Chapter 73

73

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A gulp echoed through the empty lecture hall.

It had been about twenty minutes since Kang Seok expressed his intention to lend the White Temple, Wat Long Khun, the sculpture. Kang Seok, Yang Seongu, and Ananda and Pandin were sitting facing each other in one of the lecture halls prepared by Hankuk University for the World Buddhist Academic Conference. The four of them were awkwardly looking straight ahead, sipping the tea provided.

They were in a place arranged by the head monk of Bongeunsa, Beopgyeong, to avoid drawing attention. "There's no schedule for this lecture hall today, so please feel free to talk. I'll prepare some tea for you," Beopgyeong had said with a face that, despite his mask-like expression, couldn't hide his weariness and sadness.

Kang Seok took a long breath and looked ahead. Ananda and Pandin, looking down at their warm green tea, were visibly flustered. A slight flush on their cheeks suggested they weren't entirely displeased with the news of the loan.

Kang Seok had never thought they would be displeased. He took a sip of the green tea.

"It will take quite some time for the sculpture to be installed at Wat Long Khun in Thailand. There will be procedures, and we need to ensure it doesn't get damaged during the move."

"(That's understandable.)"

"Of course."

"But that doesn't mean we can't do anything else. I think we should quickly proceed with the contract discussions."

Ananda's eyes widened when he heard Pandin relay Kang Seok's words. How could this person be so quick? For someone as laid-back as Ananda, it was nothing short of astonishing. How could he be so decisive and resolute?

Ananda looked at Kang Seok as if he were a miraculous phenomenon. He was essentially asking, "What makes you trust us so much?"

After a moment, Ananda, looking worriedly between Kang Seok and Yang Seongu, spoke.

"(Honestly, I don't understand what makes you trust us. How can you be sure we are the right people? You haven't even visited Wat Long Khun. How can you be so confident it's the best place? And why are you willing to lend such an invaluable piece to us?)"

Hmm.

Kang Seok scratched his nose at Ananda's words.

Beside him, Yang Seongu nodded vigorously, agreeing with Ananda. Foreign artists were scarier than people in Seoul. Yang Seongu, a first-generation sculptor who had lived abroad, knew this from personal experience. He wondered why Kang Seok would invite trouble. Yang Seongu even suggested selling the sculpture instead of lending it.

At that moment,

Kang Seok, whose eyes remained steady despite their worried gazes, spoke.

"If you're not the right people, it will be revealed before the loan. I'm not lending it to Wat Long Khun just because I trust Thailand. I'm placing it there because I believe it will be the most beautiful there."

Kang Seok planned to create many more works in the future.

However, he couldn't keep them all in his studio.

So, he decided to place them where they belonged, rather than cluttering his space.

"(Then, why don't you sell it to us?)"

"Rather, sell it to us."

Ananda and Pandin's suggestion echoed Yang Seongu's thoughts. Their eyes said they were willing to pay whatever the price. Kang Seok, however, showed a troubled expression.

Why he chose to lend rather than sell his works.

It was because, as his horizons broadened, his works began to be compared with others.

The more comparisons, the clearer the conclusion.

"The reason I'm lending it is that there's no place that can pay its true value."

His works had to be expensive.

Kang Seok recalled the information about Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," which was listed alongside his mural in a media selection of the "Top 10 Most Famous Artworks in the World."

While it can't be bought or sold at auction because it is owned by the French government and the Louvre Museum, its value is estimated to be between 23 trillion and 40 trillion won.

Some experts even suggested that its auction starting price could be around 11.4 trillion won.

11.4 trillion.

The history, fame, and uniqueness embedded in the painting, and the fact that most of the 10 million annual visitors to the Louvre come to see it, all contribute to its value. Kang Seok's lips twitched, not in amusement but in discomfort.

He didn't think his works were worth less than those who mocked him as a flour-covered fool.

If he couldn't get the right price, there was no point in selling. Thus, he chose to lend them through rental or exhibition rights.

Who would sell a work that would only increase in value at a low price?

Kang Seok wasn't in immediate need of money, nor did he have any urgent expenses to cover.

Moreover, he couldn't sell his works for less than their value. The old man coiled in his navel, Michelangelo, would never allow it.

"So, I'm just lending it."

Kang Seok's smile was warm and reassuring.

Though he had skipped many details, his decision to lend the work to Wat Long Khun was genuine, and he meant for them to accept it.

