Chapter 19

19

Advance payment? Five million won?

Kang Seok's eyes twitched. Depending on the material used for the sculpture, the artist, and the scale, the price per unit naturally varied, but five million won as an advance payment was certainly not a small amount, especially for a high school student who had never sold a sculpture before.

It was excessive.

Even Kang Hyun-do could tell that Lee Min-hyuk had quoted a very high amount, as his face clearly showed his shock at the five million won figure.

However, Lee Min-hyuk was more focused on Kang Seok's reaction. He didn't notice.

Kang Seok had no intention of explaining the price. He simply stared at the envelope containing five million won for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

"Have you thought about what material to use and how big it should be?"

Baek Myung-hee and Kang Hyun-do's eyes widened. Depending on how it was interpreted, it could sound like he was accepting the commission.

Lee Min-hyuk also understood it that way and smiled broadly.

"No, I haven't thought about that."

"Really?"

"Yes. But if I had to choose, I don't mind the material. I just want it to look as similar as possible to the barn owl in this photo. The size should be about the same as a real barn owl."

Lee Min-hyuk meticulously explained what he wanted. It wasn't an unreasonable request.

"How long do you need?"

"The sooner, the better. But ideally, I'd like to receive it within two months. Is that possible?"

"Hmm..."

Material doesn't matter, but the size should be about the same as a real barn owl, and within two months... Kang Seok crossed his arms and thought for a moment.

Baek Myung-hee nudged Kang Hyun-do.

'What do we do?'

'Hmm.'

'Isn't five million won as an advance payment too much? Shouldn't we say something?'

Baek Myung-hee whispered to Kang Hyun-do, worried.

If they didn't, Kang Seok might end up being a fraud. Moreover, Baek Myung-hee had other concerns.

Though she didn't say it, she was worried about Seok, who was about to be a senior, spending his precious vacation time on this.

He was already losing time to the high school mural competition, the human figure sketching project, and the sketch exhibition for Mr. Go Doo-han. While it would help his school record, she was worried that he was focusing too much on making money rather than preparing for college entrance exams.

Maybe they were pushing him too much to think about money. As a parent, she was often confused about whether they were doing the right thing.

'Yes?'

But Kang Hyun-do thought differently.

College entrance exams are important, but the experiences he's having now will also shape his future dreams.

It would be cruel to deny him the experiences needed to pursue his dreams just because he's going to college.

'He'll do well on his own.'

'Honey...!'

Kang Hyun-do, who once dreamed of being a sculptor, had a similar experience to Seok's, so he wanted to let Seok do what he wanted even more.

'He's just inexperienced, but he's a good sculptor.'

Thinking back to the high relief sculpture Seok made a few weeks ago, Kang Hyun-do shuddered. His son's sculpture was as delicate and beautiful as any famous sculptor's. It was a miracle.

'Still...'

'If a famous sculptor had made it, it would have sold for much more than five million won. That's the level of skill. So, let's just take the commission.'

'You...!'

'Yes? Myung-hee.'

'...I understand.'

As Kang Hyun-do and Baek Myung-hee's whispered conversation came to an end, Kang Seok also seemed to have made a decision and uncrossed his arms.

"Let's do it."

"Really? You'll take the commission?"

"Yes."

Kang Seok never intended to reject the commission.

He wanted to make money. Being a sculptor was just one of his dreams. He wanted to use the money he earned to make his family happy and improve their living conditions.

This commission was an opportunity to bring his dreams closer. He had no intention of letting it slip away.

Of course, knowing the value of his sculptures, he planned to charge more than five million won, but that issue was also resolved.

Still.

The reason it took Kang Seok so long to answer was because of the advance payment.

Since part of the payment was made in advance, if a formal contract for the commission was to be written, the remaining amount also needed to be determined.

"Thank you. Thank you! Then, how about the remaining amount...?"

Lee Min-hyuk also mentioned this.

With that question, the contract brought by Baek Myung-hee landed on the table. Kang Seok stared at the section for specifying the amount and then looked up.

Kang Seok's amber eyes met Lee Min-hyuk's.

"The remaining amount..."

...

...

━ After seeing the father's reaction, he decided the remaining amount?!

Yoon Yuran screamed through the speaker. Kang Chae-young nodded enthusiastically while holding her phone.

"Really! No matter how good he is..."

━ He's so cool!

"He's so cool... Yes?"

━ That means he's really confident. Oh, really...! Your brother is so cool! He's on a whole different level from the lazy bums at our house!

