I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 33

[Ha Soo-Yul: Where are you?]

[Me: On my way.]

Thanks to my mom driving, I easily made it to the school gate.

But I only had five minutes left.

Deciding it wasn’t worth rushing, I chose to walk instead.

‘Who cares if I’m a little late to the entrance ceremony? It’s not like there’s a penalty.’

The Private Comprehensive Arts High School.

This was not only the school I would be attending but also the main stage of the original story.

If I hadn’t had an interest in art, I probably would’ve followed my previous life’s path and gone to a general high school.

The arts high school was divided into five departments:

Performing ArtsFine ArtsCreative WritingMusicPhysical Education

Naturally, I was in the Fine Arts department. Ha Soo-Yul was in Physical Education, and Choi Ye-Seo joined the Performing Arts department.

Honestly, I still didn’t understand why an arts high school had a physical education department, but apparently, it was because of the “Comprehensive” in its name.

‘I guess I’ll figure it out as I go... Anyway, where’s the auditorium?’

Looking around, there were large buildings everywhere.

With no map in sight, I reluctantly pulled out my phone to check the school’s layout.

“Let’s see, from here...”

I finally found it after rounding one more building—the main auditorium.

“Whoa, this place is massive...”

Its size was no joke, befitting a primary stage for major events.

“Hey there, are you a freshman? The ceremony’s already started.”

A well-dressed woman standing at the auditorium’s entrance called out to me.

Her name tag identified her as a staff member.

It read: Lee Ah-Reum, Painting Division Instructor.

I wasn’t reacting just because I recognized her from the original story—I’d seen her name in the news.

If you had to name a few masters in the Korean art world, Lee Ah-Reum would definitely make the list. And now, she was standing right in front of me.

“Can I still go in? I don’t think I’m that late,” I asked.

Lee Ah-Reum smiled and nodded.

“Of course. Just be quiet when you enter. The chairman is giving his speech.”

“Thank you.”

She gestured for me to go in, her smile tinged with subtle amusement.

‘She knows who I am.’

It was obvious she had seen me on YouTube.

Given all the buzz and controversy, it was only natural that someone from the art world would recognize me.

Passing by her, I opened the door and stepped inside, greeted by a sea of heads.

The entrance ceremony wasn’t much different from the ones I’d attended before. The only unique aspect was...

‘Pink, green, blue, and orange hair everywhere.’

The variety of hair colors stood out.

‘Ah, there they are.’

I spotted Ha Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo. Perhaps as a gesture of consideration, they had left an empty seat between them.

Though I tried to move discreetly, I still drew some attention.

“Phew...”

“Why are you so late?”

The moment I sat down, I was met with a scolding.

“I stopped by the studio.”

Ha Soo-Yul frowned, then suddenly widened her eyes.

“Sniff, sniff. Smells like... a girl.”

“What are you talking about?”

I waved casually at Choi Ye-Seo before turning my attention to the stage.

The chairman, hunched over with age, was giving his speech, followed by the principal and vice-principal.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t this school run by the S Group?’

The thought made me chuckle. What a coincidence.

The ceremony itself wasn’t very long—likely out of consideration for the students.

Afterward, the class assignments were announced.

‘The assignments were probably decided in advance.’

At this school, placements were determined purely by skill, starting with the practical exams during admission.

“Ahem! Should I introduce myself first?”

What happened to starting with today’s schedule?

“My name is Lee Ah-Reum! I’m still a young 25-year-old woman, okay?”

I already wanted to go home.

“I’ll be in charge of Fine Arts Class 1. Let’s get along, everyone!”

Her lively introduction was met with applause. Most of the students already knew who she was, so the excitement was natural.

“Now, let’s start introductions from the front row on the left.”

And so began the relay of introductions. While waiting for my turn, I idly played with my phone under the desk.

Eventually, it was Hong Yea-Hwa’s turn.

“My name is Hong Yea-Hwa. I like drawing, and I don’t particularly dislike anything. I’ll be staying in the dorms.”

Her brief introduction left the room in silence. But honestly, that’s how introductions should be—short and simple.

Next was the girl with the braided bun, who seemed close to Yea-Hwa.

“Hi, everyone! I’m Kim Ji-Ah! I—”

A typical introduction for a typical name. I had no idea who she was.

Finally, it was my turn.

“I’m Lee Ha-Eun. I like my sister. And, uh...”

What else was I supposed to say? Did people even do introductions anymore?

Did I have to?

Just then, I met Lee Ah-Reum’s gaze.

“Ha-Eun won first place in the Drawing Korea competition, right?”

Why bring that up, teacher? Everyone who cares already knows.

“Yeah, I did...”

“That’s amazing! The entries in that competition were all high-level.”

“They were, but not as high as mine.”

Telling me not to be arrogant doesn’t work—I’m allowed to be.

But why was Hong Yea-Hwa staring at me? I had no idea.

“You also run a YouTube channel with a huge following, right?”

“Yes, though I don’t handle the management myself.”

“With your talent, shouldn’t you compete internationally?”

What was with this teacher? Why was she so fixated on me?

Still, the question wasn’t hard to answer, so I responded honestly.

“I’m planning to enter the World Art Prize this July. It’s an international art competition.”

“Oh? I’m participating too! We’re rivals now, huh?”

Was her mental age lower than it should be? She felt impossible to communicate with.

“Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time. You can sit down now.”

Thankfully, that ended my introduction.

I was starting to wonder when we’d get our textbooks.

And as if on cue...

“Next, we’re heading to pick up your textbooks! Follow me!”

The class got up and followed Lee Ah-Reum. I trailed behind, lost in thought.

The World Art Prize, this year’s international art competition, would be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as it was every year.

However, unlike the previous timeline, it was scheduled for July instead of September.

The prize money had also changed. The base prize had increased from $200,000 to $1.2 million.

It wasn’t just the World Art Prize; other international competitions had also diverged significantly from what I knew.

Was it because this was a romantic comedy world? I wasn’t sure.

Tap, tap.

Someone tapped my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. It was Hong Yea-Hwa.

“You’re Lee Ha-Eun, right?”

“I introduced myself earlier.”

“...Are you good at drawing? How good?”

“Wouldn’t you already know?”

Why was someone who’d clearly seen my work asking this?

“Then come to my house.”

...What?

My first conversation with Hong Yea-Hwa, and she was already proving she wasn’t normal.