I Was Michelangelo in My Past Life

* * * *

46 seconds.

The time it takes for blood to leave the heart, circulate through the body via blood vessels, and return to the heart.

The total length of blood vessels in the human body is estimated to be between 100,000 km and 120,000 km—enough to wrap around the Earth two and a half to three times if laid out in a straight line.

Thinking about that makes the speed truly astonishing.

A dark, unlit laboratory bathed in blackness.

Park Ji-yeop, mesmerized by a red-tinted video playing on a computer screen, moved his mouse with an entranced expression. As he clicked on a spot, the screen shifted to a gray hue.

It was a scene from a video showing Kang-seok making a human body model.

In the footage, Kang-seok had fastened a splint vertically to a metal rod so it could be suspended, then began hanging a blood-red substance from it. Using both hands, he slowly started twisting it—threading it sideways through the center and stretching it, reminiscent of how traditional Korean honey taffy (kkultarae) is made.

Then it happened.

As Kang-seok rapidly spun the material in large circles, a man referred to as Jo Dong-beom appeared beneath him. The kiln behind them was lit, and the heat was steadily rising.

Jo Dong-beom began placing hot air blowers around Kang-seok.

After moving around Kang-seok's legs for some time, Jo Dong-beom eventually exited the frame. By then, sweat was already beading on Kang-seok's forehead.

Holding the other end of the red material with both hands, Kang-seok gradually backed away, arms spread wide. At the point where he seemed about 1.6 meters from the metal rod, he tossed the material like a net.

The model, which had formed a single loop, now created two. Then four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four loops—each round of tossing doubling the count.

As the strands increased, his spinning motions began to resemble a dance.

"Astonishing."

The strands, now thinner than a hair, reached 2,048, then 4,096, 8,192, and 16,384 loops.

Kang-seok had only twisted it 14 times.

With each half-loop at least 1.6 meters long, the total length of two strands per loop added up to 320 cm. If all of those intertwined loops were stretched out, the final length would be unimaginable.

"To make blood vessels like this…"

What kind of material could stretch like that? Polyethylene? Silicone? Resin? Synthetic rubber? It was a process that resembled making giant taffy.

Park Ji-yeop closed his eyes. The video would soon cut to a scene showing a scalpel touching the semi-transparent red vessels, so there was no need to keep watching.

That evening.

He recalled Kang-seok gazing at "Marktoob No. 1" with a peculiar expression. Kang-seok wasn't the type to reveal his feelings easily, so Park Ji-yeop just watched him silently—until Kang-seok spoke up.

— "Even though I made them that thin, I could only fit about 40,000 km of vessels into the body. I even designed it taller than average and used a wide-shouldered male model to cram in as much as I could, but that's the limit."

— "Is that because of the simulated blood inside the vessels?"

— "No. Originally, the plan was to fill it with water and have it circulate throughout the body. But the vessels are just too thin. As you saw in the process, squeezing fluid through hoses like those would be far more complex. So instead, I injected a blood-like solution with a syringe at intervals and sealed the holes with resin."

— "…Still, that means all the organs and blood vessels contain blood, right? That alone would make surgery practice feel realistic enough."

— "That's true, but there's still a difference from a real human."

The disappointment in Kang-seok's voice created a subtle emotional barrier. That lingering sense returned as Park Ji-yeop quietly closed his eyes and sipped his coffee.

As the hot liquid passed down his throat, he finally felt calm again.

— "So, instead of running hot water through all the blood vessels, I connected thicker vessels beneath the skin, linking them to muscles. Those were filled with water and heated for pressure."

Even that already set this human model apart from existing ones, but Kang-seok still poked at "Marktoob No. 1" with a dissatisfied expression.

— "It's a failure. I wanted to simulate realistic body warmth, but it ended up being slightly hotter than a normal human body."

— "…?"

He meant he had managed to simulate a temperature just a little above real human body heat. Even that was incredible, but Kang-seok seemed to be aiming higher.

As if he already knew he could reach greater heights.

— "Still, the pulse that starts from the heart came out pretty well, right? Like in surgical dummies, I placed a pump in the heart and connected it to the arteries. That way, the vessels could follow the vibration. The rhythmic movement turned out really lifelike."

As he mimed connecting the heart model on the desk to blood vessels, Kang-seok explained. Even that much was at least three times more than he usually spoke.

And yet—

All Park Ji-yeop could do was float a question mark above his head.

How exactly did the vibrations from the heart pump transfer through the vessels? What kind of technique allowed the pulse to be felt precisely at each intended location? And if the entire vascular system vibrated, why did only the pulse points throb?

He kept repeating the questions he couldn't bring himself to ask out loud.

He had promised to provide the mold for the body model, but reproducing the same level of realism would be incredibly difficult. And Kang-seok likely wouldn't stay committed to the project forever.

Park Ji-yeop believed Kang-seok was the type to pursue artistic perfection.

"Should we pay for the patent and try producing it ourselves?"

If the full video included the method, maybe they could replicate it.

But even that didn't seem simple. Rubbing his tired eyes, Park Ji-yeop felt like he was watching one groundbreaking technique after another in the video, each one dizzying in speed.

