Fallen Lightbringers' Return

Chapter 44: Exhibition

"Wow, look at this," Ji-ah shouted in amazement. She pulled Lee Dojin's arm and pointed at the Silla Golden Crown encased in a display case. The crown sparkled under the dim light and appeared almost like melted sugar dripping down. "I heard that the owner of that crown may actually have been a woman. Fascinating stuff."

"Miss, I will have to ask you not to shout," a nearby curator said. She had a polite smile but was firm. "You'll disturb the other guests."

Ji-ah lowered her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

Kim Jyejin giggled, seeing that teacher act this way. "Seungsengnim, I didn't know you were into history."

Ji-ah's eyes fluttered lightly as if she had been caught. "I guess so. But I wasn't really good at it in school." She returned her attention to the crown again. "It's just interesting to see all these old people and feel the time in it. I don't know. It's sometimes hard to fathom that people who have held enough prestige to be in the history books, would one day die too, just like us." She held her mouth, realizing her words may not be for the right occasion. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the mood."

Dong Jowoon, who had been following quietly, quickly said, "Not at all, that was very profound."

After entering the museum and getting a general rundown on what to expect from a museum worker, the students were left to their own devices. They quickly formed groups and went on to do their own research. They had gotten their individual tasks, and as long as they had it finished by the end, it didn't matter what they did. Jyejin and Dodjin hadn't received any, as they weren't part of the class, so they stuck with the teachers, Ji-ah and Jowoon.

For the most part, they were just here to enjoy the stay. For Lee Dojin, this experience was a lot more different than the others. In his old life, he never had the chance to visit a museum and enjoy its exhibitions. Naturally, that did not change with the appearance of The Mirage. However, seldom at times, he'd think back about these little thingsthose relics of the past, like cinemas, libraries, and moreand feel a sense of odd melancholy, even though he himself had never been there. Though that, he supposed, was all in the past now.

Their group was mostly guided by the ecstatic Ji-ah. Maybe it was too early to say, but she looked a lot happier now. And the stubborn edge she carried around her was slowly but surely rounding off, and so did her future of becoming The Mother of Ravens. It was as if she wasn't in a rush anymore. It wasn't only Dojin that realized so. Kim Jyejin had noticed it too, and maybe so did Dong Jowoon, though all he could feel was his infatuation mysteriously rising.

"Actually, I know a little about the history presented here," Jowoon said.

Ji-ah turned around, with a hint of surprise, and asked, "Really?"

He nodded, proud. "Just ask me anything, I'm sure I can answer." Truthfully speaking, he only knew about that stuff because he had studied the night before; A rather admirable feat, if not for his ulterior motives. "Let's go to the second floor, I know a lot of stuff there." He grabbed Ji-ah's hand and guided her to the stairs. The latter's face scrunched up, but she did not resist for now.

"See, this drawing was created by Danwon. He was known for his expressive yet gentle brushstrokes. He worked alongside with even the king, serving as his eyes to the truth. This image for example was of the daily life of commoners. It's hard to say what exactly he wanted to portray, but one can't deny that his legacy lives on."

"Well, it's probably because he was bored," Kim Jyejin chimed in, "Seeing everything from high above can get a little dull over time, so taking the perspective of those 'below', can pass as a good pastime, at the very least." She spoke as if she knew from experience.

"Well, there's not a lot known about him, so his life is shrouded in mystery," Joowon said. "But I think it was mostly because the King has ordered him to do so."

"Wow you really do know a lot," Ji-ah said, now really surprised. She thought he was only bluffing in the beginning, but maybe she had to review her perception of him now.

Jyejin looked at the paintings. They were a set of 25, depicting farmers and other commoners, doing various tasks like fishing and tilling during the Joseon period. She did not understand the painter's sentiment, as the Zeitgeist was long lost for her, but she still could feel the vividness of old lives in the past. Arriving at the end, she noticed a small metal plaque describing the exhibition.

"It says that Danwon was his pen-name, Seungsengnim. Do you know what his real name was?"

"Well.. ." He scratched his head. There was a short pause, as he faced Ji-ah, who was expectantly looking at him until he muttered. "It's not really well-known, so I doubt there's even anyone here that could tell you that."

Ji-ah's shoulders slumped down, but before she had time to be disappointed, Lee Dojin spoke. "Kim Hongdo. His name was Kim Hongdo."

Kim Jyejin's eyes glittered. A sly grin crept up her face as she eyed Dong Jowoon. "As expected of a Scholarship student," the teacher said and cleared his throat. "I didn't know that. But are you sure that is correct?"

"Pretty sure," he replied, steadfast. His eyes remained glued on the paintings. He wanted to stretch his hands out and touch it, but there was no way the strict curator would allow that.

Ji-ah turned quiet and observed Lee Dojin. She felt something was amiss, but could not pinpoint it. Had it something to do with the system? The same went for Kim Jyejin, though she had used a vastly different reasoning to reach the same conclusion.

"Well, moving on," Dong Jowoon said, not feeling the atmosphere. "It is said that his life, in the beginning, was where he peaked. He studied under a renowned master painter, then did many different commissions for the royal palace, but there was not much going on for him afterward. Even his death is unclear, as it was said he died alone and in poverty. It was probably because he had lost his prestige as a painter, something that happens a lot with these people."

"That is not true," Lee Dojin interjected again, much to the teacher's chagrin. "To us, maybe, Kim Hongdo is but a speck in the ocean of great artists, like DaVinci, Picasso, or Monet, but no one has ever done what he had, that is, capturing the elegance of the commoners. Creating pain, that is easy, but the beauty of simplicity, that's what makes it breathtaking. To see that even the most normal people had unique ways of living, dreams, and hopes. Maybe that was what Kim Hongdo himself represented." He faced Dong Jowoon with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for interrupting you, but I can't just let you speak ill of the dead, I hope you understand."

Lee Dojin was not someone to appreciate art. If he was given any other painter, he would not have been able to say anything. But Danwon was different. It was because he knew them personally. He laughed. The reason for Kim Hongdo's death was a lot more exotic than Dong Jowoon was led to believe. The truth was, Hongdo had been a woman. Though she had hidden that fact as her work was only limited to males. She had many different quirks not depicted in the history books, which would take a day to recite. However, he remembered her as a strong woman, one of character, and a bit tomboyish, but incredibly willful. Personally, he thought she was better suited as a pirate than a painter.

It was when the system had brought back old and forgotten legacies, effectively reviving old historical figures that he had gotten to learn more about them, even fighting against or alongside them. The system was the apocalypse of this world, that cannot be denied, yet it was also true that he had to learn how to survive and thrive within itand it wasn't all bad.

A small flicker of emotion welled up inside him, and he scrunched his eyes. "I wonder if they are well," he muttered for no one to hear, then shook his head, his eyes turning sharp and beast-like again.

...

Ah Yeurong held her mouth. Nausea hit her again. She knew it was the wrong decision coming to this exhibition. But if she skipped any longer, her parents would get suspicious. She tried writing down stuff on the paper, but nothing stuck.

"Are you alright," her friends asked her, worried.

She was thankful but really did not wish to talk right now. "It's fine, it's fine. Just let me take a break."

"If you need any help, maybe we should call Baek Seungsengnim?"

Ah Yeurong waved her hand. "No, I'm serious, do not. It's just the time of the month. I can handle it."

"Okay, let's take a break then."