The Eyes of a Master
"All right then, Teacher. I'll see you tomorrow at two, in front of the Starbucks outside SBC headquarters."
This the place?
He arrived in front of the Starbucks at exactly the appointed time. A moment later, she came running toward him, waving.
"Teacher!"
The title sat a little heavily on him. He raised a hand to stop her.
"Um... Seo-ah. I'm sorry, but could you drop the 'Teacher' when we're out in public?"
"What?"
"Take a look around..."
A man who looked twenty at most, being called "Teacher" by a woman his own age, was always going to draw stares.
"Ahaha... sorry. Then I can just call you Cheolwoo?"
"Yes. That's plenty."
"Anyway, putting that aside..."
She suddenly looked him up and down.
"Teacher. I mean, Cheolwoo."
"Yes?"
"Did you come straight from school?"
"I did. I hopped on the subway the moment class ended."
She hesitated for a beat, then grabbed him by the sleeve and started pulling him down the street.
"Teacher. Come with me for a minute!"
"What? Our appointment is soon. Where are we going?"
"It's close. We'll be quick. Come on."
The place she dragged him to was an apartment building five minutes away.
"This is..."
"My place."
"Your house? Did you forget something? I can wait down here, then."
"Aigoo, that's not it at all. I'm going to put an outfit together for you."
"What?"
Coordinate his clothes? He had no idea what she was talking about.
This looks perfectly fine, doesn't it?
He glanced at his reflection in the first-floor mirror. Jeans and a plaid shirt. As far as he was concerned, it was an excellent outfit.
She took one look at him and bristled all over again.
"Cheolwoo! We're going to a broadcasting station today. You can't show up looking like you just walked out of an engineering lecture."
"I'm not even a celebrity..."
"Absolutely not. You're going as Choi Seo-ah's personal recommendation. You cannot walk in there wearing a plaid shirt!"
Swept along by her sheer force of will, he found himself half-marched through her front door. The moment he stepped inside, a familiar scent drifted toward him.
This smell...
Faint, but unmistakable—the scent of the cat tower he had made. He pointed to it in the living room.
"Looks like you're putting it to good use."
"Of course, Teacher. Thanks to that cat tower, the kids don't fight anymore. And I feel so calm the second I walk in the door."
The moment they were inside, the title slipped back to "Teacher."
"You feel at peace just coming home?"
"Yes. When I'm in the living room, I even sleep better. I don't know how you did it, but you're amazing!"
Huh... so Soul can manifest this way too.
It was a cat tower. He had assumed the Soul would express itself for the cats. Apparently it had taken a turn that reached people as well.
She asked him to wait in the living room and disappeared into a smaller bedroom.
A soft meow sounded near his feet. A short-legged Munchkin padded over, sniffed him a few times, and then rubbed its whole body against his leg.
Really has settled down, hasn't he.
A cat's first instinct with a stranger was extreme caution. Rubbing up against someone like this meant the animal was, psychologically, in a very secure place.
"So you're Woong-i. Do you know who I am? I made this for you. You're enjoying it, right?"
He stroked Woong-i's head with an easy, practiced hand.
Woong-i loafed up on the spot, a deep, rumbling purr rolling out of him, clearly delighted.
That was when Seo-ah emerged from the bedroom, arms piled high with clothes.
"Try these on, Teacher."
"All right... wait. Why do you have men's clothes in the house?"
They were unmistakably expensive, and cut for a man tall enough that they would actually fit him.
"Oh, those are my brother's."
"You have a brother?"
"Yes, an older brother. He's doing his doctorate in the States, so he doesn't keep a place in Korea. When he visits, he uses that room as his."
"I see... but is it all right for me to just wear his clothes?"
She waved the concern off and pressed the bundle into his hands.
"Don't worry about it. I already told him. Go on, try them on."
"Well..."
Half-bullied into it, he went into the room and changed.
The outfit was simpler than he had expected. Slacks, a soft crew-neck knit, and a light jacket to finish it.
When he stepped back out, she took one look at him and started clapping.
"Teacher! It's perfect! It looks so good on you."
"Does it...?"
Fashion had never been something he paid attention to, whether in Korea or on Mount Olympus, and he honestly had no idea what counted as a good look. What he could say for certain was that the fabric felt better against his skin, and he could move more freely than in what he had been wearing.
Comfortable, at least.
Then he checked the time. Only ten minutes left until the appointment. He scooped up the clothes he had arrived in and turned to her.
"We should go. We've only got ten minutes."
"What? Oh—you're right. Let's hurry, Teacher."
In his new clothes, they rushed out of her apartment, and a short while later they arrived at the conference room in the SBC Broadcasting Station.
Three minutes to spare.
A voice carried from down the hall. A moment later the door opened, and a man who looked to be in his early forties, glasses perched on his nose, stepped inside.
