Van Gogh Reborn!

255

Close Friends (2)

Michel Platini came to Ko Hun’s house to discuss the management policy of Chocolatier.

Since Ko Hun and Henri Marso, the main shareholders of the company, had clear and complementary goals, the conversation went smoothly.

“I think we should divide the theme hall for the joint exhibition.”

“I agree. They have such strong personalities. What are your plans if more artists join us?”

Bang Tae Ho asked Michel about his future plans.

Although he was nine years older and had more experience as a curator, Bang Tae Ho respected Michel Platini, who had been active in the forefront of contemporary art.

He had made Henri Marso the most famous artist in the world, and his planning skills in the Art Nouveau competition were undeniable.

He wanted to take charge of the exhibition himself, but he thought it would be better for Chocolatier if Michel did it.

“I think it would be better to base it online.”

Bang Tae Ho was puzzled by Michel’s answer.

“Do you mean a virtual museum?”

“Yes.”

Michel began to explain.

“You must know that offline exhibitions are hard to achieve results compared to the investment.”

Bang Tae Ho nodded in agreement.

It was difficult to cover the rent, promotion, and labor costs with just the admission fees.

They had to make a profit by selling the works.

Michel mentioned Blanche Fabre, the only artist affiliated with Chocolatier besides Ko Hun and Henri Marso.

“Fabre is getting attention, but she has no solo exhibition experience. We don’t know who will join us later, but it will be hard to bring in famous artists according to our policy.”

This was also Michel’s right opinion.

Famous artists were either affiliated with a company and managed by them, or some of them ran their own businesses to reduce the commission.

“It’s not good for both the two artists and the people who will join us in the future to open exhibitions without thinking, when we have to rely on Marceau and Hoon for income.”

“So you want to test the potential online.”

“Yes.”

Bang Tae Ho was worried.

Virtual exhibitions were cheaper, but they were only possible after the infrastructure was built.

They needed a platform, and people who used that platform, so they needed a lot of initial development and promotion costs.

They also had to find professional staff.

Bang Tae Ho pointed out these problems.

Michel agreed.

“It doesn’t have to be a virtual exhibition hall. There are places where you can make a name for yourself anywhere. Like Hoon’s YouTube.”

Michel Platini thought that artists could use SNS, or community sites related to drawing like DeviantArt, as good places to work.

“Artists have been in an environment where they have to promote themselves for a long time. I think the people who will join us in the future also need to prove their abilities by themselves.”

“So you want to give opportunities to those who show results.”

“Yes.”

Bang Tae Ho thought for a moment.

It was a great condition for the company, and it was also natural for the artists to grow by themselves.

But from the perspective of the artists, they might feel neglected after signing the contract.

“I think we need some support for the artists.”

“Like what?”

“Promoting their works, or finding good opportunities for them.”

Michel Platini was skeptical of Bang Tae Ho’s suggestion.

As a graduate of art school, he had seen some hard-working classmates, but also many who worked as artists by getting recommended by their connections.

He thought that artists should take the initiative themselves to weed out those who lacked passion.

But Bang Tae Ho’s words also made sense.

If there was no support for the people who were selected through the interview, that could also be a problem.

“The interview becomes important.”

Bang Tae Ho nodded.

As Michel judged, they had to at least see the potential in the interview situation to provide the minimum support.

For the development of the company, it was effective to secure as many artists as possible according to Michel’s suggestion, and invest in those who showed results.

But Ko Hun and Henri Marso didn’t seem to want many members in Chocolatier.

“Well, let’s talk again next time.”

After exchanging some general ideas.

Michel Platini went to Ko Hun’s studio.

He wanted to go back with Henri Marso, but neither Ko Hun nor Henri was there.

‘Where did they go?’

I never expected the two art idiots to be anywhere else but the studio. I took out my smartphone and called them.

The phone rang and Henri Marso answered.

-Yeah.

“Where are you?”

-Second floor.

“I’m done. Are you staying longer?”

-Bang!

Something exploded and I pulled the phone away from my ear. I calmed my startled heart and asked suspiciously.

“What are you doing?”

-Damn it. Tying balloons.

-You haven’t tied any.

-Quiet!

Ko Hun and Henri started arguing and I had no choice but to go upstairs.

“Can you do it properly?”

“You do it! It’s not my fault they pop when you make them too big!”

