Chapter 36
Willow Publishing.
“Assistant Manager Kim, everything’s ready, right?”
“Yes. I’ve got the contract, and I also prepared the premium tea set for the gift.”
“Good. We can’t make a single slip of the tongue today.”
“Of course. I understand.”
Team Leader Yu Na-ri and Assistant Manager Kim were both under severe strain.
That was only natural. Depending on how today’s meeting went, it would decide whether they stayed stuck doing translations with no way forward, or whether this would become the springboard for a leap upward.
“Is today the meeting?”
The head office director, who had been lingering nearby, slipped into the conversation.
“Should I go along too? It might help if someone high-ranking is there, to make it look like the publisher really values the author.”
“No.”
Team Leader Yu cut him off cleanly.
“It would just make things too awkward if you came.”
“...That much?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Wouldn’t it actually make you seem more sincere?”
“Not at all, so please just stay here.”
“All right...”
The director retreated, embarrassed.
To be fair, for successful authors it was standard practice for someone high up at the company to go out, greet them properly, and offer the usual courtesies.
But Seo-jun Kang would probably feel pressured if I did that.
And sending Assistant Manager Kim alone felt worrying for a different reason.
The best course was for her, as the team leader, to go with him.
“Director. In that case, could you prepare a budget that can be used as an advance payment? I need to know the maximum amount we can push.”
“Didn’t we tell you the remaining budget last time?”
“That’s nowhere near enough. This is a real moment of life and death, so we have to try everything we can. You have to do it, no matter what. Understood?”
“...Fine.”
Team Leader Yu slung her bag over her shoulder and bowed her head.
“I’m heading out. Please contact me within thirty minutes!”
The director drew in a breath with a hiss, then asked the subordinate beside him, “Isn’t it starting to feel like Team Leader Yu is the one making me run errands?”
“Well, she’s the one keeping the web novel team afloat.”
“...Right. Come to think of it, she is the superior after all.”
The director scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward.
“Is the CEO in? Or should I go see the finance team too?”
***
Ten minutes before our appointment.
I could have gone to them instead, but since they insisted on coming all the way over, it was awkward to refuse, so I told them to do what they wanted.
Still, since inviting them to the workshop would have felt strange, I’d deliberately called them to a nearby cafe.
I’d arrived ten minutes early, planning to be ahead of them, but...
“Oh, hello, author!”
“Good day!”
Team Leader Yu Na-ri and Assistant Manager Kim were already there.
“Ah, you came early.”
“Yes, yes. We arrived plenty early.”
There were three people at the table including me, but six coffees sitting there.
“...Did you have another meeting before this?”
“No. We just didn’t know what kind of coffee you’d like, so we prepared a variety. Here’s a hot Americano and an iced one. This is a latte, and this one’s a decaf drink. Please choose whatever’s most comfortable.”
“I’ll just have an iced Americano.”
“Ah, yes. Then we’ll each pick from the rest.”
As if she’d been waiting for the cue, Team Leader Yu opened the conversation.
“Your numbers were really good this time. Congratulations, author.”
“That’s right. We’d been watching from the blog, and it was genuinely fun. How can your talents be so varied? You’re amazing.”
This was very different from usual.
What should I say about the opening pleasantries alone?
They were so stiff it was almost uncomfortable.
Both of them had faces so set that their tension was obvious.
These are the same people who interviewed me just a couple of months ago...?
Now it almost felt like the roles had been reversed.
“Team Leader, Assistant Manager.”
“Yes?”
“Y-yes?”
Both of them jumped and looked up at the same time.
“Could you both just relax and be comfortable?”
“...”
“It, it showed that much?”
They gave awkward laughs, then met each other’s eyes.
“I’ll just be honest.”
Team Leader Yu Na-ri started speaking with disarming frankness.
“The numbers for your work are almost too good, author. It’s not just the views or comments either. We have specialized metrics like retention rate and favorite-ratio, plus internal data that only our CPs can see. There’s real readership volume and daily growth data, and yours is genuinely exceptional.”
