NOVEL WEB Chapter 67: Michelangelo didn’t like Raphael
Michelangelo didn't like Raphael.
In short, they were quite different.
One day,
When Michelangelo passed by the place where Raphael was with his disciples, he said,
"Where are you going surrounded by your attendants?"
Then Raphael replied,
"You, on the other hand, are always alone like a savage."
The wild Michelangelo Buonarroti and the lovable Raphael.
Raphael, with his youthful looks that many women liked, had countless rumors with women. Michelangelo, on the other hand, was a very different kind of person — not well-liked by fellow artists due to his difficult personality, and so ugly he hated his own nose.
Anyway,
What I want to say is this:
Is it possible to have Michelangelo's artistry with Raphael's looks?
I recently met such a person.
The world is so unfair.
— Excerpt from a blog post recording a lecture by Yang Seon-gu, author of [Lessons with a Sculptor] and a first-generation sculptor
The sky was filled with orange water resembling the color of an orange.
In the director's office of the Peony Gallery, Seol Yeojin was peeling a lollipop, puckering her lips. Her eyes were sharply narrowed.
Her gaze was fixed on the computer screen.
[Honestly, I think there's some hype and lies mixed in. How could a high school senior, even if an arts high school student, produce such a huge work? I know because I'm in the field — it's absolutely impossible. Even with a grinder, there are limits;; this wouldn't be excused even at Cheonghwa Arts High School.]
ㄴ I agree. Honestly, I was uncomfortable because everyone said it was amazing, but it's true. 5.7 meters? Who do you think David's statue is? That's 5.7 meters.
ㄴ Please stop calling him Korea's Michelangelo or a genius high schooler. Genius X, genius begging O.
[(I never thought Korea was like this, the lies are intense LOL! XD!)]
ㄴ (I checked on Google, other Koreans have similar comments. Michelangelo? lol! Instead of that money, buy all the tickets to Florence, PIZ!)
ㄴ (NM, it will die down eventually.)
[I kept seeing Bloom unfollow, so I wasn't interested in the exhibition but made a reservation in advance lol. Let's see.]
ㄴ Review plz
ㄴ Review1111111
ㄴ Review222222
ㄴ Review33333
They were the haters who started raging after Bloom Art Museum promoted Kang Seok's sculpture
Seol Yeojin sighed in anger as she looked at the hateful comments on the video promoting the extended exhibition of
"These guys, seriously…"
Anger was felt in her gentle voice.
Having finished peeling the candy wrapper, Seol Yeojin put the strawberry-flavored lollipop in her mouth like a cigarette. Then she placed her well-maintained hand on the keyboard.
Just as she noticed the manicure matching her skin tone glittering in the light, her fingers began to tap the keyboard furiously.
[You've never even seen it once and spout this crap in your rooms, go away!!!]
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Seol Yeojin leaned back. Her Metheus chair tipped backward. She saw the sky. The sunset was already coloring the sky.
So annoying.
Seol Yeojin, rarely furrowing her brows, stared at the sky outside the window. She couldn't help but be angry. Kang Seok's work was real.
Even she hadn't believed it when she heard it was sculpted to 5.7 meters in just a few months before coming to Bloom Art Museum, but it was true.
The shock when the door to Exhibition Room 4 at Bloom Art Museum opened for the first time was still vivid. Whoever first called him Korea's Michelangelo, Seol Yeojin didn't know, but she had never thought the nickname was more fitting.
Intuitive beauty.
The grandeur and rough spirit that come from that simplicity were exactly Michelangelo.
Even the respect for the father and the celebration of humanity embedded in the work — it was so human-centered that it felt like the Renaissance was reborn.
"If you really saw it, you wouldn't say things like that."
If they had seen it, they couldn't say such things. The emotion there was incomparable to the statues scattered worldwide.
You don't need to know about painting to be moved, you can interpret the expression without reading explanations, and you want to study more to understand the artist's worldview — that's the kind of work it was.
Seol Yeojin bit the candy with her molars.
Only those foolish internet warriors in their rooms didn't know this, but everyone involved in the art world knew: Kang Seok was causing a big stir.
After seeing one of Kang Seok's works, visitors, as if possessed, sought out and admired his works.
Like people drawn by magic, they admired Renaissance's
'And I am a witness who is reaping the benefits.'
With the 8th floor of Renaissance Shopping Mall entering long-term remodeling and Bloom Art Museum requiring reservations, more and more people came repeatedly to see the two works at Peony Gallery.
And many of those visitors, while there, bought art for investment or were captivated by docent explanations and purchased works.
In fact, as visitors increased, sales rose.
