Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Once Again, Writer
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# 64
Woo Ji-hyun had come to this gathering without much thought from the start, so the current situation left him quite embarrassed.
But just then, someone called out to him.
"You're here?"
"What brings you?"
"My place is in Bucheon. Talk about a coincidence."
Min A-rang hid her reluctance to come perfectly, putting on a genuinely surprised expression.
Her friends, meanwhile, wore looks of utter disbelief in their minds.
The difference between her current demeanor and the one she'd shown at the café was like night and day.
"Wh-whoa."
"What the heck, those girls?"
"This isn't a joke."
On Woo Ji-hyun's side, the other writers were just as stunned.
The four women entering the indoor pub, led by Min A-rang, were drop-dead gorgeous.
Their beauty crushed the female writers in the room instantly, turning them into ordinary girls. The men's eyes glazed over.
It wasn't just the writers—other patrons gawked at the four with mouths agape.
Brrr!
The female writers picked up on the shift faster than anyone.
No, it would have been weirder if they hadn't noticed.
Even they had to admit the woman talking to Woo Ji-hyun and her group were stunning.
"Right? There are plenty of bars around here too."
"I was surprised too. But you've got a prime spot."
Min A-rang's eyes quickly scanned Woo Ji-hyun's surroundings.
She especially swept her gaze over the table where the women sat.
*Heh. I'm still the best.*
Having sized up all the women in an instant, Min A-rang smiled to herself.
Objectively speaking, none of them could hold a candle to her.
Perhaps because of that, her chest naturally pushed forward.
"Just happened that way. You here with friends?"
"Yeah. It's Friday night—thought I'd have a drink."
"Hello!"
"We've heard so much about you, Writer-nim!"
"Oh, uh, hello."
As soon as Min A-rang finished, the three friends jumped in.
As if they'd been waiting for this exact moment.
Woo Ji-hyun had no choice but to stand awkwardly and return the greetings.
"Come on, let's go now. We can't bother Oppa. I'll text you later!"
"Got it."
Shoving her dramatic friends along, Min A-rang left.
Staying longer would be rude.
But the bigger reason was her friends' stares.
They were glaring at Woo Ji-hyun like they wanted to dissect him. Blushing, Min A-rang hurried them to a secluded corner spot.
"Nice style."
"Face is totally average, though. Not ugly, not hot?"
"But the clothes are on point. Clean and quality. And guys who are too handsome just coast on looks."
"So you're coasting on yours?"
The friends launched into their critique the moment they sat.
Min A-rang was so exasperated she was speechless.
"She actually came?"
"Got dragged here."
"You're lying to me now too?"
Seong Yu-seon gave a quick nod to the three friends.
She was Min A-rang's friend, but it was her first time meeting these three.
Their only connection was Min A-rang.
The three nodded back at Seong Yu-seon for the same reason.
"It's true. One of them does jiu-jitsu, so..."
"And that's why you got dragged?"
"Yeah."
Min A-rang nodded confidently.
She hadn't chosen to reveal Woo Ji-hyun was here, or admit there was a spy in the group, or come along—it was all forced.
So she answered with full confidence.
"For someone dragged here, don't you think the seating is awfully convenient? Not too far, not too close—what's the reason for picking that spot on purpose?"
"We just came to a corner spot."
"You, who always complains corners are stuffy and insists on window seats?"
Seong Yu-seon narrowed her eyes at Min A-rang.
Min A-rang looked away, buying time to think of an excuse.
"Oh, the corner felt right today. Windows were all taken anyway."
"Hmm. Alright then, guess I have to believe you?"
The tone was laced with sarcasm, but the momentum had already swung to Seong Yu-seon.
Min A-rang nodded with an awkward smile.
"How's work going? Helping Oppa can't be easy."
"Still, it's what I have to do going forward. Once we're married, I'll be the lady of the house—gotta put in the effort."
"How's business? Spot seems decent. Plenty of friends too. Oh, mostly guys—Oppa might not like that."
Min A-rang threw a subtle jab.
But Seong Yu-seon wasn't the type to waver at something so minor.
"My oppas have big hearts. Past is past."
"True. The age gap..."
"Wanna die?"
A vein bulged on Seong Yu-seon's forehead.
A twelve-year gap was no small difference, even these days.
"How about a truce? Feels like we're just hurting ourselves."
"...Not thrilled, but fine. What sides we ordering?"
"Spicy chicken feet!"
"Steamed eggs! And pig backbone!"
Park Sang-eun and Lee Eun-ju chimed in at the perfect moment as the side talk wrapped up.
Min A-rang added soju and drinks, then flicked her gaze aside.
Stealing a quick glance at one spot.
*Huh?*
But the person she expected wasn't there.
Someone else—a guy—sat in his place now.
