Big Life Chapter 141-145

Chapter 141. I’m An Earthling (11)

“What?”

Ha Jae-Gun looked at her.

Lee Soo-Hee muttered, “I hate getting distracted in front of you. It would be nice if I could make some mistakes from time to time, but mistakes aren’t allowed, and I don’t like it.

”I also don’t like the fact that you wouldn’t reach your hand out to me. I don’t like how you’re a perfectionist. I don’t like that the company is sending me overseas just because I’m good at my work.”

Tears welled up in Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes.

She mocked herself and held her tears back.

“I don’t like how I’m being like this in front of you. I don’t like how my pride has disappeared, and now I’m confessing to the man who has already rejected me. I’ve received many confessions from so many men out there, but here I am again. I’m so pathetic—I’m an idiot, I’m angry, I’m annoyed, and I’m upset.”

“Soo-Hee…”

“But what can I do? I was born that way.” Lee Soo-Hee pulled out a piece of tissue and wiped her tear-stricken face before standing up. “I’ve finished what I wanted to say, so I’ll be leaving now. I’ll go out and take a breather; don’t follow me.”

Ha Jae-Gun stood there blankly, watching her leave.

She stood in the foyer and was about to put on her shoes.

It was the pair of flats Ha Jae-Gun had bought for her in Japan.

The flats that initially hurt her feet now fit nicely.

“Don’t leave.”

“I’m going to leave.”

“I’m not saying that you shouldn’t go home. I’m asking you not to go to Europe, Soo-Hee.”

Lee Soo-Hee paused and turned around.

“…?!”

Ha Jae-Gun looked right back at her and gulped.

“I was ashamed of myself back in university, so I couldn’t bring myself to accept you. I had nothing to my name back then, so how could I go out with someone as beautiful as you?

”I’m currently living a life miles better than my life not too long ago, but I’m still afraid. I couldn’t bring it up first, as I was afraid of what our future would turn out to be.”

Lee Soo-Hee’s lips trembled.

Ha Jae-Gun stood just a few steps away from her with his hand on his forehead.

“I’m not going to worry and think about the future now. I don’t know what’s going to happen to us. All I know is that I’m going to be selfish from now on. I’m not going to care even if your career progression is stifled because of me. What’s all that got to do with me? I’m a selfish jerk. I’m going to just think for myself.”

Ha Jae-Gun put down his hand then strode over to her.

Facing Lee Soo-Hee, he muttered, “I love you, Lee Soo-Hee.”

“Jae-Gun…?”

“I’ve felt this way ever since the first day I saw you. And now I’m slightly more confident that I’m qualified to confess to an amazing woman like you. I really love you. Really…”

Lee Soo-Hee covered her mouth with both hands, and tears began flowing down her cheeks.

“Sob, sob…!”

“Soo-Hee.”

“You… You really took… too long…!”

Ha Jae-Gun pulled Lee Soo-Hee into a hug. She felt small and thin in his arms. Her usual confrontational appearance couldn’t be seen here.

After a while, Ha Jae-Gun finally let go of her.

Lee Soo-Hee’s plump and seductive lips caught Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes.

Ha Jae-Gun slowly leaned in, but he stopped himself in time.

“Am I going too fast?”

“No.”

Lee Soo-Hee went ahead and kissed him on the lips. She then wrapped her hands around Ha Jae-Gun’s neck and pulled him closer. As they became one, the two staggered backward and fell onto the sofa.

“Uuph… Haa.”

Their tongues were entangled in between their overlapping lips. Ha Jae-Gun kept caressing Lee Soo-Hee’s cheeks with both hands throughout the kiss.

He was in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that he was kissing and caressing his long-time crush since his university days.

Lee Soo-Hee’s sweet, hot breath on his cheeks made Ha Jae-Gun feel like going crazy. His hand instinctively reached to unbutton Lee Soo-Hee’s blouse.

“Meow…” Rika came down from the windowsill where she had been curled up at for a while. She rushed up the stairs to the study on the second floor.

“Haa, Jae-Gun… Wait…”

Lee Soo-Hee’s face turned a shade redder when her blouse was undone. Ha Jae-Gun spotted her pale long neck above her chest that Lee Soo-Hee covered with her arms. Ha Jae-Gun’s lips went for her neck. Lee Soo-Hee often had her hair up in a ponytail back in university, and her neckline often distracted him during classes.

“A-ah…!”

Lee Soo-Hee’s body trembled lightly as Ha Jae-Gun kissed her collarbone. The tingling feeling coming from her abdomen made her entire body tremble. She couldn’t even move a single finger.

“Jae-Gun… Please…”

Lee Soo-Hee’s desperate pleas made Ha Jae-Gun come back to his senses.

Ha Jae-Gun stopped kissing her and looked up.

Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes were shut tightly, seemingly in agony,

Ha Jae-Gun asked softly, “Sorry, should I stop?”

“No… Just turn off the lights.”

When Lee Soo-Hee’s words fell, the lights in the basement went out.

It was startling, but the couple weren’t in the mood to question the phenomenon.

Rika’s eyes shone softly in the basement for a while before they disappeared as Rika turned around and returned to the story.

***

Ha Jae-Gun was in a dream.

A signboard that read Gyeoja Bathhouse was in front of him.

The building looked extremely old and shabby. The permanently closed bathhouse had a poster at its doors that read No Entry fluttering in the wind.

Ha Jae-Gun turned around slowly and signboards to Guncheon Public Office and Guncheon Police Station appeared before him.

All of a sudden, a sound came from his feet.

Rika was acting cute and was hanging onto the hem of his pants.

‘Hmm…?!’

The light coming from somewhere singed Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes, and he abruptly opened them.

A familiar-looking ceiling was in front of him.

Looking around, he found himself lying on a bed in a bedroom.

‘Why are there no sheets?’ Ha Jae-Gun wondered as he sat up. He clearly remembered that there were white sheets when he laid down with Lee Soo-Hee, but he couldn’t find them anymore.

“Hmm, did Lee Soo-Hee remove it?”

“Meow.”

“Oh, Rika. How was your sleep?”

Ha Jae-Gun yawned and hugged Rika.

Looking at Rika, he recalled the dream he had earlier.

‘Gyeoja Bathhouse? Guncheon Public Office? Have I been there before?’

While he was occupied with his thoughts still half-asleep, a clatter came from outside.

Ha Jae-Gun took Rika and headed out of the room.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, did you wake up because of me? I was taking out a pot and accidentally dropped the lid,” Lee Soo-Hee said and smiled awkwardly with a ladle in hand.

Ha Jae-Gun was in his wide short-sleeved t-shirt without any pants on. His pale thighs looked dazzling under the morning sunlight, and a thought suddenly came to Ha Jae-Gun’s mind.

“The stew is boiling, so just wait for a while. Shall I get you a cup of coffee?”

“I’ll do it myself. Do you want a cup, too?”

“Sure.”

As Ha Jae-Gun made coffee for both of them, he suddenly smelt something strange and squinted his eyes. Lee Soo-Hee was walking weirdly around in the kitchen. She was limping, seemingly wounded.

“Lee Soo-Hee, did you hurt your leg?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you limping? You look awkward walking like that.”

Lee Soo-Hee’s face reddened and shook her head. “Ah, t-this… No, it’s fine.”

“What do you mean fine? Where are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing like that, dummy.”

“Why am I a dummy?”

“How did you write your bestsellers when you don’t have a clue about women?”

Lee Soo-Hee grinned, but she was dumbfounded by his reaction as well.

Rika pawed on Ha Jae-Gun’s cheeks a couple times, as if criticizing him.

‘Anyway, it felt like a dream.’

Last night’s events felt surreal to Ha Jae-Gun. He never thought that love was such a great thing. A smile bloomed on his face.

Bzzt!

His phone vibrated on the kitchen counter.

Ha Jae-Gun picked up his phone and opened the text message.

However, there wasn’t just one message waiting for him.

There were over ten missed calls and twenty desperate-sounding messages made to him overnight.

Ha Jae-Gun checked all the messages and his eyes widened in shock.

