#1. Caught
#1. Caught
Tal-geon.
Have you ever heard of Tal-geon, by any chance?
You probably haven't, with a high probability.
Because this word is hardly ever used by anyone outside of architecture majors.
But if you've even dipped a toe into the Department of Architecture, just for one semester, the odds are you'll be spitting it out every other sentence.
Why? Because the meaning of this word is "escape architecture."
It implies quitting architecture altogether.
That's why countless architecture students inwardly vow the same thing every Design Deadline season.
[I'm seriously gonna graduate and Tal-geon for sure.]
Of course, you can spot plenty who Tal-geon before they even graduate.
Maybe they're the real sages.
At least they don't have to be like me right now, gluing shit down to the millimeter at dawn with eyes about to pop out.
"Argh! Fuck! Just stick already!"
16 hours until deadline.
About 24 hours without sleep.
But my Architectural Model still showed no signs of being finished.
"Why are you like this again? Take a break and do it."
"Shut up, you phony bastard."
Lee Hwi-min.
My closest classmate and architecture design genius.
The guy had even planted landscaping trees on his model, yet here he was, not going home and grating on my nerves.
"Why get mad again? Sigh. I told you to work on it bit by bit ahead of time."
Ha... he had a point.
Honestly, I started a little later than others, but I never imagined it'd chase me down like this.
"Hey, cut the crap and come help me build these model walls, yeah?"
"I gotta fix renders in Photoshop, so I'm swamped."
I let out a deep sigh at the sight of Hwi-min chomping on a Pepero and clicking his mouse.
Will I even make the deadline like this...
The professors' faces were already flickering in my mind.
[Minho-ssi, ah... the deadline quality here is lacking...]
[The concept of this piece just doesn't come through in the model at all.]
[You think you can graduate in 5th year with this?]
Ugh. Already ran the Critique in my head for tomorrow.
Just thinking about my work getting shredded by the notoriously picky 4th-year professors had me chuckling bitterly already.
If I'm gonna get beat down anyway, do I really need to go this hard?
Truth is, I had another reason for running short on time.
Because I had a second deadline.
My novel.
[I Imprisoned Her.]
The infamous Erotic Novel cracking the top 10 on Novel World—that was my work.
Tal-geon was my goal, and the path I chose was web novel author.
Of course, I never seriously thought of it as a career at first.
Last vacation. Forced into room exile by the deadly pandemic "Corono" ravaging the world, I fell head over heels for web novels.
Started as a voracious reader gobbling up new worlds I'd never known, but that didn't last. After devouring the masterpieces, I was a changed man.
Put simply, I'd become a "gourmet."
No more settling for amateur writing or predictable plots.
And what pissed off this gourmet the most was.
[Childhood Friend High School Classmate and Senior.]
This novel, rotten from the title alone, was somehow clinging to the top 30 on Novel World.
The more I read, the deeper the rage bubbling up inside me.
I kept scrolling once I started, but with every chapter stacking up, one line looped in my head.
'This shit... top 30?'
Flimsy logic. Plot holes galore. Dragging pace.
Nothing satisfied, yet people ate it up like it was gold.
Was my taste fucked, or were they all clueless idiots?
Tormented by this inner conflict, I sat at my computer.
Easy enough to test.
And that was the start of my debut work—and one of Novel World's biggest hits.
[I Imprisoned Her.]
Like any newbie aspiring author, my start was humble.
No proper cover, and episode 1's views didn't crack 100 even after a week.
But I didn't quit. Why?
Because I knew my writing was leagues better than that garbage [Childhood Friend High School Classmate and Senior.]
Pushing through 10 episodes, 20, my novel hit its turning point around episode 30.
Shoutout to that super grateful reader who'd followed from the very first episode, leaving comments on every single one.
Thanks to the heartfelt review from [White Snowflake-nim].
Riding that review wave, new readers poured in, ballooning my novel, and by episode 50, it hit top 20 real-time views on Novel World.
