The Reborn Genius of an Arts High School - Chapter 71

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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 71.
Montblanc Gallery in Paris, France.
Marc, seated at his desk in the office, was grinning and laughing continuously.
The Curator, watching this sight, quietly slipped away from her seat.
After the youth competition concluded successfully.
The director had been in that state the whole time.
“The world is really beautiful, isn’t it?”
“…Yes, well. If you could just confirm this payment matter quickly, it would be even more beautiful.”
“Hmm? Yes, yes! Let me see. Haha!”
The director laughed heartily and immediately reviewed the documents the Curator had offered.
After the competition ended, there were numerous items that suddenly required changes.
In other words, there was a great deal more work to be done.
In times like these, spending more money smooths problem-solving.
But from an employer’s perspective, one would want to reduce expenses by burning through staff.
She had submitted some payments expecting to be rejected.
There were bound to be some slightly inadequate points.
“Yes, yes. That’s fine. That’s fine.”
The director, who glossed over the minor points very generously, signed with a flourish.
The Curator nearly found herself asking in disbelief, “Really?”
As she hurried to gather the documents before his mind could change, staff members quietly gathered beside her.
“I’m scared now, Director…”
“He’s not going to suddenly issue some harsh order, is he?”
Montblanc Gallery is a gallery oriented more toward commercial purposes.
To maintain events as grand as a youth competition—which are expensive—every year, careful management is essential.
Marc was never an easy boss to his staff, so the Curator understood their anxiety.
“Just… let him enjoy it…”
Still, even if he was moody, the situation wasn’t bad for the staff.
And perhaps this mood would last quite a while longer.
[Regarding Ye Ji’s Solo Exhibition Schedule]
The Curator glanced down at the title written at the very top of the papers she was holding.
If this exhibition alone were prepared and completed successfully.
The director would likely remain a generous boss for quite some time.
But…
“Let’s enjoy this peace ourselves, while we don’t know when it’ll end.”
If this falls through, we’re all done for…
After a sigh and a reassuring pat on an employee’s shoulder.
The Curator left the office to prepare for the meeting.
Like most major galleries, Montblanc also had nearly two years’ worth of exhibitions already scheduled.
Especially within the next year, there were even backup exhibitions scheduled to prevent empty galleries in case an exhibition was cancelled mid-way.
All schedules were packed solid.
‘Three years is too long.’
‘If we go as fast as possible, when would it be available?’
The rash request of this year’s Grand Prize winner.
They had held over ten youth competitions so far, but never had such a request been made before.
Had any of the previous winners made such a request, she would certainly have dismissed it as absurd.
Besides, she would have assigned a schedule at least two years out.
But what made it impossible to ignore was the painting she had completed in just ten days.
Moreover, those ten days were limited to daytime work hours only.
To raise the quality that much in such a short span?
‘It’s not impossible, is it?’
The Curator, who had seen countless artists, made a rough calculation in her mind.
There was no way it was impossible.
And to open a solo exhibition while memories of the Grand Prize were still fresh?
It had value beyond artistic investment—commercially speaking, it was significant.
Moreover, Ye Ji was fluent in French.
Communication posed no problems.
A young, charming, passionate Oriental artist with whom conversation flowed easily.
‘It’s worth trying.’
However, that didn’t mean the already-packed schedule could be suddenly rearranged.
The Curator checked the time in the conference room and reviewed the documents once more.
“Hello.”
At the suddenly heard greeting, the Curator set down her documents and stood.
“Ah, you’ve arrived. Thank you so much for taking the time to come.”
The Curator’s meeting partner today, to whom she offered a respectful greeting, was Chloe Choi.
Chloe smiled brightly, exchanged air kisses with her, and took a seat.
“I heard this year’s Grand Prize winner wants to hold an exhibition quickly?”
“Yes, being a young student, she seemed full of enthusiasm.”
Today’s meeting had a clear purpose.
Chloe Choi’s solo exhibition, scheduled for February next year.
The purpose was to postpone her schedule and insert Ye Ji’s exhibition.
Of course, this wasn’t a decision forced by the office.
As a Montblanc Gallery artist, Chloe had heard about the internal situation first and had herself proposed this arrangement.
“Thank you so much for your consideration.”
“Not at all. I’ve been really looking forward to this artist myself.”
Chloe answered the Curator’s words readily and made a playful expression.
“And, since I’ve been so considerate…”
Chloe winked and let her words trail off.
The Curator also smiled brightly and nodded.
“Oh, of course. We’re planning to reschedule with the best conditions we can offer in return.”
After all, she had already received generous exhibition terms approved by the director.
She could answer confidently and comfortably.
“You can review the terms at your leisure and make adjustments, but given your considerable accommodation, they should be at a satisfying level.”
From commissions to exhibition promotion and interior design.
The terms were so generous that even Chloe was somewhat taken aback.
A good gesture in yielding, returning as an even greater benefit.
She was almost worried that further negotiation might actually diminish the benefits.
“If you keep it as it is, I have nothing more to say.”
With complicated negotiations eliminated, everything proceeded smoothly after that.
The two women adjusted the new exhibition date in a pleasant atmosphere.
The meeting was ending faster than expected.
With time suddenly available, the Curator felt a personal curiosity arise.
