Chapter 73

The stage is the utopia for idols.

After enduring the long, grueling life of a trainee, they finally ascend to their paradise—the stage.

If idols were like butterflies, then this would be their metamorphosis, from caterpillar to chrysalis to their final evolution.

‘If only I had the stamina, I could’ve been an idol too.’

It’s a shame I didn’t enter the entertainment world with this face of mine. Truly a loss for the nation.

Lee Do-Yoon, that guy, has been thriving ever since he was cast.

I heard he recently filmed a movie. If I get the chance, I’ll go watch it.

Knowing him, his debut film might rake in ten million viewers. If he’s the protagonist of the world, that much should be expected.

The streets were now run-down.

Winter was approaching fast, and children were beginning to chatter about Santa Claus.

‘Maybe I could cosplay as Santa.’

My face might not be idol-worthy, but it certainly has its admirers.

…And no, it’s not just art fans.@@novelbin@@

"Haah."

It wasn’t cold enough to see my breath yet, but wearing light clothes in this weather would definitely invite a cold.

"How’s idol life treating you?" I asked Choi Ye-Seo, who was walking beside me.

"Huh? Hmm. I’m doing what I love, so I can’t complain," she replied.

"That’s good, then."

"???"

Being a celebrity is tough. They have to constantly smile in front of countless people.

There’s no such thing as free time—busy schedules keep them tied down.

That’s the life of a public figure.

One mistake, and anti-fans will pounce with a vengeance.

That’s why I hardly ever check my YouTube channel. Reading comments is too much of a hassle.

I wonder how idols, for whom egosearching seems like second nature, manage it. Probably not well—their mental states must fluctuate daily.

Not that I could help them, even if I wanted to.

I reached out and patted Choi Ye-Seo on the head.

"Eh?!"

Startled, she jumped away from me.

‘Oh, she grew an antenna.’

A single strand of yellow hair stuck up like a fool’s tuft.

"What the heck was that for?!"

"Nothing. You were walking too close to the road. Come this way."

Grumbling, she shuffled back over.

"Why aren’t you with Yul-i and Ye-Hwa?" she asked hesitantly.

I thought for a moment before replying.

"No particular reason. Soo-Yul had something to do with the physical education department today, and Hong Ye-Hwa got called in by the old man."

"Oh..."

Her mood dropped briefly before she perked up again.

"Hey! Why do you only call Yul-i by name?"

This time, it was my turn to tilt my head in confusion.

"You call her by name too."

"Huh? When?"

She didn’t remember. But I clearly recalled.

"When we first met Seiren. After the session, you told her to grab dinner with us."

"And what does that have to do with—"

-"Ye-Seo, let’s go eat."

"...Ah."

Her face turned bright red as the memory surfaced. She looked like a blushing carrot.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction.

"Should I call you Ye-Seo again?"

"...Don’t."

Her glare wasn’t particularly intimidating, even as her face burned crimson.

If it came down to a fight, I’d definitely lose—there’s no competing with an idol’s stamina.

Still, I couldn’t suppress the smirk creeping up my face.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Are you asking me on a date?"

"...Is that not allowed?"

Her cautious expression softened into a small smile.

"What do you want for dinner? It’s on me," I said.

Her face lit up, and for some reason, I found the sight satisfying.

***

The quiet sounds of contemplation echoed in the studio.

"Shhh."

"Hmmm."

It had been a while since Teacher Lee Ah-Reum and I started working on this piece.

Creating a masterpiece with just a single flower wasn’t easy. Leaving out a background wasn’t an option either.

I could probably manage, though.

"Let’s go with your idea for this one," I said.

"You’re not just pushing it on me because you’re too lazy to figure it out, are you?"

"Not at all," I replied.

The intuition of women never fails to amaze me.

Progress on the piece was steady. The flower we selected was…

‘Should we even call this a flower? The definition of "single blossom" feels stretched here.’

If a whole tree counts as one blossom, that seems a bit misleading.

The idea had come from Teacher Lee Ah-Reum herself.

"Calling a cherry blossom tree a single flower feels wrong, don’t you think?"

"Honestly... how can you create a masterpiece with just one flower?"

"I could manage it."

"Yeah, yeah. You’re amazing," she grumbled, sighing heavily.

"The theme is spring. The subject is the cherry blossom tree. What about the background?"

"Don’t ask me. You’re leading this project, remember?"

I scratched my cheek and looked at her expectantly.

"Ugh," she groaned, clutching her head.

This was the same person who created The Gardens of the World, wasn’t it?

"That took me two years, okay?! This is completely different!"

"Ah. Did I say that out loud?"

"It’s written all over your face, you idiot."

Scratching the back of her head roughly, Teacher Lee Ah-Reum gave me a pleading look.

As much as I tried to ignore it, her expression was so pitiful that I couldn’t help but surrender.

"Hmm. How about the Garden of Eden?" I suggested.

"The one from the Bible?"

"Yeah. Let’s use the tree of knowledge as the motif, but incorporate the unique qualities of a cherry blossom tree."

Originally, I’d wanted to use anemones or lisianthuses, but I set those aside—they felt too personal.

Of course, Teacher Lee Ah-Reum didn’t know that.

