Chapter 18

18

* * * *

A sky as white as the snow that had fallen at dawn.

Lim Uhyun, a disciple of Go Dohan, was enjoying the quiet midday of Yeonhui-dong's residential area on a weekend, sweeping the road with a broom.

It was to clear the snow that had fallen overnight. In this street of Yeonhui-dong, where only detached houses with yards existed, if the snow was not swept, it was likely to turn into an icy road.

If that happened, the people who would suffer the most would be the residents of Go Dohan's studio, located at the end of this road. The studio. Lim Uhyun, who was sweeping the road, glanced back.

The mansion, located on a slightly rising alley, filled his view with its serene and picturesque scenery.

'This is a studio?'

And this mansion was indeed the studio of Go Dohan, the ink wash painter. When he thought about the detached house right behind it being Go Dohan's home, the scale was enormous.

Even though Lim Uhyun was so afraid of the taxes that would be incurred if he owned these two mansions that his legs would tremble, Go Dohan had bought the house in front, saying it would be convenient to have the studio and home close to each other. The house in front became the studio. That was ten years ago.

In other words, even when Lim Uhyun had just been discharged from the military, Go Dohan had the means to buy this house.

'When will I become famous like this?'

Lim Uhyun swallowed a sigh and swept the ground with the broom. Snowballs stuck to the broom fell off. After roughly clearing the snow from the street, Lim Uhyun sprinkled calcium chloride and turned around.

Opening the gate and entering the mansion, a wide open space came into view. Beyond that, through the windows at the end of the open space, the first-floor studio, mainly used by Go Dohan and his disciples, was visible.

It was filled with lush plants and pine bonsai, making it hard to believe it was mid-winter.

Click.

"You've worked hard."

As the door opened, Go Dohan, who was spraying water on the pine bonsai, greeted Lim Uhyun.

"That's nothing. By the way, didn't you water the pine a few days ago?"

"Not really. Today, it's not about watering but cleaning for someone who will see it clearly."

Go Dohan lifted a brush made from weasel tail and wiped the pine bonsai. It was done with utmost care. Lim Uhyun, nodding casually at Go Dohan's high-class hobby, reached for the apron hanging by the entrance.

"Who's going to see it clearly?"

Is someone of such high status coming today? As Lim Uhyun recalled the schedule, Go Dohan waved his hand.

"Not that kind of person. Seok is coming, isn't he?"

"Seok? Kang... Seok?"

Lim Uhyun's eyes widened. Kang Seok was supposed to come in the afternoon, and that too, late. But preparing already?

"Yes. Kang Seok, a second-year sculpture major at Cheonghwa Arts High School."

Go Dohan swept the pine with the brush. A large droplet sitting on a pine branch burst.

"Teacher, you really like Seok since last time."

Lim Uhyun, who had been in charge of Kang Seok as an instructor for the ink wash painting D class and had always praised his diligence, was surprised. Go Dohan, who had shown no interest in Kang Seok, suddenly started to take good care of him after seeing his Venus plaster sketch. While Go Dohan usually treated talented people well, his treatment of Kang Seok was particularly intense.

Even to Lim Uhyun, who had been learning painting under Go Dohan for over ten years, it seemed excessive.

At that moment, Go Dohan clicked his tongue and picked up the sprayer again, this time to water the pine bonsai next to it.

"Uhyun, you've been with me for at least ten years, but how can you have eyes full of holes like a button? How can you function like that?"

"Um?"

"Is loving a pearl the size of a fingernail the same as loving a diamond the size of a fist? They're different, right?"

Go Dohan, who had thrown the sprayer down, turned around. Adjusting his cap, he seemed to want to explain more but shook his head.

Instead of speaking, Go Dohan took out his phone. He thought it would be more valuable to check when Kang Seok was coming today.

His lips twitched, and he looked very pleased.

"I need to confirm when Seok is coming. As the host, I should do that."

"Seok is coming in the afternoon..."

"So, I need to confirm what time in the afternoon. If he comes early, we might have to have lunch together, you know. Don't interrupt. I need to make a call."

He looked extremely happy. The senior disciples, who were working in the first-floor living room, whispered to each other.

'Who is Seok that the artist is so excited?'

'You don't know?'

'From what Senior Lim Uhyun said, he seems to be a high school student.'

'Now that you mention it, the artist said he was Kang Seok from Cheonghwa Arts High School... He seems to be a student, right?'

'I heard a few days ago that the artist likes this student the most these days.'

'The most?'

How does he know that the artist likes him the most when he has never been to this studio? Or is it true that the artist likes him even though he has never been here?

What is this nonsense?

As the disciples were puzzled, Go Dohan spoke loudly with a bright face.

"Hey! Seok! It's me, Go Dohan!"

At those words, the senior disciples stretched their necks like meerkats. Even after ten years, Go Dohan's affectionate tone was so warm that it could be mistaken for a grandfather calling his grandson.

"Hey. I was just checking when you're coming since it's almost lunchtime... What? What time are you coming? Lunch? You've already eaten? With whom? Minhyuk? Professor Minhyuk? The Minhyuk I know? Is your appointment with him?"

