Chapter 86

86

* * * *

God's agent.

This was the term used by Giorgio Vasari to introduce Michelangelo in the preface of his biography.

Vasari described Michelangelo as God's agent who had descended to earth to show humans the perfection of design and art. This was also a phrase he used to introduce Michelangelo.

It didn't stop there.

Regarding the figure of Adam in the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he said:

"Look at the beauty and posture of Adam. It seems as if he was created anew by the supreme creator of the universe, rather than by the hand and design of a mortal."

This passage clearly shows that Vasari was indeed a great admirer of Michelangelo.

It meant that Michelangelo's Adam possessed a perfect body indistinguishable from God's creation, and Vasari had dared to compare Michelangelo to a god.

At that time, could there have been a more lavish praise and admiration?

* * * *

"It's snowing."

At someone's muttered words, a few people turned their heads unconsciously.

Snowflakes were falling over the quiet neighborhood and streets, in stark contrast to the crowded space.

December 12th.

While it wasn't unusual for it to snow, snow always managed to draw attention whenever it fell. It was the same now.

People watched the snowflakes floating in the air as if they were observing sand falling through an hourglass.

However, their gaze didn't last long.

Their eyes kept drifting to one side as if drawn by a magnet.

On the outskirts of Seoul, a bit away from the city center.

Despite being a weekend, the streets were quiet, and the density of people in this space was in stark contrast. This place was inside the Sistine Cafe on the 8th floor of the Renaissance Mall.

The cold of winter had been pierced, and the people inside the cafe, who filled the space, were captivated by a fresco painted by Kang Seok.

It depicted the moment when God, draped in a cloak fluttering in a gentle breeze and surrounded by angels, touched the finger of Adam, who was weakly leaning against a rock.

The colors were vivid and pristine, and the fresco, though on a wall rather than a ceiling, was at eye level, requiring no tilting of the head. It was also larger than the original.

People were entranced by Kang Seok's mural.

The fresco painted by Kang Seok had something that captivated people.

When they came here, they often forgot the passage of time and stared at the artwork in a daze. What else could it be if not a spell?

Even those who usually disliked standing didn't complain when they came here. This was the real magic.

Crunch.

All the gazes that had been fixed on the window for less than 3 minutes and 40 seconds since the snow started falling were suddenly drawn away. A woman with pink lips, wearing sunglasses and observing the people, bit her candy fiercely.

It wasn't surprising that most people weren't looking out the window.

But how could not a single person be looking out the window? Her high heels tapped nervously on the floor.

"Ugh. It's a waste. It's a terrible waste."

She, Seol Yejin, the owner of the Paeonia Gallery, gnawed on the stick of her candy while glaring at the artwork.

'They've hung a great painting and are making a fortune.'

For ordinary gallery owners who couldn't rent large works like in a major art museum or host a series of famous artist exhibitions like in an old, renowned gallery, foot traffic was money.

For Seol Yejin, it was painful to see this shabby mall making money. Moreover, it wasn't even a fair price; she heard that Kang Seok received only 500 with some help from his school teachers.

'Is this 500?'

Furthermore, there were over a dozen murals in the Renaissance Mall.

They were all good. The quality wasn't bad; rather, it was good.

'Well... the students from Cheonghwa High School participated in the murals... it's only natural.'

The skills of the students at Cheonghwa High School, who were as good as any adult professionals, were beyond doubt.

Of course, even so, the mural was exceptionally good. Regardless, 500 for all the murals in the Renaissance Mall, plus another 500, totaling 1,000.

'Can you really get all this for just 1,000 won?'

Seol Yejin had to work hard to suppress her boiling anger behind a sweet smile.

If she weren't a businesswoman and in a position where she wouldn't be talked about even if she showed a bad face outside, she would have already slammed the table and vented her frustration.

Ah, her lips were twitching from the effort.

At that moment.

Seol Yejin saw Kim Yunseo, whom she had sent on an errand, walking towards her from a distance.

Kim Yunseo's face was almost expressionless, but Seol Yejin, who had known her for a long time, immediately understood the situation.

