I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 73: Choi Yeseo’s Concert (2)

An idol’s utopia is the stage.

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

It’s like a caterpillar evolving into a butterfly after its time in the cocoon.

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

It’s a shame that this face didn’t make it to the entertainment world. Truly a national loss.

Meanwhile, that punk Lee Doyoon has been thriving ever since he got scouted.

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

Knowing him, it wouldn’t be surprising if his debut film hit ten million viewers.

As the protagonist of this world, that much should be expected.

The streets were old and worn down, and the season was shifting toward winter.

Children were already chattering about Santa Claus.

‘Maybe I should cosplay him. Might not be so bad.’

I do have a face that draws some interest—not on the level of an idol or celebrity, but I do have fans.

…And not just fans of my artwork.

Phew.

The weather wasn’t cold enough for visible breath, but dressing lightly would definitely invite a cold.

“Is being an idol worth it?”

I asked Choi Yeseo, who was walking beside me.

“Hm? Well, it’s doing something I love, so yeah, it’s worth it.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.”

“???”

Being a celebrity is tough. You have to smile constantly, no matter how many people are watching.

And there’s no real free time. Busy schedules chain you down.

That’s the life of a public figure.

One mistake, and anti-fans will swarm like sharks to blood.

It’s why I rarely check the comments on my YouTube channel. It’s just too stressful.

I can only imagine how exhausting it must be for celebrities with “egosearching” as a passive skill. Their mental states must swing wildly from day to day.

Not that there’s anything I can do to help.

I reached out and gave Choi Yeseo’s head a gentle pat.

“Eek?!”

Startled, she jumped back, putting some distance between us.

‘Oh, look at that. A little antenna popped up.’

A single strand of her golden hair stuck up like a cartoon antenna.

“What, what are you doing all of a sudden!”

“Nothing. You were walking too close to the road, so I pulled you over here.”

Grumbling, Choi Yeseo reluctantly returned to my side.

“Why aren’t Yeol and Yehwa walking with you?”

Her hesitant tone made me think for a moment.

“No particular reason. So-yeol’s busy with something in the P.E. department, and Hong Yehwa got called away by an old man.”

“I see…”

Choi Yeseo’s expression dimmed briefly before a sudden thought seemed to hit her.

“Wait! Why do you only call Yeol by her first name?”

Her words made me tilt my head in confusion.

“You called her by her first name too.”

“Huh? When?”

She doesn’t remember? She definitely did, though. Back when we first met Siren…

“After that day’s work, we decided to grab dinner.”

“And what does that have to—”

“—Yeseo, let’s go. Time to eat.”

“Oh…”

She remembered now. Her face turned bright red, resembling a tomato.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Want me to call you by your first name again, Yeseo?”

“…Don’t.”

Her glare might’ve been intimidating if her flushed face didn’t undermine it entirely.

If we actually fought, I wouldn’t stand a chance. There’s no way I could match an idol’s stamina.

But I couldn’t stop the corner of my mouth from curling upward.

“Got any plans for today?”

“Is that a date invitation?”

“…Would it be a problem if it was?”

She hesitated for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.

“What do you want to eat for dinner? My treat.”

Her face brightened noticeably, and it was a satisfying sight.

Hssss.

Hmmmm.

Our sighs filled the studio.

I’d been working with Teacher Lee A-reum for quite a while now.

Creating a masterpiece with just a single flower is no small feat. And leaving out a background wasn’t an option.

Well, not unless I wanted to make it deliberately abstract.

“I’ll go with your idea for now, teacher.”

“…You’re not just passing the work off on me because you’re lazy, are you?”

“I’d never.”

The intuition of women is truly something else.

Progress on the piece was steady. The flower we’d chosen was…

‘But can this even be called a flower? The definition seems a little off.’

If you counted a single tree as a flower, it felt like stretching the concept.

Still, the idea had come from Teacher Lee A-reum.

“It’s hard to call a cherry blossom tree a single flower, though.”

“Well, to be honest… how can you create a masterpiece with just one flower?”

“I could do it.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re amazing, we get it.”

The teacher sighed dramatically, though the corners of her mouth twitched in amusement.

“So, the theme is spring, the subject is a cherry blossom tree, and the background?”

“Why are you asking me? You’re leading this project, not me.”

I scratched my cheek and glanced at Teacher Lee A-reum.

“Ugh…”

Soon, she clutched her head dramatically.

This from the woman who once created the Garden of the World.

“Do you think that’s the same thing? That took at least two years to finish!”

“Ah, did I say that out loud?”

“It’s written all over your face, genius.”

Teacher Lee A-reum scratched the back of her head roughly, then gave me a pitiful look.

I tried to ignore it, but her almost-teary expression made that impossible.

Reluctantly, I decided to surrender.

“Hmm… How about the Garden of Eden?”

“Eden? Like the one from the Bible?”

