Big Life

Chapter 32

Chapter 32 – What is Important

[ The Winner]

A Dumb Woman – Se Gunwoo

Tejin looked at the name Se Gunwoo .

It was definitely not an unfamiliar name, a name that just by looking at it, he shivered . He didn’t know that he would see that name on a Literary Contest that his son entered .

‘It’s not an uncommon name . ’

Tejin got discomforted and turned away from the monitor . But then, he opened his eyes and touched the mouse .

‘Maybe his son used his father’s pen name . ’

Se Gunwoo had a son . He was an old writer but after he made a huge mistake, he gave up writing and went up . His thoughts went over to this .

The news had all the contestant’s pictures .

Tejin looked at the Digital Literary Contest photo news and looked for Se Gunwoo’s name . He could find a person in their 20s, with his family and friends .

‘No, yeah, there’s no way . ’

Now more comforted, Tejin had the thought to contact his son . When he called, Myunghoon answered quickly .

“Yes, father . ”

“Good job . ”

“…Yes?”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier . If you told me, then the entire family could have gone and congratulated you . ”

“But it’s not the grand prize…”

“Come home early, eat dinner . ”

“Yes . ”

As he cut off, with a knock, Myungsuk came in . In his hands were samples from a SF writer that the company had planned .

“This is the samples that I told you in the morning . ”

“Put in there . But did you know?”

“Yes? What did I know?”

“That Myunghoon entered the Digital Literary Contest or whatever . ”

“No… I didn’t know . ”

Myungsuk scratched his head and answered unconfidently . Tejin’s two eyes didn’t miss that .

“He won the runner up . ”

“Runner up?”

“The name is Lonely Man of Seoul . ”

“Ahah … yes . ”

“You knew . ”

Tejin’s two eyes glared .

Myungsuk, surprised, almost dropped the samples he was holding .

“I didn’t know that he was entering the Digital Literary Contest . But I knew that he was writing a story called Lonely Man of Seoul . He asked me to look over it, but I read it once . ”

“Did you end it with just reading it?”

“Yes?”

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“Is this something that Myunghoon written on his own . ”

“Ye, yes . Father . ”

“You’re sure?”

Tejin didn’t back away and asked again . Myungsuk fixed his glasses, coughed, and nodded his head .

“It was Myunghoon’s solo piece . He won runner up, we should congratulate him . ”

“I get it, leave . ”

Myungsuk left the office . Tejin was standing, looking out the window with a complicated expression .

…

“It’s cold . ”

“That’s because you wore a t-shirt, you idiot . ”

“I didn’t know it would be this cold . Here, I’ll take it,”

“It’s not heavy . ”

“Just give it . ”

Jaegun took the basket from Jaeyn’s hands . It held today’s dinner ingredients . Today’s main course was bossam .

“But maybe we bought too much meat . ”

“We can eat it . ”

It was one week since the ceremony .

Jaegun and Jaeyn were walking through the road, colored with autumn .

“Have you decided the cover?”

“Yeah, I told them a general outline . Since they are pros, they’ll get it done . ”

“When’s the paper book coming out?”

“Maybe about a month?”

It was about the ‘A Dumb Woman . ’

Only the grand winner from the contest could get their book into a paper book . All the others were only made for electronic books in the online market .

“You got your wish, brother . You wanted to make a book into a paper book that much . ”

Jaegun grinned instead of answering .

There were reasons why he looked for paper books, even though they were costly most of the time . But was the writer’s dream . A touchable, openable paper book is more intimate than a figureless electronic book .

But there was a bigger reason .

He wanted to show to his dad, who was an old person .

His dad who was far from computers and phones .

Even now, his dad went to bookstores and bought paper books .

From that, he was dreaming of the day that he would find his son’s book in the new section and be moved .

“Wow, why did you buy so much meat? We’re only 4 people with your dad, who’s gonna eat this all?”

Myungja said the same thing when they went home . Jaegun answered as he put the basket down .

“You eat it today, you make other foods with it, you fry it, you make it into a stew and this will all disappear quickly . ”

“But still, how much is this? You need to spend this where you need to…”

“Mom . ”

Jaegun pushed his arm sleeves back and turned towards his mom .

“Don’t worry about money, your son got his place . This is only going shopping for food so why worry . ”

“Ok, ok, wow, Acting strong because you won a grand prize . You’re gonna with the nobel prize next year?”

Myungja wrinkled her nose and Jaeyn laughed .

When they cleaned up the basket, Jaegun looked around the house and continued .

“Don’t renew the contract . ”

“What?”

“Go buy a house and move . ”

He was thinking for a long time .

If he got money left, he was going to buy a house for his family and move .

It wasn’t a house that needed fixing a few laces . Suffering from noises from other places, this family lived in this old house for a very long time .

