Chapter 171. Let’s Meet At Home (2)
“Bo-Ra! Bo-Ra!”
“Don’t call me, leave me alone!”
Bo-Ra swung her handbag violently. Her manager rubbed his shoulders when he was hit by her bag and said in a begging tone, “Where are you going? There’s a meeting for the photo shoot with Maximum.”
“It’s my photoshoot, I’ll do whatever I want with it! I’m about to explode, so don’t step on my toes!”
“Bo-Ra!”
Bo-Ra ignored her manager’s calls and got on the elevator. She had just received news that she wouldn’t be given a spot on Ha Jae-Gun’s TV drama, which was based on his upcoming novel.
She was so furious that she wanted to destroy everything in line of sight.
“Unni! Come on out if you’re free now! What do you mean why? Let’s have drinks. You can ask what happened later when you come. Come to Rodeo Lavatte.”
Vroom!
Bo-Ra got in the car and started the engine, hitting the road immediately. A frightened passerby retreated to avoid the oncoming speeding car. Bo-Ra soon arrived in Apgujeong, and she parked on the side of a building.
The bar beside the cafe was her destination.
“Oh my, Ms. Bo-Ra. Welcome.”
The Moroccan-style bar was one that she frequented, and its owner greeted her with a friendly smile.
It was one of the many bars that celebrities frequented, as their tables were divided by walls and curtains. The walls at the entrance were filled with frames bearing the signatures of those celebrities.
“I’ll have a Bombay Sapphire. Give me some light snacks, too.”
“Is there anyone else joining you?”
“Yu-Na unni will be joining me.”
“All right, I’ll prepare your order accordingly.”
A server soon served up her order. Bo-Ra downed the glass of gin without adding any ice to it. Soon, her stomach felt like it was burning from the hard liquor.
“What’s wrong? Why are you drinking it straight?” The moment Bo-Ra was about to drink her second glass, Yu-Na walked through the curtains.
Yu-Na was also under ICU Entertainment and was twenty-two years old, which meant she was older than Bo-Ra by two years. She was currently preparing for her debut with a girl group, which was scheduled to debut in the coming winter.
“I heard about it briefly on the way here. It’s about that three-part drama series, right?”
“Unni, I’m so upset that I’m going crazy now. How can he leave me out…! Is our president crazy or what?!” Bo-Ra yelled at the top of her lungs.
Bo-Ra had been feeling quite anxious these days.
Ever since the controversy about her acting skills in Summer in My 20s, casting calls for her had been dropping day by day. Nowadays, her only work was to appear on entertainment shows as part of non-main panels or photo shoots with magazines.
“Those newbies are climbing their way up, but why isn’t the president helping me?! I did my best! I sacrificed both my body and heart into this, and yet this is all I get?!”
“I guess all of them can’t see the effort you put in. Cheer up, Bo-Ra,” Yu-Na consoled as she added ice to her glass.
However, she thought Bo-Ra deserved it. Yu-Na had always disliked how Bo-Ra acted however she liked without considering others’ circumstances. If Yu-Na hadn’t borrowed money from Bo-Ra, she wouldn’t be here wasting her time now.
“It’s just a three-part drama, anyway. A better opportunity will definitely come along. Both the director and president must have their own plans, too.”
“How can you still say that after watching Like Her Cradle? After that foxy bitch got the lead role for that, she’s already earned four commercial deals! It’s a totally different problem from the one-act play Drama City! Think before you speak!”
“S-sorry. Bo-Ra… I just…”
“Why is there not a single useful person around me? Ah, forget it. Just pour me my drink already.”
Yu-Na filled the glass with gin and handed it to Bo-Ra.
Glug glug.
After emptying the glass, Bo-Ra’s face contorted, and she started whining again. “What should I do, seriously? I’ve done so much from head to toe, yet I can’t even get a proper chance. I’m only wasting time here. I hate everything, I want to kill everyone.” Bo-Ra put both arms on the table and buried her face in her hands. The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0/v3l-B1n.
Yu-Na could not understand why Bo-Ra was wasting her time here and ignoring the root of her problem.
‘She should just work on her acting instead of spending her time at clubs and bars. I wouldn’t cast you if I were the producer, girl.’ Yu-Na clicked her tongue silently.
At that moment, Bo-Ra looked up. Yu-Na flinched slightly, afraid that her inner thoughts were revealed the moment their eyes met.
“I’m going to the washroom.”
“Ah, s-sure. I’ll go with you.”
Yu-Na secretly let out a sigh of relief and stood up. While Bo-Ra was using the washroom, Yu-na washed her hands and stepped outside to wait for the latter.
‘There’s no way she would go to the washroom only once alone…!’
Just then, a man walked past Yu-Na as she was grumbling to herself. The somewhat familiar-looking face made her wonder where she had seen him before. The man then turned a corner in the hallway and disappeared out of sight.
“Who is that? He looks familiar…”
“Why are you mumbling to yourself?” Bo-Ra asked as she came up from behind.
Yu-Na was caught off-guard and turned around, smiling shyly. “Oh, you’re done? I just saw a man earlier and thought he looked familiar.”
“Is he a celebrity?”
“No, he didn’t look like one…”
“Ah, whatever. Let’s go.”
Bo-Ra’s whining continued as soon as they returned back to their table. After a long talk and glaring into the air with those venomous eyes, her hatred was directed at just one person.
“Could it be Ha Jae-Gun pulling the strings?”
“Ha Jae-Gun? Ah, that writer? Have you met him before?” It was the first time Yu-Na showed interest in him. She had heard of the name Ha Jae-Gun as well. Not only that, but her agency and MBS had partnered to co-produce the three-part drama series based on his novel.
“I met him coincidentally near Park Seok-Ji’s editing office. But he’s quite arrogant, that man.”
“Why? Did something bad happen?”
“Ah, I don’t know. Anyway, he’s just gained some fame and yet already has his head in the clouds, it’s disgusting. He couldn’t even look me right in the eye during the movie production briefing for Summer in My 20s.” Bo-Ra spat coldly.
Yu-Na guessed that her description of Ha Jae-Gun was a bunch of nonsense. Regardless of what had happened, she believed that Ha Jae-Gun hadn’t done anything wrong.
“How come Do-Joon Oppa is friends with such a person? I really can’t understand him. Thinking back, I think Do-Joon is also the same kind of person. He didn’t even answer any of my calls and ignored all my messages. Do-Joon and Jae-Gun are both trash.”
Right after Bo-Ra said all those, Yu-Na recalled the man whom she had seen in the washroom earlier.
“Ah, so that’s him…”
“What? Who?”
“Didn’t I say the guy I saw outside the washroom looked familiar? Now that I think about it, I think it was Do-Joon Oppa’s manager.”
“Tae-Bong Oppa? Really?” Bo-Ra’s eyes widened instantly.
If Tae-Bong were here, Park Do-Joon had to be here with him as well.
“Where did he go? Did he leave already?”
“No, I think he went into a purple room after coming out from the washroom.”
Bo-Ra looked up and scanned the bar. Soon, a knowing smile spread across her face.
“Unni, wait here for a while.”
“You’re going to find him?”
“If I’m not back in twenty minutes, you can finish the drinks and leave. Just think of it as I’m clinging to Do-Joon Oppa. Huhu.”
Bo-Ra’s furious expression just now while cursing Park Do-Joon had vanished without a trace. Her face was now full of excitement as she passed through the curtains.
Meanwhile, Yu-Na let out a long sigh as she was left all alone. She started to get worried about the bill someone had to pay.
‘Is it over here?’
Bo-Ra stood outside the curtain of another table, listening intently to the voices, and one of them was definitely Park Do-Joon. She quickly straightened her dress and gently lifted the curtains.
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I thought this was my table…!” Bo-Ra smiled shyly.
Despite that, her eyes quickly scanned the table, spotting Park Do-Joon on one side of the table. Woo Tae-Bong was sitting across from him.
“Oh? Do-Joon Oppa?”
“…?”
Park Do-Joon was taken aback when their eyes met. However, Bo-Ra disregarded his reaction and slipped to sit next to him and said, “What are you doing here, Oppa? Ah, it’s nice to see you here. Hello, Tae-Bong Oppa. Are both of you here for drinks?”
No one had asked her, but Bo-Ra began filling glasses with ice and pouring alcohol into them. As she handed the glasses to the speechless Park Do-Joon and Tae-Bong, she giggled.
“Are there only both of you here? I would love to join you guys.”
“We have others joining us. We’re waiting for them,” Woo Tae-Bong replied instead of the visibly irritated Park Do-Joon.
