Chapter 45

45

* * * *

The oak table, drenched in caramel syrup.

The scent of two cups of coffee and a bottle of plum drink mingled in the air.

"When is the deadline?"

Goduhan asked, setting down his coffee. It was a question directed at Kangseok, who was sitting opposite him, sipping the plum drink.

"April 5th. We have to submit it by April 5th."

"April 5th?"

It's tight.

Goduhan recalled Kangseok's sketches. They were incredibly detailed and numerous. They were more like anatomical drawings. It would be no easy task to bring all that detail to life.

Not only that.

Kangseok had already drawn over 50 sketches, but he clearly said there were parts that needed improvement. Given Kangseok's usual perfectionism, the number would only increase, not decrease.

'It’s the 25th today...'

41 days.

Exactly 41 days remained.

Goduhan's eyes narrowed as he recalled the meticulously drawn anatomical sketches. There were seven in total. His fingers twitched as he crossed his arms.

Considering breaks in between, does that mean he needs to complete one every five days? I've never heard of anyone completing a handmade full-body doll, comparable in size to a real person, in just five days.

'And the school semester is starting soon.'

If the semester starts in March, he'll be tied up at school for half of the 24 hours in a day. The more calculations he made, the more it seemed unfavorable for Kangseok.

'Is this too much?'

At that thought, a deflated laugh escaped through Goduhan's tightly pressed lips.

'Who am I worried about?'

Who has felt the speed of Kangseok's hands the most? Goduhan himself. When others could barely finish one, Kangseok would complete four or six.

He'll do just fine without worrying. I just need to watch and eat some rice cakes.

"Alright. April 5th. When you're done, give me a call."

"Why?"

"If I submit it to San Gang Medical Center, I won't be able to participate. I need to see it before it's submitted."

Ah. Kangseok nodded. That made sense. Since it was going to be sold at the Health Day event, it would be hard to participate or even see it if he wasn't part of the event.

"I'll let you know as soon as it's done."

"Thanks."

"By the way, how are you going to manage this busy schedule? ...I had a plan to have a dinner with the team from the anatomy sketch project after my solo exhibition ends and I have some free time. Can you make it?"

Anatomy sketch team? Dinner?

Had they made such a plan? Kangseok quietly searched his memory.

"You don't remember? What about Yumiji and Choi Young-tae?"

– 'Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Yumiji. You can call me Miji.'

– 'I'm Choi Young-tae.'

It was starting to come back to him.

Right. These were the people who were going to publish the anatomy sketch book with Kangseok. But why them?

"You'll have to meet them a few more times. You can get some free meat too."

Not bad.

Publishing is a long process. I heard they print the pencil lines of the drawings and then process the first edition as hardcovers. It will take time, and depending on the performance, they might produce additional copies.

It won't be a short process.

Since they'll be working together for a long time, it's good to get to know each other. Kangseok nodded.

"Sure. If you let me know in advance, I'll clear my schedule."

As he answered, Kangseok's head turned slightly to the side, toward the clock.

"Got somewhere to go?"

"Ah, I have an appointment."

"Go ahead?"

Why not? Goduhan, who doesn't beat around the bush, nodded.

Kangseok's gaze turned to Jo Dong-beom, asking if it was okay to leave. Jo Dong-beom's gaze then turned to Goduhan, asking when he was leaving.

"It's not a round-robin. I'm just finishing this coffee and leaving, so you can go ahead, Seok."

"Alright, I'll go then."

Kangseok stood up.

Today was the day he had planned to have a family dinner. It was a rare dinner, and he had suggested it, so he didn't want to be late.

As Kangseok walked out the door, grabbing his coat, Jo Dong-beom followed to see him off. An ironic situation where the guest, Goduhan, was left alone in the office.

"Alright, I'll be going."

Kangseok greeted Goduhan, who was drinking coffee with a nonchalant expression. Goduhan's gaze turned to Kangseok, holding the envelope Kangseok had given him.

"Can you give this to Park Ji-yeop?"

Ah, the sketches. I've already memorized them and don't need them since I'll redraw them anyway.

"Sure, thanks."

"Got it. Go ahead."

"Sure."

"Where are you going?"

"To eat meat. We're going for beef."

Kangseok's lips curled up in a rare, bright smile.

.

.

.

After Kangseok left.

The quiet glass studio.

Goduhan sipped his coffee and carefully took out the sketches again. He couldn't get enough of looking at them. It felt like uncovering an ancient secret, making his heart race.

He was drawn in.

Goduhan slowly admired the sketches. It was a long time before he finished his coffee and stood up.

