Big Life

Chapter 242: Dignity Is Important Too (4)

“Here's a bottle of water, Jae-Gun hyung. Wash it first.”

“Thanks.” Sitting in the back seat of the car, Ha Jae-Gun took the bottled water and poured water over his hand to wash his wound. The writers watched him with a grimace and frown.

“You should have just left it. What if you got seriously injured…” Kang Min-Ho said as he sat in the front passenger seat. He felt guilty watching Ha Jae-Gun get hurt because of the wristwatch they had gifted him.

Seeing Kang Min-Ho’s expression, Ha Jae-Gun tried to hide the pain on his face and smiled instead. “It’s just some abrasions; it’s not that serious.”

Lee Yeon-Woo started the engine and said, “Why are there so many reporters gathered at the airport? Seriously, hyung. Shouldn’t you go to the hospital immediately to seek medical attention?”

”Why are you making a fuss, too? My injury isn’t all that serious. We can just stop at a pharmacy on the way back. Anyway, just go somewhere quiet.”

Lee Yeon-Woo drove out onto the road.

Ha Jae-Gun regretted not heeding the words of Weekly Trends’ Hyun Sung-Beom.

He truly didn't expect to see so many reporters gather at the airport. After all, he was just a writer rather than a hotshot celebrity.

‘Well, the attention is deserving since it isn’t just related to me alone.’

Ha Jae-Gun secretly let out a sigh and tightened his grip on the broken wristwatch. The wound on the back of his hand didn’t matter to him. Rather, it was heartbreaking to watch the wristwatch gifted to him by the writers broken.

‘I think it’s best for me to stop going on TV broadcasts.’ Ha Jae-Gun thought as he looked down at the broken wristwatch.

Even if he didn’t take on any TV shows, he was often exposed thanks to his connections with Park Do-Joon, Lee Chae-Rin, and Han Yu-Na. And the number of broadcasts he had to show up to every time a new novel was published was enough for him. It was great timing, anyway, as he would be busier in general this year.

“There’s no other reporters on our tail, right?”

“I think so.”

The wary writers looked out the window. Ha Jae-Gun’s phone rang just then, and his phone screen showed a text message from Park Do-Joon.

“Yeon-Woo, sorry, but we’ll have to change our destination,” Ha Jae-Gun said after a while.

The vehicle sped up on the empty road.

***

“Wow, the great writer comes to me first thing after arriving in Korea. Just list whatever you want to eat. I’ll prepare everything for you, aside from egg rolls.”

“No, I’ll politely decline food cooked by you.” Ha Jae-Gun refused with a straight face. It had been established that anything Park Do-Joon had cooked were disasters disguised as meals.

“How dare you refuse the cooking from a global top star?”

”Do-Joon, I beg you, just focus on acting.”

”It’s all Ms. Soo-Hee’s fault. She’s so good at cooking that you’ve become picky with your food.”

“Hey, I’m quite easygoing with my taste buds, all right? Chae-Rin is the amazing one for enduring the meals you've cooked.”

The two took a glass of juice in hand and sat opposite each other. Park Do-Joon stared at Ha Jae-Gun’s hand as the latter took a sip of the refreshing juice.

”What’s wrong with your hand?”

”Ah, it’s nothing. I fell.”

“How did you even fall that you ended up hurting the back of your hand? Shouldn't your palm be the injured part of your body?”

“That’s not important. See that? That's your present.” Ha Jae-Gun glanced at the shopping bag placed beside him.

“What’s that?”

“What else? Your favorite alcohol, of course.”

”You like it more than I do. But why two bottles of it?”

“I heard that they love to give gifts in pairs in China. That’s why I bought two.”

“Thanks. Anyway, I haven’t seen Jung-Jin in a while; let’s have a drink together next time.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled at the mention of Park Jung-Jin. “Good thing that you brought him up. Jung-Jin’s getting married soon. Do you think you can attend?”

“Did you forget what I said before? I said I’ll definitely make it.”

