Chapter 107 – Shared Table (1)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
"Sigh. I don't even know anymore."
Bom let out a faint sigh. She had been stuck in a rut for an entire hour.
'I don't understand. I have a plot, and all I gotta do is follow the trail. Why is this so hard?'
She stared at her work on the screen. Her pace started to slow down noticeably from the previous day, when she first found out about having her novel displayed in the library.
She was wavering on whether or not she wanted to have her work on display for public viewing. Not many people would read it because there weren't that many students in the library at any one point.
However, she still felt nervous. It had nothing to do with how many people would read her work. It was the very existence of readers that she found to be burdensome. Having been a reader thus far, she was feeling the weight of being a writer for the first time. 'How would people judge my novel? What would they think of and reflect upon?'
Deep inside, she wanted to be complimented by her readers. She wanted to keep her weaknesses hidden and only hear good things, but she didn't feel confident.
Bom read through her novel and was left feeling unsatisfied. It was nowhere near good enough to let others read it. 'This won't do. I better write it again.' Just like that, she deleted everything she had written thus far. The empty screen began to suffocate her, leaving her feeling helpless. At that moment, she turned around to look at Juho, who had been concentrating hard on something. He was the only person in the computer room who had completed his manuscript, a long time ago at that. 'How did he do it? This is so depressing and anxiety-inducing. So, how was he able to stay in a place like this and move forward?'
The bell rang and signaled the end of the club activity. The club members took their hands off of the keyboard one by one.
"Ugh. My shoulders are killing me," said Sun Hwa, stretching her arms toward the ceiling. It wasn't until then that Bom looked away from Juho. Having been stared at intently by her, Juho also stopped writing and showed his face above the monitor.
"Working hard, I see?"
"Of course! But it feels like it's not going anywhere."
"Me too," Bom interjected quickly. She was probably not the only one who was struggling.
Looking at the sad expressions on their faces, Juho asked light-heartedly, "Are you guys stuck?"
"Yeah... and I don't know why," said Sun Hwa, sighing.
"I'm distracted thinking about my work being on display..."
At Bom's answer, Sun Hwa buried her face in her arms on the desk. She had also been fighting that same battle.
"So, are you going to have it on display?" Seo Kwang asked light-heartedly, with not a worry in the world.
"You're not, huh?" Sun Hwa asked.
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"Nope."
"What brought you to that decision?"
"I have no desire."
"What desire?"
"The desire to be an author."
It was the same for Sun Hwa. Pursuing writing as a livelihood had never crossed her mind. It had been no more than a club activity, and it would remain as a fond memory one day.
"I'm not planning on being an author either," said Bom.
Yet, there was something bothering her. Something didn't quite add up. Like Seo Kwang, she should have been able to make a decision and be at peace. What made it so complicated?
"You already are authors," said Juho.
"Who?"
"All of us. Aren't we all writing? That makes each and every one of us an author."
"A real author would laugh at what you said."
"It doesn't matter if I get laughed at or not. An author is an author."
"Why are you saying that to me though?"
"I guess it's because you really look like one wrestling with your own work?"
"... Really?"
It hadn't been an ill-intended remark. The thought of considering herself as an author had never crossed Sun Hwa's mind. Now, after having listened to Juho, she started to feel more convinced. According to Juho's logic, she was already an author.
"Well, I'm planning on being an author for myself and myself alone, so I've got nothing to worry about."
Sun Hwa grew irritated by Seo Kwang's light-hearted remarks. As fun as the Literature Club was, making such a big decision had been just the opposite. She found no joy in wrestling with her own work. Writing wasn't always fun. At that moment, Bom asked, "So... Do you think I should have it on display?"
She seemed rather worried.
Resting his chin on his hand, Juho answered absent-mindedly, "Why?"
"Huh?" she became flustered by Juho's answers. "Well, unlike Seo Kwang, I do have somewhat of a desire to be an author. Anyway, I want to show it to other people, but I am a little concerned. Authors write things to be read by others, right?"
A complicated answer. Bom found herself getting lost in her thoughts, but Juho interjected.
"Then, do it," he said light-heartedly.
"Wow, really? How could you be so nonchalant about this? Is it because it has nothing to do with you!?" Sun Hwa objected angrily.
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"Nonchalant? Are you telling me that you didn't hear me rooting for Bom?"
"Not one bit," said Bom, looking sad.
"It sounds like you wanted people to read your novel, but you're afraid, so now you can't even write. Right?" asked Juho, summarizing her thoughts into concise words.
"... Probably."
"Somebody told me that I shouldn't be afraid of something preemptively."
