The Reborn Genius of an Arts High School - Chapter 70

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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 70.
Even after returning to the United States, Ethan remained half-absent, lost in his own thoughts.
He was in a state of profound shock.
Genius of the Century.
His entire world had spoken of him in those terms his whole life.
And he had come to agree with that assessment himself.
An artist representative of an entire age.
After da Vinci and Picasso would come his name, he was certain.
Absurd as it was, he had believed it with complete sincerity.
……
But now, sitting before the canvas, Ethan could not bring himself to pick up the brush.
The day of the awards ceremony for the Montrebleu competition in Paris.
He had not doubted for a moment that the Grand Prize would be his.
The Judges’ Award—little better than second place.
When Lucas’s name was called instead.
‘What will Ye Ji do?’
That was the thought that had truly crossed his mind.
He had even rehearsed words of consolation for her.
The Popular Vote Award was still a good prize.
Surely Ye Ji would accept it gracefully and go on to paint more beautiful works.
While he was thinking this way, his own name was announced for the Popular Vote Award.
Haah…
The true thoughts that no one else could know—yet he knew them all too well himself.
Even now, recalling that moment filled him with shame, and he let out a heavy sigh.
Damn it…
What had he been thinking to be so certain?
It was embarrassing to admit now, but in that moment he had truly believed something had gone wrong.
In his shock, he couldn’t even remember the moment Ye Ji received the Grand Prize.
Had he even offered her proper congratulations?
Looking back, he couldn’t recall a single clear image of it.
‘At least I wasn’t disrespectful.’
His mother, who had been watching from a distance, had placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
Was that supposed to be comforting—that he had at least avoided outright rudeness?
The end of a competition where he had believed he was doing his best.
The outcome had diverged so sharply from his expectations that Ethan struggled to accept it.
After the ceremony ended.
Standing vacant and dazed in the hall, Ethan examined his own work again.
‘Why?’
Why wasn’t I first?
How could I have failed to even place second?
He watched himself floundering in incomprehension.
It was then that Marc, the director of Montrebleu, approached Ethan.
He couldn’t remember if he had greeted him properly.
What they had discussed, how the conversation had ended—none of it came to mind.
Only a few of Marc’s sentences remained burned clearly in his memory.
‘Your work is remarkable. The level is very high. But if it doesn’t reach people, what good is any of it?’
Marc showed Ethan the works of Ye Ji and Lucas once more.
Their paintings spoke to viewers as though having a conversation.
The thematic intention behind their art was felt immediately and unmistakably.
It required neither prolonged study nor careful interpretation.
‘An artist is someone who communicates with the world through art. You’ve been missing that.’
What of Ethan’s work, by comparison?
Like most abstract paintings, it required the artist’s explanation to grasp the intention.
Among such works, Ethan’s were particularly opaque.
To recognize the soaring hope he had tried to embed in his paintings, one had to study them at considerable length.
As Ethan listened to Marc, he finally understood.
‘Why I didn’t win first place.’
Ye Ji’s work carried not only her talent but also the deliberate effort to convey her vision.
With meticulous care and persistence,
she had poured her emotions into her painting and worked to communicate them clearly to the viewer.
Lucas’s work, though it might lack talent, showed no less effort in conveying meaning than Ye Ji’s.
What he was trying to say came through unmistakably.
And that itself was seen as a possibility.
‘Skill grows through repetition.’
A youth art competition.
It aligned well with the goal of discovering emerging artists for the future art world.
With steady experience, Lucas would grow even further.
But his own work?
‘A narcissist so consumed by his own talent as to be arrogant.’
Ethan leveled this harsh judgment against his own paintings.
The hidden meanings and symbols were not readily apparent.
It seemed almost as though he were testing the viewers, as if challenging them to understand.
Smeared with paint as if to say: if you wish to comprehend it, then try—a brazenly discourteous presentation.
Nngh…!
Ethan clutched his head and thrashed about in frustration as he dwelled on these memories.
Returning to his studio with this realization, everything seemed irredeemable.
Every single work he had created was like that.
How had he become such a frog in a well, narrowing his vision with pride in his own abilities?
Even the Sunflower Work he’d been painting as gifts for relatives looked better by comparison.
At least in that piece, the goodwill and affection toward its recipient radiated from every brushstroke.
‘How do I break free from this?’
How could he awaken from his ignorance and arrogance?
Holding the brush carefully once more, Ethan began to fill the canvas with deliberate purpose.
The world was vast, and he was not the only genius in it.
Simply transferring inspiration onto canvas was no longer enough.
‘How do I communicate it?’
That point he should have grasped, yet had regrettably overlooked—he held it firmly now.
Unlike his usual self, Ethan began painting with a rigid, grave intensity etched across his features.
“Ethan, won’t you have a snack…”
Ethan’s mother paused as she entered his studio.
Her son, completely absorbed in his work as never before, seemed not to hear her voice.
Ethan, who always painted with a happy, joyful expression.
Now his face bore the grave seriousness of someone facing a matter of utmost consequence.
And yet, strangely…
It did not look unhappy or anxious.
Rather, it was the very image of a painter engaging with his work in earnest dedication.
……
Ethan’s mother quietly set the snacks aside and slipped out of the room.
She had once thought her son might be trapped within his own genius, living in a world of his own making.
But through this Montrebleu competition, he had changed.
That alone was more than enough to be grateful for.
