The Museum Visit and the Spark of Inspiration

Saturday, 3:00 p.m.

In front of the National Museum of Korea.

“Ahem.”

I stood in front of a mirror and awkwardly straightened my clothes.

Today, I was meeting Team Leader Han Su-a.

Of course, since it was the weekend, this had nothing to do with business.

It was a private arrangement, one person to another.

At first, I’d thought she was just asking me to grab a quick drink after work on a weekday.

And yet she picked Saturday of all days?

It was the weekend.

The weekend was lifeblood for office workers.

And yet I was meeting a coworker on a precious Saturday?

Honestly, if she didn’t have some kind of interest in me, she wouldn’t even suggest it, would she?

To put it bluntly.

Whatever the reason, a man and a woman meeting privately on the weekend to see an exhibit and have a meal together...

This really does seem like a date.

At first I’d only been half convinced, but the more I thought about it, the more certain I became.

This wasn’t just about settling a debt over a meal and calling it a day.

“Do you like exhibits by any chance?”

“Exhibits...?”

“I was planning to go alone on Saturday anyway, but I wondered if you’d like to come with me.”

“Hmm...”

“You can say no if you’re not interested.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I’ve never really been to an exhibition before, so I don’t know much about them... Would that be okay?”

“Of course. And it’s not anything grand like modern art or anything like that. It’s a museum, so it won’t be difficult. I think it’ll suit your personality, Assistant Manager Kang.”

“All right. Then let’s go together.”

That was how today’s plan had been made.

I’m getting more and more worked up for no reason.

I’d dressed with more care than usual, even taken out the perfume I’d received as a gift two months ago and left sitting in a drawer, but because it had been so long since I’d done anything remotely date-like, I was worried about all sorts of things.

“Assistant Manager Kang!”

Team Leader Han arrived right on time.

She gave off a very different impression from usual.

At the office, she only ever wore semi-formal suits.

Today, though, she had on jeans and a beige cardigan over a pure white sleeveless top.

She looked much fresher than usual, but the fact that she’d worn heels told me she hadn’t exactly gone easy on herself either.

“I’m sorry. You didn’t wait too long, did you? I had a hard time finding a place to park...”

“Oh, no. I just got here too.”

She was apologizing even though she was only two minutes late. It made me think it might have been better if I’d been the one who was late.

“Let’s go inside first.”

“Shall we?”

I headed into the museum with Team Leader Han.

Honestly, it would have been a lie to say I wasn’t nervous.

Aside from museums, the only exhibitions I’d ever been to were the ones I’d visited as a student.

What if I don’t know enough and totally blow it?

I’d even thought about doing some research ahead of time, maybe at least brushing up a little before coming.

Then, just in time, there was something perfect for the occasion.

Artifact Appraisal

- Rank: S.

- You can check detailed information such as the artifact’s rank and production background.

- Duration when used: 24 hours.

- Reuse cooldown: 30 days (available).

Finally, the cooldown was over.

With all the different things I’d been trying out, plus my side hustles, a whole month had flown by.

I’d wanted to see some properly genuine artifacts anyway.

Unlike a market crowded with replicas and cheap antiques, a museum should be full of noble things.

The Joseon white porcelain moon jar I’d bought at the antique market had been a masterwork, the third rank out of six.

And considering it had still fetched a whopping 17.5 million won despite its poor condition...

I’m curious what the treasure-grade and national treasure-grade pieces above that look like.

Especially since they’d be in good condition, too.

I wanted to know how the real treasures would be described in the status window, and whether I’d be able to recognize them at a glance.

If I wanted to use Artifact Appraisal more actively from now on, I needed to learn how noble objects were labeled.

I’m already looking forward to it.

Of course, I didn’t intend to stop at just using it on a date.

Tomorrow’s Sunday, so if I have time, I should stop by Dongmyo.

The duration was 24 hours, so if I moved early in the morning, there should be enough time.

“Oh...”

Before, I’d had to touch something to see its status window, but now I could check it remotely.

At this rate, I could use the ability in the museum without worrying about a thing.

Come to think of it, there’s a proficiency system ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too.

Unlike the acting or Keyboard Echo skills that upgraded in rank, it seemed that the more often I used a talent, the more useful it became in that way.

“Oh, this is pretty.”

