I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 82: Student Council (2)

“Haha, there’s no need to be so nervous. Really, it’s nothing major.”

“Then why me…?”

“Well, relatively speaking, this will really be no big deal for you, Ha-eun.”

She avoided my gaze with a sheepish expression. If it’s “no big deal” to me, that probably means it’s a big deal to everyone else.

‘It’s probably about painting. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to call a teacher?’

There were plenty of other options: Lee A-reum, Hong Yehwa, or anyone else. Why had they chosen me?

“Ahem. I actually have two requests for you, Ha-eun.”

She cleared her throat and looked at me seriously, a look so polished I couldn’t help but admire it.

‘Wow, she’s good at steering the conversation. Guess that’s what makes a student council president.’

“The first request is about a painting. I’m sure you guessed that.”

“Yes, I was just thinking that might be the reason. It seemed like the only thing you’d call me for.”

“Exactly. The reason we called you here is that we’d like to request a painting from you. And the second request is for a live broadcast during the festival.”

“That doesn’t sound too difficult. For festival promotion?”

“Haha, that’s right. Originally, the student council was supposed to handle it, but…”

Her gaze shifted to the towering stacks of papers piled on the desks.

“We’re short on time. Please! I’m begging you!”

She suddenly bowed her head, startling me enough to wave my hands in panic.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. If anything, I’ve been meaning to try broadcasting. As for the painting…”

“Ah! We’ve already decided on the theme for the painting.”

“Great, I’ll aim to finish it as soon as possible. A week should be enough—”

“Ah, wait, Ha-eun! Or should I say, sir?”

…Huh? What’s with the sudden change in tone?

Kim abruptly knelt down on the floor and shouted dramatically.

“Please create a masterpiece!”

“Uh… what?”

Why would they need a masterpiece for a school festival? Even if they had one, it wouldn’t be much help.

“You know each department hosts an event during the festival, right?”

“I’m aware, but first, please get up—”

“Our art department traditionally holds an exhibition!”

“I get it, just—please stand up before we continue—”

“And so—!”

“Stand up and talk, will you?”

This wasn’t how I imagined the student council would act. In my mind, they were supposed to be cool, efficient, and charismatic. Not… this.

I barely managed to stop Kim from bowing her head further and guided her back to the sofa.

“In any case, our art department needs at least one masterpiece.”

“…You seem to be skipping over a lot of details.”

Where’s the explanation?

“In previous years, we managed thanks to the help of teachers. The previous masterpiece took over a year to prepare, starting from second year and finishing in third.”

So that’s how the previous council president had done it. Couldn’t they just follow the same process?

Unfortunately, she shook her head with a downcast expression.

“There was an incident recently, so…”

Her somber face and lowered head told me everything. The painting they’d worked so hard on was ruined, and now they only had about two months left.

It was understandable why she was so anxious.

Still, asking me to take this on was a bit much…

‘I need at least three months for something like that.’

I already had too many ongoing projects. If I took on this task as well, my workload would be unbearable.

It seemed like I had no choice but to refuse.

“Of course! We’ll compensate you!”

Sensing my hesitation, Kim desperately shouted.

“It’s not about the compensation; I just don’t think it’s feasible.”

If I had more time, maybe it could work. But as things stood, it seemed impossible.

And I couldn’t deliver a half-finished piece, either.

‘…Should I hand off the rest of my current work to Lee A-reum? My part is already done.’

I was working on a masterpiece, but my role in it was mostly complete. From this point forward, it was up to Lee A-reum and Hong Yehwa to carry it forward.

That said, I couldn’t shake my doubts about whether they could handle it properly.

‘Let’s trust them.’

It might be better to fully entrust that project to them and focus on something new instead.

[The Gumiho] was already finished.

Still, this wasn’t something I could decide on my own. I needed their approval first.

For now, all that remained for the prize submission was refining and storing it properly.

But the final two emotions I hadn’t yet captured in the piece still lingered. If I shifted my focus now, it could fall apart.

“I’ll decide after assessing the situation. It’s not something I can decide on my own.”

Scratching my head, I gave her a vague response. Kim’s face lit up with relief.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, I left the council room and saw the delinquent from earlier walking toward me.

His shoulders sagged, and he moved stiffly, clearly still in pain.

As we passed each other, I gave him a slight nod, intending to move on quietly.

“Surely… it’s not actually broken, right? It can’t be…”

I couldn’t help but overhear his muttering.

Poor guy. But considering he was walking, it probably wasn’t broken. If it were, he wouldn’t even be able to stand.

