Chapter 34 (2) - The Mysterious Art Museum
After arriving at the Buam-dong mansion and being led to the living room by the working maid, I, who came to paint a portrait but brought no painting materials, gave an awkward smile to the maid's curious look and sat down on the sofa to wait for Mrs. Kang.
Mrs. Kang, who was nowhere to be seen for quite a long time.
It was actually fine, as my thoughts weren't fully organized yet, and this time was rather helpful.
I was lost in thought, looking at the living room interior, which seemed more expensive than even gold plating.
"I lack information."
When I painted Monica's portrait, I could satisfy her because of the information Sooyoung gave me about her. Thanks to that, I knew what future she truly desired, and I was able to depict that.
I know nothing about Mrs. Kang.
What kind of life she has lived, what thoughts she has now.
Why her hand was injured and what scars it left her.
These are not easy questions to ask a lady.
Then, there was a noise from the end of the corridor.
It seemed Mrs. Kang was finally about to appear.
She walked in, softly and in slippers, wearing a comfortable outfit in a different color but similar design to yesterday's.
As I stood and bowed, Mrs. Kang greeted me with a cultured voice.
"I'm a bit late, sorry."
"No, it's alright."
"Please, have a seat."
Mrs. Kang sat on the sofa and, after glancing around me, asked with a puzzled look.
"Where are your painting materials?"
I pulled out a notebook and pencil from my pocket and smiled awkwardly.
"This is all I need today."
"Hmm."
She didn't seem too pleased. But since I had already secured three weeks, how I used that time was up to the artist.
Mrs. Kang assumed a pose she thought was appropriate and said,
"Should I sit up straight?"
"No, just be comfortable."
"What about the pose?"
"Ah, when I paint portraits, I tend to observe the subject for a long time. I'm not going to paint right away today; instead, I plan to sketch your face from various angles, so it's better if you show me different expressions comfortably."
"That's an unusual method."
Of course, it's unusual.
It's also my first time working this way.
I opened the notebook and started sketching Mrs. Kang's face, saying,
"Expressions are important. The more I see, the better the painting will be."
"Expressions? Do you want me to laugh or cry?"
"If you could, that would be great."
"That won't happen."
Mrs. Kang's cool expression.
An expression that says she would never do such a thing.
Of course, I expected this. It's not like a kindly noblewoman, but a tough woman who runs a huge hotel corporation, would laugh and cry on command from a mere artist.
I smiled and said,
"You don't have to force yourself. I'll manage."
Mrs. Kang turned away with a snort, but soon, seemingly bored, she kept changing her pose. That's fine. After all, I didn't come to paint a still object.
I spoke naturally,
"This is a boring process, isn't it?"
".................."
"Have you ever had your portrait painted?"
".................."
"Actually, I used to paint portraits on the street. I would quickly sketch with a pencil and complete a portrait in about 30 minutes, but there were many who couldn't even wait that long and fidgeted."
Mrs. Kang, who seemed to have never had a street portrait, asked with interest,
"You can complete a portrait in 30 minutes?"
"Yes, of course, it's a bit rough, haha."
"Rough? You charge for such hastily done work? How much?"
I scratched my head and laughed,
"Twenty-five thousand won."
".........................."
Perhaps comparing it to her own 30 minutes, she looked shocked at the trivial amount.
"How many do you paint a day?"
"Well, if I'm lucky, about four. But on average, about two."
Twenty-five thousand won twice.
My average daily earnings were fifty thousand won.
Mrs. Kang looked as if wondering how I could live on that, but being a well-mannered person, she didn't ask outright.
I caught a glimpse of curiosity on her face and smiled inwardly,
'Let's start by opening up about myself to hear Mrs. Kang's inner thoughts. Until her heart opens.'
I smiled and spoke nonchalantly,
"Don't underestimate fifty thousand won a day. It's a big help to me."
I began to reveal stories I hadn't even told my friends, to hear the inner thoughts of someone I wasn't even close to.
Exposing my own flaws in hopes of hearing hers.
To see the inside she wants to be seen.
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