Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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“Oh, are you really going for it?”
“Once bitten, twice shy?”
“Man! As expected of my friend. How do we think so alike?”
Lee Woo-hyung burst into loud laughter.
He laughed so hard his throat was fully visible.
Realizing it a beat too late, Lee Woo-hyung hurriedly straightened his head, but the cameras had already captured everything.
“Perfect! The chemistry is outstanding.”
“R-Really?”
Having momentarily forgotten they were filming, Lee Woo-hyung cautiously asked Choo Seong-gwang.
But Choo Seong-gwang was delighted.
It was such a natural scene.
“Let’s try holding books this time.”
“Yes!”
No sooner had Choo Seong-gwang finished speaking than Lee Woo-hyung snatched a book from nearby like lightning.
It was the novel Woo Ji-hyun had written—the very one that had propelled him to his current position: Maestro on the Field.
“Then I’ll take this one.”
“Blood Link was fun too. But my masterpiece is definitely Maestro on the Field.”
“I had a blast writing it.”
“When’s the side story coming out?”
Forgetting they were filming once more, Lee Woo-hyung leaned in and asked.
His face showed genuine curiosity.
“If this ad goes up on Kakao Page?”
“When’s that gonna happen?”
“The director might know. Anyway, I’ve already turned in the manuscript.”
“Ah, I wanna read it.”
Lee Woo-hyung looked genuinely regretful.
Even after reading all 20 volumes of the epic novel, he still regretted that it had ended.
“There are other soccer novels out there. And thanks to this ad, soccer novels will be popping up like mushrooms soon.”
“Not many of them will tug at my heartstrings like yours.”
“You never know. You have to read them to find out. Not sure you’ll have the time, though.”
“Soccer players don’t play soccer 24/7. Rest is a crucial part of training schedules. And it’s not just physical rest—mental rest is essential too.”
Woo Ji-hyun smirked at the oddly eloquent speech.
And that moment was captured perfectly on camera.
Their playful bickering produced fantastic chemistry.
“Now, let’s shoot in soccer uniforms!”
“Finally, time for me to shine!”
“Can’t argue with that.”
At Choo Seong-gwang’s words, Lee Woo-hyung shouted confidently.
His casual clothes looked decent enough, but uniforms suited him best.
Excited, Lee Woo-hyung dashed to the changing room.
Click, click!
The two men, now changed, struck poses.
At their feet lay the official 2013-2014 Champions League ball.
A prop Choo Seong-gwang had prepared in advance.
“Please do some light ball lifts. Both of you.”
“Yes.”
“Uh, I’m not confident.”
Woo Ji-hyun looked slightly flustered at the director’s request.
He loved soccer, but doing it in front of a pro from a top club like Lee Woo-hyung was embarrassing.
No matter how well he did, he’d still look amateurish.
“Come on, just try. Amateurs are all about the same to me. Unless you’re a pro, it’s all par for the course.”
“Gaining some confidence?”
“I play for Dortmund. This much is natural. Hell, if I started writing now, you’d hype me up with all sorts of pride too, right?”
“Spot on.”
Woo Ji-hyun chuckled and began lifting the ball with a relaxed expression.
It was amateurish and shaky, but surprisingly, he didn’t drop it.
Using both feet, thighs, and even his head, he kept it going precariously.
“Oh?”
Lee Woo-hyung looked mildly surprised as he surpassed ten lifts.
It was wobbly, but he somehow held on without dropping it.
Thud.
Roll, roll.
Sadly, he couldn’t reach twenty.
His body wasn’t warmed up, and it had been ages since he’d last played soccer.
“Well, I’m just an amateur.”
“Fair. Now watch the pro at work.”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Taking the baton from Woo Ji-hyun, Lee Woo-hyung started his lifts.
As expected of a pro, his were rock-solid.
Using his shoulders, back, even heels, he toyed with the ball effortlessly.
Woo Ji-hyun clapped in admiration, unable to help himself.
His lifts were that impressive.
“How’s that?”
“Impressive, sure. But isn’t that baseline for a pro?”
“What’d you say, punk?”
Lee Woo-hyung scowled at Woo Ji-hyun’s teasing.
But he wasn’t really mad.
Just bantering as the director wanted.
“Oh, the vibe is perfect right now!”
Proving it, Choo Seong-gwang’s excited voice echoed across the set.
The male staff chuckled, as did the female ones watching.
“Ow, I’m dying. Every bone in my body aches.”
“Is filming always this tough?”
