4
ch 4 ## Mass Releases Are Always the Right Answer
MoonStory.
One of South Korea's largest web novel platforms and publishers.
Inside its editorial office—
"Yaaawn..."
Shin Mijeong let out a long yawn.
After blinking several times, she took off her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes.
"Hey, don't rub your eyes."
Someone appeared beside her cubicle and handed her something.
A disposable vial of artificial tears.
"Ah, thank you, Sunbae."
It was Han Gyeongseon, her senior colleague.
After putting in the eye drops, Mijeong stretched.
"Staring at a monitor all day will do that. Don't rub your eyes. Use eye drops instead, or you'll end up with an eye
infection."
"Thank you. You're so thoughtful."
"It's not thoughtfulness. Just advice from someone who's already been through it."
"I even bought blue-light blocking glasses, but I'm not sure they help."
"Get up and walk around every now and then. Looking at nothing but a monitor all day isn't good for you."
"I will."
Taking his advice, Mijeong followed him to the break room.
The two of them made instant coffee and took a short break.
"You've looked especially tired lately. Didn't you have a meeting with one of your authors yesterday about wrapping up a
series? Did you end up drinking afterward?"
Mijeong shook her head.
"No. We just had dinner. Alcohol doesn't agree with me anymore. I get drunk after just a little."
"The woman who used to drink like a fish? That's surprising. Didn't you finish three bottles of soju by yourself at the
last company dinner?"
"Four."
"...Maybe you should see a doctor."
"It's not that serious."
"At your age? You really must be exhausted. It hasn't even been a particularly busy week."
"Maybe... Though it's less that I'm tired and more that I can't concentrate."
As was often the case...
Most of MoonStory's editors had joined because they loved web novels.
Reading countless novels.
Reviewing manuscripts.
Giving feedback.
There wasn't a better job for a web novel fanatic.
Shin Mijeong was no different.
She devoured every genre imaginable.
Romance.
Romance fantasy.
Modern fantasy.
Murim.
Traditional fantasy.
Genre had never mattered to her.
"Fun."
"That's the most important thing in a web novel."
As long as it was entertaining...
She'd read anything.
That love for stories was what brought her into this industry.
But...
People always said turning your hobby into your job was dangerous.
Every day, endless manuscripts poured in.
She had to discover promising new authors.
Give feedback to the writers she already managed.
Attend meetings.
Handle countless miscellaneous tasks.
Being a web novel editor was nothing like she'd imagined.
Still...
She'd loved it.
Finding hidden talent was exciting.
And she could spend all day reading web novels.
Recently, however...
Something had changed.
"I think I've hit a slump."
"Everything used to be exciting."
"Now... nothing really is."
She used to lose herself in novels for hours.
These days, after only a few chapters...
Her concentration disappeared.
"It's not that the novels are bad..."
"I guess I've just fallen into a routine."
Gyeongseon nodded knowingly.
"I get what you mean. So many people are writing web novels now, and there are even schools teaching people how to write
them. The average quality has become much higher."
"So you've experienced this too?"
"Of course. Didn't I tell you? Advice from someone who's already been there."
"So how did you get through it?"
He shrugged.
"There are lots of ways."
"But the best one..."
"Is waiting for a game changer."
"A game changer?"
"Every once in a while, an unbelievable masterpiece appears."
"A novel that changes the market."
"One that starts trends."
"Readers go crazy for it."
"Tens of thousands buy every chapter."
"And afterward, countless copycats flood the market."
Those kinds of novels had always appeared from time to time.
"They're called game changers, but honestly..."
"They're just ridiculously fun stories."
"No complicated background knowledge."
"No barriers."
"Just pure entertainment."
"They sound like mythical creatures."
"Haha."
"But those mythical creatures really do appear."
"It's been quiet lately..."
"But who knows when the next one will show up?"
"So all I can do is wait?"
"Or..."
"You could become part of the Deep Sea Expedition."
"The Deep Sea Expedition?"
That was the nickname for readers who searched through unknown web novels.
Series with barely any views.
Stories hidden because of poor titles.
Readers who uncovered hidden gems before anyone else.
"I don't know..."
"I already have more novels than I can keep up with."
"I don't think I have the energy to go digging through obscurities."
"Finding a masterpiece is fun too."
"Watching it become a hit after discovering it first."
"You've actually done that before?"
"No."
"I'm too busy with my own work."
"...Are you making fun of me?"
"Hahaha."
"Come on. Let's head back."
