Big Life

Chapter 276: How Far Can I Go (8)

[Ha Jae-Gun's hidden The Malice, an entirely different literacy sensibility pierced through the hearts of readers all around the globe.]

[The first Korean writer to be awarded the Prix Goncourt award from France, the story of the life of a modern man with commercialized emotions.]

Oh Myung-Suk's prediction did not stop at just a fuss. Once Eden Smith was revealed to be Ha Jae-Gun, the Korean literary world was flipped upside down.

Ha Jae-Gun had won the Digital Literature Award and the Modern Youth Literature Award in the past, but the outstanding achievements he had made so far were the secondary content created from his genre literature works.

In commercial terms, it was the first time that a Korean writer, who had established historic records, was awarded the Prix Goncourt Literature award. He had accomplished the feat, which even famous French writers had longed for the very same honor at the young age of thirty. It would be strange for there not to be a fuss made in Korea, where boundaries between genre and literary circles were strict.

The people who had been criticizing Ha Jae-Gun’s literary world with commercialization were mostly at a loss for words.

It was the same for the critics. Those who had been criticizing Ha Jae-Gun were being criticized by netizens on social media.

- Kekeke (self-proclaimed) Mr. Critic? The facts are out now, do you not have anything else to say? Please share with us your review after reading The Malice.

- You deleted the post where you mentioned Ha Jae-Gun was a frog in the well, citing The Malice as an example. But so what? That post has been screenshotted and is being shared on the internet.

- Mr. Critic? You’ve been scathingly criticizing how Ha Jae-Gun is a B-rated writer and has been lucky so far. I’m missing your sharp judgement quite a lot today.

- Please let me know once you've been fired from your job, Mr. Critic. My family restaurant is currently hiring. ^^

None of the critics could respond to the netizens’ criticism. The majority of them had stopped posting on their social media and had disappeared completely, even though they had been pretty active in expressing their thoughts freely on those platforms.

Among them, one of the critics even made it to the news. It was the person who repeatedly criticized how Ha Jae-Gun was a commercial pulp-fiction writer in a famous monthly literary magazine.

However, ever since the reveal that Ha Jae-Gun was the writer behind The Malice, the critic, who was also a fixed panelist on a literature-related radio show, was criticized heavily by fans on the program’s bulletin board.

The site was eventually paralyzed due to the surge in visitors. The critic in question eventually dropped out of the program voluntarily, unable to withstand the criticism from the fans. This happened even before the paralyzed website was restored.

[I’m scared of the malicious comments concerning Writer Ha Jae-Gun. The procession lined up behind me isn’t due to some special event. It’s the line of readers looking to purchase The Malice.]

The huge interest soon translated into sales. It was a situation where it was meaningless to point out if The Malice on on its fifth, sixth, or seventh reprint. An online blog even said that there was no way to purchase the book because too many people were purchasing it.

“Deputy Kim! Don’t send it to the storeroom and send them all out to the shelves instead.”

“Sorry? We have five hundred copies coming in today, Store manager."

“Didn’t yesterday’s sales give you a sense of direction? There’s no need to go through all the trouble. It’ll be sold out again in the morning, so just bring them out to the front.”

It wasn't just in Seoul; the large bookstores in all other regions were well-stocked with The Malice on their shelves. It was to the point where the staff at the bookstores need not move the books into the store as the books were being sold as soon as they were sent over.

Thanks to that, Oh Myung-Suk and Chae Yoo-Jin became extremely busy. The former was the editor-in-chief of OongSung Publication Group, while the latter was the broker. They both have different jobs, but the two put their best foot forward for The Malice.

Hundreds of emails were exchanged daily between companies from all over the world, and they all expressed their interest in purchasing the copyrights to The Malice. The work had been awarded in the Prix Goncourt, so its true value was beginning to show overseas.

***

On a winter night before December arrived, Chae Yoo-Jin had just conveyed a piece of shocking news to Oh Myung-Suk, who had just returned home from work. Oh Myung-Suk did not even have the chance to take off his coat as he stared agape at Chae Yoo-Jin.

