I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 71: Old School Building

The days after the semester began passed quickly.

“Looks like it’s time to pack away the autumn clothes.”

“The weather has gotten milder, hasn’t it?”

Seeing the fallen leaves scattered around, it was clear the temperature had dropped.

Walking alongside me, Teacher Lee A-reum yawned and turned to look at me.

“So? Why today?”

“Huh? Oh. The [Siren] project is almost finished, and now I have some time.”

“Oh! Does that mean I’ll get to see [Siren] too someday?”

“It’s not impossible.”

Come to think of it, it was already late October. Nothing much had happened during that time.

Home, school, studio, and back home again.

That routine had left little room for anything unexpected. Recently, though, the [Siren] project had entered its final stage.

‘I expected it would take about three months, but it looks like it’ll wrap up earlier.’

That aside, today, Teacher Lee A-reum and I were headed to the old school building.

It was not because I was scared of ghosts and wanted company. Absolutely not.

“Oh, right, teacher.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know the name Lee Aram?”

“Huh? How do you know that name?”

It was just as I feared. It seemed the world really was small.

“Oh, it’s nothing. If it’s a sensitive topic, you don’t have to answer.”

“No, it’s not particularly sensitive. Hmm.”

After a moment of contemplation, Teacher Lee A-reum spoke.

“I had an older sister. Much older than me. But I don’t remember her.”

“I see.”

After that, an uncomfortable silence lingered. I simply observed Teacher Lee A-reum’s expression.

“We’re here. I have the key to the front gate, so I’ll open it.”

I watched her slowly walk ahead.

‘…It’s none of my business.’

I sighed and followed her into the old school building.

“Phew! If you came here in winter, you wouldn’t even need heating.”

Teacher Lee A-reum whistled and shivered as if to shake off the cold.

The interior was enveloped by the warm atmosphere created by Section Chief Seol Yoon’s masterpiece: the Phantom of the Plum Tree. The lingering warmth in the air was enough to make one feel relaxed.

Without saying much, the two of us climbed the stairs to the second floor and looked for the classroom of the plum tree.

“This room feels so cozy. Let’s stay here for a while before heading elsewhere.”

Teacher Lee A-reum sprawled out on the classroom floor, stretching contentedly.

‘I wonder if it’s okay for a teacher to act like this.’

The weather outside made me feel like taking a break too. I glanced around the classroom and checked the plum tree.

It looked just the same as before. Honestly, I wanted to tear it all down and start over… but I couldn’t do that.

Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly.

“Let’s move on now.”

At my words, she sprang up and walked out of the classroom.

“Where to next?”

“Well… let’s see.”

Among the bunch of keys in my hand was one with a fish pattern engraved on it. It had intrigued me for some time.

“To Class 2-3.”

We walked through the hallway and arrived at Class 2-3, where the door was tightly secured with a lock. I selected the fish-engraved key from the bunch and inserted it.

Click!

The lock opened, and the door creaked as it swung ajar.

“Good thing it’s daytime. If this were nighttime, we wouldn’t be able to see anything.”

“True.”

As we stepped inside, the empty space greeted us. It was eerily similar to the classroom of the plum tree in 2-1.

“There aren’t any desks or chairs left in the old school building, are there? Seems like they cleared everything out.”

“Well, it’s a building they don’t use anymore.”

Looking around, I couldn’t find anything unusual. Ordinary wooden floors, a seagull-patterned ceiling, and a green chalkboard.

I’d wondered if it might have a painting like the plum tree here too, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“There’s nothing special here.”

I nodded in agreement with Teacher Lee A-reum.

Just as she said, it was an ordinary classroom—wait.

Something in the corner of the room caught my eye. A small fish doodle was drawn there, roughly the size of a palm.

“What’s this—?”

Curious, I stepped closer to inspect it.

Suddenly, my vision shifted.

“Ugh…”

What now? I’ve been dragged into some kind of painting. Again.

At least I wasn’t actually kidnapped this time, so that’s a relief… right?

The place I found myself in was outdoors, surrounded by a dense forest under a bright, clear sky.

First, I needed to assess the situation. One thing was certain—this wasn’t an illusory world. If it were, there would be some sort of owner governing it.

But here, I felt nothing. No emotions, no aura. Just a peculiar emptiness.

Scratching my cheek, I scanned the area. A lush forest surrounded a small pond.

‘Why does this feel familiar?’

There was something unsettlingly recognizable about this place.

“Could this be…”

Realization struck, and I quickly turned my head. Then, I heard it.

“Master, there are fish here.”

The young, high-pitched voice sent chills down my spine.

“Hmm. A pond in the middle of the forest. Nothing unusual about that.”

And then came the aged, familiar tone. Too familiar.

It was the voice of my old master.

“What, shall I catch some and grill them for you?”

“I’m not really a fan of fish, so I’ll pass.”

