Popular Psychopath [Novel] Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Christmas at the Orphanage (1)

The Royal College of Art.

It is also known as the Royal College of Art in the UK.

It is the only art university in the world offering exclusively postgraduate and doctoral programs, famously commanding the highest tuition fees globally for international students.

When discussing rankings for fine arts or design universities worldwide, it was consistently counted among the top five.

Renowned alumni of the RCA included Christopher Coyle, CEO of the luxury brand Beaverly; James Dayson, CEO of Dayson Vacuums; and Hollywood film director Ridley Pucot.

Inside the peaceful sculpture studio of the RCA Sculpture Department, a woman’s sharp, irritated scream suddenly rang out.

Boasting a slender, tall figure and a gorgeous face perfectly complemented by a bronze apron and brilliant blonde hair, the undeniably beautiful woman was currently shrieking at Sam, an RCA faculty member standing before her.

“Oh my God! I have to go all the way to Korea?”

“What else can we do? Think about the sponsorship funds the Kimberly Foundation showers upon our department. They specifically requested your participation to grace the competition, so shouldn’t we at least show some sincerity? They strongly implied that if you refuse to attend, the funding will be cut off immediately starting this year.”

“But why does it have to be me? There are plenty of other students!”

“Our department is required to send three representatives, and among the second-year students, you are the only option, Maria. Everyone else is either on a leave of absence or buried in preparations for their solo exhibitions. And besides, who do you think has spent the most of the sponsorship money from the Kimberly Foundation? Should I bring out the receipts?”

“That is playing so dirty. Fine. I get it! Still… as a student of the Royal College of Art, I have my pride. Competing in some small country in the East just feels wrong.”

“It may be a small country, but they seem to be scaling this competition up significantly. I heard they are sending invitations not only to us, but also to award winners from the Quebec Winter Carnival and the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan.”

“Is that so? Hmph. Even so, could they possibly compare to our Royal College of Art? I guess I will use this opportunity to show them exactly what a difference in class looks like.”

“Anyway, I will select two more from the first-year students and report that you three will be participating in the snow sculpture competition in Korea.”

After Sam left, Maria sighed and slumped heavily into her chair.

“Korea of all places… What kind of nightmare is this?”

To Maria, Korea was a country she had only ever heard of in the context of being a divided nation still hovering under the threat of war.

In the global art scene, Korea’s presence was virtually nonexistent, which only cemented her absolute lack of interest.

However, the murderous tuition fees of the RCA could not be ignored. External sponsorships were the lifeblood of the institution, and she couldn’t afford to disregard them.

“I guess I will just treat it like a sightseeing trip.”

The thought that she could possibly lose in a sculpture competition hadn’t even crossed Maria’s mind.

It was only natural. After graduating from Nuova Liceo Artistico in Italy, she completed her undergraduate studies at the Polytechnic University of Milan, the most prestigious art university in the country.

Through manic, obsessive effort, she clawed her way into the Royal College of Art in the UK—arguably the best in the world. She carried the immense pride of a traditional elite artist.

“Haa… What even is money anyway?”

Yet, art inherently demanded money.

Some conservative artists viewed art as something impeccably noble, despising and criticizing those shackled by money. They believed art utilized as a means of generating income, rather than an expression of a pure artistic soul, was utterly devoid of spirit.

But art has never been truly free from money. In reality, among the classical masterpieces of the Renaissance that we revere today, countless works were birthed solely through the financial backing of wealthy patrons.

As the most immediate example, had Leonardo da Vinci not painted portraits to earn a living, the ‘Mona Lisa’ we know today would likely never have existed.

Considering the notoriously astronomical tuition of the RCA and the punishing cost of living in London, external sponsorships were a desperate necessity.

“I should look up what kind of good food they have over there.”

Maria turned her attention back to the unfinished sculpture resting before her.

***

Christmas approached.

Up until now, Christmas had never been a special day for Kyuha.

During his youth at the temple, Christmas parties were nonexistent. Even after leaving and working at the Songak slaughterhouse, he spent his days off surrounded solely by middle-aged men. His routine consisted of either grilling pork belly with soju or resting alone at home. He had never done anything remotely special to celebrate the holiday.

This year, however, he received an invitation from Director Kang Anna of the Bluebird Orphanage to spend Christmas with the children. Thus, he found himself attending a Christmas party for the first time in his life.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity to hand out the gifts he had purchased with Gyeoul earlier, doubling them as Christmas presents.

*Bzzzt.*

Kyuha’s quiet smartphone suddenly vibrated.

– [Seola] How have you been, Kyuha?

– [Kyuha] Hey, Seola. I am resting well since I am on hiatus. Have you been doing well? I have been seeing you in a lot of commercials lately. It is great to see.

– [Seola] I have been happily busy these days. But how could you not contact me once after our project ended? (Angry Emoticon) I am honestly a bit hurt.

– [Kyuha] You are right. That was my bad. Even though I am on a break, things kept popping up left and right.

