Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 314

The SGBC, completed in 2022, brought a new wave to the global construction industry.

The SGBC, a building that changed how people thought about buildings around the world, was finally finished.

Woojin designed the SGBC. He used all his skills. It became a beautiful building. It was so amazing, it impressed people everywhere. This was undeniable.

John Clade, a famous architect and the new president of the World Architecture Association, said, “Numerous lines come together to create a single surface. These surfaces swirl around to create a massive curve. The natural shapes seem to want to leap out, but they are incorporated into the building with beautiful patterns. With that, the SGBC has a uniquely beautiful form. Isn’t this the best beauty that can be achieved?”

John Clade’s words quickly spread through the media.

Global Architecture Association President John Clade Praises Seo Woojin’s SGBC as the Best Architecture!

“The ultimate beauty,” John Clade says, giving the highest praise to the architecture.

Has a world-renowned architect finally been born?

Seo Woojin’s SGBC Recognized as a World-Class Building.

Because of this, people started paying attention to the 2023 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

The Pritzker Architecture Prize is the world’s most important award for architecture. No architect had ever won it.

Several news outlets said that Woojin might win the Pritzker Architecture Prize this year.

Because of these stories, many people started to think Woojin would win.

If Woojin won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, it would be a great achievement.

At WJ Studio, people often talked about the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

“Do you think the boss will really get the Pritzker?”

“I really hope so.”

“Me too. He deserves it.”

“When I go to the roof, I just stare at the SGBC.”

“Me too. I can see it across the river.”

Nominations for the Pritzker Prize are accepted until the end of January.

Woojin was nominated by many people and was on the list of candidates.

He was competing with over 500 candidates from 40 countries.

Woojin didn’t have to do anything to compete. The Hyatt Foundation, run by the Pritzker family, decided who would win.

About twelve experts would review the candidates and choose the winner in secret.

The results are usually announced in March.

The winner of the 2023 Pritzker Architecture Prize is Seo Woojin!

Woojin, who was 35 years old, had won the highest award an architect could receive. He was the youngest winner ever.

“I thank everyone who helped me receive this award,” said Woojin.

“I will keep designing wonderful buildings that help society.”

Woojin donated the $100,000 prize to the Architecture Foundation. It was not a lot of money for Woojin.

He donated it because he wanted more great architects to appear in the future. That was his wish.

Many people understood Woojin’s wish, and they loved him even more.

A year passed, and then two more years passed. Woojin was now in his forties.

People forget things. Even memories that seem impossible to forget can fade away.

Woojin also had a memory that seemed impossible to forget: his regression, going back to the past.

He thought he would always remember it, but he had gotten used to his new life. After 20 years, the memory had faded.

So, on February 15, 2030, Woojin could not remember that this day was the day he had gained his second life.

“Good morning!”

“President, you’re here?”

“We have a meeting this morning. Get ready.”

“Yes, President!”

“We have a meeting in the afternoon, so don’t let the morning meeting take too long.”

Woojin went to work with a happy heart, like any other day. He started working without any special thoughts.

After approving everything from yesterday, he went to a meeting in the morning. In the afternoon, he went to another meeting.

This meeting was quite important.

“Where is the meeting today, Director?” Woojin asked.

Kyungwan, who was driving, said, “Ah, it’s in Daechi-dong. It’s the villa area behind the Chilseong Castle complex.”

“Oh…!”

“They finally got the permit this time. I wondered how long they would stay as a villa area…” Kyungwan said, but Woojin could not hear him.

‘If it’s there…’ Woojin thought. He knew the villa area very well. He felt a strange feeling.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so quiet?”

“Just a moment. I need to check something.” Woojin turned on his phone and opened the map.

He looked at the location Kyungwan had mentioned. Then he looked at the time and date on his phone.

It was 1:45 PM on Wednesday, February 15th. Today was the day he had regressed in his previous life.

Woojin had regressed exactly 20 years.

February 15, 2010, was the day he left the military.

‘How could this happen…’ Woojin felt scared. It was too much of a coincidence.

Today was different from that day. Woojin had bad things happen to him all day on that day, but today was the opposite.

It wasn’t a great day, but everything was going smoothly. But the fact that he was going to ‘that place’ on the same day made him feel strange.

He started to worry. ‘Could I be regressing again? Is this a dream? No, that can’t happen.’

While Woojin was thinking, Kyungwan’s car arrived. This was a place Woojin had only been to once since his regression.

He had gone to ‘that house’ out of curiosity on the weekend after he had left the military.

‘At that time, it was just an ordinary house.’ Woojin couldn’t go inside because someone was living there. So he had to look at it from the outside.

Woojin had forgotten about ‘that house’ since then. He had been too busy to think about it.

“Where is the association office?”

“I heard it’s that old house inside.”

“I guess they turned the house into an office. Since no one lives there, they thought it was a waste to leave it empty. It saves them rent.”

Kyungwan drove the car down the narrow alley, parked, and turned off the engine. The area was too small to drive into, so they had to walk.

After walking for 5 minutes, they saw the association office. Woojin looked around. The house where he had regressed, ‘that house,’ was somewhere around here.

Woojin found it easily. He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

The house was abandoned and ruined. It looked exactly like he remembered it from 20 years ago. Woojin’s heart beat fast.

“Director,” he said.

“Why?”

“We still have some time, right?”

“About 20 minutes.”

“Then I’ll go over there for a bit.”

“Over there…?” Kyungwan didn’t know why. Woojin told him that it was the house where he had lived a long time ago, but he didn’t tell him about the regression.

“Ah, so that’s why you’ve been so quiet?”

“Something like that.”

“Then I’ll go into the office first. Hurry up and take a look and come in.”

“Yes, Director.” Kyungwan smiled and walked into the office.

Woojin stared at him for a moment, then slowly moved forward. The closer he got, the clearer his memories became.

It was a small, cozy two-story house with a small yard. It was filled with his happiest memories from elementary school.

And finally, it was the place where he had regressed.

Woojin reached the front gate and hesitated. But he opened the door.

Creak-

The iron gate opened slowly with a grating sound. No one stopped him.

Woojin stepped into the yard and moved forward with a tense expression. Then he grabbed the old doorknob.

Clunk-

Woojin’s heart was beating faster than ever before.