64,000 people

64,000 people.

A few years ago, to grasp just how big that number is, you could think back to the friendly match between Brazil and South Korea's national teams at Sangam World Cup Stadium. The number of spectators at that match? 64,000.

It was a staggering number.

Tadadak, takak, tadak—Chae-young Kang's fingers pressed down hard on the keys as the shafts sprang up and struck the springs. The keyboard, constantly tapped, let out a bubbly, rattling noise for quite some time.

"Hmm."

After typing in silence for a while, Chae-young leaned back. The screen was filled with English. As she scrolled through the content, she read smoothly without hesitation.

This should be about right. As she went over the factual content—neither overly complimentary nor critical—she nodded in approval.

Satisfied.

Chae-young scrolled through once, twice, three times, then picked up her phone.

— "Hello?"

She was calling her best friend, Yuran Yoon. As Yuran's voice came through the speaker, Chae-young spoke with a hint of irritation.

"All done."

— "What's done…? Seok-oppa's Yongshin Land promotional post?"

Chae-young nodded even though Yuran couldn't see her.

— "Kyaaaaaa!"

A pterodactyl-like screech rang through the speaker. Yuran Yoon. Her longtime friend, closest companion—and a diehard fan of Kang Seok.

Claiming to be his number one fan, Yuran had been the one who pushed Chae-young into managing her own brother's fan café.

— "You're the best manager ever! Amazing, Chae-young! Bravo!"

"Enough. Don't forget you promised to share your notes."

— "Of course! Notes? I'm not just sharing them. I'll give you the full profiles of each teacher coming into our foreign language high school—subject tendencies, teaching styles, everything."

"...I'm trusting you, okay?"

— "Of course, of course, of course! You trust me, right?"

"You're seriously...so ridiculous."

Chae-young chuckled as she tried to stifle a laugh slipping out between her lips.

Was it late February?

After visiting the Jak-yak Gallery to see her brother's work, she and Yuran had gone to the café operated by the gallery. While sipping drinks, Yuran had suddenly murmured into the air:

— "Chae-young. Do you think we should start a fan café after all?"

At first, Chae-young thought she was joking.

But from that day forward, Yuran kept bringing it up—half joking, half serious—and by early July, she'd suddenly thrown a fan café link at her, calling it a surprise.

It happened just one week after the opening ceremony of Seok's graduation exhibition on June 28.

Remembering that, Chae-young sighed.

Yuran had created the café, then passed the role of manager onto her, demoting herself to co-manager. It had already been four months since she was reluctantly roped into running it.

Still, she acknowledged Yuran's skills.

Out of the 64,000 members of the fan café, about 30% were international fans. Yuran had recruited all of them herself by actively promoting across various international communities.

At first, Yuran had clumsily cobbled together posts using a dictionary, a translator, and quotes from TV dramas. But now, her English was so good she could probably get a job as a translator.

She had originally entered foreign language high school thanks to her strong English skills, and with all her time spent on international communities, her fluency had naturally improved.

Yeah.

Skill.

With that in mind, it wasn't the worst hobby in terms of cost-effectiveness. In fact, since she started running the fan café, her English mock exam scores had been steadily rising.

Her reading speed improved, so her Korean scores went up too, and that gave her more time to study other subjects, bringing her overall grades up as well. In some ways, it was a profitable venture.

Aside from the fact that she had to be obsessed with her own brother.

As Chae-young nodded to herself, she heard the creaking sound of footsteps coming up the wooden stairs.

It was her brother.

She could tell just by the sound.

Chae-young quickly turned off the computer screen and turned around just as a knock came at the door.

"What?!"

"Can I come in?"

"Ugh, why?!"

"I mean... I heard you're running my fan café."

Bang!

Chae-young slapped her palm on the desk and stood up. At the same moment, even though the speaker wasn't on, Yuran's voice rang loudly from the phone.

— "What? Is that Seok-oppa? He's home? Right now?!"

"What? What's that sound?"

"Ah, wait a second!"

Chae-young frantically grabbed her phone again. As she put it to her ear, Yuran's excited voice blasted out like a megaphone.

— "Did he just say fan café?! Wait—does he know about it?! Is he interested? What did he say?! Tell me everything!"

"I'll explain later. I'm hanging up now."

— "No, wait! Don't hang up, don't han—!"

Click.

Without hesitation, Chae-young ended the call and threw her phone onto the desk, running her fingers through her hair. Ugh, I told Mom and Dad not to say anything…

She glared at the door, her ears burning red.

"Hey. Chae-young. What are you doing in there? Just let me see the fan café!"

"Ugh, WHY?!"

"Then at least tell me the café name. Come on, it's my fan café—I should be allowed to look."

"No thanks!"

There was no way she could show it to him before there were any solid results. Blushing furiously, the shy Chae-young prepared to yell her way out of the situation—when her chair shifted and pushed the phone across the desk.

At the same time, the phone landed on the keyboard, pressing several keys.

Suddenly, a voice came out of the computer.

— "Remember the prophecy. What did the god of foresight tell you? That you were destined to marry a terrifying monster."

— "Turn on the light."

