I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 47: Heading to America (1)

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How long did it take for humanity to conquer the skies?

Based on my knowledge, the first airplane, Flyer 1, was created by the Wright brothers, pioneers who revolutionized flight.

And that was less than 200 years ago.

Since then, planes have continued to evolve, ultimately allowing us to dominate the skies.

On the way to Incheon Airport, I shared this random bit of trivia with my sister, Ha-yoon.

“So, you see, the best thing to do is not get on a plane.”

“…Why’s that your conclusion, Oppa?”

Because once you’ve been in a plane crash, you never want to get on one again.

Strangely, people have a curious way of rationalizing danger.

Say a plane crashes, killing 200 people. Those hearing about it might seriously reconsider traveling abroad.

But what about car accidents? People shrug them off, even though they’re just as fatal.

“Oppa, just be honest.”

“…About what?”

Ha-yoon squinted at me, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Are you scared of flying?”

Her words sent a vein bulging on my forehead.

“What’s there to be scared of? Don’t be ridiculous.”

I stiffened my lips and turned to stare out the window.

We were speeding down the highway, approaching a tollgate.

Soon, we’d arrive at the infernal chaos that is Incheon Airport.

My family’s glances didn’t help.

From the passenger seat, Ha-yoon studied me with amusement.

My mom, sitting beside me, smiled knowingly. Even Dad, driving, glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

Eyes on the road, Dad!

“Aww, is my son afraid of flying?”

“…Quiet.”

These people were having way too much fun teasing me.

Bringing up planes was clearly a mistake.

“Hey, Oppa, what’s your height again?”

“Late 170s?”

“Don’t lie—I know you’re 174.”

Then why ask?

“Ha! We’re not that far apart, then.”

“…What are you?”

“168. Pretty cool, huh?”

At 13 years old, Ha-yoon was already taller than most kids her age.

At this rate, she might end up becoming an idol or an actress.

Honestly, though… I kind of hoped she’d stop growing.

What kind of big brother would I be if I ended up shorter than her?

Where did my adorable, tiny little sister go?

She was still cute now, of course, but her height had ruined the balance.

“Why did Dad’s genetics favor you so much…”

I grumbled. Sons take after their moms, daughters their dads.

“Then maybe you should’ve been born a girl, Oppa. Kekeke!”

Okay, no. I’d rather stick to being a guy, thanks.

“Actually, if you were born a girl, maybe you’d be healthier…”

Mom’s quiet muttering from the front seat caught both our attention.

My sister and I immediately went silent.

Mom wasn’t in the best mood today.

To understand why, we’d need to go back to this morning.

Earlier That Morning

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

While I was packing up some last-minute essentials, Mom called me to the living room.

She handed me a piece of paper, her face lit with excitement.

“Remember the doctor’s appointment earlier this week? You forgot to pick up the medical report, so I got it for you.”

Right. I’d forgotten to grab it because I was in a hurry to use the restroom.

The report was important for insurance purposes.

“Wait—this says you don’t need to get the Xolair shots anymore!”

Her eyes sparkled with joy as she practically radiated excitement.

Oh, right. I hadn’t told her yet.

It wasn’t exactly good news to share, so I’d kept quiet about it.

“Yeah, the doctor said I don’t need them anymore.”

I scratched my head, nodding nonchalantly. Mom’s smile stretched even wider.

“Really?! That’s such great—”

“Ahem, Ha-eun.”

Dad, who’d been standing beside her, reached for the report in her hands.

His voice was low and steady—too calm.

And at that moment, I knew I was screwed.

“What’s this?” He pointed to a name on the report.

It was the Xolair compression tablet.

I forced a nervous laugh, desperately trying to maintain a casual front.

“Ah, well… it’s just a medication that was always there. You must’ve missed it before—”

“Lee Ha-eun.”

Damn it.

Of course, Dad wasn’t buying it.

While Mom often got too excited to carefully read reports, Dad was the complete opposite.

He’d examine every word with calm precision.

Mom looked at me with a mix of concern and confusion, but I avoided her gaze.

I didn’t want to see her face right now.

Still, I couldn’t avoid this conversation forever.

They were my family.

And at the very least, I wanted Mom to stop blaming herself for everything.

“Xolair injections aren’t necessary anymore,” I said.

On the surface, it sounded like I was getting healthier.

“But instead, the injection’s been replaced with a tablet. So now I have an additional medication.”

I made sure to emphasize the word “slightly.”

“It’s just slightly stronger than the original Xolair.”

I hoped my careful phrasing would soften the blow.

“…I see.”

Dad nodded slowly, his gaze shifting between me and the report.

Then, after a deep breath, he gave me a reassuring smile.

“Go finish packing, Ha-eun.”

“…Right.”

He looked like his usual self again—calm, gentle.

Is he really okay?

