Chapter 156. Tremble in Fear (15)
“Hello, Director.”
“Mm, good morning.”
Nam Gyu-Ho raised one hand in greeting as he stepped into the pantry. The employees cocked their heads as they found his reaction strange. His usual response was to put his hands in his pockets and nod his head.
“I need a cup of coffee. Hmm.” Nam Gyu-Ho even lied that he hadn’t had his coffee and pressed a button on the coffee machine.
He had already glanced at his wristwatch thrice while the coffee was dripping.
“May I join you?”
Nam Gyu-Ho ignored the other empty tables in the pantry and approached the planning team members at their table instead. The team was flustered yet still awkwardly moved to make space for him to join them.
“What? Yes, of course. Please have a seat, Director.”
“What’s with all of your expressions?”
“No, it’s just… You usually choose to sit alone or head straight back to your office, so…”
“I’m thinking of spending more time with all of you to improve our communication,” said Nam Gyu-Ho, but he looked at his wristwatch once more. The employees had noticed it earlier, and one of them decided to ask.
“Are you waiting for an important guest…?”
“Hmm? No, why?”
“Because you’ve checked your watch a few times now…”
“Well, I’m just checking to see if my watch is working properly…” Nam Gyu-Ho’s vague reply bewildered everyone.
Just then, Lee Soo-Hee appeared from behind him with a smile.
“That’s a new watch. It’s pretty,” she said.
“Ah, this watch?” Nam Gyu-Ho replied, and his face brightened immediately as he extended his arm to Lee Soo-Hee.
“It was a gift from Writer Ha Jae-Gun.”
“Writer Ha?” Lee Soo-Hee asked, feigning ignorance. However, Lee Soo-Hee was actually asked by Ha Jae-Gun to help him choose the watch meant for Nam Gyu-Ho.
“Yeah, well… He said he was thankful to me for quite a few things, and he gave me this watch as a present. Thankfully, the watch’s design was to my liking as well. Hmm.”
Lee Soo-Hee bit her lip to suppress the laughter that was forcing its way out. To her, Nam Gyu-Ho looked like he was still contemplating whether to show off the watch or not.
“Anyway, Writer Ha is also, uh, how should I say this… Hmm, Well, I should get going now.”
“Yes, Director. See you later.”
Nam Gyu-Ho picked up his cup of coffee and left after achieving his goal.
As soon as Nam Gyu-Ho stepped out, the team stopped Lee Soo-Hee and started clambering for answers.
“Why did Writer Ha give him that watch?”
“Did their relationship get better?”
Lee Soo-Hee only smiled and answered that she wasn’t sure while shaking her head.
As Lee Soo-Hee returned to the office after making herself a cup of coffee, another team member said casually, “Anyway, MPC seems to be in big trouble. Their market share dropped by thirty billion won.”
“Yeah. I feel sorry for the franchisees and investors.” Lee Soo-Hee smiled bitterly in return.
News of the assaulted security, who was Writer Ha’s father, had already spread across the country. Naturally, the team who had been working closely with Ha Jae-Gun would be more interested in the news than anything else.
“What’s the use of a public apology after the video was revealed? Are they performing a gag concert?”
“Sigh, rich people are just too much.”
“I heard that he’s going to sell his stocks and step down from his position. But that should just be rumors, right?”
The topic of the conversation naturally switched to MPC Group. Lee Soo-Hee somehow felt uncomfortable listening as it reminded her of Ha Jae-Gun’s face, which had grown very thin.
The moment Lee Soo-Hee stood up from her seat…
“Huh? What’s this photo?!” The same team member who was looking at their phone exclaimed.
The others curiously gathered around them.
“What photo is it?”
“Isn’t this Writer Ha’s father and MPC Group’s president?”
Lee Soo-Hee sat back down, her eyes widened in shock.
The team member showed Lee Soo-Hee their phone and asked, “Right? Team Leader Lee?”
“…?!”
Lee Soo-Hee could not believe her eyes. Jung Woo-Hyuk was kneeling before Ha Jae-Gun’s father. Myung-Ja and Ha Jae-In stood next to Ha Jae-Gun’s father. It was slightly blurry since the photo was taken from afar, but Lee Soo-Hee still recognized them.
“There are more photos. The MPC president is lying on the ground here.”
“Wow, it’s true. Where did this photo come from?”
“It’s not from the media outlets, but from an anonymous site. It’s going viral on social media. It’s at the top of the search portal ranking.”
Lee Soo-Hee turned pale and pulled out her phone.
As her team members said, clicking on ‘MPC President groveling for forgiveness’ showed countless photos and social media posts on the search results.
– Just what’s happening? I think this is fake? How can someone like the MPC President be groveling for forgiveness?
– Is he asking for a beating in the second photo???
-Fabrication? That’s bull. He’s obviously MPC’s President.
– The person whose back view is the only thing that can be seen in the picture is obviously Ha Jae-Gun. I’m his fan, so I can tell right away.
– If this is real, then Ha Jae-Gun is awesome. Kekekeke. He could even make MPC’s president kneel and ask for forgiveness kekekeke.
– Is Ha Jae-Gun that great??? What kind of family does he have??? Just who is he???
– Wow, the shivers;;;; His dignified aura is;;;; I peed in my pants;;;;;;
– You dumbasses, can’t you distinguish between reality and drama? This is definitely fake. Regardless of how famous Writer Ha Jae-Gun is, does it make sense for someone like MPC’s President to grovel at him like that???
– I don’t think this is fake.
The comments section was flooded with netizens’ speculations. In fact, more and more comments appeared while Lee Soo-Hee was reading the old comments.
‘Did some reporter take a picture and leak it? Because they couldn’t upload it immediately with an article?’
It was the only conclusion she could come up with. Worried, Lee Soo-Hee stepped outside and called Ha Jae-Gun.
— Yeah, Soo-Hee.
“Did you see the articles?”
— Yeah, Yeon-Woo showed it to me.
“Just what happened?”
— I’m not sure either. There was a reporter who came to our house. His name’s Joo Sang-Yeol, from the local online news agency. Did he secretly take that picture?
Ha Jae-Gun’s voice didn’t sound as grim as she had expected. Lee Soo-Hee was slightly relieved and asked, “How about you? Are you okay?”
— Yeah, well, I’m a bit surprised, but it’s fine.
“Thank goodness… Yeah, don’t worry about it. What are you doing now?”
— I’m at the writer’s office to work. I’ll see you later in the evening.
“Yeah, okay. Good luck then.”
***
Beep!
Ha Jae-Gun let out a sigh after hanging up the phone.
BesLee Yeon-Woo was still scrolling through the webpage with shock evident on his face.
“Jae-Gun hyung, is this…real?” Lee Yeon-Woo gulped nervously, looking curious while waiting for an answer from Ha Jae-Gun.
Ha Jae-Gun only smiled bitterly before standing up.
“I’m sorry, but I hope you won’t ask anymore.”
“Okay, hyung… I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. You haven’t had breakfast, right? It’s kind of late, but let’s go out for breakfast.”
“Sure. Shall we have ox bone soup?”
The two stepped out and headed to a nearby restaurant.
On their way over, Ha Jae-Gun looked down, lost in his thoughts. Lee Yeon-Woo noticed it, and he got worried for him, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask about it first.
Even after they grabbed seats at the restaurant, the silence continued. Ha Jae-Gun didn’t speak even a single word aside from when they had to order. The two of them didn’t share even a single conversation even after they finished their meal.
‘Ah, I’m so bloated.’
Lee Yeon-Woo scrunched his face and rubbed his belly. It was also the first time he had eaten in silence with Ha Jae-Gun around. It felt like he couldn’t digest his meal properly because he was so worried for Ha Jae-Gun.
“Thanks for the meal, hyung.”
“Lee Yeon-Woo, shall we take a walk?” Ha Jae-Gun suggested, pointing to a quiet road.
Lee Yeon-Woo smiled and nodded. “I wanted to take a walk as well. I’m feeling a bit bloated.”
“I think it’s because of me, I’m sorry.”
“No, hyung. It’s because I ate too fast.”
The road led to the library, so it was relatively deserted. Looking at the trees by the road swaying in the winds, Ha Jae-Gun spoke, “Please understand, I have a lot going on in my mind.”
“Of course. Don’t say it like that.”
Lee Yeon-Woo looked up into the sky in anger, and he clenched his fists tight.
“Argh, seriously. If he were in front of me, I’d stuff glass noodles down his throat and turn him into blood sausages. How dare he touch Ha Jae-Gun hyung’s father?!”
Ha Jae-Gun smiled softly and looked up as well.
The clear blue sky filled his eyes.
He hoped the world would be as peaceful as the clear skies.
Just then, a crisp noise echoed, breaking Ha Jae-Gun’s peace.
“Argh fuck! Who left the cart here, blocking the road!” an angry driver yelled as they rolled down the car windows. The driver seemed to be in his early forties. The car was obviously a luxury export, and a shabby-looking cart was blocking the road.