'Things didn't go as planned, I see.'

Seol Yejin's thumbnail dug into the middle of her index finger. Kim Yunseo's success was Seol Yejin's success, so she couldn't feel good about it.

"Director."

Kim Yunseo came to where Seol Yejin was sitting and slightly bowed her head.

"Yes, Yunseo."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? The building has already been sold?"

"......Yes."

Seol Yejin's thumbnail scraped the skin of her index finger again. At the same time, her lips, which resembled a dried pink rose, curled beautifully.

It was a pretty smile.

"It's not your fault. I was too late."

The reason Seol Yejin and Kim Yunseo came to the Renaissance Mall today was to purchase the building.

Since Kang Seok didn't seem to want to sell his work, they had hoped to acquire the mall that included his work... but it was too late.

Crunch.

Seol Yejin ground her candy with her molars.

Was it a mistake to spend too much time preparing for the Paeonia Gallery's biggest event, the solo exhibition of Go Dohan? Was it a mistake to run around contacting works to fill the gap left by ? Was it a mistake to engage in a prolonged battle with the Bloom Gallery over Kang Seok's participation in Art Basel in Miami Beach?

Crunch.

"Then, do you know who bought the building?"

"Yes. It's Park Sun-woo, the youngest representative of the San Kang Group."

"Park Sun-woo?"

It was a name that was both unfamiliar and not far away.

Not a professional in the art world, nor involved in it, but a name that one would hear a few times through the grapevine after spending a long time in the art world. That was Park Sun-woo. Seol Yejin turned her head.

"He can't be planning to run this place."

Investment?

If so, it would have been a matter of offering a higher price. Seol Yejin had a considerable amount of money set aside to buy Kang Seok's work. Her eyes sparkled as she recalled the amount.

"How much are they selling it for?"

"......They said the transaction is already in progress, and the business agent......"

"Transfer? When did they buy it?"

"A few months ago."

Seol Yejin looked at Kim Yunseo with an expression that seemed to ask if this was some kind of nonsense. Kim Yunseo, Seol Yejin's secretary, also looked at her with a troubled expression.

Their minds raced.

"Of course, they wouldn't give us the contact information, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, Yunseo. On the way up, I saw that the 7th floor shops were being cleaned up... can you ask if they can rent out any space? Did you get the contact information?"

If the best option wasn't available, she had to prepare a second option. Seol Yejin, who had discarded Plan A from her mind, began to plan Plan B.

"......"

Kim Yunseo muttered with a troubled expression. Seol Yejin looked up at her with an expression that asked why.

"......I remember you were interested in that place, so I asked about the 7th floor shops... but they said the spaces are already filled."

"......This situation is getting strange."

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Seol Yejin bit her candy and sipped the caramel macchiato she had ordered. Something huge was moving beneath the surface of the situation.

Seol Yejin, who had been pondering Kim Yunseo's words, stood up.

"Let's go. We need to figure out what's going on."

"Yes."

This happened while Kang Seok was flying to Miami Beach.

* * * *

Inside the airplane.

Kang Seok was sitting in the first-class seat prepared by the Bloom Gallery, looking out the window.

The other attendees, including the director of the Bloom Gallery, Jin Doyuk, were all in business class, so Kang Seok was looking out the window undisturbed.

It had been five hours already.

"Sir... are you okay? You've been looking out the window the whole time......"

"Pay attention, but don't overreact."

"......Yes."

To the point where even the flight attendants noticed, Kang Seok had been staring out the window without moving, as if he were a statue.

However, Kang Seok wasn't just idly looking out.

In the quiet first-class cabin where almost everyone was asleep.

Kang Seok was moving faster than anyone else. The only difference was that only his eyes and pupils were moving.

Like a camera lens focusing, Kang Seok's pupils were constantly observing the world beyond the window.

There was a clear reason why Kang Seok was so persistently and continuously looking out the window.

It was because it was his first time.

His first time on a plane, his first time abroad, and his first time looking down from the sky...... all of it was a first-time experience in both his past and present life.

