THICA 10

Chapter 10

Rather than a conversation about marriage, it felt more like a negotiation. However, considering that this was a contractual marriage, that was only natural. If anything, the straightforwardness made Yeseo realize that they were truly married. Her life had now become one in which she had to think about someone other than herself.

“Do you have any plans for outings? I like watching movies.”

“I occasionally visit exhibitions.”

“Then we can go to the cinema or an art museum together regularly.”

As they talked, she felt that they were no longer complete strangers but had begun to get to know each other, at least a little.

They were not yet familiar with each other, but the awkwardness was beginning to fade.

She thought that, as they spent more time together, they could become a married couple who trusted each other.

With that positive thought in mind, she had dinner. After spending some time taking care of their individual tasks, it was time to go to bed.

After they had both showered and changed into their pajamas, they entered the bedroom, and an awkward atmosphere settled between them. Perhaps it was because this was only their second night together.

“Let’s go to sleep now.”

“Yes… Let’s… go to sleep.”

They lay awkwardly in bed, staring at the ceiling, when Dogyeom moved closer and offered his arm.

“Let’s become closer, even if it’s only little by little.”

“All right.”

As Yeseo rested her head on Dogyeom’s arm, the scent of sandalwood still lingered around her. From now on, whenever she thought of sandalwood, she felt that she would think of Dogyeom.

The same was true for Dogyeom. Whenever he thought of black tea and bergamot, he felt that he would think of Yeseo.

With both of them feeling awkward and trying to distract themselves by thinking about other things, it turned out to be a difficult night to fall asleep.

\* \* \*

The next day, Yeseo went to work at Jeongseong Le Château Hotel with Dogyeom to check on their joint project involving the VIP gallery.

“I’ll head straight to the gallery.”

“Then I’ll take care of the hotel’s business and come down afterward.”

“I can manage on my own.”

“There may be some issues the staff can’t resolve among themselves.”

“Then I’ll see you later.”

Yeseo first looked around the gallery.

Contrary to what she had been told about its straight, linear layout, there was a wall in the middle that divided the space into separate sections. Since the ceramics with similar styles were separated by the wall, the exhibition seemed to lose its flow. She thought that displaying pieces with different themes would make better use of the layout.

“The wall makes this area feel temporarily disconnected. I think it would be better to create a contrast in the middle by displaying traditional ceramics alongside pieces with modern expressions.”

“Although Master Seo Juseon’s ceramics are well known, there aren’t enough modern pieces.”

“The current master artisans have more than enough talent. Let’s select pieces from their collections.”

If the gallery became a solo exhibition for Master Seo Juseon, the limited number of ceramics would mean that visitors could finish viewing the entire exhibition very quickly. It was time to showcase the works of the current master artisans.

“How are the auction results?”

“Traditional ceramics are still selling well, but we’re also starting to see demand for modern pieces.”

“Then I’ll bring in a selection of modern ceramics by the current master artisans from now on.”

The gallery’s layout encouraged visitors to focus on a single piece at a time. Yeseo decided to use that to create a sense of competition between the artists.

“Let’s display Master Seo Juseon’s work only in that spot and fill the rest of the gallery with pieces by other master artisans.”

“Many people will come specifically to see Master Seo Juseon’s work.”

“It’s time to introduce the works of other master artisans, too. And because their pieces are rare, I think they’ll attract even more interest.”

Watching Yeseo discuss things with the staff, Dogyeom noticed that her working style involved carefully examining the site and offering her own opinions. He felt that her approach was surprisingly similar to his own.

“Is the inspection going well?”

“I’m glad I came to see it in person.”

“The VIP gallery has a 40 percent return visitor rate. A small number of those visitors come every week.”

“Then we’ll need to create a different theme every week.”

The return visitor rate was higher than she had expected. If they kept repeating similar themes, visitors might eventually find the exhibitions boring.

“If we feature a standout piece every week, it could change the atmosphere.”

“I was planning to use my maternal grandfather’s ceramics for that.”

“The other pieces will need to be of equally high quality.”

“You can count on that.”

Yeseo took pride in the master artisans’ skills. They were the ones who had continued the legacy of Yunseok Ceramics Studio after her maternal grandfather passed away.

