Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 206

After Woojin went back in time, another winter had passed for him. As always since then, this winter was full of activity.

From CEO Min Jooyoung’s proposal for the International Living Fair project to the successful partnership with CEO Kang Sojung of KSJ Entertainment, things were moving quickly.

He was also chosen as an excellent speaker at EAC (a big architecture event), making headlines again.

Because of that, he had several interviews overseas, making his name known in the architecture world.

[Korean architect Seo Woojin presents a new way of digital architecture.]

[Spanish maestro Mateo praises him as “a person with great business sense and design talent.”]

[Showing the potential of Korean architecture at the UK’s top architecture school, AA School (a famous architecture school in the UK)!]

It was hard to get worldwide fame because he didn’t have any finished projects with his name on them yet.

But he had at least made a strong start toward becoming a global designer.

Meanwhile, the Wangsimni Parafield construction was also moving forward steadily.

When the main structure was done and the building’s shape started to appear, Woojin’s pavilion also began to be built.

The plan was to build all the modular parts of the pavilion ahead of time and then put them together when Parafield was finished.

Seokhyun was in charge of managing and watching over this.

Because building the pavilion was complicated, Seokhyun watched over the process closely.

Parafield was going as planned, and it looked like it would be done by the end of 2012.

Bruno looked closely at the piece Seokhyun made. It was a part of the pavilion, smooth and curved. Bruno smiled, his eyes wide. “Amazing, Seokhyun! This is even better than I imagined,” he said, full of praise.

From the meeting with Seoul Mayor Gu Yoonkwon, the Seongsu-dong development plan was also moving ahead as planned.

Right after successfully convincing Chairman Kwak Hongshik, Woojin was the first to buy a large property in District 1.

After Woojin, Kwak Hongshik also bought a property of about the same size, and Yuria, who suddenly showed up at the Seongsu-dong office, also signed a contract for a property, following Woojin.

Interestingly, Yoon Jaeyeop invested even more money than her after hearing Yuria’s story.

It seemed he was upset that he was the only one who didn’t make extra money during the Cheongdam Seonyoung investment.

“Don’t tell me, you guys are trying to make money without me again?”

“Make money? What are you talking about? Has this older brother already forgotten?”

“What?”

“Woojin called three times back then to ask if you really weren’t going to buy.”

“I don’t know, I don’t remember. The important thing is now.”

“How shameless……”

Following Jaeyeop, Suha also bought a small share, and even Seokjung and Sojung bought the property that Woojin recommended.

[Should I do it with one of the items you sent?]

“Yes, hyung. That’s right, but……”

[I’ll do the one at the top of the list.]

“Hyung, did you even read it?”

[That’s right. My younger sibling also wanted to do one, so we decided to do the one right below that.]

“So, CEO Sojung too?”

[That’s what I’m saying.]

“Wait a minute. So, this means……”

[Hyung is busy, I’ll call you again. Prepare all the documents and send an agent tomorrow!]

“Hyung!”

Beep- Beep-

Everyone agreed so quickly without asking too many questions that Woojin was surprised.

Through Woojin’s friends and Chairman Kwak Hongshik, they quickly gathered about 30 members of the association.

As a result, the plan went smoothly, like a ship sailing with the wind.

“Honestly, it’s going so smoothly that it’s almost embarrassing……”

Since getting shares was so easy, Woojin suddenly thought about the worst thing that could happen.

That the Seoul Metropolitan Government would cancel the development plan, unlike what they had talked about with Woojin.

Of course, if that happened, it would be hard to get the big profit they had hoped for, but it wouldn’t be a huge problem.

was still a good place to invest, even if it wasn’t connected to the Gangbyeonbuk-ro underground project.

If they developed it as planned with Kwak Hongshik, they would still make enough money.

So Woojin waited comfortably for the announcement from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, feeling curious and a little anxious.

‘Well, no news is good news. I’m sure the Mayor will take good care of it,’ he thought.

Woojin’s second winter ended, and his third spring was coming.

March 2012.

Woojin now owned a strong company with yearly sales of 10 billion won and a profit margin of over 10 percent.

He was also in his third year of university.

On the first day of the semester, Woojin, now a third-year student, was giving a lecture.

“Hey, Yeonhee, are you just coming to school now?”

“Yeah. I didn’t have a morning class, so I just came, why? What’s wrong?”

“Wow. Seriously? Woojin sunbae gave a lecture this morning, didn’t you hear it?”

“Crazy……! Really?”

“That’s right! It was totally awesome. He started from the day WJ Studio was founded and told the whole story, I had goosebumps the whole time I was listening.”

“Ha……. I can’t believe it……. The department office didn’t contact me separately……”

“Of course not. Professor Yoon Chihyung suddenly called the sunbae and made him give a lecture.”

“Did he tell you about EAC too?”

“Of course! Wow, really, at the AA School conference hall……. Presenting in front of those world-renowned architects.”

“……”

“It was so satisfying.”

