By Zephyria 
“There are many great works coming up this time, and there is one in particular I really want to acquire. I could send a representative, but I would prefer it if my flower name bearer attended in my stead.”
Yeon-rok gazed blankly at Yeom Cheon-ho. Now that he knew the man was the head of the Hwamyeong Cult, it made sense why he had insisted that a flower name bearer partner must accompany him to the previous banquet. It seemed to be the same case now.
“Alright. I’ll attend.”
Once again, Yeon-rok couldn’t refuse his request. He wanted to repay even a small fraction of what Yeom Cheon-ho had bestowed upon him. Yeom Cheon-ho smiled, his thick eyebrows and eyes curving softly.
“I’m truly grateful that you always help me like this, Yeon-rok-ssi. You are quite reliable.”
Hearing those words again made Yeon-rok feel a sense of pride.
However, art auctions were a foreign concept to Yeon-rok. It was the kind of event that felt far removed from the experiences of ordinary people. On the day of the auction, Kim Jeong-seong accompanied him as his executive secretary to ease his nerves. Yeon-rok spoke with genuine relief.
“I’m glad Secretary Hyung is here.”
“Please don’t worry too much. It’s nothing complicated. Just enjoy the viewing comfortably, and if there is a piece you want, you can buy it.”
Kim Jeong-seong spoke with a gentle smile. Fortunately, the dress code for this event wasn’t as strict as the banquet. He had been told that as long as it wasn’t too casual, it would be fine, so he wore a navy semi-formal suit. Yeon-rok was finally becoming accustomed to formal attire.
The auction was held at a gallery in Seoul. They were only able to enter after Secretary Kim Jeong-seong showed his membership card to security.
“Do you need a membership card to participate in an auction?”
“Not all of them, but this one does.”
Kim Jeong-seong answered politely to Yeon-rok’s question. It seemed to be another type of event enjoyed exclusively by the wealthy, much like the previous banquet. Since there was still time before the auction began, they browsed the artworks on preview.
‘Is this really a piece of art?’
Yeon-rok agonized in front of a work that looked, no matter how he viewed it, like a series of random scribbles by an elementary school student, before moving on. Among the many pieces, he looked closely at a few that particularly caught his eye. To his surprise, Secretary Kim Jeong-seong was diligently taking notes every time Yeon-rok showed interest. Flustered, Yeon-rok stopped him.
“I’m not going to buy those paintings. I was just looking because they looked cool.”
“Even that is reason enough for them to be worth purchasing. By nature, art is something you buy if it looks pleasing to the eye.”
That was true, but… No matter how he thought about it, these pieces didn’t look like they cost a mere pittance, and Yeon-rok was already breaking into a cold sweat. He vowed to buy only what the CEO specifically told him to buy, no matter what. Then, suddenly, one piece struck him.
It was an oil painting with intense colors, depicting waves of clovers pouring over a background like a brilliant golden wheat field. As he absentmindedly touched the name on his chest, someone spoke from behind.
“Do you like that piece?”
Startled by the familiar voice, Yeon-rok jumped without a word. Turning around, he found Yeom Cheon-ho standing there, despite having said he could only join for the latter half of the auction. He smiled warmly at Yeon-rok, whose eyes had gone wide like a rabbit’s.
“Do you happen to remember painter Kim Geum-sang’s <Ascension>? This is by the same artist. As expected, you and I have quite a bit in common, Yeon-rok-ssi.”
Searching his memory, Yeon-rok recalled the time he had crashed the date between Choi Hwan and Yeom Cheon-ho. There had been a piece entirely filled with gold back then. No wonder this one was also full of gold; looking at it now, the artist’s style was obvious. Yeon-rok spoke with a smile.
“You said you’d be late, but you arrived earlier than expected!”
“Fortunately, my work finished early.”
Yeon-rok nodded and let his gaze drift slowly toward the title of the work. Wait?
“This is the piece the CEO said I absolutely must buy?”
“Correct. I commissioned it from painter Kim Geum-sang. I set a condition that if he painted a piece with clovers as the theme and put it up for auction, I would pay an additional 10% of the highest bid. Money truly is a wonderful motivator for creation. I quite like that mercenary side of things.”
Yeon-rok looked at the painting again. Now that he knew, he could feel the artist’s passion and obsession—the desperate desire to get the highest possible price at the auction.
At that moment, Yeon-rok had no idea how much this piece would eventually sell for.
After browsing the art and having dinner with Yeom Cheon-ho, it was finally time for the auction to begin. As the two took their seats, paddles(1) were placed in their hands. Yeon-rok chewed over the precautions Kim Jeong-seong had told him today.
