Big Life Chapter 181-190

Chapter 181. The Bombing Starts (2)

 

‘Did he sleep early because he’s tired?’

Lee Soo-Hee put away her phone because the call didn’t go through.

She called to congratulate Ha Jae-Gun on the success of both Market Place and Gyeoja Bathhouse, but Ha Jae-Gun did not answer the phone, even though it was still early evening.

‘If he’s still awake, he should check his phone soon and call me.’

Lee Soo-Hee started unbuttoning her blouse. She had just returned home after a day of work and was still in her work outfit. Loneliness came to her as she took off her skirt and pulled down her stockings.

Smirk.

If Ha Jae-Gun were around, he would be making a huge fuss, wanting to take off her clothes for her. Lee Soo-Hee smiled upon recalling the days when she had to run all around the house to avoid Ha Jae-Gun.

‘I don’t have the appetite, so maybe I should have some instant meals instead.’

Lee Soo-Hee showered into comfortable clothes after showering and then began preparing dinner. She often nagged Ha Jae-Gun not to eat instant meals, yet she had them for herself.

Her time in Taiwan had been flying so quickly that she had never had even a single day off since she arrived here. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything much she could do about it. In fact, today had been an especially difficult day for her.

The microwave dinged. As steam wafted from the pasta that she had just taken out of the microwave, her phone started ringing. Lee Soo-Hee quickly headed for it but lost her smile upon seeing the name on the screen.

The call was from Oh Myung-Hoon.

‘Why is he calling out of the blue…?’

Oh Myung-Hoon was still quite burdensome for Lee Soo-Hee. She knew of the feelings he had for her, which made it more so that she didn’t want to get involved with him any further. While she was hesitating to pick up the call, her phone continued to vibrate endlessly.

Lee Soo-Hee eventually decided to answer the phone.

“Hello.”

— You sound tired today. Is it because I called?

“It’s not that. I’ve been busy lately is why.”

— That’s good to hear.

“Why did you call anyway?”

— That’s too much, Lee Soo-Hee.

Oh Myung-Hoon let out a low sigh.

— I can still call you as a long-time schoolmate to ask how you are doing. Especially since I’m working outside of Korea… Although I don’t have anything in particular to call you about, I just thought of you, that’s why.

“…”

Lee Soo-Hee couldn’t think of what to say in response and only stood there silently. Youngsters were buzzing on the streets in the dark on the streets of Taiwan.

Oh Myung-Hoon then continued a while later.

— I’m working really hard.

“I know.

— Really?

“I heard from others and also read the news.”

She had heard about how Oh Myung-Hoon was in charge of the marketing of There Was A Sea in the U.S. He had done an impeccable job to the extent that she could only acknowledge his hard work.

Oh Myung-Hoon played a major role in getting the novel to stay in the Top 15 Bestsellers books in the New York Times and even went into its fourth reprint. It was a great achievement since the book was more relatable to Koreans.

— But you didn’t even praise me.

“You’re not the type to be happy when others compliment you.”

— It’s different when it’s coming from you.

“…”

— Soo-Hee.

“Yeah?”

— Can I go over to Taiwan to visit you?

Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes widened. Oh Myung-Hoon hurriedly said.

— I’m not trying to make you feel burdened. It won’t be long before I have to return to Korea. I just wanted to go on a trip and also meet you once.

“I’m extremely busy, so I might not even get to meet you while you’re here.”

— You won’t be so busy that you can’t even afford the time to have a meal, right?

“No, I really don’t think we can have a meal together,” Lee Soo-Hee replied coldly while she brushed her fringe.

She had the sudden urge to reveal that she was now dating Ha Jae-Gun. But it was not yet time. She couldn’t imagine how this confession would affect Ha Jae-Gun negatively if Oh Myung-Hoon learned of it. Her sixth sense was warning her about it.

“Sorry, Myung-Hoon. I have to go out for dinner now,” Lee Soo-Hee lied as she didn’t wish to continue the call any longer.

Oh Myung-Hoon let out a soft sigh and responded gently, quite unexpectedly.

— …Alright, I got it. Enjoy your dinner, and I’ll call you again.

“Good luck to you.”

Lee Soo-Hee hung up and looked at her phone with mixed feelings. There were no other incoming calls. She drew in a deep breath and dialed Ha Jae-Gun’s number once more. After a few ringtones, the phone was finally connected.

— Yeah, Soo-Hee. I was about to call you now.

“I called again just to check. So you weren’t sleeping?” Lee Soo-Hee asked as she plopped onto the bed. Her face was now blooming with a grin. Hearing Ha Jae-Gun’s voice alone made all the fatigue that she had accumulated over today disappear without a trace.

— I’m living life quite routinely these days. I’m preparing dinner now.

“You’re preparing dinner? Why?”

— Ah, there’s Do-Joon and…

An unexpected voice came through the line.

“Ha Jae-Gun oppa! Please come and taste the food for me!” shouted a feminine voice.

“Who was that?” Lee Soo-Hee asked casually as she sat up, shocked that her tone had turned so cold in the blink of an eye.

Ha Jae-Gun cleared his throat and replied,

— She’s Hong Ye-Seul, the actress who appeared in Gyeoja Bathhouse as a high school student. You know her, right?

“Why is she cooking in your house?” Lee Soo-Hee’s lips trembled slightly.

It was hard for her to accept the fact that there was another woman using his kitchen when she had firmly believed that Lee Soo-Hee herself was the only other woman aside from Ha Jae-Gun’s mother and sister who could cook in his kitchen.

— We’re just grilling meat and making stew. She wanted to thank me for helping her with Gyeoja Bathhouse. I didn’t want to meet her outside just in case it got noisy on the internet again, so I invited her to my house. Park Do-Joon is here as well.

“…”

Lee Soo-Hee wrapped her forehead with one hand.

She didn’t think that Ha Jae-Gun was lying to her. She didn’t doubt that he had any impure intentions as she knew his character well. It was just upsetting and saddening now that she was overseas and wasn’t with him at the moment.

— Hello? Soo-Hee?

“I’m listening.”

— I’ll go to Taiwan soon. I’ll complete the scenario for Storm and Gale in your room.

“You’ll be coming once a week with all those promises you made. All right… You must be busy now. Enjoy your dinner, and call me later.”

— Alright. You should eat and have a good rest too. Love you.

After hanging up, Lee Soo-Hee put on her slippers and pulled herself up.

She poured the entire plate of cold pasta into the sink and put on a cardigan, and then she stepped out of her studio to grab a beer at the roadside pub nearby. There was no way she could sleep tonight with a clear mind.

***

‘Her timing is just…’

Ha Jae-Gun put his phone back into his pocket and smiled bitterly.

The atmosphere turned strange when Hong Ye-Seul’s voice was heard before he could introduce Hong Ye-Seul’s presence at his place to Lee Soo-Hee. His determination to visit Taiwan as soon as possible became firmer than ever.

“Do-Joon, let’s have dinner first.”

“Yeah, I’m starving.”

Ha Jae-Gun and Park Do-Joon, including Hong Ye-Seul, gathered around at the dining table and had their dinner. Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn’t last, as Hong Ye-Seul soon returned to her lively personality with a bright smile and joined in their conversation.

“Can I really call you Do-Joon oppa?”

“Of course. If Jae-Gun is your oppa, then are you going to call me ahjae[1]? You should treat me well. Once you get cast for the female lead of Storm and Gale, I’m going to be your acting partner.”

“Wow, I’ll have to start flattering you from now on. Oppas, have a glass each.”

“Let me pour you a glass first. Your glass is empty, too.” Park Do-Joon poured a glass for her, and then he threw a glance at Ha Jae-Gun. Ha Jae-Gun had been relatively quiet throughout the dinner, seemingly occupied with something in his mind. He only had a few pieces of meat while drinking soju.

“Jae-Gun oppa, did something bad happen? Is it?”

“Hmm? No. I was just thinking about something else.” Ha Jae-Gun picked up his glass as he was called back.

He was actually thinking about Lee Soo-Hee. Her gloomy voice over the phone tugged at his heartstrings, so much so that he wanted to hop on a plane right now to see her.

“Shall we finish up here and continue round two down at the basement?” Park Do-Joon proposed, rubbing his hands together. He wasn’t sure what was up with Ha Jae-Gun, but this suggestion was out of consideration for Ha Jae-Gun, who seemed to be low in spirits.

“Ms. Ye-Seul, you haven’t been to the basement, right?”

“Yeah. I heard there’s a billiards table?”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a karaoke machine, darts, pinball, and even arcade game machines. There’s also a bar installed down there. Although there’s only soju, rice wine, and Siberian ginseng wine.”

Hong Ye-Seul’s eyes sparkled as she listened to Park Do-Joon’s explanation.

“Wow, awesome! Is it really like that? Oppa, let’s hurry and finish up the food. We have to go down for another round there. I might just live in that basement for the rest of my life if I fall in love with it. I’ll only come out once I’ve become a grandma.”

Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun burst into laughter.

Hong Ye-Seul’s liveliness was truly infectious. Ha Jae-Gun felt slightly better, all thanks to her. The three of them finished their dinner and headed down to the basement to begin round two.

They played games and learned about the different trends happening in the entertainment industry through Park Do-Joon. As someone new in the industry, Hong Ye-Seul perked her ears and listened to him intently.

Time passed quickly as they enjoyed themselves. Soon, it was ten in the evening, and the first one to get drunk was Park Do-Joon. His unfocused eyes and tongue-twisting speech made it difficult for others to understand him.

“Ah-phew, it’s…been a while since I drank…Euk.”

“How could you not get drunk when you mixed both soju and rice wine together? It’s not even somaek; what’s this, somak[2]?” Ha Jae-Gun nagged, but he was quite drunk as well.

He ended up drinking everything that Park Do-Joon had poured for him, so he was quite out of his mind at the moment. Still, he was faring better than Park Do-Joon, so he called Park Do-Joon’s manager, Woo Tae-Bong.

It did not take too long for Woo Tae-Bong to arrive at Ha Jae-Gun’s house.

After carrying the drunk and asleep Park Do-Joon to the car, Ha Jae-Gun staggered back to the basement. Hong Ye-Seul sitting on the sofa in front of the karaoke machine with a microphone in hand greeted him. “Oppa! Let’s sing a song!”

“Are you not tired, Ms. Ye-Seul? I feel like collapsing.”

“Your stamina is bad. Come here, quick! Let’s just sing a song each, hmm?”

Ha Jae-Gun took a cup of cold coffee and went to the sofa.

Hong Ye-Seul slid right beside Ha Jae-Gun and clung next to him, saying, “Sitting like this with you reminds me of the old times.”

“Haha…”

“I was really dumbfounded when you said you wanted to interview me then. Ah, I feel relieved now that I can talk about these when Do-Joon Oppa is gone.” Hong Ye-Seul chattered excitedly, and then she stopped laughing.

She had just realized there were only the two of them left.

She could now ask him whatever question she wanted to ask.

“Um, Jae-Gun oppa.”

“Yes?”

Hong Ye-Seul gulped before she asked her question. She had no idea how long this would last, so she planned to ask him as soon as possible.

“I was curious about this for a while… Was the lady who came with you to the movie preview your girlfriend?”

“Movie preview? Ah, you’re talking about Ms. So-Mi.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled as he put down the cup of coffee he was drinking from. “She works at Laugh Books—the publication company I’m working with at the moment. She’s the artist behind the webtoon for Oscar’s Dungeon, so we’re pretty close.”

“Oh, really?” Hong Ye-Seul blushed, smiling. She secretly let out a sigh of relief and added, “She looks so cute and pretty; I kept looking at her. And seeing how she’s always with you, I thought you guys were dating. Seems like you guys aren’t dating after all. Hehe.”

Hong Ye-Seul had been drinking quite a lot up until now. She buried her face into her hands, cackling in laughter. While staring at Hong Ye-Seul, Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t help but think that he should call a taxi for her.

A while later…

“I really hope that I get to act in Storm and Gale.” Hong Ye-Seul said as she slowly looked up.

Ha Jae-Gun nodded in agreement and replied, “I hope so, too. The story is about you, after all.”

“I’m practicing a lot. If I succeed… If I really get the female lead role, I definitely won’t disappoint you.”

“You’re doing really well in acting. I’m not worried at all.”

Hong Ye-Seul turned to the side and put her legs up on Ha Jae-Gun’s lap, like how she did back then at the bar. However, the difference was that she was currently wearing shorts, so her thighs were inadvertently revealed when she lifted her legs.

“Since she’s not your girlfriend, can I do this to you like the old times?”

“Ms. Ye-Seul—” Ha Jae-Gun was interrupted by Hong Ye-Seul sitting on his lap. She wrapped her arms around Ha Jae-Gun’s neck and looked straight into his eyes.

“I have another question.”

“…”

“What happens to the female lead at the end of Storm and Gale? I’m asking about what happened after the ending. Did she end up together with the man?”

“About that…” As Ha Jae-Gun pondered over the unexpected question, Hong Ye-Seul grabbed the hems of her sweater and pulled it off herself. She was now left with a sleeveless shirt that showed off her shoulders and collarbone.

Ha Jae-Gun didn’t know where to look.

“I always keep this on except for when I shower.”

A shining necklace lay on her collarbone. It was the very same necklace that Ha Jae-Gun had bought for her a long time ago. It was the most precious gift Hong Ye-Seul had ever received in this world.

“I’ve been thinking of you every day, Oppa. Really, I’m not lying.” Hong Ye-Seul looked down shyly. Hot breath escaped from her wet lips. Her heart pounded heavily as her nose approached the tip of Ha Jae-Gun’s nose.

“Oppa, please tell me. Did the female lead and the man in Storm and Gale end up together?” asked Hong Ye-Seul with a voice that was trembling ever so slightly.

Ha Jae-Gun’s tightly shut lips fluttered open.

1. Another address for Ahjussi ?

2. Somaek = soju +beer (maekju); Somak = soju + rice wine (makgeolli) ?

Chapter 182. The Bombing Starts (3)

 

“I think they won’t get together.”

“…?”

“I think that it won’t be easy for them to close the gap between them as they’ve been living different lives. People don’t change that easily, after all.” Ha Jae-Gun closed his eyes firmly before opening them again, revealing his clear eyes.

“And there’s a woman I love.”

“…?”

“I thought I should at least let you know, Ms. Ye-Seul. I’ll be getting up.” Ha Jae-Gun put Hong Ye-Seul’s legs aside and stood up.

“…” Hong Ye-Seul looked devastated as she asked, “Is it that lady called So-Mi?”

“No, it’s someone else whom I have known for longer.”

“Longer than me? How long?”

“About ten years,” Ha Jae-Gun replied to every one of her questions and picked up his phone. While he called for a driver, Hong Ye-Seul sat frozen. Ha Jae-Gun had a woman he loved? And he had loved her for over ten years now?

Hong Ye-Seul fell into a daze.

It seemed the shock was too much for her to absorb at the moment.

“The substitute driver will be coming shortly. Do you want a cup of coffee?” Ha Jae-Gun hung up the phone and asked.

“So… Oppa, are you dating her?”

“Yes, we’ve been dating for quite a while now.”

“Were you already dating her when you met me?”

“No, we weren’t dating back then.”

Hong Ye-Seul grabbed the necklace around her neck. She regretted running away back then. If she had stuck to him, their ending would have been different.

“There are many good men out there. I’m sure you’ll meet someone better than me.”

“I don’t need to hear that.” Hong Ye-Seul smiled bitterly and shook her head. She wore her sweater and stood up. “Oppa, you must really love that unni. Right?”

“Yes, she’s been really supportive of me.”

“You’re thinking of getting married with her, right?”

“I’m hoping to get married next year. We’re both quite busy right now.” Ha Jae-Gun said with a smile.

Every word from him was like a dagger that pierced Hong Ye-Seul’s heart. He sounded so firm that it made it clear to Hong Ye-Seul that there was no way Ha Jae-Gun had any room for her in his heart.

“I’ll wait for you upstairs, I’m going to take a breather.”

“I’ll go with you.”

The two walked out of the main gate together. As the cold air wrapped around them, Hong Ye-Seul asked, “My opinion is different from yours.”

“…?”

“The two people in Storm and Gale. They would understand each other and would eventually get together. They would then get married, have children, and live a humble but happy life.”

“Is that so…”

Their conversation ended there.