However, his shock lasted only for a few moments. He had gotten a bit more knowledgeable about the world compared to not too long ago, and he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

“Hahaha…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I told the lawyers to sue those who have been posting malicious comments about me on the Internet. They caught two, and they just sent me messages. They sound so desperate.”

“That’s good news. Don’t agree to a settlement. They deserve punishment.” Lee Soo-Hee responded while watching the stew boil, but her eyes suddenly widened in surprise. “Wait, how did those people find your number if you left the job to your lawyers?”

“Well, it’s because I know them.”

“You know them?”

Ha Jae-Gun handed his phone to Lee Soo-Hee.

Lee Soo-Hee took it and read the messages, and her jaws dropped open in horror.

She knew those names as well.

***

“I’m really sorry, I’m really, really sorry, Ha Jae-Gun!”

Tae-Jung rubbed his palms together, begging, asking for forgiveness. His unkempt mustache made him look haggard. Meanwhile, the cafe owner and other diners were watching the scene with a strange look.The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bj’n.

“I-I must have been out of my mind. I drank too much and… My work isn’t working out, nor was my writing doing well enough. I wrote those out of jealousy. I’m really, really sorry…”

Lee Soo-Hee looked down coldly at Tae-Jung.

She recalled how Tae-Jung acted back during Myungkyung Arts University’s orientation. Tae-Jung had openly expressed his hatred toward Ha Jae-Gun since then, just because Ha Jae-Gun was doing much better than him.

“Let’s agree to a settlement. I r-really… I have to work as a civil servant just to make a living. If I get booked, I will really have to die. My future will be ruined.”

Ha Jae-Gun had no idea what to say.

Lee Soo-Hee spoke up in his stead. “How are you so shameless that you’re worried about nothing but yourself even in this situation? I know you’re not sorry after cursing using every curse word out there. You’re just sorry that you got caught, and you’re just worried about taking the civil servant exams.”

“Soo-Hee, I’m really sorry toward you as well…! Please, please… I’m begging you!”

Tae-Jung got out of his chair and knelt down on the floor. He didn’t care how others viewed him at this point. Of course, he couldn’t really care less about them either.

“I’m really sorry, Jae-Gun. Please let me go this time, sobbbb…!”

Tae-Jung knelt at Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee’s feet, rubbing his hands while sobbing. Ha Jae-Gun rubbed the back of his neck with a complicated look.

The crocodile tears that Tae-Jung shed did not get to him.

Just then…

“Ah, you’ve just arrived?” Lee Soo-Hee smiled and waved at the cafe entrance.

The woman standing at the cafe entrance stood stiffly like a statue.

Tae-Jung glanced and his teary eyes widened in surprise.

“J-Jung-Mi…!”

Jung-Mi was the second individual the lawyers caught along with Tae-Jung.

Jung-Mi stood there frozen and in a daze. She had no idea where to look.

Tae-Jung could not speak and only watched her blankly.

He didn’t expect to see Jung-Mi here, as a suspect of defamation. He had liked her since university. He clenched his jaws so hard that his teeth felt like they were going to break. If there were a rat hole somewhere, he very much wanted to hide inside it even if it meant crushing all the bones in his body.

“Let’s agree to a settlement.” Ha Jae-Gun stood up, thinking that this punishment was more than enough. “I hope you’ll become a good civil servant.”

Ha Jae-Gun grabbed Lee Soo-Hee’s hand and left the table.

Jung-Mi remained standing like a frozen statue, even as the couple walked past her.

“That’s good enough, right?” Lee Soo-Hee asked as they walked hand in hand.

Ha Jae-Gun held Lee Soo-Hee’s hand and nodded.

“Are you okay?”

“I feel nothing. I don’t want to be bothered by these little things as well,” he said,but , he inwardly added, ‘You’re the reason I managed to take it, Soo-Hee.’

“Yeah, Jae-Gun. You need to set your sights far now that you’ve become a globally known name.”

“There Was A Sea is the only one going global.”

“Who knows? Perhaps Oscar’s Dungeon might expand overseas first. I’m a competent team leader, after all.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled while looking at Lee Soo-Hee, then cast his gaze downward.

Lee Soo-Hee still looked awkward while walking.

Ha Jae-Gun crouched down in front of her and said, “Come on.”

“This is embarrassing. Don’t do it.”

“I think you hurt your leg, so let me carry you.”

“I can walk, it’s fine.”

“Hmm, I’m going to carry you like this then.”

“J-Ha Jae-Gun?!”

Ha Jae-Gun slid one arm under her knees, and another behind her back before lifting her up.

Lee Soo-Hee struggled in embarrassment, but Ha Jae-Gun didn’t put her down.

Spring was definitely coming to them.

Chapter 142. Tremble in Fear (1)

“We met once when you appeared in our broadcast station’s program, A Writer’s Study, right? It has been a long while. You look much rosier compared to back then, or is it just me?”

The female emcee, Park Hye-Sang, in a two-piece outfit, looked up from her script at Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled calmly at her and said, “Other writers have told me the same. I used to hear that I was too thin. In fact, I think it’s because I’ve recently begun taking care of my own health.”

Ha Jae-Gun was currently at the filming location for the EBC program, Strolling with Literature.

The filming wasn’t in a studio but at the park located in front of the broadcast station. Ha Jae-Gun was wearing a white silk shirt and navy slacks. The greenery behind them fluttered in the spring breeze.

“You look quite relaxed.”

“Yeah. Wealth and fame are good things. I don’t think you looked so well when we met back then.”

The crew behind the camera angle all wore envious looks. Despite having met countless writers before, Ha Jae-Gun was on a different level. Few writers could match such phenomenal growth. And they would have to try several times if they wanted to cast those writers on their shows.

“To get bestsellers for two of your novels in a row… I wonder how much money he earned from them…” a staff member muttered while shaking his head.

Two of his novels had become bestsellers, and they had become movies.

One of them was There Was A Sea was filmed by a rookie director, and it ended up with 8.2 million viewers in its final run.

The Baeksong Arts Awards would be held at the end of May. Countless articles were already speculating that the movie would receive awards in at least two categories.

“Oh? Sung-Gyu hyung. He must have earned a lot, right? Royalties, copyright licensing, and even scenarios… Just how much is he earning per month?”

“How would I know? Plus, Writer Ha is originally a genre novel writer, so I think that’s where he is raking up the real money.”

The crew’s remarks about Ha Jae-Gun raking in money weren’t exaggerated. In terms of business achievements, Poongchun-Yoo was performing pretty great compared to Ha Jae-Gun.

The ebook market was growing day by day. The market was simply adding wings to Poongchun-Yoo. The Breath and Oscar’s Dungeon were being sold at a frightening pace daily, both online and offline.

“He even made a game with Nextion. It’ll be disgusting if it becomes popular. I heard that it’s going to enter the China and Taiwan markets.”

“Yeah. Well, we’ll have to wait and see if it becomes a hit. Yikes, stop chatting. The producer is coming.”

The crew stopped chattering amongst themselves when one of them spotted the producer approaching from a distance.

Park Hye-Sang and Ha Jae-Gun were enjoying a pleasant conversation.

“…Let’s talk about the time when you appeared in A Writer’s Study. At that time, Summer in My 20s was about to hit a million copies sold. Do you still remember when I asked you how you felt about its amazing performance despite the recession?”

“Of course. I answered by saying that I was startled by the potential of mystery novels in Korea.”

“Yes, that’s right. But, now Summer in My 20s is about to hit 2 million copies sold. After that, you’ve also published There Was A Sea, which is also approaching 1.5 million copies sold.”

Park Hye-Sang paused for a moment, and her jaws dropped slightly in surprise.

Ha Jae-Gun looked down briefly, smiling shyly.

“Let me ask a personal question here. Writer Ha Jae-Gun, were you expecting that you’d become so popular?”

“To be honest, no. Whenever I hear the updated numbers from the editor-in-chief, I would always get surprised. I would always doubt my hearing and doubt that my novels actually sold so many copies. I’ve always felt that way.”

Park Hye-Sang nodded and flipped the page on her script.

They would soon arrive at the last page of the script.

