Chapter 64

64

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At the forefront of college entrance information, there they are.

The mothers of Daechi-dong.

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Seongbuk-dong.

A single-family home with a beautiful garden of emerald green.

Jae-sook Cha, the mother of Hyun-yeon Park, a third-year student at Cheonghua Arts High School, touched a necklace with pearls densely encircled in a choker style. She turned her head, feeling the texture of the natural pearls with her index finger.

1st floor living room.

Outside the spacious living room.

A garden filled with expensive trees, befitting a jewelry store in Cheongdam-dong, Apgujeong, and Sinsa-dong.

Hyun-yeon Park, reading a book on a hammock in the shade, caught her eye. *Gang Seok's Collection of Human Figure Sketches*. She was reading that again. It had become her favorite lately.

After telling her that Gang Seok had joined a project with Mr. Go Doo-han a half year ago, she had been going to bookstores every day. It turned out she was checking every day to see when the book would be released.

It would have been enough to just say she was curious. Jae-sook Cha smiled gently at her adorable daughter.

Still, Gang Seok, Gang Seok... It was a name that had been making noise among the mothers of Cheonghua Arts High School recently. Since he became a third-year student, the child who had been at the bottom of the practical exams started taking first place in every class he attended. It was understandable.

Not only that.

He had submitted works to the High School Mural Exhibition and the famous Go Doo-han's solo exhibition, and his 3D mural at the Peony Gallery was receiving such good responses that people were visiting daily. The sculpture was a topic of conversation that could make one's mouth sore.

A Michelangelo of Korea, appearing like a comet.

That's how the parents of college-bound students were referring to Gang Seok these days.

'Given how well his book on human figure sketches is selling, even though it was released quietly, it seems he has a fan base forming. There's even a group to uncover the secret of his improved skills.'

In foreign countries, where one can't see things firsthand, the "Liar Boy" rumors were somewhat quiet or ignored, but in Korea, there was a steady and intense interest.

Of course, it was still at a certain level. The tendency for modern art to receive attention based on the price of the works was severe, not just in Korea but worldwide.

'It's only a matter of time.'

If there were a special opportunity, it was clear that Gang Seok would eventually make a big splash. Thanks to inheriting the business acumen of her father, who was a businessman, Jae-sook Cha was confident. Her predictions were almost never wrong.

That's why it was even more interesting.

Thinking about how most of the parents of Cheonghua Arts High School still didn't know the book had even been released. They were talking behind her back, calling her a liar and such. The thought made her want to smile.

'But it's about time they should come...'

Jae-sook Cha tapped the armrest of the sofa with her fingers.

"Ajumoni."

"Yes, Madam."

The housekeeper, who was arranging flowers, turned around.

The living room, filled with summer hydrangeas, looked satisfying. It was bright, as if a party were about to start, but not overly gaudy, so it wasn't tiring to the eyes.

Nodding in satisfaction, Jae-sook Cha asked kindly,

"Could you tell Hyun-yeon to go up to her room on the second floor?"

It's time to prepare for the guests. Jae-sook Cha stood up, adding the last words gently. She walked over, watching the housekeeper head to the garden.

Ding-dong.

At the same time, the doorbell rang as if it had been waiting.

Today was the day for the lunch with the mothers of Daechi-dong.

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In the 1st floor living room, where Hyun-yeon had gone up to her room and the housekeeper had left to clean the study.

The mothers of Daechi-dong, especially those with children preparing for art college entrance exams, who had to catch both the practical and the academic exams, were gathered, flipping through a book.

It was a collection.

Specifically, the recently published *Gang Seok's Collection of Human Figure Sketches*.

The mothers, who claimed to have children who were into art, looked at the sketch collection with sharp eyes. After carefully flipping through each page, they finally looked up after a while.

"So, you're saying that the directors of Seogyo-dong bought dozens of copies of this book?"

"Yes, that's what I heard. I'm close with the owner of the big bookstore at the Seogyo-dong intersection. The owner said that the stock, which was in the hundreds on the first day, was all sold out."

"Really?"

"Yes. I heard that it was a one-time publication as a project, and most of the first edition of 900 copies were concentrated in the Seogyo-dong bookstore... It might not be available anymore."

Not available?

The mothers of Daechi-dong looked surprised. Especially the mothers of children applying to schools like Baekje, Hongik, and Korea University, where understanding of the human body is important, had very dramatic expressions.

"Oh, then we should buy it quickly, right?"

"Exactly."

"Can't we just go and buy it right away?"

"Recently, if there's stock in the store, you can pick it up immediately... Shouldn't we check that first...?"

It's not just for the human figure practical exam. But if our child doesn't have something that others have, it's a different issue.

Pretending not to be a mother of Daechi-dong, she lifted her phone. Then, she tapped the screen with her neatly manicured nails.

She searched for the book on the bookstore website. To receive it quickly before it sold out, she checked the stock locations: Gangnam, Mokdong, Gwanghwamun, Yeongdeungpo, Cheonho, and Jamsil. All of them showed no stock.

It seemed she would have to go as far as the provinces or the outskirts of Seoul to find it.

"If we don't act quickly, we won't be able to get it, right?"

"But, it's funny that there's no stock even in Jamsil. It's also strange that there's no stock in Gwangju and Busan... Didn't those directors call other branch directors and buy them all?"

"Why would they buy them all?"

"They might have wanted to use it as a textbook, or to resell it."

"That's stockpiling. Isn't it illegal?"

Considering picking up the kids and such, it would be difficult to go to the outskirts today... What should we do?

They looked at their phone screens with a calm exterior but an anxious interior. Even if it wasn't absolutely necessary, the idea that they might never get it if they didn't get it now made them want to buy it. That's how they felt.

