Chapter 83 – Comic Coming Out
The words Min-hyuk let slip.
Han Yu-ra’s eyes narrowed.
“What does that even mean?”
“Well… I don’t usually meddle in other people’s business. But with you, I think you’ve already done everything you possibly could.”
It was obvious even without looking.
The Han Yu-ra that Min-hyuk knew poured every second outside of breathing into comics.
It almost didn’t seem human—how could a high schooler have that level of focus and tenacity?
Sure, she loved comics herself, but nine times out of ten…
‘It was to prove something. To get acknowledgment.’
From that genius painter father of hers.
When wrinkles formed on Han Yu-ra’s forehead, Min-hyuk continued.
“You won the grand prize in our school’s contest too. For a high schooler to reach that level is insane. You’re working harder than anyone here. At this point… what more can you even do? From what I see, you’re already pushing yourself to the absolute limit.”
“……”
“Comics are something you want to do, right? Instead of wasting energy on someone who won’t even look your way, wouldn’t it be better to focus on what you love? And if you keep going… who knows? Maybe one day that someone will naturally see your sincerity.”
Han Yu-ra squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again and answered with a hint of anger.
“…You’re just saying whatever because it’s not your life.”
“Yeah, it’s easy for me to say since it’s not my problem. I’m not the one who has to take responsibility for it either. But sometimes an outside perspective can be accurate. And from what I see…”
Min-hyuk let out a long sigh and put a period on his final sentence.
“I think you’re already doing the absolute maximum you’re capable of. To the point where doing any better is impossible.”
A firm, confident tone.
For a moment, silence fell.
Han Yu-ra’s eyes widened like saucers, then she slowly lifted her head.
“Huuu.”
She exhaled.
An awkward expression appeared on Min-hyuk’s face.
‘…I screwed up.’
…He really sounded like a meddling old man.
Now that he’d said everything bottled up inside, embarrassment rushed in.
Even though he had gone through something similar…
He didn’t fully know Han Yu-ra’s situation, and everyone’s circumstances are different.
Why did he have to butt in like this?
But what could he do?
It wasn’t rational thought—it was pure instinct as a human named Kang Min-hyuk that dragged those words out.
Han Yu-ra lowered her head and answered.
“Whatever. I’m not talking to you anymore.”
“……”
Her tone felt even more curt than usual.
While Min-hyuk scratched his forehead in awkwardness—
Clink! Clink!
Yu-ra pulled two cans of coffee from the vending machine, tossed one to Min-hyuk, and said,
“Let’s go. Weren’t you heading back to the drawing studio?”
“Ah, yeah.”
As Han Yu-ra left the lounge.
Kang Min-hyuk followed behind.
But.
For some reason, the corner of Han Yu-ra’s mouth, as she walked ahead… twitched ever so slightly.
***
A short while later, inside the drawing studio.
Han Yu-ra and Kang Min-hyuk.
The two sat glued to their desks, working.
Han Yu-ra was drawing the storyboard for a short comic she personally wanted to try.
As for Kang Min-hyuk…
‘Hmm, this isn’t bad.’
He was still completely immersed in the watercolor + oil-based colored pencil trance.
If anyone saw the mountain of watercolor practice sheets piled up, they might think he had some kind of mental issue.
But as the sun began to set…
Min-hyuk made up his mind.
‘Let’s try drawing it once.’
The cover for Brave King volume 3.
At this point, he felt ready to attempt it.
‘First, rough sketch.’
Since he already had the layout in his head, Min-hyuk easily put it down on paper.
This was still just the planning stage.
No need to aim for perfection from the start…
So he lightly applied watercolor over it.
‘Should I make Reverse Heaven’s Monarch a bit bigger?’
‘This part will have the title font, so no need for too much detail there.’
‘For the background, mix in some sepia tones…’
He repeated the process several times, gradually closing the gap between the image in his mind and what his hand produced.
‘Hmm, this is pretty good?’
One version came out quite satisfying.
Against a dark brownish background, Reverse Heaven’s Monarch stood holding a sword…
Below him, protagonist Kim Bin-woo and countless classmates stood with faces full of unease.
Maybe because of the subtle feeling watercolor gives?
