Big Life Ch 176-180

Chapter 176. Let’s Meet At Home (7)

 

‘He seems to have drunk quite a lot…’

The sobbing man was emitting a strong smell of alcohol. The man was sprawled out on the ground, seemingly with no intention of getting up.

Ha Jae-Gun stood a distance away and did not provoke him further, allowing the man some time to himself until he calmed down.

The warm autumn wind grazed the tip of his nose.

Ha Jae-Gun looked up to see the overcast sky.

After some time, the man stopped trembling.

Ha Jae-Gun approached him carefully and asked, “Are you feeling better now?”

“Keugh…”

“Um, sir?”

“Keu…keughhh…”

Ha Jae-Gun was at a loss for words. The man had already zonked out in that short span of time. Ha Jae-Gun looked around in bewilderment and left the man lying on the ground alone.

Ha Jae-Gun returned a while later and struggled to carry the man on his back, heading back down the hill. His car was left with its engine turned on. Ha Jae-Gun put the man in his car, and he drove back home.

“Whew…!”

Ha Jae-Gun laid the man in one of the guest rooms and checked his condition. He didn’t suffer much injury aside from some minor abrasions on the neck and wrists. Ha Jae-Gun disinfected the wounds and applied some ointment on them.

Just as he was about to turn around to leave, he noticed the man’s wallet peeking out of the coat pocket.

Ha Jae-Gun glanced at the face of the sleeping man and pulled out his wallet.

‘Seo Sang-Do…?‘

Ha Jae-Gun finally learned of the man’s name. He gently placed the man’s wallet back to where he had found it and quietly went out of the room.

‘Where have I seen that name before…‘

The first suspicion that came to mind was perhaps the man could be a writer of sorts. Ha Jae-Gun pulled out his phone and searched for the name Seo Sang-Do on the internet. The search results were astonishing.

As expected, the man by the name of Seo Sang-Do was a writer who had written four literary novels.

‘His last novel was seven years back. Is he not writing anymore?‘

Amongst the four novels, the one titled Finding My Way caught his attention. Ha Jae-Gun was surprised as he soon recognized that he had read the novel before. A novel written by the elder’s son. He felt strange that he had such a connection with them long ago.

Bzzt!

Jung So-Mi’s name replaced the browser screen as a call from her came in.

Ha Jae-Gun answered immediately.

“Yes, Ms. So-Mi?”

— You sound a lot better now, Writer Ha. Have you fully recovered?

“Yes, thanks for your concern. I’ve recovered after resting, taking medicine, and having porridge.”

— You must be upset while feeling sick. Cheer up, Writer Ha.

“I’m feeling better now, I apologize for making you worry.”

— Anyway, you’re amazing, redoing that long script in less than two days. I felt this back when you helped me with the edits for the other novels I was managing back then as well, but I find that your abilities surpass those of normal humans.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled, understanding Jung So-Mi’s intentions of wanting to cheer him up. Ha Jae-Gun went to take a seat on the sofa and changed the subject.

“Both Rika and Cheol-Soo are doing well, right?”

— Yes, they’re both doing well. They seem to like how the office has become more spacious. Rika is on my lap right now.

“I feel betrayed, Rika. Ms. So-Mi, you should just take Rika with you.”

— Oh my, really? You can’t take back what you just said. Rika, you heard Writer Ha, you’re going to live with me from now on.

Jung So-Mi chuckled lightly as she said that. She then continued with a serious tone.

— But Writer Ha, there’s something I’d like to ask you.

“What is it?”

— Is something up with Writer Lee? He hasn’t been around in the office recently and is always out and about. His expression is always stiff when in the office.

“Really? That punk isn’t working on his new novel and especially those strange actions—” Ha Jae-Gun did not finish his sentence as a plausible suspicion came to his mind.

“Ms. So-Mi, let’s talk about this later. I’ll give Yeon-Woo a call first.”

— Yes, Writer Ha. I’ll hang up then.

Ha Jae-Gun ended the call with Jung So-Mi and immediately called Lee Yeon-Woo. The boring ringtone rang for a while. It was unusual when Lee Yeon-Woo would usually answer within the first few seconds.

— Yes, hyung. Hello.

Lee Yeon-Woo finally answered the call just before the call was transferred to voicemail. The urgency and evasive tone in Lee Yeon-Woo’s voice made Ha Jae-Gun uneasy.

“Where are you now?”

— Me?

“Of course, who else would there be? Where and what are you doing?”

— W-what else? I stepped out for a while to take a breather and think about the composition of my novel.

“Don’t lie. Ms. So-Mi is worried that you’re always out of focus these days. Did something happen?”

— No, nothing at all. Deputy Jung is just worried for no reason. I’m really just taking a walk outside.

Ha Jae-Gun wasn’t convinced. He felt that Lee Yeon-Woo was putting in more effort to keep up with his bright self.

“Yeon-Woo.”

— Yes, hyung.

“I’m just saying this, but… I’m really fine.”

— …

“You can’t hear me?”

— I-I heard you. I’m listening, hyung.

“Don’t cause any trouble.

— Why would I create trouble? It’s nothing like that. You’re worrying needlessly, hyung.

Lee Yeon-Woo protested, feeling that it was unfair. Ha Jae-Gun finally felt a little relieved and let it go with a bitter smile.

“All right then, be careful on your way back. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

— Yes, hyung. Please take care of yourself and rest well.

Ha Jae-Gun hung up and headed up to his study.

Ha Jae-Gun looked around the bookshelves for a while and pulled out a book. It was Finding My Way, written by Seo Sang-Do, one of the many books that he had purchased when he had obtained more disposable income.

‘It was well-written…’ Ha Jae-Gun recalled his first impression of the book when he first read it as he opened the book.

It was the story of a man who had isolated himself from the world after the death of his wife. The man went traveling alone while contemplating the meaning of life and death. The plain writing style was neither exaggerated nor dramatic, which touched Ha Jae-Gun’s heart.

Ha Jae-Gun headed to the living room to read the book. After finishing it, he lay on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Eventually, a sound woke him up.

“Ah… You’re awake?” Ha Jae-Gun said as he sat up immediately.

Meanwhile, Sang-Do’s confused face peeked out from the slightly ajar door.

“You woke up earlier than I had expected.”

“Ah, yes… But, who are you?”

“Do you not remember anything that happened?”

“Not exactly that…” Sang-Do looked down. He felt embarrassed recalling all the actions he had done as he sobered up.

Ha Jae-Gun then slowly approached and stood before him. “Do you not remember me? We met once before.”

“We… met before?” Seo Sang-Do looked up in surprise.

Ha Jae-Gun let out a soft sigh and nodded. “I went looking for you after picking up your father’s keepsakes by his tombstone…”

“Ahh…” Sang-Do’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open, hanging. Stunned, he observed Ha Jae-Gun’s face for a while and finally dropped his head again.

“I’m sorry for what happened back then.” Seo Sang-Do apologized, groaning. I understand that you came with goodwill… Yet I vented my anger out on you.”

“I’m fine. Please forget about it.”

Silence descended upon the two of them.

Ha Jae-Gun turned around and was about to make coffee for him when Seo Sang-Do said, “Have you been taking care of my father’s grave?”

“Ah, yes…”

“But why…?”

“Hmm, how should I put it… The day I picked up your father’s keepsakes was destiny? Anyway, I feel for him as a writer.”

“Writer? You’re a writer?”

Ha Jae-Gun fixed his clothes and bowed deeply to Seo Sang-Do.

Sang-Do was taken aback at the sudden politeness that Ha Jae-Gun showed. “Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“I’m Ha Jae-Gun. I apologize for my late introduction.”

“What…”

Ha Jae-Gun then picked up the copy of Finding My Way he had left on the sofa. Sang-Do froze in place as he saw the book cover of his own work.

“I found it in my own study. I had read it many years back, and I liked the novel, so I bought it.”

Seo Sang-Do’s cheeks trembled. The enraged emotions in him showed in his eyes.

“Throw it out.”

“What?”

“That’s not a book but trash,” Seo Sang-Do said coldly.

Ha Jae-Gun hurried to him as Seo Sang-Do went to the porch and was about to put on his shoes.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going home. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

Ha Jae-Gun stopped Seo Sang-Do. Although he wanted to hear more from the man, it was something he could do next time. Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t allow a man who had just attempted suicide to leave so easily.

