Chapter 61 (1/1)

Chapter 61

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl ”Let me go get a drink of water . ” ”Again? You've gone several times already . Calm down . ” ”No, I feel like my voice is going to crack . I can't let that happen when we're meeting for the first time . ” ”If you don't want to go to the bathroom in the middle of a conversation, wait . ” ”I guess so . I'm going to go to the bathroom really quickly then . ” Juho was trying to calm Seo Kw.a.n.g down . They were waiting for Ginger in front of a large bookstore in Gw.a.n.gHwaMun . After sending her an honest email, she had written back the following day . Unlike previously, it had been written in English that time . Juho translated it . Though she sounded fl.u.s.tered, she was understanding . Seo Kw.a.n.g wrote that she didn't have to see him if she didn't feel comfortable doing so, but she didn't cancel their plans . ”How do you think this will go?” ”I'm not sure,” Juho answered calmly . ”I'm sure this is the end,” Seo Kw.a.n.g said . ”Maybe of the feelings?” Juho answered as he looked at him intently . Seo Kw.a.n.g ruffled his hair and looked up, ”I'm going to make the most of it while it lasts . ” With that, he focused on keeping his spirits up . He tried to concentrate on being an average teenager who looked forward to meeting a girl, and Juho didn't say anything else . --- Without getting any explanation, the club members looked at him weird . ”Did you finally lose your mind?” Sun Hwa said . ”I do feel like I'm getting close . This is a beautiful world we're living in . ” Sun Hwa was at loss for words . Instead, she tapped Juho on the arm . ”Don't ask me,” he said . ”Don't you write anything like 'I won't let a drop of water touch your hand,'”Mr . Moon said after reading Seo Kw.a.n.g's composition . Unlike Juho, who was chuckling, Seo Kw.a.n.g answered with a bright smile, ”Yes, Mr . M!” He was a brave fellow, that one . --- ”Do I need anything else? Should I have a book in my hand or something?” ”No, you're fine the way you are . ” ”Yeah? What about my hair? Should I go put on some wax?” ”No, you're fine . ” He must have asked those things at least several hundred times . Seo Kw.a.n.g had been frantically fixing his hair and making himself look tidier . Meanwhile, Juho patted his tense, rigid back . ”You're doing fine . Just be yourself,” he said . ”That's the hardest thing for me at the moment,” he answered as he wiped his sweaty palm on his pants . ”I don't think I've been this nervous about meeting someone . It wouldn't be this bad even if I was meeting G.o.d Himself . ” ”That's not nice . ” ”I don't have a religion, but I feel like now would be a good time to find one,” he said, and Juho prayed that he wouldn't make a mistake in front of Ginger . ”How's my breath? I brushed my teeth three times . You want a whiff?” ”Yo, get that away from me,” Juho said as he pushed Seo Kw.a.n.g away . ”Try taking a deep breath . You're going to be exhausted before you even see her . ” ”I'm fine . Unusually fine . I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, but how is that I don't even feel tired?” 'Probably because you're excited,' Juho murmured internally . It seemed like Juho would have to have the same conversation with his friend a couple hundred more times before Ginger arrived . He looked around as time approached . She had said that she'd be wearing a green cardigan, but he didn't see anyone with one of those yet . ”Isn't it fascinating?” Seo Kw.a.n.g said with a calmer voice . ”What is?” ”That I fell in love with someone I haven't even met? Writing is amazing . It transfers emotions just as they are . It's different from speaking . ” Juho nodded quietly . Writing really was amazing . It made a bookworm fall in love with a girl . Being as tactful a student as he was, Seo Kw.a.n.g wrote to her with awkward English and att.i.tude . ”I'm going to apologize when I see her . This time, in person . ” ”I'm sure she'll forgive you . ” ”Then, I'll confess . I'll tell her that I still like her . Not as the twenty-five year old HongSam, but as the seventeen year old Seo Kw.a.n.g,” he said with determination and added, ”I'm sure she'll say no, but at least it'll be in person . ” Juho thought of her emails . There had been forgiveness in her reply . She hadn't cancelled their plans and she had said that she understood him . Then, she had said jokingly at the end, 'I guess now you need to address me formally . ' As a person