Big Life

Chapter 271: How Far Can I Go (3)

“Are you all prepared?”

”Yeah, I can leave already.”

Yoon Tae-Sung and Lee Eun-Ha stepped out of the house together; they were going to attend the policy debate that was starting at 10 a.m. The two wore smart outfits, unlike their usual comfortable outfits.

“Why are you laughing?” Yoon Tae-Sung asked. He had just started the car when he noticed Lee Eun-Ha smiling as she fastened her seatbelt.

“Nothing, I was just wondering if we’d get better futures going forward," said Lee Eun-Ha.

“…Don’t think so far ahead. Let’s go.” As Yoon Tae-Sung drove out of the apartment complex and onto the main road, the song[1] playing from the radio accentuated the maturing autumn atmosphere.

“Should we do it when spring hits next year?” Yoon Tae-Sung asked casually, keeping his eyes on the road. As Lee Eun-Ha turned to look at him, he added, “Our wedding.”

“What if we had to take on a project?”

“Did you think we wouldn’t have time to hold a wedding that’s going to last just a few hours?”

“That’s true.”

“So, what do you think?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll make the booking, then.”

“Yeah.”

And that was the end of their conversation…

If Ha Jae-Gun had been with them, he would have been speechless.

Either way, Yoon Tae-Sung, who usually avoided embarrassing situations, had successfully completed his proposal. Fortunately, Lee Eun-Ha had a similar personality as him.

“Ah, I finished reading The Malice yesterday,” Lee Eun-Ha said. The song playing on the radio was about to end.

“How was it?”

“It makes me want to do a movie adaptation of it. It’s definitely something I like, and it’s also a subject that I want to touch on: Koreans who were adopted overseas.”

“I knew you’d want to take on social issues.”

“Anyway, he wrote it really well.”

“Oh, do you think it’ll be the final winner for the Prix Goncourt?”

Yoon Tae-Sung accelerated as he drove into Yeouido. At this moment, they were thinking of that certain someone whom they were tremendously grateful to for his contributions.

***

The welcome speech began at 10 a.m., and the policy debate started officially in the National Assembly building’s second seminar room.

The not-so-large seminar room was filled with people. There were three members from the Ministry of Culture: Kwon Sung-Deuk, the deputy minister, and the assistant secretary; there were also professors specializing in debates, directors, and writers.

There wasn’t a single empty seat in the room. All seventy attendees from the content industry who had RSVP'd were present.

“Are you feeling hot, Father?” Oh Myung-Suk asked as the welcome speech was coming to an end.

Oh Tae-Jin shook his head, expressing that he was fine. Yet, he still took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat on the back of his neck.

‘Why is he so nervous?’ Oh Myung-Suk was quite worried. Oh Tae-Jin had not looked good in recent days. He couldn’t remember the last time he looked confident and cheerful. Oh Tae-Jin had been suffering from nightmares daily, and his anxious gaze would waver from time to time.

Oh Myung-Suk was perplexed. There was no knowing what was bothering his beloved and most respected father.

Regardless of how Oh Myung-Suk viewed the current situation, his father should be happy during this period when his novel, The Last Journey/Trip, was finally released and received praise from writers and readers alike. It wasn’t difficult for his novel to snag first place on the bestseller list either since it was selling much better than Ha Jae-Gun’s The Malice.

The debate continued with the deputy minister and Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk’s congratulatory speech, but Oh Myung-Suk wasn't paying any attention to them at all.

Meanwhile, Oh Tae-Jin was still sweating. As the congratulatory speeches ended, Oh Myung-Suk took the chance to ask, “Father, are you feeling uncomfortable?”

“No. Who is that keynote speaker?”

“It’s Mr. Yang Ho-Seok from the Korea Creative Content Agency. Didn’t you meet him last month?”

“Did I… Oh yes, I did. Look at me.”

“Are you really okay, Father?”

“Yes, so stop asking.”

Oh Myung-Suk couldn’t ask further.

Time passed, and part one of the debate finally ended. After a brief ten-minute break, the specialist debate began. Representatives from the government, academia, and the industry each presented their own opinions.

Oh Myung-Suk only listened with a poker face on. It was a debate but without a fight.

Everyone agreed with everyone else’s opinions. They were all expecting this famous policy debate to end, but no one could help to yawn during the event.

‘How can anyone in the industry find meaning in such a pointless debate…’ Oh Myung-Suk’s gaze fell on Kwon Sung-Deuk and Woo Jae-Hoon. Before the debate began, the two men were seen hanging out and laughing during their own conversation, which gave Oh Myung-Suk an ominous feeling.

Soon, the debate was nearing its end as the Q&A session hit. A wide variety of questions were asked in a fairly relaxed atmosphere. It didn’t take long for one of the attendees to ask about Ha Jae-Gun.

