I Was Michelangelo in My Past Life

Now, behold.

Michelangelo first dissected a corpse when he was 17 years old. And the last record of his corpse dissection is from 1553. Even if we consider that he dissected corpses only until then, the period is by no means short.

We must remember that Michelangelo died in 1564 at the age of 89.

If we measure in numbers, the period from the day he first dissected a corpse to the last recorded day of dissection is a whopping 61 years.

Reading Giorgio Vasari's records, we can see that Michelangelo, a perfectionist, dissected with such intensity to study anatomy more perfectly that once he started, he dissected as if he was correcting the bones themselves.

When he dissected, he peeled off the human skin to record the structure and appearance, searching for the principles of muscles, tendons, blood vessels, bones, and the various movements and expressions of the human body.

All of this was said to be in order to express his works more perfectly. This shows how obsessively persistent his fixation on perfection was.

That's why it is even more regrettable.

If Michelangelo hadn't burned all those records himself, we could have examined the extent of his incredible knowledge.

Think about it. Modern anatomists were astonished after seeing the 1,800 anatomical drawings left by Leonardo da Vinci. Now imagine if Michelangelo's anatomical drawings, created over such a long period, had been preserved?

We might have discovered a whole new world.

But now, all that remains for us are his works.

Excerpted from an interview with Professor Park Ji-yeop of Hanyang University College of Arts and Lee Ji-hye, journalist -

"Why is it so hard to see your brother's face?"

Yoon Yuran sucked up her cherryade through a straw. Kang Chaeyoung, who was sitting in front of her, smiled awkwardly and drank her blue lemonade.

"Yeah. Even I find it hard to see him these days..."

"So busy?"

Yoon Yuran looked at Kang Chaeyoung with surprised eyes. Then her gaze slowly dropped, aiming at the phone screen she was looking at.

On the screen was the photo just taken at the Peony Gallery. After this artist Goh Doohan's solo exhibition ended, they said they would seal off the entire space with glass walls.

Yoon Yuran sighed deeply, recalling the person who stood guard in front of the artwork, saying it must not be damaged until the exhibition ended.

"Well, of course, when making such an amazing work."

, , and even when she first saw , she thought he was truly incredible. When she saw his work, her heart raced, and she felt a thrill, a kind of Stendhal syndrome.

Even though she wasn't sensitive emotionally, it affected her that way. It meant the work was truly amazing. How could a high schooler be like that? He would definitely succeed, way beyond her expectations.

"Chaeyoung, should we create a fan café even now?"

Yoon Yuran chewed the tip of her straw and swallowed a sigh that kept coming out. She wished he were more famous, but she also wanted to keep him to herself.

"Maybe we shouldn't."

"What kind of artist has a fan café?"

Kang Chaeyoung waved her hands as if it made no sense.

"Is that so? But webtoon artists even get fan cafés. What's wrong with my brother...?"

"That's because they're webtoon artists, right? And he's my brother."

"Is that why? Hmmm."

Yoon Yuran dismissed Chaeyoung's claim of him being her brother and drank the last of her cherryade. The drink was almost finished.

She propped her chin with a disappointed look.

"I wish they had opened a café there."

"Where?"

"On the 8th floor of the Renaissance."

"Oh."

Kang Chaeyoung nodded. It was the café on the 8th floor of the Renaissance shopping mall, where the mural that her brother painted was displayed. They originally planned to go there after the Peony Gallery exhibition, but changed to a nearby café due to expansion construction.

"Why is the expansion taking so long?"

The Renaissance shopping mall became a hot place after the mural attracted too many visitors.

The mall closed the 8th floor café with a notice asking for understanding due to construction to expand the café up to the rooftop garden.

Yoon Yuran pouted, annoyed.

"Hot place my foot. If the construction keeps going this slow, it'll be a cool place."

"...Cool place?"

What kind of strange Konglish was that? Kang Chaeyoung shook her head.

"I don't think it'll be a cool place... I heard overseas people were really excited because they could slowly view the big up close. Some even said they'd come to Korea once the construction is done."

"What?"

Yoon Yuran sat up straight.

"Is my brother already famous overseas?"

