Chapter 19

“I’m ashamed just watching them. If that were me, I wouldn’t have been able to wear it.” Hanseol muttered.

Remembering that she even disliked over-sleeping, I smiled.

‘But at this time, only students who wore jackets wore them back then.’

Wearing your school’s name on your clothing will become a nationwide trend in the next few years, but right now, it was only a culture that was shared by some schools.

One day it’ll appear on the news, saying that it’s a trend to show off your academic background.

‘Right now, it’s just treated like a school uniform…’

These minor differences were the pleasure of regression.

‘By the way…what kind of work did Hankook University present in my previous life?’

Actually, this was what I was most curious about.

How great was it that they managed to beat Han Yewon’s team? Was Seo Ji-won really the problem? Was our team so terrible that we were defeated because only one of us caused discord?

Well…it’s only been a month since I’ve met them, but I’ve never looked down on their skills.

They’re baby tigers.

I don’t know how far they will grow over time—even now, when they’re still only rookies in their third-year.

In particular, Hanseol’s dexterity was not lacking in any way, even if it was different from Seo Ji-won in a different field.

‘Okay. Let’s see.’

The Hankook University team soon dragged a huge box to their area and opened it. Then, a huge model popped out.

A model reminiscent of an automated factory.

Conveyor belts were spread on all sides, and it felt like I was looking at a rotating sushi roll.

‘Looking at it, it seems normal….’

It was the moment when I thought so.

Beep.

The moment the switch—that was installed in a corner of the model—was pressed, the model began to move.

Whoiing.

‘How crazy….’

It was an astonishing sight.

The conveyor belts automatically rotated to match the factory-like appearance, and cogwheels were intricately interlocked here and there.

It wasn’t just the appearance of a factory and unbelievable details that were made by a college student that stunned everyone.

‘How the hell did you make something like that?’

Of course, it doesn’t mean that other teams have never tried such a mechanical device. There were many cases where simple lights came on when a button was pressed. However, there was definitely no team that had made it in earnest like this.

“That’s crazy.”

Students from other schools around us muttered with signs of boredom.

“What are they doing?”

“They’ve clearly put all their energy into showing off what Hankook University can do.”

Compared to Hankook University, their models feel like children’s toys.

“Can undergraduates make something like that?”

“I don’t think it’s possible even after a month or two’s worth of testing prototypes…”

Ju Ji-hoon and Hanseol said as if they were dumbfounded.

In terms of design quality, our work was also excellent. In particular, the luxurious feeling of the materials and the sophistication of the sculptures were superior.

However, I couldn’t ignore the visual performance.

“This won’t be easy,” Ju Ji-hoon muttered, before speaking in a firm voice. “Still, we worked hard too, so don’t be discouraged.”

I did as much as I could.

After that, I can only hope for the best.

But…

‘······I smell something rotten.’

It was strange.

My inner alarms as a designer rang.

*

An hour has passed since the exhibition contest officially began.

Spectators began to gather one by one, and soon it became busy.

“This model is like looking at Legos. How did you come up with this idea?”

“What should we do to install the exhibition structure as quickly as possible? That’s where the idea of making all the structures modular came from.”

Students were busily introducing their works here and there.

Their explanations could not be neglected because not only could ordinary visitors come, but professionals from the industry could also occasionally visit.

Our team was busy as well.

“The quality of this model is amazing. Who created it?”

“Me!”

“Han Yewon students, right? As expected, you’re great too.”

There were many visitors.

Often, three or four people were attached to our work at a time and carefully analyzed it.

Basically, since the school brand is behind it and the quality of the model is higher than most, more people flocked towards us. In terms of the number of visitors we had, it was one of the highest in the contest.

Okay.

The problem was that it was nearly impossible to be the best.

“Oh, did the students design this? I wonder how you came up with this idea.”

Not too far away, Hankook University was attracting an enormous amount of visitors.

“I thought about it while eating sushi.”

“While you were eating sushi?”