While calculating the sales increase after Kang Seok's work was displayed, Seol Yeojin shook her head with candy in her mouth, uncertain if the sweetness came from the candy or the gallery's sales.
'Only half a year.'
It felt like less than half a year had passed, but Kang Seok's name value had risen this much. Considering he hadn't entered any competitions or art fairs, it was absurd.
'Did Kang Seok know this?'
Was that why he set the contract renewal period to four years? Just as that thought came, the gallery office door handle turned.
The only person who would enter Peony Gallery without knocking was one: Kim Yoonseo, Peony Gallery's secretary.
"I'm really getting exhausted counting daily visitors one by one."
She must have come to check how many visitors the gallery had today to give Kang Seok his incentive. Counting it all at once before closing was hard, so she now checked two or three times a day.
"Can't we solve it by counting every entry instead of reviewing CCTV later?"
"That's insecure."
"As long as there's no counting mistake. You could add numbers in the guestbook."
That sounded reasonable.
Seol Yeojin thought so herself, but Kim Yoonseo shook her head. For her, that was a mild refusal.
"You can't combine numbers when there are different exhibitions."
Indeed… Peony Gallery was large enough to sometimes hold multiple exhibitions simultaneously in Gwanhun-dong.
"That's true. But I heard from the master yesterday that Bloom Art Museum had a similar contract, and they don't see it as a problem."
You can do it, right?
Seol Yeojin smiled gently at Kim Yoonseo, implying that.
"They have a reservation system, so they just check the reservation count for Exhibition Room 4 on the site. And they don't pay incentives by visitor count but share commission from ticket sales… And we're a gallery, but they're a museum."
"Hmm. That makes sense. But what can we do? There are still over three years left until renewal."
You have to do it.
Seol Yeojin comforted Kim Yoonseo, saying she would give a generous bonus this time.
That was reasonable.
The incentive contract for
"Ugh."
Ignoring Kim Yoonseo's expression like she was about to hand in her resignation, Seol Yeojin bit the last piece of strawberry candy. Honestly, she was also thinking she couldn't leave everything to Kim Yoonseo as it was.
They would have to return
As Kang Seok became more famous, visitors would increase. Counting them all was too much for Kim Yoonseo.
With art fairs and overseas trips increasing, they might really need to hire someone else. With that thought, she bit the last piece of candy.
"I'll think about hiring someone."
"Quit… what?"
"I said I'll think about it."
When Seol Yeojin said she had decided, Kim Yoonseo's eyes widened. Seol Yeojin smiled at Kim Yoonseo, who put the envelope back in her jacket.
Then she turned to the computer monitor.
It was time to work.
Despite her words, Seol Yeojin unconsciously searched "Kang Seok" on YouTube because most hateful comments came from YouTube.
Why am I searching this?
Just as she was about to chuckle, something popped up.
[Kang Seok]
[@GANGSUK] [13 subscribers]
[Official YouTube channel of sculptor Kang Seok.]
Something appeared.
"Huh?"
It was Kang Seok.
Kang… Seok? Official? Seol Yeojin blinked. Could it be…? No way, but her fingers moved the mouse to click the account.
The channel had only one short video: a 16-second black screen, uploaded today.
How subtle.
Smiling, Seol Yeojin clicked. With a click sound, the subscriber count changed to 14.
Whether a joke or not, she liked it.
"If it's real… something interesting might happen soon."
Seol Yeojin's eyes twinkled like a fox.
The afterschool room dyed orange as the sunset descended.
Though it wasn't even night lesson time yet, the sculpture major room at Cheonghwa Arts High School was brightly lit.
The smell of wood and soil filled the room.
Kang Seok was tapping on his laptop in the center of the sculpture room. One of the kids watching him from behind raised their phone and shouted,
"Hey! Look! The subscriber count just went up!"
"...? Oh, it really is fourteen!"
"Huh? I haven't clicked yet... so if I click, it'll be fifteen?"
"Click, click."
"Wow! When Youngho clicked, it became fifteen. What, maybe someone unknown clicked before."
The kids, chatting with Jung Youngho, opened their mouths wide. How could there already be fifteen subscribers with only a 16-second black video? They roared with joy. Fourteen out of fifteen were either in the Buddhist statue club or acquaintances of those gathered here.
"Seok, are you going to upload some drawings now?"
"Yeah. Shouldn't you post something?"
"I saw YouTube artists post one-minute drawing videos…"
"You're good at drawing, so if you post a few like that, the algorithm will boost your views."
The kids chattered excitedly next to him. Since Kang Seok agreed to make the Buddha statue, they felt more familiar and kept talking.
Kang Seok tapped the latest laptop he had bought, then quietly closed it.
"Enough."
