《An Art Student Who Lives Twice》 Chapter 1 Arrogant. To sum up my life in a single word, this would be the most accurate. I thought all I had to do was try. I dreamt of becoming a designer. I drew and drew till my wrist ligaments broke. I showed my designs to many people. I thought that all that effort would be the answer to success. It wasn¡¯t. In this industry, effort alone is not enough to achieve success. And there was nothing you could do about it. The first time I realized this was around the time of my group project in college. ¡°Jaeha, I¡¯ll do the presentation.¡± I tilted my head to look towards the person at this sudden remark. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, you collected all the data by yourself and you also made the PPT. You have it the hardest amongst us. So I should at least do this to help you.¡± ¡°Well, ok.¡± I was na?ve. I got stabbed right in the back. My painting became someone else¡¯s, and my idea became someone else¡¯s too. I put so much effort, and the others reaped its rewards. ¡°Gunwoo. A professor I know saw your presentation and asked me to go with you to the conference,¡± I said. ¡°Do you mean me?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a prominent professor in the academic world, so it will be an excellent opportunity for you,¡± I replied. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± It was quite disappointing. But I wasn¡¯t angry though, so I let it slide. The evaluation was completed, so it was obvious that my contribution was stolen. Instead of being depressed, I drew even more. I thought it would be a little different once I left college and started my life in society. ¡®Life is an actual battle. People who aren¡¯t good at it will drop out on their own.¡¯ It was a decent misunderstanding of mine. Life at work had taken a turn for the better, at least. I thought I completed the project, but before I knew it, the project¡¯s merits were already not mine. The same situation repeated again and again. I was sure I was the one who had completed the project, but it quickly turned into my boss¡¯s product. Company life was filled with absurdities which are even more absurd than college! Wouldn¡¯t you be angry? When you, as a senior employee, receive an order for a project, but then your deputy manager takes all the credit? It was a custom here. It was even worse than my time at the university since I couldn¡¯t even say anything even if I had proof. But I was still arrogant. I thought it would all work out if I worked hard enough. I thought I would be accepted. I was still dreaming. I had been working for the company for around 10 years. ¡®Sir, you want me to say that I led the project?¡¯ A new company employee stole the design of a third-party product and all that blame was put on me. ¡®Yes, sir.¡¯ ¡®But I didn¡¯t do that. Kim Ji-hoo did it. Why are you putting the blame on me?¡¯ ¡®Who doesn¡¯t know the reason?¡¯ ¡®But why¡­.¡ª¡® ¡®Because Kim Ji-hoo is the son of the boss.¡¯ ¡®¡­.!¡¯ ¡®Choose between the two. Either face an astronomical lawsuit or wrap up and end your career.¡¯ I didn¡¯t have a choice My life afterward was a disaster, of course. No matter how much experience one has, no matter how strong one¡¯s portfolio is, no company wants to use designers who plagiarize. I didn¡¯t even remember the number of resumes I have written, probably hundreds. Alright. My life as a designer was destroyed. Instead of that, a jobless life soon began. I fell asleep drunk on soju and when I woke up, I would sleep after drinking hangover medicines. Some people consoled me by saying I was na?ve, but my opinion differed from theirs. I was stupid. I realized this. Just trying was not enough. It was important to take the initiative with my own hands. ¡°If I could go back, I¡¯ll do it all by myself.¡± It was the lamentation of someone who had already gone past his time. However, it was pretty serious in its way. Just that it was too late. He lived just a single life. Life of a loser everywhere. It wasn¡¯t like I did nothing, though. It immersed me in a cheap hobby because I had no money to partake in other expensive ones. This one hobby was reading web novels. In the web novel, there is this genre called modern fantasy, where chicken and dog-like humans regressed and underwent life-changing paths. At first, I found it extremely stupid. ¡°You¡¯re stupid. You only live once.¡± It was foolish of people to go by their daily lives while thinking of subjects like regressions. However, as I read on, I realized. This is what everyone wanted. That text on my 5-inch screen comforted me. Solving my twisted life step by step. Although it was a dream portrayed only on my phone, it was still a dream of mine. I was jealous. I wanted to start all over again too. ¡°If I start over, I¡¯ll live without losing my life for anyone else.¡± But it¡¯s too late. Modern fantasy is just fantasy. Only a moment passed when I thought of all of it. ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhhh.¡± Suddenly, my head was dizzy. ¡°Did I drink too much?¡± No. I knew I drank a lot, but I know my drinking habits. I¡¯m a heavy drinker. Just this much wouldn¡¯t make me dizzy. By the time I felt something was wrong, my vision had turned black and I fainted. And when I opened my eyes again, ¡°What should I show you? All designs begin with this question.¡± A professor was giving a lecture in front of the blackboard of the classroom. ¡°¡­¡­ What is this?¡± The name of the class was design. The professor¡¯s face also looked quite familiar. Just as I was absentmindedly taking the class. Then I realized. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I was back on my first day of college. That day. It was the day when the genre of my story became a modern fantasy. * I came back to my room right after the class ended. Click! It was not until I unlocked the door that I realized I had returned to the past. ¡°I¡¯m confused, but this miracle happened to me.¡± The first thing I did when I came back to my room was to go to my website. ¡°I have to figure out my situation first.¡± I went back in time by at least a decade. I had to see what my past at this moment was like. *Drumroll.* I had been scrolling through the page to check all the postings on the homepage. I sighed for a long time. It was clear. Today was the first day when I entered school. ¨C Title: I finally enter school tomorrow. Description: Good job preparing for art school. Now you can finally live like a normal human being. You should go out and date, work at part-time jobs, and also, study hard. Also, what kind of people are your classmates? Just being curious. ¨C It was in the early 2000s. It was a time when keeping a diary on the internet was popular nationwide, and I used to keep one for the times when I was bored. Fortunately, this habit helped me figure out who I was as a person at the start of college. ¡°It really is like reading a time capsule.¡± Okay. I was extremely excited just because I entered university. After passing those difficult entrance tests, I entered the prestigious Korean University, the Korean Academy of Arts. Korean Academy of Arts, also known as Han Yewom. It was a school famous for accepting only the best talents compared to many other art colleges. I even entered the most competitive visual design department. The joy of passing through a 200:1 ratioed competition was beyond words. ¡°It felt like I was the only protagonist in the entire world. In reality, I had only passed the qualifying round.¡± Anyway, after I carefully read the contents of my online journal, I deleted the website. ¡°Black History Cut.¡± Later on, I would forget the existence of this website, and as a result, my personal information would be stolen. I¡¯m glad I can sort it out before then. After I finished this, I sat on the floor with my legs crossed and slowly looked back at my life in the past. ¡°What kind of person was I in the past?¡± A single phrase came to my mind without even thinking much about it. ¡°¡­. A failed designer.¡± It was one undeniable fact. All my life, I¡¯ve lived giving way to others or passing my opportunities to others. I thought it was the key to living in this world and succeeding. I was wrong. Looking at it now, I was just a pushover, nothing else. But now that I have been given a second chance at life, I don¡¯t plan to live like that anymore. ¡°This is a God-given opportunity. I can¡¯t live like I used to.¡± I intend to unravel the twisted thread that was my previous life nicely this time. There was no need to think too much about when I should start. I had to start today. As the first step, I carefully reviewed the things that I had regretted in my previous life and the things I could have taken better care of. Just then, a notebook and a pen on the other side of the desk caught my eye. I picked it up and started scribbling on it. ¡°First, I need money. Money is the most important thing in Korean society no matter what you want to do.¡± In my previous life, money always drove me. I used to be a low-paid designer. Star designers could raise their salaries to millions of wons and even rise to the position of company president, but that was not the case in my story. A person who wasn¡¯t even sure whether he will remain in the industry next year. That was me. ¡°Whether you¡¯re designing or whatever else you¡¯re doing. You need money first!¡± A way to make some money. What ways could there possibly be? ¡°If it¡¯s a way to gain money fast, there are things like lottery, stocks, and coins.¡± Unfortunately, it was hard for me to make a profit through such methods. As I was not interested in the lottery, I did not remember any winning tickets from the past. For stocks, I know there were a few promising companies, but unfortunately, none of them were in the capital. This wouldn¡¯t be a thing to do for a college student who just came to Seoul. ¡°Coins may be the most obvious item for investment, but they become popular too far in the future.¡± In conclusion, it was hard for me to do anything. However, I had another weapon in my hands. ¡°I have over 10 years of design trends right there in my head.¡± If not anything else, I was confident about this one thing. What did I do in my previous life? It was my job to analyze the popular designs that were in the market and then apply them to products. And¡­ In modern society, good popular designs mean money. ¡°Even a half-baked company can easily earn hundreds of billions of wons if it can be the one to pioneer a new trend.¡± More designs appeared in my head. Wouldn¡¯t this be a lot of money? You can think about stocks after you make a lot of money! ¡®Okay, well, first, I need to lay the groundwork for starting my design business. It¡¯s better if I can find some investors first.¡± Even for this, he didn¡¯t need to go too far. Korea¡¯s leading art school, the Korean Academy of Arts. This was the place where a genius designer of the past rolled around the lawn under the influence of alcohol. Opportunities were all over the place and within reach. ¡°There was that senior who was scouted overseas for billions of wons after doing well in the school exhibition.¡± The environment was as good as it gets. It was the best environment to start a design business since the school also provided support for start-ups. ¡®In my previous life, I only ever wanted to draw original designs. Damn, that was stupid.¡¯ Now, my goals and background have been set. So, what do I have to do to stand out here? It started right inside my room. ¡®The path to success.¡¯ From college to job prep and working at the company, I wrote everything I remembered. What I wrote on the first page was a task. ¡°Yes, it all started here.¡± The first week after entering the university. A few days later, all the visual design freshmen took one class. It was nothing much. This class, as a class of visual design and tradition, was a class that puts the life I had lived so far on a single sheet of paper. It was a class called self-introduction. ¡°I need to stand out in it.¡± The outstanding student at the time received an excellent offer from the professor, thanks to this specific class. The presentation had to be impressive, unforgettable. The professor was a star in his field who could be called the face of our department, and he used to pull out a few new freshmen from his self-introduction class every year and put them in his studio. ¡®It was said that just by entering his studio, everything from part-time jobs to winning competitions and getting jobs would be open to you like an empty highway ready to be driven upon.¡¯ In this department, students who entered his studio were often called Senggol. Thanks to that, the first-year student, who had the information first, especially devoted their attention to this task. Because I was absent from it, and because no one told me this, I lost a massive opportunity. ¡®I won¡¯t miss out on this life. No chance.¡¯ Now, I¡¯ll take my share. Thinking so, I rubbed my eyes. ¡®I¡¯m getting tired.¡¯ It had already been quite a few hours since I returned to my room and was planning everything out. The sun was slowly setting outside. However, I had no intention of falling asleep just yet. ¡®How I spend my days now matters a lot more than it would in the future.¡¯ You must show that your skills are superior to the other students. That will be the new pillar of my life now. ¡®I should at least draw a single design before going to sleep.¡¯ But when I was about to sketch a new design, I suddenly got curious about something. ¡®Come to think of it, how good were my drawing skills back then?¡¯ How good were my skills during this period? It was a good question to ask. It didn¡¯t matter if the Korean Academy of Arts was a place where geniuses from all over the country came. My skills didn¡¯t drop that much compared to my prime. However, they weren¡¯t that outstanding. ¡®A little better than average.¡¯ The word genius, of course, was subjective. Ordinary people call someone outside their area of understanding a genius, so in terms of that, of course, I was a genius. People who entered the Academy were treated like dogs, cows, and geniuses. However, even among geniuses, classes were divided. In front of the authentic geniuses, I was repeatedly blocked going past them as if there was a wall in front of me. The reason I worked so hard in my previous life might have been because of that sense of inferiority. Of course, it¡¯s not that the geniuses never worked hard, so the gap between him and them never closed. ¡®¡­ Still, I¡¯ve been in this business for over 10 years. Maybe my skills might have improved.¡¯ I needed to check my skills compared to the current era. It just happened that there were many ways to check. In my previous life, I drew pictures when I was bored. At home, at work, at subways or cafes. Painting was like breathing to me. So I carried a sketchbook every day, everywhere. Several sketchbooks were lying around the room. *Gulp* I swallowed, feeling the tension, and picked one of them up. Let¡¯s take a moment to review it a bit. ¡®¡­.. Huh?!¡¯ I was faced with an extremely unexpected situation. Senggol ¨C Also known as Holy Bone, it¡¯s the name of the highest rank of the bone-rank system of aristocratic ranks used in the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. It¡¯s usually given to the earlier kings. So when the department calls the recruited students ¡°Senggol¡±, they¡¯re basically worshiping them as the king/queen of the department. Chapter 2 ¡°Nice to meet you, new students. My name is Lee Jong.¡± The professor walked to the front of the blackboard. Professor Lee Jong. He was a professor in charge of Han Yewon¡¯s class. I was told that he had been the design director of a German automobile company before becoming a teacher. The king of industrial design in Korea. He smirked and said, ¡°Today is our first class, so I¡¯d like to conduct a class that anyone can do easily and lightly.¡± ¡°Phew.¡± A small sigh of relief was heard among the students. Han Yewon¡¯s curriculum is famous for being tough, so everyone must¡¯ve been relieved because he said he would go through it easily. ¡®But don¡¯t let your guard down. Today¡¯s assignment will change your college life.¡¯ Knowing Professor Lee Jong¡¯s true side, I waited for his next words, and he continued with a smile. ¡°Today¡¯s class is simple. Take a sheet of drawing paper from the front. Then, fill the page full of your own drawings.¡± As he said so, the teaching assistant walked forward with a huge bundle of paper, and set it down on the desk in front of the classroom. Thud The students were all startled by the sound of how heavy the stack of paper was, and while they were sitting still, a student raised his hand and asked, ¡°Professor, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Yes, please speak.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s drawing, what should I draw?¡± ¡°I see. Any drawing is fine. You can draw people or objects. But today is your first class, so it would be nice if you could draw a picture related to yourself.¡± Professor Lee Jong continued with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, the theme of this drawing is ¡®Myself¡¯. After completing the painting, it would be fun to guess the person¡¯s personality while looking at it together. So let¡¯s get started now. Come forward and take a sheet of drawing paper.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± So far, everything has been going exactly as I know it. A class that fills a single sheet of paper with drawings. This was the real beginning. And I was prepared. ¡®Usually, students who have been brainwashed by the art in the entrance exam would be shocked here.¡¯ No matter how amazing Han Yewon is, very few students are able to show their genius from the very beginning. Usually, while the academy prepares for the practical exam, everyone receives a similar education, and only draws similar pictures. If you suddenly asked me to draw a portrait of you, I couldn¡¯t have done it properly. ¡®Half the people drew their pieces using the common entrance exam style.¡¯ Professor Lee Jong used to give harsh scoldings when looking at such pictures. ¡®It seems to me that all the drawings you¡¯ve submitted look the same. It¡¯s hard to tell them apart. If you want to be a professional, you¡¯ll need to find your own colors first.¡¯ A class that forces you to remove yourself from being an entrance exam student and become yourself as a college student. In short, this class was shock therapy. ¡®This is where Professor Lee Jong stands out from other professors.¡¯ First of all, entering his studio was the first goal. I looked around. I saw students wandering around, confused about what to draw. ¡®It must be difficult.¡¯ Every Korean college entrance exam student has lived a similar life, so it¡¯s hard for this class to suddenly draw one¡¯s life on paper. Furthermore, it must be even more difficult since they¡¯ve only ever drawn the pictures that they¡¯ve memorized according to the academy¡¯s instructions. But as time went by, some soon began to paint. Then, I started to play with my hands, too. ¡®It¡¯s my life.¡¯ From the day I returned to this moment, I had been thinking deeply. Professor Lee Jong ordered me to draw myself, but because of my past experience, I had a side that could overwhelm the other students. ¡®I¡¯ve been at the forefront of design for over 10 years.¡¯ My past job was a design consultant. A job that receives requests from other companies, then selects and provides plausible designs. From pencil cases and chairs to electronics, there was no field that wasn¡¯t covered in the job. Tens of thousands of conceptual designs have been sold by me. ¡®So let¡¯s draw one of them.¡¯ Especially electronics. It was the field that I was most confident in. Scribble. Scribble. Starting from the edge of the paper, my hands began to dance. ¡®This would be nice.¡¯ A trend that will be popular a few years from now. An ultra-slim slide-type cell phone. It¡¯s a design that will be obsolete in the future, but if you know the truth, you can never ignore it. ¡®This trend revived a brand that had been ruined.¡¯ In the near future, the world¡¯s leading companies started pouring an astronomical amount of money into design. Marketing usually appeals to emotions rather than actual performance, and design was the most intuitive means of stimulating emotions. ¡®Thanks to that, more and more companies have appointed designers to CEO positions.¡¯ A well-chosen design drives the market. That¡¯s right. The design being drawn by my hand now had a lot of value. ¡®If Professor Lee Jong is a real professional, he¡¯ll also understand the value of this design.¡¯ My hands stretched out without hesitation. Fortunately, the drawing itself was one of the most skillful paintings I could draw. ¡®I used to draw hundreds of concept drawings a day.¡¯ In modern society, design was a war against speed. Market trends are bound to change rapidly in a day or two, and speed was needed to catch up with those trends. Even at dawn, I had to draw dozens of concepts according to the client¡¯s request. ¡®My past life was completely melted onto a sheet of drawing paper.¡¯ But regardless of the field, I drew the designs that I had completed in the past as soon as I remembered them. Designs that were nonexistent in this era began to fill up the canvas. At the same time, I could feel the trembling gaze of the students around me. They¡¯re barely able to draw one or two items, and are probably very surprised to see me fill in the drawing paper as if I¡¯ve prepared it beforehand. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡®Painting is a product of time.¡¯ The proficiency that I showed at an undergraduate level was alien to me, too. However, that was appropriate. I¡¯d rather show off a little than lose an opportunity while hiding my true abilities. Only the scribbling of pencils could be heard throughout the classroom * ¡°Time is up. Please stop and submit your artwork after you¡¯ve written your name and student number on the back.¡± At the same time Professor Lee Jong spoke with a smile, students¡¯ complaints erupted from all over the class. ¡°Is it over already?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t even draw anything¡­¡± ¡°I spent all my time thinking about it.¡± As I looked around, I found that a portion of the students had given up after wasting their time clumsily. One half of the class barely had any variety in their works. The other half of the students managed to fill the drawing paper somehow. ¡®I couldn¡¯t even fill half of the drawing paper in my last life.¡¯ While thinking about the topic, I changed the composition several times and ended up failing. As I was immersed in various thoughts, the sheets of paper that had been spread throughout the classroom gathered together again. Professor Lee Jong lifted the paintings one by one and put them on the easel. ¡°This painting, in my opinion, looks like a panoramic view of a library. Am I right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The student who was called on said in a trembling voice. It was literally just a painting of a library. A typical entrance exam style drawing focused only on increasing density. Professor Lee Jong continued with a smile. ¡°What I can infer from this painting is that the student studied hard in the library.¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see anything else from this painting, is there something more that the student intended?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°I see. Thank you for the painting. Let¡¯s move on to the next picture.¡± The student, whose turn ended in an instant, bowed his head with a gloomy expression. It¡¯s a shame that the evaluation ended with just a few words. However, even if the assessment was prolonged, all that could be said about the piece would¡¯ve been harsh criticism. The same process was repeated again and again afterwards. ¡°You drew a park.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Where is the student in this picture?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¨C ¡°You¡¯re studying.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¨C ¡°You worked hard, well done. By the way, did you learn at Anichanga Academy in front of Hongdae University?¡± ¡°Huh? How did you¡­¡± ¡°Everyone from that academy drew the same picture as you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s just a difference in how hard you get hit by your solar plexus, and everyone was hit fairly. I could tell without saying it. Professor Lee Jong was rebuking them. This is all you can draw? Is this your whole life? Indeed, the skill level of current undergraduate colleagues was not very high. ¡®I knew this would happen, I¡¯m sorry about this.¡¯ I smiled bitterly. Immediately after I regressed, I checked my sketchbook and was surprised. The reason was simple. ¡®I didn¡¯t do a good job.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t draw well. It looked like I drew it with my feet with a bit of exaggeration. From the composition to three-dimensional sensibility and density, it was a mess and in shambles. A line with a rough appearance was the default. ¡®I wanted to look plausible to others, but I didn¡¯t even use the basics.¡¯ That was my painting when I first entered Han Yewon. And I was above average. That means that there were many other students who were worse than that. Lee Jae-ha was captivated by strange emotions when he saw students getting rebuked by the professor one by one. ¡®I didn¡¯t do as bad as I thought.¡¯ I did my best to draw. Although I ran into a certain wall as a designer, I had never been far behind in skills before, especially when it came to drawing. Drawing was straightforward. That¡¯s why I liked drawing. The more time you invested into doing it, the more your skills increased. Finishing a drawing in a day or two did not change anything, but it certainly changed after a year or two. That¡¯s how I built up my skills. So, my past life was meaningless. ¡®It¡¯s something we can do our best to see.¡¯ It was around that time when the classroom was filled with grief. Professor Lee Jong picked up a new sheet of drawing paper and murmured with a surprised expression. ¡°This¡­. not bad.¡± When he picked up the painting and put it on the easel, each of the students exclaimed in admiration. ¡°It¡¯s quite well drawn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very neat. ¡°It looks like it was drawn by a machine.¡± ¡°I¡¯d believe it if a machine drew it.¡± One of the paintings stood out among the other paintings that have passed so far. That picture. It was my painting. Chapter 3 ¡°The painting is quite good,¡± Professor Lee Jong said. My painting wasn¡¯t bad. It was the first favorable reception ever since the class began. This was enough. The other students seemed surprised that Professor Lee Jong had praised the drawing, but they didn¡¯t care about how their faces looked. ¡®After all, the real thing is different.¡¯ Anyway, Professor Lee Jong said in a satisfied voice, ¡°Let¡¯s see who drew this, Lee Jae-ha? Is that right? Please stand up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He called me. As I got up and bowed politely, he continued with a pleased look. ¡°I want to give you a compliment before the evaluation. Students, please give Lee Jae-ha a round of applause.¡± At the same time, the students started clapping their hands. Even so, they still had bewildered expressions. Maybe it¡¯s because they didn¡¯t know why my work was being praised so much. ¡®Even though I¡¯m good at drawing, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no one who drew as much as me, so of course everyone would be surprised.¡¯ There were certain works that seemed superior to mine in terms of the quality of their appearance. Some of them had such high density that it was as if I were looking at a picture. And, the works, without exception, were criticized by Professor Lee Jong. So why is my work being praised? No, why is only my work being praised? The reason for that was to be told by the person who praised me. ¡°If I could describe Lee Jae-ha¡¯s painting in one word, it would be ¡°textbook¡±. This is a textbook drawing. The traces of his troubles to reduce unnecessary lines as much as possible and to convey the feeling of the work in an intuitive way are outstanding.¡± It was as he said. My drawing was good. The standard of a good painting here was slightly different from the paintings that ordinary people saw. In the design industry, drawing was a tool for conveying ideas. So, drawings that are easily recognized were seen as the best drawings. ¡®The professor correctly understood my intentions.¡¯ Perhaps it was because Professor Lee Jong was a person who stayed in the same industry¡ªindustrial design¡ªas me. That¡¯s why I drew this picture. As he happened to mention that part, my intentions were half-successful. ¡°I believe that this isn¡¯t just about drawing the picture that you want to draw, but it¡¯s also about putting other people¡¯s perspectives into consideration. Is that what you meant to symbolize in this piece?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded once and said, ¡°I wanted everyone who saw my painting to see the same picture.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s easy to see and understand. As a former industrial designer, I want to hang this painting high upon the walls.¡± It was well-received. It was more of a raving review, something beyond mere praise. He must have seen so many poorly made paintings before mine that my painting must have been relatively refreshing to look at. ¡®All right, by now, I¡¯ve achieved my goal.¡¯ My primary goal. It seems that I have succeeded in leaving an impression on Professor Lee Jong. But he didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°It also seems to me that Jae-ha is very fond of machines. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It seemed so.¡± Professor Lee Jong looked pleased. ¡°Student Jaeha goes beyond simply liking machines; he designs his own works. So I think he¡¯s looking at his work from a professional perspective. Maybe he¡¯s already aspiring to become a professional.¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t expect you to look into it this far.¡¯ I was a little startled as Professor Lee Jong asked me, ¡°Am I correct?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. It¡¯s just as you said.¡± I nodded, and spoke as clearly as I could. ¡°I want to be a professional. My goal is to improve my skills and enter the design industry someday.¡± My answer now wasn¡¯t just a simple self-introduction. These words were meant to tell the professor what kind of person I was, and what kind of aspirations I had in mind. ¡®I¡¯m not just a good painter, I¡¯m also a far-sighted person.¡¯ There are limits to the undergraduates anyway. I wanted to show myself as a talented person with growing buds. That was what I was trying to pretend to be. Fortunately, my intentions worked out, as Professor Lee Jong said with a brighter expression on his face, ¡°I see. Everything is fine, but may I point out one of the flaws in this work?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I readily agreed because there cannot be just compliments in an evaluation. ¡°The only downside of this work, in my opinion, is that it¡¯s a design that doesn¡¯t look at practicality.¡± The professor pointed his finger at the cell phone I had drawn first and said, ¡°From a practical point of view, these designs are difficult to commercialize. It can be said that the idea is limited, starting with the batteries to heat control to assembling. Of course, it¡¯s a novelty, but when you go into the real world with a design that shows only novelty, it¡¯s not a good design.¡± It was to point out that my design wasn¡¯t realistically feasible. Well, this was unavoidable. There are at least 3 years left before the design I drew is commercialized. Although Professor Lee Jong is an excellent person, he is someone who lives in this era, so he will not be able to fully understand the future development of technology. ¡®He¡¯s still a great man, though. How could a person make such an accurate point?¡¯ In deep admiration from the bottom of his heart, he added, ¡°However, if technology advances further, I think this student¡¯s design will truly shine. Professor Lee Jong even mentioned what I knew and was expecting. He was truly, truly an outstanding man. He said with a smile, ¡°If you are seriously aiming to become a professional, you¡¯d better consider the technical aspects as well. I hope my advice has been helpful to you.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll keep your words in mind.¡± I accepted Professor Lee Jong¡¯s words pleasantly. Pointing out the limitations of practical use was the same as saying that there was nothing else to point out. After finishing his evaluation, Professor Lee Jong turned to the students and said, ¡°That¡¯s all. I hope that the other students will be able to see and learn from Jaeha.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± A subtle admiration flowed from the eyes of the students. I almost cringed just by looking at them. They¡¯ve only been criticized, but I was overly flattered, so they couldn¡¯t believe it. Their looks on their faces slightly poked at my conscience. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. In my previous life, I was too close to facing death.¡¯ Like others, I had painted a picture full of remnants of the entrance examination education, and the professor covered it up with the others as if it was not worth looking at in detail. What used to be true in the past was overturned at once. That was the benefit of a second life. So let¡¯s just take a moment to take in how the students reacted. Professor Lee Jong continued to speak in a rather serious voice, perhaps thinking that the atmosphere was ripe. ¡°In this class, I focused on criticism, but it wasn¡¯t your fault. Students still have time for entrance exams. College entrance art is to show your skills to professors, and to show your skills, you have to increase the density of your work.¡± He pressed the podium with his hand and said, ¡°Now, you¡¯re at a level where you have to go beyond the professors¡¯ evaluations and get the public¡¯s evaluation. I hope you find the picture you want to show the public over the next four years. So, I hope my future classes will help you on your journey.¡± The students, who had been noisy, soon became silent. It seems that the class felt something from Professor Lee¡¯s speech. I had slowed down the class, and the professor taught a lesson. It was a good time to wrap up the class. Unfortunately, however, there was one more sheet left. ¡°I¡¯ll finish the class after seeing this last piece.¡± It was the moment when Professor Lee Jong picked up the painting. Why? The name on the back of the drawing paper caught my attention. ¡®Seo Ji-won? Where have I heard that name before?¡¯ Let¡¯s think about it for a moment. I soon realized the owner of the name. ¡°This work surprises me in a different way from Jaeha¡¯s.¡± Professor Lee Jong opened his mouth with a pleasant voice. * After class, I leaned back against my chair and stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time. ¡®¡­A freshman who was selected by Professor Lee Jong in my previous life. That was Seo Ji-won.¡¯ I realized it the moment I saw it. I couldn¡¯t help it. Even if I pretended to be a genius through the advantages of time travel, Seo Ji-won was the true genius. She was an elite who entered Han Yewon at the young age of 17 and was scouted by leading overseas companies before completing four full years of undergraduate study and work. That was Seo Ji-won¡¯s life. I realized it the moment I saw her work. ¡®A genius is a genius, of course.¡¯ Not only did she draw well, but she also lived in a world completely different from others. What she submitted was a simple self-portrait. A self-portrait of Seo Ji-won sitting alone in her own room. However, that was enough. The emotions she felt in her life was contained in just one self-portrait. ¡®It has a great story.¡¯ It was a picture that left room for interpretation no matter how many times I thought about it. Every little item in the corners of the room showed her identity as a person. In my opinion, there are two categories of geniuses. A simply talented person. And a person who sees what others can¡¯t. If I was the former, Seo Ji-won seemed to be the latter. ¡®I must be vigilant.¡¯ Actually, I was a little relaxed in the class a while ago. This was because I¡¯ve confirmed that my skills work in their own way at the undergraduate level. But I shouldn¡¯t have been satisfied there. In this life, I want to achieve even greater success as a designer. To do that, I had to prepare to compete with real geniuses, including Seo Ji-won. ¡®I¡¯ll have to work harder.¡¯ Did you say that seeing what others can¡¯t see is the quality of a genius? Fortunately, I¡¯ve already seen what others will see for more than a decade. So I couldn¡¯t say I was behind. ¡®At a time like this, let¡¯s draw another painting.¡¯ Thinking so, it was time to take out the drawing book from the bag. Riing. My cell phone rang. Who¡¯s calling at this hour? Why would anyone contact me?¡¯ I thought about it for a while before answering. I burst into laughter. ¡®Bingo.¡¯ * ¡®I was within reach of him.¡¯ A building near Seokgwan-dong. [TL/N ¨C Seokgwan-dong is a neighborhood in South Korea ] From the first floor all the way to the top, there was a building that seemed to be bragging that it was built by a designer. The entire building belonged to Professor Lee Jong. And, perhaps it was the place where I would go to work. ¡®In my past life, I was so envious of the people who went to Professor Lee Jong¡¯s studio.¡¯ Rumor has it that he has already received additional points given that he is from this studio. Maybe it¡¯s not a rumor, maybe it¡¯s the truth. When I thought that I would also be joining the ¡®Seonggol¡¯, my heart pounded. I heard that usually only one person was selected per year, but if you contacted me, it would mean that you saw me as the best. ¡®Still, the hiring has not been officially decided yet. Let¡¯s get our act together.¡¯ It was when I entered the building and went up to the third floor. Squeak As soon as I opened the door, the scene that greeted me was rather unusual. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Seo Ji-won. She was sitting face to face with Professor Lee Jong and chatting. Chapter 4 ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this.¡¯ Beyond the table in front of me, Professor Lee Jong and Seo Ji-won sat side by side. The sight was very suspicious. ¡®Why is an undergraduate sitting next to the professor?¡¯ Usually, freshmen don¡¯t get bored even if the professor was simply taking a breath. Maybe they¡¯re close friends. As I looked at them with questioning eyes, Professor Lee Jong explained with a smile as if he had noticed the look in my eyes. ¡°Student Seo Ji-won is like a niece to me.¡± ¡°Your niece?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve taught her since she was a child.¡± Ah. So that was the kind of relationship you two have. After hearing the words of Professor Lee Jong, I understood the relationship between the two. There were often times where this occurred. Even among art college students, there were inevitably classes divided by birth, and there were three main ones. Those who came to college on their own, and those who attend private academies. While these two were the majority, the third was rather special. The kind of person who learns directly from a professor at an early age. It was a class commonly referred to as the elite class. ¡®I heard that the monthly tuition fee alone is hundreds of dollars, and during a special lecture, it rises up to thousands¡­ Was she the daughter of a family wealthier than I thought?¡¯ While I was immersed in various thoughts, Professor Lee Jong continued with a smile, ¡°No, rather than teaching her, I guess it¡¯s more accurate to say that I just watched Seo Ji-won draw on her own.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± Seo Ji-won shook her head and muttered in a low voice. Suddenly, I thought that her voice felt strange. In her previous life, she was always quiet, and because she did everything on her own, no one was really ever interested in what she did. Anyway, I don¡¯t know if he thought the atmosphere was settled, but Professor Lee Jong said with interlocking hands, ¡°I invited Lee Jae-ha and Seo Ji-won to my studio to make a suggestion.¡± It was the moment I heard it. All five senses of my entire body focused on his next words. ¡°As you may know, I scout one freshman to my studio every year.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Scouts?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The moment I had been waiting for was finally happening. I listened to him with my ears perked up, and he continued to speak calmly. ¡°For any young person, college life is important, but for designers, it¡¯s even more special. Do you happen to know the reason, Lee Jae-ha?¡± I thought about it briefly and said, ¡°Because the next four years will determine the life of a designer.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. That¡¯s the correct answer.¡± At my answer, Professor Lee Jong seemed to be a little startled, but he continued. ¡°Many designers build portfolios in their early 20s and live their lives based on that portfolio. So, if you want to survive in this industry, how you spend this limited time is key¡± It wasn¡¯t something that would resonate with an immature 20-year-old freshman. However, I was not an ordinary 20-year-old, so I could fully relate to what he was trying to say. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that a designer¡¯s first debut determines half of the price of their ransom. In my previous life, I¡¯ve seen countless people who made good use of their college life and became successful. That¡¯s what Seo Ji-won did. However, I unfortunately did not. I simply graduated and got a job. And everything I did failed. Therefore, I decided to try something a little different this time. ¡°Everyone is given the same amount of time. However, the density of that time isn¡¯t equal. I want talented students to be able to make the most of their limited time.¡± I¡¯ve got a rough idea of who the talented students he¡¯s talking about are. ¡®You mean Seo Ji-won and me.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s why I called two students here. Allow me to be blunt.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hire one of the two students for my studio.¡± Now the main point has come out. But the content was a little surprising. ¡°You¡¯re going to call two people and pick just one?¡± My curiosity took a hold of me. Is it right to choose only one person? Professor Lee Jong nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes, one.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just pick both of them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s difficult. There¡¯s only one seat left in my studio.¡± There is only one seat left. It was a pretty plausible excuse. However, it was also too subtle to be accepted right away. ¡®You¡¯re using an entire building.¡¯ It was clear that there was an underlying intention. Perhaps Professor Lee is trying to provoke some competition between me and her. While my mind was cluttered with various thoughts, he said, ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say it myself, but if you move into my studio, you will be able to enjoy many opportunities. Helping me with my work will not only make a good career, but it will also open up occasional competitions and academic opportunities. There will also be exchange events with other studios and companies. This place will be the best environment for you to do anything.¡± He continued in a confident voice. ¡°With my name on it, I promise that this will be a choice that you won¡¯t regret.¡± It was tedious, as if this studio was a shortcut to success. However, it didn¡¯t sound like a lie. I had already confirmed it with my own two eyes and ears, so his words sounded quite convincing. After the explanation, Professor Lee Jong said in a voice as if he wouldn¡¯t be disappointed at all. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of having you take a recruitment test. If you are going to reject my offer, I would appreciate it if you could tell me now.¡± The moment he finished, Seo Ji-won opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± As she said that, her eyes turned to me. They seemed to say, ¡®no matter what choice you make, I don¡¯t care¡¯. I wonder why. The moment I saw those eyes, a strong desire arose within me. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, too.¡± Reject it? This is an opportunity. From the beginning, there was never a thought about rejecting it. * After a short interview, I had to go on a business trip to Hongdae. [TL/N : Hongdae is a large neighborhood in South Korea, and it¡¯s known for a lot of things, but mainly things on the cultural side] It was to take the recruitment test that Professor Lee Jong talked about. [My former junior is running a small art academy over there, and he earnestly asked me to introduce him to a good student] It¡¯s an art school¡­ I wasn¡¯t too pleased. In my previous life, I worked as an academy instructor for the entire time I was in school, but I had no good memories from it because I struggled to make a living. All the money I earned was sucked into my student loans. So in this life, one of my minor goals was to not become a lecturer at a private academy again. Therefore, Professor Lee Jong¡¯s words to go to the academy were not very pleasant to hear, but I had no choice but to accept the words that followed. [I¡¯ll bet a prize here. What would be good? Well, okay. It may seem snobbish, but there¡¯s nothing like money to boost people¡¯s motivation.] He laughed softly and said, [For the student entering into my studio this time, I¡¯ll consider a professor-recommended scholarship.] The moment I heard those words, my heart began to race. A scholarship recommended by a professor. It was like a de facto exemption from tuition if you could get it. ¡®In my previous life, I wondered who would receive this, but I didn¡¯t know that the opportunity would come to me this time.¡¯ This money could replace hundreds of hours of work. Thinking about it that way, the slightest displeasure about working at an academy was wiped out. I think the academy job fits my vocation anyway. We took a bus from the studio in Seokgwan-dong for a while. Hongdae, which I¡¯m visiting now, was clumsier from what I remembered. Around this time, the feeling of Daehakro was oozing. [TL/N ¨C Daehakro is another street in Korea, and kind of like Hongdae, it¡¯s essentially a really popular place for the people who enjoy/specialize in the arts. ] There were countless people on the street claiming ¡°I¡¯m an artist¡±. Rather than flashy people, there were a lot of people who were a little shabby and full of personality. It felt fresh to have it be that way again. Because the future Hongdae I know has long been eroded by a huge capital. Small shops in every corner were replaced by franchises, and monthly rent skyrocketed, making it a commercial district that young, small business owners could not dream of joining. ¡®I need to earn money and invest in real estate before it¡¯s too late.¡¯ I murmured as I walked along Hongdae Street, where I still had a fresh memory of. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the neighborhood?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Seo Ji-won nodded briefly. She was short-spoken. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s just silent or if she¡¯s drawing a line between us on purpose. Today¡¯s business trip to the academy was with her, and it was hard to have even a small conversation on the way here. ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter because it¡¯s more convenient for me.¡¯ It¡¯s a competitive relationship on the surface. There was no need to rush and make friends with people from the same department. If you¡¯re friendly with someone, you¡¯ll eventually become close anyway. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t easy to find the right way in an era where you couldn¡¯t find a map right away without a smartphone. ¡®Still, it¡¯s fun to walk.¡¯ A few minutes to enjoy walking in the freshness of the Hongdae area. I soon found a sign hanging from the second floor of the building. [Painting academy] It was a simple name. However, that was not the case for the interior. ¡®The professor said it was definitely small, but it¡¯s actually very big.¡¯ It was a large academy that used the second floor of a future commercial building. It¡¯s messy. I went up the stairs first, and Seo Ji-won followed me without saying a word. It was the moment when I opened the doors of the academy and entered. There was a familiar smell wafting through the air. ¡®What is this smell?¡¯ It smelled like a pencil. And there was a familiar sound. It was the sound of a pencil scribbling on a sheet of paper. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen this.¡¯ About 20 students in a large space inside the academy were concentrating on their drawings. But they didn¡¯t even spare a glance at me though they heard me coming in. I knew the reason without saying it. It was a practical mock test. ¡®You¡¯re working so hard.¡¯ Professor Lee Jong said that it¡¯s important to spend limited time efficiently. I now understood what he meant. It was a battlefield where you struggle to complete a single picture for three to four hours. It was this kind of place. It was safe to say it was a silent battlefield. ¡®I don¡¯t think the owner will say anything when he comes.¡¯ I watched their struggles silently. Soon after, a handsome middle-aged man with a good presence approached me and asked. ¡°Are you Han Yewon¡¯s students?¡± It was the moment when that word came out. ¡°¡­!¡± The atmosphere in the room immediately changed. The students, who were busy with their practice tests, visibly flinched. It was obvious. They responded to the words ¡°Han Yewon¡¯s student¡±. Whether or not they are focusing on their practical skills, they have no choice but to be aware of the fact that successful applicants from the university, which can also be called their biggest goal on earth, have visited. ¡®Well, college is just a preliminary round.¡¯ I coughed in vain embarrassment and said, ¡°Hmmmmm. I was introduced by Professor Lee Jong.¡± ¡°Oh, I knew it. It¡¯s a good thing. Both of you are handsome and beautiful. Let¡¯s go inside and talk about it.¡± The academy director took us to the principal¡¯s office. Thud When the heavy door was closed, the scribbling sounds from the pencils outside disappeared, and it became ghostly quiet. * A cup of coffee was set down on the table in front of me with a clink. ¡°Please have a drink.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He sat down roughly on the sofa and said, ¡°My name is Jung Gwang-chae, and I am the director. Lee Jong was a senior of mine when I was in school.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Make yourselves at home.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You can relax.¡± He smiled and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. They bragged that you two were the best freshmen this year.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be modest about. We¡¯ve tried countless university student lecturers, but there¡¯s no one like a student who was introduced to us by our seniors.¡± A serious conversation ensued. He also joked that he would like us to officially work here, and some formal remarks were exchanged that Han Yewon¡¯s students should enjoy college life for a while. By the time the atmosphere had ripened, Director Jeong Gwang-chae finally brought up the main topic. ¡°I heard that only one of you will enter the studio. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in a lot of trouble. If it were me, I would¡¯ve hired both of you with open hands.¡± He smiled kindly, then spoke in a serious tone, ¡°But since I¡¯ve already accepted this request, I¡¯ll proceed with it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The subject of the exam is as follows. I hope you two can set a great example for our students.¡± Chapter 5 Give me a break. That was a bit of a harsh statement. ¡®It¡¯s best to stay still at a time like this.¡¯ If I respond poorly, I will only ruin my image, so I sat still and waited, and Director Jeong Gwang-chae soon continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know as you¡¯ve seen it yourself, but most of the students here are still in the rudimentary stage.¡± I quietly nodded. Maybe it¡¯s because it was right after the entrance exams had ended and the academy¡¯s most talented students had already left. The average skill level of the students here wasn¡¯t good. Objectively speaking, I hadn¡¯t seen a single person who I felt could pass the Han Yewon¡¯s exam. ¡°There are still some students who are not yet fully mature. However, there are some students who have fallen into clumsy arrogance or are stuck in a rut, repeating the same routine every day. I can¡¯t even dream of getting accepted to college with their attitudes. They¡¯re looking down on the entrance exam.¡± ¡°You mean you want to raise the students¡¯ awareness about it through us.¡± ¡°Yes, please show us clearly what level a Han Yewon student should be.¡± The atmosphere of his smile became serious for the first time in a while. ¡°Both of you are excellent students that were chosen by my senior, so I believe there is nothing to criticize your skills for. However, there is one condition.¡± ¡°What is the condition?¡± ¡°I want you to draw a picture that our students can see and learn from.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Hmm.¡± I put my chin on my hand without realizing it. An annoying condition was attached. There was nothing difficult if it was just about showing off my skills since I had more than 10 years of experience in the industry. It¡¯s enough if I just drew what I used to draw. However, it was different if it was a picture used to observe and learn from. ¡®I mean, considering the level of the students¡­¡¯ We came to this academy for the sake of the students. So I had to put them first. Somehow, I thought I knew why Professor Lee Jong sent us here. Perhaps he was trying to select talented people who can consider others¡¯ level as well, something beyond just simply drawing well. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ I turned my head around to look at Seo Ji-won, the girl who used to be a recognized genius. What is she thinking now? Are you nervous about this difficult task? ¡°¡­¡± She was expressionless. I feel like this conversation doesn¡¯t matter. It was boring. So that was more of a problem. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ This test was not just a test. It could be a high-level test beyond the difficulty of a college entrance exam. Professor Lee Jong said he would write a scholarship recommendation letter to one person here. In other words, at least several millions of won are at stake on the painting that was to be painted next. Nevertheless, there was no tension. That was the problem. There¡¯s no one more terrifying than a person who has no ups and downs before a big test. ¡®I have strong confidence in my skills. I¡¯ll probably be the one to paint the best picture.¡¯ If that was the case, then I had to go one step ahead of the best picture she could draw. Is there any way to do that? I thought about it for a while and asked Director Jeong Gwang-chae. ¡°If you¡¯re asking me to do a practical demonstration in front of the students, is there a time limit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s two hours per student.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I continued with a smile on my face. ¡°Am I allowed to do my own demonstration within that time?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Director Jeong Gwang-chae tilted his head as if he was puzzled, and asked, ¡°Basically you can, did you have something in mind?¡± ¡°Usually, you only draw one piece to demonstrate a practical skill, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I was thinking of drawing several.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Director Jeong Gwang-chae crossed his arms and pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°As long as you can draw it within the given time, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± It looks like you could draw whatever you want. Then I had my own way. ¡®I didn¡¯t make a living as an entrance exam instructor for nothing.¡¯ I had two weapons. How to teach others and information from the future. It was when I thought of a few drawings I could do by mixing the two. Seo Ji-won glanced over the glass wall of the director¡¯s office with a bored gaze and said, ¡°It seems that the mock exam is ending soon.¡± ¡°What?¡± Director Jeong Gwang-chae had a puzzled expression on his face, and Seo Ji-won continued. ¡°Can¡¯t we get started sooner? I have an appointment for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I see. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Am I being too precocious? Or is this what all students at this age do?¡¯ I thought as I listened to her bold words. However, I was in favor of the idea of starting early. * ¡°Come on, come on, time¡¯s up. Stop drawing and lay everything on the floor here one by one.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Director Jeong Gwang-chae clapped his hands and said to stop, the students stopped their respective paintings and began cleaning up. Within a few seconds, there were almost 20 paintings on the floor of the academy. It was a magnificent sight. However, the level of each individual here was like the mountain behind the neighborhood. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s just so-so.¡¯ My thoughts haven¡¯t changed. If you score the pictures from A to D, the pictures of the students here hovered from C to D. It wasn¡¯t enough. Han Yewon¡¯s passing cutline is A. Considering that they require a fairly high A to remain in the school, the level of the students¡¯ who were here was below even the normal range for students in the beginning of the year. ¡®It¡¯s going to be hard to enter in just a year.¡¯ Meanwhile, Director Jeong Gwang-chae picked up two of the paintings on the floor. ¡°These two are the worst drawings today.¡± Then he placed the two paintings on the middle of the floor and stepped on them. