Chapter 40
“Shall we have a drink first?”
“Sure.”
Clink.
After we toasted, I tipped the soju shot into my mouth.
“Ahh.”
“This is nice.”
Choi Kang-san and I drank together, talking about one thing and another as the glasses went down.
By the time we’d each finished a bottle of soju, we were pleasantly buzzed and a little woozy in the best possible way.
“Sitting here like this is bringing back old memories.”
We used to lay newspaper down on the floor, set delivery food on top of it, and drink. We’d spoon soup from plastic containers, nibble chicken feet one bite at a time with wooden chopsticks, and all at once the old days came rushing back in little flashes.
“Back when I was a student and I was broke, this was how I ate.”
“Ahaha, now that you mention it, yeah.”
“Oh, what’s this? Even the great Choi Kang-san can relate to something like this?”
“Hyung, of course I can.”
He lifted his brows as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“I suffered a lot when I was still nobody. I ran away from home at twenty and lived in a semi-basement until I finally passed an audition.”
“Oh, really?”
“Of course. I did theater in Daehak-ro for over two years.”
“I heard theater actors are the kind of people who really do go hungry.”
“That’s right. Back then, my troupe paid me 300,000 won a month. I barely kept myself fed with part-time jobs. If I hadn’t, I really would’ve starved.”
“You had it rough too, huh. So when did you debut?”
“When I was twenty-three. In dramas, my very first one took off, so I got rid of my no-name years right away.”
“I see. You went through a lot too.”
“Which is why I know so well how happy I am now. Ahaha-!”
With a grin, he changed the subject.
“By the way, hyung, you don’t have a girlfriend?”
“Nope. You?”
“Hehe, me? I’ve got plenty.”
Choi Kang-san scooted closer to me.
“Hyung, just tell me your ideal type.”
“Why? You planning to introduce me to someone?”
“Yes. I’ve got a ton of pretty friends.”
“……”
That already felt like a problem.
“They’re all celebrities, aren’t they?”
“Right. Idols and actresses.”
“Do you really think I’d catch their eye?”
“Hey, it could happen. Love doesn’t care about nationality, so why would occupation matter?”
“Forget it.”
“Ah, why not?”
“I’m not really thinking about dating right now.”
“Lies. Everyone says that, and then they go date anyway.”
“I mean it.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I’m too happy these days.”
It was the pure truth, with not a shred of exaggeration in it.
Even if someone gave me a chance to turn back the clock like in a movie, I doubted I’d bother going back.
“Out of the thirty years I’ve lived, this is the most satisfied I’ve ever been.”
A stable job. The luxury of having a beer after work, and sometimes spending my evenings on side jobs while trying new things.
I honestly wondered if I’d ever been this happy before in my life.
“I don’t want to add anything new to a peaceful life like this.”
“Isn’t love different?”
“Dating sounds nice, sure. But there’s the stress of all that push-and-pull while you’re just seeing each other, and then even after you start going out, you’re bound to clash over things, right? I don’t want that kind of stress.”
“Ah, I get exactly what you mean. Dating is different from just meeting friends.”
“Right.”
Choi Kang-san looked at me with open envy.
“Hyung, you really are happy right now, aren’t you?”
“I’m telling you, I am.”
“I’m jealous. Really jealous.”
He shot me a thumbs-up.
“Still, if you ever get lonely later on, tell me anytime. I’ll introduce you to some hot friends.”
“Hahaha, sure. I appreciate the thought, at least.”
Choi Kang-san pushed himself up from the floor.
“I’m going to the bathroom for a sec.”
“Sure. I should grab some more beer.”
“There’s more in the fridge. Go ahead and take it.”
“Okay.”
After he left, I got up too and headed for the kitchen.
While I was pulling out more beer, a bare space beside the kitchen suddenly caught my eye.
This is where the dining table is supposed to go, right?
It was wider than I’d expected.
A six-person table should fit here. I just need to keep the dimensions standard.
Six decent-sized chairs should do it. If there’s room, I can add an extra chair as backup; if not, I can leave it out.
What kind of design would suit this house?
Since the base was marble, white seemed like the obvious choice.
