Chapter 12

12

He said, "I am now so old that I often feel as if death is snatching away my hood. It seems to be dragging me like this candlestick, trying to extinguish the lamp of my life."

– In 1557, one evening, Michelangelo to Vassari, who had come to visit.

.

.

.

“Suddenly?”

“Yes. We’re going to the hospital.”

“What’s wrong?”

Baek Myung-hee looked at Kang Seok. Her warm gaze was filled with concern. Kang Chae-young and Kang Hyun also seemed worried as they examined Kang Seok from all angles.

“No, I’m not sick. We’re going for a health check-up.”

“A health check-up?”

“Yes. A health check-up. I thought it would be good if our whole family got one this time.”

What should we do? Baek Myung-hee and Kang Hyun exchanged bewildered glances. Five million won was not a small amount, and to spend it on a health check-up...

At that moment, Kang Chae-young, who was eating, unfolded a receipt and waved it in front of Kang Seok.

“Brother, you can’t spend all five million won on a health check-up. Even if all four of us go, it won’t cost that much. And Father and Mother can get the health check-up provided by the government, right?”

Kang Chae-young turned to Baek Myung-hee.

Kang Chae-young’s eyes seemed to say, "I’m right, aren’t I?" and Baek Myung-hee nodded in agreement.

“Yes, Seok. We can get the one provided by the government... and Chae-young and you can also get the student health check-up, right?”

“You’re right. I just thought it would be good to use the money on a health check-up. If there’s no need to spend it, I’ll save it and use it later, but I want to use it when it’s decided.”

“I mean a comprehensive health check-up, not the basic one provided by the government. I’ve thought about it for a long time. You never know, right?”

Health is important.

But it’s also the easiest thing to lose.

Kang Seok recalled his previous life, where he had often thought about death.

Like a candlestick placed somewhere and forgotten, health can slip out of your grasp in an instant, and at the end of it, death awaits.

He had never been afraid of death in his past life. Back then, he thought of death as God’s creation. But now, he is afraid. He loves his family too much.

“It’s my money, so I can use it as I please, right?”

* * * *

“So you decided to get a health check-up?”

“Yeah. That’s how it turned out. But that day was the same day we planned to go to the new salad buffet.”

Kang Seok’s stubbornness eventually prevailed.

After all, it was Baek Myung-hee and Kang Hyun who had said he could use the five million won as he pleased. Thanks to this, the whole family managed to schedule a comprehensive health check-up for the following Wednesday.

“I’m really sorry.”

Kang Chae-young held her hands together in front of her friend, Yoon Yuran.

Yoon Yuran, who rarely apologizes, sighed deeply when she saw her friend bow her head in apology.

“It’s okay since you told me in advance. Are you still going?”

“Of course!”

“Then when should we go?”

Yoon Yuran asked, and Kang Chae-young sipped her lemonade through a straw while flipping through her diary.

True to her hobby of decorating diaries, Kang Chae-young’s diary was filled with various stickers. After checking the dates, she extended the diary and pointed to one.

“Next Friday. I’m free that day. How about then?”

Yoon Yuran, who usually has a less packed schedule compared to Kang Chae-young, nodded despite the dizzying array of stickers.

“Sure. But we’ll also stop by the salad buffet and go to a karaoke room, okay?”

“Of course!”

Yoon Yuran watched as Kang Chae-young marked the date in her diary with a ballpoint pen. Her gaze then shifted to the wall where people were gathered for a photo session.

This was the high school mural exhibition that had made Cheonghwa Arts High School the talk of the town.

Of course, people didn’t know that Kang Seok had painted the mural, that he was from Cheonghwa Arts High School, or that he had painted it for the public art project high school mural exhibition. It had simply become a hotspot on Instagram due to someone’s likes.

Yoon Yuran gazed at the giant mural with a dazed expression.

“I still can’t believe it. Your brother painted this?”

“Hehe. Right?”

“What was that shiny thing? Paraloi?”

“Paraloid B72. It’s to prevent pollutants from damaging the fresco. He did something else too, but I’m not sure what.”

Yoon Yuran nodded as Kang Chae-young answered while scribbling in her diary. She recalled a phone call with Kang Chae-young a few days ago.

– “Chae-young, do you know the Renaissance? They repainted a mural there recently, and there’s a new café on the 8th floor. Remember the rooftop garden we went to and came right back from because it was empty?”

– “Oh, you mean the Renaissance shopping mall. I know. My brother painted a mural there recently.”

– “...What?”

– “Ah! The 8th floor, that’s it. My brother painted it on the 8th floor! Want to go see it?”

If Yoon Yuran hadn’t seen the process shots that Kang Chae-young had received from Kang Seok, she wouldn’t have believed it easily. A high school student painted this? Who would believe it? Yoon Yuran shook her head.

She thought he was just good-looking. He was different from the lump of resentment at home. Yoon Yuran pouted.

“He seems pretty cool. Your brother.”

Kang Chae-young nodded as she stuck a sticker in her diary.

“My brother is pretty cool. He’s always been cool, but especially lately. He’s completely transformed. Actually, the money for this health check-up came from the mural he painted... Ah!”

“Ah? Start from the beginning. What’s this health check-up about?”

“Hold on.”

Kang Chae-young held out her palm and scrolled through her phone screen with one hand. Yoon Yuran leaned in. The logo visible on the screen was Instagram. What is it?

“Look at this!”

Yoon Yuran’s head jerked back as Kang Chae-young suddenly thrust her phone forward. What she saw was a white... piece of furniture with a bird on it.

