I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 48: Heading to America (2)

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“Daughter, you know you need to take your shoes off before boarding, right?”

“Don’t lie to me! I know that prank is outdated!”

Dad teased Ha-yoon as we approached the boarding gate, but she scoffed confidently and strode onto the plane.

“Excuse me, ma’am? You’ll need to take these slippers for the flight.”

Caught off guard by the flight attendant handing her slippers, Ha-yoon’s face flushed bright red.

“Wha—? But I’ve never had to take my shoes off on a plane before…”

Dad chuckled, placing a hand on her head.

“That’s only for short flights, like to Jeju or nearby places like Japan.”

I added my two cents from behind them, sharing yet another random fact.

“For long-haul flights, they provide slippers.”

“Geez… You could’ve told me earlier.”

Ha-yoon pouted, clearly embarrassed, which made Dad and a few others around us burst into laughter.

“Then why didn’t Mom take her shoes off?”

“…Because I thought it was a joke, too.”

And so, the “shoe incident” aboard the plane came to a close, leaving Mom a bit sheepish.

We continued walking down the aisle, passing through economy, business, and finally reaching first class.

“…Ms. Lee, don’t you think you’ve spent way too much on this?”

“Hey, I’m a silver spoon, didn’t you know?”

Right. Her definition of “silver spoon” must be from another planet.

“What kind of silver spoon flies first class?”

“This kind.”

Ah, yes. Ms. Lee strutted past us with her signature high-and-mighty look.

We followed suit, taking our seats in the spacious, sparsely populated first-class cabin.

“The seat next to Oppa is mine!”

As always, Ha-yoon claimed her spot by the window, and I took the seat next to her. Mom and Dad settled in further down the row.

Ms. Lee took the seat directly behind mine.

“Ha-eun, I heard you’re scared of flying?”

“Who, me? Not at all.”

To be honest, my legs were trembling a little.

What if there’s a one-in-1.1-million chance of an aviation accident? What then?

As soon as I stepped onto the plane, my nerves were on edge.

“People win the lottery at one-in-8.15-million odds, don’t they? Accidents are rarer, sure, but they do happen.”

“…You calculating that is what’s actually terrifying.”

“Let’s say I survive that one-in-1.1-million chance. There’s still a one-in-ten-thousand chance I’d die in a secondary incident. What if that’s today?”

“At that rate, you’re more likely to get struck by lightning on a sunny day.”

“That’s rare, but it’s not impossible. Statistically, the global odds of being struck by lightning are as high as one in a million. Factor in variables, and it’s even less likely than winning the lottery.”

“You hate math, don’t you?”

Ms. Lee gave me a look of disbelief.

She wasn’t wrong—I hated math. But useless trivia? That was a different story.

I spent plenty of time idly browsing random pages online, soaking up all kinds of pointless knowledge.

Shrugging, I closed my eyes. The flight to America would be a long one.

But my attempt to nap didn’t last long.

“Oppa, where exactly are we going in America?”

“The Grand Rapids area, in Michigan. Why?”

“You didn’t tell me where we’re going!”

Ah, right. I hadn’t.

She asked how long it would take to get there, so I gave her a breakdown.

“From here to Chicago, it’s about 13 to 14 hours. From there, another hour to Grand Rapids International Airport.”

“Holy cow, that’s so long.”

“If you include layovers and waiting times, it could be up to 20 hours.”

“Oh my gosh…”

Looking thoroughly dismayed, Ha-yoon pulled out her phone and began watching YouTube.

That’s my channel.

She was watching my Do Won-hyang painting video. She particularly loved that piece.

I was considering remastering Do Won-hyang someday, turning it into a true masterpiece.

Of course, I wouldn’t touch the original; it was a completed work. I’d start from scratch on a new canvas.

Checking my phone, I saw there were five minutes left before departure.

Switching it to airplane mode, I tucked it back into my pocket, ready to finally sleep.

Unfortunately, someone else decided to disrupt my plans.

“Haha! Fancy seeing you here, Ha-eun!”

“…Mr. Hong Jin-ho? What are you doing here?”

“Is it so odd for me to be here? You’re with Ms. Lee, after all.”

Well, no, it wasn’t odd per se. But why was he here?

“If you were coming, why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve coordinated.”

“I didn’t expect to run into you here either. If Ms. Lee hadn’t told me, I’d have taken a different flight.”

I tilted my head back to glance at Ms. Lee.

“Since Mr. Hong was also going, I thought it’d be easier if we all traveled together.”

She avoided my gaze, fidgeting.

“I wasn’t complaining, just wondering how you two know each other.”

“Oh, didn’t you know? Ms. Lee’s kind of a big deal herself.”

“Really?”

“Care to repeat that?”

Ignoring her indignant response, I stood up to shake hands with Mr. Hong.

While his presence was unexpected, I didn’t mind. It was nice to have more company for the trip.

After greeting my family, Mr. Hong took the seat next to Ms. Lee and turned to me.

“I heard you helped out my Ye-hwa recently.”

“Oh, that? She mentioned she was entering the national exhibition, so I gave her some advice.”

