Big Life

Chapter 244. Dignity Is Important Too (6)

“Thank you,” Ha Jae-Gun replied, expressionless. It was normal to be offended in a situation like this, but Ha Jae-Gun still chose to conceal his feelings. After all, it was his beloved sister's wedding, and there were countless prestigious individuals and reporters present. He didn't want to draw any more attention from others.

“Have a good day. I'm sorry that I have to get going because of my family.” Ha Jae-Gun chose not to respond to the older man's outreached hand and excused himself instead.

Kwon Sung-Deuk’s nostrils flared in embarrassment as he retrieved his hand and nodded. “Of course, you must be busy. Let's meet again next time when the opportunity arises.”

Instead of ending the conversation there, Kwon Sung-Deuk quickly added, “But there's just one thing I'd like to ask. Was there an unofficial meeting with Mr. Liu Bao when you went to China recently?”

“...”

“So you did, huh?” Kwon Sung-Deuk with a probing look and knowing smile. But before Ha Jae-Gun could reply, he came to a self-proclaimed conclusion with much excitement. “I’ll arrange a meeting together with the Cultural department soon, I want to help you, as you're elevating the nation’s prestige with your great works.”

Kwon Sung-Deuk concealed his motive. He had met countless creators while working in the C.B.C., and most of them were ignorant of how the world worked, focusing solely on their own writings. It was to his advantage with the thought that Ha Jae-Gun was a young bachelor who had just turned thirty. No matter how much of a household name Ha Jae-Gun's name had become, he was still an amateur when it came to life.

Kwon Sung-Deuk naively thought that manipulating and keeping Ha Jae-Gun within his grasp would be as easy as pie. Before he could enter that stage of the relationship, however, he had to compliment the writer until the latter had become complacent.

“Our country does not really support people like you monetarily, but I agree that you are crucial, especially in the content creation industry. And you're at the forefront of this nation’s industry. You're an amazing talent, and I'm really proud of you.”

However, Ha Jae-Gun only remained silent and was silently rubbing the walls of his cheeks with his tongue. Park Do-Joon swallowed nervously as he stood beside Ha Jae-Gun. Ha Jae-Gun's current expression and action looked extremely familiar to his habit whenever he was angry.

“I'll drop a call to the vice minister of the cultural department today. We'd be able to come up with a good business idea if we put our heads together. Official business would affect your busy schedule writing, so let's adjust your schedule—”

“I don't think there's a need for that.” Ha Jae-Gun interjected. Even Park Do-Joon unknowingly flinched at the sudden interruption. He could already tell how the conversation would flow when Ha Jae-Gun spoke with this attitude.

“I don't think there's much for me to discuss with you and the people from the cultural department in person. I am thankful for the sincerity and words of encouragement you have shown me.”

“Wait, you're too empathic. Are you an empath[1]? Hahaha.” Kwon Sung-Deuk tried to gloss over the tense atmosphere with a joke, but he was the only one present who was laughing, making the situation worse.

“I'll get going then.”

“H-hey, Writer Ha.”

Ha Jae-Gun took Park Do-Joon, turning away.

Kwon Sung-Deuk could only stare helplessly as the two walked away. His aide could see the expression on his face turn into one that had just been forced a mouthful of shit.

“How is a young scoundrel like him so rigid? Damn it, it's going to be tough dealing with him.”

“Assemblyman, I’m curious what kind of business you’re looking to create through Writer Ha Jae-Gun.”

However, Kwon Sung-Deuk did not answer his aide, as he had already drawn the big picture. He hadn't read even one of Ha Jae-Gun’s novels, but he knew how well the Chinese market was doing recently.

What Kwon Sung-Deuk needed was not Ha Jae-Gun’s global popularity and talent but rather the foundation and achievements that the famous writer had under his belt so far. Ha Jae-Gun was the very foundation that he could use to connect with the Chinese government and the large local corporations there.

“He’s a whale.”

“Pardon...?”

“Just wait and see. The C.B.C. will rise to the sun one day. I will be the one to catch him and turn into a dragon, rising to the skies.” Kwon Sung-Deuk gritted his teeth while imagining his dreams coming true.

Meanwhile, Ha Jae-Gun and Park Do-Joon continued their conversation after turning the corner at the end of the hallway.

“He definitely must have something up his sleeves. It’s written all over the faces of politicians. Be careful around him, and don’t get taken advantage of, Ha Jae-Gun.”

“What could his motives be?” Ha Jae-Gun wondered.

“No idea. Maybe he’s trying to get more funding?”

As Ha Jae-Gun was about to ask more questions, he noticed two familiar faces from a short distance away. Ha Jae-Gun stopped in his tracks inadvertently.

“What’s wrong, Jae-Gun?”

“...Wait a minute.” Ha Jae-Gun waved his hand at Park Do-Joon while his eyes were fixed on the two people in front. The two men, whom he had met at different times and places, were now standing together.