"No, not really. Just a few people overseas came because they heard he painted . They said it looks exactly like Michelangelo's and made a fuss about it."

"If it's painted exactly the same, isn't it all the same?" Kang Chaeyoung tilted her head as if she didn't get it.

"Maybe making a fan café is better after all."

Kang Chaeyoung just drank her blue lemonade silently. Yet her eyes were on the phone with no news. Her eyebrows furrowed, clearly worried.

She had sent a CocoaTalk message in the morning asking if he had forgotten their appointment, but Kang Seok still hadn't replied.

February 25.

It was the promised day. He wouldn't have forgotten, right?

"What's my brother up to..."

Pale blue sky.

Goh Doohan, unable to trim his beard due to publication work, looked ahead with a slightly awkward expression. In front of a garage-like door was a sign reading [Iterum Glass Workshop].

This was the place confirmed by contacting Kang Seok's father directly using the business card received at the exhibition. Seok was said to be here, continuing his glasswork.

Goh Doohan stroked his chin. His rough beard followed his fingers.

"How did I even end up here?" Goh sighed deeply.

'Just go once. I can't move myself. Please.'

'...Who has time?'

'It's been three days. I haven't slept more than 4 hours total. Still no time. Just go. Kang Seok hasn't produced anything for over a week. He's usually fast but no word from him. It's worrying.'

'Well... true.'

'Please.'

Damn.

Goh Doohan should have refused more strongly then, but he finally agreed to the pitiful voice of Park Ji-yeop. Of course, more than that voice, what concerned him was Kang Seok's absence.

Kang Seok was extremely fast-handed. More precisely, he pushed himself so hard it seemed like self-exploitation, which explained the speed.

Anyway, such a diligent and fast worker being unresponsive and with no progress for a week was enough to worry.

With the school reopening soon, it was even more urgent.

He heard by phone that Kang Seok shut himself at home, sleeping like the dead or only washing and changing clothes before leaving. His growth plates probably hadn't closed yet, so how could he live so irregularly?

Goh Doohan clicked his tongue and folded his arms.

Still, when arriving, he worried about disturbing him. What to do? Should he contact teacher Jung Byung-kwon now?

As Goh Doohan hesitated, a man appeared outside the workshop.

"Who's there?"

The shadowed eyes under Goh's hat narrowed.

"Are you the owner?"

"Yes, but are you a guest?"

"No, um... I'm Seok's, Kang Seok's drawing teacher at his high school, he's now going into his third year..."

Ah, how to explain this. Goh scratched his temple awkwardly. It had been a while since he had to explain himself at length.

Usually, people in the art world recognized Goh and talking was easier, but the man in front didn't seem to.

Still, Goh tried to explain the funny situation.

Just as he was about to continue, the man suddenly said:

"You're here to see Teacher Kang Seok?"

The word "teacher" popped out of the man's mouth.

Though it could be a namesake, Goh sensed this man was indeed Kang Seok's teacher.

The Kang Seok he knew would not be surprising to be called teacher by a man twice his size.

"Is that so? Can I see him?"

"Hmm. Since you're a school teacher, I can guide you... but it's not easy to talk to him now. Follow me."

Jo Dongbeom scratched his head and entered the glass workshop garage. Goh followed, holding his breath, bracing for the heat.

But no heat came. The kiln must have been off. It was only slightly warmer than outside, so it must have been cooled long ago.

Why was the kiln off?

Goh wondered, then noticed a figure buried in papers in an office inside the workshop.

He slowly approached, instinctively.

When the features became clear, Goh let out a sigh-like exclamation.

"Ah."

It was Kang Seok.

He was reading something with reddened eyes, buried in books and papers covered with drawings. Goh squinted. It was an anatomy book. Among the stacked books was Henry Gray's Gray's Anatomy.

The world's first anatomy book, used by medical students.

'...He must be reading it for the human anatomy project.'

That was all. Kang Seok's knowledge of anatomy was sufficient for drawing or art. If he was delving deeper, it must be for his work, and the only anatomy-related project currently was the human anatomy project.

'But does he really need to read all that?'

The project was about providing three-dimensional anatomy data made by art students.

