Van Gogh Reborn!
Chapter 191: Awakening (9)

Chapter 191 Awakening (9)

-The Arnouvo Competition has reached its fourth day in local time. Yesterday, an interesting fact was revealed, right?

I woke up to the sound of the TV.

I was tired from walking all day yesterday.

I didn’t want to get up, so I closed my eyes and just opened my ears.

-Yes, it’s about the frame maker Pierre Malo, who has been keeping the tradition for six generations.

-Isn’t he the one who runs the frame shop Chardon? What does he have to do with the Arnouvo Competition?

-It turns out that the frames that contain the two works that are currently competing for the lead, Beauty and Summer Nook, are his works.

-That’s interesting, but there must be a reason why he gets so much attention.

-Yes, it’s because out of the 1,789 entries, the only works that Pierre Malo made frames for are Beauty and Summer Nook.

-Does that mean the master recognizes the masterpiece?

-Haha, it seems so.

It seems that Pierre Malo made frames for Marso and my work.

I don’t know if he only wanted to make two works, but it’s certain that he didn’t have time to make anything else.

He finished the frame for Summer Nook before October, so he must have been in a hurry to make Beauty afterwards.

-Some people say that Pierre Malo predicted that the two works would be loved and made frames for them.

-In fact, he never accepts requests for works that he doesn’t like. That’s why he doesn’t have a lot of work.

-Yes.

-They are such great works that they captivated his heart, and the visitors seem to like them too.

-I see. Another thing. The authors of the two works have not been revealed yet. Do you think Pierre Malo knows who they are?

-There is a high possibility. But he said he wouldn’t answer any questions about the customer’s identity, so we’ll have to wait for the experts until the competition is over.

-Ms. Strejeman, aren’t you an expert yourself? What do you think?

As I listened, I came to my senses and got up.

When I went to the living room, Grandpa and Bang Taeho were sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Are you up? Do you want some juice?”

“I’ll get it myself.”

I took out apple juice from the refrigerator and sat on the sofa.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I guess I walked too much yesterday.”

I wanted to see as many works as possible, so I pushed myself too hard.

I’m a little tired.

“Then, do you want to rest today?”

There are still 1,000 works that I haven’t seen.

I can’t do that, so I shook my head and Grandpa stroked my hair.

-So, you’re guessing that either Beauty or Summer Nook is Go Hoon’s work?

-It’s just a guess.

-You’re being careful.

-Yes. In fact, Go Hoon has changed his style several times. He has his own characteristics, such as powerful brush strokes and intense colors, but he hasn’t shown a surreal composition like Summer Nook or a classic style like Beauty.

-I see. It’s just a guess. Let’s move on to the next story.

On TV, ‘Let’s Talk’ continues.

-Each media is also sending positive messages. Please introduce them.

-Yes. The French daily Le Figaro reported yesterday that even the cold couldn’t stop the passion of art lovers, and that the Arnouvo Competition was a signal for the revival of art.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’ll eat with Si-hyun when he wakes up.”

I looked at the clock and it was ten minutes before nine.

I’ll wait a little longer and wake him up for breakfast.

-Some criticize that it’s a temporary phenomenon due to the prize money. They say it’s an event that relies on money rather than works.

“Tsk.”

Bang Taeho clicked his tongue at the criticism introduced by the host Woo-jin.

Anya Strejeman, who was introduced as a Times reporter, stepped up to refute.

-I see it differently.

-Please tell us.

-No matter how good a work is, it loses its meaning if there is no one to enjoy it. According to their claim, marketing itself is a negative act. No matter how good a product is, it won’t sell if it’s not promoted, so isn’t advertising a good thing?

-You’re pointing out that SNBA’s event is nothing but a marketing strategy.

-Yes, it’s a very effective way to induce direct participation.

-Please explain more.

-Prizes and money are classic marketing methods. Pointing this out is like trying to undermine the success and significance of the Arnouvo Competition.

-This is hard to ignore. Are you saying that there are forces that are trying to sabotage the Arnouvo Competition?

-It’s hard to specify, but there is definitely such a behavior going on.

“What do you think?”

Bang Taeho asked Grandpa.

“Hmm, it’s probably hosadamaji.”

“What’s hosadamaji?”

I regained my memory and got used to many things and gained more knowledge, but proverbs are still hard.

“It means that there are often obstacles to good things.”

“It seems that there are people who are against SNBA, not as extreme as Jerome Kerbiel.”

It would be good for everyone if the art market expands, but I wonder why they are opposed.

“Why do they hate it so much? It would be nice if we all do well.”

“There are such people. They prefer to monopolize the share rather than grow the pie.”

“They must have thought that expanding the market can wait until after the concentration.”

“Hmm.”

In the end, it’s because of greed.

There are such people in any group. They even sell their country for power even when the country is ruined.

“Did you sleep well?”

Cha Si-hyun rubbed his eyes and came to the living room.

***

“Henri! Henri!”

“Kyaaa!”

“Henri! Henri!”

The appearance of Henri Marso on the Cité Island street made the already crowded street more congested.

