The Reborn Genius of an Arts High School - Chapter 84

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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 84.
The weekend.
A precious day that finally restored the concept of time to an otherwise monotonous routine.
For most people, it would have been a day of rest, but Ye Ji was different.
The first floor of Seong Soo’s Building had transformed into Ye Ji’s studio.
Freshly organized, with a rocking chair, comfortable desks and chairs arranged throughout.
A coffee machine and small refrigerator completed the perfectly comfortable space.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the distant view of a steep rocky cliff was quite magnificent.
Ye Ji sat on the sofa with her laptop open, reviewing the questions Hyun Min had brought her.
Today was the interview day with the newspaper outlet Hyun Min had arranged.
The interviewing organization had sent preliminary questions in advance.
“From what I’ve read of the articles and rumors so far, the journalist seems like a good person.”
It was the one and only interview Hyun Min had carefully selected.
“Either way, we don’t really know.”
The interview had been arranged to take place remotely.
Since there were often painters who didn’t reveal their faces, the newspaper didn’t raise any major objections.
Because the interview would be conducted via video, Hyun Min could stay by her side.
It put her more at ease, knowing he could stop her if she misspoke.
Ding.
A notification sound indicating someone had entered the video chat came through the speakers.
—Hello, can you hear me okay?
A polite voice came through the speaker.
The camera was off, and the voice itself had been lightly modulated in advance to an ambiguous, neutral tone.
She’d prepared perfectly to hide any elements that might reveal her identity.
Yet somehow, the thought of hiding still made her nervous.
—I’m Seong Jin Ho, a cultural reporter with Korea Metro.
“…Yes, hello.”
—It’s been incredibly hot lately, so I’m grateful to be working somewhere cool like this.
His voice was trying to lighten the mood with casual small talk.
Ye Ji responded politely with a smile.
—I hear from your people that you’re quite a cautious person.
Me?
When Ye Ji glanced at Hyun Min, he gave a small shrug.
Whether he’d actually said such a thing or not didn’t really matter.
—Shall we begin then?
***
Seong Jin Ho was one of the most prestigious newspapers in the country.
He was the most senior reporter in the cultural division of Korea Metro.
‘Wow, this newcomer is really expensive.’
A newly famous painter, “GOYO,” who had gained sudden prominence through collaboration with Célien.
He’d naturally attempted an interview, but what came back was a polite refusal.
They saw no reason to do a personal interview at this point.
At first, everyone expressed disappointment, but once they realized this rejection wasn’t unique to them, things shifted somewhat.
People in the industry couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Why would someone pursuing commercial art avoid media exposure so much?’
All manner of speculation erupted from there.
‘Maybe they’re an incredibly established artist.’
‘Or perhaps someone who retired after causing social scandal?’
‘What if they’re not even in Korea?’
‘But has anyone ever seen a painting style like this before?’
Despite all the speculation, no one could pinpoint their true identity.
Meanwhile, Célien’s new collection began to generate enormous buzz.
If it was already this big before the runway even appeared.
The popularity would surge dramatically when the season officially launched.
So he’d stepped forward personally to request an interview, but had received silence.
Just as he was about to give up, a reply suddenly came from the artist’s camp accepting the interview.
When he subtly probed other competing newspapers’ cultural reporters, this turned out to be an exclusive.
Starting in pajamas on a weekend morning felt refreshing, but as a professional, his voice alone was immaculately composed.
“Looking at the explosive response on social media lately, your popularity seems to be spreading like a phenomenon.”
—Oh, yes….
The voice through the speaker had a modulated quality—low yet mechanical in tone.
It was impossible to gauge gender or age, and the video camera was off entirely.
He suppressed his instinctive curiosity to identify the person and continued speaking.
“What prompted you to begin the project with Célien?”
—Initially, it started from a connection I had with photographer Seong Soo.
A project born from simple networking?
That was Jin Ho’s first impression, but soon answers that contradicted his expectations followed.
Rather, it seemed Célien had inserted itself into the project.
GOYO explained quite matter-of-factly how the original plan was altered and developed by Célien.
What followed were fairly ordinary discussions about perspective on the artwork.
A pursuit of life in harmony with nature.
People were luxury goods that ranked above all others, yet ultimately all were equal before nature as human beings.
‘…I simply can’t tell.’
The longer the conversation went on, the more confused Jin Ho became.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to gauge their age.
At times they seemed like a seasoned fifty-year-old with deep insight, then suddenly naive as a teenager.
One thing was becoming clearer with each exchange.
At the very least, they had not pursued this collaboration for fame or prestige.
What they saw in this collaboration was a harmony with a brand of clear history and perspective.
“I see. That’s a wonderful sentiment.”
Jin Ho, out of habit, elevated his tone of address while thinking.
If anyone else had said such things, he would have dismissed it as affectation.
But GOYO seemed genuinely uninterested in worldly fame.
If someone usually chased something material, now was the time they should row the boat while the tide came in.
Yet they simply remained quiet, true to their pseudonym.
As if pursuing a value far more important than the world’s fame.
“Well, finally, I really do have to ask this question.”
***
[Exclusive Interview] The Newcomer Célien Chose: Meeting Artist GOYO.
Seong Jin Ho, Korea Metro
The scorching heat of summer had already begun to fade, and a cool breeze was settling in.
The global fashion world was busier than ever preparing runways that would set next year’s trends.