“Let’s have dinner together, senior.”

“I don’t have the appetite.” Seo Sang-Do brushed past Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun quickened his footsteps and raised his voice, “You loved your father, right? Are you walking on the path that your father wanted you to?!”

“…!” This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.

“If not, have a bowl of rice soup with me for dinner.”

Seo Sang-Do stopped in the middle of the garden. Ha Jae-Gun’s question had shackled and tied his feet down.

Raindrops began falling from the cloudy sky.

***

— Hello?

“I-it’s me… Won Ji-Yeon….” Won Ji-Yeon said in a trembling voice, with her hat pulled down, covering her face. Her hand trembled violently as she gripped the phone in her hand.

— Are you crazy? How dare you call me?

“You didn’t reply to me… and I also haven’t heard from you about when I’ll be joining ICU Entertainment.” As she said that, Won Ji-Yeon snooped near the exit of an alley.

She could see the building of the studio she was living in. She had been guilt-stricken ever since that incident, unable to return home. She had been staying in motels or public saunas over the last few days.

— What are you saying, unni?

“Pardon…?” Ji-Yeon’s heart sank.

Bo-Ra sighed in frustration.

— I can’t tell you anything over the phone.

“Ah… I see. I understand what you mean.”

— I’ll call you later, so wait for a while more. You’ll be dead meat if you call me again.”

Beep!

The call ended with Bo-Ra’s teeth-grinding warning.

Won Ji-Yeon’s hand dropped. Her heart felt heavy like a huge stone; she grew more anxious by the minute. She couldn’t help but think that she had been deceived and had been used by Bo-Ra.

‘I should pack my clothes and card first…’

Ji-Yeon pulled her hat down and wore her mask back. She quickly and carefully returned to her studio. She reached out to the door and was about to enter the door’s password when—

“Excuse me, you’re Ms. Won Ji-Yeon, right?”

“…?!” Won Ji-Yeon turned around in horror.

A sturdy-looking man stood behind her. It was her first time seeing the man.

“W-w-who are you…?”

“You know Writer Ha Jae-Gun, right? I’m here to ask some questions.” The hostility in the man’s eyes was unlike his polite manner of speech.

Won Ji-Yeon could tell at a glance that the man despised her, and he could also tell why he was here.

“I-I don’t know anything.”

“I haven’t asked anything, so what do you not know?”

“P-please leave. I have nothing to say.”

Ji-Yeon quickly entered the password. However, the man quickly stopped her as she was about to step through the open doors.

“Why did you suddenly stop being an assistant writer?”

“You…! You don’t need to know about that!”

“You deleted Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s script, right?”

“N-no, I didn’t! What nonsense are you saying?! Please move!”

The man blocked the narrow hallway with his arms stretched out. Won Ji-Yeon bit her lips anxiously as she could not find a way through. In her desperation, she began bolting away in the opposite direction.

“Hey! Stop right there!”

The man chased after Ji-Yeon.

Won Ji-Yeon panted heavily as she used all her strength to run away, but the man was faster. Just before she was about to get caught, she spotted three policemen who were patrolling the next alley.

“P-please save me! He’s a pervert!”

“What?!”

The three policemen immediately took action and rushed to the man.

The man started struggling as the three policemen suppressed him.

“I haven’t touched you at all, and yet you called me a pervert?! Excuse me, sir. Please let me go. I’m not a pervert, I just wanted to ask her a few questions. Look here, Ms. Won Ji-Yeon!”

Won Ji-Yeon tried to run away again, but another policeman stopped her.

“W-what’s wrong? That man is a pervert. Please let me go.”

“You’ll need to go with us, miss.”

Eventually, the two of them had to go to the police station.

Won Ji-Yeon did not cooperate with the police and refused to say anything.

Meanwhile, the man had a lot to say.

“I’ve told you everything. Me, a pervert? She committed a crime, and that’s why she’s running away and coming up with such lousy excuses. Wow, seriously! It’s my first time getting called a pervert and getting brought to the police station for it.”

The man then glared fiercely at Won Ji-Yeon and raised his voice.

“Are you sure you’re a writer? How dare you call yourself a writer when you’ve deleted someone else’s hard work?! Say something if you’ve got any conscience!”

“Ah, quiet down, sir!”

Just then, the doors to the police station were opened.

The man turned around with a welcoming smile, thinking that it was Kang Min-Ho who had arrived, but his face stiffened instantly. The cold-looking man standing at the door was none other than Ha Jae-Gun.

“J-Jae-Gun hyung…” Lee Yeon-Woo stuttered.

Lee Yeon-Woo had called the other writers at the office as he was afraid of letting Ha Jae-Gun know what was going on, but to think that the writers had told Ha Jae-Gun.

“Hyung, I’m sorry. What happened was…”

Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes moved from Lee Yeon-Woo to Won Ji-Yeon.

Won Ji-Yeon looked down at her feet, her teeth chattering in fear. The approaching footsteps rang loud and clear in her ears, prompting her to shut her eyes tightly in fear.

Chapter 177. Let’s Meet At Home (8)

 

“Aigoo, thank you for your hard work!”

It wasn’t only Ha Jae-Gun who showed up. Behind him was Kang Min-Ho greeting the policemen warmly. Yang Hyun-Kyung and Jang Eun-Young followed behind; it was a full mobilization of the writers from the office.

“I knew you’d cause trouble again.” Jang Eun-Young punched Lee Yeon-Woo lightly.

Yang Hyun-Kyung opened the case of drinks he brought along and gave one bottle to each policeman.

Ha Jae-Gun stood up as the representative and greeted everyone seriously.

“I’m terribly sorry when all of you are so busy. The rookie writer at my office brought trouble to you.”

“Ah, an office? Are you guys like a company then?”

“Not a company, it’s just a working space where like-minded writers gather to work. We share opinions on each others’ works and also information on the market.”

The older police chief didn’t seem to understand Ha Jae-Gun’s explanation.

Just then, the policewoman beside the chief looked at Ha Jae-Gun curiously.

“Ah, are you…” Her eyes slowly grew, and her jaws dropped half-open. It didn’t take long for her to recognize Ha Jae-Gun as she watched a lot of TV.

“Are you Writer Ha Jae-Gun?”

“Yes, I am him.”

A bright smile bloomed across her face. She smiled widely, unable to control her joy. If she weren’t at her workplace, she would have asked for his autograph immediately.

“Oh, is he a famous writer?” the police chief whispered to the policewoman.

The policewoman whispered in response. The chief’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Really? I watched that movie, too.” The chief unclasped his hand behind his back in surprise. He wasn’t a bookworm, but he had watched the movie adaptation.

“Wow, a great person arrived at our police station. What was that, Hear The Sea? No, There Was A Sea. I enjoyed it a lot.”

“Thank you.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled.

The other policemen looked up Ha Jae-Gun’s name on the internet and looked up at him in surprise.

“He’s that Ha Jae-Gun. He’s the one who appeared in I Live Alone with Park Do-Joon.”

“My son likes him a lot, too.”

“Didn’t he also win an award at the Baeksong Arts Awards?”

Amidst the attention directed at Ha Jae-Gun, Won Ji-Yeon sat in a corner in pain. She was suffocating, praying to get out of the police station as soon as possible.

“U-um…!” Won Ji-Yeon finally opened her dry mouth to speak for the very first time. Glancing at the police fearfully, she continued. “I-I must have made a mistake… He didn’t do anything, so please let me go, too. I’ve been on edge recently…”

“Of course, you must be on edge—you’ve committed a crime, after all,” Lee Yeon-Woo said, pointing his finger at her. Lee Yeon-Woo then looked at the policemen around him, seeking permission to speak.

“As I’ve said earlier, this lady here, Won Ji-Yeon, is Jae-Gun hyung’s assistant writer. The script that he had been working at the broadcasting station recently was deleted, with all traces erased completely.”

Some were nodding their heads with questioning looks, wondering if that was really what had happened. They were starting to believe Lee Yeon-Woo’s story after Ha Jae-Gun’s appearance.

“Although she denied it, there was actually no one else who could do it aside from her. So I went looking for her, wanting to find out why she did it and why she ran away after deleting his script. However, she actually dared to label me as a pervert even though I just wanted to ask questions. Does she not have any conscience at all?”