“First place? Already?”

“Yeah.” Chae Yoo-Jin held out her phone at Oh Myung-Suk’s face, grinning with joy.

The screen showed the bestseller ranking list. However, what shocked Oh Myung-Suk the most was that the list came from France, not Korea. The Malice was proudly listed at the top of that list, and the sales had hit 377,000 copies sold.

“I never thought it’d be so soon. Korea did hit the first place some time back, but I thought it would take a while more in France.”

“The representative from Etoile said sales soared five times more ever since the announcement of the Prix Goncourt award.”

“Is this ranking real? I’m not sure about the market in France.” Oh Myung-Suk couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Chae Yoo-Jin immediately put down her phone and said, “This piece of news is from Le Figaro.”

“Ahh…” Oh Myung-Suk nodded. the name was enough to convince him of its trustworthiness.

Le Figaro was a French daily newspaper established in 1826, and it was also one of the top three most prestigious newspapers in the world, along with Le Monde and Libération.

“France also has strict standards for putting bestsellers on their list; they research all the retailers that distribute books in mainland France. There should be around 3,500 of those bookstores, marts, and even convenience stores; as long as they sell books they're included. Of course, online sales are included as well.”

“You’re indeed a competent agent. I’m in awe of your extensive knowledge.”

“Listen, the popular novels on the bestsellers list in France have remained unchanging since last year until now. It has been that way all along until things began changing little by little. The tastes of the readers in France have changed, and it was all because of Mr. Ha’s The Malice. Even Libération has written an article about it. Want to take a look? Nah, I’ll show you.”

Chae Yoo-Jin tapped on her phone screen, but Oh Myung-Suk pulled her into a hug instead as he chuckled. Chae Yoo-Jin's bulging belly felt warm in his embrace.

“You think it’s troublesome to read it, right?”

“No. I just can’t suppress my love for you.”

“I love you more, but I’ve something else to show you aside from France.” Chae Yoo-Jin pushed Oh Myung-Suk away and looked up another article to show him.

This time, it was an article from Germany.

[The best literature of the year - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]

“Um…”

“You can paint the picture with that title, right? There's a fire going on in Germany right now, and I've heard from the publishers that they’ve gone into the 5th reprint.” Oh Myung-Suk nodded and focused on reading the article.

Compliments on The Malice were plenty among the press in Germany, such as the famous weekly newspaper Der Spiegel, and daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, as well as the Frankfurter Rundschau amongst many others.

“Shall I give you an explanation on Germany in the capacity of a competent agent?” Chae Yoo-Jin grinned as she stood proudly with her arms crossed. “More than forty percent of the public obtain information of books from broadcasts in Germany, as broadcasts have traditionally played an important role in dealing with literature.”

“So you’re saying that this is quite a big deal.”

“Yeah. There’s a program on the public broadcasting station ZDF in Germany called Literature Quartet. It’s the most influential literary program in Germany, and I heard they’re covering The Malice in the following episode after the next.”

“Really?”

“Why would I joke about such things? It’ll soon be Germany after France. And which country will come next? I got over seventeen publishers from the U.K. calling me to ask about the copyright today. Huhuhu—” Chae Yoo-Jin suddenly stopped laughing, turning expressionless. Then, she slowly rested her phone on her bulging belly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just felt a kick…”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s quite often… I-it hurts…! Honey! My stomach hurts!” Chae Yoo-Jin’s face quickly distorted in pain as she sat down on the bed.

Oh Myung-Suk’s face turned pale in an instant, and he yelled for help after flinging the door open.

***

The world was going crazy about The Malice, but Ha Jae-Gun’s daily life remained peaceful, as he was only focused on his writing. There was no need for him to step out of his house. He had been holed up in Lee Soo-Hee’s apartment, spending time writing leisurely, playing with Rika and Nun-Sol, reading, watching movies, and studying all sorts of dishes to make for Lee Soo-Hee upon her return from work.

