Chapter 4

04

* * * *

Thud.

A rough and a clear sound were heard together. It seemed that the interlocked fingers with the pencil had fallen to the floor.

I turned my head in the direction of the sound. Kim Dong-hwi was there. He was staring at one spot, as if in a trance. What was he looking at? I followed his gaze.

...What they were looking at was my painting.

Somehow, I felt good. It was refreshing. No, it was refreshing.

For two years, I had lived as a freak, an outsider, and a bottom-ranker at Cheonghwa Arts High School. I had dreamed of surprising everyone someday, but deep down, I thought it was impossible.

But to achieve my dream like this... I felt like I was going to burst with joy. They say all artists are attention-seekers, and this is what it feels like. It was a feeling of addiction.

While I was savoring this, the teachers straightened their backs. Then they turned and walked to Mr. Go Doo-han, who was overseeing the sketching class.

"The paper seems to be all laid out."

"Shh, shh, be quiet. It looks like it's about to start."

The kids nearby were chattering that the evaluation was about to begin. I could see that too.

The floor was already covered with eighty sheets of paper, from the far end to right here.

The papers, laid out in the order of Class A, B, C, and D, had 'Venus' drawn from various perspectives, which was today's theme.

This was the subject of today's evaluation.

Mr. Go Doo-han glanced at the floor and nodded. Then, looking at us, he declared,

"Then we will start the evaluation now. Keep your mouths shut for a fair evaluation."

You know what will happen if you don't keep your mouth shut. Mr. Go Doo-han said this with a cold look.

Right after the declaration,

The part-time teachers, who were Mr. Go Doo-han's disciples, moved again. To the very first row.

They seemed to be planning to evaluate from the top. As if confirming this, the teachers bowed their heads in unison. The evaluation began.

The three of them started the evaluation slowly from the first paper in the first row.

"This work is too weak to be here..."

"Mr. Son Dong-wook? Let's move this one down."

If it was worse than the surrounding works, it would be moved down, and if it was better, it would be moved up.

The teachers' opinions sometimes agreed and sometimes clashed, moving accordingly.

"Let's move this one up."

"Should we? The modeling power seems a bit lacking compared to the existing Class B students... What do you think, Mr. Jang Yu-min?"

The evaluation was mainly led by Mr. Son Dong-wook, who was in charge of Class B, and Mr. Im Woo-hyun, who was in charge of Class D, with Mr. Jang Yu-min, who was in charge of Class C, adding his opinion.

"Hmm... It might be better to observe this one for another semester in Class C."

"Then let's leave this one as it is."

Even so, with the names hidden and the ranking determined solely by the quality of the drawings, the evaluation had to be fair.

"Then this one goes here..."

"This one goes there... Yes... Lacking..."

While the teachers whispered and evaluated, the students watched with their hands clasped in prayer, their hearts filled with hope.

That's because today's test was the first of the 3rd grade 1st semester sketch class placement exams.

The practical class placement is only twice per semester. This evaluation would determine which class we would take the sketching class in until the final exams.

Mr. Go Doo-han, a famous sketch artist, only taught Class A. Any ambitious student would want to be in Class A.

Who is Mr. Go Doo-han?

A master of sketching and a blue-chip in the art world.

The only place where you can learn sketching from Mr. Go Doo-han, whose single work is worth four luxury cars, is here, at Cheonghwa Arts High School, in Class A.

That's why they watched with a prayerful heart.

However, there wouldn't be a big change. I was sure of it.

The class placement exams at Cheonghwa Arts High School are only twice per semester, but it was already the 2nd semester of 2nd grade.

We had gone through the sketch class placement exams eight times, and our sketching skills had long been divided to the point where it was meaningless to distinguish them.

Only a few who had become too lazy and a few who had worked tirelessly and achieved results would change by one or two grades. Most would only change their ranks within the same class.

Except for my work.

.

.

.

Hmm. Class D is not much different from the last evaluation. Im Woo-hyun put his hands in his pockets and thought. There's no need to reach out anymore.

That was the extent of it.

A similar level with no growth or elimination. Im Woo-hyun had a bitter expression. It was a disappointing result for Im Woo-hyun, who was in charge of Class D.

Is there really no one to move up?

...Now that I think about it, where is Kang Seok's drawing?

While looking for Kang Seok's drawing, whose grades were disappointing despite his attitude, he noticed two others standing in front of a drawing at the very end.

"......? What's going on?"

Im Woo-hyun quickly approached them.

And he saw it.

"Wow..."

The most beautiful Venus of his life. Among the Class D drawings at the very bottom, the Venus that stood out like a crane among chickens pierced Im Woo-hyun's heart.

Even if the 1980s, when 'plaster sketching' dominated the Korean fine arts entrance exams, were to return, it would be hard to find a better work than this.

'If this is the level, I would believe that the original 'Venus de Milo' was brought in and only the face was cut and pasted.'

Im Woo-hyun was captivated by the drawing. He bent his waist in a strange posture to avoid casting a shadow on it.

And it was the same for Son Dong-wook, who was in charge of Class B.

'Is this really a work that a Class D student completed in just three hours...? Is this better than a research piece that a Seo-gyo-dong entrance teacher spent a month on? Is this... even possible?'

Son Dong-wook looked up, bewildered. Im Woo-hyun and Jang Yu-min also had confused expressions. They didn't say anything, but the emotions they felt were similar.

The words that expressed the three's feelings burst out of Son Dong-wook's mouth.

"Is this... a Venus drawn by a Class D student...?"

It was a drawing of the Venus plaster, but neither Son Dong-wook nor the other two noticed the inaccuracy in their words. To them, this was just Venus.

