Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Once Again, Writer
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A plump-faced Moon I-kyung, dressed in green clothes matching her pen name, smiled softly and bowed her head.
Woo Ji-hyun responded with a polite bow of his own.
“And here’s Woo Ji-hyun, who handles modern fantasy.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Woo Ji-hyun.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’ve seen you so much in ads that you don’t feel like a stranger at all. Hohoho!”
“Please take care of me.”
“No, please take care of me. I’ve been wanting to meet you, Writer Woo Ji-hyun. I have so many questions.”
Moon I-kyung’s eyes sparkled, as if she truly meant it.
She wrote romance, but she had a strong interest in fantasy as well.
And Woo Ji-hyun was an author with real expertise not just in modern fantasy, but in traditional fantasy and even martial arts.
Excluding romance, he had proven his versatility across nearly every genre, which was why Moon I-kyung personally wanted to meet him.
“Feel free to ask.”
“May I?”
“Yes, as long as it’s not too weird.”
“Hoho. Something like, do you have a girlfriend?”
Woo Ji-hyun was slightly taken aback by Moon I-kyung’s sudden question.
But the change in his expression vanished in an instant.
“Something like a girlfriend isn’t weird at all.”
“Do you have a girlfriend by any chance? If not, should I introduce you to someone?”
“Haha. I’m good. I like work for now.”
“I’ve heard you have really high standards. Looks like the rumors are true.”
Moon I-kyung grinned at how Woo Ji-hyun refused without a moment’s hesitation.
It seemed the rumors circulating quietly were spot on.
In the meantime, other authors began trickling into the conference room one by one.
They were all towering figures in the genre literature world.
‘I’m the youngest here?’
The author closest in age was only four years older.
Even that one was in his thirties, making Woo Ji-hyun the only one in his twenties.
“Long time no see?”
“Yeah, hyung. First time since the new year’s party.”
“You look even better than before? Somehow you seem younger.”
“No way. Incheon air is way worse than Hwacheon air.”
An Jin-jeong, who was among the youngest alongside Woo Ji-hyun and had come the farthest as an instructor, chuckled and shook his head.
Woo Ji-hyun’s face really did look better upon second glance.
“You dating anyone?”
“My heart’s always up for it, but the situation doesn’t allow it. Work’s overflowing as is.”
“Fair enough. With webtoon adaptations on top of this, it’d be chaos. Especially since you’re doing seven updates a week.”
“Gotta rake it in while I can. You never know when a slump might hit.”
So far, everything was going according to plan.
But he couldn’t guarantee this luck would last forever.
The content Woo Ji-hyun had worked on definitely had an end, and after that, he’d have to release new works tailored to the circumstances at the time.
On top of that, his biggest weapon up until now—foresight—only went up to 2026.
Everything after that was unknown to Woo Ji-hyun, so preparations were necessary.
“Somehow, I don’t think it’ll happen to you.”
“I hope so, but a slump doesn’t care if you dodge it.”
“Right. That’s the most annoying part.”
An Jin-jeong glanced at the senior authors seated in the conference room and whispered quietly.
He had lowered his voice to avoid disturbing the meeting.
“Here’s the rough plan for now. Please feel free to ask any questions.”
After a brief explanation, Kang Tae-jin scanned the room.
Several authors raised their hands and began asking him questions.
Woo Ji-hyun listened to the conversations with a relaxed expression amid the surprisingly casual atmosphere.
Swoosh.
But then, one of the authors seated in front suddenly turned around.
He glared at Woo Ji-hyun with sharp, piercing eyes.
“I’ve heard you’re rude. Doesn’t seem that bad. Or are you just putting on an act in front of your seniors?”
“...Rumors are just rumors.”
Even as the man spoke bluntly from the start, Woo Ji-hyun replied politely.
His own experience wasn’t insignificant, but it paled in comparison to the man before him.
With over a decade in genre literature and a godfather figure in martial arts, Woo Ji-hyun decided to show respect first.
“They say making seniors eat shit is your hobby? Oh, are you recording right now too?”
“...”
Woo Ji-hyun’s face hardened.
It was just one line, but he could easily guess who Bang Seon-guk was close to and what stories he’d heard.
It made him feel once again just how small this industry was.
‘What a persistent connection. In my past life and this one too.’
Behind Bang Seon-guk’s sneering face, Gong Hyun-jung’s image overlapped.
Even so, Woo Ji-hyun didn’t lose his composure.
“The world’s changed. Doing instructor gigs with barely a decade under your belt.”
“If I displease you that much, I’ll take my leave.”
Woo Ji-hyun stood up without avoiding Bang Seon-guk’s openly mocking gaze and tongue-clicking.
He’d come at Gwak Cha-won’s request, but honestly, Woo Ji-hyun had nothing to lose.
It was a good opportunity, sure, but he didn’t need to cling to it.
Proposals would come later anyway, maybe even on better terms.
“Hey, hold on!”
As Woo Ji-hyun rose without hesitation, looking ready to actually leave, Kang Tae-jin hurried over.
He was the youngest, but Woo Ji-hyun played the most crucial role in the current instructor lineup.
