Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 50

Throughout her school life, Soyeon had never told her classmates about her family. Not about her parents, or even her two younger siblings.

She didn’t have to hide her family story. But her family life had been painful. So, she didn’t want to talk about it.

She always tried to smile and be cheerful. Maybe it was because she didn’t want anyone to see her sadness inside.

Of course, time had passed, and now those wounds were healing.

I miss Mom so much today….

Soyeon’s mother had died from cancer when Soyeon was young. It was a painful time for Soyeon, who was in her early teens.

She didn’t have a father to lean on, either.

Soyeon didn’t even remember her father. He had divorced her mother and gone abroad when she was very young.

So, the only family she could rely on was her grandmother, who had raised her since she was a child.

The poor thing, so pitiful…

Sob… Waaah…!

The fortunate thing was that her father was wealthy. Her mother had received alimony when they divorced.

Even now, Soyeon received money equal to an average worker’s salary as child support.

It wasn’t a lot for Soyeon, who was the head of her household. But without that money, she couldn’t have gone to university or afforded her house.

Soyeon turned the key quietly and pushed open the door. The small house was dim. She could hear the soft scratching of Gayeon’s pen from behind her closed bedroom door.

Gayeon, did you have dinner?

I did.

Study hard, okay?

Yeah, yeah. Like I need you to tell me.

Gayeon, a sensitive high school senior, was a kind sister, even if she was a bit curt. She was also smart and almost always at the top of her class.

She didn’t have the same charm as Ayeon, who was in her third year of middle school.

Gayeon is sensitive today. She didn’t even eat her favorite chicken.

Chicken? Where did chicken come from, Ayeon?

Grandma bought it for me. I saw Grandma on the way home from school. Hee hee.

Ayeon was the opposite of Gayeon. She was affectionate, full of charm, and very fond of Soyeon. She was a very positive child.

The only downside was that she didn’t like studying.

But Ayeon, isn’t it your final exam period now too?

Ayeon, who was eating ice cream in front of the TV, said, That’s right. It starts tomorrow.

But, aren’t you studying?

I’ve finished studying.

…?

My goal is to be 30th in the class anyway.

Aren’t there thirty-five students in your class?

Exactly.

Hmm…

But maybe I can get 25th, Soyeon. I think I studied a bit more than usual.

O-oh, really…

Soyeon ruffled Ayeon’s hair. Then, she unpacked her bag and hung up her coat.

Even though she didn’t study much, Soyeon wasn’t worried about Ayeon.

She’s the type who will take care of herself no matter what when she grows up.

Ayeon knew how to be loved, even in difficult situations. She made the people around her happy.

Soyeon thought that was more valuable than any other talent.

Soyeon dropped her bag with a soft thud and fell onto the bed. The old mattress sighed under her weight, and the worn cotton sheet felt cool against her tired cheek. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen, a familiar sound that was almost like a lullaby.

Soyeon had a concern that had been on her mind for days.

What should I do?

Soyeon’s concern was about the location for the group project for the contest.

I’m sure that if I visit the nursing home where Grandma is, I’ll get a lot of ideas…

Soyeon’s grandmother had been in a nursing home for years because of a disease. The more Soyeon researched for the project, the more she thought about the nursing home.

The most important thing for the contest was the user’s experience. Hearing from her grandmother would be a great help.

Visiting a real nursing home is helpful. Hearing about her grandmother’s life there would be even better. It would give them great ideas for their project.

But still…

Soyeon couldn’t easily bring up the story.

Her grandmother would be happy if Soyeon brought her friends. This was something she felt strongly about.

She didn’t talk about her family unless it was to someone she could truly open up to. That’s why she hadn’t told Woojin everything last time.

The wounds she had from her parents not being around hadn’t completely healed.

Surely nothing bad will happen even if I go to Grandma’s nursing home…

Soyeon could visit her grandmother alone and record stories about life in the nursing home.

But Soyeon’s worry was deeper.

If she couldn’t talk about her family to Woojin, she worried that she wouldn’t be able to open her heart to anyone again.

Because of this, Soyeon couldn’t escape her worries, even the day before the trip to Bulgwang-dong.

Soyeon bit her lip, thinking hard. ‘Tomorrow is the deadline for the project… What should I do?’ Then, something happened today that changed everything.

The visit to was canceled because of a sudden problem.

Soyeon, who was already leaning towards it, was finally able to talk to Woojin and Jayden.

“Hey, Woojin,” Soyeon said, hesitating slightly.

Woojin looked up. “Yes?”

“Could we… maybe change where we visit? To Seongdong-gu?”

Woojin frowned. “Seongdong-gu? Why there? We planned Seun.”

“It’s because… my grandmother is in a nursing home in Seongdong-gu.”

Soyeon explained, her voice a little softer, about her grandmother being in a nursing home in Seongdong-gu. She told him how she worried about her and hadn’t seen her in a while.

Woojin listened in silence for a moment, but eventually nodded and replied.

“Even if the A-type flu is going around… Soyeon is a confirmed guardian, so she should be able to enter.”

“That’s right.”

“Besides, we’ll be able to hear realistic stories about nursing home life from your grandmother.”

Soyeon smiled and nodded.

“That’s right. That’s what you said was the most important thing.”

