Chapter 002: A Second Chance

After regaining his memory, Yegan moved to a two-star hotel near Sagrada Familia from the second day onward and punched in at the construction site every morning.

He explored every part of Sagrada Familia that tourists could access.

During this time, he discovered a staff-only corridor and found out about a cafe frequented by researchers, but he couldn't figure out a way to meet the design supervisor directly to learn how to get involved.

The sky of Barcelona, with its cloudless, deep blue hue reminiscent of the sea, was particularly striking.

The last day in Spain was exceptionally clear and sunny.

As usual, Yegan sat in front of the fence with the construction notice and was sketching the exterior of Sagrada Familia when he heard a chatty Catalan conversation.

"The Architect of Light is coming?"

"That's right."

"Why is he coming to our lab?"

"Well, it seems he's been assigned a large project nearby. He probably wants to draw inspiration from here."

"Ha~."

"What's with the sudden sigh?"

"Just thinking. Once this building is completed, what will nameless architects like us do for a living?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've spent my whole life looking at Sagrada Familia. Will we ever get a chance to design modern buildings?"

"You used to say your dream was to see Sagrada Familia completed before you die."

"Well, it's supposed to be finished in 25 years anyway. I'm still in my thirties. With the 100-year life expectancy era approaching, I'll need to work for at least 20 more years after this project is done."

The sound of the conversation gradually faded away.

"The Architect of Light, Gérard Gabin, is visiting the Sagrada Familia lab?"

Why didn't I think of that?

Once you become world-famous, it's not that difficult to come and go from the Sagrada Familia lab.

Gérard Gabin, the Architect of Light, swept through international design competitions at the young age of 31 and entered the ranks of architectural masters in his thirties.

There was no reason for me, who retains all the memories of my previous life, to be inferior to Gabin.

With a clear goal in mind, there was no longer any reason to sit here indefinitely.

Yegan stood up abruptly and gazed at the sky beyond the unfinished western tower.

A spire of Sagrada Familia is planned to be built there.

"I'll come back again."

His voice, as if parting from a beloved, was filled with deep emotion.

Yegan placed the sketchbook he had drawn for four days and nights on the donation box table and immediately prepared to return to Korea.

* * *

After the exhibition hours ended, the staff member in charge of checking the donation box found the sketchbook on the table and clicked his tongue.

"Someone left it again."

This kind of thing happens often.

People who are moved by Sagrada Familia leave their sketches with contact information, expressing their desire to participate in its construction.

Some of the drawings are quite good, but most are not.

However, it's not right to damage someone's work.

As a result, many of these sketchbooks end up stored in the warehouse, taking up space.

With no choice, the staff member took the sketchbook to the office.

"Another love letter?"

"Hahaha. I thought they were a bit scarce lately."

"Let's see how heartfelt it is."

The staff member who snatched the sketchbook froze as he flipped through a page.

"…This, this."

"What? Is it that bad?"

"Is this really a love letter? It doesn't look like it was drawn by a lab employee."

"What do you mean? It was on the donation box table."

"But, why is the signature…."

The staff member, who noticed the signature below the drawing, widened his eyes and showed it to the supervisor.

"Why is Gaudí's signature here?"

"Hmm?"

The bold handwriting, the intricate details.

Below the beautifully drawn sketch, Gaudí's signature was perfectly replicated.

Moreover, what was even stranger was that the sketch depicted the southern facade of Glory, which had not yet been constructed!

The flustered supervisor took the sketchbook, looking for contact information.

The sketchbook was filled with drawings, but there was no contact information to identify the artist.

"There's no contact information. What should we do?"

"Let's send it to the lab first."

"Okay."

Yegan's sketchbook was immediately sent to the lab, and the Gaudí Research Lab was enveloped in excitement as if it had been hit by a bomb.

But the owner of the sketchbook had already left the Spanish sky.

* * *

"Did you enjoy your trip?"

"Yes, very much."

Father, who had come to meet him at Incheon Airport, nodded with a pleased expression.

"Barcelona… it's a truly beautiful place. The first time I saw Sagrada Familia, the emotion was unforgettable."

"You said it was your honeymoon?"

"Yes. We gave up the rest of the itinerary and just stared at the Nativity facade until sunset.

It was fortunate that your mother shared the same hobby. If it had been someone else, they might not have understood. Hahaha."

Both his father, an architectural designer, and his mother, a furniture designer, were passionate admirers of Gaudí.

Being born to such parents was a strange coincidence.

The car, driving quickly on a quiet road, soon entered Seoul.

The enormous roads filled with cars, the endless forest of towering buildings on both sides.

This was a world of skyscrapers, vastly different from the 5-6 story buildings in the center of Barcelona.

Yegan couldn't take his eyes off the buildings outside the window.

Despite seeing them every day, they felt strangely unfamiliar.

This must be because he was recalling his past life.

'Technology has really advanced.'

To be able to make such large windows out of glass.

In Spain, where stone and brick were the main materials, buildings preferred wall structures to safely transfer loads to the ground.

Since walls were the main structural elements, making large holes in them threatened their safety, so narrow and long windows were inevitable.

This naturally led to a larger wall area and repetitive, uniform-sized windows.

To give the building's exterior a unique shape, the design had to focus on the windows and their surroundings.

However, modern Korean buildings primarily use column structures.

By widening the distance between columns and connecting beams to support the floors, the empty walls were made into large glass windows.

This approach was similar to traditional Korean architecture.

In hanok, where wood was the main structural material, columns were erected, and rafters were laid to form the building's framework, with the empty spaces filled with windows.

The windows, finished with hanji, could be opened to face nature and closed to frame the landscape like a picture.

It was truly fascinating architecture.

