The Illustrator, Part 3
"Lee Sia, I'm already dating Hyunseong. Give up."
"Hyunseong, Sia... she's just a bitch who wags her tail at guys with her pretty face."
"The heir to the Saseong Group, Ryu Hyunseong. I'll make him mine no matter what. Just you wait."
"What do I have less of than that bitch?! My grades are better, and I'm way prettier. My chest is... a bit... small, yeah, it's small, but still!! Why!! Why did you choose her over me?!"
"You're mine!! You're going to date me right now!! Ryu Hyunseong!!"
Memories of the past.
Or was this a dream...?
The truth about Shin Jiwu, which I had never known.
I still haven't forgotten.
The mastermind who incited everyone...
...to bully Sia.
Shin Jiwu.
Her goal was to become the girlfriend of me, the heir to the Saseong Group.
The girls from the other class bullying Sia.
Jiwu "saving" Sia from those girls.
Me developing feelings of gratitude toward Jiwu because of it.
It was all Shin Jiwu's plan.
Just to date me.
That bitch... left Sia with nothing but bitter, painful memories.
Consciousness slowly returned.
I forced my heavy eyelids open.
My head throbbed.
I had no memory of what happened after drinking that cola last night.
Did I just pass out because I was too tired?
The familiar, incredibly shabby ceiling.
Geum Jeongho sleeping next to me, drooling.
This bastard... he was way too close.
I sat up and checked my KakaoTalk.
She sounded incredibly money-hungry.
But she was still a good editor, even if she was lazy and loved money.
Probably...
That should be enough of a reply.
An editor who spent her own money for my sake.
I could only be grateful to her.
Oh...? There was another message.
A message from Shin Jiwu sent about five hours ago.
It came with a rough sketch file.
A 'rough' refers to a preliminary sketch outlining the composition and details.
Let's, let's check it right now!
The moment I opened the rough sketch file she sent, I couldn't hide my admiration.
It was almost identical to Kathy, the heroine of I Want a Happy Ending that I had envisioned.
A cute, long twintail hairstyle.
Cool, sharp eyes that contrasted with it.
A composition that emphasized a voluptuous chest, perfectly matching my tastes.
Even a high-leg suit that highlighted her sexiness!
I had only seen a simple sketch, but I was already looking forward to the finished version.
The rough sketch Shin Jiwu sent.
There didn't seem to be anything to fix.
I sent the reply to Jiwu.
I checked if there were any other messages, but that seemed to be it.
Let's see... the time was currently 7:36 AM.
It wasn't even the weekend. Was it really okay for that bastard to be sleeping like a log right now?
"Hey. Wake up. You have to go to work, Geum Jeongho."
I nudged Jeongho's face with my foot to wake him up, but...
"Ah... just a little more sleep..."
He mumbled in his sleep, showing no signs of waking up.
Is this guy seriously insane?
What if he gets fired?
Jeongho was the only person I could borrow money from.
Of course... I only borrowed it and never paid it back, but...
If he got fired, I'd be in trouble too.
I had to wake him up right now.
"You're seriously going to be late. Get up right now!!"
I kicked Jeongho's face with all my might, as if kicking a soccer ball.
"Aaargh! Ryu Hyunseong, you son of a bitch!! That hurts!"
Groaning in pain, Jeongho finally woke up from his deep slumber.
Cursing at me the moment he opened his eyes.
"Just go to work."
"What time is it?"
"7:40."
"Holy shit! Thanks, Hyunseong!!"
Jeongho scrambled to throw on his messy clothes and rushed out of the room.
Watching him run out like that, I felt once again that becoming a full-time author was the best decision ever.
Working from home is the best!
Should I start outlining the plot for my new work?
I turned on my laptop and opened Notepad.
Now I just had to write the plot, but...
What genre should I write?!
Harem? Gender-bender? Fantasy? Romance?
There are many genres in web novels.
I guess my current work, I Want a Happy Ending, could be considered a harem with fantasy elements.
This time, I wanted to try a different genre.
First, let's look at the platform where I serialize my novels.
Let's browse the Today's Best list on Yutonovel and think about the genre!
Let's see. The number one spot on Today's Best right now is...
Let's Become a Girl and Steal the Hero's Girls, a yuri novel with gender-bender and NTR elements?
What the fuck!
This kind of trash is the number one novel?
Just seeing NTR made me feel sick, but...
On top of that, losing the woman you love to another woman?!
Uh... I-I am a little curious, though...?
It's incredibly novel.