Ms. Lee chimed in.

“But it’s not like I forced him. Ha-eun asked to help her out first.”

“Ha-eun did?”

Both of them looked at me expectantly.

What?

Feeling lazy, I half-heartedly waved my hand.

“I just helped out a bit since we’re in the same art department. Besides, she’s kind of the department representative.”

“I thought you were the representative? Didn’t you place first overall this semester?”

Mr. Hong tilted his head.

“That’s just because my talent’s unconventional. If we’re talking averages, Ye-hwa’s the real representative.”

“You have to compare her to her peers, not someone like me. I’m an irregular, after all.”

Of course, Hong Ye-hwa was exceptional too—definitely an irregular—but I was in a different league entirely.

The two of them, Ms. Lee and Mr. Hong, gave me incredulous looks, as if they couldn’t believe what I just said.

“What’s with that smug attitude? Fine, stop meeting my daughter altogether.”

“Meet? We’ve never even met outside school, what are you talking about?”

What was this? A soap opera? A long sigh escaped my lips just as Ms. Lee spoke up.

“By the way, a lot of people seem to be paying attention to Ye-hwa ahead of this year’s Drawing Korea event. Probably because the National Art Exhibition is next week.”

“They’re likely keeping an eye on her upcoming entry. Even if it doesn’t match Do Won-hyang or Ho-seong, it’ll still be a great piece.”

Mr. Hong smiled warmly, exuding unshakable confidence in his daughter.

“True. She’s earned the nickname ‘God’s Hand,’ after all. At this rate, she might even create a masterpiece someday. Maybe she could start preparing next year.”

I quietly listened, but one question popped into my mind.

“Is creating a masterpiece really that hard?”

Both of them fell silent, the air suddenly heavy.

It was Ms. Lee who broke the silence first.

“You’re not asking that seriously… right?”

“Of course, I’m serious. How long does it take for you two to create a masterpiece?”

“Wow… You really haven’t made one yet, huh?”

“Looks like it.”

Excuse me, Ms. Lee? Weren’t you there when I fixed the Plum Blossom Tree? Why are you agreeing with him?

“Ms. Lee, how long does it take you to make one?”

“About two years, usually.”

“And the quality? Comparable to Ms. Seol-yoon’s Plum Blossom Tree?”

“Seol-yoon’s tree? Well… Mine’s a little better.”

The competitiveness. Classic Ms. Lee.

“What about Mr. Hong? How long is it for you?”

“Hmm, if I really focus, about a year.”

I hadn’t seen Mr. Hong’s masterpieces yet, so I didn’t have a solid benchmark.

But one thing became clear.

“Winning the Prize this year is going to be a breeze.”

It took me about three to four months to create Heo Mu-seol. Compared to Plum Blossom Tree, it was overwhelming in both impact and artistry.

If the two pieces were displayed side by side, Heo Mu-seol’s icy chill would utterly overshadow the warmth of Plum Blossom Tree.

The two of them still had no idea what Heo Mu-seol truly was. They thought it was simply a painting in the same vein as Do Won-hyang.

Unfortunately for them, Heo Mu-seol was on par with my 10 masterpieces from my previous life.

Even among masterpieces, there are tiers. And at this rate, Heo Mu-seol’s brilliance might eclipse every other work at the event.

But hey, that’s just how it goes. If they want to surpass me, they’ll have to get better.

“Ms. Lee, did you submit a masterpiece to the Prize?”

“No way. Do you think I’d have the time to make one? At best, I’d finish by the year after next.”

Ms. Lee shook her head firmly. I turned my attention away from her.

So she wasn’t going to compete seriously. Then why even bother attending?

Her explanation cleared up my doubts.

“I’m going to observe the other masterpieces. Even just seeing them is worthwhile.”

Fair enough.

For me, looking at other artworks was more about curiosity than inspiration. I didn’t gain profound ideas from them—I just thought, “Oh, that’s neat.”

“I wasn’t planning to win anyway.”

Her voice held a faint note of regret.

I offered a bit of consolation.

“Well, feel free to critique my work later. If you like it, maybe we can collaborate on a piece for submission.”

“Hehe, what are you talking about? You’re still a student, remember?”

“And I was the one who saved the Plum Blossom Tree.”

Ah. That sound. That “oh no, I forgot” exhale. Ms. Lee’s face must’ve been something to behold.

I didn’t see it, though—I’d already turned away.

Still, I had a feeling her expression was positive. If it weren’t, she’d have already started scolding me.

Just as I was about to doze off, Mr. Hong casually dropped a bombshell.

“Oh, by the way, Ye-hwa mentioned she’d be coming here after the National Art Exhibition.”

“Cough!”

I choked on air.

Why would she come here?

Turning to Mr. Hong, I opened my mouth to ask, but he simply shrugged.

Seeing that, I decided not to press further. Whatever arrangements he’d made, I trusted he had it under control.

Better just sleep.

Shortly after, the flight attendants went over safety procedures, and I felt the plane begin to ascend.

Fourteen hours to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

I’m looking forward to the in-flight meals.