Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 192

The car Woo-jin sat in at the airport was a Jeun Motors car. Jeun Motors was a huge company, like the biggest car maker in Korea. People said another company, SH Corporation, might become bigger in building things soon, but for now, Jeun was still number one in cars and buildings. Woo-jin thought, “Even if they aren’t always number one, Jeun is still a really big deal.”

Woo-jin waited in his car in the airport parking lot. It was a comfortable Jeun Motors car. When Woo-jin had first bought this car, his friends, Seok-hyun and Jayden, had made faces.

“This car?” Jayden had asked, wrinkling his nose. “Really? You could have gotten something much cooler!”

But Woo-jin liked his car. It was simple, reliable, and had never broken down.

Jeun Motors was now the king of cars in Korea. But it wasn’t always like that. Just a few years ago, they were just one of the top car companies, like many others. Then, something big happened. Jeun Motors made a new car in 2005. It was called the Chronos. It was meant to be as good as the fancy cars from Europe. The Chronos was smaller and cost more than Woo-jin’s car, but it was a huge hit. People loved it in Korea and in other countries too. It made Jeun Motors really famous.

Now, sitting in front of Woo-jin, was the man who had made the Chronos a success. Colton Taylor. He was a famous car designer from England, known all over the world. He used to design for Jaguar, a very famous British car brand. Then, Jeun Motors hired him and made him a top boss – a vice president. This amazing designer, Colton Taylor, was Jayden’s father.

Woo-jin didn’t know what Colton Taylor looked like. But the name… it sounded familiar. Then, when he heard “car designer,” it clicked. “Colton Taylor… Jayden’s father!” Suddenly, things made sense. Jayden had gone to high school and university in Korea. Colton Taylor had started working for Jeun Motors around the time Jayden was starting high school. Even though Colton worked in England now, Woo-jin knew he was important at Jeun Motors and could be sent back to Korea anytime. Woo-jin thought, “No wonder Jayden’s family is so well-off. Colton must have made a fortune designing cars even before Jeun Motors.”

But there was another reason Woo-jin was really excited to meet Colton. He knew about a future car Colton would design, a new Chronos model that would make him even more famous around 2020. This car used something called “parametric design.” Woo-jin was studying parametric design for his architecture work. It was a new way of designing things using computers, making amazing shapes. Even though cars and buildings were different, Woo-jin felt a special connection to Colton because of this design idea.

“Woo-jin, right?” Colton said, smiling warmly.

Woo-jin was a little surprised. “Yes, do you know me?”

Colton laughed. “Know you? Jayden talks about you all the time! It’s great to finally meet you, Woo-jin. Jayden’s told me so much about his ‘boss’ – I’ve been really looking forward to this.”

Colton spoke Korean almost perfectly, much better than Jayden. He had a slight accent, but you could easily think he was Korean.

“I learned Korean to impress Su-jin,” Colton explained with a grin. “Jayden’s mother. I had to learn to tell her how I felt!” He was just as talkative as Jayden, maybe even more so.

“Wow, Colton Taylor from Jeun Motors? That’s amazing,” Woo-jin said. “Actually, when I was buying my first car, I almost got a Chronos.”

Colton chuckled. “Heh heh. Well, the Chronos design isn’t perfect, I admit. But I’m still proud of what we did.”

“That’s funny,” Woo-jin said. “Because Jayden told me not to get a Chronos. He said the design wasn’t very good.”

Colton turned to Jayden quickly. “Jayden!”

“Woo-jin is telling tales,” Jayden said, trying to look innocent.

“No, Jayden is!” Woo-jin laughed.

“Dad, I’m just being honest,” Jayden said. “The Chronos design is okay.”

“Okay? It’s excellent!” Colton protested.

“Well,” Jayden said with a smirk, “the Benz you left in Korea is even better.”

“That’s just not true,” Colton said, shaking his head but smiling.

“Colton, I saw pictures of the Chronos concept car a long time ago. It looked so amazing and different! Why did the real car end up looking less… exciting?” Woo-jin asked.

Colton nodded. “Ah, concept cars. Well, Woo-jin, like in buildings, car design is always about finding the right mix. You need to be new and different, but also familiar.”

“Mix?” Woo-jin asked.

“Yes. People love to look at those amazing concept cars,” Colton explained. “But they don’t actually buy them.”

“Why not?”

“Because cars are not just art pieces to look at. They are for driving, for everyday life.”

Colton leaned back in his chair, a warm smile spreading across his face as he swallowed a mouthful of coffee. Steam curled upwards from his mug, carrying the rich smell of roasted beans. “Hmm,” he murmured appreciatively, setting the cup back down on the polished wooden table. “What I mean is, if something is familiar, it’s already been tested and proven, right?”