I looked around the two still bickering. Balloon pieces and chocolate wrappers were scattered everywhere.

The chocolate that needed to be melted was left in the pot and boiling.

I hurriedly turned off the induction stove.

I stirred the bubbling chocolate with a spatula and a burnt smell rose. Ko Hun and Henri Marso were shocked to see the chocolate was burnt.

“Did you boil it too much?”

“How can you make such a mess when you can’t even do it right?”

I put the pot down on the sink and turned around.

“What is this? Are you trying to start a homemade chocolate business?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Then? It’s not even Valentine’s Day.”

“I wanted to make some for Michelle.”

“When did I say that?”

“You kept saying we should give some to Michelle.”

Ko Hun pointed at the balloon pieces on the floor.

I couldn’t understand what the connection was between balloons and chocolate, but there was something more important.

“You want to give some to me?”

“No.”

“I was about to leave. Should I go first?”

“Fine. I’ll only get a headache if I stay here.”

Henri Marso got up. He didn’t want to tie balloons or stir chocolate anymore.

“Store?”

“Yeah.”

“I want some.”

Henri Marso frowned.

“Let’s stop by Arsen’s place and buy some chocolate on the way.”

“Make some for me.”

Michelle said her intention flatly and sat on the sofa in the living room on the second floor. She turned on the TV.

“I have to do it again. Can you peel some chocolate for me?”

Ko Hun urged Henri Marso, who was speechless with disbelief.

“We need to melt it~”

Michelle said, leaning on the sofa.

“This won’t work.”

Henri Marso declared a breakup after succeeding in tying balloons but failing in making animals with stick balloons.

He said he would do it his way and went outside.

I had no choice but to struggle alone and finished all the parts I needed.

I made the head, body, four legs, and tail separately, because I thought it would be a problem to take out the balloons later if I made everything with one balloon.

I carefully poured melted chocolate over each balloon.

It didn’t spread as well as I saw in the YouTube video, and I wondered if it would have been better to dip them in a large container full of chocolate.

While waiting for the chocolate to harden, Michelle stretched.

“Where are you going?”

He grumbled and grabbed his clothes and bag.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah. I have something to prepare.”

Michelle came over and looked at the table.

“Are there balloons inside these?”

“Yes. I’ll make a hole and pop them.”

They seemed to have hardened enough, so I made a small hole and popped the balloons with a needle.

I checked the balloon pieces I had taken out to make sure there were no fragments left inside that the kids might eat.

Fortunately, there were no holes.

“Oh, so this is how you put them together. That’s a clever idea.”

“I learned it from NewTube.”

It was a brilliant idea to use balloons as molds.

I melted some chocolate and glued the head and body together, then waited for them to dry.

“It looks like it will turn out well.”

“I hope so.”

It was my first attempt, so I might fail, but I wouldn’t know what the problem was unless I did.

“Well, good luck. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye.”

“Yeah.”

After Michelle left, I attached the legs, but I was having trouble with the angle. Then Henri Marso came back.

He brought Arsen and some others with him, carrying loads of chocolate. There were so many boxes of chocolate that they formed a wall on one side of the kitchen.

“What is all this?”

Marceau looked at my chocolate puppy with a crooked smile and snickered.

“How long will it take you to make it like that?”

He winked at Arsen.

The people moved swiftly.

Some of them tore open the packaged chocolate and dumped it into a huge pot that I had no idea where they got it from.

Some others cleaned up the messy kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s faster to sculpt.”

“Oh.”

They planned to fill the 80cm pot with chocolate, harden it, and then carve it out.

It would be easier for Marceau, who was also a sculptor, to show his skills that way.

“When will it harden?”

“I don’t know.”

He had never worked with chocolate before, so he had no clue.

Chocolate hardened relatively quickly, but it would take a lot of time for that much chocolate to solidify all the way through.

And he had to sculpt it too. I wondered if he could finish it today.

Marceau looked around.

“Michelle left a while ago.”

“I don’t care.”

“Isn’t it too big, though? Wouldn’t it be better to make it smaller?”

I was curious how he would store and eat a chocolate that was 80cm tall.

“It’s fine.”

He seemed to have something he wanted to sculpt.

I thought it would be better to take it home and make it there, but I was curious what he would make, so I didn’t say anything.