Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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Woo Ji-hyun deleted the flood of friend requests pouring in from all directions, regardless of gender.
There was no need to connect with them now.
Besides, he had no intention of meeting any of them.
“If it were someone I’d wanted to meet at least once, that’d be one thing, but no point pretending to be friends with people I don’t even remember.”
While he was curious about how some old friends were doing, there were others he didn’t recall at all.
And most of the people sending requests now fell into the latter category.
So Woo Ji-hyun tapped the delete button without hesitation.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
“Hm?”
As he leisurely cleared out the requests, his smartphone vibrated.
It was an incoming call.
An overseas video call, to be exact.
-Hey!
“What’s up, calling at this hour?”
-I saw your Instagram before bed and had to ring. Nice ride you got.
“Splurged on it with a heavy heart.”
Woo Ji-hyun chuckled at Lee Woo-hyung jumping straight to the car topic.
It was just like his straightforward personality.
-Good call. A guy’s gotta enjoy the perks when he can. You’re not exactly hurting for cash.
“Doesn’t mean I’m rolling in it.”
-Kakao Page hasn’t paid out yet?
“They did, and that’s what I used. Personally, I’m thrilled with it.”
-Keh! That car’s a beast. One of my teammates drives one—got to take it for a spin.
It really did look like he’d called right before sleep, with a lavish bed visible over Lee Woo-hyung’s shoulder.
Way too big for one person, that much was clear.
“I’ve been keeping up with your news through articles. You’re killing it—straight into the starting lineup.”
-The guy in that spot transferred out, so I lucked into it.
“Luck like that doesn’t happen without the skills to back it up.”
-I know. I’m pretty satisfied, all things considered. Things are going exactly to plan. And you seem to be on a roll yourself.
Woo Ji-hyun shrugged.
Others might call it success, but he was nowhere near the level he aimed for.
“Still a long way to go. I’m a man with big ambitions.”
-Hoo. Music to my ears after all this time. What’s gotten into you? Some change of heart?
“My ambitions have always been huge. I just didn’t talk about them.”
-Either way, it’s a positive shift. You could stand to cut loose a bit. Sometimes it feels like you hold yourself back too much. You’ve earned the right to enjoy it. On that note, great choice with the car. Give me a ride when I’m back in Korea.
Lee Woo-hyung grinned slyly.
Even though he made way more money than Woo Ji-hyun.
“You bet. If anything, I bought it thanks to you. Don’t worry about that. I’ll treat you to a solid meal too. But what’s with the late-night call?”
-Just checking in on a buddy?
“Hmm. Really?”
-Yeah, and to tempt you to visit Germany when you’ve got time? I can hook you up with tickets. You gotta see a live match with your soccer-player pal, right?
Woo Ji-hyun’s eyes lit up.
It was the perfect pitch for a soccer fan like him.
Plus, plane tickets weren’t a big worry anymore.
Daily trips were out, but this? Doable.
“How about Champions League while we’re at it?”
-No clue how far we’ll go. Ha-ha.
“If you make Champions League, you aim for the title, no? Gotta have that ambition as a teammate.”
-Champions League isn’t just about ambition. Takes will, sure, but luck too. Point is, I’m game in spirit?
The confident Lee Woo-hyung backed off a touch.
He knew a Champions League win wasn’t something he could will into existence.
Of course, he dreamed of hoisting the big ears.
But reality had to factor in.
“Naturally. Rare opportunity like that. And your tickets are VIP, right?”
-Champions League might be tricky…
“What? That all the starting midfielder for Borussia Dortmund can swing?”
-Depends on the situation. I’ll try, but some things are out of my hands.
“Then I’ll deal.”
Lee Woo-hyung looked exasperated on the screen.
Woo Ji-hyun acting like the boss was just too much.
-If you’re coming, give me a heads-up. Gotta give the club a nudge.
“Gotta get a passport first and pick a date.”
-…No passport?
“I was your typical Korean everyman. Dirt spoon through and through. Figured the only overseas trip I’d ever take was a honeymoon—if we could even afford that.”
Woo Ji-hyun smacked his lips.
That had been his trajectory before regression.
Lee Woo-hyung hesitated, caught off guard by the seriousness.
-Uh…
“Hey, things are different now. I’ll check my schedule and hit you up.”
-Don’t just say it—actually call, you punk. I’m always the one dialing.