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± There was a stir among the students at the sight of the paintings, which had been painstakingly drawn, and were reduced into a footrest at the end. In the entrance exam artworks, talent was everything, but it was hard to find respect. A bitter smile appeared on my face as I watched the scene. ¡®It¡¯s blatant.¡¯ However, it was also a trend that prevailed in private institutes during this period. Director Jeong Gwang-chae held a long stick and tapped the paintings. ¡°This is a C. And¡­This is still a little better. B. I didn¡¯t give you a B because you drew it well. I¡¯m giving you this score because it looks like a proper painting, so keep your mind straight.¡± A small amount of time for such a harsh evaluation. Director Jeong Gwang-chae moved away from the pile of paintings and said, ¡°Students who received a D, stay after school today and clean.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The students nodded helplessly. They did their best, so it¡¯s sad to see them receive this kind of evaluation. After the evaluation, Director Jeong Gwang-chae came out with Seo Ji-won, and said with a smile. ¡°Children, you all want to go to Han Yewon, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was nothing to ask about. Han Yewon is in the top 2 with the Korea National University of Arts. If you aim to enter an art college, then it is a school that everyone would dream of attending. ¡°Now. These are students from Han Yewon, the very place where you want to go to. What do you think? Let¡¯s give them a round of applause.¡± It was when those words came out. A brief vigor returned to the eyes of the tired students, and sounds of an applause comparable to that of an idol concert hall poured out. For students during this time, a prestigious college student was better than an idol on TV. ¡°Today, Han Yewon¡¯s students gave up their precious time for you. They are going to demonstrate their skills from now on, so watch them and learn as much as you can.¡± After speaking, Jeong Gwang-chae slipped into the back. It looks like it¡¯s up to us from now on. It was Seo Ji-won who took action first. ¡°Hello.¡± After nodding dryly, she took an easel and placed a sheet of paper on it. Then she borrowed some pencils from the students and said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you a walkthrough of my painting.¡± ¡°What about an eraser?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡± Sketches. Drawings made only with a pencil and an eraser. It was a genre that was often called the basis of painting, and also a basis that should take a long time to complete. But the students seemed to be wondering, ¡®Why do you have to draw a sketch?¡¯ There was nothing I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®There are a few people who take practical tests by sketching.¡¯ Han Yewon¡¯s practical test was special. The students were given drawing papers and test topics, but they were left to the applicant¡¯s autonomy to decide how they were drawn with any tool. Whether it was pencil, watercolor paint, or acrylic or colored pencils, it was all up to the student. If it looks good, it¡¯s great. That was Han Yewon¡¯s way. For reference, this was the topic when I took the exam. [Describe vulgarity.] I passed by drawing swarms of grasshoppers that attacked cornfields. The painting tool I chose was, ironically, a pencil like Seo Ji-won¡¯s. ¡®Why do we overlap? This won¡¯t be easy for me.¡¯ I was thinking of doing sketches too. The drawing was honest. The skill of the person who drew it could be seen clearly. From texture to volume and density, it was a painting that honestly revealed the basic skills. Therefore, Seo Ji-won¡¯s choice of drawing was no different from a declaration that she would cut me down on the basis of her skills. ¡®Earlier, you said you didn¡¯t need an eraser.¡¯ What did that mean? It was like saying, ¡®I¡¯ll never make a mistake¡¯. ¡®Or maybe she¡¯s just exaggerating.¡¯ While I was thinking, Seo Ji-won started painting. Her pencil moved without hesitation. Scritch. Scribble. The technique of drawing what was only necessary was impressive. First of all, drawing was something that could be done in an instant if you had a knack for it, so it didn¡¯t take long for the results to come out. One hour. After a short period of time, there was a painting that I would¡¯ve believed to be a black-and-white photograph. A sketch depicting a subway view. I laughed when I saw the picture. ¡®There¡¯s nothing in the world to envy about one skill.¡¯ Okay. I admit it. You¡¯re better at drawing than I am. * ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as the picture.¡± ¡°You drew this without a sample picture.¡± ¡°You have to draw like this to go to Han Yewon.¡± The students couldn¡¯t hide their admiration. It was understandable. ¡®Who would look at a painting like this and think it¡¯s an undergraduate¡¯s drawing?¡¯ It would¡¯ve been surprising to the past me, who was in the industry, and it might seem like magic to students who have only seen pictures as simple as their own. In fact, the person who performed the magic did not seem to be very impressed. She stepped back from the easel as if she had just done her job. Then she asked, ¡°I have an appointment, can I go first?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Director Jeong Gwang-chae said with a pleased expression. She doesn¡¯t seem to care about her bold attitude. Well, just looking at the students over there with their mouths open will make you full. ¡®You¡¯ve all just received shock therapy, so you¡¯ll be able to grow more now.¡¯ I don¡¯t know if those students know, but their eyes must have rolled up in shock a few times in the past hour. Seo Ji-won packed her bags and left the academy. ¡°See you.¡± Now I¡¯m the only one left. ¡®This is an outlier.¡¯ She did so well that my burden only increased. I have to draw well enough to make it look like I¡¯m going to rub it in, openly betting on my skills. ¡®It¡¯s also a tricky subject to draw.¡¯ The view of a subway. It was a subject that others avoided because of the high level of difficulty. Not only the speed outside the train¡¯s windows, but also the portrayal of characters is difficult. As such, it was also a subject that could show the difference in skill if one drew it well. ¡®Maybe it was intentional.¡¯ The effect was clear. There was a huge expectation in the way the academy students looked at me. Their eyes seemed to say, ¡®You can draw like this too, right?¡¯ However, to put it bluntly, I¡¯m not good at these kinds of paintings. With that said, I had no intention of giving up. ¡°I¡¯ll show you a slightly different picture.¡± Like Seo Ji-won, I also chose the pencil and eraser. I was thinking of facing it with the same drawing. But there are many different kinds of drawings. It was obvious that I would be the only one who would be robbed if I fought honestly. So I came up with another plan. ¡®I¡¯ll show you that my art academy instructor experience didn¡¯t go anywhere.¡¯ Do you know that, if you work for a design company, you will receive a lot of training for successors? That sort of thing was mainly my job. In other words, I¡¯ve been a specialist in teaching since I was 20. In my experience, I could say two things for sure. Drawing and teaching are a bit different. And¡­ Geniuses are weak at teaching. Chapter 6 There are many common mistakes made by people who lack painting skills. There are many ways to make mistakes, such as neglecting practice or blaming the market. However, if I had to pick one of the most dangerous mistakes, it was¡­. ¡®You¡¯re practicing in the wrong way.¡¯ I looked around. The works of the students from earlier were scattered here and there. It¡¯s a study of art at best. But it was also a failed study. Is there any other way to use it? It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re bound to pile up and be thrown away. In short, those pictures are worthless. But did the students who drew those pictures neglect their practice? Well¡­. I didn¡¯t think so. ¡®You¡¯ve taken the wrong direction to practice.¡¯ Any student attending an art academy will focus on painting for at least 4 to 8 hours a day. They can¡¯t help but to improve their skills. Nevertheless, the results varied widely. Is it just a difference in talent? ¡®That¡¯s possible.¡¯ However, in fact, at the entrance exam level, that is it. It¡¯s all the same. Then, it was highly likely that the direction of the effort they were putting in was wrong. Those are the consequences. A lump of wrong effort. From now on, I was going to use those lumps as a subject. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± I picked up four of the students¡¯ works. There were two paintings with shoe marks stamped on them by Director Jeong Gwang-chae, and two other paintings that received a D. ¡°I¡¯ll borrow these for a second. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± I took the pictures and went back to my seat. The students looked at me with unsettling eyes. On the other hand, Director Jeong Gwang-chae gave me an interested gaze. ¡®I¡¯ll show you magic from now on.¡¯ I installed eight easels. On top of that, each of the 4 students¡¯ works were placed, and 4 white sheets of paper were also placed on it. The time given to me was the next 2 hours. I¡¯m thinking of creating something fantastic here. I picked up a pencil. And I looked at the piece of work on the leftmost side. ¡®It¡¯s a typical entrance exam painting.¡¯ It was a drawing of a glass cup and chopsticks. It was already shabby because of the shoe marks already on it, but even if I looked at it without them, there were still many traces of fraying on the paper. It¡¯s messy. So I liked it more. ¡®It must¡¯ve been rubbed with an eraser over and over again in an attempt to fix it.¡¯ It was by no means a rough drawing. It¡¯s a picture that was worked hard on. ¡®What kind of thoughts did you have while drawing it?¡¯ I sat down and thought as I laid a white sheet of drawing paper on the easel. Just a few seconds to hold a pencil and draw a blueprint in my head. I started to play with my pencil. Sassaak. A black line from the pencil quickly filled the drawing paper. ¡°It¡¯s very fast.¡± Behind my back, the students cried out in admiration. ¡°I think it¡¯s faster than her.¡± ¡°Is this what all Han Yewon¡¯s students are like?¡± ¡°I envy you¡­¡± I didn¡¯t feel very impressed. From the very beginning, I was confident in my speed. Design is the battle against time in modern business. It was also common to complete works in seconds to meet a clients¡¯ needs. I¡¯ve lived that kind of life for over 10 years. I¡¯m losing face at the speed of an undergraduate. In terms of pure speed, I wouldn¡¯t be pushed back by the professor. Do you know that? In general, a single painting in a practical exam was given 4 hours to be completed. 4 hours. It was a short time to complete one painting. Entrance exam instructors across the country have been agonizing over how to use this time. As a result, the following conclusions were reached: Half an hour of planning and sketching. This painting takes 2 hours. 30 minutes to fix it. Insurance for the last hour. This was the optimal design for the entrance exam students. The weak spot here was that it was designed for entrance exam students. ¡®It doesn¡¯t mean anything to people like me.¡¯ You don¡¯t need an idea from scratch. I¡¯m just going to fix an existing picture. Sketching takes less than 5 minutes. Honestly, I don¡¯t have to draw. I¡¯m just drawing because the students have to watch and learn. There is no need for modification. Drawing without an eraser is not only Seo Ji-won¡¯s specialty. Rather, I did well. All we have left is 2 hours to draw. With my skills, I could cut it down to half an hour or less. No, I didn¡¯t need to. Scribble. It was only 10 minutes after I started painting. By the time the outlines of the picture I was painting began to emerge, a student murmured. ¡°¡­That¡¯s my drawing.¡± That¡¯s right. A remake of ¡®The Ruined Picture.¡¯ That was the picture I was going to draw. ¡°Is it the same picture? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± It¡¯s definitely the same picture, but it also wasn¡¯t the same picture. The painting was reborn in my hands. ¡®Correct the parts drawn incorrectly, and save the parts you want to save.¡¯ The original was definitely a D-class painting. No one could deny it. So, I decided to elevate this painting to a Han Yewon-class painting. ¡®But simply drawing well is not enough.¡¯ I poured seasoning on it. The name of the seasoning was Trend. ¡®I¡¯ll show you next year¡¯s entrance exam style.¡¯ Design isn¡¯t the only thing that keeps up with trends. The style of the entrance exam paintings also changed every year. Professors prefer fresh paintings every time, and the heads of private institutes across the country have been struggling to keep up with the fluctuating trends. And I¡¯ve had enough of painting the style that would change over the next four years. I¡¯ve painted at least thousands of copies. I can even draw with my eyes closed. ¡®All four paintings are recreated in different styles.¡¯ The first painting was redrawn in a misty style. A technique that intentionally scatters the outline and thickens the picture instead. I tried it, and it worked. ¡®It¡¯s easy.¡¯ Even though it¡¯s been over 10 years since I pulled out of the entrance exam, those skills remained vivid in my mind. Skritch. The level of the painting continued to rise as did the amount of times I moved my hands. It seems that I was drawing leisurely, but the quality of the painting has risen extremely quickly. Why? Because I only drew as much as I needed. Drawing to the extreme limits of efficiency. Because that was the drawing I pursued in my previous life. ¡®Students look for finished works in their minds while drawing, and I¡¯m simply releasing the finished work in my mind.¡¯ The experience was different. With every minute, every second, the glass became more glass-like, and the chopsticks became chopstick-like. The flat painting regained its three-dimensional feel. ¡°So that¡¯s how you could¡¯ve drawn it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s the same composition.¡± The admiration of the students increased. If you admired Seo Ji-won¡¯s pure skills when you saw her painting, this time it was different. ¡®I think I can draw that.¡¯ ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of that when I drew it?¡¯ ¡®Just a slightly different pencil will change the feeling drastically.¡¯ Unexplained emotions began to writhe in the hearts of the students. They saw the process of a painting being revived, the same painting which they had once thought as destroyed. It was even kind. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if you could reproduce that technique as it is, or if you could just follow half of it? Such thoughts swelled in my heart. The feeling of injustice was extraordinary, as I felt inferior to the intellectualism of the academy. I knew that best. The reason is, ¡®because I did.¡¯ I¡¯ve never been at the forefront of painting. There were many people smarter than I was, and I struggled hard to steal their fine skills. I¡¯ve never painted a good picture in the first place. Instead, I knew how to save a ruined picture. ¡®Like this.¡¯ Although the painting I finished might be inferior to that of Seo Ji-won¡¯s, the concerns contained within it far outweighed that. The moment the picture was completed. The students felt an unfamiliar feeling with the recreated paintings of the entrance exam style that they felt were boring. ¡°¡­uh.¡± It was fun. * ¡®It didn¡¯t take as long as I thought.¡¯ It took two hours to complete the 4 works from scratch. It actually took about an hour and a half. It ended quicker than I thought. ¡®They¡¯re bland.¡¯ I didn¡¯t have enough time. Seo Ji-won left early, so I was thinking about asking for more time¡­ ¡®Is it because I¡¯m so healthy?¡¯ In my previous life, my wrist, which had been sore all year round, was fine. Anyway, that¡¯s how my apprenticeship ended. Drip. By the time I finished my last work and got up from my seat, the students were looking at my painting, not me. ¡®I want to draw like that too.¡¯ Maybe your hands and feet are itching. Director Jeong Gwang-chae finally opened his mouth. ¡°I think a lot of students have learned by looking at these drawings. It¡¯s like magic for it to be completed in an instant, right? But these pictures aren¡¯t drawn overnight. Don¡¯t forget about today, and keep working hard so that you can paint a picture like this someday.¡± I didn¡¯t even have anything to aim for in my paintings¡­ As I stood embarrassed, Director Jeong Gwang-chae turned to me. ¡°I have something else to tell you. Would you like to follow me for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He took me to the director¡¯s office from earlier. As I glanced through the glass wall, I saw that the students were having a passionate conversation about my painting. Before I knew it, there was a student who took out sheets of drawing paper and pencils and copied my work. For some reason, a smile came to my face. Isn¡¯t this what Director Jeong Gwang-chae wanted? There was something he said a while ago. ¡®I told you to draw pictures that students could observe and learn from.¡¯ I attacked that part. Seo Ji-won¡¯s painting is excellent. But that was all. You¡¯ll be amazed because it was so outstanding, but to be honest, it wasn¡¯t a picture that students would follow and draw. How could Bronze imitate Faker¡¯s movements? At best, they¡¯ll report it as a troll. ¡®Come to think of it, there¡¯s no roll at this time of the year.¡¯ For a moment, I felt down. Director Jeong Gwang-chae said with a smile as I was immersed in various thoughts. ¡°I was impressed.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I can see why you were sent as a student. To be honest, I said I was jealous of you earlier, but now I¡¯m really jealous.¡± The director laughed and asked. ¡°Have you ever worked as a teacher? It wasn¡¯t just a painting of someone who had only ever drawn his own pictures.¡± ¡°No, today was my first time.¡± I denied it at once. I¡¯ve had enough of this in my previous life, but I was only a freshman from the countryside who came up to Seoul as of now. My reaction seemed to have been more special to Director Jeong Gwang-chae. ¡°I¡¯ve never taught anyone before, so I¡¯m greedy for people who draw like that.¡± He crossed his arms for a moment and seemed to be contemplating something. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. Don¡¯t you want to work at my academy?¡± ¡°What?¡± This was unexpected. No matter how talented I am, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so greedy for talented people that you¡¯re trying to hire me like this. ¡°I¡¯m going to work in Professor Lee Jong¡¯s studio.¡± ¡°Think about it later, and I¡¯ll give you an hourly wage so you won¡¯t be disappointed. Let¡¯s see. As a full-time instructor it¡¯s 20,000 won per hour and we¡¯ll provide full tuition support. How about it?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± This was a bit harsh. Is there such a generous job at my age? Besides, I¡¯ve already decided. It was nothing difficult. I couldn¡¯t accept it. No matter how hard you work as an academy instructor, you can only become an experienced academy instructor. My goal was to be a successful designer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have an appointment with the professor.¡± It was the moment when I said so. Director Jeong Gwang-chae¡¯s eyes gleamed with an unusual light. ¡°I see. If a student leaves the professor¡¯s studio, can I hire him then?¡± ¡°What?¡± I was about to panic. ¡°Huh. I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m not such a man without conscience.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It seemed rather serious to be a joke. ¡°Anyway, you said you¡¯d replace the recruitment exam for the academy today. Can I tell you what I think in advance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Director Jeong Gwang-chae nodded and said, ¡°The girl drew better earlier.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± It left a bitter taste in my mouth. I worked hard on it, but I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m hearing this from others. I was about to sigh, but he smiled. ¡°But a designer is not a person who only makes his own art. We also need to understand the customer¡¯s needs.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what your senior used to say.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to push the students all the way.¡± Then a sigh of relief came out and I felt hungry. ¡°¡­Ha ha.¡± It was already around 8 p.m. outside. It was time to eat. Growl. Director Jeong Gwang-chae, who heard the rumbling, got up from his seat and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll treat you to a nice meal today. Do you have time?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I had no intention of refusing a meal. And a few minutes later, I had to reflect on this judgment. That day, I had to reject 14 offers to work as a lecturer in exchange for a gourmet Korean meal. * Monday the next day. I went to school with a lighter mind after the recruitment exam had been confirmed in the studio. I felt a prickly stare somewhere in the classroom. ¡°¡­¡± Seo Ji-won was glaring at me. Chapter 7 In a studio near Seokgwan-dong, a female student was speaking in an irritated voice. ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Teacher!¡± It was Seo Ji-won. She was speaking to Professor Lee Jong as if she was arguing with him. Sensing that she wouldn¡¯t give up, Professor Lee Jong sighed, put down his paintbrush, and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°The workplace recruitment test. Why did I fail?¡± ¡°¡­I see. By any chance, did you see Jaeha¡¯s drawing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You must have not seen it.¡± Professor Lee Jong smiled as if he knew this would happen. At the same time, Seo Ji-won flinched. But there was nothing she could do to refute. As the professor said, it was true that she left early under the pretext of having an appointment. Nevertheless, she still felt that it was unfair. ¡®I thought I¡¯d pass.¡¯ She thought that she would be the special one among this year¡¯s freshmen. After all, wasn¡¯t she ranked first in the practical test? She even checked the skill level of the other students in advance through her father¡¯s connections with Han Ye-won¡¯s faculty to make sure that she would be the best. ¡®The files said all their skills were just so-so.¡¯ So she had left the academy without much worry. However, the notification she received from her phone yesterday was completely unexpected. ¡®I¡¯ve failed? Nonsense.¡¯ She knew the skill level of Lee Jae-ha who took the recruitment test together with her. An average level according to the entrance exam standards. His drawings that were shown in class were pretty good compared to other students, but it was still no match for hers. She thought that she was definitely going to be the one to get the seat in Professor Lee Jong¡¯s studio. But when she was pushed back, she realized that something had gone wrong. ¡°¡­Please let me know. Why did I fail?¡± Professor Lee Jong smiled at her question. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the academy and check the paintings yourself?¡± Seo Ji-won became silent. It was unacceptable for her to go all the way back to the academy and look at other people¡¯s paintings because of her pride. Professor Lee Jong told her to do so because he was well aware of this fact. He continued in a calm voice. ¡°Since we¡¯re all in the same department, we¡¯ll probably run into each other a lot in class, right? If you have an opportunity, I think it would be good to have a conversation with him directly and think about it.¡± ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡®Do you want me to bow down to him?¡¯ She frowned because the thought of that was even more absurd, but Professor Lee Jong said with a smile. ¡°Maybe this is an opportunity too?¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Ji-won wrinkled her beautiful forehead when he said it was an opportunity. ¡°I remember when you said that the level of the other students was so low that it wouldn¡¯t be fun. What do you think now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seo Ji-won¡¯s face turned red. ¡®Yeah, I did say something similar.¡¯ She stood still, thinking she shouldn¡¯t have said anything back then, but Professor Lee Jong continued with a happy expression. ¡°School is a place of learning. If you think about it, there will definitely be something that you can achieve if you speak with Jaeha.¡± The bottom line was that I didn¡¯t want to tell you. Seo Ji-won bit her lip harshly before turning around. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be back later.¡± With those words, Seo Ji-won left the studio. Thud. Professor Lee Jong grinned as he watched Seo Ji-won¡¯s retreating figure. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since Ji-won did something like that.¡¯ She was a child who lived on her own high horse. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen you care about other people¡¯s paintings.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t his role as a painting teacher simply an extension? Ji-won had nothing to learn from other instructors because of their poor skills. Even if all of them were called prominent instructors, those people were not perfect in Seo Ji-won¡¯s eyes. She used to be confident and relaxed, but now she¡¯s nervous about just one undergraduate. ¡®This is also about youth and learning¡¯ I liked this year¡¯s freshmen. Especially Lee Jae-ha. I want to help and improve his skills. ¡®Come to think of it, there will be a contest soon.¡¯ What kind of work would Lee Jae-ha submit? A pleasant atmosphere of imagination unfolded. * Meanwhile, in the classroom. ¡®¡­What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ Seo Ji-won glared at me. Even if I tried not to be conscious of it, I couldn¡¯t ignore it because her gaze was so balant that it was difficult to ignore. It was ridiculous. ¡®Did I do something wrong?¡¯ They competed fairly, and he had won in the end. That was it. But now, Seo Ji-won was looking at me as if I were a deadly enemy. Let¡¯s think about what¡¯s wrong with her for a moment. A guess flashed through my head and struck me like lightning. ¡®Are you the kind of person who blames others for their own failures?¡¯ What kind of trick do you think I used to make you fail? It was a pretty probable guess. ¡®How mean.¡¯ I had never met her in my previous life, so I didn¡¯t know how she typically was, but she must have been this kind of person. But I¡¯m the winner. And a loser is a loser at best. There¡¯s no disadvantage for either side when the competition is between undergraduates, so it¡¯s best to ignore it. Besides, no matter how much Seo Ji-won stares, it¡¯s actually cuter than anything else. ¡®Do you want me to write an apology letter? Or will you attempt to throw a ball of paper in my face?¡¯ I continued to disregard Seo Ji-won¡¯s stare and prepared for the class. A middle-aged professor soon entered the classroom. Tap, tap. The professor was a woman in sophisticated clothing. Seeing that her hair was colored almost entirely grey, she must have been quite old, but her age was overshadowed by her elegance. No, actually, even her age seemed to complement her sense of style. ¡®I wasn¡¯t aware of this in my previous life, but now that I see her, I know she¡¯s amazing.¡¯ The professor¡¯s name is Kang Noah, and she was the one who showed sophisticated fashion with a sense of the future to me. She was a godmother of the Korean design industry. ¡®I wasn¡¯t interested in anything about her when I was an undergraduate, and after I got a job, I only got tired of hearing that name.¡¯ No matter how legendary a person is, if he or she is not interested, then he or she is just a machine that gives out tasks. By the time I had realized her true greatness, it was too late. ¡®I¡¯m going to get everything in this life.¡¯ While Lee Jae-ha was making up his mind, the professor stood on the podium and said with a smile, ¡°Nice to meet you all. My name is Kang Noah, and I am in charge of this year¡¯s design expression techniques class. It¡¯s your first time seeing me like this, right? But I¡¯m sure there are some of you who have encountered my works before.¡± It was a bold self-introduction. ¡®I don¡¯t know you, but you know my works.¡¯ She was entitled to say that. In fact, she deserved it. ¡°Please look over here.¡± She displayed some of her designs on the PPT. From small beverage bottles to corporate logos and clothing, products with no common denominator passed by. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that before.¡± ¡°Awesome. I drank this drink just this morning, too. Astonished voices rang out from among the students. After giving a unique self-introduction like that, Professor Kang went straight to the topic. ¡°Han Yewon students always surprise me. This applies especially to last semester¡¯s students. I hope that all the freshmen will be able to demonstrate great performances just like their seniors. Now, let¡¯s start today¡¯s class.¡± The noisy students became quiet in an instant. Professor Kang Noah skillfully manipulated the PPT to display a picture. The painting was one that I¡¯ve seen many times before. It¡¯s a picture using optical illusion. It was a picture of an angel coming down from heaven. However, if you look at it differently, you could see it as a devil. Several similar paintings passed by. Professor Kang Noah asked in a voice full of joy. ¡°What did these paintings look like to you?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The students were silent and unmoving. Professor Kang Noah sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give the student who answers first an attitude score.¡± [TL/N ¨C Think of attitude score as extra credit] ¡°Me!¡± One student raised his hand, and if he was claiming to be an artist, he had his long hair tied back. By the way, that student was a man. It¡¯s unconventional, but having long hair tied back is Han Yewon¡¯s style. ¡°Yes, tell the students here what you noticed.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He coughed and said, ¡°Sometimes it looks like a rabbit, but if you look at it with one eye closed, you can see it as a human.¡± ¡°So how, or why can the same painting look so different?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ depending on what you see first, it seems a little different¡­ or ¡­¡± While the student was hesitating, unable to come up with a definite answer, the professor turned her head and said, ¡°Yes, thank you for your answer. Then this time¡­ there. The student in a black shirt. Would you like to answer this?¡± Oops. I was singled out. However, it was not too much of a burden because I could get extra credit from this situation. I have a useful answer in my head. Getting up from my seat, I said ¡°The reason why each piece looks different despite being the same painting is because each person has a different perspective of things.¡± ¡°Be specific, what would it be?¡± It starts now. I took a long breath and began to pour out words one after another. ¡°From colors to three-dimensional senses, what you expect from the artwork can be different. There may be a difference between looking at the entire painting and simply analyzing partial details. And there are also cultural differences.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It wasn¡¯t a special type of theory, but admiration was heard among the surrounding students. Professor Kang Noah also said, ¡°I like your answer.¡± ¡°The part about cultural differences was most impressive. All right. Please elaborate more for us.¡± ¡°There was a time when an American fashion brand entered Korea. It was a brand called Zilly.¡± ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t expect any of the boys to know the brand.¡± Professor Kang Noah smiled pleasantly. That was the reaction I intended to get from her. That professor used to work in Zilly for a while. I kept pretending that I didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°Now, Zilly, who had thought they successfully settled in the domestic market, in fact, had to go through a catastrophic failure when votes were cast for the best in the domestic market.¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because different countries have different views.¡± I took a break and then continued. ¡°At that time, Zilly was a brand that was a huge success on the mainland because of its minimalist design, but during that time, colorful clothes were the ones that sold well in the Korean market. So the boredom of simple designs was simply seen as lacking in proper style.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clothing without personality¡­ then Zilly must have been screwed. You don¡¯t mean to always talk in such a manner, do you?¡± Laughter erupted among the students at the professor¡¯s criticism. I shook my head calmly and said, ¡°No, Zilly was almost doomed, but they changed their sales strategy extensively and hit the jackpot with their new designs.¡± ¡°What kind of strategy was it?¡± Professor Kang Noah asked with an expression showing that she was interested. I replied in a clearer voice. ¡°Marketing with eco-friendly fashion.¡± ¡°Well, keep going.¡± ¡°At that time, Korea wasn¡¯t without controversy due to environmental issues, and Zilly succeeded through marketing the image of an eco-friendly product on a design that followed the trend back then. It was a very successful strategy.¡± It was literally what they did. In fact, they sold products that had nothing to do with solving environmental issues, but they succeeded in reviving their company through such marketing. How do I know this? This is because it was an anecdote that I tiredly used over and over again when I was training my successors at the company that I worked for in my previous life. ¡®It was an example of a good design that doesn¡¯t necessarily sell well.¡¯ And¡­ The person who set up the sales strategy for Zilly at the time is the person right in front of me now. It was Professor Kang Noah. She smirked at my answer and said. ¡°That was a good answer. Thank you. What¡¯s your name and department?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lee Jae-ha, a visual design major.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I look forward to hearing more answers like that from you in the future.¡± Surprised looks could be felt from the other students. You must have admired me because of the fact that this strict-looking professor gave me a favorable gaze. ¡®You¡¯re lucky.¡¯ Anyway, luck is also a skill. ¡°Is there anyone else who has an opinion?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t, then I¡¯ll continue the class.¡± Unfortunately, nobody else got the next extra point. Even if someone did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the level of answers that I gave. ¡°Yes, even if you look at the same artwork like this, your feelings about the painting will be completely different depending on your perspective.¡± Professor Kang Noah continued in a calm voice. ¡°I hope you can apply this lesson and get used to it as if it were like your hands and feet. That¡¯s industrial design.¡± Professor Kang Noah moved the presentation to the next slide. There were some famous paintings floating around, from Van Gogh¡¯s ¡®Sunflower¡¯ to Munch¡¯s ¡®The Scream¡¯. They were works that even ordinary people who were not very interested in painting would know. Professor Kang Noah opened her mouth. ¡°Let me explain this challenge. Form a group of four people. Then, choose one of the famous paintings on the slideshow and create your own artwork based on that painting. Next class, let¡¯s discuss things while looking at each other¡¯s finished paintings.¡± It was a fun assignment even though there were many art schools that did this. A reinterpretation of classics, and a group discussion after analyzing the four people¡¯s painting of an artwork in their own colors. It was a task to recognize the view of others. Professor Kang Noah added a condition here. ¡°However, the reinterpretation will require originality. The more interpretations that overlap with other students, the harder it will be to get good grades, right?¡± It was a tricky condition. She was basically telling you to think about it until your hair falls out. [TL/N ¨C Essentially, she¡¯s just saying to think very hard about the assignment ] So I thought about it. ¡®I think I can do it.¡¯ Chapter 8 ¡®Reinterpretation¡­This will be easy.¡¯ I have been analyzing market trends for more than 10 years, so there were plenty of ideas that I could use. Dozens of ideas came to mind, ideas which other students would never be able to think of. Therefore, I was confident that I would be able to get good grades in this assignment. ¡®But the question is, how do you organize a team, and with whom?¡¯ It was a 4 person group assignment. A strategy was required here as well. People who are too skilled should be avoided. I might end up losing points if I¡¯m compared to them. ¡®Then, who would be good?¡¯ I looked around. The students were running around the room in confusion. Since it was still the beginning of the semester, no social groups had been fully formed just yet. So the sooner the team was decided, the more advantageous it was. It was the moment when I was trying to find someone who could draw moderately well and had the skills to stand out from the others. ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± Professor Kang Noah opened her mouth. ¡°This is something that I¡¯ve heard from the other professors. They claimed that there were particularly exceptional students in the visual design department.¡± There are excellent students in the visual design department¡­ Who could they be? I should try to avoid being in the same team with them. While Lee Jae-ha was scanning the memories of his past life for information on who they possibly were, the professor raised her finger and pointed at someone. ¡°Student Lee Jae-ha from a while ago.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It was me. Professor Kang Noah continued with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Professor Lee Jong, and I was surprised. You¡¯re well prepared.¡± I was prepared¡­ She seemed to have misunderstood that I had researched her career in advance. Professor Kang Noah smiled at me before pointing to another student. ¡°Next, Seo Ji-won.¡± My eyebrows twitched for a moment. ¡®Hmm? What about her?¡¯ ¡°I want these two students to be in the same team. I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of interpretation the two will present based on the same artwork.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± We¡¯re together again. * It was unexpected to be placed in a team with Seo Ji-won, but other than that, it was fine. ¡°Hey, looks like we¡¯re going to be on the same team. My name is Park Kyu-tae. I look forward to your cooperation.¡± It was the man with long hair who had raised his hand confidently when asked by the professor a while ago and became sullen immediately after. Park Kyu-tae. He was gesturing for me to shake his hand. ¡®I¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t very skilled, especially since I don¡¯t remember you from my past memories.¡¯ But his long hair and nickname were the things that I definitely recalled. ¡°Park Kyu¡­Tae.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation as well.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah.¡± Park Kyu. Sometimes, he was called Park Kyu. That was his nickname. ¡®I always end up remembering pieces of useless knowledge like these.¡¯ This was just one of my clumsy and useless skills anyway. The other team member was a female student with a lively personality. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ha Ye-eun. I¡¯m a sophomore studying music composition.¡± Ha Ye-eun. A senior that was just one grade above me. She seemed to be a newbie who came to attend art school classes. ¡°I¡¯ve always been interested in art. Don¡¯t worry about the grade. Although I¡¯m not an art major, I¡¯ll do my best not to be a nuisance.¡± I liked the way she spoke so confidently. I wish my successor in my previous life had been like this¡­ Anyway, after introducing ourselves, let¡¯s have a quick competition to see who opens their mouth first. ¡°Now, let¡¯s discuss which artwork to choose for the assignment.¡± Park Kyu-tae, who couldn¡¯t stand the awkward silence, opened his mouth first. ¡°How about Claude Monet¡¯s ¡®The Lady with a Parasol¡¯?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± It was a painting that I also had my eyes on. Claude Monet. He was an impressionist painter who was quite active in the 19th century. Impressionism is a style of painting that captures the momentary impression reflected in the eye, and Claude Monet was extremely special among the other painters. ¡®The Magician of Light.¡¯ That was his nickname. As can be inferred from this, Monet was an unrivaled genius when it came to light expression, and the ¡®Woman with a Parasol¡¯ is a particularly special painting from Monet¡¯s works.¡¯ I didn¡¯t have any complaints about the work either. Rather, I welcomed it. ¡°I¡¯m for it.¡± However, Seo Ji-won seemed to be dissatisfied. ¡°Why must we choose Monet?¡± She said in a sharp voice, clearly annoyed. In response, Park Kyu-tae replied with a sly smile. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of light and color expression. However, the overall shape is still blurry, which means that there is a lot of open room for interpretation.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you choose a more famous artist? Like Van Gogh.¡± ¡°Not Van Gogh.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Seo Ji-won frowned, while Park Kyu-tae waved his hands and said, ¡°I heard from my seniors that the professor doesn¡¯t like Van Gogh.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t like Van Gogh? What the hell?¡± ¡°Dogs, cows, and everything else is about or related to Van Gogh.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Maybe one-third of the class already chose Van Gogh¡¯s work. If everyone only interprets Van Gogh¡¯s painting, even if it¡¯s a little vague, your score will most likely be reduced.¡± ¡°¡­Then what about Monet?¡± Seo Ji-won asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Monet is famous, too.¡± ¡°Monet is fine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s him.¡± Park Kyu-tae said with a smile. ¡°If you and Jaeha choose Monet, then I¡¯ll quit being in a group with you two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I mean, no one would want to overlap with your work. For a moment, I felt a soft aura coming from Park Kyu-tae as his back was facing me. ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re mixing compliments with reasonable logic. You talk better than I thought, Park Kyu-tae.¡¯ Seo Ji-won also turned to see if his explanation was plausible. ¡°Do as you please.¡± ¡°Whoo-hoo!¡± Park Kyu-tae, who successfully persuaded the strict Seo Ji-won, turned around and smiled at me. What should I say in response to that look? ¡®Did you see? I can do it!¡¯ His eyes seemed to say. ¡°¡­¡± I Ignored him. So instead, he turned to the others. ¡°Hey, what was your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ha Ye-eun.¡± ¡°Is Yeun-sunbae okay with doing Monet?¡± ¡°Yes, I like it. I¡¯ve been interested in it for a long time. The picture is refreshing to look at.¡± Unlike Seo Ji-won, it was a pleasant yes. I like it. As such, the first practical assignment after entering the university was set to be a reinterpretation of Monet¡¯s painting. * < Seokgwan-dong studio> When I first came to work in the so-called Pater Factory, I was amazed. ¡°Awsome.¡± The facility was quite spacious, as I was given a studio the size of a high school classroom. There was another seat in the corner, but even if we had to share this space, there were no complaints. ¡®When I used to go to the school¡¯s studio, 20 people shared a room around this size. This is a hundred times better than that.¡¯ Some might think the collaboration studio is an art school student¡¯s dream, but I thought a little differently. ¡®It¡¯s a thief¡¯s den.¡¯ If you take your eyes off of your supplies for just a moment, you will often be looted item by item, starting with your canvas or a can of paint. Moreover, there was rarely a place to sit during the rush period, so I¡¯d rather paint here alone than to witness the chaos unfold. Most of the rich students set up their own studios anyway. I settled down and stared at the blank canvas for a moment. Then, I began working on the design in earnest. ¡®Let¡¯s see. How should I draw it?¡¯ I had a few ideas, all of them ranging from plain to decent. The problem was, this work needs to be more than just decent. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect to be involved with Seo Ji-won again.¡¯ This assignment was a group project, but it was actually more like a four-man scuffle. A scuffle in which I would have to drag someone else¡¯s work down to get more points for myself. It was the fear of being compared. Among them, Seo Ji-won is the worst opponent. Although I had already won once, it was highly likely that she would have won if we had played by the standard rules. The last victory was largely due to her carelessness. I¡¯ve only won once, but that doesn¡¯t mean anything, so I¡¯ll probably have to do my very best this time. I wanted to avoid being involved with her as much as possible, but it ended up like this. It was truly unlucky. I was supposed to find the most suitable team members for me and then suck honey for the rest of the project. [TL/N ¨C Suck honey = lay back, relax, work without worrying. I¡¯m keeping it as ¡®suck honey¡¯ because it¡¯s funny to me ?( ? )? ] Pessimistic thoughts were about to engulf my mind. I slapped both of my cheeks. ¡®Calm down, Lee Jaeha. Since when did you become such a coward? Did you come back to the past for this?¡¯ The goal of this life is to succeed as a designer. This meant that my final competitors were active workers. No matter how skilled Seo Ji-won is, she¡¯s still an undergraduate, but I don¡¯t think I can succeed by simply avoiding her. ¡®If you¡¯re going to draw, you have to win.¡¯ Didn¡¯t you prepare everything with that in mind? I spilled my ¡®secret weapons¡¯ from my bag onto the shelf. Plop, crack. Various tapes poured down onto the shelves. They were no ordinary tape. They were masking tape. And also colored tape. ¡®These cute things.¡¯ A smile spread across my face as I gently touched the tape with my fingertips. That¡¯s right. The secret weapon I prepared was tape art. I¡¯ve been thinking about it ever since the end of the lecture. Park Kyu-tae said that Van Gogh is a dangerous choice because everyone else was rushing to choose his works. That¡¯s right. Even if I draw Monet, my work will only get buried if I draw in a style like the others.¡¯ In a task that required creative ideas, plainness was a deduction factor. So I came up with this. What others wouldn¡¯t do. It was tape art. ¡®It¡¯s just the right time too. Not many people are interested in tape art right now.¡¯ Most people weren¡¯t interested, and others didn¡¯t even know it existed. Even across the world, only a small number of artists use this. However¡­ In the next few years, the world of art will turn upside down. With the appearance of a genius artist, tape art will emerge as a new hot topic. ¡®And in less than 10 years, it will have gone to the point where there¡¯s an international tape art exhibition.¡¯ Tape art wasn¡¯t a fresh topic in the future I¡¯ve already seen and lived through. However, this time around, the story was different. What will happen when freshmen who are addicted to drawing in college art styles face tape art? You¡¯ll probably be shocked just by looking at it. ¡®It just so happens that tape is also a material that can creatively handle light. Perfect for Monet.¡¯ All that was left was how well I pulled it off. And¡­ How much money was poured into it. ¡°¡­Gulp.¡° Tension passed through my body. The tapes I¡¯ve spilled on the shelf just now already cost over 50,000 won. Considering the prices of this era, this is enough money to buy more than 10 bowls of rice soup. It¡¯s a lot of money for college students. But I still have to use it, this investment will lead to better grades. This was the woe of design. People in other majors complain that their books are expensive, but the art design students have to suffer from chronic poverty because they spend dozens as much on art tools. ¡®We¡¯ll make up for it.¡¯ I closed my eyes tightly. Fortunately, Professor Lee Jong¡¯s scholarship recommendation was able to make up for the price of the tapes. Thanks to that, the money I saved when I was in high school became a relatively large sum of money. ¡®It¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ For the time being. ¡®But sooner or later, I¡¯ll need to start earning money in earnest.¡¯ Right now, it¡¯s hard to take a different path because I need to leave a good impression on the professors. I soon reached out to the tape, determined to advance the plan as far as I could. Rubbing my left hand with my right, I hoped that my determination would be worthwhile¡­. * In conclusion, it was not easy. It¡¯s already been four hours since I grabbed the tape and began fighting a war with it. ¡°Erm¡­¡­¡± No progress was made in the painting. ¡®I don¡¯t feel weird about it though.¡¯ It was simply a matter of tape art. It was good that I could use tapes of various colors to bring out other complex colors, but it only looked childish if the combinations failed even a little. In other words, it would look like a kindergartener¡¯s joke. ¡®I can¡¯t submit such a work.¡¯ It was even more so considering that Professor Kang Noah has high expectations for me. It would be nice to have some kind of reference material, but since tape art was not popular during this period, I could only rely on vague memories to make the painting. ¡®It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t have a smartphone. I¡¯m not a very creative person.¡¯ However, it was hard to turn this around into a normal painting. ¡®If we compete with a standard style of drawing, we¡¯ll lose to Seo Ji-won.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d rather do a day¡¯s work with oil paint right before the deadline, but it¡¯s not time to give up yet.¡¯ But my hands started to hurt. The time has come to catch my breath. ¡®The tape is slowly running out. Let¡¯s stop here for now and go rest.¡¯ Today is not the only day. Painting is a long-term battle. It was the moment when I was trying to organize my bag with the thought of trying again tomorrow. Rattle. I heard the door of the studio open. ¡®Who¡¯s here at this hour? Are you a professor? Or are you a resident of another studio?¡¯ It was already late evening, well past dinner time. So I was quite nervous about who it was, but they were a completely unexpected person. ¡°¡­?¡± It was Seo Ji-won. She was standing at the door of the studio with a bag across her shoulder. Chapter 9 ¡®What¡¯s she doing here?¡¯ There was a war of nerves over who would open their mouth first. First of all, it certainly wasn¡¯t going to be me. It would be normal if it was me who came to work here, but it was unusual for her to come. Above all, I was the one who had an advantage. I¡¯m sitting, and she¡¯s standing. I had the upper hand in terms of position. ¡®Let¡¯s see who wins.¡¯ The brief confrontation only lasted for a few seconds. It was Seo Ji-won who opened her mouth first. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯ve been here longer than you.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Only then did I understand. ¡®Come to think of it, you said you were a long-time student of Professor Lee Jong.¡¯ In that case, apart from being hired in the studio, there could have been many chances of you getting to use this studio privately. ¡®You must feel betrayed by the professor.¡¯ She walked in silently and sat across from me. Druk. The seat across from me had been strangely clean without a single speck of dust, but it must have been her reserved seat. ¡°Hey.¡± Seo Ji-won called me and said, ¡°I¡¯m just going to do my job, so don¡¯t mind me and keep doing whatever you were doing before.¡± She turned her head around and began to paint without saying another word. It was just that¡­ I was packing up to go home, but now the situation has gotten awkward. ¡®If you continue packing up now, you¡¯ll look like you¡¯re running away.¡¯ So instead of going back, I decided to sneak a peek at her paintings. It wasn¡¯t spying. Yes. This was simply to satisfy my curiosity. * A long time had passed, and¡­ ¡®That¡¯s great.¡¯ I burst into admiration at her painting. ¡®Are you trying to reinterpret Monet¡¯s paintings in an Afremov style?¡¯ It was a good choice. Leonid Afremov. As a Belarusian-born painter, he was an artist who used extreme levels of light expression as a weapon. ¡®Monet handles light well, and Afremov was also good with handling light, though the genre is a bit different.¡¯ Afremov painted only with a painting knife. His paintings were painted as if they had been applied with oil paints from a knife, and his paintings had one characteristic. The more you analyze it from a distance, the better it looks. ¡®Instead of sacrificing the details, he took the overall feeling of the painting to the extreme.¡¯ The result was a splendor like fireworks exploding. ¡®Seo Ji-won. I thought you were only good at drawing, but you¡¯re smarter than I thought.¡¯ Pioneering is good. It was perhaps the best way to think about it at the undergraduate level. However, there was one precondition that was needed to keep the Afremov style consistent. Ability. Absolute skill. You would need to be a master at dealing with light, so will Seo Ji-won be able to do it? Afremov also said that it had taken him nearly 10 years to perfect his technique. Of course, Seo Ji-won was born with talent, so she probably doesn¡¯t know what would happen if she wasn¡¯t gifted. It¡¯s been a long time since I began watching her paint while thinking. Suddenly, I became dazed. ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It¡¯s not the time for me to worry about others.¡¯ That¡¯s because what she was drawing required much more talent than what I had. But is it okay for me to go back first? An unreasonably competitive spirit ignited within me. If you don¡¯t have enough talent, then you¡¯ll have to work harder until you do have enough. ¡®Come to think of it, there are no classes tomorrow morning.¡¯ The absence of morning classes at art schools meant only one thing. It was time for an all-nighter working session. Scrunch. I put my bag back down and got out of my seat. From here, it was a half-hour round trip to the nearest shop. ¡®I¡¯m going to get some new tape.¡¯ When I come back, I¡¯m going to compete with her to see who will be tired and collapse first. I¡¯m not sure about anything else, but I was confident in my tenacity. I¡¯ve made a living out of it before. Just like that, when I came back to the studio after a short outing, I saw quite the unexpected scene. ¡®What?¡¯ Seo Ji-won came to my seat and was thoroughly examining my work. Our eyes met. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Another brief confrontation ensued. Again, I didn¡¯t intend to speak first. A little later, she sighed and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡± That was disappointing to hear. ¡®That¡¯s what I was going to say.¡¯ * Seo Ji-won pointed her finger at my work and asked once again. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I agonized over what to say for a moment. Can I reveal the identity of my secret weapon as it is? After a short thought, I decided to just tell the truth. ¡°Tape art.¡± ¡°What art?¡± She tilted her head as if she was confused by what I had said. ¡°Tape art. It¡¯s literally just making art with pieces of tape.¡± As long as we¡¯re using the same studio, it was obvious that she could¡¯ve figured out as much as she wanted to if she was truly determined to do so. Most importantly, I didn¡¯t think Seo Ji-won, who has a lot of pride, would copy my ideas. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She took a step away, examined my work, and spoke again. ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit boring. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just make an oil painting instead?¡± It was an out-of-the-box comment. However, it was within an acceptable category of exchanging options between members of the same team. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not good at it. However, if it¡¯s done well, it¡¯s definitely worth seeing.¡± I crossed my arms and said in a generous voice. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to do it properly, but you still chose it as your material for the assignment? Why?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t choose Afremov from the start because you knew you could draw it well, did you?¡± She opened her eyes wide as if what I said was absurd. ¡°How do you know Afremov?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that everyone knows him.¡± ¡°No, but how did you know that I was trying to copy Afremov?¡± ¡°The orthodoxy of academia is that if you paint using a knife, it¡¯s always going to be something like Afremov¡¯s style.¡± ¡°Did you notice just by looking at it?¡± Her eyes widened even more. Afremov was a painter known to only those who know him currently or later in the future. I replied nonchalantly. ¡°Anything can happen in life.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ No. Isn¡¯t it strange for an undergraduate to know Afremov?¡­. Is it not?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an undergraduate, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­. I¡­. That¡¯s true.¡± While she was talking, Seo Ji-won tilted her head as if something was wrong. Then she went back to her seat and said, ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t know. Talking to you makes me feel strange.¡± She soon began to finish up her painting. I looked at her with a puzzled expression. ¡®What was it?¡¯ Did you want to pick a fight? However, it felt somewhat different from a quarrel. ¡®Would you call it a failed conversation?¡¯ I wondered if there was something more that she wanted to say to me. After thinking for a while, I came to a conclusion. ¡®It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯ I¡¯ll finish my own painting. Then, I¡¯ll defeat Seo Ji-won. This was enough. As I was about to sit down again, I glanced back at her just in case. I shook my head. ¡®¡­How did you do that?