Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 164

Jayden was feeling gloomy, a dark mood settling over him like a sudden rain cloud on a sunny day.

“Seokhyun is so unfair,” Jayden grumbled.

“What is?” Seokhyun asked.

“He always favors Boss too much.”

“When did I ever do that?”

“I could have done that special computer design well too, I’m sure,” Jayden said.

“Really?”

“If Seokhyun had helped me, that is.”

“Hmm……”

“Why didn’t you teach me something so cool?”

“Well, because you said you didn’t like it,” Seokhyun replied.

At Yuria’s Cafe Fresco Rooftop, Jayden and Seokhyun met with their laptops to study modeling, chattering away noisily, as they always did. The cafe rooftop buzzed with the quiet hum of conversations and the clinking of coffee cups, the aroma of chocolate chiffon cake wafting through the air.

The topic of their conversation was the Digongdi class from the day before.

Basically, Jayden was complaining that Seokhyun only taught Woojin the interesting things.

“What?! When did I ever! Jayden never said that!” Seokhyun exclaimed.

“Yes, you did. Should I reenact it for you?” Jayden challenged.

“……!”

Jayden’s pout was so convincing that Seokhyun couldn’t resist. He puffed out his cheeks and mimicked Jayden’s whiny voice.

“Seokhyun…,” Seokhyun whined in a high-pitched voice, imitating Jayden, “that computer design is too hard! My designs are already amazing anyway!”

“Jayden said that?”

“Yes. Jayden said that.”

“Damn it! Jayden is unnecessarily generous,” Seokhyun said.

“At times like that, it’s not called generous, it’s called foolish, Jayden.”

Jayden’s face fell, his cheerful expression disappearing like air from a balloon. Seokhyun chuckled, enjoying his friend’s reaction.

Teasing Jayden was always a source of vitality in his life.

“By the way, why is Woojin so late?” Seokhyun asked.

“Probably off teaching Woojin something else,” Jayden replied gloomily.

“Teaching? I’m just trying to create an algorithm with him,” Seokhyun countered.

“Holy! If you have something like that, I should create it with you too!” Jayden exclaimed.

“For Jayden, a completed designer, it’s just an unnecessary skill, isn’t it?” Seokhyun teased.

“Oh, come on!!” Jayden protested.

Jayden was in a state of great excitement, and Seokhyun was only amused by Jayden’s reaction.

While they were bickering, the buzzer rang, indicating that the drinks and desserts they had ordered were ready.

Jayden grumbled under his breath, pushing back his chair with a loud scrape. He stomped towards the stairs to get the desserts, his mood as dark as the chocolate cake he was about to order.

As always, Jayden ordered a chocolate chiffon cake and began to eat it quickly.

His expression was still full of dissatisfaction.

“Jayden, why are you so sulky?” Seokhyun asked.

“Jayden is not sulky,” he retorted.

“……. Sorry for interrupting your cake, Jayden.”

Jayden ate his chocolate cake quickly, barely tasting it. He gulped down his coffee, still looking unhappy. Then, he reopened his laptop and began to concentrate on his work again.

And in the meantime, Woojin arrived late.

“Everyone’s here. Shall we get started?” Woojin asked.

Woojin’s meeting with Seokhyun and Jayden today was for an important matter.

Woojin thought, ‘This is it. WJ Studio’s first step into this new kind of design.’

Now that it was May, the design changes for Wangsimni Parafield were almost complete.

Based on the existing design by Bruno, the design coordination with Paramount’s working staff was almost finished.

The final coordination of the design meant that all structures would now be fixed.

This meant they could finally start designing the special structure, the pavilion, for the main entrance area.

The specific location and size of the space where the pavilion would be placed, the designs of the stores and structures that would be located around it, and so on, would not change until completion.

‘Parafield’s expected construction period is about a year… The pavilion should be installed about a month before the expected completion date, so the design and planning must be finished by this autumn at the latest,’ Woojin thought.

Woojin saw quite a bit of potential in Seokhyun and Jayden while preparing for the Digongdi mid-term project.

He was convinced that their abilities would be of great help to the special computer design and new architecture that Woojin wanted.

According to the original plan, he was only going to rely on Professor Jo Woonchan for the algorithms and solutions needed in the process of designing the pavilion.

But Seokhyun and Jayden were even better than he’d hoped. Because of them, Woojin could now create his own plan to explore these new design ideas.

Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get help from Professor Jo Woonchan.

‘It just means I can maximize the professor’s support even more,’ Woojin thought.

Woojin had slightly different ideas about the roles of Seokhyun and Jayden.

Seokhyun’s role was to create algorithms and solutions for building the design.

