I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 239



Only Noblemtl

Episode 239. The World Outside the Shell (2)

The afternoon after returning from talking with Walter.

“So it’s been a little over two years.”

Su-hyeon and her friends, who followed Park Seon-hwa who said she would buy them food, heard an interesting story.

“That money felt like a lot at the time, but if I had just left it alone, it would have melted away and disappeared.”

Park Seon-hwa brought up a story from two years ago, around the summer of 1998.

At the time, Su-hyeon and her friends, who were freshmen at Baekhyun University, took an animation advertising class together.

Thanks to the hard work of the two slave seniors, Lee Kyung-min and Seo Ji-hoon, I was able to achieve first place, and the result was actually aired as a TV commercial, so I received a certain amount of production cost.

Ten million won. Five people, Oh Yu-na, Cha Yoon-hee, Park Sun-hwa, Park Jun-young, and Su-hyeon, split it and each got two million won. Then, Park Sun-hwa suddenly asked what happened.

“As for me, as you all know, I used it for expenses when I went to Hong Kong to see Steve’s exhibition.”

Soohyun answered first.

“I put everything into a savings account. It was all my allowance and the money I earned from my part-time job. My goal at the time was to open a studio. In the end, I was able to save up the deposit for a studio on my own.”

Cha Yoon-hee looked proud as she said that last summer, she finally received permission from her parents and set up a studio in front of Baek Hyun-dae.

“I have stocks.”

And Oh Yu-na was Oh Yu-na.

“stock?”

When Soo-hyeon asked, Oh Yu-na smiled brightly.

“I’ve been practicing investing and making money since I was young, and I’m the type of person who doesn’t let even a small amount of money go to waste. Anyway, I mainly invest in stocks and real estate, and it’s quite fun to see it grow. If you’re interested, tell Soo-hyun. I’ll be happy to help you. In fact, art is something that you have to be comfortable with to do well, and to be comfortable with it, you have to have a big bank account.”

Then Park Seon-hwa shook her head and laughed.

“Hey, hey. That’s only possible because you’re Oyu-na. You already have a lot of information and assets. And there are a lot of things to worry about with stocks. You have to keep checking and move quickly. Someone like Soo-hyun, who’s buried in work, can’t do it. You have to think of it as impossible.”

“so?”

When Oh Yu-na frowned slightly and made a gesture to tell her what she wanted to say, Park Seon-hwa smiled brightly and opened her mouth.

“I bought a painting with that money back then?”

Only then did the vague memories come back to me.

“Our Seonhwa said she was going to invest in it, but she came back with a ridiculous painting from somewhere. Ha. I don’t know if she has a soft spot for it, but she’s really good at paying for artwork that has absolutely no investment value. She spent 2 million won all at once.”

The words that Director Kang Yu-jin said to Soo-hyun, who said she would buy him a meal in Hong Kong, as if they were grumbling. That’s right, at that time, Seon-hwa said she would buy a painting with the prize money.

Do you think that would work?

Park Seon-hwa burst into laughter as she looked at me with expectant eyes.

“That was exactly 2 million won at that time. But, in two and a half years, it jumped 40 times! 40 times!”

Park Seon-hwa let out a scream that was almost like a scream.

“40 times?”

“Huh, then 80 million won?”

“What kind of picture is this?”

The kids who were planning to order simple dishes started reading the menu again and choosing expensive dishes.

Even Oh Yu-na, the investment genius, looked at Park Seon-hwa with a surprised expression, as if this time she had not expected it.

“Whitney is a writer. Her father is American and her mother is Japanese. Her main field of activity is Japan.”

“Whitney?”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of it.”

“Right. You mean the person who draws doodle-like pictures?”

My Korean friends looked like they didn’t know, but Steve and Suhyun nodded as if they were quite familiar with it.

“The painting you bought at that time, Seonhwa, was Whitney’s painting.”