¡¯ The Afremov-styled Monet painting, seen over her shoulder, looked much better than I thought. It¡¯s really hard to believe that it¡¯s only been painted in just a few minutes. * From that day on, a silent competition began. Every day at the end of the day, I hurried to the studio, saving time to eat. There were times when I arrived at the studio first, and times when she arrived first. ¡®You¡¯re surprisingly sincere. I came almost immediately after I finished school.¡¯ Han Yewon is a small school, and due to the nature of a small school, the schedule for first years was always the same. It was even more so as she and I were in the same department¡ªvisual design. So, even if we didn¡¯t intend to, we will naturally have to share schedules. We spent time in the same place every day. However, there was not a single word of conversation exchanged in the process. The conversation that we had on the first day was all. Instead, we sometimes looked at each other¡¯s paintings from time to time. ¡®You failed again.¡¯ Seo Ji-won turned over a painting that seemed almost finished. ¡®Is it because of its poor quality?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t. At least, in my view, it simply wasn¡¯t to the tastes of the person who was trying to replicate Afremov¡¯s style, but to a person who didn¡¯t know it well, it looked fine. ¡®Why did you turn it around?¡¯ Oil painting is not easy. It was as great as the time it took to dry, the money it took to work on, and the tape art. But I can¡¯t believe you gave up on that drawing without any regrets. Is that all? She was drawing on several canvases at the same time, as if she didn¡¯t want to waste time waiting for the paint to dry up. Her appearance was a good stimulus to me, too. ¡®If you do anything wrong, you¡¯ll be pushed back.¡¯ I turned my head and looked at my tape art. It definitely felt okay when I got home after work yesterday, but looking at it now, it was definitely sloppy. Still, my skills have improved quite a bit thanks to all the hard work in the past few days, but is there another reason? Thinking about it for a while, I soon realized. ¡®It was because of Seo Ji-won.¡¯ My ideal level of perfection went up because of her. From the beginning, I had started working with the intention of defeating Seo Ji-won. However, as the level of her paintings went up, my skills also went up in proportion. It was an unintended effect. ¡®If I had worked alone, I would have finished it yesterday.¡¯ While I was thinking about various things, Seo Ji-won was teasing the brush. ¡®I can¡¯t lose.¡¯ After pouring out the tapes I had bought, I immediately started working. In the midst of such a quiet war, a week passed in an instant. The presentation of the first work has begun. * Although the presentations have begun, it wasn¡¯t our turn this week. ¡°Our group chose Van Gogh¡¯s self-portrait as the painting for reinterpretation.¡± They went first. Our turn is still another week away. Therefore, I only focused on the presentation half-heartedly. ¡®By the way, Kyu-tae was right.¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect you to bring Van Gogh first. Four students came forward with their own paintings and hung them on the desk in front of the classroom. I was lost in a sense of absurdity. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Something was off. Though I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was wrong yet, the four students presented their works with a triumphant look on their faces. ¡°I¡¯ve put a vintage sensibility into Van Gogh¡¯s work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a media student, and I¡¯ve re-implemented it into 3D graphics using what I¡¯ve learned in my major.¡± ¡°I reconstructed the original with watercolors.¡± ¡°I took a picture of it with a camera and added some editing.¡± Each of them seemed to have worked hard in their own way. From an idea alone, it may have looked quite plausible. ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s plausible.¡¯ That¡¯s right. It was only plausible. The actual level of the work, frankly speaking, was sloppy. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you? Did you leave the assignment until the last hour to do it?¡¯ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what they did, was it? No, it had definitely been crammed for the last hour. After many years of experience with teaching, I could tell just by looking at the dryness of the watercolor. However, it didn¡¯t feel strange. Considering the fact that this class was just a freshman assignment, this level of devotion might¡¯ve actually been normal. Seo Ji-won and I just worked too hard. In fact, other students seemed nervous at the level of those works. ¡°It¡¯s a novelty.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.I was also going to take a picture of it with a camera¡­.¡± ¡°They used Van Gogh too?¡± No one was seen laughing. Rather, they all looked surprised. It was obvious. It was right that only my eyes carried high expectations. ¡°Hey. They worked really hard, right?¡± Kyu-tae, who was sitting next to me, asked me as if he was asking for consent. ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded my head soullessly. With the class¡¯ atmosphere like that, Professor Kang Noah shouted in a loud voice. ¡°As I said before, we¡¯ll be holding these presentations in a critical format.¡± < Critic > It was a class where students became critics and exchanged words with the presenter on the subject of their work. It¡¯s a great way to naturally realize the strengths and weaknesses of a work in the process. It was perfect for this class. ¡°We¡¯ll give attitude scores for those who make appropriate criticisms, so we look forward to your active participation.¡± Everything was prepared and ready. However, the class did not proceed as Professor Kang Noah intended. ¡°Did you paint Van Gogh with computer graphics?¡± ¡°Yes, a friend from another school majoring in animation helped me.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You must have used a good camera.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been my hobby since I was in high school.¡± ¡°Can you give me some of the pictures later?¡± ¡°Of course. If you come to the photography club, I will¡­¡± There were only a few conversations that were embarrassing to even call it criticism. It was an unbelievable skit for a Han Yewon class, but there was nothing that I could do about it. This is because most of the students here were only crazy about the entrance exams from a month or two ago. ¡®I¡¯ve only drawn practical works, but I¡¯ve never really thought about it.¡¯ Although Han Yewon students at this time were excellent college students, they were still like babies who grew up only in body. Furthermore, it was only the beginning of the semester. There was a widespread atmosphere of refraining from criticizing in consideration of human relationships. If you criticize someone clumsily, you¡¯ll receive counterattacks when your turn to be criticized comes around. That said, it¡¯s going to be hard to proceed with the class. ¡®I feel sorry for the professor.¡¯ Did Professor Kang Noah not like their attitude? She said in a cold voice, ¡°This is not good. This is not critique. You can¡¯t say it¡¯s criticism just by praising other people¡¯s work. From now on, if you can¡¯t participate properly, I¡¯ll deduct points from both the questioner and the respondent.¡± Professor Kang Noah brought out Kang Kyung-soo. She seemed to be very disappointed by the students¡¯ attitude in class. However, this has caused another adverse effect. No one is willing to participate in the critique session. Professor Kang Noah sighed and said, ¡°Maybe I was expecting too much. This time, I¡¯ll choose someone who will criticize one of the artworks. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± She turned her head for a moment, then pointed her finger at someone. ¡°The student in a white T-shirt.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Choose a piece and review it.¡± It was me. Chapter 10 ¡®Me again?¡¯ I was puzzled, and I could feel a strange playfulness from Professor Kang Noah¡¯s smile in the distance. I instinctively realized. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s it.¡¯ Professor Kang Noah chose me. She chose me to be her class assistant, just like how a manager at a corporate meeting puts a good-natured employee next to him. It seems that it was because I could communicate better than the other students. I was basically human lubricant, so to speak. [ TL/N ¨C If you don¡¯t get it, him being called a human lubricant means that he¡¯s being used to make the class run more smoothly. ] However, I had no intention of throwing this opportunity away as I would be given a score. ¡®Lee Jae-ha, it¡¯s time for you to show off your skill in speaking after years of corporate life.¡¯ A man who affirms himself as a lubricant. That was me, too. Druuuck. I got up from my seat and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to ask a question to the person who painted it with watercolors.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Kim Dae-won.¡± Kim Dae-won, a student with a strong physique, accepted my words. He submitted Van Gogh¡¯s work in watercolors. I greeted him briefly and asked, ¡°Before my criticism, can we hear why you¡¯ve copied Van Gogh¡¯s paintings in watercolor, and not oil paint?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He opened his mouth with a confident look. ¡°Van Gogh lived in extreme depression in his later years, so he was obsessed with depicting his state of mind through painting.¡± That was the theory. It was a commonly known one, too. ¡°But here¡¯s what I thought. Was Van Gogh really depressed? Perhaps there was a positive side to him, too. I thought the yellow color in his works was a sign of positivity.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°You asked me earlier why I chose to use watercolor over oil paints. The color yellow in watercolor is much more transparent and brighter than the yellow in oil paint. I chose a watercolor painting with the idea of reflecting Van Gogh¡¯s true inner self.¡± It was a plausible interpretation, depending on how you put it. The admiration of the other students could be heard from all around the room. ¡°It¡¯s meticulous.¡± ¡°Did you really think that far?¡± ¡°You¡¯re completely different from the rest.¡± Okay. At these student¡¯s current levels, it might¡¯ve been impressive. However, I saw the truth. ¡®You¡¯re an alcoholic.¡¯ There were numerous loopholes in only a few words. ¡®Where should I start targeting?¡¯ I thought about it for a while before opening my mouth. ¡°Dae-won¡¯s words are evidence that the yellow color in the work also showed the positive feelings that existed in Van Gogh. That is what you were talking about, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d like to ask.¡± I asked in an emotionless voice. ¡°Did you know that Van Gogh was an extreme Absinthe addict?¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Dae-won flinched. I pushed on without missing a beat. ¡°Van Gogh is famous for living drunk on Absinthe in his later years. Absinthe is a strong alcoholic beverage that is close to 70 degrees Celsius and contains a lot of toxic ingredients, one of them being Santonin. And, Santonin can cause eczema. Yes, it¡¯s a disease that makes the whole world look yellow.¡± Kim Dae-won hesitated before saying, ¡°¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know that.¡± That was his first mistake. He should have known. When it comes to Van Gogh, it¡¯s Absinthe, and when it comes to Absinthe, it¡¯s ecstasy. You don¡¯t even know the basics. It was evidence that Kim Dae-won had neglected to investigate the data. ¡®I¡¯m sure you thought that Van Gogh was the easiest one to go for.¡¯ It might have been an effective choice if it was intended to be a moment¡¯s task. However, this insincerity worked well for me. Just like a hound with prey in its jaws, I planned to dig into this weakness. ¡°You¡¯ll see the world as a distraction because of alcohol, so can you really interpret the yellow color in the painting as a positive emotion?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­th-that¡­ Maybe it was inspired by alcohol¡­. Yes, it may have been intentional.¡± He was trying to hide the loophole, but I emphasized it once again. ¡°Van Gogh was so depressed to the point where he cut off one ear and gave it to a prostitute while he was still alive. Wouldn¡¯t it be more reasonable to say that he was drunk to forget such sorrow?¡± ¡°I think this is an acceptable reinterpretation! That¡¯s what I think.¡± At this moment, I felt it instinctively. The fact that Kim Dae-won¡¯s words are completely divided. ¡®Now, if I push just a little more, I¡¯ll win.¡¯ I continued firmly. ¡°I think reinterpretation is only a reinterpretation when the viewer can understand it naturally. In my eyes, this painting is just an imitation of the original work.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean, I couldn¡¯t feel anything else from this painting that could be called a reinterpretation.¡± ¡°W-wait a minute. That seems a little too far-fetched.¡± Kim Dae-won frowned as if his feelings were hurt and said, ¡°Different people have different interpretations, don¡¯t they? I hope you will respect my interpretation.¡± ¡°So, Dae-won, are you saying that you¡¯ve put a deep reinterpretation into your work?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How did you put it in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Kim Dae-won stepped back for a moment and avoided my eyes slightly before saying, ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The color scheme is the evidence. To match the impressionism, I added colors that emphasized the light as much as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that this painting method is a reinterpretation in itself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Good. He took the bait. Clumsy excuses only made bigger problems. ¡°Then I¡¯d like to ask you one question.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­¡± One more word, and it¡¯s over. ¡°Dae-won, didn¡¯t you go to the Morning Of Glory Art Academy in front of Hongdae?¡± I said with the intention of issuing a death sentence. That was the moment. ¡°Ho-how did you know that?¡± Kim Dae-won trembled. Unintentionally, his origin was discovered. ¡®Somehow, I knew it¡ªand I was right.¡¯ This was not a recitation of information from my past life. In fact, it was actually information that I took from reasoning. I opened my mouth as I admired the development of the scene that was going as I thought it would. ¡°I found that out from the watercolor techniques that Dae-won used. It¡¯s the method of coloring for entrance exams taught at that academy.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ah!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much of an entrance exam-styled painting to think that a reinterpretation was added to the colors?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± He turned around in surprise, and looked at his painting for a while. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­.¡±, He mumbled with a stunned look. Yes. Even in his own eyes, it was the same technique taught in the Morning of Glory. He didn¡¯t realize it at first because he didn¡¯t pay much attention when he was drawing, but I guess he became self-conscious after being criticized. ¡®From the color scheme that emphasizes the primary color, to the technique of boldening the light and texture with white paint after painting everything. It¡¯s all a hallmark of Morning Glory students.¡¯ When I worked as an instructor at an academy, many of my students came from other schools. Among them, several came from the Morning of Glory, and this was the technique that those students used and had in common. ¡®It¡¯s clear and shiny at first glance, so it stands out if you place it between other paintings. Besides, it¡¯s very efficient because it can be drawn relatively quickly. However, the limits are all too clear. You can¡¯t find the artist¡¯s personality at all, so it was a style that should¡¯ve been used and thrown away right after the entrance exam.¡¯ But since Kim Dae-won is a freshman, he seems to have not given up on his entrance exam style yet. Maybe no one had pointed it out to him. After all, there¡¯s nothing to gain by pointing out errors in another person¡¯s paintings. It¡¯s also a tall order to throw away a style that you¡¯ve practiced for years in just a few weeks. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Kim Dae-won¡¯s cheeks were stained with red after he was caught. He seemed a bit angry, and because of his large size, it was intimidating. However, I couldn¡¯t stop the criticism here. If I stopped talking now, what I¡¯ve said earlier would be merely considered as an accusation. That¡¯s why I went on with what I had to say. ¡°For these reasons, I think that Dae-won did not reinterpret the work, but simply copied it in his own style. If I misjudged it, please correct me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­actually¡­.¡± He hesitated for a moment. Feeling sorry for having nothing to say, He shrugged and said, ¡°Jaeha is right. There is no reinterpretation in my work. I¡¯ll admit it. I¡¯ve been drinking until yesterday, and I¡¯ve been cramming it this morning, so I guess I just did it half-heartedly. That was it. It was my perfect victory. ¡°Wow¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± At the same time, admiration flowed among the students. ¡°Did you see that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± It seems that my words were convincing. However, if there¡¯s anything that¡¯s bothering me, it¡¯s the fact that I may have pushed too hard even though my opponent is only a freshman. But, it was also the best I could do. ¡®Art is war.¡¯ Considering others with complacency, it was nothing more than ignoring them. Why is critique a critique? Isn¡¯t it a mock battle to prepare for war? Compared to the wars that I¡¯ve gone through while working in my previous life, the words that I¡¯ve said just now were equivalent to a kid¡¯s joke. ¡®If you¡¯re going to be hit, it¡¯s better to get hit in advance.¡¯ He¡¯ll understand one day. As I was thinking about that, I heard applause coming from somewhere. ¡°It was a great critique.¡± It was Professor Kang Noah. She continued with a satisfied smile, ¡°You¡¯ve pointed out both sides of the artwork, internally and externally. That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time now, but Jaeha really seems to have great background knowledge. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s a freshman.¡± The beginning was a compliment to me. Next, she looked at Kim Dae-won and said, ¡°And Kim Dae-won must have been offended by Lee Jae-ha¡¯s sharp criticism. Yes?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Yes.¡± Kim Dae-won nodded softly. It seemed difficult to deny. Although it¡¯s the content of the class, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s been humiliated in front of everyone. ¡°You must not take this for granted.¡± Kang Noah told Kim Dae-won. ¡°Even this debate was a mild one, because real customers and critics do much more than this, not less.¡± Saying that we should think about the future and humbly accept it. It was cold, but it was the right thing to say. We would only refrain from criticizing each other in consideration of personal relationships in school, but customers wouldn¡¯t care about that. Under the banner of freedom of speech, countless criticisms have been made to the point that even counter arguments were not allowed. ¡®If the artist added an additional explanation of what he intended, it would be normal to hear that the artist was bad.¡¯ I had to keep that in mind. It is the freedom of the artist to make a painting. This is an undeniable right. However, as soon as it was put on the market, the interpretation of the work fell to the viewer. If you go back and make late excuses, it will only make you look bad. This was the basis of the design industry. In other words, the moment Kim Dae-won failed to persuade me with his painting and appealed to me to accept it as a reinterpretation, he was already defeated. ¡°One day, the moment will come when you realize that today¡¯s conversation was a valuable opportunity for you. At an undergraduate level, it¡¯s not easy to accept this harsh of a critique. If it was unfair, you can pay him back in the next class. Lee Jae-ha¡¯s turn just happens to be next week.¡± Professor Kang Noah, who finished her speech, smiled and said, ¡°Do you understand? ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Yes.¡± Kim Dae-won had no choice but to accept it. Meanwhile, Professor Kang Noah looked at the students again and said, ¡°Some might think that there was no respect in Jaeha¡¯s critiques. However, you don¡¯t have to respect your opponent while critiquing. The important thing is the attitude that you have while criticizing. There¡¯s bound to be as many critics as the population on this planet. That¡¯s my opinion.¡± It was like an old-fashioned veteran with thick bones in the field. ¡°I hope that you, too, will be fully prepared for any criticism in the future. Well then, I¡¯ll continue the class.¡± The short speech was over. She later picked out a few students. Then, as she did to me, she asked for participation in the critiques. And surprisingly, the students have changed. ¡®Are they truly the ones I used to know?¡¯ Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Art is a Marathon ¡®Is it possible to change like this?¡¯ The students have become different. Instead of just looking around at other people¡¯s reactions, they began to throw sharp criticisms that were equal to or greater than mine. ¡°I used computer graphics¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not that good at modeling. Honestly, it doesn¡¯t look like Van Gogh at all.¡± ¡°I took this with my camera.¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Did you leave the picture on the monitor and take it as is?¡± I think you¡¯ve lost your sincerity.¡± It was the same as before, the criticism was not very convincing. However, the posture was completely reversed. This alone is an encouraging achievement. How did they, who were shy like a trembling flower a while ago, change so much? The reason was simple. ¡®The hard work is worth it.¡¯ It was because I took the lead in opening the door. This is critical. You have to do it like this. I personally drew the line between flimsy and true criticism. Moreover, the professor affirmed it, so they began to refer to it too. The Han Yewon students were not idiots.They were students who knew how to learn. Meanwhile, Professor Kang Noah smiled happily as she watched the class. ¡®You look like you have everything in the whole world.¡¯ Then, by chance, our eyes met¡­ ¡®Are you feeling kind of happy right now?¡¯ There was a proud look in her eyes. If this is enough, I might be able to get a free meal later. Anyway, the first round of critiques ended like this: Three of the four students were torn apart. Only one person survived. [ TL/N ¨C I have a feeling someone¡¯s going to miss it, so here¡¯s a mini note: torn apart isn¡¯t meant literally, just as in they were criticized really, really harshly. ] It was the student who recreated Van Gogh¡¯s painting in a vintage style. [What would Van Gogh have been like if he were a person in the 1900s? I drew it with that in mind.] It was simple. Simple to the point where it¡¯s kind of boring. But it was effective. Rather than taking a challenge and ending up with poor results, a simple path might be the better answer. That¡¯s how the first presentations ended, and today¡¯s class taught the students one thing. ¡®If we do it carelessly, this is what happens.¡¯ It was such a desperate sight. ¡°I was also going to paint it with watercolor, but I need to change it right away.¡± ¡°Our¡± is also based on Van Gogh¡¯s paintings. What should I do?¡±¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m doomed. I¡¯ll need to have a drink and get some inspiration.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re going to become Van Gogh, too?¡± They were so determined that their heads were practically burning to the point of overheating. Maybe much fiercer critiques will be ready for next week. And¡­ just in time, next week is our group¡¯s turn. ¡®I¡¯m sure there will be a lot of criticism of my work too.¡¯ But I wasn¡¯t very worried. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only critic that ever existed.¡± I¡¯ve received a lot of criticism before. I was going to show them that fact clearly. < After class > It was the moment I left the classroom while listening to Park Kyu-tae¡¯s trivial chatter. ¡°Isn¡¯t our school cafeteria really good? It appeared in a college magazine, too. I haven¡¯t slept at all since yesterday because I was so busy thinking about what to eat after class today.¡± ¡°Calm down, Park Kyu-tae,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Hmm?¡± A man of strong physique approached me. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It was Kim Dae-won. He, who became a victim in class a while ago, is now standing right in front of me. * He was also big when I watched him from a distance in the classroom, but he was much bigger now that I¡¯m seeing him up close. He looked a little less than 190cm. He was even muscular. ¡®What is it? Are you an art student? Shouldn¡¯t you be a physical education student? The atmosphere is much more unusual than that. Do you have something to say to me?¡¯ Then the critiques I shared earlier came to mind. It was mediocre by my standards. However, if you are a freshman who is not familiar with criticism, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if you were angry. ¡®Are you going to try and vent your anger on me?¡¯ I quickly glanced around to see if there was a surveillance camera somewhere, but he hesitated and opened his mouth first. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Thank you. I learned a lot thanks to you.¡± Those words caught me off-guard. It wasn¡¯t what I expected. ¡°Huh?¡± Contrary to what I thought was going to happen, Kim Dae-won scratched the back of head and continued speaking. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it earlier because my pride had clouded my mind, but after listening to the professor, I thought you were right. I didn¡¯t prepare as much as I should have.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying, in case you were afraid that I¡¯d do something. I¡¯m fine, so let¡¯s have a drink next time when we meet again.¡± After saying that, he quickly walked away. I guess you really came here to say something. While I blinked, surprised by the unexpected happening, Park Kyu-tae said, ¡°It¡¯s a man.¡± Although 90% of what he usually says is nonsense, this was quite appropriate now. ¡°You mean Kim Dae-won?¡±¡¯ Surprisingly, he was a guy who knew how to accept criticism and move on. It may be pretentious, but I could clearly see the idea of a newbie who has been strengthened by internal politics. Kim Dae-won was not the kind of person who tried to avoid criticism with pride. He was a little different. ¡®He¡¯s the kind of person who grows even while being hit.¡¯ It¡¯s often said that these people grow up easily as they practice. Internally, my evaluation of Kim Dae-won soared. He¡­he was a man who had a mentality fit for his physique. In particular, he was a man with a great sense of hitting. * Time passed by quickly. It¡¯s already Sunday. The day before the assignment¡¯s submission has arrived. I looked up and down at the half-finished tape Art and thought, ¡®I did as much as I could.¡¯ The one thing that I was able to say with confidence. I¡¯ve done my best. For the past two weeks, I stayed up all night every night and poured my focus into working. The result wasn¡¯t bad. It isn¡¯t the work of a freshman, but rather, the work of a senior¡¯s graduation exhibition. It was going to be worth even more than that when I thought of the additional points for the idea of tape art. It¡¯s worth the trouble. However, it was also true that I was still anxious. ¡®When did your skills improve so much?¡¯ It was because Seo Ji-won was still one step ahead. Seo Ji-won was drawing the Afremov-Style Monet behind me. I looked at the picture and thought, ¡®You draw very well.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t just a genius. She¡¯s reached the level where she can pass off her work as one of Afremov¡¯s paintings. Of course, that¡¯s what it roughly looks like. There¡¯s a difference in level if you look at it closely. However, it was still a foul to be able to paint this similarly. In fact, to be precise, it was difficult to regard it as an Afremov style. ¡®How can you paint an oil painting so thinly with a knife? How does this make sense? The oil paints aren¡¯t Nutella Spread.¡¯ Afremov¡¯s style had a disadvantage in that the oil was painted on in thick layers, and had a rough texture when viewed up close, but she succeeded in covering up the shortcomings by painting it thinly. Yes, this was Seo Ji-won¡¯s style. It only took less than two weeks for it to develop to this point. ¡®It¡¯s unfair. It¡¯s terribly unfair.¡¯ This is what happens when you¡¯re born with talent. There are different kinds of talents. The ability to come up with ideas that others can¡¯t. And the ability to have terrifyingly good drawing skills. Seo Ji-won was born extremely gifted with the latter. ¡®I heard that Picasso went to an adult painting contest when he was an elementary school student and swept the awards away.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t Seo Ji-won be able to imitate it? If not¡­never mind. Anyway, even though tomorrow is the assignment¡¯s submission date, it was difficult to invest time into working today. It takes money to make art, so I had to make money. That¡¯s right. Today was the day that I was scheduled to help with Professor Lee Jong¡¯s work. ¡°Excuse me.¡± When I opened the door of the private studio on the top-most floor of the building and entered, Professor Lee Jong welcomed me with a smile. ¡°Well, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s the weekend, I¡¯m sorry. Today, I just had a hard time doing it alone, so I called you to ask for a separate favor.¡± What do you mean by a favor? He could have said it in a commanding tone since the hourly wage is generously paid anyway, but he said it in a tone that was considerate of me. Considering the idea that a professor who treats students like his own slaves was completely crushed, he was a good person to the bone. ¡®How did a student like Seo Ji-won come out of such a person?¡¯ I looked around the studio, reflecting on the little questions. And I was surprised. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.¡± In the center of the studio, several huge windows were erected. And¡­ Inside, various glass pieces sparkled while boasting beautiful colors. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Professor Lee Jong smiled happily. ¡°They¡¯re called stained glass. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of it a lot.¡± ¡°Wow¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± My jaw dropped without realizing it. ¡®You¡¯re no joke.¡¯ To answer Professor Lee Jong¡¯s question a while ago, I have seen a lot of it before. In pictures, of course. However, at that time, I may have admired the gorgeous color combinations, but I¡¯ve never admired the work itself. That being said, it was a little different in person. It was just so beautiful that it made me dizzy. ¡®It¡¯s not like it was used by the religious community for nothing.¡¯ [ TL/N ¨C He¡¯s referring to the churches that use stained glass windows. If you¡¯ve never seen one, look it up, they¡¯re really pretty. ] It¡¯s important, so I¡¯ll emphasize it again. It was beautiful. ¡°The broadcasting company requested it as a commercial prop. It was difficult because it¡¯s something I haven¡¯t done before, but I called you because you were doing something similar.¡± ¡°Something similar?¡± When asked about the cryptic words, Professor Lee Jong said, ¡°Tape art.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± I thought of it for a moment. It was as he said. Tape art and stained glass had similarities in several aspects. There was the case with the translucent texture, and the importance of the expression of light. Professor Lee Jong closed the studio¡¯s windows and curtains as I stood there in a slow realization. ¡°Why do you have to close the windows? Is there something important about it?¡± Professor Lee Jong looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, ¡°Stained glass is prone to deterioration even with minor changes in light due to the material. So it¡¯s a good idea to create a consistent environment as much as possible when you¡¯re working on it.¡± It was a small but interesting lesson. He then handed me gloves and a knife and said, ¡°I made the blueprints in advance, so you can cut and paste the glass accordingly. It¡¯s sharp, so don¡¯t forget the gloves.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as I received the proper tools, I immediately started working on it. And I soon realized. ¡®Stained glass was like this.¡¯ What should I say about the pieces of stained glass that I personally touched? It was sloppier than I thought. The blueprint was neat, but it was cut loosely and attached poorly. Especially the glass I cut. ¡°I think I¡¯m ruining your work.¡± Professor Lee Jong answered my worries with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Such coincidence is the real beauty of stained glasses. Human mistakes overlap to complete a natural and beautiful work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like pottery.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s fascinating that even the creators can¡¯t get a full glimpse of the results.¡± The two materials resembled each other. I did my best to complete the job, but I eventually had to leave the results to luck. I wonder how long it¡¯s been. Probably two or three hours. Professor Lee Jong stood up from his seat and said, ¡°I have more work to do, so I¡¯ll get going first today. You can go back or watch the work that has been completed so far.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Please leave all the curtains and windows open for ventilation when you leave.¡± He left the studio. For a long time, I was left alone, humming and immersed in the work of stained glass. It was so fun that I didn¡¯t realize how much time had passed. When I looked at the clock, it was already evening. ¡®I should wrap this up and leave.¡¯ With that in mind, I got up from my seat. Click. Click. As I was about to turn off the lights and go home, Professor Lee Jong¡¯s words came to mind. ¡°Oh right. You told me to ventilate.¡¯ Belatedly, I went to the window, rolled up the curtains, and opened the window. Soon, a cool evening wind blew in from outside. And¡­. The night view was beautiful. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It feels like the old days.¡± When I was busy with work, I often sent my co-workers home in advance and worked overtime by myself. When I looked out the window after working for a long time, the city night view, which I could only taste at that time, used to be a quiet haven for me. ¡®It was getting really complicated in my mind, but it¡¯s a little better when I¡¯m thinking about the past.¡¯ How should I beat Seo Ji-won while fiddling with stained glass? I was thinking about this one thing in particular. It¡¯s because I was not confident about my current work. It was like that. ¡®Last week, I did the best I could.¡¯ If I did my best and I was pushed back regardless, it¡¯s not my fault. The life of a designer is not a short-distance sprint. It was a long-distance marathon. Once you lose, you don¡¯t have to be obsessed with your life as if it would end soon. Maybe I was caught up in an empty obsession with the trauma of my previous life. ¡®There is no such thing as superiority or inferiority in art. Why was I so impatient? Let¡¯s empty our minds and hearts for now.¡± My mind became more at ease. It¡¯s nothing more than a school project. It was the moment when I turned around from the window and looked at the stained glass I had been working on. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± My head went blank. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t think of anything to describe the sight in front of me. Just¡­ shock. It was shocking. I stood stunned in a scene where I didn¡¯t know what to say. And then it came to mind. No, it was right to say that I was practically struck in my head by lightning. ¡®This¡­ it becomes like this?¡¯ I thought of a way to beat Seo Ji-won. It¡¯s a way to achieve an overwhelming victory¡­ As soon as I thought about the possibility, a smile crept into the corner of my lips. ¡®You¡¯re not supposed to empty your mind. The only thing that can be emptied is a rice bowl.¡¯ Even though I did my best, I¡¯ll feel dirty if I lose. If it is a long-distance marathon and you get pushed back in the beginning, you will continue to be pushed back in the second half. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s superiority and inferiority in art, but there is certainly superiority and inferiority in school assignments. If I can win, I have to win. Isn¡¯t that obvious? If you¡¯re a person who has suffered so much in his past life and walks the same path again, are you truly a person? It¡¯s an animal. Humans are only humans because they have the ability to learn. I¡¯m human Lee Jaeha. I am a human being. ¡®Come to think of it, tomorrow¡¯s class is in the afternoon, right?¡¯ I¡¯ve already said this once, the fact that there were no morning classes at the college meant one thing. It was savage. Chapter 12 ¡°Let¡¯s start with the second round of presentations.¡± Professor Kang Noah opened her mouth. ¡°Presenters, please come forward with your work.¡± Finally, the moment I¡¯ve been waiting for has come. I thought I would be very anxious, but when it began, I wasn¡¯t impacted at all. It¡¯s proof that you¡¯ve done your best so far. Our team members, me, Ha Ye-eun, Seo Ji-won, and Park Kyu-tae walked forward with our own respective works. However, all our works were somehow different from each other. ¡°You covered it with cloth?¡± That¡¯s right. They brought it with a wide, thick cloth wrapped tightly around their paintings so that others could not tell what kind of work they had prepared. While Seo Ji-won and I worked on square canvases, Park Kyu-tae and Ha Ye-eun¡¯s work was rectangular. ¡°This was also intended, right?¡± When Professor Kang Noah asked, Park Kyu-tae responded with a smile on his face. ¡°Yes. I recently enjoyed watching an auction movie and remembered it.¡± I wanted to make the most of the fun out of the moment when the artworks are released to the class.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this situation fun for the professor¡±? ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± There was a long stretch of silence. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡­ It¡¯s fun¡­ right¡­?¡± Professor Kang Noah smirked at his trembling words and said, ¡°It¡¯s fun. I¡¯ll give you extra points.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Park Kyu-tae clenched his fists. In fact, it was entirely his idea to cover our works with a white cloth. He was even the one who brought our fabrics when he found them. < Today¡¯s lunch > [ TL/N ¨C What¡¯s in italics are part of the flashback. If it¡¯s a little difficult to tell apart, then let me know in the comments or ping me (@Phy) in the discord server and I¡¯ll change it!] He hurriedly gathered the group in one place and said, ¡°Jaeha, you were the one who said that, weren¡¯t you? That even if it¡¯s the same work, the feeling changes depending on the way it¡¯s presented.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So I thought about it; I¡¯m going to try and make use of this information.¡± That was this. To cover our works with a cloth and present it one by one. ¡°Now the evaluations of our work won¡¯t be mixed together. What do you think? This is okay, right?¡± It¡¯s a weird idea. But, I liked it. ¡®Right. These small details will accumulate one by one to change the overall quality.¡¯ Such an attempt is beneficial, not a loss. Just by sharing the announcement among team members, the concentration on the presentations will increase dramatically. Good work wasn¡¯t everything. One single performance could change the impressions of the audience entirely. That¡¯s how the presentations began. ¡°Let me introduce my work¡±. The first batter was Park Kyu-tae. They changed up the order because they thought that their hard work would be completely buried if I or Seo Ji-won started first. I was once again surprised. He¡¯s usually clumsy in everything he does, but he takes care of what others are more likely to miss. In addition, the evaluation of one¡¯s skills is pretty accurate. ¡®¡¯His attention to detail is really good, whether or not it was purposely aimed for.¡¯ Park Kyu-tae rolled up the white cloth that was covering his work with a proud face. Soon, admiration erupted among the students. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t that real clothing?¡± That¡¯s right. What Park Kyu-tae drew, no, rather, what he made: It was a white dress. Park Kyu-tae smiled, liking the students¡¯ responses, and said, ¡°I made the white dress worn by Camille, the main character of < Woman with a Parasol >.¡± ¡°Why did you make a dress?¡±¡± When Professor Kang Noah asked, Park Kyu-tae snuck a glance at me and said, ¡°Our team member Lee Jae-ha said it in the first class. Even the same work can look different depending on the culture that¡¯s accepting it. I was very impressed by the words, so I started planning my project from there.¡± He began by revealing the intentions of how he planned his work. I don¡¯t know if he knew it or not, but this was also a part of the standards of a presentation. ¡®What is my culture? What culture did I grow up in?¡¯ It was a pretty good intro. Park Kyu-tae said, pounding his chest with his fist. ¡°I grew up in the clothing market because my mother¡¯s work was there. Thanks to being born to such a culture, I liked fashion from an early age, and when I saw a woman holding Monet¡¯s parasol, the first thing that caught my eyes was her clothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice. So were you the one that made the clothing?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Park Kyu-tae nodded with confidence. ¡°I made it myself from the beginning to end. 100% handmade. It¡¯s not just the appearance, I¡¯ve also carefully processed the fabric finish to the point where it can be worn.¡± It wasn¡¯t just a presentation remark. Deep pride emanated from his voice. Professor Kang Noah approached the clothing with an interesting expression and examined it closely before saying, ¡°You made it well, all right. It¡¯s quite well made.¡± ¡°I did my best!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already been four years since I was put in charge of this class. More than a hundred students have attended, but this is the first time anyone has ever made clothes for the assignment. I will give you extra points.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Park Kyu-tae¡¯s face bloomed like a flower in an instant. Shortly after the compliment, several students jumped to criticize his work, but he did not falter. It doesn¡¯t work if you point it out as just clothes to a person who grew up with clothing. So Park Kyu-tae achieved a perfect victory. ¡°Thank you.¡± It was a great presentation by anyone¡¯s eyes. And¡­ Next up was¡­ ¡°Hello.¡± Seo Ji-won stepped forward. * ¡°I drew a picture.¡± The piece of cloth was rolled up with simple words. A beautiful piece of work came out of it. Yes, this was a painting that deserves to be called a painting. Monet painted in Afremov¡¯s style. Light erupted from the canvas in the collaboration between two timeless artists. It wasn¡¯t even a single painting. It was three. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ my God.¡± Each one was a work that far exceeded the level of an undergraduate student. Shouldn¡¯t it be hung on the walls of an exhibition, not the classroom¡¯s desk? While the students, who were pressed by the wide gap in skill, could not even open their mouths carelessly, Seo Ji-won opened her mouth with a sour look. ¡°Monet was a painter famous for his light techniques. So, I applied the technique of another artist who was also famous for using light.¡± The presentation itself was simple, but there was nothing to point out. To be exact, it would be better to say it couldn¡¯t be pointed out. If you try to criticize the work because the standard for painting skills is set too high by it, then only the critics would be the fools. Professor Kang Noah asked with a smile, ¡°How did you manage to draw 3 pieces?¡± Seo Ji-won replied, ¡°I¡¯m still drawing.¡± [ TL/N ¨C Implying that she didn¡¯t even finish, but it¡¯s still so good that it looks completed ] Seo Ji-won¡¯s presentation attitude points: 0 However, her work was more than enough to make up for her attitude. I started laughing inwardly. ¡®You put a thumbtack right before my turn.¡¯ Great. Since she did that, expectations for my work must have increased. However, I doubted that my work would be defeated by her ¡®work¡¯. ¡®I¡¯ve known since before that I would do as much as I have done now.¡¯ I competed next to her for two weeks. I know more about Seo Ji-won¡¯s skills than anyone else in this classroom. So I tried to defeat her. I almost gave up halfway through the end, but because of a few lyrics in a song, I didn¡¯t. In the song, the main character suffers in the early stages before stocking well in each measure, and gains momentum after This morning, I prepared a lethal move. A lethal move that even Seo Ji-won wouldn¡¯t have been able to imagine. Right at this moment, I realized it after seeing her work. ¡®This is a game that I¡¯ve won.¡¯ I prepared a lot, and I planned to show a lot of things. I walked up confidently, rolling up the fabric. ¡°Let me introduce you¡ª¡° Slip. ¡°¡ªto the < Woman with a Parasol >.¡± * ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± There was a moment of silence. And, one student opened his mouth. ¡°Pretty¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± A word that represented everyone¡¯s feelings. At the same time, waterfalls of questions began to pour down on me. ¡°What did you draw it with? Maca pen? The colors are really interesting.¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s sparkling, but the colors are transparent.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that stained glasses?¡± ¡°Oh, is that it? But considering that, the colors are too colorful to be glass.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s glass either. The colors are a little lighter than normal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird. I think each angle you look at it from feels a little different. Each student struggled to come up with an interpretation for the work without grasping the true identity of the artwork, and after enjoying this atmosphere thoroughly, I answered. ¡°This is not stained glass.¡± I took the remaining tape out of my pocket and showed it to the class. ¡°This is the secret of my work.¡± ¡°Tape?¡± ¡°You drew with tape?¡± Once again, an uproar could be heard. As expected, my choice was right. They had no idea that they could draw with tape. Eventually, one of the students raised his hand and asked, ¡°Hold on. Is the color coming out from the tape? That¡¯s extremely hard to believe.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just made with tape.¡± ¡°As expected.¡± With the words that he knew it, criticism was about to flood in. It was at this moment. ¡°It¡¯s made of glass and tape.¡± ¡°What?¡± I turned the work backwards. The backside of the tape was exposed over the transparent glass plate. When you see it with your own eyes, you¡¯ll have no choice but to believe it. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that paper?¡±¡± While the students were surprised, I smiled and continued to talk. ¡°In order to bring out the allure of light completely, I abandoned the stereotype that I had to draw with paper.¡± Okay. This was one of the realizations that I had last night. It goes without saying that glass has better light transmittance than paper does. ¡®Then, it¡¯s enough to use glass as a drawing medium instead.¡¯ Upon reaching this idea, I applied tape over the glass to make a similar canvas. The sky was attached to it, the earth was built, and finally, a person was placed. In other words, this is made of pseudo-stained glass. Even if my skills were disappointing, I could raise the level of my work to the next level with the materials I used in addition to my creativity. ¡°You did this much for a task? The students were muttering in a shocked tone. ¡°This level¡­really¡­.¡± ¡°How do I beat that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Seonggol. It¡¯s Seonggol.¡± [ TL/N ¨C Remember, Seonggol = Holy Bone, Holy Bone = the top rank of a really old ranking system used in ancient Korea ] It was the same as Seo Ji-won. The students seemed to have given up on trying to critique my work. This was a bad sign for me. ¡®What is it? Why aren¡¯t any of you speaking? This isn¡¯t good.¡¯ There is still one more device hidden. If someone tried to attack, then I was going to reveal it as a counterattack. A twist shines only after a crisis. But, there¡¯s no way now¡­ I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d all give up this quickly. ¡®Did I draw a little too well¡­?¡¯ I forgot. I forgot the fact that my skills also stand out considerably amongst the freshmen. I missed it because I only shared a studio with Seo Ji-won. What should I do? Even if I gave up on the impact it was supposed to leave, I needed to decide whether or not I should reveal the secret right now. A man raised his hand. ¡°I have a question.¡± It was Kim Dae-won. He raised his muscular arm majestically. At that moment, I had a deep smile spread across my face. ¡®Good job! I¡¯ll buy you a meal later!¡¯ I responded carefully so as to not reveal my inner feelings. ¡°Please ask.¡± Kim Dae-won swallowed his saliva. Then, he spoke in a determined voice, as if he would repay the embarrassment he felt from the last critique class. ¡°In the last class, you said there was no reinterpretation of my work. I mean, it was just an imitation. But, doesn¡¯t that apply to the presenter¡¯s work now as well?¡± ¡°Please elaborate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that the original picture was simply copied with tape.¡± No. The idea of drawing with tape itself was a great reinterpretation because the difference in level is already obvious. It should not have been refuted like that. ¡®But I¡¯m sure you knew it and still asked. Right? Kim Dae-won would like to hear what kind of answer I give to the same question that he was given. So I¡¯m going to show it to you; the best rebuttal ever. I took full advantage of the opportunity that he gave me. ¡°I want to ask you for a favor in order to answer this.¡± I smiled and looked at Professor Kang Noah. ¡°Professor, may I turn off the lights in the classroom and close the curtains?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to show my work a little more¡­ in depth.¡± ¡°Hmm. Alright.¡± Professor Kang Noah nodded her head as if she was interested. Then she gave instructions to the students. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡±? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the lights?¡± Soon, the classroom became dark. The room was dark enough to the point where we could barely see the outlines of each other¡¯s faces. ¡°What are you trying to show us when we can¡¯t even see what¡¯s in front of us?¡± ¡°A performance?¡± When they couldn¡¯t even see the work, the students murmured to each other as if they couldn¡¯t understand. And¡­ I secretly pulled out my secret weapon in total darkness. Like this. I heard a click of a switch on the desk. It was the moment. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh?¡± Moonlight poured into the classroom. Chapter 13 The moonlight flowed in from somewhere, subtly illuminating the work on the desk. Does this make sense in an enclosed classroom? Of course not, but for a moment, the students will be overwhelmed by the surreal scene and become rigid. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah!¡± Soon, one student noticed and pointed to the shelf. ¡°The light¡¯s coming from up there!¡± All of the students¡¯ eyes turned to where their classmate was pointing. At the end was a faintly shining blue light. Okay. That light isn¡¯t real moonlight. It was nothing more than a device that I slipped onto the classroom shelf beforehand. But¡­ ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It was beautiful. Monet¡¯s [Woman with a Parasol] subtly glowing blue under an artificial moonlight. There was a beauty that even I couldn¡¯t help but admire even though I had already seen and knew about it. This beauty is beyond any words of criticism. A smile appeared on my face as I witnessed the students¡¯ reactions. ¡®This is a success.¡¯ No, it was even more successful than I expected. It feels like I was being rewarded for the rough and eventful production process in an instant. Suddenly, I remembered the first time I ever saw [Woman With a Parasol]. ¡®It felt like I was out of breath.¡¯ A famous masterpiece that captured Monet¡¯s happiest moment in life. The abundant winds and scattering of light, and a walk with a beautiful wife and cute son was portrayed in the painting. This painting seemed to be a glimpse of happiness, so I liked it. I wanted to save it as much as I could. However, no matter how much I worked on it, something was still lacking. ¡®What is it?¡¯ After many days of thinking, I realized it. The problem was the difference in light intensity. ¡®The color of the tape is too weak.¡¯ No matter how hard I tried to describe Monet¡¯s light, the light depicted with tape felt awkward. On the contrary, the light that Seo Ji-won painted gradually became more intense. This was the wall I faced. For Monet, light was his life, so I absolutely had to overcome this weakness. However, humans inherently lacked creativity. It¡¯s special to be able to refer to and absorb talent from other people¡¯s works, but if there is no reference material to do so, your works will only start to repeat itself. In the end, it was around the time when I started to self-rationalize, saying I had done enough because there was no way for me to overcome it. [Do you have free time today?] Professor Lee Jong contacted me. Unexpectedly, I made stained glass. And¡­ I encountered a beautiful scene. Moonlight flowed in from the outside. It was a gorgeous scene where the moonlight reflected itself on the stained glass and made it shine. ¡®It was beautiful.¡¯ I was amazed. I had no choice but to stare blankly and admire it. The stained glass, shining blue in the studio where the lights were turned off, felt more special than any other famous masterpiece in the world. A beauty enough to be called sacred. The moment I saw it, I realized. ¡®If it¡¯s difficult to describe the light, all you need to do is make real light.¡¯ The light in Seo Ji-won¡¯s work is, of course, intense. Afremov¡¯s paintings are so colorful that it¡¯s ridiculous. However¡­ Compared to the real light, it¡¯s new blood. ¡®Let¡¯s make it again, right now.¡¯ I rushed to my studio. And the work I had made was reflected in the moonlight. However, one problem occurred. ¡®This isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ If the moonlight shines behind the canvas, it was just so-so. It¡¯s like the LCD of an old, cheap game console with an LED attached. It was bland. But there¡¯s always an answer. ¡®Stainless glass is still glass. Let¡¯s make it again using glass as a canvas instead.¡¯ I put my ideas into action, and the result was satisfactory. ¡®This is it!¡¯ Not only did the permeability improve in an instant, but the color of the artwork also improved. Thrilling goosebumps rose all over my back. My judgment was right. ¡®Let¡¯s do just one more thing here¡­¡¯ It¡¯s enough to stop here, but wouldn¡¯t it be a joke performance if you don¡¯t know what to say? ¡®I¡¯ll need to set up a trap card.¡¯ After inducing criticism, I darkened the classroom. Then, a pale blue light shone gently behind the work. The result was this scene right before my eyes. ¡°Wow¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°This is really¡­¡± After being released from rigidity, only then could the students express their feelings. ¡°Ha. I feel a sense of shame.¡± ¡°Should I just quit pursuing art?¡± ¡°Next week is my turn, what should I do¡­?¡± Though it wasn¡¯t said directly, their worries also contained their praises. A smirk appeared on my face. ¡®Seo Ji-won. Of course, she draws well.¡¯ But, I¡¯m better at presenting. ¡­ Tape art. Successful. * I opened the windows and turned on the classroom¡¯s lights again. Click. Then, the magical scene that I saw a while ago disappeared like a mirage. The artwork laid out on the desk now felt shabby for some reason. ¡®This is still pretty good, but it¡¯s probably not enough.¡¯ It was because everyone witnessed such a beautiful sight just a few seconds ago. As such, the difference was pretty extreme. I was trying to organize the picture, but I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten about Kim Dae-won and said, ¡°This is the reinterpretation I thought of. Monet is famous as a magician of light, so I also tried magic with light. How was it? Was it a sufficient answer?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Kim Dae-won was silent. I guess he didn¡¯t know that the counterattack would be this intense. He sighed as if he had given up immediately and said, ¡°I¡¯ll admit it, this was an incredibly good reinterpretation.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The acknowledgement was strong. As expected, he¡¯s a true man. ¡®It¡¯s a great feeling.¡¯ This time, I turned my head to look at Seo Ji-won. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Her expression was definitely worth seeing. She was biting her lips so that she could see clearly. [ TL/N ¨C I¡¯m assuming the author means that she¡¯s on the verge of (angry) tears ] She must be feeling the anxiety of defeat. She probably never imagined that I would¡¯ve prepared a work like this overnight, because she¡¯s always had the upper hand in the end. However, I have been standing still in one place since the beginning. Just before today¡¯s class started, you thought it was going to be easy to win, but¡­ ¡®Life is always like this.