The eerie, ominous atmosphere he wanted came through strongly.
‘Perfect. Exactly what I was aiming for.’
Now if he did a proper sketch based on this, applied color, and finished with colored pencils… the volume 3 cover would be complete.
The thought that he had crossed one major mountain made the corner of Min-hyuk’s mouth lift slightly.
“Huuu.”
Then…
Before diving fully into work, maybe take a short break.
Min-hyuk stood up and stretched.
In one corner of the studio, Han Yu-ra was hunched over her desk, working so intensely it looked like she wasn’t even breathing.
With headphones on, the message was clear: do not disturb.
If it had been Oh Dong-gyo or Kim Rok-hee, he might’ve casually asked if they wanted to grab something from the lounge together.
‘But if I talk to her now, I’ll probably just get snapped at again.’
She already looked openly irritated from the earlier lecture.
Min-hyuk quietly tiptoed out of the studio.
At that moment…
“……”
Han Yu-ra took off her headphones and slowly stood up.
She placed a hand lightly on her stomach, took a few steps, and said,
“Kang Min-hyuk, if you’re okay with it, want to grab dinner togeth— hm?”
She tilted her head at the sight of Min-hyuk’s empty seat.
“What? Where’d he go again?”
Yu-ra frowned slightly and walked over to Min-hyuk’s desk.
And the moment she looked down at it—
“…Huh?”
Her eyes suddenly widened.
Dozens of watercolor drawings scattered across the desk.
All of them clearly intended to give off a gloomy, unsettling vibe.
The problem was that those drawings…
“Brave King?”
They looked exactly like something from a comic she knew very well.
***
Early Monday morning, inside the first-year comic creation classroom.
“Hi hi.”
“Hey, you’re here.”
One by one, the kids trickled into the classroom.
Meanwhile, Min-hyuk simply raised a hand in greeting while doodling Brave King’s storyboard in his sketchbook.
He had woken up unusually early today, so he came in ahead of time.
‘Nice. Really nice.’
The corners of Min-hyuk’s mouth lifted.
His body and mind both felt light.
First, yesterday he successfully completed the cover for Brave King volume 3—the thing that had been giving him headaches.
Beyond that, today was…
‘The day of Tujiman chang. I’m actually looking forward to it.’
The day of the event they had all prepared for together.
It was impossible not to feel excited.
He was curious how the event itself would turn out.
And he wanted to see what the other kids and upperclassmen had created.
No wonder the storyboard was flowing so smoothly today.
“Min-hyuk-kun, hisashiburi!”
[TL Note: Hisashiburi (久しぶり) is a common Japanese greeting meaning “long time no see” or “it’s been a while.]
“Yeah, you’re here.”
One after another, the kids filled their seats.
While Min-hyuk waved with a pleasant smile—
“……”
His eyes suddenly met Han Yu-ra’s as she entered through the front door.
But.
When Min-hyuk lightly waved—
Zap!
Han Yu-ra narrowed her eyes and glared.
‘Yeah… that lecture really pissed her off.’
Nine times out of ten, she was still heated about the weekend preaching.
Well, what could he do?
His mouth had run ahead of him, so he’d just have to take the consequences.
Just as a slightly uncomfortable feeling crept in—
“Hello everyone! Is everybody readyyy?!”
“Oh, Rok-hee’s here?”
“She’s full of energy!”
Kim Rok-hee bounced in with light steps and headed to her seat.
Her mouth was practically melting into a grin, her face overflowing with fighting spirit…
Anyone could see she was extremely hyped.
“Of course I’m full of energy! Tujiman chang! The proud day when we declare to the whole world that our first-years are the best!”
“Uh… the whole world?”
“Hey! You’ve got to dream big!”
“Ahahaha! Kim Rok-hee, you’re hilarious.”
“Let’s fighting! Fighting!”
Rok-hee’s deliberately over-the-top energy made laughter erupt everywhere, instantly heating up the classroom atmosphere.
How should he put it…
It felt exactly like the vibe right before a festival.
While the classroom buzzed with excitement—
Screech!
The front door opened and…
“Hello, Teacher!”
“Hello!”
As homeroom began, Choi Jung-an walked into the classroom.
If there was anything particularly unusual…
‘Why does she look like that?’