“ Yeon-Woo, stop it.” Jang Eun-Young grabbed Lee Yeon-Woo’s arm. The first reveal of this chapter happened through N//0/vel-Biiin.

Lee Yeon-Woo was about to continue despite Jang Eun-Young’s persuasion, but he saw Ha Jae-Gun shaking his head. Lee Yeon-Woo could only hold in his fury.

Ha Jae-Gun went and stood behind Won Ji-Yeon. Looking down at her shoulders, which were shaking uncontrollably, he muttered, “If you want to say the truth, say it now.”

“…!”

Won Ji-Yeon’s heart began to palpitate. She knew that Ha Jae-Gun was giving her a chance. She was also clear that there wouldn’t be a second chance for her if she didn’t take advantage of this opportunity.

“You have nothing to say to me?” Ha Jae-Gun repeated himself calmly. The fatigue and anger he felt back then were coming back to him, stoking the fires of his fury, but he was doing his best to control them.

“I-I…” Won Ji-Yeon started. She saw that she was at a point of no return; essentially, her distrust tendency in others led her to a single conclusion.

“I don’t know anything.”

“That wretched…! What? Don’t know anything?!” Lee Yeon-Woo shot up from his seat, his face reddened. He was angrier than the actual victim of this incident, who was Ha Jae-Gun himself.

Tapping on his head with his fingers, Lee Yeon-Woo chewed her out. “You, you know the three o’clock direction, right? If you feel that something’s wrong, just know that I’m always watching you. How dare you touch Ha Jae-Gun hyung. How dare you still have the cheek to say that? Huh?!”

“Hey, Lee Yeon-Woo! Stop it!” Kang Min-Ho and Yang Hyun-Kyung both forced Lee Yeon-Woo to sit back down.

Ha Jae-Gun tilted his head toward Won Ji-Yeon’s side profile and muttered, “If you truly haven’t done anything wrong, nothing bad will happen to you, but…”

Ha Jae-Gun slowly turned his head to face her, and his deep gaze watched her clench her jaws. The veins on her neck were throbbing as she gnashed her teeth.

“If I ever find out that it was your fault, I’m never going to let this go. I’m not generous enough to allow someone who doesn’t qualify as a writer to work and remain in this industry.”

Tears welled up in Won Ji-Yeon’s eyes. It was the first time she cried tears of fear since her parents had scolded her fiercely when she was still a child.

“You still have my number, right? I will wait until midnight tonight.”

Ha Jae-Gun then greeted the policemen after finishing his piece and left the police station. A tear rolled down Won Ji-Yeon’s cheek as contemptuous looks were thrown in her direction.

***

“I’m really sorry, hyung.” Lee Yeon-Woo apologized and bowed deeply. He had just completed a perfunctory investigation and left the police station.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled bitterly and patted Lee Yeon-Woo’s shoulders.

“I understand how you’re feeling, but please listen to me.”

“Yes… I just felt really angry, and I found it really unfair for you…” Lee Yeon-Woo drew in a breath and looked at the main road. It was the street where Won Ji-Yeon had run away and disappeared into.

Won Ji-Yeon still did not say anything in the end.

“Your job is just to work on your novel. Don’t waste your energy on such things, and focus on your new novel. If you do things other than your novel, I’m going to chase you out of the office.”

“All right, hyung…”

“You’re just good at replying.”

Ha Jae-Gun pulled out his wallet and took out a piece of cash cheque, handing it to Kang Min-Ho, the oldest of the group.

“I should be having a meal with you guys, but I have an important meeting today. Go and have your meal and head back safely after.”

“Oh my, please don’t do this every time. We can buy food ourselves.”

“I wanted to treat you guys anyway. Please take it.” Ha Jae-Gun stuffed the cash cheque into Min-Ho’s pocket.

After saying goodbye to the goodbye and turning around, Lee Yeon-Woo asked Ha Jae-Gun, “Hyung, where are you going? Let me drive you there. I’m your manager, after all.”

“You were fired ten minutes ago.”

“What? Ah, hyung. Please don’t say that.”

“I’m meeting someone personally. I’ll tell you later once there’s a chance, so head back to the office with them.”

Ha Jae-Gun turned down Yeo-Woo and headed for the subway station. He was headed for Jonggak station today.

He agreed to meet Seo Sang-Do today near his house.

‘What will I be able to learn from him today?’

Seo Sang-Do had turned down Ha Jae-Gun’s offer to have dinner together that night and said that he would calm himself down first and contact him again.

Ha Jae-Gun thought he would have to wait quite a while before Seo Sang-Do would contact him again, but Seo Sang-Do contacted him earlier than he had expected.

‘We seem to have similar tastes as well…’

They had agreed to meet at a rice soup restaurant in Jongno, which Ha Jae-Gun had enjoyed visiting since university days with Jung-Jin. Although the place was shabby and cramped, Ha Jae-Gun liked the friendly atmosphere it held.

Creaaak.

As he opened the door and stepped into the restaurant, he spotted Sang-Do sitting in a corner. Ha Jae-Gun looked at his wristwatch, there was still 15 minutes before their agreed meeting time.

“You have already started?” Ha Jae-Gun asked as he pulled the chair across from Sang-Do and sat down. On the table was a half-empty bottle of soju.

“I didn’t want to wait with my mind sober.”

Sang-Do’s hand that was holding the soju glass trembled visibly. Ha Jae-Gun was worried that Sang-Do had become an alcoholic.

“You should have some snacks with the soju. What would you like to have?”

“Please order whatever you want, Mr. Ha.”

“Please don’t call me that, senior. Maam, please give us a platter of snacks and a hangover soup.” Ha Jae-Gun finished ordering and looked back at Seo Sang-Do.

Meanwhile, Seo Sang-Do emptied his glass and placed it back on the table.

“I have gone back to your house once after we met back then but found that you’ve moved.”

“Haaa… It’s because there’s a lot of bad memories in that house.”

“Where are you living now?”

“Can’t you guess from how I look now? I’m just wandering around aimlessly.” Seo Sang-Do held up his tattered jacket and chuckled self-mockingly.

Ha Jae-Gun took the soju bottle from Sang-Do as he was about to pour another glass for himself. He filled Sang-Do’s glass instead and said, “I’ve mentioned this before, but as a writer, he keeps coming to mind. Since I live nearby, I often visited your father’s grave, albeit without permission.”

“He must be happy. I looked you up and saw that you’re quite an amazing person, Mr. Ha.” Seo Sang-Do filled Ha Jae-Gun’s glass and continued, “I wasn’t aware before since I had isolated myself from the world, including books. Perhaps thanks to you, I might start reading a book after such a long time.”

“It’s my honor,” Ha Jae-Gun replied, but more questions popped up in his mind.

What did Seo Sang-Do encounter as a writer for him to make the extreme decision of distancing himself from books? In the first place, would Seo Sang-Do even tell him about it?

The food was soon served. Seo Sang-Do took a spoonful of the hangover soup and shrugged before saying, “Now, what are you curious about? Go ahead and ask. Since you saved me and viewed life to be precious when I saw myself as a worthless human being, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

“Please don’t say that.”

“Ignore it. I’ve always been like this. Anyway, enough about me.” Seo Sang-Do then signaled with his gaze, prompting Ha Jae-Gun to ask away.

Ha Jae-Gun gulped and asked carefully, “First of all… I’m most curious about the kind of novels he has written before.”

“He didn’t write any books.”

“Pardon?”

“My father didn’t publish a single novel.”

“…” Ha Jae-Gun was so speechless that his mouth dropped open. Ha Jae-Gun knew better than anyone else how great Seo Gun-Woo’s abilities were as a writer.

However, the elder had actually never published even a single novel? What had the elder been doing throughout his entire life?

“E-even under a pseudonym?”

“He probably wrote something to earn money while raising me and sending me to university. But he didn’t mention anything about it to me. I haven’t inherited any copyrights since his passing either.”

Seo Sang-Do then picked up the soju bottle again. Ha Jae-Gun was so flustered that he didn’t even think of pouring another glass for Seo Sang-Do.

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

“Um… I apologize if this is offensive, but how did he pass?”

Seo Sang-Do’s face looked troubled for a moment. However, he quickly regained his composure and replied, “A hit-and-run.”