After throwing his paper cup into the trash, Gyeongseon walked away.
Before returning to her desk...
Mijeong glanced at her phone.
A CocoaTalk notification had arrived.
[My Niece ♥]
Auntie! This is huge!!
I found an absolute masterpiece!!
"My niece?"
It was from Choi Harim.
Mijeong tilted her head.
"A masterpiece?"
She opened the message.
Attached was...
About twenty chapters of a web novel manuscript.
"What?"
"Did one of her friends write this?"
These days...
Even middle and high school students wrote web novels.
Anyone could become an author.
That was one of the genre's greatest strengths.
"But why send me twenty chapters?"
"She can't even finish ten chapters in a day."
Unfortunately...
That also meant many amateur manuscripts lacked even basic fundamentals.
She assumed this would be another one of those.
Honestly...
She didn't want to read it.
"What should I do..."
She was very close to Harim.
They had similar tastes and often hung out together.
If she ignored the manuscript...
Harim would probably be disappointed.
"...I'll just skim the beginning."
"Then I'll say something encouraging."
Thinking that...
She opened the manuscript.
"An idol novel?"
Nothing unusual.
The genre had existed for years.
With a detached expression, she began reading.
The prologue depicted a performance by an unpopular boy group.
They danced passionately.
They sang with everything they had.
Yet the audience barely reacted.
Because everyone present had only come to see the superstar group performing afterward.
They simply wanted this stage to end quickly.
Then—
Just before the song ended...
A member who hadn't once stood in the center stepped forward.
Kwon Jinwoo.
The instant he began singing and dancing...
The audience unconsciously held their breath.
It couldn't be helped.
They didn't know his name.
They'd never seen him before.
Yet...
Their eyes were irresistibly drawn to him.
The moment the protagonist's part began...
The atmosphere changed instantly.
As if magic had been cast.
Every audience member became completely absorbed in the performance.
And when Kwon Jinwoo's part ended...
The stage concluded.
Cheers erupted.
The very first applause that performance had received.
Ten seconds.
That was all the time Kwon Jinwoo needed...
To turn everyone there into his fans.
Mijeong nodded.
"So that's it."
"The protagonist is a hidden genius trapped inside an unpopular idol group."
"Not a bad opening."
The beginning of a web novel was critical.
It had to hook readers immediately.
This introduction efficiently established...
The protagonist's circumstances.
His hidden talent.
And the anticipation for how he'd use it.
"Instead of explaining everything directly..."
"It showed it through a music show performance."
"It naturally builds excitement for how he'll carry this struggling idol group."
It was a solid opening.
Then—
Amid the cheers...
The ending fairy was naturally Kwon Jinwoo.
The camera zoomed in on his determined expression.
But inside...
He was thinking—
"Whew."
"I almost got caught."
"...Huh?"
Mijeong blinked.
"Almost got caught?"
"Caught doing what?"
She'd expected him to think—
"We pulled it off."
"That was amazing."
Instead...
He'd revealed he was hiding something.
A secret.
What secret?
The question formed naturally.
Before she realized it...
She'd already opened the next chapter.
---
Ten minutes later—
"Hey."
"Aren't you coming back?"
Gyeongseon called out from the office.
"Huh?"
"What are you staring at so intensely?"
"You're about to get sucked into your phone."
"S-Sunbae..."
"I'm just going to the restroom for a minute!"
She hurried into the restroom...
And continued reading there.
There was only one thought in her mind.
She wanted to keep reading.
"Holy..."
"So what happens next?"
All of her skepticism disappeared.
Before she knew it...
She'd become completely immersed.
She read all twenty chapters in one sitting.
When she finally looked up...
She muttered—
"This is incredible."
Her heart, which had grown numb after reading countless novels...
Was pounding once again.
---
Sizzle—
Pork and vegetables hissed on the hot pan, filling the kitchen with a delicious aroma.
Tonight's dinner was stir-fried pork with vegetables.
I'd gotten home late from work, so Siwoo's dinner was later than usual.
I hurried to finish cooking.
Meanwhile...
Behind me—
"Hehe."
"Hehehe..."
Siwoo couldn't stop laughing.
Normally she'd complain that she was hungry.
Today...
Not once.
"Hehehe..."
She kept giggling.
Even while I set the table.
Even while placing the side dishes.
Even while laying out the chopsticks.
"Thank you for the meal."
"Hehehe..."
She even smiled through dinner.
"...Now I'm starting to worry."
