Chapter 126. There Was A Sea (8)
The pantry next to Nextion’s planning team was filled with the team members of the planning team. Amongst those who were there to start their day with a cup of coffee were Lee Soo-Hee and Hye-Mi.
“Team Leader, what should I do?”
“What do you mean?” Lee Soo-Hee looked up from her phone while reading the news of newly released mobile games.
Hye-Mi shrugged, then looked around discreetly to make sure no one was watching them before muttering, “About Writer Ha Jae-Gun. He didn’t get to meet the director and just left, right? Is that going to be the end for Oscar’s Dungeon?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“Did the director not say anything?”
Lee Soo-Hee smiled reproachingly and asked, “You’re quite the curious one, aren’t you, Ms. Hye-Mi? You weren’t like this before, but you’ve gotten quite nosy these days.”
“Ah, r-really…? I’m just curious…” Hye-Mi murmured, flustered at Lee Soo-Hee’s remark. However, Hye-Mi had to report back to someone with news concerning Ha Jae-Gun.
“Anyway, this is definitely the director’s fault, right?”
“What use is there to find fault in others when the negotiations have broken down?” A long sigh was mixed in Lee Soo-Hee’s reply. Lee Soo-Hee thought that the matter was Nam Gyu-Ho’s fault.
Nam Gyu-Ho had suggested arranging the meeting for yesterday, and Ha Jae-Gun had also made known that he was ready to meet anytime before 3 p.m., as he had somewhere else he had to be.
Even Lee Soo-Hee thought that it would be best to delay the meeting to another day because she was aware of Nam Gyu-Ho’s tight schedule. However, Nam Gyu-Ho’s motto had always been to strike while the iron was hot, so he didn’t take her advice.
“Let’s not delay it to another day and meet at 1.30 p.m. Our discussion should take at most thirty minutes anyway since the team leaders can discuss the details with him.”
And this was the result of his stubbornness…
He had attempted to fit Ha Jae-Gun into his extremely tight schedule, and he failed spectacularly.
‘Hmm…?’
Lee Soo-Hee suddenly realized that the pantry had gotten awfully quiet. She looked around in surprise and spotted Nam Gyu-Ho walking into the pantry with his hands in his pockets and standing before the coffee machine.
His stiffer-than-usual expression made everyone fall silent. With a hot cup of coffee in hand, he turned around and approached Lee Soo-Hee.
Lee Soo-Hee stood up from her seat and said, “Good morning, Director.”
“Just stay seated.” Nam Gyu-Ho pulled out a chair and sat across from her.
Hye-Mi stood up and left them alone to talk while the other employees rushed back to their desks as well.
“You don’t look so well today, Director,” Lee Soo-Hee spoke first after the pantry was cleared.
Nam Gyu-Ho stared out the window silently and brought the cup to his mouth.
His eyes widened in surprise instantly. “Ah, hot!”
“You should have been more careful. Did you scald your lips?” Lee Soo-Hee asked, pulling out a sachet of wet tissues from her pocket.
Nam Gyu-Ho pulled out three sheets of wet tissue and patted his lips with a groan.
“I’m not sure where my mind has gone.”
“Did you not sleep last night?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Nam Gyu-Ho looked down, crumpling the wet tissue in his hand. His anxiousness had influenced Lee Soo-Hee, making her feel nervous.
“I called Writer Ha yesterday.”
“…?”
“I received the same response that you told me yesterday, so I wanted to ask you for a favor.”
“Please speak.”
Nam Gyu-Ho lightly touched his red lips and explained, “I need to meet Writer Ha Jae-Gun as soon as possible. He suggested we talk again half a month later, but with this mess right now, I don’t think it’s good for us to drag this out for too long.”
Nam Gyu-Ho pulled out his phone and showed her a post from Laugh Books that stated Oscar’s Dungeon had gone into another batch of reprints.
Nam Gyu-Ho scrolled down to the bottom of the post and tapped on the number of comments shown.
“According to my middle school nephew, they would call those who still haven’t heard of Oscar’s Dungeon a spy. Even female high schoolers like the novel, just because Writer Ha is close with actor Park Do-Joon.”
“Yes, I believe there’s that trend.”
“Sometimes, things like this are better indicators than market statistics. It occurred to me that I may have underestimated Writer Ha.”
Lee Soo-Hee smiled slightly.
Nam Gyu-Ho continued. “In conclusion, I don’t want to lose Writer Ha, and neither do I want to wait for half a month. He’s probably doing this out of consideration for our employees’ working hours, but please let him know that it doesn’t matter when or where—I’m open to meeting him as long as he has the time. Thank you.”
With that, Nam Gyu-Ho stood up.
Left all alone, Lee Soo-Hee pulled out her phone and sent a message.
– Jae-Gun, can we talk right now? Are you free?
A call came in from Ha Jae-Gun in less than thirty seconds.
Lee Soo-Hee smiled and answered the call.
“That was quick.”
— I could have called you earlier, but I was brushing my teeth. What’s up?
“Um, well…”
Lee Soo-Hee calmly conveyed Nam Gyu-Ho’s words.
After listening, Ha Jae-Gun replied without hesitation.
— It’d be great if that’s possible. I understand that your working hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., so I was going to schedule it with that in mind.
“Ah, really?”
Nam Gyu-Ho’s strategy proved effective.
Lee Soo-Hee felt relieved, and she felt as if a stone had been lifted from her chest.
— It should be fine after 9 p.m. I could meet him before I head to Donghae. Let me know what he thinks.
“Okay, Jae-Gun. Thank you.”
— I should be the one thanking you. You’re the one helping me earn more money.
Lee Soo-Hee ended the call and gulped down the coffee in her cup before heading to the washroom with light steps. She was all smiles, even while brushing her teeth.
***
“Jae-Gun hyung, are you not tired?”
“I’m fine, but you should be quite tired, I’m sorry.”
The additional filming for I Live Alone had just ended a while ago. Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Yeon-Woo took a thirty-minute nap in the car earlier, and they were now on the road to the next destination.
“Do you even get ten minutes of screen time on the show? Why did they have to film you for over three hours just for that?”
“It made me wonder how bad it was for Do-Joon. I can’t even imagine how bad it is for the other celebrities.”
The night deepened as the time neared 9 p.m. The cold autumn rain was beating against the car window. Lee Yeon-Woo increased the speed of the wiper and changed the topic of their conversation.
“I never knew that Nam Gyu-Ho was a director. I only found out when I looked him up on the Internet. He’s thirty-seven this year and still single.”
“Really?”
“He’s quite good-looking, but I don’t like his style. You know, the style that’s commonly found among student council presidents? Ah, we often have those kinds of students in school. Their every gesture and expression is bursting with confidence and energy.”
“I think I understand what you mean.” Ha Jae-Gun laughed, nodding in agreement.
Lee Yeon-Woo laughed as well, but his expression soon turned serious as he muttered, “Anyway, I don’t care whether he’s the director or not. If he has made an appointment, he should have turned up on time; how dare he stand the great Writer Poongchun-Yoo up?”
“You’ve already said that over ten times. Stop it.”
Lee Yeon-Woo parked at a carpark near the sashimi restaurant where Ha Jae-Gun was supposed to be for his next schedule.
Lee Yeon-Woo took the umbrella and was about to alight the car first, but Ha Jae-Gun stopped him.
“Don’t. You can go back first.”
“I’m fine, hyung. I can just work on my laptop while waiting for you in the car.”
“I’m not okay with it, so listen to me. I’m sure you’re tired, and you didn’t even get to eat properly earlier. Head on back and have dinner with the others.”
Ha Jae-Gun took out a 100,000 won cash cheque and slipped it into Lee Yeon-Woo’s pocket.
Lee Yeon-Woo was flustered and confused. “Why are you paying me a salary if you’re going to keep giving me money like this?”
“Just know that I’ll reduce your pay the moment you start earning enough to pay for your own meals. Leave immediately after I alight. I won’t go in until you drive off.”
Ha Jae-Gun took the umbrella and alighted. Lee Yeon-Woo rolled down the window and stuck his head out before saying, “Hyung, I’m really not hungry. I can keep waiting here…”
Ha Jae-Gun frowned and stared at him with a grim look.
Lee Yeon-Woo shut his mouth and sat back properly in his seat. “Gosh, I got it… Hyung, I’ll be going first, then. However, feel free to call me after your meeting, I will come down immediately—”
“Say another word, and I’m going to fire you immediately.”
“Ahhh~ Alright, alright! I’m going, I’m going now!” Lee Yeon-Woo turned pale and stepped on the accelerator even before winding up the window.
Ha Jae-Gun watched him drive away into the distance with a smile and turned around to enter the restaurant.
“Welcome, Jae-Gun.” Lee Soo-Hee sat on the inner side of the private room, and waved at him.
Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes widened in surprise as he took off his shoes and stepped into the room.
“Why are you here so early?” he asked.
“I was afraid that there’d be no seats since I couldn’t make a reservation earlier. But the director and marketing team leader will be here soon.”
Ha Jae-Gun was about to sit across from her, but he stopped and pointed at the seat beside her. “Wouldn’t it be better if I sat beside you instead?”
“…Hmm? Uh, I guess so?”
Ha Jae-Gun sat down beside her and took off his coat.
Lee Soo-Hee adjusted her seating position and shifted her toes to face away from Ha Jae-Gun. Was it because Ha Jae-Gun was the one sitting next to her?
She found it strange that the opposite seat was empty, and she was flustered that Ha Jae-Gun was sitting next to her.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here,” Ha Jae-Gun muttered while folding his coat and placing it beside him.