“The bird looks so real, right? My brother carved it. He’s not just good at painting.”

“Carved this? Wow... Is this for sale? Can we find it in a furniture store now?”

“Yes, it’s there.”

Kang Chae-young took back her phone, tapped her chin with her finger, and hinted.

“...Do you want to see it?”

“Yes! Yes!”

“Okay. Let’s chat a bit at the café and then go. I’ll call them.”

Yoon Yuran’s eyes lit up. It had been a long time since she had been to Kang Chae-young’s furniture store.

Memories fade and swell, so in Yoon Yuran’s mind, the Seok Furniture Store was a cozy place with board games, comic books, and snacks, almost like a playground in heaven.

It was the best. Yoon Yuran, reminiscing about the past, asked with a subtle look.

“...Is your brother there? Or is he at home?”

“No, he’s not at the furniture store right now.”

“Eh? Then where?”

“He’s probably at school.”

“School? It’s winter break?”

* * * *

The sun rose high in the sky.

Light shone on the snow-covered white world. It was a warm midday in the middle of winter.

‘Life drawing...’

Life drawing. The act of sketching the human body in various forms and poses. The familiar name made Kang Seok’s lips curl into a smile.

‘It’ll be fun.’

The human body and anatomy.

It was the lifelong trajectory of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

That’s why Kang Seok was quite excited about the purpose of today’s meeting: the publication of the third-year life drawing portfolio.

Kang Seok’s fingers played over the portfolio file containing his sketches as if it were a piano.

‘When will they arrive?’

Sitting by the window, chin in hand, he observed the shadows cast by the light when the door opened.

“They’re all here.”

It was Go Doo-han.

Three figures followed him into the life drawing room: Im Woo-hyun, Son Dong-wook, and Jang Yu-min.

The sound of chairs being moved back to their places echoed from all sides.

The third-year students, who had seen Go Doo-han for three years, were more relaxed than anxious. Of course, the most relaxed student in the classroom was Kang Seok.

Go Doo-han, seeing that Kang Seok showed no signs of tension even though he had arrived, covered his mouth. One side of his lip twitched.

‘That guy is also said to be good at Western painting...’

Four days ago. When Teacher Joo Sarang, who had returned to school after a long time, was enjoying tea time in the staff room, her words came to mind.

– “This is a painting Seok drew. Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it amazing!”

Among the regular practical teachers at a private high school, especially an arts high school, Joo Sarang was quite young. Perhaps because of this, she was quite friendly and had a good relationship with Go Doo-han, who was usually quite reserved.

The painting she showed was almost shocking.

The level of detail and precision was comparable to the restoration of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

It was said that government officials, who are not known for their meticulous work, had taken unprecedented measures to prevent damage to the high school mural project for the first time.

They had created a café in the mall to control the temperature, installed six more air purifiers, and replaced the lights on the 8th floor with low-heat ones.

The door leading to the rooftop garden was sealed with welded glass, and additional construction was supported to allow entry through a passage as far away from the mural as possible.

None of these measures were easy to implement. While Kang Seok had indeed created a great work, it was not an easy task considering the usual way these officials handled things.

‘It seems a new talent has joined...’

Interesting things might happen soon. Go Doo-han adjusted his cap and organized his thoughts.

Regardless, it was a pleasure to discover a new side to Kang Seok. It would be great if he could show the same in my project. With this thought, Go Doo-han lifted his head.

While he was momentarily distracted, the chaotic atmosphere in the classroom had fallen into a silence like that of a library.

“What’s with all the frozen faces?”

Go Doo-han, letting out a deflated laugh, turned his gaze to Jang Yu-min. Jang Yu-min quickly placed a handleless basket on the front desk of each section.

The students’ chins lifted slightly, curious about what was in the basket.

“It’s a snack, you guys.”

Go Doo-han leaned against a desk by the wall.

“Since we’re taking your time during the break, we should at least treat you well. Otherwise, you’ll complain at home.”

“No!”

“No, we won’t!”

“Yes!”

At the sound of a squeak from somewhere, Go Doo-han’s eyes widened. Standing crookedly by the lectern, he tore open a bag of snacks and grumbled.

“No matter how well we treat you...”

“Hahaha!”

“Haha! The teacher is upset!”

Kang Seok raised an eyebrow in surprise. Unlike during the second-year life drawing class, Go Doo-han’s demeanor seemed more relaxed.

Is this what they call favoritism? It’s no wonder he was rumored to be a meritocrat at the beginning of the semester. As Kang Seok was having these thoughts,

“Well, after three years of being together, we don’t even need to greet each other, but I can see your eyes rolling to one side.”

Go Doo-han met Kang Seok’s gaze.

“Curious about the new face you’ve seen, huh? Right?”

At Go Doo-han’s words, Kang Seok slightly turned his head. At the same time, the sound of many heads turning back made Kang Seok’s expression change.

“The third-year students are probably dying to know about the new addition. Seok.”

When did he start calling me Seok? Kang Seok frowned at Go Doo-han, who called him with an overly familiar tone.

Regardless, Go Doo-han snapped his fingers. It was a gesture to come over. Scratching his nose, Kang Seok stood up leisurely. As he was about to head to the lectern, Go Doo-han added,

“You should bring that too.”

Go Doo-han nodded at the portfolio file.

Ah. Kang Seok nodded. What better way to introduce yourself to an art student than with your own work? Kang Seok gripped the black portfolio file.

13. Second-year student.