Chapter 78

78

64,000 people.

A few years ago, to gauge that number, one could think of the friendly match between Brazil and South Korea's national teams held at the Sangam World Cup Stadium. The number of spectators at that match was 64,000.

It was an enormous number.

Tap, tap, tap, the springs bounced as Jang Chae-young's fingers firmly pressed the keys. The keyboard, relentlessly hammered, had to emit a continuous clicking sound for quite a while.

"Hmm."

After a while, Jang Chae-young, who had been typing away in silence, stepped back. The screen was filled with English text. As Jang Chae-young read through the content, there was no hesitation.

This seems about right. Reading through the content that delivered only facts without excessive praise or criticism, Jang Chae-young nodded in satisfaction.

Satisfied, Jang Chae-young scrolled through the text a few times with the mouse wheel and picked up her phone.

- Hello?

She was calling her best friend, Yun Yuran. Hearing the voice from the other end of the phone, Jang Chae-young sighed.

"I'm done."

- Done with what...? The reservation promotion for Seok's amusement park?

Jang Chae-young nodded, even though Yun Yuran couldn't see it.

- Ahhh!

A piercing scream, like a pterodactyl, came from the other end. Yun Yuran, her long-time friend and the most devoted fan of Jang Seok, was the one who had pushed Jang Chae-young to run the fan cafe for her brother.

Claiming to be the number one fan, Yun Yuran was the mastermind behind Jang Chae-young running the fan cafe.

- As expected, our manager! You're amazing, Jang Chae-young! Bravo!

"Alright, alright. Don't forget about sharing the family tree this time."

- Of course! What's a family tree? I gather the tendencies of the teachers by subject and create profiles to share with the seniors at our foreign language high school.

"Really? You believe that?"

- Of course, of course, of course! Do you trust me?

"Your words... really... anyway, it's funny."

Jang Chae-young chuckled, trying to suppress a laugh that escaped through her lips.

Was it late February?

After visiting the Peony Gallery to see her brother's artwork.

While drinking a beverage at the cafe run by the Peony Gallery with Yun Yuran, Yun Yuran muttered to herself, staring into space.

- "Chae-young, should we really start a fan cafe now?"

At first, Jang Chae-young thought it was a joke.

But from that day on, Yun Yuran started singing about starting a fan cafe, and eventually, in early July, she surprised everyone by throwing out the fan cafe's address.

It happened a week after Jang Seok's graduation exhibition opening on June 28th.

Recalling that moment, Jang Chae-young sighed.

Yun Yuran had created the fan cafe but handed over the management to Jang Chae-young, taking the role of assistant manager. It had been four months since Jang Chae-young reluctantly agreed to run the fan cafe together.

Of course, Jang Chae-young acknowledged Yun Yuran's abilities.

Out of the 64,000 fan cafe members, 30% were foreigners. All of them were members that Yun Yuran had recruited by browsing overseas community sites.

Initially, Yun Yuran used an English dictionary, translation tools, and quotes from dramas to scribble notes, but now she was so proficient that she could work as a translator.

Given that Yun Yuran had always been good at English and attended the same foreign language high school, it was no surprise that her skills improved by constantly browsing overseas community sites day and night.

Indeed.

Skills.

Thinking about it, it wasn't such a bad hobby. Since starting to run the fan cafe, Jang Chae-young's mock exam English scores had steadily improved.

Her reading speed also increased, naturally boosting her Korean scores, and with more time to invest in other subjects, her overall grades improved.

Except for the fact that she had to stan her brother.

Jang Chae-young nodded, thinking about this, when she heard the creaking sound of someone climbing the wooden stairs from a distance.

It was her brother.

She could naturally tell just by the sound of his footsteps.

Jang Chae-young quickly turned off the computer screen and turned around, just as a knock came at the door.

"What!"

"Can I come in?"

"Ah, what!"

"No, you said you're running my fan cafe."

Bang!

Jang Chae-young slapped her palm on the table and stood up. At the same time, even though it wasn't through the speaker, Yun Yuran's voice echoed loudly from the phone.

- What? Is it Seok? Is Seok at home now?

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Ah, just a moment!"

Jang Chae-young urgently grabbed the phone again. When she put it to her ear, Yun Yuran's excited voice boomed like a megaphone.

- You just said fan cafe, right? Did you know about the fan cafe? Is he interested? What did he say? Say something!

"Later. I'll tell you everything later. I'll hang up for now."

- Hey, Young-young! Don't hang up, don't hang up, don't...

Jang Chae-young ruthlessly hung up and threw the phone onto the desk, running her fingers through her hair. "Mom and Dad told me not to tell you." Jang Chae-young's ears turned red as she glared at the door.

"Hey. Jang Chae-young. What are you doing? Let me see the fan cafe."

"Ah, what!"

"At least tell me the name of the fan cafe. Since it's my fan cafe, I should take a look, right?"

"Alright, alright!"