who had a deep interest in Korean culture, she must have understood the significance in speaking with formality . There would be a distance between them as noona and dongsaeng - older 'sister' and younger 'brother . ' Things would never go back to the way they were when they would talk to each other as people of the same age . Seo Kw.a.n.g and Juho both understood that as soon as they saw that sentence in the email . After all, Seo Kw.a.n.g had tact . Yet, he insisted on coming out to meet her . To be rejected once again . To confess to her one more time . ”I'll buy you fried chicken . Let me know when you're done,” Juho said quietly . Seo Kw.a.n.g's face puckered for the first time . ”No, thanks . I have a feeling I'd be haunted by bad memories if I have fried chicken again . I love fried chicken too much . While you're at it, buy me pizza instead . ” Juho nodded, although he was slightly confused . 'If that's what you want . ' ”Alright . Whatever it is, I'll let you eat to your heart's content . Good luck!” he said . At that moment, Seo Kw.a.n.g saw a foreigner with brown hair walking toward him, wearing a green cardigan . 'It has to be her,' he thought as if he knew the face of his love . It was Ginger . ”I'm going to have myself the bestest day in my life,” he said as he took a step forward . He was still nervous on the inside . Leaving his anxiety behind, Seo Kw.a.n.g walked toward her . Juho watched them having a conversation from the distance . Seo Kw.a.n.g was making exaggerated movements . ”First love . ” He let out a faint smile at the sound of those bittersweet words and thought about the excitement on Seo Kw.a.n.g's face . Then, he took a small notebook out from his pocket . In there, were a mother with her two children . 'Love . She must have experienced it at some point in her life . There had to be a time when she had met her love for the first time . ' He felt the woman's gloomy, aggressive appearance mellowing out a little bit . --- It was a busy day at the publis.h.i.+ng company . People worked while being surrounded by books . They read pages and pages of drafts while keeping in touch with the authors and deciding on the designs for the book covers . Amid the bustle of business, Nam Kyung was writing an email to the people who had shown interest in adapting Juho's book into a movie . It wasn't uncommon for authors to turn down a movie adaptation offer . Every author had a reason for not wanting their book to be made into a movie . Juho was the same way . He'd made the decision because he'd had an opinion as an author . As an editor, Nam Kyung's job at that point was to respect the author's opinion . He looked through the inbox and the countless offers he had turned down . There were names of renowned studios and directors among them . Sang Young Ju . His hand suddenly stopped as he scrolled down the list . He had heard of that name from a movie preview show that aired every Sunday . In that week's episode, they had introduced the directors . Nam Kyung had paid little attention, even as the TV showed a climactic scene of one of Sang Young's movies . He had never heard of his name or his movies before that . However, although he'd never drawn millions of people to the audience or been invited to a film festival, his movies were simply gorgeous . 'Why isn't he known yet?' It was Nam Kyung's first question when he saw one of his movies . 'It has to be time . It's a matter of time before he spreads his wings as an director,' he thought . It was unfortunate that he had turned down such a talented director . He hadn't realized it when he had written to the director, but the regret finally caught up to him . ”Maybe I should try bringing it up to Juho again,” he said and reached into his pocket to find his phone, but it was empty . 'Where did I put my phone?' he thought, looking through his messy desk . Because of that, he had completely missed out on the conversation between his coworkers . ”There's a strange person outside . ” ”A strange person?” ”I'm not sure, but apparently he's just sitting still in front of the building . ” ”Should we call the police?” ”I'm sure that security will take care of him . ” --- ”I'm going to learn English,” Seo Kw.a.n.g said as he shoved a slice of pizza into his mouth . He was completely incomprehensible, but Juho was able to understand somehow . ”Why?” Juho asked as he sipped on his c.o.ke . ”I've made a promise . ” ”What promise?” he asked as he chewed