ajisai | s. shinichiro

六

🗀 Rejection: 6

When Friday finally arrived, so did Mr Gold to school. To say that Airi wasn't nervous would be an understatement. The expensive man only dropped by their school almost once or twice a week, if not needed in the school, then never. He wasn't the type to socialize with the other students, get to know a little about them while working on their art work nor interact with the students' parents. He's a busy man after all - going in and out of Tokyo and New York, being the art director of a contemporary museum and at the same time taking care of his wife, his dedication really astounded Airi.

"So this is what you made this week...the painting of a sky and a mother holding her child." Mr Gold begins to say, his eyes trained on her two art works that Airi couldn't help but feel small. Compared to his works, he's a legend already.

"One maternal bond and the other the beginning of an endless expanse." He says, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm assuming that what you painted are based on events you witnessed this past week...am I right?"

Airi nodded her head to this.

Mr Gold was quiet for a moment, quietly analyzing and thinking of her work critically. And in this silence, Airi began to beat herself for it.

I should have painted the softball team. Airi spoke to herself. If I have painted people then it would have been easier. Expressions are what we'd only talk about, but since I painted this already, there's so much going on. She thought to herself more.

"After graduating high school, which schools are you aiming for?"

Airi pursed her lips for a moment before speaking. "Tokyo University of the Arts and Musashino Art University" she replied to his question, upon mentioning MUA, Mr Gold's eyes turned to look at her.

"You know" Mr Gold begins to speak again, pulling out a cigarette stick while his back is leaned against his chair, fishing out an expensive looking lighter before lighting the end of his cancer stick. "In the examination room of Tokyo University, at the end of the second exam, they'll only pick two or three kids. So that's twenty to thirty new students under the Fine Arts majoring in Oil Painting. But if you're going to Musashino, the best way to get there is to receive a recommendation letter from an alumni." 

"Tokyo University loves kids who values vision, personality and worldwide view while Musashino is more focused on kids who know the plethora of evils that walk among us in our daily lives, what the real world looks like while using vibrant colors and of course," Mr Gold pointed at the mother and child painting while puffing out gray smoke. "Human beings."

"I don't quite get what you mean..." Airi quietly responded, her hands sandwiched between her thighs.

"What I'm trying to say is" He says, finally sitting up while his arms rest on top of the table. "You're only painting what you see before you and you're memorizing what the actual objects were placed and what's their actual color. You're not experimenting with the colors, you're not having fun with the painting that you have, you're simply focusing on what you see and you're putting it on a blank canvas." Mr Gold shrugs, "You could've just took a picture of it then showed it to us or called us into where you are, we too would have seen what you painted."

If only it was possible, Airi would have loved to shrink before him.

"Imitation is okay but to a certain extent only. That's what people start from anyways." He tells her, puffing out another smoke again. "But if you continue to do this, neither schools you mentioned will accept you."

Upon leaving the Art Club room after her consultation, Airi felt drained. As if all the energy in her body had been depleted by Mr Gold. The urge to buy a yogurt drink and a bowl of love potion ice cream suddenly became strong, apart from that, Airi needed to stop by the crafts store again to get turpentine and painting apron.