ranked 21st in the final sketch evaluation — the one who got pushed down to Class B after Kang-seok entered Class A.
He flushed and spoke passionately.
"Think about it. Where was Kang-seok sitting? It was the back of the head. The back of Venus's head."
He curled three fingers like a fork and jabbed them repeatedly at the back of his own head.
"Tell me he didn't memorize it. How could a guy who only saw the back of Venus's head draw the exact right side of Venus's body? He didn't even get up from his seat during the whole test."
In truth, Lee Young-hoon only saw Kang-seok sitting during breaks; he didn't really know if Kang-seok stayed seated the entire time.
Whatever. Since Kang-seok is a lifeless robot except for being diligent, he probably stayed put. Lee Young-hoon closed his mouth, reassuring himself.
"Uh…?"
"Now that I think about it… how did he draw it?"
Meanwhile, the kids recalled where Kang-seok had been sitting.
Kang-seok was seated so that only the back of his head was visible.
"I thought he gave up on this evaluation completely."
"Same here."
"So he must've already memorized it anyway."
"But how did he memorize the Venus plaster cast? Did the test leak?"
A test leak?
No way. Everyone shook their heads.
Some even snickered. They were the "noble faction" kids from Cheonghwa Arts High School.
"Nonsense."
At that moment, a girl leaning against the stair railing cut in.
"If the test leaked, I wouldn't have been clueless."
It was Park Hye-yeon, her straight bob swaying along her jawline.
Park Hye-yeon, daughter of a Cheongdam-dong jewelry store owner.
Her family owned an entire jewelry complex in Cheongdam, with big shops also in Apgujeong and Sinsa-dong, earning her that nickname.
With a haughty expression, she said:
"If I don't know, how could Kang-seok?"
Come to think of it, it made no sense that Kang-seok would know something that Park Hye-yeon didn't.
Her mother was a famous social butterfly; rumors about Cheonghwa Arts or art university admissions all came from her.
"So then what is it?"
"Maybe he just memorized the Venus plaster cast like crazy, and by some luck, it was on the test?"
"Oh, that makes sense."
"That must be it."
This time, the consensus leaned toward "He got lucky that the thing he memorized showed up, so Kang-seok took first place."
Some boys even comforted Lee Young-hoon.
"Man, tough luck, Lee Young-hoon. How did it have to be exactly the Venus plaster cast?"
"Yeah. Next time, let's take back Class A."
Lee Young-hoon nodded in agreement.
Whether the talented kids laughed at the idea that first place was just luck didn't matter to Lee Young-hoon. This was the result he wanted.
He just needed proof that he wasn't pushed out of Class A for lack of skill.
The truth didn't matter to him. The moment he was satisfied with the result…
Park Hye-yeon cut in again.
"Sounds plausible, but I don't think he memorized it."
Unlike Lee Young-hoon, who was irritated and defensive, Park Hye-yeon had a calm expression even though she dropped to 4th place from an unshakable 3rd after Kang-seok took 1st.
Lee Young-hoon fired back, eyes blazing:
"Why not?"
She leaned on the railing, smirking sarcastically.
"This is funny. Everyone knows, but pretends they don't? If Kang-seok had the skill to memorize and draw that well, wouldn't he have memorized all the usual things in sketch tests and crushed Class A by now?"
Kang-seok had been dead last in every practical test for two years straight.
"If it were you, would you memorize the Venus plaster cast that hardly ever shows up instead of the usual jars that come up all the time?"
With that memory skill, why would he have sat dead last in practical tests for two years?
That was a valid point.
The kids looked at each other, considering Park Hye-yeon's logic carefully.
"Now that you mention it, yeah."
"Exactly."
"So what is it, really?"
They looked at Park Hye-yeon, confused, silently asking her for an answer again.
She waved her hand dismissively, clearly annoyed.
"How would I know? Ah, whatever. I'm in Class A, so I don't care. Se-hyun?"
"…Huh?"
"Let's just go eat. Lunch is almost here."
"…Okay, okay!"
With that, Park Hye-yeon went down the stairs with Jin Se-hyun.
The kids who had been staring blankly at her slowly snapped out of it.
"Yeah, let's go eat."
"Right. What good will it do to argue here?"