“You’re busy, so I hold back. Can’t believe you don’t appreciate my ocean-deep consideration for a friend. Tsk-tsk.”
Lee Woo-hyung looked exasperated again.
No way to buy that excuse.
A clever one, he might’ve humored a little.
But this was transparent.
-Might as well die.
“Watch for injuries. Need anything, just say. If it’s awkward asking your folks, I’ll handle it. Ship it overseas, no problem.”
-Got it. Stay healthy. Hit you up later.
They ended the call with mutual smiles.
The SNS account he’d been scrolling reappeared.
His photo, perched coolly on the hood of his new sports car.
“Heh-heh-heh!”
He replied to the comments bubbling with envy and frustration from close buddies, unable to hide his grin.
This bliss, this thrill—that’s why he’d picked the Porsche.
Only downside: two-seater.
“Well, sedan can wait.”
He wouldn’t have bought if it strained him.
But his finances could handle it now.
Maintenance too.
“Part 1 wraps around volume 20, then into Part 2. How many volumes for that?”
Tap-tap-tap.
He set the phone by the keyboard and furrowed his brow.
In his past life, God of Martial Arts, Return ended at 15 volumes.
This time, he’d bumped it to 20 for quality and buzz.
No issues there.
“Hmm.”
Part 2’s length was the headache.
Kakao Page would love a longer epic, but he didn’t want to drag it out.
Last life, he’d planned Part 2 but scrapped it over agency drama.
This time, he wanted Part 2 done right.
“Webtoon-wise, matching Part 1’s length makes sense.”
Lee Hye-seong and Lee Ji-seong siblings had signed with Frontier Management and were producing a webtoon.
But their grasp of genre novel basics was sorely lacking, so Jo Jin-gu issued a special assignment.
Homework: read classic fantasy and martial arts novels.
Build foundations first.
Not a bad thing for the siblings.
“Part 2. Part 2.”
Part 1 was modern raid action; Part 2 shifted to a fantasy world.
Cliché for hardcore genre fans, but familiar—and he could nail it.
Blood Link’s success proved it.
So, basic setup locked.
“Next work’s ready too.”
Woo Ji-hyun murmured confidently.
Then his eyes sharpened as he dove back into God of Martial Arts, Return Part 1.
Battle stations to hit today’s quota.
* * *
Ding~!
Jo Jin-gu stepped into a Chinese restaurant in Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong amid cheerful bells.
Even early, it was over half full.
“Still packed as ever.”
“Hey, you’re here?”
“Oh, yeah.”
He scanned the familiar spot, then turned at the voice.
He knew who it was from the tone alone.
“Spot-on with time, as always.”
“Basic courtesy.”
“True. Basics matter most. Too many can’t manage that. Writers especially.”
A hefty man at an eight-seater round table shook his head.
The two others at the table nodded.
Ex-editors themselves, they knew unruly writers were a nightmare.
‘All bosses now.’
Jo Jin-gu smiled inwardly as he approached.
These three—former department heads or managers at publishers—were now agency presidents like him.
Each running their own management firm.
“Glowing lately, huh? Success suits you.”
“No way. Pulled an all-nighter at home last night. Work’s piling up…”
“Bragging about your thriving company?”
Jo Jin-gu turned at the voice behind him—uncomfortable vibe despite the faint footsteps.
A lean, stern-faced veteran planner frowned deeply.
“Hey.”
“Can’t say hi. Unlike some, my situation’s rough.”
“Come on, sit. Talk it out. Folks might think we’re fighting.”
“Why start with jabs? Bad enough being stuck with you lot.”
The other three placated the openly antagonistic veteran.
Youngest or not, Jo Jin-gu ran the hottest agency here.
First to start one too.
They eyed him and the veteran, lightening the mood.
“We’ll order!”
“Oh, yes!”
To shut the veteran up, eldest Nam Hyun-seok shot up his hand.
Bell was there, but hand was faster in a pinch.
“Kung pao chicken, one potstickers and steamed dumplings each. Dongpo pork, twice-cooked pork, and a big bottle of Yan Tai sorghum liquor.”
“Add a soju bottle. Ice water too.”
“Yes.”
Sorghum liquor was fine, but soju was essential—Ha Yu-hyuk chimed in slyly.
Kim Chang-su, gauging the room, nodded.
Soju man himself.
“Something wrong? Why the gloom?”