“Depends, but today was rough. Still better than a full CF shoot. Those require retakes for every tiny expression mistake. Endless loops. Personally, I’d cut the bad parts, reshoot just those, and splice—but directors never do.”
“Probably their perfectionist streak.”
Changing clothes, Woo Ji-hyun replied.
He understood directors well, even if their fields differed.
Plenty of writers were perfectionists too.
“But seriously, how do you write? I tried once and couldn’t sit for twenty minutes. Couldn’t even type. Games? I can play all day.”
“It’s aptitude. Some people just aren’t wired for it. And you writing would be a waste of talent.”
“Post-retirement, being a writer doesn’t sound bad. Even got offers for an autobiography.”
“Sounds good. Perfect second career after retiring. The issue’s talent, though.”
No field relied on talent like arts and athletics.
Lee Woo-hyung knew it too well, so his face darkened.
Sure, everyone wanted him now, but he knew the hype wouldn’t last.
“There’s limits to how much I can help, right?”
“Some people just don’t make it, no matter the help. Look at your youth team—plenty can’t hack it despite training. But long-term, it’s not bad. Stack cash now and start with practice pieces. Or go straight for the autobiography like you said.”
“Hmm. You’re so brutally realistic. I love it.”
“But how many numbers did you score? I saw over five notes alone.”
Woo Ji-hyun asked slyly.
He’d witnessed a few women slip Lee Woo-hyung notes during the shoot.
That was just what he’d seen—plenty more probably asked directly.
“Spot on. Exactly five. How’d you spot them?”
“My eyes are faster than my hands. Plus, my radar’s always on.”
“Then why aren’t you dating?”
“I always tell my friends that when they try hooking me up.”
Lee Woo-hyung roared with laughter again.
Loud enough for everyone to hear.
But Woo Ji-hyun was serious.
“I’m not kidding.”
“Fine. I’ll set you up with a prime spot. I prefer groups over one-on-ones anyway.”
“As expected of a big shot.”
“I know a bunch of celebs from work, but it’s still awkward. Plus, I promised you soju.”
Lee Woo-hyung patted Woo Ji-hyun’s back reassuringly, like “trust me.”
But Woo Ji-hyun wasn’t holding his breath.
“Wonder if they even drink soju.”
“Clubs aren’t bad either. Never been to one, actually. Wanna hit Gangnam sometime.”
“What? You country bumpkin?”
“Heh heh heh!”
Woo Ji-hyun let out a hollow laugh at the 28-year-old who’d never clubbed.
But it made sense too.
Soccer had been his whole life.
It showed how desperately he’d pursued it.
“Trust this hyung. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
“Looking forward to it.”
He wasn’t a prude—just didn’t party often.
He’d hit Gangnam clubs enough to be confident.
So Woo Ji-hyun patted Lee Woo-hyung’s shoulder this time.
* * *
Jo Jin-gu arrived at the office early, having bathed ritually with reverence, his face stiff.
He took a deep breath and booted up his computer.
Yesterday’s photos of Woo Ji-hyun and Lee Woo-hyung had gone up on Kakao Page, so he checked sales.
“The side story’s out, and they nailed the writer promo. But that’s Lanius Publishing’s gain anyway.”
After glancing at the main banner featuring Woo Ji-hyun and Lee Woo-hyung, Jo Jin-gu headed to the gifting section.
Woo Ji-hyun’s new work had launched with the ad, so he checked if collectibles were up.
“There it is.”
Seeing God of Martial Arts, Return prominently displayed, Jo Jin-gu smiled.
Then he switched to fantasy.
To confirm if God of Martial Arts, Return had a banner.
“Hmm. As expected, Maestro on the Field owns the main spot.”
Jo Jin-gu stroked his chin.
Sure enough, Maestro on the Field dominated the main banner.
With a photo of Woo Ji-hyun and Lee Woo-hyung in Dortmund home kits.
Dynamic and stylish, Jo Jin-gu nodded unconsciously.
“They really put effort in. Great shot.”
Irresistible to anyone, he smiled in satisfaction.
And once word spread that the author was the one pictured with Lee Woo-hyung, it’d blow up.
That buzz would funnel straight to the new work.
“With the stage set, time to make full use of it.”
Frontier Management’s first launch had weighed on him.
As the saying went, a bad debut dooms the rest.
But unexpected luck had struck.
An opportunity no one saw coming.
“Let’s check sales.”
Heart pounding, Jo Jin-gu first looked at Maestro on the Field, then planned to check God of Martial Arts, Return.
“Huh…… Huh?!”
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