To Ananda, who didn't understand the deeper meaning, Kang Seok seemed even more impressive.

Ananda's country, Thailand, where 95% of the population practices Buddhism and every man becomes a monk at least once in his life, follows Theravada Buddhism, unlike Mahayana Buddhism.

Theravada Buddhism strives to adhere as closely as possible to the teachings of the Buddha. Unlike Mahayana Buddhism, it believes that arhats and the Buddha do not reincarnate and emphasizes strict adherence to the Buddha's teachings.

The primary teaching in Theravada Buddhism is to eliminate attachment and extinguish suffering.

Ananda looked at Kang Seok with deep emotion.

Look at that peaceful, unblemished smile.

Look at the broad-mindedness of lending the sculpture to Wat Long Khun, a place he barely knows, simply because it fits best, while many monks cannot hide their greed.

Look at the trust in his eyes, free of any doubt, as if practicing the belief that karma begins with trust.

The Buddha is here.

Ananda closed his eyes and clasped his hands in prayer.

Though there was no light or divine presence, the world seemed bright even with his eyes closed.

Ananda.

His name comes from Ananda, one of the ten disciples of Shakyamuni (Gautama Buddha) and also his cousin.

Born in Malaysia to a billionaire with an estimated wealth of 5.6 billion dollars (about 7.336 trillion won) and a wife from the Thai royal family, Ananda, who lived a life of abundance, converted to Buddhism and made a decision at this moment.

On the day he becomes the head monk of Wat Long Khun, he will guard it as his life's mission.

And he will use his rights and privileges, which he has long neglected, to ensure that Kang Seok can see the sculpture whenever he wants.

'And if...'

Ananda's eyes gleamed sharply.

If he faces the same hardships that occurred in Thailand, he will take up arms to protect it.

For a monk who had renounced his wealth and embraced Buddhism for over thirty years, this was the moment to sharpen his blade.

Kang Seok's eyebrow raised at this change.

'Something... feels different.'

Yang Seongu and Pandin also felt as if they were seeing a different person in Ananda. But it was brief. Ananda, returning to his usual self, clasped his hands and smiled.

"(Thank you, benefactor. Let's proceed with the contract. What should I do first?)"

A great man wields a wise sword.

The sword of wisdom, the flame of the diamond.

A great man, holding the sword of wisdom,

The blade of wisdom, the flame of the diamond!

Ananda's face was like that of a warrior drawing the sword of wisdom, the sword of Manjushri Bodhisattva.

At that moment, Kang Seok gained a solid supporter.

* * * *

It had been a chaotic week.

Kang Seok blinked, looking at the sunlight streaming through the gap in the blackout curtains.

The autumn breeze gently pushed aside the heavy curtains, revealing a clear blue sky. It was a beautiful autumn day.

Furrowing his brow slightly, he turned on his phone. It was already September 22, a Friday. If he were a typical high school senior, he would be preparing for the college entrance exam at school, but Kang Seok had already submitted his attendance recognition form to Cheonghua Arts High School.

Rubbing his cheek on the spacious bed in his new home in Seongbuk-dong, Kang Seok blinked.

It was peaceful.

He felt as if he were adrift in the middle of a silent sea. His throat was dry. Kang Seok slowly sat up. What had happened over the past week? He tried to recall.

First, the contract terms were finalized.

He sought advice from Beopgyeong, the head monk of Bongeunsa, and Yang Seongu, the first-generation sculptor, to ensure there were no issues with Buddhist doctrine or sculptural style, and to check for any toxic clauses legally before signing the contract.

The loan was for seven years, but the specifics of the transfer were not yet determined.

Therefore, they needed to discuss where the work would be placed before the contract was finalized. It couldn't remain at Hankuk University indefinitely.

Thus, during the World Buddhist Academic Conference, daily heated debates took place in the empty lecture halls over the temporary exhibition rights of the work among Korean temples.

Kang Seok had to watch these debates.

'Well, ultimately, Bongeunsa won.'

With a mask-like smile that cut through people like a sharp saw, Bongeunsa emerged victorious.

Bongeunsa, located in the heart of Gangnam, was easy for Kang Seok to visit, and they offered the most generous terms, which he found most appealing.

It was already a week ago.

Kang Seok's work was already temporarily installed at Bongeunsa.

