I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 51: World Art Prize (2)

Humans, as living beings, often have the desire to be recognized.

For anything, really—whether it’s writing well or excelling in cooking.

There are countless fields of talent, but very few people are truly chosen by those talents.

The ones commonly referred to as “geniuses” make up about 1% of the population.

While 1% may not seem like a small number in a world with over 8 billion people, these geniuses are still not commonly seen in our daily lives.

Now, how many people exhibit excellence in specific fields? This group, too, typically ranges between 1% and 10% of the population.

These individuals do appear occasionally. They are the ones who are doted on and admired simply for existing.

“Yeah, these would be the so-called prodigies.”

But what about everyone else who isn’t a genius or a prodigy?

“The kid next door cleans the classroom before school every morning, but you? All you do is sleep in late every day. Seriously!”

“Why can’t you be half as good as your older brother? Cut down your gaming hours, will you?”

“How can you be worse than someone younger than you? What’s the point of being your age, then?”

Sadly, that’s the reality.

People are compared to others, judged as incompetent by themselves or others.

Modern society is a wretched meritocracy that only remembers those with abilities.

The funny thing is, disputes arise even among geniuses and prodigies.

“Second place by three points? Should we look into switching tutors?”

“If you’re not first in the entire school again, we’ll find you another academy.”

“My friend’s son got into all three SKY universities. You can do the same, right?”

It’s a world where only first place matters, and second place is dismissed.

It’s an absurdity that makes you laugh out of sheer disbelief.

And those who fall behind first place?

“I can’t accept it! Why should we give votes to a Korean?”

“Seventeen years old painted that? Don’t be ridiculous—my artwork is worth far more!”

“Why is a Korean painting leading in votes? This seems rigged!”

They don’t hesitate to spit out degrading remarks about the person in the first place.

Of course, they’re a minority.

Even if the school’s second-best student harbors resentment toward the top student, the rest of the students wouldn’t care.

“Seventeen? Incredible! A young star with a bright future ahead!”

“I can’t wait for restrictions to be lifted—how long must we wait to see Heo Mu-seol?”

“Seeing foreign groups getting nervous is absolutely hilarious, lol.”

Like this, the voices of those eager to see Heo Mu-seol far outweighed the criticisms.

While overwhelmingly positive comments dominated, there were still a few negative ones.

Rumors about me being possessed by ghosts, allegations that the organizers were cheating—absurd stories abounded.

As these rumors spread globally, those who criticized me were thoroughly insulted in return.

“Is that really so amusing to you, oppa?”

Yoon frowned as she spoke to me, watching me scroll through my phone.

“All those posts are just insulting you. Can’t you report them?”

“This forum is a bit of a niche space to begin with. It’s natural that most of the comments are just bashing me.”

I lightly stretched my neck and grinned.

“But it’s funny how dumb they sound if you keep reading.”

“Dumb, huh… I think you’re dumb, oppa. Why don’t we just wipe them out completely!”

I calmed down Yoon, who was bristling with anger at the comments.

“People like that are a minority. They’re just bitter because they don’t want to see me succeed. It’s jealousy, plain and simple.”

“They should be supporting you, not dragging you down… Ugh, it’s disgusting.”

Oh, dear sister, I hope that face of yours doesn’t appear on TV.

It would definitely cause a stir.

“Kids, let’s go inside!”

“Mom’s back.”

Mom returned from the restroom, grabbing my hand as she approached.

In her other hand, she took Yoon’s.

“…Where’s Dad?”

“My left hand is free—come on over.”

At my comment, Dad chuckled and took my remaining hand.

Mom and Yoon had chosen this as the final destination of today’s tour, which was why we ran into each other.

The place we entered was LaFontsee Galleries, an art gallery.

Originally frequented by local artists, it had been broadly opened to the public due to the prize exhibition.

This was where the masterpieces of Saturn and Jupiter resided.

“The Ashes of Mercury. It was visually stunning, but still felt lacking.”

That couldn’t be helped. Mercury, after all, was the youngest of the planets.

Of course, that person was more than ten years older than me.

Teacher Lee A-reum had decided to start from the first floor and take her time because she felt she hadn’t been able to fully enjoy the gallery thanks to me.

Thus, I ended up exploring the place with my family for the first time in a while.

As we wandered through the gallery, we were greeted by sculptures, paintings, photographs, and other forms of art.

“Isn’t this just a photo of a dog?”

From pictures of dogs frolicking to bizarrely shaped sculptures—

“Is this what they call modern art?”

I wondered if I could just toss a shoe somewhere here and have people line up to take pictures of it.

“…Should I try?”

It didn’t seem entirely impossible.

But I decided against it. Doing something like that would surely leave me feeling hollow.

After exploring the first floor, we headed upstairs, where faint visions began to flit across my eyes.

Rustle—.

“What kind of theme would call for this nonsense?”

An artist’s eye is a world apart from that of a layperson. This meant I could sense the illusions more strongly than others.

Swish.

I raised my hand to cover Yoon’s eyes.

“Huh? Oppa?”

“It’s still too early for you to see these kinds of paintings, Yoon.”

I was certain we’d encounter it if we turned the corner.

Noticing my gaze, Dad walked ahead to check where I was looking.

And then—

Tap.