“…?!” Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes widened in shock. On top of that, the dream he had back at Lee Soo-Hee’s place a long time ago came back to him.

‘Could that dream be…?!’

Ha Jae-Gun was sprawled on the ground in that dream.

The car engine nearby grew softer as Rika walked up to him.

After a while, someone opened the bag that he was carrying on his back. They took out something, and he heard footsteps hurrying away. Ha Jae-Gun felt regretful that he couldn’t finish the dream before he woke up from it.

Ha Jae-Gun remembered the dream all too vividly. It was like it had been written out in so much detail, like a diary entry. He couldn’t forget it at all.

“There’s no need to put on such a dark expression. The culprit was caught. He was drunk driving and is still locked up behind bars.”

“Mm, I see…” Ha Jae-Gun answered with a heavy heart.

How hurt and painful it had to have been for the elder. He had to have wanted to write so many novels regardless of how the world viewed them, but he passed away in vain.

“You’re quite the strange fellow,” Seo Sang-Do murmured as he smiled bitterly. He then continued. “Why are you crying for someone whom you don’t know much about?”

“Ah, I…”

Ha Jae-Gun wiped away his tears with tissues. He hadn’t realized that he was tearing up.

“On the left is my father.”

Seo Sang-Do took out a photo and showed it to Ha Jae-Gun.

It was a yellowish-tinged black-and-white photo. It showed two men in their early twenties, much younger than Ha Jae-Gun’s current age, standing side by side.

“He looks great.” Ha Jae-Gun touched the corners of his eyes that were getting teary again.

The smiling Seo Gun-Woo in the photo looked thin. Anyone could tell that he was happy when the photo was taken.

‘That’s weird. Why does the man beside the elder look so familiar?’ Ha Jae-Gun tilted his head as he looked at the other man in the photo. Ha Jae-Gun felt like he had seen the man before, but was it just an illusion?

“Why are you staring like that at the photo?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Ha Jae-Gun chuckled awkwardly and looked up. “He looks so good here. I could tell from the photo alone that he must be a good person…”

“Not exactly. He was also a perfectionist, so people around him found it tiring to deal with him.” Seo Sang-Do’s tone still showed some hostility toward his father.

Ha Jae-Gun pondered for a while before asking another question. “I’m not sure if I can ask you this, but…”

“Go ahead.”

“Hearing what you’ve said, your relationship with your father didn’t seem that amicable.”

“…!” Seo Sang-Do flinched. He was evidently shaken by Ha Jae-Gun’s unexpected question.

Ha Jae-Gun was clearly asking why Seo Sang-Do was still living in so much pain. As the shame that Seo Sang-Do wanted to conceal so much surfaced, he began shuddering like a person suffering from malaria.

Chapter 178. Let’s Meet At Home (9)

 

“A-about that…” Seo Sang-Do trailed off and grabbed the soju bottle.

His hand was trembling so much that he almost lost his grip on the bottle.

“Sir…?”

Seo Sang-Do did not fill his glass but instead drank straight from the bottle. Shocked, Ha Jae-Gun tried to reach out and stop him, but Seo Sang-Do had already emptied the bottle.

“Ah! I’ll have another bottle of soju, please!”

“I shouldn’t have asked that question. I’m really sorry. Please slow down, senior.”

Seo Sang-Do did not listen but opened up the new bottle of soju.

Ha Jae-Gun managed to catch him, stopping him from drinking. “You’re drinking too fast.”

“I’m fine, so let go.”

“…Then please drink from the glass.”

“Alright. I’ll drink from the glass, so let go.”

Ha Jae-Gun slowly loosened his grip on Seo Sang-Do’s arm and eventually let go. After much thought, Ha Jae-Gun added, “It might be extremely rude of me to say this, but… I’m worried for you. You might have developed a dependency on alcohol.”

“I’ll take care of my own health.”

“Please go to the hospital with me.”

“If you say anything like that again, I’m going to leave.”

Why was Ha Jae-Gun’s persuasion not working?

The walls of time that Seo Sang-Do had surrounded himself with were sturdy. Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t break through them on his own.

Seo Sang-Do filled his glass to the brim and downed it at once. He didn’t touch a single piece of the snack and emptied three shots at once.

“Kya~”

Finally, some of that annoyance seemed to have gone away, and his breathing began to calm down as well.

“I’m sorry.” Seo Sang-Do looked at the old menu panel and said, “I just had some painful memories come back to me… As you said, my relationship with my father isn’t that good.”

“I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable. Let’s talk about something else.”

“I think that’s for the better.” Seo Sang-Do let out a huge sigh and nodded. A faint smile then appeared on his expressionless face.

“Mr. Ha.”

“Yes?”

“What does your father mean to you?”

Why would Seo Sang-Do ask Ha Jae-Gun such a question? Ha Jae-Gun was slightly taken aback at his question but remained composed and replied, “I respect him very much.”

“I see. That’s right, a father should be like that,” Seo Sang-Do murmured as if those words were for himself to hear. There didn’t seem to be any sarcasm in his tone. He then picked up the soju bottle and asked once more.

“This question might come off as rude as well…”

“It’s alright, please ask away.”

“Does your father love you, Mr. Ha?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, I’m certain,” Ha Jae-Gun answered without hesitation.

Seo Sang-Do watched Ha Jae-Gun with subtle envy. “I’m envious of you, really.”

“…I’m not sure if it’s right for me to guess, but I’m sure your father loves you as well.”

“Forget it. That’s enough.” Seo Sang-Do snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

Ha Jae-Gun went silent at Seo Sang-Do’s fierce tone of vice.

Ha Jae-Gun had a spoonful of the hangover soup and then changed the subject.

“About your father’s keepsakes.”

“…”

“I’m still holding onto them. If you want, you can still take them back, but can I still raise Rika? I’ve grown fond of her, and she’s like my family now.”

Ha Jae-Gun had been thinking about this for a long time; it did not come to him randomly. Although they were items that gave him godly abilities, he was prepared to sever any feelings he had with them They belonged to Seo Gun-Woo, after all, so it was only right for him to return them to his son.

“I can’t believe you still have them…”

“Because they belong to your father.”

Seo Sang-Do raised a finger up in front of him and shook it.

“They are off my hands from the moment I left them at his grave. My answer is still the same as when you first brought them to me. Do whatever you want with them.”

The second bottle of soju was emptied. Squinting his unfocused eyes, Seo Sang-Do seemed confused about where to look. His alcohol-drenched lips hung slightly open as he continued. “I almost never saw him around throughout my life. I would only meet him maybe twice in a year…? I’m not even sure where he had been working away so hard all his life…”

“Did he like traveling?”

“Well, maybe. The important thing here is that he had never told me anything before. Even on the day he passed…”

“So you have no idea where he was on his last day?” This question was something that Ha Jae-Gun had wanted to ask if the opportunity arose.

If what he had seen in his dream was the exact same hit-and-run that Seo Gun-Woo had encountered, then he definitely would like to check it out.

He was extremely curious about the unknown man’s identity and what that man had taken out from Seo Gun-Woo’s bag.

“No. I don’t know who he went to meet… or even where he went… He was with the cat, Rika, but I can’t get any sort of explanation from her either. Maam, another bottle of soju here.”

The lady who was washing dishes took off her gloves and gave Seo Sang-Do another bottle of soju.

Seo Sang-Do opened it as hot tears welled in his eyes.

“There was one day when I was so drunk that I saw my father—”

“Senior…”

Seo Sang-Do’s forehead struck the table.

Ha Jae-Gun drank a glass of soju. He had no idea where and how to unravel Seo Sang-Do’s love and hatred for his father.

Meanwhile, rain was starting to fall outside.

***

“It’s nice to see you and talk face to face.”

“You’re so spontaneous. I can’t believe you didn’t mention anything and called me saying that you’re already at Incheon Airport. Do you know how surprised I was?”

A sweet jazz melody was playing in the background. The warm amber light gently illuminated the bar.

Oh Myung-Suk sat at the end of the bar counter. Meanwhile, the short-haired lady next to him was his old classmate and lover, Chae Yoo-Jin—a publishing agent based in the United States. She had visited Korea from out of the blue.

“Let’s have a toast. You like vodka, right?”