Excluding Moon I-kyung from romance, no one outperformed Woo Ji-hyun.
Lee Gi-seok might be comparable, but the rest weren’t even close.
“Why hold him back if he wants to go? The academy’ll run fine without that punk.”
“...Your words are too harsh, Writer Bang Seon-guk. And this isn’t a private gathering.”
Kang Tae-jin spoke lowly toward Bang Seon-guk, who opened his mouth as if he’d been waiting for Woo Ji-hyun to leave.
But even with Kang Tae-jin’s indirect plea for decorum, Bang Seon-guk didn’t so much as snort.
No one here outranked him in experience or age.
“I know. That’s why I’m saying it nicely. Don’t cling to someone trying to leave. And frankly, isn’t it better without a clueless brat like that running wild? He’s hot right now, sure, but by age or experience, he’s lacking as an instructor. And his personality seems all over the place too.”
“Writer Bang Seon-guk. Let’s step aside and talk.”
“Why bother? Just kick the kid out and we can talk here.”
Bang Seon-guk grinned.
As if he owned the place.
The other authors’ faces hardened as well.
They all thought Bang Seon-guk had gone too far.
“I’ll go.”
“Good call. Know your place. While you’re at it, go home and reflect on your life. Fix your mistakes right away. Everyone slips up. The issue is whether you have the guts to correct it.”
“...Hyung.”
Kang Tae-jin’s face stiffened.
The atmosphere around him shifted in an instant.
But Bang Seon-guk didn’t notice.
“Ji-hyun, sit back down. Seon-guk hyung, let’s talk outside.”
“What?”
“Come out for a sec so we can chat.”
Yeo Woo-jin rushed over and intervened, sensing Kang Tae-jin’s rising agitation.
But Lee Gi-deok, the head of the instructors, just watched without stepping in.
“You’re saying you’ll stick with that punk to the end?”
“Do it here then? I don’t mind, but you okay with that, hyung?”
Unlike Kang Tae-jin, who held onto courtesy, Yeo Woo-jin was direct.
He spoke his mind even to seniors in private.
It had soured relations with some authors, but no one badmouthed him.
Because he was never wrong.
“Damn. When I debuted, you guys were barely adults. Time sure flies.”
Bang Seon-guk’s face hardened at Yeo Woo-jin staring him down squarely.
He couldn’t just laugh it off when challenged so openly.
It hit him anew how much time had passed.
Such insubordination never would’ve happened back then.
“You’ve become a full-on boomer yourself, hyung. Spouting whatever without knowing what to say and what not to.”
“W-what?”
“Aren’t you embarrassed in front of the juniors? Turning into the textbook boomer senior?”
“This punk?”
Bang Seon-guk’s eyes changed.
He was genuinely furious at Yeo Woo-jin crossing the line.
But he didn’t realize.
Not a single person in the room sided with him.
“Don’t go around calling people punks. I’m not far from forty myself.”
“You wanna go at it with me right now?”
“You started it, hyung. Picking on a much younger junior. What a waste of your years.”
“This is a circus.”
“Huh?”
A clear voice sliced through the tense, powder-keg atmosphere ready to explode.
And the speaker was unexpected.
An Jin-jeong, the youngest alongside Woo Ji-hyun sitting next to him, spoke up.
“If we have to play politics here too, I’m out. No matter how senior you are, I don’t want to work with someone who doesn’t respect juniors. It’s not like I’ll starve without this.”
“Jin-jeong.”
“You know why I live in Hwacheon, hyung. I left Seoul to avoid shit like this. So don’t hold me back.”
“Hah!”
Unlike Woo Ji-hyun, who’d tactfully tried to slip away, Bang Seon-guk gaped at An Jin-jeong staring straight into his eyes.
But An Jin-jeong didn’t waver in the slightest.
He had no intention of seeing this guy again after leaving today anyway.
“Juniors aren’t punching bags. And seniors aren’t blindly worshipped. If you don’t get that, you won’t last in this industry, senior. I guarantee it. Ji-hyun, let’s go if you’re leaving.”
“Yeah, hyung.”
“You did nothing wrong. You showed all due respect. Honestly, I was frustrated watching you hold back. By current market value, fame, or influence, what do you have to fear? We’d crush him, not the other way around.”
“Let’s grab a drink. Maybe sprinkle some salt for good measure.”
Woo Ji-hyun looked at Bang Seon-guk with indifferent eyes.
As if the man wasn’t worth a second thought.
Bang Seon-guk’s face flushed beet red, like it might burst.
“Can I come too? Seems more fun over there.”
“If it’s not a bother, I’d like to join as well.”
Bang Seon-guk looked stunned for a moment.
Excluding head instructor Lee Gi-deok, Kang Tae-jin and Yeo Woo-jin from Q&D Management, every other author followed Woo Ji-hyun and An Jin-jeong out.
Without sparing him a single glance.
“Let’s talk outside.”
In the now-empty conference room, representative Gwak Cha-won entered.
His eyes blazed fiercely, as if ready for a fight.
Bang Seon-guk, who’d acted so arrogantly, flinched and shrank back.