THICA 13

Chapter 13

The site selection was finalized, and renovations on the gallery building began. Since the work covered everything from the exterior to the interior, they allowed plenty of time for completion.

“Humidity control is important, so please pay close attention to dehumidification. For the lighting in the exhibition and sales areas, make sure it brings out the beauty of the glazes.”

Ye-seo explained her preferences to the team in charge of the interior renovations.

“And please make sure the hands-on activity area is safe enough for children to run around without getting hurt.”

Since families were also likely to visit the activity area, they decided to take extra precautions during construction.

After carefully checking every detail of the gallery, Ye-seo returned home.

While waiting for the commissioned renovations to be completed, she decided to select the pottery that would be displayed in the gallery.

“What criteria are you going to use?”

“I want to give my apprentices a chance first. I’ll select the pieces through a blind evaluation.”

“If it’s blind, then the ones who have worked hard up to this point will have a chance to be selected.”

This would give potters who had honed their skills while assisting master artisans an opportunity to showcase their work. During the meeting, they decided on the blind selection schedule, the number of pieces each person could submit, and the total number of pieces to be selected. They then announced the schedule.

Afterward, Ye-seo gathered the relevant documents and returned home.

“Did you bring more work home today?”

“I’ll only be reviewing things today.”

At that moment, Do-gyeom noticed the title of one of the reports.

“Blind selection? Are you choosing the pieces for the new gallery through a blind evaluation?”

“Yes. I want to give the people who have worked hard assisting the master artisans a chance.”

“Aren’t they people who haven’t had the opportunity to create their own pieces yet?”

“I want to give an opportunity to those who have continued working hard despite that.”

Ye-seo’s words reminded Do-gyeom of the hard work his own secretarial team had put in. They had prepared a great deal of material to suit his way of handling work. As a result, their abilities surpassed those of other secretarial teams, making them the envy of other executives.

I should look for a way to give them opportunities as well.

Two weeks passed after the discussion about the blind evaluation.

During that time, more than two-thirds of the eligible participants had applied. The office staff began selecting pottery according to the established criteria.

“Some of these pieces aren’t the conventional kind of pottery you’d expect.”

One piece was Goryeo celadon without any patterns. However, its unusual cobalt-blue color suggested that the potter had developed a glaze of their own.

“If you can call that individuality, then it certainly is.”

The next piece had elaborate patterns but a color similar to white porcelain.

“Everyone seems to have a strong experimental spirit.”

“There are so many different styles that I feel a greater sense of responsibility when selecting them.”

They spent several hours examining the pottery before finally taking a short break.

“How are the gallery renovations coming along?”

Without proper humidity control, the building wouldn’t be able to serve as a gallery at all.

That was why they had been devoting so much time and attention to it.

“The exterior and interior are both finished. Now we just need to divide the space into sections. How should we arrange them?”

“I want to divide it into three areas: an exhibition space, an activity space, and a sales space.”

“Do we really need an activity space?”

With the gallery’s limited floor area, dedicating part of it to hands-on activities could be a risky decision.

Making more efficient use of the space might produce better results.

“But people are more likely to develop an attachment to pottery when they get to make it themselves.”

“You think offering activities will help sales more than just letting people view the exhibits?”

“That too, but they’ll also have a reason to come back.”

Ye-seo had developed her love for pottery by taking part in pottery-making activities at her grandfather’s workshop. She had also learned at the VIP gallery just how important repeat visits were.

Auctions might not be very popular at a gallery aimed at the general public. If that was the case, they needed another way to encourage people to return.

“That could help bring people back. All right. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

“Thank you for listening to my suggestion.”

The three sections made the gallery feel cozy and intimate.

Then the day of the gallery’s opening ceremony arrived.

Ye-seo attended the event alongside Do-gyeom. Reporters had gathered to take photographs and ask questions about the gallery.

A few mischievous reporters even asked about their married life.

“As you can see, we’re living happily together.”