¡¯ I¡¯ve lived for quite a while, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen now. Honestly, I was a little lucky. It was purely luck that Professor Lee Jong called me. It was also my luck that I turned off the lights in the studio before opening the windows. If I had missed even one of them, it would have been Seo Ji-won who was smiling by now. Meanwhile, Professor Kang Noah was smiling. ¡°It was great,¡± She clapped her hands and said. ¡°I want to secretly steal it and display it in my living room. It was the best work I¡¯ve ever seen in this class.¡± When she said it was the best she¡¯s ever seen, it meant one thing: It means that I did better than Seo Ji-won. When I heard the confirmation from the professor, I felt the tension draining from my body. ¡®I can finally sleep properly today.¡¯ My body is tired. ¡°That¡¯s all for my presentation, thank you for watching.¡± As I bowed my head and stepped back, applause poured out from among the students. A smile bloomed on my face at the sound of clapping pouring like a shower during the rainy season. ¡®Yeah. I struggled to get here.¡¯ As I stepped down, only one of our team members remained unpublished. It was Ha Ye-eun. I felt sorry for her. I¡¯ve been playing a game with Seo Ji-won up until this point, so there¡¯s no way she won¡¯t feel burdened. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Go for it.¡± That¡¯s how I wished her luck. However, when I checked her complexion, she surprisingly wasn¡¯t nervous at all. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s not her major, or maybe it¡¯s because she prepared something else. After a while, I realized. ¡°I interpreted Monet¡¯s work musically.¡± She rolled up the cloth. A keyboard appeared in it. Not a computer keyboard, but a keyboard like a portable piano; an eternal friend of composer students. Ha Ye-eun grabbed the keyboard and soon began to hit the keys. I admired it. ¡®Music could also describe light.¡¯ A melody reminiscent of a cool yet warm spring. It was a song that suited Monet¡¯s painting quite well. There wasn¡¯t any tension, so everything felt completely natural. There¡¯s no reason for her to be nervous because the fields of competition don¡¯t exactly overlap. Even so, it couldn¡¯t be helped that it was ridiculous. ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re fighting with music in an art class.¡¯ That¡¯s why she¡¯s a true student of Han Ye-won. Han Ye-won¡¯s academic tradition is that so long as the results are good, it¡¯s fine, so don¡¯t be trapped in a format. Wasn¡¯t it like that from the practical entrance exam? If you just follow the theme, you¡¯re free to use whatever tools you want. As such, our group¡¯s presentation ended very successfully. It was the most rewarding day since I returned. * Returning home, I faced an unexpected crisis. ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It¡¯s getting dangerous.¡¯ You could die like this. After I woke up from the thrill of the presentations, the coldness of reality now strangled me. ¡®When did I spend so much money?¡¯ Money was running out of my bank account, and at an incredible speed too. ¡®How did this happen? Did I lose my mind? I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t spend a lot.¡¯ I was looking at my bank account, and the cost of living was being depleted at a rate of four times as fast as I initially expected. Just what is the reason? It was obvious. It was the result of generously pouring money into each task. ¡®I should¡¯ve just done the assignments normally!¡¯ On average, I spent more than 100,000 won a day on my assignments. It wasn¡¯t just Monet¡¯s work. In addition, just because I¡¯m an art student does not mean that I don¡¯t have books for my major. To make matters worse, there is no way that the wallet of an unemployed person will be able to hold out since he kept buying things and eating this and that outside the house. ¡®I can¡¯t help but to spend money.¡¯ Even if I realized it late, it¡¯s too late. Now, the remaining living expenses were about two months. It¡¯s a shame because I¡¯ve been accumulating it since I was in high school to pay for my school tuition, but without this, I would have probably already starved to death. But now, that is still the future. I couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it now. ¡®The time has come to make money.¡¯ Fortunately, the plan was already made in advance. Ever since I returned, I¡¯ve stopped by the student office every day. And whenever a new promotional paper came in, I bought a copy. I spread them out on the bed. The contents of these promotional papers were promotions for design contests. ¡®Let¡¯s see which contest will be worthwhile.¡¯ That¡¯s right. I was going to cover my living expenses through the contests and earn a better reputation to start doing bigger things. The ultimate goal is to receive start-up support from Han Ye-Won. The first step was to be recognized by the professors, followed by this. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ Flip. Flip. The pages of the promotional papers flew by. There were various options such as mascot designs, inventions, and character creation contests. However, several things had to be considered. I couldn¡¯t just look at the money. ¡®Is there anything that will be helpful for my career and can be combined with my studies?¡¯ It became a little more complicated when those conditions were attached. Still, I have to be patient and look through it a bit more. Soon, a decent contest caught my eye. ¨C [Mupia Co. Ltd. Emoticon Contest] [Eligibility: Young people between the ages of 19 and 35] [Round 1] Preliminary Document Screening ¨C> [Round 2] Portfolio Review ¨C> [Round 3] Announcement of Results ¨C I read it slowly from the top and the moment I saw the bottom, I exclaimed in a joyful voice. ¡°This is it!¡± ¨C Grand Prize ¨C 3 million won / 1 person. Excellence Award ¨C 1.5 million won / 1 person. Encouragement Award ¨C 500,000 won / 3 people. ¨C No matter how much I searched, competition prizes of this amount were rare to find. The reason why this contest was even more attractive was the fact that it was even efficient compared to how much effort I needed to put in. ¡®Emoticons are a battle of ideas rather than quality. And if it¡¯s a trend in the future, it¡¯s already in my head.¡¯ You can choose just the right amount of anything and bring out the feeling. Moreover, character products are also good for making the names of the designer known. Okay. This is it. The time has come to return to designer Lee Jae-ha, not art student Lee Jae-ha. The deadline to apply for the contest is today; there are only two hours left. ¡®Hurry up, hurry up.¡¯ It was the moment when I turned on the computer and was about to send in the application for the document screening. Riiinng. The cell phone rang. ¡®So suddenly?¡¯ Usually, I would ignore it because I was in such an urgent situation, but the caller was a person who I could not ignore. [Professor Lee Jong] It was a professor. ¡®Why did he call me at this hour?¡¯ I was thinking about whether to answer or not. I closed my eyes and answered the phone, hoping that it will be over as soon as possible. ¡°Yes, hello.¡± Let¡¯s not talk on the phone for too long. I muttered with a blank face. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh? Go out for a contest?¡± Chapter 14 [ A conference room in the main building of the Han Yewon University of Fine Arts ] Seven professors were seated opposite each other around a round table. Among them, a man with a particularly plump body muttered, ¡°The time has come again this year.¡± He looked at the faces of the people around him one by one and said, ¡°The prize money has grown. This means that the organizers are also thinking of raising the difficulty of the contest in earnest. But, well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± His eyes flashed for a moment. ¡°For this year¡¯s Jeondi competition, Han Ye-won should win the grand prize.¡± The rest of the professors nodded seriously. An exhibition design contest of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism¡¯s Bae University. The so-called Jeondi exhibition, as its name suggests, was a contest in which students from all over the country competed for the best exhibition design. It doesn¡¯t take a huge amount of money. It is not a world-renowned contest. At first glance, there was nothing special. It¡¯s just a common government-sponsored contest. Nevertheless, the reason why the professors gathered separately and held meetings to discuss this contest was because this competition has one special characteristic. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be pushed back by those at Hankook University.¡¯ It was because the two schools had been fighting over this contest for more than a decade now. For professors at Han Ye-Won, it was shameful to lose to Hankook. Until five years ago, the Jeondi Contest was a solo stage for Han Ye-Won. The two schools always shared the prize anyways, but in any case, it was a tradition for Han Ye-won to take the grand prize. However, Hankook University started slowly rising five years ago and finally won the grand prize last year. It must have caused an explosive fanfare in Hankook University, but a state of emergency was declared at Han Yewon. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. They can¡¯t even hold a pencil properly against our students.¡± ¡°Yes. At the end of this year, we have to show the difference in talent. It¡¯s going to prove that their way of selecting students is wrong.¡± The professors muttered in a serious voice. Their current behavior was ridiculous. It¡¯s the students who are participating in the contest, and yet they¡¯re talking as if their pride is at stake. However, this was also understandable, considering Han Yewon¡¯s history. Han Yewon, a traditional and practical powerhouse. And Hankook University, which values theory. Everything was because the two with such different stances have been looking at each other like bugs ever since the very beginning of their establishments. ¡°I heard that you can get into Hankook University even if you can¡¯t draw a sketch properly so long as you can study well. What kind of art school is that? Just keep studying what you¡¯re good at.¡± ¡°Because you disregard learning like that, all your students at Han Yewon will only have stone heads.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As your career and experience builds up, you get better anyways, and you have to select a smart person with good brains to become a great person.¡± ¡°Oh really? So there are only critics at Hankook University and no artists?¡± ¡°What?¡± A childish competitive spirit. However, it was not strange to think that the childish people from the beginning became professors when they got older. In a nutshell, there are no professors from Hankook University at Han Yewon, and there are no professors from Han Yewon at Hankook University. ¡®Idiots who only know how to study. You guys were only lucky last year, this time I¡¯ll show you the difference.¡¯ The professor who took on the role of the moderator muttered in a serious voice, ¡°Have you all thought of any students that you would recommend?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The professors nodded and began to present the profiles of the candidates they thought of. ¡°Joo Ji-hoon, a third-year architecture student, has consistently maintained high grades since the first year.¡± ¡°Hanseol, also a third-year, was the head of the Sculpture Department last semester.¡± A series of talented students came up. Even in Han Yewon, where there is a wide range of talented people, there were so few students who truly excelled that they could be counted on one hand. In fact, if their names were mentioned here, their evaluations in the undergraduate department had no meaning. Because their levels have already reached the professional realm. But even then, if they were told to do high-leveled tasks, they would do their part. * It¡¯s been a while since the professors began presenting their top students. The professor who was moderating muttered as if he was wondering something. ¡°Professor Lee, do you have any students in mind?¡± That¡¯s right. Professor Lee Jong was particularly quiet today. He was also famous among professors for his special desire for discipleship. It was well known that even at the risk of annoying others, he preempted talented students in advance and placed them in his studio, but currently, he was silent. ¡°Hmm. I see.¡± Professor Lee Jong smiled brightly, putting a profile sheet on the table and said, ¡°I recommend this student.¡± ¡°This student¡­ name is Lee Jaeha¡­.currently admitted to the Department of Visual Design. And,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The professor who checked the profile frowned. ¡°He¡¯s a first-year.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± There was silence for a while. A few seconds later, the moderator professor interlocked his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No matter how green the bud is, he¡¯s still a freshman. Usually, in the first-year, you haven¡¯t even shaken off your entrance exam¡¯s style yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How can you recommend a freshman when you know that? I understand Professor Lee¡¯s special love for disciples, but I don¡¯t think this is right.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see.¡± Professor Lee Jong smiled softly and continued to listen to him. He just kept listening and listening. [ A few minutes later ] ¡°I believe you know now.¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It was the moment when the moderator professor was about to conclude. ¡°I still recommend Lee Jaeha.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The moderator professor was gently ignored. His eyes trembled. Do you think he¡¯s not listening to you? He took off his glasses and, in a heavier voice than before, said: ¡°There are only three TO¡¯s. It¡¯s difficult to entrust it to a student whose skills are uncertain. Moreover, why this particular student? Aren¡¯t there better students in the professor¡¯s studio who are in the same year?¡± [ TL/N ¨C Think of TO as the amount of spots/how many students are allowed to participate ] It was obvious who he was talking about. There was a student who was quite famous among the professors even before she entered the school. It was Seo Ji-Won. She was good enough to be considered a senior student. ¡®When she was young, she was already in the media known as an art genius. They said that early exposure to society is bad for education, and so her talents did not see the light thanks to her parents¡¯ hiding, but her talent is real.¡¯ It was the moment when the professor tried to mention her. Professor Lee Jong opened his mouth first. ¡°You mean Seo Ji-won.¡± ¡°Yes. That student would¡­¡± At that moment, Professor Lee Jong cut off his words and said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard for her because of her poor cooperation.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a child who ignores what I say if it doesn¡¯t suit her tastes. If it¡¯s from the same undergraduate, she¡¯ll probably pretend to not hear it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The other professor¡¯s facial muscles twitched. ¡®Was Professor Lee this cold-hearted?¡¯ He said she was a disciple whom he had raised since she was young, but when he tried to give her a good position, he began to criticize her. In truth, this was an accurate evaluation. Even if you could make your own art, teamwork is still essential for Jeondi. Anyone who lacks social skills like Seo Ji-won wouldn¡¯t make it. ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± The moderator professor rubbed his face. Then he gently closed his eyes before opening them and said, ¡°Professor Lee, don¡¯t you have a student in the second-year who¡¯s good at drawing?¡± ¡°He took a semester off.¡± ¡°The one in the third-year,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°He said he would enlist next year.¡± ¡°Then the one in his fourth-year¡­. come to think of it, that student has already participated in the previous Jeondi and cannot participate again.¡± Those who have already joined once are prohibited from rejoining. It was a rule set to prevent certain groups from monopolizing subjects. For a moment. The atmosphere stiffened. Professor Lee Jong spoke softly with a smile, ¡°Student Jaeha is competent. He knows well what he can do and what he must do. At least he won¡¯t hamper the other members of the team.¡± ¡°Whoo.¡± The other professor, who failed to break Professor Lee Jong¡¯s stubbornness, sighed and said, ¡°But I¡¯m still against Lee Jae-ha. It¡¯s too risky to trust only Professor Lee¡¯s words and put student Jaeha in the contest.¡± He¡¯s a freshman. He has nothing to prove that he¡¯s capable yet. Several professors agreed as his opinion felt reasonable. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°This student is better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Here¡¯s Cho Hyung-woo, a second-year student.¡± The meeting reverted to how it started again. Professor Lee Jong simply smiled without saying anything. It was the moment when Lee Jae-ha¡¯s recommendation seemed to drop into the water. ¡°I think Lee Jaeha is good too.¡± Another professor, who had been silent, spoke up. It¡¯s coming back here again. A professor who pushes an unnamed freshman. The moderator professor muttered with a look of disbelief. ¡°Professor Kang?¡± It was Professor Kang Noah. She launched her support for Lee Jaeha. ¡°Today, the student showed me a piece of art in my class, and it was quite impressive.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a rule that says you won¡¯t do well in other fields because you only specialized in one field?¡± The host professor continued with distrust, ¡°The Jeondi Exhibition is a contest for exhibition designs.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s even better,¡± Professor Kang Noah smiled and said. ¡°Jaeha¡¯s work had strong exhibition design elements.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I think student Jaeha is okay, too. He¡¯s so quick and sensible that it¡¯s hard to believe he¡¯s a freshman. Whatever you ask of him, it¡¯ll probably be done.¡± ¡°If Professor Kang says so too, then¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The moderator professor closed his eyes as if he was frustrated. There are two people recommending Lee Jae-ha. You could say that it would be enough to ignore it due to an inferior number of votes, but in fact, there was a superiority and inferiority relationship among professors. Someone who became a professor at Han Yewon. And someone who was hired to be a professor at Han Yewon. At this moment, the two people, Lee Jong and Kang Noah, belonged to the latter. They are the two who make Han Ye-won¡¯s brand magnificent just by being in the faculty, so if the two decided to hold hands, even the principal could not treat them recklessly. ¡°You two, did you really have to?¡± ¡°I was just stating my thoughts.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Professor Lee Jong smiled, and professor Kang Noah laughed for a while. The moderator professor took a long sigh and spoke in a resigned voice. ¡°You two are making dinner tonight.¡± As such, Lee Jae-ha was put on the Jeondi¡¯s list of recommended students without even knowing it. * [ After a short call with Professor Lee Jong ] I muttered with a puzzled expression. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I was recommended for the exhibition?¡± It was sudden. It¡¯s not even surprising, it¡¯s just absurd to me. ¡®Isn¡¯t it the standard to ask me first and then make a recommendation?¡¯ I can¡¯t believe you decided to recommend me first. It¡¯s astonishing. Before you ask me if I don¡¯t like this, that¡¯s definitely not the case. Rather, I felt like I was going to die of joy. I was thinking of making a decent amount of emoticons, but I can¡¯t believe such a big opportunity came in at that moment. ¡°If you join the team and get the grand prize, you¡¯ll have a solid footing from then on.¡± Is Jeondi just a contest? Absolutely not. All of the design affiliates that won the grand prize, or any prize, were guaranteed free passes for their future. It proves that you are one of the best students in the school even if you just participated. The right answer was to participate unconditionally if I could. Of course, even if we receive the grand prize, the total amount will be small because the members have to split the prize money, but Professor Lee Jong also compensated for this. ¡°We will treat everything from the business trips to the preparation process as working hours.¡± It means that I can receive an hourly wage. ¡®The question is whether I can go out to Jeondi and participate as a single person.¡¯ When it comes to competition, it¡¯s different from showing off one¡¯s skills in class. Each participant is a representative of each school and an elite in their future industries. It doesn¡¯t matter if I was a student of Han Yewon or if I knew future trends, there was bound to be a lot of opponents that could not be easily defeated. I thought about it for a while. I smiled. ¡®Still, it¡¯s definitely a benefit if you go participate.¡¯ I don¡¯t know when the opportunity will come again, so it¡¯s only right to do it if it¡¯s profitable. But what if I fail? I gave up everything that was mine for others and ended my life once, but is that my job? If you think you¡¯re going to fail, you just have to try not to. Moreover, there must be a reason why Professor Lee Jong, an expert in the field, chose me. Therefore, I was confident. ¡®Ah. It was a good thing I entered Professor Lee Jong¡¯s studio.¡¯ As such, I unexpectedly joined the Jeondi Exhibition Team. * The meeting place with the other team members was set as a cafe near Seokgwan-dong. The name of the cafe was very familiar. ¡®Sleeping Loft. Yeah. It was still open at this time.¡¯ It was a franchise that did well in the university districts with fairytale-like interiors and pretty uniforms, but in the future, it went bankrupt and was ruined. It¡¯s nice to see you again after a long time. It was the moment when I entered the store and opened the curtains of the designated room. ¡°Excuse me¡­. sir?¡± It seems that I already knew a lot of their faces. Chapter 15 I sat down by the window, sipping my coffee and thought, ¡®The school that I go to is indeed Han Yewon.¡¯ I looked at the faces of all the members. There was one male student who was shy and tall, so he could probably listen to the sound of his brother at church well. On the other side, there was one female student who was short and reminded me of a cat. At first glance, the two seemingly opposites had one thing in common. ¡®You¡¯re all familiar faces.¡¯ They were people I had seen or met in my previous life. First, that male student. ¡®Ju Ji Hoon. The most famous third-year student in the Department of Architecture.¡¯ He had a good personality, handsome face, and his outstanding skills earned him a reputation in other grades as well. ¡®I heard you studied really well¡¯ I heard that he attended Hankook University before coming to Han Yewon, but considering that the entrance examinations for the two schools are completely different, he was someone who truly deserves to be called Um Chin-ah. [ TL/N ¨C Um Chin-ha = A man or a boy who is perfect for everything/An outstanding person in every field ] That was Ju Ji Hoon. ¡®But that¡¯s nothing.¡¯ That¡¯s only what he¡¯s like so far. Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s real exhaust was different. ¡®Start-up Architecture Company, President of Juji Architecture Design. Ju Ji-hoon. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d see you here.¡¯ That¡¯s right. In the future, he will take full advantage of his major in architecture and join a large architectural firm. After leaving the company after only five years, he set up his own company and hit the jackpot. Juji Architectural Design. His company specialized in designing private houses, and it was rumored that he created a celebrity¡¯s house that aired, and as a result, he went viral. That¡¯s how many years it took him to become famous. Ju Ji-hoon became a billionaire at the age of 30. ¡®After that, he gave lectures on how to start-up your own company, and even his autobiography hit the jackpot.¡¯ Anyways, he¡¯s competent. If he was a member of my team in the exhibition design contest, he would definitely be reliable. ¡®And that senior is¡­¡¯ Meanwhile, the other student, Hanseol, is a sculpture major. She went abroad and made a fortune with installation art. In her twenties, the auction price of one of her works exceeded 100 million won. I once saw a newspaper article titled ¡°The Achievements of a Young Korean Artist¡± ¡®Either way, she¡¯s a talented person who fits well with the contest.¡¯ This exhibition contest went beyond simply drawing and writing out a design plan. You had to produce an actual model of it. The model also had to be 2 meters by 2 meters at the minimum. In this situation, a person who is skilled with their hands like Hanseol will be of great help. I had a good feeling. ¡®As expected, there are a lot of talented people in Han Yewon. But I really can¡¯t believe such talented people came out.¡¯ Well, it¡¯s only natural. Han Yewon has already passed the entrance exam level of other universities all over the country and gathered only the best talents. Among them, being recommended to Jeondi means that one is the top elite among all Korean art students. Nevertheless, there was one problem. ¡®Didn¡¯t Han Yewon lose the grand prize for this exhibition contest?¡¯ That¡¯s right. As far as I remember, the winning team of this match came from Hankook University. I still remembered the professors being very sensitive about it for a long, long time. ¡®What was the reason? The team members are all so talented.¡¯ Exhibition design is a field that thoroughly evaluates the competition with practical skills. Then, wouldn¡¯t it be natural for Han Yewon, a group of practical monsters from across the country, to win the award? But they lost to Hankook University. There had to be a reason. ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ No way?¡¯ I had a good idea as to what happened. It was probably a very close guess. ¡®It¡¯s because of Seo Jiwon, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ That¡¯s right. In this life, I was recommended as Professor Lee Jong¡¯s assistant, but in my previous life, Seo Ji-won was the studio assistant. Then, in my previous life, wouldn¡¯t she have been in this team instead of me? ¡®Considering your temper, you wouldn¡¯t have cooperated nicely. I don¡¯t think you even spoke formally to your seniors.¡¯ During Professor Kang Noah¡¯s first class, how did she respond to Park Kyu-tae¡¯s suggestion that Monet¡¯s [The Woman with a Parasol] be the theme of her work? I started tackling it without any special reason. Nothing suggested an alternative reason. ¡®If the same thing had happened here, no matter how good the team members were, there would have been no choice.¡¯ Of course, this was just my guess. It also has a lot of personal feelings mixed into it. ¡®You couldn¡¯t have done that in this kind of place¡­.¡¯ As I was immersed in my world of imagination, I heard a voice next to me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± Turning my head, it was Ju Ji-hoon. He was looking at me with worried eyes. ¡°You look very tired.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not okay. Look at your dark circles.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was preparing my assignment.¡± I looked around, but Ju Ji-hoon still asked me with a questioning look. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be a freshman at Han Yewon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes¡ª what?¡± ¡°I know even if you don¡¯t tell me. When I was a first-year, everyone was about to die from how harsh the classes were.¡± ¡°Jihoon oppa is right.¡± Hanseol, who had been silent, also agreed with Ju Ji-hoon. ¡°Han Yewon¡¯s curriculum is famous for being tough from the very first first-year.¡± ¡°Right. When I first entered the school, I almost dropped out because I felt ashamed of my fantasized campus life.¡± Dropping out was a joke, but other than that, I couldn¡¯t just brush it off. In fact, Han Ye-won¡¯s curriculum was a thorough task bomb. It¡¯s only natural that the right to sleep is not guaranteed during the semester. However, I was an exception. Since I had already experienced it once in my previous life, it wasn¡¯t too difficult. Repetition is just annoying. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll learn when I can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you say in front of professors.¡± Hanseol said to me in a serious voice. ¡°We¡¯ll take full responsibility for this contest, so don¡¯t feel pressured and just work hard.¡± I almost started laughing at the words. ¡®You say that I don¡¯t have to feel pressured, but isn¡¯t it contradictory to say to work hard as well?¡¯ But the way she worried about me was refreshing. A senior who is small enough to be around 150cm tall, looking at me with solemn eyes and her arms folded. Regardless of my mental age, I was reassured. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Somehow, I felt good about these two; to the extent that I don¡¯t quite understand how the team from my past life was eliminated with such a member. * After a few brief introductions, a full-fledged planning meeting began. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared the basic composition in advance.¡± Ju Ji-hoon said, turning the sketchbook to face us. ¡°It¡¯s a proposal I made, and I¡¯m going to make a model based on this. Do you want to take a look?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Seeing Hanseol stay still, the two seemed to have already had a conversation before I came. I slowly looked through the sketchbook. And I shed an invisible admiration. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ The design looked as if nature and the exhibition space was woven into one. The material of construction is mainly wood. From the looks of it, it seemed to be Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s creation. ¡®It¡¯s an idea fitting of a future architect owner.¡¯ It didn¡¯t feel bad. The eco-friendly sensibility was refined, and it seemed that it could be aimed at unexpected exhibitions that tended to focus on future-oriented designs like sci-fi. In one word, it was unique. Most of all, I liked the fact that he was well aware of the purpose of the exhibition design. ¡®Many people often misunderstand what the exhibition design is truly about.¡¯ The exhibition design itself was beautiful, but the structure should not be the main focus, because the true protagonist is the exhibition to be placed in it. The exhibition design contest is to design a space where exhibits will be placed, but what¡¯s the use of burying them? ¡®The belly button is bigger than the belly.¡¯ In short, while pursuing excessive glamour, we shouldn¡¯t miss the essence of it. Considering that there are many professionals who miss this part and only show off their design just to fail, his designs were particularly good. ¡®Ju Ji-hoon knows how to abandon his greed for art.¡¯ I liked it. Here, Hanseol helped. ¡°Based on this, when we start making the model, Jihoon oppa will make the overall design, and I will make the props to put here and there.¡± It was too much to laugh at. I roughly guessed the distribution of our team¡¯s roles from what they¡¯ve said. ¡®You¡¯ve made a team combination in advance.¡¯ Joo Ji-hoon has the overall composition. Hanseol catches the details. It was a perfect combination for an exhibition design. So perfect to the point where it seems that I have nothing to do. No, maybe this was actually their intention; to make sure that I don¡¯t cause trouble for anyone. You must have seen me as unreliable since I am a freshman. However, I had no intention of free-riding. ¡®We¡¯re organizing the exhibition design as a space that makes the exhibits stand out, sticking to the basics. However, this alone isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ The moment I saw Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s sketchbook, I realized it. ¡®If you compose it like this, it¡¯ll be nothing more than a commonly seen work.¡¯ I could see it clearly after hosting dozens of exhibitions in my previous life. Sure enough, the Ju Ji-hoon of this time was still lacking. Perhaps it was because he didn¡¯t have practical experience yet, so he was only focused on theory and basic skills of the undergraduate level. If you were aiming for the grand prize in a contest, you needed to look beyond just the basics. ¡®Okay. Let me help with this part.¡¯ I realized my role. Usually, there was a common problem for college students participating in these exhibitions. It was that they thought their ideas were novelties, but they could not conceive of novelty in a true sense of the word. However, I am different. I can break the mold. Because there is always a higher level of novelty in my head. If it goes as planned, the results would definitely be worth a grand prize. ¡®The question is whether or not these two will listen to me.¡¯ I glanced at the two. Being recommended here means that you have gained great trust from not only among the departments but also among the professors. Therefore, it is highly likely that they took pride in their abilities. But I¡¯m a freshman. As a first-year student with no achievements, it was clear that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to convince the seniors. ¡®Show it with skills rather than words.¡¯ After making a plan in my head first, I opened my mouth. ¡°Excuse me. Can I tell you what I think?¡±¡± ¡°Say anything comfortably.¡±¡± Ju Ji-hoon responded with a smiling face. I nodded and said, ¡°Your work is good, I like them all. But I think it¡¯d be better if we could fix a few things.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to fix it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Um¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Ju Ji-hoon tilted his head and asked, ¡°It¡¯s fine to fix it, but can you give me a more detailed example?¡± ¡°Please lend me a sharp mechanical pencil.¡± ¡°Why a sharp one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to explain with pictures than words.¡± He looked puzzled before rummaging through his bag and handing me the pencil case. The pencil case was full of drafting sharpeners. Among them, there was something that I was glad to see. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I last saw this mechanical pencil around.¡¯ [ Frag 1000 Pro. ] This is an item that the company I worked for distributed to all of it¡¯s employees. As I held it in my hand, the familiar metal texture filled my fingertips and gave me confidence. It feels like meeting an old friend. ¡°Then excuse me for a second.¡± I ripped out a sheet from Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s sketchbook. After skimming through the sketch that Ju Ji-hoon had drawn, I put my idea on top and started drawing. Sassaak. The sound of lead scratching the paper filled the narrow room. ¡°Huh?¡± Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s expression was colored with embarrassment. I could see clearly what that expression meant. You¡¯re wondering what I¡¯m trying to do. You¡¯ll find out soon. ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be pleasantly surprised.¡¯ I looked at the sketch that Ju Ji-hoon had drawn. Actually, I was a little disappointed in my art skills. In my previous life, I¡¯ve done numerous planning sketches. ¡®At first, I thought it was best if I drew it meticulously.¡¯ I only realized it later on. It¡¯s not always good to draw in detail. The key was to quickly draw only the main points so that viewers could understand the overall feeling. That¡¯s how I was drawing it now. Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s draft was maintained, but the deficiencies in the draft were trimmed and visibility was improved. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± I put the mechanical pencil down on the desk and asked Ju Ji-hoon, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Ju Ji-hoon blinked blankly at my finished sketch. And then, he muttered in a voice as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t transfer from another school¡¯s architecture department, did you?¡± Chapter 16 I almost burst out laughing at Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s reaction. ¡®This is refreshing to see again.¡¯ I thought you would refute my sketch or try to teach me because you¡¯re a senior¡ªa pretty popular senior¡ªbut for some reason, you seem to be purely admiring it. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Ju Ji-hoon analyzed my sketch from various angles and said, ¡°How did you draw it so neatly? Very few people in our department can do this. Seol-ah, you¡¯ve seen how I was caught every time I drew a line, right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do this?¡± ¡°I draw with ambition.¡± Ju Ji-hoon exchanged opinions with Hanseol, then he slapped his knee and said, ¡°I can tell just from looking at it, there¡¯s more space to rest, so it became more natural.¡± ¡°I know. Should I say it¡¯s more humane?¡± ¡°Why is there such a difference?¡± He asked me as he compared the two sketches. ¡°Jaeha, what did you do? I already have a rough idea, but I think it¡¯ll be better if I hear it coming from your own mouth, so can you explain it to me?¡± He seemed to be trying to get my opinion on it. I¡¯m human Lee Jaeha. I had an intuition that the moment to grease my tongue has come. [ TL/N ¨C getting ready for a long explanation/conversation ] ¡°It may sound like criticism. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Hey, why do you care about that?¡± Ju Ji-hoon shook his hand and said. ¡°You¡¯re intelligent. You do it if you need to. Do everything except curse your parents.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded and said, ¡°I felt this when I saw Jihoon¡¯s drawing: ¡®It feels nice, but I can¡¯t picture it well in my head.¡¯¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t picture it in your head?¡± Ju Ji-hoon tilted his head. ¡°Did my drawing do that?¡± His sketches definitely weren¡¯t bad. Rather, it was right to say that it was well drawn by the standards of the general public. The details were well drawn, and the level of perfection was also high in terms of aesthetics. However, I thought that there was a part that was somewhat biased towards theory. ¡°Should I say that it¡¯s unlikely a person will wander around this space?¡± ¡°Unlikely?¡± ¡°Yes. Just looking at the sketch makes me feel great, but when I think of people crowded together in there, it feels awkward. I touched upon that part just in case¡­and it became like this. It¡¯s hard to explain it to you in detail.¡± ¡°A person walking around.¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Ju Ji-hoon blanked out as if he was slightly shocked by what I said, and muttered quietly. ¡°That¡¯s right. The people should come before the exhibition.¡± This was what he missed. He thought of the exhibition only as a space for displaying objects. However, this was not necessarily his fault. This time was originally such an era. ¡®The exhibitions of the near future will be reborn as a complex cultural space where you can enjoy both exhibitions and relaxation together.¡¯ Public demand has changed. They now wanted a space where they could take a break from their everyday lives rather than a rigid exhibition. Therefore, designers had to consider comfort before the exhibition. ¡®Most of the exhibitions that only aimed to be exhibitions failed.¡¯ This part was my aim. I increased the area of the resting space in my sketch, and added a more comfortable atmosphere to the interior. Of course, I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll accept it yet. It¡¯s up to them to accept whatever suggestions I make. ¡°Honestly, I was a little worried. But it seems that there was a reason why the professors kept trying to recommend a first-year student.¡± Joo Ji-hoon looked at my sketch for a long time, then suddenly said, ¡°Seol-ah.¡± ¡°Yes, oppa.¡± ¡°This looks okay to me, what do you think?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Hanseol tilted her head for a while before confirming. ¡°I think I¡¯m okay with it, too.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s much better than your drawing.¡± For a moment, Ju Ji-hoon flinched. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m still in front of my juniors, can¡¯t you save me some face?¡± [ TL/N ¨C save face: retain respect; avoid humiliation. ] ¡°How can you speak about seniors and juniors to strangers who aren¡¯t even in the architecture department? It¡¯s tacky.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s on. ¡®My muse~ ugh~ hmph~¡¯ That¡¯s what a lot of middle-aged people use.¡± The two stopped having a serious meeting and exchanged jokes, but they eventually felt my gaze and said, ¡°Jaeha.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The next words were somewhat shocking. ¡°Let¡¯s throw mine away and go with yours.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I opened my eyes wide in surprise. ¡°Really?¡± I thought a few minor changes would be made at best, but I ended up flipping over the whole thing. Hanseol also supported the opinion. ¡°I agree. I was worried because you were a freshman, but I think you¡¯re better than Ji-hoon oppa. Let¡¯s just throw his away and do it together; just the two of us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking again¡±. Ju Ji-hoon looked at me and smiled. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go with this.¡± * Once the overall framework was set, the project ran smoothly and quickly like a sports car. ¡°The design is gradually reinforced while working based on the sketch drawn by Jaeha. First, let¡¯s go find the materials to make the model.¡± ¡°You mean a tree, right? ¡°Right.¡± Ju Ji-hoon nodded and said, ¡°The important thing is the overall structure, but for wood products, the better the raw materials, the higher the quality. Plywood and laminated wood are easy to obtain, but they are extremely poor quality.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to use pure wood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you lose a lot of money?¡± He shook his head at my words and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the budget, the professors promised to help. They told me to work hard because it¡¯s okay up to a few hundred.¡± ¡°How many hundreds?¡± ¡°However high their expectations are of us.¡± Then I¡¯ll just be thankful. I have no intention to refuse the money that is already given. The more reliable the professor is, the better. ¡®I¡¯m wondering about how to use this effectively ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ ¡°Where will you get the materials from?¡± When I asked Ju Ji-hoon, he spoke with confidence. ¡°There is a company that our architecture department often orders from. I¡¯m going to take a few things from there.¡± ¡°Is the quality good there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly not bad. Do you happen to know Arum?¡± It was a name that I often heard of. If you¡¯re referring to Arum in the Architecture Department, you¡¯re probably referring to the furniture company Arum. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a furniture company.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a place that supplies wood.¡± Oh. Then it would have been difficult. ¡®It¡¯s not a bad company, but it can never be said to be a good company.¡¯ Though it¡¯s a popular company and enough to compete for second place in market share, there are as many furniture companies as there are stars in the night sky. When looking at the whole thing, Arum was mediocre at best. But it is a cost-effective company. ¡®Maybe they have something appropriate for undergraduate usage.¡¯ The situation is different now. The budget is full, so we needed to use better material. ¡®Hold on, come to think of it¡­¡¯ There was an emerging company. I thought about it for a moment before speaking up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take it from the lumber mill yourself?¡± ¡°Lumber mill?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a lumber mill that I know pretty well. It¡¯s probably the best in Korea in terms of quality.¡± ¡°Is there such a place?¡± ¡°The wood there is usually used in handmade workshops.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it just by listening, and there¡¯s no example¡­.¡± He looked uneasy, probably because if he does accept my offer, he¡¯s throwing away familiar materials that he¡¯s already held in his hands before. So, I decided to try and convince him. ¡°The Blue House also uses timber from there.¡± ¡°What? The Blue House?¡± [ TL/N ¨C Blue House is the executive office and official residence of the Republic of Korea¡¯s head of state. It does have another name, but I think Blue House is easier to remember ] Ju Ji-hoon was startled by my words and shouted. As expected, using a government agency of faith and trust worked at once. ¡°How do you know about such a place?¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Because a friend of my friend worked there.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. My friend is Park Kyu Tae, and Park Kyu Tae¡¯s friend is me. Ju Ji-hoon muttered as if he was possessed. ¡°You have friends who work in such a place at your age¡­ hey¡­. What was I doing back then?¡± You were looking for a billion-dollar fortune back then. [ TL/N ¨C assuming he¡¯s talking about the past life ] Anyway, while the two of us prepared the materials and began building the structure in a large frame, Hanseol decided to take charge of another task. ¡°I¡¯m really good at sculpting, you just have to trust me.¡± She shrugged and said. Her role was all about making props. ¡°Even if I look like this, I¡¯m extremely good with my hands.¡± What do you mean a little bit? There was no doubt that she was one of the top talents in the Sculpture Department at Han Yewon. Above all, I know her future. ¡®The future representative of Korea. You¡¯re only an undergraduate now, but you¡¯re still a genius among undergraduates.¡¯ Ju Ji-hoon looked down and said, ¡°She must be a little good with her hands because she¡¯s short.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Can you hear something from down there?¡± He¡¯s merciless. Since then, we had a few more conversations, and the grand first meeting ended in a good atmosphere. ¡°Then let¡¯s stop here for today. In the future, even if it¡¯s cumbersome, let¡¯s meet whenever we need to and review the progress.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± That was the end. Looking back on today, it was great to think about how the planning meeting of college students went so well. It was the moment I left the Sleeping Loft and was about to go home as usual. ¡°Ah!¡± Hanseol rubbed her lower stomach and muttered. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s time to eat.¡± Ju Ji-hoon looked at me and asked, ¡°Jaeha, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± Since it¡¯s our first meeting, I think he¡¯s going to buy me a meal. It was somewhat awkward because I had never gotten food from my seniors after returning. I said it casually. ¡°Rice soup.¡± ¡°You can eat something more expensive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to eat rice soup.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ju Ji-hoon smiled and said. ¡°If you want to eat, you have to eat soup. Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s a soup restaurant that my classmates often go to when they work.¡± It was a soup restaurant famous for its reasonable prices and 24-hour business. Later, while eating, I was curious to know why the two of them were so close, so I asked a bit, and they answered: ¡°Jihoon oppa and I went to the same academy. We also took the practical exam together at Han Yewon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I grew even more curious. I¡¯m sure that one is younger than the other, but they said that they took the test together, so something was out of context. I asked gently. ¡°Did you retake the college entrance exam¡­?¡± Joo Ji-hoon scratched his neck as if he was embarrassed and said, ¡°I took three tries.¡± ¡°Th¡­Three¡­.?¡± I can¡¯t believe that a person who became rich in the future from starting a design business had to take the entrance exam three separate times. He coughed in vain at my words of disbelief. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not good at practical skills, so I made up for what I lacked with my entrance exam scores. My drawing is still there, but my SAT scores keep going up.¡± This doesn¡¯t make sense any more. ¡°The SAT scores in our entrance exams are extremely low.¡± That¡¯s right. Han Ye-won¡¯s entrance exam is 80% practical and 20% of the SAT. Even as the SAT grade went up, the conversion score went down to the bottom. It was a university that strongly expressed its will to select people based on only their practical skills, but it is widely believed that the SAT should only take 3 grades and instead focus on preparing for practical applications. ¡°Oh, that?¡± Ju Ji-hoon smiled and said. ¡°It was okay when I got a perfect score in everything except for math.¡± Oh my god. I don¡¯t know if I can say this to a person who studied hard, but it was a very ignorant way. ¡®Just because you¡¯re an elite in this industry doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a practical genius.¡¯ On the contrary, I could indirectly feel his efforts to become a talented person after entering the school. As I was thinking about it, Ju Ji-hoon laughed and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, I did get into Hankook University, but I left. I heard that school life in Hankook University is boring because you only study there.¡± It was a fact that I already knew. However, in my experience, there was no loss in responding to others when they¡¯re bragging. This was especially the case when the other person buys you a meal. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes, very cool. You¡¯re the best, I¡¯m proud of you, I respect you. I¡¯m sooo jealous of you.¡± When I pretended to know nothing and praised him, his nose seemed to rise all the way to the end of the sky. [ TL/N ¨C You know that thing about lifting your chin and smiling when you feel proud and all that? Yeah that, except nose ] ¡°Did you hear that? I¡¯m such a great person¡±. ¡°You¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°Huh? I can¡¯t hear you because your voice is low-pitched.¡± ¡°Low-pitched? Is my voice deep?¡± ¡°If you hear it from a low place, it¡¯s a low-pitch.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I smiled without realizing it. ¡®I¡¯ve never had such a noisy meal since I returned.¡¯ It¡¯s also my first time getting a meal from a senior. I felt like I would last a little longer with them. * Do you know where all the wood in Korea is gathered? They¡¯re gathered in Incheon. This is because most of the high-quality wood is produced abroad, so it is inevitable to rely on imports. A few days have passed since the meeting. Vroom. I got on a truck with Ju Ji-hoon and headed to a lumber mill in Incheon. ¡°Where did you get this truck?¡± ¡°The professor lent it to me.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡®Give me money and lend me the truck, too.¡¯ It was understandable that the professors at Han Yewon had high expectations for this contest. We rode in the car for a long time. As I was driving down the street, a sign caught my eye. [SEONGJUN¡¯s WOOD] There was a large tree cut in half with the engraved name of the mill on its cross section, in case someone didn¡¯t know it was a lumber mill. ¡®There is no change here, now, or in the future.¡¯ As soon as I saw the sign, I laughed because it was a place that I had already visited several times in my previous life. It takes a few minutes to get there by car. Soon, the place I was looking for came into view. Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Ju Ji-hoon, who got out of the car first, said in a surprised voice, ¡°The wood here smells amazing¡±. There were trees in all directions, but logs, pieces of glass, and tools such as saws and hammers rolled around. And¡­ A man was heading towards us from far away. A man with a beard that grew so wild that it was hard to believe he was Asian. He was the director of Seongjun¡¯s Wood, Yoo Seong-jun. Chapter 17 [ The office of Seongjun¡¯s Wood ] ¡°Here, have a drink.¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun said, putting a cup down on the table. ¡°Thank you.¡± The water in the cup he put down looks clear and transparent, but if you look closely, you can feel the viscosity. It felt familiar to me. It was maple sap. [ TL/N ¨C Not maple syrup, that¡¯d be kind of weird to drink? But yes, maple sap water exists ] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± While Ju Ji-hoon frowned at the strange sweetness of it, I drank it in one gulp. ¡°Haha¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun chuckled at the sight of me, even spitting out exclamations. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re good at drinking. I¡¯ve never seen a young person like you drink this much at once before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had it a lot.¡± Sometimes I stole it from the person in front of me and drank it. ¡°You¡¯re a strange person. You said you were a Han Yewon art student, right? Then you must have studied well.¡± ¡°I did a lot of harsh studying and reviewing from my textbooks.¡± ¡°Really? My daughter has been complaining that she also wants to do art. You two can teach her later.¡± ¡°Oh. How old is your daughter?¡± ¡°She¡¯s seven years old now. It¡¯s her baby picture¡ª isn¡¯t she cute?¡± ¡°She looks like a princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad she looks like that to someone who doesn¡¯t know her.¡± Let¡¯s chat for a while to relax the atmosphere. Soon, Director Yoo Seong-jun said in a serious voice, ¡°Okay. You want us to sell our stuff to you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°What are you going to do with it? This isn¡¯t a woodworking shop. You know it¡¯s a place where you take the raw wood and sell it, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded. The difference between a carpentry shop and a lumber mill. A carpentry shop was a place where wood was processed and sold according to the customer¡¯s needs, whereas a lumber mill was a place that sold logs as it was after minimal processing. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we need.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ hmm.¡± He rubbed his bushy beard for a while before saying, ¡°So, you¡¯re going to take our stuff and process it yourself to use it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not easy about it?¡± I knew the meaning behind his words, but Ju Ji-hoon didn¡¯t know, so Yoo Seong-jun looked into my eyes and said, ¡°Students, can I be a little nosy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t know where you heard about us, but it¡¯s probably useless for a student like you to purchase things from here.¡± A whisper of criticism. It¡¯s meaningless to buy wood from you. ¡°Can you tell us why?¡± Ju Ji-hoon asked, intervening, as if he couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity any longer. ¡°The wood that we handle is difficult to process.¡± He got up from his seat, took out a piece of wood from his office desk, and brought it in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s a piece of wood called rosewood, student. Just listen.¡± It was the moment when Ju Ji-hoon was given the block of wood and held it in his hands. ¡°Is this a tree?¡± He cried in a startled voice. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary block of wood¡ªits density was almost as high as metal. The sense of grip itself was different from that of ordinary trees. ¡°It was originally used by emperors.¡± It wasn¡¯t a joke. Rosewood was inherently more precious than even the most precious metals in the world. There are a lot of rosewood sales in the market, but almost all of them are fakes or only similar wood products. It was right to say that even if you did find proper rosewood, it was still difficult or near impossible to get. Director Yoo Seong-jun smiled and opened his mouth, ¡°This is usually called hardwood, characterized by its heaviness and difficulty in handling.¡± Hardwood was usually used for sculpting or to make high-end furniture, but the internal structure was so dense that it was extremely hard. In addition, because of its high price, most of the wood that students usually use for practical training was softwood. ¡°You students may not be aware of it, but even experts don¡¯t use our products because it¡¯s so hard to handle. How much money and rosewood will you end up throwing away because it was handled incorrectly? I almost feel sorry for the tree.¡± It seemed as if he was quietly saying that we didn¡¯t need this kind of wood. However, I didn¡¯t come here just to back down. I came prepared knowing that he wouldn¡¯t give me anything willingly. So I said, ¡°Please take a look at this.¡± I took a sketchbook out of my bag and showed it to the director. ¡°A figure¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a model. I¡¯m going to put out a work for a contest soon, and I¡¯m going to make it out of wood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to make it out of wood, but can¡¯t you go to another lumber mill? Why did you come here of all places?¡± Yeah, I¡¯ve been waiting for this question to come up. I spoke in a voice as serious as I could make it. ¡°Because the wood here is the best in Korea.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun blinked as if he was surprised by what I said. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating¡±. I continued speaking without missing a beat. ¡°No. I¡¯ve been interested in furniture for a long long time now, so I¡¯ve visited many artisans, and they all said that the wood here is the best.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. There was no exaggeration in my words. While other lumber mills only bring common trees, the trees handled by [Seongjun¡¯s Wood] had different colors. ¡®He would visit the site in person, select the items at the best price, and close the deal even if the quality deteriorated just a little.