The Reborn Genius of an Arts High School - Chapter 108

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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 108.
The email from Hansung Electronics was desperate in a way that went beyond careful deliberation.
“Once the higher-ups take a liking to something, there’s not much you can do about it.”
That’s just how workplace life works—you do what you’re told.
Though he’d never actually worked a corporate job himself.
As Ye Ji gave Hyun Min a long look while he spoke with such practiced certainty, he added hastily.
“Besides, Lee Na also got contacted, and apparently Celian reached out asking to connect with you through her.”
Lee Na was among the small handful who knew that Ye Ji was Goyo.
Having heard about the commotion in Paris, she’d apparently chosen not to disturb Ye Ji during her break, instead consulting with Hyun Min about it.
“I had no idea.”
“Because you’re taking time off, nobody wanted to bother you.”
How relentlessly busy had the past year been?
Everyone could see just how fiercely she’d pushed herself.
Since she seemed to be enjoying it, they’d simply held their tongues.
Even though the reason for this break was somewhat questionable, everyone was relieved that she was finally resting.
But Hansung Electronics had no way of knowing what state Ye Ji was actually in.
So they were making painstaking efforts to reach out to an artist wrapped in such bewildering mystery.
She felt almost sorry imagining how thoroughly their executive must have been pressured to send such detailed emails.
Besides, the content they’d sent was perfectly designed to capture Ye Ji’s interest.
“So, they’re saying things like linking it to charitable work, matching up whatever direction you’d like as much as possible—basically, keep an open mind and meet with them.”
In Hyun Min’s summary, one word caught Ye Ji’s attention.
“Charitable work?”
Hyun Min nodded at her question.
“They’re apparently putting a huge amount of effort into this new product.”
The basic concept hadn’t changed much.
Just as he’d mentioned before—they wanted to add a Goyo Edition among the product’s various editions.
But the conditions and options they were proposing had diversified considerably.
Among them, one proposal that even Hyun Min found unusual was the connection to charitable work.
“Usually, big companies will use this kind of thing as part of their marketing strategy.”
For tax benefits, corporate image, and so on.
Ye Ji took his mobile phone and read through the email again.
Hyun Min’s explanation was already sliding past her ears.
……
Their proposal was certainly unconventional.
Having successfully completed her solo exhibition, Ye Ji had no financial need to work.
So she’d been planning to spend her final high school years enjoying herself and painting.
But unexpected offers were written there, poking precisely at the holes in that thinking.
“The edition sold under Goyo’s name can even be considered in connection with charitable initiatives….”
Ye Ji read aloud one passage from the email.
They went on to ask her to view the proposal positively, phrased with utmost courtesy.
Do companies usually go this far?
Hyun Min shook his head at her question.
Even to him, this didn’t seem like an ordinary proposal.
Taking on work under the name Goyo had been an extremely personal reason, but she’d never imagined it would lead to such unforeseen consequences.
The belief that hiding herself so thoroughly must mean she had that much value.
Goyo’s mystique was generating these unexpected additional effects.
“Exactly why it’s unusual—that’s why I’m telling you in the first place. It’s definitely special treatment.”
Seeing the contemplative expression on Ye Ji’s face, Hyun Min added as if he’d expected it.
“If you want to do it, do it.”
Though that means I’ll have to postpone my plan to rest….
After brief deliberation, Ye Ji nodded.
“Alright then, set up a meeting. Looks like I don’t have a choice but to meet them and make a decision.”
Still, being a large corporation, they should respect Goyo’s treatment and keep her secret.
Ye Ji’s decision earned a satisfied smile from Hyun Min as well.
“Okay. I’ll let you know once it’s confirmed.”
***
Winter break slipped away before anyone realized it, and so it ended.
March, when the new semester began.
Still in the cold weather, Ye Ji left home bundled in a thick padded jacket.
Armed in a long puffy coat, plump as a bear cub, she headed up the familiar slope toward school for what felt like the first time in ages.
“Whoa!”
Ye Ji’s sneaker soles slid out from under her, and she stumbled.
Many students in front of the icy slope were either falling or on the verge of it.
Even treading carefully on the patches where calcium chloride had been spread, the frozen path was slippery in the biting cold that cut right through to the bone.
“Everyone be careful coming up, careful now!”
At the teachers’ voices, the students wanted to refuse to come to school altogether.
The commute had exhausted her from the start, but Ye Ji had become a third-year high school student before she knew it.
The third year—supposedly more terrifying than tigers these days.
They say if there’s a third-year in the house, you have to be careful even breathing.
For Ye Ji, whose stress levels were less than half of her friends’, such talk was hard to relate to.
But stepping into the classroom, she felt the weight of that quietness befitting the year, making it suddenly real.
“Heard your solo exhibition went well?”
“Congratulations.”
Her friends offered their congratulations quietly, having heard the news.
Where had last year’s boisterous atmosphere gone?
Everyone seemed to have matured during break, settling into a calm, composed atmosphere.
“Wow, you see that slope this morning? Thought I was gonna die.”
Da Hye arrived for the first time in a while, and Ye Ji greeted her warmly with a good morning.
“Right? Why do we even have school on days like this?”
Normally, for sensitive third-years, complaining about school is basically their morning greeting.
Da Hye had been incredibly busy over winter break, so Ye Ji felt like it had been forever since seeing her.
The last time they’d met was the day Da Hye returned from abroad, when Ye Ji picked her up at the airport.
Though even that hadn’t been originally planned—Da Hye had rushed to come when she heard Ye Ji had nearly gotten into serious trouble in Paris.
After confirming she was safe, Da Hye had no time to even grab a meal together before leaving again.
And of course there hadn’t been any chance to meet separately since then.
Ye Ji understood perfectly.