”Good. Jung-Jin would love that, and his wedding guests would love it, too.”

Ha Jae-Gun let out a yawn and stretched lazily. The fatigue from the long flight weighed down on him. “Do-Joon, can I nap here for an hour?”

”You can continue sleeping even after I leave. Just go and sleep in the room.”

”It’s comfortable here, too.” Ha Jae-Gun lay down on the sofa, his head touching a notepad.

“What’s this?”

“…?!” Park Do-Joon’s jaws dropped, recalling that he had forgotten to put the notepad away. It was the scenario for Dried Tofu.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Give it here.”

However, Ha Jae-Gun did not do as he asked. Instead, he opened to the first page and muttered in surprise. “It’s Director Lee Eun-Ha’s scenario.”

“You know her…?”

“We’re close. She even talked to me about this when composing the story. Seems like it’s done? Huh? But why do you have it?”

Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes were the first to find the answer to his own question. The scenario wasn’t just sitting around on the sofa; along with it was a tattered Chinese dictionary and a conversational guidebook.

“You’ve decided to act in Dried Tofu?”

“…” Park Do-Joon admitted in silence. Feeling Ha Jae-Gun’s dazed look, Park Do-Joon then replied, “The scenario looks good, so I wanted to try it out.”

“But it’s an indie movie. On top of that, the main character is Chinese. Do you think you can do it? Moreover, your value after the success of Storm and Gale is off the charts…”

Park Do-Joon smiled bitterly as he looked down.

As expected, Ha Jae-Gun reacted the same as everyone else. However, it was probably for the better. It wasn't strange for them to be concerned, and Park Do-Joon felt rather grateful for it as well.

However, Park Do-Joon was also desperately hoping that Ha Jae-Gun would stop asking for the sake of his pride.

A while later…

“It’s great.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled brightly.

“…?” Park Do-Joon looked up in surprise.

“I didn’t think that far. You must want to stay as an actor for the rest of your life, so you should take on roles that you want to act in.”

“Are you serious?”

”Yeah, I’m rooting for you.” Ha Jae-Gun patted Park Do-Joon on his shoulder, then laid back down on the sofa.

A thought suddenly came to Park Do-Joon—it seemed Ha Jae-Gun had seen through his thoughts.

“Ha Jae-Gun,” Park Do-Joon started.

“Yeah?”

“Have you experienced any difficulties since you became friends with me?"

“Why does it seem like you're asking that because you've experienced difficulties since you became friends with me?"

Park Do-Joon smiled bitterly and stood up. Even he himself found his question to be pathetic. After Park Do-Joon stepped into the bathroom to shower, Ha Jae-Gun quietly let out a sigh, wishing that his friend’s burden had been lifted ever so slightly.

Spring would soon return.

***

[Ha Jae-Gun’s return to Korea, caught injured while picking up a broken wristwatch. Media criticized for harsh coverage through social media]

[Revisiting Ha Jae-Gun’s episode of I Live Alone: The wristwatch given by the writers in the office is the most precious item to me in this world]

[Ha Jae-Gun’s purpose for visiting China? Will the Records series be the next collaboration with Teencent Pictures?]

[Ha Jae-Gun: Rejecting all broadcasts for the time being, including TV and radio. Will be focusing on writing]

[Mayor of Donghae City: Cultural content representing Donghae City can be developed after Writer Ha Jae-Gun moves over]

A deluge of articles related to Ha Jae-Gun inundated the Internet.

There were even articles that Ha Jae-Gun himself found unimaginable, so much so that he thought he was reading articles about someone else rather than himself.

“How did they find out about Donghae City? I only went there once to visit a real estate office."

Ha Jae-Gun held his cup of coffee and headed to the garden. Rika and Nun-Sol curled up by the window followed after him.

“Ah, how warm.” The warmth from the sunlight permeated through his skin. Ha Jae-Gun enjoyed the spring scent, inhaling it deep into his lungs. He felt the fatigue accumulated from his work disappear in an instant.