Lazy bums. Kang Chae-young thought of Yoon Yuran's brother. Honestly, he wasn't that bad.

"Your brother is that good..."

━ Anyway, talk to Lee Yoonji a bit. She blushed when she saw Seok, right?

"Yeah... That's true."

But it might have been her usual blushing. Kang Chae-young mumbled.

━ That's how fangirling usually starts. Oh no! I can't! I can't lose the No. 1 fan spot. Your brother only goes to school on weekdays, right?

From the other side of the speaker, a loud noise was heard. It sounded like something in the house had fallen over.

━ Oh...! I'm going out today, oh!

"Yuran, are you okay?"

━ I'm fine. I'm fine! ...Phew, you lazy bum. If I let you live today, you're not human. Phew... So, Chae-young. Can I go to the furniture store today?

"It's fine, but... Your brother isn't home today."

Yoon Yuran shouted.

━ Why not today?!

"Today, he has to go to Mr. Go Doo-han's studio. You know, he's going to exhibit a sketch in Mr. Go Doo-han's solo exhibition."

━ ...

In the silence, Kang Chae-young brought the speaker closer. At the same time, she was startled and dropped her phone far away.

On Kang Chae-young's bed.

A few feet away from Kang Chae-young, a speaker was making a sound like a dinosaur's cry.

* * * *

Is this the place?

Kang Seok looked at the blinking red dot on the app map and then lifted his head. A quiet street. A massive single-family home stood before him.

"Is this the studio?"

The large single-family home being a studio made Kang Seok see Mr. Go Doo-han differently.

He must be more famous than I thought. If he has a studio like this, his actual home must be impressive too.

Kang Seok's eyes sparkled. He wanted to have a large mansion like this as both a studio and a home someday.

I need to work hard.

The thought of participating in this solo exhibition made him even more enthusiastic. With renewed determination, he pressed the doorbell.

━ Who is it?

"Is this Mr. Go Doo-han's studio?"

━ Yes, but who are you?

"My name is Kang Seok. I was supposed to visit today for the work."

━ Ah, Kang Seok.

━ ...Did you just say Kang Seok?

━ ...

━ ...Did you just say Kang Seok? Step aside. Let me see his face!

━ Get away. You're not moving? We're talking through the intercom...

Beep!

Thud.

Kang Seok blinked. Something noisy seemed to have come through the intercom.

Was it just my imagination? The sound and the open door made him dizzy for a moment.

It was a noisy start.

Kang Seok stared at the open gate for a moment and then slowly stepped forward.

.

.

.

"Hello."

When he opened the front door and entered, the first thing Kang Seok saw was a polite greeting.

A white dress shirt, slacks, and a loosely tied apron. The trio welcomed him.

"Ah, yes. Hello."

In response to the overly polite greeting, Kang Seok quickly bowed and looked over their shoulders for Mr. Go Doo-han. But he wasn't there. He looked at his watch. He was a bit early compared to the time they agreed on the phone.

Did I come too early?

"That... Mr. Go Doo-han has a sudden lunch appointment for the solo exhibition. He said he would text you, did you check your messages?"

"Um?"

"Ah, he might have sent it just a little while ago, so you might not have received it. Anyway, Mr. Go Doo-han said to show you to your seat. Would you like to come in?"

"Ah, yes."

Kang Seok quickly put on the slippers offered and followed them. The woman walking in front of him had a bun.

Judging by the fact that the woman with the bun was the only one talking among the three, she seemed to be the leader.

At that moment, the woman with the bun turned her head, noticing his gaze. Her bun, which looked like a steamed bun, caught his attention.

"My name is Bae Ji-min."

"Yes, I'm Kang Seok."

"Yes, I know."

Bae Ji-min smiled softly. The overly polite atmosphere became a bit softer.

As he thought about how her expression changed when she smiled, one of the trio put his arm around his shoulder.

What?

"High school student, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm Park Ji-hoon. Call me Ji-hoon."

Unlike Bae Ji-min, who was overly polite, Park Ji-hoon was overly friendly. Kang Seok's gaze naturally shifted to the man on the opposite side of Bae Ji-min.

Is he a mix of the two? As he pondered, Bae Ji-min stopped.

"Mr. Kang Seok, you can use this space."

Bae Ji-min pointed to a spacious area of about 30 square feet and gestured for him to sit.

"Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome. Mr. Go Doo-han will be here in a few hours, so it might be a bit boring waiting. If you've decided on a theme, you can start drawing. If you need canvas or paper, feel free to take it from over there. And... Do you have your drawing tools?"

