Big Life

Chapter 278: Is This An Internal Strife (2)

“Ah… Yes.” Lin Minhong replied and quickly glanced at Mao Yen.

They had arranged for this meeting to discuss The Malice anyway, so Lin Minhong cautiously asked, “What is it that you would like to ask about?”

“Was it entertaining?”

“The Malice?”

“Yes, I’m wondering if the novel was entertaining.” The interpreter translated Ha Jae-Gun’s message to Mao Yen before Lin Minhong could do so.

Mao Yen nodded and then replied calmly, to which the interpreter conveyed as well. “She says she enjoyed the novel a lot. She couldn’t even sleep properly for a period of time after reading the ending, but she felt sorry now after knowing that it was written by Mr. Ha.”

“Sorry? Why?”

“She prided herself in being a huge fan of yours before and was able to recognize your works in an instant. So she felt sorry when she should have noticed that Eden Smith was you and is sorry that she should have contacted you much earlier.”

“Thank you so much.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled and bowed lightly.

Mao Yen responded with a slight bow as well. After a sip of tea, Ha Jae-Gun then looked at Mao Yen with a trusting look and said, “It’s enough for me that you have enjoyed the novel. I think I can leave the license in your hands with confidence this time as well.”

“Mr. Ha…?” Lin Minhong’s face lit up in an instant. Mao Yen had sensed the positive response before she could hear the interpretation and widened her eyes.

However, Ha Jae-Gun did not stop there. “But there’s another problem…”

“Problem? Please enlighten us.”

“If the production for the movie proceeds, will it be done by Teencent Pictures? Or will it be with Wizardry Pictures?”

“Ah, about that…”

“Suppose that The Malice is being set in the U.S. or because of other external production reasons that Wizardry Pictures takes over the movie production, would my opinions for the preferred director and actors still be taken into consideration?”

Lin Minhong and Mao Yen looked at each other, exchanging looks. They could guess Ha Jae-Gun’s intention behind this question. Moments later, Mao Yen nodded, and Lin Minhong asked, “Mr. Ha, are you saying that you have a director and a main actor in mind this time as well…?”

Ha Jae-Gun nodded, admitting to Lin Minhong. He recalled the scenes he had drawn in his mind while working on The Malice and said, “I always picture the scene in my head when I write my novels. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does that, it helps me to depict the scenes into words more vividly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I often fall into my own world of imagination back when I was still a no-name writer, wondering if my works will ever be turned into movies or dramas. I even wonder if they'll turn out exactly like how I had imagined them to be.”

Ha Jae-Gun scratched the back of his head shyly before saying, “And there are two people who had helped to bring my imagination to life, and so perfectly, much to my surprise. They had even expressed the messages in my works much better than I had expected.”

Lin Minhong didn’t need to hear the rest to know who those two people were. Even Mao Yen had the same thoughts after hearing from the interpreter. Ha Jae-Gun’s subsequent words only affirmed the fact.

“I hope Director Yoon Tae-Sung and actor Park Do-Joon could join in the production of this movie.”

“Ah…”

“It is my intention as the original work’s writer to have them as part of the production in order to bring out the best version of the world of The Malice to life. I believe that you can also put your trust in both of them.”

Mao Yen nodded in response. Just then, the door opened, and the servers streamed in with the first dish. Silence followed until everyone had a plate served before them. Mao Yen rubbed her palms together, seemingly in deep thought.

“Director Yoon and Mr. Park Do-Joon…” Mao Yen began after the servers left. “Are they both aware of your intentions?”

“No, this is the first time I’m voicing my opinion.”

“I see…”

“I can hand over the novel’s copyright to you right away; I’ll sign it if you have the contract for me. But as for the movie adaptation rights…” Ha Jae-Gun trailed off. He then stood up from his seat.

“Mr. Ha…?!”

Mao Yen followed suit in a hurry as Ha Jae-Gun approached her and bowed politely.

“Mr. Ha…? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“I’d like to express my most sincere gratitude to CEO Mao Yen.”

“Pardon…?”

“Putting our relationship as writer and CEO of a film production company aside, she has been looking after me in the most humane way possible. I am greatly indebted to her.”

The interpreter conveyed Ha Jae-Gun’s message to Mao Yen, who turned pale and shook her head in a flurry.

“No, no. Mr. Ha, we should be thanking you instead for your original work that we were able to produce such great movies. We’re the one indebted to you. It’s a favor we’re asking from you, so please take your seat. Department Head Lin, convey my words please, quickly.”

“As mentioned earlier, I can give you the copyrights to the novel today, but I will only give you a definite answer after the appointment of Director Yoon Tae-Sung and Do-Joon—no, Mr. Park Do-Joon has been confirmed for the movie. I feel regretful that this is all I could give you.”

Ha Jae-Gun then added another line silently. ‘I apologize for not being able to save your dignity this time as well.’

He had meant everything from the bottom of his heart. However, he couldn’t say it to her face as he had to save her pride, as a strong woman who had struggled to bring Teencent Pictures to its current position in the industry.

