I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 165
Only Noblemtl
Episode 165. Fall Semester (1)
-Soohyun, how have you been? I was so busy during the summer that I couldn’t properly tell you.
Summers in Korea will be very hot this year too. The humid rainy season will last a long time. Then, it must have been hard for you to draw again, and you must have been crying. Just imagining it makes me smile.
Um… … I wanted to write you sooner, but the reason I was late was because of a problem with my accommodation. When I got here, the gallery had already prepared a different room for me. There was a miscommunication. On top of that, the school I was supposed to attend because of my studio had vague requirements. I was really out of my mind for a few weeks because I had to look into other schools in a hurry. Fortunately, everything has been resolved now, so you can send me your future letters to this address. Of course, there is also an email.
Steve’s speaking was natural, but his writing and reading were weak, and his handwriting was crooked, like that of an elementary school student.
Still, the handwriting was written with so much force and sincerity that I was moved and thankful.
Su-hyeon smiled brightly and finished reading the letter.
– I was a bit nervous about coming to New York, but once I got here, it wasn’t anything special. I felt good. Through the gallery, I met many artists of the same age and got to know artists who do interesting work.
Of course, even if that’s true, it’s only a superficial relationship. There’s probably a sense of competition, and I feel like they’re watching me. Anyway, you guys are my real friends, so it’s okay. Soo-hyun, you, Seon-hwa, Jun-young, Yoon-hee, Yuna… … The time I spent with you in Korea was a precious time that I can’t exchange for anything.
Even as Steve was immersed in his new life, he was missing Korea.
As if he was suffering from homesickness after leaving his hometown, he said that he missed this place from time to time and that he wanted to see everyone.
Of course, there was some good news.
– One encouraging thing is that my paintings caught the eye of several collectors, and I was able to quickly prepare for an exhibition. Some even came to my studio and said they wanted to buy my paintings in advance. I will coordinate the details with the gallery, but it is definitely a good start.
As expected, Steve, as expected from a promising prospect, had a brilliant start in New York.
-People here are waiting for the birth of another star artist like Andy Warhol, Basquiat, or Keith Haring. Naturally, they are closely connected to the media. The system connected to it is amazing at times. It is very difficult to explain this in a letter. You have to see it with your own eyes and experience it.
And Steve’s letter was again focused on Soo-hyun.
– Su-hyeon, I want you to come to New York soon. Just as Renaissance artists headed to Italy, modern artists are coming to New York. I don’t want you to be just another local painter. So be brave. You don’t need any grand preparations. After all, everything will start from scratch when you get here. But I’m here.
Steve emphasized once more what he had said before leaving.
It was a message of encouragement and support to Soo-hyun to quickly move forward into the bigger world. I was grateful for that, but
“Whew. New York.”
Crucially, Soo-hyun wasn’t mentally ready yet.
Since returning to the past, Soo-hyun’s life has changed significantly.
I corrected a choice I regretted, and it gave me a great opportunity.
Life had already changed.
Things that were previously unthinkable had become reality.
It’s an incredible title for an artist who held his first solo exhibition at the age of twenty.
And that’s not all.
I received support from Ilseon Gallery and JK Group, got a house, was recognized as James Lee’s first disciple, and entered Baekhyundae University. Above all, I always have friends by my side who will be my comfort. Now I am no longer alone.
So, Soo-hyeon sometimes found it hard to believe that this was really real.
But now, it’s New York. Going out into the global market and standing shoulder to shoulder with artists leading contemporary art.
Can I really do it? How far can I go? What are my limits? Maybe these are just too many dreams.
I was curious and cautious, but my heart kept pounding.
“I guess I’ll have to write a reply first.”
Su-hyeon let out a long sigh and took out a piece of pale pastel-toned stationery from her desk drawer.
-To Steve.
And then, one by one, I filled the stationery with the news of this place that had piled up.
***
When coincidences repeat, we begin to suspect that it is fate. So perhaps fate is like a hypnosis that is triggered by the spur of the moment word, timing.
Because we tend to give meaning to things that might otherwise be overlooked and believe that there are certain signs.
Soo-hyun was the same.
While reading Steve’s letter, I was seriously contemplating about studying abroad and my future career path, when I happened to see that announcement.
And I came to accept this as an inevitable fate.
Crunch.
It was Friday, the second week of the second semester of the second year. Su-hyeon visited the painting department teaching assistant’s office.
“Oh, Han Soo-hyun. What’s going on?”
The teaching assistant who always came to Professor Kwon In-ho’s class to help and who always kept an eye on Soo-hyeon greeted him warmly.
“Hello, Assistant Professor. I saw an announcement on the bulletin board and I have a question.”
Su-hyeon stated her business politely.
“notice board?”
“I heard there was an announcement for exchange students on the bulletin board.”
“Oh, that?”
The assistant nodded.
“It looks like you checked quickly. It was uploaded late last night.”
“Yes. I happened to come across it. I would like to apply. Can I do so now?”
Soo-hyeon approached quickly and asked.
“Oh, it’s possible, but wouldn’t it be better to find out more about the school and then decide?”
Although the application was said to be no problem, the teaching assistant advised me to be careful in my choice.
