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### Chapter 4: She Imagined the Time He Had Endured
I woke up with a dry, bitter mouth and a churning stomach.
Dragging myself out of bed, I headed to the shared kitchen.
I filled an empty water bottle halfway with cold water and gulped it down in one go.
A sharp headache hit me, but at least it cleared my mind.
"Ha..."
Yesterday, Suhyun had been just as happy about my victory as if it had been her own.
Then she'd started bringing out every bottle of alcohol she had stocked at home.
Whiskey.
Soju.
Beer.
By the end of the night, she was even mixing cocktails.
It hadn't been bad.
In fact, it had been wonderful.
Celebrating a successful debut was something I'd dreamed about for years.
The only problem was that Suhyun lived by the motto that alcohol was meant to get you drunk...
And she could drink far better than I could.
Tap. Tap.
A soft tapping sound made me turn toward the window.
Rain was falling outside.
It wasn't particularly heavy, but beneath the gloomy gray sky, it didn't look like it would stop anytime soon.
I guess I'll stay in today.
There wasn't anywhere I needed to go anyway.
I wasn't feeling great, and now I finally had enough money to order delivery if I wanted.
Suhyun had lent me five million won.
Soon...
Another 150 million would be deposited into my account.
One hundred and fifty million won.
Even if I added up everything I'd earned over the past thirty years, I doubted it would total one hundred million.
It was just as unreal as the visions I'd experienced.
Feeling strangely reassured, I started heading back to my room.
Then my phone vibrated.
Bzzzt.
Bzzzt.
"Hello?"
"Writer Han Noah?"
Writer.
Just hearing someone call me that made the corners of my mouth lift automatically.
It would probably take some time before I got used to it.
"Yes. Hello."
I deliberately tried to keep my voice calm.
I didn't want to sound like some excited fool.
"Hello. I didn't introduce myself properly yesterday during our phone call."
"This is Han Heejung, Head of Production at Lion Entertainment."
"Would you happen to have some free time today?"
As I admired the voice that perfectly matched my image of a professional career woman, I glanced outside at her final
question.
"It's raining."
"...Pardon?"
"Ah."
"No, never mind."
If she was the Head of Production...
Then she'd be the person responsible for turning my script into a drama.
I didn't understand why she'd said this wasn't official business.
Still...
I had to go.
Rain or not.
After telling her I was available, we agreed to meet shortly afterward at Lion Entertainment.
The moment I returned to my room...
I regretted it.
Once again, I was reminded just how nonexistent my social skills were.
Inside my closet were five identical black sweatshirts and the same black windbreaker I'd bought back in college.
Along with nothing but sweatpants.
My messy hair and overgrown beard weren't helping either.
I considered stopping by a barber.
There wasn't enough time.
I should've arranged the meeting later.
Even choosing shoes became a dilemma.
My options consisted of a pair of sneakers with partially torn soles...
Slippers...
And my old military boots.
It was a complete disaster.
The sneakers were out.
In weather like this, my socks would be soaked within thirty seconds.
That alone would be unpleasant.
And if I ended up somewhere I had to remove my shoes...
It would become an absolute catastrophe.
But slippers were even worse.
My social skills might have deteriorated after living in a goshiwon for so long...
Even so, I wasn't insane enough to show up at an official first meeting with rain-soaked bare feet.
In the end...
I chose the military boots.
They were an old pair I'd picked up before leaving the army simply because I thought they looked cool.
Maybe...
They'd pass as ordinary work boots.
Hopefully.
Trying to ignore my growing embarrassment, I packed my script.
I'd already written all sixteen episodes.
If we were going to discuss the drama, I might need them.
---
The café on the first floor of Lion Entertainment featured a monochrome interior that looked somewhat cold at first
glance.
The atmosphere, however, couldn't have been more different.
The distant sound of rain.
The rich aroma of coffee.
Soft jazz drifting through the room.
The café's owner had once been a producer and was famous for always selecting the perfect music to match the day's mood.
The contrast between the gloomy rain outside and the warm interior made the place feel even more comfortable.
Normally, Heejung preferred the café inside Lion Entertainment over the chain coffee shops outside.
The atmosphere.
The coffee.
Everything was better here.
But today...
She couldn't enjoy any of it.
"So..."
"You've already written all sixteen episodes?"
"Yes."
The calm, matter-of-fact answer made Heejung study Han Noah with curiosity.
He's an unusual person.
Dressed entirely in black, from his windbreaker to those odd work boots, Han Noah gave off a gloomy impression.
His hair had grown messily down past his ears, making him look even more withdrawn.
Combined with today's weather...
It really was something.
Thankfully, she'd arrived a little early.
Otherwise, she would've missed the security guard nearly throwing him out after mistaking him for a stalker.
"You said you wanted to talk about the script."
"So I brought it."
Her gaze fell to the thick stack of paper resting on the table.
His appearance didn't matter.
Writers only needed to write good scripts.
And Han Noah had done exactly that.
Heejung pushed aside her unnecessary first impression.
During the judging...
She'd been so frustrated she'd actually regretted limiting submissions to only the first two episodes.
She'd wanted to know what happened next.
"Would you mind if I read it for a little while?"
The writer himself had brought it.
Surely he expected her to read it.
Besides, she had a perfectly reasonable excuse.
She needed to confirm that the quality remained consistent through the ending.
Han Noah nodded.
Feeling slightly excited, Heejung picked up the script.
---
Perfect.
There was no other word for it.
She had to admit it.
This writer wasn't merely talented.
He was a treasure.
The intuition she'd felt during the judging began shouting at her once again.
Everyone Only Stops by the Convenience Store for a While.
The story revolved around a convenience store.
Two romantic leads.