– [Seola] Hahaha, I am just joking. (Smiling Emoticon) By the way, when are you going to keep your promise to take me to the orphanage for volunteer work!?

Kyuha briefly wondered if he had ever made such a promise before recalling a passing conversation they had on set.

– [Kyuha] Are you sure about this? Once you start coming, you will have to show up consistently.

– [Seola] Do you not trust me? (Disappointed Emoticon) When I say I am going to do something, I do it.

– [Kyuha] Alright. I will mention it to the Director. Perfect timing, actually. You can just come to the Christmas party. We are hosting one for the kids, and I heard they are a bit short-handed.

– [Seola] Really? I had nothing planned anyway, so this is perfect!! Thank you. Put in a good word for me.

Deciding it was best to bring Jung Seola along to the Christmas party since things had turned out this way, Kyuha called Director Kang Anna.

“Hello, Director. I am calling because…”

Kyuha asked Director Kang Anna if Jung Seola could join them.

“Hoho. If she is recommended by you, Kyuha, of course she can. Let’s meet together then.”

“Thank you, Director. I will see you soon.”

***

Christmas.

It was the day the children of the orphanage anticipated most out of the entire year.

Starting this year, Director Kang Anna of the Bluebird Orphanage had strictly banned all the superficial, showy sponsorship events hosted by corporations and foundations.

If corporations hosted these events, they would undoubtedly pour in massive funds and a deluge of sponsored goods. However, Director Kang Anna knew perfectly well that wasn’t what the children truly wanted.

Instead, this year’s Christmas party was designed to be a modest, intimate affair, celebrated solely with the regular volunteer group ‘Echo’ and Kyuha, a former resident who had since become an actor.

Brimming with excitement, the children were already causing a massive ruckus, hanging stockings in their rooms and running wild. In truth, orphanage children tended to mature far faster than their peers, so they were already well aware that Santa Claus didn’t exist.

Though this reality ached her heart, Director Kang Anna forced a warm smile as she watched the children reveling in the Christmas spirit and the prospect of receiving gifts.

Eventually, a large van belonging to the volunteer group ‘Echo’ pulled into the orphanage courtyard. Chairwoman Choi Sunhye and her daughter, Han Gyeoul, stepped out.

“Hello, Director Kang Anna. You are looking even healthier.”

“Hoho, our Chairwoman Choi has grown even younger. Have you been well, Gyeoul?”

“Yes! Director. I am so sorry I couldn’t visit much recently.”

“Not at all. You must be incredibly busy with your promotions these days. The fact that you consistently come back is something to be thankful for in itself.”

As the three exchanged pleasantries, a dark gray SUV pulled in from a distance.

“It looks like Kyuha has arrived.”

Excited to see Kyuha for the first time since the Uijeongbu incident, Gyeoul rushed toward the car without hesitation.

“Kyuha!! Why are you so la…te?”

Kyuha waved his hand and stepped out of the driver’s side, but someone else emerged from the passenger seat beside him.

“Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Jung Seola.”

Jung Seola arrived wearing comfortable jeans and a slightly boxy gray shirt. Standing tall with an exceptional figure, the casual outfit perfectly suited her mature aura.

Kyuha also greeted Director Kang Anna and Chairwoman Choi Sunhye.

“Hello, Director, Chairwoman. It has been a while.”

“It is great to see you, Kyuha. I am always hearing your news on TV. You did another wonderful thing recently. Everyone around me won’t stop praising you. You have no idea how proud I am. Ohohoho, listen to me rambling.”

“It was simply what had to be done. Have you been well, Gyeoul? Ah! This is Jung Seola, the actress I worked with on my last project, whom I mentioned before. She had been asking to volunteer at the orphanage for a while now, and I finally brought her along.”

Director Kang Anna extended a hand to Jung Seola, offering a warm handshake.

“Nice to meet you, Seola. I am Kang Anna, the Director here. I look forward to working with you.”

Jung Seola offered a polite smile and bowed gracefully.

“Hello, Director. I will work diligently to ensure I do not become a burden.”

“Seola, this is Chairwoman Choi Sunhye of Echo, the regular volunteer group for the orphanage.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Chairwoman Choi! I lack experience, but please teach me.”

“Oh my! You are even prettier in person than you were in the drama~ Your skin is flawless! I look forward to working with you too.”

“And you know her well, right? Han Gyeoul, the singer who sang our drama’s OST, ‘Song of Yearning’. She has been volunteering here for quite some time.”

Though the sudden appearance of Jung Seola severely grated on her nerves, Gyeoul masked it perfectly and offered a polite greeting.

“Hello. This is our first time meeting in person. I am Han Gyeoul.”

“Nice to meet you. Honestly, I am a massive fan of the ‘Song of Yearning’! I listened to it several times a day.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Flustered by Jung Seola’s sparkling eyes and overwhelming display of affection, Gyeoul maintained an aloof expression, perhaps still viewing her as a rival.

“Well then, the children are waiting, so shall we head inside?”