Then again, if I matched the appliances in black and brought the whole tone down with warm wood, that might look good too.
Whatever I make, I want to start on it as soon as possible.
It was only frustrating that the hardwood I’d ordered would still take a while to arrive.
Woodworking, huh...
My chest was already starting to flutter with anticipation.
On the last Sunday of the year, I was alone in the workshop, cleaning up and looking back on the year that had passed.
So much happened.
I started with translation, tried acting, wrote a novel, went to America, and somehow even ended up with a workshop of my own.
I’m living pretty well thanks to these talents.
I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time I cleaned.
Now then, what should I do with this?
The rest of the cleaning was done, but the leftover scraps from leatherwork were a problem.
I’d thrown away the failed pieces from making wallets and bags, but once I thought about how much the raw materials had cost, it felt wasteful to toss the scraps too, so I’d brought them here when I moved.
Should I make coasters or something out of them?
Since it was high-quality leather, the heat resistance probably wouldn’t be bad.
Or maybe a card wallet would be good too.
After mulling it over, I decided to make both.
I could use them myself, or give them away as gifts to people I knew.
Buzz—!
Then my phone rang.
Willow Publishing?
I’d sent in the manuscript yesterday, so what could be going on on a Sunday?
With a tilt of my head, I answered the call.
“Yes, this is Kang Seo-jun.”
“Wriiiiter-nim!”
I nearly jumped.
Wait. This was someone who usually wasn’t that high-strung. Why was she suddenly like this on a Sunday?
“Congratulations, Writer-nim!”
“Yes...?”
“Oh, so you haven’t seen the announcement yet?”
Team Leader Yu sounded as if she’d expected this.
“Your contest results are out!”
“Oh? Today?”
“Yes. You won the grand prize!”
Hold on.
The grand prize?
I hurriedly opened my laptop and logged into Moonstopia.
[Grand Prize (1)
(1) A Regressed Sorcerer of Typhoon-Class - Ppalchanggo]
[First Prize (3)
(1) Mr. Hunter Who Wanted to Get Stronger - Samwoochan.
(2) I Spent a Night with the Chaebol's Only Daughter - Side-Hustling Teddy Bear.
(3) Like the Sunset Blooming in the Evening - Short-Legs.]
...
My name was sitting there in the First Prize list.
“Congratulations again, Writer-nim.”
“Thank you. That’s thanks to you, Team Leader.”
“All I did was upload it. This was all your skill! Honestly, it could have taken the grand prize too, but it looks like it just missed.”
“Oh, I wasn’t even hoping for that much.”
From the beginning, I’d started the contest thinking even a special mention would be something to be grateful for.
If I got First Prize, I should bow my head and accept it.
“Moonstopia contacted us, so I called because there are a few things we need to coordinate.”
“Ah, yes. Go ahead.”
“First, the awards ceremony is next Wednesday at 11 a.m.”
“I’ll probably be at the office at that time...”
While I was thinking about whether I should use a day off to go, she said,
“Then would you like us to accept the prize on your behalf?”
“Is that allowed?”
“Of course. You can leave all the annoying errands to us.”
“Then I’d appreciate that.”
“Understood. And I also need to tell you about the prize money.”
Right. The prize money.
That was the important part.
“First Prize would mean...”
“Fifty million won.”
Nice.
The advance I’d received when I signed the contract had been forty million won.
This prize was bigger than that.
“The prize money is transferred from Moonstopia to the publisher, and then we pay it out to you. But we’re Willow Publishing, after all, known for our speed.”
Team Leader Yu added brightly,
“We can transfer it today if you’d like. Should I send it now? We can pay it out in advance on our end before you receive it from them.”
“Wait, hold on.”
I hurriedly stopped her.
“Could I receive the prize money next year instead?”
“Oh? You don’t want it right away?”
“It’s just that it’s the end of the year right now...”
“Ah, taxes!”
She slapped her hands together as if she’d just realized it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that.”
“Would it be all right if I get it next year?”
“Of course. Just tell us the date you want, and we’ll transfer it then.”
“Thank you. I’ll contact you separately about that.”
“Understood. There are a few smaller documents we’ll need too, so those...”
