Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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“Haha. Not yet. I want to, though.”
“By any chance, are you aiming for Naver?”
“Yes.”
Lee Hye-seong answered while glancing at Jo Jin-gu’s expression.
She figured it would be better to be honest rather than give empty words or lies.
From the start, that had been the goal she shared with her younger sister: to sign with Naver and serialize officially.
“You haven’t even considered Kakao Page at all?”
“Huh? Isn’t that an e-book platform?”
“It is for now. But we plan to serialize webtoons there moving forward. And the first one will be Woo Ji-hyun’s God of Martial Arts, Return.”
“Ah.”
Both Lee Hye-seong and Lee Ji-seong looked surprised.
That’s when they realized why Jo Jin-gu had asked to meet them and why Woo Ji-hyun was there.
“As you’ve probably guessed, I asked to see you today to propose a contract to both of you. Of course, I know you want to create your own work. But I don’t think it’s a bad idea to debut first with this opportunity and then draw what you want later. You might even establish yourselves on Kakao Page. You’ll understand quickly if you look at the early serializers on Naver who naturally settled in.”
“Hmm!”
“Of course, I’m not pressuring you. The decision is yours. I’m just making the offer—and building a friendship with you both. So feel no pressure at all.”
Jo Jin-gu explained in detail with a kind tone.
As if there was absolutely no need to feel burdened.
He personally despised pressuring people into contracts.
It might boost performance short-term, but contracts made that way were bound to cause problems later.
“Um, can I ask one thing?”
“Ask anything you’re curious about. It’s only natural, and it’s your right. But if it’s not rude, could I ask your ages first? You both look so young. As you may know, minors need parental consent for contracts.”
“Ah, I’ve heard. But no worries. I’m twenty-one this year, and my sister is twenty. We’re consecutive ages.”
“That’s a relief. You look so young.”
Lee Ji-seong gave a slight smile at the compliment about looking young.
No woman hated hearing that, even if she was actually young.
And there was no sarcasm in it.
“I’d like to hear about the contract terms. I get that you’re adapting Woo Ji-hyun’s work into a webtoon, but this is our first contract. We’ve heard bits from the cafe, but the important stuff feels unclear.”
“That’s probably because conditions are similar yet vary by company. You know rookie and veteran contracts differ, right?”
“Of course.”
The siblings weren’t so naive as to think new hires and veterans got the same pay.
Even part-timers got more with experience.
“And even among rookies, rates vary wildly. That holds for our genre literature too. But what matters is skill. Prove your talent, and your value rises naturally.”
Jo Jin-gu finished, glancing at Woo Ji-hyun.
The man proving that point sat right beside him.
“Plus, if you solidify your position with this work, your next project will be a breeze. I can guarantee it.”
“Is this a one-project contract? I heard some are fixed-term.”
“Contracts come in many forms. And we can’t just keep everyone forever. If results fall short of expectations, we can’t drag it out. Once you sign, you’re no longer amateurs.”
“Right.”
Lee Hye-seong and even Lee Ji-seong nodded in agreement.
On second thought, this kind of contract wasn’t bad.
It offered freedom from long-term ties.
Of course,前提 was delivering good results.
“Webtoons are new for us too, so there’ll be trial and error. But I think you’ll learn a lot in the process. In short, let’s learn together. I get it might not inspire confidence from your side.”
Jo Jin-gu laid it all out honestly.
No need to hide, and he thought it was the right thing to do.
“In a way, we can complement each other. I can help with the story aspects to some extent.”
“To some extent? You’re Kakao Page’s top seller right now. I heard Naver’s buzzing about it. Their web novels are just maintaining status quo.”
“Hahaha.”
Woo Ji-hyun laughed awkwardly at Lee Hye-seong’s excited outburst, as if it were nonsense.
He felt good but didn’t want to seem arrogant.
“Honestly, it sounds like a good deal for us. We’re rookies who haven’t even debuted properly.”
“More precisely, amateurs prepping a webtoon.”
“Don’t interrupt me.”
“Ahem.”
Lee Ji-seong spoke up firmly for the first time, her opinion clear.
She alternated glances between Jo Jin-gu and Woo Ji-hyun.
“So, could you give us time to think?”
“Of course. I didn’t expect a decision here. Contracts need careful thought. Webtoons aren’t short-term either.”
Swoosh.
Jo Jin-gu pulled a contract from his bag with a natural expression.
Not to sign, but to hand over for review.
“Uh…….”
“Just read it over. Don’t show anyone but family, of course. Haha.”
“Aha.”
Lee Hye-seong, who’d taken it as a push to sign, brightened at the explanation.
She and her sister began reading it carefully.
“As I said, no signing today. Though I do want you both.”
“Understood.”
“And just in case, if you sign, the key is deadlines. Kakao Page prioritizes no hiatuses or interruptions.”
“That makes sense.”
Lee Hye-seong nodded; it was in the contract too.
From a reader’s view—not a writer’s—hiatuses were unforgivable.
Pros had to act pro.
Yet many didn’t.
“Ask anything else freely. Me or the writer.”
“If we work on it, could we learn about story or synopses?”
“Not teach per se, but advice yes. I don’t know synopses perfectly myself—no formal training. Genre novels and webtoons differ too. But I promise it won’t be useless.”
“That’s enough.”
Lee Hye-seong’s face lit up.
Better than starting from scratch—getting tips from top genre talent Woo Ji-hyun was infinitely superior.
Genre differences might limit practicality, but still beats solo trial-and-error.
‘His personality seems solid too.’
She’d worried as much about him as—or more than—Woo Ji-hyun.
From amateur cafe tales, she knew the industry was full of scammers preying on naive creators.
And story writers abusing “collaboration” for power trips.
But Woo Ji-hyun seemed remarkably mild-mannered.
Rare for a top genre star.
‘Good vibe.’
He treated them as equals, like partners for a great work. So she leaned positive on the offer.
Good opportunity regardless.
“I enjoyed Blood Link too. Thought it’d make a great webtoon.”
“I did too. But back then, no webtoon prep, and the genre market was shrinking. If serialized now, webtoon talks would’ve come up.”
Lee Hye-seong’s gaze shifted to her sister.
Lee Ji-seong was watching Woo Ji-hyun with unexpected interest.
‘Her eyes are odd.’
Not just admiration for a writer. Lee Hye-seong pouted.
Brotherly instinct tingled.
“Why stare like that?”
“Nothing. How old are you, writer-nim?”
“Twenty-eight this year.”
“Same age as soccer player Lee Woo-hyung. You watch games and don’t know that?”
Lee Ji-seong clicked her tongue in reproach.
Ridiculous to ask when he followed overseas soccer—and knew Woo Ji-hyun and Lee Woo-hyung shot an ad together.
“Oh, slipped my mind. People err under stress.”
“Stressed? You shoveled food like it was free.”
“What about you?”
“What?”
In seconds, they bickered like typical siblings. Woo Ji-hyun and Jo Jin-gu could only smile awkwardly.
Intervening felt weird, and pointless anyway.
So they exchanged wry glances and chuckles.
* * *
Gu Jin-mo, head of Naver Web Novels, stood rigidly before the vice president’s office.
He knew why he’d been summoned, no explanation needed.
He’d dodge if possible, but the direct call left no escape.
“Haa…….”
A deep sigh escaped Gu Jin-mo.
A nearby female secretary glanced over.
Her face said she could guess his thoughts from the look.
“Team Leader Gu Jin-mo is here.”
Zing.
The vice president’s door slid open automatically.
Like a sliding door, revealing the interior.
Deep inside, the VP stood before a window overlooking the skyscrapers—back turned.
Gulp!