The Reborn Genius of an Arts High School - Chapter 49

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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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Chapter 49.
The teacher gave a fairly lengthy explanation about the Special Class.
Though she made it sound like an enormous privilege, the truth, summarized, was simple.
‘A special after-school lecture featuring a renowned artist.’
That was it.
In fact, with the Final Exam just around the corner, a class like this had its drawbacks.
“The real instruction starts next semester, but I thought we should at least do a trial run this semester.”
So it was a pilot program, then.
“And that’s why we decided to start it today.”
The teacher seemed aware of how absurd the timeline was.
Ye-ji nodded at the teacher’s grand explanation.
“Who’s the instructor?”
Ye-ji’s question made her homeroom teacher’s expression turn troubled.
“Well, that’s… actually, we decided to have all the other departments start in the second semester, you see?”
The teacher’s explanation grew defensive and lengthy.
Listening patiently, Ye-ji finally got her answer at the end.
“Have you heard of an artist named Young?”
Young—a contemporary artist who typically writes their name as 0.
Born in Korea, but studying abroad in the United States since elementary school, now active in New York.
Despite being barely in their early thirties, they were recognized worldwide as an artist.
That person was coming here to give a special lecture?
“They wanted to do a trial lecture in the first semester and then decide whether to continue.”
At her teacher’s words, Ye-ji finally understood the situation.
An absurd plan to start classes today, near the end of the first semester.
It wasn’t the school’s intention.
It was a condition demanded by the external instructor they’d gone to great lengths to invite.
“So, to lighten the burden, we’re planning to replace the Practical Exam with an evaluation of this lecture.”
The teacher continued, emphasizing the benefit as if worried Ye-ji might refuse.
“Of course, this won’t just apply to this Final Exam—if the special lecture continues next semester, we’ll apply it the same way.”
There’d be no need to prepare separately for the Final Practical Exam.
It was a fairly convenient privilege for Ye-ji.
Exams so heavily bound to the college entrance system.
They weren’t a particularly efficient process for Ye-ji’s actual abilities.
‘And they weren’t my style anyway.’
Instead of such an exam, a special lecture from an artist who’d captured public attention.
The teacher spoke of it as an absolute privilege, but objectively, it wasn’t quite that simple.
Having the exam replaced by lecture evaluation meant having to meet the instructor’s standards no matter what.
The pros and cons were obvious, but Ye-ji didn’t concern herself with grades.
For her, it wasn’t really a disadvantage.
“So… are you interested, at least?”
Since there was no reason to refuse, Ye-ji nodded at the teacher’s careful question.
“I’ll do it.”
***
The practice studio, cleared for the special lecture.
When Ye-ji opened the classroom door, she saw the person she’d expected sitting inside.
“Hey.”
The greeting came from Yu-ra in a calm voice.
There were two other students who appeared to be third-years, but they weren’t faces Ye-ji recognized.
“Hello.”
Was she the only second-year?
As Ye-ji offered her greeting with that thought, the unfamiliar third-years looked at her with interest.
“So you’re the one.”
It was a line she was getting tired of hearing.
Ye-ji simply nodded and introduced herself.
“I’m Ye-ji, a second-year from the Western Art Department.”
“Western Art? I’m Kim Kang-hyuk, third-year Sculpture Department.”
“Oh, hey… I’m Sung Hyun-a, third-year Design Department.”
They spoke to her familiarly, as if they already knew her.
She returned their greetings warmly, though regrettably they were strangers to her.
While exchanging greetings, Yu-ra, who’d been looking at her phone with an indifferent expression, spoke.
“They’re actually pretty frequent winners in external competitions.”
It meant they’d been included in the Special Class for good reason.
At Yu-ra’s words, Kang-hyuk, who had a large build, twisted his body exaggeratedly and said playfully,
“It’s quite an honor to be recognized by Yu-ra.”
“D-don’t talk like that…!”
Seeing Kang-hyuk tease Yu-ra, Hyun-a spoke in flustered surprise.
Kang-hyuk seemed less malicious and more mischievous in nature.
Of course, Yu-ra showed little reaction to his antics.
She simply brushed her long hair back without giving him a glance.
Watching her, Ye-ji fell into thought.
Though not from the Western Art Department, this was a gathering of well-regarded third-year art students.
Should she make it known that even as a second-year, she deserved to be here?
“I, um…”
“I know…!”
Before Ye-ji could finish, Hyun-a spoke hesitantly and carefully.
“You… you placed even in the first round of the Montrave Youth Competition…? That’s really incredible…!”
Hyun-a seemed a bit timid, but appeared to have a quite kind and delicate nature.
Kang-hyuk nodded and continued,
“Yeah, I actually saw the painting you had displayed at Seo-hwa-won in person. It was pretty good. Your work’s already worth that much—must be inspiring to paint.”
Kang-hyuk did show some mischievous and materialistic tendencies, but likewise seemed free of malice.
It was true that she’d been a little worried they’d only selected top performers.
But from their attitudes, Ye-ji came to understand something.
Perhaps they weren’t simply top performers within the school.
But rather those recognized even externally.
That might have been the criterion for this Special Class.
If the standard was already looking toward the world rather than within the school, and their fields differed from each other, there’d be no need for them to be wary of one another.
Once the introductions seemed complete, Hyun-a asked hesitantly,
“Um… did anyone… hear who the instructor is…?”
“Yes, someone said the artist’s name is Young.”
“You heard too? I heard that artist has a really strange personality.”
