Chapter 70:What I want to show – (1)

Summer vacation had begun.  

As always, it was also the time when the issue of college admissions for high school seniors was actively discussed.  

So, right after the end-of-term ceremony, a meeting was held to discuss the students’ admission paths.  

Hanul Comprehensive Art School, considered the best arts education institution in Korea, was still just a school.  

No matter how much the education focused on pure art, external evaluations were ultimately based on college entrance results.  

Therefore, student admissions were the school’s top priority.  

However, surprisingly, the first topic of the faculty meeting at the end of the first semester was not the admissions issue for the third-year high school students.  

It was about selecting a student artist to represent Hanul at the ‘New York International Contemporary Art Fair Youth Division.’  

The teachers looked puzzled.  

“Isn’t it enough just to send Go Hana?”  

“Well, the organizers decided to select one more student artist this time…”  

“!?”  

Usually, such large international events only allowed one participant per organization.  

Even with just one participant from each renowned artist association and gallery, the number was overwhelming.  

However, this time, the organizers had sent a notice stating, “Considering Korea’s cultural influence, we will expand the exhibition space.”  

All the art-related faculty members at the meeting fell silent.  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

It was certainly an honor for Hanul to be able to send two students to such an international event.  

However, it was a heavy burden to decide who else to recommend among the strong candidates.  

The head of the academic department, determined not to compromise on this matter, began with a firm statement.  

“The unanimous decision is that Go Hana’s participation is a given. Now we must decide who will take the remaining spot…”  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

No one opposed that statement.  

Of course, Go Hana would be sent.  

She was the youngest student ever admitted and had become a prodigy, actively engaging in more works than even Han Mari.  

The school was committed to supporting her on a larger scale.  

But the problem was the next choice.  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

On the conference room table, where the faculty members held their breath and stared, lay the documents of the two students.  

Both were worthy candidates for the upcoming art fair.  

『Oh Yujin』  

『Han Mari』  

One was Oh Yujin, a third-year high school student preparing for college this year,  

and the other was Han Mari, who, until two years ago, was believed to be Hanul’s next prodigy.  

Oh Yujin’s records detailed her outstanding grades never losing her top rank last semester and her relentless practice habits.  

Han Mari’s documents were filled with reference materials and artist notes from various exhibitions that even adults would find hard to participate in.  

It was undeniable that both were exceptional student artists in their own right.  

One of the faculty members spoke in a regretful tone, looking at Han Mari’s attendance record.  

She had barely attended, almost to the point of being held back a grade.  

“Normally, I would recommend Han Mari… but aside from her own work, she barely comes out at all these days. It’s….I would like to send Yujin instead, but there are circumstances on this side too.”  

“Yes, Oh Yujin is in her third year of high school, so it would be better for her to focus on college admissions rather than exhibitions for now.”  

From the school’s perspective, it was ideal to send a diligent and trouble-free student as their representative. However, sending a senior who was deeply involved in college preparations to an international event was a tough decision, given the prevailing mindset in Korea.  

Oh Yujin, who was facing college admissions,  

and Han Mari, who had been reclusive for two years.  

Both were difficult to send under the current circumstances.  

The discussion dragged on for quite a while.  

Eventually, someone was called upon to resolve the issue.  

“What do you think, Professor Ahn Sooyoung?”  

“!”  

Professor Ahn Sooyoung, the head of Hanul’s art study abroad program and someone who had guided both students, was now looked upon to provide clarity.  

“…”

Professor Ahn tilted her head slightly, aware of the intense gazes fixed on her.  

Privately, she wanted to recommend Oh Yujin. Yujin was one of her favorite students, someone she had taught for a long time. Her artistic techniques were polished and textbook-perfect.  

But there was a reason she couldn’t do so.  

“Yujin is already under immense pressure from the college admissions process. If we decide to send her to New York as well…”

During the recent counseling session, Yujin, uncharacteristically for a top student, wore a tired smile as she spoke.  

“I guess there are so many incredible people in the world. Even though I tried so hard, barely scraping through the portfolio screening was… well, I guess trying to balance personal projects and admissions was too much for me.”  

