Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Returning Home in Glory
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# 148
Again, Writer Episode 148
Woo Ji-hyun couldn't hide his surprise as he headed to Elder's house after a long time.
The car Elder climbed into wasn't his usual Maserati, but a plain domestic minivan.
Woo Ji-hyun kept tilting his head, eyeing the structure designed purely to haul as much cargo as possible.
"What's this car?"
"What else? My second ride."
"Not a sports car, but a minivan?"
"Yeah, picked it out exactly for the job."
Elder slapped the roof of the unremarkable silver minivan—you could spot one anywhere in the country—and flashed a grin.
He treated it like a comfy old friend.
"For the job?"
"Yeah. Time to load it up."
"With gas?"
"Nah, something else."
Woo Ji-hyun furrowed his brow.
Elder had been spouting nothing but cryptic lines since earlier, and it was getting frustrating.
But Elder just motioned for him to follow and slid into the driver's seat.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see when we get there."
Grumbling, Woo Ji-hyun hopped into the passenger seat. Elder shot him a grin and fired up the engine.
Then he drove toward the nearest big-box store.
"What the hell are you up to?"
"You'll see when we get there. It's not some sketchy spot, so relax."
Elder kept up the vague talk all the way.
"Here...?"
After sweeping up nearly every bag of snacks and case of drinks at the big-box store, Elder headed to a nursery in Siheung-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul.
The signboard was so weathered it barely clung to the building, but Elder drove inside like it was his own home.
"Kids! Your big bro's here!"
"Yay! Bro!"
"Yong-sik oppa!"
"Isn't he a bit old to be 'oppa'?"
"You still gotta call him oppa. He'd hate 'uncle.'"
The preschoolers rushed at Elder with bright, carefree smiles.
The elementary school kids, though, whispered among themselves before approaching slowly.
A few more years had made them too self-conscious to just barrel in.
Even that restraint struck Woo Ji-hyun as heartbreaking.
"Elder won't care about that stuff. And kids gotta be kids."
"Mister, who's this guy?"
Woo Ji-hyun's eyes flickered for a second.
He hadn't expected the kid to stare him down so boldly and hit him with "mister."
But he quickly regained his composure.
At 29, he was plenty old enough to qualify as a "mister" to an elementary kid.
"Elder's buddy. And half-owner of all those snacks in the van."
"Uncle!"
"Oppa!"
Kids were kids, no matter how mature they acted.
They caught on quick, too.
They switched gears fast at Woo Ji-hyun's not-quite-threat.
They didn't hug up or get cozy like they did with Elder, though.
"Oppa might be pushing it. Uncle feels right. But no older bros or sisters around?"
Woo Ji-hyun glanced at the "Dreaming Nursery" sign—it looked ready to flake off at a touch—then asked.
Despite their noisy arrival, he saw no middle schoolers or older.
And this was Saturday, not even a weekday.
"They're all out doing part-time gigs."
"Probably won't be back till late afternoon."
"I see."
Woo Ji-hyun's face darkened briefly before smoothing out.
The earnings from underage part-time jobs were predictable—nothing much.
Not many options open to them.
"Yong-sik!"
"Mother-nim."
"You could've called ahead if you were coming!"
A middle-aged woman in a faded nun's habit emerged from the entrance of the rundown two-story building, scolding him half-heartedly.
Her apron was splattered with seasonings from meal prep, but the sight felt utterly natural to Woo Ji-hyun.
Her warm features made even the scolding feel affectionate.
"Wanted to surprise you."
"Still, you should've said something!"
"Haha. Your shocked face is the best part."
"You little punk!"
True to her plump build, the director's hands were large as she patted Elder's back.
It didn't seem to hurt; Elder just kept grinning.
"Oh, brought a friend today. Guy with a kinda unique job, like me."
"Unique job?"
"Hello. Woo Ji-hyun."
"He's a webnovel writer."
Woo Ji-hyun nailed the timing and bowed politely.
The director's eyes widened, then she clapped at Elder's follow-up.
"Webnovel writer! That promising gig everyone's talking about?"
"You know about it too, Mother-nim?"
"Of course. The kids devour that Kakao Page stuff. Can't pry their eyes off their smartphones. They read on computers too."
"Probably webtoons more than novels."
Elder gave a knowing smile and glanced at the kids.
A few flinched under his gaze.
"Webtoons?"
"Think she mixed up webtoons and webnovels."
"Can't be helped. Means you gotta hustle more."
"Yeah, webnovel market's still smaller than webtoons."
Woo Ji-hyun shrugged.
It was just facts—no offense taken.
And it'd flip someday.
"Oh dear, did I misspeak?"
"Nah. But aren't there too few kids around?"