“Aigoo, I’m sorry. I’ll finish in thirty seconds, so I left it there. I didn’t know a car would pass by in the meantime,” an old man apologized in a hurry while carrying a huge stack of waste paper.
He would have to put down the waste paper in his arms to pull the cart out of the way, so he placed them on the ground.
“Ah, just hurry up!”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I need to put this down first—”
“Argh, fuck this, seriously. Stupid things have only been happening to me today, kyaak, twe!” The driver spat beside the cart after his long curse-out.
The old man could only pull his cart away without protest.
Just then, the words—one-way traffic—that was blocked filled Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes.
“J-Jae-Gun hyung?” This chapter was first shared on the N0v3l-B1n platform.
Ha Jae-Gun strode up to the cart. He helped the old man with the cart and said, “Please don’t be upset, sir. There’s too much trash that can’t be recycled in this world.”
The gaze in the driver’s eyes changed. There was no way he wouldn’t understand Ha Jae-Gun’s words unless he was a fool. The man’s face read—look at this punk?
Afterward, he got out of his car and rushed toward Ha Jae-Gun.
“What did you just say? Did you just call me trash?”
Ha Jae-Gun let go of the cart and turned around. While Lee Yeon-Woo ran over and helped push the cart away, Ha Jae-Gun calmly replied, “You got it right away, huh.”
“How old are you?”
“I don’t think it’s a question worth hearing from someone who just cursed at an old man. And can’t you see this?” Ha Jae-Gun pointed at the sign that read—one-way traffic—before pointing at the man’s bumper.
The driver’s face reddened in anger.
“You busybody…! Don’t stick into other people’s business and just go on your way! If you step up like this, you might just grow old picking up trash like him. Keep your head straight if you want to make a living.”
Lee Yeon-Woo stepped up, looking fierce. Ha Jae-Gun raised his hand to stop the latter and said, “I’m living quite well, so you should just keep to yourself.”
“Ah, seriously. You don’t want to lose, huh? I don’t earn much, but I still earn fifty million per month, alright? And how much do you earn?”
“I earn five hundred million per month at the very least.”
The driver was stunned. His boast of earning fifty million per month was just overwhelmed by Ha Jae-Gun’s words.
“Huh, are you joking with me right now?! Argh!”
Slam!
The driver kicked the cart out of anger. The cardboard boxes that the old man had painstakingly stacked up collapsed instantly.
Lee Yeon-Woo could not take it any longer and pushed the man roughly.
“Ho, did you just push me?”
“I can’t explode before hyung, you know? So just drive away quietly, now.”
“This rude bastard…!” The driver grabbed Lee Yeon-Woo by his collar.
Lee Yeon-Woo did not back down either and confronted the man. Seeing that things could lead to a fight, Ha Jae-Gun took out his phone.
Just then, a few policemen appeared from a distance like a miracle.
“What are you guys doing?!” the driver yelled at the top of his lungs when he saw the police running over.
Eventually, the group was brought to the nearby police station as the situation could not be controlled or resolved on the spot.
“Sir, you’re at fault. Why did you enter a one-way street and make such a fuss?”
“Argh, how many times do I have to say that I was busy?! Can’t I just pay a fine and go? I’ll pay for the cart and the waste paper, too. Is five hundred thousand enough? Ugh, piece of shit!”
The policeman’s eyes widened in surprise after checking Ha Jae-Gun’s identification card. He looked up and down between the photo on the card as well as Ha Jae-Gun himself multiple times before jumping out of his seat.
“Mr. Ha Jae-Gun?” Everyone’s attention turned to Ha Jae-Gun at the young man’s words.
Even the old police chief signaled with his eyes, asking the policeman about Ha Jae-Gun’s identity.
“You’ve seen the movie There Was A Sea. Writer Ha Jae-Gun is the author of the original novel. He even won the Best Screenplay Award in the Baeksong Arts Awards!” the young man exclaimed in excitement.
The police chief looked quite welcoming as well, despite his large physique.
“Ahh, really? Ah, Mr. Ha Jae-Gun. I enjoyed the movie a lot, it was great. My wife and daughter like your novel a lot as well.”
“Thank you for your compliment.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled in return.
The driver was left bewildered by the sudden turn of events. His face soon turned pale upon realizing that he had seen Ha Jae-Gun’s face on TV before.
‘Argh, fuck… I-it wasn’t a bluff…!’
The man’s face turned red immediately afterward, and he looked down, keeping quiet as Ha Jae-Gun stared at him.
‘Should I thank him?’ Ha Jae-Gun wondered as he looked at the trembling man. The incident involving his father had been making him panic, and he had just experienced another act of tyranny.
However, Ha Jae-Gun was enlightened by both experiences as to what path he should take going forward.
Chapter 157. Make It Up, If There’s None (1)
Things went swimmingly afterward.
The culprit of the incident kept his head low and did not utter a single word. Like an obedient child, he became a yes-man before the police, and he didn’t steal even a glance in Ha Jae-Gun’s direction.
“I’m sorry for holding you up when you must be busy.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s natural since it’s part of our job. We serve and protect the people, after all. Please be safe on your way home, sir.”
Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Yeon-Woo left the police station and went to the writer’s office.
On the way, Lee Yeon-Woo said, “Hyung, relax.”
“I’m fine. It’s fortunate that you’re here with me.”
“Self-centered people like him are a dime a dozen. They look down on the weak but cower before the strong,” said Lee Yeon-Woo. He then frowned as if he had recalled an unpleasant memory.
“Do you still remember how obedient he became after discovering your identity? People like him judge people based on their wealth.”
Ha Jae-Gun smiled bitterly and looked at the world before him. A fresh scene in his eyes unfolded before him as they went past the market. A grandmother sat by the roadside selling vegetables while a man who had just walked past her was carrying a large bag full of glutinous rice cakes and was going around selling them.
“…Why would he mess with those who are making an honest living?”
“Hyung? What did you just say?”
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Ha Jae-Gun walked briskly back to the office and placed Rika on his lap upon returning. He had just decided his next novel at the police station earlier. It was now time for him to come up with the characters and story composition.
‘A picaresque[1] novel might be fitting.’
Ha Jae-Gun was leaning toward writing his novel in a way where every character shared the same world setting, but they all had their own story to tell.
‘Using the market as the setting sounds good. As for a short-form novel that tells the story through different characters that exist in the same space…’
He drew the scene he had seen in the market earlier.
With the bustling market as the novel’s background, the first character would be the grandmother selling vegetables, the second character would be the glutinous rice cakes seller, the third character would be the delivery man, and so on.
“Meow.” Rika cried out and pawed at Ha Jae-Gun’s chest.
Ha Jae-Gun was pulled back to reality, and he stood up from his seat.
“Lee Yeon-Woo, I’m going to go into my room to work. Don’t disturb me if I don’t come out. Go ahead for lunch on your own first.”
“Okay, hyung.”
Lee Yeon-Woo watched blearily as Ha Jae-Gun went into his room. The only times he would retreat into his room would be when he was working on story compositions or reading someone else’s novels.
‘Seeing how he brought his notepad along, he should be working on a story composition. Is he stuck with Oscar’s Dungeon? Or is he working on his next novel?’
Ha Jae-Gun did not leave his room even well past noon. All the other writers had soon returned to the office after running their own errands. Lee Yeon-Woo joined them for a late lunch, and then he returned to his desk to work on his novel.
‘Everyone is working hard, but… why is it not going well for me?’ Lee Yeon-Woo massaged the nape of his neck, blaming himself.
His gaze slowly moved from the door of Ha Jae-Gun’s room to Kang Min-Ho and Jang Eun-Young and then to Yang Hyun-Kyung.
Everyone was working hard on their own novels.
‘Sigh, I might just mess up my next novel at this rate.’
Progress on his next novel, tentatively titled Objection, had been sluggish since the third volume, and this had been going on for quite a while now. If it weren’t for Ha Jae-Gun’s goodwill, he would have already left the office to find another livelihood.
‘Ah, this is a big problem. I’m not sure how I can continue the story from here on.’
Lee Yeon-Woo looked up at the ceiling in anguish.
Jang Eun-Young decided to take a short break and turned around.
“Lee Yeon-Woo, are you feeling unwell?” she asked.
“No. I was just thinking about the story.”
“It’s not going well? Maybe you’re just hungry, and it isn’t helping your brain with creative work. You should have dinner later.”
“Yeah, I should call Jae-Gun hyung along, too.”
Lee Yeon-Woo headed to Ha Jae-Gun’s room and knocked on the door. However, he received no response. He tried again to no avail.
“Is he sleeping? But he said he has an appointment tonight.”
Ha Jae-Gun had instructed him not to enter the room, but Lee Yeon-Woo still decided to open the door.
His eyes widened in shock upon seeing the sight before him.
“…!”
‘W-what’s going on?!’
Scribble! Scribble! Scribble! Scribble!
Ha Jae-Gun was scribbling away on his notepad like a madman. He didn’t even realize that Lee Yeon-Woo had entered the room.
