Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Once Again, Writer
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“Hello.”
Woo Ji-hyun had come to the Frontier Management office after a long while.
He had visited in person to discuss the webtoon adaptation of God of Martial Arts, Return.
“Come on in, Oppa.”
“Long time no see!”
No sooner had he opened the door than Min A-rang and Yeom Tae-seong greeted him warmly.
And following right behind, Jo Jin-gu emerged from the president’s office.
“You’re right on time, as always.”
“That’s what appointments are for. Of course, unexpected things can happen.”
Woo Ji-hyun recalled the one time he had been late so far.
It really had been unavoidable back then.
“As I said last time, I wish all our writers had that mindset.”
“They’ll change bit by bit.”
“Making another prediction?”
“That’s the trend I’m seeing. The more money they make, the more fiercely they work. I’m the same way.”
Jo Jin-gu shook his head with a smile.
Even during the bleak video rental shop days, Woo Ji-hyun had kept writing at a frightening pace without complaint.
As if he were going to win through sheer volume.
And that approach had ultimately succeeded.
“This way, please.”
“I’ll get the drinks!”
As Jo Jin-gu led him toward the meeting room, Min A-rang called out brightly.
Her feet were already heading to the pantry.
“I heard you’re hiring new staff. Does that mean moving offices?”
“Yes, our workload is growing fast, and the current team is starting to feel the strain. Of course, it’s all thanks to you, Writer Woo. Haha.”
“No way. It’s because the three of you have been working so hard.”
Woo Ji-hyun shook his head.
Luck had played a part, but the real reason for these results was that the three Frontier Management staff members had done their jobs perfectly.
“Then let’s gild the lily a bit.”
“Haha. Sounds good.”
“Iced Americanos are here!”
Min A-rang burst into the meeting room with a tray just as they sat down.
Lightning-fast, she had brought the iced Americanos.
“Oh, right. I’ll grab some documents. It’ll be better to explain properly with them. Wait just a moment.”
“Sure.”
Jo Jin-gu stood up, looking like he’d just remembered.
It was for Woo Ji-hyun, of all people, that he wanted to prepare proper materials.
“Min Deputy, keep him company for a bit.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Hehe! Be right back.”
“Take your time!”
Jo Jin-gu gave a meaningful smile at Min A-rang’s energetic reply.
It was the smile of someone who knew something.
But he turned away immediately, so neither Woo Ji-hyun nor Min A-rang saw it.
“You’re in a good mood today?”
“Maybe because I might get a junior soon. Hehe! Though we haven’t even done the paperwork review yet.”
“Escaping maknae status? You were the baby at Rainer Publishing too, so it must be exciting.”
“That’s what I want to ask you. Meeting celebrities got you thrilled? You were having a blast at Incheon Airport.”
Min A-rang asked with a smiling face.
But eerily, her eyes weren’t smiling.
“You were totally lost staring at that actress?”
“It was my first time seeing an actress up close. They’re not called actresses for nothing.”
Woo Ji-hyun instantly knew what she meant and put on a reminiscent expression.
Completely missing the core issue, though.
“Why didn’t you at least ask for her number?”
“Come on. How could I in that situation? There were tons of reporters. And the fans were no joke. That spot was a fluke anyway.”
“So that’s why you were so happy?”
“Yeah, she’s one of the actresses I’ve had my eye on lately. I think she’s about to blow up.”
Woo Ji-hyun’s eyes sparkled.
He said “about to,” but he knew.
In his past life, she had skyrocketed to top actress in no time.
He liked her personally, too.
‘Totally my type.’
Woo Ji-hyun’s eyes grew dreamy.
The look of a man who’d seen his ideal type.
But to Min A-rang, that expression looked utterly detestable.
“You’re loving it to death.”
“She’s basically my ideal type. You’d be the same if you saw an actor you like.”
“Not like you, anyway!”
Min A-rang huffed.
Then she whipped her head away.
As if she didn’t even want to make eye contact.
“No, you’d change if you saw him in person. I didn’t expect to lose it like that myself. I thought I was pretty level-headed.”
“Join a fan club right now. Who knows? You might see her again. Go to a fan meeting—they do hugs there. Give it a shot.”
“I’m good being an online fan.”
Min A-rang’s prickly expression softened in an instant.
Hearing him say he wouldn’t go eased her oddly.
“What’s with the vibe?”
“No idea.”
“I’ll step out.”
When Jo Jin-gu returned to find the unfamiliar atmosphere between the two, Min A-rang shot up from her seat.
She left the meeting room without looking back.
“What’s up with her?”
