Big Life

Chapter 247. It’s Fine Even If You Can’t Speak English (3)

— Even a phone interview is fine, please? Deputy CEO, I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t frustrated. It’s become my daily routine at work to get reprimanded by the department head day in and day out. Please connect us with Writer Ha.

“How many times must I tell you, Reporter Ma? Writer Ha stopped all external activities to focus on writing and his personal affairs. He has even announced that he won’t be participating in the Baeksong Arts Awards this year, don’t you understand?”

Shin Dong-Mi was in the Laugh Books office. It was already past noon, but she had yet to find the chance to open her lunchbox bought from the convenience store. The Breath: Dragon Rider was starting to become even more popular, so the number of calls looking for Ha Jae-Gun had increased significantly.

“It’s useless no matter how much you plead with me. We can’t get in touch with Writer Ha either.”

— Stop lying. Do you think that I’ll believe that the publishing company can’t even get in touch with their own writer?

“Oh my, feel free to think otherwise. I’m not begging for you to believe me either. And we’re not an artist agency, alright? Why should we know our writers’ every move? Anyway, I’ll be handing up now.”

— H-hello? Deputy CEO! Deputy CEO!

Shin Dong-Mi hung up in a hurry and even turned her phone to silent mode while she was at it. She needed time to eat her lunch, as she still had work to do for the rest of the day.

”Deputy Jung, come here. Let’s have lunch before working again.”

“Yes, Deputy CEO. Let me heat up the lunchboxes again.” Jung So-Mi and Shin Dong-Mi sat at a table in the corner of their office as they had their lunch. Hunger knew no delicacy, so the taste of convenience store-bought lunchboxes didn't lose out to a normal Korean restaurant.

“It’s great that you’re coming to the office to work, Deputy Jung. If you had gone to the Bucheon office instead because of the illustrations, I would have been swarmed here.”

“I’ll work on the illustrations over here for the time being.”

“Oh my, can you really do that?”

“I’ve actually finished discussing with Writer Ha up until volume five.”

Shin Dong-Mi covered her mouth, laughing happily. Having Jung So-Mi as an employee of Laugh Books was the best blessing she had ever had, as Jung So-Mi had never disappointed her even once since she first joined the company.

Jung So-Mi would always maintain a gentle attitude, even when saying whatever she had to say. Work would always come first for her, and she had never complained when they had to work hard and work overtime. There was no way anyone could hate Jung So-Mi even if they wanted to.

“You guys are already eating?” Kwon Tae-Won asked, emerging from behind the door, carrying a bag full of sushi in his hand. He placed the bag on the table where the ladies were having their lunch and called the other employees over as well.

“Have some of these even if you already had lunch. I bought a lot of sushi on the way back but was delayed, as I stopped by one of our distributors.”

Everyone gathered, totaling less than ten members. The topic that naturally came to mind as they had sushi was, of course, Ha Jae-Gun.

“Local sales for The Breath has also increased a lot recently.”

“Yeah, the paperbacks just went into reprint again.”

“Is it really looking good in America? Are they not exaggerating it on the news?” asked one of the employees.

“No way, look at the sales numbers. The news also mentioned that it’s going to go on the L.A. Times Square Bestsellers list. If the sales numbers were exaggerated, how would The Breath become a bestseller in L.A?”

Jung So-Mi’s words were filled with thoughts of Ha Jae-Gun. However, they weren't exaggerated in any way, as the popularity of The Breath in the U.S. was increasing even as they were talking to each other here.

“Open House is great, but Ms. Yoo-Jin is amazing as well,” Kwon Tae-Won said after taking a sip of water.

Jung So-Mi then added, “Yes, I looked up what's going on, and it turns out that the ongoing marketing that Open House is doing currently in L.A., San Francisco, and even Nevada is going very well. They're a small company, but they're pretty solid.”

“Yes, and we have Yoo-Jin for New York. She's competent and has broad connections, even overseeing the market from Boston to Philadelphia.”

In fact, Chae Yoo-Jin wasn't in any way less competent than Open House. She was pregnant and was working from home, but she had received powerful and decisive in her decision-making Of course, it was also thanks to her long career as an agent in New York.

“I heard that they're doing a fourth round of reprinting since the third round was sold out as well. However, do the reprints mean anything when the U.S. is so huge?”

By now, Jung So-Mi’s smile was brightening the entire office.

Laugh Books could stay afloat with just The Breath alone. Therefore, Kwon Tae-Won silently expressed his appreciation for his team of diligent and loyal employees; he was truly happy with their current situation.

The team's lunch soon ended. Shin Dong-Mi headed to the veranda while enjoying her coffee, and Kwon Tae-Won spoke, “I met Deputy Ko while I was at the distributor’s earlier, and I heard about Star Books.”

“What about them?”

“The CEO’s son ran with the distribution money.”

“...!” Shin Dong-Mi’s eyes grew wide in astonishment.

Kwon Tae-Won then continued calmly as if he had already seen this coming. “He said it was two months' worth, probably a little less than a billion won? Seems like he gathered whatever money he could and went into hiding.”