* * * *

The sky, once clear blue, was now tinged with a deep orange sunset, and the unique winter scent began to permeate the air.

Kangseok slowed his pace. Checking his phone, it was 6 PM. Fortunately, he wasn't late. Kangseok continued walking.

The loud sounds of phone calls and friends chatting boisterously passed by his ears. Kangseok walked forward without turning his gaze.

In the distance, at the end of the alley, three familiar figures slowly came into view. They were his family.

"Mom."

"Seok!"

"Brother."

"Seok is here."

They were all dressed up, clearly excited. His mother had even used a hairdryer, and the smell of hair spray lingered.

His father was also dressed nicely, and Kang Chae-young was wearing a dress.

All three were dressed as if they were going to a restaurant.

It was clear they were giving special meaning to the first meal Kangseok was treating them to with his own money. Some might call it silly, but Kangseok couldn't help but smile.

The first meal he was treating them to with his own earnings.

The feeling was truly good.

Beside them stood a building resembling a traditional Korean house, 'Jeong.' It was the place Park Ji-yeop had invited them to for dinner the other night.

"Let's go in."

"But Seok... isn't this place expensive?"

Mother Baek Myung-hee asked, sounding worried.

It was a famous place. When he had come here before, it was so delicious that he decided to bring them. It seemed to be a well-known restaurant. After all, it couldn't be famous if it wasn't good.

"It's fine, Mom."

And the price didn't matter.

He wasn't making so little that he couldn't treat them to a meal. Thinking of his solid bank account, Kangseok gently pushed Baek Myung-hee's back.

Baek Myung-hee felt the warmth of the hand on her back. It seemed like her son had grown up a lot in just a few days. She smiled and took a step forward.

Just then.

"Brother, what's that?"

Kang Chae-young, walking beside him, noticed the shopping bag on his wrist and her eyes lit up. The box inside was quite large, making it hard to miss.

Kangseok followed her gaze to his wrist. Inside the shopping bag were two medium-sized boxes and one small box. They were wallets he had bought as gifts for his family.

They were also the reason he had arrived just in time for the appointment.

– 'Please pay in full.'

He had even asked for a full payment with his credit card, feeling a bit mischievous. Kangseok looked down at the boxes with a tickling feeling. He had been researching luxury brands and calling department store counters while reading anatomy books, causing quite a commotion.

"What is it? Why didn't you tell us?"

Imagining their happy faces, Kangseok smiled.

"A gift."

"What?"

"A gift?"

His family turned to him with surprised faces, resembling rabbits. The only one who looked fierce, Kangseok, burst into laughter.

It was a pleasant evening.

* * * *

The next day.

Under a sky covered with white clouds, a truck sped down a deserted road. Considering it was a weekday in the outskirts of Seoul, it was an unusually quiet scene.

It wasn't dark, but the lack of light due to the cloud cover made it feel eerie.

Kang Hyun-do and Kangseok looked up from the truck. The sign, with its lights off, had red and blue letters.

Yongshin Land.

Today's meeting place.

"It's closed."

"Indeed."

Kang Hyun-do's question prompted Kangseok to look around. They were here for the public art contract at Yongshin Land, to meet Ryu Su-hyun.

– 'Mr. Kangseok, do well.'

– 'You don't have to sign the contract right away. Just listen to the conditions. The conditions.'

Seol Yujin and Goduhan had offered to come, but they were also busy with their solo exhibitions.

– 'Mr. Kangseok, I'm sorry. It would be better to have someone who knows the industry well, but... Please send me a photo of the contract, and I'll check it as soon as possible. Don't forget to send it to me.'

Park Ji-yeop was just as busy, barely getting any sleep. So, Kang Hyun-do and Kangseok came alone. Of course, they weren't disappointed by their absence.

After all, Kangseok was the one who had successfully negotiated a satisfactory contract with them.

But where is he? Kangseok scanned the abandoned amusement park, where no one was in sight. The gates were closed. How could they discuss the contract here? Just as Kangseok began to wonder if he had the wrong meeting place, someone approached from a distance.

"Mr. Artist!"

A thin man was walking quickly toward them. Artist. The only person who would be called an artist in an amusement park was Ryu Su-hyun, the public art project manager at Yongshin Land.

Ryu Su-hyun? ...Is that Ryu Su-hyun?

His gaunt face and sunken cheeks made it seem like they had entered a zombie park rather than Yongshin Land. In one hand, he held a high-caffeine drink, like a blood bag. His pants flapped like butterfly wings.

He looked completely unhealthy.

"Mr. Kangseok, is that you?"

Kangseok nodded and shook the hand offered in a polite greeting.