‘Records of the Modern Master is almost done. Now the problem is The Breath. It’s both seemingly easy but also difficult to understand from the Westerners’ point of view.’

Ha Jae-Gun had been in contact with Open House, which held the license for The Breath in the U.S. Lee Soo-Hee’s fluency in English had helped him a lot in communicating. He had accepted their constructive advice and took time discussing areas that he didn’t quite understand, improving The Breath on a daily basis.

‘It’s not going to resolve on its own if I keep thinking about it.’

Ha Jae-Gun ended his short walk and returned to his laptop. Ha Jae-Gun had been writing day and night ever since returning from his trip to China. The titles he had been working on were the Records series, The Breath, and occasionally Human’s Malice.

Tadadadak! Tadak! Tadadak!

Ha Jae-Gun's fingers danced across the keyboard.

Ha Jae-In’s wedding was coming up, and he would have to prepare for his own wedding afterward as well. Whenever one was available, it was best to spend that free time working hard for the best results possible.

And that was why Ha Jae-Gun decided to stop all activities, including TV broadcasts…

‘Which would be released first?’ Would it be the Records series in China or The Breath in the U.S.?

Even Ha Jae-Gun himself couldn’t tell…

All he could do was write to the best of his abilities.

Bzzt!

Lee Soo-Hee’s name appeared on the caller ID. Ha

Jae-Gun answered the phone and immediately said, “Let’s have mixed stew for dinner tonight.”

— Look at you talking about food before saying hi. Sorry, but Writer Ha will have to eat alone tonight. Bleh.

Lee Soo-Hee teased.

Ha Jae-Gun immediately turned serious. His eyelid twitched as he asked, “Why? Do you have an appointment with someone else?”

— Yeah, I have an appointment with someone else.

“With whom?”

— With a man.

Ha Jae-Gun let out a yawn, thinking that perhaps it was related to her work.

Lee Soo-Hee continued with a refreshed tone.

— How is a yawn an answer? I really do have a date with a man tonight.

“Sure, have fun. What time will you end?”

— You’re no fun. Jae-Gun, I’m actually going to meet your father, so I’ll be heading down to Suwon.

“What? My father?” Ha Jae-Gun widened his eyes. “Why are you meeting him?”

— I’m not sure. He suggested we have dinner together one of these days, so I said I’m available tonight. That’s why I’m heading down to Suwon later.

“Let’s go together then. I’ll get prepared.”

— No, he only asked for me to go alone.

“Don’t lie.”

— Why would I lie about something like this? I think he has something very important to tell me. Maybe he's finally looking at me as his daughter-in-law? Huhu.

“Then tell me all about it later.” That was all Ha Jae-Gun could say.

However, Lee Soo-Hee replied firmly.

— I’ll decide after listening to what he has to say. I just started the car; I’ll call you later.

“Drive safely.” Ha Jae-Gun then hung up the call and wrapped his hand over his forehead.

What could his father talk about with Lee Soo-Hee alone? Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t come up with any plausible reason, no matter how much he racked his brains, and his curiosity was killing him.

***

Roughly an hour later, Lee Soo-Hee and Ha Suk-Jae met at a restaurant near the house in Suwon. Lee Soo-Hee was nervous as she stared at the calm Ha Suk-Jae seated across from her.

‘It really is just the two of us…’ Lee Soo-Hee was more fearful than curious. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she felt numb all over.

“Sit comfortably.”

“Yes, Father. I am comfortable now.”

“It’s your first time coming here, right? I’ve been wanting to bring you here; their mushroom hotpot is delicious.”

“Thank you, Father. Let me serve you a portion first.”

Ha Suk-Jae downed a glass of soju first, and then he reached for his breast pocket to pull something out.

“I want to give you this.”

“…?” Lee Soo-Hee was astonished. Ha Suk-Jae had placed a discolored bank book on the table. “Father, that's…”

“This is the savings account I had created for Ha Jae-Gun. I hope you’ll take care of it going forward,” Ha Suk-Jae said, signaling with his eyes.