Yegan felt a renewed appreciation for traditional Korean construction methods.

Seeing Yegan still captivated by the buildings outside, Han Myungho asked with a pleased voice.

"Still enjoying the buildings?"

"Of course! Absolutely!"

"Haha. Your father does too. You really take after me."

Father, Han Myungho, was an executive at a mid-sized construction company.

Yegan, who had always followed his father since childhood, loved going to construction sites with him.

With the dream of becoming a great architect like his father, he naturally chose architectural engineering as his major in college.

"I want to do an internship."

"An internship? Where?"

"At Geunlim Architecture Design Office."

Seizing the moment, he decided to act on his ambition to become the world's most famous architect.

He asked a professor he was close to for help to get into the earliest available internship program, and fortunately, with the professor's strong recommendation, he was accepted into an internship starting in January.

Father, hearing Yegan's answer, said with a slightly disappointed voice.

"Hmm… I thought you'd join a construction company. Well, gaining diverse experience isn't bad. So, when does it start?"

"Monday."

"Monday? Next Monday?"

"Yes."

"Anyway, you're as diligent as your father. Hahaha."

The reason he decided to join a large architectural firm, despite his lifelong dedication to building his own structures as a free architect, was that he needed five years of practical experience to take the architectural licensing exam in Korea.

'With the already limited time, I can't afford to waste it studying leisurely.'

There was no reason not to do an internship that would allow him to earn money and gain practical experience.

Seeing the impressive modern buildings, a wave of excitement surged in Yegan's heart.

'Will I soon be designing such buildings?'

With a face full of anticipation, Yegan's lips curved upward.

* * *

From early January to the end of February. An 8-week recruitment-linked internship at Geunlim Architecture Design Office.

Rumors say that joining Geunlim Architecture as a regular employee is harder than a camel passing through the eye of a needle, which is why an overwhelming number of applicants apply each year.

However, only about 1/50 of the applicants actually get to participate in the internship.

In the large conference room where the internship orientation was starting, the HR team leader, Choi Mihyeon, smiled as she watched the interns arriving one by one.

On the first day, everyone was well-dressed, with sharp looks and clear eyes.

The internship program at Geunlim Architecture is notoriously harsh, almost like slave training rather than intern training.

Handling repetitive and mechanical tasks is the norm, and the workload is so heavy that there's barely time to sleep.

The long-standing tradition of overwork in architectural design, despite being a technical profession, is due to the long-standing bad habits of architects who can't let go of their artistic side.

'This is all because of geniuses like Gaudí who are obsessed with their work.'

It was a fact that Choi Mihyeon, the HR team leader, only learned after joining Geunlim Architecture.

Architects take great pride in being creative technicians and artists.

Thanks to the senior architects who long ago abandoned workers' rights, Korean architectural technology has advanced rapidly.

Korea's technological progress can be seen as a result of the exploitation of technicians' labor day and night.

Although it is a flawed apprenticeship system, no one has tried to change it.

Looking at the interns gathering in the large conference room with a sense of pity, Choi Mihyeon waited for everyone to arrive.

'How many will survive until the end this time?'

As a five-year veteran in the HR department, she had developed a top-tier selection ability, able to predict who would survive just by looking at their faces.

People who can endure harsh conditions have a different demeanor from the start.

Look.

Those who came prepared for overtime on the first day, dressed casually and comfortably!

Choi Mihyeon memorized each of these individuals.

At 8:50, a tall male student opened the door and entered.

His appearance was unusual from the start.

A striped suit that could only be seen in 19th-century European films, multiple layers of coats, and a tie as colorful as a scarf...

If he had worn a hat, it would have looked like a cosplay.

'Ha! He won't last long.'

Choi Mihyeon clicked her tongue and began the internship orientation.

* * *

In the model workshop of Geunlim Architecture.

"Jiyeon, you're lucky. They're assigning an intern to our model workshop."

Lee Jiyeon, who had her long hair tied up and was focused on model work, looked up at the bright voice of the manager and said bluntly.

"I don't ask for much, but I hope the intern can cut the insulation blocks well."

Insulation blocks.

A term used to refer to the cubic peripheral buildings made primarily from insulation materials like isopink and styrofoam.

Since they are made as simple rectangles without any detail, considering only height, they earned this nickname.

However, even these simple models are not easy to make.

To make the surfaces as smooth as possible, a cutting tool called a hot wire cutter is used, but because styrofoam is highly flammable, skilled handling is required for a clean job.

Jiyeon, who had never used a hot wire cutter before joining Geunlim Architecture, ended up being assigned to the model team because she was too good at this task.

It has been six months now.

"Manager, this time, I really want to pass the hot wire cutting to the intern. I'm tired of it!"

"Alright, alright. Relax. You don't want wrinkles on your pretty face, do you?"

Manager Kim Junho squinted and smiled kindly.

Geunlim Architecture had many large-scale design competition projects.

With the large scale of the models, the number of insulation blocks to be made was enormous.

'I can't keep making insulation blocks all year.'

She was tired of the insulation blocks and wanted to work on the main building models.

'Please! Send us an intern who can make good models. And if they're diligent, that would be even better.'

Was her heartfelt prayer answered by God?

The glass door opened, and someone entered.

"Hello, I'm Han Yegan, the intern assigned to the model team starting today."

Jiyeon's expression froze at the sound of the handsome voice.

'What? What is he wearing?'

An elegant coat that looked like it belonged in a movie, shiny leather shoes.

A face as straight and handsome as a nobleman, but the overall look seemed out of place.

The intern's appearance, which clearly showed a determination not to do any dirty work, made Jiyeon feel a sense of unease that she might not escape the insulation blocks this time.