Ha Jae-Gun thought that the awkward atmosphere had come just in time. He had to draw the line between him and Hong Ye-Seul. He wanted to let her know that they were in a writer-and-actor relationship, nothing more, nothing less.

A while later, a female substitute driver came in an e-scooter.

Hong Ye-Seul hopped onto the back seat of her car, and Ha Jae-Gun gave the driver a generous tip.

“Please drive her back safely.”

“Oh, sir. Thank you for the tip. I’ll drive her back safely.”

Hong Ye-Seul’s car quickly drove out into the darkness.

Drrr.

Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang as he went back into his house. It was a call from his best friend, Park Jung-Jin.

“Why are you calling at this hour?”

— Hey, Jae-Gun. I’m in trouble.

Park Jung-Jin sounded quite rough right off the bat. Ha Jae-Gun’s expression stiffened. Clearly, something had happened.

“Why? What happened?”

— I met Hyo-Jin and got slapped in the face.

“Hyo-Jin slapped you? Why? What did you do to her?”

— I made a mistake. I confessed to her.

“What?”

— She asked me why I only confessed to her today and slapped me right afterward. I’m dating Hyo-Jin now! Ahahahaha!

Park Jung-Jin’s cheerful laughter rang in Ha Jae-Gun’s ears. Ha Jae-Gun grinned.

“Congratulations. But you sure took your sweet time.”

— You can’t say that to me, can you? We’re thinking of getting married this year.

“Isn’t that too fast?”

— Hey, it’s been ten years since we met. We’ve been friends until now, but we already know almost everything about each other. We don’t really think that there’s a need for a dating period between the two of us.

“You do have a point, but you should calm down. You sound too excited right now. Is Hyo-Jin with you?

— Yeah. We’re going to drink to our heart’s content tonight. We’re at Hongdae.

“Drink moderately. Only then can I treat you guys to drinks later.”

— Wow, I’m looking forward to drinks bought by our amazing writer. Hey, Jae-Gun, let’s hang up. We’re going to pay and go for round two.

“Alright, enjoy yourselves and be careful on the way home.”

After hanging up, Ha Jae-Gun turned around and walked the streets of the night instead of going back to his house. His best friend had finally found a partner, and the realization made Ha Jae-Gun miss Lee Soo-Hee.

***

“The Popular Arts Award? Jae-Gun, I really can’t believe that you’ve grown huge enough for that.”

“I’m embarrassed, Professor. Please don’t say that.”

Ha Jae-Gun was currently at research lab room 403 of Myungkyung University of the Arts. He sat across from his most respected professor, Han Hae-Sun, enjoying a cup of coffee together.

An old book was on the table, and it was none other than Seo Gun-Woo’s Great Life.

Ha Jae-Gun had loaned it to her a while back.

“The story was electrifying.”

Hae-Sun pushed the book back to Ha Jae-Gun and said, “There wasn’t a single unnecessary sentence found in the entire book. The quality was high, and the scenes that the writer was trying to portray made complete sense despite the complexity of the novel,” said Han Hae-Sun, sounding excited.

Ha Jae-Gun was happy and surprised at the same time. It was his first time seeing the professor praising someone’s work to this extent.

“The symbols and metaphors used were like gemstones; they were neither excessive nor lacking. The writing that kept to its subject while narrating different stories in accordance with the changes in the main character’s psychology and surroundings made me shudder. I’m really glad you’ve let me read such a great novel. Thank you, Jae-Gun.”

“No, Professor. Thank you for taking the time to read and share your reviews with me when you’re so busy.”

Han Hae-Sun held a cup in hand and took a sip of her coffee. She shook her head, seemingly not understanding something. “But I can’t believe that such writing is missing in the world outside. It is astounding.”

“I feel the same. Plus… it’s incomplete, so it’s really a pity.” Ha Jae-Gun looked down at the notebook. Great Life was still an incomplete novel. It had around 70,000 characters. Considering the story’s pace and the usual length of a normal novel, it still needed at least 80,000 characters for it to be considered complete.

“Why don’t you continue working on it?” Hae-Sun suggested out of the blue.

Ha Jae-Gun looked up, bewildered. Asking him to complete Seo Gun-Woo’s work with his own hands? He had never thought of it before.

“You’ll have to obtain the copyrights, and you’ll have to deal with many different issues. I was just suggesting in passing, so you don’t have to think too deeply about it.”

“Yes, Professor….” Ha Jae-Gun nodded. However, the new possibility had just taken root and sprouted in his heart.

Seo Gun-Woo’s name alone made his heart start beating even faster than before.

“You must have been busy working on Market Place.”

“The schedule isn’t that tight. I’ve finished writing the drama script, and I’m working on the composition for the fourth story for the short novel. I’m not sure how long it’ll take, though. I’m actually spending more time working on the scenario for Storm and Gale.”

Ha Jae-Gun took his empty cup and headed to the sink before asking, “But professor, do you really think that the title Market Place is better than the Market and Its People?”

“Of course. The current era prefers brevity over purple prose, so Market Place is a better title.”

“Ahaha…”

Ha Jae-Gun spent some more time with Han Hae-Sun before leaving the campus.

Lee Yeon-Woo was waiting for him in the car at the main gate.

“I already said that you don’t have to come here, so why did you follow me here?” Ha Jae-Gun nagged as he opened the door to the backseat of the car.

Lee Yeon-Woo grinned as he turned around to look at Ha Jae-Gun while working on his laptop in the driver’s seat.

“I should stay faithful to my job as the driver in addition to my job as a writer.”

“I’ve said this countless times, but it’s more important for you to focus on your novel,” Ha Jae-Gun retorted.

“I came out to take a breather as well. Your car is so good that I’m much more efficient writing in your car than back at the office.” Lee Yeon-Woo put his laptop aside and started the car engine. As they hit the road, Lee Yeon-Woo continued. “Hong Ye-Seul has become quite popular recently.”

“Really?”

“Related keywords about her would come up when you look up Gyeoja Bathhouse on the portal sites. Gyeoja Bathhouse female high school student, Gyeoja Bathhouse scene-stealer, Hong Ye-Seul age, etc… Her role wasn’t that significant, but she left a strong impression on everyone.”

“Yeah. I hope she’ll continue to get even more popular.”

“She definitely will. I think she’s reaped the most amongst the entire cast of Gyeoja Bathhouse

. I heard that she’s signed a commercial with Jwi-Market and is even doing a pictorial with Maximum.”

 

“Maximum? Isn’t that a high-profile magazine?”

“That’s why our readers like her. Hahaha.”

Bzzt!

Just then, Ha Jae-Gun received a call from Kwon Tae-Won. Lee Yeon-Woo swiftly turned down the volume of the radio and let Ha Jae-Gun answer the call.

“Yes, President?”

— Hello, Writer Ha. Are you heading somewhere now?

“I’ve got a radio broadcast, so I’m on the way over now. But did something good happen? You sound quite happy.”

— Are you clairvoyant? I actually just got off a call with Editor-in-chief Oh Myung-Suk.

“Oh? Editor-in-chief Oh Myung-Suk called you?” Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes widened.

The call was definitely about him, but Ha Jae-Gun was curious as to why Oh Myung-Suk didn’t contact him directly and went through Kwon Tae-Won instead.

— Wizardry Pictures from the U.S. contacted us. You remember them, right? Teencent Pictures are collaborating with them to distribute the movie in the local market there.

“Yes, of course. But how did the connection…?”

— I think there’s some connection between Wizardry Pictures and the novel’s publisher, Knobble. Now, here’s the important thing. They talked about The Breath.

“…?!”

— The Breath, Writer Ha! They had read the text version of The Breath in LA. They said that they would like to discuss more about The Breath with us!

Ha Jae-Gun finally realized why Oh Myung-Suk had gone through Kwon Tae-Won to convey the news.

Grin.

Ha Jae Gun broke out into a grin as he looked out the car window.

— Writer Ha, are you listening? Hello?

“Yes, I am. I was just stunned. I didn’t expect that something like this would happen.”

— Me, too. Seems like good things come in droves. Writer Ha, do you know what’s on my mind right now? I was even imagining that The Breath could one day go global like Harrison Potter or even Demon Lord of the Rings.

“Aigoo, President Kwon. You’re overestimating it?”

— What else is impossible now? The Breath is a fantasy story, and it’s good enough for everyone in the world to like it. Who knows how high the heights The Breath can reach? Look at the bestselling novel in Korea. It’s not by Writer Ha Jae-Gun but by Writer Poongchun-Yoo!

Ha Jae-Gun laughed heartily.

In fact, Kwon Tae-Won was right, and Ha Jae-Gun had nothing to refute him.

The Breath was the work that earned him the most profit out of all his works so far. Its sales performance had remained steady in both e-books and physical books until now. It had been quite a while since it had hit the shelves, but it was still first place in the domestic genre novel section.

— I’m sorry, I’ve been so excited… Anyway, how about continuing this conversation sometime over dinner soon?

“Sure, President. Let’s have something delicious for dinner. How does tomorrow evening sound?”

— Sure. Alright, good luck with your radio broadcast, and I’ll call you again.

“Yes, President. As always, thank you for everything.”

After hanging up the call, Ha Jae-Gun wrote a thank you message to Oh Myung-Suk.

Lee Yeon-Woo looked at Ha Jae-Gun through the rearview mirror and asked, “Hyung, what were you guys talking about? I heard a little since President Kwon was loud. Was it regarding The Breath?”

“Yeah. Wizardry Pictures and Knobble from the U.S. seemed to like The Breath a lot. They said they would like to meet and discuss it in the near future.”

“What? Really?! Really?”

“Hey, pay attention on the road.”

“Wow, hyung. My heart is pounding! It’s The Breath! Is Poongchun-Yoo finally going to enter the U.S. market and go for a global All-Kill?!”

“Alright, enough. I’ll drive instead. Let’s switch places.”

However, the traffic light turned green just in time.

Poongchun-Yoo’s number one fan didn’t stop talking until they arrived at the broadcasting station.

Chapter 183. The Bombing Starts (4)

 

“Stop the car for a moment. Really? Mr. Ha?”

The Floor Director in the driver’s seat stopped the car as he was about to start driving off. Meanwhile, Content Producer Bae Tae-Gon placed his phone by his ear, listening intently to the other party on the phone.

“What show is it? Ah, Issue Marker corner? Doesn’t that end in thirty minutes? You did well calling me. I was planning to contact them today as well. Yes, work hard. Thank you.”

Content Producer Bae hung up and immediately got out of the car. He asked the Floor Director to wait in the car for a while more and hurried back into the radio broadcasting station.

***

“Oh? Why are you back again? Didn’t you finish talking to the chief earlier?” the Production Director asked in surprise.

“Mm, no. There’s something I still have to talk to him about.” Content Producer Bae replied briefly and took the elevator. As he checked himself out in the mirror, he organized his thoughts, which were meant for Ha Jae-Gun.

‘I should just suggest to have dinner tonight and then talk about it then. I can’t pass this opportunity up.’

Content Producer Bae had been contacting Ha Jae-Gun through the Production Director a few times throughout this period they had known each other.

He wanted to apologize for the loss of the manuscript due to the assistant writer and to propose a new project at the same time. Aside from that, he would also like to improve their personal relationship.

However, Ha Jae-Gun had yet to agree to a meet-up with him.

Bae Tae-Gon had personally gone to look for Ha Jae-Gun to apologize for the incident, but he couldn’t meet Ha Jae-Gun anymore afterward. Ha Jae-Gun kept on declining, saying that he was busy with other work for the time being and couldn’t make time to meet.

Diing~

The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. The staff standing outside the lift were taken aback by his presence as he stepped out of the elevator.

“Huh? Content Producer-nim, what brings you here?”

Bae Tae-Gon was the head of the MBS TV drama department, and most staff would be able to recognize him unless they were trainees.

“Ah, there’s someone I want to meet here. You may get back to work.”

There was a lounge at the end of the long corridor. Bae Tae-Gon went to grab himself a can of coffee and sat down on the sofa. The staff passing by were all surprised.

‘It should be ending soon…’

After a long, boring period, Bae Tae-Gon checked his wristwatch for the time and then looked toward the studio.

Soon after, the studio door opened, and Ha Jae-Gun emerged from there.

“You did well today, Mr. Ha. I love your calm and substantive comments today.”

“I think I’m slowly getting used to this after doing it a few times, as expected of a creature with learning abilities. You’ve worked hard as well, Production Director-nim.”

As Ha Jae-Gun bade farewell to the team and walked down the corridor away from the studio, Bae Tae-Gon stood up awkwardly as their distance closed.

“…Content Producer Bae Tae-Gon?” Ha Jae-Gun mumbled in surprise when he recognized the man and approached him, greeting him first. “How have you been? Why are you here at the radio station?”

“Ahaha, I hope you’ve been well. It’s nice to see you here.”

Bae Tae-Gon exaggerated and reached his hand out for a firm handshake. He then quickly added, “Are you busy now?”

“Ah, today I…”

“It’s coincidental for us to meet today here. It’s a pity to leave. It’s almost time for dinner anyway; why don’t I treat you to a good dinner nearby?” Bae Tae-Gon smiled desperately.

The staff nearby finally realized that Content Producer Bae had been waiting at the lounge because of Ha Jae-Gun.

“There’s Market Place…”

“Oh, right. It’s a huge hit despite it being just a one-act play.”

“I heard that episode two had passed seventeen percent in viewership ratings?”

“Is Content Producer-nim going to propose doing a new program personally?”

“Shouldn’t he propose it personally? That person is Writer Ha Jae-Gun, after all.”

A few staff murmured amongst themselves behind the two men.

Ha Jae-Gun was seen hesitating. ‘What should I do…’

He had promised to have dinner with the other writers at the office tonight. Of course, he didn’t promise that he would appear, so there shouldn’t be much of a problem.

However, it was exactly because he found it burdensome that he was hesitating.

Obviously, Content Producer Bae was here to butter up to him after that drama script incident. He was also here to propose another drama for them to work together with.

The ratings for Market Place had exceeded expectations and was now on a roll. Although he had been busy for a while, the reasons he had been giving had been working so far, which helped Ha Jae-Gun avoid the meetings.

“Please, Mr. Ha. Maybe I can buy you a cup of coffee instead?” Content Producer Bae repeated himself earnestly.

Ha Jae-Gun frowned slightly and eventually nodded with a smile. He couldn’t refuse the man in the face.

“I’ll take up the dinner offer instead of the coffee then.”

“Ah, really?”

“Yes, I’m actually starving.” Ha Jae-Gun had a good impression of Content Producer Bae anyway. Content Producer Bae wasn’t a superficial person and was a life senior with lots of experience.

Ha Jae-Gun had never once blamed the incident on him.

“Let’s have dinner together.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

The two men headed toward the elevator together. The staff made way for them, standing along the sides of the corridor like guards.

***

“You seemed overly concerned, so I had unintentionally hidden it from you,” Ha Jae-Gun said as Bae Tae-Gon poured him a drink.

Bae Tae-Gon looked at Ha Jae-Gun in surprise.

Ha Jae-Gun poured the man a glass in return and said, “I’m sorry to say this when I’m younger, but all sorts of things happen to people. It was clearly unfortunate that the script was lost back then, but I wasn’t angry with the staff about it. Please don’t be worried.”

“Thank you… for saying that.”

The two men made a toast and downed the shot of cheongju.

Bae Tae-Gon picked up a piece of the delicious-looking sashimi with his chopsticks and said, “It’s really amazing. Whenever I appear at the broadcasting station these days, people would say that I have bricks stacked up on my shoulders. Many are already saying that we’ll achieve a twenty-percent viewership rating for the third episode. This is all thanks to you, Mr. Ha.”

“How is it all my sole credit? Everyone under Content Producer-nim had also done so well that we were able to produce such great results.”

The atmosphere was harmonious as another round of drinks was poured. Content Producer Bae was carefully looking for the right time to bring up the next topic for discussion.

He wasn’t the type to waste time. Ha Jae-Gun had already seen through Content Producer Bae’s thoughts, but he didn’t bring it up first out of consideration for the latter.

“Um, Mr. Ha.”

“Yes?”

“This might be out of the blue, but… is there a possibility for you to write a full-length drama?”

“Ah…” Ha Jae-Gun nodded, understanding his question and put down his glass. He had expected it, but he was still perplexed. He wanted to prioritize the scenarios for The Market and Its People, Oscar’s Dungeon, and Storm and Gale.

