New Normal - Chapter 26

“I’m not doing it. I hate that kind of side gig — installation art, spatial staging, whatever. I can’t stand it.”

— “Hey, it’s not like that, alright? It’s a Ministry of Culture project that won the public bid. The scale’s small, but NW’s backing it, so the budget’s solid. It’s an architectural renovation — building a cultural facility in a redevelopment area.”

The proposal was actually more interesting than he’d expected, and Juwon paused, taking a drag on his cigarette.

“…So?”

— “The design’s already got a consortium set up under the conditions. For now, we’ve got Kim Wooseok from our Second HQ listed as the lead, but come on. You know how it is. You’re the one who has to actually run the show. On paper, it’s all senior titles, but you’re the one steering the wheel. Right?”

When Juwon stayed silent, Youngguk — catching his agreement between the lines — got even more excited, his words spilling out.

— “Give it some sculptural language. Yeah? Pack the space tight. Lay out the circulation with an actual narrative. Guide the line of sight, keep the rhythm alive — make the whole structure feel like one big performance. Damn it, this is what makes architecture worth it. Not those stupid boxy commercial buildings all day. You gotta break it up with something fresh in between or you’ll suffocate, yeah?”

Juwon didn’t answer right away. He leaned on the railing, gazing out at the harsh concrete buildings in front of him, cigarette burning slowly between his fingers. Then, out of nowhere, a face came to mind. Kang Susan, whom he’d run into on his Jeju trip.

**

“I’m fine. It wrapped up well enough. But the people caught in the middle — I think they took most of the heat. Professor Kim Sooyeon at A University said the gallery fired quite a few people. Which, fair enough.”

After the forgery scandal, Kang Susan had been camping out in a family suite at W Hotel every time he came to Jeju, practically treating it like his second home. While Juwon had been on site, he’d found a sliver of time to swing by and check in on him just to make sure he was still alive and well. During that chat, Susan had let something slip that was now circling back to Juwon’s mind.

“Anyway, I don’t know what’s up with Hansong these days. Ah — I forgot to ask about that young curator. I was the one who recommended her, you know.”

‘A’ University. Kim Sooyeon. And Shin Jisoo.

Ah. Why had he forgotten that?

**

Half-listening to Youngguk rattling off more project details, Juwon let a crooked grin tug at the corner of his mouth.

He’d been holed up at the joint office fighting to land the Hansong Museum contract, yet he hadn’t had a single excuse to run into Shin Jisoo, who actually worked there.

He had no idea if she’d be involved in this new ‘A’ University project. But oddly enough, his gut told him she might be. Juwon took a deep drag, exhaling slowly, eyes glinting with a familiar spark.

“Keep it on hold for now. I’ll decide once I see how things line up.”

He could stomach getting burned once — but not twice.

If there was one thing Chae Juwon couldn’t stand, it was losing.

03. Flirt Failure

Just around lunchtime, the streets were bursting with life as people spilled out into the midday sun.

The air still held the lingering warmth of summer, but the worst of the heat seemed to have passed. A soft breeze and the cool shade under the street trees hinted that autumn wasn’t far off.

Walking in a rare, genuinely good mood, Jisoo came to a stop in front of a cozy little shop.

“Welcome to Petit Adélie!”

As she pushed open the heavy glass door, a chime rang out clear and bright.

It had started out as a tiny bakery tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, but now Petit Adélie had locations all over the country — a franchise under the NW umbrella.

Jisoo had left the office early today, getting off two stops before her usual destination just to come here.

The moment she stepped inside the cool store, she paused and took a deep breath.

The sweet smell of butter mixed with the freshness of fruit was absolutely intoxicating.

Croissants, pies, cookies, and more — all baked fresh since dawn, still giving off a gentle warmth that made her mouth water on sight. The soft colors, the delicate textures, the nutty aroma — all of it was perfect.

She stopped every few steps as she passed the display cases overflowing with pastries and desserts, inspecting each one with careful eyes. Finally, she reached the counter and stared through the spotless glass at the rows of tarts lined up neatly inside.

A glossy peach tart. A fig tart with its crisp, golden crust.

She’d already piled her tray high with treats, but Jisoo kept her eyes on the tarts, clearly torn.

…I heard he has a sweet tooth.

She lingered for a moment on the cream-laden tarts, then finally turned to the staff behind the counter.

“Excuse me, which one’s your bestseller right now?”

***

Outside the window of the humanities building office, the campus spread out in full view.

Students in graduation caps clutched mascot plushies and bouquets, posing for commemorative photos all over the campus grounds.

Bathed in the afternoon sunlight, their bright smiles radiated youthful energy. Watching them, Jisoo smiled faintly, silently wishing their new chapter in life would be filled with happiness too.

“There’s no ice left. Is it okay if it’s warm?”

Jisoo, who’d been gazing out the window, quickly turned her head.

Standing by the coffee machine tucked in the corner of the office, Professor Kim Sooyeon asked gently.

“Oh, yes, that’s fine. Thank you.”

As Jisoo stood up politely, Professor Kim gestured softly for her to sit back down. Awkwardly perching back on her chair, Jisoo watched Kim Sooyeon quietly prepare the coffee, her eyes wide with nervous focus.

