Chapter 92: Beyond Appreciation (1)

‘So this is what living is like……’

Now that they did it together, the work progressed quickly. Although it was his colleagues who were instead thankful, at that moment, the one he thought of wasn’t them.

YongHo shook his head.

Even so, he thought of her.

‘Should I go to SoHyun-noona’s place?’

When he looked back to his past, there were times when she waited for him, but never a time when he waited for her.

Yu SoHyun’s face he thought of didn’t disappear even while getting help from his colleagues.

‘She should be at school right?’

The time Yu SoHyun returned home wasn’t that different to when YongHo returned home. Excluding the times when YongHo slept at the company, they mostly returned to their homes at the same time. The curriculum of Stanford was just that harsh.

‘I should ask her to drive me home on her way home.’

YongHo had not bought a car yet. He was planning to buy one after he found a house.

He forgot that Na DaeBang would live in Dave’s living room for the time being. Late at night. Na DaeBang quickly realized the reason why YongHo got off in front of Stanford University.

“Good luck, Hyung-nim!”

YongHo found Na DaeBang hateful. He came here only because a thought struck him, and he wasn’t in the relationship that he thought.

‘I did come here without notifying her… will she be at school……?’

YongHo moved his steps with half worry and half expectations. The street lights were lighting up the pitch black night of Stanford.

The place he met Yu SoHyun was in front of the school library. Just like the time he first met her here, she was wearing a hooded T-shirt and glasses.

The makeup-less figure was instead more charming to YongHo.

“Why did you come all the way here!?”

As if she was really surprised, she acted exaggeratedly, with even her arms loosened. YongHo pretended as if it was nothing and just gave her a cup of coffee.

“Well, I just came here to inspect if you were really studying.”

“What?”

“I thought about it, but I never seemed to have come for you myself.”

He couldn’t say the word ‘noona’ from his mouth so he just exclude it. Yu SoHyun didn’t seem to notice anything as she just stared at YongHo with wide eyes.

Hooded T-shirt and glasses, a makeup-less face that looked like a sheet of paper, comfortable jeans – these made her look like a genuine university student. She looked younger than YongHo who rotted due to all the overtime work every night.

Whenever moonlight reflected off her white cheeks, he almost ended up touching her cheeks with her hand.

“How’s school?”

“I’ll graduate soon so I’m busy……”

Yu SoHyun sighed while looking at the moon in the sky. The place Yu SoHyun applied to was Stanford MBA. d.schools (E/N: design schools in case you forgot) had no real ‘entrance’ or ‘graduation’, just ‘completion’.

As such, she had to go to Stanford if she wanted to listen to d.school. This was the reason she applied for MBA. It was a course that she had applied since she thought that she couldn’t survive in this field just by making good designs as a design team leader in Shinseki.

The amount of money she needed, with her living expenses and tuition included, was over 100 million won per year (≈87,000USD). Moreover, there was no one who took MBA courses and d.school at the same time like her.

As there was no friend for her to consult her future about, she could only be more worried about her future.

“You have the skills so you will do well in whatever you do.”

The word ‘noona’ was also missing in this line. At YongHo’s words, Yu SoHyun’s expression became bitter.

A shadow loomed over her.

“Well, it isn’t easy. Designing doesn’t have a specific answer.”

Programming was precise. If a problem occurred, if one solved that problem, then that person would receive acknowledgement.

Arts such as designing were very unclear. It was subjective, and one couldn’t judge easily.

A design that may look good to person A maybe completely different in person B’s view.

YongHo could not advise Yu SoHyun in any way. There was no way a person like him who was illiterate regarding design could give her any advice.

However, he could do something else.

“E, even so, you even took the MBA course so… If you really get stuck, then I’ll take responsibility.”

“Huh?”

YongHo scratched his head for a moment and spoke.

“Well, I know very well of your ability anyway, so I will look for a company that you can go to. Don’t worry that much.” (T/N: up to now in this chapter, YongHo used polite speech in confronting Yu SoHyun)

“You will? Thank you, just those words are enough. And didn’t I say to drop the formalities with me!? Just until when are you going to be so stiff?”

Yu SoHyun changed topic since YongHo’s ‘offensive’ attitude was very awkward.

“Ok, I will.”

“G, good.”

Now that YongHo came out strong, it was her who was stuttering instead. While the two were conversing, time flowed quickly and it was already 1 a.m.

“Shall we go?”

“Y, yeah.”

YongHo stood up first after checking the time on his phone. When YongHo stood up from the bench, Yu SoHyun naturally followed.

Now the situation where YongHo lead the way, occurred. However, the driver was Yu SoHyun, YongHo could only fasten his seatbelt on the passenger’s seat..

‘I think she’s worried about employment……’

Even after returning home after he met Yu SoHyun, he couldn’t shake it off his mind.

He couldn’t forget the figure full of worries as if it was engraved in his mind.

‘Hmm……’

He felt like he might think up of something good if he kept thinking about it. For some reason, he felt like he was forgetting one thing.

‘What was it…….’

He thought for a moment and thought of someone.

‘Yes, Jonathan was in Jeff’s company.’

The figure of Jonathan Hive flashed in his mind. As a person who received a prize in the Design Award by Koogle, according to Yu SoHyun’s words, he was one of the big shots in the design industry.

YongHo was acknowledged by Jeff to a certain extent. It was important that he was showing him results, despite the fact that he had an unclear ability.