“If you’re busy, we can take something from your existing works, too. Storm and Gale, A 90s Kid, Summer in My 20s, There Was A Sea… They are all perfect for turning into dramas. If it’s tough on you to work on the script personally, you can leave it to one of our writers as well.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled awkwardly.

Content Producer Bae noticed that and quickly added, “I heard through the grapevine about what happened in the past with Director Woo. As the Content Producer, I guarantee that your opinions will be fully reflected in both the script and the direction of the drama.”

“I’m really thankful for your proposal, but it’s really difficult for me to give you a definite answer about the next drama project. Please allow me some time to think it over.”

“Hmm… I see.” Bae Tae-Gon trailed off, nodding as he was given no other choice.

Just then, Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang in his pocket. He excused himself and read the message sent over by Announcer Park Hye-Sang.

– I heard the radio while on the way to the broadcasting station. Your calm voice comforted me on this exhausting day. Thank you for the radio show. ^^

Afraid that it would be rude, Ha Jae-Gun decided to reply later and turned his attention back to Content Producer Bae. The man still had a regretful look on his face.

“I’m really sorry, Content Producer-nim.”

“No. I’m really glad that you’re having dinner with me… Oh!” Bae Tae-Gon slapped his thigh.

While he was thinking of ways to continue his connection with Ha Jae-Gun, something else came to mind.

“Mr. Ha, do you happen to know our program, Let’s Watch A Movie?”

“Of course. I do watch it whenever I have the time.”

Let’s Watch A Movie is a representative film-centric program from MBS Broadcasting Station. It introduces various new and old films, and that’s why Ha Jae-Gun watches the show occasionally.

“Although it’s not under my jurisdiction, the variety department had asked if you could become part of the fixed panelist on the show after its recent revamp. I almost

forgot it. Wait, I think I was just pretending that I forgot it. Hahaha, dramas are much more important to me, after all.” Bae Tae-Gon laughed heartily.

 

Ha Jae-Gun laughed along as well, but he still felt embarrassed. It wasn’t just once or twice that he had been invited to go on TV shows now. Aside from I Live Alone, in which he appeared with Park Do-Joon, he had declined all other invites as he didn’t feel the need for him to appear in them.

“I will think it over seriously as well.” Ha Jae-Gun eventually gave that as his answer. He knew how much Content Producer Bae was trying to hang onto him. But in any case, he had to be clear and draw the line between both personal and work matters.

Ha Jae-Gun decided to save his words and raised his glass.

***

“Now, let’s each have a bottle. This is the best after excessive drinking the night before.”

“Eughhh, thank you, Deputy Jung.”

“As expected, Deputy Jung is the only one who cares about me.”

It was just before noon at the writer’s office in Bucheon. Jung So-Mi handed out hangover cures to the writers suffering from the aftermath of the company dinner from last night. The writers opened the small bottles with unfocused eyes.

Ha Jae-Gun sat among them.

‘Damn… They’re all alcoholics.’

Ha Jae-Gun barely managed to empty the bottle and stood up, staggering. He drank with Content Producer Bae until ten p.m. last night.

It would have been great if he had gone straight home. However, the writers kept bugging him to come down since it was a company dinner, and he ended up drinking with them until dawn.

“Are you alright, Writer Ha?” Jung So-Mi asked with a worried look.

Ha Jae-Gun forced a smile and shook his head. “Ms. So-Mi, you’re incredible. Didn’t you drink three bottles last night?”

“No, I probably only had two bottles myself. Writer Lee and Writer Yang probably had a carton each themselves.”

A white kitten sped past his feet. The kitten’s name was now Nun-Sol from Cheol-Soo, which Jung So-Mi had come up with at Ha Jae-Gun’s request.

“Nun-Sol, come here.”

“Meow.”

Nun-Sol turned around immediately and sat on its hind legs, acting cute. Ha Jae-Gun watched Jung So-Mi pick up Nun-Sol and said amusingly, “It acts more like a puppy than a kitten. Why does it listen to you more than me?”

“Yeah. Maybe we have similar tendencies?”

“I don’t see Rika anywhere either. Is she hiding somewhere?”

“She has taken a liking to the windowsill in the bedroom.” Jung So-Mi smiled shyly and asked, “How do you like its new name?”

“Yes, Nun-Sol sounds a hundred times better than Cheol-Soo. I think it’s a fitting name. I mean, it’s a white kitten as well. You have great naming sense, Ms. So-Mi.”

Jung So-Mi smiled wryly. Clearly, Ha Jae-Gun hadn’t understood the reason she had named the cat Nun-Sol. The day the two of them walked under the same umbrella, the name of the cafe they had been to was Nun-Sol.

Bzzt!

“Oh, it’s President Kwon. Wait a moment. Hello?”

— Writer Ha. I heard that you had quite the drink last night.

“Not just a little; I almost died last night. I already had drinks before joining them, and I ended up drinking soju, beer, and rice wine… My head is spinning right now.”

Kwon Tae-Won laughed for a bit before continuing.

— Anyway, I heard that you met Content Producer Bae yesterday.

“Yes, we met coincidentally at the broadcasting station. We were supposed to have dinner, but it turned into a drinking session as well.

— Content Producer Bae is very devoted. Of course, he’s even more devoted because it’s Writer Ha, that’s why. I’m curious, did he not have any other hidden intentions?

“Hidden intentions?”

— Well, for example… did he not ask you to become his sister-in-law’s husband? Hahaha, it’s a joke.

Ha Jae-Gun caught onto Tae-Won’s words, who was about to gloss it over with his laughter.

“Sister-in-law’s husband? Who is his sister-in-law?”

— Oh? You didn’t know? His sister-in-law is EBC’s announcer, Ms. Park Hye-Sang.

“Ah, really?”

— You really didn’t know? I thought you already knew; I mean, you had a meal with her, after all. Ahaha, that’s why you didn’t understand my joke.

Ha Jae-Gun then recalled receiving Park Hye-Sang’s message last night while having dinner with Content Producer Bae.

— Anyway, that’s not important. Have you thought about Content Producer Bae’s proposal?

“I can’t decide. I’ve got a few scenarios to work on at the moment, and I also have to meet you tonight to discuss The Breath.”

Ha Jae-Gun walked over to the coffee machine and added, “And I’m also planning to go over to Taiwan after our meeting tonight.”

Jung So-Mi’s ears twitched upon hearing Ha Jae-Gun’s words. There was only one reason for Ha Jae-Gun to fly over to Taiwan. Even though it was a given, she couldn’t stop her heart from aching.

Jung So-Mi walked away from Ha Jae-Gun with Nun-Sol in her arms. Nun-Sol’s warmth seemed to soothe her aching heart.

Chapter 184. The Bombing Starts (5)

 

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Team Leader, you’re the one who has worked hard. Please go back and rest early today.”

Lee Soo-Hee grabbed her bag and umbrella and then stood up from her desk.

It had been raining the entire day today, so she wore denim shorts to work. If she were in Korea, she wouldn’t have worn such an outfit. Ever since she began working in Taiwan, she became quite carefree with her work outfit.

‘Oh, it stopped raining.’ Lee Soo-Hee stepped out of the building, blending in with the people walking on the wet streets. Taipei in October was far from cold. The average temperature was twenty-four degrees, similar to the temperature in July in Seoul.

Lee Soo-Hee took off her cardigan as it felt a little hot.

‘I don’t want to go back right away…’

Lee Soo-Hee was scanning the shops at the arcade. She didn’t want to have instant food for dinner and watch a movie until late into the night alone before sleeping. Her heart had been feeling extremely empty in these past few days, and she desperately needed something to fill that emptiness.

She walked slowly, but she still reached the end of the arcade in no time. Nothing had ended up catching her attention. She didn’t feel like walking into the bookstore to read a book alone, nor having a meal alone in a restaurant. It also felt off to have a cup of coffee since she still hadn’t had any food yet.

‘Maybe I should have worked overtime and had dinner with Deputy Seo.’

Lee Soo-Hee turned in the direction of her studio and began walking over. She wasn’t one to hesitate after making her decision. She didn’t forget to get herself some instant pasta and beer to soothe her loneliness.

Bzzt!

Just then, the phone in her bag rang. Lee Soo-Hee smiled instantly at the name shown on the screen but soon scrunched her nose.

“Yeah.”

— Your voice was so cold it sent a shiver down my spine

Ha Jae-Gun’s voice had a tinge of mischief in it.

However, it only made Lee Soo-Hee angrier, and she shut her lips.

— Are you getting off work?

“Yeah.”

— What about dinner?

“Not yet.”

— What are you going to have for dinner?

“I’m going to have hotpot with my colleagues.”

— Hahaha.

Ha Jae-Gun burst into laughter on the other side of the line.

Lee Soo-Hee glared ahead in anger at Ha Jae-Gun’s sudden chuckle and asked, “Why are you laughing?”

— I just thought you were lying. Are you sure you’re not going to have instant pasta and beer while watching TV until you sleep?

Feeling the sting, Lee Soo-Hee clenched the plastic bag tightly in her hand. She then replied, “I said I’m going to have hotpot. And why are you acting like this today? Did you call just to tease me?”

— Am I the type to do that? So how about eating hotpot with your colleagues another day and having hotpot with me tonight instead?

“Sorry, but I’m not in the mood to joke.”

— Our dear Team Leader Lee Soo-Hee. You still look as beautiful as ever.

“…?” Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes flew wide open.

Ha Jae-Gun’s mischievous voice rang again in her ears.

— Why are you wearing denim shorts out of the blue? Did your thighs grow? It still looks quite smooth.

Lee Soo-Hee turned around with her phone still by her ear. The reflection of Ha Jae-Gun was seen in her eyes. The man standing five meters before her was definitely Ha Jae-Gun.

“You should come running to me and give me a hug.” Ha Jae-Gun kept his phone away and opened his arms.

Lee Soo-Hee looked at him shakily and chewed on her lips. Then, she turned around and started walking away.

“Huh? Soo-Hee?” Panicking, Ha Jae-Gun shook his huge backpack and chased after her.

“What’s wrong? Are you not happy to see me? Why are you ignoring your boyfriend, who crossed an ocean just to see you?”

“The way you said that will make anyone think that you went to the North Pole from the South Pole just to see me.”

“Let’s walk slowly and talk, Soo-Hee. My legs are tired, and they hurt. Anyway, tell me what I did wrong.” Ha Jae-Gun begged earnestly as he grabbed Lee Soo-Hee by her wrist.

Lee Soo-Hee finally stopped and looked at him with cold eyes. “You’ve made a mistake by inviting a woman into your house without letting me know about it.”

“Do-Joon was around, too. And I was about to tell you—”

“You allowed her to use your kitchen.”

“I won’t let that happen again. I swear.” Ha Jae-Gun stood up straight and saluted.

Lee Soo-Hee raised her hands and pinched his cheeks, and then she continued angrily. “You’ve made a mistake by teasing me over the phone! For stalking a beautiful girl like me! For not telling me in advance that you’re coming and making me meet you like this! For only coming over to Taiwan now!”

“Ah! It’s all my fault. I’m the greatest sinner alive. I’m sorry, Soo-Hee. Please don’t be angry, hmm?” Ha Jae-Gun suddenly embraced Lee Soo-Hee after making his plea. Ha Jae-Gun felt at home as he drew in a deep breath of Lee Soo-Hee’s scent.

His home was not in Korea but in a foreign land where Lee Soo-He was.

***

[Novel Gyeoja Bathhouse hits the U.S. market. First 100,000 copies sold out, response was twice the speed of There Was A Sea]

[New York Times Book Review: Detailed and elaborate plot, a sophisticated horror novel with ubiquitous or unique emotions]

[Movie Gyeoja Bathhouse hits over 3 million audience views. Will it break the record of Korea’s number one horror movie, Red Lotus in Boots?]

‘Thank you, Yoo-Jin.’

Oh Myung-Suk thought to himself as he read the long list of articles filling his monitor screen.

He was so worried that the novel wouldn’t hit it off in the U.S. But thankfully, with Yoo-Jin spearheading the promotions working with Knobble Publications, the release of Gyeoja Bathhouse went swimmingly.

Bzzt!

Oh Myung-Suk’s phone rang, showing an incoming call from Chae Yoo-Jin. He grinned and answered it happily.

“You seem to be reading what I was thinking.”

— What are you saying?

“I was reading the news about the response for Gyeoja Bathhouse. So I was just thinking about you.”

— Oh really? What were you thinking about me? Pervy thoughts?

“Well, along with a few different others?”

Both of them laughed at the same time. As the laughter subsided, Chae Yoo-Jin continued.

— It’s going to do well. Didn’t I promise you that I’m going to try to push it up to the Top 10 on the New York Times bestseller ranking? Just believe in me and don’t worry about it.

“I’m not worrying. I know best how competent Chae Yoo-Jin is…”

— It’d be great if Writer Ha could come over here. It’ll be great for the promotions and the marketing. It’ll be even better if we can have him do an autograph and Q&A event at one of the large bookstores here.

“I’ll try talking to him about it one of these days over the phone.

— Okay. And there are also a few calls coming in from film companies.

“Film companies?”

— They want to buy the license for Gyeoja Bathhouse, wanting to remake it into a Hollywood version. Amongst the companies who contacted us, the largest is Paramountain. Anyway, I’ll update you again if there’s further progress on this.

“Thanks. I’ll go over to New York sometime.”

— No, don’t come.

“Why not?”

— I felt a little restless after seeing you the last time. I had a hard time holding myself back, so don’t come over.

Although Chae Yoo-Jin joked about it, Oh Myung-Suk could not bring himself to laugh along with her.

Chae Yoo-Jin noticed the silence.

— You’re putting on that serious face again, aren’t you? Let’s live with some sense of humor in our lives. Anyway, I need to shower now. I’ll call you again.

“Alright, I got it. Have a good rest, and let’s talk again next time.”

Oh Myung-Suk stared into space after ending the call. He recalled the sad look on Chae Yoo-Jin’s face just before they had to part at the hotel.

‘She’s going to kick up a fuss if I propose to get married…’

Chae Yoo-Jin was, in fact, infertile. As such, it would be a fatal disadvantage for her to get married to the eldest son of the President of the OongSung Group.

Oh Myung-Suk had revealed this fact to his father a long time ago, as he didn’t want to lie to his father before getting married. As expected, his father was furious. His father was broad-minded, but there was no way he would ignore such a flaw.

The two of them eventually broke up.

‘I feel sad.’

Oh Myung-Suk looked at the endless autumn sky outside the window, wondering why he was working so hard living out his life when he couldn’t even embrace the woman he loved.

He thought he would forget her if he worked hard and led a busy life.

However, it was all a delusion on his end. He realized this clearly the last time Chae Yoo-Jin came back to Korea. He could marry someone else, but he wouldn’t be able to forget her in this lifetime.

Bzzt!

Oh Myung-Suk’s phone rang in his pocket. He continued looking at the sky and answered the phone without checking the caller’s name.

“Yes, hello?”

— Have you had lunch, hyung?

Oh Myung-Suk came to his senses and grabbed his phone properly.

“Oh, Myung-Hoon?”

— Did you delete my number?

“No, I was just lost in the autumn vibes and didn’t check the caller’s name before answering. You’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t you?” Oh Myung-Suk asked with a smile.

Oh Myung-Hoon was wrapping up his work in the U.S. and was returning to Korea. He missed his childish and troublemaking younger brother.

— I called to tell you about it, but I might go back a few days later, probably a week later?

“Why all of a sudden?”

— I’ve been working for so long, so I wanted to go somewhere else to look around and travel for a while.

“I’m all for it if that’s the case. I’ll tell Father about it, so don’t worry and enjoy your rest.”

— …Thank you, hyung.

Oh Myung-Hoon mumbled softly.

Oh Myung-Suk couldn’t stop smiling at those words, feeling proud of himself.

“But where are you going?”

— I haven’t decided yet. I don’t want to travel too far from Korea, so probably around China or Japan…? I’ll let you know again once I’ve decided.

“Alright. Take care of yourself, and don’t get hurt.”

— Am I a child? Bye now.

“Mm.”

Oh Myung-Suk hung up, and then he opened the desk drawer to pull out a photo.

The brothers in their younger days were smiling brightly even now.

In Oh Myung-Suk’s heart, Oh Myung-Hoon would always be his cute younger brother.

***

“You’re really like a beast. How can you keep going without resting for the entire day?”

“It’s your fault for being so beautiful. Where are you going?”