“Not really. I’ve changed to drinking soju after meeting and drinking with the writers.”

“You’re quite the commoner as the next successor-in-line of OongSung Group. Let’s order soju, then.”

“Stop teasing me. Now tell me, why did you suddenly visit Korea?”

Chae Yoo-Jin downed a straight shot right away. She then said without a change in expression. “Because I miss you.”

“What?”

“I’ve said it. I came because I miss you.”

Oh Myung-Suk laughed, speechless.

As she accepted the next glass poured by Oh Myung-Suk, Chae Yoo-Jin smiled happily and said, “The release of Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s Gyeoja Bathhouse is close. I’ll be extremely busy for the next few months once I get back to the U.S. In other words, this is sort of like a vacation, even though it’s just for two days.”

“You’ve come a long way just for a two-day vacation. How are the people in Knobble?”

Knobble was the name of the largest publication company in the United States, and Gyeoja Bathhouse was going to be published through them. Ha Jae-Gun had been notified of it as well.

“They do things neatly, and they are open to opinions as well. If they weren’t like that, they wouldn’t have become what they are today.”

“What about the timeline?”

“We’ll be hitting a million copies soon. And the movie will be premiering two days later, right? I’ll be heading back to the U.S. after watching the movie, so make time for me that day. I don’t want to watch the movie alone.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get a VIP seat for you.”

The two drank another glass. Chae Yoo-Jin touched one cheek that was slowly turning red and looked at Oh Myung-Suk. “You’re still handsome as ever, our Oh Myung-Suk.”

“I’m quite good-looking.”

“Nah, your younger brother Myung-Hoon is better looking than you are.”

“I admit that. Myung-Hoon’s looks don’t fall short of anyone wherever he goes.” The origin of this chapter’s debut can be traced to N0v3l-B1n.

“You must know that you’re complimenting him too much.”

“It’s not because he’s my younger brother, but objectively speaking…”

“Ah, fine. Myung-Hoon is the most handsome, so let’s stop there and have a toast.”

Chae Yoo-Jin cut Oh Myung-Suk off and raised her glass.

Oh Myung-Suk grinned and clinked glasses with her.

“Ah, I’m getting drunk.”

“I’ll send you back to the hotel. Sleep early today.”

“What’s after that?” Chae Yoo-Jin asked with a provocative look.

Oh Myung-Suk could already tell she was being mischievous and playful. He replied calmly, “I’ll go home and sleep, too.”

“You’re boring. Do you want to sleep with me in my room?”

You’re drunk. I’ve been feeling lonely these days, so don’t provoke me with those jokes.”

“I’m not joking. Really.” Chae Yoo-Jin hooked arms with Oh Myung-Suk.

Her familiar scent and warm body temperature made Oh Myung-Suk see the past flash across his eyes. He had broken up with her because he couldn’t handle the reality back then, but it seemed that he still couldn’t quite reach her even after so many years.

Oh Myung-Suk’s face naturally turned somber. He soon became conscious of Chae Yoo-Jin and relaxed, but Chae Yoo-Jin caught the changes in his emotions.

Chae Yoo-Jin unhooked her arm and looked down.

“I shouldn’t play such jokes anymore. You’re not fun.”

“What are you saying? Why are you so serious?”

“I must be tired. I should get going now. Let’s keep this for next time.” Chae Yoo-Jin picked up her bag and stood up.

Oh Myung-Suk regretted failing to keep his expression in check.

“Thanks for today. I’ll take the taxi back, so you should head back, too,” Chae Yoo-Jin said.

“Don’t you know that we’re going the same way? Let’s go together.”

Oh Myung-Suk dragged Chae Yoo-Jin over to his car, and they got in the back seat together.

The chauffeur hit the road, driving through the autumn rain tonight.

Chae Yoo-Jin looked out the window. She didn’t say even a single word throughout the drive. Oh Myung-Suk was also organizing the memories and thoughts in his head that he couldn’t say a single word.

“Thank you for sending me back.”

“Yeah, have a good rest; I’ll call you later,” said Oh Myung-Suk.

Chae Yoo-Jin stood there hesitating, and then she suddenly added with urgency, “It’s not because of you that I’m feeling depressed.”

“…?”

Oh Myung-Suk turned around in a daze.

Chae Yoo-Jin’s teary eyes turned into crescent moons as she smiled. She patted the corners of her eyes and said, “I’m blaming myself for not being more feminine.”

“Yoo-Jin…!” Oh Myung-Suk took a step forward.

At the same time, Chae Yoo-Jin took a step backward.

“See you tomorrow! Don’t bring the emotions of today over tomorrow, alright?” Chae Yoo-Jin didn’t give him any chance to speak and quickly headed into the hotel.

There were many people walking through the entrance, so Oh Myung-Suk couldn’t chase after her.

Bzzt!

Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated, pulling Oh Myung-Suk back to reality.

It was a call from his father, Oh Tae-Jin.

“Yes, Father.”

— I called because you’re still not home yet. I’ll hang up if you’re still working.

“No, Father. I was just meeting a friend.”

Oh Myung-Suk didn’t reveal that he had met Chae Yoo-Jin. Although Oh Tae-Jin was a relatively supportive father, Chae Yoo-Jin was an exception.

— Alright. Don’t drink too much.

“I didn’t drink a lot. I’m about to head back now, too.”

— Really? I’ll be at the study, then. There’s something I want to discuss with you.

Oh Tae-Jin’s words most probably meant that he wanted Oh Myung-Suk to look over the work that he had been working on recently. Oh Tae-Jin had recently been working on a new full-length novel. This was something only Oh Myung-Suk knew.

“I’ve said this before as well; the introduction draft was great, Father.”

— I need to feel relieved about it. My stamina has dropped, and I think that this is going to be my last novel.

“How about asking other writers or editors to take a look? You trust my judgment too much.”

As Oh Myung-Suk said that, Ha Jae-Gun came to his mind. He had been working with Ha Jae-Gun for quite some time now, and they could already be considered friends. Oh Myung-Sul also believed that Ha Jae-Gun was the best writer in Korea.

— All right. Let’s talk about that, too, then. Hurry up and come home.

“Yes, I’ll be back soon.”

Oh Myung-Suk hung up the call and looked at the hotel once more. He very much wanted to walk through those huge doors and head to Chae Yoo-Jin’s room, but he had no choice but to turn around for now.

***

“Jae-Gun hyung, we should get going. We might get stuck in traffic.”

“I’m all done. Let’s go.”

Today was the premiere day of Gyeoja Bathhouse.

As usual, Ha Jae-Gun had arranged to watch the movie with his family. As his driver, Lee Yeon-Woo was all prepared and had been waiting for Ha Jae-Gun.

“I’m so happy, hyung. You hit a million copies sold for the movie on the movie premiere day! Kya~!” Lee Yeon-Woo said excitedly as soon as Ha Jae-Gun stepped out of his room.

It was news that had appeared all over the internet this morning.

“I hope the movie does well, too. I just hope we’ll get twenty million views and hit five million copies sold for the book,” Lee Yeon-Woo added.

“Stop with the fuss already. Let’s go now.”

Ha Jae-Gun bent down and put on his shoes. At the same time, the doorbell rang.

Ha Jae-Gun quickly opened the door to see a delivery man carrying a few cardboard boxes.

“Excuse me, is this Mr. Ha Jae-Gun’s house?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“You’ve got a delivery. Please take this.” The delivery man handed Ha Jae-Gun a small paper box and turned around in a hurry.

Ha Jae-Gun looked down at the box as the delivery man’s footsteps grew distant.

Seo Sang-Do

These three words were written on the box.

Chapter 179. Let’s Meet At Home (10)

 

“Jae-Gun hyung? What’s that?”

“…It’s nothing. Let’s head to the car.”

Ha Jae-Gun sat in the back seat and looked at the box on his lap. When he had met Seo Sang-Do the day before, they left each other at the drunk session without talking much. What was in this parcel?

‘What’s going on with him?’ Lee Yeon-Woo glanced at Ha Jae-Gun strangely as he started the engine. He got worried upon seeing Ha Jae-Gun’s serious expression. Although he was curious, he held himself back and stepped on the accelerator.

As the box was tightly sealed with tape, Ha Jae-Gun had a hard time opening it as he didn’t have a cutter on hand. Soon, he managed to open the box and found that it contained a thick notebook along with a small envelope.

