Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Exhibition Tour and Lost Memories
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The opening ceremony signaling the start of the event had just ended, and not only the students but most of the attendees had moved over to the exhibition hall.
Watching them go, I...
Plop.
...collapsed right onto the spot as the tension drained from my body.
That's when Jungeun, who'd been snapping photos enthusiastically, asked.
"Hey, was that speech you prepared? It felt a bit different from what you practiced in the car earlier."
"Oh, that was improvised just now. I left a note in your car."
"Yeah, this one?"
With that, Jungeun pulled a note from his pocket and showed it to me.
At the sight, I shot up from my seat and yelled.
"Hey! If you had that, you should've said something!"
"What? So you improvised because you didn't have it? I thought you'd memorized it all and didn't need it."
"Ha!"
So all that tension during the event hosting was for nothing?
Tap.
The note from Jungeun relaxed me even more, leaving me sitting there with a hollow laugh.
But then.
"Daddy! Daddy was super cool! Daeun was so touched!"
"Yeah, really."
"Yeah! Daddy's was way better than the paper one!"
At least it wasn't all for nothing.
Seeing Daeun so happy made it worthwhile.
With my mind somewhat eased by her words, I smiled and said.
"Good thing it was cool. Daddy was shaking like crazy."
Swish.
Just then, Professor Kwon approached and commented on my words.
"For someone who was nervous, you did awfully well."
"Oh, Professor, you're here."
"Honestly, it might've been the best speech I've ever heard."
At that, Minji, standing nearby, chimed in.
"It was cool."
And Aram Go too.
"But really, it was improvised? I thought you'd prepared it."
She must've heard the story from Minji.
I could only let out another hollow laugh in response.
"Well, now that the event's over, let's all go check out the paintings."
"Sounds good!"
"We can all go together!"
That's when Jungeun, holding his camera, asked.
"But Professor, when should I do Minji's interview?"
"Oh, that's up to you two. You can do it on a date. I'll be taking photos anyway."
The professor could be such a tease sometimes.
Blushing at his words, Minji asked.
"I-I'm with the graduates right now, so not now. Let's do it in the evening. You free?"
"Uh, y-yeah. I'm good. I cleared my whole day for this anyway."
"Then evening it is."
"Uh-huh..."
As the two settled on a time, the professor smiled and said.
"Then for now, let's all go see the paintings. Kanghyeok, you're coming too, right?"
"Of course."
And so we all got up to head to the adjacent exhibition hall to view the artwork.
But.
Rumble-!
The path suddenly clogged with a rush of people.
Front, back, sides.
People filling every direction.
They were all staring right at me.
And then they asked.
"Excuse me, Painter Kanghyeok Lee, could I get an interview?"
"Painter Kanghyeok Lee! I heard you had an accident a few years ago—have you fully recovered?"
"When do you expect your next solo exhibition?"
"Just one word, please."
When I'd said I'd give the speech,
The one thing Jungeun had worried about was exactly this.
With all sorts of things happening every year at the graduation exhibition,
A swarm of art journalists had shown up.
But we'd half-expected it,
And Jungeun had suggested a perfect solution.
So, smiling at the reporters shoving cameras in my face, I said.
"Please refer to the article."
"What do you mean?"
When one reporter shot back, Jungeun held up his phone, showing everyone the hot-off-the-press article with a triumphant grin.
"Painter Kanghyeok Lee's comeback interview is already done. Check the XX Daily article, everyone."
At Jungeun's words, the reporters' faces froze solid.
As if we'd planned it all along.
Tap.
I patted Jungeun's shoulder as he walked and said.
"Thanks."
He smirked and chuckled.
"What're you talking about? It's my job."
Honestly, without him, I might've struggled.
Most of those reporters had scary looks in their eyes.
But thanks to him, we'd gotten through it unscathed.
"Alright, shall we take a look around, Daeun? Where do you want to start?"
"Yeah, Daeun?"
As soon as we entered, I asked Daeun, who was glancing around everywhere.
The event had just started, so crowds were everywhere.
I'd asked since it didn't matter where we went.
"Hmm, Daeun will go this way!"
The spot she pointed to happened to have fewer people.
"Over there."
At Daeun's choice, Aram Go smiled and said.
"Daeun, there's no painting there."
"Why?"
"It's a spot without any from the start."
There were only a limited number of graduates to begin with.
And not all graduates participated in the exhibition.
No need to use the entire vast space.
"Hmm, then that way!"
Her next pick was the most crowded spot.
Lots of foot traffic, tons of students gathered.
Probably where the most works were displayed.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah!"
And so we headed to the place Daeun pointed out.