“Yujin, you’re doing great. You’re well within the safe zone. The path from the river to the sea is tough, but that doesn’t mean you won’t thrive once you’re there.”  

“Kids like Hana or Mari have been playing in the sea from the beginning. I guess I was too arrogant, thinking I was on their level just because I go to the same school.” 

Yujin ended her words with a bitter smile.  

“…”

That faint, weary smile wasn’t what you’d expect from a student who was always at the top of her class and put in ten times the effort of others.  

Recalling that moment, Professor Ahn hesitated.  

And then, she made her decision.  

“…I don’t think I can add any more weight to Yujin’s shoulders. She’s already doing her absolute best with the tasks she’s been given.”  

“I see.”  

Some teachers nodded in agreement, while others looked disappointed.  

“So that means the decision is to send Han Mari as the next participant…”  

At the moment when the second participant was about to be finalized, Professor Ahn spoke again, her voice quiet but firm.  

“Before that.”  

“?”  

The teachers turned their attention back to her.  

“There’s something I’d like to ask Han Mari herself.”  

“Ask her what?”  

“I want to know if she truly wants to participate.”  

“Her intention to participate? Isn’t that obvious…”  

Professor Ahn Sooyoung spoke with a bittersweet expression.  

“That child might already be carrying a heavy burden as well. Not every student is like Hana, able to handle everything on their own.”  

“…”  

The meeting paused for a moment.  

Professor Ahn volunteered to personally speak with Han Mari and explain the current situation.  

“Do you think Mari will agree?”  

“Who knows… A student who hasn’t been out in two years suddenly deciding to step forward it’s hard to say.”  

While everyone awaited Mari’s response, Professor Ahn soon returned, bringing Han Mari with her into the meeting room.  

It had been nearly two years since Mari had appeared in any public setting, and the faculty were visibly surprised to see her.  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

Mari avoided eye contact, staring at the floor as she fidgeted nervously. Her hesitant and timid demeanor was a stark contrast to the confident child who used to show no fear of standing in front of others.  

“Do you think she can do it…?”  

Worries began to ripple through the room.  

After a long, tense silence, Mari finally managed to choose her words carefully. Even though it was a simple response, she seemed to weigh every thought.  

“…I-I’ll do it. I… I want to try.”  

“!”  

Though clumsy and lacking confidence, it was the first time Mari had ever expressed her determination to the school faculty.  

And with that, the second participant was decided.  

Hanul Comprehensive Art School finalized its decision to send Go Hana and Han Mari to New York.  

*

Mari seemed to have completely drained her energy from the aftermath of what happened in the conference room.

Even though the meeting lasted barely ten minutes, she fled to the clubroom and buried herself on the sofa.  

Wrapped tightly in a blanket like a cocoon, Mari was quietly taking deep breaths. I sat beside her.  

“Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale…”  

“…”  

To some people, saying just a few words in front of teachers might not seem like a big deal. But for others, it could be the very first time they expressed their own will—a nerve-racking moment that made their hands and feet tremble uncontrollably.  

‘Honestly, I thought of it as just a light trip, like going on a small adventure together. But maybe… this could be a really meaningful opportunity for Mari.’  

Because of that, I felt proud of her.  

Thinking that way,  

I gently patted Mari’s back as she kept taking deep breaths.  

Pat, pat.  

Gradually, the breathing sounds coming from inside the blanket became calmer.  

“…Inhale… exhale…”  

“…”  

Watching Mari like that, Juri spoke in a voice full of concern. She had seen Mari avoid people in the past, but she never realized it was to this extent.  

“You’ve been trying so hard all this time… and I didn’t even realize.”  

“…”  

“Whew, but anyway, there are going to be so many people in New York. I wish there were a way to avoid them. I’m really worried.”  

“…Yeah.”  

To be honest, I was worried about that too.  

‘If even speaking in front of a few dozen people is hard for her, will she really be okay in one of the most densely populated places in the world?’  

But Mari, still under the blanket, responded immediately to Juri’s concerns.  

Not with words, though—with a gesture.  

From inside the blanket, Mari thrust her thumb up with all her might.  

Thumbs up!  