— "Lift the candlestick."

— "See the hidden face."

Then came a series of pops!—like fireworks exploding.

Apparently, a video linked to a post had started playing.

Chae-young and Seok both fell into silence.

The screen was dark.

The sound blaring from the speakers was a promotional video for , a project Seok had worked on for Yongshin Land.

It was a video uploaded only to Seok's YouTube Shorts.

Damn it. Chae-young buried her red face in her palms. And from the other side of the door, Seok awkwardly spoke up.

"...Uh… You were working, huh?"

"......"

"Okay, I'll just go back down. You do your thing."

"....."

"…Thanks?"

"Uwaaaaaaaah! GO! Just go! Go go go go go!"

"Okay, okay."

Seok chuckled as he went down the stairs. Listening to him laugh, Chae-young buried her face deeper into her hands and kicked the air in frustration.

This was pure humiliation.

…

Sunwoo Park sipped whiskey as he gazed into the ink-black night sky above the mansion.

It had already been a week since October 24, the day he met Seok Kang. Yet he still recalled that day clearly. A fascinating artist. Hard to believe he was only nineteen—there was something solid and composed about him.

As he inhaled the hint of vanilla that followed the spicy finish, Sunwoo dropped a whiskey stone into his glass with a soft plunk.

At that moment, Executive Director Ryu Jung-hyung, who had been quietly sitting next to him, pushed up his glasses and asked:

"Sir."

Sir.

That was the title used for Sunwoo.

A bit too formal for a friend visiting after work, Sunwoo thought as he turned to look.

"That's a heavy title for a house guest, don't you think?"

"This is more comfortable."

"...Alright, Director Ryu. What's up?"

Ryu, who hadn't touched his whiskey, looked at him carefully.

"Is it not to your taste?"

"No, I just have a question."

"Go ahead."

Sunwoo smiled brightly. As he did, his dimples deepened, and Ryu glanced at them before speaking cautiously.

"Well... we already settled the commission with the building. So why did you offer to pay him monthly royalties afterward?"

Wasn't that unnecessary? That thought lingered in Ryu's throat as he waited.

"Oh, that."

Sunwoo nodded as if he'd expected the question.

As he rolled the square whiskey stone inside the glass and tapped its rim, he replied:

"So this is... hmm. You know the at Jak-yak Gallery? Do you know how it's being displayed now?"

"No."

"Then how about , , , or ?"

"I only know about . I'm not sure how the others are being managed... Wait—don't tell me?"

A thought struck Ryu.

The sculpture was unusual because it wasn't for sale, but on a rental-based exhibition model. Some of the ticket sales were given to the artist as royalties.

I did think it was a strange kind of contract... but no way, right?

"That no way is right. Except for Creation, Leap, and Maktub, Kang-seok conducted all of his transactions like that. As you said, Creation was rushed due to his family situation, and Maktub was a clear donation of talent, as Kang-seok himself stated."

Excluding all those cases, Leap was the only one where ownership was transferred.

"In my view, Kang-seok is someone who doesn't like selling ownership. And I think I'm right."

Park Sun-woo sipped his whiskey and pressed his temples with his index finger.

"Why does he do that, the artist Kang-seok?"

"You want to know why our dear Kang-seok does that?"

Ha ha. Park Sun-woo chuckled as if it was an amusing question.

"Because he knows better than anyone else the value of his own work. For example, do you know how much the sales of Jakyak Gallery—once completely overshadowed by our Bloom Museum—have increased recently?"

"Well, that's…"

Ryu Jung-hyung adjusted his glasses awkwardly. Being affiliated with the Sankang Cultural Foundation, he wasn't as up-to-date with gallery sales figures as Jin Do-wook was.

But surely Park Sun-woo wouldn't know those numbers in detail either… Or so he thought, until Park Sun-woo opened his mouth.

"Threefold. At least three times. Compared to this time last year, their sales tripled. And all they did was exhibit Glass Peony and Sunset."

"Three times?"

If Jakyak Gallery, a small but significant player in the Gwanhun-dong gallery scene, had tripled its revenue, that was no small feat.

Even Ryu Jung-hyung knew that.

His eyes widened behind his silver-rimmed glasses.

"This is huge. It means people are moving just to see Kang-seok's works. And that means money. But is this the end of his growth?"

No.

There was a spark in Park Sun-woo's eyes.

"I guarantee you, our Kang-seok will grow even more. Once Radiant Avalokiteshvara makes its way to Thailand, and as long as Director Jin Do-wook or Director Seol Yeo-jin showcase his work at art fairs, the value will skyrocket. That's why I decided to ride the wave…"

Park Sun-woo swirled his whiskey and took a breath.

"But what happens if someone like me comes along, buys the whole Renaissance Mall like they're buying The Creation of Adam, then installs a Kang-seok sculpture at their hot spring hotel and sells it off?"

Wouldn't that make me a dog chasing a chicken only to lose it?

Park Sun-woo laughed quietly.

"So I paid the commission fee but structured the contract so that Kang-seok still retained partial ownership—classifying the work as a co-owned asset. That way, whether the hotel is sold or whatever happens, the sculpture will still belong to me and Kang-seok."

