A 28.9% Chance of Snow on Christmas
The quickest way to confirm what had happened last night was to check the group chat of his writer's association.
Aside from these, congratulations from other fellow writers continued to pour in.
Park Geon-woo opened his laptop and went to a portal site.
In the entertainment section, there were already several articles about Han Se-rin, who had appeared on the variety show I Live Alone.
"...!"
As Park Geon-woo stared at the portal site, his eyes widened.
At the bottom of the trending search terms, which were dominated by Han Se-rin, the phrase "Writer Park Geon" sat at number 11.
And right below it, both of Park Geon-woo's works were also climbing the trending search rankings.
"What in the world..."
If he had felt dazed until now, reality was finally starting to sink in.
Yet, his heart didn't race, nor did he feel particularly thrilled.
Such good fortune had always been foreign to the twenty-eight years of Park Geon-woo's life.
Because of that, he didn't even know how to celebrate.
"A highlight clip?"
As if possessed, Geon-woo clicked on a clip from I Live Alone.
Skipping the ad, the screen revealed Han Se-rin lying on a bed in a room decorated entirely in pink and filled with rabbit plushies.
She was bare-faced, wearing pink rabbit pajamas, and holding her phone with her pale, delicate hands.
The camera zoomed in on her phone screen.
"It was real... It wasn't a dream."
The web novel Han Se-rin was staring at so intently was indeed Fantastic Boys.
And on the bookshelf behind her bed, the physical paperback edition of Regression Manager was clearly visible.
"She even bought the physical books? Why?"
Geon-woo couldn't wrap his head around it.
Meanwhile, on screen, Han Se-rin, wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses, was completely absorbed in her phone.
The scene cut back to the studio.
Questions poured in from the panel members.
What kind of novel is that?
Who is the author?
"These are my absolute favorite works. They're web novels called Regression Manager and Fantastic Boys. They're written by an author named Park Geon."
Watching Han Se-rin personally introduce his pen name and his works felt incredibly surreal to Geon-woo.
After all, Han Se-rin, famous as the nation's little sister and a top-tier idol, was known for her cold and chic public persona.
Yet right now, she had the expression of a young child showing off her favorite toy.
Web novels?
Writer Park Geon?
Several panel members in the video looked puzzled, unfamiliar with the terms.
But Han Se-rin didn't care at all.
"Actually, a lot of people read web novels these days, you know? They're really popular. I'm just one of them."
In the video, Han Se-rin was not just calm; she spoke with absolute confidence.
At that moment, Geon-woo's phone buzzed loudly.
It was his editor from the publishing company.
"Hello, Editor," Geon-woo answered.
"Author! Author! Did you see the articles?! Did you see them?!"
Just like his fellow writers, the editor was incredibly excited.
"I saw them," Geon-woo replied. "I've been getting a lot of calls too."
"Congratulations, Author! What on earth is happening?! Serazade's Han Se-rin is a fan of yours! Oh my gosh!"
"I'm still in shock myself," Geon-woo said, letting out a wry smile at the editor's enthusiasm. "I don't really know what to make of it."
"There's more good news, Author."
"Pardon?"
"A broadcasting station contacted our publishing house just a moment ago. They were asking for your contact information!"
"My contact information?"
"Yes! Prepare to be shocked!"
"I'm already shocked..."
"The producers of I Live Alone want you to appear on the show! Ahhh! You have to do it! I really hope you do!"
"..."
Geon-woo held the phone, completely speechless.
An invitation to appear on a major network variety show, out of nowhere?
Unexpected events were piling up one after another.
Geon-woo's gaze drifted back to his laptop screen.
Why my novels, of all things...?
Why did Han Se-rin declare her love for his work?
There were plenty of other famous web novel writers and hit series out there.
In fact, she had plenty of other hobbies that could represent her image far better than web novels.
So why did she like his writing?
Unfortunately, he couldn't hear her answer.
The video clip had already ended.
"Author...? Is it okay if I pass your contact info to the station?"
The editor sounded incredibly desperate.
A web novel writer appearing on a major network show.
If it actually happened, it would be a historic milestone for the entire web novel industry.
"Editor," Geon-woo said after a brief silence.
On Christmas Eve, inside the publishing company's shared office.
"Wait... why are there so many of you here?"
Geon-woo, who had just arrived at the office, looked at the crowd of fellow writers in disbelief.
"Our very own Writer Park is going to be on TV! How could we just sit still? Right, everyone?"
A senior writer who wrote under the pen name December 32nd joked warmly.
"Hyung! A national TV appearance! Oh my god!"
Yeong-jae looked like he was about to burst into tears.
"Ah, about that... haha..."
Geon-woo scratched the back of his head.
It seemed some misinformation had spread through the group chat.
"Here, try this watch on first. I'll lend it to you, so wear it when you go on the show, Writer Park."