“It’s been a while?”
“Yeah, back when I was releasing my novels with Star Books, I’ve been here once with President Kwon and Ms. So-Mi. I remember it clearly since it was the day they offered me an exclusive contract with them.”
“I see.”
“They’re good people. You’ve met them, too.”
Lee Soo-Hee only nodded in silence.
However, Lee Soo-Hee didn’t want to acknowledge Jung So-Mi.
For some reason, Lee Soo-Hee found Jung So-Mi’s existence annoying since she met her back at Ha Jae-Gun’s studio.
“She did well with the illustrations for Oscar’s Dungeon,” Lee Soo-Hee said after a while.
Ha Jae-Gun grinned and said, “So I was thinking of having her draw the original images as well.”
“The originals, too…?” Lee Soo-Hee was surprised.
She was about to say something, but the door to the private room was opened.
The marketing team leader and Nam Gyu-Ho walked into the private room.
“Please take a seat, Director.”
Ha Jae-Gun stood up along with Lee Soo-Hee.
Nam Gyu-Ho quickly took off his shoes and climbed into the room.
He bowed and extended his hand over to Ha Jae-Gun.
“Hello, I’m Nam Gyu-Ho, planning director at Nextion. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Yes, hello. I’m Ha Jae-Gun.”
Ha Jae-Gun reached and shook his hands. Their eyes met, and Ha Jae-Gun calmly accepted Nam Gyu-Ho’s sharp gaze.
“I’m really sorry about the previous incident,” Nam Gyu-Ho said as he took a seat across from Ha Jae-Gun. “I unknowingly disrespected you. I truly didn’t expect the traffic to be that congested.”
“It’s alright.”
“I thought it would have been great if you had waited slightly longer that day.”
“I wanted to do so as well, but it was already well past 2 p.m. And even if we had gone through with the meeting, there was no way we could have had a proper conversation in less than thirty minutes.”
Nam Gyu-Ho narrowed his eyes. Ha Jae-Gun had never broken eye contact and was replying calmly to him. Ha Jae-Gun was smiling slightly, but his eyes showed little emotion.
“So, Director. Shall we start by ordering some food?”
“I’ve ordered a sashimi platter, Team Leader Park.”
“Oh, really? Team Leader Lee is indeed quick-witted.”
Soon, the table was filled with sashimi and other food items that Lee Soo-Hee had ordered. The group entered full-fledged talks with the marketing team leader, kickstarting the conversation.
He started off by sharing Nextion’s domestic and international market share, the establishment of Oscar’s Dungeon development team, and the gamification of certain elements in the original novel.
Meanwhile, Ha Jae-Gun picked up a piece of sashimi and dipped it into the sauce, chewing on it. To be honest, Team Leader Park’s explanation was so boring that it sounded like a rite of passage.
Nam Gyu-Ho had to step up as a relief pitcher.
“That’s enough. The night is short, and we have a lot to discuss, so let’s go straight to the point.” Nam Gyu-Ho wiped his hands with a wet towel and said bluntly, “I wish to hear your opinions, Writer Ha. You should know enough about our company by now. I’m not trying to boast, I’m just telling you the truth.”
“I understand…”
“Oscar’s Dungeon has been a huge hit in the genre novel market, and the momentum will continue for quite a while.
”It’s important that the original novel is good enough to be made into a game, but something else that I view as important as that is how big of a hot topic it’ll become.
”I want the game to be installed on the phones of each and every one of your readers, including those who have never played games before.”
Lee Soo-Hee grew increasingly uncomfortable as she watched Nam Gyu-Ho speak faster and faster as the seconds went by. Once Nam Gyu-Ho got going, he wouldn’t care about the other people around him and would speak as fast as a bullet train to share all of his thoughts.
“We are prepared to do everything to make the game a reality. Before the game is released, we’re also considering creating a webtoon as a form of marketing content. This idea is from Team Leader Park.”
Nam Gyu-Ho gestured to the man next to him and showed credit.
Team Leader Park smiled shyly and nodded lightly.
“Thank you for liking my novel,” Ha Jae-Gun said as he looked at Nam Gyu-Ho.
Nam Gyu-Ho smiled amiably and shrugged lightly.
It was time to hear Ha Jae-Gun’s answer.
“Since we’re on the topic of webtoon, have you already read Oscar’s Dungeon?”
“Of course, I’ve read it up til the latest release.”
“Then, you should have seen the illustrations, too. I wish to have the artist of the illustrations work on the webtoon as well, including the original images, if possible.”
Nam Gyu-Ho could barely hold in his laughter, but he ended up laughing with his arms crossed.
Meanwhile, Lee Soo-Hee looked down. She should have brought this topic up with Ha Jae-Gun before Nam Gyu-Ho arrived.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, I apologize for laughing out of the blue. The artist’s illustrations were good, but those illustrations aren’t up to par with the standards of our company, especially if you want the artist to create the original images as well.
”They don’t seem to be a known artist, too, so I suggest you reconsider.”
Nam Gyu-Ho picked up his chopsticks and added, “Is this because you still need a bit more experience in society? You have quite the naive side.”
Lee Soo-Hee’s heart sank.
Nam Gyu-Ho probably didn’t mean anything when he said those words, but it was unclear, as his social skill was probably only eight or nine out of ten.
Fortunately, Ha Jae-Gun took it lightly and smiled.
“I’m asking because I’m not sure how this works. I’ll hear about that in more detail from the team leaders in the future. However, if we ever decide to make a webtoon, I hope that we can use the same artist who did my illustrations. I’m sure we can make up for the lack of direction with a great storyboard.”
Team Leader Park stepped up to answer. “Sure, Writer Ha Jae-Gun. I’ll make sure we’ll come to an agreement on that.”
“Thank you. I don’t have any further objections on this matter.”
Ha Jae-Gun accepted the results of their discussion, and the work conversation ended there.
Nam Gyu-Ho snapped his fingers and called the server.
“Bring us two bottles of beer and four cups. Let’s enjoy some soju bombs.”
Nam Gyu-Ho personally mixed soju and beer into each cup with a 3 to 7 ratio.
He handed the first glass to Ha Jae-Gun and said, “Please have one. Can you drink soju bombs?”
“Well, I have enough experience to drink this at the very least,” said Ha Jae-Gun. It sounded like a light-hearted joke, but it was actually covered in thorns.
Nam Gyu-Ho’s eyelids briefly twitched, and no one noticed it.
“It was really nice meeting you. I hope everything goes well for us in the future.”
“I hope for the same as well.”
The group of four held up their glasses and made a toast.
Nam Gyu-Ho tilted his head back and gulped down the entire glass. Ha Jae-Gun finished his glass almost at the same time. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other, but their smiles contained many different contrasting thoughts.
Chapter 127. There Was A Sea (9)
Meanwhile, at the writer’s office…
“Congratulations, Writer Ha!”
“It’s definitely going to be a green light!”
Kwon Tae-Won and Jung So-Mi congratulated Ha Jae-Gun one after the other after hearing about the verbal agreement for Oscar’s Dungeon. Since the novel was published through Laugh Books, these two had to be notified first.
“The game wouldn’t be created in a day or two. I think it should take at least a year.”
“I suppose so.”
“The project plan should be sent over once the IP contract is signed, and I will begin working on the scenario based on that. I’ve already gotten permission from the director, and I’ve got quite some time on hand, anyway.”
Jung So-Mi came back from the kitchen with three cups of coffee.
Ha Jae-Gun looked at her and said, “I think they’re looking to make a webtoon for the game’s marketing purposes.”
Jung So-Mi’s expression brightened instantly at the mention of a webtoon.
“That’s great! I think it’d be great if we could promote it together with Comic KT. Otherwise, there’s always Navin or Dawoom too.”
“So I think I’ll need your help, Ms. So-Mi.”
“…Pardon?” Jung So-Mi asked with a smile on her face, looking dazed.
Ha Jae-Gun turned to Kwon Tae-Won and said, “President, I hope that Ms. Jung So-Mi can work on the webtoon.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I like Ms. So-Mi’s drawing, and I think we’ll need a good storyboard artist to help bring the webtoon to life,” Ha Jae-Gun spoke with vigor.
Jung So-Mi had been editing quite a few of his popular novels up until now.
The support and encouragement she had provided him—not just as an editor but also as a reader—couldn’t be ignored. Every help Jung So-Mi had provided to Ha Jae-Gun so far had become turning points in the latter’s life.
“I think Ms. So-Mi has a better understanding of my novel’s world setting, and I’m confident that she can convey it in her drawings accurately.”
What came next after her skills were her character.
There was no difficulty communicating with Jung So-Mi at work. There had been obstacles, but trust had never been lost. Ha Jae-Gun had long verified Jung So-Mi’s character.
“But Writer Ha, my drawings are…” Jung So-Mi trailed off, her face stricken with fear.
Ha Jae-Gun grinned and placed a copy of Oscar’s Dungeon on the table.
“You’re a pro, Ms. So-Mi. Look at how many illustrations you’ve done up until now. I’ve also seen all the webtoon practice drawings you’ve done so far. Please have confidence in yourself.
”The author of the original novel likes it, so what else would you need aside from that?”
“I’m worried that you’re the only one who likes my drawings, Writer Ha,” Jung So-Mi said, sounding doubtful.
“No, I think your illustrations are great, too, Deputy Jung. If your skills aren’t there, why would I let you continue working on the illustrations for the other novels?” Kwon Tae-Won added with a smile.