“It’s time for us to discuss There Was A Sea entering the US market. News is you’ve already sold 50 thousand copies for the first print, and another 50 thousand copies are being printed at the moment.”

“Haha, yes.”

“You have made great achievements as compared to other local writers who entered the US market before. Even the New York Times, one of the leading daily newspapers in America, also published a favorable book review on your novels.

”How do you feel about that?”

“Actually, I’m quite worried. The psychology, consciousness, and other things that make up the characters in the novel play a huge part in the entire story. I’m afraid that the unique sensibility specific to Korea might not be understandable to the American readers.”

Park Hye-Sang listened intently with her eyes narrowed.

Ha Jae-Gun rearranged his thoughts and said, “Ultimately, it’s thanks to the help of all the assistants who have put in the effort to ensure high-quality translation, good marketing, etc. Many people have contributed to the success of this novel.”

Ha Jae-Gun looked up and saw Lee Yeon-Woo with Rika in his arms beyond the cameras.

When their eyes met, Lee Yeon-Woo mouthed the words, “Hyung, you’re awesome.”

Warm wind lightly brushed past the tip of Ha Jae-Gun’s nose as he smiled.

***

Oh Myung-Suk sat in his office at Mysterium, staring into space with a smile.

The initial response to There Was A Sea in the US market was great.

Bzzt!

The call was from Chae Yoo-Jin.

Oh Myung-Suk answered the call right away.

“Ms. Yoo-Jin, why did you make an international call at this hour?”

— I called because the night is long and I’m bored. Why?

Chae Yoo-Jin spoke casually. She was a long-time friend and batchmate of Oh Myung-Suk’s. She was an agent, and her job was to help publishing companies expand into different countries.

— Myung-Hoon seems to be doing well. There Was A Sea should hit its NPR[1] soon. I heard from a few acquaintances that he even personally approached people to write book reviews. He even has a senior who is a reporter. Has Myung-Hoon always been that kind of person?

“Anyway, I’m proud and thankful as his older brother.” Oh Myung-Suk smiled and opened a drawer. It was filled with a photo he had taken with Oh Myung-Hoon when they were younger.

— The first prints were sold out, and another 50 thousand copies are being printed. I think he’ll pull this off well. The novel should get to the New York Times’ bestseller list. However, I think it’ll be hard to go any further than that.

“It might get in the Top 20 if I leave it in your hands,” said Oh Myung-Suk. He was half sincere when he said that. He knew that Chae Yoo-Jin was a relatively competent agent. She had a deep understanding of overseas markets, and she also had great relationships with leading publishers.

Business would only happen if people could meet. The keys to getting things done were affinity and work experience.

This also applied to Chae Yoo-Jin as a literary agent. Her skill was born from extensive knowledge and abundant experience, but she had always been talented since their university days.

— That’s smooth. Anyway, you paid, so how could I do a sloppy job? There’s no way OongSung will miss out on anything.

“Well, if your job as an agent is just limited to making sure that there won’t be any licensing issues and assisting with the contracts, we wouldn’t have hired you.”

— If you have the thoughts to do so, just give me a copy of Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s novel. I’ll do a good job with the sales. Wait, is he actually working on a new novel? Something that would work well in the US.

“I think he’s been busy with game scenarios recently. I couldn’t ask him about his plans for a new novel.”

— You’re talking about Oscar’s Dungeon, right? The novel has reached volume 8 or 9, I think? It’s too long. It’s a long shot right from the start.

“Yeah, probably.”

— I’ve reviewed all his previous novels. Foolish Woman, A 90s Kid, even Summer in My 20s… But wow, There Was A Sea was the best. This is the only novel that’ll at least gain some standing here. It’ll be tough for the others, honestly. Asian writers have never really been popular here, save for a few. The market is a mess as well. His other novels are too unique to Korea, so it’s going to be hard.

Chae Yoo-Jin picked up the pace as she explained.

— Maybe try to get him to write a new literary novel. Any genre is fine: mystery, horror, romance, or even a fantasy novel set in the modern era. At least something that’ll catch the attention of the US market. Focus on the story, okay?

“I’ll try to bring it up if I get the chance.”

— Alright. Haa, I have to sleep now. I miss you, Oh Myung-Suk. Fly over and visit me sometime, and let’s call each other more often.

“Okay. Rest well.”

Oh Myung-Suk hung up and entered Ha Jae-Gun’s number in his phone but stopped himself. He thought that it wouldn’t be too late to bring the matter up to Ha Jae-Gun once they saw each other in the near future.

The sunlight flowing through the window felt warm.

***

“Wow, Jae-Gun hyung. Your Twitter has over 1.5 million followers now. Your involvement with Do-Joon hyung and AppleT was no joke.”

“That’s not the issue right now. Wow, I think I have to filter this thing.”

Ha Jae-Gun was looking at his monitor with teary eyes.

After the publication of There Was A Sea in the US, emails from American readers had been flooding in. Of course, they were all in English. It had been a while since he studied English, so Ha Jae-Gun felt dizzy trying to understand each sentence.

‘I should still reply to them.’

Ha Jae-Gun took almost ten times as much time to reply to each of the emails as compared to the Korean readers. He was grateful to them for reading his novel, and the only way he could repay them was to reply to their emails.

Bzzt!

It was a call from Lee Soo-Hee.

Ha Jae-Gun made quick work of the email he was writing before picking up his phone and heading to the bedroom to answer.

“Yeah, Soo-Hee?”

— Have you had lunch yet?

“I’m about to get some. What about you?”

— I’m about to have lunch with my team members later. I think we’re going to have beef tartare mixed rice. What are you going to eat with Yeon-Woo?

“We should have beef tartare mixed rice as well, then,” Ha Jae-Gun replied with a chuckle.

Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee had never really shared such long conversations about their daily lives before. But now, it was different. Every conversation they shared was sweet.

— Stop being a copycat. You had the vitamins I got you, right?

“Yes.”

— And you heated up the stew before eating it?

“Of course. I follow orders.”

— You left the lid tilted, right? And what did you do with the laundry folded on the sofa? I’m afraid that Rika will start gnawing at them.

“I’ve done everything you said, so don’t worry. You don’t have to take care of everything so perfectly.”

— It’s just my personality. Oh, the weather is good. I want to go on a trip.

Lee Soo-Hee’s fresh-sounding voice tickled his ears.

Ha Jae-Gun suppressed his urge to look for her immediately and answered, “Do you want to go? Maybe for two days and one night over the weekends?”

— Really? Can you go?

“I’m a freelancer, so it’s fine. How about you?”

— Of course, I can go since it’s during the weekends. Ah, it’s going to be fun. It’s our first trip together. Where should we go? Hmm? Where should we go, Jae-Gun?

“Let’s discuss it over dinner later when we meet.”

— Okay, let’s do that. Jae-Gun, I’m sorry, I have to head out for lunch now. I’ll call you when I get off from work. Enjoy your lunch.

“Mm, you too.”The first reveal of this chapter happened through N0v3l-Bi(j)n.

Ha Jae-Gun hung up the phone and looked up the Internet on his phone. As he searched and looked through the potential places for their first trip, he suddenly thought of something.

‘There’s… Guncheon-gu, right?’

The dream that he had before surfaced in his mind. That shabby-looking signboard that read Gyeoja Bathhouse, then the signboards of Guncheon Public Office and Guncheon Police Station appeared one after the other.

‘Ah, it’s in Gyeongju.’

The area was well known for its numerous historical sites dating back to the Silla era.

Ha Jae-Gun had visited Gyeongju with his family once when he was a high school student. He looked up the things he saw in his dream, starting with Gyeoja Bathhouse first.

However, there was no place named Gyeoja Bathhouse in Gyeongju City.

He changed his method and looked up Guncheon Public Office and took a look at the surroundings using street view. However, the results were the same. There was only a new state-of-the-art sauna building in the vicinity.

“Jae-Gun hyung, I’m starving.”

“All right, let’s go eat lunch.”

They left the office, and Ha Jae-Gun continued with his train of thought. He also wondered if Lee Soo-Hee would agree with the idea of going to Gyeongju for their first trip together.