Just as Bom had a realization, the bell rang. Grumbling, everyone resumed the work on their computers. Bom was one of them.
Having watched it all from his seat, Juho also redirected his attention to his screen. He had been rather satisfied with his seat. There was very little chance of getting caught by the other club members for doing other things. It gave him the advantage of being able to respond quickly to any approaching person. In other words, no one would know what he was working on.
Juho thought, organizing the overall background in his mind, 'Now, companions.' Unlike the protagonist of 'Grains of Sand,' the protagonist in the full-length novel had a companion who accompanied him on his journey.
Juho peeked over his monitor. The club members came into view. They were his writing companions. It was a small club made of four freshmen, including himself, a sophomore, and a teacher.
'A party of four should be enough. Maybe I should make them all the same age while I'm at it?' he thought.
'Although having gone to the same school, the four companions had never interacted with one another as students. It wasn't until their adulthood, as four very different individuals who had been walking their own separate paths, that they came together to embark on a journey.' Juho wrote busily.
'The protagonist had a reputation for his unpleasant personality. One day, he discovered the location where God had been hiding, but that knowledge made him a laughing stock. He was mocked and ridiculed by his teachers, coworkers, parents, and even the local children. The man's relationship with those around him became more and more twisted. Nobody trusted the man, and people started to warn one another to refrain from getting any closer than necessary. However, there were exceptions. Three, to be precise.'
The image of each companion rushed past Juho's mind. He thought of the conditions he wanted to apply to the three companions. While being the same age as the protagonist, they each had to have a business with God. Meanwhile, they each retained their own distinct perspective of their world. As long as those conditions were kept, the personalities of the companions mattered little.
An idealist or a realist. A cold or passionate person. While there would be conflicting personalities, some would get along rather well. Each having led a life distinct from one another, the four friends repeated the process of helping and hurting each other. Juho gave each of them more shape and asked the question, 'How have you all been making a living?'
Juho thought of the language he had created in his textbook. Because they would be in a mountainous region, it made sense for the surrounding environments to be green. And because of the preexisting agriculture, the language of the region would be optimized for describing the climate.
'Plants, farming, crop, climate. It'd be nice to have a cook in the party,' Juho thought.
The cook would be able to showcase the unique food culture of that region. In order to maximize that role, the cook needed to have a distinct characteristic. At that moment, Juho remembered the research data he had looked at while being in Geun Woo's studio. Cannibalism. Juho felt his stomach turning. 'Maybe the cook can be a vegetarian,' he thought to himself.
He continued in his train of thought. 'A person closely attached to the region's lifestyle. The kind of person who is needed the most in that world. What about art? How would art have developed in that region? Pottery!'
While conversing with Seo Joong at his house, Juho had once brought up a potter. 'A potter. An artist. It'd be interesting to have someone who wanted to show off his creation to God.'
On the other hand, Juho felt the need for a companion who was medically trained or sensitive to current events or politics. 'Doctor, soldier. A medic?' Suddenly, he thought of a face that gave off an aggressive impression; someone who would think of inflicting pain before asking questions.
'A misanthropic translator, a vegetarian cook, a narcissistic potter, and an aggressive medic. That should do it. They're all about to leave for a journey, so it would make more sense if their careers were something of the past,' Juho thought. Each one of the companions was capable of stirring up enough trouble on their own. Juho imagined the four leaving their homes and careers behind in order to embark on their journey.
"Hello," Juho answered the phone in a hoarse voice. He had been writing for quite some time without speaking.
"What the? You haven't just woken up, have you?"
"Of course not. The sun's up and high. I've been working."
"Aha! Working on another book, are we Mr. Woo?" Seo Joong said playfully on the other end of the line. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"
KH999 - វិបផតថលហ្គេមកាស៊ីណូដ៏ល្បីល្បាញឈានមុខគេនៅ Cambodia
ចំណុចប្រទាក់ខ្មែរប្រពៃណី – ប៉ុន្តែការលេងហ្គេមទំនើបណាស់។
"Oh, no! I was about to take a break anyway. Is everything OK?"
"Well, it's not that something happened..." he hesitated. Juho waited patiently. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to Madame Song's restaurant with me. You said you're working, so I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet?"
Juho remembered what Madame Song had said on his way out after his meal with Hyun Do Lim, 'Come get what you like next time you're here!'
"Sounds great. Where should we meet?"
Like before, the bell rang as the door opened. It was serving its purpose faithfully, and nothing seemed to have changed in the restaurant.
"Please, follow me."
Madame Song led them to a table. Wearing his black sweat pants and shirt proudly, Seo Joong walked into the restaurant. Juho followed. As they were about to go into a room, a voice sounded from behind them.