Professor Minhyuk?

The senior disciples looked at each other again. Was this the Minhyuk who often appeared on TV these days? Lim Uhyun's eyes, including those of the senior disciples, widened like rabbits.

'If it's Minhyuk, he's the one who always appears on current affairs programs.'

'You still don't know if it's the same Minhyuk, but it seems the artist really likes him. His voice is so affectionate during the call.'

'I mean...! But is he really acquainted with Minhyuk? I've watched all the recent YouTube videos. If they're close, I want to ask for an autograph.'

'YouTube? The one that recently got over 5 million views? I saw it too.'

'Professor Minhyuk really speaks so politely, doesn't he? He looks well-educated, but he also has a youthful quality.'

The disciples' interest shifted from Kang Seok to Professor Minhyuk. They whispered excitedly, not even noticing that Go Dohan had finished his call. That was a mistake.

"Are you not drawing and just playing around?"

Go Dohan, disappointed that Kang Seok wasn't coming, glared at the innocent disciples. The disciples looked up at Go Dohan in surprise. Lim Uhyun, who was visible behind Go Dohan's shoulder, had already left the scene.

"Th... That's..."

"Pick up a pencil right now!"

* * * *

"That's enough, Mother. You can stop now."

"Just a little more."

Baek Myunghui moved her hands despite Kang Seok's attempts to stop her. A vase was placed on the table. The hastily arranged scene in one corner of Seok's furniture store looked quite nice, given that a guest was coming.

The vase on the lace-covered table added a bright touch to the atmosphere.

"Yeah. The vase really brightens up the place."

Baek Myunghui received a compliment from Kang Hyundo, who approached. Kang Hyundo also wasn't empty-handed. He held a transparent glass bowl filled with stevia cherry tomatoes and camellia flowers.

Fruits that were hard to find in Seok's furniture store or at home.

The words "Is all this really necessary?" rose to his throat, but he couldn't say them because Baek Myunghui and Kang Hyundo's eyes sparkled like those of teenagers. They looked excited.

"Dad and Mom seem more excited than I am."

Kang Chae-young whispered to Kang Seok, apparently thinking the same thing. It was true. Their excited movements were evident.

"Well, they have a reason to be excited. If Professor Minhyuk came to meet you, I'd be excited too if it were my son."

"Who's talking about a son?"

"What? Why are you saying that? How much of an age difference is there between you and me? Anyway, seeing how Professor Minhyuk adjusted his schedule to come here today, he must really want to commission you. I have some advice. You shouldn't act like you're going to accept it easily."

Kang Chae-young whispered as if she were a brilliant strategist. She didn't realize that there was an old man inside Kang Seok.

Well, listening to her, what she was saying wasn't entirely wrong.

"Anyway, you can't just leave everything to Dad and Mom. You need to express your own opinion."

"Right. Right."

"What do you mean, 'right, right'? You were planning to leave everything to Mom and Dad and just go to Teacher Go Dohan's studio today, weren't you? That's not going to work! You need to clearly show that you're already a mature artist..."

"Got it. I understand. Go help your parents."

"Wh...!"

"Chae-young!"

"Y... Yes!"

Kang Chae-young, who ran to Baek Myunghui at her call, didn't forget to point at her own eyes and then at Kang Seok's with her index and middle fingers. It was a gesture to indicate that she was watching.

If I act like a fool today, I'll get a beating from Chae-young. Kang Seok shivered, imagining Chae-young running around like a wild calf.

Despite inheriting her mother's good looks, Kang Chae-young could be terrifying when she got angry and acted like a wild calf.

'At least the neighbors are nice.'

Kang Seok turned his head, thinking such trivial thoughts. At that moment, he noticed something like a tail of a horse swaying and disappearing behind the window. He tilted his head in confusion.

What is that?

As he wondered, the wind chime jingled.

The front door opened, and a middle-aged man and a girl, who looked to be around Kang Chae-young's age, entered. The girl had a ponytail. It seemed the tail he had seen was her hair.

"Excuse me..."

"Excuse me. We had an appointment to meet you yesterday or today... Is this the right place?"

"Yes, it is. You contacted us after seeing the cradle photo, right?"

"Ah, yes, that's right."

Baek Myunghui greeted them enthusiastically, and Kang Seok watched from behind.

The middle-aged man had a slightly plump build, neither too broad nor too thin. At first glance, he seemed to have good posture, but his neck was forward, and his shoulders were hunched inward, suggesting he spent a lot of time reading at a desk.

"Hello."

"Yes, hello."

"Hello."

"Yes, hello."

With so many people, the greetings continued back and forth. In the awkward atmosphere, Kang Chae-young emerged from the inner room with drinks and paper cups.

It seemed she had been asked to do this by her mother.

"Ah!"

Kang Chae-young looked surprised as soon as she came out. She seemed to be startled by seeing Professor Minhyuk in person, but then she noticed the girl standing in her direction.

"What? Yi Yoonji! What are you doing here?"

"Ah, hello..."

...

...

"Our Chae-young and Yoonji are in the same class."