“Is sunbae in the department office now?”

“No. Of course not, right? Would that busy sunbae have time to hang out in the department office?”

Woojin had been in the third-year department office until just now and came out to get a coffee. He almost spat it out when he heard his juniors talking about him.

“Cough, cough.”

Then Sunbin, who was walking out next to him, smiled and asked Woojin.

“Hyung, are you happy?”

“What are you talking about.”

“Looking at you earlier, you were practically the idol of our department.”

“Idol, my foot……”

“Did you see the eyes of the juniors?”

Woojin scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah, I saw them. It was a bit overwhelming.”

Now that the second year was over, most of Woojin’s male classmates had gone to the military.

Only Woojin, Sunbin, and Jayden had come straight to the third year without taking a break.

Sunbin had become the president of the third-year student council, which felt new.

It felt like just yesterday he was annoyed watching Kim Kitae, who was the president in the first year, but now one of his closest friends was the president.

Woojin even felt a little sad that time was passing so quickly.

These moments were the college life that Woojin had wanted so much in his past life.

‘I really wasn’t at school much last year,’ he thought.

Besides that, he still had to go back to Seongsu-dong today after getting permission from the professor.

“Hehe. The freshmen were especially crazy, right? I thought they came to an idol concert.”

“What are you exaggerating about.”

“Exaggerating? If hyung had been on the platform for just 3 more seconds after the lecture, you would have had to sign autographs for an hour?”

“Shut up. Let’s hurry on our way, classmate.”

“Tsk. You smell like an old man. When I see you like this, you’re really like my dad’s friend.”

“Do you want to get hit?”

“Still, it’s a relief.”

“What is?”

“That hyung even has some old man vibes.”

“……”

“If you didn’t even have that, it would be too unrealistic, right?”

“Shut up.”

The two people who were bickering headed to Professor Yoon Chihyung’s office.

Sunbin was being called in for an interview as the president of the student council, and Woojin was going because he had something to talk about working with universities.

But the two people who arrived at the professor’s office met someone unexpected.

Sunbin’s eyes widened when he saw ‘him.’

“Huh……?”

Woojin greeted him with a happy expression.

“Oh, Bruno! What brings you to school?”

“Haha, Woojin. Our studio is also working with K University.”

“Ah.”

“I have something to talk about with Professor Yoon, so I came to see him today.”

While Woojin was greeting Bruno, Sunbin was standing awkwardly with a blank expression.

Even though his pronunciation wasn’t great, Woojin was talking to Bruno in English very naturally.

More than that, it was the first time he had met Bruno, a famous architect, in person.

While the two were greeting each other, Yoon Chihyung, who noticed Woojin, also came over.

“You rascal, Bruno is here, can’t you even see this professor?”

“Haha, that can’t be.”

“Did you have any problems during the vacation? Ah. No, you must have had a lot of things going on.”

“Ha, haha……”

“First, Sunbin, wait over there for a while, and Woojin, come this way.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Bruno came to K University to talk to Professor Yoon Chihyung about working with universities and to keep his promise with Professor Jo Woonchan.

Bruno arrived at Professor Yoon Chihyung’s office just before Woojin entered.

So the story started slowly from the introduction.

“Thanks to Bruno, our department’s reputation has really increased this year.”

“You’re welcome, Professor.”

“I’m not just saying that. Some students are applying to our department just because we are working with Bruno’s studio.”

“Haha, wouldn’t that be because of CEO Seo rather than me.”

“Of course, this talented student here also played a part……. Anyway, thank you so much. Honestly, I didn’t know that Bruno would help this project so actively.”

But Woojin had one question when he heard that story.

Bruno’s studio was indeed very involved in working with universities, just like WJ Studio.

But he didn’t think there was any reason for him to come to K University and meet Professor Yoon Chihyung in person.

‘There should be someone in charge at the studio,’ he thought. ‘Why are they meeting in person?’

Woojin came in person because he was a student at K University, but WJ Studio’s partnership with the university was only really starting this year.

In the past year, Woojin was the only student working with WJ Studio.

On the other hand, Bruno had hired Jayden and Soyeon last year as well, so a few documents would have been enough to plan for 2012.

‘Did he just come to meet Professor Jo Woonchan?’

Woojin took a sip of his coffee and listened to Bruno and Professor Yoon Chihyung’s conversation.

But after a while, Woojin was surprised.

“Above all, I didn’t know that the agreement with the Spanish headquarters would happen so quickly, Bruno.”

“Haha. That’s not my doing, CEO Seo must have played a big role.”

“What do you mean? The CEO is Bruno……”

He heard something he didn’t expect in their conversation.

“Didn’t CEO Seo play a big role in EAC this time?”

“He did.”

“That was also known to the Spanish Architects Association, and because of that, universities are starting to pay attention to Korean architecture universities.”

“Oh……!”

It was the seed that Woojin had planted about a year ago.

The news that K University’s international partnership was starting to be officially signed.