Jung So-Mi looked down at the book and pondered for a while.
After staring at the cover of Oscar’s Dungeon for quite a while, she finally looked up and said with confidence, “Thank you. I’ll do it. I believe in Writer Ha’s words and that President Kwon would find a good storyboard artist to assist me.
”I’ll do my best for the webtoon!”
“Yes, that’s the spirit.”
Ha Jae-Gun raised his palm up for a high-five.
Jung So-Mi smiled bashfully and gave him a high-five.
“I’ll leave the rest of the project in President Kwon’s good hands. Of course, that includes the contract.”
“Sure, Writer Ha. Don’t be worried and focus on the movie.”
“Thank you. Rika, shall we get going—mm?”
Rika ran down from her usual spot at the windowsill, where she was watching the world outside. Ha Jae-Gun picked Rika up in his arms and stood up.
“You’re unsure when you’ll come back to Seoul after heading to Donghae for the time being, right?”
“Yes, I might stay until the last filming day. I have to discuss and edit the scenario based on the circumstances while the filming is ongoing.”
“I told Mom to take good care of you on my behalf,” Jung So-Mi said.
“She already takes great care of me. Your family’s bed and breakfast is a 5-star hotel. All right, I’ll be going.”
Ha Jae-Gun was putting on his shoes when he turned around briefly and realized that none of the other writers were in the office.
“It feels unusually empty today.”
“Yeah. Something seems to have come up for everyone. Writer Yang went on a trip with his friends, Writer Jang and Writer Lee went back to their hometowns.”
Ha Jae-Gun didn’t talk to anyone about Kang Min-Ho’s problem.
Kang Min-Ho had sent a message saying that something urgent had come up at home, and he had to stay in his hometown for another week. Kang Min-Ho had been working on his manuscript at home and sending them over through email.
“It feels lonely to see the always busy office so quiet all of a sudden,” Jung So-Mi murmured in the silence.
Ha Jae-Gun smiled sadly and opened the door.
The stagnant cold air in the hallway inundated him.
***
— Noona, are you really not going to come over? The miser, Hyun-Kyung hyung, is going to treat us to gopchang[1]!
“I don’t have any appetite, and I’m getting sleepy too. I’ll go to sleep after watching some TV, so enjoy your meal.”
— Alright, noona. I’ll bring some back for you, too. Ah, noona! You remember that I Live Alone is going to be broadcast today, right?! You’ve got to watch it!
“I know. I’ll watch it later. Bye.”
Jang Eun-Young put down her phone and reached for her keyboard. Her typing echoed heavily and slowly in the silent office. She wasn’t in her best condition to write today.
‘Did something happen…’
Her mind was filled with concerns for Kang Min-Ho. Kang Min-Ho said that he would return after a week, but he was still missing.
She hadn’t heard any news from him either.
She knew why he had to return to his hometown, so she couldn’t bring herself to contact him first. When she asked Jung So-Mi in passing, the only answer she got was, “I think something happened back at home.”
‘Did things go well with that blind date?’
It was great news if he had decided to stay for a while longer because there had been some progress between him and his blind date partner. In other words, it was something she should be happy about.
However, Jang Eun-Young couldn’t smile.
‘Phew… I should stop for today and rest.’
Jang Eun-Young saved her Word document and turned off her laptop. Her story development was bleak, and she felt tired as well. She picked herself up to make a quick dinner.
Beep, beep, beep!
Just then, she heard the door lock’s jingle.
Someone was typing in the password for the door.
Jang Eun-Young raised an eyebrow. Ha Jae-Gun had gone to Donghae, so it was strange that someone was trying to get into the office.
“Hyung…?!”
Jang Eun-Young’s jaws dropped.
Kang Min-Ho was at the door, and he returned wearing the exact same outfit as when he had left—a suit. He was dragging a carrier behind him.
The only difference was that he was drenched.
“What happened, hyung? Why are you drenched?”
Jang Eun-Young quickly brought him a towel.
Kang Min-Ho took the towel and wiped his face.
“I was walking back home, and it suddenly poured,” he replied.
“I thought you had something to do back at home? Has it been resolved? Is that why you’re here?”
“Yeah, sort of.”
“Go wash up and change into a fresh set of clothes before you catch a cold. Have you had dinner yet?”
“Not yet. What about you?”
“I was about to make myself dinner. I’ll work on it, so go and shower.”
Kang Min-Ho headed into the bathroom while Jang Eun-Young started preparing dinner. Her hands suddenly moved even faster as she trimmed the vegetables. She felt a sudden surge of energy in her.
“It smells good.”
“Hyun-Kyung brought some fermented bean paste back from home. Sit down, it’ll be done soon.”
The table was soon laid out with their dinner, and Jang Eun-Young sat across from Kang Min-Ho. They dug into the food silently for a while, but Jang Eun-Young was the first person to break the silence.
“Have you resolved everything back at home?”
Of course, the blind date was included in the everything that Jang Eun-Young had mentioned.
However, Kang Min-Ho only nodded dryly in response.
“Nothing happened during the time I was away, right?”
“I’ve only been writing in the office, so nothing’s new.”
“I see…”
“…”
The two continued eating in the awkward silence without making any eye contact.
They soon finished their meal.
Kang Min-Ho stood up to wash the dishes while Jang Eun-Young took his drenched suit and hung it up.
It was after they had each brushed their teeth that Jang Eun-Young broke the silence once more and said, “The episode of I Live Alone with Writer Ha will be showing soon.”
“Oh, right. I should watch that.”
“Do you want a can of beer?”
“Sure.”
An advertisement was on the TV.
Jang Eun-Young and Kang Min-Ho sat beside each other and sipped on their beer.
Jang Eun-Young sat cross-legged on the sofa and gazed at the TV. Usually, she would have laid down on the sofa and put her legs on Kang Min-Ho, and she would have already asked him to massage her stiff legs.
However, she couldn’t do that anymore.
Ever since Kang Min-Ho returned to his hometown for the blind date, a wall had formed between them. It was a wall so solid and tough that she couldn’t break it by herself.
“I’ve already finished the beer.”
“Do you want another?”
“I’ll get it.”
“Get one for me, too.”
Kang Min-Ho brought out three cans of beer, and I Live Alone was finally showing.
Park Do-Joon’s face filled the screen, and they started talking.
“Mr. Do-Joon looks so natural, but he looks really tired here. It seems that they weren’t lying when they said that there’s zero directing.”
“According to Mr. Ha, there was still some directing. They simply made it look as natural and as entertaining as possible.”
“I see. Perhaps because I’m watching this here in the office, but I can relate better than other celebrities.”
“Same here, it’s more entertaining.”
Park Do-Joon was currently making what looked like a messy caricature of egg rolls when Ha Jae-Gun arrived at his house.
Jang Eun-Young slapped her knees and exclaimed, “Writer Ha really paid attention to his hairstyle! I guess it’s not strange because he’s going on TV. Look! He really looks different than usual.”
“Hahaha, you’re right.” Kang Min-Ho’s voice sounded somber. He felt apologetic to Ha Jae-Gun, but he wasn’t paying attention to the show at all. He shouldn’t be having this conversation with Jang Eun-Young at all.
“Don’t you think they’ll talk about the movie on the show, too? Maybe talk about Director Woo as well?”
“Would they?”
“Hyung, are you tired? You sound exhausted.”
“I’m tired because I haven’t had any beer in a while.”
Ha Jae-Gun left Park Do-Joon’s house after having coffee and sharing some conversation after their meal. However, the show didn’t end with Ha Jae-Gun’s departure.
The program continued with Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun meeting at a cafe.
“Oh, so this is the additional filming they did. I heard they loved how entertaining it was when Writer Ha appeared in the scenes they had edited, so they added more scenes for him at a cafe.”
“Ah-ha.”
Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun were seen having a casual conversation over coffee on the TV. After some small chit-chat, Park Do-Joon changed the subject.
Park Do-Joon: I want to go hang out at your writer’s office again. I enjoyed that seafood and chicken soup the last time I went.
Ha Jae-Gun: Yeah, you’ve become the star in the office that day. Writer Jang kept complimenting you, saying how cool you were, until her throat turned dry.
“Oh, my, hyung! We got on TV!” Jang Eun-Young said and grinned brightly. Even Kang Min-Ho sat up the moment they were mentioned and leaned forward in interest.
Park Do-Joon: Are the writers doing well?
Ha Jae-Gun: Yeah, well…
Park Do-Joon: What is it? Why do you look like something has happened?
Ha Jae-Gun: There’s a writer with an issue, but I can’t really help much.
Park Do-Joon: Who? Writer Jang? Or…
Ha Jae-Gun: It’s not nice to say it on the show. They’re probably watching this.
Gulp! Kang Min-Ho gulped a mouthful of his own saliva. Ha Jae-Gun was definitely referring to him. The unexpected development made him freeze with nervousness.
Park Do-Joon: All right, then let me know what the concerns are about.
Ha Jae-Gun: About a person they like.
Park Do-Joon: Wow, that’s my specialty. What is it exactly about?
Ha Jae-Gun: The income of writers isn’t stable, you know that, right? So they asked me if there was someone out there who would still like them despite that. That’s the gist of it.
Park Do-Joon: So what did you say?
Ha Jae-Gun: I told them that there’s definitely someone like that. He just has to look closer.
“…!” Jang Eun-Young froze over.
They fell silent and became conscious of each other, but the show continued.
Park Do-Joon: Since they’re watching right now, how about you say something to them through the camera?