Chapter 143. Tremble in Fear (2)

As evening drew close and they met for dinner, Lee Soo-Hee readily agreed to go to Gyeongju for their upcoming trip.

“Are you really okay with it?”

“Yeah, I’m good with it. My last trip to Gyeongju was back during my first year of university, with Hyo-Jin, Jung-Jin, and a few others.”

A variety of dishes were laid out on the table, Lee Soo-Hee picked up the plate of shrimp sushi and placed it in front of Ha Jae-Gun.

“I remember asking you to join us back then, but I think you were too busy with writing throughout the entire summer vacation. You sat out back then, right?”

“Haha, yeah,” Ha Jae-Gun replied with a shy smile.

Memories of those tough and hot summer days surfaced in his mind. Back then, he had to write while sweating profusely despite having a fan. He was holed up in his room throughout the summer vacation.

There was even one day when he had no idea that his nose was bleeding. He could still remember how his father had given him a beatdown back then.

“I wrote like I went crazy..”

As if reading his mind, Lee Soo-Hee said, “I was on the phone with Jung-Jin a few days back, and we talked about you, saying that you were always writing something during holidays, lunch breaks, and even after school while drinking with friends.

“There’s no way you would have failed to succeed with the amount of effort you’ve put into your writing.”

“Jung-Jin said that?”

“Yeah. He actually gets more excited talking about you than about himself.”

Ha Jae-Gun looked down and chuckled. Park Jung-Jin was one true friend who had given him the strength to come all the way to where he stood at the moment. Ha Jae-Gun definitely would repay him.

‘Hmm?’

As he reminisced, Ha Jae-Gun’s downward gaze became clearer.

Lee Soo-Hee had a blustering chiffon skirt on today. Her long, slender thighs were wrapped in black stockings. They looked even more alluring with the orange lights shining on them.

“Where are you looking so intently?” Lee Soo-Hee felt his gaze and adjusted her skirt.

Ha Jae-Gun looked up belatedly.

He picked up a plate of sushi and said calmly, “Your legs look beautiful.”

“Look at you, getting more shameless.” Lee Soo-Hee’s face blushed, bewildered.

Ha Jae-Gun shrugged and smiled in response. Now, he didn’t have to steal glances at Lee Soo-Hee’s legs anymore. He still found it awkward looking at her openly, but at least he would be forgiven if he was caught looking.

“I usually like the summer season, but I’m slowly hating it now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I won’t be able to see you wear stockings in summer.”

“You—men really are…”

“Hahaha.”

Bzzt!

Their conversation was interrupted by Ha Jae-Gun’s ringing phone.

It was a call from Oh Myung-Suk.

Ha Jae-Gun excused himself and picked up the call.

“Hello, editor-in-chief.”

— Hello, Mr. Ha. Are you available to talk right now?

“Yes, please speak.”

— I would like to arrange a meeting with you this week. I have something to tell you. Are you available on Friday evening?

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll be going on a trip this weekend to Gyeongju, so it’s going to be tough. However, I’m free next Tuesday onward.”

— I understand. I’ll arrange for a meeting sometime next week then.

“But what is this about? I’m curious, so I can’t help but ask.”

— Haha, there are two things I’d like to discuss. Simply put, there are a few commercial requests that came in from a couple of online essay academies, including Giga Study. They say that your intellectual impression will improve their businesses’ public image.

“Ah, I see…”

Ha Jae-Gun wasn’t all that interested in that proposition. Of course, he would receive handsome remuneration if he accepted them, but that was not what he wanted. He had already earned more than enough money.

He needed to find his purpose.

‘Isn’t the answer to writing essays just to read and write more of them? It’s not like you need to go to an academy for that.’

If he took up those commercials, he would have to praise them, even if they were inferior. He would get paid, so he would have to do his best.

“I’ll think about the commercials. I don’t really think that there’s a reason for me to take up one that soon,” Ha Jae-Gun replied after a while.

Oh Myung-Sun did not ask further and raised his second topic,

— I understand. Secondly, it’s about your new novel.

“New novel?”

— Yes, I was wondering if you would like to consider writing your next novel with the overseas fans in mind as well. Keep the sensibility unique to Korean readers to the minimum and focus more on the story.

“I understand what you’re getting at. I’m still thinking about it.”

— It can be a horror or even a mystery novel, just something that will capture the US readers. I believe that if you make plans around that, your novel will become popular in that market as well. Probably a few dozen times better than how There Was A Sea is performing. A local agent there shares the same opinion as me. I apologize if this comes off as burdensome for you.

“It’s not. It’s all thanks to you that both my novels became bestsellers and even got to enter the US market. I’ll think over this carefully for my next novel.”

Ha Jae-Gun soon hung up the call.

Sitting beside him, Lee Soo-Hee asked, “Talking about your new novel?”

“Yeah, he asked me to write my next novel with the overseas market readers in mind. But I still don’t have any new story in mind.”

“You can think over it slowly since it’s not urgent.”

“Yeah, I should.”

Even though he replied casually, worry began filling Ha Jae-Gun’s mind. He even started wondering what stories would capture the attention of overseas readers.

***

“Myung-Hoon did?”

“Yeah. He… seriously.”

Oh Myung-Suk couldn’t believe it. His father, Oh Tae-Jin, had just conveyed news about Oh Myung-Hoon to him.

“He said he felt that he was lacking in many areas while working as an agent and has decided to remain in America. He also said that he wants to study more before he becomes the CEO and that he needs to build up his connections as well.”

Oh Myung-Suk nodded and smiled.

Across from him on the sofa was Oh Tae-Jin, sipping on his coffee.

Oh Tae-Jin said gently, “It seems like Oh Myung-Hoon has finally found his path after wandering for a long time. His personality is flawed, but he’ll do well in any job so long as he takes it seriously.”The inception of this chapter’s publication is linked to N0v3l.B1n.

“I know that, too. He’s got a wild side once he starts working, so I’m kind of worried.”

“Don’t blame it on him too much. There are times when you’ll encounter such unreasonableness when doing business. You can then give him a warning if you feel that it’s getting worse.?”

“I understand. He’s returning to Korea if that were to happen then.”

Oh Tae-Jin put down his coffee and changed the topic.

“There’s nothing much going on with Writer Ha, right?”

“Yes, he is currently planning for a new novel. Because of There Was A Sea, I suggested that he write his next novel with the overseas market in mind.”

“I hope it turns out well this time, too. I know that you’ll do well, of course, but don’t scrimp on the investment.”

“Of course. The popularity of his There Was A Sea made everyone else scramble to buy the rights to his past novels. I will discuss them over with Writer Ha one by one.”

“Okay, that’s good.”

Oh Tae-Jin then stood up with a grunt.

“Are you leaving already?”

“How can a President sit around becoming an obstacle in the editor-in-chief’s work? I’ll see you later in the evening. Come back early. Your mother made taro soup for dinner.”

“Yes, Father. Please return home first.” Oh Myung-Suk sent off his father, then picked up the phone. He exceptionally missed hearing his younger brother’s voice today.

Thinking back, Oh Myung-Hoon would definitely just give him a curt response no matter what he said, so he stopped himself and chuckled to himself before silently cheering on his younger brother.

***

The trip to Gyeongju was pleasant.

Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee arrived at the hotel they had made a reservation with and checked in before going sightseeing. They walked down the streets while holding each other’s hands.

“We’ve seen the Cheomseongdae and Anapji Pond. Let’s go to the museum next.”

“Soo-Hee, let’s take a rest before going there.”

“How could we rest when it’s just a two days and one night trip? Let’s rest at the museum. The sun’s coming down soon, too,” Lee Soo-Hee replied. She was in comfortable jeans and running shoes today.

She didn’t expect that she would enjoy her trip alone with Ha Jae-Gun so much to the extent that she found it a pity that time was passing by so fast.

As they stepped out of the museum, Ha Jae-Gun found a couple in their forties.

He asked them for a favor, “Excuse me, can you take a picture for us?”

