I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 246



Only Noblemtl

Episode 246. The Man and the Woman’s Circumstances (4)

“Did you know that she approached me first?”

Whitney was careful and smart.

Even when meeting and talking with Soo-hyun, I didn’t create any distance that could lead to someone being caught.

In order to be able to get up from my seat and pretend not to know anything at any time, I first poured out questions focusing on the relationship between Nozomi and Suhyun.

“Actually, the day I participated in the Felicity Auction, I saw you and Nozomi arguing in front of the building.”

Su-hyeon nodded quietly.

“I also heard from my friend about what happened at your studio before.”

“Then the story will be quick.”

Whitney shook her head.

“An unidentified woman showed up with three paintings, without any certificates. She claimed they were mine. It was quite annoying. Even though I denied it, she kept asking me to confirm and acknowledge it.”

The place where I met Whitney was a high-end Chinese restaurant that had a private room.

I thought it was funny that a Korean writer and a Japanese writer would meet at a Chinese restaurant, but it seemed like Whitney had chosen this restaurant because of its soundproof rooms.

“I thought it would end with sending a formal email, but then he showed up in New York one day. Can you imagine how shocked I was?”

Whitney shook her head with a tired expression. There was considerable annoyance in her eyes.

Whatever the reason, the situation was quite hostile. Soo-hyun decided to agree with Whitney for now.

“You must be surprised. And you even ran into me on the studio tour program.”

“That’s right. That day, I was so shocked and stressed that my heart almost stopped. You’re a writer, so you know how much an author’s mood and condition affect their work. That day, I couldn’t properly finish my schedule because of the shock. I couldn’t draw for a few days. Ha, my manager consoled me by saying that it was a sign of fame, but it’s not something I can just ignore, right?”

Nod.

Whitney calmed down a little as Soo-hyun agreed. And.

“But how did you end up getting involved with that woman?”

“Me?”

“Actually, if it were another writer, I wouldn’t have even talked about meeting like this. As I said last time, Soo-hyun is a newcomer that I’ve been watching with interest, so I didn’t want to distance myself or feel awkward. So if there were any misunderstandings, I wanted to resolve them and remain on good terms without any reservations.”

“It’s the same for me too.”

Su-hyeon nodded.

“Have you ever talked to Nozomi?”

“Ha. What are you talking about?”

Whitney quickly became defensive and alert.

It was like the face of someone who had encountered a cult but had assured himself that he would never fall for their doctrines.

“First of all, there was a reason why Nozomi thought the painting was yours. One of Nozomi’s disciples, Takeshi, said that the painting was painted by an artist named Whitney.”

Soo-hyun quickly continued the main topic while observing Whitney’s expression.

“Takeshi owed Nozomi a lot of money. I heard that he gave her the painting because he was looking for a way to pay off that debt. So, a few years ago, Nozomi lent money to Takeshi’s business and stood as guarantor, but Takeshi’s business failed and Nozomi was in big trouble. I heard that he gave her the painting so that she could at least get out of debt.”

“Wait a minute. What does that mean?”

Was the explanation too fast?

Whitney asked with a blank expression.

“Well, I’ll explain it to you calmly.”

Su-hyeon smiled faintly and slowed down the tempo compared to before.

After a while.

“So, the two were priests and Nozomi helped Takeshi with his business.”

“Yes, that’s right. Takeshi said that he had to make a lot of money at that time. He said that it wouldn’t be enough to just go to work and earn a salary. He said that he had work to do. Anyway, the business plan he brought was very informative, and since Takeshi was such a sincere and capable disciple, Nozomi was happy to invest.”

“But why… … .”

“I heard that you were scammed by your business partner. That’s why you ended up on the run.”

Soo-hyun continued talking while looking blankly at Whitney.

“They said it was in 1996.”

“96… … Right? When in 96?”

Whitney muttered.

This was enough.

If it’s something that has nothing to do with you, you won’t get hung up on the details and ask questions, no matter how difficult or unfortunate the circumstances are.

The fact that Whitney was curious about what happened to Takeshi and exactly when it happened was no different from saying that she knew Takeshi.

“Nozomi will know the details. I also heard it all from Nozomi.”

“Oh, I see.”

“If you’re curious about that story, would you like to meet Nozomi?”

“yes?”

“Whitney, I heard you were born and raised in Japan. If you don’t mind, try talking to Nozomi in Japanese. English is hard for you, but wouldn’t you be able to talk in Japanese without misunderstandings?”

Before going to see Whitney, Soo-hyun informed Nozomi of the situation.

I also told him that if things went well, I would make it possible for him to meet Whitney.

Nozomi nodded with a very nervous expression.

Perhaps, since then, he had been anxiously waiting for Soo-hyun’s call, so if Whitney had asked to meet, he would have come running right away.

“Then please, Soohyun.”

Finally, Whitney nodded.

Soo-hyun took Whitney to where Nozomi was, and the two had a long, deep conversation.

***

The next afternoon.

