"An advance payment? Five million won?"
Kang-seok's eyes twitched slightly. The price of a sculpture could vary depending on the material, the artist, and the scale, but five million won as an advance was by no means a small amount.
Especially not for a high school student who had never sold a sculpture before.
It was excessive.
Even Kang Hyun-do must have realized that Lee Min-hyuk had quoted a very high price. His face clearly showed how shocked he was at the amount.
But Lee Min-hyuk was too busy watching Kang-seok, the one who would be making the sculpture, to notice.
And Kang-seok had no intention of commenting on the price. He just stared at the envelope containing the five million won for a moment before speaking slowly.
"…Have you thought about what material or approximate size you want?"
Baek Myung-hee and Kang Hyun-do widened their eyes. Depending on how you heard it, it sounded like he was accepting the commission.
Lee Min-hyuk understood it the same way and smiled brightly.
"No. I haven't really thought about that."
"Really?"
"Yes. But if I had to say, I'd prefer whatever material makes it look as similar as possible to the Eurasian eagle-owl in this photo. Size-wise, about the size of an actual owl."
Lee Min-hyuk carefully explained what he wanted. It wasn't an unreasonable request for a commission.
"How long do you want it to take?"
"The sooner the better, but I'd like to receive it within two months, if possible… Do you think that's doable?"
"Hm…"
No preference for material, actual owl size, and a deadline of two months… Kang-seok folded his arms and fell into thought.
Baek Myung-hee nudged Kang Hyun-do in the ribs.
'What are we going to do about this?'
'Hmm.'
'Isn't five million as an advance too much? Shouldn't we say something?'
Baek Myung-hee whispered to Kang Hyun-do with a worried expression.
This could easily be mistaken for a scam if things went wrong. And Baek Myung-hee had more on her mind than that.
She hadn't said anything, but she was seriously wondering whether it was right for Seok, who would be a senior in high school soon, to be spending his precious vacation on something like this.
He'd already been sidetracked by the high school mural exhibition, and now there was the figure drawing project and submission to Mr. Go Doo-han's solo exhibition. Sure, it might help with his student record, but wasn't he focusing too much on making money rather than on college entrance prep?
They'd talked about money so much in front of their child — was he now just chasing money? Was this really the right parenting approach? Baek Myung-hee was genuinely confused lately.
'Huh?'
But Kang Hyun-do had a slightly different take.
College entrance was important, sure. But so were the experiences gained along the way — they often paved the road to one's dreams.
To forbid those experiences in the name of college admission was too harsh. Besides, the time when just one college line on a resume outweighed actual experience was ending.
'Seok can figure it out on his own.'
'Honey…!'
Kang Hyun-do had once dreamed of being a sculptor too. His ideal school life was just like what Seok was living now, so he wanted to let him follow his own path.
'Honestly, Seok may not have experience, but he's good at sculpting.'
Just thinking of the bas-relief sculpture Seok had made a few weeks ago gave Hyun-do chills. It was delicate and beautiful, on par with the work of famous sculptors — a miracle, really.
'Still…'
'If a famous sculptor had made that, it would've sold for well over five million won. He's that good. Let's trust him.'
'You…'
'Hmm? Myung-hee.'
'…Alright.'
Just as their whispered conversation ended, Kang-seok seemed to reach a decision and unfolded his arms.
"Let's do it."
"…What? You're really accepting the commission?"
"Yes."
He had never intended to reject it in the first place.
Kang-seok wanted to make money. His dream wasn't just to become a sculptor. He wanted to use his own earnings to make his family happy and lift them up.
And this commission was a chance to accelerate that dream. He wasn't about to let the opportunity slip by.
Of course, he knew the value of his own work, so he planned to make sure he received more than five million won total — and it seemed like that would be possible.
Still.
The reason he hesitated in answering was because the five million won was only the advance.
Since it was a partial payment, they would need to set the final amount in a formal contract.
"Thank you, thank you! Then about the remaining balance…?"
Lee Min-hyuk brought it up as well.
At that moment, Baek Myung-hee placed the contract on the table. Kang-seok stared at the section for the payment amount, then looked up.
His reddish-brown eyes met Professor Lee Min-hyuk's.
"The remaining amount will be…"
— Did he really say he'd decide the rest of the payment based on Professor Lee's father's reaction?!
From the speaker, Yoon Yu-ran shouted. Kang Chae-young, holding her phone, nodded vigorously.
"That's what I'm saying! Even though he's my brother…"
— That's so cool!
"So cool… huh?"
— It means he's confident! Seriously… your brother is amazing! He's on a whole different level than the lazy pancake rolling around our house!
