I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 241



Only Noblemtl

Episode 241. Ownerless Paintings (2)

The girl’s name is Nozomi.

He said that he had recently retired from his job as a high school teacher in Japan.

Although she is a teacher, Nozomi said that her English conversation skills are very embarrassing and apologized several times for her poor English skills.

Soo-hyun stared blankly at Nozomi. The gap between her aggressive approach to Whitney earlier and her shy behavior now was so great that it was hard to believe that they were the same person.

“I could have just passed it by, but thank you so much for your help.”

Nozomi nodded and greeted Suhyun.

I felt a little embarrassed to be greeted because my head was drooping and I had a lot of white hair.

Su-hyeon quickly bowed her head.

“It’s not much help. Anyway, are you hurt anywhere?”

Su-hyeon briefly looked at Nozomi, who was crying after picking up the painting that had fallen earlier, and then went into the auction house with the group.

But somehow I felt uneasy, so I got up in the middle of the night and looked outside, and found that Nozomi was still loitering around outside the building.

As Soo-hyun approached, Nozomi looked very embarrassed and handed him a note, saying, “I’m sorry, but do you know this place?”

A piece of paper with the address of a place in New York City.

While explaining the transportation, Soo-hyun noticed that Nozomi was shivering and her expression was unusual, so he suggested that she drink a cup of warm tea before leaving.

So the two of them sat down to drink tea, and Nozomi was the first to start talking about herself.

“My knee is just a little bit scraped. More than that, if this isn’t resolved, I’m really hopeless.”

Nozomi shook her head with a pained expression.

“The signature is a little different, but look, it clearly says Whitney here.”

Nozomi placed the picture she had dropped earlier on the table and pointed to a spot at the bottom.

There was still a trace of the artist’s signature on the painting.

As Nozomi said, it looked different from Whitney’s current signature, but it did say Whitney.

“So this is clearly Whitney’s painting, but Whitney says she doesn’t recognize the painting? And she even claims the signature isn’t hers?”

Soo-hyeon nodded after hearing the whole story and asked.

“that’s right.”

“When you received this painting, did you receive any kind of certificate of authenticity? Usually, galleries issue a certificate confirming the artist’s work.”

“Yes. Because it wasn’t through the gallery.”

Nozomi’s voice became a little quieter.

“But, it can’t be a lie. Takeshi isn’t that kind of kid. He’s a very smart kid. He’s very good at studying, and he’s definitely not the kind of kid who would cheat or turn his back on others.”

Takeshi.

As I listened, I realized that he was the origin and center of all incidents.

Nozomi’s disciple.

Takeshi, who was said to be smart, bright, and considerate, was a lively child who would visit Nozomi every year on Teacher’s Day.

He had witnessed both his model student days and his prominent youth, so when Takeshi saw a really good opportunity to start a business, he readily agreed to help.

“hmm.”

Su-hyeon quietly looked into Nozomi’s eyes.

I wonder if I was deceived because I am a naive person who does not know the ways of the world.

Nozomi said that four years ago, she lent Takeshi a large sum of money for his business and also served as a guarantor.

But unfortunately, the business failed, and Takeshi became a fugitive and could not even be contacted.

Because of that, Nozomi’s house had no choice but to sway greatly. When the loan sharks barged in, her children turned their backs on her and her husband left the house altogether.

The house I was living in was auctioned off, my wages were seized, and I barely managed to make ends meet with the help of acquaintances, but my daily life was ruined.

Then one day, Takeshi came to see Nozomi, and it turned out that it had been three months ago.

“That’s because you didn’t see the look in her eyes. They were never lying.”

Nozomi repeatedly emphasized Takeshi’s innocence.

Takeshi explained what had happened, saying that he had been scammed by his business partner and that this was the result. He apologized to Nozomi and said that he could not get out of the situation right away, but that he had found a way to repay his teacher’s debt.

He said that he had an early work by an artist named Whitney, and that his paintings had recently started selling for an exorbitant price, so he asked him to sell them to pay off his debt.

A stone painting of size 30.

Given the recent market prices, that would have been enough to pay off Nozomi’s debt.

“Takeshi took a risk and came to me to hand over the painting. He could have paid off his debt first. Was that a lie? Why would Takeshi come to me and tell me that?”

Nozomi said, shaking her head.

“hmm.”

Su-hyeon tapped her teacup in silence.

A man named Takeshi gave Nozomi three of Whitney’s early works, and Nozomi tried to sell them to settle her debt.

The problem was that Whitney didn’t know about the painting, so he nailed it down.

There are two possibilities that come to mind here.

Either Takeshi lied to Nozomi and gave her a fake painting, or Whitney pretended not to know about her painting.

As Nozomi said, there seemed to be no reason for Takeshi to come to Nozomi and deceive her.

However, since there was no certificate and the artist did not acknowledge it as his own work, there was no way to prove that the painting was authentic based on Takeshi’s words alone.

“So that’s why you came to Whitney. To check with the author directly.”

As Su-hyeon nodded, Nozomi’s eyes filled with tears again.

