Big Life Chapter 81
“I’m sorry, Dojun, I’m a bit late.”
A manager in the 30s quickly opened the back door for him. He was waiting in the basement parking lot.
Dojun got on and laid down.
“Can you turn on the radio.”
“Isn’t it better to get a bit of sleep while you’re going?”
“If it’s too quiet. I can’t sleep. Let me listen to it as a lullaby.”
The manager turned on the radio.
There was loud pop music coming out of the speaker. Seeing the Dojun’s wrinkled face, the manager turned down the noise.
“Is this good?”
“I think that’s fine.”
The car went out of the parking lot.
The road was a quiet one.
The manager drove with a steady speed.
“Ah wait! Do you know Writer’s Night?”
Dojun asked as they went into a toll gate.
The manager nodded his head and answered.
“I know. It’s Writer Park’s show. The show must have started a few minutes ago. There aren’t not many views, so there’s a lot of worries.”
“Could you turn it on.”
The manager was surprised.
It was about one year since he got this job
Dojun wasn’t a person who like shows like Writer’s Night, But he followed his orders and changed the show.
– … As the winner of the Modern Literary Teen Contest, you had a signing meeting just recently right? Do you have anything that you remember memorable?
The female’s clear voice came out.
The manager turned the volume up.
Dojun listened with his eyes closed.
I’m surprised with the amount of people here today. There’s a lot of individuals who wanted to see Pyung Cheon Yu instead of Ha Jaegun.
Yes. It means that there’s a lot of fans of your genre novels. Do you think that the readers combined?
I think so. The person who directed the signing meeting was also surprised at some individuals.
The person who is sitting outside the booth right now? Hahaha. You must have been surprised. About 1500 books got sold during that time. Storm and Gale got 300 books as well. As a newcomer, I think that’s a great result. What do you think?
I can’t say anything other than thanks to the readers
‘Hm, idiot.’
Dojun thought.
He thought of his girlfriend who liked books and called her.
-Hm, yeah.
“Where are you?
– I finished dancing practice, and I’m at the horse. I was about to call. Are you going to Gangwon Do? Tired?
“The same as you. Chelyn, do you know a writer called Ha Jaegun?
-Ha Jaegun? What novel?
“I’ve heard it’s Storm and Gale? The winner of the Modern Literary Teen Contest?
-I’m not sure? Hm… Ha Jaegun? OH! Yeah. The writer of a Dumb Woman? I was reading it on the car, and you asked me why I was reading a book with such a stupid title.
“I think so.”
-It’s probably right. Um, I covered in sweat. Can I call you after I shower?
“OK.”
Dojun searched up Ha Jaegun on Navin.
His projects were coming up in the profile picture.
A Dumb Woman was also there with Storm and Gale.
‘There’s an electronic book.’
Since his girlfriend knew him too, he was interested.
Dojun bought the book and pulled it up. But before he read the 10th line on the first page, he couldn’t resist his fatigue and fell asleep.
The radio was heading towards its end.
There were many people who were watching. His dad, his mom, and his sister, Suhee, Jongjin and Somii as well.
Everyone wasn’t sleeping and was listening.
All people who were close to Jaegun.
Of course, there were others.
The son of the representative of Eunsung Publishing Group and editor Myungsuk was also listening in the study.
‘And amazing person.’
A genre writer who came out of the sky.
Taking the Digital Literary Contest and the Modern Literary Teen Contest. A star rookie.
It was Myungsuk’s thoughts.
‘It’s hard to write pure literary novels when you’re used to genre novels…’
There were others connections.
Since Storm and Gale were published with Eunsung Publishing Group’s brand Sky Sam so he was a writer that Myungsuk had an interest in.
‘Phew…’
Myungsuk drank a sip of coffee.
He couldn’t stop the pain in his head. He was worried about one thing.
A brand with a mystery/horror novel was in planning, but he didn’t have any projects to release.
‘Everyone is just…’
On Myungsuk’s desk, there were many drafts of many writers. About 20 projects.
All of them, in Myungsuk’s eyes, were trash.
‘They send this saying it’s writing, what do they think? Do they think their name is amazing? These idiots who live off of winning just a few awards.’
Myungsuk got angry and ripped up the drafts.
The drafts that many writers took days to work on dropped on the ground in rips.
Just then, a last question from the female radio announcer came into his ear.
-When do you think we can see your next work?
-It’s in planning. Just today, no yesterday because it’s after midnight, yesterday, I thought of a story. It’s about 10 hours since then.
-I see. What is it about?