Even though it was after the weekend…
Teacher Choi Jung-an’s condition was even worse than last week.
With deep dark circles and sunken cheeks, she looked so ghastly that if an undead asked to be friends, it wouldn’t even be an exaggeration.
Maybe it was just an impression, but it almost seemed like a black aura was radiating from behind her.
“Hello… kids.”
“Teacher, are you okay? You look really tired.”
“…Are you sick?”
“Ah, no… I’m fine. Just… a little tired from doing this and that. Ha, hahaha…”
“Are you… really okay?”
When Choi Jung-an let out a hollow, almost possessed-sounding laugh, worried expressions appeared on the kids’ faces.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. We need to start preparing now… Everyone, take the things you made and… let’s head to the auditorium…”
“Yes…”
The kids stood up and began preparing for the Tujiman chang event.
***
A short while later, inside the Ani-Sports auditorium.
“Okay okay, over here.”
“That one goes over there. Hey, don’t block the path—move aside.”
The comic creation department kids busily moved around, setting up the booth spaces where their comics would be displayed.
They laid out desks for the comic books, set up the booths on top…
And installed drawings to create atmosphere in the corridors and stairwells.
Since not only the first-years but also the second- and third-years were preparing their own booths, the place was naturally bustling.
At the front of the auditorium, a beam projector played a short video summarizing the Tujiman chang event along with background music, heightening the mood.
Amid the general chaos.
“Okay okay, stand this one up like this. When you put it here, insert the pole! Tape the inside so it won’t fall, and the outside won’t show. Pretty, right?”
“Ooooh! It really works!”
“Rok-hee, how do you even know this stuff?”
“Haha, there’s always a way!”
Kim Rok-hee flew around the space, directing everything.
How should he put it…
At this point, it went beyond just “good leadership” or “she likes events.”
‘Has she done a lot of events before?’
It felt like the skill level of someone with serious experience.
‘Well… if it turns out well, that’s all that matters…’
Min-hyuk glanced over while watching her, scratched his head, and set the standing signboard to one side.
“How is it, Oh Dong-gyo? Pretty decent, right?”
“I… said I didn’t like furries, didn’t I?”
“Whatever. My bad for asking you.”
At the entrance to the first-year booth.
Min-hyuk crossed his arms for a moment, stepped back, and looked at the drawing.
A dynamic pose of a Siamese cat leaping, swinging a badminton racket.
The background full of leaves and flowers made the whole thing feel refreshing just to look at.
Well, Dong-gyo drew that part.
Watercolor combined with oil-based colored pencils.
The two techniques together added texture, giving the drawing an almost lifelike, wriggling quality.
In fact…
“Hey, the drawing’s pretty good.”
“Krrr, as expected of Kang Min-hyuk.”
Even the classmates seemed pleased with the standing signboard, smiling and tossing out compliments here and there.
“Okay, we’re done here. Let’s go help the others.”
“Got it…”
After that, they naturally joined the other kids who were still preparing and helped out.
In the middle of it.
While carrying some items, Dong-gyo narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Hmm… but Min-hyuk-kun, doesn’t something feel off?”
“What now?”
“Doesn’t it seem like the teachers aren’t around much? I don’t see Department Head Ma Dong-hyun either.”
“…Huh? Yeah, now that you mention it?”
That guy isn’t the type to miss something like this…
Why isn’t he here?
As Min-hyuk tilted his head, Dong-gyo’s conspiracy theory continued.
“And over there—besides the second- and third-year booths, they’re making one more… what the hell is that?”
The comic creation department teachers were pushing desks together, clearing out an empty space.
A separate area from where the first-, second-, and third-year comics were being displayed.
They hadn’t heard anything about it, so no one knew.
“Well, they’ll handle it. Probably nothing big, right?”
But just as Min-hyuk shrugged it off and was about to walk away—
“Uwaaaa! Kids, take the boxes!!”
A roar-like shout suddenly came from the main entrance of the auditorium.
When everyone turned that way…
Department Head Ma Dong-hyun and a few other teachers were walking in carrying huge paper boxes in both arms.
“What the… is that?”
“Department Head?”
Question marks deepened on the kids’ faces.
**************
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