Jayden’s role was to draw more beautiful shapes from the concept design stage.

So Woojin was thinking of developing these two in the long term.

Jayden was still a student and interning at Bruno’s studio, so he couldn’t be hired full-time.

But he thought it was time to slowly remove Seokhyun’s position as the head of the model part.

“So, Woojin,” Jayden said.

“Yeah?” Woojin responded.

“What are we here to do today?”

At Jayden’s question, Woojin shrugged and replied.

“Hmm… You could sum it up as design research to create a draft for the pavilion design.”

“Research and Development?”

“That’s right.”

“Boss, your English is killing me!” Jayden joked, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, as long as you understand, right?” Woojin shrugged with a smile.

Woojin began to tell them about the vision he had in mind.

Seokhyun listened to the story with a very interesting expression.

Jayden, who had been sulking just a moment ago, was now sparkling with excitement.

Jayden’s eyes widened. “Wait, so you’re saying… I could be in charge of design research at WJ Studio?!”

“Well,” Woojin chuckled, “Seokhyun will lead the research center. But Jayden, you’ll be a key part of the design team, focusing on making things look amazing. Seokhyun will figure out how to build them.”

“Wow!” Jayden exclaimed, his eyes wide. “What about me then?”

Woojin smiled slightly. “Hmm… How would you like to become the Design Director?”

Jayden blinked, a little confused. “Design… Director?” he repeated slowly.

“Exactly!” Woojin nodded. “It’s like being the Chief Director of the WJ Studio Design Research and Development Team.”

Jayden’s face lit up. “Really? That’s incredible!” He bounced on the balls of his feet, barely able to contain his excitement.

As Woojin finished explaining, Jayden’s earlier worry turned into pure joy. He started to jump up and down, a wide grin spreading across his face. The title of ‘Director’ was something Woojin had just invented, but for Jayden, who loved simple, grand ideas, it sounded fantastic.

Seokhyun, standing beside Jayden, was also smiling, though his excitement was quieter. He was fascinated by the project itself, the challenge of creating something new and complex.

Seokhyun leaned forward, thoughtful. “So, Woojin,” he said, “what you need from me… is to create a special computer program, an algorithm, that can design different shapes and patterns using visual instructions?”

“Exactly!” Woojin confirmed, pleased. “You got it.”

“Hmm,” Seokhyun mused, a spark of interest in his eyes. “Sounds like a fun puzzle.”

Woojin nodded, but then added, “But there’s more.”

Seokhyun raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“You’ll also need to figure out how to actually build these designs in the real world, once the computer design is finished. A way to make them real.”

Woojin knew Seokhyun well. He understood what made him tick. To someone else, designing buildings on a computer and building small models might seem very different. But Woojin knew that for Seokhyun, they were connected. Seokhyun loved the challenge of creating something in his mind, working out all the details, and then seeing it come to life, piece by piece. Woojin felt a similar pull, though not as strongly as Seokhyun. That’s why he knew this project would truly excite him.

Seokhyun chuckled, rubbing his chin. “Hmm! Excellent, excellent. This is really interesting. But then,” he paused, “who will take over the model work I usually do?”

“You could give it to one of the team leaders,” Woojin suggested. “Team Leader Song is very skilled with models, isn’t he?”

Seokhyun frowned slightly. “Song is good with his hands, yes, but… he doesn’t always work as hard as he should.”

“Oh?” Woojin asked, surprised.

“I’ll talk to the model team tomorrow,” Seokhyun said decisively. “I’ll figure it out and let you know.”

“Perfect,” Woojin replied. “Sounds good.”

Woojin, energized by Jayden and Seokhyun’s enthusiasm, started to explain his ideas in more detail. He described how the Design Director and the algorithm expert would work together, painting a picture of their future collaboration.

Once they had a clearer idea of their roles, the conversation moved to the main project: the pavilion for Parafield.

Woojin carefully unfolded a large roll of paper and spread it across the table. These were the blueprints, detailed drawings he had created, showing exactly how the pavilion would fit into its location in Parafield. The lines were precise and elegant, showing hours of careful work. He pointed to different sections, explaining his vision for the pavilion’s design.

“For the pavilion,” Woojin explained, “I want the design to show how everything in Parafield connects and works together. It should all center around this main lobby area.”

Seokhyun nodded, studying the blueprints. “That’s a bit like the wave design you did for your school project, isn’t it?”

“Yes, in some ways,” Woojin agreed. “But really, showing connections is a key idea in parametric design.” He paused, explaining simply, “It’s about using computer rules to create designs where different parts affect each other.”

“Ah, I see,” Seokhyun said, understanding. “So, creating unusual patterns by letting different rules interact within the computer program – that’s parametric design.”