Goh furrowed his brows. It wasn't just reading Gray's Anatomy. Making 3D data might require the most accurate materials.

When he wanted to learn anatomy, Goh had also heard about this book. But Kang Seok's study was on another level. Gray's Anatomy was only among many books.

The office desk was buried under countless papers and books, hiding the face. There were papers all over the floor, too. It wasn't a quantity one could read in a week.

Judging by the reading time, it would take at least three months, but Kang Seok was flipping pages rapidly. His lips moved constantly, murmuring, and his pupils trembled finely. He wasn't just flipping pages, he was actually reading everything.

"What on earth… what kind of material is he trying to make by reading that much?"

I just couldn't associate it at all.

"How many days has Seok been like that?"

Of course, it couldn't have been just a day or two.

Goduhan turned his gaze to Jodongbeom. At that, Jodongbeom looked surprised back at Goduhan — he actually knew quite a bit about Kang Seok.

"...It's already been a week."

"A week… what? A whole week?"

But Goduhan hadn't thought Seok would be like that for an entire week. That meant he'd been like this continuously since the day after orientation.

This time, Goduhan was the one surprised and looked at Jodongbeom. But Jodongbeom raised the stakes even more.

"If he sits for just 10 more minutes now, it'll be 19 hours straight of sitting at his desk just reading. He only goes to the bathroom and otherwise just sits there without doing anything else, no breaks, only reading."

Looking now, there were several empty bowls stacked on top of papers. It seemed he ate while sitting there reading. Someone once said human concentration lasts about 40 to 50 minutes. Seeing this, there was nothing to say.

Putting concentration aside, how does he stay seated like that so long? It couldn't be good for his health. Goduhan looked through the glass with a worried gaze, wondering if he should forcibly make him rest.

...

Kang Seok was flipping through the pages in a trance.

Even before recalling his past life, Kang Seok was a diligent student. His practical skills weren't good, so it wasn't obvious, but compared to actual art students, his effort was by no means lacking.

Of course, from Kang Seok's perspective, recalling his past life, he felt embarrassed to say he had made much effort.

At barely a high school age, he read Gray's Anatomy and studied it, meticulously reading anatomical materials as well as art history. This was no ordinary effort. Moreover, he worked harder than he did preparing for the college entrance exam.

He literally thought he had to know at least this much and crammed it into his head. He put so much in that he once caught Kim Donghui giving wrong information. He memorized it all thoroughly.

He definitely did.

He must have.

But it was different.

Completely different.

Even while flipping pages briskly, it wasn't just letters, but theories entering his mind. When he looked at the pictures, his past-life memories overlapped, forming new theories.

Knowledge established somewhere between 400 and 500 years ago was raging. Of course, he wanted to actually observe dissections or watch surgical demonstrations on cadavers. But that was impossible for a minor.

No.

He didn't even need to.

Everything was absorbed into his brain every time he read. Kang Seok's pupils trembled rapidly.

He was literally absorbing knowledge.

Flip, flip, flip—how trance-like was he flipping pages? Suddenly, he realized there was nothing left to turn.

Ah.

He finished reading.

Kang Seok slowly lifted his head.

Goduhan and Jodongbeom looked at him with blank faces.

It was a week—19 hours and 16 minutes continuously—since he locked himself in the small room reading only anatomy materials.

"Teacher, what brings you here?"

Kang Seok, who had come out to the office, asked Goduhan. Even while asking, Kang Seok moved his arms and neck, feeling stiff. One hand still held a document envelope.

"Just stopped by for a moment. I'll be going again."

"Oh, really? But why did you come here?"

"What else? Park Jiyeop was freaking out saying she hadn't contacted him for over a week, so I stopped by."

At that, Kang Seok blinked.

"It's already been a week?"

That much time passed?

Since the day after delivering the Owl award to Grandfather Lee Younghyuk, Kang Seok had been locked in the room, unaware of time passing. He thought maybe just two or three days had gone by.

No wonder his family always looked at him with worried eyes when he stopped by.

Kang Seok now understood and recalled.

"Oh my. How focused have you been?"

Goduhan gave a crooked smile and glanced at the office through the glass. Even seeing it again, it was a huge amount of books. Reading all that and locking himself away, no wonder he lost track of time.