“I’ve heard that it’s popular these days. But, the price of the painting has increased that much in two years? 40 times? It’s more than I thought.”

Unlike Steve who was surprised, Soo-hyun nodded inwardly.

It was the early 2000s.

A period that will long be remembered as a boom time for the global art market.

Soon, the size of the American art market will reach 30 trillion won, and in Korea, an artist who creates works worth over 100 million will emerge.

With new writers and new works pouring in, people will be paying attention to see who among them will become the next generation of writers to follow in the footsteps of star writers.

In any case, the artist Whitney seemed to be one of the rising newcomers riding this expected boom.

“Look.”

Park Seon-hwa carefully took a photo out of her bag.

“I couldn’t bring the painting myself, so I brought a photo instead.”

Park Seon-hwa held out a clear photo of Whitney’s work, “Flower Garden,” toward the children.

“I don’t know? Is this good?”

Cha Yoon-hee, who was looking at it intently, pouts.

“I don’t know either. It seems like it’s more of a craze than a frenzy. Anyway, if it’s starting to gain popularity, the price of the work will continue to rise for a while.”

O Yu-na nodded, calculating the benefits it would bring, regardless of the feeling the work gave her.

“This is strange.”

Park Seon-hwa recalled her feelings at the time and explained.

“Just like how Yunhee and Yuna felt, when I first saw this painting at the exhibition, I thought, ‘What kind of paintings are these?’”

It felt like a drawing that a child in the lower grades of elementary school had drawn on a whim. However, Park Seon-hwa said that she stayed in front of the drawing for a long time for an inexplicable reason.

“That’s why I was attracted to it. And the person in charge of the exhibition told me that the artist was getting a lot of attention in Japan. After hearing that, I found out that he was an artist who came all the way to Korea to exhibit. So I thought it was okay and decided to buy the painting.”

“Just because of that feeling?”

“He doesn’t know how scared he is of money.”

“Oh, I don’t know. At the time, I just really liked this painting, and I hoped that the artist would continue to create. He would be able to continue painting if his works sold.”

I don’t know the exact situation until the last day of the exhibition, but Park Seon-hwa said that when she visited, almost no works were sold.

So, I decided to buy it because I felt supported and the good feeling the picture gave me, but it didn’t take long for this artist to become famous.

“The best thing was seeing my mom’s expression.”

Park Seon-hwa smiled with a proud face.

“When I first bought this painting, I was persecuted so much. But as the artist became famous and the price of the painting went up, the situation changed. I said, “I don’t know about this,” but in the end, they acknowledged my aesthetic sense.”

While we were talking, the food came out.

A platter of pork spare ribs, beef brisket and pulled pork, topped with shrimp and grilled salmon, served with mashed potatoes and coleslaw.

It was a great American dinner.

“This is American barbecue.”

“But is this enough for 5 people? It could feed 10 people too.”

The barbecue at this place, famous for its Times Square food, was a little greasy and salty, but strangely appealing. As I ate, I nodded my head at the rich and delicious flavor. The kids continued their conversation while hurriedly eating the hot meat.

“I heard Whitney’s painting will be up for auction tomorrow too.”

“That auction that features James Lee’s work?”

“Oh, right. It’s the biggest auction of the year. I heard there are a lot of works by contemporary artists.”

“But Whitney, that writer. For a new writer, you seem to have quite a lot of works. Judging from the fact that they often show up at auctions.”

“Well, looking at the style of the painting, it doesn’t seem like it would take much time to draw. I guess it would be possible to create many works.”

“Anyway, I’m looking forward to it. Right? If the price of the painting goes up again in this auction, Park Seon-hwa’s assets will go up by that amount.”

As Oh Yu-na’s eyes sparkled, Park Seon-hwa shook her head.

“It’s just a feeling, a feeling. I don’t plan on selling this painting. I’ll hang it there when I make my gallery later.”

“Hey, then there’s no reason for you to buy me a meal.”

