Big Life

Chapter 233. It’s A Declaration (2)

— Ha Jae-Gun, what’s wrong? Why are you quiet all of a sudden?

“No, I was just thinking of something.”

— What about? Me?

“Yeah, I thought of you.”

Just then, footsteps were heard from behind. Turning around, it was Oh Myung-Suk who came in after Nam Gyu-Ho. The faint smile on Oh Myung-Suk’s face suggested that he had something to say to Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun then spoke into the phone, “Jung-Jin, I’m not alone right now, so I’ll call you later. Let’s have drinks sometime soon, too.”

— I’m definitely up for it if it’s the weekend. Just hit me up.

Ha Jae-Gun hung up the call, and Oh Myung-Suk asked, “Did you hang up because I look like there’s something I want to talk to you about?”

“Yes. Do you have nothing to say to me?”

Oh Myung-Suk looked up at the ceiling and chuckled lightly. “Hmm, I think it’s more accurate to say that I’m curious about your opinion, Mr. Ha.”

“I am contemplating over it. Did you expect things to turn out this way, Editor-in-chief? You mentioned that you had some speculations before.”

“Honestly, I never expected that they would bring up the Records series. You seemed to be quite shocked earlier as well.”

“Yes, I am.”

Oh Myung-Suk glanced outside the washroom like what Nam Gyu-Ho had done earlier. He then fiddled with his phone and said, “Both CEOs Ren Xue and Mao Yen are getting nervous.”

“Nervous?”

“Especially Mao Yen. They are afraid of missing the Records series after The Breath. They aren’t showing it on their faces, but they are definitely regretting not making their moves earlier. They are already a step behind after seeing the incredible success that Storm and Gale had shown them.”

“...”

“Mao Yen is feeling most envious of Open House as of now, as they had acquired the license to The Breath. She's blaming herself for losing the opportunity to hit two home runs in a row. Compared to Teencent Pictures, Open House is just a tiny company. Isn’t this an interesting show to watch, Mr. Ha?” Oh Myung-Suk asked with a smile, seemingly enjoying how things were going.

Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t bring himself to smile as he asked, “Do you have any other advice for me like before?”

“This is the best offer you can get,” Oh Myung-Suk said. He then added, sounding nonchalant, “Not just the two CEOs of Teencent, even the head of the Central Publicity Department had come looking for you. If you accept their proposal, they will do their best to support your work with all they have. Their dignity is at stake here, after all.”

Even Oh Myung-Suk had brought up the issue of dignity. However, his conclusion was quite different from Nam Gyu-Ho’s. “However, I think there’s something else more important than dignity.”

“...?”

“It’s your own opinion as a writer. It is inevitable if you decide to delay or reject this offer, and I think that’s the right thing to do. I don’t think that you have to force yourself to do what they want.” Oh Myung-Suk bowed lightly and left the washroom.

Ha Jae-Gun stood still in a daze as his mind went through Oh Myung-Suk’s words once more.

Was it because Oh Myung-Suk was a writer himself? Oh Myung-Suk’s advice was markedly different from Nam Gyu-Ho’s advice, which steered more on the business aspect. But of course, both of their pieces of advice were valuable to Ha Jae-Gun.

***

After returning home that night, Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee talked past midnight, and their topic was about the movie for the Records series.

“Can you really do it?”

“Honestly, I think I can as long as they don’t require me to revise the entirety of Records of the Modern Master.”

Ha Jae-Gun reached over the table for Lee Soo-Hee’s hand. “What do you think?”

“Haven’t you already made your decision?”

“Your opinion is the most important.”

“Tch... It’s the same for me. I just hope that you’ll do as you wish; you don’t have to be mindful of our wedding schedule. Ah, we’re done with our coffee.” Lee Soo-Hee picked up the empty cups and stood up to make themselves another cup.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled while staring at her. He was thankful for spring, as he could see her stunning legs under the shorts she was starting to wear once more. To him, her pair of legs was the best in Korea—no, in the entire world.

“I was wondering why I'm feeling ticklish behind my knees. It turns out that you were secretly staring at me again.”

