Diamond Dust — Chapter 20

I'M TREATING YOU LIKE SOME KIND OF FORTUNE-TELLER, AREN'T I?

"WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THIS ONE? WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE?"

HA...

BUT YOU KNOW, AS A FORTUNE-TELLER...

...YOU'RE REMARKABLY ACCURATE.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THIS PIECE? CAN I HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING?

I SCOUTED THIS ARTIST MYSELF, SO I CAN CONFIDENTLY RECOMMEND THEIR WORK.

THEY’RE A YOUNG ARTIST WHO’S BEEN MAKING WAVES IN THE NEW YORK ART SCENE LATELY.

THEY’RE A KOREAN ARTIST IN THEIR TWENTIES...

...WHO’S BEEN GAINING ATTENTION FOR THEIR SENSUAL USE OF COLOR AND BOLD STYLE.

I THINK THEIR WORK WOULD SUIT YOU VERY WELL.

WE HAVE A FEW MORE OF THEIR PIECES OVER THERE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK.

HMM...

DO YOU THINK THIS PAINTING SUITS ME?

?!

BADUM

BADUM

I WORK IN THE SAME INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW.

I KNOW HOW TO DRESS UP A PIECE AND MAKE IT SOUND GRANDER THAN IT IS. THAT'S A SALES TRICK I USE MYSELF.

BUT...

...IF I PAY FIFTEEN GRAND FOR SOMETHING THAT'S BOUND TO LOSE HALF ITS VALUE IN A YEAR OR TWO...

...PEOPLE WILL START QUESTIONING MY GALLERY'S JUDGMENT.

SHALL WE GO?

OH, YES.

"SEONEW..."

I DIDN'T MEAN TO TEAR THEIR WORK APART LIKE THAT...

HONESTLY, I'M AFRAID THAT IF I PICKED UP A BRUSH RIGHT NOW, I'D END UP PAINTING SOMETHING JUST LIKE IT.

A PAINTING THAT DENIES WHO I AM AND PORTRAYS ME AS SOMETHING I'M NOT.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR ROOM?

ART HONK

ART BASE HONG KONG

OH!

IT'S SO NICE, I WAS REALLY SURPRISED.

I NEVER WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPERIENCE ANYTHING LIKE THIS WITHOUT YOUR GENEROSITY. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.

I DIDN'T DO IT OUT OF KINDNESS.

I'M FULL OF ULTERIOR MOTIVES.

?!

I'M TRYING TO GET YOU TO PICK UP A BRUSH AGAIN, YEEHYEON.

OH...

FOR SOMEONE WHO'S TRYING TO LIE LOW, IT'S THE PERFECT ARRANGEMENT.

THAT SURPRISED ME...

I DON'T KNOW WHO'S CHASING YOU OR WHY...

...BUT IF YOU BECOME A PHANTOM EXCLUSIVE, I'LL PROTECT YOU WITH EVERYTHING I'VE GOT.

I'M GOOD AT THAT.

ACK.

I CAN'T LET MYSELF GET THE WRONG IDEA.

HE'S JUST BEING KIND.

SEE? JUST LIKE THAT.

BUT...

...HIS KINDNESS KEEPS MAKING MY HEART RACE...

WHATCHA THINK? GOT THE HANG OF IT YET?

YUNI NOONA...

IT FEELS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM YESTERDAY NOW THAT IT'S OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, RIGHT?

YEAH, IT’S AMAZING TO SEE PEOPLE BROWSING, BUYING, AND SELLING...

I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE SEEN PEOPLE INTERACT WITH ART LIKE THIS.

RIGHT? IT’S THRILLING, ISN’T IT?!

I ENVY THIS CULTURE WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE WEALTHY TO BUY ART AND HANG IT UP AT HOME.

IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE ART IS WOVEN INTO EVERYDAY LIFE...

ONE DAY, I’M GOING TO STUDY IN EUROPE, GO TO ART MUSEUMS EVERY DAY, AND HIT EVERY ART FAIR I CAN.

OH, A BUYER.

HELLO, THIS PIECE IS...

SO ART DOESN'T HAVE TO END UP IN A MUSEUM...

IT CAN JUST QUIETLY BLEND INTO SOMEONE'S LIFE INSTEAD.

DO YOU WORK HERE?

OH, YES!

HONESTLY, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SEEING YOUR GALLERY HERE, BUT YOU'VE GOT SOME GREAT PIECES. THE STAFF LOOK GREAT, TOO.

THANK YOU.

HERE'S MY CARD.

I'M WITH A GALLERY IN NEW YORK, BUT I'M ORIGINALLY FROM HONG KONG, SO I KNOW THIS SCENE PRETTY WELL.

WE'RE HOSTING A PARTY IN SOHO THIS SUNDAY.

IF YOU'RE UP FOR IT, YOU GUYS SHOULD ALL DROP BY.

IT'S A CHANCE FOR GALLERIES TO MINGLE.

AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY...

...YOU MIGHT EVEN GET TO MAKE A FEW MORE SPECIAL MEMORIES OF THIS TRIP.

ARE YOU AN ALPHA? OR A BETA?

YEEHYEON.

OH, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE WITH SOMEONE.

IT WAS NICE MEETING YOU.

WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?

HE SAID HE'S WITH A GALLERY IN NEW YORK.

OH...

H-HE INVITED ME TO A PARTY IN SOHO ON SUNDAY AND SAID I SHOULD BRING THE OTHER STAFF...

HAH...

WE'VE ALREADY BEEN INVITED TO ANOTHER PARTY ON SUNDAY.

SO YOU WON’T BE NEEDING THIS.