Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 282

Seongsu-dong, a busy area in Seoul, was dark at 9 PM. Among the streetlights, a pristine white building stood tall.

It was a beautiful building with neat white lights streaming from its windows, arranged along its geometric exterior.

The Seoul Forest WJ Tower had already become a landmark of Seongsu-dong.

“Wow, the building is really pretty. The lights look so nice at night.”

“Oppa, is that the WJ Tower?”

“I think so? That building Seo Woojin built.”

Couples strolled through Seoul Forest, office workers headed home late from overtime. People waited for the bus on the main street, and drivers waited for the signal on the congested road. The WJ Tower, shining so brightly, captured everyone’s attention.

But this evening, the building seemed to shine even brighter than usual, and the reason was special. Today, with only one day left until the deadline for the Magok Convention Center competition, every employee in the design department of WJ Studio was working overtime.

Excluding all the commercial facilities on the lower floors, all the offices were brightly lit, making the tower shine even brighter.

It wasn’t that the design wasn’t finished. Even the detailed designs had already been approved in yesterday’s meeting. However, the detailed designs were being carried out by dividing them into teams because of the large scale of the design, so today they were finally reviewing all these designs together.

Woojin had approved each design part already. But they still needed to check if all the parts worked well together. Sometimes, designs look good alone, but not when you put them together. So, everyone was busy.

Among them, the busiest person was, of course, Woojin. As important as this convention center project was, all of this vast amount of design work was passing through Woojin’s hands.

Woojin called out, “Team Leader?”

A quick reply came back, “Yes, CEO?”

“About the entrance,” Woojin said, leaning forward. “Think we could change the entrance design a little?”

“Change it how, CEO?” the team leader asked, pen poised over his notes.

“I thought the existing design, which rose vertically and high, looked more impressive and was better. The current design isn’t bad, but it seems to lack the impact to capture attention… or something like that?”

“I also like that design, but I’m worried that the lower part might look a bit empty when it starts to get dark.”

“Wouldn’t it be somewhat covered if we put some lighting on the landscaping or walls?”

“Ah.”

“Anyway, the deadline can be changed as much as we want after the competition entry, so please express it with lighting in the picture for now.”

“Rendering will take quite a while if we’re drawing night cuts with a lot of lighting……”

“We have Photoshop, don’t we?”

“Ah.”

“Minimize the lighting when rendering, and just add it in Photoshop.”

“Understood, CEO.”

“Last time I saw, Assistant Manager Seonkyung was very skilled in Photoshop.”

“Haha. Seonkyung is practically a Photoshop expert.”

As it was the last day to work on it, modifications that would shake the foundation of the design could not be made. However, since such meticulous design adjustments would increase the completeness of the drawings, Woojin looked at even the smallest details without missing anything.

“Let’s take the back space warehouse and move it to the side, and push the ticket office part further inside the space.”

“Ah, then the overall shape will definitely become smoother.”

“Then the exhibition hall passage will be a bit narrower, is that okay?”

“How much will the width be reduced when modified?”

“It seems like it will be about 3400mm.”

“That’s enough. Let’s reduce it to about 3200 instead… and make an opening in the floor going up.”

“Ah, completely upwards?”

“Looking at the second-floor plan anyway, that space is a bit dead.”

“It does feel a bit off.”

“If we cut through the floor to the level above and make it like a courtyard, the overall sense of openness will be enhanced, and the exterior will look cleaner.”

“That’s a good idea, CEO. I’ll try applying it.”

No matter how enjoyable the work is and how good the company is, no one likes working overtime. Nevertheless, the reason why WJ Studio’s employees were so voluntarily enthusiastic was because they knew from experience that a sweet reward always followed such hardships that occurred once or twice a year.

Woojin had already promised the design team a week of special vacation alternately after the competition deadline. And if they were to win the competition, a generous incentive beyond the hard work would surely come out. So, even though it was well past the time to go home, none of the employees were looking at their watches while working.

They only hoped that this project, which had to be completed today, would be completed a little more beautifully.

“Okay, then, just finish the modifications we just talked about and send them to me via email in exactly 30 minutes.”

“Yes, CEO.”

“Understood!”

“Still, we’re seeing the end of it now. Right?”

“Haha, I don’t think it’s the end here.”

“That’s right. You’ll probably make a couple more additional modifications, right?”

“Hoo… I can’t deny it. Sorry, everyone.”

After finishing the team leader meeting, Woojin took out a can of cider from the vending machine and returned to his office.

Pop-

As he took a sip of the cider, the coolness and sweetness of the carbonation felt like it was cooling down his hot head a little. The time was already nine in the evening. His goal for today was to leave before midnight, but it seemed like that was already ruined.

As Woojin entered the office, Minseon, who was sitting at the table reviewing the drawings, turned her head towards Woojin.