Ryu Su-hyun, who appeared to be the man, gave the first impression of a zombie.

"Is this your father...?"

"Yes, hello. I'm Kang Hyun-do, Seok's father."

"Ah, nice to meet you. I hope we have a good day today."

They exchanged pleasantries as Ryu Su-hyun opened the gate to Yongshin Land. Creak. The gate opened with a screeching sound, as if the hinges needed oil.

"How is it? Quite eerie, isn't it?"

As they walked through the entrance of Yongshin Land, Ryu Su-hyun spoke from the side. Kangseok nodded. The amusement park, closed due to maintenance issues and aging, looked worn out. The rides were mostly old and neglected.

The ground was litter-free, but it didn't look cleaned. It openly displayed the neglected, monstrous appearance of an abandoned amusement park.

"When I first saw this place from above and was asked to fix it up... I couldn't believe they used to shoot music videos here and even opened a photography studio. It's hard to believe."

Ryu Su-hyun chuckled and opened the door of a container. It was a temporary setup, and he mentioned it would be dismantled later.

Ryu Su-hyun sat down and turned on a heater. The sofa, where Kang Hyun-do and Kangseok sat opposite him, creaked with age.

Ryu Su-hyun, seemingly unconcerned, opened his high-caffeine drink and pointed to the window. His hand seemed to be pointing at the amusement park beyond the glass.

"This place used to be privately owned and used as a photography studio. Just renting it out for photos cost 10,000 won per entry, and they would inflate the price for filming, making a good profit. The higher-ups were intrigued and bought it quickly."

"And now, we're dying here." Ryu Su-hyun sighed, revealing the stress he was under. After a few dry laughs, he forced a business smile.

"The cultural arts department wants to use this place as a photography studio again. But they don't want to just buy the land and run it; they want to make it a bit prettier. But they don't want to spend a lot of money on it."

It was a cynical critique or a harsh criticism. Ryu Su-hyun openly showed his hostility toward the higher-ups. He looked like someone who didn't socialize and a stressed-out employee from a distance.

It was clear.

This wasn't a project Ryu Su-hyun had taken on willingly. He had been tasked with cleaning up someone else's mess. As Kangseok mused, Ryu Su-hyun sighed.

"I'm a fan of yours, Mr. Kangseok."

Suddenly?

Kangseok and Kang Hyun-do blinked at the abrupt statement. Without any buildup, Ryu Su-hyun continued in a deflated voice.

"I handled the post-management of the Renaissance Mall's 8th floor, which you painted. That was also me, Ryu Su-hyun."

"Ah, I see."

He already knew, thanks to Goduhan and Seol Yujin. Unaware, Ryu Su-hyun recounted the story.

"I've been to the Vatican."

The Vatican.

The smallest country in the world.

At the mention of the name, Kangseok's eyes twitched.

Regardless, Ryu Su-hyun continued with wet eyes.

"It was 15 minutes. I didn't have much money, so I went on a package tour, and they gave us 15 minutes to go in and out, including the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Last Judgment. I won't contract with that travel agency again."

15 minutes. Short.

Considering the size, grandeur, and significance of the paintings, it felt even shorter.

"People were craning their necks, and photography wasn't allowed. The crowd made it hard to appreciate properly. I might have a different experience if I went when it was empty, but that's how it was for me. ...But I never forgot it."

Ryu Su-hyun's eyes spoke of longing.

"Even after such a short time, it was so intense that I couldn't forget it. I was amazed. It was the same."

He hesitated, unsure if he should continue.

"Maybe even better."

That's ridiculous. Ryu Su-hyun dry-laughed and set down his drink.

"Regardless, I became a fan. I brought in the budget and did the preservation work because I'm a fan. I feel a bit conflicted being asked to do this as a fan, but I'm confident I can bring in the budget, especially after the higher-ups made an impulse purchase and dumped it on me."

Ryu Su-hyun spoke rapidly, as if his mouth had a motor.

"I don't plan to burden you with the entire project. That would be too much. When the public project starts, I'll collect portfolios and recruit participating artists. I'm inviting a few specific people separately to explain the project. And the first one is Mr. Kangseok."

Especially considering Kangseok's young age and the attention he would receive, he had called him on a different date and time from others. Ryu Su-hyun's words continued.

In short, Kangseok nodded.

"To sum it up, I'll offer the highest pay possible, but I want you to paint a mural."

"Right."

"Hmm, but my rate has gone up a lot since then."

He never really liked painting murals. Now, he didn't want to paint such a large mural for just a few hundred. He didn't have the time.

He also had no intention of fluctuating his rate, which had