The thousand-year-old Bongeunsa, demonstrating its survival skills in Gangnam, promoted the temporary exhibition of the work with a dazzling viral campaign. Within a day, a nationwide procession of benefactors was heading to Bongeunsa.

'It was incredible.'

The scene of the head monk and the young monks of Bongeunsa all coming out to greet him with clasped hands a few days ago was unforgettable.

The impact was immense. Kang Seok, running his fingers through his tousled hair, sat up. On his desk, numerous books and letters were piled up.

Most were commission proposals.

With the work installed at Bongeunsa, commission proposals from temples across the country and the influx of benefactors through Bongeunsa were overwhelming, but things were starting to settle down.

The flood of personal donations to Kang Seok even led to jokes within Bongeunsa about building a tower in his honor or giving him a dharma name.

It showed how significant a proper Buddha statue could be for a temple. Kang Seok had no idea it would be this impactful. The ripple effects of creating a Buddha statue were far greater than before. Of course, the live streaming had an effect, but the scale of religion was truly different.

"Stretch!"

Kang Seok stretched and looked around.

The room was spacious.

It had been only nine months since he regained his past life's memories. Many things had changed, but he couldn't be satisfied yet. To fully wake up, he rubbed his face with one hand.

His hands, rough from handling stone, felt like they were coated in dry cornmeal. The sensation on his face was peculiar.

Zzzz.

Zzzzz.

A vibration.

One was a text message, followed by a phone call.

Turning on his phone, he saw an alarm.

It was a KakaoTalk message from Ryu Suheon, a secretary.

I wondered when it would be finished. Finally, it's done.

Kang Seok's eyes lit up.

He felt the sleepiness fading.

At the same time, the caller ID below the KakaoTalk notification caught his eye. [Jin Doo-wook, Director]. It was Jin Doo-wook, the director of Bloom Art Museum.

"Hello?"

"···Mr. Artist!"

"Ah, Director. It's been a while."

His voice was overly bright but clearly tense. What's going on? It's not the settlement day yet. As he frowned in confusion, Kang Seok's buttock accidentally pressed the TV remote.

Beep. The TV turned on.

"···I heard that Mr. Kang Seok is only nineteen years old in Korean age. Isn't this unprecedented in the history of Korean art?"

"Yes, that's true. Some people even say that Mr. Kang Seok will soon be a global figure, not just a Korean one."

"Soon? In fact, don't you think Mr. Kang Seok could go abroad right now?"

Embarrassingly, the news was talking about him. Kang Seok scratched his nose.

He hoped they didn't think he was intentionally listening. As he lifted his buttock to find the remote, Jin Doo-wook's voice came through the phone speaker, cutting through the TV noise.

"Ah, well, the reason I'm calling is that the board of directors of SanKang Group recently saw Mr. Kang Seok's sculpture and expressed a strong desire to commission a sculpture from him. So, I thought it might be good to arrange a meeting. Ha ha."

The TV noise was occasionally heard on the other end. This is embarrassing. But as he thought this, Kang Seok's eyes widened as he processed the words he had just heard.

SanKang Group?

That SanKang Group?

The group that established Cheonghua Arts High School, built the Bloom Art Museum, and founded SanKang Medical Center?

SanKang Group.

With 16 subsidiaries and a market capitalization of about 664.8 trillion won, a love call from such a company made Kang Seok blink.

"Mr. Artist?"

"······Ah."

On the TV, the discussion about Kang Seok continued.

"Ha ha, it seems that the perspectives of the domestic market and the international art market are different, leading to such comments. In reality, Mr. Kang Seok's works have only been shown domestically, and he hasn't ventured into international art fairs or auctions. Experts say this is because he prefers unconventional transactions like lending and selling exhibition rights over direct sales."

"I see. It would be great if he becomes known overseas soon."

"Exactly. In fact, there's good news. Do you remember the fresco Mr. Kang Seok created on the 8th floor of Renaissance Mall when he was a second-year high school student?"

"Of course! It's the beginning of a legend, isn't it?"

"Exactly. The 8th floor of Renaissance Mall is finally reopening after a long renovation, now as a cafe called Sistine. Currently, posts from overseas celebrities on social media platforms are flooding in, saying they want to see and verify the fresco by Kang Seok."

"Really? Then...?"

"Yes, exactly. Now, Kang Seok's world debut..."

Ah.

Kang Seok's lips twitched.

He could feel it.

The favorable winds were blowing from all directions, propelling him towards the world.

74. Tell me, to me.