Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 218

Penguins live on land, but they must go into the sea to find food. This is hard for them because the sea has food they like, but it also has dangerous animals like killer whales and seals. For penguins, the sea is a place to find food and a scary place where they could die. So, penguins are careful when they go into the sea.

Woo-jin was listening to Bruno. “It’s the same in any field, and it’s the same for designers. People are naturally careful. They don’t easily try things that are new or untested.”

Many people were listening to Bruno, including reporters from design magazines from Korea, magazine editors, and even reporters from other countries. Because Bruno was famous around the world, many people paid attention.

“That’s why I think Woo-jin is really amazing,” Bruno said.

He continued, “Among the crowd that is scared to try new things, one penguin bravely jumps in first. Then the other penguins stop being afraid and jump in after him. That penguin is called the ‘First Penguin.’ This is a saying that means ‘pioneer’ or ‘challenger,’ and I think it fits Woo-jin very well.”

Woo-jin looked a little embarrassed.

“You flatter me, Bruno,” Woo-jin replied. “I didn’t start digital architecture first. I just became one of the designers who started using this new trend a little faster. I am not the first penguin.”

The room felt like a free press conference. The people who came to report on the event were listening to Woo-jin and Bruno talk instead of doing interviews. There were so many reporters that it was hard to do personal interviews.

The conversation between Woo-jin and Bruno was an answer to a reporter’s question: ‘What do you think of the designer Woo-jin?’

Bruno took a sip of his champagne, listened to Woo-jin, and then shook his head. “I didn’t bring up the story of the First Penguin because Woo-jin did ‘digital architecture.’”

“Yes…?” Woo-jin asked.

Bruno smiled as he looked at Woo-jin’s confused face. “I know about Woo-jin’s history. I’m talking about how he started and grew WJ Studio. Maybe it’s the same in Korea, but I don’t think anyone in the world has achieved their dreams in such a brave way as Woo-jin did when he was in college. I think Woo-jin’s brave spirit and how he makes things happen are more important than anything else.”

“Ha, haha,” Woo-jin chuckled.

“Anyone can dream, but not everyone can make those dreams happen,” Bruno added.

Woo-jin didn’t know how to respond to Bruno’s praise, but he also felt good. Bruno was praising something that was a key part of who Woo-jin was.

‘I thought he was praising me for digital architecture, but he wasn’t,’ Woo-jin thought.

If Bruno had called Woo-jin the First Penguin because of his ‘digital architecture,’ Woo-jin would have felt more embarrassed than happy. Becoming a leader in digital architecture wasn’t really because of his talent alone. It was more because of what he remembered from his past life. However, even before he remembered his past life, Woo-jin had always been brave and eager to try new things. He just had more failures and problems than he did after remembering his past life.

So, Woo-jin felt both embarrassed and thankful for Bruno’s praise. He knew that Bruno was praising him a lot in front of the reporters on purpose. He knew that Bruno’s words would help him become a famous designer.

After Bruno finished answering the question, many other questions came quickly.

“Bruno, are you planning your next project?” a reporter asked.

Bruno waved his hand. “Oh… I want to rest for a while now. I was going to rest even when the Glacial Tower was finished, but I wanted to do this project too much and pushed myself too hard. Haha.”

“So you’ll be going back to Spain now?”

“Yeah, probably,” Bruno replied.

The questions and answers were friendly and cheerful. The reporters also asked Woo-jin questions. The reporters had gathered because Bruno was famous. But they were most interested in the relationship between Seo Woo-jin, a young Korean designer, and Bruno, a world-famous architect. The phrase ‘A Korean designer in his 20s admired by a world-renowned architect’ was the best way to get a lot of attention, at least in Korea.

“Seo Woo-jin, CEO, designed a wonderful pavilion this time,” a reporter said.

“Ah, thank you,” Woo-jin replied.

“Can I ask what made you want to design this pavilion?”

“Well, it’s because of my relationship with Bruno,” Woo-jin answered.

“Relationship, you say…” the reporter repeated.

“I started as a designer at SPDC. Bruno was a judge that year,” Woo-jin explained.

“Ah…!” the reporter exclaimed.

“Because of that, Bruno gave me a great opportunity. I’m really thankful,” Woo-jin said.

As Woo-jin answered the reporters’ questions, he realized that the interviews would greatly increase his fame as a designer. So, even though the interview was longer than he expected, Woo-jin answered all the reporters’ questions as completely and clearly as he could. The interview started at twelve o’clock with lunch and ended almost at two o’clock.

“Thank you so much for today, Bruno,” Woo-jin said.

Bruno smiled. “You’re welcome. I didn’t make up anything, did I?”