Jayden, who had been listening quietly, watched them talk, his usual energy replaced by focused attention. Woojin and Seokhyun began to discuss ideas, their voices rising and falling as they explored different possibilities. It wasn’t really a debate, but a lively exchange of thoughts, each building on the other’s ideas.

The meeting, which had started as the sun began to set, went on late into the night. Slowly, like a sculpture emerging from stone, the design of the pavilion started to appear, growing from a faint idea in Woojin’s mind into something more real, more defined.

And so, the hours of a busy May day slipped away, filled with creative energy and the promise of new projects.

Bruno had been working very hard recently. Working with Paramount to plan everything was not easy. Now, as they started to get ready for actual building, the work became even more intense.

At first, it was just Bruno talking to Paramount about the designs. But now, with Cheonwoong Construction, the company building the project, involved, it was like a conversation between three groups.

Bruno knew that how well everyone talked to each other now would decide how good the final building would be. So, even though he was tired and had a lot to do, Bruno checked every design detail carefully and made sure everyone understood each other.

“Ha,” Bruno sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Almost done with this paperwork, finally.”

The office was starting to feel warm, even though it was still early May. Bruno wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “It feels a bit early to turn on the air conditioning,” he mumbled to himself.

Soyeon, sitting across from him, looked up from her computer. “You’ve been working so hard, Bruno,” she said kindly. “But it looks like we’re almost finished. Just a couple more emails back and forth, maybe?”

Jayden and Soyeon had been working as interns in Bruno’s office for over two months now. Soyeon had been a quick learner and a hard worker. She had taken on more and more responsibility, carefully organizing documents and making sure messages were clear.

Of course, as a college student, Soyeon couldn’t make big design decisions. But she was very helpful in making sure everyone understood each other as they talked about the building plans with Cheonwoong Construction. She was good at explaining things clearly and making sure everyone’s ideas were heard.

“Yes,” Bruno agreed, smiling at Soyeon. “Thank you. Because of you, it looks like we’ll have the final design changes ready this week.”

He thought about Jayden. Poor Jayden tried hard, but he just wasn’t good at these kinds of detailed tasks. Bruno remembered the last time Jayden tried to send an important email – it had ended up going to the wrong people and causing confusion. Some jobs just weren’t right for him.

Bruno really appreciated Soyeon. She was reliable and efficient. Her excellent English was also a big help, making communication with Paramount much smoother.

*’When her internship ends,’* Bruno thought, *’I should definitely offer Soyeon a job. Maybe a full-time position after she graduates.’*

He saw real potential in Soyeon. With a bit more experience after college, she could become a very talented designer. But, he reminded himself, it was still early. He shouldn’t get ahead of himself after just two months.

“Alright, everyone,” Bruno announced, standing up and stretching. “Time to go home.”

“Good night, Boss,” Jayden called out cheerfully.

“Good night, Bruno,” Soyeon said politely.

Bruno straightened the papers on his desk, put his laptop in his bag, and as he walked past Soyeon’s desk, he asked, “Tomorrow’s Jayden’s day to be here, right?”

At K University, the internship wasn’t a regular five-day week. Students worked a set number of hours, and Jayden and Soyeon took turns coming in.

“Yes, that’s right, Bruno,” Soyeon confirmed. “Should I leave my notes from today for Jayden?”

Bruno’s eyes widened slightly, and he shook his head quickly. “Oh, no, please don’t worry about that, Soyeon.”

Soyeon chuckled. “Hehe. Are you worried he’ll accidentally send another email to the CEO of Paramount again?”

“Hmm…” Bruno pretended to consider this seriously, then smiled. “Let’s just say… there are many, *many* reasons. I think Jayden is better suited to… other kinds of tasks.”

Bruno finished his chat with Soyeon, feeling lighter now that the day was done. He went downstairs to the parking garage and got into his car.

*Vroom-* The engine of his trusty Korean sedan started smoothly. It was an older car, a bit worn around the edges, but it had been his faithful companion since he started his business in Korea, carrying him all over Seoul.

*’Next week, I need to meet with Woojin,’* Bruno thought, pulling out of the parking space. *’I’m eager to see how the pavilion design is coming along.’*

He planned his week in his head as he navigated the busy Seoul streets, the city lights blurring past his window.

*’What should I have for dinner tonight?’* he wondered, his stomach rumbling slightly. Korean BBQ? Maybe some spicy noodles? Just the thought of food made his mouth water.

But just then, as he was deciding between kimchi stew and pizza, his phone, which he had tossed onto the passenger seat, buzzed loudly. *Vrrrrr-Vrrrrr!*

The screen lit up, displaying a message: **Golden Print**.