The Versatile Master Artist

”Your face has almost become a little cat with ink spots from the pen tip.”

”What?”

Koukou was jolted awake from her sweet afternoon nap, startled and sat up straight.

She turned her head and then casually grabbed a pencil case from the girl’s desk beside her.

Koukou leaned her face close to the smooth and flat metallic inside of the pencil case, using it like a mirror to check her face.

Finding her skin as white and tender as freshly peeled egg white, Koukou grinned and said, ”What the heck, you almost scared me to death.”

”Miss Koko! This is class! What were you doing last night?” Professor Watter’s tone rose, clearly displeased, feeling his anger level nearly maxed out.

”Ah, oh... Professor, sorry, sorry, my bad.”

Only then did Koukou fully wake up from her daze.

She suddenly remembered she was in class, immediately standing up to apologize to Professor Watter.

”A French gourmet blogger was live streaming Western dessert-making on social media last night, it was quite popular. I tried to follow along, never thinking it would be so time-consuming, ended up staying up late. Sorry, Professor, but it turned out tasting good. Have one to calm your nerves.”

As Koukou spoke, she actually pulled out a plastic snack box with a Garfield sticker from under the desk, and pitifully held it out to Professor Watter.

The classroom burst into laughter.

Even Professor Watter was amused.

Looking at the little snack box the girl was handing over, he wanted to continue getting angry but couldn’t muster it.

Miss Koko had that kind of charm.

She was the type to humbly accept lessons yet persist in mischief.

Skateboarding in the hallways, drawing Garfield and that Milo dog from ”The Adventures of Tintin” on the walls... Koukou was a master of breaking school rules at Fitz Campus, and she totally disregarded the Student Council President Mona’s discipline.

But every time a teacher caught her in the act, Koukou never talked back, always with a great attitude in admitting her fault.

Apologizing while giving the teachers a pitiful look with her big, watery eyes.

Making even the disciplinary teachers reluctant to punish her too harshly.

Anyway, they weren’t serious violations. With the girl’s sincere apologies, the teachers would just let it slide.

No worries,

Once out of the teachers’ sight, she’d promptly resume her old habits.

”You.”

Professor Watter shook his head, ”Fine, next time, if you want to sleep, go to the back, don’t get in my way here. Now, since you’re up, answer my question. Can you recognize the origin of the painting from the projector?”

”Uh, Professor... let me think.”

Koukou sniffed, feeling that the portrait on the projector looked familiar, yet she couldn’t recall its exact origin at the moment.

”Seems it’s called ’something something Lady,’ I remember it should be a work by Da Vinci, probably that’s it.”

Koukou hesitantly said.

”Not bad, you remembered it’s a work by Da Vinci.” Professor Watter half-sarcastically, half-jokingly said, ”At least your time at the Art Academy wasn’t wasted.”

”If it were an interview at the campus recruitment fair and you could remember the full name of ’that something Lady,’ I might give you a three. As it stands, I can only give you one or two points. This means you failed.”

”And failing means you might lose this Offer.”

”Sorry, Professor, I really can’t recall.” Koukou stuck out her tongue.

”Alright, to prevent our Miss Koko from not getting into college. Gentlemen present, anyone willing to lend a helping hand?” The professor scanned the room.

The classroom was silent for a few seconds.

Just as Professor Watter began to feel quite disappointed.

A voice came from the back row: ” ’La Belle Ferronière’, considered a study work by Da Vinci at his Milan studio. The transition of light and shadow and the curve at the corner of the woman’s mouth hint at ’Mona Lisa,’ so some in academia speculate it as a predecessor to ’Mona Lisa.’”

”Bingo! Good, that’s the answer I wanted. By the way, your sketch assignments you submit each time leave a strong impression on me. Mr. Gu.” Professor Watter finally showed a satisfied expression, he praised.

”Miss Koko, congratulations, you may sit down. Gu Weijing, do you have anything more to add?”

The professor asked with a smile.

Koukou flipped her ponytail, gave an inscrutable glance to the back of the classroom, and then sat down in her seat.

In the back row, Gu Weijing thought for a moment before continuing to add: ”There’s still debate over the identity of the portrait’s subject and whether it’s an authentic work by Da Vinci. It was once part of the royal collection of the King of France, Louis XIV, who even had a replica made, which is now housed in the Chambery Art Gallery. The original painting is now housed in the Abu Dhabi National Gallery, commonly known as the Louvre Abu Dhabi.”

”Perfect! 5 points, that is undeniably a 5-point answer, even mentioning the providence, truly perfect. Let’s give Gu Weijing a round of applause.”

Professor Watter openly showed his satisfaction, gently clapping his hands.

”Keep it up, Gu Weijing, keep striving. Even if Mrs. Cruz didn’t select you for her talent enhancement class, I still believe if anyone among us has the potential to be admitted into a top seventy QS-ranked art school, it’s you.”

Professor Watter returned to the podium and pressed the enter key.