"Preparation…?"Kangseok blinked slowly.
"A solo exhibition isn't a big deal. I'll just hang one or two of your works in mine. If they're good, they'll sell, and the profits go to you."
It wasn't that he had forgotten. Why would he forget? It was a chance to sell his paintings.He wanted to make his family rich. He was planning to earn a lot of money. So of course, he remembered it clearly.
But… he hadn't actually thought about what he wanted to draw.
Why not?
…Well. Right. In his past life—when Kangseok had been Michelangelo—most of his work had been commissioned.
For God, for the Pope, for nobles, for wealthy merchants, for cardinals—for someone—he always had something he had to make. Something he had to draw.
But just his own work… had he ever thought about that?
How refreshing.
Kangseok's eyes sparkled.
What should he draw?
"…You haven't decided yet?"
Go Duhan asked again, cautiously. He was looking at Kangseok, who had his head lowered, completely still. With Kangseok unmoving like that, he looked almost frozen in Go Duhan's eyes.
"I'll do both."
"Right. I made the offer—accepting it is up to you. Try doing both."
"Thank you."
"But if you don't do them properly, both are out."
Was he asking again now because he thought Kangseok wasn't preparing and might withdraw the offer? Go Duhan rubbed his chin.
Kangseok had been acting like a completely different person for the past month, and it had made Go Duhan forget, but—come to think of it—Kangseok had always been a bit too diligent.
If you had to describe Kangseok's personality in two sentences:He was the kind of person who would plant an apple tree even if the world were ending tomorrow.And he acted like the world would end today if he didn't plant it.
"I have no intention of withdrawing the offer."
Go Duhan was far too curious about what kind of artwork Kangseok would produce.
A piece not for school exams, not for a graded assessment or project.A piece drawn purely because he wanted to draw it.
And Kangseok's drawing speed wasn't something you could even compare to an average person.
There was still a full month left until the exhibition.Given how Kangseok could trap a living, breathing person onto paper in just one hour, finishing the piece by the deadline wouldn't be an issue at all.
"So there's really no need for him to look so nervous…"
Go Duhan took a spoonful of soft-boiled egg. Even then, Kangseok's head remained bowed.
I look like the bad guy here. Go Duhan frowned.
"Hey, you can take your time thinking about it, but eat first."
"..."
Kangseok blinked slowly.
"I said eat."
What should I draw?I've drawn so many men in my life—maybe in this life, I should draw women?Maybe I should try drawing nature, something I've never properly attempted before.That might be refreshing.If not, then…
Plop.
…Plop? Lost in thought, Kangseok looked up.
A spoon piled high with rice and bean sprouts was being offered right in front of his face.What the—? A spoon?
The bowl in front of Go Duhan had a spoon resting on the side of the soft-boiled egg dish.
Kangseok looked down.The spoon that had been next to his own soup bowl was gone.It was his spoon.
"Here!"
What the heck? Why's he giving this to me?
Surprised but acting on instinct, Kangseok took the spoon.
"That's better."
Whatever that meant, Go Duhan looked satisfied and went back to eating his soft-boiled egg.
Still confused, Kangseok blinked and put the spoon in his mouth.
The warm broth rolled in his mouth with the grains of rice.Gulp.
He brought the spoon back to the soup bowl.
It was delicious.
The winter sunset quickly blanketed the sky.It was still only four in the afternoon.Watching the sunlight stream in through the windows, Kangseok stood up.
He was going to get more paper.
Maybe it was the late hour, but a few people were nodding off at their easels.After all, they'd been quietly drawing all day in the warm air—no wonder they were sleepy.
All the third-years gathered here had already been accepted through early admissions.The tension had lifted. Naturally, they'd let their guard down a bit.
Thinking this, Kangseok walked forward.
At the end of his steps was Go Duhan.
"Are you planning to draw four sheets for every model like that?"
Go Duhan asked while holding a sheet of paper.Kangseok had already taken three sheets earlier that afternoon.This would be his fourth.
Which meant, he was drawing four times more than everyone else.
"Yes… I suppose I am."
Kangseok answered as he accepted the paper.
"Isn't the purpose to make a reference book?"
And for reference material, it was obviously better to have a variety of compositions of the same model.That was why Kangseok wanted to create a high-quality reference book—something that truly lived up to its purpose.
That was why, even though he could rest thanks to his speed, he kept drawing.To him, it was obvious.
"You're working hard."
Go Duhan nodded in approval.A student who was already good but still worked hard—that made him feel genuinely pleased.If he knew what Kangseok was thinking, he'd probably have made the third-years give him a standing ovation.
But even so, Go Duhan had something he needed to say.
"But if you keep drawing four sheets every time, the quality might go up, sure—but you'll take a big hit."
A hit?If the quality went up, how could that be a loss?Kangseok looked at Go Duhan in puzzlement.
Seeing the look, Go Duhan tapped the art prep guide he was holding.
"You're drawing four times more than everyone else, right? That means your reference book will be four times thicker. At first glance, it'll look like you just improved the quality, but…"
"…It also means your printing cost will be higher. A lot higher."
"Yes."
"So if we're distributing printing costs equally across everyone… your total print volume might end up being lower than others'. Are you okay with that?"
Go Duhan's concern made the third-years glance toward Kangseok.
Somewhere along the way, their eyes had sharpened.
