Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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“What’s with that long phone call?”
“Tell me about it. I don’t even know why I called.”
“Wasn’t it your editor? For the serialization?”
“Nope.”
Ye Seong-pil, who had been amusing himself alone, put on a baffled expression.
From what Woo Ji-hyun was saying, it really didn’t seem related to the serialization at all.
“Why would a guy do that?”
“My editor’s a woman.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t make that face. She’s just my editor.”
Woo Ji-hyun spoke first to clear things up, seeing Ye Seong-pil’s expression shift oddly.
She was a beauty and a sweet girl, sure, but he still only saw her as his editor for now.
“Not pretty, huh?”
“Pour me one too.”
“Whoa. Dodging the question means she must be a beauty? But there aren’t any pretty editors.”
Ye Seong-pil tilted his head, picking up the soju bottle.
His gaze drifted toward the Q&D Management staff.
More precisely, toward where the editors were sitting.
“Don’t commit the fallacy of overgeneralizing from a few examples.”
“Oho. Check her KakaoTalk profile. Now I’m curious since you say that.”
“Ji-hyun-ah!”
As Ye Seong-pil lunged with eyes full of curiosity, a familiar voice called from the second-floor stairs.
Jeong Ji-song, four years older but someone Woo Ji-hyun got along well with, had arrived late to the New Year’s party.
Like Woo Ji-hyun, he quickly exchanged greetings with the hyungs and approached the table.
“Long time no see, hyung.”
“Yeah. Feels like a year. You doing well, Seong-pil?”
“Hello.”
Jeong Ji-song coolly accepted their greetings and poured beer into an empty glass first.
Soon, the empty glass filled with beer like barley tea, bubbling up with white foam.
“Kaaah!”
Even in the dead of winter, Jeong Ji-song downed the cold beer in one go, letting out a satisfied exhale as if his thirst was finally quenched.
Woo Ji-hyun smiled wryly at the sight and poured beer into his own suddenly empty 500ml glass.
“Did you run here?”
“Yeah. The meetup was delayed by an hour. Wanted to come earlier, but deadline had me pinned. Wrote 10,000 characters in two hours and bolted.”
“So you came without even washing up?”
Not just Woo Ji-hyun—even Ye Seong-pil’s eyes went to Jeong Ji-song’s hair.
It looked like he’d rushed out without properly washing; his hair was a mess.
“Thought about hitting a bathhouse, but no change of clothes anyway.”
“That’s the most writerly thing. Track pants are a writer’s work uniform.”
“Exactly. But didn’t expect so many girls.”
Jeong Ji-song rolled his eyes quickly, sneaking glances at the women’s table.
A strange smile played on his lips.
“Didn’t know either. If they’d known, twice as many writers would’ve shown up.”
“Probably. Oh, some cute ones too? Damn. Should’ve washed up.”
“Too late now.”
“Right? Might as well stick to first round.”
Jeong Ji-song smacked his lips.
An unexpected opportunity had arisen, but he couldn’t think of a way to seize it.
Still, he had no intention of giving up.
He was Jeong Ji-song, with unyielding spirit.
‘Same as ever.’
Woo Ji-hyun chuckled inwardly at Jeong Ji-song’s consistent nature, past life and now.
He probably wouldn’t change until he died.
And even when Woo Ji-hyun had died, Jeong Ji-song was still unmarried.
‘He lives life to the fullest.’
Choking on deadlines now, but in a few years, his life would change dramatically.
So Woo Ji-hyun smiled faintly and downed his soju.
“Why drink alone? I’ve got some.”
“That’s why I’m drinking alone, man.”
“If you hate me that much, go over there.”
“Wanna go, Ji-hyun-ah?”
No sooner had Ye Seong-pil spoken than Jeong Ji-song half-stood.
Going alone would be embarrassing, and in his current state, he’d likely get kicked out before even joining.
But with Woo Ji-hyun, it was different.
He’d always stood out from average writers, and now his position was even higher—worth a shot at joining.
“What for? They look like total newbies.”
“Newbies are still girls. And from the drinking, no minors in sight.”
“You scoped them out already?”
“Of course. My eyes are faster than my hands.”
Woo Ji-hyun shook his head at Jeong Ji-song quoting a movie line so brazenly.