For a luxury bag, if they liked it, they could buy it at the resale price, but for their child's college entrance exam, now was the time. A few days or weeks could make a big difference. The thick faces of the mothers of Daechi-dong showed signs of anxiety.

At that moment, after throwing out the topic and quietly drinking coffee, Jae-sook Cha spoke.

"*Gang Seok's Collection of Human Figure Sketches*. It's the winning project that the third-year students of Cheonghua Arts High School did with their figure drawing teacher last year."

What's this?

The mothers of Daechi-dong looked at Jae-sook Cha with eyes that asked why she was bringing this up. Thinking that she had their attention, Jae-sook Cha put down her coffee cup and continued.

"Since I thought others might be curious, I checked in advance... It seems that the publication was well-received, and if it's published quickly, it might be reprinted in collaboration with Wishbook House, which was involved in the project."

"Huh?"

"Oh?"

One of the mothers of Daechi-dong put down her drink and clapped her hands.

"Then, if it's agreed with Wishbook House, the book might be available in abundance? Oh, that's great."

She immediately picked up her phone. Her fingers were light as she pressed the contact. She reached for the number saved as the representative of Wishbook House.

Jae-sook Cha smiled, watching her.

The mothers of Daechi-dong, who would even pay to hire someone to wake them up for their child's studies, were extreme.

Conversely, if you could use this well, it meant you could make a lot of money.

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— Am I right?

Blue sky.

As Gang Seok pedaled his bicycle toward his destination, a voice came from his wireless earphones. The smell of grass was still fresh after the recent rain.

Before Gang Seok could deeply inhale the grass scent through his nose, the voice came again from the earphones.

— Well... It didn't run out on the first day, but it should be about the same after a week, right? Isn't that so?

Listening to the voice of his counterpart, Choi Young-tae, Gang Seok nodded. They had exchanged numbers at a recent dinner and had been in touch occasionally since then.

"That's right."

The faint sound of the bicycle wheels rolling could be heard.

— Anyway, it's good. Congratulations on the decision to print the second edition.

"Thank you."

It seemed the purpose of today's call was to congratulate him on the decision to print the second edition of *Gang Seok's Collection of Human Figure Sketches*. Knowing Choi Young-tae's tendency to get to the main point later, Gang Seok nodded.

Second edition.

He didn't expect it to be decided so quickly.

He thought it would take a few months to sell, but it entered the top ranks of the July second-week general book popularity list, and the stock was almost depleted.

It was said that the stock at the Seogyo-dong main store was sold out on the first day. When he first heard the news, Gang Seok was quite surprised.

The popularity ranking is calculated over a week, combining online and offline sales. For a book with only 900 copies printed to rank in the top, it seemed like a fairy tale.

Regardless, thanks to the quick sales of the human figure sketch collection at 48,000 won, a large sum of money would soon be accumulated. What to do with this money? Gang Seok pedaled, looking troubled.

— ...By the way, they haven't been bothering you yet, right?

He meant the students of the sculpture club.

"Yes, that's what I heard."

July 12.

With only about two weeks left until summer vacation. The students, who had been focused on their final exams, which affected their grades, were not causing any trouble.

— That's a relief...

"There's no problem. I'm almost at the meeting place, so I'll hang up soon."

— Yeah. You're riding a bike, so I'll hang up. Talk to you next time.

"Okay."

After a brief farewell, the call ended quickly, and music began to play softly through the earphones. Feeling the world fill with music, Gang Seok pedaled harder. Lifting his head, he saw his destination for the day.

Bloom Art Museum.

Confirming the familiar scene, Gang Seok slowly got off his bike. It felt like there were fewer people since the reservation system was implemented.

He pressed his white cap down again, thinking it was an important day. He couldn't be stopped halfway.

Repeating to himself that he couldn't waste energy elsewhere, he walked forward.

Today was the day to decide the location for the sculpture.

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"Mr. Gang Seok, you're here?"

"Ms. Jin Yu-mi, the curator."

At today's destination, the back office of Bloom Art Museum, Gang Seok slightly bowed his head. It was a space maximized for aesthetic appeal, with computers and desks placed among high-value artworks, much like any other exhibition room.

As he was about to be led to the director's office by Jin Yu-mi, she looked troubled.

"The director is in a meeting with other directors about the art fair, and it's taking longer than expected... Could you wait here for a moment?"

"Yes, I'll wait."

"I'm really sorry."

Even as she brought additional snacks, Jin Yu-mi bowed several times and disappeared. That's how things go, right? Gang Seok nodded and looked around.

Books set out for reading caught his eye. As befitting the back office of one of the best art museums in Korea, these were books that were not easily available from bookstores.

Turning to read the titles, Gang Seok noticed a stack of translated editions of the New York art magazine 'Artist News' on the white desk next to the snacks. The July issue was on top, indicating that the translations were up to date.

It seemed to be information shared only within the back office. The edges of the papers were slightly curled, as if they had been read multiple times.

Gang Seok naturally flipped through the top one. The color prints made it easy to read the content. The pages turned slowly and quickly, like the rustling of curtains.

Suddenly, a familiar name caught his eye, and he stopped without realizing it.

There it was written.

In the travelogue, which briefly described Michelangelo, it was written that his soul could be felt beyond the form of the tomb, filled with various flowery phrases.

'He must be a big fan.'

Thinking this, Gang Seok flipped to the next page with his finger. Whether he knew about his past life or not, he had never really been interested in what happened after he died.

Because the life he was living now was not his past life.

So, he had never thought about visiting a tomb. The tomb. The massive stone sarcophagus he had created came to mind. Thinking of that work of love and hate, he sighed.

Tomb, tomb, tomb.

"Let's see how beautifully it's done... Is, is this my tomb?"

Gang Seok's lips