Ha Jae-Gun looked up again and saw that Lin Minhong and Mao Yen had yet to return to their seats amidst the solemn atmosphere. Even the servers who had returned to serve their second dish watched the scene blankly.

A while later…

“I understand.” Mao Yen finally spoke. As she looked at the nervous Ha Jae-Gun, she added firmly, “I will prepare another contract that includes the clause to take your opinions into account. I will have to ask Director Yoon and Mr. Park for their opinions on this.”

Ha Jae-Gun burst into admiration after hearing from the interpreter. He wouldn’t have been able to make such a swift decision if he were in her shoes, so he was in awe of Mao Yen, realizing that not everyone could be the head of Teencent Pictures.

“Please take a seat, Mr. Ha. The delicious food is cooling down as we speak.”

“Yes, thank you so much.”

Both Ha Jae-Gun and Mao Yen took their seats. Lin Minhong noted the tension in the air as they ate their dishes. Moments later, he carefully attempted to break the somewhat rigid atmosphere. “I’m glad things have turned out this way.”

“Glad?”

“Mr. Park Do-Joon is currently filming Records of the Modern Master in China, and he won’t be able to partake in the role before filming ends for that production. It’s a good thing that we can avoid premiering the movies at the same period of time, so I’m glad that we’ve avoided internal strife.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled widely at Lin Minhong’s joke. Mao Yen smiled as well.

Just like that, everyone could finally enjoy their dinner together.

***

‘There’s half a bottle of soju left…’ Ha Jae-Gun let out a long sigh as he opened the fridge. Had he known earlier, he would have stopped by the convenience store on the way home. He couldn’t be bothered to step out of the house now that he had bathed, so he pulled out the half-empty bottle of soju.

‘This should be sufficient as snacks.’ Ha Jae-Gun placed down the bottle of soju and soju glass on the coffee table in the living room. He also had a slice of cake he had bought from the cafe he frequented. He wasn’t confident that he could fall asleep without the assistance of alcohol, and it was all because the thoughts of the elderly man were still swimming in his mind.

He downed a glass of soju and took a bite of the cake. The pin-drop silence at home was so unbearable that he turned on the TV and the news began showing on the screen.

[Woo Jae-Hoon, who is currently under investigation for alleged assault, belatedly held a press conference. Netizens reacted negatively to his words, to which he said that he admits all his mistakes and will sincerely reflect upon himself. Let’s connect to the scene…]

Beep, beep, beep!

Ha Jae-Gun drank his second glass and turned around. The door opened and in came Lee Soo-Hee who had a scarf wrapped around her neck.

“You must be exhausted, right? Why are you working so late these days?”

“Of course, it’s because of The Breath Online.” Lee Soo-Hee took off her shoes and stood blankly as she looked at the coffee table. Her mouth hung open, speechless.

“You were drinking alone? Didn’t you meet the CEO of Teencent Pictures? You guys didn’t drink at all?”

“I didn’t drink much there, and it felt kind of lacking.”

“Gosh, why are you having cake with soju? Wait a minute; I’ll whip up something quick for you.”

“Don’t bother. There’s less than half a bottle of soju left, anyway.”

Lee Soo-Hee stopped taking off her coat and asked, “Shall we go out?”

“Go out?”

“Didn’t you say there isn’t enough alcohol? I saw a new short ribs restaurant at the intersection out front on the way home. I feel like having something spicy. Do you want to come along?”

“Sure, I'm going to change real quick.” Ha Jae-Gun headed into the room to change.

Lee Soo-Hee hummed a melody as she opened her bag. When she pulled out her wallet, she belatedly discovered the "existence" that was hidden under it.

‘Oh right, look at me. I was supposed to do this today…’

“Lee Soo-Hee, I’m all prepared.” Ha Jae-Gun approached as he put on a jacket.

Lee Soo-Hee flinched and quickly closed her bag. Then, she turned around and muttered, “L-let me go to the bathroom for a minute.”

“I’ll be watching the TV, so take your time.”

But Lee Soo-Hee took quite some time in the bathroom. Wondering if she was feeling sick, Ha Jae-Gun tilted his head to the side. Just then, Lee Soo-Hee stepped out of the bathroom.

“Ha Jae-Gun… I don’t think I can drink with you.”

“Huh? Are you not feeling well?”

“No. It’s just that my body hasn’t been feeling the same lately, so I just did a test… and…” Lee Soo-Hee trailed off as she showed him the pregnancy test kit.

“...!” Ha Jae-Gun stared at it blankly for a brief moment. Then, he ran up to her immediately with a bounce and hugged her tightly. As a writer, he felt pathetic for being unable to describe the joy he was feeling at the moment.

***

“Hey, Yeon-Woo. I heard that Jae-Gun hyung’s wife is pregnant.”

“Wow, really? How did you know?”