Even if Park Sun-woo builds the hotel, there was little chance he'd manage it. He couldn't work solely for Sankang Group's benefit.

He was playing a bold game, but no one else was likely to notice the value just yet.

Ryu Jung-hyung finally realized why this whole story was being shared with him and nodded.

"So that's why…"

"Exactly. I added various flashy clauses to the contract to make sure it wouldn't stand out. With all the complicated accounting entries and additional building expenses, do you think anyone up top would even check?"

The contract was so thick, it could have been mistaken for a brick. It was intimidating to read. In the end, all they'd see was that a sculpture was installed at the hotel—nothing illegal, no reason to look closer. Approval had already been granted.

Thinking that far, Ryu Jung-hyung was impressed.

Then suddenly, he remembered something: Kang-seok had meticulously read through that thick contract and asked about every little detail.

"Then… did Kang-seok also understand your intentions and proceed with the contract knowingly?"

"...Huh."

That… I hadn't thought about.

Park Sun-woo, who until now had been happily thinking everything had gone according to his plan, stared at Ryu Jung-hyung with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

— 'Let me just double-check this part.'

He really had reviewed the contract thoroughly and asked a bunch of questions. He only signed once he was completely satisfied.

Hmm. Maybe it was possible. There was nothing in the contract that put Kang-seok at a disadvantage. In fact, there was no need to create such a contract in the first place if it weren't fair. And it shouldn't be.

Kang-seok was the goose that laid golden eggs. What good would it do to alienate him? Thinking that far, Park Sun-woo swirled his whiskey again.

"Hmm… if he did understand that twisted contract and still signed it…"

He trailed off, then suddenly looked at the calendar.

"When's the next big art fair?"

"Art fair?"

"Yes. A big one."

"Uh… well…"

Ryu Jung-hyung got up and walked over to the calendar.

If Kang-seok truly had understood everything and still went through with the deal… he might soon become a giant that no one could even hope to contract with.

Park Sun-woo took a sip of whiskey, recalled the balance in his account, and asked,

"Hyung, do you think Kang-seok will exhibit at an art fair?"

"What? No, CEO…"

"Oh? Come on, tell me."

Ryu Jung-hyung, who had grown up with a scholarship from the Sankang Cultural Foundation, scratched his head, looking flustered. He wore the same expression he used to have when he was tutoring elementary school kids.

"In my opinion…"

Park Sun-woo was waiting for his response, smiling playfully—when his eyes widened in surprise.

He was staring at the computer screen.

Right at the top of the portal site.

Park Sun-woo read the huge headline plastered across the main page:

"Yongshin Land's Exhibition—Sold Out for the Entire Year"

Wow.

It had only been a week since reservations opened.

In just one week, November and December were completely sold out. Even though it was daytime-only viewing, and reservations were limited to one adult per session… still, this was… something else. Park Sun-woo's eyes sparkled.

"He might grow even faster than I thought."

He looked at Ryu Jung-hyung with excitement. Then suddenly, he narrowed his eyes with both concern and amusement and murmured,

"But… how's he going to handle the military?"

Park Sun-woo.

Despite being the youngest in the Sankang Group, he had completed his military service.

November 1st.

The last month of autumn.

Around the time when calling it "autumn" already felt like a stretch as the bitter cold began.

Yongshin Land reopened after completing its preparations.

Of course, that didn't mean the rides were operating—it was run entirely by reservation with hourly fees, so crowds didn't flood in.

Kang-seok entered Yongshin Land slowly, watching the modest foot traffic—different from the bustle at Bloom Museum's graduation exhibit. With his hat pulled low, no one recognized him.

— 'You absolutely must come today, artist!'

Kang-seok looked around.

Security and safety personnel deployed for Psyche Ψυχή, as well as event staff filling in for CEO Jo Dong-beom's role, were moving quickly.

They were preparing to welcome guests for the first time.

Why do they even need me?

Kang-seok looked around awkwardly, hoping to find Ryu Soo-heon—the one who had called him.

And then he saw her. Running in with a high-caffeine drink, dressed neatly in a suit. It had to be Ryu Soo-heon.

"Artist!"

Sure enough. Kang-seok bowed slightly as Ryu Soo-heon approached.

"Long time no see, secretary."

"Haha. I wouldn't mind seeing you every day."

Ryu Soo-heon smiled with exhaustion as she clutched a stack of documents. The dark circles under her eyes almost reached the corners of her lips. Sensing that deathly aura, Kang-seok flinched. Just then, the sound of a car pulling up echoed in the distance.

"Oh, they're here!"

Ryu Soo-heon turned with a bright face.

"I asked you to come today because they were coming."

They? Who?

Kang-seok tilted his head in confusion and turned to look.

And the moment he turned his head, his expression twisted strangely.

What… is this?

It was a bizarre sight.

Yongshin Land's signature:

Twin dragons breathing fire toward each other above the gate, and below them, a hostess waving a heart-shaped magic wand with a twinkle sound effect.

And beyond that gate, walking side by side, was a monk from Bongeun Temple in his robes… and a priest in full cassock.

Utter chaos.