¡¯ The quality brought in that way is undoubtedly the best in Korea, and it was at the level that handmade furniture craftsmen and musical instrument merchants use. To put it simply, it was Blue House desk wood. One word of this was enough. ¡®It¡¯s incomparable to the cost-effective wood used in Arum.¡¯ ¡°Artisans say they are not picky about tools.¡± That was by the words of a stranger. Most artisans were, in fact, crazy about tools. How many artists poured out their living expenses just to use a single tube of paint even if they starved themselves? In the Renaissance, there were many families who went bankrupt after living crazy about marble sculptures. ¡®Unless you know what the Hankook University team will bring, you have to widen the gap even in materials.¡¯ That¡¯s why [Seongjun¡¯s Wood] was needed¡ªbecause there¡¯s nothing more excellent in Korea than what is handled here. ¡°Hmm¡­ our stuff isn¡¯t that good.¡± Yoo Seong-jun coughed as if he was embarrassed. ¡°Students, our stuff is expensive.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ stubbornness isn¡¯t exactly a good thing.¡± Yoo Sung-joon got up for a moment, stretching himself out and said, ¡°Then follow me for a second.¡± * [ A studio inside the lumber shop ] He pointed at something with his finger. It was a piece of black wood. A piece of wood that looks very rough to the touch. ¡°It¡¯s ebony. It¡¯s an ebony for dogs and cows, but most of them are fake and only ours are real.¡± If this was genuine, it¡¯s value could not be underestimated. Ebony wasn¡¯t as expensive as rosewood, but it still cost dozens of times the price of normal trees. It was precious wood that grew through the ground. ¡°The sculptors are crazy about it, so if you can cut it well, you can take it.¡± ¡°What if I can¡¯t cut it?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re just throwing away the precious trees.¡± While he chuckled, I touched the block of ebony with my fingertips and said, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re going to sell this to us if we can cut it properly, right?¡± ¡°Sell it?¡± Yoo Seong-jun said with his arms crossed. ¡°It¡¯s a student discount. I¡¯ll sell it to you at the cost of importing it.¡± ¡°Good. You¡¯re quite generous.¡± Fortunately, it worked out as expected. It was the moment when I happily took the lead and grabbed the saw. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Ju Ji-hoon, who had been quiet the whole time, intervened. ¡°I¡¯ll do this.¡± ¡°You?¡± When I pointed at him with a puzzled expression, Ju Ji-hoon shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m also an architecture major. Until now, I¡¯ve been quietly listening to the director, but I¡¯ve also touched a lot of trees¡ªI¡¯ve sawed a lot, too.¡± He confidently rolled up his sleeves. The subtle fine muscles in his forearms twitched. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a lie that you sawed a lot. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s an architecture department¡¯s student.¡¯ Often, there were two departments in art schools where you could compete physically, excluding physical education. It was the Sculpture and Architectural Departments. As the two of them had their students working on cutting and trimming materials throughout the year, there were sometimes students who boasted a physique comparable to that of an athlete. ¡°Trust me¡±. Ju Ji-hoon smiled. Then, in a familiar position, he held the block of wood in one hand, and for a while, attempted to shred it with a saw. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh?¡± He looked embarrassed. Was it that the saw blade wasn¡¯t nailed well? No, it was perfectly nailed, but the tooth wouldn¡¯t go in. ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­.¡± After that, it was a repetition of the same process. He tried to cut it again and again, but even if the saw blade was barely inserted, the cross-section was crooked, so it was impossible to use. It¡¯s almost like throwing away precious wood shavings. ¡°Um¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Seeing Ju Ji-hoon moaning, Yoo Seong-jun laughed as if he knew it would happen. ¡°See? If you take this, it¡¯ll be useless to you. I¡¯ll recommend another lumber mill, so go there instead. No matter how good an object is, it¡¯s only meaningful when someone who knows how to work with it touches it.¡± ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Eventually, Ju Ji-hoon stepped down as a loser. But that didn¡¯t mean that I was going to give up. ¡°Can I try this time?¡± Human Lee Jae-ha¡¯s turn has arrived. Yoo Seong-jun tilted his head. ¡°Another try?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that even I couldn¡¯t do it before?¡± Ju Ji-hoon spoke in a way that asked what I was going to do when he himself couldn¡¯t do it. In fact, when comparing me and Ju Ji-hoon, my body fell behind. First of all, he was taller and slightly skinnier than me. But I was confident. ¡°Sawing is not a physical technique, but rather, a technical one.¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun laughed at my words. ¡°That sounds plausible.¡± Then, he crossed his arms and said, ¡°Okay. Try it if you can.¡± ¡°Just watch.¡± I rolled up my sleeves and lifted one leg up, stepping on the piece of wood. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done this.¡¯ It reminded me of something that happened a long time ago. In my past life, I experienced the same situation as I am in now. It was time to prepare a bid for furniture design. [This bidding was ordered by the boss himself. There¡¯s a lumber mill called Seongjun¡¯s Wood. We have to purchase the wood they handle somehow. But the owner¡¯s never thought about selling it. What do you mean? Why do you keep taking on things that you know you can¡¯t handle? What kind of two-year-old determination is this?] Director Yoo Seong-jun was such a person. There were a lot of complaints towards him about not selling his goods, and many merchants were saying, ¡°Does this even make sense to you?¡± At that time, it was me who came forward to persuade him. But even then, Director Yoo Seong-jun made me do the same thing. If you want to buy it, I¡¯ll sell it¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t that simple. Instead, he tells you to cut it to a level that he can acknowledge and accept. Of course, I didn¡¯t cut well, so I had to go through a lot of trouble. ¡®I would cut and chop until I dropped dead.¡¯ I had gotten a lodging nearby and came down every day to practice cutting down trees. After about a week like that, I finally succeeded in cutting a piece of wood to the level that could be recognized. Since then, there has been a myth that when there was a need for sawing at work, they called me first, but anyway, I learned something properly then. ¡®Sawing is a skill, not a force.¡¯ No matter how hard the wood is, it still has its own weakness. The success or failure of sawing was divided into whether or not that weakness could be targeted. And I thought I¡¯d find the weakness. Turning the tree around to make a path for the saw to pass by and then cut them continuously like this. In just a day and one minute, thick pieces of wood were cut. The cross section was also neat and almost entirely straight. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh?¡± Yoo Seong-jun stood there with a surprised look and said, ¡°Wait. This can¡¯t be right. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Should I cut another one?¡± At my words, he shook his head. ¡°Yes. It must¡¯ve been a bit rotten here.¡± I soon grabbed another block of wood and started sawing. Shhhk. Shhk. This one cut even faster. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun opened his mouth. He looked as if the impossible had happened right in front of his eyes. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s not usually like this. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Perhaps he still couldn¡¯t believe it after seeing it twice with his own naked eyes, so he grabbed the saw himself and slashed through the tree. Then after confirming that it was a normal piece of wood, he asked, ¡°Hey, have you ever worked in this industry?¡±¡± I immediately shook my head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Today is my first time.¡± ¡°But how can you cut it so well? It¡¯s almost terrifying.¡± He crossed his arms and exhaled. I questioned him. ¡°Are you going to keep your promise of selling it to us?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll sell it.¡± He frowned, and after contemplating for a long time, asked, ¡°Do you have any thoughts of working here?¡±¡± ¡°No.¡± * ¡°¡­.What¡¯s all this?¡± Hanseol said, surprised. ¡°I picked it up on our way here.¡± ¡°You, oppa?¡± Ju Ji-hoon laughed at her question and said, ¡°No. Jaeha did.¡± Chapter 18 Dozens of trees suddenly piled up in Han Yewon¡¯s studio. There was such an excessive amount that it would probably be impossible to use all of them in one contest. ¡°These are the best-quality trees that came in last month.¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun, who brought them in himself, said in a pleased voice. They were in good condition, even at a rough glance. ¡°Wow¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Hanseol was completely absorbed with the quality of the wood to the point where she wasn¡¯t listening at all. Perhaps her head was filled with flowers as she imagined what kind of work could be completed with this. Falling in love with materials is the fate of the students in the Sculpture Department. ¡®By the way¡­¡¯ I smiled as I watched the two. ¡®He really only picked the good items.¡¯ Director Yoo Seong-jun said that he would only send the good ones, and that wasn¡¯t a lie. In fact, every material he picked out was the highest quality possible. From ebony to teak, mahogany, walnut, ash, and oak¡ª he brought us all the possible materials that we could use. After all, he said that we would need at least a few types of softwood. Of course, none of it was free. ¡°Hah, this is the price with a discount?¡± ¡°Student. At this price, I¡¯m basically giving it to you for free.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, no matter where you go in Korea, you won¡¯t find this kind of quality at this price.¡± ¡°This one knows well. It¡¯s only this cheap because you¡¯re a student, so be thankful.¡± It was still a great deal even though the cost was expensive. Ju Ji-hoon, who had been arguing with him about it, was worried about the professor¡¯s reaction. Well¡­ the important part was that the professor did scream. It wasn¡¯t any of my business after that. I¡¯m not going to put these heavy things back¡­. ¡®Well, even if there¡¯s leftover stock, I¡¯ll use it all within my time at Han Yewon somehow.¡¯ Will only the students use it? Professors are usually the ones who go crazy about raw materials, so there¡¯s no way that they¡¯ll fail to recognize the value of these timbers. All of this may seem like a lot now, but it will only be a matter of time before it all runs out. ¡®What Yoo Seong-jun gave us cheaply¡­ he must¡¯ve considered everything up to that point.¡¯ He said he would give it to us cheaply because we¡¯re students, but his words definitely needed some interpretation. He is a businessman. Businessmen do not do favors without a reason. No matter how many current buyers there are, the industry believes that the more buyers, the better. Perhaps he even calculated his future gains from this. Of course, it was true that I benefited from this as well. I bowed my head, thinking that I should accept Yoo Seong-jun¡¯s favor humbly. ¡°Thank you for selling us these.¡± ¡°No need for thanks¡±. Director Yoo Seong-jun smiled. ¡°I¡¯m more thankful that you purchased these from us. As you said, we don¡¯t know if our goods are the best in Korea, but there will be no shortage of things to make, so use them well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun looked around before slightly tilting his head to my ear and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely sure that you don¡¯t want to learn our line of work?¡± I answered sharply. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Sheesh. I really shouldn¡¯t have given it to you so cheaply.¡± Director Yoo Seong-joon grumbled and got back on his truck. ¡°Then use these well, and when the exhibition design or whatever is over, it would be nice if you could let me see what you¡¯ve all made.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to contact you.¡± It was the moment when he started up the truck and was about to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ju Ji-hoon rushed to the side of the truck and said, ¡°May I visit your lumber mill again soon?¡± ¡°What are you going to do there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll learn how to saw properly.¡± He was interested in furniture, so he didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity. As a successful businessman in the future, he knows how to keep his connections. Director Yoo Seong-jun rummaged through his wallet and pulled out a piece of paper from it. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°What? A business card?¡± ¡°Contact me before you come.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Thank you!¡± Just like that, Director Yoo Seong-jun turned his truck smoothly around and left. Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s gaze lingered on the back of the truck for a long time, with a look of admiration for senior industry men. ¡®¡­.I hope I didn¡¯t do anything weird.¡¯ He was worried about his future. But it wasn¡¯t my business. * The real work has begun. At first, it was a big burden for the three of us to make a model of more than 2 meters by 2 meters, but some unexpected helpers appeared. ¡°Oh, you chose some really good ones¡±. ¡°Where did you get this again?¡± They were undergraduates in the Architecture Department, and they took the lead in helping us work on our model. However, their efforts didn¡¯t seem to be for free. ¡°You promised to go on a blind date after this, so you better keep it.¡± ¡°Look at what you did.¡± Ju Ji-hoon had hidden conditions for all of them. As expected, the power of a popular person is unmatched. I thought that I would have to pay for a relationship. ¡°Isn¡¯t this cheating?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The limit for official members of a team is three.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Ju Ji-hoon laughed at my words and said, ¡°Outsourcing is also a skill.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°To be honest, I think you would have to cut off the allowance you get from your parents in order for this to be a fair game.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the one working, they are.¡± It seemed like sophistry at first glance, but it was actually a reasonable statement. And I agreed with that opinion. ¡®Cooks participate in cooking contests, but farmers also indirectly participate by providing and growing the ingredients that are used.¡± Only the result should be good. Of course, if the planning and designing of the work were left to an outsider, it would be a violation of the rules. Anyway, some of the architectural students who gathered here together to help kept asking Hanseol if she was interested in a relationship. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°Seol? Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s cute. She¡¯s totally my type¡ªI like girls who are small enough for me to hold in my arms.¡± In fact, Hanseol was attractive. However, Ju Ji-hoon shook his head and said, ¡°Give up¡±. ¡°Oh don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to introduce her to you, but Seol is a person who only knows sculptures.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There are many people who have confessed to the students in the Sculpture Department, but they¡¯re all refused, since sculpture students view dating as a waste of work time. Look at her eyes¡ªyou¡¯re about to date a living sculpture.¡± Sure enough, even now, Hanseol was busy trimming the wood brought by Yoo Seong-jun. She almost looked like a ghost because she couldn¡¯t concentrate. ¡®It needs to be just right¡­¡¯ She opened her eyes wide and carved the wood very little by very little, and if she messed up even by a tiny bit, it felt like she would split her skull on the spot. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a lie to say that she was great with her skills though.¡¯ As she had boasted previously, her skills were excellent¡ªafter all, she said that she was the head of the Sculpture Department. Whenever I took my eyes off of her, small pieces of wood popped out one by one. Most of them were being thrown away because it didn¡¯t feel right to her. No, she threw it all away. All the items that were thrown away by her became mine. ¡°Noona. Can I take this?¡± [TL/N ¨C Noona = older sister (typically used by boys speaking to girls older than them)] ¡°You can take them all.¡± I¡¯ll call this free money. ¡®If you sell it later when Seol-noona is out, this is all equivalent to a lump of money!¡¯ I made a small profit. Anyway, as we entered the actual production process, the role distribution turned out something like this: Ju Ji-hoon was in charge of manpower control and wood processing in a large frame, while Hanseol was in charge of crafts. And my job¡­ ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ How are you so good? You didn¡¯t transfer from the Architecture Department, did you?¡± ¡°I did not. How many times have you asked that now?¡± We were working on a prototype. ¡°It¡¯s so strange. Where did this guy come from?¡± Based on my experience of working at a design company and making hundreds of prototypes over and over again, I was now like a fish in water. The architecture seniors also seemed surprised to see me like that that day. ¡°How can a freshman do that? He¡¯s supposed to be in the Department of Visual Design?¡± ¡°What did we do back then?¡±¡± ¡°I was busy drinking and throwing up.¡± ¡°Oh. Thinking of alcohol makes me want to drink.¡± ¡°Wanna have a drink after work today?¡± That being said, it worked out pretty well. When it comes to carpentry, the deadline was often cited as the most annoying part, but they solved all of it. ¡®How can all of this be so convenient?¡¯ There was no reason to be a Han Yewon student just for everything to be this easy. I was embarrassed by the feeling of unfamiliar material for a while, and after testing one or two samples, the water quickly rose to a comfortable level. [TL/N ¨C Think about the level of water as how familiar he is with working with the new materials, like the opposite of a fish out of water] If you asked for help for something, it¡¯s usually resolved by the time you come back from taking a walk. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s good with his hands. I was prepared to waste a week on prototypes, but his application abilities are no joke.¡¯ In conclusion, Ju Ji-hoon and I were able to focus entirely on working. ¡®It¡¯s relaxing.¡¯ I was so tired when a genius was my rival, but now that I¡¯m an ally, it feels ridiculously comfortable. Is this how it feels to have a thousand troops? [TL/N ¨C Having a lot of people supporting you, it seems] Meanwhile, I felt a little nervous watching them. ¡®The students in my department will soon rise to this level as well.¡¯ That¡¯s right. There is no reason for students in the Department of Visual Design to be inferior to them. They are the same Han Yewon students. Even the Department of Visual Design represents the school. I¡¯m still a freshman, so I¡¯m only considered immature, but I don¡¯t know how much I would develop if I found my own colors as the years go by. ¡®At this time, a fake genius like me may quickly reveal its roots to be at the very bottom and be pushed out as a result.¡¯ If I don¡¯t want to end up like that, then I have work to do. ¡®I need to work harder.¡¯ It was an effort. I believed in this once and failed, but in any case, effort was a useful weapon. At least you don¡¯t lose money. ¡°True talent¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re a freshman?¡± It was also possible for them to admire my fake talent in a way, because of the efforts of my previous life. So, time passed quickly. * [ The date of the exhibition ] At the art museum near Hyehwa Station, Ju Ji-hoon spoke in a majestic voice. ¡°Let¡¯s make one thing clear.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We did our best.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Hanseol nodded. ¡°No matter what the outcome of the contest is, you can¡¯t blame others. Got it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Okay. If you blame others, you will be cursed to never graduate from college. Come on, let¡¯s go in now.¡± After making up our minds, we entered the exhibition hall. There were already more than a hundred college students busily wandering around. ¡®They¡¯re all art students.¡¯ As we passed by the booth designated for us, we took a small peak at the works the others had prepared. Most of them were as I expected. ¡®It¡¯s not bad, but that¡¯s really all it is.¡¯ It was quite nice. There were a few differences in design, but the ideas themselves were nothing special. Exhibition design using recycled rubber. Exhibition design using corrugated cardboard. Even a Lego-styled exhibition design. They tried to put in their own unique twists, but in the end, their ideas were limited. ¡®They may seem plausible when you look at it, but it will disappear from your memory after three minutes. Functionally, it is no different from existing designs. Even a deteriorated version would be better at this point.¡¯ Moreover, the quality of the model productions were just like what you would expect of college students. Those were the results that I had wanted to avoid. ¡®It may seem like novelty on the surface, but there¡¯s no reason to abandon the existing design and adopt it.¡¯ By comparison, we had the upper hand. While others only cared about the exhibition aspect, our idea of combining rest areas and exhibition spaces was still special. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and install it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We took the props out of the boxes we had ordered for delivery in advance and began to assemble them one by one. By the way, the props were all unique. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± The look of embarrassment appeared on the faces of the team next to us. There it is. If everyone else here is at the level of a model, we¡¯ve brought items that have reached the level of pure art. The attention that was being focused on me put more strength on my shoulders. ¡®This is the power of high-quality materials! This is the power of 100 million future writers!¡¯ My efforts were rewarded. No matter how excellent the materials and skills are, you will eventually adapt to it when you see them every day. Then, when an object to compare it to appears, its true value is revealed. ¡°They¡¯re¡­.¡± ¡°The Han Yewon team?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been grinding my teeth since I saw them.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the professors make it for them?¡± Whispering voices could be heard nearby. They were reactions that I was expecting. ¡°Hehe.¡± That was not my laughter. Joo Ji-hoon grinned as if he were a villain in a movie. ¡°Jaeha, I have a good feeling about this. If we do well, I think we¡¯ll win the grand prize.¡± Of course. I prepared it with the intention of winning the grand prize, so I¡¯m going to win the grand prize no matter what. ¡°Let¡¯s finish quickly and rest.¡± Just like that, I was working hard to prepare for the opening of the exhibition hall. Stomp. Stomp. I heard footsteps, and three people walked to the space across from us. The name written on the clothes they wore caught my eye. [Korean National University of Arts] It was the Hankook University team. ¡®They¡¯re the Hankook University team.¡¯ The white Chinese characters that were written on top of their black baseball jumpers were kind of overwhelming. I became nervous without realizing it, but Hanseol said next to me, ¡°Wow¡­ how do you have the courage to dress up like that?¡± Chapter 19 ¡°I¡¯m ashamed just watching them. If that were me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to wear it.¡± Hanseol muttered. Remembering that she even disliked over-sleeping, I smiled. ¡®But at this time, only students who wore jackets wore them back then.¡¯ Wearing your school¡¯s name on your clothing will become a nationwide trend in the next few years, but right now, it was only a culture that was shared by some schools. One day it¡¯ll appear on the news, saying that it¡¯s a trend to show off your academic background. ¡®Right now, it¡¯s just treated like a school uniform¡­¡¯ These minor differences were the pleasure of regression. ¡®By the way¡­what kind of work did Hankook University present in my previous life?¡¯ Actually, this was what I was most curious about. How great was it that they managed to beat Han Yewon¡¯s team? Was Seo Ji-won really the problem? Was our team so terrible that we were defeated because only one of us caused discord? Well¡­it¡¯s only been a month since I¡¯ve met them, but I¡¯ve never looked down on their skills. They¡¯re baby tigers. I don¡¯t know how far they will grow over time¡ªeven now, when they¡¯re still only rookies in their third-year. In particular, Hanseol¡¯s dexterity was not lacking in any way, even if it was different from Seo Ji-won in a different field. ¡®Okay. Let¡¯s see.¡¯ The Hankook University team soon dragged a huge box to their area and opened it. Then, a huge model popped out. A model reminiscent of an automated factory. Conveyor belts were spread on all sides, and it felt like I was looking at a rotating sushi roll. ¡®Looking at it, it seems normal¡­.¡¯ It was the moment when I thought so. Beep. The moment the switch¡ªthat was installed in a corner of the model¡ªwas pressed, the model began to move. Whoiing. ¡®How crazy¡­.¡¯ It was an astonishing sight. The conveyor belts automatically rotated to match the factory-like appearance, and cogwheels were intricately interlocked here and there. It wasn¡¯t just the appearance of a factory and unbelievable details that were made by a college student that stunned everyone. ¡®How the hell did you make something like that?¡¯ Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean that other teams have never tried such a mechanical device. There were many cases where simple lights came on when a button was pressed. However, there was definitely no team that had made it in earnest like this. ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± Students from other schools around us muttered with signs of boredom. ¡°What are they doing?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve clearly put all their energy into showing off what Hankook University can do.¡± Compared to Hankook University, their models feel like children¡¯s toys. ¡°Can undergraduates make something like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible even after a month or two¡¯s worth of testing prototypes¡­¡± Ju Ji-hoon and Hanseol said as if they were dumbfounded. In terms of design quality, our work was also excellent. In particular, the luxurious feeling of the materials and the sophistication of the sculptures were superior. However, I couldn¡¯t ignore the visual performance. ¡°This won¡¯t be easy,¡± Ju Ji-hoon muttered, before speaking in a firm voice. ¡°Still, we worked hard too, so don¡¯t be discouraged.¡± I did as much as I could. After that, I can only hope for the best. But¡­ ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I smell something rotten.¡¯ It was strange. My inner alarms as a designer rang. * An hour has passed since the exhibition contest officially began. Spectators began to gather one by one, and soon it became busy. ¡°This model is like looking at Legos. How did you come up with this idea?¡± ¡°What should we do to install the exhibition structure as quickly as possible? That¡¯s where the idea of making all the structures modular came from.¡± Students were busily introducing their works here and there. Their explanations could not be neglected because not only could ordinary visitors come, but professionals from the industry could also occasionally visit. Our team was busy as well. ¡°The quality of this model is amazing. Who created it?¡± ¡°Me!¡± ¡°Han Yewon students, right? As expected, you¡¯re great too.¡± There were many visitors. Often, three or four people were attached to our work at a time and carefully analyzed it. Basically, since the school brand is behind it and the quality of the model is higher than most, more people flocked towards us. In terms of the number of visitors we had, it was one of the highest in the contest. Okay. The problem was that it was nearly impossible to be the best. ¡°Oh, did the students design this? I wonder how you came up with this idea.¡± Not too far away, Hankook University was attracting an enormous amount of visitors. ¡°I thought about it while eating sushi.¡± ¡°While you were eating sushi?¡± ¡°Yes. It made me think about how, instead of people walking around the exhibits, what if the exhibits rotated with them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an amazing idea.¡± Their average number of visitors is more than four times that of other teams. There was also a fairly significant gap when compared to our team. ¡®This isn¡¯t good.¡¯ Naturally, a sense of crisis reared its head. To be honest, in my opinion, the work of Hankook University had a number of flaws. When it comes to exhibitions, the tempo for each person to view a work is different, but theirs is a system that forces a constant rate. Which screwed-up entrepreneur would use such a model? However, the reaction of the audience was different. ¡°This is amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Hankook University for no reason.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a miniaturized factory.¡± The general public is bound to pursue instant entertainment rather than practicality in the field. There was no choice but to pay attention to the model that moved by itself. Moreover, in this contest, the reaction of visitors could not be ignored. The more unique a work is, the better it will be to publish in an article. Okay. In other words, it was a work that was fully optimized for attracting attention. ¡®You¡¯re smart.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think of things like that¡ª I knew it would work well if I made it that way. However, there was another reason. ¡®How can an undergraduate make something like that?¡¯ This was the biggest problem. It wasn¡¯t possible for three undergraduate students to wrap their heads together and make all of that in under a month. Though, would it be possible if professors had put their heads together? ¡®No. Was it actually the professors who made it?¡¯ That¡¯s what I thought. At this point, even prototypes made by a company¡¯s design personnel are lesser than theirs. However, even if my guess is correct, then it was just a matter of interrogation under the current circumstances. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense no matter how I look at it¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so. Hanseol had been wearing an unpleasant expression the entire time. ¡°Did they not go to their classes at all and only prepared for this contest for an entire year?¡± I had to let it go because there was no evidence. It was in the midst of slowly losing visitors to the Hankook University team. Tic. Tick. Tic. An unnatural sound came from somewhere, and a series of surprised voices followed soon after. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What? Why isn¡¯t this moving?¡± It was the Hankook University team. Their mechanical model, which had been moving along smoothly, suddenly stopped working. It made a series of jarring sounds that were quite painful to listen to. Twitch. Dreeep. Perhaps something got caught in the middle of the machine parts. ¡°Um¡­ please wait a moment.¡± The Hankook University team hastily turned off the model. Then they started fiddling around with it as if they were trying to fix it somehow. However, they didn¡¯t know if it would work. It seems that an internal failure has occurred. About 10 minutes were spent sluggishly without any improvement. ¡°We¡¯ll have to stop the exhibition. Please visit us again in a little while, sorry!¡± They announced that they would take a break and suspended the exhibition, and took their model off of the display, putting it back into the packaging box. Then, they put the box onto a cart and pushed it somewhere. Where are they going? ¡®Maybe they¡¯re going to find someone to fix it for them.¡¯ I don¡¯t understand. It was suspicious. I¡¯m a human named Lee Jaeha. I am a man who can¡¯t hold back his curiosity well. So, I¡¯m going to check it out for myself. ¡°Seol-noona.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to go somewhere for a bit.¡± I asked my team members to be excused for a moment and left to follow them. * After secretly following the Hankook University team for a while, it seemed that they took the elevator in the venue and went downstairs. ¡®Let¡¯s see where we end up.¡¯ I hurriedly opened the emergency door, entered, and followed them by taking the stairs. Ding. Slirrrp. The Hankook University team got off at the parking lot on the 3rd floor of the basement. This was the most deserted space in the building of the event hall. ¡®Why did you come here?¡¯ In addition, I noticed them secretly checking for the location of a CCTV. ¡®You¡¯re doing some very suspicious things.¡¯ While hiding behind a pillar and watching them, the Hankook University team soon began to exchange words with someone on the phone. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on the 3rd floor of the basement right now. I¡¯m sorry, but please come quickly. It¡¯s urgent.¡± They spoke on the phone like that for a while. As I tried to hide while watching them, a middle-aged man soon walked in. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ It was a familiar face. I soon realized. ¡®Professor Seo Do-Wook?¡¯ He was a professor of the Department of Industrial Design at Hankook University. If there was Professor Lee Jong at Han Yewon, then there was Professor Seo Do-wook at Hankook University. He was famous for being talented in various fields at a young age. ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ I was looking at him with a puzzled expression as the members of the Hankook University team bowed their heads to him and held out the cart. ¡°Please fix it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s why I told you to read the instruction manual properly. Am I going to always be the one who you run to when you need something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You need to be able to do well on your own.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get to work.¡± Professor Seo Do-wook clicked his tongue for a moment. He opened the box on the cart, pulled out the model inside, and began to inspect its insides. I soon realized. ¡®Are you looking for the area where it broke down?¡¯ It was strange. No matter how much I thought about it, it was a strange situation. What was strange was the fact that they asked someone else to fix it. If that model was truly made by the hands of the Hankook University team, wouldn¡¯t they know how to fix it by themselves? Even if it was urgent. No, if they were in a hurry, then they had to fix it even more, because the more personal the products you make are, the longer it takes to figure out the structure. ¡®Especially if the structure is as precise as a factory machine. A factory may shut down for weeks because the internal symptoms cannot be diagnosed.¡¯ Therefore, in most cases, the fastest way to fix it was for the creator himself to help. Why do you have to borrow someone else¡¯s hand for such a thing? ¡®Even having to hide like that. You came to the parking lot where no one else could see you.¡¯ At this point, my inner thoughts were confirmed. ¡®Professor Seo Do-wook had participated in the production of their model. He¡¯s also the core part of their work.¡¯ It seemed certain. If so, then it was a violation of the regulations of this contest. Perhaps if this situation is known, Hankook University will be disqualified from participating. However, it was difficult to reveal right away, since they¡¯ll be declared innocent if they deny it enough. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a way.¡¯ Instead of confronting them, I took out my cell phone. ¡®Let¡¯s take video evidence.¡¯ Fortunately, it¡¯s the early 2000s right now, so sound could be captured on my phone. So, I filmed with my body hidden behind the pillar. ¡°Ah. This was the problem. There is a foreign object stuck in the drive.¡± ¡°Where is that?¡± ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Just look at the manual, you guys could¡¯ve fixed it on your own. Can¡¯t you pull yourselves together?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± As the Hankook University team checked to see if the problem was completely solved, I quickly got out of the parking lot. Now, all we have left is to calculate everything carefully. * Ju Ji-hoon looked at me with a strange look as I returned to the exhibition hall. ¡°Where have you been for so long?¡± ¡°The bathroom.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I told you to eat soup in moderation. If you don¡¯t eat vegetables and consume only carbohydrates everyday, your body will¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± I gave up on the excuse immediately because I thought the nagging would be prolonged. ¡°Actually, I came back after following the Hankook University team.¡± ¡°Them? Why?¡± While Ju Ji-hoon was tilting his head, I took out my cell phone. ¡°I discovered something great. Look at this.¡± I showed them the video that was taken in the parking lot. As it was an old cell phone camera, the dark parking lot was not properly recorded, but you could still see that someone was tearing up the model of the Korea University team. It was also confirmed through the recorded conversation that Professor Seo Do-wook participated in the production of their model. ¡°What? Who is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s professor Seok Do-Wook of Hankook University.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s eyes widened ¡°Is the professor here right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Such crazy people¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s crazy.¡± I nodded. ¡°No. No wonder their work was so good. They were using this trick behind our backs. All because of the grand prize too? Are they out of their minds?¡± Hanseol said with an angry look. ¡°I know. They really must be out of their minds.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s report it right now.¡± I shook my head at the sight of Hanseol, who seemed like she might burst any second now. ¡°Please wait a little bit longer for that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I looked straight into her eyes and said, ¡°There¡¯s always a good time for everything.¡± Chapter 20 There is a moment that everyone runs into at least once in their work life. The moment when a bomb falls into their hands. A bomb that is powerful enough to blow up an unsightly boss in one shot. [TL/N ¨C not literally, metaphorically] When such a moment comes, office workers often fall into deep worries. ¡®How do I use it?¡¯ Those who give up the bomb are eliminated first, and those who try to detonate it are broadly divided into two categories. First, the weak ones. They are anxious to detonate the bomb quickly because it¡¯s nerve-wracking in itself that the risk factor is in one¡¯s hands. Two, the calculating ones. ¡®They detonate it when the benefits that will return to them reach their peak.¡¯ If you ask why they detonate their bombs at the return, it¡¯s because it¡¯s a high return, high risk. Then you could get the perfect revenge. This was the difference between the calculating and the ones who tend to rush. It was truly different. ¡®Just when you think everything is over, it secretly explodes the moment no one is watching.¡¯ Social life is like the wild. Safety was more important than killing others. In my previous life, I couldn¡¯t even fit in with the weak. Even if the bomb was dropped right into my hands, I just turned a blind eye to it. So in this life, I wanted to try something else. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t mean much even if I detonate it now.¡¯ The organizers of the contest will not want to develop unnecessary controversy and create more work for themselves. This issue concerning the Hankook University team will likely be dealt with quietly, even if they were accused right away. Moreover, Hankook University has a strong influence throughout the art industry as a whole. ¡®If I do this, they might try to silence me.¡¯ It may not end up like that, but it was better to approach these issues as conservatively as possible. The organizers cannot be completely trusted either. Therefore, I was going to detonate this bomb when the moment came where they wouldn¡¯t be able to defend themselves. That was my plan. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤um.¡± At my lengthy explanation, Ju Ji-hoon stood still and said, ¡°Satan will weep.¡± ¡°Great.¡± I coughed without realizing it. However, I still had something to say. ¡°But I¡¯ll do it when I have to. If we had been beaten without knowing that this was happening behind the scenes, we would¡¯ve just been fools for them to laugh at.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°In addition, we¡¯re not the only ones being tricked. They almost deceived all the other schools, so if we think about it, wouldn¡¯t waiting just a little longer be worth it?¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s true too.¡± Ju Ji-hoon nodded as if he understood. In fact, it didn¡¯t seem like he was planning on refusing from the very beginning. Next was Hanseol¡¯s turn. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know.¡± She said as she stood still with her arms crossed. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°It¡¯s upsetting to think that I¡¯ve been fooled by them for so long up until now, and I don¡¯t even want to see them being excited. I want to go and hit them right now.¡± She seemed beyond annoyed¡ªshe was actually angry. I guess she couldn¡¯t help it. She had the greatest attachment to this work out of the three of us. If Ju Ji-hoon and I were like businessmen, then she was like an artist. It would be a big disgrace to be defeated¡ªeven for a moment¡ªby such cheaters. ¡°But noona¡­.¡± It was the moment when I tried to push further. ¡°Still, I¡¯ll do what Jaeha says.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We were given this opportunity because of your courage.¡± Hanseol sighed. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll leave it up to you to figure out how you want to use that video.¡± She seemed to believe that I would do well on my own. ¡°Alright, please be patient for just a while longer.¡± I smiled. Let¡¯s wait a little bit. The prize will return to its rightful owner eventually, no matter what. * A short time has passed. The Hankook University team returned to the event hall and soon resumed their exhibition. ¡°There was a brief breakdown in the drive unit.¡± They quickly began sweeping the crowd again. A generous sight for an exhibition that had a malfunction at the scene. If this was a corporate exhibition, then there would be a problem with reliability, but if you are a college student, then the errors would be because you are still young. It was a good thing for them. The visitors who came to our team for a short time also eventually flocked over there. ¡°They¡¯re practically on fire.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s amazing.¡± Hanseol and Ju Ji-hoon muttered. It was especially hot over there. As the number of people waiting increased, so did the amount of attention. ¡®I knew that it¡¯d be like this, yet I still can¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed.¡¯ But, it¡¯s okay. We had a plan. As long as we were pushed back without countermeasures, this moment was only one step in the winning streak. ¡®And, things aren¡¯t all that bad.¡¯ The attention on our team was still maintained above a certain level. With the exception of the Hankook University team, it was definitely the best in the entire venue. It has been particularly well-received by corporate customers. I could see it in their eyes. The reason why I was sure of this was because the context of their questions were different. ¡°What material did you use?¡± ¡°We mainly used wood.¡± While general visitors¡¯ questions usually remained sentimental, corporate visitors focused on the practical uses of our design. ¡°The production cost of this must¡¯ve been high. Assuming that you¡¯re installing it in it¡¯s actual size, are you going to make it from the same material?¡± ¡°What about softwood at a relatively low price then? I think if we do a prefabricated design with plywood, we can greatly reduce the cost required for installation.¡± ¡°If I change the material, wouldn¡¯t the aesthetics deteriorate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Ju Ji-hoon said in a confident voice. ¡°I think the real value of our work lies in its functionality, not its outward beauty.¡± In order for them to have a perfect understanding of our work, they were educated in a similar way to being brainwashed. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤oh.¡± Even the visitors seemed to be very satisfied with his answer. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to contact you separately later.¡± There were also a few visitors who sneakily handed us their business cards. No, to say a few would be a lie. There were definitely a lot. The number of business cards that I myself have collected has already exceeded 10. An overwhelming response from active industry members¡ªthis was the difference between our team and other teams. ¡®If it keeps going like this, we¡¯ll definitely win the Excellence Award.¡¯ And thus, the first part of the contest was over. * It was late-afternoon. A short 30-minute break was given before the second part was due to begin. If it were any other contest, there wouldn¡¯t be such a break, but it seemed that they were trying to be considerate as it was an exhibition contest for college students. ¡°Ah. It was hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve spoken this much.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get a head cramp at this rate.¡° Here and there, students from each university poured out their complaints with an exhausted look. ¡°Why did you answer the question so awkwardly?¡± ¡°I thought our model was collapsing during the middle of it, so I was too nervous to answer properly.¡± It was a part that didn¡¯t apply to us, however, it was certainly the same for the fact that we were all desperate for fresh air. We left the venue for a while and chatted while walking in a nearby park. ¡°Everyone worked hard.¡± ¡°Not everyone.¡± Hanseol glared at Ju Ji-hoon and said, ¡°Jaeha worked the hardest. From designs to materials, he did everything. Didn¡¯t he technically do it all by himself?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s working hard while you¡¯re just eating rice.¡± ¡°Hey! I did my job too!¡± This moment felt even shorter as the three of us spent an already short break chatting. However, it was fitting to enjoy a break like that. ¡®Hm?¡¯ Familiar people caught my eye a short distance away from the park bench that we were sitting on. ¡®What¡¯s going on with them?¡¯ It was the Hankook University team. Despite attracting crowds of audiences throughout the first part of the event, they seemed somewhat uncomfortable. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that breakdown earlier¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°No kidding¡­¡± I knew why they were anxious. ¡®You must be worried that you might not be able to win the grand prize.¡¯ As they had borrowed the hand of a professor, they had to win the grand prize. If they couldn¡¯t, the responsibility for that loss will completely fall to them. Relief is the right of those who have tried with integrity, so perhaps even if they win this contest, they won¡¯t feel so well. Guilt will reside in the bottom of their hearts forever. ¡®There are a lot of people like that who¡¯ve succeeded, though.¡¯ I¡¯ve experienced several situations where a person who used backhanded tactics climbed to the top. I was the only one at that time who didn¡¯t get it right away. I was blamed for the mistake made by the son of the company¡¯s president. I collapsed at once, but he would¡¯ve continued to live well. In short, it was like having extra life. ¡®But this time, it¡¯ll be a little different.¡¯ It was the moment when I was looking at them while thinking like that. ¡°Do you remember Han Yewon¡¯s team?¡± There was a story about us. ¡°Oh?¡± Ju Ji-hoon and Hanseol stopped their conversation and listened to theirs instead. They continued without knowing that we were eavesdropping on the conversation. ¡°Someone from their team kept looking at me.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°A short boy.¡± I¡¯m not small, I¡¯m average. But Jihoon-hyung is too tall, so the only other person that they could be talking about is me. [TL/N ¨C Hyung is a word used by Korean males to address another male older than them who they are close to. Hyung literally means ¡°older brother¡±] Anyway, a member of the Hankook University team who heard that replied as if he realized something. ¡°Ah. I know who he is.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s one of Han Yewon¡¯s first-year Visual Arts majors. His name is Lee Jaeha. He¡¯s pretty famous in his department. A friend over there told me about him.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The student, who had been standing still at first, muttered in a tone of absurdity. ¡°What did that freshman do to become so famous?¡± ¡°He must have looked good among the professors. Why, aren¡¯t there a lot of people who have been flirting with their teachers since they were young~?¡± They giggled. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no one else in Han Yewon who can challenge us. How crazy they must be, bringing a freshman to the contest.¡± ¡°Yeah? If I had run out of ideas, I would¡¯ve at least brought a senior with some experience.¡± ¡°They must have wanted to lose pretty badly¡± ¡°It seems the prestige of Han Yewon is gone, too.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for the other two. Aren¡¯t they practically taking care of a child?¡± Their sarcasm gradually grew stronger. I knew why they were doing this. They were trying to relieve their anxiety by turning it outward. I wanted to say something, but I just held it in. ¡®Yeah, let¡¯s keep smiling for now.¡¯ It¡¯s not time yet. Their downfall is set to happen anyway. There¡¯s no need to go ahead and cause a problem. With that thought in mind, I tried to move on. However¡­ There was someone who didn¡¯t intend to stand for it. They were right next to me, too. ¡°That¡¯s crossing the line.¡± It was Hanseol. She got up from her seat and walked over to Hankook University¡¯s team. ¡®So suddenly?¡¯ While I was surprised, she said, ¡°Look at you talking¡±. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°What do you know about Jaeha?¡± The Hankook University team flinched. Could it be that they never thought that the group they were talking about would suddenly appear in front of them? ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Don¡¯t pick a fight with us for no reason. What did we say?¡± They said, after hesitating for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t try to pretend you don¡¯t know. I heard everything; how you said that there are no sane people in Han Yewon, and so what if Jaeha is a freshman?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a first-year.¡± ¡°So what? Jaeha is really good at his job¡±. At Hanseol-noona¡¯s retorts that were pouring out like a flood, the members of the Hankook University team flinched again and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to only bring senior students to Jeondi?¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Hanseol laughed as if what they said was absurd and hissed, ¡°Then should we have brought a professor too?¡± That was the moment. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± The members from Hankook University¡¯s team became so stiff that they were practically statues. Was it perhaps that they couldn¡¯t find any more words to refute Hanseol¡¯s? Or was it that they felt a stab of guilt and couldn¡¯t speak properly? As they stood still, Hanseol continued with a cold look. ¡°Without Jaeha, our group wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything. So don¡¯t make fun of us with your mouths, idiots with ugly faces.¡± Hanseol returned to us as it was. Ju Ji-hoon whispered to Hanseol with a pale face. ¡°Seol! Why did you do that? What will you do when a problem arises after you provoked them?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to be angry at me, then just let it go. They¡¯re saying things like that because they don¡¯t know anything. How annoying. They should know that they¡¯re running out of luck.¡± Hanseol looked back at me this time and said, ¡°Lee Jaeha.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The ends of her hair stood up involuntarily at her angry tone. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so don¡¯t be discouraged. No matter what they say, you don¡¯t have to put up with it. Got it? ¡°But if a problem arises¡­¡± ¡°So what?¡± She turned her head and said, ¡°Jihoon and I¡¯ll fix it.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Oppa, be quiet.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Anyway, Jaeha. You wanna know what¡¯s good about being young? Even if you¡¯re the one who causes a problem, you¡¯re cursed out less.¡± A moment of silence followed. ¡®The problem is that you detonated the bomb yourself.¡¯ [TL/N ¨C remember that this is metaphorical] Though, it didn¡¯t make me feel bad. I think she detonated it for me. Hanseol was a person who had no thoughts running around in her head, but had thoughts of her juniors. ¡®In this life, there are people who are angry for me.¡¯ Was there even one person who was like that in my past life? Well, I don¡¯t know. A smile came to my face with an unexpected feeling. ¡°Okay. The next time I get angry, I won¡¯t hold it in.¡± ¡°Self-reflect.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reflect on myself.¡± As such, the first part of the contest ended peacefully. * Until I set off the bomb. Chapter 21 ============================================================================================== [Han Yewon ¨C Conference Room] Seven people sat around the central table¡ªit was a familiar composition. That¡¯s right. They were the professors who had a meeting over the students who would participate in the contest. However, unlike then, when it was quite heated, today¡¯s atmosphere was dark. Should I say that it¡¯s almost like being at a memorial for defeated soldiers? ¡°The moment has come.¡±¡¯ Like before, the professor who hosted the meeting opened his mouth. ¡°The results of the contest are out.¡± The faces of the professors listening to him were full of discomfort, and the reason was simple. ¡°Han Yewon won the Excellence Award. The grand prize went to Hankook University.¡± Because they were defeated by Hankook University. As soon as the results were announced a while ago, all kinds of articles were posted. There was always a picture of the winning work posted within the articles, and this time, it was the work of Hankook University. ¡®Our work should have been there instead.¡¯ Though Han Yewon¡¯s work did draw attention as well, the feeling of losing the grand prize to Hankook University completely covered that fact. It was like if the Korean team came in second in the Olympics and the Japanese team came in first. It was shameful. ¡°With this, Han Yewon has lost the grand prize for the second year in a row. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The professor said as he tried hard to suppress his frustration. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the reason why we were defeated in this contest, but does Professor Lee have any opinions?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­I guess the work of the Hankook university students was just that excellent.¡± Professor Lee Jong said with a smile. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s not that,¡± The chairman said, trying to push down the feeling of exploding at Professor Lee Jong. ¡°Let me tell you. I think the reason that we lost was because you forcibly added a freshman into the team. We won an excellent award even though you put in a freshman. Then, what would have happened if we had put in an experienced senior student?¡± There was a flurry of rebukes. If it had been as usual, he wouldn¡¯t have criticized him this much, as saving the face of a fellow professor is also an important issue. However, this situation was just that terrible. It wasn¡¯t just about the contest, though. Professor Lee Jong usually enjoyed many privileges thanks to the value of his name, but he needed to take responsibility for his actions too. ¡®I can¡¯t just keep my eyes on you until then.¡¯ Perhaps Professor Kang Noah disliked the chairman professor who expressed such intentions, and opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Kids can do that. You have to learn by failing from time to time, so you can¡¯t always keep succeeding, can you? Didn¡¯t we at least win the Excellence Award?¡± That¡¯s right. The contest was originally an event to improve students¡¯ skills. However, this situation was special. ¡°Professor Kang shouldn¡¯t even say that about this. Didn¡¯t the professor also recommend a freshman too?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You tried to recommend Seo Ji-won.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Then from the next meeting forward, I hope the two professors will follow the majority vote. The same thing could happen again next year.