“From the 30,000 dollars from last time, with the runner up and the grand prize winnings that will be after taxes, 23,000 dollars . Not sure if there will be more money . But just this much, you can get a pretty decent house in this neighborhood .

“JAegun…”

“No, not a villa actually . Just wait a year . In one year, let’s go to a house with a garden . Mom likes the garden, and since we’re living alone, there won’t be any noise . ”

Jaegun was putting down words alone .

Myungja and Jaeyn was worried . It felt that Jaegun was self inflicting damage to himself . Jaegun was repeating many words as if he wanted to shove them in his brain .

“It’s the genre side that gets money . So I’ll release another series, so you get it? Don’t renew the contract . We’re going out . ”

The door opened with a beep sounds . It was dad Ha Sukjae . Looking at his wife and his two sons and daughters, he blinked .

“Honey, Jaegun bought us meat for dinner today . Go clean up and come out quickly . ”

“I already ate . ”

Sukjae went to his room after he took off his coat .

Jaegun was looking at the kitchen’s microwave, smiling bitterly .

“Don’t worry, I’ll take him out . ”

Myungja with her elbow hit Jaegun’s waist and whispered .

Jaeyn pulled out a table in the living room . There were so many dishes with a meat dish, vegetables, and other side dishes and beer . Sukjae was just coming out after cleaning up .

“Honey, come over here and eat something .

“You and the kids can eat . ”

“Don’t be like that and sit down . The meat is really good?”

Sukjae ignored her . WIth a emotionless face, he opened the refrigerator and poured himself some tea . After he drank, he immediately turned to go to his room

Just them,

“What’s so displeasing?”

Jaegun said subduedly with his eyes pointed down .

Sukjae was slowly turning around .

“What is so displeasing . Do you hate your son that much that you would even avoid the dinner table?”

“I told you I ate . ”

“No, your shift ended 30 minutes ago so where would you have eaten in that time while walking home? Just answer truthfully . Just say that you can’t stand your son’s face to the point that it would make you suffering from indigestion .

“This guy is…?”

“Ja, Jaegun, what are you doing?”

Jaeyn’s cries did nothing .

Jaegun stood up and looked at Sukjae .

“I won a Literary award for the first time . It’s not the biggest but I won the grand prize and the runner up . Couldn’t you congratulate me as your son? Can you not forgive me because I’m being a writer that you hate so much?”

“Sigh… ok, I get it . Congratulations . ”

Sukjae waved his hand as if he was tired and turned around . Jaegun walked over and blocked his path and continued .

“Do you know how much I’ve earned so far . We can move away from this old house now . Do you still hate me because I’m a writer . I began to earn well . Father, son is going to do well .

With this, Sukjae’s face turned red . But he still managed to close his lips that were going to open many times . With no words, he went into his room and closed the door .

“Jaegun, come here . ”

Jaeyn went over and took his arm . Myungja was sighing looking at a pot on the veranda . He knew that they would collide once like this .

“I’ve ate . ”

Jaegun finished his dinner with no words . Myungja and Jaeyn both offered him drinks but he didn’t drink any . He couldn’t write if he did .

“I’ll go . ”

“It’s only 9, sleep here . ”

“No, I have things to write . I’ll come back . Sleep early mom, you too sister .

“I’ll escort you for a little . ”

Jaeyn put on a cardigan and followed .

In the dark, there were many streetlights in the street . Jaeyn spoke as she took Jaegun’s arm and walked with him .

“Dad is worried . ”

“For what . ”

“I’ve heard him talk to your mom . Maybe it’s a good idea learning publishing work for later . ”

“Why work at a publishing company?”

“Need a place if something goes wrong . It’s best to have a constant salary . Your dad worked like that as a worker . You have to understand . ”

“I know . ”

Jaegun answered in a small voice . His dad still didn’t believe him as a writer . But the answer could only be…!

A taxi that was passing blew its horn .

Jaegun, coming out of his thoughts, caught the taxi and said to Jaeyn .

“I’ll take a taxi and take the subway . ”

“Ok, be careful and call . ”

“Ok . ”

Jaegun called Jung Somii’s number after he got on the taxi . After a ring, Somii’s energetic voice came on .

“Ah, Hello, Writer HA . ”

“Yes, Somii, did you leave work?”

“No, I have work left so I think I’ll have to work till 11 . ”

“You’re busy, then I’ll call you later . ”

“No! No! You can tell me right now!”

“I want to release a sequel because I rested for awhile . ”

Jaegun spoke while looking out the window . Immediately, Somii’s voice answered .

“It’s so good, writer! I thought you would be tired after the Digital Literary Contest so I was just waiting nervously without calling myself! Should we meet? I’ll call you after I call the editor .

“Ok . Good work . ”

“You too, sir!”

As he cut off, Jaegun threw away the dream for paper books . He thought he did enough for his dad now . Comfortably resting, Jaegun looked for the pros and cons of the biggest selling methods in recent genres .