His face was covered in sweat. Dozens of A4 papers were seen with long sentences scrawled across them. A few of them had even fallen to the floor. Lee Yeon-Woo picked one of them up and read it.
It was the first half of a short-form novel portraying the daily life of a security guard, while another piece of paper told the tough life of a wife selling kimbap.
“Jae-Gun hyung, what’s all this?”
“…Hmm? When did you come in?”
Ha Jae-Gun looked up belatedly with sunken eyes. A drop of sweat trickled down his nose bridge.
“Hyung, isn’t this a short-form novel?”
“I thought it would help shape the characters this way if I wrote in short-form novels.”
“But these three pieces look like they’re all different main characters. Does each of them contain a short story with different main characters?”
“Mm, of course.”
Lee Yeon-Woo felt a chill go down his spine. He was reminded once again that the writer whom he respected the most was a madman when it came to writing.
“Oh? It’s past 6 p.m. already?”
Thanks to Lee Yeon-Woo’s appearance, he came back to his senses. He hurriedly gathered the papers. He had to hurry if he didn’t want to be late for his dinner appointment with Lee Soo-Hee.
“Writer Ha, are you leaving without dinner?”
“Ah, everyone is here. I’m actually late for my appointment, so let’s have dinner next time. Good luck with writing.” Ha Jae-Gun picked up Rika and left the office.
Lee Yeon-Woo stared at the door even though Ha Jae-Gun had already left. He couldn’t help but think that perhaps he wasn’t destined to become a writer in his current life.
***
“My goodness… What if something dangerous happened? So, there weren’t any issues when you left the station?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee were enjoying a cozy dinner at his house. Lee Soo-Hee put some deboned fish into Ha Jae-Gun’s bowl. She didn’t eat much and only kept taking care of Ha Jae-Gun.
Ha Jae-Gun noticed that and said, “I’ll take care of myself, so you should eat more. Before you go to Taiwan.”
“…”
Lee Soo-Hee bit her lips and looked down. She couldn’t believe that the topic she hadn’t been willing to bring up all this time was brought up again when Ha Jae-Gun had just suffered from a bad encounter.
“Should I not go then?”
“To Taiwan?”
“Director Nam told me to let him know if I ever change my mind, and you’ve been having a tough time, so if I stay in Korea—”
Ha Jae-Gun reached his hand out across the table. He smiled as he held Lee Soo-Hee’s hand.
“I’m fine, so go. I’ve given it some thought while putting myself in your shoes. I would choose to go to Taiwan for your sake as well. I’m serious.”
“…”
“Like you said, it won’t take too long, and Taiwan isn’t that far away either. Plus, I can just bring my laptop over and find you there, right?”
He had known her for so many years, so he knew very well that Lee Soo-Hee was a career-minded individual. As such, Ha Jae-Gun had been planning to send her off so that she could work with peace of mind.
Moreover, Lee Soo-Hee’s decision was born from her desire to oversee the development of the game that was based on Ha Jae-Gun’s novel.
“I’m thankful to hear that, but…”
“Do a good job if you are. Make sure my game becomes a hit in Taiwan. Let’s dig in.”
Lee Soo-Hee eventually picked up her chopsticks and began forcing herself to eat. The grains of rice felt like sand. The reality was starting to sink in as she would soon depart for overseas. She wouldn’t be able to see Ha Jae-Gun for a while.
“I’ll do the dishes, so go and shower and change your clothes,” Ha Jae-Gun said.
“Okay, thank you.”
Lee Soo-Hee headed off to shower while Ha Jae-Gun started washing the dishes. Just as he wiped off the water on the last plate, his phone rang. It was a call from Ha Jae-In.
“Yeah, noona.”
— Have you had dinner?
“Of course. What about you?”
— I just had dinner with Mom and Dad, too. But there are lots of reporters outside the house, and it’s all because of that photo. Thankfully, the fences are high enough.
“How is Father doing?”
— He’s doing much better now. He’s playing Go with Mother, and he’s been tending to the garden as well. If it’s okay with Director Nam, he said he would like to treat him to dinner.
“I’ll try to ask him. He’s usually quite busy…”
The moment he turned around while saying that, Ha Jae-Gun stiffened as he saw Lee Soo-Hee between the divider between the kitchen and the living room. Ha Jae-In had said something over the phone, but he didn’t pay attention to it.
“Noona, I’ll call you again later.”
— Alright.
Ha Jae-Gun hung up the call and smiled. Lee Soo-Hee was fanning her flushed face.
“You wore that?”
“You were the one who kept bugging me to wear it a while back…”
Lee Soo-Hee was wearing the qipao that Park Do-Joon had bought for Ha Jae-Gun when he returned from China. Her gorgeous figure was accentuated by the tight-fitting dress, and the side slit that came all the way up to her thighs made her look much more seductive.
“It looks weird, right?”
“No, never. You look stunning.”
“Lies. I shouldn’t have worn this. You’re done staring, right? I’m going to change.”
“No way.”
“Kyaa!”
Ha Jae-Gun lifted Lee Soo-Hee up, princess-style.
Rika watched as the two of them rushed upstairs to the second floor and disappeared into a corner. Soon, the lights on the second floor went off.
***
[Worship the overwhelming scale of the dungeon that will overtake this summer! The guild leader’s stamp will be given if you download the game now!]
‘It’s so cool…!’
Jung So-Mi exclaimed inwardly as she stood on the subway platform on her way to work. She was standing before a full-page advertisement for the mobile game Oscar’s Dungeon.
A ginormous dragon and a blonde-haired Oscar armed with a sword and shield were charging toward it, and the scene almost filled the entire screen.
Mass advertising had just begun before the game’s official release.
‘Oh my, my webtoon is also mentioned as well?’
So-Mi bent her knees to look at the mention at eye level. A guide to her webtoon was also mentioned at the bottom of the billboard. The sight filled her with pride.
Bzzt!
Her phone rang just then, and it was a call from Kwon Tae-Won. With her eyes still fixed on the billboard, Jung So-Mi answered the phone.
“Yes, President.”
— Deputy Jung, please go to the office in Bucheon today. You may work there while discussing the illustrations with Writer Jang Eun-Young.
“Ah, yes. I understand. I’ll do that.”
— I’ll see you in the evening.
“Ah, President!” Jung So-Mi hurriedly called out as she recalled that she had something to ask.
“When will the Chinese version of Oscar’s Dungeon novel be released?”
— It’s going to take some time. It might be released a week later than the game’s launch, but what about it?
“I’m at the subway station and just saw the mobile game’s advertisement, so I was just wondering and looking forward to it.”
Kwon Tae-Won burst into laughter.
— I’m quite excited as well. I thought it would do well as well, but popularity really depends on luck. Fortunately, Writer Ha is a great writer, so let’s put our trust in him and monitor the situation.
“Yes, President. I’ll see you later in the evening then.”
Jung So-Mi hung up. She looked up Ha Jae-Gun’s name on the internet, and many news articles appeared on the search results page. News of the Oscar’s Dungeon game, its Chinese novel, the movie Gyeoja Bathhouse, and the game of the same name Nextionwas making, as well as There Was A Sea, which was slowly gaining popularity in America, had all appeared on the search results.
‘Writer Ha is really amazing.’
It felt like she could see at a glance how many characters Ha Jae-Gun had written so far. How much further could his works go? As a fan, she was truly looking forward to it.
‘Did he go to the office today?’
The wound in her heart was still recovering. Jung So-Mi had been keeping herself busy to make sure that the band-aid she had put on herself wouldn’t fall to the floor.
‘Why should I care? Why am I such a fool?’
The subway finally arrived, and Jung So-Mi entered it. Her destination was the writer’s office.
***
— Mr. Ha, we’ve sold 400,000 copies of Gyeoja Bathhouse so far. The genre is quite niche, so the rate of sales is slower than your previous works. But of course, it’s also because your past works were so great, so this is actually an above-average performance.
“I think so too. I’m quite satisfied with it,” Ha Jae-Gun replied while closing all the windows.
The cool air was flowing out of the office where no one else was in.
— The sales will go up again once the movie is released. A highly competent agent is also preparing for the launch well in America, so don’t worry about it. The publishing company, Knobble, has the highest potential at the moment. They’ve been around in the industry for a long time, and they are quite well-known, too. They seem to be highly interested in your novel as well.
“Ahh, I see. Knobble? I’ll look them up.”
— How is your work these days?
“I’m quite free these days. I’m not working on anything else in particular aside from Oscar’s Dungeon.”
Ha Jae-Gun chose not to mention anything about his next novel, as he wasn’t sure how it would turn out. There was no need for him to reveal it now and add pressure to himself. He planned to keep it from everyone, not just Oh Myung-Suk.
Of course, except for one person.
— Hahaha, if you’re free, can I arrange some work for you? The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been calling quite a few times these days, wanting to invite you to a global web content festival. Various broadcasting stations and MNCs have been calling us multiple times every day as well. They want to invite you, too.
“It’s scary just hearing it from you. If I have ten of myself—no, if my stamina isn’t so poor, I wouldn’t have been afraid.” Ha Jae-Gun laughed along with Myung-Suk.