Woo Tae-Bong hoped that Bo-Ra would take the hint and leave on her own, but unfortunately, it was in vain.
“Do-Joon Oppa, I’m really sad today. I got rejected for the three-part drama series The Market and Its People. Can you console me?”
“…”
“Hmm? Oppa, let’s just have a toast. Okay?” Bo-Ra said earnestly, raising the glass.
Park Do-Joon sighed reluctantly and clinked glasses with her. “Drink this and leave. I really am waiting for someone.”
“Who is it? Do I know them?”
Park Do-Joon only remained silent.
Bo-Ra didn’t back down. “Do-Joon Oppa, can you please put in some good words for me in front of Jae-Gun Oppa? I really want to act in that drama. You guys are close friends, right?”
“…”
“Please, Oppa. Please? Please help out this cute little sister. We’re not just acquaintances, right? Or maybe you can arrange a meeting for me with Jae-Gun Oppa? I want to clear up the air if he has misunderstood something about me. I’ll do everything you say if things go well.”
“There’s nothing I want from you.”
Clack.
Park Do-Joon put down his glass with a sound. Knowing that Bo-Ra had just turned twenty, Park Do-Joon did his best to hold back everything he wanted to say.
“It’s no use telling me all this. If you aren’t going to drink, just go.”
“Do-Joon Oppa…! Please~? Don’t give me the cold shoulder.” Bo-Ra hugged Park Do-Joon’s arm.
Meanwhile, Woo Tae-Bong rolled his eyes. Park Do-Joon always loved playing fair games. As his manager, he knew how angry Park Do-Joon was at Bo-Ra’s behavior at the moment.
“You’re a fool.”
“…Oppa?”
“You really don’t know why you’re being ignored?” Park Do-Joon shoved her hands off of himself. He glared at Bo-Ra, his cheeks visibly trembling in anger.
“If Jae-Gun pushed you away, he definitely has his own reasons for doing so. Your disgusting personality and bad acting can’t even be compared to elementary students.”
“W-what…?!” Bo-Ra turned pale as paper. She knew that Park Do-Joon was quite rough, but never had she witnessed this side of him before.
“If you could sell your smile to others, you might as well train to be a real actor. I think you just need that right now.” Park Do-Joon said his piece and looked away.
Hot tears welled up in Bo-Ra’s eyes, and huge drops of them fell onto the tabletop.
In spite of that, Park Do-Joon shook his hand dismissively. “Sorry, but I’m expecting someone. So go cry somewhere else.”
Bo-Ra stumbled and left the table.
Click clack, click clack.
It was only after her footsteps had grown distant that Woo Tae-Bong asked anxiously, “Do-Joon, weren’t you a bit too harsh on her?”
“Harsh? I held back like ninety-nine percent of my rant.”
Park Do-Joon filled Woo Tae-Bong’s empty glass and continued, “Hyung, how can you say that when you know her so well?”
“That’s why I said you were harsh. People like her are human dynamites. There’s no knowing when they will explode and bring damage to you.”
“You’re always full of worries. Just drink.”
“You’re just too calm, Do-Joon.”
Roughly ten minutes later, the person whom they had been waiting for finally arrived.
Ha Jae-Gun sat down next to Woo Tae-Bong and apologized, “Sorry for being late. The road was quite congested.”
“Don’t be. I’m the one who called you out here out of the blue, so it’s natural that I should be the one waiting for you. Here, have a glass.”
“Anyway, did something happen? What’s up with the serious look?”
“We were just bored while waiting for you. Have a drink, and let’s talk about the exciting stuff, lighten the atmosphere a bit.” Park Do-Joon then signaled at Woo Tae-Bong with his gaze.
He didn’t want to ruin the pleasant night with his friend whom he hadn’t met in so long by talking about Bo-Ra. Having made up his mind, the three raised their glasses high for a toast.
***
— Sorry, Director Lee. The investors are looking the other way. I really have no choice.
“…Yes, I understand. I know how things work around here.”
— We’re not abandoning the scenario. We’ll keep it, and who knows, there might be a use for it someday. Oh, Director Lee. I’ve something on, so I’ll need to hang up first. Let’s have some drinks when I’m available.
“I understand. Have a good day.”
Lee Eun-Ha was lost in thought and sat in a daze after hanging up the call. She would have continued standing behind the bathroom door if the sound of the door behind her hadn’t pulled her back to reality.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I thought no one was in here,” Jung So-Mi said.
Lee Eun-Ha smiled wryly and shook her head before walking past Jung So-Mi.
“Are you feeling unwell somewhere, Director Lee?”
“No…” Lee Eun-Ha replied meekly. The title director felt burdensome and painful in her ears. When she returned to her workstation, a scenario labeled trashed was waiting for her.
She was still capable of getting a down payment at the very least, but this time, she didn’t even manage to get into the contract-signing phase before her scenario was axed.
“I’m going to walk outside…” Lee Eun-Ha put behind the worried looks from the others and left the office. She didn’t have anywhere else to go in particular, so she began walking aimlessly. The cold wind at the end of summer pummeled her.
‘Maybe I should just stop here now.’
The thought that she had done more than enough struck her right in the chest.
Yoon Tae-Sung and Ha Jae-Gun’s help had allowed her to live as a director a bit longer, but now, it seemed impossible for her to go any further. In addition, she no longer had the energy to go any further. She had done everything within her means, including burning her own soul just to fulfill her dreams.
Unfortunately, the result was just a promise of a drink.
‘Tae-Sung, I’m sorry, but this is the furthest I can go.’
Just then, a bank appeared before her.
As if being bewitched, Lee Eun-Ha headed toward it. She wanted to return the money that Yoon Tae-Sung gave her as her daily expenses. She had already decided to stop her career in the film industry, so she could no longer use his money.
She decided to return to her hometown. This would be the end of her bitter dream. She would return to a place where no one knew her, and then she would spend the rest of her life quietly.
Tears soon filled Lee Eun-Ha’s eyes, and the ATM screen before her turned blurry.
Bzzt!
Lee Eun-Ha’s phone rang in her pocket. She didn’t want to answer it, but it wouldn’t stop vibrating. Lee Eun-Ha put her ATM card away and answered the call, “Hello?”
— Hello, is this Director Lee Eun-Ha? I’m Department Head Lee Kyeong-Hwan from ICU Entertainment.
Light shone in Lee Eun-Ha’s eyes. Yoon Tae-Sung’s words, which she had engraved in her heart, suddenly echoed in her ears. Opportunities would come to those who were prepared.
— …As you do not have enough experience, we’d like to ask you to be the co-director of our drama to sign with ICU as a freelancer. Hello? Director Lee Eun-Ha?
“Yes, yes… I am… listening…” Her tears fell uncontrollably. Lee Eun-Ha left the ATM and ran back to the office. She cried all the way back without slowing down as the remorse from her past flashed before her eyes.
“Where did you go?” Ha Jae-Gun asked as soon as she opened the door to the office.
Lee Eun-Ha bit her lips and strode over to him.
“I was about to call you because I have something to tell you—”
Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t finish his sentence.
Lee Eun-Ha hugged him and started sobbing. “Thank you…! Thank you, thank you so much! Heuk…!”
“You don’t have to thank me. You got it because of your own ability, Director Lee. Wow, you’re more of a crybaby than I thought.”
Lee Eun-Ha continued to cry, leaving Ha Jae-Gun standing straight and stiffly like a tree. Meanwhile, Jung So-Mi standing in a far corner of the office secretly dabbed at her tearful eyes.
Chapter 172. Let’s Meet At Home (3)
[Gyeoja Bathhouse premiering soon. Novel has surpassed 800,000 copies sold!]
[Oscar’s Dungeon novel begins ebook distribution in China via Teencent Culture. Will the Ha Jae-Gun effect shine in China as well?]
[Gyeoja Bathhouse game OBT begins, Nextion’s Director Nam Gyu-Ho: One game gives the thrill of reading dozens of horror novels.]
[OongSung Publication Group’s Editor-in-chief Oh Myung-Suk: Countdown to Gyeoja Bathhouse‘s entry into U.S. market.]
[Korean-American students in L.A.: Translated version of The Breath, secretly a huge sensation.]
Lee Yeon-Woo looked up Ha Jae-Gun’s name on the web browser early in the morning at the office. As usual, he checked out the articles. He wasn’t doing this out of his respect for Ha Jae-Gun but as part of his task as Ha Jae-Gun’s manager.
“What are you reading so seriously?”
“Ah, Deputy Jung.”