“...That good?”
“Yes. On Today’s Best, you’re only third, but if it were actually published, I don’t think you’d lose to first place.”
“Oh...”
I had known it was going well, but this was beyond what I’d imagined.
“So I’m sure you’ve received a lot of good offers, and the fact that you even agreed to meet with us is something we’re grateful for.”
No wonder they’d been so stiff.
“From my perspective, the offers from other publishers felt absurdly unrealistic.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It got to the point where I couldn’t tell whether they were sincere or just trying to scam me...”
Team Leader Yu thought for a moment, then asked, “If you don’t mind, could you let me take a look?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
I showed her the publication contract proposals that had come in.
“An advance of a hundred million won...”
“Ah.”
Team Leader Yu Na-ri scrolled through the screen a few times, and her expression quickly stiffened.
Then she nodded as if she’d expected exactly this, took off her glasses, and looked at me with a grave face.
“These are all one hundred percent sincere offers.”
“...What?”
“In fact, the advance could probably be raised even higher than what they offered. The drama-related offer may have some exaggeration, but everything related to the webtoon and the rest is real.”
“...Huh?”
Now I was the one getting flustered.
It looked like the novel was doing a lot better than I’d thought.
“Seeing it in person like this just makes our own terms look too modest.”
She said that with a slightly embarrassed smile.
“Even if we wanted to offer more, there’s a limit to the budget our department can use.”
Willow Publishing’s offer was a forty million won advance and a 9:1 split.
“The split is as high as we can make it, but honestly, the upfront payment is what matters most to an author.”
I understood what she meant.
“To be honest, even if you signed with another publisher, I don’t think we’d be able to bring ourselves to stop you.”
Having seen the contract terms from other companies directly, she seemed unable to push any harder.
This is tricky.
There was some attachment from working together on translations, sure.
But when other places were boldly putting down things like “advance payment of one hundred million won” or “webtoon guaranteed,” theirs naturally wouldn’t look especially appealing.
“If you have any additional conditions, please feel free to tell us. We’ll do our best to match them.”
“I understand what you’re saying. I’ll think it over carefully and let you know.”
“Yes, thank you.”
***
Drdrdrk- drk-.
I lowered the mouse wheel and went back over the publishers’ proposals.
“So all of this is the real deal...”
Not only were there advances in the hundreds of millions.
Some even said they’d provide a corporate card with a generous limit for the duration of the contract.
There were offers of vehicle support too.
Some wanted to provide a studio.
There were even companies offering equity.
“Which one am I supposed to pick out of all these...?”
[Contract offers: 31]
By then, more publishers had sent additional proposals, so even if I counted all my fingers and toes, I still couldn’t keep track of them.
One thing I’d learned from working in society was this.
The place that pays the most is supposed to be the best...
According to plenty of older coworkers, for office workers, benefits and all that nonsense came second; the one true virtue was salary.
But publishing wasn’t something I could think of that simply.
Because it involved copyright, money wasn’t everything.
There are bad actors here too, and there must be good places as well.
But since I don’t know this industry, I don’t have the information needed to tell them apart.
In that case, I should go with the one I can trust.
Willow Publishing.
Honestly, their terms were weaker than the others, but just having the courage to say, “Your company’s conditions are better than ours,” took guts.
And I liked that beef gift they sent last time too.
More than anything, it was also the place that had made me interested in side hustles through translation.
They even raised the compensation on their own, even though I was just a freelancer?
With a company that decent, at least I wouldn’t lose out by working with them.
Still, I should set a few extra conditions.
If I did that, I’d be satisfied too.
***
“Team Leader. Mister Kang isn’t going to sign with us, is he?”
“I don’t think he will...”
Assistant Manager Kim and Team Leader Yu Na-ri steadied themselves with bitter smiles.
“You saw the other company’s offer too, didn’t you, Assistant Manager Kim?”
“Yeah. Honestly, if it were me, I’d go with the other place too.”
“Right...”
They had no choice but to admit it.