“I’ve got to prepare breakfast, of course.”

“Let’s just dine out later. Come here.”

“Seriously…” Lee Soo-Hee grumbled, but her expression didn’t show any displeasure. It was a peaceful morning, with the sunlight peeking in through the window to illuminate the clothes strewn all over the floor. Ha Jae-Gun hugged Lee Soo-Hee tightly on the bed while enjoying the lingering emotions from last night.

“Shall we get married next year?”

“Next year?”

Ha Jae-Gun began kissing Lee Soo-Hee loudly all over her face before nodding and saying, “Hyo-Jin and Jung-Jin are fussing about getting married this year, so we should do it soon, too.”

“What about Jae-In unni?”

“It might take noona a few more years to get married. I think I should get married first, lest you end up running away from me.”

Just then, the alarm on Lee Soo-Hee’s phone rang. She quickly picked it up and stopped the ringing.

Ha Jae-Gun was around, so there was no need for her to wake up early.

“There’s more news about you today.” Lee Soo-Hee said as she accessed the Internet.

Ha Jae-Gun kept his eyes closed and smiled. “What is it about? Gyeoja Bathhouse? The novel? Or the movie?”

“No, with Park Hye-Sang.”

“…?” Ha Jae-Gun frowned and slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Lee Soo-Hee, whose expression was extremely cold.

“It’s an article about her interview, but she mentioned you in it.”

“What’s it got to do with me?”

“She said there’s a man in mind recently, and they brought up how you and she had a meal and even met at the Baeksong Arts Awards.”

“Sigh, do those reporters have nothing else to write about?” Ha Jae-Gun clicked his tongue disapprovingly and closed his eyes again.

Lee Soo-Hee put her phone down and turned to face Ha Jae-Gun. She tapped her fingers on Ha Jae-Gun’s abdomen and mumbled, “Was she referring to you?”

“Stop it, Team Leader Lee. Does that even make sense? I’ve only worked with her a few times and had a meal with her. That was all.”

“She may have gotten hooked on you after that single meeting.”

“Anyway, Ha Jae-Gun only has Lee Soo-Hee. Let’s think of what to eat for breakfast.” Ha Jae-Gun pulled the blanket over his head and pulled Lee Soo-Hee under with him. Immediately afterward, Lee Soo-Hee started laughing.

“S-stop it! Stop tickling!”

“I’m going to keep going if you don’t decide on what to eat.”

Bzzt! Bzzt!

“Someone’s calling! I have to answer it, so stop!”

Lee Soo-Hee quickly turned around and reached for her phone.

However, the name on the screen cleanly erased the smile on her face.

Chapter 185. The Bombing Starts (6)

 

‘Why is he calling again?’

Lee Soo-Hee put her phone face down on the table immediately. It was a call from Oh Myung-Hoon.

She was already reluctant to answer his call when she was alone, let alone now when Ha Jae-Gun was with her.

“Stop it, I’m getting out of bed now.”

Lee Soo-Hee wrapped herself in the blanket and climbed out of bed. The sunlight that had been peeking into the room suddenly poured in as Lee Soo-Hee flung the curtains wide open.

Ha Jae-Gun’s face contorted and hid under the pillow.

“Wake up, Writer Ha. Let’s have breakfast and have a look around the city today.”

“I’ve seen everything I’ve wanted, I just need to see you alone.”

“Don’t spout nonsense and quickly get up.”

“Arghh, my blanket.”

Ha Jae-Gun was forced by Lee Soo-Hee out of bed to the shower and grabbed his change of clothes. They had agreed to visit the hot spring town, Beitou, today. Ha Jae-Gun didn’t hold much interest in hot springs, but he wanted to visit the library situated in the center of that town.

“But can you really rest for a few days?”

“I’m a flexible lady. Didn’t you hear my conversation with Director Nam? He asked me to rest for half a month and return to Korea afterward.”

Lee Soo-Hee opened her chest and shrugged her shoulders proudly.

Ha Jae-Gun wrapped a cardigan around Lee Soo-Hee and gave her a kiss on the lips.

“Shall we get going then?”

“Yeah, let’s eat first. I’m starving.”

The couple had beef noodles for brunch and then headed for the MRT, which they called Taiwan’s subway system. They began talking about various topics on the running train.

“What are you planning to do with The Breath? I heard there’s contacts from the U.S. too?”

“I talked with President Kwon over the phone, and he thinks the situation with them is still delicate. Knobble wants to release the novel first, but Wizardry Pictures wants to release the movie first.”

“What are your thoughts about it?”

“I’m a writer, so of course I would hope that the novel gets released first. Nothing’s been confirmed yet, so it’s still in the talks. They might be observing the performance of Gyeoja Bathhouse for the time being as well. Anyway, the agent said she would contact us again. I’m not exactly in a hurry either way.”

“Whichever the case, I hope things go your way before you go along with the opinions of those around you.” Lee Soo-Hee squeezed Ha Jae-Gun’s hand.

Ha Jae-Gun covered her hand with his own and changed the topic of their conversation. “Also, for The Market and Its People, I think I’ll have to give up on this title. Do you think it’s not fitting?”

“To be honest, I really think it’s not good. As Professor Han said, Market Place is much better. Use it for your novel title too.”

“Ah, even you too? There’s no one standing on my side in this vast world.” Ha Jae-Gun whined mischievously while looking up at the ceiling.

Lee Soo-Hee put her head on his shoulder with her face filled with happiness, looking happier than anyone else in the world.

“I didn’t expect the viewership ratings to go so high. I thought it was a typo on the news article circling on the internet.”

“I was surprised too.”

“Our dear Ha Jae-Gun is really good at writing. I could tell right away since year 1 in university. ‘Ah, I’ll be able to learn something from him if I stuck with him.’” Lee Soo-Hee then chuckled as she looked back at a particular piece of memory. “I’m only telling you this now, but do you know, during the MT in year 1, I didn’t go anywhere else on purpose and just stood by your side.”

Ha Jae-Gun showed surprise on his face but soon bent his neck in different directions and put on airs. “Really? Hmm, this handsome man was in his prime back then. You recognized my true worth from way back, huh.”

“Yes, you were already cool back then.”

“Hey, Lee Soo-Hee. You should be showing a speechless reaction right about now instead. I’m flustered if you gloss it over with a compliment.”

The train slowed down as it arrived at its destination. As they stood up to leave, Ha Jae-Gun said, “I’m only saying this now as well, but remember when you were forced to drink with the female seniors? One of you facing ten of them?”

“Yeah, that was the proudest moment of my life. What about it?”

“Did you know that I secretly swapped your drink with water?”

“Really? Why did you do it?”

“I was already thinking of getting married with you. I was afraid that you’d make a mistake when you’re drunk with that huge ego of yours.”

“Don’t lie. You didn’t even look at me in the eye back then.”

“I couldn’t, you were too dazzling for me.”

Lee Soo-Hee puffed up her cheeks.

As they alighted at the platform, she hooked arms with Ha Jae-Gun and asked, “Who else knows?”

“About what?”

“That you swapped my drink. Jung-Jin? Hyo-Jin?”

“I thought you were referring to something else. Only you know it now.”

“Then my legend will hold forever. Don’t tell anyone else, alright? Otherwise, you’re only going to eat ramyun for breakfast and dinner for the rest of your life.”

“I’ll make sure to bring this secret to my grave.”

Lee Soo-Hee faced him and stuck out her tongue, then giggled.

In fact, Lee Soo-Hee had already known that Ha Jae-Gun had switched out her drinks. She might have been relatively drunk that night, but she wasn’t that drunk to the state that she couldn’t tell apart the taste of soju.

“…So that’s why I like you, dummy.”

“What did you say?”

“No, nothing. Let’s go quickly.” Lee Soo-Hee grabbed Ha Jae-Gun’s arm and quickened her steps.

They walked straight from the MRT exit for some distance and eventually arrived at Beitou Library. The exterior of the wooden building was picturesque.

“Wow~”

Ha Jae-Gun’s mouth dropped open before even getting near the building’s entrance.

“Although I’ve seen it in the pictures, it’s even better seeing it in person.”

“Are you not going to see the Thermal Valley?”

“It’s too hot there. I want to see the library first.”

There were numerous dogs roaming around the peaceful and quiet courtyard. The couple greeted every dog they passed as they entered the library.

“What do you think? Do you think you can read the books here?”

“…Let’s head to the English books corner, Lee Soo-Hee.”

Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee picked out an English novel each and grabbed a seat in the corner. The difference in their reading speed was noticeable.

Unlike Ha Jae-Gun, who was reading each page painstakingly trying to decipher the text, Lee Soo-Hee was flipping through the pages quickly as if she were reading a Korean novel.

“How are you so good at English?”

“I worked hard to learn the language.”

Lee Soo-Hee finished reading the book and closed it, giggling.

Ha Jae-Gun took a much thinner book in comparison to hers, but he had just read around a tenth of it.

“I can only work hard, because of my dad.”

“What about your father?”

“He was furious when I told him I wanted to join the creative writing major in university back when I was in high school. He asked why I would choose to study something that I couldn’t make a living out of. My dad had that kind of mindset.”

“Well, Jung-Jin’s father was very against it as well. What did he say back then? Something like if Jung-Jin learned how to use the fryer, he would even pass on his chicken restaurant to him. At least it’s not a useless subject that has nothing else to teach.”

The two laughed for a while until they grew conscious of their surroundings and covered their mouths.

Lee Soo-Hee dragged Ha Jae-Gun to the terrace, avoiding other readers, then said, “My mom supported my decisions, and eventually, my dad gave in and allowed me to study creative writing. But he added a condition to it.”

“What condition?”

“That I have to learn three languages. I’ll have to score full marks on TOEIC, JPT, and get an intermediate level in a third language of my choice before entering university. My TOEIC was originally in the 800s, so that wasn’t too hard. I usually liked anime, so my score for JPT was not a problem. It was German that was hard for me to learn.”

“…”

Ha Jae-Gun only looked at Lee Soo-Hee with a stunned expression. She calmly continued, “My dad runs a pawnshop in Namdaemun, and he has dealt with countless foreigners when he was younger. Thanks to that, he didn’t have to study languages separately and is still quite fluent in English.”

“I kind of understand your father’s thinking. He’s been living life that way, so he must have felt the importance of foreign languages more than others.”

Ha Jae-Gun nodded as a few thoughts went through his mind. As those fragmented thoughts get pieced together, they gradually begin to take form.

“Lee Soo-Hee.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you heard anything from your father about his pawnshop before?”

“Why the pawnshop out of the blue?”

“I just thought it’d be great to add his story as the owner of a pawnshop into The Market and Its People—no, Market Place. Actually, the Bucheon Market I used as a motif for the story also has a pawnshop.”

“I haven’t heard much about the pawnshop from him before. He didn’t look like he likes to talk about them too. It must have been a tough period.”

“I see. Anyway, I think I’ve got to conduct an interview about this soon.” Ha Jae-Gun quickly pulled out his notepad and wrote down the words pawnshop owner along with a brief summary of the ideas he had on his mind.

Lee Soo-Hee glanced briefly, then added, “Ha Jae-Gun.”

“Yeah?”

“If you ever meet my dad in the future…”

“Of course I should visit him soon. I was about to suggest paying your family a visit after you go back to Korea.”

“No no, I meant that my dad is a little eccentric. So, I’m sort of asking for your understanding in advance in case you meet him in the future.”

Ha Jae-Gun finished writing on his notepad and then looked up with a smile. Instead of replying her, Ha Jae-Gun pulled Lee Soo-Hee into an embrace.

Lee Soo-Hee wrapped her arms around Ha Jae-Gun. The hot, sticky weather was not enough to separate the two of them.

***

“Why can’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s personal information. I’m sorry.” Deputy Seo kept repeating herself.

The man standing before her with a ridiculous look on his face was Oh Myung-Hoon. He came straight to the office after touching down at the airport.

“Look here, Deputy Seo. Do you not know who I am?”

“I know that you’re Writer Oh Myung-Hoon.”

“Yes, and I know that you’re Deputy Seo. We worked together back when I wrote the scenario for Dragon Knights

.”

 

Deputy Seo fixed her blouse and gave a faint smile. ‘What a hypocrite.’

She had greeted him countless times back at the headquarters, but Oh Myung-Hoon had never greeted her back even once. He would even create discord between departments and make the entire team suffer.

“I’m not asking for too much, I’m just asking for the address to her place. I’m not asking for Lee Soo-Hee—I mean Team Leader Lee’s bank account password, right?”

“My answer is still the same. Please contact Team Leader Lee yourself as this is something I can’t tell you without her permission.” Deputy Seo said her piece and turned away.

Oh Myung-Hoon glared as Deputy Seo walked away, like a dog preying on the chicken on the roof.

‘Phew… Oh Myung-Hoon. You’re calm now. You should hold yourself back.‘

Oh Myung-Hoon grit his teeth, and chose to hold himself back, not showing his temper. He held his phone in hand and dialed Lee Soo-Hee’s number.

‘Why isn’t she answering her phone?‘

Deputy Seo had mentioned earlier that Lee Soo-Hee was on vacation.

Did Lee Soo-Hee go somewhere far? If he had known he would miss her like this, he would have contacted her in advance before coming over.

‘Ah…!‘

A woman’s face surfaced in Oh Myung-Hoon’s mind and he snapped his fingers. If she were still working in Nextion, she would definitely know. He quickly looked up Hye-Mi’s name in his contacts.

— Hello? Mr. Oh Myung-Hoon?!

Hye-Mi answered the call in less than a couple of rings. Oh Myung-Hoon greeted her as a formality before asking his question.

“How are you doing?”

— Why did you call out of the blue…! I-I am doing fine. What about you? How is life in America?

“It was just alright. It served as a management lesson for me as well.”

— That’s great to hear. You’re not sick anywhere, right? Have you been eating regularly? When will you be coming back to Korea?

Hye-Mi’s simultaneous questions was getting on Oh Myung-Hoon’s nerves. He held himself back and replied calmly, “I’ll be returning soon. I’ll call you again then.”

— Alright… I’ll wait for your call then.

“But Ms. Hye-Mi,”

—Yes, please go ahead.

Oh Myung-Hoon glanced back at Nextion’s branch building and asked, “Where do the Nextion employees at the Taiwan branch stay? Or do they all have their own place?”

— Taiwan branch? They have a separate studio for employees, and the people working there can choose to stay there. That’s what I know. What about it?

— Oh, nothing. There’s someone I know who is working there, and I was thinking of sending them something. Can you let me know the name of the studio and the address? It’ll be even better if you have the list of employees staying there too.

— Well, it’s not difficult. I’ll look into it and send it over via email.

“Thank you. I’ll call you again, so I hope everything is going well for you.”

— Thanks, Mr. Oh Myung-Hoon. I’m glad that you called. I’ll be waiting.

A few minutes after they ended the call, an email came to Oh Myung-Hoon. He cheered silently and started heading toward the address given in the message.

It wasn’t that far from Nextion’s office.

***

‘It must be that building.’

Oh Myung-Hoon soon arrived at the place where Lee Soo-Hee was staying at.

Opposite the small building had a small restaurant selling simple meals and alcohol, as well as a cafe. Feeling thirsty, Oh Myung-Hoon headed to the cafe and ordered himself a cup of iced coffee.

‘Please be at home…!‘

Oh Myung-Hoon prayed earnestly as he pulled out his phone. The moment when he was keying in Lee Soo-Hee’s number, the silhouette of a familiar lady walked the same way where he walked earlier.

Oh Myung-Hoon’s eyes were attracted to her, and his eyes slowly grew wider. It was Lee Soo-Hee’s face, which he had often dreamt of.

She was tilting her head from side to side, smiling like the happiest person in this world.

‘Lee Soo-Hee…!‘

Mesmerized, Oh Myung-Hoon almost dropped the coffee in his hand. He had been waiting to meet Lee Soo-Hee for a long time. His irregular breathing grew hotter by the minute.

Flinch!

“…?!”

Oh Myung-Hoon’s face changed, and he stopped in his tracks.

Lee Soo-Hee wasn’t walking alone. There was a man chasing after her with a huge cone of ice cream in both hands. Recognizing the man, Oh Myung-Hoon subconsciously hid himself deep in the alley.

‘Why… is that punk… doing here?!’

The person he loves the most.

Also, the person he hates the most.