“That one has a certain dignity to it.”

Team Leader Han and I slowly walked along, admiring the artifacts one by one.

After about ten minutes, one artifact caught my eye with such force that I looked at it intently.

Cracked...?

I hadn’t noticed at first glance.

“Oh, right. There’s a crack here?”

After seeing the status window, I looked more closely and could clearly see the repaired mark.

But then, as if she’d heard my mutterings to myself...

“There’s a crack mark?”

Team Leader Han tilted her head and asked.

“Oh, there is. I didn’t see that in the explanation earlier. Where does it say that?”

“Ah...”

I couldn’t exactly tell her I’d seen it in a status window.

So I covered it up in a vague way.

“I’m really interested in artifacts, so if you look closely, you can pick up on some things.”

“Whoa, that’s amazing.”

Han Su-a looked genuinely surprised.

“You know even things like that?”

“Well, yes...”

“Then what about this one?”

She pointed, curious, at another artifact beside it.

“It’s an artifact from the Baekje period. The black part isn’t dirt; it’s silver that’s oxidized. Still, it’s not quite rare enough to be considered especially valuable.”

“Wow...”

Team Leader Han’s eyes began to shine.

“What about this one? Do you know this too?”

“It’s an incense burner. If you light something in here, smoke comes curling out like this... And the lion shape also suggests Buddhist symbolism, so it looks like this was from a time when Buddhism was the state religion.”

“Amazing, amazing...”

Team Leader Han covered her mouth with both hands.

“Did you maybe graduate from the history department?”

“No, not at all.”

“That’s so cool.”

“Not really.”

I felt embarrassed and my face went hot.

“...Let’s move on to the next exhibition hall.”

“Okay!”

***

“Want to take a break for a bit?”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

We went into a small cafe inside the museum.

Team Leader Han took a sip of coffee and smiled faintly.

“Still, I’m glad you seem to be enjoying yourself, Assistant Manager Kang.”

“Pardon?”

“You said it was your first time seeing an exhibition, so I was worried you might get bored.”

“Ah...”

“But you ended up knowing more than I do.”

“I just happen to be interested in artifacts.”

“I see. Then if there’s another museum exhibit next time, do you want to go together again?”

“Sounds good.”

It would probably be better to wait until the cooldown was over and go after another month had passed.

Whirrrr-!

At that moment, Team Leader Han’s phone rang sharply.

Her expression hardened when she checked the caller.

“Sorry, I need to take this for a moment.”

“Take your time.”

I sat alone in my chair and stared vacantly out the window.

This is nice...

This relaxed, unhurried feeling.

And the fact that some soft, squishy part of my heart was getting all warm and fuzzy was strangely pleasant, too.

This really is a peaceful weekend.

Not much had changed from usual, but it felt like life had suddenly gained a little breathing room.

I think this is all thanks to my side hustles.

When there’s money in your pocket, the way you approach life changes.

Even if you’re not throwing cash around or draping yourself in luxury brands like in the movies, you can still add a slice of cake to your coffee without thinking twice.

It’s already up to six now.

More than I’d ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠expected.

What I liked most was this.

The talents don’t work separately; they connect with each other organically, and that makes them far more useful.

That seemed to raise my satisfaction even more.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Assistant Manager.”

Han Su-a came over, breathing hard.

“You didn’t have to rush back like that...”

“I was in a hurry.”

She was carrying her laptop in her hands.

“Assistant Manager, I’m really sorry, but...”

Team Leader Han carefully asked for my understanding.

“Would it be all right if I worked for a bit?”

“Oh, did something urgent come up? Should I help?”

“A client asked for an emergency revision... It’s part of my team’s work, so it’d probably be hard for you to help.”

“Ah... Then don’t worry about me and work comfortably.”

“Thank you. I think it’ll take about thirty minutes... no, maybe forty. If you don’t mind being on your own for a while, would you like to keep looking at the exhibit?”

“No.”

I shook my head and took out my phone.

“I’ve got something to do too, so it’s fine.”

“...Huh?”

“I can just work on a blog post, so don’t worry about me and handle your work.”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

Only then did her face brighten, and she immediately opened her laptop.

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

She was absorbed in her work in an instant.

Maybe I should do some work too?