“I was doing it openly, though? Anyway, why does it seem like you've gained some weight recently?”

“Are you seeking death, Writer Jae-Gun? Stop with the jokes. Anyway, how is Ms. So-Mi recently?”

“Ms. So-Mi?” Ha Jae-Gun looked surprised. Why would Lee Soo-Hee bring up Jung So-Mi here all of a sudden?

Lee Soo-Hee wouldn’t ask about others needlessly. “Yeah, because of The Breath’s webtoon.”

“Ah...” Of course. Ha Jae-Gun nodded.

Lee Soo-Hee then continued, “The response for Oscar’s Dungeon was not bad, so I was thinking of having her work on The Breath this time.”

“But isn’t it still a while until The Breath Online is released?”

“What’s wrong with making advanced preparations? Webtoons don’t get completed in a day or two. The webtoon completion schedule was quite tight the last time because of the delay in Ms. So-Mi’s schedule. She didn’t miss a deadline probably because of her diligence, but I felt sorry for her sometimes.”

Ha Jae-Gun swallowed his smile. He could tell that Lee Soo-Hee recognized Jung So-Mi’s talents, but it was still a surprise that she even cared about her on a personal level and not just at work.

“Can’t you just ask her personally?”

“Huh? Oh...” Lee Soo-Hee’s eyes widened, scrambling for words. “Wait, I... You always go to the office at Bucheon, so I thought it would be okay if you asked her as well. In person, I mean.”

“Team leader Lee, why are you panicking?”

Lee Soo-Hee let out a sigh as she put down the teaspoon in hand. “You need a beating from me today. You’re mocking me inside right now, aren't you? Come here.”

“Rika! Save me! Your unni is trying to beat me up.” Ha Jae-Gun called for help as he ran away.

Meanwhile, Rika stayed curled up on the sofa, ignoring their display of affection.

***

“Wow...The head of the Central Publicity Department visited Korea personally just to meet Writer Jae-Gun...! Jae-Gun hyung has truly become a highly-valued asset right now."

“Don’t all the article headlines look provocative? I think I’ll be embarrassed reading them if I were him,” the youngest writer, Han Jae-Hee, said.

Yang Hyun-Kyung snorted, bursting into laughter. “Forget about worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet and focus on your deadline instead. How long are you going to take to work on that urban fantasy story you have in mind? Did you choose that because it’s not a mainstream genre, and not many people will like it?”

“That’s too much, Hyun-Kyung hyung. I’ll make sure it’s as popular as The Breath, so wait and see.”

“Puhahahaha! Hey, that’s funny. I agree.”

Han Jae-Hee turned away, seething with a red face. Then, Jeon Bong-Yi, who was doing a search on the internet, continued after Han Jae-Hee, “But Writer Ha’s articles are starting to get buried by Chae Bo-Ra’s incident. It’s getting out of hand.”

“Yeah, it’s a huge issue on its own.”

News of Chae Bo-Ra getting sued for attempted blackmail of 2 billion won from her businessman sponsor was currently the hottest topic in town. Even the message that Chae Bo-Ra had written was publicized. Her fans were pulled into turmoil, and their reactions were pouring out in real-time on social media.

“Gosh... I had no idea that she had always been that kind of person. As expected, the world of celebrities is indeed different from what we see on television.”

“I don’t think it applies to everyone. Look at Do-Joon hyung; he’s such a good guy. He’s a top star, but he doesn’t look wrinkled in any way.”

“True that. That must be why Jae-Gun hyung is close to him, right?”

While the writers were chattering amongst themselves, Jung So-Mi did not join in their conversation but silently focused on her own work in a corner. She was currently working on the cover for Jeon Bong-Yi’s new romance novel.

“Deputy Jung, you’re focused on doing work today as well.”

“Ah, Writer Bong-Yi.” Jung So-Mi put down her pen and looked up.

Jeon Bong-Yi approached from behind Jung So-Mi and began massaging Jung So-Mi’s shoulders. The two of them got closer relatively quickly, possibly due to their friendliness.

