I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 59: Side (Hong Yehwa)

The first time I saw Lee Ha-eun was during the Do-won-hyang awards ceremony.

‘…Someone my age. That must be Lee Ha-eun.’

As I was walking down the corridor, I noticed him moving with two girls.

For a brief moment, I felt his gaze sweep over me, but I chalked it up to my imagination.

It was just a passing curiosity. I wanted to see the boy who painted Do-won-hyang.

Maybe he had some connection to Ho-seong, I thought.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

But for some reason, I couldn’t help but keep looking at him.

There were plenty of reasons why—his appearance, his rough demeanor.

He was raw, unpolished, completely unrestrained in his actions.

That unfiltered quality of his naturally drew my eyes to him.

Each time our gazes met, he deliberately looked away.

‘Why does he do that?’

I was curious about his reaction but didn’t delve too deeply into it.

After all, I was there to see Do-won-hyang.

Even though I’d seen it in photos and videos before, seeing it in person was a completely different experience.

The gap between two-dimensional images and reality creates a powerful impact.

A single sheet of paper is light, but a thousand sheets are heavy.

…Was that a bad analogy?

In any case, I’ve always preferred analog over digital.

‘…It’s beautiful.’

This was my first time seeing Do-won-hyang in person.

A piece that anthropomorphized a peach.

The girl’s gentle smile and radiant yellow eyes were stunning, almost otherworldly.

‘Someday, I want to…’

I want to paint something comparable to Do-won-hyang and Ho-seong. No, something even greater.

To do that, I need someone to guide me.

I could ask my father, but his path and mine are somewhat different.

I need someone else.

Someone like… that boy over there, idly lounging about—Lee Ha-eun.

Honestly, I was surprised.

He’s the same age as me, 16. How was he able to create Do-won-hyang?

We’ve both lived the same 16 years, in relatively similar environments.

And yet, Lee Ha-eun seemed limitless. His skills were far beyond his age.

What’s more, he proved it through his YouTube channel.

Aside from my father, Lee Ha-eun was the first person I truly admired.

‘Should I try talking to him?’

The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head and turned away.

If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again.

If not, it’ll just be a missed opportunity.

No need to dwell on it.

—

“Ahaha. Thank you so much. I’ll be sure to wash this and return it.”

There was a strange boy in front of me. No, a boy about my age.

“You don’t need to return it. I have plenty of handkerchiefs.”

He was the boy who had just tripped on the stairs, scraping his knee. I happened to see it and gave him a handkerchief.

The awards ceremony was still ongoing, so there was no one else around.

Since I was the only one who could help, I offered what little I had.

“Alright. But if we meet again, I’ll pay you back. My name’s Lee Doyoon.”

“…Hong Yehwa. Well, see you.”

“Yeah, see you around!”

As an extreme introvert by MBTI standards, I found it hard to talk to anyone.

I quickly left the scene, and soon, the boy’s name faded from my memory.

—

I enrolled in a private comprehensive arts high school—Sa jong Arts High School.

Backed by a large corporation, the school had the most state-of-the-art facilities.

‘Is he here?’

But my focus wasn’t on the school or its amenities—it was on one person.

Lee Ha-eun.

Even as the entrance ceremony began, there was no sign of him.

‘Did he go to another high school…?’

As I was mulling over this disappointment, the auditorium doors creaked open.

‘Who would be late to the entrance ceremony—’

I turned my head to see who it was.

It was Ha-eun, wearing an ambiguous expression.

What had he been doing to show up so late?

He didn’t seem like the type to oversleep.

Trailing behind him was a woman—Teacher Lee A-reum.

She was an artist with a style similar to mine.

I wondered why the two of them had arrived together, but I didn’t think too much about it.

Ha-eun sat between two girls, whispering something to them.

‘…A ladies’ man?’

Well, there’s a saying that heroes are always surrounded by beauties. Maybe Ha-eun was the same.

…But why was I so interested in him?

What was it about him that drew me in?

I brushed off the strange feeling, chalking it up to my imagination.

—

While heading to pick up textbooks, I tapped Ha-eun on the shoulder.

“Lee Ha-eun, right?”

He barely turned his head toward me.

“I introduced myself earlier.”

…Still as brusque as ever, I see.

“…Are you good at painting? How good?”

“You’d know that better than anyone.”

True. Conversations like this were pointless.

Might as well get straight to the point.

“Come to my house.”

Ha-eun gave me a baffled look.

‘…Was that the wrong approach?’

Feeling a bit dejected after his refusal, I noticed a familiar face walk by.

‘Who was that again… Oh, Lee Doyoon. From Class 3.’

### Translation:

Lee Doyoon. That name sounded familiar.

As I traced my memories, I realized I’d seen him about half a year ago at the Do-won-hyang awards ceremony.

Looking back, I wondered why Lee Doyoon was even there.

He wasn’t particularly known for anything in the arts.

I did recall overhearing Ha-eun whisper something to him back then.

It was too quiet to make out clearly.

“Ha-eun, do you know Lee Doyoon?” I asked.

Ha-eun nodded. “Yeah, we’re childhood friends—known each other for seven years. The guy’s acting weird, so I’ll talk to him later. You know, a guys-only conversation.”

For a split second, my imagination ran wild. A “guys-only conversation”?

