Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Again, Writer 24
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Under the focused gazes, Woo Ji-hyun was starting to slip away when someone approached the three of them and spoke up.
Even amid the noise, the voice stuck sharply in their ears, and Woo Ji-hyun turned his head, followed by Kim In-hu and Im Sang-min.
“Huh?”
“Thank you for helping us!”
“We really appreciate it!”
“Haha, no need. It was nothing. If you ever feel uncomfortable, make it clear you’re not interested. Guys here assume silence means consent and push their luck. Especially the ones who get handsy, so watch out.”
The women, who had nearly faced trouble, expressed their genuine gratitude, and Kim In-hu stepped forward to wrap things up on their behalf.
Im Sang-min, never one for smooth talk, just stood there blankly, so Kim In-hu had timed his intervention perfectly to accept their thanks.
Plus, he had the most experience among the three.
“Huh?”
Just then, one of the four women—the one at the back—looked at Woo Ji-hyun and widened her eyes.
She wore a slightly surprised expression, as if she’d spotted someone she knew.
And Woo Ji-hyun felt the same.
“What’s up, Mi-ri?”
“Do you know him?”
“Uh, well...”
At her friends’ questions, Jeong Mi-ri quickly glanced back and forth between Woo Ji-hyun and Kim In-hu.
She didn’t recognize Im Sang-min, who had helped them, but she was acquainted with those two.
“What? You know him?”
“Let’s step out for a bit first. We don’t want to bother anyone else.”
Woo Ji-hyun, who had been just as startled as Jeong Mi-ri at first, led her friends out, pushing through the crowd once more.
A mellow song was playing during the brief break, so it wasn’t as tough as before.
“Whew.”
Woo Ji-hyun let out a sigh in front of the bathroom area, which was just as packed as the stage.
He’d gone through quite the ordeal in such a short time.
“Now spill. Why’d you freak out like that earlier?”
“You really don’t recognize her, even though you know her?”
“Nope. I’m not the type to remember every face.”
“Big Bang.”
“Hm? A celebrity here?”
Kim In-hu’s head whipped around like lightning.
He scanned the area faster than anyone.
But all he saw in front of the bathrooms were people coming and going.
“Bookstore Big Bang.”
“Why bring that up...? No way, she works there part-time?”
Kim In-hu’s face lit up with sudden realization.
It was like puzzle pieces clicking together in his mind, bringing one person into focus.
At the same moment, he shuddered.
Realizing who Jeong Mi-ri was also jogged his memory of a shocking fact.
“You really have no eye for this stuff.”
“Wait. Isn’t she still in high school? I heard she graduates next year.”
“Yeah, for real.”
“Damn. What if the boss finds out she’s here?”
Kim In-hu looked incredulous.
It made him think anew how small Korea really was.
The odds of running into her here, in this particular club out of all the ones in Hongdae, at this hour, were practically zero.
“She’s at that age where she’s curious about this stuff. We were the same, right? How old were you when you started smoking?”
“Let’s skip the small talk?”
“What’re you guys chatting about so excitedly?”
“Nothing much.”
Kim In-hu switched to a casual expression as if he’d never been surprised, slinging an arm around Im Sang-min’s shoulder.
Woo Ji-hyun couldn’t help but chuckle at the quick change.
“So? What’s your take on clubbing?”
“It’s fun. Pretty thrilling, too.”
“Ah, let’s not get into that anymore. We’re not kids; time to stop throwing punches. Isn’t it about time to ditch the Gu-ddo nickname?”
“You’re still a dog till next year, aren’t you?”
Kim In-hu scowled.
He shot a glare at Woo Ji-hyun behind him.
He didn’t need to ask Im Sang-min to guess where that had come from.
“Erase it from your memory.”
“Kekeke! Hey, let’s grab some beers. I’m sober now. My treat!”
“How about cocktails?”
“I’m not made of money. Beer—three bottles max—is my limit.”
Im Sang-min shook his head.
With his wallet, three beers would leave just enough for a pack of smokes.
So he firmly declined and pushed back into the crowd with Kim In-hu.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Holding beer bottles in hand, Kim In-hu and Im Sang-min surrendered to the beat.
Surprisingly, they were dancing happily with different women each—not just grinding out of obligation, but genuinely enjoying it together.
“Dancing, whatever. The real key is afters.”
If the vibe clicked, they might head out for more drinks, but to Woo Ji-hyun, it didn’t seem that serious.
And the biggest issue was elsewhere.
Neither Kim In-hu nor Im Sang-min had spare cash.
No credit cards either.
“Hello.”
“Hm? You’re still here?”
Leaning against the wall, watching his friends lose themselves in the dance, Woo Ji-hyun turned at the unexpected greeting from beside him, slightly startled.
There stood Jeong Mi-ri, glistening with a bit of sweat, just like him.
Her friends were nowhere in sight; she stood alone.
“Yeah. My friends wanna stick around longer.”
“I still think of you as a high schooler, though. Pre-grad or not, you’re still a minor.”
“Uh...”
The blunt fact hit her straight on, leaving Jeong Mi-ri speechless.