Jung So-Mi approached Lee Yeon-Woo from behind him and handed him one of the two cups of coffee in her hands.
Lee Yeon-Woo gratefully accepted the fragrant cup.
“I said I would make a cup for you today; I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright; the first person who thought of coffee should make one for themselves and for the others. Don’t worry about it.” Jung So-Mi sipped on the hot coffee and looked out the window. She saw two cats curled up by the windowsill.
There was Rika, looking out the window like a reliable elder sister, and Cheol-Soo, the little white kitten. Suddenly, Jung So-Mi and Cheol-Soo’s eyes met. The little kitten immediately jumped down from the windowsill and ran to her feet, acting cute.
“I think the cats love you a lot, Deputy Jung,” Lee Yeon-Woo said as Jung So-Mi carried Cheol-Soo in her hands.
“Rika follows after you the most, too. I think she likes you more than Jae-Gun hyung.”
“Aye, no way. She’s still the closest to Writer Ha,” Jung So-Mi said as she hugged Cheol-Soo. She was silently feeling happy at Lee Yeon-Woo’s words.
“But… Is he really naming this kitten Cheol-Soo?” Jung So-Mi asked in a disapproving tone as she stroked the kitten. She thought there was a much more fitting name for this snow-white and cute kitten.
“Yeah, I was speechless when I first heard and asked him about it, but Ha Jae-Gun hyung said he finally decided on it after thinking about it for a long time.”
“He came up with this name…after thinking about it for a long time?”
“You know that his naming sense is abysmal.”
“Mm…” Jung So-Mi nodded, convinced.
Just then, a sound of a door opening in the hallway and out came Ha Jae-Gun.
“Yeon-Woo must be talking behind my back. Am I right? My ears are itchy.”
“Wow, you’re a radar.”
“You really did that?”
“We were talking about you naming the kitten Cheol-Soo. Hyung, isn’t Cheol-Soo just too much for this kitten?”
Ha Jae-Gun pouted slightly and scratched the back of his head. Meanwhile, Cheol-Soo was looking at Jung So-Mi with dazzling eyes.
“Ms. So-Mi, please come up with a good name for it then.”
“M-me?”
Wait, hyung. Why only Deputy Jung? What about me?”
“I can’t trust you. Please come up with a good name, Ms. Jung So-Mi. I believe in your naming sense as an editor.”
Ha Jae-Gun took his cup and went to the coffee machine.
Behind him, Jung So-Mi asked, “Is the script going well?”
“I just finished one part. I’m left with the other two, but I’ll have to work on it to know how much longer I’ll need to complete them.”
“But you’re still working relatively fast.”
“It’s because the novel is completed. After all, the short stories and one-act plays are quite similar, and I didn’t need to do much with the relationship between the characters, plus take out all the narratives. I think it’s much easier to work with.”
Ha Jae-Gun then took a sip of his coffee leisurely. In fact, there wasn’t much difficulty in writing the script. He found it funny today that he felt nervous at the start just because it was his first TV drama project.
“Hyung, you should wash up and get prepared.”
“Oh, yes. I should.” Ha Jae-Gun looked at his wristwatch and nodded.
Today was the day of the movie preview for Gyeoja Bathhouse.
The editing was finally complete, and it was ready to be shown to the audience. After the movie preview, he had to appear for a radio broadcast. Today was a busy day for him.
“Do you want to join us, Ms. So-Mi?”
“What? Me too?”
“We’ll be done around three in the afternoon after everything and lunch. President Kwon said you can rest until evening.”
“That’s true, but…” Jung So-Mi trailed off with a browbeaten expression. Would she be in his way? Was it really fine for an editor, who had no direct relation to the movie preview, to appear there?
“You don’t want to watch the movie?”
“Ah, no! I really want to watch it.”
“Then why are you taking so long to answer me?”
“Um… We need someone to take care of both Rika and Cheol-Soo…”
Just then, Yang Hyun-Kyung stepped out like a savior and said, “I’m going to be working all day here since my deadline is the day after tomorrow. Feel free to leave Rika and Cheol-Soo here with me. Have a good time at the preview.”
“Will you be alright alone, Writer Yang?”
“They play well enough on their own, anyway. It would have been great if Eun-Young noona were around, but Min-Ho hyung and her said that they’re going to the movies, too…”
Yang Hyun-Kyung yawned and headed to the kitchen. Jung So-Mi looked at her outfit, looking regretful. If she had known that she would end up going to the movie preview, she would have put more effort into her outfit.
***
“Welcome, Mr. Ha.”
Director Yoon Tae-Sung, the manager, and Editing Director Park Seok-Ji with her team, greeted Ha Jae-Gun.
Ha Jae-Gun bowed slightly, and then he introduced his companions to them.
“I’m not here alone today. He’s my manager, and he’s also a writer. His name is Lee Yeon-Woo.”
“That same friend who went up against Director Woo, right?” Park Seok-Ji grinned. She then went up to Lee Yeon-Woo shyly and whispered into his ear, “You’re totally my cup of tea. Do you want to have some drinks with me after the movie preview?”
“W-what? Uh…” Lee Yeon-Woo blushed in an instant, unable to withstand her advances.
Park Seok-Ji laughed boisterously and slapped his shoulder.
“Look at you blushing so much. I had no idea that you can’t withstand such jokes. And this is…?” Park Seok-Ji then turned to Jung So-Mi.
Before Ha Jae-Gun could introduce her, Jung So-Mi bowed deeply and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Jung So-Mi. We’ve met before when I was Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s editor for his fantasy novels. And now…”
“She’s still my editor, and she’s also the artist behind the webtoon for Oscar’s Dungeon,” Ha Jae-Gun added.
Jung So-Mi quickly looked down with a shy smile. Her heart, which was pounding heavily against her chest, was bursting with pride.
It still felt surreal that she could stand among such famous people from all walks of life. After making their introductions, everyone stepped into the theater. Ha Jae-Gun, Jung So-Mi, and Lee Yeon-Woo sat together in a row. Ha Jae-Gun fixed his necktie and turned around to see how many people had filled the place.
‘Ah…’ Ha Jae-Gun had his eyes fixed at the back of the theater. He spotted Hong Ye-Seul at the back, sitting upright with her hands on her lap. Her no-makeup face was filled with nervousness.
“…?!” Feeling someone looking at her, Hong Ye-Seul looked up to see Ha Jae-Gun. They continued looking at each other for a while amidst the commotion before the start of the movie.
Ha Jae-Gun nodded slightly toward her after a while.
Hong Ye-Seul realized what Ha Jae-Gun was trying to do, and she nodded as well.
‘Nothing good is going to come out of pretending to know her.’ Ha Jae-Gun smiled faintly as he looked away.
It had been quite a while since then, so that particular moment didn’t shake him up as much as he expected. After all, Hong Ye-Seul had escaped from the dark night; in other words, all the concern and sympathy he had for her had already disappeared.
“Jae-Gun hyung, is this going to be very scary?” Lee Yeon-Woo asked timidly as the lights in the theater dimmed. He looked like he was about to cry.
“I was so scared I almost fainted when reading the book. I can still leave while watching midway, right?”
“Why are you so timid when you’re usually so loud and all? Shh, it’s about to start.”
The movie started with some bleak background music. The first character to appear was Hong Ye-Seul’s character. It was the scene of her high school student supporting character smoking in the old town where Gyeoja Bathhouse was located.
‘She really looks like a high school student.
’ A smile formed on the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t believe that Hong Ye-Seul had appeared in a movie based on his novel.
They were in the same theater, but there was a significant distance between them.
Despite that, he felt as though he was communicating with her.
The hall was in complete silence aside from the audio coming from the movie. Everyone was immersed, and they all gulped. As the tension reached its peak, Lee Yeon-Woo was a step ahead compared to everyone else, shivering in his seat.
“Arrghhh!”
“Kyaaaa!”
The first screams exploded all around the theater. It was the scene where Gyeo-Ja first appeared at the bathhouse. Despite having expected it, Ha Jae-Gun was still shocked by the story’s flow. L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on N0vel-B1n.
‘Hmm?’
Ha Jae-Gun suddenly felt someone touch him, and he turned to find Jung So-Mi holding his arm with both hands. She was afraid, but her eyes remained fixated on the screen.
“Ah, ah… I’m sorry. I was surprised, so I unknowingly—” Jung So-Mi caught herself in time and let go in a hurry, apologizing profusely.
Ha Jae-Gun felt slightly awkward and scrunched his nose slightly with a smile.
‘No one saw it, right?’