Just with the results that he had shown Jeff until now, there were plenty of possibilities for him to listen to YongHo’s words.

America was a land of recommendations. As Dave had recommended YongHo, he was thinking of recommending Yu SoHyun.

***

Fortunately, YongHo’s words worked. Although Jeff grumbled as always, he didn’t refuse YongHo’s offer.

Although his basic trust in YongHo played a role, rather than that, it was Yu SoHyun’s own ability which affected him considerably.

The interview date was scheduled quickly. Yu SoHyun was also nearing graduation. She was overjoyed when she heard YongHo’s words.

“You go to Stanford MBA?”

“Yes I’m going to MBA and d.school at the same time.”

“Just why did you go to MBA? There are plenty of other design specialized schools…….”

Jonathan didn’t take his eyes off the résumé that Yu SoHyun gave him before the interview. It was a very special career. He had never heard of a designer going to MBA as of yet.

As she knew that lies were of no use, Yu SoHyun just honestly spoke.

“As it is written in the résumé, I applied for one since I thought that designers should know about human resources management or the situation of the company during the time I worked as a team leader in Shinseki. As Stanford also had a d.school, I thought that it was more fitting.”

Jonathan lightly nodded his head, seemingly satisfied with her answer. No matter how difficult employment was, the employment rate of Stanford MBA was over 70%.

Jonathan was only thankful that such a talent had come to him on her own.

Moreover, as she had experience in a real career, this was an interview with his intentions mostly set beforehand.

After that, the interview finished up quickly.

It seemed that the interview went smoothly as Jonathan and Yu SoHyun walked out of the meeting room with happy faces. As she was a fan of Jonathan, Yu SoHyun’s expression looked better than ever.

She looked delighted to the point that YongHo felt that he was worried for nothing.

Although he did feel quite… sour when he looked at her smiling while looking at another person, he didn’t show it and asked.

“Well, how did it go?”

“I need to talk with the team members to be sure but… I don’t think there will be changes though?”

Jonathan replied while making a strange smile. The thing Jeff and Jonathan were doing was a startup related to compression of video streaming.

As the office wasn’t that big due to it being a startup, everyone’s gazes were focused on them as they walked out of the meeting room. As they had all looked at Yu SoHyun’s résumé, they all looked very positive.

“Thank you.”

Yu SoHyun expressed her appreciation again and smiled brightly. Her salary was also very satisfying.

Jeff, who was sitting in his seat until now, suddenly chimed in.

“You really will recruit her? I’m suspicious since it’s YongHo’s recommendation……”

Nobody minded Jeff’s grumbling. Even at that moment, YongHo was looking at Yu SoHyun’s bright expression.

***

After they left Vdec, YongHo’s tone of words felt a little distant for some reason.

“That’s good, you passed.”

“Sorry, I didn’t even thank you.”

“Well, sometimes that can happen.”

“No, I really thank you.”

Even while going downstairs after they left the company, YongHo walked in the front. Yu SoHyun hurriedly called YongHo as she followed behind.

“Hey, slow down a bit.”

“Oh, o, ok.”

YongHo slowed down as if he had just come to his senses. Now, the two’s shoulder height became level. When Yu SoHyun’s face neared his neck, YongHo thought it was fortunate.

‘Jonathan’s tall too.’

Along with that the previous scene replayed in his mind. The solid looking shoulders and long legs looked cool even in YongHo’s eyes.

It was not an awkward picture at all even if Yu SoHyun was in his embrace.

“What, is there something?”

Yu SoHyun couldn’t endure her curiosity and asked since YongHo looked very strange, especially today.

YongHo pushed away his unclear heart and replied as if nothing had happened.

“Not at all. Didn’t I tell you? I will take responsibility. Just treat me to a meal!”

Boom.

Yu SoHyun seemed to have misstepped as she swayed as if about to fall over the stairs. The high heels she wore to the interview were the problem. One of the heels got caught at the end of the stairs.

YongHo hurriedly supported her up and asked.

“You okay?”

“Y, yeah.”

Now, it was Yu SoHyun whose atmosphere was strange. In contrast to YongHo who returned to normal, Yu SoHyun was feeling embarrassed.

Not having seen her blushing face, YongHo checked all over her body to see whether she was injured or not.

She had even worn makeup and perfume on top of the office look and the high heels.

The slightly wavy hair emitted a fragrant smell of shampoo.

The figure of the Shinseki design team leader was perfectly recreated.

Thump.

Perhaps due to having misstepped, Yu SoHyun’s heart started pounding quickly.

“Are you really alright? I think your ankle is swollen.”

YongHo worriedly bent his knees and looked at Yu SoHyun’s ankles.

To check for any sprains, he even touched and stroked with his hands.

Thump, thump.

As their skins touched, her heart started pounding harder. Yu SoHyun thought that he should stop now, but that ended with just being a thought.

“You really are alright, right?”

The voice full of worries came inside Yu SoHyun’s ears like a bullet and flashed across her mind.

Boom.

Her heart pounded as if to explode, and her head was paralyzed as if shot by a bullet.

When the dam exploded, the piled up emotions swept like a tide. Yu SoHyun had never thought that a single worrying voice would make the dam she was barely blocking collapse in an instant.

To hide her ripples from the wave of emotions, Yu SoHyun quickened her steps.

“W, wait for me!”

YongHo shouted while following behind.