Chapter 1200 - A Chick's Day Off: Part 3
Thus, the true identity of the house that was said to be not a house for living in was...
"Oh..."
"Well, that's the reaction you'd have, isn't it?"
Passing through the hallway and opening the living room door, it was another world... or rather, how should I put it.
Looking at this and thinking about it again, should the bleak entryway area also be interpreted as a kind of "presentation"? The shock that hit my vision at first sight due to the excessive gap, along with the appearance of the items that were displayed, was certainly something that clearly made one feel an awareness of the viewer.
Indeed, I am different from the majority of male college students who have absolutely zero knowledge—having a connection that made me accustomed to visiting art museums, I was able to immediately and faintly read such intentions.
With no partitions (layout) or anything, what was lined up in what was less of a living room and more of a simple, spacious, wide-open space was a multitude of artworks, each wearing a grand atmosphere.
Paintings, sculptures, crafts, and so on.
At first glance, they seemed to be placed in a non-genre and miscellaneous manner... but if it was not my imagination, it was a spectacular sight where the taste of the displayer could faintly be discerned.
Beside me, who had lost my words and could only let out a sigh, Saegusa-san let slip a smile.
"I think I mentioned it briefly, but my grandmother is, well... how should I put it, an art-related geek. Her hobby got the better of her, and while she was running around the industry since her youth, she ended up being held in high esteem by all sorts of places."
"...Yeah. Briefly, right. I did hear about it, but..."
—Saegusa Ran-san. She was the grandmother of Saegusa-san and her cousin, Mr. Hayagake, and a collector who was well-known... or apparently well-known, in the Japanese art world.
It was said that she herself had never claimed any title other than collector, but because her vast knowledge and excellent discerning eye were trusted, she was also treated like a critic.
To put it in a single word, an amazing person.
"And so, it seems everything placed here are gifts, but—"
"Oh..."
And,
"First, what I want Kasuga-san to see is... yes, that one. It is a work by Eli-san's—Lilia's mother, [Elena Vrubel]-san."
She was also the Cupid of love who apparently brought Nia's parents together.
Pushed from behind by Saegusa-san, I walked through the space which, while not so cramped as to be tightly packed, felt highly dense because the aura emitted by each individual work was intense.
And so, I arrived right in front of a single "painting".
"........................Incredible."
The title was [Ice Voyage].
True to its title, it was a work depicting the scene of a ship formed of ice... or rather, a rough ship with the appearance of a cracked and shattered glacier taking shape, advancing while pushing aside drift ice.
Having gone on many dates with Nia, I had acquired the manners of art appreciation, but of course, I could not closely observe the quality of artworks. —However,
"Somehow, like... it's amazing."
"Of course it is. In the true sense of the word, she is a modern master painter, after all."
I felt sorry that I could only express my impressions in simple words. I could at least feel whether it was such an amazing... an incredibly extraordinary work that made me think that way.
Perhaps the things here were all nameless works in the sense that they had not been released to the world. Yet, every single one of them was an item whose greatness even an amateur like me could read, and in the sense of drawing attention among them, Elena-san...—
I could tell the greatness of Nia's mother. I couldn't fully comprehend it, but I could tell.
"Lilia is probably embarrassed and avoiding it, isn't she? Bringing Kasuga-san to an art museum where Elena-san's works are displayed. Judging by that reaction, I think this is your first time seeing one."
"Ah, now that you mention it... indeed?"
Since she is the immediate relative of the person I love and a famous painter, of course, as a matter of politeness, I had done some light research. On those occasions, I had seen a few of her works.
But, as expected, the real thing was completely different.
With a presence and power incomparable to when I was impressed by an incredible through a smartphone display, to be honest, I was overwhelmed. I could lose myself in watching it.
I, who am an amateur but enjoy visiting art museums, know how difficult it is for an artwork to make an amateur stop in their tracks. That is why the emotion is all the greater.
"................It's cool."
Unconscious. At the child-like words I muttered, a chuckle came from beside me.
"I'll be sure to tell Elena-san. Your favorability might go up, you know?"
Teasing me whether it was a joke or not, Saegusa-san stood beside me.
"This is a work from over ten years ago. It has aged, and its greatness has increased, hasn't it?"
"Ah, yeah... but it doesn't feel old, or rather, it's vibrant, or something."
As usual, a poor vocabulary that made it seem unlikely I would ever become an art critic. Leaving aside the amateur (me) who was gradually becoming embarrassed, Saegusa-san did not seem to mind.
"When I was little, I looked at this painting and thought about aiming to become a painter. Me."
"............"
Since she suddenly disclosed personal data, of course I was surprised. When I turned my silent surprise toward her along with my gaze that had been pulled away from the painting—
"It's that, right? I think you probably came today intending to talk a lot about Nia-chan, but... I'm sorry. Unfortunately, that's not it."
Her pale chestnut eyes, as if playing around.
"Today, I want you to get to know me (Saegusa Hiyori)."
But she was looking at me seriously.
[Author's Note]
Early morning is basically like late night, right? (reckless remark)
Let's meet again at noon.