Oh Myung-Suk’s voice abruptly sounded serious.
— Mr. Ha, I didn’t want to ask this if possible, but… how is your family doing recently?
Of course, he was referring to the assault case related to Ha Jae-Gun’s father. Ha Jae-Gun nodded and said, “Yes, he’s doing much better now. Thanks for your concern.”
— That’s most fortunate. Please don’t skip your meals, I hope you and your family will get back on track soon.
Ha Jae-Gun talked for a while more with Oh Myung-Suk before ending the call.
He stretched for a while until he received a message from Nam Gyu-Ho.
-Writer Ha, this is Nam Gyu-Ho. If you’re free today, how about having dinner together? I also have something related to work that I’d like to talk to you about.
Ha Jae-Gun immediately replied. There was no reason for him to reject the man after the recent events.
– Yes, tonight is fine. I’ll meet you if you decide on the place and time.
– I’ll send my staff over at 7 p.m. to pick you up later. Are you at home today?
– No, I’m at the office in Bucheon today.
– Alright. I’ll see you later in the evening.
Ha Jae-Gun put down his phone and reached for his keyboard. He then began to slowly work on the manuscript, which he wasn’t sure when he would be able to complete. It was a short-form novel, and only one person knew of its existence
Chapter 158. Make It Up, If There’s None (2)
The door chime echoed thirty minutes later. Ha Jae-Gun quickly saved his Word document and closed it. Soon, the door opened, and Jung So-Mi entered the room.
“Hello, Writer Ha.”
“Ah, Ms. So-Mi. Welcome.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled as he greeted her.
Jung So-Mi was in shorts, making it obvious that the summer weather was scorching today.
“Oh, I heard from President Kwon that you’ve moved.”
“Yes, my previous studio was a bit too small. Thanks to you, my financial situation has improved, and I got to move to a bigger place.”
Rika ran down from the windowsill and to Jung So-Mi.
Jung So-Mi picked Rika up and embraced her before rubbing noses with her.
Ha Jae-Gun smiled at the sight. Fortunately, the awkwardness in their relationship seemed to have vanished.
“You must be here for Writer Jang’s illustrations.”
“Yes, that’s right. Ah, and I also saw the advertisements for Oscar’s Dungeon on my way here. The illustrations turned out great.”
“I saw it as well when I took the subway earlier. But I was slightly disappointed that the mention of your webtoon was quite small.”
“Aye, it’s good enough as it is. Oh, what happened to Team Leader Soo-Hee? The in-charge for the webtoon is no longer her.” Jung So-Mi naturally changed the topic to Lee Soo-Hee.
Ha Jae-Gun took his empty cup and headed to the coffee maker.
“She went to Taiwan.”
“Taiwan?”
“To establish a branch office there.”
“Ahh… I see. How long will she be away?”
“For about six months? Ms. So-Mi, would you like some coffee?”
“Sure.”
Just then, the door behind Jung So-Mi opened, and in came Jang Eun-Young and Kang Min-Ho. Their arms were filled with secondhand books.
Jung So-Mi wanted to talk for a while more with Ha Jae-Gun but concealed her disappointment and greeted the couple.
“Hello. What books did you guys buy? And how come you bought so many?”
“I was finding research materials for my new novel and somehow ended up with this many books.”
“Where are Writer Yang and Writer Lee? Are they not coming?”
“They said they’ll look for more books, so we came back first.”
Soon, everyone went to their respective workstations and began working.
Jung So-Mi was extremely curious about Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee’s current relationship, but she couldn’t bring it up at the moment.
Time passed, and it was soon evening.
Ha Jae-Gun received Nam Gyu-Ho’s call and proceeded to save his manuscript.
Then, he turned off his laptop and said,
“I’ve got an appointment, so I’ll be leaving first. Please take care of Rika for me.”
“Yes, Writer Ha. Goodbye.”
Jung So-Mi watched as Ha Jae-Gun left and closed the door behind him. She smiled bitterly once he was gone.
She no longer had any reason to send him off. She could no longer help him fix his clothes, make meals for him, or can him when his deadlines were due, as someone else would do all those from now on.
‘There’s only one thing I can do for him now.’
Jung So-Mi steeled her heart and grabbed her tablet and pen. The only thing she could do for Ha Jae-Gun right now was the webtoon for Oscar’s Dungeon.
***
“There’s going to be a lot of work-related discussions, so we prepared Chinese dishes for the evening,” Nam Gyu-Ho said as he gestured to the elevator doors that opened.
Ha Jae-Gun said, “I like Chinese food, and it’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
“Have you been here before?”
“No, just the 63 Building. I’ve been here with my family when I was young to visit the aquarium. Of course, we ate here as well,” Ha Jae-Gun said while staring into space and reminiscing about his childhood.
Nam Gyu-Ho smiled and fixed his clothes.
The elevator soon picked up speed.
‘Oh, my ears… It’s ringing.’
The elevator finally arrived on the 57th floor, and its doors opened. Ha Jae-Gun followed Nam Gyu-Ho out of the elevator and to the Chinese restaurant. The interior of the restaurant was luxurious. Petal patterns adorned the ceiling and reflected the marbled flooring. It was a luxurious sight through and through.
“Welcome, Director.”
A neatly dressed chef stood by the reception desk with a sign that read Cheonrihyang.
Nam Gyu-Ho reached out for a handshake.
“Is everything going well?”
“Everything’s going well, thanks to you. Thank you for your concern.”
The two men exchanged greetings.
Nam Gyu-Ho soon introduced Ha Jae-Gun. “This is the man I told you about, Mr. Ha Jae-Gun.”
Ha Jae-Gun was slightly surprised at how Nam Gyu-Ho had addressed him. Of course, he didn’t really mind it.
“Hello, Mr. Ha Jae-Gun. I’m the owner and head chef of Cheonrihyang, Wang Jin-Saeng. I’m extremely honored that our restaurant will serve you tonight. Thank you for coming.” He bowed deeply to Ha Jae-Gun before leading them into a private room.
A pair of green opaque automatic double doors opened, leading them into a room for two. The subtle lighting and dark gray walls made it a comfortable sight for the eyes. One of the four walls was a huge pane of glass, and it allowed them to enjoy the breathtaking night cityscape.
“Shall I start preparing the menu?”
“Yes, please.”
Jin-Saeng left the room, and a female server walked in with a tray and two cups of tea. Ha Jae-Gun looked around as the fragrance of the tea enveloped him.
“This restaurant looks great. I want to come back here with my family.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I think Writer…Mr. Ha will like the food here, too.” Nam Gyu-Ho stopped himself mid-sentence to remind himself of the change in address.
Ha Jae-Gun didn’t show it on his face, but he found it weird. Was Nam Gyu-Ho trying to ask him for a favor?
The side dishes and alcohol were served first. After a while, a cold shrimp salad was served. Nam Gyu-Ho picked up his chopsticks and said, “I like this watch a lot.”
Nam Gyu-Ho waited for Ha Jae-Gun to glance at the watch on his wrist before saying, “I’ve been wearing this everywhere I go.”
“I’m glad to hear that you like it.”
Nam Gyu-Ho then signaled with his eyes at Ha Jae-Gun’s watch and said, “Mr. Ha, is there a story behind that watch of yours? You seem to be wearing it a lot. In fact, I’ve never seen you wear another watch aside from that.”
“Ah, yes.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled shyly and nodded. “The other writers at the office pooled money together to buy this for me. Their financial situations had just started kicking off back then. I didn’t really do much for them, but they still gave this to me as an expression of their gratitude.”
“It’s indeed a watch with a backstory.”
“Yes, it’s a precious watch. I’m planning to wear this for the rest of my life or until it breaks.”
Nam Gyu-Ho loosened his necktie. He had started seeing Ha Jae-Gun’s more casual side after meeting him the last few times under work circumstances. He could feel their relationship getting closer, step by step. Nam Gyu-Ho smiled warmly at the thought that their relationship was improving slowly but surely.
“Please have a drink, Mr. Ha.”
“Thank you. Let me pour you a glass, too.”
The servers began serving the course dishes one by one.
The two men enjoyed their food while talking about work. They talked about the marketing for the Chinese localized version of Oscar’s Dungeon, how it would be serviced to the readers, and the mobile game development and timeline for Gyeoja Bathhouse, along with other topics.
“…In a country with a huge population of 1.35 billion people. The market size is incomparable to Korea’s market. Marketing is crucial as well because the audience is fickle. And that’s exactly why I’m here,” Nam Gyu-Ho explained confidently.
His eloquent speech made Ha Jae-Gun feel like the expansion into China was already a success. Most importantly, he knew that Nam Gyu-Ho wasn’t just a man who knew how to boast, and that was why Ha Jae-Gun took his words seriously.
“I am showing off to you right now, but it’s also because I’m this confident in the China market, so you may leave it to me.”
“I’ve always been doing that and will continue to do so. Thank you.”
“It’s been tough on you to just listen to me.”
