Chapter 87

87

Jangseok stared at the man who greeted him from the doorway of the classroom, taking a deep breath and tightly gripping the envelope containing the secret letter given to him by his mother.

Arthur. Arthur. Arthur.

Among the famous people with the same name that evoked the legend of King Arthur... there was no one in his memory who resembled the man before him.

It wasn't the filmmaker Arthur, nor the Arthur family who donated their farm, and the painter Arthur who caused a stir last time was in his 60s, wasn't he?

Who is he?

Jangseok looked into the green eyes.

If this man, with such distinctive green eyes, was a famous artist known enough for Jin Doyuk, the curator, to recognize him, Jangseok wouldn't have failed to know him.

Recalling his past, when he had studied relentlessly to avoid falling behind in theory when his practical skills weren't improving, Jangseok narrowed his eyes.

It was to recall who the man before him was.

In that moment, as if scrutinizing a test question that wouldn't come to mind, Jin Doyuk's assistant, Jin Yumi, whispered in his ear.

"Arthur Maynard. He's one of the famous super collectors here."

Seeming to sense his name in Jin Yumi's whisper, Arthur's eyes held a faint smile.

Jin Doyuk and Jin Yumi awkwardly smiled as they felt their eyes meet his.

'Arthur Maynard... Why is he here? And he's even approaching Mr. Jangseok... It seems he's here to meet Mr. Jangseok.'

Pretending not to be Jin Doyuk, he glanced around Arthur.

It was strange that no one was around Arthur.

Shouldn't he have an interpreter or assistant?

Questions swirled in Jin Doyuk's mind as information about Arthur Maynard jumbled in his head.

Arthur Maynard.

Born to a British aristocratic father and a South American immigrant mother, this man was one of the notable named collectors at Art Basel Miami Beach.

And for good reason.

'Because the Arthur before me is the successor to Naveria Maynard.'

Naveria Maynard.

Arthur Maynard's mother, a South American immigrant, was one of the super collectors who made the current Art Basel Miami Beach possible.

Naveria Maynard, known for her wealth, had recently announced her official successor, and Arthur Maynard's stock was soaring.

While he was raising his stock and establishing himself as a collector, it was surprising to see him greet Jangseok in such casual attire without an interpreter or assistant.

Curiosity began to arise.

"(Maynard, if it's not too much trouble, may I ask what business you have with the artist we've invited to our Bloom Gallery?)"

Contacting an invited artist for a gallery session before Art Basel Miami Beach could be seen as extremely rude.

Arthur Maynard couldn't be unaware of this.

So why did he approach? Jin Doyuk, tense, subtly shielded Jangseok. It was a desperate attempt to protect the gem that was Jangseok.

Arthur, as if telling him not to be so tense, casually brushed his golden-brown hair. He had a face and build that would suit a tennis court.

"(Oh, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable or scared. I didn't mean to, so please don't misunderstand. Um, the reason I came here after hearing the news that Jangseok would be here through a reliable source is...)"

Arthur spoke in circles.

Smiling and showing his teeth, he looked at Jangseok and said,

"(By the way, are you guys Jangseok's agency or something?)"

"(......No. We are just...)"

"(We are just the Bloom Gallery participating in this gallery session booth, and we have a business relationship with Jangseok. We've agreed to install a series of works for this event. Right?)"

Arthur smiled brightly, as if it couldn't be any other way.

While the Bloom Gallery staff, including Jin Doyuk, were momentarily intimidated by Arthur's extensive knowledge, Arthur subtly spoke to Jangseok.

"(Hey, Jangseok. Everyone here speaks English well. Do you speak English too?)"

"(If it's listening...)"

"(Oh, listening. That's enough.)"

Arthur nodded and closed the distance with Jangseok. Jin Doyuk and Jin Yumi had already moved aside, and a strange standoff had formed between Jangseok and Arthur.

Just as Jin Doyuk, confused by how this had happened, was about to step in front of Jangseok, Arthur got straight to the point.

"(Have you heard of the International Debutante Ball, Jangseok?)"

The International Debutante Ball.

It was a party marking the entry of upper-class children into society.

Jangseok nodded.

He had heard of it.

After the first invitation of Asian women and the participation of the children of the Sanjiang Group owner family, who established the Chinghua Arts High School, there had been extensive publicity.

The faces of his classmates who were excited about the possibility of participating one day flashed through his mind. But after a brief recollection, a question remained.

'Why is he asking me about the International Debutante Ball?'

Jangseok looked at Arthur Maynard with a puzzled expression.

The Debutante Ball invited women, specifically those from distinguished families with intellectual abilities, under 20 years old.

They had to meet strict appearance and multifaceted talent criteria, including a height of over 170cm.

Jangseok frowned, thinking about the height requirement.

He had felt taller recently, but setting height as a condition was enough to ruffle his feathers.