Lazy pancake. Chae-young thought of Yu-ran's brother. To be fair, he wasn't quite that bad.
"Your brother's not that…"
— Anyway, tell me about Lee Yoon-ji. She blushed when she saw your brother, right?
"Uh… yeah, I think so."
Though she always seemed to blush anyway. Chae-young muttered to herself.
— That's how falling for someone starts, little by little. Ah! No! I can't lose my spot as his #1 fan. Your brother only goes to school on weekdays, right?
There was a loud noise over the speaker, like something had fallen over at Yu-ran's house.
— Ack…! Can I come over today—ack!
"Yu-ran, you okay?"
— I'm fine, I'm fine! Huff… You lazy pancake, I swear I'm going to end you today. Huff… Anyway, Chae-young. Can I come hang out at the furniture store today?
"Sure, but… my brother's not home today."
Yu-ran shouted.
— What now?!
"He said he has to go to Mr. Go Doo-han's studio. You heard too, right? He's submitting a drawing to the teacher's solo exhibition."
— …
Silence. Chae-young held the phone closer to the speaker, and just then—
An ear-splitting shriek like a pterodactyl pierced the room. Chae-young jumped and flung the phone across the bed.
Is this the place?
Kang-seok stared at the blinking red dot on the app map, then looked up. A quiet street. A huge detached house loomed in front of him.
"…This is the studio?"
A large detached house as a studio made Mr. Go Doo-han seem suddenly different.
He must be even more famous than Kang-seok thought. If this was just the studio, the actual home had to be incredible.
Kang-seok's eyes sparkled. One day, he wanted a big house like this — as both studio and home.
I've got to work hard.
Just thinking of the solo exhibition submission fired him up. With renewed determination, Kang-seok pressed the doorbell.
━ …Who is it?
"This is Mr. Go Doo-han's studio, right?"
━ Yes. And who are you?
"This is Kang-seok. I'm here for the work we scheduled today."
━ Ah, Kang-seok.
━ …Did you say Kang-seok just now?
━ ...
━ You said Kang-seok, right? Move aside. I want to see his face!
━ Move! Stop pushing! We're talking through the intercom—Beep!
Click.
Kang-seok blinked. Something chaotic just came through the intercom.
Was it just his imagination? The whirlwind of noise and the now-opened gate made him feel a little dizzy.
What a noisy beginning.
He stared at the open gate for a moment, then slowly stepped inside.
.
.
.
"Hello."
When the front door opened and he stepped inside, the first thing Kang-seok encountered was a polite greeting.
A trio dressed in white shirts and slacks, with aprons loosely tied around their waists, welcomed him.
"Ah, yes. Hello."
Kang-seok quickly bowed in return, startled by their overly formal greeting, and looked over the trio's shoulders for Go Doo-han. But he wasn't there. Kang-seok glanced at his watch. He had arrived a little earlier than the time they'd agreed on during their phone call.
Maybe he came too early.
"Um… the artist had an unexpected lunch appointment because of his solo exhibition. He said he texted you — did you happen to see it?"
"Pardon?"
"Oh, he might have just sent it, so maybe you haven't received it yet. Anyway, he told us to show you to your seat when you arrived. Would you like to come in?"
"Ah, sure."
Kang-seok quickly slipped his feet into the slippers they offered and followed them inside. The woman walking in front had her hair tied in a bouncing bun.
It seemed she was the leader of the trio, since she was the only one speaking.
At that moment, as if sensing his gaze, the woman turned her head. The bun on top of her head, wobbling like a steamed bun, filled his view.
"I'm Bae Ji-min."
"Yes, I'm Kang-seok."
"Yeah, I know."
Bae Ji-min, bun-head, gave a light laugh. The overly formal atmosphere softened slightly.
Her whole expression changed when she smiled, he thought. Then, one of the men from the trio suddenly slung an arm around his shoulders.
What the—
"You're a high schooler, right?"
"Yes."
"I'm Park Ji-hoon. Just call me Ji-hoon hyung."
Unlike the overly formal Bae Ji-min, the man called Park Ji-hoon was way too casual. Kang-seok's eyes naturally shifted to the last man in the trio, standing opposite Bae Ji-min.
That one must be somewhere in between the two, he thought briefly. Just then, Bae Ji-min stopped walking.
"Kang-seok, you can use this space here."
She gestured toward a spacious area, about 10 square meters in size, as if to tell him to sit.
"Thank you."
"No problem. The artist will be back within a few hours, but since waiting might get boring, if you've already decided what to draw, feel free to start. If you need canvas or paper, you can grab some over there and use it freely. Um… did you bring your own drawing tools?"