The server cleared the empty plates on the table and served new dishes. Nam Gyu-Ho took a sip of the alcohol and looked out into the cityscape, then brought up another topic. “There’s something else I’d like to talk about now.”
“Please go ahead.”
Nam Gyu-Ho turned back to look at Ha Jae-Gun and said, “The CEO of Teencent’s affiliated company, Teencent Literature, Ren Xue, will be coming to Korea at the end of the month, for the Web Contents Festival that is to be held in Gwangju.”
Ha Jae-Gun then recalled the conversation he had with Oh Myung-Suk before. He recalled that it was an event held by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
“CEO Ren Xue will be meeting me on one of the five days during their trip here. I have known them closely for a long time. But I’d like to bring you and the representatives of the publishing companies that signed your novels along to the meeting.”
Surprise filled Ha Jae-Gun’s face at the unexpected news.
“But why me…?”
“It’s because you’re the author of Oscar’s Dungeon, the game and novel that will be distributed through Teencent. Gyeoja Bathhouse will also be distributed by them, and they said they would like to have a good time with you aside from work. They said they’ve read all the Chinese translated versions of your novels and love them a lot.”
Nam Gyu-Ho pulled himself nearer, reducing the distance between them.
“I’ve mentioned this to you in passing before as well, we can’t overlook the element of friendship when dealing business with the Chinese. Teencent Literature has a market share of over 50% in the ebook market there. I think this is a great opportunity for you to impress them. And it’s great that they were the ones who suggested meeting you first.”
It was a proposal that Ha Jae-Gun had no reason to refuse.
The CEO of China’s largest ebook company likes his work and wants to meet him. It was definitely a meeting that would be beneficial for Ha Jae-Gun.
“Sure, let’s do that,” Ha Jae-Gun answered without hesitation, with a light smile, thanking Nam Gyu-Ho’s sincerity.
“Teencent Literature’s CEO must have a relatively good eye and experience in the industry. It’s not directly related to the game industry like Nextion, but thank you very much for arranging this meeting that would help me in my career,” Ha Jae-Gun said.
“You’re welcome, and you’ve made the right decision, as businesses will only come together when people meet. As the novels are under the jurisdiction of OongSung and Laugh Books, I will contact them soon.”
Nam Gyu-Ho finally relaxed in his seat. He was done with every important and work-related discussion he had for today.
In the relaxed atmosphere, Nam Gyu-Ho then asked in passing, “This question might be out of line, but are you not planning to date anyone, Mr. Ha?”
“Pardon?” Ha Jae-Gun looked up, flustered. It was the first time he had received such a personal question from Nam Gyu-Ho, since he knew Nam Gyu-Ho was not one to ask such questions in the first place.
“Hmm, no, I’m just… Hmm, it’s because you’ve always just been working hard on your novels and work, and I just thought of it out of the blue, so I figured I should ask.”
“Haha, I see. Well… I’m planning to think about it after seeing my older sister get married first.”
“Ah, is that so?” Nam Gyu-Ho raised his eyebrows in delight.
In fact, it was a calculated move from Nam Gyu-Ho, as he planned to ask about Jae-In from him as well. Nam Gyu-Ho then pretended to be vaguely recalling something and muttered, “I heard that both of you are three years apart…”
“Yes, she’s older than me by three years.”
“She doesn’t seem to be in her thirties.”
“But I’m still quite worried. I hope she’ll start dating before she gets any older, although this would be depending on her own will.”
Nam Gyu-Ho nodded with a serious look while singing with joy inside. He interpreted Ha Jae-Gun’s words to mean that Jae-In hadn’t been in a relationship for a long time and is currently still single.
However, he could not ask further now. If he did, Ha Jae-Gun might catch onto his motives. Nam Gyu-Ho then decided to wrap up and change the topic. “I’m sure a good man will appear for her.”
“Thank you. Please have a glass, Director.”
Their pleasant dinner continued late into the night. It was the first time Nam Gyu-Ho had made a sound and even laughed in front of Ha Jae-Gun.
***
“Stay safe on the way back, Director.”
“Yes, Mr. Ha. I’ll be leaving first then.” Nam Gyu-Ho left in the car that quickly drove away.
Ha Jae-Gun then set off for his own home. He felt lonely walking through the dark garden, he could clearly feel Lee Soo-Hee’s absence in his life.
‘Maybe I should have brought Rika back from the office.’
Ha Jae-Gun regretted belatedly as he headed for the living room. As he went to the bathroom while taking off his clothes, his phone rang. It was a call from Oh Myung-Suk.
“Yes, editor-in-chief.”
— Hello, Mr. Ha. Have you had dinner?
“Yes, I’ve just returned from dinner actually.”
— I actually called with regards to Teencent.
“Teencent?”
Ha Jae-Gun stopped taking off his clothes midway. He had been talking about Teencent with Nam Gyu-Ho for the entire evening today. But what is Oh Myung-Suk going to say about them now?
— Teencent is going to distribute the game, ebooks, and even join in the movie production. So they had established a company called Teencent Pictures, and their CEO would be attending the upcoming Web Contents Festival. They would like to meet you during their trip if possible.
“Ah… Me?” Ha Jae-Gun could only reply with a question like how he did to Nam Gyu-Ho earlier.
— Specifically, they would like to meet you, and lead actor Park Do-Joon as well. They found out that both of you are friends through the news articles, plus he is the vice president of the strategic team at Teencent Group. He also complimented There Was A Sea, saying that it was very impressive.
“Mm, I see.”
Thankfully, the movie There Was A Sea released in China had crossed the breakeven point, and its recognition had contributed greatly to Do-Joon’s popularity in China.
— Your novels that have been adapted into movies are performing well in Korea. I think they’d like to discuss about the movies, including the upcoming Gyeoja Bathhouse. They suggested to have a comfortable meeting, what’s your opinion on this?
“Um, editor-in-chief. Before I give you an answer, I also have something to tell you.”
Ha Jae-Gun then gave Oh Myung-Suk a detailed explanation about his decision to meet Teencent Literature’s CEO, Ren Xue, through Nam Gyu-Ho.
Oh Myung-Suk was quite surprised after hearing Ha Jae-Gun’s explanation.
— Director Nam Gyu-Ho’s connections are out of this world. Ren Xue was the executive editor before and was only recently appointed as the new CEO. OongSung was also planning to get in touch with them sometime soon, but mm… Anyway this is quite amazing.
Even Oh Myung-Suk, who was always calm, began drooling at the newfound facts.
Ha Jae-Gun felt strange. He switched hands to hold the phone and asked, “I think it’s my first time seeing you so surprised. Is this something that surprising?”
— This um… I hope you won’t misunderstand me…
“It doesn’t matter, please tell me,” Ha Jae-Gun asked.
However, Oh Myung-Suk took some time to process the words in his mind before he answered Ha Jae-Gun.
— Actually, the companies in China don’t appreciate writers as much as how we do in Korea. Probably because they have a large population. In China, they deal strictly with writer and their works with money, so they dominate the market with quantity over quality.
Oh Myung-Suk paused for a while, seemingly to take a breather before continuing.
— Of course, Mr. Ha is one of the top writers in Korea. Your sales are overwhelming, and your work has been recognized both in the literature and commercial sides. You are definitely someone that Teencent Literature is interested in, but… In my opinion, I doubt CEO Ren Xue is really an avid reader of yours. Otherwise…
Oh Myung-Suk trailed off his sentence with hesitation.
Ha Jae-Gun seemed to have caught on and decided to bring it up instead. “So you’re saying that the meeting could be arranged and initiated at Director Nam’s request, who has a personal relationship with CEO Ren Xue, right?”
— I apologize if this has offended you. But it definitely feels different from the movie side.
Ha Jae-Gun smiled and shook his head.
“Most certainly not. I have been hearing lots of stories about business dealings in China. It’s fine even if the meeting was requested by Director Nam. I think what’s important is that this meeting has been successfully arranged.”
— I’m relieved to hear you say that. Maybe I should have a talk with Director Nam as well before deciding. I need to find out if the CEOs of both Teencent Literature and Teencent Pictures are aware of their intentions.
“I’ll let you handle it then.”
Ha Jae-Gun stayed on the line with Oh Myung-Suk for a while more before hanging up. He rolled his tongue as he stepped into the bathroom.
He thought the connections that heirs of large corporations had were of different scales.
‘I think writing a corporate story using Director Nam or Editor Oh as the models would be fun.’
Ha Jae-Gun burst into laughter as the water rained down on him. Looking back, the appearance of Nam Gyu-Ho and Oh Myung-Suk were amazing gifts for him. He could always interview them if he ever chose to write such a novel.
How many writers in this world would have this opportunity to interview heirs of large corporations as he did?
‘I still think my connections are the best.’
Ha Jae-Gun finished his shower and fell into a deep sleep. In his dreams, he flew across the blue sky, and beneath his feet was the vast continent of China that stretched endlessly.
Chapter 159. Make It Up, If There’s None (3)
Clack!
The billiard ball emitted a rattling noise as it rolled down the table. It bounced off thrice before hitting two red balls in a row, marking the end of the game.
