The Reborn Genius of an Arts High School - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 104.
As closing time approached, Ye Ji’s acquaintances began to gather at the Gallery.
“Hey.”
“Ye Ji!”
Ethan and Elisa, and Lucas too.
They had all come to see Ye Ji’s solo exhibition, so it was no exaggeration to say everyone had arrived.
Ethan carried an air of greater maturity somehow, while Elisa beamed brightly.
Lucas, still grave in demeanor, remained absorbed in the lingering impression left by Ye Ji’s works.
‘Having seen such fine pieces, I can hardly complain about the results.’
Ethan too seemed to have been deeply moved by the exhibition, so he excused himself from the group and stepped back into the Exhibition Hall once more.
“What’s he doing here again?”
“Father never gets tired of it, does he?”
Watching her father’s continued wariness toward Ethan, Ye Ji burst into laughter.
Seeing friends gathered together for the first time in months, she felt a warmth she hadn’t anticipated.
Though people like Seong Su and So Hee, whose work kept them busy, had departed early.
Most of the acquaintances worthy of gratitude and affection had gathered here in Paris.
It felt natural for Ye Ji to want to treat them all to dinner.
“Shouldn’t I be the one to do that?”
But Marc, the Gallery director, had learned of this somehow and came forward himself, so her plans fell through.
For him, Ye Ji’s solo exhibition succeeding held multiple meanings.
Beyond simply having earned money, it was a testament to Montrebleu’s eye for art.
Moreover, the participants who had placed and achieved good results were maintaining fine connections with one another.
Publicly and privately—it was deeply satisfying to him.
It was as if he were witnessing the ideal form of a competition he had long yearned for and cultivated over years.
“Because of this, this year’s competition has become quite challenging, I’m afraid.”
At Marc’s words, Ye Ji’s eyes widened.
Now that she thought about it, since the competition was held annually, the first round of judging should have been completed by now….
“Last year’s standard was exceptionally high, you see. Everyone’s eye has been elevated.”
Marc’s secretary answered instead, reading the question in Ye Ji’s expression.
How to put it—regrettable, perhaps?
Ye Ji wore an awkward smile as she puzzled over how to respond, and the secretary gave a soft laugh.
Among other reasons, the fact that more than half the judges had been replaced with new people was one factor making the competition more difficult.
However.
“That’s not Miss Ye Ji’s fault, in any case.”
Well, that much was true.
Julien had been among the judges finalized this time.
What could the reason have been?
‘Did he find out something about Goyo? Or was he caught making contact with Kobayashi?’
Bad men never confined themselves to a single transgression.
Whatever it was, he was a man with too many things to feel guilty about—his removal was only fitting.
As people continued to gather, Hae Yun, who had been viewing other galleries, also joined the group.
Hyun Min, who had been her tour guide for several days, looked noticeably haggard.
“Then, today I shall treat all of Miss Ye Ji’s guests as well.”
Marc made a sweeping declaration, saying he had reserved the entire restaurant across the street.
“What did he just say?”
When Ye Ji relayed his words to her parents, who didn’t speak French, they looked bewildered.
“Shouldn’t we bear the cost ourselves?”
“Yes, we’re grateful simply for the wonderful opportunity….”
To her parents’ reaction, Ye Ji offered a playfully defiant response.
“I’m selling my work and paying the Gallery a 40% commission, aren’t I?”
In truth, this was even lower than the standard rate.
The universal practice, both domestically and internationally, was typically a 50:50 split.
But viewed as a salaried employee rather than a freelancer, even 40% felt excessive.
An exclusive contract might allow some adjustment, but.
‘I just don’t want to do it.’
She still had so much she wanted to explore.
An exclusive contract would come too early.
“…Well then, accepting his generosity seems reasonable enough.”
Her parents, who had been whispering to each other, nodded in agreement.
Ye Ji was of the same mind.
Marc’s kindness was well within the bounds of acceptance.
There was no need to decline out of mere politeness.
“Shall we all head over then?”
Soon the Gallery would close for the day as visiting hours ended.
Marc and Chloe, and the connections made through the competition.
Her parents and Hyun Min, along with Hae Yun and Han Gyu who had come all the way from Korea.
With Ye Ji’s words, they all exited the Gallery with bright expressions.
‘So this is what it feels like to hold a solo exhibition.’
Though it seemed to have come very late, a sense of fulfillment rose from the depths of her heart.
***
“I still say, pieces like those are what real art should be.”
“Dada and that sort of thing just doesn’t suit my taste.”
“Exactly! You can feel the artist’s heart in each brushstroke. How long has it been since I’ve seen paintings like this?”
“It was a wonderful exhibition, wasn’t it?”
“If I’d had the money, I’d have bought something for sure.”
“That’s the problem—no money.”
A group of visitors passing by with enthusiastic impressions.
“Should we do a feature article?”
“I’ve already requested a meeting with Director Marc anyway.”
“Think we can arrange separate time before we fly back?”
Journalists, each sensing the story’s appeal, busily rearranging their schedules.
As people streamed out toward the street, Julien chewed on his cigarette filter, a dark shadow stretching behind him.
His beard had grown shaggy, his hair disheveled.
Most people who had only known his neat appearance passed by without recognizing him as Julien at all.
He was a wreck.
It was more than a matter of appearance.
His mind could not keep pace with the tide that had turned so completely against him.
The true self he had compulsively hidden from others for so long.
The life he had maintained by stealing others’ work and claiming it as his own—everything had been laid bare before the world.