“This school suddenly became a sister school. We had no connection until last year, but Professor Kwon In-ho helped me get an exchange student and a double degree.”
“ah.”
“Of course, it must be a good school since Professor Kwon In-ho came forward, but since it came out so suddenly, there’s no information. So, I think it would be good for you to do some proper research and apply. Also, there will be other school announcements this week, so it would be good to compare.”
“Thank you. But I did some research on this place. And I thought I’d like to go.”
“okay?”
“yes.”
Su-hyeon nodded.
It wasn’t a lie.
Because the school that was posted on the bulletin board was a place that Soo-hyeon had known about from the beginning.
RISA.
Last night, a post suddenly appeared for recruiting exchange students. And when Su-hyeon saw the school name RISA in the post title, she felt her heart drop.
I was already thinking about studying abroad and moving to New York.
But RISA?
RISA was the school that Kim Min-jun entered in the past by stealing his portfolio.
Kim Min-jun expanded his horizons there, received love calls from New York galleries, and became a world-class artist.
But the opportunity to go there opened up like fate.
Soo-hyun had a gut feeling. She couldn’t miss this opportunity. No, there had to be a reason why it had caught her eye right now. So she decided not to hesitate any longer.
Moreover, unlike studying abroad where you have to pack up your Korean life and leave, being an exchange student was less burdensome. While experiencing life in New York, I was able to have a chance to think carefully about my future plans.
“Well, if you had noticed.”
The teaching assistant motioned for me to wait a moment, then printed out a few pieces of paper and handed them to me. It was a document that organized the application process for exchange students and the necessary documents.
“thank you.”
Su-hyeon bowed as she received the paper. And just as she was about to leave the teaching assistant’s office.
“It seems like the kids in your class are secretly hard-working?”
The teaching assistant added with a friendly smile.
“yes?”
“There are a few other students from the class of ’98 who are preparing to be exchange students. Oh, this is your first time with RISA, but I told you earlier, right? There are a few more schools coming up this week.”
“Oh, yes.”
“There were a lot of kids who were asking questions to schools that hadn’t announced their applications yet, wondering how they knew. I think they might have been influenced by the kid who went to France this semester.”
“France? This semester?”
“Why, I received applications for exchange students from European schools in the second half of last year. That starts this September semester.”
“ah…….”
Su-hyeon nodded with a bewildered face. She worked hard at school, but until last year, she was busy preparing for her individual exhibition. So, other than earning credits, she didn’t really care about other events. The teaching assistant nodded as if he had guessed, and then waved the papers around again and spoke.
“Well, you must have been busy with your individual exhibition at that time.”
“That’s right. Wow, the University of Paris was on the list too. I didn’t know.”
“It’s about the same level as Baekhyun University of Fine Arts, so it’s not that difficult. Anyway, since it’s an art school in Paris, there were a ton of applicants. All the second and third year students applied, but you guys got accepted.”
The assistant stopped and continued talking, as if he had found the document he was looking for.
“Here you go. Kim Min-jun, you know?”
“yes?”
Su-hyeon was surprised by the unexpected name.
“Are you Kim Minjun?”
“Don’t you know? Well, I was always quiet at school, so I didn’t really stand out. I was surprised, too.”
“No. I know. Kim Min-jun.”
“uh?”
“We’re in the same department. In the same grade. There aren’t that many of us, you know?”
“Really? Hmm. Anyway, he seems like a guy with a strong personality and great ambitions.”
The assistant tilted his head.
A student who seemed to be there but not there, with no presence, actively applied to be an exchange student, and I was surprised at how well prepared he was.
In particular, he said that the preparation of the portfolio was enormous.
It was as if he had been thinking about studying abroad for a long time, and he had drawn several pictures that seemed to have a good grasp of the schools’ tastes.
Yeah, that’s Kim Min-jun.
Su-hyeon nodded, saying that it would be possible for Kim Min-jun to do that.
Kim Min-jun didn’t stand out in Baekhyundai. The spotlight was always on Soo-hyun, and his work didn’t produce any notable results.
But living quietly as an extra wouldn’t have been satisfying.
Kim Min-jun must have found a way out in his own way, and it seemed like he quickly found his way out this time too.
The School of Fine Arts in Paris, it was sure to be a title befitting his ambitions.
“Anyway, it seems like the interest in exchange students has grown among the kids since that guy went to the University of Paris.”
“yes.”
Soo-hyeon answered lightly and looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.
Second week of September.
It was clear that Kim Min-jun was struggling to adapt to the new environment.
Soo-hyun had never been lazy, but thinking about it made her fighting spirit burn again.
And now I’ve decided to throw away any weak thoughts like, “Can I really go to New York?”
“If I submit my application, when can I expect to hear the results?”
Su-hyeon asked actively.
“Well, after the document deadline, there may be a portfolio and interview. I think it will take at least two months. Then, it will be confirmed around winter, and classes will most likely start in the fall semester next year.”
The assistant tilted his head,
“Yes, that’s enough. I just need to get the other things ready first.”
Su-hyeon answered with a smile.
One year until next fall semester.
However, after finishing the second semester of her second year, Soo-hyun decided to go straight to New York.
Once I made up my mind, I planned to charge towards my goal more passionately than anyone else.