Woo-jin nodded, leaning forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Colton. “I’m listening,” he said, eager to hear more.

“A concept car might get a perfect design score from some people, but less than 50 points from others. But the Chronos, which is designed to be both familiar and new, usually gets around 80 points from most people.”

“You mean it’s popular.”

Colton nodded.

“Actually, I wanted to make big changes, but the business department didn’t allow it.”

“Really?”

“They worried that this design might not appeal to customers who prefer more traditional styles.”

“Ah, I see. That’s a shame, personally.”

“But I think the business department was right. Chronos was a success, and it’s still more popular with people in their 20s and 30s than those in their 40s.”

Cars and buildings are designed in different ways, but Woo-jin saw that good design was important in both.

Because of this, Woo-jin was learning a lot from Colton.

“When you think about it, architecture can be more different and new than cars.”

“Is that so?”

“An architect only needs to please one client, but a car designer has to please many people with different tastes.”

“I see your point.”

Woo-jin could also see that Colton, even though he was almost fifty, still had big dreams.

“Someday, I’d like to work on a building that shows my design ideas.”

“Oh, are you interested in building design?”

“I don’t mean I’d design it myself.”

“Then… ?”

“I think it would be cool to have a building that shows what the Chronos brand is all about.”

“Oh!”

“Apartments for people who love cars.”

Woo-jin continued Colton’s idea.

“For example, an apartment with huge windows looking out over the sparkling river, where you could park your favorite car right in your living room?”

“Exactly! If I make more money, I want to build an apartment like that near the Han River. Maybe I’ll ask WJ Studio to design it. Haha.”

Woo-jin chuckled, seeing Colton’s excited eyes.

Woo-jin knew that the apartment Colton dreamed of would be built soon.

‘Wasn’t it in Florida, in the United States? The Porsche Design Tower will be built in a few years.’

Porsche Design takes the design style of Porsche cars and uses it to create products in different areas.

The Porsche Design Tower, which will be built on the Florida coast with a US real estate company, will soon make Woo-jin’s dream a reality.

You can take your car up to your apartment in a private elevator.

So you can admire your car in the living room with an amazing view of the Florida ocean, in an apartment for car lovers.

‘I think it was built around 2017… Can I build it before then?’

Thanks to Colton, whom he met unexpectedly, Woo-jin thought about new ideas he had never considered before.

Colton was older than Woo-jin, even including his past life, but he was more excited about design than any young person.

“Let’s talk again in two years, Colton.”

“What are you talking about? Ah…! My dream house?”

“Let’s build an apartment like that together on the Han River in Hannam-dong. I need to figure out how much money I need to earn in two years to make that happen.”

“Haha, great, Woo-jin. I really hope that day comes.”

Colton, who mostly talked to Woo-jin, also talked with Seok-hyun and So-yeon for a long time.

So-yeon and Seok-hyun, who was a car fan, were very interested in Colton’s background as a top car designer in the UK.

They chatted at Jayden’s house from eight in the morning until almost noon, and then they started their first activity in England.

But, because they wanted to do different things, the four decided to split up.

“Hey, Woo-jin. I’m going to Manchester with Seok-hyun now.”

“The football game is tomorrow, right?”

“Yes! The game is at Wembley Stadium, and today we’re going to the Manchester Football Museum.”

“……I was thinking of seeing St. Mary Axe?”

“Wow! You came all the way to England to look at buildings!”

“I like Norman Foster more than Ferguson.”

“Oh no. Woo-jin doesn’t understand how great football is.”

“It’s just what I like more.”

“Seok-hyun, I guess we’ll have to go by ourselves.”

“I can’t help it.”

After Jayden and Seok-hyun left for Manchester to visit the football museum, Woo-jin and So-yeon were alone.

“So-yeon, is there somewhere else you wanted to go?”

“Well, there is, but… I think St. Mary Axe is better than the football museum, at least.”

“Where did you want to go?”

So-yeon thought for a moment and then answered Woo-jin’s question.

“Hyde Park…?”

Woo-jin, who was looking at a map of London, nodded.

“Okay. Let’s go there together first.”

“Oh……? Really?”

“Of course. It’s also close to Jayden’s house…….”

Woo-jin smiled and added something.

“Anyway, if you want to travel around London, you need a translator.”

Woo-jin was playfully hit for saying something unnecessary, and he rubbed his sore back as he left Jayden’s house.

That’s how Woo-jin spent his first day in England with So-yeon.