Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Once Again, Writer
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# 17
Once Again, Writer Episode 17
A man and a woman approached the table where the three were seated, smiling brightly.
They were two people who had handled planning and editing at Phil Media in the past.
“Hello.”
“It’s been ages, Writer Woo Ji-hyun! I’ve been following your serialization of Asura Sword Emperor on Munpia. You’re amazing at martial arts novels too?”
“Thank you.”
At their arrival, Woo Ji-hyun, along with Kim Jang-su and Park Geon-woo, stood up to greet them warmly.
They were people Woo Ji-hyun hadn’t seen in a very long time, but they saw him often.
“I was really surprised too. A writer who only did fantasy came out with a martial arts novel, and it’s so good. Plus, the actual sales are fantastic.”
“Thank you.”
“If I’d known, I would’ve suggested writing a martial arts one before enlistment. Haha!”
Following Ki Ji-seok, Seo Hee-jin laughed as she spoke up.
But Woo Ji-hyun just smiled faintly without saying much.
Bringing up the past now wouldn’t change anything.
“But is that really true? You turned in the final manuscript for Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero?”
“I’m curious too. We got the official notice, so it must be true, but it’s just so unbelievable.”
“I finished Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero and jumped straight into serializing Asura Sword Emperor.”
“Wow.”
Ki Ji-seok’s face filled with astonishment.
As a former writer himself, even hearing it directly, he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Well, Writer Woo Ji-hyun has always been incredibly fast.”
On the other hand, Seo Hee-jin wasn’t as shocked as Ki Ji-seok.
She remembered the case of Blaze, when he’d gone all out right before his enlistment date.
She’d been pretty shocked back then too, though she hadn’t said it.
It just hadn’t performed that well.
‘But this time, the sales are great too.’
Not a massive hit, but definitely a solid mid-tier success.
In a market where the max was 3,000 to 3,200 copies, it had sold nearly 2,800.
For a newbie, that was blockbuster territory.
It was just that as a semi-veteran, the bar was a bit higher.
“I’ve been thinking about going pro full-time, so I pushed hard. Luckily, the market response has been good.”
“This is more than excellent. I bet Asura Sword Emperor will do just as well as Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero.”
“I liked Asura Sword Emperor more than Heavenly Thunder Sword Hero, which had mixed reviews.”
The conversation quickly focused on Woo Ji-hyun.
It could have felt awkward, but he handled the two of them naturally.
In the past, he would’ve been flustered and at a loss for words.
“Thank you.”
“Isn’t all the attention on Ji-hyun a bit much?”
“Haha. It’s just been so long since we’ve seen each other. Oh right, we haven’t given you our cards yet.”
Kim Jang-su grumbled as he set down side dishes, glasses, and liquor cups in front of the two in order.
Even if Woo Ji-hyun was hot right now, he felt they were being too dismissive of him and Park Geon-woo.
But despite Kim Jang-su’s grumbling, Ki Ji-seok smiled and handed his business card to Woo Ji-hyun.
“I’ll give you mine too.”
“Ah, sure. But as you know, I don’t have any cards.”
“Didn’t Phil Media make you some?”
Seo Hee-jin, who had also handed over her card after Ki Ji-seok, tilted her head.
As she recalled, the publisher had given Woo Ji-hyun business cards back when he was at Phil Media.
“My number changed. Just one digit, but still.”
“Oh, so that’s why when we called the old number, someone else picked up.”
“Honestly, I don’t really need them anyway.”
Woo Ji-hyun shrugged it off nonchalantly.
In the meantime, the brothers he’d agreed to meet with started showing up one by one.
It took exactly about 30 minutes for everyone to gather.
And naturally, they split into the liquor crowd and the non-liquor crowd.
“Why’d you come over here? You’re with the liquor crew, right?”
“Yeah, but there’s too big an age gap with the hyungs over there.”
“Isn’t it really because you hate just listening?”
“Heh heh!”
Woo Ji-hyun didn’t deny it.
True to their name, the liquor crew drank fast, but they each just talked about their own stuff, leaving no room for the maknae to chime in.
He could only nod along, so Woo Ji-hyun had moved seats entirely.
“I’m here too!”
“Did you come with Ji-hyun?”
“We’re one of the few same-age friends, aren’t we?”
“Don’t use that half-assed dialect.”
Even Ye Seong-pil, with his bulky frame, plopped down next to Woo Ji-hyun, making Kim Jang-su frown.
He’d wanted to quietly eat his meat and head to a café, but disruptors had crashed the party.
Especially Ye Seong-pil—he needed watching.
“The meat here’s pretty good.”
“You grill it!”
“Got it!”
Despite Kim Jang-su’s sharp tone, Ye Seong-pil grinned good-naturedly and took the tongs and scissors.
He started grilling the meat to perfection.
“Ah, I wanted to eat quietly and go to a café.”
“No second round?”
“I don’t drink, so what’s the point? The hyungs wouldn’t like it either.”
“Then we can just sneak out together.”
Woo Ji-hyun grinned.
He had no intention of going to the second round either.
Plus, he’d already achieved his goal.
“Huh? You’re not going?”
