Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 147

February in 2011 went by quickly, as always.

Since I came back to the past, time seems to be moving faster than before.

Sometimes, I wonder if this is because of coming back in time.

But that’s probably not the reason.

“Ugh, the semester is starting already.”

I parked my car and walked toward the design building with a light step.

My work for the company has decreased since last year, and I really want to learn more this year.

Professor Jo Woon-chan’s class is on the first day, so I’m excited, not worried.

But something unexpected made me feel uneasy.

“Wow! It’s Seo Woo-jin!”

“Hey, he’s our senior now. You should be more respectful,” someone replied.

“Oh no! Do you think he heard us?”

“He probably didn’t hear us from here.”

“It’s okay. He’s not even in our department.”

The new Design building was full of students. Many of them recognized me.

“It’s amazing to see him in person. It’s like seeing a celebrity.”

“Seo Woo-jin is like a celebrity. I even heard someone applied to our school because of him.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I think it’s more than just being a fan.”

“What do you mean?”

“They say he’s their role model. It’s rare to see a designer become successful so young.”

“Oh, I see.”

Thankfully, no one asked for autographs or pretended to know me, but I still felt uncomfortable with the attention.

‘Is it really just because they’re fans? What else could it be?’

It still feels strange that so many people recognize me. I like that I’m becoming famous, but it’s also a burden.

It’s also weird that freshmen are calling me ‘senior’.

I opened the door to the computer lab and saw Jaden setting up his computer. Sunbin was talking excitedly next to him. Soyeon wasn’t there.

She had trouble with 3D design classes last year, so she didn’t sign up for Design Engineering Design. That was expected.

Design Engineering Design is like a shortcut to hell for students who aren’t good with 3D tools because it’s very technical and requires special skills.

“There are probably fewer than 20 students in the class. That’s good for me…” I muttered and found a seat.

Jaden’s loud voice called out before I could even sit down. “Hey, Woo-jin! Over here!”

“I was coming over there anyway.”

“Ready, Woo-jin?”

“For what?”

“To be amazed by how great Jaden is.”

I shook my head. I’ve heard Jaden say that many times. “Hmm… I’ll still see you next week, right?”

“What?”

“It’s still the time to change classes. If you find today’s class hard, you don’t have to come next week.”

“How dare you underestimate Jaden!”

“I’m not underestimating you. It’s just advice.”

“Bloody Hell!”

Even though this class is for second-year Spatial Design students, almost none of my classmates are here. Most are older students retaking the course, third or fourth-year students taking it for the first time, or students from other departments who are really interested in design.

Jaden and Sunbin are the only people I’m close to.

I sat to Jaden’s right and greeted Sunbin, who was sitting across from me. “Yo, Sunbin!”

“Hyung, long time no see. I heard you were busy during the break?”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw the article about Taeho Construction. My father knew the director who was arrested.”

“Really? How did he know him?”

“I asked, but he just said the industry is small.”

“I see.”

“My father also praised you a lot. He said you seem like a great friend.”

“Great? Not at all. I didn’t really do anything.”

“Humble, humble.”

Sunbin seemed different than before. We were close last semester, but his attitude toward me had changed slightly.

‘Did something happen to him during the break?’

I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like he admired me instead of being jealous, especially after he was impressed by the design of Cafe Fresco.

His attitude had been changing little by little, and now it was very noticeable.

After greeting the two of them, I turned on my computer and started setting up the programs.

The Windows screen appeared quickly. I smiled, satisfied. Even though it’s 2011 and SSDs (fast new memory for computers) aren’t common, all the computers in the design lab have them. K University spends a lot of money on the Design Department.

‘Good. Should I try opening Rhino?’

I had carefully looked at the class plan for Design Engineering Design, so I knew how the class would go. I also knew that we would use Rhino (Rhino3D), a 3D design program.

‘Should I have bought some books and studied in advance?’ I wondered as I opened the program and clicked on different functions.

I thought it would be similar to 3D Max, but it was more unfamiliar than I expected.

Jaden, who was watching me, smiled and interrupted. “You fool, Woo-jin.”

“What?”

“Watch what I do.”

“”

“Class hasn’t started yet, but I’ll show you something cool.” Jaden pushed my chair away and quickly moved the mouse.

After a few moments, I was a little impressed. Jaden’s design wasn’t amazing, but he showed it off skillfully.

I chuckled, imagining him practicing to show this off as soon as the semester started. Jaden looked at me with bright eyes, like a dog waiting for praise.

I decided to give him what he wanted. “Amazing, Jaden.”

“I’m amazing, right?”

“I underestimated you.”

“Heh heh. You finally realize how great I am. Foolish Woo-jin.”

Jaden started creating different models, even more excited than before. He didn’t have much time, so they weren’t complex, but he used many of Rhino’s functions well.

‘He’s been studying a lot,’ I thought.

Jaden’s demonstrations were interesting and helpful, so I watched and made impressed noises. “Ah, in Rhino, you can change the shape of curved surfaces by adjusting the lines?”

“I’m amazing, right?”

I couldn’t resist teasing him. “Hmm. I’ll admit it. You’re better than me today.”

“What? I’m always better than you.”

“Well, I don’t think so. I’ll probably be better before the semester ends.”

“Don’t joke, Woo-jin. That can’t happen.”

I teased Jaden to keep him motivated. I knew he would work harder if he felt challenged. Jaden’s improvement would also help me in the long run. That was probably the main reason I teased him.

While I was watching Jaden’s 3D modeling demonstration, the door opened, and Professor Jo Woon-chan walked in. The noisy room quickly became quiet, and everyone looked at him expectantly.

No one was taking this class just for the credits. Everyone had high expectations.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m meeting many of you for the first time,” Professor Jo Woon-chan said in his usual plain voice.

“I’m Jo Woon-chan, a professor in the Department of Spatial Design. I look forward to working with you this semester.”

He bowed slightly, and everyone applauded. In a normal class, the teacher would chat with the students, but Professor Jo Woon-chan turned on the screen and started the class right away. He always did that.

Jaden stared at the screen with even brighter eyes, excited to show off what he had learned during the break.

After a few moments, Professor Jo Woon-chan said, “Now, if everyone’s computer is on, look at the desktop.”

“Yes, Professor!”

“Everyone has Alias (a computer program for design) installed, right?”

Jaden’s eyes widened in shock. He was planning to show off his Rhino 3D skills, but Professor Jo Woon-chan mentioned a completely different program that he didn’t even know.

Someone asked Professor Jo Woon-chan, as if understanding Jaden’s feelings, “Professor, aren’t we using Rhino in this class?”

Professor Jo Woon-chan’s answer crushed Jaden’s hopes. “Haha. We’ll use Rhino too, but I think Alias is better for learning the basics of non-uniform rational B-spline modeling… so I changed the beginning of the class a little.”

Jaden’s eyes started to tremble.