They were both in the same angle. Oh Myung-Hoon’s teeth chattered, and his body retreated deeper into the alley while glaring at both Lee Soo-Hee and Ha Jae-Gun entering the building.

Chapter 186. The Bombing Starts (7)

 

The stairway of the building was covered in glass, so one could see from the outside. Oh Myung-Hoon stood against the wall, and his eyes were following Lee Soo-Hee and Ha Jae-Gun closely as they went up the stairs.

Both of them then disappeared into the corridor on the third floor. A while later, Oh Myung-Hoon spotted lights turning on at one of the units, and he was able to make out Lee Soo-Hee’s face through the slight gap between the drawn curtains at the window.

‘It’s nothing…!’ Oh Myung-Hoon suppressed himself as his fists clenched.

Ha Jae-Gun and himself were both her classmates. Ha Jae-Gun had to be here on a vacation as well. He had to have come here to see Lee Soo-Hee, who was working here and dropped by her house for a while.

The sun was setting on the horizon.

Oh Myung-Hoon checked the time on his watch; it was 5 p.m. It was still early for dinner. He pondered for a while, and then he entered the cafe next door to soothe his anxious heart.

‘I have to be as natural as possible…!’

He was having difficulties calming his pounding heart.

Oh Myung-Hoon sat in a corner facing the window. ‘It’s impossible.’

There was no way Lee Soo-Hee and Ha Jae-Gun were in that kind of relationship.

Oh Myung-Hoon kept convincing himself.

‘I’ll pretend to bump into her here… And then confess to her once more. I don’t care if he’s around or not…!’

Oh Myung-Hoon pulled out a small box from his pocket. It was a present he had gotten for Lee Soo-Hee. He bought it after carefully choosing a gift that was suitable to her taste.

Oh Myung-Hoon held it in his hand tightly to his forehead, praying earnestly.

Thirty minutes later, the curtains by the window were fully drawn. Oh Myung-Hoon started going crazy because he could no longer see inside. The time for him to finish a cup of tea had long passed. It was too much for him to wait any longer, so he pulled out his phone.

— The subscriber cannot be reached. Please try again later.

Clack!

His phone slipped out of his hand and dropped on the tabletop. The light in that particular unit was slowly dimming.

Oh Myung-Hoon swallowed once as his insides trembled. He instinctively stood up. Oh Myung-Hoon could not stand watching the lights in the unit go out, but it turned off completely. The color drained from his face. His bluish lips dropped half open as he plopped back into his seat, looking as if his soul had left his body.

‘…What went wrong? What have I been working so hard for?’

He clenched his teeth so hard that his gums turned red. Tears welled up in Oh Myung-Hoon’s eyes. He was confused, wondering how things had gone wrong.

He had now learned and became a man who knew how to distinguish between personal and work matters; he even worked hard to promote and sell the novel written by the person he hated the most in the U.S.

However, he couldn’t believe that this was the outcome he ended up achieving.

He slowly crushed the gift box in his hand. His eyes turned bloodshot as he ground his teeth in anger, and huge droplets of hot tears dropped from his eyes down his face.

Oh Myung-Hoon remained in his seat with lingering feelings that he couldn’t shake off. He had desperately hoped that this was just caused by a small misunderstanding.

Trusting that Lee Soo-Hee would be checking her phone about now…

Bzzt!

Oh Myung-Hoon raised his head immediately. His momentarily happy face hardened into stone in an instant.

It wasn’t a call from Lee Soo-Hee but a call from his subordinate.

“…Hello.”

— Director, the promotions in Boston are going well currently. As mentioned, by noon tomorrow, Barnes & Noble, Trident, and Havard Square…

“Stop all of them.”

— Pardon? Director, what did you just say…

“Didn’t you hear me? Stop all promotions for There Was A Sea,” Oh Myung-Hoon spat.

His subordinate sounded flustered.

— But, Director, we only have two days left until it starts, and we’ve made all the payments. Why are you stopping all promotions at this time…

Oh Myung-Hoon’s eyes flipped right there and then.

“How many times do I have to repeat myself?! I don’t care about the money, just stop everything at once! Is the money coming out of your pocket?! It’s my company’s money!”

— I-I apologize! I- I- I will do as you say.

Beep!

Oh Myung-Hoon hung up unilaterally. He was about to throw his phone at the wall but held himself back. If he did throw it, then his thread-like connection with Lee Soo-Hee would disappear entirely.

On that same night, the cafe owner found unattended items on a table—a crushed mobile phone missing a SIM and a valuable diamond ring.

***

“How was Taiwan? How dare you go there alone?”

“Who’s the one who said that they couldn’t step away because of the academy?” Ha Jae-Gun said as he turned the steering wheel, driving into the carpark of the hypermarket.

Ha Jae-Gun went to Suwon immediately after touching down in Korea to have lunch with his family and to look at the land where they would be building their new house.

“I saw the blueprint, I think it’s going to turn out great.”

“Yeah, the architect is also Dad’s friend, so I’m quite relieved.”

“The wall must be built high enough.”

“How many times must I say it? It will be built high enough.”

Ha Jae-In kept fidgeting with her phone throughout their entire conversation.

Ha Jae-In continued while replying to a message on her phone. “We asked to include six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two living rooms, and a study. We even asked to design the rooftop like a cafe’s terrace. The garage will also be built beside the garden.”

“That’s even better than my place in Seoul.”

“All thanks to my famous younger brother.”

They parked at one of the many parking lots in the carpark. Ha Jae-Gun turned off the engine and told off Jae-In, who was still fidgeting with her phone.

“Why are you so busy on your phone? Playing games?”

“Huh? N-no. When did we arrive? Let’s go.”

Ha Jae-In seemingly hid her phone and slipped it into her pocket, and then she opened the door.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled lightly and took out a 100-won coin to take a cart.

“It’s Director Nam, right?” he asked.

“…”

“Why are you blushing like a teenager?”

“Are you asking for a scolding?”

“Are you dating him seriously?”

“Sigh, what… I only meet him for meals, take a walk, and go out for drives occasionally.”

“That’s called dating.”

“…”

Ha Jae-Gun pushed the cart onto the escalator and said, “I’m just telling you, but I’m happy for you.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah, so don’t worry about me and go date him.”

That was all Ha Jae-Gun said for Ha Jae-In on that matter. Ha Jae-Gun was worried that he couldn’t help her much. After all, he was aware of just what kind of family Nam Gyu-Ho had. Would they eventually get together? Or would they break up and hurt each other in the end?

‘Maybe I should meet him soon.’

He stole a glance at Ha Jae-In, who was still replying to messages on her phone.

Ha Jae-Gun nodded his head, organizing his thoughts.

The siblings soon finished their shopping and returned to the cart full of groceries. While he loaded the trunk with his groceries, a message came in from Content Producer Bae.

Although it didn’t say much, he could tell that Content Producer Bae was waiting for his reply.

‘I should give an answer to Content Producer Bae soon too.’

His next drama was something to consider seriously, but to appear as a fixed panelist on Let’s Watch A Movie was something that he had to decide as well.

While contemplating, a call from Kwon Tae-Won came in.

“Yes, President.”

— How was your trip to Taiwan?

“It was great. How have you been?”

— Well, how long has it been? I have been well. Ah, have you heard that the Oscar’s Dungeon novel had reached third on the rankings?

“Wow, it’s now in third place?”

— Yes. I think the ebook cumulative sales have hit about 1.5 million copies sold.

“1.5 million?”

The novel had just been released not so long ago, but it had already reached 1.5 million copies sold. Ha Jae-Gun finally understood the difference in the market size between both countries.

— There are many volumes, so the sales are going up fast. I will let you know the exact numbers once Teencent Literatures has given me an update. The performance will also be known to the public through news articles by then. Please verify your bank account on the royalties I’ve just transferred you. Don’t be surprised and say, ‘How do I read this number? How many zeroes are there?’ Hahaha!

Kwon Tae-Won laughed heartily, but he soon calmed down.

— But Writer Ha, I went to the office in the morning, and all the writers seemed to be looking depressed.

“Why is that?”

— I’m not sure about the others, but Writer Lee has released King of Objection recently. But the initial response is… similar to before.

“Ahh, I see…” A shadow was cast over Ha Jae-Gun’s face.

Kwon Tae-Won was referring to Lee Yeon-Woo’s new novel, King of Objection, which was released recently while Ha Jae-Gun was away in Taiwan. His last novel had crumbled devastatingly, but if the response was the same this time, how hard would it be on Lee Yeon-Woo?

— I’m not sure what’s wrong either. I can only say that he’s been unlucky looking at the market trends recently. I can only say that it’s by random and by luck. His sentences have improved by leaps and bounds, and the story development is easy to follow. Does it have to do with the plot itself?

“There’s nothing else I can say if that’s the conclusion you’ve come up with. I will stop by the office later then.”

Ha Jae-Gun hung up the phone, feeling uncomfortable. Lee Yeon-Woo’s gloomy face appeared before his eyes. Lee Yeon-Woo always looked many times sadder than others when he was actually depressed but still tried hard not to lose his smile.

“Noona, I don’t think we can have lunch together today.” Ha Jae-Gun had made up his mind.

Ha Jae-In looked at him and asked, “Why? Aren’t you meeting Jung-Jin and Hyo-Jin for dinner?”

“I forgot that I had to go to the writer’s office today. I’ll come back again in a few days.”

Ha Jae-Gun dropped Ha Jae-In back home and then started driving to Bucheon.

It was still midday, so the traffic was smooth.

‘What’s this? This isn’t even a mourner’s house…’

Ha Jae-Gun flinched instinctively as soon as he opened the door to the office. Lee Yeon-Woo laid his head at his table with one hand supporting his head, while Yang Hyun-Kyung stood leaning against the window with his head dropped. Then there was Kang Min-Ho on the sofa, messing up his hair with both hands.

Everyone was occupied deep in their own thoughts; they didn’t even notice Ha Jae-Gun’s arrival.

“What is everyone doing?”

“…Oh? Writer Ha, you’ve returned?” Kang Min-Ho stopped his antics and stood up.

Yang Hyun-Kyung followed and turned around while Lee Yeon-Woo looked up.

They all looked like living corpses.

“What’s up with the listless look? The lights are all out, too. Where is everyone else?”

“Deputy Jung and Director Lee took Rika and Nun-Sol to the vet. Eun-Young is having a bad headache, and she’s sleeping right now.”

“I see. Has everyone had lunch? Yeon-Woo, have you eaten?”

“I’m sorry, hyung. I don’t have the appetite today,” Lee Yeon-Woo said.

“I’m feeling bloated as well, so I won’t be eating,” Yang Hyun-Kyung replied.

Ha Jae-Gun thought for a while, then signaled to Kang Min-Ho to talk to him separately.

Kang Min-Ho understood the signal and followed Ha Jae-Gun out of the office.

“What happened? I heard that Yeon-Woo was depressed because of his new work, but what about you and Writer Yang?”

“There’s a woman that Yang Hyun-Kyung likes… and he heard that she’s getting married next week.”

“…” Ha Jae-Gun was at a loss for words and looked out the window.

After a few seconds of silence, both of them smiled bitterly and nodded at each other.

“He can find someone better.”

“Of course.”

“So… what about you?”

“I um…” Kang Min-Ho scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh first. His expression turned serious, then looked around them before answering, “I actually have something to tell you, Writer Ha.”

“Please speak.”

“Actually… Jang Eun-Young and I are dating.”

“Wow, that’s great news. I’m surprised.” Ha Jae-Gun replied, clapping his hands. However, he didn’t look as surprised.

“So you knew about it all this while…”

“How can I not know when it’s so obvious? I can finally congratulate you now.”

Kang Min-Ho shook his head and sighed. His eyes wandered around the ground, and then finally looked at Ha Jae-Gun again.

“Well, it’s just that.”

“What?”

“Both Hyun-Kyung and Yeon-Woo are suffering so much that it made me wonder if it’s alright for both of us to be feeling so happy all the time.” Kang Min-Ho smiled softly.

Of course, Ha Jae-Gun didn’t believe his words. He could tell that Kang Min-Ho was hiding something from him.

“Writer Kang.” Ha Jae-Gun took a step forward and continued, “Please tell me what’s worrying you if it’s not something huge that you have to hide from me.”

“It’s nothing like that, really. Why would I hide things from you, Writer Ha.”

“Really?”

“Yes. That’s all. Aren’t there such days that come to you out of the blue? I think Yeon-Woo and Hyun-Kyung’s sadness is contagious. Hahaha.”

There was no way Ha Jae-Gun could ask further. Kang Min-Ho retreated and then made his leave first. “I think I have to go wake Eun-Young up first.”

“Ah, yes… Please go ahead.”

Kang Min-Ho then went back into the office and closed the door behind him. Ha Jae-Gun stood in the middle of the corridor and looked at the closed door.

He suddenly felt a distance between the writers whom he had thought he had been considerably close with.

The door would be easily opened with a four-digit password, yet he felt as if he wouldn’t be able to pass through it like a thick wall.

Ha Jae-Gun thought he had done his best so far, sparing everything in his means to support the writers in the office. But was that really the case?

Could he have been neglecting them without realizing it? Maybe he had been too occupied with his own growth and could not look out for the others.

Eventually, Ha Jae-Gun turned around and walked away. He realized that there was nothing he could do, even if he were in the office today. It was only near midnight that day when he found out that Kang Min-Ho and Jang Eun-Young were struggling with their lease loan problem.

Chapter 187. The Bombing Starts (8)

 

“That’s a given.”

“It is?” Ha Jae-Gun asked while bringing the glass of beer to his mouth.

It was past midnight, and he was currently at Park Do-Joon’s place. Sitting across from him was Park Do-Joon, who crushed the beer can in his hand, which he had just emptied, and shrugged his shoulders.

“Think about this in their shoes. Let’s say I’m still an unknown actor from seven to eight years ago. You’re a famous writer, while my popularity is near to none, and my income is still meager. However, I’m in need of money to pay for a yearly lease and asked to borrow money from you; what would you do?”

“I’ll lend it to you, of course,” Ha Jae-Gun replied without hesitation.

Park Do-Joon scratched his head and stood up. He took out two new cans of beer from the fridge and said, “Ah, I gave the wrong example. Let’s say you’re an unknown writer, and you have become friends with me, a global star, now. Would you be able to ask me to lend you money for your yearly lease? Even if I’m a friend who is much more wealthy than most people?”

“That…”

“Yes. I have the money and will lend it to you. However, the real problem here isn’t whether I’ll lend you the money or not. What if this breaks the good friendship we have? Or they might be afraid of how the other person will look at them, too. They’re afraid to be that person who can’t do anything on their own or that person who prefers to depend on others rather than work hard.”

Tsss.

Park Do-Joon opened a can of beer and handed it to Ha Jae-Gun. “Anyway, it won’t be just these reasons. Everyone probably thinks that you’ve helped them a lot already, and you even allowed them to move into a larger office. The rent they’re paying right now is nothing short of a bargain, either. How can those writers say such things to you without feeling like they’re shameless?”

“Hmm… I understand what you’re driving at.” Ha Jae-Gun nodded and looked toward the terrace.

As days passed into autumn, the stars littering the night sky became clearer.

“I don’t think there’s any problem. The writers like you a lot, and they are going with the flow as usual.”

Park Do-Joon took a sip of his beer and added cautiously, “If you’re still worried, why don’t you approach them first with an open mind?”

“…?”

“With a more humane approach. Don’t take things the wrong way. I’m not saying that you’re doing things wrong now, but humans need some distance between each other, too.”

Bzzt!

Park Do-Joon’s phone rang, cutting off their conversation. He excused himself and answered the call.

“Ah, you’re here? Just come right up. I’m with Ha Jae-Gun, of course. No, there’s no vodka. We’re only having some beer. Yeah, just come right up. See you.”

Ha Jae-Gun silently chuckled as Park Do-Joon hung up. He had known that Lee Chae-Rin would be joining them tonight.

“Ah, where were we?”

“You were saying that humans need some distance between each other.”

“Ah, right. I just thought of this all of a sudden, but you still call everyone else Writer XXX except for Yeon-Woo. I think there must be a reason for you to do that. Anyway, let’s continue after Lee Chae-Rin arrives.”

“Thanks for your advice.”

“There’s no need…”

Beep! Beep! Beep!

“How are you here so fast? Did you install boosters at your feet or something?”

The door opened, and Lee Chae-Rin came dashing in wearing a training suit with a huge shopping bag in one hand. Her still made-up face looked pale under the lights.

