Chapter 48 (1/2)
Chapter 48
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
Pil Sung Choi, in the future, he would become a bestselling author under the name of Sung Pil . He was a flower yet to bloom, and his potential was yet to be fully realized . Juho looked forward to the countless books he would be putting out in the future and even more so to the moment when that bud bloomed into a beautiful flower in their cruel world .
He saw Sung Pil's back from behind . The people sitting beside him were leaning forward just like him . Everyone had their heads down with their eyes focused on their paper . Only those who could dare to straighten their backs in that place were given the rights to escape and move up to a higher place . 'Would Sung Pil dare to take the chance?' As Juho's thoughts meandered, Sung Pil suddenly looked up and glanced over at Juho . Their eyes met . Juho was somewhat surprised by him . He was mouthing some words, and Juho looked carefully to try to figure out what he was trying to say .
”Hurry up and get back to work . ”
Juho chuckled quietly at his concern . With his thick eyebrows twitching, he turned around and faced forward . He didn't quite blend with such a serious atmosphere . Amid anxious, impatient people, he was the only person who was excited . Perhaps that was how he would be able to soar to the sky as a writer .
'I want to write about him . ' The girl who lived at the beach was no longer . Only the thick eyebrows remained in Juho's mind . He wanted to see the sight of Sung Pil facing the storm . He wanted to know how to face the storm .
He checked the time . There was about an hour left to the compet.i.tion . He mapped out a story in his head, and there wasn't enough time to write everything he wanted to . The format of his story didn't quite fit the occasion, but it was a story he could finish in a couple of hours . 'Well, I gotta follow what my heart desires,' he reminded himself as he picked up his pen .
As he was busied himself writing, his hand again made contact with the person next to him . Just like previously, he briefly glanced over without saying anything . He stopped writing, looked in her direction and whispered, ”Sorry . ”
He apologized first . She seemed fl.u.s.tered, but soon after she lowered her head . Juho smiled, feeling relieved .
Like everyone else in the hall, Juho moved his hands busily . He was rus.h.i.+ng slightly . Even as he recognized the urgency in his heart, he kept on writing . There was no time, so it made sense that he was feeling that way . It was nothing unexpected .
What was more important in that moment was to maintain a rational mindset . One shouldn't be carried away by the urgency in his own heart and make the mistake of letting his hand take over . The wise thing to do was to write with rationale . There wasn't much meaning to a composition that had been rushed into completion because the writer had been in a hurry . His hand no longer reeked with alcohol, and he knew he was capable, so he tightened his grip around his pen .
”Now, please bring your submissions to the front,” a voice informed the end of the compet.i.tion .
Then, Juho looked up . The creative literature professor was at the podium .
”Is it over?”
He put down his pen . His hand was glowing bright red . Sounds that had grown distant slowly made their way back . The lecture hall was getting noisy . Some looked relieved whereas others looked sad . While ma.s.saging his hand, Juho slowly stood up from his seat and walked toward the podium . When he walked outside after submitting his paper, Sung Pil was there . As soon as he saw Juho, he walked over to him and asked, ”How'd you do?”
”Eh, so-so . ”
”I feel pretty confident . What did you write about?”
”'The beach . '”
”I see . I went with 'days . '”
He had just answered Juho's next question without even being asked, and Juho nodded . 'Days, huh?' He was curious about what kind of story might have come out, but he wouldn't be able to read it now that it had been submitted . As he watched the other contestants lingering outside, Juho asked Sung Pil, ”I think there's a school orientation now . I'm thinking about heading back . What are you going to do?”
”You're not going to stick around? Can we do that?”
”It's up to the person . ”
Sung Pil took a moment to think and said, ”Hm . It's still part of the schedule . I think I better stick around . ”
'I knew it . ' He had a diligent character and he wanted to stay for the entirety of the program . Juho nodded .
”Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning . ”
”I'll buy the ice cream tomorrow . ”
Juho remembered their bet from earlier and chuckled . 'He could've let it slide . ' Without saying any more, the two parted ways . Juho walked back to the subway station on his own, thinking, as he walked down the darkening street, 'What was my answer to his question when he asked how I did?'
So-so .
”Maybe, I could've done better . ”
Bitter, he kept walking .
*
Joon Soo looked at the pile of papers before his eyes . Other judges like Professor Choi, Professor Han, and Professor Byung, were also reading something .
”I guess it's too soon to expect the next Yun Woo,” Professor Choi murmured as he put down what he had been reading . There was regret in his tone .
Joon Soo answered, ”If these kids wrote like Yun Woo, I wouldn't be able to keep my job . ”
”Haha! You've got nothing to worry about Mr . Bong . Everyone knows about your skills . ”
”It'd be nice if that was true,” Joon Soo answered to Professor Byung with a chuckle .
”There are still some who did well . Look at this one . ”
Professor Byung handed Joon Soon one of the submissions . Topic: Days . Name: Pil Sung Choi .
After reading through it, he nodded, ”This is good . He used a convenience store as the s.p.a.ce for expressing the time loop . Refres.h.i.+ng . I like his style . He's young, but it's got some weight to it . I think I'm going to be seeing him around as an author . ”
”Who wrote it?”
”Take a look . ”
He stretched as he handed over the paper to Professor Choi . He was tired from reading through and judging other people's writing . He found no joy in reading for the purpose of categorization . No matter how sloppy it was, a composition that embodied its writer's dreams made for an excellent work . 'Coming to think of it, what about that kid I ran into earlier?' Since he didn't know his name, he couldn't look for his work . Then, he thought about the lecture, 'I didn't see him…' He set aside his thoughts and continued reading through the piles of paper .
”Next up…”
This time, the paper was on 'the beach,' by Juho Woo . 'That's a unique name . '
”What should we do for dinner afterwards?”
”Let's go for a drink nearby, shall we?”
”We still have a lot of work to do,” while working quietly, Professor Han responded with a gentle voice .
The two other professors laughed it off and then went back to reading .
”You look so serious Mr . Bong . What are you reading?” Professor Han asked while looking at him . Joon Soo didn't respond .