“Yes. It made me think about how, instead of people walking around the exhibits, what if the exhibits rotated with them?”

“That’s an amazing idea.”

Their average number of visitors is more than four times that of other teams. There was also a fairly significant gap when compared to our team.

‘This isn’t good.’

Naturally, a sense of crisis reared its head.

To be honest, in my opinion, the work of Hankook University had a number of flaws.

When it comes to exhibitions, the tempo for each person to view a work is different, but theirs is a system that forces a constant rate.

Which screwed-up entrepreneur would use such a model?

However, the reaction of the audience was different.

“This is amazing.”

“It’s not Hankook University for no reason.”

“It’s like a miniaturized factory.”

The general public is bound to pursue instant entertainment rather than practicality in the field. There was no choice but to pay attention to the model that moved by itself.

Moreover, in this contest, the reaction of visitors could not be ignored. The more unique a work is, the better it will be to publish in an article.

Okay.

In other words, it was a work that was fully optimized for attracting attention.

‘You’re smart.’

It wasn’t that I didn’t think of things like that— I knew it would work well if I made it that way.

However, there was another reason.

‘How can an undergraduate make something like that?’

This was the biggest problem.

It wasn’t possible for three undergraduate students to wrap their heads together and make all of that in under a month. Though, would it be possible if professors had put their heads together?

‘No. Was it actually the professors who made it?’

That’s what I thought.

At this point, even prototypes made by a company’s design personnel are lesser than theirs. However, even if my guess is correct, then it was just a matter of interrogation under the current circumstances.

“This doesn’t make sense no matter how I look at it…”

I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Hanseol had been wearing an unpleasant expression the entire time.

“Did they not go to their classes at all and only prepared for this contest for an entire year?”

I had to let it go because there was no evidence.

It was in the midst of slowly losing visitors to the Hankook University team.

Tic. Tick. Tic.

An unnatural sound came from somewhere, and a series of surprised voices followed soon after.

“Huh?”

“What? Why isn’t this moving?”

It was the Hankook University team.

Their mechanical model, which had been moving along smoothly, suddenly stopped working.

It made a series of jarring sounds that were quite painful to listen to.

Twitch.

Dreeep.

Perhaps something got caught in the middle of the machine parts.

“Um… please wait a moment.”

The Hankook University team hastily turned off the model. Then they started fiddling around with it as if they were trying to fix it somehow.

However, they didn’t know if it would work.

It seems that an internal failure has occurred.

About 10 minutes were spent sluggishly without any improvement.

“We’ll have to stop the exhibition. Please visit us again in a little while, sorry!”

They announced that they would take a break and suspended the exhibition, and took their model off of the display, putting it back into the packaging box. Then, they put the box onto a cart and pushed it somewhere.

Where are they going?

‘Maybe they’re going to find someone to fix it for them.’

I don’t understand.

It was suspicious.

I’m a human named Lee Jaeha. I am a man who can’t hold back his curiosity well. So, I’m going to check it out for myself.

“Seol-noona.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to have to go somewhere for a bit.”

I asked my team members to be excused for a moment and left to follow them.

*

After secretly following the Hankook University team for a while, it seemed that they took the elevator in the venue and went downstairs.

‘Let’s see where we end up.’

I hurriedly opened the emergency door, entered, and followed them by taking the stairs.

Ding.

Slirrrp.

The Hankook University team got off at the parking lot on the 3rd floor of the basement. This was the most deserted space in the building of the event hall.

‘Why did you come here?’

In addition, I noticed them secretly checking for the location of a CCTV.

‘You’re doing some very suspicious things.’

While hiding behind a pillar and watching them, the Hankook University team soon began to exchange words with someone on the phone.

“Yes, we’re on the 3rd floor of the basement right now. I’m sorry, but please come quickly. It’s urgent.”

They spoke on the phone like that for a while.

As I tried to hide while watching them, a middle-aged man soon walked in.

‘Who is it?’

It was a familiar face.

I soon realized.

‘Professor Seo Do-Wook?’