I left the student council building and returned to class, where I saw Hong Yehwa sitting at her desk.

She must have returned after being whisked away earlier.

“You’re back? Where’d you go?” she asked.

Stretching, I answered, “The student council called me, so I went over.”

At my reply, Hong Yehwa frowned slightly and leaned in closer.

“Did you meet the president?”

“I did. She’s… interesting.”

“…Do you like people like her?”

“She’s pretty, but not my type.”

Hong Yehwa let out a sigh of relief and lightly smacked my arm.

“Hey, ow. Why’d you hit me?”

“That’s your punishment for disappearing without a word.”

“You were the one who got dragged away earlier…”

That wasn’t fair. She was the one who left first.

Oh, right, I needed to ask her something.

“Yehwa, can I ask you a favor?”

“Hmm? If it’s something I can do, sure.”

Wow, that was reassuring.

In that case…

“I was thinking of stepping back from the project soon. Is that okay—?”

“Denied. Absolutely not.”

“…Got it.”

Her immediate rejection left me feeling dejected.

She glanced at me and gave me a slight side-eye, which I avoided meeting.

“Sigh… Why?”

Hong Yehwa asked with a sigh, her tone suggesting I was about to get scolded. Still, my mouth opened of its own accord.

“Well, they said they need a masterpiece for the upcoming festival…”

“And why would you be the one to do that? That’s the student council’s job.”

“They had something prepared, but apparently, there was some kind of accident.”

“An accident? Oh, that…”

As she listened to my explanation, her brow furrowed, as if she’d remembered something unpleasant.

“Hmm. Sure, a masterpiece might be necessary, but that doesn’t mean it has to be you.”

“I know, but… it feels wrong to ignore someone asking for help.”

“…Ugh. Did you tell Ms. Lee A-reum about this?”

“I will. But honestly, I think they’ll be fine without me. I trust their skills.”

The project we were already working on was nearly finished. Even if I stepped away, it should still turn out fine. At least, I believed so.

Though Yehwa still looked displeased, she didn’t press the matter further. I got the feeling she was holding back for my sake.

Moments like these made me really appreciate her.

‘Not that I need the money.’

The president had mentioned compensation, but I wasn’t interested in material rewards.

‘Let’s just treat it as volunteering.’

With about two months left, it seemed doable if I planned everything carefully.

Oh, right—they said they’d email me the theme.

When I checked my inbox later, I let out a long sigh.

‘This is Korea, right…?’

Why did the theme feel like something out of subculture media?

Fortunately, it wasn’t just one theme—they’d sent several options.

I just had to pick one that I liked. But first, I needed Ms. Lee A-reum’s permission.

The creation of the masterpiece for the festival—or rather, for the art department’s exhibition—progressed swiftly.

‘Luckily, I found a normal theme.’

Amidst the many options, there was one that stood out: Party. Just that one word clicked perfectly with me.

The rest were obscure Japanese names I couldn’t even pronounce. While there might be demand for such themes, I couldn’t pick something so niche if I wanted broader appeal.

The “party” theme itself had plenty of flexibility.

For example, a pajama party or a birthday party.

I decided to combine the two into one piece: a few kids wearing pajamas, rolling around on blankets, and at the center of the painting, a slightly messy strawberry cake.

After sketching a rough outline, I took a photo and sent it to Kim.

[Student Council President: I can’t thank you enough…]

[Me: It’s no problem. Just repay me later by granting me one favor.]

[Student Council President: Oh, of course! Whatever you need!]

Thankfully, she seemed satisfied with it. It looked like I could move forward with this plan.

‘But… am I even allowed to do a live broadcast during the festival? Maybe I should check with the chairman.’

Even though the student council managed many things autonomously, they were still just students. It wasn’t realistic to expect perfection.

After all, they were still growing and learning—it was only natural to make mistakes.

‘Though, I doubt the president is the type to mess up.’

If anything went wrong, the student council could probably handle it.

It had been a while since I last worked on a masterpiece since finishing Heo Mu-seol. Back then, I hadn’t left the studio for days.

This time, though, I felt strangely relaxed. Without the pressure of creating a “great work,” I could enjoy the process more.

Knowing that Yehwa and Ms. Lee A-reum was capable and gave me peace of mind.

‘China… Hm, I’ll deal with that later.’

For now, I had to focus on the task at hand.

Only two months until the festival.

That’s how much time I had to complete the painting. But for some reason, I didn’t feel rushed.

Maybe I had started trusting myself more.

‘Ah, what should I do during the festival?’

Even as I painted, my mind wandered to other thoughts. That’s how relaxed I felt.