Sensing her stare, Professor Kim chuckled lightly.

“I have a sensitive stomach, so I avoid cold drinks. They say warm drinks are better for you, especially when it’s hot.”

“Yes, Professor. That’s right.”

Jisoo nodded diligently at every word, as if she didn’t want to miss a single syllable. At the same time, she discreetly pinched her thigh under the table — to check if she was dreaming.

Sitting here making small talk in Professor Kim Sooyeon’s office — it felt unreal.

— “Shin Jisoo? This is Kim Sooyeon from ‘A’ University’s Art History Department. I said I’d call again last time, but it took a bit. Let’s meet for a meal soon. When are you free?”

Just a few days ago, on the bus ride home after work, the moment she’d received that call from Professor Kim still felt like a dream.

Recently, Jisoo hadn’t had any real work. Maybe this was how they planned to quietly cut her loose — assigning her nothing, leaving her to idle away the days. For Jisoo, who loved her job and found the greatest meaning in her work, being stuck like that with no sense of purpose was pure torture.

Technically, she was still part of the TF team, but the director was overseas, and the Jeju museum project was stuck in the design proposal stage. So, all she could do was kill time doing trivial admin tasks that barely mattered, then go home. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she got fired any day now.

So when something she’d already written off as lost suddenly came back to life, it almost took her breath away. She’d nearly dropped her phone in shock. And that same night, she’d even received an exciting follow-up email from her old advisor.

___

To Jisoo.

Jisoo,

The research foundation grant project I mentioned last time has finally been selected. It’s a top-down project, and I think it would be great if you could join as a research assistant. I’ve attached the research proposal, so let me know if you’re interested in participating.

Also, the Harvard-Yenching Institute has launched a new training program for graduate students and early-career researchers. This year’s theme is Art History/Architectural History, which is perfect for you. The official notice hasn’t been posted yet on the department website, but I heard about it directly from my old advisor, so I wanted to let you know first. They’ll probably open applications around the fall, so how about you start preparing in advance? I really think this could be a wonderful opportunity for you.

P.S. Professor Gu Sungjoon has returned to Korea from France. We had dinner a few days ago and talked about you too — he said you were his last student and he’d like to help you in any way he can. Maybe you could visit him soon to say hello.

That’s all for now.

Cha Eunhye.

___

Jisoo could hardly believe all the new possibilities opening up for her. They say when one door closes, another opens — but this wasn’t just that. It felt like every door was wide open, waiting for her to step through.

In a situation where she was seriously considering resigning, the chance to secure a safe way out felt like an unbelievable relief. Just thinking about it made her so emotional that she had to force herself to stay calm.

“Here you go.”

Professor Kim Sooyeon placed a mug on the table.

“Thank you so much.”

When Kim Sooyeon saw Jisoo staring at her with such unwavering focus, she smiled gently and took a seat.

“Did you take half the day off today?”

“Yes, I did.”

“You’ve been working hard.”

“Not at all.”

Sitting up straight, Jisoo waited for what would come next. Professor Kim gave her an encouraging smile, as if trying to help her relax.

“There were a few bumps along the way, but honestly, I feel relieved knowing you’ll be joining us. It would have been such a waste to lose someone recommended by Kang Susan.”

“You flatter me. It’s truly an honor for me.”

Jisoo bowed her head politely, and Kim Sooyeon smiled warmly. The gentle expression and intellectual aura she carried made her kindness feel even more genuine.

“Oh, come to think of it, I haven’t really told you the full research topic yet, have I? Here, take a look. It’s a public art project — I don’t know if you’d be interested.”

She spoke kindly as she handed over a bound booklet. Jisoo accepted it carefully, trying to hold back her excitement.

The project title, Beyond the Boundary: Reconstructing Publicness and Art, was a public art and urban regeneration fusion project. In short, it was about bringing art into redevelopment areas, reconstructing abandoned buildings, and creating integrated cultural spaces. The main organizers were the Art History Department at A University and the NW Future Foundation, and the budget alone was over 12 billion won — a massive undertaking.

As Jisoo read through the project summary, her eyes shone with fresh determination.

Yes. I’ll stake everything on this project and my degree.

Just as she made up her mind, Professor Kim, looking pleased with Jisoo’s reaction, added more details.

“It’s a five-year-long-term project linked with the Ministry of Culture. We’ll be archiving old public facilities like abandoned factories and train stations as art spaces, placing artists and curators by region to hold exhibitions — there will also be street art and media installations. We’re planning to publish the final research results as a book, too.”

“Oh, wow. Just hearing about it makes me excited already.”

“Especially this time, the architectural aspect is quite significant. There’ll be an architect from a firm called RSTA involved — do you happen to know RSTA?”

Jisoo, who’d been so enthusiastic, almost answered without thinking — but stopped herself mid-sentence. The moment she heard architect, one person came to mind instinctively.

“Bathroom?”

The memory of a bewildered Chae Juwon flashed through her head, and the reality she’d been trying to forget suddenly returned, chilling a corner of her heart.