"Oh, hey! Ahn!"
"Eh?"
Ahn. Despite the seemingly unfamiliar name, Seo Joong and Juho turned around in the direction of the voice. There were two people sitting in the room next door.
"Long time no see!"
"Still walking around in a daze, I see."
"I'm awake."
"Right, right."
The woman was in a semi-formal attire. Leaning against her chair, her posture gave off a somewhat threatening impression.
"I don't think I've met your friend here. Where's Dong Gil?"
"Who knows? Probably reading Hemingway somewhere."
Juho greeted the woman, "Hello."
"Hi, are you the brother?"
Her tone had suddenly become friendlier.
Glancing at Seo Joong, Juho gave an answer, "Not biologically."
"Is that so? I'm an author. I became one long before this guy."
'An author.' Juho quietly studied her face. She seemed somewhat familiar. It might have something to do with her being an author. 'Where did I see that face?' Pictures of authors floated around in his head.
At that moment, Seo Joong whispered to him, "That's Dae Soo Na."
"Ah...!" A cry of realization sounded from Juho. Dae Soo Na. Her novels tended to be aggressive and violent. Yet, because of her cinematic directing, she had a rather substantial fanbase. Of course.
"Haircut?" Seo Joong asked as he looked at her short hair. Juho had been thinking the same thing. She looked quite different from the picture. It made sense that he hadn't recognized her immediately.
"It's been getting hot lately, so I just just cut it short."
"It suits you well."
"I think so too. If you don't mind, do you want to join us?"
Because it would have been awkward to stand around, Juho and Seo Joong nodded in agreement. Her companion, who had remained quiet, also nodded shyly.
Chapter 108 – Shared Table (2)
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
As Juho and Seo Joong took their seats, Dae Soo introduced her companion, "This, is a close friend of mine. Have you read 'Behind the Curtains?'"
"Ah! Yes, I've enjoyed it quite a bit. You're talking about the Dr. Dong series, right?"
'Behind the Curtains' was a detective novel that introduced the character so called "Dr. Dong." Referred to as 'The Dr. Dong Series,' by readers, the series was going into its fifth book.
"This is the mastermind behind that series," said Dae Soo, putting her hand on her companion's shoulder. Juho was already acquainted with her.
"Mideum Choo, right?"
"Seeing how you even know her by name, you must be quite a reader yourself."
Being one of the names that always came up when discussing detective novels, Mideum had written multiple books of the genre. Juho looked at her sitting beside Dae Soo. When together, the two authors were a powerhouse when it came to their unapologetic plot development.
"She might be a little shy, but once you get to know her, she's tons of fun to be around," said Seo Joong. He must have known her. At that moment, Juho's eyes met with her's.
"Hello," Mideum greeted him. Though he was hearing her voice for the first time, he realized that he had met her before.
"I know you," she said.
She sounded bashful, but there was a strong sense of curiosity behind her words. Her tone was quite different from how Juho remembered it. 'It's her!' She was the person who had shouted joyfully in the restroom at Madame Song's restaurant.
"Eh? How do you know each other?" asked Dae Soo.
"Oh, I know him, but I don't think he knows me though," Mideum said confidently. "I saw him here. You were with Mr. Lim, right?"
"Yes, I was," Juho answered.
"So, are you really a relative of his? Is that how you were able to get in touch with Seo Joong?" she asked with her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Her initially shy demeanor seemed to have evaporated up to the sky. 'So, she writes detective novels, huh?' Juho thought. He came to realize that an author's reasoning skills were not necessarily proportionate to that of their detective protagonist.
"Oh, yeah! You mean when we were talking on the phone that one time? So, you're the one she was talking about!" Dae Soo said as her memory finally caught up with her.
"You're Mr. Lim's relative, right?"
While Juho contemplated how to answer Mideum's question, Seo Joong was entertained while watching from the side. As the target of the uncomfortable attention, Juho parted his lips to say, "I'm not, unfortunately."
Strong disappointment washed over Mideum, apparent in her expression.
"Then, how do we explain this? Should we even be asking?" Dae Soo asked, looking confused. She seemed like she would be willing to back down from the question at any given minute.
"You'll be surprised to know who I am," Juho said with a smile.
"We have a detective right here," Seo Joong murmured. Wearing a doubtful look, Dae Soo took turns to looked at Juho and Seo Joong.
"Wait a minute... How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen."
"You're not related to Seo Joong, and you didn't seem phased when I mentioned Dong Gil either. On top of that, Mr. Lim. We're also in a restaurant known to be a regular spot for writers..."
"What are you saying, Dae Soo?" asked Mideum.
