episode_0017

After the morning exhibition, we came to a famous course cuisine restaurant for lunch.

“Delicious.”

The texture of the meat melting in my mouth and the light olive oil filled me up.

“Hayoon, eat a lot.”

“…Okay.”

Hayoon still seemed dazed, often lost in thought even while eating.

I quickly finished my food and fed Hayoon a bite.

“There you go~”

“Mmm~”

As I fed her, I glanced at the plant-like scar on her neck.

‘…Will this ever disappear?’

My guilt towards Hayoon only grew stronger.

‘At first, it was half in jest, but I swore to protect her…’

Honestly, my feelings towards Im Yuna were more of fear than anger.

‘Maybe she’s a presence that can’t be easily overcome physically, which is why I can’t easily be angry.’

One could say it’s like an animal’s vile nature.

‘…Today, the way Im Yuna behaved made it clear; she doesn’t see us as equals.’

Is Queen Bartz Academy for Im Yuna like George Orwell’s Animal Farm? From her perspective, being a student is like having a license to enjoy games among talking animals.

Lost in thought, a sudden chill ran down my spine. Perhaps Im Yuna was glaring at me.

“Hayoon, try this too.”

I deliberately ignored Im Yuna’s gaze.

…Or rather, pretended not to notice.

After lunch, we had about 40 minutes of free time. I sat on a bench, keeping an eye on Hayoon.

“Hayoon… Let’s cover the scar when you’re out, okay?”

“Even with Mom?”

“Yes, even with your sister.”

I couldn’t bring myself to explain further.

As the free time ended, the highly anticipated special lecture by the master, Lee Baekhyun, approached.

“Are all the students here?”

“It’s Lee Baekhyun’s lecture; surely everyone’s here by now?”

While the teachers chatted, a staff member approached. After a brief conversation, he guided us.

“Follow me!”

It was quite a long line. We entered a large audiovisual room on the basement floor.

“Please take your seats in order.”

The teachers assigned seats in the order of entry, perhaps fearing a scramble for front row seats, yet they themselves took the front row.

‘Isn’t this a bit of an abuse of power?’

It wasn’t incomprehensible, but frankly, it was absurd.

“Is this really happening?”

A student muttered, unsure if it was a dream or reality.

Rustle, rustle.

Finally… the awaited footsteps echoed. The renowned master, Lee Baekhyun, ascended the stage.

“Woahhh!!!”

Cheers assaulted our eardrums.

“It’s really Lee Baekhyun!”

“Wow… Wow…”

In his early fifties, he was a genius referred to as a master. Contrary to my expectation of eccentric attire, he wore a neat suit as he took the stage.

‘A famous artist in a suit… Quite unique.’

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Lee Baekhyun.”

A simple greeting.

“I tried wearing a suit to show respect, but I feel awkward. I’m not sure if it suits me.”

“Today, rather than advice as a senior who ventured into this field first, I want to share my thoughts.”

“…I’d like to talk about ‘talent,’ a topic many avoid discussing during lectures.”

A gulp was heard as saliva went down someone’s throat.

“Whether drawing, writing, composing music, or telling stories, those seeking to express something need talent. Talents like creating exceptional melodies, innate descriptive abilities, the skill to immerse audiences with vivid realism, or the patience to work mechanically. People perceive differences in talents in various aspects.”

“However, among numerous talents, there is one that stands out overwhelmingly, making an enormous difference.”

Lee Baekhyun pulled out a pyramid model from his pocket.

“By gathering numerous talents to build a pyramid, one can reach the pinnacle. Delicate work can be overcome through labor, and a beautiful voice can be somewhat attained through vocal training. However, there is one talent that cannot be surpassed due to inherent limitations…”

“It’s the talent of ‘listening.’”

“?”

Everyone looked at Yi Baekhyun with puzzled expressions.

“If I stop here, many might not understand. Let me explain further. Let’s assume you continue your artistic activities. Your creations will keep piling up. You wouldn’t want to hear that your work is mediocre. So, you’ll keep trying new things, creating more and more. This way, you must create new works throughout your life.”

Yi Baekhyun smiled as if enjoying himself.

“At first, you may be confident, but the pressure from the incoming waves will be unimaginable. Even those who don’t usually listen to the world sometimes create works that transcend eras, even surpass them.”

“Yes, in reality, there are more artists like this than you might think.”

He calmly admitted that he had once felt jealous of such an artist.

“However, the crucial point is that they quickly hit a limit. Pouring out years of experience and thoughts all at once, they end up lingering in past glory, producing works inferior to their previous ones… The worst part is they might end up unable to create any work at all. Empathy for people, curiosity, sincere interest—unless these are innate, it will be harder than imagined.”

He approached the humidifier on the wall. Upon reaching it, he caught the mist with his hand, and the mist dissipated as he held it.

“All artists, as they create, come to feel the talent of listening bone-chillingly.”

He exclaimed confidently.

“The attitude of listening isn’t merely about absorbing stories like scarecrows. It’s more about understanding and observing the world… It’s a talent closer to that of a scholar exploring knowledge.”

