The Sixth Sense
"Interior design?" At Andrew's counter-question, Yoon-gi nodded again.
"Yes. I figured that trying to cover the exterior would likely make it clash with the surrounding buildings, so I went with the Korean average for the outside. However, since the plan is to operate based on American customers, I want an interior that feels somewhat American. I have architectural designers and interior experts under me, but it would be ideal to have one or two local American interior experts."
"Finding an interior expert shouldn't be difficult. Jobs are scarce these days, so it's a mess out there."
As Andrew said, the 1980s in the United States was a period plagued by unemployment. However, just because there were many people looking for work didn't mean Andrew would happen to know an interior expert off the top of his head. But Andrew found another way.
"I don't know anyone personally, but why don't you ask the others you're sponsoring? Interior design is related to architecture, so I think you should ask Leanna."
"Could you call her for me?"
"Of course. She'll probably come running with excitement. After all, look who's paying for our studies."
Andrew picked up the phone and dialed the office where Leanna worked. A short while later, the sound of someone rushing down the hallway echoed, the door swung open, and Leanna burst inside.
"Yoon is here?"
Leanna looked around, spotted Yoon-gi, and blinked in surprise.
"Wow... you've grown so much."
It seemed she had intended to give him a hug, thinking of the younger Yoon-gi, but she looked incredibly flustered.
"It's been a while. How are your studies going lately?"
His English was incredibly smooth. Thanks to that, Leanna quickly shed her flustered expression and engaged in conversation.
"Is it really you, Yoon?"
"It is. People grow up fast when they're young, you know."
"If only I were ten years younger..."
Andrew frowned as he watched Leanna smacking her lips.
"Don't talk nonsense. A guy like him is at a level where even white women would be marking their territory, not just Asians."
"Asians should marry Asians."
Andrew shook his head again at Leanna's slightly regretful remark.
"Handsome men are destined to marry pretty women."
"Do you want to die?"
Realizing the hidden meaning behind Andrew's words—that she wasn't pretty—Leanna glared at him with hawk-like eyes, and Andrew hid behind Yoon-gi, who was shorter than him.
"Leanna, you're only not looking your best because you're busy studying; I bet you'd be incredibly pretty if you dressed up. Honestly, I find your focus on your studies quite admirable."
At Yoon-gi's compliment, Leanna's face turned slightly red. In reality, Leanna's appearance wasn't bad at all. As a Taiwanese-American, she had thin black eyebrows, slightly tan skin, and a long ponytail; if she weren't so worn out from studying, she was certainly at a level where she could be called "pretty."
"You little pedophile... Aaaargh!"
Coming to her senses at Andrew's remark, Leanna lunged at him and yanked hard on both of his sideburns. In the chaos, Yoon-gi slipped out from between them and spoke to Leanna.
"Leanna, I have something I want to ask you."
"Yeah?"
Leanna, who was in the middle of pulling Andrew's sideburns, looked at Yoon-gi while keeping her head turned.
"Aaaargh! Let go, just let go!"
"If you do that again, I'll rip them right out."
At Leanna's chilling words, Andrew sat back in his chair, rubbing his sideburns, and soon a private conversation between Leanna and Yoon-gi took place.
"Sorry, sorry. What did you want to ask?"
"Do you happen to know anyone around you who studied interior design but hasn't been able to find a job?"
"There are tons. It's a recession, you know. Even I was full of confidence that I'd get a better job when I first started studying on your scholarship, but lately, I'm just thinking about getting a job at a place you run. There's really nowhere to get hired."
"That's why even Bill started his own business."
"Ha... I heard about that, and I was so envious. I heard he's doing really well lately..."
Yoon-gi spoke to Leanna, who was smacking her lips.
"Out of those 'tons' of people, is there anyone you'd recommend for department store interior design? Maybe one or two people?"
"You're looking to hire?"
"Yes. I should interview the people you recommend and then decide, right?"
Leanna fell into deep thought. 'Should I recommend someone I'm close to, or someone with real talent...' In these recession-hit times, even people close to Leanna were struggling to find work, so honestly, she felt a bit greedy. However, realistic judgment soon blocked the sentiment of friendship.
'Asking me for a recommendation means their evaluation will reflect on me. Jobs are hard enough to find as it is, and if they can't get hired at Yoon's place later...'
In the end, Leanna decided to base her recommendation on ability.
"There are about four people who come to mind."
Yoon-gi spread his palm wide, slightly interrupting Leanna.
"They must have experience, and they should be people who value commercial viability over artistic flair. Also, it would be good if they weren't racist. They'll have to live in Korea, after all."
"Uh... then only one person is left."
"Who is it?"
"Um, but it's a bit hard to recommend them..."
Yoon-gi stepped half a step closer to Leanna, who showed signs of hesitation.
"Is there a problem?"
"Well... they have a bit of a mental issue."
"A mental issue?"
"Yes. They used to work at a company called Gensler for about seven years, but at some point, their personality completely changed. They were constantly causing trouble in the workplace and suddenly got obsessed with a religious group... Their ability is truly top-tier, but I'm not sure if I should recommend them since they've changed so much."