"Hold on," said Dae Soo, still lost in thought. At that moment, she looked up at Juho with piercing eyes. "I did hear that Dong Gil met someone. Since we're already discussing identities here, you wouldn't mind if I took a guess, would you?"
"Not at all."
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With Juho's permission, she blurted out her guess immediately, "Are you Yun Woo?"
"Pleased to meet you," said Juho with a light nod.
The room grew silent. Upon looking up, Juho's eyes met with Mideum's.
"What..." she murmured in disbelief, "the...heck!? Are you for real!?"
With that, Dae Soo let out a hearty laugh. The room became filled with her laughter and Mideum exclaiming still in disbelief. At that moment, the door opened and Madame Song walked in. Looking at the four people sitting around the table, she said, "This must be where all the authors are sitting."
"This is real," said Mideum, slowly coming to grasp the reality of it.
"Your timing couldn't have been better, Madame Song," Dae Soo said.
A word tended to change its meaning depending on the situation. It was clear that Madame Song had included Juho as an author because it had happened immediately after Juho had revealed his identity. Seeing how Dae Soo and Mideum responded peculiarly, her cub-like appearance stiffened up, and she asked, "... Did I say something wrong?"
"Oh, no! nothing."
"... Huh."
With that, she handed them the menu. Remembering his promise with her, Juho studied it carefully. From beef to salmon, there was quite an array of dishes using all sorts of ingredients.
"You don't happen to carry crow meat, do you?"
"Haha! Is that what you like?"
"Oh, I'm just asking. I've been taking interest in them."
"Well, how about a different bird, like chicken? I recommend it to my customers."
"OK, sounds great."
Once the rest of the crew had placed their orders, Madame Song left the room.
As soon as she left, Dae Soo said to Mideum with remnants of excitement on her face, "You never know who you're gonna meet nowadays. What are the odds of running into Yun Woo here??"
"I know, right!?" said Mideum, just as excited.
"Also, I can see that your reasoning skills haven't improved much."
"I know, right...?" she didn't sound so excited that time.
In Madame Song's own words, the room was filled with authors. There was a reason for that restaurant to have developed a reputation as a regular spot for writers.
"I was shocked too. I had no clue you guys would be here! Might as well enjoy ourselves a little while we're here. Should we order some drinks?" said Seo Joong.
"Aren't you a lightweight?" asked Dae Soo, snickering.
"You two aren't. Two Cokes, and two sojus. It evens out perfectly."
"OK, if you insist. Why don't we order some wine?" Dae Soo agreed.
"OK, Dae Soo," said Mideum.
The Cokes and the glasses of wine made their way onto the table as it filled with the dishes they had ordered. Cutting a piece of his chicken, Juho brought it up to his mouth. The distinct flavor of the sauce worked in harmony with the tender meat. It was scrumptious.
"This is delicious!"
"Right? You can taste the love," Dae Soo said while eating. "I enjoyed 'The Sound of Wailing,' quite a bit. It was really potent."
It was a concise review, and Juho thanked her.
"So, you really are real... like, a person."
"Did you think I was not a person?"
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"Well, how should I put it...? I was getting the impression that you didn't actually exist because hardly anything about you was known to the public. Of course, it's not like a machine could write a book or anything."
With that, Dae Soo lowered her voice and asked, "I've been really curious about Yun Woo's writing process. Since we're here, you wouldn't mind if I ask a thing or two about it, would ya?"
"Sure, but there's nothing special."
"Oh, come on."
"Really, I mean it."
There was nothing special in his writing process. He simply thought of an idea, and turned it into writing.
"So, how did you come to start writing?" Mideum asked curiously.
"I was bored."
"So, for fun?"
"It was easygoing in the beginning."
"That happens. Then, how did you come up with the mother in 'The Sound of Wailing?' She was incredible as a character. Was there a model in real life?"
"No, there was no model."
"So, it's all in your head?" Dae Soo interjected.
"You can say that. Although, I got the idea of using the cigarette as the medium elsewhere."
"Impressive. It couldn't have been easy to describe smoking in such great detail purely with imagination."
Just as Dae Soo had said, one wouldn't be able to meet her within the boundaries of mere imagination.
"So, I went a little deeper."
"Deeper?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Into a situation that I had created."
"Sounds a tad bit too abstract."
"I didn't have a choice. This is how I go about creating my characters. It's difficult to convey something while it's raw."
"I see," Dau Soo said. "Well, this auntie doesn't give up on something just because it's difficult. Tell me more," she said, raising her glass.