Michel Platini, who was enjoying the enthusiastic cheers of the citizens, whispered in Henri Marso’s ear.

“How long are you going to do this?”

Michel, who clenched his teeth and spoke, smiled as if nothing had happened.

Henri, who was satisfied, snorted and moved on.

“Mr. Marso! What work did you come to see?”

“Please say a word about the success of the Arnouvo Competition!”

“How do you see Beauty, which is currently in the lead!”

Ignoring the reporters, one question caught his ear.

He turned his head and Kim Ji-woo, a reporter, was pushing his smartphone with shining eyes.

“How do I see Beauty?”

“Yes! I really want to hear what you think as the organizer and the best painter!”

He usually never answered interviews that were not in French, but he liked the question.

“It’s a perfect work. A work that can end this chaotic era without any flaws.”

Kim Ji-woo’s eyes widened.

He acknowledged and cherished a few artists, such as Go Suyeol, Fernando Gonzalez, Jang Mi-rae, and especially Go Hoon, but he had never praised anyone like this.

Not only Kim Ji-woo, but also the reporters and citizens around him were astonished.

“Sir, exactly what do you think in that way?”

“Do you have any idea who the author of Beauty is?”

“What is your position on the speculation that you drew Mr. Marso!”

As the questions poured in, Alex, a YouTuber who came to the scene after receiving a tip that Henri Marso had appeared, was impatient as he couldn’t get through the crowd.

He could only express his regret to the viewers through his smartphone.

“Did you hear that? Henri Marso said it was a perfect work. He didn’t even use the expression ‘perfect’ for Go Hoon’s work that he loves to death, what the hell is going on?”

The viewers were also surprised.

└People really change;;

└Isn’t Go Hoon the one who drew Beauty?

└Henri seems to be acting like a human as he gets older. Antermittang or Arnouvo Competition, he seems to be a real person.

└Stop it. It’s like our brother was garbage sometimes, but he was always a good person.

└That’s not an Henri fan. Henri fans do it for the taste of dissing Henri.

└We diss him too. Honestly, even if our brother does crazy things sometimes, has he ever harmed anyone?

Alex, who was looking at the chat window, was lost in thought and shut his mouth.

‘It’s a hint.’

Henri Marso, who was notorious for his strong pride and excessive pride, was strict with other artists besides himself.

Even among the people who were already recognized as masters, such as Go Suyeol, some could not avoid Henri Marso’s criticism.

And he rarely spoke favorably of the works.

But there was an exception for Henri Marso, and that was Go Hoon, the genius painter of Korea.

He bought Go Hoon’s first work, Sunflower, as well as Guest and Frosty Millet Field for a huge amount of money, and recently he even promised to receive Love7 from Go Suyeol as a gift.

He even rumored that he invested in the movie Giamseong because of Go Hoon.

The friendly appearance of the two was confirmed through various media, and it proved that Henri Marso regarded Go Hoon as special.

Alex desperately pushed his way through the crowd and shouted at Henri Marso.

“Did you draw Beauty yourself?”

Henri Marso turned his head at Alex’s confirmation question.

Henri Marso, who had no need to lie with his huge ego and excessive pride, responded awkwardly.

“No.”

But his awkward denial was not important.

Alex confirmed his doubt.

“Then, is Go Hoon the one who drew Beauty?”

“What are you talking about!”

Henri Marso’s strong denial made the surroundings quiet for a moment.

Then someone muttered.

“Yeah. When did Henri praise anyone like this besides Go Hoon?”

“They said Go Hoon participated. It hasn’t been revealed yet.”

“It’s Go Hoon.”

“That’s right! It’s Go Hoon!”

The citizens’ guesses expanded uncontrollably, and among them, Alex felt like his heart was going to burst with the thought that he had found the author of Beauty that he couldn’t reveal until now.

‘It’s a million angles!’

He thought that if he uploaded today’s video, the views would be guaranteed.

On the other hand, Henri Marso’s temples were flushed with blood.

“These…”

The work he drew to end this chaotic era for sure before opening a new era of painting.

The work that proved himself to be ahead of Go Hoon, who symbolized the future, and completed with agony.

He couldn’t stand the atmosphere that the masterpiece was confirmed as Go Hoon’s work.

“No! No!”

Henri Marso shouted in anger, but his strong denial sounded like a strong affirmation.

The tourists who were aiming for the huge event prize money didn’t hear Henri’s voice anymore.

A person who was close to Henri Marso entered Go Hoon as the author of Beauty on the Arnouvo Competition application and gritted his teeth.

**

I ate breakfast and was so tired that I slept more.

I got up at lunchtime and ate at the hotel restaurant, and Bang Taeho made a strange noise.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

He couldn’t answer and just blinked his eyes and showed his smartphone.

Grandpa, Cha Si-hyun and I leaned our heads to the middle of the table.

It was the event page of the official application of the Arnouvo Competition.

It was an event where you guessed the author of the anonymously exhibited works, and the prize money was quite large, so Grandpa, Bang Taeho, Cha Si-hyun and I were working hard.

“…Huh?”

I became the person who drew Beauty.

1st

Hoon Go

(This is the result of 91.1% guessing.)