My illustrator!

#1. Caught

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Dropping Architecture.

Do you know the term ‘dropping architecture’.

Chances are, you don’t.

That’s because this term is rarely used by anyone outside of architecture students.

However, for anyone who has dipped even a toe into architecture, it’s a term they’re likely to start using habitually within just one semester.

Why? Because the term means ‘quitting architecture.’

It encapsulates the idea of giving up on studying architecture.

That’s why countless architecture students silently vow to themselves during the grueling design submission season:

[Once I graduate, I’ll definitely quit architecture.]

Of course, it’s not uncommon to see people quit even before they graduate.

In fact, they might be the wise ones.

At least they wouldn’t have to suffer like I am right now, gluing things down to the millimeter in the dead of night, feeling like my eyes are about to fall out.

“Argh! Seriously! Just stick, will you?!”

16 hours until the deadline.

It’s been roughly 24 hours since I last slept.

Yet my model still shows no signs of nearing completion.

“Why are you freaking out again? Take a break”

“Shut up, you smug jerk.”

That someone is Lee Hwi-min.

My closest classmate and a prodigy in architectural design.

Despite already having completed his model and even landscaping it with tiny trees, he wasn’t going home. Instead, he was sitting there, poking at my nerves.

“Why are you getting so worked up? See, I told you to start earlier.”

Sigh… He wasn’t wrong.

I had started my project a bit later than others, but I never imagined I’d end up this pressed for time.

“Hey, instead of nagging, can’t you help me put up the walls for this model?”

“Nah, I’m busy touching up my renders in Photoshop.”

I let out a long sigh.

Will I even make the deadline at this rate…?

The faces of my professors already started flashing in my mind.

[Minho, this is… disappointing in terms of submission quality.]

[I don’t see the concept of this project reflected in the model.]

[Do you think you’ll be able to graduate next year with work like this?]

Yeah, I could already see how tomorrow’s critique would go.

The thought of my work being passed around by the notoriously tough senior professors was already making me chuckle bitterly.

If I’m going to get ripped apart anyway, is it really worth all this effort?

The truth is, there’s another reason I’m so short on time…

That’s because I had another deadline to meet.

And that was for my novel.

[I Imprisoned Her.]

This infamous erotic novel, ranked among the top 10 on Novel World, was my creation.

When I set my sights on quitting architecture, the path I chose was becoming a web novelist.

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Of course, I didn’t seriously consider this as a career at first.

During the last vacation, when the global pandemic ‘Corona’ had me confined to my room, I fell deeply in love with web novels.

At first, I was just a casual reader, devouring anything and everything as I discovered a new world I hadn’t known before. But that didn’t last long.

After reading through the masterpieces, I became a different person.

To put it simply, I became a “gourmet” reader.

Mediocre writing and clichéd plots no longer satisfied me. My standards had risen.

And what angered me the most were stories like these:

[Childhood Friend. High School Classmate. And Senior in College.]

The mere title of the novel was already a disaster, yet it managed to rank within the top 30 on Novel World.

The more I read it, the more I could feel a deep frustration boiling inside me.

Sure, I kept scrolling and reading through the chapters, but with every new installment, there was only one thought echoing in my mind:

“How is this… ranked 30th?”

Weak coherence. Holes in the plot. Slow pacing.

There was nothing about it that I liked, yet people were raving about how enjoyable it was.

Was there something wrong with my taste? Or were people just clueless and undiscerning?

Torn by this inner conflict, I sat down in front of my computer.

I decided to put it to the test.

And that’s how my first work and one of Novel World’s greatest hits—[I Imprisoned Her] came to be.

Like most newbie writers, my start was humble.

Without even a proper cover, the first chapter of my novel barely hit 100 views within a week.

But I didn’t give up. Why?

Because I firmly believed that my writing was leagues better than that garbage, [Childhood Friend. High School Classmate. And Senior in College.]

As I steadily published chapters, 10, 20, and so on, my novel finally reached a turning point around chapter 30.

It was all thanks to a very dedicated reader who had been following my story from the very beginning and left thoughtful comments on every single chapter.

That reader, [White Snowflower], had written a detailed and heartfelt review that changed everything.

Thanks to the influx of readers brought in by the review, my novel steadily gained traction. By the time I hit chapter 50, it had climbed to 20th place in Novel World’s real-time view rankings a significant milestone.

The fact that I had, even once, surpassed the rank of that wretched [Childhood Friend. High School Classmate. And Senior in College.] was enough reason for me to celebrate with a solo drinking party that night.

With my income rapidly increasing, I became obsessed with the idea of creating a proper cover.

Sure, an erotic novel could stimulate readers’ imaginations through text, but you couldn’t underestimate the power of visual appeal.