"Our daughter."
"Why do you keep laughing?"
She beamed.
"Because I'm happy!"
It showed all over her face.
Seeing her smile made me smile too.
"I seriously didn't expect Harim to become completely obsessed with your novel!"
"She's actually super picky when it comes to web novels."
"I told you, right?"
"She's really close with her aunt."
"And her aunt's a web novel editor!"
"They're always talking about novels..."
I'd probably heard that story fourteen times already.
Ever since Harim had called yesterday.
Whenever she had a chance...
She brought it up again.
Somehow...
I didn't mind.
She looked adorable chattering away.
Her friend loved my novel...
Yet she looked happier than if someone had praised her own writing.
"And she said she could never read more than ten chapters a day!"
"But she finished over 150 chapters!"
"In one day!"
"That proves how amazing your novel is!"
"And today at school we talked about it all day!"
"I see."
"Yep!"
"Harim's favorite character is Kwon Jinwoo too."
"She says the gap between his genius idol mode and his clumsy normal self is adorable."
"And how he never stops working hard..."
"Our daughter."
"Finish chewing before you talk."
"Dad's listening."
I brushed a grain of rice from her lips.
She'd always been a sensible child.
But whenever she talked about my novels...
She became an excited eight-year-old again.
"Ah..."
"This is the best part of being a fan!"
"Talking about it together!"
"Sharing theories!"
"It's so much fun!"
Watching her so happy...
Made me happy too.
"Hehe."
"You're happy too, aren't you, Dad?"
She grinned after noticing my smile.
Honestly...
Receiving praise from someone other than Siwoo still felt surreal.
After all...
I'd written these stories only for her.
As long as they made Siwoo happy...
That alone was enough for me.
"So!"
"Hurry up and release the next chapters!"
"Author!"
"Please do a mass release!"
"A mass release?"
"What's that?"
"Dad!"
"You don't know?"
"It means releasing multiple chapters in one day!"
"Lots of web novel authors do that!"
I'd written five different web novels for Siwoo.
But this was the first time she'd ever asked for a mass release.
Apparently discussing Only 10 Seconds as a Genius Idol with Harim had only made her love it more.
"I'll try."
"Really?"
"I'll look forward to it!"
"But don't overwork yourself!"
"You still have work tomorrow."
"Author, your health comes first!"
"...Though I'd still really love a mass release."
That was quite the contradictory request.
But somehow...
It only made me happier.
As a daughter...
She worried about my health.
As a reader...
She desperately wanted more chapters.
As her father...
It warmed my heart.
As a writer...
It filled me with pride.
"I won't push myself too hard."
"Now finish your dinner."
---
That night...
After Siwoo had gone to sleep...
I sat alone in front of my laptop.
As always...
I reviewed my notes.
Organized everything that had happened so far.
Double-checked every setting.
"It's about time."
"The biggest scene is finally here."
In Only 10 Seconds as a Genius Idol...
Kwon Jinwoo's group, Ethereal, had achieved a miraculous rise to fame thanks to him.
Now...
They'd earned the chance to perform at a major music festival.
That stage...
Was what I needed to write next.
"It's time for a truly explosive performance."
The most important thing in a web novel...
Was making every chapter entertaining.
At the same time...
Each ending had to make readers desperate for the next one.
Only then would they return every day.
But...
Beyond ordinary entertainment...
Every story needed one unforgettable moment.
A true highlight.
Writing scenes like that demanded tremendous energy.
And on top of that...
There was Siwoo's request.
"A mass release..."
I'd written exactly one chapter every day for years.
Weekdays.
Weekends.
Without exception.
Siwoo had told me daily serialization was the standard.
So I'd followed that routine.
Granting her request meant breaking it.
Still...
"I think I can do it."
I remembered the sparkle in Siwoo's eyes.
Her excitement.
Her anticipation.
Looking at that expression...
I'd have tried to bring her the stars if she'd asked.
Writing a few extra chapters was nothing compared to that.
Her expectations never became pressure.
They became motivation.
Every word she said inspired me.
"All right."
"Let's do this."
For the first time in a while...
I felt fired up.
I drank a cup of coffee and stretched.
"Come to think of it..."
"How many chapters count as a mass release?"
Siwoo had only said "multiple."
She'd never told me how many.
"Hmm..."
"If I want to satisfy her..."
"Five chapters should be the minimum."
Twenty-five thousand words.
Five times my usual daily output.
But...
"It shouldn't take long."