‘Raising the paddle indicates a bid to participate, and once a piece is knocked down, it can’t be canceled, right?’
If he had attended alone, the pressure would have been overwhelming, but having Yeom Cheon-ho by his side made him feel much more at ease. He absentmindedly toyed with the man’s warm hand and let out a quiet smile. Yeom Cheon-ho’s gaze landed on Yeon-rok’s face before quietly drifting away.
When the start time arrived, a woman dressed in a sophisticated suit stepped onto the podium.
“Hello. I am Park Seo-hyun, and I will be presiding over today’s auction. Thank you all for taking the time to attend…”
The auction began with greetings delivered in the precise pronunciation of an announcer. Unlike general art auctions, this one was limited to members. Perhaps that was why everything, from the interior to the smallest props, looked meticulously curated.
Yeon-rok watched the auction with interest. The pace was faster than expected, and the atmosphere gradually heated up. What was most shocking was that every single bid started in the hundreds of millions.
“A written bid of 360 million won has been received. 380 million, 400 million, 420 million… 440 million won, we have a phone bid from Mr. Kim Sang-won. 460 million! 490 million, and we’ve hit 500 million in an instant. 520 million!”
Watching the price jump from 300 million to 500 million in the blink of an eye made Yeon-rok’s head spin. Since the works were carefully selected, there were almost no unsold lots, and the competition for every piece was fierce. After a few more items, the piece Yeon-rok had eyed appeared. Surprisingly, the starting price was 1 billion won.
“Wow, 1 billion…”
As he muttered blankly, Yeom Cheon-ho grabbed Yeon-rok’s elbow. Looking at him in confusion, he saw the man smile and nudge his arm upward. The paddle in Yeon-rok’s hand shot up.
“Yes, 1.26 billion has been bid!”
In that short time, the price had jumped by 200 million. Yeon-rok looked at Yeom Cheon-ho in shock.
“CEO!”
“Oh, Yeon-rok-ssi. At this rate, someone else will snatch it away. Hurry.”
In his disorientation, Yeon-rok raised the paddle once more as Yeom Cheon-ho urged him. The auctioneer smiled and pointed politely toward Yeon-rok with a dynamic gesture.
“1.46 billion! The highest bid is 1.46 billion won. 1.48 billion… Is there anyone at 1.5 billion? 1.5 billion! Thank you.”
Bang! With the crisp sound of the gavel, the winning bid appeared on the screen. Having never handled such an astronomical sum before, Yeon-rok stuttered slightly. He felt a bit anxious as pieces he had merely shown interest in continued to be knocked down to him.
“I just… 1.5 billion…”
“You won the bid.”
“I-is this really okay?”
“It is okay.”
Yeon-rok asked in an urgent voice, “You’re buying this for your own collection, right?” When Yeom Cheon-ho nodded with a generous smile, Yeon-rok finally felt relieved. He felt better thinking that it wasn’t bought because of his interest, but because it was a piece Yeom Cheon-ho happened to covet.
“Now, let’s buy one more.”
Yeom Cheon-ho nudged his elbow up again. For some reason, this piece was also one Yeon-rok had shown interest in. As he raised the paddle, Yeon-rok whispered softly in his ear.
“What is the upper limit?”
“There is no upper limit.”
Why would he say something so terrifying… Despite his anxiety, Yeon-rok diligently raised the paddle as Yeom Cheon-ho encouraged him. By the time they had won several pieces, the total amount spent reached several billion won. Because it was such a massive sum, it didn’t feel like real money; in fact, it was almost fun, like playing a game of Monopoly. However, one thing weighed heavily on his mind.
“Um, you’re not buying every single piece I showed interest in today, are you? Please don’t. You might suffer a huge loss. I tend to be quite unlucky.”
After the first part of the auction ended, a short break was given. Yeon-rok, who had stepped out for some fresh air, quickly issued the warning. Yeom Cheon-ho asked, sounding somewhat amused.
“May I ask why you think you are unlucky?”
“Well…”
As he tried to explain, he suddenly remembered Moon Gyeon-woo’s words, asking if it wasn’t perhaps a symptom of ADHD rather than bad luck. However, Yeon-rok was certain that he had experienced misfortunes that were difficult to explain away as such. After listening to the stories of the misfortunes he had experienced, Yeom Cheon-ho rubbed his chin with a look of disagreement.
“Yeon-rok-ssi, I’m telling you this now, but… that fire incident was Yeom Cheon-ryul’s doing.”
“What?”
Yeon-rok’s jaw dropped. That cultist was the one who did it? It wasn’t an event caused by his own misfortune?
Footnote:
- Auction paddle