Ha Jae-Gun: Should I? I wish you good luck, Writer-nim. You’ll definitely succeed.The first reveal of this chapter happened through N0v3l-Biin.
Ha Jae-Gun stared shyly into the camera and pumped his clenched fist into the air.
When Kang Min-Ho met Ha Jae-Gun’s gaze, the burning passion that he had been suppressing within him surged violently.
“W-who is it? Who told Writer Ha about their relationship problem? Was it Hyun-Kyung? Or Yeon-Woo?” Jang Eun-Young mumbled, acting like she were calm as she took three gulps of her beer.
Kang Min-Ho hung his head down before Jang Eun-Young, who was fanning her flushed face, and said, “It’s you.”
“Me? I didn’t say something like that.”
“I told him about you.”
“…?!” Jang Eun-Young’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Kang Min-Ho didn’t dare to look up as he muttered, “It was a lie when I said that something came up at home. I needed time to think about you. It was only today when I finally made up my mind and decided to go back here.”
“What are you saying, hyung…?”
“It’s all thanks to Writer Ha—he gave me the courage to do this. I don’t want to think about the future right now. For now, what matters is the present. Even if our relationship ends up changing, I’ll still say it.”
Kang Min-Ho looked up at Jang Eun-Young and stared straight into her eyes.
Jang Eun-Young felt tied down by his gaze, and her heart pounded so hard against her chest that she felt like her heart was about to explode.
“S-s-so… I-I’ve known you for so long. It’s very hard for me to say this, but—Ahh…!”
Kang Min-Ho couldn’t finish his sentence.
Jang Eun-Young had grabbed him with her trembling hands, and she had interrupted Kang Min-Ho by pushing her lips onto his lips. Their sweet breath was released as their lips slowly opened up.
“Don’t say it, hyung,” Jang Eun-Young whispered and kissed him once more.
Kang Min-Ho pulled Jang Eun-Young in by her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their bodies were quickly entangled, and they fell onto the sofa.
“W-wait. Don’t, hyung… I’ll take them off.”
Jang Eun-Young took the remote control and turned off the lights.
Soon, their rough breaths filled every corner of the dark living room.
Chapter 128. There Was A Sea (10)
“Ah, it was really entertaining. Hyung, who consulted you? It wasn’t me, so was it Hyun-Kyung hyung?”
“It’s not me,” Yang Hyun-Kyung declared.
“Is it Min-Ho hyung then?”
“Are you sure the screenwriter didn’t just make that up for the show? Wait, what if they’re another writer from the office.”
“Really? Oww, my neck hurts after looking up for so long.” Lee Yeon-Woo looked away from the wall-mounted TV and started massaging his nape.
The broadcast for I Live Alone had just ended.
Yang Hyun-Kyung was pouring alcohol into his own glass.
“Ah, Hyun-Kyung hyung. Why are you pouring your own drink?”
“Forget it. Don’t you think there’s going to be articles sprouting out after this broadcast?”
“What kind?”
Yang Hyun-Kyung threw his gaze toward the TV and said, “About the movie that Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun were talking about earlier. Netizens are always ready to create issues out of nothing.
”Plus, there’s the previous issue with Summer in My 20s, I think they’d create groundless rumors and make a mountain out of a molehill with them, then replaying them over and over again.”
Lee Yeon-Woo picked up a piece of gopchang and placed it into his mouth before shaking his head. “I’m not so sure. He only mentioned how they like the director for There Was A Sea, right? I don’t think there are going to be any issues.”
“I’m not saying that Writer Ha is the problem. It’s more of how others would interpret his words. Like Director Woo Jae-Hoon.”
The steel pan in the fireplace had lost its heat. Both of them had almost finished their gopchang and had even emptied three bottles of soju. Yang Hyun-Kyung picked up the coat beside him.
“Let’s head back.”
“Thank you for the dinner, hyung. Shall we have some beer to cleanse our palate? I’ll pay for the second round,” Lee Yeon-Woo suggested.
However, Yang Hyun-Kyung shook his head and rejected it. “We won’t be able to work on our novels tomorrow if we do that. I feel slightly bad that we’re stopping so early, but let’s drink moderately.”
“Mm, okay. Let’s have beer next time.”
After settling the bill, the both of them left the restaurant and walked into the busy streets. The cold wind made Lee Yeon-Woo pull his collar tighter.
“There’s no news on when Min-Ho hyung is coming back.”
“Yeah…” Yang Hyun-Kyung let out a sigh along with his answer.
Yang Hyun-Kyung had known Kang Min-Ho for quite a long time and was quite close with him as well. They had lived together in the basement office of that shabby villa. He hadn’t shown it on his face, but Yang Hyun-Kyung was feeling quite anxious about Kang Min-Ho.
‘Should I leave him a message?’
Yang Hyun-Kyung pulled out his phone.
He was considerate of Kang Min-Ho’s complex concerns, so he had been holding back from contacting Kang Min-Ho first, but he could no longer suppress them.
Perhaps it was due to the alcohol, but Yang Hyun-Kyung was missing Kang Min-Ho more than usual.
– Hyung, everything’s alright, right? When are you coming back?
He didn’t expect a quick reply from Kang Min-Ho, as it was quite late, but he hadn’t even taken twenty steps since he sent the message, but Kang Min-Ho had already replied.
– I came back earlier. I’m at the office right now. ^^;
“…?!”
Yang Hyun-Kyung stopped dead in his tracks and looked at his phone in a daze.
Lee Yeon-Woo belatedly realized that Yang Hyun-Kyung wasn’t with him anymore, so he turned around.
“Hyun-Kyung hyung, what are you doing?” he shouted.
“I was just checking my phone,” Yang Hyun-Kyung answered with a smile.
In other words, Kang Min-Ho and Jang Eun-Young were by themselves in the office.
Yang Hyun-Kyung hurriedly replied.The inception of this chapter’s publication is linked to n(o)vel(b)(i)(n).
– Wow! It’s so out of the blue. I just came out with Lee Yeon-Woo for some beer, we’ll come back around three hours later, then.
– Where are you guys? Farm Fritts? I’ll bring Eun-Young over as well.
– We’re not in Bucheon. We’ve somehow ended up at Guro.
– The last train should depart soon. Take a taxi back later, then.
– Yes, see you later.
Yang Hyun-Kyung put his phone back in his pocket.
He looked up and gestured at Lee Yeon-Woo. “Yeon-Woo, let’s turn back. I think it’s better to have some beer to cleanse our palates.”
“Hahaha, look at you hyung. You’re regretting it, right?” Lee Yeon-Woo ran back excitedly. Yang Hyun-Kyung put an arm around Lee Yeon-Woo, and they headed to a nearby hop bar.
He looked up briefly and saw two stars shining brightly in the night sky.
***
I Live Alone Ha Jae-Gun
Ha Jae-Gun novel
There Was A Sea
Park Do-Joon
Summer in My 20s Woo Jae-Hoon
Ha Jae-Gun Park Park Do-Joon relationship
Ha Jae-Gun hairstyle
Ha Jae-Gun shoes
From dawn to daybreak, the real-time search rankings on major portal sites were filled with a single subject.
The netizens who had seen the episode of I Live Alone with guest Park Do-Joon were pouring their opinions on the many different news articles and community forums.
– They seem really close kekekeke. He even knows the house password.
– Someone, please go to Park Do-Joon-nim’s house and teach him how to make a proper-looking egg roll;;;
– Interpreting Ha Jae-Gun’s words—Director Yoon Tae-Sung is capable, so I’m not worried → Incapable directors like Woo Jae-Hoon, who only knows how to ruin original novels, should get lost.’
– Uhhh kekekeke. The comment above, you really sound like you’re telling the truth when you say it like that. You have a degree in dissing?
– Truthfully speaking, Woo Jae-Hoon can’t retort no matter what Ha Jae-Gun says;;; since he ruined the original novel so badly. I’d like to thank Director Woo Jae-Hoon once again. For a comedy out of such a serious book.
– I think Park Do-Joon fell out with Woo Jae-Hoon as well.
– I know someone in the film industry who told me that Director Woo Jae-Hoon wanted to work on There Was A Sea and wanted to cast Park Do-Joon as the male lead again. But Woo Jae-Hoon actually lost both the movie and the actor. Mmm.
– Please stop spreading groundless news. The entire country knows that Woo Jae-Hoon is bad at scriptwriting, so let’s stop bringing it up.
‘Fuck…!’
Woo Jae-Hoon’s reddened face was contorted like a used tissue.
He was looking up news articles related to I Live Alone on his phone, and almost every comment was mocking him.
‘All these bastards don’t even know a bat’s shit about movies, yet they’re out here running their mouths! Fuck, do you guys know anything about filming onsite? Do you guys know about distribution?!’
Woo Jae-Hoon suppressed the impulse to throw his phone away. He took out a cigarette stick to bite. If he were alone, he would have been yelling curses at the top of his lungs by now.
Unfortunately, he was at an interview on his new movie—The Himalayas.
The reporter sitting across from him was arranging the remaining questions during their short break.
“I’ve rested enough, so let’s continue when you’re ready, reporter,” Woo Jae-Hoon said as he put out the half-puffed cigarette in an ashtray.
Woo Jae-Hoon wanted to finish the interview as soon as possible, as he was boiling with anger.
The reporter nodded and opened his laptop.
A series of questions and answers followed for quite a while, and they soon arrived at the final few questions of the interview.
“The production fee for The Himalayas hit eleven billion won. The first concern was if the movie could break even. How popular do you think this movie will be?”
“I always do my best whenever I’m out there producing a film, but the results are up to the heavens.”
