Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: The Graduation Dinner
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At 6 PM, everyone at the exhibition hall cleared out.
Now, only the school staff remained.
Director Go, being a guest herself, left me with the company card and a single word.
"Buy dinner with this today. If the professor says he'll pay, absolutely stop him. Got it?"
Honestly, there was no reason for the director to buy us dinner.
Not all the students here were heading to her gallery anyway.
But there had to be a good reason for her to act this way.
Aram Go and Horyeong.
It was probably because of those two.
Just then, the professor looked at the students and spoke.
"You all did great. The first day is always the toughest, but you all kept up wonderfully. Seeing how much you've grown—to the point where you can truly call yourselves artists now—I'm deeply moved."
He sent off countless students every year.
Even so, how could letting go of students he'd poured his heart into for nearly four years not affect him?
I hadn't asked, but for the professor, the graduation exhibition must have felt like another graduation ceremony.
That's why the first day of the graduation exhibition doubled as a dinner and afterparty.
"Alright, then. Let's all head to the restaurant and have a blast."
"Whoa! Booze!"
"Booze! Booze!"
"Let's drink! Booze!"
Were they that thirsty for alcohol after all the hard work?
Seeing the students like that, I quietly raised my hand and spoke up.
"Professor."
"Yeah, Kanghyeok? You did great too."
"What did I do? You, the professor, and everyone here did all the work. That's why I'm saying..."
I pulled out the company card the director had given me, showing it to everyone on purpose.
"What's that?"
"The director gave it to me before she left. She originally wanted to join us for the afterparty, but figured outsiders might make things awkward. So she handed me this card to cover the dinner tab."
At that, the professor chuckled and said,
"Come on, how can we use that? I'll cover the whole afterparty bill, so give that card back..."
That's when Aram Go, who knew the director's personality well, chimed in.
"Professor! If we don't use the card this time, she might pay next time, and the time after that, and keep going. Or she might even show up to the afterparty herself."
No way, people seemed to think. Would she really go that far?
But Aram Go's expression didn't change at all.
As if to say her words weren't exaggerated in the least.
In the end, the professor had to give in this time.
"I'll have to thank the director personally later. Alright, shall we all head out together?"
"Yes! Professor!"
"Let's go quick!"
With the afterparty covered, we left the exhibition hall with lighter steps than ever—that's when it happened.
"Horyeong, you coming?"
At Aram Go's question, Horyeong scratched his head, looking a bit troubled.
"Hmm, I don't really like that stuff. I might ruin the vibe, so I'll just..."
Whoosh!
At that, Aram Go glared at him fiercely and snapped,
"Who says you don't like it?"
"Uh?"
"I like you."
"...What!"
Aram Go, without a subject, the conversation was veering into some seriously weird territory.
Noticing her slip too late from Horyeong's reaction, Aram Go quickly corrected herself.
"Ev-everyone likes you. You're the only one who doesn't know it."
"No need to console me. Who'd like a loner like me?"
He was instinctively blocking people from approaching.
Every time I saw Horyeong like that, it reminded me of my past self.
I'd done the same, pushing away anyone who tried to get close.
What if Hyorin hadn't approached me like that?
Our relationship probably wouldn't have progressed, and...
'Hyorin might not have died.'
If I could go back to the past, could I save Hyorin?
If a predetermined future couldn't be changed, I'd have to choose between Hyorin and Daeun.
Saving Hyorin would mean Daeun never being born.
Choosing Daeun would mean Hyorin definitely dies.
But if that situation came for me...
'I'd save them both.'
No matter what method, I'd find a way to save them both.
Still, thankfully...
"Then I'm not going either."
Aram Go's resolve was firm.
Just like Hyorin from back then.
"What?"
"If you're not going, neither am I."
"Why? Who are you to decide?"
"I'm..."
Her answer that followed made me grin ear to ear.
Do people all change the same way when they fall in love?
It seemed that way.
Aram Go's response was strikingly similar to what Hyorin had once said.
"Your number one fan."
"...Uh, y-yeah, fan..."
She flashed a smile.
I got to witness the birth of another love story.
We headed straight to the samgyeopsal place in front of the school for dinner and drinks.
Including everyone from the graduation exhibition, Minji, Jungeun Park, the professor, me, and Daeun.
Quite a crowd settled in.
Since they held the graduation shows here every year, the owner had reserved the biggest tables in advance.
"You're back again this year."
"Ah, yes. Thank you for always saving seats for us."