“What’s this?” Park Do-Joon asked in disbelief, his mouth hanging open. “Have you just been practicing billiards without writing? What is this absurd rate of improvement?”
“Billiards and meals are on you today.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled as he put away the cue sticks. The billiard room at noon on weekdays was almost empty. There was only Ha Jae-Gun, Park Do-Joon, and the elderly man manning the counter.
The elderly man was the owner of the billiard place, with half-greyish hair fluttering in the wind coming from the air-conditioner. He was dozing off at the counter.
“Argh, I’m getting angry. Jae-Gun, let’s go for another round. I’m going all-out this time.”
“I thought you said you need to be at the studio by two this afternoon? We’ll need around an hour to have lunch. Let’s continue another time.” Ha Jae-Gun forcefully pushed Park Do-Joon out of the place.
The hot weather of July engulfed them as they stepped outside.
“Where do you want to go for lunch?”
“Someplace with strong air-conditioning. Why is it so hot today?”
“How about that ginseng chicken soup restaurant?”
“Sure! Let’s hurry up. I feel like I’m melting.”
They called Tae-Bong over, and the three went into the restaurant.
Unlike the billiard room, the restaurant was brimming with diners. Most of them were office workers; they were here to rejuvenate from the hot summer.
“Phew, now I feel alive.” Park Do-Joon downed a glass of cold water and took off his sunglasses.
Just then, a few diners exclaimed.
“Oh my, isn’t that Park Do-Joon?”
“Really? I think it’s really him.”
“The person sitting across from him looks familiar, too.”
“Isn’t that Ha Jae-Gun? The author of There Was A Sea.”
“Ah, right. I watched his speech at the Baeksong Arts Awards.”
“Wow, so they’re actually close? I thought their friendship was just for show.”
The commotion slowly spread across the tables. Park Do-Joon was about to wear his sunglasses when Ha Jae-Gun smiled bitterly and held him back.
“We should’ve just met at my house, right?”
“No, you were in the area for an interview, anyway. Oh, Tae-Bong hyung. Give me my MP3. I should let Jae-Gun listen to it, too.”
Woo Tae-Bong pulled out the MP3 player from his bag and handed it to Park Do-Joon.
A sweet piano melody accompanied by Lee Chae-Rin’s clear voice flowed out. It was the theme song for Gyeoja Bathhouse.
“My dark heart in this silent place~ With the memories of you that I left behind~ It doesn’t disappear over time~ Remaining still like legendary magic.”
Ha Jae-Gun listened to Chae-Rin’s song with his eyes closed. It was a song reminiscing the lonely summer during a sunset. As the song reached its climax, the faint chilling vibes sent made Ha Jae-Gun break out into a cold.
The song eventually ended.
Ha Jae-Gun took out the earphones out of his ears.
Park Do-Joon asked, “How is it?”
“It’s good. The song sounds great, and the lyrics are great as well, too.”
“I thought the lyrics were too straightforward. They don’t sound sophisticated, you know what I mean?”
“Isn’t it better to use simpler vocabulary for lyrics? Anyway, send me a copy of this song.”
“Just take the MP3. It’s going to be annoying if the song gets leaked, so be careful.”
Three bowls of ginseng chicken soup were soon served at their table.
While he sprinkling salt into the boiling bowl of soup, Park Do-Joon said, “I met Director Yoon Tae-Sung at Newdon’s office, and he praised Hong Ye-Seul so much, saying that her concentration was incredible whenever she’s in front of the camera. I think she’s got potential as well, that girl.”
“That’s great,” Ha Jae-Gun replied calmly, picking up his spoon.
A corner of his heart ached as he thought of Hong Ye-Seul. He hoped that she could quickly become famous and find her mother. When would he meet her again?
“Jae-Gun, why are you in a daze? Here’s the pepper.”
“Ah, thanks.”
They updated each other about their lives while they had their meal. They chatted about the events at the Baeksong Arts Awards, then talked about each other’s tough times since the last time they met. However, time passed too quickly for them.
They finished their meal; their dessert, persimmon punch, was soon served.
“Um,
excuse me.” The ladies dining at the table next to the men approached them and asked Park Do-Joon, “Could you take a photo with us? I’m a huge fan. I’ve been waiting for you to finish your meal.”
“Sure.” Park Do-Joon shrugged and stood up.
The ladies gathered around him, jumping in joy.
“He’s gotten a lot brighter these days,” Woo Tae-Bong said with a smile. He was looking at Park Do-Joon, who was posing with his fans by the window. n(0)vel(b)(j)(n)hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
“He hasn’t been drinking alone these days; he has been smiling a lot while talking to more and more people as well.” Woo Tae-Bong’s gaze fell on Ha Jae-Gun, and he said, “I think this is because of you, Writer Ha. I’m extremely grateful to you.”
Ha Jae-Gun smiled shyly and scratched the back of his head. “I’m the one who received his help. I learned from Do-Joon that I should always be confident in front of other people.”
“I hope you’ll always stay good friends with Do-Joon. Is that cringey? Hahaha.”
Just then, a few diners approached Ha Jae-Gun from behind.
Woo Tae-Bong spotted them acting hesitantly and signaled to Ha Jae-Gun.
“Writer Ha, behind you.”
Ha Jae-Gun turned around and saw three female university students behind.
One of them was holding a book and was shyly holding it out to him.
“Hello, Writer Ha. I enjoyed your Gyeoja Bathhouse. Can I get your autograph, please?”
“Of course. Thank you.”
Ha Jae-Gun took the book and signed it before saying, “I thought only Do-Joon’s fans were here. I’m quite touched.”
“Ahaha…! We’re actually from the literature club, and all of us are huge fans of yours. Everyone might flip if we went back and shared the news. They’ll probably stomp out of frustration, regretting their decision to order black bean noodles just because they’re lazy.”
“Writer Ha, can you take a photo with us as well?”
Ha Jae-Gun gladly agreed to take a photo with the girls. The two girls stood on each side of Ha Jae-Gun and grabbed his arms, while the last girl grabbed his shoulder as she stood behind him.
“I’m taking it. One, two, three… Kimchi!” Woo Tae-Bong pressed the shutter button at the same time.
The female student standing behind him then asked with a regretful look, “I think I looked weird. Can we take another photo? Please?”
“Sure. One, two, three… Kimchi!”
The moment Woo Tae-Bong pressed the shutter button, the girl standing behind Ha Jae-Gun suddenly hugged Ha Jae-Gun’s neck, and she brazenly stuck her face to Ha Jae-Gun’s face. The photo was captured with that pose.
“Ah, thank you!”
Afraid that the photo might get deleted, the girl quickly grabbed her phone back from Woo Tae-Bong. The girls returned to their seats, and a lively laughter soon broke amongst them.
“It seems like the photo came out quite well. You must be flustered, Writer Ha?” Woo Tae-Bong asked, seemingly tired of their actions while shaking his head. He looked bewildered about the girls’ actions just now.
“It’s crazy with Do-Joon, too. They would kiss him while taking photos or even slide their hands into his clothes. He had even argued with Chae-Rin once because of it.”
“I think putting their hands into clothes is a bit too excessive.” Ha Jae-Gun immediately thought of his girlfriend. If the photo went online, Lee Soo-Hee might see it in Taiwan.
Just then, Park Do-Joon came back to their table after taking photos with his fans.
“Come to think of it, it’s tomorrow, isn’t it?” Park Do-Joon said as he sat back down.
Unsure what he was referring to, Ha Jae-Gun looked up in curiosity.
“Oscar’s Dungeon.”
“Ah, yeah.” Ha Jae-Gun nodded.
Tomorrow was the release of Oscar’s Dungeon’s mobile game.
“I saw that there were already over a hundred thousand members in the official cafe. I think it’s going to be a hit?”
“I’m just hoping that Nextion won’t suffer a loss.” Ha Jae-Gun was half expectant and half afraid. He was hoping that the results would bring smiles to the entire team at Nextion, specifically Nam Gyu-Ho, Lee Soo-Hee, and the planning team.
“It’s going to do well. I’ll help you advertise it on my Twitter, too. Actually, I’m already doing it.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to. It’s thanks to you that I got to come into contact with Teencent Pictures too, so what’s a big deal about helping you with some advertising? Our president has been dancing to dubstep every time he sees me.”
Park Do-Joon held up his cup of persimmon punch high.
“Let’s toast for the success of Oscar’s Dungeon.”
Ha Jae-Gun smiled and raised his glass as well. Although the drink was already lukewarm, it still tasted delicious. Ha Jae-Gun didn’t hesitate to accept Park Do-Joon’s blessings.
***
“Assistant Team Leader, let’s set up a guild first.”
“It says we can only create a guild from level 10 onward, though?”
“Ah, really? There’s a name I would like to use for it; should I just pay for it?”
“Why are you already thinking of spending money before you even understand the game’s system?”
The employees were streaming out of the office as it was lunchtime. Park Jung-Jin had risen from deputy to section chief, while Section Chief Lee had risen to the rank of assistant team leader. The logo of Oscar’s Dungeon, which had been released this morning, filled the screens of their phones.