"Hey, but why do you think Go Doo-han left Kang-seok behind? Is it that rumor about the special offer or whatever?"
"That's nonsense."
"We'll find out when we get there anyway. Let's just hurry up."
They chatted among themselves as they swarmed down the stairs of the practice room, mostly about Kang-seok.
After everyone left:
"Hey! Kim Dong-hwi! You coming?"
"We're all waiting!"
Kim Dong-hwi, who had stayed silent all along, slowly made his way down the stairs at the voices calling him.
There were less than ten minutes until lunchtime started.
...
"Finally, they're gone."
Teacher Go Doo-han, who had been staring out the window, slowly turned around. Both his hands held paper cups.
He handed me one — barley tea.
Then he casually perched on the edge of the work table. As he tore open a cheap instant coffee stick, he tossed out words.
"You know why I left you behind."
I neither nodded nor shook my head. There was probably a reason, but I wasn't sure if that was the actual reason.
"Don't play dumb. I saw you glaring fiercely."
"..."
Long ago.
At the start of the semester, a rumor followed Teacher Go Doo-han:
"If he finds a talented student, he keeps them behind."
It was said that whenever Teacher Go Doo-han found a talented student, he'd keep them after class to focus more on sketching.
"There are two options, but you can only pick one."
Either formally study under Teacher Go Doo-han for three months, or freely focus on sketching in his studio for three months.
"Either way, it's the best. It's Go Doo-han after all."
The source of this rumor was said to be Park Hye-yeon's mother.
But it was just a rumor. Parents' high hopes ended up only as hopes.
"Not a single student got that offer in two years. It's a total rumor."
"Exactly."
No one actually received the offer.
"It's not a rumor."
Park Hye-yeon insisted it was true, but no one believed her.
Except me.
I believed it. Because it wasn't a rumor — it was real.
It was shortly after I was additionally accepted to Cheonghwa Art High School. A senior who graduated from Cheonghwa Art High School once came to visit the art academy I attended.
He talked about various things, and among them was a story about a special offer from Teacher Go Doohan.
"…If you work hard enough, Teacher Go Doohan sometimes makes that kind of offer. That's what Cheonghwa Art High School is about."
So I already knew it was true. I even thought about proving the truth by working hard.
Though that dream slowly faded away as I got stuck in the Drawing D class for a whole year.
While I was lost in those bitter memories,
Teacher Go Doohan, perhaps finding my reaction dull, quickly got to the point.
"Anyway, I have two proposals."
"One is that you join the preparation for publishing the figure drawing reference book that the third-year students are working on."
"The other is a suggestion to include some of your works in my upcoming solo exhibition."
Teacher Go Doohan's main offer was impressive.
Even the part-time instructors behind us were surprised with their mouths open.
Whether the first or the second, it was an opportunity not usually given to a second-year student at Cheonghwa Art High School — only the scale was different.
Looking at the teacher in surprise, Teacher Go Doohan himself looked calm. He stirred his coffee with a stick and continued.
"The figure drawing reference book project is government-supported."
"The final selected books will get a budget evenly distributed for publishing… If your book gets chosen and sells well, you'll receive royalties. If there's a reprint, you could earn quite well."
"As for the solo exhibition, it's simple. Just include one or two of your works in my solo exhibition. If they're good, they'll sell, and you keep the profits."
"It'll help build your resume too."
After finishing, the teacher smiled at me.
"So, hearing the rumored offer directly, are you surprised?"
"...Yes, it is surprising."
Because it wasn't the offer I thought it would be. I barely held back my next words.
Originally, what I was aiming for was a studio.
I thought I could secure a space to work after school for just three months, but instead I got a bigger offer.
An offer that connected directly to profit. And there were two, not just one.
So, I had to confirm.
"…Is this how the offer is usually given?"
"No, not usually."
He sipped his coffee and added,
"The reason I lure students separately is to open a new path with drawing. A new path. But… you don't need that."
Right. His eyes that see through everything shone from the shadows.
"Why? Don't you like my offer?"
He seemed to say with his eyes, "That can't be." And he was right. My family needed money, and I liked this offer better.
I could find other ways to get a studio. If needed, I could even use my father's furniture store backyard.
"No, I like it."