The day it overtook that trashy [Childhood Friend High School Classmate and Senior.] even once? I got royally wasted solo.
With income surging, I burned to get a proper cover made.
Sure, Erotic Novels get you hot with words, but visuals? Can't ignore 'em.
Heroine's facial features. Body. Outfit. Vibe. The cover nails it all at once.
So I hunted for an illustrator to perfectly capture the heroine of my brain-melting novel [I Imprisoned Her.].
Kang Suyeon.
Picking one took a full week.
The final two had me torn.
Cporia, with her sleek lines and killer details.
HNE Author, with flawless composition and pinpoint focus.
Both top-tier in the biz, no doubt.
Tears in my eyes, I picked HNE Author.
Thought I'd commission Cporia later too, but the moment I saw HNE Author's first sketch?
Knew I'd never need anyone else.
They say illustrators are alchemists? This was beyond.
Bit vulgar, but the artist knew exactly what "hot" means.
Philosophy on just how short a skirt can tease.
Knew the perfect neckline reveal from tied-up hair.
Every commission, I was clapping like a seal.
Rookie Erotic Novelist me. Rookie Erotic Illustrator HNE Author.
This duo? Unstoppable!
[I Imprisoned Her.]—top predator on Novel World right now.
Of course, couldn't say that straight to the author-nim.
Just my inner bro-feels.
Even after 6 commissions, our chats stayed pro.
But now that I'm kinda famous, do they know it's my novel?
Probably, right?
Didn't wanna brag by asking outta nowhere, so I never did.
As far as I remember, today was supposed to be the day for the finished illustration...
Buried in my Design Deadline, I hadn't even checked the email I'd normally pounce on.
Wanna take a quick break and check the illus?
Leaning back, stretching, I got up and headed to the bathroom.
Even if everyone's buried in work, can't just whip out Erotic Illustrations in the bustling Design Room.
Locked the door, checked my inbox.
[It's HNE. Sorry, Author-nim. Got some urgent stuff, so deadline's slipping a bit.ㅠㅠ Will wrap and send by tomorrow morning for sure!]
First time missing deadline, so I got it, but damn, the letdown.
Sigh... Was gonna peek for some healing then back to the model.
[No worries! Focus on quality and finish strong!]
Sucks, but whatcha gonna do. Wait it out.
Back at my desk, I sighed deep.
"Eh~ Life~"
"Hey hey, less whining, more stairs."
"Nyeh~ Nyeh~"
At Hwi-min's jab, I resumed carving.
With the building model nearing done, I went to stick on the little people figures from the art store.
"Shit. Forgot the Spray Paint."
Ah... am I an idiot...
Even picked red...
Went all the way to the art store today, why skip the Spray Paint?
"Hwi-min, gimme some Spray Paint."
"Don't have any."
"Come on, don't be like that. Lend me some."
"Seriously don't."
...Plot twist.
Figured Hwi-min'd have it for sure. Who else?
Standing up, I scanned the Design Room.
My buddies... all working from home, huh.
No one comfy to ask.
No choice then.
Time to turn hyena in the Design Room.
Please... someone have Spray Paint...
Gotta be at least one...
O! There!
Spotted Spray Paint on a table by the far corner window in the sparse Design Room. Checked the owner.
Hmm... tricky.
'Cause the seat belonged to Han Na-eun, a junior I'd barely exchanged words with.
Never properly talked, but I knew her 'cause she's the hottest in 4th year right now.
Doesn't join department stuff much, rarely seen on campus outside deadlines, so never seen her tight with anyone.
Kinda awkward... hmm...
Glanced at my watch, quit hesitating.
Not the time to be picky.
Marched to her desk, snatched the Spray Paint.
"Hey, Na-eun! Can I borrow this for a sec..."
That was the moment.
Saw her laptop screen—couldn't finish my sentence.
'Cause on it was...
The flesh-toned finished illustration I hadn't gotten yet.
"Huh?"
Her already pale skin went ghostly white.