“Yes, Writer Kang, it’s Kwon Tewon. The Demon King’s Second Coming is doing pretty well. Just keep doing it. Don’t move away from the plot. Just make the main character like this.”
“Hello. Writer Yang, It’s Laugh Book’s Shin Dongmi. Yes. Congrats on making your novel views going over 6000. We’re going to be releasing paid chapters next Friday.”
The two employees of Laugh Book’s were getting busy.
2 new projects came in. Kang Minho’s Demon King’s Second Coming and Yang Hyeongyung’s Slaughter.
Two projects were doing above average. The tips by Jaegun once a week was doing great.
A day in January.
Today, Jaegun was also in the office with the two. He wasn’t here to look over their writing solely either. He wrote his own paper in a leftover computer.
‘This is good once in a week to change the mood up for a while?’
Jaegun thought.
He had never written with other writers until Minho and Hyeongyung. It was a new feeling. New ideas came up in conversations.
“It’s already been 5, Writer Ha. Aren’t you hungry? Would you like to eat?”
“Yes, I’m fine. You order what you want to order.
Jaegun answered with his hands on the keyboard.
Today was a good writing day. He was going to stay for a bit longer and eat dinner and leave. It was slow because it wasn’t Se Gunwoo’s laptop, but it didn’t matter.
Beep!
A call came from an unknown number.
“Hello.”
Jaegun answered. The words on the screen were still continuing.
-Hello, Writer Ha Jaegun?
“Yes, Who is this?”
-This is Modern Teen Literary manager Jo Segyung.
The hand stopped.
Jaegun grabbed the phone with one hand
-Hello? Writer Ha Jaegun?
“Yes, yes go ahead. I’m listening.
His voice was shivering.
His heart was pounding hard. His head was heating up.
-Congratulations. Your project for the Modern Teen Literary Contest won the award.
Jaegun sighed
He already knew since he heard the name manager.
Only one person would get the call anyway.
‘Me….!’
One person per year.
The Modern Teen Literary Contest that was so competitive. The contest that was honored by the literary world. It was the fact that he won made him silent.
“Why is Writer Ha like that? Is it bad news?”
“Shush. Quiet.”
Minho and Hyeongyung moved to another room. Jaegun didn’t realize their movements at all.
-There’s time since the actual release date. So I hope you can stay quiet until then. You’ll have to write a speech, the amount is…
The manager was talking. Jaegun tried to listen, but the words just didn’t go in his ear.
-Then I’ll call you back again.
“Yes, yes, thank you.”
Jaegun looked up at the ceiling blankly. He had no thoughts for a while. And then one girl’s face started to show up on the ceiling’s pattern.
‘I have to meet her…!’
Jaegun stood up immediately and picked up his coat. He had to give this information to that one person. If it weren’t for this person, he couldn’t have even written this novel.
“Writer Kang, Writer Yang. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
“Is there, is there something bad?”
“No, nothing like that. Then I’ll contact you later.”
Jaegun picked up Rika and started the car. And then he searched up Dasul and called.
-The phone is turned off so …
‘Dang it!’
Jaegun dropped his phone.
Why now, why at this important time is the phone off.
Maybe she was changing the battery. Thinking that, Jaegun waited a few minutes and called again. But the phone was still off.
‘If this was right, I should have asked where she lived.’
Jaegun pressed the accelerator. He thought that she was still working there.
It wasn’t a long distance so he got off. The karaoke bar was still shiny.
He didn’t go to the elevator and went up the stairs.
He called again, but another beep came with no answer.
“Hello.”
The owner with the heavy makeup greeted Jaegun. Jaegun nodded and asked her,
“Hello. Do you remember me?”
“Hm? Um… Ah!”
The owner clapped her hands together.
“The person who writes?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s nothing, but I wanted to find that girl from last time again, Dasul. Her phone is off so I don’t know how to meet her. It’s important.”
“I haven’t seen her in a while?”
“Yes? Why?”
“I don’t know. If she’s not here, she’s not. Why? Is the phone off? Did she borrow money?”
The owner asked with suspicious eyes. Jaegun shook his head with his hand on his forehead.
“How long has it been?”
“Hm, about a week?”
“Um… is there any way I can go through the office?
Jaegun asked hopefully. But the owner shook her head.
“I can’t go that. It might be complicated later on. You know?”
“…yes, I know.”
“Just wait. The phone might be broken.”
The owner comforted him, looking at Jaegun’s worried face. Jaegun nodded weakly and went out of the bar.
“Sigh…Rika. Where do I find her?”
Jaegun stood there, looking at the crowd going by. And with that, he was asking to Rika.
“It’s kind of sad actually. She called many times to get dinner, but I never answered. I said I would contact her, but I didn’t.”
The regret was coming through him in waves. Dasul’s face was still in his mind clearly.
“Meow. Meow.”
Rika turned herself in his grasp. And then, she jumped off. Jaegun was worried because there were many people so he turned around.
“Rika, don’t go away and come here.”
Rika was walking towards a building with grace.
And then she stopped in front of a girl’s shoes.
“Oh hey~ you’re cute. What’s your name?”
Jaegun widened his two eyes.
The girl’s face was stuck in his eyes.