They were outmatched in capital, and there was nothing they could do about that.
“Let’s just write the report. Say it looks unlikely.”
“Yes.”
Tap-tap-tap-.
They entered the report with all the energy drained out of them.
And just as they were nearing the end...
Ding-!
Assistant Manager Kim’s phone rang.
“...”
He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he’d seen wrong, shook his head hard, then checked again.
“?!!”
The message he’d seen was real.
Springing up in a hurry, he practically leapt from his seat and ran to Yu Na-ri.
“Teaaam Leadeeeeer!”
“What are you yelling for?”
“A-A message came from Author Kang! He says he’ll sign with us!”
“...R-really?!”
“Yes! But he says there’s a condition!”
“What is it? We have to agree to whatever it is!”
Team Leader Yu braced herself as if she were ready to die on the spot and asked, “So what’s the condition?”
“Well, that’s the strange part.”
“...”
“He said to keep the advance and the split exactly as we offered, but to send him beef as a holiday gift every year.”
“...Huh?”
“He also added that the beef we sent last time was delicious, and thanked us for it...”
“...”
Team Leader Yu was, oddly enough, more flustered than before.
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“...”
She paused, then understood the meaning behind it, and emotion surged up in her chest.
“The author was looking out for us.”
“Pardon?”
“Even though the other conditions were so much better, he still chose Willow Publishing. He must have thought we’d feel awful about it.”
“That is embarrassing, yes...”
“So he deliberately added a special clause so we wouldn’t feel awkward.”
“Oh...”
Assistant Manager Kim let out a deep, impressed exclamation.
“As expected of the author... To think he had that kind of consideration in mind.”
“Then we should repay that gratitude, shouldn’t we?”
Her eyes gleamed as she clenched a fist with renewed determination.
“Tell him we’ll send it every month, not just during the holidays. Prime-grade Hanwoo, just like last time!”
That still wasn’t enough.
“And tell him that even after the novel ends, we’ll put it into the contract that we’ll keep sending it for life, until our publisher shuts its doors.”
“Understood!”
Team Leader Yu made a solemn vow.
She and the company would take responsibility for Seo-jun Kang’s beef for the rest of his life.
***
Clack-clack, click.
As always, I was commuting by subway to work.
Vrrring-!
I blinked.
Even though there were many other places with much better terms, thank you for trusting us and signing with us!
We’re also sincerely grateful that you deliberately added the beef clause so we wouldn’t feel embarrassed!
...Huh?
It seemed like there had been some misunderstanding.
I just said beef because it was delicious...
Last time, I’d mentioned it casually because the grilled meat I’d eaten on the rooftop with Assistant Manager Park had been so satisfying, but it seemed they’d read far too much into it.
Still, if I tried to explain, the conversation looked like it would get too long.
After a moment’s thought, I finally replied:
-Seo-jun Kang: Yes, thank you.
I sent the briefest reply I could and closed my phone.
Well, either way, it all worked out.
A few days earlier, after meeting with Team Leader Yu Na-ri, I had signed the publication contract immediately through an electronic agreement.
More than anything, because I didn’t know the industry very well, the arrangement was that if I sent in the manuscript, they’d take care of the rest themselves, starting with uploads and including any additional publication schedules, promotions, and negotiations for secondary rights.
From my perspective, it basically meant that as long as I wrote one day a week, I didn’t need to worry about anything else.
But what I liked most of all was Willow Publishing’s speed.
Ding-!
[Duri Bank]
-Deposit: 38,680,000 won (Willow Publishing).
[Side Hustle Account]
-Balance: 42,126,450 won.
“Ahh...”
Peace settled into my chest on its own.
After the 40 million won advance, 3.3 percent withholding tax had been deducted and the rest deposited immediately.
I really liked that they paid so quickly, less than a week after the contract.
Snrk-.
I heard a sudden laugh from beside me.
Glancing over, I saw a man in his thirties.
I wondered if my happiness had been obvious and looked away in embarrassment, but then...
...Huh?