Thud-thud-thud-thud...
Rrrr-r-rrr-rrr, r-r-r-r!
The sewing machine was running hard.
It had been a while since I’d done any leatherwork, but the last few times had been enough to get my hands back into it quickly.
Making leather coasters was pretty simple.
1. Cut and shape them.
2. Layer two thin pieces of leather and stitch them together.
3. Apply a waterproof finish so condensation wouldn’t collect underneath.
That was it.
There wasn’t much room for artisanal philosophy.
Card wallets were a little more complicated.
The size for the cards was fixed, but the wallet had to be soft enough to slide a card in easily, while still holding it snugly enough that it wouldn’t fall out once inserted.
Takadadadada-!
As I kept working the machine, the sun gradually started to set.
Should I wrap it up and call it a day?
Just then...
Vroooom—!
A rough exhaust note came from beyond the window.
Not a sound you hear often around here.
Soon after, a black silhouette fell across the workshop entrance.
Peeking, peeking.
I could hear someone outside.
Someone was loitering at the door.
Bang.
I yanked the door open.
“Eep!”
The one who jumped back in surprise was, of course...
“Yu So-ra?”
That mischievous Otaku Sora-chan.
“What are you doing here?”
“Ah, well. That is...”
Yu So-ra couldn’t hide her flustered expression and fidgeted awkwardly with her hands.
She looked pretty startled, so I tossed out a joke.
“Were you planning to break in?”
“No! Not at all!”
She waved her hands frantically, worried I might misunderstand.
“Breaking in? Absolutely not. No way. How could I possibly dare to break into the writer’s workshop?!”
Yu So-ra rattled off her words like a machine gun.
“I was just passing by and thought I’d stop in for a minute. But when I actually got here, it seemed like you might be inside, so I was thinking about ringing the bell. Then I figured it’d be rude to just show up without calling first, so I was about to leave. But then I thought, well, since I’m already all the way here, maybe I should at least say hello, so I was looking for the bell. Except I couldn’t find one. So then I was wondering if I should knock, or maybe go down and buy coffee and call you first...”
She was rambling, which meant she was clearly very flustered.
“So, in short, you came to hang out?”
...nod.
“Come in.”
“Really? I can come in?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you!”
Yu So-ra smiled brightly and followed me inside.
“Wow, it’s changed a lot.”
“Yeah. I put in furniture and brought in a bunch of equipment too.”
“Wow. Is that a draft beer machine?”
“It is. I’d love to pour you a glass, but you drove here, right?”
“Gasp...! How did you know?”
“That engine sounded ridiculous.”
“Agh! I’m sorry!”
Yu So-ra’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
“It was that loud?”
“No, I’m jealous, that’s all.”
“Sh-should I give you one?”
“...Pardon?”
For a second, I almost thought she meant it.
“I wouldn’t even be able to maintain it anyway.”
“Ah...”
“By the way, what’s that?”
In Yu So-ra’s hands was a shopping bag of considerable size.
Not just enough to fit a luxury handbag. This thing was huge, over fifty centimeters wide and tall, and it looked like whatever was inside might burst right out.
“Actually, I stopped by Hongdae Animate before coming here.”
“...?”
“You know, the place that sells anime merchandise. While I was there, I was looking around at all kinds of things.”
She lifted the bag slightly.
“This caught my eye. So I bought it because I wanted to give it to you as a gift, Writer-nim.”
“Ah, so that’s why you came...”
“I was planning to leave it outside and slip away, but since you were inside, I ended up coming in like this. Ehehe.”
Yu So-ra gently set the shopping bag down.
“I’ll leave it here. Open it after I’m gone, all right?”
“I will.”
In the meantime, the water had come to a boil.
I made her a black coffee and handed it over.
“Thank you.”
Yu So-ra took a sip, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at me with wide eyes.
“Writer-nim, Writer-nim.”
“Yes?”
“You gave me clothes last time, right? I feel like I never properly paid you back.”
“That’s not true. You came to our festival too.”
“Ah, that was a business proposal.”
“And you brought me a present today too.”
“This is too embarrassing to really count as a gift... It’s just something friends give each other.”