"The teacher's asking Seok about the printing cost."
"I guess he's seriously planning to publish."
"But if his print volume is lower, wouldn't that be a loss? Didn't they say the profits go to the artist?"
"Yeah…"
They stared at Kangseok's lips, waiting to hear what he'd say.
And then, Kangseok said something they never expected:
"What does the initial print run matter?"
They were going to fly off the shelves anyway.
Kangseok remembered it clearly.If the book sold well, there could be reprints.And he was absolutely certain: his reference book would sell.
Sell like crazy.
So, with full confidence, he said it.
"It doesn't matter."
Reading the intention behind Kangseok's answer, Go Duhan twisted the corner of his mouth into a grin.His gaze was fixed on the drawing Kangseok had made.
"What does the size of the initial print run matter?"He had a point.With materials of that level of quality being poured into it—if someone didn't buy it, they'd have to be insane.
"Fine. Do it your way."
"Yes."
Kangseok took the paper and returned to his seat.
And the third-years who had been watching this exchange stared at Kangseok with their mouths hanging open.Because they understood exactly what he meant by his words.
"Look at that confidence.""So cool…""A real genius is a real genius.""That's a man. A real man."
Not just the belief that his drawings would be published—But the absolute confidence that once they were published, they'd definitely sell.
That level of self-assurance made the third-years deeply envious.
Go Duhan was no exception—he found it just as refreshing.His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Kangseok return to his seat.
The world of art school prep was wide, and yet narrow.
High-quality reference materials were limited, and most of them were only accessible by enrolling in art academies.And no one could join every academy, so the available resources were inevitably limited.
Currently, in the art entrance exam field, most of the materials accessible to everyone came from two monopolizing monthly magazines—[Art Entrance Exam] and [Art & Artist].
Sure, platforms like YouTube had started offering some resources, but compared to something like the college entrance exam (CSAT), the market was still extremely small.
If you subscribed to those monthly magazines and clipped them for years, you'd end up with a decent library of materials—But those would be a mix of student works, practice works, and promotional pieces.
And they didn't only feature charcoal drawings either.
They covered a wide range:Still-life watercolor, figure watercolor, animation/comics, figure sketching, precision drawing, sculpture, design, portfolios… All sorts of genres.
So, naturally, the useful resources were limited, and duplicates were common.
In that sense, Kangseok's drawings were a godsend. An incredible godsend.
These weren't just demo sketches by some average art student.Even if a student simply copied his current drawings a few times, they'd gain a huge amount—Their skills would definitely improve.
And no wonder, because—
Kangseok's figure sketches included everything:
Anatomy and proportions
Composition
Atmosphere
Perspective
Highlight techniques
Texture rendering
Fine detailing
Light and shadow
Sense of mass and form
There wasn't a single thing missing.
"It's like he drew them that way on purpose."
Each and every one of his drawings could be used as a textbook for art exam students.
They were on a completely different level from the study pieces drawn by college students or graduates doing part-time work at their old academies.
"Honestly, even drawing it 'on purpose' like that would be hard."
One way or another, he was an interesting guy.
Go Duhan, looking at the diamond that had unexpectedly rolled into his hand, couldn't help but smile.Whether or not he noticed, Kangseok was busy sharpening his pencil—Preparing to draw a new piece.
"Bye! See you tomorrow!"
"Thanks for your hard work, teacher!"
"See you tomorrow!"
5:30 p.m.As students filed out of the sketch room, Kangseok glanced down at his watch while offering his farewells.
"Take care!"
"Don't go wandering off—head straight home."
"And don't forget to post in the group chat once you're home."
"Aw, come on, teacher! We're not kids anymore. We're twenty now—twenty!"
The third-years teased their teachers by the door, proudly declaring that since it was now January, they were officially adults.
Come to think of it, it really was January already.Kangseok absentmindedly glanced at his phone.The calendar had flipped to a new month.
"Twenty or not, you're still kids."
"The world's dangerous these days, that's why we're saying it. Dangerous. So go straight home, okay?"
"Yeeees~."
As the part-time instructors gave their warnings again and again, Go Duhan waved a hand toward Kangseok.
"You can go."
With that short dismissal, Kangseok gave a quick nod in response.
He passed by the sketch room and the third-years still watching him, and began heading down the stairs.
The sun had already begun to set.
I still haven't fixed the light on my bike.
Tap, tap.Kangseok's steps quickened.
He needed to hurry before it got completely dark.
Ssshhhhk.The bicycle wheels spun, chain clattering smoothly.He was heading downhill.
Kangseok gripped the handlebars tightly.The thrill of the steep descent made his feet hover just above the pedals.
A biting wind hit his face.His nose stung slightly from the cold.
Streetlights began flickering on one by one.Above him stretched a sky painted in battle—Red and navy refusing to yield their ground.
Ssshhhkkk.
That sky filled Kangseok's reddish-brown eyes.Buildings whipped past in a blur.Before he knew it, he'd reached the bottom of the hill.Far ahead, a wide intersection came into view.
Kangseok placed his feet on the pedals again.
The world slowed down.
People bustled about, walking quickly.Beep beep beep.The crosswalk signal chirped green.Signs lit up. The moon hung above.Silhouettes of people overlapped, then faded.
As he gazed at the people bathed in the remnants of the sunset—
"Ah."
Something he wanted to draw came to him.