I accessed my blog on my phone and started writing a post with a few photos I’d just taken.

Encountering a Thousand Years of Memory at the National Museum of Korea.

- In the heart of Seoul, the moment I stepped into that massive building, the texture of time seemed to shift.

Among the countless artifacts and exhibits, what held me most was...

I’m writing really well today.

The previous two posts had been sponsored by a restaurant and a hotel, so saying I hadn’t felt any pressure would have been a lie.

But this museum post was entirely my own experience, free from anyone else’s expectations, so I could write it without a hitch.

And after writing it a few times, I’m not getting stuck anymore either.

The words flowed smoothly.

After about twenty minutes...

Done!

...Already?

That was an unexpected upgrade.

Maybe because the rank is low, the experience bar itself is small?

That would explain why it was rising so quickly.

“Oh?”

So it seemed like it could be used for more than essays or posts based on personal experience.

At this rate, I might be able to write in much broader ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠areas than just posting travel notes.

The possibilities seemed endless.

That wasn’t all.

And if the rank goes up more, I get a bonus perk, right?

It didn’t say exactly what that meant.

But from the looks of it, it feels like something that affects not just this ability, but maybe even other talents I have too?

When I chose the instrument talent last time, I’d even been able to choose from various keywords.

Apparently there were a lot of functions I didn’t know about yet, beyond simply granting talents.

More than anything, I’m really curious what kind of perk I’ll get.

Thud.

Just then, Team Leader Han closed her laptop.

“Haa...”

She let out a deep breath like she was completely drained.

“Are you done?”

“Yes. Sorry. You waited a long time, didn’t you? I said I’d finish as quickly as possible, but...”

“It’s fine. Want to go look at the exhibit again?”

Clunk.

As she hurried to stand up, Team Leader Han banged her knee against the table’s corner.

“Ah!”

It must have hurt quite a bit, because she sank right back into the chair and clutched her knee tightly.

“Ar-are you okay?”

“Yes...”

She nodded weakly and tried to get up again.

For some reason, she looked pitiful.

“Team Leader.”

“Yes?”

“You can rest a little longer before we go.”

“...I’m fine, though.”

“I’m the one who’s tired.”

I lifted my phone and said,

“I’ve been writing a blog post, and my eyes feel like they’re about to fall out.”

“Then... can we rest for just five minutes?”

“Let’s make it ten, then.”

I smiled and added,

“In the meantime, I should probably work out the cramp in my thumb.”

Only then did Team Leader Han relax and smile.

“Thank you.”

***

After touring the museum’s exhibits, we headed to the souvenir shop.

“Since admission is free, they said you have to stop by the gift shop.”

“Yes, let’s take a look.”

The shop had more merchandise than I’d expected.

Starting with characters from the Three Kingdoms period, and then Gaya gold crowns, Joseon-style crafts, mugs with taegeuk patterns, and more.

What caught Team Leader Han’s eye most of all was...

“Oh my goodness, this is so cute.”

Magnets.

Little magnets that carried the scent of old Joseon with them.

“I really love magnets. It’s embarrassing, but even when I travel abroad, I come back with a pile of magnets.”

She seemed to like so many things that she picked up a small takju bottle magnet and a fan-shaped one, each no bigger than a finger joint.

“Cute, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll buy them for you.”

“Oh, no, no. I should be the one buying them.”

“You’re treating me to lunch today, so at least let me get this much.”

“Ah, still, I feel bad...”

“You already treated me to coffee too.”

Smiling, I took the magnets from her almost as if I were snatching them away and paid for them myself.

Together they were only 15,000 won, but seeing how uneasy she was made me want to buy even more for her.

“Thanks. I’ll use them well.”

“Feel free to use them however you want.”

As we came out after paying, a full-length mirror caught my eye.

The moment I saw the two of us reflected there, with the museum behind us...

...Huh?

Several thoughts overlapped in my mind.

The many artifacts from the Joseon dynasty.

The modern office workers we were.

And the traces of the lives each of us had lived.

The eras were different, but ordinary people like us had probably lived through similar worlds.

Wait a second.

A strange idea flashed through my head.

If I fused Joseon-era style with modern office workers and turned it into an emoticon, I think it could turn out pretty good.

Amid the sudden burst of inspiration, I could already smell a hit coming.

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