The man took the phone and said, “Yeah, sure. I’ll just press this button, right?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Ha Jae-Gun quickly returned to Lee Soo-Hee’s side and stood beside her. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder, and Lee Soo-Hee laid her head lightly on him.

One, two, three.

The flash on the phone went off as soon as they said kimchi.

“Thanks a lot.”

“If you are, can you give me your autograph?”

“Pardon?”

The man grinned and pointed at his wife. She looked back with uncertainty and walked over with a book in hand. It was a copy of There Was A Sea.

“You’re Writer Ha Jae-Gun, right? We’re your fans.”

“Ahh, I see. Thank you. How did you recognize me right away?”

“I have quite the keen eyes. Look, honey. I told you I was right.”

“Did you see me earlier, too?”

“We were right behind you when you entered the museum earlier. You seemed quite focused on the exhibitions.”

“Hahaha, yes. I’m not the kind to multitask. Ah, please give me the book.”

“You’re here on a trip with your girlfriend?” asked the man.

The moment Ha Jae-Gun was about to answer, Lee Soo-Hee walked up and said, “We’re here to look for materials for his new novel. I’m not his girlfriend, but I’m just assisting Writer Ha with his work.”

“Hoho, I see.” The man laughed and nodded. He didn’t really believe Lee Soo-Hee, but he decided to let it go. “It was nice meeting you. Please do well in your research, we’re looking forward to your next novel.”

“Yes, thank you. Goodbye.”

The couple walked away in the opposite direction.

As Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee turned around, Ha Jae-Gun said, “I’m fine with revealing our relationship, though.”

“I didn’t do it for you but for myself. What if I get doxxed and people come after me just because I’m Ha Jae-Gun’s girlfriend?”

Ha Jae-Gun grinned. Lee Soo-Hee’s reason was definitely not an excuse. There was also another reason for keeping their relationship under wraps. They wanted to prevent any obstacles from popping up in the future.

“We’ve had a late lunch, so I’m not hungry yet. What shall we do now?” Lee Soo-Hee asked as she took the passenger seat.

Ha Jae-Gun pondered briefly before saying, “I want to go somewhere.”

“Let’s go then. Where is it? Is it somewhere we haven’t visited yet?”

“It’s not a historical site; it’s just a neighborhood in Gyeongju,” Ha Jae-Gun said and entered the location in the navigator. He planned to look for the scene he had seen in his dreams.

“I think I might have been there a long time ago, but the memory is quite vague. I want to check it out myself. Can we go there? It’s not that far.”

“You’re weird. I’m fine, so let’s go.”

Ha Jae-Gun then drove to Guncheon-gu outside the city.

It was already sunset when they arrived at the Guncheon Public Office.

It was a small and quiet village.

‘I’m pretty sure I was facing this side, and the public office was behind me.’

Ha Jae-Gun recalled his dream and slowly looked around.

However, he got more questions rather than answers upon arriving.

Was the dream part of his memories? Or was it from the elder?

“Are you looking for something?” asked Lee Soo-Hee after walking up to him.

“Gyeoja Bathhouse.”

“Huh?”

“Actually, I saw this neighborhood in my dreams,” Ha Jae-Gun replied, looking back at Lee Soo-Hee. “There should be a place called Gyeoja Bathhouse around here. It was definitely here when I saw it in my dreams.”

“In your dreams? But didn’t you say you came here a long time ago?”

“That’s a question I have in mind now too. I kept wondering if I’ve been here before,” Ha Jae-Gun mumbled, asking himself as he looked around.

A group of elderly people walked past on the quiet side of the road. There was also a group of children playing hopscotch in a corner of an alley.

‘Hmm…?’

The building behind the children playing caught Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes. It was a single-level building that looked like it had been around for decades. It was surrounded by fresh-looking buildings.

“Jae-Gun, where are you going?”

“Wait.”

Ha Jae-Gun walked toward that building, seemingly attracted to something. However, the entire structure couldn’t be seen. He found a narrow walkway next to it, sandwiched with the neighboring building. It seemed like he had to take the narrow walkway to find its entrance.

Just then…

“Oh? That hyung is trying to go into Gyeoja Bathhouse,” one of the kids playing nearby said out loud.

Ha Jae-Gun turned around and asked the kid, “Gyeoja Bathhouse?”

“Yes, that’s our secret hideout.”

“…!”

Ha Jae-Gun swallowed once and shivered. The very same bathhouse he saw in his dreams existed in real life. Lee Soo-Hee watched Ha Jae-Gun’s face turn serious, and she walked up to him with worry.

“Are you okay? You don’t look good.”

Ha Jae-Gun nodded and turned to the kid.

“Hyung wants to take a look inside, can I go in?” he asked.

“Sure. If you head down that way, you’ll see the door.”

“Thanks.”

Ha Jae-Gun took Lee Soo-Hee and walked down the narrow walkway until they soon found an open space. Above the entrance to the shabby building was an old sign tilted to one side. Ha Jae-Gun froze upon seeing the signboard.

“Is this why it’s called Gyeoja Bathhouse…?” Lee Soo-Hee muttered as she looked at the signboard. She then turned to Ha Jae-Gun.

Chapter 144. Tremble in Fear (3)

“Seems like it,” Ha Jae-Gun said as he bored his eyes on the signboard.

It read Gyeongja Bathhouse.

It was called Gyeoja Bathhouse because the words ng seemed to have fallen from the sign. It seemed that it had been quite a while since those two words disappeared, as dust had covered the empty spot.

“Seems like it closed a long time ago.”

A reception counter could be seen behind the doors. On both sides were the doors to the men’s and women’s baths. The spider webs behind the tinted glass gave off a creepy feeling.

“Jae-Gun, this is scary. Let’s just go.”

“But I want to go in.”

“What?” Lee Soo-Hee was surprised.

Ha Jae-Gun turned to look at Lee Soo-Hee and said, “I want to take a look since I’ve already come all the way here.”

“But do you really need to go in? It’s getting dark, too.”

“I have a flashlight.” Ha Jae-Gun took out the flashlight from his bag and turned it on before hanging it around his neck.

Lee Soo-Hee was dumbfounded.

“Can you wait in the car? I’ll take around five minutes.”

“No. I’ll go in with you then. But we’ll leave here soon, okay?”

Ha Jae-Gun pushed the door open. He pondered for a while, then finally decided to enter the men’s bath while holding Lee Soo-Hee’s hands.

They took the stairs and headed into the dark basement.

“There would have been a huge problem if I hadn’t brought a flashlight,” Ha Jae-Gun mumbled as they walked through the changing room. The old lockers surrounded them like folding screens. Lee Soo-Hee grabbed Ha Jae-Gun’s arm—her hands were sweating out of nervousness.

“It’s the baths if we go this way.”

“Jae-Gun, must we really go in? Isn’t it enough that we’ve come this far?”

However, Ha Jae-Gun dragged Lee Soo-Hee along with him without answering her.

It wasn’t because he had decided to ignore her, he simply didn’t hear her.

The familiar sight of the place distracted him more as they walked further in.

“The walls are gone,” Ha Jae-Gun murmured as he shone the flashlight on the wall to the right side of the huge bath. Behind the half-demolished wall was the women’s bath.

“Was there another use for it?” Lee Soo-Hee asked.

“There’s a sauna with state-of-the-art equipment nearby. This building is quite old, and it’s locked, too. Maybe the wall fell, and they were using it as a storage room?”

“That could be it too.”

Ha Jae-Gun agreed and shone the flashlight in all directions.

Just then, he discovered scribbles beside the showers.

– Brothers, Kim Jung-Hwan and Kim Jung-Suk were here.

– Lee Hye-Jung was here.

The words were crooked, seemingly written by young kids. Ha Jae-Gun repeated both lines in his head. He then visualized two boys and a girl spending their time playing in his shabby building.

“Let’s go nowJae-Gun.”

“Yeah, let’s go through the women’s bath as we exit.”

Ha Jae-Gun wanted to look around for a while more, but he decided to leave after considering Lee Soo-Hee’s feelings.

They passed through the crumbled wall and entered the women’s bath. It didn’t look any different than the men’s bath. However, there was an extra door by the sauna room that the men’s bath did not have.