"I saw it."
"Me too."
"We're besties for a reason."
The three women giggled, glancing at each other with identical smirks.
Min A-rang's face flushed.
*Just some guy catching my eye now. Not bad.*
Quirky but surprisingly bold—that was Min A-rang.
She was brutally honest with her feelings.
Like it or hate it, she said it straight.
Hating emotional waste, Park Sang-eun took her words at face value.
*Height's decent. And self-made guy? Solid.*
Nothing worse than a guy living off family money.
When that crumbles, he does too.
In that sense, self-made was appealing.
*Best is rich family, great personality, and handsome, though.*
Park Sang-eun mused inwardly.
The ultimate package, but not without issues.
Women wouldn't leave a guy like that alone.
"Aren't you staring too much? Ji-hyun Oppa might notice."
"He's way too focused on his table chats for that."
Park Sang-eun grinned at Min A-rang, who nudged her side with an elbow.
Sticking her neck out like she was going for a blatant look.
"Hey!"
"Alright, you thorny one. Won't look, so quit pinching."
"About time."
"Sides are here."
Just then, the soju and sides arrived.
Perfect timing for a distraction.
* * *
"Damn, she's fire."
"All four are unreal."
Meanwhile, the moment Woo Ji-hyun sat in Ye Seong-pil's spot, he faced a barrage of intense questions.
Joo Hye-seong, who'd been sitting with him, fired off queries with shining eyes too.
And with the drinks flowing, they were talking casually now.
"That's your editor? Linus Publishing's gonna get swamped with writers."
Even Han Seung-gi muttered in awe.
With looks like that, he got why writers would bite.
Model-slim, celebrity-level beauty.
A civilian with idol vibes—Han Seung-gi was beyond impressed.
"Rare beauty like that doesn't come around often."
"Not rare—nonexistent. I saw a shot of her with the female writers earlier. Total domination. Hot girls turned average in seconds."
"Her friends are all pretty too. Heh."
Woo Ji-hyun nodded knowingly at Ye Seong-pil spitting as he spoke and Joo Hye-seong's constant glances at Min A-rang's table.
He hadn't believed it when he first saw her either.
"Definitely one-of-a-kind looks. I was shocked too at first."
"Rumors will spread fast after tonight. Linus won't worry about writers anymore."
"Bet at least five here text Linus staff tonight."
Han Seung-gi and Joo Hye-seong nodded at each other.
Same thought.
But Woo Ji-hyun doused them.
"Even if they sign, it'll be kimchi soup dreams. Rushing multiple contracts ties their own feet. Timing's everything right now."
"Kimchi soup?"
Woo Ji-hyun was dead serious, but none of them cared about that.
Not even Ye Seong-pil, who had a girlfriend he was marriage-minded with.
The male writers at other tables went without saying.
"Think only one or two male writers are shooting their shot? I signed with Linus as a newbie—three years in already."
"So still single?"
Han Seung-gi and Joo Hye-seong latched onto something else again.
Woo Ji-hyun just chuckled.
He'd realized too late—they'd cherry-pick whatever they wanted no matter what he said.
"Just ask what you want. I'll answer."
"Wanna, but got a girlfriend..."
"No sincerity at all, friend. What was all that till now?"
"Primal curiosity as a man?"
Ye Seong-pil spouted lame excuses.
Joo Hye-seong shook his head with a hollow laugh.
Even for close friends, that was hard to cover.
After that, Woo Ji-hyun answered their questions as best he could.
"So what's the deal between you two?"
"Huh?"
"You know your editor's been glancing your way nonstop?"
"Huh?"
Woo Ji-hyun shook his head at Han Seung-gi's words.
He'd had no clue.
Couldn't see well without turning.
"Hmm."
Han Seung-gi smirked at Woo Ji-hyun's flustered look.
Joo Hye-seong and Ye Seong-pil too.
* * *
Lunchtime hit, and after kimchi stew at Yeom Tae-seong's, Jo Jin-gu arrived at the café deep in thought.
Lately, one worry had him gripped tight.
"Something bothering you?"
"Hm? That obvious?"
"Yeah, you've seemed kinda down lately."
"Got one thing on my mind."
Yeom Tae-seong, who'd ordered and fetched an iced Americano himself, lit up.
Only one issue Jo Jin-gu could be stressing these days.
"It's the writer contract, right? Specifically Woo Ji-hyun. Maestro on the Field is killing it, but no next-work deal yet."
"Not sweating that. If conditions match, fine—but if not, he should go where the money's best."
"Still, shouldn't we push? We're not broke. We can match pretty close."
Woo Ji-hyun was Linus Publishing's star and backbone right now.
Artistic merit aside, commercial value unmatched any writer.
Sales obviously incomparable.
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