Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Visitors and Good News
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A week or so had passed since the graduation exhibition ended.
Along with preparations for Daeun's exhibition, now right around the corner.
I was in the studio early that morning, painting to finish up another of my pictures, nearly at the end.
Bzzz-
A call came in from Horyeong.
He said he was so grateful from last time.
So he wanted to drop by and see me, he messaged.
Curious about how he'd been since then, I invited him to the studio.
Click.
"Hello!"
"Oh, Aram!"
"Wow! It's Auntie!"
"Hi, Daeun! Hi everyone! I came too!"
I hadn't expected Aram to come along.
Oh, come to think of it, I hadn't even given her the address, but here she was.
She must have planned to come with Aram from the start.
Anyway.
"Why are you two here together?"
The two of them showing up together.
The vibe felt a bit off somehow.
At my question, Horyeong smiled and explained.
"I still feel like I have a lot to learn. I asked Aram to paint with me, so we've been hanging out together since the exhibition."
Painting together.
It seemed Horyeong had found his own answer.
About what he needed to complete his own paintings.
Seeing the two of them like this, I quickly stepped aside and said,
"Come on in for now."
"Oh, hold on a sec."
At my invitation, Horyeong hurried back out the door and returned carrying something he'd left by the stairs.
He handed it to Daeun, who was beaming at him.
"Uncle! What's this?"
"Oh, this? It's my first time visiting the studio, so I figured I should bring a gift. Wanna open it?"
"A gift!"
"Oh, you didn't have to bring anything."
But Daeun tore into the wrapping paper at the mention of a gift.
And what emerged was the painting he'd said he drew for Daeun on the day of the exhibition.
"Oh, this is the one you painted back then..."
"Yes, that's right."
"No, you can't just give this away like that. This is a precious painting."
It might even be Horyeong's first properly finished painting.
Others might not know, but I did.
How important this painting was to him.
But Horyeong looked utterly relieved.
"It's fine. And I really wanted to give this one to Daeun specifically. I painted it purely for her, after all."
'Oh, I see.'
Giving away this painting meant, in a way, that he'd found a solution to his own issues.
Coming here with Aram might be part of that too.
At Horyeong's words, I smiled brightly.
"Thank you. This might be the best gift I've ever gotten."
"Uncle! Thank you!"
I smiled, Daeun smiled.
And Aram, watching Horyeong scratch the back of his head, smiled too.
"Shall we head inside then?"
At that, the two nodded slightly and said,
"Then excuse us."
I hung Horyeong's painting in a prominent spot.
It would be rude not to display a gift right away.
Placed in the middle of the studio, Horyeong's painting shone like sunlight.
"As expected of a great painting. It really brings the studio to life."
"I-It’s not that big a deal."
"This is top-notch. Who knows? If Horyeong becomes famous later, the value might skyrocket."
No, if I dared to predict, the value of Horyeong's paintings—especially his first proper one—would rise to impressive heights.
He knew that too, yet he gave it as a gift.
'It must mean that much to him.'
The gift spoke for his gratitude.
"You two want some coffee, right?"
"Oh, sure."
"Ice Americano okay?"
"Sounds good!"
"Daddy! Daeun wants chocolate milk!"
Grin.
"Got it. Just wait a bit. I'll be right back."
Swoosh.
At that moment, Horyeong raised his hand and asked,
"Um, mind if we look around in the meantime?"
"Oh! Of course!"
Daeun shot her hand up and declared,
"Daeun! Daeun will give Uncle a tour!"
This was Daeun's space, after all.
"Oh, that sounds perfect. Mind if I ask you to do that, sweetie?"
"Yeah! Daeun will do it super good!"
Nod.
Nodding, Daeun jumped up, puffed out her chest, and said,
"Just follow Daeun! Daeun will show you around!"
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Auntie come too!"
"Auntie will go too!"
And with that, the two followed Daeun toward the back where the other works were.
Watching the three of them warmly, I got up and headed to the pantry.
Bzzz-!
I brewed capsule coffee for the two of them.
Since it took time for two cups, I grabbed Daeun's chocolate milk and my juice, loading them onto a tray.
As I waited for the coffees to finish, staring at the machine.
Voices drifted in through the open door.
"Wow, this is amazing."
"Right? Daeun's such a great painter."
"Hee! Daeun's awesome!"
"Yeah, I could learn from Daeun."
"Daeun's gonna have her own solo exhibition soon."
"Yeah, a solo show."
"Uh-huh, Daeun's having a solo exhibition soon. At the department store."
"Wow... Daeun's my senior then."
"Senior?"
Grin.
'They're really taking it all in.'
Hearing their conversation made me smile without realizing it.
Just a week ago, things between Horyeong and Aram had felt a bit awkward.
But now, it seemed only a matter of time before they got closer.
