Big Life

Chapter 270: How Far Can I Go (2)

Ding.

‘...Editor-in-chief?’ Oh Myung-Suk appeared on the video call on Ha Jae-Gun’s laptop. Oh Myung-Suk would always do this whenever he needed to talk to Ha Jae-Gun officially about work.

Ha Jae-Gun pulled out his Bluetooth headset from his bag and wore it.

“Editor-in-chief, I can hear you now. Feel free to speak.”

– Ah, thank you. I wanted to show you the back cover of the third reprint and the new book bands. Which of the three do you like?

“Hmm, they all look good to me. Let’s go with what you think is the best.”

— Hahaha, all right then. Let’s go with that for the design. Actually, there’s something more shocking that I want to tell you, Mr. Ha.

“It’s making me nervous before you even say it.”

— Mr. Ha, have you heard of One Film?

“One Film…? I’ve never heard of that name before.”

— You should know them since you like movies. They’ve produced several hit titles during the mid-to-late 90s but have lost their power slightly in the last few years. However, they are still a production company with many talented people.

“I’m looking them up right now,” Ha Jae-Gun replied as he looked up One Film on the internet. The search results showed that One Film was a production company that had produced quite a few notable masterpieces which Ha Jae-Gun had watched both before and still liked quite a lot.

“They have quite a lot of popular movies. I remember them now. But why did you bring them up…?”

— They requested information about the original novel’s author, saying that they are curious about what kind of person Eden Smith is.

Ha Jae-Gun widened his eyes in shock. Oh Myung-Suk continued.

— Of course, it’s about the license. The Malice is performing well in Korea, so there must have been word spreading amongst the investors.

“Does that mean that they’re interested in investing in The Malice if it ever gets a movie adaptation?”

— Yes. The background is set in the U.S., but the protagonist is still a Korean adoptee, so they said there are sufficient grounds that this movie would perform in Korea. This is just my own opinion, but I think the fact that you have blended the emotions of a Korean into every part of the novel must have produced this positive effect.

“I see…” Ha Jae-Gun replied with a smile. It was definitely something he should be happy about. The novel was published first overseas while concealing his identity as a Korean. He was proud that Korea was the first country to propose a movie adaptation of The Malive.

— There’s also something important I have to tell you.

“Please speak.”

— Director Woo Jae-Hoon was mentioned at the end of the call.

“...?” Ha Jae-Gun’s smile slowly disappeared. It was much too random for One Film to bring up Woo Jae-Hoon in the call.

“Why was Director Woo Jae-Hoon mentioned out of the blue?”

— They said Director Woo Jae-Hoon gave high praises for The Malice, and he shares a senior-junior relationship with the CEO of One Film. Seems like the rumors on broadcasts and social media were not false.

Ha Jae-Gun let out a quiet sigh. Regardless if Jae-Hoon was sincere in his praises, it didn’t touch Ha Jae-Gun at all. However, the dubious feeling he had within got him asking Oh Myung-Suk the following with much caution, “Editor-in-chief, I just had this sudden thought. If Director Woo Jae-Hoon was brought up during the call, does that mean that…”

— You have caught onto it too. Yes, that’s right. They’re trying to put Director Woo Jae-Hoon on the project.

Oh Myung-Suk’s laughter rang in Ha Jae-Gun’s ears. Ha Jae-Gun found it ridiculous, but he still went ahead and laughed in response.

— They didn’t say it outright, but they brought up quite a few good things about Director Woo Jae-Hoon. He’s apparently overly passionate, and there are very few directors capable of showing the same attitude as him in their directing. Apparently, they also can’t ignore Director Woo’s outstanding directing skills which can’t be seen in many commercial movies.

— He’s also Director Woo’s senior, so he knows the director much better than anyone else. Why would he go to such lengths otherwise?

“That’s interesting. So what did you answer him, editor-in-chief?”

— I replied that we do not have information about the writer and that we would contact the U.S. publisher first and try talking to them about it.

“Thank you. Although I don’t think there’s anything for Eden Smith to accept from here on.”

Ha Jae-Gun and Oh Myung-Suk both burst into laughter.

Immediately afterward, Ha Jae-Gun finally felt that someone was behind him after all this while and turned around to see the elderly man in a custom-made hanbok standing behind him.

Ha Jae-Gun's eyes widened instantly upon recognizing the old man. “Um, editor-in-chief. I'm sorry, but I just remembered that I've got something to attend to. Let me call you back later.”

— Alright, I'll see you later.

Oh Myung-Suk left the video call. Ha Jae-Gun didn't even take off the Bluetooth headset and hurriedly greeted the elderly man.

“Hello, sir.”

“You don't have to get up. You seem busy.”

“Not exactly. Did you stop by while going on your walk?”

“Walk… yeah. Can I sit down?” the elderly man asked, and then he glanced at the seat across from Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun immediately nodded and allowed the elderly man to join him at the table.

