Insadong in Seoul was always crowded.
I went to Seoul Insa Art Center with a map printed on the Internet.
The gallery art center was small, though not big.
There was a big banner saying that the fantasy round 24 was open.
When I looked at the clock, I still had more time to meet with Eunyeong.
I went into the gallery.
Some people were appreciating the painting.
I saw the picture, too. I didn't know what they were expressing because they were abstract paintings.
If my father and mother were here, what kind of painting is this? I thought he would say he was dizzy.
In the center of the gallery, two women were sitting with desks on them.
I thought they were writers or curators.
"Oh my! Aren't you Mr. Choi?"
It was unexpectedly Hwang Mi-na when someone saw it.
"Oh, Mr. Hwang! Are you here to see?”
"I'm here because Lee Ok-mi is my junior artist. You came to Manna, didn't you? I got a call that the operation will be here soon. In the meantime, you've been watching the painting."
Then, Hwangnima introduced the slender woman who was next to him. It was a woman with a sharp nose.
"I'm Lee Ok-mi, the author of this solo exhibition. He's a promising writer."
The woman looked at me with sharp eyes. He looked like an artist.
"The paintings are great."
I said something that I didn't mean. It's a distraught abstract painting, and that's what he said. The woman smiled.
"Thank you."
This time, Hwang Mi-na introduced me to a person named Lee Ok-mi.
"This is Choi, president of the fund company."
"What? The Shund Company?"
"No! Private equity, not Shund."
"Oh, yes."
Writer Lee Ok-mi looked up at me again.
She didn't seem to know what the fund company was doing.
I slowly appreciated the painting again.
I really couldn't figure out what was what.
Hwang Mi-na came to me.
"Fantasy 24 means 24 seasons."
"24 seasons?"
I've heard of the four seasons, but I've never heard of the twenty-
"In the Joseon Dynasty, the seasons were divided into 24 seasons. Ipchun, Woosoo, Gyeongchip, Cheongmyeong...It's an absolutely necessary season in our agricultural country."
I thought I heard it because I explained it like this. It was because my father and mother sometimes talked about the afterlife. Why is it so cold after Ipchun? Or should I go to the graves on the occasion of the New Year'say? He was told to do so.
I nodded as if I understood.
"Look at that picture. It's a light chip. It's a frog, isn't a frog? And I used green paint.”
It was really like that to explain like this. It seemed as much as I knew.
I stood in front of a painting with a bold use of red paint.
"It's a representation of a summer's lower extremity. The fruit is ripening red."
The picture was not a big one. It was a prop about the size of two sheets of A4 paper.
said Hwang Mi-na with a smile.
"Do you like the picture? Sell me one!"
I was nervous. Some paintings are extremely expensive, but I wondered if they were ridiculously expensive.
I was going to ask the price, but Hwang Mina answered first.
"It's 2 million won, but if Mr. Choi takes it, I'll give it to you for 1 million won. Would you like me to make a reservation?"
Fortunately, it was 1 million won.
A million won was the price of gum for me, who is worth more than 40 billion won.
But I am rich, but I don't spend much money.
I don't go to room parties or play that common golf. He is not a celebrity killer like G Group's Mangnanny and doesn't travel abroad often. It was probably because I grew up terribly poor. I couldn't spend my money well because it was a waste of money.
"Well, why don't we book a picture?”
I bought paintings for the first time in my life. Perhaps my friends have never bought paintings, even if Oh Dong-min and Lee Soo-chul were from the same middle class.
Hwang Mi-na told a man named Lee Ok-mi.
"This writer! The president of this fund company is going to book a picture!"
"Thank you."
I signed the contract for the sale of paintings that Hwang Mi-na brought.
The painting is said to be taken out after the exhibition.
I asked to deliver the delivery address to Dorim-dong Jai Apartment.
Hwang Mi-na told me to stand in front of my fortune-telling painting, saying she was taking pictures.
As I stood in front of the painting, writer Lee Ok-mi came next to me.
I thought it was like that when I bought a painting, so I just had my eyes covered.
In this way, Lee Ok-mi came out of front of a painting by Lee Ok-mi and took a picture.
Oh Mi-hyang and lawyer Yoon came in.
Lawyer Yoon was pleased to see me.
"Is your brother here?"
"Brother!"
I shook hands with Oh Mi-hyang and lawyer Yoon.
Oh Mi-hyang now smiles at me. The chilly and haughty appearance has now disappeared.
Soon after, Park Un-young, wearing a beige coat, appeared.
I was glad to see you. I wanted to hug him, but I couldn't because I was in a gallery.
His face looked pale, perhaps because he was only at home. His pale face made his lips look redder. I felt a little thin, so I wanted to hug him and pat him.
Park Un-young said, lifting her white teeth.
"I'm sorry, brother."
I shook hands with Park Un-young without saying anything. When I smiled, Park Un-young smiled, too.
Oh Mi-hyang, lawyer Yoon, and Park Un-young appreciated the painting.
I came out for a moment because I had already appreciated the painting.
After a long time, three people came out after finishing their appreciation of the painting.
Hwang Mi-na also followed. When Park Un-young came out, she wore a mask again.
said Hwang Mi-na.
"I booked four people for the flower palace, so let's go now."
I said to Hwang Mi-na.
"Director Hwang, come with us.”
"No, I'm going in pairs. Why would I follow you so harshly?"