Lee Soo-Hee took over the bank book with shaking hands. She flipped it open to the first page and saw a note that read, "Give to Ha Jae-Gun once he's 30."

“I can't pass it to Jae-Gun personally.”

Lee Soo-Hee looked up.

Ha Suk-Jae then slowly filled his glass with soju. “I honestly didn’t think that Ha Jae-Gun would be able to make a living as a writer. That's the secret of a bad father who couldn't trust his own son.”

Lee Soo-Hee shook her head.

Suk-Jae continued nonchalantly, “I didn’t deposit any more money after Records of the Murim Master since he’s earning so much now. Although it isn’t a lot of money, I hope you’ll think of this as a small gift from me. Use it as you will.”

“Father…!”

“I knew the first time I met you that you’d be my daughter-in-law. I knew you'd bring luck to my son, so I’m really thankful to have you join our family.”

Lee Soo-Hee covered her nose with both hands as tears rolled down her face. Meanwhile, Ha Suk-Jae calmly picked up the ladle to get a bowl of soup for himself.

***

“What a surprise… this is really surprising…” Kwon Sung-Deuk muttered in the running car. He was donned in a neat suit, as he was off to attend a wedding. He tutted as he looked at the passing scenery outside. ”I’ve attended countless weddings of chaebols up until the age of sixty, but this is my first time at a wedding like this. What do you think of it?”

“I agree, assemblyman. I don’t understand either. The bride comes from an ordinary family with nothing to their name,” his aide replied.

The driver snorted INWARDLY as he listened to the conversation between the four-term Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk and his aide.

To think that the assemblyman of the so-called Cultural, Sports, Tourism, Broadcast, Communications—also known as C.B.C—wasn't prepared at all for a wedding.

It seemed like he wasn’t up to date about the news surrounding that family. Of course, it was understandable, as Kwon Sung-Deuk’s motive for attending the wedding was to maintain his connection with Nam Gyu-Baek and Nam Gyu-Ho.

“Come to think of it, I heard that Assemblyman Joo Kyung-Rok will be attending as well…”

“Wow,” Kwon Sung-Deuk spat and gnashed his teeth upon hearing that name. “That man only knows to turn over the roads and line his pockets with money. I’m watching him closely, and I'm going to knock him down once the opportunity arises.”

Despite saying that, Kwon Sung-Deuk’s words were filled with envy, and both the aide and the driver knew that as well. The C.B.C. was known to be a standing committee member that hadn't been able to bring in money.

The wedding was held at the most luxurious hotel in Seoul. When they were about five minutes away from the hotel, his aide recalled something and said, “Ah, assemblyman.”

“What is it?”

“I heard that the bride’s younger brother is a famous writer. Did you know?”

”No, I don’t know.” Kwon Sung-Deuk answered. He had no interest in any industries he wasn't a part of, and he felt that there was no need for him to be bothered over something that couldn't help him rise in wealth and honor.

Moreover, the projects that needed to be packaged nicely would be reassigned to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which he would always hand over to them before instantly forgetting about them.

“Ah, I just looked him up. His name is Ha Jae-Gun.”

“Ha Jae-Gun… Ha Jae-Gun… What did he write? Ah…!” Kwon Sung-Deuk’s eyes grew wide. He wasn't much of a reader, but he was familiar with Ha Jae-Gun's name. “That writer has met Liu Bao recently, right?”

“That’s right, assemblyman.”

“Why did you only report it now?!” Kwon Sung-Deuk yelled. His aide turned pale immediately, shoulders shooting up in shock.

“I-I’m sorry, assemblyman…!”

“Drive faster!”

The car sped up, and Kwon Sung-Deuk’s oily cheeks puffed up as he fell into deep thoughts. Kwon Sung-Deuk smiled insidiously—Ha Jae-Gun’s presence would be his unexpected harvest at the wedding today.