fiercely . The world might not have been such a beautiful place after all . ”That I'm really going to go visit her the year I turn twenty-five . ” ”So, you two decided to stay friends?” ”Yeah! Friends! Friendzoned!” he said angrily as he chugged his Cola . He almost looked like he was drinking . ”When I met her, she greeted me in Korean . ” She had done so informally . ”So, I greeted her back . ” As agreed, he addressed her with formality . They had both been sincere in their promises . He poked the cheese that had stretched out from the pizza and said, ”So that's why I'm going to learn English and let her know how I feel . ” ”What?” ”'Hi,'” he said with a mischievous smile . Like Ginger had done, he was planning on saying h.e.l.lo to her in her native tongue when he eventually turned twenty-five years old . ”That's not exactly formal . ” ”I know . ” ”OK, then . ” There was no promise that he would actually be able to get in touch with her when he turned twenty-five . His heart might have changed by then . She might be seeing someone by then . Still, he had decided that he was going to learn English and visit her . There was nothing Juho could do but root for his friend . ”Where did you learn English?” ”I'm self-taught,” he answered with a shrug . ”You can do that?” ”I'm sure it depends on the person . ” ”You're so annoying . ” ”Haha!” For a while, Juho had to withstand criticism from Seo Kw.a.n.g . ”One day, I'm going to surpa.s.s you,” he said with unexplainable determination . He must have been drunk from his c.o.ke . ”You said you gave her a book, right? Which book was it?” Juho changed the subject as he brought his cup to his mouth . ”'The Trace of a Bird . '” Juho almost spat out his drink . ”Why?” he asked as he barely swallowed the drink in his mouth . ”Well, it's a good book . And…” ”And?” ”She's a fan… of Yun Woo…” he mumbled as if complaining . ”Do you want more food?” Juho asked . He felt sorry for him for some reason . ”You know what? I'll take you up on that offer . Tonight, I'm going to EAT . I'll pitch in, so let's eat together . ” After ordering another round of pizza along with various sides, they ended up going home with boxes of leftovers . Of course, Juho paid for everything . Seo Kw.a.n.g's first love came to its bittersweet end as he walked around the park to help with digestion . The following day, he immediately submitted his application to a contest .

Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl Let me go get a drink of water . Again? Youve gone several times already . Calm down . No, I feel like my voice is going to crack . I cant let that happen when were meeting for the first time . If you dont want to go to the bathroom in the middle of a conversation, wait . I guess so . Im going to go to the bathroom really quickly then . Juho was trying to calm Seo Kw.a.n.g down . They were waiting for Ginger in front of a large bookstore in Gw.a.n.gHwaMun . After sending her an honest email, she had written back the following day . Unlike previously, it had been written in English that time . Juho translated it . Though she sounded fl.u.s.tered, she was understanding . Seo Kw.a.n.g wrote that she didnt have to see him if she didnt feel comfortable doing so, but she didnt cancel their plans . How do you think this will go? Im not sure, Juho answered calmly . Im sure this is the end, Seo Kw.a.n.g said . Maybe of the feelings? Juho answered as he looked at him intently . Seo Kw.a.n.g ruffled his hair and looked up, Im going to make the most of it while it lasts . With that, he focused on keeping his spirits up . He tried to concentrate on being an average teenager who looked forward to meeting a girl, and Juho didnt say anything else . --- Without getting any explanation, the club members looked at him weird . Did you finally lose your mind? Sun Hwa said . I do feel like Im getting close . This is a beautiful world were living in . Sun Hwa was at loss for words . Instead, she tapped Juho on the arm . Dont ask me, he said . Dont you write anything like I wont let a drop of water touch your hand,Mr . Moon said after reading Seo Kw.a.n.gs composition . Unlike Juho, who was chuckling, Seo Kw.a.n.g answered with a bright smile, Yes, Mr . M! He was a brave fellow, that one . --- Do I need anything else? Should I have a book in my hand or something? No, youre fine the way you are . Yeah? What about my hair? Should I go put on some wax? No, youre fine . He must have asked those things at