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One of them was Oh Myung-Hoon, whom Ha Jae-Gun had met earlier.

However, the man with Oh Myung-Hoon was what caught Ha Jae-Gun off-guard.

“Father, this way.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

The father and son’s conversation traveled clearly into Ha Jae-Gun’s ears. The CEO of OongSung Publication Group, Oh Tae-Jin, walked away without spotting Ha Jae-Gun nearby. However, Oh Myung-Hoon did spot Ha Jae-Gun and glanced in his direction, albeit briefly, but that was all. Soon, the father and son disappeared from Ha Jae-Gun’s line of sight.

“What’s wrong? Why did you suddenly stop in the middle of the hallway?” said Park Do-Joon in a serious tone of voice.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled faintly and shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. I just learned the family tree of someone I know.”

“You’re confusing me. You’re really strange sometimes. Don’t just write all day and step out of the house more often.”

Ha Jae-Gun grinned and hit Park Do-Joon’s shoulder while he recalled a certain competent editor who had left home after choosing the love of his life.

***

[Writer Ha Jae-Gun and actor Park Do Joon show off their friendship at their friend’s wedding]

[Groom yelled in response to Ha Jae-Gun’s congratulatory speech: I didn’t crumble all thanks to you]

[Park Do-Joon’s new movie premiere is just three days away. What kind of movie is Dried Tofu?]

[Ha Jae-Gun’s elder sister turning into a chaebol family’s daughter-in-law, seen chatting with friends at a cafe]

“I like May, honey. The weather’s perfect for a walk, too.” Myung-Ja said as she tended to the flowers in the garden.

They were now living in the newly built detached house. It was unbelievably spacious as compared to the previous lot they had lived in, so much so that there would still be ample space for other activities if Myung-Ja planted all the flowers and plants she had ever dreamed of.

“How nice it would be if we could call Jae-Gun and Jae-In to go on a family trip to the zoo.”

“Don't feel depressed, and just give them a call. Do you think they would know your thoughts through telepathy if you only kept those thoughts to yourself?”

Despite Ha Suk-Jae’s nagging, Myung-Ja still let out a sigh. “Our son is busy with his writing, and our daughter is now married to a chaebol family, so how could I bother them?”

“It’ll be harder to see Jae-Gun once he gets married. And if a mother wants to see her children, she should be allowed to do so. Why are you worrying and hesitating all by yourself?”

“Why don't you give them a call, then?”

“...They don't like me calling.”

“I'm speechless. What makes you say that?”

“Ah, I don't know. Why do you keep talking to me, making me lose focus when you're the one who asked me to put up a fence?”

Bzzt!

Just then, Ha Suk-Jae's phone on a low wooden bench suddenly vibrated. It was a call from Lee Soo-Hee’s father, Lee Kyung-Wook. He stopped working and answered the call.

“Aigoo, why did you call, in-law?”

— It's the weekend, and the weather's great, so I called to see if everything is going well for you.

“Of course, everything is fine. My daughter just got married, and I'm living comfortably now. Hahaha.”

Ha Suk-Jae laughed heartily into the phone. He got along pretty well with Lee Kyung-Wook. Myung-Ja snorted lightly upon seeing a rare side of Ha Suk-Jae.

— Would you like to go hiking, bringing our wives along?

“Ah, hiking?”

— Well, not full-out hiking. We'll probably just hang around at the foot of the mountain and then have a delicious dinner afterward. I know of a restaurant that serves up delicious Chodang[2] bean curd. Their low wooden benches are quite spacious as well, so it’s great for playing chess.

“That sounds great. I’ll get ready to head out, then," Ha Suk-Jae said, ending the call in delight. He grunted as he stood up, straightening his back.

Myung-Ja then asked with a knowing look, “Are you that happy?”

“Aiii, it’s good for you too. You wanted to take a walk, didn’t you? Isn’t it timely?”

He wasn’t wrong, so Myung-Ja headed back into the house to get ready.

However, concern was still tugging at her heartstrings.

‘For all we know, our daughter might be suffering under an ill-tempered father-in-law... I’m not sure if it’s alright for me to live such a carefree life.’

Myung-Ja couldn’t voice out her worries as she found her husband’s nagging tiresome. Her long sigh eventually got mixed with the warm spring breeze.

***

Meanwhile, the situation at Nam Gyu-Baek’s house was completely different from what Myung-Ja thought.

‘She should be leaving for school, right...?’ Nam Gyu-Baek stepped out of his study and scanned the house with his sharp gaze.

Ha Jae-In had actually come into his room thrice to check on him, and he had escaped every time by pretending to be asleep.

‘I must have food that I want to eat instead of the bland food they prepare for me. How can that be called health food...! Even the paper the young lambs chew on would taste infinitely better.’

It was the worst mistake he had ever made to read a novel in a restaurant setting. He could no longer endure his desire to have fried food, one of his late wife’s favorite foods. In order to eat that, he would have to avoid his nagging daughter-in-law and try his best to avoid her.