A cover had the ability to encapsulate everything at once, the heroine’s facial features, body shape, clothing, and the overall atmosphere of the story.

So, I began my search for an illustrator who could perfectly capture Kang Soo-yeon, the heroine I had meticulously crafted for my novel [I Imprisoned Her].

It took me an entire week to choose the right artist.

In the end, the decision came down to two contenders:

Cporia, whose sleek lines and incredible attention to detail were unmatched.

HNE, a master of composition who knew exactly where to place the emphasis.

Both were undeniably top-tier artists in the industry.

In the end, I made the difficult decision to go with HNE, though I told myself I’d commission Cporia in the future.

However, the moment I received HNE’s first sketch, I knew I’d never need to look for another artist again.

People often refer to illustrators as alchemists, but this went beyond alchemy.

To put it bluntly, the artist clearly understood the essence of what excites people.

They were someone with a philosophy about the perfect skirt length that teetered on the edge of daring and someone who knew exactly how much of a tied-up hairstyle’s neckline should be revealed to look the most beautiful.

Every time I placed a request, I couldn’t help but applaud.

The god of erotic novels: me. The god of erotic illustrations: HNE.

This duo, how could anyone stop us?

Currently, [I Imprisoned Her] was reigning as the apex predator on Novel World.

Of course, I never outright said this to the illustrator.

This was purely my internal sense of camaraderie.

Despite having worked with them on several projects, over ten times now, we had barely exchanged any personal conversations.

Still, I wondered: now that I’ve gained some fame, do they know what my novel is about?

They probably do, right?

But since I’d never outright brought it up, it felt a bit awkward to brag about it myself, so I left the question unasked.

If I remembered correctly, today was the day the final draft of the new illustration was supposed to be delivered…

But perhaps because I was so overwhelmed with my design deadline, I hadn’t even checked my emails, something I would usually do without delay.

Maybe I should take a quick break and check out the illustration?

Stretching and leaning back, I got up from my seat and headed to the bathroom.

No matter how focused everyone was on their work, there was no way I could openly look at an erotic illustration in the middle of the design studio where people were constantly passing by.

I locked the door and checked my email inbox.

[From: HNE]
Hello, this is HNE. I’m terribly sorry, but something urgent came up, and I won’t be able to meet the deadline as planned. I’ll make sure to finish everything and send it to you by tomorrow morning!]

It was the first time they’d missed a deadline, so I understood. But I couldn’t help feeling a bit deflated.

Sigh… I was hoping to recharge a bit by looking at it before getting back to building the model.

[It’s okay! Just focus on the quality and take your time to finish it properly!]

Though I felt disappointed, there wasn’t much I could do but wait.

Returning to my desk, I let out a long sigh.

“Ah, life…—”

“Hey, hey. Instead of whining, why don’t you build another staircase?”

“Yes, yes, I’m on it.” 

At Hwi-min’s remark, I picked up my knife and got back to cutting.

As the building model started to take shape, I decided to add the small human figures I’d bought earlier from the art supply store.

“Ah, crap. I forgot to buy lacquer.”

…Am I an idiot…

I’d even decided to paint it red, choosing the exact color and everything…

I’d gone all the way to the store earlier, so how did I forget to buy lacquer?

“Hwi-min, got any lacquer?”

“Don’t have any.”

“Come on, just lend me some.”

“I’m serious, I don’t have any.”

…This was an unexpected problem.

I thought for sure Hwi-min would have some, but now who could I ask?

Standing up, I scanned the studio with a quick glance.

All my close friends… seemed to be working from home.

There wasn’t anyone I felt comfortable enough to approach.

At times like this, there was no choice.

In this moment, I had to become the hyena of the studio.

I began prowling around the studio, hoping to spot a can of lacquer on someone’s desk.

Please… let there be someone… anyone…

Finally, I spotted it!

On a table tucked away in the far corner near the window, a can of lacquer.

I approached cautiously, checking the owner of the desk.

Hmm… not going to be easy.

Why? Because the desk belonged to Han Na-eun, a junior I’d barely exchanged words with.

The only reason I even knew who she was was because she was famously considered the most beautiful person in our department.

She wasn’t very involved in department activities and was rarely seen at school except during deadlines, so no one seemed to be particularly close to her.

This felt a bit awkward… but…

I glanced at the clock and stopped hesitating.

This isn’t the time to be picky.

I walked briskly over to her desk and snatched up the lacquer sitting there.

“Hey, Na-eun! Can I borrow this…”

That was the moment it happened.

As my eyes caught a glimpse of her laptop screen, the words I was about to say froze in my throat.

Because on the screen…

Was the completed illustration, filled with flesh tones, that I hadn’t received yet.

“Huh?”

Han Na-eun’s already pale skin turned even whiter, almost ghostly.