Jung So-Mi looked around secretly. Thankfully, no one else was looking at them.
However, someone saw what Jung So-Mi had done just now.
Hong Ye-Seul saw it. It was inevitable, as her attention had only been on Ha Jae-Gun ever since the movie started.
‘Who is she?’
Hong Ye-Seul’s fingers trembled impatiently. She had no idea where else to look aside from the pair in front of her.
‘Is that his girlfriend…?’ Hong Ye-Seul had bumped into Jung So-Mi earlier in the washroom before entering the theater.
Knowing that Jung So-Mi had come with Ha Jae-Gun, she had purposefully stayed in the washroom pretending to fix her makeup while checking Jung So-Mi out.
She immediately thought that Jung So-Mi had a pretty-looking face, and she looked pretty cute—similar to a puppy. Her healthy and positive energy was overwhelming. Hong Ye-Seul concluded that most men would fall for her quite easily.
‘But so what if she’s his girlfriend…!’
Hong Ye-Seul had been running because of her inferiority complex and lack of confidence. Hong Ye-Seul had always been putting down her pathetic self.
‘You’re a fool, Hong Ye-Seul. Jae-Gun Oppa isn’t going to stay alone for the rest of his life. Did you really think you’re some sort of princess? Did you think Jae-Gun Oppa would accept you once you’ve become an actor? Wake up.’
The tension of the movie rose exponentially as the movie hit its midway mark, but Hong Ye-Seul could no longer pay attention to it. She couldn’t even console her flustered heart.
The movie soon ended. As the ending credits rolled on the screen, the OST that AppleT’s Lee Chae-Rin had sung for the movie started playing. Ha Jae-Gun and everyone in the audience sat in their seats, enjoying the sad melody until the end.
“You’ve worked hard, Director Yoon.” Ha Jae-Gun hugged Yoon Tae-Sung. They were now close enough to share a hug, not just handshakes.
“It was a fantastic movie this time as well. I couldn’t believe that it was a novel I had written at all. I think the novel will hit 1 million copies once the movie premieres.”
“Your compliments are exaggerated. It’s all because of your scenario that the movie was so great.”
“It’s not time to rest yet; you still remember Storm and Gale, right?” Ha Jae-Gun whispered and winked at Yoon Tae-Sung.
Take-Sung frowned slightly and smiled before changing the subject. “I’m really thankful to you for helping Eun-Ha.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“The day she received the call from ICU Entertainment, she was on the way to the bank, about to return all the money I lent her. She got rejected for the scenario she worked on before and was planning to go back to her hometown after the rejection.”
“…” Ha Jae-Gun nodded silently. He could still remember how Lee Eun-Ha looked when she hugged him while sobbing uncontrollably upon returning to the office.
“There’s so many people helping her. I’ve mentioned this a few times, but Eun-Ha is extremely talented. You will never be disappointed, Writer Ha.”
“I know that, and that’s why I recommended her. Plus, I didn’t do much either. They had acknowledged her capabilities after seeing her movies, so please don’t mention this anymore.”
Just then, Lee Yeon-Woo appeared from behind them, joining the conversation. “Jae-Gun hyung, there are reporters surrounding the main entrance. I’ll bring the car over to the back, so please come out when I give you a call.”
“Oh? Wow, you’re really my manager now.”
“You can’t be late for the radio broadcast anyway. I’ll bring Deputy Jung along with me first, then. Deputy Jung, let’s go.”
“Ah, sure. I’ll go with him, then, Writer Ha,” said Jung So-Mi.
With that, Lee Yeon-Woo and Jung So-Mi left the theater.
Meanwhile, Hong Ye-Seul’s sharp eyes followed Jung So-Mi out of the theater even though she was talking with the assistant director.
Chapter 173. Let’s Meet At Home (4)
A few minutes later, Ha Jae-Gun received a call from Lee Yeon-Woo and headed for the back door. Lee Yeon-Woo looked around as he stood by the car parked at the back entrance.
“You look like a spy doing that.”
“You may joke once you’re on board, hyung,” Lee Yeon-Woo said as he entered the address to the broadcasting station on the navigator.
“Ms. So-Mi is with us, so we should at least have lunch first.”
“Sure, but we should at least go somewhere near the broadcasting station for lunch. You’ll be more at ease when we’re eating nearby. Deputy Jung can join me once I’m heading back to the office.” Lee Yeon-Woo looked at the passenger seat beside him.
Jung So-Mi was looking out the window.
“Deputy Jung? Are you fine with it?”
“Pardon?”
“For lunch. We’ll go to Yeouido for lunch with Ha Jae-Gun hyung first, and then we can head back to the office after.”
“Ah, sure. I’m fine with that.”
“But what’s on your mind? Why are you staring outside so intently?”
“It’s nothing. I was just preoccupied with the emotions I had from the movie earlier…”
Ha Jae-Gun appeared to be nonchalant, but in fact, he had his ears perked up. The reviews of his movies from the people close to him were of utmost importance to him.
Lee Yeon-Woo turned the steering wheel and said, “The movie was scary, right? It’s different from the novel, too.”
“Yes. But aside from being scary, the movie felt somewhat sad, too. The music that accompanied the movie helped with keeping up the atmosphere of the movie, and the child actors were so great that I got goosebumps watching them.”
Jung So-Mi then took out her phone and fiddled with it. She looked up Hong Ye-Seul, and the latter’s profile and picture appeared in the search results. Jung So-Mi felt even more perplexed when she looked closely at the photo.
‘Why did she look at me like that?’ Jung So-Mi had actually noticed Hong Ye-Seul’s sharp gaze on her a couple of times in the theater ever since they first met in the washroom. Even during the movie, Jung So-Mi could feel it from the back of her head. Whenever Jung So-Mi made eye contact with her, Hong Ye-Seul would look away, but her cold expression would remain.
‘Could she be…?’
There was the possibility. There wasn’t enough evidence, but her intuition as a woman was screaming at her.
Jung So-Mi surreptitiously glanced at Ha Jae-Gun through the rearview mirror, but as usual, she couldn’t read his expression.
“Jae-Gun hyung, Deputy Jung. How about having sushi for lunch?”
“I’m alright with it. What about Ms. So-Mi?”
“Ah, sure… I like sushi, too.”
Jung So-Mi’s mind was still on Hong Ye-Seul even as they arrived at the restaurant. She eventually finished her meal dryly, not paying attention to what she had eaten at all.
“I’ll be going on my own from here then. Yeon-Woo, go back with Ms. So-Mi.” The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0/v3l-B1n.
“Okay, hyung. I’ll come back again when you’re about to end here.”
Ha Jae-Gun frowned slightly. “Did you forget what I said yesterday? You don’t have to come back.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about it. Hyung, fighting!”
Ha Jae-Gun left the group first. As he walked further away, Lee Yeon-Woo and Jung So-Mi turned to head back to the carpark.
On the way, Jung So-Mi asked casually, “Does Writer Ha have something else to do after the radio broadcast?”
“Ah, he has a dinner appointment with Ms. Park Hye-Sang later.”
Jung So-Mi looked up in surprise.
Park Hye-Sang was a widely known announcer who held stunning beauty and elegant poise. She was also the top celebrity that parents would like to have as their daughter-in-law, holding a great public image and opinion.
“Because of work?”
“No. He just said he felt grateful to her for a variety of things and decided to buy her a meal.” Lee Yeon-Woo said nonchalantly and opened the car door.
Jung So-Mi had mixed feelings as she got in the passenger seat. Her affectionate gaze followed Ha Jae-Gun as he stepped into the broadcasting station.
‘Wow, he’s in a completely different world now.’ Jung So-Mi could feel the growing distance between her and Ha Jae-Gun. It was another sense of loss compared to the corny sadness she felt on the day she had confessed to Ha Jae-Gun.
“Ah,
it’s raining,” Lee Yeon-Woo grumbled as he started the wiper.
The unforgettable scenes appeared one after another on the window. The day when Jung So-Mi first met him, the day when he picked up her shoe for him, and the day they shared an umbrella…
All those memories were still playing vividly in her mind. Those were precious memories precious she couldn’t tell anyone else. Jung So-Mi felt sad, knowing that those memories would soon become blurry in her mind.
“Um, Deputy Jung.” Lee Yeon-Woo cleared his throat as they stopped at a red light and suggested to Jung So-Mi, “Since it’s raining, how about having a cup of hot coffee together?”
“…Sure.” Jung So-Mi replied while lost in thoughts, looking down.
Lee Yeon-Woo turned to his left and smiled in delight.
Bzzt!