“Let me get you a cup of tea.”

“Forget about the tea; tell me about the novel.”

“The novel? Ah…”

“What happened? Was that the end of it?”

Ha Jae-Gun hesitated as he sat back down. He closed the document to The Breath part two and opened the manuscript for The Malice. Then, he turned the laptop to face the elderly man.

“I’ve edited this portion. It’s only at the end, it’s not that long. Why don’t you take a read?”

“Hmm…”

The elderly man’s shoulders drooped, then leaned closer to the screen. The scene was right before the protagonist fell into the river.

“I’m done reading; next page.”

“Okay, sir.” Ha Jae-Gun pressed the page down key to show the next page. The elderly man’s eyes followed the changing pages with his lips shut tightly.

Ha Jae-Gun gathered his hands together nervously. The Malice was already published and was well-received as well. However, he was still feeling both nervous and expectant to hear the elderly man's feedback.

Just then, the cafe owner stepped in through the partition that sectioned off Ha Jae-Gun's corner from the rest of the cafe.

“Excuse me, Mr. Ha, are you busy?”

“No, what is it?”

“I've created a new menu item, a cream puff cake. I'm not sure if it'll be to your liking, but I hope that you can give me some feedback?”

“Ahh… cake?” Ha Jae-Gun mumbled and looked at the elderly man, who was still engrossed in the manuscript.

“Sir, would you like a sweet cake?”

“I don't like sweets. You should have it.” The elderly man did not take his eyes off the screen even for a moment. Ha Jae-Gun looked at the cafe owner with an embarrassed look and smiled awkwardly.

The cafe owner frowned slightly before smiling lightly.

“Please give me a slice of cake then.”

“Okay. Please wait around ten minutes, Mr. Ha.” the cafe owner said before leaving for the counter.

A while later, the elderly man looked up. He took a few moments to relish what he had read with closed eyes before nodding.

“It's good.”

Those were the elderly man's first words after reading the manuscript.

Ha Jae-Gun instantly broke out into a bright smile.

“Is it really fine? I edited it based on what you said when we last met. I also thought that this would be better than having the main character die in the end.”

“You listened to the absurdity of an old man who meant nothing.”

“Please don’t say that. Everyone around me said that the edited version was much better than the original, saying that it’s much more hopeful and the story lingers on their mind for a longer period of time.”

Ha Jae-Gun bowed so much that his nose was touching the tabletop. “Thank you so much, sir. Thanks for the advice that you've given me. My novel has gotten so much better thanks to you.”

“It's fine. Raise your head.”

Ha Jae-Gun looked up and saw the elderly looking into the empty space.

The elderly man then said casually, “There was once a brilliant inkslinger like you. He was my student, and I wasn't able to guide him well.”

“...” Ha Jae-Gun leaned forward and perked his ears. The elderly man hadn’t really mentioned anything about his personal life up until now, so he couldn't help but wonder what kind of story the elderly man was about to share.

“It was great to think of him as I tell you about him. So I should be the one thanking you instead. I’ll be going now.” The elderly man then stood up.

Ha Jae-Gun followed suit but was feeling disappointed. “Are you leaving already?”

“We’ll meet again someday. You don’t have to see me off. I find it burdensome.” The elderly man glared lightly to emphasize his words then turned around.

Ha Jae-Gun looked over the partition blankly as he watched the elderly man leave. Then, he sat back down and contemplated. He had learned something about the old man, and it turned out that his assumption was right; the elderly man was a literary person.

“Sorry for the wait, Mr. Ha.”

Ha Jae-Gun snapped out of his thoughts and looked up.

The cafe owner revealed an embarrassed smile and placed the slice of cake on Ha Jae-Gun's table. “It’s my first time making one of these so it looks weird, but I’m confident of its taste.”

“It looks great though. Let me try a bite.” Ha Jae-Gun took his fork and dug into the side of the cake. The fresh yet sweet taste brought a smile to his face. “It tastes great.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m not a food critic, so I don’t know how else to express this. It's soft and sweet. Anyway, it’s really delicious. This will definitely sell.”

The cafe owner held the tray close to his[1] chest, smiling. After hearing Ha Jae-Gun’s positive feedback, he turned around to leave. However, he came to a halt upon recalling something and asked,

“Um, Mr. Ha, this might be a bit too nosy of me, but I've got a whole wheat cake. Would you like a slice of it as well?”

“Sorry? Ah, if it was about earlier, it’s fine.” Ha Jae-Gun took off the Bluetooth headset he was wearing.

The cafe owner nodded, scratching the back of his head. “I noticed that he wasn’t that fond of sweets.”

“It’s fine. I’m not sure when I’ll see him again either.”