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Professor Lee Jong said nothing, only smiling instead. It was the moment when everyone wondered if the meeting would end just like that. [Up above this beautiful red sky~] A ringtone rang loudly throughout the room. The professors wondered where the sound was coming from, but it was inside the pocket of the chairman¡¯s suit. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± As he sat down, he opened his phone and said, ¡°Uh, Professor Park. Since I¡¯m in a meeting right now, can you call me later?¡­.¡± Something was spoken across the phone. ¡°What?¡± His eyes opened wide. ¡®What did you hear over the phone?¡¯ The chairman just listened blankly with his mouth open, barely able to nod his head, and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get back to you after the meeting.¡± Professor Kang Noah questioned him as soon as he hung up the phone, coughing and trying to catch his breath. ¡°What happened?¡± The chairman, avoiding her gaze, said, ¡°Hankook University cheated in the contest.¡± ¡°What?¡± The word became a bomb. In an instant, the conference room exploded. ¡°Cheating? What do you mean? Are you saying that the work they submitted wasn¡¯t made by the students?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°Hold on. I¡¯m not done yet.¡± The chairman then supplemented the explanation, ¡°There¡¯s just been an uproar, and suspicions have been posted on the Internet that Professor Seo Do-wook of Hankook University participated in the production of the work.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, then¡­do you mean that the results of the awards could be reversed?¡± A professor asked in a hopeful voice. It was the question that everyone wanted to ask. The chairman shook his head at this question. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure yet. There were only a few photos of evidence uploaded.¡± ¡°What was the picture?¡± ¡°Professor Seo Do-wook touching the model with the students in the underground parking lot of the venue.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± There is still insufficient evidence, however, this alone was enough. It was kind of strange. The atmosphere of the conference room was immediately reversed. ¡°We misunderstood our students.¡± ¡°If the producer is Professor Seo Do-wook, then there was nothing that they could do.¡± ¡°Rather, shouldn¡¯t an undergraduate student be complimented for being compared to a professor?¡± A competitor¡¯s corruption was discovered. If it worked out well, the grand prize could rightfully return to Han Yewon. But even if it didn¡¯t, it was okay. It¡¯s important for Han Yewon to take the lead over Hankook University, but it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that they have to take first place. Okay. It was the same principle that even if the Korean team was eliminated in the preliminary round at the World Cup, they only had to beat the Japanese team before being eliminated. It was around the time the conference room became noisy. ¡°Well,¡± Professor Lee Jong said with a pleased look. ¡°I understand that the chairman will be bringing dinner tonight.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± [TL/N ¨C Bringing dinner as an apology, it seems] * [Han Yewon ¨C Architecture Studio] ¡°Wow. It exploded so smoothly,¡± I muttered with a sad expression. It had exploded as expected, nothing more, though the reactions were certainly greater thanks to the organizers¡¯ hard work. Ju Ji-hoon, who was sitting in front of me and doing his homework, asked, ¡°Jaeha, how did you manage to do this? The phone hasn¡¯t stopped ringing since earlier.¡± He didn¡¯t know the details as to what I had done. Last time, I saved my words because there were a lot of things that could¡¯ve gone wrong if I spoke too soon. ¡®But now that it¡¯s over, I can say it.¡¯ I continued to talk with a more relaxed face. ¡°I created a fake e-mail account through a foreign website. Then I contacted each and every social media outlet and distributed all the pictures.¡± ¡°¡­..Really? ¡°Of course. Everything has been posted on the Internet.¡± I said with a smiling face. Ju Ji-hoon looked disgusted. ¡°You really are a devil. If I were them, I would drop out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± This was what I thought: Let¡¯s say that Hankook University won the grand prize. Even if it¡¯s true that all other participants¡¯ awards have been pushed back one by one, is it only this one time that they will experience injustice? It is said that a needle thief will eventually become a cow thief. [TL/N ¨C saying that if no one notices someone stealing something small, then said thief will only get bolder and steal more important things, believing that they can get away with it] ¡®Once a gamer has touched a cheat code, it becomes difficult to return to vanilla.¡¯ If they were to be beaten, it was better for them and everyone else that they get beaten in advance. Of course, I didn¡¯t mean for them to do well in the future. I just gave them a bit of luck. As a result, my operation was a success. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I postponed the timing.¡¯ Before I detonated the bomb that landed in my hand, I considered two things. First: I don¡¯t suffer for this. Even if I went to the organizers and filed a complaint that day, it was highly likely that I wouldn¡¯t have had this much fun. At best, they would end up disqualified from winning the award, but in return, there was a possibility that I would be photographed by a person from Hankook University. It¡¯s not going to work. If you turn Hankook University into an enemy in this industry, you¡¯ll only be tired for the rest of your life trying to deal with them. ¡®No matter how small the possibility is, it¡¯s not good to increase the number of enemies. You could lose hundreds of millions of won with just one emotional problem.¡¯ What I want is not a whistleblower of justice. I wanted a secret beneficiary. So, I waited and aimed for a time when the news of the award placements made a fuss in the public. Rehearsal is important for any performance. ¡®Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t even imagine that I was the one who reported it.¡¯ As I sat down with satisfaction, Hanseol asked me as if she was wondering about something. ¡°By the way, Jaeha.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why did you only post the pictures? You have a video, too.¡± That¡¯s right. I filmed a video clip. But even though I could upload the video, I had purposely only posted the pictures. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± I smirked and said, ¡°A storm strikes twice.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh? Two storms? Hanseol tilted her head as if she was puzzled. ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s not over yet.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll do well on your own.¡± Hanseol shrugged. Like that, another day has passed since I spread the pictures. Hankook University has officially announced its position. [Professor Seo Do-wook claims that while visiting near the venue, he visited for a while at the urgent request of the students. Of course, this alone deviates from the purpose of the contest, and Hankook University announces that it will fulfill its responsibility by voluntarily resigning from the contest.] I started cutting the tail. Professor Seo Do-wook claimed that he had no choice but to respond to the students¡¯ demands, but did not participate much. He is a key figure at Hankook University, so he¡¯s probably trying to cover it up. And¡­ This was my second goal. * Hankook University has been in a state of emergency for some time now. This is because there was a sudden controversy over work entries at the art college. ¡°Fire Professor Seo Do-Wook, who tarnished the name of the school!¡± ¡°Fire him!¡± ¡°Get to the bottom of it!¡± ¡°Give us the truth!¡± Students at Hankook University condemned the incident and even posted a newsletter. No, they even staged a sit-in. [TL/N ¨C for those who don¡¯t know, a sit-in is when (a group of people) occupy a place as a form of protest] A sit-in. It was the method of the Korean people and the method that was engraved in the DNA of Hankook University, which shared the history of the Korean student movement. A building with a closed entrance. Inside, two professors were holding a conversation. ¡°Professor Seo.¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± It was Professor Seo Do-wook and the president of Hankook University, who were the main characters of the incident. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry for Professor Seo.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m sorry. The fact that I stopped by for a moment, it seems that I was photographed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The students were being childish. What¡¯s wrong with Professor Seo?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault that I didn¡¯t manage my students properly.¡± Professor Seo bowed his head to the president over and over again. ¡®Thank God.¡¯ In any case, Professor Seo Do-wook was relieved that he was going to cover him up. Fortunately, there was no decisive evidence of his involvement in the released photos. Photographs of him and the students fiddling with the model together in the parking lot. Thanks to that, he had something to get himself out of this situation. ¡®If the conversation had gone out too, it would¡¯ve been a catastrophe.¡¯ It can still be recovered from. He is still a useful person for Hankook University, and, when it¡¯s time for the students to graduate, they¡¯ll be excused on their own time. ¡®This is what¡¯s good about being young. Even if you cause trouble, you¡¯re cursed at much less.¡¯ It can be passed with a single stroke without a problem. Although the students who were protesting over there were a little annoying, the burnt pot without firewood will cool down over time. ¡®In the end, it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡¯ That was his idea. No, it was the moment that he thought so. [Are you really Hankook University students?] ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh?¡± The sudden noise woke them up. A loud roar echoed through the speakers outside the window. [I¡¯ve told you to memorize a single manual several times but you can¡¯t even do something so simple correctly?] [Sorry¡­] A voice of a superior reprimanding a subordinate. That voice¡­. It was Professor Seo Do-wook¡¯s voice. That was also the voice that he grated the students at this exhibition with. ¡®I, why is that¡­ there was a recording?¡¯ Up until now, he had thought that he was going to go crazy because he was embarrassed, but the sound kept coming out of the speakers. [You can¡¯t swallow it even if I feed you. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m teaching college students or raising children.] [Sorry.] [Please do well. Don¡¯t ask busy people like me to come and go like this.] [Sorry.] Words that were difficult to simply dismiss as misunderstandings continued to burst out. ¡°What is this? What¡¯s going on? What do I do?¡¯ Professor Seo Do-Wook¡¯s head was tangled up in an overly shocking situation. Was this how the naked king felt when he realized the truth? [TL/N ¨C referring to that one fairytale: The Emperor¡¯s New Clothes, I believe] Just keep your mouth shut for a while. ¡®¡­.oops.¡¯ As he turned around in surprise, he saw that the expression of the president, who had kindly comforted him a while ago, was stiff. Professor Seo Do-wook barely managed to open his mouth due to the amount of tension he felt for the first time in his life. ¡°Mr. President, I¡¯ll explain everything¡­.this¡­.¡± ¡°Professor Seo.¡± The president spoke. ¡°Are you going to continue to call all this a coincidence?¡± Professor Seo Do-wook¡¯s face turned white. ============================================================================================== Chapter 22 ============================================================================================== The second storm blew. [Discussion of the suspension and dismissal of Professor Seo Do-Wook from Korea University] [Further investigation into the contestants] [Moral hazard controversy] [How to lie twice in a university that should be the ivory tower of intelligence] The situation exploded. The controversy grew bigger as they made more false statements. [Announcement: We will do our best to conduct our own investigation] [Additional cases discovered. Professor Seo¡¯s coercion¡­] [Is he really innocent ?] [(Breaking news) What kind of deal did they make between themselves?] The controversy continued and did not cease. Hundreds of new comments appeared every time a new entry was made to the internet newspaper. ¨C ¡ª Honestly, those students who stayed quiet despite knowing about this should also be considered accomplices. ¡ª There¡¯s a possibility that they had no choice but to do it because the professor told them to. ¡ª That¡¯s just nonsense. They were silent because they were beneficiaries. If someone else besides them benefited as well, would they have stayed still? ¡ª That¡¯s right. ¡ª Did you know that everyone else is suffering because they¡¯re all fools? ¡ª I memorized all the names of the participants. ¡ª Why are you judging whether or not Seo Do-Wook did something wrong? You will only know the truth after the investigation results come out. ¡ª Actually, this was pretty much professor vs undergraduate, and only Han Yewon proved their skills. ¡ª I went there and saw them in person. They were actually awesome. ¡ª The organizers did a great job of promoting the contest lol ¡ª It was the perfect amount of publicity, except that the contest might not be held again next year, ¡ª Hey, Hankook University. I have deprived you of your qualifications for being a prestigious university. [Unauthorized scrapping and distribution of this article is prohibited ¨C XXDaily] ¨C It was even being mentioned in the morning broadcasts. [Disciplinary meetings are being held for the contestants. Currently, an indefinite suspension seems likely, but it is said that more disciplinary action may be taken over the course of the next few weeks.] [He¡¯s going out strong] [In my opinion, I think this is an appropriate course of action. When these injustices accumulate little by little, it becomes customary. And when customs accumulate, they become a culture. Then the Korean Art industry will come to an end.] [I hope this situation will encourage fair competition in the future and raise awareness of why corruption is wrong] It became so noisy that even I thought it was a little too excessive for a case of corruption in a contest. ¡®It¡¯s still going as expected.¡¯ When a person sees any hope of survival, they will try to make excuses to rescue themselves. In that case, if you detonate the bomb a second time, the effect of it will double. Just like when I uploaded the photos to the internet, I uploaded the full version of the video, and the result is what¡¯s happening now. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ju Ji-hoon said while looking at me with a face of disbelief. ¡°Jaeha, you didn¡¯t expect all of this, did you?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ maybe.¡± I shook my hands and said with a straight face, ¡°They dug their own grave with their own hands. Who told them to cheat? If they had turned themselves in from the beginning, would the public have reacted like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m absolutely scared of you now.¡± Ju Ji-hoon was terrified, but Hanseol sipped her coffee and said, ¡°Really? I think you still have a long way to go. Jaeha, do you have anything else hidden?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°If you do, take it out.¡± Apparently, she had a lot to do with it. So, my role in this situation has ended. As the controversy spread even more, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism issued a stern warning. [Strict internal investigations will be conducted to find out if there are any other additional irregularities. The official awards ceremony will be postponed until then.] There still seemed to be some time left before we could receive the grand prize. But¡­ The award will eventually return to us. I was certain of that. * The situation had calmed down by now. And I had to admit. ¡®The time has come to deal with the tasks that have been delayed for too long.¡¯ It¡¯s been a month and 15 days since I put everything into the contest, and in the blink of an eye, the end of the semester was approaching. Vacation was coming soon, and the schedule I had in mind was piled up. ¡®I can¡¯t postpone it any longer.¡¯ The moment has come to deal with the tasks that had been postponed for the contest. ¡°Hello.¡± The [Environment and Design] class has begun. Professor Bae Taehwan, who was in charge of this class, walked into the classroom and said, ¡°Last class, we learned about the impact of design on the environment.¡± He displayed a video on the screen. When a picture was hung on the prison wall, statistics showed that the crime rate in the prison decreased dramatically. ¡°People create the environment, and the environment creates people.¡± Several more statistics passed by. A story about a decrease in crime rate when a beautiful mural was painted in Harlem, USA. A story about the average performance of an entire class soaring after changing one of the lights in the classroom, and so on. These were literal examples of improving the environment through design. ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to apply the theory we¡¯ve learned so far into practice.¡± I know what he¡¯s going to say next. ¡°Let¡¯s form groups of three. Then, set up a specific environment with your team and improve it with design.¡± The essence and carcinogen of college life. [TL/N: ¡°carcinogen, a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue¡± ¨C Google ] The time has come to start the group project. And¡­ ¡°Jaeha, maybe work with us?¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy food! So let¡¯s do this project together.¡± Is it because of the contest? The number of people aiming for me has increased significantly. ¡®Ah. So this is what popularity feels like.¡¯ Have I ever been so popular with others in my life? The feeling was new. Anyone who had ever talked to me at least once tried to get me in their group, and even people who have never talked to me chased after me as well. ¡®It must be because having a winner of the exhibition design contest would be beneficial for the task of decorating an environment.¡¯ Although there were rumors that I was carried by talented seniors, it wasn¡¯t particularly meaningful. I was already famous for my skills in the department, and I just became even more famous. At least it was clear that I had the option of choosing my own team members. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The first member was Park Kyu-tae. ¡°I¡¯m good at what I do.¡± ¡°Okay. Come here.¡± ¡°The class is one hell of a blessing.¡± Park Kyu-tae is the only student in this life who takes the same classes as me. He had several advantages. ¡®He¡¯s surprisingly meticulous.¡¯ You¡¯d think everything he does will be plain, but surprisingly, there are many details in the corners of his work if you look closely enough. It seems that the performance he showed in the last assignment wasn¡¯t just luck. But aside from that, the best advantage about him was that he was easy to talk to. When choosing group members, there¡¯s no one better than people who you¡¯re comfortable talking to. ¡®Then, the third member of the group is a concern¡­..¡¯ There was no one else that I was particularly close to in the department. I was thinking about who I should choose, but someone soon spoke. ¡°Do it with me.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Call.¡± ¡°Call?¡± ¡°It means good.¡± It was Kim Daewon. Though we weren¡¯t particularly close, at least he was better than the other students. Above all, he was sincere about his work. After being hit roughly with the criticism last time, he woke up and was now submitting his assignments with the momentum of aiming for the head of the department. ¡®At least he won¡¯t hold me back.¡¯ Thus, the class ended with the three of us forming a group. As soon as I left the classroom, Park Kyu-tae said to both of us, ¡°You have time today, right? Since we¡¯re already together, let¡¯s have a quick meeting first and then go home.¡± This part was in favor. This assignment will replace the final exam for the first semester. Rather than procrastinating because there was still a lot of time left, it was more advantageous to finish it early. Now is the time to go crazy with studying. While contemplating where we were going to hold the meeting, Kim Dae-won said, ¡°There¡¯s a cafe that I know well.¡± ¡°A cafe?¡± Cafe. Somehow, it was a word that didn¡¯t suit Kim Dae-won at all. Saying ¡°cafe¡± with a large size and blunt personality doesn¡¯t really suit an art student, but rather a physical education student. After 10 years, Korea will become a cafe republic, but cafes at this time still had very noble images. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it if you go there. It¡¯s a place that¡¯ll be very helpful for this project.¡± ¡°Helpful?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you get there.¡± Kim Daewon said as if he was certain. There was no reason why we should¡¯ve refused. * As I left the back gate of the school and walked beside Kim Daewon, Park Kyu-tae asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Seo Ji-eun these days?¡± ¡°Not Seo Ji-eun. Seo Ji-won.¡± ¡°Anyway, she didn¡¯t come to class. Do you know anything about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. She didn¡¯t even come to the studio.¡± ¡°Did you ask the professor?¡± ¡°He just smiled without telling me the details. There must be something going on over there. These days, I use my studio alone.¡± As we walked, we chatted about various things. There was a small store five minutes away from the back gate of the school in a deserted alley. ¡®There are cafes all over the place. No, is this a cafe?¡¯ It¡¯s like an alley cafe It looked so gloomy from the outside that I couldn¡¯t even tell it was a cafe. The name was a little strange, too. [Heaven¡¯s Door] Heaven¡¯s Door, aka. Heaven¡¯s Gate. Why is it that it feels more like a drinking bar than an actual cafe? It was the moment I opened the door and entered. ¡®A coffee house?¡¯ The interior was unique. Rather than the feeling of a cafe, it had the atmosphere of an old coffee shop that used to add sugar and cream in their coffee. ¡®Did I walk into a time machine?¡¯ It was a moment when I was slightly surprised and looked around. Kim Daewon shouted in a familiar voice, ¡°Uncle. I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°¡­.what? Uncle?¡± When Park Kyu-tae looked at him with a shocked expression, Kim Daewon said with a new look, ¡°It¡¯s my uncle¡¯s cafe.¡± ¡°But why does it look so¡­bad?¡± Park Kyu-tae said what I was going to say. Rather than getting angry, Kim Daewon just spoke quietly. ¡°If you say that in front of me, you will get hurt.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Park Kyu-tae was perplexed for a moment, then calmly spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong. I won¡¯t say that again.¡± ¡°As long as you know.¡± As soon as we sat down, Kim Dae-won¡¯s uncle joined us. So, the person who was the owner of the cafe came next to me. ¡°Are you Daewon¡¯s friends? Nice to meet you. Even if Daewon looks blunt, he¡¯s not a bad person. I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡± A brief self-introduction. Kim Daewon explained the task he received today to his uncle in detail. ¡°So, you mean you want to use this store for your homework assignment.¡± The owner said as if it were interesting. This was what Kim Daewon intended. To use the whole cafe for the task of changing the environment. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not confirmed yet, so you can refuse if you feel uncomfortable.¡± Park Kyu-tae was going to fix it in case things got awkward, but his uncle said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s good for me, actually. I was just recently thinking about whether or not I should change the entire interior of the store.¡± A familiar term popped up. Interior. With that word, I intervened. ¡°Interior decoration?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the location or for other reasons, but my business hasn¡¯t been doing well.¡± The owner began to explain the situation. He had worked for a company until last year, but after retiring early, he set up a cafe by putting a loan on his severance pay. Unfortunately, however, the business didn¡¯t seem to be going well. ¡°Somehow, I can manage to pay the monthly rent, but it¡¯s a business that suffers losses considering my labor costs. Even I think about whether or not I should close this place and get a proper job again.¡± So he often complained to Kim Daewon, and he brought us in just in time because it coincided with the assignment. ¡°Did you say you were Jaeha? I heard that you¡¯re famous in your department.¡± ¡°I am, but only a little¡­¡­¡± ¡°Really? I heard you won a famous contest.¡± ¡°I was lucky.¡± I think Kim Daewon had been praising me behind my back. I tried to pass it over humbly, but it was hard to completely control the corners of my mouth because I was still a human being. ¡°By the way, are you sure you¡¯re okay with this?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If we touch the store a little too freely, it can backfire.¡± This part was important. I didn¡¯t want to hear the complaints later. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. No matter how bad it¡¯ll be, will it be worse than what it is now?¡± Mr.Kim said, shaking his hand with a smiling face. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°There are no customers anyway, so what can I do?¡± It was very pessimistic. ¡°I was thinking about calling a contractor, but if you guys manage to do it well, then there will be no need for that.¡± The owner seemed to be happy with this situation. If so, then there was no reason to refuse. After all, the person in charge likes it. And, remodeling the cafe was a very good thing for me, too. ¡®While other students fix their own rooms or club rooms, if we can change a store, the feeling will be different.¡¯ There is no better sample than this. Above all, this job was also connected with my main job in my previous life. In the past, I worked for a design consulting company, and I could say that cafes were the main focus of our company¡¯s work. The best cards are in place. What if I could use this task as a stepping stone instead of just finishing this as a homework assignment? ¡®Design is a career and word of mouth. If you solve this one well, it can be a good experience to list on your resume.¡¯ It¡¯s not easy for college students to build a career. That¡¯s why I participate in contests, but the credibility of the contests were surprisingly unreliable. At least it was like that among professionals. This is because contests are mainly for amateurs. That was the case just before this match. With a few exceptions, such as Han Yewon and Hankook University, overall, they were far below professionals. ¡®The contest is all about undergraduate fights. Even if you do well, it¡¯s still only the process of becoming a professional.¡¯ However, that didn¡¯t mean it was meaningless. The previous battle has led me to this job. If I wasn¡¯t the winner of the contest, would Kim Daewon still have brought me? ¡®Of course it could¡¯ve still happened.¡¯ But the boss wouldn¡¯t have allowed it so readily. Therefore, I was right to judge that the last contest had helped me. His career was like my career. Maybe if I fix this cafe successfully, it will also be my career. ¡®Wait, then, rather than just fixing this store in moderation¡­¡¯ In an instant, an idea came to mind. ¡°How about trying to hit the jackpot?¡± ============================================================================================== Chapter 23 ============================================================================================== Okay. Whatever happens, I have to put the first button on well. [TL/N ¨C saying that the first steps/preparations must go well in order for the rest to be successful too] If this store does well, so will I. Perhaps this will be something that can dramatically increase my recognition in this industry. It¡¯s also an opportunity to make use of the field that I had specialized in in my previous life. Then it¡¯s a lottery. ¡®Let¡¯s hit the jackpot. From this moment on, this store and I are a community of destiny.¡¯ A sense of ownership arose in the cafe that I didn¡¯t even know existed until a few minutes ago. ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This cafe, I¡¯ll risk my life to save it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to risk your life.¡± ¡°Since ancient times, it has been said that life is a script and that death is instant.¡± [TL/N ¨C trust me, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening here either lol¡ª] ¡°Daewon, this friend¡¯s personality is kind of funny.¡± The owner laughed. ¡°Student, even if things don¡¯t go well, don¡¯t feel too pressured. I can just put things back the way they were.¡± You seem to think that I¡¯m joking. However, I¡¯m not. I was going to prove it¡ªthe fact that there is no industry as sensitive to trends as cafes. And¡­ The fact that no other human being is as sensitive to trends as I am. * Four males sat around a table in a cafe devoid of customers. I was the first to open my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This store is, to be clear, tacky.¡± ¡°So¡­..¡± The owner had a slightly hurt expression on his face, but that wasn¡¯t any of my concern. If it was something that I had to say eventually anyway, it was better to say it from the beginning. ¡°I thought about it after looking around for a while, but I think this place is closer to resembling that of an old coffee shop than an actual modern cafe.¡± There were retro sensibilities everywhere, but an old-fashioned coffee shop did not suit a university district. The owner looked around the store with a faint look and replied, ¡°When I was a student, I often went to cafes with this kind of atmosphere. Back then, the word ¡®cafe¡¯ was rare. It was all coffee shops¡­¡± No wonder¡­ ¡®I thought it was strange at first, but it seems that there was a reason for this.¡¯ The owner seemed to have set up a store that he thought was good based on his own experiences. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Often, in order for a cafe to succeed, three factors had to be considered. Location, design, and publicity. ¡®Fortunately, the location of this store is fine.¡¯ The owner was worried about the location, but I thought the opposite. University districts are always great, if not the best environment, to set up shop. Then, something else was the problem. I had to think about why he couldn¡¯t save this store. ¡®You said earlier that you often went to cafes like this when you were a student.¡¯ This was the problem. ¡®The interior is completely tailored to your taste.¡¯ That¡¯s not a good idea. The interior should not be designed to suit the ideals of the store owner. If money is the goal, then it should be thoroughly tailored to the customers¡¯ tastes. This is a university district. It would be necessary to explicitly target the eyes of college students. As a first step, I pointed at the table in front of me and said, ¡°First of all, the biggest problem is this table.¡± At my words, the owner asked with a puzzled look, ¡°the table?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I ran my fingers across the table, picking up the tablecloth on the corner and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like this tablecloth. It makes this place feel more like a restaurant than a cafe.¡± This was the first problem. A checkered tablecloth. At first glance, it may give the business an old-fashioned feeling, but it also has the disadvantage of lowering accessibility. ¡°These days, students don¡¯t just come to cafes for coffee¡ªit¡¯s the opposite. I could be drinking coffee while I¡¯m here to do something else, and a tablecloth might make it difficult to work. If possible, I think it¡¯d also be nice to fix the chairs and desks to be more comfortable.¡± ¡°Um¡­..¡± After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Wouldn¡¯t the students be occupying seats for too long?¡± I gave a proposal to fix the store so that students can study comfortably, but it seemed that he still viewed the concept of a cafe as a place to chat with coffee. ¡®It¡¯s going to be overturned as Starbucks takes over Korea¡¯s cafe industry.¡¯ It was still too early, so I couldn¡¯t help it. From the owner¡¯s point of view, it was natural that the idea of people studying at cafes was dissatisfying. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean we can completely ignore the demand. This is still a college campus.¡¯ By forcibly ignoring it, it will blow the merit of the shop¡¯s location. He had to accept it. However, there was a different way to convince him to accept this. ¡°Then if you put a time limit on each person, you¡¯ll be fine. Two hours per drink. It can also be convenient for students.¡± ¡°Well¡­if that¡¯s the case, then there won¡¯t be any losses.¡± Would there have been a loss in the first place! In theory, it was beneficial to the cafe owner. ¡®Statistics show that the break-even point is divided from when a customer stays in a cafe for more than 102 minutes.¡¯ On average, coffee shops near universities had better turnover than this. ¡®It¡¯s mainly because students usually visit when their timetables are empty.¡¯ With the exception of some long-term residents, it¡¯s beneficial for the most part. Fortunately, even long-term residents can also be cut to two hours. ¡°I said I¡¯d leave this up to you, so I understand. What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°This.¡± I pointed to the ceiling this time. ¡°The lights are way too dark.¡± The light shone softly. It shouldn¡¯t be this subtle. It feels more like a bar than a cafe at this point, doesn¡¯t it? It truly feels like an old-fashioned coffee shop. ¡°For college students these days, cafes are bright and sophisticated spaces. I wish this place was brighter than the classroom.¡± A single light can change the atmosphere of the store 360 degrees. Just like my tape art. Surprisingly, the owner didn¡¯t seem to be too bothered by this part. ¡°So I should just change the light bulbs, right?¡± Maybe it was because it didn¡¯t cost that much money. So perhaps it was because of money that he was negative about the changing of chairs and desks a while ago. ¡®Wait. If that¡¯s true, then I think there is a way to solve the money problem¡­..¡¯ A solution came to mind. We decided to discuss this again a little later. ¡°And next, there is a separate suitable person for this¡­.¡± I looked at Kyu-tae. ¡°Kyu-tae, can you make a uniform or something like that?¡± ¡°So suddenly? Why do you need a uniform?¡± ¡°This is important at cafes.¡± Sales could fluctuate up and down with just a single uniform. In particular, female customers value the overall atmosphere of the cafe, especially when they think of staff. I took out my sketchbook to draw a sketch and said, ¡°I need two sets like this.¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s from a movie.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t make it too fancy. The key is to make it neat and tidy so that customers won¡¯t feel awkward. What do you think? Can you do it?¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯ll be a bit tricky to make. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to buy a few from Dongdaemun?¡­¡± [TL/N: Dongdaemun Market is a large commercial district with traditional markets and shopping centers, it is also a popular shopping and tourist destination ] ¡°Let¡¯s do our homework with this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± Aside from that, there were several more conversations. However, after that, it was mostly business-related things¡ªthings like organizing a separate take-out menu, creating a coupon system, and placing bean samples. ¡°It would be a good idea to write down what kind of beans you use here on the menu. Even with the same coffee, if you write down the region of origin, it¡¯ll feel different when you drink it.¡± There was a difference between knowing and drinking and drinking without knowing. It may simply be a difference in mood, but selling that feeling is the business of a cafe. ¡°You don¡¯t have to sell too many different menus. You can drink if there are customers, but don¡¯t if there aren¡¯t any customers.¡± ¡°I need to clean up the alcohol.¡± ¡°Yes. Alcohol is rather damaging to the atmosphere of this place.¡± Various pieces of advice poured out constantly. Seeing me like that, the owner said in a puzzled voice, ¡°I think the student knows more about cafes than me.¡± ¡°¡­.ah.¡± It was the moment when I pretended to know too much. ¡°You did win a big competition after all, but it¡¯s definitely different. You feel like a professional.¡± He muttered in a pleased voice. I let out a slight sigh of relief. ¡®A single award plays a big role.¡¯ It¡¯s a good thing I tried. I scratched the back of my head and said, ¡°My friend¡¯s friend works at a cafe.¡± The friend¡¯s name is Kim Dae-won, and Kim Dae-won¡¯s friend is me. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot from talking to them a long time ago.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky. If I were alone, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of this. Daewon has a good friend.¡± The owner smiled and sighed while saying, ¡°I hope the business will go well with this change.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just this week.¡± ¡°This week?¡± I emphasized once again as if I were sure. ¡°Try it out for this week only, and if you don¡¯t see any visible results, you can go back to your original state.¡± There was a reason why I could say this, First of all, two of the three factors for the success of the cafe mentioned above are now in place. Location and interior. All that¡¯s left is publicity. And¡­ I had a way to solve this as well. The success of this cafe is predestined. * ¡°What? There¡¯s a store like this?¡± A tall, handsome man muttered as he entered the cafe. It was Ju Ji-hoon. Several students muttered behind him, ¡°Wow. I¡¯ve been passing by here every day, but I didn¡¯t know this place existed.¡± ¡°I thought it was a bar because the store was so dark.¡± ¡°It feels a bit old-fashioned.¡± They were Ju Ji-hoon¡¯s schoolmates¡ªhis architecture colleagues to be exact. I called them to this cafe. ¡°Brothers, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Awww. I really don¡¯t get to see my junior often. After you¡¯ve met us, why didn¡¯t you transfer to the Architecture Department?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°When an adult speaks, everything has a reason¡­¡± ¡°First, sit here.¡± The reason why I called them here today was simple. ¡°So, you want us to make furniture for this place?¡± It was furniture. You might call the Architecture Department to ask what kind of furniture was best, but the Architecture Department was originally a department with one leg in furniture design. It¡¯s in line with interior design. ¡°Have you ever made them before?¡± ¡°They¡¯re a bit difficult to deal with.¡± ¡°Please make some for this place, too.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± They agonized for a while and said, ¡°What about payment?¡± In the end, money was the problem. ¡®No matter how much I¡¯ve known you, I can¡¯t help you with your work for free.¡¯ ¡°The owner will give it to you.¡± ¡°The owner?¡± ¡°Yes. He left me with the budget for interior design. Of course, I can¡¯t really take care of them or anything like that. But you¡¯ll be paid more than a part-time job.¡± As I spoke, they looked at each other and said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t our final assignment about interior design practice?¡± ¡°It was.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s complete it with this.¡± ¡°Good. We can earn money and it¡¯s simple.¡± Apparently, they also received a similar assignment to ours. I was lucky. I handed them a few sheets of paper and said, ¡°Please match the design like this.¡± It was a Nordic-styled design. Rather than having it stand out, the design is faithful to the basics. The plainness stood out. ¡°Did you really design this?¡± The architecture seniors muttered with a surprised look. ¡°It¡¯s really nice, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really curious to know what¡¯s happening in your brain. I almost want to open that head of yours.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Like this, one problem has been solved. I decided to communicate with my seniors in the Architecture Department through Ji-hoon. ¡®Good. Then next is the decoration.¡¯ It was time for the Sculpture Department to step up. Hanseol, whom I met for the first time in a long time, smiled brightly. ¡°Our Jaeha, what fun things are you up to now? Last time was amazing.¡± ¡°If someone heard you say that, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m a prankster.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you?¡± She giggled. It seems that the past was just an illusion. ¡®Ji-hoon¡¯s personality is the exact opposite of Hanseol¡¯s.¡¯ At first, I thought Ji-hoon would have a strong personality and Seol would be passive. But after spending a little more time together, I realized that that wasn¡¯t the case. With a bitter smile, I asked, ¡°Sister, do you have any thoughts on doing an art exhibition of your works?¡± ============================================================================================== Chapter 24 ============================================================================================== ¡°An art exhibition for my works?¡± She made a strange expression¡ªthe expression of a tuna being caught in the Han River. However, underneath that face, there was clearly interest. ¡°The owner here allowed me to hang the students¡¯ works,¡± I explained. ¡°Really?¡± Hanseol¡¯s eyes sparkled. Without missing the opportunity, I continued, ¡°Yes, but as soon as I heard the owner¡¯s words, I immediately thought of my sister. If you have any thoughts of exhibiting your works here¡­¡± ¡°I like it! I want to do it! Let me do it!¡± Hanseol said with noticeable joy. My prediction was correct. ¡®Art students are creatures that go crazy if they can hold even a single, small exhibition.¡¯ I targeted the fact that she was an art student. ¡®It¡¯s a hundred times better than renting a gallery that costs hundreds of thousands of won just for no one to visit. Besides, Hanseol¡¯s sculptures can pile up with a single breath.¡¯ In my experience, sculptures tend to be good decorations even if they¡¯re placed on a random shelf. Moreover, it goes without saying that it¡¯s Hanseol¡¯s work. Is that all? It also coincides with the exhibition culture trend of the near future, which is the combination of a resting area and an exhibition. ¡®Killing two birds with one stone¡ª no, three birds with one stone.¡¯ I smiled and continued to talk, ¡°But time is running out.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°I want them finished within this week.¡± ¡°Oh really? Then it¡¯s okay. I was in trouble because there were a lot of things I made, but I¡¯ll bring them here.¡± If you don¡¯t have it, let¡¯s make it and then come back. She seemed to be delighted that she could display her work for free, and I¡¯m happy because I don¡¯t have to pay, so we can say it¡¯s a bilateral contract. Just like this, the basic preparations are completed. The new wallpaper and lighting would arrive tomorrow, and the furniture and sculptures were to be installed together at once. ¡®Then it¡¯s my turn now¡­.¡¯ This is my task. Not only Hanseol, but I am also happy with the free exhibition. From the beginning, I had no intentions of only doing good to provide opportunities for others before ending it. If we¡¯re going to display our works, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to hang at least one of my works as well? ¡®Then¡­.what should I make?¡¯ The real trouble began. * When I returned to my own room after work, I started to worry. ¡®Why did I want to design it?¡¯ It was a concern that designers often had when planning new projects. I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything as if I was trying to look into a thick layer of fog. I can¡¯t help it. Nearly 20 years have already passed since I decided to become a designer in my previous life. If you work like a cog as the company tells you to do, your initial thoughts will tend to fade. ¡®They told you to peel it, so you did.¡¯ From some point on, I worked with inertia. ¡®But why did I really want to become a designer? Was it because the only thing I knew how to do was draw?¡¯ It was the moment when I was unintentionally questioning my career choice. A shoe box next to the closet in my bedroom caught my eye. ¡®That¡¯s¡­..¡¯ When I pulled the box closer, I realized it was full of notes. It was a sketchbook. Things I¡¯ve been collecting since high school. Little by little, it accumulated enough to fill a large box. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ A thought ran through my mind. ¡®There must be some old ones in here.¡¯ If I read them, wouldn¡¯t I be able to find my original intentions in it? I pulled out what was buried at the very bottom. Somehow, my heart fluttered as if I were taking out a time capsule. When I opened the old sketchbooks laid out at the bottom, the impressions that came to my mind were something like this: ¡®Did I draw this with my feet?¡¯ The pictures were all blurry. Of course, they were things I drew when I was still taking the entrance exam. I was ashamed to say that the things I drew before were graffiti. But¡­ I drew these pictures because I wanted to. ¡®I didn¡¯t just draw them because I was told to. These are my sketches that I drew because I wanted to.¡¯ A smirk spread across my face. ¡®I remember now.¡¯ The oldest sketchbook. The first page had an antique television drawn on it. It wasn¡¯t just a television. It was a dial-type television that preserved the vintage sensibility of the 70s. It was something that would have been discontinued before I was even born. The moment I saw the sketch, I remembered. ¡®This is why I started designing.¡¯ It began when I was young. I grew up in the countryside, and although I wasn¡¯t very poor, I had no choice but to receive less of the benefits of civilization than city children. But don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll know? What others wanted, what they wanted to have, was what I wanted as well. So I eagerly begged my parents, but they remained silent. They were usually asking me to grow up healthy, but it seemed like they only wanted to raise me in a really healthy way. So, I drew. ¡®I drew it carefully and kept it, so it felt like I actually owned it.¡¯ I drew whatever I wanted to have. Whether it was already existing or not, I drew it blindly. Even if you don¡¯t have any talent, you will gradually improve as you draw, and in doing so, you¡¯ll earn a lot of compliments from your friends. While drawing like that, I naturally dreamed of becoming a designer. ¡®I wanted to bring the objects I dreamed of into reality, something beyond putting the object I wanted on paper.¡¯ Most of the objects drawn in this sketchbook were objects that I wanted to have in real life. ¡®Let¡¯s try making one of them.¡¯ Now, I have an opportunity to achieve my ideals as a designer. * [Han Yewon¡¯s studio] ¡°Seol, do you have any wood left from last time?¡± I asked while I was visiting Hanseol. ¡°Oh, those things?¡± Hanseol looked around and said, ¡°I think the professors took it all away.¡± ¡°¡­. Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s nothing left. However¡­.¡± Hanseol laughed and said, ¡°I took out some useful things in advance.¡± ¡°Where did you put them?¡± ¡°In my studio.¡± Did she have a studio? As soon as those words came out, I decided to go to her private studio. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I brought someone here¡±. A 10 minutes walk from school. Rather than a common studio, it was a space close to that of a small warehouse. ¡°How much is the monthly rent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s free.¡± ¡°Oh? Really?¡± As I asked in surprise, she shrugged and said, ¡°My dad got it for me.¡± Oh, that¡¯s right. Very few art students are actually poor. Few students cover their tuition by themselves like me. ¡®By the way, what a place.¡¯ The studio was a workroom, but it truly was closer to a simple warehouse. The sculptures she made were rolling around everywhere. ¡®It¡¯s her hard work.¡¯ I almost want to steal one or two of them. Of course, that¡¯s what I¡¯m only saying. While I was drooling like that, Hanseol pulled up the curtain in the corner of the room. Flap. Underneath it, pieces of nicely cut wood were piled up. ¡°Sister, when did you steal all of this?¡± ¡°Watch what you say.¡± Oops. I looked at Hanseol, wondering if I had made a mistake, and she looked at me and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it. I just kept it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± That¡¯s not it¡­ But it wasn¡¯t my business. Rather, I was worried about something else. ¡°How can I take this back?¡± That¡¯s right. The pieces of wood weighed much more than I originally thought. Can I actually move it from here without any issues? I was thinking about calling a taxi, but Hanseol said as if she wasn¡¯t bothered, ¡°You can just work here.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She spoke as if it were natural. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to carry around. You¡¯re not going to be able to take anything.¡± She graciously allowed me to stay. For art students, sharing a studio means one special fact. It means that you trust your opponent. ¡°I have a class in the morning tomorrow, so I¡¯ll have to leave early. I¡¯ll leave the key here, so if I have to go home while you¡¯re still working, lock it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± So Hanseol left early. She has class tomorrow morning, but I didn¡¯t. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ First, I picked out a large piece of wood. It was a walnut (tree). ¡®This is good.¡¯ It was thick, so I had a good feeling. Usually, the thicker the tree, the better the quality tends to be. This is because the wood grows thicker and stronger as time passes. The ones that I selected were particularly thick. ¡®This whole thing needs to be trimmed into the form of a small television.¡¯ It might be more of a sculpture than a production, so I was a little nervous. ¡®When sculpting, you cannot make a mistake. You have to be as careful as possible.¡¯ I pictured the finished product in my mind, and while I was at it, I estimated where I would have to trim the wood. Once all my thoughts were organized, I drew a blueprint with a pencil on the tree. ¡®It¡¯s starting now.¡¯ I picked up a carving knife and slowly began to dig it out along the pencil lines. Cracky. It¡¯s not exactly working well, but I wasn¡¯t greedy for speed. I proceeded slowly. ¡®Careful. Don¡¯t be greedy to get ahead.¡¯ Sculptors often described sculptures as mirrors that reflected their minds. And as Hanseol said, I was completely immersed in the work and trimmed the wood very finely. To-doo. Every time the carving knife pierced the wood, wood shavings fell endlessly to the floor. Usually, the wood shavings that fall down like this are thrown away, but I collected them in one place because I had a different use for them. Tap. Tap. The sound of wood being cut resounded loudly in the empty studio. After trimming the wood for a while, a large lump was soon formed. ¡®This is the real beginning.¡¯ Three parts. It¡¯s time to make the three parts, which can be called the identity of retro television. The first one. ¡®This is a television. A TV definitely needs a screen.¡¯ Once upon a time, the old CRT television had one characteristic: it looked like there was noise on the screen. ¡®Now. It¡¯s time for you to come into play.¡¯ I took out the wood shavings that I had collected a while ago. A thin layer of glue was applied to the part that would be the television screen, and the wood shavings were carefully applied over it. ¡®Even the screen is shiny when touched. This should be done as meticulously as possible.¡¯ This was the most important part. Making it slightly convex overall while maintaining the feeling of a smooth glass surface. This was the biggest identity of retro television. ¡®Okay. It¡¯s looking good.¡¯ After applying it and turning the sculpture around, it felt pretty good. We have passed the first gate. It was now the moment to create the second part of the identity of retro television. ¡®A dial knob.¡¯ These days, remote control is standard in TVs. However, the remote control isn¡¯t as stylish as the dial knob. The dial knob is the best. The style should be a dial-type. I said it twice because it¡¯s important. ¡®Let¡¯s cut and paste the dial on a separate piece of wood.¡¯ The color of the wood was also important in this part. Walnuts are dark in color, like dark chocolate, so I wanted to complete the dial with a contrasting color. ¡®Ash is good.¡¯ Ash was a lighter, more manageable wood. I found a piece rolling around in the corner of the studio, and picked up some of the smaller chunks. ¡®Let¡¯s focus on the details here.¡¯ Since it¡¯s such detailed work, two chunks were failures. It wasn¡¯t until the third attempt that I succeeded in compiling the assortment. ¡®Let¡¯s stick it on like this.¡¯ Dials were placed on the front of the television in order. Fortunately, I succeeded in one try. ¡®Okay. This is the last one.¡¯ Next is the antenna. Screens, dials, and antennas¡ªthese three were what I thought were the identity of a retro television. That¡¯s how I continued to work. Why? As my goals were completed one by one, goosebumps rose on my skin. I suddenly realized. ¡°¡­.This is fun.¡± The fun of seeing my imaginations appearing in reality. Moreover, how will others react when this is completed and shown to them? It¡¯s fun to imagine. A number of various elements overlapped in a complex way, and as the work was completed, a smile appeared on my face. Often, sculptors would describe their work as their children. Then, this television was my first child. ¡®Nice to meet you.¡¯ I¡¯m sorry I forgot about you this whole time. I had to go back 10 years before I met you again. In this life, I will design the things I want to design. It was around the time when I decided to take a step back. ¡°¡­.Wow.¡± I broke my concentration and heard a thin voice. When I turned my head, Hanseol was looking at me. ¡°Your level of concentration is amazing.¡± She muttered in a surprised voice. ¡°You were making it without breathing. I thought you died while you were sculpting.¡± ¡°Since when have you been here?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you,¡± She joked. I smiled and asked, ¡°Sister, what do you think of this?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Hanseol crossed her arms sternly and looked at the television I made for a long time. Looking at me suspiciously, she asked, ¡°By any chance, will you transfer to the Sculpture Department?¡± Where have I heard that? ¡°You just copied Ji-hoon, didnt you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Lee Jaeha.¡± We both looked at each other and laughed for a long time. After a while, Hanseol said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll buy you breakfast. What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Rice soup.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ============================================================================================== Chapter 25 ============================================================================================== Chapter 25 ¨C A Barista with 10 years of Experience The sculpture was not immediately finished. Although I had the overall shape, it still took a long time to refine and complete it in detail. But I wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Just as sentences in a story get better the more they are refined, the more the sculpture gets refined, the better it is. ¡®Let¡¯s take our time slowly.¡¯ It was around the time when everything was about 91.7% complete. The seeds that had been sown began to bear fruit. ¡°What do you think? I worked hard on it.¡± The first things that arrived were the tables and chairs. When I held them with both hands and shook them, they were firm. ¡°They¡¯re sturdy.¡± At my words, the senior of the Architecture Department shrugged and said, ¡°Of course they¡¯re sturdy. If they shook even a little, my jaw would shake to the professor.¡± [TL/N: Saying that they would absolutely be berated harshly by their professor if their works were not up to standards] ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a joke or not. Anyway, the quality of the work was impeccable. ¡®Great. At this rate, I¡¯ll be able to spend less than half of my budget.¡¯ Next were the decorations that Hanseol brought. ¡°Why are there so many?¡± It wasn¡¯t just a few. More than 20 pieces of wood the size of an adult¡¯s fist were carved into wooden animals or violin pieces. Hanseol brought them in a plastic bag as if she had bought them at a market and said, ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s perfect.¡± It¡¯s just a pity that almost all my money is going to the cafe. I shed tears and let go. ¡®I need to get a few cabinets from somewhere.¡¯ The lighting engineer also visited yesterday. As mentioned before, the lights were now moderately bright and not dazzling. Smack! Turn it on and it was just perfect. ¡®Good. There¡¯s nothing like light to fill the room up in a hurry. It¡¯s thrilling.¡¯ This time, I turned to the counter. There was a menu that Kim Dae-won was in charge of making. [Heaven¡¯s Door Special: Arabica blend based on Colombian coffee beans. A floral scent added to the oak barrel body. After the bitterness of chocolate, the lingering taste of vanilla is sugary sweet.] ¡°Well.¡± I nodded my head solemnly. ¡®I have no idea what that¡¯s saying at all.¡¯ I don¡¯t have a clue even though they were sentences that I wrote down. If it¡¯s bitter, it¡¯s bitter. Chocolate is definitely something else. Still, there weren¡¯t any major problems. ¡®If I don¡¯t know anything, then the other students won¡¯t know either.