Most students’ schedules were dictated by the tutoring and academy classes their parents had hired for them, rather than anything they’d chosen themselves.
They couldn’t afford to skip or neglect classes that represented such substantial investment.
Rather than feeling disappointed at not being able to meet, Ye Ji found herself worrying a little about Da Hye having to live that way.
“Everyone decided on their target universities?”
With the predictable beginning of teachers’ talk, the new semester started.
On the large domestic university distribution map posted at the back of the classroom, only art schools in In-Seoul were marked with highlighter.
Naturally, for a graduate of Cheonglim Art High School, In-Seoul was considered the baseline.
Having come to this school with that expectation and spent two years here, everyone had clear goals.
“I’m thinking about studying abroad.”
In that situation, Da Hye’s words came as something of a surprise to Ye Ji.
Or rather, surprise wasn’t quite the right word.
What should she call it?
While Ye Ji was left blinking and speechless, Da Hye continued.
“I’m not as good as you, but I do have my own strengths, you know?”
Da Hye’s strengths were a talent Ye Ji herself had discovered.
The instinctive ability to calculate geometric proportions and ratios.
Even Ye Ji found that difficult to replicate.
This was essentially saying it didn’t fit with Korea’s standardized entrance exam format.
But abroad, things would be different.
American art schools placed more emphasis on an individual’s firmly established artistic perspective and the creativity and process behind their work.
With such distinct talent and now consciously recognizing it, Da Hye would be well-suited.
Ye Ji nodded at her words.
“You’re right—that would definitely suit you better.”
“See? That’s why I spent all break working on my portfolio—thought I’d lose my hair.”
I even found a gray hair the other day and pulled it out. Look.
The way Da Hye suddenly thrust the crown of her head forward was no different from last year, and Ye Ji burst out laughing.
But somehow, the feeling was strange.
Only upon hearing Da Hye’s plans did it suddenly hit her that this year would be her last as a student in the traditional sense.
Her closest friend for two years—next year Da Hye wouldn’t even be in the same country.
“What about you two? Don’t you have those kinds of plans? You both have the background to study abroad.”
At Da Hye’s words, Hyun Min merely shrugged.
He seemed to have some kind of plan of his own.
“How are you planning to support yourself?”
When Da Hye gave him a jab mixed with worry and joking, Hyun Min avoided her gaze.
Now that she thought about it, Da Hye still didn’t know….
‘That guy doesn’t have to worry about making a living.’
Once Da Hye found out the truth, she’d definitely be torn between feeling hurt and embarrassed, probably beating Hyun Min a few times.
As they were chattering away, a familiar and cheerful voice rang out.
“Ye Ji!”
Wondered why she hadn’t shown up.
It was Se Hee’s voice, now familiar to Ye Ji.
Since most of Ye Ji’s classmates were the same as last year, Se Hee’s raucous visit was expected.
But being third-year students, several of them shot Se Hee sharp looks asking her to be quieter.
“Oh, sorry, sorry.”
Lowering her voice at the sting of her friends’ gazes, Se Hee gestured to Ye Ji.
“I got the scoop, the real scoop…!”
The moment Ye Ji stepped out into the hallway, Se Hee grabbed her and whispered urgently.
“You know who the new instructor for the special art class this semester is…!”
You didn’t know this, right? You’re completely curious, right?!
Looking at Se Hee with that expression, Ye Ji pressed her lips shut.
The truth was….
‘Hey~ Ye Ji. How’s the new semester prep going?’
A voice from a phone call that came a few days ago.
‘I did think about it for a while, but I decided to do it again in the end.’
Yeong had told her the news herself.
But looking at Se Hee’s eyes shining brightly right in front of her, she couldn’t just say ‘I already knew.’
“Oh…. Wow, really?”
If Da Hye had been next to her, she probably would’ve called it terrible acting, but Se Hee was too excited to notice.
“Right away, right away…!”
Se Hee built the suspense, eagerly announcing news that was already late.
“It’s Artist Yeong!”
“Oh, um… wow. That’s great….”
Without noticing Ye Ji’s awkward reaction, Se Hee clapped her hands.
“Right? You two got along pretty well. This worked out so well….”
“Actually, Ye Ji already knows about that.”
But despite Ye Ji’s efforts to suppress her cold sweat,
Hyun Min, who’d poked his head out from the back door of the classroom, exposed her.
“What? No! I’m sure Ye Ji is hearing this for the first time right now….”
At Hyun Min’s words, Se Hee spun back around to Ye Ji.
Only then did she notice something off about Ye Ji’s expression, and Se Hee’s mouth twisted into a small pout of dismay.
She’d thought she was bringing her such helpful news after so long!
Glaring back and forth between Hyun Min and Ye Ji, Se Hee suddenly cried out.
“I hate you, Ye Ji!”
“No, I….”
You were so excited I couldn’t tell you….
Before Ye Ji could even finish her excuse, Se Hee took off running, faster than she’d come.
Watching Se Hee’s figure disappear, her long hair swinging as she fled in embarrassment, Ye Ji blinked helplessly.
“When is that girl ever going to grow up?”
At Hyun Min’s comment about Se Hee, Ye Ji let out a hollow laugh.
Is there anyone among us you could even call mature?
“I don’t think that’s for you to say….”
At Ye Ji’s pointed look, Hyun Min rolled his eyes and slipped back into the classroom.
It was an ordinary yet chaotic beginning to the new semester.
***
A certain day in mid-March with good weather.
An evening on a weekday—too late for regular business hours.
Kwon Jae Hyun, the Global Marketing Director at Hansung Electronics, was attending an in-person meeting for the first time in a while.
Today was finally when he’d arranged a direct meeting with that mysterious ‘Goyo’ artist, who’d been shrouded in secrecy.

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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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