With those words, Kang Seok stood up.
After all, the channel was created purely to promote the Buddha statue. Since he planned to film the making process, he wasn't concerned about subscribers for now.
"But it'd be easier if I had more subscribers in advance…"
"There's still some left, you know."
It was mid-July, and summer vacation hadn't even started yet. Kang Seok pushed his laptop into his backpack without hesitation.
Jung Young-ho was surprised by the sight and asked,
"Leaving already? At least have some food before you go."
The kids, tired of school lunches, were just ordering tteokbokki. Jung Young-ho's heart was transparent — he wanted to reduce the awkwardness between them since they'd be seeing each other often from now on.
It wasn't that Kang Seok disliked that feeling.
He looked at his phone screen.
Evening was approaching.
"Yeah, I can't today. I promised my family I'd come home early."
"A promise...? Is something wrong?"
Kang Seok nodded and slung on his backpack. Looking at the disappointed faces of the kids, he said,
"Today's moving day."
His family must have already started moving. Kang Seok greeted the kids, who were staring wide-eyed at him, then turned and left the study room.
He had a busy day ahead.
The Seongbuk-dong mansion.
On the first floor, Choi Mi-jung, eating jajangmyeon at the dining table made by Kang Hyun-do himself, glanced strangely at Lee Min-hyuk and Lee Young-hyuk.
It was quite unfamiliar to see a Korean university linguistics professor and a senior ornithologist eating jajangmyeon so casually. To Choi Mi-jung, the image of her father-in-law lying on the bed, drowning in a sea of depression, was still vivid, but Lee Young-hyuk, with a burnt face from taking pictures, looked at her as if that was ancient history.
"What are you staring at? Aren't you eating?"
Lee Young-hyuk looked at Choi Mi-jung with a puzzled face, and Lee Min-hyuk also looked at his wife strangely, concern in his eyes.
"Why, are you feeling sick?"
Today was Kang Hyun-do's family's moving day. After completing all the tax stuff like capital gains and so on, and finally preparing the furniture, the Seok family was moving into Seongbuk-dong, so they had gathered to help.
Opposite Choi Mi-jung, Lee Yoon-ji was wearing gloves and drinking jjambbong.
Since they had continued interacting after the statue delivery last time, it was natural for her to come help. Choi Mi-jung glanced at Lee Yoon-ji's face and murmured,
"Well... it just seems like money strangely follows your family."
"Hm?"
Lee Min-hyuk looked at Choi Mi-jung as if to ask what she meant, then turned his head. Kang Hyun-do and Baek Myung-hee were still bringing furniture into the second floor. Kang Chae-young was helping there with odd jobs.
Following Lee Min-hyuk's gaze to the second floor, Choi Mi-jung whispered,
"Well, you know, who would have thought Kang Seok could create such an amazing work in such a short time? Honestly, that owl statue might soon become more expensive than this Seongbuk-dong mansion."
"Wait... has this guy been thinking about that? I told you it's not for sale... and it's not mine, it's my father's."
Later, it would all be yours anyway, Choi Mi-jung shot Lee Min-hyuk a sharp look with beautiful eyes. Her mind was calculating rapidly.
There's a reason rich people get richer, she thought as she hummed while twirling noodles with chopsticks.
The doorbell rang.
"It's oppa!"
At the same time, Kang Chae-young came running quickly down the stairs. Watching Kang Chae-young head out the front door, Lee Yoon-ji's eyes widened.
Her cheeks were peach-colored as she quickly checked her braided hair like a little sparrow.
"Oppa!"
"What? Why are you so happy?"
"Of course, since you're the owner of this house. Do you know where my room is? It's really huge."
"Oh, really?"
The closer the voices got, the redder Lee Yoon-ji's cheeks became, turning apple-red. When she hid behind Lee Min-hyuk, blushing, Kang Seok entered through the front door.
"Grandfather."
Kang Seok quietly greeted Lee Young-hyuk, who was scraping the jajangmyeon sauce with pickled radish. Lee Young-hyuk nodded and welcomed him like a grandfather greeting his grandson.
"Is the sculptor here?"
"Yes, Professor. Hello."
"Long time no see."
Having grown accustomed to each other, Professor Lee Min-hyuk spoke comfortably to Kang Seok. Kang Seok and Choi Mi-jung exchanged glances, unsure how to address the professor, and Lee Yoon-ji shyly peeked her head out and greeted him.
At that moment,
"Son!"
"Seok!"
Baek Myung-hee and Kang Hyun-do came down the stairs with bright faces.
"Hungry?"
"I'm fine…"
"We ordered japchae rice in case you're hungry. Eat quickly, okay?"