Losing the person you love to someone else is what we call 'NTR'.
It's my absolute least favorite genre.
Imagine if Sia was stolen by another man...
"Sorry, Hyunseong. I like my new boyfriend now."
Sia leaving me to go with another man.
No. Don't leave me... Sia!! Nooooooo!
Just imagining it brought tears to my eyes.
This is why I truly detest NTR.
Why do people even like this stuff?!
And what...?
This novel is about a woman stealing a woman?
"Sorry, Hyunseong. I like women now."
Sia leaving me to go with another woman.
Sia! I'll go to Thailand and get gender reassignment surgery! I'll become a woman! Please don't leave meeee!
No, wait. What the fuck.
Am I going crazy?
Why am I imagining this?
Calm down, Ryu Hyunseong!
Sia will stay by my side forever.
Because we promised.
There's no way this would happen in real life, right?
Fiction is just fiction!
So, to expand my horizons, let's give it a read!
Nodding quietly, I calmly began reading Let's Become a Girl and Steal the Hero's Girls.
.
.
.
It's actually pretty fun?!
Although the NTR elements were uncomfortable...
The prose was clean.
The characters were charming.
The plot progression made sense.
It was a top-tier piece of writing with absolutely no flaws.
I need the next chapter!! Open the gates!!
I guess this is what it takes to hit number one on Today's Best...
It was a good learning experience.
First, I bookmarked it and turned on notifications...
Should I read more top-ranking novels?
As I scrolled down with the mouse wheel, completely absorbed in reading...
*Ding!*
The KakaoTalk notification sound rang from my crappy phone.
Not immediately...
But after a long loading screen, I checked the message.
Sia's message made the corners of my mouth twitch upward automatically.
Was it already lunchtime?
I checked the time, and it was past noon.
As expected, the novels on Today's Best were incredibly immersive.
I had lost track of time reading, and now it was lunch...
I hadn't even eaten breakfast, let alone lunch, but if I told her the truth...
...Sia would get mad, right?
I should just give a vague answer for now.
Speaking of which, I should eat the snacks Jeongho bought yesterday as a substitute for lunch.
Thanks to Jeongho, I'm saving on food expenses. What a sweet deal.
This is what a true friend is.
Rummaging through the convenience store bag Jeongho brought yesterday...
...there was a cup ramen and some beef jerky left.
This is my lunch for today!
I got up and boiled water in the electric kettle.
After that, I just needed to open the cup ramen lid, pour in the soup powder and water, and wait about three minutes.
"Jiwu did mess up big time, but... isn't it about time you forgive her?"
Jeongho's words weighed strangely on my mind.
Because of Shin Jiwu.
Jeongho and I had almost drifted apart too.
And he wants me to forgive someone like that?
Is he just too nice, or...
I really can't figure Jeongho out sometimes.
Let's see... that was probably... the day right after Sia and I started dating, wasn't it...?
"...Shin Jiwu, I heard everything from Jeongho and Sia. Are you insane?!"
At that time, I was glaring at Shin Jiwu with eyes full of disgust and anger.
"Hyunseong, I had no choice. I didn't want to lose you to that bitch. I love you. Please think about it one more time."
Shin Jiwu looked back at me with pleading eyes, refusing to back down.
The reason Jeongho had dragged Sia to the parking lot yesterday.
The reason he grabbed her arm.
It was all to ask Sia for the truth.
Jeongho already had a rough idea of Shin Jiwu's misdeeds.
And he seemed to think Sia knew something.
But Sia hadn't told Jeongho anything until the very end.
Ultimately, it was only after confirming our feelings for each other that Sia confessed everything to me.
Sia said she had quietly watched Jiwu spread nasty rumors about her, not just to girls from other classes...
...but also to their own classmates, inciting them to treat her like an arrogant bitch.
Since there were indeed many girls who disliked Sia, she probably couldn't step in directly.
How much must Sia's heart have ached to witness that with her own eyes...?
Just imagining it made my heart feel like it was being torn to shreds.
I had foolishly misunderstood Jeongho and thrown a punch at him.
I committed an unforgivable sin.
I hurt Jeongho with my own hands... the very person who was trying to help us...
I can never forgive Shin Jiwu for deceiving me.
"It's all because of you... Sia was bullied because of you, wasn't she? I already know everything. I have witnesses. Are you going to deny it? Why did you do it? What did Sia ever do to you?!"
Shin Jiwu... she was the one who started all of this.
Saving Sia from the girls of the other class was all just an act.
I loathe Jiwu... that girl... that bitch.