Chapter 38: 4 Color Theorem – (1)

Art Academy

In South Korea, the moment you decide, ‘I want to do art!’ the first place that comes to mind is an art academy. 

Of course, some learned under private art tutors or directly from artists, but their numbers paled in comparison to the widespread appeal of art academies.

I, too, learned to draw at an art academy.  

I still vividly remember my first day there.  

“It was right before Christmas when this tall high school boy suddenly walked in, saying he wanted to join the academy. The director was quite startled.”  

That trembling feeling I had as I registered for the academy—it all comes back to me. The memory of learning basic sketching on a beginner’s white geometric shape that first day.  

A simple skills test

I was tasked with drawing a plain white cube. Shadows flickered, and the gradients shifted through dozens of tones. Using a pencil, I carefully shaded black to capture these nuances.  

-Scratch, scratch...  

The dry air of the studio. The floor. The mountain of paper and pencils piled up. The students in their aprons.  

–Scratch, scratch...  

Sitting in front of a gas heater that warmed my face, I drew clumsy sketches amidst students preparing for winter entrance exams.  

For a few years, I continued attending the art academy, learning the fundamentals of drawing.  

But at some point, I stopped going.  

Failing to get into college distanced me from entrance exams and naturally pushed me away from academy life.  

“At first, it was because of the shock. Then, as I grew older, I felt awkward in places full of students and avoided them.”  

This was years before I fully embarked on a freelancing career, but the memories still felt fresh. Perhaps it lingered because it marked the end of my teenage years.  

“…..”  

Holding the beginner’s white cube in my hand, I was lost in thought. The cool, rigid texture of the plaster brought the memories flooding back.  

‘…I miss it.’  

In the end, I found myself back at the art academy.  

And on Christmas Eve, no less.  

But I wasn’t alone this time.  

I came with Mari, Juri, and Mija three friends with whom I had shed any sense of formality. We ended up choosing the art academy as the venue for our Christmas gathering.  

‘When three people who dislike crowded places get together, it leads to some unexpected decisions. It was just a random thought that came to mind because I remembered some art academies stayed open during winter.’  

「How about we rent an empty studio at an art academy for Christmas?」

It was a suggestion I had made absentmindedly. To my surprise, the response was enthusiastic.  

– “Heehee, art academies are my thing. I’m in!”  

– “An art academy? I don’t know much about art, but that sounds interesting.”  

– “If Hana’s decided, I’m all for it!”  

And just like that, we casually decided on an empty studio at an entrance exam art academy as our Christmas party venue. We pooled our money to pay for a day’s rental.  

“I’d heard that some art academy studios could be rented for hobby classes or events, but I’d never actually tried it myself.”  

When we arrived at the studio, it was Mari who seemed the most fascinated.  

“Wow!”  

She wandered around with her mouth open in amazement.

Peeking around here and there, I marveled at the paint-covered sink and the moldy-smelling storage room for paintings. It was fascinating to see such things, especially coming from someone who seemed the most familiar with such environments.

“Wow! So this is where people learn art in Korea… The atmosphere is so vintage!”  

“More like it’s just plain empty than vintage.”  

“Ahaha! Hana, you’re so sharp!”  

“Well, it’s a space meant for intensive use to prepare for entrance exams. It’s not exactly the place for high-end materials or facilities. Things would break down pretty often anyway.”  

“Still, it’s fully equipped as a proper workshop! It looks fun! Fascinating!”  

Juri spoke while hanging her scarf and coat on the rack.  

“Hmm? Mari, have you never been to an art academy?”  

“Nope! I learned by visiting artists’ studios in the U.S.”  

“Then… how did you manage to pass the Hanul entrance exam?”  

“I just did it, and I got in!”  

“Oh… I see. That’s incredible. Most people prepare so hard just to get into Hanul.”  

I shrugged and said to Juri.  

“Well, didn’t you also cram last-minute with your experience as a professional? You passed your acting practical exam too. Middle school entrance exams are manageable with that level of preparation.”  

“Oh, is that how I should think of it? But I did put in a lot of effort…”  

“To be honest, it’s not typical for elementary schoolers to have skills advanced enough for serious entrance exams. Anyone who can is basically halfway to being an elite.”  

“Wow… But then, how did Hana even manage to get in? Didn’t she say she never attended an art academy?”  

“….”  

Uh-oh.  