December 32nd unclasped his expensive watch and offered it.
"Do you know any good salons? I have a regular place I go to. Should I hook you up?"
"Salons are great, but don't they usually do your hair and makeup at the station before filming? Maybe we should just teach him how to apply BB cream."
Starting with Yuyu, who was the same age as Geon-woo, the female writers began pulling out their makeup pouches.
"Hyung, I'll lend you my car on the day of the shoot! Seong-do, pull out your wallet. Your wallet!"
"Huh? My wallet?"
At Yeong-jae's urging, twenty-one-year-old Seong-do, the youngest of the group, hesitantly pulled out his wallet.
"You guys, seriously..."
Geon-woo couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.
The other writers burst into laughter as well.
"Han Se-rin really is amazing. Isn't this the first time we've seen Writer Park laugh this much?"
"He used to laugh a lot before he got sick."
"That's true."
"Everything is working out now, so keep smiling, Writer Park!"
With the warm wishes of his colleagues, the atmosphere in the room became incredibly cozy.
Geon-woo, who had lost his smile due to his chronic illness and a severe slump, was finally showing glimpses of his old self.
Sigh. I guess I should tell them.
After a moment of hesitation, Geon-woo addressed the room.
"Actually... I turned down the offer to appear on the show. Haha..."
"...!"
The warm atmosphere in the office instantly froze.
"Writer Park...? Why? Do you know how high the expectations are for you in the web novel community right now?"
"I already bragged about it to everyone I know. What a shame..."
The writers expressed deep disappointment.
But Geon-woo remained calm.
"Because I'm just an ordinary person."
Geon-woo believed that major variety shows were meant for people like Han Se-rin—stars who could bring happiness to many.
I'm different from Han Se-rin.
If there was someone whom misfortune followed like a shadow, Geon-woo felt it was him.
So, he thought this was enough.
He knew all too well that greed beyond one's station rarely ended well.
Given that, how could he possibly belong on a national television show?
Geon-woo shook off his thoughts.
"Come on, don't look at me like that. Hey, my next payout is going to be pretty big, so when should I treat you all to dinner?"
Thanks to Han Se-rin, readers were still flocking to Geon-woo's two novels.
"Let's eat today, Writer Park."
"Hyung? Today is Christmas Eve."
"Exactly. That's why we should eat with Writer Park. Right, everyone?"
"Right!"
"Absolutely!"
The other writers chimed in, agreeing with the senior author.
"Wait... today is Christmas Eve. You have a family, hyung. And doesn't everyone else have a boyfriend or girlfriend to meet?"
"Ugh...! Hyung, you just drove a stake through my twenty-six years of single life..."
Yeong-jae clutched his chest dramatically.
"I already told my wife I'd be having dinner with Writer Park for Christmas Eve. What should we eat? How about that home-style restaurant down the street?"
"Home-style food? We eat there so much, it's a bit..."
The writers began exchanging glances, trying to decide.
There were quite a few of them, after all.
"I can't afford beef... but how about pork?"
"T-Thinly sliced pork belly, hyung?" Yeong-jae asked cautiously.
"Let's just get regular pork belly, Yeong-jae. Is everyone okay with pork belly?"
At Geon-woo's words, a loud cheer erupted.
"You guys are so simple."
A small smile played on Geon-woo's lips.
"It's suddenly getting cold."
On the edge of the hillside neighborhood on Christmas Eve.
With every step he took, white puffs of breath escaped Geon-woo's mouth.
"Maybe I should sit down for a bit."
He thought he had been doing fine lately, but his heart was acting up again.
Perhaps due to his weakened heart muscle, Geon-woo's breathing grew labored.
He walked over to a small neighborhood park near his house and sat down on a bench.
"It's snowing?"
White flakes were fluttering down through the glow of the streetlights.
"It should fall on Christmas. Today is only the Eve."
"Right?"
"...?"
Geon-woo froze on the bench.
The voice coming from behind him was clear and pure, yet it carried a chill like cold snow.
"Huh?!"
The moment he turned his head, Geon-woo stiffened completely.
"Do you know what the probability of snow on Christmas is?"
"N-No?"
"They say there's a 28.9% chance of snow on Christmas."
"..."
Geon-woo couldn't find the words to reply.
She wore a light pink shearling jacket, dark blue skinny jeans, and cute brown Ugg boots.
Framed by the hood of her jacket, her small face featured delicate, perfectly arranged features and red lips that looked as if they had been painted on.
It's surreal.
If there was a beauty that didn't belong in this world, it had to be her.
And now, those pitch-black eyes, reflecting the starlight, were looking directly at Geon-woo.
"Ah! It's midnight! It's Christmas now! Yay!"
Spinning around with her arms raised high toward the night sky as the snow fell softly around her, she was none other than Han Se-rin.