Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 71

Everywhere in the world, people love to watch fun shows on TV. Shows that make you laugh, shows that surprise you, shows that just make you forget about your day. To make these shows really good, you need interesting things to fill them up – what TV people call “content.”

Think of a TV show like a cake. It has a basic recipe, a plan. But the more tasty ingredients you add – the frosting, the sprinkles, the yummy filling – the better the cake tastes. It’s the same with TV shows. The more interesting “content” you have, the more people will want to watch.

And where does all this “content” come from? Mostly from the people on the show – the cast. They are the key ingredient.

This could be how good the cast is at talking on TV, or how well they work together.

However, the PD expects the celebrity cast members to be good at talking on TV, not the regular people who are brought in for a specific reason.

So, when TV shows choose regular people to be on the panel, they look for people with interesting stories.

To explain more, it’s about having a special and unusual life story.

If someone on the panel has a very special background, it makes viewers curious. It also gives the show easy material to use.

So, Woojin thought that PD Gong Jin-young would see him as a very interesting person to have on the show.

He was twenty-two years old, a new student at K University in the best design program in Korea, and also the boss of a good company called WJ Studio.

Plus, he had just won the top prize in a big architecture contest called SPDC. This made his story very special.

“How about this much? If you were a PD, wouldn’t this card seem quite appealing?”

Lim Suha, who had been listening to Woojin’s story, was already wide-eyed.

Nothing else was particularly surprising.

However, the part that surprised Suha was Woojin’s age, which she had just learned.

“Eh… So, twenty-two. You’re really twenty-two years old? CEO Seo?”

Woojin nodded in response.

“Yes. You said you were twenty-eight back then… But I was actually twenty-two. Surprisingly.”

As Woojin brought up the story from a month ago, Suha pretended not to remember and scratched the back of her head.

No matter why she did it, telling a twenty-two-year-old student that she was twenty-eight was not very nice.

“CEO Seo…”

“Yes?”

“You looked older, not younger.”

“……”

“Just kidding. Not that old, but now that I look again, you do seem around that age.”

“Haa…”

As the surprise from Woojin’s age faded, Suha realized one thing.

‘Certainly, with this much spec at this age…’

Just like Woojin had said.

His background was indeed attractive enough for a variety show PD to consider.

‘He’s tall and has good proportions. If he’s styled well, he could look good on screen…’

But, this didn’t mean Woojin would get to be on the show right away.

Even with his great background, if the PD couldn’t imagine him working well on the show, she wouldn’t choose him.

But, because he had such a good background, Suha had a good reason to suggest him to PD Gong.

“Okay. Certainly, as you said, the PD might find you attractive.”

“That’s a relief.”

“I’ll try recommending you. It would be more fun to work with you, CEO Seo, than with someone I don’t know at all.”

At Suha’s positive response, Woojin grinned and nodded.

“Of course. No, it won’t just be fun.”

“What’s with all the confidence today?”

“Let’s just say I’m showing you how much I want to do it.”

Suha, intrigued by Woojin’s reaction, took a sip of her coffee and casually asked.

“Hmm… Do you want to be on TV that badly?”

To that question, Woojin answered somewhat honestly.

He didn’t want her to misunderstand that he was simply greedy for television appearances.

“To be clear, I don’t just want to be on TV because I want to be famous. It’s about making ‘Designer Seo Woojin’ well-known.”

“Branding…”

“If people know me, it will really help WJ Studio become bigger.”

At Woojin’s answer, Suha nodded.

She certainly thought it made sense.

‘Indeed. I think they also do interior design. Once he’s on TV, getting work will be several times easier.’

KBC is a public broadcasting channel.

And is a variety show airing during a decent weekend time slot.

Just by Woojin being on the show, clients would have a much better first impression of WJ Studio.

“Anyway. Then I’ll meet the PD today and tell her I’ll do the show…”

Suha, with a playful expression, glanced at Woojin and continued.

“And I’ll also try to sneak you in, CEO Seo!”

Woojin clapped lightly.

“Excellent, Actress.”

“Then I’m giving you a favor, CEO?”

“Of course. And I pay back these kinds of favors doubly.”

“Haha, just hearing that is nice enough, really.”

Actually, right after Suha heard Woojin was twenty-two, she felt something was a little strange.

But as they kept talking, she quickly forgot that Woojin was much younger.

For some reason, talking to Woojin felt as easy as talking to someone the same age as her.

‘How can someone who is only twenty-two be so smooth? Is that why he owns a company so young…?’

But as Woojin and Suha were enjoying their conversation.

A familiar voice came from behind Suha, and both of their gazes naturally turned towards it.

“Ha, Lim Suha. You were here. Why aren’t you checking your phone!”

“Ah, Jiho oppa. Did you text me?”

“Did I just text? I called too.”

“It’s on vibrate… When did it ring?”

A man with a build like a bear arrived.

And behind him, a petite woman wearing horn-rimmed glasses came along.

Woojin’s eyes widened slightly upon discovering her…

‘Could it be, PD Gong Jin-young?’

It was like Song Jiho knew what Woojin was thinking. He introduced her to Suha.

“This is PD Gong, who wanted to cast you.”

“Ah, hello, PD! I’m Lim Suha.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Actress. I’m PD Gong Jin-young.”

Suha, who had stood up from her seat, smiled brightly and shook hands with her, then introduced Woojin, who was standing awkwardly across from her.

“Hey everyone, this is Woo-jin. He’s a friend and also the CEO of an interior design company,” Suha smiled, gesturing to the man beside her at the café table. “Woo-jin, say hello to my manager and PD.”

“Seo Woo-jin… CEO?” The manager looked surprised.