He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at his phone.
Before I knew it, my eyes had drifted over to see what he was reading.
That’s my novel.
The man was reading my novel.
“...Oh.”
My feelings were strangely complicated.
I felt proud. I felt moved.
Should I say thank you?
But then I shook my head.
He might get embarrassed if he thinks I noticed him reading it.
Still wanting to express my gratitude, I hesitated for a moment, and then...
“Oh, Grandma, you can sit here.”
The man, no, the reader, moved to give up his seat to the grandmother standing in front of him, and I immediately stretched out my arm.
“No, no. Please sit here. I’m getting off soon.”
“Oh, thank you, young man.”
“Not at all.”
The reader smiled brightly at me.
I answered with a polite nod, then naturally got off at the station.
That should count as my way of giving back.
[The train is departing. Please stand back from the screen doors.]
The subway I’d ridden had already pulled away.
“...Ah.”
There was only one problem.
“I still have five more stops to go...”
Left alone on the platform, I stood once more in front of the screen doors.
“Guess I’ll just take the next train...”
***
“Humming-♪”
As I came into work humming to myself, Assistant Manager Park came up to me cheerfully.
“Assistant Manager Kang, something good happen?”
“No, nothing.”
“Come on, looks like something happened.”
A smile tugged at my mouth.
I’d heard that an office worker’s confidence came from a healthy bank balance.
Sure enough, now that that contract money had come in too, my mood just wouldn’t settle down.
I’d love to brag about it.
But I held back.
It was basic common sense that it wouldn’t be good if everyone at the company found out I was making a lot of money from a side hustle.
At ten in the morning, one of the employees who had been out on business returned with coffee, and the group naturally gathered together to chat.
“Oh, Director, that tie’s a design I’ve never seen before. Did you buy a new one?”
Of course, because Manager Kim happened to notice it, the bragging session began.
“This? My daughter bought it for me, saying it was for our wedding anniversary.”
“Wow, it’s even a brand name!”
“Exactly. What kind of allowance do they even get? She saved up every little bit of pocket money to do something like this for me. Can you believe that? Hahaha!”
“You’ll have to prepare a big Christmas present.”
“Oh, he already told me he wants an iPhone.”
Listening to them, it did feel like the tail was wagging the dog, but still.
Wasn’t a family head supposed to live and die by whatever made him feel good?
“If I get my year-end bonus this time, I’m thinking of changing my car. As a present to myself.”
“Oh, Team Leader Kwak, finally?”
“Yes. The new Palisade really looks great. And my second child is due soon, you know? They say it’s the car for dads...”
Everyone was exchanging excited stories in the spirit of the approaching year’s end.
A present, huh...
Come to think of it, I’d repaid Choi Kang-san and Lim Yu-jin with leathercraft.
I’d also made clothes for Yu So-ra.
But I don’t really think I’ve given myself a gift.
At most, I’d spent weekends alone resting in the workshop and drinking beer with fried chicken.
Small happiness is nice, but I think it’s time to round off the year with something bigger.
Especially now, with a big chunk of money sitting in my side hustle account from the contract.
Should I give myself a proper gift?
Just then, Assistant Manager Kim’s voice drifted into my ears.
“I’m thinking of going to Japan with my boyfriend. I heard there’s a ton of snow in Sapporo.”
An overseas trip, huh...
There wasn’t really anything more solidly rewarding than travel.
There’s actually somewhere I’ve wanted to go for a long time.
For years, while watching movies, I’d wondered whether I’d ever get the chance to go there before I died.
And if I’m going, I should go now, while I actually have the time.
If I kept putting it off, I might really get too busy to go.
Yes. Decision made. I’m going to give myself a trip.
I’d already decided where.
The land of freedom, America.
I wanted to see the Statue of Liberty in person, the one said to be staggeringly huge when seen with your own eyes, and Times Square, glowing even deep into the night with its billboards packed edge to edge.
I wanted to go there myself and see the place I’d only heard about until now.
This Christmas, I’m spending it in New York.