“No clue.”
Jo Jin-gu asked, but Woo Ji-hyun couldn’t read someone else’s mind.
Especially a woman’s.
“I think you might know the reason, Writer.”
“Huh, I don’t think I did anything wrong. Just showed a bit of fanboyism?”
“Ah, the Incheon Airport photos? Staring at the rookie actress like that.”
“You saw them too, President?”
Woo Ji-hyun flinched.
From his tone, it seemed Jo Jin-gu had seen them as well.
“Min Deputy showed me. She found one of the pics circulating on Ohstagram. She was so mad. Tae-seong and I had a rough time.”
“Hahaha.”
“But as a fellow guy, I get it. How could you not be stunned seeing such a beautiful woman up close? Even Player Lee Woo-hyung had the same look.”
“He said it was his first time seeing her in person too. But yeah, she’s definitely a real-life stunner.”
Woo Ji-hyun smiled brightly, reminiscing once more.
To a man, the mere thought of a beauty was enough to bring a smile.
“Alright, let’s talk business.”
“Yes.”
Woo Ji-hyun composed himself.
He then eyed the document binder Jo Jin-gu had brought with a serious gaze.
“First, I’d like to hear your thoughts.”
“I’m all for it, obviously. My work getting a webtoon adaptation? But I’m worried about the art style. If the art’s bad, readers won’t even pick it up. The bar for ‘bad’ is subjective, but I’m not a fan of overly cute styles. Doesn’t fit. Fine for school stories, but God of Martial Arts, Return is a raid story.”
“I think the same.”
Jo Jin-gu nodded.
That was exactly his concern too.
He understood Kakao Page’s urgency, but they didn’t have to dance to their tune unconditionally.
“Let’s start by checking the works from the agencies they connected us with.”
“I did some digging, but typical agencies divide into Team 1, Team 2, etc., so I couldn’t get a full grasp. Still, since they’re the same company, their styles and art should be similar.”
“No individuals, huh.”
“Probably because Kakao Page is a corporation, they prefer agencies over freelancers. Of course, they just suggested them—we don’t have to go with their picks. Think of it as ‘these are some options.’”
Woo Ji-hyun nodded at Jo Jin-gu’s explanation.
It was a great opportunity, sure, but he wasn’t about to bend over backward like a sucker.
If anything, they could prepare more thoroughly later for the webtoon.
Plus, Kakao Page was the one pushing for it.
‘My position really has risen a lot.’
After the Lee Woo-hyung ad shoot, the deposits in his account were on another level.
It wouldn’t last forever, but the influx of big money mattered.
And with the changed sums came a changed status for Woo Ji-hyun.
“No art style really grabs me.”
“They draw well, but no real personality, right?”
“Yeah, like mass-produced from a factory. Some panels even look a bit sloppy.”
Jo Jin-gu nodded in agreement with Woo Ji-hyun.
It was exactly what he’d felt seeing them first.
Lots of art, but all so uniform.
‘Huh?’
Then, a bolt of realization flashed through Woo Ji-hyun’s mind.
He’d forgotten one fact, but it suddenly resurfaced.
‘Come to think of it, this is when everyone was rushing into webtoons, right?’
Naver and Daum had popularized webtoons, but it wasn’t peak yet.
The webtoon market he remembered was much bigger.
And the artists who would pioneer that era hadn’t emerged yet.
“What’s up?”
“Kakao Page said we could produce it ourselves, right?”
“Yes, they clearly said that’s fine if possible. These agencies are just introductions.”
“Then let’s do it ourselves.”
Woo Ji-hyun smiled confidently.
It felt a bit rushed, but it was something they’d do eventually.
With no funding issues, he decided to accelerate the plan.
“We do it ourselves?”
“Yes. You were planning a webtoon team anyway, right? Let’s move it up. Not big at first—just two people?”
“Not a bad idea. But skill is key. We need results soon, so we need a ready artist.”
No time to nurture amateurs for a project.
Even with the original work.
So Jo Jin-gu pointed it out.
“Of course. Skill matters most. That’s why I need some time.”
“Do you know an artist?”
Jo Jin-gu’s eyes lit up.
His tone suggested he had a hidden gem.
“Nope. But I heard about one through the grapevine. I want to check it out.”
“We have time. Webtoon production takes long anyway, and we have plenty of manuscript.”
“Then I’ll look into it first and get back to you. Can I name-drop the company?”
“Use it as much as you want. You’re the face of our company.”
Jo Jin-gu answered without a second’s hesitation.
Woo Ji-hyun smiled silently.
He could feel just how much trust he had.