She smiled kindly, suggesting she could lend him supplies if needed. Of course, he didn't need any help.
"Yes, I brought them."
His bag contained the full 120-color set of Prismacolor pencils.
"Very well prepared! Then I'll give you space. Use this area however you'd like. The guys can use the bathroom on the first floor, and everything in the kitchen is free to use — feel free to eat and drink. If you need anything, my spot is over there in the far corner. People usually come and go freely…"
Just as the endless string of kindness began to overwhelm him, Park Ji-hoon stepped in between her and Kang-seok at just the right moment.
"Yeah, yeah. Ji-min, that's enough."
"What's with you, Park Ji-hoon?"
"You're going overboard. Come on. You're gonna give someone indigestion. Even I feel uncomfortable just watching. Right, Jeong-heon?"
"..."
"Exactly. Let's go, Ji-min. You too, Ban Jeong-heon."
Park Ji-hoon slung an arm over both Ji-min and Jeong-heon's shoulders and led them away. Watching them, Kang-seok thought:
Ji-min is excessively polite, Ji-hoon overly friendly, and Jeong-heon is just too quiet. They were all very distinct characters.
"Ah—! Let go. I can walk by myself—"
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go."
"..."
As he watched Park Ji-hoon throw a goofy, failed wink and walk away, Kang-seok turned his head back.
Once the three disappeared, peace finally returned. He casually set his bag down and turned toward the direction Ji-min had indicated earlier — where the paper and canvases were kept.
The paper was stored in the largest room on the first floor. It was so spacious it might have originally been the master bedroom. The entire room was filled with paper.
The types were so varied, it almost rivaled the art shops in Insa-dong. For a moment, the sight of all that paper overwhelmed him — but Kang-seok had only one goal from the start.
Would it be here?
His eyes scanned the room. Then they stopped.
110g drawing paper. The very one he wanted. Kang-seok reached out and pulled out a sheet. Thinner than Kent paper, it revealed itself.
There it is.
He quietly gazed at the drawing paper. Then he wondered how many sheets he should take. The decision didn't take long.
Kang-seok grabbed a large handful.
After Kang-seok entered the room, everyone's eyes darted toward it like arrows.
"What do you think he'll bring out?"
Usually, works for drawing exhibitions aren't made on plain paper. Instead, artists use wood panels wrapped in paper to start their work.
It helps with preservation and prevents damage during the process. It's also easier to display at galleries.
"But since he goes to Cheonghwa Arts High, he's probably participated in school exhibitions, right? He should've worked with paper panels before."
"But not on a large scale."
"True."
The largest paper a high schooler typically uses is 2-cut or full-size sheets.
"At most, he might bring out a size 10 P-type (Paysage) panel, which is roughly the same as a 4-cut (39×27 cm), or maybe a 12-size. He could even just bring a Kent sheet around that size."
"Yeah, that's standard."
They all assumed he'd bring out something within a typical high schooler's range.
"Those were the good old days."
"Weren't they?"
A disciple of Go Doo-han, who had been working, lifted his head. A size 30 panel — incomparable to a 12-size — loomed massively before him.
Depending on the size, materials, and medium, the difficulty of a piece varies wildly. Naturally, artists tend to move toward larger canvases over time.
They all had.
With more years spent drawing, size 30 became their new norm.
Those were the days, they thought, missing the school years when even a size 10 or 12 felt satisfying. They were just about to resume sketching when—
Thud!
The ground shook.
Everyone turned to the room in shock. The sound had come from where Kang-seok had gone.
"Did something fall?"
There was no way it was anything but a storage container tipping over. Whispers of concern spread — maybe they should go check? Just then, the door burst open.
"Oh."
Kang-seok emerged, perfectly fine.
He was carrying a massive wooden frame on his back.
What is that?
All eyes locked onto the frame slung over his shoulders. Canvas-making frames and wood panels hung off him. It wasn't a finished panel — the pieces were separated, and it looked like he was planning to assemble it himself.
That thing was in the room, huh…
In one hand, Kang-seok also held a thick stack of paper.
What on earth is he planning to draw?
"What size is that?"
"Did we even have anything that big in there?"
As everyone stood up in disbelief, someone muttered:
"Hey… that frame. Isn't it that one?"
"What?"
"The one Teacher Go Doo-han dismantled because it was too big for him. Remember?"
Now that they mentioned it, they did recall. Last summer, Go Doo-han had gotten frustrated over a canvas being too big and smashed it apart with a hammer. They remembered him stashing the wood in that room.
"Wait. That frame was…"
"It's a size 800."
800-size.
Undoubtedly, the largest piece entered in this upcoming exhibition.