Even with the molds, they likely wouldn't match Kang-seok's results.

"Still, it's worth trying."

That evening, on his way back to the lab—

Park Ji-yeop had asked why Kang-seok was making seven "Marktoob" models when just one would be enough. If it was about perfection, why create different versions for various medical conditions? Wouldn't it only increase the number of molds for no reason?

He couldn't help but ask—he was too curious to hold it in.

Kang-seok scratched his nose and casually replied.

— "It's just for self-satisfaction."

He grinned as if the joy of creating a perfect masterpiece was irresistible. Then he said he had to get back to work and waved goodbye.

Park Ji-yeop lifted his coffee mug once more.

"For self-satisfaction."

It was a good answer.

Stretching briefly, Park Ji-yeop turned off the video. Then he began typing on his keyboard.

The first words on the white screen:

[Proposal for Development of Budget Model "Marktoob"]

* * * *

A blue sky.

A bright white sun shining on the ground.

As Kang-seok wheeled his bicycle through the school gates, a teal Lamborghini and a red Ferrari glided down the road. The cars stopped in the distance, and students wearing jerseys or padded jackets over their school uniforms got out, one by one.

"Ah. So break really is over."

He had already seen this scene for several days now—one he hadn't seen all break—finally making it feel like the new semester had truly begun.

Kang-seok looked at the cars, then turned the handlebars to park his bike. At his usual, solo-used bike rack, he carefully locked it up before heading to the main building.

The scenery was much the same as last year.

As he crossed the gate, memories from before winter break began to overlap with the present view.

Several students about to climb the stairs turned around to look at Kang-seok.

"Is that the upperclassman?"

"Yeah, he's from the art department... Go Du-han's..."

"...Renaissance... 8th floor... Adam's..."

"For real?"

Most of the kids whispering were either from the art department or had friends there. Their eyes sparkled with unhidden curiosity.

Feeling the now week-long repetition of this strange attention, Kang-seok retrieved his indoor shoes from the locker.

Some teachers emerged from the first-floor office and, spotting Kang-seok, paused mid-step. As their eyes met, Kang-seok bowed his head politely, and they waved their attendance books in return.

As Kang-seok walked alongside them up the stairs, they looked at him with satisfied expressions.

"How's the exhibit prep going?"

They probably didn't know the graduation show was still three months away. This meant they were likely subject teachers or from other departments. Kang-seok couldn't say the marble out in the yard was part of it, so he simply nodded.

"Yes."

As they ascended, a loud ruckus echoed from behind. The school bus had arrived. Students flooded in, shouting and laughing.

The teachers, eager to avoid the wave, quickened their pace and disappeared with goodbyes. As Kang-seok watched them leave, he overheard some students chatting behind him.

"There's Kang-seok sunbae."

"Kang-seok?"

"You don't know? He's the one who painted The Creation of Heaven and Earth at the Renaissance Mall."

The Creation of Heaven and Earth? As in The Creation of Adam? That's the guy who painted it alone?"

Embarrassingly enough, they were talking about him. The students behind him were apparently art majors.

"...You seriously didn't know? He painted the whole thing by himself—everyone at the academy totally flipped out. They were like, 'What if he joins the painting track? We're doomed!' Remember that chaos?"

"Ohh. Oh yeah. I remember."

"I heard he was even scouted by Go Du-han. Someone saw him coming out of Go Du-han's studio."

"So you're majoring in Western painting, huh?"Kang-seok nodded. Then, quietly, he climbed the rest of the stairs before anyone could follow him.

Kang-seok still didn't belong to either the aristocrat faction or the talent faction.

When he opened the classroom door and stepped inside, the students were gathered in small groups, chattering away. Despite having spent the entire break together, they were clinging to each other like they hadn't met in ages.

Kang-seok's seat was, once again, right in front of the back door — the last seat by the wall. He hung his art supply bag on the hook and sat down. Since the start of the semester, all the gazes that had been subtly watching him now turned directly toward him.

That included the area where Oh Hye-jung, the class president of Drawing Class D, sat. She stared at Kang-seok for a while, then muttered absentmindedly, as if entranced.

"Don't you think Kang-seok is going to take the top spot in practicals this time?"

"...Hm?"

"Hmm."

At Oh Hye-jung's sudden comment, Kwon So-hee and Jin Se-hyun turned to look at her.

'Taking the practicals'—At Cheonghwa Arts High, that phrase meant dominating all the top spots in the practical art subjects. And it seemed Oh Hye-jung believed Kang-seok would be the one to do it.

So-hee and Se-hyun glanced sideways at Kang-seok. He was dressed in a slightly baggy school uniform, perfectly white from being well-laundered, neat in appearance, and sketching something with a pencil. Then, as if dissatisfied, he flipped to a new page.

Kang-seok, take the practicals?

"It's not a baseless guess."

"Yeah."

So-hee and Se-hyun nodded.

In the first semester of senior year, there were four art classes: Art Theory, Drawing, Major Class, and Media Art.

Excluding the entrance ceremony, from last Friday to today (Tuesday), three of the four classes had already been held.

