Chapter 51

Chapter 51

TL: KSD

Ugh.

I had a bizarre dream. I cant remember what it was about. However, I do remember it seemed like a dream where I could hear a womans terrifying scream. The scream was so loud and horrific, it was as if someone had seen a corpse, producing a strange and shocking noise.

Eugh.

Its something I always feel when I sleep slumped over my desk, but it feels like my back is gone. My whole body felt bruised, as if someone had beaten me up. I guess this is what they call aching all over.

Q. Then why not just sleep on the floor?

A. Its not that simple.

There are times when I have to write to my limits. No, there are times when I can only squeeze out the writing by doing so.

At those times, I have to write until Im about to fall asleep from drowsiness. If I miss that opportunity, it never comes back.

Theres a minor problem of day and night getting reversed, but its nothing.

Its simple. You can sleep when youre dead, but if you cant write now, theres no next time. The inspiration that comes next will be different from the inspiration that comes now.

Its similar to why people get hooked on fishing. Like worrying about what kind of fish will come out of the water, worrying about what kind of writing will come out of my mind. Its like being addicted to the feeling of pulling up a big fish, addicted to the thrill of producing a masterpiece.

So, it was worth the trouble of sitting at the desk until I was about to collapse from sleepiness.

Moron.

Why are you swearing at me?

No. I mean, youre going to become a moron if you keep this up.

Yu-na always used to criticize me like this when she sees me in such a state, calling it a perverted act of indulging in the dark pleasure of abusing ones health by being engrossed in ones own writing. (It means to take care of your health because Im worried about you)

Every time I hear such advice, I used to infuriate Yu-nas patience by saying, I dont listen to people who cant write better than me, but seeing that I was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer at 22, maybe Yu-na wasnt wrong after all.

Letting my thoughts wander like this, I woke up.

I stretched and covered myself with a blanket to keep warm.

Huh?

But then, I heard some rustling noises from the living room.

Its supposed to be my studio, where Im the only one living

!!!

A thief! Is it a thief?

Maybe its a stalker fan. Or perhaps a robber tempted by my money Or could it be people claiming to be my relatives, harboring grudges over past events?

All sorts of bad thoughts flashed through my mind.

Fortunately, it seems they havent entered this room.

I locked the door quietly, trembling, holding back my breath.

Even when I was physically 23, I would have knelt down and begged if I had to fight a thief one-on-one, let alone at 13. Unless Im a human weapon like Macaulay Culkin

I grabbed my phone, ready to call the police, and carefully listened to the noises coming from the living room by pressing my ear against the door.

Why is this place such a mess when he has so much money?

Its cold, so lets turn up the boiler temperature.

What if we get hit by a heating bill bomb?

Well, that would be regrettable

Acting like its not even their house

Huh.

The voices sound familiar

EP 5-A Love Story

Hahahahaha!

Min Hyo-chan, the pink-haired senior, pointed at me, then grabbed his stomach and fell backward, laughing.

Even while lying on his back, he didnt stop pointing and laughing at me.

You thought it was a burglar? Just as one would expect from a novelist, such imagination, hahaha!

Stop laughing.

Hehehe! Huk! Huhuhu!

I rolled up the blanket I was covering myself with into a ball and threw it at Min Hyo-chans face.

Unfazed, Min Hyo-chan caught the blanket and wrapped it around himself, saying, Actually, I wanted to cover myself with this, and snatched my blanket away with an air of nonchalance.

Then, suddenly, Gu Yu-na kicked Min Hyo-chan in the ribs.

Guehak!

To be precise, it was more of a jab than a kick.

Gu Yu-nas big toe precisely pierced between Min Hyo-chans ribs like an awl.

With an expressionless face, Gu Yu-na snatched the blanket away from Min Hyo-chan, who was rolling on the ground in pain.

So, naturally, thinking she was going to give it back, I reached out my hand towards Gu Yu-na, but she covered herself with my blanket instead.

Youre not giving it back?

Spoils of war belong to the victor.

Right, right

I awkwardly gathered my hands as if I had been refused a handshake, not knowing where to put them.nove(l)bi(n.)com

I still hadnt fully grasped Gu Yu-nas personality. It seems I still have a long way to go.

The survival of the strongest, the demise of the weakest!

The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest!