“I owe my brother a lot of money to help me get to America. I can’t go back empty-handed. After I pay off my debt, apologize to my family, and take care of my own affairs, I want to help Takeshi win his case. More than anything, it’s really bothering me that he’s being pointed at by people. I really want to make it clear that what he’s saying isn’t a lie.”

Tears fell from Nozomi’s eyes.

How much pressure must he have felt, having been burdened by a large debt for years? Even if it wasn’t intentional, it must have been hard to know that the person who caused the damage was his most trusted disciple. How much despair must he have felt when he realized that after suffering for years and thinking that things were finally being resolved, he was back to square one.

“… … .”

The sentiment was completely understandable, but the proof was something else.

Even if an expert were to come and determine its authenticity, it would be difficult. Even if there was a high possibility that it was genuine, if Whitney continued to deny it, there seemed to be no way to make money with this painting.

however.

“Can you take a closer look at the picture?”

It was difficult for Soo-hyun to just send Nozomi away, who was in such dire straits.

“How long do you plan to stay in the United States?”

Su-hyeon, who decided to help even a little, asked Nozomi about her situation.

And that evening.

“Huh? You want to go on the tour with me?”

Su-hyeon asked Park Sun-hwa how to apply for a tour of Whitney’s studio.

“I heard that you were giving us a new schedule since the last tour was canceled. I was wondering if there was a way to add more people to it.”

“Well, it’s not impossible. I wouldn’t know if it was normal, but last time, it was Whitney’s fault that was the biggest. Besides, I had already applied for two visitors just in case. But, why Whitney’s studio? Soo-hyun, are you interested in that artist too?”

Park Seon-hwa opens her double-lidded eyes wide and asks questions.

Su-hyeon thought for a moment and then smiled.

“Yeah. I was curious about that artist’s drawings too.”

It wasn’t a lie.

I thought I’d look into what Whitney’s current paintings have in common with the paintings Nozomi has.

“Okay. Then I’ll find out right away. Wow. This is exciting. It’s just you and me on a date!”

Park Seon-hwa opened her laptop with an excited face. She sent an email to the person in charge and shared the response she received a few hours later.

“As expected, okay. The tour schedule is set for 3 o’clock in two days. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. It’s okay.”

Su-hyeon nodded.

Two days later, Nozomi was still in New York.

***

Two days later again.

“Wow, it’s here.”

“Oh. I was skeptical at first too. It’s so flashy.”

Su-hyeon and Park Seon-hwa looked up at a building and admired it.

She was a famous writer. Whitney’s studio was in the heart of Manhattan.

The loft that Soo-hyun first noticed when looking for a place to live in New York.

Whitney also had a large studio, a dream of every worker.

“Let’s go in. It’ll start soon.”

Park Seon-hwa urged her on, and Soo-hyun checked her watch. It was exactly 3 o’clock. Soo-hyun and Park Seon-hwa quickly walked to the elevator.

Tiring-.

As the elevator reached the 5th floor, an open interior came into view.

The sunlight streaming in through the large windows was rich and warm even in winter. Whitney’s paintings sparkling beneath it all looked magnificent.

“You’re doing some really big work.”

The painting that Park Sun-hwa bought was a single piece that was sized 10. Most of Whitney’s early works were said to be small, sized 10 or 30, but many of her recent works were sized 50 or 100.

It would have been a work that involved various attempts while keeping the value of the painting in mind.

“It’s so free. Isn’t that the characteristic of Whitney’s work that it looks like the pictures were drawn by children? She says that she actually draws with the feeling of returning to childhood.”

Park Seon-hwa whispered.

Even without hearing the explanation, Soo-Hyeon’s eyes seemed to clearly see the work process.

A method of drawing various shapes by laying a large canvas on the floor and rubbing the paint with your hands.

I guess I drew the face of the figure first. Then I drew the torso, arms, and legs. Then I drew the road, and then I drew the supporting characters one by one. The flower decorations came last. Hmm. Was the blue roof painted on after the drawing was completed?

Su-hyeon tilted her head in front of a canvas.

Is it because I drew countless pictures?

Recently, Su-hyeon has been able to naturally read the emotions and order of work when looking at other artists’ paintings.

From the touch of the brush, I could also feel the state of mind the artist had when he was painting.

In that respect, Whitney’s recent works have had a rather light and lively feel.

Very clear and bright pictures, without a hint of worry or concern.

Unfortunately, it was a completely different atmosphere from the picture Nozomi showed.

Of course, it’s too early to tell.

“Everyone is here!”

While we were looking at the paintings for a while, a man who appeared to be Whitney’s manager appeared in the hall.

“First of all, welcome to Whitney’s studio. Today, we will introduce Whitney’s recent works and show you how she works. As fans who are interested in Whitney know, Whitney’s work is very spontaneous and is greatly influenced by her condition and mood of the day. So, out of consideration for the artist, we ask that you enjoy the time allowed.”

The visitors nodded their heads at the polite man’s guidance.

Soon the man was introducing Whitney’s works one by one, placed clockwise, and taking questions.

“Hello, I’m a little late.”

A loud voice was heard from behind.

“It’s Whitney. Nice to meet you all.”

Last time, it was Whitney who I saw in front of the Felicity Auction building.

Unlike that sharp, turbulent day, Whitney looked very clear today.