-I’m not trying to hide, but I can’t answer it because I don’t know for sure. One thing I can tell is, I think it will be a mystery novel to find out why the college girl killed herself.
‘Hm?’
Myungsuk widened his eyes.
He heard it. Jaegun said a mystery in his show.
‘A mystery…?’
Only a few seconds of disbelief.
It wasn’t impossible for a writer like Jaegun to write a mystery.
‘I don’t know, but it might be interesting to see.’
There was a good probability that JAegun might write something good as a mystery.
Anyway, Writer’s Night ended with the ending song playing.
Myungsuk turned it off and thought to himself.
If Jaegun wrote something great as a mystery, he was going to get a contract.
It was easy for the publishing company to market such a rookie like Jaegun as well.
Costs would be decreased, and readers would love the rookie as well.
‘I’m worried about Myunghoon, but this is a business.’
Myungsuk took his phone and added a line in tomorrow’s schedule.
It was a meeting with Writer Ha Jaegun for talks about the mystery novel
Big Life Chapter 82
“Why is everyone coming to visit me?”
Sukjae wrinkled his face when he saw his son.
Jaegun answered as he put down the box of juice
“Eat one after you eat food.’
“Why did you buy so much? I have so much to eat. It’s better to move. Do you think I can stand up because I’m so full.”
“Dad, what are you talking about. You can’t even walk yet. Ah, you know you like it. I know you listened to the radio yesterday.”
“Stop talking about useless things. You and your mom forced a sleeping person to listen. Ugh so irritating. I can’t see the TV. Move.”
Jaegun moved while smiling slightly.
Sukjae was looking at TV show that he never watched. Jaeyn laughed at that.
“Ah, I need to go home. I need to bring dad’s clothes.”
“I’ll go. You stay.”
“Just go together ok?”
Sukjae said, but the two siblings didn’t respond. Jaegun went outside, and Jaeyn started to cut an apple
“Is that your son?”
A woman in her 50s asked from beside.
She was another patient like Sukjae who had one leg fractured. She came here a lot and chatted a lot.
“Yes.”
Sukjae just looked at her slightly to be polite. He had no intention of trying to talk with her. She talked to him, but they were all statements bragging about her family
“You know, the economy isn’t very good… it’s hard to get a job.”
He already knew about the things she talked about. She thought Jaegun was unemployed. He knew because of experience.
Sukjae didn’t respond and only looked at the TV. But the woman, like always, was continuing.
“But then, my son is pretty lucky. When he graduated, he went into HG, and he’s staying there well for three years. It’s hard to even to get into such a big company, but it’s harder to survive there. I’m proud but really worried.”
“I see.”
Sukjae responded dryly. It was her power to talk about things without anyone to talk to.
Then she even asked him a question.
“How old is your son?”
“He’s 28.”
“Ah, I see. He’s one year younger than my song. Then he’s not a student. Sigh, it’s hard to live. I don’t know when the economy is going to get better.”
Sukjae stayed silent, but Jaeyn was different.
She answered while cutting the apples.
“I see. My brother is a writer, so good thing it doesn’t affect him that much.”
“Writer? A novelist?”
“Yes.”
The woman sighed heavily.
“An amazing thing. Sigh, a writer is a hard job to live unless your a top one. Isn’t it?”
Jaeyn knew that she was slightly insulting her
Listening, her words were very insensitive
“As my son, I think his salary is about 50,000? I mean that’s good enough since he’s alone. How much is your brother’s salary? Nothing else but… haha, I’m curious of what young people make. I don’t know if my son is earning well. Is 50,000 enough?”
“I don’t know. My brother earns about 2 million.”
The woman’s smiling face froze.
Jaeyn gave an apple to Sukjae.
“2 million….? His salary is … 2 million?”
“Not salary, but monthly.”
“Mo, monthly…?”
“He’s a writer, so it’s a bit awkward to say salary. Seeing the money that comes in from the projects every month, it’s about that much. I’ll be back after seeing a nurse.
Jaeyn left answering like it was nothing.
To the shocked woman, Sukaje asked while giving his apple dish.
“Do you want one?”
TL – REKTTTTTTTED!!!!!
“I brought all the clothes, ah yes.”
Jaegun turned around as he was about to leave the house.
He was about to bring a few books for his dad.
‘I’ve haven’t been in here in awhile.’
It was his dad’s study and his storage room. Since he wasn’t in a good relationship with his dad, he wasn’t here for a few years.
There were so many things in one corner.
In one wall, books were stacked up to the ceiling.
They were all his dad’s book.
