MDSW 7

Chapter : 07

A Brilliant, Shining Talent

“Work… together?”

Caught off guard by Joo-young’s sudden proposal, I pretended not to understand and asked back.

— “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to work on a film with you. If you prefer dramas, a series is fine too. With writing like this, I’d want to direct it even if it’s not a movie.”

Joo-young kept piling on the praise.

But his eagerness only made me feel more overwhelmed.

Even back in college, Joo-young had been recognized as a standout talent.

He had both genius and commercial sensibility—professors constantly praised and recommended him.

But he was also a thorough perfectionist.

Because of that, even when he was offered chances to direct B-grade commercial films or short drama episodes, he turned them down if the project didn’t meet his standards.

Knowing what kind of person he was, his proposal felt like a heavy burden.

“Uh… but Joo-young, actually I…”

Creak—

I turned my head at the sound of a door opening.

Yoo Rina was peeking out from behind the small room door, looking at me with anxious eyes.

…Rina?

The phone was on speaker—she must have heard everything.

Her trembling gaze didn’t leave me.

“….”

I stared at her quietly.

Just from her eyes, I could guess what she was thinking.

That expression… she was probably afraid I’d disappear again to work on films.

Her shaking eyes, her lips pressed tight—it hurt to see.

I hadn’t realized I was making her this anxious.

I shook off my daze and spoke.

“Joo-young.”

I deliberately smiled warmly toward Rina, still hiding behind the door.

“Thanks for the offer. But I’m not ready yet… so I’m sorry, I’ll have to decline.”

At my answer, Rina’s trembling eyes finally stilled.

“There’s something more important to me right now.”

I said it while looking at her.

That’s right—there was something more important than films.

No—more important than anything in the world.

My daughter, whom I must never fail again.

— “You can take your time thinking about it. You don’t have to answer now.”

“No… even if I think about it, my answer will be the same. It’s better to say it clearly now.”

— “…I see. If that’s how you feel…”

The disappointment in Joo-young’s voice was unmistakable.

I felt the same—but I couldn’t break the promise I made in this life.

“Let’s grab a meal sometime.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, I hung up.

Only then did Rina slowly step out of the room.

“Dad… are you going to get busy again?”

She fidgeted, her eyes darting around.

Her anxiety was written all over her restless movements.

“Nope~ I’m not busy at all.”

I answered calmly, as if it were nothing.

Then I walked up to her and crouched down to meet her eyes.

I wanted to reassure her as much as I could.

“I’m not going anywhere without you, Rina. So you don’t have to worry.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Really.”

Her smile slowly returned.

“And even if I do get busy someday, there’s something I want you to never forget.”

“What is it?”

I wiped the flour off her nose with my sleeve.

Even as I touched her face, she stayed focused on my words, eyes wide.

“You’re always my number one, Rina. If I ever get busy, it’s only because I want to do something better for you. So never forget that, okay? You’ll always come first for me.”

She stared straight into my eyes.

Her nose, now cleaned of flour, had turned slightly red, and her cheeks were softly flushed.

“Hehe. Dad likes me the most.”

She threw herself into my arms, rubbing her tomato-like cheeks against me.

If only my hands weren’t covered in flour, I would’ve lifted her up and hugged her tight.

I stayed still until she pulled away on her own.

I love you, my daughter.

Just then—

Bzzzt!

A message popped up on my phone.

It was from Joo-young.

I won’t push you since that’s how you feel for now. But let’s meet sometimes and talk about writing. It’s too much talent to waste.

There was one thing I had forgotten.

This perfectionist didn’t know how to give up.

* * *

“Rina, say hello to the director.”

“Hello! I’m Kang Yoo Rina!”

It was the weekend.

I took Rina to a well-known art academy recommended by Teacher Chae-eun—Jang Hak-doo Art Academy.

After looking it up, I saw that the instructors had strong credentials and the acceptance rates for art schools were high.

It seemed like the perfect place for a consultation.

“Hello, sir. Let’s talk in the consultation room.”

A middle-aged man with graying hair—the academy director, Artist Jang Hak-doo—personally handled our session.

He greeted Rina with a warm smile, clearly fond of her.