Ha Jae-Gun looked at the door and stopped in his tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Lee Soo-Hee asked.

“No, it’s just that door…” Ha Jae-Gun muttered and cracked his neck. His eyes were unwittingly transfixed on the door in the darkness.

His expressionless stiff face made shivers travel down Lee Soo-Hee’s spine.

“What’s wrong, Jae-Gun? You’re scaring me.”

“That should be the toilet.”

“…Huh? How do you know?”

“Once you enter, it should be the toilet, and to the right should be the boiler room.”

Ha Jae-Gun then walked to the door, trying to show that he was right.

Lee Soo-Hee hurried behind him.

Ha Jae-Gun then pushed open the door without hesitation.

“Oh, you’re right.” Lee Soo-Hee’s jaws dropped midway as she saw through the open door. There was a broken sliding door and the squat toilets behind it.

“How did you know? You’ve come here before, right?”

“No, I really don’t know. Did I come here before when I was young?”

The unknown origin of this memory made Ha Jae-Gun feel frustrated. He looked to the side and saw the door to the boiler room.

Ha Jae-Gun was about to grab the doorknob when Lee Soo-Hee asked, “Why? Are you going to open it?”

Lee Soo-Hee’s fear-stricken voice quivered ever so slightly.

Ha Jae-Gun suddenly had a mischievous thought.

He looked at Lee Soo-Hee with narrowed, dreary eyes.

“W-what’s wrong?”

“Soo-Hee, do you… want to know what’s in here?”

“Stop doing that. I’m going to leave.”

“Haha, I’m sorry. It’s just a prank. What else would be in here?”

Ha Jae-Gun laughed for a while, then flung the door to the boiler room open.

However, a crouched little girl with long hair looked up at them.

Her bright eyes stood out behind her disheveled hair.

“Ah!”

“Kyaaaa!”

Startled, Ha Jae-Gun fell to the ground first.

Lee Soo-Hee retreated a few steps and struck the wall hard behind her.

“W-w-w-w-who are you?”

Lee Soo-Hee’s fear-stricken voice sounded off to Ha Jae-Gun. Soon, the girl buried her face in her hands and burst into tears.

“Waaaaaah!”

“D-don’t cry. Why are you here alone? Hmm?”

“The oppas don’t want to play with me!”

Ha Jae-Gun finally realized that the girl was probably just an elementary school student.B1nRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

Lee Soo-Hee let out a long sigh of relief and approached the little girl. “They are bad oppas. Right? Unni will scold them for you. Come with me.”

Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee each held one of the little girl’s hands and headed out of the building. They walked through the alley from earlier and arrived at where they had come from to see the same group of children still playing hopscotch.

“Hey, it’s your sister,” one of the kids said to another boy.

The boy looked up and threw a pebble at the little girl holding Lee Soo-Hee’s hand.

“Where were you? I told you to stay where I can see you, didn’t I?”

“It’s because you guys don’t want to play with me! You don’t let me play with you guys either!”

“You can’t play this game, so we didn’t let you join us, dummy!”

“Waaaaah! I’m going to tell Mom!”

Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee bought the kids a bag of ice cream to calm them down before leaving. As they headed back to the car, Ha Jae-Gun stopped by the real estate office when he chanced upon one.

“Gyeoja Bathhouse? It’s been a while since Mr. Kim, running a logistics company, bought that building. He was going to use it as a warehouse.”

Ha Jae-Gun then handed the agent a drink after opening it while he listened.

“The building was old, so the former owner only sold it for the cost of the land. It has been a while since they closed the bathhouse, too. Why are you asking this?”

“It’s nothing. I thought I’d been here when I was younger, but I can’t exactly remember it. Thank you.”

The couple left the real estate office and got into the car.

Ha Jae-Gun helped Lee Soo-Hee with her seatbelt and apologized to her.

“I’m sorry, you were scared, right?”

“It’s not your fault. And I found it funny, actually.”

Lee Soo-Hee looked out the window and giggled.

“The sight of you falling on your butt in shock.”

“My heart felt like it stopped when that happened. Who would have known that there’d be a little girl in the room?”

“Let’s call it quits now since you’ve been trying to scare me the whole time. That’s karma.”

With that, the couple headed to a restaurant to have some delicious tofu hotpot for dinner and returned to their hotel soon afterward.

Lee Soo-Hee was quite exhausted after walking around for the entire day. While she headed off to shower first, Ha Jae-Gun took out his fountain pen.

‘I think this could make a story.’

No story had been formed, yet ideas were dancing and prancing around in his mind. Ha Jae-Gun wrote down the things he had seen and felt at the bathhouse, as well as everything that had happened earlier.

He didn’t want to forget the emotions he felt on this abnormal day.

“Ha Jae-Gun, are you busy?”

Lee Soo-Hee’s voice came from behind. However, Ha Jae-Gun did not look up but continued writing on his notepad.

“No, I’m not busy. Why?”

“Go take a bath before the water cools down. I prepared the bath water for you in the tub.”

Ha Jae-Gun finally turned around and saw Lee Soo-Hee in a white gown drying her hair with a towel. Her still-damp skin made Ha Jae-Gun come to his senses.

“You’re done?”

“Yeah, what’s the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Ha Jae-Gun looked disappointed as he entered the bathroom. He still found it awkward to suggest they shower together.

While he was taking off his shirt, he heard a muffled voice behind him.

“Um, if… you need me to help you scrub your back, just call me.”

All thoughts of the novel were erased from his mind the moment he heard her words.

He decided to postpone thinking about it until after their trip.

***

“Ten tonight? Mm, you’re treating? Shall I close the doors early and look for you then? I’m not getting customers anyway.”

The cafe owner looked around the place and pondered.

There were fewer customers recently, probably due to the recession. Or was he falling into despair? He was leaning toward closing the cafe doors early and going out for some drinks with his friend.

Just then, the cafe doors opened, and a customer walked in.

He recognized the customer immediately and turned serious.

“Hey, I’m sorry, but I can’t be there by ten. I’ll be there by eleven twenty instead. A customer just walked in. He once helped me close the store. Do you get it? Ah, I’m hanging up.”

The customer walked up to the order counter.

The cafe owner grinned and said, “Welcome. What would you like to order today?”

“Hello. Please give me a regular iced americano and a double cheesecake.”

After ordering, the customer went off to their usual seat. The cafe owner knew that as well, as that customer had never once chosen to sit anywhere else before.

‘But he looks quite familiar. Was it because he comes here often?’ The cafe owner wondered as he prepared the drink and cake. He felt that he had definitely seen him before, not just as a customer but from somewhere else.

The customer at the table pulled out his writing stationary.

The customer was none other than Ha Jae-Gun.

‘Phew, my muse. Please take care of me today as well.’

Ha Jae-Gun returned here for his new novel, following The Breath and Oscar’s Dungeon. He had just started working on the novel’s structure, so it was much more comfortable for him to work alone than in the writer’s office.

‘The main character would be the younger of the one-year-apart brothers. The older brother is in elementary 6, and the younger in elementary 5. And there’s a younger girl called Kyeong-Ja, in elementary 4.’

Ha Jae-Gun held Seo Gun-Woo’s fountain pen in hand and started organizing his thoughts on the characters in the story. He created them using the scribble that he had seen back in the bathhouse as a reference—the brothers and a girl.

‘The two brothers lived poorly with their mother. They followed their mother, who works in a canned goods factory and moved to another neighborhood. The younger brother adapted to his new school and friends, but the shy older brother was having difficulty. One day, as he was on the way home, he found the Gyeoja Bathhouse…!’

Ha Jae-Gun was hyper-focused as he scribbled away on his notepad. The cafe owner brought his drink and food to his table because Ha Jae-Gun didn’t hear the bell, but Ha Jae-Gun didn’t even notice the cafe owner.

‘The little girl was teased by others because of the destroyed signboard, Gyeoja—it became her nickname. And so she played alone in the bathhouse turned warehouse that her father used to store food ingredients. The two brothers that came playing in the bathhouse grew closer to the little girl named Gyeo-Ja…!’