There was no way she could show it yet, as they hadn't achieved any significant results. Jang Chae-young, who blushed easily, was about to yell to get out of the situation when the chair moved, and the phone slid onto the keyboard.

The weight of the phone pressing the keys made a sound come from the computer.

- Remember the prophecy. What did the god of prophecy say to you? Didn't he say you were destined to marry a terrifying monster?

- Turn on the lights.

- Raise the candlestick.

- Check the hidden face.

The secret sound was accompanied by a series of popping sounds, as if fireworks were exploding. It seemed a video linked to the post had started playing.

Hearing this, Jang Chae-young and Jang Seok outside the door remained silent.

The screen was off.

The sound coming from Jang Chae-young's computer speakers was a promotional video for the Yongshinland project that Jang Seok had worked on.

This video was only uploaded to Jang Seok's YouTube Shorts.

Damn. Jang Chae-young covered her red face with her palm. Jang Seok, who couldn't see her, hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Ah... you were working on something?"

"......"

"I'll go downstairs. Take your time."

"......"

"......Thank you?"

"AAAAAAAAAAH! Go down! Go down! Go down!"

"Alright, alright."

Jang Seok chuckled and went down the stairs. Listening to the sound, Jang Chae-young buried her face in her palms and kicked the air for a while.

It was really a black history.

.

.

.

Park Sun-woo was sipping whiskey while gazing at the night sky, which was as dark as ink, from the mansion.

It had been a week since he met Jang Seok on October 24th, yet Park Sun-woo still recalled that day. He was an interesting writer, a friend who showed a certain firmness that was hard to believe for a nineteen-year-old.

As Park Sun-woo savored the vanilla scent that followed the spicy finish of the whiskey, he dropped a whiskey stone into the glass with a pair of tongs.

Ryu Jeong-hyung, who was beside him, pushed up his glasses and asked.

"President."

President.

That was how Park Sun-woo was addressed.

Thinking that it was a rather grand title for someone so young, Park Sun-woo turned his head.

"That's a bit too heavy for a close senior to use when visiting after work, isn't it?"

"This is more convenient."

"......Okay, Director. What is it?"

Ryu Jeong-hyung, who hadn't touched his whiskey, looked at Park Sun-woo.

"Doesn't it suit your taste?"

"No, I have a question."

"Sure, go ahead."

Park Sun-woo smiled brightly. Ryu Jeong-hyung, who had been looking at the dimples on Park Sun-woo's cheeks, cautiously opened his mouth.

"About the additional condition to pay the settlement amount monthly, even though the building project was completed, why did you propose that?"

It wasn't necessary to do so, Ryu Jeong-hyung thought, swallowing the words in his throat as he cautiously looked at Park Sun-woo.

"Oh, that."

Park Sun-woo nodded as if it was expected.

Rolling the square whiskey stone in the glass, Park Sun-woo tapped the top and said,

"So, this is... um, do you know how the Peony Gallery is exhibiting the works now?"

"No."

"What about the works in the 'This' or 'That' series, or the 'Other' series?"

"I don't know much about how they operate, except for the works... Could it be?"

A thought flashed through Ryu Jeong-hyung's mind.

The sculpture 'This' was uniquely leased for exhibition rather than sold. A portion of the entrance fee was paid as a commission.

It was an unusual contract, but... could it be?

"That's right. Jang Seok, except for 'This' and 'That,' has traded all his works in that form. 'This' was sold due to financial difficulties, and 'That' was donated, as Jang Seok clearly stated..."

Excluding those cases, he hadn't transferred ownership of any of his works.

"From what I've seen, Jang Seok is someone who doesn't want to sell the ownership of his works. And I think you agree, right?"

Sipping the whiskey, Park Sun-woo pressed his temples with his index finger.

"Why does Jang Seok do this?"

"Why does our artist Jang Seok do this?"

Ha ha. Park Sun-woo laughed, finding it an interesting question.

"Of course, it's because he knows the value of his works the best. For example, do you know how much the sales revenue of the Peony Gallery has increased compared to last year, despite only exhibiting 'This' and 'That'?"

"Um, that...?"

Ryu Jeong-hyung, who worked for the San Gang Cultural Foundation, was not as familiar with the sales revenue of the Bloom Art Museum and its surroundings as Jin Doo-wook.

Park Sun-woo, the president, would be the same, right? But as soon as he thought that, Park Sun-woo spoke.

"Three times. At least three times. The sales have tripled compared to this time last year, even though they're only exhibiting 'This' and 'That.'"

"Three times?"

In the Ganghun-dong gallery area, the Peony Gallery, known as a small but significant player, had tripled its revenue. It was a significant achievement.

Ryu Jeong-hyung understood that.

His eyes widened behind his glasses.

"This is huge. It means people are moving to see Jang Seok's works. That means money. But is this the end of growth?"

No.

Park Sun-woo's eyes sparkled.