The phone in Jung So-Mi’s hand rang.
She let out a sigh and read the message that just came in.
It was from Ha Jae-Gun.
– I just met Mr. Na-Oul from Brown Eyed Soda. He said they just released a new single and gave me a copy of their album. You like them, right? Should I ask them to sign with your name?
A light smile appeared on Jung So-Mi’s gloomy face. She slowly typed out her reply to Ha Jae-Gun.
– No, Writer Ha. You’re already so busy; you don’t have to do this for me.
– How is it a hassle when it’s just one sentence? You’re going to work till late tonight at the office, right? I’ll bring it over later.
– You don’t have to come all the way here if it’s just for the album.
– I’m going because I want to see Rika. Shall we have braised monkfish for supper?
Jung So-Mi couldn’t hold herself back and grinned. Moments later, she realized that she was entertaining a foolish thought. They were still in the same world, and what they had shared together weren’t blurry memories just yet.
In addition, they would share more memories later down the road.
-S-sure…!
Jung So-Mi looked up after sending out that last message. The late summer rain that was beating down on the car windows had already stopped. The sun that had replaced the rain was shining brightly on Jung So-Mi’s face.
“Deputy Jung, shall we drop by the cross junction?”
“What? Why?”
“We agreed to have coffee earlier, didn’t we? I saw a newly opened cafe that looked quite welcoming.”
“Don’t they all taste the same, though? It’s going to be tough finding parking, so let’s just go back to the office. We can just grab coffee from the cafe on the first floor and head back up.” Jung So-Mi was just anxious to return to the office to start working.
She had made a pathetic comparison for a moment. The person she had to defeat was not Park Hye-Sang but herself. She just had to do her best in her own field.
“Writer Lee, the traffic light has turned green.”
“Ah… Yes.” Meanwhile, Lee Yeon-Woo answered meekly with a pout.
Jung So-Mi was usually considerate of others’ feelings, but she did not have the luxury to do so right now.
***
Tadadadak! Tadak! Tadadak!
Ha Jae-Gun was working on the drama script, sitting comfortably in a chair that was prepared for him in the writer’s room at MBS Broadcasting Station.
‘Nice. Here on, Jae-Goo and Yeon-Ha coincidentally meet at a pocha[1] and…’
Ha Jae-Gun’s fingers did not rest for a moment as they typed away on the keyboard. He had completed the script for the security guard’s story; he was now working on the glutinous rice cake seller’s script.
The second script didn’t take him a lot of time, as the security guard’s story was quite distinct and independent when compared to the other stories.
However, the glutinous rice cake seller and the movie director’s story were different when adapting them into a drama script. As there were more connections between the main characters in the story, it also meant that there were more points of contact that he had to handle in the script. He had decided to work in the broadcasting station for efficiency’s sake and to ensure quick communication with the producer.
‘Still, I should be done in at most two days.’
The agreed timeline was to finish the script in four days and hand it over to the production team. Although there was more than enough time, Ha Jae-Gun still decided to focus on finishing it and head home earlier.
Rika’s face surfaced in his mind. If he could only bring Rika along, he would have her curled up on his lap right here right now with him.
‘Oh? Look at the time.’
Ha Jae-Gun looked at the wall clock, which was already showing noon. Ha Jae-Gun turned around in his chair and saw a woman in her mid-twenties sitting upright in another corner of the room.
“Please sit comfortably,” Ha Jae-Gun said with a gentle smile.
She was Won Ji-Yeon, an assistant writer sent to help him.
“Oh, no. I’m fine, Mr. Ha,” Won Ji-Yeon replied with a flustered blush on her face. However, her legs, shoulders and waist were full of tension.
“I’ve said countless times that you don’t have to stay here. If there’s something I need from you, I’ll make sure to call you.”
“…” Won Ji-Yeon looked down at her phone and clutched it tightly. Her role was just to deliver the manuscript, make edits and proofread, or run errands for him.
However, she still hadn’t received any instructions from Ha Jae-Gun.
‘Sigh, this is putting me in a spot…’
Ha Jae-Gun had mentioned right at the start that he didn’t need someone else, but they still sent an assistant writer for him, which made him feel quite burdened.
He also found it uncomfortable knowing that Won Ji-Yeon was staring at his back. She had never made a loud enough sound to disturb him, but her existence alone was enough to bother him.
Ha Jae-Gun said, “Please go and have lunch, Writer Won.”
“Ah, I had a late lunch, so I’m alright.” Won Ji-Yeon’s voice wavered like a person thrown out in the cold.
Ever since she had graduated from university and entered the broadcasting station, she had been well aware of Ha Jae-Gun’s reputation. She couldn’t believe that she was spending time with Ha Jae-Gun in the same space. She even felt breathless at the fact that they were making eye contact.
“M-Mr. Ha… Are you not going to have lunch?”
“Mm, I am slowly getting hungry, but…” Ha Jae-Gun then stood up after some pondering.
It was a lie that he felt hungry. He wanted to finish working on the script, but he decided to delay it for a while as he felt apologetic to Won Ji-Yeon. Looking back, he had been busy all this time and did not get to have any proper conversation with her.
“Do you want to join me?”
“Pardon…?”
“Why are you surprised? Let’s have lunch together. Come on.” Ha Jae-Gun gestured with his hand.
Won Ji-Yeon stood up with a puzzled look and picked up her coat in a blur, and then she left the office with Ha Jae-Gun.
“Did you say you were twenty-six this year, Ms. Ji-Yeon?”
“Yes… I was busy earning money for my tuition fee, so I graduated later than my batchmates.”
Their conversation continued as they walked down the hallway. Ha Jae-Gun continued with his questions, and Won Ji-Yeon answered him swiftly and shyly.
“Was your dream to become a drama script writer?”
“Yes, it’s because I love dramas…I chose to major in creative writing because of that.”
“But this job is really tough, isn’t it? I’ve got a few friends from university who wanted to become a drama script writer but lost their passion down the road. You’re incredible, Ms. Ji-Yeon.”
“I’m just a rookie, but thank you.”
Just then, a lady about to walk out of the washroom where Ha Jae-Gun and Won Ji-Yeon were passing by hurriedly hid behind a wall. She was none other than Bo-Ra.
‘Isn’t that Won Ji-Yeon, who works with Myung-Sook unni? She’s attached to Ha Jae-Gun?’ Bo-Ra snuck her head out. As she watched the two leave, evil thoughts began growing in her mind.
‘So that’s what it is, huh…’ She grinned mischievously. There was no such thing as calculated malice intentions for her. The gears in her mind began to turn as she walked in the opposite direction.
On that same night, Bo-Ra met up with Won Ji-Yeon in a cafe. Unbeknownst why Bo-Ra had asked to meet her, Won Ji-Yeon only shrugged in her seat.
“Unni, you know me, right? We met through Myung-Sook unni back at Five Wheels Studio.”
“Ah, yes. Hello.” Despite Bo-Ra being five years younger and talking to Won Ji-Yeon casually, which shouldn’t be the case, Won Ji-Yeon still replied politely to the younger girl.
Won Ji-Yeon felt intimidated by the younger girl as they sat across from each other. Bo-Ra was well-dressed, while Won Ji-Yeon looked shabby in her loose top and jeans.
“I called you because you came to mind out of the blue. Plus, I did do you wrong before due to a small mistake I made, so I wanted to apologize as well.”
“…” Won Ji-Yeon’s fingers trembled under the table.
How was that a small mistake? Bo-Ra splashed a cup of cold water on her face just because she had brought the coffee a few minutes late. Won Ji-Yeon recalled crying all night due to the humiliation she had suffered at the time.
She had even thought of exposing the incident on the Internet and quitting her job right there and then, but she didn’t do it after receiving a sum of money to keep the incident under wraps. She had accepted the money back then as her salary was quite low, and she needed the money to survive.
“Unni, you’re still suffering these days, right?” Bo-Ra asked softly, “Is your salary still 700,000 won monthly? Or did it go up? I’m not so sure. Maybe 800,000 won?”
“…”
“How do you live with that amount? I’d spend 100,000 won easily just drinking for a day. Do you do part-time jobs on the side?”
“…” Won Ji-Yeon gnashed her teeth. Her daily life was already tough, and yet Bo-Ra was rubbing salt in her wound. Was wanting to apologize just an excuse? Just how much humiliation did she need to inflict on Won Ji-Yeon for her to be satisfied?
“Unni.”
“…”
“Why aren’t you responding? Look at me.:
“I’m… listening.” Bo-Ra sucked the drink from her straw noisily and clapped her hands with a bright look on her face. “Should I help you get a spot in ICU as a main writer?”