“The cover is really pretty. You’re great at drawing, Deputy Jung. My writing is lacking, but thanks to your drawing, I think it’s going to sell better than expected.”

“No way, your writing is great on its own.”

Jeon Bong-Yi stopped massaging Jung So-Mi and took a glance. “But Deputy Jung, why do you call me Writer Bong-Yi when everyone else calls me Writer Jeon? “

“Ah... Did I?”

“Wow, your acting is top-tier!”

“It could be perhaps that your name is too cute, and that’s why my heart acted first instead of my brain without me realizing it.”

“Ah, stop teasing me. I’m in the wrong.” Jeon Bong-Yi hugged Jung So-Mi from behind.

Yang Hyun-Kyung sneaked a peek at the two giggling ladies with envious eyes; how he wished that he was Jeon Bong-Yi hugging Jung So-Mi like that.

“But why is it that you're not drawing webtoons, Deputy Jung?”

“Webtoons?”

“Yeah, didn’t you draw the webtoon for Writer Ha’s Oscar’s Dungeon? I enjoyed it a lot. I like both your drawing and story directing.”

“That isn’t a proper webtoon, just a marketing media before the actual game’s release. It’s going to be tough since I’m lacking in talent and experience if I were to consider doing it formally,” Jung So-Mi said with a smile. Then, she continued to focus on her work.

It wasn’t her first time hearing something like this from others. Everyone around had been suggesting Jung So-Mi to do webtoons formally, especially so from Kwon Tae-Won, the CEO of Laugh Books.

"Please do webtoons, Deputy Jung. Not in the capacity of a Laugh Books employee but in a personal capacity as Artist Jung So-Mi. I’ve received so much help from you, so I wish to repay the favor as well. Are you going to waste your talent on just drawing covers?"

Jung So-Mi’s answers had always been more or less the same whenever Kwon Tae-Won said that. She would say that she wasn’t prepared or would only decide after her skills were much refined. Of course, it wasn’t entirely false, but if anyone were to ask if she meant it, she wouldn’t be able to give a reply immediately.

Jung So-Mi had simply been silently hoping that her next webtoon project would be another one of Ha Jae-Gun’s works. She didn’t care much about the pay, and of course, Kwon Tae-Won had offered to split the revenue as a ratio of 9:1, where the larger belonged to Jung So-Mi.

However, the enticing amount couldn’t sway her decision. Her courage was much more important than monetary benefits. On top of that, Writer Ha Jae-Gun was a necessary material to start the fire inside of her. After all, Ha Jae-Gun was the reason she managed to survive Seoul while she was struggling.

She very much wanted to work on another webtoon of his; it didn’t matter even if the 1 of the 9:1 was hers.

‘It’ll be tougher to see him in the future once he gets married, right...?’ Jung So-Mi thought to herself as she looked in the direction of the main door. How she wished that Writer Ha would appear behind that door right now and approach her to propose to work on another webtoon together.

She would then pretend to accept the offer with a difficult smile. They would then proceed to have dinner and discuss the overall flow of the webtoon.

Jung So-Mi’s beautiful imagination began to turn into reality.

Beep, beep, beep!

Jung So-Mi frowned upon hearing the chime from the door. The door soon opened, revealing the face of a man smiling brightly as he walked inside.

“Wow! Jae-Gun hyung? Why are you here today?” Yang Hyun-Kyung jumped out of his seat in pleasant surprise.

Ha Jae-Gun put Rika down on the floor and said, “Of course, I’m here to work. Isn't this the writer’s office? Anyway, is everyone doing well? And who do we have here? Ms. So-Mi?”

Ha Jae-Gun greeted Jung So-Mi with delight, approaching her. However, Jung So-Mi was still in a daze, clearly in disbelief that her delusion had turned into a reality.

“What’s wrong, Ms. Jung So-Mi? It’s been a while. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“N-no. Welcome, Writer Ha... Have you had lunch?”

“Yes, I had lunch before coming. Wow, the cover is awesome. It’s for Writer Bong-Yi?” Ha Jae-Gun said as he sat down next to Jung So-Mi.

