The Illustrator's Hidden Passion
Cha Ju-hee.
It was during the period when I was a senior in the programming team that Cha Ju-hee, a new hire, came in.
“Hello! Cha! Ju! Hee! Cha Ju-hee!”
“It’s Cha Ju-hee! I’m so honored to have come to Next, the company’s core Eternal Tale development department, the place I’ve always dreamed of! I look forward to receiving a lot of guidance from you!”
Even though she was a new hire, she was a bit older than the typical new employee. Late entry due to the tough job market wasn’t uncommon, so I didn’t give it much thought.
She would probably just pass by as a colleague from the same department.
If not for the mentor-mentee program we were running to improve junior employees’ skills.
“I’m Cha Ju-hee, your mentee! I look forward to working with you!”
“If you call me ‘senior,’ that’s a big problem. In this company, we don’t use job titles. We say ‘Mr./Ms. [Name].’”
“Ah! May I ask the reason?”
“It’s an order from the chairman. Vertical reporting systems allegedly interfere with creativity. Just call me Jo Yihan from now on.”
“Yes! Jo Yihan-nim!”
My mentee was assigned a seat right next to me, and the mentoring officially began.
“Jo Yihan-nim! Will this work?”
“Hmm… It’d be cleaner this way.”
“Wow! You really are a senior!”
I’d mentored quite a few programmers, but Cha Ju-hee was the one who stuck with me the most. Not in a good way.
“Ju-hee-nim, you’re not leaving yet?”
“You didn’t leave either, Jo Yihan-nim.”
“Well, I’ve got a lot of work… With your skill, juniors should’ve finished their tasks by now. Is there something stuck? Ask me if you’re stuck.”
“No! I finished everything!”
“Then why…?”
“I have to work hard to improve my skills! I’m studying while debugging the code! And if the mentor doesn’t leave, how am I supposed to go home?!”
“Do as you like.”
I thought she’d give up after a few days.
New employees always tried hard to impress their bosses.
But Cha Ju-hee was different.
Days turned to weeks, months, and still she never left before me.
“Why do you work so much, Ju-hee-nim? Aren’t you tired? If it’s just for the mentee evaluation, I already gave you the highest score. The team leader likes you too. You can ease up now.”
I wasn’t suggesting she ease up; it was pure curiosity.
Her answer surprised me.
“Being able to stay late is a blessing.”
“Huh?”
“I’m a bit older than you, Jo Yihan-nim. My job hunt was a bit longer. Interviews kept rejecting me, and I couldn’t get a job… I wondered how jealous I was when my university friends and neighbors started getting jobs and complained about overtime.”
“Hah. What’s so great about overtime…?”
“You graduated and started right away, right? You probably can’t understand. I’m so grateful to Next for hiring me! I get to work, help the company! That’s a win-win!”
The company and the work were just perfect for a developer.
That was Cha Ju-hee.
‘But why a programmer instead of an illustrator…?’
I tilted my head, stunned.
‘It’s definitely Cha Ju-hee.’
Especially the intense, glossy gleam in her eyes that I would never forget.
“Your major… Is it Fine Arts? Not Software?”
“What? It’s Fine Arts… Excuse me, is there some kind of mistake?”
“Ah. No. Haha. I thought you’d be good at coding… And there’s this thing called physiognomy.”
“Oh! Really? But I’m really good at drawing. Thank you for the compliment!”
The fake interview smile was nothing like the Cha Ju-hee I knew.
Thinking back, I remembered a few things now.
Probably during the development department meeting. When the art team leader Cha Ju-hee presented the concept art and illustrations the director ordered, she muttered under her breath.
“Tsk. She doesn’t draw that well.”
“Ju-hee-nim? What was that?”
“Nothing! I just thought the art team at a big company draws well!”
Back then, I didn’t think much of it.
I just figured the illustration evaluation standards were a bit strict.
‘Now that I think about it, I was oddly hostile toward the art team.’
There was the time when an art team member flirted at dinner and I blew up, and another when, with more interdepartmental collaboration after promotions, I picked on the art team a lot.
I hadn’t thought much of it then, but seeing her fake smile now, I realized something.
‘She broke her brush because job hunting was tough.’
I still had no idea what happened to make her quit drawing and switch to programming.
I pulled up her portfolio again to overwrite “programmer Cha Ju-hee” with “illustrator Cha Ju-hee.”
“Hmm…”
“Gulp.”
The café was filled with the clink of spoons, but her gulp sounded deafening. She was extremely nervous, her anxiety radiating off her.
“Your portfolio is good, especially your ability to use color.”
“Thank you!”
“By the way, even if you don’t know, in the game industry, when hiring illustrators, besides skill, they value something important. Do you know?”
“I’m not sure… I’m sorry…”
“No, I’m not saying you should be sorry.”
I was just asking, but her overreaction made it hard to speak.
“Can you tell me what it is?”
“The ability to turn a director’s vague instructions into something concrete.”
I gave her an example of how directors request concept art from illustrators on the job.
“Take character design. Cha Ju-hee, she’s elegant but not cold. She hints at the innocent, bubbly purity inside while giving off no external aura. Design a female character that’s mature yet has a hint of girliness for today.”
“Huh?”