“…?!”
Won Ji-Yeon looked up with her eyes wide.
Bo-Ra chuckled in amusement as Won Ji-Yeon’s expression turned to that of astonishment.
Chapter 174. Let’s Meet At Home (5)
‘I… can become a main writer?’
How many years had it been since she joined the broadcasting station as a writer? It had been many years since then, but Won Ji-Yeon still hadn’t received the chance to write a proper script. The best she had ever done was edit the manuscripts done by the main writers or organize the materials they got after doing interviews.
“Why? You don’t want to be one?” Bo-Ra repeated herself upon seeing how Won Ji-Yeon was still out of her mind. “Or do you think I don’t seem to have the power to do so?”
“N-no. It’s not that…!” Won Ji-Yeon waved her hands in a hurry.
“It’s… it’s just unbelievable… It sounds too good to be true…” Won Ji-Yeon dropped her head as she trailed off.
Bo-Ra cut a small piece of the slice of cake and put it into her mouth. She chewed it slowly before saying, “Join the three-part web drama production in our agency in the next quarter.”
“Okay…”
Web dramas were serviced through the internet, unlike TV dramas. They were also known as SNS dramas or mobile dramas. They were considerably shorter per episode, with runtime lengths of around ten to fifteen minutes.
“Why? Are you disappointed because it’s a web drama?”
“N-no way!” Won Ji-Yeon looked up instantly, showing her strong disagreement.
The low popularity of web dramas was a thing of the past. The web drama market had grown significantly over the years as large and small companies jumped onto the bandwagon after recognizing the web dramas’ low production costs.
There had been cases of web dramas growing viral on the Internet that they even got broadcasted on TV due to their popularity.
Bo-Ra then continued. “Two out of three parts had already gone into production, so we’re left with the final part. I heard from the director that there’s going to be some romance in it.”
“Romance…”
“Yeah, romance. Isn’t that your expertise?”
“It’s not exactly…” Won Ji-Yeon had written two romance novels that had gotten published as ebooks she joined the broadcasting station as a writer. They performed badly due to the illness of those so-called literary creative students. The debut release occurred at N-ov3l=B(j)n.
The qualities of genre novels they had learned through school and in the market were totally different. Won Ji-Yeon had gotten accustomed to the style of the literature she had studied, but they didn’t meet the public reader’s expectations, which eventually led to her crushing defeat.
“I heard from Myung-Sook unni that you’ve been writing something whenever you’re free? Is that a romance novel, too?”
“Yes…”
“How much have you written so far?”
“Only a little over a volume’s worth.”
“Send it to me. I’ll take a read and recommend it to the director.”
“I haven’t been able to edit it.”
“It’s fine as long as it’s interesting. How is editing an issue?”
“I do have a copy in my phone…” Won Ji-Yeon rummaged through her pocket and took out her phone. Just before she sent the manuscript to Bo-Ra, she belatedly felt an intense suspicion and stopped herself from pressing the send button.
“Can I just ask you something?”
“You can ask ten questions too. What is it?”
“Why… are you giving this chance to me…?” It was common sense, and anyone could see that Bo-Ra’s actions were suspicious. Bo-Ra had always treated Won Ji-Yeon as nothing but a bug, so why had Bo-Ra decided to give her such a great opportunity?
“Didn’t I say that I wanted to apologize?” Bo-Ra said with a strange smile.
Won Ji-Yeon felt a heavy sense of foreboding upon seeing that smile.
“Well, strictly speaking… There’s a favor I wanted to ask from you.”
“A… favor?”
Bo-Ra scanned their surroundings briefly and gestured to Won Ji-Yeon with her finger, asking her to come closer. Won Ji-Yeon leaned in, and Bo-Ra quickly whispered into her ear.
Won Ji-Yeon’s face slowly turned pale while listening to Bo-Ra’s words.
“I-I can’t—”
“Keep quiet! Did you think we’re alone here?”
“S-s-sorry. Anyway, I can’t do it.” Won Ji-Yeon turned down Bo-Ra while shaking her head.
Bo-Ra’s venomous eyes narrowed. “Do you really think that Ha Jae-Gun will take care of you?”
“This has nothing to do with that.”
“Why not? Think about how many people have been suffering because of him. The livelihood of our agency’s writers, directors, and actors suffered because of that jerk Humans should have good manners. He’s become a jerk after becoming famous.”
“…” Won Ji-Yeon was silent. She couldn’t agree with Bo-Ra and ICU Entertainment’s situation—as Bo-Ra had depicted—didn’t seem at all that believable.
Won Ji-Yeon had been looking up to Ha Jae-Gun as well.
“It’s not a difficult task. You’ll be able to complete it with the wave of your finger.”
“B-but that’s… a crime.”
“Crime? It’s a good deed. You should become successful, too. You’re not young anymore, right?” Bo-Ra continued with her persuasion.
Bo-Ra was convinced that Won Ji-Yeon would soon fall for her words when she saw Won Ji-Yeon looking down at the ground.
After a while, Won Ji-Yeon nodded slowly. Satisfied at the response, Bo-Ra held Won Ji-Yeon’s hands in hers and brought them to her cheeks before rubbing them on her face.
“Thank you. You made a great decision. I’ll make sure to arrange the program for you, so don’t worry about it. And buy an autumn outfit for yourself with this.” Bo-Ra pulled out three cash checks worth a million won each from her wallet.
Won Ji-Yeon felt disgusted with herself as she accepted the checks with closed eyes.
***
Bzzt!
It was a call from Ha Jae-In.
Ha Jae-Gun stopped typing on his keyboard and picked up his phone.
“Yeah, noona. Ah, you met the broker? Why do you need my opinion? Both Father and Mother have good judgment on houses, too. If it’s good, just go ahead with the lease.”
His family in Suwon was looking to move once more. The number of reporters and fans visiting their house in Suwon had increased dramatically since Ha Jae-Gun experienced yet another meteoric rise of fame.
Even with Nam Gyu-Ho’s help in deterring those unsolicited visits, there were still some limitations. Thus, the family decided to purchase a suitable piece of land and build a proper detached house on it.
“How is the old house livable? It’s so shabby, we should just rebuild it. Don’t just talk about the money. Money is only money when you use it. Yeah, I got it. I’ll make sure to eat. I’ll call you later, noona.”
Ha Jae-Gun hung up and leaned back in his seat. His temples were throbbing, and he felt like he had become a wet cotton from exhaustion.
‘I’m tired…‘
He had been working since morning, and it was now past 6 p.m. If it weren’t for Ha Jae-In’s call, he would have continued working for a few more hours.
‘Come to think of it, I didn’t sleep much yesterday either.‘
He pushed himself too much while trying to finish the script earlier before the deadline. He wasn’t able to drop by his house and couldn’t use Seo Gun-Woo’s cup to restore his energy. He had vowed never to bring Seo Gun-Woo’s items out of his house, afraid that he might lose them outside.
“Ms. Ji-Yeon.”
Ha Jae-Gun turned around and called out to Won Ji-Yeon sitting in the corner. Won Ji-Yeon looked up in surprise from her laptop. She had been staring blankly at her laptop, and Ha Jae-Gun’s voice snapped her back to reality.
“Yes, Mr. Ha.”
“What were you thinking so deeply about? Are you not going to have dinner?”
“I-I had a late lunch. Please go ahead for dinner, Mr. Ha.”
Won Ji-Yeon wasn’t in the place to be able to have dinner with Ha Jae-Gun, and she had a task she needed to complete that required Ha Jae-Gun’s absence.
“Mm, is that so? I don’t have much of an appetite either, so I guess I can eat a while later,” Ha Jae-Gun mumbled as he stretched.
Getting anxious, Won Ji-Yeon added with a bolstering voice, “But you skipped lunch, too. Please have something light for dinner, at least.”
“Yeah, I’m going to eat once I’m hungry. Ah, I’m tired. I’ll take a short nap after sending the script.”
Ha Jae-Gun sent the additional manuscript he had completed to Producer Ahn before moving over to the sofa.
“I’ll just nap for a bit here. If I don’t wake up after an hour, please wake me up.”
“Sure, Mr. Ha. Don’t worry, and rest well.” There was nothing else Won Ji-Yeon could wish for than Ha Jae-Gun taking a nap.
The exhausted Ha Jae-Gun fell into a deep sleep in just a few minutes. He even started snoring.
‘Now’s the time…!’
Won Ji-Yeon held her breath and tiptoed over to Ha Jae-Gun’s laptop.