Compared to the old notebook, the envelope looked quite new. Ha Jae-Gun thought it was penned by Seo Sang-Do and opened it first.

As expected, the letter contained heartfelt words from Seo Sang-Do.

– To Mr. Ha Jae-Gun,

This is Seo Sang-Do.

It feels awkward to be holding a ballpen after so long. Please forgive my bad handwriting. My head still hurts from the hangover. I also hope that you’ll burn this letter after you’re done reading it.

Looking back, we have quite a strange relationship. I still can’t believe we got to meet like this because of my father’s keepsakes that I had thrown out. The more I think about it, the funnier it becomes. It is such a ridiculous turn of events.

Your question that day hit the nail on the head.

It is extremely difficult for me to come clean on why I wasn’t on good terms with my father. No one else in this world knows why I hate my father, but I’m willing to share it with you. However, I didn’t have the courage to share it with you in person, and I’m not even sure why I’m telling you this painful story either.

I just thought that I should share it with you.

I think it might be a form of repayment for taking care of my father’s grave and his keepsakes, though it’s not really that great of a repayment.

A long time ago… I plagiarized a work before.

You might have guessed this at some point because you have a copy of my work, Finding My Way, in your study.

Of course, it received compliments from the literary world. I had rejected a certain award because, as I said, it was a plagiarized piece of work.

And… I had plagiarized my father’s work.

I plagiarized his incomplete novel. I copied the draft of his novel that he had been revising hundreds and thousands of times across a decade.

I didn’t subconsciously defend myself for what I had done, unlike other writers who had done so. I had decided to plagiarize his work right from the start.

I respect my father’s talent in writing, and I grew up with that respect in my heart.

Like father like son, I had inherited his temperament, and I started writing at a young age. As I grew and wrote more, the more I got overwhelmed.

I had been writing for around twenty hours each day, but I still couldn’t keep up with my father’s shadow. I would always get left behind despite my hard work.

The young boy stood out in various school events during middle school had realized upon becoming a college student that his innate talent was different from his father’s talent.

You may regard this as a ridiculous and subjective belief, but in my world, I couldn’t find anyone else in this world who held the same talent as he did.

It’s thanks to the privilege that I am my father’s son and that I could read many of his works. The ones he had made after I was born were all masterpieces. However, none of them saw the light of the world.

They were such great works that made me feel that my works were inferior, but those works couldn’t meet his standards. I would often cry alone as I felt sorry for his works that were hidden in the attic and couldn’t meet the eyes of a single reader.

My father would always praise me, saying that I write well and that my work would become much better if I refined it a bit more. One day, however, he suddenly stopped complimenting my work. Had it been a form of pity from him, thinking that I did well for someone of my standard?

I was enraged and sad. I didn’t understand why my father, who was such a great writer, didn’t want to show his works to the world.

The mixed feelings led me to the decision to plagiarize his work. I even rationalized with myself, saying that doing this would at least get my father’s works out into the world. However, I was more restless than resolute.

I wanted to get my name out there in the literary circle while I was still young. That’s why I needed my father’s help. I also believed that he would forgive me for plagiarizing his work because I was his only son.

However, the result is who I am today.

On the day he discovered that I had plagiarized his work, my father packed up and left the house. He burned all his works in the attic. He must have been enraged, but he only left me a phrase—You’re still my son, but you’re no longer a writer.

I rarely saw my father since then.

We couldn’t even bump into each other at home or say hello to each other. My father would occasionally drop by the house to pick up some stuff that he needed, and he would continue on his long travels again afterward.

I haven’t done anything during that time period. I had been living on my father’s savings up until now while living like a maggot. I thought living like this was my revenge on my father.

It’s pathetic, right?

How can I bring that up to you during our drinking session?

Anyway, I digress… The enclosed notebook is my father’s work that I had plagiarized.

It was the only copy I had hidden to get out of trouble. I don’t deserve to keep this, and I can’t throw it out as well, so I’d love it if you could take care of it like what you had done for his other keepsakes.

I will soon be going on a long journey as well. Probably a journey chasing after the traces of my father. I will contact you again when I return, so please do not go and look for me.

Thank you for reading this long miscellany letter.

“…” Ha Jae-Gun didn’t fold the letter after he was done reading it. For some reason, Ha Jae-Gun’s heart felt as if it had gone through their decades of paternal bond.

“Hyung, are you okay?” Lee Yeon-Woo asked while looking through the rearview mirror. The car had come to a standstill before a red light. “I’m getting worried. Did something bad happen?”

“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Ha Jae-Gun reassured Lee Yeon-Woo and put the letter back into its envelope. He then reached out for the thick notebook. The notebook contained the last remaining draft of Seo Gun-Woo’s novel.

Seo Gun-Woo’s somber spirit seemed to influence Ha Jae-Gun as he held the notebook in his hands. Flipping open the notebook, he saw the title of the novel—Great Life.

***

“Oh, Eun-Ha.”

— I just finished watching Gyeoja Bathhouse with the other writers and am on the way back. Wow, as expected of Yoon Tae-Sung. You did a great job. Getting five million viewers should be easy for you.

“We’ll have to wait and see, but thank you for the kind words.”

Yoon Tae-Sung put down the scenario that he was reading and stretched his head side to side and backward. He rubbed his tired eyes and asked, “How’s Market Place?”

— It’s just the first broadcast today; we’ll just have to pray that the viewership rating is good.

Market Place was a three-part drama series based on the script that Ha Jae-Gun had made. The Market and Its People was rejected for being an old-fashioned title. Ha Jae-Gun had no qualms over them changing the title.

Lee Eun-Ha continued speaking.

— You still can’t rest, then? You still have Storm and Gale to work on, right?

“I was just reading the scenario Mr. Ha sent over. I’m really going to rest for a year after I’m done with this.”

— Do you think Hong Ye-Seul will pass the auditions?

“Teencent Pictures seemed to think of her positively in the first round of tests, and they said that her looks would be popular in China. But we’ll have to see whether those are empty words or not. There are also a few promising actors in the auditions.”

— I hope the movie does well. There are already keywords related to female high school student in Gyeoja Bathhouse trending on the internet.

“It’d be nice if Ms. Ye-Seul’s popularity increases,” Yoon Tae-Sung said.

He recalled meeting Hong Ye-Seul a couple of days back. Hong Ye-Seul didn’t expect Yoon Tae-Sung to appear while she was fervently practicing the script of Storm and Gale, even though she knew that it was extremely unlikely for her to be chosen as the female lead.

— It’ll work out. You’re the director, after all.

“Forget it. Anyway, are you free later? How about having dinner and watching the live broadcast of Market Place together?”

— Sure. I’ll be earning a lot anyway, so it’s my treat. Where shall we meet?

“I’ll pick you up at the office by seven in the evening.”

— Okay, see you later then.

Yoon Tae-Sung looked around after hanging up the call. Verifying that no one else was around, he chuckled to himself. He was happy to hear how bright and cheery Lee Eun-Ha sounded today.

Yoon Tae-Sung didn’t dare to skim even the most mundane parts of the script. It was his way to repay Ha Jae-Gun because he had helped Lee Eun-Ha recover her laughter and cheery demeanor.

***

Late evening had descended upon the city. Won Ji-Yeon was in a daze as she sat down in a cafe. The woman opposite her cast a curious gaze upon her, wondering what had happened to her.

“L-Local Culture TV?”

“Why are you so surprised? Did you not hear from Writer Ko? You’re Ms. Won Ji-Yeon, right?”

“Yes, yes… I am. But…” Won Ji-Yeon murmured while nodding.

Bo-Ra had scheduled this meeting for her.

Won Ji-Yeon had been told that she couldn’t immediately join ICU Entertainment and that she had to wait until the time was right because preparations were still ongoing.

She was looking forward to it when Bo-Ra said that she had gotten her a relatively good position, but it was completely different than she had expected.

“You just have to work for me from now on.” The lady threw a stack of papers down on the table. It was a detailed manual of the cultural travel program she was handling. “Read it carefully, and gather every information necessary about visiting a temple in Gangwon-do by next weekend.”

“Um, excuse me…”

“Your monthly salary will start from 750,000 won. You don’t have any complaints, right?” The lady continued speaking without waiting for Won Ji-Yeon’s reply.