From what the director had said, Aram seemed interested in Horyeong.
'Wait a minute, then...'
A sudden twinge of unease hit me.
I'd just remembered how similar Horyeong and I were.
'No, it couldn't be.'
I tried to shake it off, but the nagging anxiety made me glance outside.
With the coffees all done, I loaded the tray and headed out.
There, in front of Horyeong's painting in the center of the studio, stood the three of them.
Daeun was grinning happily as she showed her own paintings, and Horyeong smiled back at her reaction.
But Aram's expression, gazing at Horyeong's painting, seemed somehow shadowed.
"Made you wait long?"
"Oh! No, not at all."
"Come on, everyone, grab a seat and have some coffee."
I placed the freshly brewed coffees on the central table.
Swoosh.
Naturally, we all ended up sitting across from each other.
I took a light sip of my juice and asked,
"So, what brings you here all of a sudden? Doesn't seem like just a casual visit."
Coming all this way on purpose suggested some reason.
Was my hunch right?
Blushing a bit as he fiddled with his coffee cup, Horyeong replied,
"I wanted to be the first to tell Painter Kanghyeok Lee and Daeun this news."
"News?"
"Yes. I actually signed a contract with Director Go at Arnia Gallery yesterday."
"What? A c-contract?"
"Yeah, things just kinda snowballed into it."
"Haha, congrats! That's fantastic."
I hadn't expected a contract.
Back at the graduation exhibition, he'd said the director's reaction was different.
She must have been planning it since then.
At Horyeong's words, I glanced over at Aram.
Maybe reading my gaze,
"Oh, not me. I didn't sign."
"Oh..."
I knew the director's personality all too well.
So Aram's answer wasn't all that surprising.
But.
'This feels even more unsettling.'
The unease I'd felt earlier was starting to crystallize.
"Honestly, even if my aunt had offered, I wasn't going to sign. I don't think my skills are that great. The piece I submitted to the graduation exhibition got a ton of help from you, Painter."
"That's the same for me."
"No, it's not. And you don't need to console me. I know my own abilities better than anyone."
Truth be told, it was a difference in talent.
Sure, effort could cover for talent to some extent.
But against overwhelming talent, that effort just led to profound frustration.
That was exactly where Aram stood now.
"You're amazing. I didn't say it back then when I saw your earlier paintings, but I could feel a huge wall. But this new one? I couldn't even dream of imitating it."
He was just voicing his honest thoughts.
But watching Aram say that, Horyeong's expression filled with pity.
'Was I like that?'
And seeing Horyeong's face only deepened Aram's despair.
"Ah! Let's drop this. Today should just be about celebrating Horyeong's contract—plenty joyful enough!"
Realizing the person she liked had talent she could never surpass.
That was bound to be heartbreaking.
'I should have cheered her on.'
For the one you love walking a path you can't, you have to hide your pain and support them.
It took me over ten years to finally understand Hyorin's feelings even a little.
"So! Horyeong's treating us to lunch with his contract money!"
"Lunch, huh?"
"Oh, yeah. I heard your first earnings should be used meaningfully."
"Why not treat your parents to something nice?"
"That's that, and this is this. For me, treating Painter Kanghyeok Lee and Daeun to a meal is plenty meaningful."
"Well... if you put it that way..."
It felt wrong to refuse.
No, he might not leave until we let him treat us.
Then Daeun piped up.
"Then Uncle! Daeun wants... Daeun wants this for lunch!"
"Of course! I'll buy whatever Daeun wants."
"Yay! Then Daeun wants that thing!"
"What what?"
And at Daeun's follow-up, the two were stunned.
"Daeun wants that! Gukbap!"
"G-Gukbap?"
Haha, we'd gone for gukbap recently, and it must've really clicked with her.
At Daeun's declaration, I smiled awkwardly and said,
"W-Well then, shall we go for gukbap?"
"Hee! Gukbap! Daeun loves gukbap so so much!"
"R-Really?"
Daeun led the way to the gukbap place, while Aram and I trailed behind.
Smiling at the two ahead, Aram said,
"Horyeong's really something, isn't he? I always thought he'd get recognized someday."
Her words carried layers of meaning, but I played dumb despite knowing.
"And you?"
"Yeah, me?"
"Yeah. You're thinking of studying more, right?"
At that, Aram's eyes went wide.
"H-How did you know?"
How did I know?
Because someone had walked that path before.
"You're not thinking of going abroad, are you?"
At the word "abroad," Aram's expression shifted.
She must have recalled our talk in the practice room back then.
And then.
Whoosh!
Her eyes wide, she looked at me and asked.
Desperate, like she sought an answer.
"That talk you gave me in the practice room back then... Did Senior Hyorin go abroad and then hold a solo exhibition?"