Baek Myunghui, her eyes sparkling, offered the stevia tomatoes to the girl, Yi Yoonji.

"...So, Professor Minhyuk found the cradle photo because you followed my feed, right?"

"Yes. My father saw that I had liked it..."

"Yoonji, you should finish what you're saying."

"...Ah."

Yoonji's head drooped. Her cheeks, flushed as if dipped in hibiscus water, betrayed her shyness. She seemed to be a very shy person.

"Haha. Oh, our Yoonji is so shy."

"She's cute. Right, dear?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Thank you for your kind words. Haha."

Professor Minhyuk, perhaps feeling a bit warm, took off his padded jacket and made a joke. Kang Chae-young, looking at Yoonji with wide eyes, seemed surprised that Yoonji hadn't revealed that she was Professor Minhyuk's daughter.

As Kang Seok stepped back to observe the situation, Professor Minhyuk, now out of his jacket, glanced around the four people gathered and gently brought up the main topic.

"Haha... Well, anyway, which one of you is the sculptor...?"

At Professor Minhyuk's question, Yoonji's eyes sparkled, and she lifted her head. It seemed she, like Professor Minhyuk, was very interested in the sculptor.

It was time for him to step forward.

"I sculpted it."

Kang Seok's calm response surprised Professor Minhyuk. He had expected a man around his age to have done the sculpting, but it was a much younger boy who raised his hand.

"Your age...?"

"I'm a second-year high school student. Eighteen years old."

"Eighteen... I only studied at that age, but young students these days are really impressive. Is it because of the MZ generation? Haha."

MZ? MZ?

Yoonji quickly turned her head to the side.

"Dad...!"

Embarrassed, Yoonji's face turned red, and Professor Minhyuk nodded.

"Haha. Okay, okay. Anyway, it's really impressive. Teacher."

Despite hearing that he was a high school student, Professor Minhyuk didn't hesitate to call him "teacher," showing that he knew how to treat people with respect. Kang Seok, feeling satisfied, nodded slightly without realizing it.

The corners of Professor Minhyuk's eyes crinkled, indicating that he was a person who smiled often.

"Then... Teacher, please look at this photo."

What he extended was a photo. Several photos were presented, and they seemed to be old film photos, given the dates on them. Kang Seok picked up the photo.

"An owl?"

"Yes, a barn owl. My father took this photo. To be precise, it was taken when my father, a bird researcher, was a professor at Seoul National University..."

"Ah, I see."

"I came here to commission a sculpture of this barn owl."

Professor Minhyuk said, wiping his sweat.

Kang Seok tilted his head as he looked at the photo. He had thought the man was only interested in sculptures and wouldn't buy furniture, but it was still unexpected. To come to a furniture store just to commission a sculpture of an owl.

Do you like owls?

A question formed in Kang Seok's eyes. Sensing this, Professor Minhyuk quickly spoke, a hint of bitterness in his eyes and mouth.

"Haha... Well, recently, my father has been unwell and keeps saying he wants to see this barn owl again."

To the point of commissioning a sculpture? Not only Kang Seok, but also Kang Hyundo and Baek Myunghui looked puzzled. Professor Minhyuk nodded, as if understanding their confusion.

"It's a bit unusual, but a lifelong passion can take up a lot of space in one's mind... As he nears the end, it seems he has a lot of lingering feelings."

"Haha... But even when I commissioned an exact replica and took photos from all angles, he said it wasn't what he wanted. Even when I made a video and showed it to him, he said he didn't need a video... I even brought him to the Jeonju Zoo to see a barn owl, but he said it didn't look right."

Did you do all that?

Kang Chae-young opened her mouth in surprise. Despite his stern appearance, his filial piety was no joke. When Kang Chae-young looked at Yoonji in surprise, Yoonji nodded and mouthed silently.

'A bit unusual.'

"Anyway, I want to help him let go of his lingering feelings, but it's not easy... I can't resort to illegal taxidermy, can I?"

Professor Minhyuk, unaware of the silent conversation between Yoonji and Kang Chae-young, was absorbed in his story.

"Now, I'm wondering what else I can do... When I saw the cradle photo that Yoonji liked, I thought this was it. If I give him a sculpture of a barn owl that looks exactly like the photo, maybe this time it will help..."

It was a touching story.

It wasn't a story that couldn't be understood. Although Kang Seok didn't show it on his face, he deeply empathized with Professor Minhyuk's feelings.

The desire to do something for the parents who have given you love. Kang Seok was also moving with such a heart, so there was no reason not to empathize.

'He's a good person.'

Kang Seok thought as he looked at Professor Minhyuk. However, in such situations, Kang Seok's expression rarely changed.

To Professor Minhyuk, Kang Seok's expression seemed to say, "So what?"

Professor Minhyuk cautiously added a few more words.

"I know how much of a burden it would be for you to make an exact replica. No, it doesn't have to be an exact replica. Can you try to make it as close as possible?"

"..."

"Whether it's a perfect replica or not, I will compensate you well."

"..."

Professor Minhyuk fidgeted with his hands.