Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Is the Writer Omnipotent?
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[British actor Gabriel, who appeared on Otherworld Chef, has signed a management contract with CY Entertainment.]
[Gabriel signs with CY Entertainment!]
Gabriel's contract became a hot topic in itself.
Choi Woo-jong actively promoted it to spread the news.
The terms were exactly as requested: no fixed contract period.
There was no signing bonus either; instead, CY Entertainment would take a certain percentage of his earnings as commission.
The rest of the contract was similar to standard ones.
Gabriel decided to live in the officetel that Choi Woo-jong had prepared for him.
With six months until the start of Season 2 filming, he planned to work with CY Entertainment during that time.
‘Gabriel’s matters are settled, and the set construction is going smoothly too.’
Right after signing the investment contract with the Gangwon Provincial Office, they began building the set for Season 2.
Thanks to Director Oh Young-tae’s help, they secured a good construction company.
All Jeong Tae-seong had to do was occasionally visit the site to check on progress.
‘The deadline...’
The novel he was currently writing, *The Return of the Sword Immortal*.
It had already surpassed volume 22.
But the manuscript was already complete up to the finale.
All the drafts had been handed over to YK Books and were fully edited.
Even with serialization increased to twice a day, it would take another four months to wrap up.
He hadn’t decided on a new project yet, so he wasn’t writing anything.
‘The webtoon...’
Tae-seong looked around the office.
The only sounds were the pencils tapping on tablet monitors here and there.
Things had loosened up a bit when Gabriel was around, but this was their true form.
Thanks to their always focused work ethic, there had never been a single delay in the webtoons serialized under TS Media’s name.
‘No need for me to interfere with the webtoon side.’
The system was already in place.
There was no reason for him to squeeze in and take over.
‘Prioritizing the Otherworld Chef Season 2 script, then.’
Tae-seong identified the most urgent task and got started.
* * *
[You have new mail.]
Tae-seong opened the incoming email and checked the contents.
‘Hm.’
It was a reminder email about his schedule.
Ever since his first life, Tae-seong had been skilled at organization and time management.
He especially synced special events to his smartphone to receive email notifications.
‘Mother’s birthday is coming up soon.’
The email was notifying him in advance of his mother’s birthday in a month.
Over his many lives, Tae-seong had met and created various families, spending time with them.
Through that, he’d gained diverse experiences and formed deep relationships.
At first, he hadn’t understood a child’s feelings toward parents.
But after having and raising his own children, he came to comprehend it.
He also learned how to treat his children as a parent over time.
From encountering so many families, Tae-seong established one principle:
Always give his all to his family.
Someday, they would part ways, but that was a matter for the future.
The present mattered, and being fully devoted to now was enough.
His current parents were especially precious—they were the ones who made a person named Jeong Tae-seong possible.
More than anything, in his previous life, he hadn’t been mature enough as a son and had shown many shortcomings.
That left him with deep regrets.
When the chance came to live again as their child, he vowed:
This time, he would fulfill his duties without regrets.
That was why he visited home every weekend, no matter how busy he was.
‘Last year, I was too swamped with going full-time as a writer and couldn’t prepare a proper gift.’
Tae-seong launched a program to plan an event for his mother’s birthday.
* * *
Tae-seong’s father, Jeong Ki-yong, ran a convenience store.
After retiring, he couldn’t sit idle and used his severance pay to open one near home.
It didn’t make a fortune, but it was more than enough for the two of them.
“Then I’ll head in.”
“Yes, boss.”
After handing the store to the part-timer, Jeong Ki-yong started walking home.
How long had he walked?
The apartment entrance came into view.
But a familiar silhouette stood in front of it.
“Tae-seong?”
“Dad, you’re back?”
“Yeah. But why are you waiting outside instead of going in?”
“I was hoping to grab a beer with you. Got time?”
“Time’s not an issue.”
“Then let’s have that beer before heading in.”
Jeong Ki-yong looked puzzled.
His son suggesting drinks first?
It was a first.
“Shall we? Since we’re drinking, let’s call your mom too.”
“No, just us. I have something to tell you.”
“Really?”
What could it be?
He felt a twinge of unease.
Lately, his son seemed to have grown up so much.
When he quit his old job to become a writer, there had been plenty of worries.
But seeing him succeed as an author and even run a company made him realize how impressive his son was.
With his newfound maturity, he’d become even more reliable.
So when such a son wanted to talk alone, it sparked concern.
Jeong Ki-yong headed to his favorite chicken joint with his son.
They took a corner seat and ordered chicken and beer.
Soon, two 500cc glasses of draft beer arrived on the table. Jeong Ki-yong asked Tae-seong,
“Something going on?”
“Nothing big. Mom’s birthday is coming up soon, right?”
“Huh?”
Jeong Ki-yong pulled out his smartphone, opened the calendar, and checked the date.
“Oh, already?”
“So I was thinking of sending you and Mom on a trip.”
“A trip?”
