Chapter 27 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum
[A text message appears on the phone screen: "97 million won has been deposited into your account from MG Electronics."]
The most welcome message in the world pops up on the phone screen.
I was happy even though it didn't amount to exactly 100 million KRW, as I had already been told by Sooyoung about the 3% withholding tax deduction.
Of course, it would have been nicer if the amount matched exactly.
After the event, Sooyoung, who was tidying up the venue for the major shareholder demonstration with other team members, found me grinning and asked with a smile.
"Did the settlement come in okay?"
Ah, I must have looked incredibly materialistic.
I hurriedly stuffed my phone into my pocket and replied.
"Yes! It came in just fine. Is there anything I can help with?"
"Oh, do you think we'd make our external invited designer clean up? Just stay put. You must be tired since this morning."
You must be more tired than me, having been unable to leave the office until dawn yesterday, attending meetings since this morning, and preparing management reports for the morning.
Moreover, I feel energized after seeing the settlement text.
"No, I'll help with the chair arrangement."
As I reached for a chair nearby, Sooyoung adamantly blocked me with her body.
"Mr. Jung-hoon, you're not even an employee of our company. It'd be a big issue if we made you work. Please put it down and go rest."
"Ah..."
Well, now that I think about it, that's true.
Better to retreat than to help and inadvertently cause trouble for Sooyoung by catching the eye of someone higher up.
Feeling guilty for just hanging around, I scratched my temple and quietly slipped out of the hall, sitting down on a sofa in the hotel lobby.
The view of downtown Seoul was visible from the lobby outside the cafeteria, and the scenery was impressive even from the first-floor lobby of the hotel on the mountainside.
I reflected on the past two dreamlike months.
From holding a competition, testing Monica's design, creating refrigerators, and finally producing a shining moment with the product - what stood out more in my memory was the moment that strange museum appeared before me.
I rested my chin on my hand and thought about the museum.
"If I think of the Zodiac paintings, it forcibly drags me into a dream. At first, I thought I was just dozing off due to tiredness, but on further thought, that wasn't the case."
I dreamed even when I wasn't the slightest bit sleepy.
Perhaps, instead of sleeping, it would be more accurate to say I was immersed in meditation with my eyes closed.
Yet, I still dreamed.
"I met Alphonse Mucha at the moment when the Zodiac constellations stopped."
There won't be any more dreams of Mucha. I had seen him even the day before he died.
I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head in thought.
"Wait a minute, what happens if the Zodiac constellations stop at a different place?"
Dream time can be chaotic, different from real time. So, my meeting with the teacher might not be the end, right?
If it stops at another constellation, I might meet the teacher again in his younger days.
"I've been too busy to visit recently, I should go after work today."
Everyone was busy today, so my farewell party was scheduled for tomorrow evening.
Since today is my last day at work, I can come near the company in time for the evening off work tomorrow.
Then another text message arrives.
["4,000,000 KRW has been deposited into your account from MG Electronics."]
As expected, Monica's work is thorough. Well, I'm not sure if Monica handled this or if Sooyoung requested it from the accounts department, but the daily pay agreed upon in lieu of coming to work was also accurately deposited. But why didn't they deduct the withholding tax on this? Eh, who cares. It's good to receive more money.
Unaware that this was money personally given by Monica, I just grinned like a madman, seeing my bank balance finally exceed 100 million KRW.
**
Inside Monica's luxury car.
Minyoung, who is sitting in the back seat with Monica, looks around the car and asks.
"Did you buy this car?"
Monica taps the front seat and signals the driver to put up a partition.
Then, a partition rises between the driver and the back seat.
Minyoung, having grown up in a chaebol family, is not at all surprised by this.
Monica shrugs her shoulders and says.
"Why would I buy a car for the little time I spend in Korea? It's a company car."
"That's a nice one they gave you."
"It's nothing compared to the car you ride."
"I came here in a taxi, though.
"Why?"
"Just didnt feel like driving."
"Really? You drive yourself?"
"Yeah, having a chauffeur is too cumbersome."
Monica narrows her eyes and scrutinizes Minyoung.
She is the youngest daughter of a chaebol family.
A driver isn't just someone who drives; they often double as a personal assistant and bodyguard.
Yet here's a woman of such status moving around all by herself. Are there really chaebol families that allow this?
Minyoung laughed and said, "You know I'm a bit unusual."
Monica smiled back and nodded. "That's true. Even in school, on rainy days, you used to lie down on the ground outside the dormitory. I thought you were crazy when I first saw you doing that. Do you still do it?"
"Only on days when I feel like it."
Monica shook her head, disbelieving that Minyoung still did such things at her age.
Then Minyoung asked, "But what kind of painting is it that you're taking me to your office to see? Is it worth it?"
Monica grinned at Minyoung's question. "il mio ritratto."
Minyoung, having studied in Italy, immediately understood and asked, "A portrait? He painted that?"
"Yes, I got it for a steal at ten million won."
Monica nonchalantly mentioned paying ten million won for a portrait, but Minyoung wasn't surprised. It wasn't a shocking amount for her.
"What kind of painting is it? Just a face?"
"Come and see it yourself, we're here. Let's get out."
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