“Jae-Gun oppa, this is a present for you.”

“Present for me?”

“The OST I sang for Gyeoja Bathhouse is doing very well, and since it’s thanks to you that I got the opportunity, I wanted to give you a present to repay you.”

“I didn’t do anything to deserve this.” Ha Jae-Gun accepted the shopping bag awkwardly. He took a look inside and saw a huge box containing a family game console.

Lee Chae-Rin watched Ha Jae-Gun in a daze and giggled loudly. “Heehee! I actually bought this because I wanted to play it! You can install it in your basement lounge, and then I can play it whenever I go over to hang out!”

“Hey, do you even have any conscience?” Park Do-Joon nagged.

Lee Chae-Rin stuck out her tongue playfully in response.

“But you guys like playing games anyway. How can you guys just play billiards every time you meet? Look at the serious looks you have on your face every time we crack a joke. You really make me feel disheartened.”

“Enough. Go and wash up first. Change out of your clothes and remove your make-up too.”

“Hmph!”

Ha Jae-Gun sneakily removed himself from the bickering couple and sat down on the sofa in the living room. The TV was playing a variety program from earlier that Ha Jae-Gun did not know the name of. Ha Jae-Gun stared at the TV, lost in thoughts. The conversation he had with Park Do-Joon earlier got him thinking.

After a while, Lee Chae-Rin went to wash up, and Park Do-Joon came to sit beside Ha Jae-Gun on the sofa. He grabbed the remote control and asked Ha Jae-Gun, “Are you watching this now?”

“No, watch whatever you want.”

“Thanks. It’s about time for it to start.” Park Do-Joon changed the channel on the TV immediately.

Just then, the logo for Let’s Watch A Movie appeared on the screen. Park Do-Joon laid down horizontally on the sofa and muttered, “I’ve been busy recently, so I haven’t been able to watch this at all.”

“You like this program?”

“Yeah, I don’t really care about the others, but I’ll definitely watch this when I have the time.” Ha Jae-Gun put down his can of beer and looked at Park Do-Joon. Content Producer Bae had proposed Ha Jae-Gun to join the show as a fixed panelist. He didn’t know Park Do-Joon was an avid viewer of this program.

“Is this program that interesting to watch?” Ha Jae-Gun asked, curious to hear Park Do-Joon’s reason.

Park Do-Joon scratched his cheeks and replied softly, “It’s quite interesting, and I’ve been watching it since I was young. So… kind of like a habit?”

“I see.”

Park Do-Joon seemed to have more to say, so Ha Jae-Gun waited quietly. However, a call from Woo Tae-Bong came in.

“He must have called because it’s the commercial break now. Yeah, Tae-Bong hyung. No, I’m at home, of course.”

Park Do-Joon moved to the common bedroom to continue his phone conversation. Then, Lee Chae-Rin appeared with a fresh face from the bathroom after washing up.

“I knew you guys would be watching this,” Lee Chae-Rin murmured as she sat next to Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun looked curiously at her, “Is there a special reason why Do-Joon watches this program?”

“Didn’t he tell you? Hm, it’s nothing special…”

Lee Chae-Rin glanced at the common bedroom for a while and whispered, “He told me it’s the program that his late older brother liked.”

“Ahh…”

“He said he always watched this program with his older brother when he was younger. His older brother loved movies and would talk a lot about the movies while watching the show.”

Ha Jae-Gun turned solemnly to the TV. The sight of Park Do-Joon sobbing while delivering his thank you speech at the Baeksong Arts Award surfaced in his mind.

“He would sometimes cry while watching the program alone at night now, too. So even if I can’t meet him on days of the show’s rerun, I would always give him a call. Don’t tell Do-Joon that I told you this, okay?”

Ha Jae-Gun nodded, smiling bitterly. At the same time, Park Do-Joon appeared from the common bedroom after ending the call with Tae-Bong.

“What conspiracy are the both of you planning now? Spill.”

“Tae-Bong hyung is doing well, right?”

“Don’t change the topic. You guys were talking bad about me, right? Hey, Lee Chae-Rin, spill it.”

“Kyaak! Don’t…!”

Park Do-Joon carried Lee Chae-Rin on his shoulders and spun themselves a few times on the spot. As Ha Jae-Gun watched them with a smile, he soon made up his mind.

The quiet autumn night was growing darker.

***

Meanwhile, Yoon Tae-Sung was watching the TV with Lee Eun-Ha at his place. On the coffee table in front of them was a spread of food bought from the convenience store: sandwiches, crackers, and cans of beer scattered across.

“It’s really a huge mess. I can’t help but hear double sounds whenever I watch this,” Lee Eun-Ha spat bitterly as she glared at the TV.

They were watching the movie Summer in My 20s, which was directed by Woo Jae-Hoon.

“Aren’t you tired of cursing every time you watch this? Let’s watch something else.” Yoon Tae-Sung clicked his tongue as he grabbed the remote control.

Lee Eun-Ha quickly reached out and pressed his arm down.

“Just leave it.”

“Why are you still watching it?”

“I just want to curse at it more. It’s fun watching while cursing him out, too. How could Woo Jae-Hoon screw up such a great novel like that? I wouldn’t be able to create trash like this even if I made up my mind to mess it up. The post-editor must have had a hard time.”

Lee Eun-Ha was originally a reader of Summer in My 20s and liked the novel a lot. As it had the element of mystery in it, she enjoyed it even after reading the novel a couple of times. Not only that, Ha Jae-Gun delicately expressed the hardships experienced by women in general who are socially underprivileged in the workforce. This was one of the many details that captured Lee Eun-Ha’s heart.

“Argh, I’m so angry! If I had a megaphone, I would have yelled at him out loud!” Lee Eun-Ha clenched her fists and stomped her feet.

Yoon Tae-Sung picked up a cracker and mumbled, “Forget about it since it’s already happened. So what will you do? You have to give a reply next week, so you should start considering already.”

“Mm…”

Lee Eun-Ha stopped fussing and raised her knees to her face, burying her head between them. Yoon Tae-Sung was referring to the proposal of her directing a webtoon. This proposal came in thanks to the great success of Market Place.

“Do you not like it because it’s a web drama?”

“It’s not that. I just don’t have confidence in romance genres.”

“Didn’t you promise me back then that you’d do it since you’re in a hurry? You said you’d do anything that pays regardless of the quality and your own preferences.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it, did I? I’m just not confident.”

“Isn’t it the same?”

“Why are you picking up a fight again? Are you boasting that you’re now a famous director? Do you want to die?!”

“Arghhh!” Lee Eun-Ha pounced on Yoon Tae-Sung. She grabbed hold of one of his legs. Just as she was about to twist it, her phone rang.

“Director Yoon! Count yourself lucky! But who is calling at this hour?”

Lee Eun-Ha looked at the name shown on the screen and froze instantly. It was a message from Ha Jae-Gun.

Yoon Tae-Sung stood up with a worried look behind her and asked, “Why? What is it?”

“…”

“Hey, Eun-Ha. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

Lee Eun-Ha turned around slowly. Yoon Tae-Sung’s face darkened when Lee Eun-Ha looked like she was about to cry. However, a few seconds later, Lee Eun-Ha suddenly burst into loud cheers and pounced on him once more, and they collapsed onto the sofa together.

***

“There are no issues. We can make those arrangements for you.”

“Please let me know if there are any unreasonable requests. I’m not trying to force my way through either, I am open to negotiations.”

“No, there’s nothing that requires your compromisation. I’ve said it before, didn’t I? We can do this with any of your previous works. On top of that, I’ve recognized Director Lee Eun-Ha’s skills through Market Place this time as well. I’ll push for her to become the sole director for the next drama.”

“I’m really thankful to you, Content Producer Bae.”

Content Producer Bae smiled and raised his glass. Ha Jae-Gun shared a toast with the man and emptied the glass. He barely managed to suppress the nauseating feeling in him.

Looking back, Ha Jae-Gun had been drinking quite frequently. There had been more occasions where he had to drink with others.

“We weren’t able to hit twenty percent in viewership ratings, but it was the best recorded in history. Definitely.” Content Producer Bae smiled. The last episode of Market Place had hit nineteen percent and ended with a bang.

“If a one-act play had turned into such a hot topic, imagine what effect a full-length drama would bring about. It’s unimaginable as of now. You’ve made a great decision. Please accept this drink.”

“Ah, thank you. Let me pour you one as well.”

Ha Jae-Gun felt weird as they exchanged another toast. They had discussed everything related to work, yet Content Producer Bae kept asking him to drink and was picking up speed as compared to usual.

“You must be in the mood to drink today, Content Producer-nim,” Ha Jae-Gun commented.

Tae-Gon’s eyes twitched slightly at the remark. “Haha… Does it seem that way?”

Content Producer Bae glossed over with a chuckle and put down his glass. He felt like he had been seen through.

“Um… I must have gotten a bit too comfortable around you. I guess it’s inevitable when you’ve already met with someone a few times. Hoho. The floor is feeling quite warm as well.” Content Producer Bae slapped the ground a couple of times.

He then looked around and asked with a serious look, “Um… Mr. Ha.”

“Yes, Content Producer-nim, please speak.”

“I’m just asking this without any intentions, but are you twenty-nine this year?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Ha Jae-Gun replied, though wondering why the man asked.

Content Producer Bae then chuckled to himself and scratched the back of his head.

“So, the reason I’m asking you this is because… I thought you should be thinking about marriage soon…”

“Ahh, yes…” Ha Jae-Gun finally understood the meaning behind his question and smiled awkwardly.

Content Producer Bae suddenly scooted over to him closely, and then he thrust his face over the table of food and asked, “If you still don’t have a partner, I’d like to be your matchmaker.”

“…”

“Actually, the other party brought this up first, and she’s quite close to me. She seems to very eagerly want to be in a relationship with you. Ah, of course, I won’t introduce you to just anyone. I’m sure Mr. Ha will like her as well.” Content Producer Bae slapped his chest confidently.

He was silently waiting for Ha Jae-Gun to ask who the other party was.

However, Ha Jae-Gun stayed silent, as He could already guess the lady’s identity.

“Mr. Ha…?” Content Producer Bae had always been impatient, so he couldn’t wait for even five seconds for Ha Jae-Gun to compose himself.

“Aren’t you curious who the lady is?”

“Ah, yes. I… am curious.”

“Hahaha, I knew it. Actually, you know her, too.” Content Producer Bae snapped his fingers.

While Ha Jae-Gun acted as if he was genuinely curious, Content Producer Bae whispered, “It’s Announcer Park Hye-Sang.”

“…I see.” Ha Jae-Gun nodded with a bitter smile.

The dull reaction, different from his expectations, made Content Producer Bae feel disappointed.

“Didn’t you have a meal together before? Do you… not like her?”

“No. Ms. Hye-Sang is really pretty and clever; she’s also a nice person.” Ha Jae-Gun slowly looked up.

There was no reason for him to hesitate. Ha Jae-Gun looked at Content Producer Bae with calm eyes and opened his mouth to speak.

Chapter 188. The Bombing Starts (9)

 

[Gyeoja Bathhouse hits 3.6 million viewers, and takes the title of top horror movie in Korea!]

[What’s the final score of Gyeoja Bathhouse after its small-scale long-premiere period?]

[Gyeoja Bathhouse novel goes into third reprint, ranks 12th on New York Times Bestseller, about to enter Top 10]

[Representative of U.S. Paramountain’s License Procurer considers a remake of Gyeoja Bathhouse]

“It feels like news from another world,” Yang Hyun-Kyung mumbled as he read the headlines on his phone.

Yang Hyun-Kyung was currently in a pub near the writer’s office. With him was Lee Yeon-Woo, downing glass after glass of soju with anguish in his face.

“I always wonder if the Writer Ha they’re talking about here is the same Writer Ha I meet in the office. Ah, seriously. He’s in a whole different league.” Yang Hyun-Kyung let out a sigh and ruffled his hair.

Lee Yeon-Woo only filled up his empty glass with soju without saying anything.

“Hey, Yeon-Woo. You’re drinking too fast.”

“I want to be drunk today, hyung.”

“You should at least start drinking after the chicken is served. Madam! It’s fine if our chicken isn’t fully cooked. Please serve it quickly. My younger brother’s insides are going to rot at this rate.”

Just then, the door of the pub’s entrance opened, and Jung So-Mi walked in. She looked around the restaurant for a while until she spotted Lee Yeon-Woo and Yang Hyun-Kyung.

“You guys look like the world is ending. What’s wrong?” Jung So-Mi started nagging as she sat down next to Lee Yeon-Woo.

Lee Yeon-Woo had been in low spirits recently. “Deputy Jung, you don’t understand.”

Yang Hyun-Kyung filled Jung So-Mi’s glass. “Ah, seriously… I liked her first. Yeah, what’s so what if I like her first? She’s getting married to the doctor in the end. Yeah, doctors are great. I think they are great as well. They have great careers as compared to unknown writers like me.”

“Please, enough with the self-sabotage. And what’s wrong with you, Writer Yang? Your sales are getting better day by day. Everyone’s talents are different.”

Jung So-Mi then filled Yang Hyun-Kyung’s glass in return and said, “Who knows what will happen five years from now? Writer Yang might have published a lot more novels by then, and your royalties will come in automatically, like pension payments. Isn’t that the case already?”

“Huhu, that’s true. That’s one of the best perks of being a writer.” Yang Hyun-Kyung and Jung So-Mi shared a toast and emptied their glasses.

However, Lee Yeon-Woo still remained silent as his shoulders and head dropped gloomily.

“Hey, Yeon-Woo. Cheer up. I’m only letting you know this now, but my debut novel’s performance was trash as well. Slater, you know that novel, right?”

“Of course I know.”

“You teased me about it the first time I came to the office, remember? You even said—Oh, Slater? I haven’t read it after the hiatus, was it completed?’”

“Argh, hyung. How many times must I clarify that I didn’t say it with those intentions? I asked out of pure curiosity.” Lee Yeon-Woo looked up, feeling wronged.

Yang Hyun-Kyung and Jung So-Mi chuckled.

“Alright, fine. That’s not important. Anyway, just know that I suffered a lot while writing Slater, too. I felt horrible about the bad performance, but after completing the paid serialization and publishing it as an ebook, things turned around. I get 100,000 won in royalties every month now. And that’s just for Slater.”

“You’ve mentioned it multiple times, hyung.”

“Yeah, Yeon-Woo. Do you really think that you can just pick 100,000 won up anywhere? And do I only have Slater under my belt? I have the novel after Slater and even my most recent work. They bring me at least 500,000 won every month in royalties now. This is how it is. Don’t be discouraged just because things aren’t looking good right now; just focus on writing.”

The chicken they ordered was served. Yang Hyun-Kyung served a drumstick each to Lee Yeon-Woo and Jung So-Mi’s plate as he continued. “I understand. I had countless thoughts going through my mind before. I wondered if I could really live as a writer and why I find writing so hard. I even fell into the dark hole of playing with stocks.”

“You dabbled in the stock market?”

“Yes, and that’s why Writer Ha kicked me out that one time.”

“What? Really? Jae-Gun hyung chased you out?” Lee Yeon-Woo turned dumbfounded.

Bitter smiles appeared on the faces of both Yang Hyun-Kyung and Jung So-Mi.

“No, Ha Jae-Gun hyung really… I can’t believe it.”

“You just don’t know him that well. Writer Ha can be really scary at times. He chased me out when I was penniless, and I had to stay and work at a gas station. I realized many things at the time.” Yang Hyun-Kyung stared into space as he recalled those times.

“You know the supplement bottle I used as my pencil holder?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Writer Ha gave that to me. He was still worried about me after chasing me out. He secretly dropped by the gas station I was working at and left it there for me, leaving a note asking me to take care of my body.”

“Jae-Gun hyung is a really nice person.”

“Yes, so cheer up and do your best. Is that all we’re receiving from Writer Ha? It’s a blessing to be able to stay here almost rent-free and work on our novels. You’re just getting started as well, and you’re going to continue doing your best after this drinking session tonight, okay?” Yang Hyun-Kyung raised his glass for a toast.

Lee Yeon-Woo lazily raised his glass and nodded. “I understand. You should cheer up, too, Hyun-Kyung hyung. You can meet a better woman in the future.”

“You…! You almost made me choke on my tears in front of Deputy Jung. Stop talking about that now. Cheers!”

Bzzt!