“I’d like to ask the deputy minister. Have you considered specific measures to support talented writers on the national level? I haven’t heard anything about this throughout the debate.”

“About that…”

“For example, a system to recognize great writers like Ha Jae-Gun?”

Kwon Sung-Deuk was about to stand up from his seat when he flinched at the mention of Ha Jae-Gun's name. He was about to leave the room quietly as he was beginning to feel bored.

The attendee added, “A colleague from Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s office runs a blog currently. His name is Writer Lee Yeon-Woo, and he revealed that he’s been a huge fan of Ha Jae-Gun way before his own debut.”

“Um, wait a minute.” Woo Jae-Hoon cut in. His face turned sour the moment Ha Jae-Gun was mentioned.

“Let’s just keep things simple since there isn’t much time.”

“I’m sorry. If you read the blog, he clearly detailed what life Writer Ha Jae-Gun had before he became famous. He had suffered and struggled quite a bit, even to the extent that he had to consider giving up on his dream.”

The attendee swallowed a mouthful of his saliva before continuing, “Like the main discussion point of today’s political debate, the content industry is a particularly important asset to Korea. If Writer Ha Jae-Gun had decided to give up on his career back then, I doubt his works that had touched the hearts of countless readers would have seen the light of the world today. This is what I’m worried about.”

Lee Eun-Ha felt like giving the attendee a standing ovation. Objectively speaking, the attendee’s opinion was slightly biased toward writers in general. However, Lee Eun-Ha could empathize with those words as she had suffered the same, if not more than them. Had Yoon Tae-Sung not looked for her at that point in time, she might have died from malnutrition.

Just as Lee Eun-Ha was looking back on her past, Woo Jae-Hoon spoke up. “May I ask what you’re working as…?”

“I’m a poet. I write poems while working full-time, but I’m able to appear here thanks to my connection with the association.”

“Ah, so you’re a poet. It’s quite surprising that you’re using Writer Ha Jae-Gun in your example.”

“Surprising? I’m not sure what you’re driving at,” the attendee asked immediately without giving a pause.

Woo Jae-Hoon scanned his surroundings briefly before clearing his throat and replied, “I didn’t mean anything else; it’s just that you are both in different fields, isn’t it?”

“Are you referring to how I’m a poet, and Writer Ha Jae-Gun is a novelist?”

“There is that too, but Ha Jae-Gun—no, Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s novels… how should I say this, aren’t his works better labeled as light novels?”

The attendee blanked in an instant. When he recovered, he replied to Woo Jae-Hoon’s question, “Are you referring to the difference where I am part of the literary circle, and Writer Ha Jae-Gun is from the genre literature circle? I think the words ‘light novel’ that you used are referring to the genre literature.”

“Well, I won’t deny that.”

“So what are you trying to say here?”

“Sorry?”

“I initially directed this question to the deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture, but you’re the one who stepped up to answer in his stead.”

“Ah… Um…”

“Were you not prepared to answer my question in the first place?”

A hint of red flashed across Woo Jae-Hoon’s face.

However, the attendee continued, “Excuse me for saying this, but light novels too have their own purpose. And Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s works are not exactly considered light novels at all.”

There was a huge hint of sarcasm in those words.

Woo Jae-Hoon couldn’t hold back and refuted in anger. “I think you’re referring to Ha Jae-Gun’s earlier works, but that was back in his prime. What I’m saying is that a writer’s talents are limited as well. Look at the novel he’s been releasing recently. Can you find the same quality works he had from in the past?”

“And what’s the basis of said quality?”

Woo Jae-Hoon was boiling in anger by now. He looked at his bag before pulling out a book from it and raising it high up in the air. “Something like this!”

Everyone’s attention turned to the book in his hand.

It was The Malice, written by Eden Smith.

“I believe many of you here have also read this book. This novel depicts everything about a human being. A certain well-known professor in the literary circle also gave high praises for it. So shouldn’t a masterpiece be of similar quality? But this is also just an example.”

Woo Jae-Hoon did not give the attendee a chance to speak and pressed on. “Let’s be open about this. Sure, Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s current works are a bit more 'dense,' but why are they famous?

"It seems to me it was just because of the fact that he had become popular in both the literary and genre literature circles. Aren’t the performances from both sides almost the same? At least, that’s what I remember.”

“I think your memory has been distorted, Director Woo. Let’s say that was the case for Foolish Woman, which was awarded the Digital Literature Award, but I do not think that Storm and Gale, which was awarded the most prestigious Modern Youth Literature Award, should be taken so lightly.”

The attendee kept his eyes on the shaking Woo Jae-Hoon and added, “As the movie director for Summer in My 20s, I am quite surprised at your opinions on Writer Ha Jae-Gun.”

“Let’s just talk about the subject in question!” Woo Jae-Hoon roared, and then he downed an entire bottle of water.

