Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: My Own Path
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yoon Sung-hwan said it with his usual know-it-all face, full of conviction.
Debuting as a writer at twenty was undoubtedly impressive.
Not just anyone who wrote could publish a book.
But when looking at it coldly and objectively, Woo Ji-hyun's level was clear.
If Woo Ji-hyun had written even just decently, they would have offered a contract for a follow-up work.
But reality was different.
“You can make enough to eat and live off of.”
“Hey, man. You already forgetting? Before you enlisted, you barely got a million won for one book. What good is writing two books a month? The publication cycle is one book per month. At best, it takes three weeks for one to come out. And you think you can keep writing steadily like that? No way. You’ve gotta sort out the contract first anyway.”
Yoon Sung-hwan gave his so-called advice, meddling like it was absurd, as if his words were gospel.
In the past, Woo Ji-hyun had seen those words as friendly advice.
Right up until they’d completely fallen out and cut off contact.
“Then let me ask you one thing too. I took a year off after high school and went to a junior college. Does that guarantee I’ll get hired at a hotel?”
“Who knows? But you’ve gotta at least try. Nothing changes if you just assume it won’t work and do nothing.”
“You’re right. No attempt, no success. But I tried, and it didn’t work out. You gonna take responsibility for that?”
“Why should I?”
Yoon Sung-hwan shot back as if it were the dumbest question ever.
As if there was no reason on earth he should.
Woo Ji-hyun couldn’t help but scoff at the sight.
It was ridiculous—telling him to follow his advice like it was the way to go, then boldly saying no to taking responsibility when asked.
“But why should I follow your advice?”
“I’m not telling you to follow it. I’m just saying this has the highest chance of working. It’s advice, not an order.”
As the mood soured not just for Woo Ji-hyun but for the friends around them too, Yoon Sung-hwan suddenly backpedaled.
He knew well that even at a young age, the weight of the word “responsibility” was never light.
“You’ve been forcing it on me this whole time.”
“Woo Ji-hyun, why are you so prickly today?”
“If you’re not gonna take responsibility, then don’t spout off recklessly. I’ll make my own decisions and bear my own consequences.”
“Jeez.”
Yoon Sung-hwan let out a hollow laugh.
But he clearly wasn’t pleased—his face flushed red.
In that state, Yoon Sung-hwan downed shot after shot.
“Getting into a hotel would be great. You could use your major too. But can just anyone waltz into a five-star hotel in Seoul? Without connections, even with a TI offer, you can’t get into a five-star. Plus, they’ve got grads from four-year schools like Kyung Hee or Kyonggi University. You think they’ll hire a junior college kid?”
“You’ve gotta try.”
“Life isn’t just about effort. If it were gonna happen, it would’ve by now. There are no more rags-to-riches stories in Korea.”
“Why so negative?”
Yoon Sung-hwan finally couldn’t hold back and glared.
This time, it was because Woo Ji-hyun was rejecting the path he wanted to take.
But then Woo Ji-hyun fixed him with a cold stare.
“Doesn’t feel good, does it? So why are you lecturing me like some old fogey?”
Grit!
Yoon Sung-hwan clenched his fist.
His friends hurriedly grabbed him.
Given Yoon Sung-hwan’s hot-tempered nature, it wouldn’t be strange if fists started flying at this level of agitation.
“I’ll decide my own path, so let’s just cheer each other on from now on. I won’t meddle in what you want to do anymore either.”
“Hey, hey, let’s go smoke. Cigarettes for when you’re worked up.”
“Let’s go.”
As soon as Woo Ji-hyun finished speaking, the smoking friends dragged Yoon Sung-hwan out.
They didn’t want to fan the flames and make things worse.
“Why’d you do that?”
“The jerk was lecturing like an old man. Even though he’s always yelling about how much he hates old fogeys.”
“Well, he’s not wrong.”
Kim In-hu, one of the two friends who stayed till the end, nodded calmly with a straight face.
He agreed with Woo Ji-hyun to some extent too.
“You guys ruined the vibe, so I’m heading out first. Money’s here. Let’s meet up separately later.”
“Just us two?”
“Yeah, and Im Sang-min too if he’s free.”
Woo Ji-hyun glanced at the door where everyone had cleared out.
Kim In-hu nodded.
“Sure, I’ve got something to ask anyway. Or tomorrow?”
“More drinking tomorrow?”
“We pounded booze five times a week before you enlisted, man.”
Kim In-hu chuckled.
It was hilarious how he was worrying over just two days in a row.
Sure, he preferred beer to soju, and not drinking at all to beer, but still.
“That’s how you’ll suffer later. Though I’ll probably be solo-drinking a ton by then.”
“No solo drinks in my life! Booze is always with a girl!”
The military changes a person.
Even a guy who wasn’t into girls ends up obsessed.
Wasn’t there a saying like that?