¡¯ Fortunately, the coffee in this store did not taste like herbal medicine. According to the owner, he was buying and using good coffee beans. The taste of the coffee makes up half of the store¡¯s atmosphere in the first place. As long as it isn¡¯t at the level of spitting out, the students will think of it well on their own. ¡®If you do this, then you¡¯ve done the basics.¡¯ I turned my head, looked at the owner and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He smiled brightly and said. ¡°It¡¯s clearly much better than when I was the only one who decorated this place. It¡¯s a shame that I couldn¡¯t meet you sooner.¡± He also looked very different from before. He trimmed his messy hairstyle at the salon and wore a uniform made by Park Kyu-tae. The combination was awesome. ¡®Who would think that he was a new owner in his first year when they saw this?¡¯ He could probably even pass off as a barista with at least 10 years of experience. The coffee this person brews must be delicious. Or maybe not¡­. I am way too optimistic. It was around the time when preparations for the opening of the cafe were slowly coming to an end. Ring-ing. The doorbell rang. Looking back, Kim Dae-won was holding a signboard. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It looks good.¡± On the signboard, the words [Heaven¡¯s Door] was written in fresh handwriting. Now there¡¯s only one moment left before the opening. * To be honest, it was brilliant from the start. ¡°Oh, have you ever noticed this place here?¡± Since the very first day of opening after the remodeling, there have been many customers. ¡°The architecture kids boasted about it every day. They told me to come and see it because they made the interior.¡± ¡°Are those sculptures made by the Architecture Department?¡± ¡°The name of the person who made it is written at the bottom.¡± ¡°Hanseol? Isn¡¯t she the one in the Sculpture Department?¡± ¡°Did they make it all together?¡± Customers kept coming. Since my acquaintances were the ones who decorated the interior, there were many customers who came here to take a look, and there were also many other types of customers. ¡°There¡¯s a store like this here?¡± They were customers who didn¡¯t even know that there was a cafe. ¡®Wow. I¡¯ve heard that 17 times already.¡¯ I looked around with a pleased expression. The 15-pyeong store was full. [TL/N: The pyong is a traditional Korean unit of area equal to about 3.306 square meters or 3.954 square yards] The owner couldn¡¯t believe the scene, and he couldn¡¯t hide his joyous expression as he was bewildered. He never promoted the cafe separately, so how come there are so many customers from the first day? The reason was simple. ¡°There are a lot of people,¡± Ju Ji-hoon, who finished his work, muttered in a surprised voice as he entered the store. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yeah, but why is this place so popular now? I think it was empty when I first came a few days ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the power of publicity.¡± ¡°Publicity? What kind of publicity?¡± When Ju Ji-hoon asked, I smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a business secret.¡± The business secret was right in front of me. Ju Ji-hoon. He was the reason why business was going so well here. ¡®It¡¯s enough to attract just one person with strong connections to promote a local store.¡¯ There are many ways to promote your store. There are countless things such as blog marketing, SNS marketing, and CM. However, many of these methods aren¡¯t available yet. The reason is that, CM is expensive, and blogs and SNS marketing weren¡¯t available at this time. Instead, there was only one method that could be used during this era. ¡®It¡¯s a world where words contain power.¡¯ It was word of mouth. It¡¯s a local business after all. There was nothing like word of mouth. ¡®The loyalty of customers who come by word of mouth is different from others.¡¯ And¡­ It was Ju Ji-hoon who I thought of as a medium to spread word. ¡®The rumor spread just because Ji-hoon mentioned it here and there.¡¯ Using him as a stepping stone, he attracted a lot of his architecture colleagues, and soon they also became good publicity outlets. Wherever they are, whatever they¡¯re doing, they will continue to talk to the people surrounding them. Han Yewon is small. How long will it take to spread word of this place to everyone? This wasn¡¯t all. ¡®If I take pictures here and submit them as assignments, this store will be promoted again.¡¯ The owner likes the fact that there are still this many people, but even this was just the beginning. However, it¡¯s another problem with those who have come here as regular customers. So, I also passed on the secret to attracting regulars. The secret was plainness. ¡®Neighborhood cafes don¡¯t have to be too special.¡¯ There is a common misconception among beginners, thinking that one¡¯s own store should have its own strengths. This is the case when developing special menus or equipping a store with colorful interiors. ¡®That could be a success.¡¯ However, in most cases, it isn¡¯t. ¡®What consumers need are reasonable prices and service that is better than what they expect, even if only by a little.¡¯ The comfort of being able to visit easily whenever you think of it, and basic equipment such as sturdy chairs and tables. This was enough for a cafe. Moreover, this store is located near a university. ¡®The position of the store itself is strong. This is great.¡¯ The basic business district already supports it, so is there any need to overdo it? However, that doesn¡¯t mean we haven¡¯t tried at all. ¡°Huh? If you pack your coffee here, it¡¯s less than half the price.¡± ¡°I should stop by every morning.¡± ¡°Boss, can we have 8 cups of coffee to go?¡± The owner replied with a bright smile, ¡°I¡¯ll stamp 8 coupons for you.¡± Takeout and coupons worked well. This alone could greatly increase accessibility. Perhaps if they buy coffee and go to their classrooms, the people who see it will spread word again and again. ¡®I wish I could make a cup with a dedicated store logo on it¡­. but that¡¯s going to be a bit difficult right now.¡¯ There is a limit to what an undergraduate student can touch. This is enough for the show-off. I¡¯m human Lee Jaeha. I know humility. ¡®There is no need to step up.¡¯ When he tastes the sales, the owner will come find me on his own. ¡°Come again!¡± The owner shouted in a happy voice. He was busy making coffee, serving, greeting, and about to die from working so hard. ¡®You¡¯ll have to hire a part-timer soon.¡¯ A smile naturally formed on my lips. The success of this store will be directly linked to my career. ¡®It¡¯s time to work slowly.¡¯ I was looking forward to this vacation. * ¡°Hello, did you have a good lunch?¡± Environment and design class. Professor Bae Tae-hwan exclaimed in a bright voice, ¡°Did you do well on your assignments? I believe you¡¯ve all done a great job. Let¡¯s come out in the order of presentation.¡± There are three groups in charge of today¡¯s presentation. The first of the three walked forward. Our group is next. We were in the middle. ¡®Shall we take a look?¡¯ The speaker of the current group spoke, ¡°Hello, our group has re-decorated a club room.¡± A picture popped up on the screen. The interior is so messy that you can¡¯t even tell whether it¡¯s a place where people live or a pig cage. It was like a hangout for college students. ¡®It¡¯s a wise choice.¡¯ I realized it the moment I saw the picture. ¡®You were trying to enjoy the contrast effect.¡¯ Considering that the closer the existing environment is, the greater the room for improvement. The club room was a perfect choice. ¡°In the existing club room, I felt like my lungs were going to grow mold just by breathing. Students often met outside because the club room was so dirty. So, we changed the club room like this.¡± The student who was presenting flipped the screen. There, an ideal club room that would only appear in a drama appeared. ¡°Starting with cleaning, we partially repaired the old sofa and desks. Magazines and comic books were added to the bookshelf to create a cozy atmosphere.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Professor Bae Tae-hwan smiled kindly and asked, ¡°Then what are the design elements of this work?¡± ¡°We actively used plants.¡± Come to think of it, there were flowerpots everywhere. This alone completely turned the mood upside down. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s definitely fresh. That¡¯s right. The environment and plants are inseparable. When creating an urban environment, we don¡¯t plant a lot of street trees for no reason.¡± It was an arrangement well-suited for the theme of environment. Students applauded from all sides. The presentation of the first group was successful. ¡®It wasn¡¯t terribly good, but it was an exemplary presentation.¡¯ Okay. This was their mistake. You shouldn¡¯t be exemplary. Our group is incredibly good beyond exemplary levels. ¡°Hello.¡± Instead of the chirpy Park Kyu-tae and the stiff Kim Dae-won, I, who was in charge of the presentation, stepped forward and said: ¡°Before the full-scale presentation, I will ask one thing to my classmates. Recently, a cafe has opened in the alley near the back-gate of the campus. Has anyone been there? Please raise your hand if so.¡± Hands came up one after another from all over the classroom. I smiled and said, ¡°The person wearing the black hoodie over there, let me ask you something.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How was the store?¡± ¡°Good. I stopped by with my friend, and I think I¡¯ll go there often.¡± ¡°I see. What did you like so much about it?¡± After thinking for a while, the student in the hood said, ¡°The lighting is moderately bright, so it¡¯s good to work with, and above all, the height of the desk was perfect.¡± ¡°It would be nice to study there.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better than a library? Well, it¡¯s a little expensive for one.¡± ¡°Thank you for the answer.¡± The expected answer came. Next, I called on another person. ¡°Then¡­ the woman wearing a brown cardigan over there. What did you like about this cafe?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She thought a little more and said, ¡°The owner was cool.¡± Laughter burst out from all sides. Even though she was the one who said it, she laughed and said that it was funny. ¡°Should I say that he¡¯s very professional? Just looking at the uniform, the suit and apron are as cool as the barista in the dramas, and the way they make the coffee was also cool.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I also think that that¡¯s the charm of cafes.¡± The students nodded in agreement. However, there was a question on their faces. ¡®So, what does that cafe have to do with your presentation?¡¯ I don¡¯t know, maybe this is just a feeling, because we didn¡¯t tell you what kind of assignment we did, and we¡¯re just chatting. As if that part was also strange to him, Professor Bae Tae-hwan asked, ¡°Does that cafe have anything to do with the students¡¯ presentation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded and said, ¡°That cafe, we designed it.¡± ============================================================================================== Chapter 26 ============================================================================================== ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A wave of shock struck the classroom for a moment. ¡°The cafe¡­you designed it?¡± ¡°Are you really talking about the new cafe near the back gate?¡± The students looked at each other and shared their surprised feelings. Some students looked at me with suspicion as if they couldn¡¯t believe it, while others smiled as if they knew it from the beginning. ¡®As expected, word of mouth is good.¡¯ The news spreads slowly. I spoke with confidence in my voice, ¡°Please look at the screen in front. This is what the cafe used to look like.¡± The old cafe appeared on the classroom screen, with an interior reminiscent of an old coffee shop. The entire store felt gloomy because of the dim lighting, and the tables and chairs that seem to force you to sit and just talk are just a bonus. ¡°That¡¯s how it used to be?¡± ¡°Is it a liquor store?¡± While the students were surprised, I clicked the mouse and moved on to the next screen. ¡°And this is what we made.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The students¡¯ eyes widened. The cafe, which had been boring at first glance, has now been completely transformed. The cafe was cleaned. There was bright lighting and comfortable tables. The sculptures laid like licorice in a drugstore and the owner¡¯s sophisticated appearance was impressive. ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± The students seemed to be tired of exclaiming now. Professor Bae Tae-hwan looked pleased at the scene and asked us, ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Can I ask you to explain what the students did here?¡± Of course. It was the question I¡¯ve been waiting for. ¡°First of all, I designed the tables and chairs myself.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a ready-made product.¡± ¡°Yes, but I asked the Architecture Department to make the actual product.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Professor Bae Tae-hwan nodded and said, ¡°Right now, I¡¯m conducting a similar class in the Architecture Department, and I¡¯ll have to see if there are any students who bring the same photos as you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No wonder the seniors in the architecture department liked it so much¡­ But it¡¯s not my business. ¡°Next is the owner¡¯s uniform. It was made by Park Kyu-tae¡¯s team.¡± At my words, Kyu-take suddenly jumped out and said in a triumphant voice, ¡°That¡¯s me. I made it myself. First, let me explain the fabric¡­.¡± ¡°I was still talking. Go home.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­.¡± Laughter burst out among the students. After that, he explained the step by step process of changing the interior of the cafe. From sculptures by Hanseol to pamphlets and signboards produced by Kim Dae-won. Finally, I introduced a wooden retro television that I made myself. ¡°The cafe has been refurbished in a sophisticated way, but I made it with the mindset that it would be nice to have at least one item that retains the old sensibility.¡± It is smaller than an actual television. But its presence was never small. That alone gave the cafe an old-fashioned atmosphere. It was not old-fashioned in a good way, but an old-fashioned way with a natural style. ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The production process must not have been easy, but you made it very well.¡± ¡°I got some help from a senior in the Sculpture Department.¡± ¡°You have a wide range of feet,¡± Professor Bae Tae-hwan said as if he was proud. [TL/N: Saying that he¡¯s got a large web of connections] ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t have to do everything alone. I think this kind of active cooperation is the quality that companies these days demand from designers. Personally, I think that this was a very impressive presentation.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I bowed my head. It was a safe atmosphere to slowly end our presentation. However¡­. ¡®There is still something left.¡¯ This was real. ¡°Lastly, we summarized the changes in sales before and after the renovation.¡± A graph popped up on the screen. The results the graph displayed were enough to silence all of the students. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°How does that make sense?¡± Daily sales surged eight times higher than before. ¡°It¡¯s crazy.¡± Where are the people who can revive a store that is failing by just doing one homework assignment? Here we are. ¡®This is the design that looks like numbers!¡¯ Do designers use their own designs only if they are good? My theory was that true commercial designers talk in numbers. If there is no change in sale and you insist that it¡¯s a good design, then you aren¡¯t a designer. ¡°¡­.¡± The expressions of the members in charge of the next presentation became serious. * Several weeks have passed since the presentations. Rattle. The newly refurbished [Heaven¡¯s Door]. A middle-aged man opened the door and entered. ¡°Hello, what would you like to order?¡± The owner, dressed in a suit and apron, greeted the new customer in a bright voice. A middle-aged customer smiled faintly and said, ¡°Can I have a cup of Americano please?¡± ¡°If you take a seat, I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡± The customer soon sat down and looked around the store with a curious expression for a while. Click. ¡°I hope you have a comfortable time.¡± The owner was about to return after delivering the cup of coffee, but the middle-aged customer asked: ¡°Sir, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where did you design this store?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the interior?¡± The owner asked back in a slightly surprised voice, and the middle-aged customer nodded and said: ¡°Yes. I heard it¡¯s a famous store these days, so I came from afar, but I was surprised that the interior of the store was so beautiful. If it¡¯s not too rude, can you tell me the name of the contractor who designed this place?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t tell you¡­¡± The owner turned his head, looking at me doing my homework in the corner, and shouted. ¡°Jaeha!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I think the customer here wants to say something to you.¡± ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m busy right now¡­.Hold on a second.¡± I put down the assignment I had been wrestling with for a while and got up from my seat. Then I went to the middle-aged customer and said, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the designer of this store.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The customer¡¯s eyes widened. He looked quite surprised. He looked at the entire store and me alternately, and in a still surprised voice, asked: ¡°Sir, are you saying that this young student designed this store?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s quite competent.¡± The owner patted me on the shoulder with a pleased look and said, ¡°This store almost fell into ruin, but thanks to him, it was revived.¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± For a while, the middle-aged man looked at me with a sense of contemplation. He then pulled out a business card from his wallet and handed it over to me. ¡°I¡¯ll say hello first. This is who I am.¡± On that business card¡­.. There was a title written on it that I didn¡¯t even think of. [Korea Coffee Business Association] [President Oh Kyung-jin] It was a familiar name. * Two days ago. About ten people gathered at a coffee shop located in Jongno. All the people gathered here were either cafe owners or other coffee-related business owners. They began to argue. ¡°It is only natural that the quality of the coffee beans has a significant impact on sales.¡± ¡°That said, there was no big difference in replacing coffee beans with high-end blending.¡± Their recent debate went like this: Does the taste come first? Or is the interior the first priority? ¡°No. If you look at the data I prepared here, you can see that the sales have been increasing recently after replacing the coffee beans¡­.¡± ¡°That could be because the weather is getting hotter. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to invest in interior design in the long term?¡± ¡°Interiors are too expensive to invest in. Why do we sell coffee? We have to consider the essence of it.¡± ¡°We sell coffee because we like it, but consumers¡¯ demand may be different.¡± The reason why they fought like this was simple. It was to find a way to survive in the invasion of overseas franchises, including Starbucks. ¡°At times like this, we need to regain our roots.¡± ¡°Why do we decide what the root is? Does Starbucks have no basis?¡± Either way, there were points being made and the debate never stopped. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± A pro-interior man shouted curiously. ¡°Just improving the interior can significantly increase sales.¡± ¡°Hey, you keep saying the same thing. Is there any basis for that?¡± ¡°That¡­.¡± The interiorist took a step back at the rebuttal of the coffee bean faction. ¡®You¡¯re asking for justification¡­¡¯ He asked far and wide. There was a moment when he was helplessly pushed back. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s evidence.¡± A man stood up from his seat like a savior and said, ¡°We have a store that supplies coffee beans, but until just a few weeks ago, the purchase volume was significantly lower. But recently, there has been a change in recent remodeling.¡± ¡°Does that mean that the store has changed their interior and experienced an increase in sales?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± The man spoke in a firm voice. ¡°Coffee bean purchases have increased 10 times more than the original.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Due to the violence of numbers, the coffee bean faction flinched. The interiorist did not miss the moment and continued to push his opinion. ¡°I dropped by the store to see where so many coffee beans were being used, and the appearance of the store had changed completely from before. It¡¯s transformed into a much more lively and bright space.¡± ¡°Are you sure only the interior has changed?¡± ¡°Yes. The coffee beans are the same varieties that we used to supply. I checked the taste too.¡± If that was true, it was indeed a great shock. Just because the interior was changed, coffee sales jumped 10 times. Of course, the inventory itself may have been increased in preparation for the peak summer season, but even considering that, it was a staggering number. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe. There might be other reasons, right?¡± ¡°If you visit the store for yourself, you will feel the power of the interior.¡± It was the moment a debate was about to arise again. A man who had been listening from the side the entire time opened his mouth, ¡°If that¡¯s true, why don¡¯t I take a look at it for myself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At the same time, people who were busy with their arguments stopped talking at once. It was Oh Kyung-jin, president of the association. He is a businessman who invests in numerous coffee industries based on his huge capital. His remarks were of extraordinary weight as there were many business owners who were indebted to him. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see for myself. And, if you have anything to refer to, it would be better to refer to it. Do you agree?¡± ¡°¡­.Yes.¡± The long debate between the two factions was summarized in a few words by President Oh Kyung-jin. The vice president of the association coughed and opened his mouth. ¡°Then, next time, we will hold a tasting of newly imported coffee beans. * ¡®You¡¯re Oh Kyungjin?¡¯ Upon receiving his business card, I glanced at him with a surprised look. I¡¯ve heard of the name a lot, but it was the first time I actually met that face. ¡®Korea¡¯s Howard Schultz. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d meet Oh Kyung-jin here.¡¯ Oh Kyung-jin. He was a celebrity, who in the future, ran a coffee franchise business, owning nearly 1,000 stores nationwide. It was a name that could not be unknown if I was in the coffee business, and I also referenced his business model a lot. ¡®In fact, he¡¯s the one who spread design management to the Korean dessert industry.¡¯ The position on the business card was impressive. ¡®I am the president of the Korean Coffee Business Association.¡¯ It seems that he was active even in this relatively early period. He visited this cafe, Heaven¡¯s Door. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors.¡± Oh Kyung-jin opened his mouth. ¡°I heard that sales have risen significantly recently after replacing the interior. Can I ask if that¡¯s true?¡± ¡°¡­..It¡¯s difficult to give detailed sales figures¡­¡± The owner stepped forward and said. ¡°But it is true that it¡¯s more than what it used to be.¡± ¡°¡­..!¡± ¡°I was just thinking about when to close up the store, but thanks to this student here, this place was saved.¡± He looked at me with a proud look. It was already a familiar gaze. To be honest, I was used to it so much that I was a little sick of it. ¡®I think I¡¯ve seen that gaze 20 times today alone.¡¯ I saved the store that was about to go bankrupt, so I looked like a hero to him. There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t understand, however, it should¡¯ve only lasted a day or two, and I was slowly becoming burdened, so I thought about leaving on my own two feet. However, it always ended in trouble. ¡®Since you keep giving me snacks and drinks, I can¡¯t help but come¡­¡¯ You keep bringing them from somewhere. [There is a tea production brand called Highland in Malaysia, and it¡¯s a brand that only selects tea leaves in the top 0.2%. Do you want to taste it?] Of course, drinks that I¡¯ve never tasted before. [It¡¯s a dessert called Malenka. You know the Czech Republic in Europe, right? I heard it¡¯s a cake that only the royal family used to eat. My sweetheart gave it to me so that I can give it to you.] Even high-quality snacks. He was providing unlimited services to all those who helped renovate the store, including me. Thanks to this, Ju Ji-hoon, Hanseol, and their friends from the department spent time here every day. This corner has become our exclusive retreat. I asked if there would be any losses if other customers didn¡¯t receive it, and they said it was much better than before. Even if I tried to pay, he refused. ¡®I think it¡¯s less sensible to just pay for it and drink it.¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t go to another cafe. This is because this store is tailored to my taste from head to toe. When I went to another cafe, it was somewhat tacky and only uncomfortable. ¡®I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s just take it easy.¡¯ With that in mind, I was doing my homework assignment here, but President Oh Kyung-jin came. He looked at me and opened his mouth, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lee Jaeha.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s one thing I want to ask Jaeha.¡± President Oh Kyung-jin asked me for a favor. I had a hunch that something would happen. In a little bit, my prediction has become a reality. ¡°I would like to ask if you can visit our store and give us advice on interior design.¡± ============================================================================================== Chapter 27 ============================================================================================== Chapter 27 ¨C Cold Brew My prediction was correct. ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re trying to ask for advice from a student.¡¯ I was amazed at how open-minded he was. Of course, I have no hesitation. Rather, I wish for the sea. ¡®It would be great if I could form a connection with President Oh Kyung-Jin at this time.¡¯ However, the timing was bad. After thinking for a while, I answered, ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bit difficult.¡± ¡°I see.¡± President Oh Kyung-jin sighed as if he knew it would happen. Then he attempted again, ¡°My apologies. This is all know-how and trade secrets, but it¡¯s my fault to ask so suddenly. Then, can I ask how much it will cost when you officially begin consulting requests?¡± ¡°What?¡± The story seemed to have leaked to a strange place. I shook my hands. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­.¡± I said with a puzzled look. ¡°It¡¯s exam season these days.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± President Oh Kyung-jin looked at me with a look of disbelief. But it wasn¡¯t just a roundabout thing. ¡®Students should focus on studying.¡¯ It¡¯s the final exam period for the first semester. Han Yewon¡¯s curriculum is usually exhausting already, but these days, it has become even more tiring. Even if I devote all my time when I wake up to study, a single day is still not enough. ¡°I¡¯ll have a lot of free time after the semester ends, so after the exams it¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°¡­I see,¡± President Oh Kyung-jin said as he finally relaxed his stiff body. ¡°Okay. Then, please call the contact information on the business card¡­¡­.no. Give me your contact information and I¡¯ll get back to you soon.¡± ¡°Er¡ªOf course.¡± Just like that, I received an unexpected person¡¯s contact information. * ¡°Oh, I thought I was going to die.¡± The last exam is over. The tough finals are finally over. The students gathered in twos and threes and chatted as they left the classroom. ¡°I should go home and faint.¡± ¡°Do you want some chicken and beer after you wake up?¡± ¡°That sounds great.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stay up all night at an internet cafe.¡± Being excited about vacation didn¡¯t seem much different between college students and high school students. Like them, I became free. However, I couldn¡¯t just drop everything like it was the end of a game only because it was the end of the semester. ¡®It¡¯s time to start working.¡¯ Throughout the semester, I eagerly waited for this moment to come. If I have laid the foundation as college student Lee Jaeha, it¡¯s time to work harder as designer Lee Jaeha from now on. Originally, I was thinking of joining a design company as an intern. ¡®I still have some business cards that I received before the exhibition¡­.¡¯ Based on the connections I accumulated there, I tried to lay the foundation for the design business. However¡­. Somehow, the plan changed a little. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go. Sunbae must be waiting.¡± As I was about to leave, Park Kyu-tae sagged like slime on the desk and muttered, ¡°Can I take a break before going?¡± ¡°Okay. Get some rest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Take a good rest.¡± I said, smiling. ¡°You can rest throughout the entire vacation if you want, so long as it¡¯s during the vacation.¡± ¡°Great. The old saying is that you can sleep in a grave.¡± Kyu-tae jumped up as if he was tired. It¡¯s because I recently felt that if you follow me around, something will fall out of place. The two of us headed to [Heaven¡¯s Door], which had become a hideout. ¡°Jaeha is here.¡± There, Hanseol and Ju Ji-hoon were waiting for me. ¡°Why did you come so late?¡± ¡°I just finished my exams.¡± Kyu-tae muttered as he sat down on the table as if he were collapsing. ¡°Ugh. Ji-Hoon hyung. Isn¡¯t Han Yewon¡¯s curriculum really weird?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why is it that freshmen have to roll around and suffer like this, but when they go up a grade, it¡¯s so much easier?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± Ju Ji-hoon said as if it were natural. ¡°I usually don¡¯t study hard from the 2nd year onwards.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything. When they get to highschool, there are many people who forget about their entrance exams and only try to sell their work.¡± ¡°Then the freshmen struggle because they don¡¯t know anything yet. That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. If you are someone who likes to roll around in the first place, why would you come to Han Yewon? You¡¯re all here to study while doing something else.¡± I smiled bitterly at the brazen explanation. ¡®Ji-hoon, introduce yourself.¡¯ After sitting down and chatting for a while, I soon got to the point. ¡°You know the person who came to the cafe last time, right?¡± ¡°Is he the president of the Coffee Association?¡± ¡°Yes, President Oh Kyung-jin.¡± I smiled and said: ¡°I¡¯m going to visit him from now on.¡± * ¡°Wow¡­.¡± A cafe in Jongno. Park Kyu-tae, who visited [Coffee Meister], muttered in a surprised voice. ¡°It¡¯s a little different from [Heaven¡¯s Door]. I¡¯ve never seen such a luxurious cafe.¡± Rather than a typical cafe, Hanseol seemed to look forward to it because the atmosphere was reminiscent of a luxury clothing store or musical instrument shop. ¡°Are you rich?¡± I also admired it in a different sense. ¡®I¡¯m taking part in this.¡¯ I had a good feeling. As soon as we opened the store and entered, Chairman Oh Kyung-jin greeted us in a still and quiet room. ¡°It must¡¯ve been a lot of work to arrive from so far away. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Oh Kyungjin.¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lee Jaeha.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ju Ji-hoon.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin shook hands while bowing one by one without skipping a single one of us. My thoughts have become more firm. ¡®He¡¯s a businessman.¡¯ I could definitely feel that we were viewed as business partners, not just students. He took us to a room inside the cafe and said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you all something to drink.¡± We waited for a while, and he soon returned to his seat with five cups of coffee. ¡°Please try it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Hanseol was the first to drink. Soon her eyes widened. ¡°Brother, this tastes unique.¡± ¡°Oh, really? It kind of smells like cigarettes. It¡¯s clearly not just coffee. It¡¯s color is very dark,¡± Ji-hoon responded. On the other hand, I wasn¡¯t that surprised. ¡®I didn¡¯t know I would get to taste this here.¡¯ Chairman Oh Kyung-jin looked at us happily, and asked if it tasted okay since I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Jaeha¡¯s reaction is blunt.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried this a few times,¡± I said, putting the cup on the table. ¡°Isn¡¯t this cold brew?¡± Cold brew coffee with cold water. The taste was so unique that it was easy to distinguish, even in Korea. ¡°¡­¡­Oh my. You already knew.¡± President Oh Kyung-jin looked a little surprised. I added an additional explanation. ¡°My mother¡¯s acquaintance likes Cold Brew.¡± My mother¡¯s acquaintance here is me. ¡°You know coffee well.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin smiled happily and continued to talk again. ¡°As Jaeha said, this coffee is called cold brew. Typical coffee is quickly brewed by pouring hot water into ground coffee beans, but cold brew is not easy to make because it¡¯s slowly brewed drop by drop with cold water.¡± ¡°Wow. It¡¯s a very precious drink,¡± Kyu-tae muttered in a surprised voice. Ju Ji-hoon and Hanseol also seemed to be pleasantly surprised with Chairman Oh Kyung-jin¡¯s explanation. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you all came here. Right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to brag about it to my friends later.¡± As I saw them delighted with a cup of cold brew, I thought: ¡®Well, even at this time, there were few stores that sold cold brews.¡¯ In the future, it¡¯ll be sold everywhere, but at this time, there were very few stores that sold it. It is a state-of-the-art culture. Returning to the past, I thought that I wouldn¡¯t be able to taste it for a while, but it was very nice to drink after a long time. ¡®I¡¯ll have to talk to the boss later.¡¯ It was the moment I was savoring the coffee and thinking. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin asked me, ¡°Jaeha, what do you think about the interior of this store?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Okay. It¡¯s time for the main topic to come out. I didn¡¯t answer right away and thought for a while. I couldn¡¯t just say whatever came to mind carelessly. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin might smile as kindly as a grandfather who spoils his grandchildren now, but his true nature is a businessman. ¡®Then I should answer as a business partner, not a student.¡¯ I looked around for a moment and said, ¡°Can I be honest with you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s inefficient.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Kyu-take hardened like a rock and looked at me. On the other hand, President Oh Kyung-jin blinked silently and asked again. ¡°Can I hear the reason?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I touched the chair with my hands and said, ¡°The chairs are so soft and fluffy that you can sit on it comfortably for long periods of time. It¡¯s nice because the seats are spacious too. Additionally, thanks to the soothing classical music, I feel at ease.¡± Everything I listed so far was technically an advantage to the store. However, I was going to add a word to this. ¡°I don¡¯t think the guests will get up from their seats often.¡± Considering the characteristics of the commercial district, this was a disadvantage. This is an office worker street. A different design was needed. ¡°You¡¯re saying the turnover rate is going to drop.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin smiled satisfactorily at my answer. Then, he spoke in a serious voice. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d like to open a store similar to Heaven¡¯s Door.¡± I nodded to the point where I couldn¡¯t see. ¡®As expected.¡¯ I expected it. However, I didn¡¯t know that he would bring it up so abruptly. Perhaps the questions that were laid out before were their tests of their own. ¡°Are you talking about a franchise?¡± ¡°Any way is fine, as long as I can invest in it. You can set up someone else as the owner if you wanted.¡± This statement needed a little interpretation. When he mentioned [Heaven¡¯s Door] here, it should be noted that he was talking to me, not the boss. ¡®You¡¯re probably thinking that I¡¯m the core of [Heaven¡¯s Door].¡¯ It¡¯s not wrong. However, I can¡¯t believe that you see me as a business partner even though I¡¯m just a college freshman. As expected, this person is unique. ¡°I heard that the student supervised the design of the cafe. Is that correct?¡± ¡°It is true that I have planned overall. However¡­.¡± I looked at Kyu-tae with my seniors who came with me and said, ¡°I shared the roles with my friends here.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll think of you as a representative and ask you.¡± He asked in a serious voice. ¡°Do you think interior design can boost sales?¡± I answered without any hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I say it¡¯s guaranteed that it boosts sales more?¡± ¡°Of course. If we can design things to meet the needs of our customers, I think there is an endless amount of room to increase sales.¡± More than half of cafe sales are generated by interior design, and in my eyes, there were a lot of unnecessities, even in this store. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin said, ¡°Well, you just told me that this store is inefficient. I want to hear a specific explanation.¡± ¡°For example¡­.¡± I looked out the window and said, ¡°This is Jongno, and most of the customers are probably office workers. Am I right? ¡°Yes. Most of them are office workers. I didn¡¯t tell you this, but I guess it¡¯s a feeling.¡± It¡¯s probably accurate. I knew and asked. ¡°The fact that many office workers visit will also lead to a lot of customers visiting in the morning or lunch time.¡± In a way, it¡¯s natural enough for even a child to say it, so there¡¯s no way that President Oh Kyung-jin doesn¡¯t know. If you recite these words among industry people, you will be ignored for saying what is natural. ¡®However, I am a college student now.¡¯ Even words from common sense become persuasive for no reason if they are said as if they were inferred on the spot. That¡¯s why I continued to say these obvious things. ¡°On the contrary, I don¡¯t think that there will be a lot of customers during rush hour or on weekends.¡± ¡°Exactly. Most of our usual sales come in weekday mornings and lunches.¡± There was interest in his expression. If he looked like that, then I was half successful. From now on, I will only say the conclusions. ¡°I mentioned earlier that the downside is that the seats are too comfortable.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°In my opinion, when office workers visit a cafe, they don¡¯t come for the purpose of having a long conversation or taking a break.¡± ¡°¡­.Hm. Do you mean to say that there¡¯s another reason?¡± I spoke in a voice full of confidence. ¡°If I were an office worker, I would probably stop by to buy a cup of coffee on my way to work in the morning, or to stay for a very short time before returning to work after lunch. Of course, I don¡¯t have to be too comfortable with my seat because my stay is short.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s pretty much right. However, this analysis alone means nothing.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin hit a blind spot. The blind spot that an analysis without an alternative is nothing more than a tabletop theory. But it was a blind spot that had been prepared in advance. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll tell you what I think from now on.¡± I took my sketchbook out of my bag. A thousand hearings are not worth one seeing. It was much better to show it in pictures than to explain it a hundred times in words. ¡°If I fix the design of this cafe through the above analysis, I would probably fix it like this.¡± I started moving my arms. Scribble. There was a lot to draw. From the moment I entered the store, I had been thinking about what to fix and how to fix it. ¡®It¡¯s hard to plan, but from now on, all you need to do is draw.¡¯ I¡¯ve already done this hundreds of times. I just have to show it here again. I completed the sketch in an instant and showed it to Chairman Oh Kyung-jin. ¡°This¡­.¡± He was surprised, and I opened my mouth. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m going to split all the large tables.¡± ============================================================================================== Chapter 28 ============================================================================================== The cafe in the sketch I drew contained seats that were divided as if they were numerous uninhabited islands. ¡°Are you going to split the seats like this?¡± I replied without hesitation to Chairman Oh Kyung-jin¡¯s words. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± ¡°I think it would be better to increase the proportion of single and two-person seats as much as possible, and you can simply combine the seats if you need more than four.¡± A thorough separation. At first glance, it sounded awkward. This is because the interior of this store is aesthetically very elegant. However, there was a little problem that I saw as a designer rather than an artist. ¡®When it comes to an office-filled street like Jongno, you have to imagine that it¡¯s full at peak times.¡¯ Then, rather than improving the quality of the experience, it was better to increase the turnover rate by dramatically increasing the number of seats for customers. ¡°If I had been in charge of the interior of this store, I would have removed the restrooms and counters, and filled all the surplus space with tables and chairs. That way, we can have as many seats as possible.¡± All flowerpots and shelves installed for aesthetics were removed. A sofa is a waste of space. Large speakers are a luxury. Whether it was the owner¡¯s choice or not, the roasting machines were also placed like exhibits, but in my opinion, even this was meaningless in terms of sales. Only turnover rate. I had to bet everything on the turnover rate. ¡°To pack a little more seats here, I think it would be good to open the window and set up a take-out stand.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin asked about the shockingly commercialized interior design. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t customers be frustrated if the seats are this tightly packed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Their stay will be short, so their fatigue will be low.¡± Few people consider where they would go after 20 to 30 minutes at the longest. Poor consideration was poisonous to sales. Instead, there were other considerations that could be given because the other person was an office worker. ¡°It¡¯s about growing the overall size of the menu.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the size of the cup?¡± ¡°Yes. We should sell cups that are 1.5 to 2 times the size of the menus we sell now. However, the price shouldn¡¯t be too high either.¡± ¡°Well¡­.considering the price, we¡¯ll have no choice but to lower the quality of the coffee beans.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think office workers stop by the cafe to judge the taste of the coffee anyway.¡± Why do office workers drink coffee? It was better than drinking caffeinated water. If so, quantity over quality is a must. However, my words still seemed awkward to him. ¡°Listening to what Jaeha said just now, it seems that the quality of the coffee beans aren¡¯t very important.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think. Of course, I¡¯m mainly focusing on sales.¡± ¡°¡­..Hmm.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin seemed to hesitate for a while. He stayed silent for a long time, as if he was thinking about something. He finally opened his mouth. ¡°I thought about it after talking with you just now, but Jaeha seems like a person who has worked in this industry for a very long time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡± Only then did I realize that I was too immersed in consulting, and poured out more stories than what a normal undergraduate student would have to say. With a sheepish smile, I said,¡±What I¡¯ve said so far is just based on my guess.¡± ¡°Your guess is a little detailed.¡± ¡°My mother¡¯s acquaintance worked in the industry for a long time, so I picked up things along the way.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin smiled happily and said, ¡°If I get a chance, I¡¯d like to share some business stories with that acquaintance.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Please don¡¯t. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin continued. ¡°Now I know only a little, but I¡¯m sure it was no coincidence that sales rose after Jaeha reached the cafe.¡± The sudden compliment made me cough. ¡°How much money do you think it¡¯ll cost to design a store the size of Heaven¡¯s Door?¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Heaven¡¯s Door is a medium-sized store, measuring about 15 pyeong. I tapped the calculator in my head and said, ¡°In reality, there is a limit to what I can do on my own.¡± ¡°Limit?¡± ¡°It seems that a significant part of the interior, such as flooring, glass, metal, and electrical work, will have to be outsourced. We also have lighting to worry about, and sound isn¡¯t something that can be ignored either¡­.¡± I was in the midst of explaining the parts that would cost money when Chairman Oh Kyung-jin cut me off and came in. ¡°Excuse me, but I think you misunderstood me a little,¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin looked me in the eyes and said. ¡°I¡¯m not asking how much it¡¯ll cost to construct, but rather, how much you want to receive.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± At that moment, a thunderbolt struck my head. ¡®Come to think of it, it would be strange to ask a student for detailed interior costs.¡¯ Because it¡¯s natural for them not to know. It wasn¡¯t natural for me. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin looked me in the eyes again and said, ¡°Please think about the student¡¯s ransom and tell us.¡± The paradigm of concern has changed. ¡®How much should I get for the payment?¡¯ Rather than calculating the cost of raw materials for the interior, this part was much more complicated to think about. To be honest, you don¡¯t have to pay much. It would be expensive if you were designing it from scratch. But to me, cafe design is the act of borrowing the design of the future. It takes less than a day with just a pen and a sketchbook. ¡®The problem is that while making a scaled-down model, we have to put together the prototypes one by one¡­¡¯ This part can be left to Kyu-tae, Ji-hoon, and Hanseol. Of course, it¡¯s not free. They likely won¡¯t get to talk to each other often, and if they were to take care of this, then they should be paid properly. You have to sow the seeds before the harvest. Even more so to get them to join my future design business. ¡®If I consider my labor costs here, what would be an appropriate amount to ask for?¡¯ I didn¡¯t hurry and thought about everything carefully, one by one. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin just waited patiently When all the calculations were completed, I said: ¡°I think 500 is enough.¡± ¡°500!?¡± Kyu-tae suddenly said in a surprised voice. ¡°That much?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason for this.¡± I dismissed his words. 500. It wasn¡¯t a small amount. In fact, although Kyu-tae was the only one who opened his mouth, Seol-noona and Ji-hoon-hyung also seemed a little surprised. ¡®Well, 500 is the equivalent of a three-month¡¯s salary for new college graduates at this time.¡¯ It¡¯s definitely not a small amount of money. However, I didn¡¯t even think it was an excessive amount. After considering the materials, time, and labor costs required to make the prototype, a slight premium was added to it. ¡®500 isn¡¯t a huge gain, but at least there¡¯s no visible loss.¡¯ This is the value of the design I have. That was my decision. ¡°Hmm. I see.¡± When Chairman Oh Kyung-jin heard me, he began stroking his beard as if he was in deep thought. Why are you delaying your reply? As his answer was delayed, my fleeting thoughts came to my mind. ¡®Did you think that I asked for too much as a college student?¡¯ Then I had nothing to say. ¡®I asked conscientiously.¡¯ It¡¯s an appropriate amount by my standards. Rather, it was safe to say that it was actually a small amount of money compared to the long-term gains for Chairman Oh Kyung-jin. However, it is also true that I am just a freshman in an art college in his eyes. ¡®But I can¡¯t cancel the deal now. This is an opportunity to take a step forward as a designer.¡¯ If possible, renegotiate and lower the price. It was the moment when I was thinking that it wasn¡¯t the time to lose sight of the big picture due to small disputes over profit. ¡°Good.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll add another 500 to the 500 you suggested and give you a thousand.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Surprised by the sudden number, my thoughts were cut off. What do you mean 1,000? ¡®A thousand is like what a person from a professional company receives.¡¯ However, this was not the end. He continued to speak without stopping. ¡°In addition to this, if we open the store and achieve a surplus of profit, we will give you incentives or shares as an option.¡± Without realizing it, my eyes widened. It¡¯s incredible. I was mistaken. ¡®It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want to give you 500.¡¯ Rather, it was the opposite. He was thinking about how much more to give as a bonus. This guy is very generous. While I was still in a state of shock, Chairman Oh Kyung-jin said in a benevolent voice, ¡°This is probably the first time the student has received an offer like this.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I nodded. It¡¯s my previous life. Anyway, I¡¯m an art student who just moved to Seoul from a small local town. That¡¯s who I am now. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin continued with a tone of advice. ¡°When you actually start working, the initial plan is bound to go awry. If you compromise like this and compromise like that, in the end, it won¡¯t even look like the original plan.¡± That was correct. How often did you have to go to the draft when you worked for a company? The deadline has been advanced. The budget is insufficient. The order came from upper-management. After making corrections for all kinds of reasons, there were many times when the wrong thing was looking back at me in the end. ¡°However, there are ways to fill that gap,¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin looked into my eyes and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to spend more money.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°If you have money, you can hire more people and use more expensive materials. You can outsource anything.¡± There was generally nothing that money couldn¡¯t do. I think he called for a thousand considering all of that, but he continued. ¡°However, if I had to choose one of the best items that money could buy¡­.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin looked into my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather have a thousand-won design than a 500-won design. I hope for more than that if possible. I¡¯ll take care of the small expenses, so I will only ask the students to design the best.¡± I almost laughed out loud. I¡¯ll pay for it. You should just be good at designing. How many people will hear this as a designer? And, how many people will genuinely believe such words? But when the successful businessman of the future said this, the feeling was different. ¡°If you feel like the large amount of money is a burden, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could think of it as the cost I invest in students.¡± Ah. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a student. I forgot. I was thinking too much with the mind of a businessman. There was nothing to not understand if a well-known businessman did a favor to a college student, or even a promising prospect. I decided to accept his favor calmly and said,¡±You won¡¯t regret it.¡± * After the appointment, we returned to the area around Han Yewon. Before going home, I visited Heaven¡¯s Door and told the boss what happened today, and he exclaimed with a surprised look. ¡°You said he wanted to release a franchise!?¡± ¡°Yes. It hasn¡¯t been decided yet, but I¡¯ll need to talk to the boss separately.¡± ¡°¡­.I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± He continued in an incredible tone. ¡°No, that customer is special. Taking in college freshmen and having them design a cafe, does that make sense?¡± ¡°Well, you did the same.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I was on the brink of ruin.¡± The owner refuted with a brazen smile. ¡°Why did he discuss it with me right away and not you? You¡¯re cool, too.¡± I crossed my arms for a moment as if I couldn¡¯t understand. Soon, he looked at me with a proud expression and said, ¡°Well, you were the one who had the ability to do this. The customer must have recognized Jaeha¡¯s greatness because they can see it from the eyes of a viewer. I went to another cafe recently, and I realized just how good you were at your job.¡± He seemed to have recently traveled from place to place. Now that you¡¯re familiar with this store, no matter which cafe you go to, you must have seen a lot of flaws in them. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a cup of coffee to celebrate.¡± The boss hummed and turned around. I waited for a little bit. I soon sat down and started talking to the other three. ¡°Although the boss entrusted me with the task, I still think it¡¯s impossible even if I die alone and wake up.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Ju Ji-hoon smiled and said. ¡°I think you¡¯ll do well on your own.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head and said. ¡°I need people to turn my plans into reality.¡± ¡°Reality?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to make another model like the one I put out before.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°If possible, I¡¯ll make a prototype of the furniture and show it to you.¡± There might be a way to bring just the blueprints, but that¡¯s probably not what Chairman Oh Kyung-jin wanted from me. He decided to give me a thousand dollars. So, I was going to do 10 million dollars¡¯ worth of work in return. ¡®I have to do everything I can.¡¯ I continued. ¡°I have to make clothes, I have to make tables and chairs. In addition, if I want to make various props, I can¡¯t possibly do all of it by myself.¡± ¡°It will be difficult.¡± ¡°So, I hope that Kyu-tae and my older brother and sister will help me. Of course, I¡¯m not going to ask you to do this for free.¡± ¡°If I just receive the minimum hourly wage¡­.¡± It was the moment when Kyu-tae was about to say something. ¡°The money you receive will be divided by the exact number of people.¡± ¡°¡­. Oh my.¡± Kyu-tae took a deep breath. ¡°If we divide the thousand by four, how much will each person receive?¡± Two hundred-fifty. It was by no means a small amount. It¡¯s said that office workers earn this amount of money in a month, but for college students at this time, they have to spend their vacation doing part-time jobs just to barely reach it. If I could get that amount of money while working on my major, then there was no better work than this. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to give you options. I¡¯m in charge of designing this, so I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯d have no conscience if we asked for that.¡± Kyu-tae waved his hands. I smiled and said, ¡°What do you think? Do you want to join me?¡± ¡°Please let me join.¡± Kyu-tae seemed to have no intention of refusing from the beginning, and Ji-hoon said with a happy face, ¡°Money is money, but I can also use this as a portfolio when I get a job.¡± It meant the same as consent. Next, Hanseol sighed and said. ¡°I¡¯ll spend this vacation working.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere together after this¡±. ¡°That sounds good.¡± Having obtained consent from the three, I said with a smirk, ¡°Let¡¯s show them what a 10 million won design is.¡± ============================================================================================== Chapter 29 The meeting began. ¡®What kind of design works for a franchise?¡¯ It was a problem that I had faced countless times in my previous life. The moment has come again when the pondering was needed. ¡®He said he wanted to set up a franchise based on Heaven¡¯s Door.¡¯ It¡¯s not a bad idea. I can feel Chairman Oh Kyung-jin¡¯s wisdom. Now would be the right time to dominate the cafe franchise market. Even at this moment, Starbucks is running toward its 100th franchise. In the next few years, this market will become a battlefield. If you¡¯re just staring out, now is your only chance. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest,¡± I opened my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to make Heaven¡¯s Door a franchise as it is now.¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t business still going well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a slightly different issue from sales.