Friday, 1st to 4th period: Major Class

Monday, 1st to 3rd period: Media Art

Monday, 4th period: Art Theory

Judging by the reactions of classmates majoring in sculpture, it was no exaggeration to say that Kang-seok had already "taken" three of the four classes. Each teacher had either looked at him with heart-shaped eyes or nodded in satisfaction — he was quickly emerging as the dark horse of the senior class.

His grades weren't bad to begin with, so at this rate, he might dominate both GPA and practicals.

"He's really amazing."

Just how hard must he have worked to change this much?

Remembering the Venus plaster drawing Kang-seok had done, Oh Hye-jung cupped her face in her hands like a flower and sighed in admiration.

Having planned to apply to a provincial national university since her first year, Oh Hye-jung looked at Kang-seok not with envy, but genuine awe.

But not everyone could be like her. Students aiming for prestigious Seoul schools or Korea National University of Arts watched Kang-seok with nervous eyes, as if a new predator had entered the arena.

Oh Hye-jung found it both understandable and amusing. As she silently watched this unspoken tension, the back door — right behind Kang-seok — opened. The teacher, Ko Doo-han, who wasn't supposed to show up until 5th period, peeked into the room.

He looked around for someone, then locked eyes with Kang-seok sitting right in front.

"Seok-ah."

"...Teacher?"

"Yeah. Come out for a bit."

Kang-seok nodded and stood up. So-hee and Se-hyun widened their eyes in surprise — it was the first time they'd seen Ko Doo-han come into a classroom to call on someone privately.

Jin Se-hyun muttered,

"...He might really take all the practicals."

Outside in the hallway, Kang-seok looked at Ko Doo-han — more specifically, at the paper in his hand. If Ko Doo-han had come all the way here, it had to be something important.

"It's nothing serious. The design for the figure drawing book is ready, and I wanted to get your approval."

Ko Doo-han held out the paper, saying that Yumi-ji and Choi Young-tae, who were also included, had already approved theirs.

"We're thinking of printing it in B4 size, even if it costs a bit more. It'll help highlight the details of the figure drawings. What do you think?"

"Sounds good."

B4 size. Bigger than A4 — just as Kang-seok had hoped.

His eyes dropped to the paper.

One large figure drawing he had done was printed on the right, and three smaller fragments of drawings were laid out below it in square cutouts. In the upper left corner, the title Kang-seok's Figure Drawing Book was printed vertically in neat lettering.

He flipped the page — two more cover designs in a similar style. It was obvious at a glance: the covers for Yumi-ji and Choi Young-tae's books.

"You okay with this design?"

"Yes. It looks good."

"Great. Then we'll send this to print. It'll definitely be done before the senior art exhibition, so don't worry."

"Sounds good."

Kang-seok nodded indifferently.

It seemed Ko Doo-han was trying to speed up the schedule to show the books to prospective students, but Kang-seok didn't mind either way. A piece that would sell would sell regardless of timing. With a calm expression, he returned to his seat.

He found himself genuinely looking forward to the drawing class today. And, as expected, the class flew by.

Lunch break, after 4th period.

While waiting for 5th period, Kang-seok came out to the schoolyard.

As he soaked in the clear blue sky, his gaze slowly lowered.

While others jogged around the track or worked up a sweat in the field, Kang-seok's eyes were fixed on a large marble block in front of him.

Up close, it seemed even bigger — pure white.

'We can't just leave this on the field forever.'

But putting it behind the furniture store would get in the way of trucks and moving supplies. Where could he put it?

Kang-seok rested his chin on his hand, staring at the marble. Come to think of it… It was amazing that such high-quality marble had been brought all the way from the Carrara mountains in Italy to Seoul, Korea.

He remembered how much he had suffered to move it in the past.

He stood slowly to take in the full scale of it. Then took one step, and another, backing away.

What was sleeping inside this massive block of marble? He moved as if speaking in his heart to the invisible life within it.

'Graduation exhibition, huh…'

He kept backing up. Eventually, amid the white and the shadows, some greenery came into view.

Suddenly, he caught a scent. Was it greenery? The smell of spring.

The moment he thought it smelled fresh, he spotted the distant trees.

It was the walking trail created by Cheonghwa Art High's board of trustees. Beyond the artificial turf of the field, a green forest stretched out. The scent must've ridden in on the wind. As he took another step back, he noticed — a big white stone stood at the forest's entrance.

'I think I can see something…'

Kang-seok's eyes narrowed as he stared at the marble.

It was time to draw the sculpture out from within.

People often said sculpture was about "carving," but he thought differently.

To him, a white marble block was like an egg — what it would become was already decided.

'We just haven't seen it yet.'

As he took one more reluctant step back—A breeze blew.

'....!'

His hair blew wildly like a wildfire. The black strands that had covered his eyes settled back in place.

As the wind stopped, his vision cleared.

His reddish-brown eyes, staring at the marble, seemed to turn white.

The veil that had hidden the marble just moments ago vanished with the wind.

Alone in the quiet field, Kang-seok whispered,

"Ah."

"So that's what it looked like."