Just then, Jung So-Mi’s phone rang. Surprised to see Ha Jae-Gun’s name on the screen, she answered immediately.

“Yes, Writer Ha.”

— Where are you? I’m now in the office, but no one is around.”

“I’m at Hoolala having drinks with Writer Yang and Writer Lee.

— Ah, really? I knew it, I’m on my way there. I’ll be there soon.

Ha Jae-Gun was true to his words indeed. In less than three minutes after hanging up, he walked through the doors of the pub. He was in a training suit and slippers.

“You guys are here partying without me? Madam! Please give me a 3,000 cc beer tower here!”

“Uhh, Writer Ha. Why are you doing this? Haven’t you been drinking a lot recently?” Jung So-Mi asked, worried.

Ha Jae-Gun laughed heartily and shook his head. “Drinking because of work isn’t even considered drinking. I should enjoy drinking with my colleagues.”

“But you still have to think about your health first.”

“I’ll just drink today and stop drinking from tomorrow on. Anyway, why do we only have one whole chicken as accompaniment? It’s barely enough for Yeon-Woo alone; what more when there are four of us here? Madam, please add a barbeque squid for us! Cheers!”

As they had their drinks, a few diners from the other tables approached them. They were readers who had recognized Ha Jae-Gun.

“Um… Are you Writer Ha Jae-Gun? I enjoyed your novels a lot.”

“I’m sorry for interrupting your time, but can we take a photo with you?”

Ha Jae-Gun agreed readily and put down his glass. “Yes, please come this way.”

The readers happily stood on each side of Ha Jae-Gun. Amongst the readers, one of them was looking at the writers at the table, tilting their heads to a side in curiosity.

“Are you…Ha Jae-Gun’s stan?”

“Pardon?” Ha Jae-Gun asked with a blank expression.

At the same time, Lee Yeon-Woo turned around nervously, admitting subconsciously that something was bugging him.

“Ah, you are Ha Jae-Gun’s team.”

“Wait, how did that nickname come about…?”

“I saw a photo uploaded on social media with the nickname Ha Jae-Gun’s team. Was that writer’s name Lee Yeon-Woo? It should be…”

Lee Yeon-Woo slowly inched himself deeper into one end of the seat. Ha Jae-Gun frowned with a smile and pulled Lee Yeon-Woo out.

“This friend must have used a dumb nickname when he posted a photo of our company dinner. Shall we take a picture together? Do you want to take together, Writer Yang and Deputy Jung?”

Yang Hyun-Kyung walked up first without hesitation. While Jung So-Mi looked hesitant for a moment before she slowly inched herself closer. She wanted to take more photos with Ha Jae-Gun while she had the opportunity to do so.

“1, 2, 3.”

The shutters went off simultaneously. It was the first photo of Ha Jae-Gun’s team with the readers.

***

“Ugh… Yeon-Woo, I’ve said this a few times; it’s alright. You can just do better next time. It’s alright to fail.”

“Alright, hyung. I’ve really kept that in mind.”

“Writer Yang—no, Yang Hyun-Kyung. I said that I’m going to drop formalities with you from today, right? Half of the entire world are women. I’ll introduce one to you, so just focus on your novel. Do you understand?”

“Writer Ha—no, Ha Jae-Gun hyung. You’d have said it ten times if you repeated this once more. I’m looking forward to it, so make sure you introduce a girl to me.”

The bright moonlight shone down on them. Lee Yeon-Woo and Yang Hyun-Kyung supported the drunk Ha Jae-Gun while Jung So-Mi carried their bags.

‘Why do I feel that he’s overdoing it?’ Jung So-Mi wondered, puzzled.

Ha Jae-Gun’s attitude today was quite different from usual. He was much more talkative than usual.

‘And he isn’t the kind of person to get himself this drunk…’ She had drunk on several occasions with Ha Jae-Gun and understood his alcohol limitations. She thought that Ha Jae-Gun might just be pretending to be drunk and not actually drunk right now.

“What’s this? How did Writer Ha get so drunk?”

Kang Min-Ho and Jang Eun-Young were freaked out as they arrived at the ground floor lobby. Ha Jae-Gun hiccuped and giggled as soon as he saw Kang Min-Ho and embraced the man. “Euheuheu, Writer Kang. I love you.”

“Aigoo, Writer Ha, I love you too. Let me piggyback you now. Heup!”

Yang Hyun-Kyung and Lee Yeon-Woo followed behind Kang Min-Ho as they felt relieved from Ha Jae-Gun’s weight that they had been carrying on the way back.

“Phew…!”

Kang Min-Ho could finally stretch his back after he laid Ha Jae-Gun down on the bed in one of the rooms at the office. Rika approached Ha Jae-Gun and curled up next to him. Kang Min-Ho looked at the pair on the bed, and his eyes turned red.

“Min-Ho hyung, what’s wrong?”

“No… It’s nothing.” Kang Min-Ho wiped the corners of his eyes and glossed over the topic.

Actually, a sense of regret overwhelmed him.

Would it have been better if he had been truthful to Ha Jae-Gun before he lent him a sum of money for his yearly lease? He was choking up as he felt both thankful and apologetic for making Ha Jae-Gun worry needlessly.

“Let’s leave quietly so that Writer Ha can sleep in peace.”

“Okay, I’ll turn off the lights. I won’t be closing the door since Rika is with him.”

The lights in the room turned off, and the door was left slightly ajar. Ha Jae-Gun slowly opened his eyes in the darkness. His eyes met Rika’s eyes, which shone in the darkness. Rika began licking Ha Jae-Gun’s nose with her scruffy tongue.

***

— A commendation from the Minister of Culture? That’s too much. Shouldn’t Writer Ha be awarded the Presidential commendation with his China and U.S. sales performance alone?

“My thoughts exactly. I thought he should be given the Prime Minister commendation at the very least,” Oh Myung-Suk replied bitterly into the phone.

The nominees for each category of the Popular Arts Awards were announced today. Ha Jae-Gun’s name was on the list of candidates for the Minister of Culture commendation. It fell short of Oh Myung-Suk’s expectations.

Meanwhile, Chae Yoo-Jin let out a deep sigh over the phone.

— All these conservative Korean literacy groups are the same. What’s the meaning behind all those Arts Awards? Those who had a deep influence on the development of local pop culture should be commended for it, not based on how long they have stayed in the industry or how old they actually are. It’s going to get noisy on the internet for a while.

“I thought so, too.”

— That aside, I heard back from Paramountain again. They asked if you’re willing to sell the rights for Gyeoja Bathhouse for 1.5 million dollars. It’s the highest amount offered so far.

“1.5 million dollars is definitely a huge amount. I’ll need to discuss this with Mr. Ha.”

— They are also willing to visit Korea as well. I’ll most likely fly over together when the meeting is scheduled, and let’s have some drinks with Writer Has as well. You know this is all thanks to my efforts in promoting Gyeoja Bathhouse, right?

“Yeah, I was waiting for you to say that today.”

Oh Myung-Suk and Chae Yoo-Jin both burst into laughter. Thanks to Ha Jae-Gun, they now had more things to laugh about on a day-to-day basis.

***

In the meantime, Kwon Tae-Won couldn’t stop laughing at the same thing. He was currently on the phone with Teencent Literature’s person in charge.

“Yes, two million copies? Wait, didn’t you just say recently that we passed 1.5 million copies? How did it… Wow, the China market is gigantic indeed. Hahaha, thank you so much. Ah, The Breath? I can’t give you an answer to that right now. There are still a few areas that require coordination with Writer Ha. Yes, I understand. Please send me the invoice, and I’ll contact you soon.”

Kwon Tae-Won hung up and checked the invoice. His eyes widened in astonishment. He read the amount as his hands trembled and swallowed a couple of times.

“9.5 million yuan…!”

It had been less than six months since the release of Oscar’s Dungeon novel in China, but they had already achieved 9.5 million yuan in sales.

It amounted to 1.6 billion won after Kwon Tae-Won’s quick maths. Ha Jae-Gun’s portion alone, after deducting all other areas from the sales figure, was over a billion won.

“Ah, now’s not the time for this.” Kwon Tae-Won hurriedly picked up his phone.

Before contacting Ha Jae-Gun, he called a close reporter in the economics department.

Soon, the cheerful melody he was humming filled every corner of the office.

Chapter 189. The Bombing Starts (10)

 

“Hello. This is Park Hye-Sang at Strolling with Literature. It’s already autumn. What comes to mind when you think of autumn? A season of high skies and plump horses? Endless blue skies? Bountiful harvests?”

Announcer Park Hye-Sang’s beauty was shining before the camera at the entrance of EBC Broadcasting Station today, where they were filming for Strolling with Literature. She was in a gray dress that accentuated the curves of her body and matched the comfortable autumn vibe.

“Ms. Hye-Sang looks strangely fresh today.”

“It must be her hair. She looks like a university student, so pretty.”

The staff outside the camera angles chattered as they took sips of their dispenser coffee.

Park Hye-Sang was no longer in her well-known long hair; she was now in a light orange-red short hair ending at her shoulders that gave off autumn vibes and fluttered in the wind.

“…There is a four-character idiom originating from the Tang dynasty by a man called Han Yu: the light is friendly[1], who said this to encourage his son to start reading books as one can feel the refreshing night breeze while reading at night in autumn while sitting by a light source. I have the sudden thought that all of us living in this era now, using convenient lights powered by electricity, are in much better circumstances than Han Yu in the past.”

While Park Hye-Sang continued with her filming, Ha Jae-Gun was standing outside the camera angle, fixing his clothes. He took a sip of water to moisten his parched throat and did not forget to calm himself down. He had adapted to going on screen, but he was still nervous right before going on camera every single time.

“…We have another important guest today here with us at Strolling with Literature. It is the currently most popular writer—Ha Jae-Gun—whose latest movie and novel, Gyeoja Bathhouse, along with many of his other works, is gaining tremendous popularity both in Korea and overseas. Hello, Writer Ha.”

The camera panned and refocused on the bench. At the producer’s signal, Ha Jae-Gun stood up and greeted the camera.

“Hello, this is Ha Jae-Gun.”

“It felt just like yesterday when you first appeared on our show back in spring, and it’s now autumn in the blink of an eye. It’s the first time on Strolling with Literature that we have invited the same guest twice. The public’s attention is all on you now. How have you been?”

“There’s nothing special I can say here. But unlike the exciting news shown on the internet, my daily life has been relatively quiet. I’m working hard writing novels that I want to and meeting nice people while living life normally.”

Park Hye-Sang smiled gently as their eyes met. Ha Jae-Gun noticed her eyes wavering at that moment.

Was it because Content Producer Bae had talked to her about it? There was no way Ha Jae-Gun could know if it was just his own illusion.

“I saw that your name is on the list of nominees for the Popular Arts Awards under the Minister of Culture commendation. There seemed to be a disagreement in the media’s response to the announcement. I can’t help but ask how you feel about this.”

The microphone was then moved closer to Ha Jae-Gun. As it was a preempted question in the script, Ha Jae-Gun did not fluster and answered seriously.

“I’m happy and satisfied that I was nominated for a commendation at such an honorable event thanks to the work I have put out to the world. This feels like a gift from the heavens. I get tunnel vision whenever I’m working on my novels, forgetting about everything else around me, but to find out one day that I was nominated for such an honorable award was still a huge surprise.”

Park Hye-Sang and all the staff around smiled warmly. The question and answer segment continued in an amicable atmosphere. They talked about Market Place, the recently decided full-length drama adaptation of Summer in My 20s, the production of the movie Storm and Gale by Teencent Pictures, and other works that had expanded into China and the U.S. markets.

The special episode’s topic was Ha Jae-Gun from the beginning until it ended.

***

As the recording went on, a haggard-looking and skinny woman walked out of the main building of the broadcasting station. She lugged a bag that was far too large for her physique; it almost looked like she was on the verge of falling.

‘It’s so tiring…!’

Despite the cool autumn day, she was burning hot. She wiped the sweat from her forehead that was running down like rain pouring on her. Her wobbly steps were leading her to the next location where she was supposed to conduct an interview.

‘Why are there so many people gathered here?’ She thought while squinting her tired eyes, watching the dozens of people gathering at the main entrance.

She was at EBC Broadcasting Station, where they mainly broadcast educational programs. It was rare to have famous celebrities here capable of attracting such a huge group of people. Thus, it was natural for her to wonder.

“I brought all my books, waiting to get his autograph.”

“I just need my copy of Foolish Woman signed. And I must take a photo with him today. How do I look? Did my mascara smudge?”

The whispers from the gathering crowd came to her ears. Soon, a familiar word was registered in her brain, and she subconsciously stopped in her tracks. Her head turned to the filming site of Strolling in Literature.

“…!”

There was a mixture of envy, jealousy, fear and hatred in her eyes. She watched the filming continue with complicated feelings. She realized that the huge crowd gathered before her was due to Ha Jae-Gun’s presence. The bag she was carrying felt heavier, like another huge stone had been added to it.

‘I… I should be the one standing there…!’ She gritted her teeth as if being tossed out into a cold. She looked down and saw her pathetic self at a glance: baggy shirt, dirty jeans, and sneakers with tattered insoles. It was deceitful.

‘Why should I be living like this…? What did I do to deserve this? Why did I not get that chance?! I’m a writer who can write decently as well! Until when should I be living on a 750,000 won monthly salary!’

She squatted down on the ground miserably. Thanks to the heavy bag, she lost her balance and fell backward. She did not want to get up again.

“Wow, look who’s here?”

She flinched at the sound of a man’s voice coming from behind.

“You must still be a writer, seeing how you look right now. Seems like the treatment you’re getting isn’t as good after creating such a huge mess and running away.”

The lady took support from the ground as she tried to get up.

Her weak fingers could only tremble. She was none other than Won Ji-Yeon. She was currently working for Local Culture TV, and she was here to deliver data related to her work to EBC.

“Are you tired? I would like to help you, but I’m afraid of getting arrested as a pervert.” The man who chewed out at her was Lee Yeon-Woo. Unlike his cheesy tone, his eyes were full of spite.

Won Ji-Yeon avoided his eyes while struggling to get up.

“Hey, Ms. Ji-Yeon.”

Won Ji-Yeon’s shoulders dropped as she glanced at Lee Yeon-Woo, feeling intimidated.

Lee Yeon-Woo pointed a finger at her and then slid his thumb across his neck. “Nothing’s over yet.”

Won Ji-Yeon’s heart sank. She didn’t answer him at all and began to go on her way. There was nothing else she could do today aside from running away.

***

“You’ve worked hard today.”

“Thank you. You worked hard as well, Producer. Ms. Hye-Sang as well.”

The filming of Strolling with Literature had come to an end. Ha Jae-Gun felt quite exhausted, but he couldn’t rest immediately due to the readers who had come all the way here to see him.

He spent almost thirty minutes signing their books and taking photos with them before he could take a moment to have a cup of coffee.

“Hyung, shall I go with you?”

“No, you can stay in the car. I’ll head to the toilet quickly and get myself a can of coffee.” Ha Jae-Gun left Lee Yeon-Woo in the car and headed swiftly into the building. The lounge, with a view of the courtyard, was located beside the toilet.

Ha Jae-Gun pulled out his wallet and walked to the vending machine, but his eyes widened in surprise. Park Hye-Sang was sitting in the lounge all alone.

“Ah, you’ve worked hard today, Ms. Park Hye-Sang.”

“You said that earlier as well.”

“Did I? I was all over the place today…” Ha Jae-Gun trailed off, chuckling.

Park Hye-Sang glanced in the direction of the vending machine and casually asked, “You’re here to grab a coffee, right? Can you buy me one, too?”

“Is canned coffee fine?”

“Of course, I like that. Please get me a hot one.”

Ha Jae-Gun bought two cans and handed her one. Park Hye-Sang smiled and accepted it with gratitude before opening it.

“Time seems to pass quickly.”

“Yeah, I came to a sudden realization when listening to your opening comments. It felt like yesterday when I appeared on the show in spring, but we’re almost coming to the end of the year now.”

The trees that used to be infinitely green before had all turned yellow. Park Hye-Sang brought the can to her mouth and looked at the leaves fluttering in the wind. Her gaze looked both blank and full of regret at the same time.

“I think there’s a time for everything,” Park Hye-Sang said, sounding strange.