I turned my gaze toward the source of the voices.

By the pond stood a boy crouched over to look at the fish, with an old man placing a hand on his head.

“Master…”

Though I muttered the word unconsciously, neither of them seemed to hear me.

‘This… this is my memory.’

I had no idea how my master had managed something like this.

‘No, this isn’t my memory. It’s his.’

My eyes remained fixed on the two figures, who were themselves engrossed in watching the pond.

The boy suddenly sat down and pulled a notebook and pen from his pocket, beginning to sketch something.

I remembered now. This must have been soon after I’d met my master.

The fish in the pond weren’t even the first animals I saw when I entered the mountains.

The first had been a fox. Specifically, the one yawning atop the boy’s head.

The old man simply waited as the boy sketched furiously in his notebook.

When he finally stopped, he put the notebook and pen back into his pocket.

“The trees seem to be protecting the fish.”

“It’s not just the trees. Every part of this forest exists to guard this creature.”

“Why is that?”

“Ha! Even I don’t know the answer to that.”

“Seriously?” grumbled the boy as he stood up.

The fox on his head swished its tail playfully, tickling the boy’s neck.

“Mountain and field, what do you think nature is like?”

“I’m only fifteen, you know.”

“Hah! Just answer.”

“Hmm… I don’t know. Isn’t that too philosophical?”

The boy shrugged and turned his gaze back to the fish.

His master, Woo Hwa, laughed and patted his shoulder.

“It’s a painting. Nature is both a painting and a mystery. Everything we see in this world is art. Understand?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Click, click. You’ll figure it out later.”

Woo Hwa left those words behind and strode ahead at his usual leisurely pace.

The trail was uneven, yet he walked as if it were a flat path.

The boy, Sanya, watched his master’s retreating figure before turning his gaze back to the pond.

“But isn’t nature also something humans can change?”

Yes. Just like a painting, it could be altered at will.

Sanya lived without a defined sense of justice, merely going along with the flow of life.

“Your name is Siren. Got it?”

The boy smiled faintly and addressed the fish.

“And this one here is Gumiho. Miho, you better not eat Siren, alright?”

Sanya petted the fox perched on his head, a naive grin spreading across his face.

“I’ll come back again.”

His steps were both light and heavy as he followed his master. 

Light, because of the pleasant walk; heavy, because Sanya would have to return to hell when night fell.

As the boy disappeared from sight, the scene darkened.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

When I opened my eyes, I was back in the old school building.

‘…What the heck was that?’

Teacher Lee A-reum stared at me with a puzzled expression.

“You’re looking pale… Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s just a bit cold, that’s all.”

“Really? Thanks to the plum tree, I’m not cold at all.”

Ignoring her teasing tone, I turned my gaze back to the doodle.

Would it show me something again?

It didn’t.

A one-time use, it seemed.

‘What are you trying to tell me, Master?’

My master was always an enigma—a strange, almost otherworldly figure who behaved like a recluse.

He was full of riddles.

“How long was I out of it?”

“Hm? Oh, about a minute or so.”

Not too long. That was a relief.

I let out a deep sigh and tapped my temples to clear my scrambled thoughts.

Seeing a memory I’d long forgotten wasn’t exactly pleasant. It wasn’t something I wanted to revisit.

But whatever it was, I had to keep exploring the other classrooms.

The messages left by my master couldn’t be meaningless.

“Alright. Let’s head to 2-2.”

“Huh? Oh, sure, let’s go.”

Teacher Lee A-reum followed behind me, still slightly puzzled.

We arrived at the adjacent classroom. I inserted the key with a fox engraving this time.

Click!

The lock disengaged, and the door creaked open.

As with the previous room, the classroom was completely empty.

But

‘Of course.’

In another hard-to-spot corner, there was another doodle.

I focused on it, expecting something similar to happen.

…But nothing did.

‘Why isn’t it showing me anything?’

A hypothesis formed in my mind.

…No way.

‘Are you telling me to go see Gumiho first? That’s insane.’

Unfortunately, it seemed to be the right answer.

“Hmm. I thought there might be something interesting, but that’s disappointing.”

“Haha… I’ll check the other classrooms then.”

“Ah, alright. See you at the end-of-day meeting~.”

After parting ways with Teacher Lee A-reum near the teachers’ office, I returned to my classroom.

As I walked through the hallway, I couldn’t help but mull over the situation.

The [Gumiho] was currently in Japan. I could technically go there…

But I didn’t have nearly enough time.

At this rate, I’d have to travel abroad during every school break until graduation.

Not to mention, I still needed to alter the worlds of the masterpieces and retrace my master’s footsteps.

On top of that, I’d promised to visit the art prize exhibition with Teacher Lee A-reum.

‘Ugh, why has everything gotten so complicated?’

My groan echoed through the empty hallway.