Chapter 79
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: I Am a Writer
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I am a writer.
Everything should be describable in text. My thoughts, what I see, what I feel, even what I imagine—it all had to be conveyed to the reader accurately, intuitively, and clearly.
"......"
But right now, I didn't think I could manage that.
"Hello. You're Memento Mori, right?"
The woman who entered through the door and bowed politely left me frozen, unable to muster any reaction.
Was this real? For real?
"Um, are you okay?"
"Ah....... Yes. Ah, please have a seat. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
"It's still before mealtime."
"Just a moment!"
I'd ordered two hamburger combos and turned back around.
There she was, sitting as if by some miracle.
Crazy. It's really her.
I'd thought that achieving even two of my goals in this life would leave me with no regrets, even in death. And one of them was right in front of me.
She's even prettier.
She looked younger and more vibrant than I remembered—cuter, too. It made sense. Back in that hell, she'd survived on swill, rice with beans, and pickled radish, with no chance for any primping.
"The straws are over there."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
I loaded up a plastic tray with food and headed back to her.
She glanced my way, and her body twitched.
"It's fine."
In response to my words, she brushed her right-side hair behind her ear—still embarrassed and awkward, moving with that natural habit.
It was Number 7's habit.
Come to think of it, she'd picked the window seat, right next to the counter.
Don't make it weird, you idiot.
She didn't know me. If I acted strangely here, I'd come off as a total psycho.
"Dig in."
"Thanks, I'll eat well."
As I watched her pick up a french fry, memories of the past flooded back again, but I held them in check and focused on her.
"I read your novel."
Her face flushed red.
"How was it?"
"It needs some polishing, but it was fun."
She forced a smile and asked me,
"It's really lacking, isn't it?"
"Everyone's like that at first. You can refine it as you go. No one produces something perfect right from the start."
"You did."
"Ah, I have...... a lot of unpublished practice pieces. People just don't know about them."
I was clearly talking to Number 7, but I had no idea what nonsense was coming out of my mouth.
Ah, get it together.
"I'm Jeong Hyun-woo. If I may ask, your name is......?"
"Kang Ha-na."
Kang Ha-na. I'd finally learned her name.
Kang Ha-na.
How many years had it taken? Tears suddenly threatened to spill.
"Ahem! Shall we eat while you look it over?"
I pulled the contract out of its envelope.
"If you join our publishing house, you'll be able to finish your work. I'll help as much as I can."
As I watched her turn her upper body, the fine hairs on her nape caught my eye.
That habit of nibbling her lower lip. The Number 7 intently scanning the contract was now someone I had to call Ha-na.
"......"
About 160 cm tall. Jeans and sneakers. White socks pulled up to her ankles. Slim build, but with plump cheeks like a chipmunk.
Or a rabbit?
Stop......
The one woman in my lifetime.
Shampoo scent wafting from her. My head was spinning. This was the first time she'd had a physical presence. The flood of details—far beyond what I'd gleaned from a monitor—was overloading my brain.
Calm down.
But the memories with her existed only for me.
"Gonna turn......"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, nothing."
I whipped my body around.
You crazy bastard!
I shot to my feet.
"Take your time looking it over. I need to use the restroom."
"Yes."
I shut the bathroom door and splashed water on my face.
"Ha, ha......"
Truth be told, up until I'd arrived, I'd convinced myself it wouldn't be her. I'd figured I'd have to search for years more, maybe resign myself to never finding her before I died.
But here she was, like some fairy tale.
"What do I do now?"
I'd never dated. Even my one-sided crushes had been through a screen. Meeting the object in person felt like bumping into a celebrity you'd only seen on TV.
Still, was this a stroke of luck?
"Contract first."
I had a publishing house, and she wanted to be an author. We'd secured that one strong bond.
"Kang Ha-na......"
I gazed into the mirror and murmured her name calmly.
He climbed into a taxi and drove off. He'd hesitated quite a bit, seeming reluctant to leave, and more innocent than his reputation suggested. She found it unexpected.
I went and signed the contract!
She hadn't expected things to move this fast all the way to signing, but now she held the contract in her arms.
Am I an author now?
On the way home, she decided to walk instead of taking the bus. Memories of the Memento Mori author floated through her mind.
What a strange guy......
To be precise, he was an inscrutable man.
Was it because he was a writer? He seemed awkward around people. She'd caught his eyes flickering irregularly several times, and his legs had fidgeted as if he were bored.
But it wasn't bad.
This was the first time she'd met someone so famous. Not a celebrity, but a growing legend in the web novel world.
She felt like she could learn a lot from him going forward.
Ding.
She checked her phone at the sound.
『I had a schedule, so I couldn't treat you properly. Could you visit the company sometime soon?』
It was him.
『I ate well. Thank you.』
He was one of the hottest figures in Korea, so of course he'd be busy. She felt bad for interrupting.
『......Now that you've signed, ignore any contacts from other publishers. This is very important.』
He seemed surprisingly thorough about the contract.
『Got it.』
She'd thought the texts would stop, but they kept coming in an oddly persistent way.