Won Ji-Yeon was speechless. 750,000 won was an amount lower than her salary in her previous work as an assistant writer.

“I’m busy, so I’m going now. If you have a question, ask now.”

“Um, 750,000 won per month is—”

“Too low? But I’m already being considerate of you…”

“But there’s still my career experience…”

The lady sneered. She turned away and snorted before asking, “Aren’t you a rookie writer?”

“What…?”

“Why are you even asking questions? How dare you mention your experience here? Have you done any real work?”

Won Ji-Yeon looked down and held back the tears that threatened to come out. She was angry, and she felt that it was unfair. She was convinced that she simply needed a chance and that she would be able to create great works if given that chance.

“Look here, Ms. Ji-Yeon. I’ve been around in this industry for years so I think I know what you’re thinking. You feel like it’s unfair, right? You must be angry, wondering why no one has recognized someone like you who is sooo talented, right?”

Won Ji-Yeon could only clench her jaws in silence at the sarcastic words. Just then, she finally realized that Bo-Ra had deceived her.

The day when she would join ICU Entertainment to work on a web drama script would never arrive. She would have to spend each and every single day in pain, suffering, and guilt while working a job with a lower salary than her previous job.

“I won’t say anything else. You should think things through and give me a call by tomorrow morning. If you aren’t going to do it, I’ll find someone else.”

The lady then stood up and left the table. Before she walked too far away, she turned around and added, “You have nowhere else to go, right? All’s well that ends well, so let’s work together from tomorrow on, okay?”

With that, the lady finally stepped out of the cafe.

The TV hanging on the wall was playing the opening theme song of the three-part drama series Market Place. Won Ji-Yeon covered both her ears in distress as tears rolled down her face.

***

Meanwhile, Ha Jae-Gun’s family had gathered in front of the large TV in the living room. Myung-Ja couldn’t stop talking while slicing the apples into bite-size pieces.

“Wow, I can finally see my son at home now. But Jae-In, why are there only three parts? Shouldn’t it be a thirty-episode-long drama series since it’s my son’s work?” n(0)vel(b)(j)(n) was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B(j)n.

“Mom, seriously. Not all one-act plays are bad. And Ha Jae-Gun doesn’t have any experience writing TV dramas yet, so doing a three-part drama series is a good start for him to get some experience.”

“You guys are so noisy…!” Ha Suk-Jae stood up with an annoyed look.

He thought it would be better for him to watch the show in peace alone on the second floor. Myung-Ja and Ha Jae-In both grabbed him and pulled him down to sit with them.

“Alright, alright. I won’t say anything from now on, so focus on your drama.”

“Mom, you should understand Dad. As long as it’s Ha Jae-Gun’s work, he just goes—”

“I should really just go up.”

“No, Dad! We won’t say a word from now on!”

“I don’t believe you.”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Ha Jae-In was surprised the moment she took a look at the intercom.

“Jae-Gun! Why are you here when you’re so busy?”

“It hasn’t started, right? I should join you guys to watch the live broadcast.” Ha Jae-Gun grinned as he crossed the garden and entered the house. As he sat down on the living room floor, his mom pulled him into a delightful hug.

“I like seeing you on TV, but it’s so much better seeing you in person like this. Our son is doing so well. Have you eaten yet?”

“Of course, look at the time now. Ah, it’s starting.”

The logo of Market Place appeared on TV.

Ha Jae-Gun’s heart was suddenly filled with a huge sense of accomplishment upon realizing that he was watching his own show with his entire family.

‘Thank you, Elder.’

Ha Jae-Gun bowed slightly and conveyed his appreciation silently. His hands were caressing the thick, old notebook on his legs while reflecting on the meaning of the Great Life that Seo Gun-Woo had been hoping to achieve.

Chapter 180. The Bombing Starts (1)

 

[Premiere of three-part drama series Market Place achieves astounding two-digit viewership ratings.]

[Market Place records 14% in viewership ratings, ranked first at the same time.]

[Unconventional viewership rating for a one-act play, a record-breaking one-act play by MBS. The Ha Jae-Gun power works in the homes as well?]

[Praises of emotional directing and high-quality drama, who is co-producer Director Lee Eun-Ha?]

“Wow, I should have joined this project even if I had to cancel all my schedules for it…!” Park Do-Joon licked his lips as he looked at his phone.

Meanwhile, Lee Chae-Rin was in the kitchen cooking pasta. The two of them were finally hanging out together after a long time since they had overlapping rest days.

“What is it? Ah, Market Place?”

“Hey, Chae-Rin, it hit fourteen percent in viewership ratings. How is that possible? It’s a one-act play, and it’s just on its first episode.”

Achieving viewership ratings above three percent for one-act plays was considered not bad, so Park Do-Joon’s astonishment was definitely within reason.

“Producer Ahn must be grinning from ear to ear now. Wow, Ha Jae-Gun. You’re going to even dominate TV dramas now?”

“Stop reading them and come have food. It’s all done.”

They sat across each other at the dining table. As he dug into the delectable seafood pasta with his fork, Park Do-Joon continued. “That punk, I’m going to call him tonight and give him a piece of my mind.”

“Jae-Gun Oppa?”

“Yeah, he seemed busy with the scenario for Storm and Gale, so I didn’t bother him for a while, but I can’t take it anymore.”

“Is the main lead going to do a team kill on their own script writer? I’d love to see it, but unfortunately, I have dance practice later. Oh, right, Oppa, look at this.” The first reveal of this chapter happened through N//0/vel-Biiin.

Lee Chae-Rin proudly showed her phone to Park Do-Joon. The screen showed the website of Korea’s largest digital music streaming site. The movie OST of Gyeoja Bathhouse Lee Chae-Rin sang was ranked first.

“It’s been staying on there for four days. Isn’t it incredible?”

“Seems like everyone is getting the autumn blues and listening to ballad songs now.”

“Oppa, you’re really cold-hearted. Would it hurt you to compliment me a bit?” Lee Chae-Rin pouted.

“Alright, our Chae-Rin is amazing. Congratulations.” Park Do-Joon praised her reluctantly.

Lee Chae-Rin smiled again before saying, “My image as a good vocalist has become firm. Our president also suggested that I release a solo mini album in winter. This is also thanks to Jae-Gun Oppa. I should give him a present.”

Lee Chae-Rin wrapped the pasta noodle around the fork and fed it to Park Do-Joon.

While chewing his food, Park Do-Joon mumbled, “Anyway, it’s great that Gyeoja Bathhouse is performing well enough.”

“Of course, it’s a horror movie after all. The movie has also passed its breakeven point.” Lee Chae-Rin replied in agreement.

It had been half a month since the premiere of Gyeoja Bathhouse, and it had already accumulated two million audience views. Its performance was enough to attract attention in the local horror movie market, which had been sluggish for some time.

“Would it break the record set by Red Lotus in Boots?”

Red Lotus in Boots was a local horror movie that was released fifteen years ago. It had recorded a whopping 3.14 million audience views, which had yet to be broken.

“What was the audience view count for that? 3 million?”

“It should be around there. It’s still not bad considering that it’s the only top horror movie in Korea.”

“Oppa, shall we have a bet then? Bet on whether Gyeoja Bathhouse would break that record?”

“I think Gyeoja Bathhouse would surpass it.”

“Me, too. If we agree on the same thing, there aren’t going to be any bets. You should bet on Gyeoja Bathhouse not breaking the record.”

“What’s this forceful bet? Enough of that, and eat your pasta.”

Bzzt!

Just then, Park Do-Joon’s phone rang in the living room. Annoyed, Park Do-Joon went to grab his phone, but he saw Ha Jae-Gun’s name on the screen. His irritated voice vanished, and he answered the call enthusiastically.

“Yo, global top star writer Ha Jae-Gun.”

— Why are you using your own title on me? Are you busy?

“I told you that I’m resting today. I was planning to call you after my meal. Can Lee Chae-Rin and I go over to your house to strip you bare?”

— Ah, today…?

Park Do-Joon could sense the hesitation in Ha Jae-Gun’s voice. Knowing that Ha Jae-Gun’s schedule was full for today, he sounded disappointed as he said, “You’ve got something else on, huh?”