Thirty minutes—no, an hour later, Ha Jae-Gun suddenly felt thirsty.

He downed the entire cup of diluted Americano and picked up his pen once again.

‘The artistic older brother drew a picture of the little girl’s face one day. The little girl asked him to color it, but the older brother refused because he didn’t have any coloring materials. The little girl teased the older brother for it.

’The older brother, having always felt inferior for coming from a poor family, couldn’t suppress his anger anymore and exploded before decisively leaving. While the little girl cried, the younger brother went to steal her favorite chocolate—’’

Bzzt!

Ha Jae-Gun flinched when his phone vibrated.

It was a call from Director Yoon Tae-Sung.

“Hello, director.”

— How have you been, Writer Ha?

“I’m doing well. How about you? How’s your short film going?”

— I’m almost done with it, just left with the post-edits. It’s looking great so far. You’re going to come for the movie preview, right?

“Of course. It’s your film, after all.”

— Haha, it’s my honor. Mr. Do-Joon’s value seemed to have skyrocketed ever since he stepped into China. Have you seen the news? I heard he’s currently filming another commercial.

“Ah, really? That’s great. I do talk with him over the phone occasionally, but Do-Joon doesn’t really bring up much about his work.”

— I’ve felt this when we worked together, he seems to be quite shy. Ah, Writer Ha, are there any updates on your next novel? I’m actually most curious about this.

“Ah, my next novel…?”

Ha Jae-Gun read through the things he had written so far in the notepad. He had written them out without much thought, so he was still undecided about the book’s genre.

Ha Jae-Gun recalled Yoon Tae-Sung’s question and decided on its tentative genre right there and then.

“I think it might be a horror mystery story.”

Yoon Tae-Sung’s voice from the other side of the line sounded quite excited.

— Horror?! I’d love to take a look once the manuscript is done.

“Do you like horror stories?”

— Of course. It’s my personal favorite genre, and I wish to direct one. Writer Ha, when horror genre manuscripts surface, copyright contract offers come knocking on your doors immediately. I’m confident about that.

“Ah, is that so? I thought I understood your tastes quite well while working on There Was A Sea with you, I never knew you liked horror stories, too.”

The cafe owner hid himself behind the coffee machine, eavesdropping on Ha Jae-Gun’s phone conversation. His jaws fell open as he flicked his fingers. Hearing him talk about There Was A Sea made him certain about the man’s identity.

“I understand. I’ll send you a copy of the draft once it’s completed. Yes, please have a good rest.”

Ha Jae-Gun hung up his phone and picked up his pen again.

Just then, the cafe owner came up to him timidly and stood by the table.

“Excuse me, customer—no, sir.”

“Yes?” Ha Jae-Gun looked up.

The cafe owner twiddled his fingers and had an awkward smile.

“I’ve always enjoyed your novels. That’s why I run a cafe by the bookstore.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you.”

“I’m really sorry but… could I get an autograph from you? I’d like to hang it on the cafe walls.”

“I’m still not good with my autograph, but if you’re fine with it, I can do it for you.”

“Aigoo, thank you so much. I’ll go grab a piece of paper.”

After getting Ha Jae-Gun’s autograph, the cafe owner immediately framed it up and hung it in the center of the cafe.

And as usual, Ha Jae-Gun helped the cafe owner close the cafe…

Ha Jae-Gun was all smiles because he was ninety percent done with Gyeoja Bathhouse’s story structure.

Chapter 145. Tremble in Fear (4)

“As expected, my judgment was right.” Yoon Tae-Sung murmured as his eyes remained on the screen, watching the edited video. He was currently at Park Suk-Ji’s personal editing office, overseeing the edits for his new short film—Girls’ War.

Girls’ War depicted the conflict and reconciliation between two new employees of an SME.

“As expected of Ms. Hong Ye-Seul. She can hold an entire scene without a single dialogue. Perhaps I wrote this in the past, knowing full well that I would meet her in the future.”

“Please stop yourself, director. There are others here, and it’s cringey,” Hong Ye-Seul said as she sat in the chair beside him with her legs crossed. Her smile was full of pride and shyness.

“Director, thank you for casting someone like me as the female lead,” said Hong Ye-Seul. It was impossible to count just how many times she had thanked Yoon Tae-Sung by now.

Even though it was just a short film, she was still its female lead.

Yoon Tae-Sung was like her benefactor, entrusting the role of the female lead to her despite her short career as an actor.

“Please don’t say that.”

“Pardon?”

With eyes still on the screen, Yoon Tae-Sung said, “Someone like me. I cast you because you fit the role I was looking for. I want you to take pride in yourself.”

“I apologize, I’ll be careful.”

“And don’t apologize immediately whenever you get criticized.”

“Sor—Ah, I understand.”

Yoon Tae-Sung stopped the video playback and moved his stiff neck.

Thinking that he had watched enough of the edited movie, he planned to have a hearty dinner before heading to a bathhouse to rest for the night.

“Ms. Hong Ye-Seul. Please take care of yourself and be on standby,” Yoon Tae-Sung said as he put on his jacket. “There might be a next movie coming up.”

“Yes, director. Feel free to contact me whenever.”

“Do you still work part-time at the diner?”

“I’m planning to work at a convenience store this time. The shifts at the diner don’t really suit me.”

Yoon Tae-Sung nodded silently. He recalled his youth when he first started out in the film industry and when he had been suffering from the cold and hunger. It actually took him a long time before he could get close to seeing money.

“Let’s continue working well together in the future,” Yoon Tae-Sung said. There were no other words of encouragement he could give her. He couldn’t say something like—paradise would come after hard work. Such words were akin to lies for him.

The harsh reality in this industry was that those who couldn’t make it would never make it. He had seen countless who had punched the ground in regret or left the industry after shedding blood, sweat, and tears.

“Give me a call if you’re having a hard time.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Yoon Tae-Sung was about to step out of the office when he paused as a thought came to him.

“How is Ms. Kim Na-Yeon recently?” he asked.

“She’s healthy. She’s been resting up after returning to her hometown.”

“She’s not experiencing any difficulties in her daily life?”

“She’s richer than she looks. She’s got a considerable amount of savings.”

“That’s great. I’ll be going now.”

“Yes, director. Goodbye.”

Ten minutes after Yoon Tae-Sung left, Hong Ye-Seul’s phone rang.

The saved name that popped up on the screen showed—Convenience Store Boss.

Hong Ye-Seul’s face brightened as she had been waiting eagerly for this call.

“Hello?”

— This is Ms. Hong Ye-Seul, right? You mentioned that you’re available to work from next week onward?

“Yes, of course.

— Okay, can you come in for a while today?

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

Hong Ye-Seul punched her fist in the air after hanging up. The moment she turned around after picking up her jacket and bag, the office door opened, and a young man walked in.

“Oh, here you are, Ms. Hong Ye-Seul.”

“Oh, it’s Mr. Gi-Woo. Hello.” Hong Ye-Seul’s smile looked perplexed.

This young man was a rookie actor named Kim Gi-Woo. He played the role of Deputy Park. The two girls in Girl’s War fought for his love.

“Where are you going?”

“My part-time job at the convenience store. I start next week, but I have something to pick up, so I have to go over a while.”

“Ah, really? That’s great. Let’s have dinner together.”

“I’m sorry, but I have something else to do at home after.” Hong Ye-Seul was avoiding him on purpose. She had felt some closeness with him since they were of the same age and were both rookies, but she soon realized that the way he looked at her seemed different.

“Ms. Hong Ye-Seul, you’re avoiding me on purpose, right?”

“Of course not. I’m really busy these days. Let’s have it next time. Ah, the assistant director asked me for dinner, so we can meet together then. I’ll be leaving first now,” Hong Ye-Seul said her goodbyes and walked past him.

However, Kim Gi-Woo’s swift response got to her before she could grab the doorknob. “I like you, Ms. Hong Ye-Seul.”

Hong Ye-Seul stopped in her tracks and held her breath. She didn’t know that the bashful Kim Gi-Woo would confess to her so soon.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. And I’m not joking.”