Seo-ah greeted him first.
"PD! Hello."
"Come on in, Seo-ah. And who's this? A new manager? No—with looks like that, is he a rookie actor from your agency? Did you bring him here to introduce him?"
"What?"
PD Kim stretched, looking exhausted, and asked her as if the other man in the room were not even there.
"Ugh... I'm beat. So when is this Teacher Kang supposed to get here? Wasn't he coming with you?"
Seo-ah faltered, the end of her sentence trailing off.
"Ah, well..."
Cheolwoo stood, offered his hand, and introduced himself.
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Kang Cheolwoo."
"What...?!"
The PD's pupils began to tremble. He glanced at Seo-ah and dropped his voice.
"Ah... Seo-ah, sorry—could I have a word for a second..."
He steered her out into the hallway. The moment the door shut behind them, PD Kim turned on her, his voice thick with disbelief.
"Seo-ah. Is that man really Kang Cheolwoo?"
"Yes... he is."
"...Does he just have a very young-looking face?"
It was a fair question. Some people simply looked years younger than they were. But setting aside how many years Cheolwoo had actually lived, his age in Korea was twenty-four.
"No... he actually is that young."
PD Kim stared at her, at a loss.
"...Seo-ah, I appreciate the introduction, but restoration work demands real expertise. It isn't something someone that young can do. I'm sorry, but let's just pretend this meeting never happened."
He started to turn away. Seo-ah caught his arm.
"PD! Just once—just test his skill once! I promise you'll completely change your mind."
"Even so, someone that young..."
"I'm serious. Search for All-Around Workshop online!"
"..."
Dae-yu pulled out his phone and typed in the name. A handful of reviews came up. Not a huge number—but every last one of them shared the same quality.
...
This went beyond praise. Every review was a rave. And above all, there was not a single complaint among them.
Fake reviews are everywhere these days, but... can it really look like this?
Reading that kind of unanimous adoration, a flicker of curiosity stirred in him. Dae-yu decided to take the chance—to trust Seo-ah, just this once.
"Haa... all right."
"Thank you, PD!"
A moment later, PD Kim opened the door and came back in.
"Sorry about that. I needed a word with Seo-ah. I'm Kim Dae-yu, from Authentic & Masterpiece."
"A pleasure."
The moment Dae-yu sat down, he went straight at it.
"Cheolwoo, was it? How long have you been running your workshop?"
Cheolwoo counted on his fingers for a second, then answered.
"Hmm... a little under six months now."
"..."
Dae-yu stared at him, incredulous, and tried again.
"Then have you ever restored a cultural artifact?"
Cultural artifacts, huh...
In truth, he had restored more relics than he could count. On Mount Olympus, broken artifacts had been the second most common commission after weapons.
Not that I can say any of that.
He didn't answer the question. Instead, he turned it back on the man, a faint challenge in his voice.
"So you're curious about my skill, PD."
The PD faltered, then nodded.
"Yes... I'm sorry to be so blunt, but you look very young. Most of the people we call master artisans tend to be of a certain age."
My actual career is a lot longer than his, but...
He needled him one more time.
"A long career doesn't necessarily mean superior skill."
"That's true. But a short one doesn't mean it either, does it?"
The conversation stalled. Then PD Kim stood, walked to the corner of the conference room, and came back carrying a box.
"I apologize for putting it this way, but would you mind if I tested your skill?"
"A test... that's fine."
Being doubted so openly stoked something competitive in him. The moment he accepted, the PD reached into the box and drew out a porcelain piece covered in nicks and scars.
"This was appraised at a hundred million won last time. The condition isn't great, so we want it restored before we put it up for auction. Do you think you could restore this?"
"May I handle it?"
"Yes... here."
The PD passed it over with both hands, careful as if it might crumble. Cheolwoo turned the piece over, examining it from the base to the inner walls, missing nothing.
About five minutes later, he set it down and let out a short, dry snort.
"You want this porcelain restored?"
"Yes. Restoration would raise its value considerably. The commission that comes back to us is substantial, and it would be a huge help for the broadcast as well."
Cheolwoo's answer was immediate and unyielding.
"I see. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be restoring this piece."
"I figured as much..."
Seo-ah went pale.
"T-Teacher...!"
Cheolwoo stood and looked the PD in the eye.
"But I have to say, PD. This program of yours, Authentic & Masterpiece—it's a rather peculiar show."
"Peculiar? What is that supposed to mean?"
The PD stared at him, lost.
"Th-that's... what..."
Cheolwoo opened the conference room door and walked out without a backward glance. Behind him, the PD came after him at a near run, the look in his eyes utterly transformed from moments before.
"Wait, Cheolwoo—I mean, Master Kang! Please, wait!"