"A garden with a single tree… but it feels lacking on its own. Let’s add some other elements," I said.

"Sure."

Though I seemed to be taking the lead, this was necessary to keep things moving.

"I’ll handle up to this point. The rest is up to you," I said, stepping back for a break.

"What about Adam and Eve?"

"Isn't that a bit too blatant?"

"Hmm."

She seemed to be thinking hard, and while I wanted to commend her effort, I couldn’t help but wonder how an artist could lack creativity this much.

‘...I guess this is what’s considered average?’

Maybe I’m the abnormal one.

Regardless, this next step wasn’t my responsibility. I’d set up the framework; the rest was up to Teacher Lee Ah-Reum.

After all, she needed to win the award on her own merit.

If I did all the work, it wouldn’t truly be her piece, would it?

"...A garden with animals."

"Sorry, what?"

"A small garden with a tree in the center, surrounded by animals. Don’t you think that might work?"

"Oh... That’s a good idea, but—"

"Yeah, it feels a bit too ordinary. Lacks impact, doesn’t it?"

"Exactly. A painting needs to grab people’s attention. If it’s too plain, it won’t be popular. But..."

Her words were true—it was a simple concept. But there’s an old saying: Simple is best.

"Let’s go with that. What’s wrong with being simple? As long as it’s the most extraordinary kind of simple, it’ll work."

"I’m not confident..."

"Did you forget who’s helping you here?"

"You really need to learn some humility."

At that, I simply shrugged.

The actual work began in earnest, and I could see her determination growing.

"Eun-ah, what about these leaves?"

"Pointillism would be ideal, but the canvas has too much empty space for that, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah. I guess I’ll just have to stamp them in."

"I’ll take care of that part. I’m confident with a brush."

.

.

.

"What animals are you thinking of?"

"A donkey, an eagle, a kangaroo, a white mouse, a dove, a dog, and a sheep. How does that sound?"

"Why those... Wait, don’t tell me—"

"That’s right. Most of the world’s masterpieces depict the Seven Deadly Sins through animals. I’m planning to represent the opposite—the Seven Heavenly Virtues—using symbolic animals."

A chill ran down my spine. Teacher Lee Ah-Reum had grown remarkably in just a few hours.

The animals she chose represented humility, generosity, patience, diligence, charity, temperance, and purity.

While not the exact animals from biblical or philosophical texts, they were still fitting representations of those virtues.

"Wouldn’t it be cute to have the animals gathered under the tree?"

"I think so. I like animals too," I replied.

Watching her smile softly, I found myself lost in thought.

If this piece were executed well, it might not just be a good painting...

‘Hmm. No, that’s going too far.’

Considering the time constraints and her current skills, it wasn’t feasible.

‘But still, giving it a shot might be worth it...?’

The thought lingered.

After all, did an illusionary world necessarily have to belong to just one person?

Even if I handled the technical aspects of the painting, the emotional depth had to come entirely from Teacher Lee Ah-Reum.

‘Or maybe not entirely. If we brought Hong Ye-Hwa into this project too...’

The idea wasn’t entirely impossible.

I decided it was something worth discussing later.

"Let’s call it a day and grab something to eat."

"Sounds good. I’ll treat you for a change," Teacher Lee Ah-Reum offered.

"Then let’s go to Hyeokje Galbi. You’re loaded, after all," I teased.

"Alright. Let me just tidy this up first."

As she began organizing the tools, I watched her back for a moment and scratched my head.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that this project was about to become much bigger than I had anticipated.

***

"Ahhh! What do I do?!"

What now? Choi Ye-Seo’s sudden outburst made Ha Soo-Yul and Hong Ye-Hwa step away instinctively.

"There’s only one week left! Aaahhh..."

"You’ve done this before. Why are you freaking out?" Ha Soo-Yul asked, puzzled.

"Getting on stage always feels new and thrilling! That’s why it’s so nerve-wracking!"

Choi Ye-Seo whined dramatically, her face scrunched up as if the world were ending.

"Even after all that special training with Seiren, something still feels lacking," she lamented.

"You’re already doing great. You’ll be fine," Hong Ye-Hwa reassured her, pulling her into a comforting hug.

"Sniff... Ye-Hwa, you’re the only one who understands me. Those two are definitely T-types," Choi Ye-Seo muttered, referring to the MBTI personality type.

"...I’m a T too," Ha Soo-Yul pointed out.

Choi Ye-Seo’s face fell into despair for a brief moment before she perked up again.

Why? She’d spotted a Waffle High café.

"Let’s stop by!" she exclaimed, her excitement fully restored.

"Aren’t you supposed to be watching your weight? Hey, you two, help me stop her—"

Before I could finish, the three girls had already dashed off, completely ignoring my protests.

Please, let them come back tomorrow looking regretful.

...Come to think of it, how does Hong Ye-Hwa not gain weight?

She doesn’t seem to exercise, and her lifestyle is practically identical to mine. We both spend most of our time glued to chairs. It’s honestly baffling.

‘Tomorrow’s her lesson day, isn’t it? I’ll ask her about it then.’

.

.

.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp jab in my side.

I turned to see a face flushed with anger glaring at me.

...Was this somehow my fault?

The sheer injustice of the situation was overwhelming.