"Director, what do you think of this one?"
"Yeah, it's good. Has feeling."
"Yes, yes, shop owner. Yes, looking at it now—I'll send the list of shortlisted works."
Everyone there had a purpose.
Not just admiring art, but evaluating the artists' talent.
Gulp.
Students in front of them swallowed dryly, tense as could be.
Of course, some weren't, but it was their first exhibition experience.
'Was I like that?'
But importantly, I couldn't remember how I'd been.
I must've been nervous, but...
My memory was fuzzy.
Swish.
Just then, Jungeun sidled up and asked.
"So, what do you think? From a famous painter's eyes, how are the students' works?"
"Yeah, I..."
"There seem to be some with real talent."
I'd seen all the students' works in the studio before.
As I'd thought then, most drew at a high level.
Just different styles per person.
But I had no desire to judge anyone.
"I'm not qualified to evaluate them."
"Then who is?"
"Huh?"
"You're the same as ever, nothing's changed."
"What're you talking about?"
He gave me an exasperated laugh.
"You don't remember, do you?"
"Remember what?"
"Our graduation exhibition."
Truth be told, I didn't.
The only thing that stuck out was chatting with the director briefly.
"Man, you really don't remember. You were a sight that day."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you told the evaluators off. 'Who are you to judge others' work?' That's when I knew for sure... you were nuts."
Swish.
Jungeun glanced at Daeun, then whispered.
"Completely crazy."
"Me?"
"Yeah, while everyone else was nervous about being judged, you were the only one dissing the judges."
...No memory at all.
But Jungeun recalled it vividly, speaking nostalgically.
"Well, then you met the director, but anyway, you were something else. In your own way."
"Then... I met the director?"
"No, did you reset your memory or what? You don't remember that?"
His scolding stung a bit.
But what could I do about not remembering?
With a stiff nod, Jungeun let out a hollow laugh.
"Man, you never change. How do you not remember that day? Was it the booze that evening?"
"Booze?"
"Yeah, could be. You went nuts after the director contacted you."
Swish.
Just then, someone approached us and said.
"You don't remember?"
Gasp!
My breath caught.
Too startled to even scream, I froze, and Aram Go laughed in greeting.
"Ah! Aunt!"
"Aram, you're here too?"
"Yes, Aunt. But I thought you said you'd be late today."
"Yeah, my schedule wrapped up early."
Hold on—the opening ceremony had just ended.
If she'd already been viewing works...
Swish.
Glancing over hopefully, Director Go gave an inscrutable look and said.
"I heard the speech. You did better than expected."
"......"
I wanted to crawl into a hole.
But she’d already seen it—no taking it back.
"Anyway, you say you don't remember that day, even after all that?"
"Oh, weirdly, I have no memory of it."
She eyed me with a slightly scary expression.
"Well, that's part of what I liked about you, but this is disappointing."
"D-Disappointing?"
"Yeah, means you don't remember what I said that day either."
"Oh, that..."
"Do you?"
"Um......"
This was bad.
How much had I drunk that evening to forget something so crucial?
A sigh escaped at my own memory, but no fix for it.
"I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize."
She turned to Aram Go in front and asked.
"Aram, let's see your painting first. Where is it?"
"Y-Yes, m-my painting?"
"Yeah. Lead the way."
Aram looked extremely flustered, but the director's expression was as steady as ever.
"I'm busy. If you're not guiding, I'm out."
"N-No, I'll guide you."
"Good, lead on."
Aram seemed pretty thrown, but she'd planned to show it eventually anyway.
She took the lead, escorting the director to her painting.
Everyone else followed the director too.
"Daeun, shall we go?"
I held out my hand to Daeun.
But.
"Daeun wants to see more paintings!"
"Yeah, not following Director."
"Yeah! Daeun wants to see more here first!"
Uh......
I glanced between the group heading off and Daeun.
Dying to follow and hear what the director said about Aram's work,
But.
"S-Sure, then."
"Yeah!"
I ended up staying with Daeun.
I'd seen Aram's painting before anyway.
Left behind with Daeun, I slowly strolled, taking in the works.
Various pieces and tense students in front.
Countless viewers judging them.
Walking leisurely through, admiring calmly, when
Daeun suddenly pointed at one painting.
"Daddy! Daeun likes that painting!"
Yeah, out of nowhere.
The spot she pointed to, claiming it was good, held a somewhat unusual piece.
And naturally...
'No student.'
Usually, the artist stood by their work—but why none here?
That's when Daeun said something unexpected.
"That painting looks like Daddy's!"
Swish.
Looks like Daeun had read the emotions in the painting that others missed.