In the demanding, glamorous heart of the fashion industry.
There was a newcomer artist who had captured the world’s attention at once—not through a renowned designer or top model, but through “a single painting.”
An artist chosen as the global project partner for this season of the prestigious French brand Célien: “GOYO.”
An artist who practices strict mystique, breathing with the world only through their work.
We conducted a remote interview over the phone with GOYO, who had politely declined meeting in person.
The artistic perspective conveyed through that calm voice was as solid as their name.
(Abridged)
[Journalist] “Well then, as a final question, I really must ask this: Apart from the pseudonym ‘GOYO,’ nothing has been revealed about your gender, age, or nationality. Is there a particular reason you conceal your identity so thoroughly?”
[GOYO] “To be honest, I never expected the public and press to show such intense interest in me.”
[Journalist] “There have been some theories in certain circles that, given the quality and speed of your work, perhaps GOYO is actually a specific crew or collaborative project group?”
[GOYO] “Oh, absolutely not. The work is entirely my own.”
[Journalist] “Then….”
[GOYO] “My age, who I am and what kind of life I’ve lived are irrelevant facts to the appreciation of my work. When you think about it that way, there’s no real need to reveal such things.”
[Journalist] “That’s certainly true. Paradoxically, some have noted that the anonymity of ‘not knowing who the artist is’ allows viewers to concentrate even more deeply on the work itself.”
[GOYO] “That assessment might actually be closest to what I intended. I didn’t want unnecessary modifiers attached, which would allow prejudice to color viewers’ perception of the work.”
The answer coming through the phone held not a trace of wavering.
Inside the solid shell of anonymity, this uncompromising newcomer radiated an intensity unmatched by others.
One is left wondering what astonishing moves lie ahead, and already his next canvas is eagerly awaited.
***
Ye Ji walked through the School Annex hallway, reading the newly published article on her mobile phone.
Just as intended, it came out clean and polished without any awkward notes.
Not watching where she was going, Ye Ji caught sight of a large curtain lining the hallway and brushed against it.
“Ugh, ptooey, ptooey….”
Dust burst into the air and caught in her mouth, so Ye Ji spat it out repeatedly while shaking her head vigorously.
“Ew, what is this…. You guys, let’s shake out this dust and hang it back up.”
If they kept passing through like this, she’d end up eating a bucketful of dust.
As Ye Ji tried to lower the fabric, Dong Ha suddenly popped his head out from inside the classroom.
“I’ll handle that later, but first you need to finish what’s in here.”
Wait.
While Ye Ji hesitated, Dong Ha grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.
The first classroom Dong Ha led her to was packed with thin wooden boards that looked fit only for stage backdrops.
Naturally, they couldn’t paint directly on the classroom with paint or brushes for a festival lasting only two days.
Instead, they would stand the boards around like barricades to paint on them.
And now broken plaster casts that had been waiting for disposal in storage were being brought in by the armload.
“We’ve got tons of these!”
“Should we bring more?”
They were failed human figure sculptures from the sculpture department.
Since they’d already filled half the classroom floor, Dong Ha waved to indicate they had enough.
“You’ve already done so much.”
“We’ve just been bringing them in so far.”
As Ye Ji followed the bustling Dong Ha, the next classroom came into view.
There, a white cloth lay on the floor where Young and Young had drawn pictures with fluorescent material.
“Good recycling, right?”
When Young spotted Ye Ji, she said exactly that.
As far as Ye Ji was concerned, it was a shame to reuse the fluorescent drawings on the cloth….
“So, what about this classroom?”
“But, teacher, more than that….”
After class ended, during time when everyone would normally be doing evening self-study or additional work sessions.
But watching them all huddled together, putting their heads together and drawing on outlandish imaginations, she found herself smiling.
While Ye Ji continued being dragged along by Dong Ha, she finally reached the last classroom.
The background for the last classroom was Ye Ji’s responsibility.
They’d removed the lockers that normally occupied the classroom and set up numerous temporary walls.
It was meant to be a space where she could paint freely….
“You got the reference materials I sent?”
“Yeah, I got them.”
At Dong Ha’s words, Ye Ji picked up her mobile phone again.
The chat room was filled with concept examples and overall plot summaries Dong Ha had sent her.
Games, comics.
To Ye Ji, whose knowledge didn’t extend far in such directions, the images were entirely unfamiliar.
“Alright! Shall we get started?”
Da Hye, who was already there, was laying out paint all across the floor.
Paint in shades of bright red, black, and dull tones.
In fact, most of this paint came from Ye Ji’s own studio supplies, colors she’d accumulated by hue.
Since Ye Ji rarely used such shades, a significant portion had remained untouched.
Being able to use them for something with friends was welcome to her.
“That’s going to be the real highlight, so you’ve got to do it justice.”
With that parting pressure, Dong Ha rushed off busily.
She must have crossed paths with Hyun Min, who’d been subtly slacking in the hallway, because his scolding voice drifted in.
Listening to that, Ye Ji and Da Hye exchanged glances and giggled quietly.
Dong Ha, who had seemed passive and even reluctant when the art department agreed to participate in the festival.
But once assigned to direct the escape room concept, she was working harder than anyone.
“What would we have done if you hadn’t asked her?”
After all, everyone in the world has their proper place and talents.
Ye Ji nodded at Da Hye’s words and slowly picked up her brush.

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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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