“Ah, is that so? I understand. Please enjoy your cake then.” The cafe owner walked away, and Ha Jae-Gun’s surroundings turned silent once more.

Ha Jae-Gun reflected on the elderly man’s words as he ate the slice of cake in front of him. After a while, he returned to working on The Breath part two.

Perhaps, it was thanks to the old man’s praises, but his fingers brimmed with energy.

***

The Malice had successfully passed the second round of nominations for the Prix Goncourt. A new line was added on the back of the book’s fourth reprint, and of course, another book band had been printed out as well.

The final nominated novels would be announced on 25th October, and the award ceremony would be held on 2nd November at a restaurant named Drouant in Paris, France. Prix Goncourt was customarily held at a restaurant, where normal citizens were allowed entry.

“The prize money only amounts to 15,000 Korean won?” Lee Soo-Hee mumbled as she watched the TV playing a classic movie.

Ha Jae-Gun said with a smile as he lay down on the sofa. “Yeah, they should at least give enough prize money for the awardee to have a plate of that famous omelet in Paris. Wait, it’ll probably cost 15,000 won. Anyway, it’s a symbolic token.”

“Yeah, it’s just a token. I’ve known this since we learned about it in university, but my husband got nominated, so it feels a bit different for me.” Lee Soo-Hee bent down and kissed Ha Jae-Gun on the cheek, making a smooch.

Ha Jae-Gun turned around and lifted her shirt, kissing her abdomen.

Lee Soo-Hee giggled and pushed Ha Jae-Gun away; she couldn't resist the tickling feeling.

Bzzt!

A message from Oh Myung-Suk had arrived. He had sent a link to a forum[2]. Curious, he clicked on it.

[A city covered in malice]

“What, what’s this…?” Ha Jae-Gun felt a shiver down his spine. The dark red words on the black background were ominous and dreary at first glance.

“What is it?”

“I just clicked on the forum link that editor-in-chief Oh Myung-Suk had sent over. But what forum is this? Why is the name so eerie?” Ha Jae-Gun mumbled as he scrolled down the page. The long list of threads in the forum made him shut up immediately.

Lee Soo-Hee was shocked as well.

“Oh my, Ha Jae-Gun. Aren’t all of them the readers of The Malice?”

“Gosh, yeah…”

“There are already 20,000 members? Gosh, hand me the phone. No, wait. I should use my own ID to join the forum instead of yours.” Lee Soo-Hee pushed Ha Jae-Gun away and got up to look for her phone.

While Lee Soo-Hee was busy trying to register for the forum, Ha Jae-Gun decided to call Oh Myung-Suk.

— Yes, Mr. Ha. Have you read everything?

”No, I haven't really been able to read much these days. I have no idea that such a forum exists.”

— I just learned about it today, and it’s also thanks to a reader who called into the office and informed me about it. You’ll also read about it after looking through the forum for a while, but most of them seem to be at least Korean-Americans.

Oh Myung-Suk’s voice sounded quite energetic for some reason.

— The number of members skyrocketed ever since news of The Malice entering the second round of nominations of the Prix Goncourt was announced. It seemed like the readers didn't care even if Eden Smith was a new writer with no known past works.

“Yes, hahaha…”

— So there’s something I would like to carefully propose to you, even though I’m aware of your personality.

“Proposal?”

— Yes, I was wondering if you could send a message to the readers there. But not as Writer Ha Jae-Gun, but as Eden Smith. I'm not sure about the content, but I think it’s going to go viral, anyway. More people might be inclined to read The Malice as well.

Oh Myung-Suk did not wait for Ha Jae-Gun to respond.

— Of course, you don’t have to do it if you feel burdened. You can take a look at the forum first tonight, there are quite a few interesting posts on there.

“I understand. I’ll take a look first, then give you a call tomorrow morning.”

— Ah, Mr. Ha. I’m sorry but I might not be able to answer your call as I’ll be at the policy debate tomorrow. Let me contact you tomorrow evening instead.

“Oh right, the policy debate is tomorrow. I heard that directors Yoon Tae-Sung and Lee Eun-Ha are attending as well?”

— Yes, I contacted them as well. The appearance of the director couple. I think their relationship will be coming to fruition soon as well. Hahaha.

Ha Jae-Gun hung up the phone after a while. Then, he joined Lee Soo-Hee to look at the posts in the forum. After feeling the sincerity and affection of his readers, Ha Jae-Gun decided to leave a message in the name of Eden Smith.

Tadadadak! Tadak!

“What are you typing, Ha Jae-Gun?”

“A translation of Eden Smith’s letter to his readers.”

Ha Jae-Gun had no idea that this simple letter of gratitude from Eden Smith, which only had slightly over ten lines, would make waves on the Internet.

1. we finally got confirmed gender of the cafe owner I guess ☜

2. It’s originally “Internet cafe” in Korean, but the website works similarly to what we call forums in English ☜