Any excuse would just sound like a cop-out right now.
And she knew she was in the wrong.
But one unfair thing: she hadn’t wanted to come to the club.
“When your friends come back, head home quick. You’ve already had a close call. And don’t worry—I won’t tell the boss; just say it was a friend thing.”
“Thank you.”
“Alright then.”
“Excuse me!”
Woo Ji-hyun didn’t want to get more entangled with Jeong Mi-ri; watching her stirred memories of clinging to her for over four years in his past life. So he moved to leave first.
But she called out to him again.
“Yeah?”
“I... I didn’t get to properly thank you for helping us.”
“It’s fine. That’s clubs for you—stuff like that happens. Get home safe.”
Woo Ji-hyun gave a cool nod and turned away.
His demeanor screamed “don’t follow up,” as he quickly slipped off.
“Good talk?”
“...Nope.”
“Figured. He’s not even that handsome, but acts all high and mighty.”
“Huh? He’s pretty charming, no? So manly and easy on the eyes, I thought.”
Unlike Yang Hye-ryeon, who glared at Woo Ji-hyun’s retreating back with dissatisfaction, Min Jeong-yeon’s eyes sparkled.
She clearly remembered how he’d confronted the groper head-on earlier.
His gaze then wasn’t like ordinary guys.
“He does have that manly vibe.”
“And you know him, right?”
“More from his friend, though. As customers, of course.”
“Our Mi-ri, falling in love at last? Is that it?”
Min Jeong-yeon grabbed Jeong Mi-ri’s hands, eyes shining.
Jeong Mi-ri had been single for years, so this felt like a breakthrough.
“Seems like you’re more interested than me.”
“Oh no. Busted?”
“Yeah, big time.”
Jeong Mi-ri stared steadily at Min Jeong-yeon, who blushed and averted her eyes coyly.
But Min Jeong-yeon fidgeted, unsure what to do under that gaze.
“If it weren’t you, I’d give him a shot...”
“Here she goes again. Quick-to-Fall-in-Love Min Jeong-yeon.”
Yang Hye-ryeon clicked her tongue at Min Jeong-yeon’s instant crush.
No matter how you sliced it, this was a severe case.
She glanced at Jeong Mi-ri, who quietly stared off into the distance.
“She doesn’t seem totally uninterested.”
“But he’s not her type. Weird.”
“Love strikes suddenly out of nowhere. That’s what makes it love.”
While the person in question stayed silent, her friends made a fuss.
Probably because they were all turning twenty soon, caught up in some romantic fantasy.
“Let’s head home now. Mom keeps calling. Dad too.”
“Yeah.”
“Not bad for a first club visit.”
“Some bad vibes in the middle, but overall fun.”
The four chattered as they headed to the lockers.
Even past midnight, people kept pouring in, so their exit barely changed the crowd size.
* * *
“Cough!”
As always, Woo Ji-hyun woke at 6 a.m. and slowly sat up.
But unlike usual, he felt off.
His head throbbed, and coughs kept coming.
“Ugh, caught a cold.”
Instinctively sensing the flu-like symptoms, Woo Ji-hyun sighed deeply.
He had plenty of buffer stock—more than enough—so skipping a day wouldn’t derail his schedule.
Still, getting sick right at the start of the new year unsettled him.
“Hope this isn’t a bad omen. This year’s crucial.”
He turned on the TV, slid back under the covers, and closed his eyes.
He could rate his first year back in 2009 very highly.
A successful second debut, and Asura Sword Emperor’s performance was outstanding.
Which made 2010 even more critical.
“Hmm. Maybe it’s telling me to slow down after pushing so hard.”
The rental market would drop below 2,500 copies in 2010.
Even if every shop stocked it, 2,500 was the ceiling.
Plus, he planned to move this year, making it personally pivotal.
“I haven’t rested much, that’s true.”
Feeling his body heavy like it was soaked through, Woo Ji-hyun sighed deeply.
No matter how fast he wrote, maintaining that insane pace for seven months was unreal.
No wonder his body was breaking down.
He’d returned in a healthy body, but it wasn’t a steel machine.
“Rest today. Overdoing it isn’t good.”
After some thought, Woo Ji-hyun decided to take the day off.
But he wouldn’t completely detach from work—just no writing.
So he ordered chicken, then grabbed a pen and A4 paper from his desk, jotting notes while lying down.
“First, move in May. Tell the landlord and check real estate listings.”
He boldly listed 2010 tasks, roughly outlining plans post-Asura Sword Emperor.
He had them in mind, but the brain wasn’t perfect—writing them down helped.
His thoughts drifted to Rubin Media.
“Damn persistent. If only they put that tenacity into sales.”
Ignoring calls and texts should’ve tipped them off, but Gong Hyun-jung didn’t get it.
Like a hyena, he wouldn’t let go of prey.
“Gotta consider using someone else. They’re quiet for now, but I doubt they’ll back off.”
Woo Ji-hyun grimaced at the unwanted connection clinging on.
Personally, he’d prefer good ties over bad ones.
“Being sick alone hits different. Sigh.”