“Hello, Rina~ What a pretty name you have.”

But his bright smile soon vanished—

the moment he saw the drawings in her sketchbook.

“Th-this drawing… this child really drew this?!”

His eyes widened so much they looked like they might pop out.

He couldn’t take his gaze off her drawings.

“This is incredible… I’ve been running this academy for 15 years, but I’ve never seen a child like this…”

He looked back and forth between the sketchbook and Rina in awe.

Seeing his reaction made me nervous.

As a father, it was naturally a joy to know my child had talent.

But when that talent was extraordinary—it was also frightening.

What if I couldn’t support her properly because of money?

What if I ended up ruining her potential?

Especially since I wasn’t as attentive or meticulous as other parents.

“…She definitely has talent, right?”

I swallowed nervously and asked.

Unaware of my worries, Rina wandered around the room, curiously touching the display fruit models.

“Would it be alright if we conducted a test right away?”

The director asked in a serious tone.

I expected a test—but the atmosphere made it feel intimidating.

“Yes, of course. It won’t take too long, right? She’s still young and can’t sit still for very long.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take that into account.”

As soon as I agreed, he began preparing materials.

Soon, he set up an easel in front of Rina and placed a large sheet of Kent paper on it.

Rina blinked her big round eyes in confusion.

He gently lifted her by the sides and sat her down on the chair.

She went along like a limp kitten in his hands.

“Rina, here—take this pencil.”

He placed a 4B pencil into her small hand.

“I know this! It’s a 4B pencil, right?”

She raised it proudly.

“That’s right. You’ve used one in school, haven’t you? All the older students here use this too.”

“But why only a pencil? There’s nothing to color with.”

“Today, you’ll draw using just the pencil. You’d be surprised how much you can do with just one.”

I had been worried she might not focus in an unfamiliar place—

but true to her cheerful nature, she was excited instead.

What am I going to do with this little troublemaker…

I sat back and watched from a distance.

“You’ll draw on this paper—but instead of what you want, let’s draw something else today.”

“Why? I want to draw Dad and Grandma.”

“Well, there’s someone here who really wants a drawing from you.”

“Someone who wants my drawing?”

“Look over there.”

He pointed to a model apple on the table.

“That apple thinks it’s so pretty that it wants someone to draw it.”

“Pfft, that’s a lie!”

Of course, a 10-year-old wouldn’t fall for that.

But it made her laugh—and that was enough.

She cheerfully began sketching.

As expected of a renowned instructor, he guided her naturally, helping her focus.

“You’ve already finished the sketch? That’s amazing, Rina.”

He gave immediate feedback, hiding his astonishment.

Later, he admitted that he had been shocked—

she had instinctively used perspective without ever being taught.

And just as he said—

Rina didn’t draw the apple as a flat shape.

She gave it depth, making it look three-dimensional.

Even I, who knew nothing about art, could see how alive it felt.

This is my first time watching her draw like this… it’s incredible…

I couldn’t stop admiring her.

“Now, shall we add some shading?”

“Shading? But there’s no color.”

“Let’s use the pencil.”

“How do you color with a pencil?”

He knelt beside her and guided her hand.

Slowly, he filled in tones within the apple.

“Like this—you use the pencil to build up tone.”

“But this is black. Apples are red.”

“That’s right. But what I mean by ‘color’ is how light or dark something appears. Look here.”

He pointed to different parts of the apple.

“See how these areas look different in brightness? Which part looks darkest to you?”

“Hmm… there.”

She pointed immediately.

“Correct. Because of the lighting, the bottom is darker. That’s what we call shading—adding light and dark to make it feel alive.”

“Alive…?”

“Yes. Alive.”

At that moment, her eyes sparkled.

It was a look I had never seen before.

Completely immersed—focused beyond her years.

My daughter… concentrating like this…

Usually lively and restless, she now showed incredible focus.

“Excellent. That’s exactly how you do it.”

The director clapped brightly.

“This technique is called shading—expressing light and shadow. It’s the most basic skill we teach, but very few children can do it this well on their first try. Especially at her age. This is remarkable.”

He praised her sincerely, clearly captivated.

Rina beamed proudly—

then looked at me and flashed a confident V-sign with her fingers.