Chapter 103
Translator: uly
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: 38. First Meeting
This is a work of fiction and has no relation to any real names, events, organizations, place names, or individuals.
Tap, tap.
Woo Ji-hyun paused for a moment at his desk.
He frowned slightly and tapped the desk again.
The writing was hitting a wall today, filling him with frustration.
“Maybe it’s because it’s part two. This isn’t easy.”
He was still blocked, but he was steadily churning out over 15,000 characters a day.
Unless he was sick or something came up, he kept up the pace.
But the more he did, the more stress and fatigue piled up exponentially.
“Is it the pressure?”
When a work did well, the writer’s mood soared at first.
The sweetness of success was the same for everyone.
But what came after split completely.
Some got drunk on their previous success and wrote carelessly, while others felt burdened and agonized over it.
“I need to shake off the pressure and write well.”
The former usually vanished without a trace.
They drowned in the sea of arrogance and floundered until they dropped dead.
Of course, a rare few swam back to shore on their own.
But they were so few.
“Fun. Fun is the most important thing…”
Woo Ji-hyun didn’t attach grand meaning to his novels.
He didn’t care much about literary value or philosophy, focusing only on the writing and the story.
He believed fun was the most important thing in genre fiction.
People would only seek it out if it was fun.
“Phew.”
Yet here he was, struggling to write something fun when he wasn’t feeling it himself.
Of course, the fun of reading and writing were different, but in his style, if he enjoyed writing it, the results were good.
That’s why he was struggling now.
“Maybe I should review the storyline for a bit.”
His mind felt completely clogged, so Woo Ji-hyun stretched and glanced at the A4 sheet where he’d outlined the rest of the story.
He mulled over what came next.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
As he spun a pen in his right hand, lost in thought, a heavy vibration made him turn his head.
Jo Jin-gu’s name was on the smartphone screen.
“Yes, President.”
-Good morning, Writer.
“Haha. The weather’s nice, at least. Though it’ll probably feel chilly once I step outside.”
Woo Ji-hyun spoke as he stared at the fallen leaves covering half the street.
The dried-up leaves made it feel like winter was right around the corner.
-It’s already cold in the mornings and evenings. Anyway, I have something I’d like to ask you, so I called. Are you free to talk now?
“Yes, go ahead.”
-I met with the head of Naver Web Novels yesterday. They specifically asked for you.
“Probably because of Kakao Page.”
They’d surpassed Naver—at least in web novels—with their rapid growth.
And now with the webtoon announcement, Naver must be sweating bullets.
But it didn’t matter to Woo Ji-hyun.
‘Exclusivity isn’t great for writers, but we’re not at that point yet.’
Kakao Page, Naver, Munpia, Joara, and Ready Books were the major platforms.
Market share-wise, Kakao Page and Naver dominated, followed by Munpia.
The rest were all similar.
-Exactly. They’re openly wary of Kakao Page. But that’s not the point. Naver made a proposal. They want exclusive serialization rights for your next work.
“So, they want me to ditch Kakao Page. Boost their share too. Killing two birds with one stone.”
-That’s what I think too. And this is just my hunch, but I think they approached Big Hit as well.
Woo Ji-hyun’s brow furrowed slightly.
Big Hit had two people with bad history with him.
But the thought passed quickly, and one work came to mind.
“You think they’re targeting the Solar Sculptor writer too.”
-Yes, that’d be most effective. No denying it—the twin engines driving Kakao Page’s rise are Solar Sculptor and God of Martial Arts, Return. Snagging those two wouldn’t be a loss for Naver. The terms are pretty good too. Webtoon production, banners, events, you name it.
“What do you think, President?”
Naver’s desperation meant good terms.
But Woo Ji-hyun had already made up his mind.
He knew Naver’s future.
-I think it’s not bad. Objectively speaking. It’d break even, financially. So I wanted your thoughts. I think it’s decent, but you might see it differently.
“I think it’d be a loss for me. Kakao Page has more potential. Though saying that about the current industry leader might sound ridiculous.”
-You see more downside.