“It’s usually like that. I have an idea in my head, but translating it into words and pictures isn’t easy. The illustrator’s most important skill is turning the director’s vague imagination into reality. There are many who can draw well, but illustrators with that ability are rare. Can you do it?”
Programmer Cha Ju-hee was believable, but illustrator Cha Ju-hee wasn’t, so I exaggerated.
‘She might struggle.’
I spoke, but I wasn’t sure she understood.
There was no such character in my imagination. It was just a random line for the interview.
“Wait!”
Cha Ju-hee pulled a sketchbook and pens from her tote bag and started drawing furiously.
“Is this okay?”
Soon after, she completed the picture.
“What is this?”
“What? You told me to draw it. An elegant but not cold character with a touch of cold beauty but an inner purity like a young girl or a mature maiden?”
“You drew that?”
“Yes?”
I checked the sketchbook she offered.
“No.”
The sketchbook showed a male character that aroused desire but was hard to approach, yet somehow looked vulnerable and needed protection.
A male character arousing desire but difficult to approach, yet seemingly vulnerable and needing protection.
Considering it was just a rough sketch, it was an impressively “attractive” character that even a game industry veteran like me would love.
“Wait! There might be some details missing because I drew it quickly. If you give me a little more time, I can add more details! Please consider the time I took….”
I didn’t know why she was so nervous about creating such a sexy character based on my nonsense. What she did wasn’t easy. It was like making Michelin-level food with garbage ingredients.
I erased the remaining traces of “programmer Cha Ju-hee” and overlaid “illustrator Cha Ju-hee.”
‘Farewell, Cha Ju-hee. Welcome, Cha Ju-hee.’
I stood up and extended my hand.
“Hired.”
“What? Y-you’re hiring me?”
“Yes. You’re hired. I look forward to working with you.”
“Kyaaah! S-sorry! I was so surprised I made too loud a sound….”
“It’s fine. I’m happy you’re happy.”
“Thank you for hiring me! I’ll work hard!”
To be this thrilled about joining a startup instead of a big company, she must have endured so much hardship before. Tears blurred my vision.
‘Ju-hee-nim. I’ll make sure to use you well. Don’t worry.’
The overtime lover would love being given more work. She switched to programming for the job, but now she could work preserving her original major.
‘This is Cha Ju-hee’s hiring dream line.’
I smiled warmly at her joy.
“You can start next Monday. I’ll see you then.”
“Yes! I’ll see you on Monday!”
With the illustrator secured, maintenance was complete.
It was time to start work again.*
The first day new hires reported for work.
I usually arrived early, but today I was even earlier, opening the office door.
The office had been silent for so long, but the thought of it filling with energy made me feel good.
Bam!
Hearing the door open, I looked up.
“Hey. Yihan. Good morning.”
“Daniel. Good morning.”
Daniel, who had come earlier and skillfully sat at his desk, checked his watch and the door with a slightly flushed face.
“Excited?”
“Just curious who the people are. Oh! Yihan, what’s my job title here? Don’t tell me same as new hires? Don’t forget I worked with you for almost a year.”
“Obviously team leader. Sound Team Leader.”
“Team leader? Of course! I can’t be on the same level as new hires, right? Hahaha!”
Daniel’s title was only nominal since he was the only team member, but watching him laugh so proudly, I laughed too.
‘When the company grows, I’ll make you a real team leader, not just the title.’
He had the ability and talent for it.
“Hey. Yihan. Then what’s your title? President?”
“Director and President.”
“That’s it?”
“Interim Art Team Leader and Programming Team Leader.”
“Hah! Of course.”
While chatting with Daniel, a knock came from the door and it opened cautiously.
“Hello!”
“It’s Hwang Seok-ho, who came first.”
I hired him because he seemed diligent, and his first-day attitude made me like him more.
“Here. This is Seok-ho’s seat from now on. No one else has arrived yet, so set it up comfortably.”
“Thank you, Director!”
“Ah! From now on, call me Director, not Director. It’s more familiar.”
“Yes, Director!”
Next came game-obsessed programmer Kim Jae-min and the blunt graphic designer Kim Min-ji.
“Ah, hello.”
“Hello. I’m Kim Min-ji, the new graphic designer.”
“Well, well… I’m Jae-min, the new programmer. Nice to meet you.”
“Welcome.”
I assigned seats to both as before.
Soon after, illustrator Cha Ju-hee arrived.
“Hello! New hire Cha! Ju! Hee!”
“Cha Ju-hee will handle the illustrations. Cha Ju-hee’s seat is here.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Finally, creature monster designer Jeon Seong-bae arrived.
“Director. Good morning. Um… I’m a bit late.”
“No. The others came early. Seong-bae, you can use this desk from now on.”
“Yes!”
Everyone had arrived.
It was the first day and many were fresh graduates, so it felt awkward, but I wasn’t worried.
I knew the perfect cure for this situation.
“Everyone, it’s the first day so you’re all a bit awkward, right? It wasn’t intentional, but a lot of you are fresh graduates, so the company feels strange and you don’t know what the person next to you does.”
“…”
“So I prepared something. Daniel, turn off the lights?”
“Yes, Sir.”
The office lights dimmed and a projector beam hit the intentionally blank white wall.
I smiled at the bewildered new hires.
If you’re focused on work, you won’t have time to feel awkward.
“Let’s see your skills.”
The Dot Hero update plan I had prepared in spare moments.