“Oh no...! Is Star Books alright?”

“Are you joking? It's Star Books, after all. Would it collapse with just a billion won of losses? But the CEO must be extremely disappointed. I heard that he has been visiting the distributors personally, pleading with them.”

Kwon Tae-Won’s long sigh escaped into the spring air. In the blink of an eye, Laugh Books had grown into a scale comparable to Star Books. However, Laugh Books was still growing immensely, while Star Books was crumbling down to the ground. They were now overshadowing the spearhead of the genre fiction market.

“You're great at judging others. You've always treated Writer Ha better than I have in the past and even now,” Shin Dong-Mi said, holding Kwon Tae-Won's hands tightly in hers.

However, Kwon Tae-Won smiled bitterly and shook his head. “I didn't... I was just looking at his work.”

“...?”

“I couldn’t understand it back then either. He was such a great writer, but why didn’t anyone lead him onto the right track? They just had to find the right method for him to communicate with the readers, and his success would be guaranteed,” Kwon Tae-Won said, putting down his empty coffee cup. Then, he clicked his tongue before continuing, “I still can't forget the day when I first read his manuscript. I couldn’t believe that there’s such a great and talented writer.”

Shin Dong-Mi smiled.

Kwon Tae-Won continued. “I’ve written quite a few things for myself before becoming an editor. After the shock that stuck with me for a while, I finally decided to make sure Writer Ha’s name would be known to the world. I want to prove that my judgment as an editor isn’t wrong.”

“But because of that, the CEO of Star Books scolded you on several occasions. He had even asked why you’re taking care of Writer Ha so much when he’s not even popular, when you’re doing so well in your other tasks. But he didn’t say anything after Records of the Murim Master became a hit, right?”

Shin Dong-Mi took the cup from Kwon Tae-Won.

Now with both cups in her hands, Shin Dong-Mi smiled and added, “You’re an editor by nature. You’re an amazing editor who looks not only at their writing but also their hearts.”

“Why are you complimenting me so much today?” Kwon Tae-Won grabbed Shin Dong-Mi by her shoulders. He was about to hug her when Jung So-Mi walked through the door behind them. Kwon Tae-Won’s legs tangled, and he fell on his butt.

He laughed despite being in pain.

***

“I’m sorry for dropping by so early in the morning, Elder. Reporters have been flocking over recently for interviews, so I could only come to visit you at this hour.” Ha Jae-Gun greeted with a polite bow as he stood before the tomb.

The night’s aura lingered in the darkness. He looked at his watch, which read past 4.20 a.m.

“My mother always said that evil spirits run rampant from midnight to four in the morning, but I don't believe in that. However, I only thought of coming here after four, haha,” Ha Jae-Gun said, setting up a bottle of soju along with a few other dried snacks in front of the tomb. The last thing he placed on the ground was a copy of The Breath published in the U.S..

“Thanks to you, the publication of the English version of The Breath went very smoothly. No, I'm not certain, but I think it's going quite well. Everyone around me says that, but I still can't feel the reality of it.”

Ha Jae-Gun walked around the grave but did not spot any weeds that needed pulling. When he returned to the tomb, he poured himself a glass of soju and turned his head away as he took a sip.

“I came without Rika and Nun-Sol again today. I... wanted to stay with you alone for a while longer today.”

Ha Jae-Gun immersed himself in the memories with someone he had never really met before. Ha Jae-Gun sat in the open sharing the soju with Seo Gun-Woo as the chilly daybreak breeze battered him. He felt himself heating up, and he felt as if the elder’s protective barrier had enveloped him.

Just then, Ha Jae-Gun heard footsteps approaching out of the blue. He looked up in the direction behind the grave, where there was also a pavement. He spotted an elderly man in a navy-custom-made hanbok walking down the path.

‘Who is that? I don't think I've ever seen anyone else taking this path for a walk.’

Their eyes met coincidentally. Despite his thin build, the elderly man was quite tall, and he seemed to be at least in his early eighties.

“Are you the one?” the elderly man asked out of the blue.

Ha Jae-Gun looked around, wondering if there was anyone else aside from him, but of course, there was no one else around.

“I'm asking if you're the one who has been tending to this grave?”

“Ah, yes. I did.” Ha Jae-Gun replied, albeit still confused, as he stood up.

The elderly man took a few steps forward and glanced around the grave briefly before adding, “I would come down to take a look when I think of him occasionally, and it was always clean. I guess someone has really been taking care of it.”

“Excuse me, sir, you're—”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not going to answer your question.”

The elderly man walked around the grave once, and then he stood in front of the tombstone silently, lost in thoughts.

Ha Jae-Gun stood behind the elderly man, waiting patiently for the silence to shatter.

After a while, the elderly man straightened his back and began heading in the direction where he had come from.

Ha Jae-Gun hurried behind him, asking, “Sir, excuse me, but there's something I'd like to ask. How do you know—are you related to Seo Gun-Woo in any way?”