A colorful supporting cast overflowing with personality.
Yet what impressed her most wasn't simply its charm.
It was the balance.
Episodes involving the eccentric side characters carried the energy of a sitcom.
The romance blended into them naturally.
Neither aspect overshadowed the other.
Instead, they enhanced one another.
The realistic dialogue immersed the audience completely.
Then, at exactly the right moment, the dramatic lines delivered overwhelming catharsis.
The characters came alive.
Even though she was only reading a script...
It felt as though the drama were unfolding right in front of her eyes.
The funny thing was...
She only realized all this after finishing it.
While reading, she'd been too absorbed in the story to evaluate anything at all.
She'd forgotten she was the Head of Production.
She'd simply become another reader.
Another viewer.
"I'm sorry."
"I got completely absorbed."
As a result...
She'd read all sixteen episodes.
Han Noah simply shook his head.
He didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
"So..."
"What did you think?"
"Thank you."
"For proving my judgment wasn't wrong."
"The script is excellent."
The truth was...
There had been considerable disagreement between Heejung and the JTV executives over this script.
JTV had considered it too lighthearted.
Instead, they'd preferred a crime thriller.
It wasn't a bad script.
But in Heejung's opinion, it borrowed far too heavily from TVS's massive hit Missing, which had aired the previous year.
Even JTV seemed aware of that fact.
A script like that might become a successful drama.
But in the end...
It would only be another imitation.
Heejung had no intention of producing someone else's copy.
That wasn't what this contest had been created for.
She reminded JTV that they themselves had insisted on holding a rookie writers' competition.
They were the ones searching for originality as the foundation for competing with TVS.
Because of those disagreements, the winner announcement had been delayed.
Still...
It hadn't mattered.
Everyone Only Stops by the Convenience Store for a While had won.
And now...
The full script had proven once again just how exceptional it truly was.
"The reason I wanted to meet today..."
"Wasn't only to discuss the script."
"I also have a proposal."
Watching Han Noah finally smile after listening to her praise, Heejung took out a contract.
Studio Lion Exclusive Writer Agreement.
"When the drama is produced, you'll receive episode fees in addition to the contest prize."
"If you sign an exclusive contract with us..."
"You'll also receive a yearly salary."
As Han Noah picked up the contract, she continued.
"If you'd like, we'll provide you with a private office here."
"And if you need an assistant writer, we'll hire one for you."
None of that was included in the contract itself.
The annual salary listed there was already among the highest ever offered to a rookie writer, with additional benefits
on top.
Even so...
Heejung was convinced he was worth every bit of it.
A single sentence.
A single paragraph.
A single page.
A single episode.
An entire work.
Each represented a completely different level of writing.
Today...
Han Noah had proven he could carry an entire series on his own.
That alone justified the investment.
The timing couldn't have been better.
Thanks to High Society's success, both Lion Entertainment and Studio Lion had become more valuable than ever.
The entertainment company was already stable.
Now it was time to strengthen the studio itself.
And right then...
An unbelievably promising rookie writer had appeared.
Treasures are easiest to claim before everyone else realizes their value.
And treasures naturally remember the first person who recognized them.
People would undoubtedly complain about the contract terms.
But Heejung was confident she could handle that.
She'd spent years being judged unfairly simply because she was the CEO's daughter.
People constantly whispered that she'd only gotten her position through connections.
If she was going to be criticized as someone with special privileges...
Then she might as well use those privileges to make bold decisions.
"I'm afraid..."
"I'll have to decline."
Heejung's calculations fell apart instantly.
Han Noah gently placed the contract back onto the table.
"Is there something else you want?"
"...No."
"If anything..."
"It's already more than I deserve."
"That's exactly why I don't need it."
"What do you mean?"
She prepared to persuade him.
Instead of answering immediately, Han Noah looked up toward the ceiling as though carefully choosing his words.
The rain outside suddenly grew heavier.
Its roar filled the silence.
Even the café's music happened to stop, creating a strangely solemn atmosphere.
"I mean exactly what I said."
"I don't have a family depending on me."
"So..."
"The contest prize and episode fees are already enough."
"They're enough for me to write."
"I earn money so I can keep writing."
"As long as I can focus on writing without worrying about anything else..."
"That's enough."
"If the conditions become too generous..."
"They might become chains."
"After all..."
"It's still a contract."
The music started again.
A subdued piano melody filled the café.
Han Noah smiled.
If that smile were fake...
He should've become an actor instead of a writer.
That was Heejung's first thought.
His smile carried relief.
Hope.
As though he were remembering a difficult time he'd finally escaped.
She'd seen that expression before.
Successful actors who'd spent years struggling in obscurity.
The ones completely obsessed with acting.
The kind who believed nothing else mattered as long as they could continue performing.
A rookie writer at the age of thirty.
No family to support.
Which also meant...
No family to support him.
As those thoughts came together...
Heejung couldn't help imagining the years he'd endured.
I want him even more.
Without realizing it, she began absentmindedly touching the contract lying on the table.
Truthfully...
She didn't need to agonize over this so much.
From a broader perspective, Han Noah was simply another rookie writer who had won this year's contest.
But she trusted her intuition.
Every success she'd achieved...
Every accomplishment that had slowly changed people's opinion of her...
Had begun with this very instinct.
I have to recruit him.
There was no need to rush today.
If he truly wasn't interested in an exclusive contract...
She still held the advantage.
And Heejung knew exactly what artists like him wanted.
Exactly what they needed.
"Very well."
"But if you ever decide to consider an exclusive contract..."
"I hope you'll think of my offer first."
"Of course."
Han Noah nodded without the slightest hesitation.
Watching him, Heejung silently vowed...
No matter what happened...
She would make sure to recruit him.