I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 211



Only Noblemtl

Episode 211. The Weight of the Square (1)

“Do you have any lunch plans?”

After class, some kids approached Su-hyeon.

“If you don’t have any other plans, would you like to eat with us?”

Last week, Su-hyeon had to stay behind after class to listen to instructions on how to prepare for the next class presentation, which left her with no opportunity to interact with her peers.

I was already looking for a chance to become closer to you, so I was grateful that you approached me first.

“Okay. Where are you going?”

Soo-hyun asked, carrying a heavy bag full of luggage.

“Lisa is famous for her delicious student cafeteria. If you haven’t been there yet, let’s go there. We’ll show you around.”

Chris, who looked to be twice as big as Soo-hyun, smiled and nodded. Makoto and Alyssa followed him, and Soo-hyun also started walking.

After a while.

“Wow. This is the student cafeteria?”

Su-hyeon’s eyes widened.

Eight dollars.

I thought it was expensive for a student cafeteria. I guess New York prices are inevitable. Baekhyundae Student Cafeteria started with 1,000 won kimbap and udon, then 1,500 won and 2,500 won baekban, and the most expensive pork cutlet menu was 3,000 won.

But that regret disappeared as soon as I looked around the restaurant.

“I was rash. This is on a whole other level.”

The comparison group was wrong from the start.

Lisa’s Student Cafeteria should be compared to a family restaurant rather than to other university student cafeterias.

I thought we would be served a designated menu with a tray, but it was just a buffet.

Past the salad corner, soup corner, and various types of bread corner, there was also a corner with pizza, spaghetti, mac and cheese, and hamburgers and hot dogs made on the spot.

A meat and vegetarian corner, milk and fruit juices, refreshing lemon water, dessert pies, a waffle maker and even ice cream.

“I should have come sooner.”

I regret not stopping by a week ago.

“Isn’t it okay? It tastes as good as it looks. You especially have to try the lemon pie and pepperoni pizza. They’re the signature dishes here.”

Alyssa smiled at Soohyun and gave her a kind explanation.

“Yeah. I will.”

Su-hyeon turned the corner, holding the bowl as if possessed.

“Awesome. They have curry and rice too.”

Although there was no kimchi, there were foods here and there to help cut down on the greasiness.

At this point, I thought I could survive without having to visit Professor Ian’s Korean restaurant for a while.

Swish. Swish.

Soo-hyun filled her plate with salad, pizza, spaghetti, chop steak, and mac and pizza, and held a bowl of soup in her other hand.

“and.”

“Eek.”

And when he put the bowl down, his friends looked at Soo-hyun with surprised expressions.

“why?”

“You eat more than I thought?”

“uh?”

“You’re small, but you can fit all this in?”

“Wow. It’s surprising in so many ways.”

Come to think of it, my friends filled their plates with just the right amount of food to eat.

No, isn’t it the rule at a buffet to first fill your two plates, and then bring back the dishes you missed and the ones you want to eat again?

Although she felt somehow wronged, Soo-hyun smiled awkwardly and made a pitiful excuse.

“I came here without eating breakfast… … .”

Then, surprisingly, the kids nodded in agreement.

“Well, to prepare that much, I wondered if you had enough food or even slept properly.”

“Yeah. How did you do that in just a week? We were all surprised.”

“uh?”

Su-hyeon tilted her head at those words.

Makoto’s presentation last week was also grandiose, so I thought it was natural to prepare at that level.

I tried my best to the point of being out of my mind, but is this surprising? Does it mean that I, an exchange student, adapted to Lisa’s intense class faster than expected?

When Soo-hyun looked at Makoto instead of answering, Alyssa opened her mouth as if she noticed.

“You, did you really use Makoto’s work as a reference?”

“huh?”

“He’s been preparing for this since last semester.”

“uh?”

“It’s a series. Makoto was obsessed with the environment, so he’d been dealing with the same topic since he entered school. Of course, the results were different, but we had different starting points. That’s why Makoto was in charge of the presentation for the first class. Oh my. But you used that as a standard and did it, right?”

Makoto and Chris opened their eyes wide and met each other’s gaze at Alyssa’s words.

“ah.”

Su-hyeon slowly lowered her head.

There was no time to look around before the announcement.

I forgot to decide on a topic for three days, so I had to somehow get everything out of my head during the remaining days, and I was just glad that I managed to finish it.

But was this an impossible mission?

Somehow Professor Ian’s expression was not normal earlier.

Eyes filled with surprise, satisfaction, and a desire to see the next work.

Was that why you recommended my work to be exhibited at the plaza?

The other kids also gave me congratulatory applause without any hesitation?

Oh, did I run too fast again?

Su-hyeon let out a small sigh.

There was no greater irony than running without hesitation to show a comma.

“I thought I needed to prepare that much to properly explain the work. I thought it was a bit of a difficult topic.”

“Of course the explanation was very good.”

“That’s right. We were all completely absorbed. I thought, ‘That’s just like the rumored student.’”

“rumor?”

When Soo-hyun asked back at the somewhat uneasy answer, Chris shrugged his shoulders.

“Everyone had high expectations for the new exchange student.”

“Yes. There were rumors that the portfolio review results were the best ever, and I also heard that you had come to New York and were doing various activities.”