“Yeah. Last year, I was slammed right after going full-time as a writer and couldn’t do much. This year, I want to make it special.”
“Well, if that’s your intention, we’d love it. Where to?”
“How about Europe?”
“Europe?”
“Yeah. Mom sometimes watches those celebrity Europe trips on TV and says how envious she is.”
“You sure? Your mom’s knees aren’t great. Europe means a lot of walking.”
Tae-seong knew that.
That’s why, on weekend visits home to cook, he made sure to use ingredients good for joints.
“She seems a lot better lately when she walks. How about getting a check-up?”
“Hm, maybe.”
Jeong Ki-yong recalled that his wife hadn’t complained about her knees recently and nodded.
“What about your store, Dad? Can you step away?”
“That’s the biggest issue. The part-timers are good and diligent, but it’s awkward for me to be gone.”
“I’ll cover for you while you’re away.”
“You? What about your business?”
“One project wrapped up recently, so I’ve got some free time. It’s doable.”
“Hmm...”
His father still looked worried.
Naturally—he felt bad relying on his child for their trip.
Tae-seong could read his father’s thoughts.
Parents always see their kids as young, no matter how grown.
He’d been the same.
Even adult children seemed young, and even after having grandkids, he only saw their childhood selves.
Accepting help from such children always felt apologetic.
No matter how small the favor.
“Things have been going well lately, so I can afford it. Go enjoy yourselves without worry.”
“If you insist that much...”
“Then I’ll handle the itinerary and schedule. Any preferred dates?”
With his father’s positive response, Tae-seong seized the moment and pushed forward.
Swept up by his son’s persuasion, the father soon shook off any lingering guilt, emptied his glass, and spent the time chatting about trip plans.
* * *
A few days later.
An unexpected guest visited TS Media.
“Long time no see, Writer Jeong.”
It was Shin Young-sik PD.
The man who had visited the Otherworld Chef set with PD Kim had requested to come to TS Media himself.
Two days ago, he’d called asking if he could stop by the office, and Tae-seong had agreed.
No reason to refuse.
“Long time no see.”
“Haha! Thanks for allowing my sudden visit request.”
“No problem. Why would I turn away someone visiting the company? Have a seat.”
“Yes!”
As he sat, Tae-seong stood in front of the coffee machine in the reception room.
“We got some good beans in. Americano okay?”
“Huh? You’re brewing it yourself, Writer Jeong?”
“I sometimes grind and brew my favorite beans.”
“Oh... I see. Americano it is, then.”
“Got it.”
Tae-seong ground the beans and started brewing.
Soon, the rich aroma of coffee filled the reception room.
After brewing two cups, he brought them over and set one in front of Shin PD.
“Here.”
“Thank you. Wow~ Smells amazing.”
“Hope it tastes as good.”
At Tae-seong’s words, Shin PD took a sip.
It was bittersweet with a lingering acidity at the end.
“Ooh~ Interesting flavor. Kenyan beans? The acidity’s pretty pronounced.”
“I blended them myself.”
“Ah...”
Shin PD knew his coffee.
The unfamiliar taste had puzzled him, but a blend explained it.
“By the way, if it’s not too much trouble...”
Shin PD unzipped his backpack and pulled out a book.
It was the limited edition of *The Return of the SSS-Class Hunter*.
“Could you sign it?”
“Haha, of course.”
He’d said he was a fan back at the shoot.
It seemed genuine.
The limited edition of *The Return of the SSS-Class Hunter* had only been sold once.
They later released a hardcover, but never reprinted the limited run.
Only 500 copies made it extremely hard to get.
Owning one proved his fandom wasn’t just lip service.
Tae-seong signed the first page and handed it back.
“Wow...”
He beamed with genuine joy.
As he tucked the book back into his bag, Tae-seong asked,
“You didn’t come just for the signature, did you?”
“That was reason number one.”
“There’s a second, then.”
“Yep.”
Shin PD pushed his bag aside and looked at Tae-seong.
“Writer Jeong.”
“Yes.”
“Any interest in appearing on Mask Singer?”
Mask Singer.
The singing competition airing in the Sunday prime time slot.
It had held the top spot in Sunday variety for a year straight, loved by all ages.
Tae-seong watched occasionally because his mom enjoyed it.
True to the name, contestants wore masks to hide their identities and competed with songs.
Not just singers—actors, athletes, and more celebrities appeared, delighting viewers.
Non-singers sometimes wowed with skills and went viral.
Come to think of it, his mom had said something recently.
‘Son, if you ever get the chance, you should do it! Got it?’
Words really could plant seeds.
Here was the offer, just as she’d hoped.
Normally, he’d decline.
But with his schedule loosening up lately, he hesitated.
His mother’s birthday being just a month away factored in too.
“When’s the shoot?”
“Two weeks from now. We’ll cover all practice costs and space. Just think of it as singing a song or two at your leisure.”
“Air date?”
“Six weeks later.”
Not far from her birthday.
It’d make a great gift.
“Alright. I’ll do it.”
Tae-seong accepted readily.