"I can assure you that our artist Jang Seok will grow even more. If his works are exhibited at art fairs in Thailand or by curators like Jin Doo-wook or Seol Yeo-jin, the value will at least double. That's why I decided to ride this wave..."

Rolling the whiskey, Park Sun-woo took a breath and continued.

"What if someone like me comes along, buys the Renaissance Shopping Mall in its entirety, and then buys a hotel to install Jang Seok's sculptures, just like he did with the hot spring?"

Wouldn't he be in a difficult position?

Park Sun-woo chuckled.

"That's why, while paying the commission for the work, I transferred half the ownership to Jang Seok, classifying it as a joint asset. This way, no matter what happens to the hotel, the sculptures will remain ours."

Park Sun-woo might build the hotel, but the probability of him becoming the hotel manager is low. Therefore, he couldn't work solely for the San Gang Group and the hotel.

It was a bold move, but no one would notice the value immediately.

Ryu Jeong-hyung finally understood why this story was being told.

"So, that's why..."

"Yes. I made it look impressive by adding various items to avoid detection. With all the additional costs and settlement payments for the building, who would bother to look into the details?"

The contract was so thick that it was intimidating to read through it properly. The conclusion was that the sculptures were installed in the hotel, and there were no legal issues, so there was no immediate way to verify it. Since the approval had already been given, there was no need to check.

Ryu Jeong-hyung was impressed.

Then, he suddenly remembered Jang Seok, who had carefully read through the thick contract, asking questions, and finally signed it with a satisfied look.

"Then... did Jang Seok understand all the intentions and proceed with the contract?"

"......Hmm."

Park Sun-woo, who had been laughing, thinking everything had gone as he wished, looked at Ryu Jeong-hyung with a slightly puzzled expression.

- "I just wanted to confirm this."

Jang Seok had indeed carefully reviewed the contract and asked various questions. In the end, he signed it with a satisfied look.

Hmm. It wasn't an impossible scenario. There were no unfavorable conditions for Jang Seok. There was no need to make an unfavorable contract, and it wouldn't have been right.

Jang Seok was a goose that laid golden eggs. What good would come from crossing him? Thinking about this, Park Sun-woo swirled his whiskey.

"Um... if he did understand everything and signed the contract..."

Park Sun-woo suddenly stopped speaking and looked at the calendar.

"When is the art fair?"

"The art fair?"

"Yes. A large-scale one..."

"Um, that's..."

Ryu Jeong-hyung stood up and walked to the calendar.

If Jang Seok had indeed understood everything and signed the contract, he might soon become a major player, making it difficult to secure his works.

After taking a sip of whiskey, Park Sun-woo, thinking about the funds in his account, asked.

"Brother. Will Jang Seok bring his works to the art fair?"

"What? President."

"Huh? Brother? Tell me."

Ryu Jeong-hyung, who had grown up on scholarships from the San Gang Cultural Foundation, scratched his head, looking flustered. He opened his mouth cautiously, as if he were back to his days as a tutor for elementary school students.

"In my opinion..."

Park Sun-woo, who had been listening to Ryu Jeong-hyung's words, suddenly stopped laughing and opened his eyes wide. He was looking at the computer screen.

At the top of the portal site, a large headline caught Park Sun-woo's attention.

"Yongshinland: All Reservations for Art Exhibitions Fully Booked for the Year."

Wow.

Reservations had started a week ago, and in just one week, all slots for November and December were fully booked. Even though visits were only allowed during the day and one adult at a time, this was... really impressive. Park Sun-woo's eyes sparkled.

"Maybe he'll grow even faster than I thought?"

Park Sun-woo looked at Ryu Jeong-hyung, his heart racing. Then, he narrowed his eyebrows in a triangular shape, looking worried but also amused.

"But how will he handle the military service?"

Park Sun-woo.

Despite being the youngest in the San Gang Group, he was a veteran.

* * * *

November 1st.

The last month of autumn.

The cold winds of winter were beginning to blow.

Yongshinland had completed its reopening preparations and opened its doors.

Of course, the amusement rides were not operating, and the reservation system, which charged hourly, did not attract a large crowd.

Jang Seok, looking at the less crowded scene compared to the opening of the Bloom Art Museum's graduation exhibition, slowly entered Yongshinland. He wore a cap, so no one recognized him.

- "You must come today, artist!"

Jang Seok looked around.

Security guards and safety personnel were quickly moving around for the opening of the exhibition. Staff members were also preparing to guide visitors in place of Jo Dong-beom.

Why do I need to be here?

Jang Seok looked around awkwardly, trying to find Ryu Su-hyun, who had called him. At that moment, he saw a figure in a clean suit running towards him, a straw in a high-caffeine drink.

"Artist!"

Sure enough. Jang Seok nodded and greeted Ryu Su-hyun, who was approaching.

"It's been a while, Secretary."

"Ha ha. I see you every day, but it's always good to see you."

Ryu Su-hyun laughed, holding