Whitney came to see Soo-hyun with swollen eyes.

“I wondered why she was wearing sunglasses in the middle of winter. I thought celebrities were different.”

“Don’t tease me, Soo-hyun. I didn’t do it because of me, but because of you.”

Whitney, without her sunglasses, looked relaxed in every way except her eyes.

It seemed like the conversation was going well.

“As you might have guessed, that picture is mine.”

Whitney opened her mouth with a look of great determination on her face.

“To be exact, it’s my past self. It’s a past that has now been erased, but it’s definitely me.”

Whitney held out a photo.

“What is it?”

“Look closely.”

Whitney smiled.

In the photo, a young-looking woman and a man were standing face to face.

The two looked like a couple at first glance. However, it was difficult to tell who they were.

“Your eye for detail is not as good as I thought. No, is it a triumph of modern medicine?”

Whitney laughed out loud and revealed the answer.

“This is me and Takeshi in 1995.”

“yes?”

Su-hyeon looked at the photo again in surprise.

It was natural that I didn’t recognize Takeshi’s face since it was my first time seeing it.

But Whitney’s face was completely different from that of just six years ago.

“After that incident, my face changed quite a bit. I was very crooked back then.”

Whitney shook her head.

And he revealed his story that he had kept hidden for a long time.

How long have Takeshi and Whitney cared for and loved each other?

How much Takeshi loved his own drawings that no one acknowledged.

How bad my first exhibition was at my seniors’ daily cafe, and how thrilled I was the day I sold my first painting.

The small but precious memories seemed to have not faded even after a long time. Whitney told Soo-hyun many stories as vividly as if they had happened yesterday.

“That’s why I couldn’t understand the sudden declaration of separation. I couldn’t imagine that Takeshi didn’t love me. We always talked about the future, and dreamed of our newlywed, middle-aged, and old lives together.”

Whitney’s face became sad.

“When I refused to accept the breakup, Takeshi started saying really cruel things to me. He said that he didn’t feel like a woman anymore. He said that he didn’t even want to look at my face, which he used to think was pretty. But when I still clung to him, he said that he had someone else.”

At that time, Whitney said she had just failed to win a much-anticipated contest.

Whitney said that she was unable to control her emotions when she was already heartbroken by the betrayal of a lover she had trusted, and that she got very drunk one day.

“When I came to my senses, the warehouse I used as my studio was in flames. Ah, I thought, this is how I’m going to end my life.”

They said the fire started from the house next door.

I couldn’t escape quickly because I was so drunk that I fell into a deep sleep.

“But then, somehow, Takeshi showed up. He dragged me out and brought out a few of my favorite paintings.”

Whitney’s lips were distorted, her face showing signs of holding back tears.

“Even then, I clung to you. Whether it was by chance or because you were watching over me, Takeshi had saved my life. I clung to you so much, begging you not to abandon me, saying I couldn’t live without you.”

Whitney hung her head.

“I couldn’t even imagine. What was Takeshi feeling at that time? I didn’t know that he started the business for my future, to support me. I didn’t know that he was scammed and lost all his foundation, and that’s why he broke up with me.”

Finally, big tears fell from Whitney’s eyes.

“It’s a very old misunderstanding, isn’t it?”

Whitney said, wiping away tears.

“If Nozomi hadn’t shown up with that painting, I would have lived my whole life resenting Takeshi.”

Whitney gave a crooked smile.

“And looking back, Takeshi still believed in me. That kind, gentle Whitney would still be the same. So he would acknowledge this painting as his. He must have given the painting to you because he trusted me. I didn’t trust Takeshi, but he still trusted me and had an infinitely positive view of me.”

Hooooo-. Whitney let out a long sigh. Then she looked at Soohyun.

“I don’t think this story would have been conveyed to me if Nozomi had done it alone.”

Whitney nodded briefly as Soo-hyun made an embarrassed expression.

“I heard from Nozomi. You planned this?”

“Planning?”

“I heard that you were the one who moved AMF. Phew. Were you trying to sell the painting that Nozomi had somehow?”

Su-hyeon smiled at Whitney’s words.

“That’s true, but I thought it was a painting too precious to just be buried.”

“You think it’s a waste?”

“You buried those paintings with the past, but they were great works of art in themselves, with good energy. They are paintings that deserve to be seen and talked about by many people.”

“That’s too much praise. I told you, that painting was rejected from the contest.”

“That must have been the limitation of the contest.”

Su-hyeon shook her head.

“I asked for an evaluation without telling you which author it was. You’d be surprised to hear what Walter and Harry from AMF had to say.”

It seemed like the story would get longer. And it seemed like I would need to invite a few more people.

“Since it has come to this, can you give me some more time?”

Soo-hyun asked.

“Are you trying to discuss what to do with those paintings?”

Whitney nodded as if she had expected that.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m calling my friend Walter.”

Soo-hyun stopped talking and looked blankly at Whitney.

“So stop crying. It’s time to talk business.”

Whitney burst out laughing at that.