Of course not. His chest was rising and falling as though he was struggling to breathe.

But there was nothing I could say to make it better.

I headed back to my room, but before I could take more than a few steps, Mom hugged me tightly from behind.

“It’s okay,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

“I’ll make sure you get better. I’ll make you healthy again, I promise.”

Her words, laced with tears, stabbed into my chest.

I’m not even the one suffering the most here—they are.

But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

With trembling hands, I gently pried her arms away and turned to face her with a smile.

“I’m already healthy, Mom. You’re the one who needs to stop worrying.”

My cheerful tone must’ve caught her off guard, but after a moment, she smiled back.

And with that, the morning ended.

“What’s that supposed to mean? At least I don’t have heart problems, you know? Oh.”

The moment Mom said those words, the atmosphere in the house froze.

Mom… wasn’t that something we all agreed not to mention?

Realizing her slip-up, she gasped, quickly covering her mouth while glancing at Dad and me.

Dad and I exchanged awkward looks before forcing nervous laughs.

“H-heh, right, Mom. You’re much healthier than Ha-eun now. Isn’t that right, son?”

Dad’s shaky attempt at reassurance had me holding back a snicker.

“Y-yeah, definitely. Anyway, I’ll… just finish packing.”

And just like that, the impromptu “hearing” came to an abrupt end. Mom’s “stun grenade” had been highly effective.

Funny, though. Mom was the one who banned us from mentioning heart conditions in the first place.

The house was way too lively for such an early morning.

Present Time

Now we were back in the present, with Mom quietly sulking over her accidental comment.

Meanwhile, Ha-yoon clung to my arm, shaking me vigorously.

“What the heck happened?! Tell me!”

She had been fast asleep in her room during the whole ordeal.

I leaned in to whisper conspiratorially.

“Mom stunned herself.”

“She what? Pfft!”

As expected, Ha-yoon couldn’t hold back her laughter.

In truth, aside from Mom, our family had grown comfortable enough to joke about my condition.

Even Dad, who initially struggled to accept it, had become more at ease after seeing how nonchalantly I dealt with it.

The humor in this situation wasn’t complicated.

It was just funny to see Mom break her own rule about forbidden topics.

One of life’s simplest joys is hearing someone fall victim to their own “Tallulah,” after all.

Or was that not the right way to use the term?

Anyway, Mom was still the only one feeling down about it.

But knowing her, she’d cheer up as soon as she had something good to eat at the airport.

By the way, as I mentioned earlier, Mom had indeed gotten healthier.

During her last health checkup, Dad practically beamed with joy.

Their relationship really was disgustingly sweet.

Even though she still needed regular medications and wasn’t as strong as others, the fact that her health was improving was a huge relief for the whole family.

“Was it Terminal 1 for us?”

Dad’s question pulled me from my thoughts.

I nodded.

“Yep, and we’re parking in the P4 long-term lot.”

“Still a bit further to go, then.”

Dad refocused on the road, and our car continued toward its destination.

Next to me, Mom and Ha-yoon gazed out the windows, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

It seemed like this was their first time at the airport.

Mom’s spirits were clearly back up. That was a relief.

The Reason for Our Family Trip to America

We had managed to align our schedules, including Dad’s rare time off work.

Well, technically, it’s not a vacation—it’s a business trip.

Still, calling it a vacation sounded better.

Dad’s “break” might have been tied to business, but the rest of us were genuinely there to relax.

Meanwhile, Ha-yoon had been excused from school on an extended study leave.

A month-long absence was no joke, so her school had gone through quite a bit of paperwork to make it happen.

Fortunately, those logistics weren’t my problem. That was between her and her teachers.

And then there was Ms. Lee A-reum.

She had been nothing but welcoming about our trip, even covering both my plane ticket and my family’s.

On top of that, she’d arranged for guides to show my parents and sister around while Dad and I attended to other matters.

She really must have money to burn.

Once we parked, we headed into the airport.

I dragged my carry-on with one hand and called Ms. Lee with the other.

“Ms. Lee, where should we meet you?”

[“Come to area H!”]

“Got it.”

Navigating the massive airport, we passed the giant yellow signs indicating different alphabet zones.

Finally, we spotted her.

“Over here!”

After reuniting with Ms. Lee, we exchanged greetings and began heading toward the departure gate.

As we walked, I leaned in closer to Ms. Lee, keeping my voice low.

“So, what’s my ranking?”

“You already know, don’t you?”

“Still, it’s nice to hear it directly.”

“Alright, alright. Congratulations, Lee Ha-eun—first place overall.”

As expected, I had retained my top ranking from the recent finals.

All first-place grades across the board for the semester.

My title as the school’s top student remained unbroken.

Yesterday’s closing ceremony had marked the official start of summer vacation.

Glancing at the clock on the wall as we walked, I noted the time.

Twenty minutes until takeoff.