We fell silent for a moment.  

“…”  

“…?”  

“…Pfft.”  

Juri broke into a chuckle. It seemed she understood that Mari was being considerate by using gestures, knowing her explanations would only confuse them more.  

“Pfft, so that’s her way of saying, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.’”  

“…”  

Mari, still under the blanket, switched to another gesture. She pointed her index finger toward her bag under the sofa.  

“Looks like she’s saying there’s a plan in there?”  

“This is the first time I’ve had such a straightforward conversation with Mari-chan. Wait, did Hana-chan teach you this?”  

“Well, we did brainstorm together. When we decided to go to New York, we thought about how Mari could communicate better with others. We figured, if words aren’t her thing, why not lean into nonverbal communication?”  

The day we all decided to go to New York,  

we started brainstorming ways for Mari to interact with people. One of the ideas was to actively use nonverbal expressions.  

‘…Though I didn’t imagine she’d rely on finger-pointing like this. But hey, it’s surprisingly intuitive and easy to understand.’  

Snicker, snicker.  

When she didn’t get the response she wanted, Mari repeatedly pointed at her bag with urgency.  

“Huh? Mari-chan, do you want me to grab that for you?”  

“…”  

“Oh, I think she’s saying to open it.”  

“…”  

Nod, nod.  

Mija was amazed that she could actually understand Mari’s gestures this easily.  

“W-Was the answer body language all along? This is… this is revolutionary!”  

Saying that, Mija opened the bag. Inside were a pair of headphones and a sleep mask.  

“Headphones and… a sleep mask?”  

“…”  

The sound of the bag opening prompted Mari to wiggle her fingers, signaling for the items.  

Mija obediently handed over the headphones and the sleep mask.  

“Here you go.”  

“…”  

There was a rustling sound from under the blanket for a moment.  

Then, Mari emerged from her cocoon, wearing both the headphones and the sleep mask. She grinned confidently. The headphones were connected to an MP3 player, playing classical music, while the sleep mask covered her eyes snugly.  

“Ta-da! If people are the problem, just make them disappear.”  

“…?!”  

“…?!”  

Juri and Mija flinched at Mari’s bold statement.  

To clear up any misunderstandings, I quickly added,  

“Mari, in situations like this, you should say, ‘out of my sight.’ If you don’t clarify, people might misinterpret it especially since you’re the granddaughter of a major corporation.”  

“Hehehe! But with this, I can totally go…!”  

However, Mari didn’t respond. Instead, she turned up the volume on her headphones, fully enjoying her newfound freedom. With a triumphant expression, she even started dancing.  

‘This was one of the solutions we brainstormed, and it’s been surprisingly effective. We decided to adopt it immediately.’  

Thanks to this method, Mari had successfully ventured as far as the grocery store near her house on the very day she first tried it. While it might have looked a bit ridiculous, it was a massive step forward.  

Watching Mari groove to the music, Juri chuckled and said,  

“Honestly, if she does that, being around crowds won’t feel scary at all.”  

“Though someone will still need to hold her hand and guide her everywhere… But I guess that won’t be an issue.”  

“B-But are you sure she’s really blocked out everything?”  

Curious, Mija waved her hands dramatically in front of Mari, testing whether she could see anything. Mari, oblivious, continued grinning triumphantly, completely unaware of Mija’s movements.  

Juri stared at the scene in disbelief for a moment before turning to me.  

“…By the way, Hana.”  

“Yeah?”  

“What are you planning to do for this time’s project? I remember you saying it’d take a lot of preparation.”  

“Oh… Yeah, it’s going to take quite a bit of work. Actually, some of the people who said they’d sponsor us nearly fell out of their chairs when they saw my project proposal.”  

“How ambitious is it?”  

I responded casually, as if it were no big deal.  

“Well, I need about twenty-five 50-inch TVs. And I want to bring all of them to New York and set them up there. That’s why they were all so shocked.”  

“?!“  

“?!“  

Juri and Mija looked at me with utter disbelief.  

“Fifty inches…?”  

“Twenty-five of them?!”  

“…Hehehe~ New York!”  

…Mari, as usual, remained utterly carefree.