I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy-Chapter 114

It was a simple yet somehow unsettling painting.

But the [Angel] my teacher had altered was the opposite.

In the empty space, there were now clouds and light effects painted in.

The background and the angel had both been colored differently.

The black background had been turned to white, and the once decadent angel now had a pure face, smiling.

Anyone who saw it would probably think it was a painting meant for children.

But the strange thing was...

‘This fits exactly with the direction I wanted...’

It was the preliminary sketch I had been planning when I thought about working on [Angel].

I hadn’t even told my teacher about this yet, but my teacher had mimicked my concept.

Isn’t this what they mean by a genius?

‘Well, whatever. Good things are good.’

But, as my teacher said, the work on [Angel] wasn’t finished yet. The appearance had only been changed.

The decayed interior had probably stayed the same.

And that, my teacher couldn’t do. It was me who needed to breathe life into it, to give it existence.

I frowned, feeling uneasy, and walked forward.

Chairman Lee Ji-Cheol and Hong Jin-Hoo, along with a few others, turned their attention toward us as we entered.

"Is our son-in-law here?"

"What are you talking about?"

Seeing Hong Jin-Hoo’s grin made my uneasy feeling disappear.

But, isn't this a busy time for him? Is it okay for him to be here right now?

"Haha, I see you’re not denying it."

"Chairman, why are you here..."

I ignored the chuckling Hong Jin-Hoo and looked at Chairman Lee Ji-Cheol.

He gave a faint smile and spoke.

“The soul of the artist called me here.”

“Bullshit.”

My teacher, who had been listening quietly, frowned.

But teacher, does the chairman know who you really are? That thought got stuck in my throat. I probably shouldn’t ask.

“Forget it, just get ready.”

At my teacher’s command, everyone moved in perfect coordination.

As [Angel], which had been lying down, was raised, it became at least twice as tall as me.

It was the oil canvas that Sanya had custom-made.

It was a bit larger compared to the other paintings.

It wasn’t treated as something special. After all, this was the last painting. I thought it would look cool if I made it big since I was already going to do it.

Though now, I had doubts about why I made it like this.

Trying too hard to look flashy, tsk tsk.

I muttered inwardly and sat in front of [Angel].

Just like always when working, even though the painting had changed, the inner part of it hadn’t.

"Ah. Come to think of it, today... was the day I died."

My consciousness faded away.

***

It was bright. Very, very bright. Yeah.

I was on a cloud. On a cloud bathed in sunlight.

Strangely enough, I didn’t fall beneath the cloud.

Well, this wasn’t reality, so that’s probably why. Besides, it felt soft.

It seemed like my teacher had used a lot of power for this.

At least in terms of the details. Anyway...

But where is this? Why is no one here?

I thought I might need to search around like the others, but fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long.

I was able to meet him.

As I absentmindedly moved my legs, I saw something in the distance.

Six pairs of wings. And a youthful appearance.

It was the kind of face that made you want to love it, to show affection.

But, see, it’s always in my nature to be on guard.

It was a soft world, but the atmosphere felt harsh.

It felt like a blade was being pressed to my neck at that very moment.

Of course, that didn’t apply to Lee Ha-Eun. I ignored it and kept walking.

‘You drew it cute. Is this your teacher's taste?’

The closer I got, the clearer the face became.

Soft white hair. Clear blue eyes.

It had changed. The angel I had drawn.

But? Its true nature hadn’t changed.

“Haha. Why did you come now, Sanya?”

The angel smiled brightly and turned to face me.

Our gazes met. But it wasn’t a friendly one.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have come.”

“Why say something so harsh?”

[Angel] was, among the seven masterpieces, particularly known for being cruel.

Of course, it had never gone beyond this world.

There’s a saying, right? You can come freely, but you can’t leave.

People can enter, but no one leaves.

Why? I didn’t want to say it, but...

“Kill it or let it live.”

“You have a sharp tongue.”

“Are you the only one who can do that?”

I wondered if it was because this one was modeled after me. This wasn’t going to be easy.

In the awkward silence, neither of us spoke first.

We just stared at each other.

Then, the angel slowly stood up. Its fragile body seemed to be frail, but... where was this?