least several hundred times . Seo Kw.a.n.g had been frantically fixing his hair and making himself look tidier . Meanwhile, Juho patted his tense, rigid back . Youre doing fine . Just be yourself, he said . Thats the hardest thing for me at the moment, he answered as he wiped his sweaty palm on his pants . I dont think Ive been this nervous about meeting someone . It wouldnt be this bad even if I was meeting G.o.d Himself . Thats not nice . I dont have a religion, but I feel like now would be a good time to find one, he said, and Juho prayed that he wouldnt make a mistake in front of Ginger . Hows my breath? I brushed my teeth three times . You want a whiff? Yo, get that away from me, Juho said as he pushed Seo Kw.a.n.g away . Try taking a deep breath . Youre going to be exhausted before you even see her . Im fine . Unusually fine . I didnt get a wink of sleep last night, but how is that I dont even feel tired? Probably because youre excited, Juho murmured internally . It seemed like Juho would have to have the same conversation with his friend a couple hundred more times before Ginger arrived . He looked around as time approached . She had said that shed be wearing a green cardigan, but he didnt see anyone with one of those yet . Isnt it fascinating? Seo Kw.a.n.g said with a calmer voice . What is? That I fell in love with someone I havent even met? Writing is amazing . It transfers emotions just as they are . Its different from speaking . Juho nodded quietly . Writing really was amazing . It made a bookworm fall in love with a girl . Being as tactful a student as he was, Seo Kw.a.n.g wrote to her with awkward English and att.i.tude . Im going to apologize when I see her . This time, in person . Im sure sh.e.l.l forgive you . Then, Ill confess . Ill tell her that I still like her . Not as the twenty-five year old HongSam, but as the seventeen year old Seo Kw.a.n.g, he said with determination and added, Im sure sh.e.l.l say no, but at least itll be in person . Juho thought of her emails . There had been forgiveness in her reply . She hadnt cancelled their plans and she had said that she understood him . Then, she had said jokingly at the end, I guess now you need to address me formally . As a person who had a deep interest in Korean culture, she must have understood the significance in speaking with formality . There would be a distance between them as noona and dongsaeng - older sister and younger brother . Things would never go back to the way they were when they would talk to each other as people of the same age . Seo Kw.a.n.g and Juho both understood that as soon as they saw that sentence in the email . After all, Seo Kw.a.n.g had tact . Yet, he insisted on coming out to meet her . To be rejected once again . To confess to her one more time . Ill buy you fried chicken . Let me know when youre done, Juho said quietly . Seo Kw.a.n.gs face puckered for the first time . No, thanks . I have a feeling Id be haunted by bad memories if I have fried chicken again . I love fried chicken too much . While youre at it, buy me pizza instead . Juho nodded, although he was slightly confused . If thats what you want . Alright . Whatever it is, Ill let you eat to your hearts content . Good luck! he said . At that moment, Seo Kw.a.n.g saw a foreigner with brown hair walking toward him, wearing a green cardigan . It has to be her, he thought as if he knew the face of his love . It was Ginger . Im going to have myself the bestest day in my life, he said as he took a step forward . He was still nervous on the inside . Leaving his anxiety behind, Seo Kw.a.n.g walked toward her . Juho watched them having a conversation from the distance . Seo Kw.a.n.g was making exaggerated movements . First love . He let out a faint smile at the sound of those bittersweet words and thought about the excitement on Seo Kw.a.n.gs face . Then, he took a small notebook out from his pocket . In there, were a mother with her two children . Love . She must have experienced it at some point in her life . There had to be a time when she had met her love for the first time . He felt the womans gloomy, aggressive appearance mellowing out a little bit . --- It was a busy day at the publis.h.i.