“Yes, with the tree of knowledge that bears the forbidden fruit. We could use that as a motif but give it the characteristics of a cherry blossom tree.”

Initially, I’d wanted to paint an anemone or a lisianthus, but I’d scrapped those ideas because they felt too personal.

Teacher Lee A-reum didn’t know that, of course.

“A single flower in a garden… or rather, a single tree. But having just that might feel too empty, so we can add supplementary elements.”

“Oh, okay.”

It seemed I was taking the lead, but if I didn’t, this would take far too long.

“That’s all I’ve got. From here, it’s up to you, teacher.”

Leaving her to think, I stood up to take a short break.

“What if we include Adam and Eve?”

“Isn’t that a bit too on the nose?”

“Hmm.”

Her thoughtful expression deserved some praise, but I couldn’t help but wonder:

How could an artist be so… uncreative?

‘…That must be average, right?’

I’m the weird one here.

Still, this wasn’t my domain anymore. I’d only laid the groundwork; the rest was for Teacher Lee A-reum to figure out.

If she was going to win an award, it had to be through her own effort.

If I did everything, it wouldn’t truly be her work.

“…A garden with animals.”

“Pardon?”

“A small garden. Put the tree in the center, and surround it with animals. That could work, right?”

“Oh… That’s a good idea. But—”

“Yeah. It feels a bit too plain, like it lacks impact.”

“Exactly. Paintings need to grab attention. If they’re too ordinary, they won’t be popular. But…”

Her idea was indeed ordinary. Still, there’s truth to the saying: simple is best.

“Let’s go with that. Simplicity isn’t bad if we make it the best simplicity in the world.”

“I’m not confident…”

“Did you forget who’s helping you?”

“You need to be more humble.”

I shrugged at her remark. With that, the main work began, and her determination visibly rose.

“Ha-eun, what about this part of the leaves?”

“Pointillism would be ideal, but it might leave too much blank space.”

“Hmm. Should I just dab it on?”

“I’ll handle that part. I’m good with a brush.”

“What kinds of animals?”

“I was thinking: a donkey, an eagle, a kangaroo, a white mouse, a dove, a dog, and a sheep. What do you think?”

“Why those… Ah, don’t tell me.”

“Exactly. Many of the world’s masterpieces symbolize the seven deadly sins through animals. I want to represent the seven virtues instead.”

That gave me chills. Teacher Lee A-reum had grown significantly in just a few hours.

The animals symbolizes humility, generosity, patience, diligence, charity, temperance, and chastity.

While not directly tied to the Bible or philosophy, these animals were commonly associated with those virtues.

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

“Definitely. I like animals, after all.”

Seeing Teacher Lee A-reum’s cheerful smile, I fell into thought.

…If this went well, it might not just be a masterpiece but—

‘Hmm. No, that’s too ambitious.’

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

‘Still… should I give it a shot?’

The thought wouldn’t leave my mind.

After all, there didn’t need to be only one owner of the illusory world.

While I could handle the technical side of the painting, imbuing it with emotion would be solely up to Teacher Lee A-reum.

‘Or maybe not just her. If I got Hong Yehwa involved in this…’

The conclusion forming in my head was that it wasn’t entirely impossible.

I’d have to discuss it with them later.

“For now, let’s call it a day and grab some food.”

“Oh, sounds good! I’ll treat you for a change.”

“Then let’s go to Hyukje Galbi. You’re loaded, after all.”

“Sure, just let me clean this up first.”

Watching her gather the tools, I scratched my head.

I had a feeling this project was going to spiral into something much bigger.

“Ahhh! What should I do?!”

What now? Choi Yeseo’s outburst made Ha Soyeol and Hong Yehwa instinctively back away.

“There’s only a week left! Ahhh…”

“It’s not like this is your first time. What’s the big deal?”

“Every time I step on stage, it feels fresh and thrilling. That’s why I’m so nervous!”

Choi Yeseo pouted and stomped her feet in frustration.

“Ughhh. Even after all the training with Siren, something still feels off.”

“You’re already good enough. You’ll do great.”

Hong Yehwa comforted her, pulling Choi Yeseo into a hug.

“Sniff… Yehwa, you’re the only one I can count on. Those two are clearly T-types!”

“…I’m a T too.”

Choi Yeseo’s face fell in despair before quickly brightening.

She’d spotted the Waffle High School cafe.

“Let’s stop by!”

“I thought you were watching your weight. Hey, you two, say something—”

Before I could finish, all three girls dashed toward the cafe, ignoring me entirely.

Please, let them at least regret it tomorrow.

…Come to think of it, why doesn’t Hong Yehwa ever gain weight?

She doesn’t seem like she exercises.

We’re both sedentary creatures, so it’s a bit of a mystery.

‘Wait, isn’t her class tomorrow? I’ll ask her then.’

I felt a jab in my side.

When I turned, I was met with a glaring, flushed face.

…Was this my fault?

I felt seriously wronged.