Gensler was the number one architecture firm in L.A. as of 2018, and in 2015, it was the company with the highest net profit in the world. Of course, there was no way Yoon-gi could have known this, but it was a fact that Leanna had recommended the talent based purely on their ability.
"I take it the other three aren't as good as that person?"
Leanna gave a bitter smile.
"One is a racist, another has no experience, and the last one is an art purist."
"Then, what about people other than those four?"
Leanna's eyes sparkled slightly.
"Their skills might be a bit lacking, but they're my acquaintances, so there wouldn't be any big problems."
However, Leanna's expectations were not met.
"If you want to make money, ability is always best. Could you introduce me to the person with the mental issues?"
Leanna, who had been wearing a regretful expression, shook her head slightly.
"I'd like to introduce them, but it's a bit hard to bridge the gap. Because I haven't met them since they lost their mind, and they don't answer when I call. Instead, I'll give you their address, phone number, and name. Why don't you go see them yourself?"
Yoon-gi, who had been thinking, 'Is this even a recommendation?', asked Leanna back.
"Are they that talented?"
"I heard the company spent quite a bit on hospital bills for their psychiatric treatment."
"Ah, then I can acknowledge them."
In the United States, where hospital bills are notoriously expensive, the fact that a company took care of an employee's medical expenses was a stamp of approval in itself, so Yoon-gi was immediately convinced. Even in the world of manual labor, American medical costs were infamous.
"Then, will you give it to me?"
"I'll do it."
"Yes, but you're going to have a hard time."
"It's just a meeting, after all. If I think I can handle them, I'll hire them, and if I think it'll be too difficult, I'll just get someone else recommended."
"No, that's not the problem."
Leanna's expression implied that there was a problem other than the psychiatric one.
"Is there another problem?"
"Yes. That person is living in Nevada right now."
* * *
Harvard University is located in Cambridge, in the easternmost part of the United States. On the other hand, Nevada is located in what could be called the far west of the U.S., so Yoon-gi effectively had to take a military plane from one end of the country to the other. After all, Nevada was right next to San Francisco, the westernmost point.
Fortunately, since his maternal grandfather was a U.S. Army Brigadier General and Guster was a former U.S. Army General, Yoon-gi succeeded in arriving in Nevada for free without any issues. Even if it did take a bit more time.
"What? You're going to Nevada alone? Out of the question!"
"The U.S. isn't a place with good security like Korea. Listen to Colson. It's a give-and-take relationship, can't he at least provide that much help?"
Because his close aides, including Ryu Geun-tae, were so busy in Korea, Yoon-gi had come to the U.S. this time with one of the staff members from his grandfather Choi Ki-hyun's secretariat. But since a secretary couldn't act as a guide in Nevada, Yoon-gi was currently being escorted by the U.S. military, heading toward the house of a person named 'Fernandez' whom Leanna had introduced. Of course, they weren't in a military jeep, and the two soldiers in the driver and passenger seats weren't wearing uniforms, but civilian clothes.
'This is immense.'
Yoon-gi clicked his tongue as he looked at the endless desert terrain. He had been surprised when he saw cornfields with his maternal grandfather before, but this desert terrain was on another level. The cornfields at least had corn, or even grass to eat, but this desert terrain felt like it would be the end the moment one became isolated.
Yoon-gi nodded at Choi Deok-bae's words.
'It really is a new country every time I see it.'
Yoon-gi shrugged his shoulders at Choi Deok-bae, who was smacking his lips.
'That may be so, but since the Joseon dynasty's trade volume with the U.S. was less than 0.1 percent at the time, I don't think it would have meant much anyway. Since they looked down on commerce so much, there couldn't have been anything to trade.'
'Is there anything you want to eat later?'
'This is an overseas trip, isn't it?'
Yoon-gi smiled to himself as he watched Choi Deok-bae smacking his lips. A few hours later, the car stopped at a rest area for refueling and a short break, and Choi Deok-bae, satisfied with a Western-style mini ancestral rite table, didn't bother Yoon-gi.
"We will depart again."
The delicious rest at the rest area was brief; the car began to race fiercely toward the address again, and finally, late at night, they reached their destination.
"Whew, we finally arrived. I didn't know people lived in a place like this."
Nevada wasn't just desert; it had a lot of mountainous terrain, and this person named Fernandez was living in a log cabin right below the high-altitude area, right at the foot of the mountain. Even then, there was no road around the log cabin, so Yoon-gi and the soldiers had to walk for several dozen minutes to get there.
"Is someone actually living here?"
At the words of the Sergeant, whose beard was so thick it was lush, the Corporal without a beard shook his head.
"I'm not sure either. The lights are off, and..."
Looking at the windows of the log cabin, from which no light emanated, the Sergeant, the Corporal, and Yoon-gi all stared toward the window without knocking on the door. Darkness where nothing could be seen. However, Yoon-gi, with a somewhat flustered expression, conveyed his thoughts to Choi Deok-bae.
'H-grandfather. I... I see a ghost.'