But in his view, it’d be pointless even if he went.
He knew next to nothing about romance or webtoons.
‘Not even my novels got adapted in my past life.’
Webtoon adaptations were for mega-hits only.
So Woo Ji-hyun, just a mid-tier genre writer, had never dared dream of it.
Sadly, he was basically clueless about webtoons.
Not much on romance either.
“No topic to talk about. Plus, Q&D staff table’s all women.”
“Hey, if you go, something’ll come up. Young guys and girls together—no shortage of convo.”
“Don’t care about rumors? Hyenas are already drooling over there.”
“Backtalk’s daily life for me. Point is, live in the moment. In the end, the mover, the bold one, gets the girl.”
“Good luck.”
“What!”
Jeong Ji-song barked.
He’d thought Woo Ji-hyun was on board, only to get shot down at the last second.
“No one there’s my type.”
“Pick one and go.”
“I’d rather succeed more and go for models…”
“Guess they’re sticking to their own group?”
Yeo Woo-jin, flushed red after mingling table to table with writers, drinking and chatting, plopped down in a seat.
He then glared lazily at Woo Ji-hyun, Ye Seong-pil, and Jeong Ji-song in turn.
“It’s awkward at first, so people sit with who they’re comfy with, hyung.”
“We all close? It’s for bonding, right? Approach even if it’s awkward.”
“Staff and writers gotta think different.”
“Picking at details again?”
Yeo Woo-jin glared.
Despite the age gap, Jeong Ji-song was bold with hyungs.
Then the counter came.
“Learned from you, hyung. Heh heh heh!”
“Argh!”
Yeo Woo-jin clutched his chest, thumping it after the deep solar plexus hit.
He couldn’t retort because of his own actions.
Woo Ji-hyun and Ye Seong-pil snickered.
“You’ve got no right to say that to us, hyung.”
“I raised tiger cubs…”
“And once they’re drunk, won’t they move on their own?”
“Who knows. These hyungs got heavy asses.”
Yeo Woo-jin was over thirty, mid-to-upper in the group age-wise.
Meaning plenty of older writers too.
“Nah, not like you, hyung. You’d bail anytime. Remember that old Munpia writers’ meetup?”
“You little…”
Yeo Woo-jin’s eyebrow twitched as Jeong Ji-song casually dug up his dark history.
But he couldn’t argue.
It was plain fact.
And Woo Ji-hyun and Ye Seong-pil knew it too—no wriggling out.
“But who am I? Mr. Nerve myself? I’ll mix ’em up smooth!”
“You’ll hit the girls’ table first. And never leave.”
“Uh…”
Spot on?
Jeong Ji-song, eloquent till then, faltered.
“FYI, you’re out. Smell alone kills your image.”
“Perfume fixes that!”
“Where from? And hair? Beard? You know you look like a sketchy writer right now?”
As Yeo Woo-jin continued, Jeong Ji-song’s pupils shook wildly.
By the end, his head drooped.
“That’s harsh.”
“Better than our company taking heat. I’ll just hear this guy gripe.”
“Ugh…!”
Jeong Ji-song clenched his fist at the undeniable truth.
Self-inflicted, though.
If he’d met deadlines, washed up, no humiliation.
“On that note, you and Seong-pil, scatter. Find empty seats before I assign.”
“Yes.”
Woo Ji-hyun stood first.
His steps were bold.
No hesitation, straight to one table.
“Huh?”
“Hello.”
“Oh, hi.”
The two awkwardly chatting startled at Woo Ji-hyun’s sudden greeting and stood.
They bowed politely.
“Mind if I sit?”
“O-Of course.”
Even as they flustered, Woo Ji-hyun kept his relaxed smile.
These two were writers he’d had good ties with in his past life.
They wouldn’t know him, naturally.
“Haha, come on in. I’m Do Jae-jin.”
“Nice to meet you.”
While the two stood, the other two stayed seated; one extended a hand without rising.
His eyes weren’t friendly.
Partly drunk, but with a subtle look-down.
Woo Ji-hyun mulled the name Do Jae-jin.
“Unique pen name.”
“You probably haven’t heard of it. Haha.”
“Been a while since you wrote, huh.”