In this competition, Ethan had gained something more valuable than first place.
And there was no doubt—it was all thanks to that student named Ye Ji, who had won first prize so decisively.
***
A Korean restaurant near Incheon Airport.
“Everyone, gather round!”
Se Hee drew the attention of everyone assembled at the restaurant.
The group gathered in the private room was larger than expected.
Ye Ji’s three family members, three friends, plus Hae Yun and Han Gyul—eight people in total.
“So we’re here to hear a word from our Ye Ji, who confidently traveled all the way to France, to Paris, and came back with extraordinary results. Then we’ll begin our meal!”
Isn’t this a bit… much?
Ye Ji looked at Se Hee with an uncomfortable expression, but Se Hee paid no mind.
“Come on, hurry!”
Se Hee practically dragged Ye Ji to her feet.
She had only meant to treat everyone to a meal as a token of thanks.
But standing now, Ye Ji opened her mouth.
“Well, um… thank you all so much for coming to meet me like this.”
A slightly embarrassed feeling.
Still, gratitude should be expressed sincerely to reach people’s hearts.
Ye Ji pushed past her embarrassment and continued.
“I think this result came about because you all supported and believed in me. That’s why I want to work even harder.”
All results could be attributed to one’s own effort, true enough, but the world rarely works so simply.
The fact that her past self and present self began from different positions.
That was not merely a difference in memory.
Ye Ji was certain of this.
A good environment and good people had become the emotional foundation that sustained her.
That was why she could achieve these results now.
“Going forward, I’ll work hard and live up to your belief in me. Thank you all. Please enjoy your meal.”
Ye Ji bowed respectfully to everyone gathered there.
She knew she would likely lean on them emotionally many times in the future.
“Wow! Give her a hand!”
As Se Hee set the mood, everyone applauded with laughter, congratulating Ye Ji once more on her award.
“Where did you hire her as an emcee?”
Hae Yun let out a wry laugh as he pointed at Se Hee, now that they had begun eating.
Realizing there were some people present who didn’t know each other, Ye Ji spoke up.
“Oh, Se Hee is Park Sung Soo’s niece. You saw her at the Seohwa Institute before, didn’t you?”
After Ye Ji made the introduction, Hae Yun looked at Se Hee anew.
“You don’t look alike.”
“Thank goodness for that, right?”
Se Hee answered Hae Yun’s comment with a brazen smile.
“And these are my school friends, Da Hye and Hyun Min.”
Ye Ji introduced her other friends in turn.
Hyun Min, who would normally be just as talkative as Se Hee,
was sitting in the corner as if awed by the master he’d only heard about.
He barely managed to lift his head and bow politely.
“Hello.”
“Yeah.”
Hae Yun, who had little interest in Ye Ji’s friends anyway, simply gestured without looking.
It was clear everyone was waiting for the eldest present to pick up his spoon before eating.
“Alright then, let’s eat.”
Hae Yun had just begun sipping his soup when he suddenly paused.
He glanced quietly back at Hyun Min.
“Something feels familiar…”
Was it just his imagination?
At Hae Yun’s murmur, Hyun Min fidgeted nervously, then cautiously met his gaze.
Hae Yun’s eyes narrowed for a moment as they locked with Hyun Min’s, then suddenly widened.
“You…”
“Yes. I’m Hyun Min Kang. I’m sorry.”
Hyun Min abruptly stood and bowed repeatedly to Hae Yun, offering his hand for a handshake.
Hae Yun opened his mouth as if to speak, then glanced around the table and closed it firmly.
“Thank you so much…!”
Hyun Min shook hands vigorously with Hae Yun, offering profuse thanks.
Ye Ji was confused about what was happening, though she knew Hyun Min admired Hae Yun’s work, so she let it pass.
Da Hye also furrowed her brow at Hyun Min’s exaggerated behavior.
“What’s with him? Just eat this. Ye Ji, this is delicious.”
Da Hye casually dismissed Hyun Min and pushed a dish toward Ye Ji.
The meal continued in a warm, convivial atmosphere.
Some time had passed.
How long, exactly?
“So, will you be holding an Individual Exhibition at Montrebleu now?”
At Han Gyul’s question, attention turned back to Ye Ji.
Her first proper Korean food in nearly two weeks.
As Ye Ji stuffed a mouthful of braised kimchi into her mouth, she hesitated before answering.
“Yeah, wow… at a gallery like that, how many paintings would you need to prepare?”
“It depends on the size, but dozens?”
“Whew, when would you even finish all that?”
Da Hye, Hyun Min, and Se Hee chattered away.
After swallowing her food while listening to them, Ye Ji finally answered.
“Actually, we agreed on a timeline. They said I could set a date anytime within three years.”
Ye Ji was not yet an established artist.
Just a fledgling who had only just begun creating works.
She had many new paintings to create to fill the gallery.
“Phew, three years is…”
Three years might not even be enough to produce dozens of proper paintings.
Especially as a student, she couldn’t devote herself entirely to her work.
Han Gyul had meant it sympathetically, but Ye Ji interpreted it differently and nodded.
“Right? It’s a long time, isn’t it?”
Several people paused, their spoons halfway to their mouths.
Three years wasn’t that long at all, was it?
Their eyes converged on Ye Ji.
“So we decided to do it next winter break.”
Ye Ji answered casually and pushed another full spoonful of braised kimchi into her mouth.

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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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