“I said I'm not going to answer your question,” the elderly man replied, sounding displeased. However, the elderly man stopped in his tracks all of a sudden after a few steps and added, “Did you want to know what kind of writer he was?”

“Anything is fine. I'm a writer myself, too, so I wish to know every little detail I can gather. I have met his son before, but I've lost contact with him.”

“A maverick.”

“...?”

“He was a maverick—someone who only cared about writing and nothing else,” the elderly man explained and continued walking.

Ha Jae-Gun followed behind hastily, pleading in earnest, “Sir, if you could give me your contact number...”

“Forget it. We'll meet again if we do; there is no need to exchange numbers...” The elderly man’s hunched back was quickly swallowed by the wild trees.

Ha Jae-Gun stood in a daze, stunned, as he took a few nervous gulps.

Was the elderly man’s character originally eccentric? Or was his relationship with Seo Gun-Woo not that great?

Ha Jae-Gun could not guess the answers to those questions.

‘I should be able to see him again.’ Ha Jae-Gun packed up and trudged back home.

The overbearing impression the elderly man gave him could not be erased from his mind throughout the time he walked back home.

“Huh? Why did you wake up so early?” Ha Jae-Gun asked upon seeing Lee Soo-Hee sitting on the sofa. She was looking at her phone with her pajamas unbuttoned in front.

“A reply came from Michael.”

“Oh, really? What did he say?”

“He said he was too shocked and rolled off the bed, almost injuring himself big-time. He was very touched and cried a lot. He’s really thankful to you as well.”

“That’s good to hear.” Ha Jae-Gun sat down beside Lee Soo-Hee and pulled her into a hug. As if patting a child on the back, Lee Soo-Hee said, “It’s great that I’m fluent in English, right? It’s fine even if you can’t speak English. You have me, so I can convey whatever you want to say to him.”

Ha Jae-Gun kissed Lee Soo-Hee lovingly. As soon as his tongue entered her mouth, Lee Soo-Hee frowned lightly and pulled back. “You drank?”

“Oh, I forgot that I had two glasses earlier. Should I go brush my teeth first?”

“You don’t have to—but you want to do it so this early in the morning?”

“I’m ready to go around the clock so long as it's with you.”

“You’ve got quite the energy... Kyaa! What’s wrong with you... doing this in the living room?!”

“No one’s around anyway.”

Lee Soo-Hee opened her arms wide as Ha Jae-Gun pounced on her. Meanwhile, Rika curled up by the window sill and twitched one ear without opening her eyes once.

Daybreak soon arrived.

***

[Student’s life was saved thanks to a book: The book took the brunt of the shot and left a wound only 2 cm deep.]

[Focus brought to the book that saved 18-years-old Michael, a fantasy novel originating from a small East Asian country, The Breath: Dragon Rider]

[Many comments toward the line that Michael posted on his personal blog: The Breath was originally a popular novel in L.A.]

[A small miracle introduced on USA Today: Michael could not stop smiling at the small and unexpected present sent by the author (photo attached)]

“Wait, what’s all this...?” Oh Myung-Suk came to work on a refreshing morning.

Chae Yoo-Jin sat down before her laptop in shock after brushing her teeth. She started off her day like any other, monitoring the response for The Breath, but the novel was plastered all over the news online.

“Michael Bristol...? He was saved from a gunshot? Thanks to The Breath?” Chae Yoo-Jin’s shock only escalated as she continued reading the news articles while scrolling her mouse rapidly. Finally, Michael Bristol's blog post appeared on her screen.

[The author of The Breath sent me a present, wow!]

Look closely at the photo, my friends.

The copy of The Breath I have in hand is different from all of yours. Did you see the autograph on that page? It’s his penned autograph. I’m not sure how he learned about the incident, but he sent me this as a consolation gift!

He didn’t just send me the book either.

I think he even looked up my blog and read through all my posts. He read about how I lost my parents when I was young and that I’m currently living with my mother’s family. Otherwise, how would he learn of my current situation, that I had to work part-time just to replace my broken laptop since I couldn’t ask my poor grandparents for money?

My friends, scroll down a little more.

See this photo?

It’s a laptop sent by the author of The Breath! Wow!

It has a large screen, and it’s light as well! I tried typing on it, and the laptop’s keyboard is good enough that I don’t have to connect it to an external keyboard!

I’m so happy writing this right now, but I actually cried a lot...

I only have all of you as my friends, and this is the first time I’ve ever received a gift from someone other than my family. I haven’t had any interest in knowing what countries are there in East Asia, but recently, I’ve been spending my days researching Korea. This author has become a turning point in my life.

Thank you, Writer Ha Jae-Gun!

Your writing is so amazing, and you deserve my utmost respect!

“Oh my god...!” Chae Yoo-Jin checked out the comments under the post. Dozens of comments and likes would appear every time she refreshed the page. Despite being unfamiliar with the oriental way of mannerisms, many Americans shared their appreciation.

Bzzt!

Chae Yoo-Jin's phone vibrated on the table next to her. She answered the call in a daze, her eyes still fixated on the screen.

“Good morning Eden... I was about to give you a call.”