Do-gyeom answered while positioning himself in front of Ye-seo, shielding her from view. The reporters couldn’t press the matter any further.

After dealing with the reporters, Ye-seo was walking into the gallery with Do-gyeom when someone called out to her.

“Ye-seo, long time no see.”

An unfamiliar man greeted her as though they knew each other.

“Who are you?”

“It’s Yang Gwang-cheol. Don’t you remember me? We were in the same department at university.”

The man looked disappointed that Ye-seo didn’t recognize him. But to her, he was a complete stranger. She was more taken aback by the way he acted as if they were acquainted.

“Is the man behind you your boyfriend?”

“Oh, he’s my husband, Ryu Do-gyeom.”

“Oh, there was so much talk about who would end up marrying Ye-seo. So you’re the lucky man!”

Ye-seo had never heard anything about that. She didn’t want to deal with someone who behaved so rudely, either. More than anything, she felt sorry for Do-gyeom that someone like this was talking about her in such a manner.

“Ye-seo was really popular. Everyone was looking for a chance to confess their feelings to her.”

“I’m sure someone like Ye-seo would have been popular.”

“I was one of the people who had a crush on her, too.”

“Excuse me.”

“I see. Then I should thank you for not confessing to her back then.”

The man seemed taken aback when Do-gyeom reacted differently from what he had expected. With an awkward expression, he soon excused himself and left.

Ye-seo couldn’t hide how sorry she felt toward Do-gyeom.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that awkward situation.”

“It’s nothing.”

“No one ever actually approached me to say anything like that when we were in school.”

“You don’t need to worry.”

Do-gyeom didn’t seem as upset as she had expected.

Ye-seo was relieved, but she was also annoyed with herself for not cutting the man off before the situation had reached that point.

“Is this what you call supporting your wife?”

“This much is complimentary service.”

They continued checking the gallery and reviewing the exhibition arrangements.

When they reached the activity area, they found that more people were participating than they had expected. Beneath the soft lighting that filtered down from the ceiling, children laughed as they played with the clay.

The scent of glaze mingled with the earthy smell of the clay, while parents watched their children’s work with careful attention. Together, these details made the space feel special.

“How many people are participating in the activities?”

“It seems that more than half of our visitors take part before leaving.”

The figure was higher than they had initially anticipated. At this rate, the gallery seemed to have moved beyond the point of losing money.

Looking at the children making pottery in the activity area, Ye-seo felt as though she could see her younger self in them.

“I know you’re busy, but please continue taking good care of this place.”

“Yes, understood.”

After visiting the activity area, they finished touring the gallery. Ye-seo thanked Do-gyeom for accompanying her.

“This gallery is quite different from the VIP gallery. It has given me something to learn from.”

“I learned a lot from the VIP gallery, too.”

The opening ceremony was gradually coming to an end, and Ye-seo and Do-gyeom were on their way home.

He’s always helping me. Is there a way I can help him in return?

Ye-seo felt indebted to Do-gyeom because it seemed that she was always receiving help from him. She thought that if there was anything she could do to help him, she should do it.

Watching Ye-seo, Do-gyeom reflected on what he had noticed while spending the day with her.

He had never tried the approach she used: trusting employees and giving them opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.

“Doesn’t it worry you to give your employees new opportunities?”

At Do-gyeom’s question, Ye-seo thought for a moment. He seemed to be referring to the opposition and concerns she had faced when she first announced that she wanted to give her apprentices a chance.

“When expanding the workforce, I wanted to make sure the existing employees also had opportunities.”

Do-gyeom glanced at Ye-seo.

There was warmth beneath her firm tone, and he could sense how many decisions she had faced alone over the years.

By existing employees, she must mean my secretarial team.

“And if you’re afraid of taking risks, nothing will ever change.”

Do-gyeom believed that no one understood the actual work on the ground as well as his secretarial team did.

If he asked them to come up with ideas, they might be able to offer something new.

Working alongside Ye-seo is opening the door to new challenges.