‘Be grateful I’m not pressing fraud charges.’
Pradel had held him responsible for the damages and demanded an exorbitant penalty fee.
‘I’ve heard the rumors. I’m afraid we cannot proceed with an exhibition under these circumstances.’
Countless galleries where he’d had exhibitions scheduled had unilaterally cancelled them.
Was that all?
His works listed at auction houses refused to sell anymore, hitting new lows each day.
“Damn it.”
The smell of strong alcohol emanated from his sigh.
A drunk in filthy clothes like a vagrant, his arrival in this early hour before sunset.
It was natural that people instinctively gave him a wide berth.
And with each passing glance and whisper, Julien’s thinking grew increasingly extreme.
He was not the sort of person to be treated this way. Truly.
“…I can’t end it like this. Not like this.”
He had driven himself so hard his entire life—but that was entirely his own choice.
He still hadn’t grasped that.
Each visitor who left the Gallery praising and marveling planted a seed of rage in his heart.
Irrational jealousy and the sting of defeat drove him further toward the precipice.
And in that gaze, he saw Ye Ji’s figure exiting the Gallery.
As though she bore not a single care in the world.
Seeing her bright smile, his bitterness twisted even further.
“Why….”
I can’t, but you can?
How can a mere greenhorn amateur possibly be considered better than me, who has held a brush my entire life?
Already drowning in victimhood, he could no longer think rationally.
‘If only she didn’t exist.’
I could recover.
I could reclaim it all, piece by piece.
Yes, I’m certain I could.
It was a narrow, delusional conviction that no one could have endorsed.
But there was no one left by his side who could point out this truth.
Dragging an ominous shadow with him, he began to move forward slowly once more.
***
“The restaurant we reserved is just across the street here.”
Following Marc’s secretary’s guidance, the group came to a halt before the crosswalk.
…
Ye Ji too hesitated for a moment, stopping just behind the crosswalk line.
By misfortune, this was that street from long ago.
The very road where Catherine had met with an ill-fated accident on a rainy day.
But Ye Ji swallowed an irrational unease and looked up at the sky.
Today was completely different from that day.
The sky held an orange sunset and the beautiful buildings of Paris….
“Ye Ji!”
“Ye Ji!”
Ye Ji jumped at the urgent calls and spun around.
The first thing that caught her eye was a hand stretched out as though to push her away.
And.
“Are you alright?!”
Her father’s eyes, filled with worry.
Looking back, she saw her mother and Hyun Min gripping her hand and shoulder from both sides.
Blare!
A passing car honked in alarm, though this was more because Hyun Min, in his effort to restrain her, had come dangerously close to the road.
“(What the hell is this!?)”
“What are you doing!?”
“(Who are you!?)”
Multiple languages mixed together simultaneously as chaos erupted around them.
As the startled Ye Ji tried to grasp what was happening, pandemonium had already broken out.
Ethan, Han Gyu, and Lucas had seized the man who had tried to push Ye Ji.
“(Hello? Police!)”
“(Someone just pushed a person on the road here!)”
Marc and Chloe were simultaneously calling the police.
“What is happening!?”
“(Are you sure you’re alright? Did you hurt yourself?)”
Hearing Hae Yun and Elisa’s voices, Ye Ji simply nodded numbly, nestled in her mother’s embrace.
Everything had happened so fast that Ye Ji felt somewhat dazed.
She was shocked, certainly, but wasn’t this situation remarkably coincidental?
Normally, one didn’t encounter being pushed on a crosswalk so frequently.
“(Let me go! Let go! If she wasn’t here, I—)”
The assailant, pinned flat to the ground by the two sturdy youths and one young man, thrashed and shouted.
Hearing that pathetic voice, Marc, who had been reporting to the police, flinched.
“(…Julien? Is that really you?)”
At Marc’s voice, all those who knew Julien gasped.
Though Julien’s hand hadn’t actually touched Ye Ji, the mere attempt was enough to provoke an acute reaction from everyone.
With multiple people speaking to and at one another from all directions, Ye Ji’s mind reeled.
Not just her group, but bystanders on the street as well were murmuring and watching the situation unfold.
‘Julien, did he say?’
She had clearly underestimated how far this man’s depravity extended.
He was far more despicable than she could have imagined.
Ye Ji, still cradled in her mother’s reassuring embrace, slowly grasped her hand.
“…I was just startled. I’m fine.”
Because they were in the heart of Paris, the police arrived swiftly.
By the time Ye Ji had calmed somewhat, the police had already taken custody of Julien.
Amid the chaos, Ye Ji watched with a complex emotion.
Something nagged at her mind.
‘Now that I think about it, in my past life too, he reached out his hand, trying to grab something.’
Then too, something had been caught.
Or rather, he had caught and scraped against something.
“(Let go! Let go! Did you think you could ruin my life and walk away unscathed!?)”
Even as he was being dragged away by the arriving police, Julien shouted toward Ye Ji.
With his neat appearance gone, it was questionable whether this was really Julien at all.
His shaggy, disheveled hair and beard.
And the fierce light burning in his eyes.
“(If you didn’t exist!)”
Shouting this, he passed beside her.
A long scar on his cheek caught Ye Ji’s attention.
Faded from age though it was, the pale new flesh of the scar was unmistakable.
…
In that instant, goosebumps rose across Ye Ji’s entire body.
‘Could it be…’
The suspicion piercing her mind found swift confirmation in a confession reeking of alcohol from the perpetrator’s lips.
“(I should have done the same to Catherine! Then it all would have been mine!)”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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