The teachers swallowed in unison.

A perfect profile.

Venus's face, which could have looked long, was simply elegant.

The vividness was such that if you ran your fingers over the pencil, you could feel the texture of the plaster. No, you could feel it.

The three, who had been looking at the drawing, suddenly shivered and exchanged glances. This time, their intentions seemed to be the same.

Son Dong-wook, who could be considered the leader among the part-time teachers, silently picked up the drawing and moved. Class D, Class C, Class B. Son Dong-wook quickly passed through the rows of drawings.

The sudden situation.

A few students who knew that the drawing in Son Dong-wook's hand was Kang Seok's work stood up. They watched Son Dong-wook's steps with a "Can it be?" look.

In a few seconds, their "Can it be?" became a reality.

Kang Seok's work, which had been at the very end, was finally placed at the very top.

It was the first in Class A. The first among 80 students, taken by a perennial bottom-ranker.

A great upheaval, with Class D moving to Class A.

While they were shocked by their own drawings being pushed down, other students who had just discovered the drawing were also surprised and looked at it.

"What?"

"......Is this possible in just three hours?"

"Wasn't this from Class D just now?"

"Are you kidding? Wow! This is insane...!"

It was a pure exclamation of admiration.

"Who drew this?"

"Do you know? The names are hidden. Oh, the Class D president collected them, so he knows. Who was it, Oh Hye-jung?"

"......Hye-jung!"

The quiet practical room became as noisy as a busy road. It was a moment that made Mr. Go Doo-han's warning to keep quiet during the evaluation meaningless.

While everyone was chattering, the owner of the work, Kang Seok, remained silently.

Kang Seok was only looking at Mr. Go Doo-han. His gaze was like that of a predator eyeing its prey.

"The evaluation is over, sir."

"Hmm."

Mr. Go Doo-han, who had his arms crossed, nodded at Son Dong-wook's words. Brushing his hair, which was more than half gray, Mr. Go Doo-han adjusted his angular cap and moved.

He went from the bottom up, opposite to the three. It was to check if the part-time teachers had evaluated properly.

His gaze, which pierced through the drawings as he moved, was fierce.

Mr. Go Doo-han slowly moved, carefully examining each drawing as if he wouldn't overlook a single one, but his arms remained crossed.

This meant that the three part-time teachers had evaluated properly. The longer Mr. Go Doo-han's arms remained crossed, the more the three's shoulders straightened.

And finally.

Mr. Go Doo-han reached the first drawing of Class A, Kang Seok's work. This was the biggest upheaval in this evaluation.

Mr. Go Doo-han's eyes narrowed as he slowly looked at the drawing. ...Was there a style like this in Class A?

The lines were rough yet detailed, explosive yet perfectly controlled.

Mr. Go Doo-han stroked his chin with one hand. The short, dense beard along his jawline was brushed away.

Perfection on top of perfection.

The technique of expressing form, shape, perspective, proportion, light and shadow, texture, and movement in monochrome.

Sketching. This work embodied it.

After much contemplation, Mr. Go Doo-han picked up the paper.

Then, as if there was another class above Class A, he placed Kang Seok's drawing separately at the very top.

After staring at it for a long time, Mr. Go Doo-han slightly turned his back.

"Was this originally a drawing by a Class A student?"

Mr. Go Doo-han's unique calm tone and piercing gaze were directed at the back.

Son Dong-wook, who was hit by the gaze, quickly answered.

"No, it was a drawing by a student originally in Class D."

Son Dong-wook's voice trembled like a sheep. He was nervous in front of Mr. Go Doo-han, even though he hadn't done anything wrong.

Regardless. Mr. Go Doo-han slowly nodded, stroking his beard. Having received the answer, he turned his gaze back to the drawing.

Mr. Go Doo-han admired the drawing for a long time again.

As if he was at an exhibition.

After a long silence, he finally opened his stubbornly closed mouth and said one word.

"Well drawn."

.

.

.

It wasn't just for show.

...Huh? Did I just think something Michelangelo would say? While I was doubting, Mr. Go Doo-han spoke to the other teachers.

"The evaluation results will stand as they are."

This meant the evaluation was complete.

In other words, I would be taking the sketching class in Class A from the 3rd grade 1st semester. But that wasn't enough for me.

I was waiting for Mr. Go Doo-han to speak again.

I didn't draw the Venus plaster so passionately just to get into Class A. Clenching my fists, I watched Mr. Go Doo-han as the drawings were collected from Class D in order.

I saw Mr. Jang Yu-min's busy hands recording the evaluation results at the end of the focus.

At that moment, Mr. Go Doo-han stroked his beard and casually said,

"Who drew this drawing?"

The noisy practical room fell silent again.

"We... don't know..."

"We don't know."

The part-time teachers who received the question had perplexed expressions. Mr. Go Doo-han's gaze then turned to the students.

The students who received the gaze only looked at each other. Most of them had already heard that the owner of the drawing was Kang Seok, but they couldn't believe it was Kang Seok's work.

Is this really drawn by Kang Seok? They glanced at Kang Seok. Their eyes were saying, "If it's really you, step forward."

Amid the suspicious and interrogating gazes, Kang Seok slowly but confidently raised his hand.

"It's me."

Hmm?

This incredible drawing was drawn by Kang Seok, the dullard of Cheonghwa Arts High School...

Mr. Go Doo-han, who seemed surprised, slightly opened his mouth and then raised one corner of his lips in amusement.

Mr. Go Doo-han.

He was a person who liked pearls in the mud and lotuses blooming on the mud.

Mr. Go Doo-han, who burst into a laugh as if taking a deep breath, nodded.

"Stay after class."

5. Enjoy your lunch.