"You should have dinner, shouldn't you?"
"Save me a man. Then I'll follow you.”
We all laughed at this remark.
We went to a Korean restaurant called Flower Grand.
It was a house converted from an old hanok into a restaurant. Eating Korean food in a house like this seemed more elegant.
The food came out neat and tidy.
There are some foods that are Korean food but I haven't tried either. There were fresh, barley, and soy sauce marinated crab.
We had a meal with rice wine.
Oh Mi-hyang was ripping off the barley oysters and putting them on an empty plate in front of Yoon.
I told Eunyeong.
"Look, Oh Mi-hyang is frantically tearing up the dried yellow corvina to feed Yoon! Unyeong, learn how to do that!‘
Oh Mi-hyang seemed embarrassed by this remark, but she stopped working. Eunyeong also smiled, covering her mouth with her hands.
Lawyer Yoon said after drinking a glass of Moonbaeju.
"Oh, I like this kind of house. How well this drink and food go with my mouth! How much would I have lost if I had just lived in California without coming to Korea?"
I didn't seem to know how hard it was for the soil spoons in Korea because Yoon came here and lived in the upper class.
How can you know that you are a lawyer for a top law firm and earn 15 million won a month?
"Brother, did the real think tank go in?”
"All the ruling and opposition parties held my arm and didn't go. I've also been offered a key government post, but I turned it down.”
"Why did you do that? Let's try it.”
"It doesn't suit my aptitude. I'm willing to go if you come from college. There's a place where they want me to come from law school, but the salary is so different from here, so that's a problem.”
"Your current location is the best job in our country."
"I think your brother's job is the best."
"Then let's have a drink, since we've met the best.”
"Okay. As expected, I like my brother!"
Oh Mi-hyang said in an angry voice.
"How come only two of you have a drink? Me too!"
Lawyer Yoon said when he saw Eunyeong.
"Then let's have a drink together, Mr. Unyoung!"
The four of us bumped our glasses together.
I asked lawyer Yoon.
'Brother! Then if the ruling and opposition parties have all the think tanks, the only thing left is Ban Ki-moon's think tank.“
"Ban, if not a think tank, will have a firefly inaugural meeting next week?"
"Firefly?"
"Ban's fan club. The fireflies are going to hold their inaugural meeting on November 10 and start their presidential campaign?"
"I don't know if there's a lot of people."
"He said about a thousand. They're also setting up 22 branches, so can't we get three?"
"Well, I don't know if 1,000 people are being taxed. Rather, the rally at Gwanghwamun Square will be a blast on November 12."
This time, Park Un-young said.
"I came out of the room because of the Gwanghwamun rally, and I'm trying to rest because I'm not feeling well these days, but the broadcasting station said it was an emergency because of the Gwanghwamun rally. I think I'll be busy next week, too.”
"How much shall we gather?"
"The candle you've shaken so far won't be oil."
"Really?"
"According to senior reporters, hundreds of thousands are likely to gather. I think the government should create a national cabinet or the president should resign.”
Lawyer Yoon told me.
"Hey, brother! Let's not talk about politics anymore. The United States is noisy because of Republicans and Democrats, but it's noisy here too, let's talk about something else. Since you've been to the exhibition today, at least tell me about your paintings."
"Oh, brother, I bought a prop at the art gallery today."
"Really?"
All three eyes turned toward me.
"I bought it because I liked the picture of the summer solstice. Director Hwang Mi-na adjusted the 2 million won painting for 1 million won and bought one."
"Really?"
Park Un-young said with a pout.
"Oh, a foxy gizzer, another one in the meantime.“
"No, I bought it because I liked the painting. I'll send you home if Eunyeong wants.”
Lawyer Yoon raised his head and said,
"What's the point of sending you home? When they get married, we can hang them at their honeymoon."
I said, looking into Park Un-young's face.
"Shall we?"
Park Un-young punched me in the shoulder instead of answering.
We tasted traditional Korean food at the flower palace and went to a nearby beer house.
We broke up after having a beer here.
Oh Mi-hyang told me when we broke up.
"We're having a wedding early next month. I'm looking for a wedding hall and I'll call you when it's confirmed.”
"Really? Congratulations. I'm sure both parents from both families will come to Korea."
"There won't be many guests because we have a weak base in Korea. Just come with Eunyeong."
"Of course we should go. We're like family. Congratulations. Congratulations, brother."
Oh Mi-hyang and Yoon said they would walk for a while and then go to Jogyesa Temple, holding hands with each other.
I took Eunyeong's hand and went to Unhyeon Palace in the opposite direction.
It's dark now.
Insadong was noisy with lights. However, the lights on Unhyeon Palace were not loud because there were few people and few stores.
I said, holding the hand of Eunyeong.
"I missed you. Did it hurt a lot? Are you all right now?"
"It's all right."
"You said you got hit by your brother. Why did you do that?"
"Nothing's right.”
"You saw me, so what would you have said? How do you talk about me?“
"I think a lot of negative images are gone. My mom and Ilsan's brother are against it, so my dad is trying to persuade her. I'm asking you to meet my brother.”
"Me?"
"Yes."
I grabbed Park Un-young's shoulders and said,
"Then I will go to Eunyeong's house after the Gwanghwamun rally on the 12th. I'll go and bow to my mother and tell her I have a son-in-law!“
To say I love you