Recently, even among the non-royalty, the children of distinguished families who met strict criteria were being invited, but they were still women.

Given that the original purpose was to find a husband of similar social status, it was an event that shouldn't have any connection with Jangseok.

Why is he asking me about the debut stage for upper-class ladies? Jangseok couldn't help but wonder.

Jangseok was nineteen. He would be twenty in a few months, but that was by Korean age. By Western age, he was still nineteen. It couldn't be that they wanted him to participate as a potential husband for those women... What is it?

Just as Jangseok's curiosity deepened,

Arthur spoke at the right moment to resolve his doubts.

"(I'm here to invite you as a sculptor to the Debutante Ball next year.)"

"(......A sculptor?)"

To come all the way to the airport to invite him as a sculptor?

Jangseok looked at Arthur with disbelief, and Arthur smiled, showing his teeth. It was a smile that would fit perfectly in a golf course.

"(I inherited something from my mother. It's intuition. I felt that if I didn't speak to you now, it would be harder to do so during the Art Basel period in Miami Beach. If it felt rude, I hope you can understand with a broad mind, Jangseok.)"

"......"

Jangseok stared at Arthur without a word.

The Bloom Gallery staff, who had been listening, were in an uproar.

"Did Arthur just say he wants to invite Mr. Jangseok as a sculptor to the International Debutante Ball?"

"It seems so."

"What's a Debutante Ball?"

"Don't you know? The International Debutante Ball..."

Most of the Bloom Gallery staff, as part of the Sanjiang Cultural Foundation, knew about the International Debutante Ball. The Sanjiang Group had extensively publicized the participation of their owner family's children, so it was impossible not to know.

The reason they were making a fuss was that Jangseok had been invited to such an event.

The art world.

A broad yet narrow market driven by money, connections, school ties, and family ties.

The easiest way to survive in such a market was to have a lot of money or to be loved by those with a lot of money.

And now, that easy path was opening up for Jangseok.

For the Bloom Gallery, which had long-term leased four exhibition halls for his works and was participating in Art Basel Miami Beach, this good news from Jangseok before the opening would bring them the best publicity.

As they excitedly discussed, Jangseok let out a sigh of resignation.

'The International Debutante Ball...'

Jangseok looked at Arthur, who exuded an upper-class aura. He was dressed in ordinary gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt, a stark contrast to Arthur.

"What do you want me to create?"

Jangseok asked in Korean, and Jin Doyuk quickly translated. Arthur's face lit up like a light bulb, and he answered without hesitation.

"(The most splendid, beautiful, and dignified woman in the world.)"

Arthur added,

"(A work like that lovely Psyche would be wonderful. Ah, Jangseok, I'm a fan of yours. You might not know, but I quietly flew to Korea to see your works in person. I came here to invite you because I'm a fan.)"

He elaborated with grand gestures about Psyche.

Thousands of feathers, thousands of butterflies, a woman who smiled at me with a radiant light in the midst of all that, that's what I want. I want the most splendid work in the world to be sculpted for our party...

Jangseok, with a strange expression, asked,

"Why me?"

Why should I create it?

Jangseok looked at Arthur with genuine confusion.

Arthur, looking for an interpretation of what he had said, turned to Jin Doyuk. However, Jin Doyuk's mouth was slightly open, unable to move.

"Um... um."

How should I interpret this? Jin Doyuk, now in the role of an interpreter, looked at Jangseok with a troubled expression.

Jangseok's lips twitched in a way that resembled a grumpy old man. His lips curved up toward his cheeks, and he spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"If you like it so much, why don't you hold the International Debutante Ball at the amusement park where it is? The first International Debutante Ball in South Korea. Sounds good, doesn't it?"

"Ah."

It was a rejection.

Jin Doyuk involuntarily showed a disappointed face.

Being officially invited as a sculptor to the International Debutante Ball would have a significant promotional effect...

Art Basel Miami Beach, where private collections of super collectors are displayed, is attended by a significant number of upper-class individuals.

Famous rich people and celebrities participate because it's an event with a lot of upper-class attendees.

If the news spread that the sculptor for next year's International Debutante Ball, where upper-class children attend, was participating in a booth, their attention would naturally turn this way.

'Well... Jangseok has always had strong beliefs. He wouldn't display his work on a stage where he's not the main attraction.'

Jangseok had always been like that.

His works dominated the space.

He was an artist who was only satisfied when he drew everyone's attention to the stage like a storm.

He wouldn't display his work at a debutante ball where the focus was on the debutantes.

At that moment,

Jangseok, watching Arthur struggle to interpret, said to Jin Doyuk,

"You don't seem to know what kind of artist I am yet. After seeing my works at the Art Basel Miami Beach gallery session, let's talk again. Can you interpret that for me?"

A counter-invitation!

While rejecting, he left the door open.