“Did the meeting go well?”

At Minseon’s question, Woojin nodded and replied.

“Well, for now?”

Minseon smiled and said again.

“You don’t look that refreshed?”

Woojin also chuckled and sat down.

“I’ll only be refreshed when it’s all over. I can’t help it until I send the email. Haha.”

Minseon came to WJ Tower again today and was helping Woojin all day long. In fact, helping this much was not Minseon’s contractual obligation, but she was voluntarily staying in the office.

Woojin, feeling sorry for that, had recommended her to leave first several times, but Minseon had answered like this instead.

“[My role is to review the project, right?]”

“[Yes, that’s right….]”

“[Then, of course, I have to see it through to the end. It’s just my job, so you don’t have to feel sorry, CEO.]”

Woojin, reminded of Minseon’s words, felt grateful to her again.

‘If we win the competition, I really have to treat her big time.’

And as grateful as he was, he thought he should work harder for a better design. Even for her help to shine even brighter.

“Please share the changed design details.”

“Okay, I’ll send it via messenger.”

“Yep.”

Woojin concisely summarized the changes that came out during the meeting and sent them to Minseon, and Minseon started clicking the laptop mouse again. Now it was time to get feedback on the revisions from Minseon.

But even while she was reviewing the revisions, Woojin was not resting. The golden drawing that no one but Woojin could see. Whenever the design changed like this, Woojin had to unfold it and take a look.

‘Okay, what’s it like now…….’

This was a task that no one could do for him except Woojin himself.

Click- Click-

Woojin quickly applied the revisions to the drawing file and printed it on a large piece of paper.

Clunk- Zzzzzing-

It wasn’t a full-size drawing like the first time, but the drawing was still printed on a large piece of paper that filled half of his desk. Woojin took it out of the printer and spread it out on his desk.

Whoosh-

At the same time, as if waiting for it, golden shimmering heat haze rose up. Woojin’s Golden Print, thin and complex, but much clearer than before.

Woojin, having confirmed it, had a rather satisfied expression.

‘Good. It’s definitely better.’

One part of the drawing, which was full of golden colors just an hour ago, was neatly organized. Woojin’s goal for today was to eliminate all the Golden Prints on all the drawings of the Magok Convention Center project without leaving a single one.

‘As expected, the direction I’m thinking is right. In the end, what the Golden Print means is unnecessary interference between spaces.’

The most changed design through the meeting just now was the part where some of the organic exterior shape was slightly protruding due to the ticket office structure. It was smoothly improved through some ideas and space arrangement modifications.

After this work was finished, the Golden Print, which had been smeared all over, was neatly organized. It was a part that he had vaguely known through numerous design changes, but through the final work, he was able to completely confirm the message of this Golden Print.

Swish-

The golden lines floating on the drawing were sucked into the drawing as they were. What remained on the design was only the afterimage of the Golden Print that faintly shone along the outline.

So, Woojin, who had a satisfied expression, turned his eyes to another part of the drawing.

‘Now that this part is resolved…… Shall we check the D sector again?’

Click-

As Woojin clicked the mouse, the printer started operating noisily once again.

Zzzzzing-

Because the area of the convention center was so large, it was impossible to check all the plans with one drawing. Looking at him, Minseon, who was tapping on her laptop, asked with a puzzled expression.

“But, CEO.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been wondering about this for a while, but why do you print out the drawings every time?”

“Um. That’s…….”

“Isn’t it more convenient to just look at the monitor and work in real time?”

Woojin, unable to talk about the Golden Print, mumbled with an awkward expression.

“It’s just a habit.”

“A habit?”

“It feels better to look at it on paper, and it’s easier on the eyes, or something like that…….”

Woojin’s answer gave rise to another misunderstanding for Minseon, but that was something he couldn’t help.

“Ah. I just thought you were a robot, but you’re a person with analog sensibilities.”

“Sensibilities……?”

“I should try it sometime.”

“Hmm, ahem.”

The printing was done while the two were talking, and Woojin’s gaze turned back to the drawing. Minseon was watching what he was doing with sparkling eyes next to him, but Woojin was trying to ignore it.

‘How did the Golden Print accept this modified design part…….’

Woojin, holding the drawing from the printer, spread it out with an expectant expression.

Whoosh-

The D sector drawing he printed now was the most satisfyingly changed drawing. If only the drawing he just printed could be finished neatly, he thought he could go into the finishing work without any additional design modifications, so he was even more excited to see what evaluation the Golden Print would give to this drawing.

But at the very moment the drawing was spread out on the desk.

‘……!?’

Woojin, having checked the drawing, couldn’t help but have an embarrassed expression.

‘What is this? Is this even possible?’

The new drawing, modified through the meeting, was filled with even more complex and chaotic Golden Prints than before the modification.