— No, I just agreed to meet someone at the last minute… Hong Ye-Seul.

“Hong Ye-Seul? That female high school student in Gyeoja Bathhouse?”

— Yeah, she called earlier saying that she wanted to buy me dinner to repay me even a little. But I think we can all meet together if you’re fine with it. You’re connected through Storm and Gale, anyway.

“It doesn’t matter to me. The issue is her opinion.”

— She should be happy to see the global top star. I’ll check with her and text you later.

“Alright.”

Less than three minutes after hanging up, Park Do-Joon received a message from Ha Jae-Gun. Park Do-Joon checked the message and smiled, and then he continued eating his pasta.

***

“The Popular Arts Awards?”

Ha Jae-Gun asked while grabbing some of the black bean noodles. The Chinese restaurant after two in the afternoon would always be relatively empty. Ha Jae-Gun met Oh Myung-Suk here for a late lunch.

“Yes, I’ve mentioned this before too. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as well as the Content Promotional Center, had been taking turns sending in invites.”

The Popular Arts Awards was the highest government-recognized award. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the award targeted artists who had contributed to the development of the local popular art scene.

A variety of honorable awards would be given, and among them was the Cultural Medal, as well as the Presidential Commendation, the Prime Minister commendation, and the Minister of Culture commendation.

“Ah, I think I recall something like that. I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy recently that I forgot about it.”

“It’s fine; you have me to help you keep track of all these on the side.” Oh Myung-Suk smiled before continuing, “The final winner won’t be decided until the cabinet meeting in early November after the nominees are announced. But I think that you’ll most likely win an award, seeing that they’ve invited you to the event.”

“It’s already an honor to get invited.”

“You don’t have to be so humble. You’ve gotten so influential now. Logically speaking, you’ve achieved outstanding results not just in novels but also in other forms of media.”

Oh Myung-Suk was much more excited than Ha Jae-Gun himself.

“Not only that, but you’ve already expanded into foreign markets as well. Your game and novels in China are doing so well, I read the news before I came out. Oscar’s Dungeon webtoon was ranked fifth on Teencent Literature.”

“Ah, really? I’ve yet to see the news today.”

“The news coverage wasn’t all that extensive when the sales there were around ten, twenty times much more than the local market. Could this be because they’re an overseas market?”

“Come to think of it, even when our local celebrities gained huge popularity overseas, our Korean netizens were that impressed. They just go—Oh, they were actually doing something overseas?”

“I understand what you mean.” Oh Myung-Suk stopped eating his noodles and changed the topic. “Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing what award you’re going to receive. I shouldn’t be getting ahead of myself now, but I think you’ll have no issues getting the Presidential Commendation.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled in response and put a mouthful of noodles in his mouth.

Although he pretended to agree with Oh Myung-Suk, awards could no longer stir his heart. Regardless of the honor the awards would bring to him, Ha Jae-Gun would remain calm in the face of them.

‘Just being able to write what I want in this life is already enough for me to be happy…’

He wouldn’t have been able to come so far on his own. Ha Jae-Gun recalled the person who had helped him the most among all the talented people he knew—the younger version of Seo Gun-Woo.

“Oh, right, CEO Ren Xue would like to invite you over to China this year and continue the conversation that you guys didn’t get to finish the last time. What do you think about it?” Oh Myung-Suk brought up.

“I’ll go if you’re going as well, editor-in-chief.”

“Haha, of course, I will be joining you. You’ll be free after finishing the scenario for Storm and Gale, so let’s talk about this when the time comes.”

Bzzt!

Oh Myung-Suk excused himself and took out his phone. It was a message from Chae Yoo-Jin after she had returned to the U.S., which included a photo that made Oh Myung-Suk smile.

“Mr. Ha, look. This is the book cover for the English version of Gyeoja Bathhouse.”

“Wow, it’s definitely creepy. I hope it does well in the U.S.”

“It will definitely perform well. Would you like to toast to Gyeoja Bathhouse exploding in the U.S. market? Although it’s a pity that we’re not having any alcohol at the moment.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled and raised his teacup.

They then made a toast before emptying their slightly cold tea.

***

‘I’ve got the meat… Should I get some clams for the stew?’

It was early evening, so the supermarket was brimming with people. Hong Ye-Seul was among them, and she was pushing a cart piled high with items along the aisles.

‘Yeah, this is enough. There are only three of us, anyway.’

Hong Ye-Seul pushed the cart back to her car after making payment for her purchases. After the movie was released, she purchased a small, light, secondhand car.

Just as she opened the trunk of her car, two high school girls approached her, saying, “…Excuse me, but are you Ye-Seul unni?”

“Ah… Yes.” Hong Ye-Seul replied, her face blushing.

The students covered their mouths and hopped excitedly on the spot.

“Oh my god, oh my god! Unni, I really love Gyeoja Bathhouse a lot! You’re so pretty!”

“I really thought you were a high school student before I looked your profile up. Unni, you’re totally a scene-stealer!”

Hong Ye-Seul was so embarrassed and flustered that she had lost her usual cheerful side. Ever since the premier of the movie, there had been more people looking at her curiously or even recognizing her whenever she walked on the streets.

But this was the first time that anyone had approached and talked to her.

“Unni, please take a photo with us!”

“We’ll stand behind you! Your face is too small!”

Hong Ye-Seul’s nose tingled as if she was about to cry on the spot while she took a photo with the girls. As an actor, Hong Ye-Seul had a clear goal. The fact that people were starting to recognize her meant that she was getting closer to her goal.

Today would definitely become an unforgettable day for her.

“Unni, can I hook arms with you?”

“Alright, goodbye. Study hard.” The girls kept turning back to wave their hands to say goodbye as they walked away, and Hong Ye-Seul waved her hands until the girls vanished from her view.

‘Oh my, I’m running late. I should get going.’

There was less than twenty minutes until the agreed time. However, she wasn’t that far from Ha Jae-Gun’s house, as she had decided to do grocery shopping at the supermarket near his place in the first place.

‘It’d be great if it was just the two of us, though.’ Hong Ye-Seul thought in disappointment as she grabbed the steering wheel. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Park Do-Joon; they were like coworkers, and she would like to get close to him, too.

However, she found it a shame that her private time with Ha Jae-Gun was disturbed just like that.

‘I’ve got many questions to ask him, too… Sigh, whatever. Forget it. I can ask him another day.’

Hong Ye-Seul’s car rolled swiftly on the road and soon arrived at Ha Jae-Gun’s house. She alighted from her car and then fixed her clothes. She didn’t forget to fix the necklace that Ha Jae-Gun had given to her as a gift a long time ago.

— Ah, Ms. Ye-Seul is here? Wait a minute.

The door opened as soon as she pressed the doorbell.

“…!”

Hong Ye-Seul’s mouth dropped open as she stepped into the garden. She did feel that Ha Jae-Gun’s house was huge from the exterior, but she hadn’t expected it to be this huge. She was amazed by the beautiful scenery in front of her.

“Welcome.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled warmly as he stepped out of the basement. Hong Ye-Seul stood shyly in her spot and greeted him in return.

“Please excuse me. Oppa, it feels like we’re newly acquainted people.”

“What are all these? Give it here.” Ha Jae-Gun took over the bags in Hong Ye-Seul’s hands, then signaled toward the basement with his eyes and whispered to Hong Ye-Seul, “Do-Joon is down there.”

“Ah, I see.” Hong Ye-Seul nodded. She understood what he was trying to say.

Ha Jae-Gun was asking her to be careful so as not to let Park Do-Joon catch onto her past. Ha Jae-Gun nodded nonchalantly and started walking. He was glad that Hong Ye-Seul understood it at once, as it was difficult for him to bring it up.

“Please come this way; this is the kitchen.”

“Oppa, you should go on down and rest. I’ll prepare dinner and call you when it’s ready.”

“Let’s do it together. I’ll only be playing billiards with Park Do-Joon, anyway, but he’ll just be nagging at me for being bad at it. Do you play billiards, Ms. Ye-Seul?”

“Oh my, did I not mention it before? I’m almost at the same level as a pro billiard player.”

“Hahaha, let’s see.”

***

Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!

Ha Jae-Gun’s phone in the basement lounge vibrated incessantly.

However, he was too far from it to hear the vibrations, and he was also busy in the kitchen.