Jin Doyuk's face brightened.

If Arthur, a major player at this Art Basel Miami Beach, visited the Bloom Gallery booth, it would create another storm.

Jin Doyuk nodded enthusiastically and turned to Arthur.

"......Ah! Yes, of course. Arthur! (Jangseok says that you still don't...)"

Interest spread across Arthur's face as he listened to Jin Doyuk.

Jangseok, watching this, turned away without hesitation.

He didn't care that Jin Doyuk and Arthur turned to look at him.

He didn't want anything else to enter his mind.

Jangseok, with a face that looked like his whole body was itching, quickened his pace. To others, he looked almost expressionless.

"What... What do we do?"

The staff, watching Jangseok walk away with an almost expressionless face, swallowed their anxiety. It seemed like Jangseok was so angry he didn't know what to do.

"Maybe he's angry because of Maynard."

"He might have heard us talking about him behind his back. What do we do? We should have just let him be."

"Did he really hear us?"

Most of them only knew Jangseok by reputation.

Their misunderstanding arose from not knowing his personality, likes, and dislikes.

At that moment,

"I'll follow him. You guys, come with the curator when he arrives."

"Yumi!"

"Yumi!"

"Yumi-ssi...!"

Among the flustered staff, Jin Yumi, the curator, quickly followed Jangseok.

Her role on this overseas trip was to support Jangseok.

When Jangseok borrowed four exhibition halls from the Bloom Gallery for his work, Jin Yumi, as the curator in charge of Yang Seon-gu's exhibition, had the most interaction with him.

– 'Mr. Jang doesn't have an agency or a personal agent. That means...! How we support Mr. Jang at this Art Basel Miami Beach could determine who he travels with for his future overseas schedule. Got it, Yumi? Your role is important.'

Jin Yumi thought of the Bloom Gallery's overseas corporate card in her possession.

Her wallet was also well-funded. Worried it might be stolen, she hung the card holder around her neck and held it tightly in both hands as she quickened her pace.

She instinctively knew.

Jangseok wasn't angry; he was heading somewhere.

Quickly catching up to Jangseok, Jin Yumi, after observing, cautiously whispered,

"Should I look for a free studio where we can work temporarily?"

...The way Jangseok's amber eyes brightened, it was a characteristic that appeared when he was eager to work.

And as if confirming the answer, Jangseok's mouth opened.

"Preferably a large space."

"Understood."

Jin Yumi, with a face that seemed to be fluttering with excitement, took out her phone.

It felt like she was a key supporting character in a movie. She felt like a secretary accompanying the VIP, Jangseok, as she took out her phone.

Something was about to begin.

.

.

.

Two hours later.

Jangseok and Jin Yumi were on the fourth floor near the beach, where palm trees stretched out. Through the large windows, the salty smell of the sea seemed to rise with the wind.

Jin Yumi, with a tense expression, looked around.

Honestly, it was good to have a spacious studio to use alone, but that was all.

No, besides the vast sky and palm trees instead of street trees, and the distant view of the sea, there were no other advantages to the studio.

Of course, even this wasn't something Jin Yumi had found on her own. It was a temporary studio owned by the Bloom Gallery, obtained through an SOS to Jin Doyuk.

Jin Yumi, hiding her fatigue from the jet lag, muttered as if making an excuse.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jang. I could only find this place in a hurry... I'll try to find a better one after discussing with the curator today."

"It's fine."

"Really?"

"It's fine."

Jangseok looked at the sky and the sea with a satisfied expression. He really seemed content.

"I like it here."

"......Really?"

"Yes, really."

Jangseok nodded.

Then he slowly walked around the spacious studio, pondering where to work and where to place things.

Jin Yumi, watching this, suddenly came to her senses.

Right. It wasn't just about finding a studio. Artists need various materials to work.

Jin Yumi quickly rummaged through her mini suitcase and took out paper and a pen.

"Mr. Jang, if you need anything, I'll try to get it for you quickly."

"Ah, would you?"

Jangseok turned to Jin Yumi with a truly grateful expression.

Seeing this, Jin Yumi brightened as if she had received a compliment and clicked the pen excitedly.

She was ready to take notes.

Go ahead, tell me!

Jin Yumi, clutching her notebook and pen, shot a look at Jangseok. At the same time, Jangseok's lips opened neither too quickly nor too slowly.

"Croceus tinctoria... Ah, that's hard to find now, right? Then, 10 kg of Indigofera tinctoria, and Padouk. So, the oil from Padouk seeds... or, conch shells, and please get me the ones that have a bright blue-green color. I think I'll need about 100... and also water hyacinth... ash, and indigo leaves... and..."

Jin Yumi's head gradually tilted as she took notes. What were these magical ingredients? She tilted her head and scribbled down the words.

"Ah, right. Please get me some conch shells. At least 40 kg