Six months in, Seokjun had learned to install film on curved surfaces.
He wasn't perfect. While Uncle installed ten pieces, Seokjun installed four, and one of those had lifted slightly at the edge and had to be redone. Still, the man who couldn't even flatten a piece of scrap film six months ago and had gotten it wrapped around his fingers was now installing film on curved surfaces.
That day, they were at a commercial renovation job site in Gangnam. A café was getting ready to open. The counter, wall panels, and bathroom doors. It was a large job. Uncle brought in two more technicians. Five people, with a three-day completion schedule.
The general contractor was an interior design company called Design Plus. The site supervisor arrived in the morning and handed them the schedule.
"Mr. Yoo, it has to be finished within three days. The café opens Friday."
Uncle looked over the schedule.
"All this in three days? The curved counter alone needs two days."
"I'll raise the unit rate. Just make it work."
"How much?"
The site supervisor named a figure. Uncle's expression didn't change. Seokjun heard it from beside him. He didn't know what the number meant. Whether it was high or low.
After the site supervisor left, Uncle said to Hyungsik,
"At that unit rate, there's nothing left after labor costs."
"But we're still taking it, right?"
"If we don't, they won't call us next time. This company has three or four jobs a month."
That was when Seokjun first realized that skill wasn't everything. No matter how good a technician was, the people handing out the work set the unit rate. Sometimes, even when the rate wasn't right, you had to take the job to maintain the relationship. Refuse, and there'd be no next job.
On the afternoon of the second day, a problem came up.
The film for the countertop was a different color. The color code on the film ordered by the general contractor was just slightly different from the film that had arrived at the job site. They looked similar to the naked eye, but under the lights, the tones were different.
Uncle called the site supervisor.
"Boss, the film's color code is different. It'll show once we install it."
"Just put it on. The café owner won't know."
"Of course they'll know. It'll be obvious as soon as the lights are on."
"Mr. Yoo, the opening is the day after tomorrow. If we reorder, it'll take a week. Just do it."
Uncle hung up. For a long while, he stared at the roll of film.
"Uncle, should we just install it?"
Seokjun asked. Uncle looked at him.
"If you were the café owner, how would you feel? You paid for the renovation, and the colors didn't match."
"...I'd be angry."
"You would. And who would you be angry at? The general contractor? No. You'd be angry at the guy who installed it. At us."
Uncle called again. This time, he called the general contractor's owner.
"Sir, we can't install film with a different color code. If it results in a defect, it'll damage our professional reputation. Either send us the correct film again or extend the completion schedule by two days."
A voice came through the phone. Seokjun couldn't make out the exact words, but he saw Uncle's expression harden.
Uncle hung up.
"What did they say?"
Hyungsik asked.
"They'll send the film again tomorrow. But the schedule stays the same."
"Then we'll have to redo it within three days."
"Two days. If the film comes tomorrow, two days."
Hyungsik sighed. Seokjun looked at Uncle. Uncle had already gone back to the other work.
That night, Seokjun asked Uncle,
"Why didn't you just install it? It would've been easier."
Uncle took a sip of beer. They were in Aunt and Uncle's living room. Aunt had already gone to bed.
"Seokjun, if you want to last in this trade, there's only one thing you need to stick to. Don't cause defects. If someone asks you to do it cheap, you can do it cheap. If they ask you to do it fast, you can do it fast. But if they ask you to do a sloppy job, you don't do it. The moment you work carelessly, it puts a mark on your name. This trade is small. Once word gets around, it's over."
Seokjun didn't drink his beer. He turned Uncle's words over in his mind.
Don't cause defects. Don't put a mark on your name. This trade is small.
When Seokjun practiced kendo, his instructor had said something similar. If you cut corners on the fundamentals, it'll show in a match. You might fool the referee, but you can't fool your opponent's sword.
A different world, but the same words.
"Uncle."
"What?"
"Can I have one can of beer, too?"
Uncle took a can from the refrigerator and set it in front of Seokjun. Seokjun opened it. The two of them drank in silence.
The living room clock pointed to eleven. Six tomorrow morning. Five hours from now.
Seokjun finished his beer and stood up.
"When the film comes tomorrow, I'll do the side of the counter."
Uncle looked at Seokjun.
"It's curved."
"I can do it."
Uncle crushed his empty can.
"If you can't, I'll have to redo it. You know that, right?"
"Yes."
"All right. Give it a try."
Seokjun went into the small room. He pulled up the blanket and closed his eyes. He opened and closed his hands. The curved counter tomorrow. This was the real thing.
His hands remembered. The feel of the scrap film he'd applied to the edge of his desk every morning for three months still lingered in his fingertips.
Sleep came.