Since her childhood, Gu Yu-na had understood the harsh realities of this world

I added another entry to my mental Gu Yu-na Encyclopedia and pulled out another blanket with a yellow furry creature from the built-in closet on the wall.

Kim Byul, sitting uncomfortably on the floor, looked at me incredulously.

How many blankets do you have?

Kim sunbae you saw my secret

What are you talking about? Give me one too.

Baek Seol was causing the department to wobble with minor mistakes in other areas as well.

Sigh

In Lim Yang-wooks view, it wasnt because Baek Seol lacked ability.

Everyone knows that Baek Seol is a deputy head. The practical work is done by the staff, and Baek Seol is supposed to supervise from above. And she was capable of doing that.

However, currently, Baek Seol was not preoccupied with her duties as a deputy head, but rather, she was absorbed in something else.

Lim Yang-wook, who had internally anticipated all this, scolded her.

Ah! Thats why I said to leave the translation to someone else!

That, I cant do that!

Baek Seol, who had been obediently listening to Lim Yang-wooks harsh words, rebelled against the chief for the first time.

Baek Seol, with dark circles almost reaching her cheeks, clung to the novel Guitar by author Moon In-seop, revealing her desperate desire.

I cant leave this to another translator! From the moment I saw it, I decided I would translate it!

Then, Baek Seol~ssi, you could translate just that one and find another translator for the rest! There are so many experts in English literature in Korea!

I dont want to!

You are really driving me crazy.

Baek Seol wasnt acting purely out of selfishness. (Meaning, it was half because of her own desires.)

To other translators, this book might just be a job that pays per page, but not for me! Obviously, the outcome will be much better if I translate it, right?

Hey, I know a few translators

Did those people earn their degrees in English literature from Oxford?

Lim Yang-wook thought to himself, what a cunning bastard.

And the translator you mentioned, Chief, thats who youre talking about, right? I have more than a few criticisms about their translations

Okay! I surrender!

And so, Baek Seol stubbornly won the translation job.

Because she would have to leave this department next year.

Because she would have to say goodbye to author Moon In-seop forever.

And because she would have to let go of the novel work she so desperately craved, forever.

She wanted to leave something behind for that boys future, one last time.

Thus, Baek Seol left the meeting room, quietly sighing in relief.

And.

Lim Yang-wook, who had been watching her from behind, wore a sympathetic smile.

Nobody knows better than him what it feels like to be unable to do what one desires.

Ah, my fate.

Thus, after finishing work, Lim Yang-wook decided to take care of Moon In-seop himself and headed to the boys studio.

In his hand were several nutritional supplements and a set of side dishes as gifts.

Knock, knock, Lim Yang-wook knocked on the studio door.

Anticipating Moon In-seops surprised expression upon receiving the gift.

Hey! In-seop! Are you in there?

There was no answer.

In-seop?

Since he had the door lock code, Lim Yang-wook easily entered the studio.

And the studio was empty.

Lim Yang-wook stood in the living room with a dumbfounded expression for a long time.

* * *

Returning to New Light Spring Orphanage after a long time.

I stood dumbfounded at the entrance of the orphanage for a long time.

At the entrance of the orphanage, there were a couple of banners hung.

The contents were as follows:

[(Congratulations) Celebrating the Film Adaptation of Author Moon In-seops Red Hunter (Congratulations)]

[Pride of New Light Spring Orphanage, Special Exhibition of Author Moon In-seop]

I stared blankly for a long time at Teacher Bang Jeong-ah, who was climbing a ladder to hang the banners, grunting with effort.

Then, sensing someones gaze, Teacher Bang Jeong-ah and I made eye contact.

Teacher Bang Jeong-ah looked at my face, then at the banner.

And again, she looked at my face, then at the banner.

Grrr.

As if nothing had happened, Teacher Bang Jeong-ah rolled up the banner and climbed down the ladder.

Then she greeted me warmly.

Ah, hello! In-seop! Its been a while?

Your face is as red as a beet.

Yo, you came because its the weekend! Come on in!

Ive already seen the banner, though?

Hey, hey, hey, kids- I, In-seop has returned!

With her face flushed red, Teacher Bang Jeong-ah tucked the banner under her arm and scurried away.

I followed her into New Light Spring Orphanage.

Anyway, this damn orphanage never seems to have a dull day; I couldnt help but laugh.

It was the beginning of winter.

*****

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