“I was curious anyway. You’re from Jacqueline’s J-House? Is that true?”

The kids forgot to eat and started asking Soo-hyun questions.

“I was lucky. I had a friend who came to New York first, so I was able to meet artists my age quickly. And then I ended up going to the Big Wave Art Fair.”

When Soo-hyeon shook her head in a humble manner, the kids became even more upset.

“Anyway, today I confirmed that the rumors were not exaggerated.”

“Yes. It was a very anticipated task. That is enough to qualify me to go to the square.”

“I hope we win this time.”

There was a strange nuance to the words of encouragement.

Especially the last words.

We win? What does that mean?

When Soo-hyun made a curious face, Alyssa smiled faintly.

“Art is diverse, and is evaluated differently depending on taste. So you can’t rank or rank them. Everyone consoles themselves with this, but there is a clear distinction between successful and unsuccessful artists. There is a clear reason why works are recognized.”

A cynical look at reality.

Chris and Makoto also nodded at those words.

“A strange competition takes place in the square.”

This time Makoto took the lead.

“Performance, film, music, art. It’s a structure where students from different departments compete at the same time.”

“competition?”

“You heard Lisa’s way. If you provide the original idea, artists who are impressed by it will ask for collaboration, and the project will grow in scale.”

“huh.”

“The story is that a battle will break out to see which original plan will receive the most support and be expanded upon.”

The kids said this:

It’s a separate project, and it’s done in a guerrilla manner throughout the school, so it’s recognized as an individual event, but the plaza is different.

A space where only selected work can enter during a certain period.

Since only one work is produced per class, it naturally becomes a representative work of the department, and there is cheering, competition, and checks to see which of them will receive a good response and decorate the finale at the end of the semester.

“The finale?”

As Soo-hyun tilted her head at yet another piece of new information, Alyssa answered.

“At Lisa, we select the work that caught the most attention during the semester and give it a grand prize. We also give scholarships, privileges such as being able to hold external exhibitions or performances, and sometimes even get broadcast interviews.”

“Until the broadcast?”

“This is Lisa. New York is a city of art. Everyone is very interested in what kind of work young artists are doing without getting tired.”

“Anyway.”

Chris, who had already finished his plate, said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“Our studio art class has been struggling for years. There were some great pieces, but they always got pushed back at crucial moments.”

“You got pushed out?”

“At some point, performances and movies became stronger. Especially after Jerome came in.”

Everyone’s expression turned gloomy at the mention of Jerome.

“Who is Jerome?”

As soon as Soo-hyeon asked, the answer came back.

“monster.”

“genius.”

“Black hole.”

An answer that adds to the curiosity.

Luckily, before I could ask the same question again, Alyssa elaborated.

“Jerome is an actor. He’s a freaking genius. He can do improvisation, classics, modern drama, science fiction, fantasy, and other genres, and he gives a divine performance. The kind of performance that sucks you in like a black hole.”

He said it was overwhelming talent.

Even the voice and gestures are filled with a strong presence.

So, when he picks a topic and performs, people who are fascinated by him flock to him and ask for collaboration.

He said the results were always excellent.

“There are shows that have been performed on Broadway, and there are also works that have become real Hollywood movies. Last year, it became a hot topic because I even filmed it as the lead actor. It was a work directed by Nicholas.”

An artist in a different weight class.

He said that every semester, he brings new work to the square, so other workers end up just hanging around.

Even though he shouts out for a challenge with full enthusiasm, it’s fortunate that he doesn’t fall into a slump after confirming his true skills and talent.

It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was clear that among the kids and in the current Lisa, Jerome was the artist who received the most attention.

“Then I’ll be coming this semester too?”

When Soo-hyeon showed interest, the three friends nodded at the same time.

“Jerome is currently in the performing arts department, and he said he was already selected as a plaza candidate in the first class last week.”

“That’s right. As expected, it was Jerome. He said this week’s topic was strong and new, right?”

“Anyway, I find the show and the kids a bit annoying. Everyone keeps saying Jerome, Jerome, and they act like they’re on the same level as Jerome.”

“It certainly does feel bad. There are some kids who secretly look down on our department for losing to Jerome every year.”

The kids who were talking amongst themselves looked at Soo-hyun again.

The eyes somehow seemed earnest.

“Anyway, we are expecting something from you.”

“That’s right. I fully understand why Professor Ian made that decision today. He must have chosen you because you are a talented newcomer who can challenge Jerome.”

“So this time, I want you to win. For us and for our studio art class.”

“Wow. I didn’t know there was such a complicated story behind it.”

Su-hyeon shook her head.

A task that took several nights to prepare.

Since I was only allowed one year at Lisa, I decided to do my best and not waste a single moment.

I decided to put more effort into this project as it will be submitted to Jacqueline’s J-House in the future.

Whether it was too much or too little, the work had already been recognized within the class, and unexpectedly going out to the square resulted in unintended competition.

‘It’s strange.’

Su-hyeon stared blankly at the faces of her friends sitting across from her.

If you look at it positively, it’s a healthy competition. Suddenly, I remembered my high school days and smiled as I returned to school.

And curiosity arose about Jerome, who was considered a unique being.

What kind of stimulation will you receive when you bump into him?

What kind of picture will be drawn at the end of this work?

All this was something that could only be found out once you got to the square.