Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: Together to America
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"Ah, so that's how it happened."
"Yeah, they said she came back earlier than originally planned."
Aram wore a peculiar expression as she listened to Hyorin's story.
But one person alone, Horyeong, had a deeply darkened face.
He must have realized the reason behind sharing this story.
Swoosh.
At that moment, Horyeong turned to Aram.
"Aram, um..."
"Yeah, what?"
"I'm just really curious, so... are you thinking of going abroad to study?"
Honestly, even if Aram heard this story, it wouldn't make her give up on studying abroad.
After all, it wasn't something she'd experienced herself—it was just someone else's tale.
The situations were merely similar.
"I've actually been thinking about it."
Unlike Hyorin, though, Aram seemed to want to share this situation with Horyeong.
"Really?"
"Yeah, honestly, after seeing your painting this time, it got me thinking a lot. Made me want to study more, I guess."
"I-I see... Studying more is good."
He didn't oppose it.
No, he probably couldn't.
I'd been the same way— you can't stop someone who wants to study because they feel their learning is lacking.
"I was planning to think it over a bit more, but I think I can sort out my thoughts more easily than expected."
"Yeah, easily, huh?"
Just as I wondered if it was because of what I'd said.
"Yeah, I figured I'd go to the States once and then decide."
Ah, right. Aram was super rich.
Her aunt was the director of Arnia Gallery, after all.
"So this is like a trip, I guess."
Deciding after a trip probably meant going to see that painting Hyorin had seen.
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
'By the way, did Kerry come to the wedding?'
They'd gotten really close, so maybe she had.
I just didn't remember.
Well, I'd been so flustered at the wedding that I couldn't even recall how it had gone.
Then, having heard Aram's words, Horyeong pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Then I'll go with you."
"You too?"
"Yeah, I've always wanted to go there at least once. Even if it's not for studying abroad, I feel like I could learn something."
"Don't you have to prepare for your solo exhibition?"
"The director already made arrangements so I can do it anytime, and a week is plenty of time to go and come back. Plus, I've saved up a good amount from my part-time jobs while going to school, so I can afford it."
His determination to tag along was clear.
Daeun, who had been listening to their conversation, spoke up with a smile.
"Daeun wants to go too!"
"Yeah, Daeun's been to America already."
Aram explained in Horyeong's place.
"Yeah, she said Daeun and the two artists went to America for work."
"Wow! Daeun does everything so fast. You're really cool."
Daeun's shoulders puffed up at the praise of being cool.
Then she boasted about what had happened in America.
"Daeun met a super pretty auntie too! Bought a picture that looked like a giant drew it! It was so much fun!"
She went on to explain in detail what had happened in America.
"Ah, it was really fun! Daddy!"
"Yeah, what?"
"Daeun wants to go to America again!"
"Yeah, you want to go to America."
"Yeah!"
I could only give a wry smile to Daeun, who wanted to go to America.
"No, you can't. You have your solo exhibition in a month, remember? Even if you want to go, let's do it after that's over."
With the exhibition right around the corner, going on a random trip to America could cause issues.
If she really wanted to go, it had to be after the exhibition.
Not that anything would go wrong, but schedules could get tangled.
With the exhibition so close, we had to prepare for every possibility.
"Ah... It'd be nice if we could all go together."
It might just be words said to sound nice.
But Horyeong seemed genuinely regretful.
Aram, who had been thinking it over, suddenly widened her eyes and looked at me.
"Artist!"
"Yes?"
"How about we go to America together after Daeun's exhibition in a month?"
"A month from now?"
"Yeah, thinking about it, I've traveled a few times before, so I have a passport. But Horyeong doesn't."
"Oh, right. I don't have a passport. How long does it take to get one?"
Daeun answered that question.
"About a month!"
Having gotten one before, Horyeong nodded at her precise answer.
"Yeah, exactly. By the time we get passports and book, it'll be a month anyway."
"Right? So how about it, Artist? Can't we go together?"
I pondered Aram's suggestion for a moment.
It wasn't that I didn't want to go with them.
I just didn't want our schedule to mess up theirs.
But my hesitation didn't last long.
"Daeun really wants to go!"
Daeun had provided the answer to my dilemma.
'Haha, this kid.'
I looked at her helplessly and said,
"Then shall we make some plans?"
And just like that, we'd ended up going to America together.
At that moment, Aram asked curiously,
"By the way, about that story earlier—what happened after? Did you end up becoming friends with that Kerry person?"