Jeon Bong-Yi looked at Ha Jae-Gun all teary-eyed, “Ah, Writer Ha! Are you teasing me with my name too?”

“No, Writer Bong-Yi has such a pretty name; you should be proud of it. You’ve made a great decision using your real name instead of a pseudonym for your new novel.” Ha Jae-Gun said. He then turned to Jung So-Mi, who was twiddling her fingers on her lap. “Ms. So-Mi, let’s do another webtoon.”

“...Pardon?”

“Let’s work on another webtoon together. Please help me with The Breath this time.”

When was her delusion going to end in this reality? Rika jumped onto Jung So-Mi’s lap, who seemed to be completely out of it. Rika looked at Jung So-Mi as if asking her a question, ‘Why so serious?’

Jung So-Mi pulled Rika into a hug.

“Shall we discuss the details over dinner tonight? I think we have to discuss how the overall story is going to unfold as well.”

“I think so, too.”

“What? What do you mean, Ms. Jung So-Mi...?”

“N-no, it’s nothing. I’m on board with working on another webtoon. We can talk about it over dinner—no, I mean, we can talk. I’m sorry.” Jung So-Mi nodded profusely.

Her delusion had fully turned into reality. It was so surprising that she even recalled how her mother would say, 'you’re possessed' when she was younger.

“We’ll be having dinner tonight, then.” Ha Jae-Gun stood up, stretching. He looked around the office briefly and then said in a regretful tone of voice, “Yeon-Woo hasn’t been around in the office lately.”

The mention of Lee Yeon-Woo’s name made Jung So-Mi feel depressed as well.

She hadn’t seen much of him around ever since she had rejected his confession.

“He’s not answering his phone either. This rascal. Did he hide a gold mine at his house in Suwon?” Ha Jae-Gun clicked his tongue as he put his phone away.

Jung So-Mi couldn't retort at all.

Just then...

Bzzt!

Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang, and Lee Yeon-Woo's name appeared on the screen. He answered it quickly and started with a joke.

“What timing. I was about to put up a hiring notice for the manager position on the internet.”

— Excuse me, is this Mr. Jae-Gun?

The strange voice from the other end of the phone seemed to belong to a middle-aged woman's voice. Surprised, Ha Jae-Gun checked the number shown on his phone screen once more.

“Ah, yes... This is Ha Jae-Gun. But who is this...?”

— I’m sorry, I’m Yeon-Woo’s mother.

“Ahh...! Hello, Auntie[1]. I apologize for the rudeness, thinking that it was Yeon-Woo who called. I’m really sorry.”

— No, Mr. Ha. More importantly, I called because.

Ha Jae-Gun’s face turned dark as he stayed on the phone. Jung So-Mi looked at Ha Jae-Gun with worry, unsure of what the conversation was about.

“I understand, auntie. I will head down to Suwon first. No, I’m not busy at all. Yes, I’ll call you again when I’m about to arrive.”

Ha Jae-Gun hung up the phone and buried his face in his hands. He was trembling all over, making Jung So-Mi and the others around in the office feel the unusual atmosphere. They couldn’t utter a single word.

“Ms. So-Mi.”

“Y-yes!”

“I’m sorry, but could I leave Rika with you for a while? And I’m not sure if we can still have dinner tonight.”

“It’s fine, Writer Ha. You don't have to worry about it.”

Ha Jae-Gun moved immediately, not even giving Jung So-Mi a chance to ask if she could go with him. He ran for the elevator immediately after stepping out the door.

Bzzt!

His phone rang again while he was in the elevator. Ha Jae-Gun answered it with a serious look.

“Hello? Yes, Mr. Deputy Secretary. Thank you for calling. I’m still thinking about it, actually. Ah, I apologize, but I don’t think I can make it today as something urgent has come up. I will call you in the next few days instead. Yes, have a good day.” Ha Jae-Gun felt like throwing his phone away at this point in time.

He was disgusted at himself for being so indifferent as Lee Yeon-Woo’s furious look whenever he took Ha Jae-Gun’s misfortune as his own surfaced in his mind.

1. Raws for this was ???, which is being translated to auntie in this case. ☜