“Mm, I see…”
Perhaps Jae-Hoon’s answer was too standard that the reporter looked disappointed as he drummed his fingers on his laptop.
In fact, Woo Jae-Hoon’s answers had been quite dry and boring after their short break. Even the man’s constant glancing at the clock was starting to get on the reporter’s nerves.
“…This is the final question. Regarding the movie There Was A Sea by Director Yoon Tae-Sung, which is also currently in production…”
“…?!” Woo Jae-Hoon was looking elsewhere and was scratching the back of his head, but his eyes widened abruptly at the mention of the familiar title.
The reporter kept their eyes on the laptop screen and was typing away while asking, “The male lead actor from your previous movie, Park Do-Joon, was cast as the male lead for There Was A Sea, were you aware of that?
”Coincidentally, the author of the original novel, Ha Jae-Gun, had participated in the production as well by penning the scenario himself. It’s said that the premiere periods for both There Was A Sea and The Himalayas may overlap.”
“What’s the point of that question?!” Woo Jae-Hoon asked angrily. He couldn’t hold it in any longer.
The reporter reflexively straightened up and gulped in fear.
“Ah, I’m just curious about your opinions toward the director for There Was A Sea. What do you think the movie quality would be? How popular do you think the movie will be—things like that…”
Woo Jae-Hoon gnashed his teeth, and the corners of his eyes twitched.
The lingering fury forced Woo Jae-Hoon to give up on his textbook answers.
“I think breaking even is a matter of luck for them.”
“Is the outlook that bad?”
“The original novel sells quite well, and actor Park Do-Joon is the male lead, but the outlook is still quite bleak. First of all, the director is new and inexperienced, and from my understanding, Writer Ha Jae-Gun has never written a proper scenario before.
”The ones they wrote back in school as homework are different from the ones written for the sake of real on-site filming.”
Woo Jae-Hoon took out another stick of cigarette and continued talking, even though the reporter hadn’t asked him any additional questions.
“If there is zero communication, the on-site filming will be a mess. We can’t undo something that’s been done. I heard that Director Yoon Tae-Sung and Writer Ha Jae-Gun had discussed all the scenes before filming, but I don’t think it’ll turn out well.
”And you said that both movies are going to be released in the same period as ours? That’s honestly news to me, but it’s all because I’m not really interested in their movie.”
The reporter was so excited at Woo Jae-Hoon’s answer that the corners of his mouth had already reached his ears. They could easily create the next headlines using Woo Jae-Hoo’s aggressive and controversial answer.
The reporter’s ten fingers furiously captured Woo Jae-Hoon’s anger in his words.
***
— Jae-Gun hyung, have you seen Woo Jae-Hoon’s interview? That bastard, really! I got so angered that my blood pressure shot up. I had to massage the back of my neck for ten whole seconds!
“Don’t stress over it. He has always been that kind of person. Just look away. I don’t even care, so why are you fussing so much?”
— How could he say that?! Argh, I’m so mad! Ah, hyung. I’m sorry. I’m too angry. He was just outright dissing There Was A Sea!
Ha Jae-Gun wedged his phone between his ear and shoulder, and then he started stretching. The morning sunlight poured in as he opened the windows, and the sight of the blue East Sea filled his view.
— And hyung, there are some malicious comments here and there, but don’t worry about them. Even the professional Go player, Lee Se-Dol, once said: I couldn’t even care less about my fans, so why would I care about the haters?
“All right, thanks. Nothing’s up at the writer’s office, right?”
— Everything’s great. Please come back earlier, hyung. It’s so empty without you around.
“Focus on your writing instead. I’ll need to hang up now, I have to leave soon.”
— Alright, hyung. Have a good day.
Ha Jae-Gun showered and changed his clothes, then went downstairs to have some breakfast. As usual, Jung So-Mi’s mother took great care of his meals.
“I’m not sure if you’ll like this thistle rice[1] I’ve made.”
“It’s really delicious. Your cooking skills are awesome, madam.”
“Ohohoho! I do get complimented on my cooking skills. Jung So-Mi takes after me, so she’s great at cooking as well.”
“Haha, I see. Thank you for always looking out for me.”
“Aigoo, you’re embarrassing me, Mr. Ha. This is nothing compared to how much you’ve been looking out for my daughter. Hohoho.”
Ha Jae-Gun was enjoying his days at Donghae.
He was comfortable staying at the bed and breakfast.
The sea view was awesome as well. The discussions with Director Yoon Tae-Sung regarding the movie went smoothly, and he was always in his best condition whenever he was working on his writing.
‘Filming a movie really takes up a lot of effort.’ Ha Jae-Gun came to a realization of how much effort had to be put in just to produce a movie after observing the entire process on-site.
Ha Jae-Gun finished his breakfast and walked to the filming location to digest his food. He saw Park Do-Joon and Kim Ji-Won practicing before the cameras were set up around them.
The same scene was repeated many times, yet not once did the director give the OK sign.
A manager stood by the side holding onto the actors’ coats with a worried look.
Ha Jae-Gun saw all of that in just a glance.
“Excuse me, Mr. Do-Joon. Please add more anger, you need more anger. I need a more beastly feel.”
Yoon Tae-Sung was giving more directions to Park Do-Joon behind the cameras.
Of course, Park Doo-Joon was doing his best. He couldn’t redo the exact same scene every time. If they were to get complacent with multiple takes, the movie wouldn’t turn out great.
They had to get the explosive anger out of Park Do-Joon right here and right now. The director and the staffers were doing their best to get it done today.
“Excuse me, you’re Writer Ha Jae-Gun, right?”
A few female students approached Ha Jae-Gun.
The girls started screaming in excitement even before Ha Jae-Gun could answer them.
“I Live Alone was so entertaining!”
“Writer Ha, you actually came all the way here?! Where are you staying?”
“Are you staying with Do-Joon oppa? Please let me take a photo with you!”
A few passers-by and staffers looked at where the commotion was coming from.
Ha Jae-Gun flashed an embarrassed smile and turned around. He decided to head back to the bed and breakfast after realizing that he could become a hindrance to the filming.
***
Meanwhile, off camera…
“What?! Your grandmother is in a critical state?!”
The assistant casting director tossed his head back and grabbed his neck while on the phone. He had just received news that the supporting actor taking the role of a villager living in the village where Ba-Da was living couldn’t come on time.
“Why are there so many people whose family members are sick today?! What? Why can’t Soo-Cheol come? What now? Huh? his older sister is giving birth to twins?! That crazy…! All right, I’m hanging up!”
The assistant casting director hung up and pulled his hair in frustration. It was part of his job to hire passers-by hanging around to fill the spots of those absent supporting actors.
“Huh? Ms. Na-Yeon! Come here!”
The assistant casting director discovered Kim Na-Yeon and beckoned her over.
Kim Na-Yeon’s role was the friend of the female lead.
Kim Na-Yeon was curious about why she was called when she was already done with her scenes.
“What’s wrong, assistant director?”
“We don’t have enough people for the restaurant fighting scene. I need around five to six people. Your sibling came along, right? Can you bring them over?”
“My sibling?”
“Yes. Don’t you have a sibling? I just need to fill in the headcount. Hurry up!”
“Ah! Okay, I understand.”
“Please do me this favor. It’ll be great if you can find more people.”
The assistant director finished his piece and pulled out his phone once again before heading off in the opposite direction. Kim Na-Yeon spun around and hurried back to her accommodation.
“Ye-Seul! Where are you?!”
Chapter 129. There Was A Sea (11)
There was no one in the room. The perfectly made bed astonished Kim Na-Yeon.
Did Hong Ye-Seul leave for Seoul while she was busy filming?
Just then, there was a click from the bathroom door.
“Hey, Hong Ye-Seul! You were in the toilet?” Kim Na-Yeon yelled.
“Yeaaaah… Unni, I’m about to shower. What’s wrong?”
“I thought you had already left. Hurry up and come out, help us stand in for some supporting actors who couldn’t make it.”
“What?”
Hong Ye-Seul flung the bathroom door open. Hong Ye-Seul didn’t even think of covering up herself as she stared at Kim Na-Yeon, completely bewildered.
“It’s nothing much. It’s just a fight scene between gangsters at a restaurant, you’ll just be acting as a villager living here. There’s nothing much for you to do either, so hurry up.”
“Uh, unni. Can’t you leave me out of this? I don’t really look that good.” Hong Ye-Seul slowly retreated. She wasn’t afraid of going on camera. There Was A Sea was Ha Jae-Gun’s movie. She was still not ready to show up in his movie.
“They don’t care about looks at all, so just go. The assistant casting director asked me to get you on it. Help me out, will you?”
“…” Hong Ye-Seul wordlessly bit her lips.
Kim Na-Yeon’s gaze suddenly traveled downward, and she gasped, “Look at this girl’s hips! You’re making me mad, huh?”
“Are you trying to embarrass me?”
“Just how much have you exercised? What are those abs?”
“Ah, ahaha! Stop touching me, unni!”
Hong Ye-Seul couldn’t withstand the tickles and fell.
Kim Na-Yeon fixed her towel-wrapped hair and turned around.
“I’ll be waiting for you, so wash up and hurry on out,” said Kim Na-Yeon as she closed the door behind her.
Hong Ye-Seul stood up. She turned, and her reflection in the mirror seemed to reflect all the worries in the world.
***
“Yeah, noona.”
— You sent money to me again? Why did you send such a huge amount to me? I’ve already said countless times to stop sending me money. Should I really get angry at you?!