Kang-hyuk, listening to Ye-ji and Hyun-a’s exchange, leaned back in a somewhat relaxed manner and added,
“But personality doesn’t really matter, does it? You can’t get a lecture like that even if you pay for it elsewhere.”
Young was an artist who worked in multiple mediums.
Sculpture, Printmaking, Painting, Installation, Performance Art.
An artist who expressed their extraordinary inner world without restriction.
Most famously, surprisingly, was an Installation piece called Air.
A Sealed White Can labeled with the air from a specific date.
Though merely an ordinary can made in a factory, it sold for eight hundred million won.
An Empty Acrylic Box labeled as Intangible Sculpture had likewise sold for a considerable sum.
There was considerable debate about whether the work actually held artistic value, but regardless of controversy, Young became the center of attention.
And that very notoriety became an evaluation in itself.
“They must be quite an unusual person.”
To conceive such ideas and have them recognized.
That wasn’t an easy thing to do.
Perhaps it was even harder than simply creating brilliant work.
Building persuasiveness through words and explanation about one’s work was a crucial point in contemporary art.
Meeting and talking with such a person directly would surely offer much to learn.
As they exchanged small talk with the other members of the Special Class,
the door to the practice studio opened.
The chattering students fell silent all at once.
A cheerful voice emerged from beyond their slight nervousness.
“Hey!”
Unexpectedly, a voice quite high and bright for a man rang out.
Everyone instinctively bowed in greeting to the unfamiliar face who entered waving.
From the context, it must be Young, but the impression was certainly different from what they’d imagined.
A neat, tall man.
One excessively bright and energetic.
Even just the unusually flamboyant scarf alone made it clear he was no ordinary person.
“Oh, four people? Isn’t one coming? Or are they late?”
An oddly awkward speech pattern and exaggerated exclamations.
It suggested he’d spent a long time living abroad.
Hyun-a opened her mouth carefully.
“Yes, yes… well… one of them is from our Design Department…!”
Her speech was hesitant and slow, but Young waited quite patiently.
Though Hyun-a went through considerable effort to phrase it indirectly, her conclusion was simple.
The other student had apparently chosen to focus on studying for exams in place of the special lecture to improve their School Records.
At Hyun-a’s words, Young looked shocked.
He was the type to react with exaggerated, loud movements like a musical theater actor.
“NO! That approach isn’t free at all. Hmm… but if that’s their choice. I respect it. I respect it.”
His odd speech pattern and loud voice.
He seemed to have persuaded himself, then turned to the blackboard and drew a large 0.
More drawn than written, the motion was exaggerated, yet somehow equally unconventional.
It was a perfect ellipse, like printed typography.
“My name is Young. Feel free to read it however you like! You can call me by whatever you’re comfortable with~”
Ah, he seemed a bit… exhausting.
Ye-ji briefly averted her gaze and looked at the others.
Yu-ra looked already drained just from listening, turning slightly pale, while Hyun-a and Kang-hyuk wore bewildered expressions.
Young seemed to be enjoying the students’ reactions, smiling widely.
Then what came next was entirely unexpected.
“Have you all eaten? What should we get?”
***
“So, three are Fine Art and one is Commercial Art?”
By the time the fried chicken Young had suddenly ordered arrived, they’d all introduced themselves to each other to some degree.
Young had categorized Ye-ji, Yu-ra, and Kang-hyuk together as Fine Art, regardless of their departments, and separated Hyun-a as Commercial Art.
Kang-hyuk, nodding while tearing into chicken breast, asked a curious point.
“But how did you decide to teach domestic students?”
“Well~ I don’t easily get offers to teach someone like me~”
‘Someone like me’…?
While Ye-ji was trying to figure out how to react, Young laughed heartily.
“I’m clearly not the teacher type, right?”
Setting aside his being male, he had an excessively light demeanor for an adult.
Certainly didn’t seem like the type to be called a teacher.
What mattered was that despite this, he’d decided to teach.
“I was curious. What kind of thoughts do Korea’s young, promising students have about art?”
Young hadn’t come simply to impart teachings as an instructor.
He too had come to observe a new environment to gain something for himself.
“In other words, I came to meet new friends through this special connection.”
In that sense, Young had no choice but to make such an abrupt request.
“Differences exist, but I can understand them. But… for that, flexibility is needed.”
Young was curious about what choices students would make during exam season.
He took out a Tablet and began showing them his work.
Ye-ji was startled by the way he handled the device with greasy chicken-stained hands without hesitation.
Though he himself didn’t seem to care.
And soon enough, Ye-ji too was captivated by the works on the screen.
While his somewhat radical works had gained significant fame, his portfolio was immense in variety and quantity.
Works as bright and cheerful as his personality just then.
Works as dark and sinister as could be.
Performance videos expressed through body and action, and sculptures of various kinds.
Regardless of anything else, for his age, the sheer quantity of work was extraordinary.
“I don’t want to be friends with students who think their score at nineteen will define their whole life.”
Showing his work was, for him, an act of self-introduction.
Young continued,
“I much prefer those who believe a single day’s experience will shape their whole life.”
Scores and experience.
The difference between the two was something top-performing students who knew the Korean entrance system well already understood intimately.
Ye-ji sipped her cola and wiped the Tablet with a wet tissue once she’d finished looking at all the works.
At this, Young chuckled and asked the four of them,
“So? Who’s willing to spend this precious exam period time hanging out with me?”

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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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