The Mysterious Art Museum

Chapter 46 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum

Bonus chapter thanks to @SomeoneRandom subscribing to the new Ko-fi tier 'Master Artisan'

"Hey, man. What are you thinking about that's making you smirk like a madman?"

A stone plunges into the calm lakeside, creating ripples. But Youngju's voice, which interrupts my happy thoughts, is not strong enough to disturb the peace in my heart.

"Haha, no, it's nothing."

"We need to decide on a company name, the name! You were thinking about something else, weren't you, you bastard?"

We're having a meeting at a caf, as we don't yet have an office.

I, with Youngju, my only employee, was brainstorming company names when I suddenly remembered the house Mr. Yu gave me yesterday and couldn't help but laugh like a madman.

"Oh, sorry."

Youngju glares at me with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry? Sorr~~y? Were you really distracted? In front of a friend who quit her job trusting only in you, during this sacred moment of deciding the name for our future company? Are you crazy?"

"Haha, I'm really sorry."

"Laughing? You find this funny?"

Youngju lunges at me. She puts me in a headlock and starts playfully hitting me. It hurts, but strangely, I can't stop laughing. Seeing me continue to laugh, Youngju seems to get even more annoyed and hits my head with a dessert spoon.

"You ate a laughing mushroom or what? Why are you laughing? Stop laughing! I said stop!"

"Haha! Okay, I'll explain."

"Explain? What explanation? Did you really eat such a mushroom?"

I push Youngju off and explain the situation.

Youngju, fuming, listens to my explanation and then celebrates it as if it were his own good news.

"Wow! What about mom and your brother?"

"I took them there this morning to show them."

"Wow! What did mom say?"

"..."

Mom.

Our mother half-cried when she saw the house, thinking I had gotten something like an apartment for my portrait commission. Then she spent over three hours inspecting every corner of the house.

"Well, she..."

"..."

Youngju's eyes well up with tears.

She may seem tough, but deep down, she has the heart of a girl. Of course, there's a witch in there too.

Youngju wipes his tears and nods his head.

"That's great, that's great. So, are you all moving in together now?"

"Yeah, my brother can't really use the stairs to the second floor, so he and mom will use the first floor, and I'll use the second."

"How many rooms on the first floor?"

"One living room, one kitchen, two rooms, one bathroom."

"And the second floor?"

"Two rooms, a small living room, one bathroom."

"What, you're hogging all the big space for yourself, is that house you earned?"

"No. How is my brother supposed to use the stairs? Mom needs to take care of him, so she said she'll use the first floor. Plus, the kitchen is on the first floor, so it's more convenient."

"Hmm, makes sense. You're the only one who can really use the second floor."

"That's right."

"Wow, W Tree Group class, huh? They gave you a house for a painting? What's the market value?"

"I asked at a real estate office while preparing the address transfer documents. They said it would probably go for around 600 million won."

"Whoa!!!"

I start laughing again while talking. Ah, I've been laughing like a madman all day. I check the time and change the subject.

"Let's talk about this later. We need to file the corporate registration documents by tomorrow morning, so we need a company name by then."

Youngju presses his temples and frowns.

"I was thinking, doesn't our work start with someone's request?"

"That's right."

"How about this then? HaeDream."

"Hae Dream? Doesn't that sound like an errand center?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm, isn't there something more sophisticated?"

"Didn't you think of anything?"

"Honestly, I thought of some sophisticated names, but none of them felt right."

"Sigh."

Youngju scratches his head and then asks.

"But when do you have to start working on the ceiling painting?"

"There's time."

"What? Time? You're joking, right? What client gives ample time for a project?"

I share with Youngju the situation of Minyoung's company that I heard about at the tripe restaurant. Youngju, with his extensive social experience, quickly grasps the situation and looks serious.

"They oppose the establishment because it takes too long to recover the investment cost."

"That's right."

"They wont stop the construction. The board of directors arent fools; they know leaving that building idle would mean not even getting their investment back. Theyre probably pressuring President Yoo to reduce the establishment costs and use the space for maximum rental to ensure stable revenue. If they decide to cut down on the establishment costs, it might become a problem for us too, right?"

"Ah, don't worry about that. President Yoo promised that we could use our fee without the board's approval."

"President Yoo personally?"

"Yes, I heard it clearly at the intestine grill."

Youngju blinks in disbelief.

"You went to an intestine grill with the youngest daughter of a chaebol family?"

"Yeah, Monica was there too."

"Are you insane! You mean Monica Rosellini, the lead designer at MG Electronics?"

"Yes."

"You took an Italian to an intestine grill?"

"She liked it."

"Really?"

"Yes, at first she frowned, but after trying one, she kept eating, and we had to order more."

"Wow, do Italians eat intestines? I heard they have beef intestine dishes there. Anyway, you're quite bold, taking such people to an intestine grill."

"Whats the harm, it's delicious."

I glanced at my watch again during our casual chat.

"Don't you have to go to work for the rest of this week? Isn't it time for your afternoon shift as a docent?"

Youngju checks her watch and frowns.

"Ah, we still haven't decided on the company name. Hey, we have to decide tonight no matter what, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't decide on your own, consult with me. I've put everything on you."

"Go quickly then."

"When are you moving?"

"After mom leaves the house. I've already told my landlord that I'm moving out, so I'll leave once a new tenant comes in."

"Call me if you need help. You are my boss now."

"Stop it, you don't mean it. Hurry up and go."

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