Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 299

Imagine taking a whole year off work. No emails, no meetings, just time for yourself. This is what Woojin was thinking about – a ‘sabbatical year’. The term ‘sabbatical year’ has become a common way to refer to a year in which someone who has worked hard for a long time suddenly puts down all work and takes a good rest.

Therefore, the word ‘sabbatical year’ that Woojin was using now could be said to be in the same context.

“Sabbatical year? You’re going to take a sabbatical year?”

Jintae and Seokhyun, who had been called to Woojin’s office, widened their eyes and wore the same expression.

“That’s right, older brother. Exactly one year. Or maybe it won’t even take a year.”

At Woojin’s answer, Seokhyun asked.

“Suddenly a sabbatical year, what’s the reason?”

Just as Woojin was about to answer, Jintae spoke instead.

“The reason is obviously that he wants to rest.”

“Well……”

“Honestly, Woojin hasn’t rested in the past few years, has he?”

“That’s true, but……”

Jintae, who had been staring at Seokhyun who was trailing off, looked at Woojin again and said.

“So, I’m in favor of you taking a break. People need to rest to work again.”

“Really?”

As Woojin asked with a smile, Jintae continued.

“But isn’t a sabbatical year too extreme?”

“Well……”

“First, just take a month or so off and come back? If you leave your position for too long right now, there will definitely be side effects here and there.”

Jintae meant that if Woojin left for a year, many unexpected problems could happen in the company.

WJ Studio had been changing its structure for the past five months. Because of this, many of Woojin’s tasks were given to other leaders.

Still, as the company had relied so heavily on Woojin’s role until now, no one knew what problems might arise if Woojin were to be away for a whole year.

“Could it be… that you’re experiencing burnout?”

Woojin shook his head at Seokhyun, who asked with a worried expression.

“It’s not that.”

Woojin, who then stared at Jintae, slowly opened his mouth again.

“And older brother, there’s something you’re misunderstanding.”

Jintae, surprised by Woojin’s words, asked back with a puzzled expression.

“I’m… misunderstanding?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not taking a sabbatical year just because I want to rest.”

“Hmm…?”

“Of course, I also think I need to rest. But you know me. If I just rest, I’ll probably get restless in a month and run back to the company.”

At Woojin’s story, Jintae, who was about to say something, closed his mouth again.

He was still negative about Woojin being away for a long time of a year, but he wanted to hear what he was thinking.

‘That’s right. There aren’t many people as thoughtful as Woojin.’

It was the same for Seokhyun, so silence fell in the room again.

After a while, Woojin opened his mouth again.

“The company is continuing to grow, and most things are going well. Right?”

“And?”

“But since some time, I’ve felt like I’m standing still.”

As Woojin’s story continued, Jintae and Seokhyun’s expressions had no choice but to change from moment to moment.

Today, Woojin was continuing to bring up stories that the two had never even thought of.

“So I want to have some diverse experiences. I’m thinking of taking a year to travel.”

Jintae and Seokhyun used the expression ‘suddenly,’ but Woojin’s decision was by no means sudden.

It was not an impulsive decision that started from simply wanting to rest or travel.

The reason Woojin first came up with this idea was Woojin’s dream.

It started from his old dream of building the tallest and most beautiful architecture in Seoul.

‘Can the design, the architecture… created from my hands really become such beautiful architecture?’

When Woojin first had this dream, it was merely a dream of creating the most beautiful architecture.

It was natural because he had no experience or ability to make the dream real at all.

But Woojin grew, and he began to get closer to that dream little by little.

So, as he got closer to his dream, Woojin naturally had no choice but to have these questions.

When the opportunity to attempt such architecture really comes, will I be able to build a building beautiful enough to say that I have achieved my dream?

The question lingered in Woojin’s mind for a while, and Woojin could not find an answer to it.

This was the most decisive reason why Woojin decided to take a sabbatical year.

If he spent every day buried in company work, he didn’t think he would ever find an answer to this question.

‘I need to see a wider world. If I experience all the architecture and spaces in the world, I might be able to find some answers?’

Of course, Woojin doesn’t really think he will build the most beautiful architecture in the world.

He thought it was an almost arrogant story that no architectural designer could ever tell.

However, the ‘most beautiful architecture’ that Woojin was talking about meant ‘the most beautiful that Woojin himself can achieve.’

So, Woojin thought that there was still room for growth in his current design capabilities.