Bae Ji-min smiled warmly, offering to lend them if needed. Of course, he didn't need any help.

"Yes, I brought them."

He had a set of 120 Prismacolor pencils in his bag.

"You're well-prepared. I'll leave you to it. Make yourself comfortable. The men's restroom is on the first floor. Everything in the kitchen is free, so feel free to eat and drink. If you need any help, my desk is over there. You can come and go as you please..."

As the endless kindness made him feel dizzy, Park Ji-hoon intervened.

"Yes, yes, Bae Ji-min. That's enough."

"What, Park Ji-hoon."

"You're being too overbearing. Come on. This is making me uncomfortable. Isn't it, Jung-hun?"

"..."

"Yes, it is. Let's go. Bae Ji-min. Let's go. Ban Jung-hun."

Park Ji-hoon put his arm around Bae Ji-min and Ban Jung-hun and walked forward. Kang Seok watched from behind, thinking.

Bae Ji-min is overly polite, Park Ji-hoon is overly friendly, and Ban Jung-hun is overly quiet. They have distinct personalities.

"Ah...! Let go. I can walk on my own..."

"Sure, sure. Let's go."

"..."

Park Ji-hoon made a fake wink as he walked away. Kang Seok straightened his head.

As the three moved away, silence finally descended. Kang Seok put down his bag and turned his head. He looked in the direction Bae Ji-min had pointed out, where she said the paper and canvas were stored.

The paper was stored in the largest room on the first floor. It was so large that it might have been the master bedroom. The room was filled with paper.

The variety was so vast that it could rival Insadong. The room filled with various papers made his eyes widen, but his goal was clear from the start.

Is it there?

Kang Seok looked around. He stopped at a certain point. 110g drawing paper. The paper he wanted. He reached out and took a sheet. A paper thinner than Kent paper appeared.

It's here.

Kang Seok looked at the drawing paper. He then thought about how much paper to take. His contemplation was brief.

Kang Seok's hand grabbed a large amount of paper.

* * * *

After Kang Seok entered the room, everyone's eyes were fixed on the room he entered.

"What do you think he'll bring out?"

For a typical sketch exhibition, the works are usually done on rectangular wooden panels with paper attached, not regular paper.

This makes it easier to manage the works and prevents the paper from being damaged during the process. It's also easier to hang in the exhibition hall.

"Still, since he went to Cheonghwa High School, he must have participated in school-organized exhibitions. So, he must have handled paper panels."

"He probably hasn't handled large-scale ones."

"Usually, that's the case."

The largest paper a high school student usually handles is 2B or A4.

"Even if he has, it would be 4B (39*27) size paper panels P (Paysage) type 10 or... maybe 12? Or he might bring out Kent paper of a similar size."

"Usually, that's the case."

Most people thought he would bring something of a size a high school student could handle.

"Good timing."

"Right."

One of Mr. Go Doo-han's students, who was working, looked up. A 30-size panel, much larger than 12, loomed in his field of vision.

The difficulty of creating a work varies greatly depending on the size, scale, and materials used. Generally, artists tend to work on larger and larger pieces over time.

They were no exception.

As they spent more time painting, they naturally gravitated towards 30-size panels.

'The old days were better.'

Thinking about how they used to be satisfied with 10 or 12-size panels in their school days, he picked up his pencil.

Thud!

The ground shook.

Everyone's eyes widened and turned towards the room. The sound came from the room Kang Seok entered.

"Did something fall over?"

It would be impossible for a storage unit to fall over and make such a loud noise. People were murmuring about whether they should go in to check, when the door suddenly opened.

"Oh."

Kang Seok was walking out unharmed.

He had a large wooden frame on his back.

What is that?

Their eyes were fixed on the wooden frame Kang Seok was carrying out. The frame and wooden panels used to make a canvas were hanging from his shoulders. They were not in a finished form but separated, ready to be nailed together.

'There was such a thing in the room...'

In Kang Seok's hand, a thick piece of paper was also visible.

What is he planning to draw?

"What size is that?"

"Was there a frame of that size in the room?"

As they were about to stand up out of curiosity, someone whispered.

"Hey... That's the frame, isn't it?"

"What?"

"The panel Mr. Go Doo-han dismantled because it was too large. Don't you remember?"

It did sound familiar. He remembered Mr. Go Doo-han getting angry and dismantling the wooden panel with a hammer last summer and storing it in the room.

"Wait. The size of that... might be..."

"800-size. That's it."

800-size.

Undoubtedly, the largest scale among the works to be exhibited in this exhibition.

20. 800-size?