This one’s unnecessarily sharp.  

“Is it even possible for an elementary schooler with no experience to develop such amazing skills on their own? That’s incredible.”  

“…”  

Yikes.  

I didn’t know what to say.  

Coming out with the truth out of nowhere felt strange, but making up a story about suddenly acquiring talent didn’t sit well with my conscience.

Letting others draw their own conclusions was one thing, but this was different.  

Maybe I should have at least pretended to attend a kids’ art academy…?  

While I was mulling this over, Mari suddenly came up behind me and hugged me tightly. Since I was light, she effortlessly picked me up like a teddy bear. The sudden physical affection caught me off guard.  

“Whoa–?!”  

“Well, of course it’s possible!”  

Mari said with absolute confidence, without a shred of doubt.  

“Hana is amazing! She can do anything!”  

“….”  

“I’m sure the Hanul teachers saw that too!”  

“….”  

“Because… because Hana is amazing!”  

“….”  

Juri nodded along, completely convinced.

“Right, that could be true. I only saw her drawing seriously once on the drama set, but it was amazing.”  

“Right?”  

“Yeah!”  

“….”  

Is this how persuasion works…?  

‘It’s just… you know, a… regression cheat.’  

But even if I said it, no one would believe me.  

In the end, I neither agreed nor denied…  

I simply kept quiet.  

“Hana is amazing!”  

“Hana really is amazing!”  

“…..”  

Mari rubbed her face against my hair as if she were proud of me. Because of that, my legs dangled helplessly in the air.

Her loosely tied twin pigtails swayed and spun around.  

Am I Mari’s emotional support doll or something?  

“….”  

She definitely just had surgery on her arm, so…  

Where does she even get this strength from?  

While I was lost in these thoughts, we were still spinning in circles.

The scenery of the art studio blurred past me like a montage.  

“Hehehe!”  

“…..”  

Since we both had taken off our jackets,  the warmth on my back was almost too hot.  

Because of that, my face felt a little warm too.  

‘This feels… way too ticklish.’  

I felt a bit embarrassed, but if I struggled at times like this, we’d both end up hurt.

So, I relaxed and accepted the physical affection.

After all, I’d gotten used to seniors hugging me like this all the time.  

‘Then again, it’s kind of scary how being treated like a plushie is starting to feel normal…’  

Wahhh.  

Where’s the honor of Go Hun, the manly man?  

Oh, that honor?  

It disappeared along with your manly pride.  

Sob sob…  

And so, I hung there like a stuffed bear,  wandering around the art studio and watching the scenes pass by.  

A short while later, someone appeared noisily.  

“Uwahaha―! The great me has arrived―☆”  

Mija strode into the art studio, radiating confidence.  

She had apparently brought along all sorts of art supplies herself. At some point, she’d even put on a blue apron, which was an unexpected bonus. The refreshing color suited her quite well.  

“Ahem.”  

Mija wore a triumphant expression.  

It seemed like she’d realized from the context of the conversation that she was the most familiar with art school among us.  

Our Mija, standing there with arms crossed, had her soft, golden hair tied back, showing off her shiny forehead.

I unconsciously muttered as I saw her.  

“Mi-chan, your forehead is really wide.”  

“H-Hana-chan?! We’re comrades in the same art department… and that’s the first thing you say when you see me in serious mode?!”  

“But seriously, your forehead is really wide.”  

“Sigh…”  

Juri covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide open.  

“Wow! Mija, your apron! Did you match it with your eye color? It’s super cute!”  

“Ehehe. Y-yeah. Grandma bought it for me as a gift. She said blue suits me.”  

“That makes sense! Mija always uses blue for her bag and hair ties too. I thought it suited you really well. So, you matched everything on purpose! Your grandma has an eye for colors. She could be a fashion coordinator!”  

“Ehe, ehehe. That’s right, my grandma used to run a dye shop, you see. As expected of Juri-chan, you catch the smallest details. Unlike that clueless kid, Hana-chan, you’re on a whole different level.”  

“Who are you calling a kid?”  

“Y-you, snuggling up like a teddy bear right now! Day by day, you’re getting ruder! You should be praising this big sister more…! You arrogant little—”  

Huh.  

Mi-chan turned out to be a young boomer?  

‘Well, she is Korean.’  

I decided to honor Mija’s wish and show her some respect.  

“Mi-chan, your forehead is so vast, it’s like the wide-open plains of America.”  