“Of course, I’m not saying I’m leaving tomorrow.”

At Woojin’s words, Seokhyun and Jintae asked back at the same time.

“Then?”

“Then when?”

Woojin, who smiled and was lost in thought for a moment.

“First of all, this month’s personnel changes have to be all over, and the departmental handover has to be all finished……”

Woojin, who then flipped through a few pages of the calendar on the table, opened his mouth again.

“If I take it easy, wouldn’t it be around the fall? I think it will be enough to sort things out by then.”

When Woojin’s story ended, silence followed for a while.

Because Woojin’s decision was more firm than they thought, Jintae and Seokhyun could no longer object.

Seokhyun was the first to speak.

“Then, are you going to tell all the other employees too?”

Woojin shook his head.

“No, I’m not. It’s a secret for now.”

“I see. If you tell everyone, the company atmosphere will only be chaotic during the personnel changes.”

“That’s right. So only the two of you have to know.”

Jintae answered.

“Okay, I understand.”

Woojin emphasized once again.

“Especially Mr. Park, who will be coming to work from today. No, it’s absolutely secret from Director Park Kyungwan.”

At Woojin’s request, Seokhyun asked with a puzzled expression.

“Why? Aren’t you very close to him? I thought it would be okay for the board of directors to know……”

And to that question, Woojin gave a very clear answer.

“Why would I make someone I’ve worked so hard to persuade run away right away?”

“……?”

“Director Park Kyungwan will probably be the one who takes on the most of the work I used to do……”

“Ah……!”

“So it’s absolutely secret until the handover is complete and the work is sorted out. Got it?”

At Woojin’s request, the two nodded once again.

“I understand.”

“I’ll do that.”

The personnel changes in May were completed without incident, and soon June and July passed, and it became a hot summer.

And during these three months, Woojin tried to do as much work as possible.

Woojin was able to put down a lot of work due to the company’s restructuring, but he still needed to neatly close some of the projects he was directly working on.

In particular, the business sites that Woojin had to pay the most attention to were the Cheongdam-dong business site where was first built and the Magok Convention Center business site.

Since both business sites were just starting, Woojin’s hand, who was in charge of the design, was needed the most.

“Manager. Please fix the design changes by the end of this week.”

“The existing design will be quite different, but we can’t accept all the requirements, can we?”

“We’ve gotten approval from the LTK business division. It’s a request from a company scheduled to move into the business facilities……”

“Hmm……”

“After listening to them, it made some sense. Please draw up a change plan that meets their requirements as much as possible.”

“I understand, CEO.”

“But you must never touch any other parts besides the D sector.”

“I won’t.”

In particular, because Minseon and Kyungwan, who were newly recruited this time, were in charge of the heads of each business site, he was even more concerned.

“Director, is the construction schedule going well?”

“Yes, CEO. Actually, Cheongdam Arco isn’t that big of a business site, so there aren’t many variables.”

“Let’s talk comfortably when we’re alone, Director.”

“Hehe, I can’t do that inside the company, CEO. It’s not a good look for the other employees, is it?”

“Tsk. I’m still awkward with you using honorifics, Director.”

Kyungwan and Minseon were adapting to the company more wonderfully than Woojin had expected.

Both of them had easygoing personalities and were reliable people with clear careers and abilities, so they quickly fit into WJ Studio without any major troubles with existing employees.

They were naturally good at their jobs.

In Minseon’s case, the work itself was a project that she had participated in from the beginning, so there was no sense of alienation from the work at all.

Kyungwan also started working from the site management he had always done at Cheonwoong, so there was no way he couldn’t do it.

So one day in August.

Woojin finally made a bombshell announcement to Kyungwan.

“CEO, the purchase of the site has been completed. I’m going to do a field survey tomorrow…… I’m thinking of scheduling a meeting around the beginning of next month, would that be okay?”

“Next month won’t work, Director.”

“Yes? There’s only next week left this month……”

“I’m taking a year off starting next month.”

“You’re taking a year off…… Wait. What……did you say?”

“I’m saying I’m going to take a year off.”

“What is that……”

“You know about sabbatical years, Director, right?”

“……”

“Please take good care of things while I’m gone.”

At Woojin’s words, which he threw out as if it were nothing, Kyungwan fell into a state of panic for a moment.

And after a while, what burst out of his mouth was the rough voice that Woojin had heard in a long time.

“What the heck are you talking about?”