On that note, Juho organized his thoughts as he took a sip of water. He had never really talked about his writing process. He hadn't interacted with other authors in the past, and he had never received any formal training. In other words, he had had no one to talk to back then. Feeling somewhat odd, Juho began to explain.
"So, what I do is actually quite simple. I simply see, feel and write."
"What do you see, and how do you feel?"
"I see and feel what I want to at the moment."
"That's deep," Mideum interjected. Juho rephrased his words.
"I think fantasy is a better word than imagination in my case. Remember I said I put myself in a situation that I had created myself? As long as there's a space detailed enough, a character is able to reveal their shape, whether it's complete or not. In terms of detailed space, anything goes really. The number of trees in the street, dents on walls, a trash pile in an alleyway. Anything can be used for detail. If I'm in a hurry, I can just call for the character to where I'm at in the moment."
Because he was working on two stories simultaneously, Juho hadn't been able to go too far away from home or school.
"So... do you call for your characters AFTER you've already brainstormed?"
"No, it happens at the same time. The story becomes clearer as I interact with them."
ចំណុចប្រទាក់ខ្មែរប្រពៃណី – ប៉ុន្តែការលេងហ្គេមទំនើបណាស់។
KH999 - វិបផតថលហ្គេមកាស៊ីណូដ៏ល្បីល្បាញឈានមុខគេនៅ Cambodia
Dae Soo was furrowing her forehead.
"Is it an improvised process?"
"Yes. That's why the space I'm in doesn't tend to last long."
"How do you think of the space you're in?"
There was no good way to explain, and Dae Soo chuckled at Juho's silence.
"Like I said, a little too abstract."
"It is tricky to explain. It's not like I can show it either. It's hard to make it clear."
"I don't think I'd be able to steal something like that," murmured Seo Joong.
"How about you, Seo Joong? What's your process like?" asked Juho.
"I usually start with research. Oh, wait, I might have done something similar back when I was living in a one-room. I used to find materials from within back then. Although, I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a situation or a fantasy."
Having listened quietly, Mideum asked Juho, "What does it feel like when you meet your characters?"
"It's hard to say."
Juho though back to the time at the beach. It had been annoying to be stuck between the two characters as they quarreled. It had been less than pleasant to deal with someone who was rude and rough around the edges while it had been hardly easy to get someone to talk when they themselves didn't want to. Because he only had so much time, he remembered feeling anxious.
"You become edgier and irritable."
"How come?
"Like I said, this process is closer to being a fantasy than imagination. I'm free to do as I please in my own imagination."
"Is that not the case in a fantasy?" asked Seo Joong.
Juho hadn't thought about the process all that much. It had become natural to him. 'How do I explain this?'
"I just let things happen. The characters deserve their freedom, just as I deserve mine. Of course, it's always possible to interfere, but I try to keep it to a minimum. Only then, I can find what I'm looking for."
"What is it that you're looking for? Story? Material?" asked Seo Joong.
After staying silent for a brief time, Juho answered, "I would guess... personality?"
'Clap!' Seo Joong clapped. He had realized something.
"I see. Your method makes one hungry."
"What does that mean?"
"It uses a lot of energy. In other words, it's demanding."
'Demanding, huh... is it?' Juho thought. Despite the perplexed look on Juho's face, Seo Joong went on with his interpretation.
"So, it's like raising a child. There's puberty and climacterium to your fantasy."
"Really?"
"Your approach brings out as much personality as possible out of a character or a background, in other words, the novel itself. The characters do whatever the heck they want. So, in your own words, it's personality. The one and only in this entire world."
Seo Joong's last sentence pierced Juho's heart. His interpretation helped Dae Soo and Mideum understand Juho's writing process better.
"I'm so jealous! That's the dream of every literature major out there!"
"Huh?"
"You can see things like that without even having to draw from the power of alcohol! It's like a drug without the destructive side effect!"
"Is she drunk?" asked Seo Joong.
"Nah, I doubt it. She can handle alcohol a lot better than I can," Dae Soo said calmly as she took a sip of her wine. It was probably Mideum's natural personality coming out.
"There's a reason why there are so many alcoholics among authors. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, John Cheever. They all loved to drink. At the same time, they loved fantasy. Alcohol is the gate and the pathway that leads to fantasy. That's why authors drink even though they're aware the potential consequences. It's like a key to free the brain that's under the constraint of rationality and morality!" said Mideum, getting uncomfortably close to Juho.
"But you! You're capable of traveling back and forth between reality and fantasy at an age when you'd know nothing about alcohol. All while you're sober! I'm so, so jealous! Incredible, just incredible!"
As he pulled away from her, he saw the resemblance in the way she had shouted in the restaurant's restroom.
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