“Something friends give each other...?”
“W-weren’t we friends?”
Yu So-ra’s pupils shook violently.
No matter how I thought about it, “friends” felt like a stretch.
I’d thought of us as good business partners, more than anything else.
But looking at those watery eyes of hers, I realized that probably wasn’t the answer I should give.
“We’re friends.”
“Phew, you scared me. I thought maybe I’d have to pay a friendship fee.”
“...?”
“Anyway, since I’ve already received so much, I feel like I should return the favor. I thought about it, and paying you an actual fee now would be rude, wouldn’t it? But I was your first workshop customer last time, right?”
“That’s true.”
“So, could I send you something as an opening celebration and housewarming gift?”
“No, really, you don’t have to worry about it.”
“I’d feel uncomfortable if I didn’t.”
Yu So-ra explained seriously.
“Honestly, I loved the outfit you made for me last time. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.”
“I’m glad.”
“But even if you said it was just an experimental piece, if I accepted it for free, then wouldn’t we both feel pressured the next time I wanted to commission you? I think that would be a bad thing.”
That was fair.
If I didn’t accept anything in return at all, she might start wondering whether it was even okay for her to ask me for work again later.
“Even if we go ahead with a formal contract next time, I still want to give you some small token of appreciation this time, in my own way.”
“I understand what you mean.”
So instead of money, she wanted to send a housewarming gift.
“Which is why I wanted to ask—if you weren’t planning to buy one anyway, could I send you a coffee machine?”
“...A machine?”
“Yes. I got one for my place recently, and I really love it. It can do capsule coffee, and it can also grind and brew beans you roast yourself.”
“As long as it isn’t too expensive, I’d be grateful to receive it.”
“Great! Then I’ll send that.”
“Thank you.”
Only then, as if her shoulders had finally loosened, did Yu So-ra stand up with a lighthearted expression.
“Can I look around?”
“Of course.”
“Wow, so you were doing leatherwork? What are you making today?”
“For now, coasters. But...”
“Could I have one if I need it?”
“Huh? Yes, please. That’d be great.”
No sooner had she finished answering than she was already reaching for her wallet, so I hurriedly stretched out a hand to stop her.
“Aren’t you supposed to sell these?”
“No, it’s fine. These are free.”
“Ohh.”
She put her wallet back, looking oddly disappointed that she couldn’t pay.
“Pick whichever one you want. There are flower patterns and clover patterns too...”
January 1.
The new year had dawned.
At last, the hardwood I’d ordered had arrived too.
With New Year’s Day here, the company was closed for a holiday.
In other words, it was a day I could spend in the workshop from morning till night.
So this is where woodworking begins.
The first project was the dining table and chair set Choi Kang-san had commissioned.
Still, before I could really start, I needed to get set up.
Click.
I placed the tripod in a good spot and fixed my phone onto it.
These days, phone cameras were good enough that YouTube content was perfectly possible with just that.
Buying a proper camera would be fine once the channel grew.
Do I just start working?
It was the same workshop as always.
And yet with just one camera installed, I felt oddly awkward and out of place.
I want to cover my face...
But from the perspective of someone who’d watched plenty of YouTube myself, I knew blurred faces made the whole thing feel less immediate.
Especially in those EBS occupational documentary videos. Seeing people focus on their work or sweat through it is part of the appeal.
At the very least, even if my face wasn’t visible, I thought I should avoid blurring it.
That way, there’d still be some immersion from the back view alone.
Ah, maybe I should use that instead?
I remembered the gift Yu So-ra had given me a few days earlier.
Rustling through the box, I pulled out a bear mask.
She’d said she saw it at an anime merchandise store and bought it because it made her think of “Side-Hustling Teddy Bear.”
I tried the bear mask on once.
The field of vision is wider than I expected, and it doesn’t get in the way either.
What’s more, it was sturdy enough to keep dust out of my eyes and stop stray chips from hitting my face.
It was perfect as both helmet and face covering.
Yeah. Let’s work like this.
And so...
Channel Name: Side-Hustling Teddy Bear's Workshop
The filming of the first video to be uploaded to my channel began.
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