Since I'd already started the story.
I pulled out the final part of the past tale.
"A few days after seeing the painting and heading straight back to the dorm, something happened."
After seeing the painting, Hyorin returned to her dorm just like that.
Then, a few days later on the weekend, an unexpected person showed up in the studio where she went to paint as usual.
"You're late."
"You came."
The ones waiting for her were Kerry and Lucas.
"Yeah, what? Were you waiting for me?"
She sat down, pulling out her tools as if to paint.
Kerry looked at her in disbelief and asked,
"How do you paint all day like that?"
"Because I came here to study, obviously."
"I thought you said it was Korea for painting. You could do it there."
"Well, yeah, but I can't focus there."
Lucas didn't understand the word "focus."
But Kerry interpreted it differently.
"You have someone you like."
At the mention of someone she liked, Hyorin smiled faintly, Kanghyeok's face coming to mind.
"Yeah, I do. Someone I love a lot."
"You look funny when you smile."
"Of course. When I'm with him, I'm smiling all day."
Kerry, hearing her story, remarked on how impressive it was.
"But you still came all the way here to study."
"Yeah, that's how desperate I am."
Then Kerry brought up something unexpected.
"So, about that—want to meet my dad?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, he said he wants to see you."
There was no reason to meet, no such situation.
But suddenly meeting—what was the reason? She was curious.
"Why would your dad suddenly want to see me?"
What came from Kerry's mouth next was quite shocking.
"That painting you saw at the party."
"The one in the basement?"
"How did you know it was real?"
At the word "real," Lucas was even more shocked.
"Th-that's r-real?"
Swoosh.
Kerry propped her chin, speaking in exasperation.
"Yeah, it was real. The day after the party, I asked my dad just in case. If the painting in the basement wasn't a fake. He was shocked and asked how I knew. I was floored when I heard. You knew it was real—you weren't just saying it to mess with me."
Hyorin shrugged at that.
"Who knows."
"What do you mean? You definitely told me back then. You saw it as the real thing."
"No, but it really was authentic?"
"Yeah, I thought it was fake since it was in the basement, but it was real. So I told Dad about what you said at the party the night before, and he said he really wants to meet you."
Hyorin just smiled faintly at Kerry's words.
Then, as she squeezed out paint, she said,
"Thanks for the thought, but tell him I'm fine."
"Why?"
"I'm planning to go back to Korea."
"Go back?"
"To Korea!"
This time, not just Lucas but Kerry was shocked.
She'd never imagined Hyorin would return to Korea.
"Yeah, actually, I decided to come study abroad on my own. Without even telling that friend I mentioned earlier."
"You didn't... tell him?"
"I did right before coming, but it's basically the same as not telling."
Hearing that, both Kerry and Lucas couldn't help but look glum.
They'd only talked briefly, but they could feel how much Hyorin loved that person.
And she'd given up even love for her studies.
"At first, I just adored him endlessly, but at some point, I started feeling it. Like a wall, maybe? That friend is an incredible genius. In a few years, you might hear about him too."
Hyorin's face looked utterly happy as she said that.
"As he rose to a height I couldn't reach, I got desperate. I love him, but I really want to achieve my dream. Of becoming an artist."
Kerry had nothing to say to that.
She couldn't compare to the pressure Hyorin carried, just going to school and studying.
That's why she could understand even more why Hyorin painted so desperately.
"To chase that dream, I turned off my phone for two months... Looking back now, I wonder why I went that far."
"So that's why no phone—not just to focus on studying."
"Yeah, I thought if I heard his voice, I'd run straight back to Korea. Even if I missed him, I had to hold back."
"You're really... impressive? Or heartless? Don't you think about that guy you left behind alone?"
At Kerry's words, Hyorin smiled oddly and asked,
"Are you empathizing with my situation now?"
"Hey! Laughing at a time like this—call that guy right now. Tell him you haven't been in touch."
Hyorin shook her head at that.
"No, I have to finish the painting first."
"The painting?"
"Yeah, the one I've been working on since coming here."
She looked at the painting in front of her.
Her nearly completed piece.
Seeing Hyorin like that, not just Kerry but Lucas too looked at the painting she was gazing at.
Perhaps it was the first time.
Properly seeing a painting Hyorin was creating.
Looking at it, Kerry quietly said,
"I want to meet that guy you love. I'm curious what kind of person could make you paint like this."