“Assistant Team Leader, how did you set up the trap? Please show me.”
“Ah,
explore the game on your own, man. Why are you always asking me questions? Are you sure you’re a game planner?”
After a while, Assistant Team Leader Lee asked, “Huh? What’s this? Section Chief Park, I got the wand from the pre-order special weapon box. Can I even use it when my character’s job isn’t a mage-type?”
“Seriously, Assistant Team Leader. Try equipping it first before asking me. You’re a game planner, too, aren’t you?”
The two men had totally forgotten about eating and only focused on their game. Their common interest was that they were huge fans of Ha Jae-Gun’s work. Of course, it wasn’t the only reason they were so immersed in the game.
“The game is well-made. The UI is done neatly, too.”
“Yeah. It’s easy to use, so I think girls will play it, too.”
The two could live without rice but definitely couldn’t live without games. They began to burn through their lunch hours on Oscar’s Dungeon.
~
Of course, Park Jung-Jin wasn’t the only one playing Oscar’s Dungeon.
Many who knew Ha Jae-Gun embarked on their adventure with weapons in hand.
Jung So-Mi and the writers in the office, Hong Ye-Seul, who was on standby on-location for Gyeoja Bathhouse, Park Do-Joon, who was resting while filming a new drama, and even AppleT’s Lee Chae-Rin who had just finished a rehearsal for a live broadcast.
Everyone was raiding a dungeon on their phones.
Even Ha Jae-Gun’s father, Ha Suk-Jae, was one of the many warriors.
‘What’s this green monster? Why isn’t it dying?’
Ha Suk-Jae sat in a chair in the corner of the garden, struggling with the dungeon raid. He didn’t even realize that Ha Jae-In was approaching him from behind.
“Dad, let’s have dinner.”
“Uh, okay…”
Flustered, Ha Suk-Jae’s phone fell out of his hand. Ha Jae-In picked up his phone, and her eyes widened open seeing the game on the screen.
“Dad…?”
“Hmm, why would I play this? You and your mom said that Ha Jae-Gun wrote the story, so I just installed it for fun.”
“But you’re already at level 8…?”
Ha Suk-Jae massaged his cheeks, which were getting sweaty.
“Well, I didn’t do much aside from fighting a few times. Seriously, how do people play these? My eyes hurt just staring at the screen, and the letters are tiny, too. Ahem, let’s go have dinner.”
Ha Suk-Jae immediately left, but he looked like he was running away.
Ha Jae-In’s shoulders shook as she held back her laughter. Her eyes landed on the screen of Ha Suk-Jae’s phone. Ha Suk-Jae’s in-game name was Ha Jae-Gun.
‘Should I tell Jae-Gun?’
She couldn’t suppress her laughter anymore when she imagined seeing them with their faces flushed red in embarrassment. She eventually burst into laughter in the middle of the garden.
***
– The nickname is already in use.
“What? Who used my name?” Ha Jae-Gun murmured in frustration.
He regretted starting the game late after getting occupied with work. Ha Jae-Gun lay down on the sofa with his phone in hand while Rika lay beside him.
“Rika, someone used your name too. I can’t use Oscar either… I can just come up with a random name, but why do I always overthink when naming my characters? Ah, someone is already using Poongchun-Yoo too. Could they be Yeon-Woo?”
Bzzt!
A call came in, and the game was minimized.
Nam Gyu-Ho’s name filled the screen.
Ha Jae-Gun sat back up and answered the call.
“Yes, Director Nam.”
— Congratulations, Mr. Ha. And you should congratulate me as well.
“What do you mean…?”
— Oscar’s Dungeon had just hit first place on the AppStore’s free games list.
“What? First place?”
Ha Jae-Gun asked, looking stunned. He looked at the clock on the wall.
It hadn’t even been ten hours since the game was released.
How come it had already taken first place in the rankings?
Nam Gyu-Ho’s following words brought a greater surprise to Ha Jae-Gun.
— More importantly, sales have already reached eighth place, just within six hours of release. It’s record-breaking even for Nextion. The news tomorrow will definitely be a fun read tomorrow.
Ha Jae-Gun was speechless and could only stare at Rika in a daze. He had been hoping that the game wouldn’t bring losses to Nextion, but it actually broke Nextion’s records on its first day? Ha Jae-Gun’s heart pounded madly against his chest.
— So the planning team is going to have a company dinner tonight. Can you attend if you’re available? The team would love to see you there.
“Sure. Where is it?”
Ha Jae-Gun jumped out of the sofa. He wedged his phone between his ear and shoulder before putting on his pants. Ha Jae-Gun lost his balance, and his butt struck the ground with a dull thud. However, he was grinning as if it weren’t painful.
Chapter 160. Make It Up, If There’s None (4)
Lee Soo-Hee was working on her laptop in a cafe in downtown Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. She was sitting before a glass window, looking at the cityscape. Her gaze fell upon a building with a large billboard. Nextion managed to enter Taiwan and was now advertising itself as a game company.
‘There’s a second meeting with the Taiwan Computer Association in three days…‘
Raindrops finally started falling on the cloudy morning. Lee Soo-Hee had just finished her morning walk, and she had managed to grab a seat in this cafe just in time.
It was her first rest day in Taiwan, but work still filled her mind. Ironically, she had left Ha Jae-Gun for his best interests, and for that, she was determined to return a victor, presenting outstanding performance after six months.
Bzzt!
Her phone rang, and Nam Gyu-Ho’s name appeared on the screen.
“Director?” she said.
— I received the email that you’ve arranged a meeting with the Taiwan Computer Association. Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Yes, I did. How about you, Director?”
— I drank too much last night, so I’m skipping breakfast.
Lee Soo-Hee looked at the time and saw that it was eight in the morning. She smiled; there was an hour of time difference, so it was nine in the morning in Seoul.
She heard from a team member that they had a company dinner last night along with Ha Jae-Gun. She also heard about how happy Nam Gyu-Ho had become as he had drinks with Ha Jae-Gun until late into the night.
— Anyway, how is Taiwan?
“The people here are quite open-minded. I don’t think they have the tendency to reject or belittle games from another country.”
— I visited Taiwan twice, and I feel the same. They accept quite a variety of games as well.
“Yes, there’s a huge active game user base here, and with much lesser resistance to in-game purchases.”
— Don’t push yourself too hard, and don’t work overtime secretly just because I don’t have my eyes there. I know how you work, Team Leader Lee. This is the most important thing I have to say, so don’t just listen. I want you to actually do it.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Director.” Lee Soo-Hee smiled. Both the adviser and receiver were irresponsible. The two of them were quite similar, and they had to see something to the end upon starting it.
— I’ll be hanging up then. Make sure you have your meals regularly, and let’s talk again next week.
“Yes, Director. I’ll be in touch.”
Lee Soo-Hee hung up as well and accessed the internet. The keyword Oscar’s Dungeon had occupied the real-time search ranking since dawn and had never dropped in ranking even once. Lee Soo-Hee looked at the search results with satisfaction until her cursor clicked on one article.
[Best friends Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun; rejuvenating themselves in a ginseng chicken restaurant.]
A few photos had popped up when she clicked on the article.
There was a photo of Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun eating their ginseng chicken soup, a photo of Park Do-Joon with his fans, and the final photo was a photo of Ha Jae-Gun and three girls.
‘You must be on cloud nine, huh? Jae-Gun?’ Lee Soo-Hee squinted at her screen.
He hooked arms with two on both sides and the third girl hugged him from behind.
Something in her Lee Soo-Hee started boiling at the sight.
Bzzt!
Her phone rang.
Seeing the name on the screen had Lee Soo-Hee thinking, ‘Just in time.’
“Yeah?” Lee Soo-Hee spoke coldly.
Ha Jae-Gun responded with a light groan.
— Uhh… Have you had breakfast?
“Of course. Look at the time.”
— I just woke up. I drank too much with the planning team last night…
“I see.”
— What’s wrong? Why do you sound like that?
“No, I’m just tired,” Lee Soo-Hee responded coldly. However, she soon felt frustrated upon realizing that she was acting like a child.
— How is it there?
“It’s great. I feel comfortable here.”
— Should I just take a plane over right now? I’m already missing you.
“Don’t lie.”
— Why would I lie?
“There’s so many pretty girls in Korea. Why would you miss me at all?”
— No one is as beautiful as you here…
“Lies. All lies.”
Ha Jae-Gun’s chuckle tickled Lee Soo-Hee’s ears. Rika’s cries came through faintly amidst Ha Jae-Gun’s chuckle.
The peaceful image of Ha Jae-Gun and Rika together appeared vividly before her.
Lee Soo-Hee suppressed her impulse to take a plane back immediately and be together with them. She said, “Congratulations. Oscar’s Dungeon is a hit.”
— It’s all thanks to you, the director and the planning team.
“You don’t have to say all of this to me.”
— I mean it. Especially you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to stand where I am at the moment. You’re the light in my life. I’m not saying this because I’m drunk.