“Urgh…! You, you cheeky little—!”  

Mari, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly spoke up.  

“Ooooh, Persia! Like the tiles on a mosque!”  

“Yeah, exactly.”  

“…?”  

“…?”  

Of course, Juri and Mija didn’t get it.  

“Persia?”  

“Pe-Persia…? Tiles…?”  

Before they got even more confused, I added an explanation.  

“Mi-chan uses cobalt blue as her personal color, right? Back in Persia, they used that shade for high-quality pigments when making tiles. It’s an elegant and luxurious color, so it suits you perfectly. It’s a compliment.”  

“O-oh, I see!”  

“Got it!”  

Mija and Juri nodded furiously, like over-enthusiastic audience members at a TV show.  

Suddenly, Juri giggled.  

“Pfft! When Mari says things, it’s like we’re on a quiz show.”  

“R-right? Like an art-themed quiz show!”  

“Yeah, but when you hear the answer, it’s so normal that it’s kind of funny.”  

“A-and then Hana-chan explains it so casually too…”  

“Ahaha…! She’s like a quiz show host, isn’t she?”  

“More like one of those educational puppets.”  

“Oh, the ones with the moving mouths on kids’ shows?”  

“Y-yeah! Those ones!”  

“Pfft! Hahaha!”

“Uhihi!”  

I couldn’t join in on the sudden burst of laughter.  

After tilting my head in confusion for a moment, I turned around and met eyes with Mari. As expected, she wore the same puzzled expression as me.  

“Are they always this giggly?”  

“Yeah. It’s fascinating.”  

How everyone could gather together like this.  

“Still, they’re not bad kids.”  

“Yeah. Fascinating.”  

That we could assemble such wonderful friends.  

“Thank goodness.”  

“Yeah, fascinating.”  

Even Mari seemed amazed at how much fun she was having.  

“….”  

“….”  

Without saying it aloud, Mari and I understood each other.  

For a while, we laughed and chattered, each for our own reasons.  

Then, Mija brought out some art supplies, and we began drawing various pictures.  

Mija, on a large sketchbook, used an analog pen to draw surprisingly well-done shoujo manga characters. It wasn’t her usual entrance-exam art style; it was something she enjoyed, so her enthusiasm shone through.  

“Ta-da! See, the true artistry of this great me flows so quickly!”  

“Wow, that’s so fast. Mija, you’re amazing with pens!”  

“Deformed? Cartoon style?”  

“Yeah, Mari’s right. Mija loves manga.”  

“Hehe… Someday, I’ll be a great artist! I’ve already mastered the sense of using G-pens… hehe.”  

“That’s amazing!”  

“Your skills aren’t ordinary, that’s for sure. I can’t manage manga-style at all.”  

“Hehe, hehe…! Insolent younger siblings! Praise this great me even more!”  

Juri, after fiddling with a pencil a few times, decided she’d rather pose as a model. So we all took turns drawing portraits of Juri.  

Mari and I produced relatively plain drawings. But what caught our attention was Mija’s piece. It wasn’t an ordinary portrait; it looked like something straight out of a manga world.  

“Mija, Mija… what’s up with those proportions? Where did all those practice sessions go?”  

“S-shut up… It’s just because I was drawing in shoujo manga style. That’s all!”  

“Ahaha, I like it! It feels like a heroine straight out of a manga!”  

“Juri…!”  

“Roy Lichtenstein!”  

“?”  

“?”  

“He’s an artist who explored the potential of pure art through manga-style pop art. It means Mija enjoys drawing manga and does it well.”  

“Thanks for the explanation, doll.”  

“Ahaha!”  

“Who are you calling a doll?”  

Mari grabbed my arm from behind and shook it back and forth as if playing with a doll.  

“Is Hana my doll? That’s perfect! I love it!”  

“I’m not, though…”  

“Then can I take you home?”  

“I said I’m not!”  

“Why not?”  

“Because I’m not a doll.”  

“But you’re as pretty as one!”  

Mija and Juri chuckled as they watched our exchange.  

We spent quite a while chatting, drawing, and playing around. When we eventually got hungry, we went outside to grab something to eat.  

The places with even a hint of Christmas atmosphere were crowded, so we mostly ended up eating street food in the back alleys.  

Even though it didn’t feel remotely like the holiday season, it turned out to be quite an enjoyable Christmas.