“What for? It’ll just be nonstop talk about writing and women, like peanuts spilling out.”
“Not fun?”
“Girl talk’s more fun with friends. Feels real.”
“Fair.”
Ye Seong-pil chuckled and nodded.
The hyungs were great, but they weren’t as comfy as friends.
Plus, the parade of repeating drunken ramblings was horrifying just to think about.
“What about you?”
“I’ll play it by ear. Someone’s gotta look after the hyungs.”
“SCV incoming?”
“Kek! But it’s been forever, so I’m glad to see you. I thought you’d died with no contact.”
Not matching his size, Ye Seong-pil placed a perfectly grilled piece of meat on Woo Ji-hyun’s plate.
He was drinking beer but barely touching sides.
And he wasn’t drinking water much either.
“I’ve just been grinding away at writing. Thinking full-time pro, so I’m sprinting like mad. But you’ve been MIA too?”
“I changed pennames and put out some stuff here and there. Didn’t do great.”
“But putting it out is what matters. That’ll all turn into your pension later.”
“Hope it pays out steady like one.”
Ye Seong-pil took the sincere advice as a joke.
It seemed way too unlikely to him.
E-book royalties weren’t that huge anyway.
“You gotta write, no matter what. To the end. Listen to your hyung and follow suit. Money’ll come even in your sleep.”
“Where’s this nagging coming from?”
“Sincere advice from a friend is nagging? I’m hurt. I was ready to spill heavenly secrets.”
“Keek keh!”
Watching the same-age duo bicker, Kim Jang-su clicked his tongue.
No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like talk for guys in their mid-20s.
But he agreed with Woo Ji-hyun.
“You never know. The e-book market’s small now, but who knows later. In that sense, Ji-hyun’s got a point.”
“Me too.”
“Don’t butt in then shut up and sip beer—say your piece.”
“Nothing much to say. Got my own nose to grindstone.”
Park Geon-woo smacked his lips and shook his head.
The hyungs at the next table were top writers getting publisher treatment, but he wasn’t there yet.
So he had his own worries.
“What’s so fun over here?”
“Deputy Manager Seo escaped too, huh.”
“They’re going too hard. My health check wasn’t great. And being the only woman.”
“Then come with Yu-jeong.”
At Kim Jang-su’s words, Seo Hee-jin shot him a delicate glare.
She knew exactly why he brought up Go Yu-jeong.
“Want to see her? Should I call?”
“Nah, contacting now would be weird. First round’s winding down anyway.”
“Or maybe Writer Kim Jang-su should call her himself?”
Seo Hee-jin smiled meaningfully.
But Kim Jang-su waved both hands frantically.
“No, no!”
“Heh heh heh!”
The more flustered Kim Jang-su waved, the deeper Seo Hee-jin’s smile grew.
Then she switched targets.
She’d come to this gathering for someone else anyway.
“You really grill meat well. Must be because you love it.”
“Nah, it’s a skill I picked up. Grilled so much it stuck.”
Ye Seong-pil glanced toward the hyungs’ table.
Woo Ji-hyun knew what he meant without words.
“By the way, Writer.”
“Yes, Deputy Manager.”
“This might be sensitive, but you’re contracted with Barun Publishing up to Asura Sword Emperor, right?”
Seo Hee-jin, now seated naturally in front of Woo Ji-hyun, broached the topic carefully.
Contracts were touchy for both writers and publishers.
Especially with Woo Ji-hyun—she was extra cautious because of what happened with Blaze.
“Yes.”
“Any thoughts on contracting with another publisher?”
“Future Books?”
Woo Ji-hyun wasn’t surprised—he’d expected it since their call.
The others at the table felt the same.
With his current pace and results, any publisher would be interested.
Such scouting offers were common too.
“Yes. I don’t know your exact terms, but we can offer better.”
“Sounds good. Future Books has a stacked lineup.”
“And hyungs there too.”
It made sense that the editing deputy manager, not the planning director Ki Ji-seok, was pitching.
Because the person who’d contacted him for his debut contract—and drawn it up—was Seo Hee-jin right there.
“I’ll consider it.”
“Free next week? We can talk properly then—tough with this crowd today.”
“Sure.”
Seo Hee-jin’s face lit up.
At least he hadn’t rejected her outright.
That meant plenty of room.
Of course, with Asura Sword Emperor pre-publication, a new work would take time even if they signed.
Still, she thought contracting Woo Ji-hyun wouldn’t be bad.
His pace so far suggested he’d shake off Barun Publishing soon.
“Huh?”
“Did you all meet here today?”
As he wrapped up with Seo Hee-jin, two uninvited guests entered the barbecue place.
Two men approached the table smiling, as if by pure chance.
Ki Ji-seok and Seo Hee-jin’s faces stiffened.
It didn’t look coincidental to anyone.
“If you’re meeting here, at least say something.”
“Yeah. We could’ve joined from the start.”
Park Chan-hu and Gong Hyun-jung from Rubin Media grinned slyly as they approached, prompting the writers at the boisterous table to stand one by one.
Not super close, but they knew each other, so greetings were exchanged first.
“Wow, fate is fate, huh? Running into you like this.”