He was a professor of the Department of Industrial Design at Hankook University.

If there was Professor Lee Jong at Han Yewon, then there was Professor Seo Do-wook at Hankook University.

He was famous for being talented in various fields at a young age.

‘Why is he here?’

I was looking at him with a puzzled expression as the members of the Hankook University team bowed their heads to him and held out the cart.

“Please fix it as soon as possible.”

“Whoa. That’s why I told you to read the instruction manual properly. Am I going to always be the one who you run to when you need something?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You need to be able to do well on your own.”

“Yes.”

“Okay, let’s get to work.”

Professor Seo Do-wook clicked his tongue for a moment.

He opened the box on the cart, pulled out the model inside, and began to inspect its insides.

I soon realized.

‘Are you looking for the area where it broke down?’

It was strange.

No matter how much I thought about it, it was a strange situation.

What was strange was the fact that they asked someone else to fix it. If that model was truly made by the hands of the Hankook University team, wouldn’t they know how to fix it by themselves?

Even if it was urgent.

No, if they were in a hurry, then they had to fix it even more, because the more personal the products you make are, the longer it takes to figure out the structure.

‘Especially if the structure is as precise as a factory machine. A factory may shut down for weeks because the internal symptoms cannot be diagnosed.’

Therefore, in most cases, the fastest way to fix it was for the creator himself to help.

Why do you have to borrow someone else’s hand for such a thing?

‘Even having to hide like that. You came to the parking lot where no one else could see you.’

At this point, my inner thoughts were confirmed.

‘Professor Seo Do-wook had participated in the production of their model. He’s also the core part of their work.’

It seemed certain.

If so, then it was a violation of the regulations of this contest.

Perhaps if this situation is known, Hankook University will be disqualified from participating. However, it was difficult to reveal right away, since they’ll be declared innocent if they deny it enough.

‘But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way.’

Instead of confronting them, I took out my cell phone.

‘Let’s take video evidence.’

Fortunately, it’s the early 2000s right now, so sound could be captured on my phone.

So, I filmed with my body hidden behind the pillar.

“Ah. This was the problem. There is a foreign object stuck in the drive.”

“Where is that?”

“Here.”

“Ah!”

“Just look at the manual, you guys could’ve fixed it on your own. Can’t you pull yourselves together?”

“Sorry.”

As the Hankook University team checked to see if the problem was completely solved, I quickly got out of the parking lot.

Now, all we have left is to calculate everything carefully.

*

Ju Ji-hoon looked at me with a strange look as I returned to the exhibition hall.

“Where have you been for so long?”

“The bathroom.”

“Yeah, that’s why I told you to eat soup in moderation. If you don’t eat vegetables and consume only carbohydrates everyday, your body will····.”

“I’m just kidding.”

I gave up on the excuse  immediately because I thought the nagging would be prolonged.

“Actually, I came back after following the Hankook University team.”

“Them? Why?”

While Ju Ji-hoon was tilting his head, I took out my cell phone.

“I discovered something great. Look at this.”

I showed them the video that was taken in the parking lot.

As it was an old cell phone camera, the dark parking lot was not properly recorded, but you could still see that someone was tearing up the model of the Korea University team.

It was also confirmed through the recorded conversation that Professor Seo Do-wook participated in the production of their model.

“What? Who is this?”

“It’s professor Seok Do-Wook of Hankook University.”

“What?”

Ju Ji-hoon’s eyes widened

“Is the professor here right now?”

“Yes.”

“Such crazy people…”

“That’s right. It’s crazy.”

I nodded.

“No. No wonder their work was so good. They were using this trick behind our backs. All because of the grand prize too? Are they out of their minds?” Hanseol said with an angry look.

“I know. They really must be out of their minds.”

“Let’s report it right now.”

I shook my head at the sight of Hanseol, who seemed like she might burst any second now.

“Please wait a little bit longer for that.”

“Why?”

I looked straight into her eyes and said,

“There’s always a good time for everything.”