“By the way, we have reached an era where works by contemporary artists are now sold at quite high prices.”

“That’s right. Steve and Su-hyeon’s paintings will be up for auction soon, right?”

The conversation turned back to Steve and Su-hyeon’s work and predicting the popularity of the work, and Su-hyeon suddenly stopped drinking her drink and gulped at the sudden concentration.

“Well, it will happen someday. It doesn’t feel real yet, though.”

“Why? You’re definitely one of the notable newcomers in New York. Aren’t you, Steve?”

Park Seon-hwa asked for Steve’s support with her humble words.

Steve nodded.

“He’s definitely getting noticed. There’s definitely some movement going on. Oh, you guys remember Walter, right?”

“Walter?”

“Oh, that British guy who came to Soo-hyun’s solo exhibition? Sir?”

“That’s right. That Walter. He came to New York. He approached Soo-hyun. And of course, he contacted me.”

The children’s eyes sparkled at the words that had a strange nuance.

In the art market, demand for investment purposes was increasing beyond appreciation.

While some people prefer works that have been proven in the market, many people hope to make a profit by discovering works by undervalued new artists rather than famous paintings that have already established high prices.

And they had their own principles. They moved cautiously according to some signs that predicted the writers who would become new blue chips and works that would have the potential to grow within 10 years.

It was definitely a good sign that Walter, one of those collectors, came to New York and asked to meet Steve and Su-hyeon.

“I heard they created a foundation called AMF. They plan to mainly collect works by contemporary artists, so they seem to be very interested in new artists.”

“Anyway, there are clear signs that the market is growing. It would be a good thing if a stable working environment is created.”

As Soo-hyun and Steve smiled, their friends looked thoughtful.

“Ah, I also need to prepare to study abroad. I can’t be satisfied with just staying in the studio.”

Cha Yoon-hee set a new goal, berating herself for trying to stay in the country.

“Are you going to show me your studio? I see that famous artists even create studio tour programs.”

Oh Yu-na asked for guidance, saying that she wanted to buy Steve and Su-hyeon’s paintings while she was in New York.

“I’ll live too! I saw the possibility before you guys got a response in New York. Remember?”

Park Seon-hwa, who already owns paintings of Soo-hyun and Steve, created a competitive situation with Oh Yu-na by saying that she would buy good paintings before the price goes up further.

“You guys are always welcome. I was going to let you take a look around the studio anyway. Well, you can go right after you eat.”

When Soo-hyun laughed, Park Seon-hwa’s face became embarrassed.

“Oh, that’s right. I have a prior engagement tonight.”

“A pre-engagement?”

“Well, I had already applied for a tour of Whitney’s studio. I was curious about her new works.”

“ah.”

When Soo-hyun nodded, saying it was okay, Oh Yu-na smiled victoriously.

“Then, Soo-hyun. Seon-hwa will come back tomorrow or the day after, and I’ll go today. Is that okay?”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter.”

“Wow, Oyuna. What the heck? Are you doing this on purpose to make me walk the tightrope?”

“Soohyun. I’m Whitney and Nabal, and you’re the best. You know that?”

Park Seon-hwa and Oh Yu-na were bickering, and Soo-hyun burst into laughter at the sight of them bickering for the first time in a long time.

“Anyway, the studio tour sounds fun. If I had known in advance, I would have asked to go too.”

As Su-hyeon listened to stories about how other writers decorated their studios, how they worked, and how they prepared tour programs, she became curious.

“Hmm. I’ll explain it to you as I saw it when I got back! And since I’ll be back in a jiffy, just give me the address of the studio. If you guys go first, I’ll go there.”

Park Seon-hwa held out her hand with an anxious face, and Su-hyeon shook her head with a mischievous face before writing down the address.

After such a delightful meal, Soo-hyun and her friends headed to the studio, and Park Seon-hwa headed to Whitney’s studio.

And then again a few hours later.

Park Seon-hwa returned with a shocked face.