“…Gross.”

Ha-eun frowned at my reaction and gestured in denial, but I still found it hard to believe.

Still, I couldn’t help but enjoy the conversation.

—

The sports festival—a time that’s supposed to be filled with romance and youthful energy.

The weather decided to match that energy by being particularly chaotic.

‘…At least I’m in the gym,’ I thought.

Once the morning events and the Golden Bell quiz were over, the students flooded back into the classroom.

Most of them were from Ha-eun’s group: Ha Soyeol, Choi Yeseo, and Ha-eun himself.

The two girls took seats in chairs, while Ha-eun casually perched on a desk.

‘He’s so lean, yet his proportions are good,’ I found myself thinking as I unconsciously glanced at him.

Before I knew it, I was observing his entire frame.

Then came Ha-eun’s impromptu lecture on Leibniz’s theories.

Even as someone who read here and there, I found myself learning things I didn’t know.

Coming from Ha-eun, the information felt credible, which made it all the more engaging.

Once his lecture was over, the students participating in the afternoon events left the classroom.

That left just the two of us.

I didn’t mind, though, since I was busy drawing.

“What are you drawing?”

Ha-eun dragged a chair over and leaned in to look.

His face was so close that I felt my cheeks heat up slightly.

I raised my head, my lips curving into a faint smile—I was just in a good mood, that’s all.

“I’m preparing for the National Exhibition. It’s in July, so I’m working on selecting a theme before then.”

“The National Exhibition? That’s going to be tough. Wouldn’t it be easier to just compete in the youth division and win easily?”

His words made me widen my eyes in surprise.

Seeing my reaction, Ha-eun quickly tried to justify himself.

“No, I mean the National Exhibition is open to all artists in Korea, so it’s harder for someone your age to—”

This coming from someone who just competed in the Prize competition?

Hypocrite, I thought, and the word made me chuckle.

“Aren’t you the last person who should be saying that?”

I wasn’t offended or anything. If anyone knew my skill level best, it was me.

Someday, I hoped to submit my work to the Prize competition too.

Falling quiet, Ha-eun eventually offered to help with my National Exhibition piece.

Since I needed guidance, I gladly accepted his offer.

He gave me feedback on my lines, helped with coloring, and we spent the time working together.

Eventually, it was time for Ha-eun to head to his event.

He told me to look for Teacher Lee A-reum for further help, then left.

I found myself staring at the door he’d gone through before picking up my pen again.

‘…It feels kind of lonely.’

The classroom had been so lively just moments ago.

Click!

As if sensing my mood, the door opened, and a woman walked in.

It was Teacher Lee A-reum.

“Ha-eun said I should help you,” she said briefly before sitting down to assist with my drawing.

For some reason, I felt a bit annoyed.

—

I had used Ho-seong as an excuse to bring Ha-eun to my house, but the other girls had tagged along too, leaving me feeling disappointed.

‘Why am I disappointed?’

The thought crossed my mind. I’ve been finding myself puzzled by my thoughts about Ha-eun for a while now.

And yet, there I was, disappointed again.

I already knew Ha-eun would win the Prize.

Because he’s Ha-eun.

Failure wasn’t something I associated with him.

And sure enough, my expectations were correct—he was basking in the attention of the public.

‘I’ll catch up to you soon.’

As I held onto that thought, Ha-eun spoke.

“Congrats on winning the National Exhibition. You did great.”

“Oh… Uh, thanks. Wait, how did you know?”

I hadn’t expected him to bring it up, and my voice came out a little shaky.

“Mr. Hong Jin-hu wouldn’t stop bragging about it with photos. The guy’s hopeless.”

Dad, seriously! I told him not to show those to Ha-eun!

From there, the conversation moved to my Oasis painting.

Seeing his slightly surprised expression made me feel strangely happy.

Of course, this painting wouldn’t have been possible without Ha-eun and Teacher Lee A-reum’s help.

Still, I was the one who painted the final strokes.

That much gave me enough confidence to feel a little proud.

When I asked Ha-eun for feedback, he hesitated for a moment before pointing out several flaws.

His critique was harsh, but he ended with a compliment.

“Still, even with all that, there’s nothing major to criticize. You deserved the win.”

Those words were so embarrassingly sweet that I found myself bowing my head, feeling my face heat up.

“…I’ve been recognized.”

I muttered the words softly, and Ha-eun tilted his head curiously.

When I mentioned needing a mentor, an idea struck me.

‘What if…?’

When he suggested Teacher Lee A-reum, I felt a twinge of annoyance. Not because I disliked her, but…

“Um, could I… learn from you instead?”

“Me?”

Ha-eun pointed at himself, and when I nodded, he responded,

“Sure, why not?”

“!!! Thank you!”

His agreement filled me with joy.

If I could learn from someone I admired—

‘…Admired?’

The sudden thought made me blink in surprise, but my heart had already shifted.

Thump, thump.

My heart raced faster and faster.

Even though Ha-eun set conditions for teaching me, none of them mattered.

I just wanted to stay by his side.

Maybe that’s why I realized this feeling.

I wanted to stay with him forever.

Drawing together, living together.

‘…Kidnapping and confinement?’

If Ha-eun heard that, he’d probably faint on the spot.