"Good. That's refreshing. Then since time's tight, pick one of the two."
"I'll do both."
The teacher looked surprised for a moment. It was the same look he had when he realized it was me who drew the plaster cast he had pointed out.
But again, Teacher Go Doohan smirked like he found it amusing.
"Alright. I made the offer, but accepting it is your choice. Try both."
"Thank you."
"But if you don't do them properly, you're out on both."
Even though he accepted with amusement, he didn't forget to warn me. I had no complaints — it was something I could manage if I did it right.
"Yes."
And I was confident.
"Then go. For details… Teacher Son Dongwook."
"...Yes!"
"Is there a sheet summarizing the two proposals in the drawing room?"
"Yes. There are extras. I'll bring them."
"Good."
It didn't take long for Teacher Son Dongwook to hand me a clear L-folder.
I thought I'd go home and read it. I nodded while looking at the thick sheets inside the L-folder.
"Thank you. I'll go now."
"Alright. See you next time."
After bowing to the teachers, I turned my back to leave the drawing room when the bell rang.
It was lunchtime.
The bell reminded me of something I'd forgotten.
I bowed again to Teacher Go Doohan, then quickly walked toward the part-time instructors.
The teachers looked puzzled at me, but they were not my destination.
It was the pile of papers next to Teacher Jang Yumin. The top paper was a drawing — mine.
I had already taken photos and finished the evaluation. It would probably be discarded, so it was okay to take it.
I turned to Teacher Go Doohan.
"Can I take this?"
He answered with a sour expression.
"I could keep it for you."
"It's okay. It's my drawing, so I'll take it."
Carefully, I took the paper, afraid the pencil lines might smudge before I sprayed fixative.
No, no.
I carefully took the papers and walked toward the door. I still had a mountain of work ahead — spraying fixative and putting them into a clear portfolio file.
Walking quickly toward the drawing room door, I bowed again.
"Then I'm really going now."
.
.
.
Thud.
The door closed.
Go Doohan clicked his tongue as he watched Kang Seok awkwardly take the drawing and leave.
"Tsk. That's a shame."
There was regret on his face. Seeing this, Son Dongwook looked puzzled.
"Excuse me? What's a shame?"
"..."
Go Doohan looked back at Son Dongwook. He still didn't understand what was being said. The others were the same.
Those guys who wanted to be figure artists didn't even know the value of the Venus drawing Kang Seok just took.
"...Forget it."
Go Doohan waved his hand, signaling not to worry about it.
He figured it was more economical to swallow some cheap coffee than to explain to his dumb students.
"…It can't be helped. But every year, 5%… You know. Cheaper than the market, yes. I know. But… yes. Yes. Yes… I understand."
Kang Hyundo sighed deeply as he put down his phone. Again this year, rent went up by 5%. He looked up at the cold purple night sky and sighed heavily.
"...Huu."
"What's he saying? He said he must raise the rent by 5% again?"
Kang Hyundo's wife, Baek Myeonghee, looked at him with anxiety in her eyes.
Kang Hyundo nodded heavily.
"What can we do? If the rent goes up any more, Seok and Chaeyoung's tuition for next quarter…"
"We have to find a way."
"They said they won't approve a collateral loan. Where can we get five hundred right now?"
"…Hmm."
Baek Myeonghee's worried urging made Kang Hyundo clench his mouth tight. He looked around the store. The handmade furniture and remodeled old furniture sat unsold.
He had started the business because he loved it. He still loved it. But if this made his role as head of the family difficult...
"Yeah. Maybe it's time to stop."
If he cleared out the store, he wouldn't have to pay rent anymore, though he would take a loss. That would put out the immediate fire.
"Let's close the store."
"…You. What are you saying?"
"What do you mean?"
Surprised by the sudden voices, Kang Hyundo turned around. Kang Seok was walking in from the back door.
"Seok…! Since when have you been there?"
"Since Dad was talking to the landlord on the phone."
So he had heard everything. Baek Myeonghee looked embarrassed and glanced at Kang Hyundo.
Kang Hyundo closed his mouth again. He couldn't say in front of his son that they were giving up dreams just because they didn't have five hundred won.
As he tried to figure out what to say, Kang Seok spoke first.
"Dad."