The three friends look at each other. Seeing them, Junghoon laughs.
“Worried a lot?”
“……”
“Once you graduate, it might feel overwhelming to think about what to do.”
Perhaps because he’s a senior, Junyoung finds comfort in an adult who seems to understand their feelings. He scratches his head and grins broadly.
“To be honest, the future is uncertain, but we are not losing hope. There’s a very famous senior from our school who is our role model.”
Jungkook chimes in with agreement.
“Yes, we want to be like that senior, so we are working hard.”
Cheoljin joins the conversation.
“You must have heard of him, right, senior?”
Junghoon asks back.
“Who?”
All three speak at once.
“The pride of Seoul Comprehensive College of Arts, artist Ban Junghoon!”
Junghoon's mouth clamps shut like a clam. The three friends chatter away, oblivious to the fact that the person in front of them is Ban Junghoon himself.
“Ban Junghoon started as a street portrait artist and is now the head of an artist company with overwhelming recognition in the design world. We often look up company information because of job hunting, and we heard that his company has grown into a medium-sized enterprise with over a hundred employees.”
“The ceiling mural at W-Tree Group's leading national hotel chain was something I saw in person, and it was magnificent. I even attended their joint exhibition. Seeing the paintings depicting what visually impaired people wish to see, I was moved to tears.”
“He's more famous in Europe than in Korea. He designed a luxury brand store, and now that place has become a part of the tour itineraries in Italy. Moreover, the mural village is incredible! It’s not only a tourist spot but also becoming a global attraction!”
Junghoon, whose face is hidden, would have revealed a blushing face if he weren't wearing a mask. He coughs to divert attention.
“Is that so?”
Junyoung continues.
“Despite being in hiding due to some narcissistic artist’s nonsense, we firmly believe he will make a comeback.”
Jungkook agrees.
“Seriously, after that broadcast, I posted angry comments against Yonghan, but the fans covered them up like ghosts. That guy is pretending to be nice, but it's obvious he’s doing it to make our senior look bad. It’s clear he’s trying to appear good while tarnishing our senior’s reputation!”
Cheoljin, the most hot-tempered among them, speaks angrily.
“To say there’s nothing to learn from past artists! What a ridiculous statement! The general public, influenced by Yonghan's popularity, thinks he’s right and Ban senior is wrong! Even our professors hope there's no one like Yonghan in our class. They mention it before starting every lecture. Ah, that guy. If he were here, I would’ve punched him.”
Junghoon remains silent amid their chatter.
Junyoung tentatively asks.
“Excuse me, senior. But, what’s your name…?”
Junghoon doesn’t respond to the name query, instead throwing another question.
“You’re art students, right? What's your major?”
Jungkook quickly replies, despite Junghoon's avoidance of revealing his name.
“All three of us are majoring in Western painting.”
Junghoon pulls out a new canvas and suggests.
“Want to try painting?”
The three friends glance at each other. Junghoon looks at the students, his eyes smiling.
“An artist speaks through their art, after all.”
An artist cannot help but paint, even if it means going hungry. This is the very essence of being an artist.
The three friends postpone their plan to drink in the afternoon and sit on Junghoon's camping chair. Although there's only one chair and the rest have to sit on the rocky shore, it doesn't matter.
What's important is the beautiful scenery around them, the canvas, brushes, and paints before them.
Junghoon, standing behind the three friends as they start painting the landscape, gives advice.
“A painting can never catch up to a photograph if you only paint what you see. It must come from emotions and will. Look directly and see the inner meaning behind it.”
“The clouds, wind, and waves are given by nature. And encapsulating them on canvas is art.”
“Don’t hide yourself. Every human's work is a portrait of themselves. The more you try to hide, the more your personality will inadvertently show. Better to reveal it all. That’s putting yourself into the painting.”
Is it because they firmly believe in the advice of someone they trust as a senior?
The faces of the three friends are very serious as they paint.
“Fearing a blank canvas is foolish. Make the canvas fear you. Forget logic and theory. Artists do what logicians cannot.”
Junghoon spent only 17 minutes, but the students, having painted for two hours, still haven’t finished their paintings.
Junyoung, the first among the friends to finish his painting, looks at Junghoon, asking with his eyes how his painting is. Junghoon nods silently, signaling it’s good.
Junyoung, satisfied, takes a photo of his painting with his phone camera and speaks to Junghoon, who is still advising the other friends.
“Excuse me, senior.”
“Hmm.”
“May I take a photo of your painting?”
“Sure.”
“Can I post it on SNS?”
“Do as you wish.”
“Thank you, senior.”
Junyoung, excited, takes a photo of Junghoon's painting. As he logs into a site to post it on SNS, he asks,
“But senior.”
“Hmm.”
“I want to tag you, what’s your name…?”
“…….”
The three friends look at Junghoon simultaneously.
Junghoon, scratching his temple with his index finger, finally speaks.
“Just call me Artist A.”
A name casually given.
However, from that day on, rumors about the mysterious Artist A spread like waves on social media.
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