‘Wow, my dad read Japanese novels?’
Jaegun pulled up a book in interest.
As he looked at the book, he leaned against a wall.
But it wasn’t a wall but was a pile of books.
“ACKK!”
The books fell apart.
When Jaegun moved his arms from his eyes, the room was filled with books.
“To make this mistake…”
He bent to lift up the books.
He saw a box that was hidden in a corner.
The box was open.
Seeing the things inside the box, Jaegun froze in place.
Big Life Chapter 83
‘How is this here…?’
In the box were Jaegun’s debut fantasy novels.
The unfortunate novels that got ended quickly.
The painful novels that he didn’t even want to think of were discovered in his dad’s closet.
Jaegun opened the entrance of the box. All the books were in there.
Not just them either.
All the books, even the two series that he made before the hit Ranking series, were there. The only ones that were not there were the 90s Child and the Breathe that weren’t made into paper books.
“Ha…,”
Jaegun sighed.
Jaegun picked up his debut book with one hand.
It was obviously read. The pages had signs of a person carefully reading them.
The last page.
-Jaegun’s first project.
I don’t know why, but it got ended at the good part.
His dad’s writing filled his eyes.
Jaegun bit his lip and looked at the other books.
As he expected, all of them had his dad’s writing.
-Jaegun’s second project.
It seems like he was less stressed than the first one.
-Jaegun’s third project
It’s really good, but maybe it’s too dark for the readers?
-Jaegun’s fourth project.
Like my son, he finally uprises.
-Jaegun’s fifth project.
It’s good to hear from my son by my wife and daughter, but I don’t know if I should laugh comfortably or not.
They were books that were not published either
The drafts that he wrote in college were all there. It was the draft that he had ripped and stuffed in the trash can. The drafts that should have been ripped were taped together.
Jaegun closed his eyes and sniffed.
He tried to press down his emotions.
If any tears came out, he would feel like such an idiot for being so distance from his dad.
In the time he was pressing his emotions, he saw another one. A bank account.
Why?
“Ha….Ha….Ha…..”
Jaegun kneeled as he opened the bank account.
It was money that his dad had saved up for him
There was a memo as well.
-Gonna be given at age 30
Since the first month seven years ago, 150 dollars were inputted every month. His dad’s mind continued until just last year’s summer.
The first month of his hit novel.
Beep! Beep!
Jaeyn called him
He couldn’t pick it up, though.
The only voice that he had was a crying one.
He kneeled and put his head down on the ground. His tears flowed quickly and dripped on his dad’s study.
“Somii, are you done? Let’s go eat.”
“Yes, Lee”
Somii turned off the monitor. She stood up, turned around and shivered slightly.
The editor was right in front of her.
“What did you say?”
“I don’t…”
“What you called Assistant Manager Lee.”
He looked down at her.
Somii stayed silent awkwardly as she stood.
“Editor, it’s because I told her to call her by my name…”
“Is this work?”
“Yes?”
“Did you come here to work? You have to keep society rules in society. It’s easy to break the workplace. You know?”
Somii put his head down.
Thinking that Assistant Manager Lee was getting chewed out as well, she didn’t know what to do.
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
She answered quietly.
Kyunguk laughed slightly and added looking at Somii.
“And also, are you not the bun girl today?”
Somii only stood quietly.
As the nickname grew, Kyunguk mentioned it many times to make fun of it.
It was probably Go who told him, Somii and Lee thought.
“Hey, let’s go eat, Go.”
“Yes, editor. Let’s go.”
Kyunguk stood up and left. And then when they couldn’t be heard, Lee went over to Somii.
“Are you ok?”
“I’m sorry, for me…”
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t know he would be like that. An idiot.”
Lee said as she rubbed Somii’s back.
Somii forced a smile. If it weren’t for Lee, she would have cried.
“How’s Albap?”
“I’m fine.”
The two people went to a restaurant and ordered. Lee said as she poured water.
“Men are idiots. Don’t worry.”
“It’s hard, right? He’s worse on you in particular. Maybe because of the hatred for Writer Ha. He became quiet after he’s gone towards me.”
Somii lightened up.
“The editor went for Assistant Lee?”
“Call me Lee because we’re outside. Yeah… but he asked me to eat lunch with me a lot, and he got reprimanded.
Lee continued.
“There was a time when he called at 11. It’s so hard being an editor, so I had a drink? He asked if I can come out. Am I crazy? I rejected him.”
Somii’s phone rang from a message
Somii brightened as she looked at her phone
It was from Jaegun.
-Writer Jang Eunyoung likes the picture. You’re eating, right? Have a nice lunch.