"Oh, no problem. We're grateful you keep coming back. So, the usual samgyeopsal and pork neck? How much booze?"
Without hesitation, the professor replied familiarly,
"By the pair."
Whoa, it had been ages since I'd heard that term.
He was going all out—pairs of bottles, not singles.
The students cheered at the professor's generous order, and whether they anticipated it or not...
Thud!
"Move over a bit!"
In an instant, the table was loaded with enough food to make it groan.
And without anyone leading, they fired up the grill at top speed.
Seeing their swift moves, Horyeong awkwardly asked,
"Wh-what's this? You guys always like this?"
Had he never gone drinking with friends before?
Well, there must've been an OT, so at least once.
But given the timing, everyone was awkward and barely talked.
The vibe must've been totally different from now.
"It's always like this, so no need to be nervous."
Horyeong looked a bit relieved at Aram Go's words.
But he was still tense.
Then, the professor raised his glass and said,
"Alright, everyone fill up. Let's toast."
As he spoke, Daeun, munching on the corn kernels served as a side, piped up.
"Daddy! What about Daeun?"
"Ah, hold on. Of course Daeun too."
He poured water halfway into her kid-sized plastic cup.
"Hee! Daeun too! Uncle too!"
"Uh, yeah, me..."
Come to think of it, everyone else was busy filling their own glasses with booze.
But Horyeong just stared, doing nothing.
Maybe he's not used to drinking parties.
That's when he mumbled,
"Um, I can't really drink..."
"Have you never had a drink before?"
"Ah, yeah... Never really wanted to."
Not drinking wasn't an issue.
Everyone has their limit.
But never having tried it at all was a bit surprising.
That meant he'd bailed midway from OT too.
No way he'd skip drinks in a room full of seniors.
"Ah, then no need. Drinking isn't all that great anyway."
Drinking was a choice, not mandatory.
No intention of forcing someone who didn't want it.
With that, I filled Horyeong's glass to the brim with soda.
Pour pour.
Watching me with a serious face, Horyeong muttered softly,
"Do I... have to drink...?"
In this atmosphere, it probably felt like you had to drink or else.
Especially since this was his first drinking party since OT.
"No, if you don't want to, don't."
Saying that, I filled my own non-alcohol glass with soda too.
"It's funny how even this is similar."
"Huh? You don't like booze either?"
"Yeah, can't handle it. Back in school, I had to sometimes, but now hardly at all. Especially with Daeun around."
"Ah..."
At that, Horyeong's face lit up for a moment.
Did he feel a sense of kinship?
He looked relieved, and maybe pleased we had that in common.
"I was wondering why you said that, but you're really a lot like Painter Lee Kanghyeok."
"Right? I've been thinking the same."
Then, Horyeong asked very cautiously,
"Then... can I become a cool artist like Painter Lee Kanghyeok too?"
Over those four years at school, he'd probably asked himself that a million times.
Was it lack of effort?
Lack of study?
Or, though he hated to admit it, lack of talent?
Was he wasting time? He must've been scared.
After four years, standing bare on evaluation day today.
Maybe he'd filled in his gaps.
That's why he asked.
To confirm his efforts weren't in vain.
"Of course. Or who knows—in ten years, you might be even greater than me."
"Really?"
"You put in a ton of effort."
"..."
At "effort," Horyeong bit his lip.
Probably the one thing he wanted to hear most right now.
"I could tell from your paintings. How hard you practiced alone. I don't know what you think, but your old works were already top-notch. You just didn't know how to move people's hearts."
"People's hearts?"
"Yeah, you felt it too, right? That today's painting was different from all your previous ones."
You could tell just from the expression he made while painting.
How happy Horyeong was drawing it.
But.
"What if it's just today?"
How could he not be anxious?
What if it was just a fluke?
I smiled and said,
"No need to worry about that."
"Why?"
"Usually, the solution to this kind of problem is right nearby. And it looks like you have one too."
He looked puzzled for a second.
Then his eyes widened as he glanced at Aram Go, who was pouring drinks for her friends nearby.
A bit blankly.
And with slightly flushed cheeks.
Just then, the professor turned to the students and said,
"Alright! Before we toast, let me say a word."
Maybe the words to cap off this graduation exhibition.
"My kids. You suffered under a moody, picky professor with a stupidly huge ego. Now the world's yours."
Whoosh!
The professor raised his glass high.
"Spread your wings and fly!"
At his shout, every student replied as one.
""Thank you so much for everything! Professor!""