Reunion
Shin Jaewoo had loved web novels since he was young. He wanted to write them. Just crafting his own stories felt amazing.
There was a time... when that was true.
Before starting his job in web novel management, the pre-employment Shin Jaewoo wrote. Naturally, it was male-oriented fiction. And it never took off.
Still, while juggling part-time gigs, he kept challenging himself with new works. Then, finally, light shone on him. More precisely, the contact he'd been waiting for arrived.
It was his first contact. Seeing it made his vision blur with excitement. Even so, Shin Jaewoo set up a meeting. During their call, he was surprised.
She's a woman.
His writing was male-oriented. He'd assumed the editor would be a guy. But the one reaching out was a woman.
And the first time he saw her.
Wow. She's gorgeous.
That was his honest thought. Pretty and cool. And one more reason he couldn't help but fall for her.
"Your latest work has real potential. Let's do this together."
She believed in him. For a guy, that alone was motivation enough.
"...I'll sign the contract."
"Oh my! Thank you so much for joining us. I promise I'll do my absolute best so you never regret this choice."
It was his first contract. And she kept her word. By his reckoning, she truly gave it her all. The paid serialization launched successfully, and Lee Haein's role was huge.
But even bigger was something else.
She got me to the finish line.
He was certain. Sure, he deserved credit up to serialization, but finishing the story? That was all her.
He'd started wobbling mid-story, spiraling into a vicious cycle. It wrecked his mentality, and the worse it got, the less he wrote. Yet somehow, he made it to the end.
All thanks to PD Lee Haein.
She was his mentor. And like a first love.
But they say first loves never work out. After that project, they had no reason to stay in touch.
"I was bummed there were no new works from you after that one... but meeting you here like this? I'm thrilled."
Lee Haein spotted him first again. Shin Jaewoo flinched, unsure what to say.
But what really shook him was her follow-up.
"Are you... still writing these days?"
Of course not. He hadn't written since. Instead, he'd pivoted careers. To web novel editing.
Her influence played a part there too.
But I wasn't great at spotting talent.
Maybe that's why he only produced flops. His tastes were niche. Bestsellers bored him; stuff he loved tanked. He caught flak at work for it. And he'd joined a female-oriented publisher, no less. He'd quit that too.
"...Yeah. I'm writing something now."
A lie.
"Really? Could I maybe see your next work sometime?"
She lit up with joy. Shin Jaewoo panicked more.
Kim Minseo watched the two curiously.
How do they know each other?
She glanced back and forth. Shin Jaewoo wondered the same.
Why are PD Lee and Minseo here together...?
He'd never imagined that duo. Especially not here.
Kim Minseo kinda fit—streamers hung out here.
Right. She mentioned plans tonight, and this must be it.
She'd said she had a meetup at this hour. And here she was. Mystery solved.
"What's the deal?"
Kim Minseo couldn't hold back her curiosity.
"You two know each other?"
"Oh, this is the author I debuted first... Wait, Minseo, you know him too?"
Kim Minseo's eyes went wide, hand over her mouth in exaggerated shock. Pure streamer reaction cam.
"Whoa! For real? Oppa, seriously? I vaguely remember you messing around writing when I was little..."
Come to think of it, his aunt might know, but Kim Minseo was clueless about his writing days.
Shin Jaewoo gave a wry smile.
"Yeah."
Then Kim Minseo's gaze shifted to the quiet one.
"So, who's the sister next to you? New girlfriend?"
His aunt and Kim Minseo knew the basics about Kim Hyeju. He hadn't spilled details, but the breakup? No hiding that.
We'd already set a wedding date.
He had to cancel. Anyway, Kim Minseo played innocent but shot suspicious glances. Like, Did this woman cause the split with Hyeju unnie?
Interrogating eyes, full of doubt.
Shin Jaewoo shook his head.
"...Sooyoung and I aren't like that."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Sooyoung."
Finally her cue? Lee Sooyoung bowed politely to the women. Noticing Shin Jaewoo's denial, she kept distance—unlike her reaction to Han Taeho and Kim Hyeju at the department store.
"Then?"
"...I needed a partner for tonight, so I asked around. Even hit you up."
"Oh!"
Kim Minseo recalled, the memory clicking from yesterday. Shin Jaewoo had asked her about plans too.
"That was for finding a date to bring here?"
"Yeah. You had plans, so I found someone else. Sooyoung and I know each other through work."
Lee Haein perked up at his words.
"Work? Is Sooyoung in the same industry by any chance?"
Web novel biz? Her eyes sharpened.
"Same industry?"
Lee Sooyoung had no clue what Lee Haein did. But from context, she guessed.
Publishing or broadcasting.
Shin Jaewoo called her PD. Talked writing, works. Had to be that field.
And Lee Sooyoung? Totally unrelated.
Shin Jaewoo shook his head awkwardly.
"...Sooyoung works at the bank."
"Oops, my mistake. I assumed since you work together..."
Lee Haein flushed, embarrassed.
"Stop!"
Kim Minseo cut in.
"No more chit-chat here. If we're talking, let's eat! I've got a ton of questions too."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, flicking between Shin Jaewoo and Lee Sooyoung.
Shin Jaewoo looked awkward.
What now?
He hesitated, realizing he'd exposed a ton of connections here. Han Taeho, Kim Hyeju—no way he'd run into Kim Minseo and Lee Haein too.
"Don't even think about running. Or I'll tell Mom everything I saw today?"
Kim Minseo blocked escape with a threat. His aunt finding out? In this messy context, without explanations?
Who knows what she'd say. Unsettling.
Maybe an excuse. He didn't want to end this anyway. Especially not with Lee Haein like this.
"...Fine."
He caved to her pushiness. Kim Minseo grinned.
"Yay! Let's go!"
She marched ahead like the boss. Shin Jaewoo and Lee Haein, who knew her well, chuckled in unison.
But what do I even say?
His mind raced as they walked.
"Come to think of it... Oppa, how'd you end up here? Oh, is the sister next to you a big shot?"