Soldiers’ eyes lock on a skirt first, then the rest.
“And a guy like that’s holed up here pounding drinks?”
“…Damn! You’re sniping today. Straight to the heart.”
Kim In-hu clutched his chest.
There was no room for rebuttal—he had to concede.
“We’re thinking it’s time to branch out beyond the neighborhood. Hongdae’s great, right?”
“Hongdae’s awesome. It’s a blast.”
Kim In-hu, the only one among the friends who hit clubs occasionally, lit up.
Woo Ji-hyun had brought up exactly what he’d wanted to suggest, right on cue.
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. I’ll hint it to Im Sang-min.”
“Cool.”
Woo Ji-hyun fist-bumped Kim In-hu and left the bar.
But everyone must’ve gone to the convenience store—no one was left outside.
“Tsk tsk.”
He’d at least wanted to say goodbye, but with no one around, Woo Ji-hyun clicked his tongue and headed home.
* * *
Once he’d stocked up enough savings, Woo Ji-hyun immediately signed up for the gym.
At first, he’d started for posture correction.
Later, it was for stamina.
As the saying went, stamina is national strength—essential for a writer to go the long haul.
“Being able to sit and focus for hours is a talent in itself.”
Woo Ji-hyun knew better than anyone that he hadn’t been born with flashy genius.
That’s why he clung harder to grit, perseverance, and effort.
He believed those could be built after the fact.
They were also his biggest weapons.
“Same as ever.”
In his past life, he hadn’t joined a gym until after getting his college acceptance letter.
Between cram school and writing, there was zero time for workouts.
But now, as a full-time writer, he had plenty of leeway for exercise.
“Though really, it’s ’cause I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Poking at the harsh reality, Woo Ji-hyun began stretching.
The full-body mirror reflected his gaunt frame, shoulders impossibly narrow.
His upper body fit a size 90 top.
“Ugh.”
A build that screamed “skinny shoulders,” and Woo Ji-hyun shook his head as he kept stretching.
He wanted to hammer shoulders and back to death, but balance was key in training.
Lots of people subtly neglected legs, but no matter what, the foundation was the lower body.
“I even wrote about a gym trainer back then. Came out of nowhere, but it raked in good money. Heh heh heh.”
Back at the gym after so long, Woo Ji-hyun recalled a novel he’d written.
A modern piece called ‘We Make Anything(?)’—simple start, but it did amazingly well.
One of the top three earners in his career.
“This time, I’ll make it top ten at least.”
Back in time with twenty years of experience, Woo Ji-hyun aimed big.
Not quite a blockbuster sensation, but close enough in earnings.
And he believed in himself.
Hadn’t that man at the moment of death said some being admired his effort?
“I can do it. I can.”
In his past life, he’d had ‘only’ effort.
Knowing his talent fell short, he’d pushed endlessly to compensate.
But success couldn’t come from effort alone.
Now was different.
‘I’ve got experience too.’
In the past, Woo Ji-hyun had made several wrong choices.
Not because he wanted to, of course.
He’d agonized and decided what seemed best.
Yet those decisions ended in failure.
“But this time will be different.”
He wouldn’t repeat those unavoidable mistakes.
Nor waste time on futile thoughts.
“Death brushed extinction, and I got this life back with resolve—time to live it flashy once. Haha!”
When the offer came, Woo Ji-hyun decided without hesitation.
Sure, he might regret it at the moment of death later.
But that was far in the future.
“Carpe diem. Stick to reality. This moment I’m living is reality anyway. But I won’t die at forty again, right?”
Woo Ji-hyun’s face hardened for a second.
Worried his life might end at forty again, just like before.
But he shook it off.
The past had changed, so the future could too.
“Hello.”
Woo Ji-hyun froze mid-stretch, face serious, when a deep voice came from beside him.
It was Yoon Won-jung, the gym owner at Maro JD Whitney.
“Oh, hello.”
“First day today, right? Ask me anything anytime. PT’s free twice, so don’t hesitate.”
“Haha, got it.”
“You can ask about supplements too. I pick the cheap, good ones that fit your body type.”
Maybe because it hadn’t been long since he quit working out, Yoon Won-jung’s body looked even bigger and more solid than in his past life.
Like a bodybuilder still in competition shape.
“Understood.”
“Haha, then have a good workout.”
Woo Ji-hyun smiled as Yoon Won-jung walked off with a hearty laugh.
Yoon Won-jung might find him unfamiliar, but not vice versa.
He’d gotten tons of help writing the trainer novel and been personally close, so he knew a lot about the gym owner.
“Heh heh heh.”
Recalling past incidents with Yoon Won-jung, Woo Ji-hyun started weight training.
No time to worry about body fat—he’d build muscle first.
Especially the shoulders, top priority.
“Gotta escape skinny shoulders first! A man’s gotta rock at least a medium, size 100!”