Kang Seok was intensely experiencing every scene that came into his field of vision. These would become the foundation for further evolving his works in the future.

'Can I create something as magnificent as this?'

He was praised for stealing the hand of God.

In his past life and this life.

His hands possessed the ability to create perfection. He was still learning, so he would continue to develop and evolve.

Then, would there come a day when he could capture such a vast landscape in his hands? Could he bring this grand nature to life in his hands?

......Can I do it?

In his past life, he carved the night sky but repented for not inscribing his name as the creator. In this life, he envied the god who carved the moon and despaired at not being able to create such a beautiful sculpture.

But this time......a different emotion found Kang Seok.

Competitiveness.

The moment when competitiveness towards nature found Kang Seok.

"Haha... ha!"

Two more hours passed.

He gazed at the crimson sky, purely in awe.

'It's different.'

It was completely different from the photos he had seen through a camera lens. The technical limitations of recognizing colors and the world seen through Kang Seok's eyes had different limits.

Kang Seok remembered the landscape he saw from above.

It seemed to be stored somewhere in his brain, like a photo.

The plane was fast, and Kang Seok never forgot what he had seen once.

The moment when the plane broke through the clouds and the vast sea spread out far below, with the waves shimmering in the sunlight, and the clouds flowing like a herd of whales in the sky.

All of it was deeply etched in Kang Seok's mind.

The air, the colors, the sea, the ripples, the reflected sunlight, the flow of the clouds, even the way they looked thick from a distance and like silk from up close...... Kang Seok's pupils captured everything.

In the quiet airplane.

The giant was quietly beginning his first movement to swallow the world.

* * * *

Miami Beach, Florida, USA.

Kang Seok and the group, including the director of the Bloom Gallery, Jin Doyuk, who had arrived there, took a deep breath of the airport's air.

The air was quite different from the cold winter in Korea.

The temperature in Miami Beach, ranging from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius, warmly embraced the tired bodies and minds of the group who had flown in from afar.

Kang Seok, who had been enjoying the warm air, looked up slightly. A billboard welcoming them to [Art Basel Miami Beach] greeted them.

Art Basel Miami Beach.

When Art Basel first came to Miami in 2002, people wondered if an art fair could succeed in Miami.

But it did.

With the aggressive and full support of the local community and super collectors of Latin American descent, Miami grew.

Now, a solid art hub has been established in the Miami and Latin American regions.

People loved Art Basel Miami Beach, where the personal collections of patrons were made public through art galleries. Not only tourists but also famous rich people and celebrities willingly visited Miami Beach during this period.

There was value in Art Basel Miami Beach.

Compared to the early days when 160 galleries from 23 countries participated, it had grown tremendously.

Kang Seok quietly looked at the words.

The gallery section, where he would participate for the first time, was one of the seven sections of Art Basel Miami Beach, including over 190 major galleries.

With the most galleries, it was a space where works could be easily appreciated and quickly dispersed. It was a section where one had to capture attention to survive as one passed by.

Kang Seok's lips moved for the first time since arriving in Miami.

Capturing attention as one passed by.

That was what Kang Seok was most confident about.

Should I go?

Just as he was about to take a step.

"Is that Kang Seok? (Is this the correct way to say it?)"

A deep voice in Korean and English came from somewhere.

Kang Seok's eyes turned.

A foreign man was standing there.

Who is he?

Kang Seok's eyes looked at the man indifferently. At that moment, something fell with a thud. Kang Seok turned his head to follow the sound.

There, Director Jin Doyuk was looking at the man with a red face.

"......Arthur."

Uncommon green eyes.

Dirty blonde hair with a brownish tint, curly hair that reminded one of a mix between David and Eros, a gentle and affectionate smile and eye smile.

A triangular upper body and long, slender legs.

The man, who was extremely annoying to look at even for another man, was named Arthur.

He said,

"Nice to meet you, Kang Seok. I'm Arthur."

87. Kang Seok looked at the man who was greeting him blankly.