『Do you need an advance?』
『No. Thank you for thinking of it.』
Was he bored in the taxi? She'd heard he was heading to a broadcast station.
『Our main focus isn't female-oriented, so meeting our executive director would be good for you too.』
『Should I set something up with the director then? If you give me their number and name, I can reach out.』
『No, I'll be there too. Come on a convenient day.』
Did publishing house presidents normally handle every little detail like this?
『Yes, how about the day after tomorrow?』
『What time should I expect you?』
『Around 11?』
『Sounds good. Lunch that day okay?』
『You don't have to go to the trouble.』
『It's our publishing house policy to make sure our authors eat well.』
She got home, set the contract on her desk, and booted up her computer. Rereading her novel, she focused on what needed fixing.
Where should I polish it?
Now that she'd signed, she didn't want to be a burden to the publishing house.
『I'm heading into recording, so I might not reply for a few hours. If you have questions, leave a text.』
The occasional messages made her tilt her head and smile.
Is he always like this?
Wow, I'm losing my mind.
Obsessed male lead much?
I knew nonstop texting would come off as creepy, but I couldn't stop myself.
I had to secure her safety. That Team Leader bastard could reach out to her at any moment.
Please. Stop!
I shoved my phone in my pocket and clamped my mouth shut. I couldn't focus because of her.
"15-minute break!"
The PD's announcement paused the recording. Min Team Leader spoke to me from the side.
"Tired, right?"
Obviously. It was a six-hour schedule, and we'd only done one hour. It wasn't just watching stages—I had to judge, and with cameras rolling, I couldn't pick my nose or slouch.
"I'm fine."
"Want some air?"
"No. Really, I'm good."
I must've looked off. How could I seem normal when I was a mess inside?
"Heard from Executive Director Ko this morning. You're going to Japan?"
"It'll be good for DM too."
"You can't hit music shows right away. Need to grab some variety first."
"Anything works for me."
"Got it. I'll look into it. Around March?"
"If it's later, I'll go ahead alone."
I needed to track down the author of Blade of Mutual Destruction before they signed anywhere.
"I'll try to make it work."
Recording resumed. We had to shoot two weeks' worth, so breaks weren't long.
Numerous girls took the stage, showing off their talents to the fullest, but a few with overwhelming star quality had already caught everyone's eye in the prelims. Upsets were unlikely.
But this was variety TV—for the viewers, I had to deliver dramatic critiques and feign constant surprise.
Top 10 will decide it.
From 3,000 applicants down to 200, then 100 through prelims.
Those 100 were participating from today's shoot, but while we hadn't decided Black Ink's final lineup, 10 was way too many.
All in all, about 300:1 odds.
Later, rofans hit 300:1 too.
Thinking of the competition rates led me to rofans.
Her rofan wasn't bad.
My train of thought halted at her again.
Right now, it's debut-ready.
Ten years from now, no way—but the current market wasn't rofan's peak season.
Synergy with the Shindorim author would be even better.
To meet her often, I'd probably need others present. I recalled how awkward and uncomfortable she'd seemed earlier.
What am I even planning to do with frequent meetings?
The one who'd hand over the rice cakes wasn't even considering it—what was this desperation?
"Whew."
The stage wrapped up, and the MC turned to me with a playful grin.
"President Jeong, that was quite the sigh earlier. Your critique, please!"
Ah, damn! Snap out of it.
10 p.m.
-Writer? You signed a contract?
"Yeah."
She decided she couldn't hide it. Her parents had a right to know.
-What about your job?
"Give me six months. I want to focus."
-Is that publishing house trustworthy?
"You know that drama about the youngest triad son?"
-Huh? The drama?
"Yeah. The president wrote it."
-Really?
Mom didn't even know it was based on a web novel. With her daughter about to graduate suddenly declaring she'd become an author, her mom was bound to worry—but she wanted to give it a shot.
-I'll talk to your dad. Eat properly!
"Thanks, Mom. I'll do my best."
There was no turning back now. She could've hidden it for a few months, but she didn't want to.
Being a web novel author wasn't something to be ashamed of, right?
Memento Mori's influence played a big part in that. His fame had elevated the status of web novel writers a bit.
"......"
After the call, she looked around her studio apartment. She'd lived here since starting college. It wasn't big, but it was her precious sanctuary—now doubling as a workspace.
Click.
She opened her manuscript. Only three chapters, yet revisions felt impossibly tough. Barely 15,000 characters, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack.
If I don't know......
He'd said he'd help.
"I need to ask."
No room for pride now. She'd declared it to her parents—she had to debut somehow.
『Question List
Highlighting characters
Smooth scene transitions
Appropriate dialogue length
Packaging the male lead attractively
Pacing.......』
She organized the questions for her company visit the day after tomorrow and spent a quiet night.
"Romance."
Rofan was romance fantasy. Romance had to be the core, but having never been in love, she struggled to infuse the emotions of her "knight" male lead convincingly.
"It's hard."
What did it feel like for men when they fell in love?