+ng company . People worked while being surrounded by books . They read pages and pages of drafts while keeping in touch with the authors and deciding on the designs for the book covers . Amid the bustle of business, Nam Kyung was writing an email to the people who had shown interest in adapting Juhos book into a movie . It wasnt uncommon for authors to turn down a movie adaptation offer . Every author had a reason for not wanting their book to be made into a movie . Juho was the same way . Hed made the decision because hed had an opinion as an author . As an editor, Nam Kyungs job at that point was to respect the authors opinion . He looked through the inbox and the countless offers he had turned down . There were names of renowned studios and directors among them . Sang Young Ju . His hand suddenly stopped as he scrolled down the list . He had heard of that name from a movie preview show that aired every Sunday . In that weeks episode, they had introduced the directors . Nam Kyung had paid little attention, even as the TV showed a climactic scene of one of Sang Youngs movies . He had never heard of his name or his movies before that . However, although hed never drawn millions of people to the audience or been invited to a film festival, his movies were simply gorgeous . Why isnt he known yet? It was Nam Kyungs first question when he saw one of his movies . It has to be time . Its a matter of time before he spreads his wings as an director, he thought . It was unfortunate that he had turned down such a talented director . He hadnt realized it when he had written to the director, but the regret finally caught up to him . Maybe I should try bringing it up to Juho again, he said and reached into his pocket to find his phone, but it was empty . Where did I put my phone? he thought, looking through his messy desk . Because of that, he had completely missed out on the conversation between his coworkers . Theres a strange person outside . A strange person? Im not sure, but apparently hes just sitting still in front of the building . Should we call the police? Im sure that security will take care of him . --- Im going to learn English, Seo Kw.a.n.g said as he shoved a slice of pizza into his mouth . He was completely incomprehensible, but Juho was able to understand somehow . Why? Juho asked as he sipped on his c.o.ke . Ive made a promise . What promise? he asked as he chewed fiercely . The world might not have been such a beautiful place after all . That Im really going to go visit her the year I turn twenty-five . So, you two decided to stay friends? Yeah! Friends! Friendzoned! he said angrily as he chugged his Cola . He almost looked like he was drinking . When I met her, she greeted me in Korean . She had done so informally . So, I greeted her back . As agreed, he addressed her with formality . They had both been sincere in their promises . He poked the cheese that had stretched out from the pizza and said, So thats why Im going to learn English and let her know how I feel . What? Hi, he said with a mischievous smile . Like Ginger had done, he was planning on saying h.e.l.lo to her in her native tongue when he eventually turned twenty-five years old . Thats not exactly formal . I know . OK, then . There was no promise that he would actually be able to get in touch with her when he turned twenty-five . His heart might have changed by then . She might be seeing someone by then . Still, he had decided that he was going to learn English and visit her . There was nothing Juho could do but root for his friend . Where did you learn English? Im self-taught, he answered with a shrug . You can do that? Im sure it depends on the person . Youre so annoying . Haha! For a while, Juho had to withstand criticism from Seo Kw.a.n.g . One day, Im going to surpa.s.s you, he said with unexplainable determination . He must have been drunk from his c.o.ke . You said you gave her a book, right? Which book was it? Juho changed the subject as he brought his cup to his mouth . The Trace of a Bird . Juho almost spat out his drink . Why? he asked as he barely swallowed the drink in his mouth . Well, its a good book . And… And? Shes a fan… of Yun Woo… he mumbled as if complaining . Do you want more food? Juho asked . He felt sorry for him for some reason . You know what? Ill take you up on that offer . Tonight, Im going to EAT . Ill pitch in, so lets eat together . After ordering another round of pizza along with various sides, they ended up going home with boxes of leftovers . Of course, Juho paid for everything . Seo Kw.a.n.gs first love came to its bittersweet end as he walked around the park to help with digestion . The following day, he immediately submitted his application to a contest .