And just like that, Woo-jin, who had been enjoying coffee with Suha in the busy café, was suddenly introduced to her manager and the program director, PD Gong Jin-young. The café was filled with the smell of coffee and the chatter of people, but at their table, everything suddenly felt more focused.

“What took you so long? You said forty or fifty minutes!” Song Jiho, Suha’s manager, asked, checking his watch.

“Ah, sorry. Something unexpected came up,” Woo-jin replied.

“What happened? Is everything okay?” Suha asked, looking concerned.

“It’s good news, don’t worry,” Woo-jin reassured them with a smile.

While Woo-jin was having this unexpected meeting at the impressive KBC building, the measurements for the Café Fresco construction were finished perfectly.

And now, he was on his way back to WJ Studio’s office, but he wasn’t driving.

Woo-jin’s mind raced. He was excited about the TV show, but also a little nervous about working with famous people.

‘PD Gong Jin-young… I never thought I’d meet her today,’ he thought.

This unexpected meeting presented Woo-jin with far more options than he had imagined.

Before, Woo-jin thought he would just be on the show because Suha suggested him. But meeting PD Gong Jin-young, the person in charge of the whole show, was a much bigger chance than he expected.

Before Woo-jin and Suha could even make any suggestions, PD Gong Jin-young, after hearing Woo-jin’s introduction, had offered him a panel position first. This was significant.

[Really, you’re the CEO of an interior design firm?]

[Rather than just design, you can think of us as a company that does everything from architectural models to spatial design, construction, and overall design.]

[And you’re a college student at the same time….]

[It just happened that way.]

[Suha, can we cast him together?]

[Why are you asking me…?]

[Well, if CEO Seo Woo-jin is cast, I’ll naturally attach him to Suha, who he’s close to.]

[Still, you should hear what CEO Seo has to say first.]

[Ah, right! CEO Seo Woo-jin, would you be interested in joining our program? So, what we’re trying to do with this program is….]

Gong Jin-young had a somewhat frantic style.

She tapped her pen quickly on the table as she spoke, like she couldn’t wait to get started. Perhaps because of her horn-rimmed glasses and neat shirt, she initially seemed to have a calm image.

But once the conversation started, she was the type to talk a mile a minute, like a machine gun.

She spoke so fast and clearly, it was amazing. Woo-jin thought she could explain anything to anyone.

‘If she had given me a chance to speak in the middle, the conversation might have been a little shorter…,’ Woo-jin thought.

She poured out everything from the offer to appear on the show to the program description without giving Woo-jin a chance to say anything.

Because Gong Jin-young talked so much, Woo-jin had to listen to the program details again, even though Suha had already told him.

[So, if CEO Seo Woo-jin appears with us, I think I can get a good picture.]

[Ha, haha. I’m really grateful that you think so….]

[I’m confident that I can create a very pretty image for you. And, um… also….]

But regardless of how frantic Gong Jin-young’s voice was, Woo-jin was eventually able to get the desired results a little faster thanks to meeting her.

Naturally, Woo-jin accepted her offer and ended up appearing on with Suha as he had wanted.

[So, you’re giving me a definite answer?]

[Well, as long as my position doesn’t change from what you told me today.]

[Of course, don’t worry, that won’t happen.]

And in addition to this, Woo-jin was able to add one suggestion that came to him on the spur of the moment.

[Ah, but PD-nim.]

[Yes?]

[This is something I can’t give you a definite answer on yet….]

[Go ahead.]

[I’m actually going to start the interior design for a store called ‘Café Fresco’ in this area soon.]

[Oho. And…?]

[If I need to create a more expert-like image because I’m too young… how about filming that site and inserting it?]

[……!]

[From the viewers’ perspective, they might think, ‘What kind of expert is that young punk?’]

Woo-jin wondered if the PD might be annoyed by his suggestion.

It was like a stranger telling her how to do her job.

But Woo-jin had actually seen this format in Season 2 of , so he casually suggested it to her.

Woo-jin, who had never seen Season 1, thought this format itself originally existed.

But Gong Jin-young got a great idea from Woo-jin’s suggestion.

[Wow! That’s great! Awesome! Wait a minute. Can I take some notes for a second?]

[P-PD-nim. I have to ask my client about this too….]

[Just a minute. Let me take some notes. Some notes!]

Lim Suha and her manager Song Jiho, who were watching the scene, had dumbfounded expressions.

[Hey, Lim Suha. This is our meeting, right?]

[I don’t know, Oppa. It’s a bit strange, but I guess it is?]

Originally, their meeting place was one of the conference rooms inside KBC.

But as they were introducing Woo-jin, they naturally ended up sitting together at the café.

Somehow, it became a strange structure where Woo-jin was also involved in the meeting.

But that doesn’t mean Lim Suha or Song Jiho were dissatisfied.

Suha and her manager were also very interested in Woo-jin and how he was changing the meeting.

[Thanks to Suha-ssi, I’m getting an unexpected bonus.]

[Ha, haha. I didn’t know it would turn out like this either….]

[Anyway, please take good care of us, both of you.]

[Thank you.]

[Then, Woo-jin-ssi… please contact me personally after you get permission from the café owner!]

[Well, I understand. I’ll do that.]

Woo-jin, who had reviewed what had happened at the KBC building, shook his head and chuckled.

The part related to ‘Café Fresco’, which he said he had to get the client’s consent for, was also virtually certain to be successful.

‘From CEO Kang Seok-jung’s point of view, there’s no reason to reject this proposal. It’ll be a good opportunity to promote the café brand,’ he thought.

His head was complicated by the unexpected development of the day, but when all his thoughts were organized, he felt even better.

Contacting Suha on the spur of the moment became a trigger.

It felt like everything was falling into place perfectly for Woo-jin. His plan was working.

Perhaps creating new opportunities in this unexpectedness is the charm of business, he thought.