Ha Jae-Gun squinted one of his eyes and pulled his phone slightly away from his ear. Ha Jae-Gun waited until Ha Jae-In’s nagging had simmered down before answering, “It’s for you. Don’t you want to set up your own school? Isn’t that more than enough for you to do it? How are Mom and Father?”
Ha Jae-Gun quickly changed the topic, afraid that her nagging would continue.
Ha Jae-In let out an audible sigh.
— Dad is out looking for jobs again.
“What? Why?”
— He’s complaining that he’s feeling sore all over from just staying at home. I’ve nagged him and told him not to take up any dangerous or arduous work.
“Which job on earth isn’t arduous? Please stop him, noona.”
— Do you think he would listen to me?
“That’s true, but…”
– What about you? How’s life at Donghae? It should be quite cold since we’re entering winter now.
“The wind is strong here, but the temperature is quite high compared to the metropolitan city. And it feels like a dream to be able to see the sea every morning when I wake up.”
– Are you trying to tease me? You’re making me want to go to the beach, too.
“Let’s come together as a family again next time. And let’s build a vacation house, too.”
Ha Jae-Gun talked on the phone for a while more, then hung up. The world looked quite dreary when he looked out the window, so it wouldn’t be weird if it started pouring all of a sudden.
The gray sea made the view look desolate as well.
‘I didn’t expect that I’d stay here for so long.’
Ha Jae-Gun thought that he would be able to return after a week here, but it was already past half a month, and Ha Jae-Gun had even personally torn the month’s page on the calendar in his room.
‘Everyone should be doing fine, right?’
He thought of all the writers back at the office whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.
How did Kang Min-Ho and Jang Eun-Young’s relationship turn out? After them, the faces of Lee Soo-Hee, Park Jung-Jin, Kwon Tae-Won, Jung So-Mi, and finally Oh Myung-Suk, appeared in his mind.
“Meow.”
Rika, sleeping in a corner of the room, approached Ha Jae-Gun.
Ha Jae-Gun picked her up and placed her on his lap, then turned to his laptop. The screen showed the incomplete manuscript for volume seven of Oscar’s Dungeon.
‘I should start picking up the pace with this novel.’
Now that There Was A Sea had come to an end for him, he should put all his focus on Oscar’s Dungeon, as it was contracted with Nextion for the game adaptation.
Ha Jae-Gun let out a sigh as he watched the flickering cursor on the screen.
He had been stuck on volume seven for the longest time now.
The content he had been writing couldn’t satisfy him.
Furthermore, there was an even larger issue than that.
‘Please say something, Senior. What do you think of this scene where Oscar gets stuck in the dungeon because of the crumbled entrance? Is it interesting?’
However, Seo Gun-Woo didn’t reply to him.
He had asked countless questions while working on his novels, and Seo Gun-Woo had always replied to him. They had been able to hold long discussions over those questions. The conflicts they would find themselves in over the questions had always allowed Ha Jae-Gun to find the direction of his story.
However, the frequency of replies was decreasing. The same went for Oscar’s Dungeon. As Ha Jae-Gun started writing volume seven, he had received zero responses from Seo Gun-Woo’s soul, no matter how many questions he asked.
Ha Jae-Gun felt like his future was bleak.
Bzzt!
His phone rang; a text from Jung So-Mi had arrived.
– How’s everything going? I’ve drafted episode one with the help of the storyboard artist that President Kwon introduced to me. I sent it to your inbox, so please take a look when you’re free!
‘That was fast.’
Ha Jae-Gun accessed his inbox and opened episode one of the webtoon Oscar’s Dungeon.
He started smiling while reading it.
‘Wow, this is good.’
He had always liked her drawing style, so there was nothing for him to fuss about.
The angle composition of each scene and position made the reading experience smooth.
Ha Jae-Gun sent Jung So-Mi a reply with a smile.
– It looks awesome. I can see that you’ve put a lot of effort into it. This is great.
– Thank you for the compliments. But is it alright to proceed with this?
– You should do as you feel, not based on my opinion. What I’ve said aren’t empty words. If you were with me right now, I would have treated you to a huge meal!
– Oh my, you’re making me want to teleport to Donghae right now!
Ha Jae-Gun put his phone down, and his smile disappeared completely after a while.
He felt more anxious about his writing after looking at the great work Jung So-Mi had produced for him.
“This can’t go on, Rika. Regardless of the results, I should at least finish the draft manuscript and send it over to President Kwon as soon as possible. Otherwise, I might just end up working on volume seven until the end of this year.”
“Meow.”
Ha Jae-Gun closed his eyes momentarily and cleared his mind of all thoughts. He threw away the reliance he had on Seo Gun-Woo and stopped asking questions. His fingers on the keyboard started typing out the story development he had in mind.
***
“Cut!”
Director Yoon Tae-Sung shot his hand up high.
Sobbing in each other’s embrace, Park Do-Joon and Kim Ji-Won finally broke off the hug and stood apart, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Great job, everyone! Let’s head back up to Seoul now!”
The applause from the staffers echoed throughout the site. The scenes in Donghae had finally been filmed. A wave of sadness flashed across everyone’s faces who had finally been freed from the arduous routine.
“You’ve worked hard, Director.”
“You too, Mr. Do-Joon and Ms. Ji-Won. The scenes were great. Where is the post-editing section chief? Where did they say the after-party was?”
A large crowd formed around Yoon Tae-Sung.
Meanwhile, Kim Na-Yeon and Hong Ye-Seul stood by the beach, far from the large crowd. They were drinking coffee from their paper cups.
Hong Ye-Seul had been acting as a stand-in for a few scenes in the last few days, so she wasn’t in her usual outfit. She was currently in flowery work pants and rubber work boots that were stained all over with dirt.
“This suits you quite well, Hong Ye-Seul.”
“Aish, why are you teasing me? Are you showing off that you’re acting as Ba-Da’s friend, and you get to look all pretty on screen?”
“So what? The movie hasn’t premiered yet, and I’ve already gotten heaps of malicious comments on the Internet,” Kim Na-Yeon said, mocking herself.
Hong Ye-Seul stomped angrily and yelled, “How dare they say all those things about you! They should learn how to mind their business! You shouldn’t worry about those malicious rumors.”
“Well, it’s not all rumors—”
“Unni!”
“All right, I’m sorry.”
Kim Na-Yeon placed her paper cup down and pulled Hong Ye-Seul into a hug. She was grateful to Hong Ye-Seul for getting mad for her sake. Of course, she was also thankful that the latter was trying to cheer her up.
“Cheer up, Unni. Don’t look back, just focus on the road in front of you. Hmm? How can extras do this to a supporting actor? Hehe.”
“Yeah, I will. I’ve gone through so much to make this happen.”
“Yes, of course.”
Hong Ye-Seul hugged Kim Na-Yeon by the waist and tapped her back. She clearly knew Kim Na-Yeon’s passion for acting, even though she had to enter the streets of the late-night entertainment district due to her family’s financial difficulties.
“You’ve made a great decision to get out of that hell hole early. You didn’t have to see the darkness of that world. If you had… you would have turned out just like me.”
“What do you mean, turn out like you? Why are you always saying that? What’s wrong with being like you?!”
Just then, a commotion echoed somewhere else.
Kim Na-Yeon and Hong Ye-Seul let go of each other and turned.
“Looks like it’s Writer Ha Jae-Gun.”
“…?!” Hong Ye-Seul abruptly turned pale
Kim Na-Yeon was right. Twenty steps away from them were Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun talking to each other.
“Writer oppa—no, why is Writer Ha here?” Hong Ye-Seul quickly corrected herself and asked Kim Na-Yeon.
Kim Na-Yeon nodded in their direction without looking away and said, “I have no idea, but they said that the director and writer would discuss changes in the script during on-site filming. That’s why he’s here and staying at the bed and breakfast.”
Hong Ye-Seul’s lips trembled, and she looked down at her outfit.
She started retreating.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mm… I don’t feel good. I want to go back and rest.”
In truth, Hong Ye-Seul didn’t want to meet Ha Jae-Gun in her current state, as she had declared that she would only appear in front of him once she could face him with confidence. She was also not prepared to get her necklace back just yet.
“Ms. Na-Yeon, Ms. Ye-Seul. You guys were here?”
The assistant casting director recognized the two and approached them.
“We’re going to have a small after-party at a sashimi restaurant. There are more than enough seats, so do join us together with your sister.”
“Okay, we will be there soon. Thank you for the invite.”
Kim Na-Yeon turned around after finishing the conversation with the assistant casting director to see Hong Ye-Seul already walking far ahead toward their accommodation.
Kim Na-Yeon ran over and stopped the latter, asking, “What’s wrong? You were fine all this while, but you’re suddenly feeling sick?”
“I don’t know; I feel a bit hot. I don’t think I can go to the after-party. Unni, you should go and enjoy yourself there.”
“In that case, you should eat something before going back. You’ll need to eat something before having medicine, anyway.”
Hong Ye-Seul smiled wearily and shook her head. “I’ll get myself a roll of kimbap and head back. Don’t worry about me and go, Unni.”
“All right… I’ll be back soon.”
“No, I’ll be sleeping anyway, so you should enjoy yourself there. Bye.”
Hong Ye-Seul wrapped her arms around herself and headed back to the accommodation.
Kim Na-Yeon watched Hong Ye-Seul leave before turning around to head to the sashimi restaurant.
***
“Auntie, please give us another plate of sashimi!”
“We don’t have enough soju here! Just bring them by the boxes, not in bottles!”This chapter made its debut appearance via n(0/vel(b)(/j)(n).
