HYUNG 5

“He’s probably just sitting in there for a while. Don’t worry too much.”

After reassuring Teacher Dohee, I cautiously opened the heavy iron restroom door and stepped inside. Since most of the students were in their classrooms drawing, only one stall door was closed. I walked over to that spot in the far corner and knocked gently.

“Gihun? Teacher Dohee is looking for you.”

Tap-tap! I knocked lightly, but there was no response. Eventually, I balled my hand into a fist and knocked firmly—thump, thump, thump. I rattled the doorknob a few times just in case it was unlocked. Seeing as it wouldn’t open, there was definitely someone inside.

“The entrance exam teachers are worried because you’ve been gone so long. Gihun.”

Thump! I banged once more, and just as I was about to knock again, the door was pulled inward and slid open. The fourth-year retaker, sitting on the closed toilet lid with earphones in, looked up at me with a dissatisfied face.

“What is it.”

“Teacher Dohee is looking for you because you’ve been gone too long.”

“Why, were they afraid I fell into the shitter and died? Or did they think a fourth-year retaker finally committed suicide?”

“…”

I simply shut my mouth at his neurotic tone. Let’s endure it. Getting angry at a student from another class was only looking for trouble. Besides, picking a fight with a sensitive long-term retaker could lead to a major incident.

“…You just got lucky getting into college.”

I lightly ignored the words the retaker mumbled loud enough for me to hear. One of the schools he—a graduate of a prestigious arts high school in Seoul—aspired to attend was Hankuk University. Perhaps that was why he was overtly displeased with me; I had attended a provincial high school and prepared for my exams in the countryside, yet I had gotten into the school he wanted. Furthermore, since we were around the same age but he was a student while I was an instructor at the academy, he didn’t hide his resentment.

You think you’re the only one who retook the exam? It’s because of that temperament of yours that you’re on your fourth try. No, you’ll probably go for a fifth. If I really met you outside, I’d give you one, no, several good smacks. You should be truly grateful that you’re a student. Swallowing the boiling emotions inside, I walked out of the restroom alongside him.

“Teacher Dohee. I found Gihun.”

“Gihun. I told you to just talk to me if your drawing isn’t working out. You shouldn’t be stuck in here like this.”

“I have my own style!”

“Right. Right. Everyone knows you draw well, Gihun.”

Teacher Dohee patted the shoulder of the student, who was taller than her, and forced a smile. However, without smoothing his crumpled face, the retaker put his hands in his pockets and headed toward the entrance exam classroom. Only after the two of them disappeared down the hallway did I let out a deep sigh.

“If they ask me to take over the entrance exam class… I’m quitting.”

Among students who drew well or graduated from arts middle and high schools, there were a few whose pride was excessively strong.

I wasn’t unaware that putting up with that immature behavior and coaxing them was part of what my hourly wage covered. But wasn’t that going way too far? I really… can’t stand it. Suddenly, the kids in the preparatory class I was in charge of became so precious.

“Hey, guys!”

“Teacher… Did you eat something wrong?”

“…”

I entered the preparatory studio with a smiling face to greet them, only to be met with a pointless rebuff. High schoolers these days were so cold-hearted. Whether it was these kids or that brat who’s my sister.

‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹

“It’s heavy…”

I let out a short groan while carrying a large canvas with a plastic bag containing materials like paints and brushes in one hand. The weight of the items I bought at the art supply store today was considerable.

A few tubes of oil paint, a large size of gesso—the base applied to canvas—a wide brush to apply the gesso, a wide bowl used to mix gesso with water, linseed and turpentine oils used for mixing with oil paints, and oil used for washing brushes; as I gathered the necessary items, it had swelled into a quite large amount. It was a disaster that occurred because I was buying new materials from A to Z upon returning to school. On top of that, I had bought a canvas, so it was impressive enough that I had carried it all here by myself.

“Ah, I’m seriously going to die…”

Furthermore, the canvas I purchased today was a Size 50 in the F format for portraits. Canvases are numbered by size, and divided into F for figures/portraits, P for landscapes, and M for seascapes according to their use. I mainly purchased the F type. That ratio was the most appropriate for my paintings.