He rummaged through his wallet, took out a 500-won coin, and tossed it to the ground.

The coin fell and rolled on the floor.

“There’s a shop near Sarang-gu specializing in gift wrapping. They always hide a small 500-won coin behind the wrapping paper, wishing for the customer’s luck. They’ve repeated this action for a staggering 30 years. Conversely, a dreadful serial killer used people as piggy banks, putting coins into the heads of the deceased, saving money in banks like a savings account.”

He pulled out a thick pen from his pocket.

“This pen actually has no ink. I carry it because it serves a purpose. When surrounded by fans and needing to sign something in a hurry, I take it out, claiming the ink has run out, and escape.”

He pointed at a overturned hand mirror on the floor with the pen.

“This hand mirror belonged to an ordinary student. The student cherished it dearly, but one day found it abandoned in the middle of the classroom, covered in a spiderweb-like layer of dust. What could have happened?”

He picked up the fallen coin and hand mirror from the floor.

The hand mirror was… intact.

Yi Baekhyun wrote something on the hand mirror with the pen. The dark ink formed a splendid signature.

“All these stories? I just made them up on the spot.”

He adjusted his tie.

“The human imagination is not inherently creative. We cannot imagine what we do not know.”

“If imitation is inevitable for us, we should at least aim for the sky where the wind can embrace us. We must not become mere replicators who discard all possibilities.”

“I can assert with confidence. Listening is truly the most transcendent and overwhelming domain of talent.”

—

The special lecture by Lee Baekhyun ended successfully.

The students’ reactions to the lecture were sharply divided; some found it impressive, calling him a master, while others deemed it an unhelpful trash lecture.

…The most common reaction was confusion. Many students had blank expressions, seemingly unaware even if a bug flew into their mouths.

“Hehe…”

Ha Yoon was one of those students with a blank expression.

“Ha Yoon, snap out of it…”

“Huee…”

While I expected Ha Yoon to be entranced by Im Yuna’s magic, I didn’t anticipate her being captivated by Lee Baekhyun’s lecture.

‘I wonder if snapping a dick in her mouth would bring her back to her senses?’

I briefly entertained this crazy thought but didn’t act on it.

“That’s it for today. Everyone go home on your own, and only those taking the shuttle bus stay.”

With Lee Baekhyun’s special lecture over, this exhibition came to a complete end.

As I tried to comfort the dazed Ha Yoon, I called my sister.

“Sis, our exhibition is over! …Ha Yoon is in no state to answer the phone.”

It took a while to walk through the crowded parking lot before finally being able to get into my sister’s car.

“What should we have for dinner? Want to go to a nearby restaurant?”

“I prefer your cooking, sis!”

Perhaps because we ate out so often, I now preferred my sister’s home-cooked meals.

“She really… likes to bother you.”

Even though she says that, she enjoys the fact that I appreciate her cooking. Whenever I eat, she watches me with a pleased expression.

And out of conscience, I always insist on doing the dishes.

“Is Ha Yoon okay?”

I moved to sit next to Ha Yoon, who was feeling unwell.

Since kissing her in the front seat would be visible to my sister, I opted to caress her pussy over her clothes instead.

As expected, Ha Yoon’s pussy was soft to the touch.

“Mmm…”

“Ha Yoon, are you coming to your senses?”

Indeed, they say gentle hands make light work.

Sniff sniff. The scent of Ha Yoon’s pussy…

—

Upon arriving at Ha Yoon’s house, I first went into the bathhouse with her. This was to help her bathe since she was still out of it.

“Close your eyes, Ha Yoon.”

Shhhhh.

Today, I didn’t indulge in any bathroom antics. I entered the bathhouse with Ha Yoon purely to assist her in washing.

After bathing, I noticed the pajamas I had bought. As I had been staying over at Ha Yoon’s place quite frequently, my belongings had started accumulating there.

“Let’s eat!”

While drying our hair together, I heard my sister calling, so I rushed to the dining table. If I didn’t go straight away, the person who cooked might feel bad.

“You could wait a bit longer for your hair to dry.”

“But how can I resist when your cooking is ready! Let your hair dry naturally.”

“Hmm hmm…”

“Hehehe.”

Ha Yoon seemed to find the situation amusing.

Ji Yoon, oblivious to resembling a demanding fox, enjoyed a harmonious dinner with Ha Yoon’s family.

After finishing the meal and asserting her rights by finishing the dishes, Ji Yoon suddenly felt a familiar sense of weightlessness.

“Uh… uh?”

Her throat, or more precisely, her choker, trembled.

A hazy smoke emerged.

Nothing.

…

Thud.

“Eukk!”

“Welcome to Saint Miller.”

It was Im Yuna’s hideout.

She casually spoke after kidnapping someone in the middle of the night.

“It’s an honor to meet you tonight, Lady Yuna Sertetain!”

Before assessing the situation, she obediently played the role of a loyal dog.

…There was no other choice.