"They all bailed for part-time work."
"Back by dinner, though?"
The director sighed, her voice tinged with regret.
Elder didn't join in the gloom.
No point feeding into it—would just drag the mood down more.
"Usually back before dinner."
"Then we've got plenty to do till then."
"What do you mean 'do'? Just play with the kids."
She waved it off.
The van was stuffed with snacks, drinks, daily necessities—a mountain of stuff.
But when they offered to work, she shook her head firmly.
To her, Elder wasn't some day laborer; he was like a successful kid who'd grown up right and flown the nest.
"We'll do that anyway. Young guys like us can handle spots that need a hand. Brought the toolbox too. Power drill and all."
"No need."
"In exchange, make us something tasty."
"Fine. But don't overdo it. You too, Ji-hyun."
Woo Ji-hyun answered with a reliable smile instead of words.
Adding his past life, he'd lived solo for over 40 years.
Fresh out of mandatory service discharge too, so he could handle most DIY jobs.
"Alright, mission briefing. Boys first: unload the food from the van!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Girls: check the building for issues or weird spots, jot 'em down, report to me! Nothing? Help with the cargo!"
"Yes!"
"Move out!"
Maybe because he grew up here, Elder handled the kids effortlessly.
Like slacking meant no grub.
Weirdly, they followed without whining.
"Move out!"
"Easy—don't drop 'em!"
"One at a time!"
Elder beamed at the older kids minding their younger siblings while hauling stuff.
Their laughter was his happy virus.
"Look at you, total dad smile."
"Can't help it. These kids are like siblings to me. And I wanna be their godfather someday."
"That's why you grinded so hard for cash?"
"Yeah. Never enough, no matter how much I made. So I figured: can't fill it all at once? Keep pouring in."
Now it clicked why he'd churned out albums nonstop before the slump.
And hustled those concerts.
"Great mindset. Didn't realize you were such a grown-up."
"Grown-up ages ago, thank you very much."
"Heh."
Woo Ji-hyun caught Elder's meaning instantly and smiled warmly as he grabbed the toolbox.
Kids had the unloading covered, so he and Elder could tackle repairs.
"Thanks."
"Outta nowhere, huh?"
"For coming along no questions asked."
"Stuff like this, you just do it. No thinking, no debating. And what'd these kids do wrong? They just ended up here—no choice."
Elder's eyes reddened suddenly.
Writers and their knack for dropping gut-punch lines out of nowhere.
No warning.
On the flip side, it reminded Woo Ji-hyun he still had good people around.
"Something like that, yeah?"
"Yeah. Fault's on the adults. Not the kids. Bini knows about this place?"
"'Course. Scandal risk keeps her from tagging along, but she visits solo."
"Good kid."
Woo Ji-hyun smiled, picturing Bini.
Elder mirrored it exactly.
"Naturally. That's why it got serious—my first love."
"...She's underage?"
"You bastard!"
Elder's face flushed at the sucker punch.
But they both knew it was a joke, so they chuckled it off.
Besides, Bini was a full adult now.
Heading into the creaky two-story building, Woo Ji-hyun jumped into repairs with Elder.
They swapped bulbs and fixtures, replaced doorknobs, cleared bathroom drains—quick work.
Fiddly appliance fixes fell to them too.
"Should redo the wallpaper too? Mold spots everywhere."
Woo Ji-hyun sprayed pre-bought mold remover.
He'd sensed it from the exterior: too much wear and tear.
"Wish I could bulldoze and rebuild, but too many legal headaches."
"Easier to buy land elsewhere and build fresh."
"True. But cash sinks aren't just here. Started with Dreaming Nursery, but sponsoring a bunch now."
"Gotta rake it in big."
"Yeah. Your help made this album a hit—huge relief. Slump had me real worried."
Remembering that dark stretch, Elder sighed without thinking.
Kipchuck even in retrospect.
Woo Ji-hyun figured the pressure had triggered it.
"I get your heart's in the right place, but don't drive yourself so hard. Even tough machines break if run 24/7 nonstop. Humans? Worse. 'Haste makes waste' ain't just a saying. Rest when it's rough—you're not alone. And the kids wouldn't want you suffering."
"Yeah, thanks. Hit me up if slump returns."
"We'll see."
Roll.
Finishing what felt like endless fixes, they stepped out for a break when a battered soccer ball rolled to Woo Ji-hyun's foot.
Different pattern, but like the Netz ball from his own childhood.
"Uncle! Play soccer with us!"
"Should've brought Woo-hyung-i. Kid would've learned how big and scary the world is early."
"What kinda brutal talk in front of the children? It's just a game of ball, a game."
"Who knows? Maybe a world-class talent hiding in the bunch."