¡± While Hanseol was tilting her head, I said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have an identity yet.¡± This was the problem. When establishing a franchise, there is something that has to be considered first, putting all other factors aside. Brand identity. We had to create an identity that could unite any branch in the country into one. Whether it¡¯s the interior or the menu, the beginning is ultimately the brand. ¡®Starbucks also made a huge investment in brand identity and marketing.¡¯ Starbucks¡¯ brand obsession was enormous. To the extent that all affiliated stores are directly managed, and the same experience can be enjoyed wherever you go on the planet. Urban, sophisticated, and luxurious. Based on this powerful brand idea, Starbucks has taken over the global coffee market. ¡°To grow Heaven¡¯s Door, we need a unique brand concept.¡± The interior will be discussed after the brand concept is established. Having come to a conclusion, I opened my mouth, ¡°I want to hear your opinions. What comes to mind when you hear the characteristics of Heaven¡¯s Door?¡± It was Kyu-tae who spoke up first. He tapped the edge of his desk with his finger and said, ¡°Er¡­.the owner is good at serving desserts?¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s keep that for now.¡± To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a good idea. The reason why the owner is so good with dessert is because of us. However, giving a rebuke at a meeting will only dampen the other person. The freer the mouth, the better. ¡°What about you and sister?¡± ¡°In my opinion¡­¡± Jihoon-hyung opened his mouth. ¡°I think the chair is comfortable. I used to only go to the library to rest, but because I got used to this place, I couldn¡¯t go back.¡± Comfort. At first glance, it may sound right, but it was just another flawed idea. ¡®I had no intention of making the store uncomfortable in the first place.¡¯ Like the case with Kyu-tae, I didn¡¯t show my thoughts. After nodding, I asked Seol-nooa next. ¡°What do you like the most about our cafe?¡± ¡°Me? You can see my work all over the cafe.¡± It was a very honest opinion that was a little too egocentric. But¡­ Ironically, it was the closest answer to being correct out of all the answers so far. ¡®That¡¯s right. Decorations like these are cultural pieces that can¡¯t be found in other cafes yet.¡¯ No, even in the future there wasn¡¯t anything like this. Gallery cafes appear occasionally, but none of them exist as franchises. Anyway, let¡¯s summarize the meeting so far. ¡®The identity of this cafe is the owner who gives good desserts, comfortable furniture, and decorations.¡¯ Broadly speaking, it can be summarized into these three parts. We had to combine these three well to create our own unique identity. But the first two have flaws. ¡®Then all that remains are the decorations, so what can I do to save this?¡¯ It was the moment I was contemplating. Kyu-tae opened his mouth. ¡°By the way, are you planning to keep just these pieces of Seol-noona¡¯s work here from now on?¡± ¡°What?¡± When I asked about the absurd question, Kyu-tae shrugged and said, ¡°Why not? It¡¯s kind of weird to see the same thing every time. Hasn¡¯t it been a few weeks already?¡± ¡°Time has passed quickly.¡± ¡°Right? I was wondering if you might bring some new ones.¡± Just as I was about to answer, Hanseol pushed in and said, ¡°What did you just say? What about my sculptures? You don¡¯t like them?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯m not saying that your sculptures are bad, but¡­¡± Kyu-tae trembled as he spoke as if it were an excuse, but Hanseol tilted her head and said, ¡°Then? If they aren¡¯t bad, why did you want new ones?¡± ¡°Because I see the same things every time¡­.¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s dissatisfaction if you look at it, so should we have a ¡®physical¡¯ conversation? ¡°Heh¡­. Just kill me.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s die today.¡± The two began to joke around as if they had been waiting for this moment. I smiled at the scene. ¡®It¡¯s really like a college meeting.¡¯ If there is a chance to joke around, it ends up like this. However, it was the moment I watched the scene without thinking. ¡®Wait. What did Kyu-tae say earlier?¡¯ A single thought passed through my mind. ¡®Replacing the displays with new ones? I don¡¯t think this is a bad idea.¡¯ I turned my head and looked around the store. There are about 20 sculptures that Hanseol brought. There¡¯s also my retro television. They look good, but I couldn¡¯t just leave it here forever. Unlike the furniture, the owner didn¡¯t pay for it. ¡®But it would be boring to put everything away.¡¯ So I thought, ¡®What if I changed this into someone else¡¯s work?¡¯ Instead of changing it once when you think of something, what if they were replaced with new ones after a certain period of time on a rotation-schedule? ¡®Artists won¡¯t refuse. They¡¯d actually line up for this.¡¯ But isn¡¯t Hanseol already a great artist for this? To be honest, I could have received money from her. It¡¯s great to collaborate with famous people for the future. ¡®I think this is pretty good.¡¯ I asked Ji-hoon for his opinion. ¡°What do you think about changing the exhibits here regularly?¡± ¡°Hmm. I think it¡¯d be nice to see.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You get tired of seeing the same thing every day¡­. Of course, it¡¯s not a simple thing to do. Anyway, if it were me, I think I¡¯d come every time when the decorations change.¡± A very positive response. Hearing him, I was confident in this idea. ¡®There is demand.¡¯ In fact, the very idea of attracting customers by periodically replacing products was quite common. Rather, it was common abroad. ¡°Come to think of it,¡± While I was thinking, Hanseol also helped. ¡°I saw this concept when I went on a trip to Japan before. Is it like a seasonal menu? There were a lot of things like that.¡± ¡°Oh, come to think of it, I saw you there often.¡± I often went there for market research. However, Hanseol shook her head as if she was puzzled by my words and asked. ¡°Have you been to Japan?¡± Oops. I am a freshman at a university who has never traveled outside of Korea. ¡°I saw it on the internet.¡± Anyway, as Hanseol said, it was common in Japan to change the brand concept every season. Restaurants sold seasonal menus, and even convenience stores released new products almost every month. ¡®Would it be possible to expand on this and apply it to cafes in a similar fashion?¡¯ Let¡¯s consider the significance of the existence of a cafe as an emotional business. If so, the main product of the cafe is sensitivity. This sensibility is periodically replaced through exhibits. ¡®It will be much cheaper than renovating the entire interior again.¡¯ Good. Ideas continued to flow as if a missing puzzle piece had finally been put into place. Feeling the perfect engagement like a cogwheel, I spoke. ¡°The brand of Heaven¡¯s Door is going to be a combination of exhibition and rest space.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± As he was surprised, Ji-Hoon said, ¡°It¡¯s similar to Jeondi.¡± ¡°Yes. I think it would be convenient to think of it as an extension of that time.¡± Okay. If you¡¯ve gotten this far, you don¡¯t need to worry any more. All that¡¯s left is taking action. * ¡°Chairman Oh Kyung-jin said he would pay for every small budget, so you don¡¯t have to save money this time.¡± I felt relieved. Designers who have no budget and deadline concerns can do so many things. How nice it is to just let your imagination flow. ¡°Then we¡¯re going to decide on the subject first. Is the tree okay?¡± ¡°Since I met you, I¡¯ve been intertwined with trees a lot.¡± Ji-Hoon laughed. Smiling as well, I said, ¡°Trees are good in many ways. It¡¯s easy to handle, it¡¯s inexpensive, and most of all, it¡¯s easy on the eyes.¡± The biggest advantage of wood as an interior material was visual comfort. The unique light brown and yellow colors eased eye fatigue. ¡°In addition, brown-colored materials like wood have good versatility. You can put it anywhere and it¡¯ll look good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even in the same space, the atmosphere changes drastically with just one color.¡± Ji-Hoon nodded. It seems that there is something to sympathize with the Architecture Department. ¡°If the store is plastered in white, the turnover rate will increase.¡± This is because customers leave the store easily. However, Kyu-tae suddenly asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you do blue or red?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a taboo.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Excessively provocative colors make customers uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Then what about black?¡± ¡°Black or silver is a color that emphasizes professionalism. That¡¯s why a lot of technology companies use it.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I think that¡¯s correct. Then we¡¯d better paint it brown because comfort is the main thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well, then¡­.¡± Kyutae expressed his opinion. ¡°Should I make the uniforms slightly brown too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It¡¯s really nice. I can sense unity and consistency. Coffee franchises have to decide the brand color well, but I think it can be completely brown. ¡®I feel that the meeting is continuing productively now.¡¯ Considering this and that, there was no material as good as wood. ¡®Then, when you use wood as the foundation, for the next sub-material¡­.bricks would be the best possible choice.¡¯ A brick-based interior has three advantages. First, it costs little to maintain. Rather, as time goes by, it becomes more stylish. Second, the construction period can be significantly reduced. And above all, the third one¡­. ¡®This is the most important.¡¯ It¡¯s easy to obtain. ¡®There are many designs that couldn¡¯t be used due to material issues during this period.¡¯ It¡¯s still a time when cafe culture is underdeveloped. I had to think that there were no interior props. However, bricks were different. ¡®Regardless of time, you can buy as much as you want, so long as you have the money. Processing it is easy, too.¡¯ That¡¯s all. It even controls moisture. Considering that art works should be hung inside the cafe, there might not be a more perfect material than this. ¡°Okay. What about the harmony of wood and bricks?¡± ¡°Bricks are good.¡± Jihoon nodded. Once the concept was set, there was nothing that was roughly drawn. ¡­Sasssakk¡­ Every time my arm moved, a powerful image was created on the paper. But Ji-hHoon, who saw it, asked, ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this a brick?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a brick.¡± ¡°What? You mean to use bricks as interior material? Is it not a material for the exterior?¡± He muttered in a slightly surprised voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit ambitious?¡± I can¡¯t help it. It was at least 10 years later that brick interiors began to become fashionable, but it¡¯s okay to use it now. ¡°I¡¯m confident in this. Look at the result and then tell me.¡± I focused on the sketch. I had to persuade my teammates with this one drawing. If persuading Chairman Oh Kyung-jin is the final boss, this was just a preliminary round. [ After about 10 minutes ] On the paper, a perspective view of the cafe interior viewed from three different angles was drawn. ¡°What do you think?¡± When I showed the sketch to the three of them and asked, Kyu-tae just smiled, as if he had already given up on being surprised. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do. You¡¯re a monster. You¡¯re definitely a monster.¡± Kyu-tae hit his forehead. The reaction was dramatic. ¡°I want to drop out every time I see you drawing. Are you sure you¡¯re a freshman?¡± ¡°What he said.¡± Hanseol said with a smile. ¡°Jaeha is weird. I don¡¯t think many of Jihoon¡¯s classmates can draw like this right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. If all the freshmen at Han Yewon were like him, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter the school.¡± Jihoon smiled. The atmosphere was roughly in order. ¡°So, Jihoon-hyung, can I proceed with this?¡± ¡°Are you planning to make a model out of it?¡± ¡°Yes, half the size of the one I put out last time.¡± ¡°Er¡­.¡± Ji-Hoon mumbled for a while, and Hanseol intervened and said, ¡°What kind of contest are you a judge for? Don¡¯t be in such a mood and tell us quickly.¡± ¡°Oh, come on. Okay,¡± Jihoon sighed and said. ¡°I was a little worried because you said it was a brick, but I think it would suit the place. I agree. I think it¡¯s doable.¡± His acknowledgment made me laugh without realizing it. Good. The planning meeting is almost over. Next, it was time to discuss where to proceed with the full-scale work. ¡°You¡¯re working hard,¡± The owner brought something on the tray and said, ¡°Eat this and take your time.¡± There was a large bowl of something on the tray. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this shaved ice?¡± Hanseol muttered in a surprised voice. It was literally shaved ice. Red bean topping on freshly shaved white ice. ¡°I really like shaved ice. Why are you giving us shaved ice all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be summer soon. I thought of it when I heard you guys talking about a seasonal menu earlier,¡± The boss laughed shyly and said. ¡°¡­Is it weird to sell shaved ice at a cafe?¡± ¡°Hmm. I guess it would be a little inconsistent¡­I¡¯ve never seen a cafe selling shaved ice.¡± ¡°Right? I guess this is why I failed the first time. I¡¯ll just do what I¡¯ve been doing.¡± The owner laughed spontaneously, and the moment I saw it, I remembered. ¡®The owner who was good with desserts always did what he wanted.¡¯ Something popped out one by one from an unexpected corner. Chapter 30 The basic planning meeting is over. The next day, I invited my teammates to a certain place. ¡°So this is Professor Lee Jong¡¯s studio, which I¡¯ve only heard of until now¡­.¡± Kyutae looked around with a surprised expression. That¡¯s right. The place I brought my teammates to was Professor Lee Jong¡¯ studio. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to get permission from the professor. [The more friends you have, the better.] That¡¯s what the professor said. As expected, he¡¯s a good person. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ji-Hoon looked around the studio with calm steps and asked, ¡°It¡¯s really spacious, I envy you¡­¡­Jaeha, are you using this place all by yourself?¡± ¡°Yes. I originally had someone else to share the studio with, but I don¡¯t know where they¡¯ve been these days.¡± Kyutae intervened. ¡°Seo Ji-eun?¡± ¡°Not Seo Ji-eun, Seo Ji-won.¡± ¡°Anyways, where did she go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It¡¯s not just a standoffish thing. I really didn¡¯t know. Where did she go without completing the first semester? ¡®I didn¡¯t expect that you wouldn¡¯t come to the exams.¡¯ There are many unique people in art colleges, so it wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t any first-year students who acted this way. Rather, it was safe to say that it was common. In particular, Han Ye-won¡¯s students often disappeared suddenly, saying they wanted to do their own thing. ¡®Was Seo Jiwon also that kind of person?¡¯ Unless Professor Lee Jong tells me, I won¡¯t know. ¡°I asked the professor, and he said it was okay to work here together.¡± ¡°I like this place,¡± Seol-noona muttered in a satisfied voice. ¡°I was a little uncomfortable in the school¡¯s studio because I was afraid someone would spy on me while I was working. Right, oppa?¡± ¡°Sometimes, there are kids who have bad hands.¡± ¡°Honestly, even if it¡¯s not like that, I like this studio itself.¡± ¡°Yeah. No one in my class has a studio as good as this one.¡± I forgot just how special this place was because I got so used to it, but I guess this place is a good one. When I unpacked my bags and started working in earnestness, I told Ji-hoon, ¡°First of all, We¡¯re going to make an interior model in a large frame. You¡¯ve made it a lot before, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one majoring in architecture,¡± Ji-Hoon replied with a confident voice. ¡°What do we do all year round in our department? We make interior models. I mean, I¡¯ve done it countless times.¡± Confidence flashed across his face. He¡¯s only been dragged around until now, even though he¡¯s the oldest among us. But he seems happy to finally have a chance to play. ¡°Jaeha can make the design, I can make the model, and Hanseol can make some detailed props.¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar to the previous project we did together.¡± ¡°Then what about me?¡± Kyutae intervened. ¡°You make clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± There, we were done with a rough division of our roles. While everyone was busily moving around, I, the actual leader, just sat around quietly because I had already finished the necessary blueprints and sketches yesterday. But that didn¡¯t mean I was resting. I was busy with other concerns. ¡®I need a design good enough to surprise Chairman Oh Kyung-jin.¡¯ It¡¯s not enough for it to just be ¡®okay¡¯. The success of this franchise¡¯s brand, Gallery Cafe, depends on its presentation to the public. In order to save it clearly, such things were needed. ¡®You asked me to do what I did with Heaven¡¯s Door, but I have to give you more than that.¡¯ Didn¡¯t I say it would be worth 10 million won? It¡¯s necessary for us to clearly show Chairman Oh Kyung-jin just what kind of brand the franchise aims for, and how much we can develop it. Even if it¡¯s difficult, this work is my entry point as a designer. ¡®Should I go with a familiar piece of wood? But won¡¯t the wood carving stand out too much?¡¯ Wooden carvings aren¡¯t bad either. However, the plainness of matching everything has become poisonous here. Because nothing stands out. ¡®We need something that is fairly challenging and still acceptable to the public.¡¯ The answer did not come easily. But I wasn¡¯t in a hurry. To go far, you have to start slowly but steadily. In the meantime, I refined the blueprints, made prototypes, assisted other team members with their work, and thought slowly. It was a few days later when everyone was busy. Rattle. Suddenly, the door to the studio opened. ¡®Who is it? The professor?¡¯ When I turned my head, there was a person who I had never seen before standing in front of the door. A woman with long hair. From her outward appearance, she was probably a student in her early 20s. She asked us. ¡°Huh? Who are you?¡± ¡­That¡¯s what we were going to ask. Somehow, something seemed to overlap. * ¡°I wondered why there were so many people,¡± A woman who suddenly came to the studio muttered in a bright voice. ¡°You came to work with your friends.¡± Kim Yeonwoo. She was a student who had used Professor Lee Jong¡¯s studio in the past, and was a senior who had already graduated from Han Yewon. At first, she was surprised to see us, but as soon as I explained the situation, she relaxed. ¡°Are you here to see the professor?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been having some problems with my work lately, so I was going to discuss it with him.¡± ¡°Oh¡­. no wonder. I was surprised.¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯ve never seen such a crowded place.¡± Yeon-woo was very friendly. Even though she just met us for the first time, when she learned that we were juniors, she began to unravel various anecdotes as if we had known each other for a long time. ¡°Listen. When I was in 3rd grade, the professors started buying me food. Don¡¯t ever follow in my footsteps.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They were all trying to take me to graduate school. If you open your heart to get a free meal, your life begins to get twisted from there.¡± As the story ripened and went in an unexpected direction, I asked. ¡°Then did you become an art student instead of getting a job?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± She pressed on her chest with a proud look. ¡°After graduating, I¡¯ve only ever been crazy about preparing for work.¡± I could feel the pride, unique to an artist, in Yeon-woo¡¯s expression. At the same time, a possibility popped into my mind. ¡®Yeonwoo graduated from the professor¡¯s studio. Then wouldn¡¯t it be safe to say that her success has already been guaranteed?¡¯ I had been thinking for a long time about what decorations to put up in the cafe. If Yeonwoo¡¯s work is okay, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to include it in our work just once? ¡°Then you must have done a lot of exhibitions,¡± I said with hope. ¡°That¡­.¡± That was the moment her confident shoulders sunk down like a punctured balloon. ¡°Korea¡¯s exhibition culture hasn¡¯t developed that much.¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Even if I didn¡¯t listen carefully, I could still roughly understand her. ¡®It didn¡¯t work out.¡¯ It¡¯s good to go exhibiting works ambitiously, but it didn¡¯t go as she expected. Still, she didn¡¯t give up. ¡®As long as the work¡¯s good, it¡¯s okay.¡¯ I asked again. ¡°Can you show us what kind of project you¡¯re working on?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t show you. Wait a moment. I originally brought this with me to show the professor.¡± Yeonwoo rummaged through her bag and pulled out a box. Pop! As soon as she opened the lid, something light flowed down from it. A picture attached under an elongated stick, like a scroll. By the way, the texture of the painting was a little unique. It wasn¡¯t just a picture drawn on paper. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± It was familiar to me. ¡®This is textile art.¡¯ Yes. It was art made by meticulously weaving yarn-shaped fibers. Some artists made paintings with this, while others made three-dimensional models. What Yeonwoo made was something in between the two. ¡®The feeling is slightly different depending on the point of view.¡¯ It was a piece of art that looked like water droplets flowing over silk, but if you looked closely, it had a detailed three-dimensional effect. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Next to me, Yeonwoo asked with a triumphant expression. She seemed to have great confidence in her work. In fact, it was a degree of perfection that was worthy of confidence. ¡®Great. As expected, she¡¯s from the professor¡¯s studio.¡¯ How many people can show this much skill in the field of textile art? Maybe she¡¯s the best. If not¡­never mind. Rather, I felt as if I had seen the style of this work somewhere before. Come to think of it, her name is¡­¡­¡±Wait.¡± It suddenly came to mind. My eyes opened wide. ¡®Is Kim Yeon-woo that Kim Yeon-woo?¡¯ Kim Yeon-woo. A textile artist who has several individual exhibitions in the Modern and Future Arts Center. Because the name was subtly gender-neutral, I never imagined she would be a woman. I didn¡¯t recognize her at first, but I realized it when I saw her work. ¡®She was famous for her art that expresses all kinds of textures with textiles. I went to the exhibition with everyone in the company, but I forgot about this.¡¯ Currently, Kim Yeon-woo is sitting next to me. ¡°I think it¡¯s great, but why isn¡¯t it selling? Is it because it only looks good in my eyes? I¡¯ll try this for another year and I¡¯ll go find a job if I can¡¯t.¡± She said with a smile. Words that were said as a joke. However, I could hear a lament hidden beneath it. I¡¯ve heard it often among artists that don¡¯t sell. At first glance, she looks optimistic, but in reality, she has a negative personality. ¡®Maybe your self-esteem has dropped a lot.¡¯ The more attached an artist grows to their work, the easier it is to fall into this state. This is because they feel a separation between their pride of the artwork and the evaluation of the world. However, Hanseol asked in a voice of disbelief. ¡°Unnie, your work is so nice. Why can¡¯t you display it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just how it happens,¡± Yeon-woo sighed and said. ¡°I worked really hard on it, too. But in larger exhibition halls, they said they won¡¯t accept it because it¡¯s too experimental from a rookie. Does it make sense?¡± ¡°No. If you¡¯re a rookie, you should only do normal things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s what I want to say. They say you can build your career, but where do rookies build their careers?¡± ¡°What about a small exhibition then? There are many empty places because there are no exhibitors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it either.¡± Yeon-woo shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no one exhibiting in a small place, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s no one coming to see it. It costs nearly 100,000 won a day to rent, and even if you spend that much money, only 10 people a day come.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°To sit alone in such an empty exhibition hall, everything in the world feels meaningless. I think the rental fee is more expensive than my ransom.¡± She joked and laughed, but the reality was a tragic one. An artist is a profession in which those who are lucky enough to persevere and see the light achieve great success. It wasn¡¯t enough with skills alone. ¡°But what if you gather your acquaintances and fill it up? Then when you come to your senses, you¡¯ll be like the professors who force their students to work.¡± ¡°Ew¡­.¡± Hanseol hugged herself tightly as if she was getting goosebumps. ¡°I want to go out to exhibit later, too.¡­.¡± As she also aimed to become an artist after graduation, she seemed to be secretly anxious about the chances of failure right in front of her eyes. Of course, in the future, she will sell one of her works for 100 million won immediately after graduation. In addition, Yeon-woo is planning to enter the Seoul Arts Center someday. ¡®Come to think of it, Jihoon is going to become rich, too.¡¯ Everyone around me had a good future ahead of them. But Park Kyu-tae¡­what will he become when he grows up? Kyutae trembled as I glanced at him. ¡°¡­.Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Dust on your hair.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± After a while, Hanseol said with a sigh. ¡°Ha. It¡¯s not easy to make a living out of art.¡± ¡°The most difficult thing is to make a living doing what you want to do. I don¡¯t even know how to begin selling my works.¡± Yeon-woo sighed with a sullen look. But she didn¡¯t seem to know yet. That somewhere in the world, there is already someone who has already seen her worth. That too, was right in front of her. ¡°Senior.¡± It was me. ¡°Would you like to work with us?¡± ¡°Work?¡± Yeon-woo asked back as if she was puzzled. * Upon hearing the detailed business description, she muttered in a tired voice. ¡°So, you¡¯re preparing for a franchise? Where does the money come from?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get an investment from outside.¡± In response to my answer, she opened her eyes wide and said, ¡°The undergraduate student received an investment?¡± ¡°You know, originally, it¡¯s said that business is supposed to be done with other people¡¯s money.¡± ¡°¡­.Wow,¡± She muttered with a despondent look. ¡°¡­When I was a freshman, I only drank alcohol, but this is how children live these days. This is why people like me are naturally eliminated.¡± ¡°No, sister,¡± Seol-noona said, shaking her head, ¡°he¡¯s just weird.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Only Jaeha does things like this.¡± ¡°Everyone in my department treats him like a crazy person.¡± Ji-hoon and Kyu-tae also added a word each. When I glared at them slightly, only Kyutae flinched. Anyway, I asked Yeon-woo with an awkward look. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel pressured just because it¡¯s an exhibition of your works. You can just think of it as hanging your work on the wall of a cafe.¡± It¡¯s textile art in the form of a scroll. It¡¯s perfect. It doesn¡¯t fill up space, and it feels like a work of art. It even goes well with the surrounding interior. ¡®Is there another decoration this big to put in a cafe?¡¯ However, Yeon-woo was hesitant to make a decision on my proposal immediately. ¡°Um¡­ the situation is a little different now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± When I tilted my head at the sudden remark, she said, ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing to say this at this age, but won¡¯t the cafe exhibition cost me a lot?¡± Ah. I didn¡¯t know what you meant at first. I shook my hands and said, ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t take money.¡± ¡°¡­.What? Yeon-woo asked back as if she heard it wrong, but I smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you money.¡± Chapter 31 ¡°Are you really going to give me money?¡± Yeon-woo, who heard the explanation, muttered in a surprised voice. As she looked at me with an expression of disbelief, I smiled and said, ¡°I can give it to you, why?¡± ¡°Why would I get paid for exhibiting my work?¡± She asked once again as if she couldn¡¯t believe it, despite my answer. I spoke in a firm voice, ¡°Because that¡¯s our franchise.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to make more specific plans, but I¡¯m not just going to display the works¡ªI¡¯m going to replace them periodically. If there are buyers, we will sell them.¡± In fact, after meeting Yeon-woo, I¡¯ve made up my mind- ¡®I have to keep discovering people like her.¡¯ There are many people who are talented but can never be successful because they aren¡¯t given an opportunity to do so. I think I can save them. ¡®We can write down the creator and the name of the work, and if necessary, we can also provide services so that it leads to purchases.¡¯ They pay a down payment, and when the work is sold, they receive a minimum commission. Artists can pay for the rental fee cheaply, and the franchise can significantly lower interior costs. It¡¯s a win-win for all sides. Of course, this was something that we had to discuss with Chairman Oh Kyung-jin first. ¡®If everything goes as planned, individual artists who want to exhibit their works will come to us on their own, and we will be able to enjoy the promotional effects from our seats.¡¯ It truly is a virtuous cycle. It fits perfectly with the idea of combining exhibition spaces and rest areas. What if we could make our franchise itself into a platform in the long run? ¡®If this franchise spreads nationwide, won¡¯t more and more people be able to make the art they want to do?¡¯ Endless scenarios came to mind. However, nothing is certain yet. Swallowing back countless thoughts, I continued. ¡°But I can¡¯t give you too much. It¡¯s still in the planning stage, so we¡¯ll only be able to give you a definite answer after discussing it with the owner.¡± ¡°Okay? It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Yeon-woo said in a happy voice. ¡°So long as my money isn¡¯t being spent.¡± She seems happy just because she¡¯s not paying for the exhibition. ¡®It makes a poor artist laugh.¡¯ I smiled and said, ¡°Considering the size of the store, I¡¯ll need 10 of your works. Do you have time to make them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it even if I don¡¯t have any.¡± She spoke with confidence. That was the moment. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Hanseol intervened and said. ¡°Use my work as well.¡± I could see a slight resentment on her face as she said so. A face that stemmed to ask ¡®why didn¡¯t you ask me while you were promoting this?¡¯ I tilted my head and asked her, ¡°Then originally you weren¡¯t going to exhibit your works?¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Hanseol mumbled with a slightly surprised look. ¡°You¡¯re very quick.¡± ¡°This is the situation after all.¡± ¡°Good. Very good.¡± She giggled. I liked it too. If this is the case, then this should be enough for the exhibits. ¡®The main will be Yeon-woo¡¯s textile art, and Hanseol¡¯s sculptures will be placed here and there.¡¯ Yeon-woo is in charge of specialness and Hanseol is in charge of plainness. Lastly, I thought I¡¯d hang just one of my works here as well. ¡®¡­What would be good?¡¯ If possible, I wanted to add things that would go well with the cafe. Something that is also very practical and can be used for a long time. It¡¯s a work I design, so shouldn¡¯t I be able to enjoy this right? I thought about it like that for a while. Soon, one particular thing came to mind. ¡®After all, all franchise cafes should have that.¡¯ I got up from my seat, stretched out, and said, ¡°Jihoon-hyung.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Would you like to go somewhere with me tomorrow?¡± * A wooden complex in Incheon. As I was driving the car, Jihoon muttered with a sentimental look. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d come here again.¡± The last time we visited was at the beginning of the semester, so two or three months have already passed. I smiled and said, ¡°You got a business card from the director last time. Didn¡¯t you say you were going to visit back then?¡± ¡°No, I did mean it, but it¡¯s a little far to drive here from school.¡± This person is rather sincere. As expected, Joo Ji-hoon is the best. ¡°By the way, who did you borrow this truck from?¡± ¡°This? A colleague from the same class.¡± A friend who lends you a truck. ¡®I have a lot of friends.¡¯ Anyway, as I was driving the car, a familiar sight slowly passed by. As the sign that read [Seongjun Wood] welcomed us from afar, a hairy man immediately caught our eyes. It was Director Yoo Seong-jun. When I stopped the car and rolled down the window, he approached me and said, ¡°You came again.¡± ¡°I came to see the director.¡± I didn¡¯t get out of the car this time. Instead, Yoo Seong-jun got into our car with his arms crossed and said, ¡°Students are weird.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing such an order while working here. Why did you think such a thing would exist? Normally, they don¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I contacted the director, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He furrowed one eyebrow as if he didn¡¯t know what I was saying, and I said, ¡°It¡¯s nowhere else if the director can¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°¡­Hmmm.¡± Director Sung-jun coughed. ¡°You¡¯re good at flattery.¡± ¡°So is there anything I asked for?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± He scratched his cheek and said. ¡°There is. It¡¯s kind of bad to leave the place empty, so let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We picked up Director Seong-jun and immediately headed to a warehouse, somewhere out of the wide and spacious Iuncheon timber complex. Rumble. Director Sung-jun got out of the car, took the key out of his pocket and opened the warehouse door. Sluk. When the door opened, the smell of wood mixed with dust came out. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Ji-hoon exclaimed in admiration. Inside the warehouse, there was an enormous amount of wood piled up. ¡°All the things that are difficult to dispose of in this area end up here. So, usually no one is here looking for things.¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± Director Seong-jun turned on the lights in the warehouse, went inside, and rummaged around as if he were hunting for treasures. A few minutes like that passed. Soon, he shouted in a loud voice, ¡°I found it!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Then I went to his side and saw the thing that I had been hoping for. Director Sung-jun, stroking the object with his hand, said, ¡°The New Zealand Radiata Pine Tree. This is it, right?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly what I was looking for.¡± It was an ignorantly large block of wood. New Zealand pine, also known as the Monterey pine. It was so big to the point where I wondered how to use it as it is. ¡®It¡¯s a product that¡¯s sold everywhere in Korea because of its good versatility and cost-effectiveness.¡¯ However, what I needed was something special among the Monterey pines. Rough, solid wood that¡¯s been barely processed. Usually, when Monterey pines came to Korea, it was hard to find because it was almost always semi-processed. Even if it came in normally, it was processed immediately. Still, if necessary, you can order it from overseas, but it takes quite a long time to get it here from the production area. ¡®At least a month at the earliest. It¡¯ll be after the deadline by then.¡¯ I was going to give up if I couldn¡¯t get it. But I didn¡¯t know it was left in the corner of a warehouse like this. ¡°There are a lot of good things out there. I don¡¯t know why you would need something like this.¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m going to trim this whole thing and turn it into a table.¡± ¡°A table?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded and said. ¡°Can you cut this into a suitable size?¡± ¡°Usually, the cutting is done at the woodworking shop.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be trimmed beautifully, it just needs to be roughly the same size.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll know based on the estimate.¡± ¡°Wait. You can cut it like this¡­.¡± I showed him the blueprint that I had prepared in advance. It was literally in the form of cutting a piece of wood. A table that is more suitably described as cut rather than made. It was a wood-slab table. ¡°Do you usually use a desk like this?¡± Director Yoo Seong-jun muttered in a surprised voice. It was definitely a product that was hard to find in the market at this time. ¡®Only a few writers and woodworking people make and use it.¡¯ In the future, it will become famous under the name of ¡°Starbucks Table,¡± and it was a rare item that could be seen anywhere in the large franchise cafe. ¡®As it became popular here and there, its imports doubled every year, and eventually became an essential element of large cafes.¡¯ The problem is that this right now is the past. Instead of the fact that imports doubled every year, it was more like less than half the previous year. Moreover, it was safe to say that distribution itself was not available at all at this time. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± In my words, Yoo Seong-jun wore an absurd expression. ¡°¡­Even at this age, I still can¡¯t understand the thoughts of artists.¡± ¡°Director,¡± Joo Ji-hoon approached him and said. ¡°Neither do I.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± * It took a long time to bring the wood to the studio and trim into the shape of a table. Since there was nothing to use as a reference, I had to rely on my memory and senses, but it felt more like a sculpture than furniture production. Nevertheless, after a long labor period, the results were finally completed. ¡°I was wondering what you were trying to make¡­.¡± Ji-Hoon muttered in a surprised voice. ¡°It looks plausible now that I see it completed.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± I smiled. Wood-slab table. Its area was as much as three or four desks combined, and the edges were roughly processed like landscape paintings from the Joseon Dynasty. In addition, the upper part was carved with cuts here and there. ¡°Can we really use it like this?¡± Hanseol asked curiously. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­I feel like I was just making it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I smiled and said. ¡°That means I made it properly.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The true beauty of this table is that it seems to have been just made even after a long time.¡± It feels as if it was freshly collected from nature. This was the alpha and omega of the wood slab table, light and salty. Himalayan pink salt. ¡®Let¡¯s use this table as a shared table.¡¯ This was my plan. Putting it in the center of the cafe for shared use. I didn¡¯t choose to make a wood slab table simply because of its size. The wood slab table had one characteristic. ¡®General tables tend to lose value over time.¡¯ This wood slab table, however, was the opposite. ¡®As time goes by, its value increases.¡¯ The natural scars and lingering scent of time sublimated the wood slab table into a luxury item. This was my purpose. ¡®Preserve time.¡¯ No matter how upward the interior of other cafes are leveled, they cannot keep up with the time gap. This table will tell you the identity of our cafe. To prove this, I embossed the date this table was made as well as my name in the corner. [2002.7.05 / JH Design] JH are the initials of my name, Jae-ha. As I slowly brushed the top with my hand, the soft and unique feel of the wood came to mind. ¡®With this one thing, our cafe gains an eternal advantage in the interior of other cafes.¡¯ Caf¨¦s are emotional businesses, and there was nothing more impactful than time in emotions. In addition, the wood slab table has the small advantage of having a natural air freshener effect. ¡®Perfect.¡¯ As I turned my head, this time, the interior models made by Ji-Hoon and Hanseol caught my attention. ¡®That side is perfect too.¡¯ Unlike general models, the quality was tremendously high. If you take a picture from a distance, you will be deceived into thinking that it¡¯s a real store. It¡¯s only a little small in size, but it was much better than the one during Jeondi. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s different when you put a lot of money into it.¡¯ Perhaps this is the sense of responsibility that Chairman Oh Kyung-Jin meant. Not to mention the sculptures made by Hanseol and Yeon-Woo. All the preparations are done. ¡®Now, only the main character needs to appear.¡¯ I waited for a while. Soon, I received a phone call. Ddururu. Click. ¡°Yes, you can come right now.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin visited the studio. Chapter 32 ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Good to see you again.¡± The team members in the studio greeted Chairman Oh Kyung-jin one by one. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you again,¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin shook hands with each person and said, looking at Yeon-woo. ¡°I can¡¯t remember, but have I seen you last time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only joined recently. My name is Kim Yeon-woo. I look forward to your kind cooperation!¡± She spoke first and gestured for a handshake. Adhesion is good. I went next to her and said, ¡°Yeon-woo was in charge of the exhibitions in our work this time.¡± ¡°Do you mean the art works?¡± He asked back as if he hadn¡¯t expected it, but I nodded and said, ¡°Yes. While using Heaven¡¯s Door as a base franchise during our planning, we envisioned a gallery cafe as the identity of the cafe.¡± ¡°A gallery cafe¡­¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin muttered the words several times and asked, ¡°Please explain.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Finally, the moment I¡¯ve been waiting for has come. From now on, I have to explain to this person what products we have designed on behalf of our team members. ¡®I did a lot of image training.¡¯ First was the intention behind our plans. ¡°When I set up this cafe, I thought about what kind of advantage we could have over Starbucks.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good decision.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin nodded heavily. ¡°Because if we are going to establish a cafe franchise, we need to set it apart from Starbucks.¡± He seemed to like my choice. In fact, it was actually something that Starbucks added later. ¡®Starbucks¡¯ is a franchise that has already set up dozens of directly managed stores. It¡¯s perfect for a comparison model.¡¯ Perhaps Chairman Oh Kyung-jin has already thought of this. I¡¯d only guessed, but luckily it seems to have worked. ¡°That¡¯s how I found out while investigating Starbucks. I realized that all stores are directly managed, and even the smallest details are strictly controlled at the headquarters level.¡± ¡°Yes. Even if a private business operator tries to contact them, they don¡¯t respond,¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin agreed. I nodded and continued. ¡°Starbucks¡¯ interior is strict. This has the advantage of people being able to enjoy the same experience anywhere in the country, but it has one disadvantage.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He asked with an interested look. I answered in a serious voice, ¡°No matter where you go, it¡¯s the same.¡± It was both Starbucks¡¯ strength and weakness. For those who want to pursue freshness, Starbucks is just a familiar space wherever they go. As for the differences between the stores, at best, is the exterior of the store, and the interior of the store was almost always similar. ¡®I have nothing to say because it did conquer the world while being like that.¡¯ There was no way we could use it. This is because the history of the brand that has been built up is different. ¡°Instead, we thought differently from Starbucks. Even though it¡¯s a franchise, we wanted to create a reason for others to visit new and fun branches whenever they come.¡± ¡°That was by using an exhibition.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll change the exhibition concept every week or month. Starting with classical paintings, we plan to display works in a wide range of fields, ranging from retro posters, crafts, and cartoons.¡± ¡°Then, is Yeon-woo in charge of one of them?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll show you now.¡± I rolled up the white cloth that I had placed on the display stand. It was the idea that Kyu-tae pushed for. A beautiful work of art appeared under the fabric. ¡°It¡¯s called textile art.¡± ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin¡¯s eyes widened. When I nodded, Yeon-woo walked to the side and slowly explained. ¡°I recreated a scene of rain falling from the window by weaving fibers extracted from the abaca plant, which is also called the Manila hemp.¡± Rain flowed behind the frame of a window sill. But what looked like glass was actually fiber if you looked closely. The rain behind it was also made of fiber. In short, a trick consisting of multiple layers of fibers. ¡®As expected, you¡¯re incredible. Being able to recreate moisture with dry materials.¡¯ Chairman Oh Kyung-jin smiled brightly at the indistinguishable precision when he narrowed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s great. If it¡¯s a work like this, I think I¡¯ll come to see it from afar as much as I can. It¡¯s enough for me to want to keep it personally.¡± ¡°Yes. In that regard, we are also thinking of a service that relays buyers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯d like to discuss this separately.¡± A series of favorable reviews. Yeon-woo did her part. Well then¡­. From now on, this is the main point. ¡°I¡¯ll go after her.¡± I rolled up the cloth that covered the interior model. * An Interior model of about 1 meter by 1 meter. The first words that Chairman Oh Kyung-Jin said when he was it were as follows: ¡°¡­The structure is unique.¡± It was. The interior, measuring about 15 pyeong, mainly consisted of bricks and wood. A cool and open composition that does not waste a single pyeong of area. A wood slab table was placed on the center, and the perimeter was filled with square tables. ¡°Hmm,¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin said without taking his eyes off the model. ¡°The overall atmosphere is similar to the Heaven¡¯s Door I heard about last time, but the details seem to be significantly different.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin seemed a little disappointed and confused. However, I did not deny it. Instead¡­ ¡°Yes. We improved it even more.¡± I acknowledged it. Avoiding differences are excuses, but acknowledging differences are choices. ¡°We extracted the core DNA that made up Heaven¡¯s door and further strengthened it. That¡¯s this store.¡± ¡°Ah!!¡± As I touched the model, I said, ¡°All seats are designed for a single person to use. If you need to accommodate two or four person groups, we designed it so that they can sit together with one-person desks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the desk you described last time.¡± ¡°Yes. This part focused on the basics. The same goes for the chairs. Starbucks¡¯ chairs are easy to sit on, but we went beyond that.¡± ¡°Hmm. Isn¡¯t that different from what you explained before? I think you said that overly comfortable seats are disadvantageous to turnover speed.¡± ¡°At that time, it was near the company, so I explained it according to its location. However, I think that the basic interior of the franchise should have versatility. We don¡¯t know where every store is going to be.¡± ¡°Good. So what¡¯s that table?¡± He pointed his finger at a huge table in the middle of the store. It was the question I was expecting. I spoke with confidence in my voice. ¡°It¡¯s called a wood slab table¡±. ¡°A wood slab table?¡± When asked back, I nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s a table made by cutting the whole tree, and its strength is that it gives off the scent of nature. As time goes by, not only does it become more beautiful, but it also has an air freshener effect. In addition, since it¡¯s basically a table for shared seating, there won¡¯t be a problem concerning the turnover rate.¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin said after pondering for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but just looking at the model doesn¡¯t give me a good feeling.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I prepared this.¡± I picked up the entire model and moved it. And¡­ The tablecloth of the table was rolled up. Slip. At the same time, Chairman Oh Kyung-jin muttered in a shocked voice. ¡°¡­This is¡­! A rough log table was hidden under the tablecloth. Okay. The tablecloth was a fake to hide the true identity of the table. ¡®When it comes to presentations, there must be a twist.¡¯ I calmly swept down the desk and said, ¡°As you can see, this is a table made from a whole log of wood. One tree went in to make one of these tables.¡± To be honest, that¡¯s not the case. A single tree is enough to make two or three slabs. Even more is possible if you use a few tricks. However, proper exaggeration is essential in a presentation. ¡°If this franchise expands successfully, I¡¯d like to have a wood slab table in every store.¡± ¡°Every store? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded and said. ¡°Every tree has its own unique appearance, and wood slab tables are made from whole trees, so each one has a different appearance and quality.¡± ¡°There must be a huge variation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But¡­.¡± I spoke in a clearer voice. ¡°That¡¯s why I think this table can be a representative item of each store.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t just an industrial product. This desk, each and every one of them, is a living life.¡± If you don¡¯t look at a full picture, it¡¯s only an industrial product. However, even industrial products can be a luxury item depending on the way people look at them. ¡°This table will live, breathe, and age with our cafe.¡± ¡°¡­I like it. I like it.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin shook his head quietly. I feel like I¡¯m already halfway through with this. It would be nice to end it here, but I don¡¯t mean to. ¡®There¡¯s still one thing left.¡¯ I told him, ¡°I¡¯m not finished yet.¡± ¡°Then, there¡¯s something else?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled and said. ¡°Please wait here for a moment.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I hope to leave Chairman Oh Kyung-jin puzzled for a while. I went to the pantry on the other floor of the studio building. And in the meantime, I prepared a secret weapon that I was going to use today and brought it back with me. ¡°We¡¯re going to use this as a sales point for our store.¡± ¡°¡­.This is¡­¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin stiffened for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s shaved ice.¡± It was. It was shaved ice. I got the idea from seeing what the owner of [Heaven¡¯s Door] brought last time. However, this was somewhat different from the shaved ice he brought us. ¡°You don¡¯t have any toppings?¡± ¡°Try it.¡± I brought him a spoon. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin, who took the spoon without saying a word, took a spoonful of shaved ice and put it in his mouth. And¡­ ¡°This tastes like¡­!¡± He¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever had shaved ice like this. How can it taste so flavourful?¡± His reaction was beyond my expectations. With a satisfied look, feeling rewarded for my hard work, I said, ¡°In general, shaved ice is made by freezing water, but our ice is a little different.¡± ¡°Milk.¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin said. ¡°You put milk in it.¡± ¡°Yes. I froze milk, not water, and then ran it in the shaved ice machine as is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried shaved ice with milk before. However, this shaved ice tastes a lot different. It has a strong, sweet taste. Did you add something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not just milk.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± Chairman Oh Kyung-jin asked with a slightly excited look. It was not like him, who was calm just a few minutes ago. He seemed to be anxious to find out the secret of this shaved ice right away. ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious.¡¯ But I had no intention of answering. ¡°The recipe is a secret.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± While he froze, I spoke in a firm voice. ¡°If you adopt this design I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Silence came. Chairman Oh Kyung-jin blinked, and then realized that he was a little too excited and coughed in vain. ¡°¡­Great. In fact, I¡¯ve already prepared the contract in advance. I¡¯m curious about the secret of this shaved ice, so let¡¯s finish it.¡± * ¡®The shaved ice worked well.¡¯ The secret of the shaved ice was something like this: It is true that the milk was frozen, but I added some things to the milk. From milk powder and condensed milk to milk powder used to make ice creams and shakes. As a result of adding various ingredients, I succeeded in reviving the taste of the shaved ice I had eaten in my previous life. ¡®The ingredients I¡¯ve used up so far have practically made me broke, but it was worth it.¡¯ I was a little worried because the shaved ice machine was not like a snowflake ice machine, but an ordinary item borrowed from the owner, but this seems to have been enough. At this time, shaved ice was usually only sold by stationery stores and dessert shops. It was extremely rare to see it being sold at cafes. ¡®This menu alone guarantees success.¡¯ Chairman Oh Kyung-jin officially signed the contract and completed payment on the spot. ¡®I can¡¯t wait to see the results.¡¯ The work started a little later. I began working in earnest right before vacation was over. It¡¯s often said that interior construction takes about 15 days to a month, but in the meantime, I had nothing to do. ¡®You¡¯re really making it exactly as it was designed.¡¯ Chairman Oh Kyung-jin did not save any money. I thought there would be a little compromise in the estimate and blueprint I sent, but he just implemented it as I ordered. He seemed to trust me. Thanks to this, I was happy when I visited the construction site from time to time and looked around. ¡®This store will have no choice but to make a jackpot.¡¯ There was a severe difference in level. With all due respect, there was an extreme difference in level from other cafes of this era. Starbucks can¡¯t even begin to compare. Customers who have experienced [Heaven¡¯s Door] once will never be satisfied with another store. Just like the chairman did. ¡®Then my wallet will be full, too.¡¯ The promised 10 million won would be shared with the other team members, but there was a separate option that I received from Chairman Oh Kyung-jin. ¡®1% of franchise sales. That¡¯s mine.¡¯ It was a royalty contract. This is what Chairman Oh Kyung-jin offered me separately. At first glance, the 1% may seem small, but the royalty of a typical cafe is 3.3% of sales, and considering that I didn¡¯t invest anything in this franchise, it was very generous. ¡®When a store generates 10 million won a month in sales, my share is 100,000 won.¡¯ It may feel small. However, this was a fact that no one knew. ¡®In a few years, the number of franchises alone will surpass 100.¡¯ By then, just breathing would make more than 10 million won a month. What if Chairman Oh Kyung-jin achieved the number in my previous life? It¡¯s thrilling just thinking about it. ¡®I won¡¯t have to worry about the cost of meals in the second semester.¡¯ And, I received another reward from Chairman Oh Kyung-jin. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to enter.¡± ¡°I was almost late.¡± ¡°Thanks to Jaeha, I get to enjoy everything.¡± It was a ticket to a drawing show. Ashley Kruger, a world-renowned artist, had made a visit to Korea, and Chairman Oh Kyung-Jin received the ticket as a gift. [I got a gift from someone I know, but I think Jaeha will have more use for it than me.] So if you ask me if I¡¯m happy¡­. Of course. I was so happy that my heart was pounding like it was going to explode. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I get to watch this person¡¯s performance.¡¯ Ashley Kruger. A figure who is even referred to as the God of Drawing. Is there any better gift than this for a drawing enthusiast like me? While we were waiting to enter, Kyutae looked at me and asked, ¡°You know the shaved ice?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Why is it called Hanbing?¡± That¡¯s right. The shaved ice was named Hanbing. I shrugged and said, ¡°Seol-noona likes shaved ice, so I named it Hanbing after my sister¡¯s name.¡± [T/N ¨C Note here that shaved ice in Korea is called ¡°Bingsu,¡± and that¡¯s where the ¡°bing¡± part of ¡°Hanbing¡± came from] ¡°Really?¡± Kyutae seemed convinced by what I said, but he pondered again and said, ¡°Then, rather than that, why not call it Seolbi¡ª¡° ¡°That name doesn¡¯t work.¡± I stopped him from talking in a hurry. ¡°Why not? Doesn¡¯t it sound better? The meaning of the word also fits.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Just¡ª no.¡± There were some words in the world that should never be spoken out loud. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡­ Or not.