Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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Jo Jin-gu changed the subject.
At the same time, Min A-rang snapped out of her brief daze.
“Ah, I heard about that. Writers are suing the planning department there. Apparently, they got caught cheating on royalties. And it’s not just one or two cases.”
“Yeah. Other publishers are on edge because of it too. I’m all above board, but not everyone is. Plus, with such high turnover, some ex-employee might’ve done something shady, so they’re scrambling to check internally.”
“No way the deputy manager too?”
Min A-rang’s eyes widened.
She’d noticed his workload spiking lately.
“Yep. This job I’m on now is related. My senior’s under review just in case. That’s why Hye-sun in accounting’s been pulling all-nighters for days.”
“Ah.”
Min A-rang nodded along.
That explained the weird vibe.
She silently cheered Jo Hye-sun on in her mind.
“I just heard about it today.”
“You’ll probably hear less from me going forward. Gotta put out the fire on my desk first.”
“Makes sense.”
Woo Ji-hyun replied flatly.
It was another publisher, so he had nothing particular to add.
He and Rubin Media weren’t publicly linked anyway.
‘Still feels good, though.’
He pictured the two scrambling like wild boars in a wildfire over the unexpected lawsuit, and a grin crept onto his face.
Of course, it wouldn’t oust them outright, but the blemish mattered.
That stain would hobble them for years.
‘And it’s no frame job—they actually did it. Just didn’t expect so many cases.’
Woo Ji-hyun had provided the spark.
But the key was that cheated writers had already started moving on their own.
He’d just helped unite them.
“Still, I hope this doesn’t blow up further. We can’t let genre fiction publishers’ image tank.”
“Gotta keep drawing in rookies. If it all turns out rotten, they won’t just stay away—they’ll bolt.”
“Exactly.”
That was Jo Jin-gu’s worry too.
The market was shaky enough without this piling on.
“Rubin Media must be a mess.”
“Total chaos. Bigger issue’s their own writers rising up. Full-rights authors have no reason to fake sales, but others do. They’re all demanding real numbers.”
“Ugh.”
Min A-rang grimaced.
Imagining it at Linus Publishing made her dizzy.
“So get ready, A-rang.”
“No way, right? Tell me no.”
“Nothing so far, but who knows.”
“Please say it’s not.”
Min A-rang pleaded, trembling.
Jo Jin-gu just shrugged.
Nothing was certain now.
“Focus on work for now. We’ve got a guest.”
“Right.”
“See you later, Writer.”
“Yeah.”
Jo Jin-gu left, and talk swung back to Solar Chronicle.
Next works came up naturally too.
* * *
May was peak wedding season, enough to earn it the title “bride’s month.”
Proving the point, Woo Ji-hyun headed to a wedding hall.
“How many wedding halls are around Juwan Station?”
He shook his head, tallying the ones he’d passed.
“Look at all these people. Insane.”
“Gotta push through that.”
“Good thing I don’t have a car for this.”
“I want a foreign import, though.”
Kim In-hu shook his head at the cars warring over tiny parking spots.
Just watching was nightmare fuel.
“Me too.”
“You can drive one as a civil servant!”
“You know a 9th-grade salary?”
“Obviously. They count military service as seniority too, right?”
Kim In-hu looked surprised.
Didn’t expect him to know that.
“You know your stuff.”
“If I’d been smarter, I’d have studied for it.”
“Yeah right. You’d still end up writing. Pays better.”
“But no cushy gig.”
Woo Ji-hyun chuckled.
Freelancers rarely scored stable spots.
Unless pulling eight figures a year.
‘Five years tops? Four if quick?’
He wasn’t hurting for cash now.
But only publisher staff knew.
“Stable gig? We thirty yet?”
“You’d hate it even at thirty.”
“Spot on.”
“Studies going okay?”
Woo Ji-hyun asked carefully as they entered.
Kim In-hu’s face darkened.
“It’s rough. Worst part? No fun in it.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day. Takes time for a dog to become human.”
“What the fuck, man!”
A curse slipped out.
He’d been curbing them for study mode, but old habits die hard.
“Don’t bottle it up. Stress management’s key. Even more ahead.”
“Hey.”
Chatting away, the elevator hit the fifth-floor chapel.
An unexpected face waited outside.
“Huh?”
“What brings you early? On time even?”
“Forgot—I live way closer.”
Im Sang-min grinned, sipping vending machine cocoa.
Woo Ji-hyun and Kim In-hu weren’t buying it.
Distance never fazed him.
“Weird.”
“Usually thirty minutes early baseline.”
“What the hell, guys?”
Im Sang-min’s face twisted at being ignored despite standing right there.
He shot them sharp glares.
“No whining. Your twenty-four years prove it.”
“True.”
“Why no suit?”
“Casual’s the future. It’s not full suit, but semi-formal vibe? Slacks.”
Woo Ji-hyun smirked at the outfit nitpick.
Slacks, loafers, white shirt, blazer—not suit, not casual.
“Kinda.”
“Prefer this? Suits scream uncle. Slim fit, but still baggy.”
“Hmm.”
With Kim In-hu piling on, Im Sang-min awkwardly scratched his chin.
He’d griped first, but Woo Ji-hyun looked best of three.
Hated admitting it.
‘When’d he get so stylish?’
The old dorky Woo Ji-hyun was gone, replaced by sleek.
Too sudden.
“Hall’s kinda small.”
“Not fancy.”
“Rushed booking?”
Baby angel visit left no time for prime spots.
Kim In-hu muttered understandingly.
“Still, early twenties draw—tons of middle school classmates.”
“Says the guy who’s not early twenties.”
“Mental age differs.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Woo Ji-hyun grabbed envelopes while eyeing the packed entrance, families milling.
Handed them to Kim In-hu and Im Sang-min too.
“That punk’s first to go.”
“Baby angel luck. Gotta watch it.”
“Nothing to watch, jerk.”
Kim In-hu shot back, face sour.
No girls in his study-only life.
“But still.”
“True that.”
“You got one? Only one of us with a job.”
Im Sang-min’s eyes turned to Woo Ji-hyun.
Unlike late-studying him, Woo Ji-hyun worked.
Decent money too, rumor had it.
“Don’t expect much from a shut-in.”
“How’s that bookstore girl?”
“Which?”
Woo Ji-hyun tilted his head.
Lost on who.
“The one at the bookstore. Met at Hongdae club.”
“Oh, Jeong Mi-ri.”
“You even know her name?”
Kim In-hu’s eyes gleamed.
Cool guy act, but interested after all.
“Coincidence. Pure coincidence.”
“No way. I know you—if you didn’t care, no name. So? Dating?”
“Nope. Haven’t been back since I went looking for you.”
“Really?”
Even Im Sang-min eyed him skeptically.
Sleazy enough to lie.
“I don’t deny what’s real. But nothing there. No number. Can show if you want.”
“This guy’s legit.”
“Bummer. Was gonna ask for a wedding invite.”
“Me too.”
Im Sang-min and Kim In-hu smacked their lips.
Felt like a good chance flown.
“You gotta study.”
“Love blooms in war, baby angels drop in. Patriots were patriots twice over.”
“Heh.”
Woo Ji-hyun snorted at Kim In-hu’s history-lesson vocab.
Shook his head and headed in.
Done engaging.
“Thanks for coming.”
“Had to. Got the invite.”
“That’s why I sent it. Ha. Fewer turned up than thought.”
“Some still in service. And your main crew’s not here.”
Park Han-saem hacked a cough at Woo Ji-hyun’s words.
Glanced slyly at the bride’s side.
“Dude, don’t say that.”
“What? You’re married man now.”
Woo Ji-hyun grinned mischievously, shoving an envelope into Park Han-saem’s hand.
Silent vote of practical support.
“Mine too.”
“Here.”
Kim In-hu and Im Sang-min followed suit.
Park Han-saem’s smile deepened.
“Won’t forget this. Pay you back at yours.”
“I’ll remember.”
Woo Ji-hyun shrugged with a chuckle at the earnest vow.
None of them wed by forty, as he recalled.
‘Lived pretty pathetically.’
Dated some, but no altar.
Closest at thirty.
“Wonder if she’s doing okay.”
“Huh?”
“Nah, sit first.”
Inside, Woo Ji-hyun shook off Kim In-hu and scanned.
Time near, but plenty empty seats.
“You here?”