Thankfully, Ha Jae-Gun was lying on the sofa with his back facing the table, so Won Ji-Yeon managed to complete her task while her heart pounded heavily against her chest.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
“Mm… Yes, Producer?”
Ha Jae-Gun rubbed his sleepy eyes and answered the call.
His eyes widened upon hearing the words that came from the other end of the line.
“I sent out the script after working on it earlier. That’s weird. Please wait a moment.”
Ha Jae-Gun stumbled to his laptop and sat down in front of it. Opening the sent email log, he found that the email that was supposed to be there was missing.
“Ah, I see it. I think I was too tired and made a mistake…”
Up until then, Ha Jae-Gun had really thought that he had made a mistake because he was too tired. However, the blood drained from his face when he opened the folder where his files were supposed to be.
His files were missing.
— Hello? Mr. Ha?
“W-wait a minute.”
Flustered, Ha Jae-Gun quickly accessed the cloud drive set up by the broadcasting station and ICU Entertainment. He had kept a copy of the script on the drive just in case, but he couldn’t find it anywhere on the drive either.
‘No way.’
After a while, he found a plausible explanation for the missing files. Someone had deleted his scripts. He was unsure of their motive and objective, but it was the only reasonable conclusion he had reached.
‘Could it be Ms. Ji-Yeon…?’
Won Ji-Yeon was the only suspect who could have touched his laptop while he was asleep. Ha Jae-Gun looked around the empty office and was rendered speechless.
— Mr. Ha? Mr. Ha?
“Producer, I’m sorry, but please wait a while. Something happened, and I’ll deal with it as soon as possible before giving you a call again.”
As soon as he hung up the call, Ha Jae-Gun immediately called Won Ji-Yeon.
However, he couldn’t reach Won Ji-Yeon. Ha Jae-Gun gnashed his teeth and picked up his laptop. He had to resolve the issue at hand first before anger got the better of him.
***
“Hey, this can’t be recovered. They used a program to erase the files.”
“Really?”
“Is it urgent? How did you lose the script? I never thought you’d one day make such a mistake. We’re talking about someone as meticulous as you here, you know?” Park Jung-Jin said, sounding bewildered.
Ha Jae-Gun smiled bitterly. He had indeed made the mistake of succumbing to his fatigue and taking a nap when someone else was in the room.
‘There are only 21.5 hours left until the deadline…’ Ha Jae-Gun looked at his wristwatch and stood up. His break had ended with that nap in the writer’s room. If the script were submitted late, everyone’s schedules would get disrupted, including the staff, director, and actors’ schedules. The drama’s broadcast might be affected as well.
Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t allow such a ridiculous mistake to disappoint everyone involved in the project and tarnish his own reputation.
“Jae-Gun, are you alright? Did you get some sleep?”
“Don’t worry. You worked hard with all the overtime you did. I’m sorry for calling you here, but you’re the only one I know who’s best at dealing with computers. Anyway, I’m going now.”
“I’ll send you home.”
“I can just take the taxi back, so don’t worry.”
Ha Jae-Gun hailed a taxi on the streets and dragged his exhausted body into the passenger seat. His house was silent as he had left both Rika and Cheol-Soo in the writer’s office at Bucheon.
‘I shouldn’t use it yet.’ He took out the cup and placed it in a corner of his table. He decided to only use it when he had completely exhausted all the remaining energy he had in him—that was how desperate he was for time.
‘Elder, please help me.’
He had a rough outline of the story in his mind.
Now, all he had to do was process them into sentences for the script, and he had to complete it as soon as possible, using both the old laptop that could help him type ten thousand characters per hour and the cup that could restore his energy in an instant.
Bzzt!
The moment he was about to start working on the script, Lee Soo-Hee called him.
Ha Jae-Gun picked up his phone reflexively and answered it.
“Ah, Soo-Hee.”
— You must be happy, Writer Ha Jae-Gun. Photos of you enjoying dinner with Park Hye-Sang are going viral on SNS. Did you enjoy your dinner with the beautiful announcer?
Ha Jae-Gun could only let out a sigh instead of replying. He knew that Lee Soo-Hee had a lot of trust in him, so her words now were nothing more than just her grumbling. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury to take them in nicely.
He was under extreme pressure, so he couldn’t afford to be playful.
— Did you not hear me?
“Soo-Hee.”
— Hmm…?
His serious tone made her voice tremble slightly.
“I’m really sorry, but there’s an accident so I have to work on writing the script urgently. I’ll call you again after I’m done with it. Probably in 24 hours.”
— Accident? What happened…
“I’ll explain everything to you after I’m done. I’ll make sure to eat and take proper rests in between. So don’t worry about me. Let’s hang up first, I’ll call you again later.”
Ha Jae-Gun decided to completely stop Lee Soo-Hee’s grumblings.
Fortunately, Lee Soo-Hee also realized that something went wrong.
— Alright. Do your best, and let’s talk after you’re done.
“Yeah. I’m sorry.”
Ha Jae-Gun hung up and reached for the laptop. Before he could start typing away on his keyboard, he slammed his fist on the table. It was the first time he had to vent his anger in this way. The fact that he had to make Lee Soo-Hee upset had hurt him more than the mistake he had made.
‘I’m not sure what you’re planning, but I’ll never let things go your way.’
Chapter 175. Let’s Meet At Home (6)
There was no way anyone would be able to calm down completely while they were at the peak of their fury. Ha Jae-Gun knew that he couldn’t do something like that, so he decided to use his anger as fuel.
He had forgotten about the time and where he was at the moment. The sight of Ha Jae-Gun typing away furiously on the keyboard was similar to how he looked a few years back when he was still desperate.
‘Thirty thousand characters…!’
Tadadadak! Tadak!
‘Fifty-eight thousand characters…!’
Tadak! Tadadak! Tadak!
He didn’t think much about the sentences. He couldn’t afford to pay attention to every word and sentence.
‘Let me write out everything first, and then I’ll use the glasses later to revise the entire script…!‘
Midnight soon passed, and Ha Jae-Gun’s breathing became increasingly hotter as the hours went by. His head was spinning, and the characters on the screen seemed to be sloshing around like water. However, Ha Jae-Gun had chosen to refrain from using the cup. He chose to use cold water on his face and massaged it in a bid to chase the sleepiness away.
It was now past 2 a.m.
Ha Jae-Gun’s fingers, which had been working away, slipped weakly off the keyboard, and his head dropped as well. Ha Jae-Gun pulled himself back up the instant his forehead was about to touch the table.
His consciousness had cut off momentarily when his mind started to wander. It was clear that both his body and mind couldn’t last any longer and that he had completely exhausted his will to push through.
‘Ugh…!‘
Ha Jae-Gun pulled himself together and grabbed the gray cup before stumbling his way over to the kitchen. He quickly made himself a lukewarm cup of coffee and returned to his seat, clearing the cup in seconds.
‘Yes…!‘
The once dazed look in his eyes had been replaced by a radiant light. His body, which once felt like it weighed as heavy as steel bars, felt infinitely lighter.
Seo Gun-Woo’s keepsakes lived up to Ha Jae-Gun’s earnest desires today. Ha Jae-Gun regained his energy and continued with his work more desperately than ever. The blank spaces in the document were soon filled up.
The two writers joined forces to write words at breakneck speeds.
The keyboard noises echoed incessantly even as daybreak arrived.
***
Bzzt!
It was a call from Producer Ahn.
Clack!
Ha Jae-Gun had just written the final sentence on the script.
He immediately answered the phone and said, “I just completed the script. I’m about to send it over to you.”
After emailing the script to Producer Ahn, Ha Jae-Gun dragged his fatigued body not to the bed but outside his house. He drove and arrived at Seo Gun-Woo’s tombstone. He paid his respects and gratitude before collapsing to the ground
A flower in front of the tomb was blown away by the wind and landed in a corner.
***
“Are you feeling better, Writer Ha?”
“Yes, I’m feeling better now, thanks to you.” Ha Jae-Gun put down his spoon and smiled. He had just emptied an entire bowl of abalone porridge that Laugh Books’ Kwon Tae-Won had bought for him. Ha Jae-Gun was down with a bad fever for two full days.
His damp body could be the issue problem, but the mental toll was relatively impactful as well. Ha Jae-Gun had overcome a few malicious actions from malicious actors before this, but he still found it pretty hard to get used to.
“I’m sorry for making you come all the way here…”
“Please don’t say that. Anyway, I hope you’ll recover soon.” Kwon Tae-Won took the empty bowl and placed it in the sink before making a cup of hot tea.
