L’art reste follows Byun Dong-rim, who later takes the name Kim Hyang-an, through her relationships with poet Yi Sang and painter Kim Whanki. The story moves between two periods of her life, presenting Dong-rim and Hyang-an as separate figures who sometimes meet symbolically across time.

In the earlier timeline, Dong-rim and Yi Sang form an intense intellectual and romantic bond through literature, language, and private rituals such as sharing books and counting raindrops. Yi Sang’s worsening health and departure for Tokyo eventually separate them. His death leaves Dong-rim carrying both the memory of their love and the need to continue living beyond it.

The later timeline begins after Kim Whanki’s death and moves backward through his life with Hyang-an. Having supported his work and ambitions, Hyang-an now begins painting herself. As time reverses, the story reveals how Dong-rim became Hyang-an, built a new life with Whanki, and devoted herself to protecting and preserving his artistic legacy.

Across the two timelines, Dong-rim and Hyang-an exchange memories and advice, embodying different stages of the same woman’s life. Dong-rim confronts the loss of Yi Sang, while Hyang-an considers what remains after Whanki and how she might live as more than the guardian of another artist’s work.

Hyang-an ultimately chooses to create art in her own name while preserving Whanki’s legacy, later establishing the Whanki Museum. Through this decision, the memories of Yi Sang, Kim Whanki, and her earlier self become part of the life and art she continues to build.