“Yes. Sure, there’s a lot to learn from their webtoon production. But I think I can catch up fast. Naver’s way isn’t the absolute right one.”
-True.
Jo Jin-gu seemed to agree, responding calmly.
That’s what he meant by “not bad.”
There’d be trial and error, but Frontier Management would complete their webtoon.
One with a clear Frontier Management identity.
“The issue is Naver causing trouble…”
-Don’t worry about that. That’s my job. Just make the call. And keep writing great stuff. As you know, in this industry, the writer who produces good work holds the power.
“Haha. Looking forward to it.”
-Don’t worry. I’ll handle it cleanly, no noise. Oh, Writer. I’d like to discuss your next work seriously. When are you free?
Jo Jin-gu asked cautiously.
The Naver thing was the excuse; the real reason was the contract.
He was writing God of Martial Arts, Return part two, but at Woo Ji-hyun’s speed, it’d wrap before next summer.
So Jo Jin-gu wanted to ink the next contract before year-end.
“I’m free any day except Wednesday. Oh, even Wednesday’s fine outside of class time.”
-Starting the Creative Academy lectures next week?
“Yes. I thought it’d be good experience, but I’m a bit nervous. I’ve prepared, but I don’t know how the students will take it. There’s pressure to be helpful. One word from me could change their lives.”
He didn’t think his influence was that big, but you never knew.
One word could change a life.
That’s why Woo Ji-hyun was preparing more carefully and seriously than ever.
-Since it’s happening, can I sit in? I’m curious about the content.
“You already know it all, so it might bore you. Plus, I need to meet the webtoon team. I’ll come to the office.”
-How about a casual team dinner with the webtoon folks? We’ve done it with Min Deputy and Editor Yeom, but not them.
“That sounds good.”
He hadn’t met the two new webtoon team members yet, so Woo Ji-hyun liked the idea.
They’d be working together; better to get friendly.
Plus, they needed part two cover art.
-When should we set it?
“Wednesday works. Might as well bundle it since I’m out anyway.”
-Got it. Wednesday afternoon it is.
“Yes. See you then, President.”
-Safe travels, Writer!
After Jo Jin-gu’s hearty cheer, Woo Ji-hyun set down the phone.
He glared at the blank HWP file with sharp eyes.
A pro writer didn’t stop just because they were blocked or couldn’t think of the story.
Even if the words wouldn’t come, they sat in the chair, pounding the keyboard.
“Phew! Break’s over. Back to it.”
With a deep breath, Woo Ji-hyun cleared his mind.
Then he hammered the keyboard furiously.
Soon, black text filled the white monitor screen.
* * *
Woo Ji-hyun, who’d gotten ready early, arrived at Q&D Management 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
Better to arrive early, get a feel for the vibe, than cut it close.
And review the lecture material again.
“You’re early. You really keep perfect time.”
“Punctuality is basic manners.”
“Success changes people. Not like us regular folks.”
“I’ve had a bit of success.”
“A bit?”
Yeo Woo-jin looked incredulous.
What Woo Ji-hyun had achieved was no small thing.
Especially earnings—his this year was beyond most writers’ dreams.
At least ten times Bang Seon-guk’s, for example.
‘That’s why we chose Ji-hyun. Experience-wise, that guy dominated, but he’s a has-been now.’
No need to keep someone who’d only cause issues when replacements existed.
Q&D Management had cut Bang Seon-guk without mercy.
Especially with Woo Ji-hyun on the scale opposite him.
Woo Ji-hyun was the most mentioned writer in academy recruitment.
And experience-wise, he wasn’t far behind.
“My dreams are big. Aiming for overseas.”
“China?”
“Asia first. Webtoons will lead the charge.”
“Ambitious dreams.”
Yeo Woo-jin chuckled.
Not mocking.
He was rooting for Woo Ji-hyun.
If he succeeded overseas, it’d be good for genre literature.
“Men need ambition.”
“Boys be ambitious. Love that quote. Few achieve it, but you? I think you can. Twenty-eight and already this high.”
“Still a long way.”
“Good you know. Prepared well?”
* * *