“I don’t think of this as a joke.”

“Can you go out with me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re rejecting me?”

“Yes.”

“Do you not like me? Why?” Gi-Woo pressed on with his lanky height.

Hong Ye-Seul took a deep breath and looked right at him. She then gave him an answer that she had thought of after much contemplation with a determined look.

“I like someone else.”

“…!”

Kim Gi-Woo’s face darkened instantly.

It broke Hong Ye-Seul’s heart to see his head drop slowly. She knew that he was a good man, but she had to make sure that she wouldn’t inadvertently give him any hope.

“That’s why. I’m sorry.”

“Does… that person like you, too?”

“I don’t know.”

“You haven’t confessed to him yet?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Goodbye.”

“Ms. Hong Ye-Seul…!”

Hong Ye-Seul left Kim Gi-Woo alone in the office.

As the bright lights shone down on the streets, she thought back to a certain day.

‘The steamed chicken we had that day was good.’

She recalled that person’s bashful face as she put her legs on his thighs. Hong Ye-Seul giggled and picked up her face.

She still had a long way to go before she arrived at her destination.

***

“Drink up, Ms. So-Mi. I’m buying everything today.”

“I’ll not hold myself back and eat everything then. Have a glass, Writer Jang.”

“Aigoo, thanks, thanks.”

Jang Eun-Young and Jung So-Mi were at a sashimi restaurant near the writer’s office. Jang Eun-Young was treating Jung So-Mi to this meal in appreciation for the well-drawn book cover.

“The sashimi here is delicious.”

“You can tell just by looking? I can’t tell even if I put them in my mouth.”

“I’m from Donghae, after all. I should know how to see the quality of sashimi.”

The women shared a toast and downed their soju shots.

Jang Eun-Young put down her glass and casually asked, “Did something happen between you and Writer Ha?”B1nRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

“What? No… nothing’s up. Why?”

“Really? I thought you guys looked quite estranged now. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but you guys don’t laugh that much together either. Like… you guys are just working?”

“Nothing is wrong between us.” Jung So-Mi frowned slightly, but she was still smiling.

However, she was inwardly shocked by Jang Eun-Young’s keenness.

‘Was it that obvious…?’

It was true that things had been difficult between them since that day. Even now, her wound had yet to heal, but it was still bearable. Jung So-Mi was confident that she could suppress her own feelings and continue working without any issues.

“Is the webtoon for Oscar’s Dungeon going well?”

“Yes, thankfully. There aren’t any complaints coming from Nextion either.”

“I think the webtoon is interesting, too. It’ll definitely become a hit. The responses so far have been great as well. It’d be great if Navin distributes it, too.”

Oscar’s Dungeon webtoon was now popular in both Korea and China. The webtoon was made in the first place to market the game, and there was an increasing number of readers of Poongchun-Yoo contributing to its popularity.

“Ms. So-Mi will soon become a rich woman, too. I’m so envious.”

Jung So-Mi smiled widely at her. Being rich was subjective, but it was true that her savings had been increasing recently. It was a result of her following Kwon Tae-Won and Ha Jae-Gun to Laugh Books. Her life began to change since then.

She would soon gather enough money that would allow her to move into a larger studio.

“I don’t really have that many talents, so I have to do my best.”

“That’s right. We should save more while we’re young. I envy your youth, Ms. So-Mi. Aaah, the wrinkles on my palm!”

Jang Eun-Young wrapped her cheeks and screamed softly. Jung So-Mi giggled and poured a shot for Jang Eun-Young.

“How is Writer Kang Min-Ho doing?”

Jang Eun-Young stopped checking out herself and smiled bashfully. She had told Jung So-Mi a while back that they were dating, but she hadn’t told the other writers in the office out of consideration for the working atmosphere.

“Is it because I know of your relationship, that’s why I thought both of you look good together. The calm Writer Kang and energetic Writer Jang suit each other perfectly.”

Jang Eun-Young grinned and shrugged.

“Min-Ho hyung is calm? He’s a total beast.”

“…Pardon?”

“He’s totally different from how he looks. He changes completely at night.”

Jang Eun-Young looked around them and then gestured to Jung So-Mi to come nearer. Jung So-Mi did, and Eun-Young started whispering into her ear.

The latter’s face flushed in an instant.

“H-he really does things like that?”

“Oh my, you’re too surprised at this! Look at how red you look. Hoho.”

Jung So-Mi downed a glass of soju. Her pounding heart seemed like it didn’t want to calm down.

“Ms. So-Mi, you should start dating as well. Are you only going to enjoy that pretty face of yours alone in the mirror? You can never imagine how different the world is when you’re with someone you like.”

“Yeah… I think so, too.” Jung So-Mi’s voice sounded so low that even Jang Eun-Young did not hear her.

She already knew how it felt like being with someone she liked.

Bzzt!

Jung So-Mi took out her phone from her bag.

It was a call from Lee Soo-Hee.

“Hello?”

— Hello, Deputy Jung So-Mi. I’m Team Leader Lee Soo-Hee.

“Yes, hello.”

— I’ve just finished checking through the rough drafts you sent earlier. You may proceed as is from the next episode onward. The Chinese audience likes it as well. Please continue working hard on this.

“I hope for the same.”

— All right, please enjoy your dinner.

With that, Lee Soo-Hee swiftly ended the call. Jung So-Mi bit on her lips subconsciously. She felt that she was pathetic because she resented her slightly.

***

“I’m really sorry, Jae-Gun.”

“You’re still doing this now. You don’t have to be sorry. Where else are you going to use your younger brother, who is a writer?” Ha Jae-Gun said as he stood before the mirror, adjusting his necktie.

He was now at the academy run by his sister, Ha Jae-In.

Ha Jae-Gun had decided to give a lecture for his sister’s academy, as she had been worrying about the lack of students. The topic of the lecture was reading and essays.

“How can our great writer give lectures in this shabby—”

“Ah, seriously. I said stop it. Help me fix my necktie instead. Why does it always end up on one side?”

Ha Jae-In stood up and helped Ha Jae-Gun fix his necktie. She smiled softly as the necktie was now neatly done.

“You should keep wearing suits, too. There’d be more occasions for you to wear them. Or go get a girlfriend who’ll help you with your necktie.”

“You’re at it again. I knew you’d say that. I have to review my materials before the lecture starts.”

Bzzt!

The moment Ha Jae-Gun was about to reach out for his lecture materials, a call from Lee Soo-Hee came in. Ha Jae-Gun headed to the room next door to answer the call.

“Yeah, Soo-Hee?”

— Are you busy today? The director would like to see you in person to thank you for the great work on the webtoon. He also has something to tell you. Are you available for lunch?

“Ah, I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you, but I’m at the academy giving a lecture to help noona with promoting her academy.”

— I see. Would dinner be tough, too? He’s okay with dinner.

“I can’t give you a confirmation because I don’t know what will happen tonight with my family. Sorry.”

— Really? Then we can’t help—What? Ah, Ha Jae-Gun. Hang on a moment.

Lee Soo-Hee’s voice disappeared, and the rough voice of a man came through.

— Writer Ha Jae-Gun, this is Nam Gyu-Ho.

“Ah, director. Hello.”

— I have to head to China for an urgent business trip tomorrow. I will personally handle the marketing of Oscar’s Dungeon there.

Nam Gyu-Ho placed great emphasis on the word personally.

He smiled wryly and continued.

— I apologize for the sudden call. Because of my urgent business trip to China, I would like to meet with you today as I will only return at least two weeks later.

“Ah, I see. I have something on today as well… What should we do?”

— You’re in Suwon, right? Can you meet me if I were to travel over?

“No, you don’t have to do that. It sounds like you have something important to tell me, so if I end my lecture at 3 p.m. and go back to Seoul after…”

— 3 p.m.? Alright. I’ll be there with Team Leader Lee by 3:10 p.m. See you later.

The call hung up even before Ha Jae-Gun could reply.

Time passed, and 3:10 p.m. soon arrived.

Nam Gyu-Ho’s vehicle stopped in front of the academy.