“It’s Writer Ha, right?”
Lee asked mischievously.
Somii brightened red and asked.
“How?”
“Look at you. You were dying of happiness. Dying. What is it?”
“Ah, just that he liked the picture.”
Lee was the only one in StarBooks who knew about Somii’s other job.
Also, Somii only knew that Lee worked at another place on the weekends.
“Yeah. Earn while you’re earning. It’s not like it’s hurting you.”
The food came out.
Lee quickly tried to mix the rice together.
Somii before eating sent a reply to Jaegun.
She revised it many times because she was worried that it might be a bit too much.
-It’s all because of you, Writer Ha ^^ You should eat lunch well and be careful of the cold. Contact me anytime you have anything going on. Fighting!
Big Life Chapter 84
-It’s all because of you, Writer Ha ^^ You should eat lunch well and be careful of the cold. Contact me anytime you have anything going on. Fighting!
Jaegun checked the message and put his phone back in his pocket.
It was the hospital. His sister went and his mom had work so he was here since morning.
‘It’s time to eat.
Jaegun stood up. He was writing. His face was confused. He had way too many things he didn’t know.
‘I don’t know anything…’
Mystery. It might have been a mistake to write mystery.
Crime, and police. He didn’t know anything in that section.
It was hard to write about something he didn’t know about. It was just so uninteresting even as he looked at it.
‘How do I fix this? I should ask the local police station? Or somewhere else?
When he went back to the room, his dad was already eating.
Jaegun quickly went over.
“I’m sorry, I was going to eat.
“Does it get any better if you bring it?”
“Eat quickly before it cools.”
“What about you?”
“I got a hamburger and ramen/”
Sukjae wrinkled his face.
“You should eat. What is that? “
“I’ve eaten too much. I’ll come back quickly.”
Jaegun quickly went over to the other room and poured hot water on the ramen.
His dad hadn’t eaten at all.
“Why are you not eating?”
“I’ going to.”
He finally picked up his spoon.
Jaegun realized that his dad wanted to eat with him. He smiled as he sat next to him
“Is it not going well?”
His dad asked suddenly.
Jaegun lifted his head as he was eating.
How did he know?
What is it?”
“Ah, it’s a mystery.”
“Mystery? Are you writing that?”
“I’m challenging myself.”
Sukjae’s face was filled with respect for a split second.
But Jaegun didn’t notice it because it was so quick
Sukaje continued calmly.
“What is it about?”
“Hm. It’s about… One girl goes to a MT and she was sexually assaulted. And then she commits suicide…”
Jaegun quickly said/
Sukaje was listening. It was a conversation as a reader not as a father.
“…but there’s so many things. I don’t know about law. And it’s weird to keep looking it up. And there’s so many questions.”
Jaegun swallowed.
“I want to meet someone in this section, but there isn’t anyone. I’m going to go to a local police station. Maybe the officers would help me a bit if I bought them something.”
Jaegun said jokingly. Sukjae smiled very slightly.
“Wow, You are eating nicely together?”
Myungja came in the room smiling. Sukaje, embarassed, waved Jaegun off.
“You should go.”
“I can stay.”
“Ah, just leave. It’s weird with you here.”
“Ok. Then I’ll come back.”
“Don’t come back.”
Jaegun left the room
Sukjae quickly picked up his phone after his son left and looked at his contact list.
“Where?”
“Somewhere.”
He wanted to help his son write. Even if he wanted to, there was no way to help. But now, Sukjae had an answer to that.
Sukaje called when he found the number. And then after a ring, his college colleague picked up.
-Who is this? Isn’t this Ha Sukaje!
“Are you comfortable now. Retired and all.
-Comfortable? I have to go work and stuff. It’s so weird being stuck at home after I’ve worked for so long. It’s so boring. Ahhhhh!
“Haha, I see. That’s weird.”
-Whatever, when are we going to have a drink? Right?
Sukaje coughed slightly and ignoring the glance from Myungja, he said to his phone.
“Hey, Can you help my son?”
Big Life Chapter 85
Jaegun turned the handle as he was heading towards his one room.
“This fast? I thought it would have took at least a few week. Ah, I’ll go. I’m coming.”
Jaegun stopped the car and reinserted the directions in his navigation. The road didn’t have much traffic so it wouldn’t take much time.
Jaegun turned on the new audio story that he had bought.
It was a habit that he had recently gotten.
‘Here.’
Listening to the audio, he arrived faster than he expected. The office was in his eyes. Jaegun’s flew into the parking lot.