Lee Soo-Hee headed out for work as usual on a December morning, and Ha Jae-Gun put down the book he was reading to answer a call that had just come in.

“Hello, Mr. Lin Minhong. Have you arrived? Ah, yes, I understand. I’m fine with any restaurant you choose. Okay, I’ll see you later in the evening at Yeouido.” Ha Jae-Gun hung up the phone and stretched his body lazily.

He was scheduled to meet CEO Mao Yen and Department Head Lin Minhong today. Thinking that he’d have to step out of the house after a long while made him feel lethargic.

‘I’m not sleepy… but I’m bored. Maybe I should leave early and take a walk outside?’

Ha Jae-Gun made up his mind and headed to the shower, changing into a new set of clothes. He picked up the bag with his laptop and was putting on his shoes when his phone rang. The name shown on the caller ID made him smile.

The call was from Park Jung-Jin.

“Why would you call out of the blue at this hour on a weekday?”

— You’re always asking a question as soon as you answer the phone. I took an off-in-lieu today after working overtime last week just to meet a deadline. What are you doing?

“I’ve been staying home the last few days and was feeling gloomy, so I was about to go out of the house. I’m thinking of stopping by the bookstore and then heading to the cafe after.”

— That’s great, come and hang out with me today.

“Ah, but I’ve got an appointment later tonight at 7 pm with Teencent Pictures. I’ve got to be at Yeouido by 7 pm. Are you okay with that?”

— Hyo-Jin is getting off work by that time, too. Do you really think I’d leave my beloved wife alone and hang out with you after 7 pm?

“Aigoo, I see. Alright then. Where do you want to meet? I’m heading out now.”

— I’ll probably take one and a half hours to reach. Send me the address of your regular spot since you’ll be there writing anyway, so I’ll just head straight over.

“Okay, see you later.” Ha Jae-Gun stepped out into the cold, trembling slightly as he took wide strides.

He loved the scenery before him as he headed to take the town bus before changing to the subway. He kept his smile on throughout his journey until the cafe without a hitch.

“Aigoo! Isn’t this the great writer Eden Smith!” The cafe owner clapped as soon as Ha Jae-Gun walked through the door. Ha Jae-Gun frowned slightly and looked around the cafe. He smiled upon noticing that he was the first customer of the day.

Fortunately, no one else was there to hear the cafe owner's words.

“How have you been?”

“I’m good aside from the stomachache I had in the morning, which resulted in me opening the cafe later than usual today. Anyway, I was wondering when you’d drop by for a while. Please sign The Malice for me.”

Ha Jae-Gun signed the cafe owner’s book and took his usual seat. A while later, the cafe owner came to his table with a tray of Ha Jae-Gun’s usual beverage.

“You don’t have to bring this to me every time.”

“Do you know how popular my cafe has become, all thanks to you? Don’t say that, okay? I’m doing this out of gratitude and wouldn’t want to accept a single cent from you.”

The cafe owner spoke in such a firm tone that Ha Jae-Gun could only smile bitterly in return. The cafe owner patted his chest and added confidently, “Let me know what else you’d like to have, even if it’s not on the menu. I’ll make sure to prepare it for you.”

“I’m always grateful to you.”

“Haha, I won’t bother you at work any further then.”

Ha Jae-Gun took a sip of his coffee and turned on his laptop. He was about to start typing when he felt someone behind him. He turned around to see the elderly man in a custom-made hanbok.

“Ah, sir. Hello.”

“You’ve been achieving good results.” The elderly man skipped his greetings.

Knowing that he was referring to The Malice, Ha Jae-Gun smiled shyly and lowered his head slightly.

“I saw you in here while I was passing by; I came here to praise you.”

“Thanks a lot. Your help has been great.”

“You’ll become an even greater writer than you are right now. Readers all over the world will cry and laugh over your works. So no matter how tough it gets, don’t ever give up. You have to believe in yourself.”

“I’m not sure what I should do with your excessive praise. I will keep in mind not to give up on myself.”