The after-party was held at the largest sashimi restaurant in the area.
Dozens of staffers and actors chattered loudly among themselves.
“Assistant Director, please have a shot.”
“No, Writer Ha. I should offer you first.”
“I’m the first to offer, so you should accept mine first.”
The assistant director received the drink with much reluctance, and then he poured a shot for Ha Jae-Gun.
They were currently seated at the innermost corner of the restaurant. Ha Jae-Gun, Yoon Tae-Sung, the assistant director, and Park Do-Joon were seated at this table.
“Ha Jae-Gun, what’s this? Where’s my shot?” Park Do-Joon asked and tapped Ha Jae-Gun on the shoulder.
With his back leaning against the wall, Park Do-Joon stretched his long legs out and swung them side to side as if he were an octopus.
“You drank a lot. Look at your face, it’s all red.”
“It’s fine. Just pour me a shot, quick,” Park Do-Joon urged.
“Whatever…” Ha Jae-Gun knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop Park Do-Joon, so he eventually poured him a glass.
Park Do-Joon slowly lifted his glass and spoke with hiccups, “Hey, Ha Jae-Gun, I’m not saying that because I’m drunk—Hicc!”
Unlike his words, Park Do-Joon’s gaze looked extremely relaxed. He had become much more susceptible to alcohol since the filming had finally ended, which meant that he was no longer nervous.
Park Do-Joon patted his chest slowly and said, “You don’t know how happy I was to be able to act as the male lead of your novel.”
“I’m happy to have you acting as my novel’s male lead.”
“Ah, I’m really happy to have known a writer like you. This isn’t just empty words. I originally thought you were quite arrogant at first and thought you’d be a handful to deal with—hicc! But it turns out that you’re a kind person. I really have to thank Chae-Rin—eup!”
Park Do-Joon couldn’t complete his sentence because Ha Jae-Gun had covered his mouth. Ha Jae-Gun whispered into his ear, “Are you crazy? There are so many people here…!”
Park Do-Joon seemed to have understood as he nodded in response.
He had almost revealed his relationship with Chae-Rin.
Ha Jae-Gun released his grip on Park Do-Joon and poured a glass of cold water for the man. Park Do-Joon downed the glass and shook his head violently. “Wow, I can’t go on. I think I should go out for some fresh air.”
“I’ll go with you.” Worried for Park Do-Joon, Ha Jae-Gun followed suit.
The two stepped out with the slippers provided by the restaurant and headed to the carpark behind.
Just then, Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang.
“I’ll answer this call for a while. Hello?”
— Hello Writer Ha. Have you had dinner yet?
Kwon Tae-Won’s voice sounded unusually bright.
Ha Jae-Gun watched as Park Do-Joon curled on the bench and replied, “Yes, we’re having an after-party. Today’s our final day here. What about you, President Kwon? Have you had dinner yet?”
— Yes, I’m already full. Ah, I’ve read the draft for Oscar’s Dungeon volume seven.
“Ahh, I see… What do you think?” Ha Jae-Gun asked in a worried tone.
Kwon Tae-Won’s reply was unexpected.
— I think it’s great. It was fun. The parts that you pointed out in the email weren’t weird to me at all.
“Really?”
— I don’t say empty words, Writer Ha. You kept saying how you’re meeting difficulties while working on volume seven and thinking that it’s very boring. I was honestly worried, but it’s great. Ms. So-Mi thought the same as well.
“I’m very glad to hear that…” Ha Jae-Gun heaved a long sigh of relief.
Seo Gun-Woo’s absence had been weighing down on his mind. He felt relief as the burdensome weight he had on his mind was lifted off of his mind.
“Yes, President. I’ll see you soon when I head back up.”
Ha Jae-Gun spoke on the phone for a while more before ending the call.
Meanwhile, Park Do-Joon was curled up on the bench, scrolling through his own Twitter feed on his phone.
“Shall we head back? You’ll catch a cold at this rate.”
“Hey, Jae-Gun, let’s take a photo together for a keepsake. I want to upload it on Twitter.”
“Will you be alright? Your face looks quite red.”
“My life motto is to be natural. Come quick.”
Park Do-Joon put his arms around Ha Jae-Gun’s and tapped on the capture button. The faces of the two men smiling broadly at the camera looked heartwarming rather than absurd.
Chapter 130. There Was A Sea (12)
“Hello? Yes, five black bean noodles and three spicy seafood noodles, please. Remember to add a huge portion of pickled radish, alright? Address? Ah, I forgot that it doesn’t appear on the phone. This is Park Seok-Ji’s editing office. That’s right.”
Park Seok-Ji’s post-editing office was bustling with life as usual. There was Director Yoon Tae-Sung, head post-editor Park Seok-Ji, and the other staffers on the post-editing team who had worked tirelessly for over half a month.
They had been working overtime almost every day as the deadline was extremely tight.
“Director, here’s your coffee.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Yoon Tae-Sung took a sip from the cup of hot coffee and massaged his temples. His haggard face was covered with an unkempt beard. Yoon Tae-Sung was often told that he was all skin and bones, and his haggard look would make anyone pity him.
“Replay that part again.”
Yoon Tae-Sung kept repeating the scenes that he had already seen hundreds of times. Editing was an exhausting job, and it was even more exhausting under the pressure of a tight schedule.
The process of preparing and putting all the ingredients together just to present a delicious meal had never been easy.
Yoon Tae-Sung was thoroughly exhausted, and things were seemingly overlapping in his eyes. He had poured many drops of eyedrops into his eyes and washed his face with cold water until his skin peeled, but those were only temporary measures.
‘Why does this scene feel off?’
Yoon Tae-Sung licked his parched lips and tilted his head from side to side. He was watching the scene where a group of hostile gangsters chasing Cho Kang-Jae was going on a rampage in a restaurant.
There was something off about it, but he couldn’t quite point it out, which made him feel annoyed.
‘Just what is it?’ Yoon Tae-Sung was clearly frustrated.
His dimming vision made the video look blurry as well.
“Director, the food’s here.”
“Please start eating first.”
“Director, you got the spicy seafood noodles, so you should eat them first; otherwise, it’ll just turn soggy like yesterday.”
Yoon Tae-Sung stood up at that, but his eyes remained transfixed on the screen.
“…!!!” His eyes shot wide open at a particular frame.
“Wait! Stop the scene right there!”
The video playback stopped almost instantly at his orders. Yoon Tae-Sung then pointed at the female extra standing in the periphery of the camera view and said, “This girl stands out too much.”
“Pardon?”
“Her looks are too outstanding, and her outfit doesn’t suit her as well. It makes the scene feel too artificial. She doesn’t look like someone living in this village. Let’s find all the scenes with her and remove them from the final copy.”
“All right.”
“Shall we have some food then?” Yoon Tae-Sung asked in a refreshed voice after finding out the reason behind the anomaly.
Everyone gathered around the newspaper-covered table top.
Yoon Tae-Sung split the wooden chopsticks and asked casually to no one in particular, “Who was that lady?”
“Lady? Ah, the one you just asked to cut out from the movie?”
Everyone else looked at each other’s faces curiously, but they only puffed their cheeks and tilted heads. Yoon Tae-Sung pulled out his phone and decided to call the assistant director. The line rang for a while before the assistant director answered it.
— Yes, director.
“I’ve got a question about the female extra who appeared in the restaurant scene, do you know who she is? The one in flowery work pants and rubber work boots.”
— Oh, mm—ah! She’s a friend of Ms. Kim Na-Yeon, who is acting as Eun-Hee in the movie.
“Oh?”
— She appeared in the scene at Eodal Beach as well. I saw only her back in the recordings at the editing office yesterday, too.
“What does she do? Is she an actor?”
— I’m not sure about that either. I subbed her at the last minute since Soo-Cheol, and a few other extras did not turn up for their scenes. What’s wrong?
“She looks great on screen, and she looks charming, too. Try getting her contact number if possible.”
— Okay. Oh, right. Director. Do you know where Soo-Cheol went that day? He went to The Himalayas on-site filming in Seoul. His older sister apparently gave birth there. Damn it.
“Really? These people are seriously… Alright, I get it. I’ll talk to you again in the evening.”
— Yes, good luck with the work.
Yoon Tae-Sung finished his meal and headed back to the editing room. He watched the movie once more without taking even a smoke break. The girl’s face looked increasingly charming by the minute, which left a deep impression on him.
***
“You should eat more, hyung. Don’t just drink the alcohol.”
“I’m eating.”
“Nonsense. With customers like you, buffet restaurants are going to fail.”
Kang Min-Ho only smiled in response and downed another shot of soju. The cold soju taste felt unusually delicious today. Jang Eun-Young sat across from her, and she clicked her tongue disapprovingly at him while gathering all the cooked meat onto the side of the grill pan.
“Let’s go for round two after this.”
“Why?”
“We’ve started with soju, so we should end the night with beer. There’s a nice bar that just opened at the cross junction.”
Jang Eun-Young nodded slightly instead of replying. Kang Min-Ho took the tongs from her hand and placed a few more pieces of raw meat in the grill pan, then asked, “What’s wrong now?”
“Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve thought about it a few times, and I still think this isn’t right.”
“…”
Kang Min-Ho frowned as he poured a shot of soju.
He understood what Jang Eun-Young was talking about.
“I’ve said it before—being a divorcee is not that unusual in these trying times.”
“Hyung, I don’t think everyone will think the same as you. And there’s your mother, too. It’s not like I don’t know her and all.”