Typically, established artists who grew older and reached middle age were conceited.
But to willingly step forward and yield an exhibition to a newcomer?
Chloe was among the established artists known for being generous in spirit and appreciative of newcomers.
Even accounting for that, this case was quite exceptional.
“Is it possible you know Ye Ji?”
At the Curator’s question, Chloe tilted her head.
“I know of her, sure. But I wouldn’t say we have a close relationship…”
Chloe’s expression was peculiar as she let her words fade.
It was definitely not the kind of relationship she could readily call knowing someone well.
Thus, there was no clear reason for the concession that she could articulate to others.
Honestly, even she found this decision strange.
Regardless of how much she looked forward to it, this exhibition’s schedule was already set.
For Chloe, postponing an exhibition she had been preparing all along was no light matter.
A delay in unveiling new work meant extending her own gap in the art world.
For a painter, this was never a simple matter.
Yet the moment she heard the request, she immediately thought she wanted to yield her date.
“…I don’t quite understand it myself. I just… wanted to. For some reason, I feel that way toward Ye Ji.”
At Chloe’s words, the Curator fell into thought for a moment.
She too had spent quite a long time in the art world’s business.
Value judgment always took precedence over emotion.
Especially when dealing with art under a director whose eyes immediately turned mercenary, it was unavoidable.
But still.
When it came to Ye Ji as an artist and her work.
“…It’s a feeling I shouldn’t be able to understand. Yet somehow, I do.”
Even the Curator found herself oddly convinced, full of anticipation.
A certainty emerged that this choice would surely yield valuable results.
Chloe smiled at the Curator’s words.
“It will be a long summer.”
For them, this summer seemed destined to be a very long, drawn-out wait.
***
“Aren’t you going to say your stomach’s full?”
Da Hye watched Ye Ji, already on her second bowl, with somewhat tired eyes.
Ye Ji was going through all the side dishes one by one.
“I was dying to eat real Korean food in Paris.”
At Ye Ji’s words, her mother struck her father’s back with her hand.
“How could you let her go hungry while traveling?”
“Ow! No, that’s unfair.”
If she was hungry, then she was hungry.
But all of that was during the ten days she was working.
Since Ye Ji wouldn’t stop working to eat, there was nothing her father could do.
But he had made sure she ate proper dinner instead!
“She didn’t eat that little in Paris!”
Didn’t she eat almost two meals’ worth in the evening to make up for skipping lunch?
Yet somehow she had become a starving person.
For a father, it was an unjust situation.
In the midst of all this cheerful commotion.
“I have something to do, so I’ll head out first.”
Hae Yun stood up from the table, saying he had business to attend to.
He was from out of province and had stopped by while he was in Songdo, emphasizing that he hadn’t come on purpose.
“I just passed through on the way, that’s all.”
Songdo and Incheon Airport weren’t exactly around the corner.
Still, Ye Ji expressed her gratitude again, thankful that he had come this far.
After that long meal time finally ended.
“It would be nice if everyone could get a ride…”
As departure time approached, a new problem arose.
Unfortunately, Ye Ji’s car only had four seats.
Yet she had three friends who had come all this way.
Unless she put them in the trunk, giving everyone a ride would be impossible.
“Ah! Don’t worry about that!”
Se Hee raised her hand eagerly, seeing Ye Ji trying to figure out how to fit everyone.
“My uncle said he’d come.”
“…Uncle Sung Su?”
Ye Ji turned to Se Hee at the name she hadn’t heard in a long time.
“Yes! He’s coming back to the country today too.”
…But can you still be here?
Ye Ji’s expression grew apologetic, as if she had caused her family to miss his return by coming to pick her up.
“My uncle treats Incheon Airport like a convenience store anyway.”
Se Hee waved her hand at the apologetic Ye Ji.
“So you ride with Hyun Min and Da Hye!
Or you could take our car if you want?
At Se Hee’s words, Da Hye and Hyun Min shook their heads and moved closer to Ye Ji.
Even if it was a bit cramped, this was better.
While there was reason to feel slighted at this, Se Hee laughed without a trace of awkwardness.
“But wait a bit? My uncle will be here soon, and he said he has something to tell you!”
Ye Ji also had things to discuss with him, so she nodded.
It was probably about the collaboration they had agreed to work on together.
She had only heard the rough concept.
They hadn’t yet set concrete plans for what came next.
Then, a short while later.
Sung Su arrived just as Se Hee had said.
He looked worn from a long flight, wherever he had been, yet his expression was bright.
“Ye Ji! Really, congratulations. You’re amazing. Truly.”
The moment they met, Sung Su offered his congratulations and with characteristic bustling energy threw everything into chaos with a gesture.
“It’s nothing much, but I brought this for you…”
Sung Su produced a large file from the car.
“…”
With puzzlement, Ye Ji opened the file and stopped short at the photographs packed inside.
As she sent a questioning look, Sung Su answered matter-of-factly.
“It’s the plan for what we’ll be working on next. I brought it so you could check it out in advance.”
Looking at this, how was she supposed to interpret what kind of plan this was?
She alternated her gaze between the file overflowing with photographs and Sung Su for a moment.
“I think I’ll need… some explanation?”

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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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