The elderly man smiled with his parched lips after giving Ha Jae-Gun an unusually long and high praise. The rare smile infected Ha Jae-Gun as well.

Just then, Jung-Jin appeared behind the elderly man.

“Hey, didn’t I arrive sooner than expected?”

“Oh, you’re quite early. Ah, this is my friend. Jung-Jin, this is…”

“Sorry, excuse me for a while. I think I had some expired yogurt earlier. Where is the washroom? Oh no, it’s coming out!” Park Jung-Jin found the washroom and ran over at the speed of light.

Ha Jae-Gun shook his head helplessly and apologized, “I’m sorry; he must have been panicking.”

“Mm, I’ll get going first.” The elderly man grunted and then turned around.

As he took a step out, Ha Jae-Gun added, “Why don’t you stay for a cup of tea, sir?”

“No, I have to go now.”

“To Gyeongju?”

“Yes. I’ll see you again.” The elderly man disappeared past the partition in a blur.

The short meeting was now familiar to him. The elderly man would show up and then leave after a while. A few minutes later, Park Jung-Jin grinned as he came out from the washroom.

“I almost shat in my pants. Why did it happen as soon as I got off the train?”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled faintly instead of commenting about the fuss Park Jung-Jin had made. Noticing Ha Jae-Gun’s blank expression, Park Jung-Jin asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nah, I was just thinking about something.”

“What about? Lee Soo-Hee?”

“No…”

Ha Jae-Gun let out a short sigh as he glanced in the direction where the elderly man had left. “I was thinking of the elderly man who was with me earlier.”

“Earlier? What elderly man?” Park Jung-Jin asked, wide-eyed.

Ha Jae-Gun asked in surprise, “The elderly man standing here earlier. Didn’t you see him before going to the washroom?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You must have been really panicking earlier. I introduced you as my friend as soon as you came over,” Ha Jae-Gun said, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.

However, Park Jung-Jin seemed confused. “Since when did you introduce me? Huh? Ah, when you said this is my friend? Weren’t you on some video call on your laptop?”

“Park Jung-Jin, why are you making so many jokes today?”

“You often have meetings on your laptop, don’t you? But the elderly man, who is it?”

The smile on Ha Jae-Gun’s face had disappeared by now. Replaced by a serious expression, Ha Jae-Gun said, “That’s what I’m saying. The elderly man was next to me when you arrived, and he was in hanbok, too. He was right in front of you, so even if you were hurrying to the washroom, there was no way you couldn't have seen him…”

“Hey, Ha Jae-Gun. Are you joking with me right now?”

“What do you mean by joking? Stop it.”

Park Jung-Jin shut his mouth tight, and his eyes quivered in shock. He stared at Ha Jae-Gun as he swallowed a couple of times.

“What is it, Park Jung-Jin? Say it. What’s wrong?”

“Ha Jae-Gun.”

“What?”

“You’re not joking, right?”

“What joke?”

Park Jung-Jin massaged the back of his neck and tilted his head from side to side. He then leaned forward over the table, narrowing his distance with Ha Jae-Gun.

“You’re really okay, right?”

“What question is that?”

“I’m asking if you’re really okay after Myung-Hoon’s incident. Have you been sleeping well lately? How about your relationship with Lee Soo-Hee? Are you two doing fine? Have you been calling back home and your sister frequently?”

“I’m going to get angry if you go on like this.” The corner of Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes twitched in anger.

Park Jung-Jin scanned their surroundings, and his face turned pale. He squeezed his eyes tight and let out a sigh.

“Park Jung-Jin, what’s wrong?”

“Ha Jae-Gun…”

“Say it.”

“You were alone.”

“...?” Ha Jae-Gun’s eyes widened in shock.

Jung-Jin took a deep breath again, then added softly, “...You were alone the whole time, Ha Jae-Gun.”

J. Andie's Thoughts

Andie: I KNEW IT. THE ELDERLY MAN WAS ALL AN IMAGINATION!