“I called him, and he shared the news with me. He seemed quite happy too. It’s my first time seeing him so happy like a child.” Yang Hyun-Kyung replied, “On top of that, he said that he hoped he’d get a daughter as his first child and then a son, which meant that his son would have an older sister. He even raved about how having an older sister is a great blessing in this world.”

“Jae-Gun hyung seems really happy. He didn’t seem like such a person before. Wow, now I feel like seeing him.”

Lee Yeon-Woo’s regretful gaze was directed at Ha Jae-Gun’s empty seat. Ever since his marriage, the number of days when Ha Jae-Gun would appear at the office had dropped significantly.

Lee Yeon-Woo felt deep in his bones how he missed those precious days when he would eat, sleep, and spend his days with Ha Jae-Gun in the office.

“Why? Do you miss Jae-Gun hyung?”

“Of course. Why are you asking the obvious, hyung?”

“That’s great. He’s actually coming to the office today to have lunch together with us.”

“What? Really? But why did you only mention this now?” Lee Yeon-Woo’s phone then rang. He hesitated as it was from an unknown number, but he still answered it anyway.

“Hello?”

— Excuse me, is this Writer Lee Yeon-Woo?

“Yes, you're speaking to him. Who is this?”

— Hello, Writer Lee. I’m Song Hyun-Jong, calling from the editorial department of Epic Sphere Publishing. I called you after reading your work.

“Ah, I see… which of my work?” Lee Yeon-Woo’s heart pounded madly against his chest. He had always been like this—easily excited. He wedged his phone between his ear and shoulder, and then he began looking up information on the Internet. He found that Epic Sphere was a publisher that specialized in travel and self-development books.

“Excuse me, you said you’re Mr. Song Hyun-Jong?”

— That’s right, Writer Lee.

“Sorry but I just looked up your company, and I think that the materials your company publishes are quite different from my works. I’m not sure if you’re mistaken, but I’m a writer writing fantasy and martial arts novels…”

— I am aware of it. I apologize for not explaining sooner. We’re actually interested in the posts you’ve uploaded on your blog.

“My blog posts?”

— Yes, the trivial and warm stories happening in the writer’s office had touched our hearts. I think it will receive a great response if it’s published in book form. I called as I’d like to ask for your opinion on this.

“Ah, I see…” Lee Yeon-Woo somehow felt dispirited. He wasn't a popular writer, but he was still a genre novelist. To think that he would be publishing a book with the contents from his blog posts. He didn’t feel happy about it at all.

Beep, beep, beep!

Beeping noises echoed from the door, pulling him back to reality. Convinced that it was Ha Jae-Gun, Lee Yeon-Woo quickly spoke into the phone, “I’m really sorry, but something urgent has come up. Let me think over this first, and I’ll contact you again in the next few days.”

— Yes, Writer Lee. Have a good day, and I’ll be waiting for your call.

As soon as Lee Yeon-Woo hung up the call, Ha Jae-Gun stepped through the door. Both Lee Yeon-Woo and Yang Hyun-Kyung’s eyes grew wide at the huge bag slung over his shoulder.

“Ha Jae-Gun hyung, what’s that bag for?”

“What else? I’m moving into the office.”

“You’re coming back to the office?”

“I'm going to come to the office every day until I finish The Breath Part Two. I always write better when working with you guys at the office when it comes to fantasy novels.”

Lee Yeon-Woo and Yang Hyun-Kyung grinned with happiness; they proceeded to help Ha Jae-Gun with his bag.

“You guys don't have to be so happy," Ha Jae-Gun said, "Lee Yeon-Woo, Yang Hyun-Kyung. If you've been laid back while I was away, then be prepared to become exhausted from now on.”

“I'm mentally prepared. Oh, Jae-Gun hyung, I heard from Hyun-Kyung hyung. Congratulations to you for your wife's pregnancy.”

“Thank you. Ah, but I'm really in a dilemma. What name should I give if it's a daughter? There are too many pretty names that I end up thinking about while working on my novel.”

“Hyung, sorry but I think it's best if you don't come up with a name,” Lee Yeon-Woo commented.

“What?”

“I agree with Yeon-Woo. Let your wife decide on their names.”

“Why are the both of you doing this? Are you saying that I'm that bad at coming up with names?”

“Well, why do you want to get confirmation on something so obvious… isn't that so, Yeon-Woo?”

“Yeah. You said that it'd be great to name my work Big Kwon is Coming in the past and that's just… Sigh. your naming sense is just eccentric.”

“You guys can go ahead without me and enjoy your lunch then.” Ha Jae-Gun picked up his bag once again and turned around to leave.

Lee Yeon-Woo and Yang Hyun-Kyung then stopped him in a hurry while bursting into laughter.

Tadadak! Tadadadak! Tadak!

Ha Jae-Gun began working on The Breath Part Two before the New Year on a December afternoon.

While production of the movies The Breath and Records of the Modern Master were ongoing in the U.S. and China, the copyright to The Malice had just been confirmed to have been sold to twenty countries globally.