The attendee then stood with a face of disappointment, giving up on this debate.

Kwon Sung-Deuk stepped up with a gentle smile, saying, “All of you are getting too excited at this event where we’re discussing issues pertaining to the nation’s interests. But, about The Malice, which Director Woo had brought up earlier, I heard that the writer could be a Korean?”

“Ah, yes, Assemblyman. The protagonist in the novel was born in Korea, and adopted to the U.S. That’s why readers are assuming that he could be a Korean-American. Have you read the book too?” Jae-Hoon asked.

“I’m from the C.B.C. after all. I wouldn’t leave out any novel that hasn’t become a hot topic. Hohoho.”

“Hahaha.”

The two broke into laughter amongst the expressionless crowd. Kwon Sung-Deuk then continued, “It was a masterpiece—different from the other commercial novels that would be forgotten over time. It was definitely worthy of its nomination for the Prix Goncourt.”

“I totally agree with you, Assemblyman.”

“I’d be ecstatic to learn that Eden Smith really was a Korean. Of course, I would prepare huge amounts of budget for such writers. After all, we have to promote their great works and Korea to the world.”

“Assemblyman, you indeed have a good eye as someone from the C.B.C.”

The Q&A was no longer important here. Both Kwon Sung-Deuk and Woo Jae-Hoon were immersed in their own exchange, and the audience watched on, at a loss for words.

Even both Yoon Tae-Sung and Lee Eun-Ha had stopped paying attention long ago and were locked in their own thoughts for a while.

Woo Jae-Hoon stared at Kwon Sung-Deuk and said, “And I hadn’t expected to tell you this here. I’m actually in the middle of negotiations with the writer of The Malice for a movie adaptation. I can’t help myself when I see a good novel.”

“Oho, is that so?” Sung-Deuk raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Yoon Tae-Sung and Lee Eun-Ha looked at each other. They knew that Ha Jae-Gun was the real identity behind Eden Smith, but Woo Jae-Hoon didn’t seem like he was bluffing either.

On the other hand, Oh Myung-Suk glared at Kwon Sung-Deuk and Woo Jae-Hoon with an icy look. He could see how the two were trying to put down Ha Jae-Gun, and this was by far the worst political debate he had ever attended.

If it weren’t for his father, he would have rebutted at some point in time.

Just then, his phone vibrated; an email had been sent to his inbox. Oh Myung-Suk opened his inbox and found it to be from Ha Jae-Gun. It was a letter for the readers of The Malice.

***

[Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk emphasizes the importance of content in political debate and mentions Eden Smith’s novel, The Malice]

[Movie Director Woo Jae-Hoon: The Malice is a masterpiece. I can’t help but want it under my belt]

[Woo Jae-Hoon’s next production is Prix Goncourt’s nominated novel, The Malice?!]

[Reviews of the political debate’s attendees spread on social media: Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk and Movie Director Woo Jae-Hoon attacks Writer Ha Jae-Gun?]

[Sales of the fourth reprint of The Malice have increased once more. Is it the result of getting mentioned in a political debate?]

[The Malice announced in the final list of nominees for Prix Goncourt, rave reviews from all walks of life]

Sales of The Malice soared once more. The political debate could be considered a part of the reason behind the sudden surge in sales, but it wasn't the main reason. After all, no one was really interested in the debate.

The reason behind the sudden surge in sales was a certain review on the internet.

The review recounted the Q&A session in detail, where both Ha Jae-Gun and Eden Smith were mentioned. The review was quickly shared across the Internet, and it drove the sales of The Malice to the moon.

“Woo Jae-Hoon really wants to become the movie director for The Malice,” Park Do-Joon commented coldly as he looked at his phone.

He had come over to Ha Jae-Gun’s to hang out on his day off. “He must be feeling anxious. The book has passed the second round of nominations for Prix Goncourt, and if it eventually gets awarded as the final winner, it's going to be even harder for him to get his hands on the copyright.”

Ha Jae-Gun responded with a faint smile without saying anything Park Do-Joon was right. One Film had been calling OongSung daily with regards to the purchase of copyrights.

“Hey, Ha Jae-Gun. But aren’t they shooting themselves in the foot? Thanks to Woo Jae-Hoon and Kwon Sung-Deuk’s mindless talk, The Malice has gained even more sales. Can you imagine their expressions once they found out that you’re the writer? I laughed so hard just imagining it with Chae-Rin last night.”

“Yeah, I should probably send them a burger giftcon[2] each to thank them,” Ha Jae-Gun replied. He clicked on the forum where readers of The Malice had gathered. The member count had from 20,000 members to 40,000 members.

"A world full of malice?" The line made Ha Jae-Gun laugh.

1. The Korean word used here is “chanson.” ☜

2. Essentially ‘e-gifts.’ Gift cards, emoji/sticker sets on Kakaotalk, etc. ☜