“Yes, I’m here. 1601? I’m coming.”
“Ah, Writer HA!”
Eunyoung shouted as she saw Jaegun. And then Hyeongyung and Minho looked as well.
“You’re early, Writer Ha.”
“There wasn’t traffic. Wow, the office is really big and good. There won’t be any difficulties in living here.”
Jaegun’s words weren’t completely false.
The office was definitely larger and bigger than he had thought of. Everything including the refrigerator, washing machine, etc. were there.
Jaegun looked throughout the room simply.
There were 3 rooms next to the kitchen. One bathroom in the middle and one in the small room.
“Eunyoung should have to use the big room.”
Jaegun said as he toured the big room. Eunyoung tilted her head in wonder.
Jaegun replied back.
“You’re a girl so it would be best for you to use the room with the bathroom.”
“No, Writer. You don’t have to give me female special deals.”
“I’m uncomfortable.”
Minho jumped in as he was setting his laptop up.
“Hyonegyung and I am used to using the bathroom messy, but you’re too clean. It’s too tiring when I have to clean it everytime I take a shower.”
“Wow, Oppa, If someone heard that, they would think I’m a complete nagger. You know I don’t care?”
Eunyoung pouted.
Everyone laughed at that. And then Hyeongyung said as he pulled out a drink from the frig.
“We don’t know if more female writers will be coming. So use it until someone comes it/ Right?”
“Can I…”
Eunyoung couldn’t erase the feeling of sorriness in her face.
Her two eyes were looking at the office. It was the first time she had seen something good like this. Her writer life wasn’t as plentiful. Her life with her ex-husband was definitely not plentiful.
“So that’s that?”
Jaegun went to eh balcony.
He could see the far people below him. It was so tall.
‘He picked well, well he is that type of person.’
It was way different than the office that was in the basement. It was like a 30 year old bathroom changed into a 24 hour sauna.
What would it feel like.
Jaegun smiled as he looked forward to writing.
Then a hand came up on his shoulder
“Ah, Representative.”
Tewon was standing right behind him.
“How is it? It is good?”
“It’s not just good. If I write here, I’m gonna pull out bestsellers”
“It’s goold that you like it. Tell me if you need anything. And also… this is your office, remember?”
Tewon lowered his voice and said jokingly.
Jaegun only nodded his head embarrassedly.
Just then.
“Wow, Writer Ha is on the top list of Navin again.”
Eunyoung muttered.
Her eyes were looking at her phone
“What is it?”
Hyeongyung went over with curious eyes. Eunyoung answered as she showed her phone.
“Apple Tea Cheylin must have read Writer Ha’s Storm and AGale. She said it was good on twitter?”
“Wow…! Cheylin?!”
Hyeongyung couldn’t close her eyes. Jaegun was only standing there because he didn’t know who Apple Tea was.”
“Writer Ha, you don’t know who Apple Tea is?”
“Yes. Who is it?”
Jaegun answered.
He presumed it wasn’t a drink name.
“How do you not know? Even if you don’t watch Tv. there’s the hottest girl group around.”
“Girl group?”
“Yes, Cheylin is the leader and her hobby is reading. She was a literary major, but is on hiatus because of her girl group activities. You should search her up.”
Hyeongyung said.
Jaegun searched her up feeling he was out of this generation.
4. Cheylin Storm and Gale
5. Ha Jaegun
6. Modern Teen Literary Contest Storm and Gale
7. Apple Tea Cheylin Recommendations.
It wasn’t 1st, but 4-7 was filled with Jaegun.
Jaegun was surprised but happy as well.
It was a weird coincidence..
Out of all the writers and the projects, she picked his book.
‘It increased again.;
Jaegun looked on twitter.
His twitter followers number which was about 60,000 increased to over 70,000. And there were so many tweets.
It was the people who came from the tweet link.
Jaegun searched up Cheylin on Navin. It was a face that he had seen before. Cheylin was pretty as all the girl celebrities.
“You must be happy. Being recommended by a girl group leader.”
Tewon smiled as he said
Jaegun only shook his head.
“It’s nice, but it’s weird. Maybe she heard Writer’s Night?”
“It doesn’t have to be that. It’s the Modern Literary Contest. If she reads usually, she would have taken interest. This is going to help your sales. Ah!”
Tewon continued.
“You should invite people over. Your office. All the writers are here, what do you feel like?”
“I’m fine. I’ll buy since I got recommended. Tell me if you want anything.”
But just then a call came.
Jaegun smiled as he looked at his phone.
It was a call from Dasul.
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