“She’ll give us her blessings. She’s not a traditionalist.” Kang Min-Ho did not yield.
He had already decided on that fateful night that he would get married to Jang Eun-Young no matter what.
“Hyung, should we just forget about that night?”
“Is that possible?”
“Humans do get lonely after living alone for an extended period of time. And we’re adults as well.”
Tap!
Kang Min-Ho’s face distorted, and he made sure that his glass would make a sound the moment he placed it down on the table.
Jang Eun-Young flinched at the loud noise.
Kang Min-Ho then continued, “You like me, right?”
“Hyung…”
“Do you? Or do you not?”
“I like you.”
“I like you as well. I loved what happened on that night as well. The thought of doing that again with you has always been on my mind since then.”
Jang Eun-Young’s cheeks flushed red.
Kang Min-Ho drew in deep breaths, and he sounded furious as he said in a loud voice, “And you’re asking me to forget about it? What should I do if I want to hug you in my arms again? Should I ask you for permission, then? ‘Ah, Jang Eun-Young. I’m feeling lonely. We’re adults, so can we just do that, no strings attached?’
”Should I beg you like that every time?”
“Lower your voice. What’s wrong with you?”
Kang Min-Ho slid his hands underneath his clothes and pulled out a small box.
“Decide.”
“What’s this?”
“You know full well what it is, so why are you even asking? You’ll know what it is for sure once you open it,” Kang Min-Ho said blandly and placed the box on the table.
Jang Eun-Young took the box and opened it.
An elegant gold ring was sitting in the box.
“Ah!” Jang Eun-Young hurriedly covered her mouth. Hot tears welled up in her eyes.
Kang Min-Ho made a sidelong glance at her before saying, “I didn’t want to give you that here, but you kept on provoking me.”
A teardrop rolled down her cheek.
She picked up the ring with trembling fingers.
She had to make a decision right there and then.
She would go past the road of no return once she slipped that ring onto her finger.
“Let’s live together—as ink slingers,” Kang Min-Ho said calmly, but he looked anxious.
Jang Eun-Young sniffled and slowly looked up. She stared wordlessly at Kang Min-Ho for quite a while before she opened her mouth and asked, “Will you prepare the meals and clean the house whenever I’m rushing to meet deadlines?”
“Of course.”
With that, Jang Eun-Young slipped the ring onto her finger, and it fit snugly.
Jang Eun-Young raised her hand up to eye level, admiring the ring on her finger.
“Wow, it’s really pretty. My finger, I mean.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Pffft. Jang Eun-Young burst out laughing.
Just then, the phone left on the tabletop rang. It was a call from Yang Hyun-Kyung.
“Yeah, Hyun-Kyung.”
— Noona, where are you? Writer Ha dropped by the office for a visit. We’re about to head out for dinner together.This chapter made its debut appearance via n(0/vel(b)(/j)(n).
“Oh my, really? Min-Ho hyung, he said that Writer Ha is at the office. He wants to have dinner together; shall we join them?”
“Sure. We haven’t seen him ever since he came back from Donghae.”
Jang Eun-Young and Kang Min-Ho settled the bill and left the restaurant. They hooked arms while walking down the street, which made Kang Min-Ho numb to the harsh winter wind.
***
‘Ahh…!’
Ha Jae-Gun held his nose bridge and swallowed a groan. He wasn’t alone, and he didn’t want to show anyone else his crying face.
‘Ah, seriously… it’s so sad.’
However, he failed, and his breathing felt increasingly hotter the more he tried to suppress his sobs. His watery eyes made the screen look blurry.
Soon, the movie ended.
Ha Jae-Gun watched the rolling credits as he recalled the strong emotions he felt while watching the movie. It seemed that he wouldn’t be able to get rid of the void in his heart for quite a while after watching the movie.
“What’s wrong with you?” Park Do-Joon asked in surprise.
The lights had turned back on, and Park Do-Joon was sitting next to Ha Jae-Gun.
Ha Jae-Gun awkwardly smiled and wiped the tears in the corner of his eyes with a tissue.
“Hey Jae-Gun. What’s wrong? This is a movie made from your own novel.”
“It’s just too touching. It’s been a while since I felt like this while watching a Korean movie.”
“Are you kidding me? I can’t believe that an adaptation has even made the original novel author cry. The movie will definitely be a huge hit.”
The men were at the movie preview for There Was A Sea. Ha Jae-Gun felt entirely different compared to Summer in My 20s. His legs had gone weak from watching the movie, and he found it difficult to even stand.
‘This is enough…’
Ha Jae-Gun placed a hand on his heart and revealed a gratified smile.
He hadn’t felt a single ounce of dissatisfaction throughout the movie.
His written script was fully reflected in the movie, and there was not a single area that deviated from what he had in mind when writing the novel.
He was satisfied. Ha Jae-Gun wouldn’t have any regrets, even if the movie failed. However, Yoon Tae-Sung had put so much effort into the movie that the movie had to succeed no matter what.
“Hello, Writer Ha. I’m the post-editor Park Seok-Ji,” Park Seok-Ji approached and greeted Ha Jae-Gun with a smile.
Ha Jae-Gun stood up and exchanged handshakes.
“Hello, you did the post-editing for Summer in My 20s, too, right? It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for doing such a great job on the movie.”
“Woohoohoo, it’s not my first time meeting you. I saw you during the preview for Summer in My 20s as well, but you left in a hurry back then.”
“Ahh, I see…” Ha Jae-Gun mulled over the depressing moment back then and smiled bitterly. Park Seok-Ji looked around briefly, then leaned in to whisper into Ha Jae-Gun’s ears. “The recordings this time were incomparably fresh as compared to Summer in My 20s.
”I feel that There Was A Sea is going to be a huge hit, so you’ll have to be mentally prepared for how busy you’ll become in the near future.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Park Do-Joon loomed over the two with his towering height.
“Let’s go have some food. Seok-Ji noona, join us too.”
“Should I? But what about your interview, Do-Joon?”
“I’m free for two hours. There’s a place that sells delicious soy-marinated crab[1], so let’s have that. You know how to eat it, right?”
“Yes, I just couldn’t afford it before.”
They rode a car together to the restaurant. Park Do-Joon’s manager, Tae-Bong, congratulated Ha Jae-Gun.
“There Was A Sea sold over 800,000 copies. I think it’ll hit a million copies after the movie premieres.”
Park Seok-Ji then added, “When the movie becomes a big hit, we should be able to hit the red carpet at the end of May. For Baeksong Arts Awards. The Best Director, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, I think we should be able to bag all of those.”
“Noona, why did you leave out the Best Actor?”
“Oh my, I haven’t really thought about that…”
“I won’t be paying for your share, noona.”
Everyone else burst into laughter aside from Park Do-Joon.
Ha Jae-Gun smiled, then pulled out his phone from his pocket. A call had come in, and it was from Lee Soo-Hee.
“Yeah, Soo-Hee.”
— How was the movie preview? Did the movie turn out well?
Lee Soo-Hee had skipped the small greetings and went straight to the point, asking about the movie.
Ha Jae-Gun turned toward the window and answered in a low voice, “I personally like it a lot. I’m not so sure how the others like it, though.”
— All’s good as long as the original author approves of it. That’s great news. I’m looking forward to it.
Lee Soo-Hee’s bright voice melted all the fatigue in Ha Jae-Gun. Ha Jae-Gun nodded as if Lee Soo-Hee were around and was watching him from somewhere.
“Now that the movie is all done, I’m going to focus on Oscar’s Dungeon.”
— I like the summary of the scenario you sent over, I think we can proceed with this. The director likes it, too.
“Really? That’s great. How about the webtoon?”
The webtoon needed more time, but Jung So-Mi had been trying her best to finish the webtoon. Fortunately, the release of the game itself was still quite some time away.
— It’s not bad. Looks alright.
Lee Soo-Hee’s reply made Ha Jae-Gun wonder. ‘Huh? What did she mean by not bad?’
Lee Soo-Hee had always been the type to not settle for less. As someone who was usually clear about whether she liked or disliked something, her reply was not as straightforward as Ha Jae-Gun had expected.
— Anyway, Ha Jae-Gun. I wanted to ask if you could work on the scenario at our office.
“At Nextion?”
— Yeah, isn’t it better since we can discuss things during meetings and all? Of course, you must be busy as well, so I’m not asking you to come every day, maybe just twice a week?
“It’s not that difficult, but…” Ha Jae-Gun trailed off. Oh Myung-Hoon’s face surfaced in his mind. He already felt exhausted just thinking of seeing Oh Myung-Hoon’s face in person.
— I’ll make sure that you’ll always be comfortable.
Lee Soo-Hee added as if she had read his mind.
Ha Jae-Gun smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll do it then.”
— Thank you. Enjoy your lunch. I’ll call you again.
“Yeah, you, too.”
Park Seok-Ji looked at Ha Jae-Gun through the rearview mirror and mumbled, “It must be from a woman you like.”
“No, she’s just a batchmate from university. We’re working together because of the game adaptation.”
“Lies. It usually shows on your face when you’re talking with someone you like.”
“Hey, Jae-Gun. Is Seok-Ji noona speaking the truth? Is she pretty? Who is it?”
“She’s my university batchmate.”
The traffic light turned green, and the car ran once more.
Ha Jae-Gun stretched in the running car. He felt that he had just overcome a huge mountain range once more, and he no longer had anything to worry about There Was A Sea.
-------------------------------------------
⌚Every ★Saturday / Wednesday ★-------------------------------------------
---------Ads----------