“But Bruno’s interview is like cheating for me in terms of getting famous,” Woo-jin joked.

“Not at all. I just helped a future world-renowned designer grow a little faster. Heh heh heh,” Bruno replied.

After the interview, the room became quieter. Woo-jin and Bruno had more private conversations while drinking champagne. Woo-jin was curious about what Bruno would work on in the future, and Bruno felt the same way. When the conversation with Bruno was over, Woo-jin planned to leave Parafield. His job in this project was only the pavilion, so he didn’t need to stay after the event. But then he heard a familiar voice, and his plans changed.

“Oh, Woo-jin!”

The voice belonged to Seok-jung.

“Oh…! Hyung-nim? What brings you here?” Woo-jin asked.

“Well, I came with a friend who said he had some business to take care of…” Seok-jung replied, looking surprised. He knew that Woo-jin had worked on this project, but it seemed like Woo-jin was being treated as the main designer at the event. The name ‘Seo Woo-jin’ was listed under Bruno’s name, and reporters had been interviewing both of them.

Seok-ho, who was Seok-jung’s friend, had told him that Bruno was a very famous architect and that he was treating Woo-jin very kindly.

“Bruno, this is a close hyung-nim of mine,” Woo-jin said.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Bruno, an architectural designer from Spain,” Bruno said.

“Ah, nice to meet you, Bruno. I’m Kang Seok-jung, Woo-jin’s friend and CEO of Cafe Fresco,” Seok-jung replied.

“Oh, you’re the CEO of Cafe Fresco,” Bruno said.

“Do you know our company?” Seok-jung asked.

“Haha. I’ve heard a lot from Woo-jin,” Bruno answered.

“I see,” Seok-jung said.

“I went to the store that opened in Yongsan a while ago. The coffee was delicious,” Bruno added.

“Thank you for the kind words,” Seok-jung replied.

Seok-jung was thinking that this was amazing, but Seok-ho was embarrassed. He was the one who had business with Bruno, but Seok-jung was greeting him first. Also, Seok-jung seemed to be friends with the young designer who had worked on this project, which was unexpected.

‘How did he get such connections? He has no interest in design or art,’ Seok-ho wondered.

After feeling embarrassed, Seok-ho became curious and interested. He wanted to know how Seok-jung and the young designer knew each other, and he wondered how much Woo-jin had worked on this project. Seok-ho thought that Parafield was beautiful. If Woo-jin had helped design such a beautiful place, he must be talented and have a lot of potential. It was also good that he could talk to Bruno more easily because of Seok-jung.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Im Seok-ho. I contacted you to say that I wanted to see you…” Seok-ho said.

“Ah…! You’re the person the site manager told me about. Nice to meet you, I’m Bruno,” Bruno replied.

As the conversation went on, Seok-ho was shocked. As Seok-jung joined the conversation, Woo-jin’s stories became the main topic. Each story was unbelievable. First, Seok-ho was surprised to hear Woo-jin’s age.

“Woo-jin is twenty-four years old this year, right?” Seok-jung asked.

“Yes, that’s right, Hyung-nim,” Woo-jin replied.

“Gasp…” Seok-ho exclaimed.

When Seok-ho heard that Woo-jin had directed the design branding of Cafe Fresco and had grown the company to make 10 billion won in sales each year, he was amazed.

“So, designer Seo Woo-jin… No, are you saying that the CEO also directed the Cafe Fresco branding?” Seok-ho asked.

“That’s right. I think I’ve told you before that I’ve benefited a lot from a close younger brother who designs,” Seok-jung replied.

“Ah…!” Seok-ho exclaimed.

Seok-ho had been impressed when he first visited Cafe Fresco in Korea. He had not known much about art and design when he lived in the United States. He wondered how his friend could create such a wonderful brand in terms of design. He guessed that the person who directed the design must be very talented, but he never imagined that it would be such a young designer.

“I was really curious about who designed Cafe Fresco… Haha. I’m really happy to meet you like this!” Seok-ho said.

“I’m just thankful that you like my design,” Woo-jin replied.

But the most surprising story was the one that came out last.

“Wait. According to what Bruno said… Is CEO Seo the designer who designed that huge pavilion in the lobby?” Seok-ho asked.

“Heh heh, that’s right. Thanks to this pavilion, my space has become more beautiful,” Seok-jung replied.

Bruno’s words made Seok-ho’s eyes widen. ‘The pavilion I just saw… Was designed by this young designer?’ he thought. At that moment, an idea flashed through his mind. He had been dreaming of creating the best art gallery in Korea for a long time. He thought that Woo-jin might be the right person to design that gallery.