The Size 50 F I chose today was a large size, approximately 117cm wide and 91cm high, and because it was a “jeong-wakgu” (fixed professional frame) product, it was bound to be heavy. A “ga-wakgu” (temporary/fake frame) has fewer wooden slats and is relatively flimsy, while a “jeong-wakgu” product is thicker and has more wooden slats to make it sturdy; the latter was more durable but, of course, much heavier.

The canvas and materials were so massive they covered more than half of my 184cm height, and why on earth did the fine arts building have to be located in the deepest part of the campus? I had walked for a long time from the art store, but I still hadn’t arrived.

Right around the time I was starting to resent the university president, whose face and name I didn’t even know, a presence approached. Because I was hunched over and struggling like an ant, I could only see the tops of the person’s shoes. Polished dress shoes reflected the sunlight with a spark.

Passing the long legs and the thin coat, my gaze traveled past the long neck to reach a face that was shadowed, much like my own face darkened by the shadow of the canvas. Nevertheless, that bright and refreshing appearance did not fade. With the high, blue autumn sky perched above his head, it was the double-major student I had seen yesterday, Ham Dowon.

“Hello, Hyung.”

“Oh. Hey.”

What was it about meeting me that made him grin so shyly? He really must like people. He’s a bit like a dog. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but literally like a canine.

“Are you on your way to the workshop?”

“Yeah. Got to work.”

I lifted the canvas slightly while answering, and my body shook momentarily due to the weight. It wasn’t to the point of falling, though. There was no need to go this far. I felt embarrassed by Ham Dowon’s hand, which quickly grabbed my shoulder. I took a half-step back to avoid his touch.

“Why are you so startled? It’s not like you fell.”

It was funny how Ham Dowon opened his eyes wide.

“I was just… a bit surprised. I’m on my way too, so let me help you.”

“Really? Then I’d be grateful.”

I was dying trying to carry it alone, so I’d be thankful if he helped. I felt it would be against my conscience to hand over the large canvas, so I held out the bag. It was much easier once someone else took that bag that had been turning my hands white from a lack of circulation. We walked side by side toward the fine arts building.

Since it was the middle of the third period, the area in front of the first-floor elevator was deserted. I would be able to hop on right away and reach the workshop. However, that wasn’t what I was taking today.

“Ah, not there, this way.”

I caught Ham Dowon, who was walking boldly toward the passenger elevator, and gestured toward the end of the hallway. The fellow wore a puzzled expression but followed obediently. Gripping the canvas tightly, I walked down the hall as quietly as possible. Since there were classes in progress in the other first-floor lecture rooms, I shouldn’t cause a disturbance.

What I was looking for was near the back door at the end of the hallway. That was where the freight elevator, which opened from bottom to top, was located.

“You can move stuff like this in the freight elevator here. Some kids take it without any luggage sometimes, but anyway.”

The freight lift, which had been stopped on the 6th floor, began to descend, making a much louder noise than a regular elevator.

I leaned the canvas against the wall and took a short break. Next time, I should borrow a handcart or something. Or even if it’s a hassle, I should buy things in parts. My shoulders were stiff and my arms felt like they were going to fall off. I thought I could manage to carry it somehow, but I must have been overconfident in myself. If Ham Dowon hadn’t appeared out of nowhere, I would be making a crying face right now, not even having reached the fine arts building.

“Thanks. For helping.”

“I’m naturally kind to the people I like. You like me, Hyung.”

“Riiight…”

Anyway, he’s a really strange kid. I didn’t want to bother correcting him when he nodded with such a face of absolute certainty, so I just gave a lukewarm reply.

Taking the lift up, we arrived quickly. Since the freight elevator was closer to the workshop than the regular elevator, moving the items wasn’t difficult.

“Phew.”

I set the canvas against the side and slumped into a chair, letting out a sigh. No more large-scale work for me from now on. I’m sticking to small things, canvases under Size 20.