“Geonbae!” Kai yelled, clanging his bowl of rice wine with the other students.

              Amber sat quietly, staring at his hand, thinking about the punishment. Two gisaeng clung onto him. He’s annoyed, but too mindless to do anything.

              “Ya!” Kai shouted, pointing at Amber. “Bet you can’t drink this, you wussy.”

              He poured rice wine and another liquor into a bowl and passed it down to Amber. Amber glared at him. “Tch,” Amber picked up the bowl. “This is nothing.” He downed it with ease and the gisaeng squealed, impressed by his act.

Kai silently slams his fist on the table, irritated. “Show off,” he mumbles. “Always causing trouble…”

Earlier

“Seonsaengnim,” Amber utters, surprised. “Wh-where did you get that painting?”

“So it is yours,” he replies, quietly laughing. “I bought it.”

Amber recalls the conversation between the merchant and some man. “Ahh,” he thought. “…Why?”

Lee Soo-man seonsaengnim told Amber to follow him. They end up at a restaurant. He orders some side dishes and rice wine. Amber sits quietly, his mind clouded with many questions and thoughts. Lee Soo-man offers him some rice wine. Amber holds his bowl up, accepting it. “Gamsahabnida…” he weakly says, quickly drinking the wine.

“Wae?” his seonsaengnim asked. “Do you feel as if you’ve been caught?” Amber’s eyes lit up. He almost spat out the wine. “Because you have… You’ve been caught. By me.” Amber gulps down his rice wine. He bows his head down.

“S-seonsaengnim,” he stutters. “Joesonghaeyo. I didn’t mean any disrespect from selling my paintings drawn within Dohwaseo walls…” He bows his head lower.

“Hm,” Lee Soo-man replies, taking a sip of the rice wine. “Although it was stupid of you to sell that painting… For only 5 nyang,” Amber looks up, slightly taken aback. “It’s not as stupid as you painting that woman,” he continues. “With the straw hat…”

“Ssibal,” Amber thought. He got on his knees now, still bowing. “S-seonsaengnim… Jebal… I don’t want to get into trou—”

“It’s genius,” Lee Soo-man seonsaengnim said, cutting him off. “But stupid.” Amber looked up. He had pulled out the other painting from his bag. He compared the two. “It’s definitely you,” he said, with confidence.

“H-how can you tell?” Amber asked.

“Oh, I can tell. The , everything… I can tell.” Amber looked at him in confusion. “…I don’t mean to boast, but haven’t you see those ‘famous’ paintings? By ‘SM’?”

Amber recalled seeing those magnificent paintings. They were pure genius. Nobody knew who the artist was. His paintings were always sold. For a very high price, at that. “SM” was the best painter of the era, but one day, the paintings stopped coming in. Some mysterious man just drops them off during the night. The only thing people can make out is his goatee. “Goatee…” Amber thought. He looked up at Lee Soo-man. “Seonsaen—”

“Majayo,” he said. “I’m that painter.”

Amber had so much to ask him, but he just sat there, shocked.

“Amber,” he set the paintings down and reached for Amber’s shoulder. “You’re talented. I think you can become the best painter of this era. I want to help you with that.”

“B-but… Seonsaengnim. I can’t take your place! I’m nowhere near as great as you.”

“That’s true,” he retorted. “That’s why I want to teach you. Everything about painting. Inside and out. Plus,” he leaned toward Amber’s ear. “I think you’re the best painter among the students at Dohwaseo.” Amber’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets. “And haven’t you heard? I stopped selling my paintings. I only teach now. It’s someone else’s turn,” he let out a short laugh. “I’m getting old!”

“Seonsaengnim!” Amber shouted and leaned in to hug him. “Gomabseubnida!!”