She felt Ha Jae-Gun’s gaze on her and continued calmly, “Like how there’s a time for grass to grow, there’s also a time to cry and a time to laugh. If there’s a time for silence, then there’s also a time to speak; the same goes for loss and profit. Have you heard of that poem before?”

“I vaguely recall reading something like that.”

“Yes… It should be applicable to meetings between people as well.” Park Hye-Sang nodded as if understanding its meaning. She smiled lightly and then finished her coffee.

“Thank you for the coffee, Mr. Ha. It was delicious.”

“It’s just a can of coffee.”

Park Hye-Sang approached slowly. She looked at Ha Jae-Gun with a warm smile and reached a hand out for a handshake.

“The dinner back at Itaewon was delicious. I won’t be able to forget it.” Park Hye-Sang’s voice trembled. She knew that their relationship wouldn’t progress any further. That was the best of her feelings that she could show to Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled and shook hands with her; their hands shook slowly like plants in water.

“I hope you’ll always be happy.”

“I wish the same for you.”

Park Hye-Sang bowed respectfully and turned around.

Click clack.

The sound of her shoes slowly drifted away as she walked toward the studio.

Ha Jae-Gun turned around and headed back to the car as well.

“What took you so long?” Lee Yeon-Woo asked as soon as Ha Jae-Gun got in the backseat of the car.

He offered Lee Yeon-Woo a can of coffee and said, “There’s some time until the recording, right? Let’s have a good meal.”

“Shall we eat somewhere near the broadcasting station? The sushi we had back then was delicious, too.”

“Sure, let’s go there.”

Ha Jae-Gun was scheduled for a recording at MBS Broadcasting Station three hours later. It was also a surprise gift that he had prepared for Park Do-Joon.

“Right, hyung. I was contemplating whether to tell you this…”

“What is it?”

“I saw Won Ji-Yeon earlier while you were recording for Strolling with Literature. She seemed to be working as an assistant writer for somewhere else.”

“Hmm, is that so?” Ha Jae-Gun replied with an aloof tone.

Lee Yeon-Woo steered the car toward the exit and said grudgingly, “I snapped at her, but I don’t feel relieved at all. It’s irritating to see someone with a trash personality like hers still working as a writer.”

“Forget it.” Ha Jae-Gun then leaned back into the seat and added, “She’ll eventually self-destruct if she stays like that.”

Ha Jae-Gun then closed his eyes with ease. He had already put Won Ji-Yeon’s incident behind him. The time when he had cared about every little thing had passed for him.

The car began speeding up as they got onto the main road.

***

“H-hello?”

— Why aren’t you answering the phone? Are you not going to pay rent? Aren’t you at home now?!

Won Ji-Yeon grabbed her phone, shaking. It was the building owner of the studio she was living in. The owner was also banging on her door while shouting.

— I’m really sick of you! Why are you living like this when you’re still so young? Do what you will if I don’t hear from you in three days! Do you really think that I can’t open this door right now?! Urgh, this is so frustrating!

The call was ended unilaterally.

The curses from the owner outside her door grew smaller. Won Ji-Yeon hid underneath her blanket, calming down her heavily pounding heart.

‘What should I do…!’

She could pay the rent, but if she were to do that, she wouldn’t have enough money for food. She couldn’t get her salary from the broadcasting station before quitting, and the money Bo-Ra had given to her had already been spent on moving.

‘I can’t wait any longer…!’

Won Ji-Yeon steeled her heart and dialed Bo-Ra’s number. The ringtone of an unknown pop song rang on the line. However, the robotic response of an unanswered call returned. She dialed Bo-Ra’s number a few times to no avail.

Plop!

Just as her phone dropped onto the bed, Won Ji-Yeon felt a strand of reasoning break; she realized that she had been abandoned and that the call she had been waiting for wouldn’t come.

The half-empty soju bottle she had left came into view as she opened the fridge. Won Ji-Yeon took that and started drinking from it. She spat the remaining soju in her mouth after taking in a few mouthfuls, wetting the cold floor.

‘I won’t go down on my own…!’ Hot tears welled up in Won Ji-Yeon’s eyes. The burning intoxication turned into courage, and she turned on her laptop.

– I’m a failed screenwriter.

Tadadadak! Tadadak! Tadadadadak!

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as if possessed by a ghost. Won Ji-Yeon filled the screen with words as hatred filled her heart, and her stomach turned with ferocity.

Chapter 190. The Bombing Starts (11)

 

“Ow, go easy.”

“Sorry, did it hurt?”

Bo-Ra was lying on her stomach on her queen-sized bed as the morning sun shone into her apartment. The lady doing a full body massage on her was Yu-Na, from the same agency, ICU Entertainment.

‘This bitch…’ Yu-Na could only swallow her fury. She was about to turn in for the night after an entire night of dance practice when Bo-Ra called for her out of the blue, which resulted in her doing an uncompensated massage session for Bo-Ra.

“I said to do it gently, but you’re not exerting any strength now.”

“Really? Then how about this amount of strength?”

“After massaging my shoulders, help me do my calves as well. I feel sore all over recently due to the overwhelming schedule.”

Yu-Na glared at the back of Bo-Ra’s head.

How did she end up being the maid of this bitch? She had no idea that borrowing some money for her living expenses would lead her to become Bo-Ra’s maid. It was the worst mistake she had made in her life.

“Unni, you should cheer up.”

“Hmm? Me?”

“They say that even dogs have their days. Your team will do well if you guys debut in winter.”

“Yeah… Thanks. I’ll have to do my best.” Yu-Na replied in a nonchalant tone. Her hands were extremely sore while massaging the calves, but she couldn’t stop, nor could she let out a soft groan, eventually finishing the massage.

“Ah, how refreshing. You did great; your massages are the best.”

Yu-Na smiled with a slight frown. Bo-Ra’s compliment didn’t make her feel good at all. Bo-Ra stood before the full-length mirror in her room and stretched her body lazily while admiring her legs, revealed fully by the hot pants she was wearing.

“Let’s have some food, unni. I want something light.”

“Got it.” Yu-Na understood Bo-Ra’s meaning and headed to the kitchen. Bo-Ra’s proposal meant for Yu-Na to prepare the food, and having something light meant that she wanted chicken breast salad.

Bzzt!

Bo-Ra’s phone rang on the table. Bo-Ra cleared her throat and answered the call with a slightly humbled voice.

“Yes, Director. Ah, my voice? No. I’m just feeling a little tired after watering all the flower pots I have at home. I do have quite a lot of them…”

‘Ugh, I’m gonna be sick.’ Yu-Na ground her teeth as she overheard the conversation.

Bo-Ra bought so many flower pots wasn’t out of her love for flora. It was nothing more than just a means to impress the executives of the agency with her feminine side. She didn’t even care if the flowers withered, and watering the plants had always been Yu-Na’s responsibility.

“Please eat proper lunch. I’m worried since you haven’t been looking good, Director. You won’t be able to concentrate at work. That’s too much; I really mean it. Yes, I’ll see you in the evening. Goodbye.”

Bo-Ra giggled as she hung up the call.

Yu-Na felt a chill down her spine upon hearing that.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Aren’t you going to cook?”

“Hmm? I-I’m just starting.” Yu-Na looked down and began chopping the cabbage.

Yu-Na knew that Bo-Ra was on the phone with Director Cho Cheol-Won of See&Good—the parent company of ICU Entertainment.

‘Her methods are good for a twenty-year-old.’

Bo-Ra’s popularity was growing rather quickly, and she was trying her best to make her heyday since her debut. While appearing in various variety shows, she was even cast as the female lead for a cable channel’s youth drama. Taking on the commercial film for a health drink broadcast on a public cable channel was a bonus, and this was all possible because of Director Cho’s authority.

‘That man’s pathetic, too. What’s so good about a girl who’s slick on the outside but rotten inside? Does he not have a keen eye for judgment on girls?’

Yu-Na had already guessed their relationship; both of them were secretly exchanging what they needed. Bo-Ra hadn’t mentioned it, but Yu-Na could tell, and she only noticed because of how close she was with Bo-Ra.

“Bo-Ra, it’s done. Come eat.”

Bo-Ra and Yu-Na sat across each other at the dining table. Bo-Ra watched the TV as she ate her salad, which was playing the entertainment news on a cable channel.

“Are you coming back late today?” Yu-Na asked casually.

Bo-Ra smiled without even glancing at Yu-Na. “What do you mean?”

“No, I was just thinking if you’re coming back late or staying out, I won’t have to make extra to store it. Since you’re meeting Director Cho this evening…” Yu-Na caught herself on time and kept quiet immediately.

Bo-Ra’s gaze immediately turned cold and glared at Yu-Na. “Didn’t I warn you not to talk about it?”

“S-Sorry. I didn’t realize… Ack!” Yu-Na let out a scream as Bo-Ra suddenly shot up and pulled at her hair viciously.

Yu-Na’s head bent backward in pain, facing the ceiling, and her face turned pale as a ghost.

“Unni, do you want to die so badly? Is that it?”

“I-I really said without thinking, since it’s just the both of us—Ack!” Yu-Na let out another scream.

Bo-Ra pulled her hair back even rougher and said, “Don’t spout nonsense even when you’re alone. If I catch you again, know that I’ll pull out all your teeth and shove them down your throat. Got it?”

Bo-Ra poked at Yu-Na’s front teeth with a fork.

Yu-Na closed her eyes tightly and nodded profusely like a madman.

Bo-Ra looked down at Yu-Na, her face and smile full of venom and cruelty.

“You’d better keep that in mind. If I hear of any strange rumor traveling around, I’ll definitely think of you first in my mind.” Bo-Ra finished and finally let go of Yu-Na’s hair.

Yu-Na shook visibly on the spot; she couldn’t even think about fixing her messed-up hair. Meanwhile, Bo-Ra calmly returned to her meal.

The news captions showing on the screen just then read: X Broadcasting Station assistant writer’s astonishing exposé, is it true?

However, Bo-Ra didn’t see it.

Bzzt!

“Aish, why disturb me when I’m eating.”

Bo-Ra threw her fork down and picked up her phone.

“Yeah, what is it?”

— Hey, Chae Bo-Ra. You saw the news, right?

Her manager sounded horrified.

Bo-Ra picked up her fork again and asked bluntly, “What news? When did you see me watch the news?”

— D-did… you really do it?

“Ah, what?!”

— Did you really ask her to delete Write Ha Jae-Gun’s script?

“…?!” Bo-Ra’s hand that was holding the phone froze at once.

Yu-Na watched blood drained from Bo-Ra’s face.

— Hey! Bo-Ra! Did you really ask her to do that? Did you really try to throw off the project from its original schedule and tell her that you’d let her join Writer Ko’s one-act play that was in preparation?! Why aren’t you answering me?!

“I-I know nothing about it. Where is this nonsense coming from?”

— An assistant writer by the name of Won Ji-Yeon. She revealed her real name and uploaded a post about it. The original post was deleted two hours after it was uploaded, but it’s already all over social media!

Bo-Ra headed to her laptop. She didn’t even have to look up a keyword on Navin’s search engine.

Chae Bo-Ra deletes Ha Jae-Gun’s manuscript.

Assistant writer Won Ji-Yeon and Chae Bo-Ra’s relationship.

Assistant writer’s exposé.

A variation of keywords occupied the top search rankings. It was the same on all social media sites as well.

There were thousands of comments posted in real-time under the post that was linked to Ji-Yeon’s exposé.

– Bo-Ra Unni isn’t this type of person. She would feel hurt even cutting flower stalks, so she doesn’t even do flower arrangements.

– If this is real then it’s really;;; I had quite a relatively good impression of her recently. Even if she couldn’t act, I still thought she was a good person;;;

– Fuck kekekeke she’s fucking scary if this is real. Deleting the entire manuscript kekekeke she’s great at execution.

– Cheer up, Bo-Ra unni. The truth will reveal itself soon. I hope you will show the bitterness of this society to the original poster who spread such malicious rumors about you.

– Stans should just go away. Chae Bo-Ra is getting much more criticism because of you guys. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill, and just wait quietly.

– Why would something like this erupt just when the protests are going on? Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable here? T.T

– Honestly speaking, I think this is defamation without evidence. She looked quite natural on the show when helping out the less fortunate. Those were actions that could not be done if they weren’t from her heart. I believe in Bo-Ra.

‘That sneaky bitch…!‘ The veins at Bo-Ra’s neck were popping out. She never imagined that the weak Won Ji-Yeon would dare to stab her in the back like this.

Just then, her manager’s urgent voice came through the phone again.

— Bo-Ra, what are you going to do? Huh? Dong-Ah Osaka called as well. If this incident is true, they will be canceling the commercial contract. Not just the commercial, but also all the programs that you’re on…

“No! It’s not me!” Bo-Ra wailed on the phone. Her hateful gaze glared at the screen, and she grumbled, “Upload a short post using my account. And I’m going to sue her.”

— S-Sue? Who?

“Of course, I’m suing that bitch Won Ji-Yeon! I’ll sue her for defamation and everything else that applies! I didn’t do anything wrong! She must be doing this just because I treated her coldly before, so I’ll make sure to let her pay the price! Contact Attorney Kim Seung-Gook at once!”

— A-alright. Bo-Ra, I’ll go over to your place first. Let’s talk in person. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.

Bo-Ra hung up the call and returned to the kitchen, then reached out her hand.

“Give me your phone.”

“O-okay…”

Bo-Ra used Yu-Na’s phone to call Won Ji-Yeon.

However, the mechanical voice told her that the phone was turned off.

Enraged, Bo-Ra threw her salad bowl with a loud roar.

***

“Aish, I almost missed it.” Park Do-Joon hurried to the living room and sat on the sofa, turning on the TV. He had just finished filming for a drama through the night and had a shower upon arriving home.

Let’s Watch A Movie had just started.

Bzzt!

“Yeah.”

Park Do-Joon did not check the caller’s name and answered without hesitation, as no one else would call him right before the show started aside from Lee Chae-Rin.

— Oppa, are you already home?

“Yeah, I just sat down, about to watch Let’s Watch A Movie. I won’t sob or sniffle, so don’t worry and let’s talk later…”

— I didn’t call because of that. You haven’t read the news on the internet, right?

“Why? What’s wrong?”

— It’s about Ha Jae-Gun oppa. You’ll know once you enter Navin.

Chae-Rin avoided explaining it right away. Park Do-Joon sensed the strange feeling from her and lowered the volume of the TV.

“Alright, I’ll take a look and call you again.”

— I’m saying this in advance, but please don’t get angry after reading it.

“Whatever it is, let’s hang up first.”

Park Do-Joon hung up the call and accessed the search engine. His eyes widened as soon as he saw the real-time search rankings. The entire nation was in a blaze from the expose by assistant writer Won Ji-Yeon.

‘That damn bitch…!‘

Park Do-Joon’s teeth were chattering in anger.

He had already seen Bo-Ra’s character long ago, and it wasn’t hard for him to see the truth from his perspective. He treated the humiliation that Ha Jae-Gun had experienced as his own, and it had always been weighing down on him.

Just then, Park Do-Joon flinched.

The voice coming from the TV was awfully familiar. His jaws dropped open when he watched the screen.

“Ha Jae-Gun…?”

Let’s Watch A Movie specifically introduced old movies, but the person sitting in the chair holding a microphone was none other than Ha Jae-Gun.

“…I originally had stage anxiety, but my close friend played a big role in my decision to appear on this corner. All of you must have known this for some time, but that friend often watched this show with his older brother when he was still young. His older brother has passed, but he still makes sure to catch this program despite his busy schedule.”

Park Do-Joon covered his mouth in shock. He locked eyes with Ha Jae-Gun on the TV. His closest best friend in this world was speaking in a gentle tone with the most comfortable smile.

“The first movie I’ll be introducing to all our viewers today was released in 1996, Dragon Heart. Dennis Quaid plays as the knight Bowen and popular actor Sean Connery voices the dragon’s lines. As a fan of fantasy genres, I love this movie a lot and remember purchasing its DVD and watching it dozens of times.”

A bitter smile crept onto Park Do-Joon’s face. He was thrilled to see the surprise gift prepared for him. Although he wanted to continue watching the episode today, he had no choice but to turn off the TV for now.

“I’m sorry for watching a rebroadcast of your first appearance, my friend.”

Park Do-Joon got out of the sofa and picked up his phone immediately. After a short while, his manager, Woo Tae-Bong, answered the call.

— Yeah, Park Do-Joon. Are you not watching Let’s Watch A Movie?

“Hyung, please come over to my place.”