Watching Baek Myung-hee quickly go into the kitchen, Kang Seok reluctantly followed her inside.
.
.
.
"You're doing YouTube?"
"YouTube?"
Kang Seok nodded with a mouthful of japchae rice. Kang Hyun-do and Baek Myung-hee looked at each other in surprise. They had heard artists these days often do Instagram or YouTube, but they hadn't expected Kang Seok to join them.
As Kang Seok chewed his food and organized his explanation about making Buddhist statues while promoting them, Kang Chae-young, who had been tapping on her phone, held her screen up to Kang Seok.
"You already made a channel? This one, right?"
[Kang Seok][@GANGSUK] [38 subscribers][Official YouTube channel of sculptor Kang Seok]
His subscriber count had already risen to 38. Was it because of his night lessons and juniors telling others to subscribe via group chat?
Kang Seok tilted his head and nodded. It was indeed his channel.
"I should subscribe, too."
"Me, me too."
Following Kang Chae-young, Lee Yoon-ji shyly pressed the subscribe button. Only then did Kang Seok finish the food in his mouth and speak.
"I think I'm going to make a Buddhist statue this time... so I made it to promote that."
"Promotion?"
"Yes. I want to film the entire process of making the statue. I'm making a promotional statue, but there's nothing else really coming to mind…"
Since he had never filmed the sculpting process before, Kang Seok felt a little excited. It wouldn't be as touching as seeing it in person, but it would be more effective than just showing photos.
Anyway, he'd probably become more famous than now.
Thinking about the number of Buddhist scholars worldwide, Kang Seok scooped a big spoonful of rice.
"...Then it would help if the number of subscribers grows first, right?"
As he was about to eat, Lee Min-hyuk spoke beside him. Kang Seok nodded uncertainly.
"Probably."
Actually, Kang Seok was also curious what his face looked like while sculpting, so filming was more of an idea than a serious plan.
It had been less than a day since he decided to film.
"Then should I help you?"
"Huh?"
Kang Seok looked at Lee Min-hyuk in surprise.
'Come to think of it...'
Lee Min-hyuk, a linguistics professor at Korea University, had been translating Dante's Divine Comedy for 40 years and frequently appeared on TV. These days, he was even active as a YouTuber influencer.
Just then, as Kang Chae-young was tapping her phone, she opened her mouth wide and held up the screen.
Kang Seok's eyes widened.
[Sasa Min-hyuk][@MINHUK555] [1.1 million subscribers][Welcome to Professor Lee Min-hyuk's YouTube channel, Sasa Min-hyuk]
A major YouTuber was right in front of him.
Strike while the iron is hot.
The moving was done, and the very next day.
Lee Min-hyuk came by car early in the morning and took Kang Seok to his studio. When Kang Seok asked if simple promotion would really work, Lee Min-hyuk just laughed and sat Kang Seok in the passenger seat.
What on earth was he planning?
Kang Seok scratched his nose.
Soon after, the broadcast began quickly.
"Hello, everyone. This is Sasa Min-hyuk, Lee Min-hyuk."
At the same time, the chat started flooding rapidly. It was a surprise live broadcast announced just last night.
[Wow, I was so surprised by the sudden live.]
[Minha]
[Minha]
[Hello hello]
[Are you reading Dante's Divine Comedy today?]
[Professor~ please make some progress~]
[Minha!]
Kang Seok, watching the fast-moving chat next to the camera, closed his mouth in embarrassment.
Kang Chae-young remembered why she had been so fussing and flinging open the storage door when commissioning the owl statue.
While Kang Seok was secretly admiring, Lee Min-hyuk threw out a direct question.
"Today, I want to introduce a great artist."
[Artist?]
[Suddenly?]
Just like that?
Kang Seok was surprised and looked at Lee Min-hyuk. He thought only his tough military unit spoke so bluntly at the start, but these days, everyone around him seemed to get straight to the point.
"When I tested filming earlier, it seemed less touching than seeing it live, which is a bit disappointing. Anyway... as our subscribers know, I've been struggling lately caring for my father."
[That's right.]
[How is he?]
[I think everyone's worry has eased lately...]
People began responding to Lee Min-hyuk's words. At the same time, he stood up. Kang Seok, surprised, followed his gaze.
Behind them, a large cloth was covering something. Kang Seok's eyes became strange as he looked at the white cloth.
That silhouette... was very familiar.
"Believe it or not, my father, who suffered from elderly depression, overcame it after seeing this statue. So today, I want to show this statue to our subscribers."
With those words, Lee Min-hyuk suddenly pulled off the white cloth covering something.
At that moment, Kang Seok's owl statue Leap was revealed to the world.
It was its first unveiling.