He was fearful of his prophet-like daughter-in-law, who could even tell when he had just a sip of rice wine.

‘How can she be on the same side as Department Head Bae? There’s no one I can trust in this world,’ Nam Gyu-Baek lampooned inwardly and put on a pair of comfortable shoes.

As he quietly opened the door, a grim voice came from behind. “Oh my, when did you wake up, Father?”

“...?!” Nam Gyu-Baek turned pale, frozen on the spot. His body, which had weathered through harsh adversities all his life, was now trembling in fear.

“Y-you...” Nam Gyu-Baek's voice squeaked. “...when did you wake up? No, that’s not important. Why... why didn’t you leave for school?”

“I thought you were not feeling well. I couldn’t stop worrying, so I decided to stay at home to study instead. Please let me know if you need anything, Father.”

Nam Gyu-Baek felt like he had been hit on the back of his head by a bat. She was going to study at home? What about all the desperation he had put into his acting, which was enough to win him the Top Male Actor Award at the film festival?

“My child... I’m about to step out to take a walk...”

“Oh my, really? Let me accompany you.”

“N-no, you don’t have to. I won’t be going too far; I'll probably just walk a few rounds out front. Don’t worry about me, and go focus on your studies.”

“No, Father. I was just about to take a walk myself. My brain feels heavy from all the studying. Please wait for me.”

Five minutes later, Nam Gyu-Baek was walking on the streets with a face showing how done he was with life. His daughter-in-law was walking beside him, leading the way.

***

Tadadadak! Tadak! Tadadak!

Lee Yeon-Woo’s fingers flew relentlessly across the keyboard. Yang Hyun-Kyung watched him in amazement. He was sure that the turning point was after the passing of Lee Yeon-Woo’s father, but he found Lee Yeon-Woo working harder than usual.

Moments later, Lee Yeon-Woo stood up, heading to the washroom. During that short window, Yang Hyun-Kyung peeked at Lee Yeon-Woo’s screen, and soon, a smile formed on his face.

‘Oh, I see what it is, no wonder...’ Lee Yeon-Woo wasn’t working on his novel. Instead, Lee Yeon-Woo was working on his blog post—after all, he was an all-time avid reader of Ha Jae-Gun and owned a blog that wrote about the works of Poongchun-Yoo.

Lee Yeon-Woo had been writing anecdotes related to Ha Jae-Gun since early morning.

‘The content is interesting and well-written. I think Jae-Gun Hyung will like it, too,’ Yang Hyun-Kyung thought, chuckling as he read the contents.

Ha Jae-Gun approached from behind, bending down and asked, “What are you reading, enjoying so much?”

“Oh, when did you arrive? This is Yeon-Woo’s blog. You know that, right?”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled, nodding. “I go on often to read his posts as well. It’s quite interesting.”

“He has a lot of readers, and his posts are enough to be compiled and published into a book. He magnified and talked about your personal charms, which the readers enjoyed reading. Is there any way to make use of his blog?”

“No way... Let’s go for a meal. Where did Yeon-Woo go?”

“He went to the washroom earlier.”

Ha Jae-Gun’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He was happy to see the name Chae Yoo-Jin on the screen, as he hadn't heard from her for quite a while now.

“Hello?”

— Mr. Ha, how have you been?

“Yes, I’m fine. What about you, Ms. Yoo-Jin? I said that I would visit you, but I haven’t been able to do so.”

I’m fine, aside from my body getting heavier by the day. Ah, it’s not because of the baby, but because I eat too much and have become a bit fatter because of it. Hohoho.

Chae Yoo-Jin’s voice was always so bright and refreshing that it made her listeners happy. Ha Jae-Gun laughed together in response. He was happy that Chae Yoo-Jin was happy.

— I called you because Open House’s Eden had contacted me.

“Eden?”

— That’s right. We’re about to start officially. We can go ahead with the current manuscript all the way to the end of the novel. When will you be available to discuss the book cover, marketing and a few other details?

“I’m available today if you need me.”

— You’re always so straightforward. Let’s strike while the iron’s hot, then. How about we meet today? I’ll prepare a delicious meal for you if you could come over.

After a few minutes of small talk, Ha Jae-Gun finally hung up the call. Chae Yoo-Jin’s voice was usually loud, so even Yang Hyun-Kyung had heard most of their conversation.

“Seems like the America’s release would be coming first?”

“Yeah, I can’t eat with you guys today.”

Ha Jae-Gun then glanced briefly at Lee Yeon-Woo’s screen again. Even at this time, Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t tell that these memories had accumulated over the years on Lee Yeon-Woo’s blog would be able to exert more power than just staying as memories.

1. The words used in the original pun here are: ???? & ??? (emphatic & pumpkin) ☜

2. The name Chodang is adapted from the pen name of a man called Heo Yeop, who served as the governor of Gangneung back in the Joseon Dynasty. The dish was created during his term, and even the village was named after him. ☜