Lee Soo-Hee switched hands to hold her phone and chuckled silently.
She didn’t feel like sulking anymore. Was it because they’re apart? She knew very well what kind of man Ha Jae-Gun was, but she actually kicked up a fuss about such a thing.
— How’s the weather there? It’s really hot over here.
“It’s been raining—”
Lee Soo-Hee looked ahead as she trailed off. The rain had stopped like it didn’t happen at all. The sun was shining over the passersby who were no longer using their umbrellas.
***
[Mobile game Oscar’s Dungeon based on Ha Jae-Gun’s original novel ranks 8th on app store sales on the first day of release]
[Oscar’s Dungeon ranks 8th, reaching 10th place on the first day of release, a first for Nextion]
[Nextion mobile’s ambitious project, Oscar’s Dungeon, hits 200,000 sign-ups on the official cafe. Unusual sign right off the start]
[In a past interview with Ha Jae-Gun, Oscar’s Dungeon is a light fantasy novel with a story that even women can enjoy]
“It’s as Director Nam said,” Ha Jae-Gun muttered as he read the headlines. Nam Gyu-Ho was right. Oscar’s Dungeon was mentioned in many articles online.
It was the same on Twitter. Ha Jae-Gun hadn’t accessed it for a while, yet his follower count, which was originally 1.5 million the last time he had seen it, was already two million.
Ha Jae-Gun received messages from his fans, Poongchun-Yoo’s fans, as well as from the fans of both Lee Chae-Rin and Park Do-Joon. Moreover, users who had seen the game’s success had sent him messages, too.
Ha Jae-Gun reckoned that he would need more than a reply to every single message.
“I hope it’ll maintain its success,” Ha Jae-Gun muttered as he stroked Rika.
Nextion was a large gaming company and had been providing generous support for the game, so Ha Jae-Gun knew that the game’s success wasn’t over just yet.
And Ha Jae-Gun was right. The craze for Oscar’s Dungeon didn’t die down even after a week from its release. In fact, the people got even more frantic, and its sales ranking had gone up to fourth place.
Even the original novel and webtoon became popular once more.
The paperback copies of Oscar’s Dungeon were being reprinted by Laugh Books, while the webtoon showed a tenfold increase in readership.
“We can’t scrimp on marketing.” Nam Gyu-Ho had pushed for a more extensive marketing campaign for Oscar’s Dungeon.
They had poured generous efforts into marketing across various mediums, including but not limited to the Internet, public and cable TV channels, subways, and even buses.
“We can’t use a certain celebrity as the face of the game. It should be much cooler, grander, and cinematic.”
Things were going according to Ha Jae-Gun’s plans, but he also became busier.
The mobile game’s success attracted interview requests from all media outlets. There were still dozens of them despite Kwon Tae-Won and Nam Gyu-Ho narrowing them down for Ha Jae-Gun.
After the success of his movie and now the game’s release, the response from the media outlets had become much stronger. Ha Jae-Gun was stuck in an ironic situation where he was busy with interviews instead of working on his novels.
“Thanks to the game’s success, your novel has gone into reprints again. How do you feel about that?” the reporter asked.
“I’m happy to hear that more and more people are reading the novel. Those who have read the novel will naturally be interested in the game, and I’m hoping that those who only know of Oscar’s Dungeon as a game will become interested in its novel,” Ha Jae-Gun replied.
“I’ve heard that the next game, Gyeoja Bathhouse, is a more story-centric game. Can you list any examples of how different it is from the original novel?”
“Unlike Oscar’s Dungeon, I’ve left Gyeoja Bathhouse in the hands of Nextion. There will be many crossroads; it will also feature multiple endings since it’s a game. You may not find it boring even after playing it multiple times over.”
Ha Jae-Gun did his best in the interviews, seemingly to live up to the sincerity shown by Nam Gyu-Ho and Lee Soo-Hee. But at times, there were a couple of tough questions that he couldn’t answer.
Those questions were personal questions, unrelated to work.
“I’d like to ask you about the unidentified people who appeared in the photos that have been circulating on the internet recently. There are rumors that the President of the MPC Group groveled for forgiveness. Is it true?”
“I won’t be accepting any questions unrelated to my work.”
“I heard that you also share a close relationship with Nam Gyu-Ho, the director of Nextion. Is there something you’d like to comment on it?”
“I’ve mentioned it to the other reporters before as well. I won’t be answering any questions that are off-topic.”
“You are often seen as friendly with EBC’s announcer, Park Hye-Sang. Can you please share what kind of relationship you guys are in?”
“Isn’t it normal to be friendly when you meet someone nice?”
“I’m asking if you have other feelings for her outside of work.”
“You have been asking questions off-topic since earlier. I’m not sure why you’re asking them when you’re not from the entertainment department.”
Amidst the series of questions, Ha Jae-Gun was relieved that he could still control his emotions. Ha Jae-Gun believed that his capability to work under pressure had come from his father, and he felt the most grateful for it today.
Ha Jae-Gun’s face and the answers to the questions created a ruckus on the Internet that lasted for quite a while.
***
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Nam Gyu-Ho frowned at the disturbance.
‘Who is it?’
Everyone in the office knew that Nam Gyu-Ho hated any unwanted disturbance.
However, his irritation soon vanished.
“Huh? Father? No, Chairman.”
Nam Gyu-Ho hurriedly stood up.
A half-gray-haired old man in his sixties stepped in with a serious look.
He was Nam Gyu-Ho’s father, Nam Gyu-Baek. N0v3l–B1nnn hosted the first appearance of this chapter at N0vel.B1n.
“Why are you here without notice?”
“Can’t I come here to see my own son?”
“I was just surprised. You’ve never come here to see me before. Please have a seat.”
Nam Gyu-Ho assisted Nam Gyu-Baek to the sofa and quickly made a cup of coffee for his father. It was the first time he had made a cup of coffee for anyone else in this company.
“You seem to be doing quite well. The stock prices have been rising, too.”
“It’s going better than I expected.”
“I heard it’s starting next week in China? You seem to have put in a lot of effort.”
“Please look at the sales for the last quarter. Japan is at 10%, and Europe at 5%, but China and Korea are on par at 40%. I can’t help but put in effort. Everything will work out, so please wait and see, Chairman Nam.”
Nam Gyu-Ho smirked as he brought the coffee to his father.
It was a lighthearted smile that could only be seen when his father was around.
His father had taken care of him his entire life. At times, he was a strict teacher; at times, he was a best friend. He grew up well even without a mother figure, and it was all thanks to his father’s upbringing.
“What brought you here, Chairman?” Nam Gyu-Ho asked as he put the coffee down on the table.
Nam Gyu-Baek’s looked stiff.
Nam Gyu-Baek looked up and asked casually, “Why did you do that to Woo-Hyuk?”
“…” Nam Gyu-Ho avoided eye contact and remained silent.
It was because he treated a family member of a favorite writer whom he was working closely with unfairly. But there was no way his father would accept a reason like this.
“Are you not going to tell me?!”
“You scared me, Father, please…!”
“What? You punk! You just made me look bad in front of others! I heard he’s stepping down from his position after selling the stocks. Everyone in the world knows that you’re my son, so what have you been doing?”
“The pizza is going to become more delicious.”
“What?!”
“U-uh, Father! There was a reason for it. And frankly speaking, it was his fault in the first place. It’s an act of tyranny, is it not?”
“Do you really think that you did a great job?”
Nam Gyu-Baek jumped up and raised a palm. Nam Gyu-Ho flinched and dropped his head immediately. Nam Gyu-Baek clicked his tongue as he saw Nam Gyu-Ho acting obedient all of a sudden.
“I had just met Chairman Han from Hwangyoung Pharmaceuticals.”
“…?!” Nam Gyu-Ho looked up immediately at the news. There was only one reason his father would meet that man. It was to arrange a marriage with his second daughter, who had just returned from overseas studies.
“We’ve arranged to meet next Sunday, so take note of it.”
“F-Father.”
“I’m here just to tell you that. I’ll be going now.”
“Wait, Father. You have the coffee before you go.”
“The coffee you make isn’t delicious at all, so I’m not going to drink it.”
“No, f-father! Wait. Chairman, my respectable Chairman!” Nam Gyu-Ho hurriedly stood in his father’s way. Their eyes met. Taking the genes of his father, Nam Gyu-Ho was relatively tall as well.
“I have something to tell you!” Nam Gyu-Ho suddenly knelt down.
Nam Gyu-Baek was taken aback. “Hey, you…you! Get up!”
“Father, I must tell you this.” Nam Gyu-Ho grabbed the hem of his father’s pants.
Nam Gyu-Baek turned a shade paler and quickly shook his son off.
“There’s always nonsense coming from you whenever you kneel! I don’t want to suffer from insomnia at night anymore. Hey, forget it. I’m going.”
“I found a girl I like!”
Nam Gyu-Baek froze and instantly came to a halt. He turned around, and his gaze fell on Nam Gyu-Ho.
“I found a girl I like, Father…”
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