He doubted anyone could concentrate that long for a whole week.

"Hm."

"Well, whatever. Is it new to see you so focused? But… Seok, what exactly are you preparing so thoroughly for? Is it a paper or something?"

"Of course not."

Kang Seok flatly denied Goduhan's words.

Kang Seok's main profession was a sculptor. He had never forgotten his true calling.

Some called it obsession, others called it passion—his study of anatomy was purely for his artwork.

"I want to put my soul into it."

"Soul?"

"Words are complicated. Want to see a sketch?"

Kang Seok confidently showed something—a paper envelope that had been tucked under his arm.

Goduhan took the envelope.

"This is a sketch for your new work?"

"It's a draft made about four days ago. I need to revise a lot though."

So it was right. Goduhan pulled out a thick stack of papers. It was a lot. Goduhan frowned as he looked over the papers.

And when his gaze met the drawings on the papers, Goduhan's eyes twitched.

What is this?

"These are… anatomical drawings."

Anatomical drawings.

Drawings dissecting organisms, detailing internal structures carefully.

Human anatomical drawings. So detailed and realistic that many people would be startled, even grotesque—close to photorealistic.

He had never seen anatomical drawings that showed the original form of a person so well. Goduhan was shocked not just by the detailed internal structures, but also that the outer skin was drawn.

It was so vivid it was like seeing a real human body cut open. Even Goduhan, usually unshaken, turned his gaze away.

And it wasn't just one person.

The pages flipped quickly. The shapes were clearly distinct. These weren't ordinary people. They had distinct characteristics in each anatomical drawing. Counting them unconsciously, Goduhan clicked his tongue.

"Seven."

"Seven people."

"Yes. These are anatomical drawings of seven people facing imminent death. I'm going to make them three-dimensional."

"You mean you're going to make models of these people?"

"Models… well, it's somewhat different but yes. I'm going to recreate the bodies of seven people facing death, showing bodies coexisting with diseases in 3D."

"Hm."

Goduhan narrowed his brows worriedly.

"If these are based on cadavers (bodies donated for medical research), there could be problems. From the sketches, it looks like he's going to represent the skin too… I don't know how, but these are based on real people."

If known, their families would definitely protest.

And if the diseases were expressed in this way, it would be like driving the final nail into their coffins. As Goduhan shook his head no, Kang Seok said:

"What? These aren't real people."

"What?"

"I just put the diseases into bodies that don't actually exist, according to surgery records and papers."

So he created seven non-existent people?

And into these seven bodies, he implanted each disease and reproduced how the body changes?

Goduhan was speechless. He said he just made it by reading surgery records and papers.

Goduhan closed his mouth.

Surely Kang Seok didn't collect all these materials by himself. The source must be Park Jiyeop.

Most anatomical terms are easier to read in English rather than translate into Korean, but for highly specialized medical terms that Kang Seok would have difficulty understanding, an interpretation was probably provided.

So Kang Seok didn't interpret specialized medical terms himself and turn them into drawings.

Still, it was amazing. Even if interpreted, these were surgery records and papers. Without basic knowledge of anatomy, it would be hard to understand half of it.

And it was made four days ago, with more improvements to come.

...This is possible?

How is this possible?

Goduhan, too, was someone who had devoted his life to studying anatomy with abundant information. Both Park Jiyeop and Goduhan had spent more time on anatomy than Kang Seok.

Yet he lost.

Just reading text and producing this.

Goduhan recalled. None of the thousands of people depicted in really existed. No two people were drawn in the same posture.

It was like the 391 figures in Michelangelo's —none depicted in the same pose. This could only be done with expertise in anatomy.

"What on earth is this?"

Surely Kang Seok hadn't dissected tens, hundreds, or thousands of bodies. Even if he had, realistically depicting what exists and creating what doesn't are different.

There was no denying it. This was beyond mere effort or passion.

Ah.

Now I get it.

Goduhan nodded like someone who had reached an epiphany.

This is a genius.

"If you do not believe in genius, or do not know what genius is, look at Michelangelo."

— Romain Rolland (1866–1944) —