The third floor of the Rosellini headquarters.
Monica, sitting in front of the monitor, interlocks her fingers and stares intently at the screen, smiling.
Cicci's voice is heard, bringing coffee.
"The preparations for the launch event are going smoothly. The models for the fashion show have been confirmed, and we've prepared a total of 53 items to showcase."
"Good, good. Oh, have you sent out the invitations to the guests?"
"Yes, boss. All have been dispatched."
"How many?"
"500. We've also set aside 100 seats for journalists."
"Well done."
Monica listens to the report but keeps her eyes on the monitor, bursting into laughter at something she hears.
"Ha-ha! Ban is really interesting. I can't stop watching. Cicci, do you know any Korean proverbs?"
"No, I don't."
"Ban just told me one while drawing this plum tree next to the river, you see?"
"Yes."
"There's a Korean saying that you shouldn't even adjust your hat under this tree. Do you know what that means?"
"Uh, does it mean not to do anything that might make you look like you're stealing the fruit?"
"Oh! You have a good sense. That's right. Now, Ban is talking about Asian proverbs or idioms every time he draws something in his painting. He gives meaning to every tree and every flower he draws."
"I see."
"Isn't it fun? I wonder how the broadcast will do? This is a show I managed to get through a PD I know well."
Cicci, holding out a tablet, said.
"I'm checking in real time. The ratings have surpassed 5.3%, and related search terms are ranking high on Google."
Monica's eyes widen at the mention of a 5% rating.
"5%?"
"It's still rising."
Monica's expression suggests that this is higher than expected. Her eyes are glued to the tablet.
Cicci quietly watches her boss's face and says.
"I think I made the right choice accepting your scout offer, Monica."
Monica, surprised, looks up from the screen. She gazes quietly at her secretary, puts down the tablet, and asks.
"Why do you think that suddenly? Do you feel optimistic about the brand's future?"
Like all business people, she needs encouragement and support from those around her to push through tough times.
Monica was hoping for a specific answer from Cicci, but the response she received was different.
Cicci, looking at Ban drawing in the PC monitor, said.
"As you know, I didn't like Ban at first. I liked him as a person, but when I saw the shop smeared with his bright blue paint, I was so angry I could feel the veins on my forehead."
Monica smiles at the mention of Ban.
"Have you changed your opinion now?"
"Of course. It was clearly my prejudice, my mistake for not recognizing art."
"Hehe. But why bring up Ban all of a sudden?"
Cicci nods towards Ban on the monitor and says.
"We once had dinner together."
"With whom? With Ban?"
"Exactly. It was with Marco, the driver, and the three of us. I don't know if Ban dislikes eating alone or if he just likes to take care of those around him, but he always wants to eat with people he works with."
"Hm, we did have many meals together in Korea too. But what about the meal? What did you talk about?"
Cicci nods and says.
"Ban said that. The first person to notice him, a street artist unnoticed by anyone, was you, Monica."
"......"
"Also, he mentioned that after finishing his contract with MG Electronics, it was you, Monica, who introduced him to others and gave him more opportunities."
Monica, who had not thought about such things, falls silent in thought.
'No, even if it wasn't me, Ban would have shone. Meeting him first was my luck, not his.'
Monica was about to explain that she wasn't the one who discovered Jung Hoon, but simply met him by chance and enjoyed this fortune, but she stops herself at Cicci's serious words.
"There are many hidden geniuses around us. There are hundreds, thousands of geniuses in each era who go unrecognized and are buried. The ability to recognize such geniuses is not granted to just anyone. My choice to trust Monica, who has that eye, that innate ability to recognize art, makes me proud of myself."
"Cicci, that's..."
Monica, wanting to explain it was a misunderstanding, is about to speak when Cicci shakes her head.
"Ban himself admitted it. He said you were the person he was most grateful to, along with his family."
"..."
A deep sense of happiness wells up from within.
There's a sense of pride in contributing to the birth of a master who is now causing a stir throughout Italy. Of course, people may exaggerate more, but that can be explained later.
Monica smiles and nods.
"Who the artist is doesn't matter. Ban is gaining fame throughout Italy now, and as he becomes famous, the value of our brand will rise. That's what matters right now."
Both of them simultaneously gaze at Jung-hoon on the monitor.
"This part will be the water. Using the same brush that we used earlier to paint the sky with Prussian Blue and Midnight Black, let's draw the basic shape of the water. Add some more paint to the brush and paint it a bit darker. We paint from the outside inward. We need to leave space in the middle. If everything goes well, it will feel like the light is flowing across the water. Light is really important. All the colors we see are just an illusion created by light."
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