A phantom world.

To be honest, there was no way I could defeat this one.

So? I had to end it with my words.

“Nice outfit. Did your teacher draw it for you?”

“Yeah. It’s way more comfortable than what I used to wear.”

It smiled a little, but I didn’t believe it.

“Wanna talk?”

At my question, the angel relaxed its expression. Well, actually, it turned neutral.

For a moment, I felt a chill on her face.

“Why would I?”

So, does that mean she’s planning to kill me here?

Well, that’s fine. Am I going to die on the same day again?

I briefly thought about it, and my mouth opened on its own.

“Sanya is dead.”

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“I know. The idiot died.”

“That’s a bit much.”

The angel tilted her head as if asking me to say more.

‘Oh, come on. There’s no way out.’

I had said it before: you can’t leave the phantom world without the owner’s permission.

Once you enter, it’s over.

I sighed inwardly and scratched the back of my head.

“Why did you change my personality? Why did you do that?”

“I didn’t do anything. I haven’t done anything.”

“Pride.”

“......”

You look down on people and act like a hypocrite.

I once thought that was my personality. But no matter how much I think about it...

That’s completely different from who I was before I died.

I treated others like garbage, but I was an affectionate being. I, Sanya, was like that.

That’s why the Nine-Tailed Fox, Seiren, Sara, Cerberus, Phoenix, Dragon, and finally, the Angel...

They were all reborn under my hand, driven by selfish affection.

I couldn’t let go of them.

I wanted them to stay by my side forever, and that led to this.

But pride had nothing to do with it. Sanya wasn’t like that.

The last emotion I felt before I died was one thing.

The young Sanya, the adult Sanya who longed to go back.

Even attaching the name “Angel” to it.

Knowing it wouldn’t work, I still tried. But it was impossible to turn back time.

I had believed in myself too much, and that’s why I couldn’t return to the past I had dreamed of.

I had wished for the days I spent with my teacher, not with my family.

I had prayed for that, but all I got in return was the cold death.

“You pathetic fool.”

“I don’t have anything else to say.”

I shrugged and sat down.

The soft cloud welcomed me, and it felt good.

But... Can I survive here?

If I die here, I’ll be a vegetable.

“Let’s talk. Angel.”

“I don’t really have anything to say.”

Wow. My personality really is messed up.

Have I been abandoned for 19 years and now this is how I am?

I sighed and smiled faintly. Surprisingly, it seemed like she didn’t intend to hurt me.

I relaxed my tense body and spoke.

“I loved Sanya. More than the others. Probably?”

“Shut up.”

[Angel] had spent much more time working on me than the other masterpieces.

Maybe that’s why. The self-aware angel became obsessed with Sanya.

And very persistently.

Love became a powerful weapon.

Then, one day, suddenly, the owner didn’t return.

They would come back, they would come back, but eventually...

My teacher, Low-Hwa, said that Sanya had died.

At that moment, the angel’s mind stopped.

It took a while for us to meet again.

Her twisted love had left a mark on my personality.

And to fix that, I came here.

Even now, nothing had really changed. I still looked at people with the same judgmental gaze.

But now, I think twice before speaking.

To avoid making the other person upset.

Rationally, I say.

The silence continued. Neither of us seemed ready to speak.

“Shall I tell you a story from the past?”

“......”

I moved my eyes from the angel to the horizon.

The sunset had arrived. There was no passage of time in this place.

‘It’s beautiful.’

“It’s a story about Sanya.”

“…What about it?”

“Sit down. It’s scary.”

“Hmph.”

A tsundere, huh? Still, she listened to me.

The angel turned away from me and sat down at a distance.

I watched her and began to speak.

“Young Sanya wasn’t as pure as you think.”

The angel’s body shivered slightly.

***

"Is this okay?"

At Hong Jin-Hoo's question, Chairman Lee Jin-Cheol shrugged.

"I don't know. But this is the last time. What a pain."

Should I take my granddaughter to the amusement park after this?

The two of them exchanged trivial small talk.

Afterward, Low-Hwa's gaze darkened.

A past known only to the teacher and the student.

The student had always been a sore spot for him.