“Women account for 70 percent of repeat visitors, while men make up 70 percent of the auction participants.”

“You even remember the exact figures.”

“It’s an area I’ve been paying attention to lately.”

He understands the details more thoroughly than I expected. His approach to work is similar to mine.

“We’ve been focusing on this area as well.”

“I could tell from the ceramics you prepared.”

“Now I’m thinking of introducing some variety by exhibiting modern ceramics, too.”

She had wondered whether the gallery might only want traditional ceramics. However, if they could exhibit modern pieces as well, it would be an opportunity for Yunseok Ceramics Studio to take a major step forward.

“There were comments in the guestbook from people who were curious about modern ceramics, too, so I think it’s a good idea.”

Through this experience, Yeseo and Dogyeom discovered that some aspects of their working styles were similar. They also realized that they shared similar business ideas. It was a small but meaningful opportunity to learn more about each other.

“Then I’ll go to the office and put together a list of ceramics.”

“Can you get there on your own? Let me take you.”

“You must be busy. You don’t have to go out of your way to accompany me.”

She couldn’t take up the time of someone who was busy enough to leave his work just to come downstairs. Just then, Dogyeom leaned closer and whispered in her ear.

“I don’t think any husband would let his wife go alone at a time like this.”

For a moment, Yeseo was speechless.

She had just begun to think of him as a business partner, which made his words sound all the more affectionate.

Only then did she remember that other people were watching them.

“My employees aren’t so incompetent that the work will fall apart just because I step away for a little while.”

“All right. Please take me there.”

“Have the car prepared, Secretary Kang.”

“Yes, sir.”

They got into the car that had been prepared and headed to the office of Yunseok Ceramics Studio.

“After watching you work today, I noticed some similarities between us.”

“What kind of similarities?”

“The way you examine the site in detail.”

“I believe you need to understand the situation on the ground before you can make a plan.”

“I’ve found another thing we have in common.”

At Dogyeom’s words, Yeseo thought that perhaps this was another step toward becoming more comfortable with each other.

Even so, it was nice to hear him say that.

The more similarities they discovered, the more familiar they became with each other. And that familiarity naturally began to turn into closeness.

“What kind of work are you planning to do today?”

“We’re planning to hold an exhibition for the general public.”

“Was our collaboration what inspired you to do that?”

Dogyeom thought that Yeseo was not the type to pursue a new business if it involved too many risks.

“That experience was part of what inspired me. The exhibition provided plenty of publicity among VIPs.”

“Then now you’re trying to attract the general public.”

“Yes. That’s why I’m planning to open a gallery for ordinary visitors.”

“If you need help later, let me know.”

Dogyeom thought he could spare that much time for Yeseo. After all, she was his partner, and they would be working together from now on.

By then, they had arrived at Yunseok Ceramics Studio.

“We’re here. Let’s continue our conversation over dinner.”

“All right. See you after work.”

Dogyeom watched for a moment as Yeseo got out of the car and entered the office before returning to the hotel.

“Have you become so attached to her that you can’t even bear to be apart from her for the short trip back?”

Seoyeon spoke with surprise, as his behavior was quite different from what she had worried about during the wedding.

“It was better than coming back alone. Here are the materials I checked. Please prepare for the meeting.”

“You must have worked hard looking everything over. Take a break for a while.”

Sitting in her office chair, Yeseo thought about what had happened earlier.

They had more in common than she had expected. That made her feel that understanding him would not be difficult. If they continued learning these little things about each other, perhaps they could become a couple who understood one another well.

She might be able to avoid repeating the mistakes of her previous life.

After some time had passed, Seoyeon came to call her.

“The meeting preparations are finished.”

“Okay.”

During the meeting, they decided to select modern ceramics by the current master artisans each week according to the exhibition’s theme and compile a list of the chosen pieces.

They spent the remaining time discussing possible locations for the public gallery. They narrowed the options down to three places, but since they couldn’t make any further progress, they ended the meeting.

Yeseo then took the report on the potential gallery locations and headed home after work.

“You’re back? I’ve prepared dinner.”