So, the three of them came downstairs and got into Jayden’s car.

Jayden’s car was a German sedan, a Mercedes-Benz, his father had left behind in Korea. As soon as Jayden slid into the driver’s seat, he grinned, puffing out his chest a little. “See? Didn’t I tell you bringing this beauty was a good idea?” He looked very pleased with himself.

Jayden grinned. “Jayden to the rescue! Always thinking ahead, that’s me.”

Woojin rolled his eyes. “Just drive, Jayden. And please tell me you actually have a driving license?”

Jayden huffed. “Woojin is just jealous of my genius.”

Woojin leaned forward. “Hey, seriously, Jayden. Since your dad left this car… want to sell it to me for cheap?”

Jayden laughed. “No way, Woojin! If I did that, Dad would stop my allowance for months!”

Watching the two men’s usual banter from the back seat, Soyeon couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘What are they, like two silly clowns or something…’

They drove to the nursing home in Seongdong-gu. Inside, the air smelled faintly of medicine and flowers. They found Soyeon’s grandmother in a bright room, sitting by a window. She smiled when she saw Soyeon. For hours, they listened to her stories about life in the nursing home – the good days and the hard days, the friendships and the loneliness. Woojin took notes, realizing these real stories were more valuable than any textbook.

Woojin felt his head clearing. ‘This is it,’ he thought, ‘This is what will make our nursing home design stand out in the competition.’ Meanwhile, miles away, in his Seoul studio, Bruno Sanchez, one of the judges for that very competition, was having a very different kind of day.

Bruno Sanchez, one of Spain’s top architectural designers, had been staying in Seoul for the past year.

But he had no personal ties to Seoul.

The reason he was staying in Seoul was simply because of work.

He had submitted a design to an international architectural competition held in Seoul a year ago, and it had been selected, so he ended up working in Seoul.

And while staying in Seoul, Sanchez became quite fond of this country called Korea.

Seoul had better public safety than any other city in the world he had ever been to, and many systems, starting with public transportation, were conveniently established.

‘There are definitely still underdeveloped areas due to haphazard development… But once those places are all reorganized, Seoul will surely emerge as a global city.’

But just a few days ago.

Bruno faced a very difficult situation.

It was the first time since he came to Korea that he had experienced something unpleasant.

The beginning of it was a phone call from the Spanish Architectural Design Association to which he belonged.

[I heard that you will be attending the public architecture competition hosted by Seoul City as a judge this time.]

“How does the president of the association know that?”

[I heard it from Matthias. No, before that… It would be more accurate to say that you heard it from someone you don’t know first.]

Bruno was proud of the association he belonged to, but he hated ‘Rodrigo’, the current president of the association, very much.

He was more of a politician than an architect, and he was the kind of person who didn’t really consider morality if it was for his own benefit.

And his phone call this time also made Bruno uncomfortable in a similar context.

[Among the works you will be judging, there will probably be a work by ‘Kim Ki-tae’, a student from K University.]

“…….”

[It’s a request from a supporter that the association considers important. I want you to cast your vote for him.]

“President. You know I hate this kind of thing… don’t you?”

[Sometimes you have to be willing to accept some irrationality for the sake of the public good.]

“How is this for the public good? This is…”

[Listen to the end, Bruno. I’m not the kind of person who makes such unreasonable demands.]

“What do you mean…?”

[If the work of that student ‘Kim Ki-tae’ is objectively far below par, I won’t say anything even if you reject my request.]

“Hmm…….”

[But if works of a similar level make it to the end, my request is just to give him a hand.]

“President.”

[How about it? Can you do this much? No, this is something you have to do for the association.]

The president packaged it in various ways, but in the end, the president’s request was really an order to cheat and help someone unfairly.

Bruno’s hand trembled slightly as he ended the call. “I’ll hang up if you have nothing more to say.” *Click.* He put the phone down, his heart pounding. President Rodrigo had a lot of power back in Spain. Saying no to him could cause trouble. But Bruno’s pride as an architect burned stronger than his fear. He couldn’t stand the idea of unfairness and cheating.

“Kim Ki-tae, was it? If possible, I shouldn’t pick that work.”

Bruno’s unpleasant feelings were directed not only at Rodrigo.

The origin of the solicitation that went to the president of the association was clearly this Korea.

Therefore, the competition judging itself, which he had intended to participate in with a happy heart, began to feel unpleasant.

Based on his long experience, in this case, not only himself but also other judges would have been asked for favors.

Perhaps, no matter what his will was, the student who received the solicitation was very likely to win an award.

‘These guys who make solicitations usually stick their heads in when they have a place to lean on.’

As far as Bruno knew, the judges for this Seoul City competition, with the exception of himself, were all Korean professors.

And if the existence that moved even the Spanish association was behind the solicitation.

He thought that about half of them might have already been bought off.

“Damn it. If I had known this would happen, I would have refused the request to be a judge…”

A bitter smile twisted Bruno’s lips. He slammed his laptop shut with more force than he intended, the sound echoing in his quiet studio. ‘A competition like this isn’t worth my time,’ he thought angrily. He grabbed the small cup of dark espresso on his desk and swallowed it in one gulp, the bitter taste matching his mood. Then, shoulders slumped, he walked out of his studio, each step heavy and reluctant.