Kwon Tae-Won sat across from Ha Jae-Gun and said drearily, “You’ve gone through a lot. I’ve met people who encountered similar problems as well.”
“People around you?”
“Do you remember CEO Woo Myung-Je from CP Books?”
“Yes, we met briefly in the office before.” Ha Jae-Gun recalled. Although Ha Jae-Gun had only met the man in question for a few minutes, he had a relatively good impression of that man.
“CEO Woo was originally a broadcast writer.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yes. I didn’t mention this before, but he is a junior whom I’m quite close with. Before CEO Woo started working in a managerial position, he had been working as a rookie broadcast writer for nearly two years.
“He had to run errands for all sorts of things. He endured that life for the sake of achieving his dream of becoming a main writer one day.”
Kwon Tae-Won took a sip of his tea and continued. “He worked diligently every day, believing that a good opportunity would come to him someday. However, a newly joined rooked writer came in; she was a fresh graduate in her early twenties. Of course, CEO Woo was happy about her joining the team, thinking that he was finally able to shake off the title of a rookie writer.”
“Seems like something went wrong afterward.”
Kwon Tae-Won smiled bitterly and nodded at Ha Jae-Gun’s speculation.
“That lady climbed up the career ladder in less than a month, and she quickly climbed to a position higher than CEO Woo. The inexperienced lady got to write a script, and he had to take the task of interviewing and organizing the materials she needed. Basically, he was doing the same work that he had been doing for the past two years.”
“How… Is she that good?”
“Her lobbying skills were great.”
“Lobby…?”
“She used her feminine charms to appeal to their main writer back then. Her looks were above average. She used her body as bait, essentially.”
Kwon Tae-Won put down his teacup and let out a sigh. “CEO Woo couldn’t take it any longer and threw his resignation letter. The lady went on a roll for a while after he left, but she eventually quit within a year. Why do you think she quit?”
“I’m not sure…”
“She had deleted the work of another writer. She couldn’t accept the idea that she was inferior to someone else and that someone else had taken away the project that she wanted to work on, so she erased that person’s work. I think you’re in the same situation as that person, Writer Ha.”
“…”
“The rookie writers in broadcasting stations lack a sense of belonging. Their workload is immense compared to their meager salary, and it’s not even a full-time job in anyone’s eyes. Getting covered by the top four insurance companies is just a dream for them. Well, outsourced companies do have full-time writers, but their situation isn’t much different. It’s a harsh world where all sorts of accidents occur.”
Ha Jae-Gun nodded silently. Won Ji-Yeon’s shy expression lingered in his mind. It was just his speculation, but he was certain that she was the culprit. However, Kwon Tae-Won’s words made him wonder as though where she was at the moment.
The staff and Producer Ahn, who had come to visit Ha Jae-Gun at his house, also had no idea of her whereabouts.
“She’s disappeared?”
“I think so.”
“I’m sure that she’ll shamelessly appear again next year, working somewhere else. But still, she sure is gutsy for doing something like that to Writer Ha.”
Kwon Tae-Won tilted his head. He couldn’t understand the situation for a moment, but he soon smiled brightly and took out his phone, as something came to his mind just then.
“Writer Ha, let me change up the atmosphere.” Kwon Tae-Won fiddled with his phone for a while and showed it to Ha Jae-Gun.
The screen showed a portal site in Mandarin. Under the logo was an advertisement with a huge illustration. Although Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t understand the language, he recognized the illustration of Oscar’s Dungeon.
“President Kwon, what’s this?”
“Teencent Literature has begun promotions for Oscar’s Dungeon. They even put up huge banners across mobile apps and PC messengers. These are quite unconventional marketing efforts as compared to their past efforts while distributing novels to overseas markets.”
Kwon Tae-Won then clicked on one part of the screen.
The screen changed to show the popular web novels distributed by Teencent Literature. He pointed at the ninth in ranking on the full Chinese list, and said, “This is Oscar’s Dungeon. It’s already ninth on the list. From the first to the twentieth, they are all local Chinese novels, and Writer Ha’s novel is the only one from overseas. They will be notifying us of the exact sales numbers next week.”
“Thank you, President Kwon. Everything still feels surreal.”
“Look here, the first in the ranking. This novel was written by Writer Dong Hua. This novel has earned the most profits this year in China. It’s been distributed as both ebook and physical copies, and there are already over two million physical copies sold alone. The profits earned amounted to over 16.5 million yuan[1] in just seven months. Converted to Korean Won, it’s around 2.9 billion won.”
“The market size in China is definitely overwhelming when compared to Korea…” Ha Jae-Gun muttered in disbelief. Still, readers were much more important to him than money. Ha Jae-Gun was delighted to see his works reaching more readers.
“You will achieve greater heights. Teencent Literature and the Nobel Prize winner Li Ziting seems to love you a lot,” Kwon Tae-Won said.
“Yes, that meeting was certainly the luckiest day in my life.”
“Please hang in there, Writer Ha.” With a serious look, Kwon Tae-Won added, “From my perspective, you have gone through a lot of criticism throughout your career. Don’t forget that there are far more people around you who support and care for you, Writer Ha. If you’re having a hard time, feel free to let me know. I beg of you.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Don’t say that out of politeness.”
Kwon Tae-Won finally left after a couple more hours of chit-chat. After seeing Kwon Tae-Won’s car drive off in the distance, Ha Jae-Gun grabbed the weed cutter and headed out.
He planned to head over to Seo Gun-Woo’s grave while taking the opportunity to also go on a walk. It was slightly further away from when he stayed back at the studio apartment, but he could handle the distance.
‘Hmm?’
Ha Jae-Gun squinted as Seo Gun-Woo’s tombstone came into view. It seemed like someone was loitering around there. The debut release occurred at N-ov3l=B(j)n.
‘Who is that?’
The suspicions had Ha Jae-Gun hasten his footsteps. He had always thought that no one else would come to visit Seo Gun-Woo, as he had never seen traces of people around Seo Gun-Woo’s grave.
As he approached the tombstone, the other party’s appearance became clearer in his eyes. It was a man in a suit, but Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t make out his face. The man had a soju bottle in one hand, but he was stumbling around the tombstone unsteadily, seemingly drunk.
‘Huh? What? Where is he going?’
The man suddenly threw the soju bottle and circled the tombstone once. He then walked up the low hill behind the grave.
“…!” Ha Jae-Gun was suddenly gripped with fear. Why would a man in a suit walk up the hill? Moreover, the route that the man had taken behind Seo Gun-Woo’s grave was not a hiking trail. It looked really strange in Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes.
‘No way…?!’
Ha Jae-Gun’s footsteps quickened again, but he soon started running.
His instinct was telling him that something dangerous was about to happen.
“Huff…! Huff!”
Ha Jae-Gun was still exhausted, so he quickly ran out of breath. It had been quite a while since the man in a suit had disappeared over the hill when Ha Jae-Gun finally climbed the hill. He didn’t even stop to recover his haggard breathing and continued following after the man.
‘Huh? Where did he go?’
Ha Jae-Gun looked around, even in the bushes.
Just then, he heard noises from somewhere. He staggered toward it.
“Huh? Hey!” Ha Jae-Gun yelled.
The man was standing under a tree just twenty meters in front of him. The man was setting up a rope strung around the tree branch and was about to put his head into the loop. Ha Jae-Gun turned pale, and he ran over with all his remaining strength.
“Are you crazy?!” Ha Jae-Gun threw himself at the man. The tree branch broke at the weight, and the two men got entangled before rolling down the hill.
“Ughhhh…!” Ha Jae-Gun stood up, holding his own shoulders. Blood trickled down from the wound he had sustained, while the man who had been about to commit suicide was panting heavily at Ha Jae-Gun’s feet.
“Are you okay? Why did you do that?” Ha Jae-Gun squatted down and went behind the man.
He finally saw the man’s distorted face.
“…?!”
The man’s face looked somewhat familiar. He had seen the man once a long time ago. Despite their current circumstance, Ha Jae-Gun still recognized him in the proverbial blink of an eye.
‘The Elder’s son…?!’
Ha Jae-Gun had acquired Seo Gun-Woo’s abilities and keepsakes here a long time ago. He followed Seo Gun-Woo’s memories and arrived at the man’s house in Jongno.
The man before him was the same tough and rude man at the time.
“You’re… Writer Seo Gun-Woo’s son, right?”
Without standing up, the man looked up at Ha Jae-Gun. His bloodshot eyes were soon filled with tears. The man then covered his face with his hands and sobbed loudly.
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