He lightly smacked his forehead and awkwardly chuckled.

“Your brother’s right. This one’s a little… mature for you, Yoon.”

“What is it?!”

What do you mean, what? It’s a painting that could make the whole world feel like it’s rated 19+. A man and a woman, um, their bodies…

“They even turn something like that into a masterpiece. A planet specialized in portraits with a penchant for obscenity.”

It must be Saturn. That woman dared to try and stain my little sister’s innocence.

I vowed to take my revenge.

“Let’s head left.”

As long as we didn’t go to the right, it’d be fine. Mom, after a whispered explanation from Dad, nodded along in confusion.

The further we moved away, the illusions shifted from suggestive to something more innocent, like a children’s amusement park.

“This must be Jupiter.”

There was no need to think any further—it could only be that person.

“…Oppa, when are you going to move your hand?”

“Oh, right. Sorry about that. Was it uncomfortable?”

“Eh? Not really…”

Her small muttering, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…” didn’t quite reach my ears.

As we approached Jupiter’s masterpiece, the sweet scent in the air grew stronger.

True to their cheerful nature, it was an atmosphere kids would love.

“I suddenly want some cotton candy!”

As Yoon expressed her excitement, she eagerly looked around.

Sadly, there wasn’t a cotton candy stand in sight.

“There it is.”

Our family’s eyes landed on a single artwork.

Its title was Miracle Land, and the artist’s pseudonym was Jupiter.

“Ugh. Now I’m really craving something sweet.”

Yoon, whose youthful mind made her more susceptible to the illusions, kept smacking her lips.

The purer one’s mind, the more information they absorb.

…Why does this make me feel like I’m calling her stupid? It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

After admiring Miracle Land for a while, we went back downstairs.

“I still haven’t seen the right side—”

“Sometimes it’s better not to see certain things.”

“What even is over there…?”

I led Yoon out, ignoring her puzzled expression.

Thanks to the lingering illusions, she insisted on getting dessert at a café.

Unfortunately, I was the chosen victim this time.

Mom and Dad left us with a promise to meet again in two hours.

“Well, parents need their dates too, sometimes.”

They had spent 17 years devoted to their kids—surely they deserved some time for themselves.

“Is it good?”

I asked Yoon, who was happily munching on a shortcake right in front of me.

“Strawberries are amazing!”

She nodded repeatedly with a big grin, radiating joy.

Her cheerful demeanor made me chuckle.

Every day felt peaceful, but this was the first time it felt so delightful. Spending time with my little sister was unexpectedly enjoyable.

But of course, life rarely goes as planned.

“So, this is where I find you, Lee Ha-eun.”

The tranquility of the café was shattered by the sudden appearance of Uncle Hong Jin-hu.

I furrowed my brows and replied curtly, “Thank you for interrupting my rare time with my sister.”

“…Ahem. Perhaps I’ll return another time—”

“Or maybe the person waiting for you could go back on their own?”

My sharp tone made Uncle Hong shift awkwardly.

“Haha, well then, since I’ve already intruded, I might as well finish intruding.”

“What a nerve this man has.”

“…I may be your elder, but that’s no reason—”

Ignoring him, he greeted Yoon with an awkward smile and invited himself to join our table.

“Conveniently, there are four empty seats.”

His shamelessness knew no bounds, but it felt pointless to continue being hostile.

Yoon, who had been sitting across from me, moved to my side, while three unfamiliar people took the seats opposite us. Uncle Hong sat to my right.

With a friendly smile, he introduced the others.

“Starting from the left, this is the youngest among our planetary representatives—Mercury.”

A woman who looked to be in her early thirties gave a shy nod.

It was surreal to see someone I’d only known from the media sitting in front of me.

Still, I nodded back awkwardly.

“I-I’m Irene, representing Mercury…”

As expected, I felt an odd sense of familiarity. She seemed just as introverted as I was.

“I’m Lee Ha-eun.”

“And I’m Saturn! My name’s Karlin!”

The woman in the middle raised her hand as soon as I finished my introduction.

“Oh, yes. You’re the one with those filthy—”

“What?”

“Ah, nothing. Nice to meet you.”

Excuse me, but why would you submit such a painting to an exhibit accessible to children? Thanks to you, my sister couldn’t even look to the right!

“And finally, this is Jupiter.”

“Hello. I’m David, representing Jupiter.”

“Ah, nice to meet you—wait, you speak Korean?”

“Haha, yes. I lived in Korea for a while thanks to the Sun, and I learned the language back then.”

“Wow. Korean isn’t exactly easy to learn.”

It’s one of the most difficult languages in the world and artificially created for that.

Hearing a foreigner speak it so fluently was genuinely fascinating.

“David, you must like children. Miracle Land really makes that clear.”

“Haha, it’s just a knack I have. I do enjoy working with kids, though.”

I sipped my now-cold Americano. Should I order another?

Before I could decide, I posed a question to the four of them.

“So, what brings such busy people here?”

These were individuals who should have been attending press conferences or appearing on TV. The odds of them coincidentally walking into this café were slim to none.

“Well, it must be about Heo Mu-seol.”

Let’s hear it.

What could possibly have piqued the curiosity of these top-tier individuals enough for them to seek me out?

My question silenced the table.